‘Keeper of the Bees’ (Black Birds of the Gallows) by Meg Kassel

5 buzzing stars!

Book Blurb:

“KEEPER OF THE BEES is a tale of two teens who are both beautiful and beastly, and whose pasts are entangled in surprising and heartbreaking ways.

Dresden is cursed. His chest houses a hive of bees that he can’t stop from stinging people with psychosis-inducing venom. His face is a shifting montage of all the people who have died because of those stings. And he has been this way for centuries—since he was eighteen and magic flowed through his homeland, corrupting its people.

He follows harbingers of death, so at least his curse only affects those about to die anyway. But when he arrives in a Midwest town marked for death, he encounters Essie, a seventeen-year-old girl who suffers from debilitating delusions and hallucinations. His bees want to sting her on sight. But Essie doesn’t see a monster when she looks at Dresden.

Essie is fascinated and delighted by his changing features. Risking his own life, he holds back his bees and spares her. What starts out as a simple act of mercy ends up unraveling Dresden’s solitary life and Essie’s tormented one. Their impossible romance might even be powerful enough to unravel a centuries-old curse.”

Review:

‘Keeper of the Bees’ is an excellent companion story to 'Black Bird of the Gallows'! I loved the two lead characters, Dresden and Essie, even more than Reece and Angie. Author Meg Kassel skillfully switches narration between Dresden and Essie, and there is so much more to enjoy due to this. Dresden is a Beekeeper, with all the unpleasantness that comes along with it, but Kassel makes him an interesting and relatable character, trying to do the right thing.

I enjoyed Dresden and Essie’s tale so much that I wanted to spend more time in Kassel’s version of our world, and so re-read 'Black Bird of the Gallows' immediately after. Both books are worth investing time in.

'Keeper of the Bees' will be available on September 4, 2018.

I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book.  All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s.  #KeeperOfTheBees #NetGalley

'Fated' - Book Eight of The Talented Saga by Sophie Davis

The Talented Saga

Fated: Book Eight

By: Sophie Davis

Release Date: July 29th, 2018

Genre: YA Dystopian Romance

Back Cover Copy:

The Epic Conclusion to the Internationally Bestselling Dystopian Romance Series. With over Half a Million worldwide downloads and Twenty Million pages read in Kindle Unlimited, readers are raving about the Talented Saga: "X-Men meets Divergent in a new way." "Intoxicatingly good."

 Talia and Erik thought defeating TOXIC was enough. They were very wrong. With enemies approaching from every direction, they’re fighting for the existence of their species. Not all will survive.

Buy Link:

Available exclusively on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited

Amazon Universal Link

Author Bio:

"Sophie Davis" is the pseudonym for two best friends, roommates, and now writing partners. The pair met at Penn State Dickinson School of Law in 2005 and instantly bonded over their love of great-books and bad horror movies. After they graduated, when one longed for the ability to read minds so she wouldn't have to study for the bar exam, a Saga was born. When the Talented Saga went on to be an internationally bestselling series, the girls decided to throw caution to the wind and follow their shared life-long dream of being writers.

The duo currently is on the road touring US cities with a poodle and a rescued pup. The pups are their faithful companions—with frequent social media appearances—as the girls navigate the world of Indie Publishing.

Author Links:

Instagram: @seesophiewrite

Twitter: @SeeSophiesWrite

Facebook Author Page

Facebook Insiders

Website

‘Seventh Born’ (The Witchling Academy #1) by Monica Sanz

5 enchanting stars!

Book Blurb:

“Abomination. Curse. Murderer. All names hurled at eighteen-year-old Seraphina Dovetail. As the seventh-born daughter to a witch, she's the cause of her mother losing her powers and, in turn, her life.

Abandoned as a child, Sera dreams of becoming an inspector and finding her family. To do that, she must be referred into the Advanced Studies Program at the Aetherium's Witchling Academy. Her birth order, quick temper, and tendency to set things on fire, however, have left her an outcast with failing marks…and just what Professor Nikolai Barrington is looking for.

The tall, brooding, yet exceedingly handsome young professor makes her a proposition: become his assistant and he'll give her the referral she needs. Sera is quickly thrust into a world where witches are being kidnapped, bodies are raised from the dead, and someone is burning seventhborns alive. As Sera and Barrington grow ever closer, she'll discover that some secrets are best left buried…and fire isn't the only thing that makes a witch burn.”

Review:

I adored this charming clean YA magical novel and cannot wait for the next book in this series! When we meet Seraphina, she is justifiably wild and easy to set off, as she is unfairly targeted and bullied due to her birth order. She is a likable and relatable character with aspirations, goals, and amazing strength of character.

Professor Barrington manages to be absolutely charming at all times, even when he’s a bit infuriating. As Seraphina learns more about him while working together, she grows to trust him and understand his motives. Barrington is the epitome of a ‘historical romance’ gentleman; gentle and kind, but efficient, effective, and capable of anything to protect those he cares about.

‘Seventh Born’ had elements that reminded me of Harry Potter, which is a good thing. Author Monica Sanz introduces a new system of magic, including magic school for teenagers and advanced education for specific careers in the magical community.

I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book.  All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s. #SeventhBorn #NetGalley

‘Seventh Born’ will be available on September 4, 2018. 

‘The Cursebreaker Countess’ by Sasha L. Miller

4.5 enchanting stars

Book Blurb:

“Kas is a wanderer, exploring the country and keeping out of the reach of her stepfather's plots to marry her off and steal her fortune. When she stumbles across a field of towers one stormy night, she promptly takes shelter in the sturdiest-looking of the bunch, only to find a woman trapped in a bespelled sleep.

Breaking the curse takes seconds, but dealing with the aftermath may force Kas to return to the home she's been avoiding—and right into the sights of the mage who cursed the princess sleeping in the tower...”

Review:

‘The Cursebreaker Countess’ is a stand-alone fairy-tale type fantasy with hints of steampunk. Please note that this is not a Sleeping Beauty retelling with two ladies, as I originally thought. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised by this clean YA fantasy.

Our story begins when Kas stumbles upon Princess Anika’s tower in the middle of a storm. After awakening the sleeping princess, they travel to the palace to ascertain how best to deal with the problem of magic growing weaker and weaker over the years. It seems someone wanted the princess out of the way due to her proficiency with magic, in order to subdue and control magic in the kingdom.

Become enchanted with ‘The Cursebreaker Countess’ on August 15, 2018.

This series is LGBTQ+ friendly historical fiction, with themes of equality vs abuse of power, and a hint of steampunk.

I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book.  All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s.  #TheCursebreakerCountess #NetGalley

‘The Hysterical City’ (The Gold and Gaslight Chronicles #3) by Andrea Berthot

4.5 stars

The third and final entry in this series of related stand-alone Gold and Gaslight Chronicles from talented historical fiction author Andrea Berthot.

Book Blurb:

“After surviving the deadly scandal at Tom Casey’s Broadway theatre, Bonnie Campbell jumps at the chance to accompany Cambrian Branch to his new film studio in Paris. She doesn’t particularly enjoy swooning and making ridiculous faces for the camera, but she hopes the City of Light will help her find her own illumination. She is determined to escape the past, gain her independence, and - most of all - never be trapped or controlled by a man again.

At first, Paris is a dream come true. Bonnie finds a progressive, like-minded friend in Laura Sayer, and a handsome, entrancing mystery in Laura’s twin brother, Leslie. When Bonnie discovers her own talent for directing, the three of them - along with a fierce, proud actress named Marie - team up to create new, daring films that electrify Paris.

But, the city isn’t without its dangers. Laura’s uncle, a doctor at the famous Salpêtrière insane asylum, is obsessed with curing hysteria and believes Tom Casey’s hypnosis victims could provide the answers. Bonnie fears if he uncovers her past she’ll be imprisoned once more, and the city’s growing hysteria over her films only sharpens the doctor’s obsession and focus on her. Meanwhile, the film studio has been beset by sudden, strange disappearances, and Bonnie is worried she or one of her friends could be the next victim.

Both fans of The Gold and Gaslight Chronicles and new readers alike will enjoy this stand-alone/final chapter in which Bonnie and her friends from London, New York, and Paris struggle to find themselves, find love, and finally end the destructive legacy of Dr. Jekyll.

The City of Light might be hiding the darkest, most dangerous secret of all.”

Review:

Similar in tone to the rest of the series, in this third stand-alone novel, we follow a minor character from the second book – Bonnie – as she travels with Cambrian Branch to Paris to work on films. Cambrian’s presence in this book, along with appearances by several other characters from the series’ earlier books helps to recreate the atmosphere I so loved in ‘The Heartless City’.

Paris does wonders for Bonnie; she discovers her natural talent for directing, proves to herself just how strong she is and how much she has grown from her experience in New York, and she falls in with some really great forward-thinking people. Her path to romance with Laura’s twin brother, Leslie, is tons of fun; as the pair start off on the wrong foot.

The Gold and Gaslight Chronicles conclusion, ‘The Hysterical City’ will be available on July 31, 2018.

This series is LGBTQ+ friendly historical fiction, with themes of equality vs abuse of power, and a hint of steampunk.

I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book.  All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s. 

‘The Hypnotic City’ (The Gold and Gaslight Chronicles #2) by Andrea Berthot

4 stars

Book Blurb:

“Philomena Blackwell survived a city plagued with monsters, the gilded cage of high society, and the rule of a heartless man... and she aims to leave it all behind.

It's 1905, and London has finally been freed from Henry Jekyll's terrible legacy - its people cured, its thirteen-year quarantine lifted. The world is waiting, and for a girl who dreams of being its most dazzling star, what could be more enticing than the bright lights of New York City?

She is drawn across the ocean like a moth to a flame, her heart set on proving that while she may be small on the outside, her soaring talent eclipses even Manhattan’s towering skyline. When she lands a big break, it seems as if the city is ready to fall under her spell - just as she seems to be falling for a handsome young stage manager. But is it her stage presence mesmerizing the audience, or something more sinister behind the scenes?

Philomena has always relied on her fierce will and fiery heart, but a new and more terrible danger lurks in the shadows of Broadway's bright lights, and even a mind as determined as hers may not be immune to its seductive, insidious pull...

Both fans of The Heartless City and new readers alike will enjoy this stand-alone / spin-off tale of Philomena’s adventures on stage - and in love - in NYC.”

Review:

A well-written follow-up of sorts to ‘The Heartless City,’ which follows one of the minor characters established in the first book. As these are stand-alone books set in the same universe, with some of the same characters, the Jekyll and Hyde mystery was wrapped up nicely in book 1.

‘The Hypnotic City’ follows young Philomena Blackwell in the hypnotic city of New York on the other side of the pond. While this is an enjoyable work of historical fiction, the supernatural elements found in the first book are not present here. Similarly, the atmosphere is different, due to both a change in setting and a change in narrating characters. The adorable English boys with impeccable manners and morals are seen on scant few pages of this second entry in Gold and Gaslight Chronicles.

Catch up on both ‘The Heartless City’ and ‘The Hypnotic City’ in preparation for the series conclusion, ‘The Hysterical City’ releasing on July 31st!

This series is LGBTQ+ friendly historical fiction, with themes of equality vs abuse of power, and a hint of steampunk.

I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book.  All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s.

‘The Heartless City’ (The Gold and Gaslight Chronicles #1) by Andrea Berthot

5 stars!

Book Blurb:

“Henry Jekyll was a brilliant doctor, a passionate idealist who aimed to free mankind of selfishness and vice. He’s also the man who carelessly created a race of monsters.

Once shared secretly among the good doctor's inner circle, the Hyde drug was smuggled into mass-production - but in pill form, it corrupted its users at the genetic level, leaving them liable to transform without warning. A quarter of the population are now clandestine killers – ticking bombs that could detonate at any given moment.

It's 1903, and London has been quarantined for thirteen years.

Son of the city's most prominent physician and cure-seeker, seventeen-year-old Elliot Morrissey has had his own devastating brush with science, downing a potion meant to remove his human weaknesses and strengthen him against the Hydes - and finding instead he's become an empath, leveled by the emotions of a dying city.

He finds an unlikely ally in Iris Faye, a waitress at one of the city's rowdier music halls, whose emotions nearly blind him; her fearlessness is a beacon in a city rife with terror. Iris, however, is more than what she seems, and reveals a mission to bring down the establishment that has crippled the people of London.

Together, they aim to discover who's really pulling the strings in Jekyll's wake, and why citizens are waking up in the street infected, with no memory of ever having taken the Hyde drug...

Heart-eating monsters, it turns out, are not the greatest evil they must face.”

Review:

Author Andrea Berthot has skillfully crafted her own spin of the Jekyll and Hyde story we all thought we knew so well. This clean YA historical fiction is masterfully written and a blast to read.

Main characters Elliot and Iris share the narration, granting readers behind-the-scenes access to all their feelings and motives, and also the feelings of every character Elliot interacts with. Though he is often puzzled as to the reasons behind others’ feelings, Elliot consistently tries to do what is right.

While the slow burn romance between Elliot and Iris is lovely to follow, my favorite thing about this novel is the proper English young gentlemen; their impeccable manners and morals and sense of humor and witty banter.

Catch up on both ‘The Heartless City' and ‘The Hypnotic City’ in preparation for the series conclusion, ‘The Hysterical City’ releasing on July 31st!

This series is LGBTQ+ friendly historical fiction, with themes of equality vs abuse of power, and a hint of steampunk.

I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book.  All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s.