Challenge Wrap Up: Netgalley and Edelweiss Challenge

It's time for the last weekly post and challenge wrap up of 2016. In addition to doing a favorite books of the year thing, once a week in December I did a challenge wrap up to talk about some of my favorite books in the categories that I did challenges for. I did a total of four challenges this year. The next and last of these is my Netgalley and Edelweiss Challenge. So basically, the review book category. I may finish one more Netgalley book this year but it's a 2017 release, plus I probably won't finish it so oh well.

My initial goal for the year was to read 25 books from Netgalley and Edelweiss. I nded up doing really well on this during the first half of the year and thinking I could read 50 by the end of the year but that did not happen. Although I did read 40 books from Netgalley/Edelweiss which is not to shabby for the Netgaklley/Edelweiss Challenge hosted by Falling for YA. That's a total of about 1/4 of my books for the year.

And I really did like many of these books but to be entirely honest, most of my least favorite books of the year also came from this challenge. You can't win them all, I guess. And because of this reason, I think this was the hardest one for me to make a list about. There were a few that I loved loved, but for the most part there were a lot of really good books that I wasn't sure about including on a best of list. But I did my best so here is the list of some of my favorites.

1.) The Skylighter by Becky Wallace - My Review
(Amazon / Goodreads )

This was one of my most anticipated books of 2016 so I was over the moon when I was approved for the book on Edelweiss and sent a physical ARC from the publisher. I read both so I could read it everywhere and anywhere and finish it as fast as possible.

And it did not disappoint. It made it's way onto my best of the year list because it was such an amazing and action-packed sequel. What I loved so much about this series is that it's one that from the outset seems like a typical YA fantasy but is super creative and unique. I loved the world inspired by Portugal, the really unique magical system, and the characters, Oh man, these characters, and these ships. So good. So so good. It was one of many books I read this year that wrecked me emotionally in the best possible way. I really wish it wasn't a duology and that there was a third book coming next year.

I would absolutely recommend this series. If you are like me and love YA fantasies and are looking for something a little different but still familiar, check this one out. Check it out and fall for Joanna, Rafi, and Dom with me. DOM!!!!

2.) Roses and Rot by Kat Howard - My Review
(Amazon / Goodreads)

When looking at my favorite books of the year, many of them are books that surprised me. Books I was interested in reading but didn't expect to love as much as I did. Books I did not expect to blow me away. Roses and Rot is one of those books. I was intrigued by it, yes, but I really loved it and that kind of surprised me.

I don't want to say too much about this book because part of it's charm is going in without knowing too much. I went in knowing very little about what this book was about and it caught me off guard. It was fascinating and captivating. I really loved the setting and the way that this book was written. it is beautiful and lyrical with a really fantastic Gothic vibe. It a;so has great characters and a completely realistic interaction between family and particularly sisters. I could totally really and was so enthralled by this book.

This is a book that I think flew under the radar a little bit this year and I wish it got more attention because it is really good. If you are a fan of Gothic fiction and/or modern classics I think you will enjoy this. I also this it has a great modern fairy tale kind of vibe. Honestly, it's great. Read it.

3.) Nevernight by Jay Kristoff - My Review
(Amazon / Goodreads)

This is a book that got some mixed reviews. I know a lot of people didn't really enjoy it or ended up DNFing it because they couldn't get into it. And I get that, I do. I am one of the people who pushed through the slow start and weirdness in the beginning and was rewarded with an amazing book.

Yes, this is a dense and slowly paced book but the payoff was intense and fantastic. It was super thrilling with tons of action and plot twists that I did not see coming. Not to mention it also has an totally interesting magical system that I think we have only just started to understand and I am really interested in seeing develop. This book is also not for someone looking for something fluffy and lighthearted. It's dark. Very dark. There is more sex and violence in this book than some of the books and TV shows that are known for being violent and sexual. But despite the fact that it was pretty erotic, I enjoyed it. A lot.

 This is not the kind of book for everyone, but if you are looking for a fantasy that is dark and violent and don't mind putting in the time to read this one you will be rewarded just like I was.

4.) Ghostly Echoes by William Ritter - My Review
(Amazon / Goodreads)

This is another book that I had a copy from Edelweiss but also got a physical ARC (this time from BEA) but like The Skylighter it was a very anticipated read and I was so incredibly excited to read it when I was approved on Edelweiss.

If you have been around for awhile you know that I am a huge fan of the Jackaby series. These books always make it on to my favorites of the year list. They are such amazing mysteries and perfectly balance humor and action. Seriously, they are so funny. Plus they combine historical fiction, fantasy, and mysteries in a way that I am hopeless to resist. Ghostly Echoes is not my favorite in the series but it was amazing and resolved some questions from the first book while bringing up even more questions for the series. Plus it was about Jenny who I adore so much.

If you haven't read this series and you are a fan of historical fantasy or historical mysteries, or Sherlock, or nice things, you must read these books. They are seriously one of my all-time favorites. They're the perfect palette cleanser too because they are engaging but so fun and silly. But if I haven't convinced you to read these books yet I have failed you.

5.) The Long Game by Jennifer Lynn Barnes - My Review
(Amazon / Goodreads )

I really liked The Fixer, which I read last year. This was another sequel that I was really excited about and was so pumped when I got approved on Netgalley. I couldn't wait to find out what happened next and to solve a new mystery with Tess.

I often hate comparisons like this but it really is Veronica Mars meets Scandal. It's just such a good mystery and political thriller with a tough and snarky teenage protagonist. But the best part of this book is the twists and reveals. Even when I predicted them they were still amazing and hit me so hard. It's such a good and fantastic read.

I would definitely recommend this book. If you are a fan of mysteries or political thrillers and are looking for a good YA one then definitely read this. But I seriously need you to read this and buy this book because I need a sequel. There are so many things that I need to see followed through on, even though there is a resolution. At this point it's a duology but I want more. I need more and the author has plans for more but it needs to sell well. Help a sister out!

6.) Enter Title Here by Rahul Kanakia - My Review
(Amazon / Goodreads)

This is a book that I honestly should have included on my list of favorite debuts of the year but in an attempt to not repeat myself too much I swapped this one with one that is on my honorable mention here because I liked that one more.

But this is another one of those books that I loved more than I was expecting. I'm not a huge contemporary reader but I have been reading a lot more lately and honestly really enjoying many of them. This is one that I enjoyed. One of the things I really appreciated about it was that this is a book that plays with the tropes. It's kind of got this book within a book vibe because of the main character trying to live the ideal life so she can write a book about it to get into college. But the best thing about this book is how unbelievably unlikable the main character is. She's kind of a terrible person and yet at the same time, you root for her. It's amazing.

 This is another book that is not for everyone, but if you are looking for a contemporary that is really different and plays with the tropes then check this one out. But again, this is a book that is not really for everyone. This is a book that is more towards people who are not big contemporary fans or are looking for something a little bit more of an issue book.

Honorable Mentions:

7.) The Smell of Other People's Houses by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock - My Review
One of my favorite debuts of the year was a book I got as a Read Now on Netgalley. It's another book that surprised me, another book that flew under the radar, and another book that was amazing. It's a great book about how people's lives interweave. I loved it.

8.) The Steep and Thorny Way by Cat Winters - My Review
This was my first Cat Winters book. Can you believe it? It was. I should have been reading her books for years but I didn't. I'm glad I read this one though. It is one of the many amazing Shakespeare retellings I read this year,

9.) Heroine Complex by Gail Sarah Kuhn - My Review
I'm a sucker for books about superheroes. I was really intrigued by this one because it's from the perspective of the hero's assistant. Super interesting, man. And it was definitely interesting but also really fun and action-packed.

10.) Gena/Finn by Hannah Moskowitz and Kat Helgeson - My Review
I was not going to include this book because it's kind of similar to Enter Title Here. A lot of what I liked about it is similar. But it was also a really good under the radar book for the year.

There you have it, all my favorite books that I got for review from Netgalley or Edelweiss. If you want to see the full list on all the review books I read to this year and to find my thoughts, check out the Netgalley/Edelweiss Challenge page HERE. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

ARC Review: The Blazing Star by Imani Josey

Title: The Blazing Star Written by: Imani Josey Published: December 6, 2016 by Wise Ink (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Portia White is used to being overlooked—after all, her twin sister Alex is a literal genius.  But when Portia holds an Egyptian scarab beetle during history class, she takes center stage in a way she never expected: she faints. Upon waking, she is stronger, faster, and braver than before. And when she accidentally touches the scarab again?  She wakes up in ancient Egypt—her sister and an unwitting freshman in tow.  Great.  Mysterious and beautiful, Egypt is more than they could have ever imagined from their days in the classroom. History comes alive as the three teens realize that getting back to the present will be the most difficult thing they’ve ever done. Stalked by vicious monsters called Scorpions, every step in the right direction means a step closer to danger.  As Portia and the girls discover that they’re linked to the past by more than just chance, they have to decide what it truly means to be yourself, to love your sister, and to find your way home

*** I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This fact has not changed my opinion. ***

Oh man, I really wanted to love this book. It sounded so unique and right up my alley which is why I picked up a copy from Netgalley. But unfortunately it really didn't work for me.

The thing I liked most about it was the world building. There are not many books set in Ancient Egypt and it is a time period that I have always found intriguing so I was really excited to read a book set there and then. And honestly, that was amazing. You can tell the author did her research. There was so much to learn about the culture and mythology and so much to see with the location and setting. That is one of the things I love about historical fiction and it is what I enjoyed most about this book. Ancient Egypt definitely came alive here.

But there was a very heavy focus on the world of the book and that was to the detriment of the plot and pacing. As far as the pacing goes, this should have been a fast read. I mean it's not very long. The finished copy is less than 300 pages and the ARC is closer to 250. But it took me 10 days to read it. And I didn't stop. I read every day but I just couldn't GR into it. The beginning had a ton of exposition and the plot just didn't kick in until way later than I like. And then when we got to the ending there was just a ton of falling action. The pacing just didn't work for me as a plot driven reader.

I think my biggest frustration with this book, however, was the plot development. Even now as I finish the book I'm not sure what the hell even happened. What was the plot of this book? Was it the political stuff? Maybe. There was so plotting and scheming for the throne. Was it the fantasy elements? Probably not, but there was a bit of a focus on the magic. How about the coming-of-age character development? Maybe. That was a part of it. I think maybe this was just a case of more is less. There were a lot of different elements that never totally solidified for me and that is a lot of the reason why I didn't enjoy the plot of this book.

As far as the characters of this book though, they were fine. I liked the main character of Portia enough but she didn't blow me away. I could totally connect with her in the beginning as she wanted to distance herself from her twin and become her own person while still feeling like she wasn't good enough. I think that if there was more of that with the plot I would have liked her and maybe even the book a little more. Some of the bigger secondary characters like Alwx and Selene were interesting as well but they didn't make a big enough impression. But honestly, no one made a very big impression. There were a ton of characters here and there was so much connection between them that I kept forgetting who knew who and why. And that pulled me out of the book as much as anything else.

On the whole this book definitely didn't work for me. It had a great world and a good main character but the focus was too broad and the plot development just didn't hook me. I was really looking forward to this book and unfortunately it just wasn't my kind of read.

I give The Blazing Star by Imani Josey 6 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Bypass. This is by no means a bad book. It definitely has some good reviews and I think if it finds the right reader it will be a hit. I am not the right reader though. If you are the kind of reader that is okay with a lush setting and slimmer plot than maybe check this one out.

Have you read The Blazing Star? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

ARC Review: Iron Cast by Destiny Soria

Title: Iron Cast Written by: Destiny Soria Published: October 11, 2016 by Amulet Books (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: It’s Boston, 1919, and the Cast Iron club is packed. On stage, hemopaths—whose “afflicted” blood gives them the ability to create illusions through art—Corinne and Ada have been best friends ever since infamous gangster Johnny Dervish recruited them into his circle. By night they perform for Johnny’s crowds, and by day they con Boston’s elite. When a job goes wrong and Ada is imprisoned, she realizes how precarious their position is. After she escapes, two of the Cast Iron’s hires are shot, and Johnny disappears. With the law closing in, Corinne and Ada are forced to hunt for answers, even as betrayal faces them at every turn. An ideal next read for fans of Libba Bray’s The Diviners.

*** I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This fact has not changed my opinion. ***

You may know that I am someone who loves historical fantasy I heard about this book and was immediately interested. Plus it has an interesting magical system, a unique setting, one of my favorite time periods to read about. And despite some things that I didn't totally love, this book was a great read.

One of the things that I loved about this book was the magical system. I am always looking for magic that is unique and compelling and I definitely found that here. Hemopaths were definitely cool. As the synopsis informs us, it is a blood disease that essentially gives people magical powers. There is a broad range of types of powers that people can have but most of it deals with illusions. Our two main characters work illusions through either music or poetry. They can make anyone feel, see, or think anything just by saying or playing the right thing. Much of the beginning of the book was about witnessing the magic at work and the author did a really good job of establishing the rules and letting us see them in a lot of different instances. And despite the fact that there was a focus on the magic, it didn't feel like too much or there were awkward info dumps. It felt like the exposition was important (something I never thought I would say).

But the magical system also interacted well with this the historical setting. I am definitely a fan of books set during the early 20th Century and this one felt both different and familiar at the same time. It had this really fantastic prohibition type vibe to it which I really enjoyed. And while I do kind of mean Prohibition in the historical sense, I really more of mean it from the magical sense. Hemopathy is illegal and because of that the characters are part of not only this underworld/organized crime kind of world. It made for a interesting and engaging setting, that's for sure. It also had really interesting elements of the asylum system and how mental health being different was treated during the historical time period. It all worked together to make for interesting themes.

But I think my favorite thing about this book was the characters. This is a book full of diverse characters who were all really complex. Of course because they are part of this illegal organized crime like magical work they were not totally good people but I loved that. Thieves, rogues, criminal, those are my kind of characters. The focus was of course on out two main characters Ada and Corrine, both of which I really enjoyed. I may have like Corrine a little bit more because she was the more sarcastic and wry of the two. But together they were even better than they were apart. They come from very different worlds but their friendship and dedication to one another was inspiring. They absolutely care about one another and that was great to see. I also really liked the family aspect. Both of their families were part of their lives and they cared a lot for each other  Although I will say that some of the characterizations for the secondary characters was a little basic and it was hard remembering who was connected to who and why. But on the whole, the characters were engaging and interesting.

But the plot and the pacing didn't totally work for me. This was a bit of a slow read. I don't mind if a book takes it's time to get to the good stuff, I actually like when they slowly build to something fantastic, and that's what I was hoping for here. But it was actually much spottier than that. This was one of those books where it would build to something, have a big scene, and then come back down. And to me it just felt a little bit like it was a roller coaster with a bunch of small hills that never got to that big exciting conclusion. It did have a few really engaging scenes towards the end but just when I thought we were reaching the climax, something else would happen. And don't get me wrong, that can be great. I've loved books that had that kind of plot development, but here for some reason it just kind of took me out of the book. I don't know if maybe it was confusing or maybe it was just that the style wasn't working. I did like where the book took me, but along the way there were just a lot of bumps.

But on the whole, this was a good read. It had a great historical setting, and interesting magical system, complex and likable characters, and an engaging plot. The way it developed wasn't my favorite but I did enjoy it.

I give Iron Cast by Destiny Soria 8.5 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Borrow. If you are like me and enjoy historical fantasies I would definitely suggest picking this book up. It was an interesting and compelling read despite the fact that it took me longer to get through it than I thought.

Have you read Iron Cast? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

ARC Review: Glitter by Aprilynne Pike

Title: Glitter Written by: Aptilynne Pike Published: October 25, 2016 by Random House Books for Young Readers (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: From #1 New York Times bestselling author Aprilynne Pike comes a truly original new novel—Breaking Bad meets Marie Antoinette in a near-future world where the residents of Versailles live like it’s the eighteenth century and an almost-queen turns to drug dealing to save her own life.  Outside the palace of Versailles, it’s modern day. Inside, the people dress, eat, and act like it’s the eighteenth century—with the added bonus of technology to make court life lavish, privileged, and frivolous. The palace has every indulgence, but for one pretty young thing, it’s about to become a very beautiful prison.  When Danica witnesses an act of murder by the young king, her mother makes a cruel power play . . . blackmailing the king into making Dani his queen. When she turns eighteen, Dani will marry the most ruthless and dangerous man of the court. She has six months to escape her terrifying destiny. Six months to raise enough money to disappear into the real world beyond the palace gates.  Her ticket out? Glitter. A drug so powerful that a tiny pinch mixed into a pot of rouge or lip gloss can make the wearer hopelessly addicted. Addicted to a drug Dani can sell for more money than she ever dreamed.  But in Versailles, secrets are impossible to keep. And the most dangerous secret—falling for a drug dealer outside the palace walls—is one risk she has to take.

*** I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This fact has not changed my opinion. ***

I really wanted to love this book. Glitter seemed like a book totally up my alley, a unique setting that combined history and science fiction and unlikable characters. It should have been a great read but unfortunately it didn't really work.

One thing that did work was the setting. I really liked the interesting way that the author combined historical fiction and dystopia. The French court of Louis XVI and a crazy conglomerate company in the near future worked together so well. It had a really great historical feel to it with the fashion and culture of era. But the more interesting part to me was the business stuff. In some respect of felt like we were seeing a dystopia from the perspective of the oppressors which was cool. But I think I would have like to explore that side of things more.

I think for me, the pacing of the book is what didn't work. This was a book that was developing while at the same time keeping things a little too close to the vest. I wasn't sure where it was going and what was happening until very late in the book. And I mean VERY late. It took way too long to get the climax. So long that the book was almost over and it still hadn't gotten there. It felt to me like it was off the rails and then just quickly jumped back on at the very end.

You see the plot of this book was mostly independent of the more traditional dystopian stuff. It was a character-driven story about a girl who is trying to break out of her really bad situation. It's not that this wasn't interesting, I just think after awhile it seemed both overly-dramatic and not dramatic enough. There was definitely a lot of complex and interesting things that were happening throughout the book but they just didn't get that much attention. Even things that you would expect to have a huge sway in the characters behaviors and psyche were glossed over for what felt like more superficial things. I think I just wanted something more out of it than it gave me.

But I think that the plot development could have been okay if I had liked the characterization a little more. These were pretty unlikable characters. And don't get me wrong, I like unlikable characters. I like when people do terrible things, but I need to understand why. And in some respects I understood Danica. I understood why she so desperately wanted to get away from the king. But I didn't understand why she was so uncaring about everyone else. When she did start to care it just felt like it was too little to late. But the thing I understood the least was the romance. Oh gosh, it was so cliche. It was instalove and it was eye roll inducing. The characterization here just didn't work for me and this is a character-driven read so it really got in the way of my enjoyment of the book.

In the end, I just think this one didn't work for me. It had a compelling world but the plot and pacing were too convoluted and not dramatic enough for me and the characterizations really made it not for me.

I give Glitter by Aprilynne Pike 6 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Bypass. Like I said, I really wanted to love this book. It has such a brilliant and it could have been amazing, it just didn't quite get there for me. I think being such a plot driven reader I just needed more from that. If you are into more character-driven books and like unlikable characters maybe check this out.

Have you read Glitter? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

ARC Review: Last Seen Leaving by Kaleb Roehrig

Title: Last Seen Leaving Written by: Kaleb Roehrig Published: October 4, 2016 by Feiwel and Friends (Macmillan) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: Flynn's girlfriend has disappeared. How can he uncover her secrets without revealing his own?  Flynn's girlfriend, January, is missing. The cops are asking questions he can't answer, and her friends are telling stories that don't add up. All eyes are on Flynn—as January's boyfriend, he must know something.  But Flynn has a secret of his own. And as he struggles to uncover the truth about January's disappearance, he must also face the truth about himself.

*** I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This fact has not changed my opinion. ***

I went into this book expecting a twisty and interesting mystery full of complex characters and surprises. And yes, it had some of that but it didn't totally blow me away though it was a good read.

I think the hardest thing for me to categorize about this book was the mystery. I love a good mystery. I like when they mess with my head and take me through all kinds of twists and turns. And while this book did manage to surprise me more than once, on the whole I wasn't super impressed with the mystery. They over-arching mystery felt in some respects basic, and in other respects too complex. It wasn't the kind of mystery where clues unfold throughout the narrative leaving you knowing in the end whodunnit, which is what I prefer. No this was one of those mysteries where you are left obtuse until the reveal and those just never resonate with me.

But much of the reveals of this book didn't have anything to do with the crime aspect. Because, Last Seen Leaving is more of a coming of age story than anything else. The real heart if this book is the story of not pretending to be someone that you are not. There are more than a few secrets in this plot point and these were the ones that interested me more. To me the best and most interesting thing about this book is that it is about a teen boy figuring out who he is and who he wants to be. It is about someone coming to terms with who he is, accepting himself, and sharing that true self with the world even if it's not what they expect of him. And that part of the narrative was fantastic. It wasn't what I was expecting but that made it all the more enjoyable.

And maybe I enjoyed the character-driven moments because I did really like the main character Flynn. Despite some frustrating moments of me thinking "what teenage boy talks like that," I enjoyed Flynn's voice. I enjoyed his dry humor and irreverence as much as I enjoyed his more vulnerable moments. And boy does he have some vulnerable moments. He felt real and complex in the way he was finding his way in the world. I think a lot of people can empathize with him in that way.

But Flynn wasn't the only complex character here. This book was as much about January and learning who she was. Throughout the book you see flashbacks to her and see her at her best and her worst. January is not a super likable character but I appreciated that. She was this presence that you felt throughout the book and the author did a good job of making you want to learn more about her and her motivations. There were a host of other complex and unlikable characters, like January's parents and students at the school that I kind of wanted to learn more about. The characterization here was pretty good, I just kind of wanted more when it came to the secondary characters.

On the whole, Last Seen Leaving was a good and enjoyable read. It isn't the kind of mystery that I usually love but it more than made up for it with the coming of age story that I could get behind. It had complex characterizations and an interesting plot full of secrets and surprises that I enjoyed reading.

I give Last Seen Leaving by Kaleb Roehrig 8 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy/Borrow. I think that I would maybe recommend this more to fans of contemporaries more than to fans of mysteries. The mystery was not my favorite part and if you are looking something super twisty I would try something else. But if you are a contemporary fan and want to try more mysteries than I would definitely recommend this one.

Have you read Last Seen Leaving? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

ARC Review: When the Moon Was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore

Title: When the Moon Was Ours Written by: Anna-Marie McLemore Published: October 4, 2016 by St. Martin's Press (Macmillan) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: When the Moon Was Ours follows two characters through a story that has multicultural elements and magical realism, but also has central LGBT themes—a transgender boy, the best friend he’s falling in love with, and both of them deciding how they want to define themselves.  To everyone who knows them, best friends Miel and Sam are as strange as they are inseparable. Roses grow out of Miel’s wrist, and rumors say that she spilled out of a water tower when she was five. Sam is known for the moons he paints and hangs in the trees, and for how little anyone knows about his life before he and his mother moved to town.  But as odd as everyone considers Miel and Sam, even they stay away from the Bonner girls, four beautiful sisters rumored to be witches. Now they want the roses that grow from Miel’s skin, convinced that their scent can make anyone fall in love. And they’re willing to use every secret Miel has fought to protect to make sure she gives them up.

*** I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher via Netgallet widget in exchange for an honest review. This fact has not changed my opinion. ***

I loved Anna-Marie's debut and so I was so excited to have a chance to read an advance copy of her next book. And once again, Anna-Marie has written an absolutely gorgeous read full of magic and great characters.

This book is magical realism at its finest. Despite the fact that I typically prefer my magic to be more overt, I love this kind of magic. The kind of magic that is subtle and interesting in a way that adds depth and mystery to the world. The magic hear does just that, creates a setting that feels beautiful and interesting with unexpected magic. Plus the magic is tied to the characters in a way that pulls you in to them.

And these are some really fantastic characters too. You can't help but empathize with both Miel and Sam throughout this book and their struggles. This very much feels like a character-driven as we alternate between the two characters and seem them navigate in the world and the magic they have. You feel their fear and uncertainty at the same time you sense their confidence. They're interestingly complex which is always a good thing. You also get the feeling that they care so much for each other. Throughout the book their relationship, their friendship developing into more, is a part of the book and their development. And while it didn't take away from the book for me, it wasn't a something that I loved. But you know me and my romancephobic tendencies.

The great thing about these characters and this book though is that it's a subtle coming-of-age story. There is usually some aspect of that in YA but here it was a big part of the plot and themes of the book. This is a book about acceptance. It's about being comfortable with who you are even if it's not typical and portraying that to the world. This made for not only a compelling story but also a deep connection to the characters.

Plus if you have read Anna-Marie's debut you know that her writing is absolutely beautiful. She has this lyrical style that pulls you into the world and the plot of the book in a way that is totally immersive. It takes a little while to get used to but when you are into it, you are loving he beauty of the worlds and where they are taking you. It took me longer to read than I expected because this is one of those books that forces you to slow down and take in all the words.

On the whole I really liked this book. It's a book with great characters with good development and an interesting coming-of-age story; its gorgeous writing will have you falling into a world of magic.

I give When the Moon Was Ours by Anna--Marie McLemore 9 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy/Borrow. If you enjoyed this authors debut or are looking for a lyrical read or something with magical realism than check this one out. Or if you are a fan of contemporary coming-of-age stories with diverse characters and/or want to read some more fantasy pick this one up. Anna-Marie's books are perfect for contemp fans who don't read a lot of fantasy. Not to mention it's a beautiful read.

Have you read When the Moon Was Ours? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

P.S. Be sure to check back later in the week! I'll have more on this book and an interview with the author for my stop on the blog tour.

ARC Review: A Shadow Bright and Burning by Jessica Cluess

Title: A Shadow Bright and Burning Series: Kingdom of Fire #1 Written by: Jessica Cluess Published: September 20, 2016 by Random House Books for Young Readers (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: I am Henrietta Howel. The first female sorcerer in hundreds of years. The prophesied one. Or am I? Henrietta Howel can burst into flames. Forced to reveal her power to save a friend, she's shocked when instead of being executed, she's invited to train as one of Her Majesty's royal sorcerers. Thrust into the glamour of Victorian London, Henrietta is declared the chosen one, the girl who will defeat the Ancients, bloodthirsty demons terrorizing humanity. She also meets her fellow sorcerer trainees, handsome young men eager to test her power and her heart. One will challenge her. One will fight for her. One will betray her. But Henrietta Howel is not the chosen one. As she plays a dangerous game of deception, she discovers that the sorcerers have their own secrets to protect. With battle looming, what does it mean to not be the one? And how much will she risk to save the city—and the one she loves? Exhilarating and gripping, Jessica Cluess's spellbinding fantasy introduces a powerful, unforgettably heroine, and a world filled with magic, romance, and betrayal. Hand to fans of Libba Bray, Sarah J. Maas, and Cassandra Clare.

*** I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley and at BEA. This fact has not changed my opinion. ***

I read a lot of YA fantasy. An obvious statement to anyone who follows me on Goodreads or reads my blog. It is my kryptonite. YA fantasy second only to historical fiction. What I'm trying to say is that this book had all my favorite things, I should have loved it and yet I did not.

One thing that I did love though is the historical elements. Now I will say, the historical stuff is not the focus. This is an alternative universe so there's not a lot of historical facts you can do. But you can deal with the themes. One of my favorite periods for historical fiction is Victorian England. It's such an interesting period of change and that leads to a lot of really great conflict with books set in the period. The author did a great job analyzing the historic themes of class, race, and gender in a complex and interesting ways.

And a lot of the creative ways it dealt with those themes was through the magic of this book. A Shadow Bright and Burning definitely had an interesting magical system. There were a few different systems at play here, and the author did a good job of explaining the rules and way they were utilized. I liked learning about the magic but I do think it took a lot of the focus of the first half of the book. I'm often overly critical about exposition in first books and I felt like that was the case here. There was a lot of set up here.

The exposition and focus on the magic did kind of get in the way of the plot development for me a little bit. It took a little while to get to the real meat of the plot. Heck, it took a while for me to even realize where the plot was even going. To me it felt like the plot was a little basic and familiar. It felt like a lot of other YA fantasies with the Chosen One trope that I think it may have relied a little too heavily on. I know it wanted to play with that trope but that didn't really come across. At times it felt like it wanted to turn the idea on it's head and at other times it felt like it fell right in with the trope. I would have like to see it own it a little more in either direction and not try to walk the line.

I also would have liked to see a little bit more with the characters of this series. This is a book with a large cast of characters and often it was hard to keep them straight. I would have liked to see a little more development especially with some of the secondary characters. Many of them were interestingly complex but we just didn't get to see them enough. I found the main character of Henrietta interesting enough but I think the Chosen One thoughts I mentioned early got in the way of me liking her more. I did appreciate her hard work and desire to subvert societal expectations I would have just liked to see her own it a little more. The characters who I did like though were the antagonists. Oh man, there were some fascinating monsters here. I want to learn way more about them because they are super dark and fascinating. I think in general with the characters I just wanted more.

There were some really great elements to this book. It's a really wonderful historical fantasy world with a cool magical system but the plot development and characters didn't take it to the next level for me. It suffered a little with First Book Syndrome but I am interested to see where it will go in the rest of the series.

I give A Shadow Bright and Burning by Jessica Cluess 8 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy/Borrow. A Shadow Bright and Burning was an interesting read that I would probably recommend to historical fiction fans looking to read more fantasy. But if you're like me and you read a lot of YA fantasy it may not quite blow you away.

Have you read A Shadow Bright and Burning? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!