A Game Won Is A Debt Owed (Legendary – A Book Review)

Legendary (Caraval #2)

Author: Stephanie Garber

Published: 2018

On Goodreads

Amazon

My Rating:

Rated F for dangerous fates, both the real deals and destiny itself.

 

A heart to protect.

A debt to repay.

A game to win.

Caraval swept Scarlett and Tella away from their father. Having won the game, they should be celebrating, but while Scarlett is off with Julian, falling in love with him, Tella isn’t quite free. She has a debt to pay for saving Scarlett. She must retrieve Legend’s true name and. This time, Caraval, being held in the city of Valenda, is more magical and more dangerous than ever and could cost Tella her life, for real.

It’s not just Legend and his players that Tella must be careful of, but the Fates as well. They are returning to the world of Caraval and Scarlett is unsure of what’s real and what’s just an act. Though it appears that Legend is trying to help, Tella will discover whether or not Legend really is the villain he’s made out to be.

 

Goodreads

Caraval Review

I was bewitched with Caraval and Legendary has captured me just the same. Utterly imaginative and magical, this book ups the stakes of Caraval. The dangers are bigger and more life-threatening and this time it’s Tella, Scarlett’s sister, that is playing. She plays not only to protect her sister but to pay off a debt and save her mother. She’ll have to win and if she does, she’ll finally meet Legend, the game master himself. However, if the bloody, heart-stopping curse on her by the dastardly Prince of Hearts, a Fate, kills first that’ll never happen.

Everybody has secrets. Tella, Scarlett, Julian, everyone. Good to see that hasn’t changed and that I’m continuously obsessed with figuring them out. Getting even deeper with the characters that I only got a taste of in Caraval, like Dante, was so cool. I love when minor characters get a spotlight or turn out to be the spotlight. It’s such a twist and I live for minor things turning out to be major. Romance twists its vines through this book too and it squeezes tight, wringing my heart a good one.

Giphy

The Fates, only briefly mentioned in the first book get a much larger part to play and that was exciting! More so, so was discovering that even though I was following Scarlett during Caraval, the main character of this trilogy is actually Tella. It’s not until this book that I actually figured that out. I can’t complain about the misdirection. It’s brilliant! The plot twists and surprises are mind-bending and breathtaking. I’m totally in love with this trilogy. The magic of the first book became real in this one. And discovering who Legend was…Holy shit! I had many guesses throughout the book, and while it was predictable, it was still incredible.

Giphy

The city of Valenda really splits down the middle of gorgeous and mystifying, and treacherous and secretive. Garber really showed many different shades of this vast city and it was enriching to explore it with Tella. The temples were the most terrifying yet beguiling for me as I imagined them in my mind. This places nooks and crannies really shed truths on Tella and the sisters’ mother.

 

Overall

So completely in love and taken by this one just like I was with Caraval. I’m desperate to see how it ends, especially after that ending! Sadly, I’m one of those weird people who really like to have their books in one format and for the Caraval trilogy, it’s paperback. So, I’m waiting a little while for Finale. That gives me time to recover my emotions though. Without a doubt, I recommend this series and though Legend doesn’t recommend getting swept away I do.

 

Quotables:

“Your future can be whatever you wish. We all have the power to choose our own destiny…” (Paloma to Tella, p. 6)

“She’s once bet her life on her sister’s love. She’d kissed the Prince of Hearts and still lived. These Fates would not kill her tonight.” (Tella, p. 273)

“Fate is only an idea, but I think by believing in it we turn it into something more. You just said you’ve avoided love because you’ve believed it wasn’t in your future, and so it hasn’t been.” (Dante to Tella, p. 352)

 

More to come soon…                                                                                                

  -K.

 

P.S. Song today? Black Black Heart by David Usher.

 

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Thoughts? Let’s chat in the comments below!

 

What’s Coming in 2020 – A Book List

Hey there, book addicts!

Every month I enjoy doing a book list. Not only does it give me more books to add to my TBR but it gives you some as well! Plus, I get the awesome opportunity to hear from you if you’ve read them!

It’s the beginning of a new year so I’m doing a list on books coming out this year. In particular, I’m focusing on Young Adult because that’s my jam. I’m not saying I don’t enjoy other genres because I do. It’s just that YA is my favorite. So here are the YA books being released this year that I’m really looking forward to!

 

The Twin

Author: Natasha Preston

Amazon

Emmy and Iris were split up after their parents’ divorce—Emmy with her dad and Iris with their mom. Years pass and their mom is lost in a tragic accident so Iris now comes to live with Emmy and their dad. Emmy quickly finds out that her twin sister, Iris, is trying to push her out of her own life—and might be responsible for their mother’s death.

 

All the Stars and Teeth

Author: Adalyn Grace

Goodreads

Fans of Caraval and Throne of Glass, get hooked on the story of a girl that fights to prove her worthiness of being heir to the throne of Visidia only to be forced to flee after it goes wrong. With the help of unexpected allies, she is determined to conquer the destructive magic on the rise and take her place as heir to the throne.

 

Hood

Author: Jenny Elder Moke

Goodreads

A twist on Robin Hood, the daughter of the vigilante will have to seek out her father while avoiding the bounty hunter and right-hand man to the king, Wolf. She’s thrust into a life of thieves and mercenaries so different from the quiet one of the convent she’s always known. Getting the adventure of a lifetime, she’ll get to know the father she’s never known.

 

Spellhacker

Author: M.K. England

Goodreads

When magic becomes a commodity after a deadly plague, Diz takes advantage in an illegal siphoning gig. When it turns up a powerful strain of magic, she and her friends make a discovery that could save the world.

 

The Serpent’s Curse

Author: Lisa Maxwell

Goodreads

The epic conclusion of The Last Magician, Esta and Hart race through time and across the country to steal the remaining elemental stone to stop the Order and save the future, but what will that mean for them in the end, two people that are separated by time.

 

The Mall

Author: Megan McCafferty

Goodreads

It’s 1991. Scrunchies, mixtapes, and 90210 are, like, totally fresh. Cassie Worthy is spending he summer before college working at the Parkway Center Mall. Though she plans to have an amazing summer and then go to college with her boyfriend, best-laid plans don’t always work out. A complete tribute to the era of when malls were at the height of their game, friendship, love and discoveries in the most unexpected places.

 

Wonderland

Author: Juno Dawson

Goodreads

Discovering an invitation to “Wonderland”, the most epic party of parties—three days of hedonistic excess to which only the elite are welcome, Alice hopes to find her missing friend, Bunny. Without her medication, which she desperately needs, Alice hopes to avoid Paisley Hart, who is determined to uncover her secrets no matter what, and find her best friend.

 

Sanctuary Highway

Author: Ellen Hopkins

Goodreads

The United States government, now called the Confederation has redefined what it means to be “American”. Two teens are on the run when they fall outside the parameters of the Confederation. Their survival means relying on strangers and not everyone is trustworthy. One wrong whisper is the difference between freedom and imprisonment, life and death.

 

The Dark In-Between

Author: Elizabeth Hrib

Goodreads

After dying and then coming back, Casey is haunted by the drowning of her best friend. Feeling like she’s going mad, especially after seeing a boy fall from the sky, she meets Red. The boy that fell. He’s an angel fallen to earth to regain his wings and he’ll help Casey to walk the path of Limbo: the place between life and death so that she won’t lose Liddy to something worse than death.

 

The Unleashed

Author: Danielle Vega

Goodreads

Sequel to The Haunted, Hendricks and her friends are still trying to return to normal after the Steele house, but the hauntings of Drearfield are not even close to over. Prom is coming up and Hendricks is trying to focus on that, but she can’t stop thinking about Eddie and thinking he may still be out there somewhere. Together with her friends, she tries to summon his spirit and gets more than she bargained for. Things start happening again. Lights flickering in the school library. Mysterious girls roaming the halls. Hendricks discovers they might not have summoned Eddie at all but something more dangerous than anything they’ve ever seen.

 

I’m so excited about these releases and I can’t wait to get my hands on them. Some are a part of a couple series that I’ve unbelievably enjoyed. Others just have me smitten and excited to read. What books are you looking forward to this year?

More to come soon…

  -K.

 

Find Me:

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Thoughts? Let’s chat in the comments below!

Midnight Tease

Happy 2020, bookworms!

I hope you’ve all had a great New Year! This is the first Midnight Tease of the year! For those of you new to my little book blog, the Midnight Tease is where I tell you all about what’s coming up on my TBR for the month as well as what I’m currently reading and reviewing. Pretty simple.

And, if you’re up at this late hour, reading this, then you’re a night owl just like me. Grab a midnight snack—personally, I love tortilla chips and queso—and take look at what’s coming up for the month.

 

Coming Soon…

 

Amazon

Children of Virtue and Vengeance

Author: Tomi Adeyemi

 

Jennifer Estep

Widow’s Web

Author: Jennifer Estep

 

Morganville Vampires: Glass Houses & The Dead Girls Dance

Author: Rachel Caine

 

Goodreads

Newspaper Blackout

Author: Austin Kleon

 

Currently…

 

Goodreads

The Host

Author: Stephanie Meyer

 

Goodreads

The Song of Susannah (The Dark Tower #6)

Author: Stephen King

Up For Review…

 

OverDrive

The X-Files: Ground Zero

Author: Kevin Anderson

 

Goodreads

A Touch of Death

Author: Rebecca Crunden

 

Amazon

Legendary

Author: Stephanie Garber

My Bookish New Year’s Resolution is coming soon so keep a lookout for it!

More to come soon…

  -K.

 

Find Me:

Twitter

Goodreads

 

Thoughts? Let’s chat in the comments below!

Top Ten Reads of the Year – 2019 Edition

Hey there, book readers!

I’ve read so many books this year but not as many as I hoped. I wasn’t able to complete my New Year’s Resolution or my Goodreads goal. I’m totally okay with that since both of those really inspired me to read books I’ve been meaning to for a long time like the All Souls Trilogy, The Haunted, and even The Dark Tower. Those are only a couple, but I really enjoyed them. In fact, I enjoyed what I read so much that I made a top ten list for you. Check it out.

 

Amazon

1. Stargazing at Noon by Amanda Torroni

Such a beautiful book. I was so moved by the words and imagery. Just so much love for this one and I highly recommend it for poetry lovers.

 

Amazon

2. Wicked by Jennifer L. Armentrout

I really loved the entire trilogy. Tantalizing and utterly addicting. Recommending it to everyone.

 

3. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

Been meaning to read this and after watching the first season of the show I’m definitely glad that I got to read it. So much depth and magic. And the romance knocked me off my feet.

 

4. The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan

Though the last in a series, this book was jam-packed with action, teamwork, and amazing demigods kicking some serious ass. Such a phenomenal adventure.

 

Penguin

5. Good Omens by Neil Gaiman

I love Gaiman. Every book I’ve read has been mind-blowing and fun with its humor. His way with mythology always impresses me and the series that goes with this? AMAZING. It’s not always good vs evil. Sometimes it’s good and evil.

 

Simon & Schuster

6. The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell

This was one of those books that was, “Ohhhh! Pretty cover!” and then after reading the inside jacket, “Ohhh! Magic!”. Such a great book with twists and turns, leaving even me unsure of who to trust. Keeping me on my toes, I couldn’t get enough of this book of both magic, illusion, and thievery.

 

Goodreads

7. The Past and Other Things That Should Stay Buried by Shaun David Hutchinson

Real and blunt, this book was eye-opening, not just because people weren’t dying, but because it’s eye-opening with truth and relatable situations about the complexity of friendship and what friends do for each other. With several relevant themes that moved my heart, I really enjoyed this book.

 

Amazon

8. Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige

A fun and dark twist on a classic tale. Dorothy is the evil one and a new hero comes to Oz. Granted, she didn’t ask for this, but she’s the only one that can save the land and possibly restore its magic. I love twisty tales and this was a fun one.

 

Quirk Books

9. Much Ado About Mean Girls by Ian Doescher

Mean Girls and Shakespeare! One of the best Shakespeare parodies ever. So much fun to read for those who know the move by heart.

 

Penguin Random House

10. The Haunted by Danielle Vega

Spooky ghosts? Yes, please! Danielle Vega never disappoints. Like watching a horror movie, I was holding my breath, jumping at the scary parts, and surprised by the plot twists. A teen horror that got my blood pumping.

 

There you have it. The top ten from all that I’ve read this year and you can check out my year in books from Goodreads here. I hope you all have an amazing New Year!

More to come soon…

  -K.

 

Find Me:

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Goodreads

 

Thoughts? Have a favorite book you read this year? Let’s chat in the comments below.

Teamwork Makes the Prophecy Work (The Blood of Olympus – A Book Review)

The Blood of Olympus (The Heroes of Olympus #5)

Author: Rick Riordan

Published: 2014

On Goodreads

My Rating:

Rated H for Heroism in the darkest and bleakest moments and unconditional love and friendship.

 

Nico had warned them.

Jason’s ghost is his mother.

Reyna fears the ghosts of her ancestors.

Leo fears that his plan won’t work.

Piper must learn to give herself over to fear.

The seven demigods of the prophecy to stop Gaea from rising come face to face with some of their worst fears and must find ways to confront and get past them in order to help Romans and Greek unite and to be able to defeat the goddess of the earth. Nico Di Angelo helps Reyna and Coach Hedge get to Camp Half-Blood with the statue, but the travel is wearing on him. If he shadow-travels too much he’ll become nothing more than a ghost. Annabeth and Piper face great fear and must lean into it if they hope to do their part in this prophecy. Battle is on the horizon and sacrifices will be made to save the world.

 

The Heroes of Olympus series is one of the series on my New Year’s resolution and this is book 5 of 5.

 

Goodreads

Goodreads

Goodreads

The Lost Hero review

The Son of Neptune review

The Mark of Athena review

The House of Hades review

First off, I’m sorry my lovely bookworms. It has been a little bit since I’ve put up a review. The holiday season is making work super crazy. I’m ridiculously glad Black Friday is over. Working that was exhausting. I’m still trying to catch up on sleep, but I have a review for you! WOO!

So, I totally got incredibly weepy throughout this book! Such a great ending and openings left at the end. Gah, the end! Beautiful and tragic, yet not! So many emotions! For those who have read this series, you get it! You traveled on all of these adventures with these demigods, watched them grow and develop and your heart drops just a bit at the end, knowing the journey is over. From a couple of cyclops to angry Romans to Hercules to Hecate and so much more. This was such an incredible book and a great ending, though not an ending, too.

I do have a bit of a bone to pick and it is spoiler-y. Piper captured a horn from the god of the Tiber and I found it to be sad because the other one had been stolen already. She manipulated him and his feeling to get it and it was pretty sucky. I do wish she would’ve returned it to him in some way. She was forced to trick him and I think it would’ve done so much good to return it to him. The parts surrounding Piper and the horn just broke my heart a tad.

Giphy

There was so much acceptance, realizations, and teamwork. In the end, while the seven demigods worked together to defeat Gaea, everyone united to fight an epic battle. I loved that it wasn’t ever just about one single person but about everybody because it affected everybody and each person had a part to play. Even the gods came swinging in and it’s always pretty cool when they can get past their high horses to help out the kids they don’t ever see.

 

Overall

A fantastic conclusion to the epic Percy Jackson universe, yet also opening to more stories to come. I definitely need to reread the Apollo trials now. LOL. They’re going to be so much more different than before.

 

Quotables:

“Fear can’t be reasoned with. Neither can hate. They’re like love. They’re almost identical emotions…” (Piper, p. 206)

“A Roman does not wait for death. She seeks it out, and meets it on her own terms.” (Reyna, p. 373)

 

More to come soon…                                                                                                

  -K.

 

P.S. Song today? The Afterman by Coheed and Cambria.

 

Find Me:

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Thoughts? Let’s chat in the comments below!

Midnight Tease

Hello, book delinquents!

Tis the season to be merry, cheery, and joyful! Also, —in my case—very cold. LOL. I do enjoy the Christmas season. With epic Christmas movies like Black Christmas, Gremlins, and
Krampus, and then epic Christmas decorating. I have to be honest, I’m not big on Christmas songs, though I do have a couple favorites. I love making Christmas treats though! It’s something mum and I do and I love spending time with her. I believe Rice Crispy treats are on the list this year along with fudge and gingerbread.

Aside from Christmas cheer, I do have quite a bit to read up on this month. I’m excited to be moving forward with my TBR. While there are a few that are on my list from the last two months, there are some new ones as well. So, not to keep you waiting, here we go, the last Midnight Tease of the year!

If you’re up this late then you’re a night owl like me. Since you’re up and probably munching on a midnight burrito (which sounds delicious) here’s what’s coming up this month!

 

Coming Soon…

 

OverDrive

The X-Files: Ground Zero

Author: Kevin J. Anderson

Okay, guys, I don’t know if I told you this, but I’m a MASSIVE X-Files fan. It goes on my list next to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Teen Wolf, The Walking Dead, and Planet Earth. From the theme song to the epic storytelling of the unexplained, it’s a home for me. I love believing in the things that science can’t explain because sometimes it’s like that. So, I’m quite excited to read this one.

 

Goodreads

The Host

Author: Stephanie Meyer

How many times have I put this on my TBR this year? LOL. I’m so determined to at least get started on it.

 

Jennifer Estep

Widow’s Web

Author: Jennifer Estep

This is a part of a mass-market series. There’s some paranormal juju dealing with assassins that have some powers related to the arachnid family. While I get creepy shudders about it, I’m also super intrigued.

 

Currently…

 

Goodreads

Song of Susannah (The Dark Tower #6)

Author: Stephen King

 

Goodreads

Goodreads

Zom-B: Baby & Gladiator

Author: Darren Shan

 

Up For Review…

 

The Blood of Olympus (The Heroes of Olympus #5)

Author: Rick Riordan

 

Amazon

Abandon

Author: Meg Cabot

 

More to come soon…

  -K.

 

Find Me:

Twitter

Goodreads

 

Thoughts? What’s your favorite Christmas movie. Mine is definitely Gremlins. Let’s chat in the comments below!

Sundown Rundown – November 2019

Hey there, book-lovers.

It’s the end of November and that means it’s time to look back on what I’ve read this month. There have been some doozies for sure, and by that, I mean some big reads. So, I didn’t get as many done as I’d hoped, but I did get to some of the ones I really wanted to. A pro and a con!

Now that Thanksgiving has passed, Christmas is well on its way. Before we can get to December, here’s a chance to see what I’ve read this month and catch up on the reviews you might’ve missed.

 

Barnes and Noble

Wolves of Calla

Author: Stephen King

Roland and his ka face off against vile creatures known as the wolves to try and help a town from losing their children once again, but they have problems closer to home they must solve as well.

 

Goodreads

The Mark of Athena

Author: Rick Riordan

It’s not easy to try and make peace with an old enemy, like the Romans or Greeks, when you’re trying to stop the goddess of earth from arising and destroying the world.

 

Goodreads

Wicked Saints

Author: Emily A. Duncan

Dark, culty magic swirls around a girl believed to be the one that can end a brutal war.

 

Amazon

Stargazing at Noon

Author: Amanda Torroni

Lost in the universe of stars, space, and love and heartache.

 

The House of Hades

Author: Rick Riordan

Officially and truly friends, at last, demigods of both the Greek and Romans gods must work together to close the doors of the Underworld to keep monsters from leaving the dark depths.

 

Favorite Book: Stargazing at Noon was unbelievable gorgeous, picturesque, and stunning. Descriptive and breathtaking words. Just swept me away and I’m all right with that.

Least Favorite Book: Wolves of Calla was good, but it felt extremely drawn out. Sometimes a story takes patience, but I wasn’t feeling it this time. I still look forward to the next book in the series.

More to come soon…

  -K.

 

Find Me:

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Goodreads

 

Thoughts? What book did you enjoy reading the most in November? Let’s chat in the comment below!