The May Queen  by Patrick Axford

Paperback, 564 pages

Published 2018 by Independent

Purchase  here:

Amazon

Summary
A boy is dead, a man missing…

Dwarfed by monolithic, ancient standing stones, nothing is as it seems in the isolated farming community of Sanctuary. Isolde, a young and unproven Sentinel, has been sent by her order of peacekeeping guardians, a law unto their own, to investigate the disappearance.

A malevolent shadow hangs over the small town, and the villagers grow increasingly hostile towards the stranger in their midst. Sworn to protect the innocent, Isolde must work to save the lives and minds of them all even as they turn against her. To fight a rising cult and discover the fate of her predecessor, Isolde must push herself beyond her limits.

If she fails, it will not just be the lives of the villagers at stake…

-taken from goodreads

Review of The Royal Order of The Fighting Dragons by Dan Elish

The Royal Order of the Fighting Dragons
By Dan Elish

Paperback, 300 pages

Published August 7th 2018 by Vesuvian Books

Purchase Copy Here:

Amazon  Indieboun

Summary

Born to... Fight?

Ike Rupert Hollingsberry is haunted by the past because complete strangers won’t let him forget that his famous father died on the set of The Fighting Dragons, a cult favorite that still has people talking. But when he’s attacked by a large locust, like the one that killed his dad, Ike is helped by the geekiest nerd of all, Elmira Hand. Killing the giant locust is only the beginning of the surprises in store for Ike as he is whisked away from New York City to an isolated Florida compound to assume his role as the next in line to lead the Royal Order of Fighting Dragons—that are NOT supposed to exist—and learns his dad’s death was a cover-up for a far greater purpose… 

Arc Review of Toil and Trouble

Toil and Trouble Edited Jessica Spotswood
and Tess Sharpe

Hardcover, 405 pages

Published August 28th 2018 

by Harlequin Teen
Grab a copy here:
Amazon

Summary

A young adult fiction anthology of 15 stories featuring contemporary, historical, and futuristic stories featuring witchy heroines who are diverse in race, class, sexuality, religion, geography, and era.

Are you a good witch or a bad witch?

Glinda the Good Witch. Elphaba the Wicked Witch. Willow. Sabrina. Gemma Doyle. The Mayfair Witches. Ursula the Sea Witch. Morgan le Fey. The three weird sisters from Macbeth.

History tells us women accused of witchcraft were often outsiders: educated, independent, unmarried, unwilling to fall in line with traditional societal expectations.

Bold. Powerful. Rebellious.

A bruja’s traditional love spell has unexpected results. A witch’s healing hands begin to take life instead of giving it when she ignores her attraction to a fellow witch. In a terrifying future, women are captured by a cabal of men crying witchcraft and the one true witch among them must fight to free them all. In a desolate past, three orphaned sisters prophesize for a murderous king. Somewhere in the present, a teen girl just wants to kiss a boy without causing a hurricane.

From good witches to bad witches, to witches who are a bit of both, this is an anthology of diverse witchy tales from a collection of diverse, feminist authors. The collective strength of women working together—magically or mundanely--has long frightened society, to the point that women’s rights are challenged, legislated against, and denied all over the world. Toil & Trouble delves deep into the truly diverse mythology of witchcraft from many cultures and feminist points of view, to create modern and unique tales of witchery that have yet to be explored.

-Taken from goodreads

E-Book Review of The Lost Sisters by Holly Black

The Lost Sisters by Holly Black
Expected publication: October 2nd 2018
 by NOVL
Purchase copy here:
Amazon

The Lost Sisters

Summary

Sometimes the difference between a love story and a horror story is where the ending comes . . . 

While Jude fought for power in the Court of Elfhame against the cruel Prince Cardan, her sister Taryn began to fall in love with the trickster, Locke. 

Half-apology and half-explanation, it turns out that Taryn has some secrets of her own to reveal.

The Lost Sisters is a companion e-novella to the New York Times bestselling novel The Cruel Prince by master writer Holly Black.

ARC Review of Light Years by Kass Morgan

Lights Years by Kass Morgan

Hardcover, 384 pages

Expected publication: October 9th 2018 by Little, 

Brown Books for Young Readers

Preorder your copy:

Amazon Barnes&Nobles 

Book Depository

Summary

Reeling from the latest attack by a mysterious enemy, the Quatra Fleet Academy is finally admitting students from every planet in the solar system after centuries of exclusivity.

Hotshot pilot Vesper, an ambitious Tridian citizen, dreams of becoming a captain - but when she loses her spot to a brilliant, wisecracking boy from the wrong side of the asteroid belt, it makes her question everything she thought she knew. Growing up on the toxic planet Deva, Cormak will take any chance he can get to escape his dead-end life and join the Academy - even if he has to steal someone's identity to do it. Arran was always considered an outsider on icy Chetire, always dreaming of something more than a life working in the mines. Now an incoming cadet, Arran is looking for a place to belong - he just never thought that place would be in the arms of a Tridian boy. And Orelia is hiding a dark secret - she's infiltrated the Academy to complete a mission, one that threatens the security of everyone there. But if anyone finds out who she really is, it'll be her life on    the line.

These cadets will have to put their differences aside and become a team to defend their world from a cunning enemy - but the danger might be lurking closer to home than hey think...

-Taken from Goodreads

Author of Reign of Mist tells us all about her writing idea's and process

About the author

Helen Scheuerer is a novelist from Sydney, Australia, and the Founding Editor of Writer's Edit. She has university degrees in both creative writing and publishing. Her #1 bestselling YA fantasy novel, Heart of Mist is available now. She is a full-time author living by the beach.

ARC OF DEAR EVAN HANSEN REVIEW

Dear Evan Hansen
by Val Emmich
Expected publication: October 9th 2018
by PoppyGet a copy:
Amazon barnesandnobles 
book depository
Indigo

Summary

From the show's creators comes the groundbreaking novel inspired by the Broadway smash hit Dear Evan Hansen.

Dear Evan Hansen,

Today's going to be an amazing day and here's why...

When a letter that was never meant to be seen by anyone draws high school senior Evan Hansen into a family's grief over the loss of their son, he is given the chance of a lifetime: to belong. He just has to stick to a lie he never meant to tell, that the notoriously troubled Connor Murphy was his secret best friend.

Suddenly, Evan isn't invisible anymore--even to the girl of his dreams. And Connor Murphy's parents, with their beautiful home on the other side of town, have taken him in like he was their own, desperate to know more about their enigmatic son from his closest friend. As Evan gets pulled deeper into their swirl of anger, regret, and confusion, he knows that what he's doing can't be right, but if he's helping people, how wrong can it be?

No longer tangled in his once-incapacitating anxiety, this new Evan has a purpose. And a website. He's confident. He's a viral phenomenon. Every day is amazing. Until everything is in danger of unraveling and he comes face to face with his greatest obstacle: himself.

A simple lie leads to complicated truths in this big-hearted coming-of-age story of grief, authenticity and the struggle to belong in an age of instant connectivity and profound isolation.

ARC REVIEW OF SADIE BY COURTNEY SUMMERS

Sadie by Courtney Summer
September 4, 2018
by
Wednesday Books
Preorder here:
Amazon Book Depository  Barnes&Noble

Summary:

Listen to the The Girls podcast from Sadie: http://bit.ly/SadiePodcast

A gripping novel about the depth of a sister's love; poised to be the next book you won't be able to stop talking about.

A missing girl on a journey of revenge and a Serial-like podcast following the clues she's left behind. 

Sadie hasn't had an easy life. Growing up on her own, she's been raising her sister Mattie in an isolated small town, trying her best to provide a normal life and keep their heads above water. 

But when Mattie is found dead, Sadie's entire world crumbles. After a somewhat botched police investigation, Sadie is determined to bring her sister's killer to justice and hits the road following a few meager clues to find him.

When West McCray—a radio personality working on a segment about small, forgotten towns in America—overhears Sadie's story at a local gas station, he becomes obsessed with finding the missing girl. 

He starts his own podcast as he tracks Sadie's journey, trying to figure out what happened, hoping to find her before it's too late. Courtney Summers has written the breakout book of her career. 

Sadie is propulsive and harrowing and will keep you riveted until the last page.

    -Taken from goodreads

Arc Review of My Plain Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton and Jodi Meadows

My Plain Jane
Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton and Jodi Meadows
Published June 26, 2018 by HarperTeen
Purchase book here:
amazon book depository

Summary:

You may think you know the story. After a miserable childhood, penniless orphan Jane Eyre embarks on a new life as a governess at Thornfield Hall. There, she meets one dark, brooding Mr. Rochester. Despite their significant age gap (!) and his uneven temper (!!), they fall in love—and, Reader, she marries him. (!!!)

Or does she?

Prepare for an adventure of Gothic proportions, in which all is not as it seems, a certain gentleman is hiding more than skeletons in his closets, and one orphan Jane Eyre, aspiring author Charlotte Brontë, and supernatural investigator Alexander Blackwood are about to be drawn together on the most epic ghost hunt this side of Wuthering Heights.

-taken from goodreads

Arc Review of Mirage by Somalia Daud

Mirage by Somaiya Daud
August 28, 2018
by Flatiron Books

Preorder book here:
Amazon Book Depository  Barnes and Noble Audible

Summary

In a star system dominated by the brutal Vathek empire, eighteen-year-old Amani is a dreamer. She dreams of what life was like before the occupation; she dreams of writing poetry like the old-world poems she adores; she dreams of receiving a sign from Dihya that one day, she, too, will have adventure, and travel beyond her isolated moon.

But when adventure comes for Amani, it is not what she expects: she is kidnapped by the regime and taken in secret to the royal palace, where she discovers that she is nearly identical to the cruel half-Vathek Princess Maram. The princess is so hated by her conquered people that she requires a body double, someone to appear in public as Maram, ready to die in her place.

As Amani is forced into her new role, she can’t help but enjoy the palace’s beauty—and her time with the princess’ fiancé, Idris. But the glitter of the royal court belies a world of violence and fear. If Amani ever wishes to see her family again, she must play the princess to perfection...because one wrong move could lead to her death.

Reign of Mist by Helen Scheurer Review

Reign of Mist by Helen Scheuerer
September 13, 2018
by Talem Press
Preorder copy here:
Amazon

Reign of Mist

Summary

The realm’s darkest secret is out. The cruelty of the capital and the power-hungry King Arden have scattered Bleak and her companions across the continents. On the run in a foreign land, Bleak finds herself tied to some unexpected strangers. When the answers she yearns for are finally within reach, she must face the hard truths of her past, and take her fate into her own hands before it’s too late Meanwhile, secrets and magic unravel as a dark power corrupts the realm. Bleak’s friends are forced to decide where their loyalties lie, and who, if anyone, they can trust. But one thing is certain: war is coming, and they must all be ready when it does. Intriguing and action-packed, Reign of Mist is the second instalment in Helen Scheuerer’s epic YA fantasy series, The Oremere Chronicles.

-Taken from Goodreads

Mask of Shadows by Linsey Miller

Mask of Shadows by Linsey Miller
Source Book Fire
Purchase book here:
Amazon|Goodreads|Book Depository|indigo

Summary:

I Needed to Win.
They Needed to Die.

Sallot Leon is a thief, and a good one at that. But gender fluid Sal wants nothing more than to escape the drudgery of life as a highway robber and get closer to the upper-class—and the nobles who destroyed their home. 

When Sal steals a flyer for an audition to become a member of The Left Hand—the Queen’s personal assassins, named after the rings she wears—Sal jumps at the chance to infiltrate the court and get revenge. 

But the audition is a fight to the death filled with clever circus acrobats, lethal apothecaries, and vicious ex-soldiers. A childhood as a common criminal hardly prepared Sal for the trials. And as Sal succeeds in the competition, and wins the heart of Elise, an intriguing scribe at court, they start to dream of a new life and a different future, but one that Sal can have only if they survive.

-Taken from goodreads

Sal is a gender fluid character who auditioned to be the queens assassin. Not only is she an assassin but she's also a thief. She has other plans other than being the queens assassin, she wants to find everyone involved in a killing in Nacea. This book was released on August 29th and is now available for purchase. Links will be left down below.

These assassins are super cool with their mask's, it made me want one of my own. I'm really happy with the fact that a lot of YA books are now representing the LGBTQ+ community. I was happy to see that Sal's character was represented in that community without it being hinted in a big way to the reader. As if saying here it is, what you wanted a gender fluid character. The author was able to include all of this is a real subtle way. Making me as a reader very happy.

 I really enjoyed the writing in this book it flowed well. It was not super hard to follow, it was fairly easy to read.The characters were easy to get a long with too and the fact the main character is gender fluid made it more interesting. As I have said before. 

I really can't wait to see what the rest of the series entails. I know I will enjoy it. 

*thank you so much netgally for providing a copy of this book*

Heart of Mist by Helen Scheuerer

Heart of Mist by Helen Scheuerer
Talem Press
Purchase here:
amazon

Synopsis:

In a realm where toxic mist sweeps the lands and magic is forbidden, all Bleak wants is a cure for her power. Still grieving the death of her guardian and dangerously self-medicating with alcohol, Bleak is snatched from her home by the Commander of the King’s Army, and summoned to the capital.

But the king isn’t the only one interested in Bleak’s powers. The leader of an infamous society of warriors, the Valia Kindred, lays claim to her as well, and Bleak finds herself in the middle of a much bigger battle than she anticipated. Heart of Mist is the gripping first book in The Oremere Chronicles, a fantasy series of epic proportions.

- Taken from Goodread

I just want to start off by saying; I did not expect to lovethis book as much as I did. My friend Jen from @abookishpeach told me about this book last year, and I never picked it up. I finally did when I joined the blog tour for the second book Reign of Mist and OMG guys! I should have picked it up sooner! Thank you to Helen Scheuerer for including me in her Blog tour.

Our main character Bleak has always been invisible. More likely learned to be invisible, she hides from herself and everyone around her. Bleak lost everything important to her, and now she’s left with her berating thoughts and her addiction to alcohol. After losing everyone and everything she has loved, she has no one to confine her secrets in. Especially the one big secret that can get her caught by the king, or even worse killed. Bleak grew up in a world where people like her feared for their selves. They were hated by everyone and were put to death. They were thrown into this dangerous Mist that has surrounded most of the land. We follow Bleak as she is sentenced to present herself to the king, for being a criminal.

Just to say it again, I loved this book. It differed from so many young adult fantasies. It dealt with alcohol abuse, which you don’t see at all lately. I felt like it was handled well in this particular book, especially knowing why Bleak was so addicted to it. Another reason was there is no actual love interest with the main character. There are some hits for potential lovers, but none that can be actually confirmed. Finally, I love this magical world Helen has created. That fact that there’s a deadly Mist that can kill any living person is pretty crazy. 

I really loved the characters in this book. I loved Bleak because even if she was an alcoholic and hated everything and herself sometimes, she still managed to grow so much. She still cared for everyone around her as well. Even if she did not want to show how much, deep down she empathized with everyone.  We are introduced and also follow a few other characters such as, Swinton and Henri. I love Henri, I think I love her so much more than I love Bleak. She’s that bad ass female characters you wish you were. In the scene when her and the other females from her kindred I felt so excited and giddy. They remind me so much of The Valkyries for some reason. They remind of how badass the Valkeries are and how much they want to protect and care for each other. If you do no know who the Valkyries are, this is for you. 

A valkyrie (pronounced “VAL-ker-ee”; Old Norse valkyrja, plural valkyrjur, “choosers of the fallen”) is a female helping spirit of the god Odin. The modern image of the valkyries as elegant, noble maidens bearing dead heroes to Valhalla is largely accurate for what it is, but a highly selective portrayal that exaggerates their pleasant qualities. To some extent, this tendency toward sanitization is present even in the later Old Norse sources, which focus on their love affairs with human men and their assisting Odin in transporting his favorites among those slain in battle to Valhalla, where they will fight by his side during Ragnarok.

https://norse-mythology.org/gods-and-creatures/valkyries/

Overall, I loved this book. Helen did such an amazing job at writing out this world. I felt like I was gripped into this world as soon as I started reading. It was fast paced, full of witty banter and also really heart breaking scenes. If you enjoyed Fallen Kingdoms Series or The Remnant Chronicles I feel like you’ll really enjoy this book.

Favorite Quotes

“We have to play to the strengths we were given.”

“It was both liberating and crushingly desolate.”

“No one deserved to feel unsafe in their own skin for someone else’s pleasure.” 

“The past has a way of showing us the right path. Inevitably, the same mistakes were made once before, and to know this is great power.”

About the Author

Born

Sydney, Australia 

Website

http://helenscheuerer.com/

Twitter

helenscheuerer

Genre

Fantasy, Young Adult

Helen Scheuerer is a YA fantasy author from Sydney, Australia. Heart of Mist is the first book in her high fantasy trilogy, The Oremere Chronicles. It explores themes of identity, belonging, loyalty, addiction, loss, and responsibility.

Helen is also the Founding Editor of Writer’s Edit (www.writersedit.com), an online literary magazine and learning platform for emerging writers. It’s now one of the largest writers’ platforms in the world.

Helen’s love of writing and books led her to pursue a Bachelor of Creative Arts, majoring in Creative Writing at the University of Wollongong and a Masters of Publishing at the University of Sydney.

Helen is now a full-time author living by the beach.

One Dark Throne by Kendare Blake

Purchase your own copy
Kindle Amazon Book Depository

Synopsis:

Following up on the events of Three Dark Crowns, Blake brings the queen triplets to their fates as they fight for their lives. While the teen queens deal with suitors and advisors, they must also grapple with the reality of their tasks in killing one another for the ultimate throne. When Katharine seems to gather strength, Mirabella and Arisonoe must determine whether they can work together or if they even should. The author takes the cursed sisters to new exciting heights with a driving plot. A continued detailed development of characters carves out unexpected alliances with Blake's careful manipulation. Readers will appreciate the epic payoff of the first novel in this second installment. The present-tense style throughout underlines the drama of the plot. The large cast of characters may seem overwhelming at times, but each is characterized skillfully. Though Blake describes some violence, the gore is minimal, making this appropriate for a broad range of ages. VERDICT Dark indeed, and exploring themes of loyalty, this is a thrilling sequel with everything from action to romance to entice readers. A strong purchase for YA fantasy shelves.—Abby Hargreaves, D.C. Public Library

I cannot begin to explain how much I am loving this series. Kendare Blake’s writing amazes me, it flows so well and it captures you the minute you start reading. I love the fact that I’m never skipping over sentences or seem bored while reading over details. I’m always engaged and enjoying what I’m reading. The writing kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. The anticipation of what will happen next had me flipping the page continuously without stopping. 

With the queens I’ll start by saying that Arsinoe, for some reason has always been my favorite. I’m guessing it’s because she’s the least favorable. The one everyone likes least and wishes dead. I grew to loving her character the fact that even if she’s out down throughout the whole story, she’s grown so much. I love how much she cares for her family, and friends. I love that she has never given up even though she was the weakest of the three and the most likely to end up dead.

“No matter how far I go, I'm still your person. We stand together now.” 

― Kendare Blake, One Dark Throne

Mirabella is my second favorite, she also has always cared for her other sister s and never wanted to really harm them. She also cares about the people around her and tries to protect them. She uses her gifts for good and it to take advantage of anyone. 

Katherine on the other hand, has never been my favorite. But she became sort of my favorite bitch queen. Arsinoe is still my favorite even so, but Katherine won m my heart over with her vengeance and will to murder. Even in In Three Dark Crowns I always felt like there was something lacking from her. I felt like I wanted to skip over her narrative all the time. In One Dark Thrown she’s grown into a darker person, seeking only revenge. The reason which is revealed in this book, after her fall in the pit. Even so, I feel like it adds such a good twist to the story. It makes me anticipate the next one even more. 

“But everyone knows that the Breccia Domain is more than an empty hole in the earth. Who knows what happened to the queens who were thrown down into the dark? Into the heart of the island, where the Goddess’s eye is always open. Who knows how she kept those queens or what she turned them into” 

― Kendare Blake, One Dark Throne

Jules is such a mysterious character full of twist and turns and plot twist. We’ve yet to learn so much more from her family, to uncover all of their hidden secrets. Which I hope will be answered in the next book. She has become as important as the three queens, and the book wouldn’t be where it’s at if she was not in it. 

For the most part, I loved this book as a whole. Everything about to the short fight scenes, to the love scenes and all the bitching from Katherine. I can’t wait to read more on these characters. I can’t wait to read more of Kendare Blake’s writing. 

5 out of 5 stars all around. 

ARC REVIEW OF RULE BY ELLEN GOODLETT

                                                                Summary

Rule
by Ellen Goodlett
Expected publication: September 11th 2018
by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Preorder your copy here: 

Amazon | BookDepositor

Three girls with three deadly secrets. Only one can wear the crown.
The king is dying, his heir has just been murdered, and rebellion brews in the east. But the kingdom of Kolonya and the outer Reaches has one last option before it descends into leaderless chaos.

Or rather, three unexpected options.

Zofi has spent her entire life trekking through the outer Reaches with her band of Travelers. She would do anything to protect the band, her family. But no one can ever find out how far she's already gone.

Akeylah was raised in the Eastern Reach, surrounded by whispers of rebellion and abused by her father. Desperate to escape, she makes a decision that threatens the whole kingdom.

Ren grew up in Kolonya, serving as a lady's maid and scheming her way out of the servants' chambers. But one such plot could get her hung for treason if anyone ever discovers what she's done.

When the king summons the girls, they arrive expecting arrest or even execution. Instead they learn the truth: they are his illegitimate daughters, and one must become his new heir. But someone in Kolonya knows their secrets, and that someone will stop at nothing to keep the sisters from their destiny... to rule.

Magic, mystery, and blackmail abound in this sensational and striking fantasy debut.

Review

I want to thank TheNovl for sending me this book, for an honest review.

This Young Adult Fantasy book is based around three sisters, who didn’t know each one existed. All three sister’s hold a dark secret they’re afraid to let anyone else know. And when they are called upon to meet the king, they believe that they’re caught and are awaiting execution or something up the latter. But, what they didn’t know is that they’re all the Kings daughters and have a chance to sit on his thrown. They find out that the king is dying, and his successor was murdered. Now it’s up to them to show which one is worthy of the thrown. 

I want to start off by saying this book blew my mind. I did not expect how much I would it. I was hooked from the first 10 pages. The authors writing was so easy to read, in a good way. Everything was fast paced and not info dumpy like a lot of fantasy books. I just couldn’t stop myself from reading. I know I’m going to pick up the next book in the series as soon as it is released. 

The characters were all really likable, and different from each other in so many ways. My favorite I believe was Zoey she didn’t take sh!t from anyone. She was the badass sister who can fight and can choose her own path without anyone guiding her.  

I thought the magic system was awesome in this book. Blood magic is basically used by 80% of the world and only 20% aren’t able to use this magic. They can use this blood magic that’s called tithing to make yourself more agile. For example, speed, strength and invisibility which is pretty amazing! But just like in other magical realms there are parts of this magic system that shouldn’t be used. 

I do wish to have more world building. Getting to know what the wars have been like before what’s happening now in present time. We didn’t get a lot of that, or a lot of the history. But, I hope It’s all in the next book. This is my next highly anticipated book and I really recommend it if you’re into Three Dark Crowns.

About the author:

Ellen Goodlett writes because otherwise she would spend her days plotting to take over the world. She figures that the former would benefit humanity ever so slightly more than the latter (which would be disastrous and involve a lot of cats in government positions). Her debut novel, RULE, about three girls competing for the throne in a fantasy world, will publish in fall 2018 with Little Brown.