A Sky Beyond the Storm by Sabaa Tahir

A Sky Beyond the Storm by Sabaa Tahir, 516 p.

"Picking up just a few months after A Reaper at the Gates left off...

The long-imprisoned jinn are on the attack, wreaking bloody havoc in villages and cities alike. But for the Nightbringer, vengeance on his human foes is just the beginning.

At his side, Commandant Keris Veturia declares herself Empress, and calls for the heads of any and all who defy her rule. At the top of the list? The Blood Shrike and her remaining family.

Laia of Serra, now allied with the Blood Shrike, struggles to recover from the loss of the two people most important to her. Determined to stop the approaching apocalypse, she throws herself into the destruction of the Nightbringer. In the process, she awakens an ancient power that could lead her to victory--or to an unimaginable doom.

And deep in the Waiting Place, the Soul Catcher seeks only to forget the life--and love--he left behind. Yet doing so means ignoring the trail of murder left by the Nightbringer and his jinn. To uphold his oath and protect the human world from the supernatural, the Soul Catcher must look beyond the borders of his own land. He must take on a mission that could save--or destroy--all that he knows. "--Goodreads blurb

This was a decent close of the story. Again, I thought there was a lot of plot leaps that could have used a bit more development. I wasn't a fan of the twist on the love triangle in this series, but this series was worth the read. 
 

A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir

A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir, 458 p.

"Helene Aquilla, the Blood Shrike, is desperate to protect her sister's life and the lives of everyone in the Empire. Yet danger lurks on all sides. Emperor Marcus, haunted by his past, grows increasingly unstable and violent, while Keris Veturia, the ruthless Commandant, capitalizes on the Emperor's volatility to grow her own power—regardless of the carnage she leaves in her path.

Far to the east, Laia of Serra knows that the fate of the world lies not in the machinations of the Martial court, but in stopping the Nightbringer. During the hunt to bring him down, Laia faces unexpected threats from those she hoped would help her, and is drawn into a battle she never thought she'd have to fight.

And in the land between the living and the dead, Elias Veturius has given up his freedom to serve as Soul Catcher. However, in doing so, he has vowed himself to an ancient power that demands his complete surrender—even if that means abandoning the woman he loves."--Goodreads blurb

This one suffered from the sophomore slump a bit, but it was still a good story. It wasn't the writing, necessarily, that made me not enjoy it as much as the first, but the decisions of the characters. I thought the plot took leaps without enough development. I liked having Helene have her own voice in this story and am looking forward to finishing out the series. 

A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir

A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir, 452 p.

"Elias and Laia are running for their lives. After the events of the Fourth Trial, Martial soldiers hunt the two fugitives as they flee the city of Serra and undertake a perilous journey through the heart of the Empire.

Laia is determined to break into Kauf—the Empire’s most secure and dangerous prison—to save her brother, who is the key to the Scholars’ survival. And Elias is determined to help Laia succeed, even if it means giving up his last chance at freedom.

But dark forces, human and otherworldly, work against Laia and Elias. The pair must fight every step of the way to outsmart their enemies: the bloodthirsty Emperor Marcus, the merciless Commandant, the sadistic Warden of Kauf, and, most heartbreaking of all, Helene—Elias’s former friend and the Empire’s newest Blood Shrike.

Bound to Marcus’s will, Helene faces a torturous mission of her own—one that might destroy her: find the traitor Elias Veturius and the Scholar slave who helped him escape…and kill them both."--Goodreads blurb 

This was a re-read for me so I could finish the series. There was good world-building, story development, and character development in this first installment of the series. It left me wanting to pick up the second one to get more of the story. 
 

Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor

Muse of Nightmares
by Laini Taylor
522 pages









In the wake of tragedy, neither Lazlo nor Sarai are who they were before. One a god, the other a ghost, they struggle to grasp the new boundaries of their selves as dark-minded Minya holds them hostage, intent on vengeance against Weep.

Lazlo faces an unthinkable choice--save the woman he loves, or everyone else?--while Sarai feels more helpless than ever. But is she? Sometimes, only the direst need can teach us our own depths, and Sarai, the muse of nightmares, has not yet discovered what she's capable of.

As humans and Godspawn reel in the aftermath of the citadel's near fall, a new foe shatters their fragile hopes, and the mysteries of the Mesarthim are resurrected: Where did the gods come from, and why? What was done with thousands of children born in the citadel nursery? And most important of all, as forgotten doors are opened and new worlds revealed: Must heroes always slay monsters, or is it possible to save them instead?


Steve West picks up reading where he left off  in the first book "Strange the Dreamer" and does another great narration.

Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas

Heir of Fire
A Throne of Glass Novel
Book 3
by Sarah J. Maas
565 pages







Celaena Sardothien rises from the ashes to burn brighter than before. Celaena has survived deadly contests and shattering heartbreak-but at an unspeakable cost. Now, she must travel to a new land to confront her darkest truth...a truth about her heritage that could change her live-and her future-forever. Meahwhile, brutal and monstrous forces are gathering on the horizon, intent on enslaving her world. Will Celaena find the strength to not only fight her inner demons, but to take on the evil that is about to be unleashed?

The Glass Casket by McCormick Templeman

The Glass Casket by McCormick Templeman, 352 pages

If you love dark fairy-tales, and folklore, you will love this book. It is well-written with twists and turns that will keep your head spinning. The book is very fast paced - much like Red Riding Hood - and almost as dark. It does contain some content that might not be suitable for younger readers. The publisher recommends grades 8 and up. 

A Clockwork Heart by Liesel Schwarz

A Clockwork Heart by Liesel Schwarz, 283 pages
Book 2 of "The Chronicles of Light and Shadow"

Steampunk at its finest ... with a very sad, dark, magic, mystery, fantasy, suspenseful storyline. A must read. Just break out the tissues before you get to the end.

Autumn Falls by Bella Thorne

Autumn Falls by Bella Thorne, 224 pages
Three things I loved most about this book:
1. The realness of the main character
2. The magic wasn't over board.
3. Family. Family is usually tossed to the wayside in most books ... but in Autumn Falls it's what makes the book so amazing.

Half A King by Joe Abercrombie

Half A King by Joe Abercrombie --- 333 pages

This fantasy novel is clearly inspired by Game of Thrones and its interminable sequels. Thankfully, Ambercrombie is not as prolix as George R.R. Martin. His fantasy world resembles the ancient Norse sagas, stark, bleak, unforgiving; but there is also a hint of a post-apocalypse future.

Yarvi, the younger, despised and partially disabled son of the King of Gettland succeeds to the throne when his father and elder brother are ambushed and murdered by the neighboring King of Vanster. And just as he is on the point of achieving his own ambition, to take the test and become a Minister, one of the men and women who dedicated their lives to learning and stand beside the thrones of kings.

But Yarvi finds he still has much to learn about the world, and all the forms that treachery and loyalty can take. The first in a projected trilogy: the second volume, Half A World, is scheduled for publication next year. Ambercrombie, a former film editor turned fantasy writer, lives in England.

Click HERE to check out his web site.

Hexed by Michelle Krys

Hexed by Michelle Krys, 384 agonizing pages

The books description had me excited about reading the story. A witch that doesn't now she's a witch with a mom that is murdered for her Witch Bible and now Indigo has to do everything in her power to obtain that bible or lose everything. However, it ended up being a very dumb, horrible waste of time. The characters are the kind you love to hate. The main heroine is suppose to be in the top three of her class, but she's as dumb as a box of rocks. The love triangle is ridiculous as well.  Too much time is spent wallowing at teen parties and other silliness that drags the story on.

Shifting by Bethany Wiggins

Shifting by Bethany Wiggins, 353 pages

18 year old Magdalene Mae has found herself tossed, once again, out of the current foster home she was in and placed in the care of her Social Worker's mother. Her long lists of arrests for nudity follow in her wake, but how does Magdalene explain it's because of her shifting during a full moon. Lately, though, her gift has been unpredictable and she is finding herself starting to change in the most inopportune moments. (Like during track practice.)
However, she finds her newest foster home in the tiny town of Silver City, New Mexico quite welcoming and a fresh new start -- if not for the school where she is bullied endlessly. She has landed her first job and now that she's on the cusp of adulthood, she is hoping that everything goes her way. Unfortunately, things start heading for the worse just as they started getting better. To complicate everything is the unwavering attention from high school popular rich kid - Bridger O'Connell. Bridger has a few secrets hiding as well and some could very well spell the end of Magdalene's life.

Dead City by James Ponti

Dead City by James Ponti, 277 pages
Book 1 of series

Molly Bigelow is not your ordinary girl. Instead of taking regular classes like normal kids, Molly's mother put her in fencing, fighting and working at the morgue with her. Turns out Molly's mother, a forensic pathologist, was a zombie hunter in Omega - a secret society that monitors zombies. Molly quickly learns that all the martial arts and fencing classes she tool come in handy when battling evil zombies. When she uncovers a group of sinister zombies trying to take over New York, it will take all she has learned and more to keep them at bay. This book is 2014-2015 Truman Award Nominee.

Elemental by Anthony John

Elemental by Anthony John, 326 pages
Book 1 of series

The population of Earth suffered a huge blow in the form of a rat borne plague. Cities have been replaced by colonies and modern technology no longer exits. Thomas has always been an outsider in his colony because he possesses no elemental gift unlike every other resident of the island... or so he's been told. The island is buried in secrets and Thomas knows none of them until one fateful night when truths began to reveal themselves one by one. Thomas, his deaf/lame brother Griffin, and other children born in the colony, will have to use their gifts to outsmart pirates, live through a hurricane and protect their home and family.

Bones of Faerie by Janni Lee Simner

Bones of Faerie by  Janni Lee Simner, 256 pages
Book 1 of the series

The war between humans and Faerie has changed the modern world. Gone are all the conveniences of life. The world is unfriendly with trees and plants that attack and kill. Any trace of magic is evil and must be destroyed, or so teen Liza has been taught by her fanatical father. She witnessed him carrying her newborn sister to the wilderness, leaving her to die, all because she was born with silver hair. Her mother left soon after -- considered tainted by magic. When magic presents itself in Liza, she flees from her home in terror knowing her father and the villagers will kill her for it. Her only hope is to find her mother. Joined by others possessing magical gifts, Liza soon comes to realize the world is not as evil as she first thought it to be. Can it the gap between faerie and humans be healed?

Adventurers Wanted: Sands of Nezza by M.L. Forman

Adventurers Wanted: Sands of Nezza by M.L. Forman, 380 pages
(Book 4 of Adventurers Wanted series)

Once again we meet up with Dragon Lord Wizard, Alex Taylor, as he drawn into another adventure. This time, though, not as an adventurer. His friend and previous fellow adventurer has been captured with others in his party and it's up to Alex to use his magic and cunning to rescue them. He will also have to help a prince establish his throne. With plenty of danger, adventure, death, battles, and magic, this book is sure to be a favorite among adventuresome readers.

A Breath of Frost by Alyxandra Harvey

A Breath of Frost by Alyxandra Harvey, 482 pages
The Lovegrove Legacy Series book 1

Lady Emma Day's life has been one boring ball after another until one debutante ends up dead with only Emma as witness. When Lord Cormac Fairfax enlightens Emma about her lineage being filled with powerful witches, Emma's life is turned upside down -- especially with the deaths of more debutantes and Emma being the one to find the bodies. With the help of her two cousins, Emma must discover who is behind the murders of girls before a witch hunt ensues with her at the center. In the meantime, she must learn how to master her powers before they master her. It's all in a day's life for a debutante - witch -  heiress.

The Iron Thorn by Caitlin Kittredge

  The Iron Thorn  by Caitlin Kittredge      492 pages

Aoife (pronounced Ee-fah) Grayson has spent most of her life living as an orphan while attending a prestigious school. Her mother, who is locked away in a madhouse, tells Aoife about her dreams and stories when Aoife visits. Her brother, Conrad, is missing and she has never met her father. One day a mysterious letter arrives just like several she has received in the past. This letter has "Help me" written on it . With the help of her childhood friend, Cal, Aoife begins a trip that will change her entire world. This book is odd and mysterious with spooky and dangerous creatures everywhere you turn, but none as dangerous as the rigid government that dictates your every step and belief.

The Iron Thorn (Iron Codex #1) is the first Steampunk genre book I have read so I wasn't sure exactly what to expect.Therefore it is hard to compare with other books in this genre. This book was filled with interesting characters, non-stop action and twists and turns you don't see coming. I look forward to reading the second and third books in the series, "The Nightmare Garden" and "The Mirrored Shard".
                                                             

Sunshine by Robin McKinley

Sunshine by Robin McKinley, 389 pages

A convoluted tale of half-bloods, vampires and humans -- oh my. I can't really explain what I read because it was so chalked full of details that the main story got lost in the middle of all the descriptions. I will try to sum it up. Sunshine, for whom the book is titled after, is a half blood. She discovers this after being captured by vampires as a type of sacrifice for another vampire - who is also being held captive. The two escape together and form a friendship/relationship that is hard to grasp entirely (again because of all the descriptiveness). Together, with the help of a special "police" force kind of like Scully and Moulder from the x-files, they hunt the head vampire and gang that held them captive to stop whatever fiendish plan the evil vampires have in mind.  I did enjoy the whole concept of a world with "Others" ranging from vampires to demons to werepeople to magic users. I also enjoyed the dialogue when it was flowing really well -- far from any three or four paragraph descriptions of something. The whole concept of Sunshine being a fabulous pastry chef had me cracking a smile through the numbness of the lulls in the book. I'm still not quite sure what I read... but the end did make up for the monotony of the book.

Burning Sky by Sherry Thomas

Burning Sky by Sherry Thomas, 449 pages (plus notes)

Boring would be the best word to describe this book. It has a promising storyline but maybe it's just that it has been done too many times. Prince Titus is told by his seer mother that he will die for an elemental mage that will take down the Bane and Atlantis (ruling tyranny). He is to guard said mage and protect them at all times so they can become what they were destined to be. The mage comes in the form of a young teen girl, Iolanthe, who has been raised by her guardian flitting from place to place as he loses job after job. He cautions her to not use her magic so freely but she doesn't heed his words. She draws lightning from the sky which in turn calls the attention of the prince and the inquisitor of Atlantis. Prince Titus rescues Iolanthe and, as he has already created a fictitious persona, "Fairfax" for her at his school, forces her to dress and behave as a boy and attend school with him. From that point on it is a slow dance as everyone at the school believes they know "Fairfax", who has been gone from school for 3 months to recover from an injury. Toss in games of cricket, reliving fairytales inside a book to develop Iolanthe/Fairfax's magic, and the constant threat of Atlantis discovering who Fairfax really is... and you pretty much have the whole book. Very slow moving and no satisfying end. I did enjoy the notes at the end of the book, however. I guess that's something.

Autumn Rose by Abigail Gibbs

Autumn Rose by Abigail Gibbs, 385 pages
(Book 2 in Dark Heroine series)

I think all the built up anticipation for this book over the last year is likely the cause of so much disappointment. The story was well done, but lacked the attraction of the first book in the series. 15 year old seer Autumn Rose is one of the Dark Heroines we read about in the first book. I will admit after meeting her through the eyes of Violet Lee (the main character of the first book), I was intrigued and wanted to learn more about who she was. This book gives us a look into her life (how her grandmother died, what role she plays in the school/Sage/her world) and what part of the prophesy she fills --from her point of view. She is a sage, a duchess no less, who acts as guardian for her public school until the day the Sagean Prince Fallon shows up. Romance, mystery, murder, and secrets follow in the building of the story. The interaction between Prince Fallon and Autumn Rose is not as intense as it was between Voilet Lee and Kaspar... Likely that is because Fallon and Autumn are young teens, but I still think the author could have done more with their story.  I hope the next book in the series is much better than this one. (I had to drag myself through the last 10 chapters). I think I'll hold off on purchasing it until I've borrowed it first.