REVIEW: The Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu

Two siblings. Two brilliant talents. But only one Mozart.

Born with a gift for music, Nannerl Mozart has just one wish—to be remembered forever. But even as she delights audiences with her masterful playing, she has little hope she'll ever become the acclaimed composer she longs to be. She is a young woman in 18th century Europe, and that means composing is forbidden to her. She will perform only until she reaches a marriageable age—her tyrannical father has made that much clear.

And as Nannerl's hope grows dimmer with each passing year, the talents of her beloved younger brother, Wolfgang, only seem to shine brighter. His brilliance begins to eclipse her own, until one day a mysterious stranger from a magical land appears with an irresistible offer. He has the power to make her wish come true—but his help may cost her everything.

In her first work of historical fiction, #1 New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu spins a lush, lyrically-told story of music, magic, and the unbreakable bond between a brother and sister.

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MY THOUGHTS

This was one of my most anticipated books of the year! Everything about this book just sounded fascinating! Little known history + magical realism + Marie Lu, it seemed like a recipe for a great book. I don't know if I over-hyped this in my mind or what, but I was disappointed by this book. Don't get me wrong, I did like the book and it gets a solid three stars, but I was expecting to love this book and I just didn't.

This book has two main components: the historical side, and the fantasy side. One was done well, one not so much. The historical storyline follows Nannerl Mozart, who is the lesser-known of the Mozart siblings, but also incredibly talented. We see her grow up from a young girl to a teenager as she tours with her brother. She is overshadowed by her brother and resents the fact that, as a boy, her brother is able to openly compose and Nannerl is not. Still, she has lots of love for her brother and has to handle the conflicting emotions. I loved how this book focused on Nannerl. I remember learning a little about her in my Music Appreciation class, but many people never learn about her. But even the focus on the Mozarts themselves was interesting as I have never read a YA book, or any fiction book, about the Mozarts!

Now, as for the fantasy aspect, I felt that it was really lackluster. It started out interesting enough, we have the magical world blurred into the real world slowly. Nannerl's interactions with the Kingdom of Back at first felt unreal, in a good way. As the book progressed, though, I noticed that we never really got worldbuilding for the Kingdom of Back, which made me less intrigued by the realm. Instead of seamlessly blending with the real world, it felt jarring whenever we traveled there because I never felt like I had enough information to understand it or its connection to our world. What disappoints me is that there were so many opportunities to show us this wonderful world but instead, we were told about things, or everything was just meant to be an obvious allegory. I did like Marie Lu's author's note where she mentions that the Kingdom of Back was a story the real Nannerl and Wolfgang (or Wolferl as he is called in the book) told each other while they were on tour. I found that to be incredibly interesting, but it made me wish I really connected with the world.

As for characters, I do feel like both Nannerl and Wolferl were well-developed characters. I especially loved how the book showed their relationship. Despite the gap in ages, they are incredibly close from traveling together. Nannerl does resent Wolferl, but it less because of him and more because he has more freedom than she does. This is difficult for Wolferl to understand and throughout the book he seems to be closer to Nannerl than she to him, which made some of Nannerl's decisions frustrating. I did feel like the gender elements were heavy-handed in the book because it was understood the struggles that Nannerl had as a girl in the 18 century the first few times she thought it. It did frustrate me that for a book that was discussed gender, Nannerl often goes off with a guy in the Kingdom of Back but I don't think this was romantic? I have a question mark there because it wasn't all that clear.

The book does have a middle grade feel throughout, namely because Nannerl is a pre-teen/young teen for most of the book. The atmosphere also reminded me of middlegrade. I was surprised by this, as the book is marketed as YA, but I adore reading middlegrade so I actually loved that it had that feeling to the story.

IN CONCLUSION

Overall, I did like the book but I really wish there was more worldbuilding in the fantasy sections. It was a fairly interesting read overall, and a highly creative story at that, even if I wasn't fully engaged in the story. I really liked the historical inspiration. This book did make me wonder if I am outgrowing Marie Lu's books. She used to be an auto-buy author for me, but both this book and Rebel have kind of let me down.

I hereby give this book

3 Stars

Meaning: I liked it

REVIEW: Belladonna by Fiona Paul

In Renaissance Italy, love, lust, intrigue and secret societies converge to stunning results!

In the second in the stunning Secrets of the Eternal Rose series, Cassandra Caravello is trying to forget Falco, the wild artist who ran off with her heart, as she grows closer to her strong, steady fiancé, Luca. But Luca seems to have his own secrets. When he’s arrested by soldiers in the middle of the night, Cass’s life is once again thrown into chaos. She must save Luca, and that means finding the Book of the Eternal Rose—the only evidence that will prove he’s innocent.

So begins her journey to Florence, a city haunted by whispers of vampirism, secret soirees and clandestine meetings of the Order of the Eternal Rose. And home to Falco, who is working for the Order’s eerily stunning leader, the Belladonna herself.

Can Cass trust her heart to lead her to the truth this time?
Nothing is as it seems in this seductive thriller, where the truth may be the deadliest poison of all.

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MY THOUGHTS

I enjoyed reading Venom years ago, but for some reason, it took me seven years to get to this book. I did end up liking this book, but it had a hard time keeping my interest. In Belladonna, Cass is still living with her aunt and Cass’ fiancé, Luca. Falco has since left Venice. When Luca is arrested for hearsay, Cass is convinced that someone is trying to make Luca disappear. Especially since he was arrested shortly after confronting a powerful figure about the deaths of the girls from book one. In order to help prove Luca’s innocence (and stop his execution), Cass travels to Florence and encounters the powerful woman called Belladonna and the mysterious group of the Order of the Eternal Rose (which Cass’ parents may have been involved in).  

There are a lot of details in this book, a lot happens, but I had to keep taking breaks from this book. I am not sure why, I think that even with all of the strange events in the book, the pacing still felt slow. Most of this book was Cass trying to figure out what the Order of the Eternal Rose was and kind of wandering around Florence, around Belladonna’s place, and getting into some trouble. The last part of the book really picks up, but it was very different from the rest of the book. I did like that the Order is actually in this book. In Venom, we saw the excerpts from the Book of the Eternal Rose and some symbols, but it was never explained or part of the story. So, I did like how this book focused more on that mystery. 

I did find this one more difficult to place in terms of genre. I loved that Venom was a mystery taking place during the Renaissance. We continue that here, but sometimes I worried that it was venturing into paranormal territory. Part of this is likely just because, in the time period, there were a lot of superstitions. Things we consider fictional now were not considered fiction then. For instance, in this book, Florence is being overrun by vampires and women are being killed for having puncture wounds on their necks. With this, we also see how the superstitions balance with the emerging science at the time. We saw this a little in book one, but it is very clear here. So, this part is not what I wondered if it were paranormal, because this did feel historical and I liked how it was included. But the Order felt slightly paranormal. [highlight to view spoiler] The Order is trying to gain immortality, or at least youth. Belladonna bathes or uses young blood to remain youthful, so is she an actual vampire? Because she has actually gained a youthful appearance? This did not feel in the vein of history as the rest of the series has so far. [end of spoiler] 

There is of course romance in this book but it is not as involved as the first book (yet, there is still the love triangle). I was confused at the beginning because it seemed like Cass was actually romantically with Luca and there was little mention of Falco. It seemed like Cass had made a choice when she really had not. It does not take long for Luca to get arrested so Cass spends a majority of the book without Luca. It is really hard to understand sometimes how Luca and Cass are together because we saw very little of him in Venom and very little of him in this book. He does seem to care for Cass though. It takes a while for Falco to show up, but he does come into the book eventually. He is working for Belladonna, mainly painting pictures of Belladonna for Belladonna (some of which she is nude in). This, of course, makes Cass jealous. This frustrated me because this seems to happen in every single sequel or middle book in a trilogy--bring in an attractive girl for the MC to be jealous of. I could understand why Cass was jealous as Falco is painting mostly nudes of this woman, but this is his job. Just because he was painting these pictures did not mean he was sleeping with her. Art students paint nudes all the time in class, it is not a sexual thing! Not that Falco is in the clear because he did a terrible job explaining things and he was a bit rude in this book. He also gaslighted Cass a few times, which I was not a fan of.

While we had the two guys, I do feel like most of the book focused on Cass. There was not as much romance in this book because she was oftentimes on her own. I liked that the romance was not as big in this book. As you could probably tell from above, I had some issues with the guys when they did show up. I kind of liked seeing Cass solve mysteries on her own (although she did have some friends helping her) and it really showed her growth from the last book where she only explored the city with Falco.

IN CONCLUSION

Overall, I did like this book. I liked the historical details in this book and I liked how it explained more about the Order of the Eternal Rose. There were a couple of things that bothered me. I was not a fan of the jealousy in the book or the fact that people were questioning Cass’ sanity, but Cass was a lot stronger character and I can really see her becoming independent. I do want to complete this series. There is a lot I am curious about, like Cass' parent's connection to the Order, what will happen to our characters, and (view spoiler) Unfortunately, the last book is no longer at my library! It used to be there but they got rid of it! That’s what happens when you wait seven years to finish a series. Here’s to hoping that it comes in from interlibrary loan! 

I hereby give this book

3 Stars

Meaning: I liked it

REVIEW: The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys

Madrid, 1957. Under the fascist dictatorship of General Francisco Franco, Spain is hiding a dark secret. Meanwhile, tourists and foreign businessmen flood into Spain under the welcoming guise of sunshine and wine. Among them is eighteen-year-old Daniel Matheson, the son of a Texas oil tycoon, who arrives in Madrid with his parents hoping to connect with the country of his mother's birth through the lens of his camera. Photography--and fate--introduce him to Ana, whose family's interweaving obstacles reveal the lingering grasp of the Spanish Civil War--as well as chilling definitions of fortune and fear. Daniel's photographs leave him with uncomfortable questions amidst shadows of danger. He is backed into a corner of decisions to protect those he loves. Lives and hearts collide, revealing an incredibly dark side to the sunny Spanish city.

Master storyteller Ruta Sepetys once again shines light into one of history's darkest corners in this epic, heart-wrenching novel about identity, unforgettable love, repercussions of war, and the hidden violence of silence--inspired by the true post-war struggles of Spain. 

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I received a copy of this book via Bookish First

MY THOUGHTS
I'm having difficulty organizing my thoughts for this book. This is a fantastic book, but it also is a difficult book to rate.

This book primarily takes place in Madrid, 1957. It showcases Spain in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War and during the Franco dictatorship. It follows five characters. Ana, Rafael, and Julia are siblings. Their parents died after the Spanish Civil War for fighting against Franco (for believing in education free from the church). Rafael works two jobs, a butcher and a gravedigger, and is helping his friend become a bullfighter. Julia works as a seamstress and cares for her infant daughter. Ana works at a hotel, primarily making visiting rich Americans comfortable. Their cousin, Puri, works at a Catholic adoption center caring for the babies there. Unlike her cousins, she did not encounter loss from the Spanish Civil War and believes in the Franco regime. The last viewpoint is Daniel's. Daniel is an American. His family are oil tycoons from Texas, although his mother was originally from Spain. Daniel wants to become a photographer. The book primarily focuses on Daniel and Ana as they strike up a relationship, with occasional short chapters featuring the other characters.

One of my favorite things about Ruta Sepetys' writing is how she captures individuals. The book follows multiple perspectives, but each voice and perspective is unique to that person. She also writes the characters in such a way that they feel authentic and real. Their different perspectives also show how experience affects the viewpoint. Daniel sees the romanticized version of Spain at first, while Ana sees the hardship. Likewise, Puri firmly believes she is doing the right thing and that the nuns are right because of what she is taught.

Sepetys' books are always interesting because they focus on historical events that many Americans know little about--and this book is no different in that case--but the book is never just about the event or the time period. She does a great job of showing both, but by and large, this is about the people living in this situation, and that is what I love. I love being about to see the human aspect of history and humanity in these heart-wrenching situations.

Yes, this book does get heart-wrenching. I expected that going into this book. This book feels like it captures snapshots of what it was like living in this dictatorship as a young person (an apt description considering Daniel's aspirations). The pacing of this book is difficult to place. On one hand, I felt like very little was happening, which is true. The book is made up of small moments that build and build upon one another. Yet, the book did not feel like a slow read. I was drawn into these characters and even when very little was happening, I wanted to read more.

The division of the book was also very interesting. I don't want to give any what happens to divide the book, but I can say that it was done very well and I have not seen a YA book do this in quite the same way.

IN CONCLUSION

Overall, this is a wonderfully written book. I loved how Sepetys wrote the characters and explored this setting. This would not be my favorite book of hers, but that's only because she's written so many other fantastic books that the competition is tough! I'm still trying to organize my thoughts about this book, though, and I'll likely be thinking about this book for a while. 

I hereby give this book

4 Stars!

Meaning: I really liked this book!

REVIEW: We Walked the Sky by Lisa Fiedler

A stunning, multigenerational story about two teenagers: Victoria, who joins the circus in 1965, and her granddaughter, Callie, who leaves the circus fifty years later.

In 1965 seventeen-year-old Victoria, having just escaped an unstable home, flees to the ultimate place for dreamers and runaways--the circus. Specifically, the VanDrexel Family Circus where, among the lion tamers, roustabouts, and trapeze artists, Victoria hopes to start a better life.

Fifty years later, Victoria's sixteen-year-old granddaughter Callie is thriving. A gifted and focused tightrope walker with dreams of being a VanDrexel high wire legend just like her grandmother, Callie can't imagine herself anywhere but the circus. But when Callie's mother accepts her dream job at an animal sanctuary in Florida just months after Victoria's death, Callie is forced to leave her lifelong home behind.

Feeling unmoored and out of her element, Callie pores over memorabilia from her family's days on the road, including a box that belonged to Victoria when she was Callie's age. In the box, Callie finds notes that Victoria wrote to herself with tips and tricks for navigating her new world. Inspired by this piece of her grandmother's life, Callie decides to use Victoria's circus prowess to navigate the uncharted waters of public high school.

Across generations, Victoria and Callie embrace the challenges of starting over, letting go, and finding new families in unexpected places.

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MY THOUGHTS
1965: Victoria's mother is dying and she's being abused by her father. When the circus comes to town, she takes her chance and asks for a job, creating a new life for herself. Now: Callie is a tightrope-walker at her family circus, at least, she was until her mom decides to move her and Callie to an animal sanctuary. Both Victoria and Callie think that their situation is only temporary.

Once I read the synopsis to this book, I knew I had to read it. This was a wonderfully written book and I was drawn into the story. The book is in dual POV, switching between Victoria and Callie. I loved that this book has a dual perspective of family, within two different time periods. So many YA books use dual POV for romance and it was a breath of fresh air to see it used differently.

Out of the two narratives, Victoria's was my favorite. She was such a strong character, even though she didn't always feel strong, because she worked hard once she was in the circus and she had the courage to run away from her dangerous home environment. She really grows so much throughout her chapters and it was written extraordinarily well. Her story is also a bit more interesting. Yes, there is the historical backdrop and the circus setting that made it interesting, but there was an actual story progression in her chapters that made me want to keep reading forward. Even though I knew how parts of her story would end, thanks to Callie's chapters, and I knew that it would break my heart, I wanted to see how it got there.

Callie's chapters didn't interest me as much. Partially because I didn't like Callie very much. She lived in the circus her whole life but didn't care enough about anyone (except her grandmother) to make friendships with anyone. It made me a bit sad, honestly, but her character came off as obnoxious because she didn't seem to care about anyone else and just wanted to go back to the circus. Unlike Victoria, who had more of a reason to want to leave her home life and become her own person, Callie's reasoning just didn't feel as strong. I did like seeing her connection with tightrope-walking and all of her grandmother's notes helping her along. Callie's chapters worked the best when they felt like they were intertwined with Victoria's story, but there wasn't much of a plot driving her chapters, and I just wanted to go back to Victoria's chapters.

IN CONCLUSION

Overall, this is a fantastic book, wonderfully narrated, and I loved the focus on family. Again, I preferred Victoria's story to Callie's and that greatly affected my rating, but I did like seeing hints of Victoria in Callie's chapters. The ending punches you in the gut. It hurts and I am again astounded by Victoria's strength. This is the first book I've read by Lisa Fiedler, but I will keep my eyes open for any more YA from her in the future.

I hereby give this book

3.5 Stars

Meaning: I liked it, but it wasn't quite amazing.

REVIEW: Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers

Annith has watched her gifted sisters at the convent come and go, carrying out their dark dealings in the name of St. Mortain, patiently awaiting her own turn to serve Death. But her worst fears are realized when she discovers she is being groomed by the abbess as a Seeress, to be forever sequestered in the rock and stone womb of the convent. Feeling sorely betrayed, Annith decides to strike out on her own.

She has spent her whole life training to be an assassin. Just because the convent has changed its mind doesn't mean she has... 

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NOTE: This is the third book in a series. See review for book one here and book two here.

MY THOUGHTS
After reading Dark Triumph I wasn't really sure whether this book could come close to how much I was engrossed in that book. It turns out that this book was even more riveting than Dark Triumph! Out of the three books, this is probably my favorite!

In this book we follow Annith. She's been training her whole life to carry Mortain's will. She's an expert in almost every skill she's been taught. But, she has yet to be given a mission. She's stuck at the convent, watching her friends, even girls younger than her, go on missions. When she discovers that the Abbess wants Annith to become the next Seeress, Annith is furious. She has shown no sign of having Seer abilities and it is a waste of her skills. What's worse is that a Seeress never exits the convent and stays coped in a room, isolated. Annith does not want that life and suspects it is not the one Mortain wants for her, so she runs.

Part of the reason I wasn't sure about this book at first is that we are taken back to the convent. After all of the action in the last books, the convent seems calm and I really didn't know what interesting things would happen. Thankfully, I had no reason to worry because this was a very compelling read. Even the parts at the convent were interesting only because we really got to understand Annith and feel furious about her situation with her. What really struck me about this book is that out of all of the books in this series this one has the most supernatural elements. We do get some supernatural elements in the previous books, but Annith spends a lot of this book in the company of the Hellequins. The Hellequins are Mortain's army of the dead. They hunt at night for souls and after meeting their leader Balthazaar, Annith becomes a part of their group. It was really intriguing seeing more supernatural elements and how Annith interacted with them. We also get a much better understanding of the Mortain, the other gods, and their place on the physical world.

With each of these books it is really clear that each girl has their own strengths and their own distinct personalities. Annith certainly felt different and I feel like her story with the Hellequins reflected her personality and struggles. She has so much skill and she is confident that she is not meant to be a Seeress, yet she has this doubt that it is Mortain's wish and she is now defying her god. She desperately wants to be a devotee of Mortain, Mortain's daughter [highlight to view spoiler] although, I bet she's glad that she is not Mortain's daughter by the end of the book! [end of spoiler], but she also wants to have her own will. She is certainly a strong character and throughout the book she gains a better understanding of all of this. I'm trying to avoid spoilers, but so much of the amazing things about this book are spoilers! Sigh. Let's just say that some pretty big secrets and twists happen in this book.

As for romance, well... it was really interesting. I have nothing bad to say about it, but I don't know what all to say without giving spoilers! It was certainly interesting and surprising!
IN CONCLUSION

Overall, this was a really strong conclusion to the series! I really like how everything came together in the end and it really felt like it added so much more to the supernatural secrets of this world! I know that there is a spin-off series that just came out and I'll read it...eventually. For now, I'm just glad that I finally finished this series.

I hereby give this book

4 Stars!

Meaning: I really liked this book!

REVIEW: Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers

I lean forward, pushing my body out past the battlements. The wind plucks at my cloak, buffets against me, as if it would carry me off in flight, just like the birds or the knight's soul. Let go, it cries, I will take you far, far away. I want to laugh at the exhilarating feeling, I will catch you, it whistles seductively.

The convent has returned Sybella to a life that nearly drove her mad. Her father's rage and brutality are terrifying, and her brother's love is equally monstrous. When she discovers an unexpected ally imprisoned in the dungeons, will a a daughter of Death find something other than vengeance to live for?

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NOTE: This is the second book in a series. See review for book one here.

MY THOUGHTS
I liked Grave Mercy but I felt like it was too focused on the politics rather than the characters and the intriguing premise. For that reason, I did not have the highest hopes for this book, but I'm glad that this book exceeded them. This was a fantastic follow-up!

This book starts off shortly before Grave Mercy ended. This time we follow Sybella and the mission that took her away from the convent for so long. Sybella is back in the home she desperately wanted to escape from, the reason she agreed to join the convent. Back she is told that she can kill the man who she hates the most, a man who has killed many innocents: her father. Except, she's been in her father's home for months, watching him carry out horrible demands, and he still doesn't carry the mark. Tired of the masquerade and waiting for the mark to show, Sybella just wants to carry out the kill, mark or no mark, but then she gets a new order. There's a prisoner in the castle who her empress needs to be freed. Sybella will simply free him and since she already defied her father's orders, she'll finally kill her father. It doesn't matter that it will be a suicide mission. But things don't go as planned.

This series doesn't hesitate in discussing dark subjects and this book definitely goes further. I'm not going to go too far in detail about what dark subjects are involved in this book, becuase some are spoilers, but Sybella comes from a very dark family. Her father is pure evil. He's extremely misogynistic and kills anyone who does not agree with him. And Sybella's brothers are not the best either. One of them has more than brotherly love for Sybella. This is the family Sybella grew up in and the one she tried to escape from. It is perfectly understandable why Sybella wants to kill her father (I keep saying father because I don't want to spoil who he is, but he is only father by blood. According to Sybella, Mortain is her true father).

While I liked Ismae in the last book, I found Sybella more compelling. Coming back to the darkness of her past is hard on Sybella. It has a negative effect on her, of course, because of how fearful she is in this dangerous situation. But, there is a point when she is outside of this situation and she doesn't know what to feel. Her goal for so long has been to kill her father, what does she do without her goal? This book just spent so much more time building on Sybella's character. She was the focus of the story, not just the politics in her environment. I loved that we got to see so much of her, understand her, and I loved that there was so much focus on her. There is so much darkness and fear in her life that she does not feel like she can love herself or others with the darkness of her past surrounding her.

This brings me to the romance. It is really hard for me to like romance in books. It is so easy for it to become cliche, for it to overpower the story, or for it to just be unnecessary to the story. The romance in this book was done fantastically well. It was drawn out and there was a connection between the characters that was more than just romance. The love interest is a familiar face from the last book and I loved that Grave Mercy was not the last we saw of him. He's overall a fantastic guy and he and Sybella are wonderful together.  

IN CONCLUSION

Overall, I am glad that I decided to reread Grave Mercy and try to finish the series seven years after starting it. This is a great continuation to the premise of the first book, a great companion book, and I look forward to reading the next.

I hereby give this book

4 Stars!

Meaning: I really liked this book!

REVIEW: Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf?

Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.

Ismae’s most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?

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MY THOUGHTS
So, I first read this book in 2012 but I decided to reread this recently because I still hadn't picked up the next books in the series and wanted to refresh my memory (although I guess that wasn't necessary because it looks like they are companion books). Even though I reviewed it back in 2012, I scarcely call that cringe-worthy mess a "review", so here are my more up-to-date and coherent thoughts on this book.

When Ismae was in the womb, her mother ingested poison meant to kill Ismae. But Ismae survived and has since been known as the daughter of Death. When she needs to escape a violent arranged marriage, she is sent to the convent of St. Mortain. There she is trained to serve the God of Death and carry out his wishes. His wishes usually mean killing men that are betraying their country and carry the mark of Mortain. After a man, Duval, argues with the convent for ruining his plans and killing the betrayers he was planning on integrating, Ismae is sent to stay with him at court. Not only to catch betrayers, but the convent is suspicious of Duval. The longer she stays in court, the more confused Ismae gets because she is not sure who is the real betrayer.

I mostly listened to this on audiobook but I switched from physical format and audio multiple times. The audio was fine, but it was confusing at points because there is a very large cast of characters and I sometimes had a hard time keeping track of who was who. When switching formats I would get further confused because the pronunciation of a name would not always match what I expected the name to be spelled. Nevertheless, I did like this book. It has a very interesting concept, assassin nuns with a historical backdrop, hints of magic, and political betrayals. This is a pretty hefty book and while there are major moments, I will admit that there were multiple occasions where I lost interest. A lot of the book was more politics and less murder, which yeah, I don't want murder, but when you are already confused by the cast of characters, adding politics in the mix does not pique your interest.

Probably one of the strongest things in this book was the female characters. The female characters in this book are incredibly strong. There is, of course, the obvious strength, the ability to kill, but just the way the female characters in this book have to go about their life requires strength. These girls are forced to grow up early. Ismae is forced into an arranged marriage in her young teens and then almost raped. The Duchess is only twelve but is having to deal with a possible marriage to a creep that has been previously married six times. She's trying to help her country, but no one cares for her interests but Duval and (because of her age and sex) everyone thinks that they know better than her. These girls have to have strength because they are given very little power and it made me sad and frustrated throughout this book, but I still loved the fact that they remained strong.

Ismae herself is an interesting character. It is a struggle at times with her because she has a very different perspective than most. She is devout to her saint/god but is not hesitant when it comes to killing. She begins with thinking in black and white and in thinking of only her role, but she changes throughout the book. It is a slow change and it takes her a while to process it, but I do like how she ended up changing. I'm being vague, but I'm trying not to spoil things.

IN CONCLUSION

Overall, I did like this book. I don't think I liked this as much as the first go-round. The first time I read it I was blinded by the premise of "assassin nuns" and all of the glowing reviews, so I ignored any of the confusing bits. This is still a pretty great read and it makes for an intriguing book. I plan on reading the next two books pretty soon!

I hereby give this book

3.5 Stars

Meaning: I liked it, but it wasn't quite amazing.

REVIEW: Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson

Gold is in my blood, in my breath, even in the flecks in my eyes.

Lee Westfall has a strong, loving family. She has a home she loves and a loyal steed. She has a best friend—who might want to be something more.

She also has a secret.

Lee can sense gold in the world around her. Veins deep in the earth. Small nuggets in a stream. Even gold dust caught underneath a fingernail. She has kept her family safe and able to buy provisions, even through the harshest winters. But what would someone do to control a girl with that kind of power? A person might murder for it.

When everything Lee holds dear is ripped away, she flees west to California—where gold has just been discovered. Perhaps this will be the one place a magical girl can be herself. If she survives the journey.

The acclaimed Rae Carson begins a sweeping new trilogy set in Gold Rush-era America, about a young woman with a powerful and dangerous gift.

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MY THOUGHTS

I've had such luck with books lately! This book has been yet another anticipated read that met, maybe even exceeded my high expectations!

Lee has always been able to detect gold, enough gold to keep her family safe. She's kept it a secret, but someone knows and will do anything for the gold, and to have control of her. To escape, Lee decides to flee to California and meet her best friend along the way. But it's not easy, not at all, and she certainly can't travel as a girl.

The entire premise of this book is just so interesting! It's about a girl who can detect gold, during the Gold Rush Era. This was all done really well, and the plot did revolve around Lee's ability, but the setting actually felt more important. That sounds bad, but I actually loved it. This book includes Lee's journey to California, that's the majority of the book. While in some other books, I find traveling a bit boring, this was actually very interesting! Lee has to go through a lot to get to California, so there's not a dull moment, and the historical element was incredible! It really did feel like I was in that period!

I didn't realize this while going into this book, but it has one of my favorite tropes: a girl dressing as a boy. Major props in general for having my favorite trope, but it also was done in a very satisfactory way. Meaning: She was a boy for the majority of the book. Anyway Lee is a great MC. She's obviously strong and resourceful, she's able to go through so much and make it. Jeff is her best friend and he's also an amazing character! Actually, all the characters in this book are so well-developed, even the horrible ones!

Lastly, there isn't really a romance in this book. This is a shame because I was shipping things, but I expect romance in the next book. Maybe just a little bit?

IN CONCLUSION

Overall, I loved this book! It was as amazing as I expected! The plot was unique, the historical elements were fantastic, and all of the characters were incredible well-developed! I admit I am very curious what will happen next in this series!

I hereby give this book...

5 Stars!

Meaning: A new favorite!

REVIEW: A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis

Grace Mae knows madness.

She keeps it locked away, along with her voice, trapped deep inside a brilliant mind that cannot forget horrific family secrets. Those secrets, along with the bulge in her belly, land her in a Boston insane asylum.

When her voice returns in a burst of violence, Grace is banished to the dark cellars, where her mind is discovered by a visiting doctor who dabbles in the new study of criminal psychology. With her keen eyes and sharp memory, Grace will make the perfect assistant at crime scenes. Escaping from Boston to the safety of an ethical Ohio asylum, Grace finds friendship and hope, hints of a life she should have had. But gruesome nights bring Grace and the doctor into the circle of a killer who stalks young women. Grace, continuing to operate under the cloak of madness, must hunt a murderer while she confronts the demons in her own past.

In this beautifully twisted historical thriller, Mindy McGinnis, acclaimed author of Not a Drop to Drink and In a Handful of Dust, explores the fine line between sanity and insanity, good and evil—and the madness that exists in all of us.

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MY THOUGHTS
I had very high expectations for this book. It sounded completely creepy and I was excited to dive in! While I did like this book, it was definitely not what I expected and it didn't blow me away.

Grace has been through horrific things, one of which gave her the bulge in her belly. Now, Grace is in a mental asylum to hide the family secret. Grace has kept her voice locked away until one moment when she breaks, and is sent to the cellars. A visiting doctor discovers her, seeing the intelligence in her mind, the doctor takes her with him. She's to help him study crime scenes and find killers, with a serial killer possibly on the rise.

I admit that I go into books without rereading synopsis of the book, so I was thrown when the book changed setting. I was expecting the asylum to be the major setting. That's not a big deal, really. I found the crime studies interesting and I thought this book handled madness very well! Mindy McGinnis is a wonderful writer and I also thought that the historical setting was not only interesting, but well written.

Now, to get into what I wasn't expecting. The madness in this book carried throughout this book, but the plot was surprising to me. It felt like the plot kept changing. I can't really get into the changes, less there be spoilers, but it's hard for me to get into a book when my expectations keep changing. 

The characters were great and I loved Grace's character growth, but I had a hard time connecting with the characters for some reason. This book was in third person, which I always have difficulty with (with the exception of fantasy books), so that's probably why.

As for romance, THERE IS NONE! A fact that I actually liked!

IN CONCLUSION
Overall, I liked this book, but it wasn't quite what I was expecting. Still, this is a great historical thriller and a very interesting read.

I hereby give this book

3.5 Stars

Meaning: I liked it, but it wasn't quite amazing.