19. velj 2016.

ARC Review: The Shadow Queen by C. J . Redwine


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Book summary: 
Lorelai Diederich, crown princess and fugitive at large, has one mission: kill the wicked queen who took both the Ravenspire throne and the life of her father. To do that, Lorelai needs to use the one weapon she and Queen Irina have in common—magic. She’ll have to be stronger, faster, and more powerful than Irina, the most dangerous sorceress Ravenspire has ever seen.
In the neighboring kingdom of Eldr, when Prince Kol’s father and older brother are killed by an invading army of magic-wielding ogres, the second-born prince is suddenly given the responsibility of saving his kingdom. To do that, Kol needs magic—and the only way to get it is to make a deal with the queen of Ravenspire, promise to become her personal huntsman…and bring her Lorelai’s heart.
But Lorelai is nothing like Kol expected—beautiful, fierce, and unstoppable—and despite dark magic, Lorelai is drawn in by the passionate and troubled king. Fighting to stay one step ahead of the dragon huntsman—who she likes far more than she should—Lorelai does everything in her power to ruin the wicked queen. But Irina isn’t going down without a fight, and her final move may cost the princess the one thing she still has left to lose.
         I've always wanted to do a trailer for a book. Not the video thing, just to write the text for one. As I got really inspired after reading this book, here it goes:

A world torn between kingdoms
An enormous power is growing stronger
A special snowflake that wields the greatest power ever seen
A bad boy...
with a golden heart (you didn't see that coming, right?
Both lost everything they cared for but..
United they find the meaning of it all 
United they will rise against the enemy 
Will their force be strong enough?
Will they make it...?

Find out in The Shadow Queen! Coming out on February 23! 

        Okay that was fun! Needless to say I didn't spoil anything as you can get all of that from the blurb.

        Now, it's time to get serious. When I requested this book I had no idea that this actually is partly retelling. I should have guessed from huntsman, bring her heart and wicked witch, but alas this actually has some elements of Snow White and the Huntsman, minus dwarfs. It does have seven other creatures, though. It was a surprise for me, but not positive one. It just added more to the predictability this book already had in the characters themselves. They weren't bad or undeveloped to say so, but rather predictable and full of sappy lines.

       You might wonder why did I give it 3 stars. Well I must say that the world building was really interesting and the whole idea is not bad at all. It would be a great book, if the characters were less stereotypical. That and the writing which made it easy to jump into the story and fly through it quickly. Basically another good idea ruined by all the wrong choices.

      If you are new to the fantasy part of young adult genre, you might enjoy this one much more then I did. But if, like me, you had read tons of them then you might skip this one. You can already guess the plot and the ending.

      P.S. After reading this you might wonder why is it part of the series. Well this is actually a standalone, which will be followed by companion novels set in the same world. Hopefully the next one will be much better.

Rating: 3 stars.

Until the next time,
*NOTE: Copy of this book was kindly provided by the publisher, Balzer + Bray, via Edelweiss. Thank you!

5. velj 2016.

ARC Review: Reign of Shadows by Sophie Jordan

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Book summary:

Seventeen years ago, an eclipse cloaked the kingdom of Relhok in perpetual darkness. In the chaos, an evil chancellor murdered the king and queen and seized their throne. Luna, Relhok’s lost princess, has been hiding in a tower ever since. Luna’s survival depends on the world believing she is dead.
But that doesn’t stop Luna from wanting more. When she meets Fowler, a mysterious archer braving the woods outside her tower, Luna is drawn to him despite the risk. When the tower is attacked, Luna and Fowler escape together. But this world of darkness is more treacherous than Luna ever realized.
With every threat stacked against them, Luna and Fowler find solace in each other. But with secrets still unspoken between them, falling in love might be their most dangerous journey yet.
With lush writing and a star–crossed romance, Reign of Shadows is Sophie Jordan at her best. 
         I might have promised on my Goodreads that I'll complain about the unrealistic things in this fantasy book and I'm actually thinking about that. So beware as I'm not always as logical as I might sound.

         Sophie Jordan and I go a way back, when she blew me away with her debut in YA lit I believe, Firelight. Sadly everything went downhill in that series and our relationship afterwards. Still when I saw Reign of Shadows on Edelweiss I couldn't help myself. It sounded so good, a ruined kingdom, new magical world and what sounds like a good kickass main character and not to mention a possible new book boyfriend. It had some of that, but not enough.

         Reign of Shadows starts in a tower which is isolated in the woods and rarely anybody knows about it. It's occupied only by a hunter, old maid and a girl with a very long hair *hint? hint* Yes, it's kind of, sort of a retelling. Our Rapunzel is Luna, a girl who has been living in isolation. The chaos has destroyed not only her kingdom but also the whole world. They only get a couple of hours of light, and the rest of the day they are cloaked in darkness, where many dangerous creatures hide. She's been a good girl and obeyed all the rules until one day she decided to break some. Of course she meets Fowler (of Flower as I suck at properly reading names) and falls head over heals in love.

       It all went downhill from there, there was attack and they must run. It also means spending more time together and well you know how that ends. Now don't get me wrong, the romance here was quite nice. Yes predictable, but still slow building and sweet. But there is one issue, big issue. Luna actually has, I'm not really sure what's the proper term to use here but I'll say impairment. Still she kicks ass better than I would with four hands and 20 years of training with ninjas themselves. Fine, she is determined, but for the heaven's sake this is as realistic as me winning the lottery. Even there the odds are 1 in 14 million (totally googled that).

      You can assume that it annoyed me more than it should, but I'm a moody reader so it either doesn't bother me or pisses the hell out of me. Not to forget, this is not a standalone. It'll have a sequel for sure, so don't get your hopes up.

Rating: 2 stars. 

Until the next time,
*NOTE: Copy of this book was kindly provided by the publisher, Harper Teen, via Edelweiss. Thank you!

29. sij 2016.

ARC Review: Revenge and the Wild by Michelle Modesto

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Book summary:
The two-bit town of Rogue City is a lawless place, full of dark magic and saloon brawls, monsters and six-shooters. But it’s perfect for seventeen-year-old Westie, the notorious adopted daughter of local inventor Nigel Butler.
Westie was only a child when she lost her arm and her family to cannibals on the wagon trail. Nine years later, Westie may seem fearsome with her foul-mouthed tough exterior and the powerful mechanical arm built for her by Nigel, but the memory of her past still haunts her. She’s determined to make the killers pay for their crimes—and there’s nothing to stop her except her own reckless ways.
But Westie’s search ceases when a wealthy family comes to town looking to invest in Nigel’s latest invention, a machine that can harvest magic from gold—which Rogue City desperately needs as the magic wards that surround the city start to fail. There’s only one problem: the investors look exactly like the family who murdered Westie’s kin. With the help of Nigel’s handsome but scarred young assistant, Alistair, Westie sets out to prove their guilt. But if she’s not careful, her desire for revenge could cost her the family she has now.
This thrilling novel is a remarkable tale of danger and discovery, from debut author Michelle Modesto.
        I'm really having a bad luck with these new ARCs (bare in mind that I'm writing this in September). When they first appeared on Edelweiss I was over the moon as they all sounded so good and most of them unique. Revenge and the Wild seemed as the most unique one for sure. It was that, but with lots of issues.

        As promised in the blurb, this book is a mix of everything. It's a mystery, steampunk and above all fantasy. Set in Rouge City it tells about the girl Westie. A girl who has lost her parents long ago and ever since then trained really hard to revenge their death. With Nigel's help (her guardian) she became as many believe heartless killing machine. In the world where vampires, zombies, cannibals and what not it seems like a very useful skill. When she finally gets to face the killers, she will do anything to complete her task.

       That was the revenge part of the title, now we're coming to the wild part. This book is full of all sorts of creatures. Some of them familiar to us, while some of them not. But what they all have in common is that all of them are wild. Meaning no sparkling vampires or heartthrob zombies. That part of the story was the best for me. I never knew when the next creature will pop out and the next bloodshed begin.

      But another wild part here are love interests. More or less all of us hate love triangles, so I'm not sure why someone things that quadrangle is better. No, it's worse, much worse. It ruined the whole reading experience for me as every guy in this book seemed to be in love with Westie. I shall add that her character was actually really flat as all others in the book.

     Basically, this book goes on the good idea, but bad realization shelf in my library.

Rating: 2 stars. 

Until the next time,
*NOTE: Copy of this book was kindly provided by the publisher, via Edelweiss. Thank you!

4. sij 2016.

ARC Review: This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp

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Book summary:
10:00 a.m.The principal of Opportunity, Alabama's high school finishes her speech, welcoming the entire student body to a new semester and encouraging them to excel and achieve.
10:02 a.m.The students get up to leave the auditorium for their next class.
10:03The auditorium doors won't open.
10:05Someone starts shooting.
Told over the span of 54 harrowing minutes from four different perspectives, terror reigns as one student's calculated revenge turns into the ultimate game of survival.
         To all of us who always complain that there really is no diversity in YA books, well I present you This is Where it Ends! This book contains all diversity you may ask for (different races and sexual orientations) and with that deliver a really strong story, real and heartbreaking. Basically, everything I could ask from it.

         It starts with four narrators and four different POVs. At the beginning it's a bit hard to connect all the dots and understand what's the connecting between all of them as the story progresses you get to understand it. We're in a high school here, ironically called Opportunity. It's your typical high school but with some unexpected event on a first day of school. It starts as each year with assembly where the principal is giving them her speech, which all of them already know by heart. Only when it ends there is no way out. They are trapped and suddenly there are gunshots. Terror starts in and out of high school.

         While some might complain that four different narrators might be too much here it really works out. Mostly as you get to be inside and outside of the school and with that get a full picture. Not only that, this book is real. When I say real I mean shocking as you won't believe that it's happening. There is no happy moments and love conquers all here. It's really straightforward and heartbreaking.

         I'm not sure that many will find this book appealing as it might even be controversial. Still I believe it's something that we all need to read. It's a great wake up call and it makes you think of everything that's happening around you, which is its greatest strength.

Rating: 5 stars.

Until the next time,
*NOTE: Copy of this book was kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley. Thank you!

3. pro 2015.

Cover Reveal: Warrior Witch by Danielle L. Jensen

Hello everyone! As you have noticed we don't post that much these days. We apologize, but we're both really busy at the moment.

Anyhow, I couldn't pass this cover reveal. It's for The Malediction Trilogy, one of my favorite series! Sadly, all good things come to an end so we've reached the cover reveal for the last book in the series - Warrior Witch

Without further ado, here it is...


Book summary: (spoilers if you haven't read the previous books in this series!!)
Sometimes, one must become the unimaginable
The witch is dead, the curse is broken, and the trolls are free of their mountain prison. Cécile and Tristan have accomplished all it was foretold they would, but their greatest challenge remains: defeating the evil they have unleashed. Because the trolls are not the only creatures now free to walk the world.
Enclosed within the safety of Trianon’s walls, Cécile and Tristan scramble for a way to protect the people of the Isle and liberate the trolls from their tyrant king. But Cécile and Tristan both have debts, and they will be forced to pay them at a cost far greater than they had ever imagined.


It's pretty!! Right? I can say it's my favorite in the series. Here is what Danielle said about it 
"I'm very excited to share the cover of Warrior Witch with all you lovely readers! I've been exceptional lucky to have wonderful covers for all my books, but I think this one is my favorite. Not only is it beautiful, it perfectly captures the spirit of the novel. Thanks so much to the team at Angry Robot and designer Steve Stone for doing such an amazing job!"
Other books in series
Just to remind you of other books in this series, you should check them out (hint. hint) 

Book summary: 
For five centuries, a witch’s curse has bound the trolls to their city beneath the mountain. When Cécile de Troyes is kidnapped and taken beneath the mountain, she realises that the trolls are relying on her to break the curse.
Cécile has only one thing on her mind: escape. But the trolls are clever, fast, and inhumanly strong. She will have to bide her time…
But the more time she spends with the trolls, the more she understands their plight. There is a rebellion brewing. And she just might be the one the trolls were looking for... 

Buy the book at Amazon/ Barnes & Noble/ The Book Depository

Book summary: 
Sometimes, one must accomplish the impossible.
Beneath the mountain, the king’s reign of tyranny is absolute; the one troll with the capacity to challenge him is imprisoned for treason. Cécile has escaped the darkness of Trollus, but she learns all too quickly that she is not beyond the reach of the king’s power. Or his manipulation.
Recovered from her injuries, she now lives with her mother in Trianon and graces the opera stage every night. But by day she searches for the witch who has eluded the trolls for five hundred years. Whether she succeeds or fails, the costs to those she cares about will be high.
To find Anushka, she must delve into magic that is both dark and deadly. But the witch is a clever creature. And Cécile might not just be the hunter. She might also be the hunted…

Giveaway 

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Hidden Huntress by Danielle L. Jensen

Hidden Huntress

by Danielle L. Jensen

Giveaway ends December 31, 2015.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.
Enter Giveaway
Until the next time,

5. stu 2015.

Cover Reveal: Tone Deaf by Olivia Rivers

Hello all! Today I have a special treat for you. This is a cover reveal for the Tone Deaf by Olivia Rivers. Without further ado...
Pre-order at:

Expected publication: May 3, 2016

Book summary:
For child prodigy Ali Collins, music was life. All that changes when a brain tumor lands her in a silent nightmare, controlled by her physically abusive father and the deafness she’ll never get used to. When Ali accidentally wins a backstage tour with the chart-topping band Tone Deaf, she reluctantly accepts the prize, only to be kicked out. Jace Beckett, the lead singer of the pop-punk band, refuses to even speak to Ali because she is deaf.Ali threatens to report Jace’s discrimination, but ends up agreeing to keep quiet in exchange for money. With a bit of cash, she can escape to New York and get away from her father. Then Jace notices her fresh bruises and changes the offer, claiming he’ll use his influence and connections to help Ali escape. But even when Jace reveals a baffling fluency in American Sign Language, she can’t bring herself to trust him.When Ali’s dad crosses a new line, she’s driven to accept Jace’s offer despite her fears. Soon she’s traveling cross-country, hidden away in Jace’s RV as the band finishes their nation-wide tour. As weeks pass, the members of Tone Deaf start to resemble a quirky little family. Then there's Jace. Ali can't figure out his mood swings, but she knows she’s falling for the passionate and secretive musician. Jace’s hardened attitude melts away more with every mile they travel, and Ali finds herself ever closer to understanding his attitude towards the deaf. But when tragedy strikes, Ali must decide between walking away from Tone Deaf, or sacrificing her freedom to save Jace and his band.
About the author

Olivia Rivers is a hybrid author of Young Adult fiction. Her works include the independently published “Tortured Elements” and “Duplicity” series, along with the traditionally published novel “Tone Deaf” (Skyhorse 2016.) As a certified geek, she enjoys experimenting with new publishing technologies, and her online serials have received over 1,000,000 hits on Wattpad.com. When Olivia isn’t working as a writer, she’s a typical teen attending college in Northern California. Olivia is represented by Laurie McLean of Fuse Literary, and nothing thrills her more than hearing from readers.

Author's  Twitter

Giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Until the next time,

12. lis 2015.

ARC Review: The Immortal Heights by Sherry Thomas

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Author's 

Book summary:
In a pursuit that has spanned continents, Iolanthe, Titus, and their friends have always managed to remain one step ahead of the forces of Atlantis. But now the Bane, the monstrous tyrant who bestrides the entire mage world, has issued his ultimatum: Titus must hand over Iolanthe, or watch as his entire realm is destroyed in a deadly rampage. Running out of time and options, Iolanthe and Titus must act decisively to deliver a final blow to the Bane, ending his reign of terror for good.
However, getting to the Bane means accomplishing the impossible—finding a way to infiltrate his crypt in the deepest recesses of the most ferociously guarded fortress in Atlantis. And everything is only made more difficult when new prophecies come to light, foretelling a doomed effort....
Iolanthe and Titus will put their love and their lives on the line. But will it be enough?
With The Immortal Heights, Sherry Thomas brings the acclaimed Elemental Trilogy to its breathtaking conclusion.
        It's usually the second book in series that I have issues with. Which, if you ask me, is logical. You usually have an idea and a way to start it and mostly how to end it, but the middle is tricky. Well I have no idea how but with this series is actually the opposite.

       What started like a really interesting story in The Burning Sky, exploded in The Perilous Sea, where I fell in love with everything. It's just the story progressed in a way I didn't expect it too and it surprised me so much. But, it's sad that The Immortal Heights didn't continue in that direction.

       Don't get me wrong here, this is not by all means a bad book. Quite opposite, as was it written a stand along I would for sure be writing a praise for it. However, the trick with series of any kind is that after the latest one you expect the next one to be more. This one wasn't that. It continued in a good manner, the story progressed nicely and the characters developed even more. It all went in a right direction towards nowhere. There wasn't that blow at the end that would leave me breathless, something that would make me hold this book and weep that there is no more. Something that would make me remember it till the end of days.  Even the romance between the two became dull, there weren't those sparks from the previous books.

      I might be asking for to much, but with such a world building and great characters it's what it needs. Still it will be remembered as a great story, one you should most definitely read.

Rating: 3.5 stars.

Until the next time,
*NOTE: Copy of this book was kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley. Thank you!

5. lis 2015.

ARC Review: A Thousand Nights by E.K. Johnston

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Book summary:
Lo-Melkhiin killed three hundred girls before he came to her village, looking for a wife. When she sees the dust cloud on the horizon, she knows he has arrived. She knows he will want the loveliest girl: her sister. She vows she will not let her be next.
And so she is taken in her sister's place, and she believes death will soon follow. Lo-Melkhiin's court is a dangerous palace filled with pretty things: intricate statues with wretched eyes, exquisite threads to weave the most beautiful garments. She sees everything as if for the last time.But the first sun rises and sets, and she is not dead. Night after night, Lo-Melkhiin comes to her and listens to the stories she tells, and day after day she is awoken by the sunrise. Exploring the palace, she begins to unlock years of fear that have tormented and silenced a kingdom. Lo-Melkhiin was not always a cruel ruler. Something went wrong.
Far away, in their village, her sister is mourning. Through her pain, she calls upon the desert winds, conjuring a subtle unseen magic, and something besides death stirs the air.
Back at the palace, the words she speaks to Lo-Melkhiin every night are given a strange life of their own. Little things, at first: a dress from home, a vision of her sister. With each tale she spins, her power grows. Soon she dreams of bigger, more terrible magic: power enough to save a king, if she can put an end to the rule of a monster.
         We can all take a moment and ask ourselves: "Would you buy this book based only on the cover?" My answer is yes, I would for sure. That's I guess how this book ended on my approved NG list. Anyhow, some things this blurb doesn't tell you. First of that it carries the idea of One Thousand and One Nights. While not a retelling, still too much of it rings a bell if you are familiar with The Arabian Nights.

         So, here we are with our main characters, nameless girl and I will simply call her "she". So she is a girl who is a potential bride for Lo-Melkhiin. She is not the only one, as her sister (the prettier one) is also in danger of being taken away by Lo-Melkiin. Only our main character being a good sister goes through "the ugly duckling" phase and transforms into a beautiful swan. After making it into harem she starts fight for her life. She uses her knowledge of storytelling and all the stories she herd to distract Lo-Melkiin from killing her. It then starts to turn into much bigger story and more complex than it seemed at the start.

         That all aside, I must say that this book is really weird. Don't get me wrong. I had a decent share of weird reads and all but this one is just "I don't know what to think of it" weird. While yes it's nicely written and certainly fast read, still pretty much pointless. You don't have any idea about the main character as there really isn't any characterization here, nor there is any romance to be frank. There is a great idea and all but lacking a way of connecting with it.

       I like to refer to this kind of books as "lost in translation" books. It was interesting to read, but still didn't give me anything to connect with and there was lack of any sort of feelings, which disappointed me the most.

Rating: 2.5 stars. 

Until the next time,
*NOTE: Copy of this book was kindly provided by the publisher for review. Thank you!

19. ruj 2015.

ARC Review: What We Saw by Aaron Hartzler

My rating: 4.5 stars

Book summary:

Kate Weston can piece together most of the bash at John Doone’s house: shots with Stacey Stallard, Ben Cody taking her keys and getting her home early—the feeling that maybe he’s becoming more than just the guy she’s known since they were kids.

But when a picture of Stacey passed out over Deacon Mills’s shoulder appears online the next morning, Kate suspects she doesn’t have all the details. When Stacey levels charges against four of Kate’s classmates, the whole town erupts into controversy. Facts that can’t be ignored begin to surface, and every answer Kate finds leads back to the same question: Where was Ben when a terrible crime was committed?

This story—inspired by real events—from debut novelist Aaron Hartzler takes an unflinching look at silence as a form of complicity. It’s a book about the high stakes of speaking up, and the razor thin line between guilt and innocence that so often gets blurred, one hundred and forty characters at a time.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20922826-what-we-saw?from_search=true&search_version=service

      Every once in a while I stumble upon a book that reminds me of something my favorite collage professor told us, back then first year literature students, about the art of reading. About it being interactive process. It is not just you holding this seemingly harmless object in your hands, following words on paper and converting them into the pictures in your head. Books can be dangerous things. Break the rules. Bring down oppressive societies.  Make people think with their own head and stop being part of the zombiefied mass. Tell the truth. And if you read just so you can escape reality and live in the la-la land of fairy tales (which are again construct of various ideologies), you are burying your head in the sand. Literature shouldn't only make you feel content and happy. Literature has to be brutal. Honest. Cruel. Make you feel angry and horrified.It has to push the lines. Protest and rage. 

      Aaron Hartzler wrote a book like that. 

      The rape culture and slut-shaming. Social media sites. These are basically topics of What We Saw. Based on real events. Real. As in this happened somewhere to somebody. What We Saw made me feel angry. I am still angry. It made me obsess over things we do not take seriously - like our children walking around with smartphones and not knowing basic rules of what is polite, safe and sending them into the big (virtual) world thinking that they are going to know to make difference between right and wrong, and pick right, hopefully, every time. That is where parenting stops. That is where murky world of modern society takes hold. And everyone hides behind the screen of the pone or computer, not realizing what "empathy" means. Turning real people into pixels, hashtags and number of likes and shares.  

      I have to be honest and admit that I wasn't completely won over by this book when I first started reading it. I was annoyed with main character, with how shallow and mindless she is sometimes. I am so happy that I read this now. What We Saw is the book we should make our kids read - no matter if you are a parent or a teacher. Make them read it. And talk about it. Talk, talk, talk. That is the only way to make a difference.

*ARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.*

18. ruj 2015.

ARC Review: The White Rose by Amy Ewing

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Author's 
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Book summary:
Violet is on the run. After the Duchess of the Lake catches Violet with Ash, the hired companion at the Palace of the Lake, Violet has no choice but to escape the Jewel or face certain death. So along with Ash and her best friend, Raven, Violet runs away from her unbearable life of servitude.
But no one said leaving the Jewel would be easy. As they make their way through the circles of the Lone City, Regimentals track their every move, and the trio barely manages to make it out unscathed and into the safe haven they were promised—a mysterious house in the Farm.
But there’s a rebellion brewing, and Violet has found herself in the middle of it. Alongside a new ally, Violet discovers her Auguries are much more powerful than she ever imagined. But is she strong enough to rise up against the Jewel and everything she has ever known?
The White Rose is a raw, captivating sequel to The Jewel that fans won’t be able to put down until the final shocking moments.
          It's been a while since my girl Emma and I did a read-a-long so when we figured out that we both had this book, it was easily decided. While we both enjoyed some parts of this book, I'm quite sure that Emma loved it more than me. It wasn't a bad sequel there were just some things that bothered me here. But more about that in our little discussion (if you're new to our read-a-long, the idea is that we come up with questions and then both of us answer them, thus forming a review).

You can check out Emma's answers at Never Judge a Book by its Cover

The feelings you expressed after finishing this book? 
Honestly, mine were torn. While on the one hand, I really enjoyed how this world building developed and some secondary characters really surprised me, somehow I couldn't enjoy this book fully because of Violet. She is a cliche character and at that very predictable which made some part of this story predictable too.

What part of the world-building did you enjoy the most? 
For sure the whole idea about Auguries. It's such an interesting concept and while not new, it was a bit different here. As soon as we left The Jewel and got to the island I really liked how it expanded and the whole background of it.

Speaking of it, which Auguries would you want to be able to control? 
Third one for sure. The first two are about the appearance and while I don't say it is not important still the last one controls what truly matters.

Your thoughts on Violet's character? 
Here is where it gets tricky, as she is the main issue for me here. There is so much about here that was cliche and that bothered me a lot. It influenced the story as well and therefore I couldn't enjoy it fully. It's always hard when you cannot connect with the main character.

How did you feel about Violet and Ash? 
It started off on a wrong foot in the first one. I know that many complained about it being insta love which it was back then. I'm happy to say that it progressed nicely here. It's still not something that I could say it OTP, but maybe it will get there.

What's your favorite secondary character? 
RAVEN! No words needed!

Which one did you like more: The Jewel or The White Rose? 
Honestly, it's hard to decided. While you'll notice that I gave The Jewel 4 stars it doesn't mean that it was better. I like both, but wasn't blown away by either.

Rating: 3 stars.

Until the next time,
*NOTE: Copy of this book was provided by the publisher. Thank you!

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