The Dollmaker of Krakow took me completely by surprise. I was already hooked after the first few chapters. The story begins in The Land of the Dolls where Karolina is happily living her life as a seamstress until the day the rats invade. One day she is transported to our world by the kind wind and wakes up in The Dollmaker's shop in Krakow. The Dollmaker is a lonely WWI veteran, who struggles with the pain of losing his parents. But the appearance of Karolina in his life sets a series of fortunate events in motion. The fog he's been living in starts to lift as he meets a welcoming Jewish family of two, who makes him feel wanted and appreciated. The story follows The Dollmaker and Karolina's … [Read more...]
Nyxia by Scott Reintgen
Nyxia is the most racially diverse book I've ever read and it does it so well. The diversity creates an understanding of different cultures while also showing that we're all the same no matter color or culture. The story follows Emmett, an African-American teenager from Detroit. He wants to free himself and his family from the harsh reality of poverty. Along with nine other kids his age, he is selected by The Babel Corporation to board a lightship bound for an earth-like planet called Eden with the hope of returning home with the economical means to support his family. But in the search for a better life does freedom actually exist and who controls it? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars. Comes out … [Read more...]
The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding by Alexandra Bracken
The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding follows soon-to-be thirteen year-old Prosper, who comes from a rich and enormously influential family in New England. But their success does not come from hard work. No, it comes from a deal with a devil, or more specifically a so called Malefactor by the name of Alastor. Due entirely to circumstances beyond his control, Prosper becomes possessed by that same Malefactor, who made the contract with Prosper's ancestor, Honor Redding. What comes next is a tale of change, trust and fiendish affairs. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars. Comes out TODAY! Alexandra Bracken is one of my favorite young adult authors, and her first leap into middle grade does not disappoint. … [Read more...]
Odd & True by Cat Winters
Let me startoff by saying, I have never read a book by Cat Winters and boy have I been missing out. More than once, the story was so gripping that I cried. I am fond of historical fiction with paranormal elements and this book fits perfectly. Going in, I was expecting a quick and fun paranormal novel, but it's so much more than that. First and foremost it's a story about family. There are lots of secrets, which causes misery as secrets tend to do. That's not all though. It also deals with hope. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 Stars. Comes out 12 September. Odd & True focuses on the close relationship between two sisters. I find it refreshing to read about sisters who stand up for each other, … [Read more...]
Mask of Shadows by Linsey Miller
Mask of Shadows is the story about a genderfluid main character, Sal, who enters an audition to become part of the Queen's Left Hand. The Left Hand is a team of assassins whose identities are secret. Going in, I was excited to read a new fantasy with a diverse main character. But it just did not live up to my expectations. ⭐️⭐️/5 stars. Comes out August 29th. I wanted it to blow my mind, but it's nothing new or groundbreaking. To me, it is a very average young adult fantasy. The fact that it follows a genderfluid thief is what drew me in, but Sal is boring and unlikeable. Sometimes unlikeable characters are great, but in this case because of the utter lack of character development … [Read more...]
Zero Repeat Forever by Gabrielle Prendergast
Zero Repeat Forever is the first book in The Nahx Invasions series. The novel follows a girl called Raven. As a result of a rebellious streak, she lands herself in a summer camp in the Canadian wilderness along with her boyfriend, his twin, and a couple of other teens. Along side Raven, we also follow Eight who's a 'Nahx', a soldier who's part of the invasion. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars. Comes out August 29th. Zero Repeat Forever is action-packed and the plot is engaging. It's a slow burn, and it took me a good while to read because of the density at times. The first 150 pages or so were rough to get through. The writing style threw me off, but it either became more complex after the … [Read more...]
Drinks with Dead Poets by Glyn Maxwell
*I received an arc through netgalley in exchange for an honest review* ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5 stars. I'm usually intimidated by poetry because I generally don't understand it. It has always been either hit or miss for me, and sadly mostly miss. Then came along this peculiar novel. A professor, who shares the author's name, finds himself in a mysterious village, where he's expected to teach a poetry class. The story plays out over the course of the fall semester where each week is about a new poet. The poets, though dead, arrive in their corresponding week to perform a reading and have drinks with the class while answering questions from the students. The first thing that was clear to me … [Read more...]
Age of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan
*I received an arc from the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review* ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars. Comes out July 25th! As it is the second book in a series, this review contains spoilers from Age of Myth. If you haven't read this series yet, and you enjoy epic fantasy with great characters, do yourself a favor and pick it up. The breathtaking adventure that began in Age of Myth continues in Age of Swords as we revisit fantastic characters and meet new ones. And as the world expands beyond the borders of Dahl Rhen, the author masterfully weaves a plethora of new information into the story seamlessly. Age of Swords dives into the depths of the Art and how it works, while … [Read more...]
Quinsey Wolfe’s Glass Vault by Candace Robinson
EDIT APRIL 30th 2018: This review is of an old version of the book. A new and revised version is being released in June 2018. *I received an arc of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.* DISCLAIMER: This is my own personal opinion based on my enjoyment of the book. Some of the problems I had with the writing style may have been resolved in the finished copy, so please note that my opinion was formed after reading an advance copy. ⭐⭐/5 stars. Quinsey Wolfe's Glass Vault is an impressive weaving of horror stories and fairytales set in a place of evil incarnate. It's filled with twists and turns, some you'll be able to spot if you're reading closely, and others … [Read more...]