{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

Waiting on Wednesday: Hello, I Love You & Ice Like Fire

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's WoW selections are...








's Pick:

Title: Hello, I Love You
Author: Katie M. Stout
Series: n/a
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Publication Date: June 9th, 2015

A teen escapes to a boarding school abroad and falls for a Korean pop star in this fun and fresh romantic novel in the vein of Anna and the French Kiss.

Grace Wilde is running—from the multi-million dollar mansion her record producer father bought, the famous older brother who’s topped the country music charts five years in a row, and the mother who blames her for her brother’s breakdown. Grace escapes to the farthest place from home she can think of, a boarding school in Korea, hoping for a fresh start.

She wants nothing to do with music, but when her roommate Sophie’s twin brother Jason turns out to be the newest Korean pop music superstar, Grace is thrust back into the world of fame. She can't stand Jason, whose celebrity status is only outmatched by his oversized ego, but they form a tenuous alliance for the sake of her friendship with Sophie. As the months go by and Grace adjusts to her new life in Korea, even she can't deny the sparks flying between her and the KPOP idol.

Soon, Grace realizes that her feelings for Jason threaten her promise to herself that she'll leave behind the music industry that destroyed her family. But can Grace ignore her attraction to Jason and her undeniable pull of the music she was born to write? Sweet, fun, and romantic, this young adult novel explores what it means to experience first love and discover who you really are in the process.

This book looks all sorts of adorable. :) And the cover is super cute.





's Pick:



Title: Ice Like Fire
Author: Sara Raasch
Series: Snow Like Ashes, book #2
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Publication Date: October 13, 2015

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.

Snow Like Ashes was a welcome new entry into the fantasy genre by a fantastic new debut author. I'm eager to see if she keeps up the momentum of the first book -- while bringing some swoons, as well -- as she prepares to separate her characters once more in this sequel. Also, she must have some serious pull with the Cover Gods because the covers for this series are amazing.


What are you desperately waiting for this Wednesday? Let us know in the comments or share a link to your own WoW post!

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Labels: beautiful covers, fantasy, favorites, harper-collins, hello i love you, sara raasch, snow like ashes, st martins press, waiting on wednesday (wow)

{Audiobook} Review: Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch

Title: Snow Like Ashes
Author: Sara Raasch
Narrator(s): Kate Rudd
Series: Snow Like Ashes, book #1
Length: 10 hrs 56 mins
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Publication Date: October 14, 2014
Source: ARC from publisher
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

A heartbroken girl. A fierce warrior. A hero in the making.

Sixteen years ago the Kingdom of Winter was conquered and its citizens enslaved, leaving them without magic or a monarch. Now, the Winterians’ only hope for freedom is the eight survivors who managed to escape, and who have been waiting for the opportunity to steal back Winter’s magic and rebuild the kingdom ever since.

Orphaned as an infant during Winter’s defeat, Meira has lived her whole life as a refugee, raised by the Winterians’ general, Sir. Training to be a warrior—and desperately in love with her best friend, and future king, Mather — she would do anything to help her kingdom rise to power again.

So when scouts discover the location of the ancient locket that can restore Winter’s magic, Meira decides to go after it herself. Finally, she’s scaling towers, fighting enemy soldiers, and serving her kingdom just as she’s always dreamed she would. But the mission doesn’t go as planned, and Meira soon finds herself thrust into a world of evil magic and dangerous politics – and ultimately comes to realize that her destiny is not, never has been, her own.

I read this one prior to its release last year, thanks to the publisher, but I was also offered an audiobook version for review, which I'm obviously just getting to. And in such a short amount of time, I'd already forgotten just how much I enjoyed this story.

The audio narration is great, too, with the narrator going above and beyond to bring the story to life. For example, at one point, the MC has locked herself inside a room and her companions are on the other side of the door, and the narrator covers her mouth to make their dialogue sound muffled. Also, she doesn't do that thing that some female narrators do to make their voices sound deeper, which totally annoys me.

Kate Rudd is a fabulous narrator. She performed the audiobook for The Fault in Our Stars and has many, many more audiobooks under her belt. I kind of love her and hope to experience more of her narration in the future.

As I said I reviewed this one last year, so I'm just going to add my original review of the story below, in addition to my thoughts on the audiobook above:

I am always, always on the lookout for a new fantasy series to flail over. So when early buzz started heating up over Snow Like Ashes, I told myself, "Jen...Jen...let's not get ourselves worked up over the book yet. Let's wait and see what some of our friends think before we go getting burned again." And I did. I waited. And I waited...not so patiently, I might add...until I could wait no longer and had to dive in. And I must say, those early reviews were spot-on. This book was fan-freaking-tastic. I couldn't put it down. I couldn't stop thinking about it when my family forced me to put it down in order to pay attention to them. Hell, I still can't stop thinking about it and it's been a couple of weeks since I finished reading it.

Just imagine Xena with white hair and you've got some idea of what Meira is like.

Meira is a character to root for. She's fierce and determined and skilled with a chakram. Meira is also loyal to a fault and wants nothing more than to be a functioning member of the ragtag group that managed to survive Winter's siege some sixteen years ago. She's plenty capable and more than a little strong-willed, and I really enjoyed seeing her come into her own as the story develops.

I did find her budding romance with the Crown Prince to be inexplicable, considering they each knew that it was impossible for them to become involved, what with Mather expected to rule the kingdom once they'd secured it for their people again and Meira only being an orphaned peasant girl, but that situation worked itself out, much to my delight. However, some readers -- particularly those not fond of triangles -- may find the way in which it does get resolved to be tiresome. I did not. It's one of those situations where the relationship never fully developed -- where the characters outgrew each other -- because of everything that stood in the way, and then a much more suitable candidate swooped in to steal our girl's heart. The circumstances in which Meira finds herself in this more suitable love interest's company weren't the best, but I found that even that was perfect, as if the whole scenario was fated to happen.

Sara did a great job of tying the magical elements into this story without ever giving too much away. I'd think I had a handle on everything, had the whole mystery of that fateful night sixteen years ago figured out, and then she'd throw me for a loop again. This happened several times until I just stopped trying to guess the outcome. Basically, the author surprised me at every turn, with her inclusion of magic in the story and how it was used, with her characters, and even with the romance. And I could not stop reading for fear of what the next surprise would bring.

Snow Like Ashes reads like a stand-alone, which I loved. There's the introduction to the world, which is a bit daunting at first but it becomes easier to understand the kingdoms and their monarchies as the story progresses. Plus, there's that awesome map to help things along. (I adore maps.) There are fight scenes and intense battles that solidly pit good against evil. And there's a firm resolution to this book, meaning no heartbreaking cliffhanger to wail over at the end. Though, if you're anything like me, you'll still wail over the fact that you don't already have the second book in your hands.

GIF it to me straight:

About the author:

Sara Raasch has known she was destined for bookish things since the age of five, when her friends had a lemonade stand and she tagged along to sell her hand-drawn picture books too. Not much has changed since then -- her friends still cock concerned eyebrows when she attempts to draw things and her enthusiasm for the written word still drives her to extreme measures. Her debut YA fantasy, SNOW LIKE ASHES, is coming out Fall 2014 from Balzer + Bray. It does not feature her hand-drawn pictures. She is represented by Charlotte Sheedy Literary.

Find Sara:

Tumblr | Twitter | Goodreads | Facebook | Pinterest | YouTube

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Labels: 2014 debut, audiobooks, beautiful covers, favorites, harper-collins, high fantasy, reviews, sara raasch, snow like ashes

Review: Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch

Title: Snow Like Ashes
Author: Sara Raasch
Series: Snow Like Ashes, book #1
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Publication Date: October 14, 2014
Source: ARC from publisher
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

A heartbroken girl. A fierce warrior. A hero in the making.

Sixteen years ago the Kingdom of Winter was conquered and its citizens enslaved, leaving them without magic or a monarch. Now, the Winterians’ only hope for freedom is the eight survivors who managed to escape, and who have been waiting for the opportunity to steal back Winter’s magic and rebuild the kingdom ever since.

Orphaned as an infant during Winter’s defeat, Meira has lived her whole life as a refugee, raised by the Winterians’ general, Sir. Training to be a warrior—and desperately in love with her best friend, and future king, Mather — she would do anything to help her kingdom rise to power again.

So when scouts discover the location of the ancient locket that can restore Winter’s magic, Meira decides to go after it herself. Finally, she’s scaling towers, fighting enemy soldiers, and serving her kingdom just as she’s always dreamed she would. But the mission doesn’t go as planned, and Meira soon finds herself thrust into a world of evil magic and dangerous politics – and ultimately comes to realize that her destiny is not, never has been, her own.

I am always, always on the lookout for a new fantasy series to flail over. So when early buzz started heating up over Snow Like Ashes, I told myself, "Jen...Jen...let's not get ourselves worked up over the book yet. Let's wait and see what some of our friends think before we go getting burned again." And I did. I waited. And I waited...not so patiently, I might add...until I could wait no longer and had to dive in. And I must say, those early reviews were spot-on. This book was fan-freaking-tastic. I couldn't put it down. I couldn't stop thinking about it when my family forced me to put it down in order to pay attention to them. Hell, I still can't stop thinking about it and it's been a couple of weeks since I finished reading it.

Just imagine Xena with white hair and you've got some idea of what Meira is like.

Meira is a character to root for. She's fierce and determined and skilled with a chakram. Meira is also loyal to a fault and wants nothing more than to be a functioning member of the ragtag group that managed to survive Winter's siege some sixteen years ago. She's plenty capable and more than a little strong-willed, and I really enjoyed seeing her come into her own as the story develops.

I did find her budding romance with the Crown Prince to be inexplicable, considering they each knew that it was impossible for them to become involved, what with Mather expected to rule the kingdom once they'd secured it for their people again and Meira only being an orphaned peasant girl, but that situation worked itself out, much to my delight. However, some readers -- particularly those not fond of triangles -- may find the way in which it does get resolved to be tiresome. I did not. It's one of those situations where the relationship never fully developed -- where the characters outgrew each other -- because of everything that stood in the way, and then a much more suitable candidate swooped in to steal our girl's heart. The circumstances in which Meira finds herself in this more suitable love interest's company weren't the best, but I found that even that was perfect, as if the whole scenario was fated to happen.

Sara did a great job of tying the magical elements into this story without ever giving too much away. I'd think I had a handle on everything, had the whole mystery of that fateful night sixteen years ago figured out, and then she'd throw me for a loop again. This happened several times until I just stopped trying to guess the outcome. Basically, the author surprised me at every turn, with her inclusion of magic in the story and how it was used, with her characters, and even with the romance. And I could not stop reading for fear of what the next surprise would bring.

Snow Like Ashes reads like a stand-alone, which I loved. There's the introduction to the world, which is a bit daunting at first but it becomes easier to understand the kingdoms and their monarchies as the story progresses. Plus, there's that awesome map to help things along. (I adore maps.) There are fight scenes and intense battles that solidly pit good against evil. And there's a firm resolution to this book, meaning no heartbreaking cliffhanger to wail over at the end. Though, if you're anything like me, you'll still wail over the fact that you don't already have the second book in your hands.

GIF it to me straight:

About the author:

Sara Raasch has known she was destined for bookish things since the age of five, when her friends had a lemonade stand and she tagged along to sell her hand-drawn picture books too. Not much has changed since then -- her friends still cock concerned eyebrows when she attempts to draw things and her enthusiasm for the written word still drives her to extreme measures. Her debut YA fantasy, SNOW LIKE ASHES, is coming out Fall 2014 from Balzer + Bray. It does not feature her hand-drawn pictures. She is represented by Charlotte Sheedy Literary.

Find Kat:

Tumblr | Twitter | Goodreads | Facebook | Pinterest | YouTube

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Labels: 2014 debut, beautiful covers, favorites, harper-collins, high fantasy, reviews, sara raasch, snow like ashes