Month: March 2023

REVIEW: Conquer the Kingdom by Jennifer Estep

REVIEW: Conquer the Kingdom by Jennifer Estep

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Harper Voyager in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

While Gemma and Leonides and their friends and family have survived Milo’s attempted assassinations, they are wary and on guard. Milo survived, too, and has gone into hiding with a huge bounty on his head. While some speculate that he will flee, Gemma feels it’s more likely he’s plotting something else, maybe for the upcoming Sword and Shield Tournament.

Gemma invites Queen Maeven and Princess Delmira as her guests for the tournament, hoping to lure Milo out of hiding to take another shot at his mother. The animosity between the Ripleys and the Morricones simmers as they kick off the tournament and wait for Milo to make his move. And Gemma and Leo are caught by their family loyalties and the history of plots and schemes – and murder – between the families. While they hope to eventually triumph over Milo, their love seems doomed to fail.

Review

I have loved this series – this world – since I first read Kill the Queen, first in the Crown of Shards series. The author has said this is the last book from this world, at least for awhile, and I’m a little sad it’s all over.

Gemma gets to have another showdown with the Morricones here – actually a few of them. And they are epic! If you love the big battles in this series, you will not be disappointed here. Most of the threads of Gemma’s story are tied up here, so the ending is satisfying. There are definitely a few loose ends for the author to play with if she ever comes back to this world. But if this is truly the end, I think fans will be satisfied.

I have to be honest. There were a few moments where I felt the plot was engineered to draw out the drama. I realize that’s fiction. Duh! But I mean moments where something happened – or didn’t happen – that felt out of character or so out of the flow that it pulled me out of the story with “Wait, what?” These moments didn’t ruin the story, and they weren’t *big* things. But they did shake up the flow of things for me. And then they sat in the back of my brain for the rest of my reading experience.

That said, there’s been some brilliant plotting in this trilogy. The teasers from earlier books get to resolve here in fantastic ways. I will definitely read this again once my personal copy arrives. I tabbed my way through a re-read of the first two Gargoyle Queen books, and I am eager to tab this as well to note where all the payoffs come.

Series fans should definitely pick this up asap. New readers should at least go back to the start of this series, Capture the Crown, if not all the way back to Kill the Queen to get the full experience with this awesome world and these fantastic characters. And remember, these are adult fantasy novels (language, sex, violence), not YA.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read

BOOK NEWS: March 7, 2023

BOOK NEWS: March 7, 2023

Posted on by Jaymie

It’s the first release week of March – let’s see what books are out this week! I know there are some on this week’s list that I have been waiting for for ages!

Books for Kids

When Things Aren’t Going Right, Go Left – A picture book that looks at taking ownership over your own path.
Stink: Superhero Superfan – Book 13 in the series. Stink discovers a new superhero when he finds some comics at a yard sale.

 

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

Squished (Graphic Novel) – A girl in a large family is looking for some space of her own.
The Tapestry of Tales – Book 2 in the Unraveled series. Just as Cia is wrestling with her desire to be cool and fit in at school she discovers the Evil Queen’s latest plot. This sounds like a fun series!
What Do We Know About the Roswell Incident? 
What Is the Story of Captain Picard?
The Jump – The latest from Brittney Morris. When a vigilante group hijacks a scavenger hunting forum offering a life-changing prize, four teens see it as a chance to change the future for their families and their community.
Missing Clarissa – Twenty years after Clarissa goes missing without a trace from a party in the woods, two teens start a true crime podcast, determined to find out what really happened all those years ago.
Rosewood: A Midsummer Meet Cute – A Sense and Sensibility retelling at a camp where kids are being scouted for a Bridgerton-type TV show.
Royal Blood – The King of England’s somewhat secret illegitimate daughter is outed to the press and then becomes a suspect in a murder. I’m super excited about this one!
Teen Titans: Robin (Graphic Novel) – Book 4 in the Teen Titans series by Kami Garcia. Damian has teamed up with Raven, Garth, and Maxine to dodge Slade Wilson and HIVE. It’s FINALLY HERE!!! I pre-ordered this almost a year ago. I cannot wait!

 

Books for Adults

Conquer the Kingdom (Trade Paperback) – The third and final book in the Gargoyle Queen series, the excellent follow up to the Crown of Shards series. While I am THRILLED this book is out, it’s also a little bittersweet knowing it’s the end of new content in this world that I adore. As a gladiator contest comes to Andvari, it’s making it harder for Gemma to determine who is friend and who is foe while she hunts for the one who is trying to destroy her family and her kingdom.
Final Draft (Trade Paperback) – First book in the new Olivia Lively Mystery series. A graduate student asks private investigator Olivia Lively to prove his professor stole his manuscript.
Mr. & Mrs. Witch (Trade Paperback) – Just as Savvy and Griffin are about to get married they discover they are spies in rival agencies that now want them to kill each other to prove their loyalty. I reviewed this last week – it’s so fun!
Queen of Deception (Trade Paperback) – From the Marvel Legends of Asgard series. Hela, Lady Sif, and a valkyrie are drawn to a burst of magic in Elizabethan-era Midgard, but the magic has also attracted the attention of a group of Dark Elves.
The Ultimate Infographic Guide to the Bible (Hardcover) – A visual resource on the Bible.

 

REVIEW: The House Swap by Yvette Clark

REVIEW: The House Swap by Yvette Clark

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Sage is worried her parents might be getting a divorce. So when her mom announces they will be going to England for vacation – without her dad – she finds it hard to feel excited. Plus, the trip is a house swap, so there will be strangers living in their house which will just be weird.

Allie finds herself feeling at turns overlooked and then smothered as the middle kid in her family. No one takes her desire for some order and boundaries seriously. Her parents always seem to indulge her older brother and baby sister, leaving Allie to fend for herself in family dynamics.

Sage and Allie get a few days together in England before Allie leaves, and in that time Sage shares her worries about her parents. So Allie helps her come up with a plan to “Parent Trap” her parents in order to save their marriage.

Review

The set up here is cute. I loved how the author arranged things so the two girls are together and get to know one another for a few days before the full swap. I loved the two girls together.

The conflicts the girls are facing are pretty typical for middle grade stories, and they are well-executed here. I really felt for Allie as she struggles to be heard and understood in her family.  The “Parent Trap” plan was as stressful to read as you might imagine. I think kids will enjoy the drama of it all.

This would be a nice selection for a read aloud or a book group. There’s a lot of family dynamics here for discussion or reflection. Kids could talk about which of the girls they related to the most, both in their different personalities and also in the conflicts they are facing. Both girls end up working on giving voice to their feelings and asking for what they need. These are great life skills for kids to read about and talk about.

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good +

REVIEW: Mr. & Mrs. Witch by Gwenda Bond

REVIEW: Mr. & Mrs. Witch by Gwenda Bond

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and St Martin’s Griffin in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. This book releases March 7th.]

Summary

CRONE is an association of witches that works in secret to keep the world safe from dark, magical things it’s not ready for.

HUNTER is a similar organization, but their roots go back to the days of hunting witches. The two groups may be co-existing these days, but the peace between them feels tenuous at best.

The two groups come face to face at Savvy and Griffin’s wedding. Neither has any idea that the other is technically a “sworn enemy.” But a blow up at the wedding exposes both sides. Instead of beginning their life together as husband and wife, Savvy and Griffin have to kill each other to get back in the good graces of their respective groups.

It’s soon apparent that something much bigger is going on. And Savvy and Griffin might have to help each other out of they want to survive. But the trust between them is broken. How can they ever get past the betrayal of falling for a sworn enemy?

Review

This was fun! The plot has a familiar Mr and Mrs Smith/rival-spies-fall-in-love vibe, and I was here for it. I liked the two main characters a lot, and the magical world was intriguing. I would have liked a little more on the world-building, but what is here is a satisfying support to the larger story, keeping the romance the focus.

This definitely feels like something that could launch a series. The events of the book set some things in motion that could build into more storytelling. And the usual friend and family groups could become central characters for future stories. And I am here for more.

The romance here is lovely. The chemistry is great. The timeline jumps work perfectly to get the reader right into the conflict of the story while still building the relationship of the main couple.

While I have always enjoyed magical fantasy stories, I am always guarded for ones that might veer toward horror or the occult. This one gave me no issues, but if you are also wary, the magical elements here include covens (groups of witches), familiars (animals that can shape shift and bond to their owners), gorgons, necromancy, and spells/magic powers.

Readers who enjoy their romance with a healthy side of fantasy and magic – books like Not the Witch You Wed, Not Your Ex’s Hexes, The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels, Capture the Crown, Dead Romantics, etc. – should definitely pick this up! (Language, sex)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great – Might re-read