Nickie
3.5 stars
This one was hard for me to rate. I struggled with the first half. The mc Michael was very annoying. He made countless bad decisions, and I was over constantly hearing about the Kingman legacy. I was tempted to mark it as dnf. I decided to keep going and I'm glad I did. I felt like the second half was 5 star worthy. I can't say I grew to love Michael, but I did start to feel sorry for him a little. I would have liked more world building too.
I am excited to continue on since the second half was so good.
Prince Noa lives on an island, and he hates it. Ever since his mother died at sea, his father has made it a law that children cannot leave the island. Noa understands that his father doesn't want anything to happen to the rest of his family, but he is still tired of being stuck there.
Be careful what you wish for.
When the King's closest friend betrays him and takes over the island, the King gives Noa a magical map to follow. Noa and his brother must follow the map in order to save their family and home.
This is a fun, action-packed adventure story. I loved the characters and the world. I loved the magical creatures. I hope this becomes a series. I would definitely read more with these characters.
I received a copy from Net Galley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Jane knows she's not beautiful like her older sister. But, she prides herself on the fact that she is very sensible. She thinks things through and can usually find a sensible explanation for most things. So, when her sister has an accident, Jane must take her place as a lady's companion at Southmoor Abbey.
People say the ghost of the Mad Monk roams the grounds and all who look upon him die. Her brother has bet her a hefty sum that she can't prove it's nonsense. Jane is determined to win that bet.
This is fun story. I love Jane's spunky attitude. I enjoyed the mystery as well. Hopefully this will be a series.
I received a copy from Net Galley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I really enjoyed this one. It has everything I love. It's epic, military fantasy, with very little romance. It's political and action packed. I loved Touraine and Luca! Such a wonderful dynamic between them. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because I was confused at times about the countries and different cultures. That could just be me.
I loved the writing and will keep an eye out for more from this author.
I received a copy from Net Galley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I have to say that I was unsure about this one after seeing all the mixed reviews. It sounded really good to me, so I gave it a try.
I was not disappointed.
This book is fantastic! It was immersive right from the start. It was action-packed throughout. The cast of characters are amazing. I loved them all. Speaking of the characters, Jennifer Hale did a great job with the narration. Every character had a distinctive voice which I really appreciated. Some audiobooks are hard to follow if there is no difference in character voice. Not only was every character different, I thought the accents and different species made this even more enjoyable. I highly recommend this one.
I received a copy from Net Galley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I was very excited when I heard about this book. I love to read middle grade in between chunky fantasies and sci-fi books. There aren't very many middle grade books that are sci-fi, so this was a treat.
This follows Max on his small space station called Azura. Max loves music and engineering. Max also loves Azura. He can't imagine living anywhere else. Azura is like a small town, they don't get many visitors. There is no tourist industry. So when a man named Mr. Hames shows up in his fancy spaceship, Max feels his protective instincts kick in. There is more to Mr. Hames than he's letting on. Max intends to find out what he's hiding.
This is a short book, but it's full of action and messages. It covers grief, poaching, and endangered species. I loved it!!
I received a copy from Net Galley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
3.5 stars
Mort is a pacifist. He may be the only pacifist in Brutalia. His city is exactly what it sounds like, brutal. People fight all the time, the Queen has people killed for minor crimes, it's just an unhappy place.
When Mort's best friend is sentenced to death, Mort vows to find a way to save him, but he's running out of time.
This is a funny story. The characters are great. I would like to know more about how the Queen got to be so horrible. I just felt it could've been a little bit longer.
I received a copy from Net Galley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
3.5 stars
This story follows Hetty and Benjy, two former conductors for the Underground Railroad. Now they help people in a different way. They solve mysteries. One of their current jobs is hitting a little too close to home. People are dying so they better solve it quick or they may be next.
I enjoyed the story. I liked the premise. I really liked the characters. The writing is great. My only problem is the magic. I wish it was explained better. I thought it was confusing and that took away from the story. I would still like to read more from this author.
I received a copy from Net Galley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Wren is a healer. She is in the Queen's Guard and is to follow the orders of her best friend Una. Una sees everything in black and white, while Wren sees the greys in life. Not every decision can be as clear cut as Una would like them to be. When Wren disobeys orders yet again, she is removed from the Queen's Guard.
While trying to figure out how to put her life back together, she receives a letter from an eccentric lord, requesting her help as a healer. She takes his offer of employment. She has to find a way back into the Queen's good graces and get back to Una.
That is just a small part of this book. There is so much more to the story! I loved these characters. Wren and Hal are great. I didn't even mind the romance too much. I really liked the gothic vibe. I liked the writing style. It was very easy to follow. I look forward to more from this author.
I received a copy from Net Galley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Karma and her father have been waiting for their big break. According to the magic eight ball, it will happen.
When Karma answers the phone for Totally Rad Productions and Netflix is on the line, she knows it has finally happened. Netflix wants them to investigate a haunted hotel and get footage of the ghosts.
Hopefully they will succeed and make it big because then maybe Karma's mom will want to come back home.
I loved the spooky atmosphere, but I found the rest to be just ok. The writing was fine, I just wasn't blown away.
I received a copy from Net Galley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Cordelia Hatmaker comes from a long line of Hatmakers. Every hat is special and made for a purpose. With war looming, all of the Makers must create items for the Princess that inspire peace. To create a peaceful item, you must have peace in your heart while making it. That is easier said than done. While the family is making the peace hat, Cordelia's father is lost at sea, making it hard for them to have happy and peaceful thoughts. Other outside matters also make it seem like someone is conspiring against them.
I loved this book so much! It's about friendship, adventure, believing in your own magic, and hope. The characters are fantastic. The story is fantastic. The ending made me want the next book right now! This is definitely an author I will read more of.
I received a copy from Net Galley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
4.5 stars
I just finished reading this again before I continue on with the series. I don't know why I found it confusing the first time I read it. Maybe I just wasn't in the right frame of mind, or maybe I wasn't paying attention because I was not confused this time. I am giving it a higher rating this time around as well. I loved it.
3.5 stars
I really enjoyed most of this book, however, there were times when I was very confused. Hopefully that won't be the case in the next one.
