Category: netgalley

Arc Review: Heartwood Box

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Author: Ann Aguirre

Format: eBook (NetGalley eArc)

Categories: Mystery, Time Travel, Paranormal, Romance

Pages: 336

Publication Date: July 9, 2019

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

In this tiny, terrifying town, the lost are never found. When Araceli Flores Harper is sent to live with her great-aunt Ottilie in her ramshackle Victorian home, the plan is simple. She’ll buckle down and get ready for college. Life won’t be exciting, but she’ll cope, right?

Wrong. From the start, things are very, very wrong. Her great-aunt still leaves food for the husband who went missing twenty years ago, and local businesses are plastered with MISSING posters. There are unexplained lights in the woods and a mysterious lab just beyond the city limits that the locals don’t talk about. Ever. When she starts receiving mysterious letters that seem to be coming from the past, she suspects someone of pranking her or trying to drive her out of her mind. To solve these riddles and bring the lost home again, Araceli must delve into a truly diabolical conspiracy, but some secrets fight to stay buried… 

Thank you to MacMillan-Tor/Forge and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this eArc.

Heartwood Box is a mystery story that builds slowly in the beginning and packs a punch at the end with an ending that is somewhat bizarre but it works. I thought it was creative and different. My reaction was more like, what?……🤔

While reading this book, I was wondering if this was a ghost story but some things didn’t add up especially when there are people going missing in this strange town. I mean if it was just haunted, why would people go missing? Also, this is the second book I’ve read this month with references to World War I! That’s pretty cool since most people are engrained in World War II history, so I like having the spotlight be on WWI.

I enjoyed the diversity represented with the characters. Araceli is a strong young lady who grew up abroad in Central and South America, so she’s seen a lot of things, especially with parents who are investigative reporters. But this town is something different and she has a challenging time figuring things out.

I thought the ending was a nice twist and a bit strange. But I still enjoyed it because the story is well written. It flowed nicely from a slow mystery, which took me a few days to get into and then it took a turn with full on action and time-travel in the last part of the book. Yes, it did that.

Overall, I like this book! It’s not usually the type of genre I read but it was a nice change of pace.

Get it here: Amazon

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost for you. Thanks!

Book Review: The Storm Crow

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2

Author: Kalyn Josephson

Format: E-book

Pages: 368

Categories: Young Adult, Fantasy, Magic, Romance

Publish Date: July 9, 2019

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

Book Blurb:

In the tropical kingdom of Rhodaire, magical, elemental Crows are part of every aspect of life…until the Illucian empire invades, destroying everything.

That terrible night has thrown Princess Anthia into a deep depression. Her sister Caliza is busy running the kingdom after their mother’s death, but all Thia can do is think of all she has lost.

But when Caliza is forced to agree to a marriage between Thia and the crown prince of Illucia, Thia is finally spurred into action. And after stumbling upon a hidden Crow egg in the rubble of a rookery, she and her sister devise a dangerous plan to hatch the egg in secret and get back what was taken from them.

MY REVIEW

Thank you NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire for this free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

When I read the book blurb for this story, the thing that caught my attention were the words “elemental Crows”. I thought, I must have it. I was very excited to be allowed to read this from NetGalley.

This story grabbed me at the first page. The writing is beautiful. I am introduced to Thia on top of a crow, flying above her beloved home, the Kingdom of Rhodaire in Aris. I felt like I was flying with her or at least I wished I was her. I wanted to belong to this kingdom. I wanted to be a crow rider! We are drawn into this magical kingdom with a lush setting, where there are crows in every aspect of their world.

But Thia’s beautiful world is turned into chaos and turmoil when the Illucian empire invades them in a calculating move. Thia is in a haze of grief and depression for most of the beginning of the book. I could relate to her trauma and grief on every level. I felt it, I’ve been through that same tunnel of grief before. Everyone deals with grief differently, some like Caliza can put it behind them quickly and keep moving forward. Some are like Thia, who can’t get out of bed. Depression can be debilitating, yet many people chalk it up to cowardice, like some do in the story. But I was cheering Thia on, with every step she took in the book. I admired her courage to try and move forward, even if some days were bad days.

Thia is forced to marry her enemies’ son, Prince Ericen, to save her kingdom from utter ruin. They do not get along at first but try to tolerate each other’s company. The only part I didn’t quite enjoy about this story was the romance aspect to it. It’s not a love triangle…yet, and maybe it won’t become that but I wasn’t quite convinced of her choice in this book. Will it change in book two? We shall see!

And then there is her friendship with Kiva. I loved their banter and love for each other. Kiva and Thia together are friendship goals.

This is a wonderful debut filled with magic, intrigue, friendship, courage, love and a twist in the end that left me with hope for Thia’s future. Hopefully the next book in the series, which I am anxious to read, will have even more crows to fall in love with!

Weekly Wrap-Up: Blogging, Reading, Bookstagram

Aloha everyone – it’s finally the weekend!

I have been tinkering with this blog the past two days, trying to make it look the way I want and getting frustrated. I also debated on whether to take it to wordpress.org, pay for hosting, to give me more freedom, etc…and I did. I “created” a site last night and wasn’t liking it. And I might give up on it (after one day 😂), so much to freedom. To think I built my own website, Freshman year in college, from scratch ugh…my friend pointed out that was 20+ years ago. Thanks friend. 😘 Guys and girls, I suck at it. Or I just don’t have the patience for it anymore lol – these templates and widgets are so convenient!

Image via Giphy

I’ll let that website simmer and stew…until I figure out what I want to do with it!

What I Read This Week:

What I’m Reading Right Now:

  • The Shadow Glass (The Bone Witch #3) by. Rin Chupeco
  • The Lovely War by. Julie Berry
  • On The Come Up by. Angie Thomas

On My TBR List:

  • Nocturna by. Maya Motayne
  • Girl of Glass by. Megan O’Russell
  • Ivory and Bone by. Julie Eshbaugh
  • Crown of Feathers by. Nicki Pau Preto
  • The Gilded Wolves by. Roshani Chokshi

On My NetGalley TBR List:

  • Heartwood Box by. Ann Aguirre
  • The Lady Rogue by. Jenn Bennett
  • The Grace Year by. Kim Liggett

Let’s hope I finish reading all of these books! Sometimes I’m too ambitious. Lately I’ve been reading while working out on the elliptical machine in my room. I need to exercise (ain’t getting any younger and my blood pressure keeps getting higher 😫) and reading while I exercise makes the time go by much faster, thank goodness. ❤️

📷 Do any of you bookstagram?

I love the book community on Instagram because I learn about a lot of new titles that way. Plus some people just have skills with a camera! I wish that was me, I love the book photos. 😊 I’ve been lazy about taking good photos but I’m going to try my best and step up my game. It’s fun finding props to use and it gives me an excuse to buy a bouquet of fresh flowers for my dining table. I use those blooms for my book photo shoots so it’s a win-win! Follow me on ig @ylmpastmidnight to check out my bookstagram photos and leave me your ig in the comments below so I can follow you too!

And that’s all I got for today ~ what are you reading? Do you have trouble making your blog look the way you want, like me? 🤔 I hope you all have a wonderful relaxing weekend. Happy Reading! 😘

Book Review: The Orphan’s Song

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Author: Lauren Kate

Format: eBook

Publication Date: June 25, 2019

Pages: 336

Categories: Romance, Historical, Adult Fiction

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Book Blurb:

A song brought them together.
A secret will tear them apart.

Venice, 1736. When fate brings Violetta and Mino together on the roof of the Hospital of the Incurables, they form a connection that will change their lives forever. Both are orphans at the Incurables, dreaming of escape. But when the resident Maestro notices Violetta’s voice, she is selected for the Incurables’ world famous coro, and must sign an oath never to sing beyond its church doors.

After a declaration of love ends in heartbreak, Mino flees the Incurables in search of his family. Known as the “city of masks,” Venice is full of secrets, and Mino is certain one will lead to his long-lost mother. Without him, the walls close in on Violetta and she begins a dangerous and forbidden nightlife, hoping her voice can secure her freedom. But neither finds what they are looking for, until a haunting memory Violetta has suppressed since childhood leads them to a shocking confrontation.

Vibrant with the glamour and beauty of Venice at its zenith, The Orphan’s Songtakes us on a breathtaking journey of passion, heartbreak, and betrayal before it crescendos to an unforgettable ending, a celebration of the enduring nature and transformative power of love.

MY REVIEW

Thank you to Penguin Group PUTNAM and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this eArc.

I requested this book because it takes place in Venice during the 1700’s. I fell in love with Venice when my husband and I visited the city briefly on a European tour. My time there was short but so memorable. It is a place oozing with mystery and character.

Violetta and Mino are orphans of the Hospital of the Incurables, which was a place for treatment of those suffering from syphillis. The hospital also had an orphanage attached to it. The children that grow up there are given some opportunities as they age. The girls can sing in the church coro (choir) and the boys are given apprenticeships.

Violetta wants to be a singer in the coro with all her heart. Mino plays the violin and they befriend each other, sharing moments in their secret place, the rooftop of the orphanage. There is love between them, but Violetta doesn’t see any hope for them. As a child, Violetta witnessed Mino’s mother dropping him at the orphanage and since that moment she vowed never to become a mother.

Violetta’s rejection devastates Mino. It was heartbreaking watching him lose his way, trying to find the mother that left him, and moving on from the girl that broke him. The two of them take on separate journeys and they only meet again in the later half of the book. All throughout the story it’s evident their lives are intertwined by what seems to be fate or love. I just felt awful for Mino though.

The only thing that didn’t quite work out for me was the secret of Mino’s father. When that was revealed, I thought, really? It had to be him of all people? Poor Mino, hasn’t he been through enough?

I read this book in one night. I kept rooting for Mino and Violetta, because their love was so beautiful in the beginning. I was hoping they would eventually find their way to one another. It’s a rough journey for them but I enjoyed this love story and being whisked away to the “city of masks” was a plus.

Get it here: Amazon

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost for you. Thanks!

Happy Book Birthdays! – June 4, 2019

Happy Tuesday everyone! I’m going to try and do a book birthdays post every Tuesday to showcase the new books being published.

Image via Giphy

There are so many book birthdays today! Some of these books I can’t wait to get my hands on and some I already read through NetGalley. So 🥳Happy Book Birthday🥳 to all these books:

Breakout by. A.M. Rose

Published: June 3rd, 2019

My Review: Click HERE

Links: Goodreads * Amazon

That’s the amount of time until Lezah’s execution. 

She’ll die never knowing what got her locked up in this godforsaken prison in the first place. Her only chance of survival is to escape. Except the monitoring bracelet that digs into her wrist, the roaming AI, and the implant in her neck make freedom close to impossible. 

Her best chance is to team up with the four other inmates who are determined to break out, even if one of them is beyond (gorgeous) annoying—oh, and in for murder. But he has a secret of his own. One that could break Lezah if she finds out, but could also set him free. 

Figuring out how to work with him and the rest of this mismatched group of criminals is the only way Lezah will survive to see the outside world again. 

But nothing in this prison is as it seems. And no one.

Cinder & the Prince of Midnight by. Susan Ee

Published: June 3, 2019

Links: Goodreads * Amazon

An orphan girl. A dark and twisted kingdom. An ongoing shadow war resulting in enslaved fairies.

This is the world of Cinder. A world where a girl like her can be sold to be human prey for a ritualistic hunt.

But on this night, even the predators might have something to fear. On this night, even a royal prince might find himself trapped by the expectations of the Dark King…and a girl like no other.

Rebel Born by. Amy A. Bartol

Published: June 4, 2019

My Review: Click HERE

Links: Goodreads * Amazon

Roselle faces a mind-reeling showdown with the deep state agent controlling her psyche in the conclusion to the Wall Street Journal bestselling Secondborn series.

Roselle St. Sismode is many things: victim of a conspiracy, unwilling host of an ever-evolving mind algorithm, spy for a rebel army, and heir to the Fate of Swords. As a warrior, she’s also the anticipated main event at the Secondborn Trials. When the opening ceremonies erupt in chaos, Roselle is abducted by a sadistic agent with a diabolical plan: transform Roselle into a mind-controlled assassin to topple society. But a rogue scientist has implanted Roselle with a genius technology that is far more powerful. It renders her untouchable. Faster. Stronger. And maybe immortal.

With her enhanced abilities come the highest stakes yet, as Roselle confronts shifting realities at every turn as well as her own mother’s stunning betrayal. Racing against time with a determined resistance group, can Roselle overthrow the forces of destruction and reclaim the most valuable of commodities—her humanity?

The Rest of the Story by. Sarah Dessen

Published: June 4, 2019

Links: Goodreads * Amazon

Emma Saylor doesn’t remember a lot about her mother, who died when she was ten. But she does remember the stories her mom told her about the big lake that went on forever, with cold, clear water and mossy trees at the edges.

Now it’s just Emma and her dad, and life is good, if a little predictable…until Emma is unexpectedly sent to spend the summer with her mother’s family—her grandmother and cousins she hasn’t seen since she was a little girl.

When Emma arrives at North Lake, she realizes there are actually two very different communities there. Her mother grew up in working class North Lake, while her dad spent summers in the wealthier Lake North resort. The more time Emma spends there, the more it starts to feel like she is divided into two people as well. To her father, she is Emma. But to her new family, she is Saylor, the name her mother always called her.

Then there’s Roo, the boy who was her very best friend when she was little. Roo holds the key to her family’s history, and slowly, he helps her put the pieces together about her past. It’s hard not to get caught up in the magic of North Lake—and Saylor finds herself falling under Roo’s spell as well.

For Saylor, it’s like a whole new world is opening up to her. But when it’s time to go back home, which side of her will win out?

Sorcery of Thorns by. Margaret Rogerson

Published: June 4, 2019

Links: Goodreads * Amazon

All sorcerers are evil. Elisabeth has known that as long as she has known anything. Raised as a foundling in one of Austermeer’s Great Libraries, Elisabeth has grown up among the tools of sorcery—magical grimoires that whisper on shelves and rattle beneath iron chains. If provoked, they transform into grotesque monsters of ink and leather. She hopes to become a warden, charged with protecting the kingdom from their power.

Then an act of sabotage releases the library’s most dangerous grimoire. Elisabeth’s desperate intervention implicates her in the crime, and she is torn from her home to face justice in the capital. With no one to turn to but her sworn enemy, the sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn, and his mysterious demonic servant, she finds herself entangled in a centuries-old conspiracy. Not only could the Great Libraries go up in flames, but the world along with them.

As her alliance with Nathaniel grows stronger, Elisabeth starts to question everything she’s been taught—about sorcerers, about the libraries she loves, even about herself. For Elisabeth has a power she has never guessed, and a future she could never have imagined.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost for you. Thanks!

Monthly Wrap Up: May 2019

Another month is done! Wow, I can’t we are in June…I’m not ready for the second half of the year. I think I did pretty good this month despite not reading anything before the GoT finale. 😂 Here’s what I read:

In Bloom by. Katie Delahanty – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Lady Smoke by. Laura Sebastian – ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
Pretty Reckless by. L. J. Shen – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Beau & Bett by. Kathryn Berla – ⭐️⭐️1/2
Rule by. Ellen Goodlett – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Living God by. Kaytalin Platt – ⭐️⭐️
The Bluestocking by. Christi Caldwell – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Storm And Fury by. Jennifer L. Armentrout – ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
What The Woods Keep by. Katya De Becerra – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Breakout by. A.M.Rose – ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
Spin by. Colleen Nelson – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Four Dead Queens by. Astrid Scholte – ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
Some Like it Scandalous by. Maya Rodale – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Rebel Born by. Amy A. Bartol – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
Broken Trust by. Jaymin Eve & Tate James – ⭐️⭐️
Kingdom of Exiles by. Maxym M. Martineau – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Memory Thief by. Lauren Mansy – ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Brazen and the Beast by. Sarah MacLean – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
Supernatural Academy: Year One by. Jaymin Eve – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Children’s Books:

I did manage to review some Children’s Books – I read so many of these to my kids, I haven’t been able to keep up with reviewing them. I will probably be moving all my Children’s book reviews to a new blog to keep things separate. Stay tuned with that!

Stinky Science by. Edward Kay – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Boy From The Dragon Palace by. Margaret Read MacDonald – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Bye Bye Big! by. Margaret Read MacDonald – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Look Inside Space by. Rob Lloyd Jones – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Llama Llama Mess, Mess, Mess by. Anna Dewdney – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I’m caught up on my NetGalley reads, just waiting to get approved for a few books. Since I’ll be waiting on that, I can catch up on the hardcover books I have waiting on my shelf and books I borrowed online as well. 😄 There are a few books I am really looking forward to reading in June. 🤗

Happy reading everyone! And hello June…😘

Book Review: Brazen and the Beast

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Author: Sarah MacLean

Format: eBook

Pages: 400

Publication Date: July 30, 2019

Categories: Historical Romance

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Book Blurb:

The Lady’s Plan

When Lady Henrietta Sedley declares her twenty-ninth year her own, she has plans to inherit her father’s business, to make her own fortune, and to live her own life. But first, she intends to experience a taste of the pleasure she’ll forgo as a confirmed spinster. Everything is going perfectly…until she discovers the most beautiful man she’s ever seen tied up in her carriage and threatening to ruin the Year of Hattie before it’s even begun.

The Bastard’s Proposal

When he wakes in a carriage at Hattie’s feet, Whit, a king of Covent Garden known to all the world as Beast, can’t help but wonder about the strange woman who frees him—especially when he discovers she’s headed for a night of pleasure . . . on his turf. He is more than happy to offer Hattie all she desires…for a price.

An Unexpected Passion

Soon, Hattie and Whit find themselves rivals in business and pleasure. She won’t give up her plans; he won’t give up his power . . . and neither of them sees that if they’re not careful, they’ll have no choice but to give up everything . . . including their hearts.

MY REVIEW

Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for giving me this opportunity to read this eArc.

Whenever I want to read a historical romance novel there are only a handful of authors I turn to, one of them being Sarah MacLean. Her books always come through for me, ticking every box I need in a historical romance: humor, delicious banter and sex, and of course, a happy ending.

Book two of the Bareknuckle Bastards series definitely came through on all the things I love in a romance novel. And I love, love, love Hattie.

Lady Henrietta Sedley, or Hattie has concluded that her twenty-ninth birthday be christened the Year of Hattie. She has plans to accomplish and no one will get in her way of them. Well, at least that’s what she thinks. A dangerous and gorgeous man by the name of Beast, puts a wrench in her plans – but I blame her brother for that.

Hattie is funny, smart, brave, ambitious and determined. Her best friend Nora who is basically a sister to her helps her along the way with her plans. I love their friendship and glad Hattie had someone believing in her dreams. As for Beast, who is Saviour Whittington or Whit for short, he has a harsh past which makes it difficult for him to believe he deserves love. Least of all Hattie’s love. But these two are a perfect match. He admires her mind and ambition. She loves that he believes in her.

I really enjoyed their banter and there are some very sexy scenes between them. Hattie managed to accomplish all her goals in the end, bravo for her. She did it all with class and sass!

This is a wonderful second installment to the Bareknuckle Bastards and am looking forward to the next one!

Get it here: Amazon

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost for you. Thanks!

Book Review: The Memory Thief

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Author: Lauren Mansy

Format: eBook

Pages: 368

Publication Date: October 1, 2019

Categories: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Book Blurb:

In the city of Craewick, memories reign. The power-obsessed ruler of the city, Madame, has cultivated a society in which memories are currency, citizens are divided by ability, and Gifted individuals can take memories from others through touch as they please.

Seventeen-year-old Etta Lark is desperate to live outside of the corrupt culture, but grapples with the guilt of an accident that has left her mother bedridden in the city’s asylum. When Madame threatens to put her mother up for auction, a Craewick practice in which a “criminal’s” memories are sold to the highest bidder before being killed, Etta will do whatever it takes to save her. Even if it means rejoining the Shadows, the rebel group she swore off in the wake of the accident years earlier.

To prove her allegiance to the Shadows and rescue her mother, Etta must steal a memorized map of the Maze, a formidable prison created by the bloodthirsty ruler of a neighboring Realm. So she sets out on a journey in which she faces startling attacks, unexpected romance, and, above all, her own past in order to set things right in her world.

MY REVIEW

Thank you to Blink and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this eARC.

The premise of this story is really interesting. Memories are used as currency and the world created around this idea is fascinating. Taking memories sounds a bit scary to me, just because I wonder how someone would stay themself with other memories in their head. Also it feels like cheating. If you want to learn a skill, steal a memory and now you are an expert in it. It shows how the Gifted has the upper hand in this world.

Etta Lark is hiding from her past. Her best friends are dead and her mother is in an asylum. Etta made a deal with Madame, the ruler of Craewick, that would help her hide from the Shadows, a group she betrayed to help save her mother. But Madame changes the rules on her and Etta has to go back to the people she hurt to help her mom again.

This was a fast read. I devoured all the information about the Gift, Ungifted, and Minders. The world of the Shadows is really intriguing and probably my favorite part of the book. Some of the story is told through memories, since Etta has taken a few. There is insta-love but I think it works because it is a standalone book. Etta and her love interest do get to know each other on their quest. I’m so used to reading trilogies with love stories drawn out that seeing insta-love in a book that isn’t purely a romance novel is sometimes hard to get used to. It works in this story but I wasn’t that invested in the romance though.

When Etta and Reid get to the end of their journey, Etta’s past is revealed in a twist and it seemed so convenient. Etta accepts this reveal so easily. From there on, the story wraps up and everything works out in the end. Which is great, but my interest was dwindling by then. The time span of this story happens in one week, so the ending felt rushed.

Overall, this was an interesting book, with a potential to be amazing because I really enjoyed the underworld of the Shadows. Everything else though fell flat for me.

Get it here: Amazon

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost for you. Thanks!

Book Review: Kingdom of Exiles (The Beast Charmer, #1)

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Author: Maxym M. Martineau

Format: E-book

Pages: 400

Publication Date: June 25, 2019

Categories: Fantasy, Beasts, Romance, Magic, Assassins

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Book Blurb:

Exiled Charmer Leena Edenfrell is running out of time. Empty pockets forced her to sell her beloved magical beasts-an offense punishable by death-and now there’s a price on her head. With the realm’s most talented murderer-for-hire nipping at her heels, Leena makes Noc an offer he can’t refuse: powerful mythical creatures in exchange for her life.

Plagued by a curse that kills everyone he loves, Noc agrees to Leena’s terms in hopes of finding a cure. Never mind that the dark magic binding the assassin’s oath will eventually force him to choose between Leena’s continued survival…and his own. 

In a game of trust and half-lies, only one thing can be certain: traps capture more than beasts and ensnared hearts are impossible to untangle.

MY REVIEW

Thank you to SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this e-arc for an honest review.

Magic beasts! Undead assassins and a curse! This blurb had me at magical beasts. It was not hard for me to dive into this lush fantasy world. Leena is a beast charmer, and she reminded me of a Pokemon trainer! Yes, I said Pokemon. 😅 She had to find these beasts, tame them and put them in a special realm where they waited to be summoned. I wanted to be Leena and have a collection of beasts.

Leena is exiled from her home and there is a bounty on her head. The Cruor is a group of undead assassins, lead by Noc. Their powers are really interesting. They can control shadows and Noc can raise more assassins with his blood, like a vampire. Noc is powerful and in essence a “beast” as well. They are attracted to one another right away but Noc can’t get close, he is cursed. Noc finds her irresistible and Leena is a beast charmer so…why not try to tame his beast? 😉 They are meant to be .

Instead of carrying out the bounty, Noc and Leena negotiate on terms that may help both of them get out of the binds they are in. They are both trying to survive.

I love Leena. She’s strong, caring but vulnerable and she’s comfortable in her charmer skin. The magical beasts in the story are all amazing. They have different characteristics and powers. Noc is a typical strong male character, handsome, powerful and I love how he valued his friends even if he had to keep his distance. He has a sad past with lots of death involved and I hope we learn more about it in the next book.

I enjoyed Noc’s assassins: Calem, Oz and Kost – well not so much Kost, but he eventually grew on me. Their job is to escort Leena and make sure she stays in line but for the most part these guys come off friendly and funny (except Kost of course) and protect her. Leena seemed to soften these assassins up.

I didn’t think I’d read it through the night since I started it so late in the evening, but I could not put it down! This book was lots of fun, full of adventure, a delicious romance and those fantastic magical beasts. I look forward to the sequel.

Book Review: Rebel Born (Secondborn, #3)

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Author: Amy A. Bartol

Format: eBook

Pages: 315

Publication Date: June 4, 2019 (eBook); August 13, 2019 (paperback)

Categories: Sci-Fi, Young Adult, Romance

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Book Blurb:

Roselle faces a mind-reeling showdown with the deep state agent controlling her psyche in the conclusion to the Wall Street Journal bestselling Secondborn series.

Roselle St. Sismode is many things: victim of a conspiracy, unwilling host of an ever-evolving mind algorithm, spy for a rebel army, and heir to the Fate of Swords. As a warrior, she’s also the anticipated main event at the Secondborn Trials. When the opening ceremonies erupt in chaos, Roselle is abducted by a sadistic agent with a diabolical plan: transform Roselle into a mind-controlled assassin to topple society. But a rogue scientist has implanted Roselle with a genius technology that is far more powerful. It renders her untouchable. Faster. Stronger. And maybe immortal.

With her enhanced abilities come the highest stakes yet, as Roselle confronts shifting realities at every turn as well as her own mother’s stunning betrayal. Racing against time with a determined resistance group, can Roselle overthrow the forces of destruction and reclaim the most valuable of commodities—her humanity?

MY REVIEW

Thank you to 47 North and NetGalley for giving me an opportunity to read this e-arc. I screamed when I saw I was approved to read it!

Rebel Born is the last book in the Secondborn series. So here is a mini recap of what happened in the previous books: secondborn children in the Fates of the Republic (there are nine fates) are property of the government. Thirdborns die, you get the idea. Roselle, a secondborn from the Fate of Swords becomes a soldier in the fight against the rebels, the Gates of Dawn. Census is the acting body of the republic who upholds the secondborn law, among other things. One person in Census in particular, Agent Crow, has a sick fascination with Roselle. The more successful she is, the harder he tries to take her down, but his plans are more sinister than anyone imagines. With the war between the Fates and the Gates of Dawn heating up, Agent Crow is brewing up something nasty to take over everyone.

Rebel Born takes place right after that heart-stopping Traitor Born cliffhanger ending. Roselle is separated from Reykin in a horrific fashion. She is unfortunately under Crow’s mind control now but with the help of a somewhat familiar face, a technician in Crow’s lab – she has a better chance of breaking free from the madman.

This book is filled – filled with information on Crow’s ability to control minds and I wasn’t patient enough for it. Keep in mind, I was here first and foremost for Reykin and Roselle. 😉 I felt like I was hyperventilating looking for his name in the first few pages. I teared up when they were finally reunited in this story. I’ve been waiting a whole year for this to happen. After I was reassured they were okay, I told myself to really focus. And as a lover of this series, I also knew I was going to re-read Rebel Born many, many times over, so I forgave myself for rushing through a lot of the technical parts in my first read.

The author goes into tons of detail about mind control, implants, biotechnology and so much more, I got lost trying to understand how it all worked. Mind you, I am not a big sci-fi genre reader but when Amy writes it, I read it. ☺️ The first two books of this series introduces us to the Fates, the characters, the Gates of Dawn and the rebellion. This third book is about Crow’s take over of the Fates and him trying to infiltrate the Gates of Dawn. And then it escalates even more and at one point it was data overload for me. Because then the story adds additional surprising elements and it’s a mind bend. But I do get it, Agent Crow wanted it all, more than mind control, he wanted power forever…immortality and Roselle is a key to that.

But this is one of the reasons why I love this author. Amy A. Bartol always kicks things up a notch. And it seems crazy and chaotic but I find her stories super creative, fascinating and exciting, plus I love her characters. There is a new character in this book who was pretty fun to get to know. The author is so detailed in her descriptions that I can see these books on screen, and actually I wish I was watching this as a tv series instead of reading it.

Roselle, has always been a fierce and smart character. Agent Crow wants her because she’s an amazing fighter. I love how she can be strong and yet vulnerable. Here in Rebel Born, she is broken down emotionally by the mind control, but she is also upgraded in amazing ways.

When I read the ending I thought I missed something because I was waiting for Crow’s ultimate destruction. I wanted him completely eliminated. He is such a villain, so I thought the ending was abrupt but the epilogue made up for it. Then I realized the ending left a possibility to return to this world some day and that made me really happy.

In the end, I was satisfied with the story. It gave me exactly what I wanted for Reykin and Roselle especially, and then some. I’m not even sure if the extra stuff was needed, but I’m here for it all if Amy is writing it. Overall this is a good ending to a fabulous series. I’m already looking forward to see what she will be writing next.

Get it here: Amazon

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