March 17, 2018

Blog Tour Book Review: To Kill A Kingdom by Alexandra Christo

at 3/17/2018 01:53:00 AM 0 comments


Princess Lira is siren royalty and the most lethal of them all. With the hearts of seventeen princes in her collection, she is revered across the sea. Until a twist of fate forces her to kill one of her own. To punish her daughter, the Sea Queen transforms Lira into the one thing they loathe most—a human. Robbed of her song, Lira has until the winter solstice to deliver Prince Elian’s heart to the Sea Queen or remain a human forever.

The ocean is the only place Prince Elian calls home, even though he is heir to the most powerful kingdom in the world. Hunting sirens is more than an unsavory hobby—it’s his calling. When he rescues a drowning woman in the ocean, she’s more than what she appears. She promises to help him find the key to destroying all of sirenkind for good—But can he trust her? And just how many deals will Elian have to barter to eliminate mankind’s greatest enemy?



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Some spoilers abound! You have been warned. 

WOW! This book blew me away. Keep in mind that this is not your typical sea creature-prince love story. At the beginning, I was expecting a predictable love story full of strife and plot armor, but nope! There are certainly elements from the Little Mermaid, but with a twist. Princess Lira is a bloodthirsty siren with sharp claws and she's gunning for the position of heir to the Sea Queen. The Sea Queen is her mother, but I'm saying 'mother' loosely here. She's a stone-cold, manipulative bully who rules the sirens through fear and pain. The emotional, mental and psychological trauma that Lira goes through is immense and heartbreaking. All the same, Lira still wants her mother's approval and will do anything to get it. This is where the hearts of princes comes in. From what I know of mythology, sirens were similar to mermaids and had voices that would enchant sailors to their locations, to crash and die. Super romantic, amirite? In this particular world, sirens were created by the Goddess Keto and there was havoc. Humans versus sirens. Sirens would enchant sailors or princes to come close enough for them to rip out their hearts. Literally, stealing the hearts of men. Some background: stolen hearts give the siren who took them power, especially the hearts of princes. 

Like the Sea Queen, Lira is a ruthless killing machine. She has killed 17 princes and took their hearts as a source of power. Unlike her mother, Lira has slowly developed a fan base of sorts. Lira is close the age of ascension and Mommy Dearest is having none of that. Finding fault with Lira's recent "transgressions," she is sentenced to a human-like existence as punishment. As if being stripped of her very identity and power wasn't punishment enough, Lira is recused at sea by none other than the famed "Siren Killer," Prince Elian. Elian has a personal grudge against sirens and certainly has no qualms hunting them down. When Elian hears of an ancient power source that could potentially destroy all sirens in existence, he will stop at nothing to attain this power. 

A steady plot and character development for the main characters, as well as the secondary cast members. The world-building and mish-mash of historical locations gives readers a vibrant picture of what Elian and Lira see. I felt the ending was final enough, though I would welcome a sequel if Alexandra Christo wrote one. Overall, I did enjoy reading this book.
4 STARS

About the Author


Hi, I’m Alexandra! I’m a twenty-something writer from England who likes baking, marathoning Korean dramas, and writing about characters with questionable morals.
My books are mostly YA, mostly fantasy, and mostly show that I let my imagination run a little too wild.
My debut novel To Kill a Kingdom is a story about killer sirens and killer pirates, who team up and try very hard not to kill each other. If you like Disney’s Little Mermaid, I hope I haven’t destroyed your childhood memories of it.
Website  |  Twitter  |  Facebook

March 6, 2018

ARC Book Review: Burn Bright by Patricia Briggs

at 3/06/2018 12:57:00 AM 0 comments
BURN BRIGHT
(Alpha and Omega #5)
By Patricia Briggs
Ace Hardcover
$27.00 / 320 pages
March 6, 2018

In her bestselling Alpha and Omega series, Patricia Briggs “spins tales of werewolves, coyote shifters, and magic and, my, does she do it well” (USATODAY.com). Now mated werewolves Charles Cornick and Anna Latham face a threat like no other–one that lurks too close to home…

They are the wild and the broken. The werewolves too damaged to live safely among their own kind. For their own good, they have been exiled to the outskirts of Aspen Creek, Montana. Close enough to the Marrok’s pack to have its support; far enough away to not cause any harm.

With their Alpha out of the country, Charles and Anna are on call when an SOS comes in from the fae mate of one such wildling. Heading into the mountainous wilderness, they interrupt the abduction of the wolf–but can’t stop blood from being shed. Now Charles and Anna must use their skills–his as enforcer, hers as peacemaker–to track down the attackers, reopening a painful chapter in the past that springs from the darkest magic of the witchborn…
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I'm a long-time Patricia Briggs fan and I have been waiting for the next Alpha and Omega book to come out. This book did not disappoint. The main premise of the book surrounds the mysterious wildlings, members of Bran's pack, but at the same time too wild to be with others of the pack. In the timeline of events, this book/events take place during the second half of Silence Fallen, the tenth Mercy Thompson book. Charles and Anna (plus everybody else) are on their own when something goes wrong with one of the wildlings. Charles being the powerhouse that he is, goes to investigate with Anna. Apparently the pack's location isn't so secret anymore. There are strangers walking through the Marrok's territory. Foiling an attempted abduction, a mystery unfolds and a plot of revenge unfolds as Charles and Anna try to find the traitor in their midst, before anyone else gets hurt. In this book we get more back stories to add to each of the top tier members of the pack (i.e. The Moor, Leah, etc.). Overall, it was an enjoyable read.
4.5 STARS
About the Author
Photo Credit: Allen Johnson fiphoto.net
Patricia Briggs was born in Butte, Montana to a children’s librarian who passed on to her kids a love of reading and books. Patricia grew up reading fairy tales and books about horses, and later developed an interest in folklore and history. When she decided to write a book of her own, a fantasy book seemed a natural choice. Patricia graduated from Montana State University with degrees in history and German and she worked for a while as a substitute teacher. Currently, she lives in Montana with her children and six horses and writes full-time, much to the delight of her fans.**
**Mini bio taken from her goodreads page
 

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