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momwithareadingproblem's Reviews (1.18k)
I received an eARC of this book from I Am a Reader. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.
Okay, I hate to admit it but I was not very impressed with this book. Lake Town by Jane Redd is the second book in the dystopian series Solstice. I really enjoyed [b:Solstice|20387343|Solstice|Jane Redd|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1446728060s/20387343.jpg|28753808] so I was looking forward to continuing Jezebel’s story. However the pace of the book, plot holes, and poor character development led to a big disappointment for me.
Jezebel James is on the run with Rueben (the boy she met during her incarceration by the Legislature). He knows what she is and along with a small band of insurgents he plans to get her out of the city. Much to Jez’s surprise, Sol has been working with them the entire time. Everything Jez thought she knew about the outlying islands, her friend Sol, the Legislature, and her status as a Carrier is turned on its head. This set up should make for an explosive, edge of your seat read, but unfortunately it doesn’t.
First off, Jez goes from being a girl trained to hide all her feelings and emotions to a girl ready to fight the Legislature. Now I’m not saying she didn’t want to do this in the first book because she did. It’s just in the first book she struggled with how easily Rueben showed his emotions and well acted human because he told her he was also immune to the Harmony implant. Yet she still struggled, now in this book she flips the switch showing all her emotions and acting very human. There wasn’t a gradual progression as I thought there would be or at least what you’d expect from a girl who has lived her life scared to show these feelings.
Then there’s Sol. I liked that we get his POV in this book. I was extremely curious as to who he was after he showed up at the end of Solstice a friend of Rueben’s. Here is someone like Jez who fought the Legislature by hiding his emotions, yet apparently he was insurgent the whole time. Everything Jez knows about him is a lie except his feelings for her. Sol is one of the leaders of the insurgent and spends most of this book separated from them, working from the inside. It makes for a suspenseful read.
However as the author flips POV each chapter between Sol and Jez, I found myself getting lost in the time lime. Sol mentions weeks going by but then when we flip back to Jez, no time has passed for her. I found it hard to follow the two characters and separate their time lines. Then towards the end of the book it’s suddenly been a couple of months according to Sol yet for Jez it seems to have been just a few short weeks? I had a hard time reconciling that and it distracted me from the story.
Then the pace of the plot. It starts off with Jez on the run and Sol is trying to catch up to his insurgent friends so he can go with them off the island. It’s fast paced, edge of your seat, just what you would expect. Then for Jez’s chapters, it almost becomes tedious to read. Jez is on a boat to the outlying island, then there’s a lot of talking about whether their plans should continue since Sol was captured. For the most part until near the end, Jez’s chapters don’t add much value to the story. I had to force myself to read them. Sol’s chapters on the other hand are suspenseful and heartbreaking at times. The differing paces for the POV were distracting and hard to read through.
Overall Lake Town was just ok for me. The beginning and ending made up for the stop and go pace of the middle. AND for the most part the storyline was interesting. If you enjoyed [b:Solstice|20387343|Solstice|Jane Redd|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1446728060s/20387343.jpg|28753808], I recommend you continue with the series. I plan to.
Okay, I hate to admit it but I was not very impressed with this book. Lake Town by Jane Redd is the second book in the dystopian series Solstice. I really enjoyed [b:Solstice|20387343|Solstice|Jane Redd|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1446728060s/20387343.jpg|28753808] so I was looking forward to continuing Jezebel’s story. However the pace of the book, plot holes, and poor character development led to a big disappointment for me.
Jezebel James is on the run with Rueben (the boy she met during her incarceration by the Legislature). He knows what she is and along with a small band of insurgents he plans to get her out of the city. Much to Jez’s surprise, Sol has been working with them the entire time. Everything Jez thought she knew about the outlying islands, her friend Sol, the Legislature, and her status as a Carrier is turned on its head. This set up should make for an explosive, edge of your seat read, but unfortunately it doesn’t.
First off, Jez goes from being a girl trained to hide all her feelings and emotions to a girl ready to fight the Legislature. Now I’m not saying she didn’t want to do this in the first book because she did. It’s just in the first book she struggled with how easily Rueben showed his emotions and well acted human because he told her he was also immune to the Harmony implant. Yet she still struggled, now in this book she flips the switch showing all her emotions and acting very human. There wasn’t a gradual progression as I thought there would be or at least what you’d expect from a girl who has lived her life scared to show these feelings.
Then there’s Sol. I liked that we get his POV in this book. I was extremely curious as to who he was after he showed up at the end of Solstice a friend of Rueben’s. Here is someone like Jez who fought the Legislature by hiding his emotions, yet apparently he was insurgent the whole time. Everything Jez knows about him is a lie except his feelings for her. Sol is one of the leaders of the insurgent and spends most of this book separated from them, working from the inside. It makes for a suspenseful read.
However as the author flips POV each chapter between Sol and Jez, I found myself getting lost in the time lime. Sol mentions weeks going by but then when we flip back to Jez, no time has passed for her. I found it hard to follow the two characters and separate their time lines. Then towards the end of the book it’s suddenly been a couple of months according to Sol yet for Jez it seems to have been just a few short weeks? I had a hard time reconciling that and it distracted me from the story.
Then the pace of the plot. It starts off with Jez on the run and Sol is trying to catch up to his insurgent friends so he can go with them off the island. It’s fast paced, edge of your seat, just what you would expect. Then for Jez’s chapters, it almost becomes tedious to read. Jez is on a boat to the outlying island, then there’s a lot of talking about whether their plans should continue since Sol was captured. For the most part until near the end, Jez’s chapters don’t add much value to the story. I had to force myself to read them. Sol’s chapters on the other hand are suspenseful and heartbreaking at times. The differing paces for the POV were distracting and hard to read through.
Overall Lake Town was just ok for me. The beginning and ending made up for the stop and go pace of the middle. AND for the most part the storyline was interesting. If you enjoyed [b:Solstice|20387343|Solstice|Jane Redd|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1446728060s/20387343.jpg|28753808], I recommend you continue with the series. I plan to.
I received an eARC of this book from the author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Okay, so I have a confession: I’m not a big contemporary reader (I know that’s not a huge confession because I’ve said it a lot!). I never have been and I never will be. If I pick up a contemporary, it’s because A) I’m in the mood for some clean, Hallmark-type romance, B) I want that HEA that is promised, or C) I have read the author before and loved the writing style. This is a C moment. I love Siobhan Davis‘s writing! I devoured her two sci-fi series with her debut [b:True Calling|23293202|True Calling (True Calling, #1)|Siobhan Davis|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1456943208s/23293202.jpg|42275397] still being one of my favorites. SO I of course had to give The Kennedy Boys a go.
[b:Finding Kyler|35173351|Finding Kyler (The Kennedy Boys #1)|Siobhan Davis|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1495223487s/35173351.jpg|53428748] and [b:Losing Kyler|35173350|Losing Kyler (The Kennedy Boys #2)|Siobhan Davis|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1495223464s/35173350.jpg|53578418] were actually pretty good reads for me despite liking neither of the main characters (more on that in a sec). I enjoyed the family dynamic, the over-the-top drama and of course Davis’s ability to foreshadow like no other author I’ve read. Davis can write a story that leaves you thinking long after you finished it AND if you pay attention the ending (even those terrible, awful cliffhangers she is known for) aren’t a surprise because Davis leaves plenty of subtle hints along the way.
Despite all of this, I found myself not impressed with Keeping Kyler. It was just okay for me. The drama was toned way down. I noticed that with this book the focus shifted from will they/won’t they to they will but how. This didn’t surprise me as I knew that this book would conclude Ky and Faye’s story. However (without spoiling the book) the things that kept occurring to Ky started to feel repetitive and like filler rather than actually relevant to the plot. The drama with Addison is finally coming to a head and honestly I felt it was drawn out for much too long. I could have cared less about her character by the end.
Then there’s Faye and Ky. I tried so hard to ship these two. I tried to like them. I tried and failed at both. Faye is self-centered and a bit naive in my opinion. She talks a big game about the things she wants yet caves the second Ky needs her. She says she cares for Brad (my heart belongs to him by the way) yet strings him along, flirts with him and even kissed him in the last book only to run right back to Ky. This bothered me because I felt like it really spoke to the core of her character, showing that she really only thought about herself. If I measured the timeline correctly, it’s not even been a year since her parents died. Yet she doesn’t seem to be grieving. Instead she is focused solely on Ky. I would have expected to see some progress in her character, instead from the first scene (being drunk in bed with a guy) to the last she comes off as selfish.
And Ky….he’s just mean. I get that he had a lot happen to him (and I can’t go into details because of spoilers) but that does not give him the right to treat those that love him the way he does. He’s angry with his mother for a secret she kept from him, he’s angry with his father for being late to pick him up which led to an unfortunate event. Instead of placing the blame where it belongs he blames those around him. Then he runs. He is constantly running away from Faye and she lets him! First time he ran, I’d say see ya and good riddance. But that’s me.
Overall, I felt that Siobhan Davis did an excellent job in wrapping up Faye and Ky’s story. Most of the loose ends are resolved and there is an HEA, for those that might be worried there isn’t. The series is even going to continue with standalones for the other characters, which if I’m being honest I’m excited for. Personally Keeping Kyler was just okay for me. If you have enjoyed the series thus far, I highly recommend you continue. A lot happens and many questions are answered. Even though it wasn’t my favorite read, I still enjoyed aspects of it and for that alone will continue the series.
Okay, so I have a confession: I’m not a big contemporary reader (I know that’s not a huge confession because I’ve said it a lot!). I never have been and I never will be. If I pick up a contemporary, it’s because A) I’m in the mood for some clean, Hallmark-type romance, B) I want that HEA that is promised, or C) I have read the author before and loved the writing style. This is a C moment. I love Siobhan Davis‘s writing! I devoured her two sci-fi series with her debut [b:True Calling|23293202|True Calling (True Calling, #1)|Siobhan Davis|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1456943208s/23293202.jpg|42275397] still being one of my favorites. SO I of course had to give The Kennedy Boys a go.
[b:Finding Kyler|35173351|Finding Kyler (The Kennedy Boys #1)|Siobhan Davis|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1495223487s/35173351.jpg|53428748] and [b:Losing Kyler|35173350|Losing Kyler (The Kennedy Boys #2)|Siobhan Davis|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1495223464s/35173350.jpg|53578418] were actually pretty good reads for me despite liking neither of the main characters (more on that in a sec). I enjoyed the family dynamic, the over-the-top drama and of course Davis’s ability to foreshadow like no other author I’ve read. Davis can write a story that leaves you thinking long after you finished it AND if you pay attention the ending (even those terrible, awful cliffhangers she is known for) aren’t a surprise because Davis leaves plenty of subtle hints along the way.
Despite all of this, I found myself not impressed with Keeping Kyler. It was just okay for me. The drama was toned way down. I noticed that with this book the focus shifted from will they/won’t they to they will but how. This didn’t surprise me as I knew that this book would conclude Ky and Faye’s story. However (without spoiling the book) the things that kept occurring to Ky started to feel repetitive and like filler rather than actually relevant to the plot. The drama with Addison is finally coming to a head and honestly I felt it was drawn out for much too long. I could have cared less about her character by the end.
Then there’s Faye and Ky. I tried so hard to ship these two. I tried to like them. I tried and failed at both. Faye is self-centered and a bit naive in my opinion. She talks a big game about the things she wants yet caves the second Ky needs her. She says she cares for Brad (my heart belongs to him by the way) yet strings him along, flirts with him and even kissed him in the last book only to run right back to Ky. This bothered me because I felt like it really spoke to the core of her character, showing that she really only thought about herself. If I measured the timeline correctly, it’s not even been a year since her parents died. Yet she doesn’t seem to be grieving. Instead she is focused solely on Ky. I would have expected to see some progress in her character, instead from the first scene (being drunk in bed with a guy) to the last she comes off as selfish.
And Ky….he’s just mean. I get that he had a lot happen to him (and I can’t go into details because of spoilers) but that does not give him the right to treat those that love him the way he does. He’s angry with his mother for a secret she kept from him, he’s angry with his father for being late to pick him up which led to an unfortunate event. Instead of placing the blame where it belongs he blames those around him. Then he runs. He is constantly running away from Faye and she lets him! First time he ran, I’d say see ya and good riddance. But that’s me.
Overall, I felt that Siobhan Davis did an excellent job in wrapping up Faye and Ky’s story. Most of the loose ends are resolved and there is an HEA, for those that might be worried there isn’t. The series is even going to continue with standalones for the other characters, which if I’m being honest I’m excited for. Personally Keeping Kyler was just okay for me. If you have enjoyed the series thus far, I highly recommend you continue. A lot happens and many questions are answered. Even though it wasn’t my favorite read, I still enjoyed aspects of it and for that alone will continue the series.
I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.
Primrose Lane by Debbie Mason is the third installment to the Harmony Harbor featuring the Gallagher brothers. This time it is Finn Gallagher, the brooding doctor recovering from his recent injuries in the Congo at the heart of Kitty and Colleen’s matchmaking. I have to say that I enjoyed this book! I planned to read just a few chapters and wound up reading the entire book in one sitting. This seems to happen to me every time I pick up one of Debbie Mason's books. The characters are well written, likable and relatable. Plus the dialogue and sweet romance is an easy read.
Olivia Davenport (known also as the mysterious Dana) is the other half of the matchmaking pair for this story. I personally had been curious about Dana since the first story. No one really knew her, only that she seemed to be hiding from something. What she is hiding from though is truly heartbreaking. Olivia is one of Boston’s elite socialites and mega-rich. But money can’t buy everything, a lesson she learned the hard way two years prior when her son died of cancer. Unfortunately that isn’t the only piece of heartbreak Olivia has faced, and now she chooses to self-medicate to numb her feelings and curb her anxiety. There’s only one problem with that: the handsome doctor sees right through her.
At first, I wasn’t sure how I felt about Finn. He came off as the other Gallagher men had: judgmental and ready to leave. Yet the injuries he sustained in the rebel attack has forced him to extend his stay in Harmony Harbor, something he is just a little (really a lot) bitter about. He’s intrigued and a little worried about the mysterious woman his family has brought in. To him, Dana is just another addict looking for a quick fix, but her kind heart and doe eyes draw him. He finds himself wanting to help her and when he uncovers her secret, he knows there’s more to the story. A true doctor at heart, wanting to fix another patient, Finn winds up in over his head.
Character driven with an easy flowing pace, Primrose Lane reads like a real-life romance. Two people who get off on the wrong foot, antagonize each other to no end, and eventually realize they can’t live without the other. Is it predictable? Absolutely! BUT the story is so sweet and the characters pull you in to their story that I personally didn’t care. I enjoyed every word and as I already stated lost sleep to finish it in one sitting. If you enjoy contemporary romance, I highly recommend you pick up a copy.
Side Note: This book (as all the others in Harmony Harbor) can be read as a standalone. However I recommend reading the series in order to avoid any spoilers with the other characters that crop up in this book.
Primrose Lane by Debbie Mason is the third installment to the Harmony Harbor featuring the Gallagher brothers. This time it is Finn Gallagher, the brooding doctor recovering from his recent injuries in the Congo at the heart of Kitty and Colleen’s matchmaking. I have to say that I enjoyed this book! I planned to read just a few chapters and wound up reading the entire book in one sitting. This seems to happen to me every time I pick up one of Debbie Mason's books. The characters are well written, likable and relatable. Plus the dialogue and sweet romance is an easy read.
Olivia Davenport (known also as the mysterious Dana) is the other half of the matchmaking pair for this story. I personally had been curious about Dana since the first story. No one really knew her, only that she seemed to be hiding from something. What she is hiding from though is truly heartbreaking. Olivia is one of Boston’s elite socialites and mega-rich. But money can’t buy everything, a lesson she learned the hard way two years prior when her son died of cancer. Unfortunately that isn’t the only piece of heartbreak Olivia has faced, and now she chooses to self-medicate to numb her feelings and curb her anxiety. There’s only one problem with that: the handsome doctor sees right through her.
At first, I wasn’t sure how I felt about Finn. He came off as the other Gallagher men had: judgmental and ready to leave. Yet the injuries he sustained in the rebel attack has forced him to extend his stay in Harmony Harbor, something he is just a little (really a lot) bitter about. He’s intrigued and a little worried about the mysterious woman his family has brought in. To him, Dana is just another addict looking for a quick fix, but her kind heart and doe eyes draw him. He finds himself wanting to help her and when he uncovers her secret, he knows there’s more to the story. A true doctor at heart, wanting to fix another patient, Finn winds up in over his head.
Character driven with an easy flowing pace, Primrose Lane reads like a real-life romance. Two people who get off on the wrong foot, antagonize each other to no end, and eventually realize they can’t live without the other. Is it predictable? Absolutely! BUT the story is so sweet and the characters pull you in to their story that I personally didn’t care. I enjoyed every word and as I already stated lost sleep to finish it in one sitting. If you enjoy contemporary romance, I highly recommend you pick up a copy.
Side Note: This book (as all the others in Harmony Harbor) can be read as a standalone. However I recommend reading the series in order to avoid any spoilers with the other characters that crop up in this book.
I’m honestly at a loss for words. It’s no secret that I loved the first two books in the Red Queen series. I loved them so much that the ending of [b:Glass Sword|23174274|Glass Sword (Red Queen, #2)|Victoria Aveyard|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1436460934s/23174274.jpg|42720997] had me ugly crying and screaming at my Kindle because it could NOT end like that. I couldn’t wait an entire year to read what would happen to Mare. But I did wait. I waited longer than a year, even though I preordered and received King’s Cage the day it came out. I was scared to start it. Scared of how I would find Mare, scared of what Maven was doing with the lightening girl, scared of the Scarlet Guard and their mysterious Command. Last week, while looking at my bookshelf, I thought to myself that it was time. Time I found out what happened to Mare and her friends. I regret that decision.
The Lightening Girl
At the end of [b:Glass Sword|23174274|Glass Sword (Red Queen, #2)|Victoria Aveyard|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1436460934s/23174274.jpg|42720997], Mare had surrendered herself to Maven in exchange of him releasing and not killing her family and friends. We last saw her with a collar on her neck, bowing in Caesar’s square to the king, with a crowd of Silvers and Reds cheering. It was a devastating scene to end a book on and the book opens with the same scene. Seriously I got chills when I realized that Victoria Aveyard was starting her book with the scene she ended on. It set me on edge and pulled me right back into the suspense.
Mare however is not the broken girl she was in the previous book. She isn’t the girl that cowers to Maven and the lightening she was so scared of in book one, that she embraced during the second book, is taken from her by Arvens and silent stone. She is laid bare, vulnerable, and it’s like keeping a caged tiger. Mare is constantly listening to her captors, gleaning any information she feels vital to the cause. She memorizes her prison, the castle she once was forced to call home, so that if an opportunity to escape presents itself she will be ready. The depression she suffered heals while in captivity and is replaced with a steady resolve to get home to her family. Mare is a formidable enemy, one Maven severely underestimates.
Politics, Kings, and Rebels
While the first two books felt like a high fantasy with a dash of dystopian, King’s Cage is all dystopian with a dash of fantasy. Politics take center stage in this book as Mare is in Whitefire for nearly 3/4 of the book. Silvers against Reds. Silvers think themselves gods and the Reds are the rats at their feet. They do not see the value in Red lives, other than to wait on Silvers and die at the front lines. It is truly an interesting read as Maven is a master of words. He twists and lies and manipulates the people into loving him, accepting him as their king.
Maven is an enigma to me. With Elara gone, I think Mare hoped the glimpses of the boy she loved would return. Instead he is like a ghost. There are holes in his mind where Elara lived. Love he remembers feeling for his father and brother stripped away by his mother, leaving hatred in its place. I feel sorry for him despite the atrocities he committed. He was made a monster. Who would he have been without Elara? It definitely leaves Mare confused and a little vulnerable.
Then there is the Scarlet Guard and their new alliance with Montfort. For the first time in this series, we get POV from another character, Cameron the new blood with silencing abilities and Evangeline the magnetron who won Queenstrial. It was interesting to read their perspectives. Cameron has no love for the Scarlet Guard, yet she agrees with their mission. She wants a world where her family can live free, without fear. She wants this but she’s afraid of trading one dictator and ruling class with another (the new bloods). Like Mare, she’s afraid of becoming a monster.
And Cal, my favorite prince. I felt like Cal was a completely different person than he was in the last two books. Maybe I took too long to read this one because I felt like I no longer know him. He is a steady presence for Mare. He is a constant. And despite the declarations of love, I had a hard time believing it. Maybe because of the awful fight they had just before she was captured? It isn’t even addressed here. I’m just confused and a little heart-broken.
Rise Red as the Dawn
Overall King’s Cage was a tough one for me. I fell in love with this high fantasy, dystopia. And yet in this book there is a map included. A map that I didn’t look at until one of the characters mentioned he is from the Floridian Islands. That sounds familiar right?! Well it should. I looked at the map….Mare’s world is our world. Mindblown? because I was! I’m still reeling. I love a good dystopian and this one was me intrigued. What happened to our world that the bloodlines were separated and this new Silver one created? How did we devolve into a society of dictators and monarchy? I’m hoping the world continues to be built upon in the next book especially with Julian’s promise to get to the truth.
This book was different than the first two, but not necessarily in a bad way, just not what I expected. I’m invested in Mare’s story and not afraid to admit that this war and rebellion has me scared for my favorite characters. My favorite character already died in [b:Glass Sword|23174274|Glass Sword (Red Queen, #2)|Victoria Aveyard|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1436460934s/23174274.jpg|42720997] and his absence is a heavy presence in this one. Aveyard keeps her characters real in this way. However the chemistry that was there between Cal and Mare, I couldn’t even feel a spark of it in this one. Maven’s insanity is exaggerated and Evangeline isn’t what I expected either. The story itself dragged on and I had to force myself at the midway mark to stick with it. While I enjoyed the different perspectives, I didn’t enjoy the characters chosen for them. It felt awkward and forced.
Overall though I still liked the book and plan to continue the series. I HAVE to know what happens to Mare and her band of new bloods. If you’ve read this series thus far, I highly recommend you read this book. There are so many answers but those just raise more questions.
The Lightening Girl
At the end of [b:Glass Sword|23174274|Glass Sword (Red Queen, #2)|Victoria Aveyard|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1436460934s/23174274.jpg|42720997], Mare had surrendered herself to Maven in exchange of him releasing and not killing her family and friends. We last saw her with a collar on her neck, bowing in Caesar’s square to the king, with a crowd of Silvers and Reds cheering. It was a devastating scene to end a book on and the book opens with the same scene. Seriously I got chills when I realized that Victoria Aveyard was starting her book with the scene she ended on. It set me on edge and pulled me right back into the suspense.
Mare however is not the broken girl she was in the previous book. She isn’t the girl that cowers to Maven and the lightening she was so scared of in book one, that she embraced during the second book, is taken from her by Arvens and silent stone. She is laid bare, vulnerable, and it’s like keeping a caged tiger. Mare is constantly listening to her captors, gleaning any information she feels vital to the cause. She memorizes her prison, the castle she once was forced to call home, so that if an opportunity to escape presents itself she will be ready. The depression she suffered heals while in captivity and is replaced with a steady resolve to get home to her family. Mare is a formidable enemy, one Maven severely underestimates.
Politics, Kings, and Rebels
While the first two books felt like a high fantasy with a dash of dystopian, King’s Cage is all dystopian with a dash of fantasy. Politics take center stage in this book as Mare is in Whitefire for nearly 3/4 of the book. Silvers against Reds. Silvers think themselves gods and the Reds are the rats at their feet. They do not see the value in Red lives, other than to wait on Silvers and die at the front lines. It is truly an interesting read as Maven is a master of words. He twists and lies and manipulates the people into loving him, accepting him as their king.
Maven is an enigma to me. With Elara gone, I think Mare hoped the glimpses of the boy she loved would return. Instead he is like a ghost. There are holes in his mind where Elara lived. Love he remembers feeling for his father and brother stripped away by his mother, leaving hatred in its place. I feel sorry for him despite the atrocities he committed. He was made a monster. Who would he have been without Elara? It definitely leaves Mare confused and a little vulnerable.
Then there is the Scarlet Guard and their new alliance with Montfort. For the first time in this series, we get POV from another character, Cameron the new blood with silencing abilities and Evangeline the magnetron who won Queenstrial. It was interesting to read their perspectives. Cameron has no love for the Scarlet Guard, yet she agrees with their mission. She wants a world where her family can live free, without fear. She wants this but she’s afraid of trading one dictator and ruling class with another (the new bloods). Like Mare, she’s afraid of becoming a monster.
And Cal, my favorite prince. I felt like Cal was a completely different person than he was in the last two books. Maybe I took too long to read this one because I felt like I no longer know him. He is a steady presence for Mare. He is a constant. And despite the declarations of love, I had a hard time believing it. Maybe because of the awful fight they had just before she was captured? It isn’t even addressed here. I’m just confused and a little heart-broken.
Rise Red as the Dawn
Overall King’s Cage was a tough one for me. I fell in love with this high fantasy, dystopia. And yet in this book there is a map included. A map that I didn’t look at until one of the characters mentioned he is from the Floridian Islands. That sounds familiar right?! Well it should. I looked at the map….Mare’s world is our world. Mindblown? because I was! I’m still reeling. I love a good dystopian and this one was me intrigued. What happened to our world that the bloodlines were separated and this new Silver one created? How did we devolve into a society of dictators and monarchy? I’m hoping the world continues to be built upon in the next book especially with Julian’s promise to get to the truth.
This book was different than the first two, but not necessarily in a bad way, just not what I expected. I’m invested in Mare’s story and not afraid to admit that this war and rebellion has me scared for my favorite characters. My favorite character already died in [b:Glass Sword|23174274|Glass Sword (Red Queen, #2)|Victoria Aveyard|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1436460934s/23174274.jpg|42720997] and his absence is a heavy presence in this one. Aveyard keeps her characters real in this way. However the chemistry that was there between Cal and Mare, I couldn’t even feel a spark of it in this one. Maven’s insanity is exaggerated and Evangeline isn’t what I expected either. The story itself dragged on and I had to force myself at the midway mark to stick with it. While I enjoyed the different perspectives, I didn’t enjoy the characters chosen for them. It felt awkward and forced.
Overall though I still liked the book and plan to continue the series. I HAVE to know what happens to Mare and her band of new bloods. If you’ve read this series thus far, I highly recommend you read this book. There are so many answers but those just raise more questions.
I received an eARC of this book from the author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.
I’m not gonna lie. I had high hopes for this book. Trigger by Scarlett Dawn is the first in a new dystopian series about shifters. I adore dystopians and the idea of making a dystopian world where shifters are the rulers was intriguing to say the least. The fact that I have so far loved everything I’ve read by the author also raised my stakes in this book. Unfortunately I was underwhelmed and had a hard time finishing the book as a result.
The story follows Poppy, the almost 25 year old daughter of the resistance leader. At the beginning of the book, she feels trapped. She has two options thanks to the government’s rules: marry and start popping out babies or join the Corporate army. Her father trained her to be a soldier and she’s darn good at it. She doesn’t want to marry, even though her father has already handpicked her soon to be husband. In a rash decision, she has a one-night stand and then makes herself disappear, joining the CA’s ranks.
The man she had her one-night stand with? Yeah that would be the man who rules the CA, her father’s enemy and now her boss. I like Godric, but he’s mysterious and kind of absent except for the booty calls. It makes it hard to get a good handle on him. I would have liked for him to be fleshed out more.
The saving grace of the book is Poppy’s training and boot camp like entrance into the CA. It reminded me of Tris’s training when she joined Dauntless in [b:Divergent|13335037|Divergent (Divergent, #1)|Veronica Roth|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1328559506s/13335037.jpg|13155899]. High-stakes and ruthless. I found myself holding my breath and cheering as Poppy completed each task.
The downfall of this book was the poor world-building which I was honestly shocked by. Scarlett Dawn is known for her vivid worlds and so I was expecting some subtle weaving of the world as we followed Poppy in Trigger. Unfortunately that wasn’t the case. In fact, it was hard for me to glean much about this dystopian world. And the shifter aspect, while alluded to in the blurb, doesn’t become a part of the story until well past the halfway mark. Maybe that is why I felt the story dragged on in parts…I kept waiting for the shifters to arrive.
Overall Trigger was just okay for me. However I did enjoy the story enough that I want to read the next book. I’m hoping that now the world is set up, there will be more building as the series continues. If you enjoy paranormal romance with a hint of dystopia, I recommend you give this book a try. Also a note: each story in the series will be a standalone, featuring different couples.
I’m not gonna lie. I had high hopes for this book. Trigger by Scarlett Dawn is the first in a new dystopian series about shifters. I adore dystopians and the idea of making a dystopian world where shifters are the rulers was intriguing to say the least. The fact that I have so far loved everything I’ve read by the author also raised my stakes in this book. Unfortunately I was underwhelmed and had a hard time finishing the book as a result.
The story follows Poppy, the almost 25 year old daughter of the resistance leader. At the beginning of the book, she feels trapped. She has two options thanks to the government’s rules: marry and start popping out babies or join the Corporate army. Her father trained her to be a soldier and she’s darn good at it. She doesn’t want to marry, even though her father has already handpicked her soon to be husband. In a rash decision, she has a one-night stand and then makes herself disappear, joining the CA’s ranks.
The man she had her one-night stand with? Yeah that would be the man who rules the CA, her father’s enemy and now her boss. I like Godric, but he’s mysterious and kind of absent except for the booty calls. It makes it hard to get a good handle on him. I would have liked for him to be fleshed out more.
The saving grace of the book is Poppy’s training and boot camp like entrance into the CA. It reminded me of Tris’s training when she joined Dauntless in [b:Divergent|13335037|Divergent (Divergent, #1)|Veronica Roth|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1328559506s/13335037.jpg|13155899]. High-stakes and ruthless. I found myself holding my breath and cheering as Poppy completed each task.
The downfall of this book was the poor world-building which I was honestly shocked by. Scarlett Dawn is known for her vivid worlds and so I was expecting some subtle weaving of the world as we followed Poppy in Trigger. Unfortunately that wasn’t the case. In fact, it was hard for me to glean much about this dystopian world. And the shifter aspect, while alluded to in the blurb, doesn’t become a part of the story until well past the halfway mark. Maybe that is why I felt the story dragged on in parts…I kept waiting for the shifters to arrive.
Overall Trigger was just okay for me. However I did enjoy the story enough that I want to read the next book. I’m hoping that now the world is set up, there will be more building as the series continues. If you enjoy paranormal romance with a hint of dystopia, I recommend you give this book a try. Also a note: each story in the series will be a standalone, featuring different couples.
Actual Rating: 3.5 stars
I received an eARC of this book from Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.
It’s no secret that I’m a sucker for historical fiction so I’m ashamed to admit that this book has set on my TBR shelf for more than a year. And I Darken by Kiersten White is the first in an alternate history series that imagines Vlad the Impaler as a woman. Honestly just typing that makes me giddy. I was so excited to start this book. It’s an interesting concept to take one of history’s most feared men and make him a woman. I was more than a little curious to see how the author would pull it off while also staying true to what is known about the time period.
And I Darken follows Lada and Radu Draculesti from birth. Told in 3rd person limited, the story unfolds showing Lada’s cruel nature and Radu’s “angelic” grace. Personally I’m not a big fan of 3rd person POV, but it works well for this story and these characters. Lada is someone that you both pull for and shy away from. She is cruel, spiteful, and full of anger, yet she has her tender moments that make you realize she is someone who comes from extreme circumstances. Radu is naive, childlike, and the constant recipient of his sister’s torment. There are moments you feel sorry for him and others where you wonder how he could think such things about his own flesh and blood. He is a tortured character, always struggling to find the balance between right and wrong. The chapters alternate between the siblings, giving you a clear picture of who they are.
I was impressed with the amount of history the author manages to place in this book. Of course liberties are taken, they have to be with Lada being a girl, but for the most part the author keeps the history accurate. If you are unfamiliar with the Ottoman Empire and the rise of Vlad the Impaler, it’s an interesting read and gives a little background to this story. Lada and her brother are sold to the sultan by their father as payment to keep his throne in Wallachia. The two are only 12-ish when this happens and so they spend their formative years growing up in the sultan’s care. Knowing the danger they are in, it puts an edge of suspense to their growing up. Radu is innocent and follows all that is taught to him, while Lada resists, setting her sights on returning home at the first chance. Yet neither of them could have predicted Mehmed, the sultan’s son. Mehmed completes their circle. The siblings trust him and love him, yet do they really know him?
Overall, I was fascinated by Lada’s story as it played out on the pages. I was enraged for her and cheered her on with all her small rebellions. She is truly a feminist character in a time period where women were possessions. She insists that she is not. Radu broke my heart. He is such a tortured character, first by his sister and father and now by himself as he converts to Islam and makes choices he doesn’t quite understand. Seeing the characters grow from children to adults and all the trials they faced along the way made for an excellent read. If you enjoy historical fiction and political intrigue, I highly recommend it.
Now on to the sequel…
I received an eARC of this book from Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.
It’s no secret that I’m a sucker for historical fiction so I’m ashamed to admit that this book has set on my TBR shelf for more than a year. And I Darken by Kiersten White is the first in an alternate history series that imagines Vlad the Impaler as a woman. Honestly just typing that makes me giddy. I was so excited to start this book. It’s an interesting concept to take one of history’s most feared men and make him a woman. I was more than a little curious to see how the author would pull it off while also staying true to what is known about the time period.
And I Darken follows Lada and Radu Draculesti from birth. Told in 3rd person limited, the story unfolds showing Lada’s cruel nature and Radu’s “angelic” grace. Personally I’m not a big fan of 3rd person POV, but it works well for this story and these characters. Lada is someone that you both pull for and shy away from. She is cruel, spiteful, and full of anger, yet she has her tender moments that make you realize she is someone who comes from extreme circumstances. Radu is naive, childlike, and the constant recipient of his sister’s torment. There are moments you feel sorry for him and others where you wonder how he could think such things about his own flesh and blood. He is a tortured character, always struggling to find the balance between right and wrong. The chapters alternate between the siblings, giving you a clear picture of who they are.
I was impressed with the amount of history the author manages to place in this book. Of course liberties are taken, they have to be with Lada being a girl, but for the most part the author keeps the history accurate. If you are unfamiliar with the Ottoman Empire and the rise of Vlad the Impaler, it’s an interesting read and gives a little background to this story. Lada and her brother are sold to the sultan by their father as payment to keep his throne in Wallachia. The two are only 12-ish when this happens and so they spend their formative years growing up in the sultan’s care. Knowing the danger they are in, it puts an edge of suspense to their growing up. Radu is innocent and follows all that is taught to him, while Lada resists, setting her sights on returning home at the first chance. Yet neither of them could have predicted Mehmed, the sultan’s son. Mehmed completes their circle. The siblings trust him and love him, yet do they really know him?
Overall, I was fascinated by Lada’s story as it played out on the pages. I was enraged for her and cheered her on with all her small rebellions. She is truly a feminist character in a time period where women were possessions. She insists that she is not. Radu broke my heart. He is such a tortured character, first by his sister and father and now by himself as he converts to Islam and makes choices he doesn’t quite understand. Seeing the characters grow from children to adults and all the trials they faced along the way made for an excellent read. If you enjoy historical fiction and political intrigue, I highly recommend it.
Now on to the sequel…
Actual Rating: 3.5 stars
I received an eARC of this book via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.
I had really, REALLY high hopes for The Dragon’s Price by Bethany Wiggins. Honestly the name says it all….dragons. Dragons are my favorite in high fantasy. There are so many ways an author can take dragons. Dragons can be mean, like to snack on cattle and humans, or they can be wise creatures who protect humans. Neither is the case in this book. Basically, two kingdoms who hate each other and have very strong prejudices towards one another come together when the princess of one kingdom reaches a marriageable age and “sacrifices” her to the prince of the other kingdom in marriage OR the princess can choose the dragon. Sorrowlyn chose the dragon.
Okay I get it. But WHY does she choose the dragon? Sorrowlyn is the youngest daughter of the kingdom and it was predicted at her birth she would die by her own hand. Basically this girl thinks she is invincible since she isn’t going to kill herself. She is labeled as headstrong and fierce, yet what I see of her is a princess who can’t make it one day without crying over her lot in life. Granted she has every reason to cry in the beginning (seriously, the first four chapters are basically her crying). Her father beats her, her mother will not see her, and everyone whispers about her. NOW she is being forced to offer herself in marriage to one of the princes of the barbaric kingdom. Notice I said offer NOT actually marry.
Then there’s Golmarr. He is the youngest prince from the supposedly barbaric kingdom. He is not the man she must offer herself to marry. But he is kind and happens to fall head over heels for Suicide Sorrow (yes that’s her nickname and YES it is horrible!). Golmarr tries talking sense into Sorrowlyn before the ceremony, telling her to go through with the ritual and she could go back to living her life. But the stupid girl doesn’t listen and sacrifices herself, then stupid boy jumps in after her. Really he did (and no I’m not spoiling anything this all happens at the beginning of the book AND is in the blurb).
The story then follows Sorrowlyn and Golmarr as they traverse underground to find the dragon holding their kingdoms hostage. Or are the kingdoms holding the dragon hostage? The saving grace of this story is the author’s world-building. I actually really enjoyed the world built around Sorrowlyn and Golmarr. Sorrow learns about the prejudices of her kingdom, the injustices done to Golmarr’s people, and the truth behind the dragons that rule the realms.
Overall the story was ok. I liked Sorrowlyn and Golmarr but had a hard time buying into their romance. The world-building carried the book for me and I’m curious to see what will happen with the dragons in the coming books. And that cliffhanger….it was awful! Be forewarned. If you enjoy light, YA fantasy, I highly recommend this book. If you are looking for the dragons, I’d say pass.
I received an eARC of this book via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.
I had really, REALLY high hopes for The Dragon’s Price by Bethany Wiggins. Honestly the name says it all….dragons. Dragons are my favorite in high fantasy. There are so many ways an author can take dragons. Dragons can be mean, like to snack on cattle and humans, or they can be wise creatures who protect humans. Neither is the case in this book. Basically, two kingdoms who hate each other and have very strong prejudices towards one another come together when the princess of one kingdom reaches a marriageable age and “sacrifices” her to the prince of the other kingdom in marriage OR the princess can choose the dragon. Sorrowlyn chose the dragon.
Okay I get it. But WHY does she choose the dragon? Sorrowlyn is the youngest daughter of the kingdom and it was predicted at her birth she would die by her own hand. Basically this girl thinks she is invincible since she isn’t going to kill herself. She is labeled as headstrong and fierce, yet what I see of her is a princess who can’t make it one day without crying over her lot in life. Granted she has every reason to cry in the beginning (seriously, the first four chapters are basically her crying). Her father beats her, her mother will not see her, and everyone whispers about her. NOW she is being forced to offer herself in marriage to one of the princes of the barbaric kingdom. Notice I said offer NOT actually marry.
Then there’s Golmarr. He is the youngest prince from the supposedly barbaric kingdom. He is not the man she must offer herself to marry. But he is kind and happens to fall head over heels for Suicide Sorrow (yes that’s her nickname and YES it is horrible!). Golmarr tries talking sense into Sorrowlyn before the ceremony, telling her to go through with the ritual and she could go back to living her life. But the stupid girl doesn’t listen and sacrifices herself, then stupid boy jumps in after her. Really he did (and no I’m not spoiling anything this all happens at the beginning of the book AND is in the blurb).
The story then follows Sorrowlyn and Golmarr as they traverse underground to find the dragon holding their kingdoms hostage. Or are the kingdoms holding the dragon hostage? The saving grace of this story is the author’s world-building. I actually really enjoyed the world built around Sorrowlyn and Golmarr. Sorrow learns about the prejudices of her kingdom, the injustices done to Golmarr’s people, and the truth behind the dragons that rule the realms.
Overall the story was ok. I liked Sorrowlyn and Golmarr but had a hard time buying into their romance. The world-building carried the book for me and I’m curious to see what will happen with the dragons in the coming books. And that cliffhanger….it was awful! Be forewarned. If you enjoy light, YA fantasy, I highly recommend this book. If you are looking for the dragons, I’d say pass.
I received an eARC of this book via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.
Have you ever read a story that you fall into and forget isn’t real? The Space Between the Stars by Anne Corlett is like that. I fell into this story from the first words and found myself so engrossed with the characters, their plight, and their adventure that I forgot about the world around me.
Jamie Allenby is a woman not young, but also not old (honestly I’m not sure if her actual age is revealed and pictured her to be in her mid-thirties). She needs space, away from her loved ones to figure out her own life. BUT a nasty virus has turned the universe upside down, only 0.0001 survived. That’s the initial statistic that was heard before Jamie came down with the virus. The entire first chapter is her reliving the few days before the virus hit, her sickness, and ultimate survival.
The real driving point of this story is Jamie. The author gives us flashbacks to moments that affected Jamie’s life. How did she, an Upper Echelon, wind up on a remote colony planet? What was she running from? Jamie’s character is very broken and the story focuses on her and her depression more than the world around them. I think this is why I fell into the story so well. The character driven plot with the world built so well around her that it was believable.
Overall I really enjoyed this story. I enjoyed following Jamie across space, her dealing with her issues, and I even enjoyed that this is a standalone. It ends with no loose threads and I liked that. I liked the sci-fi element of humans being spread across space and the mystery surrounding the virus that killed most of them. It was an interesting twist on your typical dystopia. Why 4 stars instead of 5? While I enjoyed the story, there where times when the pacing was slow and some parts seemed to drag on while others rushed by. There is one particular section towards the middle of the book that I wish had been elaborated on more instead of glossed over (can’t say much more than that without spoilers). Overall though I highly recommend this book if you enjoy character-driven dystopia with an element of sci-fi.
Have you ever read a story that you fall into and forget isn’t real? The Space Between the Stars by Anne Corlett is like that. I fell into this story from the first words and found myself so engrossed with the characters, their plight, and their adventure that I forgot about the world around me.
Jamie Allenby is a woman not young, but also not old (honestly I’m not sure if her actual age is revealed and pictured her to be in her mid-thirties). She needs space, away from her loved ones to figure out her own life. BUT a nasty virus has turned the universe upside down, only 0.0001 survived. That’s the initial statistic that was heard before Jamie came down with the virus. The entire first chapter is her reliving the few days before the virus hit, her sickness, and ultimate survival.
Ninety-nine point nine nine nine nine percent dead.Ummm…..that quote is chilling when you think about it. A virus that could wipe out humanity to almost extinction in one go? Scary if you ask me! Add in the element that humanity has spread beyond Earth, colonizing many planets and you have yourself a sci-fi dystopia worthy of reading. I loved every element of this plot. A small band of survivors, making their way across the galaxy, finding other survivors and seeing if any government still exists. For some reason, this element reminded me of the show Firefly. I’m not really sure why either, but it did and I kept picturing Callan, the captain and semi-love interest, as Mal and his engineer Gracie as well Grace. Seriously though, the two plots couldn’t be more different. I think my association of the two comes from the beat up cargo ship they fly across space.
Ten billion people scattered across space.
Zero point zero zero zero one percent of ten billion.
Ten thousand people should have survived.
The real driving point of this story is Jamie. The author gives us flashbacks to moments that affected Jamie’s life. How did she, an Upper Echelon, wind up on a remote colony planet? What was she running from? Jamie’s character is very broken and the story focuses on her and her depression more than the world around them. I think this is why I fell into the story so well. The character driven plot with the world built so well around her that it was believable.
Overall I really enjoyed this story. I enjoyed following Jamie across space, her dealing with her issues, and I even enjoyed that this is a standalone. It ends with no loose threads and I liked that. I liked the sci-fi element of humans being spread across space and the mystery surrounding the virus that killed most of them. It was an interesting twist on your typical dystopia. Why 4 stars instead of 5? While I enjoyed the story, there where times when the pacing was slow and some parts seemed to drag on while others rushed by. There is one particular section towards the middle of the book that I wish had been elaborated on more instead of glossed over (can’t say much more than that without spoilers). Overall though I highly recommend this book if you enjoy character-driven dystopia with an element of sci-fi.
I received an eARC of this book via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.
I feel as if I’ve been tricked….no that’s not right. Manipulated? No….Deceived? That’s not right either. I honestly am not sure if there is a word for how I feel about The Evaporation of Sofi Snow by Mary Weber. I was expecting dystopia mixed with a heavy dose of science fiction. I got that, but I also got a gaming type environment which I wasn’t expecting, like at all.
The book begins right in the middle of the action and as the reader you are dropped in without any explanation as to what is happening. I was completely lost. I thought maybe I had missed a prologue or something. It’s fast-paced too so there wasn’t a whole lot of time to catch up to what was happening to the characters. I felt lost for at least the first third of the book which doesn’t happen to me often. I like to know what’s going on and a little world-building in the beginning goes a long way…just saying.
And then there’s Sofi. Sofi is a 17 year old, rebellious, gamer chick. Seriously I pictured some goth going on with multiple piercings and a total detachment from real life because the game was more important, right?! This is the vibe I get from her right from the start, yet she does it all to protect her brother (more on that in a moment). I had a hard time connecting and empathizing with her when she could be an abrasive character and naive all at the same time.
In addition to Sofi’s POV, we get Miguel’s. Miguel is a human ambassador to the Delon colony. He also happens to only be 19. I get that this is a dystopian world and the rules are way different but 19 is awfully young to be entrusted with keeping the peace with the aliens hovering over your planet, don’t you think? Miguel is the more interesting of the two characters though. Obviously Sofi and he have a shared past but not much is alluded to until much later in the story. Miguel however is the consummate playboy in front of the cameras and someone entirely different off them.
So the whole plot revolves around what happens in the first few chapters and is stated in the blurb so I feel I can discuss it without any major spoilers….the FanFight (short for Fantasy Fight). The FanFight is an annual gaming competition that combines virtual reality with actual reality. Think Hunger Games style arenas with live audience there to watch and a whole team behind the player helping them through. In the final match, a bomb explodes taking out half the arena and killing most of the players and teams. Sofi is told that Shilo is killed but she saw him whisked away by a Delon medic. Why would an alien have him? So begins the adventure as Sofi talks Miguel into taking her to the planet to find her brother.
I actually liked the FanFight aspect even if it felt too much like [b:The Hunger Games|2767052|The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1)|Suzanne Collins|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1447303603s/2767052.jpg|2792775] in my opinion. It was a cool addition to the story and could have been played up more. I also like what is known about the dystopian world. Corporations rule instead of governments and each Corp is responsible for certain aspects of society. For example Corp 30 where Sofi is from is in charge of medical advances and health care. It was an interesting twist on society, but not entirely unique. Continuum anyone?
Overall, The Evaporation of Sofi Snow was just ok for me. The lack of world-building on the front end left me lost and disconnected from the characters. Sofi herself is a hard pill to swallow and I didn’t buy into her and Miguel’s fledgling romance (if you can call it that). If you enjoy dystopia and don’t mind a sci-fi twist. this book may be for you. It wasn’t my cup of tea though. However, I have to give the author props for that ending. It wasn’t very original AND it was predictable, but it has me intrigued enough that I’ll be watching for the sequel.
I feel as if I’ve been tricked….no that’s not right. Manipulated? No….Deceived? That’s not right either. I honestly am not sure if there is a word for how I feel about The Evaporation of Sofi Snow by Mary Weber. I was expecting dystopia mixed with a heavy dose of science fiction. I got that, but I also got a gaming type environment which I wasn’t expecting, like at all.
The book begins right in the middle of the action and as the reader you are dropped in without any explanation as to what is happening. I was completely lost. I thought maybe I had missed a prologue or something. It’s fast-paced too so there wasn’t a whole lot of time to catch up to what was happening to the characters. I felt lost for at least the first third of the book which doesn’t happen to me often. I like to know what’s going on and a little world-building in the beginning goes a long way…just saying.
And then there’s Sofi. Sofi is a 17 year old, rebellious, gamer chick. Seriously I pictured some goth going on with multiple piercings and a total detachment from real life because the game was more important, right?! This is the vibe I get from her right from the start, yet she does it all to protect her brother (more on that in a moment). I had a hard time connecting and empathizing with her when she could be an abrasive character and naive all at the same time.
In addition to Sofi’s POV, we get Miguel’s. Miguel is a human ambassador to the Delon colony. He also happens to only be 19. I get that this is a dystopian world and the rules are way different but 19 is awfully young to be entrusted with keeping the peace with the aliens hovering over your planet, don’t you think? Miguel is the more interesting of the two characters though. Obviously Sofi and he have a shared past but not much is alluded to until much later in the story. Miguel however is the consummate playboy in front of the cameras and someone entirely different off them.
So the whole plot revolves around what happens in the first few chapters and is stated in the blurb so I feel I can discuss it without any major spoilers….the FanFight (short for Fantasy Fight). The FanFight is an annual gaming competition that combines virtual reality with actual reality. Think Hunger Games style arenas with live audience there to watch and a whole team behind the player helping them through. In the final match, a bomb explodes taking out half the arena and killing most of the players and teams. Sofi is told that Shilo is killed but she saw him whisked away by a Delon medic. Why would an alien have him? So begins the adventure as Sofi talks Miguel into taking her to the planet to find her brother.
I actually liked the FanFight aspect even if it felt too much like [b:The Hunger Games|2767052|The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1)|Suzanne Collins|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1447303603s/2767052.jpg|2792775] in my opinion. It was a cool addition to the story and could have been played up more. I also like what is known about the dystopian world. Corporations rule instead of governments and each Corp is responsible for certain aspects of society. For example Corp 30 where Sofi is from is in charge of medical advances and health care. It was an interesting twist on society, but not entirely unique. Continuum anyone?
Overall, The Evaporation of Sofi Snow was just ok for me. The lack of world-building on the front end left me lost and disconnected from the characters. Sofi herself is a hard pill to swallow and I didn’t buy into her and Miguel’s fledgling romance (if you can call it that). If you enjoy dystopia and don’t mind a sci-fi twist. this book may be for you. It wasn’t my cup of tea though. However, I have to give the author props for that ending. It wasn’t very original AND it was predictable, but it has me intrigued enough that I’ll be watching for the sequel.
This book has ALL THE FEELS!!! Transcend by Scarlett Dawn built me up and then gutted me. Following [b:Trigger|33987018|Trigger (Origin, #1)|Scarlett Dawn|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1485827120s/33987018.jpg|54980945], the second book in the Origin series takes on a new couple while continuing the plot thread of the previous book. While I made no secret of my lack of interest in [b:Trigger|33987018|Trigger (Origin, #1)|Scarlett Dawn|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1485827120s/33987018.jpg|54980945], I found myself engrossed in Transcend and fell in love with the characters and world Scarlett has created.
Mina is perhaps my favorite character in the series so far. She is a scholar, still young enough to not face the decision of marriage or army, and she’s had a formal upbringing which the author conveys with her odd, almost stilted dialect. It took some getting used to but I liked it. It helped to flesh the character out more. Mina is NOT a naive girl either. She is smart (remember scholar!!) and it doesn’t take much for her to figure things out.
One of my biggest complaints in [b:Trigger|33987018|Trigger (Origin, #1)|Scarlett Dawn|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1485827120s/33987018.jpg|54980945] was that while the reader knew about the shifters thanks to the blurb, the shifter aspect didn’t actually enter the story until past the midway point. Not the case with this book! It starts from the very beginning with a terrified Mina who witnessed the pack of shifters become animals when they didn’t know she was watching in the park. Mina is now terrified of these “monsters” as she has to interact with them. They are the corporate “kings” and she has no choice as her father is a wealthy, influential man invited to their parties. I liked this, it felt real to me as Poppy’s reaction in [b:Trigger|33987018|Trigger (Origin, #1)|Scarlett Dawn|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1485827120s/33987018.jpg|54980945] did not.
Then there is Finn, the white tiger and God’s best friend. He was one of my favorite characters in the last book and I loved getting to see him in this book. Like Mina, he has a formal air about him. He is very serious but also has a playful side, like the cat he becomes. He is kind and gentle with Mina and basically gives her everything she needs without her having to ask. He’s extremely intuitive when it comes to her and I have to say I may have fell in love with him just a little.
While obviously this is a paranormal romance with a dash of dystopia, the book also focuses on the overall series plot that was set up in [b:Trigger|33987018|Trigger (Origin, #1)|Scarlett Dawn|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1485827120s/33987018.jpg|54980945]. Something is happening, something is after Poppy and now Mina. There are those golems, clay men that come to life and then the mysterious “Master” behind them. Honestly it’s intriguing. Who is after them? Why? There are as many answers as there are questions in this book. And that ending?!?!?! It gutted me. I knew it was coming and it still gutted me.
Overall I enjoyed Transcend much more than its predecessor. Mina and Finn were believable as a couple. It wasn’t a lust then love situation as the author built up their friendship and mutual attraction before throwing them in bed together. I liked the sweet build up of romance between Mina and Finn. And even though the ending gutted me and threw me for a loop, I’m more than a little curious to see where the series is heading in [b:Torment|35424706|Torment (Origin, #3)|Scarlett Dawn|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1497620642s/35424706.jpg|56800678]. PLUS if I’m right there will be at least 6 books because there are six aberrations….please say I’m right Scarlett Dawn! If you enjoy paranormal romance, I highly recommend this book. If you’re looking for more dystopia though, you might want to pass. There isn’t much on that front.
Side Note: While each book in this series can be read as a standalone, I don’t recommend it. I recommend reading in order so you don’t miss any of the world-building or the overall series plot.
Mina is perhaps my favorite character in the series so far. She is a scholar, still young enough to not face the decision of marriage or army, and she’s had a formal upbringing which the author conveys with her odd, almost stilted dialect. It took some getting used to but I liked it. It helped to flesh the character out more. Mina is NOT a naive girl either. She is smart (remember scholar!!) and it doesn’t take much for her to figure things out.
One of my biggest complaints in [b:Trigger|33987018|Trigger (Origin, #1)|Scarlett Dawn|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1485827120s/33987018.jpg|54980945] was that while the reader knew about the shifters thanks to the blurb, the shifter aspect didn’t actually enter the story until past the midway point. Not the case with this book! It starts from the very beginning with a terrified Mina who witnessed the pack of shifters become animals when they didn’t know she was watching in the park. Mina is now terrified of these “monsters” as she has to interact with them. They are the corporate “kings” and she has no choice as her father is a wealthy, influential man invited to their parties. I liked this, it felt real to me as Poppy’s reaction in [b:Trigger|33987018|Trigger (Origin, #1)|Scarlett Dawn|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1485827120s/33987018.jpg|54980945] did not.
Then there is Finn, the white tiger and God’s best friend. He was one of my favorite characters in the last book and I loved getting to see him in this book. Like Mina, he has a formal air about him. He is very serious but also has a playful side, like the cat he becomes. He is kind and gentle with Mina and basically gives her everything she needs without her having to ask. He’s extremely intuitive when it comes to her and I have to say I may have fell in love with him just a little.
While obviously this is a paranormal romance with a dash of dystopia, the book also focuses on the overall series plot that was set up in [b:Trigger|33987018|Trigger (Origin, #1)|Scarlett Dawn|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1485827120s/33987018.jpg|54980945]. Something is happening, something is after Poppy and now Mina. There are those golems, clay men that come to life and then the mysterious “Master” behind them. Honestly it’s intriguing. Who is after them? Why? There are as many answers as there are questions in this book. And that ending?!?!?! It gutted me. I knew it was coming and it still gutted me.
Overall I enjoyed Transcend much more than its predecessor. Mina and Finn were believable as a couple. It wasn’t a lust then love situation as the author built up their friendship and mutual attraction before throwing them in bed together. I liked the sweet build up of romance between Mina and Finn. And even though the ending gutted me and threw me for a loop, I’m more than a little curious to see where the series is heading in [b:Torment|35424706|Torment (Origin, #3)|Scarlett Dawn|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1497620642s/35424706.jpg|56800678]. PLUS if I’m right there will be at least 6 books because there are six aberrations….please say I’m right Scarlett Dawn! If you enjoy paranormal romance, I highly recommend this book. If you’re looking for more dystopia though, you might want to pass. There isn’t much on that front.
Side Note: While each book in this series can be read as a standalone, I don’t recommend it. I recommend reading in order so you don’t miss any of the world-building or the overall series plot.