Review: The Crown's Game by Evelyn Skye

Title: The Crown's Game (The Crown's Game #1)
Author: Evelyn Skye
Kindle, 399 pages
Published: March 17th 2010
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Genre: YA - Fantasy - Historical Fiction - Romance
Source: via Edelweiss

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.

Purchase at: Amazon | B&N | TBD | Kobo 

I had a hard time deciding what rating to give this book because while I didn’t really enjoy it, I didn’t really hate it either. However, upon thinking about it, I realized that I have no desire to read the next book, so I decided to just give this book 2 stars. I know a lot of people loved this book, and I really wanted to love this book because of the amazing concept, but it turns out that I am yet again the black sheep.

What I Liked:
1. The premise of this book is very interesting: Set in Russia, the two enchanters born of that time (1800’s) were to enter in the Crown’s Game to duel each other until one dies and the other becomes the Grand Enchanter of Russia. I mean, it has magic and it’s set in Russia! I really was interested in that plot, and I felt like it would be a really unique book.

2. The vivid descriptions: In the game, the enchanters were tasked to please Pasha for his birthday celebration, so the enchanters created a lot of beautiful things such as fountains, magical boxes that would create masquerade gowns, islands, etc. The author did a really great job of describing these, and I felt like I was able to see those things clearly.

3. The writing: Not that it was anything special, but I felt like the writing was good. I had no problems with the pacing and choice of words. And as mentioned above, the author is really good in descriptions without being too overbearing with words.

What I Didn’t Like:
1. Multiple POVs: I don’t usually have problems with multiple POVs, especially when the book is in the third person perspective, but I was just annoyed in the execution of it in this book. At first I thought there was already this set amount of narrators, but throughout the book, new ones just keep popping out. I would prefer it if from the start, I knew which people would get to narrate the novel, because I was just confused at times why there were new ones popping out, even neat the end of the book.

2. Love Square?: I don’t really like love triangles, but this novel has a love square! It was infuriating because I was really looking forward to the magic element of the novel, but at some point the focus became the romance. And can I just say how predictable it is that Vika and Nikolai would fall in love with each other? I think I would have preferred it if it became Vika + Pasha and Nikolai + Renata, just for the sake of being different for once.

3. Bland: I don’t know, this book just wasn’t interesting enough for me. I was really looking forward to reading this book the longest times, but it fell short of my expectations. In my opinion, it lacks the excitement that I wanted it to have, so I didn’t really mind if I was interrupted or anything.

2 stars. Ah, it's okay. 

Review: This is My Brain on Boys by Sarah Strohmeyer

Title: This is My Brain on Boys
Author: Sarah Strohmeyer
Kindle, 352 pages
Published: March 10th 2010
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Genre: YA - Contemporary Romance
Source: via Edelweiss

Addie Emerson doesn’t believe in love, at least for herself. A straightlaced, brilliant girl, she’s more interested in getting an A than falling in love. But Addie is determined to prove the science of love—because Addie Emerson does believe in science.

Science tells her that “love” is nothing more than the brain’s state under the influence of certain chemicals. And by artificially stimulating those chemicals, the brain can totally be tricked into falling in love. So Addie decides to apply that knowledge—and make her classmates fall in love—to win the coveted Athenian Award for Science in her elite private school. One way to speed up the process—adrenaline—she’ll put her classmates in dangerous, high-risk situations . . . and research the fallout.

But a mysterious new guy keeps messing with her plans. And she kind of can’t stop thinking about his gorgeous brown eyes. With backstabbing competitors—including her former lab partner, the preppy, wealthier-than-thou Dex—and more than one pair of star-crossed lovers—can Addie manage to salvage her experiment and win the Athenian? And what happens if she does the unthinkable—and falls in love?

Purchase at: Amazon | B&N | TBD | Kobo 

This Is My Brain on Boys is an unusual book in that the manner in which the main character speaks reminds me of Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory, and I'm not sure if that works for written novels.

What I didn't like:
1. The three robots: There are 3 people in this book who speak like Sheldon - Addie, Dex and Mrs. Brooks. I mean, I think it would have been understandable if Addie was the only one who was like that, but no, there are three of them. That made it unrealistic.

2. Tess and Addie's friendship is pretty weird: I think I would have liked it if there was an explanation as to how these two became friends because I don't think it's realistic. Addie is Addie, while Tess is more of the popular girl kind - wears makeup, worries about her boyfriend, etc.

3. Kara and Kris' relationship: Kris is a jerk because he went on kissing another girl while he is still in a relationship with Kara. Granted, Kara is a bitch and threatened him with whatever, but he still should have broken up with her nonetheless.

4. The ending: What is up with the ending? I expected some kind of reaction with Kris, but there wasn't any explanation in the end. The ending felt like a nice close to the book, but I am not satisfied with it.


What I Liked:
1. The experiment: The experiment is very interesting for me, and I liked it because we discussed a similar concept in my Social Psychology class last term. I like the fact that the author didn't just invent something up, but chose something that actually has basis. Being subject to scary situation indeed increases our heart beat and we tend to associated this to attraction.

2. It's an entertaining novel: Despite the fact that I didn't like many aspects from this novel, I have this strange fascination with it. I didn't just want to leave the novel as a DNF because I felt this need to finish it. 

2 stars. Ah, it's okay. 

ARC Review: Suffer Love by Ashley Blake

Title: Suffer Love
Author: Ashley Herring Blake
Kindle, 360 pages
Published:  May 3rd, 2016
Publisher: HMH BOooks for Young Readers
Genre: YA - Romance - Contemporary

“Just let it go.”

That’s what everyone keeps telling Hadley St. Clair after she learns that her father cheated on her mother. But Hadley doesn’t want to let it go. She wants to be angry and she wants everyone in her life—her dad most of all—to leave her alone.

Sam Bennett and his family have had their share of drama too. Still reeling from a move to a new town and his parents’ recent divorce, Sam is hoping that he can coast through senior year and then move on to hassle-free, parent-free life in college. He isn’t looking for a relationship…that is, until he sees Hadley for the first time.

Hadley and Sam’s connection is undeniable, but Sam has a secret that could ruin everything. Should he follow his heart or tell the truth?

Purchase at: Amazon | B&N | TBD | Kobo

Oh hell, no! You did not just give me that ending! After tearing my heart into bits and pieces, that's the ending that I get? This book convinces me that authors are evil and they enjoy seeing their readers get completely attached to the story and characters, only to break the reader's heart in the end and make them cry their eyes out. Mine did break, by the way.

Suffer Love, oh what do I even say about this book? Suffer Love is a heavy-issue book, and I tend to avoid heavy-issue books, so I don't know what got into my head when I read this one. It did what I predicted it would do - make me completely attached and feel every single feeling the main characters were feeling. As cliche and unrealistic as this book seems to be, I still loved it.

Hadley and Sam's love story was doomed from the start. Their parents had an affair with each other - Sam knows, Hadley doesn't. We all know how badly this is going to end, but that didn't stop my heart from breaking anyway when it happened. I hurt for both Hadley and Sam, I hurt for the parents and for Livy who got thrown in the middle of it all. I hurt for Kat and Ajay, who got thrown into the mix anyway.

I really loved all the friendship in this book. How close Sam and Ajay were to each other, in the way that they shared everything with each other. Oftentimes in YA, boy-boy friendships show how boys only talk about shallow stuff and how they would call each other pussies at the mention of real feelings. Ajay and Sam's friendship is full of teasing each other and giving each other crap, but at the end of the day they know everything about each other and are not afraid to be intimate with each other.

Hadley and Kat's friendship, on the other hand, is far from perfect, but they do try. They're willing to say sorry and admit their mistakes, and Kat is always willing to give Hadley the harsh truth no matter what. We still know that she has Had's back though.

And of course, my favorite relationship of all is Sam and Livy's relationship. How willing they are to protect each others backs. How Sam never complained when he had to do all the things for Livy - cooking, looking out for her, etc. Livy, in her own way, also looked out for Sam. I just loved the dynamics between the two - the closeness between two siblings.

Reading Suffer Love is a unique experience that you won't get from just reading any other book. Although I've encountered a lot of heavy-issue books, even books with cheating parents, this one felt different somehow. I don't know what it is about this book, but I sure enjoyed reading it, even though my heart was being torn into a million pieces as I flipped each page onto the next.

 Totally Awesome! I loved it, would read again.

ARC Review: Ruined (Ruined #1) by Amy Tintera

Title: Ruined (Ruined #1)
Author: Amy Tintera
Kindle, 368 pages
Published:  May 3rd 2016
Publisher: HarperTeen
Genre: YA - High Fantasy - Romance - Magic

Emelina Flores has nothing. Her home in Ruina has been ravaged by war. She lacks the powers of her fellow Ruined. Worst of all, she witnessed her parents’ brutal murders and watched helplessly as her sister, Olivia, was kidnapped.

But because Em has nothing, she has nothing to lose. Driven by a blind desire for revenge, Em sets off on a dangerous journey to the enemy kingdom of Lera. Somewhere within Lera’s borders, Em hopes to find Olivia. But in order to find her, Em must infiltrate the royal family.

In a brilliant, elaborate plan of deception and murder, Em marries Prince Casimir, next in line to take Lera’s throne. If anyone in Lera discovers Em is not Casimir’s true betrothed, Em will be executed on the spot. But it’s the only way to salvage Em’s kingdom and what is left of her family.

Em is determined to succeed, but the closer she gets to the prince, the more she questions her mission. Em’s rage-filled heart begins to soften. But with her life—and her family—on the line, love could be Em’s deadliest mistake. 

Purchase at: Amazon | B&N | TBD | Kobo

  Thank you, Amy Tintera, for giving me a new fantasy series that I can excited about! Ah, this book is wonderful, and it kind of hurts that I won’t get to read the second book anytime soon. Amy Tintera created a world that is easy to love, no matter how complicated the politics may be. As you guys may know, I am not much of a fantasy fan, so it always takes me by surprise whenever I really, really enjoy a fantasy novel. And Ruined? Well, Ruined did amazing in the books of a not-so-fantasy-fan. Ruined is told in a dual POV, which I just love so much, so that was definitely an added bonus.

  In Ruina, people are valued for the powers they possess. However, Emelina, a member of the royal family, is regarded as useless because of her lack of powers. When the King of Lera waged a war against Ruina, killed her parents and took her sister hostage, Em pretends to be Princess Mary of Vallos in order to execute a complicated plan to avenge her family and save her sister. As Princess Mary, Em had to marry Prince Casimir of Lera, where she realized that Prince Cas is not what she expected at all.

  One of my absolute favorite things about this book is the blood-pumping action that made it hard to resist to keep turning the pages. My heart was literally pounding because of the action-packed chapters, and I’ve never been more excited while reading a book! I felt everything as though I were the main characters, and that’s just one of the most amazing things ever. Although this book is action-packed, Tintera still managed to make this one well-paced.

  And the romance! The romance just made me feel so giddy. I’m a hopeless romantic, and I just love reading about romances like these. I feel like they’re full of tension, which just makes everything all the more exciting. Em and Cas slowly started seeing more of who the other truly is, and that process of liking each other despite not expecting to do so just makes me happy.

  Ah, Ruined truly is an amazing book, and I just cannot wait for the next books in the series! This is definitely a book that I would recommend. Oh, just please let me have the second book already!

 Totally Awesome! I loved it, would read again.

ARC Review: The Last Boy and Girl in the World by Siobhan Vivian

Title: The Last Boy and Girl in the World
Author: Siobhan Vivian
Kindle, 320 pages
Published: April 26th 2016
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Genre: YA - Contemporary, Romance
Source: via Edelweiss

From the critically acclaimed author of The List comes a stunning new novel about a girl who must say goodbye to everything she knows after a storm wreaks havoc on her hometown.

What if your town was sliding underwater and everyone was ordered to pack up and leave? How would you and your friends spend your last days together?

While the adults plan for the future, box up their possessions, and find new places to live, Keeley Hewitt and her friends decide to go out with a bang. There are parties in abandoned houses. Canoe races down Main Street. The goal is to make the most of every minute they still have together.

And for Keeley, that means taking one last shot at the boy she’s loved forever.

There’s a weird sort of bravery that comes from knowing there’s nothing left to lose. You might do things you normally wouldn’t. Or say things you shouldn’t. The reward almost always outweighs the risk.

Almost.

It’s the end of Aberdeen, but the beginning of Keeley’s first love story. It just might not turn out the way she thought. Because it’s not always clear what’s worth fighting for and what you should let become a memory.

Purchase at: Amazon | B&N | TBD | Kobo

  I received an eARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through Edelweiss.

  The Last Boy and Girl in the World was a very confusing read for me, not because of the story itself, but because of how I feel towards the book. I'm so conflicted because when I started reading this, it didn't seem like my type of read, And then, after a few chapters, things got better, and I was more interested in reading it, and then it drifted off again. Mostly, the book felt boring to me, but these little moments that were very much amazing to me would pop out all of a sudden and my feelings about the book would get out of whack again.

  The Last Boy and Girl in the World is narrated by Keeley, but the story is more than hers. It's about the small town of Aberdeen, which has become an environmental hazard and has required everyone to leave the town. However, Keeley's father refused to leave their hometown, and from there, the story develops. 

  The Last Boy and Girl in the World has elements of family, friendship and romance. But more than that, I love how this book showed me that there are times for having fun and trying to make the best out of situations, but there are also times when you just have to accept that things are bad and let yourself feel bad about it. I also loved how it showed that things don't work out in some aspects, but work perfectly in others. 

  I learned a lot of things from this book, and it was a heavy, emotional read for me just because I could relate so much to the main character. Keeley sometimes tries to get others to have some fun, but gets in trouble for it. And sometimes she just tries to make things better, but actually manages to ruin everything. And that's another thing I love about this book - how full of flaws the main character is, because that's what makes her real. She made a lot of mistakes, and the book wasn't full of lessons in the form of direct words. I loved how the book showed those lessons instead of just told.

  Overall, I liked a lot of little things and moments from this book, but I didn't like it as a whole. It was so hard for me to decide which rating to pick, but I finally settled on picking something in the middle. This book is not bad at all, I just can't say that it was good. However, it's also the type of book that I didn't like, but wish so hard that others would actually be able to appreciate. That doesn't make sense at all, but that's just how I feel.

I liked it. Would maybe recommend.

Book Review: The Stepsister's Tale by Tracy Barrett

Title: The Stepsister's Tale
Author: Tracy Barrett
Kindle, 272 pages
Published: June 24th 2014
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Genre: YA - Retelling, Romance, Fantasy
Source: via Netgalley

What really happened after the clock struck midnight?

Jane Montjoy is tired of being a lady. She's tired of pretending to live up to the standards of her mother's noble family-especially now that the family's wealth is gone and their stately mansion has fallen to ruin. It's hard enough that she must tend to the animals and find a way to feed her mother and her little sister each day. Jane's burden only gets worse after her mother returns from a trip to town with a new stepfather and stepsister in tow. Despite the family's struggle to prepare for the long winter ahead, Jane's stepfather remains determined to give his beautiful but spoiled child her every desire. 

When her stepfather suddenly dies, leaving nothing but debts and a bereaved daughter behind, it seems to Jane that her family is destined for eternal unhappiness. But a mysterious boy from the woods and an invitation to a royal ball are certain to change her fate...

From the handsome prince to the evil stepsister, nothing is quite as it seems in Tracy Barrett's stunning retelling of the classic Cinderella tale.

Purchase at: Amazon | B&N | TBD | Kobo

  I received an eARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through Netgalley.

  When I first started reading The Stepsister's Tale, I was actually very invested in the story. As a fan of fairy tale retellings, it's always interesting to be able to read from the villain's perspective. But as I read on, I found the book to be too long because it was full or narratives, which I never seem to enjoy. In addition to that, I actually read Snow, Glass, Apples by Neil Gaiman, which is a Snow White retelling from the Evil Queen's perspective. 

  The main difference of that book and this one is in Snow, Glass, Apples, it showed the misrepresentation of the story, but it also showed that the events were still true. The Evil Queen really tried to poison Snow White, but she had her reasons. In The Stepsister's Tale, the author made it so that the stepsisters were absolutely kind, and everything was Cinderella's fault. In this sense, there was a role reversal. I think I would have liked it more if the characters weren't made to be so absolutely good or so absolutely bad. 

  I would have to admit though, that Tracy Bennett's imagining of the novel is very much commendable. It seems like a simple enough plot, but if I were tasked to think of something like this, I'm pretty sure that I won't be able to do it. The idea is really great, and I always enjoy reading from another perspective, but I think it could still be improved.

I liked it. Would maybe recommend

ARC Review: The Impostor Queen

Title: The Impostor Queen (Untitled #1)
Author: Sarah Fine
Kindle, 336 pages
Published:  January 5th 2016
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Genre: YA - High Fantasy - Romance - Magic

Sixteen-year-old Elli was a small child when the Elders of Kupari chose her to succeed the Valtia, the queen who wields infinitely powerful ice and fire magic. Since then, Elli has lived in the temple, surrounded by luxury and tutored by magical priests, as she prepares for the day when the Valtia perishes and the magic finds a new home in her. Elli is destined to be the most powerful Valtia to ever rule.

But when the queen dies defending the kingdom from invading warriors, the magic doesn’t enter Elli. It’s nowhere to be found.

Disgraced, Elli flees to the outlands, the home of banished criminals—some who would love to see the temple burn with all its priests inside. As she finds her footing in this new world, Elli uncovers devastating new information about the Kupari magic, those who wield it, and the prophecy that foretold her destiny. Torn between the love she has for her people and her growing loyalty to the banished, Elli struggles to understand the true role she was meant to play. But as war looms, she must align with the right side—before the kingdom and its magic are completely destroyed. 

Purchase at: Amazon | B&N | TBD | Kobo

    Oh, man! I can't believe I haven't read a Sarah Fine book before because The Impostor Queen is absolutely stunning! I have been suffering from a reading slump since December, and this book effectively pulled me out of that slump. For that, I would forever be thankful.

    Elli was prophesied to be the most powerful Valtia to ever rule, but when her Valtia dies and she finally takes the throne, no magic comes to her. After a series of tests executed by the high priests, it was confirmed that she has no magic at all. She barely escaped with her life to the outlands, where the banished people lives. There, she learns more about the prophecy, and the role that she has to play.

    I am not much of a fan of fantasy novels because I gravitate towards contemporary, but if I read fantasy books, these are the kinds of books that I love to read. It's light, yet the world and plot building are impeccable. Sarah Fine is a phenomenal author who knows how to find the perfect balance, and I loved her book for it. It wasn't like some other fantasy books where it's slow to start and then it's so full of excitement in the last few chapters. This one was balanced, and that made it more commendable and not at all boring at the first few chapters.

    It's been a while since I last read a book with magic, and I have to say that I absolutely loved it in this book! The kind of magic in this novel is very unique, and it really satisfied me. The world was just so interesting and engaging that I was always on my seat, eating up the story and being excited about the events. I also loved the manner in which the events unfolded, and just the general direction of where the story went. This very unique books just really piqued my interest.

    Gosh, I really can't wait to read the next book! Too bad I would have to wait such a long time for it! Oh, man, I feel like I'm being punished for reading this book so early. I recommend this for those looking for not-so-heavy fantasy books.

 Totally Awesome! I loved it, would read again.

Stacking The Shelves #32 + The Sunday Post #9

Stacking The Shelves ( hosted by Tynga's Reviews ) is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

Books I have received for Review:

- Print copies -

Soho Teen Sampler 

The Truth: Diary of a Gutsy Tween by Barbara Becker Holstein - review coming soon

The Dead Will Tell (Kate Burkholder #6) by Linda Castillo

Burn Out by Kristi Helvig 

The A-Word (Sweet Dead Life #2) by Joy Preble - review coming soon

- eARC's -

 

  

Books/Swag I have won or was gifted:

Avalon by Mindee Arnett 

Thank you ever so much, Mindee! YOU ROCK!

Books I have got from the library (or borrowed):

The Darkest Surrender (Lords of the Underworld #8) by Gena Showalter

The Forever Song (Blood of Eden #3) by Julie Kagawa

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Books I have bought:

All the Truth That's in Me by Julie Berry

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Soho Teen, Sky Pony Press, EgmontUSA, and everyone else who sent me review copies.  I am super excited to read/review them all. 

---

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.

Last Week on the Blog:

• Book Blitz: Devour by Jill Cooper | Excerpt + Giveaway: win a $25 Amazon GC - open INTL!
• Goodreads Shelf Tour: My Hunger and No In Between by Lisa Renee Jones + Giveaway!
• Paperback Release Book Highlight: IMPOSTOR by Susanne Winnacker + Giveaway!
• Guest Post & Giveaway: ~YA Psychological Thriller~ Oblivion by Sasha Dawn | Win a print copy!
• Cover Reveal + Giveaway: Reign of Shadows by Melissa Wright | Win a $15 & $10 Amazon GC!

Coming this Week on the Blog:

• Cover Reveal: A BEAUTY SO BEASTLY by RaShelle Workman + Giveaway!
• Review: The A-Word by Joy Preble
• Cover Reveal: THE WHISKEY PRINCE by Toni Aleo
• GIF REVIEW OF MISTWALKER BY SAUNDRA MITCHELL (reviewed by Hillary)
• Top Ten Tuesday #26 + Teaser Tuesday #53
• Waiting on Wednesday #23
• More will be added...

I ♥ my readers! 

Thank you all for stopping by! 
What do you all think of the books I got this week? Are there any you're looking forward to reading? I would love to hear what you guys think. Leave me a comment or/and leave your book haul blog link below. I promise to stop by and check them out. 
Have a nice weekend!