City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Wow! I’m glad Cassandra Clare continued the Mortal Instruments series!
City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare, the fourth book of The Mortal Instruments series, opens as Clary is working hard on her training while Simon is unsure of how to be a vampire and all that it entails. Camille, a vampire clan leader, reaches out to Simon to request that he joins her. Simon doesn’t want to but he’s having a difficult time fitting in anywhere. Shadowhunters are being murdered and Simon has been threatened several times. The Shadowhunters are trying to figure out the murders but only Jace and Kyle, Simon’s roommate, know about the attacks on Simon. Both of them are now Simon’s bodyguards. We are introduced to Lilith in depth and Simon, Jace and Clary are spun in circles. With one surprise after another, City of Fallen Angels packs as much suspense and action as the first three books in The Mortal Instruments series and that last line, whoa! 5 stars!

Milk Soaps by Anne-Marie Faiola

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Decadent recipes and user-friendly recipes!
Thanks to NetGalley and Storey Publishing for the opportunity to read and review Milk Soaps by Anne-Marie Faiola!
Split into Beginner, Intermediate and Advance soap making recipes, this book has soap for every skill and a variety of ingredients to please everyone. Milk soaps are creamier, lather more and are better moisturizers than soaps made with water. Animal milk can be used, as well as the milk from seeds, nuts and rice. An alphabetized list of oils describes differences and properties. Adding color and scent fills the next section and helps the soap maker choose ingredients to make the soap that’s best suited to their needs and tastes. Next, detailed recipes finish out the book with a marvelous assortment of practical and beautiful soaps, 5 stars!

The Haunted by Danielle Vega

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Perfectly spooky!
Thanks to Bookish First for choosing me as a winner of The Haunted by Danielle Vega!
Hendricks and her family moved to a small town and into a house with history after some undisclosed problems in Philadelphia. The house they moved into is known as the Steele House. This is where a girl was murdered years ago. Hendricks begins to have hallucinations that terrify her. She also discovers tragic things about her neighbor’s past and deals with PTSD ex-boyfriend issues. On the upside, Hendricks makes friends and begins to enjoy her new home but not necessarily the house. Her friends are fun and make her laugh and enjoy life again. But when she’s home, strange and terrifying things happen. A perfectly spooky young adult horror book that gave me chills! The mystery surrounding the house and also Hendricks’ past kept the story interesting and suspenseful, 5 stars for this creepy tale!

City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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City of Glass by Cassandra Clare jumps right back into the story as Clary tries to help her mother. Clary ends up staying behind as Jace, Isabelle, Alec, Max and Simon take the portal to Idris. They meet with Sebastian and his cousin Aline. Clary throws a tantrum and she ends up on the outskirts of Idris with Luke. Meanwhile, Simon has been thrown in prison under suspicion of helping Valentine. The events compound and the danger grows for the Shadowhunters as more of Valentine’s past is exposed and the twists and turns build suspense. A wonderful ending to a supposed trilogy, which became so much more, 5 supernatural stars!

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare is an intense sequel to City of Bones!
Jace is back to living with Isabelle and Alec, but their younger brother Max and mother are now at the Institute also. Clary and Simon are dealing with the repercussions of their vampire experience. Maryse, Isabelle’s and Alec’s mother, doesn’t trust Jace, so she calls for the Inquisitor to discover whether or not he’s being truthful about his father. The Inquisitor sends Jace to the Silent City, a horrible prison, for one night. He witnesses the Silent Brothers’ deaths and is rescued by fellow Shadowhunters, Isabelle, Alec and Clary. Next, the visit to the Faerie Queen shows the truth of Jace’s and Clary’s feelings, upsetting Simon, who becomes one of the Undead. Events and turmoil keep the story moving quickly as more of Jace’s and Clary’s backgrounds are brought to light. We learn more about their parents, the Inquisitor and much more! A great second book in the Mortal Instruments series, 5 stars!

In Another Life by C.C. Hunter

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Realistic fiction by C. C. Hunter!
Thanks to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review In Another Life by C. C. Hunter!
Chloe moved to Joyful, Texas with her mom after the divorce. She’s lived in Joyful before, when she was three years old and had just been adopted. She doesn’t really remember anything about it from before. Cash lives in a foster home with Ms. Fuller. She’s an amazing foster parent and truly cares about Cash. Cash knows that Ms. Fuller lost her daughter a long time ago and he wants to help her feel better. The story jumps around and finally transitions more smoothly after the first quarter of the book. I felt like I became more invested in the characters of Chloe and Cash after that point. The story involves con artists, kidnapping, deception, friendship and family. With all of the events, the two strong main characters and the author’s writing style, In Another Life is an enjoyable read worth 4 stars!

Fake News: Separating Truth from Fiction

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Useful and necessary guide to sorting through what’s real and what isn’t!
Thanks to Lerner Publishing Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review Fake News: Separating Truth From Fiction by Michael Miller!
This helpful guide to fake news and what to watch out for covers the basics and more! Explanations and descriptions of real news and fake news help us to see that fictional information can be harmful and how to tell what’s real from what isn’t real. Fake news isn’t a new idea created from social media; it dates back to Ancient Rome. Propaganda is a way to spread false information and fake news and it was well used by Hitler during World War II. To keep your intake of information on the real side, there are certain things you can watch out for, such as exaggerated claims, misspellings in URLs and only using a single source for information. Snopes is a great site for checking questionable news posts and PolitiFact is available to check political news for truthfulness. Everyone can help the spread of fake news by checking for reliability and trustworthiness of posts before sharing. 5 stars for this beneficial guide to fake news!

Crown of Feathers by Nicki Pau Preto

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Great beginning to a new fantasy series!
Thanks to NetGalley, Edelweiss and Simon Pulse for the opportunity to read and review Crown of feathers by Nicki Pau Preto!
Val and Veronyka are sisters who can communicate with animals (animages) and convince the animals to do their bidding. The sisters also have that same effect on people (shadowmages). The law prohibits this behavior, so the sisters are in hiding and they have been for years, alone and on their own, moving from place to place to survive and hunt for Phoenix eggs to rejuvenate the Phoenix riders. They discover two eggs and one hatches; the Phoenix chick chooses Veronyka instead of the elder sister Val.
Sev is a soldier by choosing service instead of punishment for his crimes. He accidentally sees Veronyka and her Phoenix, Xyphera, while Raiders are attacking her cabin. Sev and a prisoner help her escape the notice of the raiders. Later, Val kills Xyphera because she thinks Veronyka has raised her poorly. This breaks Veronyka’s heart and she leaves Val behind to search for Phoenix eggs and Phoenix riders on her own. During her search, Veronyka meets Sparrow, an animage with a bird companion named Chirp.
Tristan is a Phoenix rider who’s afraid of fire and he feels like he’s a constant disappointment to his father. The group of Phoenix riders that Veronyka finds only accepts boys and Sparrow gives her the idea to pose as a boy, becoming Veronyka’s “brother”, Nyk. Nyk meets Tristan, the son of the Phoenix riders’ Commander. They have a tumultuous relationship for a while because Tristan is under his father’s thumb. Everything comes to a head when Nyk sees Val in the crowd! Veronyka’s life becomes much more complicated after Val shows up and many truths are revealed, leaving Veronyka questioning everything about who she is. 5 stars for this complex and unique fantasy!

The Traitor Prince by C.J. Redwine

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The Traitor Prince by CJ Redwine. The third book in the Ravenspire series. Rahim, Javan’s unknown cousin, has been chosen to be a replacement for the true prince because he’s half royal. His father, Fariq, conceived Rahim with a peasant woman. Rahim is bitter and feels justified in taking the true prince’s place. Javan, the prince, has been away at school for the past ten years, working hard to meet his mother’s dying wish that he will graduate with honors. Javan is kidnapped and thrown in prison where he struggles to stay alive and tries to find a way to reach his father, the king. In the meantime, Rahim is trying to weasel his way into power. Javan finds trusted allies and he literally fights for survival. The prison warden throws everything she can at Javan to crush him. Javan discovers more about himself and about his country than he ever imagined. I love Sadja, her strength and abilities. I also rooted for Javan the whole time! Strong world building and characters make The Traitor Prince a very enjoyable read, 5 stars!

The Wish Granter by C.J. Redwine

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The Wish Granter by C. J. Redwine is a fun and suspenseful retelling of Rumpelstiltskin!
Ari treats everything with humor and Thad is feeling the pressure from his granted wish. Thad has suddenly become king after he made a deal with the Wish Granter ensuring his sister will be taken care of. Little did he know that the Wish Granter always tricks and gets more out of the bargain than the people he makes deals with. Sebastian has been hired as the kingdom’s new weapons master. He’s grateful for this chance to better his life and get away from his violent father and to help his drug-addicted mother. Ari asks Sebastian to make weapons out of iron for her so she can protect Thad from the Wish Granter. Ari has also asked Sebastian to train her to use weapons to protect herself and her brother, through this the two of them become close friends. Teague discovers that Thad is working to get out of his contract, so Teague comes to collect Thad’s soul but he takes Ari prisoner instead. Sebastian braves everything that’s horribly traumatic and difficult for him, so he can get to Ari. Teague shares his background story with Ari and he tells her what his beautiful pipe is made of and it shocks her to the core. The author’s writing adds suspense, charm and intensity to the story. The Wishgranter is the second book in the Ravenspire series and it’s just as good as the first book, The Shadow Queen! 5 stars for this fairytale about Rumpelstiltskin!