Three YA Mini-Reviews: Contemporary Romance, Science Fiction, and Historical Fantasy

You guys, I was ahead.  And now, I'm way behind!  So prepare for some catching up with mini-reviews.  Even after I post these three, I still have three more waiting on deck for a review post.  One of which I have been putting off for 3 months because I intended to read my ARC of the sequel before it came out last month and post a review of both of them at the same time.  Don't know if that's going to happen.  I enjoyed all three of these books.  One was an ARC I received without requesting, and almost passed it on through books for trade.  I'm glad I didn't, though, because I really ended up enjoying it.

After the Game (The Field Party #3) by Abbi Glines:

Genre:  YA contemporary romance
Published:  August 22nd, 2017
Source:  Purchased audiobook from Audible.com
My rating:  5 stars

I listened to this one on my road trip to meet my family for our annual trip to Branson on Memorial Day weekend.  While it does tie in to the other books in the series, all of these do really work well as standalones.  But because I had read/listened to the other two in the series, I knew Brady.  And I have to say that I was sad he was so mean to Riley. But, like the good guy that Brady is, he soon figured out that maybe what he thought he knew was wrong, and that maybe Riley had been given a raw deal by their small town, even including his own rudeness to her.  This story was a tear-jerker for reasons other than just Riley's dealing with what had happened to her that led to her being a single mom, as well as taking care of her grandmother with Alzheimer's.  Brady is at a point where he has always known or thought that he knew that football would be his life.  And sometimes things happen during your senior year that make you question what you thought you knew.  That happens to Brady.  Enough that I was crying for him.  I hated how hard it hit him, but for someone who had grown up with basically the perfect life and family, I guess it makes sense he'd have that hard of a time with it.  Then, after having listened to the 2nd book, I had a feeling that Gunner's thoughts on Riley might not be the same as everyone assumed they would be.  Brady's cousin Maggie, was the perfect friend for Riley, and I kept waiting for that to happen, and when it did, I was thrilled.  Another great book in this series, and I don't know if there will be more, but there were more guys on that football team I'd like to follow.  Maybe into a college age/new adult series?

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:
Two years ago, Riley Young fled from Lawton, Alabama. After accusing the oldest Lawton son, Rhett, of rape, everyone called her a liar and she had no option but to leave. Now she’s back, but she’s not at Lawton High finishing up her senior year. She’s at home raising the little girl that no one believed was Rhett’s.

Rhett is off at college living the life he was afraid he’d lose with Riley’s accusation, so Riley agrees to move back to Lawton so she and her parents could take care of her grandmother, who is suffering from Alzheimer’s. But the town still hasn’t forgotten their hate for her, and she hasn’t forgotten the way they turned on her when she needed them most.

When town golden boy Brady Higgens finds Riley and her daughter, Bryony, stranded on the side of the road in a storm, he pulls over and gives them a ride. Not because he cares about Riley, of course, but because of the kid.

But after the simple car ride, he begins to question everything he thought he knew. Could Brady believe Riley and risk losing everything?

Whisper by Lynette Noni:

Genre:  YA science fiction
Publisher:  KCP Loft
Release Date: May 1st, 2018
Source:  ARC received from publisher which did not influence my opinion
My rating:  4.5 stars

The beginning of this book reminded me a bit of Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi.  In a good way.  You had this girl locked up alone, and she was being tested and treated as if she was really dangerous.  The book takes place in Australia, which was a nice change.  The characters were all pretty good.  And the author totally made some of them change into different ways of behaving once "Jane" starts to realize, sort of, what is going on.  It made for some tears from me anyway!  The end had an extremely exciting scene, lots of action and edge of your seat wondering  how and who would getaway.  I haven't read a ton of books like this lately, but for awhile it was what I loved, so I did enjoy getting another story like this.  I look forward to reading book two hopefully next year.

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:
“Lengard is a secret government facility for extraordinary people,” they told me. 

I believed them. That was my mistake.

There isn’t anyone else in the world like me.

I’m different. I’m an anomaly. I’m a monster. 

For two years, six months, fourteen days, eleven hours and sixteen minutes, Subject Six-Eight-Four — ‘Jane Doe’ — has been locked away and experimented on, without uttering a single word.

As Jane’s resolve begins to crack under the influence of her new — and unexpectedly kind — evaluator, she uncovers the truth about Lengard’s mysterious ‘program’, discovering that her own secret is at the heart of a sinister plot … and one wrong move, one wrong word, could change the world.

Reign of Serpents (Blood of Gods and Royals #3) by Eleanor Herman:

Genre:  YA historical fantasy
Published:  June 27th, 2017
Source:  Purchased physical copy
My rating:  5 stars

I love this series.  I was so disappointed that they didn't at least have any physical ARCs of this third book, especially when it turned out there is fourth book, that came out this year!  So I gave in finally, and purchased the paperback copy so that I could try to read it before the 4th book came out, and I could read that e-galley.  Well, paperback matches the first two ARCs.  However, since I finished this while I was in New Orleans for ALA, I put it in the extra duffel bag I bought to help transfer all my books home on the plane.  Unfortunately, that bag got caught out in the rain at the airport I guess, because when I got home and grabbed it from the luggage carousel, it was all wet, the whole bag.  And so my paperback is in pretty bad shape.  I'll probably buy another copy of it.  I want it in halfway decent shape on my shelf.  

Enough about that, more review of the actual book.  As I mentioned, I love this series.  You can read my reviews of the first two books here:  Legacy of Kings and Empire of Dust.  Now, it had been about 2 years since I'd read the 2nd one, but really, I got caught up pretty quickly with the way the author writes each chapter.  Each chapter is from a different character's viewpoint, and we do get several characters to follow. But by now, you can tell who is who pretty easily.  Once again the author so seamlessly wove history throughout this magical fantasy of a story that I was putting the book down every once in awhile as I was reading so that I could Google a specific historical name to find out just what they might really have been through or done.  At least as far as records show.  Even things that were changed were done in such a way that it didn't change the overall historical facts or knowledge in any major way.  In a way we got a couple new characters' viewpoints this time, but again, the author makes sure they are written in a way you know it is a different person.

This is another series I will always highly recommend.  Now to find time to fit the e-galley of book 4 in before it possibly expires!  If it does, I'll just buy it next year when it comes out in paperback I guess!

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

A PRINCE WILL RISE TO POWER OR MADNESS,

A PRINCESS WILL BECOME A QUEEN...

AND BLOOD MAGIC WILL RULE THEM ALL

Prince Alexander of Macedon’s mind has been touched by an incomprehensible evil, even as his betrothed travels from afar to unite their kingdoms against a terrible darkness that threatens both realms: the Spirit Eaters.

From the distant shores of Illyria to a small deserted island, the deadly consequences of Smoke Blood magic loom and lost civilizations emerge to reveal the existence of a weapon that may do the impossible—kill the last living god. As magic rises and warriors clash, the fate of all Macedon rests in the hands of the unstable prince and those whose loyalty can no longer be trusted.

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Books from 2017 I Wanted to Read But Didn't

Top Ten Tuesday is sponsored by The Broke and The Bookish.

This happens every year. There are books I'm so excited about, but then I either don't get the ARC, or run out of time to get to them because of other review books.  So here is a list of the top 10 books I didn't get to last year, but had been so excited to read.

1.

2.

3.

I actually got started on an e-galley of this one, but wasn't able to get it finished due to review obligations.  :-(

4.

Even though the author thought there would be ARCs of this, there were not, so I just didn't get a chance to read it, still need to buy it.

5.

6.

The final book in a trilogy, there were no ARCs.  But then with all the political things, I had a hard time reading all of his posts, they were so negative and so I just kind of lost my taste to read on in his series.  I'll finish at some point, but for now, it's on the backburner.  The second book had actually strayed quite a bit from what I'd loved about the first one, and had turned into the second book which is the usual road trip.

7.

8.

Well, I got an ARC of this through books for trade on Twitter, but while I got started reading it, again, because of review obligations, I didn't get to it.

9.

No ARC, so no copy  of it yet.

10.

I had the e-galley of it, and thought I was on a tour, so I had it on the schedule to read. Then I realized that I had never received anything about the actual tour dates, so checked the tour site and saw that I had not been picked to be part of the tour.  So unfortunately, my disappointment kept me from fitting it in.  :-(

What are some books you planned to read in 2017 that you didn't get to?

Audiobook Review: Map of Fates (The Conspiracy of Us #2) by Maggie Hall

Book info:
Title:  Map of Fates 
Author:  Maggie Hall
Series:  The Conspiracy of Us #2 
Genre:  YA adventure and romance
Published:  March 8th, 2016
Source:  Digital audiobook downloaded from public library

I listened to the first book in this series, The Conspiracy of Us, back in November, and was immediately impressed by this story.   The first book had so many secrets and plot points that we did find the answers to, but those also led to more secrets and mysteries that were what made up this second book in the story.  And the ending of the first book, let me just reiterate that it was a WHOA ending.  One that I really loved, and that was actually part of my favorite storyline in this second book, even if events in the 2nd book changed what kind of outcome I wanted for that little twist.  Now, if you haven't read the first book yet, then you need to click on the link at the beginning of this paragraph, because there will be some spoilers for that book here, especially when I talk about the big twist I just mentioned.

We are back with Avery and Jack.  Since they discovered the clues to Alexander the Great's tomb, left by Napoleon, they are on a deadline of two weeks to try to find the location to give to the dangerous group, the Order.  The reason Avery must do this, instead of just helping find it for her family, the Circle, is because the Order has kidnapped her mother and threatened to kill her if Avery doesn't give them what they want.  While she and Jack are together constantly, Stellan is often dropping in to help, with whatever resources he can provide.  Since Avery is the girl with the purple eyes that every family in the Circle wants to marry to their oldest son and heir, imagine the surprise at the end of the last one when Avery and Jack and Stellan discovered that Stellan was actually "the One" that Avery was supposed to have a union with in order to find the weapon in Alexander's tomb.

When Avery and Jack run into a dead end in the country where they start, Avery gives in to let her family help, at least enough that they can get passports and travel to destinations that she and Jack can continue to hunt.  But the problem is that her father wants her to go meet with all the possible heirs for her to marry and pick one.  Avery agrees to do this, since many of the locations will be places she wants to go in her search.  Until she and Jack know what they are looking for, they don't want to let anyone know about Stellan just yet.  They figure that is one card up their sleeve that they can hold back. Especially since Avery doesn't want to marry any of these heirs.  She is in love with Jack, although there is something about Stellan that is intriguing, even with his infuriating ways.

Things don't go that smoothly just because they have the help of the family though.  In fact, more tragedy occurs as the sons that she's met with end up getting murdered by the Order, and one is even killed when she is sitting right next to him.

It turns out that it isn't really the Order that they have to worry about in the end, and finding Alexander's tomb may turn out to be the salvation to the weapon that is not what was expected, and one that is way worse than anyone could have imagined.

I have to say that I'm totally Team Stellan now.  And the deaths in this book were really major ones that totally blew me away.  Now, I have to wait another year for the next book, and I can't wait to see where the author will take this story next, as my brain is just stumped on what in the world they can do to stop this.  And I loved that as I was listening to this audiobook, I was also reading Empire of Dust by Eleanor Herman, which is about Alexander the Great, so it was fun to hear theories in today's world alongside the fantasy historical world of the book I was reading.

Blog tour: Review and Giveaway - Empire of Dust (Blood of Gods and Royals #2) by Eleanor Herman

--> About the Book: -->

Title: EMPIRE OF DUST (Blood of Gods and Royals #2)

Author: Eleanor Herman

Pub. Date: June 26, 2016

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Pages: 432

Format: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook

Find it: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iBooks | Goodreads
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In Macedon, war rises like smoke, forbidden romance blooms and ancient magic tempered with rage threatens to turn an empire to dust 

After winning his first battle, Prince Alexander fights to become the ruler his kingdom demands—but the line between leader and tyrant blurs with each new threat. 

Meanwhile, Hephaestion, cast aside by Alexander for killing the wrong man, must conceal the devastating secret of a divine prophecy from Katerina even as the two of them are thrust together on a dangerous mission to Egypt. 

The warrior, Jacob, determined to forget his first love, vows to eradicate the ancient Blood Magics and believes that royal prisoner Cynane holds the key to Macedon's undoing. 

And in chains, the Persian princess Zofia still longs to find the Spirit Eaters, but first must grapple with the secrets of her handsome—and deadly—captor. 

New York Times bestselling author Eleanor Herman entwines the real scandals of history with epic fantasy to reimagine the world's most brilliant ruler, Alexander the Great, in the second book of the Blood of Gods and Royals series.
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Grab the FREE novella VOICE OF GODS Now!

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and

The novella QUEEN OF ASHES for $2.99!

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My Review:
Normally my reviews include a bit of a recap, but since you've got that with the "official" synopsis above, I'll try to stick to my specific thoughts.  I do want to link you back to my review of the first book, Legacy of Kings, first, because I'm going to try to connect this review to parts of that one as much as possible.   One kind of interesting thing that was happening while I was reading this, is that the audiobook I was listening to also had to do with a historical fiction take on Alexander the Great as well, and so it was fun to think about the different parts of each book as I was listening to, or reading the other.  

As with the first book, there is a pretty large cast of characters to keep up with. But what the author is great at, is writing each of them so that you can tell exactly whose point of view that chapter is.  And for the most part, each of the characters' first chapter in this book gave you a review of what had happened in the last book, or at least refreshed your memory, but without doing it in a totally awkward and obvious way.  There wasn't too much with Alex and his sister Katerina together in this book.  And Alex's best friend, Heph, is not on Alex's good side at the moment, after killing a major character in the battle in the last book, that Alex had wanted brought in alive.  So Katerina and Heph are on a mission for Alex, to try to find other soldiers or armies to come back to help defend Alex's kingdom, since Alex's father is off on his own pursuit to advance their kingdom.  Alex must show the people that he can be a good leader.  And at first he relies on some people to advise him that aren't quite the best people to listen to.  Jacob, Katerina's betrothed from back home, is sure that she must be dead, after he left her on the battlefield with a fatal wound from the man that was the leader of his group, the Aesarian Lords, also the enemies of Alexander.  

Of course there will be betrayal from family, Alex's mother Olympias, the head Aesarian Lord, Bastion, Alex's sister Cynane.  There will be gods, and monsters, and the search for magical creatures like the Pegasus.  Zofia, the princess who ran away before she could be sent to marry Alexander, because she was in love with one of her father's soldiers, will find out there is more to the man who ended up kidnapping her and using her to try to find the Pegasus.  There will be deaths, some that Alexander will be the cause of, some that Olympias will be the cause of, and others that will just be a part of the normal events in war and countries at odds in this ancient time.  There will even be at least one death that isn't final, that the person gets another chance, to be good or do evil, that is what we will see.

Once again I fell in love with the characters in this series, as well as the beautiful world and all that the author has included in it.  And I'm now left anxiously awaiting the third book!! 

--> About Eleanor: -->

Before the Game of Thrones craze swept the nation, Eleanor Herman was hard at work entertaining readers with her extensive research on courtly intrigue and romance. She is the New York Times bestselling author of Sex with Kings, as well as three other works of nonfiction: Sex with the Queen, Mistress of the Vatican, and King Peggy.

Obsessed by all things royal and historical, she lives in McLean, Virginia with her husband and four extremely dignified cats. Legacy of Kings was her first novel.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest

--> Giveaway Details: -->

• 3 winners will receive a finished copy of EMPIRE OF DUST, US Only.

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Tour Schedule:

Week One:

6/20/2016- The Cover Contessa- Interview

6/21/2016- Zach's YA Reviews- Review

6/22/2016- Fiction Fare- Guest Post

6/23/2016- My So-Called Book Reviews- Review

6/24/2016- Two Chicks on Books- Interview

Week Two:

6/27/2016- Lisa Loves Literature- Review YOU ARE HERE!

6/28/2016- A Dream Within A Dream- Guest Post

6/29/2016- Mundie Moms- Review

6/30/2016- Once Upon A Twilight- Review

7/1/2016- Curling Up With A Good Book- Interview

--> About Book 1:
-->

Title: LEGACY OF KINGS

Author: Eleanor Herman

Pub. Date: September 1, 2015

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Pages: 432

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook

Find it: Amazon | Barnes and Noble |iBooks | Goodreads

 
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Imagine a time when the gods turn a blind eye to the agony of men, when the last of the hellions roam the plains and evil stirs beyond the edges of the map. A time when cities burn, and in their ashes, empires rise.

Alexander, Macedonia’s sixteen-year-old heir, is on the brink of discovering his fated role in conquering the known world but finds himself drawn to newcomer Katerina, who must navigate the dark secrets of court life while hiding her own mission: kill the Queen. But Kat’s first love, Jacob, will go to unthinkable lengths to win her, even if it means competing for her heart with Hephaestion, a murderer sheltered by the prince. And far across the sea, Zofia, a Persian princess and Alexander’s unmet fiancée, wants to alter her destiny by seeking the famed and deadly Spirit Eaters.

Weaving fantasy with the salacious and fascinating details of real history, New York Times bestselling author Eleanor Herman reimagines the greatest emperor the world has ever known: Alexander the Great, in the first book of the Blood of Gods and Royals series.