Review of The Tsarina's Legacy by Jennifer Laam

Hey book lovers, how are you? I hope all is well! What are you currently reading?

Anyways I just finished my full review of The Tsarina's Legacy by Jennifer Laam.

And omg it was such a great historical fiction novel! I honestly haven't read that many novels in the historical fiction genre, but this one really topped it off!


Review of The Tsarina's Legacy.


Actual Rating 4.5/5 Stars
I got an ARC in exchange for review from St.Martin's Press, so thank you very much for the ARC.


I felt that The Tsarina's Legacy was extremely well written! Jennifer Laam is the queen of writing  Russian historical fiction. I loved the two POV changes: "Cathrine The Great's" husband Grigory Potemkin, which was based in the late 1700s, and Veronica Herrera's POV as the descendant of the Romanovs in present time.

I thought the overall story was unique, how the past and present weaved perfectly together. It was quite interesting learning about both perspectives of the characters, and how each role they played was an important part in the Russian culture and politics.

In the story we start off with Grigory/Grisha's POV as Cathrine The Great's husband. Grisha is still madly in love with Cathrine, and it's his goal to truly win back her heart. But a young, handsome man by the name of Platon Zubov is Catherine's new favorite. To Grisha, Zubov is a threat, influencing Cathrine in all the wrong ways and secretly siding with someone who plans to overthrow her.

Grisha, however, isn't blinded by new love, and is determined to preserve his wife's legacy.

Veronica Herrera is content in her California bound life, but she hasn't really been truly happy. Once she receives news that she's the descendant of the Romanov line, and is invited to take up an honorary position in the Russian court. She not only takes this invitation, but she also embarks on a mission to help stop the anti-gay propaganda in Russia. Though the series of events in present day Russia, Veronica is tested in ways that she would have never imagined.

Both Grisha and Veronica want somewhat of the same things for the country they love. Both go through the twists and turns of being on a high political podium, while also trying to make a better future for Russia.

I loved how this story was full of accurate historical aspects that were related to Russia. I felt that I not only learned a lot about Russia, but now I have a desire to learn more about Russia's history. The characters both grew on me, and I found myself rooting for them.

The only problem I had with the story was that it felt overly saturated for me. I had somewhat of a hard time getting through a couple of chapters in the story because there was too much historical information for me to soak in all at once. Historical fiction novels are new for me, so I feel like it was kind of on my part too, for not being into it as much as I'd like.

 The Tsarina's Legacy is completely worth reading! The romance, politics, and knowledge were an extreme treat to delve into! I recommend it to all!

I hope you liked my review!
Thank you again St. Martin's Press for sending me a ARC in exchange for review!




To learn more about Jennifer Laam please click here!

New World Ashes April Blog Tour + Q&A with Jennifer Wilson

Hello Book Lovers! I hope all is well! What are you currently reading? Have any of you gone to recent book signings or cons?

Anyways, have you seen the new cover of New World Ashes by Jennifer Wilson? It's the second novel in the New World series! It's a dystopian novel that is full of action-packed amazingness!! 

And it's so beautiful! So here it is!

   

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      Isn't it so divine?I'm in love with not only the color, but the design as well!

Synopsis:

After Phoenix, a 17-year-old orphan rogue, sacrifices herself for her loved ones, her world again takes an unexpected turn. She may have forgotten her past, but it hasn’t forgotten her. A war is coming and her role in it will be pivotal.

That is... if she survives.

Also here's the synopsis for the first novel in the New World series, New World Rising!

Since witnessing her parents' murders at the age of eleven, Phoenix's only purpose in life has been to uphold her mother's dying words- to be strong and survive. But surviving outside of The Walls- outside of The Sanctuary- is more like a drawn-out death sentence. A cruel and ruthless city, Tartarus is run by the Tribes whose motto is simple, "Join or die." 

Refusing to join and determined to live, Phoenix fights to survive in this savage world. But who can she trust, when no one can be trusted? Not even herself.

You can purchase New World Rising on Amazon here!

I'm so excited to dig into this wonderful world and read New World Ashes! 

Also I got the amazing chance to interview Jennifer herself! I'm so honored I got the chance to! So here's our interview we did! I hope you all like it! 

1. How long have you been writing?

I have always loved the idea of writing, but never thought it was something I could do. I was a terrible speller, a painfully slow reader and had some issues with Dyslexia. It wasn’t until my early twenties that I stopped saying “I can’t” and started doing it. I have been writing with fervent passion every since. Sometimes we are the biggest thing holding ourselves back.

New World Rising was my first published book, but it was actually the second novel I have written. I have another series collecting digital dust, that I put on the back burner to write NWR. It is very different from The New World Series, still focused on YA fiction, but more fantasy based. Hopefully I will get that series out soon too. One thing at a time.

2. What inspired you to create the Rising series? 

I have always had a bit of an overactive imagination. My mind tends to wander and being a very visual person, I generally get these flashes of scenes­—a girl on a rooftop, an action-packed fight sequence or an impassioned kiss.  From there, my mind melds around these moments and a basic plot begins to develop. As the plot matures, so do my characters.

New World: Rising was born out of an epiphany moment for Phoenix. I could see this girl racing on rooftops, hiding in the shadows, being kind of a badass. The opening scene in the first book is the moment Phoenix was born in my mind, a dark shadowed figure standing on the ledge of a building as her hair whipped around her face in the wind, the city below her in ruin. The world just spiraled out from there, shaping around her.  I wanted to write about a girl who could take care of herself, who was just as tough as the boys and preferred to rescue herself rather than be recused. But of course she is not without her flaws. It was important to me that she—and all of the other characters—were still human, relatable and made mistakes. After that, is was apparent to me that one book wouldn’t suffice to tell Phoenix’s tale, so the trilogy was born.

3. Who are some of your favorite authors?

I am sure this is cliché, but Harry Potter inspired me to write. Not because of the fame or money, but this was the first series I fell in love with and because of how many lives J.K. Rowling touched with her books. To reach that many people and inspire them to dream and read… that is a true gift. So obviously, J.K. Rowling is at the top of that list, but there are many other authors I look up to: J.R.R. Tolkien, Rick Yancey, Dan Brown, Suzanne Collins, Cassandra Clare and Diana Gabaldon, to name a few. Alexandra Bracken and Marie Lu are also recently added to my author crush list—I love that they too write about strong female leads, who are imperfect and vulnerable at times.

4. If you could co-write with anyone, who would it be?

Marie Lu, in a heartbeat. I absolutely adore her writing style, character development and story telling. We have a very similar author "voice" and I would love to pick her brain. She is currently one of my biggest author crushes.

Plus, pretty much everyone in my Oftomes family. They are some of the kindest most inspiring people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. It would be an honor to write with any of them. Then again, maybe we already are…  (guess you’ll just have to wait and see.)

5. What does your writing routine consist of?

I am a chaotic writer. As much as I would love to plan my books out in an organized manner, my brain tends to flicker on at inconvenient moments— in the car, in the shower, at the grocery store or while lying in bed at 2am. I always have the main storyline running in the back of my mind, but I tend to let my imagination run free, taking my characters on twist and turns even I didn’t see coming. When I finally settle in to typing it up, there is almost always a hot cup of green tea in hand, a dog laying on my feet (or his head in my lap) and earbuds in. 

6. Any last words to friends and fans? 

I must start with thanks to the people who make bearing my soul worth it. You, my readers. So many wonderful and compelling stories are never heard, but now — in this day and age — Indie Authors are finally getting a voice. And that is because of fan support. Without your overwhelmingly loving posts, blogs and social media support, Phoenix would never have a story to tell.  So, I thank you.

To the book bloggers who support my books, I am eternally indebted to you. Every post you put on your blogs, every video on your Youtube channels and every image on your Instagram accounts were life-altering for me. The web so often jostles and pushes us little known authors to the side, and you made my words heard. You inspire people to read, you speak your mind and you bravely put yourself out there for the world to see. You are the trendsetters, the voices of a new generation and soul mates to every author striving to be heard. Thank you for your amazing amount of support, honesty and energy. I am inspired by you!

I hope you all liked my interview with Jennifer Wilson! Have you read the New World series yet? If so, comment your thoughts below! 

To learn more about Jennifer, all of the links are listed down below!

Jennifer Wilson

Author of the New World: Rising Series

jenniferkaywilson.com

thenewworldseries.com

The Girl From Everywhere by Heidi Heiling Review

Hello Book Lovers! How are you this fine day? Hope you all had a wonderful spring break wherever you are!

Today I'm going to be talking about The Girl From Everywhere by Heidi Heiling.

Synopsis

Nix has spent her entire life aboard her father’s ship, sailing across the centuries, across the world, across myth and imagination.

As long as her father has a map for it, he can sail to any time, any place, real or imagined: nineteenth-century China, the land from One Thousand and One Nights, a mythic version of Africa. Along the way they have found crewmates and friends, and even a disarming thief who could come to mean much more to Nix.

But the end to it all looms closer every day.

Her father is obsessed with obtaining the one map, 1868 Honolulu, that could take him back to his lost love, Nix’s mother. Even though getting it—and going there—could erase Nix’s very existence.

For the first time, Nix is entering unknown waters.

She could find herself, find her family, find her own fantastical ability, her own epic love.

Or she could disappear.

Review of The Girl From Everywhere

 She is a Myth. She is History. She is Gone.





Actual Rating: 3.5/5



The Girl From Everywhere's story itself is unique, and the uniqueness of the story is what actually drove me to reading it.

We follow our main character Nix, as she and her father sail aboard their ship to battle myths and legends. As long has her father has a map for their chosen destination, he can sail to anywhere and any place in the world, even into works of fiction. Along the way, they find crewmates and friends, as well as a wonderful and snarky thief, that would later mean a great deal to Nix.

Even though Nix's life sounds wonderful, she still has constant battles with her father's crazy obsession. The only thing that her father wants is one map, a particular map will take them to 1868 Honolulu, the year that Nix was born, and the year her mother died. The only problem is that it could ruin Nix's life and erase who she became.


 "She could find herself, find her family, find her own fantastical ability, her own epic love. Or she could disappear."



Honestly this book was really hard for me to work through. I had problems with the writing style, plot, and especially the main character. It actually reminded me a lot of Passenger by Alexandra Bracken.

Writing Style: The writing for me was overly wordy, and seemed be intent on description, but perhaps  because I just wasn't accustomed to it. Throughout the first and middle of the novel I just felt like it kept dragging on. Heidi Heiling does a fantastic job with immersing you into the story, especially with her use of emotive words, but when it's combined with the historical aspects in The Girl From Everywhere, it felt bogged down and stagnant.

Needless to say, I really thought the historical aspects and well-thought-out descriptions were beautiful. Heidi Heiling obviously did her research, which made TGFE historically accurate. But I still can't get over how slow almost the entire book was.
Nix's character kind of followed those same guidelines. Her character just didn't do it for me, I could't handle her indecisiveness, and the all-too-familiar the love triangle she puts herself in. It almost felt like the story's theme was less about time-traveling and more about feeling rebellious, and somehow finding out about yourself because of that.

Kashmir, the thief, is obviously head over heels for Nix, and for some irritating reason, her judgment is too clouded and she can't see it. He'd seemingly do anything for her, and here Nix goes and basically falls for a bland, artistic man whom she knows nothing about. Have we not read this before?

I just couldn't handle that extra edition in the story. It really interfered with the general enjoyment of read a work of historical fiction, albeit it is YA historical fiction. But what really made the novel worth finishing was Kashmir's character, as well as the places that Heidi Heiling took you to when reading the novel.

Kashmir's entire character is just utterly amazing. I loved how well developed he was in the story. The snarky comments he made were excellently written, and he had a wonderful sense of humor that just kept you reading, even in times of inaction. I also really loved how wise he was throughout the entire novel, and how he was always caring and respectful to not only Nix, but every character in the novel. Even though he's basically a "professional thief", he seems to exhibit more compassion than any other character.
I really enjoyed how Heidi included places in TGFE that aren't often talked about in books, especially YA books! She takes you to India, China, and Hawaii! Those parts she included, defiantly made it more interesting and mind blowing.


I'm honestly shocked with the ending. It was quite subtle, but yet perfect. It ended happily, and all of the problems were solved, (well, most of them) but in the end, we never find out what we wanted to know. It feels that since the ending wasn't particularly dramatic or emotional, we may never find out what happens with Nix.

I hope there is a second book, and that we learn more things about Nix's story. I just hope that if there is a sequel, it might be a bit easier to read, and less wordy.



I hope you liked my review! Comment below if you've read TGFE! What were your thoughts?

Also my bookclub @YADIVERSITY chose The Girl From Everywhere by Heidi Heiling for our March book of 2016.
So if you'd like to hear more of our thoughts about it please follow us on our IG page! (Please click here)
Also we'll be announcing our book of the month for April shortly!

If you want to learn more about Heidi Heiling, please click here!

Review of The Curseborn Saga by Trowa D. Cloud

Hello book lovers! I hope all is well on your end of the line! Sorry that I haven't posted in awhile, been busy with exams! But what's really brightened my week was reading The Curseborn Saga by Trowa D. Cloud.

Synopsis:

The Curseborn Saga is about Eiendrahk, the never-ending war between the Goddess of Life and the God of Death. In written legend, every 100 cycles Death breaks free of the chains that cage him to his dark world, and he once again descends upon Life in an attempt to steal her element and enter the first sun of the Universe; a place that can only be entered when Life and Death are one. The Goddess of Life is protected by the Sorians, a race of Demi-Gods that live on floating islands within her world. However, because of a terrible curse, the realm of Soria has been divided and broken, and many believe it is only a matter of time before the Purebloods and the Curseborn go to war. Will the Sorians be destroyed by themselves, or find out the truth to their timeless curse, and with it, the truth to their very existence? 

For nearly 500 rings Caim and Storm have been training in the art of swordsmanship under their grandfather Ronin. Can they overcome the final challenge of their training and defeat the World of Inner Depths? Meanwhile on the floating country of Risia, Remi, Baelie and Maile, three adopted daughters of the Empress, are summoned to the Valyti by Lady Enies, the Vice Captain of the Force. The Valyti, home to the nine strongest women of Soria, is a dark and dangerous place, spoke of only in rumor and myth. Will the three sisters be brave enough to answer the summoning and make the journey to the mysterious Valyti? 

Review of The Curseborn Saga:

5/5

Wow! That's basically all I can say!

 

I went into The Curseborn Saga, knowing a minimal amount of information of the plot. And I ended up being thrusted into a beautiful and well thought out, adventurous, enthralling, story.

We follow two brothers, named Caim and Storm, who go on a epic fantasy journey battling the world of Inner Depths, and traveling to the first floating world of Falia.

We also follow three sisters, who's names are Remi, Baelie, and Maile. All three sisters encounter great obstacles and paths, to becoming guards for a group of very strong women, who call themselves The Valyti.

Trowa did a fantastic job with the point of view changes from Storm to Remi. It wasn't at all confusing, which I was really fond of because not many authors execute POV changes as well as Trowa did. Every character was extremely well developed and all of the characters felt relatable in some way. I also really enjoyed how invincible and strong all of the characters were, especially the obstacles that each one faces.

Fade to Black was completely engaging! Trowa has a talent for blending different concepts of anime into his storytelling, which makes it truly unique. His writing style is extremely dynamic, which made me completely involved. I loved the combination of art that was peppered throughout the entire novel. It really helps you get aquatinted with the world your immersed in, as well as visualizing the characters. Trowa's detail for description is mind blowing!! He completely surpasses Tolkien, when it comes to description and world building! 

The Curseborn Saga was such an amazing and fast paced read! And the Four Lords did a phenomenal job! I cannot wait to read the next installment!

Thank you so much for sending me The Curseborn Saga for review! It is extremely appreciated!

I hope you all liked the review! Please go check out The Curseborn Saga! You can read the first novella for free at Curseborn.com

If you've read The Curseborn Saga, I'd love to hear your thoughts about it!

have a wonderful day!

Love,

Jade Crow

Also to learn more about The Four Lords, please click here!

To purchase The Curseborn Saga, please click here!

Review of Uncovering Love by Kacey Shea

Hello all! I hope everything is going well in your life right now! What have you all been up to recently? What are you currently reading?

Anyways today I'm going to be talking about Uncovering Love by Kacey Shea. It's the first novel in her trilogy, and honestly it's the best first novel I've ever read in a trilogy!

Synopsis

Evelyn Harper lived the perfect life.

Until she was fired from her job.
After a ridiculous idea devised among friends comes to existence, Evelyn finds herself part owner in a private investigation firm specializing in matters of the heart. Throughout wild antics with her best friends Jonathan and Kate, Evelyn conducts relationship background checks for a wide variety of clients.

Soon it becomes clear that one case has moved beyond professional and Evelyn finds herself fighting an attraction she cannot resist. Will Evelyn admit her feelings when she uncovers love in the most unexpected of places?

Review of Uncovering Love

Let's just start with saying I LOVED THIS BOOK! The way that Uncovering Love was created, makes you get out of any funk you have. As for me, I has a reading slump, so out of the blue I decided to read Uncovering Love, and it was the best decision I've ever made in quite some time! I ended up reading it within a night! 

The characters are all so fantastic! The main character Evie is extremely relatable and yet unique! I love how strong her character is! Her sassy attitude kept me going throughout the novel. 

I really enjoyed reading Evie's relationship between both her friends Kate and Jon.

Even though they're opposite genders, both Jon and Evie make it work when living together and working as private detectives.

Evie's relationship with Kate is so sweet! Their friendship has been through the thick and thin and when working together, they are so strong! Another thing I'd like to point out is the humor. It wasn't too much, but it was just enough to keep you going and wanting more!

Kacey Shea, author of Uncovering Love did a fantastic job going in a full 360 when writing her novel. All of the characters emotions and actions fit together with the plot, like a puzzle piece. I found that the story she created, is so relatable in the real world. But while reading Uncovering Love I felt like I was thrown into a new world full of emotion,strength, romance, and so much more. The characters put quite an impression on me. So now with my free time I find myself thinking about them.

The story and plot that Kacey created is absolutely exquisite! You can clearly tell that she put a lot of time and effort into her novel. The story is super diverse, and I feel like the subject matter isn't written a lot about, especially in a romance novel.

Evie and Tait just have this swoon worthy chemistry that makes you drool. Their actions and emotions flow over each other so beautifully. I really liked how Tait wasn't your average cliché, brooding, egotistical man. His sweetness and caring for others really showed in the novel, and I thought that it was a really great edition in Uncovering Love.

Uncovering Love  really hit it off for me! It's so far the best first novel in all of the trilogies I've read. Written in a way that makes you wanting more, and throws you into the sequel! 

Also I want to point out that these novels can be read as a whole, or a standalone.

To learn a little more about Kacey Shea, please click here! 

To purchase Uncovering Love, please click here.

Book Review of Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard

3/5 stars
A lot of you are probably going to hate me for this but I didn't like Glass Sword as much as I thought I would. I don't dislike it and I don't absolutely love it. When I first read Red Queen I really enjoyed it. The ending of it threw me into wanting more of the story. And now that I have the second installment, I'm somewhat disappointed.

For the longest time, I felt that getting into Glass Sword was hard. For me, it took a very long time to get into the story. And when I wanted action, it wasn't there. Then when I got action, it felt sporadic, like it wasn't dispersed right.

Don't get me wrong, the entirety of both Red Queen and Glass Sword's story is awesome! I love the fact that there's a diverseness between Red Bloods and Silver Bloods. The political problems that the main protagonist "Mare"faces is addicting. I love the tension between all of the characters! I like how the world building is somewhat subtle, but just enough to make you crave a little more.

I loved Mare in Red Queen! What she does and goes through is intense. And she goes through even more in Glass Sword. But I felt like her actions became repetitive at times. It seemed like every couple of chapters, the main character was doing the same thing over and over again. And after awhile it kind of got tiring.

Mare Barrow it a very strong female character. That strength carried on into Glass Sword, but since Mare was going through so much, she ended up loosing a lot of her strength and bravery.
I was really sad about this because as a female, I looked up to the strong character that Mare was. I waited a year or so for the sequel to Glass Sword, anticipating what would happen next. And from Mare being so lost, it was disappointing. Just reading about her being depressed made me depressed.

But just like humans, characters can go through many emotions as well. Which I understand. But I just had all of these expectations in my head about not only Mare, but the other characters, and the story itself. It ended up being a let down.

 Another thing I'd like to talk about, is how aggravating all of the other characters were treating Mare.

Kilorn, Farley, Cal, Shade,and so on all treated Mare like crap. It made me mad, because even through Mare was obsessed with basically trying to help everyone in the world, in the end all of her friends and family turned their backs on her throughout the entirety of Glass Sword. They basically gave up on her. For the most part, everything that Mare was doing, was for the greater good for her country. I'm not sure why this bothered me so much, but it did. Maybe it was because this issue with Mare and her friends was really unfair?


The relationship between Mare, Cal, Maven, and even Kilorn, put me through so many emotions!
If you've read Red Queen, then you'll know that Mare will always have problems with Maven. He's just pure evil. #TeamMaven!!
 But Mare and Cal... I so wanted to see more of a connection between the two in Glass Sword. (I'm a hopeless romantic) Since there was so much going on, their relationship didn't thrive like I wanted it to. And again I'm sure that was disappointing for everyone.
Plus Kilorn's and Mare's relationship just reminded me too much of The Hunger games series with Katniss and Gale. I felt like it was a little nice embellishment in Glass Sword. But it really wasn't a necessity.

Anyways those were just my thoughts on Glass Sword. I found this novel, shocking,amazing,intense, and displeasing at times. It's a love hate relationship for me. But from the well executed, killer cliffhanger. I'm most definitely going to have to pick up the third novel in the Red Queen series.

                                                                 

SPOILERS   

So I also have some spoilers I'd like to talk about so, if you haven't read Glass Sword yet or if your currently reading it. Please skip this part until you've finished it! Then come back to talk about the spoilers with me!                

                                                             
   




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So I want to start off by talking about the tension in Glass Sword and in Red Queen.
In Red Queen, once Mare is considered somewhat special since she's the lightning girl. She soon gets married off to Maven. (Honestly I wish she could've gotten married off to Cal) Both Mare and Maven start to draw closer together as a couple. And rather quickly Mare starts to fall in love with her fiancé.
But, horrible things happen.. and in the end Maven is one of the most dreadful and evil people ever!
From this, Mare cannot fathom how much she trusted Maven and how in the end he ended up betraying her. So it carried on into book two, and throughout the entire novel she basically didn't trust anyone. (even her family)



In book two, Mare and Cal travel with the Red Guard to a safe haven far away from Maven. (wow that rhymed)! Since Red Bloods and Sliver Bloods don't get along, Cal ends up getting thrown into confinement/prison.
During this time, Kilorn is trying to earn Mare's trust back, since Mare does't trust a soul. And since he'll do about anything to gain her trust back, he ends up caving in on Mare's crazy idea to break Cal out and escape from the Red Guard. During the time Mare and Kilorn are attempting to get Cal out of prison. The head leader of the Red Guard finds out about the escape and catches both Mare and Kilorn. And what does Kilorn do????  He shoves Mare in the cell with Cal and slams the door in her face. Mare completely enraged tries to use her power, but she can't because the cell she's in eliminates her powers. Looking through the cell window, Mare sees Kilorn mouth "I'm so sorry".

For days and days Mare is completely outraged about the entire escapade. Seething about how Kilorn, her best friend betrayed her. And it isn't easier when someone just was cranky as her, complains about everything. Soon after that, both Cal and Mare come to terms with themselves and realize that they aren't getting out anytime soon.

When the leader comes in the cell to talk (most likely kill) to Mare and Cal, Kilorn is with him. Mare notices that Kilorn is extremely jittery, but then all of a sudden Kilorn goes against the rules and stabs the leader with a syringe, with medication that will make him sleep for a bit. Frantic, Kilorn tells both Mare and Cal that they need to go. But Mare isn't ready to go quite yet, when all of a sudden...

BAMMMMMMM!!!!!

  Mare punches Kilorn hard and square in the jaw!!!!!


When I read that sentence in Glass Sword, I was so extremely happy and I laughed so hard!!!! I felt that Kilorn deserved to be punched because for days on end he made Mare believe that he betrayed her!
GIRL POWER!!!!!! GO MARE!!!!!






Way further into the book, Mare also kills Queen Elara. I was pretty happy about this incident too, because Queen Elara was not only one of my least favorite characters. But she did the most horrible and unimaginable things to people. She loved loved loved to torture people. And since Queen Elara was Maven's mom. That was an extra bonus for Mare when she ended up killing her. I honestly didn't like the hateful attitude that Mare had when she came to terms with herself that she actually did kill Queen Elara. I was kinda sickened because Mare felt powerful when she knew that she killed her. And at that moment Mare seemed like she as turning into Maven. That part was a little scary! Because Mare is supposed to be good!

I cannot believe that Mare's brother Shade dies at the same event, that Mare killed Queen Elara. Shade wasn't only Mare's bother, but he was her favorite bother, the one that understood her the most and never judged. Plus he was a boyfriend to Farley, and maybe even a father..

Around the end of the novel during Shade's funeral, Farley was holding her stomach a lot, and she decided not to go on Mare's dangerous mission. I'm getting the vibe that she might be pregnant. Plus there's a big chance since both Shade and Farley were already being intimate.

Anyhoo, I honestly don't want to talk about the ending of the novel because that will give the biggest spoiler away to all of you! Even if you already have finished Glass Sword, I just don't want a reader who hasn't read it yet to accidentally scroll all the way down and see the biggest spoiler in the universe.

But what I can say is... Wasn't that just an amazing and horrible ending?? It makes you wanting more doesn't it??? Gosh I honestly can't believe that Mare is back to square one.. or is she??






Thank you all for reading my review and being so supportive! What did you think about Glass Sword? If you've read both of them, then which book do you like more?
Until next time book lovers,
Best wishes and much love,
Jade Crow

Review of Blood Rose 1st book in the Blood Books series by Danielle Rose.

Hello Book Lovers! I hope all is well! Today I'm going to be talking to you about one of my most favorite novels of 2016 and that's Blood Rose by Danielle Rose! I could not put it down! I ended up giving it a 5/5 stars!

                                 Synopsis of Blood Rose 

Avah Taylor has been given a death sentence: as one of the only spirit users in her coven, Avah has been chosen to wield The Power, the ultimate weapon against the immortal vampire species witches have been at war with for centuries. The Power, given by the gods to one witch of each generation, is considered a great honor, but every witch before has died trying to master this all-too-powerful gift, one that the shell of a mortal can’t contain for long.

On the night of her birth rite, Avah’s coven is attacked, and Avah is left for dead. Confronted with a terrible choice, Avah must decide to either die or save herself by becoming like her enemies. Forced to seek refuge among the very beings she has sworn to kill, Avah vows revenge on those who took her former life from her.

As Avah slowly transitions into a life of blood and war and battles her own feelings for a man she is supposed to hate, she realizes everything she’s been told is a lie.

                               Review of Blood Rose 

Blood Rose is one of those special novels that is purely addicting. I want to say that it was the first chapter that got me hooked, but honestly it was the first couple of paragraphs. Danielle Rose clearly  spent a lot of time and effort into this exquisitely amazing story. She has a particular way of drawing you into the novel that makes you not want to stop. There wasn't ever a time the story was slow, it was more action-packed and fast-paced than anything I've read before. The diversity between all of the characters was so well executed. I found myself realizing how relatable, and enjoyable all of the characters were. 

Especially the main character Avah Taylor, she just has this huge sense of strength that embodies her entire being. It was super inspirational to see such an powerful and strong female protagonist in Blood Rose. I loved how even though Avah was going through extreme circumstances, she hardly let her fear show and instead kept her head on her shoulders. 

Another detail that really sold me were the spiritual aspects and embellishments that Danielle added in Blood Rose. I'm personally a very spiritual person, and I love practicing all different tastes of spirituality. So from reading Blood Rose, I at times felt one with myself because I could relate to the character and story.

Blood Rose has the ultimate dose of romance! Throughout the novel Avah crosses paths with a very handsome, and sweet vampire named Jasik. I want to say that their relationship was almost "insta-lovey" but I felt like there was more of a true bond or connection that both Jasik and Avah have. I'm very intrigued to find out more information of their bond...As well as Jasik ;) 

Danielle Rose somehow found a way to balance action,romance, humor,fantasy, vampires ,witches, and so on. And from that it created a very beautiful and unique novel. There's so many typical vampire novels as well as witch novels that just don't pull it off the way Blood Rose does. 

The climax in this novel was jaw dropping, there was a rollercoaster of emotions flowing through me at every moment. And it topped the charts when the ending came around! I'm impatiently waiting for the second novel in the Blood Books series! 

I hope you all love the review! I loved reading and writing about Blood Rose! I cannot wait for the 2nd novel in the Blood Books series "Blood Magic" which comes out March 29th of 2016

To purchase Blood Rose 1st novel in the Blood Books series please click here.

To preorder Blood Magic 2nd book in the Blood Books series please click here.

                                           A little about Danielle Rose.

Danielle Rose is a writer of fiction and travel, as well as the editor of Narrative Ink Editing LLC, an independent editing company that assists independent authors with prepping and publishing their manuscripts. Danielle currently resides in the Midwest, where she spends her days at a local coffee shop planning her next vacation or plotting her next novel.

Danielle holds a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from the University of Southern Maine’s Stonecoast program, where Danielle worked one-on-one with bestselling authors such as Nancy Holder, Theodora Goss, David Anthony Durham, Liz Hand, and James Patrick Kelly. In addition to her Master of Fine Arts, she also holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and certification in professional writing from the University of Wisconsin—Parkside.

When not writing, traveling, or writing about traveling, Danielle enjoys being outdoors, reading, binge watching television series, and cheering for her favorite football team (Go Packers!).