Stacking the Shelves

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews. With this amazing meme, you can check out which books I've gotten.

From Penguin

The Smoke Thieves by Sally Green
A princess, a traitor, a hunter and a thief. Four teenagers with the fate of the world in their hands. Four nations destined for conflict. 

In Brigant, Princess Catherine prepares for a loveless political marriage arranged by her brutal and ambitious father. In Calidor, downtrodden servant March seeks revenge on the prince who betrayed his people. In Pitoria, feckless Edyon steals cheap baubles for cheaper thrills as he drifts from town to town. And in the barren northern territories, thirteen-year-old Tash is running for her life as she plays bait for the gruff demon hunter Gravell.

As alliances shift and shatter, and old certainties are overturned, our four heroes find their past lives transformed and their futures inextricably linked by the unpredictable tides of magic and war. Who will rise and who will fall? And who will claim the ultimate prize?

From Netgalley

The Warrior Queen (The Hundredth Queen #4) by Emily R. King
In the final volume of The Hundredth Queen Series, Kalinda will risk everything to save the man she loves.

Kalinda has brought peace to the Tarachand Empire, at least for now. Bhutas no longer need to hide their gifts. The last of the rebels have been banished. And Prince Ashwin is set to take over as rajah.

But for Kalinda, this all came at a great loss. Her childhood home. Her best friend. The love of her life.

Deven is still trapped in the Void, although he is able to find his way to Kalinda each night. He has been lucky so far—mortals are not meant to last in the Void for long, and Deven has lasted longer than most. But when he doesn’t visit her one night, Kalinda knows that his luck has run out.

She will do whatever it takes to save the man she loves, even if it means convincing a god to guide her through the Void. Freeing a mortal from the Void is nearly impossible, but Kalinda has never let those odds stop her before…

Review: Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young

Publication Date: April 24th 2018
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ TBD

Synopsis: OND ELDR. BREATHE FIRE.

Raised to be a warrior, seventeen-year-old Eelyn fights alongside her Aska clansmen in an ancient rivalry against the Riki clan. Her life is brutal but simple: fight and survive. Until the day she sees the impossible on the battlefield—her brother, fighting with the enemy—the brother she watched die five years ago.

Faced with her brother's betrayal, she must survive the winter in the mountains with the Riki, in a village where every neighbor is an enemy, every battle scar possibly one she delivered. But when the Riki village is raided by a ruthless clan thought to be a legend, Eelyn is even more desperate to get back to her beloved family.

She is given no choice but to trust Fiske, her brother’s friend, who sees her as a threat. They must do the impossible: unite the clans to fight together, or risk being slaughtered one by one. Driven by a love for her clan and her growing love for Fiske, Eelyn must confront her own definition of loyalty and family while daring to put her faith in the people she’s spent her life hating. 

My Rating

4/5 stars

My Review

Sky in the Deep was such a great novel! There is tons of action right from the beginning, a great plot and some fantastic characters. I definitely recommend this book to action and fantasy fans.

Five years ago, Eelyn watched her bother Iri die in a battle against the Riki, so when her brother's image comes to her just as she's about to die and saves her life, Eelyn believes that the gods have favoured her. But when she sees Iri a second time in battle she can't help but follow him. Iri was taken in and healed by the Riki five years ago, and now he is one of them. The only way he could protect Eelyn after she went too far to follow him, was to take her in as a slave. Now trapped in the mountains with the Riki and her traitorous brother, Eelyn must find a way to survive against all odds and make her way back to her people. 

Eelyn was a fantastic main character. She is a strong and powerful woman that has so much life within her. She's not afraid to say what she's thinking and do what she feels is right. I loved her so much in the beginning, but I definitely loved her even more in the end. Eelyn goes through some amazing character development, and is just a please to read from in her point of view.
As for the other main characters, I really liked most of them. Fiske was absolutely fantastic from beginning to end, just seeing him in a scene made me so much more excited to read it. I adore Inge and Halvard, they really gave the book a family aspect, especially Halvard since he felt like a little brother figure, and was just so loveable that you can't help but love him.
The characters I didn't really like were Iri and Runa, Iri just seemed very stuck up and kept constantly doing the wrong thing and just expecting everyone to forgive him and see his side of the story. He never really apologizes and just doesn't seem like the great brother figure that Eelyn remembers him to be. It also didn't feel like he went through any character development and just sort of stayed the same from the beginning to the end of the book. As for Runa, she was talked about a lot in the book, but was never really present in the moment, and when she was, she just never made a lasting impression.

The action starts right at the beginning of the story and continues right to the end. I was really impressed with how much I wanted to read this book, and just not put it down. The world that Adrienne Young created was absolutely fantastic and very creative.

While the action, pacing and world were great, this book did tend to be a little predictable. The predictions I made at the beginning of the book came true in the end, and there really wasn't anything that surprised me about the story.

Overall, I definitely recommend this book if you love action and fantasy novels, and especially if you love strong female characters. If this book wasn't as predictable as it was, I would have definitely given it five stars. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

Happy Reading,
Aneta 

Waiting on Wednesday: Smoke in the Sun by Renee Ahdieh

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

Series: Flame in the Mist #2
Publication Date: June 5th 2018
Publisher: Putnam
Genre: YA, Fantasy 
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ TBD

Synopsis: The highly anticipated sequel to Flame in the Mist--an addictive, sumptuous finale that will leave readers breathless from the bestselling author of The Wrath and the Dawn 

After Okami is captured in the Jukai forest, Mariko has no choice--to rescue him, she must return to Inako and face the dangers that have been waiting for her in the Heian Castle. She tricks her brother, Kenshin, and betrothed, Raiden, into thinking she was being held by the Black Clan against her will, playing the part of the dutiful bride-to-be to infiltrate the emperor's ranks and uncover the truth behind the betrayal that almost left her dead.

With the wedding plans already underway, Mariko pretends to be consumed with her upcoming nuptials, all the while using her royal standing to peel back the layers of lies and deception surrounding the imperial court. But each secret she unfurls gives way to the next, ensnaring Mariko and Okami in a political scheme that threatens their honor, their love and very the safety of the empire. 

Waiting on Wednesday: From Twinkle with Love by Sandy Menon

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

Publication Date: June 5th 2018
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Romance 
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ TBD

Synopsis: Aspiring filmmaker and wallflower Twinkle Mehra has stories she wants to tell and universes she wants to explore, if only the world would listen. So when fellow film geek Sahil Roy approaches her to direct a movie for the upcoming Summer Festival, Twinkle is all over it. The chance to publicly showcase her voice as a director? Dream come true. The fact that it gets her closer to her longtime crush, Neil Roy—a.k.a. Sahil’s twin brother? Dream come true x 2.

When mystery man “N” begins emailing her, Twinkle is sure it’s Neil, finally ready to begin their happily-ever-after. The only slightly inconvenient problem is that, in the course of movie-making, she’s fallen madly in love with the irresistibly adorkable Sahil.

Twinkle soon realizes that resistance is futile: The romance she’s got is not the one she’s scripted. But will it be enough?

Told through the letters Twinkle writes to her favorite female filmmakers, From Twinkle, with Love navigates big truths about friendship, family, and the unexpected places love can find you.

Review: Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

Series: Legacy of Orisha #1
Publication Date: March 6th 2018
Publisher: Henry Holt books for Young Readers
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ TBD

Synopsis: Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zelie’s Reaper mother summoned forth souls. 

But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were targeted and killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope.

Now, Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good. 

Danger lurks in Orïsha, where snow leoponaires prowl and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zélie herself as she struggles to control her powers—and her growing feelings for the enemy.

My Rating

5/5 stars

My Review

“I won't let your ignorance silence my pain” 
Children of Blood and Bone is fantastic, breathtaking and made me fall in love, laugh and cry all within a few pages. I honestly can't even begin to tell you how much I enjoyed this book.

Zelie's mother was taken from her family and murdered by the monarchy along with the rest of the population that could perform magic. Zelie now trains with her staff for a time when the king comes to murder her next. When Zelie's father almost dies trying to earn enough coin to pay for Zelie's tax, Zelie and her brother Tzain, take it upon themselves to travel to Legos to earn more money, but when Zelie leaves the city she not only brings with her a big purse of gold, but also a runaway princess, a magic scroll and a price on her head. As Zelie, Tzain and Amari try to escape with the scroll, Inan, Amari's brother and the prince of Orisha will stop at nothing to bring back his sister and the scroll, and kill the girl that's betrayed her King.

Honestly, this book was so wonderful that I cant find anything to complain about. All four of the main characters were all so different and unique, and while I necessarily didn't love all of them, I definitely was interested enough to read in their point of views and see where the story takes them next. I absolutely loved Zelie and Amari right from the beginning, they are polar opposites at the beginning of the book, but they both have such amazing character development throughout the story. They are relatable, strong and fierce women, I love them both. I loved Tzain just as much as the girls, he is such a kind person and a wonderful brother. Inan on the other hand was not the best, I thought he was very childish and ignorant at times, and while he had his moments where his story was interesting and it almost seemed like he was going to become a good character, in the end I just wasn't that impressed with his character.

The relationships in this book were great. I absolutely love the relationship Zelie has with her brother, they fight, they pull pranks on one another, but in the end they would do anything for each other and care about one another immensely. They truly felt like a real family, and it made me wish that I had a brother and a relationship like this. The romance between Amari and Tzain was also fantastic. They have a sweet, slow burning romance that brings joy to your heart when you read their story. You can just tell that they will make a wonderful couple in the future.

The plot of the story was absolutely perfect. There was action right from beginning to end. The story definitely keeps you on your toes, as there were many instances where something happened that I never would have expected, it made the story change quickly and kept the reader guessing what will happen next.

Surprisingly, as much as I loved this story, I loved the author's note even more. I rarely read the author's note, but I am so glad that I did this time. The author links the fictional world that she created to the real world, and lets just say that what she wrote made me cry. If you're reading this book or you've already finished it and missed the author's note, I definitely suggest giving it a look through.

Overall, this book was amazing. I have no bad words about it. I definitely recommend this book to all young adults and even adults, whether you like fantasy or contemporary, this book is such an important read that I think everyone can find something about it that they will love.

Happy Reading,
Aneta 

Stacking the Shelves

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews. With this amazing meme, you can check out which books I've gotten.

From Netgalley

The Neuroscientist Who Lost Her Mind by Barbara K. Lipska 
Neuroscientist Lipska was diagnosed early in 2015 with metastatic melanoma in her brain's frontal lobe. As the cancer progressed and was treated, the author experienced behavioral and cognitive symptoms connected to a range of mental disorders, including her professional specialty, schizophrenia. Lipska's family and associates were alarmed by the changes in her behavior, which she failed to acknowledge herself. Gradually, after a course of immunotherapy, Lipska returned to normal functioning, recalled her experience and, through her knowledge of neuroscience, identified the ways in which her brain changed during treatment. Lipska admits her condition was unusual; after recovery she was able to return to her research and resume her athletic training and compete in a triathalon. Most patients with similar brain cancers rarely survive to describe their ordeal. Lipska's memoir, coauthored with journalist McArdle, shows that strength and courage but also a encouraging support network are vital to recovery 

Once a King by Erin Summerill
A young king searches for a way to save his kingdom in this romantic fantasy from Erin Summerill, who was called “absolutely marvelous” by New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas.

Aodren: A lonely, young king, searching for a way to dismantle his father’s dark legacy.
Lirra: A girl with the power to control the wind, torn between duty and following her dreams

For twenty years, Channelers—women with a magical ability—have been persecuted in Malam by those without magic. Now King Aodren wants to end the bloody divide and unite his kingdom. But decades of hatred can’t be overcome by issuing decrees, and rumors of a deadly Channeler-made substance are only fueling people’s fears. Lirra has every reason to distrust Aodren. Yet when he asks for help to discover the truth behind the rumors, she can’t say no. With Lirra by his side, Aodren sees a way forward for his people. But can he rewrite the mistakes of the past before his enemies destroy the world he’s working so hard to rebuild? Erin Summerill returns with a high-stakes fantasy full of romance, magic, and revenge perfect for fans of Susan Dennard and C. J. Redwine.


As you are reading this, I am headed to my second final exam. Assuming I make it out alive, I cannot wait to start reading these books. I read an excerpt of the Neuroscientist's book and I was already hooked from chapter one. I requested it from Netgalley, but part of me hoped that I would get denied because I kind of want to buy a physical copy of the book anyways... we'll see. As for Once a King, I HAD NO CLUE THE SERIES WAS CONTINUING. I am so excited to keep reading and see Aodren and Lira's story. 
Have a lovely weekend, and let me know which books you got this week.

DNF Review: Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody

Series: The Shadow Game #1
Publication Date: April 10th 2018
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Genre: YA, Fantasy 
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ TBD

Synopsis: Welcome to the City of Sin, where casino families reign, gangs infest the streets…
and secrets hide in every shadow.

Enne Salta was raised as a proper young lady, and no lady would willingly visit New Reynes, the so-called City of Sin. But when her mother goes missing, Enne must leave her finishing school—and her reputation—behind to follow her mother’s trail to the city where no one survives uncorrupted.

Frightened and alone, her only lead is a name: Levi Glaisyer. Unfortunately, Levi is not the gentleman she expected—he’s a street lord and a con man. Levi is also only one payment away from cleaning up a rapidly unraveling investment scam, so he doesn't have time to investigate a woman leading a dangerous double life. Enne's offer of compensation, however, could be the solution to all his problems.

Their search for clues leads them through glamorous casinos, illicit cabarets and into the clutches of a ruthless mafia donna. As Enne unearths an impossible secret about her past, Levi's enemies catch up to them, ensnaring him in a vicious execution game where the players always lose. To save him, Enne will need to surrender herself to the city…

And she’ll need to play. 

My Rating

DNF

My Review

DNF at 25% in.

The hype about this book was crazy, and I've even tons of amazing reviews from fellow bloggers that were raving about this release, but sadly it just wasn't for me.

I told myself I would stop reading if I didn't like the book by 30%, but at 25% I just gave up.

As I started the book, I thought I was totally going to fall in love with it. The story starts with Enne coming off a boat, and into the City of Sin looking for her missing mother. When Enne tries to ask the local police for help, they start acting very weird at the mention of her mother's name. Enne ends up running away from the police with a boy who leads her to Levi, one of the local street gang lords. Since Levi is in desperate need for cash, he decides to help Enne find her mother, and the two start off on their adventure together. 

Like I said, the first chapter or so was actually pretty interesting, but soon after that the book became very dry. The most action in the novel at the 25% was the running away from the police scene, everything else after that was just walking and talking, and talking to other people. There just wasn't enough excitement to keep me interested in the book.

While I didn't necessarily like the characters, I also didn't hate them either. Enne was fairly boring, she was very proper and mostly kept to herself. I'm sure she goes through some character development and gets out of her comfort zone throughout the novel, but even then I wasn't sure if she would become a strong female character, there just wasn't anything about her that stood out or made me love her. Levi was definitely an interesting character at first, but reading in his perspective turned out to be very boring. I find him to be very selfish and honestly not that smart for what he claims. 

The weirdest thing about this book, and probably the biggest reason why I had to put this book down, was because Enne was carrying a book on her that told her everything about the City of Sin, right down to the people in the city.... like what? Sure I understand tourist books with landmarks and festivals, but this book actually had like character descriptions and went into so much detail about the city, including some of it's illegal activities. I'm not sure why, but I just found this so strange and weird.

Maybe in the future I will give this book another try, and actually get past 25% in. But for right now, this was definitely not the book for me.

Happy Reading,
Aneta

Waiting on Wednesday: Rage by Cora Carmack

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

Series: Stormheart #2
Publication Date: June 5th 2018
Publisher: Tor Teen
Genre: YA, Fantasy 
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ TBD 

Synopsis: New York Times bestselling author Cora Carmack's young adult debut series: the second in a captivating new YA fantasy/romance series perfect for fans of Victoria Aveyard

Princess or adventurer.

Duty or freedom.

Her Kingdom or the Stormhunter she loves.

If Aurora knows anything, it's that choices have consequences. To set things right, she joins a growing revolution on the streets of Pavan. 

In disguise as the rebel Roar, she puts her knowledge of the palace to use to aid the rebellion. But the Rage season is at its peak and not a day passes without the skies raining down destruction. Yet these storms are different—they churn with darkness, and attack with a will that’s desperate and violent. 

This feels like more than rage. 

It feels like war.

Stacking the Shelves

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews. With this amazing meme, you can check out which books I've gotten.

From Netgalley

Over Raging Tides by Jennifer Ellision
The pirate crew of the Lady Luck lives by many rules, but chief among them is this: they do not allow men on board. 

That’s a rule that quartermaster Grace Porter is willing to break when a shipwrecked young nobleman offers her information of an omniscient map, stolen from his warship by an enemy vessel. Until now, the map was only the stuff of legend… but with its help, Grace may finally be able to hunt down the Mordgris, the sea monsters who stole her mother away from her.

Unfortunately, some members of her crew have other plans...

To find the map and face the Mordgris, Grace will have to confront her past, put the Luck between warring nations, and uncover treachery aboard the ship. And ultimately, her revenge and the destruction of the Mordgris will come at a hefty price: the betrayal of her crew.

Grace promised them they wouldn’t regret this.

She just isn’t sure that she won’t.

Empress of All Seasons by Emiko Jean
In a palace of illusions, nothing is what it seems.


Each generation, a competition is held to find the next empress of Honoku. The rules are simple. Survive the palace’s enchanted seasonal rooms. Conquer Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. Marry the prince. All are eligible to compete—all except y?kai, supernatural monsters and spirits whom the human emperor is determined to enslave and destroy. Mari has spent a lifetime training to become empress. Winning should be easy. And it would be, if she weren't hiding a dangerous secret. Mari is a y?kai with the ability to transform into a terrifying monster. If discovered, her life will be forfeit. As she struggles to keep her true identity hidden, Mari’s fate collides with that of Taro, the prince who has no desire to inherit the imperial throne, and Akira, a half-human, half-y?kai outcast. Torn between duty and love, loyalty and betrayal, vengeance and forgiveness, the choices of Mari, Taro, and Akira will decide the fate of Honoku in this beautifully written, edge-of-your-seat YA fantasy.
Taro, Mari, and Akira come face to face in the Palace of Illusions where their true destinies are revealed. Torn between duty and love, loyalty and betrayal, vengeance and forgiveness, their choices will decide the fate of Honoku itself.

I've been in a huge pirate book mood after finishing Daughter of the Siren Queen, so I went ahead and requested Over Raging Tides, to read after I finish up my exams in two weeks. I also requested Empress of All Seasons, now it doesn't have a cover yet, but that synopsis already has me dying to read it. That's all I got this week, what did you guys get?

Waiting on Wednesday: Nightblood by Elly Blake

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

Series: Frostblood Saga #3
Publication Date: June 5th 2018
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ TBD

Synopsis: Ruby's world has changed more than she ever could have imagined. She's in love with a powerful Frost King. She's the heir to the Fire Throne. And she may be a Nightblood--the spawn of a vengeful deity hellbent on releasing his wraithlike Minax from their prison. Once freed, these beasts will roam the earth, devouring every last person until he or she is nothing but an empty husk. But Ruby is able to control the Minax to a degree, and now she, her beloved Arcus, and her friend Kai must find a way to bring Frostbloods and Firebloods--sworn enemies--together to make a stand against a foe more deadly than any they've faced.

In this heart-pounding finale of Elly Blake's gorgeously written and action-packed Frostblood Saga, the fate of Frostbloods, Firebloods, and all of humanity is at stake.

Review: Zombie Abbey by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

Publication Date: April 2018
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Genre: YA, Horror, Historical Fiction
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ TBD

Synopsis: 1920, England

And the three teenage Clarke sisters thought what they’d wear to dinner was their biggest problem…

Lady Kate, the entitled eldest.
Lady Grace, lost in the middle and wishing she were braver.
Lady Lizzy, so endlessly sunny, it’s easy to underestimate her.

Then there’s Will Harvey, the proud, to-die-for—and possibly die with!—stable boy; Daniel Murray, the resourceful second footman with a secret; Raymond Allen, the unfortunate-looking young duke; and Fanny Rogers, the unsinkable kitchen maid.

Upstairs! Downstairs! Toss in some farmers and villagers!

None of them ever expected to work together for any reason.

But none of them had ever seen anything like this.

My Rating

4/5 stars

My Review

Zombie Abbey is a short and hilarious read, perfect for fans of zombies and 1920's England.

When Will Harvey's aunt shoots her husband, no one believes her when she tells people that he was most definitely dead, before rising back to life and trying to kill her. When the zombies reach the Clarke estate, everyone must set aside their differences and work together, or they just might end up dead.

After reading the synopsis of this book I knew that I had to read it. I love the time period that this is set in, and who doesn't love a good zombie story. Although this book is placed in the horror genera, I didn't really think it was that scary. I actually found it to be more funny than scary.

This book is told in the perspectives of many people at the Clarke estate, including the sisters, Will Harvey and the maid. While there was lots of characters I loved, like the youngest sister Lizzy, there was also a lot of characters that I didn't particularly care about. So when I was reading from the point of view from the characters I liked I really enjoyed the story, but when I was reading in the point of view of the characters I didn't care about, the story sometimes seemed to just drag on. I really would have enjoyed the story if it was told in one or two points of view rather than this many.

The plot of the story was good. This book definitely has a slow start, but eventually picks up around half way into the book. But once the action started the book definitely got a lot better and I found myself wanting to continue reading.

While I really enjoyed the story, I wasn't a huge fan of the ending. I think there were a little too many open ended questions about the characters and what happens next to the characters, for me to enjoy the ending. It almost seems like there should be a sequel to this novel, but I don't think there is one.

Overall, I enjoyed most of the characters and the action in this story made me want to keep reading, and not put the book down. I definitely recommend this book if you love Zombies or Jane Austen novels, although if you want action from beginning to end or a sold ending, this might not be the book for you.

Happy Reading,
Aneta