The Gilded Wolves (The Gilded Wolves, #1) – Roshani Chokshi

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39863498Rating:⭐️⭐️

Synopsis:

From New York Times bestselling author Roshani Chokshi comes The Gilded Wolves, a novel set in Paris during a time of extraordinary change–one that is full of mystery, decadence, and dangerous desires…

No one believes in them. But soon no one will forget them.

It’s 1889. The city is on the cusp of industry and power, and the Exposition Universelle has breathed new life into the streets and dredged up ancient secrets. Here, no one keeps tabs on dark truths better than treasure-hunter and wealthy hotelier Séverin Montagnet-Alarie. When the elite, ever-powerful Order of Babel coerces him to help them on a mission, Séverin is offered a treasure that he never imagined: his true inheritance.

To hunt down the ancient artifact the Order seeks, Séverin calls upon a band of unlikely experts: An engineer with a debt to pay. A historian banished from his home. A dancer with a sinister past. And a brother in arms if not blood.

Together, they will join Séverin as he explores the dark, glittering heart of Paris. What they find might change the course of history–but only if they can stay alive.

Review:

I received The Gilded Wolves as part of Owl Crate’s Magical Artifacts box. I had heard about The Gilded Wolves prior to receiving this box and the premise caught my attention immediately. A heist, magic, Paris, and a kickass team! Can it be any cooler!? Unfortunately, I don’t have really any strong feelings about The Gilded Wolves. It wasn’t good or bad. It was just ok.

One major problem I had was the world building. The beginning of the book is chock full of information. It was too much too quickly. Total information dumping. I felt thrown into this confusing and complex world and magic system. It was very hard for me to picture the world. Also, It was a little weird because I was getting futuristic vibes and didn’t realize that it was actually set in Paris 1889. It didn’t feel like old-timey Paris. I actually kept forgetting that we were in Paris. I did however really like the little history sections at the intros of each part that explain a little more about Forging magic. I thought that this was a neat touch.

My favorite part of The Gilded Wolves was all the puzzles and riddles that the team had to solve. I absolutely loved the chapter when Zofia and Enrique work together to solve the Horus Eye riddle or later when they must figure out the code to save Laila! It was all so exciting and fascinating! All of the clues and puzzles actually kind of reminded me of the movie National Treasure. Even though I can’t stand Nicholas Cage I still love that movie because of the treasure hunt, clues, and puzzles. I kept thinking about this while reading The Gilded Wolves. 

Going into The Gilded Wolves I was prepared for similarities to Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows. I love heist stories and books with a diverse cast of characters so I was looking forward to this book. Unfortunately, The Gilded Wolves was a very watered down Six of Crows. The magic of SOC just wasn’t there. The characters are clearly similar to the SOC gang, but without the magic that made them so compelling. I never felt very connected to Séverin, Laila, Enrique, Zofia, Tristan, or Hypnos. I wanted more history on each character and their relationships with each other. I had no attachment to any of them. I was reading other reviews on GoodReads and one by Megan said, “This reads so much like a second book. There were too many prior events and too many previously established relationships that I felt like I was missing key elements needed to read this book.” I couldn’t put my finger on what was wrong with The Gilded Wolves until I read this review. Megan is totally right. I linked her review at the beginning of the quote so go check it out!

One random question . . . what was the significance of the gilded wolves? They wear gilded wolf masks, but am I missing the importance?

In writing this review I realized that I should probably lower my rating. I initially started out as 3 stars, but I am dropping it to 2. The Gilded Wolves is not a bad book. There were some really cool aspects and I loved the riddles. It was just missing something.

The Gilded Wolves ended on a slight cliffhanger, but I’m not dying to know what happens next. I actually think it works as a stand-alone.

The Tattooist of Auschwitz – Heather Morris

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Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Synopsis:

In April 1942, Lale Sokolov, a Slovakian Jew, is forcibly transported to the concentration camps at Auschwitz-Birkenau. When his captors discover that he speaks several languages, he is put to work as a Tätowierer (the German word for tattooist), tasked with permanently marking his fellow prisoners.

Imprisoned for over two and a half years, Lale witnesses horrific atrocities and barbarism—but also incredible acts of bravery and compassion. Risking his own life, he uses his privileged position to exchange jewels and money from murdered Jews for food to keep his fellow prisoners alive.

One day in July 1942, Lale, prisoner 32407, comforts a trembling young woman waiting in line to have the number 34902 tattooed onto her arm. Her name is Gita, and in that first encounter, Lale vows to somehow survive the camp and marry her.

A vivid, harrowing, and ultimately hopeful re-creation of Lale Sokolov’s experiences as the man who tattooed the arms of thousands of prisoners with what would become one of the most potent symbols of the Holocaust, The Tattooist of Auschwitz is also a testament to the endurance of love and humanity under the darkest possible conditions.

Review:

Wow. What an incredible story. The Tattooist of Auschwitz was a heartbreaking and harrowing, but inspiring story. I am a huge fan of historical fiction and I especially love when these books are based on true events. The Tattooist of Auschwitz was captivating and completely unputdownable! Content warning: there were many graphic and horrific scenes at the concentration camps.

The Tattooist of Auschwitz is the true tale of Lale Solokov and his time in Auschwitz. Lale becomes the tattooist and is forced to permanently mark his fellow prisoners with a number. It never occurred to me that this job would be done by a prisoner and not an S.S. officer or other German official. Knowing that a Jewish prisoner was made to do this task makes it even more unimaginable. Lale agonizes over his job, but does it because he is determined to survive. One of his biggest inner struggles is that he could be seen as a Nazi sympathizer. He ultimately does his job so that he can live. I can’t imagine being in this situation. This is one of the many reasons why books about the Holocaust are so important. We need to be educated and to remember about the horrors that were done. We need to imagine/picture these situations so never let it happen again.

One wouldn’t think that a story about Auschwitz and the Holocaust would be about a blossoming love story, but The Tattooist of Auschwitz was exactly that. To be honest, Lale and Gita’s love story started off a bit strong for me. Lale saw Gita one time and was instantly obsessed with her. I know the author wrote this book after interviewing Lale so it’s all from his perspective. At first I was like come on that’s ridiculous insta-love, but then I realized it was true and actually love at first sight. Their love for one another gives them the strength to fight to survive. It was simultaneously heartwarming and heartbreaking reading Lale and Gita’s story. I loved their love, but I can’t imagine the daily terror of not knowing if you’d ever see each other again. Small spoiler. . . I loved that the author included pictures of Lale and Gita!

The only reason I could not give The Tattooist of Auschwitz five stars was because of the writing style. The story is five stars, but the writing is one or two. This is because the writing was very simplistic. There was very little prose. I think a different author would have been able to create a more emotional and all encompassing atmosphere. Also, I so wish that the book was written from Lale and Gita’s points of view. It was Lale’s story and his words and I think the author did a disservice by not having first person story telling. I did love that Morris included an afterword by Gary Solokov and an author’s note with more info about how she met Lale and their interview process.

I am so glad that I discovered The Tattooist of Auschwitz and got to learn about Lale and Gita’s story. I will carry this book with me forever.

King of Scars (Nikolai Duology, #1) – Leigh Bardugo

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Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Synopsis:

Nikolai Lantsov has always had a gift for the impossible. No one knows what he endured in his country’s bloody civil war―and he intends to keep it that way. Now, as enemies gather at his weakened borders, the young king must find a way to refill Ravka’s coffers, forge new alliances, and stop a rising threat to the once-great Grisha Army.

Yet with every day a dark magic within him grows stronger, threatening to destroy all he has built. With the help of a young monk and a legendary Grisha Squaller, Nikolai will journey to the places in Ravka where the deepest magic survives to vanquish the terrible legacy inside him. He will risk everything to save his country and himself. But some secrets aren’t meant to stay buried―and some wounds aren’t meant to heal.

Review:

Welcome back to the Grishaverse! I consider the original Shadow and Bone trilogy to be one of my gateway to YA fantasy series. I really liked the trilogy and it led to me to so many more YA fantasy authors. Then Leigh published Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom and the Grishaverse got even better!! I absolutely adored this duology. So I was thrilled to learn that Leigh Bardugo was publishing another duology in the Grishaverse, but this time it would focus on Nikolai. I was ecstatic because Nikolai was one of my favorite parts of the original trilogy.

It was a long wait, but I finally got my hands on King of Scars and I dove right in. I’m sorry to say that I have mixed feelings about King of Scars.

I’ll start with what I liked . . .

First, and foremost, being back in the Grishaverse!! Bardugo’s world and its magic are so much fun. I love all the different orders of Grisha. I still don’t know which order I’d choose. I think it would be between Squallors and Healers. King of Scars expands on Grisha magic and lore in a very cool and interesting way. I am keeping this review spoiler free so I won’t tell you how.

NIKOLAI!!! Man I missed him and his ridiculous charm. I still love all of his one liners. There is a ton of growth and character development in Nikolai that occurred after the end of the war and in King of Scars. Nikolai is struggling with the demon inside of him and learning to live with the parts of himself that he does not like. Nikolai was so much more real in this story that in the past. I liked seeing that he isn’t always the charismatic, light-hearted man he portrays. It was great to see him in this new light. Although I still love charming Nikolai.

Zoya was the biggest surprise for me in King of Scars. I did not expect to like her point of view chapters so much, but I actually loved them. I especially loved getting to learn about her history. She is the perfect opposite to Nikolai’s easy-going nature. She also experiences huge amounts of growth throughout the story. I did not expect her story arc and I am looking forward to see where Bardugo takes it next.

The callbacks to other Grishaverse books, mostly Six of Crows. . . 

  •  “She wished she had Inej’s gift for spywork or Kaz’s gift for scheming, but she only seemed to have Jesper’s gift for bad decisions.”
  • “No mourners.”
Now, for what I didn’t like or thought was just meh . . .

The pacing. The first chapter of King of Scars pulled me in immediately and I was so excited about the story! But then the story dragged. It took until about half to three quarters of the way through to get exciting. It took 150 pages to get to the actual quest.

The three point of views: Nikolai, Zoya, and Nina (there is a fourth minor POV). Don’t get me wrong, I loved all three POVs. It just didn’t work as one book. To me, King of Scars was two different books. One was Nikolai and Zoya’s story and the other was Nina’s. Nina’s story felt completely separated from Nikolai and Zoya. I liked her story and thought it was a great arc for her, but it took me out of Nikolai and Zoya’s. I feel like Nina’s chapters should have been a separate novella that was released between the two Nikolai duology books. 

I wanted more. I felt like King of Scars was missing something. I saw the twist coming very early on. There were some elements that to the twist that I didn’t expect, but it didn’t make me gasp. I wanted to be shocked, but instead I was mildly surprised. Also there were scenes with Nikolai and Zoya training that felt lacking. I wanted more! We only get to see a quick look at each of their training. It would have been cool to explore this more.

Overall, I’m a bit disappointed by King of Scars. There were parts I liked and parts I didn’t. I’m a mixed bag for this one. I’ll read the next book because I’d love to know what happens and how Bardugo wraps it up. Part of me hopes that after the next book she closes the door on these characters. I’d love to learn more about the Grishaverse but with new characters and stories. . . like with Six of Crows.

One last point . . . I loved the subtle Beauty and the Beast reference! Did you notice it? Comment and let me know!

Kingdom of Copper (The Daevabad Trilogy, #2) – S. A. Chakraborty

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Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

Synopsis:

Nahri’s life changed forever the moment she accidentally summoned Dara, a formidable, mysterious djinn, during one of her schemes. Whisked from her home in Cairo, she was thrust into the dazzling royal court of Daevabad—and quickly discovered she would need all her grifter instincts to survive there.

Now, with Daevabad entrenched in the dark aftermath of a devastating battle, Nahri must forge a new path for herself. But even as she embraces her heritage and the power it holds, she knows she’s been trapped in a gilded cage, watched by a king who rules from the throne that once belonged to her family—and one misstep will doom her tribe..

Meanwhile, Ali has been exiled for daring to defy his father. Hunted by assassins, adrift on the unforgiving copper sands of his ancestral land, he is forced to rely on the frightening abilities the marid—the unpredictable water spirits—have gifted him. But in doing so, he threatens to unearth a terrible secret his family has long kept buried.

And as a new century approaches and the djinn gather within Daevabad’s towering brass walls for celebrations, a threat brews unseen in the desolate north. It’s a force that would bring a storm of fire straight to the city’s gates . . . and one that seeks the aid of a warrior trapped between worlds, torn between a violent duty he can never escape and a peace he fears he will never deserve.

Review

This will contain spoilers for The City of Brass

S. A. Chakraborty has done it again. Kingdom of Copper was an absolutely exceptional sequel to The City of Brass. It builds upon the already expansive world and tells a new, exciting story full of magic, political intrigue, drama, and twists. The imagery is once again vivid and vibrant. Chakraborty created a stunning sequel that I cannot recommend enough.

Kingdom of Copper picks up five years after the epilogue of The City of Brass. I was shocked that so much time had passed, but I actually ending up loving it. There is a prologue at the beginning which updates the reader on the events immediately post The City of Brass. The rest of the novel takes place five years later and over the course of almost a year.

Kingdom of Copper features three POVs – Nahri, Ali, and Dara. Dara has the least amount of POV chapters of the three. The story begins with Nahri in Daevabad, Ali in a small village in Am Geziri, and Dara with Manizheh. The three all eventually end up together in Daevabad. One thing I really liked about KOC was that Nahri and Dara were separated for the majority of the book. I loved seeing Nahri independent of Dara. She was already fierce and strong in COB but she has become so much more so in KOC. I loved watching her growth. I also think that Nahri (and I) romanticized Dara in COB. In KOC, Nahri and the reader get to see more of who Dara really is and how blindly faithful he is. He does have moments of questioning, but he never acts on it. I am so hopeful that Dara will grow and evolve in the next book and maybe even find peace.

One of the things I like so much about this series is that every character/tribe is problematic. It’s not a simple good guy vs bad guy. They all believe that they are correct and that the problems of the world are due to other tribes. Every single tribe has committed terrible acts against others. It’s hard to know who to root for because it is not simply black and white or good and evil. I really liked near the end (minor spoiler?) when Nahri thinks to herself, “Because no matter what this woman said, Nahri did not feel like they were on the same side. She had meant what she said to Muntadhir: she wasn’t on the side of anyone who’d arranged for the deaths of so many innocents.” It is definitely clear who to root for here.

I did not think that the world of Daevabad could possibly be more detailed and captivating, but damn was I wrong. Chakraborty is unbelievably talented and has such a gift for creating the most beautiful worlds. The world in Kingdom of Copper expands and becomes even more immersive. I loved that we got to see beyond just the city of Daevabad. We get to learn more about the world, its history, and the tribes. You can see how much time and thought went it to creating this extensive world. One of my favorite parts is that there is much more magic in KOC. There is the water affinity magic from Ali, Nahri’s Nahid magic and connection with the palace, and Dara’s new form. I found Nahri’s magic especially fascinating. I loved that we get to see so much of it.

The ending of KOC was absolutely epic! I audibly gasped several times! I have so many questions and I am dying to know what will happen next. I can’t believe we have to wait for another year for the next book!

Kingdom of Copper was beautifully captivating and entirely enchanting. I will say that it is very complex. As with The City of Brass, I took notes while reading KOC. It helped to keep all of the details straight. Shout out to Chakraborty for including a map, character list, glossary, and tribe list. It was definitely a slower read, but I liked that! I was able to truly savor the story and details. I cannot wait to see where the story goes next!

A few random points and thoughts to wrap this up . . .

  • I loved the hospital subplot – I was so cool to see all of the healing magic and Nahri working with a shafit physician!
  • The Marid are TERRIFYING!
  • Ali can be problematic at times, but damn he is adorable. For example, his attempt at conversation with Nahri . . .
    • “Er . . . are you reading anything interesting?”
  • Abu Sayf’s quote:
    • “I suppose I never really thought of Daevabad as a Daeva city. Feels like the center of the world should belong to us all.”
  • “I’ve had enough of men hurting me because they were upset.” YAS NAHRI! YOU TELL HIM!!!
  • As a nurse, I really loved and related to Subha’s quote about losing patients. . .
    • “The work is what matters. You fix what you can and  keep yourself whole enough to move on to the next  patient.”

Sadie – Courtney Summers

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Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Synopsis:

A missing girl on a journey of revenge. A Serial―like podcast following the clues she’s left behind. And an ending you won’t be able to stop talking about.

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

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

When West McCray―a radio personality working on a segment about small, forgotten towns in America―overhears Sadie’s story at a local gas station, he becomes obsessed with finding the missing girl. He starts his own podcast as he tracks Sadie’s journey, trying to figure out what happened, hoping to find her before it’s too late.

Courtney Summers has written the breakout book of her career. Sadie is propulsive and harrowing and will keep you riveted until the last page.

Review:

Trigger Warnings: sexual abuse, pedophilia, drug abuse, violence, and murder

Wow. . . I don’t know what else to say. Sadie was an incredibly emotional, raw, and dark book. I applaud Courtney Summers for how she told this story of abuse unapologetically and without sensation. I know that true crime is all the rage lately (for myself included). Sometimes we can get too caught up in the offender and put the focus on them rather than the victims. Summers did not do this at all in Sadie. She never focused on the actual acts of abuse or the abuser, but rather the effects on the victims. I thought it was so important that Summers showed (through Keith) that abusers are so often a wolf in sheep’s clothes. Summers was able to tell a powerful and compelling story that is educational and also respectful.

I absolutely loved the way Sadie was written and how the story was told. The narrative is split between two alternating figures . . . West McCray, a podcast host who is investigating the disappearance of Sadie Hunter, and Sadie herself, who is on a mission to find her sister’s killer. West’s POV and investigation are a few months behind Sadie’s POV, but the two storylines worked together beautifully. I had never read anything like this before. It was so compelling and a perfect way to tell Sadie’s story.

Summers leaves the ending open without a definitive answer. I want to hold out hope for the outcome/answer that I so want to be true, but part of what I loved about Sadie is how realistic it was. I’m unfortunately inclined to think the worst. We will never know for sure. I do know that Sadie will stay with me forever.

Warcross (Warcross, #1) – Marie Lu

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Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ 💫

Synopsis:

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu—when a game called Warcross takes the world by storm, one girl hacks her way into its dangerous depths.

For the millions who log in every day, Warcross isn’t just a game—it’s a way of life. The obsession started ten years ago and its fan base now spans the globe, some eager to escape from reality and others hoping to make a profit. Struggling to make ends meet, teenage hacker Emika Chen works as a bounty hunter, tracking down Warcross players who bet on the game illegally. But the bounty-hunting world is a competitive one, and survival has not been easy. To make some quick cash, Emika takes a risk and hacks into the opening game of the international Warcross Championships—only to accidentally glitch herself into the action and become an overnight sensation.

Convinced she’s going to be arrested, Emika is shocked when instead she gets a call from the game’s creator, the elusive young billionaire Hideo Tanaka, with an irresistible offer. He needs a spy on the inside of this year’s tournament in order to uncover a security problem . . . and he wants Emika for the job. With no time to lose, Emika’s whisked off to Tokyo and thrust into a world of fame and fortune that she’s only dreamed of. But soon her investigation uncovers a sinister plot, with major consequences for the entire Warcross empire.

In this sci-fi thriller, #1 New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu conjures an immersive, exhilarating world where choosing who to trust may be the biggest gamble of all.

Review:

Welp, that was a let down. I have heard such promising things about Warcross, but unfortunately it fell flat for me. There were some parts that I liked, but I really disliked others. Warcross follows broke, down on her luck, hacker Emika Chen who accidentally hacks her way into the virtual world (Warcross) game championships. Warcross was predictable and a little bland.

Now, forgive me, but I still haven’t read Ready Player One. I’ve seen the movie and the book is on my ever growing TBR list. Based on what I saw in the movie, the Neurolink and Warcross game seemed like straight rip offs of the Oasis and Easter Egg competition from Ready Player One. I knew this before starting Warcross, but I hoped that the story and world would save it. Unfortunately, it didn’t. Speaking of the Warcross game/Neurolink world, I’m still not sure if I fully understand it. Neurolink is basically just a virtual world that you can either just live in or play the Warcross game? The game itself seems like a more complex capture the flag. It was all very hard to visualize. I feel like Lu could have done more world building and scene setting instead of just brushing over it with a few quick sentences. It was all show and very little tell.

The actual Warcross game seemed super cool. I really liked how there were five different roles on each team. Each role had a title, special uniform, and specialty during the game. I was a little disappointed that we only get to see one full game. My favorite chapters were when the Phoenix Riders were in a Warcross game.

The main character in Warcross is Emika Chen. Emika is brilliant hacker . . . or so we’re told. She has a hack for everything and it all seems way too easy. This was one of the other big problems that I had with Warcross. Everything seemed to come way too easily for Emika. She didn’t have to deal with much conflict. Also, I wanted to know more about Emika and her story, especially bounty hunter scenes.

Emika’s love interest is Hideo Tanaka – he’s a young, billionaire, tech genius who created the Neurolink and Warcross game. I know that it’s probably not pronounced this way, but every time I read his name my brain automatically says hideous. This is super unfortunate because he is supposed to be this dreamy, elusive love interest. All I think is hideous lol. It took me out of the story every time I read it.

Now, for the most important part of Warcross . . . 

DID YOU KNOW EMIKA HAS RAINBOW HAIR?!?

I’m not sure if you caught the thousand references to her hair, but Emika has rainbow locks. She doesn’t just bundle her hair . . . she bundles her rainbow hair. It’s not just her hair that flies in the wind . . . it’s her rainbow hair. WE GET IT! It was actually comical how many times Emika’s rainbow hair was mentioned.

The big twist at the end was pretty predictable, but the book does end on a cliffhanger. Even though I wasn’t a big fan of Warcross, I am still going to start Wildcard. We’ll see if it ends up being a DNF or not. . .

The Wicked King (The Folk of the Air, #2) – Holly Black

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Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Synopsis: 

The enchanting and bloodthirsty sequel to the New York Times bestselling novel The Cruel Prince.

You must be strong enough to strike and strike and strike again without tiring.

The first lesson is to make yourself strong.

After the jaw-dropping revelation that Oak is the heir to Faerie, Jude must keep her younger brother safe. To do so, she has bound the wicked king, Cardan, to her, and made herself the power behind the throne. Navigating the constantly shifting political alliances of Faerie would be difficult enough if Cardan were easy to control. But he does everything in his power to humiliate and undermine her even as his fascination with her remains undiminished.

When it becomes all too clear that someone close to Jude means to betray her, threatening her own life and the lives of everyone she loves, Jude must uncover the traitor and fight her own complicated feelings for Cardan to maintain control as a mortal in a Faerie world.

Review:

This will contain spoilers from The Cruel Prince.

Here’s the thing . . . I liked The Cruel Prince. I didn’t love it and I am not as obsessed as most of the YA world. I was definitely looking forward to reading The Wicked King, but I wasn’t as excited as I was for other releases. The Wicked King totally exceeded my expectations!

The Wicked King picks up five months after the ending of The Cruel Prince when Jude tricked Cardan into becoming the High King. Jude is basically the puppet-master of Elfhame. She has her hands full – both mentally and physically – running the kingdom and trying to keep Cardan in check. The clock is ticking for Jude. She must figure out how to extend Cardan’s obedience before the year + one day ends. Jude must also battle her complex feelings for Cardan. The Wicked King was full of drama, political intrigue, sexual tension, twists and turns, and magic.

One of my biggest issues with The Cruel Prince was that the characters seemed very one dimensional. There was little depth beyond the typical YA tropes. For example, Jude wonders why Cardan hates her. It’s supposed to be a big reveal that Cardan is actually attracted to Jude, but it was obvious and expected. I think that Holly Black greatly improved on her writing and character development in The Wicked King. The characters had so much more depth. Jude wasn’t simply a mortal girl struggling to fit into the faerie world. She is a powerful woman who used her intelligence to gain power. We learn that Jude is actually quite power-hungry. She doesn’t want to lose the power she’s gained. It was both shocking and exciting to see how much Jude has changed and embraced her true desires. Cardan also gained so much depth. To the kingdom, he appears to still be the cruel playboy disinterested king, but Jude (and we as the readers) get to see how much he’s grown. Cardan is now in the game. He spies, manipulates, and uses power just as much as everyone else. Holly Black did an excellent job growing her characters.

The world of Elfhame expands in The Wicked King. Though mentioned in The Cruel Prince, we didn’t get to explore the Undersea until now. The addition of the Undersea and its Queen was fascinating. I thought these scenes were some of Black’s best writing. The Undersea made me think of a very dark Little Mermaid kingdom. I would love to continue to explore the Undersea and more of the world of Elfhame!

The Wicked King was full of massive twists and turns. The ending was shocking and it was crazy to find out that nothing is what it seemed! The Cruel Prince ended with a reveal and cliffhanger, but it is NOTHING compared to The Wicked King. I can’t wait to see what happens next!

A couple of quick notes:

  • This series should be called The Cruel FOLK and The Wicked FOLK because DAMN those faerie folk are straight up evil sometimes.
  • I got my copy of the The Wicked King in the Owl Crate special edition box. Kudos to Owl Crate and Holly Black for cultivating an incredible box. I liked the exclusive cover for The Cruel Prince, but the Owl Crate cover for The Wicked King is perfect and absolutely gorgeous!

EDIT: So the more I thought about this book & series the more I dislike it. I am all for the enemies to lovers trope, but only if it’s done the right way. Jude & Cardan’s relationship is toxic. It is totally emotionally and physically abusive. Both parties abuse and manipulate the other. It is unhealthy and actually quite disturbing. It glosses over and romanticizes an abusive relationship. It is a terrible message to send to young teens (and actually everyone of all ages) who read this book. I could keep ranting but I’ll stop here.

Grace & Fury (Grace & Fury, #1) – Tracy Banghart

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Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Synopsis: 

Serina Tessaro has been groomed her whole life to become a Grace–someone to stand by the heir to the throne as a shining, subjugated example of the perfect woman. It’s her chance to secure a better life for her family, and to keep her headstrong and rebellious younger sister, Nomi, out of trouble. But when Nomi catches the Heir’s eye instead, Serina is the one who takes the fall for the dangerous secret her sister has been hiding.

Trapped in a life she never wanted, Nomi has only one option: surrender to her role as a Grace until she can use her position to save Serina. But this is easier said than done…. A traitor walks the halls of the palazzo, and deception lurks in every corner.

Meanwhile Serina is running out of time. Imprisoned on an island where she must fight to the death to survive, surrounded by women stronger than she is, one wrong move could cost her everything. There is no room for weakness on Mount Ruin, especially weaknesses of the heart.

Thrilling and captivating, Grace and Fury is a story of fierce sisterhood, and of survival in a world that’s determined to break you.

Review:

I received Grace and Fury in the Owl Crate August 2018 “Ruthless Royals” box. I had heard about the book and thought it sounded interesting, but I probably wouldn’t have read it if it hadn’t been in this box. One of my favorite things about Owl Crate is the exclusive covers. The exclusive cover of Grace and Fury is stunning! I like it more than the original cover.

The story follows two sisters, Nomi and Serina, in a land where women are oppressed and have no rights or power. Through a series of events Serina is imprisoned and Nomi is forced to stay in the palace as a Grace of the Heir. I liked both sisters stories, but Serina’s was more exciting. Mount Ruin (aka the island prison) is crazy and full of super intense action. Serina starts off as a “perfect” woman who submits and never rebels. I really liked watching her grow into a strong, independent woman.

One of the biggest strengths of Grace and Fury is the imagery. Tracy Banghart was able to create beautiful scenery with her writing. I especially loved the Graces’ dresses and all the Italian influence. Even the gruesome scenes at the Mount Ruin amphitheater were beautifully written.

Grace and Fury was very predictable. As soon as Nomi and Serina arrived in the palace and we met the Heir (Malachi) and his brother (Asa) I knew exactly where the story would go. All of the romances were too insta-lovey and obvious from the characters first meetings. Despite this, the story was a lot of fun and I enjoyed it.

My favorite part of  Grace and Fury is the female power! The world in Grace and Fury is all kinds of f***** up!! I absolutely loved watching the women realize that they do have power and that they can create change. The best was that the women realized they’re better when they work together! Grace and Fury was full of amazing feminist messages and I loved every bit of it. This is what took the book from a 2.5 star rating to 3 stars.

I’ll wrap this review up by including my favorite feminist quotes from the book . . .

“You fight back. Always.”

“In all the stories, women give up everything,” Maris said, her voice tight.  “We are always supposed to give. We are never supposed to fight. Why do you think that is?” . . . Voice low, knowing she was walking on a knife’s edge, she murmured,  “Because they’re afraid of what will happen if we do.”

But Serina couldn’t stop. A wave was building in her chest, and if she didn’t speak, it would  destroy her. “Why do we let them do this to us?” she asked, and she was thinking of more than  the guard’s barbaric fights. “Why do we let them break us? Starve us? Punish us for being  ourselves? Is it because we think we’re sweet, delicate flowers and we let them?” Her voice rose. “I  don’t think we’ve ever been what they want. That’s why we’re here in the first place.” She remembered what Oracle had said when she’d arrived, and suddenly, the words meant even more now, because Serina believed them. “We are not flowers,” she said  firmly. “Like you said, Oracle, we are concrete and barbed wire. We are iron.” Serina stared at the women surrounding her. “We are smart, and we are dangerous. The guards know that. They  know we have the power to overthrow them, if we’d just work together.  We need to stop killing each other and fight them.”

I wanted to add this part last so I could talk about how Grace and Fury reminded me a lot of The Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard. It was actually a little too similar in some parts.

SPOILERS BELOW FOR BOTH BOOKS.

Here are all the similarities between Grace and Fury and The Red Queen . . . 

  • There are two brothers (Cal & Maven/Malachi & Asa) who are the King’s/Superior’s sons. The older brother (Cal/Malachi) will be the heir.
  • The lead (Mare/Nomi) connects with the younger brother first.
  • The younger brother (Maven/Asa) is more progressive and a visionary. He convinces the lead (Mare/Nomi) that he is the better brother and cares about the same things she does. He convinces her that he could lead better and should be heir.
  • The lead (Mare/Nomi) and the younger brother (Maven/Asa) scheme to overthrow the cruel king/superior.
  • The lead (Mare/Nomi) starts to develop feelings for both brothers and is torn between the two. She feels wrong about her connection with the older brother (Cal/Malachi).
  • In the big twist, it’s revealed that the younger brother (Maven/Asa) is actually the bad guy and had been manipulating the lead (Mare/Nomi) all along. The older brother (Cal/Malachi) is actually the good guy.
  • The younger brother (Maven/Asa) murders his father and frames the older brother (Cal/Malachi).
  • The older brother (Cal/Malachi) and the lead (Mare/Nomi) are imprisoned by the younger brother (Maven/Asa) who then assumes leadership.

Illuminae (The Illuminae Files, #1) – Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

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Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Synopsis:

This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do. This afternoon, her planet was invaded.
      The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than a speck at the edge of the universe. Now with enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to evacuate with a hostile warship in hot pursuit.
     But their problems are just getting started. A plague has broken out and is mutating with terrifying results; the fleet’s AI may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a web of data to find the truth, it’s clear the only person who can help her is the ex-boyfriend she swore she’d never speak to again.
      Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, maps, files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more—Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes.

Review:

I am speechless. I do not know how I am going to form coherent thoughts to write this review. I am now OBSESSED with Illuminae. I don’t know why it took me so long to read it! I had heard that it was incredible and everyone loved it, but it just kept getting pushed down on my TBR list. I have been missing out!!! Illuminae (and I’m sure the other books in the series which I am currently waiting on Amazon to deliver) is one of my new FAVORITE books. It was so damn good.

I absolutely loved the way Illuminae was written. The first time I flipped through the book I was a little nervous about the “dossier of hacked documents” style of writing. I was worried it would be difficult to follow. IT WAS NOT AT ALL DIFFICULT TO FOLLOW! I don’t know how they did it, but Kaufman and Kristoff were able to pull off this incredible story-telling style. My brain literally cannot process how these two super-humans were not only able to successfully co-write an incredible story, but also format it in such an untraditional way that not only worked but elevated the story! I have no other way to describe the formatting and story telling method other than IT IS SO COOL!

As for the actual story of Illuminae . . . it was exciting, suspenseful, emotional, and action-packed. I adored our main characters, Kady and Ezra. All of the different POVs (including Kady and Ezra’s) were so well done. I felt like I was there on the Hypatia and Alexander with them. I was stressed, anxious, terrified (looking at you plague afflicted), and grief stricken along side Kady, Ezra, and the rest of the passengers. Marie Lu’s quote on the cover describes my feelings about Illuminae perfectly . . . “Brace yourself. You’re about to be immersed in a mindscape that you’ll never want to leave.” She’s 100% correct . . . I never want to leave this incredible story.

Illuminae was an emotional twisty-turny super intense rollercoaster. And I loved every minute. I am officially on the Illuminae hype train! I am so freaking excited for Gemina and Obsidio to be delivered so I can dive in to the rest of the series!

Shadow of the Fox (Shadow of the Fox, #1) – Julie Kagawa

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Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Synopsis:

One thousand years ago, the great Kami Dragon was summoned to grant a single terrible wish—and the land of Iwagoto was plunged into an age of darkness and chaos.

Now, for whoever holds the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers, a new wish will be granted. A new age is about to dawn.

Raised by monks in the isolated Silent Winds temple, Yumeko has trained all her life to hide her yokai nature. Half kitsune, half human, her skill with illusion is matched only by her penchant for mischief. Until the day her home is burned to the ground, her adoptive family is brutally slain and she is forced to flee for her life with the temple’s greatest treasure—one part of the ancient scroll.

There are many who would claim the dragon’s wish for their own. Kage Tatsumi, a mysterious samurai of the Shadow Clan, is one such hunter, under orders to retrieve the scroll…at any cost. Fate brings Kage and Yumeko together. With a promise to lead him to the scroll, an uneasy alliance is formed, offering Yumeko her best hope for survival. But he seeks what she has hidden away, and her deception could ultimately tear them both apart.

With an army of demons at her heels and the unlikeliest of allies at her side, Yumeko’s secrets are more than a matter of life or death. They are the key to the fate of the world itself.

Review:

I received Shadow of the Fox in my Owl Crate October 2018 box. When I heard the premise of this book I knew I had to read it. I was thrilled to see it in my Owl Crate box. And can we talk about that cover!? It’s gorgeous!! The cover of Shadow of the Fox is one of my favorite 2018 covers. 

I really enjoyed Shadow of the Fox! It was unlike anything I have read before. The story follows Yumeko, a half-kitsune (fox magic) girl who is tasked with protecting a piece of the dragon scroll. During her journey she meets a lot of different people, but most important is Kage Tatsumi. Tatsumi is the Kage Demonslayer and possessor of the demon sword. He agrees to help Yumeko so that he can get the scroll. I am so happy with the way the author handled the relationship between Yumeko and Tatsumi. As they grew closer I was worried that there would be insta love and the story would veer away from the plot and action and towards their romance. Luckily, the author did not do that at all. Their relationship was not the main focus of the story, and it develops slowly. They do feel comfortable with one another and the love is definitely developing, but it doesn’t happen overnight. I really liked this about Shadow of the Fox. 

Shadow of the Fox was full of magic, action, demons, samurai, and Japanese culture. It was exciting! The action and suspense was so well done. The first chapter pulled me in immediately. It was perfect! I had no idea what to expect, but the first chapter hooked me in from the first sentence. It was a super fun book with lots of twists and turns. I am very curious to see what happens next!  

A few stray thoughts . . .

  • Lady Satomi is one scary villain! She was terrifying and so truly evil!
  • The god damned blood magic giant centipede. I COULD NOT HANDLE THIS. It’s no secret that I do not do well with bugs and this was so hard to read! The author definitely did a great job in scaring me and giving me the creeps!
  • Speaking of blood magic . . . I thought the use and imagery of blood magic was incredibly well done. It was just so evil!
  • The Kodama (aka tree spirit minor gods) were adorable! They actually reminded me of the Bowtruckle (Pickett) in Fantastic Beasts! 
  • The whole graveyard village curse subplot seemed kind of out of nowhere and really didn’t add much to the overall plot.
  • I loved that there is a glossary at the end of the book. I am very unfamiliar with Japanese culture and folklore, so this was extremely helpful. Whenever I couldn’t remember what a word or name meant I would just flip to the back of the book. I loved it!
  • The last few chapters are full of twists, turns, and reveals. I was hoping that Shadow of the Fox was going to be a stand alone, but it is going to be a trilogy. After reading the last few chapters I knew I wanted more and I can’t wait to see what happens next! 
  • Favorite quotes:
    • “May the Kami bless you, and may you never lose that fire that burns within your soul.”
    • “One step at a time, little fox. The spider does not spin its web in a heartbeat, nor does the albatross fly across oceans with a few flaps of its wings. Many would consider what they do impossible, and yet, they still complete their tasks without fail, because they simply . . . start.”