Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco

 

Kingdom of the Wicked was a hell of a romp, I really enjoyed it. It was fast paced, fun and full of witty banter. I loved the setting for this novel, it was beautiful and I had no issues getting lost within it's descriptions of Sicily. I absolutely loved the characters, Eimilia was flawed and driven by the need for vengeance, while Wrath was ever the dangerous and sly. They had my favorite relationship too, I'm a sucker for certain tropes. I felt like the story was well thought out but it did fall flat for me a few times, the pacing was tiny bit off and it felt like there needed to be less time that passed, especially when weeks would pass with no story, I just wish it had happened quickly because it felt a little awkward when I was reading it. Overall I think this was a very fun read that I really enjoyed, solid 4/5 stars.

I would reccomend it to people who liked the Shadows Between Us, Shadow and Bone, Serpent and Dove, and the Cruel Prince.

I Hope You're Listening by Tom Ryan

I just finished I Hope You're Listening by Tom Ryan, I received an arc for this from Netgalley in exchange for this review! 

I gave this book 4 stars out of 5, although for the most part while I was reading it I thought of it as a 2 or 3 stars. I love books that use podcasts as an extra added depth to the story the author is trying to tell and this book did a pretty good job, not the best I've read but it added to the substance to the novel. I liked Dee our main character who uses a pseudonym for her podcast, she just wants to help bring awareness and hope fully new clues to missing persons cases. Especially after we find out that her reason behind this is because her best friend was kidnapped when they were children. Dee is also a lesbian and I felt like it was done very naturally especially as an lgbtqa+ person myself. I also loved the twists and turns of the mysteries in this book, and yes there are multiple mysteries. A couple of things that felt awkward to me were Burke's character and the instalove with Sarah. Burke was a great side character but I felt like the author didn't really know how to make Burke fit into the story more effortlessly, he was kind of bench when his character had the potential to really add more to the story. Sarah was awesome and I loved how Dee and her developed except they went to instalove pretty quickly which just turned out to make awkward reading because Sarah ended up pretty important character but she didn't have much personality except to get Dee talking in the book.  Besides these few complaints the story was well written and the twists thought out nicely. 

If you enjoyed The Night Swim, Sadie and I Killed Zoe Spanos I think you'll enjoy this one.

I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara

 

I'll be Gone in the Dark is a true crime book mostly written by Michelle McNamara, she unfortunately passed away before the book could be completed and the Golden State Killer was discovered. 

I gave this book a 4 out of 5 stars, I listened to it on audio and I generally struggle to focus on audio but there was this one really brilliant quote that I had to go find asap after I heard. “He loses his power when we know his face.” That one sentence just sends shivers down my spine, and I thought to myself yes, that is why I love listening to and hearing about true crimes. I want to know what happened and why, I want unsolved crimes to be solved and by sharing these stories not only do the criminals lose power but unsolved crimes can get solved by just that one extra share, etc... 

DNA solved these rapes, and murder but it really is all the hard work that goes into solving it that takes the cake. This book was very boring at first for me, but the longer I listened to the narration, Michelle's word, the more I wanted to know not only about the case but about her and how she fit into the puzzle. This really was a great book, and I highly recommend it. Even my dad gave it 4/5 stars and he really enjoyed it too. 

My Dad Reads... summer list

Ok, so my dad's reading streak has been really good, he finishes books faster than me recently!! Since my last update he's finished 6 books and DNF'd (did not finish) 1 book! As previously mentioned, he is a man of few words, I promise for my next post I'm going to come up with a few more questions for him to give me more details on his views!

 The French Girl by Lexie Elliott 3.5/5 stars, my dad said it was interesting how they went through the mystery of finding proof...and then he spoiled it for me! I don't know if I want to read it now, but I don't feel like I can objectively write more about this one.

Without Blood by Martin Michaud 4/5 stars. he just said it was well written and enjoyed how the author pieced together the mystery.

Final Cut by S. J. Watson 4/5 stars, my dad enjoyed how this book went back into the past and back in years and how the author was able to write it well enough to put it together. My dad, a lot of the time, lowers his ratings when authors do a bad job of multiple pov's or multiple timelines so I'm always happy to hear when author's do it right.

The Guest List by Lucy Foley 4.5/5 stars. My dad officially loves this author and they write. He loves how he would never have guessed where the story was going, which is a bonus for me too. I'm going to read this author soon, because my dad has loved their books.

Still Here by Amy Stuart 4/5 stars. He liked it and the author did pretty good at the back and forth thing, but it wasn't super special to him.

Hunted by Darcy Coates 4.5/5 stars. Dad says it was well written, kept him in suspense and that he just really wanted to keep reading it. And that was all I could get out of him for this book.

Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud and Last Trial of Harper Lee by Casey Cep My dad DNF'd this book, he read about 130 pages (which is really good for giving it a fair chance, I don't even do that many pages usually). He said it was a very dry book, my dad likes true crime and even some history books but he said that the author kept giving too many boring details. It was just too boring and he wasn't interested in the story anymore even. My dad said he wanted to hear about the case/murder, etc... not how an insurance company got started, or how one boring person knew the other boring person in town, etc... I don't think I've ever gotten that many words out of him before when it comes to reviews. He really didn't like this one.

Home Before Dark by Riley Sager

 *E-ARC received in exchange for an honest review*  

Home Before Dark was a little dull in the beginning, it took me a hot minute to really get into but by 45% through I was hooked. This is my 3rd book by Riley Sager that I've read, and so far this is the only one where I kind of saw the ending coming... the very end because I definitely didn't catch on to that one thing. Although I was able to put some of the story together myself I still loved it. We have Maggie Holt who has a past she can't quite remember and basically after her father dies she does her best to uncover what she believes are the lies that made her family rich. She returns to the house of horrors, the haunted house that her family fled from in the middle of the night and slowly she pieces together what's true and what's a lie. The story switches perspectives from Maggie to different chapters from her fathers books, and it was executed just so perfectly. Riley Sager has aced that in each of his novels I've read. I absolutely adore how this author builds slow suspense in normal everyday events, fixing up a house, camping, etc...

I loved the Final Girls and I really liked The Last Time I Lied, so I'm ready to jump into Lock Every Door. 

Fable by Adrienne Young

E-ARC provided in exchange for honest review*

Holy moly guys, Fable is easily one of my favorite books of all time and it is 100% making my top 10 reads this year. 

Synopsis

As the daughter of the most powerful trader in the Narrows, the sea is the only home seventeen-year-old Fable has ever known. It’s been four years since the night she watched her mother drown during an unforgiving storm. The next day her father abandoned her on a legendary island filled with thieves and little food. To survive she must keep to herself, learn to trust no one and rely on the unique skills her mother taught her. The only thing that keeps her going is the goal of getting off the island, finding her father and demanding her rightful place beside him and his crew. To do so Fable enlists the help of a young trader named West to get her off the island and across the Narrows to her father.

But her father’s rivalries and the dangers of his trading enterprise have only multiplied since she last saw him and Fable soon finds that West isn't who he seems. Together, they will have to survive more than the treacherous storms that haunt the Narrows if they're going to stay alive.

Ok, so I absolutely fell in love with this main character, she was both sassy and fierce but also kind and goal oriented. I liked that she wasn't heartless but she also wasn't afraid to stand up for herself. I also loved the story, side characters and the complexities that each is going through or went through. Everything about this book was perfect, I just loved it so much. The world building was done very well, you could tell it's a big world but the author only explained as much as necessary to the plot. I don't really have much to say, except if you love swashbuckling and the high seas/coast than you'll love this story. 

TBR & Beyond's Shielded Book Tour & Review

 

I received an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

For the full book tour schedule here's the link!

https://tbrandbeyondtours.com/2020/07/19/tour-schedule-shielded-by-kaylynn-flanders/

My Review is spoiler free

I gave this book a solid 3.5 almost 4 stars out of 5. The only reason it's not a 4, is because the first half of the book dragged a bit for me. It may have been my mood while I was reading or that although I was invested, it was a bit too drawn out. Whereas I felt the ending was a bit rushed... That's my only real negative. This story follows our heroine Jenna and the mysterious aggressors who are in the process of hatching their plot. I felt like these different styled chapters really invoked their inner Remnant Chronicles by leaving a bit of the unknown as to who the mages are. I really enjoy it when authors leave a lot of hints but you're really just not sure who you can trust. This book was a lot of fun with a swoon-worthy romance, be still my beating heart, and I really enjoyed the experience... (I may or for sure... have a special edition of this book coming in the mail). I don't really want to give too much away or say too much but I've edited a fun playlist for you guys to listen to as you read this book and I've left the synopsis and author info, etc.. down below as well! 

Playlist

Experience my full playlist by clicking^

Otherwise here are my main songs for this book

1. Family by The Chainsmokers/Kygo

2. Magic by Coldplay

3.Warrior (ft. Lights) by Steve James/Lights

4. Shadowplay by the Killers

5. bury a friend by Billie Eilish

6. Castle by Halsey

7. Bad Blood by Bastille

8. Demon by Imagine Dragons

9. Secrets by OneRebuplic

10. Worth Fighting For by Taylor Henderson

11. Love and War by the RockAteers

Shielded

by KayLynn Flanders

by Delacorte Press

Publishing date: July 21st, 2020

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Synopsis:

For fans of Sorcery of Thorns and Furyborn comes a thrilling new fantasy about a kingdom ravaged by war, and the princess who might be the key to saving not only those closest to her, but the kingdom itself, if she reveals the very secret that could destroy her.

The kingdom of Hálendi is in trouble. It's losing the war at its borders, and rumors of a new, deadlier threat on the horizon have surfaced. Princess Jennesara knows her skills on the battlefield would make her an asset and wants to help, but her father has other plans.

As the second-born heir to the throne, Jenna lacks the firstborn's--her brother's--magical abilities, so the king promises her hand in marriage to the prince of neighboring Turia in exchange for resources Hálendi needs. Jenna must leave behind everything she has ever known if she is to give her people a chance at peace.

Only, on the journey to reach her betrothed and new home, the royal caravan is ambushed, and Jenna realizes the rumors were wrong--the new threat is worse than anyone imagined. Now Jenna must decide if revealing a dangerous secret is worth the cost before it's too late--for her and for her entire kingdom.

Buy the book 

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BOOK LINK:

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42281684-shielded
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0593118537
Book Depository: https://www.bookdepository.com/Shielded-Kaylynn-Flanders/9780593118535?ref=grid-view&qid=1594819850295&sr=1-1
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shielded-kaylynn-flanders/1134256504
Indigo: https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/shielded/9780593118535-item.html?ikwid=shielded&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=2b60e6c6759a72c42103c4aa83ad8d61

McNally Robinson: https://www.mcnallyrobinson.com/9780593118535/kaylynn-flanders/shielded?blnBKM=1