The City of Brass

The City of Brass (The Daevabad Trilogy #1) by S.A. Chakraborty (2017)

the city of brass

Fiction | Historical Fantasy
3.5 StarsBlurb:

Nahri has never believed in magic. Certainly, she has power; on the streets of 18th century Cairo, she’s a con woman of unsurpassed talent. But she knows better than anyone that the trade she uses to get by—palm readings, zars, healings—are all tricks, sleights of hand, learned skills; a means to the delightful end of swindling Ottoman nobles.  Continue reading

Vicious

Vicious (Villains #1) by V.E. Schwab (2013)

vicious

Fiction | Sci-Fi/Paranormal
5 starsBlurb:

“Victor and Eli started out as college roommates–brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong.  Continue reading

Foundryside

Foundryside (Founders #1) by Robert Jackson Bennett (2018)
-ARC Review-

Foundryside RD4 clean flat

Fiction | Fantasy
4.5 starsBlurb:

“Sancia Grado is a thief, and a damn good one. And her latest target, a heavily guarded warehouse on Tevanne’s docks, is nothing her unique abilities can’t handle.

But unbeknownst to her, Sancia’s been sent to steal an artifact of unimaginable power, an object that could revolutionize the magical technology known as scriving. Continue reading

The Lovely Bones

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold (2002)

the lovely bones

Fiction | Crime & Mystery
4 Stars Blurb:

The Lovely Bones is the story of a family devastated by a gruesome murder — a murder recounted by the teenage victim. Upsetting, you say? Remarkably, first-time novelist Alice Sebold takes this difficult material and delivers a compelling and accomplished exploration of a fractured family’s need for peace and closure.  Continue reading

The Martian

The Martian by Andy Weir (2012)

the martian

Fiction | Sci-Fi
4.5 starsBlurb:

“Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars.

Now, he’s sure he’ll be the first person to die there.  Continue reading

The Sentinel’s Reign

The Sentinel’s Reign (Silent Sea Chronicles #2by Suzanne Rogerson (2018)
-eARC Review-

the sentinel's reign

Fiction | Fantasy
4 StarsBlurb:

The new Sentinel’s reign is doomed to failure unless Tei can prevent the Kalayan people from plunging into war.

With the new Sentinel initiated and the magic restored on Kalaya, life is flourishing for Tei and the exiles. But Rathnor’s plans for war soon escalate and thwart any chance of peace.  Continue reading

The Paper Swan

The Paper Swan by Leylah Attar (2015)

the paper swan

Fiction | Contemporary | Romance | Thriller/Suspense | (TV-MA)
5 starsBlurb:

“They say it takes 21 days to form a habit.
They lie.
For 21 days she held on.
But on Day 22, she would have given anything for the sweet slumber of death.
Because on Day 22, she realizes that her only way out means certain death for one of the two men she loves.”
Goodreads 
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Ender’s Game

Ender’s Game (Ender’s Saga #1) by Orson Scott Card (1985)

ender's game

YA Fiction | Sci-Fi
4 StarsBlurb:

“Andrew “Ender” Wiggin thinks he is playing computer simulated war games; he is, in fact, engaged in something far more desperate. Ender may be the military genius Earth desperately needs in a war against an alien enemy seeking to destroy all human life. The only way to find out is to throw Ender into ever harsher training, to chip away and find the diamond inside, or destroy him utterly. Ender Wiggin is six years old when it begins. He will grow up fast.”
Goodreads 
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Lost Boy

Lost Boy: The True Story of Captain Hook by Christina Henry (2017)

lost boy

Fiction | Fantasy | Horror
4 StarsBlurb:

“There is one version of my story that everyone knows. And then there is the truth. This is how it happened. How I went from being Peter Pan’s first—and favorite—lost boy to his greatest enemy.  Continue reading

The Queens of Innis Lear

The Queens of Innis Lear by Tessa Gratton (2018)
-eARC Review-

the queens of innis lear

Fiction | Fantasy | Shakespeare Retelling
3 Stars
Blurb:

A kingdom at risk, a crown divided, a family drenched in blood.

The erratic decisions of a prophecy-obsessed king have drained Innis Lear of its wild magic, leaving behind a trail of barren crops and despondent subjects. Enemy nations circle the once-bountiful isle, sensing its growing vulnerability, hungry to control the ideal port for all trade routes.  Continue reading