Song of the Current by Sarah Tolcser

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Mythological fantasy!
Thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury USA for the opportunity to read and review Song of the Current by Sarah Tolcser! Caroline and her father are smugglers that come across a tragic sight as they pull into a harbor; boats are ablaze and have been destroyed. The port was attacked by a ship passing through and no one understands the purpose of the attack. Papa is arrested for smuggling and Caroline makes a deal with the commander to deliver cargo, contents unknown, to Valonikos in exchange for Papa’s freedom. The cargo box is opened and Caroline finds a young man, Tarquin, inside. He’s supposed to be delivering a message about the assassination of the Emparch, a ruler. Caroline suspects that he’s not telling the complete truth. Eventually, Tarquin explains to Caroline who he really is. Once she hears his truth and they realize what’s at stake, their plans completely change. They now plan on going to a completely different place to save his sister. The danger increases and so does the death toll. The first part of the book shows the characters, their lives and builds the world of The Song of the Current. The second part brings action, intrigue and danger and I became concerned with the characters’ well being. The humor grows in the end also. The story ends with excitement for the future and anticipation for the sequel, Whisper of the Tide. 4 stars for this fantasy built with an author-created mythology!

Oregon & Washington: 50 Hikes with Kids by Wendy Gorton

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Adventures on the West Coast!
Thanks to NetGalley and Timber Press for the opportunity to read and review Oregon & Washington:50 Hikes For Kids by Wendy Gorton! This wonderful guide includes hikes under 4 miles, easy to moderate trails and scavenger hunts. The book is broken down into the sections of each state, Oregon and Washington, giving details for the specific areas and what outdoor fun is available for kids, acting as a guide to help with choosing the adventures by feature, season and the things needed to prepare for the great outdoors. The idea of taking a nature journal along the way is great to create a reminder of the adventures and can be used for taking notes on the scavenger hunts. The best book for planning outdoor adventures in the upper west coast of the United States, 5 stars!

Zombie Abbey by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

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Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read and review Zombie Abbey by Lauren Baratz-Logsted. The story opens with the three daughters, their family owns the Abbey, getting ready for a party that evening. The eldest daughter, Kate, is meant to marry and bear a male child as heir to the Abbey. The party will introduce possible suitors for her to choose from or for them to choose her. The lovely British setting begins with tongue in cheek humor and the calmness of a classic but eventually, horror ensues when a woman is forced to shoot her already dead husband! No one but her nephew believes that her husband came home after she had already verified his death. She claimed that his eyes were unusual and he was no longer her husband, but a monster. Little by little, the Abbey community and surrounding village is overtaken by zombies and the survivors must defend themselves or fall victim also. The gutsy Fanny, a kitchen maid, builds up bravery throughout the Abbey and helps fight to save the residents, along with the three daughters. Zombie Abbey is a fun horror story, which seems oxymoronic, but the author pulls it off quite well! 4 stars for this adventurous dystopian!

Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick

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Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick. The opening chapter spooked my thriller instinct while the second chapter was optimistic and lighthearted. Britt and Korbie are heading to the Wyoming mountains for spring break and on the way to Korbie’s family cabin the weather becomes dire. They leave their Jeep in search of shelter and find two young men in a cabin. Their spring break goes from fun and hopeful and from bad to worse. A whirlwind of events makes Black Ice a must-read mystery! For a book that contains less than 400 pages, it packs quite a punch! Becca Fitzpatrick weaves an engaging story full of suspense that doesn’t quit, characters that become more complex as the mystery unfolds and descriptions that immersed my imagination in the cold winter storms in the Teton Mountains, 5 intense stars!

Assassin of Truths by Brenda Drake

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Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read and review Assassin of Truths by Brenda Drake! Gia is continuing on her mission and even though she’s lost people that she cares about, she still has more to accomplish. The story is refreshed in our minds as Gia encounters characters old and new. Her trials are all-consuming and seem never ending as she travels across the globe through beautifully described libraries to complete her mission. The vivid descriptions of the different worlds, characters and libraries bring the story to life and Gia’s loyalty and integrity know no bounds. A wonderful ending to the Library Jumpers adventure fantasy series, 5 stars!

Paper Towns by John Green

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Paper Towns by John Green tells the story of Quentin, otherwise known as Q. Q and his next door neighbor Margo used to be best friends and, as they’ve grown up and become high school seniors, they have turned into acquaintances. One night, Margo talks Q into helping her seek revenge on her ex-boyfriend and ex-best friend, who happen to be sneaking around behind her back to have sex together. After their fun and rowdy late night, Q is anxious to see if Margo acts differently towards him at school. When she’s not at school or even at home for a couple of days, everyone assumes Margo is on just another one of her adventures. As Q tries to figure out and follow the clues, he begins to worry that he might find Margo dead. The ongoing suspense along with the wonderfully executed humor have made this one of my favorite books from beginning to end. Dynamic, complex, real characters bring depth, realism and humor into this adventure of a story-5 Stars!

You Won’t Know I’m Gone by Kristen Orlando

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You Won’t Know I’m Gone, by Kristen Orlando, opens six months after the first book in this series ends. Reagan has now dedicated herself completely to becoming a Black Angel. She’s determined to seek revenge on Torres after he shot and killed her mother right in front of her. Reagan has to work extra hard to attend qualifying training because she’s lost weight and practice since her mother has been gone. During qualifying, Reagan realizes many things about herself as she matures and can actually be her true self, since she doesn’t have to keep her identity hidden. For the first time in her life she’s not keeping secrets from her friends, at least the friends she has in training. Reagan struggles with her all-out focus on revenge for her mother’s death. She sees how it’s hurting the people she cares about and possibly her chances of becoming a Black Angel, but she can’t seem to help curb her desire for revenge. Action-packed, adventurous and worth 5 stars!

You Don’t Know My Name by Kristen Orlando

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You Don’t Know My Name by Kristen Orlando is fun, action packed and adventurous. Reagan has been trained to be a Black Angel agent, like her parents are, since she was very young. Black Angels are secret agents and, as the book opens, a hitman breaks into Reagan’s home to kill her and her parents. After the hitman is dispersed, Reagan and her parents need to move for their safety once again. In their new house, Reagan finds friendship and a possible boyfriend that she feels completely comfortable with but with becoming an agent looming in her future, she knows that the relationship is doomed and she’s determined to hurt Luke as little as possible. She sabotages their relationship soon after it starts, breaking Luke’s heart and her own. This book is full of action and suspense and I don’t want to give anything away! I read this young adult mystery quickly, enjoying every minute! 5 stars!

The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden

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Thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for the opportunity to read and review The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden! This sequel to Bear and the Nightingale is a wonderful fantasy with beautiful descriptions and fascinating legendary characters of Russian heritage. Vasya is still uniquely interesting and after surviving different adventures, she meets her niece, Marya. The two of them have a great deal in common and Vasya finally has someone she can share her magical sights with, until they are forbidden to spend time together because of the impropriety of Marya showing her face in public. She truly is a girl locked in a tower. Their lives scatter out of control when a secret Vasya has kept quiet is revealed and everything spirals downward from there. I enjoyed this sequel as much as the first book and even more. The ending left me wanting more and I sure hope there’s a third book planned. I noticed on Goodreads that the next addition to the Winternight Trilogy is set to be published August 2018 and is entitled The Winter of the Witch! The Russian information and resources in the Author’s Notes helped with the understanding of legends, vocabulary and names. I am also interested in researching more of this section of Russian history, thanks to the sources mentioned. This beautiful story rates 5 stars for its atmospheric descriptions and dynamic characters!

 

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

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An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir introduces Laia and her brother Darin, who both live with their grandparents. When the Empire raids their home, Darin runs and instructs Laia to hide his sketchbook. They’re both caught and taken back inside to watch their grandparents lose their lives. Elias is introduced next. He’s a soldier of the Empire, known as a Mask. Masks are skilled soldiers and trained killers. Elias watches with the rest of the Masks as a deserter is whipped to death by the Commandant. This sickens him because he’s planning on deserting also and he thinks that he will be the next to die at the hands of the Commandant. The Commandant is Elias’ mother and she holds nothing but hatred for her son. The story alternates between Laia and Elias and suspense flows throughout the entire book, each section ending on a cliffhanger. Laia enters the Empire as the Commandant’s slave and as a spy for the resistance, in exchange for helping Darin. A new era is upon the Empire and The Trials have been set and will challenge four Masks, only two will survive and one of them will be the new Emperor. Relationships grow more complicated for both Laia and Elias and the struggle for their lives becomes more desperate. This rollercoaster of a story keeps the suspense heightened to the very last page! 5 well-deserved stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️!