Thursday, August 10, 2017

Book Review: Windwitch by Susan Dennard

Release Date: January 10th, 2017
Read: July 8th-18th, 2017
Publisher: Tor Teen
Series: The Witchlands, #2
Format: ARC, 384 pages
Source: Raincoast Books in exchange for an honest review




Description from GoodReads:


   After an explosion destroys his ship, the world believes Prince Merik, Windwitch, is dead. Scarred yet alive, Merik is determined to prove his sister’s treachery. Upon reaching the royal capital, crowded with refugees, he haunts the streets, fighting for the weak—which leads to whispers of a disfigured demigod, the Fury, who brings justice to the oppressed.

   When the Bloodwitch Aeduan discovers a bounty on Iseult, he makes sure to be the first to find her—yet in a surprise twist, Iseult offers him a deal. She will return money stolen from him, if he locates Safi. Now they must work together to cross the Witchlands, while constantly wondering, who will betray whom first?

   After a surprise attack and shipwreck, Safi and the Empress of Marstok barely escape with their lives. Alone in a land of pirates, every moment balances on a knife’s edge—especially when the pirates’ next move could unleash war upon the Witchlands.


Review:


   It is always easier to blame gods or legends than it is to face our own mistakes.
   I had picked up Windwitch a week or two after reading Truthwitch, with the first book not having impressed me much, I didn't really care to pick up the sequel. But eventually I did, and it took me just as long to get into this one as it did its previous book.

   Windwitch had a different vibe than Truthwitch did, going right into the book you knew that it'd be different than the first in the series. The vibe went from magic and survival to revenge and power. Comparing the books, Windwitch was certainly easier to get into than Truthwitch, I didn't find myself bored constantly, and when I was unhappy with a point of view I could easily read through the chapter and move onto the new point of view. I even found myself enjoying the opposite perspectives than I did in Truthwitch. It was like the characters I found boring before finally became interesting, and the interesting characters became boring.

   I feel as if Dennard built up this anticipation in Truthwitch, but completely dropped that antiquation when we opened the first chapter of it's sequel. So much happened in the end of the first novel, and we barely encountered any more information that furthered the plot along in Windwitch. It didn't help that the first chapter of the book literally just threw us in a random storyline without any background information to how we got there. The beginning of the sequel felt as if two or three chapters were missing, I was not satisfied, and couldn't explain how confused I was.

   Windwitch was the third Susan Dennard novel in which I've read, and I continue to think that her books are just not for me. I can not see myself picking up anything else of hers in the future.
   

Rating:


Favourite Quote:


"Mhe varujta. Trust me as if my soul were yours."

Recommend to People Who Enjoy:


Young Adult, Fantasy, Magic, Witches, Royalty, Powers, Death, Betrayal



Tuesday, August 8, 2017

Blog Tour: Reunited by Colleen Houck


   Hello and welcome to the Reunited Blog Tour, hosted by Rockstar Book Tours! I've been the biggest fan of Colleen Houck, since her Tigers series, as most of you all know by now. So of course I jumped at the chance to be apart of the blog tour! Today on the tour you'll see the top ten things Colleen is excited for you to look forward to in Reunited, as well as a giveaway! So I hope you all enjoy! 

Reunited by Colleen Houck


Release Date: August 8th, 2017
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Series: Reawakened, #3
Format: Hardcover, 464 pages



Description from GoodReads:


   After surviving her otherworldly adventure, Lily wakes up on her nana’s farm having forgotten everything. Her sun prince, her travels to Egypt, and her journey to the Afterlife are all distant memories.

   But Lily is not the girl she once was. Her body is now part human, part lion, and part fairy. And if that isn’t bad enough, she must now harness this power of three and become Wasret: a goddess destined to defeat the evil god Seth once and for all.

   With the help of her old friend Dr. Hassan, Lily departs on her final voyage through the cosmos and across the plains of Egypt. On the journey, she will transform into the being she is destined to become.

   Reunited is the heart-pounding conclusion to the Reawakened series. 

   It is time for Lily to find her sunset.

 


Top Ten Things to Look Forward to in Reunited!

1. Ahmose-Though Ahmose makes an appearance in all three books, you really get to know this tall, dark, and handsome stranger in Reunited. Ahmose is a quiet man. He tends to keep his thoughts and emotions to himself, but he feels deeply and a lot is going on beneath his calm demeanor. There are many sweet scenes between Ahmose and Lily and I think you’re going to love him.

2. Cherty-My ferryman returns in Reunited. We learn more about his job and get to see him in action once again. He’s one of my absolute favorite characters. I love this surly cosmic sea captain and hope you do too!

3. Apep-The scary snake of Egyptian mythology finally rears his head, literally. As you know I’ve now included snakes in both of my series and though Fanindra can be frightening, this guy will have you shaking in your golden sandals. With fangs larger than spears and the ability to hypnotize you with his eyes, mortals don’t stand much of a chance.

4. People Eating Plants-There is a frightening world in Reunited where things aren’t quite right. The flora is quite nasty and has a terrible habit of luring in the unsuspecting with beauty and scent. Lily must learn how to navigate this dangerous landscape.

5.The Dreamworld-For those of you who are familiar with my series, you know that Asten is called the Dreamer and he has the power of entering the dreams of others. For the first time, you get to experience the dreams of my three heroines and see what they truly wish for through Asten’s eyes.

6.Seth-You finally get to meet the god Seth in this book and figure out how he’s been trapped all these centuries. His prison is not a pretty one and when he emerges, he’s ready to seek revenge once and for all. 

7. Unicorn Battle-Yes, you read that right. There is a pretty awesome battle and the unicorns join in. What’s even more amazing than a unicorn battle? A celestial unicorn battle. 

8. Heart Scarab-In Reunited you’ll learn what a heart scarab truly is and how the creation and trading of a heart scarab is a key that unlocks many things.

9. The Devourer-My evil queen of the dead returns in Reunited and she’s formed an army. I think the Devourer is my favorite villain. She’s just so bad, it’s almost good and I look forward to every scene she’s in.

10. The Waters of Chaos-In Reunited, you’ll not only learn about but visit the Waters of Chaos. This is the place where all the gods were created. It’s the origin of the cosmos and it’s the setting for the climax of the series. 

I hope you’ll enjoy this conclusion to the Egyptian series and love it as much as I do. Hop on to the back of your unicorn and head off on an adventure where danger lurks around every corner and your destination is the stars.

-Colleen Houck



Don't forget to check out the books that started it all!



   New York Times Bestselling author Colleen Houck is a lifelong reader whose literary interests include action, adventure, paranormal, science fiction, and romance. When she’s not busy writing, she likes to spend time chatting on the phone with one of her six siblings, watching plays, and shopping online. Colleen has lived in Arizona, Idaho, Utah, California, and North Carolina and is now permanently settled in Salem, Oregon with her husband and a huge assortment of plush tigers.



3 winners will receive a finished copy of REUNITED, US Only.


   Thank you so much for stopping by, and I hope you all will love Renuited! A don't forget to check out the next and previous stops on the tour! 



Week One:

7/31/2017- YA Books Central- Interview
8/1/2017- Here's to Happy Endings- Review
8/2/2017- YA and Wine- Guest Post
8/3/2017- a GREAT read- Review
8/4/2017- Two Chicks on Books- Interview

Week Two:

8/8/2017- Ohana Reads- Guest Post
8/9/2017- Seeing Double In Neverland- Review
8/10/2017- The Cover Contessa- Interview
8/11/2017- Riddle's Reviews- Review