All the Stars and Teeth Book Review

 

Hey guys!

Today I’m reviewing All the Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace. I’ve had it for awhile, but finally got around to reading it this summer. 

Here is the blurb:

Set in a kingdom where danger lurks beneath the sea, mermaids seek vengeance with song, and magic is a choice.

She will reign.

As princess of the island kingdom Visidia, Amora Montara has spent her entire life training to be High Animancer — the master of souls. The rest of the realm can choose their magic, but for Amora, it’s never been a choice. To secure her place as heir to the throne, she must prove her mastery of the monarchy’s dangerous soul magic.

When her demonstration goes awry, Amora is forced to flee. She strikes a deal with Bastian, a mysterious pirate: he’ll help her prove she’s fit to rule, if she’ll help him reclaim his stolen magic.

But sailing the kingdom holds more wonder — and more peril — than Amora anticipated. A destructive new magic is on the rise, and if Amora is to conquer it, she’ll need to face legendary monsters, cross paths with vengeful mermaids, and deal with a stow-away she never expected… or risk the fate of Visidia and lose the crown forever.

I am the right choice. The only choice. And I will protect my kingdom. 

Cool right? I’m giving this book 4 stars. 

The plot: 

The idea of soul magic is very creepy, and the author did a fantastic job of making it such an aesthetic part of the culture. Really, the whole book is very aesthetic, weaving in bones and colors and of course pirates and ships, and delicious stuff like that. 

My only qualms were that the first chapter or two really dragged for me. It felt like I was being bombarded with world building, and all I knew about Amora was that she really wanted to sail, and it kind of made her a brat. There were also a few places where the wording threw me. The story world was so deep and captivating, and then a handful of modern sounding phrases were thrown in and it pulled me of the moment. 

That being said, the wording wasn’t the end of the world, and after chapter two things took off, and got moving. Then I couldn’t stop reading. And the world building was necessary to understand what happened next, so I’ll forgive it all being thrown into the first chapter. 

There were several fun plot twists that I didn’t see coming (keep an eye out on Bastian), and the entire magic system felt very fleshed out and in depth. I loved all the different cultures on each island, and the scene where the mermaid takes them underwater gave me goosebumps. 

The characters:

Like I mentioned, Amora starts out a bit of a brat. But that actually turns out to be a neat aspect of her character arc. In the beginning, she’s very much got the attitude of she’s the only one who can rule her people, in a very haughty way. By the end, she still thinks she’s the only one who can rule her people, which is really fun since I think it’s unusual for characters to not actually change their opinion by the end. But this time her attitude about it is much more humble, and urgent. She cares deeply about her people and wants to rule well. 

Bastian is very fun. I was expecting more of a pirate figure, and instead I got an injured puppy. Poor little guy. He just needs a hug. He does a good job of hiding it with his suave pirate facade though, which adds in plenty of humor. 

Amora’s fiancé is a hoot. If nothing else it’s fun to watch (read?) him squirm at all the horrors Amora drags him through. The dude had his arm cut off for her. That’s some dedication right there. 

There is also a mermaid in the book (I’m sorry, I’m blanking on her name) and I love her. So much sass. So much vicious. She’s one of those characters that while she’s technically on the good guys’ side, you always get the feeling she could snap and kill them all at any moment. It’s thrilling. 

The sequel will be released next year, and I will absolutely be buying it. *my bookshelf wailing in the distance* 

Have you read this gritty fantasy? 

Dance of Thieves book review

Hello all!

I hope you’re doing well—staying healthy and sane. 

I’ve recovered from the flu and am soaking in the sunshine, doing some yard work before the snow comes this weekend. #nebraskaweather

Today I’m going to be reviewing the Dance of Thieves duo by Mary E Pearson. 

It’s going to get a collective four stars from me—five stars for the story itself, but there was more cussing than I’d like so.

Here are the blurbs:

 Dance of Thieves:

A formidable outlaw family that claims to be the first among nations.

A son destined to lead, thrust suddenly into power.

Three fierce young women of the Rahtan, the queen's premier guard.

A legendary street thief leading a mission, determined to prove herself.

A dark secret that is a threat to the entire continent.

When outlaw leader meets reformed thief, a cat-and-mouse game of false moves ensues, bringing them intimately together in a battle that may cost them their lives―and their hearts.

Vow of Thieves:

Kazi and Jase have survived, stronger and more in love than ever. Their new life now lies before them―the Ballengers will be outlaws no longer, Tor's Watch will be a kingdom, and the two of them will meet all challenges side by side, together at last.

But an ominous warning mars their journey back, and in their rush to return to Tor's Watch, just outside the fortress walls, they are violently attacked and torn apart―and each is thrust into their own new hell.

Unsure whether the other is alive or dead, Kazi and Jase must keep their wits among their greatest enemies and unlikeliest allies. And all the while, Death watches and waits. 

The characters:

It’s been two years since a book kept me up all night reading it. These books ended that streak. (I bet you thought my sleep deprivation lately had to do with a new baby—wrong.) 

Kazi and Jase have securely wedged themselves into my top literary couples. At knife point.

They are everything I love in a character. Sassy, sweet, strong, broken. All in a nicely balanced way. 

Their interaction with each other is hilarious, and they’re one of the few fictional characters that actually felt like teenagers to me. Yes, they are outlaws and soldiers, but in the scenes where we got into their personal lives—especially the romantic aspect—they felt like kids to me, which was really refreshing. 

Jase really fascinates me. I definitely have a type, and there are certain things about Jarod that fit that type, but generally speaking he’s nothing like my fictional crushes. Except Jase. Jase is A LOT like Jarod. It was just a little bit disconcerting. Obviously Jarod’s not the leader of an outlaw family (or is he?) but I couldn’t help but think that if we plunged Jarod into this world, he would react the exact way Jase does. It was cool. Anyway, back to the story. 

The supporting characters were just as epic. I love Jase’s siblings, and his mom. Several of his brothers are hilarious, and I absolutely adore Kazi’s friends. I thought they really lended to the idea that all the characters were just kids as well. They talk too much, they wonder about adult things, etc. 

The Plot:

This was a very fun plot with all sorts of twists and turns. You really had to stay on your toes. It reminded me of a cleaner, sweeter Six of Crows. The scheming was so fun and it was a constant guessing game of who was playing who, and trying to decide if it was on purpose or if they really were having feelings. It really kept the emotional tension as full power. 

The books are tropey, but in a good way. Enemies to lovers, being trapped with someone you hate, all that wonderful awkward stuff. 

In short, I love these books. I will read them again and again. They are absolutely gorgeous inside and out. 

To Best The Boys Book Review

Yes, yes. I know I’m way too late in reading this book. But better late than never, right? I’m here and I have thoughts. 

The Blurb: 

The task is simple: don a disguise. Survive the Labyrinth. Best the boys.

In a thrilling new fantasy from the bestselling author of the Storm Siren Trilogy, one girl makes a stand against society and enters a world made exclusively for boys.

Every year for the past fifty-four years, the residents of Pinsbury Port have received a mysterious letter inviting all eligible-aged boys to compete for an esteemed scholarship to the all-male Stemwick University. The poorer residents look to see if their names are on the list. The wealthier look to see how likely their sons are to survive. And Rhen Tellur opens it to see if she can derive which substances the ink and parchment are created from, using her father’s microscope.

In the province of Caldon, where women train in wifely duties and men pursue collegiate education, sixteen-year-old Rhen Tellur wants nothing more than to become a scientist. As the poor of her seaside town fall prey to a deadly disease, she and her father work desperately to find a cure. But when her mum succumbs to it as well? Rhen decides to take the future into her own hands—through the annual all-male scholarship competition.

With her cousin, Seleni, by her side, the girls don disguises and enter Mr. Holm’s labyrinth, to best the boys and claim the scholarship prize. Except not everyone is ready for a girl who doesn’t know her place. And not everyone survives the deadly maze.

Welcome to the Labyrinth.

Honestly, I think I’m going to give it five stars. I have no complaints. Zero. 

Right at first when I started reading, I wasn’t sure I was going to like it. I get really tired of the whole Girls Can Do Anything spiel. I’m sorry. I just do. BUT this book was good. It felt very balanced and non-preachy with the girl power, and I fell in love after the first chapter. 

The characters:

Rhen is an awesome protagonist. She’s quirky and fun, strong, caring, and awkward. She felt very real, honestly, and her desire to “best the boys” felt was very natural rather than a soap box. 

Selini may take first place for best friend character. Usually the rich proper friend is also an airhead and weakling, but not Selini. She’s with Rhen every step of the way, and I loved how she portrayed being strong and capable but still 100% feminine. I also loved that her highest aspiration was to be a wife and mom—and that she was happy with it. So often homemakers are looked down on in fiction, and as a wife and mom myself, that makes me really sad. 

And you can’t best the boys without boys, and man were the boys in this book awesome. The villains were completely vile, and I actually did not see the final reveal coming at all. That was quite the surprise, and made perfect sense. I LOVE Will and Sam and really enjoyed their friendship with Rhen. And Beryl is absolutely hilarious, I can’t even stand it. 

Obviously, Lute is a heartthrob—anatomically correct lips and all. I just wanted to hug him. His story made me so sad, but yet he’s so perfect, and he’s so manly, but then he can wax poetic too (who doesn’t like a boy who talks about the sea? I mean, come on). He was perfect. That is all. 

The world: 

The world is very cool. I loved how chill it was with the magic. Oh yeah, there’s sirens in the water. Ghouls will rip your chest open. No big deal. It doesn’t give any explanation, which was really cool, because why would a character bother to explain if all of that is normal in their world? I really liked it. It was nice to just be able to accept, yes there is magic and monsters, and you just have to deal with it and watch out at night, without getting bogged down in a full blown epic fantasy explanation. 

The whole concept of Mr. Holm and his labyrinth is stinking awesome, and the way the labyrinth is described is so cool. This is a very vivid book, and Rhen’s quirky voice is absolutely awesome in describing it. 

The plot: 

It’s awesome. I had heard a lot about how good this book was when it first came out, bought it right away, then didn’t read it. So all the details I had heard before kind of slipped away from me, and I came into reading it with absolutely zero expectations. I didn’t know what I was getting myself into, so every twist of the plot was a complete surprise and thrilling. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time (did I mention I read it in like, two days?) and couldn’t wait to see what happened next. 

It was really neat to have dyslexic and autistic characters in the story too. I feel like the author kind of took all the hot topic items of the day—diversity, representation, feminism, etc—and put it into a story that somehow magically doesn’t sound like a political rant. It’s fantastic. 

So, long story short, this book completely caught me by surprise in the best possible way, and if you haven’t read it you really should. 

A Little Miss

Hi guys!

Sorry about the impromptu hiatus last week. But I’ve got a good reason. 

I would like to introduce Loraina Fable, born right on her due date. 

We had planned to try a VBAC this time around, but things didn’t turn out that way and we ended up doing another C-section. This time was considerably better than with Henry though, as I was able to be awake during the procedure and interact with her right after she was born. Recovery has been much better also. 

We’re all home and happy now, and big brother is absolutely thrilled (though he’s a little put off that mommy can’t rough house or drive him to the store because a doctor cut a hole in her tummy).

Little miss Lorie is a doll, and we’re so blessed to have her. 

Needless to say, I haven’t done much besides change diapers, feed kids, and try to sleep. I’ve got several new books screaming at me, and I can’t wait to dive into them (feeding a baby gives a perfect opportunity to read) but I’ve been fighting migraines caused by the spinal anesthesia and focusing on a page is a no-go. I’m hoping those wear off soon though and I can soak in some good reading and maybe get some more work done on The Queens Three. 

For anyone wondering, Jarod chose Loraina based on Lori from the Lonesome Dove movie, and I picked Fable because it loosely means story. 

Obviously I would love a daughter named story. It was as close as I could get to a literary name without picking an actual book character. (Although Lonesome Dove was a book first, and I hear the protagonist in Adrienne Young’s next book is named Fable. So that’s a win.) 

The plan now is to get back to blogging weekly like I’m supposed to. I shall try. 

What have you been up to? Would you name a child after a book character? 

The Book Spooktacular Linkup

Hi guys! 

Thank you to everyone who promoted and took part in my giveaway last week! 

The lucky winner is Jennylyn G! 

Ink Calamities and The Mad Dragon Hatter are having a blog tour this month called the Book Spooktacular and the first is a linkup of all the fall things. 

It looks like fun, and you can join the linkup on both of their blogs. 

Today I’m joining in and answering their autumn infused questions—though I’ll warn you, it’s going to be unorthodox. 

The Autumn List

1) movie with all the autumn vibes

So...I can’t actually think of one. But the movie I start craving come autumn time is Centennial. It’s a 24 hour mini series, and my family always watched it in the winter, but I’ve been pushing my viewing date up earlier and earlier every year. 

2) song that you associate with autumn

The Best Day by Taylor Swift 

3) book with ghosts

Christina’s Ghost by Betty Ren Wright terrorized me as a little kid. I loved it, and read it probably fifty times. 

4) scariest movie you've seen

Lights Out. Practically slept with the lights on, and turned on every single light in the office at work the next day. 

5) the best autumn quote

I’m so glad I live in a world where there are October’s —Anne of green gables.

6) book cover with all the autumn vibes

An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson. Those colors.

7) your favorite candy of the season

Peanut butter cups. Always. 

8) movie or book with themes on death and rebirth

Uh...let me look at my shelves. I don’t grasp themes easily you guys...I got nothing. My bookshelves are too young adult and straightforward. The Bourne Identity. Everyone thought he died. He comes back and makes life interesting for everyone. That’s obviously a death and rebirth theme. 

9) Youtube channel you associate with autumn

To be honest I haven’t kept up with a YouTube channel since 2013. 

10) your favorite fall beverage

Apple Cider!! Down with pumpkin spice! Anarchy!!!

So there you have it. My take on all things autumn. Hop on over to the participating blogs to read much better answers than mine. 

Hello October

Hello everyone! 

I can’t believe it’s already October. I thought I was so ready for fall, but it’s 48° outside. Two days ago it was 90°. I can’t handle changes that drastic. Especially when I have nothing to wear! 

I’m not a sweatpants kind of person. I think I own one pair. But I’m also in a weird stage where maternity jeans don’t fit well enough to stay up, and my regular jeans are too tight to wear. 

I think I’m going to start a petition to make all maternity jeans have belt loops. I’ll wear a belt low on my waist if it means I don’t have to hike my jeans up every thirty seconds. Also, they need pockets. 

Anyway, enough of wardrobe lamentations. On to the actual blog post. 

We found out we are having a girl! Beyond excited about that. Everything has been checking out good and healthy, and we’re neck deep in the struggle of choosing a name. Apparently I’m a modern gal who married an old soul. Our name tastes are so different. He’s also got to deal with my writer side, and endure all the weird literary names I come up with. 

Canning. Lots of canning. Tomatoes, apples, you name it. My house has been a sticky, delicious smelling dungeon all month. They’re talking we might have record snows this year. Gotta stock up on salsa and jelly if we’re going to survive. 

We chopped silage and Henry and I got to be the cook crew. Casseroles and cookies and Gatorade, oh my! 

It’s one of my favorite and most stressful times of the year. 

Henry has been loving having a friend over every day to play. I love it too, except for the weekends when Henry asks where Lige is every ten minutes. 

My sisters, Henry, and I went Junk Jaunting, which is like state wide garage sales. Henry made out like a bandit, with new tractors and a spring horse, and I found a few treasures for the house we’ll be moving into sometime this winter. (The bear did not come home with us.)

We watched lots of Husker football. We laughed, we cried. It was intense. 

October started off raining. And it hasn’t stopped yet. I so want to get outside and hang Halloween decorations, because as fun as Christmas is, I firmly believe the other holidays should be enjoyed first—looking at you, Hobby Lobby. 

We did start on decorating inside the house. I’ll save the really insane decor for closer to the week of Halloween. My mother in law will be staying with us during that time, so she’ll get to appreciate the full extent of my weirdness. 

Weather permitting, there should be more harvesting and cooking this month. Cooking for the harvesters is a little more low key than for choppers, since they eat in the tractor to harvest. Sandwiches and chips are a staple, though I try to mix it up with runzas and sliders. 

I’ll be hitting the third trimester, which is exciting and horrifying. It seems like this pregnancy has gone so fast. I don’t have anything ready. 

I got a bunch of awesome books last month and I’m hoping to read some of them. 

Last month I revised Blood and Dust like crazy, and I’m currently forty pages away from the end. That number will fluctuate as I cut and add scenes, but I’m getting close. I plan to have it done this month, and rewrite the synopsis, etc, to start querying and pitching in November. 

Speaking of November, October may or may not be a prep month for nanowrimo. Though I’ll for sure be a nano rebel if I do participate and work on editing Bad Boy or Mad Hatter instead of writing a whole new draft. I’m not super inspired on any of my new ideas currently, so I need to get those old ones done before they go too long and stagnate in the swamp of unfinished stories. 

How is your fall going? Do you love fall? Hate it? Love it but need a slower transition into the cold weather? I’d love to hear.