Book Review: Four Dead Queens

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Author: Astrid Scholte

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 432

Categories: Young Adult, Politics, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Romance

Book Blurb:

Seventeen-year-old Keralie Corrington may seem harmless, but she’s, in fact, one of Quadara’s most skilled thieves and a liar. Varin, on the other hand, is an honest, upstanding citizen of Quadara’s most enlightened region, Eonia. He runs afoul of Keralie when she steals a package from him, putting his life in danger. When Varin attempts to retrieve the package, he and Keralie both find themselves entangled in a conspiracy that leaves all four of Quadara’s queens dead.

With no other choices and on the run from Keralie’s former employer, the two decide to join forces, endeavoring to discover who has killed the queens and save their own lives in the process. When their reluctant partnership blooms into a tenuous romance, they must overcome their own dark secrets in hopes of a future together that seemed impossible just days before. But first they have to stay alive and untangle the secrets behind the nation’s four dead queens.

MY REVIEW

This was a fast read for me because it was a mystery and I was pretty invested in wanting to find out who was killing these queens. But the ending fell flat for me.

What did I like? I enjoyed this sci-fi/fantasy world with four queens ruling their own quadrant. Each quadrant is different: Archia’s main economy is agriculture, Eonia excels in technology, Ludia celebrates the arts, and Toria is about curiosity and exploration. These quadrants help their kingdom survive and it seems pretty fair, as long as all the queens aren’t conniving.

The story is told between six perspectives but in essence told mostly through five of them for most of the story: Keralie and the four queens. Keralie is a Torian who is an expert thief but she steals something that leads to surprising consequences. Keralie as a thief, comes off as untrustworthy, naturally, but not sinister. Paired with Varin, the Eonist she stole from, they make an interesting pair. Eonist are taught, scarily so, to be void of emotions. But I did find the technology of Eonia fascinating, I just wouldn’t want to be born and raised there. Yikes.

The mystery of who is the killer of these queens kept me in this book all the way through. The writing flows nicely and I really enjoyed the queens. Their characters are strong and different but with any mystery, each of them carries a secret. They carry the story until three-fourths of the way when Arebella is introduced.

This is where the story kind of lost me and I understood what was happening and it makes sense, that part is all fine. But I wanted the twists and turns of the ending to pack a bigger punch than it did. It fell flat for me. Other than that it was a quick read, a murder mystery with a little bit of romance combined in a unique setting and it is promising for a debut novel.

Book Review: What The Woods Keep

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Author: Kataya De Becerra

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 365

Categories: Mystery, Psychology, Physics, Dark Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Mythology

Book Blurb:

On her eighteenth birthday, Hayden inherits her childhood home—on the condition that she uncover its dark secrets.

Hayden tried to put the past behind her, and it worked. She’s getting ready for college, living in a Brooklyn apartment, and hanging out with her best friend and roommate Del. But now it’s all catching up with her: her mother’s mysterious disappearance a decade before, her father’s outlandish theories about a lost supernatural race, and Hayden’s own dark dreams of strange symbols and rituals in the Colorado woods where she grew up.

As soon as Hayden arrives at her hometown, her friend Del in tow, it begins: Neighbors whisper secrets about Hayden’s mother; the boy next door is now all grown-up in a very distracting way; and Hayden feels the trees calling to her. And among them, deep in the woods, Hayden will discover something incredible—something that threatens reality itself.

MY REVIEW

This is one of those books where I borrowed it because of it’s lovely cover. The book blurb sounded interesting but I didn’t quite know what to expect.

What The Woods Keep, follows Hayden, who just turned eighteen and inherits her mother’s home in Promise, Colorado. Hayden has a quite a past: a childhood in Promise with memories of these dark woods, her mother disappearing, her dad who is a physicist but obsessed with Nibelungs. And yes I had to google Nibelungs to see if they were a real thing and they definitely are a thing, a thing of legend and lore.

This story is different and I was drawn into Hayden’s psychosis. She has dreams that haunt her, she’s a warrior on a horse. Hayden’s past also revolves on an incident of unexplained violence at her school – her counseling sessions are presented to us in the book like evidence.

When she goes to Promise with her best friend Del, more strange things start to happen. The people in town have eyes like her, one color different than the other. The woods around them are creepy and a white raven is constantly watching her. Plus there is a facility called Blue Haven Research Institute in Promise with security guards. What is going on? I kept reading to find out, so this book definitely kept me engaged.

This book is hard to categorize. It’s a mashup of sci-fi, fantasy, and mystery. I really loved how most chapters started off with some scientific tidbit on physics or psychology. And some parts were creepy too whenever it was about the woods. What is in these woods? What did Hayden’s mom do there? How did she die or disappear? Are the Nibelungs real? The story moved along quickly for me. I loved all the extra things in this book like Hayden’s case files, newspaper clippings and her mother’s hand written notes.

The only thing that didn’t grab me was the romance between Hayden and her old childhood friend Shannon. It happens a bit quick after they reunite but I guess I can surmise the feelings were always there because they grew up so close together.

Overall, this was a pleasantly surprising fun book to read! It is a really good debut from this author. I look forward to seeing what she writes in the future.

Get it here: Amazon

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Book Review: Burned To A Crisp (A Gingerbread Hag Mystery)

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Author: K.A. Miltimore

Format: E-book

Pages: 154

Categories: Paranormal, Mystery, Ghost, Supernatural, Indie Author

Disclaimer: ** I was gifted this ebook by the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.**

Book Blurb:

Hedy Leckermaul runs a strange little bakery in the sleepy town of Enumclaw, Washington. Her bakery may be bizarre but it is the non-human guests who stay at her home, along with her resident ghost, and her menagerie of talking animals that truly is strange. Hedy hosts a waystation for supernatural travelers and while hosting two such travelers, the town is rocked by an arsonist who is kidnapping women, and pitting the residents of Enumclaw against each other. Hedy and her friends must solve the mystery when one of their own vanishes, leaving them racing to find out who is behind it all before it is too late.

MY REVIEW

Thank you to author K.A. Miltimore for this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

The blurb for this book already told me this was going to be a slightly out of the box read for me since I usually stick to romance and young adult books. But a baker who bakes unusual things like rat shaped cookies? A menagerie of talking animals and a ghost? It made me wonder, what else could happen in this sleepy town? Apparently, a lot!

“…but then I remembered that things are only strange to you if they are outside your normal experience.”
Burned to a Crisp (A Gingerbread Hag Mystery) by. K.A. Miltimore

The writing is wonderfully descriptive and I got a real sense of this sleepy town and it’s diverse characters. I liked that there is also LGBTQ+ representation. I wanted to visit this bakery that is run by Hedy Leckermaul and sample all these unusual goodies.

This bakery acts as a waystation for supernatural travelers. Think of this waystation like a bed and breakfast, where Hedy is an accommodating host. I really like Hedy, she’s level headed, doesn’t let a lot of things bother her, she’s brave, quirky and is accepting of all things strange and different. I love how her house is filled with artifacts and talking animals. The menagerie was fantastic, it made me smile whenever they emerged in the story.

Now as two travelers arrive on Hedy’s doorstep within days of one another, an arsonist is going around town, ramping up fear and discord among the people. Hedy, her guests, her menagerie and a few more interesting characters that are introduced in the story find themselves in the middle of a mystery. Hedy is usually so calm about strange things happening around her but when events concern the people she care about, even she senses something is more wrong than usual. Will they piece together the puzzle before it’s too late?

The story moves at a steady pace and it kept me in it until the end. I loved how there was a mixture of mythology and fairy tale lore infused into the story. If you are into paranormal mystery or just want to read something to break up the monotony of what you are reading, definitely give this one a try. I’m glad I did! Overall this is an enjoyable, unique story full of mystery, surprising characters and bizarre happenings.

Book Review: LUCID

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Author: Kristy Fairlamb

Format: E-book

Length: 248 pages

Publication Date: April 23, 2019

Categories: Paranormal, Dreams, Romance, Young Adult, Mystery

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

Book Blurb:

A Terrifying Power. A Horrifying Curse.

Lucy Piper lives a lonely existence on the precipice between life and death. She possesses the horrifying ability to resurrect real-life tragic events in her nightmares, reliving over and over, as if she were there, the last few moments before the victim takes their final breath. Car accidents, drownings, plane crashes – Lucy has seen it all. No one understands what it’s like living death by night and fearing sleep by day.

When Tyler Sims and his family move to town to escape past traumas, Lucy is drawn to him. The two of them are linked through their dreams, and with Tyler’s trust and friendship, hope for a brighter future returns to Lucy’s world. But Tyler’s presence awakens something else in Lucy, and with this new knowledge she will be forced to make impossible decisions. Decisions that will change history, and the future.

Chilling, haunting and compelling, this novel is the first in a two-part series for fans of The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer and The Hidden Memory of Objects that will leave you breathless for days.

MY REVIEW

I wanted to read something different from the romance and fantasy novels on my TBR list so thank you to NetGalley for a free ARC of this book. LUCID, is more mystery than thriller, but still very unique.

What I really enjoyed about this book was venturing into Lucy’s dreams, or should I call them nightmares? After Lucy hears about an event or an accident, she dreams about it. I would not want to have her gift – saving people’s lives is cool yes, but enduring the nightmares, NOPE. For most of the beginning of the book, Lucy wonders why she dreams these things.

Tyler moves to her small town, which happens to be a mountain tourist town in Australia known for their snow. And he and Lucy are drawn to one another, but not because they find each other attractive – which they do. But Lucy has seen him before, in her dreams. Tyler has a past that is linked to one of her dreams. So what will happen if she alters the dream that he is tied to? Does she have the strength to do it, if it means losing Tyler?

The one thing I wanted more from this book was information about why she dreams this way. Her Grandma Tess has had similar dreams before so I’m thinking it runs in the family but I felt like Lucy needed someone who could give her concrete answers. With a power like altering reality, I would think there would be someone to guide her to do the right thing. Grandma Tess does her best, but even this is out of her realm, at least that’s the way it seems. Lucy eventually figures things out on her own, but still, what a responsibility to have on her shoulders.

Overall this was an enjoyable, solid debut from this new author. It was a quick read at only 248 pages. I am very curious to see what happens next in Lucy’s dreams!

Book Review: Serious Moonlight

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Author: Jenn Bennett

Format: E-book

Pages: 434

Categories: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Mystery, Sex, Mental Health

Publication Date: April 16, 2019

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

Book Blurb:

After an awkward first encounter, Birdie and Daniel are forced to work together in a Seattle hotel where a famous author leads a mysterious and secluded life in this romantic contemporary novel from the author of Alex, Approximately.

Mystery-book aficionado Birdie Lindberg has an overactive imagination. Raised in isolation and homeschooled by strict grandparents, she’s cultivated a whimsical fantasy life in which she plays the heroic detective and every stranger is a suspect. But her solitary world expands when she takes a job the summer before college, working the graveyard shift at a historic Seattle hotel.

In her new job, Birdie hopes to blossom from introverted dreamer to brave pioneer, and gregarious Daniel Aoki volunteers to be her guide. The hotel’s charismatic young van driver shares the same nocturnal shift and patronizes the waterfront Moonlight Diner where she waits for the early morning ferry after work. Daniel also shares her appetite for intrigue, and he’s stumbled upon a real-life mystery: a famous reclusive writer—never before seen in public—might be secretly meeting someone at the hotel.

To uncover the writer’s puzzling identity, Birdie must come out of her shell…discovering that most confounding mystery of all may be her growing feelings for the elusive riddle that is Daniel.

MY REVIEW

Jenn Bennett is becoming one of my favorite young adult contemporary authors. When I saw this book cover, I didn’t realize it was the same author from Alex, Approximately and Starry Eyes, two books I really enjoyed, but now she is an author under my radar! So let’s talk about Serious Moonlight ~

What I Liked:

The writing – the author sucks you into the setting. I felt like I was in Seattle and I’ve never traveled there before in my life! This story is complex, it’s not just a romance novel. In this book the author touches on mental health, dealing with death, sleep disorders, love of mysteries, sex, and how to bridge two people coping with these issues and falling in love.
The characters – they are so wonderfully unique. There’s Birdie, who has an interesting upbringing, plus her sleep disorder. Mona, her aunt, who was my favorite. She comes off the page as eccentric and lovable, just a huge personality that I wanted to hug. Daniel is half Japanese, which I love about Jenn Bennett’s books. She adds diversity and that’s always needed. Daniel is easy-going, funny, but with a very surprising past as well.
The romance – it’s a sweet slow burn. The slow part is mostly because Birdie and Daniel trying to get together is challenging. They both have their own issues to deal with, more so Birdie since it’s like she’s been freed from her cage. They are awkward, there is miscommunication when they try to talk, and basically it reminds me of my own teenage years. When I read the romance parts of the book I cringed, I laughed and I smiled.

What I Didn’t Like:

I’m not a big mystery buff, so the beginning was hard for me to get into. If you LOVE mystery (think Columbo and Murder, She Wrote) – you will love all these elements in the book. For me, it dragged but I got through it. I thought it was super cute that Daniel picked up on Birdie’s love for mysteries and basically got her out of her shell by enticing her with a mystery at their work place.

While it’s not my favorite Jenn Bennett book, I still loved the story once I got through the beginning. The writing is fantastic, the setting draws you in and the characters are people you want to know in real life. I definitely enjoyed this unique take on a young adult romance contemporary novel.