#ARCstravaganza: We Hunt the Flame – Hafsah Faizal

February 11, 2019January 21, 20192 Comments

Happy Monday! #ARCstravaganza is a weekly meme now hosted by Flavia the Bibliophile where readers can show off their wonderful ARCs (Advanced Reader Copies) and spread the word about upcoming releases. For more information about this meme and its origins check out this post. This book was so good. If it’s not already on your TBR, it needs to be! And even though the original cover was beautiful, the new cover design is just as gorgeous!

WE HUNT THE FLAME – HAFSAH FAIZAL

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: We Hunt the Flame (Sands of Arawiya #1)
Author: Hafsah Faizal
Release: May 14, 2019

Zafira is the Hunter, disguising herself as a man when she braves the cursed forest of the Arz to feed her people. Nasir is the Prince of Death, assassinating those foolish enough to defy his autocratic father, the king. If Zafira was exposed as a girl, all of her achievements would be rejected; if Nasir displayed his compassion, his father would punish him in the most brutal of ways.

Both are legends in the kingdom of Arawiya—but neither wants to be.

War is brewing, and the Arz sweeps closer with each passing day, engulfing the land in shadow. When Zafira embarks on a quest to uncover a lost artifact that can restore magic to her suffering world and stop the Arz, Nasir is sent by the king on a similar mission: retrieve the artifact and kill the Hunter. But an ancient evil stirs as their journey unfolds— and the prize they seek may pose a threat greater than either can imagine.

BLOG TOUR + GIVEAWAY: Dark of the West – ARC Review

February 6, 2019February 8, 20196 Comments

Welcome to my stop on the Dark of the West book tour! Thank you to Fantastic Flying Book Club for organizing the tour and allowing me to participate as a tour host!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: Dark of the West (Glass Alliance #1)
Author: Joanna Hathaway
Release: February 5, 2019
Publisher: Tor Teen
Genre: YA Fantasy

Aurelia Isendare is a princess of a small kingdom in the North, raised in privilege but shielded from politics as her brother prepares to step up to the throne. Halfway around the world, Athan Dakar, the youngest son of a ruthless general, is a fighter pilot longing for a life away from the front lines. When Athan’s mother is shot and killed, his father is convinced it’s the work of his old rival, the Queen of Etania—Aurelia’s mother. Determined to avenge his wife’s murder, he devises a plot to overthrow the Queen, a plot which sends Athan undercover to Etania to gain intel from her children.

Athan’s mission becomes complicated when he finds himself falling for the girl he’s been tasked with spying upon. Aurelia feels the same attraction, all the while desperately seeking to stop the war threatening to break between the Southern territory and the old Northern kingdoms that control it—a war in which Athan’s father is determined to play a role. As diplomatic ties manage to just barely hold, the two teens struggle to remain loyal to their families and each other as they learn that war is not as black and white as they’ve been raised to believe.

REVIEW

ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

Dark of the West has an extremely fascinating premise. The best way to describe the book would be YA fantasy meets World War II. The story is full of political intrigue, nonstop action, romance, family drama, and interesting characters. The prologue does an excellent job of pulling the reader into the book and promising a story in which not everything is what it seems.

The worldbuilding was very intricate. I loved the blend of fantasy and history and I think Joanna Hathaway did an excellent job combining two different genres seamlessly and in a way that made sense. Plotwise, there is a whole lot going on. And while I really enjoy books that have plots that are complex and multidimensional, with Dark of the West I was confused about what was going on for a good portion of the book. There are so many different conflicts and it took me a very long time to figure out who was fighting who and why. However, as the book went on it was a bit easier to start to piece things together and I could appreciate how complicated everything was. When it comes to war and politics, not everything is black and white.

Dark of the West is told through the POVs of two main characters, Aurelia and Athan. I still remain unsure about how I feel about Aurelia. On the one hand, I found her to be a little naive and didn’t connect with her at all. But as the book went on, she really started to show some significant growth and I thought her character arc was handled wonderfully. Athan was a character that I absolutely loved! He was so extremely interesting to read about, especially with his family dynamics and his internal conflicts. I really loved the complexity of his character and never wanted to be pulled away from his chapters. The romance was okay. The feelings between Aurelia and Athan developed in such a short time that I didn’t come across as genuine. I love a good enemies(?)-to-lovers trope, but I think it could have been written a little differently to have been more convincing. That being said, not everything was revealed and so I look forward to seeing how the consequences of the secrets being held will affect their relationship!

Overall, Dark of the West is a well-written, engaging story full of political scheming, military tactics, romance, and friendship, with an excellent blend of fantasy and history! If you enjoy books with complex plots and intriguing characters, I would recommend adding this book to your TBR!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

author Joanna was born in Montréal and is an avid storyteller who was inspired to write after reading her great-grandfather’s memoirs of the First World War. A lifelong history buff, she now has shelves filled with biographies and historical accounts, and perhaps one too many books about pilots. She can often be found reading, traveling, or riding horses.

Follow Joanna:
Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

GIVEAWAY

Win one(1) of ten finished copies of Dark of the West. US only.

✨ ENTER HERE ✨

FOLLOW THE TOUR

February 5 | The Unofficial Addiction Book Fan Club

February 6 | Wishful Endings
February 6 | Paws and Paperbacks
February 6 | Book-Keeping
February 6 | Confessions of a YA Reader

February 7 | Dazzled by Books
February 7 | Hopelessly Devoted Bibliophile
February 7 | Maddie.TV
February 7 | My Bookish Escapades

February 8 | NovelKnight
February 8 | Another Book in the Wall
February 8 | Samodivas
February 8 | Adventures Thru Wonderland

February 9 | Oh Hey! Books
February 9 | Library of a Book Witch
February 9 | Moonlight Rendezvous
February 9 | Novel Nerd Faction

February 10 | Book Slaying
February 10 | It Starts at Midnight
February 10 | A Dream Within A Dream
February 10 | A Bookish Dream

February 11 | A Court of Coffee and Books
February 11 | The Secret Reader
February 11 | Omg Books and More Books
February 11 | Utopia State of Mind

REVIEW: Warrior of the Wild – Tricia Levenseller (ARC)

February 1, 2019January 28, 20198 Comments

Title: Warrior of the Wild
Author: Tricia Levenseller
Rating: ★★★★★

ARC provided by the publisher.

“Each scar marks me as a survivor. A warrior of the wild.”

This book was so much fun to read. Warrior of the Wild is an action-packed, fast-paced adventure with a loveable, fierce warrior girl as the star of the novel. The action starts from the first page, and doesn’t let up until the last.

Warrior of the Wild captured my attention early on, and I had such a hard time putting this book down. Rasmira was such a wonderful heroine and I enjoyed reading through her point of view so very much. She’s fierce and intelligent, and yet has moments of vulnerability and doubt that make her not only relatable, but also realistic. Her perseverance in the face of adversity makes it easy to root for her throughout the story!

“I am both a woman and a warrior. And I will not let anyone cause me to forget.”

In addition to our protagonist, we also are introduced to two side characters, Iric and Soren. Both were well-written characters with their own distinct personalities. I loved all the interactions between those two boys and Rasmira and the eventual friendships that develop along the way. I won’t say much in terms of romance so that I don’t spoil anything, but I WAS HERE FOR IT. Readers are in for such a treat. The love interest was absolutely perfect and the romance that develops between him and Rasmira was so good.

Warrior of the Wild is an adventure story full of non-stop fun, mythological monsters, quests, friendships, and action. I loved the theme of overcoming adversity and growing into the person you want to be, regardless of what others believe of you. I was completely take by surprise by how much I loved this story and I hope other readers find as much enjoyment by this book as I did! Tricia Levenseller can just take my money in the future, because after Warrior of the Wild and the Daughter of the Pirate King duology, I’ll read anything she writes.

#ARCstravaganza: The Storm Crow – Kalyn Josephson

January 28, 2019January 21, 20191 Comment

THE STORM CROW – KALYN JOSEPHSON

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: The Storm Crow (The Storm Crow #1)
Author: Kalyn Josephson
Release: July 9, 2019

In the tropical kingdom of Rhodaire, magical, elemental Crows are part of every aspect of life…until the Illucian empire invades, destroying everything.

That terrible night has thrown Princess Anthia into a deep depression. Her sister Caliza is busy running the kingdom after their mother’s death, but all Thia can do is think of all she has lost.

But when Caliza is forced to agree to a marriage between Thia and the crown prince of Illucia, Thia is finally spurred into action. And after stumbling upon a hidden Crow egg in the rubble of a rookery, she and her sister devise a dangerous plan to hatch the egg in secret and get back what was taken from them.

#ARCstravaganza: House of Salt and Sorrows – Erin A. Craig

January 21, 2019January 20, 201910 Comments

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: House of Salt and Sorrows (Sorrows #1)
Author: Erin A. Craig
Release: August 6, 2019

Annaleigh lives a sheltered life at Highmoor, a manor by the sea, with her sisters, their father, and stepmother. Once they were twelve, but loneliness fills the grand halls now that four of the girls’ lives have been cut short. Each death was more tragic than the last—the plague, a plummeting fall, a drowning, a slippery plunge—and there are whispers throughout the surrounding villages that the family is cursed by the gods.

Disturbed by a series of ghostly visions, Annaleigh becomes increasingly suspicious that the deaths were no accidents. Her sisters have been sneaking out every night to attend glittering balls, dancing until dawn in silk gowns and shimmering slippers, and Annaleigh isn’t sure whether to try to stop them or to join their forbidden trysts. Because who—or what—are they really dancing with?

When Annaleigh’s involvement with a mysterious stranger who has secrets of his own intensifies, it’s a race to unravel the darkness that has fallen over her family—before it claims her next.