Tag: review

Book Review – The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

This was my first book by VE Schwab. It has been on my TBR for few years, and I am grateful I finally got to read this. Addie is our female main character and I fell in love with her story. We watch her grow into a young woman in rural France in the 1700s. She is born with an innate stubbornness and a dreaming quality of what could be beyond their front door. She is too wild to be tamed and manages to escape her small town after making a deal with the Gods that answer in the night. Though she is granted freedom, she is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets. This review is hard to write without giving away any spoilers! I fell in love with Schwab’s writing style and the way she told Addie’s story with the history woven into each arc. This will make my favorites shelf though with the ending, it may be some time before I feel like rereading it again. (4/5 rating)

Book Review – Piranesi By by Susanna Clarke

This book by Susanna Clarke has become a quick favorite with her immersive writing style and the world she created around our protagonist, Piranesi. For its short length, it is impossible to put into words what’s awaiting us between the pages. I went into this book with little to no information about the plot since I received this book recognition from a trusted friend’s book blog, and I bought it for my kindle without a second thought. She was right about this book being an amazing collection of intrigue, but this book is also impossible to put into a single genre. This book is transcendent and it’s worth your time read it but do so without reading any of the in-depth reviews or even the book Description on Goodreads. If you walk into this without any expectations, I am hopeful you will enjoy this book more. (5/5 rating)

Book Review – The Echoed Realm (The Chaos Cycle Duology #2) by A.J. Vrana

 In the first book, we discover that Miya is a descendant of the Dreamwalker and becomes the new Dreamwalker herself. Kai and Miya team up with allies to remove his demon nemesis, Abaddon, but at the cost on un-anchoring Kai in the real world. They are forced to take refuge in Miya’a dreamworld until her dream control activities take them back to the real world. This finale to the duology was the perfect ending for all the story arcs that were woven throughout the plot. I really enjoyed the growth we got to see of Kai within this one as the actions up their previous lives become visible. This book will be on my favorite shelves and AJ Vrana has become a new favorite author with her and engaging writing style. This sequel was a 5/5 rating for me.

Book Review – The Queen of All that Lives (The Fallen World #3) by Laura Thalassa

This is the third book in the, The Fallen World trilogy by Laura Thalassa. This is set in a dystopia world amid war in a future version of our world. Serenity quickly became one of my favorite female leads with her no apology attitude and pure badass-ness. King Montes Lazuli becomes her soul mate and partner in crime. This finale was a mesmerizing tale of good versus evil as they try to build a better world. Prepare to buckle up for a wild ride if you choose to give this a try. (5/5 rating)

GOODrEADS

Book Review – For the Wolf (Wilderwood #1) by Hannah F. Whitten

This was the first novel by author Hannah F. Whitten. This book was set in a fantasy realm set with enchanted forests and unexpected guardians. Red is our female protagonist, who is the second daughter born to their queen in centuries and she will be handed out over to the Wolf as she comes of age. Her sister and their first born, will be next in line for the throne. Red spends the first half of her life preparing for her death, to meet the Wolf. When she finally meets him however, nothing is as it seems. This was billed as a retelling, but I thought her magic system was original, not to mention the ending uncovers the Wolf’s hidden enemy and the drama surrounding their relationship. I was surprised to love this as much as I did and if you choose to give it a try, I suggest you read it was an open mind from the beginning. (4/5 rating)

Book Review – The Hollow Gods (The Chaos Cycle Duology #1) by A.J. Vrana

This was a debut novel of Canadian author, A.J. Vrana. It is the first in a two-part duology, The Chaos Cycle. This novel is set within the rural town of Black Hollow. Miya, who is a failing college student becomes main female character. While Kai is an orphan half wolf half man hybrid becomes our main male character. together they create an unlikely pair as local legends and fairy tales have townsfolk keeping a murderous secret. This was a spellbinding tale of betrayal, intrigue, and a compelling new magical system. I had to stay up late to finish this one. If you haven’t heard of this novel, I nominate adding this to your TBR for 2022. This was another easy 5/5 rating for me and will be shelved with my favorites.

Goodreads

Favorite Books for 2021

I was trying hard to single my read list for 2021 down to 1 book and realized how impossible that was to accomplish. For that reason, I have narrowed it down to my top 5 of the year. Please note that my list does not comprise of what came out this year, merely what I read this year.

1 – A Clash of Fates by Philip C. Quaintrell.

This series I fell in love with last year and the final installment was published this Spring. This is a self-published author that is a must read if you enjoy high fantasy, epic fantasy tales. It also has dragons and dragon riders and no romance. I do enjoy romance novels but sometimes I need something epic and this filled that hole.

2 – The Queen of All that Lives by Laura Thalassa.

This book is the third of a dystopian trilogy. It has a wonderful blend of romance, war, intrigue, technology advances, and betrayal. I love that the main character is this bad ass, fighting chic that becomes queen. I discovered Laura Thalassa this year and have worked my way through many of her novels.

3 – Vinyl by Sophia Elaine Hanson

This was another self published series with a dystopian setting. While it is a young adult, it was no high school drama. This book was a unique plot around subjugating the population to control measures by those in control. You need to read this right now.

4 – For the Wolf by Hannah F. Whitten.

I fell in love with the unique magic system and who could say no to a setting within a magical forest.

5 – A Ruin of Roses by K.F. Breene.

This was a new series this year by Breene based on Beauty and the Beast. Meant to a three part tale, I also fell in love with her woven drama and magic aspects. While it is definitely filled with romance, Breene is my favorite author for balancing both romance and the plot and she delivered here.

What were your favorites this year?

December 31 – New Year’s Eve

Pixabay

“In the Gregorian calendar, New Year’s Eve, the last day of the year, is on 31 December. In many countries, New Year’s Eve is celebrated at evening parties, where many people dance, eat, drink, and watch or light fireworks. Some Christians attend a watchnight service.”

What are your plans for tonight?

Book Review – They Never Learn By Layne Fargo

This novel by Layne Fargo is set at Gorman University. Scarlett is an English teacher on staff committed to purging the school of highly questionable men. Her attention to detail had her sailing under everyone’s radar until her latest victim. Meanwhile, we get snippets of her own time as a Gorman student and what led her to become a murderer.

I know many of us can identify with Scarlett and the injustice of sexual assault or harassment going unpunished for both men and women. The plot makes us all wonder if we might do the same thing in similar circumstances. The plot was beautifully woven around our resident murderer, Scarlett. I loved the host of small town characters and university life for them. I als loved watching her dance around detectives as and their investigations. If you are looking for a great dose of suspense, this is for you. I gave this a 4 out of 5 rating.