Review: Before the Broken Star

Before the Broken Star by Emily R. King
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Everley is a survivor. She was the only one in her family to make it out of a massacre and she stays alive because she has a clockwork heart. Everley believes she knows who was behind her family’s deaths, but she quickly learns that not everything is as it seems. Now she is sentenced to 7 years on a penal colony and is expected to marry and help build a new world. She knows she must keep her clockwork heart hidden, but with love in the mix, that may not be as easy as she wishes.

Before the Broken Star is the first book in The Evermore Chronicles. This story begins like most steampunk novels and quickly morphs into a totally different adventure. It is hard to classify it into one genre, but readers of steampunk, adventure and fantasy will all enjoy these pages. King has created a storyline that made me want to return to the book often so that I could finish it quickly. The second book is scheduled to be released in August and I will be willingly waiting for the opportunity to continue this adventure.


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Review: Contagion

Contagion by Teri Terry
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Shay saw a young girl on the side of the road the day before going on a vacation. Months later she discovers that this girl, Callie, went missing that morning. She calls the number on the flyer and reaches the brother, Kai. They meet to talk about what Shay saw, but quickly find themselves in the middle of an epidemic that is causing quarantines across the country. Will Kai and Shay discover the truth about Callie’s disappearance? What is behind this contagion that is sweeping across the land?

Contagion is the first book in the Dark Matter series. At the beginning of the book I was having trouble getting into the story because the reader knows some of the things that have happened to Callie, but as the story progresses and the protagonists begin to unravel the truth, I quickly discovered that having that additional information gave me a better understanding of the larger picture. This novel is full of adventure, mystery and a little bit about diseases and outbreaks. Terry has taken a very real possibility and has crafted a story that many readers will easily devour. This book was great and I look forward to the second book in a few months.


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Review: The Evil Queen

The Evil Queen by Gena Showalter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Everly has been living a normal teenage life when she begins to communicate with mirrors. She doesn’t know if what she sees is real or not, but some of the images shake her to her core. She soon finds out the truth … she is from another realm and destined to become the Evil Queen. Or is she destined to be Snow White? No one seems to have the final answer, but Everly is determined to find out. She travels to Enchantia to confront the prophecy head on, even if it means she must push through her internal battle between good and evil.

The Evil Queen is the first book in The Forest of Good and Evil series. Showalter has taken many beloved fairy tales and has included some modern day twists. Since most readers are already familiar with fairy tales in general, it appears that Showalter decided to spend only a minimal amount of time on world building. That is great for us because there is more story for us to enjoy. I am a huge fan of fairy tale re-tellings and this one was a fun example. I recommend this book and look forward to the next volume in the future.


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Review: Soul of the Sword

Soul of the Sword by Julie Kagawa
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Kitsune is still on her quest to take a piece of an ancient scroll to the Steel Feather temple to stop the summoning of the great Kami Dragon. If she fails in her quest, the Harbinger of Change will grant a wish to the bearer of the scroll. Unfortunately, Hakaimono has escaped the sword Kamigoroshi and taken possession of Kage. Hakaimono is working with the Master of Demons to try and break the curse to completely set him free. He wants to take over the land and plunge it into darkness, but he can’t complete this goal without the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers. Will Kitsune be able to free Kage from Hakaimono’s possession? What difficult choices will she need to make along the way?

Soul of the Sword is the second book in the Shadow of the Fox series. In a world full of magic and adventure, readers will easily recall the basics of the first book in order to become fully invested in this second installment. Kagawa has taken the world building that has already been completed and woven deeper characters and more diverse plot twists. Although this book has a satisfactory ending, it is not a duology and readers will be anticipating the next book when it is released.


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