tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15010155414262688642024-03-05T06:22:10.328-05:00The Crown of BooksWhere Books Have Their Reigns.TheCrownofBookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05463785737679715215noreply@blogger.comBlogger72125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1501015541426268864.post-39736946621985249582017-08-01T10:33:00.001-04:002017-08-01T10:33:26.151-04:00Construction Complete!<h2 style="text-align: center;">
WHAT? NOTHING LOOKS NEW!!</h2>
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WE ACTUALLY TRANSFERRED!</h2>
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Click the Image Above to be Directed to the New Blog!</div>
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TheCrownofBookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05463785737679715215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1501015541426268864.post-35329227005578793642017-07-12T10:00:00.000-04:002017-07-12T10:00:10.544-04:00Crown Recaps - June<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEAS15b2GLsy1RmgsXFijXc5WUpP1eur5sj665SanxGiJ0bpp1t4FRQdhUfTjMbg9UG7M5AxqFSgqoiyiorgmNhXqPX2WEhcT3RBGoxUADcOAMNuNiAkFpAktAj5oilyXJSh3n_VSP4D1A/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-07-01+at+3.58.35+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="158" data-original-width="611" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEAS15b2GLsy1RmgsXFijXc5WUpP1eur5sj665SanxGiJ0bpp1t4FRQdhUfTjMbg9UG7M5AxqFSgqoiyiorgmNhXqPX2WEhcT3RBGoxUADcOAMNuNiAkFpAktAj5oilyXJSh3n_VSP4D1A/s640/Screen+Shot+2017-07-01+at+3.58.35+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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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 <i>The Dark World, </i>in which a week even review was announced for previously.</div>
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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)</div>
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Just a short recap this month. Stay tuned for the next month!</div>
TheCrownofBookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05463785737679715215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1501015541426268864.post-85822139894632975082017-07-09T07:52:00.000-04:002017-07-09T07:52:24.622-04:00Crown Review #57 - The Phoenixes of the Nest<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1474824244l/30983485.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1474824244l/30983485.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30983485-the-phoenixes-of-the-nest">The Phoenixes of the Nest</a> - S.C. Parris</h2>
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<b><br /></b>
<b>Rating: </b>4/5 Stars<br />
<b>Series: </b>The Dark World, #4</div>
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<b>Length: </b>304 Pages</div>
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<b>Purchase: [<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Phoenixes-Nest-Dark-World/dp/1682612511/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=">Amazon</a>] | [<a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-phoenixes-of-the-nest-sc-parris/1124085998;jsessionid=F2B4126A14E78DF3AAAED52863F0F218.prodny_store02-atgap04?ean=9781682612514&st=AFF&2sid=Goodreads,%20Inc_2227948_NA&sourceId=AFFGoodreads,%20IncM000004">Barnes & Noble</a>]</b></div>
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<b>Synopsis:</b></div>
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<b style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Everything will burn.</b><br />
<br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">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.</span><br />
<br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">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.</span><br />
<br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">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.</span></div>
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<a name='more'></a><b style="background-color: white;"><b style="background-color: white;">______________________________________________________________________</b></b><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Oh boy, where do I begin with this? The series that I have been reading is just so easy and wonderful to continue from book to book with no problems at all. It is that enjoyable. Enjoyable enough to read </span>them like a breeze.<br />
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I have really enjoyed reading the series so far. The Dark World is completely different from what I usually read. I do not usually do reading my Lycans, Vampires, and the such (although I would read about Enchanters). If I remember correctly, there are just about a couple of more books coming in the future. I cannot wait for them.<br />
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This book brings in an entire new layer to the story and the battle going on between the different kinds of creatures in the Dark World. As I said before, if you think you know everything, there is still plenty to uncover and learn. You will never, never know all the information in this world.<br />
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This is getting intense and I cannot tell you everything as I believe that the less you know is the better. Just know that the series is good and completely unique. It is nice to see that a series that can stand as being one of kind. You do not see much of that today anymore.</div>
TheCrownofBookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05463785737679715215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1501015541426268864.post-64754863765095671132017-07-08T09:54:00.000-04:002017-07-08T09:54:59.599-04:00Crown Review #56 - The Two Swords<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1463788449l/29989611.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1463788449l/29989611.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29989611-the-two-swords">The Two Swords</a> - S.C. Parris</h2>
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<b><br /></b>
<b>Rating: </b>4/5 Stars<br />
<b>Series: </b>The Dark World, #3</div>
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<b>Length: </b>400 Pages</div>
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<b>Purchase: [<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1682610837/ref=x_gr_w_glide_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_glide_bb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1682610837&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2">Amazon</a>] | [<a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-two-swords-sc-parris/1123720809?ean=9781682610831&st=AFF&2sid=Goodreads,%20Inc_2227948_NA&sourceId=AFFGoodreads,%20IncM000004">Barnes & Noble</a>]</b></div>
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<b>Synopsis:</b></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">The Dark World is falling.</span><br />
<br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">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.</span><br />
<br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">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. </span></div>
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<a name='more'></a><b style="background-color: white;"><b style="background-color: white;">______________________________________________________________________</b></b><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Never did I think that I would fly through this book in only two days. I am not even sure how I managed it. Maybe it is that Parris is a secret enchanter and chose to cast a spell on the story where it puts the reader in a trance that makes them read 2x faster or something. Who knows?</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Parris keeps managing to add more to the story so that is always interesting and unable to be put down. The battle continues and the chase is after the sword before certain changes could happen. In this book, we learn more about enchanters and their part of the world. I have been really interested in the enchanters, so I was glad to see that they got more of a spotlight in this book. I liked the fact they have been explored and that we got see more characters and new characters than just sticking to the overall main characters to the story. It's nice to see a world from many perspective that isn't confusing. I think it's rare to have multiple perspective and manage to control it all without things crossing over to much that makes it confusing. It was consistent and understandable. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Just pick up the series and see why I could not stop reading the books. Support and Read the Series. It's amazing!</span></div>
TheCrownofBookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05463785737679715215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1501015541426268864.post-26159082761026829112017-07-07T10:00:00.000-04:002017-07-07T10:00:12.289-04:00Crown Review #55 - The Immortal's Guide<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1472124959l/31678548.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1472124959l/31678548.jpg" /></a></div>
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31678548-the-immortal-s-guide">The Immortal's Guide</a> - S.C. Parris</h2>
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<b><br /></b>
<b>Rating: </b>4/5 Stars<br />
<b>Series: </b>The Dark World, #2</div>
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<b>Length: </b>474 Pages</div>
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<b>Purchase: [<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01J721LSG/ref=x_gr_w_glide_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_glide_bb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B01J721LSG&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2">Amazon</a>] | [<a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-immortals-guide-sc-parris/1123154106;jsessionid=A43440D7CE0E88AE7255D54EC170F929.prodny_store02-atgap10?ean=9781682610817">Barnes & Noble</a>]</b></div>
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<b>Synopsis:</b></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">When the Great Vampire falls, his dark secrets rise. </span><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">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.</span><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><i style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">The Immortal’s Guide</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">, 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.</span></div>
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<a name='more'></a><b style="background-color: white;"><b style="background-color: white;">______________________________________________________________________</b></b><br />
<b style="background-color: white;"><b style="background-color: white;"><br /></b></b>
<span style="background-color: white;">In the second book in The Dark World series, secrets are revealed and a battle among creatures continues. When Xavier Delacroix is thrown into the middle of everything, he is on the hunt for the specific items.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">In the first book, Parris managed to create a world and was able to spin it for her own originality. Parris managed to extend it further in this book through every detail possibles and new characters. The most exciting part was learning about new creatures and even some creatures with enchanting abilities. In the Dark World, I did not even come to close to thinking that enchanting was a possibility but it happened and proved to be a good part of the story. Other new information were brought in as well, but all I knew that a lot of things were happening, and you just need to keep reading to see it all.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">The ending of the story was biggest piece throughout the entire story. Parris just drops surprising information and details and you realize that you will never know the true Dark World and the Dark World always has its secret and some are gonna stay hidden. The Dark World is mysterious and always thrilling,</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">If you haven't picked up the series yet, do so and experience the mysterious, hidden world of The Dark World. I think everyone will like it.</span></div>
TheCrownofBookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05463785737679715215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1501015541426268864.post-70617145935366236922017-07-01T10:00:00.000-04:002017-07-01T10:00:08.145-04:00Crown Review #54 - The Girl with the Red Balloon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1492922901l/34376699.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1492922901l/34376699.jpg" /></a></div>
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The Girl with the Red Balloon - Katherine Locke</h2>
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<b><br /></b>
<b>Rating: </b>4/5 Stars<br />
<b>Series: </b>The Balloonmakers, #1, <i>Standalone</i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Length: </b>288 Pages</div>
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<b>Purchase: [<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06WLMSQP6/ref=x_gr_w_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_bb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B06WLMSQP6&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2">Amazon</a>] | [<a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/girl-with-the-red-balloon-katherine-locke/1125796622;jsessionid=F07DF081E727A34C23F50B13332F5DDC.prodny_store01-atgap01?ean=9780807529379&st=AFF&2sid=Goodreads,%20Inc_2227948_NA&sourceId=AFFGoodreads,%20IncM000004">Barnes & Noble</a>]</b></div>
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<b style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;"><i>Thank You Albert Whitman & Company & NetGalley for giving a copy in exchange for an honest review.</i></b><br />
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<b>Synopsis:</b></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">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.</span></div>
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<a name='more'></a><b style="background-color: white;"><b style="background-color: white;">______________________________________________________________________</b></b><br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white;"><i>"If you give a girl a red balloon, she'll believe in magic and memory. If you give a girl a red balloon, she'll never want to let go."</i></span></blockquote>
When I first came across this book, I thought it was just another time-traveling story. After getting the full idea, I realized that it was not just a time-traveling story. It is a time-traveling story involved with magic and I knew that it was going to be different. This was definitely going to be interesting.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"If you give a girl a magic balloon, she'll become something else."</i></blockquote>
In <i>The Girl with the Red Balloon</i>, sixteen-year-old Ellie is on a trip in Germany with a group of students and her best friend. When she notices a red balloon, a memory comes to her about a discussion she had with her grandfather and asks for a picture with the balloon to send to him. When she takes a hold onto the balloon, she disappears and reappears in 1988 East Berlin.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"If you give a girl a magic balloon, she will burn down the world."</i></blockquote>
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One of the first things that I was impressed was the diversity in the book. There's Jewish characters, Romani characters, and even a queer character. Along with all the diversity, there is plenty of POV's as well. In the story, there are three characters who have their own POV's. Of course, Ellie is one of the main POV's. The other two belong to a Jewish character and a Romani character. You'll quickly notice that between the other two characters, the time periods are different. One is set in 1988 and the other is set in the early 1900's.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"If you give a girl a magic balloon, she'll rage against the machine."</i></blockquote>
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When I first came across the different time periods, I was sort of confused on what the purpose was. There didn't seem to have an overall connection other than the magic that was involved in both time periods. Later on the story, more clues started dropping but some you do not realize until much later in the book. What is the connection exactly? I'll leave that for you to find out. All I can tell you that it is a good one. Almost sort of like a twist.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"If you give a girl a magic balloon, she'll never want to let go."</i></blockquote>
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<i>The Girl with the Red Balloon</i> is great story and magical. There is not much that I found wrong with the story and I just thought everything was right. Nothing was to much or to little, just perfect. I can pretty much guarantee anyone that they'll like this book if they like anything among time travel, magic, and/or some historical fiction. Pick up this book. It'll be a good one. Also, this book is both a part of a series and is a standalone. The author explained that the next book takes place in the same universe but it is not a sequel and it only features one minor character. Therefore, this book also a standalone.</div>
TheCrownofBookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05463785737679715215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1501015541426268864.post-68640740670449700192017-06-24T11:30:00.000-04:002017-06-24T11:30:04.587-04:00Crown Review #53 - Sovereign<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1485969399l/32565582.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1485969399l/32565582.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32565582-sovereign">Sovereign</a> - April Daniels</h2>
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<b><br /></b>
<b>Rating: </b>4/5 Stars<br />
<b>Series: </b>Nemesis, #2</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Length: </b>350 Pages</div>
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<b>Purchase: [<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1682308243/ref=x_gr_w_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_bb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1682308243&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2">Amazon</a>] | [<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sovereign-april-daniels/1126290462;jsessionid=2F1C8796EF88991743DB81EBBF4CA39A.prodny_store02-atgap08?ean=9781682308240&st=AFF&2sid=Goodreads,%20Inc_2227948_NA&sourceId=AFFGoodreads,%20IncM000004">Barnes & Noble</a>]</b><br />
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<b style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><i>Thank You Diversion Books and NetGalley for giving an eARC for an honest review.</i> </b></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Synopsis:</b></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">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. </span><br />
<br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">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. </span><br />
<br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">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. </span><br />
<br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">And behind it all, an old enemy waits in the wings to unleash a plot that will scar the world forever.</span></div>
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<a name='more'></a><b style="background-color: white;"><b style="background-color: white;">______________________________________________________________________</b></b><br />
<b style="background-color: white;"><b style="background-color: white;"><br /></b></b>
<span style="background-color: white;">Back in January, I came across the first book in the series, <i>Dreadnought, </i>and knew I wanted to read the book immediately. Luckily, I was able to request the book on NetGalley and was approved. I was so happy that I was approved because I knew that I was going to enjoy it. As a matter of fact, I did. When I was done with the book, I saw that there was going to be a sequel and I knew I wanted it then and kept an eye out for it. When it became available on NetGalley, I pressed request right away. After a few days, I was approved. I am just glad that I was able to read and review both amazing books.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">In <i>Sovereign</i>, the story takes place 9 months after Dreadnought's debut, first major battle, and its consequences after it. She also becomes across a new super villain that wants to change the world in a better way. Only that "better" may not be the way you think it is. Danny has to solve how to defeat this super villain once and for all while juggling other duties like dealing with her parents and an old enemy. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">Between <i>Dreadnought</i> and <i>Sovereign</i>, you can tell that the two books are connected perfectly, even with the time jump. While Dreadnought's life was adjusted and impacted, Danny's life dealt with similarities between the books, namely her parents and a specific former teammate. I liked seeing that we were dealing with new problems and issue but not all the problems were gone. It gave a nice form of continuity between the books. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><i>Sovereign</i> was just as good as <i>Dreadnought</i>, or perhaps even a little bit better. I loved seeing all the characters again, and enjoyed reading about the new characters as well. They added a certain atmosphere in the story that I liked. Even though the second book was just as good, it faced a similar problem. The world building was still kept to a limit although a new setting for the book was created wonderfully and described well. Only New Port lacked a little bit of world building again. More information was added, but I was still looking for more overall.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">One thing I also enjoyed was seeing the relationship between Danny and Sarah evolve. In the beginning, you quickly discover that after the first book, tension has brewed between the two. As the story progressed, you would think that the relationship would not survive, but they were trying, or at least Danny was. When a friend reveals an important information, Danny didn't know what to think, or didn't even realize it. When I came to this point, I didn't even realize it either. I just did not see it coming at all. All I can say is that I liked how the relationship came to be.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">If you enjoyed the first book, you have to read this book. It is just as good as the first book and introduces new characters that adds to the story. This was the perfect sequel to the original story.</span></div>
TheCrownofBookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05463785737679715215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1501015541426268864.post-14611755484872748952017-06-18T11:30:00.000-04:002017-06-18T17:37:36.185-04:00Crown Review #52 - End of Days<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1423384743l/23901077.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1423384743l/23901077.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23901077-end-of-days">End of Days</a> - Susan Ee</h2>
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<b>Rating: </b>4/5 Stars<br />
<b>Series: </b>Penryn & the End of Days, #3</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Length: </b>331 Pages</div>
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<b>Purchase: [<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1477829709/ref=x_gr_w_glide_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_glide_bb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1477829709&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2">Amazon</a>] | [<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/end-of-days-susan-ee/1120986002;jsessionid=CE038D344C5301EE143A7365B548A1A2.prodny_store02-atgap02?ean=9781477829707&st=AFF&2sid=Goodreads,%20Inc_2227948_NA&sourceId=AFFGoodreads,%20IncM000004">Barnes & Noble</a>]</b></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Synopsis:</b></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">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.</span><br />
<br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">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?</span></div>
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<a name='more'></a><b style="background-color: white;"><b style="background-color: white;">______________________________________________________________________</b></b><br />
<b style="background-color: white;"><b style="background-color: white;"><br /></b></b>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: white;">Finally, there was just something good about the series in the last book of the series. In the first two books, I always felt that things could have been better. In this book, it finally has. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: white;">In the final book of the series, Penryn and Raffe are out to find solutions for Raffe and Penyrn's sister to see if they can back to their regular ways. While they plan on finding answers, Penryn discovers Raffe's past that could change everything. Not only she has to deal with that, she and all the humans have deal with the angels' latest plan.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: white;">Before Penryn and the resistance plan an attack, Penryn is held up by the other angels, only to have Raffe's help again. A fight that that determines the future is planned and now Penryn and Raffe needs a group to defend off the so called upcoming apocalypse. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: white;">I can say that as everyone finally came to a close and with everything being revealed at last, the story started to become good again. I actually wanted to know how things were going to end. I wanted to know how the final battle was going to happen and how everyone was going to have a role in it. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: white;">There were pieces that I found shocking, For example, how Penryn and Raffe had to recruit more allies. What they did, I did not think was possible. Also, the final battle was the best battle throughout the entire series. How it came out and what everyone did was not expected. When the angels first revealed their plans, I did not think it would come back for the final battle, but it did! </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: white;">For what was a slow beginning, the final book finally brings the story up more and adds more to the story. It may be due to this book is the last book, but I was glad everything was finally to an end. This book had what I would call a good ending through experience I had with the first two book. It may be a good series, but they're were a lot of room for improvements. I'm sure many other people would enjoy it as well.</span></span></div>
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TheCrownofBookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05463785737679715215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1501015541426268864.post-52396621518746157802017-06-17T14:39:00.001-04:002017-06-17T14:39:52.086-04:00The Dark World Weekend Review!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixTGciczJpwcOxY_rtizfTcSwKHrD4k9_BOkpBkg4BQelO-VgVWo_vB7tv5huD_OJzamkhlZWqu57w25M5VnKYTWJOSqvc2LO4N_rD_4n7mVvnxuDVEhkcfUhZOulYF6hGSwCYSnstv5zs/s1600/DWW.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixTGciczJpwcOxY_rtizfTcSwKHrD4k9_BOkpBkg4BQelO-VgVWo_vB7tv5huD_OJzamkhlZWqu57w25M5VnKYTWJOSqvc2LO4N_rD_4n7mVvnxuDVEhkcfUhZOulYF6hGSwCYSnstv5zs/s400/DWW.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">*<i>Official S.C. Parris Logo Used with Permission</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>*Weekend Review Not Sponsored in Any Way</i></span></div>
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Coming in July!!</h2>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
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 <a href="http://thecrownofbooks.blogspot.com/2017/02/crown-review-31-dark-world.html">here</a>. 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!</div>
TheCrownofBookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05463785737679715215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1501015541426268864.post-85369245639795889362017-06-17T14:24:00.003-04:002017-06-17T14:25:46.629-04:00Crown Recaps - May<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhujweG7nn86Od-D7xmho0XQdVHckUx41RHl358z9JNXBcSKqva-5cHn35z-GSYBzdle5U5eTIjuHTIXzJqg3yOkWpMQZmDz1MeKOG8AhUjbfaX8nksskAYFAr4Iz_A6LwaXP0li0P1CkYe/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-06-08+at+9.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="347" data-original-width="510" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhujweG7nn86Od-D7xmho0XQdVHckUx41RHl358z9JNXBcSKqva-5cHn35z-GSYBzdle5U5eTIjuHTIXzJqg3yOkWpMQZmDz1MeKOG8AhUjbfaX8nksskAYFAr4Iz_A6LwaXP0li0P1CkYe/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-06-08+at+9.png" /></a></div>
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.<br />
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The series that I have were the <i>Penryn & the End of Days</i> 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.<br />
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The book I enjoyed the most was <i>Sovereign </i>by April Daniels. It is a sequel to <i>Dreadnaught</i> 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.<br />
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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.<br />
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That is it for this month! Stay tuned for our next Monthly Recap in the beginning of July! (Hopefully...)TheCrownofBookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05463785737679715215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1501015541426268864.post-65368218694926720822017-06-17T08:49:00.000-04:002017-06-17T09:13:13.174-04:00Crown Review #51 - World After<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1423238855l/17849112.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1423238855l/17849112.jpg" /></a></div>
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17849112-world-after">World After</a> - Susan Ee</h2>
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<b><br /></b>
<b>Rating: </b>3/5 Stars<br />
<b>Series: </b>Penryn & the End of Days, #2</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Length: </b>320 Pages</div>
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<b>Purchase: [<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DBE1P2Y/ref=x_gr_w_glide_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_glide_bb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00DBE1P2Y&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2">Amazon</a>] | [<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/world-after-susan-ee/1115739513;jsessionid=D2B158F45C567AF363722FD5A225CE72.prodny_store01-atgap07?ean=9781477817285">Barnes & Noble</a>]</b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Synopsis:</b></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">In this sequel to the bestselling fantasy thriller, </span><i style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Angelfall</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">, the survivors of the angel apocalypse begin to scrape back together what's left of the modern world.</span><br />
<br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">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.</span><br />
<br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">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.</span><br />
<br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">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?</span></div>
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<a name='more'></a><b style="background-color: white;"><b style="background-color: white;">______________________________________________________________________</b></b><br />
<b style="background-color: white;"><b style="background-color: white;"><br /></b></b>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: white;">As much as the first book, I am not sure how to exactly to review this book. It seems like theres a love/hate relationship with this book. In a word to describe it, it felt like a scramble get from the first book to the next book in the series. Although I believe that I liked this book just a bit more, it dealt with the same problems and some new ones as well.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">In this book, there was more flashbacks than progression. Yes, the story moves forward, but only in a slow paste. In this story, the sword that Penryn possesses starts to give flashback visions and reveals information and memories about Raffe. However, this is the only part that Raffe comes in until near the end. I understood that they were at two different places, but it would have been better to put in Raffe's point of view on what he was currently doing or something. It would have clarified the story so much more. It would have been much more understand able. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">This book pretty much felt like the previous book on repeat. Penryn's sister has gone missing again and she needs to find her. She stumbles upon a plan and tries her to best to end it. There were things that were new, but the amount of things that kept coming back shown more and you couldn't help thinking of it. At the end of the book, I was not just sure what to say about other than that it was an ok read, but I just hoped it was better. Hopefully the last book will have something better. If it is the last book, maybe everything that is revealed will make it up for it.</span></div>
TheCrownofBookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05463785737679715215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1501015541426268864.post-67948535907228408732017-06-16T11:30:00.000-04:002017-06-17T09:12:43.390-04:00Crown Review #50 - Angelfall<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1423238550l/17789310.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1423238550l/17789310.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17789310-angelfall">Angelfall</a> - Susan Ee</h2>
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<b>Rating: </b>3/5 Stars<br />
<b>Series: </b>Penryn & the End of Days, #1</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Length: </b>283 Pages</div>
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<b>Purchase: [<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Angelfall-Penryn-End-Days-Book-ebook/dp/B008ELHBAO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1494420215&sr=8-1&keywords=Angelfall">Amazon</a>] | [<a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/angelfall-susan-ee/1103490023;jsessionid=3EAD90823B4B491C67B55B80571FFB02.prodny_store01-atgap07?ean=9780761463276">Barnes & Noble</a>]</b></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Synopsis:</b></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">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.</span><br />
<br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel.</span><br />
<br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">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.</span><br />
<br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">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.</span></div>
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<a name='more'></a><b style="background-color: white;"><b style="background-color: white;">______________________________________________________________________</b></b><br />
<b style="background-color: white;"><b style="background-color: white;"><br /></b></b>
<span style="background-color: white;">There's just something about this book where it makes me unsure how to review this book. Many years ago, I came across this book and and the synopsis just did not interest me much. It was not until this book became available through a sale that I decided to give it a chance because something caught my attention after all. The apocalypse and angels? I never thought of that combination before. There was just something different the second time I came across it. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">I have never read a story where it involved an apocalypse and I just did not know what was I going into. It was interesting to read something new but I felt that I was not excited most of the time and I kind of expected some of the stuff to happen. There was moments I found shocking and that I had to keep reading about, but I always ran into a moment of bored times. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">The only part I enjoyed reading about was the angels. However, this was the part that it lacked depth in. In the story, the current information about angels were more than enough. The descriptions of what happened to the world, what the angels have done to the world, and what they are currently doing. There has been some shocking details and events that happened. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">Along with good parts about the angels, there was also the bad parts. In most of the story, I always felt that it was often </span>repetitive. The streets kept being described. The land kept being described. Some of the history kept being described over and over again. Although the pieces were fairly spread out, it was still noticeable that some of the same pieces kept coming back over and over again.<br />
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Let's talk about the romance in this book. Just like the entire book, I have mixed feelings. I knew that the romance was needed to add more to the overall story. However, I just that there was no chemistry between the two characters. I just could not see the connection between them. You could say it was realistic was not instal-love, but in my opinion, it was not all there.<br />
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It seems like that book was a hit or a miss for most people while some people were in between. I guess I should say that I am one of those people that are in the between. If I could wish for one thing for this story, it would be everything had more added to. It seemed that some things lacked and I wanted more.</div>
TheCrownofBookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05463785737679715215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1501015541426268864.post-67013654122572109592017-06-10T10:30:00.000-04:002017-06-10T10:30:17.140-04:00Crown Review #49 - Strange Alchemy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1489165771l/34145337.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1489165771l/34145337.jpg" width="276" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34145337-strange-alchemy">Strange Alchemy</a> - Gwenda Bond</h2>
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<b>Rating: </b>3/5 Stars<br />
<b>Series: </b>Standalone</div>
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<b>Length: </b>322 Pages</div>
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<b>Purchase: [<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1630790761/ref=x_gr_w_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_bb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1630790761&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2">Amazon</a>] | [<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/strange-alchemy-gwenda-bond/1125676326?ean=9781630790769&st=AFF&2sid=Goodreads,%20Inc_2227948_NA&sourceId=AFFGoodreads,%20IncM000004">Barnes & Noble</a>]</b></div>
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<b style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;"><i>Thank You Capstone & NetGalley for giving a copy in exchange for an honest review.</i></b><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Synopsis:</b></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">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.</span><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">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.</span><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">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</span></div>
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<a name='more'></a><b style="background-color: white;"><b style="background-color: white;">______________________________________________________________________</b></b><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">In <i>Strange Alchemy</i>, history is repeated when 114 citizens in a town suddenly disappears in the same location where it first happens many years ago on the same island of Roanoke. I stumbled across this book randomly on NetGalley while I was binge watching American Horror Story. Any AHS fan knows that the latest season involved with the Roanoke story. I think was in a moment of being slightly obsessed with the show that I wanted to read more.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">I remember when I first got into this book, I started thinking that this was different and interesting. There were talks of a curse surrounding a certain family while theres another family dealing with a gift that can see spirits affected by the curse on the island. It was an interest play on a legend that almost everyone knows. The more I got into, the less interested I became. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">I felt that </span>certain scenes and parts were being dragged out where it could be summed up or written quicker. It was mainly playing around with history and finding important pieces that could help with what was going on in the present day when citizens went missing, During the middle of the books, I felt that some of the same information kept being repeated over and over again. It was not to repetitive, but to an amount when you start thinking that you already knew that and want something new.<br />
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In the ending of the book, everything started going in a faster pace as everything fell into place and information started coming from everything. I was able to understand it, but I felt that to many things were happening at once. I knew that this was sudden part of the story and every character did not expect it. I tried following the characters' action, but there were bits that happened and I had to think "When did that happen?" I was not sure if it was recent, or a couple of chapters back because I ended up taking a break from this book unintentionally. Due to that reason, I decided to let this this part go a little. It may have been my fault for forgetting some pieces after al.<br />
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Overall, this is an easy book, but requires certain focus to follow up on everything. I loved the fact that this was based on Roanoke and for that I enjoyed part of this book. However, I just could not get into the story as much as I thought I would.</div>
TheCrownofBookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05463785737679715215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1501015541426268864.post-60201455266962006582017-06-03T11:30:00.000-04:002017-06-05T09:40:56.874-04:00Crown Review #48 - Frostbloood<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1471381624l/27827203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1471381624l/27827203.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27827203-frostblood">Frostblood</a> - Elly Blake</h2>
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<b>Rating: </b>2.5/5 Stars<br />
<b>Series: </b>Frostblood Saga, #1</div>
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<b>Length: </b>376 Pages</div>
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<b>Purchase: [<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316273252/ref=x_gr_w_glide_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_glide_bb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0316273252&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2">Amazon</a>] | [<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/frostblood-elly-blake/1123748132?ean=9780316273251&st=AFF&2sid=Goodreads,%20Inc_2227948_NA&sourceId=AFFGoodreads,%20IncM000004">Barnes & Noble</a>]</b></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Synopsis:</b></div>
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<span id="freeText4997376234552978091" style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">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.<br /><br />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.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;"> </span></div>
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<a name='more'></a><b style="background-color: white;"><b style="background-color: white;">______________________________________________________________________</b></b><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Before I begin, I have to say that I am not sure where I stand with this book. I liked it and I didn't like it. I was very mixed. I was not sure on how to rate the book, but I knew I was very 50/50 with the book. Therefore, I give this book a rating of 2.5 Stars, exactly half of 5 stars. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">I was first shocked when I got my hands on this book a lot sooner than I expected. This book was first published earlier this year only in January and it quickly went on sale within the next 2 months. This usually never happens, or at least for me. I was afraid that a quick sale didn't mean something good for the book but I still quickly grabbed it. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Before the book was published, I knew what I was getting into. I have seen some of the reviews. Reviewers have said that they have seen this book before and it was nothing knew. I understood where they were coming from because I saw that just in the synopsis. However, I have never read a Frost verses Fire battle before and that is what kept me interested in this book. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">I enjoyed reading about the differences between Firebloods and Frostbloods and their origins. I liked the main character and some of the minor characters. I just did not like the main relationship between Ruby and Arcus. I felt like it was predictable. They were complete opposites. Frost and Fire. I knew and saw that relationship coming. Reading it was very complicated as well. I saw that Ruby liked Arcus, but Arcus kept having a love and hate relationship with her. He kept saying that he could have left Ruby to die, but would miss her if she ever left. I often wondered if Arcus knew what was coming out of his mouth. Their relationship was nothing new and almost instal-love. I was just happy that there </span>wasn't a love triangle.<br />
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There was often scenes that also did not make sense as well and there were times that I often stopped reading wondering where I was because stuff was just coming out of nowhere and it felt like there was sudden jump in the story. These jumps made it confusing and made certain details unclear.<br />
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Although this was different story, the aspects of it was similar. The theme of revenge, powers, politics. It was all the same. I wanted to give it a chance because I saw there was piece of something new. However, everything behind the new piece was pieces of the same old that we've seen before. If you haven't read much of these types before, you may enjoy this book. If you read some amount of these, you may find yourself reading a similar story and may not feel like your reading something new. Personally, I was in the middle. I found the newness in it, but I also saw an old story in it and I could not leave the middle line between old and new.</div>
TheCrownofBookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05463785737679715215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1501015541426268864.post-78388335963222749572017-05-30T11:30:00.000-04:002017-05-30T11:30:40.846-04:00Penryn & The End of Days Weekend Review!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbJWA9eY82R3dr31oJMAAcTc48R2D4YRwfbe7HXi1udrjwuE7Yoqi3Fy9Jo8nT7VrRfhiO1sf0vmNVhGIOyC2IaNioOTq0QrEk6Q4wBPj8osyIADn6m1wkepZ3x_hIwjrX5xB6Aj1ghFbI/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-05-25+at+4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="166" data-original-width="369" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbJWA9eY82R3dr31oJMAAcTc48R2D4YRwfbe7HXi1udrjwuE7Yoqi3Fy9Jo8nT7VrRfhiO1sf0vmNVhGIOyC2IaNioOTq0QrEk6Q4wBPj8osyIADn6m1wkepZ3x_hIwjrX5xB6Aj1ghFbI/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-05-25+at+4.png" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Upcoming in June!</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
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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!</div>
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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.</div>
TheCrownofBookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05463785737679715215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1501015541426268864.post-4050406873706814942017-05-27T11:59:00.000-04:002017-05-27T11:59:19.919-04:00Crown Review #47 - Alive<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23278532-alive">Alive</a> - Scott Sigler</h2>
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<b>Rating: </b>4/5 Stars<br />
<b>Series: </b>The Generations Trilogy, #1</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Length: </b>345 Pages</div>
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<b>Purchase: [<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0553393103/ref=x_gr_w_glide_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_glide_bb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0553393103&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2">Amazon</a>] | [<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/alive-scott-sigler/1120419254;jsessionid=482E0D58C480E3EADE1074ED9A951E57.prodny_store02-atgap01?ean=9780553393101&st=AFF&2sid=Goodreads,%20Inc_2227948_NA&sourceId=AFFGoodreads,%20IncM000004">Barnes & Noble</a>]</b></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Synopsis:</b></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">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.</span><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">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.</span><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">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.</span></div>
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<a name='more'></a><b style="background-color: white;"><b style="background-color: white;">______________________________________________________________________</b></b><br />
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<b style="background-color: white;"><b style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal;"><i>“I was created to be destroyed.” </i></span></b></b></blockquote>
If you're reading this review, you should just probably stop and run away in the other direction. I am not saying that this was bad. I am saying that this was good. That is all you need to know, but before you run away in the other direction, take this last piece of advice: Know Nothing. Now you know why you need to run. Just go, pick up the book, and leave this page. The less you know, the better!<br />
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I see that you haven't left yet and you want to know more. All I can say is that I'll talk about this book, but I'll try to be strictly non-spoiler. <i>Know Nothing.</i> In the beginning, a girl wakes up in which she calls a "coffin" and finds that her name is M. Savage. After Em quickly gets out of the coffin, she realizes that she has no memories, except for her name and her age. However, everything does not make sense immediately and this is what makes the stories good.<br />
<br />
Em and a group of others are in a mysterious building and they have no clue where they are, or what they are even in. Everything has to be solved, and everything is about survival. <i>Know Nothing. </i>As the story progresses, it gets more confusing and more mysterious that you want to know the answer here and now. Once you get towards the end and everything starts to fall into piece, you're not going to believe it because you never saw it coming. I never saw it coming. It plays your mind and you forget to think.<br />
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Now, stop reading and leave. I am not to say anymore, reveal any more details. I have said this before, and I will say it one last time. The less you know, the better and <i>know nothing.</i> Just go, and pick up this book.</div>
TheCrownofBookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05463785737679715215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1501015541426268864.post-5039438810716177872017-05-20T11:59:00.000-04:002017-05-20T11:59:02.712-04:00Crown Review #46 - This Savage Song<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26074170-this-savage-song#">This Savage Song</a> - Victoria Schwab</h2>
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<b>Rating: </b>3.5/5 Stars<br />
<b>Series: </b>Monsters of Verity, #1</div>
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<b>Length: </b><span id="goog_214307858"></span>427 Pages<span id="goog_214307859"></span></div>
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<b>Purchase: [<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0062380850/ref=x_gr_w_glide_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_glide_bb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0062380850&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2">Amazon</a>] | [<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/this-savage-song-victoria-schwab/1122494126?ean=9780062380852&st=AFF&2sid=Goodreads,%20Inc_2227948_NA&sourceId=AFFGoodreads,%20IncM000004">Barnes & Noble</a>]</b></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Synopsis:</b></div>
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<i style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px;">There’s no such thing as safe.</i><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px;">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.</span><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px;">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.</span><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px;">Their city is divided.</span><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px;">Their city is crumbling.</span><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px;">Kate and August are the only two who see both sides, the only two who could do something.</span><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px;">But how do you decide to be a hero or a villain when it’s hard to tell which is which?</span></div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b style="background-color: white;"><b style="background-color: white;"><i style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal;">“Corsai, Corsai, tooth and claw,<br />Shadow and bone will eat you raw.<br />Malchai, Malchai, sharp and sly,<br />Smile and bite and drink you dry.<br />“Sunai, Sunai, eyes like coal,<br />Sing you a song and steal your soul.”</i></b></b></blockquote>
This book was a very, easy read and quite enjoyable. I loved reading it as a matter of fact. However, I felt like it was quite generic and simple. There were scenes I liked and didn't like for a number of reasons, but most scenes felt like you knew it was going to happen and not much of it was surprising. I do, however, can say that one or two particular scenes that were surprising.<br />
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I loved the characters to. Each and every single character were different and you can tell. Their backstories were also given to help understand each character, but that was it. They were sort of introduced that way. Just who they are, and where they came from. The only characters that got more information was Kate and August. I just wished that the side characters got a little bit more depth into them.<br />
<br />
One thing that I do have to praise about is the fact that this story has no romance in it. This is the first book in a long time that I have read that doesn't even have a mentioning of romance in it. It was nice for a change. However, there was times I found myself wondering what would the story be like if there was actually romance. Then I realized that it would be like a Romeo and Juliet scenario or something of the sort. I enjoyed it without the romance, but I couldn't help wondering. I could of swore I saw a couple of small hints, but no romance overall.<br />
<br />
In short, this is a good and easy read. It was very enjoyable, but it could be better overall. It could be improved, but there is nothing really worth complaining about.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
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</div>
TheCrownofBookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05463785737679715215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1501015541426268864.post-79344431883468865552017-05-13T11:59:00.000-04:002017-05-13T11:59:08.791-04:00Crown Review #45 - Passenger<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1446749751l/20983362.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1446749751l/20983362.jpg" /></a></div>
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20983362-passenger?ac=1&from_search=true">Passenger</a> - Alexandra Bracken</h2>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><br /></b>
<b>Rating: </b>1.5/5 Stars<br />
<b>Series: </b>Passenger, #1</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Length: </b>486 Pages</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Purchase: [<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1484715772/ref=x_gr_w_glide_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_glide_bb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1484715772&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2">Amazon</a>] | [<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/passenger-alexandra-bracken/1121014138;jsessionid=7467C144E559A6CF13C44D1887E10F7A.prodny_store02-atgap06?ean=9781484715772&st=AFF&2sid=Goodreads,%20Inc_2227948_NA&sourceId=AFFGoodreads,%20IncM000004">Barnes & Noble</a>]</b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Synopsis:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px;">Passage</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px;">, n.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px;">i. A brief section of music composed of a series of notes and flourishes.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px;">ii. A journey by water; a voyage.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px;">iii. The transition from one place to another, across space and time.</span><br />
<br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px;">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.</span><br />
<br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px;">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.</span><br />
<br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px;">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.</span></div>
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<a name='more'></a><b style="background-color: white;"><b style="background-color: white;">______________________________________________________________________</b></b><br />
<b style="background-color: white;"><b style="background-color: white;"><br /></b></b>
<span style="background-color: white;">I am not even sure where to begin with this book. I am not even sure why I ever thought of starting this book. I picked this book up one day when it was on sale on Amazon when I wasn't even sure if I wanted this book. I looked at it and remembered that I wasn't really interested, but then I was to a point. I have debated on this book for a while before ultimately decided to purchase the book, just for $2. If I didn't like it, it was not going to be much of a loss. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">What I did lose was my patience. Never have I ever lost my patience on a book before. I have started this book being confused and when I got up to the 30% point, I put a giant <b style="font-style: italic;">DNF </b>label on it. So many things were going on and I couldn't even understand what was going on. I tried to find explanations and pieces of information but they were nowhere to be found. At that point, I just gave up because I didn't want to be completely lost the entire time. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">However, the next day, I picked up the book again and decided to skimmed through it to see if there was actually something. Overall, not really. There were a couple of points that I have seen that peaked interest, but not enough to fully read the book. I completed the book and have decided that I was not going to go further in the series.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">When I finished the book, I looked at the cover and then I noticed that the author also wrote <i>The Darkest Minds. </i>I only thought that explained so much. I was much more interested in <i>The Darkest Minds</i> than I was into <i>Passenger, </i>but both dealt with the same issues. Many things happened, but it lacked severely. No explanations was given and many things happened that left you wondering what exactly happened. Although I must say, <i>The Darkest Minds</i> was much more understandable than <i>Passenger</i>. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">It also made me think of other books that fell in the same category with similar problems and I had to ask myself "Do I really want to continue the series?" I was surprised that my thoughts answered immediately with a flat "No." I didn't even think about, I just knew it and I knew how true my response was. Never did I thought that a book could end so many more books along with it.</span></div>
TheCrownofBookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05463785737679715215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1501015541426268864.post-8367303473056218952017-05-06T11:46:00.000-04:002017-05-06T12:07:59.176-04:00Crown Review #44 - Dorothy Must Die<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1381437107l/18053060.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1381437107l/18053060.jpg" /></a></div>
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
Dorothy Must Die - Danielle Paige</h2>
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<b><br /></b>
<b>Rating: </b>1.5/5 Stars<br />
<b>Series:</b> Dorothy Must Die, #1</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Length: </b>452 Pages</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Purchase: [<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0062280678/ref=x_gr_w_glide_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_glide_bb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0062280678&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2">Amazon</a>] | [<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dorothy-must-die-danielle-paige/1115554770;jsessionid=BB627227FBD6A992121C467BC267C441.prodny_store01-atgap11?ean=9780062280671&st=AFF&2sid=Goodreads,%20Inc_2227948_NA&sourceId=AFFGoodreads,%20IncM000004">Barnes & Noble</a>]</b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #990000;">!Slight Spoilers Ahead!</span></b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Synopsis:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px;">I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't ask to be some kind of hero.</b><br />
<br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px;">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?</span><br />
<br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px;">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.</span><br />
<br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px;" />
<b style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px;">What happened? Dorothy.</b><br />
<br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px;">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.</span><br />
<br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px;" />
<b style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px;">My name is Amy Gumm - and I'm the other girl from Kansas.</b><br />
<br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px;">I've been recruited by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked.</span><br />
<br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px;">I've been trained to fight.</span><br />
<br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px;" />
<b style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px;">And I have a mission.</b></div>
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<a name='more'></a><b style="background-color: white;"><b style="background-color: white;">______________________________________________________________________</b></b><br />
<b style="background-color: white;"><b style="background-color: white;"><br /></b></b>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather"; font-size: 16px;"><i>“This is where it all began for her, you know. I don’t know why you’re here or who brought you, Pink Hair, but if you’re here, it means it’s all beginning for you, too. You’re like her in so many ways, but I can tell you’re different. I can’t help you. I’m not powerful enough. But you can help yourself. Prove me right. Don’t make the same mistakes she made.”</i></span></span></blockquote>
<br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">When I picked up this book, I really thought I was going to like it. I really did. I have to say that I have seen the classic <i>Wizard of Oz</i> movie, but I never read the actual stories. I originally thought this was interesting to see Dorothy and the gang turn <i>wicked</i> in the Land of Oz and away from home. I hate to say this, but we are far away from Oz as well in this book. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">Amy Gumm, a girl from </span>Tennessee, arrives in the Land of Oz after a tornado sweeps through her home. The moment she lands in Oz, she notices that this is not the story everyone knows and loves. She quickly finds out that "she's" the reason why Oz is like the way it is now. Who is "She?" Dorothy. Dorothy happened. Dorothy came back because home was no longer home and she was made a Princess of Oz for saving the land the last time she was there. Somehow, she became some ruthless ruler and everything went downhill.<br />
<br />
Learning from the story, Dorothy set a couple rules for Happiness. It is Oz after all and there needs to be happiness right? Sure, under Dorothy's definition. If she's happy, all is good. However, if you hurt anyone's happiness just a teeny tiny little bit, you are severely punished. These simple laws are outrageous. In simpler terms, the laws are pretty much set to make Dorothy better, and everyone else worse. Happy, right? Who knew Dorothy was pretty much breaking her own law?<br />
<br />
As Amy continues, she's quickly met by Dorothy and is thrown in the Palace's dungeon where the Wicked comes and rescues her. Remember,<i> Good is Wicked, and Wicked is Good</i>. This makes it confusing, but understandable once you see that everything is complete opposite now. Amy somehow goes through training and is super good after like a day or two of training and she has go fight with Boss like characters (pretty much Dorothy and her Gang). I do not see how this training was matched up in skills and abilities. Also, welcome Insta-Love. You know, mostly everyone hates Insta-Love, but this was the worse case of Insta-Love I have ever seen. There this boy and Amy takes a sudden interest in, and the boy does the vice versa. However, nothing is built up for it except for one line and many mentioning like "he's hot" and "I can't stop looking." There is like no chemistry in the relationship at all. It was just a bad case of it.<br />
<br />
If you think there was going to be a battle between Amy and Dorothy, you think it would be epic showdown of some sort? Right? NOPE. Dorothy is like a tiny dog. She think's she strong, but when she knows she's targeted, she runs. She doesn't even stand up or put her hands up to defend herself. She just runs. I am even surprised that Toto fights better than her. HER DOG. Dorothy doesn't even get a scratch on her. If you want a fight, show that the opponent is vulnerable, not invincible. As I said, there are many points, but nothing was ever built up on it and added to give it more depth to it.<br />
<br />
Reading the story was simple, but many things weren't even adding up. However, when I was at the 90% mark, I came across this <a href="http://www.snugglyoranges.com/2014/01/full-fathom-five-boycott-books/">link</a> detailing about the publishing company behind it. I was not happy about learning it and it made me disappointed that I even picked this book and paid for it. (I got it on sale for $2 on Amazon, but still). I sat there wondering if I should finish the book. The only reason I did finish it was because I only had 10% left so I might as well finish it. The only thing that I'm happy about is the fact that I know I don't even want to continue the series. They won't be collecting much from me anymore. I even debated wether or not to write a review. I did so I can write everything wrong with it.<br />
<br />
Overall, the book is simple to read, but lacks in details for plots to give the story depth. Also, don't support the company.</div>
TheCrownofBookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05463785737679715215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1501015541426268864.post-34513140528136610892017-05-01T09:00:00.000-04:002017-05-10T08:14:11.452-04:00Crown Recaps - April 2017<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTocM9lNq8ou_O1NMwMpuWw5PLLr5_gsJUn-tKpNXBRKlsPCefM3uAJxS7lCGI6ivfnDuUHUb8dedCgAhbOHYJj2gkzZTvuq5GA00vHSrjFFrzljUuPNEdIakThJ9UrCqbLDbCL_sMgcFL/s1600/ARC.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTocM9lNq8ou_O1NMwMpuWw5PLLr5_gsJUn-tKpNXBRKlsPCefM3uAJxS7lCGI6ivfnDuUHUb8dedCgAhbOHYJj2gkzZTvuq5GA00vHSrjFFrzljUuPNEdIakThJ9UrCqbLDbCL_sMgcFL/s640/ARC.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
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!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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 <b>Winter</b>. 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. <b>The Lost Hero</b> was a trip back to the Percy Jackson series. After reading the original series, I knew that I wanted to read the <i>Heroes of Olympus </i>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, <b>Alive</b> 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.</div>
TheCrownofBookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05463785737679715215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1501015541426268864.post-44382625273879272312017-04-29T08:42:00.000-04:002017-04-29T08:42:29.661-04:00Crown Review #43 - Zodiac<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1404743153l/20821306.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1404743153l/20821306.jpg" /></a></div>
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20821306-zodiac">Zodiac</a> - Romina Russel</h2>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><br /></b>
<b>Rating: </b>3.5/5 Stars<br />
<b>Series: </b>Zodiac, #1</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Length: </b>325</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Purchase: [<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1595147403/ref=x_gr_w_glide_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_glide_bb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1595147403&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2">Amazon</a>] | [<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/zodiac-jesse-russell/1112298348;jsessionid=C35D0210BB04390B8167D0460E95F983.prodny_store02-atgap05?ean=9781595147400&st=AFF&2sid=Goodreads,%20Inc_2227948_NA&sourceId=AFFGoodreads,%20IncM000004">Barnes & Noble</a>]</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Synopsis:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px;">At the dawn of time, there were 13 Houses in the Zodiac Galaxy. Now only 12 remain….</b><br />
<br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px;">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.</span><br />
<br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px;">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.</span><br />
<br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px;">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.</span><br />
<br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px;">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?</span></div>
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<a name='more'></a><b style="background-color: white;"><b style="background-color: white;">______________________________________________________________________</b></b><br />
<b style="background-color: white;"><b style="background-color: white;"><br /></b></b>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather"; font-size: 16px;"><i>Home is within me, no matter where I go, no matter what happens to our planet or our people.</i></span></blockquote>
<span style="background-color: white;">Last year, I knew I was going to get a Kindle Fire for Christmas, so I started looking out for deals on ebook and <i>Zodiac</i> was the first book I downloaded when it was on sale for the holidays. <i>Zodiac</i> was one of the books I was always wanting to read because I thought it took an interesting take on horoscopes and was curious to see how it would all play out. In the end, I loved it. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">My first thought was how was this world going to be created. I wanted to know the history and mythology behind the new world. The world-building exceeded past my expectations as each horoscope sign was like their own world and culture. The differences were described from the main character before and during her expedition to each of the sign to prevent disaster upon them. Each sign has a different "language" or sayings for many things like ways to communicate, even when universal.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">However, there were times that was could be "boring." These scenes only happened a couple of times, but not in a major way. I would not say the scenes were unneeded, just could be more improved. Also, the love triangle seemed very stereotypical and I was not a major fan of it. I really wished the Rho did not have to have sudden feelings for 2 boys (that also happened to go on the expedition with her). Each time this was brought up, my reaction was to quickly wrap it up and move it on. There was also that one scene where I was like "Rho, you're to young!" I am not even sure how that scene got into the book.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">The mythology behind the story was my favorite part. I loved learning how the signs came to be and how the 13th House became the enemy (and still is). I was worried that the mythology would not be good as I believed that the mythology behind this story would be very crucial. The stories that have been told was very interesting due to many reasons. The overall story and mythology that many seem to agree on and the variations of the stories told through the different signs. In the mythologies we now, we can tell that some stories are told differently between different areas and cultures. This was just the same in the different signs in space.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">In the end, did I enjoy this book? I did, although it could be better in different areas. The world building and mythology was the best parts of the story. The relationships and stuff could have been improved and some scene just needed a boost. Will I continue the series? Why not? </span></div>
TheCrownofBookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05463785737679715215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1501015541426268864.post-84367135743803658972017-04-23T11:59:00.000-04:002017-04-23T11:59:10.857-04:00Crown Review #42 - Winter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1441398934l/25774272.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1441398934l/25774272.jpg" /></a></div>
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25774272-winter">Winter</a> - Marissa Meyer</h2>
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<b><br /></b>
<b>Rating: </b>5/5 Stars<br />
<b>Series: </b>The Lunar Chronicles, #4</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Length: </b>823 Pages</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Purchase: [<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/014134024X/ref=x_gr_w_glide_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_glide_bb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=014134024X&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2">Amazon</a>] | [<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/winter-mary-l-meyer/1005154455?ean=9780312642983">Barnes & Noble</a>]</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Synopsis:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px;">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.</span><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px;">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.</span><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px;">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.</span></div>
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<a name='more'></a><b style="background-color: white;"><b style="background-color: white;">______________________________________________________________________</b></b><br />
<b style="background-color: white;"><b style="background-color: white;"><br /></b></b>
<span style="background-color: white;">I had an amazing time reading the series and when I finally made to the final book, I just could not believe that I was finally at the end. It was almost like I did not want the series to end at all. I wanted to get back into the series, so I got all the books together and read them in order and then went onto the next book when I was done. When I came to this book, I only thought I would finish the book in two or three days thinking it was the same length as the other books. Afterwards, I saw the how long the book was. All I could think was "Bring it On!" At the end, it took about a week and I did not plan for it to take that long.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">Despite how long it took, I loved every single second of it. You could see the final pieces of the rebellion and how Levana is reacting to all of it. You can see the struggle in Levana as she attempts to finish Cinder once and for all, but she shows that she is not an easy person to defeat. She knows how to put up a fight.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">In this book, we finally get to see more of Winter and her connection to Cinder and Levana and the entire story in its entirety. I believe that Winter is more of an underdog. I did not expect her to play a pivotal role in the rebellion, but she proved me wrong. She was able to do things I did not expect her to do and things that she did had a huge impact in the story. Winter played an important role, and I would not have even expected that at all. I did not even expect it in the third book when she made her first </span>appearance.<br />
<br />
The fight between Levana and Cinder was absolutely thrilling to read. I have always wondered how the final battle was going to go. I figured it was going to be gift verses gift but the gift was not the only weapon used. It was interesting to see how this was finally going to go down and I can say that I did not expect anything less than amazing and thrilling.<br />
<br />
At the end, I am glad that I finally got the finish the series and it is going to be one of my favorites of all time. I have never read nor watched the original fairy tale and works based on the story, so I went into the series very opened minded with the facts I knew about each fairy tale. I only wish that I could read more, so I will probably pick up the <i>Wire and Nerves</i> books sooner or later.</div>
TheCrownofBookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05463785737679715215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1501015541426268864.post-34119856594775173602017-04-22T11:59:00.000-04:002017-04-22T11:59:12.030-04:00Crown Review #41 - Cress<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1416448165l/21469054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1416448165l/21469054.jpg" /></a></div>
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21469054-cress">Cress</a> - Marissa Meyer</h2>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><br /></b>
<b>Rating: </b>5/5 Stars<br />
<b>Series: </b>The Lunar Chronicles, #3</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Length: </b>582 Pages</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Purchase: [<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1250007224/ref=x_gr_w_glide_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_glide_bb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1250007224&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2">Amazon</a>] | [<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cress-marissa-meyer/1114764513?ean=9781250007223">Barnes & Noble</a>]</b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Synopsis:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span id="freeText7211473456492500896" style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;"> </span></div>
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<a name='more'></a><b style="background-color: white;"><b style="background-color: white;">______________________________________________________________________</b></b><br />
<b style="background-color: white;"><b style="background-color: white;"><br /></b></b>
<span style="background-color: white;">At this point, I cannot stop reading the series. I have already flew through <i>Scarlet</i> and just flew through <i>Cress</i> in a matter of a couple days. At this rate, I could finish the series in just another three or four days. One thing that I know for a fact is that I am enjoying the series way to much, and there is nothing wrong about this. (Right??)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">After reading the third installment, I personally believe that <i>Cress</i> is the best book of the series. I do not know how <i>Winter</i> is going to hold up, but right now I loved reading every single page of this book. Cress has become my favorite character in the entire series very quickly (sorry Iko). I enjoyed reading about Cress, her history, and her relationship with Thorne. I was rooting for them two since the very beginning. I even laughed when this part happened:</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">“'I promise, I will not let you die without being kissed.'</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">'I’m dying now.'</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">'You are not dying'”</span></blockquote>
It may be weird, but I very rarely laugh while reading. Cress's character somehow managed to crack it and this very point after learning about their relationship even before they met. I imagined the scene as it happened, and when this part happened, I imagined in it so clearly, it was just funny. I just could not stop laughing.<br />
<br />
In the review for <i>Scarlet</i>, I mentioned that I did like Scarlet's POV but was not much of a fan for Cinder's POV. However, my opinions flipped for this book. I really enjoyed reading about Cinder in this book with her plans on how she is going defeat the Lunar Queen and moments with Kai, directly and indirectly. I did not even enjoy reading about Scarlet. It wasn't about what was going on or what happened to her, it was about the amount of time she got in the book. I just wanted Scarlet to be in the book more, although I do understand why she wasn't featured much.<br />
<br />
Other than that, everything else I completely enjoyed reading about, except for a couple scenes involving Levana and a sad scene that happened. I just could not stop reading the series and I am into way to much. I know that Scarlet is going to be featured more in the next book, <i>Winter, </i>but I hope Cress and Thorne gets a lot of time to. I need more of them. They made this book amazing.</div>
TheCrownofBookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05463785737679715215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1501015541426268864.post-70164595180208113752017-04-21T11:59:00.000-04:002017-04-21T11:59:01.247-04:00Crown Review #40 - Scarlet<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1385187788l/18139931.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1385187788l/18139931.jpg" /></a></div>
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18139931-scarlet">Scarlet</a> - Marissa Meyer</h2>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><br /></b>
<b>Rating: </b>4/5 Stars<br />
<b>Series: </b>The Lunar Chronicles, #2</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Length: </b>452 Pages</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Purchase: [<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1250007216/ref=x_gr_w_glide_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_glide_bb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1250007216&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2">Amazon</a>] | [<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/scarlet-marissa-meyer/1111414337;jsessionid=3164B500506BF3355894940FA498F425.prodny_store01-atgap03?ean=9781250007216&st=AFF&2sid=Goodreads,%20Inc_2227948_NA&sourceId=AFFGoodreads,%20IncM000004">Barnes & Noble</a>]</b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Synopsis:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">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.</span></div>
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<a name='more'></a><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">I know it has been a while since I have read the first book, <i>Cinder. </i>While I did get the rest of the series as a gift during the Holidays, I was not able to pick up the series until March. I thought I would have a little trouble since it has been months between each book since I read the first book and I was afraid I would be forgetting some crucial information. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">However, I realized that I did not have that problem. As the story progressed, the crucial details were pointed out and for that, I was able to read it much easier than I thought. In the end, I loved <i>Scarlet </i>way more than <i>Cinder.</i> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">I was not sure exactly what happened, but for some reason I was more interested in Scarlet's story than I was to Cinder's. I thought it was due to that Scarlet was a new character introduced and a new POV for the series. I have already read from Cinder's view, so perhaps there was not much of a difference for me for Cinder.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">Scarlet's story was something new and I enjoyed reading her POV more. I also loved the creative take on the characters and how they were integrated into this world. One of the most creative take I thought was Wolf. Instead of an animal, Wolf is a human (that can look like a wolf I guess). The Lunar Gift also takes a role in Scarlet's story in similarity to <i>Red Riding Hood</i>. I loved picking out the similarities between the two. The Author definitely has a way to weave many stories into one gentle flowing story and universe.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">I would have never guessed, but I was shocked at how the characters are connected. You might think, <i>Well, they run into each somehow and decide to join forces.</i> True, but I meant how. I am talking about what happened in their histories that lead them up to meeting. It has been years in the making for them to meet and by some chance to. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">It is no wonder why this series is very enjoyable. It's interesting, fun, and amazing. There's no such thing as a bad comment for this book, even the series itself.</span></div>
TheCrownofBookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05463785737679715215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1501015541426268864.post-69381996010075180132017-04-15T11:59:00.000-04:002017-04-15T12:57:18.260-04:00Crown Review #39 - Secret of the Sphinx<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1473758339l/32018655.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1473758339l/32018655.jpg" /></a></div>
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32018655-the-secret-of-the-sphinx">The Secret of the Sphinx</a> - Samuel Bavli</h2>
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<b><br /></b>
<b>Rating: </b>3.5/5 Stars<br />
<b>Series: </b><i>Standalone</i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Length: </b>134 Pages</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Purchase: [<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01L5YHFDE/ref=x_gr_w_glide_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_glide_bb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B01L5YHFDE&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2">Amazon</a>] | [<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-secret-of-the-sphinx-samuel-bavli/1124843463;jsessionid=562B3E201F5FC6A095110A820ECC8BA8.prodny_store02-atgap04?ean=9781537342856">Barnes & Noble</a>]</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><i>Thank You Samuel Bavli & NetGalley for giving a copy in exchange for an honest review.</i></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Synopsis:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">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.</span><br />
<br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">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.</span></div>
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<a name='more'></a><b style="background-color: white;"><b style="background-color: white;">______________________________________________________________________</b></b><br />
<b style="background-color: white;"><b style="background-color: white;"><br /></b></b>
<span style="background-color: white;">This is a great middle grade book for students who have a great interest in Egyptian mythology.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">I, for one, also have a great interest in Egyptian mythology. If there is a book and you tell me it involves Egyptian Mythology, it would quickly grab my attention. I felt the need to read something with Egyptian touches and mythology. I was looking through books and I have come across this on NetGalley. It was going to be a quick read and I thought it looked good overall. I gave it a chance and it had everything I looked for in books involving with Egyptian Mythology.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">In <i>Secret of the Sphinx</i>, a sorcerer, Neb, is imprisoned in a stone statue of a Sphinx and can only be free when a specific event happens in the future. In the future,</span> Jon<span style="background-color: white;">, a </span>student, visits the museum and notices that there is something different looking at Neb's sphinx statue. He later gets a message and returns to it during the night. He climbs onto the sphinx's back and travels back in time to solve the mystery and free Neb's soul once for all.<br />
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Even though the story was a short 134 pages, it had everything I wanted. Usually, I look for mentioning of the Gods and Goddesses, some of Egypt's history, and adventure. How can you have an adventure when something is set in Ancient Egypt? Some of the details the author included in the story had every fact that I wanted. There were the Gods, there were parts about the temples and pyramids, and even little details like scarabs and jewelry. I loved every little mentioning about Ancient Egypt.<br />
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The only small part I do have to say that there was areas that I got a little confused on what was going on, but that rarely happened. I did understand the overall story and everything involving the main set of characters. On the scenes that were mainly minor characters, it did get a little confusing, but the next couple of chapters usually clarified things.<br />
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One thing I did appreciate was the ending. You would think that everything would be settled in Ancient Egypt in most stories like these. However, this isn't the case with this book. I will not say what it was, but it was nice to see a change for once. It was a good ending for the story.<br />
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Overall, I think anyone in the middle-grade will enjoy this story if they want to reading something with Ancient Egypt. I may not be in the middle-grade, but it did serve my wants for reading something with Egyptian Mythology in it. It was also the perfect quick read for it as well.</div>
TheCrownofBookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05463785737679715215noreply@blogger.com0