Nickie

I never even read the synopsis of this. Book of the Ancestor is one of my favorite series of all time, so I will read anything by Mark Lawrence.
I'm glad I went into it blind. What a surprise and a treat!
All I will say is that it's set in a library, Livira is a fantastic character, and you should read this book!

I'm very intrigued to see what happens in the next one.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-arc.

Years ago, Alf and the rest of The Nine defeated Lord Bone. The Nine are heroes. If not for them, Lord Bone would've spread his evil across the land.
After killing Lord Bone, the Nine took over his city of Necrad and vowed to clear all the evil from it, and remain there to protect the city. Most of them stayed, but some did not.

Years later, a new threat is brewing and the Nine must reunite to fight against it.

This book is fantastic! I have never read anything by this author, but I plan to buy all his works after reading this. The writing is amazing. The cast of characters is top-notch! I loved this world so much. I could just picture the necromiasma hanging over the city. I can't say enough great things about this book. I loved it!

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-arc.

On the island of Prospera, everyone is safe. The outside world is in chaos.

On Prospera, people live long and healthy lives and are monitored by an implant in the arm. Once the health level falls below 10 percent, it is time to retire. Memories are wiped out, new body, new life.

Proctor is a Ferryman. He assists the retirees when it's time to go. Proctor has begun to have doubts about the system.
Meanwhile, there's an uprising brewing in the poorer community.
Things are not as perfect as they seem.

I enjoyed the beginning of this, but the twist towards the end did not work for me. I did not like the end at all.
I didn't like the characters either. I liked Thea, but that's it. I don't think this will be very memorable for me.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-arc.

I loved the Empirium trilogy by this author, so I was excited to see her come out with a new series. Unfortunately, I absolutely hated this book. It is trash. The only reason I finished it is because it's a review copy.
I don't remember ever disliking a main character as much as I disliked Gemma. I was hoping someone would kill her within the first chapter. I can't say one good thing about her. The narrator made it even worse with the whine in her voice when Gemma was talking.

I was aware there was going to be romance in this, but not trashy smut. This was not written well at all. Even though I loved the Empirium trilogy, this was so bad that I don't think I will ever read anything else from this author.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an early audio copy.

Pride and Prejudice is one my favorites. Add in some dragons, and I have a new fave!

I loved Elizabeth and her affinity with dragons. This was so much fun to listen to. I will definitely continue the series.

Engines of Empire was one of my favorites last year, so I was super excited for this one. It did not disappoint.

I'm not going to get into the plot since this is the second book in the series, but I will say it has everything I want in a fantasy. It's well written, the characters are fantastic, the world is interesting, there's political intrigue and the magic is great.

After loving the first book, I was concerned that this would suffer from middle book syndrome, but it was just as good as the first.

I switched between ebook and audiobook, and I have to say I preferred the audio. The multiple narrators did a fantastic job and I had a great time!

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an early copy.

Set in the future, this story follows multiple climate change survivors. They're all going to Canada to help build a new settlement called Camp Zero. It's supposed to be a new way of life.
While they all want a better future, they each have an ulterior motive for going. No one is who they seem to be, and it's difficult to know who to trust.

I enjoyed the writing and most of the story, but the flashbacks were not my favorite.

This book is disturbing in that it could happen, and the behaviors of some of these people were disturbing as well. I'm curious to see where they end up.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-arc.

I love this author! I haven't found many sci-fi middle grades that interest me, but Alastair Chisholm is now my go to author for the genre.

Seeing a fae is very rare. Rare, but not impossible.

Many years ago a fae was seen on Prospect Hill and a bargain was struck. Over the years, things were left for the fae and the orchard on Prospect Hill thrived.
As the railroads overtook our world, the land of the fae struggled more and more. The iron drove them away and the bargains became fewer and fewer.

Except for on Prospect Hill.

I really enjoyed the beginning of this. I love fae stories. Sadly, the second half seemed to drag on and on. I think it could've been shorter.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-arc.

I was really excited to get back to these characters!

With a tentative treaty in place, Luca and Touraine are back in their respective countries. Touraine is finding her place in her now free country and Luca is trying to take her rightful throne from her scheming Uncle.
To ensure lasting peace, Touraine will travel as an Ambassador for her people to Balladaire. Luca has to win her throne or the peace between their countries will not last.

I love these characters! I'm not a romance fan, but it is well done and minimal, so it was fine for me. If you like political intrigue, you should definitely check out this series.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-arc.

This beautifully written story follows three women in different times, all with witches in their ancestry.
One fleeing an abusive relationship.
One facing a murder trial.
One living in a time where women have no rights at all.
All three have Weyward witches in their history, and maybe they have their own magic.

I loved the writing style. Very atmospheric. Very beautiful. You can't help but root for these women after the way they have been treated. Loved it!

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-arc.

I am so glad I finally decided to read this series! Absolutely fantastic!

3.5 stars

This one was hard for me to rate.

Lore can sense and control Mortem (death magic). She was born in the catacombs below the city where the tomb of a dead Goddess is. Mortem leaks from the tomb and has to be controlled by the Church to keep it from destroying everything and everyone.
When entire towns start dying overnight, Lore is brought in to help. Apparently she's been being watched for years by the King and the Church. They all know about her power even if she doesn't completely understand it herself.

I liked a lot of things about this book, but the love triangle really annoyed me. It annoyed me enough that I didn't really want to finish it. However, I liked Bastian and Gabe enough to carry on. The ending was intriguing enough that I will probably continue the series.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-arc.

I wasn't sure about this one at the beginning, but I ended up enjoying it.

Biddy has grown up on the island of Hy-Brasil. She lives there with her found family Rowan and his familiar Hutchincroft. Rowan is a mage with little magic. That's because almost all the magic has gone out of the world. But together, maybe they can bring it back.

I loved the found family element and the setting. The characters too. I loved the mage/familiar relationship as well. Loving, but also funny at times.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-arc.

I love fae stories, but I don't love romance and smut in my books. The rest of the story is great. I can't wait for the Queens to get what they deserve.

The Night Lily blooms once a year. But only if the lunar moths are alive. To protect them and keep them alive, there is a Moth Keeper.

Anya wants to be the next Moth Keeper. It's such an important job. Her people wouldn't survive without the lunar moths. She just hopes she can live up to the responsibility.

This is such a good story! I loved the magic and the artwork.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-arc.

Moira Jean lives in a small village. Her friends want more. They plan to move away in hopes of better jobs and better lives. That used to be Moira Jean's plan too. That all changed when the love of her life died.

On the night before her friends are set to leave, they decide to go into the forest to drink and hang out.
After a few drinks, they start dancing. They soon realize there are others dancing with them. The fae.
Once you dance with the fae, you never stop.

I liked this, but I don't think it will stick with me. I feel like it could've been a lot shorter. It dragged in a few spots. I did enjoy the glossary explaining the different types of fae.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-arc.

I think I found a new favorite middle grade series!

3.5 stars

Lucky and her grandmother Stella have each other and that's it. Soon, they won't even have their apartment. Lucky hasn't told Stella about the eviction notice yet. Hopefully she will figure something out.
Her grandmother's mental state seems to be declining, so Lucky has to take care of her. Stella recently told her an off the wall story about a secret tunnel in the basement. Even though she thinks it's nonsense, Lucky can't help but be curious. Turns out, it's not nonsense and she finds a spoon with SALEM written on it.
After finding the spoon, everything changes. Someone from a company called VenCo just offered her a job, and told her she's a witch. And that's just the beginning.

I was not enjoying this at the beginning. I'm not a big fan of contemporary settings, but I love witchy books so I continued on. I think the second half was much better than the first. I liked the diverse cast of characters. Stella is my favorite. She's very kooky.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-arc.

Keira can see ghosts. She can help them cross over. Usually.
She has been invited to the Crispin Manor, home of the reclusive Dane Crispin. Even though he tried to kill her, she is curious to see what he wants.

Once again, I tried a book outside my comfort zone and again it wasn't for me. The writing was fine. I can see how it would appeal to people that like a contemporary setting. Unfortunately, I am not in that group.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-arc.

I am loving this series. Kagen and Co. are still trying to find a way to defeat the Witch King.
They may have more allies than before, but there are also more obstacles too. Cannibal warriors and a disease that turns the infected into mindless killing machines are just a couple of the things they need to overcome.

I love these characters so much! I can't wait to read the next one.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-arc.

I've been trying books outside my usual genre to see if I enjoy anything besides fantasy. This one sounded pretty good. It's kind of post apocalyptic/thriller.

There's been a deadly virus outbreak. Hannah is on a bus on her way to safety at the Retreat. It's a safe haven in the mountains away from the infected. The bus crashes.

Meg is on a cable car, also headed for the Retreat. The cable car stops.

Carter is at the Retreat already. Is it really a safe haven?

This was ok for me. I didn't love the characters. I did think it was pretty realistic as far as the rich getting preferential treatment if something like this happened. Overall, it's a decent story, but not one that will stick with me.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-arc.

I've only read a couple books from this author, but he is becoming one of my faves. I love his writing style. This is a fun one.

This is a fun middle grade with knitting magic.

Dina and Sean have a lot going on in this one. A big event, and a missing person.

I had a great time listening to this one. The narrator did a great job with all the different species. I need a physical copy just to see how to spell them. I especially liked the Gooshidubs (spelling). I thought they were hilarious. And let's not forget the Murder Beaks.

As always, I loved the characters. I liked how comfortable Sean is as an Innkeeper now. I also liked getting a bit of a back story on the Inn's only permanent resident.

The ending left it wide open for more. Part of me wants it to be about Dina, but part of me wants to get back to Maud.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an early audiobook.