A Forgery of Roses

by Jessica S. Olsen

Myra Whitlock is an artist with the ability to alter people’s real life bodies. Her magic is highly sought after and people would kidnap or kill to get to her. After her parents disappear she is left to take care of herself and her younger sister. One night the Governor’s wife asks her to do an impossible task, bring her dead son back to life, leaving Myra no choice unless she wants her secret revealed. Once she is there it becomes clear his death was no accident. Together with the governor’s older son she tries to solve the mystery that will allow her to finish her portrait and fulfill her promise.

I’ve never read about a magic system like this one, it was very unique and as an artist myself I really enjoyed it. The detail in the drawing process was something I loved reading about. Myra as a character was a little naive. At times it bothered me but I tried to remember she was on her own trying to care for herself and her sister.

I loved her relationship with August. He was a good balance for her, they were very supportive of each other and their relationship built slowly. It was one of those shy guy gets the girl things and it was adorable.

There was good representation for people with an “invisible illness” in this story. Her younger sister has been dealing with a sickness no one quite knows how to heal. The struggles she went through felt very real and I appreciated that part of the story.

Overall I enjoyed the story quite a bit! I think I just struggled to connect with Myra by the end. The magic system was one of my favorites and I loved the creativity behind it. It’s a perfect read for fans of Jack the Ripper and anyone who loves art.

Happy reading!

Xoxo Tricia

The Lightning Tree by Lene Fogelberg

What if nature wanted revenge? In this fast paced fantasy we find out what happens when we don’t listen to nature’s warnings.

Synopsis

Flora Reed discovers a lifeless body in her front yard the morning after the last day of her junior year of high school. Matters get worse when more people from her small town are found dead under mysterious circumstances and police take an interest in the boy next door, Carl. Flora is convinced that Carl is innocent. Instead, she suspects that the deaths are somehow connected to her younger sister Fauna’s tragic accident a year earlier. What she learns changes everything, and she has to race against time to prevent the killings from spreading. Flora and a small group of friends soon find themselves at the onset of an apocalyptic battle between man and nature, with no one believing their story.

I got the chance to read an early copy of The Lightning Tree and I love a good sister story. I grew up an only child and any time I get a chance to read about sisterhood I take it. This book is a beautifully tragic look into the bond sisters carry. The dual prospectives kept me wondering as one sister was lost in her own mind and the other was frantically trying to figure out what was going on. The play on names for Flora and Fauna made perfect sense as the story unfolded and we learned what secrets her family was hiding.

I really appreciated the focus on nature and her power. It was an eerie look into what would happen if nature “spoke” out against us. Parts of this really read like a murder mystery and I enjoyed that aspect of the story.

Flora and Carl’s relationship was a slow burn that made my heart ache! He was the boy next door that was the only friend Flora had. At times he felt like her protector, but as the murders start you’re left wondering if he can be trusted.

Once the action started it didn’t stop. This was a very fast paced book and I flew through the second half. As secrets were revealed I found myself needing to know more. The short chapters from Fauna were really beautiful and reminded me of poetry. They also carried clues to the story that led me to the next chapter keeping me from being able to put this book down.

The ending really got me. There are still so many questions I have and I look forward to continuing on in the series to find out where this story goes. Thank you to Katie Garland for the advanced copy of this magical book.

Happy reading

Xoxo Tricia

Gallant by V.E. Schwab

If you’re looking for a hauntingly beautiful and poetic story this one is for you. It’s a mystery wrapped up in a series of journal entries and new discoveries made by our main character, Olivia.

SYNOPSIS

Olivia Prior has grown up in Merilance School for Girls, and all she has of her past is her mother’s journal—which seems to unravel into madness. Then, a letter invites Olivia to come home to Gallant. Yet when Olivia arrives, no one is expecting her. But Olivia is not about to leave the first place that feels like home; it doesn’t matter if her cousin Matthew is hostile, or if she sees half-formed ghouls haunting the hallways.

Olivia knows that Gallant is hiding secrets, and she is determined to uncover them. When she crosses a ruined wall at just the right moment, Olivia finds herself in a place that is Gallant—but not. The manor is crumbling, the ghouls are solid, and a mysterious figure rules over all. Now Olivia sees what has unraveled generations of her family, and where her father may have come from.

Olivia has always wanted to belong somewhere, but will she take her place as a Prior, protecting our world against the Master of the House? Or will she take her place beside him?

REVIEW

This was a slow start for me, but I cared so much about the story and the characters I couldn’t stop reading. Olivia was an easy character to feel for, her story is tragic but her determination is powerful.

As a person who loves journaling, I was really intrigued by the mysterious journal entires scattered throughout. The look into her mother’s journal was probably my favorite part! It was like trying to solve a puzzle.

I will say this book is frightening! You have your fair share of super creepy ghosts and monsters in this story and V.E. Schwab’s writing brings them to life in a terrifying way. I was completely creeped out and curious at the same time.

The ending was poetic. There is no other way to describe it. I don’t cry when reading books, but this ending had me drowning in my feels. I gave this book 5 stars! It’s a little slow but oh so beautiful.

Happy Reading

Xoxo Tricia

Wishtress Cover Reveal

By Nadine Brandes

Not only is this cover STUNNING but it sounds like an amazing book! Scroll down to see the full cover without my fun water splashes, and yes that’s real water 😅 no books were harmed in the making of this photo, haha!
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SYNOPSIS
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Myrthe is the Wishtress, which means she can turn her tears into wishes. But when a wish goes wrong, she’s cursed to die by her next tear. To survive, she must harden her heart and enlist the help of Bastiaan Duur to find the Well of Talents. Only then can she hope to break the curse.

Bastiaan can stop time with the snap of a finger and he’s been charged by the king to find the Wishtress and turn her in. Except Bastiaan needs a wish of his own. Once he gets what he wants, he’ll turn Myrthe in…as long as his growing feelings for the girl with a stone heart don’t compromise his job.

Everyone seems to need a wish—the king, Myrthe’s cousin, the boy she thinks she loves. And they’re ready to bully, beg, and even betray her for it. No one knows that to grant even one of them, Myrthe would have to die. And if she tells them about her curse . . . they’ll just kill her anyway.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59608964

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Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson

“Is there anything more dangerous down here?” It seemed to consider the question. Then it said, “ME”.

Synopsis:

The dead of Loraille do not rest.

Artemisia is training to be a Gray Sister, a nun who cleanses the bodies of the deceased so that their souls can pass on; otherwise, they will rise as spirits with a ravenous hunger for the living. She would rather deal with the dead than the living, who trade whispers about her scarred hands and troubled past.

When her convent is attacked by possessed soldiers, Artemisia defends it by awakening an ancient spirit bound to a saint’s relic. It is a revenant, a malevolent being that threatens to possess her the moment she drops her guard. Wielding its extraordinary power almost consumes her—but death has come to Loraille, and only a vespertine, a priestess trained to wield a high relic, has any chance of stopping it. With all knowledge of vespertines lost to time, Artemisia turns to the last remaining expert for help: the revenant itself.

As she unravels a sinister mystery of saints, secrets, and dark magic, her bond with the revenant grows. And when a hidden evil begins to surface, she discovers that facing this enemy might require her to betray everything she has been taught to believe—if the revenant doesn’t betray her first.

Review:

This isn’t a book world I would want to live in, but the cover is gorgeous! I finished Vespertine recently and it was an easy 5 star for me. I immediately fell in love with the writing and the main character. It started off strong with action right away and didn’t disappoint the rest of the way. I really enjoyed the inner dialogue of the main character and her growth throughout the story. The ghosts were terrifying and I loved very minute of it. I can’t wait to read the next one.

Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber

“Hero’s don’t get happy endings. They give them to other people.”

Sitting down with this book felt like having tea with an old friend. It was comfort and warmth wrapped into the pages of a book. If you haven’t read the Caraval series you can still enjoy this story, but if you have it makes it all the better. Revisiting this world was exactly what I needed to get out of my massive reading slump. There’s something special about a fairytale setting that brings you back to your childhood. This book felt like a dream where I never wanted to wake up.

Synopsis

For as long as she can remember, Evangeline Fox has believed in true love and happy endings…until she learns that the love of her life will marry another.

Desperate to stop the wedding and to heal her wounded heart, Evangeline strikes a deal with the charismatic but wicked Prince of Hearts. In exchange for his help, he asks for three kisses, to be given at the time and place of his choosing. 

But after Evangeline’s first promised kiss, she learns that bargaining with an immortal is a dangerous game—and that the Prince of Hearts wants far more from her than she’d pledged. He has plans for Evangeline, plans that will either end in the greatest happily ever after or the most exquisite tragedy…. 

Hope is a difficult thing to kill, just a spark of it can start a fire”

Jacks is the perfect morally grey anti hero. I love him and loath him, and I think you will too. His strained relationship with Evangeline Fox is the perfect slow burn. By the end I was begging for more of him which is good because I hear there is a book #2 coming!

I really loved how this book could easily be read by someone who hasn’t read the Caraval series. I’m almost jealous of anyone who gets to meet Jacks for the first time. The magic in this world was so good! Nobody does magic like Stephanie Garber. If you love a good fairy tale with an even better villian, you’ll love this book.

Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte

This book had it all for me! Mystery, fantasy, Kingdoms and a good slow burn romance. I was in love with the different perspectives, it made the mystery aspect so much better. The crime-solving in this story was done so well and the plot twist at the end had my jaw dropping. Throw in some political intrigue and queens with some major secrets and you have a new favorite book for me!

Synopsis

Seventeen-year-old Keralie Corrington may seem harmless, but she’s, in fact, one of Quadara’s most skilled thieves and a liar. Varin, on the other hand, is an honest, upstanding citizen of Quadara’s most enlightened region, Eonia. He runs afoul of Keralie when she steals a package from him, putting his life in danger. When Varin attempts to retrieve the package, he and Keralie both find themselves entangled in a conspiracy that leaves all four of Quadara’s queens dead.

With no other choices and on the run from Keralie’s former employer, the two decide to join forces, endeavoring to discover who has killed the queens and save their own lives in the process. When their reluctant partnership blooms into a tenuous romance, they must overcome their own dark secrets in hopes of a future together that seemed impossible just days before. But first they have to stay alive and untangle the secrets behind the nation’s four dead queens.

The Last Namsara by Kristen Ciccarelli

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Synopsis from Goodreads

In the beginning, there was the Namsara: the child of sky and spirit, who carried love and laughter wherever he went. But where there is light, there must be darkness—and so there was also the Iskari. The child of blood and moonlight. The destroyer. The death-bringer.

These are the legends that Asha, daughter of the king of Firgaard, has grown up learning in hushed whispers, drawn to the forbidden figures of the past. But it isn’t until she becomes the fiercest, most feared dragon slayer in the land that she takes on the role of the next Iskari—a lonely destiny that leaves her feeling more like a weapon than a girl.

Asha conquers each dragon and brings its head to the king, but no kill can free her from the shackles that await at home: her betrothal to the cruel commandant, a man who holds the truth about her nature in his palm. When she’s offered the chance to gain her freedom in exchange for the life of the most powerful dragon in Firgaard, she finds that there may be more truth to the ancient stories than she ever could have expected. With the help of a secret friend—a slave boy from her betrothed’s household—Asha must shed the layers of her Iskari bondage and open her heart to love, light, and a truth that has been kept from her. 

My thoughts : 4.5 Stars

First off the cover of this book is absolutely stunning! I know covers don’t necessarily matter, but this one really caught my eye. I kind of wanted to read it before even knowing what it was about! Then I found out it was a dragon story and that was that, I HAD to read it!

The protagonist in this story has such great character growth. Asha is a dragon slayer who completely stole my heart! Not only is she a bad ass heroine, but she has complex emotions and an amazing inner dialog. I listened to the audio book and Pearl Mackie’s accent made this story for me. I had scenes from Game of Thrones buzzing in my mind and she got me completely hooked.

This book is a bit of a slow burn but totally worth it. I’m usually one to gravitate towards fast paced action novels when it comes to fantasy, but I kind of like the slower pace of this one. It kept me intrigued and always wondering. I’m excited to pick up the next book in the series! If you love dragons, slow burn romances and some major old world family drama you’ll love this book.

House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig

My kindle became slippery in my sweaty palms, my pounding heart causing me to gasp for breath. I had made a huge mistake. I was reading this book on my kindle at night… in the dark… and I was completely terrified in the best possible way.

Synopsis

Annaleigh lives a sheltered life at Highmoor, a manor by the sea, with her sisters, their father, and stepmother. Once they were twelve, but loneliness fills the grand halls now that four of the girls’ lives have been cut short. Each death was more tragic than the last—the plague, a plummeting fall, a drowning, a slippery plunge—and there are whispers throughout the surrounding villages that the family is cursed by the gods.

Disturbed by a series of ghostly visions, Annaleigh becomes increasingly suspicious that the deaths were no accidents. Her sisters have been sneaking out every night to attend glittering balls, dancing until dawn in silk gowns and shimmering slippers, and Annaleigh isn’t sure whether to try to stop them or to join their forbidden trysts. Because who—or what—are they really dancing with?

When Annaleigh’s involvement with a mysterious stranger who has secrets of his own intensifies, it’s a race to unravel the darkness that has fallen over her family—before it claims her next. 

My Thoughts.

I really don’t like scary stories, I’m a bit of a chicken, but I couldn’t put this one down. I needed to know what was happening after every beautifully delicious plot twist. Right when I thought I was on the right track everything would be ripped from me and turned upside down. The way this book was written blew my mind and kept me always searching for answers.

The sisterly love was one of my favorite parts of this story. I found myself crying and laughing right along with the them. Their story is tragic but gripping. You can’t stop reading and caring for these characters.

The ending felt a little rushed to me. I would have liked more during the last big climax, but overall I really enjoyed it. This book was the perfect mix of dark fantasy and a little romance. I will definitely be reading more from Erin A. Craig.

Expected Publication : August 6th 2019

A Curse so Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

I was able to read A curse so Dark and Lonely early thanks to Netgalley.com. When I heard this was a Beauty and the Beast fantasy retelling I knew I needed to read it. Obviously, as a reader girl, I loved Beauty and the Beast growing up. I also loved the story of finding love in an aberrant way. Throw in a fantasy twist and I was sold.

Synopsis

Fall in love, break the curse. 

It once seemed so easy to Prince Rhen, the heir to Emberfall. Cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year over and over, he knew he could be saved if a girl fell for him. But that was before he learned that at the end of each autumn, he would turn into a vicious beast hell-bent on destruction. That was before he destroyed his castle, his family, and every last shred of hope.

Nothing has ever been easy for Harper Lacy. With her father long gone, her mother dying, and her brother barely holding their family together while constantly underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy, she learned to be tough enough to survive. But when she tries to save someone else on the streets of Washington, DC, she’s instead somehow sucked into Rhen’s cursed world.

Break the curse, save the kingdom. 

A prince? A monster? A curse? Harper doesn’t know where she is or what to believe. But as she spends time with Rhen in this enchanted land, she begins to understand what’s at stake. And as Rhen realizes Harper is not just another girl to charm, his hope comes flooding back. But powerful forces are standing against Emberfall . . . and it will take more than a broken curse to save Harper, Rhen, and his people from utter ruin. 

I gave this book 5 stars! It delivered on every aspect I was expecting. It had characters I fell in love with right away, plot twists that made my jaw drop, and fantasy elements that were unique and engaging. I found myself not wanting to put it down.

The characters in this book had me from the beginning. Harper is a young girl with cerebral palsy who completely blows away any stereotypes that go with having a disability. Her character was relatable and endearing. Rhen, the prince, was a perfect representation of “the beast”. He starts off cynical and grows into a character you love. One of my favorite characters was actually a side character named Grey. He was rigid and stoic as a soldier but his transformation was my favorite. By the end I found myself completely invested in his storyline.

I was really pleased with the way this story developed. I went into it expecting it to be more like the original Beauty and the Beast, but was pleasantly surprised with the modern twist it had. With Harper being from the modern world thrust into another dimension we got a good mix of reality and fantasy. I liked how the witch in this story was much more present than in the original. She was a villain you could root against along with the characters. The twists and turns of this story kept it engaging and the ending leaves me wanting more.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a bit of fantasy and a sweet love story. The true essence of the original story are present without it feeling repetitive. I’m hopeful there will be a book 2 in this series and can’t wait to see where this story leads.

This book releases on January 29th 2019.