Review: Heart of Iron by Ashley Poston

Title: Heart Of Iron

Author: Ashley Poston

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Pages:480

Synopsis:(from GoodReads)

Seventeen-year-old Ana is a scoundrel by nurture and an outlaw by nature.

Found as a child drifting through space with a sentient android called D09, Ana

was saved by a fearsome space captain and the grizzled crew she now calls family.

But D09—one of the last remaining illegal Metals—has been glitching, and Ana will

stop at nothing to find

a way to fix him.

Rating: 4/ 5

I truly enjoyed this book, not one of my typical reads but definitely a good read.

Set into a different world where robots are a thing and people are segregated by their

class.  I like how we don’t get a back story on Ana till later in the book, when her past

starts to surface. A girl who has barely any clue of who she is and is fiercely protective

of DO9, a now illegal metal found with her as a child. An Ironblood boy of the upper class,

gets ahold of the coordinates Ana is desperately after to save DO9. Robb, the ironblood who

ends up going to the coordinates with Ana and her crew of misfits, is after them because of

his father’s sudden disappearance and death seven years ago. Then there is Jax the pilot of

Ana’s crew and Robb’s love interest.

Erik, Robb’s older brother is about to be appointed emperor, but a few things change that.

Robb believes Ana to be the long lost Princess Ananke Armorov, the true heir to the crown

and his cousin. Turns out he was right.

~Michaela

Review: Three Dark Crowns

Three Dark Crowns
Kendare Blake
398pgs
9/20/16
Book One
4/5 Stars
The first eight chapters are slow and drawn out a little too much. That is the
only thing preventing this from being a five star read. It took a bit of time to get through
that portion but once I did the action was fantastic. Overall I wish I didn't wait so long to
read this.

The character development for the sisters is interesting. Each sister got equal
play time and I did like how it jumped between all of them. The side characters got a
story of their own intertwined with the main girls. I am hoping book two gives more side
character story as well as the main who will be queen story.

Each girl has a power or ability related to an element group of sorts. Poison, Animals
and Elements. I was totalling rooting for Arsinoe since the idea of communicating and
using animals to help others is such a great idea. I also really like the idea of being able to
survive poisons. Not that in this day and age one needs a poison tester for royalty.  

~Ashley

Review: Honor Among Thieves

Author: Ann Aguire & Rachel Caine

Published On: 2/13/18

Publisher: Epic Reads

Pages: 465

Rating: 4.5/5

Synopsis (Found on Goodreads):

Petty criminal Zara Cole has a painful past that’s made her stronger 

than most, which is why she chose life in New Detroit instead of moving with 

her family to Mars. In her eyes, living inside a dome isn’t 

much better than a prison cell.

I breezed through this one in about a week. Excited for Book Two which says

it releases next year. I`d say this is great for fans of Illuminae Files, Across

the Universe or even the TV series Farscape. I loved how the connection to

the Leviathans as well as the emotions are expressed.

Honours are an elite group that get to work inside and alongside of the Leviathans.

A group of giant well...Leviathans that saved the human race years ago. They

go out for a year and exchange information with eachother. If you're lucky you

get invited to go on a Journey. A trip that lasts a lifetime and you never return home.

Zara Cole is chosen to be one of the elite even though she is on the bad side of

New Detroit. She`s been and out of rehab and creates trouble in her path.

This is her chance to get airway from dangerous people as well as maybe find

herself and her passions.

Nadim is the Leviathan that Zara will live in. It is comfortable going by He so in

this review that is how I will refer to him. There is a creepy factor in living inside

someone or something. Zara has those same thoughts but the best part is Nadim

senses this and comforts Zara.

Throughout the story Zara continues a bit of her rebellion but the best moments

on when its just her, Nadim and the other Elite Bea onboard. The emotions they

share and the connection that grows between the two of them are incredible.

When they must fight unknown forces and escape it is that connection and

pure honesty between the three of them that helps them get away.

~TTFN

Ashley

Discussion Post: Binge Reading Series

Have you ever started a series, duology or trilogy? Either picked something else

up in the middle or finished an entire series in a week? I have done both, many

many times and lately I’ve been hooked on finishing series, duologies and trilogies.

From the day I started reading, series have been something I’m drawn to, and have

read quite a few in my years of reading. The most recent being The Falling Kingdoms

series by Morgan Rhodes, I met Morgan at a book signing I had gone to for another

author and picked her books up soon after. Let’s just say I was devastated when

Ashley didn’t have book 5. Now that I’ve finished books 5 and 6, I am truly hoping

parts of the story continue into more books. Most of my reads this year have been

either stand alones, duos or trilogies, it depends majorly on the story whether I eat

up the book(s) or do I put off reading the rest because the story doesn’t leave me

wanting more right away. Now my sisters and I often all read the same series, duos

or trilogies, and sometimes it’s a race to finish whatever we are currently reading in

order to read the next one if we have it. It is all in great fun as we all love being able

to discuss books together, what characters we like or don’t like, favorite parts, etc.

I really enjoy series over stand-alones, one because it gives me more to read and

two because I like being able to see how stories turn out, if the good or bad

win, and if there’s any romances. A benefit to binge reading is not having to wait a

full year or more in order to read the next book. More times than not we’ve ordered

the UK copy of a book so we can read it sooner.

~Michaela

Top Ten Tuesday: Summer TBR

This week we opted for the Summer TBR portion.

Books to Read By the Pool/At the Beach (This can also serve as your Summer TBR)

Ashley

       Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor

       The Knowing by Shannon Cameron

       The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater

       Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalo

       Ever the Brave by Erin Summerhill

       Ensnared by AG Howard

       

Michaela

Seafire by Natalie C. Parker

The Wicked Deep- Shea Ernshaw

Traitor to the Throne/ Hero at the Fall by Alwyn Hamilton

Queens of Fennbirn by Kendare Blake

Honor Among Theives- Rachel Caine

Mackenzie

The Spy with the Red Balloon by Katherine Locke

Muse of Nightmares  by Laini Taylor

Invictus by Ryan Graudin

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

North of Happy by Adi Alsaid

The Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo

Dual Review with Spoilers: Grisha Book 2 &3

Thi is review of Book Two and Three of the Grisha Trilogy. Spoilers are ahead

Title: Siege and Storm

Author: Leigh Bardugo

Publisher: Henry Holt and Company

Pages:435

Synopsis:(from GoodReads)

Darkness never dies. Hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she

took on the Fold, Alina must try to make a life with Mal in an unfamiliar land.

She finds starting new is not easy while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret.

She can’t outrun her past or her destiny for long.

Rating: 5/5

Oh my lord, I don’t think I could have read a book any faster! Alina and Mal

are in hiding from the Darkling, but sadly he finds them. He’s left the fold

with a new power and a deadly plan to take the throne of Ravka. Soon Alina

ends up with a second amplifier and an alliance with Sturmhond, a privateer

who turns out to be Nikolai Lantsov the Grand Duke of Udova. AKA a prince

that is second in line to the throne of Ravka and a major of the first army.

With the alliance of Alina and Nikolai, she gets control of the Second Army,

the Grisha who all have mixed feelings about Alina being in command. I still

don’t like the Darkling and Mal is still up in the air, but I love Nikolai. He

provides some much needed comedic relief to the storyline, as well as his

craftiness playing well into his character.

Title: Ruin and Rising

Author:Leigh Bardugo

Publisher: Henry Holt and Company

Pages:422

Synopsis:(from GoodReads)

The capital has fallen. The Darkling rules Ravka from his shadow throne.

Now the nation's fate rests with a broken Sun Summoner, a disgraced tracker,

and the shattered remnants of a once-great magical army. Deep in an ancient

network of tunnels and caverns, a weakened Alina must submit to the dubious

protection of the Apparat and the zealots who worship her as a Saint.

Yet her plans lie elsewhere, with the hunt for the elusive firebird and the hope

that an outlaw prince still survives.

Rating: 5/5

The Darkling is high on my needs to die list! The apparat is also on that list.

After almost dying in her attempt to defeat the Darkling, Alina finds herself

hidden in a network of tunnels without the ability to summon her powers. She

seeks the third and final amplifier of Morozova, the Firebird. The Darkling is

currently sitting on the Ravkan Throne, Alina is desperately hoping Nikolai still lives

and unraveling the Darkling’s deepest secrets, including ones about her own powers.

~Michaela

Discussion Post: Defacing Books

Black Moon

GGTVaV

I sometimes forget how well art and books go together, and both happen to be

something I’m fond of. I’ve always been a reader that hated finding writing/drawings

in a books’ pages or on the inside cover. I hadn’t really heard of defacing books

until Ashley asked me to deface one of hers. I was so nervous about it that I

sketched out what Ashley was thinking of for the blank black cover of

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee. I used some

of the designs from the book dust jacket for my defacing of the cover. When

I had finished my sketch on paper, I carefully transferred it to the cover of TGGtVaV,

and then took a silver sharpie to make it stand out on the cover. When I had finished

the cover I still couldn't believe I had been convinced to draw on a book. Defacing

TGGtVaV was only the beginning.

I have since defaced Black Moon by Romina

Russell and got to show it to her in person at a signing, which was incredibly nerve

wracking. (She loved it (: ) I have a stack of books currently waiting for me to

deface and some others in mind, but time simply hasn’t been there with my first

year of college wrapping up and the horse show season being upon us.  Ash has

tried to convince me to open an Etsy shop to sell some defaced books, but I haven’t

gotten the courage to do so yet. Ashley asking me to deface TGGtVaV has allowed

me to combine my love a books and a talent I tend to keep to myself.

I may open and Etsy shop for books at some point, but for now I’m going to

stick to defacing books off our shelves. Keep and eye out for them on bookstagram!

What do you think of defacing books? Love it? Hate it?

Any books you’d want to see me do?

Let us know below.

~Mackenzie

Book Expo 2018 Wrap-Up

To say I was excited for BEA is an understatement, but I was also nervous. BEA was
100% new experience for me all the way around. I flew for the first time, was in New York
for the first time and it was the first time I was around so many authors and people who
enjoy books as much as I do.

Heading in to BEA I was extremely excited to meet some author’s in particular, Katherine
Locke, Mackenzi Lee, Kendare Blake, Laini Taylor and Leigh Bardugo just to name a few.
Fortunately I was able to meet all of the above and many more except for Leigh Bardugo.  
Day One of BEA was more of a relaxed day for us figuring out the layout and finding
locations for booths the next day and I got to meet some fellow bookstagrammers that
Ashley had met during her previous years at expo. The first author I got to meet was
Kendare Blake for her book Three Dark Crowns, which the 3 of us cosplayed the sisters
for halloween last year.

Friday on the other hand was a bit overwhelming, we had a lot of places to be throughout the
day and I had two authors I was dying to meet. Katherine Locke and Mackenzi Lee. I was
able to meet Katherine first and get a copy of The Spy with the Red Balloon and talk horse
with her for a little while. Later in the day I was able to meet Mackenzi Lee and give her our
copy of Gentlemen’s Guide that I defaced. So nerve wracking, but she loved it! While waiting
for her, Ashley and I also got to meet Stephanie Garber.

When we were not at expo we explored NYC and had some great food, went to a broadway
show; which was fantastic, as well as adventure Central Park a little bit. The entire trip was a
blast but my favorite part was meeting so many authors whose books I have loved. I can’t
wait to tackle our haul from Expo and share my thoughts on them with all of you.

I cannot wait for Expo next year and the memories and books it will bring.

~Mackenzie