It's Monday! What Are You Reading #450, January 20th

It's Monday! What Are You Reading is a weekly meme hosted by Book Date where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week...and anything in between! This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well...you never know where that next "must read" book will come from!

What happened in the past week:

Weekly Memes:
It's Monday! What Are You Reading #449
Teaser Tuesday #457
WWW Wednesday #457
WOW #453
Will the Time Come #450
Third Sentence Thursday #440
Random Reads #426
First Lines Friday #453
Book Blogger Hop #119
The Reward Challenge Update #435
How Well I Stuck to It #287
Wrote that Review Update #284

Week 3 Reviews:
Mages by Assembly
Daughter of the Blood
Heir to the Shadows
Queen of the Darkness
Sweep With Me

24 Hour Reading Challenge:
2nd January Sign Up
Update 1
Update 2

Update 3
Update 4
Update 5
Update 6 and Wrap Up

OK, so I got 25 posts in 7 days, and it was a pretty good week, I read some really fantastic books, and I can't wait for next week! What about you guys? Happy reading!

So this week I want to read Dead in the Doorway, The Hand on the Wall, Stellar Fusion, This Vicious Cure, and The Will and the Wilds.

Dead in the Doorway is the second in a delightful cozy series from Diane Kelly set in Nashville—where the real estate market is to die for.

A HOUSE WITH GOOD BONES. . .

Whitney Whitaker has scored the perfect piece of real estate: a ramshackle white Colonial at the top of a hill with views of downtown Nashville. What more could a self-taught home-improvement maven and occasional house-flipper ask for? Ideally, the property of Whitney's dreams would not have come with a dead body blocking the entrance to the foyer. But Whitney, always quick to take heavy-duty matters into her own hands, also happens to be a skilled amateur sleuth. So that helps.

AND SKELETONS IN THE CLOSET.

Who is this older woman—and how did her corpse end up at the bottom of the staircase of this locked, unoccupied house? That is what Whitney, along with the support of her wood-working cousin Buck, Detective Collin Flynn, and, of course, feline partner-in-crime Sawdust, intends to find out. Her friendly-neighbor investigation takes a sharp turn, however, when Whitney discovers that the house's former owner was a gourmet baker whose secret recipe for peach pie was to die for—perhaps literally. Now it's up to Whitney to learn the truth about what happened before she loses this killer real-estate deal . . . and the killer comes knocking at her door.

New York Times bestselling author Maureen Johnson delivers the witty and pulse-pounding conclusion to the Truly Devious series as Stevie Bell solves the mystery that has haunted Ellingham Academy for over 75 years.

Ellingham Academy must be cursed. Three people are now dead. One, a victim of either a prank gone wrong or a murder. Another, dead by misadventure. And now, an accident in Burlington has claimed another life. All three in the wrong place at the wrong time. All at the exact moment of Stevie's greatest triumph . . .

She knows who Truly Devious is. She's solved it. The greatest case of the century.

At least, she thinks she has. With this latest tragedy, it's hard to concentrate on the past. Not only has someone died in town, but David disappeared of his own free will and is up to something. Stevie is sure that somehow—somehow—all these things connect. The three deaths in the present. The deaths in the past. The missing Alice Ellingham and the missing David Eastman. Somewhere in this place of riddles and puzzles there must be answers.

Then another accident occurs as a massive storm heads toward Vermont and Ellingham Academy is evacuated. Obviously, it's time for Stevie to do something stupid. It's time to stay on the mountain and face the storm—and a murderer.

In the tantalizing finale to the Truly Devious trilogy, New York Times bestselling author Maureen Johnson expertly tangles her dual narrative threads and ignites an explosive end for all who've walked through Ellingham Academy.

Earth, still patching itself together from the 300 Years War, is severely unprepared and outnumbered when the invasion hits. Their only hope is a small team of peace-keepers on a suicide mission to infiltrate the mother ship and relay critical defense information home.

Sergeant Nakio Atana is the Universal Protectors' elite assassin, and holds within, a spark of unimaginable power. But a daring escape from an enemy ship knocked the first fifteen years of her life into darkness, leaving her with only inexplicable apathy and technical knowledge beyond Earth's evolution.

She is the tip of their spear.

Sergeant Jameson Bennett must guard her with his life.

Together, Atana and Bennett lead the team in hopes her knowledge, and his crew's skills, will render them a soft spot in the Suanoan armor. What they find when they reach the mother ship is entirely unexpected. The truth they uncover will challenge the code they live by and set in motion events that change the future of Earth and their concepts of the power within.

Cat is desperate to find a way to stop Cartaxus and the plague in this gripping finale to a series New York Times bestselling author Amie Kaufman says "redefines 'unputdownable!'"

Cat's hacking skills weren't enough to keep her from losing everything—her identity, her past, and now her freedom. She's trapped and alone, but she's survived this long, and she's not giving up without a fight.

Though the outbreak has been contained, a new threat has emerged—one that's taken the world to the brink of a devastating war. With genetic technology that promises not just a cure for the plague, but a way to prevent death itself, both sides will stop at nothing to seize control of humanity's future.

Facing her smartest, most devastating enemy yet, Cat must race against the clock to protect her friends and save the lives of millions on the planet's surface. No matter the outcome, humanity will never be the same.

And this time, Cat can't afford to let anything, or anyone, stand in her way.

A spellbinding story of truce and trickery from the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Paper Magician series.

Enna knows to fear the mystings that roam the wildwood near her home. When one tries to kill her to obtain an enchanted stone, Enna takes a huge risk: fighting back with a mysting of her own.

Maekallus's help isn't free. His price? A kiss. One with the power to steal her soul. But their deal leaves Maekallus bound to the mortal realm, which begins eating him alive. Only Enna's kiss, given willingly, can save him from immediate destruction. It's a temporary salvation for Maekallus and a lingering doom for Enna. Part of her soul now burns bright inside Maekallus, making him feel for the first time.

Enna shares Maekallus's suffering, but her small sacrifice won't last long. If she and Maekallus can't break the spell binding him to the mortal realm, Maekallus will be consumed completely—and Enna's soul with him.

Week 3 Review: Mages by Assembly

From Goodreads:
For readers of Kristin Cashore's Graceling and Tamora Pierce's Tortall Series, co mes a brand-new epic fantasy adventure with twists, turns, magic, and mayhem! 

In this third book in the Algardis series, Mae has been captured, tortured, and left hanging for debt. When she escapes, with the help of a former foe, she has to question whether vengeance is worth it when her entire family's lives hang in the balance.

Going further than she ever has before, Mae must accept that in order to gain retribution she must be willing to be as unflinching as the people who took over her home. Trying to outwit a band of mages and mercenaries isn't easy, but if anyone is up to the task its Maeryn Darnes.

But time isn't on her side and all the magical abilities in the world won't save her when those very same enemies send creatures from the darkness chasing after her with one goal in mind--recapture the girl with the tattoo powers unlocked within her chest.

Back against the wall and knowing no aid is coming, Maeryn Darnes is on a quest to save herself and all she holds dear but the world she thought she knew is no longer as black-and-white as it once seemed. 

My Review:
Man, I enjoyed this book! We dealt with Rivan's betrayal, deciding if she can work with him again after the events of Fortune. We learned more about her magic, magic in general, that we might've known from previous books, but it's been a long time since I've read them, so a refresher was nice!

Almost the entirety of this book is Rivan and Mae. There's really no other characters, except for two encounters, and one is with a creature that can't talk. So we really got to delve into their relationship, and explanations of magic!

At the end of this book, a suspicion about Rivan is confirmed, and we get to see things a little from his side of things, as he explains what he is. Again, it's been a while, so it was great to have these details!

I have a few lingering questions from Fortune that I hope are answered sometime during this series, since Terah Edun has said that these are going to be multi-book story arcs. One is, is the generational sickness actually linked to the women of the Darnes family having their magic locked up? And was the group that her stepmom was a part of, doing the magic on the kids, what's going on there? It wasn't really a priority in this book, given that they were getting away from the bad guys and running, but in the future!

Loved this book, and I can't wait for more from this series and I can't wait to see where it goes from here!

Author: Terah Edun
Series: Guardians of Algardis #3, Algardis #8
Read: January 14th, 2020
Source: Author for Review
Reason Why: Love her writing and this series, and it's a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2020 Book!
Publisher: Terah Edun
Published: December 16th 2019

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

24 Hour Reading Challenge Update 1

I read my first book, Mages by Assembly and I'm going to be reading Daughter of the Blood next!

My Reading Journey:

Mages by Assembly by Terah Edun
Started On: January 14th, 12:30 PM
Finished On: January 14th, 2:10 PM
Pages Read: 236

Daughter of the Blood by Anne Bishop
Started On: January 14th
Currently On: Page 0 of 412

Goals: 6-8
Read: 1
Time Used: 1 hours, 40 minutes
Pages Read: 236

First Lines Friday #452, January 10th

First Lines Friday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie of Precision Reviews. We encourage all of our fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.

-Grab your current read(s)
-Share the first line(s)
-Include the title and author so that other FLF participants can add the book to their TBR Lists!

"Mae had long ago lost her sense of time. She hung upside down by her ankles from a ceiling with thick chains attached to metal stakes driven at three angles into the wall. She had become very familiar with the anchors to her chain. After she had tried for an hour unsuccessfully to yank herself free from their holds, she had even named them. The first chain that kept her anchored to the left wall was called Headache. The second chain that was fixed to the right wall was Miserable." -Mages by Assembly by Terah Edun

Well, that doesn't sound like a good situation to be in! Must read more! What about you guys? Happy reading!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading #446, December 23rd

It's Monday! What Are You Reading is a weekly meme hosted by Book Date where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week...and anything in between! This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well...you never know where that next "must read" book will come from!

What happened in the past week:

Weekly Memes:
It's Monday! What Are You Reading #445
Teaser Tuesday #452
WWW Wednesday #452
WOW #448
Will the Time Come #445
Third Sentence Thursday #435
Random Reads #421
First Lines Friday #448
The Reward Challenge Update #431
Book Blogger Hop #114
How Well I Stuck to It #282
Wrote that Review Update #279

Week 51 Reviews:
Give My Dark the Love
Bid My Soul Farewell
Two Can Keep a Secret
Crown of Feathers
Mages by Fortune

Tours:
The Darkest Assassin: Review

Random:
24 Hour Reading Challenge 3rd December Sign Up
Brandon Sanderson Author Page
We Have the Cover of Hidden Legacy #5!!!!

OK, so I got 20 posts in 7 days, and it was a pretty good week, a number of good books read, and yeah, really enjoyed them and I can't wait for this coming week! What about you guys? Happy reading!

So this week I want to read Heart of Flames, Mages by Assembly, Off Planet, Off Balance, and Wicked Bite.

Veronyka, Tristan, and Sev must stop the advancing empire from destroying the Phoenix Riders in this fiery sequel to Crown of Feathers, which #1 New York Times bestselling author Kendare Blake calls "absolutely unforgettable!"

You are a daughter of queens.

The world is balanced on the edge of a knife, and war is almost certain between the empire and the Phoenix Riders.

Like Nefyra before you, your life will be a trial by fire.

Veronyka finally got her wish to join the Riders, but while she's supposed to be in training, all she really wants to do is fly out to defend the villages of Pyra from the advancing empire. Tristan has been promoted to Master Rider, but he has very different ideas about the best way to protect their people than his father, the commander. Sev has been sent to spy on the empire, but maintaining his cover may force him to fight on the wrong side of the war. And Veronyka's sister, Val, is determined to regain the empire she lost—even if it means inciting the war herself.

Such is your inheritance. A name. A legacy. An empire in ruin.

As tensions reach a boiling point, the characters all find themselves drawn together into a fight that will shape the course of the empire—and determine the future of the Phoenix Riders. Each must decide how far they're willing to go—and what they're willing to lose in the process.

I pray you are able to pass through the flames.

For readers of Kristin Cashore's Graceling and Tamora Pierce's Tortall Series, co mes a brand-new epic fantasy adventure with twists, turns, magic, and mayhem!

In this third book in the Algardis series, Mae has been captured, tortured,and left hanging for debt. When she escapes, with the help of a former foe, she has to question whether vengeance is worth it when her entire family's lives hang in the balance.

Going further than she ever has before, Mae must accept that in order to gain retribution she must be willing to be as unflinching as the people who took over her home. Trying to outwit a band of mages and mercenaries isn't easy,but if anyone is up to the task its Maeryn Darnes.

But time isn't on her side and all the magical abilities in the world won't save her when those very same enemies send creatures from the darkness chasing after her with one goal in mind--recapture the girl with the tattoo powers unlocked within her chest.

Back against the wall and knowing no aid is coming, Maeryn Darnes is on a quest to save herself and all she holds dear but the world she thought she knew is no longer as black-and-white as it once seemed.

In an all-too-plausible future where corporate conglomerates have left the world's governments in shambles, anyone with means has left the polluted Earth for the promise of a better life on a SpaceTech owned colony among the stars.

Maité Martinez is the daughter of an Earther Latina and a powerful Aunare man, an alien race that SpaceTech sees as a threat to their dominion. When tensions turn violent, Maité finds herself trapped on Earth and forced into hiding.

For over ten years, Maité has stayed hidden, but every minute Maité stays on Earth is one closer to getting caught.

She’s lived on the streets. Gone hungry. And found a way to fight through it all. But one night, while waitressing in a greasy diner, a customer gets handsy with her. She reacts without thinking.

Covered in blood, Maité runs, but it's not long before SpaceTech finds her…

Arrested and forced into dangerous work detail on a volcano planet, Maité waits for SpaceTech to make their move against the Aunare. She knows that if she can't somehow find a way to stop them, there will be an interstellar war big enough to end all life in the universe.

There's only one question: Can Maité prevent the total annihilation of humanity without getting herself killed in the process?

broken, beaten-down, and plagued by nightmares, Amihanna di Aetes is surrounded by the Aunare race that makes up the other half of her heritage, but she feels alien amongst them. She's not sure which is worse: SpaceTech's overt hatred of Aunare or the Aunare's covert hatred of halfers. She hears their whispers whenever she enters a room and sees her death reflected in their eyes. Amihanna doesn't know who to trust anymore, but she hasn't survived this long by ignoring the warning signs all around her, especially when her instincts are screaming that a familiar choice is coming: flee or fight.

Her parents assure her everything is okay—that there won't be any reason for her to fight, let alone flee—but with Amihanna's sudden return, questions arise among the Aunare: who should be blamed for the start of a full-scale war with SpaceTech, how much danger will the war bring, and is Amihanna truly fit to be the next high queen?

Honestly, Amihanna wants to forget all the politics, her betrothal to Lorne, and the possibility of being queen. Her needs are much more basic. All she wants is a solid night's sleep where she doesn't wake up screaming with the phantom pain of her skin burning. All she needs is to live without fear of a mob tearing her away from her family. All she hopes for is a chance to dream of a future instead of constantly fighting for her right to live.


And yet, somehow, everything she does leads her back to Lorne. He always seems to know when she's about to break under the pressures of her new life. His quiet patience is wearing Amihanna's protective walls down, and she's terrified of what will happen if they fall.

In the newest Night Rebel novel, set in New York Times bestselling author Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress world, beautiful, daring vampire Veritas risks all to protect Ian...

Some promises are meant to be broken...

Veritas spent most of her life as a vampire Law Guardian. Now, she's about to break every rule by secretly hunting down the dark souls that were freed in order to save Ian. But the risks are high. For if she gets caught, she could lose her job. And catching the sinister creatures might cost Veritas her own life.

Some vows are forever...

Ian's memories might be fragmented, but this master vampire isn't about to be left behind by the woman who entranced him, bound herself to him, and then disappeared. So what if demons, other Law Guardians, and dangerous, otherworldly forces stand against them? Come hell or high water, Ian intends to remind Veritas of the burning passion between them, because she is the only person seared on his mind--and his soul...

Week 51 Review: Mages by Fortune

From Goodreads:
In this second book in the Algardis series, Mae is left with few choices about who to trust now that darkness within her own family has been uncovered. With children dying, Mae realizes that she must do the unthinkable in order to save them all.

After uncovering a plot to use the wasting illness to activate their own mage powers, Maeryn Darnes doesn't trust anyone. That's a good thing as her own family is after her now.

With her blood plotting against her, Mae must turn to the outsiders for aid. In secret, she works with them to strike the symbol of her family's heritage from her neck--the famed tattooed collar.

But undoing the work of generations takes work. Maeryn Darnes is forced to enter into alliances with wandering mages and unscrupulous mercenaries to get the power she needs to active a ritual darker than anything she dreamed.

As she makes a pact with the unknown, Mae has to wonder--had she made a deal with the an even greater evil than the one that lurks in her own family's home? 

My Review:
Oh, wow, this book was so fantastic! I loved the first book in this series because it showed us a different look at this universe, because I'm thinking events in this series shape how the universe is in the later series. So I loved to see more of it!

I was so excited to read this book after the two edged cliffhanger of the previous one. I was a little confused, it seemed like this book backtracked a bit, like we saw that scene again. Then things got going and it made sense!

Mae is just a really awesome character to read about! She's strong, strong willed, and she knows her mind, and she's facing this inward threat, which is making her question everything, and I loved going on this journey with her!

The original synopsis of the first book, it was more applicable here, but the story seems to have changed since the ideas presented in there, and I loved seeing where this book was going to take me! There was just so much going on!

This book was a fantastic read, and I can't wait for Assembly!

Author: Terah Edun
Series: Algardis Universe #7, Guardians of Algardis #2
Read: December 20th, 2019
Source: Ebook.bike
Reason Why: Love her writing and this series, and it's a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2019 Book!
Publisher: Terah Edun
Published: October 31st 2019

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

It's Monday! What Are You Reading #413, May 6th

It's Monday! What Are You Reading is a weekly meme hosted by Book Date where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week...and anything in between! This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well...you never know where that next "must read" book will come from!

What happened in the past week:

Weekly Memes:
It's Monday! What Are You Reading #412
Teaser Tuesday #420
WWW Wednesday #420
WOW #416
Will the Time Come #413
Third Sentence Thursday #403
Random Reads #389
First Lines Friday #416
The Reward Challenge Update #398
Book Blogger Hop #82
How Well I Stuck to It #250
Wrote that Review Update #247

Week 18 Reviews:
The Fixer
The Long Game
Tower of Thorns
Den of Wolves
Mages by Chance
Branded by Fire
Blaze of Memory
Christmas in the Kitchen
Bonds of Justice
Play of Passion
Beat of Temptation
Whisper of Sin
The Cannibal Princess
Echo of Silence
Stoke of Enticement
A Conversation
Dorian
A Gift for Kit
Movie Night
Lost Souls
Cruel Fate

OK, so I got 17 posts in 7 days, and yeah, it was a pretty awesome week, I read a good number of so enjoyable books! What about you guys? Happy reading!

So this week I want to read Deadmen Walking, Death Doesn't Bargain, At Death's Door, Aurora Rising, Blind Spot, Broken Throne, and No Judgments.

#1 New York Times bestseller Sherrilyn Kenyon brings us the final chapter in the Deadman's Cross saga with At Death's Door, an epic pirate fantasy perfect for her millions of Dark-Hunter fans

Welcome to the latest Deadmen's Quest...

Valynda Moore was born cursed. So when she dies as the result of a spell gone wrong and is trapped in the body of a voodoo doll, she expects nothing else from her messed up life. Until Thorn, leader of the Hellchasers, offers her a chance at redemption and a new life.

But nothing has ever gone her way, for the Malachai, the very beast she and her crew of Deadmen have sworn to keep locked away, has risen. And this time he's taken prisoners. Valynda must keep her wits about her or be denied her salvation and forced to watch as the entire world falls into the hands of absolute evil.

It's a demon-eat-demon world where the stakes have never been higher and either redemption or the ultimate betrayal waits for her At Death's Door.

From the internationally bestselling authors of THE ILLUMINAE FILES comes an epic new science fiction adventure.

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 techwiz 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.

They're not the heroes we deserve. They're just the ones we could find. Nobody panic.

New York Times bestseller Brenda Novak's Evelyn Talbot series returns, with a heavily pregnant Evelyn being held hostage.

With Jasper Moore, the privileged boy who attacked her when she was only sixteen, finally caught and in prison, Dr. Evelyn Talbot, founder and head psychiatrist at Hanover House (a prison/research facility for psychopaths in remote Alaska), believes she can finally quit looking over her shoulder. She's safe, happier than she's ever been and expecting her first child. She's also planning to marry Amarok, her Alaska State Trooper love interest and the town's only police presence. But before the wedding can take place, a psychopath from the much more recent past comes out of nowhere and kidnaps her in broad daylight.

Instead of planning her wedding, Evelyn finds herself doing everything she can to survive, save her baby and devise some way to escape while Amarok races the clock to find her - before it's too late.

Return once more to the deadly and dazzling world of Red Queen in Broken Throne, a beautifully designed, must-have companion to the chart-topping series from #1 New York Times bestselling author Victoria Aveyard.

The perfect addition to the #1 New York Times bestselling Red Queen series, this gorgeously designed package features three brand-new novellas, two previously published novellas, Steel Scars and Queen Song, and never-before-seen maps, flags, bonus scenes, journal entries, and much more exclusive content.

Fans will be delighted to catch up with beloved characters after the drama of War Storm and be excited to hear from brand-new voices as well. This stunning collection is not to be missed!

The storm of the century is about to hit Little Bridge Island, Florida—and it's sending waves crashing through Sabrina "Bree" Beckham’s love life…

When a massive hurricane severs all power and cell service to Little Bridge Island—as well as its connection to the mainland—twenty-five-year-old Bree Beckham isn't worried . . . at first. She's already escaped one storm—her emotionally abusive ex—so a hurricane seems like it will be a piece of cake.

But animal-loving Bree does become alarmed when she realizes how many islanders have been cut off from their beloved pets. Now it's up to her to save as many of Little Bridge's cats and dogs as she can . . . but to do so, she's going to need help—help she has no choice but to accept from her boss's sexy nephew, Drew Hartwell, the Mermaid Café's most notorious heartbreaker.

But when Bree starts falling for Drew, just as Little Bridge's power is restored and her penitent ex shows up, she has to ask herself if her island fling was only a result of the stormy weather, or if it could last during clear skies too.

Week 18 Review: Mages by Chance

From Goodreads:
The first book in a new series that follows a young woman destined to destroy every edict her people live by and the boy who would do anything to be accepted by his. Journey along in a spellbinding story of conquering fear and overcoming love as they become Mages By Chance.

Maeryn 'Mae' Darnes is a young woman torn between two worlds…life or death. She has watched her siblings slowly wither away just like all the others blighted by the cursed Darnes bloodline. Now its the two youngest that will be dead within days.

Desperate to find a cure Mae does the unthinkable and breaks her family's code of honor to practice dark magic. If she can find the cure and convince a band of rogue relatives to join her cause, she might even be able to activate the most powerful casting ever seen.

But in her attempts to circumvent her elder's powerful rulings, Mae stumbles upon a plot to prolong the suffering of the afflicted. Now she not only needs to throw off the yolk that bounds her to her family, but carve out the darkness that is hiding within.

Blood and family have always been a constant in Mae's life, but as the wasting sickness is being masterminded for other's desire, Mae becomes determined to risk everything to reveal the truth. No matter the cost.

My Review:
Wow, I really enjoyed this book! It does take place half on one day, and the rest on another, basically, but yeah, it's so fast paced and so enjoyable! I really enjoyed reading about Mae and her family and her adventure, and I can't wait to read her future adventures!

So this world is different. This is the first series in the Universe, and events that happen in this series, and the others, are the ones that shaped the world we know in the Courtlight series, which is the longest series within in this world at the moment. So because those events haven't happened yet, this world is different.

Mae wants to save her siblings lives, even if it means diving into the dark side of magic, magic that is banned for females in her family. We didn't explore why in this book-but it sounds like we will in the next. Which I can't wait, what she can do sounds pretty spectacular and uncontrollable!

The ending was pretty intense, what with the strange group that seemed pretty diabolical! I want to know more about what they were doing, and have Mae and her gang stop them! Can't wait to see how things are going to go from here!

This book was so amazing, and I can't wait to read more!

Author: Terah Edun
Series: Guardians of Algaris #1, Algaris Universe #1
Read: May 1st, 2019
Source: Author for Review
Reason Why: Love her writing and this world, and it's a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2019 Book!
Published: April 30th 2019

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

WWW Wednesday #420, May 1st

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you'll read next?

Thanks to MizB of Should Be Writing now A Daily Rhythm for starting this meme!

I'm reading Blaze of Memory, and I'm really enjoying Katya and Dev's story again!

I read Mages by Chance, and it was a really great start to this series and I can't wait to read more!

I'm going to be reading Bonds of Justice and I can't wait, because this series is so freaking great!

What about you guys? Happy reading!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading #342, December 25th

It's Monday! What Are You Reading is a weekly meme hosted by Book Date where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week...and anything in between! This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well...you never know where that next "must read" book will come from!

What happened in the past week:

Weekly Memes:
It's Monday! What Are You Reading #341
Teaser Tuesday #349
WWW Wednesday #349
WOW #346
Will the Time Come #340
Third Sentence Thursday #331
Random Reads #317
First Lines Friday #345
The Reward Challenge Update #327
Follow Friday #319
LLFL Reading Challenge Update 68
How Well I Stuck to It #179
Wrote that Review Update #176

Week 51 Reviews:
Ever the Hunted
Ever the Brave
Blades of Magic
Blades of Illusion
Dress Codes for Small Towns
You Are So Undead to Me
Undead Much
Valentine's Day of the Undead

Random:
2018 Meme Posts Done!

OK, so I got 18 posts in 7 days, which is a pretty good number, a lot of fantastic books! What about you guys? Happy reading! Merry Christmas!

So this week I want to read Endless, Odd & True, Sweet Temptation, Talon, Undead, and Unfed.

An unthinkable betrayal threatens everyone Rory loves in the third installment of our dark, thrilling Shadowlands series from New York Times best-selling author Kate Brian.

Rory Miller didn't just fall in love with Tristan Parrish. She fell in love with the idea of forever. He was the one who told her the truth about her existence in Juniper Landing: that her mortal life is over, and she will now spend eternity on the island, helping others in limbo move on.

But like Juniper Landing, a bright island with dark secrets, Tristan is too good to be true. The mysterious, heartbreakingly beautiful boy Rory thought she knew is responsible for unthinkable evil-sending good souls to the Shadowlands in order to get himself a second chance at life on Earth. He has already claimed Rory's friend Aaron and her own father, but when Tristan sends her sister, Darcy, to the Shadowlands, too, Rory decides to take matters into her own hands. She will do anything to save her family, even if it means going to hell and back.

Trudchen grew up hearing Odette's stories of their monster-slaying mother and a magician's curse. But now that Tru's older, she's starting to wonder if her older sister's tales were just comforting lies, especially because there's nothing fantastic about her own life—permanently disabled and in constant pain from childhood polio.

In 1909, after a two-year absence, Od reappears with a suitcase supposedly full of weapons and a promise to rescue Tru from the monsters on their way to attack her. But it's Od who seems haunted by something. And when the sisters' search for their mother leads them to a face-off with the Leeds Devil, a nightmarish beast that’s wreaking havoc in the Mid-Atlantic states, Tru discovers the peculiar possibility that she and her sister—despite their dark pasts and ordinary appearances—might, indeed, have magic after all.

This swoonworthy, romantic companion novel to Wendy Higgins's New York Times bestselling Sweet Evil series is told from irresistible bad-boy Kaidan's point of view. Readers will love getting inside Kaidan's head, especially fans of the Divergent series by Veronica Roth, the Selection series by Kiera Cass, and Walking Disaster by Jamie McGuire.

When bad-boy drummer Kaidan Rowe encounters good girl Anna Whitt, the girl chosen to vanquish the demons from earth, he can't stop thinking about her. The Nephilim son of the Duke of Lust, Kaidan tries to help Anna embrace a life of sin, but she gradually helps him see that he's meant to do more with his life. Their relationship is as tortured as it is passionate, for Nephilim are forbidden to fall in love. But as hard as they may try to obey, Kai can't seem to stay away from Anna, nor Anna from Kai.

Full of chemistry and high-stakes drama, this companion book is darker, hotter, and completely satisfying.

Long ago, dragons were hunted to near extinction by the Order of St. George, a legendary society of dragon slayers. Hiding in human form and growing their numbers in secret, the dragons of Talon have become strong and cunning, and they're positioned to take over the world with humans none the wiser.

Ember and Dante Hill are the only sister and brother known to dragonkind. Trained to infiltrate society, Ember wants to live the teen experience and enjoy a summer of freedom before taking her destined place in Talon. But destiny is a matter of perspective, and a rogue dragon will soon challenge everything Ember has been taught. As Ember struggles to accept her future, she and her brother are hunted by the Order of St. George.

Soldier Garret Xavier Sebastian has a mission to seek and destroy all dragons, and Talon's newest recruits in particular. But he cannot kill unless he is certain he has found his prey: and nothing is certain about Ember Hill. Faced with Ember's bravery, confidence and all-too-human desires, Garret begins to question everything that the Order has ingrained in him: and what he might be willing to give up to find the truth about dragons.

Out of sight, out of their minds: It's a school-trip splatter fest and completely not cool when the other kids in her class go all braindead on new girl Bobby.

The day of the ski trip, when the bus comes to a stop at a roadside restaurant, everyone gets off and heads in for lunch. Everyone, that is, except Bobby, the new girl, who stays behind with rebel-without-a-clue Smitty.

Then hours pass. Snow piles up. Sun goes down. Bobby and Smitty start to flirt. Start to stress. Till finally they see the other kids stumbling back.

But they've changed. And not in a good way. Straight up, they're zombies. So the wheels on the bus better go round and round freakin' fast, because that's the only thing keeping Bobby and Smitty from becoming their classmates' next meal. It's kill or be killed in these hunger games, heads are gonna roll, and homework is most definitely gonna be late.

Fresh meat! From a hospital of horrors to a runaway zombie train, it's an all-new onslaught of the slavering undead in the sequel to Kirsty McKay's killer debut!

Just when you think you're out...it's the morning after the night of the return of the living dead. Or something like that. After running/bus-driving/snowboarding for her life alongside rebel Smitty, geeky Pete, and popular Alice, Bobby thought she'd found the antidote to the Carrot Man Veggie Juice that had turned the rest of their classmates into zombies. When Smitty (mmm...nom, nom) got chomped, Bobby pumped a syringe full of it into him herself.

But now Bobby's a prisoner in some hospital of horrors, with no clue how she got there. And Smitty is missing. What if he isn't cured after all? Bobby knows she's got to find him, even if it means facing Scotland's hungry hordes -- plus Alice's buckets of snark -- again. And this time, zombies aren't the only evil stressing her out. The brain-dead are bad enough, but how can Bobby stop the big pharma business behind the epidemic? Especially when her own mom works for the company?

Week 51 Reviews: Blades of Magic, Blades of Illusion

From Goodreads:
It is not a peaceful time in the Algardis Empire. War is raging between the mages and seventeen-year-old Sara Fairchild will be right in the middle of it.

She just doesn't know it yet.

Sara is the daughter of a disgraced imperial commander, executed for desertion. Sara is also the best duelist and hand-to-hand combatant in Sandrin. She lives quietly with her family's shame but when challenged about her family's honor, her opponent inevitably loses.

On the night she finds out her father's true last actions, she takes the Mercenary Guilds' vows to serve in the emperor's army. Using her quick wits and fierce fighting skills, she earns a spot in the first division. 

There she discovers secrets the mages on both sides would prefer stay hidden. Dark enemies hunt her and soon it's not just Sara questioning the motivation behind this war.

While fighting mages, blackmailing merchants and discovering new friends, Sara comes across something she's never had before - passion. The question is - can she fight for her empress against a mage who might unwittingly claim her heart?

This is year one of the Initiate Wars. Sara is hoping it doesn't become the year she dies. 

From Goodreads:
Sara Fairchild, duelist and combatant, is out for vengeance. Her father was betrayed. Her mother is dead. All she has left is her desire for revenge and a quest for answers.

Now a member of the Mercenary Guilds' elite guard, she fights on the front lines of her empire's first civil war. But Sara’s priority isn't winning the war for the crown or empire. It's finding out the true circumstances of her family's downfall while keeping one mild-mannered scholar alive.

As emotionally detached as she is from everyone around her, Sara can't seem to shake the stubborn affection of her one friend. When she stumbles upon the secrets of the leadership of the Empress's highest command in the field, Sara will be forced to decide how deep her loyalty is to the crown…before they kill her off and everyone else standing in their way.


Secrets aside everyday on the warfront is a life under threat from the ultimate enemy and yet as Sara quickly finds out, darkness resides on both sides of the war lines.

My Review:
Oh, it was so great to read these books! While I desperately want the last book in the Courtlight series, it was so great to be introduced to Sara and her world! She's a warrior, and her family's been beaten down, but they're not out yet! Very different from Ciardis!

Sara was pretty bad ass, she's been training as a warrior for basically her whole life. And then tragedy strikes and her father is killed as a traitor and Sara's life is turned upside down, though this book starts after the fact.

She has a justifiable anger towards the world, and it fuels her. Her journey is in no way easy, and it's just beginning-at first, survival. And then her mom is killed and then it's justice/revenge. It wasn't easy to read because it was hard for Sara, but it just pulled me in to read!

The beginning of Illusion, I was right there with Sara, of the unfairness of what had happened. Given her mission, it would've been better to let that simmer below the surface, especially since it weakened her position. But yeah, Sara has integrity like that!

Loved these books, and I can't wait to see where Sara's journey will take her next!

Author: Terah Edun
Series: Crown Service #1, 2, Algardis Universe #1, 2
Read: December 18th, 18th, 2017
Source: Ebook.bike, Author for Review
Reason Why: Love her books, and they're Historical Fiction 2017 Books and a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2017 Books!
Publisher: Terah Edun
Published: March 31st 2014, December 17th 2017

Blades of Magic:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Blades of Illusion:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

It's Monday! What Are You Reading #334, October 30th

It's Monday! What Are You Reading is a weekly meme hosted by Book Date where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week...and anything in between! This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well...you never know where that next "must read" book will come from!

What happened in the past week:

Weekly Memes:
It's Monday! What Are You Reading #333
Teaser Tuesday #341
WWW Wednesday #341
WOW #338
Will the Time Come #332
Third Sentence Thursday #323
Random Reads #309
First Lines Friday #337
The Reward Challenge Update #319
Follow Friday #311
How Well I Stuck to It #171
Wrote that Review Update #168

Week 43 Reviews:
A Treacherous Curse
Honor Among Thieves
A Conspiracy of Stars
Mobster's Baby
Sworn to Restoration
Trip's Baby
Leopard's Blood

Random:
We Have the Cover of Psy-Changeling Trinity #2!!!!
We Have the Cover of Lords of the Underworld #14!!!!
We Have the Cover of Kendra Michaels #6!!!!
Olivia A. Cole Author Page

OK, so I got 23 posts in 7 days, so yeah, a pretty decent week, so I'm happy with it! What about you guys? Happy reading!

So this week I want to read An English Bride in Scotland, To Marry a Scottish Laird, The Highlander Takes a Bride, Falling for the Highlander, Surrender to the Highlander, Even White Trash Zombies Get the Blues, Immortal Bound, Mind Game, and The Upside of Unrequited.

The first in a new historical series set in the Highlands of Scotland, from Lynsay Sands, the New York Times bestselling author of the Argeneau vampire series and countless historical romances.

Annabel was about to take the veil to become a nun when her mother suddenly arrives at the Abbey to take her home… so that she can marry the Scottish laird who is betrothed to her runaway sister! She knows nothing about being a wife, nothing about how to run a household, and definitely nothing about the marriage bed!

But from the moment Ross MacKay sets eyes on Annabel, he is taken with his shy sweet bride… and the fact that she's blessed with lush curves only makes him utter his own prayers of thanks. But when an enemy endangers her life, he'll move the Highlands themselves to save her. For though Annabel's not the bride he planned for, she's the only woman he desires…

New York Times bestselling author Lynsay Sands returns to the Highlands of Scotland in her hottest new historical romance yet!

Highlander Campbell Sinclair is no stranger to battle, so when he sees a lad attacked by bandits, he jumps into the fray. He didn't count on being stabbed. Grateful to the boy for nursing him back to health, Cam offers to accompany Jo safely to his destination. But when he accidentally comes across the lad bathing in the river, Cam discovers that Jo is actually Joan...with the most sinful of curves.

Joan promised her mother that she would deliver a scroll to the clan MacKay. But traveling alone is dangerous, even disguised as a boy. When a Scottish warrior lends his aid, she is more than relieved...until he surprises her with lingering kisses and caresses that prove her disguise hasn't fooled him. As their passion ignites, will the secrets of the scroll force a wedding...and lead to a love she's never known?

 A bold, seductive laird meets his passionate match in a scintillating Highland romance from New York Times bestselling author Lynsay Sands...

Sword fighting, swearing, and riding astride come naturally to Saidh Buchanan. Simpering and holding her tongue—definitely not. Raised alongside seven boisterous brothers, Saidh has little interest in saddling herself with a husband... until she glimpses the new Laird MacDonnell bathing naked in the loch. Though she's far from a proper lady, the brawny Highlander makes Saidh feel every inch a woman.

She has an angel's looks, a warrior's temper, and seeks out his kisses with wanton eagerness. Little wonder that Greer is intrigued by his comely guest. When reckless desire overtakes them, he's more than willing to make an honest woman of her. But Saidh is the target of a hidden enemy, and Greer faces the battle of his life to safeguard the woman he wants above all others.

 Lady Murine Carmichael has known her share of bad luck. But when her debt-ridden half-brother tries to sell her off in exchange for a few Scottish horses, it's the final straw. If keeping her freedom means escaping through harsh countryside alone, so be it. She has barely begun her journey when she lands an unlikely escort—the brawny Highlander who just refused to buy her virtue.

Dougall Buchanan was disgusted by Lord Danvries' shameful offer, but Murine herself tempts him beyond measure. Even bedraggled and dusty, the lass glows with beauty and bravery. Dougall wants to do more than just help her flee. He wants to protect her—with his life and his heart—if she'll only let him. For Murine may be pursued by a powerful foe, but nothing compares to the fiery courage of a Highlander in love.

In New York Times bestselling author Lynsay Sands' captivating romance, a lass targeted by an unknown foe is saved—and seduced—by a bold Highlander...

Edith Drummond owes her life to Niels Buchanan and his brothers. Waking after an illness to a castle overrun by rugged Highlanders is disconcerting, but so is learning that she's slowly being poisoned. Niels insists on staying by her side, and Edith soon discovers that even more dangerous is her wild attraction to the fierce warrior.

Niels has never met a more courageous—or enticing—woman than Lady Edith. The idea of such a bonny lass being forced to enter a nunnery is more than any red-blooded Scotsman could bear. He'll gladly marry her himself. But while sweeping her off her feet is easy, it'll take all his skill to defeat her family's relentless enemies, and convince her to surrender to his sweet embrace.

Angel Crawford is finally starting to get used to life as a brain-eating zombie, but her problems are far from over. Her felony record is coming back to haunt her, more zombie hunters are popping up, and she's beginning to wonder if her hunky cop-boyfriend is involved with the zombie mafia. Yeah, that's right—the zombie mafia.

Throw in a secret lab and a lot of conspiracy, and Angel's going to need all of her brainpower—and maybe a brain smoothie as well—in order to get through it without falling apart.

Against the rising horde of the underworld, the gods have one weapon: Vee Shankar. Special Agent. Supernatural CSI.

Beneath New York's cosmopolitan veneer lies a darker truth--a concrete jungle of the supernatural kind. But humanity is protected, their souls guarded by ancient and powerful Hindu Gods.

The Shankars deal in death--demons, evil spirits, possessions, and even the odd rogue God or two. But Vee's power to read life essences is a gift and a curse. She's a Warrior of the Gods, but she's also in the crosshairs of powerful demonic forces. And from the shadows, dark things come, dogging her every step, threatening her every move.

She doesn’t know it, but Vee’s power means more than just a quirk of her DNA. Her true identity is a secret better left untold. But as both her alliance with a mystery informant and her strange powers grow, Vee must confront a truth that will make her question her very existence.

Before all hell breaks loose.

Literally.