{Mini Reviews} All Fantasy, All the Time

Because sometimes you just want to read ALL the books but you don't have the time -- or the energy -- to review them all. Or, sometimes it's been months since you read the book, but you still have something to say about it. So, here are some short and sweet reviews that are long overdue...


Title: The Immortal Heights
Author: Sherry Thomas
Narrator(s): Philip Battley
Series: The Elemental Trilogy, book #3
Length: 10 hrs 49 mins
Publisher: Harper Audio
Publication Date: October 13, 2015
Source: ARC received from publisher, purchased audiobook
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

In a pursuit that has spanned continents, Iolanthe, Titus, and their friends have always managed to remain one step ahead of the forces of Atlantis. But now the Bane, the monstrous tyrant who bestrides the entire mage world, has issued his ultimatum: Titus must hand over Iolanthe, or watch as his entire realm is destroyed in a deadly rampage. Running out of time and options, Iolanthe and Titus must act decisively to deliver a final blow to the Bane, ending his reign of terror for good.

However, getting to the Bane means accomplishing the impossible—finding a way to infiltrate his crypt in the deepest recesses of the most ferociously guarded fortress in Atlantis. And everything is only made more difficult when new prophecies come to light, foretelling a doomed effort....

Iolanthe and Titus will put their love and their lives on the line. But will it be enough?

With The Immortal Heights, Sherry Thomas brings the acclaimed Elemental Trilogy to its breathtaking conclusion.

Read in October.

What a satisfying conclusion to a fantastic series! I remember being thoroughly confused for the first half of the previous book -- and loving it immensely despite that -- but there was no confusion in this final installment. Lots of shocking twists and turns, sure, but I was on board -- er, carpet? -- for all of them.

It all comes down to the blasted prophecies in this book, and sometimes I wanted to smack Titus for relying so heavily on them because I think he missed the big picture in doing so. It irritated me almost as much as his dismissal of Iolanthe in the second book, when again, he let a prophecy take priority and guide him instead of letting his own instincts take over.

Honestly, I loved this book, but -- and this may be because I re-read The Perilous Sea prior to picking up this final book -- I'm finding it a little difficult to remember the details from it. The events of The Perilous Sea are forefront in my mind right now. Because of that, I think the second book might have been the strongest of the series: it had to bridge past and present, memory gaps, and overcome second book syndrome, all of which it did amazingly. That said, The Immortal Heights is still an impressive finale.  The whole series was impressive, and I can't wait to return to it one day when I can read all three books back-to-back.

GIF it to me straight:

Title: Ice Like Fire
Author: Sara Raasch
Narrator(s): Kate Rudd, Nick Podehl
Series: Snow Like Ashes, book #2
Length: 12 hrs 49 mins
Publisher: Harper Audio
Publication Date: October 13, 2015
Source: ARC received from publisher, purchased audiobook
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

It’s been three months since the Winterians were freed and Spring’s king, Angra, disappeared—thanks largely to the help of Cordell.

Meira just wants her people to be safe. When Cordellan debt forces the Winterians to dig their mines for payment, they unearth something powerful and possibly dangerous: Primoria’s lost chasm of magic. Theron sees this find as an opportunity—with this much magic, the world can finally stand against threats like Angra. But Meira fears the danger the chasm poses—the last time the world had access to so much magic, it spawned the Decay. So when the king of Cordell orders the two on a mission across the kingdoms of Primoria to discover the chasm’s secrets, Meira plans to use the trip to garner support to keep the chasm shut and Winter safe—even if it means clashing with Theron. But can she do so without endangering the people she loves?

Mather just wants to be free. The horrors inflicted on the Winterians hang fresh and raw in Januari—leaving Winter vulnerable to Cordell’s growing oppression. When Meira leaves to search for allies, he decides to take Winter’s security into his own hands. Can he rebuild his broken kingdom and protect them from new threats?

As the web of power and deception weaves tighter, Theron fights for magic, Mather fights for freedom—and Meira starts to wonder if she should be fighting not just for Winter, but for the world.

Read in October.

This sequel has me stymied. I don't know whether to continue or not. I liked it, but it's completely changed how I feel about the series. Everything's been turned on its head, and I'm not sure how I feel about that.

Especially the ships. At first I was #TeamMather. Then I was #TeamTheron. And that's where I was when I started this book. But then I realized I had some chapters to read from Mather's perspective, albeit third person and not the first person Meira's are in. And I started to appreciate Mather's character a bit more again. His chapters reminded me of what I liked about him in the first place. And Theron was just pushy. After one kiss, he's ready to get married. Granted, that was originally the plan, but that was before.

I feel like I should just be #TeamMeira, but she's just not nearly as fierce in this sequel as she was in the first book. I mean, yeah, they stuck her in a dress and are trying to make her act queenly. (Good luck with that!) But even as such, she could still show some of that fire. Where she went wrong was not trusting her gut, not immediately standing up to her adversaries, instead letting the Cordellans get their hooks in.

This book started off strongly, and I was positive I was going to like it even more than Snow Like Ashes. But it got rather chaotic toward the end, especially after a major reveal. I'll inevitably end up picking up the next installment because my curiosity will get the better of me...I'm just not sure who I'm rooting for anymore.

GIF it to me straight:

Title: Firewalker
Author: Josephine Angelini
Narrator(s): Emma Galvin
Series: The Worldwalker Trilogy, book #2
Length: 11 hrs 17 mins
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Publication Date: September 1, 2015
Source: ARC received from publisher, audio borrowed from library
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

Worlds divide, magic slays, and love lies in the second book of Josephine Angelini’s The Worldwalker Trilogy.

"You think I’m a monster, but my choices, as ruthless as they seem, are justified."

Lily is back in her own universe, and she's ready to start a new life with Rowan by her side. True, she almost died in the Pyre that fueled their escape from New Salem, and must hide her magic for the safety of everyone she cares about, but compared to fighting the Woven, the monstrous creatures inhabiting the alternate Salem, life is looking pretty good.

Unfortunately, Lillian, ruthless ruler of the 13 Cities, is not willing to let Lily go that easily. If she can’t persuade Lily to return to her world, she will force her to come back by doing away with the ones she loves.

Picking up right where Trial By Fire left off, Firewalker is another sexy, fast-paced, heartbreaking thrill ride from internationally bestselling author Josephine Angelini!

Read in October.

I put off reading this sequel for awhile after release date even though I'd had the ARC for months prior to that. I read some early reviews and it just sounded like a huge disappointment. Granted, I feel like I was one of the only ones who really enjoyed the first book, so that probably shouldn't come as a shock.

What did come as a surprise was how much this sequel felt like the first book. Basically, it's Lily in her own universe, doing the same thing she did once she got her feet in Lillian's world: collecting mechanics for her coven, army, whatever you want to call it. Because of this, the book very much felt like a middle book and cost me whatever enjoyment I might have taken from it.

Also, there's the intense jealousy Lily's Tristan harbors toward her relationship with Rowan and the lack of communication between Lily and Rowan. I liked the romance in the first book, but in this book, I found it insufferable.

I'm really hoping for more from the third book. There were things alluded to in this book that still have me curious, and I'd like to see that all come to fruition before all is said and done.

GIF it to me straight:

Funny thing. When I first started this post, like two weeks ago, I had the latter two books rated higher. But the more I sat on the reviews, the less I liked about the books. I'm still holding out hope that the final installments end up redeeming both of those series, though...

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Labels: audiobooks, harper-collins, josephine angelini, macmillan, mini reviews, reviews, sara raasch, sherry thomas, snow like ashes, the elemental trilogy, The worldwalker trilogy

{Blog Tour} Firewalker by Josephine Angelini: Guest Post & Giveaway

Today on the blog, I'm hosting a stop on the Firewalker Blog Tour, brought to you by Fierce Reads and Macmillan. Firewalker is the sequel to Josephine Angelini's amazing Trial By Fire. This series features parallel universes, magic, and witches, and I think I might like it even more than the author's mythology-based series. And that's saying a lot considering how much I enjoyed those books!

For today's stop, Josephine has contributed a guest post about one of my favorite types of characters ever: the redeemable villain. First, though, here's a little more about the book, which releases on Tuesday:


Title: Firewalker
Author: Josephine Angelini
Series: The Worldwalker Trilogy, book #2
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Publication Date: September 1, 2015
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

Worlds divide, magic slays, and love lies in the second book of Josephine Angelini’s The Worldwalker Trilogy.

"You think I’m a monster, but my choices, as ruthless as they seem, are justified."

Lily is back in her own universe, and she's ready to start a new life with Rowan by her side. True, she almost died in the Pyre that fueled their escape from New Salem, and must hide her magic for the safety of everyone she cares about, but compared to fighting the Woven, the monstrous creatures inhabiting the alternate Salem, life is looking pretty good.

Unfortunately, Lillian, ruthless ruler of the 13 Cities, is not willing to let Lily go that easily. If she can’t persuade Lily to return to her world, she will force her to come back by doing away with the ones she loves.

Picking up right where Trial By Fire left off, Firewalker is another sexy, fast-paced, heartbreaking thrill ride from internationally bestselling author Josephine Angelini!

My (Rambling) Thoughts on Redeemable Villains
by Josephine Angelini

Villains are such interesting characters. I think they shape the plot of a story even more than the hero. No bad guy, no obstacles. No obstacles, no plot.

Here’s a little secret: the type of villain a writer chooses says a lot about him or her. It’s almost more indicative of who we are as people—our fears, our internal quirks—than the character we create to be the hero. Think about it. The hero does what is right, and there isn’t a lot a leeway in that. Save the world, or not save the world? Save the world, of course. If not, your hero is a dink. But the villain? That’s where writers dig deep and find out what scares us. This is when we go to the dark corners of our minds and shine a light on the wee beasties there.

I came up with the idea for my WorldWalker Trilogy through the villain. I was lying in bed, chasing sleep, when a disturbing thought occurred to me. I thought that if I ever went to a parallel universe and met an alternate version of myself I’d probably hate her. I’d have the same reaction I do when I hear my voice on an answering machine, or when I see myself in a video and I wasn’t expecting it. That knee-jerk ew feeling I get whenever I have the misfortune to view myself from the outside.

And I’m not talking about looks. It’s not like I see myself and think, “Look at those giant buckteeth. Never noticed that before.” I already know my teeth look like they could chew their way through a fence post. I’m fine with that. The reaction that I have to seeing myself is something deeper. Something atavistic. There’s a special kind of horror to being literally face to face with yourself. You can’t escape your own failings. In many ways, we are our own worst enemies.

I made my hero and villain two different versions of the same person. Two sides to the same coin. But that concept comes with a problem. Two sides have to meet in the middle somewhere. If a character is good in one world and evil in another there has to be a reason she turned evil. Somewhere on the inside of even the worst character there’s a reason she became that way. Understanding that reason makes us sympathize with her, even if is just a bit.

I think it’s hard for a writer to completely hate his or her villain. There are always exceptions, but I think when we try to write even the most loathsome of characters the process of creating them makes us sympathize. On top of that, villains tend to have more interesting backstory than heroes do, and writers love them some backstory. By the time we’ve worked out all the kinks we’re so darn invested in our bad guys that we just can’t not love them.

This is probably the reason it’s so common for bad guys to turn out to be the heroes by the end of a long series. Take Darth Vader, for example. He’s the ultimate bad guy in Star Wars but by the time we get to Return of the Jedi, he’s the hero. It’s Vader, not Luke, who kills the Emperor. I wonder if George Lucas intended that when he wrote the first draft of the first movie or if he just got so caught up in loving Vader as the story deepened that he had to make him take off the black hat in the end. Or black mask, as it were. Redeemable villains are almost inevitable when you’re writing long, epic series. And anyway, after two or three books, who wants to see a bad guy stay a bad guy? There’s no character arc there.

Redeeming a villain is surprisingly easy. Readers love it. It’s chronicling the downfall of a hero that’s hard. Everyone loves a redemption story. No one wants to watch a favorite character make all the wrong choices and end up evil. Lately that idea has been gaining more traction with me. Doing it, and doing it so it breaks the readers’ heart instead of just pissing them off, would be a real feat.

Next series. :) 

I agree...I'm usually much more intrigued by the villain than the hero. So much potential there! And, gah, I would love to see a story about the fallen hero and the redeemable villiain...a role reversal of the most epic kind! Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts, Josephine!

About the author:

Josephine Angelini is a Massachusetts native and the youngest of eight siblings. She graduated from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts in theater, with a focus on the classics. She now lives in Los Angeles with her husband.

Find Josephine:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Thanks to Macmillan and Fierce Reads, we've got a finished copy of Firewalker to give away to one lucky winner! Open to U.S. residents only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

August 25 - Live, Love, Read
August 26 - Winterhaven Books
August 27 - The Starry-Eyed Revue (you're here!)
August 28 - Once Upon a Twilight
August 30 - FierceReads Tumblr
August 31 - YA Bibliophile
September 1 - FictionFare

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Labels: beautiful covers, blog tour, giveaways, guest post, josephine angelini, macmillan, magic, multiverse, The worldwalker trilogy, witches

{Audiobook} Review: Trial by Fire by Josephine Angelini

Title: Trial by Fire
Author: Josephine Angelini
Narrator(s): Emma Galvin
Series:  The Worldwalker Trilogy, book #1
Length: 12 hrs 23 mins
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Publication Date: September 2, 2014
Source: ARC received from publisher, purchased audio
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

This world is trying to kill Lily Proctor. Her life-threatening allergies keep her from enjoying experiences that others in her hometown of Salem take for granted, which is why she is determined to enjoy her first high school party with her best friend and longtime crush, Tristan. But after a humiliating incident in front of half her graduating class, Lily wishes she could just disappear.

Suddenly, Lily is in a different Salem—one overrun with horrifying creatures and ruled by powerful women called Crucibles. Strongest and cruelest of them all is Lillian . . . Lily's other self in this alternate universe.

What makes Lily weak at home is what makes her extraordinary in New Salem. In this confusing world, Lily is torn between responsibilities she can't hope to shoulder alone and a love she never expected.

When I started seeing all of the mixed reviews for Trial by Fire, I almost passed on it, even though I'd requested a copy for review. Actually, I did kind of pass on it. April had it for review, as well, and she was still keen to read it, so I told her she should review it for the blog. She actually ended up DNFing it, not because it was bad but because she just didn't have the concentration for it right now. I like a good, complex world, so obviously my curiosity was piqued once again at that.

And now that I think about it, I should have remembered that there were a lot of mixed reviews for the author's mythology-based series, while I was over here writing up my fangirl review for it. I really like Angelini's writing style, the way she weaves a story, giving some answers while leaving you with even more questions. And, yes, the complexity of the world(s) in this story is an added bonus. The magical aspect was impressive, and I love a good multiverse story, though that element of the story wasn't explored all that much in this novel.

After the events that transpire in this installment, though, I expect the multiple universes to be a much bigger focus in future books, so I'm not worried in that respect. What we did see in this book was a sickly Lily being swept from her own world -- our present-day world -- to one where witchcraft and magic survived the Salem Witch Trials. In fact, it's a world in which the witches are trying to vanquish true science and medicine in favor of their own powerful magic. And Lily has been pulled from her world in hopes that she can save this one.

In this New Salem, Lily meets her doppleganger Lillian, the most powerful witch of her world. Like Lily was in her world, this Lillian is very ill, and although she is labeled as the villain from the start, I sensed there was some underlying motivation to her actions that might be less sinister than the residents of her city would have Lily believe. That doesn't mean I trusted her or thought what she was doing was right, but I think there's more to her story, and I'm intrigued to find out what it is.

I was also very interested in the magical system in New Salem. Harnessing a witch's power in a stone is not a new concept, but the way in which it is wielded, how susceptible it is to others and how other mages can be put under it's control...those are new notions to me. And I loved the way in which the magical elements were explored as Lily learns how to manifest her own dormant powers. Seeing others grow to trust her and believe in her and then allow her to claim them so that they might all benefit from her powers made this book downright unputdownable.

The slow-burning romance helped to keep me listening, too. From what I'd heard about the book prior to picking it up, and from what I gathered from that synopsis, I thought a love triangle was imminent. I'm not ruling out the possibility in the future because of REASONS, but for now, I consider it very unlikely. Lily's short-lived romance with Tristan in her world is all but over when she's whisked away to New Salem. And when she meets Rowan -- sigh, will there ever be a character with this name that I don't instantly swoon over? -- they don't exactly hit it off, her sharing the face of the woman he despises most, but that changes over time. There's a Tristan in this world, too, but he's similar in a lot of ways to the one Lily left behind, and nothing ever really develops there. You'd think that this would probably be the most awkward aspect of the romance, but no. Just as Lily had a thing with the Tristan of her world, Rowan had more than a thing with the Lily (Lillian) of his world. Yeah. But it never devolves into an embarrassing, uncomfortable situation for them because it's Lily and Rowan all the way. You can see it. They can see it. But they're going to deny it for as long as they can hold out. It was worth the wait, though.

This book was totally worth me creating extra chores and making excuses so that I could keep listening, too. I finished it in a day, even though Emma Galvin is one of my least favorite narrators. I used to really enjoy her narration. But that was before I listened to her narrate the first two books in the Arcana Chronicles series by Kresley Cole. That series is compulsively readable, highly addictive, and I hate it, but I'll probably still end up reading the third book when it releases because I can't help myself. Anyway, I don't know if it was a combination of the terrible accents Galvin used for those books plus the annoying characters in them that made me start disliking her narration style and voice, but I know it started with those books. And yet, I didn't find her narration of this book so terrible. I did hear some of the things that bother me about her narration style, like the fact that it sounds like she's speaking with a giant piece of candy or something attached to the inside of her cheek, but it was less noticeable to me than usual. I was so compelled by the story and characters in Trial by Fire that I was able to completely overlook those facets that might otherwise annoy me to the point of giving up on a book. I wish I'd had the time to sit down and read this novel myself, but I would still recommend this audiobook.

Trial by Fire really surprised me, even though is shouldn't have. And it ended on the perfect note...right on the precipice of something BIG but not something killer that's going to leave you aching to know what happens next. I mean, yeah, you're going to wonder because the story is that intriguing, and you're going to be excited to see where the characters go from here, especially because of the point at which the story ends. But it's not a stressful ending, nor a devastating one. It's just right. :) This whole novel was just right -- just enough action, just enough magic, just enough romance -- to entice you to keep coming back to it. Or never put it down, as the case may be...it's a compelling read, to be sure.

GIF it to me straight:

Yay, witches! Everybody dance now!

About the author:

Josephine Angelini is a Massachusetts native and the youngest of eight siblings. She graduated from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts in theater, with a focus on the classics. She now lives in Los Angeles with her husband.

Find Josephine:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

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Labels: audiobooks, beautiful covers, book trailers, josephine angelini, macmillan, magic, multiverse, reviews, The worldwalker trilogy, witches

Review: Trial by Fire by Josephine Angelini

Title: Trial By Fire
Author: Josephine Angelini
Series:  The Worldwalker Trilogy #1
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Publication Date: September 2nd, 2014
Source: Received from Publisher via Netgalley
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

This world is trying to kill Lily Proctor. Her life-threatening allergies keep her from enjoying experiences that others in her hometown of Salem take for granted, which is why she is determined to enjoy her first high school party with her best friend and longtime crush, Tristan. But after a humiliating incident in front of half her graduating class, Lily wishes she could just disappear.

Suddenly, Lily is in a different Salem—one overrun with horrifying creatures and ruled by powerful women called Crucibles. Strongest and cruelest of them all is Lillian . . . Lily's other self in this alternate universe.

What makes Lily weak at home is what makes her extraordinary in New Salem. In this confusing world, Lily is torn between responsibilities she can't hope to shoulder alone and a love she never expected.

This is the first work by Josephine Angelini that I've picked up. I own her whole Starcrossed Trilogy (because omg they are so pretty) but I still haven't found the time to give them a shot. I had trouble with Trial by Fire, honestly. I feel bad for this, because it's all me and not the book at all. I read until about 50 percent, and gave up. I do plan to pick it up again in the future but I'm just so distracted lately, and this is a book you really have to pay attention to.

What I read of Trial by Fire, I did like. It's very well written, and interesting. But it's confusing, there is a lot going on, A whole other dimension/world that your thrust into. And as interesting as that is, my poor over worked brain had a hard time keeping up. I found myself paging back trying to figure out what was going on.

What I did like, were the witches. This time of year is the perfect time to read about witches and this story has a bit of a creepy feel to it, at least the parts I got to.

I'm going to rate this one a 3 because I wasn't able to finish it. I'd almost give it a four, just because my only issues were my lack of ability to concentrate right now. Fluffy reads it is.. for the the foreseeable future! Seriously, give this one a shot if you're into paranormal stuff.

About the author:


Josephine Angelini is a Massachusetts native and the youngest of eight siblings. She graduated from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts in theater, with a focus on the classics. She now lives in Los Angeles with her husband.

Find Josephine:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

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Labels: feiwel & friends, josephine angelini, reviews, The worldwalker trilogy, trial by fire