Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass #3)

Goodreads Summary 
**Might not want to read it you haven't read Throne of Glass or Crown of Midnight**

Lost and broken, Celaena Sardothien’s only thought is to avenge the savage death of her dearest friend: as the King of Adarlan’s Assassin, she is bound to serve this tyrant, but he will pay for what he did. Any hope Celaena has of destroying the king lies in answers to be found in Wendlyn. Sacrificing his future, Chaol, the Captain of the King’s Guard, has sent Celaena there to protect her, but her darkest demons lay in that same place. If she can overcome them, she will be Adarlan’s biggest threat – and his own toughest enemy.

While Celaena learns of her true destiny, and the eyes of Erilea are on Wendlyn, a brutal and beastly force is preparing to take to the skies. Will Celaena find the strength not only to win her own battles, but to fight a war that could pit her loyalties to her own people against those she has grown to love?

My Thoughts
 Reviewing sequels can be really difficult because you don't want to give too much away, but you also cannot say nothing. I'll do my best to keep this spoiler free. 

Heir of Fire has Celaena separated from Chaol and the prince. ( You might want to reread Crown of Midmight right before this because I had a difficult time remembering exactly what took place.) She must challenge herself in order to gain answers from her scary aunt, the queen. This of course brings in a whole slew of new characters whom I adored. Most notably there is Prince Rowan. He is ordered by the queen to train Celaena in order for her to be worthy to gain her answers about the Wyrdkeys. He's dark and brooding. To be honest I didn't warm up to him until well into the book. I still want Celaena to be with Chaol though. 

We also met Celaena's cousin Aedion. I really liked him and hope that he is in the rest of the series. He knew Celaena before she was the assassin she is today. They both fear what the other will feel when they see each other because they have both been through so much, but you can tell that they care about the other. I can't wait to see how this relationship will be after so many years. 

I loved how much Celaena grew in this book. She was already a really strong woman in Throne of Glass but this journey tore her down and completely rebuilt her in a way that I was truly shocked and inspired by. She learned so much about herself, her past, and her magic. 

Sadly there were a few flaws with this book.  There were chapters about these witches training these creatures that I just didn't understand. I get that the king was using them in part of him master plan, but they still didn't seem to add anything to the novel. You could have taken them out completely and I would have been happy. Maybe they will make more sense in the next book because the king always has something up his sleeve, but I don't know. These chapters made he book lag a little bit. I wish they weren't there, but I still enjoyed the book. 

This series is a must read!!

 1/2

Black Ice

*This ARC was sent to me by Goodreads and Simon and Schuster for an honest review.*

Goodreads Summary 
Sometimes danger is hard to see... until it’s too late.

Britt Pfeiffer has trained to backpack the Teton Range, but she isn't prepared when her ex-boyfriend, who still haunts her every thought, wants to join her. Before Britt can explore her feelings for Calvin, an unexpected blizzard forces her to seek shelter in a remote cabin, accepting the hospitality of its two very handsome occupants—but these men are fugitives, and they take her hostage.

In exchange for her life, Britt agrees to guide the men off the mountain. As they set off, Britt knows she must stay alive long enough for Calvin to find her. The task is made even more complicated when Britt finds chilling evidence of a series of murders that have taken place there... and in uncovering this, she may become the killer’s next target.

But nothing is as it seems in the mountains, and everyone is keeping secrets, including Mason, one of her kidnappers. His kindness is confusing Britt. Is he an enemy? Or an ally?

BLACK ICE is New York Times bestselling author Becca Fitzpatrick’s riveting romantic thriller set against the treacherous backdrop of the mountains of Wyoming. Falling in love should never be this dangerous…

My Thoughts
I really really liked this! I went in without knowing anything about it. Yes I must have read the summary when I entered the Goodreads contest, but that was months ago and I had forgotten. I was hooked from the very beginning. Reading about Lauren had me sick to my stomach because what happened to her in that cabin might as well have been ripped from my nightmares. I needed to know who did that to her and that kept me reading to figure it out. After meeting Britt I immediately knew she was going to suffer a similar fate and was even more enthralled. I did guess most of the major points (I watch too much Criminal Minds to be fooled), but I thoroughly enjoyed this regardless. 

I loved Britt. She went from being a spoiled, ex-loving chick to a fight-until-her-last-breath woman. She did everything she could to survive. I respected her for that. Korbie on the other hand was just a bitch. She had her place in the story, an important place, but I still couldn't stand her. I don't think very many people will be able to. Jude <3 That's all I'll say. He made some seriously messed up choices, but <3 .

I think that if you like suspenseful books than you'll love this. It was ale to hold my attention from page one.  If you don't usually like suspense, still give this a try because I think most readers will like it.

Get your copy October 7th!!

Charm and Strange

Goodreads Summary
When you’ve been kept caged in the dark, it’s impossible to see the forest for the trees. It’s impossible to see anything, really. Not without bars . . .

Andrew Winston Winters is at war with himself.

He’s part Win, the lonely teenager exiled to a remote Vermont boarding school in the wake of a family tragedy. The guy who shuts all his classmates out, no matter the cost.

He’s part Drew, the angry young boy with violent impulses that control him. The boy who spent a fateful, long-ago summer with his brother and teenage cousins, only to endure a secret so monstrous it led three children to do the unthinkable.

Over the course of one night, while stuck at a party deep in the New England woods, Andrew battles both the pain of his past and the isolation of his present.

Before the sun rises, he’ll either surrender his sanity to the wild darkness inside his mind or make peace with the most elemental of truths—that choosing to live can mean so much more than not dying.

My Thoughts
This book was not what I was expecting, it was better.  

The book flips between a boy who is eleven on vacation with his older brother and a boy who is sixteen and struggling with himself. The two time frames slowly reveal different aspects of this young man's personality and upbringing. You slowly realize who he is and what he has been through. He's not an easy character to like or connect with, but I really loved the psychological aspect of the novel. I was actually surprised by some of the details and others I saw coming. The issues this young man went through were dealt with in a gentile manner...so much so that at times I wish we got to read more. I did really enjoy this though. 

If you want a read that is different and sad than pick this book up. 


1/2

Fire and Flood (Fire and Flood #1)

Goodreads Summary 

Tella Holloway is losing it. Her brother is sick, and when a dozen doctors can't determine what's wrong, her parents decide to move to Montana for the fresh air. She's lost her friends, her parents are driving her crazy, her brother is dying—and she's helpless to change anything.

Until she receives mysterious instructions on how to become a Contender in the Brimstone Bleed. It's an epic race across jungle, desert, ocean, and mountain that could win her the prize she desperately desires: the Cure for her brother's illness. But all the Contenders are after the Cure for people they love, and there's no guarantee that Tella (or any of them) will survive the race.

The jungle is terrifying, the clock is ticking, and Tella knows she can't trust the allies she makes. And one big question emerges: Why have so many fallen sick in the first place?

Victoria Scott's breathtaking novel grabs readers by the throat and doesn't let go.

My Thoughts
I have heard this book described as being a mix between The Hunger Games and Pokémon and to be honest that didn't sound terribly interesting to me. I read this because the reviews so far were really good and I thought I'd give it a go.

To be completely honest I found the book to be a little flawed. Tella, our main character, really annoyed me. When she first found the device that told her about the Brimstone Bleed she stupidly thought it was a joke. She actually thought her dying brother had the energy to find a small device, have some random woman create a recording, and then sneak it in her room. I mean come on!  Her stupidity slowly goes away throughout the novel, but I never really connected with her. I enjoyed many of the other characters, but again had issues with Guy. He seemed really one dimensional to me and not just because he spent the majority of the book being mysterious. He just seemed to have no personality. Everyone was too stereotypical for my liking. 

I probably will read the next book simply because the race isn't done and I would kinda like to know who wins. At least I only have to wait until February.

Scratch

* This book was sent to me by Kensington Books and Rhonda Helms via NetGalley. I will be giving an honest review. *

 Goodreads Summary
The most painful scars are the ones you never see. In her DJ booth at a Cleveland dance club, Casey feels a sense of connection that's the closest she ever gets to normal. On her college campus, she's reserved, practical-all too aware of the disaster that can result when you trust the wrong person. But inexplicably, Daniel refuses to pay attention to the walls she's put up. Like Casey, he's a senior. In every other way, he's her opposite. Sexy, open, effortlessly charming, Daniel is willing to take chances and show his feelings. For some reason Casey can't fathom, he's intent on drawing her out of her bubble and back into a world that's messy and unpredictable. He doesn't know about the deep scars that pucker her stomach - or the deeper secret behind them. Since the violent night when everything changed, Casey has never let anyone get close enough to hurt her again. Now, she might be tempted to try.

My Thoughts
This story was beautiful. It was raw, sweet and heartbreaking. It's the kind of story that sticks with you long after you get to the last page.

Casey's childhood was gut-wrenching and it left her with physical and emotional scars. She didn't realize they were holding her back until she met Daniel. Daniel who isn't perfect or a paranormal creature. They didn't instantly fall in love and their love didn't miraculously heal her. He's just a guy who finds a girl captivating and wants to get to know her. He manages to break down her walls, but he constantly wants to know about her past and she can't open up. As you can imagine, this leads to some emotional pages where I bawled my eyes out. Only the good authors can have me reaching for the Kleenex box. This quick read had me in tears, but it also had me laughing out loud. The characters were sweet and people I would love to be friends with. I think that if you enjoy New Adult Contemporary books than you'll really like this. Get your copy September 30th!

Falling Kingdoms (Falling Kingdoms #1)

Goodreads Summary
In the three kingdoms of Mytica, magic has long been forgotten. And while hard-won peace has reigned for centuries, a deadly unrest now simmers below the surface.

As the rulers of each kingdom grapple for power, the lives of their subjects are brutally transformed... and four key players, royals and rebels alike, find their fates forever intertwined. Cleo, Jonas, Lucia, and Magnus are caught in a dizzying world of treacherous betrayals, shocking murders, secret alliances, and even unforeseen love.

  The only outcome that's certain is that kingdoms will fall. Who will emerge triumphant when all they know has collapsed? It's the eve of war.... Choose your side.


Princess: Raised in pampered luxury, Cleo must now embark on a rough and treacherous journey into enemy territory in search of magic long thought extinct.

Rebel: Jonas, enraged at injustice, lashes out against the forces of oppression that have kept his country cruelly impoverished. To his shock, he finds himself the leader of a people's revolution centuries in the making.

Sorceress: Lucia, adopted at birth into the royal family, discovers the truth about her past—and the supernatural legacy she is destined to wield.

Heir: Bred for aggression and trained to conquer, firstborn son Magnus begins to realize that the heart can be more lethal than the sword....


My Thoughts
Wow. I'm speechless.  This book was not what I expected.  

This book follows four characters. Princess Cleo who is a stubborn, but a strong pain in the ass. Jonas who is a wounded brother ready for revenge. Lucia who was rather one dimensional. She was the meek princess who apparently has powers. Lastly, Magnus was a heartbroken prince who doesn't trust his father. 

I really enjoyed the world. I forget sometimes how much I love the worlds that fantasy writers create. This one was full of beautiful imagery and magic.  I think I loved the world more than I loved the story though. I found the characters to be too cliché and unrealistic. They didn't change throughout the course of the novel and if they did it wasn't for the better. 

I am hoping that Rebel Springs which is book #2 in the series is better because I kind of want to know what happens next. 

1/2