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Book Review: Blood Moon by Lucy Cuthew
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About the book
My thoughts
Frankie lives next door to her bestie. Together they love to hang out in their tree house planning to take pictures of the moon. But, they don’t agree on everything. Her BFF is boy crazy, and Frankie finds it embarrassing.
There is an internship at the Planetarium and there’s a few hoops to jump through to get the role. Both girls decide to go for it. Frankie works hard on her essay and gets her science teacher to check it over and write her reference.
When she finds out her BFF sent an inappropriate photo to the science teacher instead of an essay, Frankie worries how their friendship will affect her reference. Her BFF knows she screwed up and is hurt that Frankie won’t stand by her side when she needs her most. The girls have a massive fight and are no longer friends.
To make matters worse, her now ex-BFF tells their mutual friends her version of what happened, and now Frankie is alone. Being alone enables Benjamin to get to know Frankie better. The pair get closer, and closer, and one thing leads to another.
The best feeling in the world, rapidly turns into a dirty secret. Someone knows the sordid details of what Frankie and Benjamin did that afternoon. And, now it’s all over the internet, one meme after another.
How can Frankie get the bullies to stop and who can she trust? This is a fast paced emotionally driven story of friendship, bullying, and first love. With an epic ending.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
If you want to buy this book you can get it from:
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3eHxoeO
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[Kofi]
Book Review: The Steel Princess by April Grace
This post contains affiliate links. Please check out my affiliate disclosure page for more information.
About the book
My thoughts
This story is told through two POVs. The MC is Silver, and the other is Eden. Their missions are similar – to find their mother – but their journeys are different.
Silver is a very loveable character. She is a gynoid that was raised within a human rebel camp. She knows very little about her kind, and embraces her mission and all the challenges it encompasses. Her training involves rooms with virtual scenarios but real life consequences.
Eden is a human with a mechanical heart. He grew up within the cruel gynoid queen’s castle and trained as a tinker. Although he isn’t in a jail or guarded, he isn’t free. When he finds himself outside the castle walls, he takes the opportunity to escape and find his mum. This leads him on an adventure of pirates, sirens, and man eating giants – just to name a few.
If you love fantasy and adventure, and want something a little different, this is well worth checking out! Plus, the cover is stunning and there is character art inside.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
You can buy this book from Amazon: Steel Princess
[kofi]
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Book Review: Sailor Twain by Mark Siegel
This post contains affiliate links. Please check out my affiliate disclosure page for more information.
About the book
My thoughts
This was a wild card, as I wasn’t sure what to expect. I don’t often read graphic novels but the promise of a mermaid intrigued me.
I whizzed through this, and found it very entertaining. The story is set in 1800s on a steamboat. I’m not a history buff but learning via a comic book (with a bit of fantasy) made it lots of fun. It’s funny too.
An unexpected treat were the pages at the end. Here the author shares how the characters first came to him, all the research, and more of his artwork. I love discovering more behind the book.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Mermaid Marathon Reads – Week two
I joined Maci Dierking’s Instagram challenge with a mermaid bookish theme. Her Instagram is thebrightsidegirl and I felt the prompts were fun and would encourage me to post more.
Click here to see my posts for Mermaid Marathon Reads week one. The challenge encouraged me to post everyday and that continued into week two (almost).
Current read
In hind sight, I could have used this for my Wednesday post as I currently have a few books on the go.
Vacay vibes
Boat read
Mermaid on the cover
Still to post…
Pirates
Island read
Fave read of the week
So that’s it for this challenge. But now would probably be a good time to remind you that Ocean Heart is currently half price in the Smashwords Summer Sale (July 2022).
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[kofi]
Book Review: A choice of Essence by Katelyn Uhrich
This post contains affiliate links. Please check out my affiliate disclosure page for more information.
About the book
My thoughts
I loved this book. I was slow reading it because I started again with my son. Then I started again on my own. But, every time , I started over, I loved it more.
Essie is a godling, with gifts of fire & nature. I love how she is described with her leafy hair, and how she can shift into a bird.
The gods live in the land above, and worlds have been created for the spirits. Not all the gods are good and kind, and certainly not towards spirits. Essie has a special bond with spirit Wilf, and this has made her loving and protective of them.
Without giving too much away, this little godling will find herself in a position where she has to take on the gods for the spirits, with the threat of a fate worse than death.
Considering the world is entirely fictional, Katelyn brought it to life in vivid colour. The characters were so real, even those that were not human. This book is brilliant and should be checked out by everyone!
Grab a copy for yourself from Amazon:
A Choice of Essence by Katelyn Uhrich on Amazon
Book Review: Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff
This post contains affiliate links. Please check out my affiliate disclosure page for more information.
About the book
My thoughts
The story is told as if Gabriel is being interviewed, but in a way that is fully immersive. Gabriel De Leon is the MC, raised by his human mother but once he’s a teen he discovers he’s half vampire. He’s taken by the Holy Order to train to kill the vampires.
I liked Gabriel and pictured him as the Witcher. He is a very dark and broody character. This book was a hefty 800 page novel, but every chapter progressed the story and didn’t feel like filler.
There is plenty of action, blood spilling, and a touch of romance. I loved the thought put into the history of the world, and different vampires. Let’s not forget the stunning art lwork throughout.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Book Blitz: Maddie Bloom and the Fae Academy by Emily Jenkins
Maddie Bloom & the Fae Academy
Emily Jenkins
Publication date: June 21st 2022
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult
Welcome to Fae Academy, where if the Sluagh Sidhe lurking in the woods doesn’t get you, the homework just might…
Maddie Bloom is dreading sophomore year. Not only is her mom’s mysterious illness getting worse, but it’s also a brand-new year of her longtime bully to look forward to. Because who doesn’t love getting swirlies in the newly renovated girls’ bathroom? But then the accident happens. The one where she’s escaping said bully and accidentally summons a magical portal that drops her right into the foyer of a literal castle.
That’s when the big reveals start…
- Faeries exist.
- Maddie is half-fae. Which is how she ended up in Figstern’s Academy for Excellence, aka Fae Academy.
- And Maddie’s uncontrolled magic? It’s slowly poisoning her mom.
When she’s given the chance to stay and learn to control her gifts to save her mom, the choice is clear. But Maddie’s not exactly welcome at Fae Academy. Bullies exist even in the magical world, and don’t get her started on the vindictive hobgoblin or the disgraced prince of the Autumn Court.
Still, not all is what it seems at Fae Academy. And the more Maddie digs, the more secrets she uncovers. Secrets that could threaten her life, her mother’s life, and the future of the fae world itself.
—
EXCERPT:
I flipped onto my back, spitting mulch from my mouth. I was seconds from pushing myself into a sitting position when the ground vibrated beneath me, courtesy of Sam’s rapidly approaching footsteps. Her bloodlust rippled through the air; that’s how excited she was to have me where she wanted me.
Get up! My inner voice yelled at me.
I listened, but instantly regretted it. Sharp pain shot through my torso from the impact of the fall, and my stomach lurched as Samantha leered down at me. She was way too close for comfort – to where I could distinguish freckles from blemishes.
I swallowed, heat rising to my face. I had a feeling my life was about to flash before my eyes.
But before I could reflect on the short, uneventful fifteen years that I’d walked this Earth, I saw a flash out of the corner of my eye.
I turned my head sideways, and a strange warmth spread over my body, engulfing me from head to toe.
To my left, the air was… shimmering.
I blinked. Once, twice, a third time, but it was still there. A twinkling, transparent curtain swaying in mid-air and luring me in. Calling for me. I’m not exaggerating, either.
I swear it was chanting my name repeatedly.
Meanwhile, in front of me, Sam was preparing to pounce like a predator.
Without thinking, without understanding what was going on, I dodged, rolling toward the strange, glistening air to my left. And somehow, the space swallowed me whole, swooping me out of the playground and away from Sam’s clutches just as she reached out to make good on her promise to make me pay for forcing her to run.
I caught one last glimpse of her stunned face.
And then she disappeared from my view.
Or was it me who disappeared?
Whatever the case, the world as I, Maddie Bloom, knew it, was gone.
Author Bio:
Hi, my name is Emily Jenkins. I’m a high school student and wrestle, and I also happen to be the USA National East Coast Jr Teen! After writing a children’s book about bullying in 2020 (Wrestling Girl Takes Down Bullies), I was inspired to keep creating stories—which is how the Maddie Bloom series was born.
In my free time, I love collecting socks, cooking, and sewing clothes for my dog.
He tears them up. It sort of breaks my heart. I sew more.
Yep, it’s a vicious cycle. :D
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Book Review: Teen Killers in Love by Lily Sparks
This post contains affiliate links. Please check out my affiliate disclosure page for more information.
About the book
My thoughts
This book is the 2nd in the series but I read it without reading the first.
Jumping straight in at the action was very exciting. Signal is on the run with Eric and out to clear her name. There is a touch of romance but Eric is a serial killer which would make anyone put there guard up.
It was a fun read.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Book Review: The Seawomen by Chloe Timms
This post contains affiliate links. Please check out my affiliate disclosure page for more information.
I was lucky enough to get an ARC copy of this book via Net Galley. It’s release date is 14 June 2022.
About the book
My thoughts
I read an ARC from Net Galley and this is my honest review.
Wow! This book is dark and twisty. I’ve always wondered how people fall prey to a cult leader. How fears can control.
Esta lives on a patriarchal island where they fear the seawomen, and every challenge the islanders face is blamed on the sins of their women. Punished by god, they must repent to be saved. Esta sees through the lies and dangerously seeks answers to questions that if she was a good holy girl she’d ignore.
This book reminded me of the darkness of The Handmaids Tale. The way the book made me turn the page out of morbid curious that people could live this way. The history and characters are written so well, it was difficult to put down.
What an amazing debut!
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