Below: A Book Review

Inspired by Inuit mythology about the Face Stealer, this book is an action-packed story about a girl named Apaay who tries to get her sister's face back. She becomes trapped in a labyrinth and has to use every bit of strength––mental and physical––to overcome the evil Yuki and Numiak. And along the way, she discovers who she really is, even when all hope is lost.

As soon as I saw the words "Inuit mythology" and saw the gorgeous cover, I was hooked. Then I read the first page. Alexandria Warwick's writing is absolutely divine. Possibly the best I've ever read. The descriptions are sensory and visceral, the tension thick, and the flow effortless. For this reason alone, this book could have received five stars. But there's so much more to it.

Apaay is a character many people can relate to: she wants to be strong for her family and make them proud, even when they doubt her. She also wants to prove her strength to herself and find her place in the vast world. And she loves so deeply and unconditionally, even to the point that it perhaps becomes a fault. She is incredibly deep, and her character arc is strong.

The other characters are also well-done. They have secrets and lives outside of the story, bringing tension to the relationships and plot. I can't wait to learn more about them in later books.

As I mentioned, this book is fast paced and action packed. It doesn't take long to get sucked into the story because of its tension and intrigue. I do feel like the middle got a bit repetitive in the labyrinth, but it never slowed me down. And I also wish there was a romance. I suspect there will be romance in later books, so I'll hold out for that.

This book, without a doubt, is the best Indie-published book I've ever read. And I highly recommend it to fantasy lovers and those interested in Inuit mythology. I learned so much about the Inuit culture, and more generally, about the human heart. Treat yourself to this book.

Writing Aesthetic/Style: 5
Plot/Movement: 4.7
Character Development: 5
Overall: 5

Thank you to Alexandria Warwick for the ARC! This book will be released on February 4, 2020.

For more ratings and reviews and to see what I'm currently reading, visit my Goodreads page here!

Tiger Queen: A Book Review

This thrilling YA novel, by Annie Sullivan, is an expansive, adventurous retelling of Frank Stockton's short story "The Lady, or the Tiger?", which is one of my favorite short stories. I enjoyed the fast pacing of this story, the well-rounded character development, and the political mysteries of the desert kingdom Achra. The story left me constantly thinking about it, and I had to have my water nearby because I was always thirsty. The descriptions and dialogue were clear and compelling. It is a worthy retelling.

I think the strongest part of this book is the character development. Our main character, Kateri, starts off as a villain. She is a strong fighter, trained to beat her suitors in an arena to prove she is the strongest in the kingdom. But difficult circumstances mold and shape her into a completely different character, and I grew to love her. I do wish other characters in this book had as strong of a character arc. And I do wish that the romance wasn't so slow burning.

All in all, I liked this book. I would recommend this book to those who love retellings, and settings in mythical deserts.

Writing Aesthetic/Style: 4
Plot/Movement: 4
Character Development: 4
Overall: 4

Thank you, NetGalley and Blink, for the ARC!  This book will be released on September 10, 2019.

For more ratings and reviews and to see what I'm currently reading, visit my Goodreads page here!

The Crowns of Croswald: A Book Review

D. E. Night's The Crowns of Croswald is a magical, middle-grade adventure that follows Ivy, a special sixteen-year-old who escapes her horrible life as a scaldrony maid go to a magical school. Along the way, Ivy discovers magical creatures, friends and foes, mysterious secrets, and some of her own magic.

This book is magically written. Almost every page reminded me of Harry Potter with its whimsical creatures and similar plotline. I think it's a fantastic read for kids who find Harry Potter too large and intimidating, or want more of the magical world. This being said, I do wish this book departed from Harry Potter more. The plot, magic system, and the magic school were too similar to Harry Potter, making this book pale in comparison. I also felt like the characters were too disconnected from the reader and there was too little character growth. And there were many chapters that I felt could have been taken out without hindering the plot.

Simply, this book puts world building first, plot second, and characters third. I read books for the characters, so I didn't enjoy this as much as I wanted to. But it is still magical, especially for younger audiences.

Writing Aesthetic/Style: 3.5
Plot/Movement: 3
Character Development: 2
Overall: 3

Thank you, Stories Untold Press, for the free review copy!

For more ratings and reviews and to see what I'm currently reading, visit my Goodreads page here!

Crown of Coral and Pearl: A Book Review

I went into this book not knowing anything about it (I didn't even read the synopsis). And I completely loved it. The story is fascinating: each generation, the princes of Ilara marry the most beautiful girl from an ocean village. But when Nor goes in her sister's place, she discovers the dark secrets of Ilara and finds out that her people are in danger. There's so much more to the plot, and so many characters I grew to love.

I loved the sea aesthetic coupled with a formidable mountain castle. Nor is a strong character and it's easy to get lost in her point of view and engage with the story. Also, the slow-burning, chemistry-filled romance in this book is divine. This book has everything: sea folklore, tension, betrayal, magical reefs, sisterly bonds, romance, political intrigue, and hope. It's an uplifting book, and one I think I would return to.

Mara Rutherford's writing is fantastic. As I said, it's easy to get lost in her writing and in the story. The plot moved effortlessly. My only reservations are that I wish it had a little more resolution and a little more romance. I wanted to see their bond strengthen, especially at the end, and I felt that this book is missing that. But still a well-told, entertaining book.

Writing Aesthetic/Style: 4.5
Plot/Movement: 4
Character Development: 4
Overall: 4

Thank you, NetGalley and Inkyard Press, for the ARC! This book will be released on August 27, 2019.

For more ratings and reviews and to see what I'm currently reading, visit my Goodreads page here!

100 Days of Sunlight: A Book Review

Abbie Emmons's debut novel, 100 Days of Sunlight, is a charming love story between two teenagers: a temporarily blind girl and a boy with no legs. After Tessa becomes temporarily blind after a car crash, Weston begins to help her write poetry for her blog, not telling her that he doesn't have legs. But he can understand her disability like no one can, and their relationship grows from its rocky beginning. At the heart of this book, these two teenagers are figuring out how to love themselves, trust each other, and overcome their fears.

I love the idea of this book. The premise caught my eye, even if the plot was a bit predictable. The book started off pretty rocky for me though. I couldn't connect to the characters because they didn't seem believable--Weston was too happy and Tessa was too annoyingly mean. There were also pages of unnecessary dialogue and exposition that didn't move the plot along, so that was hard to muddle through. But by the middle of the book, the characters had changed enough that I was interested in finishing (even if the ending was a bit predictable, as I mentioned before).

If I had to choose a couple words to describe this book, it would be cute, slow moving, predictable, and conventional. Is it worth reading? I would say yes to those who live for contemporary.

Writing Aesthetic/Style: 3
Plot/Movement: 3
Character Development: 3.5
Overall: 3

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC! This book will be released on August 7, 2019.

Beasts of the Frozen Sun: A Book Review

Another fantastic Viking-themed story! This book, written by Jill Criswell, has gods, magical gifts, chilling warriors, and so much action I could barely put it down. The story follows Lira, a soul reader who saves an enemy warrior from death. As Lira and Reyker's forbidden bond grows stronger, they discover that the threat from an evil warlord grows stronger, and they must find a way to save themselves, their souls, and their people.

This book has so many elements to it. Even the synopsis falls short of doing this book justice. There's incredible relationships, twisting magic, and vengeful gods. The plot continues to build until the last page, leaving me wishing for more. I know without a doubt I'll be continuing with this series because I absolutely love Lira, Reyker, and the world building. I think it's one of the best Viking reads I've read, and I wouldn't hesitate to group it with Sky in the Deep and Warrior of the Wild.

Writing Aesthetic/Style: 5
Plot/Movement: 5
Character Development: 5
Overall: 5

Would I recommend? Yes! This book is for readers who love Vikings, fantasy, battles, and the enemies-to-lovers trope.

Thank you, NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing, for the ARC! This book will be released on August 6, 2019.

For more ratings and reviews and to see what I'm currently reading, visit my Goodreads page here!

Dark Soul Experiments: A Book Review

This book surprised me. It has such an interesting plot! Ren, a normal sixteen-year-old, is transported in the past when a boy gives her charm bracelet. She soon discovers that her soul has been cursed, splintered, and reincarnated for a long time, and that she is forced to die too early in each lifetime. As she starts to discover each of her past lifetimes, she starts to uncover the secrets of her past and present, she has to decide whether the experiments will help her future or doom her present. It was a page turner for me! I think the plot is the strongest part of this book—it is solid and engaging. I think I'll be reading the next books in this series when they come out!

I do have some reservations. There were a good number of punctuation and grammatical mistakes, and some of the characters didn't seem to have a life outside of the story. But all in all, this book surprised me and I'm glad I read it.

Writing Aesthetic/Style: 3.5
Plot/Movement: 4
Character Development: 3.5
Overall: 3.5 (rounded up to 4 on Goodreads)

Would I recommend? Yes.

Thank you, Bre, for the ARC! This book gets released on August 6, 2019.

For more ratings and reviews and to see what I'm currently reading, visit my Goodreads page here!