Title: Stronger than a Bronze Dragon Author: Mary Fan Genre: YA Fantasy Publication Date: June 11th, 2019 Pages: 384 (Hardcover) Publishers: Page Street Publishing Rating:
Goodreads Synopsis
When a powerful viceroy arrives with a fleet of mechanical dragons and stops an attack on Anlei’s village, the villagers see him as a godsend. They agree to give him their sacred, enchanted River Pearl in exchange for permanent protection—if he’ll marry one of the village girls to solidify the alliance. Anlei is appalled when the viceroy selects her as a bride, but with the fate of her people at stake, she sees no choice but to consent. Anlei’s noble plans are sent into a tailspin, however, when a young thief steals the River Pearl for himself.
Knowing the viceroy won’t protect her village without the jewel, she takes matters into her own hands. But once she catches the thief, she discovers he needs the pearl just as much as she does. The two embark on an epic quest across the land and into the Courts of Hell, taking Anlei on a journey that reveals more is at stake than she could have ever imagined.
Writing
I have mixed feelings about the writing of this one and that is it’s main downfall for me. Firstly, I didn’t feel like the world was explained fully and I didn’t get enough info on the Magic System either, so I was a little underwhelmed with that. What I learnt about the world was super interesting and I would love to learn more, however this is a standalone, so won’t be getting that wish granted. I do appreciate that this is a standalone as YA Fantasy standalones are rare! My other issue with the writing is that it was a tad predictable and pretty cliche. I didn’t love the romance as it was pretty close to insta love. Which is a nope from me. It was only a little predictable, mainly with the romance and related things though. I didn’t guess the major plot points but there were things that I guessed..
However, I did enjoy the action, pacing, world and characters. So I didn’t hate this book but there could have been improvements..
Nothing can truly be fixed. Once broken, nothing will ever be s it was . . . And though you can’t repair something entirely, you can mold it into something better.
Plot
As I previously said there were some predictability, but not a tonne. I did enjoy the plot though, it kept me hooked and it was full of twists and turns. I also enjoyed the pacing, it felt very fast paced which made it easy to read!
Characters
The characters were quite enjoyable even though they were a bit predictable. This is one of those books that you are left wondering if you are supporting the right character and questioning their choices. Which I enjoy personally!
She throws up her hand. “If you were any denser, you’d fall right through the earth!”
Overall
So overall I enjoyed some things and disliked others. The book was enjoyable, action packed, fast paced, had an interesting world and good characters but there were a few things that could have been improved!
Thank you to NetGalley & Page Street Publishing for providing me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
You can purchase a copy for yourself at any of the links below.
Some of the links on my blog are affiliate links. This does not change the price of your purchases, however, I receive a small commission if you use any of those links to make a purchase! Which I highly appreciate!
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
Writing
The only way I can describe this book is straight out entertaining! My first critique of the writing is that because this book was so fast paced & there are so many POVs I found it a bit lacking of background information. There were only really a few things that I felt like was fully explained as they directly impacted the story. But I wanted to know more about this world and also the ailen races.. I love a good action packed book, but I need a balance between action & world developed which this one felt a little lacking in. Secondly, again because it was so action packed & there are multiple POVs I found that I didn’t fully connect with the characters. I enjoyed them and was rooting for them but I don’t feel that full on connection to them. Really any of them.
As for good things, it was action packed, very fast paced & the witty banter was on point! It made for an enjoyable and entertaining experience.
“Hmm.” I make a show of patting down my uniform, peering down my tunic. “I seem to have left the part of me that cares in my other pants.”
Plot
This is going to be a short one as I’ve already basically explained it all. The plot is fast paced, action packed & gripping. Also fairly unpredictable, there was one major thing that I easily guessed before the big reveal but for the most part it was unpredictable.
Characters
So as I’ve already said, I didn’t have a huge connection with the characters but I did enjoy them. My favourite would have to be either Finian or Kal! I can’t choose between the two as they were both amazing! Also the banter between Cat & Fin was on point!
I loved that we got POVs of twins, both of them. I found that really unique as It’s kinda rare to have a Twin as an MC let alone having POV from both Scarlett & Tyler.
I also appreciated the rep! Main one being Finian who is both disabled and possibly either Bi or maybe Pan? If that’s what an ailen race calls it anyway… I don’t believe it was specifically stated but from the evidence that’s the vibes I’m getting.
“Are you, like, a professional arsehole or . . . ?”
“More a hobbyist,” Finian replies. “Hoping to go pro next season.”
Overall
Overall I enjoyed the experience. It was a fun, fast paced, action packed, interesting & hilarious book and I loved it but there were a couple little negative things that I had for it too. I’m super keen for book 2 & hopefully there is a little more background explanation & also I am able to connect more with the characters!
You can purchase a copy for yourself at any of the links below.
Some of the links on my blog are affiliate links. This does not change the price of your purchases, however, I receive a small commission if you use any of those links to make a purchase! Which I highly appreciate!
Title: King of Fools Series Name:The Shadow Game Author: Amanda Foody Genre: YA Fantasy Publication Date: April 30th, 2019 Pages: 599 (Hardcover) Publishers: Ink Yard Press Rating:
Goodreads Synopsis
On the quest to find her missing mother, prim and proper Enne Salta became reluctant allies with Levi Glaisyer, the city’s most famous con man. Saving his life in the Shadow Game forced Enne to assume the identity of Seance, a mysterious underworld figure. Now, with the Chancellor of the Republic dead and bounties on both their heads, she and Levi must play a dangerous game of crime and politics…with the very fate of New Reynes at stake.
Thirsting for his freedom and the chance to build an empire, Levi enters an unlikely partnership with Vianca Augustine’s estranged son. Meanwhile, Enne remains trapped by the mafia donna’s binding oath, playing the roles of both darling lady and cunning street lord, unsure which side of herself reflects the truth.
As Enne and Levi walk a path of unimaginable wealth and opportunity, new relationships and deadly secrets could quickly lead them into ruin. And when unforeseen players enter the game, they must each make an impossible choice: To sacrifice everything they’ve earned in order to survive…
Or die as legends.
Writing
There hasn’t been a book written by Amanda Foody that I haven’t loved so far! Her ability to create absolutely incredibly detailed and unique worlds is just outstanding. You never know what you are going to discover next or what mystery will be unravelled about these worlds. It’s constant and I love it. The world of New Reynes is just so amazingly developed I can’t believe it’s not real. Next are her magic systems which are intricate, unique and interesting! I absolutely love them! Everything about this book is detailed, developed & amazingly written!
Plot
Just oh my god! The plot flowed amazingly. It had the perfect amount of action and false sense of security! SOO much happens in this book but it never feels overwhelming or unrealistic. Just perfectly action packed, heart breaking and gripping! This book will keep you at the edge of your seat most of the way through!
Characters
The characters of this book are so well developed they feel real. You see them grow throughout the book. There are characters you will love, once you will hate & ones that you will constantly be confused as to whether you love or hate them. They are so well written! I love that we followed 3 POVs in this book as opposed to only 2 that we had in Ace of Shades. As well as Enne & Levi we also follow Jac in King of Fools which I loved. Jac is an amazing character having him as a POV just bought him to life even more.
Overall
King of Fools was an amazing sequel to Ace of Shades. Amanda Foody is starting to become one of my all time favourite authors! Especially if she keeps creating amazing books! The worlds, the magic, the characters, the plot! Everything is just soo freaking well done!
You can purchase a copy for yourself at any of the links below.
Some of the links on my blog are affiliate links. This does not change the price of your purchases, however, I receive a small commission if you use any of those links to make a purchase! Which I highly appreciate!
What does it mean to be queer? What does it mean to be human? In this powerful #LoveOzYA collection, twelve of Australia’s finest writers from the LGBTQ+ community explore the stories of family, friends, lovers and strangers – the connections that form us.
This inclusive and intersectional #OwnVoices anthology for teen readers features work from writers of diverse genders, sexualities and identities, including writers who identify as First Nations, people of colour or disabled. With short stories by bestsellers, award winners and newcomers to young adult fiction including Jax Jacki Brown, Claire G Coleman, Michael Earp, Alison Evans, Erin Gough, Benjamin Law, Omar Sakr, Christos Tsiolkas, Ellen van Neerven, Marlee Jane Ward, Jen Wilde and Nevo Zisin.
Rats by Marlee Jane Ward
This story wasn’t my favourite out of the book. It took me until about half way through the story to realise that this is set in either the future or an alternate Australia. There was some mention of robots and things, so that’s what gave it away eventually. My favourite part of this story was Maita! She was an interesting and fun character and I enjoyed her part of the story. The world & concept of the Rats was really interesting as well, once I figured out what was going on, and I would have liked to learn more about it but alas, the down fall of short stories, can’t be helped. The least interesting thing for me was the MC, whose name is I think Michelle. She was a bit flat for me and her attraction felt a bit forced.
In Case of Emergency, Break Glass by Erin Gough
I actually enjoyed this one a fair bit! It was kinda odd, a little confusing and super interesting. I won’t give a way anything as I feel like you need to just go in and be confused like the rest of us. But I enjoyed our MC, Amy, there was some conflicting emotions & thoughts going on which I think was done well. Then there was a super odd and fun twist which I enjoyed too. This is one that I 100% would have kept reading if there was more too it! It left on a bit of a cliffhanger, I guess you could call it, with Boz and I am curious!
Bitter Draught by Michael Earp
This one had a fantasy element, which I loved! Ya’ll know, Fantasy is my stomping ground! My negative thing with this one is that is 100% felt like the first chapter of a book rather than a short story. Maybe that was intention, I don’t know but it just felt incomplete to me & wasn’t well rounded at all. The MC, Simeon felt very one dimensional. There wasn’t much too him besides being a tad annoying. I did enjoy Wyll though, I found him interesting & I loved that he choose to live & do what he wants rather than settling because that is what others want. Wren I am super curious about. We got barely any time with them but they interested me from the start. Would like to know more about them & the background of the magically side of the world.
I Like Your Rotation by Jax Jacki Brown
First off, love all the rep in this one! Two Queer Wheelchair bound disabled females? Hell yeah! I really liked Drew in this story and I definitely preferred her to Jem. She is a very out going, accepting, open & free person which I really enjoyed. Jem was very much the other end of the spectrum, she was anxious, quiet, questioned her every action and was not the most confident when it came to being a disabled or queer person. I did enjoy the rep but Jem did irritate me a little and thats why I didn’t like her as much as Drew. The other character we meet is Jem’s dad who I actually really liked. Even if he didn’t fully understand he tried to help in his own way and it was always super sweet. This was a very character based story, so basically no world building.
Sweet by Claire G Coleman
Wow, just wow. This is my favourite story so far! This is set in a future alternate Australia and the concept of this world was so interesting! We got enough background to understand what was going on and the importance of the big reveal. There wasn’t much plot as this stories’ focus is definitely the characters and this world and I loved that! It was so unique and I would 100% read a full story by this author set in this world! Super vague, I know but you just need to read & experience this one for yourself!
Light Bulb by Nevo Zisin
Okay, straight up, I don’t get this one. I’m guessing that the darkness mentioned in this story is meant to represent depression but besides that I have no idea what happened in the story, I don’t get it and I don’t really see the point behind. If you do understand it then that is awesome, but I have no idea.
Waiting by Jen Wilde
Argh this was soo good! Jen Wilde has become and auto buy author for me after this! I’ve read Queens of Geek and loved it and now reading this, I loved it too! I want this story as a full novel so bad! Josie is freaking awesome and I love her! Audrey is amazing too and so strong for realising the bullshit and removing her self from it in a badass way! Vanessa I hated from the first sentence & Sully is just a dick. Everything about this story is well done, well written and just amazing! And SOO much Pride!! I really need to get my hands on a copy of The Brightsiders (i think it is) by Jen Wilde! LOVE IT!
Laura Nyro at the Weeding by Christos Tsiolkas
I didn’t love or dislike this one. I enjoyed that it is was from the view point of a seasoned queer couple (I guess you could call it), rather than new romance & a developing romance, unlike the other stories & really most of the LGBT+ books I have read. I also liked the other themes the story features but I just felt a little underwhelmed by this one. It was good, just didn’t wow me. And on an unrelated note, I don’t see why this is in a YA anthology when the characters are much older than typical YA. It said in one part that the MC’s partner was 10 when their family moved 25 years ago, so that makes him 35? So unless the MC is with a much older person, then I don’t really think this is YA. There was a couple short sections set in the past when the MC was a kid & teen, but for the most part, not really YA.
Each City by Ellen Van Neerven
This is another confusing & underwhelming one. I get the general idea of the story but the writing was very bland & also very choppy. It felt like a long story with pieces removed to make it shorter. It was just kinda meh and I didn’t really care for it at all & still don’t really see any point or plot to it really.
An Arab Werewolf in Liverpool by Omar Sakr
I really didn’t care for this writing of this one. Did we really need to know about you washing your hairy armpits or your Aunties Tits shaking?!?! Nope, not at all. Story would of gone just the same without knowing the finer details thanks. I didn’t even finish this one, the writing was just annoying me too much.
Stormlines by Alison Evans
This was a decent story. It wasn’t amazing but it was interesting & enjoyable. The world was very interesting and I enjoyed learning about it. There isn’t really a plot to this one, it’s more about the characters & the world. Which I didn’t hate. We were learning about the characters & world enough that I didn’t feel like I was missing out on the plot. I would probably continue reading this is there was more to it, mainly as I’m curious.
Questions to Ask Straight Relatives by Benjamin Law
I really enjoyed this one. It was short and didn’t really have a plot, nor a real focus on characters specifically. It was more just kinda in the head of this one character. It makes you think & question things that you mat see as just ‘normal’ & I really liked that about it.
Overall
Overall, there was good & bad in this book! I never go into anthologies expecting to love every story, it’s just not realistic. But overall, there were enough good stories to out way the average & bad ones. So I’m happy!
You can purchase a copy for yourself at any of the links below.
Make sure you head on over to my Instagram as I will be holding a Giveaway where you could win a copy of Kindred: 12 Queer #LoveOzYA Stories! Aus & NZ only giveaway, sorry guys!
Have you read Kindred? Or are you keen to?!
Purchase any of the books mentioned from BOOK DEPOSITORY! World Wide FREE shipping and awesome prices? Can’t say no to that!
Aussie? Want quick shipping? Awesome prices? Want to be able to utilise AfterPay? Then try BOOKTOPIA or even ANGUS & ROBERTSON!
Some of the links on my blog are affiliate links. This does not change the price of your purchases, however, I receive a small commission if you use any of those links to make a purchase! Which I highly appreciate!
Title: Contagion Series Name:Contagion Author: Erin Bowman Genre: YA Sci-Fi Horror Publication Date: July 24th, 2018 Pages: 423 (Hardcover) Publishers: HarperTeen Rating:
Goodreads Synopsis
After receiving a distress call from a drill team on a distant planet, a skeleton crew is sent into deep space to perform a standard search-and-rescue mission.
When they arrive, they find the planet littered with the remains of the project—including its members’ dead bodies. As they try to piece together what could have possibly decimated an entire project, they discover that some things are best left buried—and some monsters are only too ready to awaken.
It got in us.
Writing
Oh my god! This book was SO intense, SO gripping, SO interesting and just my god! I could not put this book down! The writing was awesome. There was the perfect amount of world building, character development, action, creepiness, sarcasm & second guessing. It was just awesome. It flowed really well & there was never any confusion. The atmosphere of this book was just outstanding. You could feel it & you could see it playing out, it was just amazingly written! I don’t read horror too often & this is Sci-Fi Horror and it definitely came through. The creepiness was just everywhere. Like if I heard a noise in the real world when I was deep in this book I would nearly shit myself. The writing just drags you so far into this story that it will feel real.
Most are dead.
Plot
This book did not slow down from start to finish! And it worked perfectly that way. The plot was unpredictable, action packed & intense in the best ways possible!
Don’t set foot here again.
Characters
These characters were just all over the place. In the best way. You never know who to trust, who has secrets, who is just doing something for their own gain & who is hiding something that could change everything! This is multi POV & in every POV you end up second guessing another character who you thought you trusted. All the characters were written amazingly & I loved and hated them all a little bit. They all developed over the course of the book, some in bad ways & some in worse ways. They all felt so fleshed out & were just so well written!
Don’t trust the kid.
Overall
This book was just so well done! Everything was written amazingly & the suspense was insane throughout the whole book! I can’t wait for book 2 which comes out very soon! 2nd of July which happens to be my birthday!! So that is super convenient!
You can purchase a copy for yourself at any of the links below.
Some of the links on my blog are affiliate links. This does not change the price of your purchases, however, I receive a small commission if you use any of those links to make a purchase! Which I highly appreciate!
Title: The Bone Charmer Author: Breeana Shields Genre: YA Fantasy Publication Date: May 21st, 2019 Pages: 400 (Hardcover) Publishers: Page Street Publishing Rating:
Goodreads Synopsis
In Saskia’s world, bones are the source of all power. They tell the future, reveal the past, and expose secrets in the present. Each village has a designated seer who performs readings for the townsfolk, and in Midwood, the Bone Charmer is Saskia’s mother.
On the day of her kenning—a special bone reading that determines the apprenticeships of all seventeen-year-olds—Saskia’s worst fears come true. She receives an assignment to train as a Bone Charmer, like her mother, and even worse, a match-making reading that pairs her with Bram—a boy who has suspicious tattoos that hint of violence.
Saskia knows her mother saw multiple paths for her, yet chose one she knew Saskia wouldn’t want. Their argument leads to a fracture in one of the bones. Broken bones are always bad luck, but this particular set of bones have been infused with extra magic, and so the break has devastating consequences—Saskia’s future has split as well. Now she will live her two potential paths simultaneously. Only one future can survive. And Saskia’s life is in danger in both.
Writing
This book was actually REALLY good! The writing was very gripping & interesting. I read 75% of this book in 1 day because I was just so into the story, I just couldn’t put it down! I really enjoyed the writing. The author did an awesome job of describing the world & magic system thoroughly but it never felt like info dumping which was awesome. The characters developed well throughout the book, some good & some bad but the development was there and it felt natural.
Plot
The plot of this book is so freaking interesting. This book basically follows two possible futures after a certain point in time and it was done SOO well! There was action & drama in both sides that kept you on your toes! It was very unpredictable as well which is awesome. The whole plot just flowed really well on both sides. I thought things might of been confusing but that definitely wasn’t the case. The author did an awesome job of writing this unique plot and I loved it.
I also love that there was never any confusion when it came to the 2 different plots we were following. Obviously both sides followed the same MC & I feel like she felt different in each side and she developed differently because of what she went through on that side. It was just written really well!
Characters
The characters are kinda hard to talk about because there were 2 versions of most characters, one in each possible future. The characters in each future developed really well though & I was really invested in these characters. Especially so on one of the futures and I really liked one of the romances , which is really weird as I’m just not usually that person. All the characters were really well done, the good guys & the bad guys. They were all written very well! I think that is all I’ll say about the characters as otherwise it is going to get too confusing by trying to avoid spoilers if I actually talk about the characters individually.
Overall
I really enjoyed this book! The characters were awesome, the world was super interesting, the magic system was unique and interesting as well. Everything about this book was just interesting & fun. It dragged me in and did not want to let go! I really hope there is a sequel to this book. It ended as if it was leading into another book but there is no series for this book on Goodreads and I can’t find any info for it! I really hope there is though! It was just so good and also, like I said, the ending felt like it was leading somewhere else & I need to know!!
Thank you to NetGalley & Page Street Publishing for providing me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
You can purchase a copy for yourself at any of the links below.
Some of the links on my blog are affiliate links. This does not change the price of your purchases, however, I receive a small commission if you use any of those links to make a purchase! Which I highly appreciate!
I thought it might be helpful to do up a post of options of books that you could read for each of the challenges. These aren’t recommendations as I haven’t read all of them.
You are welcome to interpret these challenges as you please. As long as you can explain why the book you choose fits the challenge.
Also all of these options are YA books, of course you are welcome to read Adult & Middle Grade books but the lists would be never ending if I included all books. So YA narrows it down a bit for me. Also I’m more familiar with YA books, so it’s easy to know what fits the challenges.
I also won’t bother explaining every book in every subject unless I think it needs it.
New Beijing – Read a Sci-Fi Book
Sheol 1 – Read a Dystopian Book
Kalyazin – Read a book with Blood on the Cover OR Read a book with a Red Cover
Blood on the Cover
Book with a Red Cover
Medora – Read a book with the ‘Chosen One’ Trope
Emberfall – Read a Retelling/Reimagining
Dustwalk – Read a book about a Rebellion
New Reynes – Read a book that has a Card Suit on the cover
This is a challenge that has many ways to interpret it. You can choose a book with a ♥️ or a human heart. You can choose a book with a ♦️ or a 💎. Or a book with ‘Heart’, ‘Diamond’, ‘Spade’ or ‘Club’ in the title.
Ellingham Academy – Read a Mystery Book
The Shire – Read a book that is at least 10 years old
The Ice Court – Read a book following ‘Criminals’
Fennbirn – Read a book with Multiple POV
Cabeswater – Read a book that involves a King
Hogwarts – Read a book that is set in a Magical School
Well that is all the Challenges! If you have any recommendations, please put them in the comments so others can get some inspiration on what to read.
What are you most looking forward to reading during Fantasy JourneyAThon?!
Purchase any of the books mentioned from BOOK DEPOSITORY! World Wide FREE shipping and awesome prices? Can’t say no to that!
Aussie? Want quick shipping? Awesome prices? Want to be able to utilise AfterPay? Then try BOOKTOPIA or even ANGUS & ROBERTSON!
Some of the links on my blog are affiliate links. This does not change the price of your purchases, however, I receive a small commission if you use any of those links to make a purchase! Which I highly appreciate!
