Waiting on Wednesday #282

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking The Spine where you can spotlight an upcoming release that you're eagerly anticipating.

This week I'm waiting on.....  

Nameless Queen by Rebecca McLaughlin 

Releases: January 7th 2020

Add on Goodreads!

 

One girl must make a name for herself--or die trying --in this royal fantasy where an unknown peasant becomes the ultimate ruler. But how long can she keep the crown if everyone wants her dead? Perfect for fans of Furyborn, Red Queen, and Everless.

Everyone expected the king's daughter would inherit the throne. No one expected me.

It shouldn't even be possible. I'm Nameless, a class of citizens so disrespected, we don't even get names. Heck, dozens of us have been going missing for months and no one seems to care.

But there's no denying the tattoo emblazoned on my arm. I am to be queen. In a palace where the corridors are more dangerous the streets, though, how could I possibly rule? And what will become of the Nameless if I don't?

Thoughts:

I do love me some YA fantasy and Nameless Queen looks like it's going to be a good one. If the author can throw in some romance I think I'll be a happy chappy.

What are you waiting on this Wednesday?

Book Shelf: Curse Breaker (Kingdom of Runes #2) by Audrey Grey

All magic has a price.

Haven survived the Devourers, but she isn’t any closer to breaking the curse. Meanwhile, her forbidden magic rages brighter and more dangerous every day.

To control her powers and stand a chance against the Shade Queen, Haven made a bargain with two enemy immortals. Now her waking hours are spent fighting alongside the Sun Lord, but her dreams belong to the Shade Lord.

Only the closer she ventures into the wicked Shadow Kingdom the more her magic shows itself—and the more she struggles with whom to trust. The golden but wounded Sun Lord or the darkly charismatic Shade Lord.

Both are off-limits.

And both have the ability to save her . . . or destroy her.

With the Shade Queen closing in and Bell’s time nearly up, Haven will sacrifice everything to break the curse—but will it be enough to stop the mortal realm from falling into darkness forever?

Welcome to the Kingdom of Runes where immortals and humans clash, light and dark magic reign, and mythical creatures lurk in the shadows. If you like fierce heroines, enemies-to-lovers romance, wild plot twists, and endearing characters that stay with you long after you reach the end, you need to discover the book readers are calling dark fantasy at its best. Just make sure to clear out some space on your calendar first!  

More info on Goodreads....


Review: 

Curse Breaker is the second novel in Audrey Grey’s Kingdom of Runes series and is another tantalising instalment that picks up where its predecessor left off and draws readers into an enchanting world of fantasy, passion and danger at every turn.

Haven Ashwood survived the Devourers but she still has a lot to do if she wants to break the curse that threatens the realm. As her forbidden magic continues to grow, Haven travels alongside Sun Lord Acheron and his band of Solis in an effort to secure the ingredients they need to break the curse. By day her time is spent with the infuriating Sun Lord and by night her dreams are invaded by the darkly charismatic Shade Lord Stolas. Both Sun and Shade Lords are off limits, but undeniablily call to Haven and are the key to either her salvation or destruction. As the Shade Queen closes in on Haven’s best friend Bellamy, breaking the curse and saving Bell are more important than ever, but will Haven’s growing magic help her prevent darkness from overpowering the land or be the thing that brings her to her knees?

After stealing my heart with the first novel Oath Taker, I was ready to jump straight into Curse Breaker as soon as I was able to and I can’t say I was disappointed in any way. I’ve always enjoyed Audrey Grey’s novels—and I’ve read all of them to date—but I was especially excited to read Curse Breaker because I have no doubt this series is going to be something special given how wonderfully it has been depicted and constructed so far.

Flawlessly written, Curse Breaker is a superb second instalment in this fantasy series by Audrey Grey that is perfect for Sarah J. Maas fans. Beautifully detailed and explored, Curse Breaker offers readers another thrilling and adventurous story that features all the best elements of a well written and cultivated fantasy tale. The storyline remains endlessly exciting with many breathtaking moments where readers will be on the edge of their seat.

Grey continues to depict the novel in third person and through the perspectives of various characters, although Haven remains our main focal point and the main protagonist of the series. I really love all the characters within the series and feel they have fantastic chemistry together. They’re all complex and enigmatic and very compelling. I feel like they’ve been fleshed out really well and compliment the story wonderfully.

The world building Audrey Grey implores is spot on with the realm full of dangerous creatures, supernatural elements and magic. It’s deadly and dangerous this world Haven inhabits with creatures and magic of light and dark at war with one another. I feel like Grey has put a lot of thought into detail to bring the world to life. There’s also an aura of Beauty and the Beast interwoven into Curse Breaker with Bell’s tale and his experiences with the creature that currently holds him hostage reminiscent of the famous fairy-tale. I actually thought this gender swap concept was quite smart, even if it does make me draw comparisons to Sarah J. Maas novels more than I would like.

Curse Breaker is full of action and danger but also features moments of friendship and romance. There are sexual themes and I anticipate more of a New Adult vibe to feature within the series than a Young Adult as there is a sexual undertone to some of the circumstances.

I’m highly enjoying the romance between Haven and Acheron but while I do also very much like Stolas, I don’t quite think my heart can handle a love-triangle between those three. That being said despite a few developments at the end of the novel, I do fear that is the direction the series is heading and aren’t looking forward it regardless of how much I love both male leads. No doubt we'll see Stolas again in the future to continue this line of development.

Fantastic reading with an edge of your ending that includes moments of heartbreak and excitement, I for one can’t wait to see what Audrey Grey does next as this series is simply brilliant and seems to be getting better and better with each instalment—bring on book three!

Rating:
Source: Sent for review by author (Thank you Audrey!)
Publisher: Starfall Press
Format: Kindle ebook
Release Date: August 12th 2019
Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository
Final Thoughts: Another great installment--I can't wait for more!

Owl Post #236

Inspired by The Story Siren's In My Mailbox, Owl Post allows us bloggers to showcase the books we've bought, won or received throughout the week and is hosted by Brodie over at Eleusinian Mysteries. We all know that the Owl Post is the fastest way to send and receive mail and they certainly make me happy every time they drop a book off.  

Welcome to this week's Owl Post! It's been a bit quiet in the book front for me lately but here is a bunch of books I've purchased recently. 

  I Bought:

- Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins 

- Sweet Peril by Wendy Higgins

- Sweet Temptation by Wendy Higgins

With Wendy Higgins set to appear at BABE next year, I thought it was high time I gave this series a go. I'm onto Sweet Peril and enjoying it so far.

- Sightwitch by Susan Dennard 

I've loved books 1-3 in the Witchlands series and knew I had to get myself a copy of this novella in the series. Now I just have to find the time to read it!

- Queen of Ruin by Tracy Banghart 

I loved the first novel in this series Grace and Fury and can't wait to begin this sequel. 

-  The Beholder by Anna Bright 
- Wicked Fox by Kat Cho
- Playing with Demons by Cally Edwards
These are some books I bought off ebay in a pack. Can't wait to read The Beholder & Wicked Fox especially.


What did the owls bring you this week?

 

Book Shelf: Heart of Iron (London Steampunk #2) by Bec McMaster

In Victorian London, if you’re not a blue blood of the Echelon then you’re nothing at all. The Great Houses rule the city with an iron fist, imposing their strict ‘blood taxes’ on the nation, and the Queen is merely a puppet on a string…

Lena Todd makes the perfect spy. Nobody suspects the flirtatious debutante could be a sympathizer for the humanist movement haunting London’s vicious blue blood elite. Not even the ruthless Will Carver, the one man she can’t twist around her little finger, and the one man whose kiss she can’t forget…

Stricken with the loupe and considered little more than a slave-without-a-collar to the blue bloods, Will wants nothing to do with the Echelon or the dangerous beauty who drives him to the very edge of control. But when he finds a coded letter on Lena—a code that matches one he saw on a fire-bombing suspect—he realizes she’s in trouble. To protect her, he must seduce the truth from her.

With the humanists looking to start a war with the Echelon, Lena and Will must race against time—and an automaton army—to stop the humanist plot before it’s too late. But as they fight to save a city on the brink of revolution, the greatest danger might just be to their hearts…

More info on Goodreads.....

Review:

Heart of Iron is the second novel in Bec McMaster’s London Steampunk series and is a thrilling and passionate sequel, easily as good as it’s predecessor!

Will Carver knows how people see him; dangerous, unpredictable, a monster. No matter how hard he works to suppress his verewolfen side, Will knows he’ll never be one of polite society. And that’s fine. He’s never wanted to be, until Lena. Lena Todd is used to navigating blue blood society. No one suspects she’s more than a flirty debutante and that’s just the way she likes it; allowing her to be the perfect spy. But there’s one thing that threatens Lena’s place in society and that’s Will. Will who ignites her desires and whose kiss she can’t forget. Lena has spent years trying to avoid Will but when she’s asked to help him integrate with society, Lena soon realises that the feelings they share can’t be denied.

Bec McMaster has done it again with Heart of Iron! After the brilliance of the first novel, I felt she masterfully followed it up with this sequel, featuring Will and Lena. Continuing to detail a vivid and dangerous world of vampires, werewolves and monsters, McMaster keeps building the storyline and bringing her world to life with colour and personality. As the reader I’m sucked into her world and addicted and to the characters and their stories. I want to know more. I need to know more about Leo and Jasper and Rosalind.

Following Will and Lena in alternating chapters, Heart of Iron is a deeply romantic and sexy novel with another wonderfully explored romance at the helm. Will and Lena are loveable and likeable and have another wonderful connection together. McMaster certainly knows how to heat the pages with the sex scenes she deftly builds up to as well as all the sweet touches and moments of endearment as Will and Lena find their way to each other.

There’s so much about this series to love and it’s fast becoming a favourite of mine amongst the steampunk genre. Bec McMaster writes beautifully this Victorian world with a mechanical twist and fills it with characters you can’t help but love. Heart of Iron was a wonderful read I just devoured and I can’t wait to begin the next one as soon as possible!

Rating:
Source: Purchased by me
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Format: Paperback
Release Date: May 7th 2013
Buy: Angus & Robertson | Booktopia | The Book Depository | Amazon 
Final Thoughts: Another great installment; I'm highly enjoying this series so far.

Waiting on Wednesday #281

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking The Spine where you can spotlight an upcoming release that you're eagerly anticipating.

This week I'm waiting on.....  

Night of the Dragon by Julie Kagawa

Releases on: March 31st 2020

Add on Goodreads!

 

Kitsune shapeshifter Yumeko has given up the final piece of the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers in order to save everyone she loves from imminent death. Now she and her ragtag band of companions must journey to the wild sea cliffs of Iwagoto in a desperate last-chance effort to stop the Master of Demons from calling upon the Great Kami dragon and making the wish that will plunge the empire into destruction and darkness.

Shadow clan assassin Kage Tatsumi has regained control of his body and agreed to a true deal with the devil—the demon inside him, Hakaimono. They will share his body and work with Yumeko and their companions to stop a madman and separate Hakaimono from Tatsumi and the cursed sword that had trapped the demon for nearly a millennium.

But even with their combined skills and powers, this most unlikely team of heroes knows the forces of evil may be impossible to overcome. And there is another player in the battle for the scroll, a player who has been watching, waiting for the right moment to pull strings that no one even realized existed…until now.

Thoughts:

I love absolutely ALL of Julie Kagawa's books and I can't wait to read this final Shadow of the Fox novel. I have no doubt it's going to be brilliant!

Are you a Julie Kagawa fan? Will you be reading this?

And what are YOU waiting on this week?

 

 

Book Shelf: Smoke and Key by Kelsey Sutton

A sound awakens her. There's darkness all around. And then she's falling...

She has no idea who or where she is. Or why she's dead. The only clue to her identity hangs around her neck: a single rusted key. This is how she and the others receive their names—from whatever belongings they had when they fell out of their graves. Under is a place of dirt and secrets, and Key is determined to discover the truth of her past in order to escape it.

She needs help, but who can she trust? Ribbon seems content in Under, uninterested in finding answers. Doll’s silence hints at deep sorrow, which could be why she doesn't utter a word. There's Smoke, the boy with a fierceness that rivals even the living. And Journal, who stays apart from everyone else. Key's instincts tell her there is something remarkable about each of them, even if she can't remember why.

Then the murders start; bodies that are burnt to a crisp. After being burned, the dead stay dead. Key is running out of time to discover who she was—and what secret someone is willing to kill to keep hidden—before she becomes the next victim…

More info on Goodreads.....


Review:

Smoke and Key is a unique standalone fantasy novel from Kelsey Sutton that is full of magic and mystery.

When she awakens and falls to the ground from her casket, Key has no idea who she is or how she came to die, only that she’s dead and the only clue to her identity is a rusty key that lies on a chain around her neck. With no memories of who they are, those who exist in Under obtain their names thanks to the items they are buried with—Ribbon, Journal, Doll---and are content with their existence in the dark shadow world they live in. But Key is curious and determined to discover who she is. As memories from her past begin to return, Key soon finds herself drawn to the dark and enigmatic Smoke yet this is only the beginning as people begin to turn up dead. Burnt to a crisp, the dead now stay dead and with the possibly linked to their former lives, Key will need to discover the truth about her past before she herself winds up a victim.

Written as a standalone tale, Smoke and Key offers readers mystery and murder in this YA tale. An easy read that concludes solidly, I was of a mixed mind where this novel was concerned. I think the concept Kelsey Sutton has come up with was a great one—individuals in various stages of decomposition with no memories of who they are find themselves in an underground world---but I feel like the execution could have been a bit better.

Don’t get me wrong; Smoke and Key was in no way a bad novel, but I feel like the story could have been fleshed out a bit better and the ending—and subsequent “big reveal” seemed anti-climactic and too easy. Maybe the limitations of it being a standalone novel let Smoke and Key down, but I was just wanting it to reach that next level and I don’t think it even really did.

I appreciated that the novel was set in Colonial times and liked the mannerisms and attitudes of the characters. Protagonist Key was easy to follow and I liked the glimpses into her past and who she was in life. Her romantic connection with Smoke plays a large role in the storyline but while I liked the significance of their romance, I just couldn’t connect the way I really wanted to. They were sweet but didn't completely blow me away.

Different and unique, Smoke and Key was an enjoyable and easy to read novel. Readers will be guessing as to who the killer is until the end and trying to piece the clues together. Not a bad novel; it just needed a little fine tuning to take the brilliant concept and really make it really shine.

Smoke and Key is worth a read for fans of Texas Gothic by Rosemary Clement-Moore and those who like their old world tales brimming with magic and undead mysteries.


Rating:
Source: Sent for review by publisher via Netgalley (Thank you guys!)
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Format: Kindle ebook
Release Date: April 2nd 2019
Buy: Angus & Robertson | Booktopia | The Book Depository | Amazon
Final Thoughts: Smoke and Key was a different and unique novel.

Free Ebooks

Hi book lovers and happy Sunday! I have a bunch of Amazon freebies to share with you today. Hope you get something new :)

Witch's Dawn by Crystal Ash

Prince of Hearts by Margaret Foxe

Garden of Thorns by Keary Taylor

Vampire Kingdom by Leigh Walker

The Key by Jennifer Anne Davis

Liquid Death by Mitzi C

Looking for Dei by David A. Willson

The Viking's Chosen by Quinn Loftis

Entranced by Jessica Sorensen

Detective Docherty and the Demon's Tears by Sarah WaterRaven

Graveyard Shift by Angela Roquet

The Spider Catcher by A.L. Tyler

Blood and Snow by RaShelle Workman

Night of the Ghoul by Graeme Ing

Prince of Wolves by Quinn Loftis

The Last Firebird by Safa Shaqsy  

Did you fill your kindle?

Book Shelf: Kiss of Steel (London Steampunk #1) by Bec McMaster

When Nowhere Is Safe

Most people avoid the dreaded Whitechapel district. For Honoria Todd, it's the last safe haven. But at what price?

Blade is known as the master of the rookeries—no one dares cross him. It's been said he faced down the Echelon's army single-handedly, that ever since being infected by the blood-craving he's been quicker, stronger, and almost immortal.

When Honoria shows up at his door, his tenuous control comes close to snapping. She's so...innocent. He doesn't see her backbone of steel—or that she could be the very salvation he's been seeking.

More info on Goodreads....


Review: 

Kiss of Steel is the first novel in Bec McMaster’s London Streampunk series and is a spectacular start to what I have no doubt is going to be a brilliant, riveting and highly romantic series!

In a world where vampires, werewolves and clockwork creatures exist, nowhere is safe for Honoria Todd and her younger siblings. Hiding from a Duke with heinous plans, Honoria has no choice but to turn to a man whose reputation paints him as more monster than man. Blade is the master of the rookeries and no one dares cross him. Until a young woman with secrets shows up at his door asking for his help. Close to snapping as the virus running through his veins reaches breaking point, Blade should turn Honoria away but there’s something about the innocent and beautiful young woman he’s drawn to even if she refuses listen to most of what he has to say. From different worlds but drawn to each other Honoria and Blade soon discover that salvation, is closer than either of them thinks.

Bec McMaster bewitched me from the very beginning with Kiss of Steel. I’m honestly kicking myself that it’s taken me so long to begin this series as I was completely besotted as soon as I began reading Honoria and Blades story. Beautifully written, the world McMaster has brought to life is a vivid and darkly enchanting steampunk world. Steampunk is sometimes hit and miss for me but BOY does Bec McMaster hit the nail on the head with this series so far. I’m already in love with the characters and excited about the prospect of following them in further novels.

Kiss of Steel unfolds through both Honoria and Blades back and forth perspectives which allows for a very well rounded view of the characters and the story. I genuinely fell in love with Honoria and Blade quite quickly and adored the push and pull connection they fought throughout the story. Honoria was a woman of her times but also very strong headed and capable who was willing to do what she needed to protect her siblings while Blade was the dashing rogue; raw and rough around the edges but who cares deeply about those he considers “his” and those under his protection.

McMaster writes the tension between Honoria and Blade perfectly. They’re electric and sizzling and light up the pages with their chemistry. Stolen kisses and touches build towards some swoon inducing love scenes that are written impeccably on Bec McMaster’s part. Theirs was a romance I felt I could get behind and enjoy seeing develop.

Filled with tangible side characters and with plenty of possibility for the rest of the series, Bec McMaster has guaranteed Kiss of Steel will only be the first of her novels I’ll read. Can’t wait to begin Will and Lena’s tale next and get lost in their story!

Rating:
Source: Purchased by me
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Format: Paperback
Release Date: September 4th 2012
Buy: Angus & Robertson | Booktopia | The Book Depository | Amazon
Final Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book and am ready to start the next one!

Waiting on Wednesday #280

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking The Spine where you can spotlight an upcoming release that you're eagerly anticipating.

This week I'm waiting on.....  

Chosen by Kiersten White 

Releases on: January 9th 2020

Add on Goodreads!

“Will get Buffy fans up in their feels.” —Entertainment Weekly on Slayer

Nina continues to learn how to use her slayer powers against enemies old and new in this second novel in the New York Times bestselling series from Kiersten White, set in the world of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Now that Nina has turned the Watcher’s Castle into a utopia for hurt and lonely demons, she’s still waiting for the utopia part to kick in. With her sister Artemis gone and only a few people remaining at the castle—including her still-distant mother—Nina has her hands full. Plus, though she gained back her Slayer powers from Leo, they’re not feeling quite right after being held by the seriously evil succubus Eve, a.k.a. fake Watcher’s Council member and Leo’s mom.

And while Nina is dealing with the darkness inside, there’s also a new threat on the outside, portended by an odd triangle symbol that seems to be popping up everywhere, in connection with Sean’s demon drug ring as well as someone a bit closer to home. Because one near-apocalypse just isn’t enough, right?

The darkness always finds you. And once again, it’s coming for the Slayer.

Thoughts:
As someone who never really watched Buffy I gave Slayer a go as I still do love me some vampire stories.....and really ended up enjoying it! So much so that I'm super excited to read Chosen and see what will happen to Nina next!

Is this something you are waiting to read?

Book Shelf: Within Ash and Stardust (The Xenith Trilogy #3) by Chani Lynn Feener

Having gone from kidnapped faux princess to the legitimate heir to an intergalactic throne, an impulsive, sarcastic teen must take charge of her own destiny in this epic YA novel.

On Earth, Delaney is a normal teenager who recently graduated high school with a fantastic best friend and a loving boyfriend.

But Delaney isn’t on Earth. She’s on Xenith, a war-torn planet half a galaxy away. Originally mistaken for an alien princess, Delaney has gone from kidnapped imposter to the recognized heir to an alien throne. Oh, and she’s engaged to the prince of an enemy nation whose ruthless father is on the warpath.

Torn between two planets, two fates, and two loves, Delaney is finally ready to choose her own destiny in Within Ash and Stardust, the stunning conclusion to Chani Lynn Feener’s Xenith Trilogy.

More info on Goodreads.....


Review:

Within Ash and Stardust is the final novel in the Xenith trilogy by Chani Lynn Feener and brings to a close this intergalactic series with a fast paced and driven ending that will leave readers hooked until the final page.

Delaney Grace’s world has changed dramatically since she was kidnapped from Earth after being mistaken for an intergalactic princess. Multiple planets, a betrothal and even more kidnapping attempts later, Delaney has been named heir of the planet Vakar and is trapped on the planet Xenith as the Klint and Vakar people prepare for war. Torn between two planets and two loves, Delaney is determined to help broker peace, but as she struggles with her growing sense of duty and her desires, Delaney will need to decide once and for all where her destiny lies….if she and her friends and survive first that is.

As the final novel in what has been an adventurous and exciting trilogy, Within Ash and Stardust was a solid conclusion. Having enjoyed books one and two immensely, I was very excited to begin this final instalment, and while I was somewhat underwhelmed in some aspects of the novel on the whole, I was overall quite satisfied with the way in which Chani Lynn Feener brought the trilogy to an end.

Within Ash and Stardust unfolds through the back and forth perspectives of Delaney, Trystan and Ruckus with heroine Delaney being our main focal point, while her two love interests and male leads continue to add insight and understanding to other areas of the novel. I genuinely do like all three main characters and have enjoyed following them throughout the story as different elements of culture, technology and science fiction have brought the novels to life.

Author Chani Lynn Feener really has brought Delaney a long way since she was an innocent human living on Earth, unaware of the existence of alien life and the war between two opposing planets. Gone is this girl and in her place is a capable and determined young woman who is ready to take her place as the head of an alien planet, even though she wasn’t born to the role.

Readers will be forgiven for going into the novel with trepidation as Delaney finally makes the choice between the two men who have stolen her heart. I’m not one for love triangles and I will never be, especially during cases like this where I have honestly come to love both guys. Ruckus has always been fabulous, but Trystan snuck up on me (as he did Delaney) and wormed his way into my heart. I don’t feel Within Ash and Stardust was as “romantic” as the previous two novels, but the angst of having a protagonist torn between two people remains until the final few pages----and I am happy with the choice Delaney made.

Exciting and full of battles and unexpected developments, Within Ash and Stardust is a deeply enjoyable novel that brings to an end a wonderful sci-fi series. I’m excited to see what Chani Lynn Feener does next and I highly recommend The Xenith Trilogy if readers are looking for action, adventure and romance!

Rating:
Source: Sent for review by Xpresso Book Tours and the author (Thank you ladies!)
Publisher: Swoon Reads
Format: Kindle ebook
Release Date: July 16th 2019
Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iBooks
Final Thoughts: A satisfying conclusion to this trilogy, Within Ash and Stardust was a solid read that I recommend.