It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - 12 April 2021

#IMWAYR is a weekly meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at The Book Date.

Happy Monday Bookdragons! Last week I got back on track and had a really good reading week. 

What I Read Last Week: 

Shiver by Allie Reynolds

I really enjoyed this book. It's a locked-door thriller set at a ski/snowboarding resort in France with And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie vibes. I kept seeing it on bookstagram and it was definitely worth checking out!

The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse

I did not enjoy it at all. I should have known because it's a Reese Witherspoon pick and I'm always leery of her choices. But I kept seeing it on bookstagram and it sounded good so I bought it at the same time as Shiver. They seemed like they were both on the same theme and I should have enjoyed them both. It started out creepy and promising. But only a few pages in I couldn't stand the main character, Elin. Even that far into the book I wondered how she could possibly have ever been a detective with the type of personality she had. Anxiety and being a cop are not a good mix. I got about 30-40 pages in but I couldn't get past how much I disliked Elin. 

Currently Reading:

Mina and the Undead by Amy McCaw

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Next Read

Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts by Kate Racculia

I've had this book for a while and I'm determined to read it this month. I actually thought it was about something completely different when I picked it up than when I just read the blurb as I was preparing this post so I'll see how I like it. It's worth a shot right?

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 What are you reading this week? Have you read any of these books?

{Release Day Blitz} MONSTERS & MIST

 

Title: Monsters & Mist

Author: Taylor Fenner

Genre: Standalone Upper YA High Fantasy

Release Date: March 19, 2021

Blurb

The Girl with Warrior Aspirations.

The Playboy Prince. 

The Ruthless Queen.

One will seek to enslave the world. One will lead the rebellion. And one will be the catalyst.

The Warrior General with a tragic past.

The Disgraced Bounty Hunter. 

The Girl with the Constellation on Her Face.

One will rise to the challenge. One will return what was once lost. And one will embrace their destiny. 

Six lives. One world borne anew.

ADD TO GOODREADS

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AUTHOR BIO

TAYLOR FENNER is the author of seven Young Adult and New Adult novels and several short stories. Her Young Adult Fantasy Retelling, CURSEBREAKER was shortlisted for the 2017 Ozma Award for Fantasy Fiction. 

Taylor is a twenty-something book junkie who devours books in most genres, although she has a soft spot for thrillers and horror novels and dreams of writing one someday. 

Taylor lives in Clintonville, Wisconsin with family and her two cats, Tiger and (the aptly named) Houdini. Besides writing, she loves horror movies - she says classic horror is the best - as well as cooking, Heath bar lattes, bullet journaling, and obsessively planning for Halloween starting in July (it’s never too early). You can follow Taylor on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter.

AUTHOR LINKS

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GOODREADS

OTHER BOOKS BY TAYLOR

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PAPERBACK

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[Cover Reveal ] DAWN TILL DUSK by Tyffany Hackett and Becky Moynihan

Today I’m helping out two of my author friends - who both have amazing series individually - reveal the cover of the first book in their collaborative project the Genesis Crystal Saga...
Dawn Till DuskGenesis Crystal Saga Book 1Tyffany Hackett and Becky MoynihanMay 26, 2020New Adult, Urban Fantasy, Andventure, Romance
Blurb:

Discover Nathra City’s darkest secret.

Pain and hatred consume Tarik, the hot-headed Fae whose addiction to fighting shifters could be the death of him. Stuck in a city ruled by dragons, seeking vengeance is his only mission.

As a shifter, and the city’s Night Enforcer, Reagan’s job is to stop him. She quickly learns that trouble follows him at every turn, and keeping him alive leads her to make decisions that may have deadly consequences.

When a disastrous event forces these long-standing enemies to unravel a sinister plot, prejudice must be pushed aside. And lurking beneath the hatred is something neither of them are prepared for.
Preorder Incentive
Anyone who preorders a signed paperback or submits proof of an ebook preorder will be sent a swag pack! The pack includes two bookmarks—one for Reagan and one for Tarik—each featuring character line-art by Carrow Brown (@carrowbrown on Instagram) and also a print of Tarik and Reagan done by Gabriella Bujdosó (@gabriellabujdoso on Instagram)

Book Review: Heart of Thorns by Bree Barton

Heart of Thorns (Heart of Thorns, #1) by Bree Barton

Blurb:

In the ancient river kingdom, touch is a battlefield, bodies the instruments of war. Seventeen-year-old Mia Rose has pledged her life to hunting Gwyrach: women who can manipulate flesh, bones, breath, and blood.

Not women. Demons. The same demons who killed her mother without a single scratch.

But when Mia's father suddenly announces her marriage to the prince, she is forced to trade in her knives and trousers for a sumptuous silk gown. Only after the wedding goes disastrously wrong does she discover she has dark, forbidden magic—the very magic she has sworn to destroy.

My Review:

I'm going to be embarrassingly honest for a minute. I received this book in the July Fairyloot box but I wasn't really looking forward to reading it. I put it on my September TBR because I'm trying to get through some of my owned-but-unread books.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. The story grabbed me right away and kept me riveted until the last page. While I think the magic system was a little underdeveloped I really loved the plot, the characters, and the setting. 

I finished this book instantly wishing I could read the second book right away and the wait is probably going to kill me. The betrayal toward the end of this book was a shock I didn't see coming followed by the bomb-drop realization that follows. 

This book also has a really strong feminist message to it that I absolutely loved. 

Overall, if you're looking for a book with a lot of girl power where the main character must learn how to utilize the one thing she's most afraid of to survive, a hint of romance, and a great adventure that will leave you breathless you will love Heart of Thorns!

My Rating:

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

5 of 5 Stars!

Book Review: My Plain Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows

My Plain Jane (The Lady Janies, #3) by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows

Blurb:

You may think you know the story. After a miserable childhood, penniless orphan Jane Eyre embarks on a new life as a governess at Thornfield Hall. There, she meets one dark, brooding Mr. Rochester. Despite their significant age gap (!) and his uneven temper (!!), they fall in love—and, Reader, she marries him. (!!!)

Or does she?

Prepare for an adventure of Gothic proportions, in which all is not as it seems, a certain gentleman is hiding more than skeletons in his closets, and one orphan Jane Eyre, aspiring author Charlotte Brontë, and supernatural investigator Alexander Blackwood are about to be drawn together on the most epic ghost hunt this side of Wuthering Heights.

My Review:

I was so excited when I read that Jane Eyre would be the next subject for The Lady Janies. Why? Well I've never quite been able to get into any of the Bronte sister's books and the movie version of Jane Eyre left me bored to tears, but a retelling of it? Yes please! 

My Plain Jane is hilarious. I was hooked from the very beginning as the reader follows the perspectives of Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte, and Alexander Blackwood. This is not the Jane Eyre you've read before, no this book is a silly, ghost-filled journey of friendship and first love. 

I really, really enjoyed the book as a whole and applaud the authors on this unique take on the classic novel. I really liked that they wrote Charlotte Bronte and her family into the story. It reminds me a little bit of Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler where Courtney encounters Jane Austen. 

After reading My Plain Jane, I definitely want to go back and read My Lady Jane and can only wonder where the authors will take us next! 

My Rating:

🌟🌟🌟🌟

4 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: Imber by Tyffany Hackett

Imber (The Thanatos Trilogy #1) by Tyffany Hackett

Blurb:

The locks are failing.

The keys are calling.

The Titans are waking.

Crowned before her time, nineteen-year-old Natylia is thrust into an unpleasant reality—her people don’t want her, her family doesn’t need her and, despite her best efforts, she can’t seem to shake an incorrigible suitor. But when rumors begin to swirl throughout her kingdom the young queen shifts her focus and realizes that the world she loves could be destroyed in an instant.

An ancient enemy, long thought gone, is trying to return.

Forgotten legends have resurfaced, stories that tell of three scepters: the keys to unleashing these foul beings. Across Araenna the hunt rages for this trio of formidable power—to command the keys is to hold the power of mortal gods.

Aided by her snarky elven bodyguard, an unassuming blacksmith, and a clever nature witch, Natylia races to correct the mistakes of the past… before they can destroy her people’s future.

My Review:

I've been excited to read Imber since I first heard about it and it was well worth the wait! 

19-year-old Natylia is about to ascend the throne of Thrais after petitioning the Council to let her take over for her sick mother who may not live the five years until Natylia is supposed to take over. Unfortunately, the people of Thrais think Natylia is stealing the throne from her mother, their beloved Queen - and they're not happy about it. 

When Natylia overhears her mother and Kathryn, the Queen of Wydus talking about mysterious scepters that have the ability to awaken and control Titans long thought gone and her mother is murdered mere days later, Natylia knows she has to find the scepter hidden somewhere within Thrais to save her people - even as accusations and unrest from subjects intensify.

After her mother's funeral, Natylia leaves the palace aided by her elven guard, Jyn, the palace witch, Meryn, and a blacksmith/Natylia's sparring teacher, Camion to enter the dark and forbidding forest where they believe the scepter is hidden.

Natylia will have to be strong and rely on her friends as she faces the dangers ahead if they have any hope of surviving their adventure...

This book is a definite must-read. I loved the characters and as mentioned before, the plotting, world building, and pacing are well-developed keeping the reader hooked on the story. I liked the slow-burn romance between Natylia and Camion, even though in the beginning I was sure Jyn had feelings for Natylia himself. The romance didn't overwhelm the story, it was just enough and I hope it's delved into a little more in the next book now that we know how Natylia and Camion feel about each other. I do foresee Lucian causing grief in books to come however...

I liked how this book ended, giving you a reprieve while at the same time setting up nicely for the next book and making you want to see what's going to happen next. Will Natylia find the next scepter before someone else does? Who are the Cloaked Shadows working for and why? Are the King and Queen of Kalum involved or is someone just making it look like they are? What if Natylia's true enemy is disguising themselves as an ally? So many questions and I can't wait to find out more in the next book! 

Overall, I highly recommend Imber. It's a fantastic debut novel. You'll love the characters and quickly become addicted to the story. Natylia reminded me slightly of Aurora in Roar by Cora Carmack, (a girl who felt unprepared to take over her kingdom who goes on a grand adventure). Fantasy lovers will also fall in love with the world of Araenna!

My Rating:

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

4.75 of 5 Stars!

"What I'm Reading" Wednesday #118

I'm really excited about the book I'm reading this "WIR"-Wednesday. It's an upcoming release by a writer I met on #bookstagram!

Imber (The Thanatos Trilogy #1) by Tyffany Hackett

Blurb:

The locks are failing.

The keys are calling.

The Titans are waking.

Crowned before her time, nineteen-year-old Natylia is thrust into an unpleasant reality—her people don’t want her, her family doesn’t need her and, despite her best efforts, she can’t seem to shake an incorrigible suitor. But when rumors begin to swirl throughout her kingdom the young queen shifts her focus and realizes that the world she loves could be destroyed in an instant.

An ancient enemy, long thought gone, is trying to return.

Forgotten legends have resurfaced, stories that tell of three scepters: the keys to unleashing these foul beings. Across Araenna the hunt rages for this trio of formidable power—to command the keys is to hold the power of mortal gods.

Aided by her snarky elven bodyguard, an unassuming blacksmith, and a clever nature witch, Natylia races to correct the mistakes of the past… before they can destroy her people’s future.

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

I've been excited to read this book since I first saw Tyffany talking about it on Instagram. She's put a lot of time, care, and love into this book and I was eager to get a copy so I ordered a signed copy as soon as I could from her website. I started reading on Sunday and it is really good! I love the characters and right now I can't decide if my favorite character is Meryn or Camion. The plotting and pacing is really good and I'm eager to see how it will end and set up for the next book. Imber comes out June 12th and you can preorder an ebook edition on Amazon or order a signed copy from Tyffany's website (and you'll probably get the signed paperback before the release date like I did 😉). #ReadIndie #SupportIndieAuthors

Cover Reveal: Echoes by Alice Reeds

Today I'm helping Alice Reeds and Entangled Teen reveal the stunning cover of her upcoming novel, ECHOES!

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Let us know what you think of the cover for Echoes by Alice Reeds, which releases August 7, 2018!

This cover reveal is brought to you by Entangled Teen.

About Echoes:

"Fast-paced and thrilling. ECHOES is a heart-pounding and addictive love story." —Mia Siegert, author of Jerkbait

They wake on a deserted island. Fiona and Miles, high school enemies now stranded together. No memory of how they got there. No plan to follow, no hope to hold on to. Each step forward reveals the mystery behind the forces that brought them here. And soon, the most chilling discovery: something else is on the island with them. Something that won’t let them leave alive. Echoes is a thrilling adventure about confronting the impossible, discovering love in the most unexpected places, and, above all, finding hope in the face of the unknown.

Want to read more? Pre-order your copy of Echoes by Alice Reeds today!

Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo | Entangled Publishing

About Alice Reeds:

Alice Reeds was born in a small town in Germany but spent her first eight years in Florida, USA. Later on, she moved back to Europe, where her family moved around a lot. She was raised trilingual and has a basic understanding of Russian, read and spoken. After getting her International Baccalaureate Diploma, Alice is studying English Language and Literature at University. In her free time Alice mostly writes, reads, figure and/or roller skates, or watches countless let's plays and figure skating videos. 

Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon | Entangled Publishing

CurseBreaker Blog Tour Schedule

It's less than a month until the release of CurseBreaker which means it is time to announce the CurseBreaker Blog Tour Schedule! The blog tour will run January 1-3, 2018! Follow the tour to read exclusive excerpts, book reviews, and guest posts all about my YA Historical Fantasy / Fairytale Retelling Novel. 

About the Book:

Title: CurseBreaker 

Genre: YA Historical Fantasy Fairytale Retelling

Author: Taylor Fenner

Publisher: Taylor C. Fenner Publishing

Release Date: January 2, 2018

Blurb:

A Scorned Queen, A Cursed Prince, A Girl begging for love and adventure...

History Channel's Vikings meets Norse Folklore and Mythology in this High Fantasy retelling of the Norwegian Fairy Tale, East O' The Sun and West O' The Moon.

Eighteen-year-old Helga "Hel" Daalgaard has accepted that the only love and adventure in her future live within the pages of the books her father brings for her from his travels. She's content helping around the home she shares with her parents and eight siblings; it may be a dull life but it's all she's ever known... until a polar bear arrives at their tiny cottage and offers up a strange proposal. 

After spurning his young stepmother's advances, Prince Dyre is cursed to spend his days in the body of a polar bear. To break the curse he must find a woman to fall in love with him and stay with him for a year - but the woman of his choosing can never learn that he is truly a man or Dyre will be forced into a future even worse than spending his days as a polar bear. He thinks Hel could be the one to break the curse, but if Hel ever finds out what brought them together he may lose her forever.

Nobody ever crossed Viveka, Queen of Aldavellir, and lived to tell about it. Dyre is the only man alive that has turned her down but she'll have him whether he likes it or not. She'll make it impossible for the girl he's chosen to last long enough to break the curse. After all, queens don't have to play fair.

Tour Schedule:

January 1, 2018

@ BeautyGuise - Review & Excerpt

January 2, 2018

@ Taylor Fenner's Bookish World - Release Day Blitz & How Vikings Inspired My Writing Process

January 3, 2018

@ Reader With A View - Review & Guest Post

CurseBreaker will be released on January 2, 2018!

Pre-Order CurseBreaker

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iBooks | Kobo | Add to Goodreads

Book Review: Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton

Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton

Blurb:

Mortals rule the desert nation of Miraji, but mythical beasts still roam the wild and remote areas, and rumor has it that somewhere, djinn still perform their magic. For humans, it’s an unforgiving place, especially if you’re poor, orphaned, or female. Amani Al’Hiza is all three. She’s a gifted gunslinger with perfect aim, but she can’t shoot her way out of Dustwalk, the back-country town where she’s destined to wind up wed or dead.

Then she meets Jin, a rakish foreigner, in a shooting contest, and sees him as the perfect escape route. But though she’s spent years dreaming of leaving Dustwalk, she never imagined she’d gallop away on mythical horse—or that it would take a foreign fugitive to show her the heart of the desert she thought she knew. 

This startlingly original Middle-East-meets-Wild-West fantasy reveals what happens when a dream deferred explodes—in the fires of rebellion, of romantic passion, and the all-consuming inferno of a girl finally embracing her power.

My Review:

Life is hell for Amani in the small town of Dustwalk, Miraji, where women have no rights at all. A year ago her mother was hanged for killing her abusive father and she had no choice but to move in with her equally abusive aunt and her uncle, who wishes for her to become another one of his wives. Her only escape lies in posing as a boy and competing in a shooting competition. If her perfect aim can win her the contest she'll have enough money to get out of town and travel to the capital to live with her mother's sister. 

At the shooting competition she meets Jin, an attractive foreigner with nearly as good an aim as Amani's. When chaos erupts Jin gets her out of the bar/shooting venue and with nearly no money left to her name Amani is forced to return home, assuming she will never see Jin again. 

Fate has other plans and Amani crosses paths with Jin again, except now Jin is wanted by the Miraji soldiers for treason. They escape Dustwalk together on a mythical horse made of sand called a Buraqi, but can Amani really trust Jin, a guy she barely knows who is hiding plenty of secrets? Will they be able to work together to escape from the soldiers that hunt for them at every turn? As they get to know one another better the lines between allies, friends, and something more begin to blur, but could they really have a future? Or will secrets and lies tear them apart? What does Jin know about Amani that he doesn't want her to find out?

When I first started reading Rebel of the Sands, I wasn't sure I was going to like it, but I quickly got swept away into the story. Amani is a badass character who knows her way around a gun and isn't afraid to defend herself, even though Jin keeps trying to swoop in and save her at every turn. 

I found the clash of Wild West meets Middle East world building to be really unique, even though initially I thought that would be the one thing that would turn me off about the story - luckily it wasn't because I devoured this book quickly, not wanting to put it down until I found out what was going to happen next. 

Rebel of the Sands was anything but predictable because I honestly did not see some of the twists coming, this story definitely kept me on my toes. Overall, if you're looking for an action-packed adventure with a strong female lead, strong supporting characters, and a swoon-worthy male lead, Rebel of the Sands is definitely the book to read. I can definitely see how it captured readers hearts and won best Debut Goodreads Author in the Goodreads Choice Awards for 2016! I'm excited to see how the story will continue in book two!

My Rating:

5 of 5 Stars! 

Book Review: Ever the Hunted by Erin Summerill

Ever the Hunted by Erin Summerill

Series: Clash of the Kingdoms, Book 1
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Release Date: December 27, 2016

Blurb:

Seventeen-year-old Britta Flannery is at ease only in the woods with her dagger and bow. She spends her days tracking criminals alongside her father, a legendary bounty hunter—that is, until her father is murdered. The alleged killer is none other than Cohen Mackay, her father’s former apprentice. The only friend she’s ever known. The boy she once loved who broke her heart.  

     She must go on a dangerous quest in a world of warring kingdoms, mad kings, and dark magic to find the real killer. But Britta wields more power than she knows. And soon she will learn what has always made her different will make her a force to be reckoned with.

My Review:

When seventeen-year-old Britta Flannery is caught poaching on the king's land and hauled in by the king's guards a deal is offered to her by the High Lord, Jamis: she will escape the noose and be able to hold onto her home in exchange for helping the king's guard track and capture the man that killed her father. 

The catch? According to the king's guard and the high lord, Britta's father's killer is none other than Cohen Mackay - her father's apprentice and the boy she loves. Britta is beside herself. It cannot be true and yet the evidence and the innate way Britta has always been able to tell when someone is telling the truth or a lie says that it is true. Cohen is the killer. 

She agrees to go along with three of the king's guards - the harsh but fair Captain Omar, the friendly mammoth of a man Leif, and the lewd, nasty Tomas. Tracking Cohen turns out to be an easy task - almost too easy. Could he know that Britta would come after him and be leaving her bread crumbs? 

When Britta does finally catch up to Cohen everything changes. It's immediately apparent to Britta that Cohen has been set up. As she and Cohen band together and cross the border into the country of Shaerdan - Malam's enemy whom they are on the brink of war with - to search for a woman named Enat they soon learn that not everything is as it appears. 

Who is Enat? What secrets does she hold about Britta's parents and even Britta herself? Will Cohen and Britta find out who the real murderer is? Or will Cohen be executed for a crime he did not commit? 

I loved Ever the Hunted. I haven't been this in love with a fantasy novel since finishing Sarah J. Maas's A Court of Mist and Fury. Fans of SJM and other fantasy authors/novels will gobble this up, unable to put it down until the last cliffhanging page. 

I thought the pacing was good, keeping me wanting to see what was going to happen next and the writing and storyline were perfect. I loved the romantic tension between Cohen and Britta as Britta tried to unravel the reasons Cohen left  so abruptly, whether she can trust him, and if they could possibly have a future. 

I did find a few things predictable, like Enat's relationship to Britta's family and Lord Jamis's secret, but overall the book was filled with enough action that those things were easily overlooked. 

The ending leads me to think a potential love triangle is brewing in the world of Britta and Cohen and I'm eager to see if the impending war can be stopped and who Britta's father's murder's accomplice is which leaves me eager to read book two. 

Overall, I think this book is amazing and I loved disappearing into Britta's world.

My Rating:

5 of 5 Stars

Ever the Hunted is available today from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Grab your copy today!

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iBooks | Kobo | Add to Goodreads

Book Review: Reawakened by Colleen Houck

Reawakened (Reawakened #1) by Colleen Houck

Blurb:

When seventeen-year-old Lilliana Young enters the Metropolitan Museum of Art one morning during spring break, the last thing she expects to find is a live Egyptian prince with godlike powers, who has been reawakened after a thousand years of mummification. And she really can’t imagine being chosen to aid him in an epic quest that will lead them across the globe. But fate has taken hold of Lily, and she, along with her sun prince, Amon, must travel to the Valley of the Kings, raise his brothers, and stop an evil, shape-shifting god named Seth from taking over the world. 

My Review: 

17-year-old Lilliana "Lily" Young's well-controlled life is about to implode. Seeking a break from the decision her parents insist she must make during her spring break - pick a college and a major, starting college undecided is absolutely out of the question - she finds refuge in her favorite place, The Met. 

As she sits in the closed off Egyptian exhibit (a perk of her family being rich: not only does she have a lifetime pass, she also can hang out anywhere in the museum) she hears something in the curtained off area. Thinking it's a tourist lost in the exhibit Lily goes to investigate. 

What she doesn't expect to find is a gorgeous guy in a white pleated skirt looking for "his" canopic jars. When he can't find them he insists that Lily help him. Thinking he's a crazy person Lily attempts to leave but not before the guy has a chance to cast a spell on her binding them together. Lily manages to lose the guy, who calls himself Amon, for a little while but when he gets hit by a car Lily feels compelled to help him. 

At first, Lily thinks Amon is crazy or possibly sick, but soon what he's telling her and what he's able to do confirm what he is saying is true. Amon is a 1000+-year-old Egyptian demigod that is tasked with stopping the god of chaos, Seth from destroying the world. Amon needs Lily's energy because his canopic jars containing his organs have been stolen so she must travel with him to Egypt to reawaken his brothers so they can perform a ritual to stop Seth. 

As Lily reluctantly goes down the figurative rabbit hole with Amon, she finds herself changing. Prim, controlled Lilliana would have never accompanied Amon to Egypt but the person she's becoming is someone she likes a whole lot better. "Lily" is up for adventure and is embracing things as they happen. Not only that but her feelings for Amon are growing into something she never expected. Could a relationship between a mortal and a mummy/sun god ever really work out? Does Amon care for Lily the way she cares for him, and if so why does he keep pushing her away? 

Will Amon be able to reawaken his brothers and stop Seth? Will he drain too much of Lily's energy? Or will Seth finally succeed? 

Reawakened is an action-packed Egyptian adventure. At first, I wasn't sure I liked Lily because she reminded me a little of the uptight Blair Waldorf from Gossip Girl, too concerned by what other people thought of her. But by the time Amon finally convinced Lily he wasn't crazy, sick, or lying I was hooked on the story. I needed to see what happened next. Amon's discovery of every new modern thing was hilarious.

When they reach Egypt the reader is swept into a place that is both the past and the present, filled with rich history and exciting Egyptian mythology. The story kept me riveted but the only thing I didn't like was that as Lily and Amon encountered new complications, woke his brothers, and their feelings for one another began to alter and grow, Amon became less and less of his cheerful self and more like a man that had the world resting on his shoulders. At that time Asten became the goofball of the group. I know it probably had to be that way for the plot to work but I loved seeing Amon's cheerful side. The end left me tearful and sad, but also hopeful that things will change in the next book. 

Overall, the characters and the story were easy to fall in love with, I thought the book was very well researched, and I can't wait to see if Amon and Lily will meet again in Recreated. 

Quotes I Loved From Reawakened:

"I do not understand. Then who will wash me?" - Amon, pg. 59

Amon rose immediately. "Yes. We will take a flying chariot to Egypt." - pg. 78

"I will not bend my body to fit into a chariot so small. My sarcophagus was more spacious." - Amon, pg. 102

My Rating: 

4.5 of 5 Stars