Top Ten Tuesday: YA Fantasy Series I Have Not Started but Want To

A weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

1.) Abhorssen by Garth Nix - Add to Goodreads
I severely neglected my 90's teen fantasies I think. I never read these books as a kid and I don't know why. When a new book in the series a few years ago and I wanted to read it because everyone was talking about it and I never did.

2.) His Fair Asssasins by Robin LaFevers - Add to Goodreads
I've heard really good things about this series with female assassins/nuns which takes place in Medieval times. It's a total me book and even though I own the first two books I still haven't read them. I was hoping to read them this month though.

3.) The Queen's Thief by Megan Whelan Turner - Add to Goodreads
So this is similar to Abhorsen because a new book in the series actually just came out. It seems like a series that I would love as I love me some books about thieves. Well now that there are audiobooks out and they are narrated by Steve West I may read them.

4.) The Stormlight Archives by Brandon Sanderson - Add to Goodreads
I love Brandon Sanderson, I love him a lot, and yet I have never read this series. If I'm being totally honest it intimidates me a little bit. Each book is over 1,000 pages and I don't know if I can devote that much time to any book even if it is amazing.

5.) The Study Series by Maria V. Snyder - Add to Goodreads
I have heard really good things about this series from some blogger friends who list it among their favorites when I first started blogging. I really wanted to read it but I never got around to it and now I don't know if I will ever have the time.

6.) Falling Kingdoms bv Morgan Rhodes - Add to Goodreads
This is a series with books still coming out. I was given the first book as a gift maybe last year and I had every intention of reading it but I haven't yet. I'm a little nervous because I hear there are a lot of perspectives and that often annoys me.

7.) The Archived by Victoria Schwab - Add to Goodreads
I love Victoria Schwab. I have read all her adult books and The Monsters of Verity series (well I'm reading Our Dark Duet) and yet I have never read this series. I really want to but I don't have the first book and I think it's out of publication.

8.) Lumatere Chronicles by Melina Marchetta - Add to Goodreads
This is a series that like everyone was reading last year. I wanted to be one of those people but I wasn't. I don't know why I didn't take the time to read it them but I know everyone loves it so I want to read it.

9.) Seven Realms by Cinda Williams Chima - Add to Goodreads
And yet another book where another book in the series came out recently and I couldn't read it because I hadn't read this one yet. I know a lot of people were really excited about that so I assume people like it.


10.) The Imposter Queen by Sarah Fine - Add to Goodreads
I really like my first Sarah Fine series I read and I want to read more of her books. This totally seems like one that I would love and I even recently bought the first book in the series and yet I still haven't read it.

There you have it, the ten YA Fantasy series that I have not yet read and want to read. Have you read any of these books? What did you think? Are there any you think I totally have to read?

Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

The Suffering Tree by Elle Cosimano Blog Tour: Review and Giveaway

ABOUT THE BOOK: 

The Suffering Tree by Elle Cosimano
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Release Date: June 13th 2017
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal

Buy Links:
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes and Noble / iBooks

Synopsis: "It's dark magic brings him back." 

Tori Burns and her family left D.C. for claustrophobic Chaptico, Maryland, after suddenly inheriting a house under mysterious circumstances. That inheritance puts her at odds with the entire town, especially Jesse Slaughter and his family-it's their generations-old land the Burns have "stolen." As the suspicious looks and muttered accusations of her neighbors build, so does the pressure inside her, and Tori returns to the pattern of self-harm that landed her in a hospital back in D.C. It all comes to a head one night when, to Tori's shock, she witnesses a young man claw his way out of a grave under the gnarled oak in her new backyard.

 Nathaniel Bishop may not understand what brought him back, but it's clear to Tori that he hates the Slaughters for what they did to him centuries ago. Wary yet drawn to him by a shared sense of loss, she gives him shelter. But in the wake of his arrival comes a string of troubling events-including the disappearance of Jesse Slaughter's cousin-that seem to point back to Nathaniel.

 As Tori digs for the truth-and slowly begins to fall for Nathaniel-she uncovers something much darker in the tangled branches of the Slaughter family tree. In order to break the curse that binds Nathaniel there and discover the true nature of her inheritance, Tori must unravel the Slaughter family's oldest and most guarded secrets. But the Slaughters want to keep them buried at any cost.

MY REVIEW:

*** I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher for a blog tour via Netgalley. This fact has not changed my opinion. ****

I was really excited to read this book. It is totally up my alley, historical mystery with subtle magic. And while it was an interesting read I quite love it how I was hoping.

One thing I did like about this book was the atmosphere and world of this book. When it comes to this kind of historical mystery, the most important thing is that world. You have to establish interest in both the present and the past. The author definitely managed to do that. With flashbacks to the past she established what life was like for indentured servants, and in present day the high stakes plot added to the drama. Both settings were equally engaging and while I did prefer the ones in the past I never felt like I'd rather be in the opposite place, which is common. Then of course there was the magic added. I usually like my books with a lot of magic but the subtle amount here just added to the drama and mystery.

Which was the other thing I liked about this book, I liked the mystery and plot development. This is a book that is full of surprises and twists. Some of them were pretty easy to solve and others of them were not. As the book unfolded it did so in a way that there were more and more surprises and a big finish that was full of action. There were kind of two mysteries here and each of them were interesting but if I'm being entirely honest I did feel like they were a little needlessly complicated. With one of them I felt like I had an obvious solution that could solved things much sooner and with the other I felt like it had a left field reveal. However I was engaged in both their conclusions and with a lot of mysteries that isn't the case.

But I will say, I didn't really like the pacing of this book. It's not a particularly long book but it did take me awhile to get into it. It's one of those books that does built to an exciting conclusion but it took it's sweet time to get there. It took me three days to read the first half of the book and then I read the second half in a day. And even then it felt like it was progressing slowly. I wanted it to get to the big finish but it just wasn't getting there. I wish it had been a little more evenly paced.

I also didn't really like the characters here. It's not that they weren't interesting. For example, many of the secondary characters were pretty odious which is what you want to see when it comes to a mystery. But the main characters just didn't impress me much. They just didn't jump off the page. I think for the most part they just fell a little flat because they didn't have much personality. The main character Tori was fine and I liked the fact that she stuck up for herself and her family but it honestly felt a little misplaced at times. I couldn't quite figure her out and that made it hard to connect. And then there was Nathaniel, the romantic lead. He also just didn't seem to have much of a personality. And their relationship I just didn't understand. It wasn't really instalove but it had all the hallmarks of that trope. I kept hoping that they weren't going to get together because there was nothing really connecting them and then suddenly they did. I think I just wanted a little more from the characterizations here.

But in general it was an okay read. I'm a plot driven reader so I enjoyed how it all unfolded and the way the mystery revealed itself. There was a lot of drama and an atmospheric setting to keep me engaged. I just wish it paced a little more evenly and there was better characterizations.

I give The Suffering Tree by Elle Cosimano 7.5 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Borrow. I think fans of YA historical mysteries will enjoy this book and should check it out. There's a lot to like for fans of the genre or for those just looking to tip their toe in and try it out.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 

 Author of NEARLY GONE, NEARLY FOUND, HOLDING SMOKE, and THE SUFFERING TREE (Disney*Hyperion, 2017). Represented by Sarah Davies of The Greenhouse Literary Agency. 

TOUR SCHEDULE: 

http://fantasticflyingbookclub.blogspot.com/2017/05/tour-schedule-suffering-tree-by-elle.html 

GIVEAWAY: 

There are two giveaways for this tour! One on the FFBC Tours site where you can win (1) of (9) witch bottles (US Only). You can find that here:  http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/d9681b86242/?

And one that just right here on My Thoughts Literally where you can win a SUFFERING TREE bundle which consists of a finished copy of the book, a sticker and a bookmark.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Have you read The Suffering Tree? What did you think? What are your favorite mysteries? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Crossing Over: Time Travel Books with a Focus on the History

Hey all. It's been awhile since my last Crossing Over post. If you're not familiar with Crossing Over it's a feature that stemmed from my desire to recommend an adult book with crossover appeal based on a YA or sometimes Middle Grade book that are similar. I hate that we pigeonhole books into a specific age range and so I try to combat that. Plus it's basically an if you liked, then try but for crossover books. It runs once a month (usually) here and I pick the books based on the theme of what I'm reading. So this month my theme is historical fiction and honestly that was a pretty hard one for me. I feel like I don't read a ton of adult historical fiction and the ones that I do are very different from the YA I read. So I did a little bit of a twist on the topic and do time travel stories with a big focus on historical fiction

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
Read My Review / Add to Goodreads

So I feel like the first thing I have to say about this book is that it is not really a crossover book. It is very adult. VERY. There are some really explicit sex scenes and a ton of violence. And there are also plenty of violent sex scenes. This book is not for the typical YA reader. But it is still really good and I don't think teens should avoid these kinds of books because they aren't "adults." Alright, that's out of the way so let's get to the good stuff.

This book is about a woman who is ahead of her time who ends up, unbeknownst to her, having the ability to travel back in time. She ends up in the Highlands of Scotland right before the Jacobite uprising and becomes entrenched with a family who is more than meets the eye. There's a ton of action and drama, plus a good amount of political intrigue. As the series develops she starts to realize that if she wants to save the people she loves, she may have to change history.

This book also has amazing characters. I absolutely love Claire for one. As I said she is ahead of her time which often puts her at odds with the historical time period. She's sassy and tough, brilliant and resourceful, and shows a lot of confidence under pressure. She's an easy character to get behind. But Jamie Fraser is also quite amazing as well. He's not your typical war-hardened soldier. He's got a real vulnerability to him which makes him quite complex.  But even more than that, this is a series full of amazing and odious characters including some truly vile villains. Plus the book is way more character driven than you would expect.

But the thing I liked most about this book is that it's a time travel story that reads like historical fiction. The focus is definitely not on the time travel at least not in the first few books (yes, I admit I have only read the first one and seen the second season of the TV show). The time travel is just a means of getting the character to the time period which is a great setting. I loved the themes about the period that were explored and think fans of historical fiction will enjoy it as well.

In general, it's a good read. It defies genre classifications because it has elements of historical fiction, fantasy, and romance. If you are worried it's too romance heavy, don't be. Take it from this romancephobic person, there is much more about this series to love. If you are a historical fiction fan check it out.

Passenger by Alexandra Bracken
Read My Review / Add to Goodreads

So there are a lot of books out there that market themselves at Outlander for teens. Some because they are historical fiction that takle place in Scotland, some because they're time travel, some because they have both. But none of them quite get there. Passenger I think gets the closest. One because it's not trying to be Outlander and two, because it has the same kind of vibes,

This book is about a young woman who ends up, unbeknownst to her, having the ability to travel back in time. She ends up aboard a pirate ship right before the American Revolution and becomes entrenched with a family who is more than meets the eye. There's a ton of action and drama, plus a good amount of surprised. As the book and series develops she starts to realize that if she wants to save the people she loves, she may have to change history and travel through time even more.

This book also has amazing characters. I really liked Etta for one. Etta is a modern girl with modern sensibilities which often puts her at odds with the historical time period. She's tough, smart, resourceful, and shows a lot of confidence under pressure. She's an easy character to get behind. But Nicholas is also quite amazing as well. He's not your typical swash-buckling pirate. He's got a real vulnerability to him which makes him quite complex. But even more than that, this is a series full of amazing and odious characters including some truly vile villains. Plus the book is way more character driven than you would expect.

But the thing I liked most about this book is that it's a time travel story that reads like historical fiction. The focus is on the time travel but what it does right it perfectly capture the location and history of where it is taking you. The time travel is the main plot point but it doesn't neglect some of the larger implications and how the characters inhabit the locations. I loved the themes about the period that were explored and think fans of historical fiction will enjoy it as well.

In general, it's a good read. It defies genre classification by having great elements of historical fiction, fantasy, science fiction, romance. Basically it has it all. If you are a fan of historical fiction I think you will like it just as much as fans of time travel.

Have you read Outlander and/or Passenger? What did you think? What steampunk novels with crossover appeal do you like? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

ARC Review: The Fallen Kingdom by Elizabeth May

Title: The Fallen Kingdom Series: The Falconer #3 Written by: Elizabeth May Published: June 13, 2017 by Chronicle (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: The long-awaited final book in the Falconer trilogy is an imaginative tour-de-force that will thrill fans of the series.  Aileana Kameron, resurrected by ancient fae magic, returns to the world she once knew with no memory of her past and with dangerous powers she struggles to control. Desperate to break the curse that pits two factions of the fae against each other in a struggle that will decide the fate of the human and fae worlds, her only hope is hidden in an ancient book guarded by the legendary Morrigan, a faery of immense power and cruelty. To save the world and the people she loves, Aileana must learn to harness her dark new powers even as they are slowly destroying her.  Packed with immersive detail, action, romance, and fae lore, and publishing simultaneously in the UK, The Fallen Kingdom brings the Falconer's story to an epic and unforgettable conclusion.

*** 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 have been anxiously waiting on this book after the way the last book ended. I needed to know what happened to these characters. And it definitely did not disappoint. It was a book full of action, surprises, and great characters.

I think my favorite thing about this book and this series in general is the world. Elizabeth May is able to create an amazing fantasy world that feels unique and familiar at the same time. I don't usually like books with fae but I love this one. The magical creatures and fae are much more on the darker side which is totally up my alley. Plus this is a series with a world with a history and a mythology behind it. In this book we get to explore that so much more and it was absolutely fascinating. And the interesting thing too is that it was a subtle kind of world-building. It didn't overwhelm you with information. It showed instead of telling you about what was at play here. Seriously, more we explore the world the happier I was with this book.

But I also really love the characters of this series. In the course of three books I have become so attached and connected to these characters. I immediately fell in love with the main character of Aileana in this series and I loved her even more here. She has been through a lot and I feel like we have been through a lot with her. She's one of those female protagonists that I love because while she is tough, kickass, and smart she is also vulnerable. She makes bad decisions and has to live with the consequences and she is forced to do things she doesn't want to do. I loved seeing her development in this book and watching her step into the role of hero in an even bigger way.

This book also has amazing secondary characters. Some of them I've loved since we first met them, like Derrick who is amazing and hilarious as usual, and Aithinne who is sweet and tough in her own way. While others it took me awhile to fall for. I really liked Kiaran in this book. I think I'm one of the only people who didn't ship this right away but I gotta say, I ship it now. I get the connection between the two characters and I liked seeing Kiaran or should I say Kadamach in a different way. He also had really great development. But the character with the best development was definitely Sorcha. How Elizabeth was able to make a character who was a straight up villain into a sympathetic character I will never know. But I loved Sorcha in this book. She was snarky and amazing. But that was just the tip of the iceberg when it came to these characters. There were so many amazing ones. They were all complex and likeable.

And as great as the character development was, the plot development was even better. This is a book full of action and adventure. The series always had amazing battle scenes and tons of moments that had me on the edge of my seat, so of course those continued in this book. And because this was the last book in the series the stakes were even higher. There were tons of surprises, twists, and big reveals that had me shocked and enthralled. I'm a plot driven reader and I loved this book for the ride it took me on.

However I will say, I didn't totally live the pacing and some of the way book unfolded. I think that this is just a slower paced book series. It really takes it's time to build things up. In the last two books it gave us crazy cliffhangers. This book couldn't do that so instead it just gave us almost no falling action. It was over 400 pages of crazy action and plot development and then it was just over. I would have liked a little more falling action for the last book in the series. I also felt like there were some moments in the middle of the book where it just lost a little bit of the flow. It didn't really move smoothly along. But in general it did build to a good conclusion that I enjoyed.

On the whole, The Fallen Kingdom was a great ending to an amazing series. It's a great historical fantasy series with a fascinating world, complex characters, and a thrilling plot. I'd say it leans more on the fantasy side with the world and characters but either way it's super engaging and I really liked it.

I give The Fallen Kingdom by Elizabeth May 9 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy. If you liked the first two books in this series you definitely need to read this book. You will live it. And if you haven't read this series and are looking for an interesting YA fantasy with a little historical feel to it check this series out.

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

Discussion Post: Why I Think Audiobooks Are The Best Way to Reread

Hi Everyone,
In case you missed it a week ago when I talked about the new audiobooks to my wishlist, June is Audiobook Month. As many of you probably know I am a huge fan of audiobooks. I'm an audiotory learner and so listening to books is great for me. On top of that I can listen to them at work, on long walks, on public transportation, and while doing housework. Which are things I both love and hate. But in general, I think there are just certain books who are perfect in audio format.

But some of the best audiobooks are rereads. I really don't like rereading physical books. I have done it before but when it comes to rereads I would much rather listen to the audiobooks. I really think that audiobooks are the best way to reread a book. And just in case you haven't experienced this joy I decided for this month's discussion post, to explain that to you.

1.) You Can Experience the Book Faster.

I'm not a very fast reader. It depends on the book and what I am up to but in general it takes me about 4-5 days to finish a book. But when it comes to audiobooks I can listen to them in 2-3 days, that is if I actually hunker down and listen to them. Partially this is because you can alter the speed and read at 1.25 or in rare cases 1.5 speed but this is also because you can listen anywhere. It really is a super helpful way to read more books.


This is a good thing for reading in general but it's even better for rereads. Say that the book you have been waiting two years for, the sequel to that book you loved, comes out a week and you want to refresh your memory on what happened. You can read the whole book and nothing else, or you can listen to the audio while you're at work and be ready for the next book. I choose the latter.

2.) Doesn't Take Reading Time Away From Other Books

This sort of goes hand in hand with what I just said about reading books faster, but when you are listening to an audiobook you can still read physical books or e-books. I'm the kind of person that is almost always reading two or three books, one of them is an audiobook. And because of this I can keep my audiobook for rereads and have my other reads be new releases or upcoming ARCs.

Now this is particularly important for rereads because if you are taking the time to read something again then it means you can't read something new. But if you're doing it on audio you can have your cake and eat it too. So many times I've thought I wouldn't be able to reread a book because I had review books I needed to prioritize but this way I don't have to worry about that. Everyone wins, especially me.

3.) Gives You a New Perspective

One of the things that I love about audiobooks is how they set a very specific tone for the book. It establishes the atmosphere of the book because the narrator can do certain things like speed up their voice during really thrilling scenes or build the suspense with dramatic pauses. It makes you feel the tone of the book so much more that way.

And for rereads this has an even bigger effect. You can see the book in a whole different way just because of the narrator. There has been times where I started reading a book and I liked it but as soon as I picked up the audio and got the tone of the book it was like a whole different story. A good narrator can make you see things in a totally new light. And when you are rereading a book isn't that what you want? And if they are really good and the audio is good enough, it's like you are experiencing the book for the first time. Plus presumably you liked it before but maybe you'll love it this time.

4.) Immerses You in the World

Again, this goes hand in hand with what I just said about giving you a new perspective. Because just like that one, this is all about the narrator being able to set the scene and create an atmosphere for the book. A really good narrator is able to do that in such a way that you are able to forget about the real world or your location and you are transported to wherever the book takes place. If I am being entirely honest that rarely happens to me when I'm reading a book but when I am listening to an audio it almost always happens. It's like I'm there, I can see the sights, hear the sounds, smell the smells, feel the feels. I am immersed in that world.

Now again, this is even more beneficial when you are rereading a book. It's like a more extreme reaction to the book. And when you are experiencing a book again you want that stronger reaction because then you will appreciate the book as much if not more. It's happened to me many times where I loved the book so much more on audio because I was able to feel immersed in the world. It almost ruins the actual reading of the book for me (more on this later), but it's honestly a good thing for me. Plus when you are rereading a book it's usually because a sequel is coming out and being able to reimmerse yourself in the book helps you jump right into the next one.

5.) Helps You Reconnect With The Characters in a Different Way

You can probably tell that one of my favorite things about audiobooks is the narrators. A lot of what I have been talking about here is how a good narrator is able to create the scene and pull you into a book. But a great narrator is also totally able to embody the character. There are certain books and certain narrators where I have just thought, that person is that character. MacLeod Andrews is David Charleston, Steve West is Sean Kendrick, Elizabeth Evans is Celaena Sardothian. These narrators become the characters so much that you can't help but connect with them because it's like the character themselves is talking to you. This is even more amazing if you have a full cast or multiple perspectives, that narrator becomes the character.,

This too is even more heightened for rereads. In these cases you already met and probably connected with the character. So when it comes to rereads you can just let go and allow them to soeak to you in their tone and their way. Sometimes this can happen so much that I can no longer read a book because I will have the narrators voice in my head. I'll hear the dialogue in their tone and inflections. It's like they have embodied that character so much that I can't experience them any other way. And while this is a good thing, often I'll be like "it's not the same" and I'll just get the audio. But in the case of rereads it really does help you jump back into the characters head which is super helpful.

There you have it, all the reasons I think that audiobooks are the best way to reread anything. I am currently doing my own audiobook reread of This Savage Song. I'm really enjoying it. There Plummer is definitely able to set the tone of the book and immerses me in the world of The Monsters of Verity. She is also able to embody Kate Harker, she's so perfect for Kate. I'm not sure she gets August just right but still it's really good. I'm so ready for Our Dark Duet, I just need to finish this audiobook.

What do you think? Do you like listening to audiobooks on rereads? What are some of your favorites? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Top Ten Tuesday: Best Dad's of Literature

A weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

So last month we had a mother's day themed prompt and I shared some of the worst mom's in literature. So this time I decided I wanted to some of the best Dad's. It was originally pretty hard to think of but once I started thinking about it more they just kept flowing. 

1.) Arthur Weasley from Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling - Add to Goodreads

Of course Mr. Weasley has to be on this list. He's around for anything and everything when it comes to his kids and he and his wife Molly (one of the best mom's) basically adopted Harry without a second thought. Plus Mr. Weasley seemed like a realistically awkward dad with all that rubber duck talk and what not.

2.) Dr. Covey in the To All the Boys I Loved Before trilogy by Jenny Han - My Review

Dr. Covey is great because when his wife died and he was forced to raise three girls on his own he did it and he did it well. He's not perfect but he's such a genuine and sweet dad. Plus I love that even though he's a doctor he's always around.

3.) Mr. Bennett in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - Add to Goodreads

Mr. Bennett must have more patience than anyone ever. Not only is he surrounded by women but his wife made my bad mom list and is super frustrating. How a totally sane and nice guy can be married to her I'll never understand. Also, shout out to him for telling Lizzie not to marry Mr. Collins.

4.) Jake O'Hare in the Fox and O'Hare series Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg - My Review

I really like this series. It's such a fun heist kind of series. Plus with Janet Evanovich you know it's full of quirky and funny characters. Jake is one of those. He's a retired military operative who helps Kate out and is seriously hilarious. 

5.) Marie-Laure's father in All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr - My Review

When his daughter goes blind, this man does everything he can to help her and make sure she knows her way around, I mean he builds a miniature replica of the town so she can figure out how to navigate it and find her way home. It's so sweet.

6.) Hans Hubermann in The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak - My Review

Thinking of All the Light We Cannot See also makes me think of The Book Thief. Liesel is adopted by the Hubermann's and Hans could not be sweeter. He is the ubermensch after all. No but seriously, he's like the ideal adoptive father.

7.) Matthew Cuthbert in Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery - Add to Goodreads

Speaking of ideal adoptive fathers. Seriously, do I even need to explain why Matthew is amazing. He's one of those strong silent types of fathers but when it comes right down to it he's super sweet and so kind to Anne. 

8.) Oberyn Martell in A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin - My Review

This is a series that is mostly full of terrible parents. Seriously, most of these characters have some kind of daddy issues and who can blame them? But I think The Red Viper is a pretty good dad. He has bastards all over the continent but unlike some people (cough cough Robert cough) he actually takes care of them and makes them badass female fighters.

9.) Sergei Andreyev in The Crown's Game by Evelyn Skye - My Review

Sergei is Vika's father as well as her mentor.  He raised her on a remote island so he could teach her how to do magic, which I think is a pretty cool way to treat your enchanter kid. Plus in The Crown's Game he basically sacrifices everything for her to hopefully win.

10.) Dr. Erland in The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer - My Review

Dr. Erland is (spoiler alert) Cress's father and despite not being around for much of her life, he is still a pretty good dad. He does everything he can to keep his daughter safe and to find her, even going to earth. He also tries to find a cure to disease to help her and other children.

Honorable Mention to some horrible dad's.

Adelina's Dad in The Young Elites by Marie Lu

He basically tortures his daughters to find out if Adelina is an Elite.

Straf Venture in The Mistborn Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson

Straf is Elend's father and he is terrible. Just terrible.

Adam's Dad in The Raven Cycle by Maggie Steifvater

This is probably not a surprise if you've read this series.

And like all the dad's in A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin but like mostly Tywin Lannister.

There you have it. My top ten great and a few terrible dads in literature. What dad's made your list? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

ARC Review: Obsidian and Stars by Julie Eshbaugh

Title: Obsidian and Stars Series: Ivory and Bone #2 Written by: Julie Eshbaugh Published: June 13, 2017 by Harper Teen (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: In the sequel to Ivory and Bone—the prehistoric fantasy novel that New York Times bestselling author Amie Kaufman described as a “richly crafted world of life-and-death stakes”—the story shifts to Mya’s viewpoint as vengeful adversaries force her to flee the life she once knew.  After surviving the chaotic battle that erupted after Lo and the Bosha clan attacked, now Mya is looking ahead to her future with Kol. All the things that once felt so uncertain are finally falling into place. But the same night as Kol and Mya’s betrothal announcement, Mya’s brother Chev reveals his plan to marry his youngest sister Lees to his friend Morsk. The only way to avoid this terrible turn of events, Morsk informs Mya when he corners her later, is for Mya to take Lees’ place and marry him herself.  Refusing to marry anyone other than her beloved, and in an effort to protect her sister, Mya runs away to a secret island with Lees. And though it seems like the safest place to hide until things back home blow over, Mya soon realizes she’s been followed. Lurking deep in the recesses of this dangerous place are rivals from Mya’s past whose thirst for revenge exceeds all reason.  With the lives of her loved ones on the line, Mya must make a move before the enemies of her past become the undoing of her future..

*** I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher for the blog tour. This fact has not changed my opinion. ***

I really liked Ivory and Bone so I was really excited to read the next book and find out what happened in the next installment. And this was just a good a piece of historical fiction, full of drama and adventure.

My favorite thing about this book was my favorite thing about the the first book, the setting. This is a book set in prehistoric times. It such a fascinating period and makes a brilliant location for a book. Julie Eshbaugh has definitely done a heck of a lot of research when it comes to the period and it shows in this book. The setting really comes alive in this book with incredible descriptions and just an all around compelling world.

But the other great side effect of the setting of this book is the effect it has on the plot. The setting makes for an incredibly dramatic plot full of action and adventure. There's a lot of drama built in with a setting where you are struggling to survive and that is exactly what this book is about. I wasn't sure where this book was going to go after a Pride and Prejudice retelling but it took to story in an interesting direction. There were daring escapes, thrilling battles, near death experiences, actual deaths, and all kinds of thrilling moments. It had me on the edge of my seat and I loved it.

My only problem however was with the pacing. It was a very action packed book but I definitely had ebbs and flows. I read it pretty quickly as it built to an interesting conclusion but I don't know that it had much cohesion. It just sort of had a bunch of drama and then a big finish that I knew was going to end up happening much quicker that t actually did. I wish t had more of a specific and cohesive story to it but that's really my only gripe.

Because I did also really like the characters here. I think having Mya take the lead here was a perfect decision. Mya was the most compelling character in the first book and having this one from her perspective made me enjoy It a lot. She's a tough, smart, and resourceful character that I really enjoy. I also liked that this book sort of plays with gender norms here by making Mya the hero and the one who saves the day. But Kol too is an ingesting character. He's just as tough and resourceful but he shows an incredible amount of vulnerability and resilience. Their romance was really great as well. It's subtle and a great slowburn with a very satisfying ending.

That's a great way to explain this book, satisfying. I know the author originally planned a trilogy but ended making a duology. And I think that was a great decision. This was a fantastic read with a unique and incredible setting, a plot full of action and adventure, and likable and engaging characters.

I give Obsidian and Stars by Julie Eshbaugh 9 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy/Borrow. I definitely recommend this book to fans of historical fiction but even if you are more of fantasy or dystopia fan give it a try. It's thoroughly compelling and very satisfying.

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