The Thorn Queen by Sasha Peyton Smith (The Rose Bargain book 2)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book in the series, The Rose Bargain, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“Wed to one brother.
In love with the other.

Having won the hand of the faerie King Bram, Ivy is now Queen of England.

But with his ascension to the throne, Bram unleashed the fae into the human world. After hundreds of years of being kept from their favorite playthings, the Others are looking to make up for lost time—and they do, with wicked revelry that sweeps through the country.

To survive, Ivy acts the sweet, devoted wife. Behind the smile, she plots to banish her husband, save her sister Lydia, and reunite with the love of her life, Emmett.

Yet Emmet and Lydia are trapped in the Otherworld, where fae games are deadlier than ever—and a queen must play most viciously of all. Or see herself dethroned.” - taken from Goodreads.

Even though the first book in this duology ended in a cliffhanger, this book was a bit slow to start. Without giving too much away, Ivy, Lydia, and Emmett must find a way to get out from under Bram’s cruel reign of not only England but the Otherworld. The epilogue to the story was great, without giving too much away, I wish it hadn’t been so one sided.

Visit Sasha Peyton Smith’s website.

The Rose Bargain by Sasha Peyton Smith

 

“Every citizen of England is granted one bargain from their immortal fae queen.

High society girls are expected to bargain for qualities that will win them suitors: a rare talent for piano in exchange for one’s happiest childhood memory. A perfect smile for one’s ability to taste.

But Ivy Benton’s debut season arrives with a shocking twist: a competition to secure the heart of the Queen’s fae son, Prince Bram. A prize that could save Ivy’s family from ruin… and free her sister from the bargain that destroyed her.

Yet every glittering fae deal has a rotting heart—and at the center of this contest is a dark plot that could destroy everything Ivy knows.” - taken from Goodreads.

This book was pitched as The Cruel Prince meets The Selection and boy was that correct. It is also a twist on the history of English royalty where a fae queen sits on the throne. Ivy Benton is determined to find out what happened to her older sister Lydia during her disappearance. Fallen from society because of her sister, the family’s hopes are dependent on the match Ivy can make during her season. The stakes are raised substantially when the Queen announces that her son, Prince Bram, will be looking for a wife. Can Ivy survive the brutal season that she is about to face?

No word yet on a second book, but with that ending, there better be one on the horizon,

Visit Sasha Peyton Smith’s website.

Reign by Katharine McGee (American Royals book 4)

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

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

“A queen's life hangs in the balance, and her siblings’ decisions—about what to do, and most of all, who to love—could change the course of history. Romance. Duty. Power...only one can triumph in this stunning conclusion to the New York Times bestselling American Royals series.

America's royal family is in shambles. Queen Beatrice is in a coma and Princess Samantha has gone missing—from the look of things, she ran away with her boyfriend, Lord Marshall Davis. Which means that Prince Jefferson is currently on the throne. For some in America, it's exactly what they wanted: a King ruling the country. And for Daphne Deighton, who has tricked Jefferson into dating her again, it's the ultimate dream come true. 

Surely this is all just temporary. Won’t Beatrice wake up and reclaim her rightful place? Samantha can't really be gone…can she? And Prince Jefferson will never truly be over his childhood crush, Nina Gonzalez. Right?

For the Washington family, the stakes are higher than ever. Love might save the throne….if secrets don’t destroy everything first.” - taken from Goodreads.

Oh, how I am going to miss this series. Without giving anything away, I will say that Reign wrapped up the story for all four of our main characters that will satisfy fans.

Visit Katharine McGee’s website.

Rivals by Katharine McGee (American Royals book 3)

 

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

“Beatrice is queen, and for the American royal family, everything is about to change.

Relationships will be tested.

Princess Samantha is in love with Lord Marshall Davis—but the more serious they get, the more complicated things become. Is Sam destined to repeat her string of broken relationships…and this time will the broken heart be her own?

Strangers will become friends.

Beatrice is representing America at the greatest convocation of kings and queens in the world. When she meets a glamorous foreign princess, she gets drawn into the inner circle…but at what cost?

And rivals will become allies.

Nina and Daphne have spent years competing for Prince Jefferson. Now they have something in common: they both want to take down manipulative Lady Gabriella Madison. Can these enemies join forces, or will old rivalries stand in the way?” - taken from Goodreads.

This book turned out to be so much more than I would have ever dreamed of. Queen Beatrice is trying to find her footing as the first queen of America. Princess Samantha is trying to figure out what her role in the Washington family will be once she is no longer Bea's heir. Prince Jefferson, third in line to the throne, is once again the object of every girl's wish to be a princess. I wasn't sure where the author was going to take this story line but she left readers desperately wishing that book four isn't a year away. 

Book four is due to be published in 2023.

Visit Katharine McGee’s website.

The Great Destroyers by Caroline Tung Richmond

“The Hunger Games meets Pacific Rim, set in the 1960s Cold War.

Jo Linden grew up in a world where wars are won with the use of giant mechanical soldiers and the nuclear bomb was never invented. Yet the Cold War still rages. Only now international rivalries between democracy and communism play out at the Pax Games, an Olympic-style competition that pits young pilots of mecha soldiers against each other. The USSR's beaten the US in every game since its inception, and in the 1963 games, the US is desperate for a win. Because it's more than just the Games at stake here. Premier Khrushchev will be attending, and after he and President Kennedy are slated to sign a peace accord stabilizing the war in Vietnam-and their relationship.

Raised in her father's mecha repair shop, Jo knows more than anyone about the awesome machines and piloting. She's also the most unlikely pick for Team USA since she's a virtually unknown fighter. So when Jo is invited at the last minute to compete, she jumps at it. This could be the last chance to save her family's home from debt collectors. When Jo arrives in DC for the Games, all eyes on her. But she's got secrets of her own. Secrets that could get her kicked out the Games-and cost her family everything-if anyone found out. As competitors start dying in the arena, it's suddenly clear that it's more than the usual Pax Games, and Jo finds herself drawn into a deadly political plot with the very stake of freedom at its center.

In a global chess match between superpowers, playing out in violent games that only humanity could create, comes a terrifying story of clashing titans, deadly competition, patriotism, and the girl caught in the middle of it all.” - taken from Goodreads.com

Welcome to 1963 where World War II was won with mecha (giant robots controlled by humans) and the atomic bomb wasn't invented. The Cold War still rages and Communism and Democracy are at odds. Every four years, countries enter their best and brightest mecha drivers into the Pax Games. With the games being held in the U.S. and a possible peace agreement between Kennedy and Khrushchev, the U.S. is desperate to best the Soviets in the games.

When Jo Linden, a relatively unknown mecha pilot is tapped to replace an injured competitor, her world is turned upside down when she arrives on the international stage in a sport where few females compete. Up against the best in the world, Jo and finds herself in the middle of a political storm where someone is trying to frame her for poisoning her rivals. Can Jo uncover the culprit before war breaks out?

This is the perfect read for fans of Ryan Graudin’s Wolf By Wolf.

Visit Caroline Tung Richmond’s website.

 

Deathless Divide by Justina Ireland (Dread Nation book 2)

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

“After the fall of Summerland, Jane McKeene hoped her life would get simpler: Get out of town, stay alive, and head west to California to find her mother.

But nothing is easy when you're a girl trained in putting down the restless dead, and a devastating loss on the road to a protected village called Nicodermus has Jane questioning everything she thought she knew about surviving in 1880's America.

What's more, this safe haven is not what it appears - as Jane discovers when she sees familiar faces from Summerland amid this new society. Caught between mysteries and lies, the undead, and her own inner demons, Jane soon finds herself on a dark path of blood and violence that threatens to consume her.

But she won't be in it alone.

Katherine Deveraux never expected to be allied with Jane McKeene. But after the hell she has endured, she knows friends are hard to come by - and that Jane needs her, too, whether Jane wants to admit it or not.

Watching Jane's back, however, is more than she bargained for, and when they both reach a breaking point, it's up to Katherine to keep hope alive - even as she begins to fear that there is no happily-ever-after for girls like her.” - taken from Goodreads.com

Deathless Divide or in which we hear Katherine Deveraux's side of the story. I started this audiobook zombie apocalypse about a week before the COVID-19 lockdown. I had to stop for a while before I could pick it back up. One of my favorite lines from this book made me laugh. “What kind of muttonhead reads Revelations at a time like this.” Told and completely different yet somewhat similar story as the first book, this book not only brings a satisfying conclusion to Jane and Katherine’s story but also provides the reader with the ultimate story of what friendship is.

Visit Justina Ireland’s website.

Sword and Pen by Rachel Caine (The Great Library book 5)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first four books in the Great Library series, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you. 

“With the future of the Great Library in doubt, the unforgettable characters from Ink and Bone must decide if it's worth saving in this thrilling adventure in the New York Times bestselling series.

The corrupt leadership of the Great Library has fallen. But with the Archivist plotting his return to power, and the Library under siege from outside empires and kingdoms, its future is uncertain. Jess Brightwell and his friends must come together as never before, to forge a new future for the Great Library . . . or see everything it stood for crumble.” - taken from Goodreads.com

This is the fifth and final book in The Great Library series. After the four previous books, I had become extremely invested in all of the characters. At over 12 hours in length for the audio version, I had a hard time hitting stop. Readers/listeners will be eager to see and all this story finally ends. A great masterpiece for sure.

Visit Rachel Caine’s website.

Smoke and Iron by Rachel Caine (The Great Library book 4)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first three books in the series, Ink and Bone, Paper and Fire, and Ash and Quill Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you. 

“To save the Great Library, the unforgettable characters from Ink and Bone, Paper and Fire, and Ash and Quill put themselves in danger in the next thrilling adventure in the New York Times bestselling series.

The opening moves of a deadly game have begun. Jess Brightwell has put himself in direct peril, with only his wits and skill to aid him in a game of cat and mouse with the Archivist Magister of the Great Library. With the world catching fire, and words printed on paper the spark that lights rebellion, it falls to smugglers, thieves, and scholars to save a library thousands of years in the making...if they can stay alive long enough to outwit their enemies.” - taken from Goodreads.com

Finally, all of our beloved characters begin to converge on Alexandria to take down the Archivist and restore the Great Library to its former mission. Told from several points of view, readers will be both captivated and heartbroken by where the storyline goes.

The Great Library will conclude with book five, Sword and Pen, on July 9, 2019.

Visit Rachel Caine’s website.

Dread Nation by Justina Ireland (Dread Nation book 1)

“Jane McKeene was born two days before the dead began to walk the battlefields of Gettysburg and Chancellorsville—derailing the War Between the States and changing America forever. In this new nation, safety for all depends on the work of a few, and laws like the Native and Negro Reeducation Act require certain children attend combat schools to learn to put down the dead. But there are also opportunities—and Jane is studying to become an Attendant, trained in both weaponry and etiquette to protect the well-to-do. It’s a chance for a better life for Negro girls like Jane. After all, not even being the daughter of a wealthy white Southern woman could save her from society’s expectations.

But that’s not a life Jane wants. Almost finished with her education at Miss Preston’s School of Combat in Baltimore, Jane is set on returning to her Kentucky home and doesn’t pay much mind to the politics of the eastern cities, with their talk of returning America to the glory of its days before the dead rose. But when families around Baltimore County begin to go missing, Jane is caught in the middle of a conspiracy, one that finds her in a desperate fight for her life against some powerful enemies. And the restless dead, it would seem, are the least of her problems.” - taken from Goodreads.com

You know you have found an absolutely great book when the first paragraph begins “The day I came squealing and squalling into the world was the first time someone tried to kill me. I guess it should have been obvious to everyone right then that I wasn't going to have a normal life.” Jane McKeene is the mixed-race daughter of a wealthy but quite liberal female white plantation owner in Kentucky. After the war between the states was derailed and the shamblers, aka zombies, started roaming the United States. The war shifted focus to one in which some people tried to get Society to go back to the way it was prior to the war were others we're trying to forge a new country.

How can a zombie book with a wickedly good twist on the American Civil War with a mystery thrown in be side-splitting hilarious? Jane's voice is outstanding as she relates not only her current situation but takes the reader through her backstory before she came to Miss Preston's. The first part of the book begins each chapter with an outtake from a letter Jane has written to her mother white the second half of the book has outtakes of letters that Jane's mother wrote to her. Each chapter's title begins with the words “In which I …”

Dread Nation is one of the best books I've read this year. With all the shot shocking revelations and twists and turns that come at the end, readers will be anxiously awaiting the next book in Jane's adventure.

Book two is expected sometime in 2019. Not soon enough for me.

Visit Justina Ireland’s website.

Ash and Quill by Rachel Caine (The Great Library book 3)

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

“Words can kill.

Hoarding all the knowledge of the world, the Great Library jealously guards its secrets. But now a group of rebels poses a dangerous threat to its tyranny…

Jess Brightwell and his band of exiles have fled London, only to find themselves imprisoned in Philadelphia, a city led by those who would rather burn books than submit. But Jess and his friends have a bargaining chip: the knowledge to build a machine that will break the Library’s rule.

Their time is running out. To survive, they’ll have to choose to live or die as one, to take the fight to their enemies—and to save the very soul of the Great Library…” - taken from Goodreads.com

The stakes are even higher for Jess Brightwell and his friends as they attempt to bring down the Archivist and restore honor to the Great Library of Alexandria. Starting with the cliffhanger ending from Paper and Fire,  Jess and his friends find themselves as prisoners. Fans of the series find out with another cliffhanger ending, Ms. Caine is expanding what was once a trilogy into a five book series.

Book four is expected to be published in 2018.

Visit Rachel Caine’s website.

Paper and Fire by Rachel Caine (The Great Library book 2)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book in the series, Ink and Bone, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“In Ink and Bone, New York Times bestselling author Rachel Caine introduced a world where knowledge is power, and power corrupts absolutely. Now, she continues the story of those who dare to defy the Great Library—and rewrite history…

With an iron fist, The Great Library controls the knowledge of the world, ruthlessly stamping out all rebellion, forbidding the personal ownership of books in the name of the greater good.

Jess Brightwell has survived his introduction to the sinister, seductive world of the Library, but serving in its army is nothing like he envisioned. His life and the lives of those he cares for have been altered forever. His best friend is lost, and Morgan, the girl he loves, is locked away in the Iron Tower and doomed to a life apart.

Embarking on a mission to save one of their own, Jess and his band of allies make one wrong move and suddenly find themselves hunted by the Library’s deadly automata and forced to flee Alexandria, all the way to London.

But Jess’s home isn’t safe anymore. The Welsh army is coming, London is burning, and soon, Jess must choose between his friends, his family, or the Library willing to sacrifice anything and anyone in the search for ultimate control… “ - taken from Goodreads.com

A continuation of Jess Brightwell’s epic journey to bring down the Great Library. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, especially since several of Jess’ friends are in trouble. More twists and turns take place with a stunning conclusion that will leave readers awaiting Ash and Quill due out in 2017.

Visit Rachel Caine’s website.

The Crown's Game by Evelyn Skye (The Crown's Game book 1)

Check out Epic Reads’ Everything You Need to Know About The Crown’s Game.

“Vika Andreyeva can summon the snow and turn ash into gold. Nikolai Karimov can see through walls and conjure bridges out of thin air. They are enchanters—the only two in Russia—and with the Ottoman Empire and the Kazakhs threatening, the Tsar needs a powerful enchanter by his side.

And so he initiates the Crown’s Game, an ancient duel of magical skill—the greatest test an enchanter will ever know. The victor becomes the Imperial Enchanter and the Tsar’s most respected adviser. The defeated is sentenced to death.

Raised on tiny Ovchinin Island her whole life, Vika is eager for the chance to show off her talent in the grand capital of Saint Petersburg. But can she kill another enchanter—even when his magic calls to her like nothing else ever has?

For Nikolai, an orphan, the Crown’s Game is the chance of a lifetime. But his deadly opponent is a force to be reckoned with—beautiful, whip smart, imaginative—and he can’t stop thinking about her.

And when Pasha, Nikolai’s best friend and heir to the throne, also starts to fall for the mysterious enchantress, Nikolai must defeat the girl they both love... or be killed himself.

As long-buried secrets emerge, threatening the future of the empire, it becomes dangerously clear... the Crown’s Game is not one to lose.” - taken from Goodreads.com

This book has gotten some mixed reviews in the reading community but I thought it might just be the book for me and I wasn’t wrong. It is October 1825 and Imperial Russia is under the rule of Tsar Alexander I. His son, nicknamed Pasha, isn’t interested in politics but his sister, Yuliana, is. Watching the brewing trouble  with the Ottoman Empire, Yulina convinces her father that Pasha isn’t strong enough to be tsar and will need an Imperial Enchanter by his side. As Pasha nears his seventeenth birthday, Alexander convenes the Crown’s Game to choose. With two possible candidates, the Game is a test and show of magical skill that will result in the death of the enchanter who fails.

Vika has trained her entire life with her father to become the next Imperial Enchanter. They live a life of isolation on Ovchinin Island where she works with her father. At sixteen, Vika and her father, Sergei, are floored when they receive an invitation to the The Crown’s Game. Sergei had sent word to his sister Galina when he discovered Vika’s abilities but it would seem that she didn’t return the favor. Galina has been training her student, Nikolai, since she traded for the motherless boy with his village. They were terrified of Nikolai’s powers. When the two are summoned by the tsar to start the Game, Nikolai realizes that he has seen Vika and her display of powers on the island when he visited with Pasha.

Soon the two are not only caught up in the Game but with Pasha as well. Where only one enchanter can survive, love has no place, but friendships and relationships have a way of making a mess of things.

In a game of where only one enchanter can survive, will it be Vika or Nikolai? Or will love win out?

The story will conclude with The Crown’s Heir in 2017.

Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine (The Great Library book 1)

In an exhilarating new series, New York Times bestselling author Rachel Caine rewrites history, creating a dangerous world where the Great Library of Alexandria has survived the test of time.…

Ruthless and supremely powerful, the Great Library is now a presence in every major city, governing the flow of knowledge to the masses. Alchemy allows the Library to deliver the content of the greatest works of history instantly—but the personal ownership of books is expressly forbidden.

Jess Brightwell believes in the value of the Library, but the majority of his knowledge comes from illegal books obtained by his family, who are involved in the thriving black market. Jess has been sent to be his family’s spy, but his loyalties are tested in the final months of his training to enter the Library’s service.

When he inadvertently commits heresy by creating a device that could change the world, Jess discovers that those who control the Great Library believe that knowledge is more valuable than any human life—and soon both heretics and books will burn.… - Goodreads.com

Book two, Paper and Fire, will be out July 5, 2016.

Visit Rachel Caine's website.