Review: The Warrior Queen

The Warrior Queen by Emily R. King
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Tarachand Empire is finally experiencing a time of peace and the Bhutas don’t have to practice their gifts in secret. Prince Ashwin is ready to become rajah, but Kalinda still thinks about what she had to give up to make all of this happen. Even though Deven must stay in the Void, he has lasted longer than most humans and is even able to visit Kalinda at night. Is there a way for Kalinda to save the man she loves? How long will the peace in the empire last?

The Warrior Queen is the fourth and final book in The Hundredth Queen series. Readers who have been following Kalinda through her various quests will find satisfaction in these pages. King has taken the opportunity to not only wrap up the various storylines but also delve deeper into the characters she has already created. The Warrior Queen is a satisfactory final book, but should only be read after finishing the first three books.


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Review: Price of Duty

Price of Duty by Todd Strasser
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Everyone says that Jake Liddell is a war hero. He is even scheduled to receive the Silver Star for some of his actions during combat, but now that he is away from his platoon, recovering, he isn’t sure he wants to return and finish his tour. To make matters worse, he is from a military family, so there are additional expectations at home. What will Jake decide to do next? Why does he believe he isn’t a hero at all?

Price of Duty is a stand-alone novel that is gripping and heartfelt. The topic is timely in this age where war and battle are portrayed gloriously in the media, yet our young men and women are the ones living it on a daily basis. Strasser has given readers a variety of characters with many different views of war and lets the reader determine what their feelings should be. This book is a definite read for everyone and a strong suggestion for those reluctant male teen readers. Price of Duty will leave all readers thinking about the issues long after the last page is turned.


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Review: The Brink of Darkness

The Brink of Darkness by Jeff Giles
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Zoe's life changed that fateful night when she met the supernatural bounty hunter that she has named X. X gave up his chance at freedom in order to save Zoe and her family; now X wants to remove the hold that the lords have over him. In order to have a future, he must understand his past. What secrets will X uncover about his parents? Will X and Zoe be able to reunite or will their fight be in vain?



The Brink of Darkness is the second book in The Edge of Everything series. Giles does include some snippets at the beginning of the story to remind readers of the events that occurred in the first book, yet it wasn't overbearing or redundant. Readers will come to learn hidden depths about these varied characters and the story flows quickly which makes the book seem short. The ending is satisfactory, especially since it appears to be a duo series. The Brink of Darkness is a good read, but it is not a drop everything to finish the book read.

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Review: One Small Thing

One Small Thing by Erin Watt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Beth has been living in the shadow of her dead sister for years and has decided that things will change for her senior year. With the help of her best friend, she sneaks out and goes to a party where she meets a new guy, Chase, and they hit it off. Unfortunately, Chase has many secrets he must deal with and when Beth's parents discover the deception, she is grounded in a way she has never experienced before. What will Beth do in order to re-earn her parent's trust? Why was Beth's sister running out into the street that night?



One Small Thing is a stand-alone novel that will grab the reader's attention in the beginning and keep them turning pages until the end. Watt leaves many hints about what the truth may be, yet she artfully keeps the secret until right before the ending. One Small Thing is a realistic fiction story that will appeal to many readers and I highly recommend it for teens and adults alike. It is a quick read, so please be ready to stay in your favorite reading location for extended periods of time.



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Review: A Study In Shifters

A Study In Shifters by Majanka Verstraete
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Marisol Holmes is a half shifter and a descendant of Sherlock Holmes. She made the mistake of trusting the wrong person and now the Conclave wants her to prove herself before they will let her return to investigating supernatural cases. She is a very skilled detective, especially since she takes after her Holmes ancestor. Her trial case seems to involve a jaguar shifter and Marisol must not only prove her abilities, she must determine if this murder was an attempt to get her mother off the shifter throne? Will Marisol uncover the truth before it hits closer to home? What will she learn about herself in the process?

A Study in Shifters is the first book in The Adventures of Marisol Holmes series. The most frustrating portion of the book is the fact that Marisol is constantly thinking about events that happened in the past, leading the reader to think they may have missed a book or two. With that being said, the mystery and adventure were entertaining and Verstraete has definitely created a cast of characters that readers will want to return to. There should be more cases in the future and maybe even a prequel to explain the events from the past.


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Review: The Ruinous Sweep

The Ruinous Sweep by Tim Wynne-Jones
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

It was a dark road, late at night, when Donovan was struck by a car and put in the hospital. His girlfriend, Bee, stays by his side and fears he will die. Donovan never really wakes up, but he mumbles some words and Bee writes them in her journal. She soon discovers that the police believe Donovan took part in a murder before he was hit by the car; now Bee is out to prove his innocence and maybe find out why Donovan was on that road to begin with.

The Ruinous Sweep is a stand-alone novel that was ho-hum at best. If I had not been listening to the audio version, I might have given up on it. It wasn’t that the storyline was predictable (the ending was great); it was just that the story never really grabs the reader’s/listener’s attention. With it being 400 pages (10.5 hours), I can’t even give it a quick read status. The Ruinous Sweep might appeal to some mystery readers, but be warned that it will take perseverance.


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