strong women

The Indigo Spell | Richelle Mead | Audiobook Review

by April (Books&Wine)

You probably should NOT read beyond the first paragraph if you don’t want to be spoiled for Bloodlines or The Golden Lily, just an FYI.

I am one of those people who is compulsive about the form I encounter a book or series in. For example, I’ve been reading Richelle Mead’s Bloodlines series strictly in print and had no plans to change that. HOWEVER, when I was offered an advance audiobook copy of The Indigo Spell I was on the fence. Do I change up my routine and try to encounter Sydney and Adrian in different form — or do I wait for an agonizing amount of time for the print version? You guys, it’s a lot to consider — you know a poorly done audio can ruin the experience of a much anticipated book. I ended up quite lucky though — the audiobook of The Indigo Spell is very, very good.

The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead | Good Books And Good Wine

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The Reece Malcolm List | Amy Spalding | Book Review

by April (Books&Wine)

I am so glad I read The Reece Malcolm List by Amy Spalding, not just because the twitterati said it was great and I try to fit it, but because it is a genuinely awesome book that really does encapsulate coming of age. Dude, how cliche do I sound there? Ha ha, but it is true though. I came into The Reece Malcolm List expecting a girl being sent to a mom she’s never met and lots of tumultuousness, but what I got was way more. And really — Spalding’s debut reminded me why I love young adult contemporary books so much, PLUS PLUS there was so much about it that reminded me of what it’s really actually like to be a teenager beyond being in love triangles and leading revolutions and whatnot. ALSO! This book was totally deserving of the Courtney Summers cover blurb, like you guys, for once it’s actually not a misleading blurb.

The Reece Malcolm List Amy Spalding Book Cover

Devan has always moved all over the Midwest with her dad, who often felt like they needed a change and would pack up Devan and her stepmother to try living in a different town or city. Devan’s okay with this, she’s come to terms with being the perennial new girl.When her dad dies quite suddenly, Devan is sent to LA to live with her mother, Reece Malcolm. FYI Reece Malcolm is a famous kind of a big deal author and while that in itself is a big change, there’s also the fact that Devan has never spoken with or had any prior contact with her mother so in essence, she’s being sent to live with a stranger (and her awesome live in boyfriend). As Devan is used to being new it’s not a super huge deal for her, well besides the dead dad thing, but her narration makes it seem like she was kind of distant from her dad and stepmom Tracy. Anyways, living with Reece Malcolm has it’s advantages – including a baller new wardrobe and being enrolled in an amazing performing arts school. Essentially The Reece Malcolm List is all about Devan navigating her new life in LA, experiencing new romances and most importantly, forming a new relationship and bond with her mother after years of basically being strangers.

You would think Devan would be super emo and sad and mopey, but she’s actually quite awesome. Like this is a girl where, if I liked theater people, I’d probably be friends with her.She comes across as very real. She’s flawed, but not to the point where I was thinking she was a hot mess. Instead, she’s very much a real person, rough edges and all. I have to say, I didn’t really love all of Devan’s life choices, especially a few concerning her mother and their lack of communication, but she’s a teenager and honestly, teenagers do stupid things. Like I totally remember being a teenager and making awful life choices right and left. SO, despite me shaking my head going DEVAN COME ONNNN JUST SAY WHAT YOU MEAN AND WANT, I still liked her.

Obviously, this review of The Reece Malcolm List would blow if I didn’t mention THE REECE MALCOLM in her own paragraph. You guys, I want to be Reece Malcolm when I grow up. She is awesome. She doesn’t cook. She isn’t a fan of getting all dressed up. Also? She has this amazing work ethic when it comes to writing and her books. When I started the book, I was under the impression that Reece would be horrible and evil, because what kind of mom doesn’t contact her kid until said child is proverbially dropped on her door step? Turns out I was so totally wrong, and well, this book stars Reece almost as much as Devan. I just, I loved reading about Reece learning to be a mother and how she actually seems to be a much better parent than Devan’s dad and stepmom. I actually thought the relationship was very well done and it’s kind of like Reece comes of age too.

If you’re looking for a young adult contemporary book to approximate something similar to what you experienced in high school, maybe The Reece Malcolm List will come close. I mean, not all of us have famous people for parents. Nor, god willing, do we all experience the death of a parent while still a kid. However, I think plenty of you can relate to spending lots of time doing extracurriculars and making pretty decent friends with the other people who were into the same after school activity or hobby. I loved that singing and musical theater feature so prominently in The Reece Malcolm List. Like, I was in choir for many, many years. I also did the school musical a few times. Not that I was any good, I wasn’t. Devan, though, is actually an awesome performer and well, it’s nice to read about a character who is so talented, but also really works at honing her skills and craft. ALSO! Just because she’s in an extracurricular doesn’t mean that homework disappears. I loved that Amy Spalding showed Devan doing things like homework and studying without making it boring, instead it all just seemed authentic. I just have to put it out there that I never get why in YA books set during the school year the characters never seem to be doing homework. ANYWAYS.

There is definitely kissing in The Reece Malcolm List, not a ton, this isn’t entirely a kissing book, but there was enough to leave me satisfied. Let’s just say that Devan has multiple suitors, but the very best one is Sai. Sai is another new kid, also from the midwest. However, he’s going through a few of his own problems. Unfortunately for Devan, she’s firmly in the friend zone despite there being chemistry between the two. I have to say, expect swooning for multiple dudes, much like being a teenager. And also expect Devan to change her mind, she’s young thus not tied down to one guy. And then! AH! There’s a moment where we truly see her growth and it has to do with the romance and the kissing and it is fantastic.

Friends, I absolutely loved The Reece Malcolm List by Amy Spalding on multiple levels. It’s well-written. It’s funny. The main character has interests outside of herself and boys. Actually, I loved that this book was more than a romance — although I do like strictly romance books — but mainly about family relationships. I loved that people were illustrated with a touch of humanity, instead of you know totally quirky and perfect. I also loved that this book was so totally different from my expectations. Seriously, this was one awesome contemporary debut and I cannot wait to see what’s next for Amy Spalding. Likely something amazing.

Disclosure: Received for review via Netgalley

Other reviews of The Reece Malcolm List by Amy Spalding:

Makeshift Bookmark – “snappy and fresh with dialogue that hits all the right notes”

A Reader Of Fictions – “a deliciously funny and honest book about family, boys, and musical theater”

The Allure Of Books – “you have got to meet this girl for yourselves, y’all!”

Allison reviews Firelight by Kristen Callihan

by Allison L

Set in 1880’s London, Firelight by Kristen Callihan paints a picture of dismal darkness surrounded by a ray of hope and light. The vivid setting is very gothic in feel. None of the grittiness of the time period has been left out. There are cut throat men and thieves, fathers who view their daughters as worthless and who are willing to sell them for a simple price, and cunning devious (and sometimes sexy) men who are willing to risk everything, including love, to save their own souls. It is intense, and dramatic, and has some jaw dropping sensuality to it as well.

The theme of Firelight is very Beauty and the Beast like with a hint of Phantom of the Opera as well as a dash of Satanic evil. It really is one hell of a story (pun entirely intended). In this story, the main character Lord Benjamin Archer has kept his identity and disfigurement hidden from the world for many years behind a dark mask. On one dark night, clocked in the shadows, he spies the beautiful Miranda Ellis defending herself from would-be attackers in a darkened alleyway. He instantly finds himself enthralled by this woman, and in time he arranges a marriage with her, and takes her away to his remote castle.

After they arrive at the castle together as husband and wife, Benjamin continues to keep Miranda at arms length. He is afraid of getting too close to her because he is afraid of her seeing the real him and being disgusted. Yet he keeps finding it harder and harder to resist the desire that he feels for her, especially after his friends start getting murdered, and he is the most likely of suspects. Suddenly all that matters is Miranda’s safety, and finally finding a cure for this ‘illness’ that has plagued him for so long.

The pacing of Firelight is so good! I absolutely loved the darker, Gothic historical feel of this story. You can literally feel the tone of the setting as you reading which to me was a very awesome feeling. It was very interesting how all the details of the plot were revealed. It was as if everything was a part of one big mystery, and you were being given one little detail at a time, just enough to wet your appetite. Very suspenseful and so very much worth it in the end! There is also this wonderful balance of genres in the story as well. You’ve got historical, paranormal, romance and a strong hint of mystery as I mentioned before. All of these genres are so important to the plot and the characters.

Speaking of the characters, I loved both of the main ones. The relationship between Benjamin and Miranda is not an easy one by far. They are both equally attracted to each other but they are both equally scarred for different reasons. Benjamin is terrified to reveal his true self to someone, and Miranda has some secrets of her own that she is afraid to reveal. They are both strong independent people who have tortured souls and it takes a lot for each of them to break down the walls and admit that they need each other. The relationship building between the characters is wonderful. The walls have no reign on the chemistry between the characters though. HOLY SMOKE! These two characters have so much chemistry. It is insane – an off the charts level of chemistry! But that is not the only reason I love them … their love is so deep and it is very real … and is so worth reading about!

Firelight is the first book in a series by Kristen Callihan called the Darkest London series, and if this book is any indication how the rest of the series will play out, I will most definitely be checking it out. This book took hold of me, and refused to let me go. I really cannot say enough about the setting, the plot, and the characters. It really does have something for everyone, and I highly recommend that you check it out!

Disclosure: Purchased copy

Other reviews of Firelight by Kristen Callihan:

The Broke and the Bookish: “If you like masked men tropes, damaged hero, “fiery” heroines and mild suspense, this is for you…”

Smexybooks: “I loved every second of this book…”

The Allure of Books: “I cannot recommend it highly enough to fans of historical fiction and/or paranormals and/or urban fantasy and/or romance of any kind…“

City Of A Thousand Dolls | Miriam Forster | Book Review

by April (Books&Wine)

Straight up, I will always read books that have girls on the cover between two giant lion statues holding weapons. ALWAYS AND FOREVER. Sometimes this is a bad life choice, but in the case of City Of A Thousand Dolls by Miriam Forster, the inside pretty much exceeds the outside in terms of awesomeness. While City Of A Thousand Dolls is not quite Eon: Dragoneye Reborn calibre, it is very, very good. Nisha, the main character, has this pretty awesome coming of age where she learns secrets and must seize her freedom and her future in this Asian-inspired fantasy. FYI, I cannot really say anything about cultural authenticity as regarding this book because well, I am not an expert by any means.

City Of A Thousand Dolls by Miriam Forster | Good Books & Good Wine

Nisha lives in the City Of A Thousand Dolls where the girls live in different Houses – like Harry Potter – and get trained to be valuable servants and wives. As Nisha arrived at the City at the age of six, she was too old to train at a specific house, thus she acts as a go-between for Matron, and also her assistant. She has plenty of friends, but none so close as the pack of wild cats that live on the grounds — FYI they speak to each other using telepathy. With the Redeeming, a ceremony where the girls are able to be Claimed for a price, Nisha is hopeful that her secret boyfriend will Claim her. Only, there’s one problem, MURDER. Yo, that’s right. There’s a rash of murders in the City Of A Thousand Dolls, Nisha takes it upon herself to investigate the murders.

Let’s be real for a second here, you guys know my proclivities when it comes to protagonists. SO OF COURSE you know that I loved City Of A Thousand Dolls‘ main character. Nisha is wonderful. Like, she comes off as kind of awkward because she has not really been trained in the houses. Despite her setbacks, she still manages to kick ass. Word. SHE IS KICK ASS. I mean, she puts herself at risk to save the other girls and to be a loyal friend. The killer could seriously be anyone and Nisha is all, whatevs, who cares, I am going to FIND THEM. Also, she spars a lot and I pretty much love those bits, it’s not like a battle, but training and to me that is awesome.If you like heroines who are allowed to be vulnerable and have feelings and doubts and make mistakes, you’ll love Nisha probably as much as I did.

Because I am an expert when it comes to literary terms, I figure I’d be remiss if I didn’t prattle on a little bit about the world building. You guys! This book is nothing like Harry Potter or Graceling, so get that out of your head now. Like I mentioned above, there are houses that train girls and give them purpose. You see, the Empire has a two child policy, which is you faintly reminiscent of today. Of course, girls aren’t valuable because they can’t inherit. Anyways, these girls come to City Of A Thousand Dolls and are placed in houses that best suit their personality and skills. I thought this was an interesting way of addressing that issue, and well, it sucks that women are chattel, but no worries THIS IS ADDRESSED. Also? Sidebar: I’d like to read a book on these policies where it’s the boys who aren’t valuable and the girls are the ones people keep. Anyways. There are also the cats who play a huge role. While I am not quite a cat person, I did think the wild cat tribe was quite awesome, especially Jerrit, and you’ll see why when you read, but hey these cats are as loyal as DOGS. WHAT I KNOW. OH and City Of A Thousand Dolls makes use of a caste system, which of course being weird as hell, I found fascinating.

I actually really liked Miriam Forster’s writing style. While it’s not highlight every other page writing, it is the sort of book I like during this time of year. It’s a fantasy that doesn’t take me 1000 pages just to be able to picture the setting. Instead, I felt a strong sense of place — with the city and the forest that surrounds it. I thought she did a great job making Nisha likable and interesting — and not some weird misfit. The pacing is good with this book, granted it took me about 100 pages to really be totally hooked in that can’t put it down sort of way.

Yes. There is romance in City Of A Thousand Dolls, but it’s subtle. Like, less than 30 pages probably deal with swoon time. I liked that. I liked that it was a book that focused on how kick ass Nisha was and how she’d solve her dilemma instead of the focus being on some dark mysterious stranger who would save them all. Obviously, if you want a big and grand sweeping romance this is not the book for you. But if you want fantasy with just a hint of kissing, you’ll like this, I hope.

FINALLY! I need to tell you guys about the ending, but without spoiling you. There is NO cliffhanger. Like there is an actual ending, one that I was like okay I am satisfied, I can close this and not feel the ending is a money grab on the part of the author to sell a sequel. I felt the ending was perfect for the story and solved loose ends. At this point I am not sure if there’s a sequel, I think Twitter told me there was. AND YOU GUYS I am okay with that. I am okay with a sequel because I feel like I’m not being held hostage with information/plot resolutions to read it. Nope, every thread basically gets resolved which yay, I love it when I feel a book has paid off my time investment. In all, I totally recommend City Of A Thousand Dolls by Miriam Forster if you are a cat person, down for kick ass characters and like your social structures interesting.

Disclosure: Received for review

Other reviews of City Of A Thousand Dolls by Miriam Forster:

Candace’s Book Blog – “I really have a lot of mixed feelings.”

Hobbitsies – “Miriam Forster is basically a master world-builder”

Recovering Potter Addict – “I had FUN reading it and isn’t that the most important thing”

Boundless by Cynthia Hand Book Review

by April (Books&Wine)

Wahhhh, I AM SO FILLED WITH EMOTIONS after finishing Boundless, the last book of the Unearthly trilogy. Also? Is it just me or is 2013 the year that all of the trilogies are ending? Lucky for me, I had awesome friends like Jen and Heidi to discuss how Cynthia Hand had us like puppets on strings while reading. For real, my feelings have been worked over, not that I am complaining. I am not. In fact, I freakin’ loved every minute of Boundless and am definitely going to crack open Radiant any day now. Seriously, everything I could want in an ending pretty much shows up in Boundless, and I actually do not mind at all how the triangle of love resolved itself — probably because it went in my favor ha ha. SO you guys, here’s how I reacted to this book: ugly cries, text messages of doom, and one big heart flutter. ALSO, I did say a couple ‘no don’t do thats’ to Jeffrey and Angela.

Boundless by Cynthia Hand | Good Books And Good Wine

Boundless basically starts off after the novella Radiant, so I did spend a good part of it confused and wondering what exactly happened in Italy and what Jeffrey’s deal is. Anyways, Clara and Angela and Christian all head off to Stanford for college and to complete their purposes. AND OMG YOU GUYS! Can New Adult books be written like this? For real, their college experience includes dating, the annoying kid in class who doesn’t shut up and always has to argue with the professor, frat parties, and them actually going to classes. AND ROOMMATES! I loved this and the entire time I was like OH MY GOD MORE OF THIS PLEASE. So, back to what we were talking about. Okay, so pretty much Tucker is still in Wyoming working on the farm trying to clear his mind of Clara, only hahaha she keeps popping up in his life. Plus, there’s the Black Wings who totally want to do bad things to the Triplares. ONLY Samjeeza is kind of acting out of character. And that’s Boundless in a nutshell without any real spoilers. Trust, you do not want to be spoiled with this one.

Clara is still an awesome friend to Angela and a great sister to Jeffrey even though those are the two ‘mess everything up’ characters — you know the ones who are so freakin’ stubborn that it comes back to bite everyone in the ass. Yeah, that’s what they are. ANYWAYS. So, I love that even though Clara still has feelings for Tucker, she does not spend the entire book moping. Instead, she deals with it like a grown up. PLUS! PLUS! She gets to learn how to use this new weapon because of the best instructor ever and goes up a notch in my estimation. Like, I just like Clara because she’s a good person who tries hard, even when she’s got a lot of responsibilities on her plate.

SO. The romance. LOL you guys. There is one character who manages to be a cockblock even though he isn’t there for the vast majority of the book. So, okay I am writing this review assuming you’ve read Unearthly and Hallowed because if you haven’t, then WHY are you reading a review of book three? SO, now that we are all on the same page, basically now that Christian is in Stanford with Clara, he’s trying to put the moves on her. ONLY Clara is still hung up on Tucker, and so it’s like a total cockblock for Christian, because he can read her mind and all. BUT NEVER FEAR YOU GUYS. Of course there’s still kissing and romance and moments when you just hug the book with a sigh, just like the previous two books.

I need to warn you right now, get Kleenex for chapter 18. It’s a real tearjerker in the very best possible way. And put your swoon boots on for chapter 21 and okay, more Kleenex. Oh man. SO MANY FEELS, I just want to give you warnings for every single chapter, but instead I’ll leave those two warnings so you will be pumped right up and ready for the glass case of emotions. I think that this whole book was quite the experience and while I did leave feeling kind of drained (also sobbing does that to me), I also left Boundless feeling buoyed and satisfied with the conclusion. I was thrilled by how it played out. ALSO. I guess if you’re reading this review and you have not read the Unearthly trilogy yet, you need to get on it. It has heart, it has beautiful writing, it has wonderful characters. Seriously, I am in love with these books and think you should start an affair with them too.

Disclosure: Received for review

Other reviews of Boundless by Cynthia Hand:

Alice Marvels – “romance that makes your heart sing and your toes curl”

Pure Imagination – “I can’t think of an ending that could have made me happier”

The Midnight Garden – “kept me up through the night until I finally finished it at 4 in the morning.”

Books by Cynthia Hand:

Unearthly
Hallowed

Wings Of The Wicked by Courtney Allison Moulton Book Review

by April (Books&Wine)

Warning: Slight spoilers for Angelfire, so instead you should check out this review if you don’t want to be spoiled.

You know when you have to go to court for your speeding ticket and get stuck waiting for a long time in the room before it’s your turn and so you need the perfect book to sit and wait with? Okay, maybe not because you aren’t a delinquent or a speed racer like me. Friends, Wings Of The Wicked the second of the Angelfire trilogy by Courtney Allison Moulton brings the noise and bro, it is a fantastic to accompany you while you wait to find out your legal fate. Seriously, I was so invested in Ellie and her guardian Will, that I was not thinking racing thoughts about whether my suit looked too guilty. Nor did I spend very long thinking about other people at court who looked like they just strolled out of the garbage dump. For real, Moulton dials it up a notch AND IT IS MARVELOUS.

Wings of the Wicked | Courtney Allison Moulton

Ellie has pretty much made peace with the fact that she’s a total badass who has the job of being Preliator. Yet, all is not perfect by any means. You see, yes she gets to go and party with her friends and Kate, however she’s also expected to balance this by fighting reapers by moonlight (never running from a real fight, she is the one named GABRIEL – could not resist). Anyways, Bastian, the bad guy from Angelfire totally has a plan to screw things up because you know he is a bad guy and that is what bad evil reaper guys do. So, Cadan, Bastian’s son comes to warn Ellie. And omg, mini love triangle but all you geniuses know Ellie has eyes for one dude alone. SPEAKING OF WHICH she has to constantly fight her feelings for her guardian because her brother gave Will a stern talking to, and that’s kind of a big deal. ANYWAYS, there are a whole lot of stakes and there definitely were a few moments where I was all omg, Moulton went there, she went the full nine yards.

So, one of the things that I LOVED about Wings Of The Wicked was that Ellie actually progresses as a character. She’s not stuck in boring stasis. Like, in Angelfire Ellie is all nervous about being the Preliator, but then she comes to terms with it. So, in this book she’s fierce and focused. I mean, sure she has her occasional distraction and acts like a teenage girl. She has her weaknesses — especially when it comes to Kate, her best friend, and being normal. Not that Kate is bad or a liability, just that Ellie’s desire to be a normal teenager gets in the way of her being Heaven’s warrior and all that.

Probably the greatest thing about Wings Of The Wicked is how packed it is with swoons. You guys, think about the sexual tension in Angelfire and dial it up about ten notches. For reals, every time Ellie and Will interact is filled with INTENSE longing. And pretty much every person in the room knows how much they want each other, but can’t give in or act on it. I love that. I love how hard they fight it because the part where Courtney Allison Moulton smushes their heads together like Barbie and Ken is like this giant big huge payoff. And it’s all filled with FINALLY and then a bit of uh-oh and then some OMG OMG OMG at the end, because, well you will see why.

I actually really liked Moulton’s plotting. Like, there is a ton of action but I was never all UGH where did the characterization go? Because you know how with some books it is either one or the other? Anyways, I just felt like we got a true sense of the characters without spending 45 pages on meandering bits. Like, yes Wings Of The Wicked is mad long, but I was never like yes, let’s chop this bit or that bit because it’s boring. Instead, everything adds to the story, there isn’t waste. PLUS there are actually enough pages to develop and tell a fascinating story and allow me to get hooked. I also loved all the angel mythology — especially about Lilith and Sammael – total douchebags, FYI. You guys the world building is kind of my thing, and of course I soaked up all the bits of mythology.

If you’ve read Angelfire and are kind of hesitant about investing the time in Wings Of The Wicked, I just want to tell you to DO IT. Sure it’s thick, but so what. It is beyond worth it to see the new developments in the swoon department. Seriously, if you like books with strong girls who save the world, romance of the mentor-student variety, and battles you need to drop your life and read book two of the Angelfire series. Like right now.

Disclosure: Received For Review

Other reviews of Wings Of The Wicked by Courtney Allison Moulton:

Fiktshun – “an utterly mind-blowing sequel”

Making The Grade Reviews – “full of breathtaking action, suspense, and achingly sweet romance”

Mundie Moms – “sexy, dark, and emotionally gripping”

Books by Courtney Allison Moulton:

Angelfire

The Cadet Of Tildor Alex Lidell Book Review

by April (Books&Wine)

While my contemporary, new adult reading might not be up to par thus far in 2013, my young adult fantasy reading has just knocked it out of the park so far. Y’all, I gobbled up The Cadet Of Tildor by debut author Alex Lidell in pretty much one day. That’s right I just could not stop turning page after page on my Kindle. The Cadet Of Tildor was totally one of those JUST ONE MORE CHAPTER sort of books filled with intrigue, SLOW BURNING, magic, and sword fighting. Legit, I straight up loved this book and found myself shipping two characters very very hard. Y’all, I stan for those characters.

The Cadet Of Tildor Alex Lidell Book Cover

Renee is a young lady who attends Tildor academy in the hopes of becoming a Servant of the Crown. This isn’t the sort of academy where you learn to sew and junk like that. Instead, students learn to be soldiers and magistrates. The Academy is entirely merit based, students are consistently cut if they are not up to par. Renee, the only female in the soldier division is currently in danger of being cut. She has two best friends – Sasha and Alec who totally have her back. This semester at the academy is going to be totally awesome though, because the legendary commander Savoy Korish is coming to the Academy to teach. ONLY OMG YOU GUYS, Savoy totally does not want to be at the academy teaching because like, he’d rather be with his division, the Seventh leading them on awesome missions and battles. AND SO, there’s like a ton of intrigue and rival factions and then some political controversy over mages and omg kidnappings and basically The Cadet Of Tildor was the right book at the right time for me and AH I hope you read it right now and like it as much as I did.

I kind of want Renee to be my best friend because she’s fierce and loyal and brave and kind. Girl does not give up even when all of the odds are against her. She constantly gets knocked around in training and she’s like GUYS I CAN DO THIS RAWRRRR. Sometimes she is irritatingly stubborn and thick headed, like when it comes to learning a new way of fighting that would actually be an advantage for her, but whatevs you guys, whatevs, I am stubborn like that too. Regardless she does a ton of super brave things and I just spent the whole of The Cadet Of Tildor saying, live your life girl. JUST LIVE IT.

Savoy is the other main character and he is wicked awesome. He’s all brilliant on the field and LEGEN-wait for it-DARY. Seriously though, he is quite similar to Renee. He’s stubborn to a fault, but he’s like 100% loyal to the crown, even when it’s to his detriment AS YOU WILL SEE when you read. Plus, he’s very dedicated to his craft, which is wielding a sword and training and fighting and being awesome. OH OH and he takes care of his younger brother who is kind of annoying but also cute.

Y’all, I was definitely invested in the world of Tildor. Like, I wish there was a map included in my egalley because you know I am a big fan of maps as I say in every fantasy review I write, EVER. Anyways, this is a world where there are mages — people who specialize in being able to Control life forces and can break through this thing each person has called the Keraldi Barrier. Anyways, mages can be a bit unpredictable so they have to register in order to be trained, but also controlled. Besides the mages, there are two factions who work against the crown and are kind of like the mob or like gangs. First, there is The Family which controls this drug called Veesi. They also ask that people make payments for protection. Then there are the Vipers who are totally a gang. The Vipers are against the registration of Mages and engage in little acts of terrorism, but also do various awful things. OH and of course, there’s The Crown which is basically the King and he wants to rid Tildor of corruption which causes him to make an enemy of the Vipers and the Family. AND THAT is the world we get to hang around in. Awesome, am I right?

HOWEVER! My very favorite part of The Cadet Of Tildor was Alex Lidell’s use of the slow burn. You guys there is totally a Dmitri/Rose situation and the entire book I was shipping like a fan girl. Like, Renee is 17 and Savoy is 23 and I’m like GIRL YOU GET IT. GET IT GIRL. And the attraction is slow to build and takes it’s time and both fight and deny it. And there’s emotions and feels and ugh you guys this book better sell a bunch of copies so that we can get a sequel or something. For real. I NEED TO KNOW THE ANSWER TO WILL THEY WON’T THEY.

I enjoyed how The Cadet Of Tildor was written, although I did take issue with one thing. I thought the passing of time and the shifiting of point of view between characters was kind of confusing. I would have liked I don’t know, different chapters with a timeline or date or something above so it was a little more clear and I wasn’t out in space with what was going on. On the other hand, Alex Lidell’s writing is very compelling and exciting. I wasn’t like omg this is so boring please someone put this book out of it’s misery, instead I was all OHHHH YEAHHHH KIDNAPPING YEAHHHH because I am a bizarre person and I love when the calvary is called in to save the day.

Honestly, I would recommend The Cadet Of Tildor to most fantasy fans. I did see a few reviews where they said it’s not wonderful in comparision to Tamora Pierce or Megan Whalen Turner. Personally, I’ve only ever read one Tamora Pierce book (you’ll pry my YA fantasy card out of my cold dead hands) and I’ve only read two books from the Queen’s Thief series, so there is that. Alex Lidell’s debut is richly drawn, exciting and peppered with characters I found myself alternately shipping and rooting for.

Disclosure: Received for review via Netgalley

Other reviews of The Cadet Of Tildor by Alex Lidell:

Hobbitsies – “It’s fresh and visual and gritty.”

Imaginary Reads – “This book wasn’t at all what I expected”

Recovering Potter Addict – “The Cadet of Tildor wasn’t my ideal fantasy read”

Touch Of Power Maria V. Snyder Book Review

by April (Books&Wine)

OH THANK GOODNESS YOU GUYS! Seriously, I am so so glad I decided to read Touch Of Power by Maria V. Snyder as my first book of 2013 as I found it to be highly satisfying and a good note to start the year on. Also? It has been WAY too long since I’ve read a Maria V. Snyder book. I KNOW. Awful right? Plus, it’s kind of cool to start the year with a book I purchased rather than one I’ve received for review. And I imagine some of you might disagree but I think it sets a nice little precedent. Anyways. Touch Of Power was romantic and had plagues and a fierce main character with a big heart and I know you all are like okay you plague loving weirdo, but for serious, I gobbled this noise up.

Touch Of Power Maria V Snyder Book Cover

Touch Of Power takes place in a land known as the Fifteen Realms. These realms have been decimated in population because of an incurable plague. The survivors blame a group of magic holders known as Healers for the plague because they believe the Healers started the plague. Avry is a healer and has been on the run for three years. All of the other healers she either hasn’t heard from or are dead. You see, there’s a bounty on the healers for 20 gold pieces which is a huge deal because everyone is poor. Anyways, Avry cannot resist healing a little kid and rather than be thankful, the townspeople turn on her. She’s saved though at the last minute by Kerrick who then proceeds to kidnap her in hopes she will heal someone. And that’s JUST THE BEGINNING. Y’all, things get real in Touch Of Power.

Avry was my sort of main character. She’s not quite stubborn, but she’s headstrong. She is very determined to make her own choices and won’t let anyone take her agency away from her. Unlike, Yelena from Poison Study, she doesn’t carry around a dark past, well at least in comparison. Anyways, Avry totally does have her problems, but I ended up really liking her because she comes across as warm and open and someone who genuinely cares about others.

Just as I can ramble for a long paragraph about Valek, I can ramble a little about Kerrick. He’s the leader of this small band of dudes and saves Avry from certain death because he knows she is a healer. Anyways, the two totally butt heads at first. I actually started off strongly disliking Kerrick because he does something VERY awful, but I guess I don’t know, my mind changed. He started to come across as someone who was very loyal and that mattered to me. Plus, he’s the type that doesn’t let emotion show — the STOIC type and I’m just going to say I am so glad to read a book with the love interest not getting all emo and upset over the stupidest things like another book I just finished that I won’t muck up this review with.

I have to say, I would have liked a bigger and better map in my copy. I bought the Kindle Fire version of Touch Of Power, but the map was so small and I couldn’t read the names of the places or zoom in. I know, that’s a silly complaint but I’m one of those readers who LOVES a good map. What I did love about the world building was the magic system. There are various types of magic users that correlate with the elements and also with life and death. I liked that each element has a draw back. Also, not everyone is able to use magic. FURTHER! There are various guilds for the different magics and people are apprentices and whatnot. AND OMG! There’s a disease and it’s incurable, and I mentioned that in the top paragraph, but if you’re like me and love a good plague it just bears repeating that you should read this book.

If you read for the romance, note Touch Of Power is not quite as swoonworthy as Poison Study, but I think that it’s more romantic than the Inside Out books. The romance is one of those slow burns enjoy the journey sort of romances. What I mean by this is, if you’ve ever read a YA or adult book with romance before you can obviously tell who is going to get together — it’s just a matter of getting to that destination. AND SO! It does take Avry a bit of time to get to the destination, but as trust is built and gained, that is the part that I LOVE reading, the sort of slow build slow burn swoons.

Unfortunately, I was not entirely in love with the writing style. I didn’t feel the need to highlight or quote anything in Touch Of Power. It’s not like one of those books with delicious prose. HOWEVER, the pacing is quite good. I wasn’t like ugh we’re still in this realm, stop staring and the trees and pick up the damn pace. Nope. Instead, I was content with where the book was going. So, I liked the plotting and the characterization, but I thought the writing was kind of basic.

I actually really enjoyed Maria V. Snyder’s Touch Of Power and was pleased with where the book went and how the plot played out. I whipped through this book in no time as well because I found the disease and the political struggle between the different realms very compelling, not to mention the slow burns ALL OF THEM.

Disclosure: Purchased Copy when it was a $1.99 Kindle Daily Deal

Other reviews of Touch Of Power by Maria V. Snyder:

Giraffe Days – “Snyder’s writing continues to grow in confidence and style.”

The Book Rat – “an engaging story with rootforable characters”

The Book Swarm – “a great start to a new series”

Books by Maria V. Snyder:

Poison Study
Magic Study
Inside Out
Outside In

Level 2 Lenore Appelhans Book Review

by April (Books&Wine)

I will admit, I was totally terrified to read Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans. Not because the book is scary or horror or anything, but because I consider Lenore to be a friend. I’ve had alcoholic beverages in her company. Y’all, you know that omg what if I don’t like it trepidation? I HAD THAT. Then I had that nervous feeling of oh my god what if people call my review into question because of my friendship. THEN I was like, ah fuck it. I am going to read this book and let myself think and feel and react naturally. Luckily I kind of fell head over heels for Felicia and Julian and Neil and the world of Level 2.

Level 2 Lenore Appelhans Book Cover

I have not read very many books that take place in the afterlife, which is kind of a travesty because it’s a fascinating concept. Level 2 is definitely set in the afterlife and it’s sort of like Purgatory, I guess. I don’t know, my church didn’t do the whole purgatory thing. ANYWAYS. Okay, so Felicia is dead and lives on Level 2. She has two best friends. And pretty much what you do all day is you go in these pods and you get to access memories. Either your own memories or someone else’s and you do that with credits. OKAY SO. One day this pod malfunctions and bad things go down. THEN a blast from Felicia’s past, this guy named Jude shows up. OH and she discovers there are evil angels called Morati. Yeah buddy.

So, what I really completely loved is that we get to know Felicia through her memories on the pod. We learn about how she was pretty much living in Europe with her ambassador parents, then some bad things go down and then Felicia is sent off to Kansas where she meets the love of her life — because obviously it was cut short — Neil. Who oh my god you guys, is actually not one of those weird Left Behind religious types, despite being ya know, knee deep in it. OH and did I mention that Julian was a part of her European life. TANGLED WEBS BEING WEAVED Y’ALL! Anyways, there’s memories of the most adorable romance EVER and we get to gratuitously read them and IT IS AWESOME.

Straight up, Felicia is my kind of girl. She’s not boring. She’s kind of hesitant about things with Neil at first, but obviously girl has a past to get over. PLUS when they are all running away from the Morati, Felicia is a grade A bad ass. I love it. She’s not all wah wah, I am so scared let me scream and yell so we call all the bad guys to where we are. NOPE. Girl knows whats up. Although, she does put everyone at risk to save somebody, still. I just respect her as a character and was never like this person is wayyyy TSTL.

So, Appelhans has built an interesting world. There’s obviously a battle between the bad guy Morati angels and the other seraphim. I love what she’s done with purgatory, making a Level 2 where you get to access the memories of your life and other people’s memories. I love that the memories seem to be rated kind of like youtube videos. What I think I loved the most was that while reading, I forgot that it was someone I know who wrote the book, that’s kind of a hard thing for me to shake.

Level 2 is very fast paced. If you’re doing a 2013 book a day challenge or have a super insane reading list, then you should add this book to your list. Not only will you finish it quickly, but you’ll also enjoy it, I think. It’s very well written with a world that makes sense. It’s got very compelling characters and a curl your toes with swooning sort of romance.

ALSO OMG. Can we just chat for two seconds about the ending without totally spoiling you guys. Okay so the ending is NOT a cliffhanger. Like, yes there is another book but I can handle the wait because the ending is at a logical point where the book can be totally self contained. I never was like OHHHH CURSE YOU LENORE APPELHANS FOR LEAVING ME DYING IN SUSPENSE. Oh hell naw, this book actually has a legitimate GOOD ending. And then, I also got to read the final ending that’s going in the finished copy and that is legitimate too!

For reals, I loved so much about Level 2 but I read it back in like October and it’s January as I write this, so yay lazy reviewing. Anyways, I do hope you all check out and read Level 2. It’s very swoonworthy, breakneck paced, with an interesting concept of the afterlife. Plus, it delves into religion without feeling preachy or churchy.I actually really loved how faith was portrayed in Level 2. Y’all, this is one hell of a debut so get off your butt and check it out like right this second.

Disclosures: Received at Simon & Schuster Preview party. Also I am friendly with Lenore. She’s given me German chocolate before. I just want to be totally transparent, y’all.

Other reviews of Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans:

The Book Life – “Level 2 is such a unique story.”

A Foodie Bibliophile In Wanderlust – “an amazing job creating believable, complex, and interesting relationships among characters”

Serendipity Reviews – “I thought the plot was ingenious and well paced”

Scarlet Marissa Meyer Book Review

by April (Books&Wine)

Obviously there will be spoilers for CINDER ahead. So if you have not read Cinder yet, do me a solid click here and read this instead.

#Thatmomentwhen the second book is even better than the first book. OH MY GOODNESS YOU GUYS! Okay, so last week I went to a book signing and promised a friend I’d mail her my copy of Scarlet by Marissa Meyer which meant I had to read Scarlet asap. Y’all, I was kind of nervous because what if it was this huge time investment that would take me forever. Clearly, I am an idiot, because legit I pretty much blinked and finished Scarlet and then was super sad that I didn’t have Cress on hand. The Lunar Chronicles is a series that provide a perfect vehicle for Marissa Meyer to deal her word-drugs, because for reals, I could not set this book down and when I did have to go teach and present, Scarlet was in the back of my mind the whole time. Like, I wanted to just say okay let’s put class on hold for 30 minutes while I find out what happens to Scarlet and Wolf, etc.

Scarlet Marissa Meyer Book Cover

Remember when Cinder ended and there was all that drama at the ball over Kai who might as well be a pawn in Queen Levana’s evil plan to kill him and take over New Beijing? Yes? OKAY WELL! Scarlet starts out with Cinder who is in jail — but she uses her Lunar powers to escape with one of my new favorite characters — Thorne who is a total ladies man and the best ever. And oh my goodness, there is another layer added, another storyline! Weaving with Cinder’s story is that of Scarlet Benoit, who lives in Rieux, France on a farm. Scarlet’s grandmere has gone missing and she is freaking the hell out about it, like any normal person. A mysterious stranger who goes by Wolf kind of walks into Scarlet’s life and y’all he may have some answers, but still he’s super sketchy. OH OH and Queen Levana is off being a douchebag and decides to give Kai an ultimatum. Awww yeah. SO, action, there is PLENTY of it in Marissa Meyer’s Scarlet.

SO! Characters! I know a lot of you come here to listen to me prattle on and on about the characters of the books I read because they’re kind of the most important part. I’ve decided to give each main character their own paragraph because I have THINGS TO SAY. So Cinder. She’s back but not like the number one main only character. Instead, she shares the spotlight with Scarlet, and oh goodness I love how their stories intertwine. ANYHOO! So, Cinder is all no more Missus Meek! Instead, she learns to use her Lunar powers to get what she wants and comes out a-blazing. Like, girl goes for the gold in this book and the whole time I’m like GET IT. PLUS! She kind of gets a male sidekick and he is the best ever and really highlights how pragmatic Cinder is. OH OH and we get to learn more about how she came to Earth and all of that. It’s totally FASCINATING. None of the bores or the yawns when it comes to Cinder’s character.

Scarlet is the other main female character, right. As you could have probably guessed from the title and the cover and using your brain, because you have one and it is awesome and big. I hope. RIGHT SO. Scarlet mirrors Little Red Riding Hood. Only she’s a total badass. Like, she knows her grandmere has been kidnapped and instead of waiting around for the police, who have decided Grandmere was a crazy old lady, Scarlet is all I SHALL PREVAIL and goes searching for her Grandmere and does all sorts of cool things like jump off trains (she’s a secret Dauntless, holla!). Anyways, Scarlet has this temper and a smart mouth and I am like, perhaps we are sisters from another mother because I also have a temper and a smart mouth and I of course began projecting myself onto Scarlet, because she’s my new favorite of all time. Seriously, I am so glad girl got a book of her own and gets to appear in the next two because she’s the bomb diggety and I know that makes me sound old to say, but OMG I LOVE HER SO MUCH THANK YOU MARISSA MEYER FOR GIVING ME THIS CHARACTER TO HERO WORSHIP AND CAPSLOCK ALL UP IN THIS BLOG.

Of course, Kai the love interest is back and lol you guys the whole time I was like Cinder, you should kiss someone else just for fun and to make Kai mad because I am an awful human being. ANYWAYS Kai is between a rock and a hard place. His lady love is a cyborg and a Lunar, Queen Levana is all GIVE ME CINDER OR DIEEE MWAHAHAHAHA and oh yeah, Kai’s people are dying. So yes, his life sucks a whole lot. In Scarlet, we don’t get to spend as much time with Kai, but okay, he’s kind of hardened his heart towards Cinder and it is sad and emotional. But yes, I didn’t find Kai quite as swoonworthy in Scarlet.

However, I did not find Kai devastatingly swoony because ALL OF THE SWOONS were for Wolf. As much as I say I like a nice guy, sometimes I am secretly lying to myself and pretty much the whole internet because there is just SOMETHING about a dangerous dude and oh my goodness THE INNER TORMENT. I know, I know I am a walking talking cliche in writing this. Seriously though, I loved the character of Wolf and like with every scene with him and Scarlet I wanted to mash their faces together to get them to kiss or something. I know, I know face mashing is awkward but you guys, it’s necessary in this case. Anyways, Wolf has kind of knocked Kai out of my reader’s heart, because he’s all full of dimensions and such.

The world Meyer has built makes my imagination soar — because of how the map has been redrawn. Also because of all of the robots. AND TECHNOLOGY! And space ships. Like you guys, space ships tend to really turn me off as do robots, but some how Marissa Meyer pulls a Tim Gunn and makes it work.I guess a big part of it is that Scarlet doesn’t get so bogged down in the mechanics, like sure we get a page or two of ship operations but it’s nothing where I think to myself oh hey this is just like reading a technical manual. ALSO! Iko is back and that helps because she has this super cool personality and I did not know robots could have personalities.

Of course, Marissa Meyer still has a writing style that I can get behind. Scarlet is a quick read and like you would think at over 400 pages it would take FOREVA! Nope, the characters and the plot are so compelling that I’m like omg omg WHAT IS UP WITH GRANDMERE. OMG OMG WILL THEY ESCAPE IN TIME. Pretty much I was using up my ration of OMGs with Scarlet. FURTHER, I thought that Meyer handled the POV shifts quite well. There wasn’t a point where I was all hmmm who am I reading – Scarlet or Cinder? Because both characters have strong and unique voices. Seriously, multiple PoV books can be a crapshoot, but it actually really helped this book out — with pacing and plot.

Y’all, obviously I am just going to wave my arms around and keep yelling until you either preorder or if you are super duper lucky read an ARC of Scarlet. It is SUCH a fantastic read that I think if you’ve already got a copy in your presence there is absolutely zero excuse to be waiting on Scarlet. F’realz, it’s got your favorite characters from Cinder and NEW CHARACTERS WHO ARE EVEN BETTER. And yes, it makes me want to keysmash all kinds of words of love, it is that good.

Disclosure: Received for review

Other reviews of Scarlet by Marissa Meyer:

Anna Reads – “Wolf. Oh, Wolf! I lurve you.”

Stacked – “It’s terrifically fun, accessible, well-written science fiction”

Cuddlebuggery – “I was bleeding love”

Books by Marissa Meyer:
Cinder