Author: Tahereh Mafi
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 462
Source: The Ripped Bodice
Buy: Amazon|Indigo Canada|Barnes&Noble|Book Depository
Rating: 4/5
The explosive finale to the New York Times and USA Today bestselling Shatter Me series. Juliette Ferrars. Ella Sommers. Which is the truth and which is the lie? Now that Ella knows who Juliette is and what she was created for, things have only become more complicated. As she struggles to understand the past that haunts her and looks to a future more uncertain than ever, the lines between right and wrong—between Ella and Juliette—blur. And with old enemies looming, her destiny may not be her own to control. The day of reckoning for the Reestablishment is coming. But she may not get to choose what side she fights on.-Goodreads
I have mixed feelings about the end of the Shatter Me series. I enjoyed this book but did not like this as the ending to a series. I felt there should have been another novel. That Imagine Me was a rush to end things. This felt especially true with that epilogue.
Author: Tracy Wolff
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Pages: 592
Source: Kobo/E-Reader
Buy: Amazon|Indigo Canada|Barnes & Noble|Book Depository
Rating: 3/5
My whole world changed when I stepped inside the academy. Nothing is right about this place or the other students in it. Here I am, a mere mortal among gods…or monsters. I still can’t decide which of these warring factions I belong to, if I belong at all. I only know the one thing that unites them is their hatred of me. Then there’s Jaxon Vega. A vampire with deadly secrets who hasn’t felt anything for a hundred years. But there’s something about him that calls to me, something broken in him that somehow fits with what’s broken in me. Which could spell death for us all. Because Jaxon walled himself off for a reason. And now someone wants to wake a sleeping monster, and I’m wondering if I was brought here intentionally—as the bait. - Cover/Bio: Goodreads
*SPOILERS*
Where do I start?! This book is perfect if you're looking for an addictive romance involving vampires and other paranormal creatures. The first book has the Twilight (book) feel in both looks (the cover) and in the story itself. I am shocked by how much time the author spent on the romance in Crave. The romance, between Jaxon and Grace, takes up most of the first book. I enjoyed reading this novel but, I had a lot of issues with the various developments (plot, romance, characters, etc.). I will be reading the sequel, Crush, because it is an addicting storyline. I have a feeling that the second book will diverge from the twilight-feel and focus less on the romance and more on the plot line. At least that is my hope for book #2.
16 May 2020 Saskatchewan, Canada
Aurora Rising (The Aurora Cycle #1) by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Authors: Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Pages: 470
Source: Indigo Canada
Buy: Amazon | Indigo Canada | Book Depository
Rating: 4/5
From the internationally bestselling authors of THE ILLUMINAE FILES comes an epic new science fiction adventure. The year is 2380, and the graduating cadets of Aurora Academy are being assigned their first missions. Star pupil Tyler Jones is ready to recruit the squad of his dreams, but his own boneheaded heroism sees him stuck with the dregs nobody else in the Academy would touch… A cocky diplomat with a black belt in sarcasm A sociopath scientist with a fondness for shooting her bunkmates A smart-ass techwiz with the galaxy’s biggest chip on his shoulder An alien warrior with anger management issues A tomboy pilot who’s totally not into him, in case you were wondering And Ty’s squad isn’t even his biggest problem—that’d be Aurora Jie-Lin O’Malley, the girl he’s just rescued from interdimensional space. Trapped in cryo-sleep for two centuries, Auri is a girl out of time and out of her depth. But she could be the catalyst that starts a war millions of years in the making, and Tyler’s squad of losers, discipline-cases and misfits might just be the last hope for the entire galaxy. They're not the heroes we deserve. They're just the ones we could find. Nobody panic.-Goodreads
Sci-Fi is one of my least favourite genres. I don't often seek out books that take place in space. However, Aurora Rising, with its Instagramable cover and rave recommendations on Bookstagram, made me make an exception.
10 May 2020 Saskatchewan, Canada
From Blood and Ash (Blood and Ash #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Author:Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publisher:Blue Box Press
Pages:634
Source:Kobo
Buy:Amazon|Indigo Canada
Rating:4/5
"Captivating and action-packed, From Blood and Ash is a sexy, addictive, and unexpected fantasy perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Laura Thalassa. A Maiden… Chosen from birth to usher in a new era, Poppy’s life has never been her own. The life of the Maiden is solitary. Never to be touched. Never to be looked upon. Never to be spoken to. Never to experience pleasure. Waiting for the day of her Ascension, she would rather be with the guards, fighting back the evil that took her family, than preparing to be found worthy by the gods. But the choice has never been hers. A Duty… The entire kingdom’s future rests on Poppy’s shoulders, something she’s not even quite sure she wants for herself. Because a Maiden has a heart. And a soul. And longing. And when Hawke, a golden-eyed guard honor bound to ensure her Ascension, enters her life, destiny and duty become tangled with desire and need. He incites her anger, makes her question everything she believes in, and tempts her with the forbidden. A Kingdom… Forsaken by the gods and feared by mortals, a fallen kingdom is rising once more, determined to take back what they believe is theirs through violence and vengeance. And as the shadow of those cursed draws closer, the line between what is forbidden and what is right becomes blurred. Poppy is not only on the verge of losing her heart and being found unworthy by the gods, but also her life when every blood-soaked thread that holds her world together begins to unravel." -Image/Bio: Goodreads
I need book 2!!! This book...the feels...gaaahhh!! Sorry, I just loved this book so much!! Where do I start?
I think my favourite aspects of From Blood and Ash were the characters and the plot!! The ending leaves off on a cliffhanger. It also leaves readers with new and unanswered questions. I read Storm and Fury by Jennifer L. Armentrout last year. In that book, I loved the characters' interactions. I feel the same way in From Blood and Ash. I loved Hawke's and Poppy's interactions. I also loved Vikter's and Poppy's interactions. I hated the people Poppy hated, and I adored the people Poppy adored. Armentrout does a fantastic job of getting readers invested in her characters' lives.
Poppy is a kick-ass heroine who has a caring, curious and determines personality. She doesn't think twice about saving others at her own expense. The first book is about her exploration of figuring out what she does and does not want in life.
Hawke knows who and what he represents. He isn't afraid to speak his mind and contradict what others believe. He is good at reading and judging others' characters. Hawke is also a bad-ass guard who doesn't like to follow the rules when it comes to Poppy. *cough* Forbidden Romance.
My favourite scenes in From Blood and Ash are when Poppy and Hawke are interacting.
I also really enjoyed the side characters: Tawny, Vikter and the ones that show up later in the book.
The plot!! Where do I start? I guessed correctly on some of the plot twists. I did not predict what ended up happening on the last page. Armentrout does an amazing job of pacing out the plot. I resonated (felt the emotional impact) with the ups and downs due to the plot being smoothly carried out by the author. The romance also developed at a reasonable pace in the book. I did not find this book slow. It was a story that I kept thinking about even when I was not reading the book.
The paranormal!! Is it just me, or are paranormal books finally making a comeback?! Let me clarify that a little more, are vampires making a comeback? Because all I can say is: YES!!!
I thought the lore and history of this world was well thought out!!
My only critique is that I wish the world was better described. I felt there could have been more descriptions of places in certain areas of the novel.
Overall, I really enjoyed From Blood and Ash and I cannot wait until the sequel is released.
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