Shattered Glass by Maria V. Snyder

Title: Shattered Glass
Author: Maria V. Snyder
Series: Glass Series (Also Chronicles of Ixia or Poison Study Series)
Genre: Fantasy/Young Adult
Page Count: 86 Pages (Kindle)
Published: April November 19th 2016 by Maria V. Snyder
Rating: 5/5

While trying to teach her adopted daughter, Reema, how to work with molten glass, Opal receives a letter from Master Magician Zitora Cowan requesting Opal's immediate help.

Zitora resigned from the Sitian Council over two years ago to search for her lost sister, and no one has heard from her since. The letter is probably a trick, but Opal refuses to pass up the opportunity to help her mentor, who may be in genuine trouble. Good thing Opal isn't that easy to fool. With her two soldier friends Nic and Eve providing backup, the three travel to a small town in the Jewelrose Clan. But can they rescue the Master Magician without being caught in the same trap?

My Review:

I can't believe that I never posted this review! Shattered Glass is an essential short story if you are reading the new Yelena/Study books. This one should be read before Dawn Study. Opal receives a message from Zitora that is most likely a trap, but she has no choice but to answer the call for help. Great short story with Opal and her friends from the Glass series. I was happy to find out where Zitora disappeared to and to spend a little time with Opal again.

I had the honour of working with Maria to create the cover for this novella and it was a dream come true for me. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to her daughter's friend Araella's medical expenses. Her world was shattered back in August when she was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer - she's just 18 years old! :(

My Rating: 5/5

You'll like this series if you liked

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder, Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas or Graceling by Kristin Cashore

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The Forever Song by Julie Kagawa

Title: The Forever Song
Author: Julie Kagawa
Series: Blood of Eden #3
Genre: Fantasy/Young Adult
Page Count: 393 Pages (Hardcover)
Published: April 15th 2014 by Mira Ink
Rating: 5/5

Vengeance will be hers.

Allison Sekemoto once struggled with the question: human or monster? With the death of her love, Zeke, she has her answer.

Monster.

Allie will embrace her cold vampire side to hunt down and end Sarren, the psychopathic vampire who murdered Zeke. But the trail is bloody and long, and Sarren has left many surprises for Allie and her companions - her creator Kanin, and her blood brother, Jackal. The trail is leading straight to the one place they must protect at any cost - the last vampire-free zone on Earth, Eden. And Sarren has one final, brutal shock in store for Allie.

In a ruined world where no life is sacred and former allies can turn on you in one heartbeat, Allie will face her darkest days. And if she succeeds, her triumph will be short-lived in the face of surviving forever alone.

THE FINAL HUNT IS ON.

My Review:

All the feels! The Forever Song was my favourite book in this series.


Allie is broken from losing Zeke, and now vengeance is the only thing driving her. The road to revenge is paved in blood and heartache and I loved every minute of it.


Sarren has a head start and he isn't making it easy to follow him, let alone beat him to Eden. Allie and her unconventional family have to figure out a way to beat the psychotic vampire before he unleashed his hell on earth.


Jackal drove the story for me with his sarcastic humour and unpredictable nature. It lightened the mood when Allie was on a rampage or getting her soul crushed. I didn't always agree with the choices that Allie made, but in the end she made me proud.


The story was well paced and the conclusion was great without being too conveniently wrapped up.

Fav. Quotes (minus the spoilery ones):

“I am proud of you, Allison Sekemoto,” he whispered as he drew back. “Whatever you decide, whatever path you choose to take, I hope that you will remain the same girl I met that night in the rain. The one decision for which I have no regrets.””  

“Oh, heads are going to roll for this. I’m going to set up a special lane and use their skulls for bowling balls.”

My Rating: 5/5

You'll like this series if you liked

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Twilight by Stephenie Meyer or The Iron King by Julie Kagawa.

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The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa

Title: The Eternity Cure
Author: Julie Kagawa
Series: Blood of Eden #2
Genre: Fantasy/Young Adult
Page Count: 434 Pages (Paperback)
Published: April 30th 2013 by Mira Ink
Rating: 4/5

In Allison Sekemoto's world, there is one rule left: Blood calls to blood

She has done the unthinkable: died so that she might continue to live. Cast out of Eden and separated from the boy she dared to love, Allie will follow the call of blood to save her creator, Kanin, from the psychotic vampire Sarren. But when the trail leads to Allie's birthplace in New Covington, what Allie finds there will change the world forever-and possibly end human and vampire existence.

There's a new plague on the rise, a strain of the Red Lung virus that wiped out most of humanity generations ago-and this strain is deadly to humans and vampires alike. The only hope for a cure lies in the secrets Kanin carries, if Allie can get to him in time.

Allison thought that immortality was forever. But now, with eternity itself hanging in the balance, the lines between human and monster will blur even further, and Allie must face another choice she could never have imagined having to make.

My Review:

Eternity Cure was another gripping read by Julie Kagawa. Allie comes into her vampire self in this book. The story picks up with her hunting down Kanin and Sarren. Allie is hardened from her experiences in The Immortal Rules. I liked hunter Allie. She wasn’t trying to be human but she retained her morals and her character was stronger because of it.

The mission to save Kanin was just the beginning, bringing Allie into the middle of a plagued city and a new enemy.

The Eternity Cure had a good mix of old and new characters and settings. We get some resolution from questions left unanswered in The Immortal Rules while Julie threw some curve-balls in I didn’t see coming. The ending had my gaw dropping to the floor, so make sure you have The Forever Song on deck because you're going to want to start it immediately!

Overall I liked this book a lot. It lost a star for me because I felt like the fictive bubble was burst for me with the characters dumb decision making near the end. I just felt like they could have ended up in the same place without the ignorance.

Fav. Quotes (minus the spoilery ones):

“'I don't believe in fate,' he said carefully, 'but... I do believe everything happens for a reason. That there is some plan, some meaning to this darkness we live in.'”  

“Next time you two decide to go on a bloody killing spree, at least send me an invitation so I know that you care.”

My Rating: 4/5

You'll like this series if you liked

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Twilight by Stephenie Meyer or The Iron King by Julie Kagawa.

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Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder

Title: Touch of Power
Author: Maria V. Snyder
Series: Healer #1
Genre: Fantasy
Page Count: 390 Pages (Paperback)
Published: December 27 2011 by Mira Books
Rating: 5/5

Magician, heal thyself.

Laying hands upon the injured and dying, Avry of Kazan absorbs their wounds and diseases into herself. But rather than being honored for her skills, she is hunted. Healers like Avry are accused of spreading the plague that has decimated the Fifteen Realms, leaving the survivors in a state of chaos.

Stressed and tired from hiding, Avry is abducted by a band of rogues who, shockingly, value her gift above the golden bounty offered for her capture. Their leader, an enigmatic captor-protector with powers of his own, is unequivocal in his demands: Avry must heal a plague-stricken prince—leader of a campaign against her people. As they traverse the daunting Nine Mountains, beset by mercenaries and magical dangers, Avry must decide who is worth healing and what is worth dying for. Because the price of peace may well be her life....

My Review:

It's no secret that I am a huge fan of Maria V. Snyder's writing. Whenever I'm asked for book recommendations her books are on the top of my list.

I read this series a while back and didn't have the time to review it, but I had it on my list and am finally taking the time because everyone should know how great Touch of Power is.

If you liked the Poison Study series you will undoubtedly like this one also. It's not set in the same world, but the blend of magic, medieval and adventure is the same.

Avry is a healer who is forced to hide her gift or face death. She gets wrapped up in a war not of her choosing and makes friends and enemies as she is brought on a dangerous journey to heal a dying prince. She is a great heroine that I was rooting for the whole time.

There are other powers that come into play, and magical elements that are unique to the world Maria created in this series. The love story that is started in Touch of Power is woven through delicately so that it doesn't overpower the plot but sucks you right in with all of the feels.

A great adventure story and the start of an amazing series. If you haven't already added this one to your to-read pile, you definitely should!

Fav. Quotes (minus the spoilery ones):

“Kerrick gave him a tight smile.
'You mean I'm not omnipotent?'
'You're not even semi-potent.'
'Is that even a word?' Kerrick asked.
'He probably means you're impotent,' I offered.”  

"I can't decide what's worse. Losing family members or not having a family member to lose."

My Rating: 5/5

You'll like this series if you liked

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder, Graceling by Kristin Cashore, or Queen in Exile by Donna Hatch.

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*As a side note: I was given an ARC of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, but since I missed the publication date I purchased the whole series on amazon. 

Best. Decision. Ever!

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

Title: The Immortal Rules
Author: Julie Kagawa
Series: Blood of Eden #1
Genre: Fantasy/Young Adult
Page Count: 485 Pages (Hardcover)
Published: April 24th 2012 by Harlequin
Rating: 5/5

MY VAMPIRE CREATOR TOLD ME THIS:

"Sometime in your life, Allison Sekemoto, you will kill a human being. The question is not if it will happen, but when. Do you understand?"

I didn't then, not really.

I DO NOW.

Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.

Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked—and given the ultimate choice. Die…or become one of the monsters.

Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.

Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.

But it isn’t easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what—and who—is worth dying for.

My Review:

Well, I can’t believe I waited this long to start such an amazing series. I am in love with The Immortal Rules.

In my defence I have been burned a couple of times by other authors and decided to wait until all three books in the trilogy were released before starting, and I guess the silver lining is now I don’t have to wait for the next one I can just dive right in.

The immortal rules is a story about an orphaned 17-year-old girl who is living her life in the outskirts of a walled-in city that is run by vampires. She scavenges, steals, and begs to keep herself alive with the other “unregistered” because she refuses to sell her blood to the monsters that run the city in exchange for food and shelter. Outside the walls the world is in ruins and swarming with “rabids” - infected people and animals that are zombie-like with a vampire flare. I don’t know how much more to say without major spoilers. It’s a vampire book with a Walking Dead feel.

Although it’s YA it’s not angsty or juvenile. Allie is a strong female lead that is bad-ass and like-able. The supporting characters are both lovable and loathable (yes I’m making up terms) making for a well-rounded cast to traverse the story with.

One thing I will say is that it took me a few chapters to realize that Kannin isn’t meant to be a love interest, but more of a mentor role. That may be obvious to others but I thought it was worth mentioning.

I loved the story and world-building. Julie Kagawa has been one of my favourite authors since her Iron Fey series and she didn’t disappoint with her take on vampires.

Fav. Quotes (minus the spoilery ones):

“You will always be a monster, there is no turning back from it. But what type of monster you become is entirely up to you.”  

"The closer you got to someone, the more it would destroy you when they were inevitably gone."

My Rating: 5/5

You'll like this series if you liked

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Twilight by Stephenie Meyer or The Iron King by Julie Kagawa.

Cover Coverage

This series has had a couple cover makeovers.Which is your favourite?

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*As a side note: I was given an ARC of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, but since I missed the publication date I purchased a hardcover and man am I glad that I did!

Me Before You Book Review

Title: Me Before You
Author: Jojo Moyes
Series: Me Before You #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Page Count: 409 Pages
Published:  April 26th 2016 by Penguin Books (first published January 5th 2012)
Rating: 4/5

They had nothing in common until love gave them everything to lose . . .

Louisa Clark is an ordinary girl living an exceedingly ordinary life—steady boyfriend, close family—who has barely been farther afield than their tiny village. She takes a badly needed job working for ex–Master of the Universe Will Traynor, who is wheelchair bound after an accident. Will has always lived a huge life—big deals, extreme sports, worldwide travel—and now he’s pretty sure he cannot live the way he is.

Will is acerbic, moody, bossy—but Lou refuses to treat him with kid gloves, and soon his happiness means more to her than she expected. When she learns that Will has shocking plans of his own, she sets out to show him that life is still worth living.

A Love Story for this generation, Me Before You brings to life two people who couldn’t have less in common—a heartbreakingly romantic novel that asks, What do you do when making the person you love happy also means breaking your own heart?

My Review:

I missed the original train with Me Before You. I didn't hear about it until I saw the trailer for the film and immediately looked it up on Goodreads. Thank you to Socialbookco.com for the opportunity to review this amazing novel.

One of the things that I loved most about this book was the switch up of the normal character profile for the love interest. Will is a disaster when you "meet" him. He's rude, unkempt, unlikeable and remote. Jojo did such a wonderful job of taking you on the journey with Lou as we peel back his layers and fall for the man under all of that pain.

Lou was another wonderful treat for me. There are so many vanilla protagonists in contemporary romance, that I was pleasantly surprised with her colourful, unique voice. Her quirks and sarcastic sense of humour brought lightness to a heavy plotline and I found her flaws endearing rather than annoying.

The supporting cast was surprisingly unlikeable. Her family and boyfriend treated her horribly and there didn't seem to be any redeeming qualities about them, and his family was a bloody mess--though I at least felt a shred of sympathy for his mother. I did enjoy Will's nurse Nathan. That said, the terrible families helped shape their world so it didn't take away from the story.

Me Before You is heart-wrenching, and challenging, and had me in tears multiple times. I felt Lou's desperation, and Will's helplessness and rode the rollercoaster with them. Contrary to some opinions I have read, I found that Jojo did a good job of balancing the scales for the controversial choices that Will and Lou face.

Will was a vibrant, adventurous man who doesn't want to live the sheltered, crippled life forced on him by his accident; while Lou is able-bodied and free to do or be anything, but chooses to live a sheltered and limited life. They infuriate each other, they challenge each other, and their struggle to change each other brings them both pain and healing.

I won't spoil the ending, so that's all I can say about it. If you want to know which way it goes, you'll have to read it...or read a spoiler ;)

Fav. Quotes (minus the spoilery ones):

"You can only actually help someone who wants to be helped."  

"...you don't have to let the result of one mistake be the thing that defines you." 

"'Hey, Clark,’ he said. ‘Tell me something good.’"

"Push yourself. Don't settle. Wear those stripy legs with pride."

My Rating: 4/5

You'll like this series if you liked

The Choice by Nicholas Sparks, The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes, or My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult.

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Menagerie by Rachel Vincent - 5 Stars

Title: Menagerie
Author: Rachel Vincent
Series: Menagerie #1
Genre: Fantasy/Commercial fiction
Page Count: 432 Pages
Published: September 29th, 2015 by MIRA
Rating: 5/5

When Delilah Marlow visits a famous traveling carnival, Metzger's Menagerie, she is an ordinary woman in a not-quite-ordinary world. But under the macabre circus black-top, she discovers a fierce, sharp-clawed creature lurking just beneath her human veneer. Captured and put on exhibition, Delilah in her black swan burlesque costume is stripped of her worldly possessions, including her own name, as she's forced to "perform" in town after town.

But there is breathtaking beauty behind the seamy and grotesque reality of the carnival. Gallagher, her handler, is as kind as he is cryptic and strong. The other "attractions"—mermaids, minotaurs, gryphons and kelpies—are strange, yes, but they share a bond forged by the brutal realities of captivity. And as Delilah struggles for her freedom, and for her fellow menagerie, she'll discover a strength and a purpose she never knew existed.

Renowned author Rachel Vincent weaves an intoxicating blend of carnival magic and startling humanity in this intricately woven and powerful tale.

My Review:

I actually hugged this book when it came in mail. Why? Because I knew I was about to fall in love with it, as I do with every other Rachel Vincent book I have ever read. She did it again.

Menagerie is very different from Rachel Vincent's other books, but that in no way detracts from it. Even though I knew going into it that Menagerie wasn't an urban fantasy or paranormal romance, I was still surprised by the lack of a MC love story, as I absolutely adore Rachel's romance plotlines in all of her other books, but again I found it didn't take anything away, if anything I found it amped up the importance of all of the other themes and plot points that needed their time in the spotlight.

The story follows Delilah Marlow as she finds out she's a monster, gets sold to a traveling circus and caged for being a monster, and discovers who the monsters really are. Her struggle to maintain her inner-self while being treated like a worthless animal is heart-wrenching and inspiring.

It is dark and twisty and kept me ravenous for more up until the last page. I was rooting for Delilah to overcome her captors while also fully experiencing the helplessness of her situation through Vincent's captivating voice.

I can't wait for Spectacle (Menagerie #2) to be released so I can dive back into this world.

Fav. Quotes (minus the spoilery ones):

"We have psychos, too. People kill their coworkers. Kids kill their classmates. Parents kill their own children. Those people are every bit as monstrous as the worst cryptid predator you can point to, yet they’re human, just like we are.” Atherton and Pennington stared at me, and unease churned in my stomach. “There is no we,” the deputy said...  

"I deal in morality, not in law." 

"I said I don't enjoy seeing you suffer."

My Rating: 5/5

You'll like this series if you liked

Shifter series by Rachel Vincent, The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, or Room by Emma Donoghue (If you also like fantasy as well).

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*Side-note: I received an ebook copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I got my hardcover in the mail before I could get started but was happy to have the ebook as well so I could take it with me everywhere. Thanks Netgalley!*