Review: The Toll

The Toll by Neal Shusterman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Rowan and Citra disappeared over three years ago and questions have still gone unanswered. During this same time, the Thunderhead has stopped talking to everyone except Grayson Tolliver. Since Grayson is the only one who knows what the Thunderhead wants, he has been turned into a prophet, The Toll, whether he wants to be one or not. Scythe Goddard is encouraging unrestricted gleanings and Rowan and Citra are working in the background to undermine his plans. What will be the result of this world gone haywire?

The Toll is the third and final book in the Arc of Scythe trilogy. Shusterman has taken organized religion and political superpowers to a new level and he explores the corruption that is underlying most human motivation. The action is constant as are the multiple narrators that encompass the story. The Toll is a great ending to a fast-paced read, even if it is long in pages.


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Review: Children of Virtue and Vengeance

Children of Virtue and Vengeance by Tomi Adeyemi
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Zélie and Amari have done the impossible and brought magic back into their land. The next task might be just as difficult. They need to bring together the maji, but since the nobles with magic in their ancestry also got their magic back, it is becoming harder. If Zélie doesn’t unite the kingdom then a civil war might become the only option. Will Orïsha be able to overcome magic being wielded? Will Zélie and Amari be able to unite the people?

Children of Virtue and Vengeance is the second book in the Legacy of Orïsha series. This fantasy novel has everything a reader will want. It has magic and adventure with quite a bit of family rivalry mixed in. Adeyemi has taken the world that she built in the first novel and expanded the story and the characters. Zélie and Amari truly thought bringing magic back would fix all their issues, but nothing is ever simple and they continue to fight for what they think is right. I recommend this book to all fantasy readers, but please read the first book before delving into this one.


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Review: Chosen

Chosen by Kiersten White
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Nina has taken the castle used by the Watchers and is using it for displaced demons. This arrangement is far from perfect and now that Artemis is gone and the castle has so few people living in it, Nina is quite busy. It doesn’t help that when she got her Slayer powers back from Leo they included some side effects. This new layer of darkness is causing her to question her motives as she approaches the newest threat. Will Nina be able to overcome this darkness pulling at her soul? Is another near-apocalypse on its way?

Chosen is the second book in the Slayer series. The events in this novel take place shortly after the first book and the characters barely have time to catch their breath before more discord is thrown at them. This story is full of family drama, social conflict, and fantastic fighting. White has taken the world of Buffy and given readers the chance to enjoy more of the adventure. The story found in this book can be enjoyed, even if readers haven’t read/watched anything about Buffy.


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Review: Ninth House

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Alex’s life can be called many things, but not uneventful. She dropped out of high school years earlier and was hanging out with a drug dealer and working jobs that were never going to take her anywhere. When she wakes up in a hospital bed and is given an offer to attend Yale on a full ride, she wonders why and how. Her sponsors give her one primary task; monitor the secret societies that interact on the campus. The people who network in these societies are the future leaders of the world. Many will run Wall Street or become major stars in Hollywood. What exactly are these societies doing in these windowless spaces? Is there a reason Alex was the perfect person to intermingle?

Ninth House is the first book in the Alex Stern series. This is Bardugo’s adult debut and it is great. I think it is listed as a book for adults because of the age of most of the characters, but readers who have enjoyed Bardugo’s young adult novels will still enjoy this new series. It has the occult, murder and a journey of self-discovery. All of these features come together to make a tale worth reading. There is a firm ending to this novel, yet there is also a clear path for a series to be penned. I look forward to the second book to be released.


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