#Stacking the Shelves / Bought, Borrowed, & Bagged # 17 - Featuring Chloe Neill, Faith Hunter, Sarah J Maas

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. 

Thanks for Shopping by! 

Have a great weekend!

~Shelley~

This Weeks Reviews: 

Monday - The Girl I Used to Be by April Henry (YA, Mystery)

Tuesday - Ruined by Amy Tintera (YA, Fantasy)

  Wednesday - Traitor Angels by Anne Bankman (YA, Historical)

Thursday - Dream On by Kerstin Gier (YA, Fantasy)

 Friday - The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi (YA, Fantasy)

Saturday - Elixir by Ruth Vincent (Urban Fantasy)

Dissolution by Lee S. Hawke (Science Fiction, YA) - Talk Supe Blog

Scheduled for Next Week: 

Monday - Rise by Jennifer Anne Davis (YA, FANTASY)

Tuesday - Struck by Amanda Carlson (Urban Fantasy)

Wednesday - All Fixed Up by Linda Grimes (Urban Fantasy)

  Thursday - Divine Descendant by Jenna Black (Urban Fantasy)

Friday - Scintillate by Tracy Clark (YA, Fantasy) 

 Saturday - Deviate by Tracy Clark (YA, Fantasy)

*Received from Publisher/Authors*

 

*Granted approval via NetGalley/Edelweiss*

 

*Borrowed from Library*

   

#Saturday Review - Elixir by Ruth Vincent (Urban Fantasy)

Series: A Changeling PI Novel # 1
Format: E-Galley, 384 pages
Release Date: May 3, 2016
Publisher: Harper Voyager Impulse
Source: Publisher
Genre: Urban Fantasy


Mabily “Mab” Jones is just a twenty-something, over-educated, under-employed New Yorker trying to survive as a private eye’s unpaid intern . . . or is she? Once a powerful fairy, but tricked by the Fairy Queen into human form, Mab is forced to face her changeling past when investigating a missing person case at a modern speakeasy.

Obadiah Savage bootlegs fairy Elixir to human customers thirsting for a magical fix. But when Mab and Obadiah become joint suspects in a crime they didn’t commit, the only way to prove their innocence is to travel back to the fairy realm. And when Mab confronts the Fairy Queen and learns the depth of her betrayal, she must decide if the fate of the fey world is worth destroying the lives of the humans she’s come to love.

Elixir is the first installment in Ruth Vincent's A Changeling PI series. Elixir features Mabily Jones, a 22 year old recent college graduate who is looking for a job as a Private Investigator in New York City. "Mab" also has a bit of a secret as well. Mab is actually a Fae stuck in human form, or as author Vincent is calling her, a Changeling. She has no magic. She has no way of returning home to Fairyland aka The Vale, and she hasn't fulfilled her original duty of finding out what is causing the Elixir levels in The Vale to drop drastically.

Mab accepts an internship of sorts from Chief Investigator Reggie Ruggiero. Reggie has been searching for a missing girl who was last seen in a trendy bar where he isn't actually welcomed. Upon entering the bar where Reggie's missing girl was last seen, Mab encounters Obediah Savage who knows exactly what Mab is. Neither are any of the customers. To Mab's horror, she discovers that Obediah has been selling bootlegged Elixir from The Vale to human customers that cause some strange side-effects. 

Side effects that eventually hurt Mab's best friend and roommate Eva Morales. Caught between a rock and hard place with Eva's situation, Eva and Obediah agree to work together in order to travel back to The Vale where they hope to encounter the one person that betrayed Mab; The Fairy Queen. Mab and Obediah must find a way to save Eva, stop the Fairy Queen's plans of stealing more children to save her Fairies from dying off, and staying alive long enough to prove they had nothing to do with Eva's unfortunate situation. 

Will Mab find a way to outsmart the Fairy Queen and save Eva? Or, will the Fairy Queen get the best of Mab and ensure that she is forced to play by the Queen's rules to survive? With this being the first installment in a new series, there are a few hiccups that I tried to put behind me so that I didn't allow my feelings to get the best of me. Mab is an interesting character, but her character acts about 6 years younger than she really is. 

Her time as a Changeling has left her lacking of her former powers, and angry at the Fairy Queen who betrayed her so completely that she's basically human through and through. Her relationship with Obediah is an interesting one, and HIS background saved this book in more ways than you can imagine. I think that readers will find the plot enjoyable enough to get through the character flaws and continue onto the next installment. I really liked Mab's relationship with Eva as well. Of course, there is a surprise waiting for readers once you reach The Vale. Let's hope patience gets you to this point so that you can be as surprised as I was.

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#Friday Review - The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokski (Young Adult, Fantasy)

Series: The Star-Touched Queen # 1
Format: Hardcover, 342 pages
Release Date: April 26, 2016
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy


Fate and fortune. Power and passion. What does it take to be the queen of a kingdom when you’re only seventeen?

Maya is cursed. With a horoscope that promises a marriage of death and destruction, she has earned only the scorn and fear of her father’s kingdom. Content to follow more scholarly pursuits, her whole world is torn apart when her father, the Raja, arranges a wedding of political convenience to quell outside rebellions. Soon Maya becomes the queen of Akaran and wife of Amar. Neither roles are what she expected: As Akaran’s queen, she finds her voice and power. As Amar’s wife, she finds something else entirely: Compassion. Protection. Desire…

But Akaran has its own secrets—thousands of locked doors, gardens of glass, and a tree that bears memories instead of fruit. Soon, Maya suspects her life is in danger. Yet who, besides her husband, can she trust? With the fate of the human and Otherworldly realms hanging in the balance, Maya must unravel an ancient mystery that spans reincarnated lives to save those she loves the most…including herself

17-year old Princess Mayavati (Maya) of Bharata lives in a kingdom where horoscopes are taken literally, and in Maya's case, deadly seriously. Maya's horoscope claims that she is cursed with a promised marriage that will bring about death and destruction. Maya is blamed for every single instance of death that hits the Harem. It's also a fact that nearly every single member of the Harem wants to see her dead or married off quickly so they don't have to waste any more time dealing with her cursed presence. 

"This was the court of Bharata, a city like bone spur-tacked on like an afterthought. Its demons were different; harm wives with jewels in their hair and hate in their heart, courtiers with mouths full of lies, a father who knew me only as a colored stone around his neck. Those were the monsters I knew. My world didn't have room for more."

With the understanding that she is despised, Maya doesn't turn herself into a martyr by falling on her own sword. She is happy that she has the run of the court, she has private tutors, she has a solid relationship with the youngest daughter of the harem, Gauri, and she has been spying on her father's meetings with his counselors without being caught for years. She's more than capable of understanding what is happening to her kingdom, but is surprised when her father, the Raja, decides to make a compromise with the rebellious factions by marrying her off. 

The Star-Touched Queen is a very interesting and surprising read. It mixes Indian culture with a bit of mythology (Hades and Persephone anyone?) and characters who you will instantly connect to. You can't help but connect with Maya. She's an intelligent, and thoughtful young lady who has been treated with disrespect by nearly everyone, and ignored by her own father who only sees her maybe once a year. But, after agreeing to run away and marry Amar, the Raj of Akaran, Maya finds not only a new reality and freedoms, but a fondness for the man she barely knows but is enamored with her.

"My star-touched queen," he said softly, as if he was remembering something from long ago. "I would break the world to give you what you want."

Upon arriving in Akaran, Maya is greeted by a very strange place that I guessed would be similar to Hades underground. There are strange voices, doors that are locked at all times, and a tree with mirrors. There is also a danger just waiting for Maya to wake it up. But, once Maya opens the door to danger, there is no going back. She will either have to deal with the evil face to face, or give into the evil that will do anything to win.

One could say that The Star-Touched Queen is similar in nature to stories like Beauty and the Beast, Cruel Beauty, or even books like A Court of Thorns and Roses which even though I read, I didn't fall head over heels with the story. I am also curious as to why this was labeled as the first book in the series. I was absolutely happy with the way this book ended, even though we had to get through another instance of Maya falling into a dangerous trap that nearly had devastating consequences.

I am OK with heroines who are anything but perfect. I just want them to grow by the time the story is over, or the series reaches its final chapter. Even though this book could be yet another example of instantaneous love, in the end it worked for me. Here are two characters in Maya and Amar who were truly made for each other. They are not special. They have been through hell and somehow managed to return with their character in tact.

As I said above, Maya had a pretty awesome relationship with Gauri. I also loved her relationship with the demon horse named Kamala. I love a horse that has a sense of humor, but is also faithful when promising to stand by Maya's side.

According to Goodreads, Roshani states that this book IS a standalone. She is working on a companion novel that will feature minor characters from this book. Dare I hope that character is Gauri who I absolutely loved, especially the parts when she was older? 

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#Thursday Review - Dream on by Kerstin Gier (Young Adult, Fantasy)

Series: The Silver Trilogy # 2
Format: Hardcover, 336 pages
Release Date: May 3, 2016
Publisher: Henry Holt and CO (BYR)
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy


Things seem to be going well for Liv Silver: she’s adjusting to her new home in London; she has a burgeoning romance with Henry Harper, one of the cutest boys in school; and the girl who’s been turning her dreams into nightmares, Anabel, is now locked up. But serenity doesn’t last for long.

It seems that Liv’s troubles are far from over—in fact, suddenly they’re piling up. School gossip blogger Secrecy knows all of Liv’s most intimate secrets, Henry might be hiding something from her, and at night Liv senses a dark presence following her through the corridors of the dream world. Does someone have a score to settle with Liv?

Dream On is the second installment in Kerstin Gier's The Silver Trilogy. The story picks up two months after the ending of Dream a Little Dream. 16-year old Liv Silver exploits continue as she weaves her way through a dangerous dreamland just teaming with foreboding shadows that seem to be stalking her. While in real life, Liv, her sister Mia, and Au pair Lottie are learning how to live with her mother's new beau and his family which includes twins Florence and Grayson. 

While Liv has been spending a whole lot of time with Henry in their dreams. In fact, she's got even better at shape-shifting into other things not just owl's. What makes this story different from the first one, is that Liv's sister Mia is haunted to the point where she starts to sleepwalk. On top of Mia's distressing situation, and the fact that someone new is stalking the halls of dreams, someone is leaking personal information about Liv and Mia to Secrecy who runs the Tittle-Tattle Blog. 

At this point, I have given it my best guess and have narrowed down Secrecy's identity to two people. But, I won't make my guesses public. I'll wait until I read the third book to see if I was right or out in left field. Dream On has so many different issues going on at the same time, that you really need to put them in perspective and not ignore them. Liv and Mia's exploits against "The Boker", for instance, begged for more time. Personally, after the way she treats Liv's family, including own mother, I would have taken it even further. 

Henry's secrecy when it comes to his family issues gets even crazier. How can one have a relationship with someone who keeps dark secrets and refuses to speak about them? And, why is Henry being so secretive to the point where he has a highly unusual encounter with someone who isn't Liv. The last issue is the most important. Who is really behind Mia's distressing situation and why her of all people? Is is someone who Liv pissed off? If so, that really only leaves a few people right? 

Let's put the possible romance between Liv and Grayson to bed, shall we? Especially now that the parent units are supposed to be getting married. Why would anyone in their right minds root for these two to have a romantic nature? Not only is it not right for siblings to think of the other like that, but ick! I do like the fact that Grayson, Mia, and Liv have become friends. Friends! When the sisters do something funny, he doesn't seem to mind all that much.

I dare say that the last part of this story was the best. It also leaves an ending that pretty much guarantees that you will read the final novel in this series to see how Gier wraps things up. 

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#Wednesday Review - Traitor Angels by Anne Blankman (Young Adult, Historical Fiction)

Series: Standalone
Format: E-Galley, 393 pages
Release Date: May 3, 2016
Publisher: Balzer & Bray
Source: Harper Collins
Genre: Young Adult, Historical Fiction


Six years have passed since England’s King Charles II returned from exile to reclaim the throne, ushering in a new era of stability for his subjects.

Except for Elizabeth Milton. The daughter of notorious poet John Milton, Elizabeth has never known her place in this shifting world—except by her father’s side. By day she helps transcribe his latest masterpiece, the epic poem Paradise Lost, and by night she learns languages and sword fighting. Although she does not dare object, she suspects that he’s training her for a mission whose purpose she cannot fathom.

Until one night the reason becomes clear: the king’s men arrive at her family’s country home to arrest her father. Determined to save him, Elizabeth follows his one cryptic clue and journeys to Oxford, accompanied by her father’s mysterious young houseguest, Antonio Vivani, a darkly handsome Italian scientist who surprises her at every turn. Funny, brilliant, and passionate, Antonio seems just as determined to protect her father as she is—but can she trust him with her heart?

When the two discover that Milton has planted an explosive secret in the half-finished Paradise Lost—a secret the king and his aristocratic supporters are desperate to conceal—Elizabeth is faced with a devastating choice: cling to the shelter of her old life or risk cracking the code, unleashing a secret that could save her father…and tear apart the very fabric of society

Author Anne Blankman's previous installments, Prisoner of Night and Fog and Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke took place during the Nazi infestation that spread across Europe while killing 6 million Jews, and others who refused to accept Hitler's nightmare. This time around, Blankman heads back in time to the 17th century, 1666 to be exact, and writes about the fictitious daughter of John Milton, the author of Paradise Lost. After reading the first two books mentioned above, it proved to me that Blankman is an author to watch. 

Not only does she have a knack for writing about a strong, capable, and fierce female protagonists that are put into the middle of an actual historical setting, but she does her due diligence when researching the subject of her novel. If you don't believe me, just take a look at the acknowledgment section of this book. Another of Blankman's strengths as a writer is making you feel as though you were right in the middle of the story with the characters as they make their way through challenges, secrets, and yes, even a bit of romance.

Traitor Angels features 16-year old Elizabeth Milton the third of four daughters of John Milton. Elizabeth loves to learn, she can speak up to five different languages, has spent years helping her father translate Paradise Lost now that he's blind, while also learning how to defend herself. Her family has been through the ringer thanks to her fathers stand on political issues. Traitor Angel's tears into Paradise Lost piece by piece looking for clues to save Milton from being hanged by the monarchy who has been calling him a traitor since Charles the Second became King. 

With the arrival of Antonio Viviani from Italy, Elizabeth finds herself in a National Treasure like search for hidden meanings, secrets that have been buried for years, clues that will lead them to something that if ever revealed to the public, would destroy the world's religion. You need to be able to put yourself into Elizabeth's shoes as she gets closer and closer to revealing something that may be so devastating to the world if it got out, that it could literally cause unspeakable deaths.

In case you have no clue what Paradise Lost is about, let me 

summarize. Paradise Lost is about Adam and Eve and how they came to be created and how they came to lose their place in the Garden of Eden, also called Paradise. If you've read Genesis, Milton pretty much expanded on it and detailed a very long and narrative poem. It also includes the story of the origins of Satan, once called Lucifer. 

Nearly every other secondary character in this book, less 4 or 5, are actual historical characters who were alive when this story takes place in 1666. This book does a whole lot to questioning. It questions science, and it especially gives readers thoughts and makes you think. Thinking is good. It allows you to become part of the story as you ask yourself what would you do in Elizabeth's shoes.

I am not taking sides between religion and science. I think there are some good and bad things they've both been guilty of. Especially the Catholic Church who were a bunch of bigoted assholes who tore lives apart, destroyed lives for the sake of protecting their virtues and their hidden treasures, and allowed Nazi's to slip away into the night before facing justice. Case in point: Galileo who they didn't pardon until the late 20th century was clearly a genius ahead of his time.

His theories were rock solid, yet he was accused of being a heretic! Can you imagine if we didn't have free thinkers or those who question everything? If we didn't we would still believe the earth is flat, and that the SUN revolves around the EARTH. Then again, we are witnessing a terrible atrocity in our schools. When schools and teachers rewrite history, we lose a part of who we are.

In the end, I am highly impressed with Blankman's story, and yes, I do recommend this book.  

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#Review - Ruined by Amy Tintera (Young Adult, Fantasy)

Series: Ruined # 1
Format: E-Galley, 368 pages
Release Date: May 3, 2016
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy


A revenge that will consume her. A love that will ruin her.

Emelina Flores has nothing. Her home in Ruina has been ravaged by war. She lacks the powers of her fellow Ruined. Worst of all, she witnessed her parents’ brutal murders and watched helplessly as her sister, Olivia, was kidnapped.

But because Em has nothing, she has nothing to lose. Driven by a blind desire for revenge, Em sets off on a dangerous journey to the enemy kingdom of Lera. Somewhere within Lera’s borders, Em hopes to find Olivia. But in order to find her, Em must infiltrate the royal family.

In a brilliant, elaborate plan of deception and murder, Em marries Prince Casimir, next in line to take Lera’s throne. If anyone in Lera discovers Em is not Casimir’s true betrothed, Em will be executed on the spot. But it’s the only way to salvage Em’s kingdom and what is left of her family.

Em is determined to succeed, but the closer she gets to the prince, the more she questions her mission. Em’s rage-filled heart begins to soften. But with her life—and her family—on the line, love could be Em’s deadliest mistake.

"No one feared Emelina Flores, the useless daughter of the most powerful queen Ruina had ever known. But they would."

Ruined, by author Amy Tintera, is the first installment in the Ruined Trilogy. Tintera spins a story about romance, revenge, and heartbreak. The story features Emelina "Em" Flores of Ruina, and Prince Casimir "Cas" Gallegos of Lera. While the story does alternative narratives between the two characters, let's begin with Emelina first since nearly everything rests on her shoulders. Emelina is the eldest daughter of the murdered King and Queen of Ruina. On the day that her parents were murdered, her sister Olivia (who may be even more powerful than her mother) was taken by the invaders from Vallos.

Emelina, along with her friends Aren, Damian, and Iria of Olso, design a plot of revenge against the Lera Royal family. The revenge starts with Em, and her friends Aren and Damian killing Princess Mary from Vallos and her entourage. The next step is passing herself off as Mary who is supposed to marry Crown Prince Casimir. The third part is a full on invasion of Lera with Olso warriors and Ruined to dispose of the Royal family. Em, who has trained all her life to lead men and women into battle, knows that she can't make any mistakes or her people, the Ruined, will be systematically hunted down and killed like rabid dogs. 

Em's only hope of finding out where her sister is, is by ingraining herself into the day to day operations of the royal family. To get close to them, and find out where Olivia is being kept. If she can save her sister, and unite Ruina with the Kingdom of Olso, then there may be hope for her people. Em's allies are really far and few, especially since they consider her useless. Her revenge plan wasn't revealed to the rest of the Ruined, and that's perfectly fine with her. But, Em isn't a wilted flower that will weep at the first sign of trouble. She really knows what's she doing with a sword, and is the kind of leader people can follow.

The first part of Ruined is about Emelina's desire for revenge, connecting with Cas, and making plans to see the King and Queen destroyed like they did to her home and her family. The second part is Em, who is bent on revenge, and a desire for bloodshed, learning about her husband and finding out that he's actually caring, kind, thoughtful, and reasonable for a son of butchers. Here we come to learn about Cas, as I will call him. Cas is kind of a boring character which isn't necessarily all that bad. He's been told that he has no choice but to marry a woman who he has never met. The daughter who's own kingdom no longer belongs to her, but Lera.

In the beginning, even though he has no feelings for Mary, he is impressed with her ability to wield a sword. Especially when "Mary" battles Jovita, his cousin and second in line as heir. He knows nothing about Mary, but there is something about her that he finds intriguing. She isn't afraid of expressing herself, and that leads to him stepping out from his own shadows and speaking out against murdering the Ruined. From a son who is told what to do and when, comes a moth that turns into a butterfly with his own thoughts, his own desires, and his ability to look at his mother and cousin and disagree with them without feeling emotionally bereft. 

The second and third parts of this story are probably the most entertaining although the ending was brutal and and cruel. I have avoided the negative reviewers for this book like the plague. I don't need to read about why they hated this story so much or why anyone feels that using vulgarities is cute, or necessary. I'm going against the grain by saying that I loved this story! I loved Emelina, and yes even Cas after they put away their hostilities and their anger. Aren made my likable list as well, and so did Iria.

Then you get to the ending and everything changed for me. But, not in a way that leaves me declining to read the next book in the series. I really don't much care for Olivia. I understand that she had a rough patch, but she's a little too evil for me to hope we will see any changes in the sequel. I am hopeful that the slow burning romance that developed will not be forgotten thanks to the events of the ending. 

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*Review* The Girl I Used to Be by April Henry (Young Adult, Mystery)

Format: Hardcover, 240 pages
Release Date: May 3, 2016
Publisher: Christy Ottaviano Books
Source: MacMillan 
Genre: Young Adult, Mystery


When Olivia's mother was killed, everyone suspected her father of murder. But his whereabouts remained a mystery. Fast forward fourteen years. New evidence now proves Olivia's father was actually murdered on the same fateful day her mother died. That means there's a killer still at large. It's up to Olivia to uncover who that may be. But can she do that before the killer tracks her down first?

The Girl I Used to Be, by author April Henry, is standalone mystery that will keep readers entertained from the first page, until the last. 17-year old Ariel Benson's mother Naomi Benson was killed 14 years ago. At the time, Medford Police thought that her father Terry Weeks was responsible. Especially since he disappeared off the face of the planet after supposedly leaving 3 year old Ariel at Walmart 3 hours away. After her own grandmother died, Ariel became Olivia Reinhart, and was in and out of foster care before becoming an emancipated minor. 

Upon receiving an unexpected visit from the Portland Police with new evidence about her father, Ariel finds herself struggling to come to terms with this new revelation. With new evidence showing that her father was also a victim on that tragic and horrible day, Ariel heads back to the place where it all began; Medford, Oregon. Her intentions are clear. Move into the home where she spent the first 7 years of her life, find a job to pay the bills, and get to the bottom of what really happened that day, while uncovering who is to blame for her parents murders.

The first person she meets when she returns home, is the adorable next door neighbor Nora Murdoch who was best friends with Ariel's grandmother. Ariel/Olivia tags along while Nora attends her fathers funeral. There she is a witness to those who never knew what happened to the little girl who lost her parents. As she listens, and mingles among family and her parents former friends and lovers, Ariel/Olivia begins to question who might have had motive. 

Was it the former lover of her father, his best friend, the sheriff who is forced to re-open the case, or was it the strange man who is found leaving roses on her mother's grave? Does Ariel/Olivia have the answers in her head that she somehow managed to forget? And, if she does, will that just entice the actual killer to make it all in the family by eliminating the only person who can expose the killer to justice?

Let me start out by saying that I've become a fan of April Henry over the past few years. Her books are pretty straight forward, entertaining, while also being a bit on the twisted side. Her characters, like Ariel, are incredibly independent and don't really need to rely on others to get the answers they need to move on with their lives. The mystery had me hanging on right until it was revealed in the most shocking way imaginable. 

Then again, you can't be surprised when you find out who is responsible and why. You also can't really be surprised when Ariel isn't all that covert about her investigation. The thing about trying to keep ones identity a secret while uncovering the killer's identity, is that there will always be those who know things about you from when you were small. That would be Nora, and that would be Duncan who knew Ariel when they were children.

In closing, if you are looking for a quick, and easy read for a sunny Sunday afternoon, with a determined protagonist, then I will recommend The Girl I Use to Be. 

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