Magical Readathon: Orilium Update 1

So I read my first book for Magical Readathon: Orilium, and it was Sanctuary With Kings which was for the prompt Dragon Riding License 1, and I'll be reading Timeless next!

My Reading Journey:

Sanctuary With Kings by Kathryn Moon

Prompt Fulfilled: Dragon Riding License 1

Started On: July 29th

Finished On: July 29th, 2:40 PM

Pages Read: 512

Timeless by Josephine Angelini

Prompt Fulfilled: Conjuration D

Started On: July 29th

Currently On: Page 0 of 410

Prompts Left: Alchemy O, Alchemy Q, Alchemy D, Inscription O, Inscription Q, Inscription D, Artificery O, Artificery Q, Artificery D, Spells & Incantations O, Spells & Incantations Q, Spells & Incantations D, Impling, Impling, Dragon Riding License 2, Elemental Studies O, Elemental Studies Q, Elemental Studies D, Shapeshifting O, Animal Studies O, Astronomy O, Astronomy Q, Astronomy D, Restoration O, Restoration Q, Impling, Impling, Dragon Riding License 1, Dragon Riding License, Apothecary Keeper 1, Apothecary Keeper 2, Inscription O, Restoration O, Restoration Q, Conjuration O, Conjuration Q, Demonology O, Lore O, Lore Q, Lore D, Impling, Impling, Animal Studies O, Animal Studies Q, Animal Studies D, Demonology O, Demonology Q, Demonology D, Restoration O, Restoration Q, Spells & Incantations O, Impling, Impling, Dragon Riding License 1, Dragon Riding License 2, Alchemy O, Alchemy Q, Art of Illusion O, Art of Illusion Q, Spells & Incantations O, Psionics & Divination O, Psionics & Divination Q, Psionics & Divination D, Lore O, Impling, Impling, Dragon Riding License 1, Dragon Riding Licence 2, Alchemy O, Alchemy Q, Restoration O, Restoration Q, Restoration D, Impling, Impling, Dragon Riding License 1, Dragon Riding License 2, Shapeshifting O, Shapeshifting Q, Shapeshifting D, Art of Illusion O, Art of Illusion Q, Art of Illusion D, Psionics & Divination O, Impling

Read: 1

Pages Read: 512

Week 30 Review: The Test

From Goodreads:

Britain, the not-too-distant future.

Idir is sitting the British Citizenship Test.

He wants his family to belong.

Twenty-five questions to determine their fate. Twenty-five chances to impress.

When the test takes an unexpected and tragic turn, Idir is handed the power of life and death.

How do you value a life when all you have is multiple choice?

My Review:
Oh, this story! This is really different from his two series thus far, no aliens, and it's mainly contemporary, though set not too far in the future. And oh, was it a great story! I loved how we were introduced to this guy who was taking the test-and then we learned what was going on, and then alternated between those perspectives! 

Idir is a gentle, kind person, a dentist, a loving husband and father. Basically the perfect candidate for citizenship. But then his test room got stormed by terrorists, and he's forced to make a series of really difficult choices.

Then we find out what was going on there, and oh, that put a different perspective on things. We got a brief mention of why the test is in place, what was really going on, but the main focus was on Idir taking his. I felt so bad for him! 

And oh, was the test brutal. And kinda biased. I could see some flaws in their reasoning, like the cop one, that is a generalization, which doesn't apply to all individuals. That ending, though, and why it came out, that was shocking and hard and made that last chapter so hard to read! 

This was a really great read, and I can't wait to read more by Sylvain Neuvel! 

Author: Sylvain Neuvel
Read: July 28th, 2023
Source: Ebook.bike 
Reason Why: Love his writing, and it sounded great, and it's a SAC 2023 Book! 
Publisher: Tom Doherty Associates
Published: February 12th 2019

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 30 Review: How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse

From Goodreads:

Princess Leia meets the Princess Bride with spaceships and magic and a grumpy cyborg.

Rory Thorne is a princess with 13 fairy blessings, the most important of which is to see through flattery and platitudes. As the eldest daughter, she always imagined she'd inherit her father's throne and govern the interplanetary Thorne Consortium.

Then, her father is assassinated, her mother gives birth to a son, and Rory is betrothed to the prince of a distant world.

When Rory arrives in her new home, she uncovers a treacherous plot to unseat her newly betrothed and usurp his throne. An unscrupulous minister has conspired to name himself Regent to the minor (and somewhat foolish) prince. With only her wits and a small team of allies, Rory must outmaneuver the Regent and rescue the prince.

How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse is a feminist reimagining of familiar fairy tale tropes and a story of resistance and self-determination - how small acts of rebellion can lead a princess to not just save herself, but change the course of history.

My Review:
This was such a great read! I loved this world of fairy tale princes and princess etiquette, but in space! Rory had all the skills and diplomacy needed for a princess-she also had the training to use some of the Arithmancy, which was very useful! 

The first part of the book sets things up, with some of the politics that are connecting these different ruled territories. And then there was a bombing, and things went sideways. Including a minster who is shady to all out! That Rory ends up bethrothed to the prince he's regent of, well, how could that go wrong? 

The group of people that Rory has surrounding her, to help her, to protect her, Messer Rupert, Deme Grytt, Thorsdottir and Zhang, they were all vibrant characters, and it was just great to see how they worked together to get Rory out of this awful situation! 

It was so fantastic to watch Rory use her wits to overcome the bad guy! She played to expectations, and hid what she was doing in plan sight, and that made his downfall all the more delightful! She definitely earned whatever break she's getting between this book and the next! And no wonder she doesn't want to be a princess anymore, look where it got her! 

This was such a great read and I can't wait to read the sequel! 

Author: K. Eason
Series: The Thorne Chronicles #1
Read: July 28th, 2023
Source: Library 
Reason Why: Sounded really good, and it's a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2023 Book and a WTC Book! 
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Published: October 8th 2019

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 30 Review: The Bone Hacker

From Goodreads:

#1 New York Times bestselling author Kathy Reichs returns with her twenty-second high-stakes thriller featuring forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan who, following a series of bizarre disappearances on the islands of Turks and Caicos, enters a sinister labyrinth in which a new technology may wreak worldwide havoc.

Called in to examine what is left of a body struck by lightning, Tempe traces an unusual tattoo to its source and is soon embroiled in a much larger case. Young men—tourists—have been disappearing on the islands of Turks and Caicos for years. Seven years ago, the first victim was found in a strange location with both hands cut off; the other visitors vanished without a trace. But, recently, tantalizing leads have emerged and only Tempe can unravel them.

Maddeningly, the victims seem to have nothing in common—other than the strange locations where their bodies are eventually found, and the fact that the young men all seem to be the least likely to be involved in foul play. Do these attacks have something to do with the islands' seething culture of gang violence? Tempe isn't so sure. And then she turns up disturbing clues that what's at stake may actually have global significance.

It isn't long before the sound of a ticking clock grows menacingly loud, and then Temper herself becomes a target.

My Review:
This was another really fantastic read! I have such a great time following Temperance Brennan as she works to solve these cases, and this latest case takes her to Turks and Caicos, yeah, there was some gorgeous scenery there that I enjoyed reading about since I'll most certainly never go since I'm a homebody who hasn't left my area in over 5 years! 

It's funny, but the case that initially brings her there, really is the only reason it's a part of this book. Because it's not a part of the main plot of this book, which is the cases that come up while she's there, because of that other case.

There were a few big cases going on in this book. There were the tourists that were being recovered deceased, which is not great for a tourist destination. There was the boat where all the instruments worked fine, but somehow got lost, and ended up dead from a lack of supplies. And the heartbreaking one, that really complicated the matter!

Watching as these cases were progressing, and the direction they were going, well, I wasn't expecting that! I loved how everything came together-and how tense that ending was! That was just top notch, and I couldn't put it down! 

I had a really great time reading this book and I can't wait for whatever is next! 

Author: Kathy Reichs 
Series: Temperance Brennan #22
Read: July 27th, 2023
Source: Publisher for Review/NetGalley 
Reason Why: Love her writing and this series, and it's a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2023 Book and a WoW Book! 
Publisher: Scribner
Expected Publication: August 1st 2023

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 30 Reviews: Alienated, Until Midnight, Invaded, United

From Goodreads:

Two years ago, the aliens made contact. Now Cara Sweeney is going to be sharing a bathroom with one of them. 

Handpicked to host the first-ever L'eihr exchange student, Cara thinks her future is set. Not only does she get a free ride to her dream college, she'll have inside information about the mysterious L'eihrs that every journalist would kill for. Cara's blog following is about to skyrocket.

Still, Cara isn't sure what to think when she meets Aelyx. Humans and L'eihrs have nearly identical DNA, but cold, infuriatingly brilliant Aelyx couldn't seem more alien. She's certain about one thing, though: no human boy is this good-looking.

But when Cara's classmates get swept up by anti-L'eihr paranoia, Midtown High School suddenly isn't safe anymore. Threatening notes appear in Cara's locker, and a police officer has to escort her and Aelyx to class. 

Cara finds support in the last person she expected. She realizes that Aelyx isn't just her only friend; she's fallen hard for him. But Aelyx has been hiding the truth about the purpose of his exchange, and its potentially deadly consequences. Soon Cara will be in for the fight of her life—not just for herself and the boy she loves, but for the future of her planet. 

From Goodreads:
Cara and Aelyx only have one day to spend together before he returns to earth and she travels to Aelyx's home planet, L'eihr. Homesick and worried about the upcoming year apart, Cara is desperate to make these final hours count. Worst of all, Cara is missing Christmas, stuck on board an alien spaceship. When Aelyx learns that Cara is forgoing her favorite holiday, he tries to recreate Christmas in space by researching traditional earth customs…but a few things get lost in translation.

From Goodreads:
The romantic sequel to Alienated takes long-distance relationships to a new level as Cara and Aelyx long for each other from opposite ends of the universe...until a threat to both their worlds reunites them. 

Cara always knew life on planet L'eihr would be an adjustment. With Aelyx, her L'eihr boyfriend, back on Earth, working to mend the broken alliance between their two planets, Cara is left to fend for herself at a new school, surrounded by hostile alien clones. Even the weird dorm pet hates her.

Things look up when Cara is appointed as human representative to a panel preparing for a human colony on L'eihr. A society melding their two cultures is a place where Cara and Aelyx could one day make a life together. But with L'eihr leaders balking at granting even the most basic freedoms, Cara begins to wonder if she could ever be happy on this planet, even with Aelyx by her side.

Meanwhile, on Earth, Aelyx, finds himself thrown into a full-scale PR campaign to improve human-L'eihr relations. Humans don't know that their very survival depends on this alliance: only Aelyx's people have the technology to fix the deadly contamination in the global water supply that human governments are hiding. Yet despite their upper hand, the leaders of his world suddenly seem desperate to get humans on their side, and hardly bat an eye at extremists' multiple attempts on Aelyx's life.

The Way clearly needs humans' help . . . but with what? And what will they ask for in return?

From Goodreads:
After thwarting a deadly coup and saving the alliance between their worlds, Cara and Aelyx have finally earned a break. Their tiny island colony is everything they dreamed it would be―days spent gathering shells on the beach and nights in each other's arms.

But the vacation is short-lived.

The treaty between Earth and L'eihr has awakened an ancient force that threatens to destroy them all. The Aribol, mysterious guardians charged with maintaining interstellar peace, deem the alliance a threat to the galaxy. They order a separation of the races, decreeing humans and L'eihrs must return to their own planets within the month or face extinction. In fact, they already have agents in place on Earth, ready to begin.

With the clock ticking, Aelyx and Cara assemble a team of colonists and race back to Earth, where they unite with old friends to solve the mystery of who the Aribol are, what they want, and the real reason the alliance has provoked them. As tensions build to a full-scale war, Aelyx and Cara must fight harder than ever―not just for their future, but for the survival of both their worlds. 

My first review of Alienated, Until Midnight, Invaded
My Review:
I enjoyed reading these books again so much! I loved them the first time, but at the time the 3rd book hadn't been published yet at the time, and I didn't pick it up once it was out, and before I reread these books, I remembered basically nothing about this series, so I'm glad I was able to read all of these back to back!

Alienated was a really great start to the series, getting us settled into this world of aliens by having it start off with Earth, and what we know, and introduce us to the L'eihr and these characters. It was such an enjoyable read! Plus Until Midnight, that was such a cute read! 

Then Invaded expanded our knowledge by taking us to L'eihr and see what they're like on their home planet. It sucked that they were seperated, but it was for a good cause, even if it got complicated, quickly. That they managed to make things better and save the alliance, was so good!

Then United, I was so excited to read, to see how things were going to end. I was really curious about the Aribol, and why they thought this alliance was a threat to the rest of the galaxy, because humanity is pretty war-like, and having allies makes things better for all in the long run. Unless you're opposed to them, their enemy, in which case, why would you capilate to their demands? Absolutely loved how things worked out! 

Loved reading these books so much, and I can't wait to read more by Melissa Landers! 

Author: Melissa Landers
Series: Alienated #1, 1.5, 2, 3
First Read: August 16th, 16th, 16th, 2015

Read: July 26th, 26th, 26th, 26th, 2023
Source: Own, Free
Reason Why: Sounded really good! And they're 2023 Dystopia Books and a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2023 Books, and United is a End of Series 2023 Book and a WoW Book! 
Publisher: Disney Hyperion, Elire Publishing, LLC
Published: February 4th 2014, December 23rd 2014, February 3rd 2015, August 2nd 2016

Alienated:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Until Midnight:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Invaded:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

United:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 30 Review: Chilling Effect

From Goodreads:

A hilarious, offbeat debut space opera that skewers everything from pop culture to video games and features an irresistible foul-mouthed captain and her motley crew, strange life forms, exciting twists, and a galaxy full of fun and adventure.

Captain Eva Innocente and the crew of La Sirena Negra cruise the galaxy delivering small cargo for even smaller profits. When her sister Mari is kidnapped by The Fridge, a shadowy syndicate that holds people hostage in cryostasis, Eva must undergo a series of unpleasant, dangerous missions to pay the ransom.

But Eva may lose her mind before she can raise the money. The ship's hold is full of psychic cats, an amorous fish-faced emperor wants her dead after she rejects his advances, and her sweet engineer is giving her a pesky case of feelings. The worse things get, the more she lies, raising suspicions and testing her loyalty to her found family.

To free her sister, Eva will risk everything: her crew, her ship, and the life she's built on the ashes of her past misdeeds. But when the dominoes start to fall and she finds the real threat is greater than she imagined, she must decide whether to play it cool or burn it all down.

My Review:
I had a wonderful time reading this book! From the jump, it's straight into event after event, running for their lives, and it was so much fun to read! I really enjoyed getting to know these characters and this world, as she tried to rescue her sister.

There's a few authors now that I enjoy that go on wild romps, that chaos is the name of the game, and Valerie Valdes isn't quite to the same level of chaos, she's one that I can add to the roster, for sci fi, which is great, because I didn't have any in that genre yet! I mean, the whole thing with the emperor, yeah, that was wild.

This book was basically at break-neck speed. She had situation after situation, lots of action, and a lot of reacting instead of acting, which put her on the back foot for a good portion of the book before thoughts and plans. 

I was really excited to see how it was going to wrap up, to find out what was really going on. And it did a really good job, and I am looking forward to the sequel. I have no idea where it's going to go, but I am anticipating finding out! 

Loved reading this book and I can't wait to continue the series! 

Author: Valerie Valdes
Series: Chilling Effect #1 
Read: July 26th, 2023
Source: Library/Bought 
Reason Why: Sounded really great, and it's a DAC Book and a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2023 Book! 
Publisher: Harper Voyager 
Published: September 17th 2019

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 30 Review: Perdition, Havoc, Breakout

From Goodreads:
WELCOME TO HELL

The prison ship Perdition, a floating city where the Conglomerate's most dangerous criminals are confined for life, orbits endlessly around a barren asteroid.

Life inside is even more bleak. Hailed as the Dread Queen, inmate Dresdemona "Dred" Devos controls one of Perdition's six territories, bordered on both sides by would-be kings eager to challenge her claim. Keeping them at bay requires constant vigilance, as well as a steady influx of new recruits to replace the fallen. Survival is a constant battle, and death is the only escape.

Of the newest convicts, only one is worth Dred's attention. The mercenary Jael, with his deadly gaze and attitude, may be the most dangerous criminal onboard. His combat skill could give her the edge she needs, if he doesn't betray her first. Unfortunately, that's what he does best. Winning Jael's allegiance will be a challenge, but failure could be worse than death…

From Goodreads:
The Conglomerate's most dangerous convicts have made the prison ship Perdition their home. And they will defend it…

Perdition is under siege. Mercenaries have boarded the station with orders to take control of the facility—and execute the prisoners. Their commander is offering full pardons to the first five inmates willing to help the mercs complete their mission.

Dresdemona "Dred" Devos hasn't survived hard time just to surrender to the Conglomerate's armored thugs. Leading a ragtag army of inmates, Dred and her champion, Jael, wage a bloody guerilla war of chaos and carnage against impossible odds. But no matter how dire the outlook, the Dread Queen never backs down…  

From Goodreads:
All hell is breaking loose in the edge-of-your-seat follow-up to Havoc and Perdition from New York Times bestselling author Ann Aguirre…

The prison ship Perdition has become a post-battle charnel house with only a handful of Dred's soldiers still standing and now being hunted by Silence's trained tongueless assassins. Forging an uneasy alliance with mercenary commander Vost—who is their only chance at escape—the Dread Queen will do whatever it takes to end her life sentence on Perdition and keep the survivors alive long enough to cobble together a transport capable of getting them off station.

If Dred and her crew can win the deadly game of cat and mouse, the payoff is not only life but freedom—a prize sweeter than their wildest dreams. Yet the sadistic Silence would rather destroy Perdition than let a single soul slip from her grasp…

My first review of Perdition, Havoc, Breakout
My Review:
I loved reading these books again! I loved them the first time, but I hadn't read the first series in this world, that had Jael before this point, so I had to come back to this one and read it with that context. Of course I loved reading them again! 

Perdition was a fantastic setting up point of this prison ship, of how it worked, the different groups and the politics, setting up these characters and their dynamics with everyone. Then Havoc built upon those foundations while also breaking things down. Then Breakout deals with what's left, of them finally getting off that ship.

I loved how with every book, the stakes rose, so did the characters to the challenges. They had to be creative, and it difficult, learning to roll with the punches, and learn as much as they could to understand what was going on. It was just so wonderful! 

That ending had an even greater impact this time around, knowing what he held in his past. I mean, this trilogy had another part of it, so it was great to have all that tied off. It was just so satisfying to have that extra time with them, after they'd made it out! 

Loved these books so much, and I can't wait to read more by Ann Aguirre! 

Author: Ann Aguirre
Series: The Dred Chronicles #1, 2, 3
First Read: June 23rd, July 4th, 5th, 2020

Read: July 25th, 25th, 25th, 2023
Source: Own
Reason Why: Rereading, and they're Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2023 Books! And Breakout is a End of Series 2023 Book!
Publisher: Ace
Published: August 27th 2013, August 26th 2014, August 25th 2015

Perdition:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Havoc:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Breakout:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 30 Review: Interference

From Goodreads:

The sequel to Sue Burke's sweeping SF epic debut, Semiosis, continues in Interference as the colonists and a team from Earth confront a new and more implacable intelligence.

Over two hundred years after the first colonists landed on Pax, a new set of explorers arrives from Earth on what they claim is a temporary scientific mission.

But the Earthlings misunderstand the nature of the Pax settlement and its real leader. Even as Stevland attempts to protect his human tools, a more insidious enemy than the Earthlings makes itself known.

Stevland is not the apex species.

My Review:
I had such a fantastic time reading this book! I really enjoyed the first one, and I was really excited to see where this story would go, after the way things were told in the first one, with the different generations, or if it would follow the same characters. That it took place in a very short amount of time, like months, vs. the generations of the first book, was pretty interesting to read! 

The world of Pax is so interesting, that humanity has Stevland to be the dominant, apex species on the planet. We're so used to seeing ourselves as the apex species, because from our perspective, on Earth, we are. But they're no longer on Earth. That it was a mix of people who've grown up on Pax, and some new arrivals from Earth who don't get how things go on Pax, was a really good contrast.

We briefly had some time with the Glassmakers in the first book, and we got to spend a lot more time with them in this one, which was great, to have these 2 different alien races interacting with humanity, and I had to have more! 

I've seen talk about there being a 3rd book, which I would love to see, that Stevland arranged to have his seeds sent back to Earth, that sounds like a really interesting premise, about what help that could be to the humanity there, because honestly, we've proven that we're not the best at governing ourselves. 

Loved reading this book, and I can't wait to read more by Sue Burke! 

Author: Sue Burke
Series: Semiosis Duology #2
Read: July 25th, 2023
Source: Library
Reason Why: Loved the first book, and it's a End of Series 2023 Book and a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2023 Book! 
Publisher: Tor Books 
Published: October 22nd 2019

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 30 Review: The Countdown

From Goodreads:

In the concluding book in the otherworldly Taking trilogy, Kyra struggles to understand who she is as she races to save the world from complete destruction. Ever since Kyra was abducted by aliens and then returned to earth, she has known there was something different about her. Now she knows the she is an alien too. Her alien captors replaced all her human DNA with their own—gifting her with supernatural powers like incredible healing, enhanced eyesight, and telekinesis. But when she's captured by an unexpected enemy, Kyra begins to wonder if her abilities are also a curse. And is she, as her enemies believe, meant to play some key role in helping an impending alien invasion? Is it programmed into her, something inescapable? Or can she fight that destiny? No matter what the truth is, Kyra is sure of one She just rescued the love of her life, Tyler, and she is not going to stand by and let anyone hurt him or her friends. Whatever it takes, Kyra will do everything in her power to save the world…even if it means making the ultimate sacrifice.

My Review:
I loved reading this book! I love her writing, and I love this series, and I had to reread the first 2 books before I could pick this one up, and I'm glad I did, this was an amazing end to the series! I had such a blast reading it!

The threat of an alien invasion, with the Returned probably playing a role, yeah, that's a complicated situation. Because humanity isn't all that great sometimes, and the way that she's treated, I can understand, she's not quite human anymore, but she once was, and that kind of attitude is more likely to make her side with the aliens then with humanity.

Honestly, I didn't know how they were going to deal with everything going on. All the stakes were built up in the first two books, and now the threat is looming large. It was hard to know what to do, who to trust, and I had such a great time watching Kyra work through it.

The way that it wrapped up was so good! I don't quite know how it all worked out, but I'm not asking questions, because I'm satisfied with how it worked out. Though I am sad to say goodbye to these characters, I had a great time reading about them! 

Loved reading this book and I can't wait to read more by Kimberly Derting! 

Author: Kimberly Derting 
Series: The Taking #3
Read: July 24th, 2023
Source: Own 
Reason Why: Love her writing and this series, and it's a End of Series 2023 Book and a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2023 Book!  
Publisher: Harper Teen
Published: May 10th 2016

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars