Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas

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Kingdom of Ash

Author: Sarah J. Maas
Series: Throne of Glass #7
Reviewer: Marlou

Content Warnings

Violence, Torture, Depression, Death, War

Summary

Aelin has risked everything to save her people―but at a tremendous cost. Locked within an iron coffin by the Queen of the Fae, Aelin must draw upon her fiery will as she endures months of torture. Aware that yielding to Maeve will doom those she loves keeps her from breaking, though her resolve begins to unravel with each passing day…

With Aelin captured, Aedion and Lysandra remain the last line of defense to protect Terrasen from utter destruction. Yet they soon realize that the many allies they’ve gathered to battle Erawan’s hordes might not be enough to save them. Scattered across the continent and racing against time, Chaol, Manon, and Dorian are forced to forge their own paths to meet their fates. Hanging in the balance is any hope of salvation―and a better world.

And across the sea, his companions unwavering beside him, Rowan hunts to find his captured wife and queen―before she is lost to him forever.

As the threads of fate weave together at last, all must fight, if they are to have a chance at a future. Some bonds will grow even deeper, while others will be severed forever in the explosive final chapter of the Throne of Glass series.

View this book on Goodreads.

Review

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

“You do not yield.”

OMG…

This book tore my heart out, gave it back, shattered it, glued it back together, and then burned it to smithereens, never to be seen again.

I have never cried while reading a book. Thanks, Kingdom of Ash, for ruining my perfect record. And thanks, Sarah J Maas, for writing such an amazing book. SJM managed to make me cry, it can’t get much better than that.

“You do not yield.” Don’t mind me, I’m just bawling my eyes out. What a perfect line. It’s right along the lines of “I am Celeana Sardothien and I will not be afraid,” and yet so much more.

Yes, the book was lacking in several places. Unnecessary things were added and necessary things were deleted. It wasn’t a great serie finale but it was still an amazing book that kept me on the edge of my seat.

Let’s talk about the characters since this was the last book of the series and we’ve met a great deal of people:

Rowannnnnn: He shall always have a special place in my heart. *insert multitude of love eyed emojis*
Dorian: I’ve loved you from those very first lines: “‘It’s clear that you respect me, Duke Perrington, but it’s a bit unnecessary to put such effort into forcing Celaena Sardothien to have the same opinion. You and I know very well she has no love for my family. So perhaps your intent is to humiliate her.’ He paused, and she could have sworn his eyes fell on her face. ‘But I think she’s had enough of that.’ He stopped for another moment, then asked: ‘Don’t you have a meeting with Endovier’s treasurer? I wouldn’t want you to be late, especially when you came all this way to meet with him.’”
Chaol: I didn’t like him, at all…That changed after reading Tower of Dawn. He’s still not one of my favorites or even close to second but he’s alright.
Aedion: Wasn’t impressed at first, but he started growing on me. Eventually I started to really like him, but what I like most of all is his love for his kingdom. He’s as fierce as any lion (see what I did there).
LYSANDRAAAAAA: As you can obviously see, I love this chick. Didn’t like her in Assassin’s Blade (but hey, who did?) but omg, Lysandra for the win! My favorite form of hers is her Ghost Leopard form.
Manon: I didn’t like her chapters in Heir of Fire. I wanted to skip them. Glad I didn’t. Manon is for me the character with the most character development. Gosh, I love her.
The Thirteen: a badass group of ladies that will always be friendship goals.
Nesryn: EMPRESSSSSS BADAAAASSSSSSS
Sartaq: Oh boy… what a darling… and such a flirt *waving hands frantically because ooh la la*
Yrene: “For wherever you need to go – and then some. The world needs more healers.” YAAAAASSSS GIRL YOU MADE IT!
Elide: DAYUMMMM you tell him darling, don’t take his BS, don’t be afraid of anyone.
FENRYSSSSSS: oh my lovely boyo. I love him so much. He deserves the world. *insert squealing fangirl*
Lorcan: You smol baby bean…You can go to Perranth with me. *winks with both eyes*
Gavriel: You amazing dad. Aedion loves you, you know…almost as much as I do. *hugs him tightly*
And last but definitely not the least:
AELIN: fire-breathing-bitch-queen/ fireheart/ Elentiya/ Lillian/ Celeana —it doesn’t matter what name she goes by, she is amazing. Aelin will forever be my favorite character of the Throne of Glass series and one of my favorites from any other book. *applauds for the Heir of Brannon*

I have definitely not mentioned all the characters but my review was getting long enough. Kingdom of Ash was an amazing book and will have a special place in my heart. Thank you, Sarah J Maas, for such an inspiring and lovely series and such an amazing series finale. This book will stay with me for a while.

Books in this series

A Curse so Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

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A Curse so Dark and Lonely

Author: Brigid Kemmerer
Series: Cursebreakers #1
Reviewer: Marlou

Summary

Fall in love, break the curse.

It once seemed so easy to Prince Rhen, the heir to Emberfall. Cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year over and over, he knew he could be saved if a girl fell for him. But that was before he learned that at the end of each autumn, he would turn into a vicious beast hell-bent on destruction. That was before he destroyed his castle, his family, and every last shred of hope.

Nothing has ever been easy for Harper Lacy. With her father long gone, her mother dying, and her brother barely holding their family together while constantly underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy, she learned to be tough enough to survive. But when she tries to save someone else on the streets of Washington, DC, she’s instead somehow sucked into Rhen’s cursed world.

Break the curse, save the kingdom.

A prince? A monster? A curse? Harper doesn’t know where she is or what to believe. But as she spends time with Rhen in this enchanted land, she begins to understand what’s at stake. And as Rhen realizes Harper is not just another girl to charm, his hope comes flooding back. But powerful forces are standing against Emberfall . . . and it will take more than a broken curse to save Harper, Rhen, and his people from utter ruin.

View this book on Goodreads.

Review

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

This book was provided to me by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Fall in love, break the curse.

We’ve got ourselves a main character with cerebral palsy! We’ve got ourselves a cursed prince! We’ve got ourselves some good banter! And last but not least we’ve got ourselves a relationship that actually builds up properly! YAY!

Okay fangirling aside, this book was lovely. The only reason I gave it four stars is because it’s not my kind of book. This year I’ve been reading some retellings and I’ve noticed that I never give more than 4 stars for them simply because I don’t like to know the ending before I even begin with the book.

A Curse so Dark and Lonely is a spectacular Beauty and the Beast retelling (way better than ACOTAR if you’d judge that book as a retelling, which I didn’t so you’ll find a higher rating for ACOTAR, don’t judge me 🙂 ). I started the book not knowing how many pages it was. I received the e-arc from Netgalley and read this book because I’d been putting off the books I got from Netgalley which isn’t fair. Finding out that this book is 500 or so pages was hilarious. It did not feel like 500 pages at all. I flew through the pages of this book so that means the writing was excellent!

Harper is freaking amazing. Bluffing her way through Emberfall and impressing everyone who meets her. Gosh, I love her.

Rhen is so great, too. I thought he was way too manipulative at first, but now I quite like him.

Scary Grey was a nice addition as well. Loyal to a fault, yet also not afraid to have his own opinion, do things his own way.

Break the curse, save the kingdom.

Seafire by Natalie C. Parker

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Seafire

Author: Natalie C. Parker
Series: Seafire #1
Reviewer: Marlou

Content Warnings

Violence, death

Summary

After her family is killed by corrupt warlord Aric Athair and his bloodthirsty army of Bullets, Caledonia Styx is left to chart her own course on the dangerous and deadly seas. She captains her ship, the Mors Navis, with a crew of girls and women just like her, who have lost their families and homes because of Aric and his men. The crew has one mission: stay alive, and take down Aric’s armed and armored fleet.

But when Caledonia’s best friend and second-in-command barely survives an attack thanks to help from a Bullet looking to defect, Caledonia finds herself questioning whether to let him join their crew. Is this boy the key to taking down Aric Athair once and for all . . . or will he threaten everything the women of the Mors Navis have worked for?

View this book on Goodreads.

Review 

“Never underestimate the girls of this world.”

The idea of this book is great. I just didn’t feel satisfied when I was reading it. I kept feeling like something was missing, be it the characters or the world, I don’t know exactly. I didn’t hate the book, not at all. I’m a feminist, I love me some good female pirates. They just didn’t feel like pirates to me. Maybe I had high expectations after having read Daughter of the Pirate King and Daughter of the Siren Queen.

It took me a while to read Seafire because school got in the way and then Kingdom of Ash was released and I had to read that one first. I was emotionally incapable of starting a new book after that. 😉 The style of writing wasn’t my preferred style so that might have slowed down the reading as well.

Seafire is a good book with strong females but for me there was just something missing and I can’t quite put my finger on it and that makes it even more annoying. 😉 This book gets three stars from me and I must admit I’m still going to pick up the second book just to see where the story leads.

Thank you Faecrate for including this book in your August Deadly Dames box.

Beartown by Fredrik Backman

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Beartown

Author: Fredrik Backman
Reviewer: Inopinion

Content Warnings

Sexual Assault, Minor Violence, Strong Language

Summary

There is no Beartown without hockey. Maybe there was before the factories closed and the businesses moved away but not now, not with the economics of the entire city teetering on the announcement of a new Hockey Academy. The deal is simple, if Beartown’s junior hockey club wins their league, the council will place a new Hockey Academy in Beartown. With the Academy come families, new construction, new stores and even a conference center with restaurants and opportunity. All this is contingent on the 16-17 year old boys winning.

Fortunately for the town, the junior team is as solid as they come and they have a weapon in Kevin Urdall.

When accusations fly, the town turns inward. What is usually termed “off-ice issues” becomes whole-town-problems. There’s the victim, the accused, the witnesses, the families, and the friendships made and broken as the narrative visits dozens of perspectives throughout the town.

View this book on Goodreads.

Review

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

When I first started this book, I felt oddly resentful that I’d fallen into a sports-book and doggedly settled into hour after hour of what would undoubtedly become an inspirational feel-good story. This is because I didn’t read the synopsis and I came in blind to the entire thing other than the persistent mention by penpals and book-friends that I should read this book. Last year, I read A Man Called Ove and found it a pleasure to read and an inspirational uplift, so I anticipated the same. Boy what I got was so much more.

Beartown doles out it’s information in a sophisticated layering of character, backstory, and reactionary plot points. It’s a style that I feel certain, after two books, is judiciously applied in Backman’s works. And it’s incredibly effective at building curiosity and anticipation as each character is opened up and unpacked one by one. The plot inches it’s way through the cast like a true crime author painting the scene. It continues to do so as the friends, family, and townsfolk process the aftermath. I cannot express how completely satisfied I am with this style of storytelling. It’s because of this style that I make comparisons to Celeste Ng and even true crime writers like Michelle McNamara.

One of a few tired points is the internal struggles of Kira Andersson, the mother, the wife, the accomplished lawyer. I feel like Backman’s use of the guilty-professional-mother stereotype is a bit tired. Everywhere I look, media portrays the guilt of the working-mom. That she feels like she’s missing out, not doing enough, working too much, not working enough, that she’s failing at the same time that she’s succeeding. It talks about resentment and guilt for putting family first and also for putting career first because women can’t have it all without a heavy slice of guilt. And when presented in nuanced terms and in relation to specific situations (like a recital, a business trip, a big school play), I think this narrative can strike home with even the least sentimental of mothers (me). However, it came over heavy-handed to the point that I even voiced this complaint to my husband. I am so damn tired of being told that I should be feeling guilt, or that this is a universal experience, or that it’s not normal to just carry-on. Call it a pet-peeve.

An area that I did think was immensely valuable to hear from a male author with a fairly substantial platform was the condemnation of victim blaming. He paints a thoroughly grotesque picture of the townspeople that side blindly against the victim. Anyone that’s ever espoused the same sentiments must surely be reading this book with shame, or else not finishing it at all. It is a 100% shutdown and call-out of the mob-mentality and boys-first perspectives faced by women reporting sexual assault and harassment. He throws in a few solid jabs a homophobia while he’s at it and I’m thankful he did.

I strongly hope this becomes a book studied and analyzed in classrooms specifically because of the clear stance it takes on social issues desperately in need of being addressed.

Similar books: Structured and executed in a similar style to Celeste Ng’s Little Fires Everywhere and Everything I Never Told You. In the same vein as Backman’s A Man Called Ove which holds many comparisons to the novels of Wallace Stegner.

Appeal: This adult contemporary contains several timely social issues and provides point and counterpoint to the arguments batted across the divide in the #metoo era. It asks many questions like who really raises children? Why do some people grow up to be entitled and others to be empathetic, can they be both? When the youth act out, are the parents to blame or the community? How do you protect your children and when do you realize you can’t?

If you’re a YA reader, this book will not deliver the usual first person perspective, but it will give you a close connection to many points of view. Through this careful narrative you’ll see the dichotomy of feelings and values spread between victim, bystander, and parent.

If you already consume a steady adult contemporary diet, you’ll see more of the teen perspective than a typical Adult narrative including the social impact of speaking up and the hardships on the children when one of the family is a victim of violence.

Everyone has something to gain from reading this layered perspective.

Black Dagger Brotherhood by J.R. Ward

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Black Dagger Brotherhood

Author: J.R. Ward
Series: Black Dagger Brotherhood
Reviewer: Marlou

Content Warnings

Violence, language, graphic sex (smut)

Summary

In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there’s a deadly turf war going on between vampires and their slayers. There exists a secret band of brothers like no other—six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Yet none of them relishes killing more than Wrath, the leader of The Black Dagger Brotherhood.

The only purebred vampire left on earth, Wrath has a score to settle with the slayers who murdered his parents centuries ago. But, when one of his most trusted fighters is killed-leaving his half-breed daughter unaware of his existence or her fate-Wrath must usher her into the world of the undead-a world of sensuality beyond her wildest dreams.

View this book on Goodreads.

Review

Rating: average of 3 out of 5 stars

This review is about all the Black Dagger Brotherhood books.

Dark Lover

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Okay, I freaking love Wrath. His good friend and ‘brother’ gets blown up and leaves behind his half-breed daughter. Instead of ignoring his friend’s request to take care of her, Wrath does exactly that, he visits her to offer his protection. Only when he gets there, he falls head over heels for her. Beth turns out to be an amazing female who can take care of the brothers of the brotherhood. She’s caring and loving and everyone loves her from the first moment they meet her (me included).

Lover Eternal

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

RHAGE YASSSSSS. Gosh, I love him. He’s like a super cute puppy, only huge with purple scales but hey details… I loved this book a lot, I was disappointed to see much less of Beth and Wrath, but Rhage more than made up for it. Mary is amazing too. Not everyone can deal with a male that can turn into a freaking dragon, but oh Mary has that dragon wrapped around her finger, and Rhage would like her fingers wrapped around his… I’ll remain decent and not finish that sentence.

Lover Awakened

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Yes, hello, can I order one fuzzy blanket to wrap Zsadist in, please? Thank you. Gosh, that male went through a lot and deserves the freaking best. He found Bella, so he gets pretty damn close. This book was more intense than the previous ones. But that came as no surprise because Z is just very intense. Bella is such a precious female, loving Z despite everything (he was a total dick to her). Bella and Z are so cute together and wow I’m having serious heart eyes here.

Lover Revealed

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

This book was hella different than the rest. It still had plenty of smut and badass males and females. BUT it was also centered around a human who turned out to be not so very human ;). I like Butch, definitely when he’s with Rhage and Vishous, and he was surprisingly fun to read about. I didn’t like Marissa in the first books, but in this one she grew on me. She’s still not half as interesting as Beth, Mary and Bella, but I’m not hating her like I used to.

Lover Unbound

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

A book about my favorite grumpy, smartass vamp? Sign me up! Throw in a super smart female that won’t deal with his misogynistic bullshit and is all for the BDSM Vishous seems to prefer? Hell yeah, I’ll read this! This book was really good. Why only three stars then? There was something missing and I won’t go higher than 3.5 stars for smut books since there is much less worldbuilding and storyline than that my epic-fantasy-ass is used to. Jane and V are a very interesting couple to read about and V is just one of my favorite character, so yeah, three stars.

Lover Enshrined

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

This book was very slow and boring, especially compared to the other books in this series that came before it. Phury has never really caught my interest so I already didn’t have high hopes for his book. While I could have been wrong, I wasn’t. Cormia is boring and kinda a crybaby. There are plenty of pages I just skimmed over to get to the good parts.

Lover Avenged

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Suddenly I found out that there’s a book about Rehvenge, Bella’s brother, and I didn’t know if I was excited about it or if I wanted a book about the main gang. Turns out Rehv is a very interesting male. Ehlena wasn’t very interesting, but the storyline in this book was, so it more than made up for it.

Lover Mine

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Would you look at that—John Matthew gets his own book. And it’s freaking boring. The relationship of Xhex and John still doesn’t make sense to me and this book was just… meh. John is brother Darius, back from the dead with a new face, and no one finds out. Not even in all the books to come does anyone know that it’s their old friend that’s been sitting across from them at the dining table. What the heck is that about?

Lover Unleashed

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

V has a sister?! YAY! Payne gets badly hurt, needs a doc to fix her, falls in love with the doc, they have mind-blowing sex… This book got a little too cheesy for me. There also wasn’t much focus on the vampires. Manny decides to work with Jane to patch up the brothers from time to time and, in this book, they suffer severe wounds and without Manny they might have lost someone to injury. Now, that was a scene that kept me on the edge of my seat, and that’s why this book gets 3 stars.

Lover Reborn

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Thor gets his own book after losing his shellan (wife) and has to find love with someone else to save his beloved? Yeah, I’m not a fan… Ward’s writing and the fact that she always gives another character a story arc aside from the couple it focuses on saved this book, but I would have give it maybe 1.5 or 2 stars if she hadn’t done that.

Lover at Last

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

QHUINN AND BLAY! QHUINN AND BLAY! SAY IT WITH ME!

Can you tell I love my bisexual sex addict and redhead gay dude? *Heart Eyes* Oh, these boys make me swoon alright. They make me believe in love. Oh gosh, I still can barely type entire sentences, because I’m so excited about these two.

The King

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

YAASSS THE KING AND QUEEN WHOOO! Beth wants a kid and Wrath doesn’t want to put her in danger (Vamp pregnancies are very dangerous). And, wow, I just loved this book. I love Wrath and Beth’s relationship. They’re so epic together. My excitement is getting the better of me so I’ll finish this mini review with: asdfghjkl.

The Shadows

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Why does this book exist? Gosh, this put me right to sleep. I speed read this book and skipped a lot. I just skimmed over the pages in the hopes in finding something interesting, but no, nothing there.

The Beast

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

ANOTHER BOOK ABOUT RHAGEEEEEE! Can you tell Rhage is my favorite? My baby is having panic attacks and he doesn’t know why or how to stop them. Turns out the big puppy has too much love in that big heart of his and wants a kid who he can shower with love. One problem, his lovely Mary can’t have kids… But they find a way, they always do. This book was freaking cute, but also had me seriously worried for Rhage and Mary. Definitely deserves 3.5 stars.

The Chosen

Rating: 3,5 out of 5 stars

I thought I was totally gonna fall asleep with this book—just like I did with The Shadows—but I was happily surprised! The Bastards are very interesting to read about. Layla was freaking badass. And everyone else has quite the role in this too. This book was incredibly well balanced and a very enjoyable read!

The Thief

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

The threat of the Omega and the lessening society seems to become less and less, but our favorite vamps cannot rest just yet. A new evil rises and wears the face of an old friend. Yep I’m hearing you thinking “well shit.” Now, lovely readers, that’s exactly how I felt throughout this book. When I finished this book I realized there weren’t any more books to read and I felt the withdrawal coming on fast. I can’t freaking wait to read the next book.

The Savior

The Savior’s release date is April 2nd, 2019. Here’s the synopsis:

A vampire and a scientist’s fates are passionately entwined in a race against time in this thrilling romance in the #1 New York Times bestselling “utterly absorbing and deliciously erotic” (Angela Knight, New York Times bestselling author) Black Dagger Brotherhood series.

In the venerable history of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, only one male has ever been expelled—but Murhder’s insanity gave the Brothers no choice. Haunted by visions of a female he could not save, he nonetheless returns to Caldwell on a mission to right the wrong that ruined him. However, he is not prepared for what he must face in his quest for redemption.

Dr. Sarah Watkins, researcher at a biomedical firm, is struggling with the loss of her fellow scientist fiancé. When the FBI starts asking about his death, she questions what really happened and soon learns the terrible truth: Her firm is conducting inhumane experiments in secret and the man she thought she knew and loved was involved in the torture.

As Murhder and Sarah’s destinies become irrevocably entwined, desire ignites between them. But can they forge a future that spans the divide separating the two species? And as a new foe emerges in the war against the vampires, will Murhder return to his Brothers… or resume his lonely existence forevermore?

I can’t wait to start on this book!

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

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Shatter Me

Author: Tahereh Mafi
Series: Shatter Me
Reviewer: Marlou

Content Warnings

Violence, anxiety, depression

Summary

I have a curse
I have a gift

I am a monster
I’m more than human

My touch is lethal
My touch is power

I am their weapon
I will fight back

Juliette hasn’t touched anyone in exactly 264 days.

The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal. As long as she doesn’t hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don’t fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war – and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she’s exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

View this book on Goodreads.

Review

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

This review is about all Shatter Me books and novellas.

Shatter Me

What a book. You feel for Juliette from page one. You also know that she has major issues. Warner is a total ass that you can’t help but love. Adam is relatively harmless and kinda cute AND HE CAN TOUCH HER WHOA. No one has been able to touch poor J in a very long time and I’m not a person that likes hugging but at least I’m still capable of doing it, I can’t imagine what it’s like not to be able to touch people because you’ll hurt them. I love Mafi’s writing and the pace she sets in the book is perfect. This book deserves a solid 4/5 stars.

Destroy Me

Set after Shatter Me and before its forthcoming sequel, Unravel Me, Destroy Me is a novella told from the perspective of Warner, the ruthless leader of Sector 45.

CAN I HAVE MORE FROM WARNER’S POV PRETTY PLEASE.

I loved being in Warner’s head, boy oh boy that smol bean has issues. His relationship with his dad is awful, he had to do things as a kid that he did not want to do, but had to or he’d be called weak. Can you hear my heart breaking for my boy? Gosh, I just want to wrap him in a blanket and protect him from anything Mafi still has planned for him. 4/5 stars for this ruthless boy.

Unravel Me

WARNER CAN TOUCH JULIETTE I REPEAT WARNER CAN TOUCH JULIETTE. I know I had to frantically fan myself at the end of Shatter Me when I found that out. I can only imagine how shaken Juliette must have been. Her enemy can touch her. There are two people in the whole world that can touch her and she hates one of them. Juliette dumped Adam YAY. Adam is such an ass in this book, it’s surprising Juliette didn’t break anything besides her heart. Can I just mention that I didn’t trust Omega Point at all… I thought they were sketchy, turned out they really are the good guys. The ending of this book was pure hell. I nearly threw my book across the room. Read to find out I guess 🙂 Also, this book gets 4/5 stars just like the rest.

Fracture Me

Still have to read this novella.

Ignite Me

Everyone is dead. The end. HAHA if only. Everyone is super screwed, and several people did die in the fight at the end of Unravel Me…

Ignite Me was a very interesting read. In this book Juliette starts to change from a caged, lethal bird to a badass that takes no shit. This book also has a lot more serious romance parts in it and I didn’t think I’d like it, but it turned out I did. Mafi writes such tasteful romance that I wanted more. In all the books, I was screaming that Warner and Juliette should kiss already and, finally, they did! And Warner has some pretty cool tattoos, one of which is the books title AAAAH. This book gets 4/5 stars and many, many heart eyes.

Restore Me

Yeah, I needed some serious restoring after this book. Holy moly. I now know why this series is called “shatter me,” because this book shattered me into a thousand pieces. It’s been a year since I’ve read this and still all I feel like typing is “asdfghjkl” and I can’t really elaborat. I can barely even talk about this book without spoiling everything so I’ll just tell you that this book is awesome. Juliette is a freaking badass and scares me a little. And where is that blanket for Warner to roll him up in and protect him from Mafi? Did Kenji steal it? Probably… 4/5 stars for this one. It’s only not 5 stars because the dystopian part of the book makes it a little less my cup of tea, also I can’t deal with Adam, he should die already (sorry not sorry).

Shadow Me

Fan favorite character Kenji Kishimoto narrates this gripping companion novella to Tahereh Mafi’s New York Times bestselling Shatter Me series, set during the explosive events in Restore Me!

I am so disappointed by this novella. This felt like I was reading Mafi’s notes on what Kenji was doing during certain key points in Restore Me and even then it doesn’t even feel like he was discussing the key points. The story was also still focused on Warner and Juliette and I really hoped that wouldn’t happen. Kenji is a freaking sweetheart and I loved reading about him but there could have been so much more or Mafi could have written multiple scenes we wouldn’t have seen from Juliette and Warner’s perspective. The book didn’t feel done when I reached the last page and not in the ‘Oh plot twist or open ending yay fun’ kind of way. Kenji gets 3 stars because it’s still Kenji and I can’t bear to give him any lower than that.

Defy Me

Defy Me releases April 2nd, 2019. Here’s the synopsis:

The gripping fifth installment in the New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestselling Shatter Me series. Will Juliette’s broken heart make her vulnerable to the strengthening darkness within her?

Juliette’s short tenure as the supreme commander of North America has been an utter disaster. When the children of the other world leaders show up on her doorstep, she wants nothing more than to turn to Warner for support and guidance. But he shatters her heart when he reveals that he’s been keeping secrets about her family and her identity from her—secrets that change everything.

Juliette is devastated, and the darkness that’s always dwelled within her threatens to consume her. An explosive encounter with unexpected visitors might be enough to push her over the edge.

I cannot freaking wait to read this book!

Books in this series

Dreamer Babble | Under-Hyped books

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Young Adult books that need more love!

There’s no surprise that this team loves YA fiction. We read it. We talk about it. We follow it on social media. And, sometimes, we just don’t see enough attention cast towards our favorites. Or at least we think there should be more.

Here are several books that we here at Dream Read Repeat feel need a little more love.

The Young Elites

Author: Marie Lu
Picked by: Marlou

Why should more people read this book?

Simply put? Because it’s awesome!

The villain is the main character but she’s not really a villain but just a girl who’s always been treated awful and decided she didn’t need anyone in her life telling her what to do. She thinks she’s a hero and that she is saving her country from a corrupt ruler. It also has a very interesting magic system that has always stuck with me even if I can’t quite remember the details of the story anymore.

For people who like…

People who like Shatter Me will like this trilogy!

Find it on Goodreads.

Books in this series

Timebound

Author: Rysa Walker
Picked by: Inopinion

Why should more people read this book?

Time travel, a love story (or three), a World’s Fair with a serial killer! This is a great start to an energetic series. Each book in the trilogy advances the overall plot to stop the end of the world. It gets better and better with each book.

For people who like…

People who likes the straight forward and demonstrative writing styles of Marissa Meyer, Brendan Reichs, or Marie Lu or if you like anything time-travel-y will enjoy this series.

Find it on Goodreads.

Books in this series

The Wicker King

Author: K. Ancrum
Picked by: Fox

Why should more people read this book?

Amazing writing style that blends the borders between reality and fantasy. Visually beautiful. Heartbreaking. Multilayered.

For people who like…

People who like books with unconventional storytelling will like this one.

Content Warnings

Abuse, hallucinations, dysfunctional relationships

Find it on Goodreads.

Photo used with permission from @FoxCloudsBlog

Other books by this author

Moribund

Author: Genevieve Iseult Eldredge
Picked by: Renee

Why should more people read this book?

Fast paced enemies to lovers story where Rouen, the dark Fae princess, is under a Contract of Blood and Bone to kill all fair Fae sleeper-princesses. The problem? Syl is the last sleeper-princess and they kind of have feelings for each other. Dark Fae and fair Fae are also supposed to be mortal enemies, but they can change that, right?

For people who like…

Urban fantasy and Fae stories.

Find it on Goodreads.

Books in this series

Moribund
derailed-1
Ouroboros
Dethroned
Inimical
Rekindled
Nemesis

Rekindled by Genevieve Iseult Eldredge

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Rekindled

Author: Genevieve Iseult Eldredge
Series: Circuit Fae #3.5
Reviewer: Renee

Summary

Syl Skye, newly crowned Queen of Fair Faerie, would be psyched to be the ruler of her Summer realm, except for two things.

First, her girlfriend Rouen Rivoche became Queen of Dark Faerie, the Winter realm. That would be great except the Winter realm’s always been at war with Summer. By tradition, that makes Rouen Syl’s mortal enemy.

That said, love can break past old hatred, right? Especially with a new foe about to attack them both.

Ah, no.

Which brings us to Syl’s second problem. Rouen’s under a dark spell and doesn’t remember Syl, their lives, their love. Worse, if Syl doesn’t break the spell by the next new moon, Rouen will forget her forever.

To defeat their foe, it’ll take two soul-bound queens whose hearts and minds act as one. Trouble is, no one has ever broken the dark spell Rouen suffers from.

Good thing Syl isn’t the type of queen who gives up easily.

View this book on Goodreads.

Review

This series owes me many hours of sleep, and this book is no exception. I strongly recommend dedicating a couple hours to read in one sitting because there is honestly no good place to say “Okay, I can stop here and come back later.” There is so much tension! (Make sure your device can handle when you will inevitably tighten your grasp while reading.)

If Syl and Rouen’s problems weren’t enough on their own, the dark Fae kids return to help…or cause havoc. Or maybe both. That Chuck E. Cheese scene! 😂 Rouen defending the dark Fae kids against unfair gaming machines. 😂 The new characters are also great (sounds like Laguna may make a return in Nemesis). We also get Glamma’s point of view a couple times!

You will find yourself smiling, laughing, hoping, and dreading what happens next. Now I need a time machine to take me to September because ROUEN!!! 😭😭

Books in this series

Moribund
derailed-1
Ouroboros
Dethroned
Inimical
Rekindled
Nemesis

Inimical by Genevieve Iseult Eldredge

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Inimical

Author: Genevieve Iseult Eldredge
Series: Circuit Fae #3
Reviewer: Renee

Summary

Being a fairy princess isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, especially when you have to choose between saving your people…And killing your girlfriend. Oh, and let’s not forget having to pass summer school, too.

Talk about a hot mess.

First, there’s Rouen, princess of the dark Fae, goth-rock star Euphoria, and soon-to-be senior at Richmond Elite High. Her world is all things ice, snow, and death. And that death will include her own people unless she can defeat her evil father in a Battle of Wits and War and seize the throne. Trouble is, taking the throne is a death sentence for the princess of the fair Fae. In other words, a quick death for Syl, Rouen’s girlfriend.

And that’s so not good.

Second, there’s Syl, princess of the fair Fae, geek girl mathlete, also an incoming senior. Things aren’t any easier for her. Syl must save her people by battling her old nemesis, the fair Fae prince, and the same rules apply: taking the throne means a death sentence for the other court’s princess, Rouen.

Even worse, Syl and Rouen’s enemies have figured out they’re in love. Now, both Rouen’s father and Syl’s archenemy are teaming up to ensure neither of them makes it till Midsummer’s Day—never mind the fall semester. Looks like passing summer school is the least of their worries!

View this book on Goodreads.

Review

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

The action doesn’t really stop in this one – it’s one problem after another. We see Syl and Rouen grow in their relationship and as Fae princesses. Be warned: you will need the next book immediately after reading this one! (It’s currently scheduled for release in September 2019.)

Rouen and Syl have to juggle summer school, their relationship, and saving their Fae realms, which happen to be on a collision course thanks to the Convergence they set in motion. The two are pulled against their will into their respective realms. This shows us a different side of each character since they’ve previously been able to rely on each other but they must tackle these problems independently since they cannot communicate across the different realms, even with their soulbond.

They struggle to come up with a plan to save both realms only to have others interfere and ruin their plan. Through it all they discuss their relationship and its priority with all the chaos going on. Even with everything and everyone telling Rouen and Syl they must destroy each other in order to become Queen, they keep fighting to save both of their realms. This is one of my favorite things about the series – no matter the odds or the challenges, Syl and Rouen always push back against what they are expected to do in favor of doing what they believe is right.

As with other books in this series, the action rarely slows so it was a page turner, especially near the end when everything comes together.

Books in this series

Moribund
derailed-1
Ouroboros
Dethroned
Inimical
Rekindled
Nemesis

Dethroned by Genevieve Iseult Eldredge

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Dethroned

Author: Genevieve Iseult Eldredge
Series: Circuit Fae #2.5
Reviewer: Renee

Summary

For eighteen-year-old Rouen Rivoche, being a fairy princess isn’t about fancy parties and happily ever afters.

Rouen’s people are the dark Fae whose powers of lightning, thundersnow, and all things Winter make them cold, severe, and 100% intolerant of rebellion.

Too bad being a rebel is in Rouen’s blood.

Against tradition, she’s teamed up with Syl Skye, the sleeper-princess of the fair Fae—a mortal enemy who Rouen should want to kill but only wants to kiss. Plus, to be with Syl, Rouen’s masquerading as a glam goth-rock star and human high school student. Honestly, Rouen doesn’t think things could get any more complicated.

Then, she discovers she must become Queen of the Winter Court or all her people will die. No pressure.

Now, dark forces are amassing in the Winter Court, turning Rouen’s people against her and blocking her path to the throne. Even Syl with all her powers of white flame and Summer can’t stop this new kind of evil.

Because betrayal cuts close when it’s someone you love… and now it looks like Rouen’s going to be dethroned before she ever becomes queen.

View this book on Goodreads.

Review

This is my favorite novella in the Circuit Fae series so far. We learn so much more about UnderHollow – the politics, races that live there, and of Rouen’s father, the current king. There is a larger focus on Rouen in this novella, and that’s definitely a plus for me! Rouen finds herself fighting her father for the crown, with the court divided on who should rule. Rouen ends up in prison with kidnapped dark Fae children while her father is slowly killing Syl (because he, of course, does not approve of his daughter dating a fair Fae princess).

Books in this series

Moribund
derailed-1
Ouroboros
Dethroned
Inimical
Rekindled
Nemesis