End of the Lie by Diana Rodriguez Wallach

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Twisting mystery!
Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Teen for the opportunity to read and review End of the Lie by Diana Rodriguez Wallach!
Anastasia watches her sister become more and more depressed because of her traumatic kidnapping and the bad publicity that follows. They are both trying to adjust to the new situation with their parents and unwanted fame. Twists and turns keep them running and confused but they stay by each other’s sides to get through their intense struggles. Anastasia sees the people around her change until everything comes full circle. Intense, mysterious and suspenseful all wrapped up in this finale of the Anastasia Phoenix series, 5 stars!

Lady Smoke by Laura Sebastian

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Strong, dynamic characters make a wonderful fantasy!
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the opportunity to read and review Lady Smoke by Laura Sebastian!
Theo is on Smoke, Dragonbane’s ship, with her Shadows and Soren. They are all working towards gathering allies to get her palace and reign back. Dynamic, strong characters plus the world building make Lady Smoke interesting to read and the uncertainty of Theo’s future drew me into the story even more. The characters’ backgrounds are intense and built fascinating characters that keep growing and stay steadfast by Theo’s side. Amazing strength and loyalty create unparalleled love for the kingdom they are all trying to get back. As the story carries on, more atrocities are brought to light and make the group even more determined! I don’t want to spoil anything but I’m thoroughly enjoying this series and anxiously awaiting the third book! 5 stars for great world building and strong, dynamic characters!

Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Dynamic Fantasy!

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the opportunity to read and review Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian.
A six-year-old Theodosia watches her mother as her life is taken from her. Her mother tells Theodosia that she’s the only hope for their people. The story jumps ahead ten years. Theodosia is a prisoner in the palace with the man who killed her mother, the Kaiser’s second in command- the Theyn. The Kaiser and the Theyn keep her with their own children in the palace, except she receives frequent whippings to remind her of their cruelty and her kingdom’s weakness. The Kaiser also gave her new names, Thora and Ash Princess. The Kaiser summons her to kill a rebel. This man used to be her guardian and he’s also her father. He pleads with her as his queen. He tells her to remember her rightful place as a princess and now a queen. He also tells her to kill him and she fulfills his request knowing that the guards will drag out his death but she will make it quick. The Prinze escorts her to her room and she vomits because of the trauma she’s just been through. Her maid helps her get undressed and puts ointment on her whip marks. Hoa, the maid, can’t speak because her mouth has been sewn shut. The stitches are cut every few days to allow Hoa to eat, then her mouth is sewn back up! There are no words to describe how horrible and deplorable that is. Thora is bolstering herself up to do what both her mother and father asked of her, to be their queen and she knows it’s up to her now because there’s no one left to rescue her. She discovers that a childhood friend is in the palace, Blaise, and he gives her hope once again. Blaise and two other rebels take the place of Thora’s private guards and together they plot the death of the Kaiser, the Prinz, the Theyn and his daughter. Pressure and learning more about the violent crimes towards her people make Thora determined to be the queen she was meant to be. 5 stars for this dynamic fantasy full of strong, interesting characters!

Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Interesting characters!
Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Teen for the opportunity to read and review Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa! Suki has been sent to the Palace of the Sun to work as a maid. Suki has been helping in her father’s flute shop but he sent her to the Palace to have a secure living so she’ll be taken care of when he passes away. She becomes a maid of the Emperor’s concubine, Lady Satomi; a beautiful but cruel lady. The concubine’s maids seem to keep running away or disappearing and we quickly find out why; she’s sacrificing her maids to a demon as pay for a favor that she wants in return. Next, we meet Yumeko, the prankster fox-girl that lives with monks as they guard a secret, part of the Dragon prayer. The third chapter introduces a Shadow Clan warrior that guards and yields an important weapon that houses a demon. This warrior has been sent to destroy two monsters. Chapter by chapter, characters are introduced and the stakes rise. Everyone wants the Dragon Scroll and death doesn’t seem to be a deterrent. The Fox girl and warrior are working together to find information about the scroll. Little does the warrior know that Yumeko has the scroll the entire time. If he knew, he wouldn’t think twice about killing her. The two of them keep saving each other and are now in each other’s debt. Along their travels, the two of them meet interesting characters, a rogue and a demon warrior, among others. Shadow of the Fox is beautifully told in the style of Japanese mythology. Intriguing characters kept me reading to the end and the epilogue made me anxious for the next book in the series, 5 stars!

The Boyfriend Whisperer 2.0 by Linda Budzinski

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Fun, romantic read!
Thanks to the author for the complimentary copy of The Boyfriend Whisperer 2.0 by Linda Budzinski from Swoon Romance!
Alicea Springer is the new Boyfriend Whisperer and her app is supposed to be very accurate. She wants to get back with her ex-boyfriend Ty, but the app says her match is Darius Groves. Alicea gets paired up with Darius for an English assignment and she begins to see the truth about him. Her eyes are opened to her past, present and her possible future. Another clean, romantic young adult read from Linda Budzinski that brings fresh characters to the world of the Boyfriend Whisperer, 5 stars!

A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Here’s my review for A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir, the third but not final book in An Ember in the Ashes series. I love how the book opens with the Nightbringer’s point of view! The author gives us insight into the kingdom’s history and at the present time, the scholars are being extinguished but we see that in the past the scholars have done the same thing to the Jinn, the Nightbringer’s people. Very interesting and so much like the harsh reality we live in. Elias’ fate and Laia’s future hold mystery. Helene, as the Blood Shrike, stands steadfastly by her sister Livia’s side. Livia has a fortunate surprise that could change the Empire for the better. Learning more about Keris and her past was fascinating as was learning more about Laia’s mother’s story. Elias gives up everything to help others because of his kindness and tremendous strength. Reaper at the Gates hurts my heart but builds distant hope for the amazing characters, 5 stars!

Splendor and Spark by Mary Taranta

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Adventure within a dark fantasy world!
Thanks to NetGalley and Margaret K. McElderry Books for the opportunity to read and review Splendor and Spark by Mary Taranta!
North is on a path he doesn’t necessarily want but feels that he has to be on. Faris and Cadence are prisoners still. Bryn seems to be gaining everything she wants, power and to be queen. Cadence adores Bryn and she shows nothing but disdain for Faris. Faris struggles to let her sister be until she finally gives in to the fact that letting Cadence make her own choices is the right thing to do. North striving to find his father becomes more and more complicated. North and Faris lose much but learn a lot and, as their wisdom grows, they understand what they need to do to accomplish their goals, North with his father and Faris finding a place where she belongs. The world building is descriptive and thorough while the characters are dynamic. I especially like Alistair because he fascinates me and I want to know more about his background and past experiences. 4 stars for this dark fantasy adventure!

Shimmer and Burn by Mary Taranta

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Shimmer and Burn by Mary Taranta jumps into an intense storyline. Right from the beginning, I was hooked! Faris and Thaelan live completely different lives in opposite areas of the kingdom. Faris and her sister Cadence live in poverty while Thaelan is a member of nobility. Thaelan and Faris are in love and want to run away so they can be together. Faris and Cadence are pretty much on their own because of their dysfunctional father and deceased mother; a mother that stabbed Faris in the chest, trying to kill her years ago. Cadence and Thaelan are captured while they are trying to escape, the two of them receive horrible consequences. Faris is offered a job to earn money to buy Cadence’s freedom. The job offer comes from the kingdom’s executioner and his betrothed, Princess Bryn. Things become a bit confusing when Bryn and Faris are captured and the “owners” change hands a couple of times. Once that’s settled, the situation begins to clear up again. Bryn and Faris end up riding with North, a mysterious young man with secrets of his own. The relationships sparkle and the world frightens in this dark, dreary fantasy made up of magic that cripples and sometimes completely transforms. A range of emotions surrounds the storyline and tragedy, intensity and brutality sum up the characters’ lives. Deeply dynamic, Shimmer and Burn is waiting to pull you into its world! 5 stars!

Plague Land Reborn by Alex Scarrow

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Dystopian virus!
Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the opportunity to read and review Plague Land Reborn by Alex Scarrow!
The story opens with Leon’s father when the plague hit New York, two years earlier and alternating with the present from Leon’s point of view. The virus has gained strength and intelligence while absorbing human bodies and their memories. Tom continues to search for Leon and Grace while working with the government to rescue survivors of the virus. I don’t want to give anything away but I will say that the virus has evolved enough to mimic animals and humans; humans that people recognize, making discovering the virus even more difficult. The creepy factor kept me interested and I was curious about Tom and his children’s futures. 4 stars!

Grace and Fury by Tracy Banghart

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Once I started reading, I couldn’t put it down!  So good, I actually read it twice already!
Thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Book Group for the opportunity to read and review Grace and Fury by Tracy Banghart!
Serina and her family await Signor Pietro to make his choice of one of the community’s young women who will travel to Bellaqua, join others from different provinces, and vie for the opportunity to be a Grace for the royal Heir. Sera’s mother is thrilled when she’s the one who’s chosen, but her siblings Nomi and Renzo seem to feel otherwise. Sera’s unsure how her father feels. Sera has learned to be happy with the lack of options given to women in Viridia but Nomi openly hates the idea.
The Heir, Malachi, chooses three Graces every three years. This will be his first year of choosing Graces. The Superior has forty Graces and everyone assumes he will step down and let the Heir rule Viridia. At the ball, Nomi wanders into a palace library and notices a beautiful copy of the book Renzo taught her to read with, when they were younger. Reading is forbidden for women but Nomi loves to read. She slips this book into her clothes and as she’s going back to the ball, runs straight into the Heir and his younger brother Asa. The Heir demands to know what she’s doing and she coyly answers that she was using the restroom and if he needs it she points to where it is. Nomi can’t fathom how she could have been so rude to the Heir and she’s sure she’s going to be sent home. Sera is the only young woman the Heir dances with at the ball. He makes his decision afterwards, choosing two women and then Nomi instead of Sera! Grace and Fury is fast paced and full of intrigue! This magnificent book twists and turns with suspense that kept me on the edge of my seat! Once I started reading it, I couldn’t stop. Fantastic writing, unique storyline and intriguing characters make Grace and Fury a must-read- 5 stars!