Overall: 5/5 Stars Characters: 5/5 Setting: 4/5 Writing: 5/5 Plot and Themes: 5/5 Awesomeness Factor: 5/5 Review in a Nutshell: The Shadows Between Us is a fun, addictive novel that lived up to all of my expectations- a feat I worried would be impossible.
“They’ve never found the body of the first and only boy who broke my heart. And they never will.”
(This is literally the first line in the book how can you not want to read more?!?!)
This book has been described as a Slytherin romance, and honestly? There’s no better way to describe it. Alessandra has a goal: marry the Shadow King, then kill him and take his kingdom. The challenge? She isn’t the only one who wants him dead, and she must keep him alive long enough to make it to the author.
“I know when I’ve been beaten, and I have barely even started.”
Bone Crier’s Moon is one of my most anticipated releases of the year, and I can’t believe that I finally get to talk about it! As part of the blog tour, I’ll be sharing my review, my dream cast, and my favorite quotes!
Title: The Winter Duke Author: Kathryn Purdie Publisher: HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen Release Date: March 10th 2020 Page Count: 480 Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance Synopsis:
Bone Criers have a sacred duty. They alone can keep the dead from preying on the living. But their power to ferry the spirits of the dead into goddess Elara’s Night Heavens or Tyrus’s Underworld comes from sacrifice. The gods demand a promise of dedication. And that promise comes at the cost of the Bone Criers’ one true love.
Ailesse has been prepared since birth to become the matriarch of the Bone Criers, a mysterious famille of women who use strengths drawn from animal bones to ferry dead souls. But first she must complete her rite of passage and kill the boy she’s also destined to love.
Bastien’s father was slain by a Bone Crier and he’s been seeking revenge ever since. Yet when he finally captures one, his vengeance will have to wait. Ailesse’s ritual has begun and now their fates are entwined—in life and in death.
Sabine has never had the stomach for the Bone Criers’ work. But when her best friend Ailesse is taken captive, Sabine will do whatever it takes to save her, even if it means defying their traditions—and their matriarch—to break the bond between Ailesse and Bastien. Before they all die.
Overall: 5/5 Stars Characters: 5/5 Setting: 5/5 Writing: 5/5 Plot and Themes: 5/5 Awesomeness Factor: 5/5 Review in a Nutshell: Bone Crier’s Moon is possibly my favorite book of the year (so far). It’s addictive and fun, with fantastic characters and a fantastic world. I can’t wait for book 2, Bone Crier’s Dawn!
Thank you to Netgalley and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review! All quotes are taken from the ARC and are subject to change.
Overall: 4.5/5 Stars Characters: 4/5 Setting: 5/5 Writing: 4.5/5 Plot and Themes: 5/5 Awesomeness Factor: 5/5 Review in a Nutshell: The Raven and the Dove is full of loyalty, love, and betrayal. With a complex and fascinating world, this book will transport you into a classic tale of forbidden love and lies that just might tear your heart out. You’ve been warned.
“How fragile unbreakable bonds can be.”
[ Related: Interview with Kaitlyn Davis, Author of The Raven and The Dove! ]
The Raven and the Dove is a retelling of Tristan and Isolde, which is an amazing folk tale and honestly deserves way more retellings than it has. Thank God for Kaitlyn Davis, giving this story the recognition it deserves. This book takes place in a fantasy world, where there are those who live on floating islands above the mist covering their planet and those who live below. Princess Lyana Aethionus lives above, the Dove princess of the House of Peace. On the dawn of her courtship trials, she saves a Raven, who she believes to be the prince of the House of Whispers. Rafe is the bastard son of the dead Raven king. When his brother, Prince Xander, asks him to take his place in the courtship trials and bring back a mate for him deserving of their kingdom, he agrees. However, after an incident with a dragon, he is saved by a dove who has the same illegal magic as him. When the courtship trials begin, he must fight to prioritize his kingdom and his family over his heart. Meanwhile, below, a king is desperate to save his people, no matter what the cost.
I’m really excited to talk about The Winter Duke today! As part of the blog tour, I’ll be doing my normal review, plus discussing my favorite quotes, and creating a dream cast!! There’s quite a bit to talk about, so let’s get started!
Title: The Winter Duke Author: Claire Eliza Bartlett Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers Release Date: March 3rd 2020 Page Count: 432 Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, LGBT, Queer, Magic, Retellings, Romance Synopsis:
An enchanted tale of intrigue where a duke’s daughter is the only survivor of a magical curse.
When Ekata’s brother is finally named heir, there will be nothing to keep her at home in Kylma Above with her murderous family. Not her books or science experiments, not her family’s icy castle atop a frozen lake, not even the tantalizingly close Kylma Below, a mesmerizing underwater kingdom that provides her family with magic. But just as escape is within reach, her parents and twelve siblings fall under a strange sleeping sickness.
In the space of a single night, Ekata inherits the title of duke, her brother’s warrior bride, and ever-encroaching challengers from without—and within—her own ministry. Nothing has prepared Ekata for diplomacy, for war, for love…or for a crown she has never wanted. If Kylma Above is to survive, Ekata must seize her family’s power. And if Ekata is to survive, she must quickly decide how she will wield it.
Part Sleeping Beauty, part Anastasia, with a thrilling political mystery, The Winter Duke is a spellbinding story about choosing what’s right in the face of danger.
Overall: 4.5/5 Stars Characters: 5/5 Setting: 5/5 Writing: 5/5 Plot and Themes: 4/5 Awesomeness Factor: 4/5 Review in a Nutshell: The Winter Duke surprised me in so many ways. This book is heavy with court intrigue and betrayal, and will leave you feeling chilled yet thrilled.
Today, I’m very excited to be talking about Sara Holland’s newest book, Havenfall! I was lucky enough to be a part of the blog tour, so today I will not only be bringing you a review, but also talking about some of my favorite quotes!
Title: Havenfall Series: Havenfall #1 Author: Sara Holland Publisher: Bloomsbury YA Release Date: March 3rd 2020 Page Count: 320 Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy Synopsis:
A safe haven between four realms. The girl sworn to protect it–at any cost. New York Times bestselling author Sara Holland crafts a breathtaking new contemporary fantasy perfect for fans of Melissa Albert and Holly Black.
Hidden deep in the mountains of Colorado lies the Inn at Havenfall, a sanctuary that connects ancient worlds–each with their own magic–together. For generations, the inn has protected all who seek refuge within its walls, and any who disrupt the peace can never return.
For Maddie Morrow, summers at the inn are more than a chance to experience this magic first-hand. Havenfall is an escape from reality, where her mother sits on death row accused of murdering Maddie’s brother. It’s where Maddie fell in love with handsome Fiorden soldier Brekken. And it’s where one day she hopes to inherit the role of Innkeeper from her beloved uncle.
But this summer, the impossible happens–a dead body is found, shattering everything the inn stands for. With Brekken missing, her uncle gravely injured, and a dangerous creature on the loose, Maddie suddenly finds herself responsible for the safety of everyone in Havenfall. She’ll do anything to uncover the truth, even if it means working together with an alluring new staffer Taya, who seems to know more than she’s letting on. As dark secrets are revealed about the inn itself, one thing becomes clear to Maddie–no one can be trusted, and no one is safe . . .
Sara Holland takes the lush fantasy that captured readers in Everless and Evermore and weaves it into the real world to create a wholly captivating new series where power and peril lurk behind every door.
Overall: 4/5 Stars Characters: 4/5 Setting: 5/5 Writing: 4/5 Plot and Themes: 4/5 Awesomeness Factor: 4/5 Review in a Nutshell: Havenfall will pull you into a world of betrayal, romance, mystery, and magic.
