Review: As She Ascends

Title: As She Ascends
Author: Jodi Meadows
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Release Date: September 11, 2018

MIRA, THE HOPEBEARER
Mira Minkoba is on the run with her friends after a fiery escape from the Pit, where she’d been imprisoned for defending the dragons she loves. And she wants answers. Where have all the dragons been taken? Why are powerful noorestones being shipped to the mainland? And did the treaty she’s been defending her whole life truly sell out the Fallen Isles to their enemies?

MIRA, THE DRAGONHEARTED
As her connection to the dragons—and their power—grows stronger, so does Mira’s fear that she might lose control and hurt someone she loves. But the only way to find the truth is to go home again, to Damina, to face the people who betrayed her and the parents she’s not sure she can trust.

Home, where she must rise above her fears. Or be consumed.

The second page-turning novel in Jodi Meadows’ Fallen Isles trilogy scorches with mysterious magic and riveting romance as one girl kindles a spark into a flame.

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Blog Tour | Character Interview | Mira Minkoba + Giveaway!

About the series

ACCESSIBLE YA FANTASY AT ITS BEST: The stakes are even higher in the second book in this epic fantasy trilogy, which is complete with a romance to root for, deadly games of deceit and betrayal, and a fiercely imagined world that keeps you guessing until the explosive ending.

COMPLEX FEMALE PROTAGONIST: Facing crippling anxiety and compulsive counting along with her dire circumstances, Mira is a compellingly flawed and refreshingly unique fantasy protagonist.

DEVOTED TO DIVERSITY: Writing inclusive books has always been important to Jodi, and the Fallen Isles series is no exception, with characters of many different backgrounds represented on the page.

Be sure to read all through to learn about the giveaway!

Title: As She Ascends

Author: Jodi Meadows

Publisher: Katherine Tegen

Release Date: September 11, 2018

MIRA, THE HOPEBEARER

Mira Minkoba is on the run with her friends after a fiery escape from the Pit, where she’d been imprisoned for defending the dragons she loves. And she wants answers. Where have all the dragons been taken? Why are powerful noorestones being shipped to the mainland? And did the treaty she’s been defending her whole life truly sell out the Fallen Isles to their enemies?

MIRA, THE DRAGONHEARTED

As her connection to the dragons—and their power—grows stronger, so does Mira’s fear that she might lose control and hurt someone she loves. But the only way to find the truth is to go home again, to Damina, to face the people who betrayed her and the parents she’s not sure she can trust.Home, where she must rise above her fears. Or be consumed.The second page-turning novel in Jodi Meadows’ Fallen Isles trilogy scorches with mysterious magic and riveting romance as one girl kindles a spark into a flame.

Amazon|B&N|BAM|Chapters|HarperCollins|IndieBound|Kobo|One More Page|TBD|Waterstones

Review: Smoke and Iron

Title: Smoke and Iron
Author: Rachel Caine
Publisher: Berkley Books
Release Date: July 3, 2018

The opening moves of a deadly game have begun. Jess Brightwell has put himself in direct peril, with only his wits and skill to aid him in a game of cat and mouse with the Archivist Magister of the Great Library. With the world catching fire, and words printed on paper the spark that lights rebellion, it falls to smugglers, thieves, and scholars to save a library thousands of years in the making...if they can stay alive long enough to outwit their enemies.

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Review: One Small Thing

Title: One Small Thing
Author: Erin Watt
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: June 26, 2018

Beth’s life hasn’t been the same since her sister died. Her parents try to lock her down, believing they can keep her safe by monitoring her every move. When Beth sneaks out to a party one night and meets the new guy in town, Chase, she’s thrilled to make a secret friend. It seems a small thing, just for her.

Only Beth doesn’t know how big her secret really is…

Fresh out of juvie and determined to start his life over, Chase has demons to face and much to atone for, including his part in the night Beth’s sister died. Beth, who has more reason than anyone to despise him, is willing to give him a second chance. A forbidden romance is the last thing either of them planned for senior year, but the more time they spend together, the deeper their feelings get.

Now Beth has a choice to make—follow the rules, or risk tearing everything apart…again.

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Blog Tour Q/A: Star-Touched Stories by Roshani Chokshi

Guess what! The Star-Touched Stories, by Roshani Chokshi is out now. If you loved The Star-Touched Queen and A Crown of Wishes, you'll definitely want to complete your collection and read these three stories.

Check out below for a Q&A with the author!

Title: Star-Touched Stories

Author: Roshani Chokshi

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Release Date: August 7, 2014

Death and Night
He was Lord of Death, cursed never to love. She was Night incarnate, destined to stay alone. After a chance meeting, they wonder if, perhaps, they could be meant for more. But danger crouches in their paths, and the choices they make will set them on a journey that will span lifetimes.

Poison and Gold
Now that her wish for a choice has come true, Aasha struggles to control her powers. But when an opportunity to help Gauri and Vikram's new reign presents itself, she will have to battle her insecurities and maybe, along the way, find love.

Rose and Sword
There is a tale whispered in the dark of the Empire of Bharat-Jain. A tale of a bride who loses her bridegroom on the eve of her wedding. But is it a tale or a truth?

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Review: A Poison Dark and Drowning

Title: A Poison Dark and Drowning
Author: Jessica Cluess
Publisher: Random House BFYR
Release Date: September 19, 2017

The magicians want her to lead. The sorcerers want her to lie. The demons want her blood. Henrietta wants to save the one she loves. But will his dark magic be her undoing?

Henrietta doesn’t need a prophecy to know that she’s in danger. She came to London to be named the chosen one, the first female sorcerer in centuries, the one who would defeat the bloodthirsty Ancients. Instead, she discovered a city ruled by secrets. And the biggest secret of all: Henrietta is not the chosen one.

Still, she must play the role in order to keep herself and Rook, her best friend and childhood love, safe. But can she truly save him? The poison in Rook’s system is transforming him into something monstrous as he begins to master dark powers of his own.

So when Henrietta finds a clue to the Ancients’ past that could turn the tide of the war, she persuades Blackwood, the mysterious Earl of Sorrow-Fell, to travel up the coast to seek out strange new weapons. And Magnus, the brave, reckless flirt who wants to win back her favor, is assigned to their mission. Together, they will face monsters, meet powerful new allies, and uncover the most devastating weapon of all: the truth.

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Audiobook Review: Nyxia Unleashed

Title: Nyxia Unleashed
Author: Scott Reintgen
Publisher: Crown BFYR
Release Date: July 17, 2018

Emmett Atwater thought Babel’s game sounded easy. Get points. Get paid. Go home. But it didn’t take long for him to learn that Babel’s competition was full of broken promises, none darker or more damaging than the last one.

Now Emmett and the rest of the Genesis survivors must rally and forge their own path through a new world. Their mission from Babel is simple: extract nyxia, the most valuable material in the universe, and play nice with the indigenous Adamite population.

But Emmett and the others quickly realize they are caught between two powerful forces—Babel and the Adamites—with clashing desires. Will the Genesis team make it out alive before it’s too late?

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Review: A Curse So Dark And Lonely

Title: A Curse So Dark And Lonely
Author: Brigid Kemmerer
Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's
Release Date: January 29, 2019

Fall in love, break the curse.

It once seemed so easy to Prince Rhen, the heir to Emberfall. Cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year over and over, he knew he could be saved if a girl fell for him. But that was before he learned that at the end of each autumn, he would turn into a vicious beast hell-bent on destruction. That was before he destroyed his castle, his family, and every last shred of hope.

Nothing has ever been easy for Harper Lacy. With her father long gone, her mother dying, and her brother barely holding their family together while constantly underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy, she learned to be tough enough to survive. But when she tries to save someone else on the streets of Washington, DC, she’s instead somehow sucked into Rhen’s cursed world.

Break the curse, save the kingdom.

A prince? A monster? A curse? Harper doesn’t know where she is or what to believe. But as she spends time with Rhen in this enchanted land, she begins to understand what’s at stake. And as Rhen realizes Harper is not just another girl to charm, his hope comes flooding back. But powerful forces are standing against Emberfall . . . and it will take more than a broken curse to save Harper, Rhen, and his people from utter ruin.

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Review: The Wicked King

Title: The Wicked King
Author: Holly Black
Publisher: Little Brown BFYR
Release Date: January 8, 2019

The enchanting and bloodthirsty sequel to the New York Times bestselling novel The Cruel Prince.
You must be strong enough to strike and strike and strike again without tiring.

The first lesson is to make yourself strong.

After the jaw-dropping revelation that Oak is the heir to Faerie, Jude must keep her younger brother safe. To do so, she has bound the wicked king, Cardan, to her, and made herself the power behind the throne. Navigating the constantly shifting political alliances of Faerie would be difficult enough if Cardan were easy to control. But he does everything in his power to humiliate and undermine her even as his fascination with her remains undiminished.

When it becomes all too clear that someone close to Jude means to betray her, threatening her own life and the lives of everyone she loves, Jude must uncover the traitor and fight her own complicated feelings for Cardan to maintain control as a mortal in a Faerie world.

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Review: Muse of Nightmares

Title: Muse of Nightmares
Author: Laini Taylor
Publisher: Little Brown BFYR
Release Date: October 2, 2018

In the wake of tragedy, neither Lazlo nor Sarai are who they were before. One a god, the other a ghost, they struggle to grasp the new boundaries of their selves as dark-minded Minya holds them hostage, intent on vengeance against Weep.

Lazlo faces an unthinkable choice—save the woman he loves, or everyone else?—while Sarai feels more helpless than ever. But is she? Sometimes, only the direst need can teach us our own depths, and Sarai, the muse of nightmares, has not yet discovered what she's capable of.

As humans and godspawn reel in the aftermath of the citadel's near fall, a new foe shatters their fragile hopes, and the mysteries of the Mesarthim are resurrected: Where did the gods come from, and why? What was done with thousands of children born in the citadel nursery? And most important of all, as forgotten doors are opened and new worlds revealed: Must heroes always slay monsters, or is it possible to save them instead?

Love and hate, revenge and redemption, destruction and salvation all clash in this gorgeous sequel to the New York Timesbestseller, Strange the Dreamer.

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Quick update

Yep, it's that time.

I'm still on a quick hiatus as I try to get some reviews ready to go and figure out what else to post. Mainly because I'm so busy with life that I don't even know what's going on with this blog.

Don't worry, I'll be back very soon. I'm reading and writing reviews. And I'm figuring out what other things to post. It will just be like another week or so before things get back to normal!

Impromptu Hiatus, Whoops!

I know this keeps happening, but I'm sorry!

Between having a full time job and a full time business, it's really tough to keep up. I am trying though!

As far as the business goes, I'm less busy this weekend than I usually am, so I'm taking that time to get ahead on orders. So I'll be able hopefully get back to reading, because I'm behind. As always.

Also on the agenda is ALAAC in NOLA! Omg I'm so excited! Is anyone else going? My sister and I are going together, and I cannot wait. If you're going let me know and we will probably run into each other. I know Tracy from Cornerfolds (aka my business partner) is going. And I've heard Amber from DuLivre is also going, so maybe I will see you there too!

Other news on the horizon...

My friend Erin in Houston is moving and couldn't take her cat with her. She looked for weeks for a home for him and couldn't find one. The shelters are all still full from Hurricane Harvey, plus it's kitten season. And so, because my heart was breaking, I offered to take Kaz from her. I'm picking him up at the airport tomorrow.

I cannot keep him, as my cats are all declawed (I don't want to hear the "don't declaw your cats" argument. I agree with you people. But declawed cats still need homes and I adopted them declawed, so leave it.), and Kaz is not. It wouldn't be fair to them, as if they got in a fight they couldn't defend themselves. But I have multiple homes lined up for him.

I think thats pretty much it for what's going on! I'm gonna try to get back to things on here.

Review: Furyborn

Title: Furyborn

Author: Claire Legrand

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Release Date: May 22, 2018

When assassins ambush her best friend, the crown prince, Rielle Dardenne risks everything to save him, exposing her ability to perform all seven kinds of elemental magic. The only people who should possess this extraordinary power are a pair of prophesied queens: a queen of light and salvation and a queen of blood and destruction. To prove she is the Sun Queen, Rielle must endure seven trials to test her magic. If she fails, she will be executed...unless the trials kill her first.

A thousand years later, the legend of Queen Rielle is a mere fairy tale to bounty hunter Eliana Ferracora. When the Undying Empire conquered her kingdom, she embraced violence to keep her family alive. Now, she believes herself untouchable--until her mother vanishes without a trace, along with countless other women in their city. To find her, Eliana joins a rebel captain on a dangerous mission and discovers that the evil at the heart of the empire is more terrible than she ever imagined.

As Rielle and Eliana fight in a cosmic war that spans millennia, their stories intersect, and the shocking connections between them ultimately determine the fate of their world--and of each other.

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Writing Journey - Part 3

In the wake of rejection, I decided to get working on another project to distract myself. 

Now, in case you are unaware, I'm a pantser. Terrible pantser. I've tried planning and it did not work out well, so I will continue what seems to work for me.

That said, I tried to go and write in my gender-swapped Cinderella retelling, and got basically a few sentences. Okay, better than nothing, right? But I'm just not feeling it. I don't know how to approach the story, even though I have plot ideas in my head. So I decided to put it on the backburner again.

Now, the shiniest unfinished project I have is Thorn of Dreams. This was what I was writing for Nanowrimo a few years ago. The reason I stopped? I realized I needed to do more research than I can conceivably do at the moment. I could read plenty of books and online articles, but this is a book that's based in Icelandic culture, and I really feel I should take a trip to Iceland to truly experience it. Sadly, this is something I cannot afford currently.

So of course, that one has stayed on the backburner, much as I want to write about creatures that are the living embodiment of nightmares.

This brings me to a conundrum. Do I write something new? I haven't had much time to think about stories lately, so I don't have any new ideas that I've not started floating around yet (oh but I will soon, just not at the moment. They always come, just when I least expect them). So no, I won't start something new since I've got many already started projects.

But what then?

Well, I have three projects that I wrote a while ago that could definitely use some sprucing up. One is particularly bad, but I'm going to ignore it for the foreseeable future, because dystopia. Lol. And so I have decided to do a full rewrite of Iron Curse.

You may remember this as a) the first book I submitted on Swoon Reads and/or b) the second book I ever finished. Once I'm done with this rewrite (and let's face it, there's plenty I'm going to keep. I've just grown as a writer, so I'd like it to be better), I'll likely begin revising Crash Story. 

Oh my gosh, so much to do! Are you working on a big writing project? 

Review: Caraval

Title: Caraval

Author: Stephanie Garber

Publisher: Flatiron Books

Release Date: January 31, 2017

Scarlett Dragna has never left the tiny island where she and her sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval—the faraway, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show—are over.

But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt-of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.

Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. Nevertheless she becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic. And whether Caraval is real or not, Scarlett must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over or a dangerous domino effect of consequences will be set off, and her beloved sister will disappear forever.

Welcome, welcome to Caraval…beware of getting swept too far away.

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Cover Reveal: Flirt

Hello all! Today I have for you a cover reveal for Flirt by M.L. Sparrow. This is the second book in the What Happens on Campus series, a NA romance (which duh, I love!). It's out on July 27, and I cannot wait!

~Synopsis~

Flirting never hurt...

Forced to give up her promising gymnastics career due to a devastating injury, Riley Murphy decides to join her twin sister at St Joseph’s University in Texas. Finding a best friend in her roommate, Chloe, she nonetheless finds herself going off the rails as she indulges in drugs, alcohol and boys. However, playing quickly turns into something she can’t control… Too ashamed to confide in her friends or family, and with a boyfriend who does nothing but feed her addictions, the person she turns to is Cameron Lucas, someone she knew as a child. 

Cam’s loved Riley since he used to go to work with his mama at the Murphy estate, but she was always so far out of his liege. Now he’s beginning to realize that he never really knew her in the first place… However, that realization only deepens his feelings. But the question is, how far is he willing to go to help someone who won’t help them self? And can he discover the demons driving her to self-destruct?

Writing Journey Part 2

This seemed like a good time to post, because as I write this, I just received my first ever rejection letter to a query. 

Am I surprised at all to get a rejection letter? Not one bit. But I am surprised one came in so quickly, since I know literary agents have hundreds of queries to go through, and I only sent this one out last week. I'm honestly surprised this agent had even gotten to mine yet. Just shows what I know, right?

And that's fine, because I'm still learning. I did my research, and only sent out a few queries to test the waters. Once I get back at least one more response, I will start looking over my query again and decide what to do from there. 

In the mean time, I haven't done any writing since last week, but I have thought about some stories I've had stewing. And I have some ideas floating around. Here is when I wish I had the money to take a trip to Iceland for research, but alas, I do not. So I shall work on other projects until I can take care of that one (I really want to work on that one, but oh well).

Next up on my writing board, probably my gender-swapped Cinderella?

Review: To Kill A Kingdom

Title: To Kill A Kingdom

Author: Alexandra Christo

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Release Date: March 6, 2018

Princess Lira is siren royalty and the most lethal of them all. With the hearts of seventeen princes in her collection, she is revered across the sea. Until a twist of fate forces her to kill one of her own. To punish her daughter, the Sea Queen transforms Lira into the one thing they loathe most—a human. Robbed of her song, Lira has until the winter solstice to deliver Prince Elian’s heart to the Sea Queen or remain a human forever.

The ocean is the only place Prince Elian calls home, even though he is heir to the most powerful kingdom in the world. Hunting sirens is more than an unsavory hobby—it’s his calling. When he rescues a drowning woman in the ocean, she’s more than what she appears. She promises to help him find the key to destroying all of sirenkind for good—But can he trust her? And just how many deals will Elian have to barter to eliminate mankind’s greatest enemy?

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Writing Journey - Part 1

Hello again! I've decided to start documenting what I'm doing writing-wise.

As many of you might know, I write a lot. What you might not realize is that I haven't written anything since February of this year. Yes, it has been quite a long time. But I've had some ideas stewing now for a while, and I'm almost ready to jump back in to what I had planned.

As for what I had planned already? It's time to start querying Cloak & Dagger. I got really busy, and then I decided if I hardly had time to send an email, I shouldn't be querying. Because if by some miracle I got an agent, I'd need to have time to edit. Which I totally didn't.

But things have changed now. I do have time to edit. I have time to write. Somehow! I need to do a little less reading, but I can do it all. Read, write, make candles, go to my regular job!

So I plan (again) to try and query. Also this is another reminder that my spy fantasy romance story (Cloak & Dagger, duh) is on Swoon Reads. If you're curious, there's a link to it up top in the Extras tab.

That's it for now. Basically an introduction, and a really quick update. Next time, I might share some notes and some of the things I last wrote. Let me know what you think!

Review: The Wicked Deep

Title: The Wicked Deep

Author: Shea Ernshaw

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Release Date: March 6, 2018

Welcome to the cursed town of Sparrow…

Where, two centuries ago, three sisters were sentenced to death for witchery. Stones were tied to their ankles and they were drowned in the deep waters surrounding the town.
Now, for a brief time each summer, the sisters return, stealing the bodies of three weak-hearted girls so that they may seek their revenge, luring boys into the harbor and pulling them under.

Like many locals, seventeen-year-old Penny Talbot has accepted the fate of the town. But this year, on the eve of the sisters’ return, a boy named Bo Carter arrives; unaware of the danger he has just stumbled into.

Mistrust and lies spread quickly through the salty, rain-soaked streets. The townspeople turn against one another. Penny and Bo suspect each other of hiding secrets. And death comes swiftly to those who cannot resist the call of the sisters.

But only Penny sees what others cannot. And she will be forced to choose: save Bo, or save herself.

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Review: An Enchantment of Ravens

Title: An Enchantment of Ravens

Author: Margaret Rogerson

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Release Date: September 26, 2017

A skilled painter must stand up to the ancient power of the faerie courts—even as she falls in love with a faerie prince—in this gorgeous debut novel.

Isobel is a prodigy portrait artist with a dangerous set of clients: the sinister fair folk, immortal creatures who cannot bake bread, weave cloth, or put a pen to paper without crumbling to dust. They crave human Craft with a terrible thirst, and Isobel’s paintings are highly prized. But when she receives her first royal patron—Rook, the autumn prince—she makes a terrible mistake. She paints mortal sorrow in his eyes—a weakness that could cost him his life.

Furious and devastated, Rook spirits her away to the autumnlands to stand trial for her crime. Waylaid by the Wild Hunt’s ghostly hounds, the tainted influence of the Alder King, and hideous monsters risen from barrow mounds, Isobel and Rook depend on one another for survival. Their alliance blossoms into trust, then love—and that love violates the fair folks’ ruthless laws. Now both of their lives are forfeit, unless Isobel can use her skill as an artist to fight the fairy courts. Because secretly, her Craft represents a threat the fair folk have never faced in all the millennia of their unchanging lives: for the first time, her portraits have the power to make them feel.

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An update whoops

Dear Reader,

I apologize profusely for disappearing for... A long time. I feel an explanation is owed.

So for the past ling while, I've felt stagnated with blogging. I write reviews, and pretty much nothing else. Then in late March, things got very hectic at work. As you might be aware, I work the night shift in a lab. 

Well in late March, I was called in to work the day shift instead. I was there to get a new piece of equipment running. Which I happily did in just about a week. And then I was stuck on the day shift, being the only person who could run said equipment. Also because of this, I would work every day straight (no weekends for me). I would get to work at 6:30 in the morning and not leave until 8 in the evening (that's 20:00 for most of you people in the world).

Let's fast forward. Four weeks later, I'm finally back on my regular shift. But I'm crazy burnt out. I may have had a mental breakdown or two while at work. And a week goes by and all I want to do is read. At this point, I still haven't gone grocery shopping. In fact, I haven't been in about two months, so I'm subsisting on such food as McDonald's daily. Whoops.

The point being, I was reading and about nothing else once I finally got my schedule back to normal. My house is a wreck, I'm behind on making candles for my business, I haven't taken Instagram photos in three score days. But tonight I plan to rectify some of this. The important part for here being as follows: I'm writing some reviews tonight. They will slowly be posting over the next couple weeks. 

I'm very sorry I disappeared without a word. But I hope I'm back.

Review: Obsidio

Title: Obsidio

Author: Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

Publisher: Knopf BFYR

Release Date: March 13, 2018

Kady, Ezra, Hanna, and Nik narrowly escaped with their lives from the attacks on Heimdall station and now find themselves crammed with 2,000 refugees on the container ship, Mao. With the jump station destroyed and their resources scarce, the only option is to return to Kerenza—but who knows what they'll find seven months after the invasion?

Meanwhile, Kady's cousin, Asha, survived the initial BeiTech assault and has joined Kerenza's ragtag underground resistance. When Rhys—an old flame from Asha's past—reappears on Kerenza, the two find themselves on opposite sides of the conflict.

With time running out, a final battle will be waged on land and in space, heroes will fall, and hearts will be broken.

Co-Blogger

Co-Blogger Search

Hey all, I'm finally, finally looking for a co-blogger. I've been saying for years that I need one, and I'm finally doing it!

So the thing is, with my full time job, the candle business (pretty much full time), and my writing (which I'm now about to start querying), blogging is falling to the wayside. So I need someone to help me keep up! I don't have nearly the time I'd like to post as much.

So here's the thing! Fill out this nifty google form here if you are interested. As my co-blogger, you get access to my Netgalley and if I ever get offered physical arcs. I will also be willing to forward on physical arcs I get at conferences.

As my co-blogger, you can also use my blog and stats to request arcs form publishers. I would ask that you post once a week as either a review or a discussion post, barring special circumstances. You can, of course, post more if you like!

Any questions? Let me know in the comments below, and I'll get back to you!

Review: The Cruel Prince

Title: The Cruel Prince

Author: Holly Black

Publisher: Little Brown BFYR

Release Date: January 2, 2018

Of course I want to be like them. They’re beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever.

And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.

Jude was seven years old when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.

To win a place at the Court, she must defy him–and face the consequences.

In doing so, she becomes embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, discovering her own capacity for bloodshed. But as civil war threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.

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Being behind on everything bookish

I swear I'm still here, guys! I swear! 

So I've gotten really behind on writing reviews. I have two empty templates started and just no time to write them.

And then I have multiple other reviews I plan to write. I fail. I know I fail.

I'm finally and slowly catching up on reading and taking #bookstagram photos. But life likes getting in the way. So tell me something! I'm trying to get more active on here, but I never know what type of content to post. What are some of your favorite types of bookish blog posts?

Review: Immortal Reign

Title: Immortal Reign

Author: Morgan Rhodes

Publisher: Razorbill

Release Date: February 6, 2018

As two lethal elemental gods set out to destroy Mytica, sworn enemies must become allies in the final fight to save the kingdoms.

Jonas continues to willfully defy his destiny, but the consequences of plotting his own course are drastic. As the fight for Mytica rages on, he must decide just how much more he's willing to sacrifice.

Lucia knows there's something special about her daughter and she'll do anything to protect her, even if that means facing Kyan alone.

Amara is called back home to Kraeshia. Grandma Cortas has her own plans for Mytica's future. She promises Amara power, revenge, and dominance if she agrees to be part of her scheme.

Magnus and Cleo's love will be put to the ultimate test. Dark magic is causing widespread destruction throughout the kingdom. Enemies across the sea are advancing. And unrest is stirring throughout the land. Is their love strong enough to withstand the outside forces tearing them apart?

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Review: The Glass Spare

Title: The Glass Spare
Author: Lauren DeStefano
Publisher: Balzer +Bray
Release Date: October 24, 2017

Wil Heidle, the only daughter of the king of the world’s wealthiest nation, has grown up in the shadows. Kept hidden from the world in order to serve as a spy for her father—whose obsession with building his empire is causing a war—Wil wants nothing more than to explore the world beyond her kingdom, if only her father would give her the chance.

Until one night Wil is attacked, and she discovers a dangerous secret. Her touch turns people into gemstone. At first Wil is horrified—but as she tests its limits, she’s drawn more and more to the strange and volatile ability. When it leads to tragedy, Wil is forced to face the destructive power within her and finally leave her home to seek the truth and a cure.

But finding the key to her redemption puts her in the path of a cursed prince who has his own ideas for what to do with her power.

With a world on the brink of war and a power of ultimate destruction, can Wil find a way to help the kingdom that’s turned its back on her, or will she betray her past and her family forever?

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Review: Windwitch

Title: Windwitch
Author: Susan Dennard
Publisher: Tor Teen
Release Date: January 10, 2017

Sometimes our enemies are also our only allies…

After an explosion destroys his ship, the world believes Prince Merik, Windwitch, is dead. Scarred yet alive, Merik is determined to prove his sister’s treachery. Upon reaching the royal capital, crowded with refugees, he haunts the streets, fighting for the weak—which leads to whispers of a disfigured demigod, the Fury, who brings justice to the oppressed.

When the Bloodwitch Aeduan discovers a bounty on Iseult, he makes sure to be the first to find her—yet in a surprise twist, Iseult offers him a deal. She will return money stolen from him, if he locates Safi. Now they must work together to cross the Witchlands, while constantly wondering, who will betray whom first?

After a surprise attack and shipwreck, Safi and the Empress of Marstok barely escape with their lives. Alone in a land of pirates, every moment balances on a knife’s edge—especially when the pirates’ next move could unleash war upon the Witchlands.

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Review: Zenith

Title: Zenith
Author: Lindsay Cummings, Sasha Alsberg
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: January 16, 2018

Most know Androma Racella as the Bloody Baroness, a powerful mercenary whose reign of terror stretches across the Mirabel Galaxy. To those aboard her glass starship, Marauder, however, she's just Andi, their friend and fearless leader.

But when a routine mission goes awry, the Marauder's all-girl crew is tested as they find themselves in a treacherous situation and at the mercy of a sadistic bounty hunter from Andi's past.

Meanwhile, across the galaxy, a ruthless ruler waits in the shadows of the planet Xen Ptera, biding her time to exact revenge for the destruction of her people. The pieces of her deadly plan are about to fall into place, unleashing a plot that will tear Mirabel in two.

Andi and her crew embark on a dangerous, soul-testing journey that could restore order to their shipor just as easily start a war that will devour worlds. As the Marauder hurtles toward the unknown, and Mirabel hangs in the balance, the only certainty is that in a galaxy run on lies and illusion, no one can be trusted.

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Review: Truthwitch

Title: Truthwitch
Author: Susan Dennard
Publisher: Tor Teen
Release Date: January 5, 2016

In a continent on the edge of war, two witches hold its fate in their hands.

Young witches Safiya and Iseult have a habit of finding trouble. After clashing with a powerful Guildmaster and his ruthless Bloodwitch bodyguard, the friends are forced to flee their home.

Safi must avoid capture at all costs as she's a rare Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lies. Many would kill for her magic, so Safi must keep it hidden - lest she be used in the struggle between empires. And Iseult's true powers are hidden even from herself.

In a chance encounter at Court, Safi meets Prince Merik and makes him a reluctant ally. However, his help may not slow down the Bloodwitch now hot on the girls' heels. All Safi and Iseult want is their freedom, but danger lies ahead. With war coming, treaties breaking and a magical contagion sweeping the land, the friends will have to fight emperors and mercenaries alike. For some will stop at nothing to get their hands on a Truthwitch.

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Bookish Confessions

Bookish Confessions

Greetings all! I've been terrible about posting lately, so I figured I would do a quick post here. My bookish confessions.

1. I don't read Middle Grade books. I don't enjoy the writing in them 98% of the time, so I tend to avoid them.
2. I actually enjoy reading a smutty romance from time to time.
3. I've been in a huge blogging slump lately. Enough to the point that I've considered quitting blogging.
4. I will read a series even if I hated the first book out of pure curiosity.
5. I've stopped caring about reading arcs before they are published. I own over 300 unread books, so it's time to stop feeling guilty.
6. Sometimes I think I like a book more than I actually do, just because I really want to like it. 
7. I cannot listen to contemporary books on audio. They make me want to gag.
8. I hate reading a hardcover with the dust jacket on.
9. Even though I own a candle company, I have bookish candles from loads of other companies

Review: Ignite Me

Title: Ignite Me
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Publisher: Harper Collins
Release Date: February 4, 2014

The heart-stopping conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Shatter Me series, which Ransom Riggs, bestselling author of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, called “a thrilling, high-stakes saga of self-discovery and forbidden love.”

With Omega Point destroyed, Juliette doesn’t know if the rebels, her friends, or even Adam are alive. But that won’t keep her from trying to take down The Reestablishment once and for all. Now she must rely on Warner, the handsome commander of Sector 45. The one person she never thought she could trust. The same person who saved her life. He promises to help Juliette master her powers and save their dying world . . . but that’s not all he wants with her.

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