WoW [33]

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're all eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Review~ Caraval Series

Hey all! I am such a terrible fan who loved this series so much, that I only ever reviewed the first book.... I think Legendary is part of the reason because it just stole my heart away. So much so that I never came down from a book high. It's fine though, because I am doing an overall series review now!

Title: Caraval, Legendary, Finale 
Author: Stephanie Garber
Publication Date: 2017, 2018, 2019
Publisher: Flatiron
Format: Available in hardcover & softcover
Description: Scarlett has never left the tiny island where she and her beloved sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval, the far-away, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show, are over. But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.
Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. But she nevertheless becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic with the other players in the game. And whether Caraval is real or not, she must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over, a dangerous domino effect of consequences is set off, and her sister disappears forever.
Welcome, welcome to Caraval . . . beware of getting swept too far away.

I don't think there are enough words in the english dictoinary to desribe what the Caraval series meant to me. Stephanie Garber crafts a world full of magic that readers never know what is real and what is an illusion. That idea itself is one of the highlights of the series for me as a reader. I fell in love with Caraval and the idea of not knowing if things are real, becuase it allowed readers to transport into Scarlett's mind. As the series contiuned, I began to understand the world and magic more, and it amazed me more than I could have ever imagined.

WoW [32]

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're all eagerly anticipating. This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

ARC Review ~ FireBlood

Title: FireBlood
Author: Elly Blake
Publication Date: September 12th, 2017
Publisher: Little Brown Books
Pages: 416
Format: ARC
Description: Against all odds, Ruby has defeated the villainous Frost King and melted his powerful throne. But the bloodthirsty Minax that was trapped inside is now haunting her kingdom and everyone she loves. The answers to its demise may lie to the south in Sudesia, the land of the Firebloods, and a country that holds the secrets to Ruby's powers and past.... 
Despite warnings from her beloved Arcus, Ruby accompanies a roguish Fireblood named Kai to Sudesia, where she must master her control of fire in a series of trials to gain the trust of the suspicious Fireblood queen. Only then can she hope to access the knowledge that could defeat the rampaging Minax--which grows closer every moment. But as sparks fly in her moments alone with Kai, how can Ruby decide whom to trust? The fate of both kingdoms is now in her hands.

FireBlood wasn’t exactly what I was expecting it to be. I had read FrostBlood, and felt a numbness towards it because of the sense that everything had been done before. I grew worried going into this book, however, I was still intrigued to find out what happened and how the plot progressed. FireBlood surprised me in a good way, I did enjoy it much more than book one and I even felt like there was less déjà vu taking place with some of the plotlines. Overall It was a better read.

My issue with book one was that it was a good introduction to the fantasy genre, but not meant for someone who had already picked their way through many fantasy reads. The plot felt familiar and the choices did too. I was surprised to find that FireBlood wasn’t exactly like the first book in this way. Though it had some of the classic clichés, I felt like some of the plot was new to me. I ended up connecting to the story and reading this book in one sitting. I liked the choices made in this book and the consequences as well. Not everything Ruby did was predictable, and I enjoyed that. Though some of Arcus choices were seen coming, I still did enjoy his part in this novel. The ending was satisfying and will leave readers wanting more, without feeling like a cliffhanger. Overall the plot felt a lot newer in this book than the first one.

I found that I enjoyed these characters a lot more in this sequel. I think Ruby really developed as a character in this book. She was faced with troublesome choices as well as some interesting plot twists. I also loved how she developed as a FireBlood in this book as well.  I still didn’t connect with Ruby as much as I would’ve liked, however, the supporting cast in this book made me enjoy the read a lot more. I love Kai, as one of the main male characters in this book, he had a different humor than our frost boy does. He was interesting to find out all his motives and keep the readers guessing. I also really loved Prince Eiko, because to me he felt like one of the better dignitaries in this novel. Overall the characters to me felt a lot stronger, and it really showed in the writing.

All in all, I did enjoy this book a lot more than I had the first book, and honestly, I am looking forward to the third in this series. I would recommend this book to those who enjoy fantasies with heavy reliance on royalty and order. I would also recommend this book to anyone who read book one, even if you didn’t enjoy it as much because it did get a lot better in this book.

WoW [31]

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're all eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Review ~ To Kill a Kingdom

“I never seem quick enough when it comes to watching these moments for long enough to pick them apart and see how she works. Why she works. What angle she's working.” 

― Alexandra Christo, To Kill A Kingdom

Title: To Kill A Kingdom
Author: Alexandra Christo
Publication Date: 2018
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Pages: 342
Format: Hardcopy
Description: Princess Lira is siren royalty and the most lethal of them all. With the heart of seventeen princes in her collection, she is revered across the sea. Until a twist of fate forces her to kill one of her own. To punish her daughter, the Sea Queen transforms Lira into the one thing they loathe most- a human. Robbed of her song, Lira has until the winter solstice to deliver Prince Elian's heart to the Sea Queen or remain human forever.
The ocean is the only place Elian calls home, even though he is heir to the most powerful kingdom in the world. Hunting sirens is more than an unsavory hobby- it's his calling. When he rescues a drowning woman in the ocean, she's more than what she appears. She promises to help him find the key to destroying all of sirenkind for goof- But can he trust her? And just how many deals will Elian have to barter to eliminate mankind's greatest enemy?

Hello readers! This is my first review as a blogger and I'm so happy I have an amazing book to do it with!

WoW [30]

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're all eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Manitoba Young Reader's Choice Awards - 2021 List announcement

As some of you may know, I am on the committee for the Manitoba Young Reader's Choice Awards, and have been for the last couple of years. It's a committee dedicated to selecting the best books written by Canadian authors, and compiling lists for kids and teachers. This is done through a yearly process, and involves a lot of reading on our part.

Given the current situation of my province, I'd like to take the opportunity to spread the word about the List Launch as today marks the official release. 

The List launch is an important event to us, it's where we get to celebrate the announcement of the new list for the following year. It's not only important to us, but important and exciting for all the youthful readers participating in the award. So, without further ado, here are the following 2021 List nominations:

May Author of the Month

Hello readers! I know it's been sometime since I posted, but I thought why not start off with a bang?  I use to actively run a feature called "Author of the Month" where I would interview authors and they'd be my featured author for a specific month. I've done some revamping and now the authors correlate to their recent releases. There will be an INTL giveaway at the end of this post curtsey of the author herself.

My May "Author of the Month" is Andrea Robertson, bestselling author of the Nightshade series.  Her new release, Forged in Fire and Stars, is hitting the shelves on May 5th.