Showcase Sunday #10!

Showcase Sunday is a weekly feature hosted by Vicky of Books, Biscuits, and Tea where all book lovers can share with others what bookish goodness we got this week, be it purchased (physical or eBook), won, gifted or for review!

Purchased (via The Book Depository)

The Woken Gods by Gwenda Bond

In The After by Demitria Lunetta

Purchased (via Kindle app)

Ashes by Ilsa J Bick

Shadows by Ilsa J Bick

The Chaos of Stars by Kiersten White

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

For Review (via NetGalley)

Monsters by Ilsa J Bick

Cracked by Eliza Crewe

This week I finally got my paperback of The Woken Gods and my hardback of In The After! The mail wasn't too fast for the UK to Spain postage!

What all did you guys get this week?

Friday Reads: ARC review of The Mephisto Mark by Trinity Faegen!!

And for the next entry of this week's Friday Reads, the third book in a seven books planned series, a new twist on paranormal romance since it's about the sons of Lucifer's second in command!


The Mephisto Mark by Trinity Faegen

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The Mephisto Mark is the third book in the Mephisto Covenant series. I'm so very glad that Trinity decided to go ahead and continue telling the stories of each of the brothers and self-publish this book!

The Mephisto are the sons of Mephistopheles and an Anabo (a human born without Original sin) and they are six brothers fighting their seventh, the elder brother Eryx. Eryx plan is to lure human souls to pledge themselves to him so he can get even more powerful than Lucifer and make Earth his domain and doom humankind to no chance of Heaven.

So far, all three book could be read as stand alones, but I still think it'd be better to read them in order, since some little things here and there hint to things to come, and as the books progress you learn new things that build up on the previous books.

As usual I'll try to keep this free of spoiler for the book but I might mention some things that might tamper your enjoyment of previous books (if nothing else cause I think these books are best enjoyed jumping into them without too much information).

The Mephisto Mark is Phoenix's story. Phoenix was the first of the brothers to find his intended Anabo, a hundred and some years back, but as with many first times it was all too new and too confusing and Eryx got mixed in it and she died. Phoenix has been closed in his guilt since then, withdrawn and focused only on defeating Eryx until Ky finds Mariah, the sister of her intended, Jordan. Mariah is an Anabo but she's suffered so much, being a victim of abuse when she was younger, that her Anabo light is dim and she thinks she is doomed to Hell for some choices she made in her past.

Phoenix and Mariah's story is quite the opposite of easy, since they're both quite damanged individuals. And with the background of Eryx's continuous threat getting even closer it just seems that nothing is really gonna end well. As always, Trinity's books are a study on human nature and on human's reaction to pain, to trauma and how we can make our choices for better or worse. Despite Phoenix's conviction that he doesn't deserve a second chance, he ends up learning more about himself and what he's willing to sacrifice to do what's right for Mariah. And Mariah, a victim of sexual abuse in her childhood, has an equally harsh road to go on to find a safe place from where she can start to heal and confront her fears.

There are quite a few unexpected turns and revelations in this book, and quite a few times when things turn really bleak and at times I just couldn't help but cry cause kindness can come from the MOST unexpected being...

A fantastic read, very well deserving of 4 and a half stars!



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Friday Reads: The Chaos of Stars by Kiersten White!!

Once again, welcome to yet another bunch of Friday Reads reviews! We'll start with a book that was inspired in a less usual mythology and with a very different premise!


The Chaos of Stars by Kiersten White

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The Chaos of Stars is a stand alone novel inspired by Egyptian mythology, pair that with the gorgeous cover and I was excited enough to preorder it.

I had read quite a few diverse reviews for it before release day, and one of the common complains was that the main character, Isadora, was hard to relate to, being too whiny and irritating. I guess I was forwarned like that but I went into reading the book with an open mind and prepared not deal with a less-than-adorable main character.

It might just be me, but I didn't find Isadora so horribly whiny and irritating. Or maybe, well yes, she is whiny and not the nicest person you can encounter but somehow I could really understand why she was that way. Isadora is a teenager, she's 16, she's the mortal daughter of immortal Egyptian gods Isis and Osiris and at the point where the story starts she's angry at her parents, angry at the world, she thinks she knows everything and that she's right and the world is wrong. In short, she's quite your typical teenager, with just a slightly more odd kinda baggage on her back.

She wants to leave Egypt and abandon her parents and her family, cause she thinks they don't care about her and she sort of gets her wish when her mother sents her to live with one of her older siblings (with a little pushing on Isadora's side). The funny thing of going through the story from Isadora's point of view is that you see what she's thinking, selfish or stupid or whatever and you can see that she realizes that she's being a stupid brat on occasion, but she keeps on thinking it's her against the world.

The story on The Chaos of Stars is really a big coming of age tale, with a fantastic mythical background, when Isadora needs to learn who she is, she needs to learn to love herself and her family, grow up and see farther than her own nose and learn to open herself to others.

I wish there would be a bit more world building and answers to some questions that may come up as to some why's and some extra explanation about some side characters... but ultimately this is Isadora's story and she and her small circle are the focus of the story and she doesn't seem to think of some bigger questions that we from the outside might focus on.

The rest of the characters are there to challenge Isadora, help her and push her into growing into a better self, but that doesn't mean they aren't characters in their own right, cause they have very distinct voices. Ry is the perfect opposite for her, with a more subtle strenght to the fiery stubborness that Isadora loves displaying.

And I can't help but mention in this review the vivid and fantastic food descriptions we get all over the book! Isadora gets to explore the world and get out of her shell, and food experiences are a big part of that. I have to tip my hat to Kiersten White, she kept on making me drool with all the food descriptions!

All in all, I loved this book enough to give it a very well deserved 4 stars and wish that there could be other companion books to answer some extra questions!



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Waiting On Wednesday #7!!

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!

 For this week's installment, my is-it-here-yet-I'm-stalking-the-postman release is The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater.

Goodreads summary:

"The second installment in the all-new series from the masterful, #1 NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater!

Now that the ley lines around Cabeswater have been woken, nothing for Ronan, Gansey, Blue, and Adam will be the same. Ronan, for one, is falling more and more deeply into his dreams, and his dreams are intruding more and more into waking life. Meanwhile, some very sinister people are looking for some of the same pieces of the Cabeswater puzzle that Gansey is after…"

Why am I eagerly awaiting The Dream Thieves? For starters I loved The Raven Boys and I can't wait to hear what's coming next for the boys and Blue and after reading all the amazing reviews my fellow bloggers who got ARCs have given this one... I'm just gonna be biting my nails till my copy arrives in the mail!

What are you all (im)patiently waiting to read?

Mark This Book Monday: Sweet Legacy by Tera Lynn Childs!

The next entry for Mark This Book Monday is the final book on the Medusa Girls trilogy and as such is also in my September is for Sequels challenge list!

Sweet Legacy by Tera Lynn Childs

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Sweet Legacy is the final book in the Medusa Girls trilogy so it's final showdown for Gretchen, Grace and Greer to save the world, the Gorgons and themselves. As it is the final book I will try my very best to avoid spoilers for it, but this review will contain spoilers for the previous books for sure.

The action picks up right where Sweet Shadows left us, with the girls stepping into the Abyss together to try and rescue the Gorgons. As the final book, there's plenty of action to go around, quite a few shocking revelations, some unexpected twists and a wee little bit of romance here and there.

The girls keep on learning to deal with their powers, to fight together, to relay in each other and to trust each other. Gretchen learns to trust on their sisters and not always feel the need to be the one in charge, Grace gains confidence to trust her instincts and to know that she can fight when she needs to, and Greer finally realizes that she loves being a Huntress and having sisters that she can love and decides to accept her gift and her legacy.

While everything that's happening leads to the final confrontation, the girls learn that they won't have to face neither monsters nor gods on their own, and that having those they love around them won't be a liability, but instead could be the key to victory.

The climax is finished maybe a bit too tightly and orderly but there are a few little hints unresolved for the girls to figure out and for us to wonder how they'll do.

All in all a very fun and quick read and a good ending for a series that gave the Greek mythology an interesting twist! Well deserved 3 and a half stars!



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Mark This Book Monday: Untold by Sarah Rees Brennan!

Mark This Book Monday returns once again with the new week and the first entry is an awaited sequel that is included in my goal for the September is for Sequels challenge!

Untold by Sarah Rees Brennan

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Untold was the very awaited sequel after the quite heartbreaking cliffhanger and ending of Unspoken. As usual with sequels I will try my best to avoid spoilers for this book but I can't really discuss the events in this book without spoiling the twists in the first.

Untold starts mostly where Unspoken left us, with Sorry-in-the-Vale shaken after the confrontation between the different Lynburn factions and with the fact that sorcerers are behind the history of the town and that any of your neighbours could be one...

Kami and Jared are both heartbroken, their link broken and a lot of angst and confusion. Kami continues to be strong and decisive to fight for what is right, despite her lack of magical powers and despite all the crap that our dear Sarah Rees Brennan keeps on throwing at her.

Kami and Jared relationship is even more complicated in this book, and there's such a lack of proper communication and Jared is so infuriating at times, even if it's sort of justifiable by how completely despondant her feels... There's quite a bit of emotional turmoil, a few occasions that could hint to love triangles that never really happen but despite it all, Kami continues to be strong and trudge on towards the goal of defending the town from Rob, even if Lillian doesn't think she's worth her breath (snooty sorcerers!).

Kami is my favourite part of the whole series, she's so strong, quirky and adorable! She keeps on trying to be her own person while still trying to figure out Jared and what they do/might have and never losing sight of what she must do to protect her family and the little town she lives in from subjugation and murder. Then I love the relationship she has with Angela and Rusty and I love how both of them finally show that they do care more outwardly in this book and how when it counts, Kami has her friends around her.

As the book progresses and some things get fixed and we get quite some swooning moments, you keep on feeling that disaster is looming and keep on wondering when it will befall and how bad will it be, but that's just Sarah Rees Brennan for you! Prepare for heartbreak cause it will surely come. I found both Kami and Jared's choices extremely irritating but they were quite in character and now we're left with another horrible & heartbreaking cliffhanger till the next book, Unbroken, comes out. And we're also left wondering... what new way of ripping our heart out and stomping on it will Sarah Rees Brennan develop for it?

A very entertaining read, well deserving of 3 and a half stars.



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Showcase Sunday #9!

Showcase Sunday is a weekly feature hosted by Vicky of Books, Biscuits, and Tea where all book lovers can share with others what bookish goodness we got this week, be it purchased (physical or eBook), won, gifted or for review!

Purchased (via Kindle app)

The Outside by Laura Bickle

Sweet Legacy by Tera Lynn Childs

Conjured by Sarah Beth Durst

The Transfer by Veronica Roth

 

Phoenix Overture by 

Poltergeeks by Sean Cummings

For Review (via NetGalley)

Bellman & Black by Diane Setterfield

Katya's War by Jonathan L. Howard

A Study In Ashes by Emma Jane Holloway

For Review (via Edelweiss)

Into the Dark: The Shadow Prince by Bree Despain

Won via Twitter from the author

Ever by Jessa Russo

This week I got an invite from NetGalley to get Bellman & Black (YAY!!) got approved for another two books and found another downloadable book on Edelweiss! And of course got myself a few preorders on my kindle app!

What did you guys get this week? Anything you were particularly excited for?

Friday Reads: The Outside by Laura Bickle!!

A very eagerly awaited sequel and final book all in one will be the next Friday Reads entry. Thank you Laura Bickle for a great conclusion!



The Outside by Laura Bickle

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The Outside is the very eagerly awaited sequel to The Hallowed Ones, one of my biggest book surprises this year, and I book I wouldn't doubt to recommend to anyone, even if they're not into YA or fantasy or postapocalyptic books. This doulogy is one I'll make sure the bf will read whenever he has some time to read, free of work.

The usual word of warning, as it's a sequel I'll do my best to avoid spoilers for it, but I won't be able to avoid spoilers for the Hallowed Ones.

The Outside starts pretty much where The Hallowed Ones ended, so we got Katie, Alex and Ginger with Horus/Horace/the white horse dealing with the outside world beyond the Amish settlement. They decide to start travelling North to Canada, to check on Alex's family. They encounter vampires and travel searching for holy ground to rest because despite their defenses, they really can't fight the vampires in big numbers and survival is a gruesome battle for life. Their journey is as dangerous as one could figure and they encounter friends and foes and try to find as much information as they can.

This book is great not just cause of the story and the plot and how the vampires are the monsters of old, not the nice ones nor the sexy ones of recent fame. It's gritty, it realistic to a point and there are unexpected developments, some light moments, a lot of creepy ones and plenty of danger to go around. To tell the truth despite all the creepy moments involving monsters vampires, I had the hardest time reading about the damned snakes, I almost had to take a break before I started hyperventilating! There is a lot of heartbreak in the book but also some swoony bits, some cute bits and the slivers of hope that allow you to go on.

The characters, what can I say about the characters! There's such a great growth for both Katie and Alex. Katie is Outside, but not on her Rumspringa, and she has to figure out who she is and what she believes in now, she needs to live with her choices and see what actions she can and can't take not guided blindly by her faith but not discounting it completely. Katie is such a vivid, complex and real character! Alex is also a great character, he keeps on challenging and supporting Katie at the same time, and their romance, though they both know is due to the situation they've found themselves in, is not less real or significant to the story even if it doesn't lead the story along or is the main motivation of it.

The ending is hopeful enough even without all the answers and with all the heartbreak along the way. This book was quite a journey and succeded in being an outstanding sequel and final book, very well deserved 4 and a half stars!





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