ARC Review: Kingdom of the Cursed by Kerri Maniscalco

Title: Kingdom of the Cursed (Kingdom of the Wicked #2)
Author: Kerri Maniscalco
Publication Date: October 5, 2021
Publisher: Jimmy Patterson
Pages: 448
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Review for book 1

One sister.

Two sinful princes.

Infinite deception with a side of revenge…Welcome to Hell.

After selling her soul to become Queen of the Wicked, Emilia travels to the Seven Circles with the enigmatic Prince of Wrath, where she’s introduced to a seductive world of vice.

She vows to do whatever it takes to avenge her beloved sister, Vittoria...even if that means accepting the hand of the Prince of Pride, the king of demons.

The first rule in the court of the Wicked? Trust no one. With back-stabbing princes, luxurious palaces, mysterious party invitations, and conflicting clues about who really killed her twin, Emilia finds herself more alone than ever before. Can she even trust Wrath, her one-time ally in the mortal world...or is he keeping dangerous secrets about his true nature?

Emilia will be tested in every way as she seeks a series of magical objects that will unlock the clues of her past and the answers she craves...

Hold onto your butts! Unpopular opinion incoming. Kingdom of the Wicked was one of my absolute favorite reads of 2020. I was obsessed and had to acquire every edition I could find. Needless to say, I was SO excited to get access to an ARC of Kingdom of the Cursed and jumped in as soon as my brain would allow (mood reading sucks). Based on other reviews I expected a lot of spice and, coming off of a spicy book binge, I was definitely here for it. 

Kingdom of the Cursed picks up immediately after book one with Emilia traveling to the Seven Circles with Wrath. Upon arriving at his palace she begins to search for clues about her sister's murder while resisting the sinful influence of the realm. Honestly, the plot of this book is a bit all over the place and a little confusing at times.  

Kingdom of the Wicked set up a mystery that I was eager to figure out. There are multiple new mysteries on top of the ones that are ongoing from that book and, where book one had a clear focus and goal, this one tried to do too much at once. Emilia seemed to jump around constantly to new theories, mysteries, and plans and I struggled to understand what she was even trying to do. There were some interesting reveals in the last 10%, but I wish there had been more clear plot earlier on. 

Truly though, I'm just here for the romance between Wrath and Emilia. This book has been marketed as New Adult (or at least the word of mouth has implied that it is) and the spice was really not what I expected. While there are certainly spicy scenes, Kerri's way of writing sexuality has always been off to me and it's no different here. Emilia constantly talks about how empowered and sexual she is, but there is always a sense of shame surrounding sex in this world. This was also an aspect of Kerri's previous series that made me uncomfortable.

Mild spoilers to further my thoughts about the weird handling of sexuality:

Two things in particular really make me question what Kerri's feelings towards sex before marriage are: First, the actual act of sex between Wrath and Emilia has massive, life changing consequences. Second, when Emilia actually sees other people having sex, it's at a party thrown by one of the princes and is written as one of many sinful indulgences put on display by Gluttony.

The world itself is fascinating. We only visit three of the Seven Circles, but each one is unique and well written. The brothers Emilia meets are a bit one dimensional and perfectly fit their sins, but I did really enjoy Pride and Envy. All that said, I wish that Kerri spent significantly less time on her descriptions. I frequently found myself skimming multi-page long descriptions of rooms, clothes, gardens, etc. I understand world building, but her overly descriptive style is not for me. 

I definitely plan to continue with book three because the end of this one does feel like it's leading to something better. In the meantime, I think this series will be moving off my favorites shelf. 

ARC Review: Small Favors by Erin A. Craig

Title: Small Favors
Author: Erin A. Craig
Publication Date: July 27, 2021
Publisher: Delacorte
Pages: 480
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Ellerie Downing lives in the quiet town of Amity Falls in the Blackspire Mountain range--five narrow peaks stretching into the sky like a grasping hand, bordered by a nearly impenetrable forest from which the early townsfolk fought off the devils in the woods. To this day, visitors are few and rare. But when a supply party goes missing, some worry that the monsters that once stalked the region have returned.

As fall turns to winter, more strange activities plague the town. They point to a tribe of devilish and mystical creatures who promise to fulfill the residents' deepest desires, however grand and impossible, for just a small favor. But their true intentions are much more sinister, and Ellerie finds herself in a race against time before all of Amity Falls, her family, and the boy she loves go up in flames.

House of Salt and Sorrows remains one of my favorite retellings after it swept me away with its spooky atmosphere and amazing characters last year. As soon as I saw that Erin A. Craig was releasing a new book I preordered, no questions asked! I was even more excited to get approved for an ARC and jumped into it immediately!

Ellerie Downing lives in Amity Falls with her family and helps her dads tend their bees. Her mother is in an unfortunate accident and her parents leave the village early on to get her help and are never seen again. The dynamic between Ellerie and her siblings was probably my favorite part of this book, much like the relationships in House of Salt and Sorrows. I enjoyed watching them support each other and work together to get by once their parents had left. 

Of course, there's also romance and the love interest is a trapper named Whitaker who happens to pass by their house. While Whitaker was a fascinating character, the romance was a little strange to me. He was only in a handful of scenes and the romance felt forced even though it was spread out over a series of months. I honestly feel that this could have worked just as well if not better without the romantic relationship between the two. 

Small Favors was originally marketed as The Village meets Needful Things so I was had really high expectations for the horror going in. In reality, the only similarity between this and The Village is that they live in an actual village. This book was an extremely slow burn that unfortunately lost me halfway through.

While Small Favors starts out feeling a bit creepy, there wasn't much to it beyond a family going about life in a small village and squabbles amongst neighbors as they run low on supplies for the winter. There were some tense moments and feelings of dread throughout the book, but I honestly don't know that I would classify this as horror. The explanation given at the end was interesting and I thought there was a good idea there, but I expected more of the execution. 

I completely forgot until after I finished this that it was supposed to be a Rumpelstiltskin retelling and I just don't see it. The fairytale retelling is extremely vague and I certainly hope people aren't going into this book hoping for that! I will still give Erin A. Craig's next book a try because House was incredible, but perhaps with lower expectations. If you like survival stories that are light on horror, you will probably enjoy this one more than I did! 

Graphic Novel Reviews: Submerged and The Black Mage

Title: Submerged
Author: Vita Ayala
Illustrator: Lisa Sterle
Publication Date: February 12, 2019
Publisher: Vault Comics
Pages: 144
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On the night of the biggest storm in New York City history, Elysia Puente gets a call from her estranged little brother Angel, terrified, begging for help. When the call cuts out suddenly, despite the bad feelings between them, Ellie rushes into the night. Finding his broken phone in front of a barricaded subway station, Ellie follows echoes of her brother into the sinister darkness of the underground, desperate to find him before it’s too late.

I stumbled across Submerged while searching for graphic novels by creators of color and was immediately pulled in by the creepy cover. I tend to ignore reviews when it comes to comics because I like mine a bit dark and weird, so I wasn't too put off by the mixed reception and was eager to read this! 

In Submerged, Ellie goes out to find her brother after getting a panicked call from him. She ends up in the subways on the night of a huge storm and finds herself on a bizarre journey where she has to face her past. It was weird. I know I said I like weird books and I truly, truly do, but this was just way out there. I had a very hard time following the story from early on.

As Ellie goes through the subway, she sees flashbacks from her childhood and teenage years. Her father was abusive, her mother was an enabler and didn't defend her children, and her brother was a selfish jerk. I really wasn't quite sure what the point was supposed to be. The art was really nice and I did like that it seemed to have ties to Greek mythology, but this just wasn't for me. 

---

Title: The Black Mage
Author: Daniel Barnes
Illustrator: D.J. Kirkland
Publication Date: August 13, 2019
Publisher: Oni Press
Pages: 153
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When St. Ivory Academy, a historically white wizarding school, opens its doors to its first-ever black student, everyone believes that the wizarding community is finally taking its first crucial steps toward inclusivity. Or is it? When Tom Token, the beneficiary of the school's "Magical Minority Initiative," begins uncovering weird clues and receiving creepy texts on his phone, he and his friend, Lindsay, stumble into a conspiracy that dates all the way back to the American Civil War, and could cost Tom his very soul.

The Black Mage has been on my TBR for awhile, but I was hesitant since I didn't think I would like the art style. I finally decided to give it a try this past weekend and I'm so glad I did! 

Going into this book, I was basically expecting Black Harry Potter based on the Amazon page, but that was definitely not what this was. This story includes the ghosts of historical figures including John Henry, Harriet Tubman, and Fredrick Douglass. The main character, Tom Token, is the only Black student at the wizarding school and his familiar's name is a crow named Jim. The headmaster wears a Klan uniform and I was not prepared. 

I really don't want to say too much more about the plot, but I loved this story! The humor is amazing, the art is gorgeous, and the pacing kept me hooked. I kept seeing people say this was very similar to Harry Potter in reviews, but it really isn't at all, other than the setting being a school for wizards. I'll definitely be buying a copy for my shelf! 

Book Review: A Sky Beyond the Storm by Sabaa Tahir

Title: A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4)
Author: Sabaa Tahir
Publication Date: December 1, 2020
Publisher: Razorbill
Pages: 516
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Reviews for book 1, book 2, & book 3
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Picking up just a few months after A Reaper at the Gates left off...

The long-imprisoned jinn are on the attack, wreaking bloody havoc in villages and cities alike. But for the Nightbringer, vengeance on his human foes is just the beginning.

At his side, Commandant Keris Veturia declares herself Empress, and calls for the heads of any and all who defy her rule. At the top of the list? The Blood Shrike and her remaining family.

Laia of Serra, now allied with the Blood Shrike, struggles to recover from the loss of the two people most important to her. Determined to stop the approaching apocalypse, she throws herself into the destruction of the Nightbringer. In the process, she awakens an ancient power that could lead her to victory--or to an unimaginable doom.

And deep in the Waiting Place, the Soul Catcher seeks only to forget the life--and love--he left behind. Yet doing so means ignoring the trail of murder left by the Nightbringer and his jinn. To uphold his oath and protect the human world from the supernatural, the Soul Catcher must look beyond the borders of his own land. He must take on a mission that could save--or destroy--all that he knows.

Warning: This review will be long and full of unpopular opinions with (hidden) spoilers. In 2018, A Reaper at the Gates was one of my most anticipated releases after I loved the first two books in the series. I ended up being disappointed by what seemed to me to be mostly filler, so I wasn't nearly as excited about A Sky Beyond the Storm. Still, I was eager to see how the series would wrap up and hoped this book would redeem the series for me. 

A Sky Beyond the Storm picks up a few months after the ending of the previous installment and some things have changed. Namely, Laia and Helene are now BFFs, which seemed completely out of nowhere. Granted, it has been a very long wait since the last book and I could have forgotten some things, but I feel that I would have remembered this particular development after they spent the majority of the series as enemies. It isn't that I hated their relationship, it's just that it felt a bit shoehorned into the story. 

Another big change in Sky is that Keris has moved to be much more of a background villain to the wishy-washy Nightbringer. While the Commandant was a force to be reckoned with for the first three books, securing a spot as one of my top most hated villains of all time, in this book she's barely present. Instead, we have the Nightbringer, also known as Meherya (Beloved), who is now constantly back and forth between whether he loves Laia or wants to kill her depending on what's needed for the plot. Frankly, I didn't care about his tragic backstory and he seemed like he had no idea what he wanted to do, which was another departure from earlier character development. 

Spoilers

Between the Nightbringer and Keris, I found myself extremely irritated by the attempts of the author to redeem them. Not every villain needs or deserves sympathy or redemption and I was not here for it. Both villains were utterly useless by the end, both being taken out by ridiculous means. I could not get over the Nightbringer being talked out of his grand, diabolical plan by a pep talk from Laia. Keris getting what I saw as a happy ending, apparently not remembering her crimes in the afterlife, was the ultimate betrayal of everything the characters had been through.

Elias remains the Soul Catcher in A Sky Beyond the Storm, although he spends none of the book in his assumed role. Instead, the entire book is focused on the will he/won't he remember his past and his love for Laia, while Laia spends half the book brooding and trying to seduce Elias. I've been on the Laia and Elias train since book one, but this just didn't work for me. I think I would have preferred it if Elias had not become the Soul Catcher at all, since it seemed to only be there as a foil to their romance. 

Spoilers

Deux ex machina saves the day as Laia's mom is back from the dead to save the day by taking Elias's spot as Soul Catcher for... reasons? This was another plot development that made absolutely no sense and seemed extremely shoehorned in. I'm truly not shore what the entire Soul Catcher plot point was for other than to get in the way of Elias and Laia's relationshop and give Elias a power up.

Let's talk a little more about what I didn't like before we get into the positives (there are some). Every character in this series seemed to have random superpowers that developed at random times to move the plot forward, but disappeared when they were truly needed. Laia has invisibility powers until she doesn't, Helene has healing powers until she doesn't. I don't even know about Elias. There is also another main character introduced in book four who has not even been hinted at for the other three and is not explained well. 

Spoilers

Can we TALK about the Djinn queen who's been living in Laia's head for apparently the entire story, but only pops up here when she's needed to defeat the Nightbringer? How convenient that she has been giving Laia superpowers for the last two books. I hate how little is explained about her and why and how she's inside Laia's head. How. Convenient. I hate it.

Okay, so I said there were some positives - let's get into it. In a bizarre turn of events, the only character I truly loved in this book was Helene. I despised her in Ember and Torch and she started to grow on me in Reaper. Here she was the only one who seemed like a real person without some kind of insane deus ex machina on her side. I've seen people lamenting Helene's fortunes and exclaiming that she deserved better, but her story was the only one that was believable. 

I will say that I liked where the story concluded, I just felt that A LOT could have been left out of the last two books and they could have been condensed into one. Entire plot lines could have been left out and so much unnecessary drama could have been avoided. So much walking and traveling where nothing important happened could have been left out. The entire new character could have been left out. I am SO disappointed. 

If you loved A Reaper at the Gates, you'll probably love this one too. But if you found Reaper to be lacking after an amazing first two books, you probably won't like this one either. 

ARC Review: The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller

Title: The Shadow Between Us
Author: Tricia Levenseller
Publication Date: February 25, 2020
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Pages: 336
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Alessandra is tired of being overlooked, but she has a plan to gain power:

1) Woo the Shadow King.
2) Marry him.
3) Kill him and take his kingdom for herself.

No one knows the extent of the freshly crowned Shadow King’s power. Some say he can command the shadows that swirl around him to do his bidding. Others say they speak to him, whispering the thoughts of his enemies. Regardless, Alessandra knows what she deserves, and she’s going to do everything within her power to get it.

But Alessandra’s not the only one trying to kill the king. As attempts on his life are made, she finds herself trying to keep him alive long enough for him to make her his queen—all while struggling not to lose her heart. After all, who better for a Shadow King than a cunning, villainous queen? 

Last year I read and loved Warrior of the Wild by Tricia Levenseller! When I read the description of this book, it sounded like something I would love and I felt that this author could definitely do it well! Unfortunately, I think I set my expectations a bit too high because this didn't turn out to be quite as good as I'd anticipated.

First thing's first, Alessandra was just not a character I loved or could even really enjoy. Her "Slytherin" side was a bit too over the top in the beginning for me to enjoy. The Big Bad things she'd done, while shocking, were overlooked too easily and I really couldn't forgive them. I love a good antihero and morally gray characters are my thing, but I just could not connect with Alessandra at all. Her initial plan was fun, but that's the only positive thing I really have to say about her and even that fell apart pretty quickly.

The Shadow King was a bit more tolerable, although I didn't quite love him either. His shadow abilities were fascinating and unique. I definitely liked that his shadows created an obstacle for the romance and added a little bit of extra (not too ridiculous) angst. Speaking of romance, this one wasn't bad. Although I couldn't stand Alessandra, the relationship between her and Kallias was mostly enjoyable, if a bit quick.

One thing I would have liked more of in this story is world building. The shadow abilities Kallias had were so interesting! I would have enjoyed knowing more about that and what else could exist in this world we saw and heard so little about.

Much of The Shadows Between Us was, predictably, about Alessandra inserting herself into the Shadow King's world. Some of this was interesting, but a lot of the first half of the book was a bit repetitive and I did find myself getting a bit bored. So many parties and dresses and dances and meals. There were, at least, some fun plot twists that made the second half of the book more fun.

I just found this book to be really disappointing and I know it's one of those "it's not you, it's me" situations. It seems that the vast majority of readers have loved this story, so chances are you probably will too! I will probably give Tricia Levenseller another chance since I loved the last book I read by her, but this just wasn't it.

Audiobook Review: Lost Girl by Chanda Hahn

Title: Lost Girl
Author: Chanda Hahn
Publication Date: December 13, 2016
Publisher: Chanda Hahn
Pages: 328
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Wendy doesn't remember anything about Neverland—or the experiments done on her there as a child. Seven years later, all she wants is a normal life, but shape-shifting shadows plague her dreams and turn her life into a waking nightmare. When the shadows attack at a football game and a boy disappears right in front of her, she realizes these wraith-like shadows are real. They’re not just haunting—they’re hunting.

A mysterious boy named Peter, his foul-mouthed sidekick, and a band of misfit boys intervene before Wendy faces a similar fate. But can they trust Wendy enough to take her to Neverwood Academy and reveal all of their hidden secrets when she's hiding a secret of her own, or will the dreaded Red Skulls find her and drag her back to Neverland?

Lost Girl has been on my to-read list for years! I am a huge fan of Peter Pan retellings. Some of my favorite books are Pan retellings, in fact. I was so open to reading a new take on the story that I jumped at the chance when the audiobook popped up on my library app!

Wendy has been to Neverland and back and has been adopted by a loving family. She's plagued with nightmares and haunted by shadows and runs away when her parents try to send her to an inpatient clinic. Again. She ends up with the Lost Boys, trying to figure out if she belongs with them at all.

There are a lot of things I didn't love about Lost Girl, the first of which is that it really is not a Peter Pan retelling at all. This is a science fiction novel about a lab that experiments on children and what happens after they escape with characters named Peter, Wendy, Tink, etc. There are lots of nods to Peter Pan. For example, Peter plays Monopoly with the thimble piece, the kids have a "kiss" brand on their necks, and some of them have an ability called "Panning." But this isn't a retelling of Peter Pan in any way, shape, or form. It is a fun story, but I feel that calling it a Pan retelling is misleading.

My second issue is that, when a book is set in the real world as this one is, it needs to follow real world rules. Early on Wendy runs away from home rather than be sent to a clinic. She proceeds to live in a park and then get a job. She even uses the phone at her workplace to call home and her mom picks up. I don't know what universe they live in that a seventeen year old couldn't be found in this scenario.

This story was fine even if it wasn't perfect. If I'd gone into it planning to read an X-Men style sci-fi, I probably would have really enjoyed it! I'd definitely still recommend this if that's what you're looking for. But I went into this expecting a Peter Pan retelling and came out pretty disappointed.

Audiobook Review: Onyx and Ivory by Mindee Arnett

Title: Onyx and Ivory (Rime Chronicles #1)
Author: Mindee Arnett
Publication Date: May 15, 2018
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Pages: 500
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They call her Traitor Kate. It’s a title Kate Brighton inherited from her father after he tried to assassinate the high king years ago. Now Kate lives as an outcast, clinging to the fringes of society as a member of the Relay, the imperial courier service. Only those most skilled in riding and bow hunting ride for the Relay; and only the fastest survive, for when dark falls, the nightdrakes—deadly flightless dragons—come out to hunt. Fortunately, Kate has a secret edge: she is a wilder, born with magic that allows her to influence the minds of animals. But it’s this magic that she needs to keep hidden, as being a wilder is forbidden, punishable by death or exile. And it’s this magic that leads her to a caravan massacred by nightdrakes in broad daylight—the only survivor her childhood friend, her first love, the boy she swore to forget, the boy who broke her heart.

The high king’s second son, Corwin Tormane, never asked to lead. Even as he waits for the uror—the once-in-a-generation ritual to decide which of the king’s children will succeed him—he knows it’s always been his brother who will assume the throne. And that’s fine by him. He’d rather spend his days away from the palace, away from the sight of his father, broken with sickness from the attempt on his life. But the peacekeeping tour Corwin is on has given him too much time to reflect upon the night he saved his father’s life—the night he condemned the would-be killer to death and lost the girl he loved. Which is why he takes it on himself to investigate rumors of unrest in one of the remote city-states, only for his caravan to be attacked—and for him to be saved by Kate.

With their paths once more entangled, Kate and Corwin have to put the past behind them. The threat of drakes who attack in the daylight is only the beginning of a darker menace stirring in the kingdom—one whose origins have dire implications for Kate’s father’s attack upon the king and will thrust them into the middle of a brewing civil war in the kingdom of Rime.

Onyx and Ivory has been on my shelf since before it was published. I kept intending to read it, but it's just SO long that I never committed. Recently I joined a local YA book club and our first read was this book, which finally gave me a good reason to pick it up. I'm glad I started early because it took me a solid 3 weeks to get through this 15 hour audiobook.

Kate, also known as Traitor Kate, is the main character of this story. After her father was executed for being a traitor, she left her town and began a new life with new friends and a new job. She also has wilder magic that could get her killed if found out. When Kate's childhood friend Prince Corwin reappears in her life, things begin to spiral and she finds herself in one  dangerous situation after another.

I mostly enjoyed Kate and Corwin and their romance. Kate was the kind of strong heroine I like reading about and it was easy to sympathize with her tragic backstory. Corwin was probably my favorite character in this story. I enjoyed seeing him grow as a character, especially towards the end of the book. The romance between the two was okay, but needed something more. It seemed almost like an afterthought, and wasn't really given enough of the story to develop into something amazing. Perhaps these two will be more fleshed out in the next book. Overall, no strong feelings about either of these characters.

My biggest gripe about Onyx and Ivory is the length. Somehow it managed to be massive at 500 pages, while also taking forever to get anything done, AND cramming in a ridiculous amount of plot points. There were so many silly side plots that really don't need to exist at all. It's both way too much and not enough. I was legitimately bored through most of the first half, though it thankfully picks up later on. Thankfully it did have a pretty good plot twist towards the end.

Another issue is the lack of world building. This book focuses on one kingdom and mostly one town in that kingdom and there's really no mention of the outside world or how they function. The main threat from the beginning are the nightdrakes, which develop a bit throughout the book. I wish more had been written about how they're handled in other kingdoms. Are they a threat everywhere? Is wilder magic a threat everywhere? How do other kingdoms manage these threats? There was a lot that was unclear. Again, maybe things will be further explained in the coming books, but I feel like 500 pages should be enough to make the world pretty clear.

I really wanted to love Onyx and Ivory and really expected to! Unfortunately, it just wasn't for me. I was bored and confused. I wanted more world building and character development and less random side plots. The other two girls who read it for the book club really enjoyed it! Sadly, I doubt I'll be picking up the next book in the series.

Audiobook Review: Styxx by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Title: Styxx (Dark-Hunter #22)
Author: Sherrilyn Kenyon
Narrator: Fred Berman
Publication Date: January 1, 2013
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Length: 31 hours, 7 minutes
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Just when you thought doomsday was over...

Centuries ago Acheron saved the human race by imprisoning an ancient evil bent on absolute destruction. Now that evil has been unleashed and it is out for revenge.

As the twin to Acheron, Styxx hasn’t always been on his brother’s side. They’ve spent more centuries going at each other’s throats than protecting their backs. Now Styxx has a chance to prove his loyalty to his brother, but only if he’s willing to trade his life and future for Acheron’s.

The Atlantean goddess of Wrath and Misery, Bethany was born to right wrongs. But it was never a task she relished. Until now. She owes Acheron a debt that she vows to repay, no matter what it takes. He will join their fellow gods in hell and nothing is going to stop her.

But things are never what they seem, and Acheron is no longer the last of his line. Styxx and Acheron must put aside their past and learn to trust each other or more will suffer.

Yet it’s hard to risk your own life for someone who once tried to take yours, even when it's your own twin, and when loyalties are skewed and no one can be trusted, not even yourself, how do you find a way back from the darkness that wants to consume the entire world? One that wants to start by devouring your very soul?

The last time I read a Dark Hunter book was in 2014. I read Acheron, then the novella that came next, then I joined the blogosphere and found YA and left the series for quite awhile. I actually LOVED Acheron and blew through it in a few days, despite it's over 700 pages. Frankly, I was worried that anything else in the series would be disappointing after that. The only other Dark Hunter book I've really wanted to pick up was Styxx, but it was daunting and I never found the time.

When I found the audiobook through Hoopla, I decided to give it a try, especially since Hoopla said it was only 10 hours long. (Narrator: it was not 10 hours long.) For whatever reason, when I opened the book and began listening, it was suddenly 31 hours long, but I discovered this at over an hour in and was invested, so I stuck it out. Styxx is told side by side with Acheron, telling the story we've already heard but from Styxx's perspective. I think I lucked out a bit because it had been so long since I read Acheron that I really didn't remember any key events, so it was all new to me.

The first thing I will say about Styxx is that it's even darker and more brutal than Acheron was, and honestly that part of the story really didn't work for me. Unfortunately, it was most of the story. This book needs just about every single trigger warning you can imagine. Styxx is kidnapped, raped, tortured emotionally and physically, and that's just to name a few. If this lasted a few chapters to build his character, I think I would have given it more of a pass. I mean, it's set during the time of the Greek gods and we all know how they are. Unfortunately, it lasted for about 3/4 of the book and I became exhausted with it very quickly.

I did love (some of) the gods, as always. I really enjoyed getting to know more about the Atlantean and Egyptian pantheons, and of course some of the Greek gods as well. Obviously, a lot of all of the pantheons were awful. I think the Egyptian gods were the only ones who were decent throughout the book. Apollo was even more horrible in this than in previous books and honestly his scenes were difficult to read at times.

Styxx's romance with Beth was also a highlight. I really loved reading about their relationship and, even though a lot of it was filled with dishonesty, it was done in a way that allowed me to still like the characters and have sympathy for them. I also adored the relationship between Styxx and his mentor. It was one of the only positive relationships in the entire book, so it wasn't difficult to love it.

Which brings me to my biggest issue with this book aside from the constant brutality: almost all of the relationship issues between Styxx and his family could be solved if he'd just have a conversation with them. Throughout almost the entire book, Styxx's sister, brother, father, and mother believe the absolute worst about him, which leads to endless torture for him. Does he ever correct them? Of course not. For whatever reason, he has the mindset that if they want to believe the worst, that's their loss, when it's actually HIS loss. Like, of his skin and dignity. He allows himself to be repeatedly beaten down and tortured rather then give his family the really easy to prove truth, over and over and over.

Overall, I didn't care for Styxx. I liked seeing Acheron and Simi again and I thought the ending was nice, but it wasn't enough to make up for the rest. I believe that a solid 3rd of this book could have been taken out and it would have had the same effect. We still would've gotten the idea that Styxx had lived a horrible life filled with torture and that no one loved or understood him, but without the extra few hundred pages of rape and beatings. I will give her another try with the next book in the series, but I'll definitely be wary of the next book in the Acheron and Styxx series.

Book Review: Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

Title: Spinning Silver
Author: Naomi Novik
Publication Date: July 10, 2018
Publisher: Del Rey
Pages: 480
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Miryem is the daughter and granddaughter of moneylenders... but her father isn't a very good one. Free to lend and reluctant to collect, he has loaned out most of his wife's dowry and left the family on the edge of poverty--until Miryem steps in. Hardening her heart against her fellow villagers' pleas, she sets out to collect what is owed--and finds herself more than up to the task. When her grandfather loans her a pouch of silver pennies, she brings it back full of gold.

But having the reputation of being able to change silver to gold can be more trouble than it's worth--especially when her fate becomes tangled with the cold creatures that haunt the wood, and whose king has learned of her reputation and wants to exploit it for reasons Miryem cannot understand.

A couple years ago when I read Uprooted, I went in knowing I would love it because I LOVE Beauty and the Beast retellings! Then I came out on the other side feeling extremely disappointed. When I heard about Spinning Silver, I was skeptical, but when I found out it was a retelling of Rumpelstiltskin I let myself get caught up in the hype. Before I actually read this book I owned the ARC, the US edition, and the UK Goldsboro edition. And I am again, disappointed.

Spinning Silver is a lot different from Uprooted, despite the matching covers. In this story we have Miryem as the main POV from the beginning. She's the daughter of a moneylender who's really bad at his job, which allows her to show how cold she is when she takes over the family business. The Staryk come every winter to Miryem's town where they rape and pillage and murder. She's just trying to keep her family afloat. Unfortunately, I found it really hard to connect with her. The attempts to make her a "cold" and "hard" character really just made her too distant and flat to relate to.

Somewhat early in this book, other POVs emerge as well. A lot of them. At first it's just Miryem and Wanda, the girl who works for her. Then another girl is thrown into the mix - Irina, the daughter of a duke who's being forced to marry the Tsar who is really more than a Tsar. Then Wanda's very young brother Stepon gets a POV, the most painful to read of them all. And then Wanda's maid(?) gets a POV. And then the Tsar gets a POV. Honestly, EVERYONE GETS A POV! To make the million POVs worse, they are all written with the exact same voice (with the exception of Stepon) and there is no indication of who is speaking. It's exhausting trying to keep up.

And amongst all these POVs, I couldn't find a single character to connect with. The characters in this book are all boring, to be honest. The Staryk King, who finds out how good Miryem is at her job and decides to use it to his advantage, is really the only one who I found a little bit interesting. Everyone is terrible to everyone. The Staryk King and the Tsar, the two love interests, are both awful people. The two couples hate each other to the point of everyone literally plotting everyone else's death. The Staryk King has no redeeming qualities and the Tsar might have one.

Moving on to the story, calling this a retelling of Rumpelstiltskin is really a stretch. The similarities start and end with something being turned into gold. This is a much too long and convoluted story about... I couldn't tell you what the moral of the story is. This book is slow and meandering in the same way that Uprooted was, but I feel like this one was worse. The romance is also similar to Uprooted in that the male love interests are jerks throughout the entire book and then they catch feelings out of nowhere.

The atmosphere and world building were really what kept me reading Spinning Silver. Throughout the first 75% of this book, the fantastical world kept me believing that the story would get better. I loved the descriptions of the Staryk kingdom and the winter woods. The "real" world, I have no idea about. I'm still not sure if it's supposed to be our world or not. Miryem is Jewish and there's a mention of Israel, but of course there's magic everywhere.

It was in the last 20% that I realized there wasn't any hope of redemption. I picked this up with every intention of loving it and finding the love for Naomi Novik's fairytales that everyone else seems to have. Sadly, this just was not for me. It's obvious from the reviews that I'm again in the minority, but I just could not find much to enjoy. The multiple POVs were too much, especially with nothing to distinguish the characters, and the story was much too slow. I think this may be my last foray into Naomi Novik's world.

Book Review: Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli

Title: Leah on the Offbeat (Creekwood #2) 
Author: Becky Albertalli 
Publication Date: April 24, 2018
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Pages: 343
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Leah Burke—girl-band drummer, master of deadpan, and Simon Spier’s best friend from the award-winning Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda—takes center stage in this novel of first love and senior-year angst.

When it comes to drumming, Leah Burke is usually on beat—but real life isn’t always so rhythmic. An anomaly in her friend group, she’s the only child of a young, single mom, and her life is decidedly less privileged. She loves to draw but is too self-conscious to show it. And even though her mom knows she’s bisexual, she hasn’t mustered the courage to tell her friends—not even her openly gay BFF, Simon.

So Leah really doesn’t know what to do when her rock-solid friend group starts to fracture in unexpected ways. With prom and college on the horizon, tensions are running high. It’s hard for Leah to strike the right note while the people she loves are fighting—especially when she realizes she might love one of them more than she ever intended.

Back about a month or so ago I had the chance to read Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda and really liked it.  The humor that Becky weaved into that book made me want to read absolutely everything that she has ever written.  When I heard that this book was coming out I knew I just had to get and read it!  I also got to hear her talk more about this book at Epic Reads day which made me want to read it even more!

I tried to read Leah on the Offbeat a bit slower and try to take it in, but I ended up finishing it in two days as I wanted more yet didn't get it.  Don't get me wrong, there were some fantastic bits to this book, it just didn't live up to its predecessor.

The humor was fantastic yet again!  I really need to start taking lessons from Becky so I can add some humor like hers into my writing.  I often found myself laughing out loud, in the weirdest of places, because this book had parts that were just that funny. Leah has the best sense of humor ever.  Such a typical Slytherin!

I also loved that we got to see all the characters from the first book as well.  Simon is the cutest little cinnamon roll ever!  He will forever be one of my favorite characters ever.  This book also had so much diversity, which is really nice to see now-a-days.

One of the things I really didn't care for was the fact that the plot line was everywhere.  It went from one character doing something that affected Leah, to Leah complaining about her life, and then she would hurt somebody or make somebody mad, and the cycle would start again.  It got a bit redundant and predictable.

I couldn't stand how Leah treated some of the characters in this book.  There were times that she genuinely was nice, but other times she would bite their head off for what seemed like no apparent reason.  She also could have given her mom and her new boyfriend a chance.  They really tried to be nice to her and she was downright nasty back.  On top of that, I hated that she dragged Garrett around and toyed with his feelings.  It made me want to reach through my book and beat some sense into her.

I also felt absolutely nothing when it came to this romance.  There was very little build up at all and then it's over.  It was almost nonexistent for a large majority of this book.  To me it felt like she didn't know what to write at the end and was like, crap, I didn't do the romance yet, *writes it in*.

Plus, there are so many loose ends in this book.  I have been left with so many questions that I really want answers for.  I won't get into too many details as I don't want to prevent spoiling any of y'all, but it's a bit ridiculous.  I need answers!  It frustrates the crud out of me when a book leaves me with way more questions than answers.

With that said, I still did kind of like Leah On the Offbeat, but it really just wasn't my cup of tea.  I do wish that it could have been done a bit better.  Even with my dislike of this book I won't just give up on Becky's writing just yet.

Book Review: The Beauty of Darkness by Mary E. Pearson

Title: The Beauty of Darkness (The Remnant Chronicles #3)
Author: Mary E. Pearson
Publication Date: August 2, 2016
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Pages: 679
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Reviews for book 1 & book 2
Tracy's Review

Lia has survived Venda—but so has a great evil bent on the destruction of Morrighan. And only Lia can stop it.

With war on the horizon, Lia has no choice but to assume her role as First Daughter, as soldier—as leader. While she struggles to reach Morrighan and warn them, she finds herself at cross-purposes with Rafe and suspicious of Kaden, who has hunted her down.

In this conclusion to the Remnant Chronicles trilogy, traitors must be rooted out, sacrifices must be made, and impossible odds must be overcome as the future of every kingdom hangs in the balance.

To say I was a little disappointed in this book is an understatement.  After flying through the first two books and loving every moment of them, everything came to a screeching halt with this book.  I'm just going to mention that I cannot stand when series end like this.  It feels like complete and utter betrayal from the author and everyone who made this book possible.

First off, let's talk about the romance.  I kinda liked how the romance was going in the first two books.  I was desperately hoping that maybe there would be a twist at the end, but NOPE.  Lia was horrible to Rafe just about the whole entire book.  If I were Rafe I would've walked away long ago just from how she acted.  She didn't care about their relationship or bring up major things that they should have discussed before she just went off and did them.  That is so not how a relationship works.  I feel like the romance with Kaden was a bit forced.  If he couldn't have one girl he'd take the other.  I guess it gives him a happy ending, but not the ended I really hoped for him.

Lia's attitude throughout this whole book just plain sucks.  Not only is she a jerk to Rafe, but she has to act all high and mighty like everyone is out to get her just because she's a girl.  I get that girls can do somethings a guy does, but there is no need to have to prove yourself better than a man.

Her "gift" also ticked me off.  That was the only way this book moved forward.  Lia saw something or heard something and expected others to follow her completely blind.  I would've hopped off that crazy train long ago!  You have to have some other type of events to move the plot forward or it just gets so horribly redundant and boring for readers.  And just because she has this "gift" it does not make her infinitely smarter and better than everyone else.  That's cause right there for a butt-whooping, at least in my family.  You don't treat people like trash just because you can do something they can't.

Also because she has this "gift" she blindly follows it herself.  Does she not have any regard for her future at all?  I guess not cause there she goes head first into danger because her "gift" told her to...  It's like as soon as she found that book about the history of Venda she has to make sure that every prophecies comes true.

I listened to a good majority of this book on audiobook, but after about 55%-60% I had to stop listening for almost a week because I just couldn't deal with this book.  I was so close to almost DNFing this book, but I figured I was that far I might as well stick it out and complete it.  In a way I wish I had just left it at the second book.

This book is massive!  I was expecting a really long and epic final battle, but that only took place in the last 10% of the book.  A few pages was all it took to defeat the enemy and wrap things up.  Plus her whole "speech" to get them to lay down their arms did not make a lick of sense.  People just dropped their weapons and followed her? I'm surprised she wasn't shot with an arrow first.  This book definitely could have been cut down and the fight could've been written to be more believable.  I mean, come on, they have been prepping for a battle of the centuries and it is but a blip in the book.  We could've done without all of the whiney Lia in the beginning as well.

Overall, I just have to shake my head at this book.  I wanted to love it so much, but it seems like you either love this book or you hate it.  I hate to say it, but I'm leaning towards the latter.

Book Review: Midnight Jewel by Richelle Mead

Title: Midnight Jewel (The Glittering Court #2)
Author: Richelle Mead
Publication Date: June 27, 2017
Publisher: Razorbill
Pages: 416
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Review for book 1

In MIDNIGHT JEWEL, Richelle Mead goes beyond the glitz and glamour of the Glittering Court, delving into the dark, political underbelly of Cape Triumph through the eyes of one girl who dares to fight for her freedom.

A refugee of war, Mira was cast out of her home country and thrust into another, where the conditions were inhospitable at best. In a life-altering twist of fate, she is given the chance to escape once more, and she takes it, joining the Glittering Court.

Both a school and a business venture, the Glittering Court is designed to transform impoverished girls into upper-class ladies who appear destined for powerful and wealthy marriages in the New World. There, Mira finds herself subjected to persecution, not only from her fellow Glittering Court jewels, but from her suitors, as well—men she would potentially be expected to give her life to.

By day, she goes through the motions, learning the etiquette and customs that will help to earn her anonymity, even making a couple true friends in the process, the forthright ladies’ maid Adelaide and the ambitious laundress Tamsin. But by night, Mira hatches a different plan entirely—one that, if exposed, could get her hanged in the highest court of Adoria.

MIDNIGHT JEWEL is the extraordinary story of a girl with few options who courageously forges a new path, finding love, passion, lifelong friendships, and maybe even a way to freedom.

Way back in my review for The Glittering Court I said I wasn't sure if I was ever going to read Midnight Jewel.  Well I did it.  I almost DNFed this book, but as I was part of the blog tour I felt like I had to at least complete this book.  There were so many reviews saying that this book was so much better than the first, but I beg to differ.

I so desperately wanted to like this book as I have loved all of Richelle Mead's books prior to this series.  I think the things that got me the most had to be the timeline of how the series was written.  Both the first and second book (and I'm guessing the third book will as well) take place over the same amount of time.  I thought this would be an interesting concept, but it makes everything so unbearably predictable.  And even though this book was told from a different point of view about 40% of the book is the same events which makes things rather redundant and honestly boring.  It felt like the author vomited up the story from the first book and added some more stuff.

Due to the book having a lot of redundant scenes made it way too long.  The book itself doesn't seem that big, but the audiobook that I listened to was over 14 hours!  That's ridiculously excessive in my opinion.  Especially when most of these scenes are the same thing as the first book.  By chapter 4 they still have not even left for the new world.  That's a lot of unnecessary words.

I was also hoping that the romance would maybe redeem this book a little, but I was sadly mistaken.  In the beginning I felt like the romance could be very promising yet it almost made me more upset.  For the sake of spoilers I won't say too much, but just because the characters have everything going against them does not make it okay for them to be together because of on little loop hole at near the end of the book.

I know this sounds awful, but I really wish this second book had been a continuation of the series and not a different point of view of the same events.  It does sound like an interesting concept, but it definitely was not for me.

That being said, I will not be finishing this series at all.  I will read Richelle's other new books, but I just can't with this series.

Audiobook Review: Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young

Title: Sky in the Deep
Author: Adrienne Young
Publication Date: April 24, 2018
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Pages: 352
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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.

Sky in the Deep was easily one of my most anticipated books of 2018 and probably the one the most people told me to read. I was SO excited to dive into this Viking world! The synopsis sounds incredible - a girl taken by the enemy and forced to live among them is totally a story I want to read! And I feel like literally every person other than me loved this book! So what went wrong? Well, kind of a lot.

Eelyn is such a fantastic protagonist and was actually one of the few things that actually went right in this book. I love a strong heroine who fights for what she believes in! I loved watching her relationships grow and sympathized with her whenever she found out she had been betrayed. I loved her determination to get back to her family and help them and I rooted for her to succeed. I also thought her brother was a decent character, although I still feel like his motives were a little questionable. Some secondary characters were pretty great also, but that's about where my enjoyment of the characters and story ended.

My main issue with this book is that it's all so predictable. The story has been done a thousand times before and it has been done better. A person is forced to live with the enemy and finds out they aren't that different after all. Maybe one of them could be her true love. Sound familiar? Pocahontas (the Disney movie) immediately comes to mind, but there are tons of other examples of the exact same premise. I know that next to nothing is truly original, but this story just didn't do anything for me.

One of my other problems with the story is that this idea of the other not being truly "other" only extended to the initial tribe mentioned. Eelyn goes to her enemy's village and learns to love them, but continues to see the Big Bad Tribe as 100% pure evil. They are never humanized in any way. Never mind that the entire book is focused on the idea that the other might not actually be evil. We never learn anything about their mutual enemy at all other than that they're Bad.

The romance in Sky in the Deep was also just okay for me. To be honest with you, I didn't even realize that Fiske was single until about halfway through the book. Eelyn's and Fiske's feelings seem to come basically out of nowhere overnight after a few half conversations. I know that some people are all about this ship, but I just didn't feel it.

Besides Eelyn herself, the other thing this book had going for it was the world building. I felt like I was watching an episode of Vikings while I was listening to this audiobook. I could picture the landscapes and villages and dangers. I just wish that the story had been as fantastic as the world this book painted.

I really, really wanted to love this book! I hate when a book I have such high expectations for lets me down in such a huge way. There was action and this book thankfully didn't drag, but the story is so overdone and predictable that I just couldn't find much enjoyment in it. If you enjoy this trope and don't mind a little instalove, then you may enjoy this book after all.

Book Review: 99 Days by Katie Cotugno

Title: 99 Days (99 Days #1)
Author: Katie Cotugno
Publication Date: April 21, 2015
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Pages: 384
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Day 1: Julia Donnelly eggs my house my first night back in Star Lake, and that’s how I know everyone still remembers everything—how I destroyed my relationship with Patrick the night everything happened with his brother, Gabe. How I wrecked their whole family. Now I’m serving out my summer like a jail sentence: Just ninety-nine days till I can leave for college, and be done.

Day 4: A nasty note on my windshield makes it clear Julia isn’t finished. I’m expecting a fight when someone taps me on the shoulder, but it’s just Gabe, home from college and actually happy to see me. “For what it’s worth, Molly Barlow,” he says, “I’m really glad you’re back.”

Day 12: Gabe got me to come to this party, and I’m actually having fun. I think he’s about to kiss me—and that’s when I see Patrick. My Patrick, who’s supposed to be clear across the country. My Patrick, who’s never going to forgive me.

Over the few years that I have really been involved in the book community I’ve heard people say that they really liked Katie Cotugno’s writing.  It wasn’t until recently that I decided to give her books a go.  Now I’m not really one to read contemporary YA.  I will read it, but I feel like it has to have a lot of certain qualities for me to like it, and this book did not have them.

Oh god the protagonist is the most boring and lamest protagonist I've read for such a long time... I just don't get how she manages to make TWO BOYS not one to fall in love with her. Given the fact that she is NOT EVEN NICE and has no "real" sense of humor. So Throughout the book I just kept an empty face of disgust, waiting for change.

And it really doesn’t.  I didn’t really see much development with the main character, or any character for that matter.  As for both of the love interests—they suck.  Plain and simple.  Neither of them really caught my attention and they both did some weird things to the main character that if I were in her shoes I would have let them both; screw the history between them.

All of their actions just pissed me off!  I couldn’t stand how the main character blatantly hurts the other characters over and over and over again.  One of my biggest pet peeves is cheating.  I CAN’T STAND cheating.  Especially when someone shows practically no remorse for doing it!

Cheating is a touchy issue. It's taboo, certainly, but people do make mistakes. The important thing is that mistakes should be a learning experience in order for the main character to be a better person. The main character in this book cheats. She suffers from the consequences, but she never expresses any true regret about the fact that she cheated. For her, the people involved are almost interchangeable. If one isn't available: go after the other one. Rinse, repeat. That is what I cannot forgive.

Yes there were points that I did actually feel bad about what happened to the main character.  I mean her mom did pretty much use her for her own personal gain, and one of her best friends literally will not stop making her life a living hell.  For this reason I have the book just a smidge higher of a rating, but still I feel like I’m being a bit too generous.

I have found from reading some others reviews and asking my friends questions that many people seem to really love this book or really hate it.  I’m definitely leaning towards the hate part.  I really don’t want it to be that way, but it is.

Have you read this book?  If so, what are your thoughts on it?

ARC Review: The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert

Title: The Hazel Wood
Author: Melissa Albert
Publication Date: January 30, 2018
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Pages: 368
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Seventeen-year-old Alice and her mother have spent most of Alice’s life on the road, always a step ahead of the uncanny bad luck biting at their heels. But when Alice’s grandmother, the reclusive author of a cult-classic book of pitch-dark fairy tales, dies alone on her estate, the Hazel Wood, Alice learns how bad her luck can really get: her mother is stolen away―by a figure who claims to come from the Hinterland, the cruel supernatural world where her grandmother's stories are set. Alice's only lead is the message her mother left behind: “Stay away from the Hazel Wood.”

Alice has long steered clear of her grandmother’s cultish fans. But now she has no choice but to ally with classmate Ellery Finch, a Hinterland superfan who may have his own reasons for wanting to help her. To retrieve her mother, Alice must venture first to the Hazel Wood, then into the world where her grandmother's tales began―and where she might find out how her own story went so wrong. 

The Hazel Wood caught my eye months ago, back when I first read the synopsis on Goodreads. I scrambled to trade for it as soon as possible... and it sat on my shelf for months before I finally worked up to reading it. The hype was strong and unfortunately it just didn't live up to it, mostly because, as I'll explain more, this fantasy novel doesn't contain much fantasy.

Alice is the MC of this story and she is... not that great, to be honest. I wanted to sympathize with Alice. She's had a rough backstory and her mom has been stolen away. She just isn't very sympathetic. Alice is a bit rude to everyone around her, including people who are trying to do everything they can to help. Finch, for example. I really loved Finch and thought he was a great side character and not-fully-realized love interest. You read that right! There isn't a lot of romance in The Hazel Wood, which could be either a pro or a con, depending on your preference. Personally, I would've preferred a bit more of a fleshed out relationship between Finch and Alice, even if it wasn't fully romantic. As the story was told, their interaction kind of just made me dislike Alice more.

There are tons of other super interesting characters in The Hazel Wood, but none of them are around for long enough to get to know. I really wished we could've learned more about the crazy fan who finally made it to the Wood or even some of the creepier, more fantasy-ish characters. Honestly, I'd have settled for more about Alice's elusive grandmother!

Now, allow me to talk about the story and why I feel like this book might have been falsely advertised just a bit. The Hazel Wood has been marketed as a fantasy book about a dark and creepy fantasy wood that Alice has to find. The problem is, it takes most of the book for this to actually happen. For the majority of The Hazel Wood, there is no Wood, just Alice and Finch talking about it. They talk and ride in the car and have run-ins with police officers and ride some more. This is more contemporary, maybe urban fantasy until almost the ending and that just wasn't enough for me. Once Alice finally made it to the Hazel Wood, things started to get more interesting and I just wish we'd had more of THAT. (You know, fantasy in a fantasy book?)

Likewise, the world building was fantastic! Once we got to The Hazel Wood, that is. Up until then, I guess it was okay? But it was just a normal city. I didn't feel particularly creeped out, which is how a lot of people have said this book made them feel. When the fantasy finally happened, it was great! I loved how uneasy I felt about the Wood and Althea's house and everything that came after. I loved the Hinterland and the Stories and every.single.thing. There just wasn't enough to love.

My other issue with The Hazel Wood was with the pacing, and honestly that probably ties back into the lack of fantasy. I don't read contemporary books because they bore me out of my mind, which is exactly how I felt with this. It took me forever to read because I could barely slug through each chapter... until they got to the Wood - I know I must sound like a broken record! A lot did happen, but I didn't feel any real sense of urgency or danger that kept me turning the pages.

I've heard that there will be another book in this series (was this originally planned?) and I honestly have no idea where the author could possibly take it. If it's back to the Wood, I may give it a chance! Melissa Albert does know how to craft a good fairy tale, as evidenced by last chunk of this book and I would love to read anything she writes in the future if it's actually fantasy. Unfortunately, this just... isn't. If you enjoy contemporary AND fantasy, this is probably a book you will love! But if, like me, you can't stand contemporary fiction, you may want to steer clear.

ARC Review: The Crown's Fate by Evelyn Skye

Title: The Crown's Fate (The Crown's Game #2)
Author: Evelyn Skye
Publication Date: May 16, 2017
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Pages: 415
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Review for book 1

Russia is on the brink of great change. Pasha’s coronation approaches, and Vika is now the Imperial Enchanter, but the role she once coveted may be more difficult—and dangerous—than she ever expected.

Pasha is grappling with his own problems—his legitimacy is in doubt, the girl he loves loathes him, and he believes his best friend is dead. When a challenger to the throne emerges—and with the magic in Russia growing rapidly—Pasha must do whatever it takes to keep his position and protect his kingdom.

For Nikolai, the ending of the Crown’s Game stung deeply. Although he just managed to escape death, Nikolai remains alone, a shadow hidden in a not-quite-real world of his own creation. But when he’s given a second chance at life—tied to a dark price—Nikolai must decide just how far he’s willing to go to return to the world.

With revolution on the rise, dangerous new magic rearing up, and a tsardom up for the taking, Vika, Nikolai, and Pasha must fight—or face the destruction of not only their world but also themselves. 

Oh boy. Here I am again, reviewing a book that I hated. I reviewed The Crown's Game when it was first released and you can check out my review of that here. It was a giant disappointment to me for various reasons, but I thought I saw a glimmer of hope for the second book and decided to pick it up. I shouldn't have wasted my time.

Basically, everything I hated about the first book stuck around for book two. One of my biggest complaints about the first book was the overwhelming number of tropes the author used. But the most annoying trope of all was the love triangle. It was weird, completely pointless, and in the second book, it became very childish. It persisted through the WHOLE BOOK until there was magical resolution in the last few pages. Just POOF, suddenly there was no love triangle anymore. All the characters came to the realization at the same time. Ugh.

Now let's talk about the plot. I was greatly disappointed with the direction that the plot went in The Crown's Game, but I think it was a decent storyline overall. But The Crown's Fate went in such a different direction that it didn't even feel like it was part of the same story. It had the darkness that I wished was present in the first book, but it was thrown into the story so sloppily that I was still not interested in it. It didn't feel like a continuation of book one at all.

This same feeling applied to the characters as well. They acted completely differently throughout the second book. They weren't nearly as interesting as they had been previously. They were mostly whiny and annoying and moody. And there was no character development whatsoever. They were the same people when the book ended as when it began. This was a huge disappointment because the characters were one of the few things that I actually liked about The Crown's Game.

All in all, I think its safe to say that I really, really dislike these books. They held so much promise and were such a letdown. If you were someone who actually liked The Crown's Game, you may enjoy The Crown's Fate as well. But it is such a change from the first book that you may also be let down by this one. There are much better fantasies out there that I would highly recommend over these books.