Week 42 Review: As Old as Time

From Goodreads:
What if Belle's mother cursed the Beast?

Belle is a lot of things: smart, resourceful, restless. She longs to escape her poor provincial town for good. She wants to explore the world, despite her father's reluctance to leave their little cottage in case Belle's mother returns--a mother she barely remembers. Belle also happens to be the captive of a terrifying, angry beast. And that is her primary concern.

But Belle touches the Beast's enchanted rose, intriguing images flood her mind--images of the mother she believed she would never see again. Stranger still, she sees that her mother is none other than the beautiful Enchantress who cursed the Beast, his castle, and all its inhabitants. Shocked and confused, Belle and the Beast must work together to unravel a dark mystery about their families that is twenty-one years in the making. 

My Review:
Oh, wow, this book was fantastic! This book kinda slid under my view, so it was out before I knew about it, which was kinda a good thing, because that meant that I could just dive right on into reading it instead of waiting for it to be released!

So the change in this book was that her mom was the enchantress. I mean, that could happen in the original tale, but only because we really have no details on Belle's mom. And I'm guessing that because of that change, that was why Belle was able to touch the rose-and why it was destroyed like that. Yeah.

My one complaint, is that this takes place in a recognizable world. The other two hadn't, as far as I remember. So it was a bit disorienting, taking in the details of this world-which were expanded upon, and and so excellent-but still, I'd have preferred to be in a different world than our own with a few changes!

One different from the previous books that I liked in this one, was that this story was narrated mainly by Belle, and her parents, whichever one could tell the story as their times came to affect the present! Sure, we did get one or two Beast narrations, but not as much as the heroes in the previous books!

That ending was just epic! That Gaston wasn't really the bad guy, though he did bad things, and instead, it was guy running the asylum whose name I've already forgotten. That worked so well, and it was just a great part of this book!

Yeah, loved this book, and I can't wait to have more books in this series!

Author: Liz Braswell
Series: Twisted Tale #3
Read: October 11th, 2016
Source: Ebook.bike
Reason Why: Love her books and this series, and it's a 2016 Retelling Reading Challenge and a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2016 Book!
Publisher: Disney Press
Published: September 6th 2016

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 40 Reviews: The Moth & the Flame, The Crown & the Arrow, The Mirror & the Maze, The Rose & the Dagger

From Goodreads:
It started as playful, if barbed, banter before rising to a fateful wager with a most notorious rake—the Captain of the Guard, Jalal al-Khoury—who may have finally met his match in a lovely, if haughty, handmaiden, Despina. But she, too, seems to have met her match in the handsome Jalal. What begins as a tempestuous battle of will and wit in short order becomes a passionate affair spurred on by tragedy of the worst kind.

From Goodreads:
Seventy-one days and seventy-one nights had come and gone since Khalid began killing his brides. This dawn, Khalid would mark the loss of the seventy-second girl, Shahrzad al-Khayzuran. Khalid didn't know how many more of these dawns he could take. And there was something about this latest girl that piqued his interest. Not only had she volunteered to marry him, but at their wedding ceremony, she had seemed not the least bit afraid. In fact, what he had seen in her eyes was nothing short of pure hatred. She was about to lose her life. Why wasn't she afraid? Why did she hate him so? He had never before gone to his wife's chambers before her death at dawn. Tonight would be different.

From Goodreads:
The city of Rey is burning. With smoke billowing, fires blazing and his people fleeing, Khalid races back to defend his city, and protect his queen. But Khalid is too late to do either. He and his men arrive to find the city in ruins, nothing but a maze of destruction, and Shahrzad is gone. But who could have wrought such devastation? Khalid fears he may already know the answer, the price of choosing love over the people of Rey all too evident.

From Goodreads:
The much anticipated sequel to the breathtaking The Wrath and the Dawn, lauded by Publishers Weekly as "a potent page-turner of intrigue and romance."

I am surrounded on all sides by a desert. A guest, in a prison of sand and sun. My family is here. And I do not know whom I can trust.

In a land on the brink of war, Shahrzad has been torn from the love of her husband Khalid, the Caliph of Khorasan. She once believed him a monster, but his secrets revealed a man tormented by guilt and a powerful curse—one that might keep them apart forever. Reunited with her family, who have taken refuge with enemies of Khalid, and Tariq, her childhood sweetheart, she should be happy. But Tariq now commands forces set on destroying Khalid's empire. Shahrzad is almost a prisoner caught between loyalties to people she loves. But she refuses to be a pawn and devises a plan.

While her father, Jahandar, continues to play with magical forces he doesn't yet understand, Shahrzad tries to uncover powers that may lie dormant within her. With the help of a tattered old carpet and a tempestuous but sage young man, Shahrzad will attempt to break the curse and reunite with her one true love.

My Review:
I enjoyed reading these books so much! The short stories gave us looks into the series, like Jalah and Despina's relationship, what Khalid was thinking when he met Shahrzad, and how he came upon his city after the destruction. Yeah. Pretty important bits!

I enjoyed having some new character's POV's in the short stories and The Rose & the Dagger, because I don't think all of these characters had sections in The Wrath & the Dawn. It just deepened our understanding of this world, and what was going on, so I loved them!

Of course, The Rose & the Dagger has the fall out to deal with, and these characters have changed. Like Shahrzad's magic, which she plays around with in this book, and it becomes pretty important! As well, there's a new character, and I enjoyed how that all played out!

The ending was pretty epic! It hurt, because there was losses, and some characters made some bad decisions, but in the end, those that we have been rooting for, had some pretty bright futures, and I loved the short look we got of them!

Loved reading these books, and I can't wait to read more by Renee Ahdieh!

Author: Renée Ahdieh
Series: The Wrath & the Dawn #0.25, 0.5, 1.5, 2
Read: September 24th, 24th, 24th, 24th, 2016
Source: Tuebl, Free
Reason Why: Love her writing! And they're 2016 Retelling Reading Challenge Books, Historical Fiction 2016 Books, and Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2016 Books, and The Rose & the Dagger are End of Series 2016 Book and a WoW Book!
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Published: March 22nd 2016, March 1st 2016, April 26th 2016, April 26th 2016

The Moth & the Flame:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

The Crown & the Arrow:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

The Mirror & the Maze:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

The Rose & the Dagger:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

The Forgotten Fairytales: Review

From Goodreads:
A psychotic, couture-clad, shoe obsessed Princess.
A not-so-charming, alcoholic Prince.
A hot Big Bad Wolf that she absolutely cannot fall for—no matter how well he kisses.

Seventeen-year-old, Norah Hart had no clue when she walked into boarding school, she'd be surrounded by reincarnated fairy tale characters, let alone learn she was one herself. In a world where the lines between good and evil blur, Norah struggles to find her place. When her actions throw off the balance of the fairy tale world and happily ever afters, enemies surface, ready to destroy her at any cost.

My Review:
This book was pretty fantastic! It took fairy tales-a lot of them now also Disney movies-and turned them on their sides, and it was just really enjoyable to read! The world was fantastic, and I'm really glad that this is a series!

Norah has led a pretty interesting life. Her dad has taught all over, and her mom left the family. And then she's going to her mom's old school. And yeah, things aren't easy, because of the other students and yeah, it was awesome to watch her deal with it all!

I really enjoyed how she messed with the line of good and evil, and how the consequences rippled. They needed a shake up, and they got one! But then she was in the line of fire, and that wasn't very easy to navigate!

The way that things turned out, yeah, it was something of a mixed bag. This is a series, and I enjoyed how it all came together and ended, but yeah, there are still loose ends that'll hopefully be picked up in the next book!

Really enjoyed this book, it was so enjoyable, and I would love to read more!

Author: Angela Parkhurst
Series: Forgotten Fairytales #1
Read: September 14th, 2016
Source: YA Bound Review Tour Review Copy
Reason Why: Sounded good, and it's a 2016 Retelling Reading Challenge 2016 Book and a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2016 Book!
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
Published: February 10th 2014

5/5 Hearts

4/5 Books

4.5/5 Stars

Bio:
I am the author of the Forgotten Fairytales series.
I love reading YA and NA books. I have 2 toddler boys, 2 mini doxins & I'm married to my high school sweetheart. I have an obsession with books, Disney, and am fueled by a wicked coffee addiction.


In addition to YA fantasy, I write contemporary young adult and new adult novels.

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Createspace

Week 28 Review: My Lady Jane

From Goodreads:
For fans of The Princess Bride comes the comical, fantastical, romantical, (not) entirely true story of Lady Jane Grey.

Lady Jane Grey, sixteen, is about to be married to a total stranger—and caught up in an insidious plot to rob her cousin, King Edward, of his throne. But that's the least of Jane's problems. She's about to become Queen of England. Like that could go wrong.

My Review:
I just loved reading this book! It was just so awesome and funny, and I loved the authors little inserts about what really happened, some historical facts, and just the tone of voice combined with what they were saying, yeah, hilarious!

I really enjoyed how they changed history, with the magic, but still the two sides. And how Jane didn't die, and that Edward lived but abdicated the throne to Elizabeth, so Mary didn't rule besides that short time after she took it from Jane!

Jane was pretty awesome to read about! She was a reader, and she was smart, and she had a pretty interesting life-the curse on those who were to marry her for one! And then her husband, G, who turned into a horse during the day! Awesome!

The hilarity in this book, combined with the seriousness of the situation was a great balance to read. Combined with all the romances flying around, and these characters where are historical characters, but changing things around, yeah, made for a really great book! And that ending was really awesome, too, knowing how different it was from history!

This book was so freaking great, and I can't wait to read more by these authors-they're amazing!

Authors: Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand and Jodi Meadows
Read: July 2nd, 2016
Source: Tuebl
Reason Why: Love all of these author's writing, and it's a 2016 Retelling Reading Challenge Book, Historical Fiction 2016 Book, SAC 2016 Book and a WoW Book!
Publisher: HarperTeen
Published: June 7th 2016

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

/55 Stars

Week 23 Review: Rose & Thorn

From Goodreads:
This beauty isn't sleeping! Sarah Prineas's darkly imaginative retelling breaks down the classic story of Sleeping Beauty in a big, bold way. Brimming with action and romance, beautiful Rose must escape the curse that will force the kingdom to fall into a century-long slumber and fights for the freedom to find her own happily ever after.

After the spell protecting her is destroyed, Rose seeks safety in the world outside the valley she had called home. She's been kept hidden all her life to delay the three curses she was born with, curses that will have drastic consequences if they take effect. Accompanied by the handsome and mysterious Griff and Quirk, his witty and warmhearted partner, Rose tries to escape from the ties that bind her to this forced fairy tale. But will the path they take lead them to freedom, or will it bring them straight into the prescribed story they are trying to avoid?

Set in the world of Prineas's Ash & Bramble fifty years later, Rose & Thorn is a powerful retelling of Sleeping Beauty. If you like your fairy tales dark, your heroines daring, and your suitors dashing, this is the book for you. 

My Review:
I absolutely loved reading this book! Besides being by Sarah Prineas, and set in the same world as Ash & Bramble and it has a very wonderful, pretty cover that I enjoy looking at! Plus, the story was absolutely wonderful and enjoyable and entertaining, and such a great retelling!

I wish that this was set 100 years after Ash & Bramble, if only that what Shoe and Pen went through would last longer then it did. And also, the fact that the spell protecting her was linked to a life, and in the valley that she called home, she had a protector. Guess who those two are? Yeah.

But that did lead to some characters who knew, or were related to the characters in Ash & Bramble. Like the leader of the Breakers. I'm pretty sure that it was one of Pen's stepsisters. Not totally sure, but that was the feeling that I got off of her.

I enjoyed reading about Rose, Griff and Quinn. Rose, breaking free from her story and three curses. Griff, son of the Protector and with a curse-eating ability, but that's not quite the full truth. Quinn, who is just a mystery wrapped in an enigma. But he has a story to tell, as well! Oh, and Timothy, granddaughter of two pretty important people in Ash & Bramble!

This book was absolutely great, and while Story can't be fully destroyed, I'm not sure if there should be a 3rd book or not. The world is wonderful and amazing, but it's been through the wringer twice!

Author: Sarah Prineas
Series: Ash & Bramble #2
Read: May 29th, 2016
Source: Edelweiss
Reason Why: Love her books! And it's a 2016 Retelling Reading Challenge Book, Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2016 Book, Sophomore Challenge Book and WoW Book!
Publisher: Harper Teen
Published: October 18th 2016

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 21 Review: Bright Smoke, Cold Fire

From Goodreads:
When the mysterious fog of the Ruining crept over the world, the living died and the dead rose. Only the walled city of Viyara was left untouched.

The heirs of the city's most powerful—and warring—families, Mahyanai Romeo and Juliet Catresou share a love deeper than duty, honor, even life itself. But the magic laid on Juliet at birth compels her to punish the enemies of her clan—and Romeo has just killed her cousin Tybalt. Which means he must die.

Paris Catresou has always wanted to serve his family by guarding Juliet. But when his ward tries to escape her fate, magic goes terribly wrong—killing her and leaving Paris bound to Romeo. If he wants to discover the truth of what happened, Paris must delve deep into the city, ally with his worst enemy . . . and perhaps turn against his own clan.

Mahyanai Runajo just wants to protect her city—but she's the only one who believes it's in peril. In her desperate hunt for information, she accidentally pulls Juliet from the mouth of death—and finds herself bound to the bitter, angry girl. Runajo quickly discovers Juliet might be the one person who can help her recover the secret to saving Viyara.

Both pairs will find friendship where they least expect it. Both will find that Viyara holds more secrets and dangers than anyone ever expected. And outside the walls, death is waiting. . . .

Inspired by Romeo and Juliet, Bright Smoke, Cold Fire is a darkly romantic and atmospheric fantasy from acclaimed author Rosamund Hodge. 

My Review:
Yeah! I was so happy when I found Bright Smoke, Cold Fire up on Edelweiss, since it's been a year and a half since I read Crimson Bound. And I've loved both of her full length novels, and I was really excited to read this book! And it was so great!

One thing that I really enjoyed was that this was a retelling of Romeo and Juliet. Except that we focused on the characters Runajo and Paris, who were Rosaline and Count Paris-though Paris was changed to be a relative of the Juliet. I think. It's been a while since I read Romeo and Juliet! Yeah. That was really awesome!

Another thing that I really loved reading about is this world of The Ruining, of Viyara the only place with the living. And that the dead rise, and necromancers, and magic, and the Juliet, who's spelled since birth to protect her clan, and exact justice and vengeance!

So I was thinking of how I could write this review without spoilers, and I came upon the thought that there were similarities to Assassin's Heart by Sarah Ahiers. Like in the masks that they wear, the families, and that the dead are a problem! I liked that I could compare and contrast the two books!

I can't help it, so yeah, spoiler alert! There were 3 sections of this book. And at the beginning of each one, was a part of Romeo and Juliet's story, but backwards, until the last pages and it's their first infamous meeting but changed for this world. I enjoyed that so much, intertwined with the story of what happened after the traditional story in this world!

Such a joy and pleasure to read this book, I absolutely loved it, and I can't wait for the sequel!

Author: Rosamund Hodge
Series: Untitled #1
Read: May 15th, 2016
Source: Edelweiss
Reason Why: Love her writing, and it's a 2016 Retelling Reading Challenge, Historical Fiction 2016 Book, Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2016 Book and a WoW Book!
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Expected Publication: September 27th 2016

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 19 Review: A Court of Mist and Fury

From Goodreads:
Feyre survived Amarantha's clutches to return to the Spring Court--but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can't forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin's people.

Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms--and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future--and the future of a world cleaved in two.

With more than a million copies sold of her beloved Throne of Glass series, Sarah J. Maas's masterful storytelling brings this second book in her seductive and action-packed series to new heights.

My Review:
Oh, this book! It was so fantastic and wonderful, and it was double the size of the first book,  around Queen of Shadow sizes, so yeah, that was a lot of book to read, which made me a very happy reader! Just loved this book so much!

Since this review is posting almost a week after this book came out, there will be spoilers. Like Tamlin shows his bad side, and Feyre slowly learns to look at the past, and see things a bit objectively-like the last day before the final challenge, and he wanted to be with her, not release her. Shows that she put more into the relationship then he did!

This is the book where we learned more about the Night Court. And things are more complicated then it seemed, because there was a whole city that was hidden, has been hidden for thousands of years. Oh, and another court, the one that Rhys takes an active hand in running, the Court of Dreams!

And the new characters! I loved meeting the, Mor, Rhy's cousin, who'd been through a hell of time when she was younger, Cassian and Azriel, Illyarian's, and Amren, one of the most terrifying characters in this world!

Speaking of, I loved being in this world! We learned so much, and there were so many things that we and Feyre learned-like the Spring court is the only one that has Tithes. And the prison that Amren was in, and escaped from. Yeah, lots of interesting details!

Feyre has a hard journey in this book! She's damaged from what happened Under the Mountain, what she did and now that she's an immortal with a mortal heart, that led to some hard times for her to work through her issues. But Tamlin didn't help. He made things worse, by coddling her, by basically making her his pet, even though she'd proved her strength. And he did some other pretty awful things-like the fact that his family killed Rhys' mother and sister, and that's why Rhys and his father killed Tamlin's family. Yeah, forgot to mention that, didn't you, Tamlin!

There were also some really great moments, where Feyre learned her strength, and those were really incredible to read, like when she beat the Weaver, and got what turned out to be her future wedding ring! So great! And that she made friends with the other people in Rhys' inner court, that was so perfect! Oh, and the fact that Rhys is her true mate, and that he'd known since Under the Mountain, which explains some things!

The cauldron that they use to swear upon and such was a part of this book, which was really great! Well, the use of it wasn't, but the fact that it exists, and it was a part of the story, was! Loved that, and how that became a pretty important part of the story, trying to find a way to neutralize it!

That ending was pure evil! They came so close to their purpose, only to be captured,and then things went from bad to worse with betrayal after betrayal, and the King thinking that he could break the mating bond, something that was sacred. And Tamlin aliening himself with the King, and allowing his land to be an entry to Prythian, to get Feyre back and Rhys head, and totally disregarding Feyre's wishes and the mating bond. Yeah. Awful! And her sisters! But that she is going to be a spy to destroy their enemies from within, that was just incredible! I can't wait to see how it's going to play out!

I have this scene in my head where Lucien is going to swear allegiance to the Night Court, since I'm pretty sure that's the court that Elain and Nesta are going to join, and since Elain is his mate...yeah. And since Feyre is the High Lady of the Night Court, well, I'm pretty sure she could take that! So excited!

Yeah, can you tell I loved this book! I just can't wait for the 3rd and final book, I know it's going to be superb!

Author: Sarah J. Maas
Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses #2
Read: May 3rd, 2016
Source: Bought
Reason Why: Love her writing, and it's a 2016 Retelling Reading Challenge Book, Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2016 Book and a WoW Book!
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Published: May 3rd 2016

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Origin of the Sphinx, Curse of the Sphinx, Demigods and Monsters: Reviews

From Goodreads:

From Goodreads:
How long can a monster stay hidden in plain sight?

Seventeen year-old Hope Nicholas has spent her entire life on the run. But no one is chasing her. In fact, no one even knows she exists. With her mom, she's traveled from town to town and school to school, barely staying long enough to meet anyone, let alone make friends. And she'll have to keep it that way. It's safer.

When her mother is brutally ripped away from her, Hope's life shatters. Is this the fulfillment of Apollo's curse, murder from the shadow monsters of the Underworld, or have the demigods finally found her? Orphaned and alone, Hope flees again, but this time there's no one to teach her who to trust—or how to love.

Set in a universe where mythology is alive and well in the modern world, Curse of the Sphinx irresistibly blends action, suspense and romance. 

From Goodreads:
Can Apollo's curse be broken?

Seventeen-year-old Hope Nicholas is done running. Apollo's curse has ruled her entire life, limiting her choices and robbing her of the things that matter most. But she refuses to live in fear any longer. In fact, she's ready to do whatever it takes to break the god's power over her existence. 

When the goddess Artemis instructs Hope to impersonate a demigod and infiltrate a conservatory to get access to the Olympian library, she doesn't hesitate. As she sees it, there's nothing left to lose. 

But once inside, Hope discovers the only way to get what she needs is to work with her sworn enemies. As the lines between demigod and monster are crossed again and again, Hope has to dig deep for the courage to accept her fate or fight for the freedom to save herself.

My Review:
It was so great to read these books! There are quite a few books on Greek mythology, but these ones dealt with Sphinxes and Apollo's curses and yeah, that was different, and I just wanted to know more about what was going on!

This was a really interesting world! There were so many little details to learn, and I wanted to know them, how things worked, why they were happening, all those kinds of things! And we did get details, but I still want more!

Hope was a really great character to read about! She's been living this life that has not been easy at all, and yet, she's still going strong, and still fighting for herself, and basically for all those that have been under this curse, however too late it is for them!

Really enjoyed where this series is heading, because it can't be over now! There were two cliffhanger endings, one per full length book, and yeah, they both made me want more, though I was lucky with Curse because I already had Demigods!

Loved these books, and I really can't wait to read more!

Author: Raye Wagner
Series: Sphinx #0.5, 1, 2
Read: April 26th, 26th, 26th, 2016
Source: Bought, YA Bound Review Copies
Reason Why: Sounded really good, and they're 2016 Retelling Reading Challenge Books and Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2016 Books!
Publisher: Studio Opolis LLC, Raye Wagner
Published: June 6th 2013, August 10th 2015, April 25th 2016

Origin of the Sphinx:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Curse of the Sphinx:

5/5 Hearts

4.5/5 Books

4.5/5 Stars

Demigods and Monsters:

5/5 Hearts

4.5/5 Books

4.5/5 Stars

Bio:
Raye Wagner grew up in Seattle, the second of eight children, and learned to escape chaos through the pages of fiction. As a youth, she read the likes of David Eddings, Leon Uris, and Jane Austen. Inspired by a fictional character, Raye pursued a career in nursing, thinking to help the world one patient at a time.

One summer afternoon, when her then young children were playing in the pool, a plot dropped into her head, and she started writing.

She enjoys baking, puzzles, Tae Kwon Do, and the sound of waves lapping at the sand. She lives with her husband and three children in Middle Tennessee.

Origin of the Sphinx, a novella detailing the story leading up to the creation of the mythological creature, is her first publication. It is the beginning of the Sphinx series.

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