Ferocious by Paula Stokes: Playlist!!

Hello there guys!

Once again I'm dusting off the blog to share my love for a book and an author that is in my auto-buy list!

Last year I shared the playlist for the first book in this duology, and now I'm back to share the playlist for Ferocious by Paula Stokes, the second & final book of the Vicarious duology!

I'm a big bad of reading books with the playlist that either inspired the writing or that was chosen by the author because it's what fits best the moments in the book!

So today we have Paula here to tell us a bit more about the songs she chose for Ferocious! I have created a Spotify playlist that you can check out in the link below or check the YouTube videos below!

FEROCIOUS PLAYLIST by Paula Stokes


When I create a playlist, I “watch” the book like it’s a movie in my head and select songs that fit individual scenes. I also try to find songs that match the tone of the story. Like Vicarious, Ferocious is an edgy, high-tech story with a lot of action and dark emotions. I definitely tapped into my love of 90s and early 00s grunge and alternative music when making this list, as well as some newer songs with that same gritty flavor. In case you don’t use Spotify, I have linked to official licensed (AKA non-pirated) YouTube videos. Because they’re licensed, most of them have ads, but instead of thinking about how ads suck, try to think of it like ads are making it possible for these content creators to actually be paid for their work. You would want to be paid for your work, right? I hope you enjoy :) 

300 VIOLIN ORCHESTRA BY JORGE QUINTERO
I’m starting off with this awesome tune because I think it would make the best background for a trailer. It’s got the perfect mix of music to encapsulate both action and romance scenes and does a good job of putting the reader in the right mood for Ferocious.

CENTURIES (GAZZO REMIX) BY FALL OUT BOY
I always include a song I imagine playing before the “book movie” actually starts, which in this case is the Gazzo remix of Centuries. I like the remix because it’s slower and because some of the electronic parts give the song a bit of an Asian feel. This song also encapsulates Winter’s state of mind as she embarks upon a mission of vengeance that she’s not expecting to survive.

FOR YOU BY STAINED
The book starts right where Vicarious ends, with Winter making a choice to take the MetroLink train toward the airport, to seek revenge against the man she knows is responsible for her sister’s death. She’s very upset because of things that have happened with Gideon, and this song captures the rage and despair she’s feeling as the story begins.

BOTHER BY STONE SOUR
Later the same day, Winter goes to a hotel room where she plays a ViSE recording from Gideon. It gives her needed information but also calls forth a lot of memories. Her emotions overwhelm her for a bit, and I thought immediately of this haunting, emotional song.

LAST RESORT BY PAPA ROACH
Later in the hotel room, Winter pulls out her throwing knives and starts practicing with them, throwing them at her mattress, over and over until she starts to feel calm again. This song captures all of the anger and helplessness she’s feeling in that scene.

KILL A MAN BY RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE
When Winter gets to Los Angeles to search for her brother, one of the first things she does is, well, kill a man. Like the man she killed at the end of Vicarious, Winter doesn’t feel particularly guilty about this death, and this lack of remorse causes her to wonder if she’s some kind of monster.

MAMA BY EXO
One of the first things Winter and Jesse do in Seoul in go to Namdaemun Market for supplies. While they’re shopping, Winter sees a girl she thinks is spying on them and she chases this girl down the streets of Seoul. Mama is a fast-paced fun song that feels like it would work with a chase scene. Also, you should click this link just to watch the rather incredible animated beginning to this K-Pop video.

THIS MOMENT WE OWN IT BY 2 CHAINZ AND WIZ KHALIFA
In Seoul, Sebastian “Baz” Faber helps Winter with her plans to track down her brother and infiltrate UsuMed. One of those plans involves the two of them riding a motorcycle through the darkened streets of Seoul. This upbeat tune feels like the perfect complement to that scene.

BAD BLOOD BY TAYLOR SWIFT
I’m not really into pop (country?) music so I don’t follow Taylor Swift, but I heard this song at the gym and I thought it was catchy. The rest of this playlist is pretty dark, so this song is here to lighten things up during the scene when Jesse and Winter practice sparring on the rooftop. They’ve still got some issues they haven’t really addressed with each other and they work them out a little while they’re “fighting.”

HEAVY BY LINKIN PARK FEATURING KIIARA
“I'm holding on. Why is everything so heavy? Holding on. So much more than I can carry.” Heavy is a great song to describe Winter thinking about her mental illness at several different points throughout the book. RIP, Chester. You and your music made a lot of people stronger <3 nbsp="" p="">
NEVER TOO LATE BY 3 DAYS GRACE
Halfway through the book Baz forces Winter to confront just how serious her mental illness really is. Overwhelmed by what she learns, she flees to the rooftop of the building and considers jumping. After all, can someone like her even be fixed? Can she ever really live a normal life? Winter isn’t sure, but Jesse comes to find her and talks her literally down from her ledge.

RENEGADES BY X AMBASSADORS
Winter and Jesse don’t get a lot of time for romance in this book because she’s dealing with more serious issues and emotions. But there’s one night when Winter decides to take Jesse someplace special in the city. There, for a couple of hours, they forget about danger and revenge and just embrace each other’s company. I hear this song when they’re looking at the love locks and playing in the snow.

45 BY SHINEDOWN
Near the end of the book, Winter is literally staring down the barrel of a gun, knowing that she can shoot someone, but if she does then she’ll probably die too. It’s a struggle for her and she goes through several different emotions during this moment, all of which are captured by this song.

BLACK HOLE SUN BY SOUNDGARDEN
Winter and Jesse escape UsuMed and end up spending the night outside in the freezing cold. They’re safe for the moment but Winter is worried about her brother and Baz, so she’s exhausted and sad. Kind
of like the way the world was exhausted and sad after hearing about Chris Cornell’s death. RIP, Chris. “No one sings like you anymore.”

RUN BY SNOW PATROL
Winter and Jesse eventually end up on Jeju Island. They’re staying in a hotel waiting for things to calm down after what happened at UsuMed before trying to return to the U.S. Winter is also doing a lot of thinking—about herself and her illness and her feelings for Jesse, trying to decide if she can reconcile all of those things or if she’s going to have to let Jesse go.

STOP FOR A MINUTE BY KEANE AND K’NAAN
The last song on my playlist is always the song I imagine playing as the credits to my “book movie” are rolling. I picked this song because it encompasses Winter’s frame of mind throughout the novel, and also because it’s more uplifting than the rest of the playlist, hinting that happier things are ahead for the main characters.

I hope you enjoyed my FEROCIOUS playlist :) Wanna check out the one I made for VICARIOUS? Click here. Are you totally new to this series? I’m giving away a VICARIOUS paperback (INT) on Twitter from 8/29 to 8/31.

<3 nbsp="" p=""> Ferocious by Paula Stokes
<3 nbsp="" p="">
<3 nbsp="" p="">Paula Stokes returns to the world of Vicarious in this sequel, a high-action psychological thriller with a protagonist out for vengeance.

When Winter Kim finds out that her sister is dead and that she has a brother she never knew about, only two things matter―finding what’s left of her family and killing the man who destroyed her life. Her mission leads her from St. Louis to Los Angeles back to South Korea, where she grew up.

Things get increasingly dangerous once Winter arrives in Seoul. Aided by her friends Jesse and Sebastian, Winter attempts to infiltrate an international corporation to get close to her target, a nefarious businessman named Kyung. But keeping her last remaining loved ones out of the line of fire proves difficult, and when all seems to be lost, Winter must face one last devastating decision: is revenge worth sacrificing everything for? Or can she find a spark of hope in the darkness that threatens to engulf her?

<3 nbsp="" p="">  Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

Paula Stokes is a mental health nurse and the author of several novels, most recently Ferocious and This is How it Happened. Her writing has been translated into eleven foreign languages. Paula loves kayaking, hiking, reading, and seeking out new adventures in faraway lands. She also loves interacting with readers.

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Banished by Kimberley Griffiths Little Release Blitz!!

Hello there guys!! Today I'm very pleased to take part of the week long blitz & release week celebration for Banished by Kimberley Griffinths Little!




Banished by Kimberley Griffiths Little
(Forbidden #2)
Published by: HarperCollins
Publication date: February 2nd 2016
Genres: Historical, Romance, Young Adult

She thought she’d lost everything . . .

After spending months traveling the harsh, unforgiving Mesopotamian desert, Jayden reunites with a broken, injured Kadesh. Although everyone was convinced the violent and unpredictable Horeb, Jayden’s betrothed, killed the handsome prince, Jayden knew in her heart that her love was alive and safe. But their reunion is short-lived, as they learn Horeb is on their trail and determined to take back the girl he has claimed. Soon, the two star-crossed lovers are on the run toward Sariba, Kadesh’s homeland, where, as heir to the Kingdom, he plans to make Jayden his princess.

But the trek to Sariba is fraught with heartache and danger. After narrowly escaping being stoned to death for a crime she didn’t commit, and learning that her sister has disappeared, Jayden’s only solace is her love for Kadesh. But even he is keeping secrets from her . . . secrets that will change everything.

This gorgeous and enchanting sequel to Forbidden, is full of love, danger, and heated passion that will leave readers breathless.

 Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes

Sequel to:

—

Booklist Review:

“This sequel to Forbidden (2014) picks up with desert girl Jayden, distraught that the young man she loves, Kadesh, might have died. But, of course, he hasn’t. Scarred and missing an eye, yes, but he’s escaped the clutches of Horeb, Jayden’s malicious betrothed. Traveling bravely through the desert, Jayden finds him. But that perilous trip is only the first of the dangers to come. Gathering an army, Kadesh is determined to return to his faraway home, where the valuable frankincense grows, and introduce Jayden as his future bride. First, however, they must face betrayal, danger, and a waiting evil. Jayden achieves almost superhero status here, moving from adventure to adventure—not even a near-death stoning can stop her. Little’s descriptions of the landscape are evocative in both desolation and in beauty. Just as good is her pacing, which gets the blood pumping for both characters and readers. Far more than a bridge book, this will heighten anticipation for a no-doubt exciting conclusion.“

EXCERPT:

A dirty, callused hand slapped down over my mouth and the stale breath of a man hissed in my ear. “Don’t move or I’ll slit your pretty, little neck.”

I clawed at the stranger’s cloak, trying to push him off, but he was too heavy. A moment later, I realized my ankles were tied together. I couldn’t run, couldn’t even move. Shrieks gurgled in my throat as if I was drowning, his hand cutting off my air.

Only one day into my journey to find Kadesh and I was already dead.

The sharp tip of a blade pressed against my neck, and I whimpered.

“Give me the frankincense of the stranger we killed.” The man’s foul breath dragged across my face. He was referring to Kadesh, the boy I loved, who’d been murdered by Horeb, the prince of my tribe.

With myself as a witness, I’d watched Horeb plunge his sword into Kadesh and then order his soldiers to drag his body off.

Shock flooded me when I realized who my attacker was. I wrenched his fingers away from my mouth and with a raw voice, said, “Gad? What are you doing lurking about the cliffs of Mari?”

This man was a childhood friend of Horeb’s and one of my own tribesmen. His body pressed against mine, and I writhed in disgust.

There was only one reason Gad was in the foothills of Mari, far from the oasis of Tadmur where my tribe camped for the summer. He was a member of Horeb’s army.

Horeb, my betrothed. The man who’d attacked and scarred me. Blackmailed me for the murder of his father to hide the fact that he’d killed his own father so he could steal the tribal crown.

About the author:

When I was a kid I read a book a day, scribbled stories, and dreamed about having my very own book on the library shelf. I grew up in San Francisco, but now live in an adobe house on the banks of the Rio Grande with my husband and sons. I think I've drunk so much Land of Enchantment water that some of that ancient magic got into my blood and now spurts out my pencil--I mean ergonomic keyboard. I adore anything old and musty with a secret story to tell.

I'm the author of 10 award-winning middle-grade and Young Adult novels with Scholastic and Harpercollins and I make way too many cookies when I'm writing - and I've got the best book trailers in the universe - for reals! Check them out here: www.kimberleygriffithslittle.com. Please find me on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and Youtube.

Awards: Southwest Book Award, Whitney Award for Best Youth Novel, Whitney Award Finalist and Association of Mormon Letters of Art Award, Bank Street College Best Books of 2011, 2013, and 2015, a Crystal Kite Finalist, and New Mexico Book Award Finalist.

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Friday Reads: The Rose Society & The Iron Warrior!!

Hey there guys!

Friday is once again and even if for a moment I thought it was the first Friday of the new year, it's actually the second... Apparently I didn't realize Jan 1st was Friday *rolls eyes at self*

Anyways! It is the first Friday Reads of the year! And since I have such a backlog, I'm gonna have two mini reviews of books I read on December as part of the Diverse December challenge! And not only that but The Rose Society was my Alyssa Recommends book for December!!

The Iron Warrior by Julie Kagawa

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


After finishing The Iron Traitor I was in absolute shock because THAT ENDING! Talk about an awful cliffhanger! But as soon as the cover & synopsis for this one was revealed, we could breathe again.

I must confess the way things got turned around and shown to have been solved in between books felt a lil bit like cheating, and maybe that was why I wasn't as 100% emotionally invested in the series as I was with all the previous books? I don't know...

Despite that new distance from the story, I really enjoyed this book. Ethan & Kenzie are fantastic together and I love how well Kenzie can deal with the Fae and their tricks, far much better than our dear Ethan, even if he finally grows out of his irrational first gut reaction of rejection for everything Fae.

Keirran's path was a complicated one in this one, after all he was quite clearly The Iron Traitor in the previous book, but I'm glad that even Ethan never really gave up on him, even when he had the best of reasons to do so.

The book is as usual full of Fae politics, even more if you had the Between & the Forgotten to the usual courts. But I was really glad to see Meghan standing her own toe to toe with the likes of Oberon and Maab. It is also full of traipsing through the NeverNever, some areas that are new to us, and old friends that we meet again. And it is also full of the trademark humour that I've got used to in this series. And I'm really glad about the humour because Julie Kagawa really managed to outdo herself on the creepiness in this one... Three words: Creepy Carnival Clowns! *shudders*

The ending was quite satisfying as far as Ethan & Kenzie is concerned, because we see their relationship solidify but in a very realistic way back on the human world! The cheating feeling also nagged me a lil bit on the climax, but at the same time I think it was satisfying and well done. Maybe I was expecting more and was scared of more emotional torture and when we didn't got through it I was left feeling a bit flat? I don't know. Still, I really ended up enjoying it so it gets 3.5 stars!



The Rose Society by Marie Lu

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I don't think I've loved a villain like this since... Darth Vader maybe? And that's saying something since I am a massive Star Wars geek!

Adelina is the villain of this story, but since this is mostly her story is way too easy to forget about that and root for her in ways I wouldn't have otherwise!

Marie Lu really is an amazing & skillful writer, she manages to make us see things from Adelina's POV and not such in the simple sense of writing from her POV, but actually making us feel for Adelina, and even following her justifications and agreeing with them! You barely realize sometimes the descent into the madness (and the dark side, so to speak) that she's undergoing until there is a change of POV and your able to pull yourself out of Adelina's head

Adelina is our bad guy, and quite a very scary one at that, but given the actions of the rest of the characters, I'm not really sure who all I'd call the good guys, because none of them are really in the clear, and that's probably the most fantastic part of this book, how in the grey everyone is. Black and white is quite inexistent here, and writing this characters and making you feel for them... masterful!

The relatonships between the characters keep on being as nuanced and complicated as they were in the first book but even more, adding more twists to the trust/lack of trust, fear and love that bound the whole cast together!

I just cannot say anything more without risking some spoilers, and I really want to avoid that! Sufice to say that the plot thickens and twists in ways you probably won't expect, the characters are simply brilliant and fantastic and scary and Marie Lu is a bit of a genius! Very much deserved 4.5 stars to this one! I'm really not sure what to expect from the next book!


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Friday Reads: ARC Review of The Prophecy Con by Patrick Weekes!!

Hello there guys!

Happy Friday! It is sort of a Monday for me, because I'm back to work after a few days off, but I'm feeling rather rejuvenated and rested! Also did some retail therapy on IKEA, in the shape of new shelves, so things are looking up!

For this week's Friday Reads I have the second book in what seems to be a trilogy (at least for now) heist fantasy series (I think this should be its own genre) that is becoming a quick favourite for me! So glad to have listened to Jessica from Rabid Reads and have started this series!



The Prophecy Con by Patrick Weekes

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I was so excited to be approved on NetGalley to read all the books in the Rogues of the Republic series so far, and The Prophecy Con didn't disappoint at all!

It starts pretty soon after the ending of The Palace Job, and we see our characters back in the thick of the action, at least Loch and Kail, because after the events of the previous book the diplomatic relationships between Empire and Republic are quite tense. We learn about the changes (Loch as a Justicar) and we see how everyone is dealing with the aftermath of their saving the world, Dairy and Desidora the ones with more issues finding their way after the extraordinary.

The action and the humour in this one are non-stop and perfectly mixed as it was in the first book. I found myself laughing out loud as well as cackling and simply howling with laughter at some points... what can I say, I simply look the humour in this books, it can be subtle, it can be cheeky... and I love it!

And the action... we start with a diplomatic mission that ends up with a battle, Loch getting a new weapon from her foe and starting a new mission to recover/steal a precious artifact, this time in the name of peace and not personal revenge. And this time is not so much a heist but an ongoing mission about stealing/recovering/winning the damned artifact and discovering what else is threatening the precarious peace between the Empire & the Republic.

As the action moves around quite a bit we get to see much more world building and we meet dwarves and elves. These are and aren't the dwarves and elves we've met before. Their societies are similar enough to what we've seen before, but I feel that the author gave them his own unique twist.

The relationships between the characters have shifted a bit, and some of them are paired up, and their interactions can be both a moment of relief from the action as well as some added gravitas, depending on which relationship. I'm quite more partial to one of them two established ones, but the other two just won me over in the end even if their chemistry is not so obvious or maybe well developed.

As a sequel it expands and builds upon what we knew from book 1, but also manages to give a twist to what we thought we knew and add a betrayal to make things even more interesting and unexpected!

The ending was rather horrible and I was ready to scream at my Kindle in rage, but luckily the author decided to take pity on us poor readers and added a epilogue to make sure we didn't end up hating him!

I'm now thoroughly in love with this series and these characters and will say that if you like fantasy books with humour, diversity and twisty action, you NEED to check them out! Very well deserved 4 to 4.5 stars!



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Release Day Review: Gabriel by Nikki Kelly!!

Hello guys!

Things continue to be a bit hectic here now and then with still more things to sort around the new apartment, trying to have some sort of social life, work and added to that a course I'm taking at work... But no matter how busy I am, I always find time to read, because reading is my refuge... what I don't always find time for is blogging and writing reviews, but I have decided to do the best I can and not let blogging stress me (much!).

Today is Tuesday and as such is release day for a lot of awesome books because this October has been terrible on my TBR pile and my wallet both! But I want to celebrate specially the release of Gabriel by Nikki Kelly and share my ARC Review for it!



Gabriel by Nikki Kelly

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Gabriel was a perfect game changer of a sequel and it does all things that a good sequel ought to do: add a new layer to both our character, see how their relationships change and are challenged and peel away new layers in the world building and the plot, leaving us with a bit of whiplash after some reveals that do turn our world upside down!

I will try by best to keep things as spoiler free for book one as possible but to be safe just run along and read Lailah right now! Done? Well, Gabriel picks up right where Lailah left us and that was a doozy! So much has changed for Lailah and Gabriel and Jonah! All three of them have quite a bit of character development to go through because things have changed so very drastically!

I really like Lailah's growth and how she found the strenght in herself to finally acccept who she is, but the road there was NOT easy at all, and at times I was feeling a bit likely to shake her for being so stubborn and taking so many riks!

Gabriel and Jonah both pissed me equally on the first half of the book or so! So protective, to treating Lailah like a fragile being and keeping secrets for "her own good"... I really felt like slapping them both! And even if I didn't agree with Lailah taking the riks she did, I understand that she was not happy to be told that she was superpowerful but it'd be better is she stayed home like a good girl!

I did warn you about plot twist and unexpected revelations and I should also warn you about a massively evil cliffhanger (I had been warned, and it helped, but not that much!!) and also... *whispers*thelovetrianglegetsresolved*whispers* but I won't say ANY more since you really need to read it to see how it all makes sense!

Now I'm dying to get my hands on book three!! DAMNED AWFUL CLIFFHANGER!! *shakes fist at Nikki*



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Cover Reveal: The Fallen Prince by Amalie Howard!!

Hey there guys! Today I'm very pleased to be part of the cover reveal for The Fallen Prince by Amalie Howard, the VERY awaited sequel to The Almost Girl, one of those amazing and unique books published by Strange Chemistry that were left hanging after the closing of the imprint, and that FINALLY is getting the continuation!!

Riven has fought for a hard-won peace in her world, and has come to shaky terms with who and what she is—a human with cyborg DNA. Now that the rightful ruler of Neospes has been reinstated, Riven is on the hunt for her father in the Otherworld to bring him to justice for his crimes against her people.

But when she receives an unwelcome visit from two former allies, she knows that trouble is brewing once again in Neospes. The army has been decimated and there are precious few left to fight this mysterious new threat.

To muster a first line of defense, her people need help from the one person Riven loathes most—her father. But what he wants in return is her complete surrender.

And now Riven must choose: save Neospes or save herself.

Pre-order THE FALLEN PRINCE TODAY

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About the author:

Seventeen Magazine Summer Club author Amalie Howard grew up on a small Caribbean island where she spent most of her childhood with her nose buried in a book or being a tomboy running around barefoot, shimmying up mango trees and dreaming of adventure. 22 countries, surfing with sharks and several tattoos later, she has traded in bungee jumping in China for writing the adventures she imagines instead. She isn’t entirely convinced which takes more guts. She currently resides in New York with her husband and three children.

She is the author of The Aquarathi series from Harlequin TEEN (Waterfell and Oceanborn), The Almost Girl from Strange Chemistry, Alpha Goddess from Sky Pony Press, and Bloodspell from Langdon Street Press. She is represented by the Liza Royce Agency. Visit her at www.amaliehoward.comor on Twitter (@AmalieHoward).

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Tell Me Tuesdays #31!!

Tell Me Tuesdays is a meme/feature created by the awesome La La In The Library, where we can share how we choose the book we are currently reading from our TBR pile!

I'm always curious about that, cause as much as I tend to make myself a rough schedule for books to read and the like, I'm quite a mood reader and sometimes I just HAVE to ignore my schedule and read something else!

 Sweet Temptation by Wendy Higgins

Bad boy Kaidan Rowe has never wanted for anything—money, popularity, musical talent…hot girls—but seducing them is part of his duty as a Nephilim, slave to the demon Dukes. As the son of the Duke of Lust, Kaidan has learned his father’s ways, becoming a master of passion, a manipulator of chemistry. Disobeying his father would mean certain death. Thankfully for Kaidan, he’s good at his job. And he enjoys it.

Until he meets Anna Whitt—sweet, smart, feisty, and inexplicably good—the one girl seemingly immune to his charms. The daughter of a guardian angel and a fallen one, she has a certain power over him, one that makes him wish for more than he could ever deserve.

Determined to save all the Neph from their dark lives as the influencers of sin, Anna joins forces with Kaidan to overcome the demons’ oppressive ways. In the light of her affections, Kaidan must undergo his toughest test of all, a battle of the heart.

Sensual and swoon worthy, this companion volume to the acclaimed Sweet Evil series from New York Times bestselling author Wendy Higgins, told from the perspective of the irresistibly sexy and mysterious Kaidan Rowe, gives readers revealing insights into his struggle, his intense connection to Anna, and most of all, the true emotions that drive him.

 Gabriel by Nikki Kelly

The handsome Angel from Lailah gets center stage in this continuation of Wattpad sensation Nikki Kelly’s romantic and action-packed series about mortals, vampires, and angels.

Gabriel is an Angel Descendant. He's also an ally to a generation of vampires who want to break away from the demon who controls them. His faith in the power of good over evil wavers, however, when he discovers that Lailah, the woman he considers his only true love, may be both angel and demon. Is their love enough to overcome the dark forces who are ready to go to war with Gabriel, the vampire Jonah, and the angel and vampire forces? And can Gabriel compete with Jonah, who is also in love with Lailah?

Once again, Nikki Kelly looks deeply into the heart and soul of good and evil to create a romantic, action-packed reading adventure.


I started Gabriel Sunday night at work, then paused to finish Truthwitch that I was reading at home, and then paused again to start reading Sweet Temptation (as soon as it downloaded to my Kindle), and now I'm switching between those two and probably will finish them both today or tomorrow at the latest!

So what are you all guys reading and how and why did you decide to pick up that book? Shiny new ARC? Comfort read? Scheduled for review? Must have new release? Tell me!!

Waiting On Wednesday #90!!

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted at Breaking The Spine  that spotlights those can't-wait-to-get-my-hands-on-them books that we are eagerly awaiting!

What book is the one that I'm not-so-patiently waiting for my preorder to arrive in the mail this week? Rogue by Julie Kagawa!!

Goodreads Summary:

"Ember Hill left the dragon organization Talon to take her chances with rebel dragon Cobalt and his crew of rogues. But Ember can't forget the sacrifice made for her by the human boy who could have killed her—Garret Xavier Sebastian, a soldier of the dragonslaying Order of St. George, the boy who saved her from a Talon assassin, knowing that by doing so, he'd signed his own death warrant.

Determined to save Garret from execution, Ember must convince Cobalt to help her break into the Order's headquarters. With assassins after them and Ember's own brother helping Talon with the hunt, the rogues find an unexpected ally in Garret and a new perspective on the underground battle between Talon and St. George.

A reckoning is brewing and the secrets hidden by both sides are shocking and deadly. Soon Ember must decide: Should she retreat to fight another day…or start an all-out war?"


Why am I eagerly awaiting Rogue? Well, I read Talon and really enjoyed it, even if I wasn't too keen on the love triangle, but I cannot wait to learn more about the world of dragons and their past history with the Order of St George!!

What are you all (im)patiently awaiting this week?
 

Saturday Pages: Empire At Night by Kelley Armstrong!!

Hi there guys!

Happy Saturday! Having the weekend off is quite amazing and a nice change, so I'm going to the cinema with a friend and spending some time reading and relaxing, and continue plotting apartment decoration!

I'm starting this week's Saturday Pages with the review of the sequel of the very first Alyssa Recommends book!! I'm gonna be counting this one as part of my 105 Challenge since this is a 2015 release and that's one of my categories in the challenge!

Empire of Night by Kelley Armstrong

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Last year I read Sea of Shadows as my first ever Alyssa Recommends book and it was a fantastic start. I loved the world building, the magic, the main characters and the way the plot was progressing as an overall series ARC and the plot driving the book. So I was extremely intrigued and awaiting eagerly the sequel.

It was a happy coincidence that the edition I happened to preorder in my Kindle not the US one and ended up downloading on April 1st instead of having to wait till April 7th!

Despite having read the first book a year ago and not having the clearest memory of everything that happened, I never felt lost or confused, and we quickly get up to date with what's going on now after the events of book 1. Ashyn and Moria are at the Emperor's palace as guests, and both are uneasy because they feel they ought to be doing something more after what they witness and being Keeper and Seeker.

Empire of Night is a fantastic sequel. We get character growth for both Moira and Ashyn, we learn more about Ronan and Tyrus and even Gavriel and the Emperor. When we're not having quiet moments of character development and dealing with court politics and intrigues, we finally start moving into the action to the moderate happines of Moira, that was chaffing at the inaction.

There's so much plotting and crafting in this book and despite having the sisters together for a good portion of it, since they're dealing in their different ways with the aftermath of what happened in book 1 and their grief and guilt about it, they are emotionally stranged somewhat. Then once they start being on the move again, they find themselves working together and dealing with the dangers as a team once again.

The mission they find themselves in ends up quite disastrously and the sisters end up once again separated, Moria kidnapped, Tyrus with Ashyn and Ronan and a big mess underway for them all. Treachery, political intrigues (again) and lies all over the place makes any rescue plans or direct action complicated, so there's a lot of hiding and spying and escaping.

There was very subtle romance in the first book and in this one things are less subtle but still didn't take over the book either. The romance not only was adorable even with some heartbreak in there but also was a fantastic way to get to know and develop our characters even more. Moria and Tyrus make a fantastic team as friends and as a couple and I love how their relationship developed.

I love the nuances of the culture and world building, how there's more to everything that we think at first, and then once the book it's almost over... we encounter not one but TWO cliffhangers, of very different sort with each one of the sisters' POV! Both equally intriguing and maddening and AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!

Very much deserved 4 to 4.5 stars to this one, when does the next book comes out?!?!



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Saturday Pages: ARC Review of Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman!!

Hello guys!

Happy Saturday! I'm having the weekend off and I'm hoping to catch up on some reading and writing some reviews because as of late I've been rather busy with things about the apartment, with visits to the bank, getting estimates for the kitchen... and I wasn't very much in the mood to read!

Today as the first Saturday Pages entry I have a review of an eARC that I got thanks to my friend Linda from La La In The Library because she let me know that this one was as a Read It Now on NetGalley!
As a book for review it counts towards my 105 Challenge in my books for review category!

Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Being lucky enough to grab this eARC as a Read It Now on NetGalley was the push I needed to finally read Seraphina, the first book in this (so far) duology and loved it.

Shadow Scale is a very interesting sequel and one that I ended up really enjoying even if I had to stop reading for a while. Once I reached 35% I hit a part where my dear Seraphina was missing some really obvious clues about something, and that quite bothered me. It took me a while to get back to the book but once I got back to reading and passed that point, I got hooked on the narrative, world building and the fantastic characters once again.

I must confess that I felt the book was a lil slow sometimes, not so much through the traveling in search of the other half-dragons and where we get introduced to Goredd's neighbouring countries and we explore their differences in customs and leyends and religion... but the way the plot and pace slows down while Seraphina tries to figure out anything that involved Jannoula.

I love me a great villain, and Jannoula IS a great villain, and I understand that for Phina it is very hard to be her usual analytical self when it comes to Jannoula given their past history and how very manipulative and what a great strategist she is. Like Phina, there were occasions when I felt bad for her, but it was really frustrating when it seems that Jannoula is progressing her plans and no one seems to even think of something that could be done!

I adored that we got more world building and information about the saints and I love that I guessed a twist just a paragraph before it was revealed, and that's always rewarding, because you feel like you guessed the twist before it's revealed but not too early or you'll end up feeling irritated.

The rest of the half-dragons where quite fascinating and I was glad to meet each one of them and see how they differed from their corresponding avatar in Phina's mind garden. All of them felt very well crafted and had a very unique voice. And seeing the changes once Jannoula entered the picture gives you an even bigger sense of urgency to figuring her plan.

I loved that the romance was mostly equally as subtle as it was on book one, even if there is a certain resolution of the so called love triangle that we have in the series. And I love how unconventionally it was done and how it avoided all the cliches!

And another thing that I absolutely loved was how it included all kinds of diversity and how well it handled how differences can be both unite us and segregate us, and how we need to see the potential of those that are not like us, instead of treating them as inferior because we fear them.

Well worth reading despite that snag at the beginning. Very well deserved 3.5 to 4 stars to this final book! Although I've heard that there might be companion books with other secondary characters!



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The Infinite by Lori M Lee Blog Tour: Interview & Review!!

Hello there guys!

I'm extremely happy to be part of the official blog tour for The Infinite by Lori M Lee and even more to host Lori herself for an interview on the blog!

And since I was also approved on NetGalley for an ARC of the book, I'm also adding my review at the end of the post but before the giveaway! ;)

But first of all, a lil bit of information about both Gates of Thread & Stone and The Infinite!

Gates of Thread & Stone by Lori M Lee

In the Labyrinth, we had a saying: keep silent, keep still, keep safe. 

In a city of walls and secrets, where only one man is supposed to possess magic, seventeen-year-old Kai struggles to keep hidden her own secret—she can manipulate the threads of time. When Kai was eight, she was found by Reev on the riverbank, and her “brother” has taken care of her ever since. Kai doesn’t know where her ability comes from—or where she came from. All that matters is that she and Reev stay together, and maybe one day move out of the freight container they call home, away from the metal walls of the Labyrinth. Kai’s only friend is Avan, the shopkeeper’s son with the scandalous reputation that both frightens and intrigues her. 

Then Reev disappears. When keeping silent and safe means losing him forever, Kai vows to do whatever it takes to find him. She will leave the only home she’s ever known and risk getting caught up in a revolution centuries in the making. But to save Reev, Kai must unravel the threads of her past and face shocking truths about her brother, her friendship with Avan, and her unique power. 

IndieBound | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository | Brilliance Audio | iTunes

The Infinite by Lori M Lee

The walls of Ninurta keep its citizens safe. 


Kai always believed the only danger to the city came from within. Now, with a rebel force threatening the fragile government, the walls have become more of a prison than ever. 


To make matters worse, as Avan explores his new identity as an Infinite, Kai struggles to remind him what it means to be human. And she fears her brother, Reev, is involved with the rebels. With the two people she cares about most on opposite sides of a brewing war, Kai will do whatever it takes to bring peace. But she’s lost her power to manipulate the threads of time, and she learns that a civil war might be the beginning of something far worse that will crumble not only Ninurta’s walls but also the entire city. 


In this thrilling sequel to Gates of Thread and Stone, Kai must decide how much of her humanity she’s willing to lose to protect the only family she’s ever known. 

IndieBound | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository | Brilliance Audio

About the author:

Lori is the author of young adult fantasy novels Gates of Thread and Stone and The Infinite. She has a borderline obsessive fascination with unicorns, is fond of talking in capslock, and loves to write about magic, manipulation, and family. She lives in Wisconsin with her husband, kids, and a friendly pitbull.

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Interview with Lori M Lee

I very recently finished reading Gates of Thread and Stone (that damned TBR pile is ever growing and I keep postponing books here and there) and I had no idea that aside from the fantasy setting, there were also so dystopian/postapocalyptic elements and I loved those! How did the mix of both elements came to play in the world you were creating for Gates? Did the world came as fantasy or postapocalyptic first? 


The book was originally written as a cyberpunk fantasy. There were hovercycles, virtual adverts, and holograms. The advanced technology in contrast with the grittiness of Ninurta’s slums was initially the groundwork for that cyberpunk/scifi element. Toss in Kai’s powers and the Infinite, and I loved the genre mashup. 


However, things changed in editing, and the book became a straight fantasy. But of course, you can still see the influence of the cyberpunk and the roots of where the world of Gates of Thread and Stone original began.


Kai is ready to go to hell and back for her brother, even if he isn't her brother by blood, and I found it very refreshing that the biggest motivator for her was not romantic love but familiar love. Was that a choice you made consciously or did it come from who Kai was and the story you wanted to tell? 

It was one of the first decisions I made about the plot. Family is one of the prevailing themes in many of the books I write, so I knew immediately that the best way to push Kai into action would be from a threat to her brother. 


The concept of the Infinite is fantastic and both similiar and different enough from gods to be familiar to us all but keep us intrigued and surprise us. How did you decide how your mythology was going to work? Are we going to meet more of them in book 2? (more Infinites in The Infinite, makes sense, right??) 

The Infinite began as the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. That was back when the story was a cyberpunk fantasy. But as Kai’s story developed into a straight fantasy and into its own contained secondary world, the magic and the gods had to evolve as well. Therefore, I created the Infinite as beings that helped to shape and guide the human world—and stir up trouble as well.


As fo your second question... Weeeeeell, you will learn more about the Infinite themselves. Many more things are explained in the second book—things about the world, about its history, and about the role the Infinite play in it all. Just keep in mind there will still be secrets kept for the last book ;)

Thank you so much for coming over Lori, and please check your pockets since Morrigan and Mini-maug have a tendency to try and smuggle out when people come to visit! 


Thanks for having me! :) 

Review

I had preordered The Infinite before I had even read Gates of Thread and Stone, and I when I got approved for this eARC I was beyond happy! It was fantastic having it there once I reached the ending of GoTaS!

The Infinite was exactly what a sequel needs to be. There are some ongoing issues that are addressed here, if not resolved, and also the world get broader and bigger. The characters must deal with the consequences of the battle at the end of book 1 and all the mysteries that were revealed.

I will clearly try my best to keep my review spoiler free for this book but I might discuss some reveals from book 1 that could be spoilery, so you have been warned!

Kai has put an end to the regime of Kal Ninu, but dealing with the consequences is never as easy as it could be, and the citizens of Ninurta and the politicians are both in turmoil. There's mistrust of the new leadership, inestability and although Kai wants to make things better, change is very hard to implement, not matter if it's for the best.

And not only Kai is mixed on politics now, she's also dealing with her heritage and meeting her father, her new relationship with The Infinite but also with Avan's new situation. Not having lost him was amazing for Kai, but she is no longer sure if she has or hasn't lost him after all.

Avan is quite an intriguing character in this book because he is both familar and alien. He is quite confused himself too because he's lost his memories but he still has some feelings and reactions that he cannot explain, and he is sure that he feels something intense and important for Kai, but he has some insticts now that make him also a different person.

And then our plot takes us to new places, because we discover that Ninurta is not alone, there are more humans and more city and some of them quite closer than anyone (except maybe Kal Ninu and the other Infinites) could have imagined or known. And meeting them is both a joy and a danger and Kai finds herself in a position where she would have never imagined she'd be, having once again to make choices that pull at her different sides: human and not human, duty and family... And I love that this book never really goes down the usual path.

The relationship between Avan and Kai is rather different now and much more complicated since even if the feelings are still there, as intense as ever, so much has changed on who they are, Avan even more than Kai. There are small hints of a third person but I wouldn't say it makes a love triangle, because Kai's feelings and Avan's feelings haven't changed.

We learn some more lore about the world about the Infinite but there's still so much more to learn and I do hope we'll get loads more info in book 3! Also after that ending... No, there's not exactly an awful plot cliffhanger, because the main plot theme is resolved and the battle is finished, but there is an underlying plot line that has just been started to unravel and that I cannot wait to see how it plays in the next book!

And of course, emotionally... damn, that ending! Kai will continue to fight and her choice to be strong and finally accept all of who she is will be very interesting to read, but yeah, I really need to get the next book to see how everything plays out and hope someone comes back properly!!

A fantastic sequel, very much deserving of 4 stars!

Giveaway

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Waiting On Wednesday #86!!

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted at Breaking The Spine  that spotlights those can't-wait-to-get-my-hands-on-them books that we are eagerly awaiting!

What book am I doing the pretzel hoping that my preorder will for once arrive early so I can devour it ASAP? Miss Mayhem by Rachel Hawkins!!

Goodreads Summary:

Life is almost back to normal for Harper Price. The Ephors have been silent after their deadly attack at Cotillion months ago, and best friend Bee has returned after a mysterious disappearance. Now Harper can return her focus to the important things in life: school, canoodling with David, her nemesis-turned-ward-slash-boyfie, and even competing in the Miss Pine Grove pageant.

Unfortunately, supernatural chores are never done. The Ephors have decided they’d rather train David than kill him. The catch: Harper has to come along for the ride, but she can’t stay David’s Paladin unless she undergoes an ancient trial that will either kill her . . . or connect her to David for life.


Why am I eagerly awaiting Miss Mayhem? Well, I read and loved Rebel Belle, the first book in the series, with its fluff, banter and amazing humour, and I cannot wait to see where the author plans to take the story!!

What are you all (im)patiently awaiting this week?

Mark This Book Monday: Magic Study by Maria V Snyder!!

Hello guys!!

A new week starts, I'm working night shift today and I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a quiet shift so I can read a new release tonight (spoilers: it's The Orphan Queen!!).

I've been in a serious fantasy binge reading as of late, and so continuining the Study series was a given, so today for our first Mark This Book Monday entry of the week, I have the review for the sequel!



Magic Study by Maria V. Snyder

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Magic Study is the second book in the Study trilogy and unlike other books, this one doesn't suffer from sequel slump or second book syndrome at all! As a sequel, you can expect some spoilers for book one, so either tread with caution or go read book 1 and return later!

The book starts once a lil time has passed from the end of Poison Study, but not much. Yelena had to leave Sitia to avoid her fate as a magic user, she had to leave Valek behind and she is on her way to meet her family and then learn magic with Irys, and to say that she is rather unprepared to deal with any of that is a bit of an understatement.

Yelena doesn't remember anything about her past or her family and when she is taken to their homestead and her brother is clearly hostile and accuses her of being a spy, things don't start on a very good note. I loved Yelena's parents and their different personalities, but it took me as long as it took Yelena's to warm to her brother Lief. What an arse!

There's political intrigue, there's magic lessons and Yelena discovers that she has more magic that she or Irys even imagined and learning how to control it is going to be a tough journey, even more since there's big danger afoot, and Yelena has that tendency to action without much of a second thought. She feels like if she can do something, she must do it, but with little to no consideration on what can happen once she actually DOES.

We meet some new characters aside from Yelena's family and two of them will be present in the next book as foes, I'm quite certain of it, and I do hope Yelena will be wise enough to not underestimate either of them! But we not only get new bad guys, we also meet more Magicians, other students and Kiki. Kiki might very well be my favourite character and she is Yelena's horse! You might be raising an eyebrow here, but you'll understand once you read the book!

We discover much more about magic and the different ways to yield it and manipulate it, and aside from the Sitian magicians, we also meet the Moon Man and his tribe which I feel will play an even bigger role in the next book. And we discover that Yelena's powers are not unheard of but they have a rather bad reputation.

There's also a lot of back and forth when it comes to discussing the political differences between Sitia's goverment and social situation and Ixia's and how it is better now after the Commander took charge or how it was better when the royal family was in charge. Yelena seems to find herself a bit torn on occasion, but she seems to able to appreciate both types of government and see both the good and the bad.

Valek is absent for most of the book, but he's never far away from Yelena's mind, but not in a way to keep her from her life and her lessons and her mission, and once he arrives, they go back to making a great team and working great together! I would have loved some more quiet moments for them together so their relationship wouldn't always develop in the battlefield but it seems to be the way it is for them!

All in all, a great sequel for a very interesting fantasy series! I cannot wait to read the next book! Well deserved 4 stars for this one!





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Waiting On Wednesday #84!!

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted at Breaking The Spine  that spotlights those can't-wait-to-get-my-hands-on-them books that we are eagerly awaiting!

What am I hopping-impatiently-till-it-downloads-to-my-kindle this week? Burning Kingdoms by Lauren DeStefan!!

Goodreads Summary:

"Danger descends in the second book of The Internment Chronicles, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Chemical Garden trilogy.

After escaping Internment, Morgan and her fellow fugitives land on the ground to finally learn about the world beneath their floating island home.

The ground is a strange place where water falls from the sky as snow, and people watch moving pictures and visit speakeasies. A place where families can have as many children as they want, their dead are buried in vast gardens of bodies, and Internment is the feature of an amusement park.

It is also a land at war.

Everyone who fled Internment had their own reasons to escape their corrupt haven, but now they’re caught under the watchful eye of another king who wants to dominate his world. They may have made it to the ground, but have they dragged Internment with them?"


Why am I eagerly awaiting Burning Kingdoms? Well, the first book was so intriguing and then the end left us with a curve ball and I cannot wait to read where the story will take us next!

What are you all (im)patiently awaiting this week?

Mark This Book Monday: Murder of Crows by Anne Bishop!!!

I'm starting this week's Mark This Book Monday with one of those recent amazing reads that I've been lucky enough to fiind! And I must thank again Octavia from Read Sleep Repeat for pushing the series on me relentessly and to Frannie from On Clouds of Pages for being an awesome buddy read buddy!



Murder of Crows by Anne Bishop

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Once I read Written in Red, I needed Murder of Crows like the air I breathe, so I started it as soon as I could! And boy what an amazing book it was! It was even better than Written In Red! It was everything that Written in Red was but somehow more!

Be aware that even though I'll try to keep this review spoiler free, it might have some spoilers for book 1 and if I get too rambling and enthusiastic I might end up blurting something here and there...

Things have changed a bit since the events in Written in Red, the terra indigene at the Courtyard have adopted Meg into the family/pack and now she's one of theirs. And when Meg has a new prophecy about death and black feathers, the Others learn about a new twist in the threat to Meg and to themselves. And they decide to take the battle to the humans and the Controller.

We continue to learn a bit more not only about the history of the terra indigene and how humans evolved differently and separated from them, and how they came to interact. We learn more about how the Others work and have evolved, we learn about how humans have shun some of their own and these groups have become allies of the terra indigene, the Inuit. And we learn a little bit more about the cassandra sangue, their origins and how they came to be.

There's more about interactions between the human pack at the Courtyard and the police and the terra indigene, and how their opinions and usual reactions have changed and continue to change. And also we get more about the Humans First and Last organization and their rethoric. I loved how it showed how the mob mentality works and how the general feeling of the public can be changed, twisted and manipulated. The humans of Thaisia don't seem to remember history very well, and forget quite easily that they're not on top of the chain.

I simply love the evolving relationship between Simon and Meg, it's one of those couples that I ship like there's no tomorrow! There are some misunderstandings, and Simon keeps on thinking that having Meg around is a complication he shouldn't have allowed, but at the same time he doesn't want to lose Meg as a friend, or the kind of comfortable intimacy that they share, mainly when he's in Wolf shape.

One of the things that I love about this book and this series is the way the terra indigene are presented, like the dangerous predators that they are, and how humans don't seem to realize how in the wrong they can be. And how it makes my blood boil the way they deal with the "benevolent ownership" for the cassandra sangue and how they are treated as less than human in most of the places they are kept. Humans don't always act as humane as they ought to towards their own and when it comes to power and the cassandra sangue... the fail.

I'm not even sure what else to say because I'd love to talk and talk and talk about this book and this series all and if you want to discuss theories with me, hit me up here or on Twitter!

I was so impressed with how the story was expanded, how the world building was expanded, with more knowledge about Thaisia and how the human settlements are part of it, the different continents and cultures. More about the Inuits and their past and what makes them special and more about the cassandra sangue, even if we're given the information very little by little. More about the characters, more about the world, more about everything!

I just cannot wait to continue learning more about this world and to see Meg and Simon's relationship continue to grow and progress! 5 stars to this one for sure!! READ IT!



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Mark This Book Monday: ARC Review of The Winner's Crime by Marie Rutkoski!!!

Hello there!

Today we're starting the week with a new edition of Mark This Book Monday! And today I have one of the eARCs that I've been more excited to get approved for ever, mostly because I was really dying to get my hands on this book!! So thank you so much to Bloomsbury UK & NetGalley for approving my request!

I'm pretty sure I will be re-reading this one once I get my preorder of the hardcover in the mail because I feel that I like having my feelings tortured! And I cannot wait to hold this stunningly gorgeous cover in person!



The Winner's Crime by Marie Rutkoski

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The Winner's Curse was one of my favourite books of 2014 and getting approved for the eARC of The Winner's Crime on NG by Bloomsbury UK was the highlight of the end of 2014 for sure!

Everything that I had loved in The Winner's Curse, the historical fantasy, the politics, the plotting, the mysteries, the forbidden love... everything is in here but magnified! The court intrigues and plotting kept my heart pounding and every turn of the page was a source of anxiety for me!

I think the whole time I spent reading this book, my anxiety was flaring, my heart was pounding and breaking for Arin and Krestel! Their relationship is so full of difficulties from withing and from without... Not only theirs is a forbidden love because they're in opposite sides of a conflict and belong to different cultures, but they also are at a point where they can't talk to each other, so they keep second guessing and interpreting each others' actions or lack thereof.

Krestel is very talented at strategizing but she's rather out of her league when it comes to dealing with the Emperor because he's the master manipulator supreme! Whenever he appeared in the book my heart rate increased, because he is one seedy and scary character! Krestel does her best to stay ahead of the game but it's like trying to stay afloat in a tempest with no hope of rescue, you know that sooner or later you're gonna tire and go down. 

Arin is bitter and fighting and having the hardest time at dealing with his position, with having to deal with Krestel in the opposite sides that they're now and so ends up going on a journey to find a position of strenght for Herran.

The world gets bigger and we find out more about Herran, about Valoria and about a new place that we get to discover. Everything reminds me of empires of the Classical age, Romans, Greeks and now a new place that reminded me some of Egypt and some of Persia. I simply adore the world building in this book as I did with the one in book 1. It feels familiar enough to cultures familiar to us but at the same time they feel different enough to be part of a new world.

And of course, the writing... oh my goodness, the writing. Marie Rutkoski has the most gorgeous prose ever! With stunning prose, wonderful world building and plenty of heartache and pain, this book is the most excruciating and glorious painful experience ever! Very well deserved 5 stars! I can only hope that the next one will have more happiness or I might not survive reading it!



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