The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi

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Beyond my expectations!
Thanks to Edelweiss, NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the opportunity to read and review The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi!
Whoa, that prologue! I expect intrigue, deception, action and suspense after reading it and chapter one alludes to all of the above! The complexity of forging and the variety of characters, all introduced smoothly and interestingly, attests to Roshani Chokshi’s writing talent. Severin leads L’Eden, his home full of wayward, talented people. Such as Laila, who’s skilled in baking delicacies, Zofia, her forging talents cause a bit of chaos, and Tristan, who forges diverse landscapes with plants. Enrique’s personality is fun and interesting. Laila is paradoxical with a unique birth story and the group works well together as they try to restore Severin’s birthright. Severin, along with the help of Enrique, manages to steal the compass from Hypnos; the compass that contains a map. The group develops another elaborate plan and as they begin to carry it out, Laila discovers Hypnos lounging on her chaise lounge when she enters her dressing room. She immediately assumes he’s there to stop their plan but Hypnos surprises her when he states that they need to save Tristan and Severin from death within the hour. By the time the story winds down, tragedy has struck and the group is heartbroken and struggling to move forward. This complex story is the beginning of a new trilogy that shows the beauty and horror of the 19th century, as the author’s notes acknowledge. I’m astounded by the fact of a human zoo at the World’s Fair in Paris and can’t really wrap my head around that disturbing reality. My respect for Roshani Chokshi has grown because of her talented writing, her research and her honesty in sharing the process of her story building. The world of The Gilded Wolves is based a large amount on reality, with a touch of fantasy. The dynamics between the characters and the puzzles throughout their search builds suspense and an interesting story worth 5 stars!

Emerald Green by Kerstin Gier

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Emerald Green by Kerstin Gier opens as Gwyneth is dealing with her breaking heart because of Gideon, while Paul and Lucy are in 1916 getting Paul’s wound treated. Gwyneth meets with her grandfather many times to figure out what happened to the chronograph. Once the mystery of the chronograph has been solved, the mission to save the world from evil begins in earnest. Gwyneth accidentally discovers unknown information about her parents and finds out more secrets by chance. Cute humor and squabbling characters make this time travel finale light and fun. With the added action, this story deserves 4 stars!

 

City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare

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City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare is just as intense as the rest of the series. After the end of the last book, Jace and Sebastian have been missing with no trace of where they’ve gone. Clary makes a deal with the Seelie Queen and while Clary is trying to steal faerie rings from the Institute for the Queen, Sebastian and Jace walk in. The two seem chummy and both look healthy. Clary is relieved to know that Jace is alive but concerned about his state of mind. Luke gets fatally injured; Isabelle realizes she needs Simon; Maia and Jordan travel to his leader to get help for Luke and Jocelyn and Isabelle visit the Iron Sisters to also help Luke. All this is happening as Clary leaves with Jace. Clary travels to famous cities with Jace and Sebastian as they gather what they need for their mission. During a moment of clarity, Jace tells Clary that he would rather die than follow Sebastian. Once Sebastian gets what he wants, he begins to turn Shadowhunters into his servants. Before he can turn very many, he’s stopped by Shadowhunters and werewolves. Sebastian leaves his followers behind as he runs away to save himself. Everyone has been altered in some way as the story closes and the hunt for Sebastian continues. 5 solid stars!

The Deceiver’s Heart by Jennifer A. Nielsen

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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

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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!

The Blood Spell by C.J. Redwine

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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!

City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

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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

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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!

Crown of Feathers by Nicki Pau Preto

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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!