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Restore Me by Tahereh Mafi (Review #195)

WARNING: SPOILER ALERT: IF YOU HAVE NOT GOTTEN THIS FAR IN THE SHATTER ME SERIES, STOP NOW. DO NOT READ. THIS IS BOOK 4.  FOR THE REVIEW ON BOOK 1, CHECK OUT  SHATTER ME . FOR BOOK 2, CHECK OUT  UNRAVEL ME . FOR BOOK 3, CHECK OUT IGNITE ME . "Juliette Ferrars thought she'd won. She took over Sector 45, was named the new Supreme Commander, and now has Warner by her side. But she's still the girl with the ability to kill with a single touch—and now she's got the whole world in the palm of her hand. When tragedy hits, who will she become? Will she be able to control the power she wields and use it for good?" Review: Is this what getting older feels like? Getting irritated by the shenanigans of the YOUTHS???? Because I am sick and tired of  'em. This entire book is filled with SO. MUCH. TALKING. And none of said talking is to our main character, the supreme commander. I Just can't wrap my brain around the fact that so much of this book was spent with people te

When She Woke by Hillary Jordan (Review #194)

"Bellwether Prize Winner Hillary Jordan's provocative new novel is the fiercely imagined story of a woman struggling to navigate an America of a not-too-distant future, where the line between church and state has been eradicated and convicted felons are no longer imprisoned and rehabilitated but chromed - their skin color is genetically altered to match the class of their crime - and then released back into the population to survive as best they can. Hannah is a Red; her crime is murder. " Review: This was a standalone that has haunted my very dreams. Far are we from the days where goblins and monsters scared us at night; we reside now in the knowledge that the most terrifying things are the ones that are all too real and lurking in the near future. Hannah by far was such a moving character. We journey with her through absolutely horrendous conditions and experiences that will stay with us long after the book is closed. But above all, we see our character persevere, and c

Arcana Rising by Kresley Cole (Review #193)

WARNING: SPOILER ALERT: IF YOU HAVE NOT GOTTEN THIS FAR IN THE ARCANA CHRONICLES, STOP NOW. DO NOT READ. THIS IS BOOK 4. FOR THE REVIEW ON BOOK 1, CHECK OUT  POISON PRINCESS ,  FOR THE REVIEW ON BOOK 2, CHECK OUT  ENDLESS KNIGHT , AND FOR THE REVIEW OF BOOK 3, CHECK OUT DEAD OF WINTER ! "When the battle is done . . . The Emperor unleashes hell and annihilates an army, jeopardizing the future of mankind--but Circe strikes back. The epic clash b etween them devastates  the Arcana world and nearly kills Evie, separating her from her allies.   And all hope is lost . . .    With Aric missing and no sign that Jack and Selena escaped Richter's reach, Evie turns more and more to the darkness lurking inside her. Two Arcana emerge as game changers: one who could be her salvation, the other her worst nightmare.  Vengeance becomes everything.   To take on Richter, Evie must reunite with Death and mend their broken bond. But as she learns more about her role in the future--and her chilling

This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab (Review #192)

"Kate Harker and August Flynn are the heirs to a divided city—a city where the violence has begun to breed actual monsters. All Kate wants is to be as ruthless as her father, who lets the monsters roam free and makes the humans pay for his protection. All August wants is to be human, as good-hearted as his own father, to play a bigger role in protecting the innocent—but he’s one of the monsters. One who can steal a soul with a simple strain of music. When the chance arises to keep an eye on Kate, who’s just been kicked out of her sixth boarding school and returned home, August jumps at it. But Kate discovers August’s secret, and after a failed assassination attempt the pair must flee for their lives." Review: I feel like I had dream like this once… and I liked it even better this time. Monsters who steal your soul by playing music???? Obsessed. A badass ruthless chick tryna prove she’s as cold as her father? Amazing. A monster and the chick running for their lives through the

The Wicked King by Holly Black (Review #191)

WARNING: SPOILER ALERT: IF YOU HAVE NOT GOTTEN THIS FAR IN THE FOLK OF THE AIR TRILOGY, STOP NOW. DO NOT READ. THIS IS BOOK 2. CHECK OUT THE CRUEL PRINCE   FOR THE REVIEW OF BOOK 1! "You must be strong enough to strike and strike and strike again without tiring. The first lesson is to make yourself strong. After the jaw-dropping revelation that Oak is the heir to Faerie, Jude must keep her brother safe. To do so, she has bound the wicked king, Cardan, to her, and made herself the power behind the throne. Navigating the constantly shifting political alliances of Faerie would be difficult enough if Cardan were easy to control. But he does everything in his power to humiliate and undermine her even as his fascination with her remains undiminished. When it becomes all too clear that someone close to Jude means to betray her, threatening her own life and the lives of everyone she loves, Jude must uncover the traitor and fight her own complicated feelings for Cardan to maintain control

The Kiss Thief by L. J. Shen (Review #190)

"They say your first kiss should be earned. Mine was stolen by a devil in a masquerade mask under the black Chicago sky. They say the vows you take on your wedding day are sacred. Mine were broken before we left church. They say your heart only beats for one man. Mine split and bled for two rivals who fought for it until the bitter end. I was promised to Angelo Bandini, the heir to one of the most powerful families in the Chicago Outfit. Then taken by Senator Wolfe Keaton, who held my father’s sins over his head to force me into marriage. They say that all great love stories have a happy ending. I, Francesca Rossi, found myself erasing and rewriting mine until the very last chapter. One kiss. Two men. Three lives. Entwined together. And somewhere between these two men, I had to find my forever." Review: Alright… you already know what this is. Adult content. You’ve been warned. So. Was this fantastic literature? Of course it wasn’t. This book had one goal and Shen delivered. W

Blood & Honey by Shelby Mahurin (Review #189)

WARNING: SPOILER ALERT: IF YOU HAVE NOT GOTTEN THIS FAR IN THE SERPENT & DOVE SERIES, STOP NOW. DO NOT READ. THIS IS BOOK 2. CHECK OUT SERPENT & DOVE   FOR THE REVIEW OF BOOK 1! "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." Review: Alright, let me blunt, I’ve not heard a single positive review of this book. So I didn’t begin this with an optimistic mindset. However I think in the end, it was a decent sequel.  The first half of the book dr

Circe by Madeline Miller (Review #188)

"In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe is a strange child—not powerful, like her father, nor viciously alluring like her mother. Turning to the world of mortals for companionship, she discovers that she does possess power—the power of witchcraft, which can transform rivals into monsters and menace the gods themselves. Threatened, Zeus banishes her to a deserted island, where she hones her occult craft, tames wild beasts and crosses paths with many of the most famous figures in all of mythology, including the Minotaur, Daedalus and his doomed son Icarus, the murderous Medea, and, of course, wily Odysseus. But there is danger, too, for a woman who stands alone, and Circe unwittingly draws the wrath of both men and gods, ultimately finding herself pitted against one of the most terrifying and vengeful of the Olympians. To protect what she loves most, Circe must summon all her strength and choose, once and for all, whether sh

Girls of Storm and Shadow by Natasha Ngan (Review #187)

WARNING: SPOILER ALERT: IF YOU HAVE NOT GOTTEN THIS FAR IN THE GIRLS OF PAPER AND FIRE TRILOGY, STOP NOW. DO NOT READ. THIS IS BOOK 2. CHECK OUT GIRLS OF PAPER AND FIRE   FOR THE REVIEW OF BOOK 1! "Lei, the naive country girl who became a royal courtesan, is now known as the Moonchosen, the commoner who managed to do what no one else could. But slaying the cruel Demon King wasn't the end of the plan---it's just the beginning. Now Lei and her warrior love Wren must travel the kingdom to gain support from the far-flung rebel clans. The journey is made even more treacherous thanks to a heavy bounty on Lei's head, as well as insidious doubts that threaten to tear Lei and Wren apart from within. Meanwhile, an evil plot to eliminate the rebel uprising is taking shape, fueled by dark magic and vengeance. Will Lei succeed in her quest to overthrow the monarchy and protect her love for Wren, or will she fall victim to the sinister magic that seeks to destroy her?" Review:

My Sister, The Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite (Review #186)

"When Korede's dinner is interrupted one night by a distress call from her sister, Ayoola, she knows what's expected of her: bleach, rubber gloves, nerves of steel and a strong stomach. This'll be the third boyfriend Ayoola's dispatched in, quote, self-defense and the third mess that her lethal little sibling has left Korede to clear away. She should probably go to the police for the good of the menfolk of Nigeria, but she loves her sister and, as they say, family always comes first. Until, that is, Ayoola starts dating the doctor where Korede works as a nurse. Korede's long been in love with him, and isn't prepared to see him wind up with a knife in his back: but to save one would mean sacrificing the other..." Review: WOW! What a fantastic read. We've got two sisters with such a complex dynamic, and bodies dropping faster than we can (or Korede) can keep up with. Then the one man Korede harbors feelings for goes and dates her psychopathic sister

Ruthless Gods by Emily A. Duncan (Review #185)

WARNING: SPOILER ALERT: IF YOU HAVE NOT GOTTEN THIS FAR IN THE SOMETHING DARK AND HOLY TRILOGY, STOP NOW. DO NOT READ. THIS IS BOOK 2. CHECK OUT WICKED SAINTS   FOR THE REVIEW OF BOOK 1! " Darkness never works alone... Nadya doesn’t trust her magic anymore. Serefin is fighting off a voice in his head that doesn’t belong to him. Malachiasz is at war with who--and what--he’s become. As their group is continually torn apart, the girl, the prince, and the monster find their fates irrevocably intertwined. They’re pieces on a board, being orchestrated by someone… or something. The voices that Serefin hears in the darkness, the ones that Nadya believes are her gods, the ones that Malachiasz is desperate to meet—those voices want a stake in the world, and they refuse to stay quiet any longer." Review: Okay so we begin book 2 absolutely wrecked from the last book when Malachiasz betrayed everyone, facilitated the death of Serefin (only for him to be brought back from the dead), and ha

The Siren’s Last Song by Jordan Heikkinen (Review #184)

"As bitter winter winds begin to sweep across the lands of Neuterran, three of the Ruling Lords of the Four Kingdoms receive letters with word of the King’s Death. The letter sent to the fourth Lord—the King’s son, Prince Leeroy—tells only of his father’s ailing health, nothing more. With that omission, decades of peace between the Four Kingdoms start to unravel and unlikely paths begin to converge.A girl of sixteen tends to her jealous heart in a black castle perched above the sea. A woman plagued by a grief she will not name finds relief, if not true solace, in the arms of an executioner. A Lord’s daughter agrees to marry a Prince not for love, nor gold, but to distance herself from an overly familiar knight. And deep within the lush green Swamplands of the South, a soon-to-be Queen loses sleep at the thought of her husband ruling above all. Following the King’s death, the fate of Neuterran comes to rest on the unknowing Prince Leeroy’s shoulders. And with the crown without a Ki

The Reckoning of Noah Shaw by Michelle Hodkin (Review #183)

WARNING: SPOILER ALERT: IF YOU HAVE NOT READ BOOK 1 OF THE SHAW CONFESSIONS, OR THE MARY DYER TRILOGY, STOP NOW. DO NOT READ. THIS IS BOOK  2 OF THE SHAW CONFESSIONS, SEQUEL TRILOGY TO THE MARA DYER TRILOGY. FOR THE REVIEW OF THE SHAW CONFESSIONS BOOK 1, CHECK OUT THE BECOMING OF NOAH SHAW . FOR THE REVIEWS OF THE MARA DYER TRILOGY, CHECK OUT  THE UNBECOMING OF MARA DYER , THE EVOLUTION OF MARA DYER , AND  THE RETRIBUTION OF MARA DYER . "Noah Shaw doesn’t think he needs his father’s inheritance. He does. Noah believes there’s something off about the suicides in his visions. There is. Noah is convinced that he still knows the real Mara Dyer. He does not. Everyone thought the nightmare had ended with Mara Dyer’s memoirs, but it was only the beginning. As old skeletons are laid bare, alliances will be tested, hearts will be broken, and no one will be left unscarred." Review: Holy rollercoaster, Batman. Listen, we're five books deep and things still keep getting flipped upsid

Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte (Review #182)

"Seventeen-year-old Keralie Corrington may seem harmless, but in fact, she's one of Quadara's most skilled thieves and a liar. Varin, on the other hand, is an honest, upstanding citizen of Quadara's most enlightened region, Eonia. Varin runs afoul of Keralie when she steals a package from him, putting his life in danger. When Varin attempts to retrieve the package, he and Keralie find themselves entangled in a conspiracy that leaves all four of Quadara's queens dead. With no other choices and on the run from Keralie's former employer, the two decide to join forces, endeavoring to discover who has killed the queens and save their own lives in the process. When their reluctant partnership blooms into a tenuous romance, they must overcome their own dark secrets in hopes of a future together that seemed impossible just days before. But first they have to stay alive and untangle the secrets behind the nation's four dead queens." Review: I cannot even begin

Mortal Gods by Kendare Blake (Review #181)

WARNING: SPOILER ALERT: IF YOU HAVE NOT GOTTEN THIS FAR IN THE GODDESS WAR TRILOGY, STOP NOW. DO NOT READ. THIS IS BOOK 2. CHECK OUT ANTIGODDESS  FOR THE REVIEW OF BOOK 1! "Ares, god of war, is leading the other dying gods into battle. Which is just fine with Athena. She's ready to wage a war of her own, and she's never liked him anyway. If Athena is lucky, the winning gods will have their immortality restored. If not, at least she'll have killed the bloody lot of them, and she and Hermes can die in peace. Cassandra Weaver is a weapon of fate. The girl who kills gods. But all she wants is for the god she loved and lost to return to life. If she can't have that, then the other gods will burn, starting with his murderer, Aphrodite. The alliance between Cassandra and Athena is fragile. Cassandra suspects Athena lacks the will to truly kill her own family. And Athena fears that Cassandra's hate will get them all killed. The war takes them across the globe, searchin

Caraval by Stephanie Garber (Review #180)

"Scarlett Dragna has never left the tiny island where she and her sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval—the faraway, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show—are over. But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt-of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner. Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. Nevertheless she becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic." Review: Wow, what a rollercoaster of a book. Sooooo much happened. It truly was a game of epic proportions and it was threaded far deeper into the

The Long Game by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (Review #179)

WARNING: SPOILER ALERT: IF YOU HAVE NOT GOTTEN THIS FAR IN THE FIXER DUOLOGY, STOP NOW. DO NOT READ. THIS IS BOOK 2. CHECK OUT THE FIXER FOR THE REVIEW OF BOOK 1! "The Kendricks help make the problems of the Washington elite disappear…but some secrets won’t stay buried. For Tess Kendrick, a junior at the elite Hardwicke School in Washington, D.C., fixing runs in the family. But Tess has another legacy, too, one that involves power and the making of political dynasties. When Tess is asked to run a classmate’s campaign for student council, she agrees. But when the candidates are children of politicians, even a high school election can involve life-shattering secrets. Meanwhile, Tess’s guardian has also taken on an impossible case, as a terrorist attack calls into doubt who can—and cannot—be trusted on Capitol Hill. Tess knows better than most that power is currency in D.C., but she's about to discover firsthand that power always comes with a price." Review: If I had to des

An Affair of Poisons by Addie Thorley (Review #178)

"No one looks kindly on the killer of a king. After unwittingly helping her mother poison King Louis XIV, seventeen-year-old alchemist Mirabelle Monvoisin is forced to see her mother’s Shadow Society in a horrifying new light: they’re not heroes of the people, as they’ve always claimed to be, but murderers. Herself included. Mira tries to ease her guilt by brewing helpful curatives, but her hunger tonics and headache remedies cannot right past wrongs or save the dissenters her mother vows to purge. Royal bastard Josse de Bourbon is more kitchen boy than fils de France. But when the Shadow Society assassinates the Sun King and half of the royal court, he must become the prince he was never meant to be in order to save his injured sisters and the petulant dauphin. Forced to hide in the sewers beneath the city, Josse’s hope of reclaiming Paris seems impossible―until his path collides with Mirabelle’s. She’s a deadly poisoner. He’s a bastard prince. They are sworn enemies, yet they fo

Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo (Review #177)

WARNING: SPOILER ALERT: IF YOU HAVE NOT GOTTEN THIS FAR IN THE SIX OF CROWS DUOLOGY, STOP NOW. DO NOT READ. THIS IS BOOK 2. CHECK OUT SIX OF CROWS FOR THE REVIEW OF BOOK 1! "Kaz Brekker and his crew of deadly outcasts have just pulled off a heist so daring even they didn't think they'd survive. But instead of divvying up a fat reward, they're right back to fighting for their lives. Double-crossed and badly weakened, the crew is low on resources, allies, and hope. As powerful forces from around the world descend on Ketterdam to root out the secrets of the dangerous drug known as jurda parem, old rivals and new enemies emerge to challenge Kaz's cunning and test the team's fragile loyalties. A war will be waged on the city's dark and twisting streets - a battle for revenge and redemption that will decide the fate of the Grisha world." Review: What an absolutely fantastic read! Our fearless team had the rug pulled out from under them, but they aren't

Superman: Dawnbreaker by Matt de la Pena (Review #176)

"When the dawn breaks, a hero rises. His power is beyond imagining. Clark Kent has always been faster, stronger--better--than everyone around him. But he wasn't raised to show off, and drawing attention to himself could be dangerous. Plus, it's not like he's earned his powers . . . yet. But power comes with a price. Lately it's difficult to hold back and keep his heroics in the shadows. When Clark follows the sound of a girl crying, he comes across Gloria Alvarez and discovers a dark secret lurking in Smallville. Turns out, Clark's not the only one hiding something. Teaming up with his best friend, Lana Lang, he throws himself into the pursuit of the truth. What evil lies below the surface of his small town? And what will it cost Clark to learn about his past as he steps into the light to become the future Man of Steel? Because before he can save the world, he must save Smallville." Review: Alright, let's just get into it, this was probably my least fa