Court of Lions by Somaiya Daud Review & GIVEAWAY

Two identical girls, one a princess, the other ar rebel. Who will rule the empire? 

After being swept up into the brutal Vathek court, Amani, the ordinary girl forced to serve as the half-Vathek princess's body double, has been forced into complete isolation. The cruel but complex princess, Maram, with whom Amani had cultivated a tenuous friendship, discovered Amani's connection to the rebellion and has forced her into silence, and if Amani crosses Maram once move, her identity - and her betrayal - will be revealed to everyone in the court.

Amani is desperate to continue helping the rebellion, to fight for her people's freedom. But she must make a devastating decision: will she step aside, and watch her people suffer, or continue to aid them, and put herself and her family in mortal danger? And whatever she chooses, can she bear to remain separated from Maram's fiance, Idris? 

Review

I loved this book! It was just as good as the first book (if not better)! 

I love the author's writing, and I love the Moroccan influences. I have been trying to read more books by POC, and this was a GREAT one!

Although I am not a fan of poetry, anyone that likes poetry (or even just respects it as an artform) will appreciate the role that poetry plays in this story. 

The only issue I have is that there isn't more to this story, but I believe this is only a duology. I would love to see what happens with the characters after this book ends!

Thank you to the publishers for giving me a copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review. Also, thank you for giving me a copy to give away!

Giveaway

Click below to enter for a chance to win a copy of Court of Lions! 

House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig

In a manor by the sea, twelve sisters are cursed. 

Annaleigh lives a sheltered life at Highmoor, a manor by the sea, with her sisters, their father, and stepmother. Once they were twelve, but loneliness fills the grand halls now that four of the girls' lives have been cut short. Each death was more tragic than the last- the plague, a plummeting fall, a drowning, a slippery plunge-and there are whispers throughout the surrounding villages that the family is cursed by the gods. 

Disturbed by a series of ghostly visions, Annaleigh becomes increasingly suspicious that the deaths were not accidents. Her sisters have been sneaking out every night to attend glittering balls, dancing until dawn in silk gowns and shimmering slippers, and Annaleigh isn't sure whether to try to stop them or to join their forbidden trysts. Because who-or what-are they really dancing with?

When Annaleigh's involvement with a mysterious stranger who has secrets of his own intensifies, it's a race to unravel the darkness that has fallen over her family-before it claims her next. 

Review

This book was awesome!

It was so much different from everything else I've read. 

At first, I was like, wait a minute, is this just a mystery? Then there is a fantasy twist. It was super unique.

The only thing I am not sure I liked was the ending. I am sure that many people do not agree with me and thought the ending was perfect, but for some reason, endings like that have been pissing me off lately. I will say that there was nothing wrong with the ending. I just thought it should have gone a different way.

I will definitely be keeping an eye out for more books by Erin A. Craig!

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley, for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Unraveled (Perfected #3) by Kate Jarvik Birch Blog Tour & Giveaway

Ella isn't anyone's pet anymore, but she's certainly not free. 

After exposing the dark secrets about NuPet's breeding program, forcing them to repeal the law that allowed genetically modified girls to be kept as pets, she thought girls like her would finally be free. She never dreamed that it would backfire. NuPet may have convinced the public of their intentions to assimilate pets back into society, but Ella knows it's a lie. 

They aren't planning mass rehabilitation... they're planning a mass extermination.

Now, with the help of a small group of rebels, Ella and Penn, the boy she'd give up her life for, set out to bring down NuPet for good. But when her group gets implicated in a string of bombings, no one is safe. If she can't untangle the web of blackmail and lies that extends far beyond NuPet's reach, she won't just lose her chance at freedom, she'll lose everyone she loves.

Buy links: https://entangledpublishing.com/unraveled.html

About Kate Jarvik Birch: 

Kate Jarvik Birch is a visual artist, author, playwright, daydreamer, and professional procrastinator. As a child, she wanted to grow up to be either a unicorn or mermaid. Luckily, being a writer turned out to be just as magical. Her essays and short stories have been published in literary journals including Indiana Review and Saint Ann's Review. She lives in Salt Lake City, Utah with her husband and three kids. 

Author Links:

Author Website: katejarvikbirch.com

Author Twitter: @katejarvikbirch

Author Facebook. www.facebook.com/KateJarvikBirchBooks/

Author Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/KateJarvikBirch

Author Instagram: instagram.com/kebirch

Review:

First of all, if you have not read Perfected or Tarnished yet, go out and get them right now! You'll want to read them before you start this book, and you will definitely want to start this book. 😸

I have been waiting to read this book for a long time, and it definitely did not disappoint!

This book was AWESOME! Kate Jarvik Birch definitely knows how to suck you in and keep you on the edge of your seat!

I liked this book just as much, if not more than the first 2 books in the series!

I am hoping to hear more from Ella and Penn, but I think this might be the last book in the series. If so, I can't wait to see what Kate Jarvik Birch comes up with next!

I received a copy of this book in order to participate in the blog tour.

                                

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Shadow Fall (Shadow Fall #1) by Audrey Grey

The asteroid hurtling toward the earth will kill billions. 

The Emperor and his Gold Court will be safe in their space station, watching from the stars. The Silvers will be protected underground. But the Bronzes must fight it out at the Shadow Trials for the few remaining spots left on the space station. 

When an enigmatic benefactor hands Maia Graystone a spot in the Trials, she won't just get a chance at salvation for her and her baby brother, Max: She gets to confront the mother who abandoned her in prison, the mad Emperor who murdered her father, and the Gold prince who once loved her. But it's the dark bastard prince she's partnered with that will make her question everything, including her own heart. With the asteroid racing closer every day, Maia must trust someone to survive.

The question is who?

Review

I found Shadow Rise on NetGalley, and it looked so good that I decided to actually buy this book when I couldn't find it at the library or anywhere else online for free.

If you have read some of my previous posts, you may know how cheap I am. This is only the second book I've actually bought in years... like a lot of years.

Just to emphasize how significant it is for me to BUY a book, here an excerpt from my post about the one other book I've bought in the past at least 7 to 10 years:

I have not actually purchased a book in years. Anything that I can't get from the library or request to read and review, I usually just wait until I can. To emphasize my point, let me give you an example, a few of the best series I've read in the past couple of years, I was literally DYING to read the next book in the series. Even after being super upset at having to wait 6 months to a year for the next book to be released, I waited until I could download a copy through the library, even though there were a ton of people that had it on hold in front of me, and it ended up taking at least another couple of months. 

Now that I have given you a little insight into just how cheap I am when it comes to reading, let me reiterate it for you: I BOUGHT this book!!

When I started this book, I still had a little bit of a book hangover after reading the Graceling series, and I was looking for another book that would help cure it. This was a good choice!

As some of the other reviews on GoodReads pointed out, this book does have some similarities to The Hunger Games. However, it is definitely not a complete replica.

This book has a very unique concept: there is an asteroid that is weeks away from destroying the world, which has turned into a dystopia in anticipation of Pandora (the asteroid), with an evil Emperor leading them all to their doom in "Uploaders" that look like caskets. In there, people will upload to the consciousness of the Chosen 100.

The Chosen and the Goles, the elite, or at least the ones that aren't suspected of sympathizing with the rebels or using banned technology, all get to ride out the end of the world on a space station.

I really liked this book, but I also felt like the author could have added more explanation into some places. It was still great, though!

I ♥ ♥ ♥ Riser! He was my favorite.

I'm glad I have the next book on hand (thanks again, NetGalley!) and don't have to wait to see what happens next!

I will post my review of the sequel to this book, Shadow Rise, in a few days. 

       

Severed Ties (Jagged Scars, #2) by Jo Schneider

Wendy is no stranger to death - she killed her first Skinny before she was ten - but the slaughter of her own family is personal. Pelton's betrayal to the Den planted a wicked seed in Wendy's heart that is slowly growing into a ravenous monster bent on revenge. Its rage is bleeding into her dreams, her nightmares, and her waking hours, staining everything, including her sanity.

When the monster almost overpowers her, Wendy decides she should leave Shelter. But before her friends will let her go, a plague sweeps through the complex. Doc doesn't have the meds they need to cure it, but the map Wendy wrestled from Pelton could lead them to a place that does. Now, Wendy must hold her mind together long enough to keep everyone she knows from dying. Again.

I absolutely loved Fractured Memories! So, when I got to the end and discovered that by signing up for the author's newsletter, I could read the next book in the series for free, I jumped on it and immediately signed up and downloaded Severed Ties. 

I loved this book just as much as the first one! It continued to develop the dystopian world and story, with just as many twists and turns as the first book.

Again, this book left off at a great point to start the next chapter of Wendy's journey but didn't leave me checking to make sure that the book was actually over. This book also refrains form trying to shove romance where it doesn't belong. Wendy is working through some MAJOR trauma. To try to shove her into her first romantic relationship ever, while she is still struggling with so many other things would just be wrong. Again, I am thankful that the author did not ruin her book by placing the cookie cutter YA love triangle in the middle of it.

She doesn't let a crush on a boy dominate her thoughts and make everything else irrelevant. She doesn't change everything and become an idiot just because she has a crush on a guy. Throughout the book, Wendy remains a complete badass who will do anything to save others.

This was an AWESOME follow up to Fractured Memories! I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series!

Please note: While I desperately want to download book #3 right now and continue reading (I immediately pulled it up on Amazon, as soon as I finished reading), I have another trilogy to read and review in the next two weeks that I committed  to first. :( So, I will be waiting (somewhat patiently) to continue reading and see what happens next!

I received a copy of Fractured Memories for free through The Review Chain in exchange for an honest review.

      

Beautiful Nightmare: Some Dreams Become Your Reality by Ashley Marie Nestler

Long ago, the world suffered a terrible war, leaving behind only a select few hundred people. Believing that strong emotions fueled the war, those who survived created a town named Lunamoon, where each new human would be altered to be unable to feel emotion. 

They decide to choose only one man in each generation to be named the dream maker, and he would create dreams for everyone to tell them what their jobs and life outcomes would be.

The dream maker is able to live in solitude for the duration of his life, but the moment that the current dream maker is born, everything changes. Shawneleigh, a premature child was born with narcolepsy on the same day as the dream maker, lives on her own in the hospital. Through her sporadic sleeping spells and the connection they made at birth, she and the dream maker are able to connect through her dreams. They become friends, and then, fall in love.

Beautiful Nightmare is a tale of love and faith, showing how we can stand up for ourselves, while standing against those who want others to fail. For through it all, in the end, there is love.

First-time author, Ashley Marie Nestler, grew up in Westminster, Colorado. "I have lived right by the mountains all of my live, and the beauty really inspired me with this novel. 

Publisher's website: http://sbpra.com/AshleyMarieNestler

Review: 

I have to point this out before  I say anything about the book. I found this out shortly before I started reading it. This is the author's debut novel, and she wrote it during her senior year of high school. Let that sink in for a minute. Think about what you were doing during high school. In my case, I was a super boring honor's student, scared about graduating high school and going to college. I have always loved to read and have, on occasion, fantasized about writing a book someday. However, I couldn't imagine my 17 year old self sitting down, putting pen to paper and finishing a whole novel, much less having the courage to publish it myself. Needless to say, I was super impressed before I even read the first sentence.

Now on to the book: the story has an interesting and unique premise - the people of Lunamoon's brains are altered when they are born, removing their emotions. While this is a great concept, I think the follow through could have been better. It seemed like there were too many inconsistencies and contradictions, and things that didn't make much sense. For example, for people that are supposed to be devoid of emotions, they sure are prone to experiencing some pretty strong emotions, like jealousy, rage, and for some, love.

Also, I don't understand at all why a sex scene was included in this book. The world as they know it is turned upside down, and they sneak into an empty hospital-ish room for a quickie, when she wasn't even aware what kissing was earlier in the book? I thought that this was kind of tasteless and am not sure what the point was. This could be just me, though.

The ending of this book totally threw me for a loop. There were some aspects thrown in there that I didn't think really fit in with the rest of the story. I don't want to give away an spoilers, but the ending seemed like a completely different book. To me, it seems like too many different plot lines were popping up that didn't mesh with the rest of the story.

However, overall, I definitely respect the author for writing this book and putting it out there. If this is what she accomplished during her senior year in high school, I would definitely like to see what she can do later in life. Although this book wasn't my favorite, I would definitely read another book that she writes!

I received a copy of this book for free, in exchange for an honest review.

Numers Game by Rebecca Rode

Treena is nervous for Rating Day. A single number will brand her forever - a valuable citizen, or a pathetic waste of space. Her top-Rated boyfriend is confident their scores will coincide so they can attend academy together. But when the big day arrives, her true number shocks everyone. 

To get her life and boyfriend, she must go undercover and expose a military spy. Doesn't sound too hard, except that someone wants her dead. And then there's Vance, the mysterious soldier with a haunted past and beautiful brown eyes. Together, they discover a dark numbers conspiracy, one that shatters the nation's future. Treena must join up with Vance if she is to survive the dangerous game of numbers - and the terrible war that rages within her heart.

About the Author:

Rebecca Rode is the international bestselling author of the Numbers Game trilogy and Love Right, a sweet romance. Her published works also include the inspirational book for mothers, How to Have Peace When You're Falling to Pieces, and various freelance articles in the Deseret News, Provo Daily Herald, KSL.com, Family Share, and Schooled Magazine. She loves cheesy martial arts movies, chocolate-banana shakes, and good old fashioned romance. Rebecca lives with her husband and four children.

Check her out on Twitter and Facebook!

Review:

This book was excellent! I wasn't quite sure what to expect, with this being my first book from The Review Chain, and not being familiar with the author. I was super impressed! I'm dying to read the sequel! 

Although there was a bit of a love triangle included in the story, I was happy with how the author incorporated it. Although she did have the all too common, two completely opposite love interests, the main character remained strong and independent, and most importantly, did not turn into a mush-brained idiot that could only focus on her love interests and competing feelings for them. If you've read any of my other reviews, you probably realized that this is my pet peeve.

I really think that this author was able to find a perfect balance of romance. It is rare to find a YA fantasy book without some type of romantic interest, and too many authors just tend to take the cliche love triangle and insert it into the middle of the book, impacting everything else. I think the author found a great way to incorporate the love triangle aspect, without making that the main aspect and taking over the whole story, which is done way too often. 

I am super excited to read more by Rebecca Rode and can't wait to see what happens next in the Numbers Game series!

I received a copy of this book for free, in exchange for an honest review. 

The Keeper and the Rulership (The Systems in the Rulership #1) by Emily Martha Sorensen

In a world where both magic and mathematics are forbidden, Raneh is growing magic, and she can't seem to stop. She'll face the death penalty if anybody ever catches her, so she hides it in the weeds of her family's land, pretending to be a typical eighteen-year-old heir. And it works.

Until the Ruler comes to visit.

An Excerpt from The Keeper and the Rulership:

"And the worst part is," Jontan went on, piling up a stack of carefully extracted slipgrass behind him, "you can't even get your magicians to help remove them! They absorb any magic that comes near."

"Uh... yeah." I pushed my magic far into the groverweed, which sucked it up eagerly. "I think I've heard that."

"I've heard, in the really bad infestations," Jontan said in a lowered voice, "they actually burn the ground to get rid of everything. Filias, roots, seeds, everything. Can you believe that?"

"Well, if the groverweed has taken over..." I began absently. The plant in front of me flourished and unfurled several buds. Blackedned lumps blossomed and spurted me with grey pollen dust that reeked faintly like ash. Argh!

Fortunately, Jontan still had his back turned. "I mean, it wouldn't be so bad if groverweed was actually useful for something. But you can't eat it, you can't make clothing out of it, and the flowers are the ugliest things I've ever seen. Have you ever seen one in full bloom?"

"Uhhh..." I stared at several in front of me in dismay. "Nope. Never."

About the Author:

Emily Martha Sorensen writes clean fantasy for every age level, particularly young adult, middle grade, and clean new adult. (Yes, there is such a thing, thank you very much! College students can have fun, clean fantasy adventures, too!)

She also draws comics: A Magical Roomate is about a wizard-in-training who's forced to go to college in our world, and To Prevent World Peace is a magical girl series from the point of view of the villains.

You can read more about her, or join her mailing list, by clicking here: http://www.emilymarthasorensen.com

Review:

I read this book in one day... really in a few hours. It was a great, easy read! It was also really well thought out. The world building was excellent, and while trying not to give much away, the positive aspects and faults of the world were highlighted nicely.

I really liked the main character. While pressure was put on her to find a husband, not only did she stick to her morals and standards, but she also didn't get dumb and goofy over any guy that gave her attention and she thought she might be attracted to. Although occasionally, I got a little annoyed at the way Renah reacted to some of the things some characters did, I couldn't get mad at it. It really fit in well with the story and portrayed the society she was raised in. 

This book was very unique in many ways, and I found it quite refreshing. It had romantic aspects, but it didn't fuss over them or dwell on them too much. 

This book was AWESOME, and I can't really find anything that I didn't like. I can say that I think it could have been longer and added a little more detail toward the beginning about Renah's world and the significance of the flowers. 

Overall, this was a great story! I was only upset with the ending, because I can't wait to find out what happens next! I just looked it up, and sequel, The Fires of the Rulership, was released in November! I can't wait to get a copy and learn what happens next with Renah and her family!

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion. 

Red Sister by Mark Lawrence

I was born for killing - the gods made me to ruin.

At the Convent of Sweet Mercy, young girls are raised to be killers. In a few, the old bloods show, gifting talents rarely seen since the tribes beached their ships on Abeth. Sweet Mercy hones its novices skills to deadly effect: it takes ten years to educate a Red Sister in ways of blade and fist.

But even the mistresses of sword and shadow don't truly understand what they have purchased when Nona Grey is brought to their halls as a bloodstained child of eight, falsely accused of murder: guilty of worse.

Stolen from the shadow of the noose, Nona is sought by powerful enemies, and for good reason. Despite the security and isolation of the convent, her secret and violent past will find her out. Beneath a dying sun that shines upon a crumbling empire, Nona Grey must come to terms with her demons and learn to become a deadly assassin, if she is to survive...

If you read any of my other reviews, you might notice a trend... I have so many books on my TBR list, and there may be a good bit of time between when I request a book and when I actually get to read it. So, I have a tendency to request books after reading their description or reading good reviews, then not exactly remembering what they're about or why I requested them when it comes time to read them. 

This was was the case with Red Sister. I didn't remember what it was about, and the short description I read on NetGalley before downloading it only talked about the author's previous best-selling series and how this is the start to his new series. So, that's all I had to go on when I started reading the first line:

It is important, when killing a nun, to ensure that you bring an army of sufficient size. For Sister Thorn of the Sweet Mercy Convent and Lano Tacsis brought 200 men.

I've found that going into books you know you requested but don't know what they are about can be pretty exciting. It's not like just picking up any book at random and starting to read. That could spell disaster. Imagine instead, going through a bunch of books and reading descriptions and reviews, picking out 20 or so that you think you will like, then forgetting about them for six months. Then, randomly picking up one of those books and start reading, without looking at anything else about it.

I doubt the description said anything about armies killing nuns, but starting out a book with that first sentence, gave me an awesome first impression, and the rest of the book followed suit.

I absolutely loved everything about this book! The main character is strong and independent, and the author never takes away from that at all by adding a cliche love interest. The story doesn't call for it, and trying to add it in there would have ruined the story IMHO. The heroine is perfectly capable of rescuing her self, and she does (sometimes with a little help from her friends)!

After reading this book, I did a little more research and found out that it isn't going to be released until April, meaning that I could be waiting a long time for a sequel. :( While I might not be waiting patiently, I will be waiting anxiously awaiting more about Nona the nun! 

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

The Reader by MK Harkins

Hunted, shot and without her memory, eighteen-year-old Ann Baker wakes in a shallow water on a deserted Pacific Northwest island. She is soon approached by two young men claiming to be her friends. Something isn't right, but when gunshots sound, Ann is left with little choice but to allow Devon and Archer to help her escape. Soon she finds herself in their North Bend mountain compound, where the higher evolved humans claim to be mind-readers. While Ann heals, she realizes that they believe her to be one of the last and most powerful of all - The Lost One.

She's welcomed by most with opened arms, but  not everyone is happy about her arrival. A jealous adversary has plans for Ann, which spirals the entire Reader community into chaos.

As lies, murder and betrayal threaten to rip apart the once harmonious mountain dwellers, Ann is thrust into making a decision that could save or devastate not only The Readers, but all of mankind. But there is just one glitch: by doing so it may require her to make the ultimate sacrifice.

I really enjoyed this book, but it seemed a little obvious what was going to happen at some points. Sometimes, I was worried that it wouldn't be very suspenseful and it was going to be predictable.

However, I was very pleasantly surprised! There were twists and turns that I could never have predicted! It turned out to be a great book!

With the way it ended, I am hoping that the author writes a sequel. I felt like this one could have been longer and could have benefited from some extra details in some places and elaboration on some parts of the story, but overall, it was a great concept. I look forward to reading more from MK Hawkins!

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