Danielle Paige proves she can write graphic novels well!
Thanks to DC and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review Mera Tidebreaker by Danielle Paige, illustrated by Stephen Byrne!
This graphic novel showcases the author’s writing talent in a new format. The illustrations are impressive also and together they tell an interesting tale of rebellion turning a young princess into a strong, brave heroine. 5 stars!
Not if I Save You First by Ally Carter opens as ten-year-old Logan and his best friend Maddie witness the violence that occurs with the attempted kidnapping of his mother, the First Lady. Logan is the president’s son and his best friend is the daughter of the head of the Secret Service. Maddie’s father gets shot and badly injured during the kidnapping attempt, so he decides to move to Alaska with his daughter to recover and distance themselves from the danger. Now, six years later, Logan gets sent to stay with them for his own safety. Logan has a tendency to be careless and unconcerned about what happens to him and this has exasperated his parents. Maddie is extremely angry at Logan because she wrote letters to him for years after their move to Alaska and she never received anything from him. The day Logan arrives, Maddie’s father leaves to make a quick delivery because a terrible storm is coming. While he’s away, Maddie and Logan are confronted by an abductor who wants to use Logan for leverage. Maddie is shoved down a hill, left for dead and the kidnapper forces Logan to move on. The danger compounds because of the Alaskan wilderness and lack of food, shelter and heat. I thoroughly enjoyed Not If I Save You First for several reasons- the suspense, mystery and sarcastic humor and I love the characters! 5 solid stars for a fun, action-packed adventure!
Unusual supernatural story!
Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Teen for the opportunity to read and review Smoke and Key by Kelsey Sutton!
The story opens as the main character awakens in a cramped space, then feels a falling sensation. She discovers that she’s fallen into Under, which is a place where some people go after they die. Others start being terminated by being burned by a murderer. The only way Under residents die is through being burned because they are already dead. A strange story about the people who reside in Under and what happens when they gain their memories back. My favorite part of the book details the relationship memories of Smoke and Key. A little bit of magic used in the inappropriate way and revenge fuels the plot. Being slow at times and the unusual world-building earn 3 stars!
Dynamic characters!
Thanks to Edelweiss and Scholastic Press for the opportunity to read and review The Deceiver’s Heart by Jennifer A. Nielsen!
Kestra is back with Lord Endrick and he wants her to be a spy by infiltrating the Corack rebellion. She refuses but Lord Endrick takes her memories to the point where she doesn’t even know who Simon is. Kestra is sent to kill Simon. Luckily, before Endrick took Kestra’s memories, she gave the Olden Blade to Basil to hide it from everyone including herself. Simon sees Kestra in his village and figures out that she doesn’t recognize him at all. Kestra is taken to the Blue Caves where her memories begin to be restored and she realizes what she’s supposed to do. Kestra and Simon seem to continuously be pulled apart by their circumstances, people around them or their separate missions. They love each other but everything is getting in their way. The two of them are running in circles and they’re surrounded by the kingdom’s chaos and rebellion. The ending leaves the story and their relationship wide open and left me anxious for the third book of this series, The Warrior’s Curse! Dynamic characters within a doomed kingdom build this great fantasy series, 5 stars!
The Traitor’s Game by Jennifer A. Nielsen starts a new fantasy series full of action and a feisty main character! Kestra has been away from her father and kingdom for the last three years. Her father sent her away for her safety after she had been kidnapped. She’s traveling back to her father, along with her servants, when their metal carriage is attacked and Kestra is kidnapped again. This time the kidnappers want her to become a traitor and find the Olden Blade; the blade is the only way to kill the evil and immortal ruler of the kingdom, Lord Endrick. Kestra is a handful. One of her kidnappers, Simon, is an old acquaintance from her childhood and the two of them have animosity between them. Kestra feels unloved by her father because of how callously he treats her and how easily he sacrifices her. Kestra’s attitude is funny at times and maddening to the other characters most of the time. Action, suspense, twists and originality, with a nod or two towards J. R. R. Tolkien, make The Traitor’s Game a 5 star read!
Purely enjoyable!
Thanks to Edelweiss for the opportunity to read and review The Blood Spell by C. J. Redwine, book four of the Ravenspire series. The books in this series are more companion books than sequels. Blue works with her father at the family store and she’s in the process of turning lead into gold with alchemy. Blue wants to help the homeless and poverty-stricken people in the kingdom with the gold she hopes to create. Kellan is next in line to rule the kingdom and he doesn’t enjoy the politics or having to watch his back constantly, but he does enjoy a bit of danger and fun. Dinah is losing her empire and needs money since her husband lost everything due to his gambling habit. She’s discovered that Blue is trying to make gold and Dinah wants Blue to work for her so she can claim everything Blue does. Blue’s life has been turned upside down because of Dinah’s actions, making Blue a Cinderella of sorts. Blue overhears Dinah talking loudly with someone she owes money too and she decides to help Dinah’s daughters, so they won’t be taken to pay off their family debt. Little does she know that Dinah planned for Blue to hear the conversation all along. Dinah’s manipulative nature and Blue’s integrity come to fisticuffs as the action and suspense rise. I enjoy Blue’s and Kellan’s relationship and how they’re both very stubborn. Princess Nessa is a young, extremely brave soul. The characters round out this fantasy and I enjoyed every minute reading this book, 5 stars!
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!
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!
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 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!
The Thought Spot 