#Saturday Review - Heir to The Sky by Amanda Sun (YA, Fantasy)

Series: Standalone?
Format: E-Galley, 304 pages
Release Date: April 26, 2016
Publisher: Harlequin TEEN
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

As heir to a kingdom of floating continents, Kali has spent her life bound by limits—by her duties as a member of the royal family; by a forced betrothal to the son of a nobleman; and by the edge of the only world she’s ever known—a small island hovering above a monster-ridden earth, long since uninhabited by humans. She is the Eternal Flame of Hope for what’s left of mankind, the wick and the wax burning in service for her people, and for their revered Phoenix, whose magic keeps them aloft.

When Kali falls off the edge of her kingdom and miraculously survives, she is shocked to discover there are still humans on the earth. Determined to get home, Kali entrusts a rugged monster-hunter named Griffin to guide her across a world overrun by chimera, storm dragons, basilisks, and other terrifying beasts. But the more time she spends on earth, the more dark truths she begins to uncover about her home in the sky, and the more resolute she is to start burning for herself.

Amanda Sun, author of the Paper Gods series, returns with a story about a kingdom in the sky, a fallen princess, and a world where a group of humans live against the backdrop of a prehistoric world with dragons, chimera's, and other strange creatures who are as dangerous as their names imply. 16-year old Kallima, Kali for short, lives in the kingdom of Ashra high about the Earth. 

She believes that the ground is overrun with monsters that roam freely. And, even though her minds runs with some interesting possibilities, she doesn't want to be on the ground. In fact, the humans who live on Ashra, and Burumu all believe they are what is left of humankind. Ashra calls Kali the Eternal Flame that ignites the Phoenix. The same Phoenix who it is said to have lifted Ashra and a group of smaller islands into the sky.

Kali finds some interesting secrets that could cause a whole lot of distress if they were to ever get out. This leads to an unfortunate incident. An incident that sees Kali falling off Ashra, through some sort of magical barrier, and onto the ground where she manages to survive. She quickly discovers that her fears about monsters roaming the ground weren't just tall tales to scare the crap out of the children on Ashra. 

But, the most telling tale of this story begins on the ground where a handful of humans actually live on the ground. Those like Griffin who is a monster hunter and isn't afraid to take on the most dangerous beasties imaginable to survive. Griffin has managed to survive alongside of Aliyah and Sayra who have both lost everything to the monsters that terrorize humans on earth. 

But the tale is much more than Ashra can imagine. It is a fantastical one with mythical beings who shouldn't exist, becoming true allies and friends of a princess who fell to the ground under not her own choice. It will take her own form of courage, strength, and determination to return to the island in the sky and make things right again, while learning how to fight against beasties that are more than happy to take a chomp out of her pampered behind.

Heir to The Sky isn't the first story that I've read about a floating city high above the earth, nor will it apparently be the last. The Internment Chronicles by Lauren DeStefano was also set high above the ground. Heir of the Sky apparently is a standalone novel that perhaps could have used a bit more world building to go along characters like Kali, Griffin, and Elisha. The story is a fairly quick paced novel which made reading and finishing it a breeze.  

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#Stacking the Shelves / Bought, Borrowed, Bagged # 14 - Thanks @kristicharish @torteen @Scholastic @bookouture!!

Bought Borrowed and Bagged is all about the latest additions to your library – virtual or actual, with books that are  bought, borrowed, won or ARCs  you will be reading soon. Bought Borrowed and Bagged is a homage to to Barron’s Books and Baubles from Karen Marie Moning’s amazing Fever series, and is hosted by Braine over at Talk Supe. 

Hello Everyone!

Happy Weekend!

Thanks for stopping by!

~Shelley~

This Weeks Reviews: 

Monday - The Glittering Court by Richelle Mead (YA, Fantasy)

Tuesday - Strike by Delilah S. Dawson (YA, SyFy, Dystopian)

Wednesday - The Demonist by Thomas E. Sniegoski (Urban Fantasy)

  Thursday - Grim Tidings by Caitlin Kittredge (Urban Fantasy)

Friday - Soldier by Julie Kagawa (YA, Paranormal)

 Saturday - Heir to The Sky by Amanda Sun (YA, Fantasy)

Scheduled for Next Week: 

Monday - The Skylighter by Becky Wallace (YA, FANTASY)

Tuesday - Trust (Vicky Peterwald) by Mike Shepherd (Science Fiction)

Wednesday - To Kill A Kettle Witch by Barb Hendee (Epic Fantasy)

  Thursday - Warrior Witch by Danielle L. Jensen (YA, Fantasy)

Friday - Camp Alien by Gini Koch (Science Fiction)

 Saturday - Night Shift by Charlaine Harris (Urban Fantasy)

*Received from Publisher*

Via Kristi Charish - Thanks Kristi! 

*Granted approval via NetGalley/Edelweiss*

 

*Borrowed from Library*

 

#Friday Review - Soldier by Julie Kagawa (YA, Paranormal)

Series: The Talon Saga # 3
Format: E-Galley, 416 pages
Release Date: April 26, 2016
Publisher: Harlequin TEEN
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal

A fighter dedicated to saving humankind from dragons in strictest secrecy.

That was what Garret Xavier Sebastian thought he was part of as a soldier of the Order of St. George. What he learned from a fiery dragon hatchling twisted all he believed in and set him on a collision course with certain death-but not without a chance to put things right.

Betrayed and on the run again, Ember and rogue dragon Riley discover an unthinkable truth about Talon and St. George. They'll need Garret's skills and insider knowledge of the Order to negotiate an impossible deal-and if they fail, there will be no way to stop all-out war.

Soldier is the third installment in The Talon Saga by author Julie Kagawa. As with the previous installments Talon and Rogue, Kagawa once again weaves her story between FOUR main characters: 16-year old Ember Hill (Hatchling/Rogue Dragon), 17-year old Garret Xavier Sebastian (Ex-Dragon Hunter Traitor to the St. George Order), Rogue Talon Operative Riley/Cobalt who has been fighting Talon and attempting to save rogue, hatchlings, and any other dragon who wants out from Talon, and Dante Hill, Ember's twin brother who has become completely brainwashed by Talon.

Right out of the starting gate, Kagawa does something a bit different. She has Garret take the lead. She not only flashes back to how he became the Perfect Soldier, and how he lost his family, but pushes forward into dark and deadly territory which will have startling consequences and change the direction of this series. Garret has always been one of the more interesting characters in this entire series, regardless of the whole Ember/Riley/Garret angst ridden silliness. He found himself trained as a soldier and quickly become a pawn in a much larger game between the Order of St. George, and the evil spawn dragons of Talon. 

But, he never imagined his world would be rocked by falling for Ember Hill, who it turned out, was a dragon hiding in plain sight. A Dragon he was supposed to kill, but didn't. He could never image betraying is fellow soldiers, including his partner Tristan. He could never imagine what he would find in London, either. Everything that he was told in the past about the Order vs Talon, has quickly come unglued. When a deadly secret is revealed, Garret finds himself with an unlikely ally in Chinese Dragon Jade, and he soon finds himself racing back home to once again help save Ember, Wes, and Riley.

Ember has had a whole lot of unwanted kimchee tossed on her plate since she choose to go rogue with Riley. From being training by Lilith to become a Viper/Assassin, to leaving her brainwashed brother Dante behind at the mercy of Talon, to finding a connection to not only a human who worked for the so called enemy, to apparently finding her soul mate for life, Ember hasn't had a chance to take a deep breath. Ember's heart is spinning is several directions at once which makes for some interesting choices. 

Ember, who struggles with her human & dragon sides, is in a dark place since Garret left. She and Riley continue to try to remain one step ahead of both the Order and Talon, but have no clue how they are finding Riley's underground so quickly. She's had to do things that has splintered her heart into pieces, but at the same time, has saved her life. One could do a paper on Ember who nearly looses herself while being immersed in a really dark place. I have had some issues with the whole Riley/Ember merry-go-round romance. Unfortunately, this is entirely typical for a book written by Julie Kagawa.

I'm going to skip over Riley and go directly for Dante. I'm doing so because Riley, even though he means well, hasn't been one of my favorites and I truly believe his issues will have dire consequences when all is said and done.

Dante is a general tool, and that's saying a whole lot. He's thrown himself on a grenade called Talon, and continues to blame his sister for everything that has happened to him. It's all HER fault that he choose to follow the evil sadistic bastards of Talon, instead of listening to common sense. So, readers shouldn't be shocked or disturbed by anything that happens to Dante and his interactions with the Talon hierarchy. With an author like Kagawa around, you just know that you are about to be shot through the heart with a poisonous arrow. 

So, why the rating then you ask? Simple. The ending that is just brutal in every way imaginable. I realize that there will be two more books in this series, but holy mother of Murgatroyd! I won't even dare guess what was in the authors sick/twisted mind at the time she was writing this book. We all know that Kagawa has written some very imaginary & entertaining books over the years. We know that she tends to put her characters through a living hell while laughing like a lunatic. But, I'm not sure what she was going for in this instance. Was it the shock and awe factor? Or, does she not care that she might give someone a bloody heart attack?

Next in Series: Legion, The Talon Saga # 4. 

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#Thursday Review - Grim Tidings by Caitlin Kittredge (Urban Fantasy)

Series: Hellhound Chronicles # 2
Format: E-Galley, 368
Release Date: April 19, 2016
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Source: Publisher
Genre: Urban Fantasy

In this thrilling sequel to Black Dog—award-winning Caitlin Kittredge’s dark urban fantasy series, Hellhound Chronicles—a soul catcher must stop demonic monsters from her past from infecting the world

After winning her freedom from a reaper and facing off against a fearsome demon boss, Ava is now a masterless hellhound. Her friend, Leo, has found a new life after death himself: He’s returned as the Grim Reaper—the first in centuries. As both try to adjust to their new circumstances, Ava’s dark past comes back to wreak havoc on her . . . and the entire world.

A breed of monsters as smart as vampires—but who behave like zombies—have been sighted in Kansas. Ava can’t believe these “zompires” are back. She thought she’d kicked their asses for good when she first battled them in a Nazi death camp. Now, they’re spreading their infection across America’s heartland thanks to a nasty piece of business named Cain.

Free at last after being locked up in Hell for millennia, Cain has some scores to settle. To stop him, Ava must form an unholy alliance with some old foes . . . a bargain that will lead her to uncover deeply buried truths about her past—and Leo’s future.

Grim Tidings is the second installment in author Caitlin Kittredge's Hellhound Chronicles. Picking up where Black Dog left off, Ava has an interesting journey ahead of her. She has survived her former master Gary who she agreed to work with after dying in 1919. She spent almost 100 years working for Gary as an indentured servant collecting souls of those who made a deal with the devil. 

Now that Gary has been disposed of, and her boyfriend Leo has become the new Grim Reaper after dying by Lilith's hands, the duo finds themselves traveling to Minneapolis where Leo's Scythe is supposed to be kept. But, they have no idea that Ava's past is about ready to jump out and bite her in the ass once again, or that they will be pushed to the limits by other reapers and hounds. 

Ava has also agreed to work with Uriel and the Kingdom hunting down and eliminating Fallen. Something that doesn't quite sit right with Leo. But, for now, let's get to the real meat and potatoes of the story and skip over the angst, anger, and curiosities that happen in this story. With flashbacks going back to 1944, Ava faces her darkest challenge of her hellhound life. 

Calling himself The Walking Man, and apparently skipping out on Tartarus thanks to Lilith's actions, Cain has managed to darken Ava's doorstep since she escaped a Nazi concentration camp with a brilliant doctor named Jacob Gottlieb. The camp was the place where crazy scientists, most likely with Cain's assistance, created a cross between vampires and zombies. As the author is calling them zompires, I shall do the same.

From Nazi Germany, to Kansas where she meets an officer named Don Tanner who has been on the hunt for a man called The Walking Man. Ava and Tanner's story weaves its way thru the middle of the 20th century as they catch up to and eliminate Cain's zompire's. But, Cain isn't quite done with Ava who he calls his little bird. In the present, Cain has been pushed into calling down the apocalypse by using his zompires to destroy the world. Only Ava, Leo, and Uriel stand in the way.

Characters often make some pretty stupid and silly mistakes. Ava has made more than her fair share for you, me, and about 100 other people. She's a hard-ass most of the times, but she is also under a whole lot of pressure from Uriel and Leo who continues to nag and bitch and act like a puppet master instead of Ava's protector and boyfriend. Sometimes she talks the talk and walks the walk, but other times she's a sniveling dribbling mess.

There are more than a few instances where Ava choose wrong. But, that's what's nice about this being a series. It gives her time to make up for the mistakes, and take out her enemies. I dare say that there are a whole lot of unanswered questions waiting to be revealed in all their glory. Let's hope volume three kicks up the action and adventure full throttle.

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#Wednesday Review - The Demonists by Thomas E. Sniegnoski (Urban Fantasy)

Series: Demonist # 1
Format: E-Galley, 336 pages
Release Date: April 5, 2016
Publisher: ROC
Source: Publisher
Genre: Urban Fantasy

There is more to our world than meets the eye—darker things, crueler things. Exorcist John Fogg and his wife, psychic medium Theodora Knight, know what lurks in the shadows. But even they’re not prepared for the worst Hell has to offer...

It was supposed to be a simple exorcism, a publicity stunt to firmly establish John and Theodora’s thriving paranormal investigation empire in the public eye. But something went wrong, leading to an on-air massacre that unleashed a malicious host of demons and left Theodora catatonic, possessed by countless spirits.

John sets out on a desperate quest to find a cure for his wife, but his obsession brings him face-to-face with an even more terrifying problem: Theodora’s possession is only one piece of a deadly plot that is threatening the entire world. Because an ancient evil is about to make Earth its battlefield—and without John and Theodora’s intervention, there is no chance for salvation...

The Demonists is the first installment in author Thomas E. Sniegnoski's Demonist series. Sniegnoski is best known to me as being the author of the Remy Chandler series. The constant remains the same between the two series. The setting is dark and dangerous, and it is almost always a battle between good and evil for the souls of the innocents. Meet John Fogg. John has traveled the world studying the weird, the unusual, and the paranormal. 

He's taught himself the sacred rituals of banishment, IE exorcism. He also has his own team of Spirit Chasers, along with his wife psychic medium Theodora Knight. They might not always find what they are searching for, but their TV ratings are through the roof! When John, Theodora, and their team investigate a house that has been deemed the House of Tribulation because of all the bad things that have happened there, they think it's another dud. 

But, what awaits John and Theo will set things up for the rest of this story, and the series itself. The shocking events of the opening scene tosses John's world into disarray, Theodora into the possession of a legion of demons, and an unknown group known as the Coalition may be the only one's able to help John and Theodora from falling completely into the darkness. With John struggling to put one foot in front of the other, and Theo in her own personal hell, it will take a shocking number of events to save them both.

I have to tell you that this book kept me on my toes and it was hard to put down at times. There are more than a few narratives that take place in this story. They are all important so I recommend not disregarding any of them. From John's struggles to find a way to save his wife, to Theodora's struggles not to allow herself to be taken completely over by eager demons, to FBI Agent Brenna Isabel who stands for the missing children that disappear without a trace, to one of the creepiest "teachers" you can imagine.

I will agree with other readers that this story reminds me of the original The Exorcist show. Theo really goes through the grinder folks. She struggles with her sanity, she struggles with keeping hoards of demons from escaping, then she has to face one of the most dangerous Demon Gods that shouldn't exist. All of this while John is running around looking for answers, finding enemies, and allies who all want to help him but at a steep cost. 

There are actually two characters outside of John and Theo that I really liked. The first is Nana, who is John's deceased Grandmother. Nana is a prize folks. She's determined to save her kids and doesn't hold back when the chips are down, and it looks as though our heroes are about ready to take a fall. I also like Brenna. She's broken, she's determined, but she refuses to bow down to the crazy that John reveals to her. She stands in and takes the hits when the villains makes things horrifically difficult for everyone.

This story should come with some warnings as the story is really dark at times. The descriptions are vivid and if you can get through them without rolling your eyes, or skipping over them, you will enjoy the rest of the book. 

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#Tuesday Review - Strike by Delilah S. Dawson (Young Adult, Science Fiction)

Series: Hit # 2
Format: E-Galley, 480 pages
Release Date: April 12, 2016
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Source: Publisher
Genre: YA, Science Fiction

The hit list was just the beginning.

Time to strike back.

After faking her own death to escape her term as an indentured assassin for Valor Savings Bank, Patsy is on the run with her boyfriend, Wyatt. All she wants to do is go home, but that’s never going to happen—not as long as Valor’s out to get her and the people she loves.

Left with no good choices, Patsy’s only option is to meet with a mysterious group that calls itself the Citizens for Freedom.

Led by the charismatic Leon Crane, the CFF seem like just what Patsy has been looking for. Leon promises that if she joins, she’ll finally get revenge on Valor for everything they’ve done to her—and for everything they’ve made her do. 

But Patsy knows the CFF has a few secrets of their own. One thing is certain: they’ll do absolutely anything to complete their mission, no matter who’s standing in their way. Even if it’s Patsy herself.

Strike is the second installment in author Delilah S. Dawson's Hit series. Strike picks up right where Hit left off.  Having fulfilled her obligation by eliminating the TEN people on her kill list in Five days, and not knowing if her mother Karen is alive or dead,  17-year old Patsy Klein, her boyfriend Wyatt, and her  dog Matty, have chosen to go on the lam. 

Patsy has faked her own death to avoid continuing as one of Valor Savings Banks indentured assassins. Now, she and Wyatt seek a group of people calling themselves Citizens For Freedom. CFF promises that they are all in when it comes to fighting back against Valor, as well as it's rival Second Union which has sent its own agent provocateurs to kill Patsy and other Valor mercenaries. Valor's machinations have quickly spread across the country, and they are just waiting for the right moment to swoop in and completely take over the entire country and create more chaos. 

Right from the beginning of Strike, things are tense to the point where you haven't a clue what is going to happen next. Patsy and Wyatt meet soon to be friends/allies Chance, Gabriela, Kevin, Bea, and Rex. They find themselves going on dangerous missions to strike back against Valor. Missions that to the naked eye make absolutely no sense whatsoever. Patsy isn't the shy sort, so she naturally finds herself going toe to toe with Leon's decisions and missions. 

CFF wants Patsy's group to blow shit up and kill anyone who stands in their way. But, Patsy isn't necessarily a full blown non-feeling killer. She has emotions. She has nightmares. She has panic attacks. She's OK with shooting first and asking questions later when anyone tries to get in her way, or hurt her friends, or her dog. She is also OK with using spray paint to send a message to those who are unaware of what Valor is up to hoping that the tide will turn in their favor.

Can Patsy and Wyatt and their allies trust the leader of CFF Leon Crane? Or, is Leon just another bloviating malcontent who speaks out of both sides of his mouth while planning something that will end up costing Patsy and others their lives? Strike ups the ante to the extreme limits over Hit. Patsy, who thought she was done killing innocents, finds herself between a rock (CFF) and a hard place (Valor). 

Games are played. Secrets are revealed. Shocking facts are brought to the light of day, and Patsy ends up with a whole new outlook on Valor and her own family ties to the bank. She also has a new enemy just waiting over the horizon to show up in all his glory. I said after reading Hit that this book isn't that far fetched. Especially after what happened during the early 21st century with banks lending money like it was water, and then going belly up without consequences. 

Those with bad credit were given home loans, credit cards, and school loans they had no intention of ever paying back. The most frightening aspect of this series so far is the truth that most consumers have no idea what they are signing when they agree to a home loan, or credit card, or school loan. It is a fact that most people do not read the fine print. They are too busy with social networking, or texting, or whining about their feelings while demanding free shit. They have no clue what is really in their phone bills, or credit card statements, or even cable bills. If they did, there might be a consumer revolution that is desperately necessary.

Can you imagine a country that has lent the US trillions of dollars like China, showing up and demanding their money back? Utter and total chaos. Dawson sends a powerful message that all readers should take heed. Perhaps when and if they do read this book and her message, we can finally moved towards more consumer protections.

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#Monday Review - The Glittering Court by Richelle Mead (Young Adult, Historical Fantasy)

Series: The Glittering Court # 2
Format: Hardcover, 416 pages
Release Date: April 5, 2016
Publisher: Razorbill
Source: Library
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Big and sweeping, spanning from the refined palaces of Osfrid to the gold dust and untamed forests of Adoria, The Glittering Court tells the story of Adelaide, an Osfridian countess who poses as her servant to escape an arranged marriage and start a new life in Adoria, the New World. But to do that, she must join the Glittering Court.

Both a school and a business venture, the Glittering Court is designed to transform impoverished girls into upper-class ladies who appear destined for powerful and wealthy marriages in the New World. Adelaide naturally excels in her training, and even makes a few friends: the fiery former laundress Tamsin and the beautiful Sirminican refugee Mira. She manages to keep her true identity hidden from all but one: the intriguing Cedric Thorn, son of the wealthy proprietor of the Glittering Court.

When Adelaide discovers that Cedric is hiding a dangerous secret of his own, together they hatch a scheme to make the best of Adelaide’s deception. Complications soon arise—first as they cross the treacherous seas from Osfrid to Adoria, and then when Adelaide catches the attention of a powerful governor.

But no complication will prove quite as daunting as the potent attraction simmering between Adelaide and Cedric. An attraction that, if acted on, would scandalize the Glittering Court and make them both outcasts in wild, vastly uncharted lands…

“We’re all in charge of our own lives—and we have to live with the consequences of the choices we make.”

Richelle Mead's The Glittering Court is the first book in a brand new trilogy by the same name. This story follows the Countess of Rothford as she tries to reinvent herself as another person by taking the identity of one of her ladies in waiting. As one of the peeress of the realm, Countess of Rothford would appear to have everything she wants. That she has no control over her finances, which are in disarray, or the desire to be married to the person she really loves, doesn't matter in the overall scheme of things. 

With her own grandmother Lady Alice Witmore having full control of her life, the Countess finds herself engaged to marry someone she has no feelings for, at all. When a man named Cedric Thorn arrives with an offer for her lady in waiting, she makes a deal with the girl and then flees into the dark of the night. Taking the name Adelaide Bailey, she travels with Cedric and two other girls who become her friends, Tamsin Wright and Mirabel, to the Glittering Court where they will spend one year learning everything that a highborn lady is expected to know before traveling to the new world called Adoria.

The one main issue that my friends and I have had with this story is the fact that it reads more like a historical romance novel than a fantasy one. There is absolutely no magic in this book. There is nothing paranormal or supernatural about this book. The story reads as though new settlers have come to colonial America looking for a new beginning. There is the whole aspect of digging for gold in the mountains and rivers that makes this more of a historical story fantasy. There are even PIRATES! Hello my lovely adorable pirates!

My general feeling is that this story originated in either an country like England or France, and goes from there. The colonies have a glut of men, and very few women for them to choose as wives. Therefore, the women of the Glittering Court may have the advantage of choosing who they want, rather then being forced. The idea that the Countess would reinvent herself in order to travel to the new world, which I am again calling the colonies, is pretty straightforward but in a way, doesn't make all that sense. 

Then again, I am not the Countess. I am not going to be put into a loveless relationship where my husband, excuse me, his grandmother would control my every move along with my access to my money. At least by becoming part of The Glittering Court, Adelaide can choose who she wants as her husband thanks to her status after her training. It also helps that she is decidedly much better off than the other girls in the Court when it comes to understanding the general world, and how it works.

Even if that means allowing herself to fall for one of the only people to know who she really is; Cedric Thorn. Right from the start, there was something that really intrigued me about the possibility of Cedric and the Countess. I dare say that Cedric even stands sentinel in protecting her from those less desirable until things come to a head. One of the things I loved best about Adelaide was the fact that she really does try to reinvent herself by keeping below the radar, and doing just enough to put herself in the middle of the pack. 

I loved that Mead kept Adelaide's real identity a secret for a majority of the book until something silly happens that forces her to make difficult choices. When she is revealed as being Elizabeth Witmore, the Countess of Rothford, it is because it is an necessary choice to save the one she loves. There are a whole lot of things that get thrown into this story like religious prosecution, and where a person is from. There is also a deep secret about Mira that I haven't quite figured out yet, but have made guesses as to what she's been up to.

I love that Elizabeth, Tamsin, and Mira pretty much stay close as friends throughout their journey's. Yes, there are some ups and downs, but everyone is allowed to make their own mistakes and understand the consequences for their own actions. I dare say that I have peeked at other reviews that have throttled this book for being another The Selection. In fact, certain outlets have compared this to The Selection meets Reign. As I have never read the series, and gave up the TV show, I will move past that comparison quickly. 

So, let's put this review to bed. I love Elizabeth/Adelaide. It takes a certain amount of guts to reinvent yourself and choose an entirely different destiny when you have a title that everyone covets. I understand the issue with the dresses, and dangers, etc. that have caused reviewers to sneer. I really do. Sometimes authors get too caught up on the mundane, and ignore the other issues at hand. At 416 pages, I dare say that it could have been around 370 without all the silliness.

There is a whole lot of secrecy behind both Tamsin and Mira, and that, my friends, is why I intend to read the sequel. Per Goodreads, each book in this trilogy is self-standing and told from a different characters point of view. So, that means that Tamsin and Mira's adventures will be featured in the next two books.  

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