Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Review: Hollow Dolls by MarcyKate Connolly

Reading books by MarcyKate is always all kinds of fun. Hollow Dolls was no different. It was a stunning story. This book was a three star for me. Adorable, but not perfect. Which makes me a little sad. But I still enjoyed it so very much. And I cannot wait to read even more books by MarcyKate. I truly love all her worlds.

This one is somewhat a sequel to the Shadow Weaver duology. It tells the story of Simone, a girl that we got to know then. And so this story is from a different point of view. But still set at the same time in the same world. Which I liked a whole lot because this world was all kinds of interesting and I loved exploring it all.

I had so many thoughts about this book. It was short and easy to read, which I loved. I enjoyed getting to know Simone a little bit more. And her best friend, Sebastian, whom she is staying with. They were both captured by Lady Aisling, kept captive for years and years and used because of powers they had gotten from a comet that passes every twenty five years. Which is all kinds of awesome. But this lady had many different talents in her garden. Talents that stole memories and kept you young for years. And so Simone and Sebastian still look and feel about twelve years old, I think. But they are much older than that, though they dont feel so. Which was so horrible yet fascinating to read about. They had been used for years, which was the worst.

What I liked most about this book was simply to read about Simone. She has the talent of being a mind reader. Which was pretty interesting to read about. She tries her best not to read everything she comes across, but it's not easy to control. She is still affected by being captured for so long, but this was barely mentioned. Hmph. When they were all freed, everyone had family come claim them. But Simone did not. She cannot find any of her family. This is about her going to a huge library to search for their lost village.

Which I liked reading about too. I liked reading about the library and all the different people working there. It was interesting to learn different things too. What I adored a whole lot about Simone was that her mind wandered a lot. She got distracted often and did not do what she was supposed to. So adored that about her. And her friendship with Sebastian was adorable too. They were such great friends. I only wish that this book had been even longer. I am excited that there is going to be a second book. I need adventures.

The reason for why this book is a three star for me is because I had some issues with the writing. It felt a bit off to me. Sigh. And I felt like the characters were behaving too innocent about everything. They were a bit too pure for me. Ha. Which is so not a bad thing, but it felt weird for me, considering they had been held captive and used for bad things for so so many years. Felt like they should have been affected more, that they should have been a little darker. They felt too young, which they were, but they were not really.

I completely love reading books by MarcyKate. And even though I did not fully love Hollow Dolls this was still an excellent book. And I am so pleased that I read it. And I know that I will always read books by this author. Because she is awesome. And I love the different fantasy worlds she creates in her books. I think you should all read every book by MarcyKate Connolly. They are all so good. All are middle grade but she has a young adult book out next year, and I so cannot wait to read that one was well. I'm so very excited.


Best Books of 2019

Happy almost New Year :D It's the final day of 2019 already. Gosh. Time has moved so so fast this past year. I have been so distracted and busy with my sister and her three kids. They are the most adorable, though. My health has sucked. But I'm trying to deal with it all. I'm still reading. Just not as much as I wish I could. Hoping next year will be easier for me. Fingers crossed. Still. I'm here. Still blogging, still loving it. And despite not having read as many books this year, I still had some books that I loved very much. And so today I'm sharing my best nine books of this year. They all came out this year too. Have you read any of them yet? There are still so many books that came out this year that I have not had the chance to read yet. I'm hoping to get to them next year, eee. I'm sure many of them would make this list, haha. At least, I hope they will all be amazing too. I'm working on book 55 of this year right now. Had so hoped to finish it before today, but no time. So my review will be up later today. Wishing you all the very best new year. <3

My Goodreads 2019 Challenge. My Goodreads 2019 Year in Books.


1. Kingsbane. This book completely ruined me. My gosh. The romance is so painful. But so very perfect.
2. The Magnolia Sword. This Mulan retelling was every kind of adorable. I adored the romance so much.
3. Aurora Rising. I fully adored this set of characters. I loved the space setting and all of the creepy parts.


4. Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All. Such a great setting with the most loveable characters.
5. Immunity. This second book was everything I had hoped it would be. Great romance, a thrilling story.
6. Bid My Soul Farewell. I also completely loved this final book. Most adorable romance and creepy plot.


7. The Art of Theft. This Lady Sherlock series is slowly killing me. So good. I ship them beyond words.
8. Come Find Me. Such a thrilling and exciting story. With a sweet romance too. I loved all of the twists.
9. The Deceivers. It surprised me how very much I enjoyed this con book. Characters were so adorable.

HAPPY NEW YEAR :D

Saturday, December 28, 2019

In My Mailbox #425

I hope you are all having the best Christmas week :D I'm having a great time. Got some great Christmas gifts, eee. I have been so busy this past week. No time to read at all. Ack. Must finish a book by Monday at the latest. Oops. I shall get this done, ha. Probably. Have been busy playing Lego Harry Potter with my nephew every day, and family time, and finally watching some movies too. Which is good. But my entire body is dead lately. Ugh. Will try to get more things done this coming week :) Hopefully. A couple of new blog posts. I shared my Best Four Stars of 2019 :D Eee. This week I'm waiting on The Court of Miracles. <3 I hope you are all doing well :) Also! I finally got to see Frozen 2 today. Eee. I loved it soso much. <3



Hollow Dolls. Eee! New MarcyKate hardcover arrived early. <3 I think it will be my next read. So excited.
Darkdawn. Oops. Another (very expensive) edition to add to my Jay Kristoff collection, haha. Audiobook.
Frozen. Eee. A bunch of mini figures I got for Christmas. <3 I simply had to wish for them. So very cute.
Pop Figure. Oops. I had to get myself this White Walker riding pop from Game of Thrones, haha. Love.
Christmas Gifts. I got this stunning hippo, eee. Love. And my first instax mini camera :D I am so excited.


More Instagram photos here. <3

Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Waiting on Wednesday #428

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

THE COURT OF MIRACLES BY KESTER GRANT

Goodreads Description:

A diverse fantasy reimagining of Les Misérables and The Jungle Book.

In the dark days following a failed French Revolution, in the violent jungle of an alternate 1828 Paris, young cat-burglar Eponine (Nina) Thenardier goes head to head with merciless royalty, and the lords of the city's criminal underworld to save the life of her adopted sister Cosette (Ettie).

Her vow will take her from the city’s dark underbelly, through a dawning revolution, to the very heart of the glittering court of Louis XVII, where she must make an impossible choice between guild, blood, betrayal and war.



Hardcover, 464 pages
Expected publication: May 14th 2020 by Harper Voyager
Pre-Order here and here

After seeing the UK publisher post about this all the time on twitter I had to look the book up. And gosh. Now I simply cannot wait to read it, haha. I think it sounds awesome. And it looks so stunning too. Sigh. I'm hoping I will end up loving this book a whole bunch. It do sound all kinds of great, so I think I will :D
What are you waiting for on this miracle Wednesday?

Tuesday, December 24, 2019

Best Four Stars of 2019

Merry Christmas :D Wishing all of you the very best holidays. <3 Christmas is my favorite time of year and I'm so excited for this year. I have bought my family a lot of presents, haha. Like last year, I will be sharing my best four stars of the year and then my best books of the year in a week. This year I haven't read a lot of books, though. Will read one more to make my goal of 55 books read. Which is so little. Yet enough too. My health have been the worst this year; I have been so exhausted. But have still managed to read a little. So I'm happy about that. And I did read a whole bunch of great books. But not as many as other years, ack, so only sharing nine books on both posts. But these books were all amazing. Today I'm sharing my favorite four stars reads of this year. They were all so so good and I adored them all to pieces. They were almost completely perfect to me, and so I had to make a post of my favorite ones. Have you read any of these books yet? They all came out this year. And I completely adored them all. So so good.

Best Books of 2018. My Goodreads 2019 Challenge. My Goodreads 2019 Year in Books.


1. House of Salt and Sorrows. Such a thrilling and exciting retelling. All kinds of creepy and fully lovely.
2. Song of the Crimson Flower. This book was every kind of cute and adorable. Adored the romance so.
3. The Grace Year. This one was beyond horrible and full of suspense. And I enjoyed every moment of it.


4. Descendant of the Crane. A gorgeous world and setting. Very much loved the characters and plot.
5. Last of Her Name. Adorable romance and such a fun space adventure. The plot twist was so good.
6. The Star Shepherd. Completely fun and adorable. The main boy ruined my heart. It was all so lovely.


7. Serpent & Dove. Such thrilling characters and stunning romance. I very much enjoyed the world too.
8. The Last House Guest. As always, every book by Megan is amazing. Such a great mystery; adored it.
9. The Oddmire: Changeling. An adorable first book. The cutest characters and such a fun world to learn.

MERRY CHRISTMAS. <3

Saturday, December 21, 2019

In My Mailbox #424

Happy Holidays! Christmas is even closer, eee! And I am so excited :D Thrilled about all the Christmas treats and food already, haha. And Christmas music. Have not seen any Christmas movies yet, though, oops. Must do that too :) Christmas is simply the best. Sigh. And I cannot wait for presents opening on the 24th, eee. So excited. Hope you are all going to have an amazing Christmas too. <3 It will be the best for me and I'm so so happy about it. Sigh. Anyway. Not much mail this week. Oops. But something really truly awesome and I am so thrilled. Eee. But only one blog post. Oops. This week I'm waiting on Splinters of Scarlet. <3 Haven't read anything. I still need to read one more book this year, but not sure which, and not sure when I want to start it either. Ack. Soon, I hope. I had my usual hospital visit this week. It went okay to get my medicine. Then had to take an MR xray of my stomach too, which I had been dreading for ages. But it went good that too; not as bad as it could have been. Yay. Now I'm just waiting for the results. Which I'm worried about too, haha. But glad it is done with. My health still sucks. I'm exhausted. Sleeping a lot, with my sleeping pills, which is good, as I am so tired and hurting all the time. Ugh. My wrist is still the worst, so no laptop catching up happening. Hmph. Getting to it soon, I hope :) Merry Christmas. <3



Lord of the Rings. EEE! Look at this advent calendar! Ahh! I got it yesterday, and had to open them all, haha. There are 24 big coins, with a character on them. And they are goddamn gorgeous. My god. I love them all so so much. Sigh. Best movies. And these coins are precious. Was worth all of the money, haha.
The Art of Frozen 2. Oops. I had to own this one, haha :D Is it December 28th yet? Cannot wait to see it.


More Instagram photos here. <3

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Waiting on Wednesday #427

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

SPLINTERS OF SCARLET BY EMILY BAIN MURPHY

Goodreads Description:

Enchantée meets Downton Abbey in this atmospheric YA historical fantasy set in nineteenth-century Denmark, where secrets can kill and magic is a deadly gift.

For Marit Olsen, magic is all about strategy: it flows freely through her blood, but every use leaves behind a deadly, ice-like build-up within her veins called the Firn. Marit knows how dangerous it is to let too much Firn build up—after all, it killed her sister—and she has vowed never to use her thread magic. But when Eve, a fellow orphan whom Marit views like a little sister, is adopted by the wealthy Helene Vestergaard, Marit will do anything to stay by Eve’s side. She decides to risk the Firn and uses magic to secure a job as a seamstress in the Vestergaard household.

But Marit has a second, hidden agenda: her father died while working in the Vestergaards’ jewel mines—and it might not have been an accident. The closer Marit gets to the truth about the Vestergaard family, the more she realizes she and everyone she’s come to love are in danger. When she finds herself in the middle of a treacherous deception that goes all the way up to the king of Denmark, magic may be the only thing that can save her—if it doesn’t kill her first.

Hardcover, 400 pages
Expected publication: July 21st 2020 by HMH Books for Young Readers
Pre-Order here and here

This book sounds all kinds of exciting and I cannot wait to read it, eee :D I adored The Disappearances by this author last year, and so I'm even more excited about this new book by her. It looks gorgeous. And sounds so good too. I'm sure I will end up loving it. Wish I could read it right now, though :) Cannot wait.
What are you waiting for on this splintered Wednesday?

Saturday, December 14, 2019

In My Mailbox #423

Eee. I read two books this week. And I feel so happy about this, haha. Okay, they were re-reads, but I still read something. <3 They were the best re-reads. Sigh. I need to read one more book this year, to make it to my goal of 55 books. It was first at 80. But I would never have managed to hit that this year. Sigh. But I will hit 55, and I'm happy about that. But now taking a little reading break to catch up to movies the next week or so. Which I'm so excited about too, haha. Only one book in the mail this week, as there are not many pre-orders out in December for me, haha. But got so many new pop figures. Oops. A few new blog posts too. I need to put together some cover reveals, but so slow and little energy. Shared my third review of Flashfall, eee. <3 This week I'm waiting on Twin Daggers :D I shared my second review of Flashtide :) Such a great duology. <3 I'm so behind on things lately. Even more this week, as I have gotten the worst wrist and finger pain. I cannot use my wireless laptop mouse much at all. There is so much pain. Uuugh. Hope it will get better soon. Hmph. Anyway. December is the very best. I so love this Christmas month :D And I hope all of you are enjoying it too. <3 I cannot believe it is Christmas eve in just 10 days. Gosh. <3


Legacy. Ahh! Finally got my personalized copy :D Thank you Shannon and Changing Hands for it all. <3
Luke Evans. Oops. I could not resist ordering this CD, eee :D And it came with a signed poster. I love it.
Pop Figures. Well. A Harry Potter box, haha. Bought it to get that lovely Sirius figure :D Though I love the other items too. And ahh! Huge Ursula! My first big size pop, haha :D She's awesome. But my favorite new pop is my Maleficent. My god. She is gorgeous. So much love. And more Frozen 2. Love them all.


More Instagram photos here. <3

Review: Flashtide by Jenny Moyer

I am so thrilled that I finally decided to re-read these books. Sigh. They have brought me so much joy. And all kinds of heartbreak. Because these characters go through so much. Gosh. But gosh, how I love it all beyond words. The writing is stunning. The world created is all kinds of evil and exciting. I love reading about it all.

I will start by saying that I first gave this book four stars, when I read it a couple of years ago. This time it is a five star for me. I'll not re-read my review until after I finish writing this one, so not fully sure why I had issues with it before. I mean, it still hurt, this second time, but it was not too heartbreaking, haha. I loved it so.

Which makes me even more happy that I decided to re-read this series. Eee. I'm thrilled that I'm giving this second book five stars this time. Okay, fine, book one is still my favorite, but this sequel was all kinds of awesome too. I only wish there was a third book. I wouldn't mind at all reading even more about these characters. Sigh. The ending is amazing, though. But I will always want even more, haha. I simply love these books so very much. I love how the romance is every kind of perfect. That there is no kind of love triangle at all. That there is very much minimal drama. I love that they are together almost all the time. I love how much they love each other. It is the sweetest thing. I simply love how strong they are together. And how they know this. Love them so.

Flashtide takes place a few months after Flashfall ended. Orion and Dram have been living free in the mountains for a while now, enjoying life the best that they can. They are being hunted. But they are free and living. And reading about them both being that way was all kinds of sweet. Sigh. These two precious characters deserve all the good things. Which they very rarely get. Hmph. Rude. Because they end up getting captured early in this book. And taken to a very different place from outpost five. So much worse.

Which shouldn't even be possible, haha. With how very awful the cordons were. But this new place, the overburden, was even worse. And it broke my heart reading about Orion and Dram being force into this place, being forced to do things to survive. They both went through so much. Gosh. And it ruined my soul a little to read about it all. I felt like Dram had it worst. But Orion did not have it any better either. But even through all that hurt and horror they still did have each other. They still had their love and friendship. Sigh.

Well, sort of. They spent a little time apart in this book. Which hurt my heart even more, haha. Which I'm certain is the reason for the four star a few years ago. Oops. I wish they had spent more time together. That Orion had fought harder to find and save Dram. But I also understood why she couldn't. And it did not hurt quite as bad this second time around. But gosh, it was still painful. I wanted them to spend every second together, even in this awful place. They were so much stronger together. I loved their relationship.

Another thing that hurt a little was how Orion lost faith in Dram a few times. I wish she had believed in him more, but I also understood it. This girl had gone through so very much. Most of it changed her. And so her not seeing everything as they were was not all that surprising, haha. Still, it hurt a bit. But she did not doubt for long, which made me love her even more. As Orion was such a strong and brave character in this second book too. She is hurt more. But she rises from that. And I simply adored reading about Orion.

And I completely love Dram too. Sigh. He is all kinds of adorable. And I love how much Dram loves Orion. Reading about the two of them was simply the very best thing. Eee. They are both such strong characters and I loved them to pieces. This book hurt them both very badly. So many bad things happened. But they made it through it. Somewhat. They changed so so much. And I loved them completely. There were other characters too, and I enjoyed getting to know them all. They were pretty interesting. I loved Roran most.

There is probably so much I could write down about this book. But I have already written more than I was going to, ha. Flashtide was all kinds of thrilling. Such a perfect second book. Flashfall will always be my favorite, but my god, this sequel is good too. And I love them both so very much. The books are so dark but so full of hope too. Reading about the flashfall and all the creatures in it was the very best thing. You need these in your life. Oh, how I hope Jenny will get to publish more books. Would read anything by her.


Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Waiting on Wednesday #426

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

TWIN DAGGERS BY MARCYKATE CONNOLLY

Goodreads Description:

Aissa's life is a web of carefully constructed lies. She and her twin sister, Zandria, are Magi spies, magic users most believe to be extinct. And they're on a mission for revenge.

This action & adventure spy thriller--a fantasy spin on Romeo and Juliet from New York Times bestselling author MarcyKate Connolly--is perfect for fans of Marissa Meyer and Elly Blake and is about to become your new obsession!

By day, Aissa and Zandria play the role of normal young Technocrats eager to fulfill the duties of their new apprenticeships. By night, they plot their revenge to retake their city from the Technocrats. But then Aissa is given a new mission: find the heir to the Technocrat throne, who is rumored to be one of the Heartless, and kidnap her. Born without a working heart, the Heartless survive with a mechanical replacement.

Aissa is more likely to be caught than to be successful, but she's never been one to turn down an assignment, even if the hunt is complicated by a kind Technocrat researcher who is determined to find a cure for the Heartless. But when Zandria is captured by the Technocrats, Aissa will do anything to get her sister back. Even if it means abandoning all other loyalties--and missions--and deciding whether or not it's worth risking everything on getting help from her sworn enemies.


Hardcover, 368 pages
Expected publication: August 25th 2020 by Blink
Pre-Order here and here

Eee! I'm such a huge fan of MarcyKate and her books. They are all awesome and she is so kind. And oh gosh. I cannot wait to read this newest book by her :D Hoping to be able to hunt down an ARC of it, eee. <3 The cover is gorgeous. I love it. And the summary is exciting too. Cannot wait to meet these sisters :)
What are you waiting for on this determined Wednesday?

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Review: Flashfall by Jenny Moyer

This book is so good I die a little. Sigh. Third time reading it and gosh, how badly I love it. So happy I decided to re-read it now. I remembered how much I loved it. Still I had forgotten just how very amazing this was. The writing is perfection. The story is all kinds of evil and horrible and full of hope. Love every piece of it.

There is so much about Flashfall that I love. Reading this story about Orion and Dram is the very best thing. I loved getting to know them again. And the world they live in. Gosh. It's set in the future, after radiation have ruined almost everything. And is still killing people, second by second. Worse were those in charge.

And I simply loved everything about this story. Eee. The book is told from the point of view of sixteen year old Orion. And Orion was the very best person. I adored her to pieces. She's all kinds of strong and brave, even despite the way that she has to live. She still have hope for a better life. Getting to know her all over again was the best thing. Orion was such a stunning character. And I loved her acts of rebellion. Even though it cost her each time. Oh. But hoping for a better life is worth all the costs. Orion goes through so very much in this book. She gets hurt so often, by creatures and by evil people, and she gets stronger each time. She does not break no matter what happens to her. And I loved her so for it all. She was also all kinds of fun and sweet.

Then there was also Dram, her better half. They are partners in this world, though not yet a couple, but it seems like they both care for each other. Which was the very best thing. Eee. We get to see their great friendship turn into more and it was the sweetest thing. I shipped them so. And they were so so perfect together. Sigh. Dram was such a perfect character too. I loved him to pieces. And getting to know him again too was the best as well. He and Orion takes such good care of each other. I loved that the most.

In this world Orion and Dram live at an outpost. They are being forced to mine the tunnels of this outpost, searching for something called cirium; which helps protect from all the radiation. If they do not mine like they are told to, six days a week, they are forfeit, left to die slowly in one of the mines. Despite not really having a choice in their life, they are still living. They are controlled all the time, but they still have some privacy. But gosh, mining these mines is no easy thing. And so many of them have died. Ahh. Shudders.

Because they die horrible deaths. These mines are filled with creatures. And they were all terrible to read about. And I loved every moment of it, haha. Orion and Dram gets hurt so often by these awful creatures. Which was awful to read about, but so good too. This book was all kinds of dark and evil. And I so loved every part of it. As it was filled with good moments and hope too. The growing romance between Orion and Dram was the sweetest thing. And made everything worth it. Every death, every hurt. My poor heart.

Every thing about this book was exciting. And every time something went wrong, and it felt like nothing worse could happen, it happened. Ha. Which I must admit was all kinds of fun to read about, haha. The story of Orion and Dram was the very best to get to know. And all the other characters in this book was interesting to get to know as well. I adored all of them. Well, except for Cranny. I wished the most horrible death on that man. Oops. He deserved it. This book was evil, but not too evil, and I was happy about that.

There is so much I could say about Flashfall. But will stop for now. I simply loved this book to pieces. It is beyond exciting and thrilling. So dark but so full of hope too. I remember some things about book two and I am so nervous about re-reading it next, as I know things get even worse. Ahh. But also so very excited. If you have not read this book yet, you are seriously missing out. It is such a stunning adventure to read about. You all need Flashfall in your life. Also, Jenny is all kinds of adorable too. You must read her book.


Saturday, December 7, 2019

In My Mailbox #422

Feeling pretty exhausted this week. All of me hurts. But sleeping pills are helping me sleep, so not sure I wish to stop taking them. Hmm. But gosh, the worst pain is in my wrist and fingers. I can barely use my laptop mouse. And so I cannot do any catching up just yet. Ugh. Must be my arthritis acting up. Sigh. It sucks, though, as it hurts badly. Even hurts to type this. Ahh. Hope it will stop soon. Anyway. I have not read at all this week. Needed a few days break, ha, to watch a few movies. And just relax. Starting a new book tomorrow, though :) Okay, a re-read, haha, but needed that. Two new posts this week. I shared my tenth review of The Scorpio Races. <3 And this week I'm waiting on Set Fire to the Gods :D So far behind on everything, but slowly trying to do a little. But won't get anything done with this wrist pain. Hmph. Got a few lovely books in the mail this week, eee. Also missing some mail. Hmm. Hope it will show up soon :)

Bid My Soul Farewell + Give the Dark My Love + A World Without You + Rebel Rising. Ahh! Thank you so so much to Beth and Malaprops for these most perfect personalized books. <3 It means the world to me. Had some struggles to get these, ack, but Malaprops were the kindest about it all. Hugs. And gosh, how I love all my signed books, eee :D And the gorgeous swag included. Gosh. All of it is so very perfect.
Frozen 2. Oops. I had to buy at least one new Frozen 2 book, haha :D So pretty. Can't wait for the movie.
Taylor Swift. EEE! I got my collector ticket for the show in Oslo in June :D I AM SO SO EXCITED. Sigh.


More Instagram photos here. <3

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Waiting on Wednesday #425

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

SET FIRE TO THE GODS 
BY SARA RAASCH & KRISTEN SIMMONS

Goodreads Description:

Ash is descended from a long line of gladiators, and she knows the brutal nature of war firsthand. But after her mother dies in an arena, she vows to avenge her by overthrowing her fire god, whose temper has stripped her country of its resources.

Madoc grew up fighting on the streets to pay his family's taxes. But he hides a dangerous secret: he doesn't have the earth god’s powers like his opponents. His elemental gift is something else—something that hasn't been seen in centuries.

When an attempted revenge plot goes dangerously wrong, Ash inadvertently throws the fire and earth gods into a conflict that can only be settled by deadly, lavish gladiator games. The fights put Madoc in Ash's path, and she realizes that his powers are the weapon her rebellion needs—but Madoc won’t jeopardize his family, regardless of how intrigued he is by the beautiful warrior.

But when the gods force Madoc’s hand, he and Ash uncover an ancient war that will threaten more than one immortal—it will unravel the world.


Hardcover, 432 pages
Expected publication: August 4th 2020 by HarperCollins
Pre-Order here and here

I am all kinds of excited for this book. It sounds awesome. And looks gorgeous. Sigh. I'm such a huge fan of Kristen and I cannot wait to read this new book by her. I have not read anything by Sara yet, but she seems amazing as well. I'm sure this book they have written together is going to be awesome. Can't wait.
What are you waiting for on this fiery Wednesday?

Saturday, November 30, 2019

Review: The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Reading this gives me so much joy. This was my tenth read. And gosh, it still keeps getting better for each time I read it. Sigh. This book is completely magical and all kinds of beautiful. I will never grow tired of reading it. It is very much a November book which is the best thing. Reading it simply makes me the very happiest.

There is so much I could share about The Scorpio Races. But I will not be writing too much about it this time. I mean, I've already written a whole bunch of reviews for this book before, ha. But it is impossible not to share my love for this beautiful story. Sigh. It is beyond perfect. And every time I read it I'm swept up in the story.

Which is the best thing there is. I adore Maggie and I love her books. But my gosh, this book will always be her very best one. Okay, maybe if there would one day be a sequel to this, it could end up being even better. Probably. And oh. How badly I want another book about Puck and Sean. And Corr. I want to know what happens next with all of them so very badly. Sigh. I mean, sure, the ending of this book was perfect, it always is. But I still want more. There could still be more. No drama, though. And there is no need for drama between these two characters. They are too precious and perfect for that. Which makes me love them even more. Eee. Sean and Puck are my two favorite characters, always. And they are the very best to read about, always.

I will never not love this precious book. And I will try my hardest to read it once a year, every November, going forward too. Reading The Scorpio Races is always fun. And heartbreaking. And makes me love these characters even more than I already to. It also makes me wish I could visit this little island myself. Maybe even take part in the Scorpio Races on a water horse. Though, fine, it would probably be a bit too dangerous for me, ha. But gosh, how amazing it is to read about it all. To fall in love with it all over again.

If you still have not read this most precious book then you are seriously missing out on the best reading experience. Reading about Sean and Puck is the best thing you could do. And reading about their horses too, Corr and Dove. And all of the side characters. Finn and Dory Maud and George Holly and everyone else too. The island is all kinds of magical. The dangerous and deadly water horses are fully interesting and exciting to read about. This is a book everyone must read. Multiple times, like I have done. Go do it.

There is so much I love about this precious story. I shall not mention all of it. As this review of mine will be shorter than usual. I simply adore this story too much. The Scorpio Races is everything I want in a book. The very best characters. The most adorable growing romance. And an exciting story too. The writing is stunning as well. And oh my god how badly I love Sean and Puck. I love their growing friendship. They are too cute together. This book is also beyond rude and cruel at times. And I loved it to pieces. Always.


In My Mailbox #421

I have done a whole lot of reading this past week. I struggled to finish two books I had gotten for review. They were beyond long with such bad writing and small words on each page. Was simply the worst. But I finished, haha. And now done reading The Scorpio Races, eee. My precious. I finished it tonight and write my review now. Most perfect, always. Feeling a little exhausted, though. Those two awful books took a lot of my energy, ha. As I rushed to finish them. Oh, well. It's done and I made it, haha. And I got some pretty mail this week too. A whole bunch of more pop figures as well. Oops. I love them tons, though, haha :D Hoping to catch up a little bit more this coming week, though. So far behind. Sigh. A few new blog posts :) I shared my review of For the Killing of Kings. Ack. And this week I'm waiting on Seven Devils :D Then I shared my review of Upon the Flight of the Queen. Sigh. And will share my review of The Scorpio Races tonight, eee. My tenth time reading it. Sigh. So so precious. I hope you are all doing well :) December 1st tomorrow! Eee! So very excited for Christmas. For good food and presents and Christmas movies. Sigh.




Supernova + The Guinevere Deception. My personalized copies bought from Mysterious Galaxy have arrived :D Eee. And they both look stunning. Sigh. I love them tons. And love the gorgeous art print :D
Supernova. My international paperback edition has arrived, eee. It is so pretty. Must re-read book 1 soon.
Pop Figures. I won those three gorgeous Halloween ones from Funko Europe :D Eee! And more Harry Potter pre-orders. Oops. So pretty. And my Kristoff. And Sansa. And my Steve Irwin. Whom I love so very much. Sigh. Tiny crocodile is adorable, haha. My Stranger Things monster, though. Hmm. It's ugly. Sobs.


More Instagram photos here. <3

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Review: Upon the Flight of the Queen by Howard Andrew Jones

I had a small hope that this second book would be better than the first one. That things would have been improved upon. This was very much not the case. Sigh. The writing was even worse in this one. I tried to get used to it. Which was fully impossible, as every single written word bothered me most. It was never good.

Which does break my heart a bit. As I had wanted to enjoy these two books a whole lot. Instead I spent ages reading two books I did not like at all. Sigh. But I did it. I read them. I gave them my best shot, but these books were very much not worth it. I will not read book three. Curious, but I would not go through this again.

I wish I could say that this book was good. That it was a sequel better than book one. But it was so not. The writing was just as horrible as it was in the first one. There were still too many silly descriptions of every single thing. It was impossible to focus. It grew boring so very fast. And I still do not care at all for these characters. Sure, they were interesting to read about at times, but no love for any of them. There was no romance. Instead it seemed like they all wanted to sleep with each other which they just didn't do. And the author seems to have set it up that Elenai could be with any of the male still alive in this book. Ugh. It was all simply too much. Yet not nearly enough to make this a good book. I sadly found a lot more faults than good things.

One of the worst things about the writing in book one was how every woman was beautiful with small waists and wide hips and their hair was described as manes. All of this still happened in book two. Ugh. The only women that weren't beautiful were the old ones. Or Varama, the only character with blue skin. She wasn't thought of as beautiful either. Of course. Every woman are slim. Slim body, slim eyebrows. And then there was that every single male in this book was so handsome and full of muscles. Hahaha.

Then there was the character of Vannek. I do not think this character was done well at all. It felt silly and not written well at all. Vannek is a woman, but was told by her father that she was to be a man, so now everyone is to think of her as a man. She thinks of herself as a man. Well, not really. There were writing mistakes all over, when Vannek thinks of herself as she, when it is always he. This character was simply not done well. Vannek wasn't sure what she wanted to be. It was only confusing and had so many faults.

The character of Vannek could have been a great representation. But it was not written good enough for that, at least that is how I read it. Which is highly disappointing. Honestly, I could go on and on about how this writing was the very worst I have read in a long time. But I shall not write much more about this, as it bothers me beyond words. One thing that was written all the time was the phrase "on the instant." Which made no sense and was beyond distracting to notice at all the time. This should have been edited more.

And oh gosh. I almost forgot about a quote I have saved from the book. I mentioned that it seemed like the main character, Elenai, could end up with any of the males. This quote is from when she sees one of them working out shirtless, it's her thinking. "Who wouldn't be attracted to such a finely controlled physical specimen?" And gosh. It killed me a little reading that. This entire book was pretty much horrible. Writing was the worst. The characters not really likeable, which was disappointing. As there were many of them.

But I still kept on reading. Because I got these two books for free to read and review. And so I felt like I needed to finish them. Okay, I did not truly need to, but I decided that I would. It took forever to read them both. And I do not feel any better having finished them. They were so completely not worth reading. But I will say that it is a two star because the plot was not all awful. Most of it was not very good, but some of it were interesting. And I wanted to know more about a few certain things, like the creatures and the magic.

But this was sadly not enough for me. Not enough at all. Bad writing can never make me enjoy a book. And this book had bad writing from beginning to end. I feel a little sad about it, but these were not good books. And I have to be honest about how I feel. I didn't mention any of the plot in this second one. And I'm not going to. Only sharing my thoughts about it, which I have done. And honestly, I would really not recommend that anyone read For the Killing of Kings and Upon the Flight of the Queen. Not ever, sadly.

Because even though the plot was good at times the writing would simply never make these books worth suffering through. Which I did. Ugh. Huge thank you to the publisher, St. Martin's Press, for sending me a free finished copy of this book to read and review. I wish I could have written more positive reviews, but also not, ha. Because these books were not good. Sure, some will like them, but we are all different. And to me, these books were nothing special. I simply wish that they had both been more. More of everything.


Waiting on Wednesday #424

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

SEVEN DEVILS BY ELIZABETH MAY & LAURA LAM

Goodreads Description:

This first book in a feminist space opera duology follows seven resistance fighters who will free the galaxy from the ruthless Tholosian Empire -- or die trying.

When Eris faked her death, she thought she had left her old life as the heir to the galaxy's most ruthless empire behind. But her recruitment by the Novantaen Resistance, an organization opposed to the empire's voracious expansion, throws her right back into the fray.

Eris has been assigned a new mission: to infiltrate a spaceship ferrying deadly cargo and return the intelligence gathered to the Resistance. But her partner for the mission, mechanic and hotshot pilot Cloelia, bears an old grudge against Eris, making an already difficult infiltration even more complicated.

When they find the ship, they discover more than they bargained for: three fugitives with firsthand knowledge of the corrupt empire's inner workings.

Together, these women possess the knowledge and capabilities to bring the empire to its knees. But the clock is ticking: the new heir to the empire plans to disrupt a peace summit with the only remaining alien empire, ensuring the empire’s continued expansion. If they can find a way to stop him, they will save the galaxy. If they can't, millions may die.


Hardcover, 448 pages
Expected publication: August 6th 2020 by DAW
Pre-Order here and here

Eee. I have been a fan of Elizabeth for years, she's an awesome writer and such a sweet person, and so I cannot wait to read this new book by her :D I don't know Laura yet, but I'm sure she's an amazing writer too. And this book sounds all kinds of awesome. And the cover is lovely too. Sigh. I so can't wait for this one :D See more details about the cover here, who made it, and links to the first chapters too :D Go see.
What are you waiting for on this corrupt Wednesday?

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Review: For the Killing of Kings by Howard Andrew Jones

I was lucky enough to get book one and two in this series sent to me for free from the publisher. Which I'm so thankful for. I wanted to give these books a try, as the covers are pretty, and the story sounded interesting too. I do not read a lot of adult books, but as this was fantasy I decided to give it a chance. I sort of regret that.

Which is all kinds of heartbreaking, to be honest. I really wanted to end up enjoying these books a whole bunch. But this first book was such a struggle to read through. I hope I will have more luck with book two, but I'm not sure about that. Either way, though, I'll read the second one as well. And I truly hope that it will be better.

The thing is, this book was not really all that bad. The story was pretty interesting. These characters were somewhat okay. I liked learning more about this world as I found it to be pretty good as well. But there was simply nothing that could save this book from the writing. The writing really needs to be good for me to enjoy a book. And in this case, the writing was well and truly awful. I kept hoping that it would improve. That I would at least grow used to it. But it did not and I did not. It was simply not good writing. At all. There were way too many descriptions about everything, all the time, and not done in a good way. It made me forget about what I read as I could not focus. Which is so not a good thing. Sigh. All I wanted when reading was for it all to finally end. Ouch.

I wish this had been a fast read. It was not. The pages had small script as well, meaning the bad writing never ended. And I had to focus even more just to read the words. Ugh. I did try to get used to it. But I never did. And to make it even worse, a whole lot of the book was from the point of view of a man less than thirty years old. He thought about sex a lot. And every female he saw had soft eyes, small waists, wide hips and swayed when they walked. Hahaha. It was all kinds of gross. And it never ended. Yuck.

Oh, and he also commented on their mane. As in, their hair. So weird and such bad writing. I'm unable to mention it more. As I want to stop thinking about it right away. The writing was simply not good and that is all. Because of this this book is a two star for me. I did want to know what happened next to all of these characters, but I never loved them. And I wanted the book to end because I could not stand reading the writing. I wish it had been better. But it was not. I hope it will have improved by the second book, though.

I'm not even sure where to begin with describing this book. It is set in the past, everything seemed middle aged. But then there was also the one time the queen mentioned the word awesome. Yeah. That did not fit in at all with the fantasy world. It was simply weird. But despite that, I found the world of this book to be somewhat interesting. I enjoyed learning more about it. There are creatures in it, though described badly, they were interesting to read about. It's a world with magic. Well, very small parts of magic. Wanted more.

The book begins with the point of view of an old guy. Which was all kinds of boring, to be honest. They are honoring the death of his friend, much younger than him, that died in battle seven years before. Then this old guy finds out that the sword they have for him, locked up, is not the real sword. And he is killed because of his suspicious that same night. It could have been told much faster, though. This whole book could have been faster. As there were much time where nothing happened. Much should have been cut.

The old guy was teaching squires to become full soldiers. Which was important in this world. One of the squires were twenty five year old Elenai. She learns of his death the day after and becomes entangled with another soldier, Kyrkenall. They have to flee after killing a few people. And so this is a story about them being on the run while searching for the truth about things in this kingdom. There were a lot of plot things and secrets. Some of them were kind of interesting to read about, but nothing was special, sadly.

I do not feel like describing the plot of this book. It is the story of Elenai and Kyrkenall. Then the story of some others too, which includes the man with sex on his mind. I somewhat liked him, if it weren't for the bad writing of him, ugh. The magic part of the story was interesting too, though I wish it had been more, to be honest. And gosh. The names in this book. I thought I would get used to them. I never did. Because they are impossible to pronounce for me. Which only made me dislike this book even more, sadly. Sigh.

I wish I could have loved For the Killing of Kings. But the writing made me almost hate it. But I did not fully do that either, and so it is a two star for me. I'm sure there are others who will love this story. But I wasn't one of them and I would not really recommend this book to many people. Though I'm so curious to know what you would all think of it. Huge thank you to the publisher, St. Martin's Press, for sending me a free finished copy of this book to read and review. I wish I could have enjoyed it more, but it was impossible.


Saturday, November 23, 2019

In My Mailbox #420

Eee. I have gotten all my Christmas things up this week. Oops. A bit early, usually get it up on December 1st. But I do not mind. Wanted all the pretty out as soon as possible :) Now just waiting for Christmas to arrive, haha. I have had a busy week. Exhausted, all the time, but doing things despite that. I finished The Secret Commonwealth. Sigh. And now reading another book that I got from the publisher. It is.. not very good. Sigh. The writing is so bad. But I'm surviving it, haha, and will read book two after it as well. Ack. I shall survive, hopefully, haha. And also trying to play a little of Pokemon Sword each day too, which I love so very much. Eee. Only wishing I'm not so exhausted. Hmph. Anyway. Some lovely mail this week, eee. I love it all. Sigh. Only two new blog posts, though. I shared my review of The Secret Commonwealth. Ack :) And this week I'm waiting on The Notorious Virtues :D Hope you are all doing well. I'm doing my best :)



Clockwork Angel. Eee. 10th anniversary UK edition. And it looks so very gorgeous. Sigh. I love this one.
The Queen of Nothing. Okay, fine. I haven't read book one. But now I have them all. And peeked too :D
Call Down the Hawk + The Scorpio Races + The Raven King. Ah.  My personalized copies from Fountain Bookstore :D Maggie is the best. <3 And love the exclusive swag too. Can't wait to read her newest book.
Call Down the Hawk. Got my special UK copy from Seven Stories as well :D Love the sticker bookplate.
Pokemon Sword. Eee. I got this perfect game for my Switch. And I already love it so so very much. Oops.
His Dark Materials. There was a new version of the BBC cast audiobooks. Oops. And I had to get it, ha.


More Instagram photos here. <3

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Waiting on Wednesday #423

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

THE NOTORIOUS VIRTUES BY ALWYN HAMILTON

Goodreads Description:

Bestselling Rebel of the Sands author Alwyn Hamilton is back with a glittering thriller about a glamorous media darling, a surprise heiress, and the magical competition of a lifetime.

At sixteen, Honora “Nora” Holtzfall is the daughter of the most powerful heiress in all of Walstad. Her family controls all the money–and all the magic–in the entire country. But despite being the center of attention, Nora has always felt like an outsider. When her mother is found dead in an alley, the family throne and fortune are suddenly up for grabs, and Nora will be pitted against her cousins in the Veritaz, the ultimate magical competition for power that determines the one family heir.

But there’s a surprise contestant this time: Lotte, the illegitimate daughter of Nora’s aunt. When Lotte’s absent mother retrieves her from the rural convent she’d abandoned her to, Lotte goes from being an orphan to surrounded by family. Unfortunately, most of them want her dead.

And soon, Nora discovers that her mother’s death wasn’t random–it was murder. And the only person she can trust to uncover the truth of what happened is a rakish young reporter who despises everything Nora and her family stand for.

With everyone against her, Lotte’s last hope is hunting for the identity of her father. But the dangerous competition–and her feelings for Theo, one of the Holtzfalls’ sworn protectors–turns her world upside down.

Incredible tests, impossible choices and deadly odds await both girls. But there can only be one winner.


Paperback, 368 pages
Expected publication: May 5th 2020 by Faber & Faber
Pre-Order here and here

Eee. This cover is all kinds of stunning :D And I simply need to get the UK and US edition of this book, haha. My favorite is this one, the UK one, the silver. Though the gold version is pretty too. Sigh. And also, this book sounds all kinds of awesome. I adore Alwyn. And I just cannot wait to read this gorgeous. Eee.
What are you waiting for on this notorious Wednesday?

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Review: The Secret Commonwealth by Philip Pullman

I do not know where to start. I have waited years for this book to come out. To know more about Lyra, now age twenty. But then it was out. And I learned all the spoilers. And I knew there would be parts of this book I was going to hate. But despite that, I still did my re-read of His Dark Materials, which I still love beyond words.

And I re-read La Belle Sauvage, which I also still adore so much. But then I had to read this new book. And I wish I could say that I loved it so very much. But I did not. I knew I would not, but it still hurt my heart so very much. I had waited so long for this book. I had imagined so much. I thought it would be perfect. I was wrong.

There is so much I have to say about this book. First, I'm giving it three stars. Which I think feels fair. The writing was still gorgeous. The world is the very best. Just reading about the old characters gave me joy. Which is why it is as much as three stars. Because the plot and story was not worth that much at all. Okay, fine, the story was exciting and I wanted to know more. But parts of it were simply not okay. And I have so much I need to write down. There will be spoilers below. Because I can't write about this book without writing about what was wrong about it. And there was a whole lot of wrong with this book. Ugh. I wanted to love it the most. I so did not. I still have hopes about the third and final book, but I'm also certain that my hopes will be crushed. Again. Sigh.

Where to begin, though. I hope I will remember to write down everything I want to. This book is written from many point of views. First there is Lyra again, now twenty years old. It has been eight years since the ending of The Amber Spyglass, since she left Will in his own world. There is also the point of view of her dæmon, Pantalaimon. Pan and Lyra have been fighting for months now. They pretty much hate each other. And it was the worst thing to read about. Also because it didn't feel like them at all. Ugh. Annoying.

But I did enjoy reading from Pan's point of view. Though both he and Lyra were being silly about why they were fighting. Hmph. Then there was also Malcolm. He was eleven in La Belle Sauvage, and he is now a huge man aged thirty one. I loved him in the first book. I hated him in this one. I could not help it. There was also a little about Alice, which I did enjoy. Except that we now learn that she was in fact raped in the first book. And I just. It was not clear when it happened. I feel so angry and hurt and oh. It was the worst.

But then there was Malcolm. And the reason for why I felt such hate towards him. Turns out he is in love with Lyra. He is eleven years older than her. This was gross, because of how he mentions thinking about her when he was her teacher, and she was fourteen or sixteen years old. He says she smelled like warm young girl. What the hell. It was so super gross. It is mentioned all the time how he loves her. But. Why? Why does he love her? He doesn't know Lyra. They aren't friends. They don't spend time together at all.

Until this book. When Lyra is suddenly told that Malcolm saved her when she was a baby. She was first thinking of how awkward it was to be around Malcolm, that they didn't go along together. But now learning that he saved her she is suddenly seeing him differently. Just. How? It makes zero sense. She only sees him that one time, then they are parted. They write letters. She thinks of him often. It was beyond gross. Where were her thoughts about Will, her actual true love? Malcolm and Lyra does not fit together. Yuck.

And then there was the fact of Lyra being unfaithful to Will. Yeah. That happened too. What even. The whole of The Amber Spyglass was about Lyra and Will falling in love, the most in love anyone had ever felt. It was perfection. And she couldn't even stay faithful to his memory for eight years? It makes zero sense. This was so not the Lyra I knew and loved. The Lyra in this book was different and I hated her at times. Which also completely ruins my heart. This book was supposed to be perfect. It was so much not.

Anyway. Turns out that Lyra had a relationship with a boy named Dick. Ha. Yeah. They parted as friends. And now every time she sees him she kisses him. I hope it's on the cheek, but did not seem like it. She thinks about how they had slept together. How she liked his touch on her. Gross. And at the same time she says this was not being unfaithful to Will. Because they didn't say i love you. What the hell. Sleeping with someone else while you claim to love another is beyond not okay. I am furious. And so heartbroken.

I don't give a damn that Will and Lyra have not been together for eight years now. Will is her soul mate. She mentions one time that she think of him every hour. She still feels the same type of love for him. And just. What. You do not feel that kind of love for someone and then go sleep with someone else, and kiss someone else and flirt with every boy you see. It's completely wrong and beyond gross and so very much not okay. If Will and Lyra ever see each other again, well. I'm not even sure how I would feel about it now.

Oh, yeah. There was no Will in this book. No mention of them ever being able to see each other again. Which I thought was the whole point of writing another book about Lyra. She barely thinks of him. Near the end, when she is all alone, she thinks of everyone she wishes was there. Will is not one of those. But Malcolm is, and her thought lingers on him. It was gross. They spent barely an hour together, and now it is like they are meant to be together forever. Nothing has happened between them yet. But I'm sure it will.

And it is pissing me off beyond words. There are so many hints in this book about Lyra and Malcolm. That makes it seem like they are meant to be. He loves her. It was goddamn horrible to read about and I hated every single second of it. They are not meant to be. Not at all. And to even think that is wrong. I hate how Philip have written this. I hate hate hate it. But I'll still hope book three will change everything. There are other hints as well. But I do not have a lot of hope, to be honest. This book ruined my heart. In a bad way.

Then there was how much Lyra had changed as a person. She had no imagination. Which Pan goes on about a lot. And when Pan leaves her early in the book, she travels to look for him. And she seemed so pathetic. She was always thinking about how alone she was. How sad she was. She was scared all the time. She was whiny and not brave. She was not the same as the girl I loved. Not even a little bit. And that is why I disliked it so. No hint of the old Lyra, almost nothing. She was so weak. My Lyra is not weak.

Then there was the fact that everywhere she went men stared at her body. She mentions it several times. She mentions how she flirts with boys often. It was simply weird. And then near the end of this book she was almost raped. It was brutal to read about. And there was no reason for this scene to be included. The book was brutal enough. Adding this almost rape did not help. And it made my dislike for this book even higher. Lyra was all alone during that too. She only escaped because of someone opening a door. Hmph.

Which makes me think of something another person said about the book. That Lyra did nothing in it. That everyone did everything for her. And I noticed this too. She has help with every single thing. She does not do anything on her own. And all she does do in this book is travel, to look for Pan in Asia. All the travelling was interesting to read about, but I did not want this book to be about travel. It was so boring most of the time. Lyra had such a boring part in this book. I wanted and was expecting way more from the book. Sigh.

Then there was a whole bunch of other point of views. This book focus even more on political things. With the Church and those who are in charge. New people looking for Lyra, wanting her dead. Most of it was all kinds of boring and lasted for ages. But yeah. I was interested in the whole book. It was, after all, this world that I completely loves. But it was too different. There was no magic. There was no fantasy. There was no Will. And there wasn't even Lyra and Pan together. This whole book was mostly depressing. Ugh.

I wanted so much more. All I got were things to remember and be angry and sad and heartbroken about. Which hurts my heart so badly. Sigh. I wanted more from The Secret Commonwealth. It was a book that took me ages to read. As I did not want to read it. I did not want to start hating Lyra and Malcolm. But that is what this book did to me. It made me slowly start hating both of them. And I will never in a million years ship them together. It is gross and beyond wrong. Lyra only ever belongs with Will. Ugh. So beyond sad.

I was worried that I would not be able to write this review of mine. I was worried I would forget to mention things. Okay, I'm certain there must be things I have forgotten, ha. But I have written down the important things. And this review is now much longer than it was going to be. But once I began writing I could not stop. Not for a single moment. I had to get it all down. Sigh. I wish this book had been better. I wish I had loved it. But it was impossible. Too much to dislike. Oh, how I hope Philip fixes it all in book three. Please.