Gates of Stone (Lord of the Islands #1) by Angus Macallan

In a world of blood and magic, a powerful epic fantasy begins...

AN EMPEROR'S DAUGHTER WHO WILL NOT BE DENIED
Just before her sixteenth birthday, Princess Katerina is refused her rightful place as heir to the Empire of the Ice-Bear--solely because of her sex. Determined to regain her inheritance, she murders the foreign lord she's been ordered to marry and embarks on a perilous voyage to the lush, tropical islands of the Laut Besar in search of the vast wealth and power she needs to claim the Empire for herself. 

A PRINCE FORCED TO TAKE A STAND
On a small island kingdom, Prince Arjun's idyllic life is shattered when a malignant sorcerer invades, slaughters his people and steals the sacred sword of Jun's ancestors. WIth his royal father dead and his palace in ruins, Jun reluctantly tracks the sorcerer and the magical blade far across the pirate-infested waters of the Laut Besar.

A SORCERER SEEKING TO DESTROY THE WORLD
Long ago the powerful relics known as the Seven Keys were used to safely lock away the terrifying evils of the Seven Hells. With Jun's ancient sword in his grasp, the sorcerer Mangku has claimed the first Key, and begun his mission to unleash catastrophe upon the land.

As the destinies of these three entwine in the lawless islands of the Laut Besar, the fate of humanity hangs in the balance. For if the sorcerer cannot be stopped, the world itself will be unmade...

Review 

OMGOMGOMG!

This book was AWESOME!

This book is action-packed and starts off with a bang! I really liked it! However, some parts were a bit slow for me.

It took me a little while to read this one, mostly because I kept having to put it down and do things in the real world (ugh, adulting sucks!), definitely not by choice though.

This book starts off fast, it does get a little slow in the middle, but then it picks back up and keeps its momentum until the very end.

I absolutely 💓💓💓Katerina! She is denied her throne and inheritance solely because of her sex, and she refuses to accept that. She is a total badass and completely ruthless (and possibly a bit of a baddie)... That is one of the things I liked most about this book, although there are "bad guys" (and girls) and "good guys" (and girls), no character is only bad or only good. The author did an excellent job at character development and showing the many different facets of each character's personality so that it is not at all easy to classigy them as one of the other.

The author also did an excellent job of world building. The Laut Besay is wonderfully terrible and brutal and filled with crazy tales that often turn out to be true.

The whole book was full of twists and turns. It kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the whole book!

The ending was EPIC! The only thing I am disappointed about is how long I will have to wait to see what happens next! The sequel is not listed at all on GoodReads yet, so it may be a while until the next book in the series is released. 😢

Until then, I will be waiting not so patiently for news about the second book's release.

I received a copy of this book from the publishers, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

The Transhuman Project by Erin Rhew Blog Tour and $25 Amazon Giveaway

The Transhuman Project
Erin Rhew
Publication date: January 15th 2019
Genres: Science Fiction, Young Adult

When a video of Molly Richards is taken out of context and goes viral, she’s thrust into the upper echelons of social media stardom and becomes an overnight success in a country where Life Channel ratings reign supreme. As Kadar’s fastest rising celebrity, her life becomes a media circus, a show put on for the shallow national audience salivating for the next new thing.
But in a world where image is king, danger and death hide among the shadows. In the nearby country of Pacifica, the brutal Caezar turns his citizens into robotic weapons who infiltrate Kadar as sleeper transhumans. They walk among the populace, unaware they are pawns in the madman’s personal arsenal.
Only Molly, her friends, and an elite group of Kadarian fighters known as the Cyber Knights fully understand the transhuman threat, and only they can break the Caezar’s terrorist grip on both Pacifica and Kadar. Battling Fire Bots and humanoid agents, they seek to put a stop to the Caezar’s tyranny by unraveling the secrets buried between layers of deception.And they have to do it all while smiling and waving for the cameras.
As Molly and her friends peer behind the glitz and glamour, they discover something more frightening and more sinister than anything they’ve encountered yet…the truth.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / iBooks / Smashwords

Author Bio:
Erin Rhew is an editor, the operations manager for a small press, and a YA fantasy and sci-fi author. Since she picked up Morris the Moose Goes to School at age four, she has been infatuated with the written word. She went on to work as a grammar and writing tutor in college and is still teased by her family and friends for being a member of the "Grammar Police."
A Southern girl by blood and birth, Erin spent years in a rainy pocket of the Pacific Northwest before returning to her roots in the land of hushpuppies, sweet tea, and pig pickin’. She’s married to fellow author, the amazingly talented (and totally handsome) Deek Rhew, and spends her time writing side-by-side with him under the watchful eye of their patient-as-a-saint writing assistant, a tabby cat named Trinity. Erin and Deek enjoy taking long walks, drinking coffee, lifting, boxing, eating pizza, staying up late into the night talking, and adventuring together.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Review

If you are looking for a quick, easy read, this is a good one!

I read this in between working on lots of homework and starting my internship, which is taking up most of my "spare time," since I also work full time. I was still able to get through this book in just a few days, though.

It is fun and fast-paced, and I loved the similarities it draws to today's society, with the Kadarans obsessed with their Life Channels and constantly streaming every second of their lives and watching every second of other people's lives. Thinking about just how similar Kadar's culture is to ours and how quickly our culture could become just like Kadar's is kind of scary.

But I digress...

This book was well written. The author did a great job with character development and world-building. I loved Molly! (And sometimes I also wanted to kick her).

I did get a little irritated with the love story in this book, though. However, I'm not a big fan of most romantic plots in stories.

This is the first book I've ever read by Erin Rhew, but I don't plan for it to be my last!

I received a copy of this book from the publishers to be a part of this blog tour, which was organized by Xpresso Book Tours.

GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Last Life of Prince Alastor (The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding #2) by Alexandra Bracken

Three hundred years ago, fate-bound Prosper Redding and Prince Alastor of the Third Realm together. Now the human boy and fiend heir to the demon kingdom must put aside a centuries-old blood feud to save everything they love.

Alastor will guide Prosper through the demon realm-under one huge condition: Prosper must enter into a contract with the malefactor residing in him, promising eternal servitude in his afterlife. With Prosper's sister in the clutches of the evil queen Pyra, Prosper has no choice but to agree.

But when they arrive in Alastor's deliciously demonic home, the realm is almost as alien to Alastor as it is to Prosper - the lowest fiends have dethroned the ruling malefactors, while an unfathomable force called the Void is swiftly consuming the realm. The desperate fiends cling to the one person who says she can stop it: Pyra. 

As Prosper embarks on a perilous rescue mission to the Tower of No Return, he can't help but feel for the demons losing their home- even Alastor, who lives by a set of rules that have vanished into a new world.

With the fates of humans and demons at odds, the battle lines are drawn. Long ago, Prosper's ancestor Honor Redding proved that humans and demons could never be friends. But is Prosper like his ancestor? And is Alastor the same demon who was betrayed by the one human he cared for?

Review

If you have not read The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding (book #1), I recommend you read my review of it first, by clicking HERE. 

I will try not to include too many spoilers from the first book, though. 

I went ahead and reread the first book before starting this book since I loved it so much and it had been a while since I first read it. In that time, I forgot exactly how much I loved this series! Book #1 was just as good the second time as it was reading it the first time, and book #2 was AH-MAY-ZING!!!

I 💓💓💓 the fiends! They are my favorite! I know Alastor is supposed to be the bad guy, but I love him too! Plus, in this book, Prosper travels Downstairs, so we get to meet a bunch of other fiends!

Just like the first book, this book CRACKED ME UP! I love the author's sense of humor and how she has the fiends doing funny/silly things with such seriousness.

I absolutely LOVE this book and have nothing bad to say about it!

However, the author set the ending up where there will likely be another book added to the series, but there is no book #3 listed on GoodReads yet. That usually means that it will be a while until the next book is released. I sure hope she puts out another book soon!

I received a copy of this book from the publishers after I wished for it on NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Otherword & Otherearth (Last Reality #1 & #2) by Jason Segel & Kirsten Miller

         

Otherworld (Last Reality #1)

The company says Otherworld is amazing - like nothing you've ever seen before. They say that it's addictive - that you'll want to stay forever. They promise Otherworld will make all your dreams come true. 

Simon thought Otherworld was a game. Turns out he knew nothing. Otherworld is the next phase of reality. It's everything you've ever wanted.

And it's about to change humanity forever.

Welcome to the Otherworld. No one could ever have seen it coming.

Otherearth (Last Reality #2)

Return to the series BuzzFeed compared to Ready Player One in the second book in a new fast-paced trilogy from New York Times bestselling authors Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller that's perfect for fans of HBO's Westworld.

Simon saved his best friend, Kat, from the clutches of the Company and their high-tech VR gamilng experience, Otherworld. But it was at a steep price. Now he, Kat, and their friend Busara are on the run. They know too much. About the Company's dark secrets.

About the real-life consequences of playing Otherworld. And about Kat's stepfather's involvement in everything. The group is headed to New Mexico to find Simon's old roomate, who is a tech genius and possibly the only person who can help them reveal the truth about the Company before it's too late and the line between what's real and what's fantasy is erased... forever.

Imagine a future in which you can leave reality behind and give in to your greatest desires. That future is now. And the future is terrifying. 

Review(s)

I am writing my reviews of Otherworld and Otherearth together, mostly because I rushed through them both super fast and didn't take any time in between to jot any notes down for a review like I normally do. I will make sure I do not give away any spoilers for Otherworld, for those of you that have not read book #1 yet. 

MIND BLOWN!!!

I must say, I was pretty intrigued when I learned that Jason Segel wrote thsi book. When the first book was released, I put it on my TBR but never read it. I saw him on The View (don't judge me, I just happened to land on that channel while it was on and stopped because he was talking, and he is funny) and found out that he wrote these books and the second had just been released. I 💓💓💓 Forgetting Sarah Marshall! I knew he wrote that, and everything else I've seen him in has been hilarious. I already wanted to read these books after reading about them when Otherworld was released, so this was the push I needed to bump them to the top of my TBR list and read them.

There are definitely some funny parts, and the book is very well-written and the world building is excellent. The authors were able to build an amazing realistic AI world within a world and bring both to life. 

The first book was really good. I sped through it and finished it within a couple of days. The second book was just as good, but the ending BLEW MY MIND! I totally did not see it coming.

I am so upset now! In the Kindle version, the page after you finish the book says Other____ coming Fall 2019" Seriously? It's like they're rubbing it in that we will have to wait a whole year to see what happens next.

So, I just recently started listening to audiobooks on my commute to work. Usually, I just want to keep reading (something that you shouldn't do while driving), so I get the audiobook of the book I am reading from the library so that I can SAFELY keep reading while I drive. 

I was expecting the audiobook to be super funny and entertaining because Jason Segal narrated it. He did a good job, and it wasn't boring, monotonous, or not entertaining, but it just wasn't' what I was expecting when I started it. He does well voicing some of the characters, but I was expecting a lot more theatrics and funny-making (yeah, that's totally a word). That was just my expectation though, not something that the audiobook is advertised as or anything. It is no way was a bad audiobook, and I will totally listen to book #3 on audiobook. I just wanted to mention this in case anyone else has the same expectation I had.

Definitely, do not let this deter you from listening to it, but just don't go into it expecting him to do voice work as if it were a cartoon or something. It is an audiobook, and we are adults (kind of). lol

I loved these books! I am happy that I waited until the 2nd book was released to read the first so that I didn't have to wait to read it, but I am upset that I have to wait to see what happens next! I'm not sure when book # 3 will be out. It isn't listed on GoodReads yet, so I assume it will not be anytime this year. 😥

Mirage (Mirage #1) by Somaiya Daud

In a star system dominated by the brutal Vathek empire, eighteen-year-old Amani is a dreamer. She dreams of what life was like before the occupation she dreams of writing poetry like the old-world poems she adores; she dreams of receiving a sign from Dihya that one day, she too will have adventues, and travel beyond her isolated moon. 

But when adventure comes to Amani, it is not what she expects: she is kidnapped by the regime and taken in secret to the royal palace, where she discovers that she is nearly identical to the cruel half-Vathek Princess Maram. The princess is so hated by her conquered people that she requires a body double, someone to appear in public as Maram, ready to die in her place.

As Amani is forced into her new role, she can't help but enjoy the palace's beauty - and her time with the princess' fiance, Idris. But the glitter of the royal court belies a world of violence and fear. If Amani ever wishes to see her family again, she must play the princess to perfection... because one wrong move could lead to her death. 

Review

I went in this book not quite knowing what to expect and was pleasantly surprised! I loved it!

I listened to most of this book as an Audiobook, and I highly recommend it. This is one of those books where I know I would have pronounced the names and places much different if I read them first. I really enjoyed hearing the book read with the pronunciation the author intended for the characters and places.

I have only recently started listening to audiobooks. This was only the 3rd or 4th one I've listened to, and I enjoyed it very much. I especially love that I can read while driving now, something you should never do without an audiobook.

This book is really well written! The author did an excellent job at world building and character development, and the plot was very unique.

Although this book is set on a different planet, much of the book was inspired by Moroccan culture. This was awesome! I love when YA fantasy books incorporate different cultures, even if they are set on other planets!

The only thing that irked me just a little about this book was how easily Amani seems to settle into her new life and doesn't seem to be taking her situation as seriously as she should be. She is supposed to be in danger throughout the whole book, and it seems like she forgets that quite a bit. This could be a combination of her personality and how young she is, but I still expected her at several points during the book to stop and consider how much danger she is in.

I still really enjoyed reading this book, though! I definitely recommend it!

The ending left me asking a whole bunch of questions, so I will definitely check out book #2 when it comes out!

Book # 2, Court of Lions, is listed on GoodReads. It says it will be released sometime this year but doesn't say when. 

The Winter of the Witch (Winternight Trilogy #3) by Katherine Arden

Following their adventures in The Bear and the Nightengale and The Girl in the Tower, Vasya and Morozko return in this stunning conclusion to the bestselling Winternight Trilogy, battling enemies mortal and magical to save both Russias, the seen and the unseen. 

Now Moscow has been struck by disaster. Its people are searching for answers-and for someone to blame. Vasya finds herself alone, beset on all sides. The Grand Prince is in a rage, choosing allies that will lead him on a path to war and ruin. A wicked demon returns, stronger than ever and determined to spread chaos. Caught at the center of the conflict is Vasya, who finds the fate of two worlds resting on her shoulders. Her destiny uncertain, Vasua will uncover surprising truths about herself and her history as she desperately tries to save Russia, Morozko, and the magical world she treasures. But she may not be able to save them all.

Praise for The Winter of the Witch:

(Normally I wouldn't include this, but I have several good reasons, besides the fact that it was included on GoodReads with the synopsis)

1. I completely agree with it.
2. Laini Taylor is AH-MAY-ZING, and I ♥♥♥ her!
3. Because I want to. 

"Katherine Arden's Winternight Trilogy isn't just good-- it's hug-to-your-chest, straight-to-the-favorites-shelf, reread-immediately good, and each book just gets better. The Winter of the Witch plunges us back to fourteenth-century Moscow, where old gods and new vie for the soul of Russia and fate rests on a witch girl's slender shoulders. Prepare to have your heart ripped out, loaned back to you full of snow and magic, and ripped out some more" - Laini Taylor

Review

I just got done reading this series, and I am so sad that Vasya's story has come to an end! This series was amazing.

If I could only say one thing about this series, I would definitely borrow the sentiment that stuck out to me most when I was reading other reviews of this book:

This is why I read. 

This book was unique and inspiring and funny and sad and insightful and creative, and a whole lot of other things, all wound up into one amazing work of fiction.

If you have not read the first 2 books, I recommend starting with my review of The Bear and the Nightengale (book #1) or The Girl in the Tower (book #2). 

This book starts off right where The Girl in the Tower ended. Dmitri still doesn't understand Vasya and tries to offer to marry her off within the first few pages of this book. Her siblings know the truth now, though, even though I'm not sure how much of it they believe. 

I absolutely loved this book! It was a perfect way to wrap up an awesome trilogy. 

I loved the unique premise for these books. I have never read any books that incorporated Russian folklore and fairytales. I loved learning about them and a little bit about Russian history.

In my reviews of TB&TN and TGitT, I ranted about my appreciation for the author's use of the Russian language and thanked her for adding a section about Russian names and language and their use throughout the book. I will not rant again, but "ditto." 😄

I still 💜💜💜 Vasya! She would be a total badass in today's society, but in her time, her level of badassery was completely unheard of in a woman. I love that no matter what, she doesn't back down and do what society expects of her, despite pretty much everyone around her trying to marry her off or send her to a convent. Thankfully, this book has less of that.

This is from TGitT, but I like it so here.

I also 💜 the chyerti! I wish I could find some fan art to post of them. While I've liked the domovoi since the first book, I also really liked the mushroom chyerti in this book! 

The only thing I would have liked better would have been to read the whole trilogy at one time, instead of having to wait for up to a year for each subsequent book. GOOD NEWS: If you haven't read any of the series yet, you can do that now, since they have all been released now!

I liked the way the author ended this book, but oh boy did it have me bawling, as did several other parts in the book. 

I also like the beautiful different book covers done for these books. Here is one set:

Here is a cute pic from Instagram that features the back of this book, which has the quote:

I will ride the world, in between times, through the farthest countries of dark and day. 

How cool is that?

If you haven't started reading this series yet, GO DO IT NOW! What are you waiting for?

2019 Reading Challenge

Happy new year everyone! I hope you had a wonderful holiday season!

I just set my GoodReads reading challenge and am considering doing a different kind of reading challenge this year, but there are so many different ones to choose from. 

Click the picture below for a list of all the different reading challenges online this year:

Here is another "Master List," because I found a couple that are on one but not the other. This one is from GirlXoxo

Here are a few of my favorite. What do you think? 

This one is from Epic Reads and includes a different challenge for each week. The first week's challenge is to read a book thats cover is your favorite color. 

First Week's Challenge:

Click the pic to see some examples

This is one from PopSugar that I like. I think it would really take me out of my reading comfort zone and encourage me to read a lot of books that I would never read otherwise. 

This one is designed to read one book each week. 

I'm tempted to do this one, because pretty much all of the books I read in 2018 were sci-fi and fantasy.

      

However, I am also thinking that I should try a challenge that will make me branch out a bit and try reading some other genres that I might not choose on my own.

This is probably the one I need to do most! I have tons of ebooks that I've gotten for free that I haven't read yet. 

Then, there are the Alphabet Soup challenges. The original Alphabet Soup challenges requires you to read a book that starts with each letter of the alphabet. However, there is also an Author's Edition this year, which requires you to read a book by an author whose first or last name starts with each letter of the alphabet. 

 

Interested in getting involved (or more involved) in the book blogging community? Here's a challenge designed to keep bloggers in communication throughout the year.

I haven't decided which one I'm going to try yet, but I will post it on IG and FB when I do. 

What do you think? Which of these do you think sounds like fun, or which one do you plan to do this year? 

Is there a challenge I didn't list here that you think I would like? Please let me know! I'm up for suggestions! 

Happy Jolabokaflod!

Meet your favorite new holiday tradition!

Last year, I wrote a post about Jolabokaflod, Iceland's "Christmas Book Flood." Sorry for the repetition, but I just had to share about this AWESOME tradition again this year! I wish everyone did this in the US.

According to a decades-old Icelandic tradition, books are the standard Christmas gift. NPR reports:

"The culture of giving books as present is very deeply rooted in how families perceive Christmas as a holiday," says Kristjan B. Jonasson, president of the Iceland Publishers Association. "Normally, we give the presents on the night of the 24th and people spend the night reading. In many ways, it's the backbone of the publishing sector here in Iceland."

 From: So Cool! Iceland’s Tradition is to Give BOOKS for Christmas

In the months before Christmas, publishers compete for the attention of Icelanders in a season known as Jolabokaflod, the "Christmas Book Flood." According to NPR, "The Flood begins with the release of Bokatidindi, a catalog of new publications from the Iceland Publishers Association distributed free to ever Icelandic home."

The tradition is especially fitting for Iceland, as it's famous for being a highly literary culture. As the BBC pointed out in 2013, "This island nation of just over 300,000 people has more writers, more books published and more books read, per head, than anywhere else in the world." Las month, the New York Times reported that "At least 90% of Icelanders age 16 or older read at least one book a year just for pleasure." In comparison, only 72% of American adults read a single book last year.

Check out this article by an Icelandic author to see what Jolabokaflod means to her.

You can also get these awesome Jolabokaflod pajama sets from Out of Print! I think they are sold out for the holidays though, because I can't find them any more. :( Maybe next year...

Happy holidays everyone!