Sophie Reads YA: 2016 Debut Author Challenge

2016 Debut Author Challenge

Review: The Season by Jonah Lisa Dyer and Stephen Dyer

10:00

The Season
Series: None
Author: Jonah Lisa Dyer and Stephen Dyer
Published July 12th 2016 by Viking Children's

Goodreads Synopsis
She can score a goal, do sixty box jumps in a row, bench press a hundred and fifty pounds…but can she learn to curtsey?

Megan McKnight is a soccer star with Olympic dreams, but she’s not a girly girl. So when her Southern belle mother secretly enters her in the 2016 Dallas debutante season, she’s furious—and has no idea what she’s in for. When Megan’s attitude gets her on probation with the mother hen of the debs, she’s got a month to prove she can ballroom dance, display impeccable manners, and curtsey like a proper Texas lady or she’ll get the boot and disgrace her family. The perk of being a debutante, of course, is going to parties, and it’s at one of these lavish affairs where Megan gets swept off her feet by the debonair and down-to-earth Hank Waterhouse. If only she didn’t have to contend with a backstabbing blonde and her handsome but surly billionaire boyfriend, Megan thinks, being a deb might not be so bad after all. But that’s before she humiliates herself in front of a room full of ten-year-olds, becomes embroiled in a media-frenzy scandal, and gets punched in the face by another girl.

The season has officially begun…but the drama is just getting started.
Goodreads

Review
I heard that this book was a Pride and Prejudice retelling, and if you know anything about me so far, anything that has to do with Jane Austen is automatically on my TBR. I'm glad that this book was like P&P, but not so much so that it didn't have its own story.

In The Season, the main character, Megan, is more tomboy than debutante. She loves playing soccer (football, to you and me), and has absolutely no intention in taking part in any kind of competition, etc., in which she has to wear a dress. So when her Southern Belle mama puts her in this years 'Season', she is understandably furious. However, she'll go through with it, because her twin sister, Julia, wants to. Some of the other 'debs', however, are really annoying, and Lauren was the worst of them all. As Megan meets the others, she finds herself falling into a love-hate relationship with Andrew, and the more that is revealed, the more she finds herself conflicted.

I really liked Megan. She had all the best bits of Lizzie Bennet, and she was still her own person. Her football was really important to her, as were her sisters, and even though she was angry with her mam for putting her in the season to begin with, family comes first.

The other characters were just like the 'originals', though with twists too. Julia was a perfect, sweet person, who always saw the goodness in others, and hers and Zach's relationship was as sweet as Jane and Bingley's. Lauren was awful, and I might have actually hated her more than Caroline, though it was very close. If you've read Pride and Prejudice, you'll be prepared for Megan and Andrew's romance to be slow, and agonising to read about, just like Lizzie and Darcy's.

All in all, this book was a really good P&P retelling, and I look forward to reading more from the authors in future.

Dates Read:
July 16-17, 2016

Rating
4 Stars

#RockMyTBR 2016 Challenge

Review: A Shadow Bright and Burning (Kingdom on Fire #1) by Jessica Cluess

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A Shadow Bright and Burning
Series: Kingdom on Fire #1
Author: Jessica Cluess
Published September 20th 2016 by Random House Books for Young Readers

Goodreads Synopsis
Henrietta can burst into flames.

Forced to reveal her power to save a friend, she’s shocked when instead of being executed, she’s named the first female sorcerer in hundreds of years and invited to train as one of Her Majesty’s royal sorcerers.

Thrust into the glamour of Victorian London, Henrietta is declared the prophesied one, the girl who will defeat the Ancients, bloodthirsty demons terrorizing humanity. She also meets her fellow sorcerer trainees, handsome young men eager to test her power and her heart. One will challenge her. One will fight for her. One will betray her.

But Henrietta is not the chosen one.

As she plays a dangerous game of deception, she discovers that the sorcerers have their own secrets to protect. With battle looming, how much will she risk to save the city—and the one she loves?
Goodreads

Review
This was a debut that I'd had my eyes on ever since the ARC reviews started coming in. I asked for the book for Christmas, and started it as soon as I got it.

In A Shadow Bright and Burning, Victorian London is under attack by the monstrous Ancients, that suddenly appeared to terrorise the country. The teams of royal sorcerers are fighting a losing battle, and when a prophecy is discovered that states a female sorcerer, the first in hundreds of years, will be the key to defeating these beasts, Henrietta finds herself being thrust into glamorous London. The problem is, she doesn't think she is actuallly the sorcerer they have in mind, because although she is skilled with fire magic, all other kinds allude her, and she might end up doing more harm than good.

If you've read my blog for a while now, you'll know that historical fiction is a love of mine, and the Regency and Victorian eras are some of my favourites. I just love the rules and environment of these eras, and I think it works really well with fantasy elements added - and this book didn't disappoint. We see the different parts of Victorian life - both the squalor and suffering of the lower classes, and the opulence and grandeur of the upper classes. Henrietta is from a mix of both; though she was born with some status, she was sent to a boarding school when her parents died, and resigned herself to a job as a teacher in said school, in the Yorkshire Dales. When she is taken from this world to the protection of London, and all the finery that suggests, she struggles with the culture shock, but soon recovers.

Henrietta, as a character, I really liked. She was a real character, and nothing about her seemed fake - other than when she was lying to the others, but we knew she was doing that. Even though she felt like she couldn't do what everyone wanted her to, she still tried, because she knew that the fate of Britain depended on her, and she would rather die, than do nothing at all and see everyone else suffer. She was also fiercely loyal to her friends, and made sure her best friend, Rook, an Unclean who had been attacked by an Ancient, was cared for, and didn't suffer.

There is romance in the book, and at times it was a bit annoying because I think we got up to a love square at one point. One of the love interests I wasn't keen on from the beginning - it didn't seem sincere. There's also a Mr Darcy-like character, who I can see perhaps having a bigger role in the future, because of what part of the prophecy said.

I really enjoyed this book, and can't wait to read the sequel. If you enjoy YA historical fantasy, this is a book for you.

Dates Read:
December 27-28, 2016

Rating
4 Stars

#RockMyTBR 2016 Challenge

Review: Assassin's Heart (Assassin's Heart #1) by Sarah Ahiers

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Assassin's Heart
Series: Assassin's Heart #1
Author: Sarah Ahiers
Published February 2nd 2016 by HarperTeen

Goodreads Synopsis
In the kingdom of Lovero, nine rival Families of assassins lawfully kill people for a price. As a highly skilled member of one of these powerful clans, seventeen-year-old Lea Saldana has always trusted in the strength of her Family. Until she awakens to find them murdered and her home in flames. The Da Vias, the Saldanas’ biggest enemy, must be responsible—and Lea should have seen it coming. But her secret relationship with the Da Vias’ son, Val, has clouded her otherwise killer instinct—and given the Da Vias more reason than ever to take her Family down.

Racked with guilt and shattered over Val’s probable betrayal, Lea sets out to even the score, with her heart set on retaliation and only one thought clear in her mind: make the Da Vias pay.

With shades of The Godfather and Romeo and Juliet, this richly imagined fantasy from debut author Sarah Ahiers is a story of love, lies, and the ultimate vengeance.
Goodreads

Review
When I first heard about this book, I was immediately intrigued by the premise. In a world of assassins, the leading Families control Lovero. There are nine Families left, but the Saldana and Da Via are the leading rank. Committing legal assassination, in the name of their goddess, Safraella, Lea Saldana has grown up to be a 'clipper', and is good at it. Unfortunately, she has fallen for one of the enemy Da Vias, which leads to the murder of her entire family - and she's lucky to have escaped as it is. Hell bent on getting revenge, Lea finds out where her exiled uncle is hiding, and journeys there to seek his assistance.

I liked Lea - she was sassy, but not in your face strong. She felt all the emotions that ran through her, and because of this, she was a real person, not some robot. Just because she's an assassin, and is used to death, doesn't mean that the deaths of her loved ones comes as nothing. However, this did make her sloppy, and there were lots of times that she was at risk because of that - not really the best thing for a star assassin.

There were many characters I didn't like, mainly from the Da Via family. Val, considering he was a love interest for Lea, was awful, and I never liked him, not from the beginning. There was also Lafevre, the police captain, who was a thorn in Lea's side from the beginning. He was always there, and once he worked out she was the one remaining Saldana, he sold her out to the Da Vias, thinking it would bring him honour and prestige.

I did love Les though, the other love interest. Don't think it was all love-triangly because there were two love interests, because I never felt like Val was a viable option. Les was a wannabe assassin, training with Lea's uncle, but struggling still. Lea gets annoyed with how little he knows, so ends up offering to train him in exchange for help and information. They grow closer and closer as the training begins, and we can see Lea struggle with her feelings, but they are still there.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I'd seen some negative reviews in the past, and was a bit apprehensive about starting the book, but happily, I didn't think the same as others. The ending was nice too - there wasn't really a cliffhanger, but it was left open for the next book. I'm not sure if it's a proper series, or more companion books, but I'm looking forward to reading book 2 in the future.

Dates Read:
September 23-25, 2016

Rating
4 Stars

2016 Debut Author Challenge

ARC Review: Ivory and Bone (Ivory and Bone #1) by Julie Eshbaugh

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Ivory and Bone
Series: Ivory and Bone #1
Author: Julie Eshbaugh
Published June 7th 2016 by HarperTeen

Goodreads Summary
A prehistoric fantasy—with allusions to Pride and Prejudice.

Hunting, gathering, and keeping his family safe—that’s the life seventeen-year-old Kol knows. Then bold, enigmatic Mya arrives from the south with her family, and Kol is captivated. He wants her to like and trust him, but any hopes of impressing her are ruined when he makes a careless—and nearly grave—mistake. However, there’s something more to Mya’s cool disdain…a history wrought with loss that comes to light when another clan arrives. With them is Lo, an enemy from Mya’s past who Mya swears has ulterior motives.

As Kol gets to know Lo, tensions between Mya and Lo escalate until violence erupts. Faced with shattering losses, Kol is forced to question every person he’s trusted. One thing is for sure: this was a war that Mya or Lo—Kol doesn’t know which—had been planning all along.
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

When I first saw ARC reviews for this book, I was immediately intrigued. You probably already know how much I love any form of Pride and Prejudice retellings, and learning that there was a new one, and one set in prehistoric times, too, I knew I needed to get my hands on it.

In Ivory and Bone, we follow Kol, the eldest son of the clan leader, who knows that there are hard times ahead. There aren’t many women about that he can marry, and continue the clan, and food supplies seem to be dwindling. When members of another clan appear, Kol’s mother thrusts him in the path of the stubborn Mya, who seems to want nothing to do with him. Then, when another clan appears, and the daughter of that clan’s leader, Lo, appears really interested in Kol, Kol doesn’t know what to do. As the tensions between Lo and Mya become apparent, and the real issue of lack of food makes itself known, the whole situation becomes troubled.

I’ve never read a book like this before. Set in prehistoric times, I found myself feeling as if I was actually there, because Julie has an amazing technique for description. Also, the book is written in second person, which when I’ve them before, I’ve hated, but in this case, it really suited the story.

The way that it was a gender-bend P&P retelling was something new for me too. Kol was the Elizabeth Bennet character in this case, and I could see it perfectly. His whole family just spoke of the Bennet family, especially Kol’s mam. Mya was a wonderful Darcy character; as was Lo with Whickham. Considering the era its set in, I wasn’t sure how the story would translate, but Julie managed to do it expertly.

Initially, I’d thought this was to be a standalone, but I’m overjoyed it’s a series, because I need more of Kol and Mya’s story! An amazing debut from Julie Eshbaugh!

Dates Read:

June 13-14, 2016

Rating
4 Stars

#RockMyTBR 2016 Challenge

Review: The Gilded Cage by Lucinda Gray

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The Gilded Cage
Series: None
Author: Lucinda Gray
Published August 2nd 2016 by Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)

Goodreads Synopsis
After growing up on a farm in Virginia, Walthingham Hall in England seems like another world to sixteen-year-old Katherine Randolph. Her new life, filled with the splendor of upper-class England in the 1820s, is shattered when her brother mysteriously drowns. Katherine is expected to observe the mourning customs and get on with her life, but she can't accept that her brother's death was an accident.

A bitter poacher prowls the estate, and strange visitors threaten the occupants of the house. There's a rumor, too, that a wild animal stalks the woods of Walthingham. Can Katherine retain her sanity long enough to find out the truth? Or will her brother's killer claim her life, too?
Goodreads

Review
I ordered this book because of the period it's set in. The early 1800s are one of my favourite historical periods to read about, especially when set in England. I had seen some negative reviews, but still wanted to read it, to see what I thought. Unfortunately, I probably would've been better off not getting this book, or at least waiting for my library to get it instead.

The Gilded Cage begins in Virginia, USA, when Katherine Randolph discovers that she and her brother are the heirs to the Walthingham country estate in England, and skips forward four weeks, to their presentation ball. Katherine and George are starting to settle into the stuffy life of British aristocracy, when a terrible 'accident' happens, and George is found dead in an icy lake. Everyone believes it was just an accident, a slip in the icy after a drunken night; everyone that is, except for Kat. After rumours of a beast of Walthingham start to circulate, she believes there was something shady at hand, and won't stop at nothing to find out the truth.

I liked Kat, I did, but she wasn't anything special. There wasn't really anything about her to make her memorable, and I'll probably forget about her soon enough, if I'm being really honest. Like many women of that time, she's treated like a frail, young thing, often sent to bed or excluded for conversations, so as not to disturb her delicate sensibilities. No one really takes her seriously, and she is helpless, even though she's now the sole heiress to the large estate.

I did like the tiny romantic aspect between Kat and Mr Simpson, the estate's lawyer. He was the only one to see Kat as a real person, capable of thought and reason, and not some vapid socialite who needs coddling.

Because Kat is only 16, and unmarried, she needs to be under the guardianship of her two cousins, Grace and Henry, who I disliked from the beginning. There always seemed to be something off about the pair, and the further you get into the book, the more and more this feeling grew.

I liked the mysterious aspect, of whether there was a 'beast' or not roaming the grounds, and because of that, the book is a 3 star read. However, it dragged on at times, and then the ending was so rushed, it was unbelievable. Honestly, parts of the middle section could've been completely scrapped, if the ending would've had a bit more care taken, it would've been more enjoyable to read.

I probably wouldn't recommend this book, if I'm being really honest. If you want a good book from this era, I could give you a few other options that are so much better.

Dates Read:
August 22-23, 2016

Rating
3 Stars

#RockMyTBR 2016 Challenge

Review: Into the Dim (Into The Dim #1) by Janet B. Taylor

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Into the Dim
Series: Into The Dim #1
Author: Janet B. Taylor
Published March 1st 2016 by HMH Books for Young Readers

Goodreads Synopsis
When fragile, sixteen-year-old Hope Walton loses her mom to an earthquake overseas, her secluded world crumbles. Agreeing to spend the summer in Scotland, Hope discovers that her mother was more than a brilliant academic, but also a member of a secret society of time travelers. Trapped in the twelfth century in the age of Eleanor of Aquitaine, Hope has seventy-two hours to rescue her mother and get back to their own time. Along the way, her path collides with that of a mysterious boy who could be vital to her mission . . . or the key to Hope’s undoing.
Goodreads

Review
Just before Christmas, last year, I decided to preorder a ton of books, and many of them were ones I'd seen on GR and Twitter, loved by bloggers I trust. This book was one of them, but by the time it arrived in March, I was going home for Easter, and then had assignments and revision to contend with. So the first chance I got to read this, was after my exams, and I flew through the book.

Set mainly in Scotland, Hope is sent to her aunt's house, more like castle, and discovers that her mother's disappearance may not simply be because of the earthquake, when she was presumed dead; in fact, her mother is trapped in 12th century England, at the court of Eleanor of Aquitaine. Now that Hope knows about her family connection to a secret group of time travellers, she finds herself having to journey back in time, and save her mother, in less than 72 hours. She's alone, apart from other two teenagers, Collum and Phoebe, and gets drawn to Bran, someone she met in Scotland, in the present day. Now that she's falling for someone from the enemy group of time travellers, she's not only at risk of losing her mother, forever.

I love time travelling books, especially ones that explore historical periods I love. British monarchy is one of my favourite aspect of history to study, and Eleanor of Aquitaine is my favourite queen consort, of all time. Really, it would've been so much better if she just had the crown in her own right, but, let's be honest, she ran the country anyway. I felt as though the period was researched really well, and seemed realistic as you were reading, especially the whole animosity between Eleanor and Thomas Becket.

The main reason why this book isn't a 5 star, is because of the characters. I wasn't too keen on most of them, and they seemed sort of flat. There's a sort of love triangle brewing between Collum-Hope-Bran, but Collum has a lot of work to do, if he wants to be taken seriously. The only time that Hope really seemed to have something about her, was when she was with Bran, and we find out why this is towards the end of the book. I can see that the characters are likely to improve in the sequel, and I am really looking forward to that.

Though I have my reservations about the characters, the plot was really good, and I felt like it has set the series up to be really good. The synopsis mentions being a sort of YA Outlander, and I could see the connections - which was great for how much I love that show. Book 2 can't come soon enough.

Dates Read:

June 20-21, 2016

Rating
4 Stars

#RockMyTBR 2016 Challenge

Review: The Way to Game the Walk of Shame by Jenn P. Nguyen

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The Way to Game the Walk of Shame
Series: None
Author: Jenn P. Nguyen
Published June 7th 2016 by Macmillan/Swoon Reads

Goodreads Summary
Taylor Simmons is screwed.

Things were hard enough when her single-minded dedication to her studies earned her the reputation of being an Ice Queen, but after getting drunk at a party and waking up next to bad boy surfer Evan McKinley, the entire school seems intent on tearing Taylor down with mockery and gossip.

Desperate to salvage her reputation, Taylor persuades Evan to pretend they’re in a serious romantic relationship. After all, it’s better to be the girl who tames the wild surfer than just another notch on his surfboard.
Goodreads

Review
The fake boyfriend trope is one of my all time favourites in YA books. This book immediately jumped on my wishlist when I read the synopsis, and I preordered it after my birthday, and the fact it came out the day of my final uni exam seemed like fate.

The Way to Game the Walk of Shame begins with Taylor, the girl known around school for being a geek, a nerd, and a shoe in for valedictorian. When she wakes up in bed with the school's biggest player, Evan, she hopes no one has noticed. Unfortunately for her, everyone at the party saw them together, and as soon as she walks into school on Monday morning, the rumours start circulating. So, what else is there to do, that manage the situation and do risk damage? Taylor's solution - her and Evan are actually together, and she's not the 'slut' that everyone is saying she is. Luckily, Evan agrees to be her fake boyfriends, and a contract - really - is drafted. Like most books with this trope, they fall for each other, for real, but not without a good helping of angst thrown in.

Taylor was amazing. Just because everyone thinks she's an Ice Queen, doesn't mean she doesn't have feelings. She's just dedicated to her work, and knows exactly what she wants with her life. She has everything planned out, and has no time for distractions. Because of this, she comes across as rude, but for those who really know her, she's kind. As the book progressed, she shed some of her icy-ness, and even though she never wavered on achieving her goals, she understood that there was more to life than just good grades.

I loved Evan, too. He was very typical for YA love interests, but he had a proper softer side, that not many people saw. What was great about this book, was that Evan was the first to realise his feelings for Taylor were real, and that meant the the green monster popped up a fair few times, when another prospective love interest appears.

That love interest, Brian, was fairly boring, and not a good fit for Taylor, at all. They'd been friends for a while, but nothing had happened, until Brian saw Taylor with Evan, and decided to make his move - not a good idea, dumb ass.

Overall, the book was just a really nice, cute, fluffy read. I had a smile on my face for the majority of the book, and though Evan and Taylor's relationship was one of the best fake-dating-to-real tropes I have ever seen. I can't wait to read more from Nguyen in the future.

Dates Read:

June 13-14, 2016

Rating
4 Stars

2016 Debut Author Challenge

Blog Tour & ARC Review: Stalking Jack the Ripper (Stalking Jack the Ripper #1) by Kerri Maniscalco

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Stalking Jack the Ripper
Series: Stalking Jack the Ripper #1
Author: Kerri Maniscalco
Published September 20th 2016 by Jimmy Patterson

Goodreads Synopsis
Presented by James Patterson's new children's imprint, this deliciously creepy horror novel has a storyline inspired by the Ripper murders and an unexpected, blood-chilling conclusion...

Seventeen-year-old Audrey Rose Wadsworth was born a lord's daughter, with a life of wealth and privilege stretched out before her. But between the social teas and silk dress fittings, she leads a forbidden secret life.

Against her stern father's wishes and society's expectations, Audrey often slips away to her uncle's laboratory to study the gruesome practice of forensic medicine. When her work on a string of savagely killed corpses drags Audrey into the investigation of a serial murderer, her search for answers brings her close to her own sheltered world.

The story's shocking twists and turns, augmented with real, sinister period photos, will make this dazzling debut from author Kerri Maniscalco impossible to forget.
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the author. This in no way impacted on my view.

After my Easter holidays, I went back to uni and knew the next few months would be hectic. It was may last semester, I had one essay and three exams, and then I would graduate. So, like any self respecting student, I decided to find a new tv show to binge. My choice: Ripper Street. In about ten days, I watched all four series of it, and became somewhat obsessed with Jack the Ripper. So imagine my surprise when I got a notification on twitter that I had won a copy of Kerri's upcoming debut, all about Jack the Ripper - it seemed like fate. Because I'm in England, I had to wait a little while for my copy to get here, but once I did, I dropped all my revision (luckily my assignment had already been submitted), and dived right into the book.

Stalking Jack the Ripper is about the unconventional Audrey Rose - a 17 year old, daughter of a lord, who spends most of her time with her uncle in a morgue. She prefers the act of undertaking to being in Society, at teas, balls, etc. When her uncle is approached by the police to investigate a series of gruesome murders, she finds herself drawn into the seedy underbelly of life in Whitechapel in the 1880s.

I adored Audrey Rose. This era in British history is one of my favourite, and YA heroines always fit the bill nicely. Audrey Rose isn't some dowdy, girl from the Ton; no, she is strong, and knows what she wants, and will do anything to get it. Fortunately, her uncle supports her plans, even if her father does not. Her favourite times are spent with her uncle, investigating, and even the presence of the arrogant Thomas Cresswell doesn't dampen her spirit. When it seems that Audrey could be in explicitly linked with the so-called 'Leather Apron', her and Thomas's investigations bring them to danger at every turn.

There wasn't a lot of romance in this book, but the foundations were laid for more to come, and now it has been announced the book is part of a series, I can't wait to see how it develops. Thomas is snarky, and arrogant, but exactly the guy Audrey Rose needs.

There's a lot of twist and turns in the book, and though I felt I kept up with the well, there were still times I was shocked by the revelations. It was a new twist on the already famous Jack the Ripper story, and I need to find more of these type of books - if you can recommend any? Now, I need to try and be patient for the next instalments in this series, but I don't know how well I'll do at that

P.S. if you can't really read scary stories on a night, don't read this. I wasn't overly scared, but there's loads of awesomely gruesome images, and it kept me up at night - but that's more because I couldn't put it down. BTW, if you haven't watch Ripper Street, I'd recommend that too.

Dates Read:

April 29-30, 2016

Rating
5 Stars

#RockMyTBR 2016 Challenge

Review: Scarlett Epstein Hates It Here by Anna Breslaw

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Scarlett Epstein Hates It Here
Series: None
Author: Anna Breslaw
Published April 19th 2016 by Razorbill

Goodreads Synopsis
Meet Scarlett Epstein, BNF (Big Name Fan) in her online community of fanfiction writers, world-class nobody at Melville High. Her best (read: only) IRL friends are Avery, a painfully shy and annoyingly attractive bookworm, and Ruth, her weed-smoking, possibly insane seventy-three-year-old neighbor.

When Scarlett’s beloved TV show is cancelled and her longtime crush, Gideon, is sucked out of her orbit and into the dark and distant world of Populars, Scarlett turns to the fanfic message boards for comfort. This time, though, her subjects aren’t the swoon-worthy stars of her fave series—they’re the real-life kids from her high school. And if they ever find out what Scarlett truly thinks about them, she’ll be thrust into a situation far more dramatic than anything she’s ever seen on TV…
Goodreads

Review
I seriously conflicted over this book. It had been on my wishlist and TBR for ages, and I was proper looking forward to reading it when I had some free time during or after my exams. The day after my second exam, I decided to give myself some free time away from revision, and this book was calling to me from my bookshelf. Before I get into the proper review, it should be noted that I did read it all in one sitting, so at least there's that.

Scarlett Epstein Hates It Here is about Scarlett, a high school student who is a self proclaimed fangirl. Her favourite show, Lycanthrope High, has been cancelled, and she's gone into mourning. Her and her online friends, some of the best fanfic writers for Lycanthrope High, group together to overcome the loss, and Scarlett begins writing fanfic influenced both by the show, and by her own life. In reality, she hasn't got many friends, the person she's closest too is an 80 year old pensioner living across the road. The boy who she had been best friends with when they were younger, Gideon, has been 'brain washed' by the Populars, but her crush never truly went away. She draws far too much from reality for her fanfic, with people like herself, Gideon, and mean girl Ashley, being the building blocks for her 'fictional' characters.

I should have loved this book. I'd seen a ton of positive reviews online, from bloggers whose opinions I trust, and, quite simply, the synopsis promised something right up my street. I don't really know why, but the book was just flat. I never really connected with Scarlett, or honestly, liked her. The characters were all too blah for me to care about, and I feel like I was just reading the book, without connecting with it at all, or really caring. I flew through the book, but more because I wasn't savouring it like I wanted too; rather, I was kinda skimming through the book to see if it got any better.

The plot lines, too, didn't hook me. Out of the 'real' story, and the fictionalised fanfic, the fanfic was better, but only marginally so. I did appreciate Breslaw's writing, though, it had to have been the best part of the entire book. Because of this, I would probably give her books another go in the future, but Scarlett Epstein wasn't for me.

Dates Read:

June 2, 2016

Rating
3 Stars

#RockMyTBR 2016 Challenge

Blog Tour & ARC Review: The Crown's Game (The Crown's Game #1) by Evelyn Skye

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The Crown's Game
Series: The Crown's Game #1
Author: Evelyn Skye
Published May 17th 2016 by Balzer + Bray

Goodreads Synopsis
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.
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past few months, you're bound to have heard about this book. When I first heard about The Crown's Game, I was in the middle of revising my Imperial Russia history exam, so I knew this would be a book for me to check out. Back in December, I decided to treat myself with about 10 2016 preorders, and this was top of my wishlist, so I've been waiting, not very patiently, since then for my copy to actually arrive, and when Harper mentioned doing a blog tour to celebrate the UK release of the book, I jumped at the chance to participate, so let's get on with my review.

The Crown's Game takes place in a fictionalised version of the reign of Tsar Alexander I of Russia, where magic, though kept secret, is very much a reality. The Imperial Family have always had an Imperial Enchanter to protect their interests, and themselves, and normally only one child is born per generation whom can fulfil the duties of Imperial Enchanter. This isn't the case here, though. Vika had been brought up believing herself to be the only candidate, so when she receives a formal invitation to take part in the Crown's Game to decide the best Enchanter, she's surprised. Nikolai, on the other hand, has always known there was another like him out there, but had no clue whom that would be. When they arrive at the secretive location to start the Game, they realise they've met before, but can't let anything get in the way of the task at hand - the winner of the game becomes Imperial Enchanter; the loser, loses everything, including their life.

First things first, I just adored this book! The writing hooked me in from the very first page, and I fell in love with the characters as quickly. The main characters, Vika and Nikolai, were unique, and their PoVs represented that. Vika was more headstrong, whereas Nikolai was more of an old soul. Pasha too, Nikolai's best friend, and incidentally, the Tsesarevich of Russia. He had absolutely no clue that the Game was afoot, and thought all the elaborate events happening in St Petersburg were birthday gifts from himself, and not something even more important.

The romantic aspect, I loved, but I can see how some would have problems with it. There is an aspect of a love triangle happening, but not a serious one that takes away from, or even replaces, the actual plot line. I felt like Pasha was more in lust, than in love, with Vika, but Nikolai and Vika's relationship blossomed over the course of the book, and it's safe to say I'm firmly for their ship.

What was best about the book was the magic. Because there is normally only one person with the power strong enough to be Imperial Enchanter, both Vika and Nikolai have different capabilities with their magic skills. Vika is more at home with natural magic - stuff like the weather and natural elements, where as Nikolai's magic is more at ease with textiles, making his own clothes, and manipulating building materials, etc. They were like the opposites of each other, but complemented each other at the same time.

The ending of the book was a killer, just be warned. When I got to the final page, and realised that was the end of the book, I couldn't believe it. I was sat on the metro, and I bet I looked very weird flicking through the book trying to find more pages. After such a brilliant debut, I'll definitely be preordering book 2 as soon as it becomes available, and will likely have another killed few months to wait until I have it in my hands, and can read it. I can't recommend this book enough, and I look forward to reading more from Evelyn in the future.

Dates Read:
May 18-21, 2016

Rating
5 Stars