Books and Ashes

What I liked: I loved the concept of this book, it was really interesting and a fun read for me. Paige is a wonderful character who I really enjoyed following throughout the book, and I enjoyed the glimmers she goes through, they were all really interesting to read about. There were plenty of heart-felt moments about the characters inside the glimmers we face, and I was surprised by the affect that the glimmers had upon Paige by the end of the book. I also really enjoyed the characters the glimmers center around, especially Emma, who was perhaps my favorite of the characters in this book. Plus reading about that age in England is something that always seems to catch my fancy with certain books!

What I didn’t like: I wanted more detail about the different girls lives that Paige experienced, especially in the first glimmer because that could have helped create a better emotional connection to Delilah. So, it ended up feeling a little bit rushed to me.

Overall Review: Glimmers is a beautiful story with some romance and paranormalish elements intertwined to create a wonderful story about a girl who comes more into herself after each glimmer and the way the book ties up at the end was both pleasant and something I really liked reading. I’m definitely going to think about getting this authors future books if given the chance!

Recommend?: Yes! It’s a fun read that I really enjoyed!

What I liked: I liked the story, it was nice to follow a character as she learned to become a part of society after being institutionalized for so long. Evelyn was a character who grew quite a lot over the book, and though I thought there would a love triangle I was pleasantly surprised by the outcome of there not being one. It was nice to not have to wonder who Evelyn was going to choose if there had actually been one (lets face it, usually it's really easy to tell who the MC will choose in love triangles so it gets boring after a while). Learning the reason behind why Evelyn was institutionalized and about the other characters and what it did to her, it was something that was drawn out in a way and dribbled to us little by little. It kept me wondering about what had happened so I kept flipping to try and figure out what had happened and when the pieces clicked together it was a moment of "Oh" for me.

What I didn't like: I personally found the writing very formal and it made me feel detached, so it was hard for me to get in to the story until it relaxed into a less formal tone. Speaking of formal tone, there was a lack of contractions from where it would have made it feel less formal if they had been included (seriously, who uses "We are" when talking to someone in casual conversation? It sounds funny and reads really weird). There were Spanish words that didn't quite match what we're told from what I remember (pretty sure Brody's aunt is referred to as "abuelita" which means "little grandmother," not "aunt"). There was also unfamiliar Spanish slang that I hadn't seen before so I had to look it up, and I'm not sure if it would have been used? It just tended to seem out of place to me. Also, the girl named Amber in this book really did nothing but annoy me in every scene we see her in, especially with the way she talked. It made me roll my eyes.

Overall Review: While there were parts that I didn't particularly enjoy, and I found the beginning hard to connect with, this was an enjoyable read that I'm glad to have read. It kept me interested where it mattered and surprised me in a few ways that I enjoyed, plus I enjoyed the mix of Spanish in the text. I found it fun to read it and know what was basically being said (thank you one and a half years of Spanish, you were actually worth something!).

Recommend?: I could recommend it to people, but I think the writing style could be a bit hard on some readers so that would be my main concern when recommending it. But if the style agrees with you then by all means go read it!

What I liked: I really enjoyed this book, and I loved reading about the animal hybrids that were introduced. I thought they were not only interesting, but many were strange and unique, things that made me question about them. I love the way "merit" is woven into the title and how it directly ties into the story beyond just the name of the city these people live in. This is a really short read, but the writing is so incredibly colorful and explosive you can't help but be sucked into the world Ohman has written! The message this book seems to be trying to send is clear, no one is useless. I liked that message and this book was very complex for being just over two hundred pages long, and it has to do with the brilliant writing inside.

What I didn't like: I would have liked more information about the System that everyone in Meritropolis is subjected to, it felt glossed over and I was really hoping to learn at least some about how Scores are obtained and how some get a good score. We get that health is a reason because someone has to be able to work in the city to eat since they have food shortages, which is why people get "zeroed" so that they can have plenty of food.

Overall Review: I really thought Meritropolis stood out in its own way from other dystopian novels I've read in the past, which admittedly isn't very many, but I did love the writing and the story I found in this novel. I liked the characters because they each had their own voice and there was a feeling of everyone being in the "grey area" between bad and good, because they did things that could count as both, even Charley who was our main character. I liked that, and I think he was doing what he thought what was right by his standards, not what was good. Two entirely different things.

Recommend?: If you like dystopian books, I think you should give this a read! I liked it, and while I'm not the biggest fan of dystopian I'm ready to read whatever Ohman writes next (if anything) for this world!

What I liked: This book was far from what I expected it to be. And I loved it. I expected Sara to have to go on the run for her life based on the summary, and from there who knows? But she doesn’t, and what happens to her is so much than I ever expected. I also love the variation of the people who Sara gets to meet who are like her, they were all pretty interesting and it was a lot of fun to try and guess where this book was going. Though, more often than not, I was actually wrong about the direction of the plot, it was no less entertaining and fun. The supporting characters all played what seemed like an important part into the story, especially Sara’s family. I was really intrigued about learning more about why her parents tried so hard to keep Sara hidden, and what it meant for Sara and the story for that to be important.

What I didn’t like: I felt like some parts were more rushed through than others, and some things just didn’t seem…as interesting as I’d hope they would. Not to say they didn’t play at least a semi-important part, I just wasn’t entirely invested in certain parts.

Overall Review: This book wasn’t what I expected going in to the story, because I expected a young girl who is on the run from some unknown force out to get her for her abilities (and some evil shenanigans ensue at points perhaps) while learning about why her parents are making her keep her gift of flight hidden. Yet, it veered far away from that in chapter one and instead of being disappointed like I’ve known myself to be, I became even more invested into the story to see just what happens and how everything plays out. I thought the characters were done well with making them more than just characters there for plot, and the plot itself was something I enjoyed reading.

Recommend?: If what I’ve mentioned in my review seems interesting to you then I hope you’ll give this book a chance! I really enjoyed it!

What I liked: This is yet another book that was very different from what I was expecting to read. And again, I really liked it. I loved the history tidbits about the Açiali people, and the mystery of what’s happening to Layla. I really felt that this was a unique fantasy with what the Açiali can do, and how they came about. I loved that the Açiali aren’t the only ones who can do what they do, but there are other tribes of people as well and I really wish we could have learned more about the different tribes like the Açiali and spent more time with them (all though it makes sense in the book why they couldn’t, I just feel like it would have been really interesting). I also loved the language that the tribes speak, it looks like it would be fun to speak and it made sense in a way with how it looked, it was consistent.

What I didn’t like: There were definitely parts that were rushed, any they happened towards the end. Especially the big rescue that happens, I get the travel time it took, but that part still felt rushed. There was also a lack of detail about some things and I had a hard time maintaining the image of some of the characters who were in the story while not having one for some.

Overall Review: I really ended up loving this story, and it gets plenty of point for how original the story is, and the way the cover ties in to the story now that I’ve read the story. I liked the characters, and I got the exact sense for one of the characters the author was trying to portray, so I was really happy about that, it elicited emotions out of me which is something that gave me another connection to the story. I loved learning about the characters and the little twist we had here and there, some of them were a little unexpected but I was really pleased by them overall!

Recommend?: Definitely to fantasy lovers who are looking for a new and unique read, make sure to read this one!

What I liked: I really liked watching this story unfold, Aemi was a fun character to follow and she struggled with her loyalties while also being smart. It made for an interesting character and plenty of interesting moments. Nol was a character who ended up making me do a double take and question everything about him with his motives and his character completely because of what he ends up doing. This story was anything but predictable for me, and I loved that! While there wasn't much world building for Itlantis, it wasn't really needed and every piece we learned added to what we needed to know about this underwater empire.

What I didn't like: There were a few points where things seemed very coincidental to me that I didn't like, but that was it really.

Overall Review: Of Sea and Stone is a wonderful book that is full of convincing characters who I really loved reading about and who I look forward to reading about in the next book, By Sun and Saltwater. Aemi is a character who goes through many events that makes her question herself and this book also has one big, surprise twist at the end that surprised me enough to really want to see what happens in By Sun and Saltwater!

Recommend?: It's a really well done book, and while it didn't always elicit emotions from me about certain things, it was a good fantasy book that I do recommend!

What I liked: I loved this story and it’s characters. Bianca is struggling with her addiction to nauth, the poison vampires give the people they bite that causes euphoria. James is an Empath, he can feel whatever the people around him are feeling like it’s he himself who feels like that. Both of these characters are characters who you will love to read, and then there’s the side characters who you will enjoy having in the novel as they each bring something to the novel themselves. This story managed to keep me on my toes the entire time I was read it, turning from page to page to try and see just what happens next! The side characters are also characters who you will enjoy or really dislike, depending on the character. Sometimes both, at least I felt that way about one of the characters.

What I didn’t like: To me there was a parallel to the fact that vampires produced something that would give the people they bite a feeling of euphoria between this book and Vampire Academy. It’s the linking thread between both books and I could always chalk it up to inspiration from another book. There’s enough differences between the two (the feeling of euphoria is something that takes a while for the person getting bit in The Night House) that while it was a little jarring to see something I’ve read in only one other vampire book, the two things were not the same for the most part.

Overall Review: With a story line that is different from many of the vampire books I’ve read in the past, The Night House is a story that will have you turning the pages to find out just what happens next. It’s different from your average vampire book, and features characters who we get to watch grow and change as the novel carries on. With a seemingly very well planned plot, this novel will leave you wanting more by the end, and it makes me wonder just what to expect from the next book Rachael Tafoya puts out as well!

b>Recommend?: Vampire lovers you should read this one because it’s a refreshingly different book from the sea of other vampire books out there. It’s highly entertaining and I don’t think you should miss it!

What I liked: Corinne’s grandma was really awesome, a bit strange and a seemingly shady character in the beginning, but she turned out to be my favorite of the characters. I also loved learning what I could about the people who have this mutation that could literally make themselves produce fire. Really awesome, and a really interesting I wish I had gotten to know more about this rare mutation! I could also understand Corinne’s aversion to her mutation (seriously if you set fires to things every time you got angry or stressed you would be wary of it too). I enjoyed Rowan’s character, I didn’t know how to react to him originally when I found out about him because I knew he was somehow going to be in the plot when Gran talked about him, but he did turn out to be a good character.

What I didn’t like: I was hoping for more action, more suspense, because that’s what this novel gave an air of when I saw it. Like there would be some big thing that caused Corinne to have to accept her mutation over time and see what a good use it could be. I was also expecting for more of Corinne being someone who accepts this strange mutation in the beginning, or at least being more inclined to use it when she needed to. It’s not something that put me off, it was just my expectations, and even though they turned out to not happen I’m not really disliking it, I’m pretty okay with it to be honest.

Overall Review: While it didn’t live up to my complete expectations once everything got rolling, I really did find this book to be a fun, quick, light read. It’s not very long, just shy of 270 pages, but it did have an interesting story with characters who I really enjoyed reading about and a mutation that made me wonder. Plus, people who can set things on fire because of a mutation, how much more interesting can it get? While I did want more about the mutation and what it is besides what Corinne’s dad tells us, when it was first recognized and all that, I was okay with what I knew by the end.

Recommend?: For fantasy lovers, if you like a bit of science on the side of your fantasy. Because that’s kind of what it is!

What I liked: I still have not a single clue as that what is going on with the cover, but it is rather gorgeous, yes? On to the story, I found Repossession to be a quick, entertaining read that kept me on my toes the entire time I read it. I never knew what was going to happen, and some things really did surprise me throughout the story but those moments kept me on my feet and wondering what was going to happen next. That sort of suspense kept me turning the pages as quickly as I could read the words. I rather quite enjoyed the characters, they made some terrible decisions at some points and those decisions did have an impact on the way the story happened. Skylla made some hard choices in the book that I doubt I would have ever wanted to make, and I find her quite brave because of them. Of course she is human and has her faults, and I found her somewhat brash. Especially towards Jet, who of course did kidnap her but never does anything but try to help her as soon as he’s introduced. Kidnapping aside, Jet is a person who is lost and doing all he can to reach his goal which happens to be on the coast, the last place Skylla wants to be now that the Invaders have appeared. I liked the weapons that the Invaders have, they were interesting and fit the way the Invaders seem to be.

What I didn’t like: While the big twist about the Invaders wasn’t too clear ahead of time, there really wasn’t much of a “punch” behind it. Skylla also just seemed like a girl who knew how to defend and take care of herself but apparently she stayed in her town after her parents were killed. It just didn’t make sense. In who’s right mind do you stay in the town you know has been invaded by aliens instead of getting things together and striking it out in the wilderness? It seemed like such common sense to me that you don’t stick around in the town. Plus the romance was very…iffy for me. It happened too fast, and with little conviction. I just didn’t get on board with it.

Overall Review: While this novel has some questionable aspects to it, overall it was a good read with an interesting plot and characters who I followed through the story. We had some rather questionable characters in here as well, ones who turned out to be quite different from the way they originally came off. I enjoyed the writing, it flowed well and made the story interesting as well as provided interesting details about the world Skylla was travelling now that the world had ended.

Recommend?: I do believe this is a book that will be a hit or miss with everyone who reads it; you’ll either like it or you won’t. Some people will likely find themselves questioning about whether they like it as well.

What I liked: The imperfections in each of the characters. From poor judgement, to narcissism, and even the moments of jealous-hate, the imperfections in each of the characters made me love them all the more. I went into this book not realizing how true so many of this books reviews are, it's completely five star worthy! From Lia, who we follow in late high school all the way to her thirties, we have a character who knows something is missing in her life. We follow her as she makes mistakes, makes human choices that don't always end like she hoped. You can feel how she feels, all the hope and desperation, and so much more. I doubt I'll ever be able to explain everything I liked with this book because there's just so much about this book that I enjoyed. The journey was long (over 700 pages!) but I'm incredibly glad the author chose to wait and let me read the revised edition of this novel. It was absolutely fantastic and I read it all in a day because I just couldn't put the book down! Suffice to say, while there's so much to read in the novel, it's worth the read because of the connection I felt to the story and to emotions it pulled out of me.

What I didn't like: Sometimes there were moments that lacked the punch I was expecting from the reveals, especially the big reveal of the story that we learn, the reason behind her apathy. I just felt it could have been delivered better with all the tension leading up to the reveal. Though Lia's reaction was apt for such a reveal, it's delivery just felt like it was slightly lacking.

Overall Review: Flawless is a beautiful book, full of love, loss, hope and so much more than I can tell. Lia is a character who is flawed and imperfect just like any human and incredibly relate-able with her story. Every chapter is riveting and full of emotions, each character a pile of personality traits and characteristics and quirks shaped so wonderfully into memorable characters who you'll remember long after you finish the book.

Recommend?: I do! Incredibly so. It's a beautiful book and though I have a ecopy of it I am definitely getting a physical copy of this book ASAP to hold and cherish and read a million times over. This is for me my pick of the year in all the books I've read and a must-read!

What I liked: I loved Claire, she was interesting in the fact that one of her favorite hobbies to do was put together LEGO sets. And she had glasses for different situations? That's such a twist on what I normally see for girls in novels and I really liked it because it was something new. Claire also put a lot of responsibility on herself to make sure that her house didn't have any drama resulting from her dating, because she saw what happened with her sister and the guy she dated when she was younger. That's a very understandable thing for her, because she doesn't want to lose her parents like she almost did when she sister got married. Her friendship with Lindsey seemed rough at times (especially with how Adam is towards Claire with Lindsey doing nothing about it), and honestly sometimes we do have friends like that. Claire's friendship with Rose was really nice, Rose was an understanding person when she was around in the story. I also liked the setting, Texas was a new setting for me and it felt real because not only was the setting done right, but we also have the use of Southern Slang words, namely the well know "y'all" phrase.

What I didn't like: Claire was very "back and forth" on decisions when it came to her friends, if something didn't go her way and she wanted it to she would do something about it. I also wanted to know why Adam was so rude to Claire all the time, but we're never given the reason and it also makes me question whether or not Lindsey even stood up to Adam to protect Claire since they're supposed to be friends. I never get the sense that she does because the one time they confront it alone she doesn't say she defended Claire with how Adam talks about her, a bad sign for the friendship, but again, some friends can be like that.

Overall Review: With plenty of humorous moments and characters with interesting stories, Life in the No Dating Zone was a much better story than I was anticipating that it would be when I began it. With writing that was really good and interesting dialogue between the characters I found myself really enjoying this story. There was plenty of little moments where you could see the attraction between Claire and Gray begin to spark and they had one moment where it became very noticeable that they liked each other. It had several cute moments and moments where I thought the story was going to end one way only to see that it twisted around and would very likely end in another. Claire's journey about learning about how things would likely be now that she understands how she can't expect her friends always to be there since they have boyfriends was a nice touch to see her grow up as the story went on from the beginning to the end.

Recommend?: It was very good, so I do!

What I liked: I loved the way this story went. It was mysterious, it was heartfelt, it made you wonder who exactly Ross is, it made you wonder what exactly was going to happen next. They story always made you ask questions about what’s about to happen. It even makes you wonder a few other things, but at the risk of spoiling I’m just going to say it made me ask why time seemed to turn back after a certain incident. Ross was a very interesting character, even though we don’t spend much time with him in the story, what he does shows a lot about him. Ross’s mother is also a very interesting character, and she was exactly how I imagined she would be when I learned of the Greek/Roman mythology tied into this story. There was one really unexpected twist with who one of the Goddesses turned out to be, because it’s hidden for a long time but I had an idea since there are only so many Goddesses in Greek mythology that have the letter she has Mya call her. Also, I love what Mya goes through to prove that she really does love Ross, because it shows a lot about how she thinks about herself, and I find her doubts very realistic because they sound very real and normal to me.

What I didn’t like: I felt like there were plenty of questions left unanswered that I was looking forward to knowing (one of the big ones being why Mya had the sudden transformation of her beauty). Also, Mya’s mother when we meet her later on seems a bit…for a lack of a better word down right crazy. She just seemed to have gone off the deep end and felt overzealous in getting Mya away when she didn’t know the situation. She also didn’t listen to Mya when Mya tried to explain said situation and I ended up not liking her mother at all.

Overall Review: I really enjoyed reading this retelling of Psyche and Cupid. It was beautifully done and a lovely read. With characters who were both complex and interesting, moments of sorrow for Mya and what she goes through (and a moment of where Mya stops putting up with what happens), and moments where we laugh and/or smile at the story. It’s not often I find myth-based retellings that are as wonderful as this book, but I’m glad I read it.

Recommend?: Yes, I found to be a lovely story with plenty of emotion!

What I liked: I found each of the stories really interesting and entertaining. With each one they felt like they were too short to make me want them over, yet long enough to answer the questions I wanted to know the answers to. Each of the girls were characters who had to learn and grow into better people, stop doing the black magic that they had used for so long. I found the pace in each story to be a little different and all the characters stood on their own but were entertaining in their own way. I think the last story was my favorite though, I couldn't put it down!

What I didn't like: I wish there had been less romance in the stories, because they seemed a little forced, and didn't always fit into the story. Sometimes the girls were too swoony, most of them used black magic for fun so it just didn't seem like the girls should have been that swoony.

Overall Review: I really enjoyed this collection of stories about bad witches going to rehab to make themselves stop using black magic. Each girl was different from each other in her problems and how things turn out for them. While I wish there had been some more magic and the stories to have been longer because I liked the characters, I did like how everything ended up turning out by the end.

Recommend?: I can, I guess it's all up to personal preference though!

What I liked: I loved watching Mina and Evaline grow some more in this book. Mina is as by-the-book and fact-based as she was in the first book, but we see the doubts in her still show up after events in book one. Evaline is growing more confidant (though perhaps a bit too confidante) in herself despite things that have happened in her past, but has her own doubts about what's happening as well. I'm in love with the dual perspective position this series has, because we can see what each character is up to while also keeping some mystery as to what is happening when the two characters aren't together as well. The details in this book are wonderful, I can even imagine all the dresses the people are wearing and they sound just lovely! I was really surprised to see how all the different parts of the story eventually came together to reveal the entire plot behind the story, and how surprised I was by the ending of the book! It managed to make me make sure I had read it right. This series has more promise than I had imagine when I finished The Clockwork Scarab!

What I didn't like: Pix's Cockney accent is a little much at times, but he does explain that he overdoes it. I'm guessing he would rather people underestimate him because of the way he sounds compared to the bit where he spoke with a less heavy accent. While at times I find the way they swoon at guys and propriety being a big deal a bit much, this is supposed to be an alternate Victorian England where this was quite common. Reputation is a big deal for a woman in Victorian England so she can get married to a man in good standing if she's lucky. However, as this is Victorian England, I'm surprised since both girls are of good stature in London they aren't both having a Season, a time where a girl becomes of marriageable age and is set to as many balls and events as possible for her to find the right suitor.

Overall Review: This is a wonderful second book in the series, and I'm eager to see what mystery Evaline and Mina have to take care of next. We learn quite a bit about the different characters in this one that we did not know before, and there are moments of suspicion that are another mystery to both girls all together. While I didn't understand some parts of the story playing out as it did until the end, I really enjoyed the journey to understand what exactly connected everything together. I'm still curious as to how the first mystery ties into this series considering Mina's ever present suspicions.

Recommend?: Certainly! If you've read and enjoyed The Clockwork Scarab I hope you enjoy The Spiritglass Charade as well!

I received this book in exchange for an honest review

What I liked: I loved the setting of this story and the way the characters could detect people from the other two races by a scent each one emits. That was a new idea to me; something fresh and interesting! While the summary gives off an air that the romance will be a big player in this, it’s actually a sub plot and it stays really low-key throughout the story. It fits in nicely to the story, and it doesn’t take away from anything or overpower the main storyline. The characters are interesting, and we get a sense about the two boys that they have a rather interesting history when it comes to who they are any where they come from. We also see each of the characters become more in tune and accepting of the Core as the story progresses, but they still have doubts about what their Core is saying. I loved the self-doubt because it would be hard to listen to something you don’t completely understand and let most decisions be controlled by it when you ask. Of course, there are consequences when you don’t listen to what your Core says…

What I didn’t like: While I did enjoy the setting, it took quite a long time for me the even catch on to the technology this world is using considering we have people riding horses, people using horses to pull plows, oh look metal ship. Torpedoes. Also, there were some really weird names for foods that they used that looked like minor variations of actual words (marple instead of maple has really stuck with me). I just really didn’t see the point of making such minor changes and for the first few times marple was said I thought it was a spelling error, so when I finally caught on that it’s a word in this realm, I was quite confused about it. Some of the slang didn’t make sense either, but the one’s we know are pretty interesting and creative in a way. There were still some errors in the story though, small things that are easily fixable.

Overall Review: This is a really good, strong start to a new series that looks like it’s going to be rather interesting. With a very interesting take on the setting of this fantasy land, and a unique way to distinguish each race of people in this series I thought it was rather astounding, if at times somewhat confusing to me. There was plenty of action, suspense, and plenty of me flipping pages to figure out how they were going to get through their predicament and what was going to happen to everyone.

Recommend?: Oh yes! Be sure to pick up a copy of this book because it’s take on fantasy and racial identification was something I haven’t come across yet. Truly this is a unique read!

What I liked: I loved Miera, from the beginning of the book I enjoyed her. She showed from the first chapter that she is a strong character who would not be told what she is allowed to do. We learn her story, because as things unfold over in America with Ari, things are happening in Sparta that could change many things on its own. The hierarchy was complex and well thought out, it made me happy to see how much thought had gone into making the hierarchy. It wasn't simple, but rather complex and had interesting rules that were tradition to the Pantheon's. The minor characters were ever interesting, and you could see that some of them would play a bigger role in the story. Especially Thalia, she became a very important part of the story for much of the book because of Miera. Her role was very important, and I was very sad to see her not be more of a part of the story than she was. Her death does set many things into motion both in Sparta and in America with Ari, which gives her an impact in both books. Also, everything on that cover is important, but it's also incredibly gorgeous. This author has some really gorgeous covers for this series so far.

What I didn't like: I felt that some parts were rather rushed, that they could have been better if they were longer, especially the battles. I just didn't jump on it because the battles were lacking and there wasn't as much action in those parts as I was hoping. Miera is a trained warrior, and though she is "balanced" and hold a strong faith in Gaea, I just felt like she would have been more of a warrior than she was shown to be.

Overall Review: While I didn't enjoy some parts of the book, the complexity and the roles all the characters played in what happens in Sparta were quite large and some of the characters impacted both of the books. The writing was still something that drew you in and kept you turning the pages, but everything was more certain because of the first chapter on what would happen and who would be surviving in a sense.

Recommend?: Yes! I really enjoyed it and it's a wonderful continuation of the series! I'm really excited to see what's in store for book three, Of Chaos! Makes you wonder what's going to be happening with that title, doesn't it?