The Empire of Dreams

 Yet another happy bookshelf find! I threw this in my beach bag without much investigation. And come to find a companion book to one of my favorite series. Girl of Fire and Thorns was a great trilogy. This is the story of Red, the slave that Elisa bought and freed. It tells her story of how she came to be in Elisa’s family. The story starts with her adoption ceremony which doesn’t turn out the way they want it to. Red winds up in training to be a member of the Royal Guard, a place no girls have been. As she makes new friends, she uncovers a plot to overthrow the empress while she is away. Red can’t let anything happen to her adopted brother Rosario, the prince, so she begins to train the other boys in the guard. They are all sworn to protect the prince and they had also noticed some strange goings on. But are they all on the Prince’s side? This is a great book whether you have read the main series or not. Red is a tough, smart, loyal girls who takes on every challenge sent her way. She never makes excuses and always fights for her family. There are also a bevy of other characters that are deep and and interesting. I always love a story that will appeal to both boys and girls and this is definitely one of those. Back to the beach my friends-off to Belle and Beast and Paris for a fairy tale retelling! Happy reading my friends!

Bone Crier’s Moon

 Have you ever looked on your bookshelf and found you have two copies of a book? This is one of those.  books. And after reading it I understand why two  book boxes have sent it to me. The Bone Criers are meant to ferry the dead to the afterlife. They train their whole lives. They must collect the bones of three animals and take on those animal’s graces. Then as a final ritual, they must lure their soul mate to a bridge and kill them or they will both die. Ailesse is fearless and cannot wait to take her place next to her mother on the bridge of souls. Her best friend Sabine is not as eager. She doesn’t have the heart to kill an animal let alone a human. On the night of Ailesse’s ritual, Sabine is there to witness and support her friend. What they don’t know is that Bastien and his friends are waiting for them. His father was killed by a Bone Crier and he has been waiting to get his revenge. Ailesse thinks he is her amoure and when he kidnaps her, all hell breaks loose. Is he her true love? Will she be able to kill him when the time comes? Will he be able to exact his revenge? And what is her mother really up to? I really liked this book. It is filled with mythology, romance, misunderstanding and the dilemma- is killing ever right even if it means saving the world? I will absolutely be on the lookout for the final book, and keep wondering if there is one soulmate for each of us or do we create our own luck... happy reading my friends!

Blood and Honey

 Reid and Lou are on the run. Lou’s mother Morgane is out to kill her. Reid is fighting his own demons. He has found his mother and she is not what he expected or wanted. He has found out he is a witch. The very thing he has been fighting against his whole career. But he is also dealing with the fact that his wife is a powerful witch coming into a dreadful power that could consume her. As they try and devise a plan to stop Morgane’s reign of terror, Reid and Lou and their band of supernatural friends face deadly challenges and threats from all corners-some even from within their own trusted circle. This sequel to Serpent and Bone leaves more questions than answers for sure, as all good bridge books will do. There is tragic loss and big reveals. There is misunderstanding and forgiveness. There is adventure and romance. I enjoy this series and recommend it to lovers of this genre. It’s been a while since I posted- I let things get away fro me while trying to figure out distance teaching, but a week off and a sunny beach has remedied this. Happy reading my friends!