Kingdom of Claw by. Demi Winters | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Kingdom of Claw (The Ashen, #2)

Author: Demi Winters

Format: eBook (borrowed)

Pages: 736

Publication Date: 2/21/24

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Series, Magic

Return to the Kingdom of Íseldur, where enemies become lovers and dark secrets hide around each corner, the second novel in the Ashen series.

In the aftermath of a harrowing journey, Silla Nordvig’s dreams of a simple life have been shattered. Beaten, betrayed, and reeling from the revelation of her true name, she flees Kopa with Reynir Galtung, ruthless leader of the Bloodaxe Crew. But when they’re forced into hiding together, Silla soon discovers that Rey has been keeping secrets of his own.

Stuck in a shield-home with the murderous man she thought she knew, Silla forms a new master the magic flowing through her veins to save her sister. But before she can do that, Silla must face her most formidable opponent yet—her own inner demons.

Saga Volsik has nothing to lose. They’ve murdered her family. Stolen her throne. And now they expect her to marry their son, but not if she can dismantle Queen Signe’s plans first. The only problem? The handsome Zagadkian dignitary who knows far too many of her secrets.

Silla and Saga will need to find the strength to step into their destiny and stop chaos from sweeping across the land. Meanwhile, dark threads continue to weave themselves through Íseldur as magic long thought dead begins to wake.


Content Warning: violence, death, abuse

I read book one of this book, Road of Bones, couple weeks ago and really enjoyed it. Book two just came out earlier this year so I had to read it! Here are my thoughts:

Likes:

+ The story continues on right after Road of Bones and I love Silla’s journey after the betrayal she went through at the end of book one. It’s not an easy journey for her, but Rey is with her throughout.

+ The romance is a very slow burn but I loved what Silla and Rey had to go through to get to where they needed to be in their relationship. There is more steam in this one but it’s an emotional romance so I love that for them! He is grumpy to her sunshine, and they make a wonderful couple after they let their guards down.

+ Silla’s story is not the only one told in here. Now we get Saga’s story which I enjoyed a lot because she’s in a challenging spot and her struggle is different from Silla’s but still as horrible. Saga is trying her best to find a way to survive and I admired her effort even when she kept hitting dead ends. She gets a a little romance in her life too though and I was so happy she had some hope. I also love her relationship and love for Silla – which is mostly lived through memories but there is a moment where they finally make a connection. I can’t wait to see what happens with Saga’s journey.

+ Even though this story is over 700 pages and it took me about four days to finish, I actually enjoyed the whole story.

Dislikes:

~ I really hate Jonas. Like how could I go from liking a character in book one, to loathing him by the end of it and continuing into book two? He is hateful. I wish he would go away, but he’s one of the villains in this story so I guess he has to be there.

Final Thoughts:

I’m bummed I have to wait for book three because I am really enjoying this series! I like the personal journeys of Saga and Silla, the romance for both sisters and the kingdom politics going throughout the story. I am definitely invested!

Find me here: Instagram (bookstagram📚) | Instagram (crafts🎨) | Twitter (X) | Etsy (Shop)

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read from This Author:

The Road of Bones by. Demi Winters – ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

WWW Wednesday | 10/30/24

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam over on Taking on a World of Words.

The idea is pretty simple, every week you dedicate a post to the three W’s:

What are you currently reading?

What have you just finished reading?

What are you going to read next?

It’s parent conference week and Book Fair week at my daughter’s school so she’s loving it because she gets to shop for books and they get the short day schedule. Today is her conference so I’m excited to hear how she’s been doing in 2nd grade so far. And then tomorrow is Halloween! It’s been overcast and windy and I hope it stays that way for Halloween night – I don’t want to sweat like I usually do while trick or treating. 😅 I did wish I had some spooky reads to read but I don’t know what’s good and usually my spooky/thriller reads that are arcs are published in Spring! Oh well, hoping I can finish Stranger Skies and The Whispering Night since one is witchy and the other is paranormal.

What are you currently reading?

Stranger Skies by. Pascale LaCelle – 51% – why is this one so long? 😩 I will finish by next week. (arc)

The Whispering Night by. Susan Dennard – 23% – I’m working on this one. (arc)

Dating and Dragons by. Kristy Boyce – 14% – very little progress (arc)

Vilest Things by. Chloe Gong – 12% – I got this one on Libby and have been reading this one (Libby)

Burning Crowns by. Catherine Doyle & Katherine Webber – 35%, got this one on KU so I’m glad I can finish the series. (KU)

What have you just finished reading?

What are you going to read next?

What are you reading right now?

New Book Releases This Week | 10/29/24

Happy book birthday to these new releases! Check out this list today:

Don’t Let the Forest In by. C.G. Drews

Once upon a time, Andrew had cut out his heart and given it to this boy, and he was very sure Thomas had no idea that Andrew would do anything for him.

Protect him. Lie for him. Kill for him.

High school senior Andrew Perrault finds refuge in the twisted fairytales that he writes for the only person who can ground him to reality—Thomas Rye, the boy with perpetually ink-stained hands and hair like autumn leaves. And with his twin sister, Dove, inexplicably keeping him at a cold distance upon their return to Wickwood Academy, Andrew finds himself leaning on his friend even more.

But something strange is going on with Thomas. His abusive parents have mysteriously vanished, and he arrives at school with blood on his sleeve. Thomas won’t say a word about it, and shuts down whenever Andrew tries to ask him questions. Stranger still, Thomas is haunted by something, and he seems to have lost interest in his artwork—whimsically macabre sketches of the monsters from Andrew’s wicked stories.

Desperate to figure out what’s wrong with his friend, Andrew follows Thomas into the off-limits forest one night and catches him fighting a nightmarish monster—Thomas’s drawings have come to life and are killing anyone close to him. To make sure no one else dies, the boys battle the monsters every night. But as their obsession with each other grows stronger, so do the monsters, and Andrew begins to fear that the only way to stop the creatures might be to destroy their creator…

Goodreads | Amazon


The Ancient’s Game by. Loni Crittenden

Alchemy and ancient spirits come to life in this debut fantasy inspired by African diasporic folklore and the 1920s World Fair, wherein sixteen-year-old Kellan DuCuivre, an orphan from a reviled class, must compete for a coveted apprenticeship among the nation’s elite in order to save her adoptive father from a twisted fate.

Sixteen-year-old Kellan DuCuivre is the descendant of traitors. She never knew her family members or which one of them betrayed the isle of Nanseau. But like all Du orphaned after the war, Kellan is forbidden by law from practicing makecraft, the trade of carving magic into metal that was perfected by the Guild of Engineers and their maker apprentices. No one can know that Kellan has been using makecraft in secret and that, in the wake of a tragic miscarve, she’s been helping her adoptive father, Edgar, run his celebrated makeshop.

But Edgar’s condition is worsening, and his shop is on the brink of ruin. On the eve of the Eighty-Fourth Annual Makers’ Exposition in Nanseau’s sparkling city of Riz, Kellan is thrust into the Guild’s twisted web of political intrigue and ancient secrets when she strikes a dangerous deal with one of its members to save Edgar and his shop. Now Kellan must compete in a rigorous gauntlet against the nation’s elite for a coveted spot as a maker’s apprentice.

But danger lurks at every turn. And as Kellan falls into a budding relationship with the illegitimate son from one of Nanseau’s most revered families, she’s put into the limelight when something sinister begins targeting the Gauntlet’s competitors and wreaking havoc on Riz. Amid a crumbling city and a ticking clock, winning the Gauntlet won’t just be a test of survival—it will mean pulling back the veil of secrets behind the Guild and uncovering the shrouded legacies of Nanseau itself.

Goodreads | Amazon


The Debutantes by. Olivia Worley

Jessica Goodman meets The Agathas in this taut, twisty YA thriller set in the glittering world of Mardi Gras in New Orleans, where secrets—and bodies—never stay buried.

For the New Orleans elite, the Les Masques Ball is sure to be the social event of the season—if they can avoid another dead Queen. When debutante Margot Landry was found dead the morning after her reign at last year’s ball, it was a tragedy, but not a shocking one. Margot was a wild child with a self-destructive streak, nothing like this year’s Queen, Lily LeBlanc. With a perfectly poised debutante on the throne, everything is going according to plan…until the ball is hijacked by a mysterious figure in a Jester costume. That night, Lily sends a text to three of the Maids on her royal court—her best friend, Vivian; her boyfriend’s sister, Piper; and April, her former frenemy—asking them all to meet the next morning. But Lily never shows up.

On the surface, these three debutantes don’t have anything in common except their exclusive private school and their ties to Les Masques. But soon, they realize why Lily brought them together: something dark is lurking beneath the glamorous surface of the debutante world, and it might be the reason she disappeared. And the further the girls dig, the more they begin to suspect that Margot’s death may not have been an accident—and that Lily may be next. When the Jester starts threatening to expose their own secrets, this unlikely trio must team up to uncover the monsters behind the Mardi Gras masks—before they’re left with another dead debutante.

Goodreads | Amazon


Sleeping with the Frenemy by. Natalie Caña

The third book in the riotously funny Vega Family Love Stories finds self-assured firefighter Leo Vega trying to reignite a flame that’s gone cold and finally bring his secret love affair into the open.

Leo Vega’s love life has been on life support since long before the gunshot wound that put him on leave from the fire department. Now, a year after his injury, he’s finally able to return to work, but he’s no closer to fixing things with Sofi, his sister’s best friend and the woman he’s had a secret on-again, off-again relationship with for years. Sofi is still reeling from the revelation that her best friend lied to her years ago, setting her life on a course she’s resented ever since. She’s done with the Vega family, and that includes Leo, who has always prioritized his tight-knit clan over their relationship. She’s moving on with her life, but then circumstances beyond their control push Sofi and Leo into a tense roommate situation. It’s almost impossible to move on with someone new when Leo is there, reminding her what they had, every day.

When his great-granddaughter Rosie tips Papo Vega off about what’s been going on between Leo and Sofi, he’s on the case, with reinforcements. Working behind the scenes alongside Sofi’s mom, he’s determined to help these two stubborn lovebirds end up where they belong—together.

Goodreads | Amazon


Warrior of Legend (Heromaker, #2) by. Kendare Blake

Reed is officially a member of the immortal order of the Aristene. She even has a new name: Machianthe. It’s everything she’s ever dreamed of—so why isn’t she happy?

Maybe it’s because every hero she helps can only find glory at the cost of their life. Or maybe it’s because she can’t stop thinking about the prince she left behind.

Now Reed looks for any opportunity to help with low-risk hero’s trials. And a princess looking for a glorious marriage? Nothing could be less dangerous. But Hestion is one of the suitors, and while Reed is occupied trying to win him back, an old danger is gaining strength.

To battle the growing threat, the Aristene must band together, but the order has never been more divided. Will Reed be able to survive this war with her chosen family and her heart intact?

Goodreads | Amazon


They Watch From Below by. Katya De Becerra

A deeply unsettling and engrossing mystery horror, perfect for fans of The Secret History and Ninth House

When Addie Velde receives an invitation to attend an early orientation program at the University of the Arches, she eagerly accepts. After all, the Arches―with its idyllic beachside campus―is her mom’s beloved alma mater, and there’s nothing Addie wants more than to leave her own mark. But from the moment she arrives on campus and moves into her gloomy dorm, nicknamed The Crypt, Addie realizes there are more sinister secrets to uncover than sandy days in her future.

Addie’s search for answers launches her straight into the heart of an old campus mystery which to this day keeps students and faculty wary of the shadowy “Buried Ones”, believed to be the omens of death. A vanished professor, an occult society, and the chance her family was involved pushes her investigation into dangerous territory.

Will she lose herself to the Buried Ones or end their sinister reign once and for all?

Goodreads | Amazon


Throne of Secrets (Prince of Sin, #2) by. Kerri Maniscalco

Two rivals torn apart by a dark memory reunite on a deadly hunt—and in an irresistibly twisted fairy tale—in the next steamy standalone fantasy romance from New York Times bestselling sensation Kerri Maniscalco.

A wicked prince determined to save his kingdom.

Gabriel Axton—infamous as the Prince of Gluttony, the self-proclaimed rake of rakes—has always lived for indulgence: in delicious food, in tantalizing women, and most of all, in the thrill of the hunt, where his love of danger can take over. But when his favorite adventure takes a deadly turn, he realizes something is very wrong in his demon court. With the clock ticking, he must turn to the only one who might uncover the truth: a journalist he has spent a decade avoiding…

A reporter hell-bent on finding the truth.

Adriana Saint Lucent has been on the hunt for years—if she could just report something damning enough about that no-good scoundrel Gabriel Axton, she knows others would finally see the demon as she does. But she never expected to turn up a rumor too terrifying to be believed: could the ice dragons to the north be growing restless? Drawn into the secrets of the Underworld, Adriana’s investigation leads her into the place she dreads most…Axton’s infamous court.

A dangerous rivalry—and deliciously twisted fairy tale.

To stop darkness from falling over their kingdom, Axton and Adriana will have to unite against an escalating danger. But with each holding tight to their own secrets, can they find the truth before it’s too late? And what will they do with an equally troubling rumor: that they might not actually hate one another, after all?

Goodreads | Amazon

Are you getting any new books this week? I am intrigued by The Ancient’s Game and definitely want to read Throne of Secrets!

Happy Reading!

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Books With Ghosts, Zombies, and Other Spooky Things | TTT | Top Ten Tuesday | 10/29/24

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: Halloween Freebie

Books With Ghosts, Zombies, and Other Spooky Things

Is anyone dressing up this year? My son who is 12 is like..nah…and my daughter who is 7 says she wants to be a ghost lol…and I can deal with that. I’ll get a white sheet cut eye holes and call it a night! 👻 So I’m going to showcase books with ghosts, zombies and other spooky things!

All the Dead Lie Down by. Kyrie McCauley | ARC Review

I hope you all have a Happy Halloween if you celebrate! 🎃

What’s on your TTT?

Find me here: Instagram (bookstagram📚) | Twitter (X) | Etsy (shop)


Top Ten Tuesday Topics:

SEPTEMBER~~
September 3: Books Involving Food (That are Not Cookbooks) (Submitted by Cathy @ WhatCathyReadNext and Hopewell’s Public Library of Life)
September 10: Books That Provide a Much-Needed Escape (bonus points if you tell us why!)
September 17: Ten Characters Authors Surprisingly Redeemed (which characters did you not like at first, but grew to love by the end of the book?) (submitted by Deanna @ A Novel Glimpse)
September 24: Books on My Fall 2024 To-Read List

OCTOBER~~
October 1: Books I Read/Avoided Because of the Hype (and did you make the right choice?)
October 8: Bookish Brags (or Confessions!) (what are you proud of or… not-so proud of in your bookish life?) (submitted by Lydia @ https://lydiaschoch.com)

October 15: Books I Was Assigned to Read in School (These can be books you loved or hated. Or just tolerated. Bonus points if you give us a tiny review of your thoughts!)
October 22: How My Reading Habits Have Changed Over Time (submitted by Lydia @ https://lydiaschoch.com)
October 29: Halloween Freebie

The Road of Bones by. Demi Winters | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: The Road of Bones (The Ashen, #1)

Author: Demi Winters

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 560

Publication Date: 11/5/24 (but was first published 6/27/23)

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Categories: Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Vikings, Magic

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

Thank you to Delacorte Press for giving me a chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

A woman on the run. A crew of Viking mercenaries. A forbidden romance. And the secret which threatens them all.

Silla Nordvig is running for her life.

The Queen of Íseldur has sent warriors to bring Silla to Sunnavík, where death awaits her. When her father is killed, his last words set Silla on a perilous travel the treacherous Road of Bones–a thousand-mile stretch haunted by warbands, creatures of darkness, and a mysterious murderer–and go to Kopa, where a shield-house awaits her.

After barely surviving the first stretch of road, a desperate Silla sneaks into a supply wagon belonging to the notorious Bloodaxe Crew. To make it to Kopa, she must win over Axe Eyes, the brooding leader of the Crew, while avoiding the Wolf, his distractingly handsome right-hand man. But the queen’s ruthless assassin has other plans and hunts Silla obsessively.

Will Silla make it safely to Kopa? Or will she fall prey to the perils of the Road of Bones?

Featuring an immersive world blending fairy tale with Vikings, The Road of Bones leads you on an adrenaline-fueled chase with fun banter and a slow-building enemies to lovers romance. The first book in the Ashen Series, you are one click away from reading it!

Content Warning: violence, drug use, death

I was gifted an arc of this book although I saw it was already published in 2023 and I thought why not? I haven’t read a Viking book in a long while so I thought it would be fun. Here are my thoughts:

Likes:

+ Great world building! Silla is on the run and she finds the Bloodaxe Crew and begs them to take her to her destination. So there is a lot of traveling in this book but I enjoyed it! The forests are teeming with paranormal creatures plus soldiers and other nefarious crews. I thought this book moved on nicely with a lot of things keeping me invested. The book is under 600 pages and I read it in two days because I was hooked. There is romance, politics, secrets, betrayal and magic!

+ Silla is miss sunshine, and the leader of the crew, Rey is mister grumpy and I thought their interactions were great. There were times Silla’s personality got on my nerves because she came off naive but I also like how she was strong, learned to cope in hard situations, learned to defend herself and kept herself alive.

+ The romance was fun, until it wasn’t. And that’s all I can really say about that. There is spice though!

+ I love the found family theme. The Bloodaxe Crew has a vicious reputation but everyone on the crew mostly accepts Silla right away. There was humor but also sadness as we learn about their pasts. Right away you get a feel for this harsh land and way of life.

Dislikes:

~ There were times I wanted to shake Silla because of her actions. It’s understandable because she had to survive but people get hurt and I didn’t like that. There is another character who I liked a lot and in the end showed his true self and made me hate him a lot.

~ Story is just a little bit too long.

My Thoughts:

I was really pleasantly surprised with this book and I’m glad I read it. This book is entertaining and it took me on a wild ride. I now have to read book two because of what was revealed at the end!

Find me here: Instagram (bookstagram📚) | Twitter (X)

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Goodreads Monday: The Songbird & the Heart of Stone By. Carissa Broadbent

Happy Monday!

Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme where you chose a random book from your Goodreads TBR and show it off. This meme is hosted by Budget Tales Book Blog.

Title: The Songbird & the Heart of Stone (Crowns of Nyaxia, #3)

Author: Carissa Broadbent

Pages: 448

Links: Goodreads | Amazon

Publication Date: 11/19/24

Synopsis:

New York Times bestselling author and BookTok sensation Carissa Broadbent returns with a brand new novel in the Crowns of Nyaxia series, Songbird and the Heart of Stone, where A Court of Thorns and Roses meets Dante’s Inferno, in an epic fantasy romance of love and treachery between mortals and gods.

Mische lost everything when she was forcibly Turned into a vampire—her home, her humanity, and most devastating of all, the love of the sun god to whom she had devoted her life. Now, sentenced to death for murdering the vampire prince who turned her, redemption feels impossible.

But when Mische is saved by Asar, the bastard prince of the House of Shadow with a past as brutal as his scars, she’s forced into a mission worse than execution: a journey to the underworld to resurrect the god of death himself.

Yet, Mische’s punishment may be the key to her salvation. In a secret meeting, her sun god commands her to help Asar in his mission, only to betray him… by killing the god of death.

Mische and Asar must travel the treacherous path to the underworld, facing trials, beasts, and the vengeful ghosts of their pasts. Yet, most dangerous of all is the alluring call of the darkness—and her forbidden attraction to Asar, a burgeoning bond that risks invoking the wrath of gods.

As her betrayal looms, the underworld closes in, and angry gods are growing restless. Mische will be forced to choose between the redemption of the sun or the damnation of the darkness.

Do you have plans to read this book? Let me know in the comments below!

Weekly Wrap Up | 10/27/24

Aloha friends!

Not a lot happened this week, just the usual Sunday school for the kiddos, and school the rest of the week. It’s been warm in Hawaii this week! I’m always wishing it would cool down for Halloween but it never does and I think because the election is in full swing here, I feel like people aren’t in the Halloween mood. My daughter totally is though – we have parent conference this week, then on Halloween morning she has a Halloween Parade at her school and then we go trick or treating at night! She’s excited – but I think my son is over it plus he has school the next day and she doesn’t! 😅 Lucky her!

I hope everyone has a nice Halloween week if you do celebrate and if you are in the USA, please go out and VOTE. I already did my mail-in ballot, woohoo!!

Blog Posts:

Books I Read:

  • A Queen’s Game by. Katharine McGee
  • The Games Gods Play by. Abigail Owen

Currently Reading:

  • The Whispering Night by. Susan Dennard
  • Stranger Skies by. Pascale Lacelle
  • Bull Moon Rising by. Ruby Dixon
  • Vilest Things by. Chloe Gong

Shows/Movies/Music I Watched/Listened To:

  • APT. Rosé and Bruno Mars – because it’s so addictive!

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!

The TBR Book Tag!

Hi everyone! I haven’t done a book tag in so long but I saw this one on Leslie’s blog Books Are the New Black and I thought okay, I think it’s time for me to really take a look at my TBR list. Scary thought huh?! lol…

Here are the questions:

How do you keep track of your TBR pile?

Um…Goodreads? LOL…I will confess, I add titles to Goodreads but never check on it ever. I’d also say I have a mental list of books I want to read and when I see it come up somewhere I remember it’s on my list. Also, because I do a new release post on my blog, I keep a written log of when books are being released, so that’s part of my TBR list also.

Is your TBR mostly print or e-book?

It’s mostly e-books because it’s easier for me to read e-books at night. But I have a very small TBR list of print books that I want to get for my bookshelf and these are usually the pretty books with sprayed edges or a whole complete series I’ve been wanting to get.

How do you determine which book from your TBR to read next?

Good question. I’m a mood reader so that is what determines any book I read but if I get a backlist book from the library, I try to read that first because I have a time limit. Unfortunately, there are a lot of books on my physical book shelf that I own, that I haven’t read and are on my TBR list. 😅

A book that’s been on your TBR the longest

A Darker Shade of Magic by. V.E. Schwab has been on my Goodreads list for the longest time and I even have a physical copy of it on my book shelf. 😆 I don’t know why I haven’t read it yet!

A book that you recently added to your TBR

The Jasad Crown by. Sara Hashem. It has a cover! I’m excited to read this sequel to The Jasad Heir.

A book on your TBR you strictly bought because of the beautiful cover

I saw it at Barnes and Noble and on the whim just bought it because of the cover. It’s gorgeous!

A book on your TBR you never actually plan on reading

I added Ninth House by. Leigh Bardugo because of the hype I think but I don’t think I will ever read it.

An unpublished book on your TBR that you’re excited for

The Scorpion and the Night Blossom by. Amélie Wen Zhao looks amazing. I’m tempted to buy the hardcover but I just got approved for the arc so I’m excited to read this one!

A book on your TBR that basically everyone has read except you

A Sky Beyond the Storm by. Sabaa Tahir is the book I need to read to finish the series but the more time goes on I keep putting it off because now I feel like I need to start from the beginning to remember all the details from the previous books. I really should just do it.

A book on your TBR that everyone recommends

I see Legends & Lattes by. Travis Baldree on different blogs a lot! I still have to read it.

A book on your TBR that you’re just dying to read

Onyx Storm by. Rebecca Yarros and I hope it’s better than book two which I didn’t love. I didn’t hate it but it was just okay. Just a few more months for this one!

The number of books on your Goodreads shelf

It says I have 627 which is WRONG, but I actually have to switch a bunch of them to “Read”. It just takes so long. 😅 Actually, after doing this post I’m very motivated to clean up that list so I think that’s what I’ll do right now.


Here are the questions from this book tag if you feel like doing it:

The Questions:

  • How do you keep track of your TBR pile?
  • Is your TBR mostly print or e-books?
  • How do you determine which book from your TBR to read next?
  • A book that’s been on your TBR the longest
  • A book that you recently added to your TBR
  • A book on your TBR you strictly bought because of the beautiful cover
  • A book on your TBR you never actually plan on reading
  • An unpublished book on your TBR that you’re excited for
  • A book on your TBR that basically everyone has read except you
  • A book on your TBR that everyone recommends
  • A book on your TBR that you’re just dying to read
  • The number of books on your Goodreads shelf

And I’m not tagging anyone, feel free to do the tag if you like! ☺️

First Lines Fridays – Can You Guess What Book? | 10/25/24

First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?

  • Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
  • Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
  • Finally… reveal the book!

“I have dog kibble in my bra.”

⬇️

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⬇️

⬇️

⬇️

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Can you guess what book it is?

Did you guess it? Have you read this one?

📖 ~ Yolanda

Eleven Houses by. Colleen Oakes | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Eleven Houses

Author: Colleen Oakes

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 416

Publication Date: 10/22/24

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Categories: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Zombies, Paranormal

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

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers for giving me a chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!



Midnight Mass meets The Vampire Diaries in this epic romantic tale of a mysterious island and the houses who have stood for centuries to guard against the dreaded nightmare of beings waiting to strike from the ocean’s depths.

On a forgotten part of Nova Scotia, there lies an island.
On that island are Eleven Houses.
In those houses sit eleven ancient families.
And they are waiting…

Mabel is one of the last surviving members of House Beuvry, one of the eleven houses on the haunted island of Weymouth. Her days, like all the other teens on the island, are spent readying her house for The Storm: a once-a-decade event that pummels the island with hurricane-level wind, water, and waves. But that’s not all the Storm brings with it—because Weymouth Island is a gate between the world of the living and the dead.

When Miles Cabot arrives on Weymouth Island after the death of his mother, he realizes quickly it isn’t like other places—and Mabel Beuvry isn’t like other teenagers. There’s an intense chemistry between Miles and Mabel that both feel, yet neither understand—nor the deadly consequences that will come with it.

With the suspicious death of an island elder, a strained dynamic with her younger sister Hali, and the greatest Storm in years edging ever closer, Mabel’s life is becoming as chaotic as the weather. One thing becomes clear: if the fortified houses of Weymouth Island can’t stand against the dead, then she—and everyone she loves—will pay the price.

Fares Well the House That’s Ready.

Content Warning: violence, grief, death, alcoholism

I thought the synopsis of this book was really intriguing. Here are my thoughts:

Likes:

+ There is some history about Nova Scotia which I like because I don’t know much about that place. There are only 11 families on this island and these families have to stand up to storms that kill people because in those storms are the dead – like zombies! I like the different families and the history we get from diary entries from storms in the past. I like the mysterious vibe of the story and that kept me reading so I could find out more. There is also a lot of action in the second half of the book.

+ Mabel is the main character and she is from the last house. She has a best friend Norah and I love their relationship. A new boy Miles comes to the island and learns what goes on there and a romance between him and Mabel grows. I also like her growth as a character.

+ There is a twist in the story that I didn’t expect but I did like how the story dealt with the theme of grief.

Dislikes:

~ I had to suspend reality for this one a bit because only 11 families on one island to protect…who? The world? I’m not sure…but there is a big deal about the storms and the dead and protecting the island from the dead. But I didn’t quite believe all of it and just needed a lot more world-building. By the middle of the story I was questioning everything but I shifted focus to the romance story.

~ The romance between Mabel and Miles is insta-love but I still don’t understand why the two of them getting together made the storm more volatile. Again, I think that’s due to lack of world-building and explanation about the magic system.

~ The synopsis boasts “Midnight Mass meets The Vampire Diaries” and I don’t know what Midnight Mass is but I was an original fan of the original The Vampire Diaries by. L.J. Smith. And I actually didn’t see how The Vampires fit into this story at all so it’s not a good comparison. I’d say The Circle by. L.J. Smith fits more because that was about different families fighting evil.

My Thoughts:

This was an interesting read and good for spooky season if you want to read about a mysterious island and dead rising in these storms. The romance was a bit insta-love and I needed a lot more world-building to be invested in the story but I did like the main character’s journey through grief. This one would appeal to teen readers.

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