Heart of the Storm

This is the final book in the Undertow Trilogy.  Lyric has been held captive by the insane Prime, Minerva in the Great Abyss. Husk has been assigned to guard her. He is Rusalka but can communicate with Lyric. They find themselves connected mentally and each fear Minerva and her wrath. Husk helps her escape and she goes in search of her family. She must warn them that something world ending is coming. The Tardigrade. They want nothing more than to kill everyone on the planet. Lyric and her ragtag bunch of Alpha's must unite all the humans if they want to defeat this threat. Along the way, Lyric finds herself in quite a few perplexing situations. She's the new Prime, she is expected to lead the charge and she has something else major going on that I  won't spoil. She is also stuck in a love triangle with Riley and Fathom. Does she go the safe route and stay with Riley or does she follow her heart and figure out a way to deal with Fathom? None of that will matter though, if she doesn't figure out a way to kill the enemy. I really liked this series and am hopeful with the ending that things will work out as they should in my mind. I liked the message about being united as people as we all want the same things. It was an uplifting message to see all the different groups come together to take on evil. We could use a little of that in our world today. Happy reading my friends.

Conviction

For a long time it has been just Braden and his dad. His mother left when he was young and his brother Trey has left for New York to open his own restaurant. Braden has plans to become a major league pitcher and he has the skills. Everything is going along until the night his father is arrested for running over a policeman. And Braden was a witness to the crime. Now he must decide what he will stay on the witness stand. Will he tell the truth or will he say what is expected of him? His father demands loyalty. After all, he is the only one who will ever love Braden. At least that is what he leads Braden to believe. Braden questions his faith in God and his faith in his radio show host father. When Trey is forced to come back to take care of Braden while his father is in prison. Their relationship is troubled at best. Braden needs Trey and Trey needs to be anywhere but in his father's house.  The truth about what happened the night of the accident and the truth about why Trey left are slowly revealed as the plot unfolds. Braden is damaged beyond belief as those who deal with abuse usually are. He just wants to do what everyone expects of him. But these expectations threaten to overwhelm his life and well-being. This book was troubling on many levels. I felt for Braden and his traumas. I felt for Trey and his traumas. The decision Braden makes troubled me as well. But I think in the end there was a glimmer of hope for his future. This is a deep read on many levels but one I would definitely recommend. Happy reading my friends!

Ash Princess

I picked this on up on the tables at Costco- you know- what the heck|! And happily, I really liked this novel. I'm a sucker for a princess who has to do some growing up to take back her country from an evil conqueror. Add a little bit of old (now handsome) friend who may help rescue her and a prince who is willing to go against his evil father and you have a recipe for a lovely few hours of reading. Thora watched her mother- the Queen of Astrea- being killed by the evil Kalovaxians. For some reason they keep her alive and give her the title of Ash Princess. The Kaiser likes to keep her around to receive the punishments when rebels try and interfere with his new country. Thora learns to be invisible as much as she can, but it is hard as she is watched every minute. Cress is her only friend, unfortunately, it was Cress's father who killed Thora's mother. So really, Thora has no one she can trust. Until Ampelio- her mother's former Guardian, is dragged into the throne room and she is forced to kill him. With his reappearance, she realizes the rebellion has arrived to save her. But as with all damsels in distress, it really is all about saving yourself. So with her old friend Blaise and his friends Heron and Artemisia, a plan is formed which involves killing her only friend and the Prinz who she may have accidentally fallen in love with. Terrible things happen while the plan is underway and blood is on everyone's hands by the last page. Not only that, but a new enemy has been made who may be more powerful than Thora can imagine. Stepping into her role as Queen will not be an easy one because nothing is ever black and white. I look forward to the continuation of this series in 2019- thanks Laura Sebastian. Summer is winding down so I better get on to the next book on the shelf. Happy reading my friends.

Raging Sea

Coney Island has been destroyed by what has walked out of the ocean. Lyric Walker is on the run with her best friend Bex and her enemy Arcade. Her family has been captured by Tempest. Her love, Fathom, has perished in the battle. All Lyric wants is to rescue her parents and all the other Alphas and kill the Ruskala and take back the coast. Easy. Or not. As Lyric makes her way to her parents she is chased, shot at and threatened by almost everyone she meets. See, the country thinks she is the terrorist who caused the whole ruckus to begin with. So everyone is looking for her. Lyric has discovered she is half Sirena- a creature who can control the water. And not only that, there is a whole world of creatures living in the sea who are about to come out to play. When she is captured by Tempest, she finds that the plan they have for her is more horrifying than she could have imagined. But Lyric will do anything to save her family and her people, no matter the cost to herself. And what a battle it will be. This is the second novel in the series and it was hard to put down. It's rare that parents are alive in YA literature so that is an interesting twist that hold Lyric accountable to what she does. The Alphas are all unique and terrifying and the love triangle will, I'm sure, heat up in the next book-(which is waiting on my kitchen counter). I recommend this series- it's an easy fantasy book for those just getting their feet wet with the genre. (pun intended) Happy reading my friends!

Reaper at the Gates

What happened to Elias when he entered the Waiting Place to become the Soul Catcher? Can he give up his hopes for a normal life with Laia to fulfill a promise he made in return for the life of a friend? And what of Laia? She broke the world and needs to find a way to fix it and needs all the help she can get. The Blood Shrike who is determined to keep her remaining sister safe from the evil Emperor who is married to her. All three must fight the fight of their lives to bring down the Nightbringer, who is set to release the Jinn on the world and bring the end to humankind. This is the third book in the series and brought many surprises and heart breaks. It set forth the question of long term retribution and what is right. Each character faces life changing decisions and actions that leave all of them vulnerable. And it sets up an epic battle to come in another book. Because seriously, Sabaa Tahir can't leave it as is. At least I hope not.  Start with Torch Against the Night and begin your journey with Elias, Laia and Helene. But get your Scims ready of battle. It won't be an easy ride. Happy reading my friends.

Long Way Down

Will has just lost his brother Shawn to a drive by shooting. And this isn't the first person Will has lost. Violence has plagued his life. But he knows the rules. no crying, no snitching and be sure to get revenge. He knows where his brother keeps his gun and he knows what is expected of him. Get revenge for his brother's death. He knows who shot him, at least he's pretty sure. So he gets into the elevator and begins the ride down to the lobby. But what awaits him on each floor could change the course of his life. This book is written in verse and is so unique and interesting in it's basic premiseThe Hate U Give. It tells of how gun violence begets gun violence and how certain communities are more impacted by it then others. The ending is frustrating and heartbreaking and thought provoking on many levels. Highly recommend. Happy reading my friend.
. What would the dead tell us if they could tell us anything? And would knowing what they know change our actions? This is a great companion to

Court of Frost and Starlight

This is a little bridge novel in Sarah Maas's other series. That being said, I don't know how she does it. She writes the most amazing characters and I can't decide which series or which character I love the best. This is Feyre and Rhysand's story after the war that destroyed so many things. They are getting ready for the Solstice celebrations as their kingdom begins to rebuild. Each of the characters is trying to find their way back to normal. Everyone has problems- big problems. But at the heart of this small novel is family. The family that Feyre has joined in all their glory. Azrael, Cassian, Mor, Amren... her sisters Elain and Nesta. Even Lucien. They must all find a way to hold the tenuous peace together even as everyone is trying to destroy it. I sense a huge brawl on the horizon and I can only hope that they remain intact. I couldn't handle it if they aren't. Warning- this is not a G-Rated series. AT ALL. So no young readers, I don't keep this series on my shelf at school, it's a little to graphic for 8th graders. If you haven't entered either of Maas's series, I urge you to try one. They are captivating, exciting and at times heartbreaking. Happy Reading my friends.

Hamilton and Peggy

Angelica..... Eliza..... and Peggy- The Schulyer sisters. This book is about And Peggy. The youngest of the three Schulyer sisters is finally in the forefront of this piece of historical fiction. She is smart, sassy and often finds herself in the shadow of her two older sisters. The brilliant and beautiful Angelica and the angelic and even tempered Eliza are role models to the younger Peggy. But she has a life of her own and she wants to be taken seriously by the men running the war, especially her father Philip Schulyer. Peggy battles agains the convention of being a young woman during Revolution times. She is often criticized for her interest in politics. Hamilton sees the spark in her and employs her to help him woo Eliza. But Peggy doesn't always like the way he behaves towards both of her sisters. She must navigate her way through some tricky and dangerous situations as the countryside around her is filled with dangers both from within and without. This was a well researched novel and we get to meet some of the big boys of the Revolution- especially George Washington who I now have a crush on. There is a lot of description of the hardships of the war and it brings the time period to life. Peggy may have been the most interesting of the sisters as well as the most overlooked. I enjoyed this book, but I am a Hamilton fan, so if you like this time period, books about feisty young women and don't mind the Hamilton soundtrack running through your head the entire time, you might like this one! Happy reading my friends!

Blood Rose Rebellion

Sometimes it is strange how books imitate life. I have been thinking about my next trip and planning where I want to go. My friend just got back from Hungary and I think that may be my next destination. So when I randomly picked this book up off my overflowing shelves, lo and behold, it takes place in Hungary. Weird-eh? Anna lives in a time where magic rules the world. And those that have access to magic rule society. Unfortunately for Anna, even though she comes from a magical family, she herself has no magic. This makes her unsavory to the high society set. Not only that, she seems to make any spells set in her presence go all wonky. When she is sent away with her Grandmother to Hungary, she begins to figure out what she is and how her power could actually break the world. Along the way she meets her cousins Noemi and Matyas as well as revolutionaries determined to break the Binding that limits the common man's access to magic. She also finds herself drawn into the world of the Romani- especially Gabor- who tries to help her channel her magic. Theirs is a forbidden relationship for many reasons. (Some of which still exist today) Anna must make decisions that will put those she loves in danger as well as the world order. Big decisions for an impetuous teenager. I liked the historical aspect of this novel, but I wasn't really connected to the characters. I didn't find myself drawn into their world. But I love reading about history and how people have fought throughout time to find some level of equality. It is a universal problem still a concern now more than ever. You'll have to decide about his one yourself. Happy Reading my friends!

The You I've Never Known

Ellen Hopkins is a unique voice in YA. She has a masterful way of weaving the characters of her stories together in ways you would never suspect. This is no different. This is Ariel's story. She and her dad live the live of wanderers. Moving from place to place, woman to woman, sometimes living in their car. The story is that Ariel's mother had deserted the family to live with her girlfriend. This is the story Ariel carries with her. When they finally put down roots for a minute Ariel finally starts to make friends. She is questioning her sexuality and finds herself drawn to both Monica and Gabe. This is a confusing and stressful time for Ariel as she must navigate these feelings in the presence of a homophobic and volatile father. Interspersed is Maya's story. She is trying to escape from a mother who wants to drive her into Scientology. Her way out is getting pregnant by an older soldier and moving onto the base with him. She is hopeful that this is her way out. Unfortunately, Jason is not the loving and compassionate husband she was hoping for. Ariel and Maya's stories collide in ways that are both natural and unexpected. It will shatter one and give the other one long lost hope for the future. If you have read Hopkins' books you know that they are written in beautiful free verse poetry, with Maya's story told in journal entries. These books are for a mature audience and always deal with relevant current issues. So that is 3 modern, issue based books in a row for me. I may take a little break and head back into the fantasy realm for a while. Happy reading my friends.