Reign of Shadows (Reign of Shadows #1)

                Hello happy readers!  Don’t forget to check out my giveaway open until 4/22 for a SIGNED copy of A Crown of Wishes here.  Now for today I am correcting an oversight on my part.  I swear I wrote a review for this book already, like I honestly remember typing up all my thoughts about it but I can’t find it on any computer of flash drive so maybe I just had a very vivid dream.  Anywho I wanted to share my thoughts in the real world on a book I just adored and listened to in one sitting, Reign of Shadows (Reign of Shadows #1) by Sophie Jordan. 

Rating:  4 Stars

                In a world cloaked in darkness for the last seventeen years the world is not a nice place.  Luna, Relhok’s lost princess, has been hiding since she was born and darkness fell, that’s how she stays alive by others thinking her dead.  However when a mysterious Fowler is out in the dark woods braving things Luna is drawn to him.  When her safe home for all these years is attacked they must work together to escape.  Luna realizes things are much more treacherous than she imagined as threats keep stacking up against them.  Falling in love with so many secrets between them may be more dangerous yet. 

                Reign of Shadows is my first Sophie Jordan book and one that I listened to on Audible.  I got it on sale and waiting for my new credit to kick in so I could get another more expensive title but was loving listening to many of my books.  So when I was home from work and not interested in watching any TV to relax and didn’t want to turn the lights on to read I started this one.  I figured an hour or two in I’d go to sleep.  Well that didn’t happen.  I was listening completely entranced in the world and story and then next thing you know when I do start to get tired because well it had been a long day I see how long I have left in the chapter and find I only have about two hours left in the book and it is WAY past my bed time.  I then decide to finish it because I’m already going to be tired the next day I should just finish it or I’d be thinking about it.  So I got less than two hours of sleep that night and it was totally worth it.  Though thinking back about this now I see where I might have “typed” my review and just done it in my head. 

                I really liked the pace of the story it just kept moving forward and did so quickly.  The story was easy to follow and kept you invested throughout.  I liked seeing both Luna and Fowler and what was happening within themselves and how being together really changed them and their plans.  I also loved the whole idea of Luna having the handicap/disability that she does.  I can't think of a better way to say it without spoilers though we learn about it so early I don't worry about it being spoilery just that it was so much better to learn as they reveal it.  She is so strong and determined and doesn't let anything slow her down.  Fowler though, I love how he develops.  He is so closed off and separate from everyone and everything in the start but he starts to see the value in having someone with you and caring about someone else.  And the romance that develops between them is so nice I loved how it progressed. 

                There was so much to love about this story.  Everything from the character development to the journey and action and more.  We are on a mission after all.  Darkness has fallen and we have evil rulers and so so much goodness to work with.  I am looking forward to continuing on in the series but I have to admit I will probably wait to listen just because I liked the first audiobook experience so much.  Maybe I'll listen to book two in one sitting as well?  Though I probably won't start it if I have to work the next day just to be safe.  I highly recommend giving this one a read/listen. 

                Until next time…

Half-Blood (Covenant #1)

                So I’ve had these books for a while, 2014 actually but like a good portion of my library I had not yet read them.  I got them back before YALLfest when I was determined to read all of them and more, seriously my amazon bill around then was insane!  I didn’t make my goal and they have been waiting to be picked up for some time.  So now as I am attending ApollyCon2017 in March and the third book in the spin off Titan series is going to be released I figure I should catch up so I don’t get spoiled.  Side note, anyone attending ApollyCon let me know I’d love to make sure we met up!  So here are my thoughts on book one in the Covenant series, Half-Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout.

Rating: 5 Stars

                Basically this is a world of Pures’ who have a type of elemental magic thanks to their originating from Gods and mortals making babies; and Half-Bloods, the product of a Pure and a mortal, who have no elemental control but they have the added benefit of being able to see through daimon covers.  This along with their strength to fight make them valuable, but not equal.  Oh yeah daimons are evil ones who search out Pure and Half-Blood to suck out and feed on their either in a very painful way.  Pure’s rule things and Half’s either train to be guards or sentinels or becoming doped up servants.  Our MC Alexandria, Alex, wants to fight daimons not waste away as a servant but that is always a possibility if you break the rules.  Several rule their lives but the most important rule of all is to know your place below all Pures’ no relationships between the groups what so ever among other things.  So that makes things difficult when Alex has to train with her long time crush, super-hot Pure Aiden.  She has to catch up and stay alive while avoiding breaking too many rules.   

                So I’ll go ahead and say first thing I did see a lot of similarities in some parts with another book/series I LOVE, Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead.  And you know what?  I didn’t mind.  I loved Vampire Academy and while some things seemed somewhat similar they were different and unique to this story.  Plus come on it’s very rare to find a book/series that doesn’t in some way remind you of something else if you read the same genre a lot.  It’s about making your book/series stand out and Half-Blood did that for me.

                Alex is a strong force of nature whom we meet in a pickle.  We learn about the world rather quickly and it develops overtime and I love how we were taught about the world in a way of others reminding Alex the way of things.  The world isn’t fair.  Half’s are royally screwed.  Become a fighter to risk your life daily or become a slave.  What are those options?  That is something that really drew me in.  Then adding in another, Seth the Apollyon, a Half with power over all elements making him more powerful than a Pure.  Still because he is a Half he is treated like one.  This whole Half/Pure dynamic is really intriguing to me.  I don't agree with it and some of the "rules" really hit some buttons for me but that is what brought it world to life and differentiated it. 

                I love Alex's strong willed and stubborn nature even when at times I feel she is a bit to stubborn about the wrong things.  She  is wild and over the course of the story and working with Aiden who is much more by the book.  He has his own dark past and his own issues but it's fun getting to know him as Alex does, as more than the obscenely hot Pure training her.  He has depth.  I like the combination of them together.

                 Another character I just adored is Caleb.  OMG he is so much fun.  He is the best friend who is strong and solid and down for anything and will stand by you.  But best of all is that is all there was.  Friendship.  No undertones of romance between them on either side.  I liked that they were straight up friends only, brother and sister vibes going on.  And then we have Seth.  He is not my favorite.  Maybe because he just knows how to push Alex's buttons and as we see from her perspective if feels like our buttons as well.  Maybe I was just on edge the whole time because of the rules, I would be royally screwed let me just tell you.

                The overall story, I feel like we covered so much.  There are some developments and things that happened I did not see coming.  And some things I saw I didn't see happening in that way which shocked my socks off.  I loved the action and pacing of the book.  There is always something keeping you going and unable to stop from the character conflicts, romance, tension, action, and intrigue you stay keyed up.  Just when you think you get a moment of rest it knocks you with something else to keep you going in a different way.  I loved it.  I literally dove into book two as soon as this ended.  I only took long enough to make a note where it ended and my final thoughts so I would know where I ended and where to begin my next review which I should have up before long.   Highly recommend.

                Until next time…

The Winner's Curse (The Winner's Trilogy #1) & GIVEAWAY!

                Happy Monday readers!  I hope you all had a great weekend.  Mine was rather problematic from loss of water in my apartment for most of one day and other things being put on hold or off because of it yeah it was not as productive as I'd have liked.  That said I did get a little bit of reading done.  Last month I had the chance to go to my second Fierce Reads tour and see Marie Rutkoski, Anna Banks, Harriet Reuter Hapgood, and Cecelia Ahern.  Now at the time I hadn't read any of their books though I had several waiting for me on my shelves, I know bad me.  Still I was excited to go and meet them.  Since then I have been dying to dive into the Winner's Trilogy by Rutkoski, and having then purchased the final book in the series I was ready to start and picked up book one, The Winner's Curse.  Giveaway details will be at the bottom! 

Rating: 5 Stars

                Book one follows the generals daughter, Kestrel who at seventeen is struggling to face her two choices in life, marry or join the military.  She has a few years to make the decision but her father is bound and determined to convince her to join him in the military.  She isn’t of a mind of the military, she has a sharp whit and good strategy skills but her first love is music, despite the stigma on it being something slaves are used for.  Unexpectedly one day she ends up at a slave auction, despite her distaste for it, she purchases the first one up for auction, Arin.  There is something about him that calls to her.  The price paid may be too steep not in coin but in something of much higher value, something she could never imagine. 

                The world in which this is set in is amazingly thought out and it shows in the writing.  A world where you have two options as a woman, marry or fight.  I like the difference here where in many the women only have the option to marry, the only roll for a woman but in this it allows a different path.  A fantasy world at war, plus there is a map!  The different stories of the past, how the war was fought and how they came to rule over it were really interesting both to the story and to the strategist aspect. Plus the game they play throughout the story Bite & Sting just sounds really interesting and made me want to learn to play and how cool is that to create a game! Which I just found out you can play online here.

                Character development was on point as well.  The two main characters are Kestrel and Arin.  Both are opposites in many ways; the most obvious being generals daughter and slave.  Still they have many things in common, their love for music for one.  They are hot and cold, they seem to connect in some areas but are completely at odds the next.  The start is very much like this, curious about one another but with the history of their people it’s hard to look past it.  Kestrel is conflicted between her choice, she isn’t really interested in marring anyone but she also doesn’t want to join the military.  She wants freedom but not at the cost of military service and by that standard she doesn’t want to marry and sacrifice what little freedom she has to her husband.  She doesn’t see all of Herran as bad, she has deep affection for her nurse maid and she appreciated their love for music and easier way of life before.  Arin on the other hand has some serious anger and resentment issues but given what he has been through what he has seen it stands to reason.  That said even when he is angry he has a softness as well, at least for a few.  He is very conflicted about his feelings for the actions he is a part of. 

                The dynamic of seeing things from both of their perspectives on both sides of the spectrum in different areas pulled the story together.  How they go from enemies to friends of sorts and something more but the emotional conflict as they go back and forth constantly is what really intrigues it.  It’s a slow build and while the romantic aspect isn’t as strong for me as it may be for some, the beginnings are there without a doubt and it has me really interested to know what happens next. 

                The plot of the story is a bit slower in the start as we fall into the world and works because things amp up for sure and keep you on the edge of your seat until the end.  Seriously they aren’t afraid or shying away from the brutality of war in this.  Lots of death and pain happening. I am excited to start the next book in the series and figure out what happens with all the characters and how the decisions of the past book will factor into the story.   

                If you follow me on Twitter you may remember that I posted a poll question asking which book from the tour everyone would most like me to get signed for a Giveaway.  There were a few votes for everything which was rather fun but the poll winner was the final book in this series, The Winner’s Kiss.  So today I have another giveaway for you featuring a signed copy of The Winner’s Kiss (The Winner’s Trilogy #3) and a cool Fierce Reads tote bag!  This is open to US only (you can live anywhere if you have a US address I can send it too) and will be open until Monday June 27^th! 

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