Tag: Young Adult (Page 17 of 158)

BOOK REVIEW: The Other Side of the Sky (The Other Side of the Sky #1) by Amie Kaufman, Meagan Spooner

BOOK REVIEW: The Other Side of the Sky (The Other Side of the Sky #1) by Amie Kaufman, Meagan SpoonerThe Other Side of the Sky (The Other Side of the Sky #1)
by Amie Kaufman, Meagan Spooner
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

New York Times bestselling author duo Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner have crafted a gripping tale of magic and logic, fate and choice, and a deadly love. Perfect for fans of Laini Taylor and Brandon Sanderson.

Prince North’s home is in the sky, in a gleaming city held aloft by intricate engines, powered by technology. Nimh is the living goddess of her people on the Surface, responsible for providing answers, direction—hope.

North’s and Nimh’s lives are entwined—though their hearts can never be. Linked by a terrifying prophecy and caught between duty and fate, they must choose between saving their people or succumbing to the bond that is forbidden between them.

Review

As soon as I saw that Kaufman and Spooner were coming out with another book/series together, you better believe I marked it as to-read/I NEED immediately and requested it as soon as I saw it pop up on Edelweiss. At this point, I’ve read just about everything by the both of them together and with other people as well. There’s something about the way they balance both memorable, heart-pounding romance AND death and destruction that really just ~gets~ me.

This one, though, was definitely one of the most unique…As the title suggests, our two main characters, North and Nihm, come from literally the opposite ends of the sky from one another. Nihm is a living goddess on earth and North is a prince in a floating land in the sky. Both as equally as important to their own people as they are to hopefully saving the entire human race.

What really got me here was the mix of fantasy and science fiction. You see, while Nihm’s people have gods and goddesses and practice magic, up above in North’s land it’s all about science. When he falls to the Surface and meets Nihm, he is skeptical for any kind of magic she uses and is constantly trying to reconcile it for some kind of advanced chemical reaction. In most books of this nature, it’s either one or the other. The people either have magic or do not or they either live in some kind of advanced futuristic setting and have this crazy gear that we could only hope to see here on earth some day. The mix of the two was so intriguing and it made for some really good points of conflict between the two.

Other than that though, I found the characters (as always with these two writers) to be extremely likable and memorable. I think I liked Nihm more just because she was so BA and cared for her people so much. That’s not to say North didn’t, I just felt like there was *more* to Nihm in this book. I really liked the romance between them too–the connection they felt. Sometimes something like that can feel too rushed or too cheesy but I thought it felt extremely real in this one. ANDDD can we just talk about the deliciousness of them not being able to touch?! I mean I did want them to be able to and for us to get a good kiss scene in this one but I think it’s almost better that they didn’t to draw it out even further?!?!?!

Finally, I am so intrigued by the prophecy and who it was really referring to and who the other cloudlander is….I of course do have a theory. 🙂 Very ready for book 2!

Huge thanks to Edelweiss and HarperTeen for allowing me to have an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest reivew!

BOOK REVIEW: Fable (Fable #1) by Adrienne Young

BOOK REVIEW: Fable (Fable #1) by Adrienne YoungFable (Fable #1)
by Adrienne Young
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

As the daughter of the most powerful trader in the Narrows, the sea is the only home seventeen-year-old Fable has ever known. It’s been four years since the night she watched her mother drown during an unforgiving storm. The next day her father abandoned her on a legendary island filled with thieves and little food. To survive she must keep to herself, learn to trust no one and rely on the unique skills her mother taught her. The only thing that keeps her going is the goal of getting off the island, finding her father and demanding her rightful place beside him and his crew. To do so Fable enlists the help of a young trader named West to get her off the island and across the Narrows to her father.

But her father’s rivalries and the dangers of his trading enterprise have only multiplied since she last saw him and Fable soon finds that West isn't who he seems. Together, they will have to survive more than the treacherous storms that haunt the Narrows if they're going to stay alive.

Welcome to a world made dangerous by the sea and by those who wish to profit from it. Where a young girl must find her place and her family while trying to survive in a world built for men.

Review

Never, under any circumstances, reveal who or what matters to you.





In the land of ever-changing Young Adult Fantasy, the newest (as far as I know) trend is Pirates and the like. Anything to do with the sea, really-and I can’t believe how deeply it resonates with me. This is only the third or fourth story set at sea (exclusively) that I’ve read, but it easily catapulted to the top of the pile with grace.



I don’t need much to make me happy-a tortured-or loyal (or both)-hero, a feisty or fierce or witty heroine, and a fantasy that takes me away. That has a deeply rooted foundation capable of carrying a story even when things are slow, or only day to day fillers. They don’t need to be action packed from beginning to end. And, as a seasoned reader and reviewer, I’ve learned I don’t even like that. Back when I was a little less sure of what worked for me, I always thought that action meant good and the more there was, surely the better the book would be.


This crew had already been in trouble when I stepped onto their ship, but I couldn’t help but wonder if I was going to be the storm that finally sank them.





After countless series crashing and burning (in my humble opinion) because of this exact reason, I learned that action does not equal plot, and action does not equal a story that resonates deeply in your soul-it can’t possibly reside there, because what really was there to grasp onto? What did the characters say or do that stuck with you? The answer is convoluted and a whole lot of nothing. But, with master storytellers such as Young? There’s something special there that can’t be won with flash and flare-it’s won with quiet, fierce storytelling and a few perilous battles here and there. THAT is how a good fantasy is told, and it’s how it becomes a permanent resident in my heart.

I was standing in the breezeway with my heart in my throat, trying to figure out how to say goodbye, and West couldn’t wait to be rid of me.





Character driven stories are really the bread and butter of my all-time favorite books in my most recent, wiser years, and this story-while there was plenty of action for my taste-is no exception. Fable is an AMAZING heroine, one that I rarely see anymore. I don’t get to read like I used to, but I still know a good heroine when I see one. I have always been about the book boys, but I have a soft spot in my heart when a fierce female comes along and steals the show.

Fable is made of tougher skin having been raised under the Narrows trade leader, Saint, and after being left on an unforgivable island where she had to fight for her life every single day, she’s not one to be messed with. One goal in mind, she dredged day after day, morning to night, to make coin when the Marigold came every couple weeks looking for what only she could deliver. She’d trade what she had dredged, and she was finally close enough to get off the life-threatening island she was left on four years prior…until she attracted the attention of every other dredger trying to find the same HEA fate as she, and instead it became about fighting for her life not silently and intently as before, but kicking and screaming, striking a deal with the only trader she could halfway trust-West.



Which…this brings me to the crux of everything, doesn’t it? West was a beyond amazing character, for me. I love when the heroes (and the heroines) are morally gray and you can’t quite pinpoint who they are, what their intentions may be, and how they want the pieces to fall. West was just that. He is a perfect example of the heroes I continually fall hard for, because he keeps his emotions close to his chest-He doesn’t betray what he’s really thinking. But, his actions continually speak louder than his words (or lack thereof) and he is always waiting in the wings, rushing to help Fable even when he can’t trust her.

And though West had said again and again that he didn’t do favors and that he didn’t take chances, he’d done both. Over and over.
For me.





This was the slowest of slow burn romances and it was EVERYTHING I hoped it would be. I don’t need book long, flashy romances. I need that build, that something to look forward to-the hoping, the praying, the what-if of how it will-or won’t-happen. And, ultimately, I love waiting for that horrible end we just know is coming. I’m sorry, but it gets my perilistic, masochistic heart pumping and my blood buzzing. It simmers under my skin just WAITING to see what obstacles the hero and heroine will face and…I’m done sounding [exactly like who I am] psycho.



Fable honestly took me by surprise. I knew I wanted to read it; I was excited about it. But, it wasn’t until I started the book that I felt my soul leave my body and my heart begin pounding, butterflies erupt in my stomach, and a giddiness erupt that is unparalleled since having my little boy. It was an escape, a world to look forward to after a long day with two small children, a sickness that just now seems to be finally going away, and a reprieve from my ‘I must always be on’ duties. I haven’t felt like that in over a year. For that, I will always have a soft spot in my heart for Fable.

BOOK REVIEW: The Hunter and the Mage (The Raven and the Dove #2) by Kaitlyn Davis

BOOK REVIEW: The Hunter and the Mage (The Raven and the Dove #2) by Kaitlyn DavisThe Hunter and the Mage (The Raven and the Dove #2)
by Kaitlyn Davis
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Return to the world of The Raven and the Dove, where winged people rule the skies, a lost kingdom lives at sea, and two star-crossed lovers hold the fate of each in their palms. Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Sabaa Tahir, and Leigh Bardugo!

A mage written in prophecy…

When Lyana wakes in the Sea of Mist, adventure is the first thing on her mind. But between her unruly new magic and an unyielding young king, the world below comes with more responsibility than she ever dreamed. An entire civilization exists within the fog, and its survival depends entirely on her.

A hunter forged in blood…

Adrift at sea on a ship full of strangers, Rafe fights to cope with his new reality. He'll do anything to return to the sky and the people he left behind. When a surprising offer comes his way, he instantly accepts, sparing no time to consider the consequences.

Loyalties are tested and an ancient war begins anew…

With rebellion in her heart, Cassi defies her king and befriends the prince she's been ordered to kill. Oblivious to the threat, Xander welcomes her into his inner circle, determined to rescue his mate. As one works to help and the other to hinder, an ancient enemy stirs, forcing Cassi to choose between trusting the man who broke her heart and turning her back on everything she's ever known.

Review

Damn. DAMNNNN. I found and devoured book one via NetGalley in March and I was DELIGHTED when Kaitlyn reached out, asking if I would be interested in reading and reviewing the second book. At this point in my life, I feel like I’ve read thousands of books, traversed a thousand skies and lands, and lived through the eyes of thousands of characters. There have been many similarities, how could there not have been? So when I come across a book that feels completely new, I pay very close attention. This story is one of those instances.

There’s an entire world with floating islands, each hosting a different kingdom home to a different race of bird people (I mean that sounds weird when I word it like that but really it’s just the type of wings those people have, lol). They fear magic and when they find any of their people with it, they either kill them out right or rip off their wings and throw them over the ends of their lands (messed up, right???). They think that magic represents and is given by a god that all of them fear and that he lives below their lands in the mist that hides dragons and other terrible things.

In that first book we discover that that is NOT the case. There is an entire world of people down there without wings, where magic is NOT a crime and where the people live in that perpetual mist just trying to survive. Their King, Malek, has been working his entire life to find the queen of a prophecy who is supposed to help him save the world.

This book is broken up below and above the mist in the POVs of Lyana, Rafe, Malek, Xander, Cassi, and a new character, Brighty. Getting to know more about the world below the mist was soooo intriguing and seeing Lyana come into her power was so amazing. She might honestly be one of my favorite heroines of all time. She’s just so fucking bad ass and GOOD. Malek on the other hand got on my shit list for MANY different reasons. Rafe. Oh sweet baby Rafe, you tortured soul. I just love him. I love Cassi’s strength and her budding relationship with ~a certain someone~ and was so glad when she finally was able to tell people her secrets.  Xander is just also such a pure soul and I cannot WAIT to see him as a King some day for his people.  Seeing him react to Cassi treating him like a normal, strong person was everything.  Overall it’s just such a memorable cast of characters and I am dying to find out more about new developments with the prophecy and the lands above the mist and relationships and EVERYTHING.

The writing is so damn good. It had my heart beating wildly on so many different occasions, especially towards the end. I need moreeeeeee!

Huge thanks to the author for letting me get my hands on this early in order to shout out my honest thoughts and opinions to the world

BOOK REVIEW: Blood & Honey (Serpent & Dove #2) by Shelby Mahurin

BOOK REVIEW: Blood & Honey (Serpent & Dove #2) by Shelby MahurinBlood & Honey (Serpent & Dove #2)
by Shelby Mahurin
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

After narrowly escaping death at the hands of the Dames Blanches, Lou, Reid, Coco, and Ansel are on the run from coven, kingdom, and church—fugitives with nowhere to hide.

To elude the scores of witches and throngs of chasseurs at their heels, Lou and Reid need allies. Strong ones. But protection comes at a price, and the group is forced to embark on separate quests to build their forces. As Lou and Reid try to close the widening rift between them, the dastardly Morgane baits them in a lethal game of cat and mouse that threatens to destroy something worth more than any coven.

The hotly anticipated sequel to the New York Times and IndieBound bestseller Serpent & Dove—packed with even steamier romance and darker magic—is perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas.

Review

Please do not go into this book assuming you’re going to see Lou and Reid still in a honeymoon phase because that is going to set you up for disappointment.

No, this book isn’t as light, warm, and flirtatious as a good chunk of the first book. Not in the slightest. It’s dark, vicious, and angsty. But that doesn’t mean that we don’t get the exact story we need about our favorite characters from this world.

Blood & Honey picks up just days after their escape from the Chateau and from Lou’s crazy ass mother. As you can imagine, the stakes are already quite high and tensions are already on the rise as they desperately try to come up with a plan for how best to beat Morgane. Reid is on the brink of a major meltdown, both from having killed the Archbishop to save Lou AND from having done so with magic. When Lou is slipped a letter that she KNOWS was written by a mother, a taunt if you will, they decide on a course of action. Split up (as you can imagine this is not what Reid wants) with Lou, Coco, and Ansel heading to see Coco’s aunt at the Blood Witches camp and with the others trying for any alliances with werewolves, mermaids, and hopefully even the king. They are helped by a new group of characters in an acting troupe let by a man called Claud Deveraux. Right away I just knew he was going to be an interesting and special character and I was right. Basically chaos and death ensue from there and everyone races to hopefully stop Morgane.

Enter my thoughts:

Dudeeeeeee. Okay, so I had not read Serpent & Dove since I had gotten it as an eARC some time ago. I thankfully decided to re-read it before this and I am so glad I did because I honestly think I loved it so much more than the first time around for some reason. That being said I have EVERYTHING fresh in my memory. The characters and how they behaved, the love between Lou and Reid, the anger and disbelief at Morgane’s bat-shit craziness. All of it.

I had been talking with one of my blogmates, Cassie, about this one and she had been a little nervous because of some not so great reviews that had already gone up. Now I know that I’m just one person and that my opinion only goes so far but I can’t fathom why people didn’t like this book. I guess if you’re solely in it for that exact brand of romance between Lou and Reid that we got in book one it makes sense but…..how could someone even expect that?! Number one, this series got moved to three books from two so you know this is going to be more of a transition novel with a lot of character movement and coming into oneself (especially, especially, ESPECIALLY for Reid). Number two, after all of the traumatic things that happened at the end, there’s no way things were going to be wrapped up nicely for those two to have a simple happily ever after just yet. Finally, number three, I thought that even though Lou and Reid were at odds for part of this book, they were still being THEM, you know? Lou was delving a little deeper into her magic after not using it for so long and since the stakes were higher she was having to sacrifice ~more~ to use the spells she needed which starting bringing her down a dark path. Reid, a man who was SOLELY “by the book” until falling in love with Lou, wasn’t just going to accept magic overnight. Especially after finding out he himself had it. Obviously he was still going to really have some inner turmoil with magic, both his own and Lou’s as well.

Either way, I am the type of girl who will never say no to more books being added to a series as long as the writing stays great (it did), the story still makes sense and flows perfectly (it did) and nothing seems added just for the sake of adding one more book (it didn’t). There were quite a few characters, places, and even species added to this book and I thought ALL of it made sense, was awesome, and didn’t feel contrived. I really hope a majority of people truly do love this book because it really took me for a ride.

Okay, so I’ll leave my ramblings at that. Just….as a parting gift from me to you….make sure you grab a box of tissues before reading the end, you’re going to need it.🙃🙃🙃

Thank you SO MUCH Edelweiss and HarperTeen for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions! ♥

REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: The Good for Nothings by Danielle Banas

REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: The Good for Nothings by Danielle Banas

I’m so excited to be on the tour for The Good for Nothings! This book was filled to the brim with adventure, friendship and humor! So check out my review below and enter in a fabulous giveaway. Enjoy! ♥

REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: The Good for Nothings by Danielle BanasThe Good for Nothings by Danielle Banas
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Cora Saros is just trying her best to join the family business of theft and intergalactic smuggling. Unfortunately, she's a total disaster.

After landing herself in prison following an attempted heist gone very wrong, she strikes a bargain with the prison warden: He'll expunge her record if she brings back a long-lost treasure rumored to grant immortality.

Cora is skeptical, but with no other way out of prison (and back in her family's good graces), she has no choice but to assemble a crew from her collection of misfit cellmates—a disgraced warrior from an alien planet; a cocky pirate who claims to have the largest ship in the galaxy; and a glitch-prone robot with a penchant for baking—and take off after the fabled prize.

But the ragtag group soon discovers that not only is the too-good-to-be-true treasure very real, but they're also not the only crew on the hunt for it. And it's definitely a prize worth killing for.

Review:

The Good for Nothings was an incredibly fun twist on Guardians of the Galaxy meets YA.  It had heart, humor and charm wrapped up in a story that was oh so fun!  This is the type of book that is impossible not to devour in one sitting.  And space pirates?!  I. Was. Obsessed!  With characters that were flawed and relatable, I found myself deeply caring for this fabulous group of misfits.  I could read so many stories about their antics together!  So if you’re looking for a book that is filled to the brim with adventure, friendship, and humor, then you have to add this one to your tbr!

We’d broken a criminal’s only rule.
We got caught.

From those first few pages, I was sucked right in.  This story started out in a situation that mixed humor and action, along with technology like nothing I had ever seen.  I was completely addicted.  But eventually Cora and her android friend Elio ended up in jail together.  And from there they met Wren and Anders.  When the four of them were offered their freedom in exchange for going on a dangerous treasure hunt across the galaxies, they were all in!  They had SO many obstacles in their way!  Including themselves.  But I adored the four of them so much.  Especially while they were trying to figure out how to work together as a team.  The storyline was a wild ride and these characters etched themselves into my heart.  So here’s a little bit about each of them…..

The only way I could steal from them was if they trusted us completely.

Cora:

My family was in the business of lying, and I could confidently say the best lies were the ones that you believed to be true.  They were the ones that you wanted so desperately; they were your first breath of air in the morning and the last before you went to sleep at night.

Cora was from a notorious crime family and her best friend in the world was her android friend, Elio.  They had the most beautiful friendship ever, one that felt like true family.  I loved Cora right away because she was brave, fierce and cared so deeply for Elio. I love that she tried her best but at times, life got in the way.  Be prepared for her to have the most random and bizarre distractions, during a crisis ha.  She was just so easy to connect with and love.  But Cora was keeping secrets and lies.  I understood the whys, I just knew my emotions were going to get tangled in the inevitable fallout.

Elio:  

Beep! Beep! Beep!”
I couldn’t lose him.  Not like this.  Not when we were so close.

Elio was the cutest android ever and was such a wonderful friend to Cora.  His heart felt so pure and I loved all of his little quirks.  Like wanting to eat and smell food, even though he wasn’t a human or alien.  He was smart and I loved how fast he was able to process things, even sarcasm *heart emoji eyes*.  Elio was someone who was not only brave but resourceful and he rounded out their little group perfectly.  He is definitely going to charm everyone that picks up this book.  There’s no way he won’t sneak into your heart.

Wren:

Wren reached under her veil and squeezed my hand.  “Together we will accomplish great, but possibly not legal, things,” she whispered.
Against my better judgment, I squeezed back.  “Aye aye, Captain.”

Wren was impossible not to love too!  She was bubbly, fun and cracked me up!  But that girl knew how to steal stuff like no other.  And she could easily steal everything in sight ha!  She was a fabulous pilot, was beyond loyal and she was someone I’d want to be best friends with and have by my side for treasure hunts and battles.  Wren’s heart of gold and bravery was commendable!

Anders:

There were too many words to describe the sensation, like the endless stars in the sky, the endless galaxies in the universe.  Even when we pulled apart, I knew that I would carry this moment, this brief little flash of existence where time and space held still and there was us – only us – with me for infinity.

Oh boy.  At first I wasn’t sure what to think of Anders, since he was so closed off.  He tried his best to keep his walls up, but when they would fall down from time to time, the peaks we would get of him *sigh*.  Yup.  I was obsessed.  When his humor started to poke through I was a goner.  Anders was brave, fierce, deadly and someone I swooned very hard over!

He didn’t need to know that whatever minuscule bit of camaraderie we had cultivated was a game that I desperately wanted to make real.

I absolutely loved the Good for Nothings!  There was a little bit of a romance going on that made me so happy!  And the moments where I got to be a part of their inside jokes, I felt like part of the team!  But deals with the devil were made.  Secrets were kept.  And impossible journeys and obstacles were around every corner.  This story even made me shed a few tears.  So if you’re looking for a story that will make you smile, laugh and get lost in then definitely add this one to your TBR!  This is the second book I’ve read by Danielle Banas that I’ve loved and I can’t recommend her books enough!

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, provided by the publisher.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

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About Danielle Banas:

Danielle Banas is the author of THE SUPERVILLAIN AND ME and THE GOOD FOR NOTHINGS. She earned a degree in communication from Robert Morris University, where she spent slightly too much time daydreaming about new characters instead of paying attention in class. When she isn’t writing, Danielle can be found loudly singing show tunes, spouting off Disney World trivia, and snuggling with her puppy. She lives in her hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

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