Week 1 Review: Maid of Secrets

From Goodreads:
Orphan Meg Fellowes makes her living picking pockets—until she steals from the wrong nobleman. Instead of rotting in prison like she expected, she's whisked away to the court of Queen Elizabeth and pressed into royal service, where she joins four other remarkable girls in the Maids of Honor, the Queen's secret society of protectors.

Meg's natural abilities as a spy prove useful in this time of unrest. The Spanish Court is visiting, and with them come devious plots and hidden political motives. As threats to the kingdom begin to mount, Meg can't deny her growing attraction to one of the dashing Spanish courtiers. But it's hard to trust her heart in a place where royal formalities and masked balls hide the truth: Not everyone is who they appear to be. With danger lurking around every corner, can she stay alive—and protect the crown?

My Review:
Loved this book so freaking much! Awesome premise, a thief who decides that working for the Queen instead of staying in prison. So there's that. And the whole secret protection of the Queen-Maids of Honor, yeah, that's an awesome idea!

Loved Meg, because she's a pretty kick ass girl, who's been a thief for a very long time, she knows how to change her appearance, and yeah, those talents apply very well to being a spy, and yeah, deciding to go with being a Maid of Honor is probably one of the best decisions she's made in her life!

Loved all the mystery and intrigue, all the secrets that abound about, what with the Queen having refused an offer of marriage from one guy, and now pretty much every other royal family from other countries want to make an alliance with her, so yeah, it's pretty busy there!

There were 4 other Maids of Honor, initially, aren't very nice to Meg, calling her the rat, and neither are the overseers of the program, and yeah, that wasn't too pleasant. But things did improve as time went on, and they all got to know one another!

All in all, a wonderful book, and I can't wait to read more!

Author: Jennifer McGowan
Series: Maids of Honor #1
Read: December 31st, 2013
Source: Tuebl
Reason Why: Sounded good, and it's a Historical Fiction 2013 Book and a DAC Book!
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Published: May 7th 2013

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 1 Review: Belle Epoque

From Goodreads:
When Maude Pichon runs away from provincial Brittany to Paris, her romantic dreams vanish as quickly as her savings. Desperate for work, she answers an unusual ad. The Durandeau Agency provides its clients with a unique service—the beauty foil. Hire a plain friend and become instantly more attractive. 

Monsieur Durandeau has made a fortune from wealthy socialites, and when the Countess Dubern needs a companion for her headstrong daughter, Isabelle, Maude is deemed the perfect foil.

But Isabelle has no idea her new "friend" is the hired help, and Maude's very existence among the aristocracy hinges on her keeping the truth a secret. Yet the more she learns about Isabelle, the more her loyalty is tested. And the longer her deception continues, the more she has to lose.

My Review:
I loved this book! I mean, such a wonderful concept, of a girl being hired to show off the beauty of another girl. Such a creative idea, and one that I rather enjoyed albeit one that does show the differences between people with money, and those without, basically.

I loved Maude, she's strong and independent, she runs away from an arranged marriage, and then she get's herself a job, even though she didn't like the job description at first. It is insulting to the plain girl, but yeah, she makes decisions that are the best for her!

I loved her relationship with Isabelle, it was really quite awesome, and how they grew to be well together, they were just so good together, they were pretty great friends, and they complimented each other! It was just a great girl-girl friendship in YA!

Loved how everything resolved, it was great, fitting for the story, and just really great! It was a really good ending, one that took all the threads, and just made a good, creative ending, one that I really, really enjoyed so freaking much!

This was a fantastic book, and I can't wait to see what Elizabeth Ross writes next!

Author: Elizabeth Ross
Read: December 30th, 2013
Source: Tuebl
Reason Why: Sounded good, and it's a DAC Book, SAC 2013 Book, and Historical Fiction 2013 Book!
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Published: June 11th 2013

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 1 Review: The Sweetest Dark

From Goodreads:
The Sweetest Dark is filled with thrilling romance, exciting adventure, and ancient magic. Shana Abé brilliantly captures the drama of post-Victorian England, while unfolding a passionate love story that defies time.

"With every fiber of my being, I yearned to be normal. To glide through my days at Iverson without incident. But I'd have to face the fact that my life was about to unfold in a very, very different way than I'd ever envisioned. Normal would become forever out of reach."

Lora Jones has always known that she's different. On the outside, she appears to be an ordinary sixteen-year-old girl. Yet Lora's been keeping a heartful of secrets: She hears songs that no one else can hear, dreams vividly of smoke and flight, and lives with a mysterious voice inside her that insists she's far more than what she seems.

England, 1915. Raised in an orphanage in a rough corner of London, Lora quickly learns to hide her unique abilities and avoid attention. Then, much to her surprise, she is selected as the new charity student at Iverson, an elite boarding school on England's southern coast. Iverson's eerie, gothic castle is like nothing Lora has ever seen. And the two boys she meets there will open her eyes and forever change her destiny.

Jesse is the school's groundskeeper—a beautiful boy who recognizes Lora for who and what she truly is. Armand is a darkly handsome and arrogant aristocrat who harbors a few closely guarded secrets of his own. Both hold the answers to her past. One is the key to her future. And both will aim to win her heart. As danger descends upon Iverson, Lora must harness the powers she's only just begun to understand, or else lose everything she dearly loves.

Filled with lush atmosphere, thrilling romance, and ancient magic, The Sweetest Dark brilliantly captures a rich historical era while unfolding an enchanting love story that defies time.

My Review:
I utterly adored this book! I know there's an adult series that might be connected, but while I haven't read that, I was quite able to read this book, and that left the mystery to be so much more then it could've been if I'd read the other series!

I loved Lora, she's had a hard time in life, keeping her secrets secret, and yeah, that's almost a full time job, but that's just being smart and keeping herself alive! She was snarky, but that was just another wall that she built up, and when someone got through her walls, she would seem like a pretty different person! But she was really strong, though!

Oh, Jesse and Armand! They were both really important characters, because as the synopsis says, both of them are important to learning about the past, and the one that was important the future? We get 2 guesses. because, well, there's only the 2 of them!

Oh, how I loved that ending! It took everything that the whole book was about, and then condensed the pure essence of it into the ending, just wholly dark, intriguing, and had such wonderful romance, and I really enjoyed it!

Loved this book, and I can't wait to read the sequel!

Author: Shana Abe
Series: The Sweetest Dark #1
Read: December 30th, 2013
Source: Tuebl/NetGalley
Reason Why: Sounded good, and it's a Historical Fiction 2013 Book and LLFL Book!
Publisher: Bantam
Published: April 2nd 2013

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 1 Review: The Clockwork Scarab

From Goodreads:
Evaline Stoker and Mina Holmes never meant to get into the family business. But when you’re the sister of Bram and the niece of Sherlock, vampire hunting and mystery solving are in your blood. And when two society girls go missing, there’s no one more qualified to investigate.

Now fierce Evaline and logical Mina must resolve their rivalry, navigate the advances of not just one but three mysterious gentlemen, and solve murder with only one clue: a strange Egyptian scarab. The stakes are high. If Stoker and Holmes don’t unravel why the belles of London society are in such danger, they’ll become the next victims.

My Review:
Oh, what a wonderful, amazing, spectacular book! I loved these kick ass heroines, as relatives of Bram Stoker, Sherlock Holmes, who while are still in the Victoria age (I don't know what actual age they were in, I'll just say most historical fiction is Victorian age) and while they are opposites in terms of personality, they are both kick ass in their own way!

I loved this mystery, of who was doing this to girls who are kinda in the same position as Evaline and Mina, and yeah, how both these girls used their strengths to figure out the mystery! Even with things going pretty dark in the mystery, they persevered, and faced off the culprit, though there's going to be more, yeah!

I loved this world! It was a different kind of dark, atmospheric, and just that bit of magical that just added that touch of spice to the taste of the novel (not that I literally ate it, since I was reading it on my nook, and I wouldn't eat my nook!) that just made it all the more savoury!

These characters were new, different, interesting, and very distinctive! I really enjoyed them, figuring and learning about their different quirks, who they are as people, however much I can do that when it's me, and I don't get people very much!

Yeah, this was a great, wonderful book, and I can't wait to read the next book!

Author: Colleen Gleason
Series: Stoker & Holmes #1
Read: December 29th, 2013
Source: Tuebl
Reason Why: Sounded good, and it's a DAC Book and a Historical Fiction 2013 Book!
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Published: September 17th 2013

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 1 Review: Spirit's Chosen

From Goodreads:
Himiko's world is falling apart. An attack by the Ookami clan has left many from her tribe dead or enslaved. And those who remain in the ransacked Matsu village are certain they've angered the gods. Amid the chaos and fear, Himiko hatches a plan to save her beloved tribe. Traveling through the treacherous wilderness with her best friend Kaya, their only goal is to free her clanfolk from the Ookami. At every turn she encounters other tribes and unforeseen challenges. But just when it seems that she will outwit Ryu, the cruel Ookami leader, she is captured. Held agains her will, Himiko starts to realize that not all of the Ookami are her enemies and every step of her unconventional journey has prepared her for something greater than life as a princess. Though she may not see her path as clearly as the spirits seem to, there's more adventure (and even unexpected love) for this young shamaness and warrior.

My Review:
Oh, I really enjoyed this book! It did break my heart, because that "unexpected love" Daimu, he dies, and somehow he was connected to the guy that she's been dreaming about before, and yeah, that was really sad, that Ryu, was stubborn, and didn't listen to her warnings about the coming disaster, and that's why Daimu died!

This was a really great book, and the outrages that Ryu caused, from his treatment of Daimu's uncle's bones, and of her people, and the ones that Ryu saw as slaves, that was just hard to read. But his family was comparably kind to her brother, so that was a small mercy, though he was used against Himiko.

I loved how Himiko grows up in this book, to see beyond the prejudices of different tribes, of the one that killed so many of her family, becoming the shaman and leader of her tribe, and her mom, being broken over all that the Ookami did to her family.

I loved how it ended with her going to basically rule all the tribes, to bring them together, but that they'd all have their individual leaders like her dad and Ryu, but that they were all together, and that it was a fulfilment of her and Daimu's dream of better things!

I really enjoyed this book, and I don't know why it took me so long to read it!! So good!!

Author: Esther Friesner
Series: Spirit's Princess #2, Princesses of Myth #8
Read: December 28th, 2013
Source: Tuebl
Reason Why: Love Esther Friesner's writing! And it's a Historical Fiction 2013 Book, and a Sequel Challenge 2013 Book!
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Published: April 23rd 2013

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 52 Review: Charmed Vengeance

From Goodreads:
In the Faerie realm, Noli Braddock's relationship with her best friend V has grown into something more. But V's mother, Faerie Queen Tiana, has ruled that they are forbidden to see each other. Returning to the mortal realm, Noli joins the crew of her brother's air-pirate ship, the Vixen's Revenge. There she discovers that her brother has hired the scallywag Faerie huntsman, Kevighn Silver. While serving as shipmates, Kevighn and Noli learn that the Earth Court King plans to find a forbidden artifact--one that will bring destruction to everyone Noli loves.

My Review:
This book was darker then Innocent Darkness, because it deals with the after effects from Innocent Darkness, and yeah, it involves a lot of broken hearts, and yeah, V and James' mom Tiana, she's like the ultimate witch with a b. Very nasty!

V and Noli don't have a lot of book time together in this book, and yeah, while that's sad, Noli does a lot by herself again, like not going home like an obedient girl to become some guy's wife, but running off to her brother to work on the Vixen's Revenge, where she runs into Kevighn. Yeah.

And like Innocent Darkness, we got a few other POV's, and it was interesting to see what everybody else was doing when they weren't with Noli, and what they were thinking, because they were doing and thinking some really interesting things!

Everything that I loved about Innocent Darkness, the steampunk, the action, was all notched up a degree in this book, because yeah, they spend a bit more time on Earth, because there's not a lot of steampunk in the Faerie realm, what with iron, and iron being something kinda important (well, metal) to steampunk!

Absolutely loved this book, and I really can't wait for Fragile Destiny after that cliff hanger ending!

Author: Suzanne Lazear
Series: The Aether Chronicles #2
Read: December 27th, 2013
Source: NetGalley
Reason Why: Loved Innocent Darkness, and it's a Sequel Challenge 2013 Book, Historical Fiction 2013 Book, and a Sophomore Challenge 2013 Book!
Publisher: Flux
Published: August 8th 2013

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 52 Review: Rise

From Goodreads:
Everything Conatus stands for is at risk. Hoping to gather enough resistance to save their order, Ember and Barrow attempt a desperate escape. But fate offers little mercy. When their mission is exposed, the  couple face relentless pursuit by the supernatural horrors that act on the commands of Eira’s ally: the mysterious Bosque Mar. A shocking revelation forces Ember out of hiding, sending her back into the heart of dark magic at Tearmunn keep, where she must convince her old friend Alistair of her love or face dire consequences. Ember’s deception offers the only chance for the resistance to succeed, but what she discovers in the shadows beneath the keep will shatter her world and bring about the Witches’ War.

My Review:
This book was dark, and doomed. After all, we know that this is the precursor to the Nightshade series, which Bosque Mar is in, so obviously they failed. So yeah. But they did score some victories, mostly that the ending of Bloodrose could happen.

Picking up shortly where Rift ended, while this book has action in it, it also has some world building, building it into the start of the world that we grew to know in the Nightshade series-and I keep mentioning that series because this is the Nightshade Prequel series-and yeah, it's not the best of worlds!

I really enjoyed Ember and Barrow together, and how he's healing, and then their journey to some place safe, only to turn right around, and go back to the place they were fleeing, to try and win the battle before it really even started. Of course, like I said, they were pretty much doomed from the start.

In between that, was Alistair's experiences with wolves. Which we know how that's going to end, and that Ember's sister was added to the mix, and her pregnancy...yeah. Oh, and Alistair also takes a finger or 2 from Ember!

This was a good book, if bittersweet, and I'm going to have to reread all these books for the 4th Nightshade book!

Author: Andrea Cremer
Series: Nightshade Prequel #2
Read: December 26th, 2013
Source: Tuebl
Reason Why: Loved Rift, and it's a Sequel Challenge 2013 Book and a Historical Fiction 2013 Book!
Publisher: Philomel
Published: January 8th 2013

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 52 Review: Poison

From Goodreads:
Sixteen-year-old Kyra, a highly-skilled potions master, is the only one who knows her kingdom is on the verge of destruction—which means she’s the only one who can save it. Faced with no other choice, Kyra decides to do what she does best: poison the kingdom’s future ruler, who also happens to be her former best friend.

But, for the first time ever, her poisoned dart . . . misses.

Now a fugitive instead of a hero, Kyra is caught in a game of hide-and-seek with the king’s army and her potioner ex-boyfriend, Hal. At least she’s not alone. She’s armed with her vital potions, a too-cute pig, and Fred, the charming adventurer she can’t stop thinking about. Kyra is determined to get herself a second chance (at murder), but will she be able to find and defeat the princess before Hal and the army find her?

Kyra is not your typical murderer, and she’s certainly no damsel-in-distress—she’s the lovable and quick-witted hero of this romantic novel that has all the right ingredients to make teen girls swoon.

My Review:
This was an adorable, cute, and amazing book. Adding to the fact that this is the only book that will be published, by this author, because the author died before this book was published, which means that she didn't live to see her book out into the world. Which is really sad, and we lost a new talent that could've written so many more amazing books. So read this book slowly, as it's the only one that we'll be getting from Bridget Zinn.

Any ways, something not sad, was her magical pet pig! Because this pig, it was about 90% of this book's cuteness, because yeah, pet pig, magical, enough said. Because who wouldn't want a pet pig? I can't think o anyone who wouldn't want one!

Kyra was awesome. Because she's between a rock and a hard place-kill the Princess, and her best friend-or the kingdom dies. And on top of that, if she succeeds, then she herself is going to die. But...she misses, and has to figure out a new plan, hiding from her ex, Hal, who I really didn't like, and the army, and various others, still planning on killing the Princess.

I really enjoyed Kyra and Fred's banter. Especially near the end, when he says that he's staying for a talented potioner, and she responds with that Hal is "pretty self-absorbed." and you know Fred meant Kyra, and they both know that, just so great!

This was a really fantastic book, and I know it's going to be one of the ones I have to reread soon!

Author: Bridget Zinn
Read: December 25th, 2013
Source: Tuebl
Reason Why: Sounded great, and it's a DAC Book, SAC Book and a Historical Fiction 2013 Book!
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Published: March 12th 2013

5/5 Hearts

4.5/5 Books

4.5/5 Stars

Week 52 Review: Prophecy

From Goodreads:
The greatest warrior in all of the Seven Kingdoms... is a girl with yellow eyes.

Kira’s the only female in the king’s army, and the prince’s bodyguard. She’s a demon slayer and an outcast, hated by nearly everyone in her home city of Hansong. And, she’s their only hope...

Murdered kings and discovered traitors point to a demon invasion, sending Kira on the run with the young prince. He may be the savior predicted in the Dragon King Prophecy, but the missing treasure of myth may be the true key. With only the guidance of the cryptic prophecy, Kira must battle demon soldiers, evil shaman, and the Demon Lord himself to find what was once lost and raise a prince into a king.

My Review:
This was a really fantastic book! The world was detailed, awesome to sometimes hate, sometimes love, and yeah, Kira has a hard time, being a woman, but a fighter, because in this world, it's a man's role, and that is part of the reason why the king, her uncle hates her, even though she saved his son, which is why she's the bodyguard of the prince.

I really enjoyed the romance, from the marriage proposal and how he's so confident, except for the fact that his uncle is evil, and is overthrowing Kira's family. And then there was Jeawon, who Kira had a lot of chemistry with, but they didn't really do anything romantic-they didn't even kiss!

The near ending, with the ladies of the court, jumping off the cliff, escaping life as prisoners with death, that was such a sad scene! Because there were some family members in their number, and yeah, that they'd prefer death to life, just says a lot a b out their condition, how they were treated, and their fear.

I loved how the whole prophecy that the book is named after, turned out to be, and how there's more then one role, so more then 1 person needs to be a part of it, because I knew Kira was a part of it, and now that her cousin is, it's on it's way to completion, they have 1 item, they just need the 2 more!

Really enjoyed this book, and I can't wait for the sequel!

Author: Ellen Oh
Series: The Dragon King Chronicles #1
Read: December 25th, 2013
Source: Tuebl
Reason Why: Sounded good
Publisher: HarperTeen
Published: January 2nd 2013

5/5 Hearts

4/5 Books

4.5/5 Stars

Week 52 Review: The Queen's Choice

From Goodreads:
Magic was seeping out of me, black and agonizing. I could see it drifting away. The magic that would let me pass the Road to reach home again.

When sixteen-year-old Anya learns that her aunt, Queen of the Faerie Kingdom of Chrior, will soon die, her grief is equalled only by her despair for the future of the kingdom. Her young cousin, Illumina, is unfit to rule, and Anya is determined not to take up the queen's mantle herself.

Convinced that the only solution is to find Prince Zabriel, who long ago disappeared into the human realm of Warckum, and persuade him to take up his rightful crown, Anya journeys into the Warckum Territory to bring him home. But her journey is doomed to be more harrowing than she ever could have imagined.

My Review:
This was an utterly fantastic book, and just as good as the Legacy trilogy, which will always hold a special place in my heart. This one, with the almost immediate act of horribleness done to Anya, just that unfairness, just made this book go by so fast, I'm almost 100% certain that I have to reread it again before reading the 2nd book!

Anya was an amazing character, she was so strong-and she didn't want to be Queen. Usually, people want to be the rulers of their people, because they want power, but Anya doesn't. She likes being able to go out and exploring the human world. Then there was Shea, daughter of the one that found her after the Fae Hunters. And Illumina, her cousin, daughter of the current Queen's brother. Yeah, they were all pretty great, if strange at times!

This world was great. There were a lot of things wrong with it, like the disparates between the rich and the poor, and I found it pretty funny, that one of the main guys that the police are looking for, Prince Zabriel, while being the son of the Queen, is also the grandson of the guy in charge, nephew to the guy who's leading the charge for Zabriel. And admittedly, Zabriel is committing crimes against the government, but that's because the government is doing wrong against the Fae.

There was a mystery in this book, and there were betrayals, and yeah, sometimes I wish that some of the things that had happened, didn't, because they were just so painful. But they kept going, and while some of them went down bad paths, I have hope for at least one of them. Especially with that ending, with Anya finding that drawing, and who drew it, and what was depicted, and what that meant for her. I just want more book now, please and thank you!

I really, really enjoyed this book, it was just simply marvellous, and amazing, and I can't wait for the 2nd book!

Author: Cayla Kluver
Series: Heirs of Chrior #1
Read: December 23rd, 2013
Source: NetGalley
Reason Why: Sounded good, it's by Cayla Kluver, and it's a Historical Fiction 2013 Book!
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Expected Publication: January 28th 2014

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 52 Review: The Morning Star

From Goodreads:
St. Petersburg, Russia, 1890

Katerina Alexandrovna, Duchess of Oldenburg, wants to be known as a doctor, not a necromancer. But Tsar Alexander III forbids women to attend medical school; his interest in Katerina extends only to her ability to raise the dead. Twice now, Katerina has helped him by using her power to thwart the forces of darkness—vampires bent on resurrecting the lich tsar Konstantin Pavlovich so that he can take what he sees as his rightful place on the throne. Katerina thought she had bound Konstantin to the Greylands, the realm of the dead, but he has found a way out. Now he is searching for the Morning Star, a sword that will allow him to command a legion of supernatural warriors.

Katerina must find the sword before Konstantin does—and she must travel to Egypt to do so. Along the way, she puts up with unwanted attention from her former fiancé, the nefarious Prince Danilo, and struggles with her feelings for her true love, George Alexandrovich. But with the looming threat from Konstantin, Katerina's focus remains on the sword. Russia's fate will be determined by whoever wields the Morning Star—and delivers the final blow.

My Review:
Oh, this was such a great book! And things were explained, and we were told to say good bye to the characters, and it was sad! But it was so good while it lasted, and now it's time to say good bye-until I reread the series, which I hope is soon!

So we learn what things mean, like what the Unfailing Light is, which we didn't get in it's book, and what the Morning Star is-a sword that is heavenly, that can command fallen angels, which was just introduced in this book, so a trifle confused, but oh, well!

I wish in the ending, that we got so see more of their lives after the ending. That we got the answer to whether or not that prediction that her mom wouldn't get grandchildren would come true, whether George is going to die like his real life counter part did. Stuff like that. But we got so see her getting training on being a doctor, and the trials that she goes through doing that being a woman!

A few things were unresolved, for me, because it ended just after Danilo's sacrifice, so we didn't get to see his family's reaction, which was too bad, because I loved to hate them, in most of the books, though they weren't too bad in this one!

All in all, a wonderful book, and yeah, I'm going to miss these characters!

Author: Robin Bridges
Series: Katerina #3
Read: December 22nd, 2013
Source: Tuebl
Reason Why: Enjoyed the first 2 books, and it's a Sequel Challenge 2013 Book, End of Series 2013 Book, and a WoW Book!
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Published: August 27th 2013

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 52 Review: Sea of Shadows

From Goodreads:
In the Forest of the Dead, where the empire's worst criminals are exiled, twin sisters Moria and Ashyn are charged with a dangerous task. For they are the Keeper and the Seeker, and each year they must quiet the enraged souls of the damned.

Only this year, the souls will not be quieted.

Ambushed and separated by an ancient evil, the sisters' journey to find each other sends them far from the only home they've ever known. Accompanied by a stubborn imperial guard and a dashing condemned thief, the girls cross a once-empty wasteland, now filled with reawakened monsters of legend, as they travel to warn the emperor. But a terrible secret awaits them at court--one that will alter the balance of their world forever.

My Review:
Yeah, another great YA book from Kelley Armstrong! I know I loved both her adult books, and her YA, so yeah, another book, one that starts off a new series, how can I not love it? Especially with that beautiful cover!

I loved this world, of magic, that's mostly faded, but seems to be coming back, in the form of old stories and fables, more specifically, creatures in those stories and fables. Which is something of a mixed bag. On one hand, these are new creatures, and they are tough to deal with. On the other, since there's stories about the, it means that a) they probably were there before, but died out or something and b) those stories might have ways to fight these creatures. Mixed bag.

Absolutely loved the dual narrative of twin sisters Ashyn and Moria, with their bonded creatures, who've been training all their lives for this, something that should almost feel routine. But their first solo time out, things happen. People die. And even worse things happen. So the girls go travel to the capital to tell someone in charge, so they can do something about it. But it's not quite that easy to get there.

There was romance for both girls, and yeah, I really enjoyed it, and adding to the back and forth who was narrating, and seeing as they were apart for the majority of the book, yeah, that added to some of the tension, because yeah, this is basically a book of 2 different groups going from point a to point b, and the troubles they get to along the way.

I really enjoyed this book, and with the twist at the end, I really can't wait for the next book!

Author: Kelley Armstrong
Series: Age of Legends #1
Read: December 22nd, 2013
Source: NetGalley
Reason Why: Love Kelley Armstrong's writing, and it's a Historical Fiction 2013 Book!
Publisher: Doubleday Canada
Expected Publication: April 8th 2014

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 51 Review: Shadowlark

From Goodreads:
Ever since she escaped the city within the Wall, Lark Ainsley's wanted one thing: to find her brother Basil. She's always believed he would be the one to put an end to the constant fear and flight. And now, hidden underground in the chaotically magical city of Lethe, Lark feels closer to him than ever. 

But Lethe is a city cowering in fear of its founder, the mysterious Prometheus, and of his private police force. To get the truth about what happened to Basil, Lark has no choice but to face Prometheus.

Facing her fears has become second nature to Lark. Facing the truth is another matter.

Lark never asked to be anyone's savior. She certainly never wanted to be anyone's weapon. She might not have a choice.

My Review:
I loved being in this world again! It's dark, and has that touch of magic, and yeah, we get to be with Lark again, and yeah, that was just so entertaining, because of everything that's she's been through, and now all that she has to go through!

Lark's come a long way from the girl that we knew at the start of Skylark. Like is says in the synopsis, she's been facing her fears a lot, and that make a person either strong, or crazy, and Lark, well, she's strong, and this made her stronger. But she still  has more distance to go on her journey!

I really enjoyed Lark and Oren together, because sparks just fly, not to mention, they're similar in a lot of ways, they've had a lot of darkness in their lives, been forced to do some pretty bad things, and yeah, they both have their powers, and what they do/did with them, that guilt is a part of their relationship, dealing with it all.

The twist of who Prometheus is? Well, considering it's a fiction book, that it turns out to be Basil? Not as big a twist as I would've liked, but yeah, it's very entertaining, because hey, she's been searching for him for a while, and then it turns out that he's been ruling this city, and not always nicely? Sibling conflict, straight ahead!

I really enjoyed this book, it was really fantastic, and I can't wait to read more!

Author: Meagan Spooner
Series: Skylark #2
Read: December 20th, 2013
Source: Tuebl/NetGalley
Reason Why: Loved the first book, and it's a Sequel Challenge 2013 Book, Sophomore Challenge Book, and a Historical Fiction 2013 Book!
Publisher: Carolrhoda Lab
Published: October 1st 2013

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars