The Winner's Kiss by Marie Rutkoski (Review)

Genre:	YA, Fantasy
Publication Date:	March 29, 2016
Pages:	484
Published By:	Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Series	The Winner's Trilogy #3
Review copy:	Purchased

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Some kisses come at a price.

War has begun. Arin is in the thick of it with untrustworthy new allies and the empire as his enemy. Though he has convinced himself that he no longer loves Kestrel, Arin hasn’t forgotten her, or how she became exactly the kind of person he has always despised. She cared more for the empire than she did for the lives of innocent people—and certainly more than she did for him.

At least, that’s what he thinks.

In the frozen north, Kestrel is a prisoner in a brutal work camp. As she searches desperately for a way to escape, she wishes Arin could know what she sacrificed for him. She wishes she could make the empire pay for what they’ve done to her.

But no one gets what they want just by wishing.

As the war intensifies, both Kestrel and Arin discover that the world is changing. The East is pitted against the West, and they are caught in between. With so much to lose, can anybody really win?

  It would be a blessing to forget.
  After all, what was there to remember?
  Someone she never could have had.  Friends dead or gone.  A father that didn't love her.
  The cup tipped.  Water ran over her tongue, cool and delicious.  She forgot the pain, forgot where she was, forgot who she'd been, forgot that she had ever been afraid of forgetting.

  Dear one, what do you care?

  A small serpent of worry lifted its hooded head inside her.

  Then his lungs opened and his mind grew quiet and clear.  "Come back to me," he murmured.
  "I will." 

 

  Where do you begin at the end?  There is so very much to say about this book and yet very little at the same time.  It's totally a conundrum.  This trilogy is without a doubt action packed and filled to the brim with twists.  Sometimes it was hard to tell where one thing stopped and another began and I mean this in the most amazing way possible.  The Winner's Kiss was not just the final book in a trilogy, it was an adventure and

  What amazes me most about this book is that it seriously completed my feelings on the series.  It kind of took some things back to block one while carrying others forward.  The entire Kestrel and Arin romance was ripped right apart.  Not only was it ripped right apart, it was flipped, twisted and then basically burned to ash.  I know that sounds horrible but sometimes something can come from ashes, something magnificent and life altering.  Okay, it didn't alter my life but it altered so much in their lives and the story.  I can't stress enough how this book stood on its own.  This gave way to a spectacularly paced plot, with wonderfully produced setting.  There isn't much about this books plot, setting and overall development that I didn't love.

  It's so hard to describe Kestrel in this book.  She has been this staple of strength in the previous two books and yet her position was somewhat compromised, while not being compromised.  Curious, right?  So, in order to do this without giving you some sort of spoiler is going to be difficult.  What I can say is that despite the moments of 'weakness' Kestrel just has something in her that refuses to be put out.  Her fire is something unique and admirable that doesn't die.  She has a mind that continues to work no matter what she is put through.  I have to admit that I enjoyed having a different side of Kestrel, it really completed her as a character for me.  We all love strong characters but it's good to see that despite all of that strength, that they do have some weakness and the ability to work on it.

  There was a lot more Arin in this read.  He really becomes someone to admire and gets more developed than I had expected.  I think this really came to because of everything ramping up to the end.  He drew strength from his loss, his new knowledge and finding out the truth.  In general Arin has been his own type of strong, but he has always been slightly naive.  He seems to be taking steps forward to get past that.  However, I think that the most important thing was that he learned to trust Kestrel.  In fact in losing so much, they both learned trust.  So, although he didn't have the relationship that they had, they get something that is built entirely different and has some legs to it.  I enjoyed Arin so much in this book for those reasons and his massive character growth.  He really became a character that I enjoyed and though I know the trilogy is over I wouldn't complain if there was a surprise more.

  The Winners Kiss is by far one of the best endings to a trilogy that I have read...EVER!  There was a complete feeling upon closing the book, and I can't say that happens often.  I also cannot praise this book enough for being able to stand on its own.  It wasn't just a final book, it was almost its own story.  If you haven't started this trilogy I highly recommend it, and if you have I can promise that you wont be let down by this book.  I really wish I could give more details in this review, but I have zero desire to ruin even one amazing moment for any of you.

The Winners Curse by Marie Rutkoski (Review)

Genre:	YA, Fantasy
Publication Date:	March 4, 2014
Pages:	355
Published By:	Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Series:	The Winner's Trilogy #1
Review copy:	Purchased

Buy it:
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Winning what you want may cost you everything you love... 

As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions.

One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction. Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin.

But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined.

Set in a richly imagined new world, The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.

  "If a woman can fight and die for the empire, why can't a woman walk alone?
  "That's the point.  A woman soldier has proved her strength, and so doesn't need protection."
  "Neither do I."

  Arin's heart seemed to be punching its way out of his chest, he was so angry.  But he knew that Cheat was right, and his mood wasn't the auctioneer's fault.  It was his own.  Or hers.

  His speed was terrifying.  Kestrel hit the ground, her cheek scraping dirt, then shoved herself up before Irex could catch her in so vulnerable a position.  As she stood, she saw something gleam on the ground: the very end of her braid, sheared off by the knife.

  This book has sat on my shelf for way too long.  It was an excellent example of: "Why the hell did I not start this sooner?!"  Rutkoski masterfully crafted and executed a fantasy novel with an intriguing plot and unique characters, that have no problem standing out.  I would also like to point out my mistake in thinking that this was some sort of dystopia... It wasn't.  It was probably one of my favourite fantasy novels EVER!!! I'm sure you already got that but I just don't think that I can say it enough.

  So, this is a super hard thing for me to explain without ruining it or making it sound like less than it is.  However, I have to say that there was not a single moment that I wanted to put this book down.  With crystal clarity the characters were developed, without any information dumps or lags in the pace.  That being said, Rutkoski paced out this novel with perfection and in my eyes with no taboos.  There wasn't a dreaded triangle or the damsel in distress, and not even the girl that discovers her power later.  No, The Winners Curse stood out with its strong plot and defined characters.

 Kestrel may not be an anomaly among strong female leads, but she was different in the sense that she knew her strengths and her weaknesses.  She may have had a weakness when it came to a certain boy, but she also had a lot more kindness in a world where only winning matters.  Kestrel had no problems fitting in on the surface, keeping those around her believing that she was all she was supposed to be, but beneath she was so much more.  This is a girl that has a lot to give and some people can appreciate that she is different, but different is also dangerous.  I'm not sure if I related to her or not but I know that I enjoyed every moment I read her.

  Arin and Kestrel's relationship was super complicated, and yet it was kind of the relationship you would expect.  This is not exactly a bad thing, but it was a budding feeling between people that were on opposite ends of a silent war.  They just worked and the chemistry between them is what helped it be enjoyable to watch develop. Kestrel's unexpected draw to Arin, and Arin's inability to not notice that Kestrel herself is different was actually fun to read.  It's like, I knew that they were going to form something and yet I still invested myself from start to finish. This is probably also due to Rutkoski's aptitude for crafting a riveting read.  

  Honestly, I know many people have already sung this books praises and I am quite behind but I loved it!  Between the non stop pace, to the stunning writing, The Winners Curse was a pure pleasure read from start to finish.  I have no doubt that I will devour the next two books without any regret.  Fans of fantasy will love this read, and I actually wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to fans of dystopia's either.

Waiting on Wednesday #5

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine 

and spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

 

Genre:	YA, Fantasy
Publication Date:	February 21, 2017
Pages:	304
Published By:
Series:	Transference #1

When two warring kingdoms unified against a deadly menace laying waste to both their lands, they had to make a choice: vow to marry their heirs to one another, or forfeit their lives to the dragon.

Centuries later, everyone expects the sheltered princess Sorrowlynn to choose the barbarian prince over the fire-breathing beast—everyone, that is, except Sorrow, who is determined to control her own destiny or die trying.

As she is lowered into the dragon’s chamber, she assumes her life is over until Golmarr, the young prince she just spurned, follows her with the hopes of being her hero and slaying the dragon. But the dragon has a different plan. . . .

If the dragon wins, it will be freed from the spell that has bound it to the cave for centuries. If Sorrow or Golmarr vanquish the dragon, the victor will gain its treasure and escape the cave beneath the mountain. But what exactly is the dragon hiding?

There are no safe havens for Sorrow or Golmarr—not even with each other—and the stakes couldn’t be higher as they risk everything to protect their kingdom.

Pre-Order

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Why I'm Waiting

  I'm really not sure what part specifically calls to me with this book.  I know that I'm automatically drawn to anything that even hints being about dragons.  But, I think this book has a potential to be so much more.  There is so much at risk and the synopsis hints at a possible romance that was not to be. I would be lying if I said I wasn't curious about Golmarr and how he will differ from Sorrow's preconceived idea of him...  Actually, the more I think about it the more I realize there are a bunch of chances for this book to surprise and dazzle!! 

What are you waiting on?!
Link me up so I can see or leave a comment for what you're excited for!!

House of Chaos by Sarai Henderson (Book Blitz)

This book sounds insanely good and I'm super excited to be a part
of this Blitz!! I hope you enjoy the excerpt and don't forget to check
out the Giveaway at the end of the post <3

House of Chaos by Sarai Henderson
Genre: YA Fantasy
Release Date: September 13th 2016

Sixteen years ago, Tabri showed up in the mountains an orphaned child with the magic of the Chaotics running through her veins. She survived the bitter winter, the wrath of a yeti, and mutinied on the flying pirate ship Stallings, but then the Madnesi came.

Nell’s Furyon bloodline and elemental magic make her the perfect warrior. Perfect to revenge her sister’s death at the hand of a Madnesi Lord, to defend the Chaotic until her magic fully emerges and to defeat the masses of rotting undead who threaten the survival of the Wilders. If only there was more time in the day.

The Earth Stone has given the two companions a path to safety, but Tabri’s magic is on the fritz and Nell has completely lost her mind with grief. Can they hold it together long enough to allow Chaos to shine a light in the darkness, or will the Madnesi destroy all magic in the world along with the prophecy?

Buy Links: Amazon

  My magic was going wild inside my chest. I had never felt it so intensely before. It surged from vein to vein, taking over my muscles and thoughts. The burning that had accompanied me all these years of searching, all these years of being on the run from those who would do me harm was present. If only I could understand what it was trying to tell me?

  “You might as well knock, but I doubt there will be anyone there to hear you in this kind of weather.” Delah watched the stone walls that circled the monastery and kept it safe from what haunted these mountains. She searched for any sign of life beyond, ever vigilant to any danger.

  I raised my hand to knock, but found myself touching the wood instead. It was warm to the touch. A sense of something familiar beyond that I couldn’t explain. It pulsed almost like a beating heart in the palm of my hand. “There is magic in these walls.”

  “What?” Delah came close and whispered in my ear. “Are you sure this is safe? You haven’t sensed magic before. Why now?”

  My cheek pressed to the wood as I tried to make out what was pulsing through its cords. It was old, but not ancient. Warm but at the same time not. The only way to find out what was surging through these walls was to connect with it. Weave my magic with it and hope it gave me answers.

  The warmth in my chest flowed down my arm. It filled every inch of my fingers and left my body through my finger tips. The magic on the other side was weak and old but it spoke to me. There was no danger beyond these walls, at least not to me. “We shall be fine.”

  I rapped on the wood several times with my knuckles. It echoed through the mountain tops above and cascaded into the valley below. Someone must have surly heard me beyond the walls.

  With a creak, the gates slowly opened. A sweet smell of flowers filled my nostrils and welcomed me inside the monastery walls. It was an odd smell for winter that didn’t go unnoticed.

  The courtyard had been cleared of snow for the most part and flowers had been planted in long boxes spread through out the space. They bloomed in all colors and shapes. Most I had never seen before. It was much warmer here. I could feel the sun on my skin, something I hadn’t felt in a long time.

  It was simple and small, but the edges of the wall were lined with braziers all lit and inviting. A man stood at the entrance. He wore robes of dark red and his head was clean shaven and tanned from many days in the sun. A monk. “Welcome to the monastery in the mountains. We have been waiting for you, young magic wielder.”

About the Author

Sarai Henderson is a retired ballerina from Oregon City, Oregon, where she spends most her time chasing down her three rambunctious boys and writing on her lunch break at work. She enjoys DIY projects, Photography and writing on her blog about life as a mother of an autistic son. Find her online at www.exballerina.com or on Twitter @Shendersonbooks.

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Firstlife by Gena Showalter (Review)

Genre:	YA, Fantasy
Publication Date:	February 23, 2016
Pages:	467
Published By:	Harlequin Teen
Series	Everlife #1
Review copy:	Purchased

Buy it:
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ONE CHOICE.
TWO REALMS.
NO SECOND CHANCE.

Tenley “Ten” Lockwood is an average seventeen-year-old girl…who has spent the past thirteen months locked inside the Prynne Asylum. The reason? Not her obsession with numbers, but her refusal to let her parents choose where she’ll live—after she dies.

There is an eternal truth most of the world has come to accept: Firstlife is merely a dress rehearsal, and real life begins after death.

In the Everlife, two realms are in power: Troika and Myriad, longtime enemies and deadly rivals. Both will do anything to recruit Ten, including sending their top Laborers to lure her to their side. Soon, Ten finds herself on the run, caught in a wild tug-of-war between the two realms who will do anything to win the right to her soul. Who can she trust? And what if the realm she’s drawn to isn’t home to the boy she’s falling for? She just has to stay alive long enough to make a decision…

  The stress is the biggest obstacle.  My limbs shake.  My stomach twists.  sweat drips down my spine.  At least I'm not cowering.

  I'll never cower again.

  Pick one.  Pick all.  Gimme.  But too bad for her.  Myriad makes the same promises.

  You don't know his heart.  He's capable of change   we all are.  Give him a second chance, Archer would probably say.

  Remove his junk and stuff it in his mouth, Killian would definitely say.  He can eat his own candy bar.

  The explosion echoes from the sky, and again, it sounds as if fireworks have been unleashed.  a battle is happening up there at the same time one is happening down here.  Maybe... Archer's friends are throwing down with Killian's?  Is that how it works?

  I'm a fan of Gena Showalter's writing and her consistently stunning covers, but this book created its own brand of cover love within me.  It was also hard not to go into this one interested due to the synopsis and its seemingly original plot.  I am super conflicted now that it is time for me to review this one.  I struggle between telling everyone it was extremely addictive, or that it was slow to the punch.  Somewhere between the start and finish I became invested but I could not tell you exactly when/where it happened. Regardless it happened and I shall attempt to properly express everything to you guys.

  I think when it comes to good and bad there are always such blurred lines.  With Firstlife, there are two very different choices offering up what they consider 'Utopia'.  Thing is they are both flawed, or at least Ten thinks so.  Isn't perfection a matter of perception?  You then go to questioning what place is 'evil' and what one is 'good'.  Once again, hard to tell when you are basically missing that area that greys between the two.  Then I began to think maybe it wasn't about good and bad, it was about the choice.  However, the choice is barely a choice because if you don't go with your families choice, you end up their enemy and that means forever.  There were even cases (including Ten) that families took the matters into their own hands trying to force the choice.  You could remain undeclared... but that meant going to a place that no one really had any idea about.  This may have been the point (no full disclosure in order to avoid spoilers), where I found myself stuck in the story.  The part in which things started coming to light and all around the plot and pacing picked up.

  Ten as I mentioned was undecided.  Undecided and desired by both sides.  Why?  Well, she's special of course but she doesn't know that.  At times her indecisive ways and attraction to the guy from 'the dark side', was a little too much and predictable.  Though I must say that part of her journey was not making the easy choice or the quick choice, it was quite simply learning to ask questions before you leap.  Ten was good at it and I did admire her ability to stick to her guns no matter what.  She was stubborn and smart about things that I think normally characters would be accused of being aloof or quick to the go about.  Her thoughts were fun to follow and I found myself spending much of the book trying to decide where she actually fit.  Then I began to think maybe she didn't fit anywhere... But we all fit somewhere don't we... Ten was just original enough and unique in her thinking and behaviors that she will stand out for me.

  For so long I dreaded a love triangle with the guys from warring sides.  Please don't get me wrong, I don't hate them I just fear them upon showing themselves.  They are one of those things that either work or end up flailing around in your face while you wish it would just die.  Okay, harsh I know but honestly some of them need to stop before they start.  Anyway.... moving on...  The thing about Archer and Killian was that they were alike without actually being alike.  They each had their own motives to start but wound up caring far more than they had ever expected when it came to Ten.  Same as each boy meant something different to Ten but neither one really meant less than the other.  Killian was the bad boy that she fell for and yet there was something good about him, and Archer was the friend that she couldn't overlook to make that jump to where Killian wanted. 

  Overall guys I do have conflicted feelings but I really did enjoy it when it all ended.  I think there is a lot of potential when it comes to the up coming books.  I do however recognize that this will not be for everyone but feel that some maybe end up like me, enjoying it but taking a twisted route to get there.  When recommending this to people I'm really not sure where to go with it.  I would like to say fans of Showalter's writing should because her writing is still wonderful but this is so different from the other two series I've read by her.  Basically the safest bet would be to say if you are looking for something fantasy/dystopia I would give it a go.  I will continue on with the books because basically there was a big twist at the end and I want to see where it goes.

The Art of Not Breathing by Sarah Alexander (Review)

Genre:	YA, Contemporay
Publication Date:	April 26, 2016
Pages:	288
Published By:	HMH Books for Young Readers
Series	Standalone
Review copy:	ARC from Raincoast for honest review

Buy it:
Amazon ~ B&N ~ Chapters 

Since her twin brother, Eddie, drowned five years ago, sixteen-year-old Elsie Main has tried to remember what really happened that fateful day on the beach. One minute Eddie was there, and the next he was gone. Seventeen-year-old Tay McKenzie is a cute and mysterious boy that Elsie meets in her favorite boathouse hangout. When Tay introduces Elsie to the world of freediving, she vows to find the answers she seeks at the bottom of the sea.

Another question spins around my mind.  Does Tay know about Eddie?  Would it be so bad if he did know? Yes, I answer myself.  Because if Tay knows about Eddie, then he will see me as only half a person.  I want to be enough for someone just on my own.

"That's the beauty of it," Tay says.
"I don't need to talk about it.  It's just something I do, like breathing."
I grin.  "You mean it's like not breathing."
He smiles slowly at me, like he's just realizing something.  "You're right.  And I'm glad I get to not breathe with you."

I picture my life in the future.  When Dillon has starved himself to death, I'll have let two brothers die.  Dad will be long gone, and that just leaves me with Mum.  Every day will be therapy day.

  The Art of Not Breathing was breathtakingly beautiful and tragic.  It' the type of contemporary that you start and lose yourself in.  You can feel the emotions and see the characters, with every chapter both of these elements changing or growing in intensity.  There is a tempo that this book set, bringing depth to the characters and a realistic feel to the entire plot.  For a book that I walked into with no real expectations, I for sure got more than I had anticipated. 

  What I think I loved so much about this book, was its inability to fall in line with other books of this sort.  I am not saying that I have a thing against the books that are about loss, and yet they find a way to have the life they wanted, and find the love of their life that moves heaven and earth to be with them.  This is what I would call realistic in the sense that everything just kept falling apart.  You don't always have that person you can go to, and even if you do sometimes it feels like you can't.  The was a tragic note throughout the book that pulled at my heart, and when it wasn't tragic it was this sad pretty thing.  There wasn't a lot of complexity to the plot, and yet somehow it managed to easily snare my attention and affection almost right from the start.

  Elsie is not the popular girl, or the unremarkable beauty that has no idea how beautiful and extraordinary she is.  Basically I loved Elise because she was ordinary and though she may not have enjoyed being on the outside, that was where she seemed to fit.  There is not a moment throughout this read though that she was not growing.  This is a girl that blames herself for losing her brother, gains weight because she believes she now eats for both her dead brother and herself and sees things the way no one else seems to.  This is her way of coping, of not moving on but merely living.  It is only when she starts to take steps in a direction that should have never been considered, that she starts to move forward and leave her life of living standing still.  There is no one moment that she "changes," but a series of moments and problems that encourage and push her to finally move, finally become more than she felt.  I cannot sign enough praises for this girl and her ordinary life that maybe I couldn't relate to, but I could feel for.

  Honestly, though there was a romantic interest it was far from what mattered in this read.  Well, it did matter but in its own way, not in the traditional way.  Elise needed Tay to grow, and realise she was more than the invisible "fat girl."  This wasn't just because he was there, but also because he wasn't.  I enjoyed the realistic nature of their relationship, as well as the complexity of it.  They weren't the couple everyone envied.  Heck, next to no one knew about them.  I want to say so much more but the problem is I really feel that this is a less is more type of situation.  So much about this relationship changed the dynamic throughout the book, so to explain it would be to ruin everything for you.  Just know that nothing was "typical," and it wasn't a love story by a long shot.

  Alexander crafted and beautiful, unique and well fleshed out novel.  It didn't lack character and I would have to say that the plot was wonderfully original.  I can't say that it was perfect or that no points were matched to others , but I loved that it felt real.  The Art of Not Breathing is the perfect read for someone that wants a contemporary read, with real feelings and real characters.

Waiting on Wednesday #4

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine 

and spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Genre:	YA, Fantasy
Publication Date:	February 28, 2017
Pages:	416
Published By:	Harlequin Teen
Series	Everlife #2

My Firstlife is over, but my Everlife is only now beginning.

With her last living breath, Tenley "Ten" Lockwood made her choice and picked her realm in the Everlife. Now, as the war between Troika and Myriad rages, she must face the consequences.

Because Ten possesses a rare supernatural ability to absorb and share light, the Powers That Be have the highest expectations for her future—and the enemy wants her neutralized. Fighting to save her Secondlife, she must learn about her realm from the ground up while launching her first mission: convincing a select group of humans to join her side before they die. No pressure, right?

But Ten's competition is Killian, the boy she can't forget—the one who gave up everything for her happiness. He has only one shot at redemption: beating Ten at a game she's never even played. As their throw-downs heat up, so do their undeniable feelings, and soon, Ten will have to make another choice. Love…or victory.

Buy It: 

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Why I'm Waiting

  I am beyond in love with this cover.  I picked up Firstlife because I loved the cover and Gena but, by the end I was super conflicted.  Basically, I'm interested in seeing how this book goes and crossing my fingers that certain things happen.  From the synopsis there's a good chance that I'll end up getting sucked in and dying for book #3 before I'm done.

  

What are you waiting on?!
Link me up so I can see