Laurie Forest: The Iron Flower

In the second book in Laurie Forest's Witch Chronicles series, things are about to get dark and desperate for the resistance.

I don't know why this series has does not have more hype about it. Forest has created an interesting world, plot/story and characters that rivals some of the popular books out there. The book is fast paced and you're not sure where Forest is going to take the story or characters and it is quite a ride throughout. This book had some amazing highs and some horrible lows that you didn't quit know where Forest was going to take a reader next. 

I enjoyed that Forest takes this book to a lot darker place and shows the Vogel followers ramping up in their hatred of people who are different from them. Forest also lets readers know that none of the characters are really safe in her books, and when I read the third book in this series that knowledge is now going to keep me even more on the edge of my seat. This book is bleak at times and you have to wonder what will break Elloren and what will keep her going.

Elloren is an interesting character as she is far from perfect. She has power within her that she cannot access, she make assumptions about people and events often. This is really seen when she interacts with the Amaz and not taking the time to understand their culture and their beliefs. However, Elloren is truly empathic to those around her, fiercely protect as well and she is not afraid to admit that she was wrong or to ask for help. Elloren feels like a full character who is changing and developing as the series goes on.

I think my one criticism is that I wish there was more than just Elloren's POV. We do get a few chapters that are written in third person to set the stage for some events but there are not many of them.

I can't wait to read the third book in this series to see where Forest takes the characters and plot and what she has instore for the resistance next.

Enjoy!!!

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Stacy Willingham: Only if You're Lucky

Stacy Willingham takes you to College where you can reinvent yourself and hope your past doesn't catch up to you:

This is the third book that I have read by Willingham and all I can really say is that I was expecting more. I was expecting a more interesting and fast paced plot with dynamic characters that would draw me into their story. The book moved at such a slow pace and personally i was able to figure out one of the major twists right at the beginning. Does Willingham throw a few more in there for good measure, but it all comes in the latter part of the book, I'd say with 20% left, that I was already over the story

The only character that I did find interesting was Lucy. You can tell there is more to her, you can tell that she manipulates everyone around her and is glad to be doing it. She had way more personality than Margot does in the story, which is probably why Margot is drawn to her over and over again.

I liked the dual main two timelines. There is a third one in there as well but we get so few chapters from when Eliza was alive that I don't count it as a main aspect of the book. personally I would have loved from the Eliza time frame, as it may have sped up the pacing of the book a bit.

This book wasn't for me. I have read a few college psychological books and this just didn't add anything new to the ones that I had previously read and was way slower. I understand that these books are often character led but there needs to be some interesting plot points to hold it all together.

Cheers!!!

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Riley Sagar: The House Across the Lake

Riley Sager show that spying on your neighbours may cause more trouble that it's worth and even murder:

I have read quite a few of Sagar's books and I find that they are hit or miss for me, but i seem to still keep grabbing more so I continue to give them a try. I was 100% into this book and was so curious how Sagar was going to pull the plot together and what was actually happening across the lake but then he totally took me out of it. If you have read this book you’ll know what I’m talking about and I think it is one of those things that you either love or hate. Did I see it coming, No, but after reading several books by Sagar I didn’t think his books took those turns. 

I love an unreliable narrator, whether you know they are unreliable or not. This one you know that Casey is unreliable because she is an alcoholic. She starts drinking from when she wakes up, till she passes out for the night. This plays with her perception of events and the time frame of things. More often than not the events she witnesses are from the darkness of her deck as she is watching things unfold across the lake and how one interprets the things she seems. Once again she is an alcoholic so there are times when things really can be questioned. I find it just adds something more to the story as we question what can be true and what cannot.

I enjoyed the main two timelines and it had me turning the pages pretty fast to get to where they meet as Sagar does a great job of characters in the book all could have committed a crime. You even question has a crime even been committed against Katherine as that is how well Sagar has laid out the plot of the story.

So this book was not for me in the end, but I was enjoying it up to that one point/twist in the book. So I know that I will read more books by Sager (plus I have two more on my physical TBR shelf).

Cheers!!!!

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Jennifer Lynn Barnes: The Naturals

In the first of a YA series, the FBI is determined to start it's profilers early with some teenagers who show a certain type of promise.

I have seen books by Barnes for a few years now and I thought the premise sounded really interesting, plus I grew up watching Criminal Minds and this had a similar air to it. And this totally has criminal mind vibes except with teens as the main characters. Each character really has a counterpart that you can point out from Criminal Minds. As the characters are Teens, they do act like teens with what they say and the decisions that they make. I did not find the "case" that they are part of in this book that interesting and found that this book was more character driven than plot driven as I was expecting it to me. I think this was part of the reason I was able to figure it out as the plot/murderer was not the main point for most of the book and it made me wish it was a bit more complicated.

Cassie is a good character, and you cannot fault her for wanting to join the team as she is looking for who murdered her mother. It was interesting to see Barnes Spin of what a profile would be and how one could be as young as Cassie and Dean. 

This book has the love triangle that I find seems to happen a lot in YA books especially ones that were written in the early 2010 and to be honest the love triangle is just not my thing whether it is YA or adult book. I probably wouldn't have picked this up knowing that it was there as it very much has the two guys playing against each other fairly constantly in the book. You can tell that there is going be one almost from the beginning when Cassie meets the main to MMC that are in the Naturals program.

I think better for a YA audience than an adult one, which is totally fine, that is who this is written for. I don't think that I will continue on in the series, as this was good, but I was hoping for more.

Enjoy!!!

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Sangu Mandanna: A Witch's Guide to Magical Inkeeping

Sangu Mandana takes readers on a whimsical journey of a witch trying to reclaim the powers she lost.

I was really excited to return to Mandanna and the cozy witchy reads that she has created and I really wanted to love this as much as the first book in this series but if just fell flat a few times and I think this was through the pacing of the book. 

I loved idea for this plot of this story of Sera loosing her power and having to live without it but always looking for a way to get it back. She is trying to survive in a world of magic and those who have magic around her and now she has very little of her own. Sera tries to put on a brave face to the world around her but she wants nothing more than getting her magic back and is willing to go to great lengths to achieve it. She has defined herself by the magic she has and lost and can’t seem to see that she is great and thriving without it.

Luke is amazing. Such a great example of a man, he puts other’s needs over his own, will go above and beyond for those he loves especially his sister.

I didn't really feel the romance. To me Sera and Luke relationship lacked a spark and their relationship felt more of one of friendship than anything else. Which I would have been fine with Mandanna having it stay that way, I don’t really see the found family changing much by not having them in a relationship.

I appreciated the ending of where the book end up but i don't think that it will be for everyone.

Overall, this book is a darling read and I did enjoy it I just preferred The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches more. I hope that Mandanna continues to write in this cozy witchy world as I will be there to read them.

 Enjoy!!!

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Caroline Peckham & Susanne Valenti: Never Keep

In the first in a new series Caroline Peckham & Susanne Valenti show the lengths that two women will go to in order to prove their worth:

Now this book may be set in the same world or type of world as Zodiac Academy but it is completely different in all ways except for the ability based system. This one has more of an us or them feel to them based upon one's Zodiac Sign and Powers than ZA does. This also has a cult like feel to it at times not just within the power signs but all the aspects that surround the Reapers.

This book did not have me hooked from the beginning, I found it slow and especially Everest's POV. However, once they enter Never Keep the plot and intrigue really pick up that I found things flipped I preferred Everest's POV. 

Everest is resourceful, cunning, naive at times with her main goal in life just wanting to get her father's attention, love praise. You really feel for her in the moments when she interacts with her father. Vesper is basically the complete opposite of Everest except in one aspect. Vesper is strong, confident in who she is and where she wants to go in life. She has immense power and is willing to do anything to get and keep this power. The one thing that Vesper is looking for is love, she has her friends, but she wants more than that, even if she tries to hide it.

The world in this book is interesting, borders on confusing at the beginning of the book. We are really rushed into the world with not a lot of explanation. Why are all the different factions at war? What is the true reason for Never Keep? (maybe this one is answered in the later books), why is this profecy that they all speak of? The plot of this book is really based around the world, so that is why it can be confusing at times. I think once you look past the world as a whole and just focus on Never Keep things around the world become more manageable.

This book is Dark at times and let me say prepare yourself there are time when Peckham and Valenti do not pull their punches and I am here for it. The cliffhanger at the end of the book was amazing and will have you wanting to pick up the second book right away. 

This book exceeded my expectations and once I was able to get invested in both Characters and the plot picked up I did not want to put this book down. Peckham and Valenti truly know how to draw readers in and I look forward to seeing where they take this story and Everest and Vesper.

Enjoy!!!

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