Review: Heir of Doom by Jina S. Bazzar // Divulging into the Fosch Files

Title: Heir of Doom
Author:  Jina S. Bazzar
Series: The Roxanne Fosch Files, book 2
Genre: Paranormal, Sci-Fi, [Young-Adult]
Heat Rating: Cool
Page Count & Format: 374 pages, Ebook
Published: February 20th 2019 by Creativia
Source: I received an eARC of the book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
My Rating:

Blurb (from Goodreads):

She no longer has to run and hide, but other problems have surfaced. Her clan has other plans for her, and even the combined might of the hunters might not be able to save her.

To survive, Roxanne will have to choose between being labeled a traitor and cast out as a rogue – or join hands with the darker powers to save her life, and the lives of her friends.

To achieve her goals, she’ll have to risk her life. But can she control the powers she’s still learning to use, and fears so much?

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Heir of Doom was packed with action and it definitely kept me engaged throughout the read. Book 2 continues with Roxanne’s journey as she has joined the hunters and is training to become one of them. But her mixed-breed status of being half human and half preternatural lead to her being discriminated against in every context.

And dayum. It was tragic to see Roxanne getting no better treatment. Nobody trusted her outside and the scenario was pretty much similar with the hunters as well. In book 1 she gets kidnapped and experimented by the scientists and although her situation changes after the escape and joining the hunters, she does not get the deserved respect. She only has a countable number of trustworthy people among the hunters and none of them had the high power to actually do anything that would benefit. I would say, it was a reflection of real-life politics, of what actually happens most of the time. It really, really made me angry and sad at the same time. Nonetheless, I loved her fierce personality and her consistent urge to improve!

The first part of the book was a bit slow which gradually changed in the second part and for the better. But I would say, the pacing did not affect me much since all the new characters and the hunting part, definitely made it more interesting. I had a love-hate relationship with the fae characters and the introduction of Mwara sparked my interest since she was the actual daughter of her “evil” step-mother. But most of all, I absolutely adored Frizz!!

The plot twist was a shocker! I did not expect that to happen when the truth about her lineage was revealed. Also, a lot of questions get answered in this book and obviously, there was Remo! Tada! Our beloved villain. The twist after twist that ensured made me gawk which also kinda made me wanna tear through book 3 immediately. And sadly I had to wait…

Recommend it?

Yes.

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Hello hello! Anybody remember moi?

It’s been a year. I tend to disappear but well… *awkwardly waves*

How is everybody, especially how are you guys dealing with the COVID-19 situation? Share with me and I’ll try my best to not disappear again. 

 

Review: Nocturne by Heather McKenzie || Slightly Bland and Repetitive

Title: Nocturne
Author: Heather McKenzie
Series: The Nightmusic Trilogy, book 2
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Suspense, [Young-Adult]
Heat Rating: Slightly warm
Page Count and Format: 415 pages, Ebook
Expected Publication: March 20th, 2018 by Clean Teen Publishing
Source: I received an eARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
My Rating:

Blurb (from Goodreads):

I am hunted.
A pawn in a vicious game.
The only way I can protect the ones I love…
…is to disappear.

Finally free of her father, Kaya has the one thing that keeps her heart beating—Luke.

Blissfully content in his arms, everything seems perfect…until their world is shattered by a deadly invasion. When an old ally comes to the rescue, Kaya wants none of it. She is devastated to learn the identity of her attacker, and that she must do something truly heartbreaking if she wants to save the ones she loves. Sacrificing everything and sinking into bottomless sorrow, Kaya finds solace in an unlikely friend—one who shows her a different kind of love and helps her discover an inner strength she never thought possible.

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The first book in this trilogy, Serenade was a pretty awesome and engaging read. Compared to that, the 2nd book felt slightly bland and repetitive. But I have to say one thing, the covers of this trilogy are really unique and beautiful!

Kaya is still on the run from her father who is only after her fortune. After an incident, she truly understands that she poses a threat to anyone near her, so she decides to bail alone. But surrounded by enemies on all sides, will she be able to hide or will she be betrayed?

A lot of stuff happened in the first book, Kaya learned the truth about herself and why she was held captive by her father and why he is after her. She ends up getting kidnapped by Luke but along the way ends up falling for her captor. I felt this book was more of a kind of filler because other than the introduction of few new characters, this book only contained running and hiding and it was devoid of any interesting surprises. But seriously, Kaya definitely has the most shittest parents in the whole universe!

One of the things that surprised me was, I actually started liking Oliver. His actions disgusted me in book 1 but after knowing the real reason behind it, he slowly started warming up to me. But… but I felt Kaya’s character was a kind of irritating this book! And on top of that, Thomas. What even!! She miraculously gets rescued after bailing on Luke and ends on a farm where she manages to get a job there and ultimately one of the guys there fall for her. Why is that everybody end up falling in love with the main heroine? I would have rather enjoyed it more if it was a purely platonic relationship. It would definitely have been more meaningful.

On the other hand, one of the new characters Marlene was absolutely my favourite. Born with a hideous birthmark on her face, she mostly stays away from crowds but a beautiful bond develops between her and Kaya. I loved the fact that Kaya stood up for her on more than one occasion! But the most awesome thing about this book was the bromance between Luke and Oliver! I didn’t even guess that anything slightly normal was possible between these two because they were always at each other’s throats. This was definitely a delightful surprise.

Overall, Nocturn was an okay read. The plot felt a little repetitive and this book could have been a little less lengthy in my opinion. The action and stuff were there but I wanted more of it but nonetheless, I enjoyed those particular parts.But the way things ended, I am definitely interested to know what happens next to our characters!

Recommend it?

Yes.

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So guys, what do you think about this book? Is it on your tbr?

Review: How Hard Can Love Be? by Holly Bourne || Heartbreaking and Beautiful at the Same Time.

Title: How Hard Can Love Be?
Author: Holly Bourne
Series: The Spinster Club, book 2 [Can be read as a standalone]
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, [Young-Adult]
Heat Rating: Cool
Page Count and Format: 480, Paperback
Published: February 1st, 2016 by Usborne Publishing Ltd
Source: Purchased
My Rating:

Blurb (from Goodreads):

Amber, Evie and Lottie: three girls facing down tough issues with the combined powers of friendship, feminism and cheesy snacks. Both hilarious and heart-rending, this is Amber’s story of how painful – and exhilarating – love can be, following on from Evie’s story in Am I Normal Yet?

All Amber wants is a little bit of love. Her mum has never been the caring type, even before she moved to California, got remarried and had a personality transplant. But Amber’s hoping that spending the summer with her can change all that.

And then there’s prom king Kyle, the guy all the girls want. Can he really be interested in anti-cheerleader Amber? Even with best friends Evie and Lottie’s advice, there’s no escaping the fact: love is hard.

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Whoa, this book was an emotional roller coaster. I liked Amber in Am I Normal Yet? but in this book, we get to see her more closely and understand her and damn… I loved her sooo freaking much! There were so many times that I felt so bad for Amber that I kept hugging and patting the book.

Amber is excited to meet her mother after two whole years after she remarried. Although she is going to be away from her bffs, Evie and Lottie, she is more excited to form a new relationship with her mother. But her Summer starts going the exact opposite she was hoping for and on top of that, she starts to develop feelings for Kyle who’s working in the summer camp with Amber. He’s a notorious playboy according to her mother but the heart wants what it wants. Will she be able to handle everything?

Sooo, the plot may sound a little bit cliched. Yes, it was cliched but never have I ever loved a cliched book so freaking much! This was so much more than just summer romance, it dealt with Amber’s views of love and life. Amber always had body image issues for being “too tall” for a girl. This is clearly visible in the previous book as well and we can see how much self-confidence she loses because of that. I could relate to it on a personal level. And I could feel her struggle.

On top of that, she was clinging on to the hope of reconnecting with her mother who moved away two years ago after getting remarried. Damn, I could feel it that she was going to be hella disappointed. I mean, she was so happy and over-excited to meet her mother and what I dreaded came true, I felt so freaking bad for her. It broke my heart to see her hurting.

Kyle, on the other hand, was like a ray of sunshine she never expected in her life. That guy is seriously awesome, he is a forever kind of guy, that I could feel within a few seconds of being introduced to him. He was genuinely caring and sweet. And basically nice to everybody. Amber had a tough time believing such a boy could fall for her because the society’s standards were different. God, I hate that so much! Why does society get to decide what we are gonna wear, where we are gonna go, it’s our life and it’s up to us to decide that!!!

“Why would anyone get drunk? Why does anyone need anything like that to escape the world, when the world is its own antidote?”

Okay, before I divert any further, Amber was a tough girl but there’s a limit to how much she can handle. Luckily she had super-awesome friends who were a part of the Spinster Club as well, I loooved how Evie and Lottie encouraged her and boosted her confidence. Everybody needs friends like that in their life. 🙂

“Be you. It’s all you can ever be anyway. But own being you. It’s a fab thing to own.”

The romance was indeed cuuuuuute! And I very much liked Amber and Kyle together. They were adorable and why her mother was so apprehensive of him becomes clear later so. Seriously, I hated that woman. How could she call herself a mother? She didn’t even try… Although Amber kind of forgave her but it definitely wasn’t an easy thing to do but Amber’s last decision was quite weird, totally based on a whim! It just felt a little weird. But nonetheless, I’m glad how it all turned out in the end.

Overall, How Hard Can Love Be? is an interesting read. The writing flowed so beautifully, I didn’t want to put this book down. I loved how the plot was executed and I felt attached to the characters. I just wish some of the characters were developed more throughout the book, especially Amber’s mother but it was a satisfactory read.

Recommend it?

Yes!

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So guys, have you read this book yet? What did you think about it? And if you haven’t, is it in your tbr?

Review: Godsgrave by Jay Kristoff || Where everything took a whole new turn

Title: Godsgrave
Author: Jay Kristoff
Series: The Nevernight Chronicle, book 2
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, [Young-Adult]
Heat Rating: Warm
Page Count and Format: 421 pages, Hardcover
Published:  September 7th, 2017 by Harper Voyager UK
Source: Purchased
My Rating:

Blurb (from Goodreads):

A ruthless young assassin continues her journey for revenge in this new epic fantasy from New York Times bestselling author Jay Kristoff.

Mia Corvere has found her place among the Blades of Our Lady of Blessed Murder, but many in the Red Church hierarchy think she’s far from earned it. Plying her bloody trade in a backwater of the Republic, she’s no closer to ending the men who destroyed her familia; in fact, she’s told directly that Consul Scaeva is off limits. But after a deadly confrontation with an old enemy, Mia suspicions about the Red Church’s true motives begin to grow.

When it’s announced that Scaeva will be making a rare public appearance at the conclusion of the grand games in Godsgrave, Mia defies the Church and sells herself to a gladiatorial collegium for a chance to finally end him. Upon the sands of the arena, Mia finds new allies, bitter rivals, and more questions about her strange affinity for the shadows. But as conspiracies unfold within the collegium walls, and the body count rises, Mia will be forced to choose between love and revenge, and uncover a secret that could change the very face of her world.

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If you thought Nevernight was a torturous read, wait until you’ve read Godgrave because the wait for the next book is literally unbearable…

“If Vengeance has a mother, her name is Patience.” 

HOLY GUACAMOLEYYY!! This book simply took everything to a different level. I expected that, but not thaaaat much. I remember falling into a slump after finishing Nevernight because no other book was living up to my expectations after reading that one and the experience was quite similar to this book too (fortunately, I’m out of the slump now…). I also feel like it’s best to go into this book without knowing anything, even the blurb for the best reading experience.

After everything went down in the previous book, Mia is finally working for the Red Church but when she comes face to face with an old enemy, her perception towards the Red Church begins to sway and when the actual truth comes out, the line between right and wrong begin to blur. Not there was anything, to begin with, but now it’s up to Mia to decide where she wants her final destiny to be.

Interesting writing style!

In Nevernight, the writing style felt a little way too much in the beginning but I didn’t feel like that for a second while reading Godsgrave, I was hooked from the very first page and the jumping between the past and the present was actually quite fun, I usually don’t like when that happens but that very fact made things much more interesting in this book.

An Intense Plot!

The plot was bloody awesome! And intense! How does Kristoff do that? Everything was a bloody mess but it was amazing at the same time. It was really hard to put this book down, I just wanted to leave everything and read this book for the whole day! Okay, so in Nevernight, we saw Mia entering the Red Church as a student and now in Godsgrave, she is a full-fledged blade, who still wants revenge for her family despite the warnings from her masters. But as the book proceeded, things became just so much more than just revenge. But this book was sooo bloody, oh so bloody and dark. Oh, oh and I also missed Mister Kindly soooo freaking much. Also, wolfie was a nice addition, the constant bickering of those two provided the necessary relief and it was quite humorous and funny at times.

Character growth!

We are introduced to a lot of new characters in this book as Mia takes on a new journey and becomes a gladiator. I loved Mia’s character growth as a person in this book. She was a closed-off character in the first book and here we get to see a whole new side of Mia, she also discovers her sexual orientation in this book and I definitely enjoyed how everything was executed. It’s so hard to review this book without spoiling anything. So. Freaking. Hard. People.

Mia closed her eyes.
Raised her blade.
‘O, Mother, blackest Mother, what have I become?’

Anyway, I freaking loved the new characters and the relationship Mia shared with them. It was amazing but heartbreaking at the same time. Jay Kristoff is cruel, people. And that’s not a fact but a reality. How am I supposed to live until the next book?

Plot-twist that’ll ruin your life! (if you still have any after finishing this book…)

And the FREAKING PLOT TWIST!! Who does that!!! My goodness, there are some plot twists you are amazed at and some are too much to handle. Combine those two! That’s exactly how I felt after turning the last page. 2 major plot twists and I have no freaking idea what’s going to happen next. I had 1% hunch about the 2nd twist but the 1st one was out of completely nowhere. It smacked me right in the goddam face!! I mean, it completely changed the whole game dude!

I have to stop now otherwise my rambling will never end!!

Overall,

Godsgrave was an amazing, heart-pounding read. This was a fast-paced read and I enjoyed every moment of it. Also, this book was more dark and intense than the first book, so brace yourself guys! This series is absolutely perfect for fantasy and action lovers!

Congratulations if you have made it to the end of my endless screaming, screechingly fangirling review where I simultaneously want to hug the book and throw it at the wall.

*SPOILER* Who the freaking saw that coming at the end???? The one she hated the most and now she shares blood relation with him? LIKE SERIOUSLY???!!! Alsoooo, I loved the romance between Mia and the Ashlinn though she did the one thing I hated the most in the previous book but THAT ENDING people!! That bloody freaking ending!! *END OF SPOILER*

Recommend it?

Jinjja! Do I still need to say that?!

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So guys, what are your thoughts on this book? Did you love it or did it felt flat for you? Or are you still waiting to read this book?

Also, if you want to discuss spoilers in the comments, please write spoilers before you state your thoughts. 🙂

Review: The Red Rising Saga by Pierce Brown || Where the rising started off slow but ended with a bang!

   

Title: Red Rising (book 1), Golden Son (book 2), Morning Star (book 3)
Author: Pierce Brown
Series: The Red Rising Saga
Genre: Dystopia, Science-fiction, [Adult]
Format: Paperback
Published: 25th September 2014, 8th January 2015 & 22nd September 2016 by Hodder Paperbacks respectively
Source: Purchased
My Rating:

Blurb (from Goodreads):

Red Rising:

The Earth is dying. Darrow is a Red, a miner in the interior of Mars. His mission is to extract enough precious elements to one day tame the surface of the planet and allow humans to live on it. The Reds are humanity’s last hope.

Or so it appears, until the day Darrow discovers it’s all a lie. That Mars has been habitable – and inhabited – for generations, by a class of people calling themselves the Golds. A class of people who look down on Darrow and his fellows as slave labour, to be exploited and worked to death without a second thought.

Until the day that Darrow, with the help of a mysterious group of rebels, disguises himself as a Gold and infiltrates their command school, intent on taking down his oppressors from the inside. But the command school is a battlefield – and Darrow isn’t the only student with an agenda.

Break the chains. Live for more.

Golden Son:

‘I’m still playing games. This is just the deadliest yet.’

Darrow is a rebel forged by tragedy. For years he and his fellow Reds worked the mines, toiling to make the surface of Mars inhabitable. They were, they believed, mankind’s last hope. Until Darrow discovered that it was all a lie, and that the Red were nothing more than unwitting slaves to an elitist ruling class, the Golds, who had been living on Mars in luxury for generations.

In RED RISING, Darrow infiltrated Gold society, to fight in secret for a better future for his people. Now fully embedded amongst the Gold ruling class, Darrow continues his dangerous work to bring them down from within. It’s a journey that will take him further than he’s ever been before – but is Darrow truly willing to pay the price that rebellion demands?

Hic sunt leones.

Morning Star:

Darrow would have lived in peace, but his enemies brought him war. The Gold overlords demanded his obedience, hanged his wife, and enslaved his people. But Darrow is determined to fight back. Risking everything to transform himself and breach Gold society, Darrow has battled to survive the cutthroat rivalries that breed Society’s mightiest warriors, climbed the ranks, and waited patiently to unleash the revolution that will tear the hierarchy apart from within.

Finally, the time has come.

But devotion to honor and hunger for vengeance run deep on both sides. Darrow and his comrades-in-arms face powerful enemies without scruple or mercy. Among them are some Darrow once considered friends. To win, Darrow will need to inspire those shackled in darkness to break their chains, unmake the world their cruel masters have built, and claim a destiny too long denied—and too glorious to surrender.

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This series has been on my tbr list for a loooong time and it was finally time to tick them off the list. But honestly, I wasn’t that much impressed with Red Rising, I don’t think I would have continued if I already didn’t own the rest of the series. But I’m glad I did pick up because things finally looked up at me from the second half of Golden Son and since then I didn’t have to look back and I thoroughly enjoyed the series.

Darrow is a Red, he lives a world divided by colour and every day is a struggle for survival. He believes he and his mates are doing their best to create a better world for the future generation until he discovers all their efforts were based on a lie. And when the inevitable happens, helped by a rebel group under a nameless leader Ares, Darrow decides to take action by infiltrating the Golds, not by just doing anything but being among one of them. But as time passes Darrow discovers there’s so much more than war, he discovers so much more to life. Will he be finally able to achieve his long lost dream of a better world or will it perish with the uncountable wars?

Interesting Plot!

As I said before Red Rising wasn’t a great read for me. Although things were refreshing and I definitely enjoyed the way things were handled in this book, still it somewhat didn’t feel new. Maybe that’s because I read too much dystopia… Anyway, but as I proceeded onto the next book, things started to look up. The politics were one of the most intriguing parts of this book, this is coming from a girl who loves to stay ten hands away from politics, so yep! In Red Rising, the making of their own houses survival games felt a lot like the Hunger Games but the actual story begins in the second book when Darrow takes command and the actual plan begins to unfold.

“I would have lived in peace. But my enemies brought me war.” 

Golden Son begins to shape up the plot for what’s about to come in the next book and the author does a pretty good job at building the momentum. Aaaand, Morning Star was actually pretty awesome! It was pretty brutal and bloody too. Although Ragnar’s part felt a lot like the Unsullied in GoT but I did like his character. Some of my favourite characters died, some lived to see another day but the war was epic actually. I enjoyed the last book the most. It was full of action and suspense and I couldn’t put the book down. There were also some chilly and powerful scenes which made me shiver, and Darrow rightfully earned the name of the Reaper.

Complex and layered characters!

This book had a vaaaaast number of characters but it wasn’t confusing which was a plus. I definitely loved Darrow, our lead protagonist and his character growth throughout the series. When we were first introduced to him, only revenge was the one thing that kept him going but as days passed and he understood the whole scenario, he knew things were so much bigger than just a petty revenge. And I loved that he didn’t give up until the very end. There were moments, but he trudged on. Of course, that wouldn’t have been possible if he didn’t have such great friends to back him up which brings me to them.

“A man thinks he can fly, but he is afraid to jump. A poor friend pushes him from behind.” He looks up at me. “A good friend jumps with.” 

Among everybody, I looooved Servo the most. That guy was a nutcase but an adorable goryhell nutcase. His irrevocable loyalty and belief in Servo made me love him even more. And even though the tension between him and Servo reached a notch in Morning Star, I was so glad when they solved it like adults because let’s face it Servo is awesome but he is not a great at being a leader. Not only Darrow but seeing all the characters grow throughout the series made me super happy!! Also, I loved Mustang, I never ever doubted her for a second. I loved the chemistry between Mustang and Servo and how their relationship slowly developed from allies to something much more. 

One of the most interesting characters was the Jackel, Mustang’s stepbrother. That guy felt shady from the moment he was introduced and the web of lies he so neatly arranged was mind-boggling. The other villains were pretty interesting as well but I just wanted to beat the heck out of them with my ever-lasting frying pan!! They stooped so low and the Jackel didn’t even care about the consequences and *spoiler*I was glad to see him getting the deserved “reward” in the end.

And even after everything I somehow didn’t lose faith in Cassius, I knew he would eventually choose the best in the end. I just somehow had that gut feeling and I was overjoyed to see him and Darrow reunite at the end.*end of spoiler*

Freaking plot twists!

Another reason to love this series. It kept on surprising me out of bloody nowhere. This especially happened with the war strategies and stuff and it was pretty interesting and kept me guessing what was going to happen next. And there were so many freaking deaths.

“Justice isn’t about fixing the past, it’s about fixing the future. We’re not fighting for the dead. We’re fighting for the living. And for those who aren’t yet born.” 

The most shocking part was Ares’ identity, I seriously did not see that coming. I was woooooahh!! Hold it right there but oh well nobody listened because of the bloody war. *spoiler*Also, Ares’s death was like out of nowhere but it was Ragnar’s death which gutted me the most.*end of spoiler*

Overall,

The Red Rising Saga was an interesting read and I’m glad I was able to enjoy this series till the very end although the beginning was not very strong. I fell in love with the characters and the plot was complex enough for me to keep reading on. I loved the character growth and the way everything was written made it a pretty smooth read. At first, I thought with Morning Star things would come to an end but as everybody knows by now, the fourth book, Iron Gold is coming out next year, although I still don’t know how I feel about that because the blurb is kinda heartbreaking but obviously realistic, I think I would be picking it up.

Recommend it?

Yes.

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So guys, what are your thoughts on this series? Have you read it yet or is it in your tbr? Who’s your favourite character? Are you looking forward to the next book in this series?

Review: Fate’s Keep by T. Rae Mitchell || Another tumbling journey through the book of fables

Title: Fate’s Keep
Author: T. Rae Mitchell
Series: Fate’s Journey, book 2
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, [Young-Adult]
Heat Rating: Cool
Page Count and Format: 446 pages, Ebook
Published: February 26th, 2017 by Original Mix Media Inc.
Source: I received an eARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
My Rating: 

Blurb (from Goodreads):

Fate Floyd survived and escaped the deadly fairytale world of the Book of Fables, but at a terrible cost. The boy of her dreams, Finn McKeen, remains a prisoner of the cursed book. To find her way back to him, she must travel to a new world, where she’ll confront the mysterious Keep and the truth of her heritage.

With her heart sworn to saving Finn, and an unbreakable blood oath to guard the Keep, Fate must dig deep for the strength to protect those she loves. Unimaginable creatures of myth and legend threaten to destroy the Keep, while a slumbering evil awakens within the bowels of the arcane storehouse of magical objects. Fate’s only chance for salvation lies in a series of desperate quests and battles, any one of which may mark the end of everything she holds dear.

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This book was equally fun to read as book 1. Although this book could have been a little short but there was not a single dull moment and the anticipation of what’s going to happen next made this an exciting read!

*Spoilerish.*

Fate and Finn get separated when Finn gets cursed and is bound to the oak and Fate returns to the real world. But she is determined to save Finn but the only way back is through is by going through the Keep and one has to be the guardian to pass by first. Desperate to get back, Fate accepts the hard choice, but this time she is not the only one who tumbles into the world of fairytales. When more danger crosses her path, will be able to reach Finn in time?

The plot of this book was unpredictable which I really liked. This book picks up right where it was left off. Fate’s gets back from the book of Fables but Finn is still stuck there, on top of that her whole book signing after party moves to the bookstore which puts her in a compromising position. With the help of Gerdie, she is finally able to return to the fables but quite a few of her friends tumbles along with her. It was actually quite fun and irritating at the same time seeing how her friends reacted. I was especially angry towards Jessie, Fate’s bff and I was very much glad when they resolved the issue between them.

The dangers got more amplified in this book, especially the Gorgons. They were nightmarish. But I was soooo glad to have Sithias back!! I love that snake so freaking much! The action sequences were done well and I really enjoyed the backstory of the Keep. Though I felt that the book stretched a bit too much. Anyway, finally, the real villains of the Keep were also introduced. Although we just got a glimpse of them in this book, I have a feeling shit’s about to hit the fan in the next one which I’m really excited to read about. And I was soooo happy when Fate and Finn finally got reunited. It’s not going to be an easy journey for them but at least they are in it for together.

Overall, Fate’s Keep was an enjoyable read. I enjoyed both the plot and the characters. The writing was smooth and easy to read and it was fast-paced throughout the book. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing what happens next in this series.

Recommend it?

Yes.

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So guys, have you read this book? What did you think about it? Do you think you’ll give it a try if you haven’t read it yet?

Mini Reviews: Contemporary New-Adult 2 Star Edition || The Thing About New-Adult: A Mini Discussion

Title: Royally Matched
Author: Emma Chase
Series: Royally, book 2 [Can be read as a standalone]
Heat Rating: Warm
Page Count and Format: 276 pages, Ebook
Published: February 21st, 2017 by Emma Chase, LLC

                  

Henry’s life is a complete mess after his brother Nicholas put the whole king responsibility upon his shoulders. He does not take his royal responsibilities seriously and when he gets to make a choice of his own, he jumps upon it. He gets an offer for a reality tv show where he would get the chance to choose his future would-be-wife but things start to go down the rails when he finds himself falling for Sarah, a contestant’s sister.

I didn’t quite enjoy the first book in this series but I was actually quite looking forward to this one because we were given a glimpse of both Henry and Sarah in the first book which got me intrigued. Anyway, I read a lot of rave reviews for this book but unfortunately, this book failed to impress me in any way. The plot was enjoyable although cliched. Henry is someone who has never taken much responsibility in any matter and he jumps up on the offer for the reality tv show in a whim. As the show proceeds, he finds himself falling for someone who is not a contestant. I, unfortunately, failed to enjoy the chemistry between Henry and Sarah though I did enjoy them together. 

I wanted more depth in the characters. Henry was charming but he failed to sweep me off my feet. Anyway, this book portrayed how actually a reality tv show actually works and in this book it was sometimes quite funny. But I loved when Henry finally manned up! Overall, I somewhat enjoyed this book. However, I did feel this book was unnecessarily long. The writing was smooth and the pace was even throughout the book.

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Title: #1 Crush
Author:  T. Gephart
Series: #1 series, book 1 [Can be read as a standalone]
Heat Rating: Pretty warm
Page Count and Format: 316 pages, Ebook
Published: February 20th, 2017 by T Gephart

             

I received this book as a giveaway prize from Raven from Dreamy Addictions! Thanks again, Raven!

This book was weird. Super weird in a non-realistic way. Here’s the gist- Tia has always been in love with Eric Larsson who is actually a famous Hollywood actor. Whatever she does, she can’t get him out of his head so she decides to meet him in person. She’s sure he’s going to turn out an asshole which will help Tia to flush him out of her heart but when reality proves her wrong, she can’t help but fall for Eric more and more.

To meet Eric in person Tia decides to attend the premiere of his newly launched movie. As an imposter!!! She actually pretended to be someone else to get into the premiere. First of all, who freaking does that! This really bothered me. Anyway, her plan fails because Eric actually turns out to be a decent human being as well as quite charming. For this book, I liked the chemistry between the two characters. Eric meets up with Tia after a few weeks again and thus begins their whirlwind romance. But even after everything, she continues to lie to Eric about herself. Their whole relationship started off on a lie and I really hated that. I really enjoyed Tia as an individual but her tendency to not tell the whole truth put me off. She had plenty of choices to come out to Eric but she always pulled back. The plot twist threw me

The plot twist threw me off-guard. I was so not expecting that but instead of cheering, I was actually disappointed. Anybody would be!!! I mean love is blind but not that blind dude. Anybody in Eric’s situation would be offended and I didn’t get why and how he did what he did. Anyway, the writing was smooth and the pace was even throughout the book. I would have surely enjoyed the book more if some of the things were more properly addressed.

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Title: Ladies Man
Author: Katy Evans
Series: Manwhore, book 3 [Can be read as a standalone]
Heat Rating: Pretty warm
Page Count and Format: 299 pages, Ebook
Published: April 24th, 2016 by KT Publishing LLC

                            

Tahoe is a player and Gina is a strong level headed woman who knows what she wants. They are both strictly friends yet the more they become close, the more they can’t avoid the undeniable attraction between them. It’s up to them to decide if taking a risk is worth the chance of losing their friendship.

Frankly, I think I have read too many books that have used this trope. I still enjoy if the execution’s well enough but unfortunately, I didn’t feel that way for this book and as a result, it fell flat for me. After Gina’s previous relationship fell out, she’s not ready to be on the dating front soon again but every time she’s with Tahoe her feelings leave her confused and flustered. Tahoe on the other hand, was on a totally different level, although he feels attracted towards Gina, he doesn’t stop being a player and he’s a painful one at that.

This book was too frustrating to read and I just wanted it to be over. For the majority of this book, Gina has a boyfriend who she didn’t even like very much, and Tahoe was well, still sleeping around. They don’t get together until the very end of this book and everything was just on and off and I just didn’t see the point. I definitely liked Gina as a character when I was introduced to her but being such a strong woman, I would have loved to see a bit more of a mature decision at least from her. Anyway, The writing was smooth and the pace was even throughout the book. Overall, I enjoyed this book the least among the three.

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The thing about New-Adult-

Hey there guys! Welcome to Daydreaming Discussions. This is a monthly feature created by me where I discuss anything bookish related or sometimes it might be about any non-bookish things as well. Also, be prepared for a lot of ramblings and rantings and you’re very welcome to be a part of the discussion.

As these reviews and this topic matched I decided to punch them together. Honestly, I hadn’t even though of writing a discussion about this but while writing these reviews I felt the need to voice out my opinion about New-Adult and ask what you guys felt about it.

That cute Chimchim was basically me when I discovered New-Adult. A whole new world opened up to me!!

I didn’t use to enjoy contemporary until I came across New-Adult books, since then I love NA books and I also give YA contemporary a chance as well. But well, let’s not divert into anything else because I have a tendency to do so… like the way cute Jimin is jumping on and off like that and me obsessing over BTS day and night, especially Taehyung…

*Ahem!*

Anyway,  one thing you might have noticed in these 3 mini-reviews that they didn’t have anything extraordinary to make these books stand out.

The thing is that as much as New-Adult can be enjoyable, they can get tremendously repetitive as well. Most of the time I have seen that NA books seem to focus only on sex when it shouldn’t be the main concern at all. As a hopeless romantic, I’m 100% on the romance train *cho chooo* but seriously that shouldn’t be the only factor!

New-Adult books feature characters usually between the age of 18 to 25. This is the age when one steps into college or is trying out for a job and stuff. Basically, it’s the age where you step into adulthood, so there are numerous routes a New-Adult book take other than only romance because let’s be realistic for a second, this age group is freaking tough and sometimes pretty frustrating. I fall into this age group and there’s a whole lot of other struggles like the tension of getting a job, mental as well as physical. Yup, reality sucks!

I want New-Adult books to be more relatable, I want them to feature the daily struggles one goes through during this age group, the different distractions that they might fall into, the inner struggle, battling the inner demons and striving to achieve one’s dream in such a competitive world. Also on the positive side, as this age is the time for stepping into new boundaries, so naturally new friends should also be in the mixture.

Of course, I have found some gems in this category as well and some of those books were really awesome, like Whispers and the Roars by K. Webster (I really can’t say why because that would spoil the entire book) and The Butterfly Project by Emma Scott which was really emotional and beautiful.

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So what do you guys think about the whole New-Adult category? Do you enjoy these books or would you like them more if they were more relatable? Also if you have any awesome NA recommendations, feel free to leave them in the comments!

Dual Review: Scala & Acca by Christina Bauer || A pretty kickass and engaging read

Title: Scala
Author: Christina Bauer
Series: Angelbound Origins, book 2
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, [Young-Adult]
Heat Rating: Slightly warm
Page Count and Format: 249 pages, Ebook
Published: September 2016 by Monster House Books, LLC
Source: Purchased
My Rating:

Blurb (from Goodreads):

Nineteen-year-old Myla Lewis has transformed into Great Scala, the only being with the power to move souls out of Purgatory and into Heaven or Hell. Trouble is, a magical object called Lucifer’s Orb is limiting Myla’s abilities. If she tries to move a soul, the Orb’s forcing her to send that spirit straight to Hell.

So, what’s a girl to do? Send innocents to the fiery down-under?

No way. Myla’s gone on a supernatural strike. No souls go anywhere until the Orb’s history. It’s the right thing to do, but Purgatory’s Soul Storage buildings are turning into time bombs. No spirits are moving out, while millions keep coming in. Myla’s determined to find the Orb and send the innocent to Heaven, but she’s running out of time. Soon, the containment fields will burst, releasing a mob of homicidal ghosts.

With Soul Storage ready to explode, Myla’s got enough on her plate without her old enemy, Lady Adair, causing problems. Adair is launching an ingenious campaign to take away everything that Myla holds dear, including Myla’s Angelbound love, Prince Lincoln.

Between their clever ideas and toe-curling kisses, Myla and Lincoln are fighting back. But will they beat the clock or lose everything to Adair’s devious schemes?

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I had read Angelbound a few months earlier and the fourth book was coming this month and those of you have been following my blog for some time now, know I am a fan of binge reading. And this was the perfect time to pick up this series!

*Spoilerish for those who haven’t read book 1.*

After the big fight in Purgatory and sending Armageddon to hell, Myla has finally assumed the role of the Great Scala, the only being who can transfer souls to heaven and hell but her work comes to a standstill until she recovers Lucifer’s Orb. Meanwhile, Adair takes this opportunity to bring Myla down. Even with Prince Lincoln by her side, would Myla be able to stop her in time?

Scala picks up after a few weeks since the last book ended. Myla is still adjusting to her new role of the Great Scala and her family is reunited after such a long time. For all this time, Purgatory was run by the ghouls and the worldbuilding was fantastic in the previous book, here we get to see the consequence of trying to change a decade-long style of ruling. I absolutely loved Myla and her consistent efforts to do what was right. Of course, with her friends and family, it would have been far more difficult. Anyway, the action and the adventure kept me engaged throughout the book.

Cissy, her bff stayed loyal as usual and I just loved the friendship and bond between them, they were so much like sisters and I adored that. Lincoln will always be one of my favourite characters, he is not only swoon-worthy and dedicated to Myla but his amount of trust on her never fails to amaze me. Whenever Myla decides to take a risk, he never becomes a creative barrier to her, instead, he is always a partner in crime! I loved the chemistry between Myla and Lincoln! But Lady Adair still remained my least favourite character. I thought after the last incident in the previous book, she would come to her senses but she got even worse and though I guessed the plot twist, it still managed to surprise me! And I definitely enjoyed how it all played out.

Overall, Scala was an amazing read. I loved each and every moment of it and I enjoyed the character growth, specially Myla’s. The plot was executed neatly and I was not bored for a single freaking second.

Recommend it?

Yes!

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Title: Acca
Author: Christina Bauer
Series: Angelbound Origins, book 3
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, [Young-Adult]
Heat Rating: Slightly warm
Page Count and Format: 250 pages, Ebook
Published: December 13th, 2016 by Monster House Books, LLC
Source: Purchased
My Rating:

Blurb (from Goodreads):

In just one week, supernatural warrior Myla Lewis must discover enough evidence to send the evil House of Acca to prison… or she’ll end up in jail herself, along with her fiancé, Prince Lincoln. No pressure.

To gather proof, Myla and Lincoln go undercover at an all-girl’s high school on Earth. Lincoln acts as the new gym teacher; Myla becomes the school’s least popular transfer student ever. To stop them from getting the goods, Acca releases Hell on Earth. Literally. Good thing Myla and Lincoln aren’t afraid of a tough fight. This one promises to be the hardest yet. After all, who ever said high school wasn’t hell?

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Acca picks up where the previous book ended. Things got out of hand in the previous book due to Lady Adair’s deal and everything had to end in a bloody mess. But Myla and Lincoln’s trouble does not end there, they have to deal with Adair’s father, the Acca who would love nothing more to see them finished and power being his ultimate goal. To gather the ultimate proof against their enemy, Myla and Lincoln embark and adventure to Earth. If they are successful, everything might finally become okay but if they are not then their’s worst nightmare is about to become real.

This series is seriously epic. There’s not a single dull moment and the characters keep me on my toes. Myla is sassy and such a kickass heroine who knows how to handle quite a few difficult situations like an independent woman. In this book, she and Lincoln are side by side in collecting the ultimate evidence against house Acca so that they might finally go down but Acca is not someone to go without a fight.

I enjoyed the action and the humour in this book. The duo once again did not fail to amaze me, it was so freaking fun and engaging. They had to up their game because now they had to face Earth which was quite different from Purgatory but for those two, nothing’s quite impossible. Still, there were quite a few intense moments due to which I couldn’t stop reading this book. Anyway, I loved the romance between them, it did get a bit of more steamy in this book but I definitely enjoyed it! I loved how things wrapped up in the end.

Overall, Acca was a great read! The plot was interesting from the very start and the pace was fast throughout the book. In fact, both the books are a pretty quick read. The writing was smooth and beautiful and I definitely can’t wait to see how book 4 ends!! I’m already halfway through it!

Recommend it?

Yes!

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So guys, what do you think about this series? Have you started it yet?

Review: A Veil of Shadows by Michael W. Garza || Where my adventure knew no bounds

Title: A Veil of  Shadows
Author: Michael W. Garza
Series: The Shadow Gate Chronicles, book 2
Genre: Fantasy, [Middle-Grade]
Heat Rating: Cool
Page Count and Format: 229 pages, Ebook
Expected Publication: September 22nd, 2017 by NeverHaven Press
Source: I received an eARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
My Rating: 

Blurb (from Goodreads):

A desperate search leads to a new world.

Naomi and Gavin are on the run. Having narrowly escaped Azzmon’s clutches, they find themselves hunted by Malick, another Shade Lord. He has amassed an army of foul creatures, and the city-state of Tarravale stands on the brink of chaos. Naomi’s ability to open Shadow Gates makes her an alluring target, and the Shade Lord will stop at nothing to possess her. The children must find a way to escape before their new world is buried in an unwinnable war.

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Like the first book in this series, this book was also pretty fun to read. Full of adventure and action, there’s never a dull moment. You can read my review of book 1: The Last Shadow Gate, here.

Gavin and Naomi discovered a whole new world which they enter through the Shadow Gate. But that world was not devoid of evils. Having escaped once, they are being once again chased by another Shade Lord, Malick. Alone and afraid, they are finally surprised to find one ounce of hope in the midst of everything but will that be enough for them to finally return home?

The story picks up right where it left off. Gavin and Naomi manage to escape the clutches of Azzmon, although being betrayed does not sit well with Gavin despite Naomi’s way of understanding things differently. The siblings only want one thing, that is to go back home but this world has a whole other plan for them. The first capture was the ultimate surprise. When they were first caught, I was afraid for them but then it definitely was bittersweet *spoiler*because they were finally reunited with their great-grandfather who was stuck in that world for ages*End of Spoiler* but I was really happy for Gavin and Naomi but that was just the start of their new adventure.

Soon enough, they are running from yet another enemy, a.k.a Malick and he has plans of his own. The trio has to face a number of complications and hurdles on their way to the Shadow gate which is the only way they will be able to return home. The pages are lined with action and something or the other kept happening. But everything felt a bit too repetitive for me, I wanted something new to surprise me which didn’t happen.

Anyway, I enjoyed the characters. I loved Gavin and I cherished the bond between him and Naomi. They both cared about each other so much. But those serpent like creatures were definitely scary as well as the Noctright. They kinda reminded me of the Pterodactyl, just scarier because it was hybrid of sorts. This book ended on a hopeful note and I definitely want to see how it all ends.

Overall, A Veil of Shadows was a good read though somewhat predictable. The plot was executed neatly and I enjoyed the character growth. The writing was smooth and easy to read and it was fast paced throughout the book. I really hope the next book manages to surprise me more!

Recommend it?

Yes.

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So guys, what do you think about this book? Are you interested in reading it?

Review: The Infinite Sea & The Last Star by Rick Yancey || Where things boiled down to an underwhelming end

Title: The Infinite Sea
Author: Rick Yancey
Series: The 5th Wave trilogy, book 2
Genre: Post-Apocalyptic, Sci-fi, Thriller, [Young-Adult]
Heat Rating: Cool
Page Count and Format: 300 pages, Paperback
Published: September 16th, 2014 by Penguin Books Ltd
Source: Purchased
My Rating:

Blurb (from Goodreads):

For Cassie Sullivan and the rest of Earth’s remaining human survivors, the situation was already desperate when the 5th Wave hit. It’s about to get worse.

No one yet knows the depths to which Earth’s conquerors—the Others—will sink in order to rid the Earth of the human infestation, nor have they guessed the heights to which the human spirit can reach. Characters introduced in Book One will come to the fore—and others will face the ultimate test.

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Like I already said in my review of The Selection trilogy, I really want to try and finish the full series that I already own and I was in the mood for some alien drama and hence picked it up! This book picked up from where The 5th Wave had ended. The gang has no idea what happened to Evan and they are trying to stay as low key as possible but it is it ever possible in a world plagued by monsters?

I really enjoyed The 5th Wave and though I already had this book, I really wanted to read the whole series together, so I waited a bit for The Last Star to come out but I was disheartened by the reviews and hence I didn’t pick it up then. But my mood finally stroke and I ended up binge reading book 2 and 3 together. The Infinite Sea started off slow and it kinda mostly stayed stagnant like that but the book was not devoid of actions. Like the previous book, this book is also narrated in multiple POVs but this book is dominated by Ringer’s POVs and surprisingly I didn’t mind that much because I actually enjoyed the story from her view too but wanted more from Cassie’s too.

“When you look death in the eye and death blinks first, nothing seems impossible.”

Anyway, the action kept me engaged throughout the book. Ringer is not someone to sit back and see what happens, so naturally, she embarked an adventure on her own which was pretty interesting and exciting to read about. Poundcake’s backstory really made me sad but he indeed was a brave little guy. A few new characters are also introduced in this book but Razor was the one who intrigued me the most. The one thing I hated the most was Sam’s change of attitude. Like seriously! It gave me a whiplash! His sister did everything for him and instead of being a little thankful and happy she is not dead, he does the complete opposite. Sam went on from being my favourite character to my most hated.

*Spoilery* Over, The Infinite Sea was a good read. The plot was executed neatly and the new POVs were pretty interesting to read. And I also got to seeeeee Evan!! I was seriously worried about him and when he and Cassie were finally reunited, I was happy as hell! *End of Spoiler*

Recommend it?

Yes.

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Title: The Last Star
Author: Rick Yancey
Series: The 5th Wave trilogy, book 3
Genre: Post-Apocalyptic, Sci-fi, Thriller, [Young-Adult]
Heat Rating: Cool
Page Count and Format: 338 pages, Paperback
Published: May 24th, 2016 by Penguin Books Ltd
Source: Purchased
My Rating:

Blurb (from Goodreads):

The enemy is Other. The enemy is us.

They’re down here, they’re up there, they’re nowhere. They want the Earth, they want us to have it. They came to wipe us out, they came to save us.

But beneath these riddles lies one truth: Cassie has been betrayed. So has Ringer. Zombie. Nugget. And all 7.5 billion people who used to live on our planet. Betrayed first by the Others, and now by ourselves.

In these last days, Earth’s remaining survivors will need to decide what’s more important: saving themselves…or saving what makes us human.

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Everything boiled down to the last book. I was seriously so afraid to start this book but I needed to know the answers as well, I needed to know how everything ended. And I did enjoy this book but unfortunately, this book did not live up to my expectations.

The 2nd book really set up the pace for this book and things started on an exciting note. Everything was much more chaotic which made the plot confusing at times. This book mostly had Cassie and Ringer’s POV and I enjoyed them both. They both were such badass characters and although they didn’t see eye to eye on most of the things but they were mature enough to side together when it came down to the actual enemy. My hatred for Sam increased in this book. Seriously, how could he treat his own sister like that? Nonetheless, I liked Ben (and I was freaking right who he ended up with in the end!!) but I didn’t care for him as much as Evan and I wish I had got to see more of him and Cassie together.

“Love is forever. If it wasn't, it wouldn't be love.
The world is beautiful. If it wasn't, it wouldn't be the world.”

But I wanted more from the plot. It was like they were moving but still kind of stuck like in book 2. Though the last part was interesting enough to keep me glued to the pages. I enjoyed the actions the most in the book but unfortunately, the plot twist was not as shocking because it was already spoiled for me but I still enjoyed the execution. But the ending! I did not see it coming. Not from far far away! Why?!! Why the hell did it happen that way? When I actually read that part I had to recheck if I was reading it right because it happened all of a sudden! And I was not ready for it.

Overall, The Last Star, although an enjoyable read was underwhelming. The loose ends were tied I did enjoy the overall story but I wanted more and I was not satisfied how everything ended.

Recommend it?

Yes.

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So guys, have you completed this series yet? What did you think about this trilogy?