Audiobook Review: Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

Title: Strange the Dreamer Written by: Laini Taylor Series: Strange the Dreamer #1 Narrated by: Steve West Published: March 28, 2017 by Little Brown Books for Young Readers (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: A new epic fantasy by National Book Award finalist and New York Times bestselling author Laini Taylor of the Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy.  The dream chooses the dreamer, not the other way around--and Lazlo Strange, war orphan and junior librarian, has always feared that his dream chose poorly. Since he was five years old he's been obsessed with the mythic lost city of Weep, but it would take someone bolder than he to cross half the world in search of it. Then a stunning opportunity presents itself, in the person of a hero called the Godslayer and a band of legendary warriors, and he has to seize his chance to lose his dream forever.What happened in Weep two hundred years ago to cut it off from the rest of the world? What exactly did the Godslayer slay that went by the name of god? And what is the mysterious problem he now seeks help in solving?  The answers await in Weep, but so do more mysteries--including the blue-skinned goddess who appears in Lazlo's dreams. How did he dream her before he knew she existed? and if all the gods are dead, why does she seem so real?  In this sweeping and breathtaking new novel by National Book Award finalist Laini Taylor, author of the New York Times bestselling Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy, the shadow of the past is as real as the ghosts who haunt the citadel of murdered gods.  Fall into a mythical world of dread and wonder, moths and nightmares, love and carnage.  Welcome to Weep.

When a book you want to read has an audiobook narrated by Steve West, you listen to the audio no questions asked. That's exactly what happened for me with this book and I'm glad I did because not only was this a fantastic read but it was a great audiobook.

First things first, we have to talk about Laini Taylor's gorgeous writing. I didn't know what to expect from the author because despite everyone raving about it, I have not read Daughter of Smoke and Bone and after reading this, I am regretting that decision. Because Laini definitely has a way with works. Her prose has a way of creating a captivating atmosphere and an enthralling world. It's not overly flowery but it has a distinct lyrical quality that draws you in and keeps you reading. These are the kinds of books that work really well as audios and that was definitely the case here.

The other great thing about Laini's writing is the plot development. This is definitely a book with a great plot that had me engaged from beginning to end. It's one of those books that slowly builds to a thrilling conclusion that has you totally really and desperately needing the next book in the series. It's also one of those books that is full of mystery and surprises. I definitely figured out one of the major twists but this was still a book full of mystery. Even when it was over I was left with all kinds of questions and curiosities. 

But I will say, I did still have some complaints about the plot and the pacing. In general it had a good flow and there wasn't a point where I wanted to stop reading but I did want them to get back to certain aspects of the story. It did drag in parts and this is a longer book that feels like a long book. I think my main issue with the plot and pacing was the focus on the romance about two-thirds of the way into the book. It's not that I didn't like the romance, I just felt like it took away from some of the larger plot development. But you know me, I'm romancephobic.

Although I do understand that the romance was a necessary part of the character development and I really enjoyed the characters. First there is Lazlo our title character. Lazlo was instantly likable and easy to root for. He is an orphan who has to earn every ounce of respect he has. But he is also a dreamer who believes in magic and wants more for himself and to explore Weep, a place of legend. He was the perfect main character for this book and I was absolutely rooting for him. The other main character is Sarai, she is Godspawn, the daughter or a "God" who can invade people's dreams and change them. She is feared throughout Weep because of her mother and is known as the Muse of Nightmares. But she could not be more different. She's sweet and caring. I wanted to see Sarai get her way and rooted for her just as much. There are also plenty of great secondary characters that I hope we get to learn more about in future books.

And finally, I really enjoyed the world building of this book. I read a lot of YA fantasy and sometimes they can feel very similar and like they're the same old same old. And while I did get some vibes of other books that I enjoy, I found Strange the Dreamer totally unique and interesting. It was a world full of magic and mystery. There were clear rules and an interesting magic system that I think we have only just begun learning about. 

I really enjoyed Strange the Dreamer. It's a great start to what I'm sure is going to be an amazing series. It's got gorgeous writing, an engaging plot, likable characters, and an atmospheric world. Basically everything all good fantasy should have. 

I give Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor 9.5 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy. I know this was a totally hyped up book when it came out last month but it is deserving of that hype. It's a great read of you haven't picked by up you should. Check this book out, especially if you like audiobooks.

Have you read Strange the Dreamer? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and happy reading.

Book Review: The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli

Title: The Upside of Unrequited Written by: Becky Albertalli Published: April 11, 2017 by Balzar + Bray (HarperCollins) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: Seventeen-year-old Molly Peskin-Suso knows all about unrequited love. No matter how many times her twin sister, Cassie, tells her to woman up, Molly can’t stomach the idea of rejection. So she’s careful. Fat girls always have to be careful.  Then a cute new girl enters Cassie’s orbit, and for the first time ever, Molly’s cynical twin is a lovesick mess. Meanwhile, Molly's totally not dying of loneliness—except for the part where she is. Luckily, Cassie's new girlfriend comes with a cute hipster-boy sidekick. If Molly can win him over, she'll get her first kiss and she'll get her twin back.  There's only one problem: Molly's coworker, Reid. He's a chubby Tolkien superfan with a season pass to the Ren Faire, and there's absolutely no way Molly could fall for him. Right?

I absolutely loved Simin Vs. and so when I heard Becky was going out with a new book I was so excited to read it. And just like her debut this was a great contemporary full of sweet romantic moments, humor, and the complexities of life.

The thing that I liked most about this book was the characters. It's not often that I relate so hard to a character but Molly Peskin-Suso is one of those rare characters that I completely saw myself in. Part of this of course is Becky's talent for writing complex and realistic characters that are relatable and interesting. But honestly, so much of it was also just that Molly and I are a lot alike. One of the best things about Molly is that she's not perfect. She's awkward and insecure and sometimes her anxiety and fear of rejection makes it really hard for her. It was really interesting and refreshing to see a character who is dealing with a metal health struggle in a genuine way, especially one that mirror my own. Molly was a Greg character and easy to root for.

But the book had plenty of fantastic characters. This is a book that is full of secondary characters and each of them engaging and different. I really like Molly's moms and it was cool reading a book about someone who have LGBT+ parents. I also really liked the relationship between Molly and her sister Cassie. They went through a very realistic period where they go from best friends to not being so close and I found that relationship super realistic and relatable.

But of course I have to talk about the romance here. This is a book about someone who is always crushing on guys and never takes the next step until two guys come along. I was worried about there being a lot of swooning and thankfully there wasn't. Molly's crushes made sense and they worked. I was also worried about there being a love triangle and there wasn't. It wasn't all simple and easy but there was a clear front runner. I was absolutely Team Reid. Reid was so freaking adorkable and sweet. I really liked him and thought him and Molly were so cute together. I'm not sure why I was worried about the romance, I should have trusted that Becky would do it right and she totally did.

But in general this is just one of those contemporaries that was the line between serious and fun perfectly. There are some really serious and intense moments both internally for Molly and externally with the people around her. But the book never gets too preachy and it never beats you over the head with the lesson. It does a really good job of entertaining and informing. Plus it's fun and cute. There are some super sweet romantic moments and there are some really funny moments. It's not as laugh out loud as Simon Vs but it's really well-balanced.

I absolutely loved this book. It had great characters, an interesting storyline, and the right balance between serious and light-hearted. Becky has once again crafted an amazing book.

I give The Upsode of Unrequited by Becky Albertali 9.5 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: BUY! Yup, absolutely read this book. It's not as funny as Simon Vs. but it had the perfect balance between serious and light-hearted. Contemporary fans should absolutely read.

Have you read The Upside of Unrequited? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING.

Waiting on Wednesday: Ash and Quill by Rachel Caine

A weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine

Title: Ash and Quill Series: The Great Library #3 Author: Rachel Caine Published: July 11, 2017 by Berkley (Penguin) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: The unforgettable characters from Ink and Bone and Paper and Fire unite to save the Great Library of Alexandria from itself in this electrifying adventure in the New York Times bestselling series.  Hoarding all the knowledge of the world, the Great Library jealousy guards its secrets. But now a group of rebels poses a dangerous threat to its tyranny.... Jess Brightwell and his band of exiles have fled London, only to find themselves imprisoned in Philadelphia, a city led by those who would rather burn books than submit. But Jess and his friends have a bargaining chip: the knowledge to build a machine that will break the Library’s rule. Their time is running out. To survive, they’ll have to choose to live or die as one, to take the fight to their enemies—and to save the very soul of the Great Library....

Why I'm Waiting:

I was recently sent a copy of this book from the publisher and I am super excited to read it. I really love this series. I mean I was absolutely ecstatic recently when I found out it was going to be five books.  It was one of my favorite books of 2015 and that was a year full of amazing books. And the series is just so unique and interesting.

For one thing I have gotten so attached to the characters in this series in the past two books in this series. It's such a diverse and complex group and they are really easy to root for. And that is good because they have been through so many hardships and I am anxious to see what is going to happen to them next, especially after the way the last book ended.

But also I love the world of this book.  It's such an amazing combination of the political intrigue of a dystopian series and the magic and mystery of a school fantasy. The Great Library is one of the most amazing locations but also one of the most devious villains and worlds I have seen before. We've been seeing more of the library and learning more about the library with every book and I'm sure we will get more in this book as well.

I'm also really interested in this book because reading the synopsis I think there is going to be some really thrilling adventures. Come on, it tells you they are in prison in Philadelphia. Also... Philly! I am so interested in exploring what the US is like in this world. Oh man. I'm excited. 

What about you? What are you waiting for this Wednesday? Are you waiting on Ash and Quill along with me? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Top Ten Tuesday: Most Unique Magical Systems/Powers

A weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

SO today's prompt is about uniqueness. I love a weird and unique book, who doesn't. And originally I was just going to list some of the unique books I have read. But I wanted to narrow it down a little bit to unique fantasies. I read a lot of fantasies and they tend to feel really predictable. But then I decided that really what makes these books unique is their magical systems. So that's what I am going to give you. My favorite unique magical worlds and powers.

1.) Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson - My Review
Sanderson is the master of unique magic. Seriously this list could be all his books. Mistborn has three really unique ones because they all combine having an innate ability with using a physical object. Plus there are sixteen different branches within two of them.

2.) The Reckoners by Brandon Sanderson - My Review
Let's get my other favorite Sanderson power system out of the way. I freaking love the Reckoner powers. This is a series about people who have superpowers but it's more about how power corrupts so there is some fun stuff to it. Plus there is this whole thing about weaknesses and fears. It's good.

3.) The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon - My Review
I read The Song Rising recently and I seriously love the clairvoyant power systems. I think it's really cook because it goes beyond the basics of seeing the future and reading tarot cards. There are higher orders where you can control spirits and like Paige's where you can invade people's minds and control them.

4.) Carry On by Rainbow Rowell - My Review
This was Rainbow's first foray into writing fantasy and I loved that because it came from a place of respect and still was super unique. I love that in this world different objects could preform magic and that spells could be nursery rhymes or poems.

5.) The Magicians by Lev Grossman - My Review
Okay so the best part of this magical system is that it subverts the tropes by having this theme that magic doesn't solve problems, it creates them. Plus it's unique in the way that anyone could be a magician but not everyone is a magician. And the whole hand movements and chanting combination. It's all really unique.

6.) The Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss - My Review
The cool thing about the magic here is that for the most part it's super scientific. It's all about like alchemy and energy manipulation. That in and of itself is unique. And then there is naming. I don't even fully understand it really but it's magical and it's fascinating.

7.) Truthwitch by Susan Dennard - My Review
This is one of those series that has some common magical systems, I mean it's basically a lot of elemental magic. But then it has other really unique powers like Safi who is a Truthwitch and can tell if people are lying. And then there are Threadwitches and Voidwitches which are very unique and interesting.

8.) A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab - My Review
Another series with some common magical systems like elemental magic. But then you have the blood magic that the Antari are able to do. That magic is fascinating and super unique. Not only can they travel through worlds but they can do lots of other really neat stuff.

9.) Nevernight by Jay Kristoff - My Review
There isn't a ton of magic in this series and there could be more, there should be more. But the little that you do get is super unique. The main character in this series Mia is able to control shadows and darkness. Plus the has a not a shadow cat that she made. It's very unique.

10.) The Young Elites by Marie Lu - My Review
This is a series where there are plenty of powers. Some of them are ones you see a lot but the main character has one of the most unique I have seen. Adelina is an illusionist, which in and of itself isn't super unique. But her power is rooted in fear. She taps into her own fear and those of the people around her, which I think is cool.

11.) Rocks Fall, Everyone Dies by Lindsay Ribar - My Review
This is another one of those books that shows how magic doesn't necessarily solve problems. It does a lot of exploration of the idea of whether magic is good. Plus there is a really unique power where you can see into people's pasts and steal things from them by touching an object they owned.

12.) The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig - My Review
So this is probably the only book on the list where it isn't actual people with powers. This one is instead about the power to travel through time. There is some fantasy to it but the real unique thing is that you mostly need a map and you go to what the map shows so it can be real, historical, or fictional.

There you have it. What are some of the most unique magical systems/powers you have read. Like I said, I love a good magical system especially if it's unique. So if you have recommendations, let me know. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

ARC Review: The Edge of the Abyss by Emily Skrutskie

Title: The Edge of the Abyss Series: The Abyss Surrounds Us #2 Written by: Emily Skrutskie Published: April 18, 2017 by Flux (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: Three weeks have passed since Cassandra Leung pledged her allegiance to the ruthless pirate-queen Santa Elena and set free Bao, the sea monster Reckoner she’d been forced to train. The days as a pirate trainee are long and grueling, but it’s not the physical pain that Cas dreads most. It’s being forced to work with Swift, the pirate girl who broke her heart.  But Cas has even bigger problems when she discovers that Bao is not the only monster swimming free. Other Reckoners illegally sold to pirates have escaped their captors and are taking the NeoPacific by storm, attacking ships at random and ruining the ocean ecosystem. As a Reckoner trainer, Cas might be the only one who can stop them. But how can she take up arms against creatures she used to care for and protect?  Will Cas embrace the murky morals that life as a pirate brings or perish in the dark waters of the NeoPacific?

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

I really liked the first book in this series and I was so excited to be able to read an advance copy of the second book. And while it's very different, it's just as good and maybe even better.

The Edge of the Abyss for one thing has and amazing and action-packed plot. I mean it's a book about pirates and sea monsters, how can it not be thrilling! And boy was it. There are so many amazing action scenes throughout the book and it really builds to an exciting climax. There was even so much build up that in the last twenty pages I made the decision to go somewhere late rather than not finish. It was that exciting. It took me just a few days to finish it because I really couldn't put it down.

The other great thing about this book is the world. I would say that much of the first book was about the Reckoners or sea monster, but most of this book is about the pirates. We get to see so much more about the inner workings of he pirate society here and even get to meet more of them. It was really interesting and I loved seeing Cas trying to figure out her place as a Reckoner trainer turned pirate. But don't think there are no sea monsters because there are. Oh man, there are plenty. Even that is expanded a little bit and we get to see them in action both wild and trained and it was really cool. These two things work together really well and definitely made for a fantastic and engaging world.

This book too has some great characters. In the first book we slowly got to know the crew of the Minnow. They're pirates so obviously they walk that fine line between good and bad. That line definitely got explored further in this book and I loved that. But no one got that exploration more than Cas. I really like her as a character. She's so complex. She's one of those characters who really tries to do the best thing even if that means doing some bad things for a good reason. I love those kinds of characters and it's one of the things I like about Cas. Plus she's so sassy. But all the characters here are great.

And honestly, I even like the romance here. The best part about it is that it's not easy. You can tell that the characters are deeply for one another but they are still constantly fighting. It's so on-again and off-again which I actually appreciate. It felt realistic and not forced. It's great to see that in a relationship. Plus it's a f/f relationship which added an even better level of awesomeness. In the end I totally ship it.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's a fast and action-packed read. I loved the first book in the series and this book is just as good if not better with a thrilling plot, an interesting world, and complex characters.

I give The Edge of the Abyss by Emily Skrutskie 9.5 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy. If you enjoyed The Abyss Surrounds Us you will love this book. And if you haven't read that and you are looking for a thrilling book about pirates check this series out. It's great.

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

ARC Review: Shadow Run by AdriAnne Strickland and Michael Miller

Title: Shadow Run Series: Kaitan Chronicles #1 Written by: AdriAnne Strickland and Michael Miller Published: March 21, 2017 by Delacorte Press (Random House) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: Firefly meets Dune in this action-packed sci-fi adventure about a close-knit, found family of a crew navigating a galaxy of political intrigue and resource-driven power games.  Nev has just joined the crew of the starship Kaitan Heritage as the cargo loader. His captain, Qole, is the youngest-ever person to command her own ship, but she brooks no argument from her crew of orphans, fugitives, and con men. Nev can't resist her, even if her ship is an antique. As for Nev, he's a prince, in hiding on the ship. He believes Qole holds the key to changing galactic civilization, and when her cooperation proves difficult to obtain, Nev resolves to get her to his home planet by any means necessary.  But before they know it, a rival royal family is after Qole too, and they're more interested in stealing her abilities than in keeping her alive.  Nev's mission to manipulate Qole becomes one to save her, and to survive, she'll have to trust her would-be kidnapper. He may be royalty, but Qole is discovering a deep reservoir of power--and stars have mercy on whoever tries to hurt her ship or her crew.

*** 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. ***

This book is pitched as Firefly meets Dune so I obviously needed to read it. I have been saving it to read during my science fiction themed month and I'm glad I didn't wait much longer because this book was everything I was hoping it would be. It's a fantastic read full of action, adventure, political intrigue, and a great sci-fi world.

For one thing this a book with amazing plot development. I say it all the time but I am a plot driven reader. My favorite books tend to be ones that take me on an exciting adventure and have thrilling action and plenty of surprises. This book had all of those things. It's definitely one of those books that is jammed packed with adventure. It slowly built to a thrilling conclusion and almost every one of the 400 pages had something going on. For the most part it has a space opera kind of vibe as the readers are taken from one part of the galaxy to another all in the name of the plot. There were thrilling escapes and acts of "thrilling heroics" as Jayne would call them. What I'm saying is that I seriously loved the plot development here and even though it is a long book that you can't really power through, it didn't feel long.

But the book also had really great character development. It alternates perspectives between Nev and Qole. When we first meet Nev he is full of secrets and trying to help his family by getting close to Qole and her crew. Qole is the captain of a ship in the outskirts of the galaxy where people, for lack of a better word, mine shadow a material that turns a profit because of it's use in fuel and other things. Being in the head of both main characters meant that we got to know them pretty well. And while they were complex ad interesting characters, the characterizations was subtle. Which honestly was a refreshing change. A lot of times you can kind of beat the readers over the heads with a characters personality traits, but that didn't happen here. And honestly it made the characters feel realistic, They weren't caricatures which can very easily happen with space operas.

But I also felt that way with the secondary characters. This could be a really cliche unlikely team sort of story but it was more than that. We didn't really get to know many of the secondary characters on a very deep level but they still made a really strong impression. I think maybe it's because this is a book about found family and the relationships that develop throughout the book are all about that. The relationships develop slowly over the course of the book, especially for Nev. While the two P.O.V. characters share the protagonist role but with this aspect of the story it is so much more about Nev and honestly that was okay. And I will say, there is a subtle romance to it but for this romancephobe it never got to an annoying level for me.

Another thing that I liked about the book was the world building. It's definitely a fantastic science fiction world. It's the kind of world that you would expect full of spaceships and technology but I love that kind of stuff so I really enjoyed that. But it went further than that. It's also a world full of not really political intrigue but aspects of it. It definitely explored the idea of power and control and some of the economic aspects that go with. I totally appreciated that part of the book because that is not something you see very often when it comes to YA novels. But that was just such a small part of the world. I think there could be so much more to this part of the world building. There also could have been so much more to the world. I think this was the kind of book that wanted to show instead of tell but instead it ended up just having some weirdly placed info dumps that just left me with more questions. I really liked the world here but thew execution wasn't totally fantastic.

All in all Shadow Run was a fantastic read. It is a thrilling book with interesting characters and an engaging science fiction world. It's supposed to be a series if Goodreads is to be believed but it definitely reads like a standalone. But if there is more, I'm into it. I enjoyed this book a lot.

I give Shadow Run by AdriAnne Strickland and Michael Miller 9 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy. If you are a fan of science fiction than definitely check this book out. If you are like me and you prefer books that is full of plot driven adventure then I think you will really enjoy this book. Or maybe just get it to read something full of thrills and action but a good found family theme.

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

Audiobook Review: Empress of a Thousand Skies by Rhoda Belleza

Title: Empress of A Thousand Skies Series: Empress of A Thousand Skies #1 Written by: Rhoda Belleza Published: February 7, 2017 by Razorbill (Penguin Book Group) (Amazon / Goodreads / Audible) Synopsis: CROWN PRINCESS RHIANNON TA'AN WANTS VENGEANCE.  The only surviving heir to an ancient Kalusian dynasty, RHEE has spent her life training to destroy the people who killed her family. Now, on the eve of her coronation, the time has finally come for Rhee to claim her throne - and her revenge.  ALYOSHA is a Wraetan who has risen above his war refugee origins to find fame as the dashing star of a DroneVision show. Despite his popularity, Aly struggles with anti-Wraetan prejudices and the pressure of being perfect in the public eye.  Their paths collide with one brutal act of violence: Rhee is attacked, barely escaping with her life. Aly is blamed for her presumed murder.  The princess and her accused killer are forced to go into hiding - even as a war between planets is waged in Rhee's name. But soon, Rhee and Aly discover that the assassination attempt is just one part of a sinister plot. Bound together by an evil that only they can stop, the two fugitives must join forces to save the galaxy.  In this exhilarating debut for fans of Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles and Pierce Brown's Red Rising trilogy, RHODA BELLEZA crafts a powerful saga of vengeance, warfare, and the true meaning of legacy.

This book was amazing! Hearing that it is a YA book about political intrigue in space absolutely seemed like a book I needed to read. And I'm glad that I did because it was fantastic.

For one thing, I loved the plot development of this book. I'm a very plot driven reader so when the plot is good I am going to probably love the book. And the plot here was so good. It's one of those books that has a ton of moving parts that don't all come together until the very end. But it's also a book that is full of action and adventure. There are so many Darin escapes and thrilling scenes throughout this book that had me on the edge of my seat waiting and watching to see what would happen. It also absolutely built to a thrilling climax full of surprises and amazing reveals that left me so enthralled that I need the second book. 

So much of what made this book so complex was the way it is written. The book is told in alternating perspectives between Rhiannon (Rhee) and Alyosha (Aly). I'm used to that concept but I feel like a lot of times the two perspectives have the same storyline and it doesn't seem needed. But here they both had their own stories that didn't overlap and instead complimented each other. It made for a very interesting and deeper story that I really enjoyed. 

I will say, however, that this concept didn't leave a lot of room for character development. I did really like both characters and I found them likable and complex but the focus wasn't on the characters. You did get to know the characters pretty well however and I was invested in their histories their struggles which is important. The changing perspectives also meant that there were a host of different secondary characters to meet and none of them really made a very lasting impression despite making a strong impression. I just think there was more emphasis on the plot here and that was okay by me.

The world also didn't get as much attention as I would have liked but that was because it was so interesting. It definitely is one of those show don't tell kind of stories, which is fine but it left me with a lot of questions. This is clearly a science fiction read that definitely has some space opera vibes and I loved all of those aspects but much of that world and the science aspect didn't get much attention until the very end. I wanted a little bit more explanation of some of these things that came into the plot in a big way. 

But I think more of the focus for the world was placed on the political intrigue. And oh boy, this book was full of political intrigue. Like Game of Thrones level political intrigue. There were so many scheming characters aiming for power. And it went beyond the princess who is the rightful heir trying to regain her power. Yes, that was an element and I liked that element but it went deeper than that. So deep in fact that I don't even think we know exactly how deep it goes.

This is only the first book in a series and I loved it so much I am seriously invested in knowing what happens next. It had a fantastic plot full of action and mystery, a great science fiction world that I want to know more about, complex characters, and a ton of political intrigue. It was amazing.

I give Empress of a Thousand Skies by Rhoda Belleza 9.5 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: BUY! I would absolutely recommend this book. If you are a fan of science fiction or YA fantasies you need to read this book. It totally is like Game of Thrones meets The Lunar Chronicles. Read it and then come flail with me.

Have you read Empress of a Thousand Skies? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks ford topping by and HAPPY READING!