Last TBR Orphan Update of 2016

Another reading year draws to a close.

I managed to read 15 Orphaned books this year, and there were two more I tried to read, but ended up as DNFs.

I totally failed to read any of the recommended books, showing once again that I'm bad at planning my reading. I read what I feel like and not what I think I should read.

Next year I'll continue my attempts at reading at least one Orphaned book a month. With my Dragon Age addiction making this year my worst year when it comes to how many books I read in total, that is becoming easy I will confess. Lots of books waiting for some attention.

Have a great New Year's Eve, everyone.

I wish you lots of fun and good books for 2017!

The High Ground - Book Review (repost)

The High Ground (Imperials #1)
by Melinda M. Snodgrass

What is it about:
Emperor’s daughter Mercedes is the first woman ever admitted to the High Ground, the elite training academy of the Solar League’s Star Command, and she must graduate if she is to have any hope of taking the throne. Her classmate Tracy has more modest goals — to rise to the rank of captain, and win fame and honor. But a civil war is coming and the political machinations of those who yearn for power threaten the young cadets. In a time of intrigue and alien invasion, they will be tested as they never thought possible.

What is it about:
I came across the blurb of this book when Jeffe Kennedy went to a signing where Melinda Snodgrass would be as well. I was very intrigued and Jeffe being as awesome as she is, got me a signed copy.

And I can tell you this book not only delivered on the promise given in that blurb, it's even better than I hoped!

Mercedes is a strong, determined young woman. She wants to show everyone she is capable not only of succeeding at The High Ground, but of leading the empire. Lots of people want to see her fail, others want to get close to her because of what she is instead of who she is.

All Tracy ever wanted is to become more than a tailor like his father. He never wanted to become a soldier, but circumstances force him to take the free scholarship to the High Ground. Being one of only a few 'charity cases' he's having a hard time.

I loved the writing, the world building and the setting (you might know by now I have a soft spot for boarding school stories). I liked Tracy from the start, and soon fell in love with Mercedes as well. There were a couple of other characters that I was rooting for as well, and some I totally loathed. The interaction between the students was cool to read and felt real. Especially the friendship/romance/something between Mercedes and Tracy developed in a very believable if at times frustrating way.

The story focused on the training and how Tracy and Mercedes handle their new life at The High Ground at first, but later in the book there are some really exciting developments and the speed of the story kicked up considerably, making it impossible to put the book down.

And the ending! I need to know what will happen next!

All in all this book was totally amazing and you bet I'll be getting my grabby trotter on book two when it releases next year.

Why should you read it:
It's a totally awesome SF read.

Sweet - Book Review

Sweet
by Emmy Laybourne

What is it about:
The luxurious celebrity cruise launching the trendy new diet sweetener Solu should be the vacation of a lifetime. But Laurel is starting to regret accepting her friend Viv’s invitation. She's already completely embarrassed herself in front of celebrity host Tom Forelli—the hottest guy ever!—and she's too sick to even try the sweetener. And that's before Viv and all the other passengers start acting really strange.

Tom knows that he should be grateful for this job and the chance to shed his former-child-star image. His publicists have even set up a 'romance' with a sexy reality star. But as things on the ship start to get wild, he finds himself drawn to a different girl. And when the hosting gig turns into an expose on the shocking side effects of Solu, it's Laurel that he's determined to save.

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

I will confess I had expected the mayhem to start sooner, but even so I enjoyed this book from start to finish.

I very much liked Laurel. She's got a lot of insecurities, but I liked that her weight wasn't one of them. She went along with her friend for the luxurious cruise and not for the weight loss part of it. For a change it was the male lead who has a difficult relationship with food and his weight. I liked how Laybourne shows that both men and women can be insecure about their weight.

As I said the real mayhem starts quite late in the book, but I must say I enjoyed the events that lead up to the catastrophe. Laybourne knows how to combine humor, suspense, and horror elements and I was totally engrossed. The cruise ship is the perfect place for this story to play out. Nothing so scary as people starting to act creepy and no way to escape them.

All in all this is a very entertaining read and you bet I'll be keeping an eye out for Laybourne's next book.

Why should you read it:
It's a fun and suspenseful YA read


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Teasing on a Wednesday - Pawn

"Shh," murmured Daxton, brushing my hair aside. Before I could push him away, a needle pricked my neck, and everything went black.

(page 55, Pawn by Aimee Carter)


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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!

The Edge of the Blade - Book Review (repost)

It's release day for The Edge of the Blade by Jeffe Kennedy, so here's a repost of my review.

Go buy this awesome Fantasy Romance!


The Edge of the Blade (The Uncharted Realms #2)
by Jeffe Kennedy

What is it about:
A HAWK S PLEDGE
"The Twelve Kingdoms rest uneasy under their new High Queen, reeling from civil war and unchecked magics. Few remember that other powers once tested their borders until a troop of foreign warriors emerges with a challenge..."
Jepp has been the heart of the queen s elite guard, her Hawks, since long before war split her homeland. But the ease and grace that come to her naturally in fighting leathers disappears when battles turn to politics. When a scouting party arrives from far-away Dasnaria, bearing veiled threats and subtle bluffs, Jepp is happy to let her queen puzzle them out while she samples the pleasures of their prince s bed.
But the cultural norms allow that a Dasnarian woman may be wife or bed-slave, never her own leader and Jepp s light use of Prince Kral has sparked a diplomatic crisis. Banished from court, she soon becomes the only envoy to Kral s strange and dangerous country, with little to rely on but her wits, her knives and the smolder of anger and attraction that burns between her and him...

What did I think of it:
As some if you may know I'm a total fanpiggy of Jeffe and her books, so it may not come as a surprise when I tell you I LOVE this book.

But there is so much to love about this book! And not just for fanpiggies like me.

Jepp is a wonderful heroine. She is confident, knows her strengths and weaknesses, and doesn't mince her words. Kral has been raised to think of women as creatures who should be cared for and sheltered (to the point of slavery). He's the perfect hero to spar with the freedom loving Jepp. and spar they do. The banter (and romance) between Jepp and Kral is fun and delicious.

I also loved seeing Dasnaria and learning more about the land and the culture. Most of the time spend in Dasnaria Jepp and Kral are in one place, but still you learn a lot about how the Dasnarians think.

New characters are introduced and some are so intriguing I hope they get their own book. Others are vile and/or dangerous and made that I worried for Jepp. At times the odds are high and it was only the knowledge that this is a Fantasy Romance that I didn't get too nervous. Jeffe sure knows how to tell an awesome romance while also giving you a very suspenseful story - both keeping you reading to find out what happens next.

The ending had quite a punch, and while I was satisfied it also made me hungry for more books in this wonderful world. Luckily it looks like there will be at least one more book, if not more.

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


Find buy links here

The Power - Book Review

The Power
by Naomi Alderman

What is it about:
In The Power the world is a recognisable place: there's a rich Nigerian kid who larks around the family pool; a foster girl whose religious parents hide their true nature; a local American politician; a tough London girl from a tricky family. But something vital has changed, causing their lives to converge with devastating effect. Teenage girls now have immense physical power - they can cause agonising pain and even death. And, with this small twist of nature, the world changes utterly.

This extraordinary novel by Naomi Alderman, a Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year and Granta Best of British writer, is not only a gripping story of how the world would change if power was in the hands of women but also exposes, with breath-taking daring, our contemporary world.

What did I think of it:
What can I say...

This is a compelling read, but I had some issues it as well.

So teenage girls start developing a supernatural power and soon women start to rise in power and men have to fear for their safety...

Either Alderman doesn't remember how it was to be among other teenage girls, or she was lucky. What I missed in this story and what seemed like a more believable outcome was teenage girls going ballistic and hurting and killing each other over boys and/or clothes or something before anyone even could think of harnessing their power to change society. There was some mention of girls bullying the girls who didn't develop any powers, but nearly not as much as would happen in a situation like this. Either that or teenagers in the Netherlands are apparently a lot more vicious than those in the UK.

That aside this is an interesting read. It's told from several different viewpoints and as always some are more intriguing than others. I didn't much care for the religious parts of the story, I will confess.

Overall it was cool enough that I kept reading even though I had my doubts about how things progressed. Alderman does know how to keep readers engaged.

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


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Nine of Stars - Early Book Review

Nine of Stars (Wildlands #1 / Dark Alchemy #3)
by Laura Bickle

What is it about:
Winter is the most deadly season in Temperance. And it’s not just because of the fierce cold. Evil is stalking the backcountry of Yellowstone, killing wolves and leaving only their skins behind.

As the snow deepens, Geologist Petra Dee is staring her own death in the face, while former Hanged Man Gabriel struggles with his abrupt transition back to mortality. The ravens and the rest of the Hanged Men are gone, and there are no magical solutions to Petra’s illness or Gabriel’s longing for what he’s lost…and what he stands to lose now.

Meanwhile, there’s a new sheriff in town. Sheriff Owen Rutherford has inherited the Rutherford ranch and the remnants of the Alchemical Tree of Life. He’s also a dangerously haunted man, and his investigation of Sal’s death is leading him right to Gabriel.

It’s up to Petra, her coyote sidekick Sig, and Gabriel to get ahead of both Owen and the unnatural being stalking them all – before the trail turns deathly cold.

What did I think of it:
I pre-ordered this pearl as soon as it was available on bookdepository so I would get my trotters on it as soon as it released. Then the awesome Laura Bickle provided me with an Advance Reader Copy so I could even read it sooner!

And this is such a great read.

This book continues the story lines from the Dark Alchemy books, but is set up in a way that it would work as a first book in a new series for new readers as well. But let me tell you: You want to read all the books in this setting. They're awesome!

I love Petra, Gabe and Sig. They're a good team. Lots of nastiness is coming their way, both supernatural and mundane, but they are doing their best to overcome their problems and to stay alive.

The story switches between Petra and Gabe, and Owen. Usually when a story switches to a character who opposes my favorite characters I don't much like reading from their point of view, but Bickle managed to get me invested and to even root just a little bit for Owen at times.

The ending of this book is quite the cliffhanger, and you bet I'll be getting my greedy trotters on the next book.

All in all an awesome read that I can recommend to anyone who's looking for a cool UF read set outside of the city.


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