186. Fire & Heist- Sarah Beth Durst

Title:  Fire & Heist

Author: Sarah Beth Durst

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

On the Shelves: Young Adult> Fantasy

“Leading your first heist is a major milestone in Sky Hawkin’s family—even more so than learning to talk, walk, or do long division. It’s a chance to gain power and acceptance within society. But stealing your first treasure can be complicated—especially when you’re a wyvern, a human capable of transforming into a dragon.
Embarking on a life of crime is never easy, and Sky’s mission uncovers deep secrets about the mother who recently went missing, the real reason her boyfriend broke up with her, and a valuable jewel that could restore her family’s wealth and rank in their community.
With a handpicked crew by her side, Sky knows she has everything she needs to complete her first heist—and get back the people she loves in the process. But instead, she ends up discovering a dark truth about were-dragon society—a truth that is more valuable and dangerous than gold or jewels could ever be.” (Goodreads 2019)

185. Skyward- Brandon Sanderson

Title: Skyward (#1)

Author: Brandon Sanderson

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

On the Shelves: Young Adult> Sci Fi

Defeated, crushed, and driven almost to extinction, the remnants of the human race are trapped on a planet that is constantly attacked by mysterious alien starfighters. Spensa, a teenage girl living among them, longs to be a pilot. When she discovers the wreckage of an ancient ship, she realizes this dream might be possible—assuming she can repair the ship, navigate flight school, and (perhaps most importantly) persuade the strange machine to help her. Because this ship, uniquely, appears to have a soul.(Goodreads 2019)

183. Shadow and Bone (Grisha Trilogy #1)

Title: Shadow and Bone (Grisha Trilogy #1)

Author:Leigh Bardugo

Ratings: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

On the shelves: Young Adult Fiction> Fantasy/Romance

The Shadow Fold, a swathe of impenetrable darkness, crawling with monsters that feast on human flesh, is slowly destroying the once-great nation of Ravka.

Alina, a pale, lonely orphan, discovers a unique power that thrusts her into the lavish world of the kingdom’s magical elite – the Grisha. Could she be the key to unravelling the dark fabric of the Shadow Fold and setting Ravka free?

The Darkling, a creature of seductive charm and terrifying power, leader of the Grisha. If Alina is to fulfil her destiny, she must discover how to unlock her gift and face up to her dangerous attraction to him.

But what of Mal, Alina’s childhood best friend? As Alina contemplates her dazzling new future, why can’t she ever quite forget him? (Goodreads 2018).

182. Everless (#1)-Sara Holland

 

Title: Everless (#1)

Author: Sara Holland

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

On the Shelves: Young Adult> Fantasy

 

In the land of Sempera, the rich control everything – even time. Ever since the age of alchemy and sorcery, hours, days and years have been extracted from blood and bound to iron coins. The rich live for centuries; the poor bleed themselves dry.

Jules and her father are behind on their rent and low on hours. To stop him from draining himself to clear their debts, Jules takes a job at Everless, the grand estate of the cruel Gerling family.

There, Jules encounters danger and temptation in the guise of the Gerling heir, Roan, who is soon to be married. But the web of secrets at Everless stretches beyond her desire, and the truths Jules must uncover will change her life for ever … and possibly the future of time itself. (Goodreads 2018)

181. Furyborn- (Empirium #1)- Claire Legrand

Title: Furyborn (Empirium #1)

Author: Claire Legrand

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

On the Shelves: Young Adult- Fantasy

 

When assassins ambush her best friend, the crown prince, Rielle Dardenne risks everything to save him, exposing her ability to perform all seven kinds of elemental magic. The only people who should possess this extraordinary power are a pair of prophesied queens: a queen of light and salvation and a queen of blood and destruction. To prove she is the Sun Queen, Rielle must endure seven trials to test her magic. If she fails, she will be executed…unless the trials kill her first.

A thousand years later, the legend of Queen Rielle is a mere fairy tale to bounty hunter Eliana Ferracora. When the Undying Empire conquered her kingdom, she embraced violence to keep her family alive. Now, she believes herself untouchable–until her mother vanishes without a trace, along with countless other women in their city. To find her, Eliana joins a rebel captain on a dangerous mission and discovers that the evil at the heart of the empire is more terrible than she ever imagined.

As Rielle and Eliana fight in a cosmic war that spans millennia, their stories intersect, and the shocking connections between them ultimately determine the fate of their world–and of each other. (Goodreads 2018)

180. A Court of Frost and Starlight- Sarah J Maas

Title: A Court of Frost and Starlight

Author: Sarah J Maas

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

On the Shelves: Fiction> New Adult> Fantasy

The Winter Solstice. In a week. I was still new enough to being High Lady that I had no idea what my formal role was to be. If we’d have a High Priestess do some odious ceremony, as lanthe had done the year before A year. Gods, nearly a year since Rhys had called in his bargain, desperate to get me away from the poison of the Spring Court to save me from my despair. Had he been only a minute later, the Mother knew what would have happened. Where I’d now be. Snow swirled and eddied in the garden, catching in the brown fibers of the burlap covering the shrubs My mate who had worked so hard and so selflessly, all without hope that I would ever be with him We had both fought for that love, bled for it. Rhys had died for it. (Goodreads 2018)

179. The Cruel Prince- Holly Black

Title: The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air #1)

Author: Holly Black

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

On the shelves: Fiction> Fantasy> Young Adult

Jude was seven years old when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.

To win a place at the Court, she must defy him–and face the consequences.

In doing so, she becomes embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, discovering her own capacity for bloodshed. But as civil war threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself. (Goodreads 2018)

178. Flame in the Mist- Renee Adieh

Title: Flame in the Mist (#1)

Author: Renee Adieh

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

On the Shelves: Young Adult> Fantasy

The only daughter of a prominent samurai, Mariko has always known she’d been raised for one purpose and one purpose only: to marry. Never mind her cunning, which rivals that of her twin brother, Kenshin, or her skills as an accomplished alchemist. Since Mariko was not born a boy, her fate was sealed the moment she drew her first breath.

So, at just seventeen years old, Mariko is sent to the imperial palace to meet her betrothed, a man she did not choose, for the very first time. But the journey is cut short when Mariko’s convoy is viciously attacked by the Black Clan, a dangerous group of bandits who’ve been hired to kill Mariko before she reaches the palace.

The lone survivor, Mariko narrowly escapes to the woods, where she plots her revenge. Dressed as a peasant boy, she sets out to infiltrate the Black Clan and hunt down those responsible for the target on her back. Once she’s within their ranks, though, Mariko finds for the first time she’s appreciated for her intellect and abilities. She even finds herself falling in love—a love that will force her to question everything she’s ever known about her family, her purpose, and her deepest desires (Goodreads 2018)

176. Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass #5)- Sarah J Maas

Title: Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass #5)

Author: Sarah J Maas

Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

On the Shelves: Fiction> Young Adult/New Adult (some explicit scenes)> Fantasy

The long path to the throne has only just begun for Aelin Galathynius as war looms on the horizon. Loyalties have been broken and bought, friends have been lost and gained, and those who possess magic find themselves at odds with those who don’t.

With her heart sworn to the warrior-prince by her side, and her fealty pledged to the people she is determined to save, Aelin will delve into the depths of her power to protect those she loves. But as monsters emerge from the horrors of the past, and dark forces become poised to claim her world, the only chance for salvation will lie in a desperate quest that may mark the end of everything Aelin holds dear.

In this breathtaking fifth installment of the New York Timesbestselling Throne of Glass series, Aelin will have to choose what—and who—to sacrifice if she’s to keep the world of Erilea from breaking apart. (Goodreads 2018)

Happy New Year!- my 2017 Reading Wrap Up!

Hello everybody! First and foremost, let me say “Happy New Year!” to you all! I hope you all had a lovely holiday season and are excited to jump into a new year of reading.

Now, I intend to use this post as a bit of a cheat “Wrap up” reviews for the books I read in 2017 which I did not get around to writing proper reviews for yet. 2017 was a really good year for me in books. For the last three years, I have been focussing on my new job, and new life in a new region of the country so sadly, my reading and definitley my reviewing has suffered as a result of this. As you can see below:

 

2017 reviews- 30 books read / 11 reviews posted
2016- 16 books read / 9 reviews posted
2015- 33 books read / 13 reviews posted
2013/2014-  203 books read /142 reviews posted- good grief!

So, I have decided to do a masterpost of sorts for the 30 books I managed to read in 2017, and my general rating/thoughts on them. 30 books is the most I have read over the last three years so I am very happy with that! I will save the rest for under the cut and I ambition, as usual, to review more this year- which may be more of a reality because things are finally settling a little bit for me!  I will aim to post one review a month at least. This blog is definitley not as active as most bloggers out there, but in fairness, this is my hobby, not my job or income so…it is for fun and not professional at all.

Without further delay- my 30 books of 2017 and their reviews are listed below!