Frostblood by Elly Blake | ARC Review

Frostblood by Elly Blake
Publisher: Little, Brown
Expected Publication Date: January 17, 2017
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Pages: 384
Source: Received through the NOVL's newletter
Find on Goodreads

Goodreads Description

Seventeen-year-old Ruby is a fireblood who must hide her powers of heat and flame from the cruel frostblood ruling class that wants to destroy all that are left of her kind. So when her mother is killed for protecting her and rebel frostbloods demand her help to kill their rampaging king, she agrees. But Ruby's powers are unpredictable, and she's not sure she's willing to let the rebels and an infuriating (yet irresistible) young man called Arcus use her as their weapon.

All she wants is revenge, but before they can take action, Ruby is captured and forced to take part in the king's tournaments that pit fireblood prisoners against frostblood champions. Now she has only one chance to destroy the maniacal ruler who has taken everything from her and from the icy young man she has come to love.

Fast-paced and compelling, Frostblood is the first in a page-turning new young adult three-book series about a world where flame and ice are mortal enemies—but together create a power that could change everything.

My Thoughts

As you can see from the description, Frostblood follows 17 year old Ruby who is fireblood among a ruling class of frostbloods so she has to hide her powers. The main character has something about her that makes her special and suddenly she's alone with no family and imprisoned. Eventually someone comes and offers her freedom in exchange for her help. Honestly, going into this book I was a bit worried because of the cliches. I will say that although this book did follow along with those cliches, I was still surprised with the direction that Elly Blake took the story.

I'm not sure if I've mentioned this before but I haven't read a lot of fantasy so I always get worried that I will have difficulties following along with the world. That was not the case with Frostblood. I was able to fall right into the world without getting lost. In addition to being easy to follow along with, I was able to see and feel the world that was introduced. I also really liked the writing style. Elly Blake's writing isn't super complex but it kept me interested in what was going on and what would come next.

When it came to the characters I was back and forth. I definitely had my favorites, which I'm not going to get into because I don't want to spoil anything. There was some nice character development throughout this first book. I wish there could have been more time for some characters because I would have loved to see their story arc. It is obvious that there is still a long way for the characters to go in the future and I'm looking forward to seeing that growth.

The most surprising part of the story was the plot. After the opening I wasn't really sure where the story would go. The middle of the book was a little dull since there wasn't a lot going on and because of this that period of time was summed up to make more for the actions parts that were coming. Around the last 150 pages things really started picking up. There was a lot more action while also learning a little more about Ruby and the kingdom she's living in. At times I felt like some things were resolved too simply to be realistic. I was not expecting the story to go in the direction it did and the ending left it so there are a lot of ideas that can be explored in the future.

Overall I really enjoyed this debut by Elly Blake and I gave it a 4 out of 5 stars. Frostblood is a book set in a magical world that is beautiful and dangerous. I'm a little sad that I read this so early because now I have to wait even longer for the sequel. I'm excited for you guys to read this book next year so we can discuss it together.

Favorite Quotes

"I breathed in a gasp that stole the air from the sky, the trees, the world."

"Those who can't control themselves will find themselves under the control of others."

"Ruthlessness is not power. Tyranny is not strength."

"My heart beat once, twice, and I was filled with a terrible pressure of countless sunsets."

A Raven's Touch by Linda Bloodworth Cover Reveal + Contest

I'm not sure if you guys remember but at the beginning of the year I participated in a blog tour for A Raven's Touch. Linda Bloodworth contacted me and asked if I would be interested in her cover re-reveal. Here's the updated cover for A Raven's Touch. It was created by Amanda Walker.

Summary: Bullied through high school, seventeen-year-old Justice St. Michaels is grateful for the help of her best friend Moira O’Fhey. Together they’re just managing to scrape through the nightmare they call high school. Between Justice’s bizarre body changes and being involved in explosive school fights, things are going from bad to worse. Darien Raventhorn arrives on the scene only to add fuel to an already burning question—has Justice been living a lie her whole life? Thrust into an unwanted revenge mission Justice must avenge a family death, embrace her birthright, and slay a demon before all Hell breaks loose.


I haven't personally read the book yet so I can't give you my personal opinions. Since it's release I've seen a lot of good reviews. I do own the book and hope I can get to it soon because it sounds really interesting. If you would like to get a copy for yourself, head here to see all the retailers you can purchase from.

CONTEST TIME!! -  THIS IS A 2 PART CONTEST

HOW TO ENTER:  

1. Post a screen shot of your confirmation order for A Raven's Touch in the comment section on Linda's BLOG: https://lindabloodworth.wordpress.com/2016/10/22/cover-reveal-a-ravens-touch-linda-bloodworth-contest It doesn't matter when you've purchased the book now or before.

2. Subscribe to her newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bLecmr. PLEASE MAKE SURE SHE CAN IDENTIFY YOU. Your screen shot + sign up name should be the same. You MUST approve the subscription email you receive.

PRIZE: A $3 Amazon Gift Card!

TIMING: Linda will randomly pick the winner Oct. 23 @ 10 AM ET.

Are any of you planning on checking out this book?

September Wrap Up

Well it hasn't been that long since I posted my August Wrap Up. There isn't too much I really need to update you guys on. I'm still working on a schedule for myself to make sure I'm posting consistently. The closer we get to the end of the year the more stressed out I will get. I'm almost done with cosmetology school and I'm preparing to take my test to get my license. If it gets a little too hectic I might have to stop blogging for a while but I try to make a post if that happens.

New to My Shelves

I'm feeling a little less lazy this time around so I decided to include the books that I got in September. I thought I didn't do that bad but after filming my book haul I realized I got I got almost the same amount of books as last month. I blame it on Book Outlet!

Books I Read

My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry (4.5 stars) | Everything, Everything (4 stars)

The Deal (reread 4.5 stars) | The Mistake (4.5 stars)

What Light (2.5 stars) | The Last of the Firedrakes (2.5 stars)

2016 Reading Challenge

I came so close to finishing my overall reading goal of 52 books at the end of August that I finished it within the first couple weeks of September. Since I was able to finish that goal I've been trying to be a little more focused on completing the Around the Year in Books challenge. However I may change my mind and just read whatever for the rest of the year.

To Come in October

I've been having a good reading month so far which I'm excited about. I feel there's so much I want to read but there just isn't enough time. I'm slowly making my way through my unread physical books. I really want to participate in in NanoWriMo this year since last year was a complete fail for me. I'm mentioning this now because if I do participate I want to start planning now and with my already busy schedule it can affect my blogging.

How was September for you? Is there anything you're really looking forward to in October?

The Last of the Firedrakes by Farah Oomerbhoy | Review

The Last of the Firedrakes by Farah Oomerbhoy
Publisher: Wise Ink
Publication Date: August 15, 2015
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Magic
Pages: 488
Source: Received through Booktube Tours
Find on Goodreads

Goodreads Descritpion

16-year-old Aurora Darlington is an orphan. Mistreated by her adopted family and bullied at school, she dreams of running away and being free. But when she is kidnapped and dragged through a portal into a magical world, suddenly her old life doesn’t seem so bad.

Avalonia is a dangerous land ruled by powerful mages and a cruel, selfish queen who will do anything to control all seven kingdoms—including killing anyone who stands in her way.

Thrust headlong into this new, magical world, Aurora’s arrival sets plans in motion that threaten to destroy all she holds dear.

With the help of a young fae, a magical pegasus, and a handsome mage, Aurora journeys across Avalonia to learn the truth about her past and unleash the power within herself. Kingdoms collide as a complicated web of political intrigue and ancient magic lead Aurora to unravel a shocking secret that will change her life forever.

My Thoughts

I decided to take a different approach with this review just to switch things up a little. 

Pros

• For someone who hasn't read a lot of fantasy, this book was easy to get into. It was also easy to follow along with.

• The world, characters, and how everything is connected seems to be really well thought out. I never questioned the world or how everything worked in the world while reading.

Cons

• All the characters were too trusting. No one, especially the main character, questioned anything that was said to them. I didn't find this very believable especially when you start to learn about the rivalry between family. This could have caused a lot more conflict than it did.

• I don't think I've ever read a book where the main character makes as many bad decisions as Aurora does. It seems like whenever she has the opportunity came around she chose the wrong action, even when she knew it wasn't right. 

• There didn't seems to be any consistency in the timeline of the story. A certain even would happen then a few sentences later Aurora is talking about that same event like it happened a long time ago. For the most, the pacing for the story seemed to take place a day at a time so when I found out at the end that the entire book took place over 3 months I was confused. 

Overall

I enjoyed the general story. Although the cons took away from the reading experience, I'm still interested in continuing this story and seeing what happens next.

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon | Review

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Publication Date: September 1, 2015
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 310
Source: Purchased
Find on Goodreads

Goodreads Description

My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I’m allergic to the world. I don’t leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla.

But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He’s tall, lean and wearing all black—black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly.

Maybe we can’t predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It’s almost certainly going to be a disaster.

My Thoughts

I'm going to start this review off by saying it's going to be really hard to talk about this book without going into the details because this book is all about those details. Madeline Whittier has a rare disease, Severe Combined Immunodeficiency Disease (SCID), and hasn't ever left her house because of it. She live a routine life, online classes scheduled health check ins every 2 hours, and a lot of reading. The only two people in her life are her mother and her nurse Carla. Madeline is content with her life until a new family moves in next door.

Olly becomes Maddy's way to explore the outside world. He becomes her first friend friends besides her mom and nurse. Soon,seeing the world through Olly isn't enough. As expected, Maddy wants more and becomes willing to push her previous boundaries to get what she wants. It doesn't help that she has another influence encouraging her to truly live her life.

The format makes this book easy and fun to read. If I hadn't gotten sick as I was starting I could have finished this book in 2 or 3 days. There are parts that are told in a traditional novel format but there are other formats incorporated that give the book more life. Some things included are different types of pictures, charts, and schedules. These things add something special to the story so I don't want to talk about anything too specific.

I ended up really enjoying the story but not loving it as much as a lot of others seemed to. I thought it was really cute but for a while I thought that's all it would be. I'm glad to say I was wrong. Even though she is a little older than characters normally are in YA, Maddy is still naive because she hasn't been able to experience the world, she still has her rebellious moments and that's when everything gets interesting.

About 75-80% through the book I guessed the climax so that was a bit of a let down but it was still exciting when everything fell into place. I wasn't happy with the way this ended. I get that Maddy's emotion's would be all over the place and I think she has a right to feel the way she did but I don't like how she expressed those feelings. I guess because I didn't see any signs of a change on Maddy's end I just wasn't satisfied.

I think this book does an interesting job of showing the love between a family. There is also some insight on different types of families and what it is to have a healthy relationship with your family. I believe this is a realistic contemporary that people should read, especially fans of the genres. I will definitely be reading more from Nicola Yoon in the future.