Book Review: The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee

Release Date: October 2nd, 2018
Read: October 1st-5th, 2018
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Series: Montague Siblings, #2
Format: ARC, 450 pages
Source: Publisher in exchange for honest review.

Description from GoodReads:

   A year after an accidentally whirlwind grand tour with her brother Monty, Felicity Montague has returned to England with two goals in mind—avoid the marriage proposal of a lovestruck suitor from Edinburgh and enroll in medical school. However, her intellect and passion will never be enough in the eyes of the administrators, who see men as the sole guardians of science.

   But then a window of opportunity opens—a doctor she idolizes is marrying an old friend of hers in Germany. Felicity believes if she could meet this man he could change her future, but she has no money of her own to make the trip. Luckily, a mysterious young woman is willing to pay Felicity’s way, so long as she’s allowed to travel with Felicity disguised as her maid.

   In spite of her suspicions, Felicity agrees, but once the girl’s true motives are revealed, Felicity becomes part of a perilous quest that leads them from the German countryside to the promenades of Zurich to secrets lurking beneath the Atlantic.

Book Review: Honor Among Thieves by Rachel Caine & Ann Aguirre

Release Date: February 13th, 2018
Read: July 17th, 2018
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Series: The Honors, #1
Format: ARC, 467 pages
Source: Publisher in exchange for an honest review

Description from GoodReads:

   Petty criminal Zara Cole has a painful past that’s made her stronger than most, which is why she chose life in New Detroit instead of moving with her family to Mars. In her eyes, living inside a dome isn’t much better than a prison cell.

   Still, when Zara commits a crime that has her running scared, jail might be exactly where she’s headed. Instead Zara is recruited into the Honors, an elite team of humans selected by the Leviathan—a race of sentient alien ships—to explore the outer reaches of the universe as their passengers.

   Zara seizes the chance to flee Earth’s dangers, but when she meets Nadim, the alien ship she’s assigned, Zara starts to feel at home for the first time. But nothing could have prepared her for the dark, ominous truths that lurk behind the alluring glitter of starlight.

Book Review: Before She Ignites by Jodi Meadows

Release Date: September 12th, 2017
Read: August 27th-30th, 2017
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Series: Fallen Isles Trilogy, #1
Format: ARC, 485 pages
Source: Publisher in exchange for honest review

Description from GoodReads:

   Before

   Mira Minkoba is the Hopebearer. Since the day she was born, she’s been told she’s special. Important. Perfect. She’s known across the Fallen Isles not just for her beauty, but for the peace treaty named after her, an agreement which united the seven islands against their enemies on the mainland.

   But Mira never felt perfect. She counts compulsively. She struggles with crippling anxiety. And she’s far too interested in dragons for a girl of her station.

   After

   Then Mira discovers an explosive secret that challenges everything she and the treaty stand for. Betrayed by the very people she spent her life serving, Mira is sentenced to the Pit—the deadliest prison in the Fallen Isles. There, a cruel guard would do anything to discover the secret she would die to protect.

   No longer beholden to those who betrayed her, Mira must learn to survive on her own and unearth the dark truths about the Fallen Isles—and herself—before her very world begins to collapse.

Review:

   I was a girl again. Shivering. In the dark. In the soundless void. Alone. 

   I never finished Jodi Meadow's first series, Newsoul. There was something about it that in the end, that just did not hook my attention enough to go out and pick up that last book. But then I gave My Lady Jane a try, a book cowritten by Jodi Meadows, and I completely adored it. Thus, obviously proving that I needed to give Jodi Meadows another try, this time with Before She Ignites.

   Before starting the book, I thought I was getting into a book solely focused on dragons and magic. In the end that is what I got, although not in the way I imagined it. Before She Ignites is a fantasy novel that is focused on politics. The book referred a lot to how the 7 islands were ruled, and how the people lived their lives. With saying this, the story took great care in showing us the political corruption of the islands. I couldn't help but compare Before She Ignites' political mentions to the problems with politics that the US is facing today. I also couldn't help but think that this aspect became such an important part of the book, in hope of having readers question the designs happening around them, and try to make a change.

   For most of the book, our protagonist was locked up in a cell, because of this it felt as if a whole lot of pointless things happened. The book itself was fairly large, but with all that occurred in the novel, it's almost as if the book could have been cut in half, cutting out all the pointlessness. I understand why Mira was locked up, and the role that the prison played in furthering the plot but I feel as if the prison could have been a part of the novel rather than the whole thing. I hope that in the upcoming novels more things happen rather than being stuck in one spot again.

   I couldn't help but love the dragons in the book, I found it fascinating how many dragon types there were and how the society honoured them. This aspect of the novel really reminded me of the movie How to Train your Dragon. I really look forward to seeing what Jodi Meadows does with the dragons in the next book of the series.

   Before She Ignites was not what I was expecting, and it really surprised me how the story turned out. I did not end up loving the story, but I do intend on reading the sequel in the future. 

Rating:

Favourite Quote:

"I wanted freedom in the same way I wanted my next breath: an unspoken but constant desire."

Recommend to People Who Enjoy:

Young Adult, Fantasy, Dragons, Politics, Magic, Chosen Ones

Book Review: The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee

Release Date: June 27th, 2017
Read: June 4th-7th, 2017
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Series: Standalone
Format: ARC, 528 pages
Source: McNally Robinson/ Be First Book Club

Description from GoodReads:

   An unforgettable tale of two friends on their Grand Tour of 18th-century Europe who stumble upon a magical artifact that leads them from Paris to Venice in a dangerous manhunt, fighting pirates, highwaymen, and their feelings for each other along the way.

   Henry “Monty” Montague was born and bred to be a gentleman, but he was never one to be tamed. The finest boarding schools in England and the constant disapproval of his father haven’t been able to curb any of his roguish passions—not for gambling halls, late nights spent with a bottle of spirits, or waking up in the arms of women or men.

   But as Monty embarks on his grand tour of Europe, his quest for a life filled with pleasure and vice is in danger of coming to an end. Not only does his father expect him to take over the family’s estate upon his return, but Monty is also nursing an impossible crush on his best friend and traveling companion, Percy.

   Still it isn’t in Monty’s nature to give up. Even with his younger sister, Felicity, in tow, he vows to make this yearlong escapade one last hedonistic hurrah and flirt with Percy from Paris to Rome. But when one of Monty’s reckless decisions turns their trip abroad into a harrowing manhunt that spans across Europe, it calls into question everything he knows, including his relationship with the boy he adores.

Review:

   Wait until you fall for the boy who can't love you back.

   Last year I had picked up My Lady Jane to read, after receiving it in the June 2016 OwlCrate, and I fell in love with the historical and comical aspects of the book. Since then, I've kept an eye out for that particular kind of book, and that's how The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue came into my radar. I was also lucky enough to have picked up a copy for McNally's Be First Book Club.

   Even though the book was from a completely different author than My Lady Jane, I couldn't help but compare TGGtVaV to My Lady Jane for the entirety of the book.  My Lady Jane contained magical aspects to the book, aspects that I couldn't help but feel like were needed in TGGtVaV, and thus I just couldn't help but not feel a big pull of interest to the book. In this case I blame myself for not being a big fan of contemporary novels, as well building the book up to be something completely different in my head.

   Although I had ruined the book for myself, I was still able to enjoy different aspects of the book, the characters and relationships in particular. The main character, Monty, is a bisexual who lives sometime in the 18th century, and life in the 18th century certainly isn't easy for a bisexual. Along with being a bisexual, being a person of colour or even a woman, aren't any easier when it comes to that time period. The three main characters that we encounter in the book happen to fit one or more of these categories. Although the novel pays more attention to the bisexual aspects of the book, and how the people of the time period don't support it or even view it as appriotate, Lee does a terrific job of also drawing attention to the way people of colour were/are treated poorly, and how the women of the time had to fit the mold that was created for them. Lee would throw in little facts throughout the book that made you pause and consider the truth in what was being said, instances like, "There is nothing good about watching another man claim your ship because your skin is too dark to do it yourself" and "Ladies haven't the luxury of being squeamish about blood.". Lee would never tiptoe around the truth, and would give you the facts as they were, you couldn't help but love the book because of this.

   Out of the main characters, I absolutely hated Monty. He was always so ignorant, could only ever care about himself, and not to mention he made so many problems for Percy and Felicity. In the end Lee could have made him perfect, but she made him imperfect which I couldn't help but enjoy, even if he infuriated me. The same went with the other two characters, Lee made them both imperfect as well, like all people are. It was different from most YA novels, and I hope to finally see that become a norm.

   And finally, I know it's only a small piece but I really enjoyed how the cover's little sketches predicted what was to come in the novel. The little sketches seemed like they were just kind of there when I began the novel, but I can't help but love them now.

   The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue was not what I had hoped it to be, but it did have some phenomenal parts to it and I would certainly recommend to to anyone who needs a "Big Gay European Road Trip Novel".  I will probably end up picking up the books companion spin-off, The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy when it releases in 2018.


Rating:

Favourite Quote:

"What we once were, that you are now. What we are now, soon you shall be."

Recommend to People Who Enjoy:

Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Contemporary, LGBTQA+ Stories, Fantasy, Romance, Adventure

Book Review: Burning Glass by Kathryn Purdie

Release Date: March 1st, 2016
Read: March 2nd-9th, 2016
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Series: Burning Glass, #1
Format: ARC, 512 pages
Source: Traded

Description from GoodReads:

   Sonya was born with the rare gift to feel what those around her feel—both physically and emotionally—a gift she’s kept hidden from the empire for seventeen long years. After a reckless mistake wipes out all the other girls with similar abilities, Sonya is hauled off to the palace and forced to serve the emperor as his sovereign Auraseer.

   Tasked with sensing the intentions of would-be assassins, Sonya is under constant pressure to protect the emperor. But Sonya’s power is untamed and reckless, and she can’t always decipher when other people’s impulses end and her own begin. In a palace full of warring emotions and looming darkness, Sonya fears that the biggest danger to the empire may be herself.


   As she struggles to wrangle her abilities, Sonya seeks refuge in her tenuous alliances with the charming-yet-volatile Emperor Valko and his idealistic younger brother, Anton, the crown prince. But when threats of revolution pit the two brothers against each other, Sonya must choose which brother to trust—and which to betray

Review:

   I was darkness personified.
   I had heard a few things from bloggers before going into Burning Glass, excitement, etc. But when my friend received the ARC, she told me to stay away from it. Well she wasn't wrong.
   Going into Burning Glass I immediately felt a similarity to Poison Study by Maria V. Synder, this feeling stuck with me throughout the whole book. Then eventually I started to feel another similarity, this time to Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas. When I got to that point all I was was bored and annoyed for everything being so similar to the two.
   Along with being annoyed about the similarities, I was also so aggravated when it came to Sonya and the King. Being abusive, annoying and manipulative, I just could not handle Valko. I hope in most cases it was Sonya feeling his "affections" for her that lead her to him, because otherwise I just don't understand what Purdie was thinking.
   Because I could not see Burning Glass as anything other than knock offs of Poison Study and Throne of Glass, I could not enjoy anything from the novel. Saying that, I do not see myself reading anything else from this series, in the future.

Rating:

Favourite Quotes:

"I'm not a mirror. And I don't break like glass."

Recommend to People Who Enjoy:

Young Adult, Fantasy, High Fantasy, War, Magic, Powers

Book Review: Shallow Graves by Kali Wallace

Release Date: January 26th, 2016
Read:  November 25th-27th, 2015
Publisher: Katherine Tegen
Series: N/A
Format: ARC, 386 pages
Source: McNally Robinson/ Two Thumbs Up Program

Description from GoodReads:

   When seventeen-year-old Breezy Lin wakes up in a shallow grave one year after her death, she doesn’t remember who killed her or why. All she knows is that she’s somehow conscious—and not only that, she’s able to sense who around her is hiding a murderous past. In life, Breezy was always drawn to the elegance of the universe and the mystery of the stars. Now she must set out to find answers and discover what is to become of her in the gritty, dangerous world to which she now belongs—where killers hide in plain sight and a sinister cult is hunting for strange creatures like her. What she finds is at once empowering, redemptive, and dangerous.

Review:

   There were stars. It was too lonely to be heaven, and there wouldn't be stars in hell.
   The minute I heard and saw the cover of Shallow Graves I was smitten, I absolutely needed it in my life. There was hype in the blogger community, and for a while it seemed like it would be one of my favourite debuts of 2016. Unfortunately when I read the ARC, I got something else than what I was expecting.
   The Shallow Graves started out great, with our dead character using her new powers for good. Getting rid of murderers so they don't do anymore harm. It was terrific, I couldn't put the book down. I was consumed by it. Although once we hit a quarter of the way through the book I hit a snag that I didn't enjoy. Wallace went in a way different direction than what the description described and the way I thought it would go.
   Going into the book I expected a girl who was confused about her powers but knew to use them for good. I even thought that maybe she would have to deal with it all on her own, or find someone like her. What I got instead was this whole different setting that left me with more questions about the book than I wanted. Wallace created this whole world for her debut, but took it nowhere. She created a villain and accomplices that had a backstory but didn't give us enough information about them to help us picture who they were as people. She also gave our main character a few friends to lean on, but in the end they really weren't necessary. They just weren't relevant enough to the story to have, the same went with the villain she gave us. She completely took us off course from what was intended with the plot, where she could have just written about a undead girl who could see murderers for who they really are, she gave us a unexpected story that readers picking up the book to read didn't want.
   Though Kali Wallace kept me engaged with her debut, Shallow Graves, it was not the novel I was excited for and so I was disappointed.
   Shallow Graves was my first 2016 read, where it didn't turn out the way I had wanted I still have high hopes for the 2016 books to come.

 You can find my review on McNally Robinson's Two Thumbs Up review page here.

Rating:

Favourite Quote:

" The first rule of cannibal mermaid club is don't talk about cannibal mermaid fight club." 

Recommend to People Who Enjoy:

Young Adult, Paranormal, Murder, Thriller, Supernatural, Zombies

Book Review: A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis

Release Date: October 6th, 2015
Read: October 23rd-28th, 2015
Publisher: Katherine Tegen
Series: N/A
Format: ARC, 384 pages
Source: Traded

Description from GoodReads:

   Grace Mae knows madness.

   She keeps it locked away, along with her voice, trapped deep inside a brilliant mind that cannot forget horrific family secrets. Those secrets, along with the bulge in her belly, land her in a Boston insane asylum.

   When her voice returns in a burst of violence, Grace is banished to the dark cellars, where her mind is discovered by a visiting doctor who dabbles in the new study of criminal psychology. With her keen eyes and sharp memory, Grace will make the perfect assistant at crime scenes. Escaping from Boston to the safety of an ethical Ohio asylum, Grace finds friendship and hope, hints of a life she should have had. But gruesome nights bring Grace and the doctor into the circle of a killer who stalks young women. Grace, continuing to operate under the cloak of madness, must hunt a murderer while she confronts the demons in her own past.

Review:

Contains Spoilers:

   Dear child, do you even know all the rage that is inside you?
   I knew I'd love this book since the moment I saw the cover, there was an eeriness to it that just could not be ignored. But by not loving Not a Drop to Drink, I was a bit sceptical about A Madness So Discreet, but I can happily say I had nothing to be worried about.
   A Madness So Discreet is a book full of triggers, from the rape, to mental illnesses, the book brought you to realize many things about our world. The one thing that stood out the most for me was  that one you are labeled insane, because once you are there is no going back. But as we saw from the book, some of the people who were labeled insane, were normal functioning members of society, or to the best of their abilities they were. Elizabeth being a good example, though she talked to 'string' or an imaginary friend, she was sane otherwise. I felt like McGinnis wanted us to see the consequences we cause when we are quick to label people.
   My favourite thing from the book had to be Thornhollow's way of solving mysteries and crimes. Instead of the Who? When? Why? How? Like he mentioned, he would look at the other evidence that could have lead up to the nature of the murder. By studying the human nature and faults, he was able to determine almost the exact reason for the kill. I understand that people do that now a days, but to see it in the light that McGinnis put it was utterly fascinating.
   I found A Madness So Discreet to be highly informational and intriguing, and would love to see how McGinnis depicts other topics and such, later in the future with hopefully more books to come.
   Not a Drop to Drink was not a lively book for me, but A Madness So Discreet was the total opposite, I'm glad to have given the book a chance and can't wait to see what else McGinnis has in store for us in the future! 

Rating:

Favourite Quote:

" It's all blood and darkness, with your throat closed so tight your own death is choking you."

"Sometimes the loveliest places harbour the worst monsters."

"The dead know nothing.
 And the living have secrets."

Recommend to People Who Enjoy:

Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Asylums, Insane People

Waiting on Wednesday: (50)

Shallow Graves 

Kali Wallace

Katherine Tegan Books

Expected: January 26th, 2016

Description from GoodReads:

   For fans of Holly Black and Nova Ren Suma, a gripping, hauntingly atmospheric novel about murder, revenge, and a world where monsters—human and otherwise—lurk at the fringes.

   When seventeen-year-old Breezy Lin wakes up in a shallow grave one year after her death, she doesn’t remember who killed her or why. All she knows is that she’s somehow conscious—and not only that, she’s able to sense who around her is hiding a murderous past. In life, Breezy was always drawn to the elegance of the universe and the mystery of the stars. Now she must set out to find answers and discover what is to become of her in the gritty, dangerous world to which she now belongs—where killers hide in plain sight and a sinister cult is hunting for strange creatures like her. What she finds is at once empowering, redemptive, and dangerous.

   Tense, complex, and wholly engaging, Shallow Graves is a stunning first novel from Kali Wallace. 

Why I Want It:

   If I woke up a year after my death, to find out I was murdered I think I'd freak the heck out and go on a rampage, then to find you you have a power? 

   Death, murder, cults and mysteries, honestly I just think this book will be a must read. 

   What are you waiting on this week? Will you be picking up Shallow Graves? Let me know what you're waiting on in the comments! 

Blog Tour: A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis

   Hello and welcome to the A Madness So Discreet Blog Tour! I'm super excited to be your host for today, I've been dying to get my hands on this book since ARCs were sent out. I may not have read it yet but that doesn't mean I won't ASAP. 

   Today Mindy McGinnis will be answering my question about her research for A Madness So Discreet, as well as a giveaway to go along with it! I hope you enjoy!

A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis

Release Date: October 6th, 2015

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Series: N/A

Format: Hardcover, 384 pages

Description from GoodReads:

   Grace Mae knows madness.

   She keeps it locked away, along with her voice, trapped deep inside a brilliant mind that cannot forget horrific family secrets. Those secrets, along with the bulge in her belly, land her in a Boston insane asylum.

   When her voice returns in a burst of violence, Grace is banished to the dark cellars, where her mind is discovered by a visiting doctor who dabbles in the new study of criminal psychology. With her keen eyes and sharp memory, Grace will make the perfect assistant at crime scenes. Escaping from Boston to the safety of an ethical Ohio asylum, Grace finds friendship and hope, hints of a life she should have had. But gruesome nights bring Grace and the doctor into the circle of a killer who stalks young women. Grace, continuing to operate under the cloak of madness, must hunt a murderer while she confronts the demons in her own past.

   Research! What kind of research went into making A Madness So Discreet? Did you have to do a lot of looking into Asylums and Criminal Psychology?

   I researched for an entire year before writing a word of this book. There was much to learn – the beginnings of criminal psychology, the history of asylum medicine (both the good and the bad), and of course historical details in general. What kind of lighting would be in a room in 1890? What would an asylum inmate be wearing? I’m very particular, and there were days when I couldn’t finish a sentence without doing half an hour of research in order to make sure I got it (hopefully) right.
The specific setting – the Athens Lunatic Asylum in Ohio – has an amazing history. You can do a quick Google and learn about how it’s one of the most haunted places in the world and hear horror stories about the graveyard. And while I’m a fan of the supernatural, I’m also a fan of data. That type of history doesn’t interest me, because most of it quite frankly, just isn’t true.
The Athens asylum was actually an amazing model of humane treatment for the insane. If you were crazy (or just unlucky enough to be deemed so) in 1890, it was a good place to land. One of my best resources for the history of the asylum was Asylum On The Hill: History of A Healing Landscape, by Katherine Ziff. If you’d like to learn more about the actual history of the Athens Lunatic Asylum give it a shot.


   I also toured the buildings, which are now part of the Ohio University campus. You can’t go into the patient wards for safety reasons (they are literally crumbling), but some parts of the building are currently in use as staff offices as well as an art gallery. The gallery is open to the public, and when you visit you can see original floors, staircases and woodwork from the insane asylum years. Definitely hit up my Pinterest board if you want to see some pics from my tour!

   Mindy McGinnis is an assistant YA librarian who lives in Ohio and cans her own food. She

graduated from Otterbein University magna cum laude with a BA in English Literature and Religion. Mindy has a pond in her back yard but has never shot anyone, as her morals tend to cloud her vision.

1 winner will receive a signed finished copy of A MADNESS SO DISCREET. US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

   Thanks for stopping by! I can't wait to give it a read, and I hope you feel the same!

Week One:

9/28/2015- Such a Novel Idea- Review

9/29/2015- Once Upon a Twilight- Interview

9/30/2015- Ohana Reads- Guest Post

10/1/2015- IceyBooks- Review

10/2/2015- Adventures of a Book Junkie- Interview

Week Two:

10/5/2015- Moonlight Gleam Reviews- Review

10/6/2015- One Night Book Stand- Guest Post

10/7/2015- Oh, the Books!- Review

10/8/2015- Chapter by Chapter- Interview

10/9/2015- A Dream Within A Dream- Review