Fantasy

Book Review: Archangel’s Viper by Nalini Singh

 in Book Events / Book Reviews / Books / Fantasy / Series by

NEW RELEASE: Archangel's Viper by Nalini SinghSummary

“Once a broken girl known as Sorrow, Holly Chang now prowls the shadowy gray underground of the city for the angels. But it’s not her winged allies who make her a wanted woman—it’s the unknown power coursing through her veins. Brutalized by an insane archangel, she was left with the bloodlust of a vampire, the ability to mesmerize her prey, and a poisonous bite.

Now, someone has put a bounty on her head…

Venom is one of the Seven, Archangel Raphael’s private guard, and he’s as infuriating as he is seductive. A centuries-old vampire, his fangs dispense a poison deadlier than Holly’s. But even if Venom can protect Holly from those hunting her, he might not be able to save himself—because the strange, violent power inside Holly is awakening…

No one is safe.”

-From Amazon.com

Review

*SCREAMS* THIS BOOK WAS AMAZING!

I’ve been waiting so long, since Archangel’s Heart came out and I finished that one. And of course, this book comes out on the 26th (today) and I got it on the 25th (Amazon came in clutch!) and I finished it in 3 hours. I sat down and did NOTHING else but read.

And oh my gosh it was incredible.

First, the story continues with everything else but it is a side story with Venom, which I always love. I just love that Nalini has side characters that get their own books that aren’t side stories, but are intricate parts of the entire series. It just makes it amazing. This ‘side’ book with Venom was the book that I never knew I needed. He’s such an incredible character. All I need now is to know about Illium (and have my curiosity sated about Aodhan).

As per usual, the sex was not the pain purpose. There was romance, yes, and tension, but there was little to no sex that occurred. Which is wonderful because there was so much story going on and I just couldn’t put it down because I wanted to know what happened.

The bad-guy in this was a throwback to a while ago and he was evil as ever! Can’t spoil any more than that.

It is quite a violent book of course, but not throughout. It’s little spurts of violence and bodies. It was much less violent than other books but of course there was some, and there has to be, as that’s what the book is known for!

Will I read it again? Oh yes I will be. Probably in a few days.

I love the book, I love the series and I love the author and everything she does. It’s such a unique series and a unique twist. The women are powerful, the men are sexy and the story is captivating.

I highly recommend this book, and the series, to others!

Are you reading? Have you read? Thoughts? I’d love to chat!

Happy Reading!

Book Review: The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco

 in Book Reviews / Books / Fantasy by

Book Review: The Bone Witch by Rin ChupecoRating: 3/5 teacups

Summary

“Let me be clear: I never intended to raise my brother from his grave, though he may claim otherwise. If there’s anything I’ve learned from him in the years since, it’s that the dead hide truths as well as the living.

When Tea accidentally resurrects her brother from the dead, she learns she is different from the other witches in her family. Her gift for necromancy means that she’s a bone witch, a title that makes her feared and ostracized by her community. But Tea finds solace and guidance with an older, wiser bone witch, who takes Tea and her brother to another land for training.

In her new home, Tea puts all her energy into becoming an asha―one who can wield elemental magic. But dark forces are approaching quickly, and in the face of danger, Tea will have to overcome her obstacles…and make a powerful choice.

Memoirs of a Geisha meets The Name of the Wind in this brilliant new fantasy series by Rin Chupeco!”

-From Amazon.com

Review

So this is actually a book in my DNF list. I am about to go away (actually I’m away now) and I just didn’t have time to finish it unfortunately. I really did want to and I sat down a few days before I was going to leave to try and grind through the rest of it but I just couldn’t.

First impressions were good.
My first impressions of the book was that it was going to be good. I was seeing it all over the place and people seemed to love it and as I was getting into it, I was seeing that it was good and I was curious about what was going to happen. But as the book went on I started to lose interest in the book. I’m not sure what it was but I just wasn’t feeling the book though the story was intriguing and I was certainly curious as to what was going to occur within the book. However, I just didn’t finish it.

The cover caught my attention.
The first thing that  I loved about the book was the cover. It was a deep and rich purple which isn’t a common book cover color. Also it had the accents of shiny gold on the front and then this little skull protruding out of the darkness. So it really caught my eye and I thought it was going to be a great read.

Tea seems a little bit obnoxious.
In my opinion, Tea seemed a little obnoxious. I’m not sure what it was about her, but there was this slight obnoxious attitude about her. I really can’t place my finger on it but I just felt that she got on my nerves.

The dead weren’t…well..dead.
Fox was supposedly dead as that’s what the entire story was about. But I never got this feeling that he was truly dead or that there was something wrong enough with him. You were supposed to have this creeped out vibe coming from him and people were supposed to be afraid, or confused, by him and I didn’t get that feeling most of the time.

Bone Witches are bad! And good?
I was confused through the reading because in the beginning it was saying that Bone Witches are bad and everyone hates them and fears them. But then they were loved by certain people. I was just a little unclear as to if they were truly bad or if they were good and I was just missing something.

Honestly, I may not have been in the mind frame to read this book as I’ve been running around and preparing to travel. I had heard good things about it, or so I remember, and so I had high hopes for the book. These expectations were not met at all unfortunately.

I would recommend checking it out if you have some time and can find it in your local library. It was a good read, for the beginning. As the book went on, I went off of it. But I’m pretty sure it’s all just my opinion considering the average rating for the book is 4 stars.

However, I personally give this book only 3/5 teacups.

rating three tea cups mlcwo

Happy Reading!

A Court of Wings and Ruin (A Court of Thorns and Roses Book #3) by Sarah J. Maas

 in Book Reviews / Books / Fantasy by

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.

A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. MaasSummary

“Looming war threatens all Feyre holds dear in the third volume of the #1 New York Times bestselling A Court of Thorns and Roses series.

Feyre has returned to the Spring Court, determined to gather information on Tamlin’s maneuverings and the invading king threatening to bring Prythian to its knees. But to do so she must play a deadly game of deceit-and one slip may spell doom not only for Feyre, but for her world as well.

As war bears down upon them all, Feyre must decide who to trust amongst the dazzling and lethal High Lords-and hunt for allies in unexpected places.

In this thrilling third book in the #1 New York Times bestselling series from Sarah J. Maas, the earth will be painted red as mighty armies grapple for power over the one thing that could destroy them all.”

-From Amazon.com

Review

So I had been waiting for this book for ages! If you had been following my Instagram, you probably saw me hyping it up, and if you had Instagram you probably saw everyone else freaking out about the release! I’m new to the series, only having found out about it from people I follow on Insta and being intrigued because so many people were talking about it and so many people loved it. It also had a gorgeous cover! So I started the series and thankfully only had a few months to wait until the 3rd book, ACOWAR, came out. But now that that book is over I’m so lost! There will be one coming out next year, apparently, but the rumor is is that it will be novellas from different characters, however nothing is sure yet, so I will keep track of that.

Overall I absolutely loved this book. It’s such a wonderful YA read. It follows the kind of mythical land and a division between the humans and others and the third book in the series goes on to the war which has been building from book one. All three books work together and the story builds until the massive battle which occurs within this book.

As I’m sure all of you know, I am really picky about characters. So this falls into the genres of fantasy, action and romance. Now, when there is romance in a book, I always look to see what kind of romance it is. I don’t mind superfluous fluff now and then but I always love a strong female lead. And Feyre is definitely one! She is so badass, she can fight and she is so strong. She’s a wonderful roll model as a character. While she is strong, she is also a really good diplomat within the stories, working hard to people all the people within moderation and stop the war from occurring, as best she could, although it was inevitable.

On to the cover, it’s absolutely gorgeous. Just look at it! It’s a gorgeous teal, a color which I absolutely love, and then there is Feyre on the cover with the infamous tattoo and then little bits of smoke whispering around her.  What really caught me was the color as it caught my eye and was just so unique as a book color. Sure, I’ve seen more intricate covers but it was honestly the color which got me.

As for the story, age wise, it is definitely for older YA as there are some romantic scenes. This is not a book which is based around that as it’s YA and not a romance novel, however to aid the story and develop the romance there are some bits like that in it so it’s not a younger YA read.

Overall, the book was amazing and I would definitely suggest reading it! I mean, you have to start with book #1 as you can’t read this series out of order as there are so many characters and a developing story, so you need to start with #1, A Court of Thorns and Roses, then A Court of Mist and Fury and finally A Court of Wings and Ruin! Trust me, you won’t regret it. Everyone I’ve told to give it a try loved it in their own way.

Have you read it? Thoughts?

Happy Reading!

Singing Fire by T.L. Martin

 in Book Reviews / Books / Fantasy / Young Adult by

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. 

Singing Fire by T.L. Martin

Summary

“Constant chills, panic attacks, and now paranoia – there’s a reason seventeen-year-old Charlie keeps to herself. Life is looking up when she gets a job at a whimsical tea shop and gains a few new friends, but little does Charlie know there are secrets lurking beyond its door. It only takes one night for her perspective on her small town to change forever. As if witches, vampires, and demons weren’t enough, she soon realizes she’s being hunted for a power she didn’t know she possessed. Singing Fire takes Charlie through an unexpected journey of self-discovery, betrayal, and forbidden love all while the clock is ticking for her to defeat the dark souls pursuing her – before anyone else dear to her has to die. Singing Fire is the first of a two-part series, and its sequel, Raining Fire, is due for release in 2017.”

-From Amazon.com

Review

I absolutely loved this book! Ms. Martin sent me an email asking for me to give it a read and the initial reason I said yes was because the cover was gorgeous. It caught my eye, as well as the summary. I love fantasy kind of books and I hadn’t read one for a little while, so I figured that it was time to.

Now this book just had so much amazing stuff going on. First of all, it was fantasy but not so much so that it wasn’t based in reality. It was kind of like the Shadowhunters idea where they were hiding in plain site. Then you have this girl who just gets sucked into the world. And then you have this vampire who she falls in love with (of course).

I mean come on! Who doesn’t love a good fantasy story, with romance, and a vampire!

I also loved the fact that the ‘base of operation’ was a tea shop! I mean my blood is literally tea, so I had to give it a read just because of that. I just loved imagining this beautiful tea shop that was so small and magical and had all these little secrets. In my mind it was so magical and beautiful.

The book was also not terribly long but so much happened within the short story! I read it in a few hours, outside in the sun (which was amazing) and I just couldn’t put it down. I wanted to know what was going to happen next and it just kept going and it kept you guessing all the way until the last sentence. I mean that ending had me dying. Come on Ms. Martin!!!! You just had to throw that curve ball! I loved it ‘cus I didn’t see half of the ending coming and it has me NEEDING the next book (which I am so excited for).

The cover of this book is also gorgeous as well. The turquoise with the fire in the middle just caught my eye as the colors were visually pleasing. I mean they say don’t judge a book by it’s cover, but you all should know by now that it’s all part of the package. I generally don’t have it negatively impact a book, but it can definitely make a book even better!

Overall I absolutely loved this book! Go check it out on amazon here!

It was definitely a read that I will be reading again in the summer, and just before I get the next book!

Happy Reading!

Butterbeer? Starbucks?!

 in Books / Fantasy / Fiction / Food / Harry Potter by

Apparently Starbucks, after J.K. Rowling announced Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, came up with a Butterbeer Frappucino. I don’t know if they’re still selling it in some places, however, you can make it yourself!

Just click here!

How yummy does it look! I’d love to try it.

starbucks butterbeer

From starbuckssecretmenu.net