Blog Tour Book Review: Cinderella's Inferno (Cinderella, Necromancer #2) + Giveaway!

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Release Date: May 29, 2018

Author: F.M. Boughan

Publisher: Month9Books

Length: 324 pages

Source: Review Copy for Tour

Purity cannot abide the darkness.

It’s been two years since Ellison defeated her stepsisters and sent her evil stepmother back into the Abyss.

Though she’s learning to control her dark magic and has spent time traveling with Prince William and bringing peace to the kingdom, one fact remains. She is a necromancer and he is a paladin of light. And so, the king refuses to give his blessing for them to marry.

To appease his father, William has begun to avoid her. But when even her younger brother Edward grows distant, Ellison learns her mother’s spirit has been visiting Edward in secret, threatening to overwhelm him with her own loneliness and longing. When Ellison accidentally touches her mother’s spirit, her tainted touch condemns her mother’s spirit to eternal damnation.

Ellison resolves to descend into hell to save her mother’s soul and bring her physical body back to the world of the living. William hopes this good deed will bring Ellison into favor and finally allow them to be wed.

But the journey through hell is fraught with peril. Temptations abound and the demons Ellison sent back to the Abyss are thirsty for revenge.

Evil cannot be defeated without sacrifice—but when that sacrifice means choosing between the ones Ellison loves and her very own life, how far is she willing to go to make her family whole again?

    

Review:

Protagonist: After the events of the first book, I wasn't anticipating that this would turn out to be a series, and so Ellison's development at the end of the previous installment felt like a good stopping point, and at the beginning of this book she feels well, very mature for her age. She's been on a few daring quests since we last saw her, in fact, it's been two years, and for a good chunk of this book, I wasn't sure where Ellison's character development was going or even if she is meant to have any here. See, this was because the moments that are meant to tease or nudge the reader into figuring out how she's growing as a person are kind of muddled. It makes sense by the end, but for most of this book, I wasn't sure what lesson Ellison would learn on her journey to hell and back. At first, I was kind of put off by this fact. While character development isn't something that should be blatantly obvious the lessons that the character learns from are supposed to resonate with the reader in some way and for most of this book I was confused. That this until later when everything clicks into place. The thing is though, I don't know if that was intentional or not, and having a lesson that's more blatantly stated after confusing and at times conflicting character building "lessons," even though I really did enjoy how Ellison's personal journey ended up unfolding, did irk me quite a bit throughout the story.

Romance: While there is romance in this book, and some really heartwarming and touching romance at that, there wasn't a whole lot of romantic development. Don't get me wrong, I don't want to see Ellison and William constantly bicker or have serious problems in their relationship and I love that the author shows a really healthy relationship between two people, full of trust and support, it's just that I wish there was a slightly bigger focus on some of the problem(s) in their relationship, not huge one(s,) by the way, that show up, especially when they leak into other aspects of the story and character development, as they kind of just show up, are resolved rather quickly once acknowledged, and move on.

World Building: THIS is where this story truly shines. However, even though I was critical of other elements in this story, I did still enjoy the majority of them, here's where I don't think I have a single problem, in fact, I loved everything in this book that had to do with expanding the world. First off, even though it's never explicitly stated that they're in Germany, I finally figured that part out, or at least I hope that's where Ellison and William's kingdom is, and we hear more about the world surrounding their kingdom, mainly in passing but it does help bring a sense of presence to the story. That's not even the meat of the story though, the bulk of this tale takes place in the Abyss, or the underworld, or, well, Hell. In a very creative retelling of "Dante's Inferno" we see our characters travel through the circles of hell, and while this isn't a very strict adaptation of the first part of The Divine Comedy, the changes that were made make sense to tell this story and honestly some of the changes, or more specifically, one of the combinations of elements from the Inferno, was very creative, and while it didn't affect the overall story, it was still something I marveled at the ingenuity of, even if it does feel fairly obvious, I've never thought of it or really seen it done. The Inferno really added to the horror factor in this book, and while I'm not one to be scared by words on a page (or screen as was the case here) even I got a few shivers at some of the descriptions.

Predictability: This book was hard to read in a lot of ways. Some of it comes from the mixed messages I got when it came to Ellison's character development, but sometimes I almost felt that I was led astray from the truth a lot more than I was nudged, gently or otherwise toward it. While I could pretty much figure everything out before it was (officially) revealed, there wasn't a whole lot of time between my realization and the confirmation. Overall, I really enjoyed the twists and turns in this book, though I do wish there was a tiny bit more foreshadowing, I think it would have helped tie the story together just a little bit better. It's weird asking for more foreshadowing when I felt the first installment had perhaps a tad too much.

Ending: Ah, the ending. Much like with the first installment there were a couple of moments that could fall into the final climax category, though more spaced out than previous. The first, which I understand isn't a part of the ACTUAL ending, but it counts for me, was seriously epic because this is where everything really starts to come together and there's a really nice emotional scene involved and the showdown during this climactic moment was exhilarating. The actual final climax was less exciting but no less entertaining. Then there's a much better cooldown period than the previous installment and we get to see a great many interesting things. That being said though, even though certain aspects of this story, and perhaps even Ellison's personal story come to a close at the end of this book, I still have questions that need to be answered, one in particular, so I really hope that we get another book in this world, whether from Ellison's POV or not, whether it's a sequel or a prequel, I just need answers!

Rating:

So yeah, I didn't love this story as much as the first one, but I did really enjoy what the author did with the story, whether intentional or not, and while I was feeling that this installment was a superfluous and unnecessary installment towards the beginning, by the end I was totally on board and was pretty annoyed when it ended, without a cliffhanger, yet still leaving me with so many questions.

About the Author:

F.M. Boughan is a bibliophile, a writer, and an unabashed parrot enthusiast. She can often be found writing in local coffee shops, namely because it’s hard to concentrate with a cat lying on the keyboard and a small, colorful parrot screaming into her ear. Her work is somewhat dark, somewhat violent, somewhat hopeful, and always contains a hint of magic.

You can follow Faith on Twitter (@FaithBoughan) for plenty of flailing about food (she likes to cook!), TV shows (she watches too many), and world dance (did you know she's been performing & instructing in Bollywood-style dance for over 8 years?).

Or catch her on Facebook where she just might post pictures of her adorable cat & bird... among other things.

F.M. Boughan is represented by Bill Contardi of Brandt & Hochman. 

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

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Book Review: My Plain Jane (The Lady Janies #2)

Release Date: June 26, 2018
Authors: Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows
Publisher: HarperTeen
Length: 464 pages
Source: Edelweiss eARC

You may think you know the story. After a miserable childhood, penniless orphan Jane Eyre embarks on a new life as a governess at Thornfield Hall. There, she meets one dark, brooding Mr. Rochester. Despite their significant age gap (!) and his uneven temper (!!), they fall in love—and, Reader, she marries him. (!!!)

Or does she?

Prepare for an adventure of Gothic proportions, in which all is not as it seems, a certain gentleman is hiding more than skeletons in his closets, and one orphan Jane Eyre, aspiring author Charlotte Brontë, and supernatural investigator Alexander Blackwood are about to be drawn together on the most epic ghost hunt this side of Wuthering Heights.

    

Review:

Protagonists: Much like My Lady Jane, this story is told from 3, third-person, POVs, Charlotte Brontë, the author of the Jane Eyre that many of us are familiar with, who is best friends with this story's version of Jane. Charlotte is a very observant and sharp young woman, who hopes to secure a job with the Society for the Relocation of Wayward Spirits, this book's version of Ghostbusters, more or less, as well as continue on with a certain story she's been writing. Jane Eyre, our titular character, can see ghosts, a fact that she does her best to keep well hidden so that no one will think she's crazy, still she's a polite and good-hearted protagonist who ends up in the middle of a supernatural mystery. Then there's Alexander Blackwood, the star agent of the SRWS, who is in pursuit of talented agents to help bring the Society back into good favor with the Crown, or at the very least save them from possible ruin. Alexander is dedicated to his work, and to finding out who murdered his father. Honestly, I loved all of these characters, depending on what was going on I would gravitate toward one more than the others, but they are all fantastic, and I love that they aren't perfect, Jane is very stubborn, Charlotte is a tad bit selfish, and Alexander's pursuit of his father's murderer may blind him from the task at hand. All these characters are so extraordinary which made it almost impossible to not get sucked into this story.

Romance: So, the romance in this book isn't the focus of the story and I appreciated how obvious that was throughout the story. This is a fun supernatural adventure and ghost hunt first, but there is a bit of romance. I don't want to say too much about the romance, or possibly romances depending on your definition, in this book because the romance is involved in quite a few of the twists and turns in this book. I will say this though, the main romance sort of snuck up on me, and I really enjoyed that, I wasn't sure what to expect going in and what I came out with was a really well paced and enjoyable romance. The romance wasn't as fast-paced or electric as most YA books are, or try to be, since this takes place in a Pre-Victorian era and there is the pressure of propriety. Still, once I got my bearings on the romance I really rooted for the couple and loved their scenes together.

World Building: So, I'm going to level with you, I've never read Jane Eyre, though I have read a book inspired by the Jane Eyre and I read the synopsis on Wikipedia before starting this book, still I found this story to be vastly entertaining. I was able to pick up on a few Easter Eggs regarding the source material, but honestly, I don't think it matters if you've read the source material or not. The world that the authors create, or well adapted from a time period in our world, is phenomenal. I loved all of the little call outs to pop culture here and there, none of which felt too out of place, and much like the characters the world and the writing style that the authors have chosen, once where they break the fourth wall every now and again to give numerous notes on the current scene, sucked me into this story so fully it was hard to put the book down at times. This isn't the Jane Eyre story you may be familiar with, and I'm sure classic purists would hate this book, but how the authors wove this tale into the story of Jane Eyre was highly entertaining, to say the least.

Predictability: So, I have to say, while I was able to predict quite a few of the twists in this book, it never once stopped me from enjoying the story. I would say this tale is predictable, though some twists did feel a little too obvious, there are still so many exciting moments that even when I know a reveal is coming, I was still blown away with how the twist was handled and the context around the reveal. There were a couple of twists in this story that really kept me on my toes, especially toward the end.

Ending: Dang, this story knows how to go out in a blaze of glory! The final climax of this story is exciting and intense and I loved every minute of it. This is a standalone, even though it's part of a companion novel series, so when the final climax comes to a close there's a sense of finality to everything, but then there's an epilogue. The epilogue serves to really tie up all those loose ends, but what I was not expecting is one, or, well, two more twists, the first just ties up a couple loose threads, the second one, which comes at the VERY end, shook me hard, like, "HOW DO YOU END A BOOK LIKE THAT" hard.

Rating:

Gah! I love this story so much, it's full of fun, ghosts, adventures, and hilarity. I don't know how they do it, but these authors seem to always offer up a fun and engaging time when they collaborate, and I hope their next book, My Calamity Jane, won't be their last.

Book Review: Attack of the Fiend (The Last Apprentice #4)

Release Date: February 26, 2008
Author: Joseph Delaney
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Length: 546 pages
Source: Purchased Book

"I see your future clearly. Your master will be dead, and you will be alone. It would be better if you had never been born."

Thomas Ward is the apprentice for the local Spook, who banishes boggarts and drives away ghosts. But now a new danger is threatening Tom's world. The witches are rising and the three most powerful clans are uniting in order to conjure an unimaginable evil.

Tom and the Spook set out to stop the witches before they unleash the demon. But when Tom finds himself on his own, he wonders if he has the courage and cunning to defeat the most powerful enemy he has ever encountered.

    

Review:

Protagonist: Tom, Alice, and the Spook have many trials ahead of themselves when they travel to Pendle to take care of a very serious problem there. Tom also has another reason to go as his family's gone missing and it seems as if Pendle witches are to blame. In an earlier installment I thought I might have just been reading too much into things when I thought Tom was being a bit too prideful and while he may be the Spook's best apprentice he still has a lot to learn, but I felt there was no real pay off or even confirmation that Tom's pride was a bad thing, however it's brought up here and since things are getting much more dangerous Tom needs to learn now more than ever to not get cocky. Again, I love Tom's character and his growth throughout the series so far, and while I know a lot of what happens later on, I can't wait to see him grow even more.

Romance: Wow, haven't seen this section in a review for this book in a while, well that's because it's finally time. As this series progresses Tom will get older, and thus want to find companionship with someone. Now while Alice is the obvious choice for Tom's inevitable love interest, seeing as she's the only girl around his age that we've seen in this world ths far, there is someone else who becomes attracted to Tom. Now, the romance in this installment is very light. It more just begins to introduce the idea of Tom being romantically attached.

World Building: The Dark is growing and for some reason I don't seem to realize that there's an entire story before the final climax because in my previous review for this series I said that things would really start to kick up, and they do, but that's not til much later in this tale. No, this story serves as a fantastic way to explore more of Tom's family, particularly his Mam, though another of his brothers does appear in this book. Tom's Mam is a bit of an enigma and while I want to say here's where we get all our answers about her, I can't, we learn SO much more though and it's done is such a spectacular way. We also learn more abot witches in this installment as well as learn what they're up to and who the Big Bad of this series is. Finally, we meet my all time favorite character of this series, but beware, her scissors are sharp.

Foreshadowing: Much like with the previous installments in this series I cannot comment on the predictability of this book as it's a reread, but there is foreshadowing galore to be found within this book. There are so many things that relate to future installments as well as this one. Looking back I don't think much of it was that obvios though. There were a few things, which I probably shouldn't mention because they're pretty obvious.

Ending: Gah, the ending is fantastic! It's full of tension and anticipation. I can't give too much away but while it isn't something that's scary in the traditional sense and while there are more books in this series narrated by Tom I knew he wasn't going to die yet, but I forgot just how narrowly he escapes danger in this series sometimes. The final climax is fairly different than others I've seen in most books. It's hard to explain bt it's very emotional and tense in the moment. Anyway, once again we are also treated to an epilogue from Tom setting the stage for the next book, the world is changing, the Dark is rising, what's next?

Rating:

I'll be the first to admit my ratings are this series might be a little skewed as I've reread a few Middle Grade favorites and they haven't held up all that well, but this series does. It's by no means the best series ever but the story is fantastic and the characters are amazing and I love traveling through this story again.

Book Review: Night of the Soul Stealer (The Last Apprentice #3)

Release Date: August 28, 2007
Author: Joseph Delaney
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Length: 489 pages
Source: Purchased Book

It's going to be a long, hard, cruel winter. And there couldn't be a worse place to spend it than up on Anglezarke.

Thomas Ward is the apprentice for the local Spook, who captures witches and drives away ghosts. As the weather gets colder and the nights draw in, the Spook receives an unexpected visitor. Tom doesn't know who the stranger is or what he wants, but the Spook suddenly decides it's time to travel to his winter house, Anglezarke. Tom has heard it will be a bleak, forbidding place, and that menacing creatures are starting to stir somewhere on the moors nearby.

Can anything prepare Tom for what he finds there? What if the rumors about the evil beast called the Golgoth are true? And how much danger will Tom be in if the secrets the Spook has been trying to hide from the world are revealed?

    

Review:

Protagonist: As the first year of Tom's apprenticeship is coming to an end, he and the Spook head to the Spook's Winter House. There more about the Spook's past comes to light as Tom meets a former apprentice of the Spook, a man with dark ambitions. Again, this story shows that while Tom is the main character, he's still the apprentice and, for the moment, his character's purpose is in many ways to give us a look into Mr. Gregory's past. That isn't to say that Tom doesn't have his fair share of troubles as his loyalties are tested and his skills as a Spook in training are put to a great test. Again, Tom doesn't have too much of a lesson to learn or bit of character to adjust, he's still learning what it means to be a Spook, and that sometimes the job can be very hard indeed.

World Building: Once again we're treated to a look into the past of John Gregory as we travel to his winter home in Anglezarke. This book does a good job to flesh out the Spook's backstory quite a bit more as we learn just how he's been dealing with the witch he fell in love with, as well as what happened to the woman who was engaged to his brother but ran away with him. Again, our main story feels very "Monster of the Week," although this week's "monster" is so much more. I love seeing this series get set up, and set up it gets as the Dark grows more powerful. Tom's family once again comes into play in the main story and I honestly forgot how much Tom's family (more than just his Mam) featured in the first few books. Now, this is the final book before stuff really hits the fan, and it's near the end of the first year of Tom's apprenticeship, there's a lot still yet to be discovered.

Foreshadowing: Once again it wasn't all that easy to see foreshadowing for this particular installment, it's been quite a few years since I read this book, and while I know the gist of what happens in this book, I was still taken by surprise from time to time. In fact, I've almost noticed a pattern in these books, a certain element to the story structure that I found very interesting. As for the larger series foreshadowing, while there isn't as much in here as the previous installment, I still saw small bits and pieces that point to future events in this series, things that won't happen for a while yet.

Ending: As this story reached its final climax things were getting very tense, but I do have to say that while I understand that these books are for a younger audience, it's hard for things to be too tense when Tom, our first-person protagonist, is the only one we care about in danger and there are a great deal more books in this series. Don't get me wrong, I really like the end of this book and the final climax was really interesting, but in the end, fell a bit flat. The cooldown period really shows that this series is getting darker and there are more adventures to be had ahead.

Rating:

Once again I'm surprised to be giving an early book in this series five stars. I honestly thought I'd give them less, as I love the later installments a whole lot more, as that's where the main plot will be in full swing, and yet, for an early book in a Middle-Grade series, this story is very compelling and while it doesn't go into as many complex topics as a YA or Adult book would, it does go into some rather complicated moral places and I can't wait to continue my journey in this series.

Book Review: Curse of the Bane (The Last Apprentice #2)

Release Date: August 29, 2006
Author: Joseph Delaney
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Length: 480 pages
Source: Purchased Book

Now it's the dark's turn to be afraid

The Spook and his apprentice, Thomas Ward, deal with the dark. Together they rid the county of witches, ghosts, and boggarts. But now there's some unfinished business to attend to in Priestown. Deep in the catacombs of the cathedral lurks a creature the Spook has never been able to defeat; a force so evil that the whole county is in danger of being corrupted by its powers. The Bane!

As Thomas and the Spook prepare for the battle of their lives, it becomes clear that the Bane isn't their only enemy. The Quisitor has arrived, searching for those who meddle with the dark so he can imprison them—or worse.

Can Thomas defeat the Bane on his own? Is his friend Alice guilty of witchcraft? And will the Spook be able to escape the Quisitor's clutches?

    

Review:

Protagonist: Tom Ward has been very successful in his apprenticeship to the Spook, in fact, the first chapter of this book is a testament to how far he's come in such little time, but with success comes a bit of a big head for the lad. Ironically, while Tom is our protagonist and the entire book is told from his point of view, he's definitely more or less along the ride for the Spook's tale as Joh Gregory's past is brought up quite a bit in this book and there are some interesting parallels between him and Tom. I wouldn't say that Tom had any sort of overt character arc in this story, he's still learning from his master and listening to his instincts. He's a great character, he's flawed in a lot of ways, he has a long way to go, but his journey in this book was a great look into his journey overall.

World Building: As I said this story is more focused on the Spook's past, and the Spook is a very interesting character as he has a lot of viewpoints that I don't agree with at all and what I love is that Tom will also point that out, but at the same time there's still valuable knowledge to learn from the Spook, and getting to learn more about his past it becomes almost obvious where some of his biases come from. In addition to learning more about the Spook, this book almost acts more like a "Monster of the Week" episode of a supernatural show, in this adventure the monster they're up against is fierce and deadly, and he's just the tip of the iceberg as the world gets fleshed out even more by introducing the Quisitor, a man who believes the Spook to be a warlock worthy of a fiery death. There was a whole lot more to rediscover in this book and I forgot how dense with world building it could get at times.

Foreshadowing: As this book is a reread for me, I knew mostly what happened in this book, but as I said before I forgot a good deal of things and sort of spread them into the rest of the series. There's a good deal of foreshadowing in this book, though not necessarily for the story being told. While I did see certain things pop up that hinted toward this story's conclusion, what was interesting was seeing just how many things that don't appear until much later in the books are mentioned in some way in this book. Sometimes when I read long series, it seems that the authors don't quite know where their story is going but after rereading this book it's obvious Delaney had a very good idea where he was taking this story.

Ending: The final climax of this story is very intense and while the tension does sort of dissipate at one point, it's still a really pulse-pounding ending. The end really serves to preview what's to come up with the next installment and show that we aren't quite done with a few things. I love the almost diary style writing of this series because there's always room for the small epilogue that sort of catches the reader up with how things are faring between books and set up what's to come.

Rating:

While this isn't my favorite installment of this series, I honestly haven't found anything wrong with it, in fact, it holds up really well after it's been so long since I first read it. The characters are fantastic, the world is slowly growing, the writing is phenomenal and I can't help but want to continue the series right now.

Book Review: My Lady Jane (The Lady Janies #1)

Release Date: June 7, 2016
Authors: Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, & Jodi Meadows
Publisher: HarperTeen
Length: 512 pages
Source: Purchased Book/Library Audio Book

Edward (long live the king) is the King of England. He’s also dying, which is inconvenient, as he’s only sixteen and he’d much rather be planning for his first kiss than considering who will inherit his crown…

Jane (reads too many books) is Edward’s cousin, and far more interested in books than romance. Unfortunately for Jane, Edward has arranged to marry her off to secure the line of succession. And there’s something a little odd about her intended…

Gifford (call him G) is a horse. That is, he’s an Eðian (eth-y-un, for the uninitiated). Every day at dawn he becomes a noble chestnut steed—but then he wakes at dusk with a mouthful of hay. It’s all very undignified.

The plot thickens as Edward, Jane, and G are drawn into a dangerous conspiracy. With the fate of the kingdom at stake, our heroes will have to engage in some conspiring of their own. But can they pull off their plan before it’s off with their heads?

    

Review:

Protagonists: Oh my lord, these protagonists are fantastic. Jane is a witty and stubborn girl who won't just stand there and be told what to do, by society or anyone. She's a spitfire who can get into trouble and her stubborn streak won't always get her where she needs to go, and honestly can put her in danger at this time of political turmoil. Edward always felt like he was made to be a king, however, once he leaves his gilded tower, he may find that he isn't best suited for the job and that he may not be the great king he thinks himself as. G spends his days as a horse, but he has the heart of a poet and true romantic. He can't change his form at will as other Eðians seem to be able to do, and after getting married to Jane Grey he may be more frustrated with her than his condition. As I said, I loved all these characters, not all of them are perfect, in fact, none of them are perfect, but it's their imperfections that make them such joys to read about.

Romances: This isn't an overly romantic book by any means. There is romance in this book, in fact, there are multiple romances in this book, but even though they factor into the story in some very large ways, they don't' have much of a heavy presence, which I loved. Somehow, some way, these authors were able to convey romances that felt truer than many I've read before, but somehow did it in less time. It's a marvel. Don't get me wrong, I loved the romance when it showed up and things between Jane and G, as well as Edward and his love interest, felt so real and it didn't take much before I was rooting for each couple.

World Building: I'm a sucker for Tudor England, and even more so for things that involve either Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn, and/or Queen Elizabeth I. I didn't know who Jane Grey was before reading this book, I didn't much care except for that this story, that I'd heard nothing but positive hype toward, featured her. When I found out who she was and what part (however small) she played in history, I was nearly chomping at the bit to read this book and I'm so happy I finally did. This book is set in a world where there is contention between Verities and Eðians, these are allegories for Catholics and Protestants respectfully, and honestly, this way was more fun and far more whimsical as Eðians have the ability to change into animal forms, though it seems other than that there is no more magic in this world. The way the authors tell this story, as it truly did feel like I was being told a story and not just because I mostly listened to the Audio Book, has so much humor and excitement folded in. I can't believe how many times I laughed while reading this book. I knew it was a comedy, but I never fully grasped how until I started this story.

Predictability: When I first started this tale I thought I was able to very easily catch onto some twists that I wasn't expecting to be revealed until after the midpoint of this story. Then, quick as a cat the twists played out much earlier than I expected and I was left flabbergasted. Honestly, other than a few things I wasn't able to predict much at all in this book. It's not as though there were huge game-changing twists in this book, mostly things followed the status quo for a YA novel, however that doesn't mean that it didn't veer left or right when I wasn't expecting it to.

Ending: The final climax of this story is amazing, it really is a testament to each of these characters, their strengths, their weaknesses, and how far they've come over the course of this story. It was exciting and full of tension and suspense as things were coming to a head. This is a standalone and as such everything was tied up by the end. This doesn't exactly mean everyone had a happily ever after, but I was never left feeling as though there was more to this story to tell.

Rating:

I never expected this book to live up to the hype. I heard it was funny, witty, and exciting and while I expected to like it, I ended up totally loving it. From the writing style, the humor, and the phenomenal characters, this was such a quick read for me because I literally couldn't put it down. (Maybe not literally, but pretty darn close!)

Blog Tour Book Review: No Good Deed

Release Date: July 18, 2017
Author: Kara Connolly
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Length: 352 pages
Source: ARC from Publisher

Fans of Dorothy Must Die will love this reimagining of the legend of Robin Hood. Girl power rules supreme when a modern girl finds herself in the middle of a medieval mess with only her smart mouth and her Olympic-archer aim to get her home.

Ellie Hudson is the front-runner on the road to gold for the U.S. Olympic archery team. All she has to do is qualify at the trials in jolly old England. When Ellie makes some kind of crazy wrong turn in the caverns under Nottingham Castle—yes, that Nottingham—she ends up in medieval England.

Ellie doesn’t care how she got to the Middle Ages; she just wants to go home before she gets the plague. But people are suffering in Nottingham, and Ellie has the skills to make it better. What’s an ace archer to do while she’s stuck in Sherwood Forest but make like Robin Hood?

Pulled into a past life as an outlaw, Ellie feels her present fading away next to daring do-gooding and a devilishly handsome knight. Only, Ellie is on the brink of rewriting history, and when she picks up her bow and arrow, her next shot could save her past—or doom civilization’s future.

    

Review:

Protagonist: Ellie Hudson could potentially go to the Olympics if she focuses and wins the trials in Nottingham, yes that Nottingham, but she gets distracted by a ghostly monk and winds up in twelfth century England. Once there she takes on the role of an outlaw who dispenses justice to those who take advantage of the less fortunate. However, she cannot stay in the past for too long or she might not have a future to go back to. I loved Ellie a lot. I mean, she's just the kind of impulsive and sarcastic heroine that I needed. Over the course of the book, she does develop a bit more. I loved her development and her interactions with other characters. She's a bit of a goofball and can get a bit irate at times, but if you wound up in 12th Century England you'd probably be a bit pissed off too.

Romance: Okay, so this is going to be a short section... I hope. There honestly isn't that much romance in this book. I mean, there's some flirting and Ellie definitely admires masculine form(s), but in the end, there isn't really that much romance and how it all ended was kind of cliche. Don't get me wrong I didn't need more romance, or really any romance, I just wished it had been handled better.

World Building: When I first heard about this book I had assumed that Ellie would take on a Robin Hood type of role, not actually become Robin Hood. I did really enjoy how the author built out Nottingham and handled not only Ellie's culture shock, but how others view Ellie's weird speech patterns and clothing. I'm always up for a time travel book and mixing that with the lore of Robin Hood, and how those bits of the legend sprung from rumor were very well executed. While I admit I don't know too much about the Robin Hood legend, mostly what Disney and some other adaptations have told me, I did enjoy how the author told this story, and though it doesn't quite line up with the things I've heard, I did like the gender bending aspect and how the heart of the story stayed in tact.

Predictability: On the whole, this story isn't that predictable. Sure there were a few things that were fairly cliche and easily predicted, and of course your standard YA predictions, but there were also things that I couldn't have predicted if I wanted to. There weren't any jump out of your chairs and gasp level predictions, nothing that blew me out of the water, but there were a great number of twists that still felt right.

Ending: So, my main problem with this book is that it did take a while for Ellie to come into her role, and this isn't that long of a book, so the second half happens kind of quickly. Everything is sort of rushed and while I was okay with the story that was ultimately told, I felt like there was so much potential to tell more stories and after the final climax that's near impossible. Also, there were a few things that were more or less glossed over and the ending was pretty cliched.

Rating:

So, I did really enjoy this tale, but reading it five chapters a day, the ending really snuck up on me. I feel there was more the author could have explored, the ending felt a bit rushed, and the ending was kind of cliched. Still, a great read for those who like Historical Fiction or Time Travel stories.

Book Review: Ghostly Echoes (Jackaby #3)

Release Date: August 23, 2016
Author: William Ritter
Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
Length: 352 pages
Source: Review Copy from the Publisher

Jenny Cavanaugh, the ghostly lady of 926 Augur Lane, has enlisted the investigative services of her fellow residents to solve a decade-old murder—her own. Abigail Rook and her eccentric employer, Detective R. F. Jackaby, dive into the cold case, starting with a search for Jenny’s fiancé, who went missing the night she died. But when a new, gruesome murder closely mirrors the events of ten years prior, Abigail and Jackaby realize that Jenny’s case isn’t so cold after all, and her killer may be far more dangerous than they suspected.

Fantasy and folklore mix with mad science as Abigail’s race to unravel the mystery leads her across the cold cobblestones of nineteenth-century New England, down to the mythical underworld, and deep into her colleagues’ grim histories to battle the most deadly foe she has ever faced.

    

Review:

Protagonist: Abigail Rook has assisted her employer, R. F. Jackaby, on two cases now and when they returned home from their most recent escapade involving a dragon, they find their friend and the ghostly resident of their home, Jenny Cavanaugh, has a new case for them, to solve her murder. Now, as new evidence appears that connects to Jenny's murder, Jackaby and Abigail must uncover new clues and discover not only who killed their friend, but what compelled this person to commit such a violent and gruesome act. Can I just say that I love all of these characters? I mean seriously, I know that Abigail is our narrator and primary character, but even so, it's just as easy to see who all of the major players are underneath and to see their development as this story goes on. None of these characters are perfect, but it's their flaws, no matter how big or small, that make them such realistic and three-dimensional characters

World-Building: Before I get too far into the world building I wanted to address the lack of a romance section. There is romance in this book, Charlie once again makes an appearance and there's a bit of romance between him and Abigail, and since a lot of this book delves into Jenny's past there's a bit of romance that involves her to, but there's not enough of it for me to feel as though it merits its own section. The main hook of this story is the fact that we finally learn more about Jenny and how she ended up dying. This mystery has been teased in previous installments, but I was overjoyed when in the previous book we see it ending with Jenny finally wanting to know what happened to her. as I said before we learn a lot more about Jenny and her life leading up to her death, but interestingly enough we also learn a lot about Jackaby's past and what led up to him becoming the Seer that he is. this book expands this world in immeasurable ways, there's something sinister going on in New Fiddleham and Jenny's murder and the other cases are just pieces of a much larger plot.

Predictability: With this being a mystery novel the predictability or lack thereof is very important. Luckily, this author knows what he's doing. I cannot begin to articulate how amazing this book is. There are so many wonderful twists and even when you think you know everything, even if you think you've uncovered what's going on before it's been uncovered in the story, there's always something else that puts a wrinkle in your perfectly logical prediction. Not that there aren't moments in this book that are extremely predictable, but it always feels like it's meant to be that way, it seems like the author purposely foreshadowed something a bit too easily just so that there could be a twist inside his twist.

Ending: If I didn't know going into this book that this was the penultimate installment in this series, by the time this book ends I would have figured it out. There are actually quite a few climactic moments towards the end of this book and they are unbelievably epic. These moments are when a lot of these characters shine their brightest. After all the dust settles, like with previous installments in this series, we get a taste of what's to come next. I don't want to give anything away, but the taste of what's coming up does feel very final, and like I said this is the second to last installment in this series. This book ends with on of these worst cliffhangers I've ever read (in a good way.) At this point, I want the next installment in this series probably more that I want to breathe.

Rating:

This is by far my favorite installment in this series yet. I've been trying to articulate just how and why this is my favorite and I can't, it's so complex and how everything ties together in this book leading to a very explosive cliffhanger just made this book my current favorite of the year so far!