Review: Mask of Shadows

Read if you like: fantasy worlds that are gender and sexuality inclusive, assassins, thieves, and to-the-death competitions.

Mask of Shadows | Linsey Miller

Series: Mask of Shadows

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Assassins
Released: August 29th 2017
Pages: 352
Format: Ebook
Source: Publisher

I Needed to Win.
They Needed to Die.

Sallot Leon is a thief, and a good one at that. But gender fluid Sal wants nothing more than to escape the drudgery of life as a highway robber and get closer to the upper-class—and the nobles who destroyed their home.

When Sal steals a flyer for an audition to become a member of The Left Hand—the Queen’s personal assassins, named after the rings she wears—Sal jumps at the chance to infiltrate the court and get revenge.

But the audition is a fight to the death filled with clever circus acrobats, lethal apothecaries, and vicious ex-soldiers. A childhood as a common criminal hardly prepared Sal for the trials. And as Sal succeeds in the competition, and wins the heart of Elise, an intriguing scribe at court, they start to dream of a new life and a different future, but one that Sal can have only if they survive.

Hard to resist making my entire review about Ruby and HOW RUDE that ending was. He was my fave, thank you.

I was surprised by this book. It draws from familiar (slightly overdone) fantasy elements - assassin/thief, a contest) but does it in such a unique way. I loved the gemstone elements, the elite of assassins that is the Hand, and the genderfluid, queer main character. This book is exciting, dramatic, and full of dangers - and at the heart of it, grief and revenge. There's competition, romance, friendship, and plenty of murder. I really liked it.

4.5 stars

Review: Love & Other Train Wrecks

Read if you like: snarky romance, character-driven stories, and books that stick with you (I'm still thinking about this and talking about it two months later).

Love & Other Train Wrecks | Leah Konen

Genre: YA Contemporary, Romance
Released: January 2nd 2018
Pages: 368
Format: Ebook
Source: Publisher

A twenty-four-hour romance about two teens who meet—and perhaps change their minds about love—on a train ride to Upstate New York in the middle of a snowstorm

One train ride. Two strangers.

Noah is a hopeless romantic. He’s heading back home for one last chance with his first love, whom he broke up with when he went off to college.

Ammy doesn’t believe in true love—her parents being prime examples. She’s escaping from a mom who can’t take care of her to a dad who may not even want her. That is, until one winter night when Noah and Ammy find themselves in the same Amtrak car heading to Upstate New York.

After a train-wreck first encounter between the two of them, the Amtrak train suddenly breaks down due to a snowstorm. Desperate to make it to their destinations, Noah and Ammy have no other option but to travel together. What starts off as a minor detour turns into the whirlwind journey of a lifetime, and over the course of the night they fall in love. But come morning their adventure takes an unexpected turn for the worst. Can one night can really change how they feel about love...and the course of their lives forever?

Charming from start to finish. I love how the female character was the cynical, non-romantic and the guy was the hopeless fool. I loved their chemistry and interactions and the snark. I loved the train breaking down (second best cliché ever, only to a lift breakdown.) I loved EVERYTHING. Except that twist toward the end (cruel, cruel author.) And the fact the ending feels less like an ending than an abrupt stop. But everything else? Sweet and realistic and full of heart. Highly recommend!

5 stars

Review: The Afterlife of Holly Chase

Read if you like: teen romance stories, interesting takes on old books, paranormal fantasy.

The Afterlife of Holly Chase | Cynthia Hand

Genre: YA Fantasy
Released: October 24th 2017
Pages: 389
Format: Ebook
Source: Publisher

On Christmas Eve five years ago, Holly was visited by three ghosts who showed her how selfish and spoiled she'd become. They tried to convince her to mend her ways.

She didn't.

And then she died.

Now she's stuck working for the top-secret company Project Scrooge--as the latest Ghost of Christmas Past.

Every year, they save another miserly grouch. Every year, Holly stays frozen at seventeen while her family and friends go on living without her. So far, Holly's afterlife has been miserable.

But this year, everything is about to change. . . . 

This is perfect for its target audience. Teenagers are going to love this. But me? I wanted it to be more.

The concept of this is so cool, I had an idea of what it'd be in my head. It's a young romance at its heart, and that's kind of IT. I wanted supernatural awesomeness, and the blurb made it sound like it would be. I didn't click with the characters either, or the romance (to me it was just ... bland) so I didn't enjoy it much. I still think its so interesting as a concept and younger readers will find more to love but I just didn't like much.

2.5 stars

Review: Carry On

Read if you like: chosen one plots that subvert EVERYTHING, romance that makes you cry (and smile at the same time?), and awesome side characters you want to be besties with.

Carry On | Rainbow Rowell

Genre: YA Fantasy
Released: February 25th 2016
Pages: 518
Format: Paperback
Source: Gift

A #1 New York Times-bestseller
Simon Snow is the worst Chosen One who's ever been chosen.

That's what his roommate, Baz, says. And Baz might be evil and a vampire and a complete git, but he's probably right.

Half the time, Simon can't even make his wand work, and the other half, he starts something on fire. His mentor's avoiding him, his girlfriend broke up with him, and there's a magic-eating monster running around, wearing Simon's face. Baz would be having a field day with all this, if he were here — it's their last year at the Watford School of Magicks, and Simon's infuriating nemesis didn't even bother to show up.

Carry On - The Rise and Fall of Simon Snow is a ghost story, a love story and a mystery. It has just as much kissing and talking as you'd expect from a Rainbow Rowell story - but far, far more monsters.

Oh my gods, THIS BOOK.

I didn't even know if I would LIKE this and it has somehow become tied with ACOWAR for my favourite book of this year. This book is real magic. I will read it again and again.

5 stars