Shadow and Bone by Leigh BardugoMy rating: 5 of 5 stars Over a year ago I marked this book as “to-read” and was fortunate enough to find a promotional deal on Amazon for the Kindle edition. Purchased and stored on my nifty little reader, I kept it safe until I felt ready to read such a gripping and gritty tale, since up until the end of chapter 1 I still had complete different expectations about this story. I must have confused it with another book that I considered reading around the same time, because I was convinced the story dealt with demons and other unworldly beings that spew green slime,…

Cracked by Eliza CreweMy rating: 5 of 5 stars I can’t remember how I stumbled across this book, but I am glad I gave it a try and as anyone can see I raced through it in just a few days. At the end I could not wait for the second installment.The plot is very interesting; we have bad guys, good guys and the blurred definitions of the in-betweens. We have a soul-eater, good, bad, either? It’s up for the reader to decide, but it provokes a deeper look into the definitions of what is good and bad. We have intrigue and backstories that slowly unfold and the question of…

The Sea Queen by Jovee WintersMy rating: 4 of 5 stars What a naughty story. When I began reading this story I was unaware that it also contained quite a bit of erotica, but I was fascinated by the author’s skill of creating such a compelling main character.The protagonist was funny, feisty, funky and frisky. She had a great sense of humour that breathed a breath of fresh air into the sometimes very stifling and stiff genre of erotica (anyone remember Fifty Shades of Grey?). Of course her love interest was a perfect specimen of a male; tall, dark, handsome, brooding and very muscular, which would have bored me personally,…

Starstruck by Brenda HiattMy rating: 4 of 5 stars A very cute story that is aimed towards the younger audience of the Young Adult genre, nevertheless, it was just as entertaining as any other well-written story.The characters were well created, provided nice foils to the main character and included plenty of tension. The main character was just adorable and the author was able to maintain a consistency in her personality throughout the challenges and changes she went through.The plot was just as outlined in the synopsis. It was entertaining and contained many little pieces of high school life that most of the readers would have gone through themselves.The writing was…

In the Land of Tea and Ravens by R.K. RyalsMy rating: 5 of 5 stars A beautiful story about love, family, relationships and the mysterious art of tea making and drinking. A rather short story with respect to being called a full fleshed novel, but containing more depth and substance than many other, longer novels I have read recently.The characters were superbly constructed from the protagonist to the secondary characters, each one serving their role without giving the reader the feeling they are present only for the purpose of moving the plot along. The relationship between the two main characters was well paced, satisfyingly tragic without coming across as sappy…

Something Strange and Deadly by Susan DennardMy rating: 5 of 5 stars One of the best debut novels I have read, Something Strange and Deadly is a perfect blend of 19th century science fiction, paranormal, romance, historical, zombie story. It is highly entertaining while subtly addressing some of the illusions of 19th century romance stories.The characters, protagonist and secondary, are very well created. Their multidimensional personalities and distinct individualities make for great conflict building and keep the reader intrigued throughout the entirety of the story. The protagonist is a joy to get to know, she is a bit feisty and determined and not at all the typical heroine that readers…

Gold Rush Deluge by Suzanne LillyMy rating: 5 of 5 stars I was very glad that the story continued where it ended in the first book, I wholeheartedly appreciate stories told in series form that do not include great time gaps, flashbacks or require the reader to assume certain outcomes.The story moved along swiftly, without any unnecessary tangents that distract from the main plot that was good enough to carry the story and characters from the beginning until the end.The characters were consistent from the first to the second installment of this story; however, I was delighted to observe growth and maturation in the protagonist’s character.I loved the splash of…

This Shattered World by Amie KaufmanMy rating: 5 of 5 stars I could not get enough of the Starbound series, so plunged into the next story as soon as I finished the first part. Again, I was amazed and enchanted by the richly imagined world the authors were able to create. the writing was familiar and kept its style from the first story to this one.The characters were again very well developed, although my personal affinity towards the female lead slightly diminished. Mostly because of personal reasons, since she was a great character to get to know. The chemistry between the female and male protagonists was not as intense, although…