Legendary

Legendary
By Stephanie Garber

Summary
Donatella Dragna has made a bargain with a mysterious criminal to deliver Master Legends true name at the end of Caraval. The game begins again and this time the tables have turned. Usually everything is all an act, but this time Donatella finds that the game is very real as she gets tangled up in a web of secrets and her path is intermingled with the mysterious heir to the throne. In order to save her family, she must win the game and then decide whether it will be worth revealing Legends true name and destroying Caraval forever.

My Review
After I finished the first book, Caraval, I wanted to jump right into this one in order to see where the story was going. I loved the shift in point of view for this book from one sister to another. It was fascinating to see the same sort of magic through different eyes. Donatella is the younger sister, but she has a maturity that Scarlett doesn’t have somehow and I really enjoyed her perspective on the story even more than Scarlett’s.

Stephanie Garber is an incredible writer and one of my favorite things about this trilogy so far has been her beautiful and haunting descriptions. She uses colors often to describe emotions or flavors and scents to describe the way things look and feel. These passages are absolutely gorgeous and really pull you into the story, making it impossible not to feel like you are standing right there beside the characters.

In this sequel, we are taken to new places and we meet new characters which I always appreciate. The new characters have such depth and bring so much richness to the story. I really adored the way the world building was expanded in this book as well. We learned more about the past and the history of some of the characters. There was a much more exciting plot in this story and in builds upon the story that was set up in the first book. I also felt my allegiances being pulled in different directions and I often found myself unable to decide who I should be rooting for. It was very exciting and unpredictable. I would highly recommend that if you have wondered about starting the series, you be sure to push on through to at least the second book before you make a judgement.

Pros: The plot is better and builds upon the story set up in book one.
Cons: The villain of the story is a bit lost in this story and I wish there was more of a larger power that they are fighting against. (Although, I suspect that maybe this is done on purpose and the third book will reveal a true villain)

I think this trilogy has a great build so far and I am very enthusiastic about the third book. I just borrowed it from my library and I have started it already. I have been thoroughly pulled in to the world of Caraval and I have no plans to leave any time soon.  

Overall, I give Legendary 4 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

-Jacqui

Characters 4/5
Setting 4/5
Writing 5/5
Plot & Themes 4/5
Romance 3/5
Diversity 3/5

Author: Stephanie Garber
Genre: YA Fantasy
Trigger Warnings: Abuse by parents, Death, Kidnapping
Age Recommendation: 12+
Length/Page Count: 11hr 24min
Format & Source: Audiobook, Libby
Narrator: Rebecca Soler
Publishing Info: Macmillan Audio

Caraval

Caraval
By Stephanie Garber

Summary
Scarlett Dragna and her sister Tella, have always dreamed of seeing Caraval, a traveling performance that hasn’t come to their island in years. Scarlett began writing letters to the shows proprietor when she was just a small girl. This year, a response finally arrived and they have been invited to be a part of the game. Scarlett and Tella are swept into the world of Caraval, but it isn’t the world they always dreamed of. They can’t tell what is real and what is just a part of the performance. Scarlett loses Tella, doesn’t know who to trust, and before the 5 nights of the game are over, her dream feels more like a nightmare.

My Review:
This book intrigued me because it is a bit outside my comfort zone as far as fantasy goes. I wanted to read something a bit different and I had heard that Caraval was great. I did really enjoy it. My favorite thing by far about this book is her writing style. The way she describes the feelings and emotions using things like colors and tastes is so visceral. It puts you right in the moment. But more than that. She also uses concepts to evoke emotions in you as you read the descriptions. It is just so beautiful and unique. I will give you a few of my favorite examples.

“She imagined loving him would feel like falling love with darkness, frightening and consuming yet utterly beautiful when the stars came out.”

“The air tasted like wonder. Like candied butterfly wings caught in sugared spiderwebs, and drunken peaches coated in luck.”

“His mouth was crashing against hers. He tasted like exquisite nightmares and stolen dreams, like the wings of fallen angels, and bottles of fresh moonlight.”

When Scarlett goes to the Island with her sister, she is escaping her abusive father and the loss of her mother. Which builds a depth for the girls that is heartbreaking and a lot there for the story to build on in future books as well. The island of Caraval is magical and exceptional immediately. The game begins and Scarlett is thrust into a hurricane of unknowns. The experience of reading the book is to never know what is real, but it is just the right amount of backwards and enchanting.

The characters and cast of performers in this story were quite an interesting bunch. I did really enjoy the picture that she painted of all the duality. The games only take place at night, everyone is playing the game, you can’t trust anyone and you never quite know what they are up to. It is very disorienting and fun. I liked how topsy-turvy the whole reading experience was from page one all through to the end. The structure of this story is so unique and interesting.

I wasn’t always super impressed with the plot twists and the *gasp moments in the story. They were just ok for me. I felt like too many things were fake and a part of the game. I really wanted more of a big reveal or a plot twist at the end. So that is the only reason I only rated it 3.5 stars. It was a really enjoyable read and I love Stephanie Garbers writing to pieces. I am really excited to read the second book because I am hoping that this one was set up for more of a big reveal later on.

Pros: Writing style, atmosphere, unique reading experience
Cons: not huge payoff at the end, but possibly set up for the rest of the trilogy.

I think the writing style and the experience alone are reason enough to read this book. I would recommend this book. I enjoyed it and I do plan to read the second one as soon as my library hold becomes available.

-Jacqui

Overall, I give 3.5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐✰

“Every story needs a villain,
but the best villains are the ones you secretly like.”

― Stephanie Garber

Characters 4/5
Setting 4/5
Writing 5/5
Plot & Themes 3/5
Romance 3/5
Diversity 3/5

Author: Stephanie Garber
Genre: YA Fantasy
Trigger Warnings: Abuse by parents, Death, Kidnapping
Age Recommendation: 12+
Length/Page Count: 10hrs 36min
Format & Source: Audiobook, Libby
Narrator: Rebecca Soler
Publishing Info: Macmillan Audio

A Court of Silver Flames

A Court of Silver Flames
by Sarah J Maas

Summary:
Nesta Archeron has always been difficult to get along with, but after her family decides that what is best for her is to spend some time sobering up and training with Cassian at the House of Wind, her temper is at its worst. Cassian has his work cut out for him as he attempts to get her to cooperate during training and to keep his distance from her as the tension between them heats up. As the world is still reeling in the aftermath of the war, Nesta and Cassian have to battle monsters within as well as without in order to find the acceptance they are seeking.  

My Review:
I read A Court of Silver Flames because I was already rolling through the series and this one was next. It is technically the 5th book in the ACOTAR series, but it almost feels like its own spin off story. If the first 4 books were the story that followed Feyre, then Silver Flames is a spin off that follows Nesta and Cassian because there is so much that shifts in the way this story is told.

First, the perspective bounces from Nesta to Cassian constantly throughout this book which is very different from previous books in the series which only shift under special circumstances. Then we have a massive shift in the language and the level of smut that is present in this book. It definitely steps it up from the last few books in frequency and intensity. The relationship between Nesta and Cassian is more direct and less tender than the relationship between Feyre and Rhys. It isn’t toxic or abusive in any way, but it is a reflection of both of their stubbornness and ends up a bit rougher around the edges.

This book was much slower to get into for me and it is a painfully slow burn in the beginning. Nesta is a stubborn brat who loves to wallow alone in her bedroom rather than give in. It is exhausting when you just want to see her give in and get to the good parts, if you know what I mean. That being said, there is a ton of spicy scenes in this book, and not a ton of plot until the last 200 pages or so. More smut than plot pretty much the whole way through. Not a bad thing if that is what you’re in the mood for though.

I have never been a huge fan of Nesta, I think she is so stubborn and she stays that way for far longer than she needs to. It took me a long time to get pulled into this story, because I was always so frustrated with her being a brat. I was a bit frustrated reading this book because it was such a long wait for Nesta to finally find a way to be happy with herself. Once I had finished it, I realized that the length of the struggle made the resolution more satisfying.

Nesta has a healing arc that speaks deeply to those of us that have ever struggled with grief, trauma, mental instability or self-hatred. I never imagined that a Sarah J Maas book could teach me so much about myself. We all deal with self-loathing and loneliness at some point in our lives. We have all felt the harsh sting of loss and grief that sometimes burns deep into us and makes it hard to move forward for a time. Nesta deals with these things in a more dramatic and intense fashion, suitable to her character. She shows us what is like to finally break through those barriers. To step into the light, not without fear, but despite it. To find your place in the world, even when you feel like you don’t belong. To strive to become strong enough that your fears can’t control you and to hopefully overcome them.

Pros: Journey of self-discovery, beautiful friendships, fun smut, the HOUSE!
Cons: Not much of a plot to pull you along, it is a slow burn and hard climb, but when you get there, it is worth it.  

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good smutty fantasy romance for sure. But also, anyone who enjoys a story about self-discovery and overcoming trauma. Nesta is on a journey to finding a place in a world that she doesn’t feel like she belongs in and she ends up building a family when she isn’t even sure she deserves to be loved. It is a beautiful story that teaches us all a little something about being strong enough to face our own demons.

-Jacqui

Overall, I give A Court of Silver Flames Stars 4.5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐✰

Characters 5/5
Setting 5/5
Writing 3/5
Plot & Themes 3/5
Romance 4/5
Diversity 3/5

Author: Sarah J Maas
Genre: Adult Fantasy Romance
Trigger Warnings: Sex, Violence, Death
Abuse & Rape (mentioned) Miscarriage (mentioned)
Age Recommendation: 18+
Length/Page Count: 768 pages
Format & Source: Hardback, Amazon
Publishing Info: Bloomsbury, 2021

“That’s the key, isn’t it? To know the darkness will always remain, but how you choose to face it, handle it… that’s the most important part. To not let it consume. To focus upon the good, the things that fill you with wonder.” She gestured to the stars zooming past. “The struggle with that darkness is worth it, just to see such things.” -Amren

Namesake

Namesake
By Adrienne Young

Summary:
The world goes dark and Fable wakes up on a rival merchant ship. She now has to follow orders and figure out what role she is supposed to play in the captain’s scheme. Fable finds herself tangled in a web of betrayal and lies when she meets Holland, a powerful gem trader who is more than she seems. She runs into an old friend, who seems to have changed alliances, and learns more of her family history. She must make some tough decisions in order to get back to the Marigold and the family that she made for herself.

My Review:
After reading Fable, which ends on quite a cliffhanger, I dove right into Namesake. It was definitely the second half of the story that Fable needed. The focus shifts a bit from world building and setting onto the characters, their relationships and the politics of the trade empire. I really enjoyed the shift because I felt like it brought the plot into the forefront of the story and let us dive deeper into the history of Fables family.

I mentioned in my review of Fable that I wanted more from the romance between her and West and I did feel like Namesake delivered on that. It was great to see them together and all of the ways they try desperately to protect each other. It really showed how much they loved each other and also that they were not as mature as they thought they were. It made them very relatable and was riveting to watch it unfold.

I feel as though Fable and Namesake could have just been one standalone book instead of a duology. It would have been a more satisfying story overall. It felt like the story was just one long narrative and the plot is just broken in half. Thinking back to the first book, it felt a little lackluster in the plot developments and really did feel like the first half of the story and not a story on its own.

Adrienne young’s writing style is stunning. She does a masterful job of pulling you in and making you feel like you are diving into the water with Fable and feeling the hum of the gems in the coral. The world that she has built is absolutely gorgeous and I would dive back into it any day.

Pros: The book is more plot focused than the first and it is a very satisfying ending to the story.
Cons: The duology could have been just one longer book.  

Namesake really wrapped up the story in a way that was engaging and satisfying. If you read Fable, Namesake is a must because it truly is just the second half of the story. The duology as a whole is a great read and a nice escape into a world of unparalleled beauty and adventure.

“We were salt and sand and sea and storm. We were made in the Narrows.” -Fable

Overall, I give Namesake 4 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

-Jacqui

Characters 4/5
Setting 4/5
Writing 5/5
Plot & Themes 4/5
Romance 4/5
Diversity 3/5

Author: Adrienne Young
Genre: YA Fantasy
Trigger Warnings: Child Abandonment, Loss of a Parent, Alcohol consumption, Drowning, Violence, Kidnapping
Age Recommendation: 14+
Length/Page Count: 8 hrs 53 min
Format & Source: Audiobook, Libby App
Narrator: Emma Lysy
Publishing Info: Macmillan Audio, 2021

Fable

Fable (Book 1 of 2)
By Adrienne Young

Summary:
After being left as a young girl, to fend for herself on an island of thieves, Fable has learned to trust no one. She has no way off the island, but when she runs into trouble, she looks to the harbor. A merchant ship and their helmsman named West, reluctantly agree to help her off the island. The crew harbors many secrets and she learns that West isn’t what he seems. With the help of her new mysterious partners, she sets off to find her father and discover where she truly belongs.

My Review:
Fable is one of those young adult novels that is all over the internet. I picked it up because I had just read the “Daughter of the Pirate King” duology which is also a pirate themed young adult fantasy. I wanted to read them side by side so I could see the similarities and differences between such similar premises. I enjoyed both of them for different reasons, but overall, I was more engaged with Fable.

Adrienne young’s writing is absolutely stunning. The atmosphere of this story pulls you in and makes you feel as if you are breathing the crisp sea air. It is easy to get wrapped into the relationships between all the characters and the gorgeous landscape around them. The world is masterfully built and the plot flows effortlessly in the setting. I love the depth that she gave each character and the backstories never felt clunky or out of place.

I did find myself wanting a bit more from the romance in this book. She doesn’t seem to have a teenager longing and I felt like she should have been more enamored with the love interest. It was a bit too much of a slow burn for my liking with not enough pay off. Some people who are more in it for the pirate adventure might find this refreshing in a YA novel with a female lead though, to each their own. Personally, I’m hopeful that there will be more of a build in the next book.

Pros: The writing and atmosphere of this story are beautiful and consuming. It was so easy to feel like I was in the story rather than just reading it.
Cons: A bit of a slower start and it takes a bit to get invested in the story. The romance was a bit lacking; I wanted a more intense connection between them.

I think that Fable was a fabulous world to get lost in for a bit and I would highly recommend this book. It was different from other young adult fantasy stories in that it felt more grown up, even though she wasn’t. Despite the fact that it took me a little longer to get into this book, I do not regret reading it and I am already reading the sequel.

Overall, I give Fable 4 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

–Jacqui

“Isolde was the wind and sea and sky of Saint’s world. She was the pattern of stars that he navigated by, the sum of all directions on his compass. And he was lost without her.”

Characters 4/5
Setting 5/5
Writing 5/5
Plot & Themes 3/5
Romance 3/5
Diversity 4/5

Author: Adrienne Young
Genre: YA Fantasy
Trigger Warnings: Child Abandonment, Loss of a Parent,  Alcohol consumption, Drowning, Violence
Age Recommendation: 12+
Length/Page Count: 8 hrs 54 min
Format & Source: Audiobook, Libby App
Narrator: Emma Lysy
Publishing Info: Macmillan Audio

Savage Beauty

Savage Beauty
By Casey L. Bond

Book Summary
Once upon a time, sleeping beauty had twin daughters who inherited a curse. Aura and Luna grow to hate each other after Aura murders the man she loved.
Luna wants to get revenge but she must untether herself from her sister before she can take action against her. With help from a dark fae prince, a human prince named Phillip and her trusty kitty, Luna sets out to complete her mission. In the end Luna must decide what is more important to her: revenge or new found love?

My Review
After discovering Casey L. Bond when I read House of Eclipses, I was curios about her many other books. I found Savage Beauty available as an audiobook through my Library app. I am a big fan of fairytales and retellings. I enjoyed this spin-off type story in the fairytale world.

The sibling relationship was fraught with trauma and hatred, similarly to the sibling drama in Casey Bonds other book House of Eclipses. I was so curios to see if she had siblings and we had chatted briefly before, so I messaged her to ask. She is an only child, but we had a giggle over the coincidence that the two of her books I had read had similar evil sister tropes.

The romance in this story was interesting and different than most of the young adult romances I have read before. I love the way that Casey L Bond writes her romances for young adult novels because they are appropriate, healthy and sweet. The characters never seem to rush too fast into their feelings and it feels like a natural flow. Casey L. Bond has a beautiful writing style and I am a big fan of her work. I am excited to read more of her books in the future.

Pros: The magic system in this world and the way it connected the sisters through their powers was beautiful. I also appreciated the surprises at the end. I didn’t predict the plot twists which is always a plus.
Cons: I didn’t really enjoy the switch in narrators in the audiobook. I felt like the voices they used for each character were a bit jarring, specifically Lunas’s voice in Phillips’s perspective. I would have enjoyed this book more in physical or eBook format.

Overall, this book was a fun read and I would recommend it to fairytale lovers, fantasy readers and anyone with a sibling. It was a darker side to the story of  Sleeping Beauty, but it was fun world to escape into for a while.

-Jacqui

Overall, I give Savage Beauty 3.5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐✰

Characters 4/5
Setting 4/5
Writing 5/5
Plot & Themes 3/5
Romance 4/5
Diversity 1/5

Author: Casey L. Bond
Genre: YA Fantasy, Fairytale Retelling
Trigger Warnings: Rape, Sibling Rivalry, Violence
Age Recommendation: 13+
Length/Page Count: 8 hrs and 17 mins
Format & Source: Audiobook, Libby App
Narrator: Amy Melissa Bentley, Rudy Sanda
Publishing Info: Tantor Audio 2018

September Wrap Up

Monthly Wrap Up – September 2021

Life has been crazy this month! My oldest kiddo started kindergarten, one of my younger brothers got married, and my husband and I celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary. Somehow, with all the chaos, I still managed to read more than I usually do. I am super happy with the progress I have made on my new blog so far this month. I am really enjoying building this collection of reviews and sharing all of it with other people who love reading as much as I do. It has been so wonderful for my mental health to have this outlet and purpose in my life.

This is my first monthly wrap-up post, but I plan to make it an email newsletter that I post on the blog and also send out at the end of every month. I thought I would share a little about what I have been working on, all of the books I read this month and some of the books I plan to read in October.

Book related projects/events
I was able to attend a virtual book release party for A Dabblers guide to Witchcraft this month. Fire Lyte sent me an advanced reader copy of it to read before the launch party. The book was released on September 28th and I highly recommend you check it out. It was my favorite read of September.  

An up-and-coming fantasy romance author asked me to be a beta reader for her next book. It is about a witch that lives in Memphis and runs a magic shop with her family. She gets possessed by a demon and has to find a way to expel him, while searching for the person who killed her best friend. I have never had the opportunity to beta read before. It was a fantastic experience and I hope that I get to beta read some more in the future.

Books I Read This Month
Ranked In order of how much I enjoyed and would recommend each book.

#1) Dabblers Guide to Witchcraft by Fire Lyte
Spiritual Non-Fiction – 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A guidebook to ethical magical practice and critical thought in pagan studies.
Check out my review of a Dabblers Guide to Witchcraft here!

#2) House of Eclipses by Casey L. Bond
YA Fantasy – 5 stars⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Coming of age, Romance, Sun/Moon Kingdoms
Check out my review of House of Eclipses here!

#3) A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J Maas
New Adult Fantasy (18+) – 5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Third book in the ACOTAR series, Spicy Romance, Faerie Realms, War
Check out my review of A Court of Wings and Ruin here!

#4) The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
YA Dystopian Fiction – 4 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Prequel to The Hunger Games, Post War Politics, Young Love, Decisions
Check out my review of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes here!

#5) Fable
YA Fantasy – 4 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Pirate Adventure, Coming of age, Romance
Keep an eye out for my full review of Fable, coming soon!

#6/7) Daughter of the Pirate King (Duology) by Tricia Levenseller
YA Fantasy – 3.5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐
Pirate Adventure, Romance, Fantasy Creatures
Check out my review of Daughter of the Pirate King here!

#6/7) Daughter of the Siren Queen (Duology) by Tricia Levenseller
YA Fantasy – 4 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Pirate Adventure, Romance, Fantasy Creatures
Check out my review of Daughter of the Siren Queen here!

#8) A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J Maas
New Adult Fantasy (18+) – 4 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Book 3.1 in ACOTAR Series, Spicy Romance, Like a long epilogue for ACOWAR.
Check out my review of A Court of Frost and Starlight here!

#9) Savage Beauty by Casey L. Bond
YA Fantasy – 3.5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐
Sleeping Beauty spin off/re-telling, Fae witches, sibling rivalry, romance
Keep an eye out for my full review of Savage Beauty, coming soon!

#10) Toxic Lover by Carrie Jan
Adult Romance – 2 Stars ⭐⭐
Explicit romance, relationship drama
Check out my review of Toxic Lover here!

Currently Reading

A Court of Silver Flames
New Adult Fantasy – 5th in the ACOTAR series, Spicy Romance, overcoming trauma
Check it out on goodreads!

A Darker Shade of Magic
YA Fantasy, First book in the series, London, Magic
Check it out on goodreads!

Namesake
YA Fantasy, Sequel to Fable, Pirate adventure
Check it out on goodreads!

October TBR Hopefuls
A few of the books I hope to get to next month:

The Nature of Witches by Rachel Griffin
YA Fantasy
Check it out on goodreads!

From Blood and Ash by Jennifer Armentrout
New Adult Fantasy
Check it out on goodreads!

Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman
Adult Fantasy, Prequel to Practical Magic
Check it out on goodreads!

Upcoming releases I am excited for:

Book of Magic by Alice Hoffman
Adult Fantasy, Part of the Practical Magic Series (Release on October 5th)
Check it out on goodreads!

Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe
Adult Fantasy, Persephone & Hades retelling.
Webtoon comic finally coming to print! (Release November 2nd)
Check it out on goodreads!

Kingdom of the Cursed by Kerri Maniscalco
YA Fantasy, Sequel to Kingdom of the Wicked (Release October 26th)
Check it out on goodreads!

I had a pretty crazy, but wonderful month and I am looking forward to October, celebrating Samhain and the cozy fall weather.

-Jacqui

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
By Suzanne Collins

The festivities surrounding 10th annual Hunger games have begun and Coriolanus Snow is 18 years old and hoping to get an opportunity to mentor a winning tribute. Only that could lead to him getting a prize and allow him to attend university because his family will not be able to afford it otherwise. He doesn’t get a winning tribute, and instead, he is assigned a strange girl from the lowest district, 12. He now has to try to make her quirky personality shine and every choice he makes is life or death for one or sometimes both of them.

I was a huge fan of the Hunger Games trilogy and I knew as soon as I heard about it that The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was a must read for me. I ended up listening to the audiobook, which was wonderful because the narrator chosen for this book was the best I have experienced. He did a great job at making different inflections for each character without being too over-the-top and his voice was perfect for this story.

I was so interested in learning about the ways that Hunger Games were shaped in its early years and this story did not disappoint. There were so many well rounded and terrifying characters introduced in this story and the writing style is absolutely beautiful. We get a window into who President Snow was as a young adult and how he was shaped into the terrible man we know and hate. His story is so satisfying and I am thrilled that Suzanne Collins decided to share it with us.

If you are a fan of the Hunger games, this book is a must read for sure. It is such a cool prequel that gives you so much more appreciation for small details of the Games and the characters who created them in the first place. It would be pretty good as a stand-alone book or to start the series if you haven’t read the Hunger Games Trilogy yet.

I give The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes 4 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

-Jacqui

Pros: The insight into the Hunger games and into President Snows past was so interesting and you can connect it all directly to the original Hunger Games novels.
Cons: It wasn’t a super-fast paced read for me. I was interested, but not sucked in completely the way I was with the original Hunger games series.  

Characters 4/5
Setting 3/5
Writing 5/5
Plot & Themes 5/5
Romance 3/5
Diversity 2/5

Author: Suzanne Collins
Genre: Young Adult Dystopian Fiction
Trigger Warnings: Violence, death, murder, alcohol use
Age Recommendation: 12+
Length/Page Count: 16hrs 16min, 528 pages
Format & Source: Audiobook, Audible
Narrator: Santino Fontana
Publishing Info: Scholastic Inc, 2020

House Of Eclipses

House of Eclipses
By Casey L. Bond

In a world divided between the light and the darkness, the light is ruled by Sun Goddess Sol and the dark is ruled by the Moon God Lumos. Sol’s Aten, or chosen vessel of the goddess has 3 daughters and Noor, the third daughter is almost of age for Sol to choose which one of them will become the next Aten.

Noor is unwanted by her father and she knows that when the day comes that one of her sisters is chosen as the next Aten, her life will be useless to him. She gets a chance to take a different path when the House of Moon sends word that their Lumin, the chosen vessel of the Moon God, wishes to marry one of the Aten’s daughters and broker a peace between the kingdoms.

Will Noor win his heart despite her sister’s cunning and beauty? Will she be able to steal his crown and find a way to stop her tyrannical father from ruling both kingdoms? Finding unlikely alliances and the keys to unlock powerful secrets, Noor has a chance to forge her own path as long as she can tame the phoenix inside of herself.  

This book is one that I picked up because a friend of mine on Instagram was doing a buddy read and I wanted to read along with them. (If you want to watch the live chats that she did every third of the book-check out her Instagram @boundhobbies) It was really fun to read a book while others were reading it and to chat about it with them along the way and I definitely pan to do it again in the future.

Noors journey is gorgeous and riveting from beginning to end. She starts out not really knowing who she is and if she will even live to reach adulthood, but soon we see her grow in confidence and ambition. I loved seeing her heart and authentic self unfold even as I was just getting excited for the moments when her dresses had pockets!

The love story in this book was so beautifully written and wonderfully healthy, which I think is super important and sometimes hard to find in a young adult fantasy these days. The romance was all very tasteful and appropriate, yet managed to get steamy at all the right moments. All of the relationships were complex and I never knew exactly how anyone felt until they laid it out for me. It was all very exciting and suspenseful.

This book was compelling from the beginning and I did not want to put it down. It was exciting and Casey L. Bond does such a wonderful job of building questions in your mind and then answering them in such a way that you are always surprised and thoroughly satisfied in the end. There is also quite a twist at the end that has me desperate for the sequel and I cannot wait for it to be released! (November 2021!!)

I give House of Eclipses 5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

-Jacqui

Author: Casey L. Bond
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Romance content: Fade to black, tasteful and appropriate
Length/Page Count: 378 pages
Format & Source: Kindle e-book/Hardcover
Publishing Info: Casey L. Bond, August 2021

Daughter of the Siren Queen

Daughter of the Siren Queen
By Tricia Levenseller

After her daring mission to recover the map, Alosa has claimed a few prisoners of her own and she is back with her own crew. She has new information about who she should trust and who has never deserved her loyalty that sends her off in new directions. She finds out her father has been keeping secrets from her and she is forced to forge her own path to find where she truly belongs.

I really enjoyed this duology and I liked the second book more than the first one. There were a lot of interesting twists in the story that I wasn’t expecting and I was more addicted to this book than I was the first one, But the pair of them were absolutely worth the hype and made for a really great adventure.

I was really interested in the plot for this one, as it is much more interesting that the first book in my opinion and the relationship between Alosa and Riden really picks up steam in this book. It was torture to watch them decide how they really felt about each other and she was such a brat sometimes, but it was a fun ride. We also get to meet Alosa’s crew in earnest in this book and really get to know them throughout the story. It was a nice little family that she has built for herself and I loved each one of them by the end.

I mentioned something that I didn’t love about the plot in the review of the first book, but it was a minor spoiler so I saved it for the review of this one so I could address it. I wasn’t a huge fan of the fact that her Siren powers were so binary. They only work on men who are attracted to women and it seems unnecessary in this day and age for it to be so exclusive. I wish that her powers were something more inclusive and that maybe she could just direct at whomever she wished to affect. I don’t think that would have been too difficult to achieve and I think it would have made the story more modern and inclusive.

That being said I do really recommend the duology for any readers of young adult fantasy or fans of pirate stories. I was very impressed with the writing style and the dialogue in both of these books and I will recommend them to everyone. The story was action packed, whimsical and adventurous.

I give Daughter of the Siren Queen 4 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

-Jacqui

Author: Tricia Levenseller
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Length/Page Count: 341 pages, audio 9 hr 13min
Format & Source: Audiobook, Snoisle Library
Narrator: Marisa Calin
Publishing Info: Macmillan Audio 2018