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Showing posts from March, 2017

Hunted by Meagan Spooner- 3 stars

Hunted is a Beauty and the Beast retelling. My overall opinion is that if you are someone who loves Beauty and Beast you are very likely to love this too. All the traditional elements of the original fairy-tale are there. It is nothing like Marissa Meyer's retellings though. If you are expecting a completely new story that surprises you at times this is not it. I personally much prefer Marissa Meyer's style of fairy-tale retelling (or in this particular case even ACOTAR- a court of thorns and roses- also a Beauty and the Beast adaptation). I like the surprise element those authors added to their story, it helps (me at least) to engage and immerse myself in the book. In Hunted everything is predictable, and I greatly struggle with fantasy books that are too predictable. That is not a bad thing necessarily, jut not my favorite type of fairy-tale retelling I suppose...  The story is about Beauty (or Yeva), her two sisters and their father. When Beauty's father loose

The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco- 4.75 stars [arc review]

This was such a wonderful read! I was very much looking forward to it ever since I read the book blurb and saw its amazing cover art. Isn't it the most impressive book cover? There was no way a YA Fantasy lover would not be at least curious about it! Blurb by GoodReads: Tea is different from the other witches in her family. Her gift for necromancy makes her a bone witch, who are feared and ostracized in the kingdom. For theirs is a powerful, elemental magic that can reach beyond the boundaries of the living—and of the human. One of the most interesting features in The Bone Witch is that the story is told from Tea's perspective, from the future... She has been banished from her home and is somewhere remote with a very different heart from the heart she once had. In between chapters the reader get glances of a much older Tea, with secrets and a blackened heart. Those chapters are rather dark and heavy. And of a younger Tea, who is still learning to master her

Gilded Cage by Vic James- 4.75 stars or more! [arc review]

Oh my goodness guys! This book was so so good!!! I work in a library and this was an ARC we got not long ago and only now I had time to read. I’ve heard that this was a debut novel. Say what?! That is some talent! The book is a fantasy dystopia set in a totalitarian version of the United Kingdom. The population is divided between those who possess power, or Skill, and does who do not. Those who possess the magic of Skill rule the nation, they are the Equals. The others are obliged to give away ten years of their lives to the Equals working either in slave-towns or as servants at the Equals mansions. Ironic name right? Equals? They are only Equals among themselves, and even then there are exceptions. Those without power spend ten years working six days a week, morning to dawn, with no pay and very little health care. The conditions are oblique to say the least. The story is told from the perspective of a few different individuals and it takes place mostly in two places: at

UpperCase vs OwlCrate

I should start by making it clear I have been an  UpperCase   subscriber for a while and that I love them! My love affair with UpperCase is not yet a year long, but it is close. In that time, I have only been disappointed with the box once.  There have surely been books I did not give 5 stars, but I will not judge a book box subscription on that. The YA category encompasses a rather large variety of genres and it is impossible to please every subscriber every month. For example: one of the books I was not a fan of was Vassa in the Night. Almost all my bookstagrammer followers however loved that book... Now for this month's subscription comparisons UpperCase    vs  OwlCrate : UpperCase contents ($23.00box+$6.50delivery=$29.50) : Jane Austen socks by SockSmith; Gold Foil Book Stack Art Print by Belle Adele Co; Book Hoarder Sticker by Alexis Lampley; Hunted Bookmark; Hunted by Meagan Spooner, Signed! OwlCrate contents ($29.99box+$6.99 delivery=$

By Your Side by Kasie West- 3 stars

This book came with my February's subscription to  UpperCase  (the picture above is of all the february's box contents). I LOVE uppercase, cannot say that enough. But I was a little hesitant when I saw the book. Sounded rather generic and average. I was both proven right and wrong while reading By Your Side. Right, because yes, it was just another silly underdeveloped romance. But wrong because it was rather sweet and I did very much like the male character. I don't think the book was so middle of the road as to deserve a 3 star rating. But it wasn't as good as some other books I have given 4 stars. The story was predictable, but at the same time entertaining. Average, but also sweet. Generic with hints of greatness... The female character was rather boring. I wrote my short review (I always write a very short one for GoodReads) the day after I finished the book, and at that point I had already forgotten the female character's name. So.... that should tell yo

Heartless by Marissa Meyer- Above and Beyond 5 stars!

Marissa Meyer has done it again! Heartless was pure perfection. The writing was captivating, enticing, mesmerizing... The ever so clever, odd and poetic way in witch Marissa Meyer tells us the story of the famous Red Queen in Alice in Wonderland was impossible to put down, impossible not to love. This author holds a great talent for fairytale retelling. Her imagination knows no bounds. And the best part? Even IF you are not a fan of the classic, you will still love this. I know because I am not the number one fan of the odd Alice in Wonderland. I like it, but I do not love it. This on the other hand? This I loved beyond explanation. Heartless may take inspiration in the classic, and bring to its lovers fond memories. But it is more than that. It is a story on its own right. One cleverly written and impossible not to love. The story is about Catherine. A young girl who wants nothing more than to open her own bakery and bring smiles to all through her sweets. But she is the daug