Authors I Haven’t Read, But Want To | Top Ten Tuesday | 4/12/22

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Please check out her website for more TTT topics!

This week’s topic is: (freebie topic)

Authors I Haven’t Read, But Want To

These are a few books I’ve been meaning to get to but haven’t yet. A few I actually saw on other blogger sites and have really been interested in seeing what the hype is all about! What’s on your TTT?

~ Yolanda

BLOG TOUR} Mrs. England by. Stacey Halls | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Mrs. England

Author: Stacey Halls

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 320

BUY HERE: BookShop.org | Harlequin | Barnes & Noble | Amazon | Books-A-Million | Powell’s

Publication Date: 4/12/22

Publisher: MIRA

Categories: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Gothic

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

Thank you to MIRA for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Simmering with slow-burning menace,  Mrs. England  is a portrait of an Edwardian marriage, an enthralling tale of men and women, power and control, courage, truth and the very darkest deception. 

West Yorkshire, 1904. When recently graduated Ruby May takes a nanny position looking after the children of Charles and Lilian England, a wealthy couple from a powerful dynasty of mill owners, she hopes it will be the fresh start she needs. But as she adapts to life at the isolated Hardcastle House, it becomes clear something is not quite right about the beautiful, mysterious Mrs. England.

Distant and withdrawn, Lilian shows little interest in her children or charming husband and is far from the angel of the house Ruby was expecting.

As the warm, vivacious Charles welcomes Ruby into the family, a series of strange events forces her to question everything she thought she knew. Ostracized by the servants and increasingly uneasy, Ruby must face her own demons in order to prevent history from repeating itself. After all, there’s no such thing as the perfect family—she should know.

This captivating new feminist novel from Sunday Times bestselling author Stacey Halls  is her third work of fiction and proves her one of the most exciting and compelling new storytellers of our time. 

Content Warning: Abuse, Manipulation, Misogyny

I read this in one sitting and my favorite part of the book has to be the setting and all the details the author gave us about West Yorkshire, England. I could totally imagine the pollution in the air due to the industrial jobs around at that time. I don’t know how anyone could breathe well there! I love how remote location of Hardcastle House, it really added mystery and a creepy undertone, giving the feeling that something wasn’t right in the town…or in the family. But what it is – we don’t find out until later. Ruby’s position as nanny/nurse was very well detailed also. She was a very fleshed out character and through her eyes we see the ongoings within the England household where something is amiss but we don’t fully know the extent until the end.

I thought the story did a good job of making me suspicious of everyone around Ruby, except for the kids, who are amazing kids with different personalities. I was as attached to them as Ruby were. Ruby was indeed a good nanny to her charges. Mrs. England was so mystery, aloof and inattentive towards her children, seeming afraid of her husband and just absolutely unhappy – but is she a danger to herself like Mr. England tells Ruby?

The writing is fantastic and kept me hooked into the story.

The things that didn’t quite work for me was I felt like nothing much happened in the story until the very end. I found the writing and the household dynamic interesting enough that it held my interest but in the end, I felt like it was missing something. I wish there was more suspense. Also there were some interesting feelings Ruby was feeling for a man in the town who was already engaged to one of the maids at the house – not sure where it was going with that storyline but it went nowhere.

Why you should read it:

  • you like historical fiction with some mystery that involved a dysfunctional marriage and a nanny
  • good writing
  • great setting details

Why you might not want to read it:

  • for me it fell a little flat, needs more suspense

My Thoughts:

I read this in one sitting because I found the writing to be wonderful plus it gave me some suspenseful vibes but I feel like it fell short and had to much more potential to surprise me. I love the setting and characters but I wish more of the action happened earlier in the book instead of at the end of the story. I look forward to reading more from this author.

📚 ~ Yolanda


About the Author:



Stacey Halls grew up in Rossendale, Lancashire. She studied journalism at the University of Central Lancashire and has written for publications including the Guardian, Stylist, Psychologies, the Independent, the Sun and Fabulous. Both of her first two novels, The Familiars and The Lost Orphan, were Sunday Times bestsellers, Mrs England is her third novel.

Author Website | Twitter: @stacey_halls | Instagram:@staceyhallsauthor | Goodreads

Weekly Wrap Up | 4/10/22

Aloha friends!

Well it seems I’m going to be throwing an Easter Egg hunt next week – so I was busy this weekend trying to plan it. 😅 Do you have any plans for Easter? I also have Passover Seder events to do today for my kids and of course on the official Passover day which is on Friday. So it’s a very busy week! It kinda scares me because this means we are mid-April and my two trips are coming up at the end of May and beginning of June. I hope I can handle all of the events coming up this year!

How was your week? Hope all of you are staying safe! Have a fabulous week!

Blog Posts This Week:


Books I Read:


Currently Reading:


Shows/Movies I Watched:

  • Sanditon (Season 1 & 2 on Amazon) – I finally finished season 1 and really enjoyed it! Started the second season right after.

Games I Played:

  • My Singing Monsters

Music I Listened To:

  • Miley Cyrus – Attention (live album) – on repeat for now.

How was your week? Did you get a lot done? Watch anything good? Read any amazing books or books you didn’t finish? What are you reading?…Leave me a comment below!

💖 ~ Yolanda

Ace of Spades by. Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Ace of Spades

Author: Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

Format: hardcover (borrowed)

Pages: 512

Publication Date: 6/1/21

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Categories: Young Adult, Racism, Prep School, Romance, Mystery, Thriller

An incendiary and utterly compelling thriller with a shocking twist that delves deep into the heart of institutionalized racism, from an exceptional new YA voice. 

Welcome to Niveus Private Academy, where money paves the hallways, and the students are never less than perfect. Until now. Because anonymous texter, Aces, is bringing two students’ dark secrets to light. 

Talented musician Devon buries himself in rehearsals, but he can’t escape the spotlight when his private photos go public. Head girl Chiamaka isn’t afraid to get what she wants, but soon everyone will know the price she has paid for power. 

Someone is out to get them both. Someone who holds all the aces. And they’re planning much more than a high-school game… 

Content Warning: Death, Violence, Racism, Suicidal Ideation

This one really surprised me!

When I started reading this, I thought, okay some prep school drama is going down. Who is spreading this malicious gossip? I was in on the mystery, trying to figure who could be the culprit and without giving major spoilers – let’s just say I was totally off. The author did such a good job dropping a bomb on me when the big reveal happens.

So obviously the beginning was slow because it’s a mystery. We meet out two main characters, Chiamaka who is half Nigerian/half Italian. Devon is a black boy who lives in a rough neighborhood, he’s there at Niveus Academy on scholarship. Chiamaka is the most popular girl in school with aspirations for Yale. Devon is a musician with hopes to get into Julliard and everything is going so well their Senior year…until they are not. Someone called Aces is spreading some details about their lives to their fellow student body and all of it is about to ruin their lives and future – unless they find out who’s doing it. That’s all I can say!

Chiamaka is bi as we find out later on in the book. Chiamaka is a strong girl because although she’s biracial, her parents have money. So she fit in more easily with everyone at the school whereas Devon kept his head down and stayed out of the limelight. Devon is gay and the boy he loves is gay too, but he’s a drug dealer and hangs out in a crowd that isn’t accepting of his sexuality. Devon suffers a lot for being gay from being beaten when he was a kid, to having his heart broken because the boy he loves can’t openly love him. I really felt for Devon and connected to him more. I was invested in his love life more than Chiamaka’s.

The reveal in the end is jaw dropping and eye opening. The story talks about institutionalized racism and it touches on so many different issues – legacy, affirmative action, Chiamaka trying to impress everyone by being what they want her to be, Devon trying to make bad choices just to sruvive. I love that Chiamaka and Devon fight back though and there is an epilogue – 16 years later! Loved that ending!

Why you should read it:

  • it’s a mystery-thriller but with an unexpected twist
  • great LGBT representation and characters (mostly Devon)
  • important book about racism

Why you might not want to read it:

  • not into prep school drama – mysteries can be kinda boring in the beginning – I thought this was just going to be some mean girl drama/with kids dealing with the pressure of climbing to the top of the social/academic chain, etc (but it is MORE than that)

My Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this story! I like how it kept me on my toes and surprised me in the end. I really connected to Devon and was invested in his story. I look forward to reading more books from this author!

📚 ~ Yolanda


Quotes from the Book:

This world isn’t ideal. This world, our world, the one with houses as crooked as the people in them. Broken people, broken by the way the world works.”

― Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé , Ace of Spades

I look at him and I think about how we don’t know the people we think we know at all.”

― Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé , Ace of Spades

This Woven Kingdom by. Tahereh Mafi | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: This Woven Kingdom

Author: Tahereh Mafi

Format: hardcover (borrowed)

Pages: 512

Publication Date: 2/1/22

Publisher: HarperCollins

Categories: Young Adult, Fantasy, Jinn, Romance

To all the world, Alizeh is a disposable servant, not the long-lost heir to an ancient Jinn kingdom forced to hide in plain sight.

The crown prince, Kamran, has heard the prophecies foretelling the death of his king. But he could never have imagined that the servant girl with the strange eyes, the girl he can’t put out of his mind, would one day soon uproot his kingdom—and the world.

Clashing empires, forbidden romance, and a long-forgotten queen destined to save her people—bestselling author Tahereh Mafi’s first in an epic, romantic trilogy inspired by Persian mythology.

Content Warning: Death, Violence, Abuse

First, this cover – it is gorgeous. Second, this is from Tahereh Mafi and I loved the Shatter Me series because of Warner lol. So I was very excited to see what This Woven Kingdom was about and hope there was some new tortured boy to fall in love with.

I got Cinderella vibes from this one but more sinister and infused with Persian mythology. The world building is detailed and the writing is lyrical. The romance is swoon-worthy if you are into insta-attraction and yes…I am into it haha.

As far as the characters are concerned, Alizeh is struggling to survive but she is strong, determined, has powers because she is a Jinn and still has her weaknesses like being afraid of the dark. She was a bit of a contradiction. She is powerful with her Jinn powers and a Queen in hiding at that, she even killed people…yet she is constantly abused by the head maid. Kamran is an arrogant and spoiled prince, but one who is trapped in his own misery at court and under his grandfather’s eye. He never seems to live up to the King’s expectations, no matter how many battles he is sent off to fight and when he meets Alizeh, it muddies the situation even more.

The beginning moved a bit too slow for me. I know it’s because we are being introduced to the characters, the setting, the history of the Jinn and Clay people in this kingdom. The devil, Iblees, speaks to Alizeh in the beginning but we don’t really know why. She’s in hiding, that much is clear, but soon she is found by Kamran, who is the prince of Ardunia, and that causes a lot of problems. But for the first half of the book, nothing much happens except Alizeh getting hurt and running away and Kamran trying to find her and figure out if she’s a spy from another kingdom. The second half of the book moves much faster and there are a few twists and turns that was really exciting.

Why you should read it:

  • the romance is swoon worthy, it’s an enemies to lovers/forbidden love type of deal but definitely with instant attraction – now I’m not sure how the sequel will go and if this could possibly be a love triangle? not sure…but Alizeh and Kamran are electric together
  • Persian mythology, Jinn, Iblees, magic
  • cinderella vibes

Why you might not want to read it:

  • it’s the same trope: special girl, prince who is miserable with his life, theirs is a forbidden kind of attraction – if you aren’t into those tropes, this won’t be for you
  • slow beginning

My Thoughts:

This was more of a 3.5 star read for me but the ending bumped it up to a 4. The beginning was slow but it does pick up and the second half has action. I definitely want to read book two because of that ending. I do hope Alizeh meets a female character she can trust and befriend in the next book because friendly females were lacking in this story. If you want a story like Cinderella but with Persian mythology, Jinns, magic, romance, and a dragon….then you will enjoy this one.

📚 ~ Yolanda


Quotes from the Book:

I haven’t the slightest idea what we’re doing,” he said softly. “Though if you mean to take me captive, you need only ask. I would come willingly.”

― Tahereh Mafi, This Woven Kingdom

You have consumed my thoughts since the moment I met you,” he said to her. “I feel now, in your presence, entirely strange. I think I might fetch you the moon if only to spare your tears again.”

― Tahereh Mafi, This Woven Kingdom

Only a Monster by. Vanessa Len | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Only a Monster

Author: Vanessa Len

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 416

Publication Date: 2/22/22

Publisher: Harperteen

Categories: Young Adult, Urban Fantasy, Time Travel

It should have been the perfect summer. Sent to stay with her late mother’s eccentric family in London, sixteen-year-old Joan is determined to enjoy herself. She loves her nerdy job at the historic Holland House, and when her super cute co-worker Nick asks her on a date, it feels like everything is falling into place.

But she soon learns the truth. Her family aren’t just eccentric: they’re monsters, with terrifying, hidden powers. And Nick isn’t just a cute boy: he’s a legendary monster slayer, who will do anything to bring them down.

As she battles Nick, Joan is forced to work with the beautiful and ruthless Aaron Oliver, heir to a monster family that hates her own. She’ll have to embrace her own monstrousness if she is to save herself, and her family. Because in this story . . .

. . . she is not the hero. 

Content Warning: Death, Murder, Violence

So of course I wanted to read this because it was getting hype and rave reviews – I didn’t think I would get it so early. I love the cover, the synopsis sounded amazing and word on the street is that it’s good!

Let me say that you cannot think the word Monster in the title is anything literal. There are no grotesque, scary monsters in this story. This a story about humans vs. monsters, but the monsters are basically human (look like them) but have special powers – think…X-Men. They are monsters because they are different from humans and one aspect of their powers (aside from the powers they get from their family line) is to time jump. Time jumping requires taking time from human lives.

Joan is half monster on her mom’s side, half human on her dad’s side and spends a lot of time with her mom’s side every summer. She knew some things about being a monster, but she didn’t know about taking hours/time from a human life until she does herself by accident. But that’s the least of her problems.

I enjoyed meeting all the characters in this story especially when Joan, Aaron and Ruth team up together to save their families. From there we go on a fast-paced chase through London to find out information about saving their families, undoing an event and changing the timeline. But what they learn at the core of their research is that someone has a reason to kill and exterminate monsters but they don’t really know who the mastermind is at end of the book. Joan as the main character is 16, she’s found that her family has been keeping secrets and the boy she’s falling for too. Sometimes she’s so rash in her decision making – I mean she barely knows the ins and outs of the monster world but she was coming up with plans!

As for the romance, I’m unsure if it’s a love triangle. There is a soulmate connection between Joan and Nick (human) but I didn’t feel it. As for Joan and Aaron they are enemies, two families that hate one another – honestly that could be the same for Joan/Nick as well, monster and human hating one another…she’s enemies with both and becomes friends with both. But I felt like we got to know Aaron better and I felt like I’d want her with Aaron instead of Nick. But we shall see what happens there in the sequel. The sweetest love story in this one has to be between Tom and Jamie!

There are a few twists and turns in the story that I really enjoyed. It’s what made it such a fun read. I found the story refreshing and creative. I also like how the story touches upon the question of who is a monster? The monsters taking time from humans, or the humans killing the monsters? It’s something Joan has to wrestle with even more because she’s half of each.

Some issues I had with the story – time jumping is not my favorite to read because I can get lost quick and did I get lost sometimes? YES – not when they were jumping time, but more so about the rules of time jumping or the rules of their powers. As long as I didn’t ponder too long on the details of the rules and trying to fit it together, I was fine. Also…there were some typos and this was not an ARC copy…so I had to pause in a few places and reread the previous sentence – even read it out loud to make sure I wasn’t just speed reading lol. Hopefully that can be cleaned up in the next book?

By the way, since I was a teen in the 1990’s, I thought the time jumping to that time period to be so much fun. I giggled a few times and had good memories of that time period!

The ending was interesting and makes me wonder what direction the sequel will take! I’d love to learn more about the other families and their powers – there are twelve. In this first book we only really get to know four of them. There is so much to uncover in this world.

Why you should read it:

  • world building: there is time jumping, and 12 families with different powers
  • lots of action, a heist, betrayal, some romance
  • it’s fun and fast-paced

Why you might not want to read it:

  • time travel is not your thing
  • the monsters aren’t monster in physical appearance – they have abilities but do not physically look different than humans

My Thoughts:

This story was not what I was expecting but I’m glad I went in without reading many reviews on it yet. I found it creative and fresh with the time travel and learning about the “monster” abilities of each monster family in London. I connected to the the themes of family and forbidden love, and the questions of who is really a monster. There is still so much to uncover and secrets to unveil, like finding out who is the mastermind of the events taking place in this story. I hope the author expands on the world building and lets us get to know the other families in the sequel. I enjoyed this one and look forward to book two and hope they catch the typos.

📚 ~ Yolanda


Quotes from the Book:

The Rachel haircut is a time marker…”

― Vanessa Len, Only a Monster

Whatever monsters do, the timeline keeps its basic shape. Important events stay the same.”

― Vanessa Len, Only a Monster

Olivers see. Hunts hide. Nowaks live. Patels bind. Portellis open. Hathaways leash. Nightingales take. Mtawalis keep. Argents sway. Alis seal. Griffiths reveal. But only the Lius remember.”

― Vanessa Len, Only a Monster

As for me . . . a Liu doesn’t need goodbyes. I can see you perfectly even now. I remember every moment that we were together. Every touch. Every conversation we ever had. For me, you’re always here.”

― Vanessa Len, Only a Monster

We believe that if people belonged together in the true timeline, then our timeline tries to repair itself by bringing them together. Over and over and over. Until the rift is healed.”

― Vanessa Len, Only a Monster

Happy Book Birthday | New Releases | 4/5/22

Happy book birthday to these new releases!

The USA Today bestselling author of The Worst Best Man is back with another hilarious rom-com about two strangers who get trapped in a lie and have to fake date their way out of it…

Just weeks away from ditching DC for greener pastures, Solange Pereira is roped into helping her wedding planner cousin on a random couple’s big day. It’s an easy gig… until she stumbles upon a situation that convinces her the pair isn’t meant to be. What’s a true-blue romantic to do? Crash the wedding, of course. And ensure the unsuspecting groom doesn’t make the biggest mistake of his life.

Dean Chapman had his future all mapped out. He was about to check off “start a family” and on track to “make partner” when his modern day marriage of convenience went up in smoke. Then he learns he might not land an assignment that could be his ticket to a promotion unless he has a significant other and, in a moment of panic, Dean claims to be in love with the woman who crashed his wedding. Oops.

Now Dean has a whole new item on his to-do list: beg Solange to be his pretend girlfriend. Solange feels a tiny bit bad about ruining Dean’s wedding, so she agrees to play along. Yet as they fake-date their way around town, what started as a performance for Dean’s colleagues turns into a connection that neither he nor Solange can deny. Their entire romance is a sham… there’s no way these polar opposites could fall in love for real, right?


This summer, Reese Camden is trading sweet tea and Southern hospitality for cold brew and crisp coastal air. She’s landed her dream marketing internship at Friends of Flavor, a wildly popular cooking channel in Seattle. The only problem? Benny Beneventi, the relentlessly charming, backwards-baseball-cap-wearing culinary intern–and her main competition for the fall job.

Reese’s plan to keep work a No Feelings Zone crumbles like a day-old muffin when she and Benny are thrown together for a video shoot that goes viral, making them the internet’s newest ship. Audiences are hungry for more, and their bosses at Friends of Flavor are happy to deliver. Soon Reese and Benny are in an all-out food war, churning homemade ice cream, twisting soft pretzels, breaking eggs in an omelet showdown–while hundreds of thousands of viewers watch. 

Reese can’t deny the chemistry between her and Benny. But the more their rivalry heats up, the harder it is to keep love on the back burner…


The second in an adorable witchy rom-com series by New York Times bestselling author Ann Aguirre, perfect for fans of:

Ride-or-die female friendships
A bisexual heroine who stubbornly refuses to accept help
A hero with an incredibly pesky moral conscience
A mouse named Benson who may or may not have all the answers to life, magic, and love (Spoiler: he does!)

Clementine Waterhouse is a perfectly logical witch. She doesn’t tumble headlong into love. Rather she weighs the pros and cons and decides if a relationship is worth pursuing. At least that’s always been her modus operandi before. Clem prefers being the one in charge, always the first to walk away when the time is right. Attraction has never struck her like lightning.

Until the witch hunter comes to town.

Gavin Rhys hates being a witch hunter, but his family honor is on the line, and he needs to prove he’s nothing like his grandfather, a traitor who let everyone down. But things in St. Claire aren’t what they seem, and Gavin is distracted from the job immediately by a bewitching brunette with a sexy smile and haunting secrets in her eyes.

Can the bossiest witch in town find a happy ending with the last person she should ever love?


For fans of Caraval and The Night Circus, this decadent and darkly enchanting YA fantasy, set against the backdrop of a Belle Époque-inspired hotel, follows seventeen-year-old Jani as she uncovers the deeply disturbing secrets of the legendary Hotel Magnifique.

All her life, Jani has dreamed of Elsewhere. Just barely scraping by with her job at a tannery, she’s resigned to a dreary life in the port town of Durc, caring for her younger sister Zosa. That is, until the Hotel Magnifique comes to town.

The hotel is legendary not only for its whimsical enchantments, but also for its ability to travel—appearing in a different destination every morning. While Jani and Zosa can’t afford the exorbitant costs of a guest’s stay, they can interview to join the staff, and are soon whisked away on the greatest adventure of their lives. But once inside, Jani quickly discovers their contracts are unbreakable and that beneath the marvelous glamour, the hotel is hiding dangerous secrets.

With the vexingly handsome doorman Bel as her only ally, Jani embarks on a mission to unravel the mystery of the magic at the heart of the hotel and free Zosa—and the other staff—from the cruelty of the ruthless maître d’hôtel. To succeed, she’ll have to risk everything she loves, but failure would mean a fate far worse than never returning home.


Something wicked this way comes…

Twin sisters, Mercy and Hunter are witches, descendants of the Goode family of witches. After the murder of their mother at the hands of a foul demon, they have become the protectors of the Gates to different underworlds–ancient portals between their world and realms where mythology rules and the darkest of creatures exist. 

The problem is that the Goode sisters have split from each other. Grief and anger have torn them apart, driving Mercy to save the cursed Gates on her own and Hunter into the arms of a dangerous goddess. And when Mercy shifts her focus to the Egyptian Gate and Khenti, the guardian of its Underworld, little does she know that her connection to him will land her in the kind of trouble that only Hunter can save her from.

When it comes to breaking the curse, Mercy and Hunter’s bonds are put to the ultimate test.


Twins imbued with incredible magic and near-immortality will do anything to keep their family safe—even if it tears the siblings apart—in the first book of a mythic epic fantasy from the New York Times bestselling author of Wilder Girls.

Rhea and her twin brother, Lexos, have spent an eternity helping their father rule their small, unstable country, using their control over the seasons, tides, and stars to keep the people in line. For a hundred years, they’ve been each other’s only ally, defending each other and their younger siblings against their father’s increasingly unpredictable anger.

Now, with an independence movement gaining ground and their father’s rule weakening, the twins must take matters into their own hands to keep their family—and their entire world—from crashing down around them. But other nations are jockeying for power, ready to cross and double cross, and if Rhea and Lexos aren’t careful, they’ll end up facing each other across the battlefield.


Are you getting any new books this week? Happy Reading! ~ Yolanda

If I Could Buy 10 Books Right Now | Top Ten Tuesday | 4/05/22

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Please check out her website for more TTT topics!

This week’s topic is: (freebie topic)

If I Could Buy 10 Books Right Now

I have two trips coming up very soon so I am not spending money on books lately. I have to save. It’s hard! But if I had $$$ here is what I would buy right now.

I’m hoping to get these at the library but I’d love them on my shelf also – if only I wasn’t on a book buying ban lol.

~ Yolanda

Blood Scion by. Deborah Falaye | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Blood Scion

Author: Deborah Falaye

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 432

Publication Date: 3/8/22

Publisher: Harperteen

Categories: Young Adult, Dystopian, Military, Yoruba-Nigerian Mythology, Fantasy

This is what they deserve. They wanted me to be a monster. I will be the worst monster they ever created.

Fifteen-year-old Sloane can incinerate an enemy at will—she is a Scion, a descendant of the ancient Orisha gods.

Under the Lucis’ brutal rule, her identity means her death if her powers are discovered. But when she is forcibly conscripted into the Lucis army on her fifteenth birthday, Sloane sees a new opportunity: to overcome the bloody challenges of Lucis training, and destroy them from within.

Sloane rises through the ranks and gains strength but, in doing so, risks something greater: losing herself entirely, and becoming the very monster that she ahbors.

Following one girl’s journey of magic, injustice, power, and revenge, this deeply felt and emotionally charged debut from Deborah Falaye, inspired by Yoruba-Nigerian mythology, is a magnetic combination of A Song of Wraiths and Ruin and Daughter of Smoke and Bone that will utterly thrill and capture readers. 

Content Warning: Death, Murder, Violence, Mentions of Rape, Genocide, Sexual Assault, Racism, Colonialism, Self-Harm

I was so excited to be able to borrow this book on Overdrive right away that I pushed all other books aside to read it. I was not disappointed.

First, the cover is what made me want it in the first place. I may need to buy the hardcover one day (add that to my list of all hardcovers I want to buy 😅). And the synopsis was definitely intriguing!

This story is BRUTAL. It gave me The Poppy War and Hunger Games vibes. Sloane wants answers about her mother who went missing a few years ago but the only place she could find it was in the enemy camp. The enemy is the Lucis, who came to their lands, colonized and brutalized her people, committing genocide on anyone who had magic in them, anyone who were Scions like her. Sloane has suppressed and ignored her fire powers all her life, to stay safe, except for times she couldn’t control it which led to deadly consequences. But now she has been drafted to become a Lucis soldier and has a way to find the Book of Records that could give her answers about her mom’s disappearance.

This story gives you no chance to look away from violence. There are kids killing kids, soldiers assaulting girls, soldiers killing people, training that is abusive, punishment that is gruesome and Sloane’s anger and pain resonates in her every action.

I love learning more about the Yoruba-Nigerian mythology and becoming more familiar with their god! I loved learning some of the rituals and chants and the different powers each gods extended to a Scion.

As for the characters – Sloane is 15, but I felt like she was older than that. She acts older and even has a moment with a soldier older than her…so I kind of wish she was 19 instead of 15. But I guess she had to be younger because the point of young people being recruited to be killers. She’s not someone who has experience with knowing her power but she meets other recruits like Izara who helps her. I loved her found family/friendship with Izara, Jericho and Nazanin. But some of Sloane’s decisions were questionable, which made me frustrated – she’s a morally grey character because war has made her that way.

There is action, there is betrayal and the information Sloane learns about her mother really makes me want to read the sequel ASAP. The ending was quite a reveal and I need her to get revenge. Sloane is a like a phoenix rising from ashes! It was quite a powerful ending.

One warning if you read this book: don’t get too attached to the characters. This author has no qualms about killing them off. 😭 Also the heavy topics of genocide and colonialism are throughout the story – the fact that they make teens train to be soldiers to kill their own people is horrendous. But I like how it shows how war is sick and how when you think you’ve gotten rid of the person who started the war…there is someone else waiting in the wings for their turn and their war. When does it end really?

Why you should read it:

  • it’s got Yoruba/Nigerian mythology
  • it’s got a heist, action, betrayal – it’s a fast paced story
  • writing flowed so well, easy to read and I read it in 2 days

Why you might not want to read it:

  • you are assaulted with brutality throughout the book – see content warnings above

My Thoughts:

I sped through this one because I wanted to see Sloane grow and see if she could be the one to help take down the royals. It’s a fast paced story and I found that refreshing because I’ve been reading a bunch of books that felt a little too long. I love the mythology and the found family Sloane makes. It’s an absolutely brutal read that starts and ends with violence. But taking down rulers is not that easy and Sloane learns a hard lesson about trust and betrayal. There is a lot more story to tell in the next book and I’m looking forward to reading it!

📚 ~ Yolanda


Quotes from the Book:

My world is only half of what it should be, and I am only half of what I really am. I cannot afford to be whole.

― Deborah Falaye, Blood Scion

We are not helpless; we are not broken. Despite what scars they leave behind, our bodies are our own. Everything we feel, everything we are, belongs to us and us alone. Yes, we are girls, but we are not prey.

― Deborah Falaye, Blood Scion

This life, this world, it changes you.”

― Deborah Falaye, Blood Scion

“Children of war are born from war, Sloane. And we are, both of us, a legacy of this ruined world.”

Deborah Falaye, Blood Scion

Bridgerton Season 2 | I’m in Love With Anthony and Kate

What is going on?! These two have a chokehold on me. 😭

I’m not here to talk about how this season compares to the actual book because I read that book so long ago I’ve forgotten any details about it. For those who know the books inside and out, I’m sure they will be some disappointment. I’ve learned my lesson about comparing books and movies/shows though. It’s a given there will be changes to fit whoever’s vision it is for the screen and now I just try to stay open to their interpretation to save myself from being disappointed. But Regency romance is what got me reading when I was a teenager (sneaking around, reading these books my older cousin had on her shelf! lol). It used to be my favorite genre to read until I got back into Young Adult via Twilight. For years…like 20 years 😅, I’ve always wanted more regency romances on screen and seriously, I feel blessed that Shonda Rhimes and Netflix decided to do a series like this. It’s long overdue for a romance lover like me. Anyway, I have to share my thoughts because I thought after bingeing it I would be done with the season and go on to waiting for Season 3. But I can’t let go!

Why am I obsessively going back to watch Anthony and Kate scenes every day? And now I found Bridgerton-tok and let me just say…you tiktokers are so good at editing and picking the best music for your tiktok videos. I love it. I found some good ones on youtube also. So thank you for sharing your amazing edited videos, you are saving me from going to Netflix everyday to watch their scenes.

After bingeing the season in one night/morning….I found myself loving Anthony, Kate, Edwina, the Bridgertons (of course), Lady Danbury, the Queen, and Newton. I did not love the Featherington’s storyline because I just wanted more Anthony and Kate. I didn’t mind the love triangle either, it made things complicated but I think it heightened their longing. Also, Penelope’s villain era has begun I suppose? Her relationship with Eloise made me sad…but I’m sure they’ll be besties again in another season. Eloise has a moment with a boy too and okay…when they talk about books? I melted. I love the costumes, the balls, the scenery and the music!

Speaking of melting…Jonathan Bailey as Anthony Bridgerton is my god…sooo freaking good. He devours Kate with his eyes. And his smiles just made me want to swoon…😍. He really cleaned up from Season 1, now he’s trying to really handle being the man of the house and honestly he’s doing a good job at it, a bit of a control freak maybe (but he’s the eldest), and he is so afraid to love because of watching his dad die, and watching his mom grieve. So his search for a wife comes with no requirement for love. And then Kate comes along, knocks him off kilter, and it’s all he can do before coming undone in front of her. But honestly his acting was fantastic, he made me cry. And watching Anthony and Kate try to fight their feelings has me obsessed.

These two…wow…Simone Ashley who plays Kate is STUNNING. They are electric and I love the chemistry between them. It had everything I want in an enemies to lovers forbidden romance: the arguing, the longing, the glances, angst, then the little hand touches, the almost kisses (killed me), and then the flashbacks about their night together 🥵. People may complain it’s not enough sex (because of Season 1) but my favorite movie is Pride and Prejudice where there was only one kiss. Even the PBS show series was fantastic and that one didn’t even have a kiss. So for me…the lack of sex scenes was not a problem. I found the attraction, the restraint and love story between Anthony and Kate quite beautiful. And when they finally stop fighting one another…ugh…the confession of love brought tears to my eyes. But it’s a slow burn for sure.

This show came out on 3/25 and here I am still rewatching their scenes everyday – I can’t stop. I love them fighting, I love them almost kissing, I love them kissing, I love them smiling at the end with their happily ever after. 🥰 I hope we see more of their happy ever after in Season 3. I hope they are in every season until this series is concluded.

I don’t know who’s story is next in season 3 but I hope it’s as good as Daphne/Simon and Anthony/Kate!

~ Yolanda

**SPOILER ALERT**Don’t watch the following video if you haven’t watched the series yet! But I couldn’t help sharing this one. Why are they so gorgeous together? 🥺 They seriously wrecked me.