Category: Reviews

Reviews

Review: Heart of Brass by Felicity Banks

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Book Review

Heart of Brass by Felicity Banks
(The Antipodean Queen #1)
Steampunk, Fantasy
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Synopsis
Emmeline Muchamore is a well-bred young lady hiding explosive family secrets. She needs to marry well, and quickly, in order to keep her family respectable. But when her brass heart malfunctions, she makes a desperate choice to steal the parts she needs to repair it and survive.

She is unable to explain her actions without revealing she has a steam-powered heart, so she is arrested for theft and transported to Victoria, Australia – right in the midst of the Gold Rush.

Now that she’s escaped the bounds of high society, iron manacles cannot hold her for long.

The only metal that really matters is gold.

What I thought
This book was received from the Publisher, in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is the first steampunk book that I have read that mostly takes place in Australia. It was interesting I can not say how much was fantasy and how much was based on fact when it comes to Austrialia during this time. I really need to look it up.

This was an very easy to read book especially for being the first book in a series. There were some places that seemed to drag along but as a whole it was an enjoyable read. I really liked how metals have magical properties. And I found it interesting how Emmeline is able to talk to metals, this is not explored very much in this first book but I hope we learn more in the other books in this series.

As a whole I enjoyed the story it was different I just found myself contiguously frustrated with Emmeline, which made the book to easy to put down and walk away from.

My Rating: /5

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Review: A Trace of Copper by Anne Renwick

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Book Review
A Trace of Copper


A Trace of Copper by Anne Renwick
(Elemental Steampunk Tales #1)
Steampunk, Fantasy, Romance
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Synopsis
A small Welsh village. An interrupted romance. A rogue frog on the loose threatening their future.

New recruit to the Queen’s agents, Dr. Piyali Mukherji is given a simple first assignment. Travel to the small Welsh village of Aberwyn and solve the mystery of a young woman’s blue skin lesion. A challenging task, for the alarming infection is unlike anything she’s seen before—and it’s spreading.

Evan Tredegar, the town’s pharmacist and the only man to ever capture her heart, knows more than he’s telling. Despite his efforts to push her away, her touch reawakens old desires. As more villagers fall victim to the strange disease, he’ll have no choice but to reveal his secrets, even if it means sacrificing his freedom.

Together they must move past broken promises, capture a rogue frog, and stop the infection before it spreads out of control.

What I thought
Trace of Copper is the first story in the Elemental Steampunk Tales series. This is a novella that takes place in Anne Renwick’s steampunk world. I read Tin Rose earlier this year and since I enjoyed that I decided to pick up this one.

I enjoyed the story but I went though this book feeling like I missed something. I have not yet read the actual novels that are in this world so I very well may have missed something. I am not sure who I am going to give the first novel in this series a chance before I make any decisions.

This story is a second chance romance, and I liked the story for what it was but the angst felt a little forced. I didn’t have the feelings that I normally do when there is angst. I think that I was mostly frustrated with Evan. If he would have been honest from the beginning instead of ignoring Piyali things would not have gotten so bad. Yes, I know then we would not have the story we do. If he was half as smart as the book claimed him to be then he should have reached out from the beginning instead of making them both miserable and risking the safety of the whole village.

I really did enjoy the story when I was reading it I just wanted to shake Even the entire time.

My Rating: /5

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Review: Crave by Tracy Wolff

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Book Review
Crave


Crave by Tracy Wolff
(Crave #1)
Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance
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Synopsis
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.

What I thought
I was sent a copy of this book from Megan Beatie Communications and Entangled Teen for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I thought that this was just going to be a vampire book but I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered that it is so much more than that .  The best way to describe this book is this is what happens when Twilight and Monster High have a baby.  You have your instalove like Twilight but this girl has a back bone.  She fights for herself and does not wait around for someone to come and save her, even though the odds are completely against her.

This book takes place in Alaska, and if there is any supernatural creatures out there that is the best place for them to hide out in plain sight. lol I said I was never going there after watching 30 days of Night back in the day and once again I am affirming that I have no plans to visit sorry.

This was such a fun and easy read that I was able to complete it in only two days. This book is over 500 pages long and I am working full time so finishing a book that size in two days is during the week is almost unheard of for me.

The ending…I did not see coming.  I’m not talking about the reveal of who the evil twisted person is I actually had that one guessed, but the very end.  I was shocked.  And honestly that does not happen very much with YA anymore.  I mean I didn’t even know that could come into play.

I can not wait for the next one to come out.  Today I found out that the publication of book 2 has been moved up to September of this year.  I am super excited to get my hands on book two.

If you like books that are set in a school setting or books dealing with the supernatural. Then you should give this one a shot.

My Rating: /5

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Review: The Queen’s Assassin by Melissa de la Cruz

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Book Review

The Queen's Assassin
The Queen’s Assassin by Melissa de la Cruz
(The Queen’s Secret #1)
Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance
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Synopsis
Caledon Holt is the Kingdom of Renovia’s deadliest weapon. No one alive can best him in brawn or brains, which is why he’s the Guild’s most dangerous member and the Queen’s one and only assassin. He’s also bound to the Queen by an impossible vow–to find the missing Deian Scrolls, the fount of all magical history and knowledge, stolen years ago by a nefarious sect called the Aphrasians.

Shadow has been training all her life to follow in the footsteps of her mother and aunts–to become skilled enough to join the ranks of the Guild. Though magic has been forbidden since the Aphrasian uprising, Shadow has been learning to control her powers in secret, hoping that one day she’ll become an assassin as feared and revered as Caledon Holt.

When a surprise attack brings Shadow and Cal together, they’re forced to team up as assassin and apprentice to hunt down a new sinister threat to Renovia. But as Cal and Shadow grow closer, they’ll uncover a shocking web of lies and secrets that may destroy everything they hold dear. With war on the horizon and true love at risk, they’ll stop at nothing to protect each other and their kingdom in this stunning first novel in the Queen’s Secret series.

What I thought
I was sent a copy of this book from Megan Beatie Communications for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I am always sold on a good assassin story especially if it is written by an author that I have enjoyed in the past.

This was an easy read for me.  I  really enjoyed Cal and Shadow and how they interacted with each other.  Cal does keep reminding himself that he is the Queen’s Assassin and it is for that reason that he has sworn off a family, however, I think this may be the first time his resolve has ever been tested.  Yes, the reminding is a little over the top but that seems to be the only thing that is keeping him on track.

The only reason that I did not give this 5 stars is that I guessed one of the big reveals in the beginning and didn’t realize that it was going to be a reveal until it happened.  However, knowing what I did, did not take away from the story at all I kinda understood more of where one of the characters was coming from throughout the story.

I loved the way that this book ended it gives me so much hope for what is to come in the next book. Goodreads says that it will be out this fall and I would be so happy if that is true.

My Rating: /54.5 stars

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Review: Howls and Hallows by Melanie Karsak

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Book Review

Howls and Hallows
Howls and Hallows by Melanie Karsak
(Steampunk Red Riding Hood #5)
Fantasy, Retelling, Steampunk
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Synopsis
You’re invited to the All Hallows Ball.
*Werewolves prohibited.

Busy tracking down thieving werewolves in London, Clemeny is surprised when Edwin asks her to lead a new case in the Fenlands of east England.

The Cabell family is haunted by a curse. Something in the misty moors surrounding Cabell Manor has come howling just days before the exclusive All Hallows Ball. How gauche. But London’s best agent is on the case.

Clemeny soon finds herself learning the ropes of polite society while hunting an apparition on the foggy fens. She’ll need to solve the case quickly if she hopes to be the belle–not the bruiser–of the ball.

Continue Clemeny’s adventures in Howls and Hallows , a Halloween-themed tale. Journey to gaslamp London in the 19th century in this steampunk retelling of the classic Red Riding Hood fairy tale by New York Times bestselling author Melanie Karsak.

What I thought
This is the 5th book in the series.  This may not have been one of my favorite in this series but I really like how it ends.  I am so happy that Clemeny is finally taking charge of her heart and not letting other disctiate how she should feel.  I really liked the old Celtic God aspect that this book focuses around.  It just did not grab me like the others in the series have.  This book is definitely setting up the conclusion to this story and I am so pumped for where this is heading.

This whole series is available through Kindle Unliminated.

My Rating: /53.5 stars

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Review: Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare

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Book Review

Chain of Gold
Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare
(The Last Hours #1)
Young Adult, Fantasy
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Synopsis
Welcome to Edwardian London, a time of electric lights and long shadows, the celebration of artistic beauty and the wild pursuit of pleasure, with demons waiting in the dark. For years there has been peace in the Shadowhunter world. James and Lucie Herondale, children of the famous Will and Tessa, have grown up in an idyll with their loving friends and family, listening to stories of good defeating evil and love conquering all. But everything changes when the Blackthorn and Carstairs families come to London…and so does a remorseless and inescapable plague.

James Herondale longs for a great love, and thinks he has found it in the beautiful, mysterious Grace Blackthorn. Cordelia Carstairs is desperate to become a hero, save her family from ruin, and keep her secret love for James hidden. When disaster strikes the Shadowhunters, James, Cordelia and their friends are plunged into a wild adventure which will reveal dark and incredible powers, and the true cruel price of being a hero…and falling in love.

What I thought
This book had a lot to live up to.  I loved The Infernal Devices series and I enjoyed the first three books of The Mortal Instruments Series. We won’t talk about the last three books in that series.  I was so angry that I said I would not read any more of these books.  So yes I have missed the whole The Dark Artifices Series and to be honest, I don’t know if I will read those.  Well as you can see I caved and picked up this book because I mean Jem, Will, and Tessa. I just loved that throuple so much.  Yea I went there.

This book is about Will and Tessa’s kids and I am living for it.  This book was everything I wanted from it and more.  If you have not read any of the other shadow hunter books I am going to say you can pick this one up and read it.  Just know that you will be spoiled for the Infernal Devices series since this happens less than 20 years after those books end.

I am at a  loss for words I just want to gush about this book.

If you have even the smallest want to read this book just do it.  No really read it.  I will be waiting for the next book and I am already trying to figure out how to get an ARC lol.

My Rating: /55 Stars

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Review: Mycroft and Sherlock by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Anna Waterhouse

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Book Review

Mycroft and Sherlockis Mycroft and Sherlock
by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Anna Waterhouse
(Mycroft Holmes and Sherlock #2)
Historical Fiction, Mystery
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Synopsis
Now a force to be reckoned with in the War Office, the young Mycroft Holmes is growing his network of contacts and influence, although not always in a manner that pleases his closest friend, Cyrus Douglas. A Trinidadian of African descent, Douglas has opened a home for orphaned children, while still running his successful import business.

When a ship carrying a cargo in which Douglas was heavily invested runs aground on the Dorset coast, Mycroft convinces his brother Sherlock to offer his services at the orphanage while Douglas travels to see what can be salvaged. Sherlock finds himself surprisingly at home among the street urchins, but is alarmed to discover that two boys show signs of drug addiction. Meanwhile, Douglas also finds evidence of opium use on two dead sailors, and it becomes clear to Mycroft that the vile trade is on the ascent once again.

Traveling to China on the trail of the drug business, Mycroft and Douglas discover that there are many in high places willing to make a profit from the misery of others. Their opponents are powerful, and the cost of stemming the deadly tide of opium is likely to be high…

What I thought
This is the second book in the Mycroft Holmes and Sherlock series and it can be read as a stand-alone.  There are some references to what happened in the previous book but nothing to make you think that you missed anything.  Anna Waterhouse stated on Goodreads that they wanted these books to be able to read as stand-alone even though they are part of a series.

They do not leave England in this book.  I do not know why the synopsis states that they do because they most certainly do not.

This book may not have been as action-packed at the first but you see more depth in the characters.  You see the beginning of why Mycroft and Sherlock are the way they are in the Conan Doyle stories.  I like how Douglas’s dream in the first book to open a home for boys happens and how he is using his profits from shipping cargo to sustain it.

I foresee bigger things happening in the third book since this book looks like it is setting up for what is to come.

I can not wait to pick up the third one and I am so happy that my library has it as an ebook!

My Rating: /54 Stars

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