Showing posts with label series review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label series review. Show all posts

8 May 2023

Review: ARC OF A SCYTHE Series by Neal Shusterman

08 May 0 Comments

SCYTHE

Author: Neal Shusterman
Series: Arc of a SCYTHE #1
Source: Audible
Publisher: Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: November 22, 2016

Overall Rating:
Diversity Rating:
Representation: LGBTQ+ and POC side characters

Summary:
Thou shalt kill.

A world with no hunger, no disease, no war, no misery. Humanity has conquered all those things, and has even conquered death. Now scythes are the only ones who can end life—and they are commanded to do so, in order to keep the size of the population under control.

Citra and Rowan are chosen to apprentice to a scythe—a role that neither wants. These teens must master the “art” of taking life, knowing that the consequence of failure could mean losing their own.
Purchase:
Content Warning:  Abuse, Assault, Bullying, Death (including child), Fatphobia, Fire, Grooming, Mass Killings, Murder, Suicide, Torture, Violence.

ARC OF A SCYTHE is Neal Shusterman's young adult dystopian series centering on life and death. The series centers around two teens who are chosen to be scythe apprentices, a role that neither wants. They must master the "art" of taking life, knowing that the consequences of failure could mean losing their own.

The books are set in a world without hunger, disease or war, in a future where humanity has even conquered death. The Scythes are the only ones who can end a life and are tasked with controlling the size of the population.

But for Citra and Rowan - two teens apprenticed to be scythes against their will - this perfect world comes with a heavy price, as they have to master the art of killing. Only one will be chosen as the Scythe, and the other will face execution from his or her opponent. 

The Arc of a Scythe series is a thought-provoking, dark, but witty thriller trilogy with an anthology collection that was published in 2022.

SCYTHE

This was good and really interesting - I thought the world was cool and I want to see where it evolves to - but I also was bored during some of it and looking forward to getting to the more interesting parts rather than focusing on what was happening in front of me.

I thought the dual perspective didn't work until they were separated and that there could have been more in general that was discussed. But I am looking forward to seeing where the next book goes!

One thing that Shusterman does really well in all of his books is make you question how you perceive certain aspects. This book is about life and death, but it's also about power and love. I think it has a really interesting message around the importance of understanding who you are and the boundaries you have with people in power.

I would have liked the dual perspectives to be narrated by multiple audiobook narrators, but it worked overall still!

THUNDERHEAD

There were a lot of new POVs that were coming into this book, but while I thought that this detracted the first time I read it, I actually really enjoyed it! I was still caught off guard with how many different layers there are to this, the ending especially being what it was!

I thought there was a lot of really good plot aspects to this, especially the relationships between Rowan and Citra. Thunderhead is my new favourite character and the chapter breaks from their perspective really hit differently this time around. The amount of weight and pressure on them is just so well written and I enjoyed seeing how that played out into the story itself.

I highly recommend reading this series and am excited to finally being able to finish it!

THE TOLL

I'm so glad I finally finished this series! There were so many amazing moments throughout the entire series and I highly enjoyed the conclusion. While I do wish there had been more Rowan and Citra in this installment, I was really happy with the other POVs that were incorporated and the ending! I have the 3.5 - Gleanings but I think I'm going to savour that a bit.

But this book was way too longer. It was both of the others together in length and that meant that too much dragged throughout. I wanted a bit more snappy action, especially with the crossover in timelines, and was just a little disappointed with how long it took to get to the good parts.

I loved the dystopian within a dystopian setting and aspects of this. I'm glad there were discussions around gender identity and expressions.

Definitely recommend this series!!

GLEANINGS

Honestly this was kinda meh for me. I stayed up really late finishing it and I'm not sure it was worth it. It provided insights into other Scythes and the world itself but it took away from the rest of the series in my opinion. Maybe that's because I read it all back-to-back-to-back but it just didn't feel like it flowed well with the others. I think some of these stories (or at least parts of them) would have made better epigraphs during the series rather than their own stories.

If you haven't read the books in a while and want to be back in the series, this is a good way to do it but I think I wouldn't recommend unless you truly loved the series.

Have you read this series? Are you going to pick this up?
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7 Apr 2023

Science Fiction and Fantasy Fridays: THE WINTERNIGHT TRILOGY by Katherine Arden

07 April 0 Comments

Science Fiction and Fantasy Fridays introduces readers who are unfamiliar with the Adult SF/F genre to books, authors, and discussions all about the vast expanse of the world of Adult SF/F!

THE BEAR AND THE NIGHTINGALE

Author: Katherine Arden
Series: The Winternight Trilogy #1
Source: Audible
Publisher: Del Rey Books
Publication Date: January 10, 2017

Summary:
At the edge of the Russian wilderness, winter lasts most of the year and the snowdrifts grow taller than houses. But Vasilisa doesn't mind—she spends the winter nights huddled around the embers of a fire with her beloved siblings, listening to her nurse's fairy tales. Above all, she loves the chilling story of Frost, the blue-eyed winter demon, who appears in the frigid night to claim unwary souls. Wise Russians fear him, her nurse says, and honor the spirits of house and yard and forest that protect their homes from evil.

After Vasilisa's mother dies, her father goes to Moscow and brings home a new wife. Fiercely devout, city-bred, Vasilisa's new stepmother forbids her family from honoring the household spirits. The family acquiesces, but Vasilisa is frightened, sensing that more hinges upon their rituals than anyone knows.

And indeed, crops begin to fail, evil creatures of the forest creep nearer, and misfortune stalks the village. All the while, Vasilisa's stepmother grows ever harsher in her determination to groom her rebellious stepdaughter for either marriage or confinement in a convent.

As danger circles, Vasilisa must defy even the people she loves and call on dangerous gifts she has long concealed—this, in order to protect her family from a threat that seems to have stepped from her nurse's most frightening tales.

The Bear and the Nightingale is a magical debut novel from a gifted and gorgeous voice. It spins an irresistible spell as it announces the arrival of a singular talent.

Purchase:
Content Warnings: Misogyny (theme), Religious persecution (theme), Ableism & ableist language, Rape (multiple, off-page), martial rape & sexual assault, Adult-minor relationship and forced arranged marriage, Physical child abuse, Suicide (self-sacrifice), Pregnancy & death from childbirth, Abortion discussed, Alcohol consumption, Grief & loss depiction, Death of a wife & mother, Death of a father, Graphic animal death & hunting, War themes mentioned

The Bear and the Nightingale

I really enjoyed this one! I loved the elements of Russian folklore and weaving that into the story itself. While this is a great read in the winter time, I would say that the themes in it can be quite heavy at times. It did also drag at times, which made me lose a bit of interest throughout.

The atmosphere and setting are really what kept me captivated, though. The writing style and depictions of the setting where so immaculately done that I felt as though I was there the entire time. I could feel the biting cold throughout my reading of it.

I did like Vasilisa and her story, especially the magical aspects of it. I thought she was quick-witted and brave, but sometimes too stubborn for her own good. It was easy to relate to her and to root for her along the way.

Since the series is done, I will be continuing with it! I recommend trying this one out if you enjoy fairytales.

The Girl in the Tower

I wasn't sure how this series would continue and keep reader's interests. Sometimes when you mix a lot of folklore and mythology together, it gets too convoluted and the characters lose meaning beyond "portrayal of this other character." But I'm SO happy that it didn't happen here.

This story feels fresh and new while still continuing from where we left off last time. We also get a lot more political aspects because we are brought to Moscow. I really enjoyed Vasya masquerading as a boy to experience the world around her. It was so interesting to see how there is safety in nature (and winter, in Vasya's case) but you lose that protection once you leave.

I highly enjoyed and recommend this series if you like feminist stories, historical fantasy, and magical elements intertwined seamlessly.

The Winter of the Witch

A satisfying conclusion to this series!

This is a book about the bonds of family, blood and found, and doing whatever it takes to protect the ones you love. This is a book about religion and the beautiful and terrible things people are willing to do in the name of it. This is a book about all the different pieces that make a person, and how it is okay to love them all even if others won’t. But this is ultimately a book about a girl becoming the hero of her own story every single time, no matter who or what tries to block her path.

I loved so much about this series, this novel, and these characters. This is exactly what historical fantasy should be, especially mixed with the folklore it was. I will be recommending this for years to come!
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27 Jan 2023

Science Fiction and Fantasy Fridays: RED RISING SAGA by Pierce Brown

27 January 0 Comments

Science Fiction and Fantasy Fridays introduces readers who are unfamiliar with the Adult SF/F genre to books, authors, and discussions all about the vast expanse of the world of Adult SF/F!

RED RISING

Author: Pierce Brown
Series: Red Rising Sage #1
Source: Audiobook via Audible
Publisher: Del Rey
Publication Date: January 28, 2014

Summary:
"I live for the dream that my children will be born free," she says. "That they will be what they like. That they will own the land their father gave them."

"I live for you," I say sadly.

Eo kisses my cheek. "Then you must live for more."

Darrow is a Red, a member of the lowest caste in the color-coded society of the future. Like his fellow Reds, he works all day, believing that he and his people are making the surface of Mars livable for future generations.

Yet he spends his life willingly, knowing that his blood and sweat will one day result in a better world for his children.

But Darrow and his kind have been betrayed. Soon he discovers that humanity already reached the surface generations ago. Vast cities and sprawling parks spread across the planet. Darrow—and Reds like him—are nothing more than slaves to a decadent ruling class.

Inspired by a longing for justice, and driven by the memory of lost love, Darrow sacrifices everything to infiltrate the legendary Institute, a proving ground for the dominant Gold caste, where the next generation of humanity's overlords struggle for power. He will be forced to compete for his life and the very future of civilization against the best and most brutal of Society's ruling class. There, he will stop at nothing to bring down his enemies... even if it means he has to become one of them to do so. 

Purchase:
Content Warnings: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Attempted rape, Attempted suicide, Bullying, Eugenics, Misogyny, Murder, Mutilation, Rape (mentioned), Sexual assault, Slavery, Violence

This is a review of the first three books that make up the first trilogy. I will have a separate post for the next set of books in the series, if I decide to read them.

Red Rising

This is a two star book. The ending was pretty good and I think it has good potential as a series, I just am not sure if I want to continue with it or not. I was hoping for more rebellion and more politics, especially since this is technically classified as an Adult novel (although I'm not sure why - Darrow starts at like 16 and ends at 18 in this novel). However, that is not what you get. It is a mash-up of The Hunger Games, Ender's Game, and, strangely, Percy Jackson and the Olympians Boxed Set. So yes, lots to talk about.

First, warning for rape in this book. Like lots of it. And it is not handled well and a better person than me could unpack the reasons why it is horrible and not needed in the way it was done. I just don't have the mental strength to ever have to do that. But basically the only character who was openly appalled by the rape in this book was Mustang. Everyone else was like "well it's just how life is" and that's not okay. And the one character victim blames, and Darrow literally hugs an attempted rapist and I just couldn't. I almost DNFed after two specific incidents that both surrounded rape. So there's that: one star gone.

The plot was ALL OVER THE PLACE. I am halfway through explaining it after this sentence and am making myself even more confused as to what actually happened in this book tbh. It is a very confusing novel that seemed to want to be one thing and ended up another.

We start with Darrow as a red trying to win a larel for digging his rock stuff on Mars because he is one of the people helping to terraform Mars so that people can come and live on the planet, only to then have his wife die (because how can this story be anything if a woman doesn't die so a man can do something with his life), which leads us to finding out that the Golds are actually already here!! So here I am expecting him to be like, okay cool, let's go back to the reds and tell them and mess up the gold society! Except... that's not what happened.

Darrow goes under a transformation to become a Gold and basically everything changes about him except his name. Like, legit though. And he gains all this knowledge over night. And then is magically a Gold. Fine, I'll roll with that because it moves the plot along (even though that whole section was boring af). BUT then he gets to the school and is somehow the smartest/bestest/most amazingest person there. Um, what?

This school is all about creating leaders out of Golds -- I think. It was a little confusing because there are like 107123712093712093 other schools that they could all attend, but this is the most prestigious one so of course Darrow gets in and tops the class right away. If people top the graduating class, they can have their choice of apprenticeships and be leaders and all this awesome rewarding stuff. How do they top this class? Well there is lots of murder involved and then a Hunger Games style war with the Greek Gods basically watching over them and interfering (as Greek Gods do). The kids get recruited into different houses where they will compete to be the head of this household and then they have to fight with the other houses to eventually be SUPREME OVERLORD. Oh, and the Mars Proctor tells them not to kill anyone but then tons of people die, so clearly that rule is optional.

And this is where I totally zoned out. You would think that war and intrigue and politics would all play a role in this, except it wasn't like that at all. Sure there was some military strategy and such, but it was not that interesting. It felt like an overextended Hunger Games that took too long in the middle and everything happened at the end. Sure we meet some characters and there is "character development" (aka Darrow becomes EVEN MORE AWESOME) but it just felt like everything until the last 20% was just waiting for this last 20% to happen. As was I.

But like I said, the plot was everywhere. And who is the main villain in this? Well, not even Darrow is quite sure. He starts off hating Augustus because he killed his wife, then he gets to the school and ... sorta stops. Or at least focuses on hating other people, until the last 20% when he basically does a "OH YEAH FUCK THAT GUY" sort of turn. I'm sure there is like another big bad waiting in the wings but it seemed strange that the entire time at this school Darrow was like "oh yeah gotta win!! To save the Reds!!" but then would be like "these proctors suck!!!" and I was just very confused. Who was I supposed to be hating? Everyone??

And tbh, I did. I only really liked Mustang. She was the only good character. Oh, Sevro. I liked him too. He was fiesty and strange but he was good people. Everyone else was kind of an asshole, but in a bad way. Like none of them were relatable, just annoying. But this is especially true for Darrow. Whose man pain knows no bounds. So another star off for the plot.

Lastly, this IS supposed to be about a rebellion right? And it's set on Mars? So why the fuck does it read like High Fantasy when it should be a SciFi novel. There was barely any tech advancement; I had a hard time determining if this was in the past or the future even though it was set on Mars. I understand now why people have it categorized as both on Goodreads, but it's really not a SciFi novel. I mean, it's barely Fantasy either. And where is this rebellion. Why are people just being put into this institute. Are they all like sleepers? Gonna say a code and they will eff you up. Because giving 16 year old kids the ability to be Gold and saying "okay become SUPER POWERFUL" should not work as a rebellion. Like there is no way. They will get a taste of the power and be like "OH YEAH I LIKE THIS" because absolute power corrupts absolutely. And there should have been more mention of what the actual rebellion is/would be doing? Don't make me guess this shit. You gotta give me something so I can be like "ah yes, Darrow killing this person makes sense because of XYZ in the rebellion" and not just "Darrow is killing someone else because he's a manic killer" tbh.

Golden Son

Well it was better than the first one but still not fantastic. There are some really good elements to it, but it still isn't becoming the cohesive story that I want it to. I hated the way this book started with a "failure" only to turn it around and prove that his failure would have worked. Darrow is only a good character because of the side characters around him.

There are so many plots and subplots from the last book that still aren't answered - and on top of that we missed almost a whole year or so of Darrow's education that would really make me believe that anything of use happens in the education system.

Also - this is set in the future right? What descriptions do we see that make me believe this is set in space beyond them talking about Mars as if it's only a town over from me. In my opinion, this is barely Science Fiction and is more heavily a description of historical battles recreated for a new audience.

The Sons of Ares, and the reveals we got throughout, were interesting. I liked seeing how they become more and more like the Society they are fighting against. But it all felt so.... Hunger Games to me. I didn't realize the first time I read this how many parallels you could draw between this and the Hunger Games (specifically, there are other dystopians it reminds me of as well).

I do care about the ending of this series a bit, but knowing that it's not just one more book but 5 more books that I have to read? Seems daunting at this point in time.

Morning Star

I am free! I have finished the first trilogy! Everyone who says "It gets so much better!" is lying to you. It only gets worse. Morning Star is probably the most boring book I've ever read and I slogged through all of The Wheel of Time where people literally tell you to skip a majority of them.

This is the same story as Red Rising and Golden Son just rinsed and repeated. Darrow is the saviour of all and without him, there is chaos, so obviously he needs to lead. People unnecessarily die to show how cool, smart, and awesome Darrow is and how messed up Sevro is. Sevro is still great with his one liners and Victra really grew on me. But everyone else sucks!

One thing I mentioned to my fiancé, which is more of a callout to the whole series, is that even though this is based on Plato's philosopher kings and the cave, there is SO much reference to Greek and Roman war tactics and it makes zero sense. They wouldn't fight a battle as if they were on feet, they would do it AT LEAST as though they are on horses. They have SPACE SHIPS!!! And why do they keep referencing Greek and Roman mythology, which has basically fallen out of pop culture now (although I'm VERY excited for the new Percy Jackson show).

I just think that this could have been a better story if it was kept within one or two books at the most, taken out all the rape, and given Darrow some actual struggles instead of being the Gary Stu That Leads All Other Gary Stus.

I'm sorry to say but don't read this series.

Have you read this book? What was your favourite part?
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16 Nov 2022

REVIEW: CRIER'S WAR DUOLOGY by Nina Varela

16 November 0 Comments

CRIER'S WAR

Author: Nina Varela
Series: Crier's War #1
Source: Audio from Audible; eBook from Kindle
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: October 1, 2019
Overall Rating:
Diversity Rating:

Summary:
Impossible love between two girls —one human, one Made.
A love that could birth a revolution.

After the War of Kinds ravaged the kingdom of Rabu, the Automae, Designed to be the playthings of royals, took over the estates of their owners and bent the human race to their will.

Now, Ayla, a human servant rising the ranks at the House of the Sovereign, dreams of avenging the death of her family… by killing the Sovereign’s daughter, Lady Crier. Crier, who was Made to be beautiful, to be flawless. And to take over the work of her father.

Crier had been preparing to do just that—to inherit her father’s rule over the land. But that was before she was betrothed to Scyre Kinok, who seems to have a thousand secrets. That was before she discovered her father isn’t as benevolent as she thought. That was before she met Ayla.

Set in a richly-imagined fantasy world, Nina Varela’s debut novel is a sweepingly romantic tale of love, loss and revenge, that challenges what it really means to be human.
Purchase:
Amazon | Chapters | TBD
Content Warning: death, family death, gore, drug use

Crier's War
The romance in this was great and I loved so much of Crier and Ayla's love story. But literally everything else was meh. I got 20% into this before understanding anything that was going on. And this is classified as Fantasy, but I would say it's probably a bit more SciFi/Fantasy than anything else.

I also didn't know this was a series, so the cliffhanger at the end of this book was startling to me. But I bought the ebook right away and it was all good. I will say that having read both, this is what a duology is supposed to be!

If you liked Fullmetal Alchemist, you'll like this. But don't expect a whole lot of romance in this one (a lot of slow burn) or a whole lot of interesting plot - it's all filler and set up for the next book.

Iron Heart
This was... alright. I am glad this was an actual duology and conclusion to the series but there was just wayyyy too many plot points that neatly tied up for me. And every time there was a piece of conflict, or a story/piece of information that someone just <b>had</b> to share, it was always put off to extend the story or the reader's lack of knowledge of the situation.

The ending made like zero sense of how easy it was to get everything sorted and squared away. The entire last 25% was just a neat little bow of what could have been some good tension. I am glad that it didn't get dragged into a third book, but so much of it could have been explained while still moving the plot forward.

This was a pretty ... average fantasy novel and series.

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17 Jan 2018

#Review: THE VIOLET HILL SERIES by Chelsea M. Cameron

17 January 0 Comments

SECOND KISS

Author: Chelsea M. Cameron
Series: Violet Hill #1
Source: Purchased from Amazon
Publisher: Published by the Author
Publication Date: December 13, 2016
Rating: 3.5/5 stars

 Summary:
Daisy Grace Webber's life hasn't exactly turned out how she thought. She didn't think she'd drop out of college and come back to the small town she grew up in. To be fair, she didn't think her love of baking would turn into a job at the Violet Hill Cafe either, but it did.

 Something else she didn't expect was for Molly Madison to walk back into her life, eight years after she moved away. They'd been best friends forever, or so she'd thought. But Molly is back in town and she's looking... really good, actually. And that reminds Daisy of that one time at a sleepover when they'd kissed during a game of Spin the Bottle. That one kiss has been on her mind since then, but it's irrelevant. Molly isn't into girls.

 But as Daisy and Molly spend more time together, feelings start to grow, and Daisy is wondering just how "straight" Molly really is...
Purchase:
This was a good start to this series (which by the title of this post, you can see I have finished). I feel as though we were dropped into a world that wasn't quite explained enough because it was lacking some serious worldbuilding and I would have appreciated a bit more. I think sometimes contemporary authors forget how important it is to really set the scene for us. However, I think a lot of the issues I had with this book (and the rest of the series) boils down to it being a novella and not a full length novel. 
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29 Nov 2017

#Review: GOLDEN GUARD TRILOGY by Elise Kova

29 November 4 Comments
Today I am doing a series review of the 

GOLDEN GUARD TRILOGY by Elise Kova!

I beta read the first two books, but wanted to reread once they were done so I could give you thoughts on the finished copies of THE CROWN'S DOG and THE PRINCE'S ROGUE. However, I was busy with school and did not beta read THE FARMER'S WAR so you can read my thoughts on just the finished copy of that one! 

Also, you can read the entire trilogy for free with Kindle Unlimited, so you should get on that. Additionally each of these can be read as a standalone, so if you want to read about some Golden Guard members over others, feel free to do so! THE CROWN'S DOG focuses on Jax and Erion, THE PRINCE'S ROGUE focuses on Baldair and Raylynn, and THE FARMER'S WAR focuses on Craig and Daniel!

So let's get to it!

THE CROWN'S DOG

Author: Elise Kova
Series: Golden Guard Trilogy #1
Source: beta read for the Author/Purchased from TBD
Publisher: Silver Wing Press
Publication Date: November 22, 2016
Rating: 4/5 stars

 Summary:
A coastal summer is turned upside down by a violent murder, and a quest for lost pirate treasure turns into a hunt for the killer.

 Jax Wendyll is the crown’s dog. As punishment for the unspeakable crimes that tourment him to this day, his life has been conscripted to the Empire Solaris. However, in an Empire afflicted by peace, his duties are relegated to unquestioningly aiding the antics of the youngest prince, Baldair.

 Erion Le’Dan, a nobleman’s son, expects a quiet summer visit to the Imperial Palace, his only agenda to visit with his unlikely friends. But Jax’s discovery the legendary pirate Adela Lagmir’s old workroom inspires a hunt for her long lost treasure.

 The pursuit of Adela’s truth takes the three men to the Imperial summer manor, built along the old pirate mainstays. When Adela’s trident is branded into a murdered servant, Prince Baldair’s summer amusement of treasure-hunting becomes a hunt to find the killer. But, as mysteries compound, the ghosts of Jax’s past may not be the only things haunting them.
Purchase:
Disclaimer: I beta read the manuscript; however, I reread the finished copy of the book to give an opinion based on the finalized version.

Hello and welcome to Jamie Fangirls Session #1. I absolutely LOVED this book and being back in the Air Awakens world. I think what was best about it is that we saw aspects of the world from Air Awakens that we didn't see in the original series, so it felt like its own world while still fitting in to the overarching world and canon. I loved learning more about Jax and Erion and thought they had a really strong character arc in here that ties in nicely to what we see in Air Awakens.

Jax was probably the strongest character in this one. I liked seeing how he took his internal struggles and made them his own. I thought it was such a good look at how to be respectful to someone who saved your life while also trying to forge your own path in the world as well.

 At times, I was frustrated with Erion, but I think that speaks more to Kova's writing of a complex character than to anything else. Erion is struggling between being a good son and friend but every time he internally justifies his actions based on familial needs, it makes me want to scream because he is such a good person and deserves a better family. 

 I thought the plot was well executed (and I mean, I should since I helped tighten it up) and that it was a nice deviation from the typical fantasy story to have a bit of a murder mystery involved in it. I liked seeing the characters have to interact with elements from other genres of stories that you wouldn't necessarily believe fantasy characters to deal with. I think Kova did a fantastic job bringing in elements of a mystery and fantasy novel to wind them together to be an absolutely riveting story.

 I absolutely adored THE CROWN'S DOG and loved stepping back into the world of Air Awakens. We meet all these characters in the original series, but this expose of them prior to the war that drove Vhalla to the front lines was a nice change. I also liked the cross-genre aspects to this one with the "murder mystery" aspect. There were enough lines through this one to connect it to the original series (and to a future series, if Kova chooses to write it) that made me feel as though I was at home yet still exploring something new. If you are looking for some intrigue, magic, and characters that you hate to love and love to hate, this is the book for you.

THE PRINCE'S ROGUE

Author: Elise Kova
Series: Golden Guard Trilogy #2
Source: beta read for the Author/Purchased from TBD
Publisher: Gatekeeper Press
Publication Date: February 7, 2017
Rating: 4/5 stars

Summary:
The Empire has declared war against its neighbor to the north, the country of Shaldan. Prince Baldair is summoned to lead, but the untested royal harbors secret reservations about his ability to inspire confidence in troops his senior in both age and experience. The memory of his first kills the summer prior still weigh heavy on his shoulders, and he flees to his friend Erion’s home near the Crossroads to wait for the army before marching north.

 Raylynn Westind had never held a responsibility in her life. After losing her mother years ago, she wanders from town to town in search of a challenge, honoring the sacred song of the sword her mother taught her. She never backs down from a fight, not when her opponents are the deadly Knights of Jadar, mysteriously insistent upon her death. And certainly not when the opponent is the Empire’s young playboy prince.

 Baldair has never met another person as gifted with the sword as he, and is insistent on seeing a golden bracer grace Raylynn’s forearm. But the woman lives a mercenary’s life, and Baldair quickly learns that her loyalty comes at a high price. When he discovers the bounty on her head, the prince must choose between his responsibilities to his father’s Empire, and the woman who has captured his heart as a soldier, and as a man.
Purchase:
Disclaimer: I beta read the manuscript; however, I reread the finished copy of the book to give an opinion based on the finalized version. Also, this book is dedicated to me, so if you are going to buy one of the books, this should be the one.

 Hello and welcome to Jamie Fangirls Session #2. As much as I loved THE CROWN'S DOG (see: above), I enjoyed THE PRINCE'S ROGUE that much more. With The Crown's Dog, we are limited in what we learn about Baldair through the eyes and actions of Jax and Erion. But in The Prince's Rogue, we get Baldair's perspective as well as Raylynn's. And you know how much I love Baldair (when the THING happens in Book 4 of the Air Awakens series, I was like "yes this has to happen but also please don't let it happen"). I really enjoyed being able to learn more about Baldair's inner thoughts and we were truly introduced to Raylynn as a character.

 I thought Raylynn was such a strong character! I think what I disliked about The Prince's Rogue is that we didn't get to see more of Raylynn in the Air Awakens series, which I know makes no sense. But she is a BAMF like no other BAMF you have ever met and it upsets me that she is given limited screen time in the original canon. Because then we see her in here and she is sword wielding, heartbreaking, BADASS, and vulnerable and ???? Why didn't we get more of this in the original series????

 Clearly Baldair was perfect so like no more comments necessary beyond that. Okay wait I lied: Although we didn't get a chapter from his perspective in The Crown's Dog, we still did see some traumatic things happen to him so it was nice to see how he was internally dealing with that. I liked that he was essentially running away from his responsibilities and realized because of Raylynn that he was allowed to be upset but that didn't mean he could continue to run forever. GOSH THEY ARE SO PERFECT. Their relationship is the one we deserved all along. Vhaldrik WHO??

 I thought at some points this dragged a little bit, but overall I was super intrigued with the plot and story line as well as the characters so it probably didn't bother me as much as it will others. I liked the way it all played out in the end, answering some questions, but leaving that many more open for future instalments (and the original canon to answer some of them). This book also had little threads that pulled it together to the first in the series and the rest of the Air Awakens world if you know to look for them. I definitely recommend this one to everyone!

 I will say that as much as you can read these as standalones, which is really nice, they do make more sense if you've read them in sequential order. However, you definitely don't need to have read the Air Awakens series to pick these up and enjoy them. Although I would recommend reading that series as well! 

THE FARMER'S WAR

Author: Elise Kova
Series: Golden Guard Trilogy #3
Source: Purchased from TBD
Publisher: Gatekeeper Press
Publication Date: May 2, 2017
Rating: 4/5 stars

 Summary:
Lieutenant Craig Youngly has only ever wanted one thing in his life -- to join the illustrious Golden Guard. In pursuit of his goals, he has found himself protege to Raylynn Westwind, notable Guard member and favorite of Prince Baldair. He has fought for two years in the sweltering North and now prepares to embark on a mission on behalf of the Guard that could secure his long-sought membership. It's the opportunity Craig has been waiting for, until Raylynn's attention turns toward another swordsman, Daniel Taffl.

 Daniel has always been a man of modest aspirations. As a farmer's son from the East, he seeks a soldier's wage to support a future for the woman of his dreams when he returns from the front lines. It isn't until he's conscripted into Craig's mission that he learns his sword-craft has caught the eyes of the powers above him.

 Craig sees his mission as an opportunity to impress the guard and exert his authority over Daniel. Daniel sees it merely as the chance to secure a more financially stable future. Their goals seem too simple to go awry. But, in the perilous jungles of the North, luck is something both men find to be in short supply.
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Hello and welcome to Jamie Fangirls Session #3. As much as Baldair is my one true love, I had a soft spot for Daniel when reading Air Awakens, so I was really excited for this book specifically in this series. 

 I thought the way Daniel and Craig became friends was natural and fitting for them. We see them together for the first time in Air Awakens and they intrigued me from there. I am glad Daniel got more of a starring role, but Craig's character is a really strong one that I am glad got the recognition he deserved.

 I think what I liked about this one so much is that in the Air Awakens series we lose track of Craig and focus mainly on Daniel, so I enjoyed getting to see more of Craig and how he and Daniel became good friends in this one. I liked seeing the front of war that we don't necessarily get, even in the Air Awakens series, until much later. I think this is probably the closest to a typical fantasy novel even though neither of the main characters use magic. 

 I thoroughly enjoyed this and thought it was a brilliant way to end the Golden Guard trilogy and set up the Air Awakens series.
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