Hi everyone and welcome to my stop on the Dark Skies book tour hosted by The FFBC! I hope you enjoy my review and if interested in a copy for yourself be sure to enter the giveaway!

Title: Dark Skies(Dark Shores #2)
by Danielle L. Jensen
Publisher: Tor Teen
Release Date: May5th 2020
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Synopsis:

A RUNAWAY WITH A HIDDEN PAST

Lydia is a scholar, but books are her downfall when she meddles in the plots of themost powerful man in the Celendor Empire. Her life in danger, she flees west to thefar side of the Endless Seas and finds herself entangled in a foreign war where herburgeoning powers are sought by both sides.

A COMMANDER IN DISGRACE
Killian is Marked by the God of War, but his gifts fail him when the realm under thedominion of the Corrupter invades Mudamora. Disgraced, he swears his sword tothe kingdom’s only hope: the crown princess. But the choice sees him caught up ina web of political intrigue that will put his oath–and his heart–to the test.

A KINGDOM UNDER SIEGE
With Mudamora falling beneath the armies of the Corrupter, Lydia and Killian strikea bargain to save those they love most—but it is a bargain with unintended anddisastrous consequences. Truths are revealed, birthrights claimed, and loyaltiesquestioned—all while a menace deadlier and more far-reaching than they realizesweeps across the world.

BOOKLINKS

Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/41438058

Amazon:https://amzn.to/2yYHovx

B&N:https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dark-skies-danielle-l-jensen/1133175502?ean=9781250317766

iTunes:https://books.apple.com/br/book/dark-skies/id1477845862

Bookdepository:https://www.bookdepository.com/author/Danielle-L-Jensen

Kobo:https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/dark-skies-3

Google Books:https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Danielle_L_Jensen_Dark_Shores?id=27ZrDwAAQBAJ

So I just want to start off by saying I read Dark Shores (book numero uno) and loved it! So I was very excited going into book 2. Although this is technically the second book in the series it can be read first as Dark Shores and Dark Skies take place at the same time just with different people.

Dark Skies follows Lydia and Killian as circumstances cause their two paths to crash together. We flip back and forth between the twos perspective so we get a good look into each one’s thoughts. Lydia goes through some exponential growth as her journey pulls her into a world full of magic and bloodshed. She was q great MC and I loved everytime it switched to her POV.

The pace was absolutely perfect in this! I was able to finish it in two days( would have been one if my 4 year old didnt require my constant services🤣❤) and I am so excited for the third and final installment. I did enjoy Dark Skies more so than Dark Shores. I really loved Lydia and Killians characters. The romance in this was way more easy to root for and we really get to dive more into all the fine details regarding the magic systems and the Gods and whatnot. And there was plenty of action to keep you on the edge of your seat!

I am giving this a 4 out of 5 stars!

AUTHOR INFORMATION

Danielle L. Jensen is the USA Today bestselling author of The Malediction Trilogy (Angry Robot), theDark Shores series (Tor Teen), and The Bridge Kingdom series (AudibleOriginals). She lives inCalgary, Alberta with her family.

AUTHORLINKS
Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7091823.Danielle_L_Jensen

Website:http://www.danielleljensen.com/

Twitter:https://twitter.com/dljensen_

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/danielleljensen/

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/authordanielleljensen/

Pinterest:https://www.pinterest.ca/daniellelynnjen/

TOUR SCHEDULE

https://fantasticflyingbookclub.blogspot.com/2020/04/tour-schedule-dark-skies-dark-shores-2.html

GIVEAWAY
Prize: Win (1) of (4) copies of DARK SKIES by Danielle L. Jensen (US Only)Starts: May 5th2020Ends: May 19th2020

Click here to enter!

Hello book world! Welcome to my stop on the Elysium Girls blog tour hosted by the FFBC! Today I am excited to share with you my review for Elysium Girls as well as some of my favorite quotes.

BOOK INFORMATION

Elysium Girls

byKate Pentecost

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Release Date: April 14th 2020

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Synopsis: In this sweeping Dust Bowl-inspired fantasy, a ten-year game between Life and Death pits the walled Oklahoma city of Elysium-including a girl gang of witches anda demon who longs for humanity-against the supernatural in order to judge mankind.When Sal is named Successor to Mother Morevna, a powerful witch and leader ofElysium, she jumps at the chance to prove herself to the town. Ever since she was akid, Sal has been plagued by false visions of rain, and though people think she’s aliar, she knows she’s a leader. Even the arrival of enigmatic outsider Asa-a human-obsessed demon in disguise-doesn’t shake her confidence in her ability. Until aterrible mistake results in both Sal and Asa’s exile into the Desert of Dust and Steel.Face-to-face with a brutal, unforgiving landscape, Sal and Asa join a gang of girlsheaded by another Elysium exile-and young witch herself-Olivia Rosales. In order to atone for their mistake, they create a cavalry of magic powered, scrap metal horses to save Elysium from the coming apocalypse. But Sal, Asa, and Olivia must do more than simply tip the scales in Elysium’s favor-only by reinventing the rules can they beat the Life and Death at their own game.

BOOKLINKS

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Google Books

If the cover doesn’t draw you into Elysium Girls, the synopsis definitely will. This is pitched as Mad Max meets Caraval and there’s witchy girl gangs and demons and metal horses and WHAT MORE DO YOU NEED.

I was immediately intrigued by the first chapter and from there it only got better! This was such a different mashup of topics and I really enjoyed the uniqueness. The Dust Bowl and Great Depression setting with a town that has been thrust into a ten year battle with Life and Deaths supernatural army. I thought the world building was superb and pretty well drawn out. Kate Pentecost has such a great way of shaping a world it was hard to not be drawn in!

Our MC is Sal who was set to take over as leader for their town but events unfold and she finds herself exiled out into the unforgiving desert with a demon who longs to be human. The only way for them to survive is to join up with a gang of witches. Sal was a pretty good main character. She was easy to connect with and I love a main character that grows and finds herself throughout the book. The witchy girl gang was amaaaazing and one of my fave parts. They were so diverse and fun and a terrific addition to the story.

His heart was human now, through and through. And humanity, true humanity, he realized, was sacrifice.

I found this to be an overall very enjoyable historical/ dystopian/ fantasy read! I am giving it 4 out of 5 stars.

Kate Pentecost was born and raised on the Texas/Louisiana border, where ghostsand rural legends lurk in the pines and nothing iscompletely as it seemsShe holds an MFA in Writing for Children &Young Adults from Vermont Collegeof Fine Arts. She was recently nominated for a Rhysling award for her poem “SmallTown Witches.”Her debut novel, Elysium Girls, is forthcoming from Disney Hyperion in 2020 inprint and audio formats.She is obsessed with the Romantic Poetsand can be identified by the enormoustattoo of Percy Bysshe Shelley on her arm. She lives in Houston (H-Town, SpaceCity, etc.)

AUTHORLINKS

Website:https://www.katepentecost.com/

Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17712741.Kate_Pentecost

Twitter:https://twitter.com/Pentecostelle

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/katepentecost/

TOUR SCHEDULE:

http://fantasticflyingbookclub.blogspot.com/2020/03/tour-schedule-elysium-girls-by-kate.html

GIVEAWAY

Prize: Win a copy of ELYSIUM GIRLS by Kate Pentecost (US Only)

Starts: 8thApril 2020

Ends: 22ndApril 2020

Click HERE to enter!

Hi everyone! And welcome to my spot on the Crave blog tour hosted by The FFBC!

Crave

by Tracy Wolff
Publisher: Entangled: Teen
Release Date: April 7th 2020

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal

Synopsis: My whole world changed when I stepped inside the academy. Nothing is right about this place or the other students in it. Here I am, a mere mortal among gods…or monsters. I still can’t decide which of these warring factions I belong to, if I belong at all. I only know the one thing that unites them is their hatred of me.

Then there’s Jaxon Vega. A vampire with deadly secrets who hasn’t felt anything for a hundred years. But there’s something about him that calls to me, something broken in him that somehow fits with what’s broken in me.

Which could spell death for us all.

Because Jaxon walled himself off for a reason. And now someone wants to wake a sleeping monster, and I’m wondering if I was brought here intentionally—as the bait.

BOOK LINKS

Goodreads |Amazon|B&N | iTunes|Kobo| Google Books:

A Vampire Novel A Day Keeps The Doctor Away. Or something like that.

This was a pretty enjoyable read! I’ve been in a total vampire story mood lately and this hit the spot! The story follows Grace, as her whole life gets upended and she is sent to the middle of nowhere Alaska to live with her uncle and her cousin, Macy. It just so happens her uncle is the headmaster of a prestigious boarding school. So prestigious in fact, there’s like no information on the internet about it. Grace takes it all in stride though, as there is no other choice but to do just that. But upon her arrival she is greeted with a not so welcome party, in that of Jaxon Vegas. His cold greeting to her ends with a grim warning that she does not belong there and basically she will not survive if she stays. I’d be like aight I’m out peace, but our girl Grace just sorta shrugs it off.

I will start off by saying I really loved the chapter headings. They were funny and catchy and I was eager to see each one. This is minor thing I know but hey, it’s the little things. Okay now moving on I will start with the characters. Macy is definitely up there with my favorites. She was funny, understanding, and just an all around cool chick. Our MC, Grace was just alright. I felt her naivety and oblivious-ness to be rather annoying at times and I was like girlfriend, open your eyes something is clearly different her. I don’t know. I mean I guess I wouldn’t want to believe something supernatural was going on at first either. Besides her naivety, she was pretty funny and sarcastic and I loved her inner dialogue.  Jaxon was a very mysterious, interesting character that I wish we could have gotten a bit more insight to. Also, I just am not the biggest fan of insta-love type deals. Ah I’m sorry okay! I really do try to like it, it just grates on my nerves. This luckily wasn’t a shoved in your face insta-love and it did drag out a bit. So maybe insta-love isn’t the correct term. Hmmm how about eventual love. Delayed love?  Eh no that’s not right either. Whatever, you get the picture.

Besides the few issues I had, I really did find the overall story and plot to be very entertaining. There was a wide variety of supernatural themes, not just vampires! Dragon Shifters! Witches! OOOohhhh very fun! I loved all the twists, even if some were predictable. Our villian was truly a villian and even though I did guess who it would be I still felt a bit of shock that I was actually right! This story kept me hooked and I couldn’t put it down until I finished. And that cliff hanger-whoo boy gimme gimme gimme book 2! I am giving this a  3.75 out of 5 stars. I was so close to 4 but just wasn’t quite there all the way.

Favorite Quotes

“Okay, kid. Here goes nothing!” Philip tells me. Which, by the way, definitely makes the top five things you don’t ever want to hear your pilot say while you’re still in the air.”

“One glance and I know this dark boy with the closed-off eyes and the fuck-you attitude isn’t the hero anyone’s story. Least of all mine.”

“My brain is imploding. I can feel it actually turnings to mush and folding in on itself under the weight of all this new information. I mean who needs LSD when you go to Monster High?”

” But I’ve learned enough about Jaxon to know that he will always cast himself in the most awful light. That he will always choose to see himself as the villain, even if he’s the victim. Especially if he’s the victim.”

AUTHOR INFORMATION

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Tracy Wolff wrote her first short story—something with a rainbow and a prince—in second grade, around the same time she forayed into the wonderful world of girls lit with her first Judy Blume novel. By ten she’d read everything in the young adult and classics sections of her local bookstore, so in desperation her mom started her on romance novels. And from the first page of the first book, Tracy knew she’d found her life-long love. A one-time English professor with over fifty novels to her name, she now devotes most of her time to writing romance and dreaming up heroes. She lives in Austin, Texas, with her family.

AUTHOR LINKS

Website | Goodreads |Twitter |Facebook |Instagram

TOUR SCHEDULE

https://fantasticflyingbookclub.blogspot.com/2020/03/tour-schedule-crave-by-tracy-wolff.html

GIVEAWAY

Prize: Win a copy of CRAVE by Tracy Wolff (US Only)

Starts: 7^th April 2020

Ends: 21^st April 2020

Click HERE to enter!

Be sure to check out my instagram for another chance to win!

Night Spinner(Night Spinner #1)

byAddie Thorley

Publisher: Page Street Kids

Release Date:February 11th 2020

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Retellings

Synopsis: A must-read for fans of Leigh Bardugo’s Grishaverse, transforming The Hunchbackof Notre Dame into a powerful tundra-inspired epic.Before the massacre at Nariin, Enebish was one of the greatest warriors in the SkyKing’s Imperial Army: a rare and dangerous Night Spinner, blessed with the abilityto control the threads of darkness. Now, she is known as Enebish the Destroyer―amonster and murderer, banished to a monastery for losing control of her power andannihilating a merchant caravan.Guilt stricken and scarred, Enebish tries to be grateful for her sanctuary, until heradoptive sister, Imperial Army commander Ghoa, returns from the war front with atantalizing offer. If Enebish cancapture the notorious criminal, Temujin, whose bandof rebels has been seizing army supply wagons, not only will her crimes be pardoned,she will be reinstated as a warrior.Enebish eagerly accepts. But as she hunts Temujin across the tundra, she discoversthe tides of war have shifted, and the supplies he’s stealing are the only thing keepingthousands of shepherds from starving. Torn between duty and conscience, Enebishmust decide whether to put her trust in the charismatic rebel or her beloved sister.No matter who she chooses, an even greater enemy is advancing, ready to bring theempire to its knees.

The Night Spinner was a captivating fantasy novel that is also a Hunchback of Notre Dame retelling, say whaaaaaaat. Honestly as soon I saw that I was immediately all for it 🙌.

The world of The Night Spinner was lavish and well drawn out. I loved the authors tone. We are also given a fair amount of characters to fall in love with. I’d say our MC,Enebish, was my absolute fave. She is constantly growing and changing and I love that in a character. We’ve also got villians, morally grey characters (such a sucker for them tbh😏😏), and a sweet bby cinnamon roll.

Whilst starting out slow, the plot picks up pace once you’re a few chapters in and then you won’t be able to put it down. Watch out for the plot twists they will getcha!! Overall, I adored this retelling and cant wait for the next book( yes this is a DUOLOGY)

BOOKLINKS

Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43603777-night-spinner

Amazon:https://amzn.to/2q98BYj

B&N:https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/night-spinner-addie-thorley/1131253821?ean=9781624148880

iTunes:https://books.apple.com/us/book/night-spinner/id1470964391

Kobo:https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/night-spinner

Google Books:https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Addie_Thorley_Night_Spinner?id=oVCSDwAAQBAJ

Addie Thorley is the author of An Affair of Poisons, a YA historical fantasy, whichwas chosen as a Barnes and Noble Discover Great New Writers selection and is aYALSA Best Fiction for YoungAdults nominee. Her forthcoming novel, NightSpinner, will be released on February 11, 2020.She spent her childhood playing soccer, riding horses, and scribbling stories. Aftergraduating from the University of Utah with a degree in journalism, Addie decided“hard news” didn’t contain enough magic and kissing, so she flung herself into theland of fiction and never looked back. She now lives in Princeton, New Jersey withher husband, daughter, and wolf dog. When she’s not writing she can be foundgallivanting in the woods or galloping around the barn where she works as a horsetrainer and exercise rider.

AUTHORLINKS

Website:http://www.addiethorley.com/p/hi-im-addie.html

Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17590955.Addie_Thorley

Twitter:https://twitter.com/addiethorleyInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/addiethorley/?ref=badge

TOUR SCHEDULE

:https://fantasticflyingbookclub.blogspot.com/2019/12/tour-schedule-night-spinner-night.html

GIVEAWAY

Prize: Win a copy of NIGHT SPINNER by Addie Thorley (US/CAN Only)

Click HERE to enter!!!

Starts: February 11th, 2020

Ends: February 25th, 2020m

Hi everyone! Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for The Queen’s Assassin by Melissa De La Cruz! Be sure to keep reading for my thoughts on the book, my favorite quotes, and a chance to enter a giveaway to win a copy of the book!

Title: The Queen’s Assassin (Queen’s Secret #1)

by Melissa de la Cruz
Publisher: G. P. Putnam’s Sons
Release Date: February 4th 2020

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Synopsis: Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Red Queen, this is the first novel in a sweeping YA fantasy-romance duet about a deadly assassin, his mysterious apprentice, and the country they are sworn to protect from #1 NYT bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz.

Caledon Holt is the Kingdom of Renovia’s deadliest weapon. No one alive can best him in brawn or brains, which is why he’s the Guild’s most dangerous member and the Queen’s one and only assassin. He’s also bound to the Queen by an impossible vow–to find the missing Deian Scrolls, the fount of all magical history and knowledge, stolen years ago by a nefarious sect called the Aphrasians.

Shadow has been training all her life to follow in the footsteps of her mother and aunts–to become skilled enough to join the ranks of the Guild. Though magic has been forbidden since the Aphrasian uprising, Shadow has been learning to control her powers in secret, hoping that one day she’ll become an assassin as feared and revered as Caledon Holt.

When a surprise attack brings Shadow and Cal together, they’re forced to team up as assassin and apprentice to hunt down a new sinister threat to Renovia. But as Cal and Shadow grow closer, they’ll uncover a shocking web of lies and secrets that may destroy everything they hold dear. With war on the horizon and true love at risk, they’ll stop at nothing to protect each other and their kingdom in this stunning first novel in the Queen’s Secret series.

The Queens Assassin follows the story of Shadow and Cal, two strangers who are thrown together by a twist of fate. Shadow has grown up outside the palace, with her two ‘Aunts’, learning the ways of the Guild and wanting nothing more than to join its ranks. Calendon Holt is known as the Assassin for the queen, but little else is known besides that. When the two are both requested to come to the palace, the story really gets going.

Ok I will start with the things I liked! I love the world building in this! I really enjoyed the two main characters and their banter with each other. Their romance was entertaining to read mixed with all the political intrigue. This was action-packed that has a few moments that will keep you on your toes. This was a fun fantasy read that I went through quite quickly.

Now the things I didnt enjoy. The POV shifts were a bit confusing between Shadow and Cal. Shadows POV is first person whereas Cals POV was third person. I thought this was quite disconcerting going back and forth between the POV changes. Another thing is the repetition. There was a lot of phrases repeated. Although it was an information dump starting out, as the story goes on it gets much easier to follow and enjoy.

Overall, this was a compelling YA fantasy romance. I am giving it a 3 out of 5 stars.

FAVORITE QUOTES

“My aunts taught me that sometimes when the world is too much, when life starts to feel overwhelming, we must strip away what’s unnecessary, seek out the quiet, and listen to the dirt and trees.”

“The problem is, while he’s come to the grudging realization that she may be useful, it’s clear that as much as she might admire him, she also finds him deeply exasperating. So he isn’t quite willing to allow her the satisfaction of being right so she could hold something over him.”

“I’m almost tempted to go back to my aunts’ farm and then on to the palace, where at least I can live out my days in comfort and warmth. But I can’t even pretend to want that. If I’m being honest, that’s still less appealing than sticking out the journey ahead with my knight in shining armor, Sir Full of Himself.”

*ARC provided in exchange for honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Many thanks to the publisher and The FFBC for including me on the tour.

BOOK LINKS

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39334176-the-queen-s-assassin

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2WQpCSR

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-queens-assassin-melissa-de-la-cruz/1131493132

iTunes: https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-queens-assassin/id1463329191

Bookdepository: https://www.bookdepository.com/Queens-Assassin-Melissa-de-La-Cruz/9780525515913?ref=grid-view&qid=1573047342544&sr=1-2

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/the-queen-s-assassin-5

Google books: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Melissa_de_la_Cruz_The_Queen_s_Assassin?id=mNqXDwAAQBAJ

AUTHOR INFORMATION

Melissa de la Cruz is the New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of many critically acclaimed and award-winning novels for teens including The Au Pairs series, the Blue Bloods series, the Ashleys series, the Angels on Sunset Boulevard series and the semi-autobiographical novel Fresh off the Boat.

Her books for adults include the novel Cat’s Meow, the anthology Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys and the tongue-in-chic handbooks How to Become Famous in Two Weeks or Less and The Fashionista Files: Adventures in Four-inch heels and Faux-Pas.

She has worked as a fashion and beauty editor and has written for many publications including The New York Times, Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Allure, The San Francisco Chronicle, McSweeney’s, Teen Vogue, CosmoGirl! and Seventeen. She has also appeared as an expert on fashion, trends and fame for CNN, E! and FoxNews.

Melissa grew up in Manila and moved to San Francisco with her family, where she graduated high school salutatorian from The Convent of the Sacred Heart. She majored in art history and English at Columbia University (and minored in nightclubs and shopping!).

She now divides her time between New York and Los Angeles, where she lives in the Hollywood Hills with her husband and daughter.

AUTHOR LINKS

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21911.Melissa_de_la_Cruz

Website: https://melissa-delacruz.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MelissadelaCruz

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorMelissadelaCruz/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authormelissadelacruz/

Tumblr: https://authormelissadelacruz.tumblr.com/

TOUR SCHEDULE

http://fantasticflyingbookclub.blogspot.com/2019/12/tour-schedule-queens-assassin-queens.html

GIVEAWAY

Prize: Win a copy of THE QUEEN’S ASSASSIN by Melissa de la Cruz (US Only)

Starts: 4^th February 2020

Ends: 18^th February 2020

CLick HERE to enter the giveaway!