Tuesday, August 1, 2017

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Wednesday, July 12, 2017

Crown Recaps - June


Hello there! It's time for another monthly recap! In June, I took reading a little bit slower, but I had no problem with that. I have participated in a group reading of S.C. Parris' series The Dark World, in which a week even review was announced for previously.

Onto my goal of 40 books, I am now 99% towards the goal. I just need 1 more book and obviously I will surpass that this month. After that, it will be just my plan to to keep reading with no set amount. However, I anticipate a few life changes in the future and the amount of books I read per month may have an affect. Hey, life is life. I still get to read though! (Just maybe a little on the lesser side)

Just a short recap this month. Stay tuned for the next month!

Sunday, July 9, 2017

Crown Review #57 - The Phoenixes of the Nest

The Phoenixes of the Nest - S.C. Parris


Rating: 4/5 Stars
Series: The Dark World, #4
Length: 304 Pages
Purchase: [Amazon] | [Barnes & Noble]

Synopsis:
Everything will burn.

With magic restored to its rightful place, Dracula’s secrets push Xavier to leave The Order of the Dragon behind. He strikes out on his own—driven by the sultry voice that continues its heady call through his mind.

Pulled to the one Creature that can give him answers to the many question he seeks, he takes matters into his own hands, and uncovers what could be a greater threat than Elite Creatures—the once-subdued Enchanters are on the move, for their leader has finally awoken from his centuries-long slumber, and he is angry, determined to end the Vampires’ and Lycans’ existence once and for all.

But there are beings in the clouds who have been kept from the Dark World by stronger forces. Now that Alexandria Stone’s beaming red light subdues Vampire, Lycan, and Elite Creature alike, they can return. —And their wrath is greater than anything The Dark World has ever known.

Saturday, July 8, 2017

Crown Review #56 - The Two Swords

The Two Swords - S.C. Parris


Rating: 4/5 Stars
Series: The Dark World, #3
Length: 400 Pages
Purchase: [Amazon] | [Barnes & Noble]

Synopsis:
The Dark World is falling.

Faced with the impending threat of a new breed of creature, Xavier Delacroix is forced to enter the fight. For the Great Vampire’s sword must be taken back.

But the one who holds the sword is not ready to relinquish its power—a power that if used wrongly will change the face of the Dark World forever. 

Friday, July 7, 2017

Crown Review #55 - The Immortal's Guide

The Immortal's Guide - S.C. Parris


Rating: 4/5 Stars
Series: The Dark World, #2
Length: 474 Pages
Purchase: [Amazon] | [Barnes & Noble]

Synopsis:
When the Great Vampire falls, his dark secrets rise. 

As a new breed of creature consumes all, Xavier Delacroix is thrown into the fray of The Dark World, while Christian Delacroix is kept maddeningly close to the mysterious Alexandria Stone.

The Immortal’s Guide, the powerful book every creature wants to get their hands on, is lost. Xavier Delacroix is in a race to find it—and keep it from the clutches of a surprising new creature that is as familiar as she is deadly.

Saturday, July 1, 2017

Crown Review #54 - The Girl with the Red Balloon

The Girl with the Red Balloon - Katherine Locke


Rating: 4/5 Stars
Series: The Balloonmakers, #1, Standalone
Length: 288 Pages
Purchase: [Amazon] | [Barnes & Noble]

Thank You Albert Whitman & Company & NetGalley for giving a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis:
When sixteen-year-old Ellie Baum accidentally time-travels via red balloon to 1988 East Berlin, she's caught up in a conspiracy of history and magic. She meets members of an underground guild in East Berlin who use balloons and magic to help people escape over the Wall—but even to the balloon makers, Ellie's time travel is a mystery. When it becomes clear that someone is using dark magic to change history, Ellie must risk everything—including her only way home—to stop the process.

Saturday, June 24, 2017

Crown Review #53 - Sovereign

Sovereign - April Daniels


Rating: 4/5 Stars
Series: Nemesis, #2
Length: 350 Pages
Purchase: [Amazon] | [Barnes & Noble]

Thank You Diversion Books and NetGalley for giving an eARC for an honest review. 

Synopsis:
Only nine months after her debut as the fourth superhero to fight under the name Dreadnought, Danny Tozer is already a scarred veteran. Protecting a city the size of New Port is a team-sized job and she's doing it alone. Between her newfound celebrity and her demanding cape duties, Dreadnought is stretched thin, and it's only going to get worse. 

When she crosses a newly discovered supervillain, Dreadnought comes under attack from all quarters. From her troubled family life to her disintegrating friendship with Calamity, there's no trick too dirty and no lever too cruel for this villain to use against her. 

She might be hard to kill, but there's more than one way to destroy a hero. Before the war is over, Dreadnought will be forced to confront parts of herself she never wanted to acknowledge. 

And behind it all, an old enemy waits in the wings to unleash a plot that will scar the world forever.

Sunday, June 18, 2017

Crown Review #52 - End of Days

End of Days - Susan Ee


Rating: 4/5 Stars
Series: Penryn & the End of Days, #3
Length: 331 Pages
Purchase: [Amazon] | [Barnes & Noble]

Synopsis:
After a daring escape from the angels, Penryn and Raffe are on the run. They’re both desperate to find a doctor who can reverse the twisted changes inflicted by the angels on Raffe and Penryn’s sister. As they set off in search of answers, a startling revelation about Raffe’s past unleashes dark forces that threaten them all.

When the angels release an apocalyptic nightmare onto humans, both sides are set on a path toward war. As unlikely alliances form and strategies shift, who will emerge victorious? Forced to pick sides in the fight for control of the earthly realm, Raffe and Penryn must choose: Their own kind, or each other?

Saturday, June 17, 2017

The Dark World Weekend Review!

*Official S.C. Parris Logo Used with Permission
*Weekend Review Not Sponsored in Any Way

Coming in July!!


Through the weekend of July 7th - 9th, The Crown of Books will be posting reviews each day for The Dark Work series by S.C. Parris. The first book was already reviewed here. Make sure you read the review to see how amazing the series are! The weekend will consist of reviews for Books 2 through 4.  I hope you enjoy the special upcoming weekend!

Crown Recaps - May

I know it is halfway through June right now, but I was finally able to write my progress own for last month's reading and recap. In May, I was able to read six books in which three books were a series, two books were from NetGalley and one book was the start of a series that I planned to start for some time.

The series that I have were the Penryn & the End of Days series. I did enjoy it and I was surprised that I was able to get the complete series when they were on sale, over a collective time period. I decided to bring the series into the next Weekend Review due to getting it all before starting to read it.

The book I enjoyed the most was Sovereign by April Daniels. It is a sequel to Dreadnaught that I read the other month and I still enjoyed reading about it. My only hope that there is a third book, but so far I have seen no news for it. One can hope tho.

Lastly, on my goal for 40 books, I am very close. I do not remember how many books I was at the end of May, but currently I have 37 books read. There's a chance I may complete the goal in June, however, July is more likely.

That is it for this month! Stay tuned for our next Monthly Recap in the beginning of July! (Hopefully...)

Crown Review #51 - World After

World After - Susan Ee


Rating: 3/5 Stars
Series: Penryn & the End of Days, #2
Length: 320 Pages
Purchase: [Amazon] | [Barnes & Noble]

Synopsis:
In this sequel to the bestselling fantasy thriller, Angelfall, the survivors of the angel apocalypse begin to scrape back together what's left of the modern world.

When a group of people capture Penryn's sister Paige, thinking she's a monster, the situation ends in a massacre. Paige disappears. Humans are terrified. Mom is heartbroken.

Penryn drives through the streets of San Francisco looking for Paige. Why are the streets so empty? Where is everybody? Her search leads her into the heart of the angels' secret plans where she catches a glimpse of their motivations, and learns the horrifying extent to which the angels are willing to go.

Meanwhile, Raffe hunts for his wings. Without them, he can't rejoin the angels, can't take his rightful place as one of their leaders. When faced with recapturing his wings or helping Penryn survive, which will he choose?

Friday, June 16, 2017

Crown Review #50 - Angelfall

Angelfall - Susan Ee


Rating: 3/5 Stars
Series: Penryn & the End of Days, #1
Length: 283 Pages
Purchase: [Amazon] | [Barnes & Noble]

Synopsis:
It's been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back.

Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel.

Raffe is a warrior who lies broken and wingless on the street. After eons of fighting his own battles, he finds himself being rescued from a desperate situation by a half-starved teenage girl.

Traveling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they have only each other to rely on for survival. Together, they journey toward the angels' stronghold in San Francisco where she'll risk everything to rescue her sister and he'll put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again.

Saturday, June 10, 2017

Crown Review #49 - Strange Alchemy

Strange Alchemy - Gwenda Bond


Rating: 3/5 Stars
Series: Standalone
Length: 322 Pages
Purchase: [Amazon] | [Barnes & Noble]

Thank You Capstone & NetGalley for giving a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis:
On Roanoke Island, the legend of the Lost Colony—and the 114 colonists who vanished without a trace more than four hundred years ago—still haunts the town. But that’s just a story told for the tourists.

When 114 people suddenly disappear from the island in present day, it seems history is repeating itself—and an unlikely pair of seventeen-year-olds might be the only hope of bringing the missing back. Miranda Blackwood, a member of one of island’s most infamous families, and Grant Rawling, the sherrif’s son, who has demons and secrets of his own, find themselves at the center of the mystery.

As the unlikely pair works to uncover the secrets of the new Lost Colony, they must dodge everyone from the authorities to long-dead alchemists as they race against time to save their family and friends before they too are gone for good

Saturday, June 3, 2017

Crown Review #48 - Frostbloood

Frostblood - Elly Blake


Rating: 2.5/5 Stars
Series: Frostblood Saga, #1
Length: 376 Pages
Purchase: [Amazon] | [Barnes & Noble]

Synopsis:
Seventeen-year-old Ruby is a Fireblood who has concealed her powers of heat and flame from the cruel Frostblood ruling class her entire life. But when her mother is killed trying to protect her, and rebel Frostbloods demand her help to overthrow their bloodthirsty king, she agrees to come out of hiding, desperate to have her revenge.

Despite her unpredictable abilities, Ruby trains with the rebels and the infuriating—yet irresistible—Arcus, who seems to think of her as nothing more than a weapon. But before they can take action, Ruby is captured and forced to compete in the king’s tournaments that pit Fireblood prisoners against Frostblood champions. Now she has only one chance to destroy the maniacal ruler who has taken everything from her—and from the icy young man she has come to love.
 

Tuesday, May 30, 2017

Penryn & The End of Days Weekend Review!

Upcoming in June!

There is going to be another special weekend filled with reviews! On the weekend of June 16th, 17th, and 18th, the entire Penryn & The End of Days series will be posted! The series dealt with the apocalypse, angels, and even weird creatures. One truly unique mixture for a series. Enjoy!

And if you want to know the next series that may get a weekend of review, it may even be a darker world this time.

Saturday, May 27, 2017

Crown Review #47 - Alive

Alive - Scott Sigler


Rating: 4/5 Stars
Series: The Generations Trilogy, #1
Length: 345 Pages
Purchase: [Amazon] | [Barnes & Noble]

Synopsis:
A teenage girl awakens to find herself trapped in a coffin. She has no idea who she is, where she is, or how she got there. Fighting her way free brings little relief—she discovers only a room lined with caskets and a handful of equally mystified survivors. Beyond their room lies a corridor filled with bones and dust, but no people…and no answers.

She knows only one thing about herself—her name, M. Savage, which was engraved on the foot of her coffin—yet she finds herself in charge. She is not the biggest among them, or the boldest, but for some reason the others trust her. Now, if they’re to have any chance, she must get them to trust one another.

Whatever the truth is, she is determined to find it and confront it. If she has to lead, she will make sure they survive. Maybe there's a way out, a rational explanation, and a fighting chance against the dangers to come. Or maybe a reality they cannot comprehend lies just beyond the next turn.

Saturday, May 20, 2017

Crown Review #46 - This Savage Song

This Savage Song - Victoria Schwab


Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Series: Monsters of Verity, #1
Length: 427 Pages
Purchase: [Amazon] | [Barnes & Noble]

Synopsis:
There’s no such thing as safe.

Kate Harker wants to be as ruthless as her father. After five years and six boarding schools, she’s finally going home to prove that she can be.

August Flynn wants to be human. But he isn’t. He’s a monster, one that can steal souls with a song. He’s one of the three most powerful monsters in a city overrun with them. His own father’s secret weapon.

Their city is divided.

Their city is crumbling.

Kate and August are the only two who see both sides, the only two who could do something.

But how do you decide to be a hero or a villain when it’s hard to tell which is which?

Saturday, May 13, 2017

Crown Review #45 - Passenger

Passenger - Alexandra Bracken


Rating: 1.5/5 Stars
Series: Passenger, #1
Length: 486 Pages
Purchase: [Amazon] | [Barnes & Noble]

Synopsis:
Passage, n.
i. A brief section of music composed of a series of notes and flourishes.
ii. A journey by water; a voyage.
iii. The transition from one place to another, across space and time.

In one devastating night, violin prodigy Etta Spencer loses everything she knows and loves. Thrust into an unfamiliar world by a stranger with a dangerous agenda, Etta is certain of only one thing: she has traveled not just miles but years from home. And she’s inherited a legacy she knows nothing about from a family whose existence she’s never heard of. Until now.

Nicholas Carter is content with his life at sea, free from the Ironwoods—a powerful family in the colonies—and the servitude he’s known at their hands. But with the arrival of an unusual passenger on his ship comes the insistent pull of the past that he can’t escape and the family that won’t let him go so easily. Now the Ironwoods are searching for a stolen object of untold value, one they believe only Etta, Nicholas’ passenger, can find. In order to protect her, he must ensure she brings it back to them—whether she wants to or not.

Together, Etta and Nicholas embark on a perilous journey across centuries and continents, piecing together clues left behind by the traveler who will do anything to keep the object out of the Ironwoods’ grasp. But as they get closer to the truth of their search, and the deadly game the Ironwoods are playing, treacherous forces threaten to separate Etta not only from Nicholas but from her path home... forever.

Saturday, May 6, 2017

Crown Review #44 - Dorothy Must Die

Dorothy Must Die - Danielle Paige


Rating: 1.5/5 Stars
Series: Dorothy Must Die, #1
Length: 452 Pages
Purchase: [Amazon] | [Barnes & Noble]

!Slight Spoilers Ahead!

Synopsis:
I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't ask to be some kind of hero.

But when your whole life gets swept up by a tornado - taking you with it - you have no choice but to go along, you know?

Sure, I've read the books. I've seen the movies. I know the song about the rainbow and the happy little bluebirds. But I never expected Oz to look like this. To be a place where Good Witches can't be trusted, Wicked Witches may just be the good guys, and winged monkeys can be executed for acts of rebellion. There's still a yellow brick road - but even that's crumbling.

What happened? Dorothy.

They say she found a way to come back to Oz. They say she seized power and the power went to her head. And now no one is safe.

My name is Amy Gumm - and I'm the other girl from Kansas.

I've been recruited by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked.

I've been trained to fight.

And I have a mission.

Monday, May 1, 2017

Crown Recaps - April 2017


Welcome fellow Readers! It is finally May and it is time to revisit the month of April for our next Monthly Recap! This month was a busy month and I have plenty of news to share!

First, I have completed my goal of reading 25 books and have exceeded into 28 books currently. Last year I have read past 40 books and I figured I would probably match it. However, I was not sure how life was going to go and for that, I brought my goal down to 25 books. Since I have completed that goal, my next goal is to match the 40 books and this will be a personal goal, not a GoodReads Goal.

Next, I have a set a new record of 9 Completed Books in 1 Month! That is only 1 up from last month in which I read 8 Books. Although, I must admit that one book I could have completed last month instead of this month, but I ended up taking a month break from it. Regardless, it is still a new record for me!

If you seen my other Monthly Recaps, you'll know that I usually just list all the books and give a brief summary. This time, I am changing it up a but because listing 9 books and their information can be a handful. Instead, I'll only select a few that I liked most. I finally finished The Lunar Chronicles with Winter. It was a rare instance for me to like the last book in the series more than any of the other books. I enjoyed having all the characters once and for all. The Lost Hero was a trip back to the Percy Jackson series. After reading the original series, I knew that I wanted to read the Heroes of Olympus series. I love Greek Mythology and I wouldn't even drop the chance to read it. I am currently reading the second book of the series right now. Lastly, Alive is really a book that can play with your mind. You start thinking you are convinced of one thing and then you are totally blown away when you realize that you have been completely wrong. In this book, you have to know nothing about it before going in. You have to know nothing and it will help you enjoy the story more.

Saturday, April 29, 2017

Crown Review #43 - Zodiac

Zodiac - Romina Russel


Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Series: Zodiac, #1
Length: 325
Purchase: [Amazon] | [Barnes & Noble]

Synopsis:
At the dawn of time, there were 13 Houses in the Zodiac Galaxy. Now only 12 remain….

Rhoma Grace is a 16-year-old student from House Cancer with an unusual way of reading the stars. While her classmates use measurements to make accurate astrological predictions, Rho can’t solve for ‘x’ to save her life—so instead, she looks up at the night sky and makes up stories.

When a violent blast strikes the moons of Cancer, sending its ocean planet off-kilter and killing thousands of citizens—including its beloved Guardian—Rho is more surprised than anyone when she is named the House’s new leader. But, a true Cancerian who loves her home fiercely and will protect her people no matter what, Rho accepts.

Then, when more Houses fall victim to freak weather catastrophes, Rho starts seeing a pattern in the stars. She suspects Ophiuchus—the exiled 13th Guardian of Zodiac legend—has returned to exact his revenge across the Galaxy. Now Rho—along with Hysan Dax, a young envoy from House Libra, and Mathias, her guide and a member of her Royal Guard—must travel through the Zodiac to warn the other Guardians.

But who will believe anything this young novice says? Whom can Rho trust in a universe defined by differences? And how can she convince twelve worlds to unite as one Zodiac?

Sunday, April 23, 2017

Crown Review #42 - Winter

Winter - Marissa Meyer


Rating: 5/5 Stars
Series: The Lunar Chronicles, #4
Length: 823 Pages
Purchase: [Amazon] | [Barnes & Noble]

Synopsis:
Princess Winter is admired by the Lunar people for her grace and kindness, and despite the scars that mark her face, her beauty is said to be even more breathtaking than that of her stepmother, Queen Levana.

Winter despises her stepmother, and knows Levana won't approve of her feelings for her childhood friend--the handsome palace guard, Jacin. But Winter isn't as weak as Levana believes her to be and she's been undermining her stepmother's wishes for years. Together with the cyborg mechanic, Cinder, and her allies, Winter might even have the power to launch a revolution and win a war that's been raging for far too long.

Can Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter defeat Levana and find their happily ever afters? Fans will not want to miss this thrilling conclusion to Marissa Meyer's national bestselling Lunar Chronicles series.

Saturday, April 22, 2017

Crown Review #41 - Cress

Cress - Marissa Meyer


Rating: 5/5 Stars
Series: The Lunar Chronicles, #3
Length: 582 Pages
Purchase: [Amazon] | [Barnes & Noble]

Synopsis:
Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together they're plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army.

Their best hope lies with Cress, who has been trapped on a satellite since childhood with only her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker; unfortunately, she's just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.

When a daring rescue goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing stop her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only ones who can.
 

Friday, April 21, 2017

Crown Review #40 - Scarlet

Scarlet - Marissa Meyer


Rating: 4/5 Stars
Series: The Lunar Chronicles, #2
Length: 452 Pages
Purchase: [Amazon] | [Barnes & Noble]

Synopsis:
Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother, or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana.

Saturday, April 15, 2017

Crown Review #39 - Secret of the Sphinx

The Secret of the Sphinx - Samuel Bavli


Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Series: Standalone
Length: 134 Pages
Purchase: [Amazon] | [Barnes & Noble]

Thank You Samuel Bavli & NetGalley for giving a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis:
The place is ancient Egypt. The year is 2558 BCE. Two of the king’s three sons have died in an apparent accident. Neb, who is the king’s vizier and a great magician, is the only one who realizes that their deaths were not accidental, and he tries to prevent the death of the king’s third son. The murderer, an evil sorcerer who fears Neb’s powers, has Neb abducted and casts a magic spell over him, imprisoning Neb’s soul in a great stone sphinx.

Four and a half thousand years pass, and Neb’s sphinx is on display in a museum. A teenage boy named Jon is visiting the museum on a class trip, and Neb immediately senses that this boy could be the key to his freedom. The sphinx speaks to Jon and tells him to return that night; but when Jon returns, the spirits of long-dead kings and demons try to prevent him from reaching the sphinx. After narrowly escaping the spirits, Jon finally reaches Neb. Intrigued by Neb’s story and by the prospect of adventure, Jon climbs onto the sphinx’s back, and flies back in time with Neb to search for the secret that will release Neb’s soul from its stony prison.

Thursday, April 13, 2017

Crown Recaps - March 2017


March 2017

Yes, I know, this is a bit late than usual. Normally, the recaps come out at the beginning of each month. I've been a little busy mixed in with procrastination for posting it. Finally, the time has come and this recap is finally out.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Secret of the Sphinx - Samuel Bavli - A story inspired by Egyptian Myths about a boy who stumbles upon a Sphinx that could communicate with only him. Together, they travel back in time by the Sphinx's power to solve a mystery and end a curse. 

Ice Massacre and Ice Crypt - Tiana Warner - The first two books of a series about a fight between mermaids and humans on a fictional land. Every year, a group of warriors are set out on a mission to fight the mermaids, but never come back. A new group of warriors, female, go out this time to fight the mermaids, but secrets and history and enemies come along to stir things up even more.

The Gauntlet - Karuna Riazi - Inspired by board games and Jumanji, a group of friends get teleported into a board game to rescue the protagonist's brother and beat the game once a for all. The challenge proved tough, but are they able to defeat the game and opponents once and for all?

King's Cage - Victoria Aveyard - The third book in the Red Queen Series tells as Mare continues to fight her battle while stuck with the wrong side. The Red Bloods continues to fight without Mare, but the war is not quite done yet. How does the battle lead to an end?

Scarlet and Cress - Marissa Meyer - The Second and Third Book of The Lunar Chronicles. Scarlet and Cress come into the story as Cinder's battle with Levana continues. As each character brings in a specific role to the battle, the battle between Earth and Lunda continues on. Is Cinder able to stop the battle once and for all?

An Ember in the Ashes - Sabaa Tahir - A slave and soldier against an entire system. One to save her brother, one to avoid his destiny. In a secret rebellion group, Laia volunteers to go undercover to gather some information in order to get help to free her brother. Elias wants no part of the system he's in and he rather leave it all behind but gets caught up in the Empire when something rare happens. Together, they might just have what it takes to do everything they need to, and the Empire could change along with it. 

Sunday, April 9, 2017

Crown Review #38 - Ice Crypt

Ice Crypt - Tiana Warner


Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Series: Mermaids of Eriana Kwai, #2
Length: 426 Pages
Purchase: [Amazon] | [Barnes & Noble]

Synopsis:
Meela has just returned from the Massacre—the annual attempt to wipe out the mermaids threatening her people’s survival. After forming an unlikely connection with Lysi, a mermaid she was trained to kill, Meela is determined to stop the war between humans and merpeople for good. She knows of a legendary weapon that could bring peace if she uses it against King Adaro, ruler of the Pacific Ocean. But her people have plans for future Massacres and refuse to help her uncover it.

While Meela works in secret to unearth the Host of Eriana, Lysi is held captive under Adaro’s tyranny. Sent to the battlefront, Lysi joins forces with a band of rebels that could either bring her freedom—or have her executed for treason.

Separated by the vast Pacific Ocean, Meela and Lysi must find a way to defeat King Adaro and end the war that has been keeping them apart.

Saturday, April 8, 2017

Crown Review #37 - Ice Massacre

Ice Massacre - Tiana Warner


Rating: 4/5 Stars
Series: Mermaids of Eriana Kwai
Length: 375 Pages
Purchase: [Amazon] | [Barnes & Noble]

Synopsis:
A mermaid’s supernatural beauty serves one purpose: to lure a sailor to his death.

The Massacre is supposed to bring peace to Eriana Kwai. Every year, the island sends its warriors to battle these hostile sea demons. Every year, the warriors fail to return. Desperate for survival, the island must decide on a new strategy. Now, the fate of Eriana Kwai lies in the hands of twenty battle-trained girls and their resistance to a mermaid’s allure.

Eighteen-year-old Meela has already lost her brother to the Massacre, and she has lived with a secret that’s haunted her since childhood. For any hope of survival, she must overcome the demons of her past and become a ruthless mermaid killer.

For the first time, Eriana Kwai’s Massacre warriors are female, and Meela must fight for her people’s freedom on the Pacific Ocean’s deadliest battleground.

Sunday, April 2, 2017

Upcoming Review Events!

Review Events!

[INSERT GRAPHIC HERE]

Normally, I would have an amazing graphic here to the special events planned and all. However, nothing good came about, so I'm stuck here with a simple text instead (see above). Anyways, let begin with the news! 

I have had quite a turnaround with some of my reading and my line up in the queue has been coming out months ahead with a lot of reviews. I have decided to shorten a couple into special review weekends. 

This month, I will be releasing 2 themed weekends of reviews based on series have I completed that is also in the line up. Finally, here are the 2 series that are getting the special spotlight!


During the weekend of April 8th & 9th, it will be Ice Massacre Weekend! The Mermaids of Eriana Kwai series will be reviewed and posted with both books for each day.

During the weekend of April 21st, 22nd & 23rd, it will be The Lunar Chronicles Weekend! Scarlet, Cress & Winter will all be reviewed in each of the days. Cinder has already been reviewed and will be provided for the first day to direct you there.

These little events sound a bit fun for me to do, and I can guarantee at least one more themed weekend for another series. Perhaps it will be a bit dark with creature roaming the night? We'll see!

Finally, enjoy the upcoming weekends.


Saturday, April 1, 2017

Crown Review #36 - The Gauntlet

The Gauntlet - Karuna Riazi


Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Series: Standalone
Length: 304 Pages
Purchase: [Amazon] | [Barnes & Noble]

Thank You Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing and NetGalley for giving an eARC for an honest review. 

Synopsis:
A trio of friends from New York City find themselves trapped inside a mechanical board game that they must dismantle in order to save themselves and generations of other children in this action-packed debut that’s a steampunk Jumanji with a Middle Eastern flair.

When twelve-year-old Farah and her two best friends get sucked into a mechanical board game called The Gauntlet of Blood and Sand—a puzzle game akin to a large Rubik’s cube—they know it’s up to them to defeat the game’s diabolical architect in order to save themselves and those who are trapped inside, including her baby brother Ahmed. But first they have to figure out how.

Under the tutelage of a lizard guide named Henrietta Peel and an aeronaut Vijay, the Farah and her friends battle camel spiders, red scorpions, grease monkeys, and sand cats as they prepare to face off with the maniacal Lord Amari, the man behind the machine. Can they defeat Amari at his own game…or will they, like the children who came before them, become cogs in the machine?

Saturday, March 25, 2017

Crown Review #35 - An Ember in the Ashes

An Ember in the Ashes - Sabaa Tahir


Rating: 4/5 Stars
Series: An Ember in the Ashes, #1
Length: 453 Pages
Purchase: [Amazon] | [Barnes & Noble]

Synopsis:
Laia is a slave.
Elias is a soldier.
Neither is free.


Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear.

It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do.

But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy.

There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.

Saturday, March 18, 2017

Crown Review #34 - Dragon Captives

Dragon Captives - Lisa McMann


Rating: 5/5 Stars
Series: Unwanted Quests, #1
Length: 432 Pages
Purchase: [Amazon] | [Barnes & Noble]

Synopsis:
Ten years after Alex and Aaron Stowe brought peace to Quill and Artimé, their younger twin sisters journey beyond the islands in this first novel of a new sequel series to The Unwanteds, which Kirkus Reviews called “The Hunger Games meets Harry Potter.”

Identical twins Fifer and Thisbe Stowe have amazing yet uncontrollable magical abilities. They’re naturally more gifted than even their brother, Alex, the head mage of Artimé, could hope to be. But when they accidentally use their magic in the jungle of Artimé to strike down a beloved creature, Alex is furious, and threatens to lock them away until they can learn to control their power.

The threat is soon forgotten, though, when Hux, the ice blue dragon, comes to Artimé bearing the horrible news that his siblings have been enslaved by the notoriously evil Revinir, ruler of the dragon land.

Seeking a chance to right their wrong and escape their brother’s wrath, Thisbe, Fifer, and their friend Seth sneak away to rescue the dragons from grave peril. Will their untrained abilities be enough to save the dragons—and themselves—when they come face-to-face with the Revinir?

Wednesday, March 15, 2017

Series Spotlight - The Unwanteds


The Unwanteds - Lisa McMann

In this upcoming Saturday, a new review will be released for an awesome book. However, an introduction was needed for the book that is to be reviewed. The book that is going to be reviewed is the first book of a sequel series to the series picture above, The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann. You may recognize the name, as two books of her's, Wake and Going Wild, has been reviewed here before. The Unwanted series ran from 2011 through 2016, resulting in 7 amazing books filled with creativity, magic, and adventure.

Monday, March 13, 2017

100 Books Celebration!

100 BOOKS CELEBRATION

What? 100 Books? It took about 5 years to read 100 books. In order to celebrate, I was going to pick out a Top 10 Favorite Books of the 100 books I have read. However, I couldn't pick only 10 and ended up with a list of 25 books instead. Oh well. What can we do with books??


The Ones That Began It All

The first book I read was The Hunger Games. It was the time where the movies were just coming out and everyone was talking about. I never had the need to read before, but I had to know what all the talk was about. I've read the series and that was it. Later one, in an English, I finished a book project early that I did on The Vicious Deep. Since we had so many classes dedicated to the project, my teacher told me to pick a book and just read. I was not allowed to sit there looking into space. When I walked to the bookshelf, I noticed Divergent and thought it was cool and picked it up. My teacher noticed how much I was into it and told me to borrow it so I could finish and thus, a reader was born. After Divergent, I picked up The Unwanteds on chance and it became a favorite. These books are truly what began my obsession with reading.

Saturday, March 11, 2017

Crown Review #33 - Heartless

Heartless - Marissa Meyer


Rating: 5/5 Stars
Series: Standalone
Length: 453 Pages
Purchase: [Amazon] | [Barnes & Noble]

Synopsis:
Catherine may be one of the most desired girls in Wonderland and a favorite of the unmarried King, but her interests lie elsewhere. A talented baker, she wants to open a shop and create delectable pastries. But for her mother, such a goal is unthinkable for a woman who could be a queen.

At a royal ball where Cath is expected to receive the King’s marriage proposal, she meets handsome and mysterious Jest. For the first time, she feels the pull of true attraction. At the risk of offending the King and infuriating her parents, she and Jest enter into a secret courtship.

Cath is determined to choose her own destiny. But in a land thriving with magic, madness, and monsters, fate has other plans.

Saturday, March 4, 2017

Crown Review #32 - Star-Crossed

Star-Crossed - Barbara Dee


Rating: 5/5 Stars
Series: Standalone
Length: 288 Pages
Purchase: [Amazon] | [Barnes & Noble]

Thank You Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing and NetGalley for giving an eARC for an honest review. 

Synopsis:
Mattie is chosen to play Romeo opposite her crush in the eighth grade production of Shakespeare’s most beloved play in this Romeo and Juliet inspired novel from the author of Truth or Dare.

Mattie, a star student and passionate reader, is delighted when her English teacher announces the eighth grade will be staging Romeo and Juliet. And she is even more excited when, after a series of events, she finds herself playing Romeo, opposite Gemma Braithwaite’s Juliet. Gemma, the new girl at school, is brilliant, pretty, outgoing—and, if all that wasn’t enough: British.

As the cast prepares for opening night, Mattie finds herself growing increasingly attracted to Gemma and confused, since, just days before, she had found herself crushing on a boy named Elijah. Is it possible to have a crush on both boys AND girls? If that wasn’t enough to deal with, things backstage at the production are starting to rival any Shakespearean drama! In this sweet and funny look at the complicated nature of middle school romance, Mattie learns how to be the lead player in her own life.