Review: Find Me Their Bones by Sara Wolf

Find Me Their Bones

Sara Wolf

Publication Date: November 5, 2019

Hardcover, 400 pages, Entangled Teen

Genres: YA, Fantasy

Goodreads

No one can save her. In order to protect Prince Lucien d’Malvane’s heart, Zera had to betray him. Now, he hates the sight of her. Trapped in Cavanos as a prisoner of the king, she awaits the inevitable moment her witch severs their magical connection and finally ends her life. 

 

But fate isn't ready to give her up just yet. 

 

With freedom coming from the most unlikely of sources, Zera is given a second chance at life as a Heartless. But it comes with a terrible price. As the king mobilizes his army to march against the witches, Zera must tame an elusive and deadly valkerax trapped in the tunnels underneath the city if she wants to regain her humanity. 

 

Winning over a bloodthirsty valkerax? Hard. Winning back her friends before war breaks out? A little harder. 

 

But a Heartless winning back Prince Lucien’s heart? 

 

The hardest thing she’s ever done.

My Review

I picked up book two in this series expecting to have a fun time, and fun is totally what I got. More witches, cat creatures, and heartless. Oh my.

Though this second installment was a little slow to start, with no action scenes for awhile, there was a twist that I was very much hoping would come to fruition towards the end that makes me very excited to finally get my hands on the sequel. I also still love the witch spin, though I wish there were more witches throughout the book, just so I could see their powers. (But that's just the witch-lover in me.)

As for the characters, Zera is a little more reserved in Find Me Their Bones, which makes sense after the events that happened in book one. She's hesitant to make waves. I also appreciated how much she wanted to protect her friends from herself. Lucien, the love interest, is still trying to save everyone and doing some not-so-good things to make that happen. And thankfully, the bad guy from book one turned into a more complex and less-stereotypical bad guy in book two that made you wonder what decisions were right and which were wrong.

While I wish this book had a little bit more action, the plot was still interesting. However, a good chunk is just Zera trying to teach something to a mysterious creature. And, though the creature played a part in the ultimate events of this sequel, I feel like the conversations between the two got a little repetitive. Everything else was fairly fast-paced and easy-to-read, and all in all, Find Me Their Bones is a good sequel to a good YA fantasy series. It's simply a lighter fantasy book to devour between larger tomes.

Review: The Bromance Book Club

The Bromance Book Club

Lyssa Kay Adams

(Bromance Book Club #1)

Publication Date: November 5, 2019

Paperback, 352 pages, Inkyard Press

Genres: Adult, Contemporary Romance

Goodreads

The first rule of book club: You don't talk about book club.

Nashville Legends second baseman Gavin Scott's marriage is in major league trouble. He’s recently discovered a humiliating secret: his wife Thea has always faked the Big O. When he loses his cool at the revelation, it’s the final straw on their already strained relationship. Thea asks for a divorce, and Gavin realizes he’s let his pride and fear get the better of him.

Welcome to the Bromance Book Club.

Distraught and desperate, Gavin finds help from an unlikely source: a secret romance book club made up of Nashville's top alpha men. With the help of their current read, a steamy Regency titled Courting the Countess, the guys coach Gavin on saving his marriage. But it'll take a lot more than flowery words and grand gestures for this hapless Romeo to find his inner hero and win back the trust of his wife.

My Review

I kept hearing about this book. It’s been everywhere. There’s so much hype. And while it was a fun concept with good characters, it unfortunately didn’t live up to the hype. Mostly because of the ending, but I’ll get to that in a bit.

Gavin, the professional baseball player, and Thea, a stay-at-home mom, are the main couple of this first installment in the Bromance Book Club series. They’re on the verge of divorce, and their twin daughters are caught in the middle. Unfortunately, these characters didn’t communicate as much as I wanted them to. Their interactions were always very surface level for two people who are trying to work out their marriage. I know Thea was resistant to the idea of Gavin and her getting back together, but she never really talked to Gavin about her issues. And, like Gavin, she DOES have issues. She lied to her partner for years about their sex life. YEARS. I don’t understand why that wasn’t made a bigger deal of than the author made it. Everyone kind of laughed it off and blamed Gavin for not paying attention, but she LIED TO HIM. Yeesh.

Thea is a decent female lead, despite her lie. She’s very protective of Gavin and her family, but it did take way too long for her to face her fears. And Gavin, while he tried so hard, seemed to leave things unsaid by the end of the book. Overall, the ending was just wrapped up too quickly. It was kind of corny in a rom-com way, and it just wasn’t satisfactory for a couple that has so many issues to work out.

Basically, the beginning of the book only focused on Gavin’s flaws instead of both characters’ flaws. It really bothered me. Yes, The Bromance Book Club was cute and emotional at times (mostly because of the daughters and family unit), but more communication was needed overall. I understand romance books aren’t always the best at displaying healthy relationships in a realistic way, but it just needed more. So yes, the book club idea is super intriguing, but it didn’t play as big of a role as I was lead to believe. Additionally, the excerpt from the novel Gavin is reading just interrupted the main storyline. Nothing was really added by including them that exposition couldn’t solve.

Overall, The Bromance Book Club provides a unique concept, but the cliché and mediocre ending left more to be desired. A true bummer, in my opinion, though I did read the entire thing in the span of 24 hours. Maybe I’ll read book two. Maybe not. I’m leaning more towards not.

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

Review: Soul of Stars by Ashley Poston

Soul of Stars

Ashley Poston

(Heart of Iron #2)

Publication Date: July 23, 2019

Hardcover, 400 pages, Balzer + Bray

Genres: YA, Sci-Fi

Goodreads

Once, Ana was an orphaned space outlaw. Then she was the Empress of the Iron Kingdom. Now, thought dead by most of the galaxy after she escaped from the dark AI program called the HIVE, Ana is desperate for a way to save Di from the HIVE’s evil clutches and take back her kingdom.

Ana’s only option is to find Starbright, the one person who has hacked into the HIVE and lived to tell the tale. But when Ana’s desperation costs the crew of the Dossier a terrible price, Ana and her friends are sent spiraling through the most perilous reaches of the Iron Kingdom to stop the true arbiter of evil in her world: an ancient world-ending deity called the Great Dark.

Their journey will take the sharp-witted pilot, Jax, to the home he never wanted to return to, and the dangerous fate he left behind. And when Robb finds out who Jax really is, he must contend with his own feelings for the boy he barely knows, and whether he truly belongs with this group of outcasts.

When facing the worst odds, can Ana and her crew of misfits find a way to stop the Great Dark once and for all?

My Review

This series has been lauded as a perfect read for fans of Marissa Meyer’s Luna Chronicles series, and I would definitely agree. It’s super fun, without being overly scientific or technical. It’s just an action-filled young adult sci-fi book with some space elves, killer robots, and an Anastasia retelling.

The main thing I loved about the first book in this duology was the relationship between Jax and Robb. While I thought it developed a little too fast, I still really enjoyed how cute they were together. Unfortunately, in Soul of Stars, I still missed some of that development. Don’t get me wrong, I adore Robb and Jax, I just wish there had been more to their relationship. (A third book could’ve helped with this, along with some issues I had with the ending that I’ll get into soon.) Jax's family background and history was super cool. I wish we could've seen more with that too.

Di and Ana are good characters as well, but I never got super attached to them. Maybe it’s because Di is a robot. It’s hard to truly ship characters who started out non-human. While they’re fun to read about separately and together, they just pined for each other a little too much in this book. And not in a good angsty way.

As for the action and plot, sometimes the twists were too easy. Everything was a little too convenient with a lot of last-minute rescues and simple solutions. Though, I will say that the ending had me going for a little bit in regards to a couple of character arcs. But even with those characters’ journeys, the ending still felt somewhat unfinished, like there should’ve been another 100 pages. As I mentioned earlier, a third book could’ve helped with that. Oh, and I don’t think the six-month time jump between book one and book two helped, either. But at the end of the day, it was still an entertaining journey with Poston's witty dialogue and often-times adorable characters.

All in all, if you liked Cinder and Aurora Rising, you’ll have a good time reading Ashley Poston’s space duology. Space elves, light swords, and robots. What’s not to love?

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

Review: Heartsong by TJ Klune

Heartsong

TJ Klune

(Green Creek #3)

Publication Date: October 22, 2019

Paperback, 464 pages, Dreamspinner Press

Genres: Adult, Paranormal

Goodreads

All Robbie Fontaine ever wanted was a place to belong. After the death of his mother, he bounces around from pack to pack, forming temporary bonds to keep from turning feral. It’s enough—until he receives a summons from the wolf stronghold in Caswell, Maine.

Life as the trusted second to Michelle Hughes—the Alpha of all—and the cherished friend of a gentle old witch teaches Robbie what it means to be pack, to have a home.

But when a mission from Michelle sends Robbie into the field, he finds himself questioning where he belongs and everything he’s been told. Whispers of traitorous wolves and wild magic abound—but who are the traitors and who the betrayed?

More than anything, Robbie hungers for answers, because one of those alleged traitors is Kelly Bennett—the wolf who may be his mate.

The truth has a way of coming out. And when it does, everything will shatter.

My Review

I zoomed through Gordo and Mark’s book to get to Robbie and Kelly’s, since I was looking forward to their romance more than the previous one. Strangely, I was disappointed a little at first because I wasn’t expecting what happened. I don’t know if any of the series’ readers could’ve expected what happened.

Heartsong starts at an odd place. I honestly thought something was wrong with my Kindle file and that the correct copy hadn’t been downloaded. It was such a weird starting point for the book, and it took me a couple of chapters to really wrap my head around what was going on in Robbie’s mind. I was also a little surprised Robbie was our narrator, since Kelly is the original member of the Bennett pack. Don’t get me wrong, I love Robbie, I was just surprised. Robbie is such a cinnamon roll, though, and so is Kelly. TWO cinnamon roll characters in one relationship. My mind is blown!

There’s plenty of action and pack feels in this installment. Plus, the romance is between a gay werewolf and an asexual one. I personally have never read any urban fantasy book with that kind of representation. Also, the talk from the pack about this being the “gayest wolfpack” is so cute. They’re all so adorable, despite a majority of the pack being made up of a bunch of tough blue-collar-worker dudes. Oh, and there are plenty of fun Carter scenes. He’s my favorite, so any time he’s talked about in the books, I smile.

Okay, so I binge-read all three books in this series over a three-day period. Now, I can get my life back while I wait for the final book to release in October. It’s about Carter. My favorite gay werewolf. Have I mentioned that yet? I want Brothersong so badly… *cries*

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

Review: Aurora Rising by Kaufman & Kristoff

Aurora Rising

Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

(The Aurora Cycle #1)

Publication Date: May 7, 2019

Hardcover, 473 pages, Knopf Books

Genres: YA, Sci-Fi

Goodreads

From the internationally bestselling authors of THE ILLUMINAE FILES comes an epic new science fiction adventure.

The year is 2380, and the graduating cadets of Aurora Academy are being assigned their first missions. Star pupil Tyler Jones is ready to recruit the squad of his dreams, but his own boneheaded heroism sees him stuck with the dregs nobody else in the Academy would touch…

A cocky diplomat with a black belt in sarcasm

A sociopath scientist with a fondness for shooting her bunkmates

A smart-ass techwiz with the galaxy’s biggest chip on his shoulder

An alien warrior with anger management issues

A tomboy pilot who’s totally not into him, in case you were wondering

And Ty’s squad isn’t even his biggest problem—that’d be Aurora Jie-Lin O’Malley, the girl he’s just rescued from interdimensional space. Trapped in cryo-sleep for two centuries, Auri is a girl out of time and out of her depth. But she could be the catalyst that starts a war millions of years in the making, and Tyler’s squad of losers, discipline-cases and misfits might just be the last hope for the entire galaxy.

They're not the heroes we deserve. They're just the ones we could find. Nobody panic.

My Review

Aurora Rising can pretty much be described as a young adult version of the Chris Pine Star Trek films combined with the chaotic nature of The Guardians of the Galaxy. There’s a found family, a plethora of alien characters (though are they really aliens if they live in space?), and crazy adventures on spaceships and strange planets.

Tyler Jones is our very own Captain Kirk. He definitely gives off some young Chris Pine vibes. Cat is the pilot. Scarlett is the diplomat. Kal is the muscle. Aurora is the stowaway. And Fin and Zila are the brains. My favorite characters were Tyler, Kal, Fin, and Zila. Kal because of his species, which I’ll get into later. Fin because he’s absolutely HILARIOUS. I tabbed so many of his lines because I actually laughed out loud. I don’t do that very often with books. Zila because she’s unintentionally funny, and she reminds me a lot of myself—standoffish because she chooses to be. (I don’t understand why she wasn’t given more chapters!?!) And Tyler because, well, I mentioned the Chris Pine vibes already, right?

As for Cat and Scarlett, they kind of blended together sometimes. Both had their moments, but I never really connected to their characters. Though I do ship Scarlett and Fin. I think they’d make a cute couple.

Now Aurora’s POV was the worst! She’s basically just a plot device to move the characters from point a to point b. Someone online said she was there to info dump, since Kaufman and Kristoff could use her chapters to explain everything to the audience, which is a totally weak writing strategy. It just made her BORING. The only thing interesting about her was her powers, and those are not even that compelling. The crew dynamic is way more fun.

Speaking of the crew dynamic, I did want more of it. I definitely think it was close to reaching Guardians of the Galaxy levels, but it just didn’t quite get there. The Aurora storyline brought it down. If there’d just been a heist or a bad guy, and she was completely left out of the story, things would’ve been so much funnier. Also, the narration style was sometimes hard to follow, as the POVs blended together. They simply weren’t unique enough, even though two of the crew members were different species and one was a girl from the past.

One part of the story I found fascinating, however, was the Syldrathi. They’re super cool. I’d rather have a book just about them. They’re fae-like space aliens, almost a cross between Sarah J. Mass’s fae and Spock’s Vulcan species. Unfortunately, the weird instalove mate thing almost ruined it. Maybe it wouldn’t have if the relationship wasn’t between a character I really enjoy and I character I really did not. I actually ship Kal and Tyler. I know it won’t happen, but THE QUEERBAITING IS REAL YA’LL. A m/m main couple could’ve really made this a standout YA instead of just another sci-fi book with similar elements to every other sci-fi book/tv series. I get that Kaufman and Kristoff probably don’t want to write m/m relationships between main characters when they themselves aren’t, as it gives actual gay men the opportunity to write their own sci-fi stories, but come on! They seriously shouldn’t have done all the queerbaiting.

Other than those problems, I have to throw in that sometimes things could get confusing in regards to the space and ship terminology, but you don’t have to understand the terms to enjoy the book. Just make up a pronunciation in your head and move on.

All in all, this was a quick, delightful read with a few major issues and a somewhat mediocre ending. I expected a big, dramatic cliffhanger, but the last chapters were kind of anticlimactic. Thankfully, four members of the crew held this book together, and I’m excited to find out how their stories develop in the sequels.

*Note: I received a copy of this book as a gift. This in no way affected my opinion/review.

Review: Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

Sorcery of Thorns

Margaret Rogerson

Publication Date: June 4, 2019

Hardcover, 453 pages, Margaret K. McElderry

Genres: YA, Fantasy

Goodreads

All sorcerers are evil. Elisabeth has known that as long as she has known anything. Raised as a foundling in one of Austermeer’s Great Libraries, Elisabeth has grown up among the tools of sorcery—magical grimoires that whisper on shelves and rattle beneath iron chains. If provoked, they transform into grotesque monsters of ink and leather. She hopes to become a warden, charged with protecting the kingdom from their power.

Then an act of sabotage releases the library’s most dangerous grimoire. Elisabeth’s desperate intervention implicates her in the crime, and she is torn from her home to face justice in the capital. With no one to turn to but her sworn enemy, the sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn, and his mysterious demonic servant, she finds herself entangled in a centuries-old conspiracy. Not only could the Great Libraries go up in flames, but the world along with them.

As her alliance with Nathaniel grows stronger, Elisabeth starts to question everything she’s been taught—about sorcerers, about the libraries she loves, even about herself. For Elisabeth has a power she has never guessed, and a future she could never have imagined.

My Review

If you love books about books and characters similar to Cassandra Clare’s Infernal Devices trilogy, then this story is definitely for you. It has magic and demons and cats and romance. It has everything a booklover could want.

I adored Sorcery of Thorns. I actually tabbed lines (which I rarely, if ever do) because it has so many beautiful sentences and paragraphs about books. Rogerson’s quotes are great for readers. They just make reading so much more magical. The quotes combined with the Victorian-esque fantasy world really lend to the Clockwork Angel feel.

Like I mentioned, the characters of the book are super similar to Tessa and Will, not in species, but in demeanor. Elisabeth is totally Tessa Gray. She’s strong, brave, and loves reading. I very much enjoyed her. And Nathaniel is a cinnamon roll more so than Will was, but he’s still pretty similar in his tragic backstory—just no fear of ducks. Plus, Nathaniel is bi! Though we don’t really get anything more than a brief mention of it. Boo…

The only character I didn’t really care for in this story was the villain. He wasn’t super villainy. Actually, he was kind of predictable, and he needed more substance, especially towards the end. Speaking of the end, the chapters before the final chapters were somewhat hard to follow at times. Maybe it was just me, but it was difficult to picture what Elisabeth was doing when everything was going to hell. Despite this, the actual true ending hurt me. It was very dramatic, in a good way. And the books! The library! Not gonna lie, they made me cry. Books are such a generous creation.

All in all, Sorcery of Thorns destroyed me. It made me cry. It made me laugh. And it ripped me to pieces. What else should I have expected from a book about books? I loved it.

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

My Thoughts on Maleficent: Mistress of Evil

I thought I’d share my thoughts and feels about the Maleficent: Mistress of Evil film. In case you haven’t seen it, I’ve posted the trailer below:

So I wasn’t the biggest fan of the first film. It wasn’t bad, but, at the time, I just wasn’t super into Disney villains. I also have never really loved Angelina Jolie. She’s had her moments, but her acting is kind of stiff to me. That didn’t change for this film. Jolie was still stiff and awkward, but the storyline was A+.

My favorite part of this film was the aesthetic. The dark fey are awesome. Dark and magical in appearance and demeanor. There are so many different types of wings and appearances. For someone who had no idea these characters were being added, I was super invested in their culture and lifestyle to the point where I would love a TV series just about the dark fey. I especially loved Connall and Borra. Unfortunately, those are the only two dark fey we really get to know, but I still enjoyed them immensely. (I am going to give a SPOILER here that this film uses the typical overdone and awful trope of killing off the black guy. I was upset.)

Two other parts of the film I loved aesthetic-wise were Michelle Pfiefer’s portrayal of Queen Ingrith and the Moors. Of course, the Moors and the fairies there were in the first film, but I guess I didn’t appreciate the pretty, bright colors when I watched it. The animal-sidekick hedgehog creature wasn’t as cute as I think it was supposed to be, though. I actually thought the mushroom was cuter. But Warwick Davis was in this movie, and that’s always a plus. I wish we could’ve seen more of his character. He was kind of underutilized. As for Queen Ingrith, she’s the stereotypical evil queen, but her outfits were on point. Plus, she’s played by Michelle Pfiefer.

For this installment, Prince Phillip, Queen Ingrith’s son, was recast. I think the new actor did a decent job; however, I don’t really remember the first actor’s portrayal, so that isn’t saying much. Now sadly, Aurora and Maleficent were both kind of meh for me. BUT, their ending scenes were beautiful. Their relationship is something that isn’t seen much in Disney films, and I’m glad their bond exists for younger kids to experience and possibly relate to.

All in all, this film has its ups and downs. The aesthetic is magical and amazing, but sometimes, the acting isn’t quite up to par. The storyline was lyrical and lovely, with some exceptions, but the ending was a little too convenient. (Again, it’s a Disney movie.) Though, it does do a good job showing the consequences of violence.

My Thoughts on Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

I thought I’d share my thoughts and feels about Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker film. In case you haven’t seen it, I’ve posted the trailer below:

So I watched The Rise of Skywalker when it was added to Disney+ on May 4^th. I didn’t see it in theaters because I wasn’t a big fan of The Last Jedi. Thus, there was no reason for me to pay for a $10 movie ticket when I knew all the Star Wars movies would eventually be on streaming. I’m really glad I waited. Not because The Rise of Skywalker was bad—I actually enjoyed 80% of it—but because it was ridiculously LOOOOOOOOOONG. I’m not sure my bladder would’ve held out for a theater viewing.

Besides being long, my thoughts can be summed up with “it was good.” Not amazing, but good. There were a lot of “force feelings” that were a little odd. Otherwise, it was a solid film. There was plenty of action, and the plot was fairly easy to follow. I was concerned with the return of Palpatine, but the way it played out was actually pretty interesting.

Even though a lot of people think Rey is overpowered (me included), I still think she kicks a$$. Her storyline and the way it mingled with the first three films actually impressed me. Even the Kylo Ren parts. And I am NOT a fan of Kylo Ren. I also thought all of the new (and old) droids and creatures were fun. There were some cute moments. I felt so sad for poor Chewbacca, though. I won’t go into spoilers, but his storyline was the only one that made me tear up.

Although I enjoyed Rey, Leia, and the droids and creatures, I have to admit that sometimes Poe and Finn got on my nerves. Finn’s role during the entire film just seemed to be overacted yelling, while Poe was able to make terrible decisions in The Last Jedi but still become a high-ranking operative in the Resistance. Talk about Glass Escalator. It’s kind of sad how the two characters were made to be so awesome in The Force Awakens, but their story (like most of the characters) got messed up in the sequels. I mean, Finn was a stormtrooper who joined the Resistance! He could have had a way better storyline. (Oh, and again, no spoilers, but why are the current showrunners of Star Wars obsessed with having characters ride terrible CGI horse-like creatures. It didn’t work out in The Last Jedi, and it just looked weird in this film as well.)

All in all, other than the strange “force feelings” that all of the main characters seemed to have, as well as a few questionable storylines for our two male characters, I was impressed by The Rise of Skywalker. It had beautiful scenes and imagery. Some of the shots were just gorgeous. And Rey is so kicka$$. I’m actually sad to see her go, though as Luke said in The Last Jedi, I too think “It’s time for the Jedi to end,” or at least, the Skywalker saga. Thankfully, we still have Baby Yoda….

Review: Broken Throne by Victoria Aveyard

Broken Throne

Victoria Aveyard

(Red Queen #4.5)

Publication Date: May 7, 2019

Hardcover, 480 pages, HarperTeen

Genres: YA, Fantasy, Dystopian

B&N | Book Depository | Amazon | Goodreads

Return once more to the deadly and dazzling world of Red Queen in Broken Throne, a beautifully designed, must-have companion to the chart-topping series from #1 New York Times bestselling author Victoria Aveyard.

The perfect addition to the #1 New York Times bestselling Red Queen series, this gorgeously designed package features three brand-new novellas, two previously published novellas, Steel Scars and Queen Song, and never-before-seen maps, flags, bonus scenes, journal entries, and much more exclusive content.

Fans will be delighted to catch up with beloved characters after the drama of War Storm and be excited to hear from brand-new voices as well. This stunning collection is not to be missed!

My Review

I love the Red Queen series! Love it. I’m honestly not sure why it gets so much hate. But when I heard Victoria Aveyard was releasing another book in the series with stories from characters after the events of War Storm, I was super excited. For some reason, though, I put off picking this one up. I guess I just didn’t want the world to officially end. Now that I have read it, I definitely want to go through and do a re-read of the entire series soon. But let’s get on to my review, shall we?

Please note that because this book is #4.5 in the series, there will be spoilers in my review.

So the first two stories are ones I have already reviewed, since they were previously published in Cruel Crown. I originally gave “Queen Song” four stars and “Steel Scars” three stars, and I stand by those ratings. Cal’s mother, Coriane, has a terrible, fascinating story, while Farley’s story in “Steel Scars” really only gets interesting when the Barrows get involved. I re-read Farley’s short story simply because I wanted to read the entirety of Broken Throne. I don’t think I’ll ever read that story again, though. (Check out my full review of these novellas.)

The next short story in this bind-up is “World Behind,” and it follows Lyrisa. I didn’t remember this character from the original four books at all. I never could place her while I was reading. I had to do some research to figure out who she was. This meant I felt kind of “meh” about the first half of her story. I did like the ending though. It gave off some fun Six of Crows vibes. I’d give this short story three stars as well.

Next, we got an Evangeline story. It was good, though I wish there had been more in terms of her and her brother’s relationship and their next steps. I think it does provide a satisfactory ending to Evangeline’s story compared to what happened in War Storm, though. I’m giving this one 3.5 stars.

Towards the end, we get a few different short stories, but the main one is Cal and Mare’s. I always want more Cal, so this story and all of the ones that followed were great. I think these ones could have been fifty pages longer just to make me happy and give me more. Despite that, they did put a smile on my face. Cal is kind of clueless when it comes to the real world (i.e. the cabin scene). I’m still a little bitter about how poorly Cal gets treated sometimes writing-wise. However, I do appreciate how Aveyard ended the series in War Storm more now than I originally did when I first finished that book, and I do think Broken Throne is a necessary epilogue to the series. I’d give these stories five stars.

All in all, Broken Throne just re-ignited my love for this world. I really want to re-read the entire series when I get the chance, though I’ll probably skip the first three stories in Broken Throne during my future re-reads. I will skim through all of the maps, texts, etc., in the book, though, because those were fascinating. Everything was purple, even the font! Purple is my favorite color, so this book will have a place of honor on my shelves. Oh, and the Calore family tree poster also made me super happy. I love when publishers include extras inside books.

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