Review: Five Dark Fates

Title: Five Dark Fates

Author: Kendare Blake

Narrator: Amy Landon

Audio Length: 11hr 30min

Rating: 4.5/5

Synopsis: 

In the final audiobook in the number one New York Times best-selling

Three Dark Crowns series, an all-out war is brewing - one that will

pit sister against sister and dead against undead.

Spoilers!!!!!!!!Spoilers!!!!!

What an ending, I was hoping for something but I'm not sure if this is what I wanted.

Kendare did an amazing job don't get me wrong. I felt like there was a perfect build

up. What fell flat was just the pacing for me. There is a huge battle scene that

you read from three or four perspectives and it just felt repetitive.

Five Dark Fates was flat for me and felt sort of out of place. I loved Three Dark Crowns

and One Dark Throne. The last two books seemed to veer of course and struggled

to get back on track. With all that said Arsinoe is still my favorite of the original sisters

and I love how much she grew throughout the entire series.

It's hard when you have so much attachment to a series and when it falls short you

start to lower your rating. I finished this book over 5 months ago and want to give it

a higher rating because it was a unique series that I actually wanted to commit to

and not stop. I listened to this one instead of reading it and I really enjoyed that

narrator and her pacing. This is a series worth finishing no matter who your favorite

sister queen is. 

TTFN,

Ashley

Review: The Beautiful

Title: The Beautiful

Author: Renee Ahdieh

Page Count: 432

Rating:4/5

Synopsis (Found on Goodreads):

In 1872, New Orleans is a city ruled by the dead. But to 17-year-old Celine

Rousseau, New Orleans is a safe haven after she's forced to flee her life as a

dressmaker in Paris. Taken in by the sisters of the Ursuline convent in the middle of

the carnival season,

Celine is quickly enraptured by the vibrant city, from its music

to its fancy soirées and even its danger. She becomes embroiled in the city's glitzy

underworld, known as La Cour des Lions, after catching the eye of the group's enigmatic

leader, Sébastien Saint Germain.

Thoughts:

I read this book for an Instagram book club I belong to. If it wasn't for it

being the book club pick this wouldn't have been high on my to read pile. Although

advertised as a vampire type book if you didn't read the synopsis you could just

read the novel as if there was a creepy serial killer on the loose.

Celine is running from her past and trying not to get attached to her new

landing home. A convent to find a husband. She has an attitude that doesn't fit

with the personality of what a young lady should have. That attitude and

adventurous sense has a tendency to land Celine at the wrong place at the

wrong time.

The part that I was intrigued about was this is set in New Orleans. Sebastien

Germain had an aire about him that made me want more of his point of view.

Hoping in The Damned we will get some insight on why he is so broody.

How wrong is it though to get attached to dying things when death seems to

be following her no matter where she runs to hide? I'll be picking up book two when

it releases it just won't be an instant buy to read.

TTFN,

Ashley

Review: Frankly in Love

Title: Frankly in Love

Author: David Yoon

Narrator: Raymond J. Lee

Audio Length: 10hr 11min

Rating: 5/5

Synopsis (Found on Goodreads):

Two friends. One fake dating scheme. What could possibly go wrong?

Frank Li has two names. There's Frank Li, his American name. Then there's

Sung-Min Li, his Korean name. No one uses his Korean name, not even his parents.

Frank barely speaks any Korean. He was born and raised in Southern California.

Thoughts:

Those that have been around awhile know that I'm not the contemporary girl. I like

me some fantasy, space and magic in my stories. This book has none of those things yet

its one of my Top Ten of 2019.

The bold in the synopsis sums up everything to be honest. I love the idea that

two people that believe they have nothing in common decide to team up to hide

relationships from their parents. The lengths that Frank Li and his Cohort Joy Song go to

hide their non-Korean partners.

Now I'm not one to condone hiding things from adults but as an adult (25) I've

learned better by trial and error. Parents will inevitably find out whatever it is your hiding.

How long will it take for Frank Li and Joy Song to be caught in a web of texts, lies and

feelings? I recommend listening to this one and follow along to find out what two

teenagers will put themselves through in order to be different from their families.

TTFN,

Ashley

Review: Book of Dust:The Secret Commonwealth

Title: Book of Dust: The Secret Commonwealth

Author: Philip Pullman

Narrator: Michael Sheen

Audio Length: 19hr 44min

Rating: 5/5

Synopsis (Found on Goodreads):

The windows between the many worlds have been sealed, and the momentous

adventures of Lyra Silvertongue’s youth are long behind her - or so she thought.

Lyra is now a 20-year-old undergraduate at St. Sophia’s College, and intrigue is

swirling around her once more. Her daemon, Pantalaimon, is witness to a brutal

murder, and the dying man entrusts them with secrets that carry echoes from their past.

Thoughts:

To have a book with adult Lyra and Malcolm has to be the reason I was most excited

for this novel. Although I enjoyed La Belle Sauvage (Book One of The Book of Dust) more

just due to the pacing. The story is a little slow in the middle but both the start- a murder-

and the end -not spoiling- are enticing and leave you wanting more. Pullman has a way

of touching on subjects that are based on real life that most authors tend to avoid. I truly

appreciate that. 

The aftermath of Lyra and Pan from the original trilogy is heartbreaking. Them

being separated and arguing is so hard to read. The audio book did a great job of

displaying their frustration at each other.

I recommend listening to this via audio book then diving into a physical copy.

It helps with finding pieces you might have missed the first time around. 

TTFN,

Ashley

Review: The Storm Crow

Title: The Storm Crow

Author: Kayln Josephson

Page Count: 352

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis (Found on Goodreads):

In the tropical kingdom of Rhodaire, magical, elemental Crows are part of

every aspect of life...until the Illucian empire invades, destroying everything.

That terrible night has thrown Princess Anthia into a deep depression. Her

sister Caliza is busy running the kingdom after their mother's death, but all

Thia can do is think of all she has lost.

Thoughts:

The concept of needing giant birds to help with the crucial aspects of life

is an awesome idea. I didn't know a whole lot going into this book besides what

was discussed at the launch party. I can say it wasn't exactly what I expected

but it did the job. I hope we get more Crows and how they help in future stories

because their reign ended way too fast.

Thia is a princess that isn't coping well with the major attack and she

doesn't even act like a princess should. This isn't all her fault though and lucky

it's her older sister that handles the business of running their land. Thia is dealing

with depression that is more than skin deep. Kayln deals with depression and

mental despondency in a fantasy novel that helps in real life as well. I appreciate

her way of having her main character  handle this depression. Other characters

frown upon how Thia handled it however as with real life each individual confronts

their depression in different ways. Loss of loved ones and what feels like your

entire world is a lot to deal with.

Loss isn't the main plot to the story however it does pop up at every turn.

There is a lot of world building - but not in a normal sense-which means book two

should be a little faster paced. There is a love triangle that I could have done without.

Back to the world building, there is a great background of the Crows and their

Riders however there is a lack of what essentially makes up the world. AKA the

landscape, traveling, actual world building. I'm sure there will be a bit more in

The Crow Rider.

TTFN,

Ashley

Review: The Starless Sea

Title: The Starless Sea

Author: Erin Morgenstern

Narrator: Dominic Hoffman and Full Cast

Audio Length: 18hr 37min

Rating: 4.5/5

Synopsis (Found on Goodreads):

Zachary Ezra Rawlins is a graduate student in Vermont when he discovers a

mysterious book hidden in the stacks.He reads something strange: a story from his

own childhood.

Bewildered by this inexplicable book and desperate to make sense of how his own

life came to be recorded, Zachary uncovers a series of clues - a bee, a key, and a

sword - that lead him to a masquerade party in New York.

Thoughts:

There is a lot going on in this novel and it does take a little bit to get into the

story.Keeping track of the story and how they intertwine with each other in time is a

little confusing. The writing is beautiful and it's what truly kept me reading. There is

a mix of reality and magic however telling when its magic and when it's real is the challenge.

The imagery in the story (Bee,Key and Sword) is my favorite part I was excited

every time they pooped up. Zachary almost leads me to think he is just locked up in

an asylum the entire time and everything was a hallucination.

TTFN,

Ashley

Review: Sorcery of Thorns

Title: Sorcery of Thorns

Author: Margaret Rogerson

Narrator: Emily Ellet

Audio Length: 14hr 20min

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis (Found on Goodreads):

All sorcerers are evil. Raised as a foundling in one of Austermeer's Great Libraries,

Elisabeth has grown up among the tools of sorcery - magical grimoires that whisper

on shelves and rattle beneath iron chains. If provoked, they transform into grotesque

monsters of ink and leather. She hopes to become a warden, charged with protecting

the kingdom from their power. 

Then an act of sabotage releases the library's most dangerous grimoire. 

Thoughts:

The author's first book -Enchantment of Ravens- was a great fast read for

me and I was hoping Sorcery of Thorns would come out even better. This novel did

not disappoint at all. I`m the type of girl that believes that books have a unique magic

that surrounds them and has a way of drawing a person into their worlds. To have an

author create a story about books being able to come life was right up my alley.

Elisabeth is a bit naive but that comes from not being told how important her role

would be. There is a lack of communication that would have been nice even if it lessened

the drama of the story. To be raised to believe all sorcerers are evil is just a broad

statement and thanks to Nathaniel and Silas we are able to see the “good” that

sorcerers can offer. Elisabeth grows and learns that not everything she has been

taught is the truth. Sometimes you have to make mistakes in order to learn from it.

Now I mentioned Nathaniel and Silas above but let's discuss how broody both

the sorcerer and his demon truly are. Out on a mission of their own they run into the

young Elisabeth running for her life from those attacking her destroyed home. Although

Nathaniel keeps his distance from Elisabeth, Silas is all about her, he seems to be

drawn to her in a way demons should only have feelings for their “Masters.” Silas

tries to explain the way things work with demons to Elisabeth but she doesn't seem

to care that she should not be getting close or attached.

I will say the story leaves me wanting more and I do hope there is a chance

that we can revisit every one in another book. I recommend listening to this one via

audio. Emily Ellet is a fantastic narrator who brings the characters to life.

TTFN,

Ashley

Review: The Fountains of Silence

Title: The Fountains of Silence

Author: Ruta Sepetys

Narrator:

Audio Length: 12hr 24min

Rating: 5/5

Synopsis (Found on Goodreads):

Madrid, 1957. Under the fascist dictatorship of General Francisco Franco, Spain

is hiding a dark secret. Meanwhile, tourists and foreign businessmen flood

into Spain under the welcoming promise of sunshine and wine. Among them is 1

8-year-old Daniel Matheson, the son of an oil tycoon, who arrives in Madrid

with his parents hoping to connect with the country of his mother's birth through

the lens of his camera. Photography - and fate - introduce him to Ana, whose

family's interweaving obstacles reveal the lingering grasp of the Spanish Civil War

- as well as chilling definitions of fortune and fear. 

Thoughts:

Barnes and Noble chose this novel as their YA book club pick. I`m so glad I was

able to join in at my local store. I devoured this audio then proceeded to research all

about the illegal adoption ring of Franco's reign. This was never something that was

taught in my school and I feel like it should be something people outside of Spain

should be educated on.

Loved how a portion of the story is told by Daniel a Texas oil-tycoon`s son. Daniel

is a photographer and wants to be a journalist. At first I thought his growing relationship

with Ana was the main story but I slowly realized the orphan babies being adopted was

the primary story. I do believe their growing relationship made the horror of the babies a

little more palatable.

Ana is the main female character and she has one of the hardest of tasks...hiding

her real identity. Do not befriend the Americans who stay at the hotel she works at.

Both of these tasks are easier said than done. Daniel has a way of drawing Ana out

of her shy ways.

To be honest my favorite part was the epilogue eighteen years later. There is

something about how time and lost loves really grow on a person. 

TTFN,

Ashley