Once a Villain by Vanessa Len (Monsters book 3)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first two books in the series, Only a Monster and Never a Hero, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“Joan has failed to stop Eleanor.

Now Eleanor rules over a cruel new timeline where monsters live openly among humans, preying on them and subjugating them.

Nick—once a hero to humans, and Joan’s first love—is tormented by the choice he made to save her over the timeline itself. And Aaron—the ruthless heir to a powerful monster family—now finds himself in a world where monsters have power beyond imagining while his feelings for Joan grow.

Wrenched between love and rivalry, the three of them must negotiate their fractured pasts to survive the new world and restore what was lost. Because only they remember that there was once a better timeline.

But how will they defeat a whole world of monsters with control over time itself?” - taken from Goodreads.

This was a great wrap up to this trilogy that finds Joan, Nick, and Aaron in a race against time to stop Eleanor from stopping time travel and creating her version of the perfect timeline. Without giving too much away, the ending was fast paced and satisfying.

Visit Vanessa Len’s website.

Burning Crowns by Catherine Doyle & Katherine Webber (Twin Crowns book 3)

 

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

“Twin queens Rose & Wren survived the Battle for Anadawn and brought back magic to their kingdom. But danger lurks in Eana’s shadows.

Wren is troubled. Ever since she performed the blood spell on Prince Ansel, her magic has become unruly. Worse, the spell created a link between Wren and the very man she’s trying to forget: Icy King Alarik of Gevra. A curse is eating away at both of them. To fix it they must journey to the northern mountains—under the watchful guard of Captain Tor Iversen—to consult with the Healer on High.

Rose is haunted. Waking one night to find her undead ancestor Oonagh Starcrest by her bed, she receives a warning: surrender the throne—or face a war that will destroy Eana. With nowhere to turn and desperate to find a weapon to defeat Oonagh, Rose seeks help from Shen-Lo in the Sunkissed Kingdom, but what she finds there may break her heart.

As Oonagh threatens all Rose and Wren hold dear, it will take everything they have to save Eana–including a sacrifice they may not be prepared to make.” - taken from Goodreads.

Not quite the ending that I was expecting but the storyline is wrapped up by the ending.

Visit Catherine Doyle’s website.

Visit Katherine Webber’s website.

The Poison Season by Mara Rutherford

 

“Outsiders are always given a choice: the Forest or the lake. Either way, they're never heard from again.

Leelo has spent her entire life on Endla, coexisting with the bloodthirsty Forest and respecting the poisonous lake that protects her island from outsiders who seek to destroy it. But as much as Leelo cares for her community, she struggles to accept that her younger brother will be exiled by his next birthday, unless he gains the magic of enchanted song so vital to Endla.

When Leelo sees a young outsider on the verge of drowning in the lake, she knows exactly what she's supposed to do. But in a moment that will change everything, Leelo betrays her family, her best friend, and Endla by making an unthinkable choice.

Discovery could lead to devastating consequences for both Leelo and the outsider, Jaren, but as they grow closer, Leelo realizes that not all danger comes from beyond the lake—and they can only survive if Leelo is willing to question the very fabric of her society, her people, and herself. “ -  taken from Goodreads.

A magical story full of mystery, secrets, and love. When Leelo saves Jaren from the poisoned waters of Lake Luma, she cannot bring herself to kill or alert the council of the outsider’s arrival. Hiding him away from everyone and nursing him back to health, can Leelo keep Jaren a hidden until they figure out a way for him to leave the island or will someone betray them?

Visit Mara Rutherford’s website.

The Queen's Resistance by Rebecca Ross (The Queen's Rising book 2)

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

Check out Book Series Recaps for a refresher of the first book.

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

“Finally, Brienna is a mistress of knowledge and is settling into her role as the daughter of Davin MacQuinn, a disgraced lord who returned to Maevana to reclaim his house. Though she’d just survived a revolution, one that will finally return a queen to the throne, she faces another difficult challenge. She must prove herself trustworthy to the MacQuinns. But as Queen Isolde Kavanagh’s closest confidant, she’ll have to balance serving her father’s house as well as her country. And then there’s Cartier, a wholly separate but desirable factor in her new life.

Aodhan Morgane, formerly known as Cartier Évariste, is adjusting to the stark contrast between his pre-rebellion life in Valenia as a master of knowledge and his current one as the lord of a fallen house. During his castle’s restoration, he discovers a ten-year-old boy named Tomas, whose past and parentage are a complete mystery. So when Cartier’s former pupil Brienna is as taken with Tomas as he is, he lets his mind wander—what if he doesn’t have to raise him or his house alone?

As the Lannon trial rapidly approaches, Brienna and Cartier must put their feelings aside to concentrate on forging alliances, executing justice, and ensuring that no one interferes with the queen’s coronation. But resistance is rumbling among the old regime’s supporters, who are desperate to find a weakness in the rebels’ forces. And nothing makes a person more vulnerable than deep-seated love.” - taken from Goodreads.com

WOW! I loved The Queen’s Rising and was super excited to learn that Brienna’s story would be continuing. What I wasn’t expecting was to love the second book even more. Brienna’s story really amps up as she and her friends and family try to rebuild their lives and place Isolde on the throne. Never an easy path, many shocking twists and turns occur along the way to a satisfying ending.

Visit Rebecca Ross’ website.

Mist, Metal, and Ash by Gwendolyn Clare (Ink, Iron, and Glass book 2)

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

“In an alternate 19th-century Italy, Elsa has an incredible gift: she can craft new worlds with precise lines of script written in books. But political extremists have stolen the most dangerous book ever scribed―one that can rewrite the Earth itself.

Now Elsa must track down the friend who betrayed her and recover the book before its destructive power is unleashed. Can she handle the secrets she’ll uncover along the way―including the ones hiding in her own heart?” - taken from Goodreads.com

It didn’t take me long to get back into this story. Elsa and her new friends believe that Leo has betrayed them by returning to his father’s side. Unknowingly to them, Leo is trying to keep Elsa safe in the only way he knows how. A bit slow at times, the action picks up at the end. I can’t say that book two completely wraps up the story bust as of now, there is no word on whether there will be a third book.

Visit Gwendolyn Clare’s website.

Ink, Iron, and Glass by Gwendolyn Clare (Ink, Iron, and Glass book 1)

“Can she write a world gone wrong?

A certain pen, a certain book, and a certain person can craft entirely new worlds through a branch of science called scriptology. Elsa comes from one such world that was written into creation by her mother—a noted scriptologist.

But when her home is attacked and her mother abducted, Elsa must cross into the real world and use her own scriptology gifts to find her. In an alternative 19th-century Italy, Elsa finds a secret society of pazzerellones—young people with a gift for mechanics, alchemy or scriptology—and meets Leo, a gorgeous mechanist with a smart mouth and a tragic past. She recruits the help of these fellow geniuses just as an assassin arrives on their doorstep.” - taken from Goodreads.com

Ink, Iron, and Glass is a unique steampunk story with an alternative history twist. Elsa lives in the “scripted” world of Veldana with her mother Jumi. Both mother and daughter are scriptologists, but they and the world they live in are scripted by a man named Montaigne. When Jumi is kidnapped, Elsa is forced to go to the real world to find her. There she finds that Montaigne is dead, his house is on fire, and the worldbook that contains Veldana is missing.

Elsa discovers a group of young adults who are gifted like herself, scriptologists machinists, or Alchemists, who helped her begin to search for her mother. With a rich world building plot, a slow-burning romance, and shocking reveals, fans will be initially heartbroken but clamoring for the next book in the series.

Book two, Mist, Metal, and Ash, is due out February 19, 2019.

Visit Gwendolyn Clare’s website.

Shades of Earth by Beth Revis (Across the Universe book 3)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't read the first two books in the series, Across the Universe and A Million Suns, Stop! I don't want to ruin one of my favorite series for you.

“Fueled by lies. Ruled by chaos. Almost home.”

Picking up where A Million Suns left off, Shades of Earth finds Elder and Amy attempting to form a new colony on Centauri-Earth. Amy thaws out her parents and the remaining citizens from Earth, things quickly sour when Amy’s father, Colonel Martin. Refuses to see Elder as a leader and takes charge. With flying monsters and an unknown world outside, the shuttle suddenly begins a lockdown sequence. Immediately it becomes apparent that in order to survive, everyone must vacate.

A lack of time together, an eager young soldier from Sol-Earth and interference from Amy’s parents become issues for Amy and Elder outside of the Godspeed. Soon, people begin disappearing and then turning up dead, the two return to the shuttle to see if Orion will provide any answers. Finding him on the verge of death, Orion gives them one last clue. Amy uncovers the book he is talking about and begins to ponder the possibilities. Elder begins to wonder what secrets Colonel Martin is keeping from everyone. They quickly realize that they are not alone on Centauri-Earth.

What secrets does Centauri-Earth hold? Will Colonel Martin reveal what he knows before it is too late? Who is murdering the new inhabitants, how and why? Can Amy and Elder survive and possibly find their happily ever after?

In this stunning conclusion to the Across the Universe trilogy, readers will be gripping the edge of their seat until the last page.

Visit Beth Revis’ website.

The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa (Iron Fery - Call of the Forgotten book one)

“Don’t look at Them. Never let Them know you can see Them.”

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read The Iron Fey series, Stop! You will be lost in Ethan’s story if you don’t know his sister Meghan’s. For fans of the series, you will be delighted to catch up on some favorite characters.

Twelve years have passed since Meghan Chase became the Iron Queen and her duties have prevented her from seeing her mortal family. Her younger brother Ethan is now seventeen and misses his older sister. He attempts to avoid the Good Neighbors at all costs. Once they realize he has Sight, the fey pester and cause major problems for him. The Chase family left the pig farm behind for a more populated area in an attempt to avoid detection, unfortunately, Ethan is never able to stay at any school for any length of time because of his run-ins with faeries have labeled him a troublemaker. His only outlet is kali, a Filipino fighting style using knives and sticks that he studies in order to defend himself from faery attacks.

Hoping to make a fresh start at another new school to make his mother happy, Ethan runs into trouble before the day is finished. First, he attracts the attention of a beautiful girl, Kenzie St. James. She is relentless even when Ethan is downright rude to her. Then he encounters the football quarterback bullying a student in the hallway who happens to be half fey. Against his better judgment, he helps out Todd and ends up in an altercation. Todd realizes that Ethan knows his true identity and is blamed by the principal for the fight based on his reputation. Kenzie is unmerciful in her pursuit to talk with Ethan. When he discovers that is a reporter for the school newspaper and not a cheerleader, he is shocked and intrigued. Soon she has him roped into an interview about being the new student.

Todd shows up at Ethan’s door that night. He is in trouble with the faeries and needs help. Ethan reluctantly agrees to help if Todd agrees to leave him alone. They spend all night going over everything that Ethan knows. The next day Ethan goes to the library after school to meet up with Kenzie and realizes that a faery is following him, not wanting to drag his friends into his mess. He bypasses the library and goes out behind the football field. There, a faery unlike any his has ever seen reveal themselves and warns Ethan not to interfere with what will happen. Don’t involve the Iron Court and his family will remain safe. He asks what it is and the faery replies that they are nothing, they are the forgotten. Ethan is not to interfere with their return or else. It throws down a pixie that dies as he watches. The faery ponders that they half breed may be stronger and leaves. Suddenly Kenzie appears and apparently has overheard the conversation. She took notes and wants to know who he was talking to. Blowing her off, he races to look Todd. He finds his discarded jacket by an open library window and a note. It says that he is running, for his parents not to worry and sorry for dragging Ethan into this mess. He talks Kenzie into not going to the authorities right away.

Knowing Todd is in trouble, Ethan realizes that the only way to help him is to contact his sister. He pulls out an old letter from Meghan. Inside is a token with directions on how to travel to the Nevernever. He pockets it and sneaks out to visit a neighborhood park. Finding only a solitary dryad, she tells Ethan that things are bad. He must visit the Iron Queen to inform her of their plight. Ethan doesn’t want to get involved; he is just looking for information about Todd. The dryad will have answers the next night, the night of his kali demonstration. He gets the suspicion he won’t see her again.

The day of the demonstration, the police question Ethan about Todd’s disappearance. He doesn’t let on about what he knows and his mother is disappointed he has become involved with the fey once again. Angry, his thoughts continue to stray to Kenzie. He decides to leave for the demonstration early and takes Meghan’s token with him. Ethan arrives and finds put that he will get to do the live weapons demo. He is thrilled but runs into Kenzie who is there for the school paper. Ethan’s demo is flawless and Kenzie is impressed. They begin talking and soon she asks if he believes in faeries. He tries to play it off but Kenzie isn’t buying it. She tells him that she is only trying to help.

Ethan tells her no one can help him and he doesn’t want to involve her. Leave him alone and suddenly the forgotten fey make themselves known. He grabs Kenzie and runs. Not being able to see Them, she doesn’t know what is going on. With no way to escape, Ethan decides to use Meghan’s token and ends up taking Kenzie with him. Once in the Nevernever, they find themselves in a cave with Grimalkin. He says that he wondered when Ethan Chase would finally show up.

Who are the Forgotten? What happened to Todd? Will Kenzie be able to accept the truth about faeries and the Nevernever? Can Ethan put his hostility towards Meghan aside and help save the half breeds and exiles in the mortal world? What happens while Ethan and Kenzie are in the Nevernever and who do they meet? Will trust and romance bloom? Will it ever be safe for the two of them to return to the mortal world?

Book two (Book six of the Iron Fey) of the Call of the Forgotten, The Traitor Son, is due out in 2013.

Visit Julie Kagawa’s website.