Can't-Wait Wednesday: Cast in Firelight by Dana Swift

 "Can’t-Wait Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted over at Wishful Endings, that spotlights upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating.

This week, what's really got my pages in a twist is...

Cast in Firelight

Dana Swift

(Wickery #1)

Publication Date: January 19, 2021

Hardcover, 448 pages, HarperTeen

Genres: YA, Fantasy

Goodreads

The first book in an epic, heart-pounding fantasy duology about two royal heirs betrothed to be married, but whose loyalties are torn, and a ruthless enemy who threatens their world, perfect for fans of Sabaa Tahir, Hafsah Faizal, and Renée Ahdieh.

Adraa is the royal heir of Belwar, a talented witch on the cusp of taking her royal ceremony test, and a girl who just wants to prove her worth to her people.

Jatin is the royal heir to Naupure, a competitive wizard who's mastered all nine colors of magic, and a boy anxious to return home for the first time since he was a child.

Together, their arranged marriage will unite two of Wickery's most powerful kingdoms. But after years of rivalry from afar, Adraa and Jatin only agree on one thing: their reunion will be anything but sweet.

Only, destiny has other plans and with the criminal underbelly of Belwar suddenly making a move for control, their paths cross...and neither realizes who the other is, adopting separate secret identities instead.

Between dodging deathly spells and keeping their true selves hidden, the pair must learn to put their trust in the other if either is to uncover the real threat. Now Wickery's fate is in the hands of rivals..? Fiancées..? Partners..? Whatever they are, it's complicated and bound for greatness or destruction.

My Thoughts

Such a pretty cover. I’m a little wary of the new trend of illustrated book covers, but this one is lovely. I have a feeling Cast in Firelight will be in a lot of book subscription boxes in November. (Update: New January 2021 release date due to COVID-related printing issues, so it may not be in any boxes this year.) I’m ready for it, though. So ready. I just hope they don’t change the color scheme of the art. I have a NetGalley review copy of this one, so at least I don't have to wait to read it. :)

What book are you waiting for this Wednesday?

Review: Crave by Tracy Wolff

Crave

Tracy Wolff

(Crave #1)

Publication Date: April 7, 2020

Hardcover, 592 pages, Entangled Teen

Genres: YA, Paranormal

Goodreads

My whole world changed when I stepped inside the academy. Nothing is right about this place or the other students in it. Here I am, a mere mortal among gods…or monsters. I still can’t decide which of these warring factions I belong to, if I belong at all. I only know the one thing that unites them is their hatred of me.

Then there’s Jaxon Vega. A vampire with deadly secrets who hasn’t felt anything for a hundred years. But there’s something about him that calls to me, something broken in him that somehow fits with what’s broken in me.

Which could spell death for us all.

Because Jaxon walled himself off for a reason. And now someone wants to wake a sleeping monster, and I’m wondering if I was brought here intentionally—as the bait.

My Review

I bought this book solely because I’ve been obsessed with Twilight lately, and this cover is 100% Twilight. Right? Right. While Crave does have similar vibes to Twilight, it’s not quite the same. Which is good, because no one likes to read the same book written by different authors, but I was looking forward to that type of narrative, so I have mixed feelings.

Let’s start with the characters. Grace is very naïve, and it feels like she didn’t ask important questions about the different supernatural species and what their species means for her current situation. Jax, our vampire love interest, has an intriguing history given his princely position. This element was actually super interesting, and it wasn’t explored very much except in snippets of backstory. I hope we get more in the sequels. Jax is definitely similar to Edward Cullen. He’s got the angst thing down.

Something I very much didn’t like about this book were the pop culture references both of the characters make. They took me so out of the story, especially the Twilight one. Why was that necessary? Don’t break the fifth wall if you’re a paranormal romance writer. It’s weird. Also, Jax and Grace have cheesy dialogue and text messaging scenes that are supposed to come across as romantic but really just sound pathetic. I wasn’t impressed by them.

Now, for what I did like. I liked the dichotomy of watching everyone in the school react to Jax and Grace’s relationship, more than I actually liked Jax and Grace’s relationship, unfortunately. Their romance is very shallow, but the side characters and how they feel about Jax and Grace truly make the book. Oh, and the chapter titles were super fun! I loved them. That’s how you can safely break the fifth wall without it being disruptive to the story.

One thing I do have to mention is that there seemed to be an editing error towards the end that really had me scratching my head, as it throws the story out of whack. This is kind of spoilery, but not really. So Grace says she’s Jax’s “mate” in her head before anyone else even mentions the term. This really bothered me. Also, the bad guy is predictable. Even the motivation behind the plan was predictable. The dynamic between some of the bad guys was cool, though. I wish that had been explored more.

I know I’m bashing this book a lot, but it did manage to entertain me, and it was super easy to read, despite being almost 600 pages. I like paranormal romance and supernatural creatures. I had just hoped for more character and plot development, and I think this could have been amazing if some things were changed versus how average it sits as is.

All in all, Crave is a fun YA paranormal book. I would have liked it more if I’d read it in the early Twilight years, but it’s still entertaining, and I might pick up the sequel. However, I’m tired of werewolves being the bad guys or the weak ones compared to the vampires. It’s annoying. Werewolves are sooo much cooler.

*Note: I purchased a copy of this book myself. This in no way affected my opinion/review.

Review: Life and Death by Stephenie Meyer

Life and Death

Stephenie Meyer

(Twilight #1.75)

Publication Date: November 1, 2016

Paperback, 400 pages, Little, Brown Books

Genres: YA, Paranormal

Goodreads

For the first time in a stand-alone paperback comes Stephenie Meyer's Life and Death, a compelling reimagining of the iconic love story that will surprise and enthrall readers.

There are two sides to every story....

You know Bella and Edward, now get to know Beau and Edythe.

When Beaufort Swan moves to the gloomy town of Forks and meets the mysterious, alluring Edythe Cullen, his life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. With her porcelain skin, golden eyes, mesmerizing voice, and supernatural gifts, Edythe is both irresistible and enigmatic.

What Beau doesn't realize is the closer he gets to her, the more he is putting himself and those around him at risk. And, it might be too late to turn back....

My Review 

I have been super into Twilight lately. I guess it’s because Midnight Sun was just released, and I’m feeling nostalgic for my simple high school days, especially with everything going on in the world. It’s been easy to dive back into this fascinating world. Oh, and this review basically assumes you’ve read Twilight. If you haven’t, well, that’s odd. Read it.

Honestly, the idea of flipping the typical paranormal romance trope on its head by having the mysterious vampire/werewolf/warlock be female versus male is so appealing to me. I’m tired of reading about possessive males. I want some possessive females goshdarnit. Stephenie Meyer kind of gave me that, though I really wanted more from the concept of male Bella and a female Edward. My favorite scenes were actually the ones that were different from the original Twilight, like Beau having to ride on Edythe’s back and feeling like a gorilla since he’s so much taller than her. More scenes breaking down conceptions of masculinity in relationships would’ve really been fun to explore. (Thankfully fanfiction has kind of done this, so I’ve been slating that thirst through those means.)

Personally, I think the only sexes that should’ve been changed in this story are the three main characters: Edward/Edythe, Bella/Beau, and Jacob/Julie. While I enjoyed some of the cool new names (Royal was my favorite name in the book), sometimes the sex changes for the non-important or side characters were just confusing. Like, why did the school nurse’s sex need changed? Or the bad vampires? Or the teachers? It just seemed like wasted effort on Meyer’s part when she could’ve focused more on those masculinity conceptions instead.

This book has inspired many ideas from me, and I’m super glad Meyer wrote it, but truly, it’s just a copy/paste of the first 90% of Twilight with very minor differences. I wish there’d been more changes in voice from Bella to Beau. Also, the ending was uber rushed. I very much liked that it was different from the original, but HOLY COW was it crazy fast. Another 25 pages to flush everything out wouldn’t have killed Meyer to write.

All in all, I enjoyed this one for personal reasons, but I can understand why some would find it a money grab. To me, it was fun, and I would love to get a sequel. I know it’ll never happen, but it would be cool. I guess I’ll just have to settle for the two unofficially announced books Meyer has mentioned writing in the Twilight-verse. I’m crossing my fingers for a Rosalie/Emmett book or a Leah spinoff. Let me know what you’d like to see in a new Twilight book!

*Note: I purchased a copy of this book myself. This in no way affected my opinion/review.

Can't-Wait Wednesday: A Sky Beyond the Storm by Sabaa Tahir

 "Can’t-Wait Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted over at Wishful Endings, that spotlights upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating.

This week, what's really got my pages in a twist is...

A Sky Beyond the Storm

Sabaa Tahir

(An Ember in the Ashes #4)

Publication Date: December 1, 2020

Hardcover, 464 pages, Penguin Random House

Genres: YA, Fantasy

Goodreads

Prepare for the jaw-dropping finale of Sabaa Tahir's beloved New York Times bestselling An Ember in the Ashes fantasy series, and discover: Who will survive the storm?

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.

My Thoughts

I have put off starting this series since the first book came out. And boy, am I glad that I did. Now, I can binge read the entire thing at once. Without the years of wait between sequels. Also, this cover is GORGEOUS! It’s probably my favorite cover of 2020. I just hope Penguin releases a box set of all four books so I can have them all in these lovely matching covers. It is kind of sad, though, that my original copy of An Ember in the Ashes is signed. Guess I can’t get rid of it unless I hate the series. And I really hope I don’t hate it.

What book are you waiting for this Wednesday?

Review: The House in the Cerulean Sea

The House in the Cerulean Sea

TJ Klune

Publication Date: March 17, 2020

Hardcover, 398 pages, Tor Books

Genres: Adult, Fantasy

Goodreads

A magical island. A dangerous task. A burning secret.

Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages.

When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management he's given a curious and highly classified assignment: travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not they’re likely to bring about the end of days.

But the children aren’t the only secret the island keeps. Their caretaker is the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, who will do anything to keep his wards safe. As Arthur and Linus grow closer, long-held secrets are exposed, and Linus must make a choice: destroy a home or watch the world burn.

An enchanting story, masterfully told, The House in the Cerulean Sea is about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place—and realizing that family is yours.

My Review

I’m pretty sure I could leave this review as “incoherent sobbing,” and it would be 100% accurate to how I feel about The House in the Cerulean Sea. It’s such a beautiful book. So loving. So sweet. So needed in the crazy times we live in.

The protagonist, Linus Baker, is a case worker for government-controlled magical orphanages. He’s dedicated to his job, and he loves what he does and the way he can help his charges. Honestly, he’s so naïve and adorable. I’ve never felt that way about a rotund, balding, forty-year-old man before, but that’s what Linus is. And I’m so glad TJ Klune gave readers an older protagonist to follow; it’s such a breath of fresh air.

Unsurprisingly, when Linus gets assigned to a new orphanage, he becomes attached to its inhabitants. I don’t want to give anything away by saying who the children are and what they can do, as it’s better if you go into it blind like I did. I will say I had a favorite magical child, though. He hid under beds and had amazing career goals.

Now, the reason I took off half a star is because I wanted just a little bit more from the romantic relationship than I got. For some readers, less romance is good, but I like it. I’m a sucker for the happily ever afters. This book isn’t a romance, though. It’s about found families. I simply think Linus and Arthur deserved more time alone together. Their interactions made me smile.

Oddly, the overall tone of this book reminded me strongly of Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events. Obviously, this book is much happier, but there’s a vibe in Unfortunate Events that makes it seem as if it simultaneously takes place in the past and present. Plus, there are orphaned children with unique skills, so the comparisons there are obvious.

Overall, this book is totally different from what I normally read. I had just heard so much about it, and I loved Klune’s Green Creek series. So if you’re wary of reading outside of your comfort zone, don’t be. This book will make you forget you even have one. It’ll also leave you a bawling, incoherent mess, but that’s just a given when reading about cute, magical children. Oh, and it's perfect for middle-grade, teenage, or adult readers. It's a tale for anyone who needs some happiness in their lives.

*Note: I purchased a copy of this book myself. This in no way affected my opinion/review.

Stacking the Shelves: The Midnight Pocus Edition

"Stacking the Shelves" is a weekly haul meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews and Reading Reality. It allows book buyers to share their accumulation of books with the online book-loving community.

Review: A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire

A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire

Jennifer L. Armentrout

(Blood and Ash #2)

Publication Date: September 1, 2020

Paperback, 576 pages, Blue Box Press

Genres: New Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal

Goodreads

A Betrayal

Everything Poppy has ever believed in is a lie, including the man she was falling in love with. Thrust among those who see her as a symbol of a monstrous kingdom, she barely knows who she is without the veil of the Maiden. But what she does know is that nothing is as dangerous to her as him. The Dark One. The Prince of Atlantia. He wants her to fight him, and that’s one order she’s more than happy to obey. He may have taken her, but he will never have her.

A Choice

Casteel Da’Neer is known by many names and many faces. His lies are as seductive as his touch. His truths as sensual as his bite. Poppy knows better than to trust him. He needs her alive, healthy, and whole to achieve his goals. But he’s the only way for her to get what she wants—to find her brother Ian and see for herself if he has become a soulless Ascended. Working with Casteel instead of against him presents its own risks. He still tempts her with every breath, offering up all she’s ever wanted. Casteel has plans for her. Ones that could expose her to unimaginable pleasure and unfathomable pain. Plans that will force her to look beyond everything she thought she knew about herself—about him. Plans that could bind their lives together in unexpected ways that neither kingdom is prepared for. And she’s far too reckless, too hungry, to resist the temptation.

A Secret

But unrest has grown in Atlantia as they await the return of their Prince. Whispers of war have become stronger, and Poppy is at the very heart of it all. The King wants to use her to send a message. The Descenters want her dead. The wolven are growing more unpredictable. And as her abilities to feel pain and emotion begin to grow and strengthen, the Atlantians start to fear her. Dark secrets are at play, ones steeped in the blood-drenched sins of two kingdoms that would do anything to keep the truth hidden. But when the earth begins to shake, and the skies start to bleed, it may already be too late.

My Review

I shouldn’t be reviewing this book right now. I have 10+ other books I need to be writing reviews for, but I desperately want to talk about this one. JLA, you’ve done it to me again. You’ve turned me into an obsessed fangirl over fictional characters. And in this case, morally gray fictional characters. Yeah, Poppy and Cas aren’t terrible people, but they’re not as nice and uppity as some of JLA’s other protagonists. It’s refreshing, but can sometimes be conflicting. In a good way.

While this installment in the series didn’t have a ton of plot, it was still a fast-paced, super easy read. A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire is mostly about Poppy and Casteel running from the bad guys and giving some background information on who everyone is and what terrible deeds they’ve done in the past. Also, there are the feeeeeelings. Poppy and Cas are so angsty. I love it.

This brings me to my favorite part of the story: the relationships. So, if it’s not obvious, I really enjoy Poppy and Cas’s romance. Poppy is p*ssed at Cas and stabs him on a regular basis. LOVE IT. And Cas is broody, apologetic, and protective. Again, LOVE IT. However, JLA introduced a new concept that I really, REALLY want to come to fruition somehow someway. The bond relationship that’s mentioned has me hoping beyond hope that Kieran gets more page time in the sequels. A polyamorous relationship written JLA style would be awesome! Especially if it means protective Casteel to both of the other bond members. If nothing happens with this, I’m not sure why JLA would even mention it in the book. Like why even go there if nothing comes of it? I’m probably hoping for too much, but it would just be so cool to have a REAL love triangle in a fantasy romance series.

Though I did love 90% of this novel, there’s a small 10% that I’m slightly confused about. Is there a difference between vampry and an Ascended? I’m sure this was mentioned at some point, but sometimes the history explanations had me zoning a little. Same for the gods and goddesses explanations. Which brings me to the ending. It was great. Major cliffhangers all around, but I feel like I missed something in terms of the significance to all of the goddess history. This didn’t affect my enjoyment too much, because I’m still way more interested in the romantic relationships (and possible actual love triangle) than the powers and vampires, but it was befuddling nonetheless.

All in all, this is just another JLA series I’m addicted to. She’s given me sexy aliens, sexy demons, sexy gargoyles, sexy demigods, and now sexy vampires. I can’t wait to see what kind of sexy comes next. After she finishes this series, of course.

Oh, and bonus points for that GORGEOUS cover.

*Note: I purchased a copy of this book myself. This in no way affected my opinion/review.

Can't-Wait Wednesday: A Warm Heart in Winter by J.R. Ward

 "Can’t-Wait Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted over at Wishful Endings, that spotlights upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating.

This week, what's really got my pages in a twist is...

A Warm Heart in Winter

J.R. Ward

(Black Dagger Brotherhood #18.5)

Publication Date: November 24, 2020

Paperback, 448 pages, Pocket Books

Genres: Adult, Romance, Paranormal, LGBT+

Goodreads

#1 New York Times bestselling author J.R. Ward is heating things up this winter with a holiday novel featuring some of her most iconic Black Dagger Brothers.

In this romantic and sexy addition to the #1 New York Times bestselling Black Dagger Brotherhood series, a beloved couple has everything arranged... until it all goes horribly wrong.

Blay and Qhuinn always intended to do a proper mating ceremony, but life has a way of getting in the way. With a pair of young, responsibilities to the King, and a grueling fighting schedule, the two are exhausted and overwhelmed. When Qhuinn gives his male the proposal of a lifetime, however, they are excited for their special night and more in love than ever.

Everyone in the Black Dagger Brotherhood’s mansion gets into the preparations, and the after party takes on epic- and immortal- proportions when Lassiter forms the Party Planning Committee. The celebrations promise to be all that the couple deserves... until a Nor’easter land locks Caldwell in a fierce storm, and things go from lighthearted to deadly dangerous.

Battling nature and responding to emergencies, Blay and Qhuinn get separated, and when a catastrophic chain of events puts one of their lives in jeopardy, the night they had so looked forward could mean the end of everything...

My Thoughts

I am very on the fence for this one. While I loved Blay and Qhuinn’s relationship in their original book, Lover at Last (#11 in this very long series), The Chosen made Qhuinn into an abusive a$$. I’m thinking about re-reading the entire series to see how I feel once I get back into the world. But I don’t know. I’m just so disappointed with what Ward did to my favorite characters. I stopped reading the books after what happened in The Chosen, and that’s book #15. There are three more after that one, plus a bunch of novellas. I just don’t know if it’s worth catching up. But, this one is a Christmas special, so maybe I can just dive in? I’m so conflicted. *sigh*

What book are you waiting for this Wednesday?

Review: From Twinkle, with Love by Sandhya Menon

From Twinkle, with Love

Sandhya Menon

Publication Date: May 22, 2018

Hardcover, 330 pages, Simon Pulse

Genres: YA, Contemporary

Goodreads

An aspiring teen filmmaker finds her voice and falls in love in this delightful romantic comedy from the New York Times bestselling author of When Dimple Met Rishi.

Aspiring filmmaker and wallflower Twinkle Mehra has stories she wants to tell and universes she wants to explore, if only the world would listen. So when fellow film geek Sahil Roy approaches her to direct a movie for the upcoming Summer Festival, Twinkle is all over it. The chance to publicly showcase her voice as a director? Dream come true. The fact that it gets her closer to her longtime crush, Neil Roy-a.k.a. Sahil's twin brother? Dream come true x 2.

When mystery man N begins emailing her, Twinkle is sure it's Neil, finally ready to begin their happily-ever-after. The only slightly inconvenient problem is that, in the course of movie-making, she's fallen madly in love with the irresistibly adorkable Sahil.

Twinkle soon realizes that resistance is futile: The romance she's got is not the one she's scripted. But will it be enough?

Told through the letters Twinkle writes to her favorite female filmmakers, From Twinkle, with Love navigates big truths about friendship, family, and the unexpected places love can find you.

My Review

I find myself in a weird position when it comes to Sandhya Menon’s young adult contemporary books. While I absolutely love her ideas and the family dynamics she creates for her characters, I feel like Menon just misses the mark when it comes to delving into the coolest parts of her story ideas—the character’s projects. In this book, it’s Twinkle’s short film (though I’m not sure how original her project actually was), and in Menon’s previous book, it was Dimple’s coding project. Both didn’t get the amount of page time I desired.

I pushed my disappointment for that aside, however, because I do really enjoy Menon’s main characters. They’re super realistic. I very much empathized with Twinkle and how crappy her friend was treating her. But Twinkle isn’t innocent in it all. She made some bad decisions and got a little full of herself. The side characters, including Twinkle’s friend, were very annoying, unfortunately. I’m not sure if it’s just because I’m not in high school anymore or if they’re really just all bad friends and people. I can’t say. I can say that to me, they seemed annoying and selfish.

I did like the love interest, Sahil. He was cute and a disaster. He did kind of let himself be pushed around a lot, though. The one time he did snap, I questioned if he was really a good guy or not because it was just such a weird thing to get mad about. But again, these are teenagers. Irrational, hormonal, awkward teenagers. Yikes. Twinkle and Sahil are still charming together, and I wish we’d gotten more time with their relationship, as well as for both of their families. The familial aspects of the story didn’t really seem finished, sadly.

So overall, I’m conflicted with this one. I LOVE Menon’s ability to build characters who are unique with unique dreams and goals and families and friends, but I always feel like there’s something missing by the end of the book. They’re all still fun reads, though, and I think I’ll pick up the companion novels eventually. This is huge considering I don’t read YA contemporary very often anymore.