Hello book lovers and welcome to this weeks Owl Post :)
In many ways life is a story and you are the author. Each and every day you write another paragraph, another page, another chapter. The story, the plot….even the ending, are all up to you and often when you first set out, you yourself have no clue where you’re going to end up....
Monday, October 8, 2018
Owl Post #220
Sunday, October 7, 2018
Book Shelf: Two Dark Reigns (Three Dark Crowns #3) by Kendare Blake
The battle has been fought, blood has been spilt and a queen has been crowned, but not all are happy with the outcome.
Katharine, the poisoner queen, has been crowned and is trying to ignore the whispers that call her illegitimate, undead, cursed.
Mirabella and Arsinoe have escaped the island of Fennbirn, but how long before the island calls them back?
Jules is returning to Fennbirn and has become the unlikely figurehead of a revolution threatening to topple Katharine's already unsteady rule.
But what good is a revolution if something is wrong with the island itself?
Kendare Blake's Two Dark Reigns is the heart-stopping third book in the bestselling Three Dark Crowns series. Discover more about Fennbirn and the three queens in the thrilling start to the quartet, Three Dark Crowns, and its sequel One Dark Throne.
More info on Goodreads.....
Review:
Two Dark Reigns is the thrilling and explosive third novel in the Three Dark Crowns series by Kendare Blake and once more draws readers into a treacherous world of danger, magic and a land on the brink of war as a rebellion rises and a Queen struggles to retain her crown.
Queen Katherine has been crowned. The battle is over with blood spilled and Arsinoe and Mirabella escaping the island of Fennbirn. Even though Katherine now sits on the throne whispers still follow her and as the mist rises up and begins to take the lives of her people, the rumored undead queen will have to justify her reign. Far away on the mainland Mirabella and Arsinoe try to let their past go but as a series of dreams seem to call Arsinow back to the island, she, Mira and Billy must decide if they will return. As a rebellion rises and the mist rebels, all three sisters face another fight, once again for their very lives....
I have to say that that Kendare Blake truly does electrify with Two Dark Reigns, the third instalment in the Three Dark Crowns series, bringing once more to life her deadly and darkly dangerous would of Fennbirn. This series is so addictive; drawing you into a world of danger and featuring harrowing voices and characters who are complex and layered.
After the last novel, Two Dark Reigns picks up with Katherine now the Crowned Queen and her sisters living in the mainland having fled the island with Billy in order to survive. Yet the island isn’t going to let Arsinoe and Mirabella stay away with forces already conspiring to send them back as Kendare Blake brings to life new aspects of the series.
Two Dark Reign was as exciting as its predecessors but also has somewhat of a fresh feel with this the first novel where the Ascension is not the focal point; the sisters are no longer solely focused on killing each other and are instead facing other challenges. I really enjoying this aspect of the novel. Arsinoe and Mira are developing (or reconnecting I should say) such a sweet relationship as sisters and it’s nice seeing them care for each other while Katherine is coming into her role as Queen. She’s in no way perfect but there is still her own brand of kindness and innocence to her even if she has been twisted by the dead queens.
As Jules role in the storyline continues to develop, all the characters I’ve come to love play an important role within the novel. Arsinoe and Billy's romance is a highlight for me, but I do enjoy all the characters, even the "villains" and poisoners including Katherine and Pietyr. Blake explains and explores some interesting history of Fennbirn in this installment and manages to offer up some explanation to queries I’ve had even as she posed more questions.
Two Dark Reigns races to a climactic and heart-racing conclusion that leaves me dying to see what Kendare Blake has in store next. I can’t wait until I can get my hands on the next novel to see what happens to these diverse and dynamic individuals and the world they live in.
Rating:
Source: Sent for review by publisher (Thank you guys!)
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Format: Paperback
Australian RRP: $17.99
Release Date: September 25th 2018
Purchase: Bookworld | Booktopia | The Book Depository | Amazon
Final Thoughts: Another great book with a thrilling ending; I can't wait for the next one to be released!
Friday, October 5, 2018
Blog Tour: Star-Crossed by Pintip Dunn
_______________________________
In a world where nutrition can be transferred via a pill, and society is split into Eaters and Non-Eaters, seventeen-year-old Princess Vela has a grave dilemma. Her father, the king, is dying, and only a transplant of organs from a healthy Non-Eater boy will save him.
Vela is tasked with choosing a boy fit to die for the king, which is impossible enough. But then Carr, the boy she's loved all her life, emerges as the best candidate in the Bittersweet Trials. And he's determined to win, because by doing so, he can save the life of his Non-Eater sister.
Refusing to accept losing the boy she loves, Vela bends the rules and cheats. But when someone begins to sabotage the Trials, Vela must reevaluate her own integrity―and learn the true sacrifice of becoming a ruler.
Add on Goodreads or check out my 4 star review!
Purchase:
She received her J.D. at Yale Law School. Pintip's novel, FORGET TOMORROW, won the RWA RITA® for Best First Book. It is also a finalist for the Grand Prix de l'Imaginaire, the Japanese Sakura Medal, the MASL Truman Award, and the Tome Society It list. In addition, THE DARKEST LIE was nominated for a Romantic Times Reviewers ’ Choice Award. Her other books include REMEMBER YESTERDAY, SEIZE TODAY, and GIRL ON THE VERGE. She lives with her husband and children in Maryland.
Visit Pintip:
Thursday, October 4, 2018
Book Shelf: Star-Crossed by Pintip Dunn
In a world where nutrition can be transferred via a pill, and society is split into Eaters and Non-Eaters, seventeen-year-old Princess Vela has a grave dilemma. Her father, the king, is dying, and only a transplant of organs from a healthy Non-Eater boy will save him.
Vela is tasked with choosing a boy fit to die for the king, which is impossible enough. But then Carr, the boy she's loved all her life, emerges as the best candidate in the Bittersweet Trials. And he's determined to win, because by doing so, he can save the life of his Non-Eater sister.
Refusing to accept losing the boy she loves, Vela bends the rules and cheats. But when someone begins to sabotage the Trials, Vela must reevaluate her own integrity―and learn the true sacrifice of becoming a ruler.
More info on Goodreads.....
Review:
Star-Crossed is Pintip Dun’s latest release and is a romantic young adult science fiction novel with a unique concept and distinctive characters.
Seventeen year old Princess Vela lives in a world where the majority of the population cannot stomach actual food. Instead an elite class of individuals including Vela herself are tasked with eating and absorbing as much nutrition as possible so it can be transferred to a pill that the remaining population can take. Living in a world of Eaters and Non-Eaters isn’t easy and Vela is about to face her toughest challenge yet; her best friend has gotten to a point where she can no longer sustain the pills needed to keep her alive and is now wasting away. When an attempt to save her goes wrong, Vela is forced to oversee the Fittest Trials where one boy from the colony will be chosen to give his life so that the reigning King can continue to live. Choosing someone to die for her father is hard enough, but when the boy Vela has adored her whole life enters as a contestant, Vela finds herself facing the unimaginable. Choosing to cheat seems like the only option but when someone else begins sabotaging the Trials, Vela will begin to reassess her own thoughts and soon begins to discover what being a ruler really means.
Star-Crossed is the first novel by Pintip Dun I have read but I was impressed by the forward moving storyline, unique and unparalleled concept and character development within the novel. I found the ideas and themes explored in Star-Crossed involving food and nutrition intriguing and the futuristic world Dun has introduced her readers to was unlike anything I have ever seen before. I commend the her for daring to think outside the box and bring something different to the table.
Facing a number of different moral dilemmas and the prospect of losing various people she loves, protagonist Vela had a lot of tough choices to make throughout the novel. Kind-hearted but whimsical, Vela truly wanted the best for everyone and was an easy heroine to follow. Vela learns as the novel progresses and begins to come into her role as potential monarch. As the boy she love looks to give his life for her father, Vela isn’t willing to go down without a fight and I think I appreciated this about her. Even if her best intentions didn’t always get the desired results.
I loved that the romance within Star-Crossed wasn’t the insta kind that I hate and that there was no dreaded love-triangle that saw Vela’s affections stretched between two people. Vela and Carr have cared about one another their whole lives and it was sweet seeing them finally act on those feelings, even if their timing left something to be desired; I mean, come on, he was looking to die and now they’re finally getting together!
The twist at the end of Star-Crossed as to who the “villain” really is was something I actually didn’t anticipate, although looking back it seems fairly obvious. I think Pintip Dun brought everything together well here, but I do still have some questions about what happens to some of the other characters including Vela’s sister Blanca.
There were moments of pure sadness and unexpected loss in Star-Crossed that will keep emotions running high until the final page but author Pintip Dun concludes the novel well given its standalone status and will leave readers satisfied with the story they have just read. This may be my first novel by this author, but I will definitely read more from her in the future!
Rating:
Source: Sent for review by YA Bound Book Tours and the author (Thank you ladies!)
Publisher: Entangled: Teen
Format: Kindle copy
Release Date: October 2nd 2018
Purchase: Bookworld | Booktopia | The Book Depository | Amazon
Barnes & Noble | Kobo
Final Thoughts: Unique concept; worth a read
Wednesday, October 3, 2018
Waiting on Wednesday #242
Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking The Spine where you can spotlight an upcoming release that you're eagerly anticipating.
Lady Smoke by Laura Sebastian
Releases on: February 5th 2019
The sequel to the instant
New York Times
bestseller that was "made for fans of Victoria Aveyard and Sabaa Tahir" (
Bustle
),
Lady Smoke
is an epic new fantasy about a throne cruelly stolen and a girl who must fight to take it back for her people.
The Kaiser murdered Theodosia's mother, the Fire Queen, when Theo was only six. He took Theo's country and kept her prisoner, crowning her Ash Princess--a pet to toy with and humiliate for ten long years. That era has ended. The Kaiser thought his prisoner weak and defenseless. He didn't realize that a sharp mind is the deadliest weapon.
Theo no longer wears a crown of ashes. She has taken back her rightful title, and a hostage--Prinz Soren. But her people remain enslaved under the Kaiser's rule, and now she is thousands of miles away from them and her throne.
To get them back, she will need an army. Only, securing an army means she must trust her aunt, the dreaded pirate Dragonsbane. And according to Dragonsbane, an army can only be produced if Theo takes a husband. Something an Astrean Queen has never done.
Theo knows that freedom comes at a price, but she is determined to find a way to save her country without losing herself.
The Kaiser murdered Theodosia's mother, the Fire Queen, when Theo was only six. He took Theo's country and kept her prisoner, crowning her Ash Princess--a pet to toy with and humiliate for ten long years. That era has ended. The Kaiser thought his prisoner weak and defenseless. He didn't realize that a sharp mind is the deadliest weapon.
Theo no longer wears a crown of ashes. She has taken back her rightful title, and a hostage--Prinz Soren. But her people remain enslaved under the Kaiser's rule, and now she is thousands of miles away from them and her throne.
To get them back, she will need an army. Only, securing an army means she must trust her aunt, the dreaded pirate Dragonsbane. And according to Dragonsbane, an army can only be produced if Theo takes a husband. Something an Astrean Queen has never done.
Theo knows that freedom comes at a price, but she is determined to find a way to save her country without losing herself.
Thoughts:
I enjoyed Ash Princess when I read it earlier this year. It featured so many elements I enjoy in a good YA fantasy and I'm keen to continue on the series with Lady Spoke. Oh, and just how gorgeous is that cover?!? It's beautiful!
What are you waiting on this Wednesday?
Tuesday, October 2, 2018
Book Shelf: The Connelly Boys (Celtic Witches #1) by Lily Velez
There’s just one problem: they’re also cursed.
...Or so the rumors say.
Seventeen-year-old newcomer Scarlet Monroe has never been one for rumors, but when she inadvertently banishes a demon while trying to help eldest brother Jack Connelly, the most breathtaking of the boys and the one to whom she feels inexplicably drawn, she quickly discovers there may be more to the local superstitions and folklore than she originally thought.
Before long, the Connellys pull her into a dark and mysterious world filled with ancient magic, powerful spells, kidnapped souls, and deadly enemies. But none of it compares to Scarlet discovering the truth of who she really is...or what she’ll have to become to defeat a rising evil older than humankind itself before she loses everyone she loves—that is, of course, if she can survive the world of the Connellys long enough.
More info on Goodreads......
Review:
The Connelly Boys is Lily Velez’s debut novel and is a YA fantasy tale rich in Irish mythology and Celtic folklore that is equal parts action and mystery.
Seventeen year old Scarlet Monroe is still grieving the loss of her mother when she moves to Ireland from America to live with her estranged father. Though she hasn’t seen him for years, Scarlet is determined to make things work with her dad, but nothing can prepare her for the trouble coming her way. Beginning at a new school, Scarlet finds herself drawn to the dark and mysterious Jack Connelly, one of four brothers who are seen as cursed by the small seaside town of Rosalyn Bay. Then Scarlet saves Jack’s life from a demon and finds herself drawn into an ancient world of magic and spell craft. As witches, the Connelly brothers possess powerful abilities, but something dark and deadly is happening within the witch clans and Scarlet quickly discovers that she has a role in it and a destiny she never expected…..
The Connelly Boys is a hard novel for me to review; mainly because I can’t quite wrap my head around the way I feel about the story. Having been offered the opportunity to read an eARC thanks to the author, I was super excited to read The Connelly Boys. To begin with, the cover is absolutely stunning and the description really made me excited to dive into the story, yet even though I did ultimately enjoy The Connelly Boy’s there was something missing from the novel to take it to the next level.
From the very beginning of the novel Lily Velez draws you in effortlessly. The detailed and flowing writing is spot on and precise; the dialogue sharp and intelligent. Velez takes inspiration from a lot of Irish mythology and weaves it’s folklore and history into her story with beautiful results; creating a detailed storyline that offers readers a glimpse into a world of witches with a rich and vivid history seeped in Celtic history.
I feel like Lily Velez put a lot of thought and effort into creating the world within The Connelly Boys. I can’t fault her world building and the backstory she has created, but I still felt somewhat disconnected from the characters and even the storyline at times. The Connelly brothers reminded me of the raven boys from Maggie Steifvater’s Raven Cycle so I appreciated their aura of magic and mystery but I was still waiting for that extra spark.
As the protagonist, Scarlett fits her role well but also seemed very cardboard cut-out as a main character. Lily Velez writes Scarlett as a very normal teenage girl drawn into a world of witches and witchcraft who has a destiny she never expected. Personally I’m hoping to see a lot more growth in Scarlett but given what she has faced already I do feel she is holding her own.
Overall, even though I had difficulty connecting with the story, The Connelly Boys was worth a read. As a first novel it does a lot to set up the storyline and explain the history of its world and I do feel the series has potential. Well written but with a languid pace, I’m interested to see what Lily Velez does next and am hoping that I may connect a little bit more a second time around and I feel there are a lot of readers out there who will truly adore this novel.
Rating:
Source: Sent for review by author (Thank you Lily!)
Publisher: Published independently
Format: Kindle ebook
Release Date: September 12th 2018
Purchase: Amazon
Final Thoughts: Despite a few concerns I had with this novel I am interested in reading the second novel to see what happens next.
Monday, October 1, 2018
Owl Post #219
Hello book lovers and happy Monday! Hope you're all enjoying yourselves--we're having a public holiday here in Australia so I'm definitely enjoying my extra day off with this long weekend :)
- This Savage Song by V.E. Schwab
I've heard good things about Victoria Schwab's novels but have never had the chance to read any of them yet but after I picked up a copy of This Savage Song for $2 at a local op-shop.
- The Rift by Rachael Craw
Yesterday I attended Oz Comic-Con and was stoked to meet Rachael Craw and get my books signed. Couldn't pass up an opportunity to grab a copy of The Rift while I was at it. Looking forward to reading this one.
What did the owls bring you this week?
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