Review: Song of The Dead

Title: Song of The Dead

Author: Sarah Glenn Marsh

Published On: 1/22/19

Page Count: 416

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis (Found on Goodreads):

The Dead must stay buried.

Karthia is nothing like it used to be. The kingdom's borders are open for the first

time in nearly three hundred years, and raising the dead has been outlawed.

Spoilers Ahead

Diving back into a world where neocramcers can no longer raise the dead was just

what I needed. This ban on dead raising is due to the new queen. OUr new queen is

struggling for change and a war on two fronts is just the icing on the cake. Odessa is

still the main character and she is finally on the adventure of a lifetime. The goal is to

make contact with other nations but when discovering necromancers aren't as welcomed

anywhere and that there is a war coming for her home she knows her duty is alongside Queen Valoria.

I do hope to revisit this world in a novella someday. I`m still so intrigued by the eye

colour to magic ratio. I think having a little novella with a history of inventions and

magic system would be pretty awesome. 

TTFN,

Ashley

Review: Ransacker

Title: Ransacker

Author: Emmy Laybourne

Published On: 1/29/19

Page Count: 448

Rating: 3.5/5

Synopsis (Found on Goodreads):

Rare powers. Precious metals. Deadly greed.

Sissel Hemstad and her siblings have been living peacefully in a small town in

Montana, trying to blend-in and escape the violent events that haunt them,

but they’ve all been tricked 

Diving back into this world has been amazing. I didn't like Sissel in Berserker but

she grew on me as the main character here. She is still a frustrating girl but if you

were the only member of your family to not be blessed. There is a ton of things that

can be explored even after the end of this novel. I hope to read more of our Norse

children and what their futures hold. 

I did find similarities between this novel and Rae Carson`s Gold Seer Trilogy.

Some aspects of Laybourne`s novel popped out and have stayed with me but I think

because Sissel is the main focal point I didn't enjoy it as much. I`m all about girls

growing into themselves and in a setting such as this I had high hopes. I truly loved

Berserker and I just feel like this one felt short unfortunately. 

TTFN,

Ashley

Review: Once A King

Title: Once a King

Author: Erin Summerhill

Narrator: Polly Edsell

Published On: 12/4/18

Audio Length: 12hrs

Rating: 3/5

Synopsis (Found on Goodreads):

For twenty years, Channelers—women with a magical ability—have been

persecuted in Malam by those without magic. Now King Aodren wants to end

the bloody divide and unite his kingdom. 

I think if this was based on Lirra and her journey I would have enjoyed it more.

Aodren just is not my favorite human. He isn't a bad character per say just  I enjoyed

Lirra and her Channeler ability more. Aodren is a little bit condencsending and lacks the

ability to admit when he needs assistance. He means well by ending the divide he just goes

about it in a weird way. 

This is technically a standalone but I would suggest reading the original duology

first to get more backstory. 

TTFN,

Ashley

Review: Mist, Metal and Ash

Title: Mist, Metal, and Ash

Author: Gwendolyn Claire

Published On: 2/19/19

Page Count: 336

Rating: 2.5//5

Synopsis (Found on Goodreads):

In an alternate 19th-century Italy, Elsa has an incredible gift: she can craft

new worlds with precise lines of script written in books. But political extremists

have stolen the most dangerous book ever.

I`m so desperate to enjoy this duology but I just don't care about any of the characters.

The only aspect of the books that I do enjoy is the world book process and how each

Pazalorni operates. I will say when Casa took on a self-feeling AI personality

(like Aiden from Illuminae Files) I had to laugh. 

Although not a novel for me I'm sure others can find the good in this book.

It has so much potential and I hope I am able to find a book with a similar concept

just to see how else it could be written. 

TTFN,

Ashley