ARC Review: Reign the Earth by A.C. Gaughen

Title: Reign the Earth Series: The Elementae #1 Written by: A.C. Gaughen Published: January 30, 2018 by Bloomsbury (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: Shalia is a proud daughter of the desert, but after years of devastating war with the adjoining kingdom, her people are desperate for peace. Willing to trade her freedom to ensure the safety of her family, Shalia becomes Queen of the Bonelands. But she soon learns that her husband, Calix, is motivated only by his desire to exterminate the Elementae—mystical people who can control earth, wind, air, and fire. Even more unsettling are Shalia’s feelings for her husband’s brother, which unleash a power over the earth she never knew she possessed—a power that could get her killed. As rumors of a rebellion against Calix spread, Shalia must choose between the last chance for peace and her own future as an Elementae. This intense, richly drawn high-fantasy by the author of Scarlet will hold readers spellbound.

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

I really enjoyed the Scarlet trilogy so I was incredibly excited that she was coming out with a new book, especially one that is a YA fantasy with a world based on elemental magic. And I was not at all disappointed by this book. It was a fantastic read with great characters and an amazing world.

I honestly think that my favorite thing about this book was the characters. A.C. Gaughen really knows how to develop complex and likable characters. This book proved that even more. Our main character Shalia was so easy to root for and want to succeed. For one thing I really loved how kind and caring Shalia was. She is the kind of person that you want in powers. She sticks up for those less fortunate and wants to do what's best for her people. She is also tough and resilient despite everything that she had been through, which was a lot. There was an incredibly vicious antagonist here who I absolutely despised. But that was just another example of how A.C. Gaughen does characterization so well. Seriously, the characters just jump off the page and made this book so enjoyable.

The real great thing about the characters and heart of this book was in its relationships, both positive and negative. As far as the good relationships go, so much of this book had to do with family and the power of family. I really loved the way that Shalia and her family interacted. You can tell they loved each other so much. In fact I think my favorite character may have been Shalia's brother Kairos. Kai was amazing and such a great brother. He was protective but supportive. Then you had Calix's family which was such an interesting dynamic. The way they interacted was so different. But his sister Danae was super interesting and so was his brother Galen. The two brothers couldn't be more different, most shown by the way they treated Shalia. Calix was abusive and aggressive. And when I say abusive, I mean it. They did not shy away from the physical and emotional abuse. But Galen, by contrast, was kind and gentle. I didn't really ship it but I can see people who are more into romance would. But either way, the best part of this book was definitely the characters and their relationships.

The other really fantastic thing about this book was the world. I used to not really love elemental magic because it always reminded me of Avatar: The Last Airbender. But maybe I stopped caring about that or maybe books have just been leaning into that comparison because these days I love when books remind me of that, and this book definitely did. The magical system was based on elemental magic and in the book we got to see people using the power of water, earth, and a little fire. I really appreciated this too because it was a magical system that had clear rules and even a history to it. We didn't learn too much about it but Gaughen did a good job of showing the reader the world and not telling them about it. I'm excited to learn more in later books.

As far as the plot I definitely did enjoy it, but I feel like this is a book that just didn't have much of a plot. I'd say that it is probably much more character-driven than plot driven. There was plenty of tension and the booked moved along in a consistent and interesting way but it was less about reaching for a specific goal and more about the characters and their decisions affecting what happened. I'm not usually a big fan of character-driven narratives but I really loved the characters here and so it made it all worthwhile.

I really loved this book. It had amazing characters with great relationships, an engaging world with a great magical system, and a character-driven plot that kept me interested from beginning to end. This is a great start to a series I am really excited to see develop.

I give Reign the Earth by A.C. Gaughen 9.5 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy! This is such a fantastic book. It's a great YA fantasy read that fans of the genre should definitely read. And if you loved the Scarlet series then definitely check out Gaughen's new series.

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

Book Review: Lion Heart by A.C. Gaughen

*** This is the third book in a series. If you haven't read Scarlet (MY REVIEW) and Lady Thief (MY REVIEW) then proceed with caution. There are no spoilers for this book but there may be some for those ones. ***

Title: Lion Heart Series: Scarlet #3 Written by: A.C. Gaughen Published: May 19, 2015 by Bloomsbury (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: The eagerly-awaited conclusion to the Scarlet trilogy delivers another action-packed and romance-filled adventure.  Scarlet has captured the hearts of readers as well as the heart of Robin Hood, and after ceaseless obstacles and countless threats, readers will finally find out the fate of the Lady Thief.  Imprisoned by Prince John for months, Scarlet finds herself a long way from Nottinghamshire. After a daring escape from the Prince's clutches, she learns that King Richard’s life is in jeopardy, and Eleanor of Aquitaine demands a service Scarlet can’t refuse: spy for her and help bring Richard home safe. But fate—and her heart—won’t allow her to stay away from Nottinghamshire for long, and together, Scarlet and Rob must stop Prince John from going through with his dark plans for England. They can not rest until he’s stopped, but will their love be enough to save them once and for all?

If you read my review of Lady Thief on Monday you know that I impulsively decided to marathon this series as part of retellings month because I liked Scarlet so much, If feels so good to finish this series instead of only reading the first book for the Rock My TBR Challenge. And this was a great ending to a series that I definitely loved.

First things first, I jut love these characters so much. Spending three books with Scarlet and Rob is honestly not enough. They are fantastic heroes and make an amazing team. In particular I loved seeing Scarlet's development throughout the series. She's really grown and matured throughout this series. She has gone from a thief to a lady, well a Lady Thief. I love how much she cares for the people of Nottingham and I support her efforts to do whatever it takes to help them. But of course she had Robin Hood there to help the people. Rob also had great development as well. But I think what really impressed me about the characters here are the villains. They were devious, vindictive, and definitely those you love to hate. This series is full of amazing characterizations and I'm honestly not ready to let it go because I'm not ready to let these characters go.

Speaking of love and the characters, the ship in this book is so brilliant. You guys know how I feel about romance. I am not usually a fan of romance. My cold, dead heart is lukewarm at best when it comes to books that are heavy on the romance. But here there was so much romance and I not only found myself happy about it but wanting more. The shipping feels are strong with this book and I was absolutely drowning in them and I loved that because I ship it so hard. Usually I see people talking about kissing scenes and I realize I blocked them out but here I remember them because there were some absolutely amazing kissing scenes.

But that does kind of lead into my only criticism of the book which is around the plot development and pacing. There is a lot of emphasis on the romance which is totally fine but it meant that the other plot points didn't get as much attention, To me that made for a book that didn't really feel like a cohesive story. There were some elements that didn't get introduced until very late in the book and there were some lulls in the general flow of the story. I feel like the first two books seemed more connected and this one feels a little bit more independent. Which again is not necessarily a bad thing but this being the last book in the series I felt like I was missing that resolution to the larger plot that started in the first book. I still have questions, I feel like there is more story to tell and the focus on the romance was to the plot here.

But I did once again love the way that the author incorporates the retelling and the historical aspects of the period. It's another thing that I really enjoyed about the series and like about the original Robin Hood story. It brings fictional and almost mythological figures in conflict with actual historical figures. The way that the elements of the Robin Hood story incorporates with the history of Prince John and Eleanor of Aquitaine has been such a highlight of this series and here it came in to the book in a big way. I'm a big fan of historical fiction and this is a series that does it right. It's well researched and still creative. But that being said, this was the plot point I wanted more of which the romance took over for so maybe that was why I think that about the plot.

On the whole  this is a fantastic and entertaining story and I enjoyed it so much. I'm not ready to say goodbye to the character and I could also use some resolutions on some of the more historical plot points so basically, more please?

I give Lion Heart by A.C. Gaughen 8.5 out of 10

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy. Even though this isn't the perfect resolution to the series in my opinion, it is a great series with fantastic characters. I would definitely recommend this to fans of historical fiction or anyone who is looking for a series great characters full of adventure and romance.

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

Book Review: Lady Thief by A.C. Gaughen

*** This is the second book in a series. If you haven't read Scarley (MY REVIEW) then proceed with caution. There are no spoilers for this book but there may be some for that one. ***

Title: Lady Thief Series: Scarlet #2 Written by: A.C. Gaughen Published: February 11, 2014 by Bloomsbury (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: Scarlet’s true identity has been revealed, but her future is uncertain. Her forced marriage to Lord Gisbourne threatens Robin and Scarlet’s love, and as the royal court descends upon Nottingham for the appointment of a new Sheriff, the people of Nottingham hope that Prince John will appoint their beloved Robin Hood.  But Prince John has different plans for Nottingham that revolve around a fateful secret from Scarlet’s past even she isn’t yet aware of. Forced to participate at court alongside her ruthless husband, Scarlet must bide her time and act the part of a noblewoman—a worthy sacrifice if it means helping Robin’s cause and a chance at a future with the man she loves.  With a fresh line of intrigue and as much passion as ever, the next chapter in Scarlet’s tale will have readers talking once again.

I had Scarlet, the first book in this series, on my Kindle for awhile and after taking the time to read it this month as one of my retellings I decided I didn't want to stop there, so this I'm going to marathon the rest of the series. Lady Thief is a really great follow up to an interesting retelling with compelling characters that reads like historical fiction.

One thing that I really enjoy about this book, and this series, is the characters. I'm growing so attached to them. In the first book I was really impressed with the way that the author played around with the traditional characters of the Robin Hood story and here she did it again. But even if they weren't based on the originals they weren't based on the original characters they would still be incredibly complex and likable. I adore Scarlet and Rob so much. They are fantastic heroes and it is easy to get behind their struggle. Scarlet is tough and kind but so vulnerable in this book. You learn a lot more about her and her history which was fantastic too. I've been loving everything we learn about Scarlet. Rob too is a great hero. I mean who doesn't love Robin Hood? But what I like about Rob is that he too is not infallible which made him all the more interesting. And I am also getting really attached to their romance. You guys know me, I'm not a big fan of romance. Usually when I see people talking about kissing scenes I almost forget that there were any in the book but here I remember the kissing scenes and I very much liked them.

There are also a lot of really interesting secondary characters in this book. We don't really get to spend as much time with the members of Robin Hood's band of Merry Men but they are all still around and interesting. Gisbourne however was a big part of this book and is officially taking on the role as the vindictive and unlikable Sheriff of Nottingham. He's definitely a great villain and one you love to hate.  But here the most interesting characters are new ones, which are the actual historical figures of the period. Prince John and his wife Isabelle were a big part of the book as was Eleanor of Aquitaine. It was great seeing the fictional characters interact with the historical ones.

But this book definitely felt more historical and less of a retelling. I usually like when my retellings play up the history of the period and I enjoyed that so much with the first book.  On top of the historical figures there was a lot more reference to historical events of the period like the Crusades. Not to mention the fact that Gaughen does a good job of developing the setting by portraying some of the more brutal treatment of the time, especially for women. It felt like a really well-researched piece of historical fiction immersing the reader in what life was like in Medieval England. There are a lot of great themes about treatment of women, the poor, and anyone who are viewed as less than the nobles. It was a great setting and one of the things that I love about this series.

The historical setting and retelling made for an interesting and dramatic book. This series is definitely full of action and mystery. I was incredibly surprised by some of the twists in the first book and while these ones were not necessarily as shocking but it was still a book full of mystery and great twists. It also has the kind of action that you would expect in a book about Robin Hood or historical fiction set during Medieval times. There are lots of fight scenes, tournaments full of jousts and archery contests, and even some battles that had me on the edge of my seat. The plot of this book is really built to something interesting and I'm enjoying where it is going. And with the way this book ended I'm glad I have a copy of Lionheart so that I can finish the series!

On the whole Lady Thief was a good follow up to a series that I'm really enjoying. It's an interesting retelling that reads like historical fiction and I am growing so attached to these characters and their romance. I can't wait to see what happens next to them.

I give Lady Thief by A.C. Gaughen 9 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy. Obviously if you liked the first book in this series you should keep going. You will not be disappointed by this next book. And if you are a fan of historical fiction, Robin Hood, or retellings than pick this series up.

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

Book Review: Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen

Title: Scarlet Series: Scarlet #1 Written by: A.C. Gaughen Published: June 7, 2012 by Bloomsbury (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: Will Scarlet is good at two things: stealing from the rich and keeping secrets - skills that are in high demand in Robin Hood's band of thieves, who protect the people of Nottingham from the evil sheriff. Scarlet's biggest secret of all is one only Robin and his men know...that she is posing as a thief; that the slip of a boy who is fast with sharp knives is really a girl.  The terrible events in her past that led Scarlet to hide her real identity are in danger of being exposed when the thief taker Lord Gisbourne arrives in town to rid Nottingham of the Hood and his men once and for all. As Gisbourne closes in a put innocent lives at risk, Scarlet must decide how much the people of Nottingham mean to her, especially John Little, a flirtatious fellow outlaw, and Robin, whose quick smiles have the rare power to unsettle her. There is real honor among these thieves and so much more - making this a fight worth dying for.

Scartlet is a book that has been on my TBR for quite time. I even own a copy of the e-book which I bought about six months ago. So being that it's Retellings month, I thought I would knock this one off my list for the Rock My TBR challenge. And I'm so glad that I did because this was a fantastic retelling with a interesting historical feel, great characters, and plot development that was full of mystery and adventure.

As a fan of historical fiction, one of the things I love about retellings is when they have a historical feel to them. It doesn't matter if the author uses the period when the original story was written or perhaps they use a different period to build the story around. With Scarlet, it was the former. I loved the way that it tapped into the Medieval vibe of the original Robin Hood and developed an interesting historical story that could have stood on it's own with out the retelling aspects. It had references to the Crusades, King Richard and Prince John incorporated with fictional characters which I like in my historical fiction, for one. But really it used the historical setting and the unfair treatment of lower class citizens as the basis for an engaging story about characters fighting for justice and equality. It was a great setting for the story and it felt rooted in reality while crafting something unique and different.

It also created unique and interesting characters based on the original Robin Hood characters. This book had some pretty great characters and I'm interested to see where their stories go in the next books. I love the way the author played with the known folklore around Robin Hood and his Merry Men. One of the things I like about retellings is when we are able to see the story through the eyes of a secondary character. That was the case so we got to see Robin Hood through the eyes of those who support him which was great. I liked that he wasn't perfect and made mistakes. But he wasn't the only character different than you expect. I particularly liked Little John who was such a complex character, and of course Will Scarlet. A female Will Scarlet was pretty fantastic. I'm not always in favor of the girl in disguise trope but here it worked really well. Maybe it was because this book played with the known character in an interesting way or maybe it was because of the way her character developed throughout the book. She was tough and savvy with a mysterious past. I loved being in her head and learning her story throughout the novel.

In fact, that was the basis of the larger plot of the story. I wasn't the typical Robin Hood versus the Sheriff of Nottingham kind of story although that was a part of it. Scarlet was not only the narrator of the story but the protagonist that the plot was centered around. And what a great plot it was. The book too was full of action and adventure. It had the kind of things you would expect from a Robin Hood story. Robbing from the rich and giving to the poor most notable. But there was all kinds of narrow escapes and moments that had me concerned and on the edge of my seat. Things definitely did not go according to plan throughout the book and when we reached the conclusion I was left in need of the next book in the series because I needed to know what happened next. And not because there was a cliffhanger. Just because I was so invested and engaged in the story.

But I do want to warn readers that this is one of those books that immerses you in the book by using a particular manner of speech. Scarlet has had tough life and spent a lot of it on the streets of London, thieving naturally. So having her narrate the book she uses an accented cockney type speech pattern that is directly in the writing. It may bother some readers and at times it bothered me. It did make for an immerse experience and helped develop Scarlet's characters but it felt a little complicated at times.

On the whole, this was a good read and I'm glad I took the time to read it after it being in my TBR for a few years now. It was a great piece of historical fiction and a really creative retelling with great characters and tons of action.

I give Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen 9 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy/Borrow. Definitely a good read that I would recommend to anyone who likes historical fiction or fairy tales. It's got a lot of action so if you're looking for a book full of adventure than pick this up. And of course it's a must read for Robin Hood fans.

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