Storm Siren by Mary Weber

Blurb from Goodreads
“I raise my chin as the buyers stare. Yes. Look. You don’t want me. Because, eventually, accidentally, I will destroy you.”

In a world at war, a slave girl’s lethal curse could become one kingdom’s weapon of salvation. If the curse—and the girl—can be controlled.

As a slave in the war-weary kingdom of Faelen, seventeen-year-old Nym isn’t merely devoid of rights, her Elemental kind are only born male and always killed at birth — meaning, she shouldn’t even exist.

Standing on the auction block beneath smoke-drenched mountains, Nym faces her fifteenth sell. But when her hood is removed and her storm-summoning killing curse revealed, Nym is snatched up by a court advisor and given a choice: be trained as the weapon Faelen needs to win the war, or be killed.

Choosing the former, Nym is unleashed into a world of politics, bizarre parties, and rumors of an evil more sinister than she’s being prepared to fight . . . not to mention the handsome trainer whose dark secrets lie behind a mysterious ability to calm every lightning strike she summons.

But what if she doesn’t want to be the weapon they’ve all been waiting for?

Set in a beautifully eclectic world of suspicion, super abilities, and monsters, Storm Siren is a story of power. And whoever controls that power will win.

5 stars
I have to admit something - I am terribly prejudiced. Well not when it comes to important things. My experience with Christian publishers makes me want to automatically reject anything from the Christian sector. Don't get me wrong, I am a Christ follower - I just think that the quality of writing, plotting and characterization is lacking in the Christian publishing world. I was extremely excited for this book, and then I found out it was published by Thomas Nelson. I began the book prepared to DNF it. But what I found was truly one of the best books of the year. I was surprised, delighted, and I think I giggled a little bit over how good this book was. It had everything that makes a great book. I loved all of the characters - well except for the bad guys. Mary Weber sets up the ending beautifully, weaving an intricate web that culminates in the last few chapters. There is not a scene wasted. I was caught by surprise on a few of the twists, but the ending oh that ending. Ms. Weber, that really wasn't nice. How do you expect us to wait another year?

I loved how Nym struggled with her gift/curse. She is vulnerable and has an active conscious which makes for a lot of internal conflict. Watching her wrestle with the killings made her relatable. And even though she is a slave, she still has a backbone. She is not helpless, nor is she so tough that she thinks she can do it on her own. She was the right balance.

There are several key characters that were well done. Colin, Breck and Eogan complete the ensemble and make the world richer and more fleshed out. Sometimes the minor characters are sacrificed for the main character, but that is not the case here. Each character is drawn as if from a real life person.

The world building was phenomenal, and it was doled out bit by bit as you needed to know things. I hate when a book dumps all of the information about a fantasy world at once. This book slowly revealed the information and made you want more.

I loved this book, in case you haven't been able to tell from my review. I would highly recommend this to anyone who loves fantasy with great characters.

Completely clean as far as language and sex. There are some violent moments.

Of Metal and Wishes by Sarah Fine

 

Blurb from Goodreads
There are whispers of a ghost in the slaughterhouse where sixteen-year-old Wen assists her father in his medical clinic—a ghost who grants wishes to those who need them most. When one of the Noor, men hired as cheap factory labor, humiliates Wen, she makes an impulsive wish of her own, and the Ghost grants it. Brutally.

Guilt-ridden, Wen befriends the Noor, including their outspoken leader, a young man named Melik. At the same time, she is lured by the mystery of the Ghost and learns he has been watching her … for a very long time.

As deadly accidents fuel tensions within the factory, Wen must confront her growing feelings for Melik, who is enraged at the sadistic factory bosses and the prejudice faced by his people at the hand of Wen’s, and her need to appease the Ghost, who is determined to protect her against any threat—real or imagined. She must decide whom she can trust, because as her heart is torn, the factory is exploding around her … and she might go down with it.

4.5 stars
So, so good! It was the perfect blend of plot, characterization and beautiful writing. Oh, and did I mention that it was based loosely on The Phantom of the Opera? Anything to do with Phantom is a must read in my book, and I am so glad that this one lived up to my expectations. I cannot wait to read the sequel to this one! I want to see more of this world. Sarah Fine did a great job of creating a world within a world with the Slaughterhouse. I want Wen to explore more of her world though. I want more history of the two races - why they hate one another so much, how the Noor were conquered and why.

I read some reviews that criticized the book for using the threat of rape. My only problem is that it seemed that all of the men (with the exception of Melik and Sinan) were just looking for any excuse to rape. This is not a fair representation of men. I would have liked to see some more men step up and say that Mugo's treatment of women was despicable. I understand why the workers could not, but at least have some characters object in a conversation. Even the women seem to accept that this is their lot.

I feel that Wen was a strong character. She had the courage to reach out to the Noor and accept them. I felt her remorse at what she feels was her fault was a great display of character, and her forgiveness showed strength.

I wish I had the second book because I would absolutely read it right now - publication date notwithstanding. This is a great read for fans of fantasy and classical story re-tellings.

There was no language.  There is the threat of rape, but no actual sex scenes.

Forget Me by K.A. Harrington

 

Blurb from Goodreads
On the three-month anniversary of her boyfriend Flynn’s death, Morgan uploads her only photo of him to FriendShare to get some closure—but she’s shocked when the facial recognition software suggests she tag him as "Evan Murphy." She’s never heard of Evan, but a quick search tells her that he lives in a nearby town and looks exactly like Flynn. Only this boy is very much alive.

Digging through layers of secrets and lies, Morgan is left questioning everything she thought she knew about her boyfriend, her town, and even her parents' involvement in this massive web of lies.

4 stars
A well written suspense that will satisfy lovers of the genre. The mystery is thought provoking. The idea that we all have a doppelganger is intriguing. What would you do if the boy you saw get hit by a car was resurrected in another boy only a short distance away? Morgan certainly uses her brain and not just reacting with her emotions. I loved that she was careful and cautious about dangerous situations. I hate when the protagonist runs off and does something stupid because they just know in their heart that it is the "right" thing to do. Morgan is circumspect, but she is still tenacious at getting to the truth. Evan, of course, is adorable (who can resist dimples?).

The mystery was a little easy to figure out, but I think that's because I have read way too many suspense novels. I still enjoyed it. Knowing what was coming did not lessen my enjoyment. It is hard to believe how quick the read is because it is a layered and complex story. The characters really draw you in and make you care. Even the secondary characters are well fleshed out.

Harrington really writes conversations well. I loved the interaction between Morgan and Toni. Their relationship seemed genuine and real - just how I would picture a best friend being in high school. There was no competition between the girls which was refreshing. I've read too many books where the girls compete for a boy's attention. This modeled a positive relationship and was really a joy to read.

I really liked this book, and I am definitely going to be looking up more titles by this author.  There were a few expletives (maybe 5 total) and some kissing.

Madly, Deeply by Erica Crouch

Blurb from Goodreads
It was many and many a year ago,
In a kingdom by the sea...

Annaleigh Wells and William Calloway had a love even the angels envied. It was as if the universe spun them toward one another, like the stars crafted their souls to fit perfectly together.

With a wedding on the horizon, fate had a change of heart. Whispered warnings from phantoms and morbid nightmares darkened every night—but even visions of the future couldn’t save Annaleigh.

Inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s poem Annabel Lee, Crouch’s period romance Madly, Deeply tells the tale of love so great, it cannot be contained in just one life.

This is a book about loss and grief. It is a beautifully written tribute to the power of love. William loses his other half on their wedding night. It really made me think about losing my husband, my better half, and I realize that even though we have been married for 21 years, it is not enough. William's grief touched me, made me cry, and made me appreciate that love should not be taken for granted. The book took Poe's poem of Annabel Lee and added aspects of the supernatural. It imagined the world perfectly with just the right touch of characters. It wasn't very long, but it was packed full of emotion. I would recommend to readers who don't mind a character driven novel who like a novel to make them feel emotions. And, of course, if you are a big Edgar Allen Poe fan, this will delight you.  It was truly well done, and I will definitely want to keep this one around for re-reads.  

This was a clean read - no sex or language! 

Books I Recently Acquired

A couple of years ago, I came across a book by Kate Forsyth that I knew I had to have.  The only problem is that it was published in Australia, and I couldn't get it.  So I impatiently waited. Well, this week it came up on Netgalley for US audiences.  I clicked on the request button and sat back, feverishly waiting to see if I would be approved. I am very happy to say that I was. Now I just have to wait until closer to the release date of September 23rd to read it.  So much waiting for this book. I hope it lives up to it!








Reading this one now.  Really enjoying it!


And the rest of the books I recently got....
Really super excited for The Fall too.  I love Edgar Allen Poe, and this looks to be a great retelling!

Welcome to the Dark House part two

My earlier review was written in the mistaken belief that this was a stand-alone novel. I have been informed that there will be a sequel so I will amend my review from 3 stars to 4.  Here goes how the review would have went if I had known there was a sequel...  I liked everything about this novel except for that cliff hanger ending. I am beyond ready for the next book to explain all the creepiness away. The writing was suspenseful and eerie. I have always been afraid of carnivals since I was little, and this didn't really help much. I loved Ivy's character. I thought she was well drawn and believable. I think it takes more guts to overcome a big fear than it does to tackle a smaller fear. And Ivy has guts! I am eager for the next one (now that I know there is more coming). Thanks to the author for correcting me!

Welcome to the Dark House by Laurie Faria Stolarz

 

Blurb from Goodreads
What’s your worst nightmare?

For Ivy Jensen, it’s the eyes of a killer that haunt her nights. For Parker Bradley, it’s bloodthirsty sea serpents that slither in his dreams.

And for seven essay contestants, it’s their worst nightmares that win them an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at director Justin Blake’s latest, confidential project. Ivy doesn’t even like scary movies, but she’s ready to face her real-world fears. Parker’s sympathetic words and perfect smile help keep her spirits up. . . at least for now.

Not everyone is so charming, though. Horror-film fanatic Garth Vader wants to stir up trouble. It’s bad enough he has to stay in the middle of nowhere with this group—the girl who locks herself in her room; the know-it-all roommate; “Mister Sensitive”; and the one who’s too cheery for her own good. Someone has to make things interesting.

Except, things are already a little weird. The hostess is a serial-killer look-alike, the dream-stealing Nightmare Elf is lurking about, and the seventh member of the group is missing.

By the time Ivy and Parker realize what’s really at stake, it’s too late to wake up and run.

3 stars
I have no idea why it ended the way it did. I understand the book was being mysterious and creepy, but there has to be some sort of payoff at the end, and for me this one didn't have it. It was a great build up with interesting characters. I wanted to learn more backstory for each one. Although I'm not sure why Taylor was even included so maybe not her story so much. I would like to know what happened to her. I just couldn't get past the ending to give it more than three stars. The rest of the book was tautly written. The suspense was amazing, and the mystery well constructed. I really liked most of the book so I feel bad for basing my decision on the last few pages, but I was looking for a grand revelation and some closure that I didn't get.