Daughter of the Siren Queen (Daughter of the Pirate King #2)

                Hello happy readers!  Okay so today I am super excited to share my thoughts on one of my most anticipated reads of 2018 and an ARC I walked into a wall when I saw I got….should not check e-mail from NetGalley while walking.  That book is, Daughter of the Siren Queen (Daughter of the Pirate King #2) by Tricia Levenseller.  Now you may know I got the first book last year and it ended up being one of my favorite reads of 2017 so I was super excited for the sequel but you can check out my full review here.   Book two comes out tomorrow 2/27/18 but thanks to the publishers and NetGalley I was able to review it a bit early though my hardcover will be here this week!

Rating:  5 Stars

                When we left Alosa had one of the map pieces  but she set off after but she now had a more personal reason to find the final one and settle a score with the owner after his imprisonment of her forcing her to use her siren gift like a trick for him.  Riden is still recovering on her ship, because he's useful and not because she has undeniable feelings for him in the least, while his much lesser half of a brother is imprisoned at her father's keep.  Getting the final piece of the map is goal one and making sure Vordan pays is icing on the cake.  But when she is faced with Vordan again she is presented with a secret her father has kept from her for years.  A secret that puts Alosa and her crew at odds with the feared Pirate King himself.  With danger everywhere they know they have to reach the treasure first if they want to stand a chance against him.  After all, who better to sale to the island of sirens than a ship of women with the Siren Queens daughter as your captain?

                Book one was one of my favorite books I read last year.  I adored it.  I had this one on my most anticipated list for a long time because I needed more.  We made it a good chunk of the book before we even learned that Alosa is a siren she was just a kick-ass pirate with an awesome crew that ruled the seas and had devious plans using the fact that they were underestimated as females to their advantage.  A treasure hunt for the map piece with a cat and mouse between Alosa and Riden.  It was awesome and then you find out more and it's just mind blowing.  My favorite thing is that she didn't need her ability, she was top dog all on her own and that just made her even better.    So I was totally invested in her character and that of her crew from the start.  This merry band of females (and the occasional male) who hold their own and are just as any man and smarter.  Plus I was really wanting to see what would happen between Alosa and RIden given what was between them already.  Though they are both stubborn, Alosa even more so, so I knew it would be good.

                The action was there full of missions, chases, ship battles, sword fights, and more.  It was a fast fun read that really dived into the character and we got to see a softer side of Alosa we knew was there for her crew but being with them the whole time we see the depth of it.  There was the ups and downs that kept you entranced.  It’s a book about ruthless pirates and killer sirens so there is death and pain and some of it hurt my poor little heart.  There is a lot to be learned in this world still and I love how the siren aspect of things is explored.

                But most of all I loved Alosa and Riden.  They are on unsure footing and watching as they press each others buttons time and time again was amazing.  The sexual tension is so tough.  I wanted to shake them at times for being so pig headed but they were always fun to read and I was glued to the screen of my kindle when they were in the same scene!  I liked watching it play out and the development that went into it as they learned about one another and who they truly are.  It was a huge hit for me.  I can't wait to get my physical copy in the mail and convince my bestie she needs to read this next so I can discuss it in more detail with her.   This was by far one of my favorite books so far of 2018 and one of my favorite series I have read!  Highly recommend! 

                Until next time…

Our Dark Duet (Monsters of Verity #2)

                Hello happy readers!  I hope you all had a great weekend.  I know I was thrilled to see Black Panther, which was awesome, and my family came up and helped me with some yard work for which I appreciate it but still feel all over my sore body.  So my last "car book" aka audiobook I listen to when in the car only (until that point of no return at the end where you have to finish) was the second half of the duology by Victoria Schwab, Our Dark Duet (Monsters of Verity #2) by Victoria Schwab.  I previously reviewed the first book, This Savage Song and really enjoyed it so having finished book two I was able to finish a series towards my goal and read an amazing book!

Rating:  5 Stars

                Kate Harker and August Flynn took different paths at the end of book one.  She went in search of someplace new and monster free or at least where everyone doesn’t know her.  August went back to his side of the city, to his family though as he last fell he is less concerned with being “human” and more in filling his part.  Kate has dealt with monsters all her life and now even though her new town doesn’t believe they have any, she will hunt them.  Until she comes across a new kind of monster that she can’t let get away even if it brings her back to Verity.  August is fighting a battle and the monsters are winning between Sloane and Alice they are even worse than Kate’s father ever was.  This new monster feeds on chaos and brings out the inner demons of its victims making this a monster not so easily vanquished.  Because there are many kinds of monsters, the kind that are out in the open and those in your head and heart.  

"Are you afraid of your own shadow?"

                So I got a thrill as I started this book.  Kate is basically an expert in monsters in this poor town who believes they are free and clear of the violent monsters.  But monsters are made in many ways and she is determined to hunt them down.  She has even found herself in a crew that provide her with technical support, even as she tries to keep them away.  I enjoyed meeting the new characters who were seeing things others weren't ready to acknowledge and help in the way they could.  It also brought me up to see that Kate, despite all she lost wasn't completely alone.  August has Leo in his head and after everything that happened he isn't the same light hearted August we grew to love and hope for he is still in there just more easily drowned out to do what he is meant to do.  Given the severity of what happened in the last book and the build up to it, I love that it played such a huge role on him.  It gives it weight.  I hate when sometimes something is such a huge important thing only after to find it was brushed over in the next part so seeing something have lingering effects was nice.  Horrible but nice in a way only bookish people will understand.

"Kate wondered who was more addicted to their high, serial killers of coffee addicts."

                We got to learn more about the Wardens with Kate but with August we got to see deeper into the FTF and the crew he has in there.  Both have found their respective places even though something is clearly missing.  But we also got a new sunai, Soro.  Soro was very interesting for me from calling it "they" as no gender was associated to the completely utilitarian approach to things.  I loved that how each one was made shaped them.   I also enjoyed the demented Alice and Sloan.  They were next level vindictive and crazy to them that was both horrifying and thrilling. 

"There was a strange place, between knowing and not knowing.  A place where things could live in the back of your head without weighing your heart."

                There is a lot of violence and monsters to be faced and this world has trained our duo well.  They are both trying to fight the dark but it takes them coming together to really understand the darkness and light inside.  I waiting for the first part of them apart wanting so badly to hurry to them back together because August and Kate just had this way together.  Their friendship had been forged through the fire of life and death chases and a deeper understanding of the world as a whole seeing it from the others side.  So much this was so beautifully written.  It made my heart race and tears to fall and I am both happy with the end and sad.  I didn't know what to rate this at first and had to take a few days to let it simmer and not just be upset at the fact everyone didn't get a happily ever after because I knew it wouldn't have been the right ending for this story and these characters.  Still it was an amazing story and a thrill ride from the start.  I am looking forward to reading more by the author in the near future. 

                Until next time…

Wayfarer (Passenger #2)

                Hello happy readers!  It was a very long weekend for me at work and before I retire for to my bed for the day (night shift vampire) I wanted to share my thoughts on a new release and series ender I finished, Wayfarer (Passenger #2) by Alexandra Bracken.  This is the second and final book in the Passenger duology and picks up where we left off in Passenger (review).  Spoilers ahead for book one, if you don't know the easiest way to describe it is a scavenger hunt across the globe and time. 

Rating:  5 Stars

                So in Passenger we left off in a bit of a mess.  Etta had been gravely injured and thrown through time and away from the man she loves, Nicholas.  Etta finds herself with Julian Ironwood, the last person she expected to ever find alive.  She is unsure whom to trust in this world where warring families have been having it out through time for power and she is still so new to everything it's hard to know who she can trust besides Nicholas.  Nicholas had tracked down the treacherous Sophia and finding her in bad shape demanded she live to fight on and help him find the missing astrolabe and with it Etta.  He doesn't believe he will ever trust her but the enemy of my enemy is my friend and all.  They both must make their way through time in search of each other and so much more.

                In Passenger we spend so much time building this amazing world with the rules of the traveling game and getting to know the different characters on the ride of a lifetime.  We get to watch Etta and Nicholas grow close and fall in love and just adore them!  Then they are ripped apart and all you want is for them to magically get back to one another ASAP and then worry about the rest of the major issues in the world.  So when they don't get back together after the first few chapters I knew I would more than likely be suffering for some time as they journeyed towards one another.  It was both beautiful and painful.  It was so beautiful to see how they were separately, to see how they thought of the other no matter the distance, how the other stuck with them through it all in some small part.  Remembering things taught to you by the other and using that knowledge to hold onto…well it just made me so so happy but also so sad because OMG did I want them to get back together all the time!

                 Aside from trying to find one another we are trying to reclaim the astrolabe.  Keeping it out of Ironwoods hands seems to be the only thing most everyone agrees on.  What to do with it after is up for debate.  We see much more of the Thorns and what they stand for and aim to do.  The different timelines and the whole chaos of trying to fix timelines and such is so incredible and complex yet it still manages to make sense.  I was floored.  To be able to write this world and keep everything straight is an impressive feat so huge kudos to Bracken for managing this.   

                We have some new characters, and some old ones we just got to know more about.  Favorite new addition was Li Min.  She is pretty awesome, I love her crafty side.  I liked getting to see a deeper and more real side of Sophia as well.  She was just this teachers pet for most of the previous book trying to impress grandfather and a thorn in my side.  Now she has depth and purpose.  Julian, previously thought dead, was nice as well.  He was what I expected of him.  He wasn't evil or even horrible more that he was caught up in himself to much to see things in front of him.  Though seeing him learn and grow was rewarding.  I also loved the moments with Etta and her father.  Those, while I didn't trust them at first, were so precious.  The duet moment.  Sigh.

                 I liked the combo of Nicholas and Sophia as it went on and she grew on me.  She is fierce and determined and balances things out.  She's the more vicious and blood thirsty of the two which was funny.  Then when Li Min was added the trio became amazing to read.  I loved the interactions and banter between them.  On the flip side I liked how Etta interacted with everyone, experiencing so many new wonders in traveling.  The time with her dad was great reading but seeing her mom again.  That first scene felt so legit.  All the raging emotions fighting for dominance for her and for the reader as we try to figure out how we feel.  I loved it. 

                This book had a lot of ground to cover.  It managed to close out the series so beautifully.  I was biting my nails until the very end.  I had so many emotions I was texting my friend who had finished it a few days before my thoughts as I read.  Wayfarer was a huge success in my book.  I had so many of my questions answered and so so much more.  This book took the beautiful world we came to love in Passenger and made it more vivid and flushed out before ending the main storyline in a way that really left me happy.  It left me feeling hopeful.  I loved it and highly recommend this series! 

                Until next time…

The Mirror King (The Orphan Queen #2)

                Hello Happy Readers!  So I read The Orphan Queen (review) back before I hit my reading freeze or whatever with everything happening and I really enjoyed it.  I was also thrilled, and only somewhat nervous, that it was part of a dualology and that I had the next book ready to go.  So one book left to figure out oh so so much.  So today I’m discussing the sequel and final book, The Mirror King by Jodi Meadows.  Spoilers for the first book as this picks up where the other left us hanging.

Rating:  5 Stars

                When I saw we pick up where we left off, I mean it.  Prince was breaking our hearts announcing his wedding date to his fiancé and not our Wil and then being shot.  We don’t know if he’ll make it and all sorts of madness ensues. I was caught in this because I wanted something to stop the impending wedding but I didn’t want him hurt.  Saving him is of utmost importance and then, despite it all he still must hold true to his plans for the wedding which breaks our hearts in a different way.  What’s harder still is that his bride to be, Meredith,  isn't horrible. 

                The Mirror King had a lot to answer to finish up the journey we started in book one.  More than the clear romantic pairing that is separated by so much that is.  Though I admit to having that high on my list.  What can I saw I'm a romantic.  We also had this Wrath boy to contend with on top of the whole battle against the wraith and battle of kingdoms.  Both Wil and Tobiah are in difficult situations and we keep seeing that no matter how much you may desire something when you have people or a kingdom counting on you its never that easy.

                Meadows drove in deeper with the characters themselves.  We got to really get into Wil's mind and also see much more of some of the others both those we enjoy and those we wouldn’t mind the wraith swallowing up.  No one was one sided and dull but multi-faceted.  Wil in particular really grows to understand herself but also her powers more while struggling with something everyone can understand, insecurities.  While she has her magic sure I love she never uses it as a crutch but rather her strength and skills she has built over the years is her strong base. 

                The fact that there are multiple "villains" in the story both real people and the wraith but also the evil inside ourselves.  I loved the complexity of this.  While it did have a few moments here and there where it seemed a bit slower pace than I would like I was so invested in the story and unraveling it all that I didn't mind.  Still there was a level of seriousness throughout and it is very clear there are consequences to this war and people you love may not make it out alive.  Knowing that no one is safe and trying to figure out constantly a way to possibly resolve this into a happy ending for everyone in my head was intense. 

                Overall as a duology I highly recommend it.  It had all the great elements from complex characters, heartbreak, developed world and story line, and an end that is satisfying.  Sure it may break your heart a million times over but you still love it.  Meadows did a fantastic job of hitting just the right notes of hope and despair throughout.  She also ended things in a way that cleared everything up and didn't leave you with tons of unanswered questions.  I loved it.

                Until next time…

Waiting on Wednesday: Wayfarer

                “Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.  Basically books that are not yet out that we are dying to get our hands on.  This week’s pick is:

Wayfarer (Passenger #2) by Alexandra Bracken

Out: 1/3

From Goodreads:

                All Etta Spencer wanted was to make her violin debut when she was thrust into a treacherous world where the struggle for power could alter history.  After losing the one thing that would have allowed her to protect the Timeline, and the one person worth fighting for, Etta awakens alone in an unknown place and time, exposed to the threat of the two groups who would rather see her dead than succeed.  When help arrives, it comes from the last person Etta ever expected—Julian Ironwood, the Grand Master's heir who has long been presumed dead, and whose dangerous alliance with a man from Etta's past could put them both at risk.

                Meanwhile, Nicholas and Sophia are racing through time in order to locate Etta and the missing astrolabe with Ironwood travelers hot on their trail.  They cross paths with mercenary-for-hire, a cheeky girl named Li Min who quickly develops a flirtation with Sophia.  But as the three of them attempt to evade their pursuers, Nicholas soon realizes that one of his companions may have ulterior motives.

                As Etta and Nicholas fight to make their way back to one another, from Imperial Russia to the Vatican catacombs, time is rapidly shifting and changing into something unrecognizable…and might just run out  on both of them.

Why I’m Waiting:

                Well with how Passenger (review) ended can you blame me?  I have been so ready for this book before the first one officially came out because I read an ARC lol.  So torture waiting for what’s next in this world. 

                What are you waiting on?  Tell me below what you think of this title and leave a link to your WoW as well so I can check it out!

The Rose & the Dagger (The Wrath & the Dawn #2)

                Hello everyone!  So first things my giveaway for a signed copy of the Last Star by Rick Yancey (here) closes later today and I look forward to announcing the winner tomorrow with my Top Ten Tuesday post!  So get your last minute entries in!  That said yesterday I finished a book I had been highly anticipating since January of this year when I finished the first book, The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh (review).  I was so enthralled when I finished that book that I was dying to get my hands on the sequel in the duology, The Rose and theDagger.  When it came out I was in a bit of a slump/behind on some reading and couldn't dive right in, that and I was planning to read it with a friend.  But now that I have finished it I can't wait to discuss it and share all my feels.  If you haven't yet read the first book I highly suggest you do before continuing reading this review or you will be spoiled.

Rating:  5 Stars

                All the feels!  OMG I am in love!  All the things I loved about the first book with the beautiful writing, complex characters, and enticing storyline all continued into the sequel but this time they were upped another notch even I didn't think was possible.  This book will rip out your heart and punch you in the feels hard several times.  I remember reading and feeling my heart literally pounding in my chest.  I also read most of this while at work so I would have to read something that made me want to cry and have to suck it up, no crying at work.  I had read the novellas released up to this point which only amped up my desire to read more. 

                Shazi and Khalid.  They are…epic.  I love them so much.  They went through so much to get where they were and now they are seperated and neither wants it but both are looking after the people of Khorasan and the curse set on them.  Khalid misses her terribly and he hates what has happened to his people.  Shazi is a captive almost in the camp of her first love, the man trying to bring down her husband and true love for the wrongs he has done that she can't explain.  She has her family, her father and sister back but still she wants to find a way to break the curse and save the people before more destruction happens, but most find a way back to the man she loves. 

                Shazi is pretty much a  badass because not only is she faced with so many obstacles she also has her internal ones as well, ie her temper.  But she doesn't let anything stop her.  Khalid you just fall more in love unsure how you could ever have thought anything less of him.  The love he has for her is so rare and true it's impossible to not see and feel.  Still as he loves Shazi he also loves his people and wishes to do anything he can to help them or let those he is close to think he is a monster, OMG his fight with one person in particular wrecked me.

The novellas

                The magic in the first book is small but builds along with the magical tales she weaves and with this one they grow.  Shazi understands she has power and looks to learn more to the purpose of breaking the curse.  We get more about Khalids old tutor and his magic carpet, I'm in the mood to put in my Aladdin DVD as I type this.  Yep solves it I' watching that tonight!  We make even more friends along the way and discover more about old ones as well. I really liked getting to know her sister some more in all of this.  Her first love, Tariq, literally built an army to save her but even he can see he wasn't saving her in the end but that she loved the monster boy-king and having to stay in the same camp, to interact knowing that was as tense and awkward as you would imagine.

                So much is happening in this book.  There is something for everyone and it will make your heart race, break, soar, and more.  It was a never ending thrill ride and I was sad to have reached the end because while I am beyond satisfied with the story it has played out in my heart and mind I don't want it to be over.  I want more of this beautiful world and writing. But this was a duology and it was perfect.  I couldn't ask for anything more.

                 That's it for this one.  PLEASE share your thoughts and feels in the comments below because I am dying to discuss this book.  What did you think of the ending?

                Until next time…

~Waiting on Wednesday~ Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows #2)

                “Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.  Basically books that are not yet out that we are dying to get our hands on.  This week’s pick is:

Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows #2) Leigh Bardugo

Out: 9/27

From Goodreads:

                Kaz Brekker and his crew have just pulled off a heist so daring even they didn’t think they’d survive.  But instead of divvying up a fat reward, they’re right back to fighting for their lives.  Double-crossed and left crippled by the kidnapping of a valuable team member, the crew is low on resources, allies, and hope.  As powerful forces from around the world descend on Ketterdam to root out the secrets of the dangerous drung known as jurda parem, old rivals and new enemies emerge to challenge Kaz’s cunning and test the team’s fragile loyalties.  A war will be waged on the city’s dark and twisting streets—a battle for revenge and redemption that will decide the fate of magic in the Grisha world.

Why I’m Waiting:

                Six of Crows (review) was amazing!  I mean it was epic and awesome and all things great and then that ending.  Do what now???  Yes I’ve been waiting to know what happens next and come on my Inej!  So much went down in the last book and I need to know what happens.

                What are you waiting on?  Tell me below what you think of this title and leave a link to your WoW as well so I can check it out!

~Waiting on Wednesday~ The Rose and the Dagger

                “Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.  Basically books that are not yet out that we are dying to get our hands on.  This week’s pick is:

The Rose and the Dagger by Renee Ahdieh

Out:  5/3

From Goodreads:

I am surrounded on all sides by a desert.  A guest, in a prison of sand and sun.  My family is here.  And I do not know whom I can trust.

In a land on the brink of war, Shahrzad has been torn from the love of her husband Khalid, the Caliph of Khorasan.  She once believed him a monster, but his secrets revealed a man tormented by guilt and a powerful curse—one that might keep them apart forever.  Reunited with her family, who have taken refuge with enemies of Khalid, and Tariq, her childhood sweetheart, she should be happy.  But Tariq now commands forces set on destroying Khalid’s empire.  Shahrzad is almost a prisoner caught between loyalties to people she loves.  But she refuses to be a pawn and devises a plan.

While her father, Jahandar, continues to play with magical forces he doesn’t yet understand Shahrzad tried to uncover powers that may lie dormant within her.  With the help of a tattered old carpet and a tempestuous but sage young man, Shahrzad will attempt to break the curse and reunite with her one true love.

               

Why I’m Waiting:

                I just finished The Wrath and the Dawn and I was completely blown away.  So much so that as I didn’t finish it before the end of the trip I couldn’t wait to listen in the car for the one chapter a day I got, if that, seriously I like 2.5 miles from work.  I pulled the disk out at the start of a new track and put it in the computer, I needed to finish it!  I did that just this weekend and wow did it amaze me.  Now I find that the other half of the duology is out in May not March like I first thought!  SO LONG! I’ve been lucky enough to be able to chat with my good friend Bogdana The Booknerd since she read it a while back and now I understand her suffering.  Basically this one left you hanging at the end with so much that you need the other half.  I’m planning to finish my review today and post it tomorrow which I’ll link here once it’s up. 

  

                What are you waiting on?  Tell me below what you think of this title and leave a link to your WoW as well so I can check it out!