[Review] Reign the Earth (The Elementae #1) by A.C. Gaughen

Reign the Earth by A. C. Gaughen

Series: The Elementae #1

Rating: 4 stars

Published: January 30th 2018

Goodreads Synopsis:

Shalia is a proud daughter of the desert, but after years of devastating war with the adjoining kingdom, her people are desperate for peace. Willing to trade her freedom to ensure the safety of her family, Shalia becomes Queen of the Bonelands.
But she soon learns that her husband, Calix, is motivated only by his desire to exterminate the Elementae—mystical people who can control earth, wind, air, and fire. Even more unsettling are Shalia’s feelings for her husband’s brother, which unleash a power over the earth she never knew she possessed—a power that could get her killed. As rumors of a rebellion against Calix spread, Shalia must choose between the last chance for peace and her own future as an Elementae.

TW: Domestic and verbal abuse

To protect her family and the people of the desert, Shalia marries Calix, who is said to be the head of their religion of the Three-Faced God. Calix will stop at nothing to rid his world of the Elementae, a people who have power over the elements (earth, wind, fire, water). But once she uncovers her powers over the earth, Shalia must find her inner strength in order to stop Calix from continuing his genocide, and to save herself.

[Review] Only Human (Themis Files #3) by Sylvain Nuevel

Only Human by Sylvain Neuvel

Series: The Themis Files #3

Rating: 4 stars

Published: May 1st 2018

Goodreads Synopsis:

In her childhood, Rose Franklin accidentally discovered a giant metal hand buried beneath the ground outside Deadwood, South Dakota. As an adult, Dr. Rose Franklin led the team that uncovered the rest of the body parts which together form Themis: a powerful robot of mysterious alien origin. She, along with linguist Vincent, pilot Kara, and the unnamed Interviewer, protected the Earth from geopolitical conflict and alien invasion alike. Now, after nearly ten years on another world, Rose returns to find her old alliances forfeit and the planet in shambles. And she must pick up the pieces of the Earth Defense Corps as her own friends turn against each other.

A thrilling conclusion to the end of one of my favorite science fiction series.

Rose Franklin, Vincent Couture and his daughter Eva have returned from space almost ten years later. Instead of a war between aliens and humans, they are now in the middle of a war between world powers, as countries fight for control of the giant robots, and have strictly regulated who exactly is considered human.

[Review] The Bride Test (The Kiss Quotient #2) by Helen Hoang

The Bride Test by Helen Hoang

Series: The Kiss Quotient #2

Rating: 4 stars

Published: May 7th 2019

Goodreads Synopsis: 

Khai Diep has no feelings. Well, he feels irritation when people move his things or contentment when ledgers balance down to the penny, but not big, important emotions—like grief. And love. He thinks he’s defective. His family knows better—that his autism means he just processes emotions differently. When he steadfastly avoids relationships, his mother takes matters into her own hands and returns to Vietnam to find him the perfect bride.
As a mixed-race girl living in the slums of Ho Chi Minh City, Esme Tran has always felt out of place. When the opportunity arises to come to America and meet a potential husband, she can’t turn it down, thinking this could be the break her family needs. Seducing Khai, however, doesn’t go as planned. Esme’s lessons in love seem to be working…but only on herself. She’s hopelessly smitten with a man who’s convinced he can never return her affection.
With Esme’s time in the United States dwindling, Khai is forced to understand he’s been wrong all along. And there’s more than one way to love.

Another enjoyable romance by Helen Hoang!

This time, we're with Michael's cousin Khai, who has recently lost his best friend Andy. Khai is autistic, sensitive to touch, and believes that he is immune to love. His mother wants to change that, and goes off to Vietnam to find him a bride. She meets Esme, a housekeeper with drive, and so, chooses her to come to America on visa. If she can convince Khai to fall in love with her over the summer, she can stay.

[Review] The Wedding Party by Jasmine Guillory

The Wedding Party by Jasmine Guillory 

Series: The Wedding Date #3

Rating: 4 stars

Published: July 16th 2019

Goodreads Synopsis:

Maddie and Theo have two things in common:
1. Alexa is their best friend
2. They hate each other
After an “Oops, we made a mistake” kiss, neither one can stop thinking about the other. With Alexa’s wedding rapidly approaching, Maddie and Theo both share bridal party responsibilities that require more interaction with each other than they’re comfortable with. Underneath the sharp barbs they toss at each other is a simmering attraction that won’t fade. It builds until they find themselves sneaking off together to release some tension when Alexa isn’t looking.
But as with any engagement with a nemesis, there are unspoken rules that must be abided by. First and foremost, don’t fall in love.

The Wedding Party just reminded me how much I adore romances? This was so cute.

Theo and Maddie are complete opposites (supposedly), but must work together for the sake of their best friend Alexa's wedding in a few months! When they first meet after some time, sparks fly, and they assure each other it won't happen again... until it keeps on happening. They devise up a plan to stop this little arrangement the moment Alexa gets married, but they don't take into consideration the feelings that emerge.

[Review] Summer of Sloane by Erin L. Schneider

Summer of Sloane by Erin L. Schneider

Rating: 4 stars 

Published: May 3rd 2016

Goodreads Synopsis: 

Warm Hawaiian sun. Lazy beach days. Flirty texts with her boyfriend back in Seattle.
These are the things seventeen-year-old Sloane McIntyre pictured when she imagined the summer she’d be spending at her mom’s home in Hawaii with her twin brother, Penn. Instead, after learning an unthinkable secret about her boyfriend, Tyler, and best friend, Mick, all she has is a fractured hand and a completely shattered heart.
Once she arrives in Honolulu, though, Sloane hopes that Hawaii might just be the escape she needs. With beach bonfires, old friends, exotic food, and the wonders of a waterproof cast, there’s no reason Sloane shouldn’t enjoy her summer. And when she meets Finn McAllister, the handsome son of a hotel magnate who doesn’t always play by the rules, she knows he’s the perfect distraction from everything that’s so wrong back home.
But it turns out a measly ocean isn’t nearly enough to stop all the emails, texts, and voicemails from her ex-boyfriend and ex-best friend, desperate to explain away their betrayal. And as her casual connection with Finn grows deeper, Sloane’s carefree summer might not be as easy to find as she’d hoped. Weighing years of history with Mick and Tyler against their deception, and the delicate possibility of new love, Sloane must decide when to forgive, and when to live for herself.

A novel about moving on, accepting, and finding yourself, as corny as it sounds. This really pulled at my heart - though not really for the romance, but for the loss of friendship, as Sloane struggles to put herself together after her best friend and boyfriend sleep together twice behind her back, and now her best friend is pregnant. But luckily for Sloane, she can avoid her troubles over the summer when she goes to Hawaii to stay with her mom, and runs into old friends and new. One new friend, Finn, might be just the guy to help her get over her ex-boyfriend, Tyler. But Finn has some skeletons in his closet.

[Review] Song of the Current by Sarah Tolcser

Song of the Current by Sarah Tolcser

Series: Song of the Current #1

Rating: 4 stars

Published: June 6th 2017

Goodreads Synopsis:

Caroline Oresteia is destined for the river. For generations, her family has been called by the river god, who has guided their wherries on countless voyages throughout the Riverlands. At seventeen, Caro has spent years listening to the water, ready to meet her fate. But the river god hasn’t spoken her name yet—and if he hasn’t by now, there’s a chance he never will.
Caro decides to take her future into her own hands when her father is arrested for refusing to transport a mysterious crate. By agreeing to deliver it in exchange for his release, Caro finds herself caught in a web of politics and lies, with dangerous pirates after the cargo—an arrogant courier with a secret—and without the river god to help her. With so much at stake, Caro must choose between the life she always wanted and the one she never could have imagined for herself.

The Oresteia family has spent generations on the river, hearing the voice of the river god. Caro thought she would be next in line after her father, but has not yet heard the god's voice. But now Caro is tasked to deliver a mysterious box, and becomes embroiled in the politics and deceit of several nations. Without her father and without her river god, Caro must battle the waters alone.

[Review] Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Series: Graceling Realm #1

Rating: 4 stars

Published: October 1st 2008

Goodreads Synopsis: 

Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight—she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug.
She never expects to fall in love with beautiful Prince Po.
She never expects to learn the truth behind her Grace—or the terrible secret that lies hidden far away . . . a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone.
With elegant, evocative prose and a cast of unforgettable characters, debut author Kristin Cashore creates a mesmerizing world, a death-defying adventure, and a heart-racing romance that will consume you, hold you captive, and leave you wanting more.

Recommended by Yiling!

Graceling reminded me of Tamora Pierce's books, in which a girl is given the means to break free from the misogynist and overly sexist society she was placed in.

Katsa is born with the Grace of killing, making her the personal hitman of King Randa, her uncle. This ability of her makes her feared among her peers, which keeps her alone and isolated. But, she meets Po, who has the Grace of combat, and soon becomes his friend. The two embark on a mission to discover the truth of Po's kidnapped grandfather and the mysteriously kind King Leck of Monsea.

[Review] The Kingdom by Jess Rothenberg

The Kingdom by Jess Rothenberg

Rating: 4 stars

Published: May 28th 2019

Goodreads Synopsis:

Welcome to the Kingdom... where 'Happily Ever After' isn't just a promise, but a rule.
Glimmering like a jewel behind its gateway, The Kingdom is an immersive fantasy theme park where guests soar on virtual dragons, castles loom like giants, and bioengineered species--formerly extinct--roam free.
Ana is one of seven Fantasists, beautiful "princesses" engineered to make dreams come true. When she meets park employee Owen, Ana begins to experience emotions beyond her programming including, for the first time... love.
But the fairytale becomes a nightmare when Ana is accused of murdering Owen, igniting the trial of the century. Through courtroom testimony, interviews, and Ana's memories of Owen, emerges a tale of love, lies, and cruelty--and what it truly means to be human.

I feel like people have been sleeping on The Kingdom but they honestly shouldn't. Going to plug my ShelfLove Crate subscription here and say I got this from July's box.

[Review] Wild Beauty by Anna-Marie McLemore

Wild Beauty by Anna-Marie McLemore

Rating: 4 stars

Published: October 3rd 2017

Goodreads Synopsis:

Love grows such strange things.
For nearly a century, the Nomeolvides women have tended the grounds of La Pradera, the lush estate gardens that enchant guests from around the world. They’ve also hidden a tragic legacy: if they fall in love too deeply, their lovers vanish. But then, after generations of vanishings, a strange boy appears in the gardens.
The boy is a mystery to Estrella, the Nomeolvides girl who finds him, and to her family, but he’s even more a mystery to himself; he knows nothing more about who he is or where he came from than his first name. As Estrella tries to help Fel piece together his unknown past, La Pradera leads them to secrets as dangerous as they are magical in this stunning exploration of love, loss, and family.

I always enjoyed the magical realism that McLemore brings to her books.

The Nomeolvides women have been cursed to remain on the land of La Pradera and tend to it, for generations upon generations. There have always been five women per generation, with powers to spawn flowers and other fauna at will. This changes when their powers unearth a boy from beneath the ground, a boy who doesn't remember his own name. This leads the Nomeolvides women to uncover the secrets of La Pradera.

[Review] The Beckoning Shadow by Katharyn Blair

The Beckoning Shadow by Katharyn Blair

Series: The Beckoning Shadow #1

Rating: 4 stars

Published: July 2nd 2019

Goodreads Synopsis:

Vesper Montgomery can summon your worst fear and turn it into a reality—but she’s learned the hard way that it’s an addicting and dangerous power. One wrong move and you could hurt someone you love.
But when she earns a spot in the Tournament of the Unraveling, where competitors battle it out for a chance to rewrite the past, Vesper finally has a shot to reverse the mistakes that have changed her forever. She turns to Sam Hardy, a former MMA fighter who’s also carrying a tragedy he desperately wants to undo. However, helping heal Sam’s heart will mean breaking her own, and the competition forces her to master her powers—powers she has been terrified of since they destroyed her life.

This was the book of the month for Shelflovecrate's July Box.

Vesper's been on the run from her family, from the law, from society, ever since she realized the full extent her ability - to use people's fears against them. But there's the Tournament of the Unraveling, a competition against other people like her, with powers, and its prize - any part of the winner's past can be rewritten. Vesper's going to need all she can to win against people with supernatural abilities - including the innate strength that lies inside her. She recruits the help of Sam, a former MMA fighter, and the rest of his gym, to harness that strength. But Sam's got other reasons for wanting to sponsor her.

[Review] All the Bad Apples by Moira Fowley-Doyle

All the Bad Apples by Moira Fowley-Doyle

Rating: 4 stars

Format: ARC

Published: August 27th 2019

Goodreads Synopsis:

When Deena's wild and mysterious sister Mandy disappears - presumed dead - her family are heartbroken. But Mandy has always been troubled. It's just another bad thing to happen to Deena's family. Only Deena refuses to believe it's true.
And then the letters start arriving. Letters from Mandy, claiming that their family's blighted history is not just bad luck or bad decisions - but a curse, handed down through the generations. Mandy has gone in search of the curse's roots, and now Deena must find her. What they find will heal their family's rotten past - or rip it apart forever. 

What a powerful book, one that conveys an important message. Deena works to uncover the truth about her family's dark history, specifically the ones who were considered the "bad apples" after her sister Mandy's apparent death. Deena believes Mandy is still alive, and is sending her letters to help Deena along the way.

[Review] Wintersong by S. Jae-Song

Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones

Series: Wintersong #1

Rating: 4 stars

Published: February 7th 2017

Goodreads Synopsis:

The last night of the year. Now the days of winter begin and the Goblin King rides abroad, searching for his bride....
All her life, Liesl has heard tales of the beautiful, dangerous Goblin King. They've enraptured her mind and spirit and inspired her musical compositions. Now eighteen and helping to run her family’s inn, Liesel can't help but feel that her musical dreams and childhood fantasies are slipping away.
But when her own sister is taken by the Goblin King, Liesl has no choice but to journey to the Underground to save her. Drawn to the strange, captivating world she finds--and the mysterious man who rules it--she soon faces an impossible decision. With time and the old laws working against her, Liesl must discover who she truly is before her fate is sealed.

This Labyrinth-esque book was amazing! And beautiful. I loved it to pieces (I must say that a lot, I imagine).

Liesl's sister has gone missing and she must journey through the Underground to bargain for her life with the Goblin King. This story is split into two acts - Liesl's quest through the Underground, and then her eventual acceptance to become the Goblin King's wife.

[Review] Tempests and Slaughter by Tamora Pierce

Tempests and Slaughter by Tamora Pierce

Series: The Numair Chronicles #1

Rating: 4 stars

Published: February 6th 2018

Goodreads Synopsis:

Arram. Varice. Ozorne. In the first book in the Numair Chronicles, three student mages are bound by fate . . . fated for trouble.
Arram Draper is a boy on the path to becoming one of the realm’s most powerful mages. The youngest student in his class at the Imperial University of Carthak, he has a Gift with unlimited potential for greatness–and for attracting danger. At his side are his two best friends: Varice, a clever girl with an often-overlooked talent, and Ozorne, the “leftover prince” with secret ambitions. Together, these three friends forge a bond that will one day shape kingdoms. And as Ozorne gets closer to the throne and Varice gets closer to Arram’s heart, Arram begins to realize that one day soon he will have to decide where his loyalties truly lie. 

I'm reading Tamora Pierce's books in some weird kind of order. It certainly isn't in publication order, nor is it chronological. I remember reading The Realms of the Gods first, and I haven't picked up the rest of The Immortals yet (though I really should). So while I know of Numair, I don't really know him the way all other Tamora Pierce fans do.

However, this prequel series makes him certainly very likable. Tempests and Slaughter is the first in the series, starting off with Numair (or as he's called in this book, Arram Draper) and his early years at the mage university of Carthak. He's an exceptionally gifted mage, and progresses quickly through the university, getting private lessons from masters. He also befriends Varice Kingsford and Prince Ozorne, and the trio get into all sorts of adventures.

[Review] Heartless by Marissa Meyer

Heartless by Marissa Meyer

Rating: 4 stars

Published: November 8th 2016

Goodreads Synopsis:

Catherine may be one of the most desired girls in Wonderland, and a favorite of the unmarried King of Hearts, but her interests lie elsewhere. A talented baker, all she wants is to open a shop with her best friend. But according to her mother, such a goal is unthinkable for the young woman who could be the next queen.

Then Cath meets Jest, the handsome and mysterious court joker. For the first time, she feels the pull of true attraction. At the risk of offending the king and infuriating her parents, she and Jest enter into an intense, secret courtship. Cath is determined to define her own destiny and fall in love on her terms. But in a land thriving with magic, madness, and monsters, fate has other plans.

"When please, I beat like a drum. When sad, I break like glass. Once stolen, I can never be taken back. What am I?"
She thought for a moment before venturing, "A heart?"
Hatta's eyes warmed. "Very acute, Lady Pinkerton."
"It's very good," she said, "although I wonder whether it wouldnt' be more accurate to say, 'Once given, I can never be taken back."
"That would imply we give our hearts away willingly, and I am not sure that is the case." 

Marissa Meyer is honestly really good at making me sympathize with villains. This introspection on the Queen of Hearts before she was the queen went from cutesy to dark so quickly. She did a fascinating job of making an authentic hearts - full of madness and the impossible, but also crafting into it the origin story of someone who appears to be heartless.

[Review] A Crown of Wishes by Roshani Chokshi (The Star-Touched Queen #2)

A Crown of Wishes by Roshani Chokshi

Series: The Star-Touched Queen #2

Rating: 4 stars

Published: March 6th 2018

Goodreads Synopsis:

Gauri, the princess of Bharata, has been taken as a prisoner of war by her kingdom's enemies. Faced with a future of exile and scorn, Gauri has nothing left to lose. Hope unexpectedly comes in the form of Vikram, the cunning prince of a neighboring land and her sworn enemy kingdom. Unsatisfied with becoming a mere puppet king, Vikram offers Gauri a chance to win back her kingdom in exchange for her battle prowess. Together, they'll have to set aside their differences and team up to win the Tournament of Wishes - a competition held in a mythical city where the Lord of Wealth promises a wish to the victor.
Reaching the tournament is just the beginning. Once they arrive, danger takes on new shapes: poisonous courtesans and mischievous story birds, a feast of fears and twisted fairy revels.
Every which way they turn new trials will test their wit and strength. But what Gauri and Vikram will soon discover is that there's nothing more dangerous than what they most desire.

After the confusion that was The Gilded Wolves, a series separate from The Star-Touched Queen, I wasn't sure what to expect with A Crown of Wishes, but I'm so happy that I returned to this magical world.

I've read 3 of Roshani Chokshi's books, and I can say her writing shines when romance is the primary fixation of the story. I think I enjoyed A Crown of Wishes just as much as I did the first book in this series. This time, we focus on Maya's sister Gauri, who is captured by neighboring kingdom Ujijain. To save Bharata and her best friend, she teams up with the Fox Prince Vikram, in a mystical Tournament of Wishes, where nothing is as it seems.

[Review] The Hating Game by Sally Thorne

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne

Rating: 4 stars

Published: August 9th 2016

Goodreads Synopsis:

Nemesis (n.) 1) An opponent or rival whom a person cannot best or overcome.2) A person’s undoing3) Joshua Templeman
Lucy Hutton has always been certain that the nice girl can get the corner office. She’s charming and accommodating and prides herself on being loved by everyone at Bexley & Gamin. Everyone except for coldly efficient, impeccably attired, physically intimidating Joshua Templeman. And the feeling is mutual.
Trapped in a shared office together 40 (OK, 50 or 60) hours a week, they’ve become entrenched in an addictive, ridiculous never-ending game of one-upmanship. There’s the Staring Game. The Mirror Game. The HR Game. Lucy can’t let Joshua beat her at anything—especially when a huge new promotion goes up for the taking.
If Lucy wins this game, she’ll be Joshua’s boss. If she loses, she’ll resign. So why is she suddenly having steamy dreams about Joshua, and dressing for work like she’s got a hot date? After a perfectly innocent elevator ride ends with an earth-shattering kiss, Lucy starts to wonder whether she’s got Joshua Templeman all wrong.
Maybe Lucy Hutton doesn’t hate Joshua Templeman. And maybe, he doesn’t hate her either. Or maybe this is just another game.

This was so good! I'd been eyeing it at my local thrift bookstore for so long, and I'm glad that I got it. The Hating Game is about two executive assistants who downright hate each other, Lucy Hutton and Joshua Templeman. They're made out to be opposites of each other (initially) - Lucy is sweet and colorful, while Josh is cutthroat and exacting. But over the course of the novel, their relationship paves way to sexual tension when a chance at a promotion is announced, and the two of them turn it into a competition. Whoever gets the job must leave the office!

[Review] To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo

To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo

Rating: 4 stars

Published: March 6th 2018

Goodreads Synopsis:

Princess Lira is siren royalty and the most lethal of them all. With the hearts of seventeen princes in her collection, she is revered across the sea. Until a twist of fate forces her to kill one of her own. To punish her daughter, the Sea Queen transforms Lira into the one thing they loathe most—a human. Robbed of her song, Lira has until the winter solstice to deliver Prince Elian’s heart to the Sea Queen or remain a human forever.
The ocean is the only place Prince Elian calls home, even though he is heir to the most powerful kingdom in the world. Hunting sirens is more than an unsavory hobby—it’s his calling. When he rescues a drowning woman in the ocean, she’s more than what she appears. She promises to help him find the key to destroying all of sirenkind for good—But can he trust her? And just how many deals will Elian have to barter to eliminate mankind’s greatest enemy?

I buddy read this with Yiling!

I really enjoyed this darker Little Mermaid retelling To Kill a Kingdom started off strong, with brutal deaths and cruelty surrounding the sirens. Princess Lira is our main siren here, who kills princess once every year, using their hearts to mark her birthday. However, she messes up and kills before her birthday, and her mother, the Sea Queen, turns her into a human as punishment. To win back her favor/potentially claim the crown as her own, she joins Prince Elian in his hunt for Keto's Eye, which apparently is the source of siren strength. Elian, who spends his princely time hunting sirens, does not realize his newest ally abroad his ship is his greatest enemy in disguise.

[Review] When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

Rating: 4 stars

Published: May 30th 2017

Goodreads Synopsis:

Dimple Shah has it all figured out. With graduation behind her, she’s more than ready for a break from her family, from Mamma’s inexplicable obsession with her finding the “Ideal Indian Husband.” Ugh. Dimple knows they must respect her principles on some level, though. If they truly believed she needed a husband right now, they wouldn’t have paid for her to attend a summer program for aspiring web developers…right?
Rishi Patel is a hopeless romantic. So when his parents tell him that his future wife will be attending the same summer program as him—wherein he’ll have to woo her—he’s totally on board. Because as silly as it sounds to most people in his life, Rishi wants to be arranged, believes in the power of tradition, stability, and being a part of something much bigger than himself.
The Shahs and Patels didn’t mean to start turning the wheels on this “suggested arrangement” so early in their children’s lives, but when they noticed them both gravitate toward the same summer program, they figured, Why not?
Dimple and Rishi may think they have each other figured out. But when opposites clash, love works hard to prove itself in the most unexpected ways.

I start off 2018 strong with my contemporaries! When Dimple Met Rishi is my first contemporary read for the year, and it definitely struck a chord with me, as a child of immigrant Asian parents.

[Review] Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman

Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman

Rating: 4 stars

Published: February 7th 2017

Goodreads Synopsis:

Neil Gaiman, long inspired by ancient mythology in creating the fantastical realms of his fiction, presents a bravura rendition of the Norse gods and their world from their origin though their upheaval in Ragnarok. 
In Norse Mythology, Gaiman stays true to the myths in envisioning the major Norse pantheon: Odin, the highest of the high, wise, daring, and cunning; Thor, Odin’s son, incredibly strong yet not the wisest of gods; and Loki—son of a giant—blood brother to Odin and a trickster and unsurpassable manipulator.
Gaiman fashions these primeval stories into a novelistic arc that begins with the genesis of the legendary nine worlds and delves into the exploits of deities, dwarfs, and giants. Through Gaiman’s deft and witty prose, these gods emerge with their fiercely competitive natures, their susceptibility to being duped and to duping others, and their tendency to let passion ignite their actions, making these long-ago myths breathe pungent life again.

I watched Thor: Ragnarok before I read this book, and every time I read about Loki I died a little more inside. Because I absolutely adore Tom Hiddleston as the Norse trickster god.

Anyhow, Norse Mythology is a collection of short stories that people may or may not be familiar with on Norse gods. There's a Gaiman twist to these stories, and the gods come to life as he weaves their tales. The tales of Asgard were all wonderful to read, and I wish the Marvel universe somehow incorporated all the other gods.

[Review] The Defiant by Lesley Livingston

The Defiant by Lesley Livingston

Series: The Valiant #2

Rating: 4 stars

Published: January 23rd 2018

Goodreads Synopsis: 

Be brave, gladiatrix… And be wary. Once you win Caesar’s love, you’ll earn his enemies’ hate.
Fallon was warned.
Now she is about to pay the price for winning the love of the Roman people as Caesar’s victorious gladiatrix.
In this highly anticipated sequel to THE VALIANT, Fallon and her warrior sisters find themselves thrust into a vicious conflict with a rival gladiator academy, one that will threaten not only Fallon’s heart – and her love for Roman soldier Cai – but the very heart of the ancient Roman Empire.
When dark treachery and vicious power struggles threaten her hard-won freedom, the only thing that might help the girl known as Victrix save herself and her sisters is a tribe of long-forgotten mythic Amazon warriors.
The only trouble is, they might just kill her themselves first.

Last year I absolutely adored The Valiant. Female gladiators in Ancient Rome was right up my alley. The Defiant still retains a lot of its charm, but had a bit of that second-book in a series syndrome.