Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon by Kerrelyn Sparks 5 ✭

Title:	Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon
Author:	Kerrelyn Sparks
Publisher:	St. Martin's Paperback
Series:	The Embraced
Genre:	Romance, Fantasy, Gothic
Publish Date:	March 27, 2018
Sold by:	Macmillan
Pages:	435
Ages:	18 +

Rating: ✭✭✭✭✭

Got an ARC for a Kerrelyn Sparks book. So excited!!! Thank you publishers & NetGalley.

I truly loved this book. I wish that I had gotten to it sooner. Kerrelyn Sparks continues her Embraced series with the same humorous and hot magical fantasy theme here. I reviewed the prior book, So I Married a Sorcerer, and I am up to date on the current events in the series. I don't think it would be hard to pick this up if you haven't read any of the other books. It picks up and rolls with it. It isn't a high fantasy novel, so if fantasy isn't your thing, I would still pick this up if you are a historical person. It has a little of that feel to it. Don't get me wrong, there are dragons, and Gwennore is an elf.

Gwennore is an elf and the countries her "sisters" rule overlook down on her. The Elves are seen as violent creatures. So when her two married sisters try to play matchmaker with the three single sisters, it leaves Gwennore feeling desperately lonely. All the men sneer at her and make fun of her appearance. She is constantly being talked about through the whole book. They're calling her names, constantly saying she is going to kill everyone. So Gwen is constantly doubting her self-worth. She has mastered all the languages, she is extremely loving to her adopted family, she even has a good sense of humor that you only see with Silas.

Silas reminds me of my husband. No seriously!!! He really has that same rotten but funny humor. He makes you smile when you want to be mad. When you're serious he knows just the way to frustrate you but make you happy. Silas is much like a teenage boy too. He is from one of the three cursed clans. So women would adore them from afar, but never risk actually dating them. They fear the curse that makes them go mad or lose any children they would bear. 

I loved their relationship. I love the development of the story, the world, and where it is going. I am excited to see what the deal with the elves is. Damn... I don't want to say anything because I don't want to spoil anything. I will say you don't see much of the elves. You only hear them being mentioned. So it really has piqued my interest. I think Sorcha gets her book next, and I think we get to see the elves. The only thing that bothered me truly, was that I could not wrap my mind around how to pronounce Gwennore. So every time I would read her name, my mind would stutter. It would take me out of the rhythm of reading, and take me out of the book world for a minute. 

You should skip the free preview below and just get the book. 

In my opinion, I will be continuing this series 100%.

Song of Blood & Stone by L. Penelope 3 ✭

Title:	Song of Blood & Stone
Author:	L. Penelope
Publisher:	St. Martin's Press
Series:	Earthsinger Chronicles
Genre:	Romance, Fantasy
Publish Date:	May 1, 2018
Sold by:	Macmillan
Pages:	384
Ages:	18+

 Rating: ✭✭✭

Within the first few paragraphs of the prologue, I felt like this would be an amazing read. It was like poetry in the prologue and it felt like it was setting this big amazing tone for the story. However, the prologue is about the lore of the world and the rest of the book isn't quite like that. I like the different concepts in the book and I liked it overall.

Jasminda is a tough and unique in a world that looks down on her. She has Earthsinger powers which originated as something beautiful but has devolved over the years. There is a mythology created for this world that I liked. This world is divided into two countries. Honestly, at the start, I was a little confused about which side was what. I think that’s because of her location geologically in the world, but also her bi-racial heritage. I feel like this could have been done a little better in the beginning. So her father is from Lagrimar where the Earthsinger magic seems to be located, and her mother was Elsira. She lived in Elsira but right on the border. The two countries had been in multiple wars up to this point in the story. Jasminda has a little of the Earthsinger power, healing, emotion reading, etc. Her family is gone and she is alone trying to keep her family's land. With the deadline coming up for her to pay her taxes owed, her world gets complicated. While walking home she sees a man laying wounded in the road and heals him some with her powers. He ends up being captured and she rescues him. The man is Jack, an Elsira soldier.

The romance between them is young, but it isn’t for a teen to read. Jasminda is twenty-two if I remember correctly, so they are in the new adult age group. When they’re touching hands is still “tingly” and all that. That isn’t a terrible thing. It just isn't what I was expecting when I started reading the book. I love the cover. It is stunning and vibrant like the world that was built. I just wish there was more world building to read about. I would love to hear more about the looks and feels of the world. 

You can check out a Free sample of Song of Blood & Stone below without leaving the page. 

Shades of Wicked by Jeaniene Frost 5 ✭

Title:	Shades of Wicked
Author:	Jeaniene Frost
Publisher:	Avon
Series:	Night Rebel
Genre:	Romance, Fantasy
Publish Date:	October 30, 2018
Sold by:	HarperCollins Publishers
Pages:	384
Ages:	18+

 Rating: ✭✭✭✭✭

Oh snap! I am so happy with this book. I, like many other people, have waited for Ian’s book for so long and I am so happy to have it. I devoured it. I loved it just like Cat & Bones story, maybe more. I will say I feel ill knowing the next book isn’t out til summer 2019. My mind is still spinning. I literally just put the book down and had to run to fangirl about the book.

Where to start? Even in the dedication of the book, she writes to her fans who keep asking about Ian's book. This is for us fam!! Jeaniene Frost has a sweet part in her acknowledgments to her husband that made me tear up because I just love her and it was so sweet. Chapter One I almost starting DMing her on twitter because I was so amused by the whole start. It felt perfect for Ian. It was everything that I would hope from his amusingly wicked (pun intended) character. Here’s the thing, I don’t even use twitter, really. I feel stupidly awkward using it, but I wanted to scream and shout my support out to her. I wanted to express how happy I was, and that was just chapter one. It continued to amaze me as I went and I read 70% of the book in the first half a day of having the book.

Ian was the multidimensional character that you have been getting hints about through all the books. He was amusing like a kid, dastardly with his schemes, downright dirty and you will love every bit. I think by the end of the Night Rebel series, He will be very strong. Like on scaled with Bones and Mencheres. He knows how to wield magic even though it is against the law. He is extremely intelligent which she found out when she was using many languages and he knew them all. He is impulsive, but it's amazing.

I really liked Veritas. With Jeaniene Frost, you always expect a strong, capable female able to take care of herself. Same goes for Veritas. She couldn’t be thousands of years old and not be able to. She’s got the dual lineage thing going for her too. Honestly, I was really concerned that she would be too tough. I didn’t want to read a predictably tough chick. Which is what I feel like Leila in the Night Prince series has become. Veritas has had a different life since she isn’t just a vampire. She has had to live always being guarded so people wouldn’t discover her mix breed. She also is a Law Guardian, so living to the law and being distant from people has made her have this guarded, boring personality. But like Ian says in the book, when she was drunk (which is my absolute favorite part of the book) and wearing her true form, that’s when she is most herself. When she and Ian were being playful with each other, it was such a fangirl moment for me. I can totally see them being an amazing duo for the rest of the book (s). 

It does leave on a major cliffhanger about a demon war that will be coming. I don't want to reveal too much about the ending, or the major events that unfolded during Shades of Wicked. But I will say with the last few lines of the book, it completely reminded me of a scene in one of Cat & Bones books. It felt like coming home to a warm hug. I don't know, I can't explain that well enough. I just felt right. I need to unpack and reread ALL of the books again. Soon. I will soon. I would absolutely pimp this book out to anyone I know to read. I just love these books. I love Jeaniene Frost. Whatever lacking I may have felt in any previous books, it's gone. I am so happy.

I may be biased. Jeaniene Frost is my favorite author. She always delivers a sense of humor that gets me. I urge you to at least read a sample of the book. You can below without leaving the page. 

Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones 4 ✭

Title:	Wintersong
Author:	S. Jae-Jones
Publisher:	Thomas Dunne Books
Series:	Wintersong
Genre:	Young Adult, Dark Fantasy, Historical, Romance
Publish Date:	February 7, 2017
Sold by:	St. Martin's Press
Pages:	448
Ages:	Teen

Rating: ✭✭✭✭

Wintersong leaves you feeling open. Your base emotions felt. You have a bewitching enchantment. S. Jae-Jones wrote some really cool scenes that feel spooky but completely captivating. This is for a person who appreciates someone having an actual style to their writing. 

This haunting romantic tale reminds me of older horror novels. The ones that lead you on a trail into their enigmatic world. I guess it starts with the world building right. There are key scenes in the book that are unforgettable. For example when Liesl can’t find her sister in the market, or when she finds her sister eating a forbidden fruit in the goblin grove. You could almost feel the juices from the fruit yourself just reading about it. There are so many little pieces that make it the story such a good read. The confusion Liesl feels, and the reader’s anxiety knowing what she has forgotten. Their grandmother’s constant reminder of the tales of the Goblin King.

The characters are set in a different time than us. It is distant but not so distant that it isn’t relatable in Germany. Which that caught me off guard. I wasn’t expecting that, but I found it appealing. They have a drunk for a father and a nagging mother. There are three siblings in total. The older daughter is the prized beauty to be sold off into an arranged marriage. The younger, Liesl, is to watch after her old sister and sort of end up the old maid. There is a brother who relies heavily on Liesl’s support to maintain his confidence.

Overall I couldn’t be happier with reading this novel. It was thrilling for me. I always love a bit of romance to my stories. I really liked that this wasn’t as cookie cutter as I was expecting when I initially read the blurb. I am very thankful to have received an ARC copy to enjoy.

You can check out a preview of Wintersong below without leaving the page.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer 4 ✭

Title: Cinder

Author: Marissa Meyer

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Series: Lunar Chronicles

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Fairy Tales & Folklore

Publish Date: January 3, 2012

Sold by: Macmillan

Pages: 400

Ages: Teen

Rating: ✭✭✭✭

I'm still packing and preparing for the move. So here's another audiobook review.

Marissa Meyer has really written a fantastic retelling of a childhood classic. I like it because it isn't like the usual retellings that really don't feel like a retelling. This actually does retell the story a different way, in its own way, that's a little dark and still sweet. Cinder had some good humor written into it as well that makes it feel alive and not just a story on a page. The narrator was good in this one. Although I did doze off in a couple chapters that were really descriptive. I am looking forward to the next book in the series, I  just have to wait until its available for me to borrow from my local library. 

Cinder herself is fun for me to read. She has a smart ass side to her and could tell it like it is which is fun to read. But she also has a sweet caring side to her. Her family is mostly set up like the typical Cinderella story except she does have one sister who isn't completely horrible to her. Cinder doesn't have forest friends, or dwarves, or enchanted furniture as friends. Nope, she has an android for a friend who has this bizarre personality chip that makes it seem like she is a boy-crazy teenage girl. Her stepmother is really awful to her, but other than that you don't know anything else about her.

The events through the book keep changing Cinder's perspective of herself over and over. She starts the book out as a cyborg, half robot half human creation, to being something completely else. Cyborgs are something no people like at all. And when I say no people I mean the human's on earth and the Lunars on planet Luna, which is like the moon. Lunars are different because their time on the moon has changed the people there that now they have powers. Powers like mind control. They can manipulate the way that people think or what they think about doing. The people on Earth are not big fans of Lunars, to say the least. We value our freedom, and on planet Luna there is none.

There are a lot of events that may possibly happen in the future that makes me want to continue the series. A prison break, maybe a war, maybe overthrowing a queen, maybe more love?

If you would like to read a Free Sample of Cinder by Marissa Meyer, 

you can read it below without leaving the page.

I'm going to packing for the next week, so expect more audiobooks to come. Partially now because I have packed my kindle...  >.< It's going to be a super busy few weeks. Thank god for apps and headphones!!

The Brightest Embers by Jeaniene Frost 3 ✭

Title: The Brightest Embers

Author: Jeaniene Frost

Publisher: HQN Books

Series: A Broken Destiny

Genre: Paranormal Romance, New Adult

Publish Date: November 29, 2017

Pages: 352

Ages: 18 +

Rating: ✭✭✭

I borrowed The Brightest Embers from my local library. Jeaniene Frost is one of my favorite authors. So when I realized that there was a shorter wait list, I jumped on and grabbed a copy. This was the finale in the A Broken Destiny series. I always like Jeaniene Frost's writing because there is always something about her main character that is relatable to me. Whether it's the smartass attitude or the protective feelings for loved ones. It's just always something that gets me. This series is no different but I feel like this last book was a little less like that. I feel like I didn't have that strong familiarity with the characters like they didn't stay with me long term. That makes me sad. The flipside to that is a very well written and planned out ending. So for me with its a give and take situation. 

There was a lot of the characters bouncing from location to location while they search for the final holy weapon. There was a major revelation or two depending on your feelings for Adrian. Personally, Adrian isn't one of my favorite guys in a book, like he would be a really good friend. I didn't fall in love with him as a character. And the ways he changes over the book weren't really the main focus but just side frill. She goes through so much in the books as a person. With Adrian and Ivy's link, she is starting to lie more, and she is abandoning her destiny since his evil is leaking through to her. So she had to deal with that. She has to deal with Andrian's betrayals and all the demons hunting them. She has to grow and deal with her destiny. Just like we can never fully guide someone down the right path, they have to do it on their own. One of the reveals I do want to share an opinion on and it will be at the bottom of the post. This way if you don't want to see spoilers, you don't have to.

All in all, I feel like this was a good solid book. It was a solid finale for this trilogy with everything tying of neatly. I feel like you get all the answers and you want. I enjoyed the journey of the series and I'm bummed it's the end.

You can read a Free Sample of The Brightest Embers below without even leaving the page.

I don't usually write spoilers in my post because I have zero restraint. So I always read peoples spoiler posts and regret it later. I tried to not make it labeled at the top to make it a big eye grab thing. You know, sneaky like you have to actually look into the post to find out there may be spoilers. Anyways...So Ivy is with child. I'm trying to not use the big p-word that would catch someones attention as they scrolled by. Now the thing is Adrain was supposed to have a vasectomy. Here's my thought: The manna they use to heal everything, at some point, healed everything for him. There isn't any mention about the thoughts on how this could have happened, but that's just what I think.

The Raging Ones by Krista & Becca Ritchie 5 ✭

Author: Krista & Becca Ritchie

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Series: The Raging Ones

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Fantasy, LGBT

Publish Date: August 14, 2018

Sold by: Macmillan

Pages: 400

Ages: 12 & up

Rating: ✭✭✭✭

Holy shit! Sign me up for the sequel, please!!! Please!!! I have to thank Wednesday Books for allowing me to read this E-galley because it was amazing! Lol. That ending! Wow. Ok, I'm ok. We are all going to be ok. That was not what I was expecting to happen at all. I want to spoil so bad... but I won't. I raved about it to my husband because it's like WoW that was straight out of the twilight zone! There is a cliffhanger ending here, but it was one that I personally felt was perfect for these characters. It is a perfect moment of shock because you already know how close they are and their connection. 

This is a really great sci-fi book that takes place deep into our future a couple thousand years where we have already left one planet behind and moved onto another(s). This book isn't so much about world building but more about the society and characters relationships. When you are born you get your birthdate, but here you are tested and then given your death date. So society is separated by life expectancy. If you die as a child you are taken care of by your family and not required to do anything extra because you have so few years they want the little ones to enjoy their time they have. Those who only live their lives are children are called a "Babe". If you die between a teen and mid-20s (I forgot the exact number, I think 29) then you are a Fast Tracker. Fast Trackers are around long enough to keep their world moving and functioning, but they don't have enough time to impact the world. Fast Trackers are the workers meant to serve. If you have longer, then you are expected to do great things and you are an Influential. You are meant to be important and "influence" civilization in some way. 

You have three points of views throughout the book for the main characters, Franny, Court, and Mykal. Each chapter is in the perspective of one character while the story continues chronologically. They are connected, but not by relation. No, for some mysterious reason their sense of touch, smell, and taste are shared. If one hates food that another person linked get sick by they all share that gag reflex. Basically, its like Sense 8 with the trio of teens in a harsher world deep into the future. They can't see or hear what the others see so that does give a challenge in certain situations in the book. The three have this romance between them that was charming in a way too because of the link. 

They also have a lot of struggles through the book. Not with trust because they can feel all of each other's emotions. The main problem is there has never been a single person who has lived past their death date. Now they have to not be caught or noticed that they lived past their death dates. So they decided to pretend to be influentials. Which Franny and Mykal really struggle with since Mykal grew up in the forest, and Franny grew up living the fast tracker life. They are trying to get into a space program so that they could leave their planet and be free from whatever pasts and possible future they may have. 

By the way, it appears that there will be a sequel to the story. According to Goodreads.com at least. I have added it to my watch and wait for list. 

I can't do my usual free sample read below because the book has not released yet. Instead, I'm going to post links to the book in case you want to add it to your Goodreads or Amazon lists.

Heat by Donna Grant 4 ✭

Title: Heat

Author: Donna Grant

Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks

Series: Dark Kings

Genre: Fantasy, Romance

Publish Date: January 30, 2018

Sold by: Macmillan

Pages: 330

Ages: 18 +

Rating: ✭✭✭✭

I received a free E-galley of Heat from St. Martin's Paperback to review and I am very thankful for the opportunity to read Donna Grant's book. I have not read any of the previous books in the series. It is totally something that I would be interested in reading, and I am definitely adding them to my "need to pick up" list. I will say that this book is very busy and I wouldn't recommend picking it up alone. You can read it as a stand-alone, I did, but you miss a lot of the family connections that you are supposed to be feeling amongst everyone. This is totally a series that you could easily eat up. It reminds me of Lara Adrian's Midnight Breed series, except with dragon kings, druids, and the fae.

Without reading the previous books you miss all the intricacies in the relationships. You get a few references to previous events and a few other characters pop up here and there, but you don't feel any connection to them. If you had read the 11 books prior it would totally be different. You would know what Nikolai was like before the book, where it feels like when you start they're already in love with each other. Stuff like that. It isn't bad at all though. This is a great way to get yourself connected to the world and then continue from here on out. I think you would be able to get a good feel for the rest of the stories progression and want to continue.

Esther is a fun character in this book. She is haunted by the fact she doesn't remember events in her life since her memory has been erased. That's where you pick up, so you have to piece what's been going on from there. You make this discovery that she is a part of this magical world with Dragon shifters and the fae in more ways than one. Once her issues are resolved the book really comes together in a sweet way. I feel like Esther and Nikolai's connection was a fun and sweet one. After that, I was invested in Esther's character. I liked who she was after everything she has gone through, and I didn't even know half of what she went through because it was written earlier in the series. That just makes me more interested in the series.

I went with a 4-star rating because I think whether you have or haven't read the earlier books the characters are interesting and all the different side plots are interesting enough that it felt worthy of a four star.

If you would like to read a free sample of Heat by Donna Grant you can check it out below without leaving the page!

*Editted to fix post formatting issues.

War Storm by Victoria Aveyard 5 ✭

Title: War Storm

Author: Victoria Aveyard
Publisher: HarperTeen *

Series: Red Queen

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Dystopian

Publish Date: May 15, 2018
Sold by: HarperCollins Publishers *

Pages: 672

Ages: Teen

Rating: ✭✭✭✭✭

Victoria Aveyard has finished the Red Queen series in a fantastic way. The ending wasn't predictable, and it left me feeling satisfied; it felt complete. I really took my time finishing this book. I had to not only because it was over 600 pages, but because there are a ton of things going on. There are many perspective changes within the book, so you are able to see multiple sides of the many battles that happen. The bonus to these is you are able to understand each character's point of view, and how they perceive the world. It is written in a way that you are savoring each section for each person.

Mare isn't the main focus of this book I feel. I feel like it's every character is equally important. I was a little let down at the end, I was expecting more of her power like some ultimate reveal but we didn't really have that. She goes through a lot of changes in the previous books and in this one she still is a little, but I feel like she aware of who she is going to be.

Evangeline has become a lovable character to me. You see her soft side when she thinks her brother is gone. You see her intelligence show when she is piecing together things while Anabel Lerolan, Cal's grandmother, is talking. She is a strong badass on the battlefield and her strength to continue the fight is amazing. Her strong emotions and opinions, like how much she cares for her brother and is repulsed by her mother, or her hatred/love for her father while he uses her as a bargaining chip. Her love and adoration for Elane, and her desire to be with her, but she can't because it is considered abhorrent and a waste of power. Victoria Aveyard has a knack for writing strong badass female characters for sure. I think if she were the main character it could have been great too. I think she could have had her own book. 

Victoria Aveyard's greatest skill with this novel is the battle scenes. You read from Mare's perspective which she is at another location from the rest of the group and it is fast but intense and emotional. Then you get into Evangeline's perspective which when I was reading it I felt like it would be an amazing scene in a movie. You can feel the tension and the terror that Evangeline deals with while she is struggling to survive. That is just an example of only one of the many battles within the book. I loved reading the battles personally. 

I completely think this series AS A WHOLE is a must read if you enjoy young adult books. If I didn't read past the first book, I might not have recommended it as strongly. Now, since I've read all the books I have to push for this one. I've seen the writing improve through all the books. I've seen the characters develop into memorable people that leave a lasting impression. I feel satisfied with the whole outcoming and the meanings behind certain aspects of the book. 

You can read a Free Sample of War Storm below without leaving the page!

* I decided to add two new categories today while I was doing my blog. I have started picking up a few more E-Galley books recently and I decided that I want to start making note of which publishers I have read books from. I think that it would be worth noting for the future, for myself if nothing more. I haven't decided if I am going to go back to old posts to add this part in. What do you think? With so little of an amount, since my blog is young it might not be bad.

King's Cage by Victoria Aveyard 5 ✭

Title: King's Cage

Author: Victoria Aveyard

Series: Red Queen

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Dystopian

Publish Date: February 7, 2017

Pages: 528

Ages: Teen

Rating: ✭✭✭✭✭

King's Cage felt long but I enjoyed the value that it brought to the series. I have to warn this is going to have a little bit of spoiler to today's review; not much of a spoiler just a little. This book was horrible, wonderful, and intelligent all in one. I think reading while she was captured was boring to a lot of people because a lot of time is passing and Mare isn't able to do really anything. I think the author did that very well. You feel the passing of time. You read as there are things happening in the world beyond Mare's control and she barely hears about any of it. You see how hollow and desperate she is for escape while she spends months in her room alone with nothing but silence. While she is held as Maven's prisoner, she has to deal with all the emotions that she has been avoiding in the previous books. That must have been horrible and I felt for Mare, it was a horrible time for her. If you don't read all the books in a row like I am doing these weeks, you might very well miss out on those important things. You might not remember how in Glass Sword, she was merely a tool to be used to fight. She cut herself off from everyone around her so that she wouldn't have any more emotions. Mare didn't allow herself to think or feel about anything but completing the next task. The first half of King's Cage features Mare and is about her captivity and character growth. 

Victoria Aveyard gives us a reprieve from just reading about Mare in a plain room with nothing to do. She gives us a couple other characters perspectives in this novel. I appreciate that a lot because without that it would be a really boring book. You get to see what is continuing to happen for the Red Guard even though Mare isn't there. You even get to see from a silver's perspective, which I'm not going to say who, but I really liked that. I would love to continue but I think that would just ruin the "reveals" about that character and who they really are. 

It was wonderful to see the strength of the uprising. The strength of Montfort, the Ardent people, and their leader. Victoria Aveyard does a great job of bringing them into the world and showing their democracy. You also get a small taste of their battle tactics and it makes you curious even more. Like I wonder how extreme are they? To what ends are they willing to go to? Wonderful to see the full force of all the different people fighting together and against each other. You actually see what a battle full of abilities is like in this world. Both sides bring their A-Game. You get to see how powerful Mare really could be as she stands alone protecting herself surrounded by silvers. You get to see new alliances and relationships how they have changed in the many months since Mare's capture. Mare and Cal get a reunion and it feels like the pieces are really beginning to come together for the world. It had the feeling that the end was near and the author could have written a quick happily ever after. That is not what you get in this book.

One part that I had to bother my husband about because I thought it was sooooo good, was the political side of things. You get to see different people strategically moving to complete different tasks. Maven had it rough this book. You find out more about his damaged character, he is betrayed, and he has to repair his kingdom enough so they'll stop rebelling. He does a tour, but really it is just like today's politicians, going around town to town making promises and motivational speeches. I loved that, it makes you think about how much we hear and what is just someone trying to keep you dumb and ignorant of what's really going on. I think that fits perfectly with today's world of politics that it's almost scary. So bringing something like that in, and having it written well that you can understand the meaning at any age is pretty good. There are a lot of politics going on in this book, more than the others. You have even more people who are just trying to maneuver the things they control to get to the ending they want. It's done really good.

Cal is an idiot. I'm totally serious, he is an idiot

I 110% believe this deserves a 5-star rating. There is a sh*t ton of stuff that happens during this whole book. You meet many new leaders from different places, an escape attempt, a rescue, two major battles, a few reveals that were previously speculation at least for me. A little bit of love and a lot more loss.

For a Free Sample read, you can click below and you won't have to leave the page.

Cruel Crown by Victoria Aveyard 5 ✭

Title: Cruel Crown

Author: Victoria Aveyard

Series: Red Queen

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Fantasy,

Publish Date: January 5, 2016

Pages: 208

Ages: Teen

Rating: ✭✭✭✭✭

If you are reading this series this is an absolute MUST read. This is a novella short that features Queen Song and Steel Scars as well as a short preview to Glass Sword. I have already read Glass Sword and I'm glad I did. I 100% recommend anyone who has an interest in the series that they need to read this. For me, it is all about Queen Song. This whole part is about Cal's mother from her perspective. This part was like reading a tragic horror story that you know the end too but it is still a great read to see it unfold. To know what Coriane was thinking during her whole ordeal, from meeting the boy who will be her husband, to being a pregnant queen and feeling lost and depressed. I think it is really important to see this side because you can see how Cal has parts of his mother there too. 

(Slight spoiler) The Steel Scars section was about our favorite Scarlet Guard member, Captain Diana Farley, code name Lamb. It is also really good to see this side of the world too. You see a young girl who is given her first true task being a commander and gets to leave her father's side. It is her first time doing a solo mission and what that grows into becoming. It becomes the beginning of the whole revolution. Reading this after Glass Sword really helped me understand why she reacted the way she did at the end. Instead of knowing her skill level and prior circumstances. In Red Queen and Glass Sword, you always get the impression she is this amazing spy who has been doing this cloak and dagger for a long time. I loved reading it in this order.

I looked up the reading order of the books and found on Victoria Aveyard's site that she recommended this to be the reading order. It's why I read them in the order I did and I suggest anyone else should too. 

1. Red Queen
2. Glass Sword
3. Cruel Crown (the two novellas)
4. King's Cage
5. War Storm

You can buy each novella separately as an ebook but I personally chose this paperback version since all the others I've owned have been physical copies.  I have linked the sample chapter for each book below, that links to the Kindle versions. 

Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard 4 ✭

Title: Glass Sword

Author: Victoria Aveyard

Series: Red Queen

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Fairy Tales & Folklore

Publish Date: February 9, 2016

Pages: 464

Ages: Teen

Rating: ✭✭✭✭

I am very glad that I decided to continue the Red Queen series. The first book I felt was a little predictable, but it was also the intro to the characters and the world so I wanted to continue. 

When you start Glass Sword you have Mare and Cal being viewed by the country as an evil lying temptress and a murdering prince who killed his own father. All of this is done by the machinations of the Queen, Elara, who has used her whisper abilities to read everyone's minds and control others to her will. She had been hiding some of Mare's antics with the Red Guard to her own benefit to kill the king and exile the firstborn son. Elara is a mental master, and her son Maven is not just her puppet, but her willing accomplice. 

Mare has gone through so much change since the initial moments of Red Queen, it really is like she is stuck between who she was, is, and will be when necessary. The first book she was a thief who had no other skills, that her own family was completely disappointed with. Then they made her into the fake princess, who had to be cold-hearted around everyone. Then they go and kill anyone associated with her so that makes her lockdown. She needs to protect people but she isn't capable enough to do it alone. In Glass Sword that is one of her biggest conflicts with herself. She wants to care and worry about everyone, but she knows from the previous experiences that if she does she will be crushed and broken. So she makes herself emotionally distant from everyone around her. Her personal struggle is very important. You see her at her weakest, her strongest, and how far she is willing to go. 

Another thing is seeing the characters around her and how their opinions of her change. They praise her and raise her to a pedestal, only to then completely turn around and abhor what she has become. And for different side characters, it isn't even in the order. That makes you wonder who knows more than she does, who has also changed during this book, and who is true to Mare or not. I will be honest, I'm still not sure how the next book is going to turn out. Which is a nice change from the predictability of the first book. 

I am currently reading Cruel Crown which is two novellas that you can read additional. I've only started and I think that it is worth it. I got it for $5 and was happy about that. I'm looking to get King's Cage soon I hope. I'm sort of hooked on the cliffhanger of Glass sword at the moment. 

Read below for a free sampling of the start of Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard 
without leaving the page.

Destined to Crave by Setta Jay 5 ✭

Title: Destined to Crave
Author: Setta Jay
Series: Descended of Guardians
Genre: Romance, Erotica
Publish Date: August 30, 2017
Pages: 150
Ages: 18 + 

 Rating: ✭✭✭✭✭

I have not come across any of Setta Jay's books before and I feel like I am missing out on an amazing author. In the super short 150 pages I was able to feel fully invested in a giant world that is a mash of all kinds of supernatural and fantasy characters. It also feels like it is done so right. The different types of creatures that were built into the world, whether they are Gods or mermaids feel like they all belong together.  I am completely serious when I say that I feel compelled to read all the books written by this author because to achieve such a strong story in a tiny little novella is impressive. Not to mention that this is book isn't even part of the main series she wrote but this is like the side series that comes from the originals. With a quick Amazon prowl if you have Kindle Unlimited it looks like the Guardians of the Realms series are mostly available to read for free. Score! I personally will be doing this once I catch up on some of my to be read pile.

Now about Destined to Crave itself. This was not a joke about it being sexually charged but the plus side it didn't feel like one of those short reads that was just writing a romp. This has an ending that leads you further down the rabbit hole wondering where the story is going to go from here. Eirykr is descended from some pretty powerful beings, like his grandfather is Hades kind of powerful. Most of the named characters that you meet are very similar. They're all strong and full of powers. Even one of the side characters in this books has some mysterious power that no one knows about really. This makes me really love to read her book if she gets one. In this collision of worlds people have mates. True mates, the one and only, the kind that you find it and its like this ridiculous pull and a mating ritual type thing. Rykr has a mate named Lucy and they actually grew up together. She even held him as a baby. Yep, she is a little older than him. Age is really nothing but a number here since these are immortal beings. They can't be together because of a curse that was put on Rykr right after Lucy banned him from her side. Now there is all this tortured arousal floating around and they can't do anything about it. 

This really great short book that I feel will be actually pretty memorable to me. For me, it was an amazing introduction to a new world that I really want to get into and start reading.

You should really click below to read the free preview of Destined to Crave without leaving the page. 

So I Married a Sorcerer by Kerrelyn Sparks 4 ✭

Title: So I Married A Sorcerer

Author: Kerrelyn Sparks

Series: The Embraced

Genre: Dark Fantasy, Romance

Publish Date: August 29, 2017

Pages: 485

Ages: 18 + 

Rating: ✭✭✭✭

Kerrelyn Sparks is one of those authors that when you pick up one of her books, you know ahead of time that you are going to enjoy your romantic journey. This is another you can add to the collection. I received a free Advanced Reader Copy from the publisher to read before hand and I squealed like a little girl because the whole idea of this book was so neat to me. This book had me sucked in and I could not stop reading. I am still packing for our family move trip to North Carolina next week, and I was up til 3:30 am reading. I was just so hooked.

The humor was fantastic and had me belting out laughs at the responses from the one nun, she is a nutter. The heroine is strong, but a little young and naïve as she should be for her age. Um,  PIRATE SORCERER, hello ... how cool does that sound? The characters are strong and it is all taking place in a world that you can feel is progressively developing throughout the book. Connections are being made in different countries that have been at war, and there is like a super villain about.

This is actually the second book in this series, The Embraced, which is all about the special individuals who are born on the twin moon eclipse and have special powers. You can read this book without reading the first in the series and be able to follow along with the main chain of events. I didn't read the first book, but I am going to once I catch up on my list of to-read books. I love the idea of the fortune telling stones, and how they can link to the rest of the series. Like the next book, you are totally sucked into wanting to read that after this one.

This fantasy world has elves, dragons, pirates and evil murdering kings. Sounds accurately like a fantasy world. I did wish that there was more world building, but again I did read an ARC version so maybe that had changed. I wanted to feel more immersed into the world, but I was fully invested into the characters so in my opinion that balances out. That's my only negative feedback, I enjoyed everything else about this book.

Check out a Free Sample Preview below without even leaving the page!!