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?