Flamecaster

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Flamecaster by Cinda Williams Chima is the beginning of a new series set in the same place as the Seven Realms series by the same author. Adrian is thirteen with healing powers that he wants to learn more about so he can help in a better way than he does at the present time. He discusses going away to a school with his father right before they are both attacked and his father is poisoned and dies. His older sister Hana has already been killed by the King of Arden. Now only Adrian, his mother and younger sister are all that’s left of their family.

Jenna works in the mines with her beau, Riley and a young girl named Maggi. That all changes once the King og Arden visits the mines and wants to teach a lesson to the workers and he ends up killing the people Jenna cares about and she runs and hides to protect her life.

Adrian goes with Taliesen to school to learn magic and healing and perfect his abilities. Four years later, Jenna poses as a boy and Adrian has become a killer and a healer and both are taking their revenge. Destin adds to the mix of characters as good and bad.

Flamecaster is a great book full of mystery and fantasy with very dynamic characters. I am anxiously awaiting the sequel!

Gena/Finn

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Thanks to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for the arc of Gena/Finn by Hannah Moskowitz! This story is set up in snippets of text, dialogue from letters, online conversations and journal format, which made it difficult to get into. I think that was because I received the arc on a download for my laptop. I think the actual physical book would be easier to become involved in. I struggled with reading it because of the text inconsistency breaking my concentration also. Once I got passed these issues, I found a good story underneath it all. My favorite character is Charlie; I think he’s wonderful. The book is about a complicated relationship that began online and becomes something more and my rating is actually 3.5 stars.

Broken Hearts, Fences and Other Things to Mend

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Broken Hearts, Fences and Other Things to Mend by Katie Finn begins with Gemma and the explanation of how she came to be Teddy’s girlfriend, then his ex-girlfriend. To overcome her sadness over the breakup, Gemma gets a hair makeover, courtesy of her friend Sophie, and goes to stay with her father in the Hamptons. Gemma goes through a case of mistaken identity because of her hair change and the fact that she hasn’t seen some of these people in five years. She tries to tell them that she is Gemma, but they insist on calling her Sophie since she has her friend Sophie’s name written on her cup. The more I read, the more I enjoyed the story and characters and understood the struggle that Gemma was going through because of her guilt from causing the sabotage of her father’s relationship with another woman while her parents were separated and the frustration and concern of wanting to make things better. This book is thoroughly enjoyable with no swearing, clean romance and a bit of humor. The story doesn’t have complete resolution and will continue in the sequel, Revenge, Ice Cream and Other Things Best Served Cold.

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Me and Earl and the Dying Girl surprised me with all the different perspectives it contains. Silly, interesting characters made me laugh out loud several times, but this story is also empathetic and emotional. The unique characters bring the book to life. Earl is blunt and sometimes gross. Greg is entertaining and sometimes struck with verbal diarrhea. Touching, emotional, silly and strange run through this book and make it a must-not-miss read!

Diary of an Oxygen Thief

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Diary of an Oxygen Thief by Anonymous had a page posted on Facebook recently. This post caused interest in the book and so I purchased it to read and review. Disappointment abounded! Not only does it contain graphic, vulgar language but graphic sexual content also. Targeting young adults on Facebook created a young audience of interested readers, but the book is written with adults in mind as the audience. On top of all that, the writing isn’t very good and I was annoyed at the lack of editing. Maybe that was the point. Maybe this book is meant as a journal of sorts. Whatever the case may be, I will not read this again and will not be recommending it to my library students.

The Star-Touched Queen

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for the arc of The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi! The book begans with an Arabian feel and the main character, Maya, has been shunned her whole life because of her horoscope readings. The Raja (Maya’s father and father of many other daughters) has given her the choice of who she will marry. Of course, there is a catch. Maya learns who she can and cannot trust in a complicated twist of reality and the underworld, “Otherworld”.

The Star-Touched Queen is so much more than I thought it would be when I read the synopsis. The story is vast and covers many dimensions of the world’s mythology and time. Beautifully written! I recommend this book to anyone who loves mythology and fantasy, with a touch of romance.

 

 

Cuckoo Song

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Cuckoo Song by Frances Hardinge looks like and gives off a horror vibe from the cover, the synopsis and the first part of the book. I wanted it to be a horror story, but alas, no. Cuckoo Song is a supernatural story that reminded me of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. The writing is well done, but I felt a little disappointed because Cuckoo Song isn’t what I thought it promised to be.

Triss had an accident and is having difficulty remembering much of anything. Her sister Penny seems to dislike her and doesn’t trust Triss either. Triss is actually a changeling and Penny wants to get her real sister back. They discover the world of the Besiders and work together to fix their family. The loyalty of family is a great message and for fans of Ransom Riggs, this should be a pleasing read.

True Born

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Thanks to Entangled Teen and NetGalley for the arc of True Born by L.E. Sterling! True Born is the first in a new dystopian series involving twins, plague and plague resistance, elitism, fantasy, and a genetics mystery. This fun story livens up with Jared’s and Lucy’s interesting relationship and the mystery of the power that Lucy and her twin sister Margot hold. I wanted more but, alas, I will have to wait for the sequel!

Treasure Darkly

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Treasure, Darkly by Jordan Elizabeth Mierek is steampunk mixed with a bit of the supernatural. Clark lives with his mother in a brothel. She has a job as a Tarnished Silver. Clark drinks poison, which inadvertently gives him strange powers that can take a life or give a life. Because of this power, Clark’s mother is killed while the army is actually hunting for him. Fast forward two years when Clark meets his “half siblings” and a whole new life is opened up for him. Clark is still running from the army, but his strange powers give him very helpful abilities. This book is charming and interesting and I fell in love with the characters Clark and Amethyst. This is a fun read with more books in the series!