The Golden Braid Review

This time I am reviewing The Golden Braid by: Melanie Dickerson.

Rapunzel has spent her life moving from town to town based on her mother’s wishes. Having a thirst for knowledge, she finds someone to teach her something in each village. She can throw a knife, paint intricate murals, but the one things she most wants to learn is to read. On her journey to the largest town she’s ever been to, Rapunzel and her mother run into trouble. Luckily the valiant knight Sir Gerek comes to their rescue. An unexpected bond begins to form between the young individuals and secrets soon come to light that could change everything.

I’ve been in the mood to read fairy tales like this one for awhile now. Once I read the synopsis, I knew I had to read this book and once I picked it up, I couldn’t put it down. I loved everything about this book. The old fairy tale of Rapunzel was made new and with a Christian twist. Going into it, I worried the Christian themes could negate from the story, but Melanie Dickerson wove them together in such a way that made this book a wonderful and inspirational read.

I really like the characters in this book. Rapunzel was sweet, courageous, and intelligent. It was so interesting to see her relationship with her mother and how it spiraled. Gerek was the perfect knight and I really liked seeing his relationship with Rapunzel unfold.

Though there wasn’t any magic in this book like a typical fairy tale has, I couldn’t help but get swept away by this book. The way Melanie Dickerson wrote it just made it feel like the magic was there. This was such a beautiful and fun story.

I didn’t realize this was the sixth book in the series and I was disappointed that I hadn’t read the prior books, but reading this one just made me want to read all the others. I don’t believe reading this one revealed much of anything from the prior books, since every book in this series is about different characters.

Storm Review

This time I am reviewing Storm by: Brigid Kemmerer.

All the school has heard the rumors about Becca Chandler that paint her as a slut. Though untrue, Becca knows her ex-boyfriend is behind them. She settles into her role as an outcast and tries to not let the taunts and suggestive talk get to her. Everything takes an unexpected turn when Becca interrupts the beating of Chris Merrick. She runs off the perpetrators and rescues the badly wounded Chris, only to find herself entangled in a feud she never knew existed.

I was really surprised by this book. I listen to the audiobook for this one, which is something I don’t often do, but I found myself so wrapped up in the story. The mythology of this book draws upon elemental powers (water, air, earth, fire), but Brigid Kemmerer includes aspects into it that make this book feel unique in its portrayal of this.

There are some really big issues that are addressed in this book and I thought Brigid Kemmerer did a good job, but there is still a bit of room for improvement. I didn’t really fully feel Becca’s distress at her reputation and how others treated her. She did exhibit some behaviors that would be expected, but during some moments her torture at school seemed to be forgotten. She bristles at Chris, but she doesn’t seem to ever do the same to Hunter.

I liked Becca, but I really loved the rest of the characters in this book. The Merricks are all great and I can’t wait to read the rest of the books in this series to get to know the rest of the brothers even better. All the Merricks really felt well defined in their own right and they each had unique personalities. I enjoyed Hunter and I really liked how he treated Becca. Towards the end he got a bit annoying, though.

There is a love-triangle in this book. One relationship feels really natural and the other ends up feeling rushed. Becca totally ended up with who I was rooting for and the switch between her feelings for both guys doesn’t feel annoying or unnatural. I really like that she didn’t spend this whole book pinning after both guys, or really pinning much at all. There was no insta-love and for that I am grateful.

This book progressed at a nice pace and I loved all the twists and turns. The ending was satisfying and I loved that all the mysteries in this book are solved by the end. I’m really excited to start the next instalment in this series.

As a small side note, the content of this book isn’t for young teens (and it teetered on the edge of what I’ll read). There are some heavy issues addressed in this book like rape and bullying. There was a bunch of sexual innuendos, lots of language and violence.

Don't Expect Magic Review

This time I am reviewing Don’t Expect Magic by: Kathy McCullough.

Delaney Collins is ripped from her home and life after the tragic death of her mother. Forced to live with a father the nation knows better than she does, she isn’t happy. After a few unexpected turns, Delaney discovers she is a fairy godmother and her first assignment is Flynn Becker, who she mistakenly believes is crushing on the most popular girl in school. Determined to complete her first assignment in order to gain her full powers, she pushes Flynn into one situation after the next.

From reading the synopsis of this book, I thought it would be one I would enjoy. This was a good book, but it felt like it took too long to get started. From the synopsis we know that Delaney finds out she is a fairy godmother, but that doesn’t actually happen in the book until well into it (like almost halfway into it). I found myself getting kind of bored with this book, but I kept reading because I enjoyed Delaney’s sarcastic and funny voice.

The plot flowed in a pretty natural way, but some of the ending felt a bit rushed. I totally saw the events of the ending coming, but I just felt like it still was a bit forced or something. I did really like the development of Delaney and her father’s relationship. It progressed and grew in a really sweet way.

This book was an enjoyable fluffy read and I’m glad I picked it up, but it isn’t without its faults. I do intend to read the second one (since I bought it at the same time as the first) and I even started it, but I have since put it down in favor of other books. One day I might pick it up again, but who knows when that will actually be.

The Rising Review

This time I am reviewing The Rising by: Terra Harmony.

Serena’s race is dying. She is the last baby of the Undine race (mermaids), who haven’t been allowed on land to procreate for the last eighteen years. The werewolves protect the beaches like they once had protected the Undine. Through a series of rebellions on Serena’s part, she is punished and assigned the role of Werewolf Liaison. Forced to venture onto land, she encounters the young werewolf, Liam and they may be the only hope both species has for a peaceful future, but some aren’t willing to let peace end the war…

I definitely enjoyed this book, but it didn’t grip me as much as other books have. I thought the mythology behind this world was well thought out and created a really interesting story. The characters were fun to read and I loved the twists in this book.

Serena is a strong and fearless character. She rebels and faces her punishments with courage. I really liked her as a character. She had her moments where I couldn’t understand why she did the things she did, but I liked her regardless. The way she acted around Liam was understandable (he belonged to a race that had chased, clawed, attacked, and had always been her enemy), but I couldn’t understand why she never wanted to trust him when he was so nice to her. Moving to a different relationship she had, I really liked her friendship with Kai. He seemed like a great guy, but he does have his moments that totally don’t make sense.

I really think the best parts of the book are towards the latter half when all the twists start. I loved the later revelations. This book did make me want to read that next one, but mostly because I want to know what happens after. This novel was good, but not the amazing I-couldn’t-put-this-down type.

The Scourge Review

This time I am reviewing The Scourge by: A.G. Henley.

Fennel lives in a world run by fear of the scourge: savage people who eat the flesh of others. Fennel’s people are the groundlings, who call the earth their home and fear plagues them. The lofties live in the trees, protected from the flesh eaters. Both sides don’t get along, but they depend on one another. Fennel’s blindness is a gift that protects her from the scourge and that forces her to have the job of water-bearer, the sole individual responsible for keeping both the groundlings and the lofties hydrated during the long days the scourge ravages the land.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Going into it, I knew it was post-apocalyptic, but I didn’t quite realized it was a zombie novel, but that didn’t bother me at all. The way A.G. Henley approaches this cliched topic is so fresh and new that I really wanted to know more. I really liked the concepts in this world and found myself wrapped up in this book.

As a character, I enjoyed Fennel. She wasn’t perfect, but she learned to be strong. I have never read a book from a blind person’s perspective before and I really loved it. Having a family member that is blind, I felt like I could relate to this book and Fenn more. The only problem I had with Fennel’s blindness is that it wasn’t made clear that she could see changes in the lighting around her. From the beginning of the book, I thought she was totally blind and it really irritated me that she would talk about it getting darker or lighter. Once I realized she wasn’t one hundred percent blind, I finally stopped feeling like A.G. Henley was making mistakes in her writing.

Peree was a great guy and I really rooted for him and Fenn. I did find him a bit clingy at some parts in the book, but later his behavior makes more sense when the reader realizes Peree has watched Fenn for years (not in a creepy way). I really loved finding out his back-story and seeing some later events unfold that really challenge him.

I really loved the twists and turns of this book. So many times, A.G. Henley threw in things that completely twisted the story into a different direction and it was a very fun ride. The ending was very satisfying and even though this is part of a series, there luckily wasn’t a cliffhanger ending like so many series have. Overall, I really enjoyed this book.

Backstage Review

This time I am reviewing Backstage by: Jacqueline E Smith! (This is the second book in the series, so there are bound to be spoilers from the first book. Duh.)

Melissa Parker briefly enjoyed the high of her new relationship with her best friend and member of the hottest boy band, Sam Morneau, before being knocked back down by discovering a scandalous affair involving other members of the group. Sworn to secrecy, Mel is now holding information back from her best friends, information that could rip the band apart. Lies and half-truths begin to pile up. More and more, secrets are invading the group and everyone wants Mel to keep her mouth shut.

I cannot fully express how much I love this book. I’ve been desperately (and somewhat patiently) waiting for Jackie to write this book and release it. This one is just as good (if not better) than the first book and well worth the wait.

Like I’ve said in a previous review of Jackie’s work, she has an amazing knack for breathing life into all her characters. They all have so many quirks and feel so real. This book lets us learn even more about all the guys in the group, The Kind of September, and their personalities all shined in it. I just love all the guys! Sam, of course, is my favorite member of the group (more on him a bit later.) Oliver and Josh are great too! Josh is the life of the party and I always laughed whenever he entered a scene. He would brighten anyone’s day. Oliver is so sweet and courteous. He’s dependable and so many times I wanted to give him a hug. Jesse tries so hard to be funny (and he’s just not). I really enjoyed seeing his growth in this book. Cory is, sadly, so blinded by his love for Terrible Tara. Oh, and I can’t forget to mention Joni. She’s so strong and blunt. I love the friendship she has with Mel and how protective she is of the group.

Now, onto the real stars of this novel: Sam and Mel. I love both of them so much! Their relationship is beautiful, breath-taking, sweet, and just so adorable. I might have fallen in love with Sam right along with Mel over the course of this book. He’s just so amazing to her. Ever since reading the first few lines of Boy Band, I’ve loved Mel and her personality. Her voice is so unique and her wit is spot on. I also loved that she didn’t enjoy keeping secrets from everyone. She knew if the truth came out, especially that she knew something and didn’t tell, it would blow up in everyone’s face. It’s so refreshing that she was realistic about it and didn’t delude herself into thinking keeping secrets was okay.

The song lyrics were stunning in this book and each time I read them, my mind started putting music behind them automatically. The tweets from fans always made me laugh. #TOKS #Meliver #JoshAndPizza I’m so glad they were included in the book, it really added an amazing dynamic and made it feel so real.

All throughout this book, I found myself hiding a smile or attempting not to burst out laughing. So many emotions played through me while reading this and kudos to Jackie for really making everything so palpable. The whole time, I felt a kinship to everyone and they felt like great friends I got to spend a few amazing hours hanging out with.

Drama, drama, drama. That’s all I can say about some of the later events in this book. Well, really the whole book is filled to the brim with drama. I’m so glad that the ending gave us a moment to breathe after the crazy, wild ride the book took us on. I really can’t wait till the next installment in the series.

Their Fractured Light Review

This time I am reviewing Their Fractured Light by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner.

Sofia Quinn lost her father a year ago and has been on the run ever since. She knows how to read people and has pulled off more than one successful con. Gideon Marchant is better known as his online hacking persona: The Knave of Hearts. When Gideon and Sofia find themselves close to being caught in LaRoux Industries (for different reasons), they end up needing each other to escape.

I loved this book so much! This is probably my favorite of this whole series because so much happens! All the players come back from the previous book and it’s like one big amazing reunion (but it’s not really a reunion for the characters who are all coincidentally tied together in many ways).

I could not get enough of the snippets between the chapters. Those passages kept building on each other. Each time I would be swept away by the beautiful writing. All of those pieces continually weaved into a stunning masterpiece and I was blow away. So many times I stopped and reread those paragraphs because they were so good.

I really enjoyed the pairing of Sofia and Gideon. Out of all they guys in this series, Gideon is probably my favorite. His sense of humor was great and I laughed so many times, but I also was drawn in by his goodness. He acted arrogant, but underneath he is a great guy. He’s also quite intelligent and he sticks up for his friends.

Sofia was so much fun to read because she knew how to work people to get what she wanted. She really felt like the most flawed and damaged character in this whole series. Unlike everyone else, the pain she holds is fresh and she’s still reeling from her father’s death. Her journey throughout this book was amazing to witness because she grows so much. She starts out so hardened by the world and it’s spectacular to see her change into something beautiful.

This book was the perfect end to this series and it made me finally come to terms with (and almost enjoy) what I didn’t like in These Broken Stars. I never wanted this book to end, especially with the full cast from the series joining in.

My one complaint to this book is the resolution to the main conflict (not the ending). I didn’t expect the end to come easily, but I thought it was a bit unnatural. The authors really made it into something beautiful, but it felt just a bit too simple.

The ending was great and perfect for this series. I really can’t wait to see what these amazing writers will come up with next.

This Shattered World Review

This time I am reviewing This Shattered World by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner.

Captain Jubilee Chase is known by many as Stone Faced Chase. Her soldiers respect her and she watches out for them, but she refuses to show too much emotion so the nickname doesn’t bother her, too much. Flynn Cormac leads the rebels on Avon and fights on the opposite side of Jubilee. An unfortunate encounter forces Flynn to kidnap Jubilee in the hopes of getting information about a secret base. As they learn more about each other, they find their views aren’t so different and they might be forced to find a side of their own, between the rebels and the military.

Having enjoyed the first book in this series, I really wanted to read this one and I am so glad that I did. I thought this one was even better than the first book.

Jubilee’s wit sucked me in from the moment I started reading. She’s tough as nails and knows how to read people. She’s a strategist. She’s strong on the inside and outside, but she has a trauma from her past that clings to her. I loved seeing her come out of her shell throughout the course of the story.

Flynn was also a great character. Throughout this book, I had times where I wondered how he managed to be the leader of the rebels and then he would open his mouth. He’s a skilled speaker. I really loved that he wanted to find a non-violent way to go about the rebellion.

I didn’t care for the snippets between chapters nearly as much as I did in the first book. They felt a bit too random. Once I got to the end of the book and they tied in closer to the story, I understood why the authors choose this. I still wished it had almost been something else, but they didn’t take away from the book at all.

Lilac and Tarver make an appearance in this book and I really appreciated that the authors didn’t just forget about them. I almost wished they could have had a larger role, but, then again, it wasn’t what this book needed.

The ending was satisfying and just made me want to jump into the next book. Once again, there was the sweet relief that there wasn’t a cliff hanger. Overall, I loved this book.

These Broken Stars Review

This time I am reviewing These Broken Stars by: Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner.

Lilac LaRoux is accustomed to living a life of wealth. Her father owns the largest company in the galaxy and she hides deep pain behind the mask of an heiress. Major Tarver Merendsen finds himself on the Icarus’ maiden voyage after his heroic actions lurch him into the spotlight. Tarver and Lilac couldn’t be more different and they’re thrown together as the Icarus plummets from the sky, leaving them as the sole survivors of the crash. As much as the two can’t get along, they have to figure out a way to work together to survive on this strange planet.

I have been wanting to read this book for quite awhile. The cover is stunning and I will guiltily admit that it first drew me to want this book. Then, I read the synopsis and it sounded like just my kind of book. I will admit, it was way less space opera than it was made to sound, but I didn’t mind. The romance is really the focus of this book, but I did expect as much from the synopsis.

Something I really loved about this book is learning the main characters’ back stories. The authors did an amazing job of slowly revealing bits and pieces of Lilac and Tarver that I felt intrigued the whole time. There is so much pain and uniqueness to both these characters that they became so much more real.

Lilac is tough, but not in the way so many female leads are these days. She has so much inner strength. She’s smart, which she hides well, and determined. At the same time, she grew up in the upper crust of society, so she struggles when she’s deserted with Tarver on an unknown planet. She falls apart and puts herself back together so many times throughout this book. She may not be the strongest physically, but she has so many qualities I admire. It’s refreshing to read a strong female lead that isn’t the typical amazing-at-everything girl.

Tarver is also a great character to read. I was so fascinated by his story, especially his mom and his poetry. He wasn’t just the heroic soldier, but he also had a soft side. I really wish the authors would’ve included more of his poetry into this book. At times it was so easy to forget he wrote because we never got to see any of it.

I also really enjoys all the snippets between the chapters. It was so fun to guess what was going one throughout them and I loved seeing them build into something great. They flowed so nicely with each chapter and it was great that they eventually connected closely with the story.

I really loved this book until about 75% percent through it. I won’t spoil it, but some things happen that really upset me. At that point until the end, it just felt like a big scramble and it didn’t feel natural to me. I kept expecting the twist to turn into another twist, but that never came and I was pretty disappointed.

The ending to this book was great, even with the stuff happening that bothered me. Each novel in this series focuses on a different cast, so each book has a pretty clear ending with no cliff hangers. Once I read this book, I just wanted more and I immediately pick up the next book.

I just finished the whole series in just few days and I definitely think each book is better than the one before it.

Droplets Review

This time I am reviewing Droplets by: Meaghan Rauscher.

Lissie and her family’s annual cruise takes a horrific turn when a storm battles and batters their boat. Lissie is thrown overboard, only to be saved by a monster who wants one thing: Her. The cruel man, who has fins like a merman when he hits the water, changes Lissie through a painful process. Having misjudged her age, the merman leaves her until her eighteenth birthday, when he will come back to claim her. Not wanting to be someone’s slave, Lissie will run and set many events into motion…

I was so impressed by this book. On first picking it up, I totally thought it would be one of those YA books where this mysterious and hard-edged man (merman in this case) would come and force Lissie into something. Later they would fall in love and it would be just another Beauty and the Beast knockoff. This book was nothing like that and it was refreshing. This story had so many twists and turns that I didn’t see coming. I really can’t say how much I was relieved that this book didn’t take the turn where Lissie fell in love with the first guy that crossed her path.

The mermaid mythology in this book was really good. I liked the subtle differences to the mythology that I have heard so many times. Even though most of it isn’t known/explained till later in the book, I didn’t feel confused. I really enjoyed that Lissie got to be in the heart of it all and learn so much.

Lissie was a great character. I’m so glad she didn’t just stand by and be a victim. She went out and tried to change the fate forced upon her. I liked that she was strong, but she had moments of weakness. Her strength wasn’t annoying like it can so often be in YA books, where the main girl can do anything and everything. She wasn’t perfect and I love to find characters that have a few flaws. It makes them more real.

I really loved Patrick in this book. He was just amazing, but I won’t say too much more for fear of spoilers.

The ending to this book was really satisfying. It made me want to read more and it does leave the reader with some unanswered questions. I really enjoyed the pacing at the end and that it doesn’t just drop off after the main action is over. There’s a small bit of breathing room after all the action and I always love when books do that.

After finishing this book, I couldn’t wait to start the next one, but I have hesitated based on the synopsis of the next one. I’m sure it will be just as excellent as this one, but I just haven’t picked it up. Regardless of that, I really want to read the next book and discover what happens next.

Winter Review

This time, I will be reviewing Winter by: Marissa Meyer. (This is the fourth book in the series, so there are bound to be spoilers from the previous books.)

Princess Winter decided years ago that she wouldn’t use her lunar gift, even at the cost of her sanity. The walls bleed around her. Ice commonly claims her in its cold embrace. She knows these are just visions, but they still feel so real… Cinder races to start her revolution with the help of her friends and newly recruited Emperor Kaito. Not everything goes as planned and she scrabbles to stay ahead of all the rising dangers around her.

Since, I never reviewed the first three books, this will partly be my review for the whole series, especially since this book is the conclusion. Overall, I’ve absolutely loved this series. Every book had a beautifully crafted story and I was so swept up in the magnificent world Marissa Meyer created. She took the fairy tales we’ve always heard and twisted them to something so much more.

This book was the perfect conclusion to the series. I couldn’t put it down and ended up staying up into the early morning hours wanting to keep reading. I really liked how events in the book didn’t just fall into place. Coincidences that completely altered the flow of the plot and allowed the characters to have an easy escape from danger weren’t present and I liked that the revolution wasn’t quick and easy. When things go wrong, there isn’t some easy fix.

I’ve always loved all the characters in these books. Each one is so unique and clearly has their own personality. With that many main characters, a task such as that could be very difficult and Marissa Meyer did an excellent job at creating believable characters.

Winter is the star of a lot of this book and I was blown away by her. I loved her so much! I loved her insanity that she played to her advantage. She is so clever and strong, but no one thinks she is anything more than a raving lunatic. I loved how sweet she is. Her compassion for others really endeared her to me (and everyone in the book). So many times I found myself amused by something she said or thought. Even with all the terrifying visions often surrounding her, she was a bright light in this book.

The ending to this book was just what the series needed. I really loved that it wasn’t rushed. So many times books speed ahead to the ending and then slam to a halt. This ending was so well paced and it helped me not grieve (too much) that the series is over.

This series will always be something special to me. I fell in love with these books for their characters, story, and the writing. I am so glad I finally picked these books up earlier this year and writing this review feels like saying goodbye to a good friend, but reading Winter was so worth it.

After Death Review

This time I am reviewing After Death by: Jacqueline E Smith. (It is the third book in the series, so there are bound to be spoilers from the first two books.)

After crazy ghost hauntings and uncovering long-buried secrets, Michael Sinclair and Kate Avery have finally found a moment of peace to continue to enjoy their relationship. Out of the blue, they receive an invitation to the opening weekend of Cirque Somniatis and they look forward to having a fun weekend, but there are plenty of ghosts haunting the fairground. Michael has the unfortunate luck to fascinate a sinister ghost wrapped in beautiful packaging and his relaxing weekend with Kate takes some unfortunate turns…

Jackie really has a knack for getting inside character’s heads. All the characters in this book have such unique voices and they all are so different. There is a wonderful depth to all of the main characters and we get to see into their minds even more with this instalment of the Cemetery Tours series. The characters aren’t perfect and that’s what adds to their depth. They hurt, grow, get angry, and make mistakes like everyone does.

Michael really starts to come out of his shell in this book. I love seeing his growth over the course of this series. His relationship with Kate is also really sweet. I’m really glad that their relationship isn’t like most fictional relationships and we get to see some of Kate and Michael’s flaws.

Luke Rainer will always be one of my favorite characters. I love his personality and how he really pushes Michael to be all he can be. The addition of Luke’s nemesis showed a side of Luke that we hadn’t seen before and it only adds to this book. His struggles were so real and I easily identified with how he was feeling.

I really loved to hate Chance McDermott. He’s just such a jerk! Jackie did an excellent job writing him. So many times throughout this book, I wished I could punch him. He’s so arrogant and rude, but he was also a very fun addition to the cast.

The plot of this book was tight and flowed nicely. I never got bored while reading this book. It gets intense at just the right moments and the parts in between kept me entertained until the very last page.

Riot Of Storm And Smoke Review

This time I'm reviewing Riot of Storm and Smoke by Jennifer Ellison. (This is the second in the series, so there are bound to be spoilers if you haven't read the first book.)

Bree flees from the king that set in motion the chain of events that killed her father and made Bree his most sought after weapon. Caden, the prince, has his own set of woes when his father turns against him. Escaping with barely his life, he races to amass an army to fight his father's tyranny. Meanwhile Bree rushes to Nereidium, the kingdom that holds more for her than she wants to acknowledge.

As much as I absolutely loved the first book, I sadly didn't feel quite the same about this one. I felt rather bored throughout this book. It just didn't have the suspense or pacing that the first one had. I could easily put this book down (and I did for a whole month) after getting halfway through it. I still highly recommend this series, but it just wasn't as spectacular as the first.

I really did loved the story of this book. However, some elements in it seemed a bit random and others don't seem to be fully explained. I felt the plot dragged on a bit. Only after halfway did I finally start to get excited about this book. I still love the concepts and the world of it. I'm also excited to see where it goes in the next book.

I wished Bree's development could have been pushed a bit further. She comes out of the first book dealing with some pretty big things, but I don't feel like she really dealt with any of it. I wished her struggle with Throwing had a better explanation and not as sudden of a shift near the end. She really seems like much the same person at the start of this book and the end.

I enjoyed getting chapters in Caden's perspective, but I sometimes confused him with Bree. His voice didn't always sound very unique. I also got pretty bored with his chapters. It was nice to learn about what he was doing because it added more dimension to the book, but at the same time, I almost wanted to skip his chapters.

There is a cliffhanger at the end of this book, but I was okay with it, mostly because that was the moment I had waited for the whole book. I was so happy that it finally happened that I didn't freak out over the fact it left us hanging. If anything, the cliffhanger just made me super excited for the next book to come out.

Even though it may not sound like it, I really did love this book. The story is something I've very much enjoyed overall. The world is very well thought out and is a great backdrop to this series. The writing is rich and descriptive. I'm really looking forward to the next book in this series and can't wait till it's released.

Threats of Sky & Sea Review

This time I am reviewing Threats of Sky & Sea by: Jennifer Ellision.

Bree lived a normal life working at her dad’s bar, until the day she spied some elemental guards in the forest. Barely escaping, she thought that would be the last she saw of them, but they are hunting for someone. That someone is her father. Bree suddenly gets swept into the unfamiliar life of court, where any wrong move could cost her or her father’s life. The king wants information that only her father provides, and Bree will do anything to save them both.

In the first few paragraphs of this book, I was so impressed with the writing. It’s so rich in description and I easily fell into this story. I couldn’t put it down until I turned the very last page (well, actually swiped to the last page because I was reading the eBook).

I really liked Bree as a character. All of the book she is so out of her element and just trying to stay alive. She was strong and independent. I actually really loved how the romance in this book took a back-seat roll. You really got the sense of how much she truly cared about her dad because it wasn’t overshadowed by some unrealistic romance.

The secondary characters in this book are amazing as well. There’s more depth to them than I thought there would be, or than what is typically in other books. Out of the secondary characters, I found I really started to love Aleta. She really surprised me. Katherine/Kat was also a character that I wouldn’t have wanted to miss in this book. She got so much larger of a role than I thought she would and I just loved how evil she was (I loved to hate her).

This book was a bit predictable to me (I guessed the big secret pretty quickly), but there is still a lot of mystery and things I wouldn’t have guessed to happen. The flow of this book was amazing and I never once got bored. It’s not until the end that most of the big revelations happen, but I never felt confused during this book.

There was a bit of a cliffhanger at the end, but it wasn’t a terrible one. It’s like most series these days that always end with something that will lead directly into the next book.

Honestly, I was completely blown away from this book. I expected it to be slow to get into, with the potential long build-up until things got moving, but you are jolted right into everything from the beginning. This book surprised me in so many ways and Jennifer Ellision really is a talented author. I can’t wait to read the second book.

I also have to mention that I love the cover of this book. The model and the dress are both beautiful. I also love the crashing waves in the background, they really give a good tone for the book.