Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance by Ruth Emmie Lang - available 11/14/17

Synopsis: Orphaned, raised by wolves, and the proud owner of a horned pig named Merlin, Weylyn Grey knew he wasn’t like other people. But when he single-handedly stopped that tornado on a stormy Christmas day in Oklahoma, he realized just how different he actually was. That tornado was the first of many strange events that seem to follow Weylyn from town to town, although he doesn’t like to take credit. As amazing as these powers may appear, they tend to manifest themselves at inopportune times and places. From freak storms to trees that appear to grow over night, Weylyn’s unique abilities are a curiosity at best and at worst, a danger to himself and the woman he loves. But Mary doesn’t care. Since Weylyn saved her from an angry wolf on her eleventh birthday, she’s known that a relationship with him isn’t without its risks, but as anyone who’s met Weylyn will tell you, once he wanders into your life, you’ll wish he’d never leave. Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance tells the story of Weylyn Grey’s life from the perspectives of the people who knew him, loved him, and even a few who thought he was just plain weird. Although he doesn’t stay in any of their lives for long, he leaves each of them with a story to tell. Stories about a boy who lives with wolves, great storms that evaporate into thin air, fireflies that make phosphorescent honey, and a house filled with spider webs and the strange man who inhabits it. There is one story, however, that Weylyn wishes he could change: his own. But first he has to muster enough courage to knock on Mary’s front door.

Publication Date: November 14th, 2017
Imprint: St. Martin's Press
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Genre: Sci/Fi Fantasy (I would also say Magical Realism)
Received From: Netgalley in exchange for honest feedback
My Rating: 5/5

Delightful! By turns whimsical and poignant, poor Weylyn just can't seem to get things quite right. He doesn't have much control over powers he can't really define, and powers you can't control are more of a nuisance, and often dangerous, than a boon to your existence! Most who come into contact with Weylyn realize how special and fascinating he is, but it seems like he is constantly leaving those he loves, whether by his own unhappy decision, afraid he'll hurt them, or by being forced to go. Nature gets a boost around him, and the weather reacts to his moods, and you spend the book rooting for him to find his Happily Ever After, because he's such a gentle, caring and innocent soul.

The structure of the story was different, told from the alternating points of view of those interacting with Weylyn, only finally getting his perspective towards the end.  While you feel sad for this man who has had such a different and often solitary life, it is also a heartwarming story as he seems to make it back to those he loves time and again.  This book was a magical hug, and I look forward to more from Ruth Emmie Lang!

The Tethered Mage by Melissa Caruso

Description: In the Raverran Empire, magic is scarce and those born with power are strictly controlled -- taken as children and conscripted into the Falcon Army. Zaira has lived her life on the streets to avoid this fate, hiding her mage-mark and thieving to survive. But hers is a rare and dangerous magic, one that threatens the entire empire. Lady Amalia Cornaro was never meant to be a Falconer. Heiress and scholar, she was born into a treacherous world of political machinations. But fate has bound the heir and the mage. And as war looms on the horizon, a single spark could turn their city into a pyre.

Publication Date: October 24th, 2017
Imprint: Orbit Books
Publisher: Orbit
Genre: Fantasy
Received From: Netgalley in exchange for honest feedback
My Rating: 5/5

The Tethered Mage is full of politics and intrigue, plots and deceptions, magic and determination. The setting gives the feel of a collection of Italianate city-states in structure with different rulers over different cities coming into conflict with a potential rebellion on the horizon as the general backdrop to the story.

Amalia Cornaro is the daughter of one of the Council of Nine, intended to take her mother's place on the council eventually, her whole life thus far has been surrounded by the intrigues of court.  She would much rather have her nose in a book, puzzling out artificing projects and remaining blissfully unaware of the Council's working, though she knows that is not to be.  She likes to travel the city incognito, and it is during one such escapade that in trying to do a good deed, she accidentally links herself and Zaira together forever in a way that neither expected or wanted.

Zaira is difficult and uncooperative from the very beginning.  Amalia tries to make the best of a bad situation, but despairs that Zaira may never come around to the partnership they need to have.  Even so she continues to try and find ways to make Zaira's life better and earn her trust.  It is this unlikely pairing of personalities that drives the development of Amalia's character.  She is an heiress that has never wanted for any luxury, and has taken the Falcon/Falconer relationship for granted as part of life, though she had no thought of being one herself.  When confronted by someone who feels trapped and compelled against their will to accept this magical and physical binding, rather than being grateful to be raised in circumstance, it is confusing for her and she must alter her world view.  This willingness and desire to understand and accommodate is what made Amalia an attractive character to me.  She matures through the story from a daughter who follows her Mother's every order, to a strong young woman who will be capable of taking her place on the council some day, making her own decisions and standing firm for what she believes in.

There were some side characters that I hope we see more of in future books, I always enjoy when the secondary characters engender that interest in me.  This was a very satisfying historical feeling fantasy that I'm looking forward to continuing in the next book due out next year, The Defiant Heir.

Coming Soon! - The Epic Crush of Genie Lo by F. C. Yee - release date 8/8/17

Description: The struggle to get into a top-tier college consumes sixteen-year-old Genie Lo's every waking thought. But when her sleepy Bay Area town comes under siege from hell-spawn straight out of Chinese folklore, her priorities are suddenly and forcefully rearranged. Her only guide to the demonic chaos breaking out around her is Quentin Sun, a beguiling, maddening new transfer student from overseas. Quentin assures Genie she is strong enough to fight these monsters, for she unknowingly harbors an inner power that can level the very gates of Heaven. Genie will have to dig deep within herself to summon the otherworldly strength that Quentin keeps talking about. But as she does, she finds the secret of her true nature is entwined with his, in a way she could never have imagined…

Publication Date: August 8th, 2017

Imprint: Amulet Books

Publisher: ABRAMS Kids

Age Group: Teen & YA

Received From: Netgalley in exchange for honest feedback

My Rating: 4/5 
The Epic Crush of Genie Lo is a modern day twist on characters from Chinese Folklore. While reading I found myself very interested in what elements were actually found in the old tales and what were new from the author, and after some checking, I discovered that the history or backstory if you will, for Genie Lo is actually from 16th century tale, Journey to the West. The modern translation by Arthur Haley is called Monkey, and I'm very interested in reading it now that I've read Genie Lo.

While the story wasn't as smooth as I might have liked, it does have a lot to recommend it, chief among those to me was getting me interested in the mythology it is inspired by.  It is not a retelling of Journey to the West, instead it takes some of those characters, gives them modern personalities, and with a new conflict, goes to town!   It is action packed, with interesting fight scenes that are unique in the problems faced to overcome each enemy. It is humorous in that Genie is dealing with an invasion of demons and trying to get into college at the same time, a tall order for any teenager, even one with heretofore unknown super powers.

I enjoyed the story line, and the use of mythology, and most of the characters, except for Genie herself.  I don't dislike her, but I had a hard time bonding with her.  I am okay with all the other characters but her, and I wonder if that's because it's written in first person narrative, with Genie telling us the story as it's happening. She grows as the story unfolds, but it's hard to overcome that initial discord for me.  I didn't feel like the times she swears in the beginning of the story are really merited by the events taking place, and some of the expletives chosen really turned me off.  I'll admit this is potentially more of a pet peeve of my own than a flaw, but it was jarring and didn't add to the story for me.

Overall The Epic Crush of Genie Lo was a fun read and got me interested in learning more about the mythological characters it showcased.  I would recommend it to those who enjoy that mesh of modern and myth, like myself!

Coming soon! - The Bedlam Stacks by Natasha Pulley - release date 8/1/17

Description: In 1859, ex-East India Company smuggler Merrick Tremayne is trapped at home in Cornwall after sustaining an injury that almost cost him his leg and something is wrong; a statue moves, his grandfather’s pines explode, and his brother accuses him of madness. When the India Office recruits Merrick for an expedition to fetch quinine—essential for the treatment of malaria—from deep within Peru, he knows it’s a terrible idea. Nearly every able-bodied expeditionary who’s made the attempt has died, and he can barely walk. But Merrick is desperate to escape everything at home, so he sets off, against his better judgment, for a tiny mission colony on the edge of the Amazon where a salt line on the ground separates town from forest. Anyone who crosses is killed by something that watches from the trees, but somewhere beyond the salt are the quinine woods, and the way around is blocked. Surrounded by local stories of lost time, cursed woods, and living rock, Merrick must separate truth from fairytale and find out what befell the last expeditions; why the villagers are forbidden to go into the forest; and what is happening to Raphael, the young priest who seems to have known Merrick’s grandfather, who visited Peru many decades before. The Bedlam Stacks is the story of a profound friendship that grows in a place that seems just this side of magical.

Publication Date: August 1st, 2017
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
Age Group: General Fiction (Adult)
Received from: NetGally in exchange for honest feedback
My Rating: 5/5

I loved this book, there is so much here, magic and mystery, an intriguing landscape and historical elements both in the 1800's and ancient Peru. It really grabbed my Anthropology loving heart, and my need for character's that I can care about.

The Bedlam Stacks starts off with the feel of a historical fiction with a few odd elements that are mentioned in the description above.  It slowly transforms into a more and more magical story, but retains that feel of historical truth.  It seriously had me just about to start looking up flora of Peru to see if what was described really existed!  After all, it mostly takes place in darkest Peru and strange and surprising things are continually found in South America!

The main characters are well developed and complex, and the growing relationship between them is interesting and also makes you wonder what their underlying motivation is.  I liked both Merrick and Raphael very much, as well as the host of side characters that bolstered them.

If I have a criticism it's that I don't think it should be marketed as General Fiction, because when it does turn to the more fantastical elements of the story, it really turns, and it might be more than I think General Fiction can stretch to accommodate.  Devotees of historical fiction might feel mislead, I'll admit I wasn't expecting as much of a change to fantasy as I got, but being already a fan of the genre, I'm fine with it and loved the whole thing.

I will definitely go back and read The Watchmaker of Filigree Street, and look forward to future work by Natasha Pulley!

Ether & Elephants by Cindy Spencer Pape

Ether & Elephants by Cindy Spencer Pape My rating: 4 of 5 stars Sir Thomas Devere and Eleanor Hadrian have loved each other most of their lives—but sometimes love doesn't conquer all. Their chance at happiness was ruined by Tom's hasty marriage to someone else. Heartbroken, Nell left home, finding a new life as a teacher at a school for the blind. But when one of her supernaturally gifted students, Charlie, is kidnapped, Tom reappears and her worlds collide. Tom claims he hasn't seen his wife since the day of their marriage…yet he fears the missing student could be his son. The deeper they dig, the more Tom and Nell discover: a deadly alchemist, more missing gifted children and long-suppressed feelings neither of them is ready for. A race on airship across England and India may lead them to answers—including a second chance at love—but only if all of British Society isn't destroyed first.

This was a good ending to a fun series! While we didn't get everyone's story in the series, this one wraps up with two of the original Wapping group getting the always hoped for HEA, which isn't really a spoiler, because that's how they all end, so you know it has to work out!

This time around we see Nell and Tom from the original group of kids adopted by Merrick Hadrian from, the streets. We get to see that they've always felt something for each other, but somewhere along the way things have gone haywire and what should have been a no brainer pairing, seems nearly impossible now. Nell is a teacher at a school away from home, and Tom is now a full fledged member of the Order. When one of her students goes missing, she sets out to find him, with the help of Tom and others, and of course there is much more to it than just one child's disappearance.

I've really enjoyed this series, with a loose basis to the Knights of the Round Table set in Industrial Victorian, Steampunk times (because mechanical pets sound like a lot of fun, at least the ones that Wink makes). All of the main characters have special abilities, or high intelligence in certain areas and personalities that speak to me. Feisty ladies, chivalrous men, and a huge family that works together. As an only child I always love stories involving many siblings that get along well and care deeply for each other.

A definite recommend on the Gaslight Chronicles from me for light, romanc-y and satisfying reads. I look forward to trying this author's other work!

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My TBR List - July 2017 - Subscription Box Books

Welcome to my July 2017 edition of My To Be Read List, hosted by Michelle @ Because Reading. This is a monthly meme where we offer up 3 choices from our TBR pile for our readers to pick from to help us make the super hard decision of "what do I read next?" a little easier and to whittle away at the ever growing TBR Mountain! 

Theme: Books I've received in my Subscription Boxes (and which I also put on my COYER Summer Reading List). I've tried out Uppercase, Owlcrate and Fairy Loot, but haven't managed to read any of the books yet!

The poll will stay open through Friday 7/8, and I'll update this post with the winning book on Saturday 7/9, then post a review on the last Saturday of the month, 7/29.

If you think this sounds fun and would like to join (the more the merrier, because we love voting!) please head on over to Because Reading where Michelle lays out the rules for us!

And the choices are...

Book Synopsis: She’s a soldier. Noemi Vidal is seventeen years old and sworn to protect her planet, Genesis. She’s willing to risk anything—including her own life. To their enemies on Earth, she’s a rebel. He’s a machine. Abandoned in space for years, utterly alone, Abel has advanced programming that’s begun to evolve. He wants only to protect his creator, and to be free. To the people of Genesis, he’s an abomination. Noemi and Abel are enemies in an interstellar war, forced by chance to work together as they embark on a daring journey through the stars. Their efforts would end the fighting for good, but they’re not without sacrifice. The stakes are even higher than either of them first realized, and the more time they spend together, the more they’re forced to question everything they’d been taught was true.

Book Synopsis: Her story is a phenomenon. Her life is a disaster. In the real world, Eliza Mirk is shy, weird, and friendless. Online, she’s LadyConstellation, the anonymous creator of the wildly popular webcomic Monstrous Sea. Eliza can’t imagine enjoying the real world as much as she loves the online one, and she has no desire to try. Then Wallace Warland, Monstrous Sea’s biggest fanfiction writer, transfers to her school. Wallace thinks Eliza is just another fan, and as he draws her out of her shell, she begins to wonder if a life offline might be worthwhile. But when Eliza’s secret is accidentally shared with the world, everything she’s built—her story, her relationship with Wallace, and even her sanity—begins to fall apart.

Book Synopsis: The only daughter of a prominent samurai, Mariko has always known she’d been raised for one purpose and one purpose only: to marry. Never mind her cunning, which rivals that of her twin brother, Kenshin, or her skills as an accomplished alchemist. Since Mariko was not born a boy, her fate was sealed the moment she drew her first breath. So, at just seventeen years old, Mariko is sent to the imperial palace to meet her betrothed, a man she did not choose, for the very first time. But the journey is cut short when Mariko’s convoy is viciously attacked by the Black Clan, a dangerous group of bandits who’ve been hired to kill Mariko before she reaches the palace. The lone survivor, Mariko narrowly escapes to the woods, where she plots her revenge. Dressed as a peasant boy, she sets out to infiltrate the Black Clan and hunt down those responsible for the target on her back. Once she’s within their ranks, though, Mariko finds for the first time she’s appreciated for her intellect and abilities. She even finds herself falling in love—a love that will force her to question everything she’s ever known about her family, her purpose, and her deepest desires.

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A Shadow Bright and Burning (Kingdom on Fire #1) by Jessica Cluess

From Goodreads: I am Henrietta Howel. The first female sorcerer. The prophesied one. Or am I? Henrietta Howel can burst into flames. When she is brought to London to train with Her Majesty's sorcerers, she meets her fellow sorcerer trainees, young men eager to test her powers and her heart. One will challenge her. One will fight for her. One will betray her. As Henrietta discovers the secrets hiding behind the glamour of sorcerer life, she begins to doubt that she's the true prophesied one. With battle looming, how much will she risk to save the city--and the one she loves?

I freely admit the cover was the draw to this book for me, isn't it beautiful? I had had my eye on this for awhile, so when I saw it available on Blogging for Books last fall I grabbed it! Luckily, it was not just a pretty cover, but also a fun story! It's a little bit Harry Potter, a little bit Oliver Twist, and a little bit Cthulu all rolled into one. There's magic wands (staves), a magician who is taking care of orphaned children who isn't quite what he seems, and ancient monsters that have been let loose on the world, though they seem particularly interested in England for the most part.

I did enjoy Henrietta as a character and some of the young men, I just couldn't get on board with Rook, though he's still in the story, so maybe I'll come around to liking him more later on.  Henrietta is constantly under a lot of pressure because of her abilities, from hiding them, to honing them, to using them differently to appear as if she's doing things a certain way. It all sounds exhausting to me, and all while dealing with the fact that she's a woman, in fact the only woman, practicing to be a sorcerer, and not being taken as seriously by her compatriots as she would like. 

There are secrets and betrayals and enemies becoming friends and friends becoming enemies, and it's overall a fun and exciting story of magic, coming of age, and finding true friends.  The next book in the Kingdom on Fire series is A Poison Dark and Drowning will be out September 19th and I'm looking forward to it!

Passenger by Alexandra Bracken

Passage, n. i. A brief section of music composed of a series of notes and flourishes. ii. A journey by water; a voyage. iii. The transition from one place to another, across space and time. In one devastating night, violin prodigy Etta Spencer loses everything she knows and loves. Thrust into an unfamiliar world by a stranger with a dangerous agenda, Etta is certain of only one thing: she has traveled not just miles but years from home. And she’s inherited a legacy she knows nothing about from a family whose existence she’s never heard of. Until now. Nicholas Carter is content with his life at sea, free from the Ironwoods—a powerful family in the colonies—and the servitude he’s known at their hands. But with the arrival of an unusual passenger on his ship comes the insistent pull of the past that he can’t escape and the family that won’t let him go so easily. Now the Ironwoods are searching for a stolen object of untold value, one they believe only Etta, Nicholas’ passenger, can find. In order to protect her, he must ensure she brings it back to them—whether she wants to or not. Together, Etta and Nicholas embark on a perilous journey across centuries and continents, piecing together clues left behind by the traveler who will do anything to keep the object out of the Ironwoods’ grasp. But as they get closer to the truth of their search, and the deadly game the Ironwoods are playing, treacherous forces threaten to separate Etta not only from Nicholas but from her path home... forever.

It was the cover of this one that caught my eye first, with the city in a bottle and the reflection of a ship under the water, such neat artwork! It was suggested as a possible group read in a Goodreads group that I admin, and while it didn't win that round, I was intrigued enough to still give it a try.  I will definitely keep it in the running for the group read! Adventure, time travel to exotic locations, some romance, an artifact hunt, roller coaster feelings, there is a lot here!

The main draw after the cover caught me was time travel, I'm a sucker for the ability to pack history in with that nifty mechanism, and I enjoyed looking up images of the places they traveled to online.  I won't say where they went, that's part of the fun!  Also, you need a good hunt through time with a puzzle, and a handsome and conflicted pirate (ahem, legal thank you very much), while being chased by who knows how many different factions.  For not knowing anything like this was possible, Etta really took the whole thing very well! 

I enjoyed the characters, except for Sophia, you aren't supposed to like her though, and every time you almost feel sorry for her, yep, she says something that just makes you want to strangle her.  Papa Ironwood is of course super evil, though even he you can feel a smidge of empathy for when you know what he's up to, although it's still all for his own gain.  Nicholas and Etta fit together almost immediately, in fact so well that he is afraid to believe it.  Etta meanwhile is just bulling through the whole adventure like a bat out of hell that will not be stopped! She's got moxy for sure!

On the whole this was a great YA adventure with a lot of my favorite elements included which I would definitely recommend to you if you're looking for some treasure hunting, time skipping fun!

Libriomancer by Jim C. Hines

From Goodreads: Isaac Vainio is a Libriomancer, a member of the secret organization founded five centuries ago by Johannes Gutenberg. Libriomancers are gifted with the ability to magically reach into books and draw forth objects. When Isaac is attacked by vampires that leaked from the pages of books into our world, he barely manages to escape. To his horror he discovers that vampires have been attacking other magic-users as well, and Gutenberg has been kidnapped. With the help of a motorcycle-riding dryad who packs a pair of oak cudgels, Isaac finds himself hunting the unknown dark power that has been manipulating humans and vampires alike. And his search will uncover dangerous secrets about Libriomancy, Gutenberg, and the history of magic. . . .

This is the first novel by Jim C. Hines I have read, though I've been aware of him as an author and blogger for a few years now. He is humorous and conscientious and in general our views on how the world though be align very well. I've enjoyed his interactions in the group of authors I follow, especially when he has challenged them to a "pose off" for charity. He was re-creating book covers to show how crazy the positions some women are shown in, and how they really weren't at all natural or comfortable, and the results were usually hilarious! Here is the blog post with links to the poses during one of the campaigns if you're interested: Posing for Charity.

As usually happens for us bookworms, no matter how much we find ourselves interested in a book, somehow it never ends up in the roster. I fixed that this time by making Jim by January TBR List theme! You all choose Libriomancer for me, which is the first in Jim's current series, and it was a lot of fun!

 I adore the magic system of being able to pull items out of books, sometimes even people, but there are some limitations, and also some ethical concerns which Isaac struggles with.  This pretty much allows Jim to give nods to any author (real or imagined) he wants within the story, and he does, which is just fine with me. I'm pretty arachnophobic, but I adore Smudge, except at mealtimes, and Isaac's care for him.  We've also got a take no nonsense dryad to help Isaac out, and a couple of historical figures who should have been long gone by now, but aren't.  Oh and vampires are after him, because if you've got 99 problems then vampires after you should definitely be one of them, right?

This was an entertaining adventure which exactly matched the impression of the author I had developed, and quite honestly I kept seeing Jim as Isaac, despite the cover picture. I can definitely attribute that to social media and how we can be so much more connected to authors these days if they're putting themselves out there, which Jim definitely does.  I'm looking forward to seeing what Isaac and friends get up to next!  Thanks for choosing this one for me friends!

My TBR List January 2017 - And the Winner is...

 And the winner is...

From Goodreads: Isaac Vainio is a Libriomancer, a member of the secret organization founded five centuries ago by Johannes Gutenberg. Libriomancers are gifted with the ability to magically reach into books and draw forth objects. When Isaac is attacked by vampires that leaked from the pages of books into our world, he barely manages to escape. To his horror he discovers that vampires have been attacking other magic-users as well, and Gutenberg has been kidnapped. With the help of a motorcycle-riding dryad who packs a pair of oak cudgels, Isaac finds himself hunting the unknown dark power that has been manipulating humans and vampires alike. And his search will uncover dangerous secrets about Libriomancy, Gutenberg, and the history of magic. . . .

I've really wanted to try one of Jim's books for awhile now, since I've so enjoyed him as a personality in the Fantasy Author community, so I'm really looking forward to Libriomancer! But don't worry Step Sisters and Jig, I'll still get to you all eventually as well!

10 votes	4 votes	2 votes

My TBR List - January 2017 - Jim C. Hines

Welcome to my January 2017 edition of My To Be Read List, hosted by Michelle @ Because Reading. This is a monthly meme where we offer up 3 choices from our TBR pile for our readers to pick from to help us make the super hard decision of "what do I read next?" a little easier and to whittle away at the ever growing TBR Mountain! 

Theme: Books by author Jim C. Hines. I have actually followed this author for awhile but still have yet to actually read one of his books, that ends this month! I really enjoy his commentary/viewpoints and actually discovered him thanks to his hilarious recreations of fantasy covers that feature women in impossible poses, which was the whole point of him trying to recreate them, to show how ridiculous many of them were. Sometimes he even drags some sidekicks into the fun (like Patrick Rothfuss!) If you'd like to see some, check out this image search. Feel free to leave me a comment and tell me which book you voted for and why.

The poll will stay open through Friday 1/13, and I'll update this post with the winning book on Saturday 1/14, then post a review on the last Saturday of the month, 1/28.

If you think this sounds fun and would like to join (the more the merrier, because we love voting!) please head on over to Because Reading where Michelle lays out the rules for us!

And the choices are...

From Goodreads: Isaac Vainio is a Libriomancer, a member of the secret organization founded five centuries ago by Johannes Gutenberg. Libriomancers are gifted with the ability to magically reach into books and draw forth objects. When Isaac is attacked by vampires that leaked from the pages of books into our world, he barely manages to escape. To his horror he discovers that vampires have been attacking other magic-users as well, and Gutenberg has been kidnapped. With the help of a motorcycle-riding dryad who packs a pair of oak cudgels, Isaac finds himself hunting the unknown dark power that has been manipulating humans and vampires alike. And his search will uncover dangerous secrets about Libriomancy, Gutenberg, and the history of magic. . . .

From Goodreads: You know how all those old fairy tales take you through lots of scary adventures till you finally reach that inevitable line: "And they lived happily ever after..." Guess what? It's not true. Life in never-never land isn't all sweetness and light. Cinderella - whose real name is Danielle Whiteshore (nee Danielle de Glas) - does marry Prince Armand. And (if you can ignore the pigeon incident) their wedding is a dream-come-true. But not long after the "happily ever after," Danielle is attacked by her stepsister Charlotte, who suddenly has all sorts of magic to call upon. And though Talia - otherwise known as Sleeping Beauty - comes to the rescue (she's a martial arts master, and all those fairy blessings make her almost unbeatable), Charlotte gets away. That's when Danielle discovers a number of disturbing facts: Armand has been kidnapped and taken to the realm of the Fairies; Danielle is pregnant with his child; and the Queen has her very own Secret Service that consists of Talia and Snow (White, of course). Snow is an expert at mirror magic and heavy-duty flirting. Can three princesses track down Armand and extract both the prince and themselves from the clutches of some of fantasyland's most nefarious villains?

From Goodreads: Jig is a scrawny little nearsighted goblin-a runt even among his puny species. Captured by a party of adventurers searching for a magical artifact, and forced to guide them, Jig encounters every peril ever faced on a fantasy quest.

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2016 Award-Winning Science Fiction and Fantasy Reading Challenge - October 1 - December 31st, 2016

Welcome to my sign up post for my very own reading challenge, the first one I have ever hosted! I'm super excited and nervous and can't wait to get started!  To join us, click on the picture above to be taken to the sign up!

I'm going to declare the Ursa Major level for 4-6 books as my goal, and I have picked out a line on the Bingo card to use as my guideline for what books I hope to get read.  I've chosen the diagonal from top left to bottom right, here is my list:

Lincoln's Dreams - by Connie Willis (Any novel by a Grand Master)

Bridge of Birds -  by Barry Hughart (World Fantasy Awarded Novel 1985)

Stranger in a Strange Land - by Robert Heinlein (Hugo Award Winner 1962)

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making - by Catherynne M. Valente (Andre Norton Award Winner 2009)

The Forever War - by Joe Haldeman (Any novel by a Grand Master)

Here we go! 

The Master Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg

From Goodreads: Throughout her studies, Ceony Twill has harbored a secret, one she’s kept from even her mentor, Emery Thane. She’s discovered how to practice forms of magic other than her own — an ability long thought impossible. While all seems set for Ceony to complete her apprenticeship and pass her upcoming final magician’s exam, life quickly becomes complicated. To avoid favoritism, Emery sends her to another paper magician for testing, a Folder who despises Emery and cares even less for his apprentice. To make matters worse, a murderous criminal from Ceony’s past escapes imprisonment. Now she must track the power-hungry convict across England before he can take his revenge. With her life and loved ones hanging in the balance, Ceony must face a criminal who wields the one magic that she does not, and it may prove more powerful than all her skills combined.

I read this as a Kindle Unlimited selection and really enjoyed the whole trilogy! I love the magic system that the author has created, with the paper folding and the glass, and other elements, and was really able to visualize Ceony's work in her different lessons, with the ability to bring origami creatures to a semblance of life.  It was delightful!

I love both Ceony and Emery, their personalities and their relationship, and Emery's complex creations, which I won't mention because I don't want to spoil anything.  I feel bad that I'm only reviewing the third book, in case you haven't read the others, so I'm going to be very general and not really discuss plot.

I will say that Ceony always seems to plunge headlong into trouble, after being warned to stay out of it, but in her defense, they always seem to ignore her worries, which turn out to be worth listening to.  On the whole I felt this whole trilogy was very engaging and enjoyable, I was very pleased with the ending, and after reading the first book, I did go check out some origami books from the library because I was just in the mood to make something! lol!  I didn't end up getting around to it, but the desire was there!

I highly recommend the Paper Magician Trilogy as a fun, fairly quick fantasy read.  I believe these would be good read-a-thon fare as all three are around 220 pages each and move at a good pace.

Challenges:
2016 COYER Summer Vacation
COYER Bingo Y23

Updraft by Fran Wilde

From Goodreads: In a city of living bone rising high above the clouds, where danger hides in the wind and the ground is lost to legend, a young woman must expose a dangerous secret to save everyone she loves. Welcome to a world of wind and bone, songs and silence, betrayal and courage. Kirit Densira cannot wait to pass her wingtest and begin flying as a trader by her mother's side, being in service to her beloved home tower and exploring the skies beyond. When Kirit inadvertently breaks Tower Law, the city's secretive governing body, the Singers, demand that she become one of them instead. In an attempt to save her family from greater censure, Kirit must give up her dreams to throw herself into the dangerous training at the Spire, the tallest, most forbidding tower, deep at the heart of the City. As she grows in knowledge and power, she starts to uncover the depths of Spire secrets. Kirit begins to doubt her world and its unassailable Laws, setting in motion a chain of events that will lead to a haunting choice, and may well change the city forever - if it isn't destroyed outright.

Updraft was the June read in a Goodreads group I'm a member of called The Sword and Laser. It was an interesting world of bone towers rising above the clouds, where the primary method of transportation is for individuals to fly using what sounds like a type of hanglider contraption but with more detailed movement.  The picture above looks much larger and more framed than what is described in the book, in my opinion.  Not everyone flies, there are some bridges between towers, and there are flying traders that take goods between towers, of which Kirit's mother is one.  Kirit dreams of being like, and flying with her mother as a trader, but that is not to be, her fate lies elsewhere with other talents.

The structure of this world just brings up so many questions to me.  The bone is living, it grows, it fills in the lower spaces, the Singers can coax it to grow on the top of the towers, adding new living tiers.  So that hints at something very large living below the clouds that these bone towers, spires/spines? are a part of, doesn't it?  They are fairly sturdy, but they do sometimes break, toppling those who live there out of the sky, most likely to their deaths, what other outcome could there be?  What came about to cause a people to live that way?  I hope we learn more in the next book!

I liked Kirit, she knew exactly what she wanted, and it wasn't unreasonable.  The problem was there were so many secrets and past events stacked against her, she really had no chance of realizing her goals.  She was presented with many difficult dilemmas for young adult, and it seemed like the odds were constantly against her.  Sometimes the decisions she made were very unpleasant, in trying for the greater good, and there was a lot of weight on her shoulders.

Overall an interesting read with a very different structure of world, good characters and a plot full of intrigue.  I'm looking forward to the next book, Cloudbound, due out in September of this year.

Challenges:
2016 I Love Libraries Challenge
2016 COYER Summer Vacation
COYER Bingo E4

My TBR List - March 2016 - Faery

Welcome to my March 2016 edition of My To Be Read List, hosted by Michelle @ Because Reading. This is a monthly meme where we offer up 3 choices from our TBR pile for our readers to pick from to help us make the super hard decision of "what do I read next?" a little easier and to whittle away at the ever growing TBR Mountain! 

Theme: Faery, I thought that was an appropriate March idea! ;) Feel free to leave me a comment and tell me which you chose and why.

The poll will stay open through Friday 3/11 , and I'll update this post with the winning book on Saturday 3/12, then post a review on the 4th Saturday of the month, 3/26. (I may be a little late this month, unless I can get it read early!)

If you think this sounds fun and would like to join (the more the merrier, because we love voting!) please head on over to Because Reading where Michelle lays out the rules for us!

And the choices are...

From Goodreads: Sixteen-year-old Deirdre Monaghan is a painfully shy but prodigiously gifted musician. She's about to find out she's also a cloverhand—one who can see faeries. Deirdre finds herself infatuated with a mysterious boy who enters her ordinary suburban life, seemingly out of thin air. Trouble is, the enigmatic and gorgeous Luke turns out to be a gallowglass—a soulless faerie assassin. An equally hunky—and equally dangerous—dark faerie soldier named Aodhan is also stalking Deirdre. Sworn enemies, Luke and Aodhan each have a deadly assignment from the Faerie Queen. Namely, kill Deirdre before her music captures the attention of the Fae and threatens the Queen's sovereignty. Caught in the crossfire with Deirdre is James, her wisecracking but loyal best friend. Deirdre had been wishing her life weren't so dull, but getting trapped in the middle of a centuries-old faerie war isn't exactly what she had in mind . . . Lament is a dark faerie fantasy that features authentic Celtic faerie lore, plus cover art and interior illustrations by acclaimed faerie artist Julia Jeffrey.

From Goodreads: Swept away into a court of magic and beauty, she discovers she is Tania, the lost princess of Faerie: the youngest daughter of Oberon and Titania. Since Tania's mysterious disappearance on the eve of her wedding five hundred years before, Faerie has been sunk in darkness and gloom. The courtly Lord Gabriel Drake, who Tania was once to marry, has found her and brought her back. With Tania's return, Faerie comes alive again as a land of winged children, glittering balls, and fantastic delights. But Tania can't forget Anita's world, or the boy she loved there. Torn between two loves and between two worlds, Tania slowly comes to discover why she disappeared so long ago. She possesses a singular magical ability and she must use it to stop a sinister plan that threatens the entire world of Faerie.

From Goodreads: Meghan Chase has a secret destiny; one she could never have imagined. Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school or at home. When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change. But she could never have guessed the truth - that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil, no faery creature dare face; and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

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Traitor's Masque by Kenley Davidson (Giveaway)

From Goodreads: Eighteen-year-old Trystan Colbourne believes she has nothing to lose. Her father has died, her stepmother has stolen her inheritance, and her stepsisters are as vicious as they are beautiful. If she wants a future beyond their cruelty and indifference, she has just one chance to make it for herself—by accepting an enticing offer from an unexpected benefactor. The offer? A life of freedom in exchange for her part in a harmless deception. Trystan hopes her freedom will give her the chance to find out whether her mysterious new friend Donevan can be trusted with her secrets… and her heart. But trust is a dangerous business, and when her harmless deception turns sinister, Trystan discovers that trusting the wrong person may have placed the entire kingdom of Andar in grave peril. Unwittingly embroiled in espionage, treason, and deadly intrigue, Trystan will be forced to decide who she really wants to be, and how high a price she’s willing to pay to make her dreams come true.

This is not just a Cinderella re-telling. The traditional fairy tale plot line is the driver for Trystan's big decision, but there is so much more to this story than that. Our heroine must grapple with putting what she knows is right, not just over what she wants, but ultimately over her own freedom from an oppressive life, no small thing.  She becomes a changed person in the process, but once decided, never wavers.

The main characters are fully fleshed out and likable, their banter together is fun, further rounding their personalities.  I definitely rooted for them, and enjoyed the supporting characters as well.  As a debut novel I think this was great, and I'm looking forward to more from Kenley Davidson!

It's been awhile since I've done a giveaway, and I think Traitor's Masque is perfect for it!  I would love to share this story by giving away a kindle copy for another reader to enjoy.  That reader could be you! 


a Rafflecopter giveaway I read this for Winter COYER 2015/2016 as I received my copy gratis for review.

Claus: Legend of the Fat Man by Tony Bertauski

From Goodreads: Some legends are forged in fire. Others are born in snow. In the early 1800s, Nicholas, Jessica and Jon Santa attempt the first human trek to the North Pole and stumble upon an ancient race of people left over from the Ice Age. They are short, fat and hairy. They slide across the ice on scaly soles and carve their homes in the ice that floats on the Arctic Ocean. The elven are adapted to life in the extreme cold. They are as wise as they are ancient. Their scientific advancements have yielded great inventions -- time-stopping devices and gravitational spheres that build living snowmen and genetically-modified reindeer that leap great distances. They’ve even unlocked the secrets to aging. For 40,000 years, they have lived in peace. Until now. An elven known as The Cold One has divided his people. He’s tired of their seclusion and wants to conquer the world. Only one elven stands between The Cold One and total chaos. He’s white-bearded and red-coated. The Santa family will help him stop The Cold One. They will come to the aid of a legendary elven known as… Claus.

I know, it's a little late, or early, to be reviewing a holiday book, but I'm FINALLY getting around to writing it up!

I have mixed feelings on this one. I had friends who rated it highly, so maybe that made my expectations too great going in. You don't really get very many holiday fantasy reads, and that is how I would classify this, so that is a point in it's favor. I did like the Reindeer and Frosty, and the manifestation of traditional Christmas ideas into an almost sci-fi setting. Even though it took place here on earth, the technology level of the elven far surpassed the humans, as you can tell just from the blurb above. The plot was fine, I think what I really didn't like was Jack. I know he had to be awful, that was his role in the story, but his constant yelling and childish desires with a ruler's power behind them were annoying, even though I realize that was the point. He was a child throwing a continuous tantrum and it was tiring to me. Now, he does have a plausible reason for being the way he is, but I wonder if we didn't start getting into that too late for me, because I was already done with him by then. He was just too over the top.

I do recommend it if you're looking for some holiday reading, especially fantasy, since most of what it is out there is romance and cozy mysteries. I'm not sure if I'll be continuing the series, we'll see if I'm in the mood around the holidays. I gave this one a 3/5.

This was my first read for the winter edition of COYER. 

Judging by the Cover #2 - Kinuko Y. Craft

Welcome to Judging by the Cover, where I showcase artists that I've discovered through book cover art. 

Kinuko Y. Craft has a unique and enchanting style of art that is immediately recognizable. Her work is so detailed, from ringlets and delicate tendrils in hair, to braiding on clothing and flower petals, there is an ethereal quality to her paintings that is hers alone.

I am mostly familiar with her from the covers of Patricia McKillip novels which I've shown here, but she has also been commissioned to work for Time, National Geographic and The New York Times. Other book covers include Stephen King, Andre Norton and Isaac Asimov, just to name a few.

In addition to those lofty credits, she has illustrated quite a few fairytale retellings, the newest is Beauty and the Beast through Harper Collins which should be out in 2016. You can look at one of her paintings many times and always find a new detail that you had not noticed before.  Visit Kinuko Craft's Website for more details on her life and work.

My To Be Read List - December 2015 - Here There Be Dragons!

So, Christmas happened, and all the lead up to Christmas, and because Christmas was happening, reading wasn't happening. I'm a little over halfway in His Majesty's Dragon, and I do love it! The dragon reminds me of a cross between Toothless from How to Train Your Dragon, and Tom Hiddleston. LOL! Because he can talk, and he's with the British. He's super polite, and wants to please his Captain, but does occasionally assert his own independence when questions of duty or service come up. King and Country don't come first for him, no matter what Laurence (his captain) says. I have no doubt I will continue to love it, so I'll post a full review when I'm finally done! In the meantime, I do highly recommend it if you like dragons mixed in with your history!

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 And the winner by 70%/30%/0% is....

I've been looking forward to these for awhile and I had predicted to myself that's how this vote would go, but I didn't expect it to be by quite so much, and with poor De LeSangre not getting any love!  It's okay, I'll still read him someday. ;)  But for now, dragons to the ready!  We fly at dawn! :D

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Welcome to my December 2015 edition of My To Be Read List, hosted by Michelle @ Because Reading. This is a monthly meme where we offer up 3 choices from our TBR pile for our readers to pick from to help us make the super hard decision of "what do I read next?" a little easier and to whittle away at the ever growing TBR Mountain! 

Theme: Here There Be Dragons! Feel free to leave me a comment and tell me what you chose and why.

The poll will stay open through Friday 12/11 , and I'll update this post with the winning book on Saturday 12/12, then post a review on the last Saturday of the month, 12/26.

If you think this sounds fun and would like to join (the more the merrier, because we love voting!) please head on over to Because Reading where Michelle lays out the rules for us!

And the choices are...

From Goodreads: Here, at last, are the confessions of one Peter DelaSangre, who tells of his life on an island off the coast of Miami...of his lonely balancing act between the worlds of humans and dragons...and of the overwhelming need that gives his life purpose: To find a woman of his own kind...

From Goodreads: Set in a world where dragons--the source of all magic--are fading from existence, this is the story of Jaylor, a journeyman wizard, and Brevelan, a young witchwoman. Faced with a seemingly impossible task, Jaylor and Brevelan must find out who is behind the attempt to destroy the dragons before all magic is forever drained from their homeland.

From Goodreads: Aerial combat brings a thrilling new dimension to the Napoleonic Wars as valiant warriors ride mighty fighting dragons, bred for size or speed. When HMS Reliant captures a French frigate and seizes the precious cargo, an unhatched dragon egg, fate sweeps Captain Will Laurence from his seafaring life into an uncertain future – and an unexpected kinship with a most extraordinary creature. Thrust into the rarified world of the Aerial Corps as master of the dragon Temeraire, he will face a crash course in the daring tactics of airborne battle. For as France’s own dragon-borne forces rally to breach British soil in Bonaparte’s boldest gambit, Laurence and Temeraire must soar into their own baptism of fire.

#MyTBRL

Wishlist Wednesday #9 - Truthwitch by Susan Dennard

Wishlist Wednesday is a book blog hop where we will post about one book per week that has been on our wishlist for some time, or just added (it's entirely up to you), that we can't wait to get off the wishlist and onto our wonderful shelves. It is hosted by Pen to Paper, just click on the button to the left if you'd like to join us!

From Goodreads: On a continent ruled by three empires, some are born with a “witchery”, a magical skill that sets them apart from others. In the Witchlands, there are almost as many types of magic as there are ways to get in trouble—as two desperate young women know all too well. Safiya is a Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lie. It’s a powerful magic that many would kill to have on their side, especially amongst the nobility to which Safi was born. So Safi must keep her gift hidden, lest she be used as a pawn in the struggle between empires. Iseult, a Threadwitch, can see the invisible ties that bind and entangle the lives around her—but she cannot see the bonds that touch her own heart. Her unlikely friendship with Safi has taken her from life as an outcast into one of reckless adventure, where she is a cool, wary balance to Safi’s hotheaded impulsiveness. Safi and Iseult just want to be free to live their own lives, but war is coming to the Witchlands. With the help of the cunning Prince Merik (a Windwitch and ship’s captain) and the hindrance of a Bloodwitch bent on revenge, the friends must fight emperors, princes, and mercenaries alike, who will stop at nothing to get their hands on a Truthwitch.

I've been reading Susan's Something Strange and Deadly series and really enjoying it, so I'm looking forward to this new series of hers!

What books are on your wishlist?