Crooked Kingdom: A Review (Six of Crows #2)

Goodreads:

The hotly-anticipated sequel to the Carnegie Medal 2017 nominated SIX OF CROWS, this is GAME OF THRONES meets OCEAN'S ELEVEN in a fantasy epic from the number 1 NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Leigh Bardugo.

Welcome to the world of the Grisha.

After pulling off a seemingly impossible heist in the notorious Ice Court, criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker feels unstoppable. But life is about to take a dangerous turn - and with friends who are among the deadliest outcasts in Ketterdam city, Kaz is going to need more than luck to survive in this unforgiving underworld.

As gripping, sweeping and memorable as the Grisha trilogy - SHADOW AND BONE, SIEGE AND STORM and RUIN AND RISING - this novel is perfect for fans of Laini Taylor, Kristin Cashore and GAME OF THRONES.


My Review:

Trouble is on the home front for Kaz now. After his awesome heist, and after being burned...he has a lot to deal with.

It's a good thing he has his friends.

The first book, Six of Crows, was full of adventure and intense moments, but here in this novel, even though we still have these moments, we get to know more about the characters and their stories--especially Kaz.

I came to love them all more than ever. Truly, I don't think I'll ever forget this series. I may forget the character's names after some time, but not the awesome people they were, despite their lifestyle.

And, may I say, it was about time Kaz and Inej did something about their not admitting they liked each other!

This book was filled with sorrow and happiness, wins and losses. If you loved the first book, you will definitely love this one.

5 out of 5!

The Merciless: A Review (The Merciless #1)

Goodreads:

Forgive us, Father, for we have sinned

Brooklyn Stevens sits in a pool of her own blood, tied up and gagged. No one outside of these dank basement walls knows she’s here. No one can hear her scream.

Sofia Flores knows she shouldn’t have gotten involved. When she befriended Riley, Grace, and Alexis on her first day at school, she admired them, with their perfect hair and their good-girl ways. They said they wanted to save Brooklyn. They wanted to help her. Sofia didn’t realize they believed Brooklyn was possessed.

Now, Riley and the girls are performing an exorcism on Brooklyn—but their idea of an exorcism is closer to torture than salvation. All Sofia wants is to get out of this house. But there is no way out. Sofia can’t go against the other girls . . . unless she wants to be next. . . .

In this chilling debut, Danielle Vega delivers blood-curdling suspense and terror on every page. By the shockingly twisted end, readers will be faced with the most haunting question of all: Is there evil in all of us?
My Review:

To be honest, this bright pink cover with the upside down, golden pentagram is actually what caught my interest.

Now, I'm not a fan of exorcism books or movies, but this was calm enough that I really liked it. In fact, I liked it so much I couldn't put it down.

Sofia Flores has moved a lot due to her mother's military service. In this new town, she meets and befriends some girls...only....

None of them are what they seem to be.

*Shiver* if the description of this book doesn't clarify enaough, then I'll just tell you it gets scary. These girls are all messed up in the head. They all need help, even Sofia.

We learn dark secrets about everyone and learn how no one is truly good, but no one is truly bad either.

The only thing I didn't like about this book was Sofia's love interest...it just didn't seem to have a part in the story and was too much of an "insta-like" and then he just disappeared, so I don't even know why he's in the story except for his truck (which Sofia needs at one point).

I will say though, this book was definitely a thrill.

4.5 out of 5!

The List: A Review

Goodreads:

Ashley Barrett doesn't want to get married. At least, not anytime soon. She doesn't care how many of her friends and family members and fellow churchgoers had weddings before they finished college -- the last thing she needs in her fun-loving twenties is the dead-weight of some guy. And that's why she created The List. By the time she completes all twenty-five goals -- from learning a language to skydiving to perfecting the art of making sushi -- she'll be more ready to settle down. Maybe.

This summer in California is a prime time for Ashley to cross two items off the list: learn to surf (#13) and have a summer romance (#17). And Matt Gibson, the best surf instructor in Huntington Beach and the most wanted guy in the singles ward, is the perfect man for the job. Ashley hatches a plan to love him and leave him before heading off to grad school in the fall (#4, get a master's degree). But when Matt decides he doesn't like the "leaving" part, Ashley's carefully laid plans are turned sideways. Now Ashley faces an unexpected dilemma: should she stick to the safety of The List, or risk everything for a love that may tie her down —- or might set her free?

  My Review:

I actually won this book at the American Night Writers Association Conference a few years back and only recently got to it. I actually had Melanie Jacobson sign it, she's an awesome lady.

So, Ashley has a list of 25 goals she wants to accomplish before she gets married. She has older sisters who haven't exactly had the greatest time with their marriages thus far, and Ashley's become afraid of commitment. Her List is her safety net...

Until she meets Matt.

*Swoon* Oh Matt. This guy is basically perfection. Like, obviously this is a romance book because no one is as perfect as Matt. But that's okay, I went into this novel knowing it was a cheesy, but well written romance.

Needless to say, Matt teaches Ashley some lessons about life, about how to trust, and how to look beyond the List and see people for who they really are.

It was a quick, lovely read. If you like cheesy romances, I highly recommend this book!

4 out of 5!

Six of Crows: A Review (Six of Crows #1)

Goodreads:

Criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker has been offered wealth beyond his wildest dreams. But to claim it, he'll have to pull off a seemingly impossible heist:

Break into the notorious Ice Court
(a military stronghold that has never been breached)

Retrieve a hostage
(who could unleash magical havoc on the world)

Survive long enough to collect his reward
(and spend it)

Kaz needs a crew desperate enough to take on this suicide mission and dangerous enough to get the job done - and he knows exactly who: six of the deadliest outcasts the city has to offer. Together, they just might be unstoppable - if they don't kill each other first.

My Review:

Kaz Brekker is probably the coolest bad guy I've ever read about. He's known for his gloves and his cane. He is feared throughout his city, for he owns it, and now...he needs help acquiring money beyond his wildest dreams.

The team Kaz puts together is filled with ruffians and scoundrels who walk the streets, stealing, gambling, plotting, killing. And when put together, they make a deadly group. They also make a hilarious group. Not all of them get along, and it makes for some good laughs--however sometimes their fights worried me. I like all of them together.

So Kaz, being very full of himself decides he needs to break into the unbreakable. Kaz's genius is shown throughout this whole book. He boggles my mind. If he were real, I might try to befriend him (he'd probably scare me too much to get too close to him though...)

If you love a story filled with magic, thievery, and well-rounded characters then this book is for you.

5 out of 5!

Let's take a moment to appreciate the fan art here too. I can't really chose a favorite, but Jesper is perhaps the funniest, and if I were in this series, I would be Inej.

Blackout: A Review (Newsflesh #3)

Goodreads:

Rise up while you can. -Georgia Mason

The year was 2014. The year we cured cancer. The year we cured the common cold. And the year the dead started to walk. The year of the Rising.

The year was 2039. The world didn't end when the zombies came, it just got worse. Georgia and Shaun Mason set out on the biggest story of their generation. They uncovered the biggest conspiracy since the Rising and realized that to tell the truth, sacrifices have to be made.

Now, the year is 2041, and the investigation that began with the election of President Ryman is much bigger than anyone had assumed. With too much left to do and not much time left to do it in, the surviving staff of After the End Times must face mad scientists, zombie bears, rogue government agencies-and if there's one thing they know is true in post-zombie America, it's this:

Things can always get worse.

Blackout is the conclusion to the epic trilogy that began in the Hugo-nominated Feed and the sequel, Deadline.
My Review:

I just love when a series continuously gets better with each book. I feel that it's such a rare thing. Yet, Mira Grant has proved me wrong.

Here, After the End Times (the news agency Shaun Mason runs) is faced with so many various obstacles, I commend them for just staying ALIVE. There's so much more to the zombie breakout than we thought. There's more to President Ryman's campaign and presidency...

So much!

I kept turning pages. I couldn't put it down. I had to know what would happen next.

Despite the lives lost, and the battles lost, After the End Times comes out conqueror. And man, oh man, did they fight for it and their lives. It was incredible. I love how the Masons always seek for truth despite how dangerous it could be.

This was a beautiful series with a great ending.

There is some language, and a part that bothers some people (I've heard them call it incest but...if the two characters aren't related, then is it really? It didn't bother or surprise me, and I would NOT call it incest--it doesn't even fit the definition).

On that bright note, I do highly recommend this series if you love a good zombie filled futuristic world!

5 out of 5!