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pub 2/7/2017 by HarperTeen
Young Adult - Fantasy
Received e-ARC via Edelweiss
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Rise of Fire starts exactly where
Reign of Shadows leaves off and once again, it is Luna and Fowler against the world, with hardly anyone to trust. They're fighting off the dark dwellers, the crazy false king of Relhok and now, yet another enemy is introduced when Luna accepts the help of nearby kingdom Lagonia. With almost every passing page, Luna and Fowler become pawns more and more, especially as Lagonia's king immediately realizes their true identities. There's a lot of
frustrating politics at hand, infuriating new characters and an awfully convenient (and abrupt) ending. And you know what? I really enjoyed the book anyway. What Jordan did for me, as a reader, is make me care deeply for Luna and Fowler. Whenever they were facing a new danger (dweller or one of the aforementioned annoying characters) or sharing a stolen moment, I really
felt it. I felt their frustrations and their chemistry. I pretty much sped through this book because I wanted to know if they would defeat their enemies and get the happy ending they both deserved.
Do I recommend? Yes!
Keep in mind
Rise of Fire is very fantasy light and more romance focused, which suited my mood at the time. Overall though, Sophie Jordan's writing is engaging and I enjoyed her duology a lot. (
Reign of Shadows is still my fave!)
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pub 2/14/17 by Katherine Tegen
Young Adult - Mystery
Received e-ARC via Edelweiss |
If I wasn't already super impressed with Brittany Cavallaro's writing,
The Last of August absolutely confirms it. I keep thinking about that line Meredith Grey from
Grey's Anatomy always likes to say. About being all dark and twisty inside. Well, Charlotte Holmes is darker, twistier and more complex than ever and that's what makes her such a memorable heroine. She and Jamie Watson are on winter break in Sussex trying their hand at normalcy (and failing miserably) but when Charlotte's Uncle Leander goes missing, they're off to solve this mystery. It takes them through Europe and to familiar faces and the action pretty much never stops. But Cavallaro never fails to give both Charlotte and Jamie depth and growth. I ship them to be perfectly clear but they are both each other's greatest allies and worst enemies at times. The growing feelings they have for one another complicates it all. The author never loses sight of Charlotte's attack and is very honest of her PTSD. Likewise, Jamie is always there for Charlotte, never pushing but his openness is often at odds with her closed-off nature. It brings up a lot of questions about who and what they are. Are they Holmes and Watson, forever solving cases? Or can they be that
and more? But the plot, more than anything, reveals a lot. We learn a lot about the tangled web between the Holmes and Moriarty families, which all comes down to an ending that pretty much guarantees that I will be reading the final book in this trilogy.
Do I recommend? Absolutely! I haven't read many Sherlock Holmes retellings but this will be a tough one to top!
I started reading The Last of August as soon as it came in the mail yesterday and it's so good! Can't wait to really get into the story and devour it!
ReplyDelete~Sara
I wasn't really sure if I wanted to read THE LAST OF AUGUST, but the way you've talked about it makes me want to. I did think the way she wrote the story in the first one was interesting, and I am curious about what happens to Jamie and Charlotte!
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