Sunday, October 8, 2017
ARC Review: Cayleth Warding and the Scarlet One by Jessica Hernandez
Summary: Fifty-three families looking for a new beginning board a ship and sail to an uninhabited island. Happily they live for well over two decades. Homes are built and the past is forgotten. Paradise, however, is no more after the adults suddenly vanish one night. For three years, the teens and children rule the island of Oridd. For three years, they survive. When an old woman unexpectedly appears on Oridd, all is cast into disarray as the strange and awful threaten to become commonplace. The old woman wants something, and she won’t leave until she gets it.
Release Date: Saturday, October 7th
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Review:
I was fortunate enough to receive an advanced copy of Cayleth Warding and the Scarlet One from its author, Jessica Hernandez. While I have read a few random classics for my Advanced Placement Literature and Composition class, I have not read many books for pleasure this last month. I was glad to add some variety and read Cayleth Warding and the Scarlet One. It was a refreshing read that I greatly appreciated. Cayleth Warding and the Scarlet One was a thrilling, suspenseful, and compelling novel that should be on everyone's to-be-read list.
I never knew where the plot of Cayleth Warding and the Scarlet One was going, every two steps I thought I was ahead was actually five steps in the wrong direction. It was truly a thrilling and suspenseful ride that kept me guessing at every turn. It is the perfect read for the fall and Halloween season. The ending left me with a dozen more questions. I never saw the end coming and I am still coming to terms with it. It was a risky move that proved worthwhile. I am impressed by Jessica Hernandez. I am hooked on this story-line and cannot wait to explore more of the story. I presume there will be a sequel to Cayleth Warding and the Scarlet One, otherwise that would be cruel. After its ending, the reader needs more.
The main complaint and praise I had with Cayleth Warding and the Scarlet One was the writing. While it typically flowed smoothly, a few segments of the writing left me rereading specific sections. The rough patches were descriptions that might have been edited out in the final copy, but it was something I wanted to mention. Although the world was one I had never heard of or explored before, Jessica was able to seamlessly transition me into the world within the first page. I was only caught up on a few descriptions that were focused on the movement and activities of the characters, not the world. Some descriptions were confusing and took away from the story; overall, the story flowed very smoothly and I enjoyed the writing style.
I enjoyed the world of Cayleth Warding and the Scarlet One. It was an interesting concept that Jessica executed well. I hope to be able to explore the world further in its possible sequel(s). The end uncovered more of the world the novel had yet to mention. I am interested to see what Jessica has planned for the continuation of the story. Like I have mentioned numerous times, I am excited for more from this world.
The characters were also enjoyable, but they lacked luster at times. While they were not necessarily characters I will forever remember, their journey and obstacles were compelling and it brought the story to life. I will admit that I was overwhelmed at times by the amount of characters introduced within the span of one page. Many were not crucial to the story, overshadowing the description of characters that would prove valuable to the story. Cayleth was a decent character, but I absolutely loved her relationship with her sister, Lorelle. At times, the characters lacked something that made them three-dimensional; however, the relationship between Cayleth and Lorelle always made them jump off the page. Cayleth by herself or with Poins frequently left the story lacking, but Cayleth's relationship with Lorelle brought much needed dimension to the story.
Cayleth Warding and the Scarlet One was a suspenseful read that I highly recommend ordering. It had a compelling plot and world that left me wanting more. I am excited to read Jessica Hernandez's other titles. She has caught my eye. Let me know in the comments below if you have read Cayleth Warding and the Scarlet One or another novel by Jessica Hernandez. If you have read one of her titles, please let me know what you thought.
Monday, October 2, 2017
Blog Tour: Ally (Nemesis #2) by Anna Banks I Review
Summary: Princess Sepora of
Serubel and King Tarik of Theoria have formed an uneasy truce between their
kingdoms since the deadly plague began to rip through Theoria. Since their
feelings for each other are entangled in politics and power, they must use
their own trusted resources to find common ground.
But when traitors with powerful allies arise from unexpected places, Tarik and
Sepora face challenges that will change both of their kingdoms forever. Will
they learn whom to trust—including each other—in time to save their kingdoms,
their relationship and even their lives?
Pages: 320
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Release Date: October 3, 2017
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Ally is the second book in Anna Banks' Nemesis duology. I received an advanced copy of the first book in the duology, Nemesis, last year at San Diego Comic-Con and I thoroughly enjoyed it, you can read my review of Nemesis here. Ally was the perfect conclusion to Tarik and Sepora's story; however, I would love to see Anna Banks pursue more stories in this world. I understand if she does not want to create any spin-off series; however, I would love to read novellas following other characters in the series. I am particularly adamant to read novellas following Sethos and Tulle, they both stole my heart in Ally. I would also love to see a novella following Cy. Although he is a crucial member of the story, not much is known about him. His relative youth also allows for the potential of a spin-off series...
Nemesis' ending left the main characters in an interesting predicament that made Ally one of my highly anticipated releases of 2017. Although Tarik and Sepora's romance swept me off my feet in Nemesis, I was slightly annoyed with them throughout Ally. Their tendencies to be stubborn, forced them to constantly face opposition from the other. While I understand their stubbornness, their lack of willingness to communicate left their relationship in tatters. It was rather annoying to always have them unwilling to communicate. I knew they could not instantly forgive each other, but they both were unwilling to speak or listen to the other. It forced my love for the two of them to dwindle; however, that void was easily filled with my love for Sethos. I could read an infinite amount of stories featuring him.
The characters of Nemesis and Ally are a crucial component of the story. The interactions between the characters makes the story come to life. Nemesis and Ally are both quick and easy reads because the characters are a joy to read about. I am disappointed that this is the end of their story. I really would love to see Anna Banks reconvene with these characters sometime in the future. They have a special place in my heart and I would love to revisit them in new content sometime in the future.
Another crucial part of the story is the world Anna Banks created. The world is unlike any other fantasy novel I have read. It is detailed and truly fascinating while also being easy to submerse oneself in the world. I was unable to reread Nemesis before starting Ally; however, it was easy to reenter the world and the story. The only complaint I have about the world and its characters is that many characters went on different missions throughout Ally; however, the reader was unable to follow the journey of these character because we are restrained to the perspective of the two main characters. I would have liked if the novel's perspective would have been extended to allow us to view the extended world and the journey each of these characters took. We were only able to see a small portion of the repercussion these journeys resulted in. I really would have liked to see the perspective of the novel extended or add novellas to fill these gaps. I do understand that adding all of these journeys would have doubled the novel in size; however, I am very fond of these characters and I would have liked to spend more time with them.
I love the cover change that was made for both Nemesis and Ally. While the original cover for Nemesis was not terrible, it did not accurately represent the world or story told by Nemesis. On the other hand, the new covers perfectly represent the world of Nemesis and the epic story within. Unfortunately, it is an underrated duology that deserves more attention; hopefully, the new covers will allow it to gain a larger audience.
I have enjoyed my time with the characters and the world of the Nemesis duology. I am disappointed to let these characters go; however, I am excited to read future works of Anna Banks. I have yet to read any of her other works so I am excited to see what her other novels have to offer. The Nemesis duology is an exhilarating fantasy duology full of political intrigue, secrecy, adventure, and romance. I highly recommend starting the duology if you have yet to do so.
* * *
I am excited to unveil one of the exclusive pieces of art Anna Banks had created for the series by David North. Each host of the tour is unveiling a piece or two!
12 winners will receive a complete set of the
exclusive pieces of art created for the series by David North (the images
revealed during each tour stop), US Only.
NYT
Bestselling YA author of The Syrena Legacy series: OF POSEIDON (2012), OF
TRITON (2013), OF NEPTUNE (2014). Repped
by rockstar Lucy Carson of the Friedrich Agency.
I live
with my husband and daughter in the Florida Panhandle. I have a southern accent
compared to New Yorkers, and I enjoy food cooked with real fat. I can’t walk in
high heels, but I’m very good at holding still in them. If you put chocolate in
front of me, you must not have wanted it in the first place.
Favorite
Books:
Shatter
Me, Cinder, Linger, Shiver, Forever, Pushing the Limits, Unravel Me, Shadow and
Bone, Enclave, Divergent, Candor, Graceling, Fire, The Hunger Games Trilogy,
The Host, Most of James Patterson, and Janet Evanovich makes me laugh through
my nose in an unfeminine sort of way.
Tour Schedule:
Week One:
9/25/2017- a GREAT read- Review
9/26/2017- PaperTrailYA- Interview
9/27/2017- Owl Always Be Reading- Excerpt
9/28/2017- Reese's Reviews- Review
9/29/2017- Two
Chicks on Books- Interview
Week Two:
10/2/2017- Little Red's Reviews- Review
10/3/2017- Lisa
Loves Literature- Guest Post
10/4/2017- Take Me Away To A Great Read- Review
10/5/2017- YA
Books Central- Interview
10/6/2017- Seeing Double In Neverland- Review
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)