{Book Review} GRAVEBRIAR by Casey L. Bond

  

Gravebriar

Standalone

Casey L. Bond

Released: March 19, 2021

Indy Pub

Blurb:

Sometimes witches hunt their own…

Someone knows my secret and they’re wielding it as the weapon of my execution. I stand accused of poisoning my Gravebriar coven mate. To my fatal regret, I can’t prove my innocence without revealing the truth I’ve long kept hidden: while every other Gravebriar witch are green witches and healers, my magic lies in poisons.

There is one witch who believes me – the same boy who was sent to kill me with instructions to pluck the briars that sprouted from my grave – the only cure for a Gravebriar witch. Forge Silverthorn will be my undoing… or my salvation.

He claims there is a malicious plot vining through the witch town of Cauldron that threatens to tighten around my throat in a deadly noose. Promising I can escape by seeking the help of a banished witch who hides our kind in plain sight, he leads me to a dark circus full of witches.

The ringmaster will only help us if we agree to join his circus of uncanny tricks and diabolical feats for two nights only, using our magic to thrill his patrons. In exchange for our participation under the big top, he’ll divulge the information I need to save my coven mate and clear my name.

But when dark secrets emerge from the shadows of this promised sanctuary, I’m forced to decide if I can truly trust anyone, especially Forge… my would-be executioner, my coven’s sworn enemy, and my could-be love.

My Review:

I'd been meaning to read this one since it first came out and now I wish I'd read it sooner!

I loved everything about this book. The town of Cauldron was fascinating, an entire city of witches. It was really interesting reading about the different types of witches in this world and the amazing things they could do. Everything was so vividly described so as to give the reader a perfect visual. I felt like I was right there in the story.

Castor was a character I could really connect with and I loved her chemistry with Forge. Anyone that likes enemies-to-lovers will really love watching them together. Their heat steams right off the page. 

I also really liked the carnival Castor and Forge end up at and the twist that is uncovered there. 

Overall, I couldn't stop reading this book. I literally was sneaking sections of it while I was at work because I had to see what was going to happen next. I would love to see something more in this world because I really hated leaving it when the book was finished. 

My Rating:

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

5 of 5 Stars!

Book Review: LEGENDARY by Stephanie Garber

Legendary (Caraval #2) by Stephanie Garber

Blurb:

A heart to protect. A debt to repay. A game to win.

After being swept up in the magical world of Caraval, Donatella Dragna has finally escaped her father and saved her sister Scarlett from a disastrous arranged marriage. The girls should be celebrating, but Tella isn’t yet free. She made a desperate bargain with a mysterious criminal, and what Tella owes him no one has ever been able to deliver: Caraval Master Legend’s true name.

The only chance of uncovering Legend’s identity is to win Caraval, so Tella throws herself into the legendary competition once more—and into the path of the murderous heir to the throne, a doomed love story, and a web of secrets…including her sister's. Caraval has always demanded bravery, cunning, and sacrifice. But now the game is asking for more. If Tella can’t fulfill her bargain and deliver Legend’s name, she’ll lose everything she cares about—maybe even her life. But if she wins, Legend and Caraval will be destroyed forever.

Welcome, welcome to Caraval...the games have only just begun.

My Review:

Welcome one, Welcome all back to the world of Caraval! Re-enter the vivid world Stephanie Garber introduced us to in book Caraval - but remember, it's only a game. Or is it? Julian and Scarlett seemed to have gotten their happy ending at the end of Caraval but Tella owes a debt to someone, but who? Legend? Or someone else? And exactly who is Legend? 

While the first game of Caraval was all about finding Tella, this game is all about the mysterious and thought-banished Fates. 

I enjoyed this book much more than I enjoyed Caraval. While it took me until halfway through the book to get swept up in Caraval, Legendary grabbed me right away and kept me engaged (even if I guessed at some of the big reveals in this book long before they were unveiled). 

Tella makes a fantastic heroine because you realize the girl you thought was a flighty airhead in Caraval has many more layers to her than it first appears and I liked her much more than Scarlett - who changes in this book as well. Scarlett is no longer the reluctant spoil-sport we met in Caraval but a girl armed with a fiery temper and secrets of her own. Most of this book I couldn't help thinking, where is Scarlett anyway? And Dante - *swoon* - I loved Dante, give me more! But even the villains were swoon-worthy in this one... I'm looking at you Jacks.

Overall, if you liked Caraval you will love Legendary so sit back, relax, and hang on for this breathtaking adventure! The ending will leave you craving the next book right now. now. now!

My Rating:

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

5 of 5 Stars!

Book Review: By A Charm and A Curse by Jaime Questell

By A Charm and A Curse by Jaime Questell

Blurb:

Le Grand’s Carnival Fantastic isn’t like other traveling circuses. It’s bound by a charm, held together by a centuries-old curse, that protects its members from ever growing older or getting hurt. Emmaline King is drawn to the circus like a moth to a flame…and unwittingly recruited into its folds by a mysterious teen boy whose kiss is as cold as ice.

Forced to travel through Texas as the new Girl in the Box, Emmaline is completely trapped. Breaking the curse seems like her only chance at freedom, but with no curse, there’s no charm, either—dooming everyone who calls the Carnival Fantastic home. Including the boy she’s afraid she’s falling for. 

Everything—including his life—could end with just one kiss.

My Review:

When Emma goes to the carnival with her friend Juliet she has no idea that she won't be leaving anytime soon. While waiting in line she locks eyes with a boy across the way who is helping a girl with a horse, but when a tumbler distracts her and she has a chance to look again, he's gone. Inside the carnival she tries to fit back in with her friend Juliet after years away from town. But when Juliet wants to reintroduce her to old friends Emma hangs back, deciding to get a fortune from The Boy In The Box Instead. 

But the boy in the box is no ordinary teenager and a bottle of wine and a kiss atop the Ferris wheel changes Emma's life forever. Suddenly she's the new Girl in the Box, the magic keeping the carnival running smoothly. Because of the person in the box, the rest of the carnies don't age, get sick, or get seriously injured as long as the person in the box is near by. And the only way to pass on the curse is to kiss someone else. 

This is the last thing Emma wanted from her first kiss, to be trapped in a transformed body where she can't feel anything with the only way out to inflict the same fate on an unsuspecting boy. Especially once she begins having feelings for Ben, one of the boys with the carnival, a boy with desires of his own to leave the carnival life behind for good. 

Is there another way to break the curse? Or will Emma be trapped as The Girl In The Box for  the rest of her life?

I requested this book because I loved the cover  and the blurb appealed to me. I was hoping for a book along the lines of Caraval or Freeks, which I didn't find but even so, By A Charm and A Curse was still an enjoyable, quick read.

This story reminded me a little of Pinocchio, which admittedly wasn't my favorite Disney movie, but I suppose it was a unique idea all the same. I liked the friendships Emma eventually found with Gin and the others and I liked Emma's romance with Ben, although it seemed a little rushed. Wouldn't you be a little cautious of anyone from the carnival, especially a guy, after the whole experience with her first kiss with the boy in the box? And the ending seemed rushed as well. 

Overall, I liked this book but it didn't stand out for me. I liked the carnival theme but the book doesn't seem like something that if you asked me a few months from now I'd easily be able to recall the details. It's a like, not a love.

My Rating:

🌟🌟🌟

3.75 of 5 Stars!

"What I'm Reading" Wednesday #103

This "WIR"-Wednesday I'm halfway through my ARC reading for this month. I can see some quality time with some of the new releases I've picked up recently in sight so I'm pushing through with my second to last eARC. This week I'm halfway through...

By A Charm and A Curse by Jaime Questell

Blurb:

Le Grand’s Carnival Fantastic isn’t like other traveling circuses. It’s bound by a charm, held together by a centuries-old curse, that protects its members from ever growing older or getting hurt. Emmaline King is drawn to the circus like a moth to a flame…and unwittingly recruited into its folds by a mysterious teen boy whose kiss is as cold as ice.

Forced to travel through Texas as the new Girl in the Box, Emmaline is completely trapped. Breaking the curse seems like her only chance at freedom, but with no curse, there’s no charm, either—dooming everyone who calls the Carnival Fantastic home. Including the boy she’s afraid she’s falling for. 

Everything—including his life—could end with just one kiss.

Why I Requested This Book | What I Think So Far:

I first heard about this book when the cover was revealed on YABC and fell in love. Black and hot pink are two of my favorite colors and I love the typography on the cover. And the blurb? The blurb sounded fantastic and reminded me of Freeks by Amanda Hocking which I read last year and loved. I was so excited when I found out I got approved for an eARC and started this book earlier this week. So far I'm liking it, although I thought the beginning was a little rushed. I'm sure it will be a quick read though and I'm interested to see how I feel about the book overall at the end. 

Book Review: Caraval by Stephanie Garber

Caraval by Stephanie Garber

Blurb:

Remember, it’s only a game…

Scarlett Dragna has never left the tiny island where she and her sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval—the faraway, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show—are over.

But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt-of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.

Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. Nevertheless she becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic. And whether Caraval is real or not, Scarlett must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over or a dangerous domino effect of consequences will be set off, and her beloved sister will disappear forever.

Welcome, welcome to Caraval…beware of getting swept too far away.

My Review:

Caraval took me much longer to finish than I expected. As one of the most anticipated releases of 2017 everyone kept telling me how amazing this book was and how I absolutely needed to read it. 

When I started reading I wasn't sure I would finish reading Caraval. As a heroine I found Scarlett annoying at the beginning of this book. She's so afraid of her father that she's forgotten entirely how to be young and have fun. I also didn't like Tella. She was reckless and stupid where Scarlett was overly cautious and too prim. 

I admit, I set this book down. Then I decided to give the audiobook a try and this review will also be part-review of the audiobook. Quickly I will comment on that - this was my first time listening to an audiobook and I enjoyed listening to this story but I found the narrator's voice to be annoying, especially when she tried to throw her voice to sound like Julian, Scarlett, or Tella when she spoke. It made Scarlett sound air-headed and stupid and Julian sound like a sarcastic drug cartel member (haha).

Back to the book - it wasn't until Julian and Scarlett went to the clock shop that I really became interested in the story. It was the main selling point on why I bought the audiobook after listening to an extended excerpt I got when I got this book from OwlCrate in February. I needed to hear more about this dazzling world of Caraval. But it wasn't until Chapter 20 that I really felt like I fell in love with this story. 

The world of Caraval is extraordinary and the author's imagination is astounding! I only wish there really were a place like Caraval. The colors, the people, the sights are all described flawlessly and I could easily picture them in my head as I listened to the story night after night. 

I loved Julian from the beginning, he was the perfect love interest - loyal, protective, saucy, and just frustrating enough that you wanted to shake him until you found out all of his secrets. 

As I neared the ending of this book I kept guessing right along with Scarlett as to how the game would end. Would she be able to save her sister? And just who was the mysterious Legend? Did we meet him during the book and not realize it?

Overall, I enjoyed this book, more so after the halfway point of the book. Caraval is truly unlike any other book. The worldbuilding is fantastic, probably my favorite part of the book overall. It just shines - incomparable to anything else! I know there is going to be a second book, as the ending hinted at more of an adventure for Tella to come, but I can't see the author doing anything more with Julian and Scarlett as main characters. Their story seemed tied up with no loose ends and I hope the author doesn't mess with that.

My Rating:

4 of 5 Stars! 

"What I'm Reading" Wednesday #79

So far this month I've been mostly "miss" when it comes to the books I've chosen to read from my "TBR" shelf. The book I'm reading this week has gotten rave reviews but I'm having trouble connecting with the narrator. This "WIR"-Wednesday I'm reading...

Caraval by Stephanie Garber

Blurb:

Whatever you've heard about Caraval, it doesn't compare to the reality. It's more than just a game or a performance. It's the closest you'll ever find to magic in this world . . .

Scarlett has never left the tiny island where she and her beloved sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval, the far-away, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show, are over.

But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.

Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. But she nevertheless becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic with the other players in the game. And whether Caraval is real or not, she must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over, a dangerous domino effect of consequences is set off, and her sister disappears forever.

Welcome, welcome to Caraval . . . beware of getting swept too far away.

Why I Chose This Book | What I Think So Far:

I received this book in OwlCrate's February box and I've heard that it is amazing. For some reason, I've put it off for a few months but I finally decided it was time to read it. I started reading this book over the weekend and I was really excited, but so far I'm really not liking the narrator. Her personality just isn't appealing to me and I can't even figure out why. I also don't like the random sections that seem to go back in time to when Scarlett and Tella listened to their grandmother tell stories about Caraval. I'm hoping if I keep reading the story will pick up, although for right now I think I'll switch to listening to the audiobook and see if that holds my interest better. 

Book Review: Freeks by Amanda Hocking

Freeks by Amanda Hocking

Blurb:
Mara has become used to the extraordinary. Roaming from place to place with Gideon Davorin’s Traveling Carnival, she longs for an ordinary life where no one has the ability to levitate or predict the future.


She gets her chance when the struggling sideshow sets up camp in the small town of Caudry, and she meets a gorgeous local guy named Gabe. But before long, Mara realizes there’s a dark presence lurking in the town that’s threatening the lives of her friends. She has seven days to take control of a power she didn’t know she had in order to save everyone she cares about―and change the future forever.

My Review:
Mara and her mother arrive in Caudry, Louisiana with their caravan of sideshow freaks in dire straights. The carnival is flat broke and a good turn out in Caudry is their only hope. But they're not just any carnival or any sideshow, no, Gideon Davorin's Traveling Carnival is a safe haven for people with supernatural abilities.

On Mara's first night in Caudry, she meets a handsome townie, Gabe, but she senses there's something dangerous about him. That doesn't stop her from enjoying his company and getting closer to him over the next few days.

Meanwhile, it quickly becomes clear that there is something wrong with Caudry. Within days of arriving the supernatural members of the carnival begin noticing a change in their powers, one of their own goes missing, several of their well-practiced acts go awry, and something stalks them at night.

What is the real reason the carnival was lured to Caudry? What is waiting in the darkness, waiting poised for the right moment to attack? An animal? Or something more sinister? As more of Mara's friends come under attack she may have to step into her mother's clairvoyant footsteps if they have any chance of defeating their invisible assailant. But what is at the heart of the mysterious attacks? And what secrets is Gabe hiding? Could they be tied to the nightly beastly visits?

I enjoyed reading Freeks, filled with paranormal beings, romance, mystery, and a touch of folklore. Mara was a strong character just looking to be accepted after a lifetime of being judged a "freak" and Gabe was a sexy, sometimes too intense (in my opinion) love interest for Mara - but considering the book encompassed a 10-day long span their romance had to develop quickly to fit in with the story.

Three things didn't make sense for me:
      1. Why is the book set in 1987? There was no clear reason for it to be set then and I fear for a YA audience some of the 80s references might not be understood.
       2. The part of the blurb that says: 'She has seven days to take control over a power she didn't know she had in order to save everyone she cares about'  - I felt was misleading because the power she has is sort of hinted at but not really confirmed until the last 40-50 pages and even then it isn't really her power that she uses in the end. So really Mara is still pretty much a normal girl in a paranormal world.
       3. Some of what I assume were 'big surprise' plot twists I could spot a mile away, but that could just be me.

Overall, I really liked Freeks, I found the plotline and story unique and engaging and I loved all of the characters - they all shine and make the book work as a whole. It comes down to this:
    1. Would I reread this or recommend it to a friend? Yes!
    2. If for some reason the author expanded on this world and made it into a series, would I read the next book? Probably.
    3. Did I enjoy the author's writing enough to try some of her other books? Definitely!
    4. Was this book everything I expected it to be? Yes and no, but it was still a really good read.

My Rating:

4.25 of 5 Stars

Freeks is available today, Tuesday, January 3, 2017, from St. Martin's Griffin. Grab a copy today:
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