Onyx & Ivory by Mindee Arnett

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Category: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Content: Sex is alluded to with a couple of characters, A couple of characters make out heavily and almost have sex
 
They call her Traitor Kate. It’s a title Kate Brighton inherited from her father after he tried to assassinate the high king of Rime.

Cast out of the nobility, Kate now works for the royal courier service. Only the most skilled ride for the Relay and only the fastest survive, for when night falls, the drakes—deadly flightless dragons—come out to hunt. Fortunately, Kate has a secret edge: She is a wilder, born with forbidden magic that allows her to influence the minds of animals.

And it’s this magic that leads her to a caravan massacred by drakes in broad daylight—the only survivor Corwin Tormaine, the son of the king. Her first love, the boy she swore to forget after he condemned her father to death.

With their paths once more entangled, Kate and Corwin must put the past behind them to face this new threat and an even darker menace stirring in the kingdom.


In the beginning, this book gave me serious Green Rider vibes, and although it did have a few things in common with that book, by the end, this one ended up being quite different. As fantasies go there is nothing new here. Several of the same tried and true fantasy tropes are used, but I still liked this book anyway. I enjoyed most of the characters and their relationships. I enjoyed the forbidden romance aspect of the story. I also thought that the characters seemed more grown up than a lot of the angst-ridden YA characters I've read in other books. The magic system, the world, and the belief system could have been more fleshed out. It was predictable, and the villain was too cookie-cutter. There was also the political discussion about contraceptives, the poor, and over population that, while might be a worthy thing to discuss, felt out of place in this book and message heavy. But overall, I was satisfied with this easy read. Sometimes that all I need, something easy that doesn't make me think too hard.

On another note- someone please tell me why there is a tree on the cover of this book.

Possession by C.J. Archer

My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

Category: Young Adult
Genre: Paranormal, Paranormal Romance
Content: A makeout scene, two women are almost raped


When the ghost of a notorious killer possesses the body of an upper class youth, London's pre-eminent medium, Emily Chambers, must exorcise it before the spirit goes on a rampage. As if this isn't distraction enough, she must fight her feelings for brooding ghost, Jacob Beaufort, who doesn't like the new man in her life - the handsome and very much alive, Theodore Hyde.


This was not as good as the first book in the series. I was annoyed with the lack of plot advancement. The only answers we get in this book are about Emily's father. Other than that, there are no answers to be had in this book, just a lot of frustration. On top of that, there are things that the possessed characters do that wouldn't have just been swept under the rug. Their reputations would have been ruined. It also bothered me that the female characters that are almost raped in this book seem to get past it so easily.

In the last book, I was really rooting for Jacob and Emily to get together, but after reading this one, I felt really annoyed at Jacob. He's like a yo-yo with his feelings and actions. Poor Emily. All the brooding he does in this book gives Edward Cullen a run for his money. That isn't making me want to continue on with this series, but since there is only one more book, I probably will, just to see how things end up.

For Love or Honor by Sarah M. Eden

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Historical Romance
Content: Clean

 
From the moment they met, Marjie’s heart has belonged to handsome Captain Stanley Jonquil, younger brother of the Earl of Lampton. But six long months ago, when Stanley’s sense of honor required that he do as he had sworn and return to the Continent to fight in defense of King and country, neither Stanley nor Marjie could have dreamed what the cost of his service would be. It has been ages since Stanley last wrote, and Marjie and the Jonquil family are plagued by his unknown fate—until the day he unexpectedly reappears. Marjie’s joy, however, is quickly shadowed by confusion—the aloof, battle-worn soldier before her is not the man he once was.


I've been reading this series for several years now and I'm still really enjoying it. Of course that doesn't mean it is without its flaws. Marjie was an ok character, but she cried way too much over things. I thought she needed a little more backbone. She was in many ways the exact opposite of her sister Sorrel, who was in the first book of the series. And I found Stanley to be incredibly annoying with his overblown sense of honor. However, I could still empathize with him as he struggled to overcome both physical and psychological wounds from the war. I was a bit disappointed that Stanley didn't ultimately come to the decision that he comes to in the end on his own, but that he had to have someone else give him the 'out' he needed.

Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Young Adult
Genre: Space Opera
Content: Strong language, some suggestive jokes

 
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 tech whiz 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.

NOBODY PANIC

Well holy cake! It's official, I thoroughly enjoy the writing team of Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. It's definitely YA, but in my opinion, it's fun. I knew from the start that this probably wasn't going to be as good as The Illuminae Files, I mean it would be hard for them to top that, but I really liked that this book was able to stand on its own without feeling like they were trying to duplicate what they had done with The Illuminae Files.

The best thing about the writing is the snarky banter between characters, and Auri constantly calling Kal by the names of different elves from Lord of the Rings, had me giggling every time. Although in the past I thought the authors didn't distinguish their characters enough from each other, this time around I felt like the authors improved on making each character feel more distinct.

I thought the threat to the galaxy was an interesting choice. I love how these authors seem to always take some iconic horror theme and add it to their stories. Who knew flowers could be that creepy! It reminded me a little of The Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and also a little of The Girl With All the Gifts.

This was a rip-roaring space fantasy, not to be taken too seriously of course. The author's are masters at weaving humor into the action and drama. Think Firefly or Guardians of the Galaxy plus space elves, and just tag along for the ride!


  “Who wants to be normal when you can be interesting instead?

The Perfect Roommate by Minka Kent

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Mystery
Content: Strong language



She's my roommate.

I know how she takes her tea, how she organizes her closet.

I know when she goes to bed each night, what she eats for breakfast, the passcode on her phone.

I know she calls her mother on Mondays, takes barre on Thursdays, and meets her friends for drinks on Fridays.

But more important than any of that ... I know what she did.


This is the second book I've read by Minka Kent, and I wanted to like this as much as I liked When I was You, but this one was not as intriguing. Don't get me wrong, there were quite a few twists and turns, but they just weren't what I was expecting. I think some of my wild theories would have been more interesting.

This ended up being a little too predictable, but I do really like how readable this author's books are, and how relatable her characters are. I get sucked right into them from the beginning. I'm definitely not done with her books yet.

A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Mystery
Content: Strong language, off page sex


With her inquisitive mind, Charlotte Holmes has never felt comfortable with the demureness expected of the fairer sex in upper class society. But even she never thought that she would become a social pariah, an outcast fending for herself on the mean streets of London.

When the city is struck by a trio of unexpected deaths and suspicion falls on her sister and her father, Charlotte is desperate to find the true culprits and clear the family name. She’ll have help from friends new and old—a kind-hearted widow, a police inspector, and a man who has long loved her.

But in the end, it will be up to Charlotte, under the assumed name Sherlock Holmes, to challenge society’s expectations and match wits against an unseen mastermind.

I didn't really care for the way this started, Charlotte's personality was odd (odder than normal for Sherlock), and her being caught in the compromising situation she was caught in, was off-putting to me, and she just comes off as too modern for the time period. On top of that there was jumping back and forth in time that confused things a little, but after I got into it I ended up enjoying it. Eventually her oddness, and also the reason she did what she did, began to make more sense, even if there were some things I couldn't get behind.

Usually I shy away from re-imaginings of classics, because normally I just don't like messing with a good thing. Sherlock Holmes, for some reason has been an exception, and I did find this an interesting take on Sherlock Holmes and Watson. I especially liked the way they met here, and although I'm not super crazy about everything that happened in this book, I am interested enough to see what happens next.

The Six by Mark Alpert

My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

Category: Young Adult
Genre: Sci-fi
Content: Nothing that I can remember

 
 
To save humanity, they must give up their own.

Adam's muscular dystrophy has stolen his mobility, his friends, and in a few short years, it will take his life. Virtual reality games are Adam's only escape from his wheelchair. In his alternate world, he can defeat anyone. Running, jumping, scoring touchdowns: Adam is always the hero.

Then an artificial intelligence program, Sigma, hacks into Adam's game. Created by Adam's computer-genius father, Sigma has gone rogue, threatening Adam's life-and world domination. Their one chance to stop Sigma is using technology Adam's dad developed to digitally preserve the mind of his dying son.

Along with a select group of other terminally ill teens, Adam becomes one of the Six who have forfeited their bodies to inhabit weaponized robots. But with time running short, the Six must learn to manipulate their new mechanical forms and work together to train for epic combat...before Sigma destroys humanity.

This was pretty disappointing. My first thought was that football is not the way to pull me into a sci-fi book. I get Adam fantasizing in the virtual world. It's an escape from a body that has many limits, but I think some sort of adventure game would have been a better choice for a book like this. Also, I usually really like sci-fi that includes artificial intelligence but this Sigma just did nothing for me. He wasn't all that sinister, which is what he was supposed to be, and he certainly wasn't witty or endearing in any way. He just fell flat.

In general the characters felt pretty shallow, with motivations that didn't ring true to me. There is the juvenile delinquent, ex-gang member, who realistically would never have been chosen for this experiment. None of her actions make sense to me. She's the kind of character that should have a problem with authority figures. When this green mohawk wearing, tattooed, pierced girl said she didn't like people staring at her, I was just done with her. Then there are the two girls that decide they have crushes on Adam, after they have all been turned into machines. Um, no thanks. That didn't make any sense at all. Then there is Adam's dad who claims to love his son, but leaves a whole lot of information out initially, about this whole program when explaining it to his son. And I just don't think I can get behind the fact that he is willing to do what it takes to turn his son into a machine in the first place. But the worst offender was the weak parent that is Adam's mom. The parents I know in real life that have children with disabilities, or that have died because of them, are some of the strongest people I know, and this woman in this book was very poorly thought out, just very poorly written all around.

There is also the trope of the military using these kids for their own ends, that has been used so much already. They turn these teenagers into robots in hopes of saving the world, and then at one point they have the audacity to be surprised that their machine is acting like a stubborn, sullen teenager? 😂

Ok, sorry, I probably shouldn't make fun of the book, but that was just too much. So yeah, I had lots of issues with this book, and needless to say I will not be reading the next book in the trilogy.

Smoke Bitten by Patricia Briggs

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Content: Strong language, a few scenes leading up to sex, one sex scene described in mild detail

 
Centuries ago, the fae dwelt in Underhill–until she locked her doors against them. They left behind their great castles and troves of magical artifacts. They abandoned their prisoners and their pets. Without the fae to mind them, those creatures who remained behind roamed freely through Underhill wreaking havoc. Only the deadliest survived.

Now one of those prisoners has escaped. It can look like anyone, any creature it chooses. But if it bites you, it controls you. It lives for chaos and destruction. It can make you do anything–even kill the person you love the most. 

This is one of my favorite urban fantasy series. It has never disappointed me, and this time it was still just as good as ever. There were several things going on in this book and it was great fun trying to make sense of things, and figure out which happenings were related to each other, and which ones weren't. In the beginning my heart hurt for Mercy with the issue that was going on with a certain someone.

Some things got turned upside down this time around, and I wasn't sure if they would ever be the same again, and I was really anxious for a while, but I'm happy with the way things were handled. Mercy is just awesome all around and she always comes up with brilliant solutions to things. I especially loved the parts that Mercy spent in her 'other' place, and getting to see the way she viewed the pack bonds and the mating bond, and also her bond with Stefan. It was all so very interesting. One thing I loved the most about this part of the book were the interactions Mercy had with Adam's wolf.

As for the 'big bad' in this one, The smoke beast was an interesting concept, and I'm always amazed at what Briggs comes up with for each book. It ended up being pretty easy to predict the name of the person behind this smoke beast, and I actually kind of giggled a little, but it was not easy to figure out some other things. The book definitely kept me reading, and now I'm counting down the days until the next installment.

On a side note-

I noticed Mercy wears pajamas with ponies on them and says they were a gift from her mom, who loves horses. I thought of the author Patricia Briggs, who loves horses, and who is Mercy's 'mom' in that she created her. I'm sure the author was referring to herself. I just thought it was a fun little thing that was added in there.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with an ARC of this book.

Raven Black by Ann Cleeves

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Mystery
Content: Strong language, underage drinking, a teen has sex (mostly off page) with an older man 

It is a cold January morning and Shetland lies buried beneath a deep layer of snow. Trudging home, Fran Hunter's eye is drawn to a vivid splash of colour on the white ground, ravens circling above. It is the strangled body of her teenage neighbour Catherine Ross. As Fran opens her mouth to scream, the ravens continue their deadly dance ...

The locals on the quiet island stubbornly focus their gaze on one man - loner and simpleton Magnus Tait. But when police insist on opening out the investigation a veil of suspicion and fear is thrown over the entire community. For the first time in years, Catherine's neighbours nervously lock their doors, whilst a killer lives on in their midst.

This is the first book I've read by Ann Cleaves, and I enjoyed a lot of things about it, despite the rather depressing tone. I feel like the author definitely captured the flavor of the island during this time of year with the cold, bleak winter weather. I had no trouble picturing what it must be like there. Winter weather aside though, the main reason for the depressing tone was that no one in this book seems to be very happy.

I can't say that I really liked any of the characters. The detective could be likable if we continue to get to know him in future books. This is a slow plodding mystery that takes you around the island to meet all sorts of people in the course of the investigation. On top of that investigation, there is a cold case that comes up, that could possibly be tied to this one. In the end, one my theories was right, but I had discredited it, and I wasn't super surprised about some of the other things that were revealed about the cold case.

I found this book interesting enough to want to read the next book in the series. I think mainly because it kept me guessing, and it's hard to find mysteries that keep me guessing for as long as this one did. I also really want to learn more about the detective. There were snippets of his backstory in this book, just enough to make me want to know more.

The Impossible Girl by Lydia Kang

My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Mystery
Content: Mostly off page sex scene, Strong language


Two hearts. Twice as vulnerable.

Manhattan, 1850. Born out of wedlock to a wealthy socialite and a nameless immigrant, Cora Lee can mingle with the rich just as easily as she can slip unnoticed into the slums and graveyards of the city. As the only female resurrectionist in New York, she’s carved out a niche procuring bodies afflicted with the strangest of anomalies. Anatomists will pay exorbitant sums for such specimens—dissecting and displaying them for the eager public.

Cora’s specialty is not only profitable, it’s a means to keep a finger on the pulse of those searching for her. She’s the girl born with two hearts—a legend among grave robbers and anatomists—sought after as an endangered prize.

Now, as a series of murders unfolds closer and closer to Cora, she can no longer trust those she holds dear, including the young medical student she’s fallen for. Because someone has no intention of waiting for Cora to die a natural death.


This sounded very interesting to me, and it was for a while. I found the parts about the resurrectionists the most interesting, and I think the author nailed the feel of New York City in the time period this book is set in. I also am always impressed with the medical aspects of Kang's books. The author being a physician, I'm sure helps, when it comes to including these details in her books. But I didn't care for the way some of the characters felt too modern for the time period.

The weakest part of the book, though, was the mystery itself. I enjoyed it for a good while, but there was a point were it took an unbelievable turn. It didn't feel believable to me that this person was behind things, or the reason for it. It was all just a bit wacky, if you ask me.

I wanted to like Cora as the main character, but I struggled with her. She was pretty sharp when it came to the resurrectionist trade, but when it came to a few of the people in her life, she was blind as a bat. I also think she took some stupid risks, especially when it came to her sexual activities, and was lucky that things ended up so well for her in the end, because for most women in her situation back then, it would not have worked out so nicely. She only had to look as far as her own mother and 'aunt' to see that.

Overall I struggled with my rating for this book, but finally decided on 2.5 stars, because the parts I liked just didn't make up enough for the parts I didn't like. I was disappointed that this wasn't on par with A beautiful poison, which I liked a lot more. That being said, I'm not giving up on this author yet. I'm still planning to read her next mystery when it's available.

The Emperor's Blades by Brian Staveley

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Content: Strong language (including one use of the C word), scenes of abuse/torture in the name of training, talk of visiting prostitutes, off page sex

The Emperor has been murdered, leaving the Annurian Empire in turmoil. Now his progeny must bury their grief and prepare to unmask a conspiracy.

His son Valyn, training for the empire’s deadliest fighting force, hears the news an ocean away. He expected a challenge, but after several ‘accidents’ and a dying soldier’s warning, he realizes his life is also in danger. Yet before Valyn can take action, he must survive the mercenaries’ brutal final initiation.

Meanwhile, the Emperor’s daughter, Minister Adare, hunts her father’s murderer in the capital itself. Court politics can be fatal, but she needs justice. And Kaden, heir to an empire, studies in a remote monastery. Here, the Blank God’s disciples teach their harsh ways – which Kaden must master to unlock their ancient powers. When an imperial delegation arrives, he’s learnt enough to perceive evil intent. But will this keep him alive, as long-hidden powers make their move?

I've had this on my to-read list for a very long time, so when someone on Goodreads wanted to buddy read it, I decided to finally give it a try. Honestly this was one of those books that looked like it may have straddled the line between traditional and grimdark fantasy, and that made me a little apprehensive. I don't mind a little dark, but if it gets too dark I just can't read it. I ended up liking this quite a lot, even if I did get tired of the "abuse in the name of training" scenario. I liked the other elements of the story, and once the story got past all that abuse, it was actually pretty good. I especially liked how some of the story threads ended up intersecting, and certain people's motivations were uncovered.

The story switched between the points of view of the three siblings in the book. One is the heir to the throne, one is in training to become a part of an elite group of warriors, and the third sibling is their sister who is left behind. Her point of view provides the political intrigue. I enjoyed Valyn's POV the most, but once I got near the end I really got interested in Adare's. She ends up in quite the predicament in the end. I think more than anything else, that is what is driving me to read the next book, but I still want to read about what happens to the brothers next as well.

“The fighters who frighten you are not the fighters to fear. The man you barely notice will be the one to bury a blade in your back.”

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Fairy Tale, Fantasy
Content: Physical abuse, One pretty gruesome death

 
Miryem is the daughter and granddaughter of moneylenders, but her father's inability to collect his debts has left his family on the edge of poverty--until Miryem takes matters into her own hands. Hardening her heart, the young woman sets out to claim what is owed and soon gains a reputation for being able to turn silver into gold.

When an ill-advised boast draws the attention of the king of the Staryk--grim fey creatures who seem more ice than flesh--Miryem's fate, and that of two kingdoms, will be forever altered. Set an impossible challenge by the nameless king, Miryem unwittingly spins a web that draws in a peasant girl, Wanda, and the unhappy daughter of a local lord who plots to wed his child to the dashing young tsar.

This is the second Naomi Novik book I've read. While I enjoyed Uprooted despite it's flaws, this one is much better. While on the surface this seems to be a retelling of Rumpelstiltskin, there are in fact elements from several fairy tales woven into this story. I was really impressed with the way this was done. The three female protagonists are all strong and clever woman who were able to make the most out of their bad situations. My only complaint would be that I would have liked something to denote the change of the points of view at the beginning of each chapter.

It seems that Novik likes to write about disagreeable male love interests. While the love interest in Uprooted was widely criticized for being verbally abusive (I felt like maybe the author was going for grumpy in that case, but went too far and he came off abusive unintentionally), this time around the male leads are more complicated, but still not immediately likable. I'm not even sure one of them ever could be likable, as he sort of redeems himself, but doesn't really. I think it's a case of a fey creature not viewing humans the same as we view ourselves. In the end, I do think he learns a lot, and comes to appreciate qualities that he did not see before.

The things I loved about this book were the ways the three women's stories interconnected. The scenes in the house that crossed from one realm to the other were wonderful. The way one woman's family adopts another one's was heartwarming. When one woman learns to read and do sums from another, which in turns helps her to change her life for the better, was inspirational. The way one women turns the tables on her husband to protect herself and her lady's maid was clever. The way one of the women outsmarts her husband by accomplishing an impossible task was brilliant. And the way the husbands eventually come to see their wives in a different light was the icing on top of the cake.

“I wouldn't hold myself that cheap, to marry a man who'd love me less than everything else he had, even if what he had was a winter kingdom.”

A Heart So Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Category: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Content: Clean



  Find the heir, win the crown. Win the crown, save the kingdom.


I loved the first book in this series. It was my favorite YA fantasy last year so there was a lot of hope going into this one that I would love it too. Well, I ended up not loving it quite as much as the first one, but it was still pretty good.

First, I need to say that I was expecting this book to include points of views from Harper and Rhen. We get a little of Rhen in the prologue and epilogue, but nothing from Harper's point of view at all. Instead this book is from Grey's point of view, and a new character who ends up playing a major role in the book. This wasn't all bad since Grey is my favorite character anyway, and I ended up liking the new character a lot. It just wasn't what I was expecting and I really missed Harper. On top of that, Rhen does some things that I am having a hard time getting past, and I really don't think I want Harper to end up with him now. I guess I will see if he can redeem himself in the next book.

Once I got into Grey's story though, the book grew on me a lot. I enjoyed his story and the romance that develops. I liked the way his situation ends up, but that end left me rather stunned. This book has the right title for sure, because it left me heartbroken over a few things. I will definitely be reading the next book.

Here are a couple of my favorite quotes from the book--


  “They're being such idiots. They should have just talked to each other.”

You have no idea how many times I've said that while reading a book.


  “Ah yes, the most dangerous person at the party is always the girl sitting alone with a book.”

❤️❤️❤️