Recent Reads: A Shadow Bright and Burning by Jessica Cluess

A Shadow Bright and Burning by Jessica Cluess
Series: Kingdom on Fire #1
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Publication Date:  September 20, 2016

 

Format: Ebook
Source: From Netgalley and Random House Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review. This in no way alters my opinion or review.

Rating:
 


 


Goodreads Synopsis: 

I am Henrietta Howel.
The first female sorcerer in hundreds of years.
The prophesied one.
Or am I?

Henrietta Howel can burst into flames.
Forced to reveal her power to save a friend, she's shocked when instead of being executed, she's invited to train as one of Her Majesty's royal sorcerers.

Thrust into the glamour of Victorian London, Henrietta is declared the chosen one, the girl who will defeat the Ancients, bloodthirsty demons terrorizing humanity. She also meets her fellow sorcerer trainees, handsome young men eager to test her power and her heart. One will challenge her. One will fight for her. One will betray her.

But Henrietta Howel is not the chosen one.
As she plays a dangerous game of deception, she discovers that the sorcerers have their own secrets to protect. With battle looming, what does it mean to not be the one? And how much will she risk to save the city—and the one she loves?

Review: 
So you can burst into flames... the only problem is that it may kill you, but now how you would expect. Henrietta is constantly afraid for her life. Her ability means that she can catch on fire without hurting herself but it also means that she could be killed for being a witch. Lucky for her there was a prophecy about a girl sorcerer so she may be in the clear. 

This book was an emotional bouncy-house for me. First we are scared for Henrietta's secret being found out, then we are fine when she is taken on as a sorcerer's apprentice, then down again when we find out a bigger secret, then up then down... you get it right? It was crazy plot twisting every which way. It kept this long book (416 pages) feeling like it was flying by but there was a lot of gasping and relief.

Henrietta is overly defiant for her station in life and while that is refreshing it is also not at all typical of a female in this time period either, I know it was fantasy but I kept waiting for her to get smacked. She was strong and fierce and trying to make a better life for herself though so I commend her on that aspect. She was an interesting character to follow. 

What I would have liked more of was world building, the synopsis says it is in Victorian London but I never really got that feel. Otherwise I enjoyed how quickly the story moved along and I enjoyed the characters. I also liked that while this book was the start of a series it can pretty much be read by itself. It concludes pretty well and if you didn't love it, it ends on a decent enough note to not continue the series. At this point, I don't think I will pick up the next one - too many other reviews to write but maybe when I have a more open schedule. 

Waiting on Wednesday: Queens of Geek by Jen Wilde

Queens  of Geek by Jen Wilde
Publisher: Swoon Reads
Publication Date:  March 14, 2017

Goodreads Synopsis:  

When BFFs Charlie, Taylor and Jamie go to SupaCon, they know it’s going to be a blast. What they don’t expect is for it to change their lives forever.

Charlie likes to stand out. SupaCon is her chance to show fans she’s over her public breakup with co-star, Jason Ryan. When Alyssa Huntington arrives as a surprise guest, it seems Charlie’s long-time crush on her isn’t as one-sided as she thought.

While Charlie dodges questions about her personal life, Taylor starts asking questions about her own.

Taylor likes to blend in. Her brain is wired differently, making her fear change. And there’s one thing in her life she knows will never change: her friendship with Jamie—no matter how much she may secretly want it to. But when she hears about the Queen Firestone SupaFan Contest, she starts to rethink her rules on playing it safe.

Why I Am Waiting:
As a self proclaimed geek... I am drawn to this title and the synopsis makes it sound like a very interesting read.

Recent Reads: Lady Mechanika Vol 1 by Joe Benitez

Source: From Netgalley and Diamond Book Distributors in exchange for an honest review. This in no way alters my opinion or review.

Lady Mechanika Volume 1: The Mystery of the Mechanical Corpse by Joe Benitez
Series: Lady Mechanika Volume 1
Publisher:  Diamond Book Distributors and Benitez Productions
Publication Date:  December 1, 2015

 

Format: Ebook

Rating:


 



Goodreads Synopsis: 

Discover a beautifully illustrated steampunk world of airships, monsters, and one courageous but haunted heroine...

The tabloids dubbed her "Lady Mechanika," the sole survivor of a mad scientist's horrific experiments which left her with mechanical limbs. Having no memory of her captivity or her former life, Lady Mechanika eventually built a new life for herself as an adventurer and private investigator, using her unique abilities to solve cases the proper authorities couldn't or wouldn't handle. But she never stopped searching for the answers to her own past.

Set in a fictionalized steampunk Victorian England, a time when magic and superstition clashed with new scientific discoveries and inventions, Lady Mechanika chronicles a young woman's obsessive search for her identity as she investigates other mysteries involving science and the supernatural.

This volume collects the entire first Lady Mechanika mini-series The Mystery of the Mechanical Corpse, including its prequel chapter The Demon of Satan's Alley, plus a complete cover art gallery.

 Review: 

A few years ago I read the comic issues of Lady Mechanika #0 and #1, my husband found them and thought they would be something that I would enjoy. The cover was of a busty steampunk dresses woman, looking pretty badass and so I was excited to read them. I didn’t continue with the series but that was not because I didn’t enjoy it, I actually really did, I just had a lot of other things going on at the time. When I saw Volume 1 available on Netgalley I squeed with joy and grabbed it. Then I saw that Volume 2 was available as well and got even more excited.

Lady Mechanika follows a woman who is part human but mostly machine in a steampunk universe. In the first volume we follow her as she tries to solve the mystery of another mechanical woman who quite literally fell into the city as a way to uncover more about her past. Her hope is that the creator might be one in the same. Lady Mechanika mostly works alone but on occasion has the help of a human inventor named Lewis, he makes all the mechanical gadgets that Mechanika needs for her investigations.

This graphic novel is super detailed in the art. There is so much layering and world building in such a short amount of time. The Steampunk nature combining old Victorian with mechanics is amazingly done. AND THE OUTFITS! Everything the character’s wear is incredibly elaborate and amazing – they don’t look comfortable but they are beautiful!

I could help to love this graphic novel. Mechanika is a very mysterious lead, she is very independent and she seems to be able to accomplish anything she sets her mind to. It is geared toward an older audience featuring violence, cursing, and a lot of ill-fitting tops, but it was very action-packed.

Building the Book Pile #134

Welcome to Building the Book Pile!  A Weekly meme inspired by Stacking the Shelves

Hello Readers, Bloggers, and Awesome people! 

I am still away on my vacation so this post is a day late... Our hotel in Orlando was great, they had wifi for free BUT only for some websites... so no blogging while I was there. I am in Georgia with my mom for a few more days then finally home again :) But even though I could not blog I got a lot of reading and reviews done. Now I just have to move them all into Blogger... hopefully some will be up this week. How is your week going?

  Giveaways  on Cover2CoverBlog!
More coming soon

Coming up on the Blog...

Monday: This Day Late BTBP

Review: Lady Mechanika Volume 1 by Joe Benitez (GN)

Waiting on Wednesday

Recent Reads: A Shadow Bright and Burning by Jessica Cluess (YA)    
    

Books Received this Week

 
Unicorn Crossing (Heavenly Nostrils #5) by Dana Simpson from Andrew McMeel Publishing and Netgalley for review. 

  

Have you missed anything lately?
New Page: 2017 Reading Challenges 

Week of February 26 - March 3

Recent Reads: Kyle Evans and the Deadly Plague by Rob Hunt (MG) - 4 stars
February Re-Cap
March 2017 TBR Pile
Early Reader Review: Queen of the Frogs by Davide Cali (Youth) - 4 stars
Recent Reads: Dead Girls Society by Michelle Krys (YA) - 4 stars

Comment and leave me a link to your Round-up/ STS/ Weekly...anything, post and I will happily stop by and say hello!

Happy Reading!

Recent Reads: Dead Girls Society by Michelle Krys

Source: From Netgalley and Delacorte Press in exchange for an honest review. This in no way alters my opinion or review.

Dead Girls Society by Michelle Krys
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Publication Date:  November 8, 2016

 

Format: Ebook

Rating:


 



Goodreads Synopsis: 

You are cordially invited to participate in a game of thrills and dares. Tell no one, and come alone. If you dare.

Hope is sick of everyone treating her like she’s breakable. Sure, she has cystic fibrosis (basically really bad lungs), but she’s tired of being babied by her mom and her overprotective best friend, Ethan, not to mention worrying about paying for her expensive medication and how she’s going to afford college. And she’s bored with life in her run-down New Orleans suburb.

When an invitation arrives from a mysterious group that calls itself the Society, Hope jumps at the chance for some excitement. This could be her ticket out. All she has to do is complete a few dares and she might win some real money.

But the Society isn’t all it seems . . . and soon Hope finds that playing the game isn’t a choice—it’s a requirement. 

 Review: 
This cover is completely the reason I requested this book and really with that title too... I was sold. It too me forever to read this one though, I think I just have too many ebooks chillin' in my Kindle and it is daunting. Anywho... I finally picked this one up and flew through it. I read it in maybe 2 sittings and it really had me hooked. I wanted to know who was behind the craziness and I wanted to know if anyone was actually going to die.

The story follows Hope who is very ill, she has been stuck at home for a while and would give anything to be able to be a normal teenager, then an email appears inviting her to play a game (very much like the creepy puppet in Saw). In this game, you perform a number of dares and knock off the other girls playing and eventually you win loads of money and for Hope that would really help with medical expenses... so she's in. Little does she know that there is something a lot more sinister going on with the game. Nor does she realize who is involved and how.

I think that this main character is why I loved this book, she was almost always dying but really it was because of how sick she was but she kept pushing all with the end goal of helping her family and the burden she has put on them. She is such a strong female role and I really enjoyed reading through her. Now that isn't to say that she was the smartest - the whole game was super creepy and it was VERY dumb of her to play and not tell anyone but teens will be teens I guess.

I think that ending of the book was a bit jumbled but came together ok - not the best ending I could have asked for but I really enjoyed the plot and all the suspense of it.   

Early Reader Review: The Queen of the Frogs by Davide Cali

Source: From Librarything Early Reviewers Program and Eerdmans Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review. This in no way alters my opinion or review.

The Queen of the Frogs by Davide Cali
Publisher:  Eerdmans Books for Young Readers
Publication Date:  March 20, 2017

 

Format: Hardback

Rating:


 



Goodreads Synopsis: 

An enchanting modern fable

The frogs enjoy their life at the pond, filling their days with fly brunches and night music. But one day a little frog finds a crown at the bottom of the pond and is instantly pronounced a queen. She starts doing what queens do: making demands and expecting others to serve her. But when her royal subjects start to question her authority, she must prove she's fit to rule—if she can.

Reminiscent of Aesop's fables, this beautifully illustrated book is sure to start a discussion about the concept of leadership and the importance of humility.

Review: 
I received this book for review and the images are what drew me in first. I almost immediately read it and it was a very cute fable about being humble and not taking advantage of others. The illustrations were wonderfully detailed and the story was clever and has a useful lesson embedded in it. I think this will be a great read for parents and children. 

When a strange object drops into the frog pond all the frogs leap at the chance to get it. When one does they proclaim it a crown and the other frogs acknowledge her as their queen and she fills that role, until she doesn't anymore. The story was a pretty simple and short one but it was pretty deep as well and the earthy images fit the story very very well. 

March 2017 TBR Pile

THE BOOKS
I want to read these... this month:
A Man Called Ove is for Book Club
A Boy Called Bat is for a Blog Tour
The others are ones that I would like to read :) 

       

What do you want to read this month?