Guest Review: Now I Rise by Kiersten White

Release Date: June 27th, 2017
Read: October 2017
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Series: The Conqueror's Saga, #2
Format: ARC, 471 pages
Source: Publisher in exchange for an honest review

Description from GoodReads:

   She has no allies. No throne. All she has is what she’s always had: herself.

   After failing to secure the Wallachian throne, Lada Dracul is out to punish anyone who dares to cross her blood-strewn path. Filled with a white-hot rage, she storms the countryside with her men, accompanied by her childhood friend Bogdan, terrorizing the land. But brute force isn’t getting Lada what she wants. And thinking of Mehmed brings little comfort to her thorny heart. There’s no time to wonder whether he still thinks about her, even loves her. She left him before he could leave her.

   What Lada needs is her younger brother Radu’s subtlety and skill. But Mehmed has sent him to Constantinople—and it’s no diplomatic mission. Mehmed wants control of the city, and Radu has earned an unwanted place as a double-crossing spy behind enemy lines. Radu longs for his sister’s fierce confidence—but for the first time in his life, he rejects her unexpected plea for help. Torn between loyalties to faith, to the Ottomans, and to Mehmed, he knows he owes Lada nothing. If she dies, he could never forgive himself—but if he fails in Constantinople, will Mehmed ever forgive him?

   As nations fall around them, the Dracul siblings must decide: what will they sacrifice to fulfill their destinies? Empires will topple, thrones will be won…and souls will be lost.

Review:

   No one will be more ruthless
   Like the previous book, this one serves up a lot of drama, deep questions, and make-or-break decisions. It leaves you constantly wondering and complaining about choices the characters have made. And that makes it so good. It's not often that a book leaves me questioning and hoping for a character's safety and joy.

  And I do love each and every character, good or bad. They are all well-developed, and always show a little bit of humanity, no matter how evil their actions are. Lada is by far my favourite. She is ruthless but doesn't require forgiveness. Her storyline in this book is, in my opinion, more interesting.

  The whole book reads like a young adult, and less complicated Game of Thrones. I could not wait until the next chapter from either Lada or Radu's perspective, and I cannot wait until the next book.

Rating:

Blog Tour: Reunited by Colleen Houck

   Hello and welcome to the Reunited Blog Tour, hosted by Rockstar Book Tours! I've been the biggest fan of Colleen Houck, since her Tigers series, as most of you all know by now. So of course I jumped at the chance to be apart of the blog tour! Today on the tour you'll see the top ten things Colleen is excited for you to look forward to in Reunited, as well as a giveaway! So I hope you all enjoy! 

Reunited by Colleen Houck

Release Date: August 8th, 2017

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Series: Reawakened, #3

Format: Hardcover, 464 pages

Description from GoodReads:

   After surviving her otherworldly adventure, Lily wakes up on her nana’s farm having forgotten everything. Her sun prince, her travels to Egypt, and her journey to the Afterlife are all distant memories.

   But Lily is not the girl she once was. Her body is now part human, part lion, and part fairy. And if that isn’t bad enough, she must now harness this power of three and become Wasret: a goddess destined to defeat the evil god Seth once and for all.

   With the help of her old friend Dr. Hassan, Lily departs on her final voyage through the cosmos and across the plains of Egypt. On the journey, she will transform into the being she is destined to become.

   Reunited is the heart-pounding conclusion to the Reawakened series. 

   It is time for Lily to find her sunset.

 

Top Ten Things to Look Forward to in Reunited!

1. Ahmose-Though Ahmose makes an appearance in all three books, you really get to know this tall, dark, and handsome stranger in Reunited. Ahmose is a quiet man. He tends to keep his thoughts and emotions to himself, but he feels deeply and a lot is going on beneath his calm demeanor. There are many sweet scenes between Ahmose and Lily and I think you’re going to love him.

2. Cherty-My ferryman returns in Reunited. We learn more about his job and get to see him in action once again. He’s one of my absolute favorite characters. I love this surly cosmic sea captain and hope you do too!

3. Apep-The scary snake of Egyptian mythology finally rears his head, literally. As you know I’ve now included snakes in both of my series and though Fanindra can be frightening, this guy will have you shaking in your golden sandals. With fangs larger than spears and the ability to hypnotize you with his eyes, mortals don’t stand much of a chance.

4. People Eating Plants-There is a frightening world in Reunited where things aren’t quite right. The flora is quite nasty and has a terrible habit of luring in the unsuspecting with beauty and scent. Lily must learn how to navigate this dangerous landscape.

5.The Dreamworld-For those of you who are familiar with my series, you know that Asten is called the Dreamer and he has the power of entering the dreams of others. For the first time, you get to experience the dreams of my three heroines and see what they truly wish for through Asten’s eyes.

6.Seth-You finally get to meet the god Seth in this book and figure out how he’s been trapped all these centuries. His prison is not a pretty one and when he emerges, he’s ready to seek revenge once and for all. 

7. Unicorn Battle-Yes, you read that right. There is a pretty awesome battle and the unicorns join in. What’s even more amazing than a unicorn battle? A celestial unicorn battle. 

8. Heart Scarab-In Reunited you’ll learn what a heart scarab truly is and how the creation and trading of a heart scarab is a key that unlocks many things.

9. The Devourer-My evil queen of the dead returns in Reunited and she’s formed an army. I think the Devourer is my favorite villain. She’s just so bad, it’s almost good and I look forward to every scene she’s in.

10. The Waters of Chaos-In Reunited, you’ll not only learn about but visit the Waters of Chaos. This is the place where all the gods were created. It’s the origin of the cosmos and it’s the setting for the climax of the series. 

I hope you’ll enjoy this conclusion to the Egyptian series and love it as much as I do. Hop on to the back of your unicorn and head off on an adventure where danger lurks around every corner and your destination is the stars.

-Colleen Houck

Don't forget to check out the books that started it all!

   New York Times Bestselling author Colleen Houck is a lifelong reader whose literary interests include action, adventure, paranormal, science fiction, and romance. When she’s not busy writing, she likes to spend time chatting on the phone with one of her six siblings, watching plays, and shopping online. Colleen has lived in Arizona, Idaho, Utah, California, and North Carolina and is now permanently settled in Salem, Oregon with her husband and a huge assortment of plush tigers.

3 winners will receive a finished copy of REUNITED, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway 


   Thank you so much for stopping by, and I hope you all will love Renuited! A don't forget to check out the next and previous stops on the tour! 

Week One:

7/31/2017- YA Books Central- Interview

8/1/2017- Here's to Happy Endings- Review

8/2/2017- YA and Wine- Guest Post

8/3/2017- a GREAT read- Review

8/4/2017- Two Chicks on Books- Interview

Week Two:

8/7/2017- Tales of the Ravenous Reader-Review

8/8/2017- Ohana Reads- Guest Post

8/9/2017- Seeing Double In Neverland- Review

8/10/2017- The Cover Contessa- Interview

8/11/2017- Riddle's Reviews- Review

Book Review: Shadow Run by AdriAnne Strickland and Michael Miller

Release Date: March 21st, 2017
Read: March 29th-April 5th, 2017
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Series: Kaitan Chronicles, #1
Format: ARC, 400 pages
Source: McNally Robinson/ Two Thumbs Up Program

Description from GoodReads:

   Nev has just joined the crew of the starship Kaitan Heritage as the cargo loader. His captain, Qole, is the youngest-ever person to command her own ship, but she brooks no argument from her crew of orphans, fugitives, and con men. Nev can't resist her, even if her ship is an antique. 

   As for Nev, he's a prince, in hiding on the ship. He believes Qole holds the key to changing galactic civilization, and when her cooperation proves difficult to obtain, Nev resolves to get her to his home planet by any means necessary. 

   But before they know it, a rival royal family is after Qole too, and they're more interested in stealing her abilities than in keeping her alive. 


   Nev's mission to manipulate Qole becomes one to save her, and to survive, she'll have to trust her would-be kidnapper. He may be royalty, but Qole is discovering a deep reservoir of power--and stars have mercy on whoever tries to hurt her ship or her crew.

Review:

   What am I supposed to do?
   I can be a big space person depending on the day, depending on the book or movie. So I thought that Shadow Run would be up my ally, the reviews I saw from friends certainly made me think so. Unfortunately in the end I was wrong.

   Right away Shadow Run put off bad vibes for me, it took me a week to get into it, but only one day to finish, and that was only because I wanted to be done with it already. If I was one of those people that DNF books (I don't for the most part), then I would have done just that with this book.

  Overall I think that the story felt like it was missing backstory, so when it jumped right into the main plot it was like I had missed so much. I felt like the world, or I guess I should say universe in this case, could have been so much more. Even if the story took place in a spaceship, I felt as if the story literally locked me in a metal box. I didn't feel anything creative about the story, nothing to hook me in.

   Honestly, I felt like Shadow Run was just way too similar to the movie Jupiter Ascending. I felt the exact same way as I did with the movie as I did with the book, they were both wasted potential.

   I had had hope for Shadow Run, that it would be a next favourite of mine. In the ends things didn't work out that way, and I probably won't be picking up the sequel in the future.  

Rating:

Favourite Quote:

"Do I drink blood?"- Qole

Recommend to People Who Enjoy:

Young Adult, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Spaceships, Royalty, Bounty's

Book Review: Dead Girls Society by Michelle Krys

Release Date: November 8th, 2016
Read: January 3rd-5th, 2016
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Series: Standalone
Format: Hardcover, 292 pages
Source: Bought

Description from GoodReads:

   You are cordially invited to participate in a game of thrills and dares. Tell no one, and come alone. If you dare.

   Hope is sick of everyone treating her like she’s breakable. Sure, she has cystic fibrosis (basically really bad lungs), but she’s tired of being babied by her mom and her overprotective best friend, Ethan, not to mention worrying about paying for her expensive medication and how she’s going to afford college. And she’s bored with life in her run-down New Orleans suburb.

   When an invitation arrives from a mysterious group that calls itself the Society, Hope jumps at the chance for some excitement. This could be her ticket out. All she has to do is complete a few dares and she might win some real money.

   But the Society isn’t all it seems . . . and soon Hope finds that playing the game isn’t a choice—it’s a requirement.

Review:

   Cheaters always get caught.
   I've been excited for Dead Girls Society since forever, I hadn't read any of Michelle Krys' other works yet, but knowing that this one was going to be a thriller, I knew that it was going to be something I loved. I wasn't wrong.
   Our protagonist, Hope, is sick. With cystic fibrosis, she has a lot of problems when it comes to breathing. This makes certain things hard for her to do, like swimming or say, sit by a campfire with smoke. Although it's a tough living for the character, it made the character feel real. Instead of getting the perfect, hero character that saves the day, we got a real character. I loved it, and couldn't have been happier. I hope that in the future, more books will have more realistic characters like Hope.
   Where I had chills and felt the constant need to know who the Society was, I also had some problems when it came to the story. In some cases I felt that the story was a bit rushed, in length and in writing style. Personally, I think with a bit slower of a pace, the story could have gone on a bit longer and even had a few more dares. Besides that one quirk, it was the perfect thriller.
   Dead Girls Society was a thrill to read, with daring challenges, murderous motive and mysterious characters. I couldn't put it down, I can not wait to read Krys' other books.

Rating:

Favourite Quote:

"It's just so hard to let go."

Recommend to People Who Enjoy:

Young Adult, Contemporary, Thriller, Mystery, Murder, Revenge

Book Blitz: Recreated by Colleen Houck

   Hello and welcome to the Recreated by Colleen Houck Book Blitz, hosted by Jean Book Nerd! I've been a huge fan of Colleen since I picked up the Tiger's Series roughly four years ago, Recreated was also one of my most anticipated books of the year. You bet your butt that I went to the bookstore the minute I could, to pick up myself a copy. 

   I promise you that this series is not one to miss, so check out the online links for the book below. Don't forget to check out the AMAZING giveaway while you're at it!

Recreated by Colleen Houck

Release Date: August 2nd, 2016 

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Series: Reawakened, #2

Format: Hardcover, 416 pages

Description from GoodReads:

   Lily Young thought traveling across the globe with a reawakened sun prince was a grand adventure. Now she’s about to embark on the journey of a lifetime. 

   When Amon and Lily part tragically, he transports himself to the Netherworld—what mortals call hell. Tormented by the loss of his one true love, he’d rather suffer in agony during Lily’s mortal years than fulfill his duty to protect humanity. 

   Heartbroken, Lily seeks refuge on her grandmother’s farm. Yet she can feel Amon’s pain, and she has been having dreams—dreams of Amon continually suffering. 

   For before he departed, Amon gave Lily something very special, an item that connects them even though they are worlds apart. Now Lily must use this object to free him, and to free their realms from darkness and utter chaos. She will do whatever it takes. 

   New York Times Bestselling author Colleen Houck is a lifelong reader whose literary interests
include action, adventure, paranormal, science fiction, and romance. When she’s not busy writing, she likes to spend time chatting on the phone with one of her six siblings, watching plays, and shopping online. Colleen has lived in Arizona, Idaho, Utah, California, and North Carolina and is now permanently settled in Salem, Oregon with her husband and a huge assortment of plush tigers.

- 4 Winners will receive a Signed Copy of RECREATED by Colleen Houck.

- 5 Winners will receive Reawakened chapter samplers and Recreated Bookmarks. 

- 10-15 Minutes Skype Session

-International, must be 13+ to enter

a Rafflecopter giveaway

   Thank you so much for checking out the book blitz, hopefully after today you've decided to pick up a copy! I promise you won't regret it!