Novella Review: A Court of Frost and Starlight (A Court of Thorns and Roses #3.1)

Release Date: May 1, 2018
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Publisher: Bloomsbury YA
Length: 229 pages
Source: Purchased Book

Narrated by Feyre and Rhysand, this bridges the events in A Court of Wings and Ruin and the upcoming novels in the series.

Feyre, Rhys, and their close-knit circle of friends are still busy rebuilding the Night Court and the vastly-changed world beyond. But Winter Solstice is finally near, and with it, a hard-earned reprieve. Yet even the festive atmosphere can't keep the shadows of the past from looming. As Feyre navigates her first Winter Solstice as High Lady, she finds that those dearest to her have more wounds than she anticipated--scars that will have a far-reaching impact on the future of their Court.

    

Review:

Protagonists: So, while the synopsis says that this book is narrated by both Feyre and Rhysand, that's not (technically) true. See, while all of the first person POV chapters are from Feyre and Rhysand, there are chapters, and parts of chapters, that are told in a limited third person POV that follow other members of Feyre's Night Court family. First off, I have to say how amazing it was to see these characters again, and even though it's been a while since I read A Court of Wings and Ruin, the minute I sat down to read this book it was like I never left and that's very much due to how these characters fly off the page. Honestly, there aren't that many characters that have internal conflicts that get even a little bit resolved in this story. Mostly this book felt like a set up for where certain characters will be when the series officially resumes. As you would expect it's Feyre who has the most internal conflict and character development in this story, mostly relating to the aftermath of the war with Hybern and how she'll deal with not only being the High Lady of the Night Court but also someone who suffered the loss of her father at the hands of the King of Hybern. When it comes to Rhys, I loved seeing from his POV, even if he is a big horndog from time to time, it was great to really see what he's going through in this story and really see how much he loves his family and Feyre. When it comes to the other characters, well they all have rather small arcs in comparison to Feyre and Rhys, but even with that third person POV, there's a lot of information about these characters revealed in this story, which is definitely another reason why these characters feel like they come to life when reading this story.

Romances: I was going to start this section about how, while I love the romance and relationship between Feyre and Rhys, it almost seems too stable, as much as I don't want anything bad to happen to this couple, I kind of wish there was some sort of conflict with their relationship, nothing major or threatening, but something normal, something that made their relationship a bit more relatable, however, this is just a short novella and with it not have that much conflict within well, I couldn't fault the author on that. Besides, I did love every freaking minute between those two, it's more that I barely have anything to write when it comes to their relationship, other than how strong it is in this book. As for the other characters in this story, well you'll see where Nesta and Cassian are at, and possibly have a hint at where that tumultuous relationship is headed and I can't wait to see how that all plays out. Then there's whatever is going on between Az, Elain, and Lucien, which again, I feel is more set up in this story than it actually having any development, we sort of see where things lie for these other relationships, but the author's intent is clearly to go deeper into those romances in the upcoming books.

World Building: With this not being a full installment in the series I wasn't exactly sure what to expect out of not only the story but the world building as well. I know this novella is described as a story to "bridge the gap" between the two the last book and the next, but honestly, that's pretty vague since we don't really have a concrete idea of what the next book will be about. In the end, the world building in this book is all about the ramifications caused during the war with Hybern, specifically the fact that the Wall is down and that there are Illyrian warriors who blame the heavy losses of their warriors on Rhys and Cassian. However, I was sort of disappointed to see that there isn't all that clear of a view for where the series is heading from here on out. Sure, we have a few plotlines teed up for the next few books, but I was kind of hoping to see a bit of a bigger picture, and instead, it feels like I got tiny glimpses but nothing close to the full thing.

Predictability: Since this story is so short there isn't a lot of time for big twists, and for most of this story it felt like I was just following along rather than picking up pieces of foreshadowing and trying to figure out some big twist. With that being said, there are a few surprises in this book, but usually, they're very obvious if you're good at picking up foreshadowing it's not hard to see where certain plotlines will go, but that never ruined the fun for me. I still relished every moment of this story.

Ending: Again, with this not being a full installment, there wasn't really much of an external conflict for these characters to overcome, so the ending of this story isn't as climactic as one of the novels in this series, so there isn't a whole lot I feel I can comfortably write in this section without spoiling something. All I'll say is that the last chapter feels a lot like an epilogue and wraps up some of the plotlines in this story while still leaving a lot to be resolved in the upcoming books. Oh, and the last few sentences melted my freaking heart.

Rating:

Have you ever wanted to read a story about your favorite characters (assuming the ACOTAR characters are some of your favorites) having fun and interacting without a whole lot of conflict getting in the way? Then this story is for you. Seriously, there isn't all that much conflict in this story and I didn't think it could be done, as I feel conflict, and its resolution, can lead to an even sweeter ending, but here it really works.

Blog Tour Book Review: Death Island + GIVEAWAY!

Release Date: December 31, 2017
Author: Kelsy Ketch
Publisher: Self-Published
Length: 726 pages
Source: Review Copy Provided by Good Choice Reading Promotions

Her family name tainted by her great-grandfather’s crimes of piracy, Meriden Cummings is far from the typical 18th century woman. A social outcast, she works in a carpentry shop in a small village, where the people barely tolerate unconventional behavior.

However, her life takes a turn after a gang of pirates attack her village and her blood reveals an ancient map adorned with Mayan glyphs leading to Death Island. An island legends say is ruled by the Mayan god of the underworld, Ah Puch. Her great-grandfather had sought after the island before he vanished without a trace. Now, Meriden is about to journey across the sea to understand her family history.

There are only a few problems: her growing feelings toward a mysterious stranger linked to her great-grandfather’s past; a greedy band of pirates after her great-grandfather’s legendary treasure; and a contract she has unwittingly signed in blood with Ah Puch himself.

    

Review:

Protagonists: This story is told from two points of view. The first being Meriden, the daughter of a carpenter, and a girl with fire in her veins. She isn't one to be told what to do, and she'll turn and give society the finger for trying to force her to someone she isn't. The second is Gregory, who upon meeting him is being held captive and tortured by pirates, which include his own brother. After said pirates attack Meriden's town, the two meet and go along on an epic seafaring adventure to find the lost and mythical Death Island. I really enjoyed both characters a lot, in fact, their backstories and characterization made them fascinating to read from. As the story progresses, despite some rather annoying events, their characters grow and develop even further. I appreciated how these two broken souls learned to not only lean on each other but, their friends and fellow crew members over the course of the story.

Romance: One of my biggest pet peeves is what I like to call the "True Love Rebound" trope, where you have one, or two individuals, who have been in serious relationships only to have those end horribly and for them to, almost immediately, or at least it feels that way to the reader, find their next romance to be their "actual" true love. It does give reason to why they wouldn't be chomping at the bit to find another romantic partner, but in the end, it just sort of feels like a rebound. This was the case for both our protagonists as they fight their growing feelings for one another. I say growing, but it's sort of handled like an insta-love held back by the previous hurt of their failed relationships and that was what made this romance hard to stomach at first. Over time it was easier to feel their bond and to really start to root for them as a couple, but it took some groaning on my part.

World Building: Now, I'm not expert on the linguistics of early eighteenth century England or Colonial America, but at least toward the beginning of this story, I found some of the phrases and idioms to be too modern for the era. Again, I could, and just might be, ignorant to when these phrases and idioms were first introduced, but they really pulled me out of the story whenever I came across them. As the story went on I noticed them less and less, but much like the romance, it felt like a bit of a slog to get through. The rest of the world building was amazing. I can't speak to how well the author incorporated Mayan mythology into the series, but as someone who doesn't know all that much about Mayan mythology, it was fun to see it incorporated into this series. What I was really excited about was the sailing and pirate aspects of this tale and it was glorious. There were so many great swashbuckling scenes and pirate-y action in this book and I loved every minute of it.

Predictability: On the whole, this story was pretty predictable. The foreshadowing was a tad heavy at times, it wasn't as though the author bashed me over the head with it like I've felt in other stories I've read, just that there a plenty of clues that if you pick up on them could tip readers off the twists well before they happen. There are a couple of twists to this story that I didn't predict that caught me off guard and really threw me for a loop, but those were the twists that didn't have any clues leading to them.

Ending: Going into this book I was expecting a standalone, and for as long as it is I wouldn't have minded this being the only book in a series, however, the epilogue of this tale seems to indicate a possible sequel, and while I'm not sure if I need a sequel, other than a few ends left loose at the end of this tale, I'm interested to see where this author goes next. The ending of this tale is fantastic. The final climax is fraught with tension and action and I savored every second I could get of it. As the story wound to a close, we didn't really get a cooldown period and there were a few things I would have liked to see wrapped up, even if this is the first book in a series.

Rating:

Despite loving the swashbuckling action and adventure this book contains, plus all of the magic and myth that are woven into the story, there were a few things I couldn't get past, the romance's rocky start, the possibly too modern text toward the beginning, and the fact that some of the time things felt a little too safe for even the secondary characters.

About the Author:

Kelsey Ketch is a young-adult/new-adult author, who works as a Wildlife Biologist in the state of North Carolina. During her free time, she can often be found working on her latest work in progress or organizing the New Adult Scavenger Hunt, a biannual blog hop. She also enjoys history, mythology, traveling, and reading.

Twitter: @kelseyketch

Facebook Page: Kelsey Ketch

Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Review: A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses #2)

Release Date: May 3, 2016
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Length: 626 pages
Source: Purchased Book

Feyre survived Amarantha's clutches to return to the Spring Court—but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can't forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin's people.

Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms—and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future—and the future of a world cleaved in two.

With more than a million copies sold of her beloved Throne of Glass series, Sarah J. Maas's masterful storytelling brings this second book in her seductive and action-packed series to new heights.

    

Review:

Protagonist: Feyre survived her ordeal with Amarantha, well... more or less. Now she's High Fae, but she still feels and hurts for what happened Under the Mountain, the things she had to do to free the land of Prythian from Amarantha's clutches. She also has new and strange powers to learn to control and discover for herself. Feyre's development throughout this story is stunning. I mean, she's almost a completely different person by the end. The development still feels realistic, but since this book is so long there's plenty of time for her to grow and develop by the end. I loved Feyre's development so much she really comes into her own in this story and this story is really a defining chapter for Feyre.

Romance: I want to talk about this romance, but I'm not sure what would be too spoilery and honestly since it's such a long book I could really only talk in detail about the very beginning. Let's just say there's a lot of romantic drama in this book. A love triangle of sorts does form, though by the end it's obvious what's become of that love triangle. I will say one thing though. The romance for this book did hit an overkill moment where I sort of felt like the author was trying too hard to sell me on the romance and it all felt very unnecessary and honestly sort of undercut some moments that happened in the past that were better without that extensive knowledge.

World Building: The world building in this story is also fantastic. I feel like we got to see so much more of the world than we did in the first book. We learn the secrets of the Night Court as Feyre's bargain with Rhysand is called in and the Night Court is very interesting. I don't want to give too much away but the Night Court is a finely tangled web. We also get to see other parts of this world, though I can't talk about that too much since, spoilers, but we do get to see other Courts, and the main focus of this series truly comes into view. There's so much that we get to explore in this world and there are so many questions I had about this world in the first book, and while not all of them were answered, quite a few were.

Predictability: I went into this story knowing a lot more about this story than I think I was meant to. First off, I watched a few booktubers' thoughts on the book and I knew where the romance was going and when I went to go pre-order my copy of ACOWAR, my gaze slipped and I knew where things, on a broad scale were going to end up, though I only read the first line so I didn't know that much. Still, I went into this book feeling like there wasn't a whole lot that could surprise me. Boy, did I get that wrong. The twists in this book were everything, I mean some of them there was foreshadowing for, but most of those were connected to what I already knew. No, it was the ones that came completely out of the blue that rocked me to my very core. The adrenaline running through my system isn't quite gone yet and I finished this book nearly an hour ago.

Ending: This ending utterly destroyed me. I mean, I've said that before and while I still stand by that, this is another level entirely. I'm so happy I waited until like right before ACOWAR releases to read this book. As of writing this, it's after midnight on the first of May, so I still have to wait for a day to get the next book and even that feels like too long. There are quite a few twists in the end of this book and while I was able to call, maybe one, the rest blew me away and helped set up what the next book will entail. There's a horrible, shame-on-the-author cliffhanger ending that I think I would still be mad over even if ACOWAR was sitting right next to me.

Rating:

Look, this book isn't PERFECTION or anything, there are some things I felt it did wrong, but the rest of it is so deliciously addicting that it's a definite 5 stars for me! I NEED A Court of Wings and Ruin in my hands this second!

Book Review: A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses #1)

Release Date: May 5, 2015
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Length: 421 pages
Source: Purchased Book

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

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

    

Review:

Protagonist: One thing I can always count on Sarah J Maas for it seems is a strong heroine. While Feyre isn't nearly the badass from the start that Celaena is in the Throne of Glass series, she definitely has a lot of promise. Feyre is just trying to keep her family together after her father loses all his money. One day while out hunting for food she kills a rather large wolf to keep it from killing her own prey. Soon though a beast comes by seeking retribution for the wolf, who's revealed to be one of the fae. Feyre leaves with him for Prythian, the faerie lands, and learns he is actually Tamlin, the High Lord of the Spring Court. Over the course of this story, Feyre's feelings and prejudices toward the fae slowly shift as she gets to know them. While she's not happy about being a captive and doesn't take it lying down, she begins to bond with the people of the Spring Court and with it's charming High Lord. While Feyre doesn't have the expert skill and battle prowess that Celaena has, she can definitely hold her own in a fight, and she's not easily swayed by pretty words and promises. I like Feyre's fire and am excited to see where the author takes her character.

Romance: So the romance in this story is a bit complicated, but I can't talk about the complicated stuff without talking about something that I would consider to be a spoiler, so let's just talk about the simple stuff. I really enjoyed Tamlin and Feyre's romance. It's nowhere near an insta-love, though it did move faster than I anticipated, but every milestone in their relationship feels earned. Feyre and Tamlin do have some great chemistry, Tamlin's cool elegance mixed with Feyre's fire makes for some intense and even comical, though in a good way, scenes between the two. One of the things I really enjoyed about this romance was how realistically it showed not only the romantic love between these two individuals but the lust as well. You rarely see lust explored in a YA novel, though there are some reasons to not consider this YA, however, it's refreshing to see as it adds another layer to the romance that makes it feel more realistic.

World Building: Beauty and the Best retelling! I mean those five words alone will probably convince me to read a book. This story does a great job at really driving that home while at the same time adding a fresh spin on the classic tale. I will admit that even though I was utterly entranced by the retelling aspects and the Fae world that we learn about over the course of many chapters while Feyre explores the Spring Court, the story itself does drag quite a bit. I mean, I'm not complaining too much because if the author had sped things up then the pacing of the book would have been off for a different reason. There is a bit of a speed up towards the end where a majority of the tension and action come to light. Even though I'm a huge fairy tale retelling nerd, I really did like the unique parts of this story as well. Even when we're past all the retelling elements there's plenty more story to tell and I can't wait to further explore this world.

Predictability: I swear nowadays when I read a retelling it gets too much into my head and I have a hard time separating what I think will happen because I know the fairy tale or myth or whatever it is and I can't focus on the foreshadowing that staring me right in the face. Don't get me wrong, there are a great many things in this story that I was able to predict, but the more creative ways to adapt this story I was completely blind on. There were a few things brought up that I'm not sure got fully revealed so I'm wondering if that might come up in future installments or if I just flat out missed something.

Ending: I was honestly surprised with how nicely wrapped up this ending was. I mean, I know it's a series and there are definitely some serious questions I want the answers to, but if this was it, if there were no sequels, I would be okay with that. That being said, luckily this isn't the end and we can explore this world and these characters further. The final climax of this story is seriously intense and I reveled in every minute of it. There's quite a bit that goes down and when the dust settles, well things happen. The cooldown period does feel very plateaued, and I wouldn't see a lot of people clamoring for the next book if they had to wait for some reason, but since I don't have to wait it's a nice time to take a breath before continuing on.

Rating:

While I did read this book slowly over a long period of time, while I was reading other books I might add, I did really enjoy this story and while it did slow down quite a bit in certain areas, I'm excited to learn more about this world and where our characters will go from here. Plus the retelling elements really didn't hurt my enjoyability AT ALL.

Book Review: The Architect of Song (The Haunted Hearts Saga #1)

Release Date: August 15, 2016
Author: A.G. Howard
Publisher: Golden Orb Press
Length: 425 pages
Source: Review Copy from Author

A lady imprisoned by deafness, an architect imprisoned by his past, and a ghost imprisoned within the petals of a flower - intertwine in this love story that transcends life and death.

For most of her life, nineteen-year-old Juliet Emerline has subsisted – isolated by deafness – making hats in the solitude of her home. Now, she’s at risk to lose her sanctuary to Lord Nicolas Thornton, a twenty-seven-year-old mysterious and eccentric architect with designs on her humble estate. When she secretly witnesses him raging beside a grave, Juliet investigates, finding the name “Hawk” on the headstone and an unusual flower at the base. The moment Juliet touches the petals, a young English nobleman appears in ghostly form, singing a song only her deaf ears can hear. The ghost remembers nothing of his identity or death, other than the one name that haunts his afterlife: Thornton.

To avenge her ghostly companion and save her estate, Juliet pushes aside her fear of society and travels to Lord Thornton’s secluded holiday resort, posing as a hat maker in one of his boutiques. There, she finds herself questioning who to trust: the architect of flesh and bones who can relate to her through romantic gestures, heartfelt notes, and sensual touches … or the specter who serenades her with beautiful songs and ardent words, touching her mind and soul like no other man ever can. As sinister truths behind Lord Thornton’s interest in her estate and his tie to Hawk come to light, Juliet is lured into a web of secrets. But it’s too late for escape, and the tragic love taking seed in her heart will alter her silent world forever.

International and NYT bestselling author, A.G. Howard, brings her darkly magical and visual/visceral storytelling to Victorian England. The Architect of Song is the first installment in her lush and romantic Haunted Hearts Legacy series, a four book gothic saga following the generations of one family as - haunted by both literal and figurative ghosts - they search for self-acceptance, love, and happiness.

  

Review:

Protagonist: Juliet, who at a young age grew deaf after a terrible illness, now feels the fresh grief of losing her mother, and to make matters worse some viscount has his eyes set on her family home without any clear reason. Soon after her mother's funeral Juliet, overcome with grief and something unexplainable steals a flower from a grave simply marked "Hawk" upon returning home she finds that but touching the flowers petals she can see and, miraculously, hear the ghost of the man who's headstone is labeled "Hawk." Hawk remembers nothing of his life, only that he is in some way connected to Lord Nicholas Thornton, the man who seeks to by Juliet's home. In search of the truth of what happened to Hawk, Juliet grows closer to Lord Thornton and learns more about him and his connection with Hawk, her world, and her heart, will never be the same. I really, really liked Juliet as our narrator. She's a strong and intelligent girl and while she's a bit shy and reclusive at first as the story develops she comes out of her shell and grows into someone who's not afraid to show who she is to the world.

Romance: I am very split on this romance. It doesn't start as a love triangle at first, though there are clear markers in the story that practically scream at you that one is on the way, and while Juliet and Hawk stay more or less sequestered from the world their romance is incredibly compelling. Their chemistry is very well written and described and because they aren't tied down by societal expectations, Hawk being a ghost and whatnot, their romance blooms quickly yet, gratefully, still believably. Then Juliet follows Lord Thornton to his holiday resort to gain more information about hawks past and things really start to blur. Lord Thornton, a man, who in Juliet's eyes, only wants her estate, is shown to be kind and caring, while her spectral lover grows more and more jealous and possessive. I won't say who Juliet ends up with, but I will say that, despite all of my aggravation over this love triangle, by the end, I actually came around to why certain things had to be the way they were.

World Building: Going into this story I was fairly blind to the plot. I knew that it had some paranormal aspect to it and that is was a New Adult story by A.G. Howard so, having enjoyed her Splintered series as much as I did, I was all in. First off I love the historical aspect of this story. A gothic Victorian love story filled with ghost, secrets, and vengeance is more than enough to entice most readers. I love how vividly Howard can bring a world to life and on top of that it's a world virtually without any sound. One thing I kind of have to bring up is that I kept forgetting that Juliet is deaf since she is so adept at reading lips and can hear her spectral visitor it doesn't come up as often as I expected so during the times it does I usually found myself forgetting her deafness. Finally, if I have one large complaint about this book it would be it's pacing. It's not that the book is boring or anything, it's more that there are stretches where things could have gone smoother or faster. Things that could have easily been condensed. I found it hard to read the book as quickly as I normally do spending nearly five days just getting through the first half and after that, it did pick up though if I wasn't trying to get this review up by today I may have taken longer breaks every six chapters or so.

Predictability: There are surprisingly so many mysteries in this story. First is the most obvious which is what happened to Hawk that led to his premature death and what is his connection with Lord Thornton? The latter question we actually get answered within the first third or so of the book, though there are unseen mysteries attached to various parts of the stories. It's funny though early on in the story I had a theory of sorts, one completely and overly complicated, that explained something that wasn't even a mystery, more a general wondering, and funnily enough I was right, though the answer was much more simplistic than my convoluted theory. There were things though that I never quite caught onto and that gave me a great and wonderful shock to discover.

Ending: While this is the first in a series, it's not a traditional series. This is a series of companion novels tied together with a similar thread. That means that this book, for the most part, wraps everything up by the end of the book. Whenever I come across a book that wraps the story up I often consider the idealism in the ending, or lack thereof. While this book doesn't exactly have the most idealistic ending, I'd say that there were a few things that I felt were just a little too idealistic for my tastes, though I will say since this is a paranormal novel nothing's really impossible.

Rating:

So, because of the slow pacing and slightly too idealistic ending I cannot in good faith give this book five stars, but that doesn't mean this story isn't awesome. If you're a fan of dark mysteries and with a Victorian setting I'd say this is the book for you!