Fantasy

Riveted (Iron Seas #3) By: Meljean Brook

Riveted

Riveted (Iron Seas #3) By: Meljean Brook

Plot:

A century after a devastating volcanic eruption forced Iceland’s inhabitants to abandon its shores, the island has become enshrouded in legend. Fishermen tell tales of giant trolls guarding the land and of seductive witches who steal men’s hearts. But the truth behind the legends is mechanical, not magic—and the mystery of the island a matter of life and death for a community of women who once spilled noble blood to secure their freedom. Five years ago, Annika unwittingly endangered that secret, but her sister Källa took the blame and was exiled. Now Annika serves on the airship Phatéon, flying from port to port in search of her sister and longing to return home . . . but that home is threatened when expedition leader David Kentewess comes aboard. Determined to solve the mystery of his own origin, David will stop at nothing to expose Annika’s secrets. But when disaster strikes, leaving David and Annika stranded on a glacier and pursued by a madman, their very survival depends on keeping the heat rising between them—and generating lots of steam . . .

Review:

I stayed up way to late reading this book and seriously regretted it in the morning, but I liked the characters and couldn’t put it down.

I loved that Annika came from a hidden village where only women lived, but they weren’t just strong Amazon like women. She was brave but she didn’t see herself that way. I liked that the heroine wasn’t just another bad ass woman, she was capable and smart, but not going around taking people out. David was also awesome, he was sweet and kind and still very much manly.

Great couple and lots more world building in the Iron Seas universe, I really liked this book.

5/5

Heart of Steel (The Iron Seas #2) By: Meljean Brook

Heart-of-Steel

Heart of Steel (The Iron Seas #2) By: Meljean Brook

Plot:

The Iron Duke introduced the gritty, alluring adventure of the Iron Seas. Now, Meljean Brook returns to the world where nanotech fuses with Victorian sensibilities—and steam. As the mercenary captain of Lady Corsair, Yasmeen has learned to keep her heart as cold as steel, her only loyalty bound to her ship and her crew. So when a man who once tried to seize her airship returns from the dead, Yasmeen will be damned if she gives him another opportunity to take control. Treasure hunter Archimedes Fox isn’t interested in Lady Corsair—he wants her coldhearted captain and the valuable da Vinci sketch she stole from him. To reclaim it, Archimedes is determined to seduce the stubborn woman who once tossed him to a ravenous pack of zombies, but she’s no easy conquest. When da Vinci’s sketch attracts a dangerous amount of attention, Yasmeen and Archimedes journey to Horde-occupied Morocco—and straight into their enemy’s hands. But as they fight to save themselves and a city on the brink of rebellion, the greatest peril Yasmeen faces is from the man who seeks to melt her icy heart.

Review:

Wow, those were some steamy sex scenes. Normally I end up skipping around those but holy cow, nice. They weren’t in your face too much, but they were hot.

Anyway, I read The Iron Duke, the first book in this series in 2012, loved it and then I don’t know what happened. This book has been on my kindle since then and I just didn’t read it. Not sure why because I ended up loving it.

Yasmeen was awesome as a heroine, she was so hard and filled with purpose. She knew what to do and did it, never backing down. I loved her. Archimedes was just as awesome because he recognized her strength and while he still wanted to protect her he didn’t try and take away any of her power. He accepted her for who she was and loved her because of it. I wish there were more books with couples like this cause they were incredible.

As much as I would love to jump into the next book in this series, I just bought a new phone and buying a kindle book for $7.99 is too much, so I’m having to wait on the library.

5/5

Recurve (The Elemental Series #1) By: Shannon Mayer

Recurve

Recurve (The Elemental Series #1) By: Shannon Mayer

Plot:

My name is Larkspur, and I am an Elemental. My people use the power of the earth to sustain life and defy our enemies. I should be at my father’s side as a royal princess. But as a half-breed, bastard child, that isn’t going to happen. I’ve been accused of attacking the queen, my wicked stepmother, and my life is suddenly on the line. I have only two options left to me: banishment, or training to become one of the King’s Elite Guards, an Ender. Option one will kill me. Option two is meant to break me, but it’s the only way to survive. Did I mention I have no power like the rest of the elementals, and my connection to the earth is worth next to nothing? Could things get any worse? Of course they can. Welcome to being an Elemental
Review:

It’s been a while since I read the Rylee Adamson series and I keep meaning to get back into it. Since this was the first book in a new series I thought it might be easier.

I read somewhere this is in the same universe as Rylee, but I don’t think that comes into play at all in this book. You’re in the world of an elemental, which sounds almost like a different dimension. Lark is an Earth elemental that doesn’t have any power, or is/does she?

The book starts off with a fairly brutal introduction to the world that had me crying and wondering if I wanted to continue, but I had to see justice, and thankfully I got it. A good power hungry villain was introduced and they weren’t defeated, but they were dealt a devastating blow, which I always like in a first book.

Lark was an interesting character. She was very much a bad-ass, but she had some negative qualities that made me unsure if I liked her by the end. Her views on sex are just different from mine, which are fine, but I don’t necessarily enjoy reading it.

Anyway, I really liked the book and while I want to continue with the series, I think I might pick up with Rylee first.

4/5

The Eye of Zoltar (The Chronicles of Kazam #3) By: Jasper Fforde

The Eye of Zoltar

The Eye of Zoltar (The Chronicles of Kazam #3) By: Jasper Fforde

Plot:

Orphans Jennifer Strange 16, manager of Kazam mages, and apprentice Tiger Prawns 12, stand in the way of The Mighty Shandar. Shandar must kill last two dragons for King of Snodd in Ununited Kingdoms. Jen needs legendary jewel The Eye of Zoltar, last seen on pirate, and to tutor spoiled Princess Shazzarine. Perilous journey has 50% Fatality Index.

Review:

So I’m pretty pissed off at the ending of this book. Basically a huge cliffhanger, have no idea what’s going to be done with the Eye of Zoltar or what’s happened to most of the side characters and no idea when the next book will be published.

The last Nursery Crimes book came out in 2004, and there’s been a third book listed on Goodreads for a long time now. Fforde’s also got another series that ended on a cliffhanger this big and yet the last I read he was writing a book that wasn’t involved in either universe.

Ugh.

Annoyed.

Angry.

Someone else is going to be locked up in my writer’s dungeon.

Anyway, the story was good, hilarious at parts, moving at others. Lots happened, lots. My favorite quotes are:

“If we didn’t execute bankers and rogue traders found guilty of financial mischief, it might give them a clear signal that it’s actually okay, and then where would we be?”

 

“She did break the law—what do you think they should have done? Given her a bonus for her daring and ingenuity?”

 

Enjoy the series, now I just have to wait god only knows how long before I get the next book.

4/5

 

Carry On By: Rainbow Rowell

Carry On

Carry On By: Rainbow Rowell

Plot:

Simon Snow is the worst chosen one who’s ever been chosen. That’s what his roommate, Baz, says. And Baz might be evil and a vampire and a complete git, but he’s probably right. Half the time, Simon can’t even make his wand work, and the other half, he sets something on fire. His mentor’s avoiding him, his girlfriend broke up with him, and there’s a magic-eating monster running around wearing Simon’s face. Baz would be having a field day with all this, if he were here—it’s their last year at the Watford School of Magicks, and Simon’s infuriating nemesis didn’t even bother to show up. Carry On is a ghost story, a love story, a mystery and a melodrama. It has just as much kissing and talking as you’d expect from a Rainbow Rowell story—but far, far more monsters.

Review:

Rainbow Rowell has joined Ilona Andrews and Patricia Briggs in the very short list of authors that I will buy whatever they do. I love her, she reaches a part of my soul that no other author I read does.

I’ll stop being sappy now.

I loved Fangirl and I thought the parts about Simon Snow and Baz were fun so I thought it was pretty cool that Rowell was taking it a step further and writing a full book about the characters. I did not expect this, though.

It was like reading the eighth book in a series, there are mentions of exploits from past adventures, but the book isn’t really about those adventures or even the current one, it’s all about the relationships. It’s—awesome.

Even in a fantasy novel Rowell’s characters are so real and common, but not too common, they’re normal, but a weird normal. I love them.

Simon is stupid, but kind of on purpose. He doesn’t want to look any deeper into anything because the magical world he’s apart of is the best thing in his life. Baz may not be the chosen one, but he’s been given just as many obstacles to overcome.

The romance in the book is perfect and filled me with all kinds of warm fuzzies. I just really loved this story.

Fair warning, this is not a normal fantasy book. There’s magic and monsters and spells and all that jazz, but that’s not what makes it so great. It’s the characters and their reactions. You still care about the whole end of magic mystery going on, but because it affects the people you’ve come to love.

5/5