Hero at the Fall (Rebel of the Sands #3)

                Hello happy readers I'm posting to you from my friend's (Bogdana the Booknerd) place as I am spending a couple days with her since I came to town for a book signing event for War Storm (Red Queen #3) by Victoria Aveyard.  More on the event later as I'm typing this before going to make sure it's ready.  That said while I get ready to dive into one series ender it is only fitting that I talk about another series ender I just finished, Hero at the Fall (Rebel of the Sands #3) by Alwyn Hamilton.  I previously reviewed the first books Rebel of the Sands and Traitor to the Throne and this review will have spoilers for the first couple as is the nature.  So let's dive in.

Rating:  5 Stars

                We left off with Amani, the blue eyed bandit, escaping from the Sultan's grasp but it comes with  great cost.  Many of the rebellion are captured including the Rebel Prince they aim to put on the throne, Ahmed.  Amani finds herself taking charge and leading the rebellion as they try to figure a way out of many difficult situations to save Ahmed and their friends and take the throne.  It's a lot to accomplish even for the Demdjii and their remarkable powers.  Her journey will take her to her past she thought she left behind, the mythical city of Eremot and more.  She never set out to be a leader and making hard calls that put those she loves in danger is not what she wants but she is determined to put this rebellion back into the hands of its rightful leader.

                This is the final book and it brings up lots of emotions as with war there is death.  There were times when I was prepared for it and others it just took me by storm and I was left crying at work yet again.  One death in particular got me going then as things continued even as I had an idea what would happen I was all boohooing and couldn't reason it out.   Super vague but if you've you read it you will understand.  I am a character reader and it is impossible to not love and respect Amani who has been through so much and really grown as a person through this incredible journey.  Same goes for Jinn they are there from the start and I just adore their connection as they build better together but strong on their own, never losing sight of their individuality.  Of course the same goes with our other rebels some of my favorites to name a few, Shazad, Sam, Maz, Izz, Delila, and Hala to name a few.  Seriously Shazad is amazing and just as kick butt awesome as Amani.  Sam reminds me of a charming rogue like Captain Jack Sparrow so of course I love him and the twins are always a delight to read as they normally bring some levity. 

"She was all fire and gunpowder, and her finger was always on a trigger."

                The story felt like it flew by as so much was accomplished in such a small time frame but it had been building up and things started to fall into place.  The end was coming.  There is doom and gloom on the horizon for some and they still continue on which I love.  Enemies and Allies.  A fight within and without with the foreigners ready to pounce next there are serious things stacked against our group.  Still no matter how bleak there is still hope and I love that about them.  The mix of magic and strategy really work well.  There is always something happening to make you wonder of the possibilities/repercussions which is always the case when dealing with the Djinni.    

"We would be stories long after we were gone.  Imperfect, inaccurate stories.  Stories that could never even come close to reality." 

                Speaking of we get to know more of the myths and culture that the world is built on.  In both nations.  From a mythical city, old languages, stories from before time remembers fully, and more.  Hamilton found a way to weave in things from book one that fit so perfectly and clicked together I can't wait to re-listen and see if I catch even more.  Overall, this book is a slammed packed series finale.  It covers everything from action, suspense, romance, magic, fantasy, beautiful writing, drama, all the feels, a kick butt female lead and more.  I was not disappointed in the least and I highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys a good fantasy.

                Until next time… 

The Queen's Rising (The Queen's Rising #1)

                Hello happy readers.  I hope you all are having a good week, mine is so close to being back on a regular schedule again.  It's such a pain from knowing your schedule for the year set days then you have 2 weeks where you have to look at the schedule every day to remember what day it is and if you have to work.  Not cool.  But onto more important and much for fun things, Aprils book of the month with Perpetual YA Bookworms was The Queen's Rising (The Queen's Rising #1) by Rebecca Ross.  My thoughts on the book in the different sections can be found in spoilery detail on the discussion board.  In May we have 2 books A Court of Frost & Starlight (ACOTAR #3.1) by Sarah J. Maas which I already finished and reviewed here, and Renegades (Renegades #1) by Marissa Meyer which I hope everyone will join us for!  But onto my review of  The Queen's Rising.

Rating:  5 Stars

                So first off this cover when I first saw it made me want a cloak all the more.  Yes if and when my bestie finally makes us those cloaks she's been talking about making us for YEARS I will totally be the one rocking a cloak like a boss.  We follow Brienna who is put into the Magnalia House to master one of the passions:  art, music, dramatics, wit, or knowledge, and in the end gain her cloak and a patron I was ready.  I was a good student but I think a cloak would have motivated me more than a piece of paper…I'm just saying.  Struggling to find her place she chose to study knowledge much later than she many others and when her seventeenth summer solstice comes she finds herself without a patron.  Still things are not over for her as she discovers something different about herself aside from being of both Velenia and Maevana.  Brienna ends up taking many risks as she takes on an unexpected and unorthodox patron as she fights to restore the rightful queen to the Maevana throne.  War is building and sides are drawn as Brienna uses the gifts she was given and must choose her own side. 

                So right off the back we have the mystery of her parentage not knowing who her father is just that he is Maevana.  The rules are bent in order to allow her, a sixth girl into the program despite her not having an initial talent.  Brienna goes from passion to passion not finding her place right away like the others but they are all so supportive and really a great sisterly pack.  I do hope we get to see more of Ciri, Oriana, Abree, Sibylle, and Merei as the series continues on.  They were a nice part of the first part of the book and I loved their interactions as they worked with one another.  Honestly I think Brienna is the most unique not just by her parentage but because she has spent time with each passion she is a fuller individual for it drawing on a small thing learned from each one.  She wouldn't master them but she took something from each and I love that.  Then of course in Magnalia we have to talk about her Master of knowledge Cartier.  I enjoyed watching him build her up and encourage her. 

                Things get much more interesting as the world continues to grow and build as we leave the Magnalia house and learn about Maevana and how some plot to take the kingdom back and put it back into the hands of the rightful queen as a king was never meant to rule.  I loved this aspect.  The uprising and espionage here but also that it is a woman's land to rule.  They are trying to find the two pieces they need to make their stand and Brienna is the key to finding one of them.  She begins to learn more about Maevana history and customs, learning the other half of herself.  I like the balance between the two, again making her a beautiful balance.  I also like that she is fighting to help the rightful queen, she is just a cog in the wheel rather than the main part which is different from most fantasy I have read as of late.  So that was neat. 

"If you offend a Valenian, you lose your reputation.  But if you offend a Maevan…then you lose your head."

                There is a really slow build romance happening that while I wanted more it wasn't the primary focus as higher priorities took president but it was still there in the background just simmering to a boil.  It was done with great care.  The world building really went all out.  I was enjoying all the different locations greatly as we dove deeper into things.  This is a beautiful world made more beautiful by the writing.  I look forward to seeing more in the world even though I could say this title could have easily been a stand-alone I am curious to see what more will happen.  This was an amazing book and even more amazing debut!

                Until next time…

The Orphan Queen (The Orphan Queen #1)

                Hello happy readers!  I hope you all had a great weekend.  I finished up a read along on our Goodreads group Perpetual YA Bookworms reading The Orphan Queen (The Orphan Queen #1) by Jodi Meadows and we start the sequel and conclusion of the dualology The Mirror King today to finish off the series.  But before I dive into book two I wanted to share my thoughts on book one.

Rating:  5 Stars

                The Orphan Queen is a story following Wilhelmina and while she has multiple identities at the moment through and through she is a princess of a kingdom taken over by the Indigo Kingdom ten years before in the One Day War.  She and many others were left orphans and taken into the Indigo Kingdom but as they escape they took on the title of Ospreys and learn stealth and theft anything to survive and take back her thrown.  To do so she will work as a spy and infiltrate Skyvale Palace and gather information on their foes.  However, taking her throne back isn't that simple, on top of dealing with those difficulties there is a much larger issue at stake, the Wraith, toxic by-product of magic making magic illegal for years, is working it's way across the continent laying waste to the land.  Even if she manages to get her crown back she will still have to contend with this threat.

                Let us start with Wil, she is different than what I have come to expect from characters reclaiming their thrown.  She may be the rightful queen but her and the Ospreys have a different leader of their group, Patrick.  His father was the former General and he was the oldest when they escaped making him the best choice to get them where they needed to be.  Wil is a skilled fighter, they all are after years of surviving, which makes her pretty bad ass.  We also learn from the start she herself has magic, a flasher, but thankfully no one knows or she could be killed.  With magic being illegal and the cause of the Wraith it's a touchy subject.  She's a master forger and loves the art of writing and drawing and I enjoyed the way it played out.  As a future queen of her people she also sees a larger picture and while she lets others lead she does not blindly follow but questions and looks for her own answers.

                In Skyvale one figure in particular hunts down flashers and those who hurt the city, Black Knife.   Black Knife is a very complex character.  He is one to be feared but as we continue we come to see more of him and just what he does.  He is a vigilante but he also is doing so to save the people of the city which is commendable.  I think I liked this character the best as I got to know him and even as I suspected who Black Knife was beneath the mask early on it was fun to watch it play out.  I don't think the identity is meant to be shocking, I think there is enough out there to make the reader suspect and in turn enhance the character without fully confirming until the final section. 

                The characters and their interactions were what really moved things along for me.  I was invested in them, Patrick and his rule of the Ospreys and did I trust him or not, her best friend Melanie and did I suspect her, the other ladies of court while under cover and their motives.  Clearly I distrust everyone it seems.  We also can't forget some of our men, Prince Tobias and his cousin / guard James and of course our masked Black Knife all of whom have their moments both good and bad.  All of them formed a web that makes you want more.  And if that isn't enough you really get to dive into the whole world of Skyvale and the Wraith.  Trying to figure out what it is and how to stop it and the beasts it creates keeps you guessing.  What is rumor, myth, and what might actually help.  All while giving us hints of the past with connections and magic itself.  Along with pieces of what Wil herself can do as she struggles with what she thought she knew of the past and what is becoming clear may be well and true. 

                Overall it really took off and after the first 70 or so pages where I enjoyed it I moved to hard to put down.  I am so glad I waited to read this book though because with the ending that I had now I don't have to wait to read what happens next and how the story ends.  I will be starting The Mirror King today and I will share thoughts once I finish.  Until then I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments about the intrigue, action, magic, and moving parts in this fantasy. 

                Until next time…

~A Web of Hearts and Souls Special~

               Hey there everyone!  So I have some exciting news.  I had the pleasure of discovering this very unique series a while back with Rivulet.  It is multiple series that are part of a larger overall series.  Each series can be read alone or read together where the series combine into one large story in the Web of Hearts and Souls universe.  

               I'm super excited for the second book in the Rivulet series to come out soon but as I enjoyed it so much I've been working on the other series as well and back to the great news, there is a special this week with the first 4 books in the universe are free!  Yep 4 books for $0 this from Oct 12th-16th.  The first 4 books in the Web of Hearts and Souls universe which includes the first 3 of the Insight series and the first book in the See series.  All the details are below.  Take a look.

 

FREE on Amazon Oct 12th-16th: http://amzn.to/1jhp6IZ

Box set contains 4 novels: Insight, Embody, Image, & See. 

Special note to the reader: The INSIGHT series is part of the “Web of Hearts and Souls Universe,” where several series combine into one large story. All series can be read independently or as one. The reading order for the Insight Series: • Insight • Embody • Image • Vital • Vindicate • Enflame • Imperial (Story of the Sovereigns) • Blakeshire (Drake’s Story) • Emanate  

Insight (Insight #1 Web of Hearts and Souls #1) Some say that dreams are the doorway to the soul. Willow Haywood is no stranger to that doorway. Each night she shares a blissful, silent dream with a stunning blue-eyed boy. With each new moon she is haunted by a painful nightmare shared with a different boy, who’s always hidden by the shadows. In her waking hours she must battle her sixth sense. The one that allows her to feel others emotions as if they were her own. This insight is exhausting and frustrating causing her to draw inward, only trusting her family and few close friends. Oddly, this sense also attracts ghostly images that seem to appear out of nowhere. With a touch, they take her to wherever they may be, allowing her to change their emotion. This alone would cause most to go insane, but Willow filters her aggression by painting, capturing the emotion she changed. One August night a nightmare came days after the new moon. In this dream the shadowed boy marked her wrist with star, leaving her father no choice but to sha re a family secret that would tie all of the odd attributes of Willow’s life together. Now, she has no choice but to outrun the fate that is closing in around her. In an attempt to lure her, the shadowed figure captures her closest friends. In order to save them, she must weave through broken myths, half truths, and the undeniable power of the Zodiac. With each step she takes Willow comes to realize that she has lived before, her path is one that she chose, and this trial is simply the beginning.   

Embody (Insight #2 Web of Hearts and Souls #2) Not many Scorpio’s are known for their patience, and Willow Haywood is no different. Her only desire is to love Landen Chambers and redeem the lost souls of Esterious, but the path to that desire is long, dark and dangerous... Before Willow’s life had a chance to balance the sudden revelations and grief she had to endure to get to Chara a disturbing discovery is made. A photo, one that shows Willow blissfully embracing the flawless image of Drake Blakeshire; giving her not only proof that she had lived before, but that she had loved him. Running away from the memory of Drake’s hypnotizing touch, and the prophecy set before her seemed like the logical thing to do. That is, until a dark dream reignites her passion to save the hopeless dimension of Esterious. Willow struggles to find patience – to learn everything she needs to know before she faces Drake again, but her eagerness is dangerous and one step in the wrong direction takes everything and everyone away from her – the only way to survive this trial is for Willow to remember who she is and what she really wants out of this life.   

Image (Insight #3 Web of Hearts and Souls #3) There is an ominous darkness; one that is so dense and mind-numbing that you can feel the chills race across your skin as the energy of its hatred hovers near you. They thought that it was over… that he was dead… they never imagined that he was more powerful dead than he ever was alive. The dark dimension Esterious is on the brink of war, the victory Willow had a few days ago is nothing more than a vague memory. With each thought she has, she fights the images of Drake’s dark eyes and his words… his promises. Doubt seeps into her soul as she faces what could be the hardest battle she has faced so far. Every prediction and theory is about to be proven wrong… and the choice before Willow’s heart holds the lives of millions at stake. The question is: will she be able to see through the illusions before her and make a choice… she can live with?   

See (See #1 Web of Hearts and Souls #4) The heart never forgets... After a tragically haunting night out with her friends Charlie Myers knew that part of her was stolen. She was missing memories. Those memories were sacred. They held the key to her sanity. They told her that the sinister whispers, and the shadows that came to life before her, were not as ominous as she felt they were. They caused her to forget the one talent that allowed her to face the darkness that haunted her every waking hour. They also masked a much deeper bond, the face of the one that had stolen her heart, long before that disastrous night. Her story begins now. 

About Jamie Magee

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Jamie Magee has always believed that each of us have a defining gift that sets us apart from the rest of the world, she has always envied those who have known from their first breath what their gift was. Not knowing hers, she began a career in the fast paced world of business. Raising a young family, and competing to rise higher in that field would drive some to the point of insanity, but she always found a moment of escape in a passing daydream. Her imagination would take her to places she’d never been, introduce her to people she’s never known. Insight, her debuting novel, is a result of that powerful imagination. Today, she is grateful that not knowing what defined her, led her on a path of discovery that would always be a part of her.