Monday, June 25, 2018

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black | Review

The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air #1) by Holly Black
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: January 2, 2018
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Pages: 370
Source: Purchased (Owl Crate + Fairy Loot)
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Goodreads Description

GUARD YOUR MORTAL HEART.

Jude was seven when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.

To win a place at the Court, she must defy him—and face the consequences.

As Jude becomes more deeply embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, she discovers her own capacity for trickery and bloodshed. But as betrayal threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.


My Thoughts


The Cruel Prince was one of those books that was extremely hyped even before it released. After it's release more people talked about it and mostly everyone had only amazing things to say. I'll admit that most of the reason I put it off for so long was because of this. I didn't want to be too excited when I started reading because I knew if I did I would be even more disappointed if I didn't enjoy it. Anyway back to the actual review.

The Cruel Prince takes place in a world where the fae world is right alongside the human world. The story focuses on Jude after she's taken to the fae world with her sisters after their mother is killed by her ex-husband and her older sister's father. We follow Jude 10 years later as she tries to make a way for herself in this world she has been forced to live in.

I wasn't completely enamored by the story. I found it interesting and enjoyed seeing Jude become entangled in the politics of the fae. However, there wasn't a lot that happened throughout the majority of this book. So much time was spent watching Jude get bullied by the high fae in school and led around by those in power. It also didn't help that the further along the story went the more her relationship deteriorated with her twin over silly things (in my opinion).

The ending was what saved this story from being just an okay read for me. From the scene where the crown is supposed to be passed to the next king until the end I was completely invested in what was going to happen. Even though I guessed where parts of the story were headed, I was still shocked by some of the twists. The very last scene had me feeling so many emotions and I need the sequel now! While The Cruel Prince wasn't my favorite book it was a good set up for the rest of the series. I can't was it to see what Holly Black has planned for The Wicked King.

Tuesday, June 19, 2018

Atlas Fallen by Jessica Pierce | Review

Atlas Fallen (Cyber Crown #1) by Jessica Pierce
Publisher: Self Published
Publication Date: April 24, 2018
Genre: YA, Science Fiction
Pages: 368
Source: eARC from Author + Purchased
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Goodreads Description

One space station.
One throne.
And the girl who holds the key.


Tesla Petrov, daughter of an infamous traitor, no longer lives a life of promise in the Atlas space station's elite flight training program. Stripped of her military rank and banished to the slums, she now scrapes out a brutal existence competing in illegal robot fights for Minko, ruthless leader of the Red Ashes crime syndicate. But when a wrong move costs her a fight--and a fortune--for the crime lord, Tesla knows her days aboard the Atlas are numbered.

Daxton Larose isn't just visiting the station to celebrate the Centennial of the Crown--he's hunting a terrorist threatening to end a century of peace on Earth. To do so, he'll need someone who knows the station. Someone willing to strike a deal at any cost.

Someone like Tesla. 

But as the hunt for the terrorist uncovers secrets from both their pasts, Tesla and Daxton realize that nothing, and no one, is what it seems.


My Thoughts


I was not at all prepared for Atlas Fallen when I first started reading. This was one of the last books I picked up in May and after having reading quite a bit the rest of the month I wasn't really in the mood to read. It took me a little bit to get invested in the story and characters but once I did I was hooked.

This story opens following Tesla going to meet with one of the gang leaders on the lower levels of the Atlas, the space station that she's living on. From the synopsis we know Tesla is struggling after her father was branded a traitor. In the midst of everyday life and participating illegal bot fights Tesla is trying to find proof that her father wasn't a traitor. When she receives an opportunity to go to the upper levels of the Atlas she can't pass it up.

On the other hand Daxton has his own goals when he came aboard the Atlas Fallen. After meeting, Daxton gets Tesla to help him in exchange for something she wants.

Atlas Fallen is different from what I typically think of when it comes to science fiction. However I still found it easy to understand and believable, which is always a good thing. This book was really action packed and had me on the edge of my seat several times while trying to figure out how the characters would get out of the current situation.

One thing that can always take the story to the next level for me is the characters. Without realizing it I fell in love with the main characters and the people close to them. Tesla is one of my favorite types of characters. At the start of the story she has a realistic outlook on her life but I felt like she was still naive to some things. Throughout Atlas Fallen she went on a journey of self discovery while learning a lot more about what's going with everything and everyone around her. By the end she's in a completely different space than she was at the begging but she still has a long way to go. I can't wait to see the rest of Tesla's journey throughout this series.

There were parts of this story I found predictable but there were so many parts I didn't see coming. If you are looking for an action packed science fiction novel pick up Atlas Fallen! This book was exciting and had my emotions all over the place in the best way. I can't wait to see the direction the author takes in the next part of the series.

Thank you to the author for gifting me an early copy.

Thursday, June 14, 2018

Wild Card by Lila Monroe | ARC Review

Wild Card (Billionaire Bachelors #2) by Lila Monroe
Publisher: Self Published
Publication Date: June 11, 2018
Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 213
Source: eARC from InkSlinger PR
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Goodreads Description

Is there anything worse than playing maid-of-honor to your bitchy college nemesis? Try it when she’s marrying your DAD! Olivia Chambers doesn’t know what she’s done to deserve this karmic retribution, but she needs a date to the wedding from hell - and fast. She’s used to matchmaking billionaires, but now she needs a Prince Charming of her own. Someone handsome and famous enough to make bridezilla and her minions drool with envy… 

Someone like hottie ex-NFL star Ryan Callahan. 

Ryan is looking for love. Well, the fake kind. He needs the perfect woman on his arm to woo investors for his superstar new business venture, but nobody is scoring that touchdown… until elegant, sophisticated Olivia comes to him with a proposition. She’ll play his perfect date - if he’ll play hers. 

The deal is simple! Or is it? Take one week in the Florida Keys, a dose of sizzling sexual tension, a madcap wedding, and some seriously humid frizzy hair, and Ryan and Olivia have the recipe for disaster… or maybe the time of their lives. 

But can Olivia let down her guard long enough to let Ryan sweep her off her feet? And will Ryan take his eyes off the (business) prize long enough to see what’s right in front of him?  


My Thoughts


Where do I even begin with my thoughts on this book. I have read the previous two books in this series so I knew the basics to expect when it came to the story. What was a little different about this one person who set up the arrangements in the previous books was the one in the spotlight this time around.

It was interesting seeing the dynamics of Olivia's business behind the scenes. It's not something most people would think about and when they do they probably misunderstand the purpose of what she is trying to do. There is a so much that goes into what she does and I really appreciated how dedicated she was to finding the perfect person to complete each job.

One of my favorite things about this book was seeing Olivia on the other end of the type of arrangements she usually sets up for her clients. There are strict rules set up in each contract so there is a clear understanding that everything is supposed to remain professional and the arrangement isn't meant to be for romantic compatibility. As much as she initially tries to fight it Olivia begins falling for the guy that she has come to an agreement with. IN the midst of that she also has to deal with her father's new fiancee who happens to be her old college roommate.

I know this wasn't meant to be a huge part of the story but I wanted to know why Vanessa kept acting the way she did towards Olivia. I never understood why there was so much animosity there. Also I didn't like that Olivia's father didn't notice how Vanessa acted towards her and if he did notice I didn't like that he never addressed it.

I'll admit I didn't feel as connected to Olivia and Ryan as I would've liked to. I did still enjoy seeing their relationship throughout the story. They both had preconceived notions about each other and it was nice seeing them get to know each other and realize the other wasn't how they thought he/she was. If you are looking for a quick romance with lots of humor and some drama thrown in, check out the Billionaire Bachelors series.

Thank you to InkSlinger PR for sending me an early copy for my honest thoughts.

Wednesday, June 6, 2018

Whisper by Lynette Noni | Review

Whisper by Lynette Noni
Publisher: Kids Can Press
Publication Date: May 1, 2018
Genre: YA, Urban Fantasy, SciFi, Paranormal
Pages: 317
Source: eARC from Edelweiss + Purchased
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Goodreads Description

“Lengard is a secret government facility for extraordinary people,” they told me.

I believed them. That was my mistake.

There isn’t anyone else in the world like me.

I’m different. I’m an anomaly. I’m a monster. 


For two years, six months, fourteen days, eleven hours and sixteen minutes, Subject Six-Eight-Four — ‘Jane Doe’ — has been locked away and experimented on, without uttering a single word.

As Jane’s resolve begins to crack under the influence of her new — and unexpectedly kind — evaluator, she uncovers the truth about Lengard’s mysterious ‘program’, discovering that her own secret is at the heart of a sinister plot … and one wrong move, one wrong word, could change the world.


My Thoughts


I have been wanting to read something from Lynette Noni for years so when I received the opportunity to review this book I knew I couldn't pass it up. Whisper follows Jane Doe, also known as Subject 684. For the last two and a half years she has been held in a secret government facility where she has been tested on. Through it all Jane has refused to talk. Things start to change for her when she is assigned a new evaluator and given a month to prove her worth.

It's a little mysterious by from the beginning it's hinted at that Jane has some type of power. As the story progresses we learn that her powers express through speech and because of something in herr past she has basically vowed to never speak again. Whisper wasn't my favorite read but I still thought it was enjoyable.

The story mainly takes place inside Jane's head which had both positive and negative effects on my enjoyment while reading. It was strange being inside Jane's thoughts because most of the time it felt like she was talking directly to me. I'm not sure how many people think as if they're having a conversation with someone and that brought me out of the story sometimes. On a slightly different note I though Jane was too accenting. For the past 2.5 years she has been held hostage and tortured at times and she automatically accepted what was told to her by the people in charge. It might have worked if she had grown up in this situation and didn't know anything different but since this has only been her life for such a short amount of time I didn't find it believable.

I felt like the author relied heavily on tropes that have typically been used in this genre of books. With all that being said, I did still enjoy the story. Whisper reminded me a lot of one of the later books in the Lux series by Jennifer L. Arrmentrout. If you've read it then I'm sure you will recognize the similarities. I was hooked into the story by the end. I have so many questions that I need answered and I can't wait to see what direction Lynette Noni takes the next part of this story.