Review: These Rebel Waves

Read if you like: the most unique fantasy world and magic system you'll ever find, characters so complex you love them (so much!) and the biggest plot twist you'll never see coming.

These Rebel Waves | Sara Raasch

Series: Stream Raiders

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Queer, Diverse
Released: August 7th 2018
Pages: 474
Format: Ebook
Source: Publisher

Adeluna is a soldier. Five years ago, she helped the magic-rich island of Grace Loray overthrow its oppressor, Argrid, a country ruled by religion. But adjusting to postwar life has not been easy. When an Argridian delegate vanishes during peace talks with Grace Loray’s new Council, Argrid demands brutal justice—but Lu suspects something more dangerous is at work.

Devereux is a pirate. As one of the outlaws called stream raiders who run rampant on Grace Loray, he pirates the island’s magic plants and sells them on the black market. But after Argrid accuses raiders of the diplomat’s abduction, Vex becomes a target. An expert navigator, he agrees to help Lu find the Argridian—but the truth they uncover could be deadlier than any war.

Benat is a heretic. The crown prince of Argrid, he harbors a secret obsession with Grace Loray’s forbidden magic. When Ben’s father, the king, gives him the shocking task of reversing Argrid’s fear of magic, Ben has to decide if one prince can change a devout country—or if he’s building his own pyre.

As conspiracies arise, Lu, Vex, and Ben will have to decide who they really are . . . and what they are willing to become for peace.

This is honestly one of my favourite books, and I wasn't even sure if I was gonna like it. But the characters - Lu, ex-rebel-assassin, Vex, rogue pirate, Ben, heir to a kingdom he hates, and a pirate crew who are AWESOME - sucked me in. I love the whole gang, and there was a moment at the end where it was Avengers-level epicness.

Plus everything else is darn cool too - magic that's formed by using PLANTS, an island recovering from war, a kingdom that revolves around being pious and where being sinful can get you burned for witchcraft, PIRACY, a war in the making, and a really unique, fascinating world that's written so well. I loved this, and those plot twists at the end only made me love it more. But seriously. So-and-so is WHO??? And WHAT just happened to the main character?? I need the next book right now, and would start reading it immediately if I had it.

Extra note to say there's a tonne of POC in this, queer characters (FOUR! Not just a token one. Four!), and Vex is visually impaired!

5+ stars

Review: Renegades

Read if you like: fascinating superpowers, characters you fall hard in love with, and thrilling, multi-faceted plots.

Renegades | Marissa Meyer

Series: Renegades

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Superhero
Released: April 5th 2018
Pages: 576
Format: Ebook
Source: Publisher

Secret Identities. Extraordinary Powers. She wants vengeance. He wants justice.

The Renegades are a syndicate of prodigies—humans with extraordinary abilities—who emerged from the ruins of a crumbled society and established peace and order where chaos reigned. As champions of justice, they remain a symbol of hope and courage to everyone...except the villains they once overthrew.

Nova has a reason to hate the Renegades, and she is on a mission for vengeance. As she gets closer to her target, she meets Adrian, a Renegade boy who believes in justice—and in Nova. But Nova's allegiance is to a villain who has the power to end them both.

I did not predict how much I'd LOVE this book. A secret underground group of villains? A goody-two-shoes hero love interest who can draw things and make them REAL? A kickass ensemble cast, where everyone is interesting and stands out? PLUS a villain-t0-hero character arc? THIS IS EVERYTHING.

Not to mention Adrian's dads are adorable, I love his little brother, and the plot is just outstanding. And THAT ENDING. You need to read this book, seriously. I can't wait for book 2!

5 stars

Review: Heart of Iron

Read if you like: snarky, lovable rogue characters, books that are horrible and break your heart, and fast paced adventure stories.

Heart of Iron | Ashley Poston

Series: Heart of Iron

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Royalty
Released: February 27th 2018
Pages: 560
Format: Ebook
Source: Publisher

Seventeen-year-old Ana is a scoundrel by nurture and an outlaw by nature. Found as a child drifting through space with a sentient android called D09, Ana was saved by a fearsome space captain and the grizzled crew she now calls family. But D09—one of the last remaining illegal Metals—has been glitching, and Ana will stop at nothing to find a way to fix him.

Ana’s desperate effort to save D09 leads her on a quest to steal the coordinates to a lost ship that could offer all the answers. But at the last moment, a spoiled Ironblood boy beats Ana to her prize. He has his own reasons for taking the coordinates, and he doesn’t care what he’ll sacrifice to keep them.

When everything goes wrong, she and the Ironblood end up as fugitives on the run. Now their entire kingdom is after them—and the coordinates—and not everyone wants them captured alive.

What they find in a lost corner of the universe will change all their lives—and unearth dangerous secrets. But when a darkness from Ana’s past returns, she must face an impossible choice: does she protect a kingdom that wants her dead or save the Metal boy she loves?

This book is so many things. Excellent and genius and so much fun. Sarcastic and smart and well-executed. Heartfelt and rebellious and UNCALLED FOR in the way it made me fall so fast in love with the characters before tormenting them cruelly. I loved everything, and everyone, (except for you, Rasovant), and every single line in every chapter. The writing is honestly beautiful, and every character stands out, and why would the author DO THAT to Di (I am not over it - either of the two huge, uncalled for Its that happened to my precious angel of a Metal - and I will not be for a while.)

One of my favourite books this year. I need MORE.

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

Review: The Rest Of Us Just Live Here

Read if you like: books that are so good you can't actually explain them.

The Rest of Us Just Live Here | Patrick Ness

Genre: YA Contemporary/Science Fiction/Fantasy/Awesome
Released: October 6th 2017
Pages: 317
Format: Ebook
Source: Publisher

What if you aren’t the Chosen One? The one who’s supposed to fight the zombies, or the soul-eating ghosts, or whatever the heck this new thing is, with the blue lights and the death?

What if you’re like Mikey? Who just wants to graduate and go to prom and maybe finally work up the courage to ask Henna out before someone goes and blows up the high school. Again.

Because sometimes there are problems bigger than this week’s end of the world, and sometimes you just have to find the extraordinary in your ordinary life.

Even if your best friend is worshipped by mountain lions.

Award-winning writer Patrick Ness’s bold and irreverent novel powerfully reminds us that there are many different types of remarkable.

THIS is everything I wanted. Why did I take so long to read this? Unforgettable characters and friendships, emotions so strong and raw it's impossible not to feel them, fantasy subplot, anxiety rep, an indie kid chosen one called SATCHEL who is constantly mocked. Honestly, there's nothing not to like about this and I loved every page. (I read 70% in one sitting.) I wish there was more book!!

5 stars

Review: Windfall

Read if you like: contemporary stories with so much heart and love you want to cry.

Windfall | Jennifer E. Smith

Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Released: May 4th 2017
Pages: 416
Format: Paperback
Source: Purchased

Alice doesn’t believe in luck—at least, not the good kind. But she does believe in love, and for some time now, she’s been pining for her best friend, Teddy. On his eighteenth birthday—just when it seems they might be on the brink of something—she buys him a lottery ticket on a lark. To their astonishment, he wins $140 million, and in an instant, everything changes.

At first, it seems like a dream come true, especially since the two of them are no strangers to misfortune. As a kid, Alice won the worst kind of lottery possible when her parents died just over a year apart from each other. And Teddy’s father abandoned his family not long after that, leaving them to grapple with his gambling debts. Through it all, Teddy and Alice have leaned on each other. But now, as they negotiate the ripple effects of Teddy’s newfound wealth, a gulf opens between them. And soon, the money starts to feel like more of a curse than a windfall.

As they try to find their way back to each other, Alice learns more about herself than she ever could have imagined . . . and about the unexpected ways in which luck and love sometimes intersect.

So, so, so good. This is everything I needed to read: romantic, sad, hopeful, full of feeling. I love how clever the actual story is, and the relationships between all characters are so honest and real, whether love, friends, or family. Just perfect. Jennifer E. Smith is now an auto-buy author for me.

5 stars

#FreeReads - Getting Wilde

Read if you like: kickass female characters, awesome treasure hunts, and the best of urban fantasy.

Getting Wilde | Jenn Bennett

Series: Immortal Vegas

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Released: August 18th 2015
Pages: 292
Format: Ebook
Source: Purchased

Using her well-worn Tarot deck, magical-artifacts hunter Sara Wilde can find anything—for a price. And the price had better be right, since she needs to finance her own personal mission to rescue several young psychics recently sold on the paranormal black market.

Enter Sara’s most mysterious client and occasional lover, the wickedly sexy Magician, with a job that could yield the ultimate payday. All she’ll have to do is get behind Vatican walls… and steal the Devil himself.

But play with the Devil and you’re bound to get burned.

Pressure mounts for Sara to join the Magician’s ancient and mysterious Arcana Council, as militant forces unleashed by even darker powers seek to destroy all magic—including the young psychics Sara is desperate to keep safe. The Council may be their only hope. . . but it could also expose Sara’s own dark past.

From the twisting catacombs of Rome to the neon streets of Vegas, Sara confronts ancient enemies, powerful demigods, a roiling magical underworld about to explode… and immortal passions that might require the ultimate sacrifice. But oh, what a way to go.

No matter how the cards play out, things are about to get Wilde.

This is honestly my favourite urban fantasy series. I remember reading the prequel short ages ago and liking it but when I read this book I fell SO HARD for the characters. It doesn't hurt that there's some sizzling slow-burn romance, awesome perilous quests, and a story that keeps getting better and better. I love everything about this book, and even more about this series.

5 stars

Review: The Girl From Everywhere

Read if you like: awesome female characters, high-stakes stories, and irresistible romances (heavy on the snark.)

The Girl From Everywhere | Heidi Heilig

Series: The Girl From Everywhere

Genre: Fantasy, Time Travel, Historical
Format: Ebook
Source: Publisher

Nix has spent her entire life aboard her father’s ship, sailing across the centuries, across the world, across myth and imagination.

As long as her father has a map for it, he can sail to any time, any place, real or imagined: nineteenth-century China, the land from One Thousand and One Nights, a mythic version of Africa. Along the way they have found crewmates and friends, and even a disarming thief who could come to mean much more to Nix.

But the end to it all looms closer every day.

Her father is obsessed with obtaining the one map, 1868 Honolulu, that could take him back to his lost love, Nix’s mother. Even though getting it—and going there—could erase Nix’s very existence.

For the first time, Nix is entering unknown waters.

She could find herself, find her family, find her own fantastical ability, her own epic love.

Or she could disappear.

Why did I take so long to read this? It's SO good! Epic, snarky characters, incredible world building, and writing that's just GORGEOUS. I fell in love with this lush, sweeping story of maps and sailing and love.

Nix is SO COOL, I love her, but Kashmir really hooked me into this book, my sarcastic thief prince. I'm still not sure about the rest of the characters, even though Slate, Nix's dad, has some WILD character development. The world and writing and imagination is where this book stands out, from Hawaii to New York to TERRACOTTA WARRIORS. Just full of awesome (but also sadness and heartbreak and beware this one, it'll sneak up on you!)

5 stars