A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
5 out of 5 stars

Summary:
Feyre survived Amarantha's clutches to return to the Spring Court—but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can't forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin's people.

Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms—and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future—and the future of a world cleaved in two.

With more than a million copies sold of her beloved Throne of Glass series, Sarah J. Maas's masterful storytelling brings this second book in her seductive and action-packed series to new heights.

My Thoughts: 
I have the worst book hangover!! That was incredible, exceeded my expectations by 1000%. This book gave me a raging case of the swoons, but that ending?!? Way to obliterate my heart! Needless to say, I went to sleep with thoughts of murdering a certain High Lord.

This book was EVERYTHING.

I don't know what to do with my life now...help! More to come....

Menagerie by Rachel Vincent
5 out of 5 stars

Summary:
When Delilah Marlow visits a famous traveling carnival, Metzger's Menagerie, she is an ordinary woman in a not-quite-ordinary world. But under the macabre circus black-top, she discovers a fierce, sharp-clawed creature lurking just beneath her human veneer. Captured and put on exhibition, Delilah in her black swan burlesque costume is stripped of her worldly possessions, including her own name, as she's forced to "perform" in town after town.

But there is breathtaking beauty behind the seamy and grotesque reality of the carnival. Gallagher, her handler, is as kind as he is cryptic and strong. The other "attractions"—mermaids, minotaurs, gryphons and kelpies—are strange, yes, but they share a bond forged by the brutal realities of captivity. And as Delilah struggles for her freedom, and for her fellow menagerie, she'll discover a strength and a purpose she never knew existed.

Renowned author Rachel Vincent weaves an intoxicating blend of carnival magic and startling humanity in this intricately woven and powerful tale.

My Thoughts:
Amazingly written, darkly fascinating and strangely hopeful, thought-provoking, and extremely unputdownable! As a fan of Rachel Vincent, I was eagerly anticipating this book release and I was not disappointed in the least. She once again proves what a fantastic writer and storyteller she truly is. I cannot wait for the next installment of this fascinating new series.

 

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
5 out of 5 stars

Summary:
When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it... or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

Perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore and George R. R. Martin, this first book in a sexy and action-packed new series is impossible to put down!

My Thoughts: 
Wow. I don't think any other book I read this year will even come close to how insanely fantastic this book is. It's a shout-it-from-the-rooftops, buy-a-copy-for-everyone-you-know, re-read-it-constantly, sleep-with-it-under-your-pillow, carry-it-everywhere-you-go kind of fantastic. Just read it. That is all.

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
My Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Summary:
After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin. Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king's council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she'll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom.

Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she's bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it's the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.

Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another.

Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.

My Thoughts:
 There was so much hype about this book, I finally got around to reading it. Initially, Celaena came off as a spoiled brat. I was waiting for the apparent kick-ass, strong, & brave heroine I've heard so much about. Fortunately, I didn't have to wait too long to see a different side of her! 

Throughout the competition to become the king's champion, we learn just why she's infamously the best assassin in the land, although most people don't even know what this assassin looks like, or that she's just a girl. She's ruthless when it comes to her opponents, even though she has to hold back some. We get a few tidbits about her early life and why she is who she is today, but not everything is revealed...this is the first book in a series, after all. I'm very curious to find out more about Celaena. She has her flaws, some of them are a bit irritating, but overall, I liked her. At the time when I finished reading this, I couldn't purchase the next books...boo! But, I will soon.

Her two love interests, yes, there's a triangle, are very swoonworthy.  I was a little surprised by who she chose first. Although, it being a triangle, she can always change her mind down the line...I'm not giving anything away :) But, there were some really good swoony moments...*sigh* 
I really liked the way she thought, she still had her girly, romantic thoughts, but always kept her focus on her freedom and bettering the lives of her people.

The world building was very good. I love a good high/epic fantasy, but not so high & epic that I need to take notes to remember all the little details & people in the world. There are so many places in the land that can be explored and I hope to get to see more of them in the books to come. 

Oh! One thing that bugged me, but this is just me & my brain...I hate it when I'm not sure how to pronounce a name!! And that happens a lot in fantasy books. It frustrates me! And I know it's all on me, it's not anything bad about the book. But every time I read a name I'm not sure how to pronounce, I want to scream. Is it su-LAY-na or su-LEE-na??? And Chaol, don't even get me started with that one!! I just decided I'd call him Cole and be done with trying to figure it out :)

All in all, I love this book so hard! I cannot wait to read the rest and the prequel books to find out more about Sam...squee! Oh and I liked the original cover better than this new one...not that the new one isn't gorgeous.

Format: Kindle Edition

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Mortal Enchantment by Stacey O'Neale
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Summary:
In Kalin Matthew's world, elementals control the forces of nature. They are divided into four courts: air, woodland, fire, and water. At sixteen she will leave the life she's built with her mortal mother. Kalin will move to Avalon to rule with her father—the elemental king of the air court. Along the way, she's attacked by a fire court assassin and saved by Rowan, a swoon-worthy elemental with a questionable past.And now, her father is missing. And she'll need help from Rowan to find out what happened to him.

My Thoughts:
Well that was a fun read :) I'm really glad I read the prequel novella first because it gave me more insight into Rowan. I understood his attitude in this book because of the novella. First, the positives. I really enjoyed the two main characters, Kalin & Rowan. Their interactions were fun and flirty and the dialogue was great, which is very important to me. If dialogue doesn't feel real or doesn't feel how people really talk to each other, then it doesn't work for me. I liked, not loved, their relationship. I found myself wanting more from it. I'm trying not to be too specific because I usually, unintentionally but inevitably, give something away ;)

I loved the premise of the book. I'm always up for anything Fae, and the elemental aspect was right up my alley. The world building was good (more on that later) and I could really picture most everything the author was describing. The politics and strife between the courts was well done.

I really liked the authors writing style, she knows how to make characters relatable & you could tell a lot of heart & soul was poured into this story and these characters. She made me want to know what happens next, so of course I can't wait for the next installment :)

Ok, now on to the less positive. I felt that the story, as a whole, was a bit rushed. Like I said above, the world building was good, but I would've liked even more detail. When they're on the beach, I want to feel the sand between my toes and the sun beating down on me. When the wind is blowing up a storm, I need to feel it. I felt like there needed to be more character development, as well. I would've loved to get to know Kalin even more. Most of the time, her reactions to this world that was totally new to her were spot on, but occasionally, it didn't ring true for me.

Kalin & Rowan's relationship also felt rushed. Getting from point A to point B in a relationship needs to be a curved and crooked path, not a straight line, and I felt it was a bit straight here. But it was still yummtastic ;)

Having said all that, I very much enjoyed this book, it was a fast, fun read and I'd recommend it to anyone who loves a good YA fantasy!

Format: Paperback ARC provided by the author for a fair & honest review

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Bones of Faerie by Janni Lee Simner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Summary:
The war between humanity and Faerie devastated both sides. Or so 15-year-old Liza has been told. Nothing has been seen or heard from Faerie since, and Liza's world bears the scars of its encounter with magic. Trees move with sinister intention, and the town Liza calls home is surrounded by a forest that threatens to harm all those who wander into it. Then Liza discovers she has the Faerie ability to see into the past, into the future, and she has no choice but to flee her town. Liza's quest will take her into Faerie and back again, and what she finds along the way may be the key to healing both worlds.

My Thoughts:
Let me just say upfront: I'm a huge fan of faeries...the fey are probably my favorite supernatural-type. But that does not skew my opinion of this novel because I've read a whole slew of doozies when it comes to books about fey. This book, however, is not a doozy :) I'd read mixed reviews of this book and I was a bit hesitant to buy it. But I did and I loved it! It's not the perfect fey book, but it's definitely up there.

The writing is superb, to begin with. The premise is unique and sets up a starkly beautiful tale of survival, betrayal, and love in a post-apocalyptic setting. It's also a coming of age story as Liza, our protagonist, is discovering things about herself and her life while grappling with what it means to truly trust someone. Liza is a survivor and feels alone, but along the way, learns that to truly live, you must let those who love you in.

Fans of Melissa Marr & Holly Black will most likely enjoy this :)

Format: Kindle Edition

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Wondrous Strange by Lesley Livingston
My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Summary:
17 year-old Kelley Winslow doesn’t believe in Faeries. Not unless they’re the kind that you find in a theatre, spouting Shakespeare—the kind that Kelley so desperately wishes she could be: onstage, under lights, with a pair of sparkly wings strapped to her shoulders. But as the understudy in a two-bit, hopelessly off-off-Broadway production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, wishing is probably the closest she’s going to get to becoming a Faerie Queen. At least, that’s what she thinks... In this fun, urban fantasy, Kelley's off-stage life suddenly becomes as complicated as one of Shakespeare’s plot twists when a nighttime trip to Central Park holds more than meets the mortal eye.


My Thoughts:
Um, not what I was hoping it would be. Strangely, I felt no real connection with any of the characters. It was as if I was watching their story play out through a frosted window. Disappointed.

Format: Kindle Edition

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