These Broken Stars (Starbound #1) by Amie Kaufman and Megan Spooner: Review

 

RATING: 5/5 stars!

 

Authors: Amie Kaufman and Megan Spooner

Release date: December 10, 2013

Find it on Goodreads here!

 

SUMMARY(from goodreads):

 

It's a night like any other on board the Icarus. Then, catastrophe strikes: the massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive. And they seem to be alone.

Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a young war hero who learned long ago that girls like Lilac are more trouble than they’re worth. But with only each other to rely on, Lilac and Tarver must work together, making a tortuous journey across the eerie, deserted terrain to seek help.

Then, against all odds, Lilac and Tarver find a strange blessing in the tragedy that has thrown them into each other’s arms. Without the hope of a future together in their own world, they begin to wonder—would they be better off staying here forever?

Everything changes when they uncover the truth behind the chilling whispers that haunt their every step. Lilac and Tarver may find a way off this planet. But they won’t be the same people who landed on it.

--

A timeless love story, THESE BROKEN STARS sets into motion a sweeping science fiction series of companion novels. The Starbound Trilogy: Three worlds. Three love stories. One enemy.

 

REVIEW:

 

There are some books that I read and I love. But once I am finished, I am unable to form a coherent thought.

 

THESE BROKEN STARS was one of those books.

 

Even though I read it six months ago, I still cannot put into words what exactly I liked about it. It's mainly just feelings. And let me tell you, this book brought on the feelings.

 

All I can say is: this book blew my mind.

 

 

And you should read it, so your mind can be blown too.

 

CONTENT: Kissing, a couple sex scenes, but they're not really described. Some of the violence is a little descriptive, but it's not terribly gory.



The Gathering, The Calling, The Rising by Kelley Armstrong: Darkness Rising trilogy review

RATING: 5/5 stars!

 

Author: Kelley Armstrong

The Gathering release date: April 12, 2011

Find The Gathering on Goodreads here!

 

The Gathering summary:

 

Sixteen-year-old Maya is just an ordinary teen in an ordinary town. Sure, she doesn't know much about her background - the only thing she really has to cling to is an odd paw-print birthmark on her hip - but she never really put much thought into who her parents were or how she ended up with her adopted parents in this tiny medical-research community on Vancouver Island.

Until now.

Strange things have been happening in this claustrophobic town - from the mountain lions that have been approaching Maya to her best friend's hidden talent for "feeling" out people and situations, to the sexy new bad boy who makes Maya feel...different. Combine that with a few unexplained deaths and a mystery involving Maya's biological parents and it's easy to suspect that this town might have more than its share of skeletons in its closet.

In The Gathering, New York Times best-selling author Kelley Armstrong brings all the supernatural thrills from her wildly successful Darkest Powers series to Darkness Rising, her scorching hot new trilogy.

 

REVIEW:

 

I'd been meaning to read this trilogy for a long time, and when I saw the first book on bargain price at Books a Million, I bought it immediately. I am SO glad I did. I loved it. So much, that I had to go to the library right away and get the other two. Neither of these books disappointed either. Unlike the funk so many trilogies fall into, each book in this trilogy was better than the last.

 

The plot development from book to book was fantastic. It had action, intrigue, mythology, and romance, which I really enjoyed. I don't like books where the romance takes center stage, and Kelley Armstrong did a great job at finding a healthy balance of romance and action. It was also rich with unexpected twists. I'd think that the story was going one way, and then PLOT TWIST! I had no idea what was going to happen next.

 

Then there's Maya. I wish there were more main characters like her in YA books today. She was absolutely fantastic. I love how she would always speak her mind, and was never afraid to tell boys off. She never took crap from any of them, and I loved her for it!

 

The supporting cast of characters was great as well. Daniel and Corey were by far my favorite, and even by the end Haley started to grow on me. But I never really liked Rafe. I'm not quite sure what it was, but he definitely rubbed me the wrong way.

 

SPOILERS AHEAD. HIGHLIGHT TO READ THEM.

 

I'm so glad Maya ended up with Daniel. I totally shipped them from the beginning.

 

All in all, The Darkness Rising trilogy was absolutely fantastic. I highly recommend reading it if you haven't already!

 

CONTENT: The whole trilogy is pretty clean. No sex; the farthest it gets is just heavy kissing. I can't recall a whole lot of swearing, but there is some violence, but none of it is very bad. 

Ruin and Rising (Grisha #3) by Leigh Bardugo: Review (Spoiler free)

RATING: 5/5

 

Author: Leigh Bardugo

Release date: June 17, 2014

Find it on Goodreads here!

My review of Siege and Storm (Grisha #2).

 

SUMMARY (from Goodreads):

 

The capital has fallen. The Darkling rules Ravka from his shadow throne.

Now the nation's fate rests with a broken Sun Summoner, a disgraced tracker, and the shattered remnants of a once-great magical army.

Deep in an ancient network of tunnels and caverns, a weakened Alina must submit to the dubious protection of the Apparat and the zealots who worship her as a Saint. Yet her plans lie elsewhere, with the hunt for the elusive firebird and the hope that an outlaw prince still survives.

Alina will have to forge new alliances and put aside old rivalries as she and Mal race to find the last of Morozova's amplifiers. But as she begins to unravel the Darkling's secrets, she reveals a past that will forever alter her understanding of the bond they share and the power she wields. The firebird is the one thing that stands between Ravka and destruction—and claiming it could cost Alina the very future she’s fighting for.

 

REVIEW:

 

ALL THE STARS FOR LEIGH BARDUGO.

 

It is rare that I find a trilogy ending as good as this. Now I am in tears because it's over.

 

This is how you write a trilogy. THIS is how you write a trilogy ending. Unlike some trilogy endings (*cough* Allegiant *cough*), RUIN AND RISING did not disappoint in the slightest. But it brought on the feels, man. ALL THE FEELS.

 

But the ending more than made up for it.

If you have not read this trilogy, I don't know what you are doing with your life. Go out and read it. Right now. You will not regret it!

CONTENT: Two of the characters have sex, but it is not detailed. Hardly any swearing, but there is some pretty disturbing scenes and gory violence.



Waiting on Wednesday (8): The Sorcerer Heir by Cinda Williams Chima

 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

 

This week's "waiting on" is...

 

The Sorcerer Heir

by Cinda Williams Chima!

 

Publication date: October 21, 2014

Summary (from Goodreads):

The delicate peace between Wizards and the underguilds (Warriors, Seers, Enchanters, and Sorcerers) still holds by the thinnest of threads, but powerful forces inside and outside the guilds threaten to sever it completely.

Emma and Jonah are at the center of it all. Brought together by their shared history, mutual attraction, and a belief in the magic of music, they now stand to be torn apart by new wounds and old betrayals. As they struggle to rebuild their trust in each other, Emma and Jonah must also find away to clear their names as the prime suspects in aseries of vicious murders. It seems more and more likely that the answers they need lie buried in the tragedies of the past. The question is whether they can survive long enough to unearth them.

Old friends and foes return as new threats arise in this stunning and revelatory conclusion to the beloved and bestselling Heir Chronicles series.

Cinda Williams Chima is one of my favorite authors of all time. I cannot wait for this book!

What's your "waiting on"?



Seamonster: An Aquarathi novella, by Amalie Howard: COVER REVEAL + GIVEAWAY!!

SEAMONSTER by AMALIE HOWARD

YOUNG ADULT

AVAILABLE TODAY

NOVELLA

 

They say that love is the death of duty …

 Speio Marin is land-bound, tied to the side of the Waterfell queen-to-be, Nerissa. There's only one problem--she wants nothing to do with any of the Aquarathi or her undersea kingdom, preferring instead the freedom of pretending to be human. Torn between his own desires and his duty to serve his future queen, he spirals into an abyss of malcontent. Speio’s mistrust of humans is no secret, and he sees them only as a threat to the existence of his people.

 Until he meets Anya Delmonico--a mysterious and enigmatic girl, teetering on the edge of survival. Anya is sedate and secretive, yet reckless enough to brave a hundred-foot cliff jump. Caught between a dark past and an ex-boyfriend who refuses to let her go, Anya knows that getting involved with anyone new is the last thing she should do. But when her past catches up to her, Speio turns out to be the only one she can trust, refusing to let her face her demons alone.

 When Anya discovers the truth about Speio, putting her life in mortal danger from the Aquarathi as well as her own sinister pursuers, will he risk everything to protect her? Or will he choose duty above all?

AVAILABLE ON

AMAZON

 

Check out Book 1

Amazon † B&N † iBooks † Kobo

 

 You can pre-order book 2, OCEANBORN today! 

 

 

Amazon † B&N  † iBooks

 

AMALIE HOWARD grew up on a small Caribbean island where she spent most of her childhood with her nose buried in a book or being a tomboy running around barefoot, shimmying up mango trees and dreaming of adventure. 22 countries, surfing with sharks and several tattoos later, she has traded in bungee jumping in China for writing the adventures she imagines instead. She isn’t entirely convinced which takes more guts.

 

She is the author of several young adult novels critically acclaimed by Kirkus, PW, and Booklist, including Waterfell, The Almost Girl, and Alpha Goddess, a Spring 2014 Kid’s INDIE NEXT title. Her debut novel, Bloodspell, was an Amazon bestseller and a Seventeen Magazine Summer Read. As an author of color and a proud supporter of diversity in fiction, her articles on multicultural fiction have appeared in The Portland Book Review and on the popular Diversity in YA blog. She currently resides in New York with her husband and three children. Visit her at www.amaliehoward.com.

 

Website † Twitter † Facebook † GoodReads

 

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Top Ten Books on my Summer TBR List

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly event hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

 

It has been a LONG time since I've done one of these. But since it is summer, I thought I'd get back into it.

 

This week I'm talking about the top ten books on my summer TBR list!

 

 

1. Ruin and Rising (The Grisha #3) by Leigh Bardugo

 

 

This one needs no explaining. I cannot wait for it!!

 

2. Infinity (The Chronicles of Nick #1) by Sherrilyn Kenyon

 

This book has sat on my shelf for way too long. I must read it!!

 

3. Finnikin of the Rock (Lumatere Chronicles #1) by Melina Marchetta

 

 

I won this in a giveaway, and it sounds REALLY good. I definitely can't wait to read it.

 

4. The Vicious Deep (The Vicious Deep #1) by Zoraida Cordova

 

Again, this has sat on my shelf for FAR too long. And plus, mermaids. A perfect summer read.

 

 

5. Raging Star (Dustlands #3) by Moira Young

 



I love the first two in he trilogy, and can't wait to see how this one ends!

 

6. Reckless (Mirrorworld #1) by Cornelia Funke

 

My best friend and my mother have been bothering me to no end about reading this, and summer is a perfect time to do it!

 

7. Sky Raiders (Five Kingdoms #1) by Brandon Mull

 

I didn't even know this book was out until a few weeks ago when I saw it in the store. Mull's Fablehaven is one of my favorite series of all time; I can't wait to see what this one has in store!



 

8. Shadowcry (Wintercraft #1) by Jenna Burtenshaw

 

 

Another book that has sat on my shelf for far too long.

 

9. Across a Star-swept Sea (For Darkness Shows the Stars #2) by Diana Peterfreund

 

 

Again, I bought it last year, and I still haven't read it, and I really need to. That cover is GORGEOUS.

 

10. The Warrior (Dante Walker #3) by Victoria Scott

 

Another ending to a trilogy that I haven't read yet. I love me some Dante Walker :)

 

 

 

So that is my top ten. What's on your list?

 

 



 



 



Dangerous Creatures (Dangerous Creatures #1) by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl: Review

RATING: 5/5

Authors: Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
Release date: May 6. 2014
Find it on Goodreads here!


SUMMARY(from Goodreads):

A new series returns to the world of Beautiful Creatures. Some loves are cursed...others are dangerous.

Ridley Duchannes will be the first to tell you that she's a bad girl. She's Dark. She's a Siren. You can never trust her, or even yourself when she's around. Lucky for her, Wesley "Link" Lincoln can never seem to remember that; quarter Incubus or not, his heart is Mortal when it comes to Ridley. When Link heads to New York City to start a music career, Ridley goes along for the ride-and she has her own reasons. As if leaving small-town Gatlin for the big city, trying to form a band, and surviving life with a partially reformed Siren isn't hard enough already, Link soon learns he has a price on his head that no Caster or Mortal can ever pay.

Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, the #1 New York Times bestselling coauthors of Beautiful Creatures, are back and casting another magical spell. Their signature mixture of mystery, suspense, and romance, along with a dash of fun and danger, will pull fans in and leave them begging for more.

REVIEW:

I love the Beautiful Creatures series, and while I was a little disappointed in the ending, I still could not wait for DANGEROUS CREATURES. Link and Ridley were my two favorite characters, and this book did not disappoint in the slightest.

What can I say? Payback's a bitch.
But here's the thing:
So am I.

From the prologue, I fell in love with Ridley all over again. She is fantastic. I loved reading from her point of view. It was so cool to actually know what she is feeling for once, and not just be on the receiving end.

I loved Link and his goof-ball-ness even more in this one. He and Ridley are one of the most dysfunctional couples in YA literature, but it just makes me love them even more. (Unless they're fighting. Then I'm not very happy with them. :))

Then the ending came.

IT MADE ME SO MAD!!! GAHH! everything WAS GOING GOOD AND THEN THAT HAPPENS?!?!?!

Overall, DANGEROUS CREATURES was a fantastic novel. I highly recommend it to fans of the BEAUTIFUL CREATURES series!!

CONTENT: Kissing, no sex, mild swearing, and moderate violence.