Let it go | Collection of books.

Patrick Ness- Release. 
RATING: 2/5.
Patrick Ness' books always make me feel stupid. It's like I'm not clever enough to truly grasp his intentions, because I can't figure out how the two stories combine. It felt like I was reading two books at the same time and they didn't mesh together in my head.

The first story is about Adam and how he deals with his homosexuality and his family, who are very religious and believe it is something he can be cured of. They try to avoid the topic, but whenever they can they make it clear they aren't willing to accept him. No matter what he does, it is always wrong. The moment his father tells him that is is hard to love him, but that the tries, my heart completely shattered for Adam. The fact that there are people in the world who think like that is just unbelievable to me. Love = love, no matter what, as long as it makes you happy.

Adam's romantic moments with his boyfriend made me melt and it was good to see he was so supported by him. The sex scenes were nicely done. Also his friendship with Angela! That was one amazing girl.

The other story is about a Queen and a Faun. She is possessed with the spirit of a girl that was strangled to death and she is now on the hunt to get justice. The Faun is hopping along to sort of protect her? The story was really poetic, but I struggled with it. I didn't understand what this story had to do with Adam.. and why it was there in the first place. I just don't see what it adds to the overall story.

So yeah. I'm starting to believe Ness' work is just not for me?

Beauty and the Beast retellings.

Since I'm on a roll with content that has something to do with Beauty and the Beast, I decided to list down my five favorite retellings for you. These are the books I've read over a couple of years, so believe me when I say these come highly recommended.

Juliet Marillier – Heart's Blood.

Whistling Tor is a place of secrets and mystery. Surrounded by a wooded hill, and unknown presences, the crumbling fortress is owned by a chieftain whose name is spoken throughout the district in tones of revulsion and bitterness. A curse lies over Anluan's family and his people; those woods hold a perilous force whose every whisper threatens doom.

If you know me well, this first pick will be no surprise. I always use every opportunity to show my love for Juliet Marillier. There is something enchanting and magical about the way she writes stories. Her heroins are all strong in their own ways, the romances are so romantic and the plot moves with exactly the right pace. If you haven't picked up any of her books, you are missing out. My review for Heart's Blood.

“With courage and hope, we can conquer our fears and do what we once believed impossible.”

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Rosamund Hodge – Cruel Beauty

Since birth, Nyx has been betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom-all because of a foolish bargain struck by her father. And since birth, she has been in training to kill him. With no choice but to fulfill her duty, Nyx resents her family for never trying to save her and hates herself for wanting to escape her fate. Still, on her seventeenth birthday, Nyx abandons everything she's ever known to marry the all-powerful, immortal Ignifex. Her plan? Seduce him, destroy his enchanted castle, and break the nine-hundred-year-old curse he put on her people.

I read this book in 2014 and I still can't stop thinking about it. It is definitely time to reread this stunning book. The writing-style is lush, the blend of mythology and fairytales is intricate and the characters are flawed and fascinating. My review for Cruel Beauty.

“Where you go, I shall go; where you die, I shall die, and there will I be buried.”

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Naomi Novik – Uprooted.

Agnieszka loves her valley home, her quiet village, the forests and the bright shining river. But the corrupted Wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power, and its shadow lies over her life. Her people rely on the cold, driven wizard known only as the Dragon to keep its powers at bay. But he demands a terrible price for his help: one young woman handed over to serve him for ten years, a fate almost as terrible as falling to the Wood.

This story is a perfect blend of several folktales and Beauty and the Beast. I fell in love with the writing-style, plot and characters. The plot is interesting and has a rather creepy setting. There is a wonderful girl-girl friendship and Agnieszka was delightful. My review for Uprooted.

“There was a song in this forest, too, but it was a savage song, whispering of madness and tearing and rage.”

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Meagan Spooner – Hunted.

Beauty knows the Beast’s forest in her bones—and in her blood. Though she grew up with the city’s highest aristocrats, far from her father’s old lodge, she knows that the forest holds secrets and that her father is the only hunter who’s ever come close to discovering them. Deaf to her sisters’ protests, Yeva hunts this strange Beast back into his own territory—a cursed valley, a ruined castle, and a world of creatures that Yeva’s only heard about in fairy tales. A world that can bring her ruin or salvation. Who will survive: the Beauty, or the Beast?

This is the newest Beauty and the Beast retelling I discovered last month and let me tell you this, it was simply the best!  Yeva was fabulous and it didn't take me much time to fall in love with her personality and voice. There is much development into the character of Beast and there was enough time to warm up for the romance. My review for Hunted.

“She wept because she did not know what she wanted, and because she wanted everything.”

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Sarah J. Maas – A Court of Thorns and Roses.

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

I have read a few reviews that talk about the problematic issues in this book and I will not deny that there are definitely aspects that could have been better. That being said, it's still a really entertaining, well-written story and I love Feyre. My review for A Court of Thorns and Roses.

“Don't feel bad for one moment about doing what brings you joy.”

The Beauty and the Beast.

MinaLima, the award-winning design studio behind the graphics for the Harry Potter film franchise and the creators of the illustrated Jungle Book and Peter Pan, reimagine the beloved French fairy tale The Beauty and the Beast in this deluxe unabridged edition illustrated with stunning full-color artwork and nine 3-D interactive features. 

Generations of readers have been bewitched by the epic love story of a beautiful young girl imprisoned in the magical castle of a monstrous beast.

Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve, MinaLima (Illustrator), James Robinson Planché (Translator). Published January 31st 2017 by Harper Design (first published 1740)


The moment I laid eyes on this book, I knew I had to get it and I was not disappointed by it. My love for Beauty and the Beast knows no limits, but this book reminded me of the fact I never read the original tale *gasp*

It was interesting to see the story Disney worked with and I must admit that I am happy with the changes they have made. They turned every character into a more likable figure, but what I did love in this book is the background story of the Beast. It felt like I was reading another story inside a story, which is something I missed in the animated movie. It made him a more solid character. We all have to admit that the time line around Beast's life in the Disney movie is a bit flawed and that is no problem in this book.

I really missed the talking objects though. There is no Lumière, Mrs. Potts or Cogsworth. Instead there are different themed room, like one with Monkeys who become friends with Belle. My image of Beauty and the Beast is so wrapped around Disney that I couldn't stop missing my beloved extra characters.

The best thing about this version is the beautiful leather-bound cover, the illustrations and the interactive features. Those 3d features weren't extremey special, but still added something fun to the story. The illustrations were to die for, especially those at the beginning of every chapter. I spend a lot of time looking at them, soaking in all the details, and it really made the story come alive.

Highly recommend this book if you are a fairytale lover like me.

Review | By Your Side – Kasie West.

Title: By Your Side.
Author:  Kasie West.
Pages:  352.
Published: January 31st 2017 by HarperTeen
Source: Edelweiss and publisher, thanks!

When Autumn Collins finds herself accidentally locked in the library for an entire weekend, she doesn’t think things could get any worse. But that’s before she realizes that Dax Miller is locked in with her. Autumn doesn’t know much about Dax except that he’s trouble. Between the rumors about the fight he was in (and that brief stint in juvie that followed it) and his reputation as a loner, he’s not exactly the ideal person to be stuck with. Still, she just keeps reminding herself that it is only a matter of time before Jeff, her almost-boyfriend, realizes he left her in the library and comes to rescue her. Only he doesn’t come. No one does. Instead it becomes clear that Autumn is going to have to spend the next couple of days living off vending-machine food and making conversation with a boy who clearly wants nothing to do with her. Except there is more to Dax than meets the eye. As he and Autumn first grudgingly, and then not so grudgingly, open up to each other, Autumn is struck by their surprising connection. But can their feelings for each other survive once the weekend is over and Autumn’s old life, and old love interest, threaten to pull her from Dax’s side?

Rating:

I've come to this point where I am sure I will never dislike a book written by Kasie West. This concept is probably my favorite one of her so far. I think every bookworm has a daydream where they are locked up in the library, especially if this happens to be together with a cute boy.

Autumn is on her way to a fun weekend with her friends, especially with her almost-boyfriend Jeff, when she gets stuck in the library. She keeps expecting someone to return and pick her up, but her friends don't seem to realize Autumn is left behind. Then she finds out she is not alone: Dax is there too and he has a good reason to be there. The two have a rocky start, mainly because of their prejudices, but slowly they start to talk and a friendship is formed.

I loved both Autumn and Dax. Autumn suffers from anxiety and has panic attacks - and now she can't take her medication. During the book we see her struggle with these problems and it was something I could identify with to a certain point. Dax has an entire different story that I'll not talk about in details, but believe me when I say he doesn't have the most happy youth while growing up and it has given him a reputation at school. Both Dax and Autumn have prejudices against each other and it was nice to see them overcome this. Autumn and Dax start to open up to each other and it was heart-warming to see them form a special bond.

I think West did a good job at showing Autumn's confusion, because she starts to like Dax while she is almost in a relationship with Jeff. There is no touch of love-triangle at all and this is the type of situation I could see happening in real life. She also struggles with his distant behavior, because can they keep this friendship alive outside the library?

Like always, this is a fluffy book with a deeper touch to it and I flew through the pages. Keep them coming West!

Review | Meagan Spooner – Hunted.

Title: Hunted.
Author:  Meagan Spooner.
Pages:  352.
Published: March 14th 2017 by HarperTeen.
Source: Edelweiss and publisher, thanks!

Beauty knows the Beast’s forest in her bones—and in her blood. Though she grew up with the city’s highest aristocrats, far from her father’s old lodge, she knows that the forest holds secrets and that her father is the only hunter who’s ever come close to discovering them. So when her father loses his fortune and moves Yeva and her sisters back to the outskirts of town, Yeva is secretly relieved. Out in the wilderness, there’s no pressure to make idle chatter with vapid baronessas…or to submit to marrying a wealthy gentleman. But Yeva’s father’s misfortune may have cost him his mind, and when he goes missing in the woods, Yeva sets her sights on one prey: the creature he’d been obsessively tracking just before his disappearance. Deaf to her sisters’ protests, Yeva hunts this strange Beast back into his own territory—a cursed valley, a ruined castle, and a world of creatures that Yeva’s only heard about in fairy tales. A world that can bring her ruin or salvation. Who will survive: the Beauty, or the Beast?

Rating:

Oh my! You are probably aware of my undying love for Beauty and the Beast, so I'm happy to say this is a worthy retelling. I LOVED every single moment and I already can't wait to buy a hard copy, so I can re-read it.

Yeva's father loses all his money after a stupid gamble for even more money and power. Yeva and her two sisters have to move into his tiny house in the forest, away from town. Yeva is secretly relieved to live in a more quiet place, but her father's fraying mind is starting to worry her. One day he returns, claiming he has to hunt down a monster and Yeva decides to go after him. Yeva is captured by the Beast, but over time the two grow closer and she is torn apart by her feelings for him and her loyalty towards her family.

Yeva was fabulous and it didn't take me much time to fall in love with her personality and voice. I loved everything about her. She is (physically and mentally) strong, wild and stubborn, but never too rash in her decisions. She is so out of place in town, but I like her attempts to fit in to make her father happy. It was clear from the beginning that she was meant for a different life than what he envisioned, but I admired her loyalty to her family to try it anyway. Her restlessness and need for more is how she ends up in the hands of Beast.

Every once in a while you get to see his point of view at the beginning of a chapter and it is clear he has a troubled mind. I liked the jumpy and chaotic writing, because it truly set him apart from the other characters in the book. His background story was fascinating and I was curious to see what the authors was planning to do with his curse; awesome twist! It felt like a fairytale inside a fairytale - and that background story made him a fascinating character.

The plot and writing moved with a fast, yet steady pace. It was the perfect balance between giving things enough time and moving on, so it wouldn't get too boring. The romance had enough time to blossom and I felt it happened subtle and believable. The writing is smooth, absolutely fairytale worthy and filled with details without getting overwhelming. This book definitely shows instead of tells, which made it easy to get swept away. 

Definitely highly recommended.

Review 270 | Three Dark Crowns - Kendare Blake.

Title: Three Dark Crowns.
Author:  Kendare Blake.
Pages:  416.
Published: September 20th 2016 by HarperTeen
Source: Edelweiss and publisher, thanks! I also received a finished copy from Van Ditmar.

Every generation on the island of Fennbirn, a set of triplets is born: three queens, all equal heirs to the crown and each possessor of a coveted magic. Mirabella is a fierce elemental, able to spark hungry flames or vicious storms at the snap of her fingers. Katharine is a poisoner, one who can ingest the deadliest poisons without so much as a stomachache. Arsinoe, a naturalist, is said to have the ability to bloom the reddest rose and control the fiercest of lions. But becoming the Queen Crowned isn’t solely a matter of royal birth. Each sister has to fight for it. And it’s not just a game of win or lose…it’s life or death. The night the sisters turn sixteen, the battle begins. The last queen standing gets the crown. If only it was that simple. Katharine is unable to tolerate the weakest poison, and Arsinoe, no matter how hard she tries, can’t make even a weed grow. The two queens have been shamefully faking their powers, taking care to keep each other, the island, and their powerful sister Mirabella none the wiser. But with alliances being formed, betrayals taking shape, and ruthless revenge haunting the queens’ every move, one thing is certain: the last queen standing might not be the strongest…but she may be the darkest.

Rating:

I was fascinated by the promise of this book from the moment I read the blurb and it did not disappoint me. Kendare created a story that is not like any other I've read this year  and I am now highly anticipating the sequel.

Fennbirn is ruled by one Queen, but getting that title is a dangerous game. Every generation a set of triplets is born and each baby possesses their own magic: Elemental, Poisoner and Naturalist. The night they turn sixteen, the battle for the crown begins and the last one standing is the new Queen.

Three Dark Crowns tells the tale of Mirabella, a strong and fierce Elemental who is rumored to the be one to finally push the line of Poisoner Queens of the throne. Katherine is a Poisoner, but her magical abilities are shallow and there is a lot of pressure on her shoulders. Then there is Arisinoe, a Naturalist who is not nearly as powerful as the rumors claim she is. It is clear that this round is not about the strongest, but the darkest/most ruthless one to claim the throne.

The story is divided into chapters, each switching between the three sisters. This could have been confusing, but works well in this situation. It gives us the ability to see the situation through three different eyes; how each of the possible Queens deal with their power and the upcoming battle. I liked all three of them, but felt that Mirabella was the most distant voice. Her part of the story gripped me less than the struggle from both Katherine and Arsinoe.

Katherine has to deal with trials to make her body adjust to the presence of poison, but it is a painful and slow process. Arsinoe is in a better situation, with her powerful friend Jules who will do anything to keep her safe.

The writing-style was good, but some parts still dragged a little. The ending (while I was anticipating that turn of events) made me grin. The sequel promises to be interesting and I can't wait to see how it all wraps up. Are these three sisters going to change the way their country is ruled for years – or will one of them finish it all?

Three dark queens are born in a glen, 

sweet little triplets will never be friends.

Three dark sisters all fair to be seen, 

two to devour and one to be Queen.

Series review | Rae Carson – Fire and thorns.

I have reviewed the first two books before, which you can find here: Review: The Girl of Fire and Thorns and Review: The Crown of Embers. I also reviewed the novella in this series: Review The Shadow Cats. That novella is now part of a published book called The Girl of Fire and Thorns short stories. This book includes a story about Elisa's sister, A HECTOR story and one about Mara. I recommend it if you are firm fan of the series, but it is not necessarily for the overall story.

Before I finished the series with the conclusion, The Bitter Kingdom, I reread the first two books. Since this is one of my favorite series, I thought it might be a good idea to highlight it by doing a series review.

This review is spoiler-free! I will only point out all the things I love, without going into details.


The first thing what makes this series so good is the magical writing-style from Carson. It reads so fast and it always makes you want to read more, more, more! She uses enough details to create a wonderful world and interesting characters without information-dumps. I was completely sucked into the story and I had no problems imagining I was there. The pacing is very nice. It’s consistent and there is never a boring moment in this fantastic plot.

The second thing is the emotional rollercoaster. This book takes you from happiness down to the bottom of disaster. I’ve laughed and cried together with Elisa and her friends. I’ve felt triumph and sadness. I felt so connected to the characters and their faith, that I was able to feel all their emotions. It’s one hell of a ride! Be prepared for all the feelings, because there are heart-breaking scenes and moments with a lot of action and tension. There are also touches of romance that made me swoon.

The third thing I want to mention are the characters. We see Elisa develop from someone who isn’t happy with herself to someone who embraces her personality and power. She transforms from the over-weighed, shy girl into a leader with clever decision. I absolutely love Elisa. The only thing that could have been improved is that I would have loved to see her self-image change, instead of her weight. Despite that, I found Elisa strong in her own way and intelligent. Her flaws are her strength and it’s not strange that people are willing to die for her.

No review is complete without mentioning Hector and Humberto. I’m not going to say anything more about them, but you definitely want to meet these guys! There are also more secondary characters, all with distinctive voices and roles. I especially liked Mara, Tristan and Storm. Storm is sarcastic and never afraid to speak his minds, which ends up with blunt and harsh (but honest) words.

The last thing, and that is always important for me, the quality of the story is amazing. There is a build-up in the first two books and it explodes and delivers in the last book. The plot continues to be interesting in every book; there is no second-book-syndrome. It also ends like I wish all books/series ends: everything tied together, satisfying. No anti-climax or disappointing conclusion here!

If you love High-fantasy, strong and interesting characters and a fantastic plot, this is a series you have to read!

Let it go | Okay, good and the best.

Sophie Jordan – Reign of shadows. 2.5 out of 5. I won a review copy from Stories & Sweets. You know me and my love for fairytale retellings, so when I first spotted this book on Goodreads I knew I had to read it. I was excited when I started it. The beginning was interesting and set the world-building: Luna's parents, King and Queen of Relhok, were murdered by the evil chancellor the day of the eclipse. The world has been cloaked in darkness for 17 hours now. Only one hour, midlight, is save from the creatures that roam the world: Dwellers. Fowler is on the run from his family and is saved by Luna. He is ordered to take her with him to a place that is rumored to be free of Dwellers.

Luna had her moments. She is blind, but gifted with these some kind of superpowers that gave her unbelievable abilities. The author took it a little too far for my taste and I would have liked it more if she had toned it down. Luna is rash and she went back and forth between clever and downright stupid. Fowler gave me mixed feelings. He was too emotionless and harsh for my taste, I would have liked to see his softer sight earlier in the story. His 'unpredictable' twist was quite obvious from the beginning and might me sigh at how cliche it was. I was disappointed, but I think I'm willing to give the sequel a second chance.

Danielle L. Jensen – Warrior witch. 3 out of 5. Review copy from Netgalley.
The first book was really strong and I love how Stolen songbird changed the way I viewed trolls. Tristan and Cécile impressed me and I liked their chemistry. Hidden Huntress was a good sequel, especially because it was written from both of their point of views. While warrior witch was a solid conclusion to the overall series, it did not blow me away.

There was a change in Tristan/Cécile's dynamic that made me annoyed by both of them. Their chemistry suffered from their constant need to keep things a secret to keep each other safe and I just wish they talked more. The plot was a bit slow, with Cécile trying to make up for her mistake in the previous book, but the ending made up for it. I did not see that coming and I thought it was fitting.

Amy Tintera – Ruined. 4.5 out of 5. Review copy from Edelweiss.
I had a good experience with Tintera's previous Dystopian duology Reboot, so I had high expectations for this series despite some negative reviews on my Goodreads feed. Let me tell you this: I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT. The 0.5 was taken off because the romance developed a little too fast for my taste, but Em and Cas were fantastic together. They start with a bit of a hate relationship and that's my favorite thing.

Em is the princess of Ruina. The Ruined are being hunted and killed, because people are afraid for their powers. At the same time, the Ruined are not innocent. She is looking for her capture sister, who is being held by the king who killed her parents. He happens to be the father from Prince Cas of Lera, engaged to princess Mary - and Em is portraying to be that girl. Cas doesn't want to get married, but he is surprised by Mary/Em.

The plot is quite basic, but the characters and how Tintera filled it with details made the story for me. Em was simply fabulous. This girl is ruthless, clever and strong. She made me laugh a couple of times, when she daydreams about ways to kill everyone in a room. Very resourceful. Cas was the typical good guy. He is open-minded and kind, nothing like his father. Tintera has a fantastic writing-style that easily sucks you into the story and I LOVED that horrible ending. It makes me want to pick up the sequel right away.

Let it go | A mix of different books.

Sarah Strohmeyer – This is my brain on boys.
1.5/5. Contemporary.
eARC from Edelweiss/publisher.

It went from: OH this is really fun and I love Addie! Girls as scientists are my thing! She is such a smart cookie and I love her experiment. To: oh.. This is exactly not good. Addie was a little too serious for my taste. She was a bit like Sheldon in that way and it did not work on the paper for me. Like the scene where someone told her someone 'fell from the face of the earth' and she tells him without blinking that 'the earth does not have a face.'

No shit, Sherlock.

I also did not appreciate how Kris treated his (ex)-girlfriend Kara. He should have stepped it up and simply told her it was over. Instead, he keeps dragging it around and while I did not like the girl at all, I could understood her accusation.

The whole experiment was lots of fun. Addie has this theory that you an make two people who have nothing in common, fall in love when they are in an intense situation. Kris has to make up for something, so now he is part of the experiment (without knowing what is going on) and Addie decides to at some point to make herself a subject too. From the point of view of a scientist, this is something you should NEVER EVER do, because it influences the way you look at the experiment. Being objective is the most important part, so I did not buy this.

I liked Addie's spark with Kris, but things could have been more polished to make this work better for me.

Elizabeth May – The vanishing throne.
4.5/5. Paranormal.
 
I was blown away by The falconer the first time AND second time. May has written a series that ticks off all the elements I look for: a kick-ass heroin, action, fast-paced plot, amazing writing-style and swoonworthy romance. We learn more about Kieran in this book, someone who stayed quite mysterious in The falconer. Aileana is in a pretty messed-up situation and she is such a brave, strong girl. The ending was brutal, just like The falconer, and it makes me want to pick up the sequel right now. It was a brave move from the author, because it could have turned into the worst twist ever, but it worked really well with the story.

V.E Schwab – A gathering of shadows.
ALL THE STARS. 
Fantasy.
 
Schwab is a genius. I don't think I will ever dislike anything she writes, because she is a magician with words. I reread A darker shade of magic and I think I fell in love with it even more. The intriquite world-building, the spectacular characters and the well-crafted villians, I love everything about it. I have lost my heart to Lila, who is now sailing the seas, and Kell, who feels locked up. READ THIS SERIES. I could not find the right words to express my love for this series, so you just have to pick it up and see for yourself.

TTT | favorite books of 2016 so far.

Hosted by: The broke and the bookish.

I've 'only' read 42 books, but I have found some books I would highly recommend to you. I don't count re-reads for this list. It is a mix of different genres and like always, I surprise myself by including a contemporary.

Far from you by Tess Sharpe.
This is a contemporary/mystery book. The main character's best friend is murdered and everyone thinks it happened because of a bad drugs deal. No one listens to Sophie, so she decide to go on her own to find out what truly happened the night she lost the girl she loved.

Stars above by Marissa Meyer.
I love this series. I'm not a big fan of novella's, but Meyer managed to make me fall in love with all her short stories. They give more insight into the characters and the last novella is the one we've all been waiting for: a wedding!

The shadow queen by C.J Redwine.
There are mixed reviews about The shadow queen, but I personally loved everything about it. Lorelei is a kick-ass girl, there are great twists in the plot and the villain is an interesting character. Snow White has never been my favorite princess, but if she was a little more like Lorelei, she would be in my top 3.

The mirror king by Jodi Meadows.
What an ending! I fell in love with The Orphan Queen and The mirror king was the perfect ending in this duology. Wilhelmina has stolen my heart. This series has everything: a smoldering romance, an important quest and a sassy, kick-ass heroine.

Girl against the universe  by Paula Stokes.
I feel like I repeat myself, but I am not a big contemporary reader. This book, however, shows me that there are stories that I can fall in love with. Maguire is such a powerful, inspirational character, but the book never felt too heavy. Her story actually inspired me to take certain steps in my own life and that makes this book precious to me.

A gathering of shadows by V.E Schwab.
GENIOUS. Hands down one of the best fantasy series I've read in a long time. Schwab is a master in spinning a fascinating tale, filled with all these amazing, fleshed out characters. The basic of this book is that there are several versions of London and Kell is – together with Holland – the only one able to travel between them. On one of his trips he meets Lilah, a girl who dresses up as a guy with a dream to become a pirate. It's fabulous.

The vanishing throne by Elizabeth May.
The falconer blew me away and I loved this sequel even more.  The author even gets away with something that could have turned into a cliched mess.

The steep & thorny way by Cat Winters.
This author is on my auto-buy list for a reason: she knows how to craft good characters. All her female protagonists are strong in their own way. In this Hamlet inspired book, we see the story of Hanalee and how she lives in a time where the KKK is coming up.

Ruined by Amy Tintera.
There were definitely things in this book that made me think I should not love it as much as I do, but it has stolen my heart. Emelina was ruthless, I liked the hate-to-love romance and the ending was brutal.

Ink and bone by Rachel Caine.
Last but not least, this book about a time where the library from Alexandria did not burn down. Owning certain books is a crime. Jess used to be a book smuggler, but he is now in the competition to become a scholar for the Library.

Have you read any of these books and did you love them as much as I do?

Review 255. Jodi Meadows – The mirror king.

Title: The mirror king.
Author:  Jodi Meadows.
Pages:  554.
Published: April 5th 2016 by Katherine Tegen Book.
Sort: Final book in The orphan queen duology.
Source: I received an ARC copy from HarperCollinsINT.
 

Wilhelmina has a hundred enemies. HER FRIENDS HAVE TURNED. After her identity is revealed during the Inundation, Princess Wilhelmina is kept prisoner by the Indigo Kingdom, with the Ospreys lost somewhere in the devastated city. When the Ospreys’ leader emerges at the worst possible moment, leaving Wil’s biggest ally on his deathbed, she must become Black Knife to set things right. HER MAGIC IS UNCONTROLLABLE. Wil’s power is to animate, not to give true life, but in the wraithland she commanded a cloud of wraith mist to save herself, and later ordered it solid. Now there is a living boy made of wraith—destructive and deadly, and willing to do anything for her. HER HEART IS TORN. Though she’s ready for her crown, declaring herself queen means war. Caught between what she wants and what is right, Wilhelmina realizes the throne might not even matter. Everyone thought the wraith was years off, but already it’s destroying Indigo Kingdom villages. If she can’t protect both kingdoms, soon there won’t be a land to rule.

Rating:

This, my friends, is how you write a sequel and I love that Meadows decided to go with a duology, which fits with the story and how it all ended. She made me fall in love with every character, because they are all complex and they all have their own motivations. I also really appreciate how she gave everyone a hard time. There are no rainbows and butterflies in this story, I can tell you that.

There are no spoilers for the first book.