Fangirl, Vol. 4: The Manga by Rainbow Rowell

 

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first three volumes in the series, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“Cath is a Simon Snow fan. Okay, everybody is a Simon Snow fan, but for Cath, being a fan is her life. Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath just can’t let go…

Cath and Levi are officially dating—finally!—but Cath still has a lot on her plate as the end of freshman year approaches. She only has a few more weeks to save her grade in Fiction Writing, her twin sister, Wren, is acting increasingly reckless, and an unexpected reunion with her mother has thrown everything off-balance. Plus, with the release date for the last Simon Snow novel looming, Cath is struggling to focus on anything except finishing her epic fanfiction—including her relationship with Levi.

In this final volume of Fangirl , Cath must decide whether finding her own path forward means walking away from Simon Snow for good.” - taken from Goodreads.

This volume finishes up the manga version of the book Fangirl. I will say that this is an incredible graphic rendition of the book. Well worth the read!

The Darkness Within Us by Tricia Levenseller (Shadows Between Us book 2)

 

SPOILER ALERT! This book is a companion to The Shadows Between Us and is a continuation of the story.

“Chrysantha Stathos has won.

By hiding her intelligence and ambition behind the mask of a beautiful air-headed girl, she has gathered important secrets, earned her father’s constant care, and become a wealthy duchess—all by age nineteen. Now, she is only one elderly, dying duke away from having all the freedom, money, and safety she’s ever wanted.

Or so she thought.

Turns out her little sister somehow snatched the true victory away from her: Alessandra is wedding the Shadow King, the most powerful man in the world. Meanwhile, after the death of Chrysantha’s no-good, lecherous husband, a man claiming to be the duke’s estranged grandson turns up to inherit everything that should be hers.

Chrysantha is enraged. There is no way that she’s going to let some man take everything from her. Never mind that he’s extremely handsome and secretive and alluring with mysterious powers… No, Chrysantha wants Eryx Demos dead, and in the end, a Stathos girl always gets what she wants.” - taken from Goodreads.

Chrysantha thought she won but her younger sister Alessandra is about to wed the Shadow King. She is wed to an elderly duke that she hopes will soon die so that she can be free to live her life the way she wants. Her plans go awry when an unknown grandson shows up claiming Chrysantha's inheritance and freedom. Enraged that her chance at freedom is slipping away, she is determined to prove that Eryx is an impostor, no matter how handsome or mysterious he is. Alessandra and the Shadow King do make an appearance in this book 

Visit Tricia Levenseller’s website.

Song of the Six Realms by Judy I Lin

 

“Xue, a talented young musician, has no past and probably no future. Orphaned at a young age, her kindly poet uncle took her in and arranged for an apprenticeship at one of the most esteemed entertainment houses in the kingdom. She doesn’t remember much from before entering the House of Flowing Water, and when her uncle is suddenly killed in a bandit attack, she is devastated to lose her last connection to a life outside of her indenture contract.

With no family and no patron, Xue is facing the possibility of a lifetime of servitude playing the qin for nobles that praise her talent with one breath and sneer at her lowly social status with the next. Then one night she is unexpectedly called to the garden to put on a private performance for the enigmatic Duke Meng. The young man is strangely kind and awkward for nobility, and surprises Xue further with an irresistible offer: serve as a musician in residence at his manor for one year, and he’ll set her free of her indenture.

But the Duke’s motives become increasingly more suspect when he and Xue barely survive an attack by a nightmarish monster, and when he whisks her away to his estate, she discovers he’s not just some country noble: He’s the Duke of Dreams, one of the divine rulers of the Celestial Realm. There she learns the Six Realms are on the brink of disaster, and incursions by demonic beasts are growing more frequent.

The Duke needs Xue’s help to unlock memories from her past that could hold the answers to how to stop the impending war… but first Xue will need to survive being the target of every monster and deity in the Six Realms.” - taken from Goodreads.

I really enjoyed the beginning of this book and where the story was headed. By the end of the book, I was confused by all of the Chinese mythology that had been thrown in. I couldn’t keep up with where the story was going. I felt like the ending was a bit rushed. Overall, I will probably give the author another try.

Visit Judy I Lin’s website.

The Blonde Dies First by Joelle Wellington

“Devon is always being left behind by her genius twin sister, Drew. At this point, it’s a fact of life. But Devon has one last plan before Drew leaves for college a whole year early—The Best Summer Ever. After committing to the bit a little too much, the twins and their chaotic circle of friends learn why you don’t ever mess with a Ouija board if you want to actually survive the Best Summer Ever, and soon find themselves being hunted down by…a demon?

But while there’s no mistaking the creeping, venomous figure is not from around here, their method doesn’t feel very demonic at all. In fact, it’s downright human—going after them in typical slasher movie kill order. And that means Devon, the blonde, is up first and her decade-long crush, Yaya, is the Final Girl who must kill or be killed to end the cycle.

Devon has never liked playing by anyone else’s rules though, not even a demon’s, and the longer this goes on, the more she feels Drew and Yaya slipping away from her even as she tries to help them all survive. Can they use their horror movie knowledge to flip the script and become the hunters instead of the hunted? Or will their best summer ever be their last?” - taken from Goodreads.

A creepy yet cheesy horror film like thriller that will shock readers by the ending. This book does start off super slow in building the plot and the action really doesn’t start until around chapter five. The best parts of this book are the friendships and Devin trying to repair the bond with her sister Dru.

Visit Joelle Wellington’s website.

Wisteria by Adalyn Grace (Belladonna book 3)

 

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first two books in the series, Belladonna and Foxglove, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

Please visit the Recaptains blog if you need a refresher of the first book.

“Blythe Hawthorne has never let anyone tell her what to do—not society, not her overprotective father, and certainly not the man she’s bound herself to, no matter how rude and insufferable he is. In fact, she’s determined to be a thorn in his side for the rest of her days, even as he ensures that her life in his palace is anything but a fairytale. But as Blythe discovers a new side of herself linked to his past, she’ll have to decide if she’s willing to let an unexpected spark ignite…and to discover the truth about who she really is.” - taken from Goodreads.

The last book in this trilogy tells the story of Blythe and the deal she made with Fate. Trying to make the best of the situation, Blythe finds herself drawn to Aris as a haunting realization starts to occur to her. Signa and Death do play minor roles in this book. The ending was a huge surprise to me and felt a bit rushed but overall was a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy.

Visit Adalyn Grace’s website.