Teaser Tuesdays - Polaris Rising

The constant wind whistled eerily around the abandoned buildings. I was alone in a vast, abandoned city.


(page 127, Polaris Rising by Jessie Mihalik)


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Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: - Grab your current read - Open to a random page - Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) - Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Protect the Prince - Book Review

Protect the Prince (Crown of Shards #2)
by Jennifer Estep

What is it about:
Magic, murder, adventure, and romance combine in this second novel in the exciting Crown of Shards saga from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Estep.

Everleigh Blair might be the new gladiator queen of Bellona, but her problems are far from over.

First, Evie has to deal with a court full of arrogant, demanding nobles, all of whom want to get their greedy hands on her crown. As if that wasn’t bad enough, an assassin tries to kill Evie in her own throne room.

Despite the dangers, Evie goes ahead with a scheduled trip to the neighboring kingdom of Andvari in order to secure a desperately needed alliance. But complicating matters is the stubborn Andvarian king, who wants to punish Evie for the deaths of his countrymen during the Seven Spire massacre.

But dark forces are at work inside the Andvarian palace, and Evie soon realizes that no one is safe. Worse, Evie’s immunity to magic starts acting in strange, unexpected ways, which makes her wonder whether she is truly strong enough to be a Winter Queen.

But Evie’s magic, life, and crown aren’t the only things in danger—so is her heart, thanks to Lucas Sullivan, the Andvarian king’s bastard son and Evie’s... well, Evie isn’t quite sure what Sullivan is to her.

Only one thing is certain—protecting a prince might be even harder than killing a queen...

What did I think of it:
This is a very entertaining read.

I loved the first book, so with the last book in this trilogy on its way, it was more than time for me to pick up book two.

I must warn you that this isn't High Fantasy, or Epic Fantasy. I'd call it Renaissance Fair Fantasy myself. If you go into this book with that in mind you'll have a great time with it. Is it over the top at times? Yes! Is it always believable what is happening? No! Is it a fun and very entertaining story? Totally!!

I very much enjoyed Evie's antics, the political mess she gets herself into, and the danger that stalks her and others. Once again the culprit didn't come as a surprise, but even with seeing the outcome from miles away I had a great time with this book.

You bet I'll read the last book soon (I have an ARC *squee*) to see how Evie's story ends.

Why should you read it:
It's a super entertaining Fantasy read.


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Scent to Her Grave - Book Review

Scent to Her Grave (A Bath and Body Mystery #1)
by India Ink aka Yasmine Galenorn

What is it about:
The fairest of them all...

Lydia Wang is the newly crowned winner of a local beauty pageant--and the queen of mean. Used to getting what she wants, she ends up in an fight with Persia over the store's newest acquisition: the Mirror of Aphrodite. Reflecting only the most beautiful aspects of the person looking into it, the mirror is a huge draw and definitely not for sale--no matter how much Lydia is willing to pay.

Persia arrives at the shop the next morning to find Lydia dead, the mirror missing, and one of the shop's treasured employees the prime suspect. Trevor's arrest is a blemish on the reflection of the shop, so Persia decides to take matters by the nose. To clear his name, she must sniff out the signature scent of a killer.

What did I think of it:
This is such an enjoyable read.

I was hooked from the first page. The writing is fun, the characters even more so. I loved both Persia and her aunt.

There were some clues that seemed pretty obvious to me, but that Persia missed. I can't say if it's because they were obvious, or if I read so many mysteries that I easily pick up on them. But that didn't diminish my enjoyment in the story, I can tell you.

The main storyline is solved in this book, but several smaller ones promise drama and possibly more murder in the next book. You bet I'll pick it up soon.

Why should you read it:
It's a fun and enjoyable murder mystery.


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Emissary - Book Review

Emissary (Sekhmet's Army)
by Marcella Burnard

What is it about:
Years ago, I left my home in Menethes. I left in anger, cursing my mother. I was a child and a foolish one at that. I earned my sword and my place as a warrior in Sekhmet's Army. Now, the priestesses bid me return to the land of my birth. For fel sorcery has stricken the land. It has usurped the throne, enslaved the people, murdered the priests, and defiled the sacred precincts of every temple in the city. Sekhmet, the Fire in the Desert, demands justice.

She has chosen me to deliver it. Though I am strong, I have no shield against sorcery. If I fail, I die. Success? That, too, may well end in my death. But failure? Failure will cost me my soul.

What did I think of it:
This was a reread for me. This short story was first released in the anthology Thunder on the Battlefield: Sword.

And it was so good to revisit this story. I love how Marcella Burnard manages to create a whole world in such a short story. With a minimum of words she manages to have this story breathe atmosphere and life.

The story itself is beautiful and I wouldn't mind if Marcella Burnard writes more stories in this world: I'd gobble them all up I can tell you.

Why should you read it:
It's a beautiful Fantasy read.


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Twelve Kingdoms Reread: The Talon of the Hawk - Book Review

This book concludes the original trilogy. I can tell you I'm very glad more books came after!

Here's my original review. Notes on rereading at the end.


The Talon of the Hawk (The Twelve Kingdoms #3)
by Jeffe Kennedy

What is it about:
A HEAVY CROWN

Three daughters were born to High King Uorsin, in place of the son he wanted. The youngest, lovely and sweet. The middle, pretty and subtle, with an air of magic. And the eldest, the Heir. A girl grudgingly honed to leadership, not beauty, to bear the sword and honor of the king.

Ursula’s loyalty is as ingrained as her straight warrior’s spine. She protects the peace of the Twelve Kingdoms with sweat and blood, her sisters from threats far and near. And she protects her father to prove her worth. But she never imagined her loyalty would become an open question on palace grounds. That her father would receive her with a foreign witch at one side and a hireling captain at the other—that soldiers would look on her as a woman, not as a warrior. She also never expected to decide the destiny of her sisters, of her people, of the Twelve Kingdoms and the Thirteenth. Not with her father still on the throne and war in the air. But the choice is before her. And the Heir must lead...

What did I think of it:
I absolutely love the first two books in this series, so I was very excited to get an ARC of The Talon of the Hawk.

Now I will have to confess that I had a difficult relationship with Ursula in the previous books, especially in book one. Half the time I liked her, and half the time I wanted to kick her for being a big bossypants to her sisters. So even though I longed for this book ever since finishing The Tears of the Rose, I was wondering if I could love Ursula as much as her sisters.

I shouldn't have worried: this is such a wonderful read and Ursula is an awesome character.

Ursula is a strong heroine, but with hurts and doubts that might break her if she lets them. She's learned to keep her feelings hidden, while trying hard to do what's right and to do what's honorable, but those might not be the same. I felt for her and cheered her on. Hoping she'd find a way to balance her love for her sisters with her feelings of duty.

Then she meets Harlan, a mercenary who sets his eyes on her. He sees more than just the mask that Ursula shows the world, and tries hard to get to the woman behind it.

The way Harlan and Ursula interact with each other is wonderful to read. Their courtship is half battle, half romance. Ursula is stubborn, but in Harlan she met her match. I was rooting for him to get Ursula to open up and let him inside her defenses.

As for the overall story: The events started in the first book find a thrilling climax in this one. This series was meant to be a trilogy at first, so the major storylines are solved. still there are lots of things that would lend themselves perfectly for more stories, and I'm happy that there will at least be two more books in this series. You can bet I'll be impatiently waiting for those.

I'm not sure if this book is readable as a standalone. You would probably miss out on things. But apart from that: this series is too good to just skip the first two books. so if you haven't started on this series yet: Get reading!

Why should you read it:
It's an awesome Fantasy Romance


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Notes on rereading: It's fun to see Harlan at the start of the story and knowing what's going on in his head. Also: this is the book where I already started to fall in love with Jepp.

Teaser Tuesdays - Song of Blood and Stone

Gripping the shotgun she'd taken to bed in one hand, she reached under her pillow for her father's hunting knife. Another, smaller blade was already strapped to her thigh.


(page 57, Song of Blood and Stone by L. Penelope)


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---------

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: - Grab your current read - Open to a random page - Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) - Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

What's a Ghoul to Do? - Book Review

What's a Ghoul to Do? (Ghost Hunter Mystery #1)
by Victoria Laurie

What is it about:
M.J., her partner Gilley, and their client, the wealthy, de-lish Dr. Steven Sable, are at his family's lodge, where his grandfather allegedly jumped to his death from the roof-although Sable says it was foul play.

But the patriarch's isn't the only ghost around. The place is lousy with souls, all with something to get off their ghoulish chests. Now M.J. will have to to quell the clamor-and listen for a voice with the answers...

What did I think of it:
This is a fun read.

I really liked the writing style, the mood, and the mystery. M.J. is a fun and quirky lead character, and I especially loved her pet: a parrot called Doc who just doesn't know when to keep his beak shut. The mystery was fun to try to figure out, and I really enjoyed the overall story.

I did get annoyed by the ongoing joke of Dr. Sable mangling his English. Yes, we get it: he's foreign. He shouldn't be stupid however! Even if his English would be really bad, some of the mistakes he made were too dumb for words. For example: The Sixth Sense is a term that's also used in other countries, so it makes no sense at all Sable would think it's called a Six Cents! Also: Everybody and their dog knows it's playboy and not playing boy, even if they don't speak any other word of English!

That being said: all in all this is a very entertaining read. I might pick up the next book if I run into it.

Why should you read it:
It's a fun Paranormal read.


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