REVIEW: Furyborn by Claire Legrand

Furyborn by Claire Legrand

Published May 22, 2018 by Sourcebooks Fire

Publisher's Summary:
Follows two fiercely independent young women, centuries apart, who hold the power to save their world...or doom it.

When assassins ambush her best friend, the crown prince, Rielle Dardenne risks everything to save him, exposing her ability to perform all seven kinds of elemental magic. The only people who should possess this extraordinary power are a pair of prophesied queens: a queen of light and salvation and a queen of blood and destruction. To prove she is the Sun Queen, Rielle must endure seven trials to test her magic. If she fails, she will be executed...unless the trials kill her first.

A thousand years later, the legend of Queen Rielle is a mere fairy tale to bounty hunter Eliana Ferracora. When the Undying Empire conquered her kingdom, she embraced violence to keep her family alive. Now, she believes herself untouchable--until her mother vanishes without a trace, along with countless other women in their city. To find her, Eliana joins a rebel captain on a dangerous mission and discovers that the evil at the heart of the empire is more terrible than she ever imagined.

As Rielle and Eliana fight in a cosmic war that spans millennia, their stories intersect, and the shocking connections between them ultimately determine the fate of their world--and of each other.

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Furyborn is an enjoyable read for fans of Throne of Glass (Maas) and the Grisha Trilogy (Bardugo) wrought with trials, tribulations, adventure, action and a fair amount of steamy, sexual tension and romance realized. 

The alternating POV between Rielle and Eliana some thousand years apart adds a lovely balance to the narrative. Each must face their own hardships toward realizing their destiny and there is a fantastic build of story, character development and excitment for the readers as the journey into the series begins.  Many questions have been asked, some answered with even more anticipation with what is in store for the future.

I do recommend the audiobook as narrated by Fiona Hardingham.

Final rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Notable New Teen Reads - May 2018

Lifel1k3 by Jay Kristoff, Knopf Books for Young Readers

Published May 29, 2018

Publisher's Summary:
On a floating junkyard beneath a radiation sky, a deadly secret lies buried in the scrap.

Eve isn’t looking for secrets—she’s too busy looking over her shoulder. The robot gladiator she’s just spent six months building has been reduced to a smoking wreck, and the only thing keeping her Grandpa from the grave was the fistful of credits she just lost to the bookies. To top it off, she’s discovered she can destroy electronics with the power of her mind, and the puritanical Brotherhood are building a coffin her size. If she’s ever had a worse day, Eve can’t remember it.

But when Eve discovers the ruins of an android boy named Ezekiel in the scrap pile she calls home, her entire world comes crashing down. With her best friend Lemon Fresh and her robotic conscience, Cricket, in tow, she and Ezekiel will trek across deserts of irradiated glass, infiltrate towering megacities and scour the graveyard of humanity’s greatest folly to save the ones Eve loves, and learn the dark secrets of her past.

Even if those secrets were better off staying buried.

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What's not to love about Lifel1k3?!? It is a fast paced, action packed futuristic adventure with plenty of Kristoff's characteristic snark, unique characters and stories. Think of this book as part Mad Max meets The Terminator meets Paradise Lost meets Bladerunner with a big dose of Romeo and Juliet!

I can't express just how much I enjoyed this read.  Eve is a fascinating character as are Lemo, Ezekiel and the much beloved Cricket. 

A big thank you to Knopf and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for a review :0)

Final rating: 5 out of 5 stars!

Inferno by Julie Kagawa (book 5 in the Talon series)

Published April 24, 2018 by Harlequin Teen

Publisher's Summary:
Ember Hill has learned a shocking truth about herself: she is the blood of the Elder Wyrm, the ancient dragon who leads Talon and who is on the verge of world domination. With the Order of St. George destroyed, Ember, Riley and Garret journey to the Amazon jungle in search of one who might hold the key to take down the Elder Wyrm and Talon—if they can survive the encounter.

Meanwhile, Ember’s brother, Dante, will travel to China with a message for the last Eastern dragons: join Talon or die. With the stakes rising and the Elder Wyrm declaring war, time is running out for the rogues and any dragon not allied with Talon. 

The final battle approaches. And if Talon is victorious, the world will burn.

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Inferno marks the culmination of the series. The rogue dragon faction as well as the remnants of the Order of St. George must ban together in one last push to but an end to the Talon and the Elder Wyrm's plans to declare war on humans and even their own kind. 

This was a fitting end to the series, perhaps not my favorite series of Kagawa's.  The action sequences were well written if a at sometimes predictable.  I did like the romantic delopment for Riley(Cobalt) and there a few unforeseen twists in the narrative but I won't give any spoilers.

Overall, a great read for fans of Kagawa, the series or who enjoy urban fantasy books and/or dragons.

Final rating: 4 out of 5 stars

REVIEW: The Heart Forger by Rin Chupeco

*Thank you to Netgalley & Sourcebooks Fire for an ARC in exchange for a review*

Publisher's Summary:

In The Bone Witch, Tea mastered resurrection―now she's after revenge...

No one knows death like Tea. A bone witch who can resurrect the dead, she has the power to take life...and return it. And she is done with her self-imposed exile. Her heart is set on vengeance, and she now possesses all she needs to command the mighty daeva. With the help of these terrifying beasts, she can finally enact revenge against the royals who wronged her―and took the life of her one true love.

But there are those who plot against her, those who would use Tea's dark power for their own nefarious ends. Because you can't kill someone who can never die...

War is brewing among the kingdoms, and when dark magic is at play, no one is safe.

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I read The Bone Witch a little over a year ago.  This sequel builds upon the rich narrative, character development and world building Chupeco weaves to share Tea's tale.  Readers can expect a particularly dark and complex narrative. There is a lot going on from a storytelling perspective and at times it is a tad hard to follow for this reason.  The novel consists of before and after tellings--basically the tale of what leads Tea down a dark path and the journey into another kingdom for a variety of reasons (I won't spoil anything!) and then a jump forward to the after tale told by a Bard where we encounter a very different, and darker, quite frightening Tea.  

While some questions are answered and mysteries uncovered, there remain a number of questions and more opportunity for exploration in order to connect the dots with exactly all the events alluded to throughout the book.  The Heart Forger is lovely in its fantastical delve into Gothic mystery and magic. This is definitely a book for a teen who is an upper level reader or an adult who enjoys YA fiction that is on the cusp of transitioning to the general adult science fiction/fantasy section.

Readers who've enjoyed authors like Leigh Bardugo, Sarah J Maas, and Laini Taylor as well as Indian and Middle Eastern mythology inspired fiction like Roshani Chokshi's Star-Touched Queen and A Crown of Wishes or works by Renee Ahdieh or Emily R. King's Hundredth Queen series will enjoy these works by Chupeco. (All of which I've reviewed, so please feel free to search my blog for reviews)

Final Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

REVIEW ROUND-UP!

*Thanks to Netgalley and Pocket Star for an ARC in exchange for a review*

Publisher's Summary: 

A prank war erupts in Lake Sackett, Georgia and coroner Frankie McCready has to turn to the gorgeous but surly new sheriff for help in Molly Harper’s newest Southern Eclectic novella, perfect for fans of Kristan Higgins and Amy E. Reichert.
The McCready Family Funeral Home and Bait Shop has crickets running rampant in the store and hot sauce in the Snack Shack’s ketchup bottles. But as the county coroner, Frankie has enough on her plate without worrying about the increasingly mean pranks being played at her family’s business. And the arrival of Sheriff Eric Linden, both devastatingly attractive and painfully taciturn, is enough to push her over the edge.

Linden, who didn’t seem to get the memo about men in uniform and Southern charm, is condescending and cold, revealing absolutely nothing about his past as an Atlanta police officer, while also making Frankie’s job as coroner as difficult as possible. And with the town’s Fourth of July celebration coming up, it’s essential for McCready’s to be cricket-free and in good working order. Strangling the sheriff will make her job even harder. Can Frankie hold off the threats to preserve her own sanity?

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Loved this novella which is the prequel and set up story for Ain't She a Peach!  Frankie and Eric have already shared their night together, ending with Frankie sneaking away at the end of the night.  The Fates intervene to have her one night stand show up unexpectedly in Lake Sackett, causing a bit of friction.

Harper sure knows how to build tension with a good mix of sexy banter and comedic relief.  I'll never get enough of this author's ability to create such imaginative and true to life characters that seem to leap from the page like an all too real bizarre small town family reunion.

I cannot wait to see what Harper thinks up next!

Final rating: 4 out of 5 stars

*Thank you to Netgalley & St. Martin's Paperbacks for an ARC in exchange for a review*

Publisher's Summary:

Welcome to the Ho-Lee Noodle House, where the Chinese food is to die for. . .

The last place Lana Lee thought she would ever end up is back at her family’s restaurant. But after a brutal break-up and a dramatic workplace walk-out, she figures that a return to the Cleveland area to help wait tables is her best option for putting her life back together. Even if that means having to put up with her mother, who is dead-set on finding her a husband.

Lana’s love life soon becomes yesterday’s news once the restaurant’s property manager, Mr. Feng, turns up dead―after a delivery of shrimp dumplings from Ho-Lee. But how could this have happened when everyone on staff knew about Mr. Feng’s severe, life-threatening shellfish allergy? Now, with the whole restaurant under suspicion for murder and the local media in a feeding frenzy―to say nothing of the gorgeous police detective who keeps turning up for take-out―it’s up to Lana to find out who is behind Feng’s killer order. . . before her own number is up.

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I'm a sucker for a good food inspired cozy mystery. Death by Dumpling is the first in a new series by Vivien Chien.  I enjoyed the mystery aspect of this story as well as the building of characters and a community flush with culture and memorable characters.  Lana is an interesting character that is on the brink of her journey to find her own way in life and love, despite the well intended meddling of her mother.

Overall, I thought the novel contained a well plotted mystery with a few unexpected turns plus built the narrative for future books.

Final rating: 4 out of 5 stars

*Thank you to Netgalley & Del Rey for an ARC in exchange for  a review *

Publisher's Summary:

Unchained from fate, the Norse gods Loki and Hel are ready to unleash Ragnarok, a.k.a. the Apocalypse, upon the earth. They’ve made allies on the darker side of many pantheons, and there’s a globe-spanning battle brewing that ancient Druid Atticus O’Sullivan will be hard-pressed to survive, much less win.

Granuaile MacTiernan must join immortals Sun Wukong and Erlang Shen in a fight against the Yama Kings in Taiwan, but she discovers that the stakes are much higher than she thought.

Meanwhile, Archdruid Owen Kennedy must put out both literal and metaphorical fires from Bavaria to Peru to keep the world safe for his apprentices and the future of Druidry.

And Atticus recruits the aid of a tyromancer, an Indian witch, and a trickster god in hopes that they’ll give him just enough leverage to both save Gaia and see another sunrise. There is a hound named Oberon who deserves a snack, after all.

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There wasn't much to not LOVE about this final book in the Iron Druid Chronicles.  I'll admit it is a little difficult to say a farewell to Atticus, Oberon and the rest of the gang but I have to hope that they'll make some occasional appearances in the future despite the fact that author Kevin Hearne is moving on to different projects.

What I enjoyed about this narrative was the three separate journeys of Atticus, Granuaile and Owen in order to save the world and help fight Loki and Hel.  Hearne is a genius at creating memorable characters, and he certainly outdid himself with a certain sloth, that I'm sure readers will agree is a gem and new favorite! Reader Recommendation:  You have to seek out the audio done by Luke Daniels.  Once again he is amazing!

I have to admit I was a little shocked by the ending. I won't say too much but as I've gotten some distance from the end, I agree with it and can appreciate Hearne's choices. Life is all about the journey and for someone who has lived as long as Atticus, the 'end' is not necessarily all rainbows and flowers.  I understand the feeling of loss, isolation and uncertainty but also the prospect of hope and new beginnings that might not be expected.

Final rating: 5 out of 5 stars

*Thank you to Netgalley & Ace for an ARC in exchange for a review*

Expected publication: June 5, 2018

This is an anthology containing all of the Dresden Files short stories and novellas published since its prequel Side Jobs. I had read most of the entries before with the exception of "Fistfull of Warlocks", "AAAA Wizardry", "Day One", and "Zoo Day". 

"Fistful of Warlocks"—3.5 stars. Loved the idea, but it was a little underdeveloped. I would love to read a much longer work with Lucio as the center and really see Butcher develop this Wild Wild West Wizarding World.

"B is for Bigfoot"— 5 stars. See my previous review. 

"AAAA Wizardry"— 3 stars. Interesting concept, but I wanted more. I love Harry in 'teacher mode' because event though he is far from perfect, he embraces his flaws and teachers others to do that too.  Learning from your mistakes makes you humble and less likely to repeat them in the future.

"I was a Teenage Bigfoot"—5 stars. See my previous review.

"Curses"—3 stars. Perhaps not my favorite Dresden story but I adore pretty much anything set in this fictional world.  

"Even Hand"—4 stars. I always enjoy a story from Marcone's POV.  I think this bring balance to the series so that there is more perspective than just what Harry goes through. 

"Bigfoot on Campus"—5stars. See my previous review.

"Bombshells"—3.5 stars. I read this and reviewed it in early 2017.  Molly is one of the series' most complex characters and I enjoy when Butcher delves into her voice.

"Cold Case"—4 stars. Another from Molly’s POV with some shocking things associated with her role as the Winter Lady. There are a lot of feels here and I'm still processing in 2018 just as I was when I read this story the first time.

"Day One"—3.5 stars. Nice to get one from Butters’ POV. He has grown as a character so much since his first appearance.  This story seems a bit short but I think there is so much more for Butcher to write in the future. 

"Zoo Day"—5 stars. I loved pretty much every aspect of this story.  Harry takes Maggie on their first father/daughter trip to the zoo.  Of course, trouble is afoot.  The real gem here is the alternating POV between Harry, Maggie and even Mouse. We see Harry at be vunerable and also do what he does best. Maggie is special and I cannot wait to see more of how her character and her powers develop.  And Mouse, love Mouse sooo much!

Final rating for collection: 5 out of 5