Sea of Stars by Amy A. Bartol

"This, Brothers, is our declaration of war." 

The war on Ethar has begun, and the only thing that Kricket Hollowell can do is fight to stay alive as every side guns for her powers. The second book in the Kricket series picks up right where the first left off, plunging the reader back into Ethar with a vengeance. This action packed sequel takes place in the first battle of the war, and sets the stage for a supernova of a series.

"'You killed Kenny,' I groan with my lips chattering, 'you bastard...'" 

Kricket has lost none of the rambunctious personality that enthralled readers in the first book. Her clever quips are paired perfectly with an emerging sensitivity as she allows people to grow closer to her. She's lost the ability to act without consequence, and has surrendered her heart of stone for one of paper, though not nearly as fragile. It's easy to see the conflict in her personality as she struggles with having people be dependent on her for the first time in her life, and the fear of losing them. But despite the slightly heavier plot in the second book, the depth of her personality is really shown as she fights for what and who she loves. Don't worry, there are plenty of laugh out loud moments timed perfectly to break the tension as well. In another review I read there was concern expressed that Kricket is too much like Evie from the Premonition series. After giving it some thought I've come to the conclusion that they do share similarities, but mostly it's the goodness in them that is alike, not necessarily their actions or their words. Therefore the similarities in the characters are not an issue because they are two story about good people, which is what people want to read about.

"I promise that it'll be you and me from this moment forward–whatever happens." 

The romance also expands much more in this book. While the first book in the series could easily pass for YA, this book definitely crosses into New Adult territory. I don't know that I would call it adult because of the youth (or appearance of youth) of the characters, but I wouldn't recommend this book for younger teens, because things do get pretty steamy. Despite this book being packed with nonstop action, that doesn't mean there's a lack of romance. In fact, being a reader who gets bored without romance, I was never able to put this down. Ingrained in every moment of the fighting there is something that anchors the character's actions and motivations, providing a perfect line to keep the reader hooked.

"There'll be no martyrs here, Kricket. I'll tear your heart off your sleeve and bury it deep in my chest. Your savage heart will beat for me. Run if you think you can–I'll hunt you down." 

There is no shortage of Kyon in this book either. While the first focused on Trey and Kricket coming together, this book begins to expand the politics of the world and some of the other characters. We are introduced to some of the other priestesses, and from just their few short scenes, it's clear there's a lot going on behind the scenes in the Alameeda clan. I was delighted with Kyon's character in this book, and I can tell that this was setting up for a lot more to come in the third.

"Stealing oxygen while being tethered to the sky, that's what it feels like to be loved by Trey." 

There are too many amazing quotes from this book to include in one short review. I'm pretty sure my kindle version is almost completely highlighted. I'm excited to read this again, because with the speed at which I devoured it, there's certain to be even more beneath the surface waiting to be found on the second pass. 

"You made me love you! You're not allowed to give up, do you understand? No surrender to death. Whatever happens, you have to survive it." 

As a fan of the Premonition series, I can honestly say I'm glad Miss Bartol wrote those first. They allowed her to hone her skills and practice literary techniques so that she could produce this incredible–and in my opinion, better–series. This is going to be a whirlwind of a series, and the only regret I have is that it's going to be a long wait for the rest of the story. 

Read it, you won't regret it. 

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/996433574

Another Man's Bride by Ariel MacArran

Isabella is on the run from English court, moving from England to Scotland to marry a young noble whom she has never met before. Carrying her dowery in the procession she is an enormous target for outlaws and vagabonds alike. Isabella has accepted her future as a lady of the court and a marriage to a man she has never met, until she is captured by Lord MacKimzie. Held prisoner in his castle, Isabella must find a way home, before she's tempted to stay forever.

"A gate to Hell was known to exist in Scotland. She would not put it past MacKimzie to be leading them all there."

A beautifully researched historical romance, Another Man's Bride takes what can sometimes seem to be a boring and monotonous time period, and turns it into an exciting journey of love, loss, and murder. For one who does not normally take to historical romances, this one really brought me over. The linguistics of the writing are superb, capturing the essence of a 15th century highlander, without it being incomprehensible. Even the smallest details, like what the people ate a drank were carefully kept within the standards of the time. While none of my European studies classes have reached so far back, the history seemed nicely incorporated, and I'm sure it was all very accurate. Bringing Joan of Arc into the story–and using her real spelling–as a great touch.

Isabella is a great heroine, though there are a few face-palm moments. She's a strong heroine who has the pressure of duty to her family resting on her shoulders, all the while she's slowly falling in love with someone she knows she can never have. Her actions are always quite warranted, and so many sad things happen to her that I found myself wanting to reach out and give her a hug. She does the best she can in a tough situation, especially for only being nineteen.

MacKimzie was also a great main character. He portrayed the highlander very well, with his quick temper but also extreme love and loyalty to his people. Any scene he was in he brought to life, and made that much more colorful and exciting.

There's a great quote I was going to insert in here, but then I realized it would be a huge spoiler, and I just can't do that. This book doesn't need spoilers, it needs to be read.

The only thing that I didn't quite love about the book is how little time Isabella and MacKimzie got to spend together. Don't get me wrong, when they were together it was like magic, but compared to other books by Ariel, they weren't together very much.

As tragic and beautiful as Juliet and her Romeo, Another Man's Bride will take you by the hand and submerse you into the vivid world of Isabella and Colyne MacKimzie, holding you prisoner on the edge of your seat, until the very end. Thankfully however, unlike our infamous friend Mr. Shakespeare, Ariel doesn't find pleasure in crushing her reader's hearts beneath the sole of her boot. So do not fear all you fellow hopeless romantics, the resolution will not leave you injured and bleeding.

I highly recommend this book, even for people you normally do not appreciate historical fiction. Trust me, it's worth it.

Five Stars

Rosalie Williams

Another Man's Bride on Goodreads

Lost and Found by Nicole Williams

Rowen doesn't care what other people think about her. She doesn't care when mothers move their kids away from her on the street, or when people mutter, "Freak," as they take in her punk clothes. She's been on her own her entire life, with an absentee mother who couldn't care less and a father she doesn't even know the name of. The last stop she has to make on her way to college is a summer at Willow Springs Ranch, in Montana. What she doesn't expect to find is unconditional love and a family like she's only dreamed could exist. A summer of love, loss and acceptance, a summer that will change Rowen forever.

"We all want to open up to someone, Rowen. The hard part is finding someone we trust enough to open up to. That person we're not afraid to let into the darkest parts of our world."

Rowen was a great main character. We know she's had a rough past, but it isn't until the end of the book that her mystery is really revealed. While it's entirely possible to guess the big reveal, there are aspects of it that make it an original plot twist, and that much more tragic. She really doesn't let what people say to her get under her skin, and has lots of witty comebacks herself. Despite her damaged exterior and history of making bad decisions, she's real enough of a person to really like and relate to.

"I wasn't living with just the nicest family in existence; they were probably descendants of Aristotle."

The Walkers were a fantastic family, and have been born and raised in Montana, not far from the truth when it comes to how ranch families are. They have a great dynamic and their interactions always aid to the plot, they're not just filler. How they accept Rowen into their lives and family is wonderful, and every conversation with Rose left me beaming at me Kindle like a complete fool.

'"I will rise, but I do not shine," I croaked as I stood. "Even if I did, I sure as heck wouldn't this early."'

The ranch living was quite accurate, though an aspect that was never approached in this book is the farming. Most ranch families also have a subsistence farm that the women take care of while the men are out with the cattle. When you live that far from town, you can't drive in every time you run out of lettuce. Before I go any further I must put in however, that I think Ms. Williams chose the wrong side of the state. I live thirty minutes from a ranch called Willow Springs, and I live in the third largest town in Montana. We're not huge, but it's a college town and definitely not the stick that she was describing. Western Montana is dead set in the Rocky Mountains, the plains are out east, where most of the ranches and farms are. But other than that little location hiccup, I applaud the new territory.

'"Check those pancakes. I think they're smoking." His dimples set into his cheeks. "What can I say? I have that effect on things."

Jesse deserves to have that cocky attitude, and boy did I enjoy it. He's not a troubled bad boy who lashes out at people–that's Rowen's job. He's a boy with a dark past who overcame it to become a better person, and man was that a great change of pace. He's funny, smart, witty and kind. Men can't get much better than that. He sees in Rowen the girl she tries to hide from everyone else, and doesn't for a moment think that she's just a screw-up girl with no future. This isn't an abusive relationship, as many YA novels these days are. They are one hundred percent good for each other, and that's a breath of fresh air if I ever took one.

'"We don't deserve anything, Rowen. We don't deserve punishment, we don't deserve happiness, life owes us nothing. Realize that." His voice wasn't gentle anymore; it was as strong as I'd ever heard it. "So we have to take what we want because life sure as shit isn't going to freely hand it over." He kissed the skin just above my collar bone. "And I want you."' 

This book will drop some doozies on you, but it doesn't seem like it's trying too hard. It's just chalk full of wisdom that I'm highly tempted to paint in calligraphy on my wall. This isn't a heartbreaker, it's a book that will leave you grinning from ear to ear and completely satisfied once you put it down. There's a second book, but it's not a cliffhanger ending. It's bright, happy and resolves all the main conflicts. In fact, it's so great I'm scared of what the second might do to my heart.

So read on fellow Nicole Williams fans, and embrace the cowboy you never knew you wanted.

Five Stars

Rosalie Williams

Lost and Found on Goodreads

 

 

 

Shattered Promises by Jessica Sorensen

A re-imagining of the YA Fallen Star series, Shattered Promises follows Gemma, a 21 year old college student who has never felt emotion, until now. After being swamped by every emotion she's never felt, strange thing begin happening around Gemma. Two new students seem to appear everywhere she is, and hulking beasts watch her, promptly disappearing as soon as she takes notice. There's more to Gemma's world than what she's always believed, and she may not have long to find the answers.

For a supposedly mature book, I found this novel extremely immature. I could tell it was a rewrite of a young adult book because the characters remained immature. Unfortunately, they didn't grow into the age they were supposed to be. Alex, who is twenty four acts like a moody teenager, and for the fits Gemma throws I would place her right around sixteen. The content warning at the beginning of the description was unnecessary, because other than some cussing and very vague descriptions of sexual encounters, this wasn't a graphic book, and I would still shelve it as young adult. Compared to a lot of NA books that are out there, this is practically Dora the Explorer.

As far as the writing goes, it wasn't terrible, especially for an india author. However, there were a lot of words used incorrectly as adjectives and verbs and such. It felt like Jessica took a thesaurus to the book and tried to replace words she used too many times, however the words she replaced them with weren't quite right. Now, I will applaud the effort because there's nothing worse than repetitive writing, however it is important when using tools like a thesaurus to make sure the words actually mean the right thing, and aren't just similar.

Let's talk about Gemma. I really liked her as a character. I felt like she was relatable and often times I would find myself asking a question, and she would ask it the very next line. Here's the deal though, she acted like a teenager, not a twenty year old. If I had read this with the expectation of a YA book with teenage characters, I would have liked it a lot more. However, I was expecting more mature characters with less of the teenage angst, and so it did leave me feeling disappointed. If I wanted to read the YA version, I would read the original.

The supporting characters never really gain any substance in the book. Laylan comes close, but he's in the book for such a short time that we never really grasp his character. I think he has a lot of potential, and I was actually upset that he wasn't in the book more, because what we do see of him definitely makes him the most mature character in the book. Aislin, Alex's sister is in short scenes throughout the book, but she's always just there, only ever contributing with a few spells.

Alex I really wanted to like, but as I said before, he acts like a moody teenager, not someone in their mid twenties. At first he is a huge jerk, and I don't mean like the sassy jerk in a lot of YA books these days that you love to hate and hate to love, but I mean actually someone I would slap in the face. He pushes her over, he lets a door slam into her, and is constantly being an ass. After he finally warms up to her his and Gemma's interactions are strange. He's always restraining her, and in an awkward way, too. Half their conversations he has her laying on her back with him laying over her talking down to her. Whenever they make out he grabs her hands and pins them above her head. Once or twice that kind of thing can be hot, but I literally mean every single time they kiss. Alex was a strange character for me, and all of his explanations were vague, took a long time, and honestly just frustrated me.

The bottom line with this book is I like the cover (anything with stars like that draws me in), and I really want to love the story, but the immaturity of the supposedly mature characters just doesn't fly with me. The plot is original and I like the emotions twist, but in the end I can't see myself spending the time continuing with the series.

Two Stars

Rosalie Williams

Shattered Promises on Goodreads

Stardancer by Ariel MacArran

Another in the Tellaran series, Stardancer is set in a futuristic universe between two warring empires. The Az'kye are fierce and proud warriors who will stop at nothing to defend the honor of their people and their families. The Realm is a futuristic society similar to that of present day, who find the Az'kye's practice of binding rituals and slavery to be barbaric and uncivilized. Both deeply misunderstand each other. When Kinara's brother is killed in a battle between the Realm and the Az'kye, she sets out on an illegal mission to avenge her brother's death. Greatly underestimating the advancements of the Az'kye, her ship is taken, and the only chance she has of returning her crew home is to befriend, and come to love the commanding officer who would take her as his wife.

Ariel MacArran is a stupendous writer. Not just be indie publishing standards, but by any. This book, read for free with my Kindle Unlimited membership, held the quality I would expect from a company published book I bought in the store, if not surpasses it. There were so few editing errors that when I found one or two I couldn't be sure that they were really there. The pride she takes in the scripting and editing of her book is worthy of Az'kye honor, and the entire indie industry would be better off to take her example.

Kinara is a fierce commander, but she's also a woman. For the first time ever in reading the SciFi genre has the character reacted properly to being imprisoned. She does feel an attraction for Aidar, but as soon as she realizes what's going on, she snaps out of it and gets mad. She doesn't crumble to his will and despite his treatment of her, stand strong with her morals and beliefs.

The conflict of Aidar and Kinara's opposing cultures was a work of art. It was frustrating to no end the way Aidar wouldn't explain the working of his world to her, but that's to be expected. Having been raised there, even the simplest things he assumed she should be able to do were contradictory to everything she knew from her own home world. This is the first time, after reading many alien abduction leading to marriage and love stories, that the culture conflict was believable and well done.

Their romance is tragic, because the whole time you just wish they would sit down and talk things out, but at the same time neither of them are like that at all. But I'll tell you, their relationship is very well done. Things never get so dark and depressing that you just can't take it anymore and have to put the book down. Whenever something sad happens it is soon counteracted by another aspect that cheers you up. I won't say it isn't heart-rending at times, but just push through it.

Kinara's assimilation into the Az'lye society is also extremely well written. All aspects of the world are thought out and the rules that Ariel establishes are not broken, as she stays consistent in her work.

Being a romantic, I do wish there had been more time in which Aidar and Kinara were happy together. It seemed like every time they almost got past their differences and had a moment of happiness, Kinara or Aidar would do or say something that would tear each other apart again. It was really hard to read, because you felt so badly for the star-crossed lovers, and just wanted them to be happy.

While the cover isn't exactly appealing and didn't draw me in the way the cover for the Seer did, I urge no one to judge this book by its cover. The writing is intricate, descriptive, and utterly beautiful. I will be reading every book if Ariel's I can get my hands on.

I recommend this to any and all readers. This series is something worth investing time in.

Five Stars

Rosalie Williams

Stardancer on Goodreads

The Seer by Ariel MacArran

In the Realm, Seers are not citizens. They are no better than animals and are to be executed on sight. That's why Arissa has been in hiding her entire life, after her parents faked her death at the age of five. But when she sees a Fleet Commander being held at gunpoint in an alley, she can no longer cower in the shadows, and steps into the light to save him. Bound by honor to save Arissa's life, Jolar has no choice but to take the beautiful Seer on his mission to a corrupt and dangerous planet, where dark intentions are afoot. It doesn't take long for Jolar to realize that Seers are nothing like the Realm makes them out to be, and in the dangerous world that he has brought Arissa in to, he's going to have to give up everything to keep her safe.

"Just in case my thoughts and feelings aren't shouting it to you, my beautiful Seer–I'm madly, wildly in love with you and nothing is going to keep me away from you."

Drawn in by the beautiful cover, I picked up this book, though I'm usually not much for the Science Fiction genre, and fell in love. This was a stay-up-all-night-because-you-can't-put-it-down read, and I regret nothing. From the opening line I was sucked in to this fast-paced, intricately woven story, and wasn't released until well into the afternoon.

Arissa is beautifully innocent and strong at the same time. It was great getting to see her excitement at finally being a part of the world around her. She maintained her belief in good despite the corrupt world around her, and no matter what, she was always looking out for others.

Jolar was strong-willed and honor bound, but his character was so great because after meeting Arissa, he came to question beliefs that he had simply accepted before, and so the character development was great. It was fun to watch him softening toward Arissa during their journey, and it was intriguing how he took for granted the things that were so fantastical to her.

This is a long book, and it was chock full of action and twists and turns in the plot, it never gets boring. Honestly this was one of those books where the plot seems very narrow-minded and you assume you know the ending and how the book will progress, but it turns into so much more than that. The book has an incredible scope by the end, and it truly was breathtaking. The galaxy was well thought out and the foods and animals remained consistent, which can be hard to do in SciFi. It's clear the author had the planets, and aspects of them very well documented, because there weren't inconsistencies.

Jolar and Arissa are great together. Arissa's innocence complements Jolar's jaded attitude, so that they each make each other a better person. While they did seem to fall in love a little quickly, it didn't bother me the way so many insta-love stories do. The conversations between them flow, and the author didn't cop out by say something like, "And they talked for hours, getting to know the little things about each other" or something like that, as authors that don't know how to write chemistry do. They interract well, and maturely with each other. The only thing is I couldn't get a good read on exactly how hold Jolar is. We know Arissa is right around twenty, but Jolar's age is never mentioned, though I got the impression that he was at least a few years older than her. I would put him in his late twenties.

This was a great book, especially for a self-publisher. There were a few editing issues, but there wasn't anything chronic, which made it easy to handle. I really appreciated this book, and while there isn't another in Arissa and Jolar's story, I will look in to other books by this author.

Five Stars

Rosalie Williams

The Seer on Goodreads

Reason to Breathe by Rebecca Donovan

Emma is invisible. Okay, not really, but sometimes she wishes she could be. All she wants is to keep her head down and disappear until she graduates high school and can escape the ruthlessness of her aunt. Ever since her mother dropped her off at the front door four years earlier, Emma has been struggling to breathe in the house, around her so called family, she can barely make it day to day.

This is a dark book. It addresses the very serious issue of child abuse, and to be honest it was fantastic. At what I believe to be around 400+ pages, it's long, but I wouldn't give up a page of it. The length enables true character and relationship development, something that is often missing in so many YA books these days.

Emma is a great main character. For the first time in my life–or at least in a long time–the heroine didn't bother me. She's smart, strong, and a grounded person, and her reactions to things are perfect, so great I wish I could be more like her. When she's first being pulled into the social realm she navigates it with her sharp personality easily, and it's great to see her remain strong under the watchful eyes of her peers.

The storyline is interesting, and not once did I get bored. The scenes are fun and exciting, and you never know what's going to happen next. Emma is a kind person, but she doesn't let anyone walk all over her the way a lot of book girls do these days.

Emma and Evan's relationship is one of the best I've read. He isn't in any way abusive, he's just a nice guy that recognizes something in her. They start out as friends–though he wants to be more–and they develop a real connection, this ain't no love at first sight nonsense. Their time together is funny and really sweet, so when the plot twist strikes a little more than halfway through the book, I warn you–brace yourself!

I'm not certain whether or not this is a self-published indie series, and if it is, the editing is fantastic. I did not find one mistake, and that hasn't happened in what feels like forever. This book is the quality that all authors should strive for, indie or otherwise.

The one thing that could have been done a bit better was the actual abuse. While her aunt was clearly cruel and it was sickening to read what she does to Emma, there was something lacking. A big part of abuse in households is often the psychological aspect of the terrorization. That wasn't addressed here as much as the physical part was, and I wish that had been dealt with, because while bruises heal, the psychological warfare is permanently scarring.

A dark story about a girl lost, only to be found by a boy she never thought even knew her name, Reason to Breathe is a breath of fresh air. Get out of that self-published reading slump, hike up your adult pants, and settling in for a stay-up-all-night read.

Five Stars

Rosalie Williams

Reason to Breathe on Goodreads