Wednesday 27 January 2021

Can't Wait Wednesday #7

 


Can't Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally, they're books that have yet to be released. Find out more here!

Hello hello everybody! I hope everyone's week has been off to a good start! Mine has been quite slow to be honest, but I'm hoping the rest of the week flies by! This week I am super excited for a new book by Victoria Aveyard! If the author sounds unfamiliar, perhaps you'll recognize her for her bestselling series Red Queen! It just came to my attention that she is starting a new YA fantasy series called Realm Breaker and I can't wait to see what she has in store for her readers!

Author: Victoria Aveyard
Publish Date: May 4th, 2021
Publisher: Orion
















What are you guys excited for?!





Monday 25 January 2021

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

 


It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a place to meet up and share what you have been, and are about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organize yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment and er… add to your groaning TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn here at The Book Date.

What I Read Last Week:

Star-Crossed Dragons: Chris Cannon
Review coming this week!

What I Am Currently Reading:






Sunday 24 January 2021

Secrets of the Starcrossed: Clara O'Connor

Author: Clara O'Connor
Publish Date: January 21st, 2021
Publisher: One More Chapter
Source: Huge thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC for review!

Summary by Goodreads. 
In a world where the Roman Empire never fell, two starcrossed lovers fight to ignite the spark of rebellion…                                                                                       Londinium, the last stronghold of the Romans left in Britannia, remains in a delicate state of peace with the ancient kingdoms that surround it. As the only daughter of a powerful merchant, Cassandra is betrothed to Marcus, the most eligible bachelor in the city.                                                                                       But then she meets Devyn, the boy with the strange midnight eyes searching for a girl with magic in her blood.                                                                                       A boy who will make her believe in soulmates…                                                                                       When a mysterious sickness starts to leech the life from citizens with Celtic power lying dormant in their veins, the imperial council sets their schemes in motion. And so Cassandra must make a choice: the Code or Chaos, science or sorcery, Marcus or Devyn?                                                                                       Panem meets the Grishaverse in this explosive new YA trilogy perfect for readers of Marie Lu, Bella Forrest, and Cassandra Clare.

Penelope's Review

Loved it. Absolutely loved it! I have to say, the mixed reviews made me a bit nervous, but after reading this book I really can't imagine why the reviews are so all over the place! First of all, the premise for this book is absolutely fascinating - from what I gather, it's written as if the fall of the Roman Empire never happened, so it's kind of like a "this is what would have happened if they had continued to thrive". SO cool right?! Not to mention the world that Clara O'Connor created! I loved trying to imagine what she envisioned with a city built up into the sky rather than out along the ground. It put my imagination to the test that's for sure!

In terms of the premise/world-building, the only thing I will say is that sometimes the history of the different kingdoms/wars/treaties was a bit confusing. I found it hard to follow along and felt there could have been a bit more detail included. I don't think that it took away from my experience, however. as I could follow along enough to understand the major players, and that is what was important. Just something to make note of!

Character-wise, I was not disappointed! Cassandra, the main female lead, started out as a simple person with a simple life. But as she discovered truths about herself and the world around her, she transformed into a defiant, compassionate, and determined young lady. Her development as a person throughout this book was so much fun to read and experience. I found many of her reactions and actions real and relatable, which was great as I tend to put myself in the shoes of the main character! 

Devyn was also a great character. I found the beginning of the book, when Cassandra and Devyn meet for the first time, a bit fast. It kind of seemed to come out of nowhere and at the very beginning of the book without any sort of buildup. But as I kept reading, this feeling dissipated and I found myself rooting for them to be together! Devyn was a great male lead. He was dark, handsome, and mysterious (the perfect combo every time). He was confident and a bit arrogant, but it worked for him. He had the whole "bad boy" part down to an art and I loved every minute of it. 

In terms of their relationship, the only thing that REALLY frustrated me was that Devyn would NOT tell Cassandra anything. Like literally anything. There would be huge, elaborate plans that she had to be a part of, and he would give her LESS than the bare minimum. It was irritating, to be quite honest. I wish I had seen a little more spunk and defiance from Cassandra in these particular situations. But that's pretty much my only complaint there. 

And Marcus was an interesting addition that turned this into a semi love triangle type book! You'll see what I mean by that when you read it lol! He was not my cup of tea at first, but I came around as he developed into a character more worthy of my love and appreciation haha! As he also discovers the truth about the leaders of his world, he becomes much more bearable. 

Overall, I found this book fresh and exciting! I loved the Celtic elements woven throughout, and am so excited to read what comes next in the series! TALK ABOUT A CLIFFHANGER! Eek! I highly recommend this book to all YA lovers!

Rating: 4.5/5 Devils!








Friday 22 January 2021

Book Blogger Hop

 


This is hosted by Billy at Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer! Hop over to their page to grab a button and join in the fun!

This Weeks Question:

Do you own more than one e-Book reader?

Actually yes lol! As of December, I officially own 2. Maybe some of you remember these lol, but I still own my very first e-reader which I received as a gift in 2011 from my parents. The Sony E-Reader PRS-T1. This thing is basically an antique now lol! But IT STILL WORKS!! Like perfectly! The only issue is that most e-books are in a form that Kindles can accept, which is not the same form that the Sony e-reader's take. So for the most part, it sits unused on my desk! Which brings me to my next e-reader: The Kindle Paperwhite! I got one of these for myself in December and I love it! I can download all of my Netgalley books onto it, and I am happy! BUT I must say.. I will always and forever prefer to read actual books over e-books ANY DAY! Nothing beats ink on paper ;) 

How about you guys?!





Thursday 21 January 2021

The Famoux: Kassandra Tate

 Title: The Famoux
Author: Kassandra Tate
Publish Date: January 19th, 2021
Publisher: Wattpad Books
Source: Thank you to Netgalley and Edelweiss (and the publisher!) for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Summary by Goodreads. 
Out of the wreckage of environmental collapse, the country of Delicatum emerged. Its most popular celebrities are the Famoux, uniquely beautiful stars of a reality TV show called the Fishbowl. In a world still recovering from catastrophe, they provide a 24/7 distraction.                                                                                       Sixteen-year-old Emilee Laurence is obsessed with the Famoux—they provide a refuge from her troubled home life and the bullies at school. When she receives an unimaginable offer to become a member herself, she takes it. Leaving behind everything she’s ever known, Emilee enters a world of high glamour and even higher stakes.                                                                                    Because behind their perfect image lies an ugly truth—an anonymous stalker has been dictating the Famoux’s every move, and being popular really is a matter of life or death.

Penelope's Review

What a fantastic debut! Congrats to Kassandra Tate on being so young and yet so accomplished! I really enjoyed this book. I found the storyline unique and exciting, I found the style of writing perfect for what the book entails, and I loved the overall feel of "can't put it down" that it gave me!

The book is written from the perspective of Emilee Laurence/Emeray Essence. As a character herself, I find her quite likeable with time. At the beginning, she is a bit helpless (almost annoyingly so) but she definitely grows as a person throughout the book and becomes a bit more assertive by the end. I have a feeling that she will become a much stronger character in the next addition to the series and I am looking forward to seeing her flourish! 

I liked some of the characters as well... Chapter for being so nice and navigating the life of fame so well (and for being so sexy.. seriously I love him), Norax for being so surprising and unexpected, and Cartney for being so frustrating and unlikeable lol! Yes... I liked him for being unlikeable. It added some frustration that made me want to see more. I went back and forth with my opinion on Kaytee.. some of her actions were maddening but not without reason so I suppose I can see her point of view. As for the rest of the Famoux... Till, Race, Foster I didn't really form opinions about them because I felt like I didn't really get to know them. Perhaps that will change in the next book! The only other thing in terms of the characters is that when the Volx list shows up, it uses the Famoux members' former names. After coming to know them by their Famoux names, with little to no mention of their former names, I found it very difficult to remember who was who when reading the list. A minor inconvenience, but worth noting! 

The story itself was fantastic. While the first little bit was slow, I will admit, it did end up picking up quite a bit. I loved reading about the lives of the rich and famous, and getting a glimpse into what goes on behind the scenes (albeit, the fictional scenes lol). I loved all of the plot twists scattered throughout, and loved that I didn't have the whole thing figured out until the very end! Usually when I read books with a bit of a mystery to them, I know what's going to happen or who's behind everything pretty early on... but I wasn't sure with this one! And what was interesting is that the writing was so well done and the plot moved so quickly that I actually didn't have time to sit and wonder who was behind everything that was happening! It's hard to explain what I mean by this - you'll have to read it yourself to see!

Overall, I found this book to be a breath of fresh air in what can sometimes be a very repetitive, monotonous genre. There is still much I am excited to learn about and lots of loose ends that I can't wait to see tied. Looking forward to the next installment in this series!

Rating: 4/5 Devils!











Wednesday 20 January 2021

Can't Wait Wednesday #6

 


Can't Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally, they're books that have yet to be released. Find out more here!

Hello everyone! Welcome to my blog or welcome BACK to my blog (Tana Mongeau reference anyone lol?). So last week I was approved on NetGalley to read a book called Secrets of the Starcrossed by Clara O'Connor. After taking a look through some of the reviews, I found myself a little less excited to get to it, but I am so glad I did! I ended up loving this book so much! So for this week's can't wait post, I can't wait until the second book in the series comes out!! My fingers are crossed that it pops up on NetGalley or Edelweiss because I DO NOT want to wait until March! I recommend putting aside the reviews and giving this a try to form your own opinion! 



Tuesday 19 January 2021

Blog Tour: House of Bastiion The Haidren Legacy by K.L. Kolarich

 


Hi everyone! Welcome to my stop on the tour for House of Bastiion! This tour is hosted by YA Bound Book Tours and it will run from January 18th to January 22nd so make sure to check out all the other stops throughout this week! 
Check out the full schedule here!
Today is extra exciting because it is the official House of Bastiion release date!! That means you can finally get your hands on a copy! Read below for more information! 



Author: K.L. Kolarich
Publish Date: January 19th, 2021
Publisher: Rogue Kite Publishing
BEHIND THE MASK OF DUTY AND POWER, NO ONE IS WHO THEY SEEM…

Centuries after the Forgotten Wars ravaged the world and turned it to ash, the Houses of Pilar, Darakai, Boreal, and Bastiion forged an accord with the royal line of Thoarne, founding a Quadren of advisory to the throne of Orynthia. Every generation, a single Haidren from each of the four Houses is appointed to this coveted chair.                                                                                       Upon her Ascension to adulthood, Luscia Tiergan takes her seat at court as al’Haidren to the House of Boreal and is quickly drawn into a maze of political traps and dark secrets. As she adjusts to her new life, Luscia uncovers a pattern of forgotten children, slain in the streets of Bastiion.                                                                                       Raised on superstitious rumors about Boreal’s penchant for sorcery, Zaethan Kasim, al’Haidren to the House of Darakai, inevitably clashes with Lusica when she arrives in Bastiion. But when his position is threatened by an old rival, Zaethan is forced to set aside his hatred and form an uneasy alliance with the Boreali al’Haidren to secure his claim.                                                                                       Following a disturbing stream of innocent bloodshed across Orynthia, Luscia and Zaethan discover their ideals are far more aligned than they might have imagined. But in a land of war and deceit, the path to peace should never be trusted.


Are you as excited as I am?! This book sounds fantastic! Let's put a face to the name and meet the author!


K.L. Kolarich is a debut New-Adult Fantasy Fiction author, based out of Nashville, TN. An individual plagued by sarcasm,conviction, and an ever-present distraction of fable and lore, K.L. Kolarich dreams in the day and writes through the night. With too many cats and not enough wine, Kolarich resides in the woods away from the noise, happily married. 







Are you excited?! And since this is release day you can head on over and purchase this RIGHT NOW! Here is the link: https://amzn.to/3ovlSCI 
Check out the website for even more information: http://www.thehaidrenlegacy.com/ 
You can find maps, a glossary, genealogies, and so much more!  

Thanks for coming to my stop on this tour! Please be sure to tune in every day to each new blog to show support for this fantastic author! 



Monday 18 January 2021

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

 


It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a place to meet up and share what you have been, and are about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organize yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment and er… add to your groaning TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn here at The Book Date.
Jen Vincent, Teach Mentor Texts, and Kellee of Unleashing Readers decided to give It's Monday! a kidlit focus. If you read and review books in children's literature - picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels or anything in those genres - join them.


What I Read Last Week:

The Famoux: Kassandra Tate
Secrets of the Starcrossed: Clara O'Connor
Review for The Famoux is up tomorrow! Review for Secrets of the Starcrossed will be up late this week!


What I am Currently Reading:

What about you guys?! What did you read last week? :) 


Sunday 17 January 2021

Eventide: Sarah Goodman

Title: Eventide
Author: Sarah Goodman
Publish Date: October 6th, 2020
Publisher: Tor Teen
Source: Received an ARC from Raincoast Books in exchange for an honest review

Summary by Goodreads.
MADNESS, SECRETS, AND LIES

Wheeler, Arkansas, 1907

When their father descends into madness after the death of their mother, Verity Pruitt and her little sister Lilah find themselves on an orphan train to rural Arkansas.

In Wheeler, eleven-year-old Lilah is quickly adopted, but seventeen-year-old Verity is not. Desperate to stay close to her sister, Verity indentures herself as a farmhand. But even charming farm boy Abel Atchley can’t completely distract her from the sense that something is not quite right in this little town. Strange local superstitions abound, especially about the eerie old well at the center of the forest. The woods play tricks, unleashing heavy fog and bone-chilling cold…and sometimes visions of things that aren’t there.

But for Verity, perhaps most unsettling of all is the revelation that her own parents have a scandalous history in this very town. And as she tries to unearth the past, sinister secrets come with it—secrets that someone will go to violent lengths to protect….

A haunting tale of long-buried secrets, small-town scandal, and single-minded vengeance by talented debut novelist Sarah Goodman.


Penelope's Review


This book turned out to be surprisingly good! It was a historical fiction/mystery/spooky YA book with a female main character that I ended up enjoying more than I anticipated. The book is based in Wheeler, a small town in Arkansas where Verity and her sister Lilah are sent on an orphan train to be adopted. When Lilah is adopted but not Verity, Verity indentures herself to a farm to stay near her sister. 

Verity is an interesting character, she's strong-willed and curious. She sets her mind to things and doesn't waver from her path. I like how she grew as a character throughout the book by letting herself open her heart to others. And I liked the male lead, Abel as well. Though I would have liked to see more buildup and chemistry between him and Verity. 

The supporting characters were great as well! Lilah was a feisty little girl with an inquisitive nature and a fiery tongue. I adored her! Della ended up becoming one of Verity's close friends, and she was sweet and honest and loyal throughout the whole book.

I found the book to be quite well-written and the plotline itself was unique. While I did find the first half a bit slow, the last half more than made up for it with unexpected twists and turns that I never saw coming! The last half was a definitely a "can't seem to put it down" type of storyline which was great! 

Overall, I really liked this book! I'm intrigued to see what else this author comes up with, I will definitely be keeping tabs on her!

Rating: 4/5 Devils!





Friday 15 January 2021

Book Blogger Hop

 



This is hosted by Billy @ Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer! Hop over to their page to grab a button and join in the fun!


This Week's Question:

How many posts do you schedule on your blog on a weekly basis?

Oh this is a great question! I usually have about 4-5 posts per week! On Mondays, I participate in the It's Monday! What Are You Reading? blog meme, Wednesdays are for the Can't Wait Wednesday blog meme, and Fridays are for this one! In addition to these, I try to post 1-2 book reviews per week! As 2021 gets going, I also plan on joining some blog tours (I actually have one coming up on January 19th so keep an eye out!). 

How about you guys?! 



Thursday 14 January 2021

The Ravens: Kass Morgan & Danielle Paige


Title: The Ravens
Author: Kass Morgan & Danielle Paige
Publish Date: November 3rd, 2020
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Source: Recieved an ARC from Raincoast books!
Kappa Rho Nu isn’t your average sorority. Their parties are notorious. Their fundraisers are known for being Westerly College’s most elaborate affairs. But beneath the veil of Greek life and prestige, the sisters of Kappu Rho Nu share a secret: they’re a coven of witches. For Vivi Deveraux, being one of Kappa Rho Nu’s Ravens means getting a chance to redefine herself. For Scarlett Winters, a bonafide Raven and daughter of a legacy Raven, pledge this year means living up to her mother’s impossible expectations of becoming Kappa Rho Nu’s next president. Scarlett knows she’d be the perfect candidate — that is, if she didn’t have one human-sized skeleton in her closet…. When Vivi and Scarlett are paired as big and little for initiation, they find themselves sinking into the sinister world of blood oaths and betrayals. 

Penelope's Review

Hmm.. I liked this book, but it didn't end up being one of my all-time favorites. I was really excited because I love witch stories, and it definitely had potential, but I seemed to lose interest a bit more the further I read. 

I liked how the book started, and at first, I was eager to get back to it each time I put it down. But the more I read, the less it seemed to hold my interest. The book alternates between two points of view: Vivian's and Scarlett's. I enjoyed reading from different perspectives, and I really liked Scarlett. Her character was powerful, sassy, and real. I felt like I could connect with her, and she seems to be the only character in the book that actually underwent some great development! Vivi on the other hand was a bit flat for me. Too naive for what is supposed to be a college setting, and just didn't seem to undergo any improvements throughout the course of the book. 

It seemed like the two male romantic interests, Mason and Jackson, were thrown into the mix simply to state that there was a romantic angle to the book. These two characters were boring and just didn't mesh well with the story. I have a similar opinion of the supporting characters - underdeveloped, random, basically the same character with different names.

A bit of a plot twist at the end which I liked because I was pretty sure I had it all figured out and then realized I didn't quite have it right. Definitely a quick, at times fun read. But overall, it was unfortunately not for me. I encourage you to give it a try though, and form your own opinions!

Rating: 3/5 Devils!