Book Review

Review of Queen of Lies by Kel Carpenter

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Queen of Lies (Daizlei Academy Book 3) by [Kel Carpenter]

Synopsis:
My second year at Daizlei didn’t kill me. It did something so much worse.
It killed her.
And the world will never be the same because of it.

Anastasia thought she could own me. The Supernatural thought they could control me. They didn’t realize the darkness they courted until the walls of Daizlei came crushing down around us.

I always thought of myself as hard. Unbreakable. Unbeatable.

Until someone beat me.

Now…I was broken and I planned to use all my sharp edges for the one thing I had left.
Revenge.

**Warning: as the characters mature and grow so does the story. This novel is recommended for readers 16+.**

Review:
Ah, the story was picked up and easy to get into. This book had what most of Carpenter’s work does- lots of action and anticipation. There were twists that I definitely didn’t see, and Selena took a lot more time to actually develop and work on relationships in this book. I absolutely loved seeing everything that happens at the Alpha’s home where they are fully accepted as “refugees”. It’s brilliant how the young and innocent bring out so much curiosity in her.

Finally Selena comes to see herself as she is, and when she’s ready to tell the truth, in some places, she find she literally can’t. Luckily, she has a great band of people around her, and I am quite optimistic about what might come in the next book.

Star Rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of Scion of Midnight by Kel Carpenter

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Scion of Midnight (Daizlei Academy Book 2) by [Kel Carpenter]

Synopsis:
My name is Selena Foster, and I am the first of my kind in a millennium.

I thought that made me invincible. Untouchable. All it really makes me is a target…and a weapon.

The Supernatural Council is going to war, and they’ve decided what better spear than the girl that can slay demons?

So they blackmail me, and I become the property of the Council. 

They think they own me, but you can’t own what you can’t control. 

I thought the first year at Daizlei was hard…but the second might kill me.

Either way, I’m not going down without a fight.

Review:
Wow, what a drudge! This book was hard to get into, and I was 70% through before I started being interested and invested again. So many annoying things happen in the beginning of the book, all to do with Selena being a moody teenager. How her interactions with Lucas go are so frustrating, and even by the end I was still mad at her for all the time she wasted being irritated with herself when apparently the true way to get anywhere is to LET YOURSELF GO, but in the next breath, have control! It isn’t even a matter of her trying to gain skills and better herself, she just has a pity party and never seems to snap out of it. All of her relationships suffer in this book, and while it is likely a set up for the next I really hope the angst and inability to be proactive are lost/worked through. While I am not pleased with how the book ended, I have enjoyed a couple of other series by Kel Carpenter so intend to stick it out and hope it gets better.

There is A LOT of connection in this particular story with similar things in the Queen of the Damned series, which while it was written second, I do think I prefer so far. It’s an adult series, so if adult urban fantasy romance is your jam, check it out.

Star Rating: ✯✯✯

Review of Heir of Shadows by Kel Carpenter

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Heir of Shadows (Daizlei Academy Book 1) by [Kel Carpenter]

Synopsis:
There’s only one rule in the world I come from.
Keep our existence a secret. Period.

The day my sister broke that rule one too many times, I knew there would be consequences. I expected us to be sent to one of those schools for “troubled” kids—and maybe Daizlei Academy was, in a way. But really, it was far more complicated than that.

You see, I thought that world had forgotten me. Forgotten us. For years we were left alone, and one day . . . we weren’t.

It was only when I got there that I remembered the second rule:
Trust no one.

Because in our world? They would kill me if they knew the truth of what I am.

Daizlei Academy is a school for Supernaturals.

And me? I’m so much more.

*This is a YA+ Academy series with slow-burn romance and a strong but flawed heroine. It is labeled YA(+) for stronger language and some mature situations. As the heroine ages and grows so does the content of the stories.*

Review:
While I recently (starting in December, I believe) have been binge reading Kel Carpenter, this book has been quite a bit different than many of the other series I’ve read. From the beginning we learn about the triplets Selena, Alexandra, and Lily and we are brought on a journey with them. Firstly, we learn very early on about Alexandra and Lily’s powers, but I can honestly say that I had no idea what Selena’s were until she revealed it herself–an enigma that would have made me want to keep reading even if I hadn’t already been fairly invested in the story.

Selena goes through so many things that I feel so many people would resonate with–being the “oldest”/one who has to look out for her siblings and make sure they’re okay, as well as having guilt/trauma over not being able to fix things or prevent life altering things in the past (and having a complex because of that). Selena also throws herself into something she’s trained in, and I feel like many people, especially those with trauma or trying to forget things and focus on something better, also do that to escape their thoughts, feelings, emotions. Seeing her grow as a person, both kill wise and psychologically, was an enjoyable experience.

All of the main characters are rather well done and fleshed out, and like most series, I immediately started the next one when I finished this one.

Star Rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of Reaper Reborn by Kel Carpenter and Meg Anne

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Reaper Reborn (The Grimm Brotherhood Book 3) by [Kel Carpenter, Meg Anne]

Synopsis:
Just when I think things are finally starting to calm down, I come face-to-face with my long-lost twin.
Turns out, being a Daughter of Death is a whole lot more than just kicking ass and taking names.

There are things like rules…and responsibilities.
Oh yeah, and let’s not forget the monster that’s killed me in all my past lives. That’s a thing, too.

There’s also this teensy little problem: James may be gone but the distrust he created in the supernatural community is still very much alive. With the tensions between Council members bleeding into Farrow’s Square it’s only a matter of time until someone does something crazy.

Now I gotta figure out what my twin wants, learn about my super badass death powers, kill a monster, and stop a war. Sounds like a piece of cake. Speaking of cake…

This whole thing started over a Hostess cupcake. Do I dare hope it can end with one?
You bet your ass, I do.

Review:
What a whirlwind! While Salem is still her badass self, it seems that when someone else wears her face people are really willing to believe the worst of her, despite proving herself several times. While she’s trying to figure out what killed her previously and is going to try again, she’s stuck building a relationship with a sister who has very different goals in life.

Great ending, and with all good series, didn’t want it to end. At least, several times in this book, Salem got her Hostess cupcakes.

Star Rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of Reaping Havoc by Kel Carpenter and Meg Anne

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Reaping Havoc (The Grimm Brotherhood Book 2) by [Kel Carpenter, Meg Anne]

Synopsis:
I found my brother’s murderer, by becoming his next victim.

The asshat killed me, too. But little does he know—I came back. Again.

Now he’s going down.

But before I can destroy him, I need to resolve the little issue of me not dying. That’s twice now I’ve cheated death. Something’s not right.

Graves doesn’t think I’m a reaper, and the ghosts seem to agree with him. They say that I’m different. That I’m more.

All I know is that things are getting real weird in Farrow’s Square and dying is hungry work.

Where’s a truckload of Hostess cupcakes when a girl needs them?

***THESE MUST BE READ IN ORDER***

Review:
Damn it, James! While Salem has to deal with losing her brother a second time, she still had to figure out how to make the person who has been going around killing her family members pay. Unfortunately, James is always one step in front of her, and she isn’t sure what she is, or how to cope with what she might be. Luckily, Graves is right there to help figure things out.

I absolutely loved Marla from the very beginning, and expected her to play a very large role in this trilogy. I wish we could have seen and got to know more from her, but as always, keeping one step ahead of someone intent to murder people you care about means that other questions have to be left for later.

Star Rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of Reaper’s Blood by Kel Carpenter & Meg Anne

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Reaper's Blood (The Grimm Brotherhood Book 1) by [Kel Carpenter, Meg Anne]

Synopsis:
I died for Hostess cupcakes.
I know. Tragic, right?

Even worse, after I came back I still didn’t get any cupcakes.

What I did get, however, is a six-foot-something reaper with eyes like blue fire to guide me into the world of the supernatural. Which, as it turned out, wasn’t quite like the fairytales little girls are told growing up.

Not only is magic real, more importantly, so are monsters.
And apparently, I’m one of them.

But I’m getting ahead of myself here.

You see, four years ago I left my hometown and swore to never come back.

Now my brother is dead and I have no choice but to go searching for answers. Except finding them isn’t easy when the secret society he belonged to is covering it up.

I gotta find out who killed him while watching my own back, because if I’m not careful I might be next—and this time, there’s no do over. Luckily for me, Mr. Single and Hot as F*ck is determined to help me keep my ass alive.

I’m a lucky, lucky girl.
Some days.

***THESE MUST BE READ IN ORDER***


Review:
Salem is a relatable protagonist that you don’t see coming- swearing, sassy, perpetually hungry, and not backing down. The characters in this are absolutely amazing, detailed, well fleshed out, and I can’t get enough of them. Even when dealing with supernatural people (and ghosts) Salem still has a smart remark to make, like “Gretel” being “Not-Morticia”. Once this series was started I couldn’t put it down and couldn’t wait for the next book.

I really liked Graves from the start because he wasn’t willing to let Salem walk all over him and made her have to work and earn things, instead of just giving her whatever she wanted. While he was always there for her, he didn’t simply tell her what she wanted to hear or make things easy for her. Tamsin was also great from the start, there for her best friend even when she had no idea what her best friend is or how she ended up learning about a whole separate world.

Star Rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of The Queen’s Crown by K. M. Shea

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The Queen's Crown (Court of Midnight and Deception Book 3) by [K. M. Shea]

Synopsis:
Since the day I was crowned Queen of the Night Court, someone has been trying to kill me. Yay, me!

Finding my would-be-killer has been last on my to do list for a long time—which should tell you what a dumpster fire my life has been. But I can’t ignore it anymore. Whoever is plotting against me is getting serious. If I don’t do something soon I might not survive their next attempt.

Normally, I’d count on Rigel—my consort, who also happens to be a deadly fae assassin—to have my back. But he’s been gone for two months, and when he finally returns he won’t say where he’s been. Great, that’s totally not sketchy.

To make matters worse, I love Rigel—and he doesn’t believe me when I tell him! How’s that for romance?

New to do list: catch my would-be killer and convince my own husband I love him. All in a day’s work for the Night Queen.

I knew I should have demanded a job description before I took on this queen gig…

Synopsis:
Finally, so many loose ends put together, and relationships mended that have been waited for since the first two books. I absolutely love this series, because Leila remains her feisty sassy human self while still trying to integrate into the role of queen. I also love that as a horse/animal person she is always trying to do what is right for the animals, but also encouraging people to be safe and wear helmets!

I love Rigel so much, and I’m glad to see how things turn out with them in the end.

I unfortunately had an inkling who had caused the attacks, but that didn’t stop the enjoyment of the book or how everything was discovered and resolved.

Leila does what she thinks is good for her people, and it’s so fun seeing her people enjoying casual human entertainment activities, especially with how into it they all seem to get. The absolute end it brilliant and while I never want K. M. Shea’s series to end, it was still sweet.

I absolutely love how empowered K. M. Shea’s heroines are, even if it takes them a while to get to that point–it just makes it that much more realistic! I definitely recommend this series to anyone who loves faeries, though I’ll forewarn you–you end up drinking so much tea while reading it!

Star Rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo

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Ruin and Rising (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy Book 3) by [Leigh Bardugo]

Synopsis:
Soldier. Summoner. Saint. The nation’s fate rests with a broken Sun Summoner, a disgraced tracker, and the shattered remnants of a once-great magical army.

The Darkling rules from his shadow throne while a weakened Alina Starkov recovers from their battle under the dubious protection of the zealots who worship her as a Saint. Now her hopes lie with the magic of a long-vanished ancient creature and the chance that an outlaw prince still survives.

As her allies and enemies race toward war, only Alina stands between her country and a rising tide of darkness that could destroy the world. To win this fight, she must seize a legend’s power—but claiming the firebird may be her ruin.

Review:
It was hard to get into this, seeing Alina start as such a meek and modest person. Despite continuously not wanting to be used and controlled, she always tends to end up in situations where people are telling her what to do, how to look, how to act. She never really steps up and figures out what needs to be done- there’s always someone else there with the answer (Thank you, David).

This book was when I finally gave up any hope that the Darkling would be redeemed. So much potential for him to be changed. I did, however, quite come to like between the second and third books, Nikolai. In many ways I was disappointed in how this one ended, in part because I thought she would have made a good queen to Nikolai. Of all the things they could have done when free, I hadn’t expected what they chose.

Star Rating: ✯✯✯

Review of Seige and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

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Siege and Storm (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy Book 2) by [Leigh Bardugo]

Synopsis:
Soldier. Summoner. Saint. Alina Starkov’s power has grown, but not without a price. She is the Sun Summoner—hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Shadow Fold. But she and Mal can’t outrun their enemies for long.

The Darkling is more determined than ever to claim Alina’s magic and use it to take the Ravkan throne. With nowhere else to turn, Alina enlists the help of an infamous privateer and sets out to lead the Grisha army.

But as the truth of Alina’s destiny unfolds, she slips deeper into the Darkling’s deadly game of forbidden magic, and further away from her humanity. To save her country, Alina will have to choose between her power and the love she thought would always be her shelter. No victory can come without sacrifice—and only she can face the oncoming storm.

Review:
Running from your problems never solves them, as Alina and Mal find. While I was team Darkling in book 1, finding that he’d be willing to completely destroy Mal to get closer to Alina definitely made me dislike him. As Alina grows into her powers and learns what she believes she has to do and use her abilities for, she becomes a different person. While this is addressed several times in conversations, Mal still holds out hope that she’s still the same person whereas when this type of thing happens, two people wanting different things with their lives, generally that is when they move apart. Though admirable that Mal still wanted to stay close and do his job… is it really?

Star Rating: ✯✯✯✯

Review of Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

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Shadow and Bone (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy Book 1) by [Leigh Bardugo]

Synopsis:
Soldier. Summoner. Saint. Orphaned and expendable, Alina Starkov is a soldier who knows she may not survive her first trek across the Shadow Fold—a swath of unnatural darkness crawling with monsters. But when her regiment is attacked, Alina unleashes dormant magic not even she knew she possessed.

Now Alina will enter a lavish world of royalty and intrigue as she trains with the Grisha, her country’s magical military elite—and falls under the spell of their notorious leader, the Darkling. He believes Alina can summon a force capable of destroying the Shadow Fold and reuniting their war-ravaged country, but only if she can master her untamed gift.

As the threat to the kingdom mounts and Alina unlocks the secrets of her past, she will make a dangerous discovery that could threaten all she loves and the very future of a nation.

Welcome to Ravka . . . a world of science and superstition where nothing is what it seems.

Review:
It was hard for me to get into this book at first, and it wasn’t until the third chapter that I really got into it and became invested. The relationships were definitely not enticing, and there were several times I was hoping she would give up on what she knew before and embrace what she could have instead. I did enjoy how the author had Russian influences, because it’s always fun to learn about another culture, and I will say I think it very much added to this trilogy.

Star Rating: ✯✯✯✯