The Trials of Ildarwood: Cinders in the Snow by S.C. SelvynDasia and Tannus truly want to get away. They have heard that Ildarwood can be their
escape, but they also know that few children survive the Trials. Some soul-stealing hunters want to stop them
from overcoming, but they must face their pasts to discover their true
powers. What secrets will they discover
during their Trial?
The Wall by Brian PennIn the not-so-distant future, the United States is in the
middle of another civil war. Technology
has now made it possible to give people a second life and there is a wall that
separates the rich from the poor. Asher
is a smuggler who wants to find a way out.
His chance has come; he must pretend to be a Zion soldier and beat an
undefeated gladiator. Will Asher become
united with his love? What lies will be
uncovered?
The Wall is listed as a stand-alone dystopian novel in Goodreads, but the author’s note at the end tells readers it will be a trilogy. This short book is action-packed and full of twists and turns. I can’t say it is on par with some of the other great dystopian novels released recently, but for a freshman novel, it was good. A firm choice if you just want a quick escape read.
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I Am A Barbarian: The Forsaken Road by Alex EvansDelta has only known the nomadic life as she travels the continent with her family. At fourteen, it has been decided that she will attend a sorcery academy which will require its own new journey. She will not be alone, but the path ahead has numerous dangerous creatures. Even with all the risks … friendships are created. What dark secrets will Delta uncover along the way? Will Delta survive the perilous journey?
I Am a Barbarian is a stand-alone adventure that starts strong and fizzles out quickly. It is a short read, so readers don’t have to give it a large commitment, but that is the only saving grace. I wanted to like the book, the description sounded great, but I found my mind wandering constantly and I had to restart chapters to figure out what was going on. I have to tell readers they probably should pass this one up.
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The Hunting Moon by Susan DennardWinnie is now a local celebrity. Everyone knows that she is the girl who jumped … and the girl who was bitten. She should be happy that she is now accepted, but it doesn’t feel right and there is a new nightmare that is hunting the hunters. Everyone believes the werewolf is at fault, but Winnie believes differently. It doesn’t help that Winnie is also trying to unravel the weird clues her father left about the Dianas. Who can Winnie trust? How many people will die before the questions get answered?
The Hunting Moon is the second book in The Luminaries series. This supernatural thriller will keep readers guessing as the protagonist uncovers lie upon lie. Dennard takes the world she created in the first book and expands into more intrigue and additional family drama. I will tell you the truth … I don’t remember much about the first book, yet I was fully able to enjoy this story. I don’t know if others will have the same experience, though. A strong second book with many more possible.
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The Woman with a Purple Heart by Diane HanksAnnie has made a career being a nurse for the U.S. Army and
has recently been transferred to Hickam Field in Oahu. Most personnel stationed in Hawaii are happy
to work in paradise, but Annie believes this is the Army’s way of telling her
to retire. She isn’t ready to retire, so
she put her all into her new position.
When the attack on December 7th leaves everyone scrambling,
Annie has a steady mind and a calm demeanor.
Annie thinks outside the box and finds assistance in some unusual
places, but afterward, her world is shaken again when a Japanese-American nurse
is arrested and separated from her two children. How will Annie react to the prejudice and
injustice that followed the attack?
The Woman with a Purple Heart is a historical fiction story that takes some hard historical topics and places them in a well-written tale. The chapters that include the attack are detailed without being gory and the events that follow are heart-rending and memorable. Readers will finish this story and know that America has made some terrible decisions in the name of liberty and must learn from these errors before we make them again.
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The Queen's Crown by Jennifer Anne DavisPrincess Sabine is the sixth in line to the throne, so she doesn’t spend much time thinking about politics. That is until her sister agrees to marry a neighboring king to help her country … and then is murdered before the wedding can occur. Sabine wants to know who was responsible for her sister’s death, so she agrees to marry the king of Lynk to investigate it herself. Will Sabine be able to discover who was behind the murder? How will she adjust to a role she was never destined to hold?
The Queen’s Crown is the first book in the League of Rulers series. This fantasy novel had me captivated from the start and I couldn’t stop reading because I wanted to know what was going to happen next. As the book neared the end and the story wasn’t slowing down, I knew that the second book would be a necessity. This book was not a high fantasy, but it gives readers a lot to think about and includes many characters with hidden depths. This book does end with a cliffhanger, and I wish the next book was already available.
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Dirty Thirty by Janet EvanovichStephanie has her hands full. Martin Rabner wants her to find Andy Manley who he believes took diamonds from his jewelry store safe. She is also looking for Duncan Dugan, a man believed to have robbed the same jewelry store … on the same day. She probably could have handled both of those issues, but when her boyfriend leaves town on police business, she has to dog-sit Bob … and he can’t be left alone. Of course, Ranger and Lula must throw their own issues into Stephanie’s crazy life. What odd activities will be uncovered in Trenton?
Dirty Thirty is the thirtieth book in the Stephanie Plum series. This story had me laughing constantly and I kept thinking, I need to tell someone about that! There are many quotable moments … then you get to the end and Evanovich has picked 30 of her favorite quotes from the series. I always expect that the next book will be ho-hum since the series is long-running, but if it is going to happen, it wasn’t this book! I will say there is a small cliffhanger at the end. When is the next book going to be released?!
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