Odriel’s Heirs

This debut novel by Hayley Reese Chow starts of quickly with action, lulls (so I thought) for a chapter or two, and then continues building with a burning intensity to a fiery end (puns most definitely intended)!

For the beginning 3rd of the book, I found Kaia, the Dragon Heir, a little hard to connect with, but it was her interaction with Gus, her hound, that really endeared her to me. He can sort of talk directly into her head (sort of), but it reminds of those adorable dog videos, where their owners give them their own voices – hoomans, food. This is literally the voice my brain gave to Gus:

This does not smell like a turtle. [Turtle transforms into a brown bear] Not-turtle is big now!

Cue my laugh out loud. These little moments between Kaia and Gus, made me love this book.

That’s not to say that those interactions were the only thing that made me give this book 5 stars: The dialogue and back and forth between the Shadow and Dragon heirs was on-point and the descriptions of the action scenes was so well written I could literally see it in my mind. “Her nervous energy caused the flames to billow up in a swirling elmcore-sized tower of searing flame…Kaia brought the blaze down in from of her as if held the tail of a tornado of fire.”

Overall, a great read with fantastic dialog, well developed characters with complex fears and emotions and really great puppy thoughts!

I highly recommend this to readers who enjoyed Throne of Glass.

Thank you to Book Sirens for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

An Ember in the Ashes

This book was phenomenal! I read it in less than 24 hours, and now I’m ready for the next book, A Torch Against the Night. I know that this book has been on my to read shelf for a long time, but it was that whole round-to-it thing. Well I finally got to it and honestly it lived up to the reviews and praise.

In a brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, Laia is forced to make a difficult choice, and in her narration you can often see how unsure she is of herself and her decisions. This made her grow on me immediately, since she was a coward at times, but then she would rise up, take responsibility and fix the problem. As someone who works with teenager, and obviously lived through those years, this constant fear of not doing the right thing, or not being good enough really resonated with me.

Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce but also has to be the schools best soldier because of who his mother is. This struggle to fit a mold but also the desire to break free, makes him a character I wanted to keep learning more about.

Overall this book was extremely well written with strong main characters but also well developed supporting characters.

Of Silver and Shadow- Gruenke, Jennifer

Thrilling action, complex, well-developed characters and several twists and turns combined to make Jennifer Gruenke’s debut novel, Of Silver and Shadow, a book I read in less than 24 hours and makes me hope for a sequel.

Ren Kolins is a silver wielder, which is pretty dangerous in a place where magic silver-wielders are killed just for existing. Ren, an orphan, is thieving and fighting just to survive, until a rich rebel uncovers her secret and convinces her to join his revolution. What unfolds is a story rich with intrigue, told from multiple perspectives in a way that fills in the blanks, but never reveals the true ending.

The way Gruenke describes not only the city but the characters and their lives is engaging, and humorous at times, but also shows the darker side of the world these characters live in. The imagery and figurative language used throughout the story is elaborative without being distracting or excessive:

“She fanned out her winning cards, and the man’s smile waned, his arrogance falling away like an unclasped cloak slipping from his shoulders.”

This novel would be a great read for anyone who enjoys YA fantasy with a strong, well developed, female lead.Warning: there are scenes of torture that I didn’t find too extreme, but others may find they are too clear.

Thanks to NetGalley and North Star Editions for the ARC in return for this honest review.

My Top 5 “haven’t-read-yet, but-need-to” books!

This is my first ever list, and I have to say that I thought about putting it in some sort of order, but I failed. So, instead of putting it in some semblance of order, I’ve just made the hard choice of my solid top 5.

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear…

I know, I know, I’m not sure how I have managed to miss this one so far, but it is on list so that’s a start right?

This is one of those books that I’m really interested in for its twisted version of history.

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

Jude was seven when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie…

This one has to be on my list, since I devoured the Magisterium Series and I’m currently working my way through the Modern Faerie Tales after inhaling Tithe (Modern Faerie Tales, #1) in ONE sitting. The interesting part of Black’s writing has to be how it’s similar to both Sarah J. Maas and Cassandra Clare’s writing, but with its own modern flair.

La Belle Sauvage (The Book of Dust #1) by Philip Pullman

Malcolm Polstead is the kind of boy who notices everything but is not much noticed himself. And so perhaps it was inevitable that he would become a spy…

This introduction on the cover just sucks me in, and it definitely helps that it links up with Lyra and her uncle.

With my love of all things related to His Dark Material, it’s kind of surprising that I haven’t gotten into this one yet. I guess that just says how many good books there are out there right now.

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

Since he was five years old, Lazlo Strange, has been obsessed with the mythic lost city of Weep, but it would take someone bolder than he to cross half the world in search of it… until it doesn’t.

Although this book seems similar to Ink and Bone, I think it has such a different premise and I’m really looking forward to it.

The Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu

This image also includes the delicious candle that came in my OwlCrate

I received this one as part of my subscription to OwlCrate (which I highly recommend as far as book crates go) and it combines my love for music, history and fantasy, which is kind of a triple win for me. Additionally it’s written by one of my newly favourite writers: Marie Lu; author of both the Renegades, and Legends series.

Two siblings. Two brilliant talents. But only one Mozart. Born with a gift for music, Nannerl Mozart has just one wish–to be remembered forever. But even as she delights audiences with her masterful playing, she has little hope she’ll ever become the acclaimed composer she longs to be. She is a young woman in 18th century Europe, and that means composing is forbidden to her. She will perform only until she reaches a marriageable age–her tyrannical father has made that much clear.