ARC REVIEW: THE HIDDEN TWIN by Adi Rule

THE HIDDEN TWIN

Summary:
For eighteen years a girl with no name, a Redwing, has been hidden away in a small attic room within a city of hissing pipes and curving temples perched on the side of the great volcano, Mol, while her sister, Jey-identical except for her eyes-has lived her life in public as an only child. Their father had hoped the hidden girl would one day grow up to be a normal human girl and not the wicked creature mythology has promised, so he secretly spared her life as an infant.

But when she switches places with her sister, striking up a flirtation with the son of the Empress while working in the royal gardens and gets attacks by two suspicious priests on her journey home, she is forced to call forth fire to protect herself, unleashing her previously dormant powers and letting her secret out. She soon catches the attention of a cult with a thousand year old grudge as well as a group of underground rebels, both seeking her for their own gain. But when her sister goes missing and the Redwing uncovers a great plot to awaken Mol and bring fiery destruction upon them all, she is forced to embrace her powers.

In Adi Rule's new novel, The Hidden Twin, the girl with no name, must choose a name and a path for herself, drawing a line between myth and history to prove herself more than a monster if she is to save both her sister and her home.

Title: THE HIDDEN TWIN

Author: Adi Rule

Source: eARC via the Publisher

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Publication Date: March 22, 2016

Rating: 2.5 stars

Purchase:

Amazon | Chapters | TBD

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This one started off really confusing but ended up being pretty good. I think the mythology was good here but left some to be desired. I think we learned too little at the beginning that didn't really make sense and then once we actually saw it play out I understood it. The issue I had is that it felt like the author tried to make it sound much more poetic than it had to be and it ended up being more confusing than interesting. I spent a good chunk of the book being confused tbh.

REVIEW: A GATHERING OF SHADOWS by V.E. Schwab

A GATHERING OF SHADOWS

Summary:
It has been four months since a mysterious obsidian stone fell into Kell's possession. Four months since his path crossed with Delilah Bard. Four months since Prince Rhy was wounded, and since the nefarious Dane twins of White London fell, and four months since the stone was cast with Holland's dying body through the rift – back into Black London.

Now, restless after having given up his smuggling habit, Kell is visited by dreams of ominous magical events, waking only to think of Lila, who disappeared from the docks as she always meant to do. As Red London finalizes preparations for the Element Games – an extravagant international competition of magic meant to entertain and keep healthy the ties between neighboring countries – a certain pirate ship draws closer, carrying old friends back into port.

And while Red London is caught up in the pageantry and thrills of the Games, another London is coming back to life. After all, a shadow that was gone in the night will reappear in the morning. But the balance of magic is ever perilous, and for one city to flourish, another London must fall.

Title: A GATHERING OF SHADOWS

Author: V.E. Schwab

Series: A Darker Shade of Magic #2

Source: Purchased from Amazon

Publisher: Tor Books

Publication Date: February 23, 2016

Rating: 4.5 stars

Purchase:

Amazon | Chapters | TBD

This is the second book in the series! See my review of A DARKER SHADE OF MAGIC to get caught up on what I think about this series!

I loved A DARKER SHADE OF MAGIC (and everything else V.E. Schwab has written) so I went into this one with high hopes and it delivered. I thought that this was a good sequel, but also felt like a sequel, and that cliffhanger was just rude.

ARC REVIEW: THIEF OF LIES by Brenda Drake

Title: THIEF OF LIES

Summary: 
Gia Kearns would rather fight with boys than kiss them. That is, until Arik, a leather clad hottie in the Boston Athenaeum, suddenly disappears. While examining the book of world libraries he abandoned, Gia unwittingly speaks the key that sucks her and her friends into a photograph and transports them into a Paris library, where Arik and his Sentinels—magical knights charged with protecting humans from the creatures traveling across the gateway books—rescue them from a demonic hound.

Jumping into some of the world's most beautiful libraries would be a dream come true for Gia, if she weren’t busy resisting her heart or dodging an exiled wizard seeking revenge on both the Mystik and human worlds. Add a French flirt obsessed with Arik and a fling with a young wizard, and Gia must choose between her heart and her head, between Arik's world and her own, before both are destroyed.

Author: Brenda Drake
Series: Library Jumpers #1
Source: eARC via the Publisher
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Publication Date: January 5, 2016
Rating: 2.5/5 stars

Purchase:

Amazon | Chapters | TBD

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
 
I am actually sad to be writing this review right now because I wanted to love THIEF OF LIES because it sounded as though it had the makings to be a wonderful book. Alas, it fell short. It was more about the "sexy" than about the plot and I found myself wishing to be done the novel rather than enjoying reading it.

This book had so much potential, in my opinion. The plot is well thought out and I didn't mind that it was similar to others before because obviously I enjoyed those novels, so I would have enjoyed this one too. Except I didn't. Because I had to listen to Gia call Arik "sexy" about a billion times. It was so out of the blue and not the Gia that is described in the summary that I almost DNF-ed the book after the first "sexy" to be honest.

And this review is going to focus on the horrible romance instead of the plot. Why, you may ask? Because the book also focused on the romance instead of the plot. It was so romance heavy that I almost missed that there was an actual bad guy in the story and not just "hot" Veronique being the bad guy for making googly eyes at Arik. But the worst part about it is that the bad guy and his motives and the prophecy and all that were the best parts of this novel. They were so much stronger than "forbidden love" and "hot wizard betrothal" that I savoured the couple of paragraphs we got about the evil and the training, even though a lot of it felt like a history lesson nobody asked for.

I really, really, really wanted to like this one. I wanted to be enthralled by the libraries that we went to (which was minimal, tbh) and I wanted to be swept up in a fantasy world (also minimal) and even swept up in a background romance (not this blech we got). But none of that happened. It just felt like a bit of a waste to me. There was such intricate world building that was used solely for the purpose of a forbidden romance that most likely won't be forbidden by the end of the series.

ARC REVIEW: THESE VICIOUS MASKS by Tarun Shanker and Kelly Zekas

THESE VICIOUS MASKS by Tarun Shanker and Kelly Zekas

Summary:
Jane Austen meets X-­Men in this gripping and adventure-­filled paranormal romance set in Victorian London.

England, 1882. Evelyn is bored with society and its expectations. So when her beloved sister, Rose, mysteriously vanishes, she ignores her parents and travels to London to find her, accompanied by the dashing Mr. Kent. But they’re not the only ones looking for Rose. The reclusive, young gentleman Sebastian Braddock is also searching for her, claiming that both sisters have special healing powers. Evelyn is convinced that Sebastian must be mad, until she discovers that his strange tales of extraordinary people are true—and that her sister is in graver danger than she feared.

Title: THESE VICIOUS MASKS

Authors:Tarun Shanker and Kelly Zekas

Source: eARC via the Publisher

Publisher: Swoon Reads

Publication Date: February 9, 2016

Rating: 4/5 stars

Purchase:

Amazon | Chapters | TBD

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
 
So I really enjoyed this one. I love anything that resembles Jane Austen because Jane Austen is my homegirl (I wonder how she would feel about being called that). And I mean my phone case has a picture of Kitty Pryde on it so I think we all know that I love the X-Men. And that is what really sold me to even try this one out was the tagline that it is Jane Austen meets X-Men. And it does deliver on that front. But there is something almost missing from this one for me.

REVIEW: A DARKER SHADE OF MAGIC by V.E. Schwab

A DARKER SHADE OF MAGIC by V.E. Schwab

Summary:
Kell is one of the last Travelers—rare magicians who choose a parallel universe to visit.

Grey London is dirty, boring, lacks magic, ruled by mad King George. Red London is where life and magic are revered, and the Maresh Dynasty presides over a flourishing empire. White London is ruled by whoever has murdered their way to the throne. People fight to control magic, and the magic fights back, draining the city to its very bones. Once there was Black London—but no one speaks of that now.

Officially, Kell is the Red Traveler, personal ambassador and adopted Prince of Red London, carrying the monthly correspondences between royals of each London. Unofficially, Kell smuggles for those willing to pay for even a glimpse of a world they’ll never see. This dangerous hobby sets him up for accidental treason. Fleeing into Grey London, Kell runs afoul of Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She robs him, saves him from a dangerous enemy, then forces him to another world for her 'proper adventure'.

But perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, Kell and Lila will first need to stay alive—trickier than they hoped.

Title: A Darker Shade of Magic

Author: V.E. Schwab

Series: A Darker Shade of Magic #1

Source: Purchased from BookOutlet

Publisher: Tor Books

Publication Date: February 24, 2015

Rating: 5/5 stars

Purchase:

Amazon | Chapters | TBD

A Darker Shade of Magic has that unique kind of ability where it pulls you in and keeps you on the edge of the seat for the entire time and leaves you wanting more once it's finished. The magic system is one of the best I have read in a long time and if anyone asks me for a fantasy recommendation, this will be the first one off my tongue. Can February come a little faster so I can have A Gathering of Shadows, please and thank you?

Waiting on Wednesday: BURNING GLASS by Kathryn Purdie

This week's book that I am waiting on is one that I am super excited for. I feel like I talk about this one constantly (at least to my parents. I'm trying to hint at them to buy me a preorder for Christmas)...

BURNING GLASS BY KATHRYN PURDIE

Title: BURNING GLASS

Author: Kathryn Purdie

Publication Date: March 1, 2016

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Waiting on Wednesday: FROZEN TIDES by Morgan Rhodes

This week's Waiting on Wednesday is one that I have been excited for for a while...

FROZEN TIDES by Morgan Rhodes

Summary:
Rebels, royals, and monsters wage war over the Mytican throne in the shocking fourth book of the Falling Kingdoms series, from New York Times bestselling author Morgan Rhodes.

CLEO: Reeling after a bloody showdown in Limeros ending with Amara’s abduction of the water crystal, and a vacancy in the Mytican throne, Princess Cleo must cast aside her feelings and look toward her kingdom with the eyes of a Queen.

MAGNUS: With the kingdom in chaos, Princess Lucia still missing and quite possibly in danger, and a shocking realization about Cleo, the steely prince is once again torn between love and duty, leaving him wondering whether he’s strong enough to rule his people.

LUCIA: The young sorcercess has had her vengeance after the cruel death of her first and only love. Heartbroken and unable to trust anyone, she allies with the awoken Fire god, who also seeks revenge.

JONAS: After escaping death by the skin of his teeth, the defeated rebel—along with a mysterious stranger–leader reunites with Princess Cleo, only to find himself a mere pawn in a dangerous hunt for the elusive Kindred.

KING GAIUS: Abandoned by Melenia and betrayed by his own children, Gaius flees Mytica and sails to Kraeshia, where he attempts to ally with the famously brutal emperor across the Silver Sea.

Title: Frozen Tides
Author: Morgan Rhodes
Series: Falling Kingdoms #4

Publication Date: December 15, 2015

Publisher: Razorbill

Purchase:
Amazon | Chapters | TBD

This series is freaking amazing and I am so excited for the next installment! I was lucky enough to meet Morgan Rhodes at an event in September and I know just from hearing her speak that this book is going to blow our collective minds. Make sure you check this one out when it drops in December! (Right around Christmas time, I see you marketing peeps)

REVIEW: FALLING KINGDOMS by Morgan Rhodes

Summary:
In the three kingdoms of Mytica, magic has long been forgotten. And while hard-won peace has reigned for centuries, a deadly unrest now simmers below the surface.

As the rulers of each kingdom grapple for power, the lives of their subjects are brutally transformed... and four key players, royals and rebels alike, find their fates forever intertwined. Cleo, Jonas, Lucia, and Magnus are caught in a dizzying world of treacherous betrayals, shocking murders, secret alliances, and even unforeseen love.

The only outcome that's certain is that kingdoms will fall. Who will emerge triumphant when all they know has collapsed?

It's the eve of war.... Choose your side.

Princess: Raised in pampered luxury, Cleo must now embark on a rough and treacherous journey into enemy territory in search of magic long thought extinct.

Rebel: Jonas, enraged at injustice, lashes out against the forces of oppression that have kept his country cruelly impoverished. To his shock, he finds himself the leader of a people's revolution centuries in the making.

Sorceress: Lucia, adopted at birth into the royal family, discovers the truth about her past—and the supernatural legacy she is destined to wield.

Heir: Bred for aggression and trained to conquer, firstborn son Magnus begins to realise that the heart can be more lethal than the sword...

Author: Morgan Rhodes

Series: Falling Kingdoms #1

Source: Owned (Won a Signed Copy; Purchased a copy from Kobo)

Publisher: Razorbill

Publication Date: December 11, 2012

Rating: 3.5/5

Purchase:

Amazon | Chapters | TBD

This is ASoIaF for YA and I loved it so much. It had so much intrigue and was clearly well thought out. I was loving every second of it...ish. I liked the pacing, I thought that enough time had passed between point of views that it made sense while still ensuring that the reader knew what was happening. I liked that time passage was done by switching povs because it didn't feel like it was dragging then.

I liked that this didn't feel like a "First Book" where characters get introduced -- and that's it. Things happened, events occurred. The characters started off one way and grew and changed into someone new throughout this book. It didn't take them too long to do so, but it also felt natural. This book is very heavily character driven (which I love) but it still had really good world building and plot development too. I also really loved that there was such high stakes! You get this huge cast of characters in the beginning and I was overwhelmed, but tbh people die. So you can cross those names off all the time.

So onto those lovely characters...

DOUBLE REVIEW: THE GATEWAY SERIES by Heather Marie

Summary:

To seventeen-year-old Aiden Ortiz, letting the dead walk through his body to reach the other side comes with the territory. Being a Gateway isn’t an easy job, but someone’s gotta send Bleeders where they belong. Heaven. Salvation. Call it whatever you want. Dead is dead. But when his search for Koren Banks––the girl who went mysteriously missing seven months ago––leaves him with more questions than answers, he finds himself involved in something far more sinister and beyond his control. 

With the threat of the Dark Priest's resurrection, and his plan to summon his demon brothers from hell, Aiden is left to discover his identity before the Dark Priest's curse infecting his blood consumes him, and before the world as he knows it succumbs to the darkness of hell on earth.

Title: THE GATEWAY THROUGH WHICH THEY CAME

Author: Heather Marie

Series: The Gateway Through Which They Came #1

Source: Digital Copy via the Publisher

Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press

Publication Date: August 25, 2014

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Purchase:
Amazon

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book via the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

"I think I've had my fair share of what the fucks for a while."

REVIEW: NOBODY'S GODDESS by Amy McNuity

Summary:
In a village of masked men, magic compels each man to love only one woman and to follow the commands of his “goddess” without question. A woman may reject the only man who will love her if she pleases, but she will be alone forever. And a man must stay masked until his goddess returns his love—and if she can’t or won’t, he remains masked forever.

Seventeen-year-old Noll isn't in the mood to celebrate. Her childhood friends have paired off and her closest companion, Jurij, found his goddess in Noll’s own sister. Desperate to find a way to break this ancient spell, Noll instead discovers why no man has ever chosen her.

Thus begins a dangerous game between the choice of woman versus the magic of man. And the stakes are no less than freedom and happiness, life and death—and neither is willing to lose.

  

Title: Nobody's Goddess

Author: Amy McNuity
Series: Never Veil #1
Source: Owned (Purhcased from Kobo)
Publisher: Month9Books
Publication Date: April 21, 2015

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Purchase:

Amazon | TBD

"But that was fine. I could live without love. I'd accepted that by now. I wasn't sure I could live without freedom."

I really enjoyed this one. I am super glad that I joined in on the Waiting On 2016 Twitter Chat because without it I might not have heard about -- or read -- this book. It was something so unique and different that I found myself really enthralled with the story. To the point that I almost had to blink myself out of a daze when I finished. 

One thing that was huge and well done was the world building. There could have been a bit more throughout the novel, instead of the majority of it in the last couple of chapters, but I still really enjoyed it. I thought it was extremely well done and I was so intrigued with the story and the world. At first I was ehh about the fact that women had so much power over men because while it is great I wasn't happy about the fact they literally died if they saw a woman's face.

I understood why things happened the way they did at the end and I did enjoy how it all came full circle. I just thought a bit of the alternate/past world was a little rushed and not as thoroughly developed as I would have liked. I thought for the amount of time that Noll spent in this world she too much happened too quickly without a real explanation or warranting it to actually occur. 

That's my only real complaint, though. I thought the characters were all well developed and I liked that Noll really came to realize this, especially during her speech at the end. I thought it was a pretty perfect ending and I'm glad that it wasn't wrapped up with a neat little bow to make an actual "happy, perfect" ending, if you know what I mean. There are unresolved issues and tensions and I think it is exactly what this book needed. People need to realize that making a choice doesn't exempt you from the consequences.

I have some status updates on GR but they are spoiler filled so don't read them. I thought it was really well written but some parts of it were jarring. I did like the conclusion though and I am excited to see where this story is heading.

ARC REVIEW: SHATTERED BLUE by Lauren Bird Horowitz

Summary: For Noa and Callum, being together is dangerous, even deadly. From the start, sixteen-year-old Noa senses that the mysterious transfer student to her Monterey boarding school is different. Callum unnerves and intrigues her, and even as she struggles through family tragedy, she’s irresistibly drawn to him. Soon they are bound by his deepest secret: Callum is Fae, banished from another world after a loss hauntingly similar to her own.

But in Noa’s world, Callum needs a special human energy, Light, to survive; his body steals it through touch—or a kiss. And Callum’s not the only Fae on the hunt. When Callum is taken, Noa must decide: Will she sacrifice everything to save him? Even if it means learning their love may not be what she thought?

Title: Shattered Blue

Author: Lauren Bird Horowitz

Series: The Light Trilogy

Publisher: Skyscrape

Publication Date: September 15, 2015

Rating: 4/5 stars

Purchase:

Amazon | Chapters | TBD

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

Okay I'm not going to lie, I was a little skeptical when I first starting reading this one. It didn't really mesh with me for the first 47% and I almost DNFed it at that point, but I am so glad I didn't. This one is slow to start and to build up but once you get past the halfway point it is so good. I couldn't put it down. I was enthralled in the story and couldn't stand that I was reading it "slow". (It took me 2.5 hours to read the whole thing, including my nap of 45 minutes)

So this one would be 5/5 stars if I was chill with the first half of the book, but alas I was not. I wasn't a fan of the whole "I'm not good for you" speech by Callum. It was too Twilight-y for me. And I didn't like that Noa knew something was off and was like "whatevs I still want to be with you. Tell me your secrets!!!" I didn't click with that. I think that is part of what I didn't like of some other paranormal romance series I've read.

It was definitely instalove between Noa and Callum and I found myself not really caring for their romance. I also didn't like that there was a love triangle. But Juddah is where it's at. I really liked him as a character because he felt like he was more real and complex than Callum. I thought Callum was kind of flat and dull and I do not care about him. I also totally knew why something didn't happen even though Noa was thinking about it. I hope that was vague enough and doesn't spoil anything. 

The mythology around the Fae was immaculately written. It was honestly the best part of the entire story. There was so much depth and explanation and while there was one big info dump, we got a lot of it from the different interactions with the Fae and the actual story progression. It was just wonderful. If you are a fan of Faes (like my co-blogger Nicola is) you should definitely check this one out!  

I think that's all I want to say. I really liked this one and recommend it. Make sure you check it out when it's published in a couple weeks! (Two days before my bday!)

QotB Recommends: FANTASY BOOKS

So you are thinking about making the move into reading Fantasy novels but don't know where to go? I've got you covered! Not that I'm a certified expert, but I do have to say I have read a lot of fantasy novels (and own a lot -- enough to fill a bookcase and a half). I'm going to do this in three separate lists. Basics, Further Study, Back of the Bookshelf. 

"But Jamie, how do you define these?" you're asking. Well I do have an answer for that:
Basics are the books that are fantasy lite; they will help transition you into the genre and give you an understanding of the tropes/types of things you will see in most Fantasy novels. 

Further Study are the books/series that are heavier on the world building and character development; they are typically trilogies or short sagas so they won't fill up your shelves, just your hearts with love.

Back of the Bookshelf are the epic sagas that go so much deeper than world building. I have tried to make these ones the epic fantasies and the long sagas, but it also includes some books that are not as mainstream.

I'm going to limit each list to five books (or series) per list to not overcrowd you but if you want more let me know: I'm always good to rec a book. I am also going to ONLY place books on here that I have read and can actually recommend that you read -- I'm not a fan of recommending books I haven't read in case I categorize it wrong and/or don't like it because I wouldn't want you to read a book I didn't like. 

I also have no real logic or system behind this other than the fact that I think some of them are easier to read and get into than others. In a sense, you have to be almost "seasoned" to read some of the books on the second and third shelves -- mostly because then you can see the tropes and understand why an author did something or said something a certain way, or even understand some of the mythology or varying uses of magic ahead of time. A lot of reading Fantasy to me is trial and error and finding your niche. 

I tried to cover a wide spectrum of the genre so everyone could (hopefully) find something they want to read, but if you read all the summaries and think "NOPE" let me know and maybe I can find something more tailored to your Fantasy needs.