Month: May 2018

20 Bookish Questions!

Originally I saw this on Twitter – for every Like I’ll answer one of these questions.

Yeah, I’m not doing that. Instead I thought it would just be fun to answer these questions here on my blog as a way to spill and briefly talk about my likes and dislikes when it comes to reading!

I have a feeling that some of these innocent questions are going to be rather hard to answer, but I guess I’ll find out.

1. Favorite genre to read?

This is probably a tie between FANTASY and SCIENCE FICTION. There are definitely more fantasy novels on my shelves, but I love a good SF (especially if it takes place on some sort of ship)

2. Current book you’re reading?

Well, right now I’m between books, but my next read is Allied by Amy Tintera – it’s time to finish up the Ruined Trilogy.

3. First book you remember loving?

The first book that comes to mind would have to be The Ancient One by T.A. Barron. I just remember checking the book out countless of times from the library as a kid.

4. A book/series you wish would be adapted to film?

This is hard. There are so many. Okay, even though a movie exists for the first book in this series, I’m going to say the Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini. I think Eragon was adapted to film too early and would probably do so much better now. (Even better than a movie series, would be a tv series – just get the people who did the LOTR/Hobbit movies or GOT show to do it.

5. Favorite protagonist?

Agh. This is hard. Umm, every book I’ve ever read just flew from my brain. Let me think. I’m still at a loss – thank god this isn’t an “of all time question”. I’m going to say Vhalla Yarl from Elise Kova’s Air Awakens Series – if you haven’t read it yet, you definitely should. Vhalla goes through a lot and her character arc is fantastic.

6. Favorite antagonist?

I actually loathe to say this because I HATED his character so much (but I also loved how much I hated him) but Ryzek Noavek. He made me so furious for all of Carve the Mark (review here, with The Fates Divide to come). He had me seething pretty much any time he was on the page.

7. Do you write any stories?

I do! I’m currently working on a SF (it takes place on a ship). But I’m also working on a secret fantasy project that I’m really enjoying. But I also participate in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) every November, so I have 7 other stories that are all 50k into.

8. A movie you think was better than the book?

If I Stay. I didn’t particularly like the book, and felt it fell really flat. I did enjoy the movie.

9. Best book you’ve read this year?

Agh, again, hard. There have been so many of them. I’m going to say it’s a toss-up between Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Masicalco (review here) and Invisible Ghosts by Robyn Schneider (review here).

10. One of your favorite authors?

These questions are getting harder, so I’m going to genre split this one.

Contemporary – Brigid Kemmerer

Fantasy – Christopher Paolini

Sci-Fi – Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

11. Least favorite genre to read?

Probably Contemporary. Now, there are some authors who write contemp. as well as other genres and I’m guaranteed to read whatever they write – but overall as a whole I don’t gravitate towards it. I more often than not find that I cannot relate to what’s happening in the novels (not that I can relate to SF and Fantasy) but I also like my books to be an escape and often I find a contemp world not enough of one to hold my interest. If I do pick up a contemp novel, it’s probably a light fun read.

12. A book you’d recommend to a friend?

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo – I’ve been trying to get my friends to read this for months. (review here)

13. Favorite film adaptation of a book?

Hmmm, probably The Hunger Games movies – as far as adaptations go, I think that they did the books justice, whereas some other adaptations fell really, really, really, short.

14. Book you’ve read the most times?

Besides Harry Potter? Probably The Host by Stephenie Meyer. I reread that book so many times – multiple times a year. I really like the story – still really do, and I have a feeling I’ll be forever waiting for the rest of the series. Sigh. Eragon is also a book I’ve read countless times.

15. A book you didn’t expect to like?

All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood. (review here) This one surprised me. I didn’t love it, but I didn’t expect to like it at all. But it was the writing and the way the story was told that ultimately made me enjoy the book.

16. Favorite classic book?

I don’t really have one. I wouldn’t consider The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien a classic, but it’s a book I really enjoy. OH WAIT. I do have one, though I do prefer the previously mentioned book more, but Lord of the Flies by William Golding.

17. Book that’s impacted you the most?

Harry Potter and The Inheritance Cycle – J.K. Rowling taught me to love reading, and Christopher Paolini taught me to love writing.

18. If you could meet one author – (living or dead) who would it be?

This one is actually pretty easy. Christopher Paolini – I’ve actually met him before, but everything I wanted to say flew from my mind, leaving me start struck when I met him. So, I would have to tell him, that his books and the world he created is what inspired me to create my own worlds instead of solely reading others. He is the biggest reason as to why I write my own stories now, with the hope of being published. One of my most prized possessions is a paperback copy of Eragon that is falling apart, and is signed by him.

19. An author you think more people should know about?

Miranda Honfleur – Blade & Rose. (review here) Facebook recommended me the first book, and I read it and fell in love with it. High Fantasy with great characters and a great story.

20. Favorite book/series of all time?

Agh. Hardest question for any book lover. I’m not going to say HP because that’s obvious. Ummm, I’m going to say The Redwall Series by Brian Jaques for sentiment sake. I grew up reading this series. I’m not sure if it’s an all-time fave – because let’s face it, how many of us can actually choose? But I have collected nearly the whole series and they have their own shelf, so I’m going to stick with it.

DONE! That was surprisingly easier and more difficult than I thought it would be. Trying to choose the best answer was the hardest part. I found that either my brain emptied of all knowledge, or I had too many options floating around to choose from. But here are MY answers to 20 Bookish Questions!

Feel free to share your answers!

Book Review: To Kill A Kingdom

To Kill A KingdomTitle: To Kill A Kingdom

Author: Alexandra Christo

Pub. Date: March 6, 2018

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

Princess Lira is siren royalty and the most lethal of them all. With the hearts of seventeen princes in her collection, she is revered across the sea. Until a twist of fate forces her to kill one of her own. To punish her daughter, the Sea Queen transforms Lira into the one thing they loathe most–a human. Robbed of her song, Lira has until the winter solstice to deliver Prince Elian’s heart to the Sea Queen or remain a human forever. 

The ocean is the only place Prince Elian calls home, even though he is heir to the most powerful kingdom in the world. Hunting sirens is more than an unsavory hobby–it’s his calling. When he rescues a drowning woman in the ocean, she’s more than what she appears. She promises to help him find the key to destroying all of sirenkind for good–But can he trust her? And just how many deals will Elian have to barter to eliminate mankind’s greatest enemy?

Since this book is a recent release, the first part of my review will be spoiler free as always. Further down in the post there will be a spoiler section.

I listened to the Audible audiobook for To Kill a Kingdom and I loved it – narrated by Jacob York and Stephanie Willis, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. I listened to the Broadway The Little Mermaid soundtrack because I wanted more mermaids/sirens. As much as I really enjoyed that it was a stand-alone novel, I wanted more story when I finally finished it – but that is always the case with mermaid/siren novels.

To Kill A Kingdom is a dark Little Mermaid retelling that will leave you wanting more sass, bad-assery and banter. It follows Lira, also known as the “Prince’s Bane”, a siren who rips out the hearts of only princes – they are her prey of choice. But also roaming the oceans is Prince Elian, a pirate who has taken it upon himself to find and kill as many siren’s as he can, but his main goal is finding and killing the Prince’s Bane.

Lira, one of the most dangerous sirens – thinks herself just about untouchable, until an event of her doing pisses off her mother, The Sea Queen. Punishment for not obeying – to be cast out as a human, without powers. Left to drown in the ocean, Lira is picked up by Elian and his crew. They assume she’s just a random girl, and instead of outright killing Elian, Lira decides to do something else…

This book was absolutely amazing, and I found myself so immersed in the world Alexandra Christo had created. Something about the audiobook version of this story made it truly come to life, but it was mostly the brilliant and vivid writing that makes up this story about a Prince Killer and a Siren Killer. If you want a dark version of The Little Mermaid then this is a book you will definitely want to pick up.

Now for spoilers!

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I’m going to start this by saying, again, I loved this book!

I can still vividly picture the ending of the book in my head, the final battle between the Sea Queen, Lira, and Elian & Co. It was so well written – the whole book was so well written.

I’m giving this book a full rating, because I think it most definitely deserves it. Though, and this is entirely on me – I went into the book thinking that once Lira turned human she wouldn’t be able to talk. I guess I misinterpreted “robbed of her song” as she lost her ability to speak – so when Lira can still talk after they rescue her, I was a little disappointed. But that was quickly resolved with how the story progressed and how much I came to love Elian and Lira’s relationship.

I really liked how Lira changed over the course of the novel, but also in a way, she didn’t. Her ‘ruthless killer’ was only ever a persona she donned to appease her mother. Her true nature came out in the end, the one that her aunt saw in her all those years ago when she was forced to kill her. I liked that about this book, that the characters were dimensional – that no one besides the Sea Queen was wholly one thing or the other. Let’s face it, the Sea Queen was just downright mean and ruthless and not at all good. Even if in a very twisted way, she had her siren’s “best interests” at heart – though subjugation isn’t what anyone wants.

There were so many moving pieces to this book, and Elian was moving and playing them all. True, his actions were for the good of his kingdom, and he definitely made sacrifices – I’m looking at you Sakura – so glad he got out of that agreement. I was not thrilled when he bargained his happiness for information, since at this point he and Lira had already come in contact with each other, and I was already shipping them. That moment when Lira saved his life, and then thought about taking his heart, but didn’t – you could tell that Lira wasn’t this siren hell bent on taking a life just for the fun of it. The fact that she hesitated, staring at him, until guards showed up, goes to show what her true nature is. Though in fact, that action of not killing him is what leads her mother to casting her out.

The torture the Sea Queen inflicts on her daughter is awful, and I felt like I was experiencing it as well – I was plugged in with headphones and completely immersed, so it wasn’t hard. It was so vivid and clear in my head, so props to Alexandra Christo for making me feel like I was drowning.

I could talk all day about this book, and how you should pick it up and read it if you haven’t already, but even in this spoilers section, I don’t want to give away everything that happens in this amazing book. Overall, I would definitely read this book again, it’s one of my new favorite fantasy retellings, and everyone should read it. If you want a dark Little Mermaid, with Pirate Princes, fantastical kingdoms, bad-assery, banter and sass, romance, adventure, drama, with strong character arcs, and lots and lots of action, then you should go and pick up To Kill A Kingdom by Alexandra Christo – I don’t think you’ll be disappointed!

Book Review: Ash Princess

Ash PrincessTitle: Ash Princess

Author: Laura Sebastian

Pub. Date: April 24, 2018

Rating: ♥♥♥♥ -4.5

ORPHAN.

PRISONER.

PRINCESS.

REBEL.

Theodosia was six when her country was invaded and her mother the Fire Queen, was murdered before her eyes. On that day the Kaiser took Theodosia’s family, her land, and her name. Theo was crowned Ash Princess – a title of shame to wear in her new life as a prisoner.

For ten years, Theo has been a captive in her own palace. She’s endured the relentless abuse and ridicule of the Kaiser and his court. She is powerless, surviving in her new world only by burying the girl she was deep inside.

Then, one night, the Kaiser forces her to do the unthinkable. With blood on her hands and all hope of reclaiming her throne lost, she realizes that surviving is no longer enough. But she does have a weapon: her mind is sharper that any sword. And power isn’t always won on the battlefield.

For ten years, the Ash Princess has seen her land pillaged and her people enslaved. That all ends here.

LIFT UP YOUR HEAD, PRINCESS.

IF YOU DON’T, THE CROWN FALLS.

Like with the majority of my reviews, the first part will be spoiler free, with a designated spoiler section after.

I’m not going to lie, when I first saw the gorgeous cover of this book, I didn’t care what the story was about, I just wanted to read it. Yes, I judged it on its cover. Based on the title alone, I figured this was going to be some kind of Cinderella retelling. I finally read the synopsis, I didn’t care I had been wrong, and could not wait to pick this book up.

When I finally got the chance, I devoured it. I loved this book so much, and my only big gripe is that book 2, Lady Smoke isn’t out yet. I cannot wait to see what happens next, and where the story goes.

This book contains abuse.

And I have a feeling that this is going to be a rather long review because I enjoyed this book so much, I have a lot to say.

Ash Princess follows Thora (Theodosia) who has been stripped of everything – her name, her country, her people, her family – and crowned the Ash Princess. She learns quickly to not cross the Kaiser or the Theyn, two very powerful men. She submits and learns to live as a quiet shadow, never trying to cause disruption in fear of catching the Kaiser’s eye and the Theyn’s whip.

A captive in her own court, Thora exists, quiet and submissive, seemingly more interested in gossiping with the Theyn’s daughter, Crescentia (Cress).  Her life is like walking a tightrope, never knowing what might set the Kaiser off. Then one day, Thora is forced to do the unthinkable, and it changes her, reminds her of who she is. She isn’t Thora, that was a name forced upon her. She was Theodosia, heir to her country.

I loved this book, and when I go to the end, I just wanted to keep reading, give me more of the story. I don’t want to say “I enjoyed her relationships with other characters” because some of those relationships were strictly abusive, but the way she interacted with the characters was enjoyable because (to me) it felt real. You have this young girl taken captive, who is beat and tormented into submission, and it takes one act that pushes her too far, and she’s scheming the downfall of the people who took everything from her. I also liked how some of (not all) of her perceptions about the people who have subjugated her aren’t accurate, at least not completely.

I liked that she could see that not every single “bad” person was actually bad. Complicit, yes, but I felt like there were very few actual “bad/evil” characters. No one is this or that, but a combination of these things, and that made them feel more human.

If you want a story about a Princess, a fight for a kingdom, a rebellion and love – I think you will enjoy this story.

Now time for the spoiler part –

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The first thing I want to touch on is the “Love Triangle” in this book, and how I don’t think it’s a love triangle.

There are two attractive guys in Theo’s life. Prinz Søren and Blaise.

Prinz Søren is the heir to his father’s throne, but nothing like his father. He can see the injustices that Theo has endured and wants to change things.

Blaise is a childhood friend from her past and provides a stability and comfort she hasn’t had since the conquering of her kingdom.

I feel like Blaise and Prinz Søren take up two different parts of her heart. I think she actually loves, or nearly loves Søren, and I think that her feelings for him scare her. He’s the “enemy” and I think that scares her and she clearly doesn’t like manipulating him and taking him captive at the end of the book.

As for Blaise, I think he’s just comfort, and going beyond a childhood love, a love for the past, the comfort and familiarity. Yes, they kiss, and he holds her while she sleeps, but I don’t think she harbors any romantic love for him. I agree with Theo when she says that Blaise isn’t loyal to her but to her father’s loyalty to her.

Now maybe in book 2, there will be some sort of romance between Blaise and Theo, but I’m not sure there will be. Theo can’t be the queen her people want her to be, she has to be the Queen she wants to be. Her people want nothing but revenge but sinking that low would just mean she’s no better than the Kaiser.

Moving past the non-triangle love triangle, I really loved Søren. I liked that he was absolutely different from his father, but he wasn’t perfect. He still made mistakes, he is absolutely a child of his upbringing. But the choices he sets to action, they aren’t easy for him, and while, yes, he makes them, they come with a personal cost. He wants to change the way things are done, and his people will listen to him. There are enough of his people who prefer him over his father and would rather see him on the throne. Theo sees this in him, his kindness, his caring, but she can’t ignore the mistakes he’s made.

I think my favorite part in this whole book was the boat scene between Søren and Theo. That scene felt so real, and the emotions felt honest. To me, that was the point where I fell in love with Søren and I think it was the same moment Theo fell in love with him too.

I think Theo is good at thinking of the long haul, instant revenge, split second reactions aren’t going win any war. They might win battles, but ultimately they won’t work. Theo knows this, and that’s why she’s willing to keep Søren alive rather than just killing him. It’s why she waits to poison Cress and the Theyn. It’s why she bides her time.

Speaking of Cress, I didn’t like her, and I really didn’t like her when she started treating Theo like shit. Cress infuriated me. For all her talk about when she becomes Prinzessin Theo’s life will be so much better – but in reality, she’ll still be a prisoner. Whereas Søren actually wants to change things, Cress just wants to stay in her frilly safe castle with her fancy dresses and Spirit Gems.

I can’t wait to see the evolution of the Spirit Gems and how they are used by those who actually know how to use them – I’m sure that will come in book 2.

But back to Cress, she was such a bitch. Thora was literally just a doll to her, someone to gossip with, dress up, degrade. I had hoped that she would be more aware of the injustices, but nope, she was just as complicit in the subjugation of Theo as the Kaiser and Theyn was. Though, a little tendril of happy shot through me when I found out that the Theyn wasn’t all bad, that he didn’t necessarily like hurting Theo, and only did it because the Kaiser demanded it of him. I had a little warm feeling in my chest when Cress told her that she was only alive, because the Theyn convinced him to not kill a small defenseless child. I feel like in another life, another world, one where the Kaiser didn’t exist, the Theyn might’ve taken Theo in as a ward/daughter, would have protected her rather than whip her.

I can’t wait to see Theo take down the bitch Cress, and I’m sad and upset that the Encatrio didn’t kill her. The minute she decided to basically blackmail Theo into not loving Søren, I knew she needed to go.

Overall, I enjoyed this book so much, and can already tell that it’s going to become one of my favorite fantasy trilogies! I cannot wait for Lady Smoke coming in Sprign 2019!

 

Cover Reveal! I’m so excited!

Entertainment Weekly Link to Cover Reveal Announcement!

This wasn’t my planned post for Wednesday, but the cover for Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner’s book Undying – book 2 to Unearthed (review here) was revealed today (5/21). And. I. Am. So. Excited!

Unearthed was one of my fave 2017/2018 reads, and it left me dying for book 2!

Undying

I freaking love this cover, and I think they look so good together!

Unearthed

 

“In Undying, the authors’ follow-up to Unearthed, the adventure continues as scavenger Mia and academic Jules find themselves trapped aboard the Undying’s spaceship, still shocked by what they’ve learned while aboard. Catapulted into a life-or-death race to warn their home planet of the danger humanity’s greed has unleashed, they speed across Earth, from the mountains of Spain to the streets of Prague.”

Needless to say, I’m already anticipating this release, and I cannot wait to see what Jude and Mia are going to get into next!

Book Review: Furyborn

Book Review: Furyborn

FurybornTitle: Furyborn

Author: Claire Legrand

Pub. Date: May 22, 2018

Rating: ♥♥♥♥ – 4.25

The stunningly original, must-read fantasy of 2018 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, Rielle Dardenne risks everything to save him, exposing herself as one of a pair of prophesied queens: a queen of light, and a queen of blood. To prove she is the Sun Queen, Rielle must endure seven elemental magic trials. If she fails, she will be executed…unless the trials kill her first.

One thousand years later, the legend of Queen Rielle is a fairy tale to Eliana Ferracora. A bounty hunter for the Undying Empire, Eliana believes herself untouchable―until her mother vanishes. To find her, Eliana joins a rebel captain and discovers that the evil at the empire’s heart 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.

This book is one of many on my Most Anticipated 2018 list, and I was able to get an early copy of Furyborn and this review is my own honest opinion. Like with the majority of my reviews, the first part will be non-spoiler, with a separate spoiler section after.

This is definitely an UPPER YOUNG ADULT NOVEL.

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Two Queens.

One with the power to save the world.

The other with the power to destroy it.

Furyborn follows Rielle Dardenne and Eliana Ferracora, two fiercely independent women. When Rielle’s best friend, the Crown Prince is attacked, she fights to save him, revealing her ability to use the seven different kind of elemental magic. This reveal leads her to have to participate in trials proving her ability to control them.

There’s a prophecy about two people who will be able to control all the elemental magics, two Queens. One of Blood and one of Sun. One to destroy the world, and one to save it.

A thousand years later, Queen Rielle is a legend and fantasy, a mere fairytale to Eliana – a bounty hunter. After the Undying Empire conquered her kingdom she turned to violence to keep her family alive. Eliana considers herself untouchable – that is until her mother vanishes. Eliana joins forces with a rebel Captain in order to find her mother.

Past and present start to collide as Rielle and Eliana fight in a cosmic war that will determine their fates and the fates of those they hold dear.

I’m going to start with the cover – WHICH IS FREAKING GORGEOUS and I cannot wait to have the finished copy in my hands and on my shelf!

I really enjoyed this book, though I often found myself caring more about Eliana’s story more than Rielle’s. Though I did get to points where I really wanted to know Rielle’s story. I absolutely loved the world, and the characters. I loved the connection between Eliana and her brother, and Eliana and Simon. I freaking loved Audric.

I could go on and one about how much I enjoyed this book, and the characters and the world, but it’s hard to do that without spoiling.

I think my favorite parts of this book were the relationships. They all weren’t warm and fuzzy, some were tense and strained, but there was loyalty. It came in different forms depending on the people, but it was there. I loved it when any two people who may have been/are at odds are still loyal to each other.

There were a lot of moments in this book that made me all warm and happy, and others that made me hold my breath. I was really impressed with how the stories complimented each other, and intersected despite being a thousand years apart.

Now for spoilers –

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While I felt more invested in Eliana and Simon’s budding relationship, I loved Audric and Rielle together. I always wanted more. He was always there for her, looking after her, making sure she was okay. I liked how his concern wasn’t based in ‘she can’t protect herself, or fend for herself’ but rather in ‘oh shit, she’s a bad ass who just kicked ass, but my hearts been pounding in my chest, and I’m fully of worry, I need to make sure she’s okay’. I loved their relationship. I couldn’t hate Ludivine either. And when she found out that Audric and Rielle had made out in the gardens, I enjoyed her reaction. I’m glad that everything works out between the three of them. I would have been heartbroken if they couldn’t be together. But with that being said, I loved their relationship with each other, friends since childhood, and willing to support each other no matter what.

Rielle felt horrible about liking Audric, since he and Ludivine were meant to marry, and that guilt ate at her. I did think it was funny when Ludivine found out about her and Audric and basically told Rielle that she’s known for a long time, and has enjoyed watching them dance around each other. Those intimate scenes between Audric and Rielle – I didn’t realize that this book was Upper YA. lol

Since I clearly love Audric and Rielle together so much, I hated Corien. I hated the affect he had on Rielle. He’s one of those characters, that is such a good character that you hate to love him. And since I don’t like him, I’m not spending any more time on him. Moving on. (Though I cannot wait for Eliana to kick his ass in later books – I’m assuming she’s going to defeat him.)

Simon. *swoon* His entire life is Eliana, even though she has no idea towards the end. Everything he has done was for her, in support of her becoming the Sun Queen and saving the world.

The relationship between him and Eliana was so enjoyable to read, especially towards the end of the book where their feelings for each other became more prevalent. I loved their snarky banter and the (romantic) tension between them. I’m so here for their growing relationship.

AND I DON’T KNOW HOW I FORGOT THAT IT WAS SIMON IN THE BEGINNING OF THE BOOK. I went back to the beginning and was like duh.

Eliana was such a blast getting to know. Her self-confidence was inspiring, and while she believed herself invincible she also understood her limits. I really liked how she started off so utterly sure and confident, and as her story progressed she started to realize she wasn’t the monster she thought herself to be. She figured out that she couldn’t lock her feelings away forever, because eventually they threatened to drown her.

I loved that both Rielle and Eliana had to learn to accept who they are – two very powerful Queens.

I’m excited to see where their story is going to go in book 2 – the wait might kill me.

 

Book Review: Ruthless Magic

Title: Ruthless Magic

Ruthless Magic

Author: Megan Crewe

Pub. Date: May 30, 2018

Rating: ♥♥♥♥ – 3.75

In the contest to keep their magic, the only options may be die… or kill.

Each year, the North American Confederation of Mages assesses every sixteen-year-old novice. Some will be chosen. The rest must undergo a procedure to destroy their magical ability unless they prove themselves in the mysterious and brutal Mages’ Exam.

Disadvantaged by her parents’ low standing, Rocío Lopez has dedicated herself to expanding her considerable talent to earn a place in the Confederation. Their rejection leaves her reeling—and determined to fight to keep her magic.

Long ashamed of his mediocre abilities, Finn Lockwood knows the Confederation accepted him only because of his prominent family. Declaring for the Exam instead means a chance to confirm his true worth.

Thrown into the testing with little preparation, Rocío and Finn find themselves becoming unlikely allies—and possibly more. But the Exam holds secrets more horrifying than either could have imagined. What are the examiners really testing them for? And as the trials become increasingly vicious, how much are they willing to sacrifice to win?

I received an Advance Copy of Ruthless Magic from the Author in exchange for an honest review. This will be a spoiler free review.

If you like books such as Divergent, Harry Potter, and The Hunger Games then most likely you’ll end up liking this first full-length novel in Megan Crewe’s Conspiracy of Magic Series. It had the magical element of Harry Potter, the trials the teens have to face felt like The Hunger Games mashed with the emotional trials of Divergent.

Ruthless Magic follows Finn Lockwood and Rocío Lopez, both sixteen year old mages waiting to hear from the North American Confederation of Mages on whether or not they will be able to continue their education or go through a dampening process that will severely limit their magical capability.

Finn is a young mage with less than adequate magical abilities. He’s ashamed of how his lackluster abilities reflect on his “old magic” prominent family, and declaring to take the Exam is his way of proving he’s good enough.

Rocío Lopez a “new magic” mage is looked down upon by the Confederation, because of her status as a new magic mage and her parents low standing. She enters the Exam to prove to the Confederation she is more than her status and is good enough in her magical capabilities to continue her education.

Except the Exam isn’t anything like they were expecting it to be. The Exam is meant to test their endurance, magical capabilities, ability to follow instructions, and what they would do to survive.

Ruthless Magic is an action packed book that will keep you interested and on the edge of your seat. I found this book to be a pretty quick read with an engaging world and equally compelling characters. They all had their reasons for wanting to take the Exam and prove themselves, and no two characters felt the same.

As much as I really enjoyed this book, and enjoyed the familiarity of the story, it was also what is keeping me from giving this book all of the stars. I don’t think the familiarity is a downfall of the book and I don’t think it weakens it at all. I actually think it’s a pretty good way to draw readers in to a new fantastical and modern world. I can’t wait for book 2 and to see where Finn and Rocío’s story goes next.