Zero Repeat Forever by G.S. Prendergast (The Nahx Invasions #1)Continue reading Zero Repeat Forever by G.S. Prendergast | REVIEW
The Court of Broken Knives by Anna Smith Spark (Empires of Dust #1)Continue reading The Court of Broken Knives by Anna Smith Spark | REVIEW
Buried Heart by Kate Elliott (Court of Fives #3)
In the Witchlands, there are almost as many types of magic as there are ways to get in trouble—as two desperate young women know all too well.
Safiya is a Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lie. It’s a powerful magic that many would kill to have on their side, especially amongst the nobility to which Safi was born. So Safi must keep her gift hidden, lest she be used as a pawn in the struggle between empires.
Iseult, a Threadwitch, can see the invisible ties that bind and entangle the lives around her—but she cannot see the bonds that touch her own heart. Her unlikely friendship with Safi has taken her from life as an outcast into one of reckless adventure, where she is a cool, wary balance to Safi’s hotheaded impulsiveness.
Safi and Iseult just want to be free to live their own lives, but war is coming to the Witchlands. With the help of the cunning Prince Merik (a Windwitch and ship’s captain) and the hindrance of a Bloodwitch bent on revenge, the friends must fight emperors, princes, and mercenaries alike, who will stop at nothing to get their hands on a Truthwitch.
Lyra
From a distance, the Haven Institute, tucked away on a private island off the coast of Florida, looks serene and even beautiful. But up close the locked doors, military guards, and biohazard suits tell a different story. In truth, it is a clandestine research facility where thousands of replicas, or human models, are born, raised, and observed.
But when a surprise attack is launched on Haven, two of its young experimental subjects—Lyra, or 24, and the boy known only as 72—manage to escape. As they make their way through a new and menacing environment, they meet a stranger named Gemma, who has embarked on a perilous quest of her own. And as Lyra tries to understand Haven’s purpose, she uncovers earth-shattering secrets that will change the lives of both girls.
Gemma
Gemma has been in and out of hospitals her whole life. A sickly child, she has grown into a lonely adolescent whose life is circumscribed by home, school, and her best friend, April.
But after she is nearly abducted by a stranger claiming to know her, Gemma starts to investigate her family’s past and discovers her father’s mysterious connection to the secretive Haven research facility. Hungry for answers, she travels to Florida, only to stumble upon two human models, or replicas, 24 and 72—and a completely new set of questions. As Gemma tries to unravel the mysteries of Haven, she learnes terrible truths about herself and her family that will threaten to destroy everything she loves.
Two girls, two stories, one novel.
Replica by Lauren Oliver is a sci-fi novel about two girls, one a clone being held and tested at a secret island organization and the other one a human living her life until she finds out what kind of work her dad used to be involved in. A wild journey of escape, and finding your humanity, Replica will ultimately leave you wanting more.
Normal is a word invented by boring people to make them feel better about being boring.
Lauren Oliver – Replica
Replica is about a secret organization that has almost perfected the genome code for cloning humans. There are hundreds of them being held captive in the only home they’ve known while they get constantly tested and experimented on. Lyra is one of those clones. Wanting to know what it’s like to live on the outside she dreams of a life that’s not meant to be hers.
Gemma on the other hand is sick and the doctors don’t know why. When she is almost kidnapped by a stranger claiming to know who she is, she begins to dive deep into the mystery of her father’s work and her past. Oliver takes you on a thrilling journey through scientific discovery and clones with ambition and heart.
Replica is uniquely written. Half the book is written through Lyra’s point of view. Flip the book over and you get the other half of it through Gemma’s point of view. They tell you the same story with two totally different perspectives.
What’s the most interesting about this is, Oliver has stated you can read either one of the girls point of view first then switch, or you can keep alternating points of view per chapter. The way I chose to read it was a couple chapters in Lyra’s point of view, then switched and read the same chapters in Gemma’s point of view. It was like getting two sides of the same story and I quite enjoyed that the most!
A strange and baffling truth: that the people we’re supposed to know best can turn out to be strangers, and that near strangers can feel so much like home.
Lauren Oliver – Replica
Clones aren’t supposed to exist and people are not supposed to know about them. So when the organization goes down and a couple of them escape, it is run for your life situation. As a reader you are constantly on the edge of your seat as the organization hunts down these clones. No one is safe and “mysterious” deaths are definitely on the table. No matter the cost.
Oliver does a great job building anticipation, suspense, and action packed scenes of escape.
Sadly, Replica is home to some flat characters that I could not connect with. Their personalities, actions and motives did not ignite a fire inside my reading soul. Lyra and Gemma were bland in my opinion and I wish we got more of something special from them. I might have caught a spark or glimmer of hope from the male clone, but sadly I don’t think it will be enough to continue on with the duology.
They would face it together, as they were then: turned human by joy, by a belonging that felt just like freedom.
Lauren Oliver – Replica
I highly recommend this one if you like clones, running for your life, and the search for humanity. Let me know what you guys thought of Replica by Lauren Oliver! I would love to hear your opinions as well!
Until next time,
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Lauren Oliver is the cofounder of content development company Paper Lantern Lit. She is also the New York Times bestselling author of the YA novels Replica, Vanishing Girls, Panic, and the Delirium trilogy: Delirium, Pandemonium, and Requiem, which have been translated into more than thirty languages. The film rights to both Replica and Lauren’s bestselling first novel, Before I Fall, were acquired by AwesomenessTV; a major motion picture adaptation of Before I Fall was announced by Open Road Films in 2016. Her novels for middle grade readers include The Spindlers, Liesl & Po, and the Curiosity House series, co-written with H. C. Chester. She has written one novel for adults, Rooms.
KINGDOMS WILL COLLIDE.
The long path to the throne has only just begun for Aelin Galathynius as war looms on the horizon. Loyalties have been broken and bought, friends have been lost and gained, and those who possess magic find themselves at odds with those who don’t.
With her heart sworn to the warrior-prince by her side, and her fealty pledged to the people she is determined to save, Aelin will delve into the depths of her power to protect those she loves. But as monsters emerge from the horrors of the past, and dark forces become poised to claim her world, the only chance for salvation will lie in a desperate quest that may mark the end of everything Aelin holds dear.
Kell is one of the last Antari—magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel Londons; Red, Grey, White, and, once upon a time, Black.
Kell was raised in Arnes—Red London—and officially serves the Maresh Empire as an ambassador, traveling between the frequent bloody regime changes in White London and the court of George III in the dullest of Londons, the one without any magic left to see.
Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of a world they’ll never see. It’s a defiant hobby with dangerous consequences, which Kell is now seeing firsthand.
After an exchange goes awry, Kell escapes to Grey London and runs into Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She first robs him, then saves him from a deadly enemy, and finally forces Kell to spirit her to another world for a proper adventure.
Now perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, they’ll first need to stay alive.
Continue reading A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab | REVIEW
Dividing Eden by Joelle Charbonneau (Dividing Eden #1)
Twins Carys and Andreus were never destined to rule Eden. With their older brother next in line to inherit the throne, the future of the kingdom was secure.
But appearances—and rivals—can be deceiving. When Eden’s king and crown prince are killed by assassins, Eden desperately needs a monarch, but the line of succession is no longer clear. With a ruling council scheming to gain power, Carys and Andreus are faced with only one option—to take part in a Trial of Succession that will determine which one of them is worthy of ruling the kingdom.
As sister and brother, Carys and Andreus have always kept each other safe—from their secrets, from the court, and from the monsters lurking in the mountains beyond the kingdom’s wall. But the Trial of Succession will test the bonds of trust and family.
With their country and their hearts divided, Carys and Andreus will discover exactly what each will do to win the crown. How long before suspicion takes hold and the thirst for power leads to the ultimate betrayal?
🌟First Line:
Freedom was a myth.
🌟🌟 PLOT 🌟🌟🌟 WORLD 🌟 ROMANCE 🌟Dividing Eden by Joelle Charbonneau is a new young adult fantasy about twins Carys and Andreus who now must compete to claim the throne neither of them wanted. Not only is there drama, but there is also great characterization, cool magic, betrayals around every corner and a lot of bloodshed!
Is Carys a hero, or is she an anti-hero? That’s the big question. But what’s common about both those two things is the word hero. So therefore, Carys, is my new favorite heroine.
She is strong, she stubborn, she is smart, but most importantly, she is human. I don’t mean that by her race or species. Carys is human because she makes mistakes, she hurts, she has addictions, and she loves.
Charbonneau does a fantastic job making Carys feel as real as possible. She made her relatable and enjoyable to read.
You cannot trust anyone in Dividing Eden, absolutely no one. The royals and nobles are unreliable, the council of elders is unreliable, even the servants and civilians are unreliable. So who can you trust? You can trust me, when I say how exciting this book was!
It felt like the whole kingdom was out to get Carys and Andreus. At one point I was sure no one really knew what to do because of all the backstabbing and betrayals going on. When it comes to my fantasy reads, the more betrayals and conflicts the better!
Dividing Eden wouldn’t have to come together so well if it wasn’t for the fantastic writing. Charbonneau does a splendid job with bring this story to life. She doesn’t bore you with endless explanations or world building schematics and her dialogues/character interactions are interesting and witty.
Ok, so nothing is perfect. Overall Dividing Eden hit all my fantasy requirements. But there were some things I thought to be a bit odd and took some getting used to. One being the windmills and the way the kingdom supplies electricity. Maybe it’s because I’m not used to fantasy novels having electricity at all or it just didn’t click with my imagination, either way it didn’t work for me.
Another aspect of Dividing Eden I thought a bit out there was the Xhelozi (I think that’s what they’re called). At first I wasn’t even sure of what they were. The characters were quite vague with describing them. Are they an enemy kingdom? Are they a magical creature? Well by the end of the story you find out and as pivotal to the ending that they were, they also didn’t work for me.
I highly recommend this one if you like throne battles, political intrigue, and so much back stabbing! Let me know what you guys thought of Dividing Eden by Joelle Charbonneau! I would love to hear your opinions as well!
Until next time,
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Joelle has performed in opera and musical theater productions across Chicagoland. She now teaches private voice lessons and is the author of the New York Times best selling The Testing trilogy (The Testing, Independent Study, and Graduation Day) as well as two mystery series: The Rebecca Robbins mysteries and the Glee Club mysteries. Her YA books have appeared on the Indie Next List, on the YALSA Top 10 books for 2014 as well as the YALSA Quick Picks for reluctant readers.
Frostblood by Elly Blake
Seventeen-year-old Ruby is a fireblood who must hide her powers of heat and flame from the cruel frostblood ruling class that wants to destroy all that are left of her kind. So when her mother is killed for protecting her and rebel frostbloods demand her help to kill their rampaging king, she agrees. But Ruby’s powers are unpredictable, and she’s not sure she’s willing to let the rebels and an infuriating (yet irresistible) young man called Arcus use her as their weapon.
All she wants is revenge, but before they can take action, Ruby is captured and forced to take part in the king’s tournaments that pit fireblood prisoners against frostblood champions. Now she has only one chance to destroy the maniacal ruler who has taken everything from her and from the icy young man she has come to love.
First Line:
I offered my hand to the fire.
Frostblood by Elly Blake is a debut fantasy read about a girl who has to hide her fire abilities in fear of being hunted by the Frostbloods that rule the land. But in order to save herself and her people, she has to do whatever it takes to destroy the ruthless King of Frost. With a little help of course!
What is important for me in a fantasy novel such as one like Frostblood, is action and adventure. I love reading fight scenes, imagining cool powers and abilities, and of course the feeling you get when the main protagonists grows and fails on his/her journey. Frostblood does not disappoint in this aspect.
Ruby is feisty, a bit dark, but ultimately strong willed. She is not afraid to get down and dirty to survive. My most loved part of Ruby is that she never gives up. When life and her enemies (the Frostbloods) knock her down, she keeps getting up and fighting for herself and for all the Firebloods that have come before her and those that will come after.
The action scenes were on point, the fire and frost abilities were magically written and there were many moments where I rooted for Ruby to come out on top!
If you guys know me at all, then you know this is one of my favorite YA tropes to have in a fantasy. Brooding bad boys just suck me in to their dark and mysterious life and don’t let go until my heart aches for them!
Arcus is no different. He wears a freaking mask to hide his face, like jeez. Doesn’t get anymore dark and brooding than that. His past, present and future are shrouded in mystery. I just couldn’t get enough of him!
As a debut author, Blake blew me away with her writing and world building. She managed to create a world in which I was fully immersed. There was folklore, history, magic systems, and key landscape visuals throughout the whole book!
I definitely enjoyed learning about the gods that eventually created the Frostbloods, and the Firebloods. Their rivalries, conniving schemes, and passion for power. It added a great element to the story. Not to mention the palace of ice we get introduced to in the second half of Frostblood. It was visually appealing and mesmerizing to read about.
The story is original, but the plot points are similar to other YA fantasy reads I’ve read before. I’m not a person who is bothered by things like that though. But one aspect that bothered me the most about Frostblood was the predictability in some areas. One being who Arcus really is (I figured it out pretty early on), another being that sneaky Marella. She was such a flighty character.
Other than that I thoroughly enjoyed Frostblood!
I highly recommend this one if you like elemental abilities, arena fighting, and the cutest of romances. Let me know what you guys thought of Frostblood by Elly Blake! I would love to hear your opinions as well!
Until next time,
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Elly Blake loves fairy tales, old houses, and owls. After earning a BA in English literature, she held a series of seemingly random jobs, including project manager, customs clerk, graphic designer, reporter for a local business magazine, and library assistant. She lives in Southwestern Ontario with her husband, kids and a Siberian Husky mix who definitely shows Frostblood tendencies.
The Cursed Queen by Sarah Fine
Ansa has always been a fighter.
As a child, she fought the invaders who murdered her parents and snatched her as a raid prize. She fought for her place next to Thyra, the daughter of the Krigere Chieftain. She fought for her status as a warrior in her tribe: blood and victory are her way of life. But the day her Krigere cross the great lake and threaten the witch queen of the Kupari, everything changes.
Cursed by the queen with fire and ice, Ansa is forced to fight against an invisible enemy—the dark magic that has embedded itself deep in her bones. The more she seeks to hide it, the more dangerous it becomes. And with the Krigere numbers decimated and the tribe under threat from the traitorous brother of the dead Chieftain, Ansa is torn between her loyalty to the Krigere, her love for Thyra, and her own survival instincts.
With her world in chaos and each side wanting to claim her for their own, only one thing is certain: unless Ansa can control the terrible magic inside her, everything she’s fought for will be destroyed.
First Line:
She’d never seen fire as an enemy, not until it crept like a snake along the grass to where she lay bleeding, not until it struck.
The Cursed Queen by Sarah Fine is the sequel to last year’s action packed fantasy, The Impostor Queen. The story picks up across the sea with our new main protagonist, Ansa. She was part of the big take over that we see in the first book and as events intertwine with both stories, we get to explore a new side of this world!
As this is a companion novel to The Impostor Queen, we get a whole new cast of characters to explore. In The Impostor Queen we met Elli, the one they believed to be the next Valtia but as we read wasn’t true. But in The Cursed Queen we meet an orphan to the Krigere tribe, Ansa, that happens to be the real Valtia without her knowing. I loved how strong Ansa was. She has fought her whole life to fit in with the people that destroyed her life and stole her away from her village. This shows in her bloodthirsty demeanor and attitude.
The Cursed Queen does not fall in terms of their strong representation of tough female characters. We also meet Thyra, the chieftains daughter. She was one of my favorites in the book. She proved that you didn’t need to kill to get what you want. She proved her skills on the battlefield as well in the mental fields!
We cross the sea in The Cursed Queen and get to witness life away from the Valtia’s reaches. Life across the sea is savage and primitive. They are filled with warriors that kill and maim their enemies and innocents alike. We explore new cities and villages and it shows how vast the world Fine has created really is!
Fine’s descriptions are vivid and beautifully depicted. I did not have trouble picturing what was going on!
LGBT representation is not a must have for me in every story I read, but when it’s there I jump for joy. Especially when it is harder to come by in the fantasy genre. Our main characters Ansa and Thyra both harbor feelings for each other. We see them struggle with them throughout The Cursed Queen. Do I think they are a good fit for each other? You’ll just have to read about it below. Just know that I really enjoyed having LGBT characters in the story.
As I said above, Ansa and Thyra have blossoming feelings for each other. But sadly it falls flat for me. I don’t think they connect well with each other and I don’t see a spark between them. Does this mean that one won’t develop in the next book? Who knows, maybe I will change my mind then. But as of now I just don’t see them being a a good fit for each other.
I highly recommend this one if you are a fan of high fantasy and badass female characters. Let me know what you guys thought of The Cursed Queen by Sarah Fine! I would love to hear your opinions as well!
Until next time,
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Sarah Fine is the author of Of Metal and Wishes, Of Dreams and Rust, and the Guards of the Shadowlands series. She was born on the West Coast, raised in the Midwest, and is now firmly entrenched on the East Coast, where she lives with her husband and two children. When she’s not writing, she’s working as a child psychologist.
Books at Dawn 