Review: Don`t Call the Wolf by Aleksandra Ross

Title: Don't Call the Wolf

Author: Aleksandra Ross

Page Count: 512

Rating: 3.5/5

I received this E-ARC from the publisher via Edelweiss; this in no way

changes my opinions of the novel.

Synopsis (Found on Goodreads):

When the Golden Dragon descended on the forest of Kamiena, a horde of monsters

followed in its wake.

Ren, the forest’s young queen, is slowly losing her battle against them.

Until she rescues Lukasz—the last survivor of a heroic regiment of dragon slayers—and they

strike a deal. She will help him find his brother, who vanished into her forest… if Lukasz

promises to slay the Dragon.

Thoughts:

Brotherhood and a dark past make up this stunning novel filled with adventure,

romance and a fairy tale.

 I do wish that it was not a stand alone however it wraps up beautifully and

satisfies the fantasy reader in me.

 Although it took a couple chapters to get into and make sense of what was

going on once the true journey started towards the golden dragon and the

mountain the book kept an even pace

 It's nice to have a refreshing view of family values and that blood doesn't

always have to be the number one thing to create family.

TTFN,

Ashley

Review: A Phoenix First Must Burn

Title: A Phoenix First Must Burn

Author: Edited by Patrice Caldwell

Narrator: York Whitaker

Audio Length: 10hr 31min

Rating: 3.5/5

Synopsis (Found on Goodreads):

Evoking Beyoncé’s Lemonade for a teen audience, these authors who are truly

Octavia Butler’s heirs, have woven worlds to create a stunning narrative that

centers Black women and gender nonconforming individuals.

A Phoenix First Must Burn

will take you on a journey from folktales retold to futuristic societies and

everything in between.

Thoughts:

Anthologies are always a hit or miss but out of sixteen stories I enjoyed twelve of them.

I`ll preface this with I know I am not the audience this novel was intended for.

With that said though it was a window into a culture I wish to know more of.

Each story I enjoyed was from an author that I wanted to read a novel from.

Now that I got a taste of their style I look forward to diving into their full works. 

My favorite story was “Tender-Headed” by Danny Lore

TTFN,

Ashley

Review: Call Down the Hawk

Title: Call Down the Hawk

Author:Maggie Stiefvater

Narrator: Will Patton

Audio Length:13hr 35min

Rating:4/5

Synopsis (Found on Goodreads):

Ronan Lynch is a dreamer. He can pull both curiosities and catastrophes

out of his dreams and into his compromised reality.

Jordan Hennessy is a thief. The closer she comes to the dream object she is after, the

more inextricably she becomes tied to it.

Carmen Farooq-Lane is a hunter. Her brother was a dreamer . . . and a killer.

Thoughts:

 I should really have finished the original Raven Boys series first before diving into this

but I just couldn't wait. Yes there are some spoilers but it's been so long since reading the

others that I wasn't too heartbroken.

Maggie`s writing style gets better every book she publishes. Ronan wasn't my favorite of

the Raven Boys but this novel made me like him a bit more. You get a little backstory of

Ronan act out the way he does.

Hennessy is an interesting character and I look forward to watching the storyline grow.

Carmen is the one character I need more information on to decide how much I like her. 

Overall this is a great start to a new series with some adored old characters as well as new.

The adventures and dreaming continues with a touch of magic.

TTFN,

Ashley

Review: The Scapegracers

Title: The Scapegracers

Author: Hannah Abigail Clarke

Page Count: 400

Rating: 2.5/5 (DNF at 75%)

Synopsis (Found on Goodreads):

An outcast teenage lesbian witch finds her coven hidden amongst the popular girls in

her school, and performs some seriously badass magic in the process.

I received an earc via Edelweiss+ this in no way changes my opinion of the book.

Thoughts:

The first 20% of the novel was fast paced and very witchy. Then everything slowed

way down and I was just bored. I felt like this was a cheaper version of The Craft

and Mean Girls. Outcast invited to hang out with the cool girl group only to learn that

her magic becomes more powerful.

I did keep reading but by 75% I was finding myself wanting to pick up anything else

but my kindle to finish. Normally I would have forced myself to push on but I couldn`t.

I was not invested in Sideways or any other character. 

Just because this novel wasn't for me doesn't mean you won`t enjoy it. It has

representation that YA books need and if you haven't seen The Craft or even

AHS Coven then maybe you won't notice the similarities. 

TTFN,

Ashley

Review: Empire of Dreams

Title: Empire of Dreams

Author: Rae Carson

Narrator: Kyla Garcia

Page Count:448

Audio Length: 13hr 42min

Rating: 5/5

Synopsis (Found on Goodreads):

Even though Red Sparkle Stone is a foundling orphan with an odd name and a

veiled past, she's about to be adopted into the royal family—by

Empress Elisa herself.

Sixteen-year-old Red can hardly believe her luck.

Then, in a stunning political masterstroke, the empress's greatest rival

blocks the adoption,

and Red is left with no family and no future.

Thoughts: 

Red`s story is one I remember wanting when she first appeared in the original trilogy.

I`m glad to finally get her story. Some of the chapters were flashbacks to Red`s

childhood prior to Elisa rescuing her. Those were hard to read even knowing it

was just a story.

Rosario plays a huge role in this book and it was so nice to see how far he has come

since The Bitter Kingdom. The fact that after seven years we get more of this amazing

world is just unthinkable. The moment I heard about this book deal I jumped with glee.

Red has her work cut out for her but she is worth so much more than she knows.

She is strong and fierce, all of her past grievances have taught her to keep her

head high and ears open.

I will always want more of this world and anything Rae Carson writes. 

TTFN,

Ashley

Review: Into the Crooked Place

Title: Into the Crooked PLace

Author: Alexandra Christo

Page Count: 384

Rating: 2.5/5

Synopsis (Found on Goodreads):

The streets of Creije are for the deadly and the dreamers, and four crooks in

particular know just how much magic they need up their sleeve to survive.

Tavia, a busker ready to pack up her dark-magic wares and

turn her back on Creije for good. 

Thoughts:

Cram all the F/F and M/M relationships with an evil moody bad guy and you

get this novel. This dragged forever (those that follow on me GR know I

started this back when it released). This felt like a cheap version of Six of Crows,

Ace of Shades and The Gilded Ones all crammed into one. Criminal gangs

should not be a cliche but it seems to be one now sadly. 

To say I was expecting more is an understatement since I loved her debut novel

To Kill a Kingdom so much. Who knows maybe I'm just being too critical and

others will love this book. 

TTFN,

Ashley

Review: The Kingdom of Back

Title: The Kingdom of Back

Author: Marie Lu

Narrator: Lauren Ezzo

Audio Length: 10hr 31min

Rating: 3.5/5

Synopsis (Found on Goodreads):

Two siblings. Two brilliant talents. But only one Mozart.

Born with a gift for music, Nannerl Mozart has just one wish—

to be remembered forever.

But even as she delights audiences with her masterful playing, she has little

hope she'll ever become the acclaimed composer she longs to be.

She is a young woman in 18th century Europe, and that means composing

is forbidden to her. She will perform only until she reaches a marriageable age

Thoughts:

Mozart has a sister who is a talented girl with a vivid imagination. The time passes

quickly and is hard to keep track of how many months and years go by. The story

would have been better without the creepy magic parts with Hyacinth. It felt forced

and like he was a twisted version of Puck.

The Kingdom of Back left me wondering if the Mozart I grew up loving was really

written by the sister time has forgotten. I enjoyed the writing style and this was

my first book by Marie Lu. If anything this book made me listen to some classical

music and look into the life of composers.

TTFN,

Ashley