Book Review: Bright Smoke, Cold Fire (Untitled #1)

Release Date: September 27, 2016
Author: Rosamund Hodge
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Length: 448 pages
Source: Edelweiss ARC

When the mysterious fog of the Ruining crept over the world, the living died and the dead rose. Only the walled city of Viyara was left untouched.

The heirs of the city’s most powerful—and warring—families, Mahyanai Romeo and Juliet Catresou share a love deeper than duty, honor, even life itself. But the magic laid on Juliet at birth compels her to punish the enemies of her clan—and Romeo has just killed her cousin Tybalt. Which means he must die.

Paris Catresou has always wanted to serve his family by guarding Juliet. But when his ward tries to escape her fate, magic goes terribly wrong—killing her and leaving Paris bound to Romeo. If he wants to discover the truth of what happened, Paris must delve deep into the city, ally with his worst enemy . . . and perhaps turn against his own clan.

Mahyanai Runajo just wants to protect her city—but she’s the only one who believes it’s in peril. In her desperate hunt for information, she accidentally pulls Juliet from the mouth of death—and finds herself bound to the bitter, angry girl. Runajo quickly discovers Juliet might be the one person who can help her recover the secret to saving Viyara.

Both pairs will find friendship where they least expect it. Both will find that Viyara holds more secrets and dangers than anyone ever expected. And outside the walls, death is waiting. . .

    

Review:

Protagonists: What I found most interesting about this Fantasy Romeo and Juliet retelling is that Romeo and Juliet aren't our main protagonists, instead they find themselves accidentally bound to our main protagonists. Paris never expected the chance to be bound to the Juliet, but after his only and most fierce competition Tybalt is killed he has to step up and take his place. However, before the ritual to bind Paris and the Juliet together can take place, Juliet runs off with Romeo and when Paris finds them trying to bind each other something goes wrong, it seems Juliet dies, and Romeo and Paris somehow wind up bound together. Runajo (which I could find no way to pronounce that rolled off the tongue well) has devoted herself to the Sisters of Thorn, who work to fortify the city against the Ruining. Runajo wants to find a way to save her dying city and on her search for a solution accidently pulls Juliet out of the Mouth of Death and finds herself bound to a girl who's bitter and angry and ready to kill. I have to say I really liked these characters. They both had flaws, like deep noticeable ones. They weren't pure lights in a deep darkness that were meant to banish all darkness away. They completely moral, but they'll do what they can to save and avenge those they love and have come to care for which I find very admirable.

Romance: So actually there isn't a lot of romance in this book. Barely any in fact. Paris and Runajo have no love interests, at least none of which I could see, and since we don't really get major scenes from Romeo or Juliet's POV it's hard to call that a real romantic plotline. That being said, there are, for lack of a better term, chapters that are told from Juliet's third person POV before the start of the book, and each one goes further back in time and shows her and Romeo's relationship as it is tested, as it thrives, and as it blossoms. It seems to me that this is more than your average insta-love, in fact, while there may be an instant attraction between the two, I wholeheartedly believe that true love came after, even if it did come rather fast.

World Building: I have a sort of love-hate relationship with the world building of this book. First, let me say that the world building is so vast and expansive. I mean, this is a fantasy world, and the author did such a great job at crafting it, coming up with the lore and have so many variations on the beliefs of these characters. I mean to see so diverse a cast of characters, some believing one things, others something completely different, or only marginally the same, is fantastic. How the magic system works in this world and everything that goes into not only weaving spells but fortifying them is gruesomely fascinating Then we have the parallels with the source material. I have to say that I wouldn't quite call this a retelling. Most of the story is already complete by the time the story begins, but there is definitely more here than other "retellings" I've read. I loved seeing these characters in a whole new light, though I'm a bit upset that Rosaline's facsimile character has a name change while most of the other major player don't, plus again Runajo isn't the easiest word to pronounce. Now on to the stuff I didn't quite like. Actually, there's only one thing and that's the pacing. I'm not sure why I was expecting a faster-paced story but I was and I have to say this was a sluggishly paced book. Each chapter felt longer than it was and it wasn't until the end that things really started to pick up.

Predictability: I have to say, on the whole, this book was pretty unpredictable. There weren't a lot of huge twists or anything, but it wasn't all that easy to see where the story was going to go. I think a lot of that was tied to the pacing. Things took quite a while to get done and by the time there was a set plot it was already too late and things were happening. I'm looking over my reading experience and I don't think there was anything that I predicted, at least not exactly, and there were some devastatingly huge twists too.

Ending: Going into this book I knew that it was going to be a duology, or ar least a duology, but since we only knew about one other book, for whatever reason I thought maybe it'd be a companion series. Before too long in this book though it became very clear that this was just the beginning. I can barely comprehend this ending but I'll do the best I can. There wasn't really a final climax, I mean, there was but it was very well sustained throughout the entire end of this book. There was no real cooldown and as things were revealed, betrayals were made and devastating secrets come to light, I could only think that I need to get my hands on the next installment.

Rating:

Oh my, there was so much to love about this book. The world building was mind blowing and the characters were so richly balanced. That being said there was a price to pay for such a gorgeously crafted story and that was that the pacing was very slow. However, if you enjoy richly detailed fantasy retellings than this is the book for you!

Book Review: The Head of Medusa (Elementals #3)

Release Date: June 29, 2016
Author: Michelle Madow
Publisher: Dreamscape Publishing
Length: 190 pages
Source: Review Copy from the Author

The epic story of witches, gods, and monsters that USA Today called a "must read" continues in the third book of the Elementals series!

When Nicole Cassidy moved to a new town, she discovered that she was a witch descended from gods. But that was nothing compared to learning that it was up to her and four others with mysterious elemental powers to help save the world from the Titans, who would soon return to Earth.

Now her relationship with Blake -- the fire Elemental -- is finally heating up. But she must remain focused, because Typhon, one of the deadliest creatures in history, has escaped from the weakening prison world. Only one object can destroy him -- the head of Medusa herself.

Follow the Elementals as they journey to the end of the Earth, facing choices that will put their lives and the entire world at risk. Will they all survive the mission? Find out in the riveting third book in the Elementals series, The Head of Medusa.

  

Review:

Protagonist: After the end of the previous installment in this series Nicole has never felt more free, she can date Blake without upsetting the dynamic of the Elementals group, they know about her ability to use black energy to kill, and now they all have a way to keep monsters from constantly coming back from Kerberos. Things couldn't get much better. That is, until she and her team find out that the deadliest Titan Typhon is rising and they don't have much time to gather the things necessary to defeat him before all is lost. Nicole does have development in this book, but it's more directly related to her romance, which I'll get to in a bit, and while I don't mind that she doesn't grow too much individually, at least not noticeably, she's still a character that has a good variety of strengths and weaknesses that are tested in this book, she still has some growing to do, but with any luck she's got plenty of time to do it.

Romance: There really isn't too much of a focus on the romance in this book. It's there sure, the first chapter is even Nicole and Blake's first official date, but as a sub-plot it's very small. They're there for each other, and for the most part the romantic sub-plot revolves around Nicole's ever growing feelings for Blake and her pondering over whether or not to tell him she loves him. Now, that's not a spoiler because it's in the first chapter. I really enjoyed that the author chose to really have her main character debate over whether or not saying that would be too soon. Too often these days YA love interests say "I love you" within days, sometimes even hours, of knowing each other, and while it's only been a couple of months with these two, that's where the whole "we've been through a lot with each other" thing actually feels realistic and not just some contrived way to get these two characters to say the "L" word to each other at a break neck pace. Overall, I really enjoyed the romance and after two books I'm actually rooting for these two all the way and actually really love them together.

World-Building: Even though our heroes now have weapons that can send monster to limbo for a year until the Portal to Kerberos is closed, that doesn't mean it will work on all monsters, especially not a Titan like Typhon. For that job, the only possible defeat is the Head of Medusa. However slicing off Medusa's head isn't going to be super easy, This adventure takes our heroes to new places and has them fight for their lives nearly every step of the way. One of the things I've really come to enjoy about this series is how tightly all these installments fit together. I mean, most series have great continuity and will bring back characters, or dole out the consequences of a past book well, but for some reason, that really stuck out to me in this book. Everything works so well together and this author does a fantastic job of leaving noticeable threads that you just know will be picked up later.

Predictability: Here's something weird. I honestly don't know how to describe what I was and was not able to predict. Let me try to explain. I would be able to predict one or two aspects of what was to come, but the specifics would be wrong, or the timing would be off. There are some pretty big twists in here and the author does a good job of mixing foreshadowing with misdirection. Sometimes I would think I predicted something big, only to be wrong, and vice versa. Sometimes I thought I'd have the perfect idea of what's going to happen, only for the details to all get switched around and for it to turn out much more hopeless than I planned.

Ending: I thought I had more time. That's really all I can think to say, at least the only thing spoiler free I could think  to say after finishing this book. As things just hit a high point of tension, the highest for the entire book to be honest. I expected things to wind down, for there to be a cooldown period of some sort. Nope it ends, it ends with literally one of the most infuriating cliffhangers I've ever read. Michelle Madow, you are evil and I'm okay with that, and I am not okay with that. There is a final confrontation I guess, but that's a bit too far from the end, and not nearly final enough to be the final climax. The final climax was intense and crazy and if I wasn't in a hurry to read the first two chapters of the next book (which are at the end of this book) I could probably sit here and rant about it all day!

Rating:

Finally a five star book for me in this series. It's not even that the other books were bad, they were great, even though the first book felt a bit too much like and introduction and not enough like a solid first installment, however I'm completely addicted to this series and am totally chomping at the bit for book four! Bring it on!!!

Book Review: The White Rose (The Lone City #2)

Release Date: October 6, 2015
Author: Amy Ewing
Publisher: HarperTeen
Length: 308 pages
Source: ARC from BEA 2015

Violet is on the run. After the Duchess of the Lake catches Violet with Ash, the hired companion at the Palace of the Lake, Violet has no choice but to escape the Jewel or face certain death. So along with Ash and her best friend, Raven, Violet runs away from her unbearable life of servitude.

But no one said leaving the Jewel would be easy. As they make their way through the circles of the Lone City, Regimentals track their every move, and the trio barely manages to make it out unscathed and into the safe haven they were promised—a mysterious house in the Farm.

But there’s a rebellion brewing, and Violet has found herself in the middle of it. Alongside a new ally, Violet discovers her Auguries are much more powerful than she ever imagined. But is she strong enough to rise up against the Jewel and everything she has ever known?

The White Rose is a raw, captivating sequel to The Jewel that fans won’t be able to put down until the final shocking moments.

    

Review:

Protagonist: Picking up right where the last book left off, Violet has just been told by Garnet, her mistress's son, that he will help her escape the Jewel and find somewhere safe. Now she, her romantic interest Ash, and her broken best friend Raven, must escape to the Farm, but Regimentals are on high alert for one member of their party and getting out won't be as easy as Garnet and Lucien had planned. There is so much that Violet learns in this book, about herself and those around her and that only helps to shape and sturdy her resolve against the royals and their barbaric ways. I loved Violet so much, she has a sharp tongue when need be, and a calm and clear head when things get tough. She still has her flaws however, though those keep her grounded and whole, and keep her a realistic character at heart.

Romance: If I had to point out one element of this series that I didn't care for it'd be the romance. Since the romance was so rushed in the first book, by the time I got to the second I didn't really care about Ash. In fact, while I don't think I ever disliked Ash in the first book, in this book he got on my nerves a lot. There are many characters in this world that blame themselves for the actions of others, but no more so than Ash, who has a chip on his shoulder the size of the Lone City itself, however if we actually spent time in the first book getting to know his character more and learning more about him as his relationship with Violet grew over time instead of a whirlwind, I think I would have been able to accept his angst annoying rants about how things are all his fault or how if he didn't do that, than this wouldn't have happened. In fact, the most compelling romance in this book was the one given very little time to shine and was only really hinted at.

World Building: One of the things that drew me into this world so much was it's interesting blend of dystopian and fantasy, with these surrogates holding dominion over some rather magical powers. However, the first book in this series focused much more on the dystopian aspect and really paid little mid the the magical and fantasy part, making the latter seem all the more mysterious. In this novel though, we finally get to see the magic shine. We learn about the Auguries, their origins, and their true purpose. This deep dive into the Auguries gives this book much more of a fantasy flair than a dystopian at times. However, the dystopian crisis is still at a large and plans are being made to put an end to it, plans that include Violet somehow, but she doesn't want to be just another tool anymore, this time she wants to fight on her own terms.

Predictability: While I did have some problems with the first book, in many areas, one of those areas was most definitely not predictability. I would expect a love triangle, only to be left with a straightforward romance, I'd expect a daring escape at the end fraught with dramatic tension, only to have it end with Violet imprisoned fearing for her and Ash's lives only to get a glimmer of new hope. Things never turned out the way I expected, and this book is no different. One of the things that struck me the most was how I thought the name of this book was going to relate to the story. I had one idea so firmly implanted in my mind only for it to be something completely different. There are many twists and turns this book takes and I was only able to guess a handful of them, and that was mostly sheer dumb luck.

Ending: Another thing this author knows how to do well, is end a book on a devastating, and unpredictable, cliffhanger. I'm trying to find the final climax and while there isn't one in any typical way, there is a lot of tension going into the finale of this book. There are things revealed that shake our group to it's core and set them back quite a bit. Then there are things that are only hinted at that I'm expecting to see in the final installment of this trilogy. It's easy to see where things are going and I'm kind of incredibly excited to know what'll happen next. Oh yeah, that cliffhanger was evil in more than one way!

Rating:

I really enjoyed this book, other than not really caring about the romance, there wasn't really anything that bothered me about it. It's an addictive and quick read, that just keeps building until the explosive finale. I can't wait to see how this story will come to a close!

Crystal Storm (Falling Kingdoms #5) by Morgan Rhodes (WOW #17)

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that everyone’s excited about!

An epic clash between gods and mortals threatens to tear Mytica apart... and prove that not even the purest of love stands a chance against the strongest of magic.

MAGNUS and CLEO are forced to test the strength of their love when Gaius returns to Mytica claiming he's no longer the King of Blood but a changed man seeking redemption.

LUCIA, pregnant with the child of a Watcher, has escaped the clutches of the unhinged fire god. Her powers are dwindling as she goes forth to fulfill a prophecy that will keep her baby safe . . . but could mean her demise. 

JONAS treks back to Mytica with a plan to overtake Amara, but fate takes hold when he runs into the beautiful Princess Lucia and joins her on her perilous journey.

AMARA has taken the Mytican throne, but with no way to unleash the water magic trapped within her stolen crystal, she'll never be able to seize glory and get sweet revenge.

And what kind of darkness will descend--and who will be safe--after Prince Ashur reveals the dangerous price he paid to cheat death?

Crystal Storm releases on December 13, 2016 from Razorbill

Gah! This is pretty much my all time favorite series! Every single book is better than the last, and I can't wait to see what's to come in this series. I love all of these characters, minus maybe Amara and Gaius... and Nic (sometimes.) These characters have endured so much since the first installment in this series, and with it so close to wrapping up I can't wait to see what happens.

So, what are you waiting for this Wednesday?

Book Review: Warrior Witch (The Malediction Trilogy #3)

Release Date: May 3, 2016
Author: Danielle L. Jensen
Publisher: Angry Robot
Length: 384 pages
Source: eGalley via NetGalley

The thrilling conclusion to the breakout Malediction Trilogy by Goodreads Choice finalist Danielle L. Jensen.

Cécile and Tristan have accomplished the impossible, but their greatest challenge remains: defeating the evil they have unleashed upon the world.

As they scramble for a way to protect the people of the Isle and liberate the trolls from their tyrant king, Cécile and Tristan must battle those who’d see them dead. To win, they will risk everything. And everyone.

But it might not be enough. Both Cécile and Tristan have debts, and they will be forced to pay them at a cost far greater than they had ever imagined.

    

Review:

Protagonists: As with many final books in series, our heroes have come a long way and grown a lot since the beginning of the first installment. Céline is now a fairly powerful witch who's not afraid to enter into the line of fire to save her race and those she loves. Tristan is no longer the pompous and self-loathing troll he once was and is now a thoughtful and wise leader who will also do what he must to protect humans and those who stand with him. Throughout this book there's still quite a bit of growth left for them to go through as they fight off threats from multiple fronts and try to hold on to hope even when all may seem futile. I have to say that while I liked these characters in the first book, as the series went on I really grew to love them, they're flawed and damaged in places but they learn to over come or subvert those flaws in the pursue of the greater good.

Romance: Since this is the last book in the trilogy there isn't all that much romance, or I should say that with no apparent threats keeping them apart there isn't all that much to the romance. While there is a bot of romantic drama here and there, there isn't all that much to tell. In this book Céline and Tristan have to make some tough choices and hard sacrifices, not only as it pertains to the people they are trying to protect, but as it pertains to their marriage. That being said though, even though the romance is a much smaller sub-plot than it has been in this series, it's still very interesting to me and I'm still heavily invested in it. Plus, since there's less of a focus on romance there's more of a focus on the kick-ass plot and world-building.

World-Building: This book picks up pretty much right after the previous one. The barrier keeping trolls in has been broken, The Winter Queen has sent her message, and now Tristan, Céline, and their friends need to go to war to help protect the humans on the Isle of Light from the trolls that would see harm and enslavement come to them. Pretty much the entirely of this book is about the war that began at the end of Hidden Huntress. Though it's not really a focal point, we do learn more about Arcadia and the Fae that live there. Tristan and Cécile both have debts to the Winter and Summer rulers respectively, and since this is the final book in this series you bet that the complications surrounding those debts come up in a big way and cause unforeseen consequences.

Predictability: So if I had to pick a book in this series that's the least predictable it'd probably be this one. On the whole the bigger vague questions as to where this series will end I, for the most part guessed, but as always it's those smaller and more specific details that are the real surprises in books. For instance, it's been proven that this author isn't afraid to kill of characters, even those that may seem important to the story, so logically I assumed that at least one character would die, but it's who that death belongs to, and mild spoiler alert: more than one person dies, that's the real surprise. The foreshadowing for this book, nay this series, is fantastic. There's never too much to clue you in to those larger plot twists, but at the same time, once they happen it's not to hard to see the little seeds that lead up to that particular twist.

Ending: So as this book and series was drawing to a close, part of me felt like, somewhere in the back of my mind, that this series might not truly be the end. That maybe this author has a spin-off series in mind. As everything lead up to that final climax I still thought that maybe there was possibly another story left to tell in this world. The grand finale of this book was spectacular. Thing definitely didn't quite go the way I was expecting them to, and in the end I felt as though that last final climax was the perfect way to end the conflict for this series, and then came the most emotional, for lack of a more descriptive term, epilogue I've ever read. I won't spoil anything, but I will say that my thoughts that there may be more left to discover in this world, is most likely wrong (I'll give it 98% because I'm sure if the author wanted to she could probably come up with another story in this world, even if it didn't feature any of these characters.) The ending of this book and series very much ties up all loose ends. And so this epic tale comes to a close.

Rating:

While I cannot speak for anyone else's opinions, mine is that this was the perfect ending to this series. For me there are no more lingering questions and I'm excited to see what comes next from this phenomenal author!

Book Review: The Glittering Court (The Glittering Court #1)

Release Date: April 5, 2016
Author: Richelle Mead
Publisher: Razorbill
Length: 416 pages
Source: Gifted ARC

For a select group of girls, the Glittering Court offers a shot at a life they’ve only ever dreamed of, one of luxury, glamour, and leisure. To high-born Adelaide, whose wealthy family is forcing her into a loveless marriage, the Glittering Court represents something else: the chance to chart her own destiny, and adventure in an unspoiled, prosperous new land across the sea.

After a chance meeting with the dazzling Cedric Thorn, Adelaide poses as a servant to join the crop of impoverished girls he promises to transform into proper ladies. But her familiarity with upper class life comes with a price: she must hide her identity from her new friends, mysterious refugee Mira and fiery former laundress Tamsin, and most importantly, from Cedric himself—even though she’s falling in love with him.

Everything begins to crumble when Cedric discovers Adelaide’s ruse, and she catches the eye of a powerful young governor, who wants her for a wife. She didn’t leave the gilded cage of her old life behind just to become someone else's property. But nothing is as daunting—or as wonderful—as the potent, forbidden attraction simmering between Adelaide and Cedric. One that, if acted on, would make them both outcasts in a wild, dangerous, uncharted world, and possibly lead them to their deaths.

    

Review:

Protagonist: Adelaide seemingly has everything, power, money, a title, however most of that is just a ruse. The truth is that her family is going broke and in hopes of rectifying that her grandmother has set her up to marry a rather boring man. With her future feeling more like a noose around her neck, Adelaide makes a rash decision and takes her maid's place at the Glittering Court in hopes of having some say over her future. All in all I really like Adelaide, she's stubborn, strong, and at times a rather witty and sarcastic person. Her development over the course of the book was also handled well, as the story goes on, not only does she change both internally and externally, but some of her qualities are heightened and become a lot more dominant as she comes into her own.

Romance: So if there's one thing Richelle Mead knows how to do it's write romance, and for the most part I liked the romance in this book. The chemistry between Adelaide and Cedric is rather apparent and the tension between them goes on for a good long while before anything really happens, but by the time it does I really began to root for them. The pacing of the romance felt a bit off, though I'll get to that later, but after kind of processing I felt like Mead did a fantastic job at creating a romance between these two well balanced characters.

World-Building: So there are some synopses of this book that describe it as a fantasy, and while that's not entirely wrong let me clear up a few things. First off, this is more of a realistic fantasy, meaning that it takes place in an alternate world from ours, laid out differently and based on some historical period from our world, in this case Elizabethan England for Osfrid and Colonial America for Adoria, with some minor alterations here and there, but there's no actual magic or really anything that would classify this as a high or epic fantasy. As this world grew I fell more and more in love with it. At first I just imagined this world laid out much like out own except with different names and titles, however as things developed I began to notice things that I had initially classified as a substitute for one thing actually turned out to be for something entirely different which I liked. This world is richly described and there's a lot to it that it felt almost like this one book was actually three.

Pacing: So normally I don't add this type of section into my reviews but I soon realized I needed to talk about it and didn't have a good enough place to sneak it in. While this book is a standalone, it feels like, in many ways, a trilogy that has been trimmed down and stuck into one book. At first I thought that it was a fluke and that I just found a great place for a first installment to end, but when I found a second one, coupled with how it's really easy to divide the plot of this book into three, more or less equal, portions it was impossible not to mention it. The pacing isn't bad it's just not quite what I expected, the story keeps evolving and things didn't really go the way I expected them to.

Predictability: So yeah, I kind of was in standalone mode when reading this, so all of my theories about what would happen and the twists this story would take were more for a fairly straight laced and traditional standalone. Instead since this book feels more like a mashed up trilogy, things are constantly changing and thus the twists felt like more like ones that would come from a series. However, that doesn't mean that I didn't like where this book went. the twists and turns while normally very unexpected, were really enjoyable and there are still a lot of lingering questions, those secrets will no doubt come out in the two upcoming companion novels.

Ending: So this ending had a lot of things. I mean there was quite a bit that went down in the final climax, which I'm not entirely sure where the boundary for that would go as there was a lot of tension for the last five chapters of the book or so, minus the very last one. I won't go completely into what happens, but it's definitely one of those things that I didn't expect, especially the closer we got to the end. The final chapter is very much a cool down period to wrap up all the loose ends of Adelaide's story, and torture us with what we don't know about the other two girls' stories. I'd say all in all I felt that the story wrapped up nicely and while I would sort of love to know more, like a bonus scene or two, I was very happy with how much this story wrapped up.

Rating:

Okay, so this was very hard to rate. On the one hand I really enjoyed this book, but because of it's odd pacing it was hard to just sort of melt into the story and get swept away. However I am looking forward to the two companion novels coming up, hopefully Tamsin's novel is first since that's currently the one I'm most intrigued by.

Book Review: Dawn of Ash (Imdalind #6)

Release Date: February 23, 2016
Author: Rebecca Ethington
Publisher: Imdalind Press
Length: 374 pages
Source: ARC from the Author

Underneath the deep red barrier Edmund has placed over the city, Prague is in ruins…

Vilỳ hide in the darkened alleys, waiting to attack anyone who passes, while Edmund’s men roam the blood-soaked streets, scouring every crumbling building in a mad attempt to flush out Ilyan and his men.

Among the danger, Ilyan and Joclyn are trapped, unable to leave the city. trying to keep their people safe behind a powerful shield, unseen from Edmund and his scouts.

Wyn spends her days haunted by her daughter and watching Thom waste away from the mysterious curse slowly taking him.

Ryland has risen above his father’s control, ready to take his place as his brother’s second. However, Sain needs his help first for a simple assignment, or so he thinks.

Their safety is about to be shattered.

A mole behind those safe, Cathedral walls has begun whispering through the survivors that Joclyn is unstable, that her magic is an uncontainable force that will destroy them all in the end.

Determined not to let the rumors affect her, Joclyn battles ahead, only to have reality and sight intersect in an explosion that shatters the walls between future, past, and present, leaving her imprisoned in a seamless existence she must learn to control … before Edmund and Ovailia control her.

Before Sain unfurls the plan he has been orchestrating for centuries.

    

Review:

Characters: As this series comes to an end the story is splintered into more than one perspective. In this book we have Joclyn, fighting to discover what's going on with her magic and how to take control of it before the whispers and rumors about her come true. We have Wyn, haunted by her daughter and trying to overcome the pain and hurt emanating from the piece of the Soul's Blade in her possession. Sain is pulling strings on both sides so that his version of the future will come to pass, the one that will make him King of all magical beings. Finally we have Dramin who is fighting to stay alive so that he can help Joclyn in anyway he can, but just how long can he hold out? I love the complexities of all of these characters. Each one has grown and changed so much since we first met them, some like Joclyn have had real changed and really developed into a stronger and fiercer character, while some like Sain have only now revealed who they really were thus changing our perceptions of them. Either way it's done with a great finesse and is pulled off very well.

Romance: So there isn't as much romance in this book as you'd think. There are some great scenes between Jos and Ilyan, scenes that just reaffirm what they mean to each other. We also have a little bit of development with Risha and Ryland, more confirmation that they do have feelings for each other more than any actual development. Other than that though there isn't all that much romance in this book. However I never felt like something was missing, everything still flowed great and while a little more romance where one specific couple is concerned would have been great, it wasn't needed... yet.

World-Building: So you'd think with as much world-building as this series has had that it couldn't possibly develop any further, or maybe you think it can. Either way Ethington does a fabulous job at expanding this world in this installment. There is so much about this series that we didn't know, mostly things that are revealed to have been lies. We learn even more about Drak magic and how all magics work in this world as we get more chapters from the very first Drak himself, Sain. As we move into the final installment there's still so much more to be learned and so much more to see.

Predictability: So, yeah... There wasn't all that much in this installment that I could predict. I'm sure I've said it before but since Ethington essentially throws out the YA formula when she writes it's hard to predict where things are going. Things that if I was reading any other book I'd write off as pointless drama that won't amount to anything I now look at with serious eyes and genuinely worry about what's going to happen next. I'm never sure who will live or die and now that this series is told from the point of view of a multitude of characters it's quite possible anyone could die.

Ending: So since there are many perspectives going into this ending there are also a few cliffhangers that we'll get to in a minute. First let's talk about the final climax that I never saw coming, in fact I had a completely different final climax given the foreshadowing we're given in this book. This final climax is just a precursor for a much larger battle to come in the final book. The first cliffhanger left my jaw on the floor and I still can't pick it up. It's a game changer I wasn't willing to believe could happen, but it did. The second and final cliffhanger was shocking and something I'm lloking forward to seeing developed, but it pales in comparison to the first.

Rating:

So, before this book was published, when the author would talk about it she said that she wanted to make it good, as there were mixed reviews about Burnt Devotion, I;m here to say that she achieved that goal. This is actually my new favorite book of the series. I can't wait for you guys to read it!

Book Review: Frozen Tides (Falling Kingdoms #4)

Release Date: December 15, 2016
Author: Morgan Rhodes
Publisher: Razorbill
Length: 400 pages
Source: Purchased Book

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 sorceress 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.

    

Review:

Characters: I love all of the characters in this book, more or less, the more villainous characters I love to hate, but you get the drift. I think it's generally accepted by now that at the very least our protagonists are Magnus, Cleo, and Jonas, Lucia however is the wild card in this book, and that's not just an expression, after the death of Alexius, Lucia isn't dealing with her grief very well and has become cold, manipulative, and seeks the destruction of the world with the being who used to be inside the Fire Kindred crystal. Magnus, Cleo, and Jonas form a tentative alliance, full of mistrust and secret agendas that are likely to crumble if they don't stop trying to undermine each other and actually work together like they say. These characters are so rich and deeply developed. It's very easy to get a good sense of who these characters are and their growth in this book is fantastically told.

Romance: I was actually surprised at how subtle a lot of the romance in this book was. I mean it's there and a lot of it is amazing. Though, not every romance is one that will end in happily ever after. There are just as many romantically dark moments as there are moments of pure bliss and joy with a certain pairing. I do have to say though, that when I first began reading this series, I had far different expectations as to where the romance would go, and there are two books left, maybe the romances will pair out like I originally thought, but at this point I surely hope not. Sorry I couldn't say much more but I felt as if I did I would have given away too much.

World-Building: I know it shouldn't surprise me anymore how an author can keep building a world a certain amount of books in, but I have to say it surprises me every time. Aside from getting a good look at at the sprawling empire of Kraeshia, I didn't expect much more building of the physical world in this book, but we also get to see a Mytican landmark late in the book, that I don't think we've seen before, one that holds significant meaning to the lore of this series. Aside from that we learn more about the characters in this book, where they come from and what shaped them into becoming who they are today. With two books left, four if you count the spin-off trilogy, which did get a couple world-building mentions in this book, there's still a great many things I'm sure we'll learn about this vast and wonderful world.

Predictability: Morgan Rhodes is evil, there I said it. I mean she writes good books, don't get me wrong, but people who say this series is a teen Game of Thrones don't even know the half of it! It's hard to know who's safe and who's the next to go, and in an effort not to stay on this particular topic too long that's all I'll say about the deaths in this book. As for the general unpredictability of this book, well, like the other books in this series it's very hard to see exactly what's coming but sometimes, and really only scarcely sometimes, I could pick up on some foreshadowing and get a vague clue as to what was going to happen at some point, and sometimes I didn't see the foreshadowing until it's too late.

Ending: I totally called the end of this book, or well, I called the cliffhanger. Though I have to say the foreshadowing was pretty heavy handed and if it didn't happen in this book it'd most likely happen in the next. The final climax of this book was pure gold. Since it's not that hard to get a read on these characters I knew how things were most likely going to play out and I loved and relished every minute of it. I need the next book in this series so bad right now, I'm kind of happy I didn't get an early copy of this book now because you have no idea, or maybe you do, how crazy this ending has made me!

Rating:

So I think it's pretty safe to say this, it being nearly the end of the year and everything, but this is most definitely my favorite book I read in 2015 as well as my favorite of this series so far, though I feel like I've said that with every book, so I'm sure when Book 5 comes out I'll end up saying that's my favorite book!