ARC REVIEW: Almost Impossible by Nicole Wlliams

Title: Almost Impossible
Author: Nicole Williams
Publication Date: June 19th 2018
Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers
Part of a Series?: No, A Standalone
I Got A Copy Through: PRH International (THANK YOU!)
Buy Links: Amazon || Barnes and Noble || Wordery || Books A Million || Chapters Indigo || Google Books

Blurb Description: Fans of Sarah Dessen, Stephanie Perkins, and Jenny Han will delight as the fireworks spark and the secrets fly in this delicious summer romance from a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author.
When Jade decided to spend the summer with her aunt in California, she thought she knew what she was getting into. But nothing could have prepared her for Quentin. Jade hasn't been in suburbia long and even she knows her annoying (and annoyingly cute) next-door neighbor spells T-R-O-U-B-L-E. 
And when Quentin learns Jade plans to spend her first American summer hiding out reading books, he refuses to be ignored. Sneaking out, staying up, and even a midnight swim, Quentin is determined to give Jade days--and nights--worth remembering.
But despite their storybook-perfect romance, every time Jade moves closer, Quentin pulls away. And when rumors of a jilted ex-girlfriend come to light, Jade knows Quentin is hiding a secret--and she's determined to find out what it is.

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS

I love reading the occasional feel good high school contemporary romance. They’re easy to get through, fun, cute and well, they’re this kind of silly pleasure I indulge in once in a while. 

Almost Impossible started off rather slowly. I struggled to connect with Jade and the kind of live she lived. It was just this description of things that she had experienced, but there were no real emotions behind anything, even with things like ‘Oh, I’ve travelled the world,’ and ‘My mom is in a world famous brand.’ 

Jade also wanted to spend a summer as a normal teenager with family, but family was barely involved in the story. She wanted to know the rules, but then when her aunt and uncle imposed restrictions on her, she was annoyed that they thought they could. I guess I didn’t really like her much, or even understand her. She didn’t seem overly invested in anything – her job, family or anything at all, except her OWN spur of the moment decisions. 

I also figured out the biggest twist in this book very early. In fact, the first time I met a certain someone, I pretty much knew.

It was the thing I liked the most about this book, in fact. I loved that, for ONCE, we saw a teenage boy who was responsible enough, and cared enough to stick around and be a parent. I loved that he was worried for her, and he was trying whatever he could to make things work. 

Honestly, I didn’t like Quentin and Jade as much as I liked the representation of a teenage father. I wish there was more to Jade's story than just Quentin (because, let’s be honest, that’s all it really was) like her family, her mom and even her co-worker friend and just MORE ABOUT JADE AS A PERSON, FEELING THINGS. 

3 stars.

I'm a wife, a mom, a writer. I started writing because I loved it and I'm still writing because I love it. I write romance because I still believe in true love, kindred spirits, and happy endings. 

Nicole loves hearing from her readers. You can connect with her on:

Facebook: Author Nicole Williams
Instagram: author_nicole_williams
Twitter: nwilliamsbooks

Have you read Almost Impossible? What did you think of it?

What are some high-school// summer romances that make your FAVOURITES list?

I'd love to hear from you!

 

A Book I Struggled to Connect With // ARC REVEW: The Smoke Thieves by Sally Green

Title: The Smoke Thieves (The Smoke Thieves #1)
Author: Sally Green
Publication Date: May 3rd 2018
Publisher: Penguin Books UK
Part of a Series?: Yes, Book 1 on 3 of the Smoke Thieves series
I Got A Copy Through: Penguin India (THANK YOU!)
Buy Links: Amazon IN || Barnes and Noble || Wordery ||  Foyles || Waterstones || WHSmith || Chapters Indigo || Google Books

Blurb Description: A princess, a traitor, a hunter and a thief. Four teenagers with the fate of the world in their hands. Four nations destined for conflict. 
In Brigant, Princess Catherine prepares for a loveless political marriage arranged by her brutal and ambitious father. In Calidor, downtrodden servant March seeks revenge on the prince who betrayed his people. In Pitoria, feckless Edyon steals cheap baubles for cheaper thrills as he drifts from town to town. And in the barren northern territories, thirteen-year-old Tash is running for her life as she plays bait for the gruff demon hunter Gravell.
As alliances shift and shatter, and old certainties are overturned, our four heroes find their past lives transformed and their futures inextricably linked by the unpredictable tides of magic and war. Who will rise and who will fall? And who will claim the ultimate prize?

Actual Rating: 2.75 Stars

Game of Thrones meets a Leigh Bardugo book? YES, PLEASE.

I HAD HIGH HOPES GOING INTO THIS BOOK. I absolutely loved Sally Green’s Half Bad and her gorgeous writing style and this new book (and series) sounded EVEN BETTER.

In retrospect, perhaps I expected TOO MUCH from this book because when I actually read The Smoke Thieves, I struggled to connect with the characters, the plot, the pace or really, anything at all.

I mean, it was a mediocre sort of fantasy that I had no real problems with, except for the fact that it BORED ME? There was absolutely nothing I was really invested in, no villain I really feared, no character whose growth felt substantial or real to me and when I look at this book, ALL I FEEL IS DISAPPOINTMENT that it promised so much and delivered so little.

Let’s break it down:

1.       THIS WAS A 500+ PAGE BOOK WITH FIVE VIEWPOINTS. In other words, this book was LONG and then even longer and well, NOTHING HAPPENED. The book promised political machinations but THERE REALLY WERE NONE.

2.       I absolutely HATED Brigant and their backwards views on women (think along the lines of ‘it’s required of a man to discipline his woman with all kinds of punishments INCLUDING physical violence, starvation and locking woman in a box.’) EVEN THOUGH this story line is probably leading up to a feminist revolution by the Princess of that country, READING SOMETHING LIKE THAT MAKES ME SO MAD.

3.       I DO QUITE LOVE the UK cover for this book – it’s so simple and intriguing and I quite like looking at it.

4.       I also liked each of the main characters a certain amount, but I had no real favourite and also, I wouldn’t really mourn anyone if something happened to them.

5.       I felt like all the secondary character deaths that happened were brushed over SO SO FAST. There was no emotion wafting out of the book, and their fictional killings, from a plot/ writer’s angle felt so methodical instead of necessary to the plot. I didn’t care about the five protagonists, much less the SECONDARY characters, and their deaths meant very little to me, nor were they written very well.

6.       THE ROMANCE WAS NOT WELL DONE AT ALL. There was ABSOLUTELY NO CHEMISTRY and NO SUBSTANCE and I did not ship Catherine and Ambrose.

7.       I really liked the premise of demon smoke, but I feel like for a series titles The Smoke Thieves, we should have seen more of the actual smoke. I love what we learnt about the smoke, and I am excited to see where it might go, but not 100% sure that I'll pick it up to read.

In conclusion, I probably expected too much from this book, but it also DEFINITELY could have better paced and filled with more twists and turns. I’m not 100% sure if I’ll read the sequel. 2.75 stars.

I'm Sally Green. I'm the author of the real-world/ fantasy Half Bad Trilogy, which is made up of Half Bad, Half Wild and Half Lost. Most people read them in that order but there's always a few who don't. Many people who read them are teenagers but there's a lot who aren't.

I'm currently working on a new series called The Smoke Thieves, which is due to be published in spring 2018 and is definitely fantasy (there will be a map). 
I said I'd never write another trilogy after Half Bad but it seems I lied.
I live in a village in north-west England.

There's some stuff about the Half Bad trilogy at www.halfbadworld.com. 
Follow me on twitter@sa11eGreen 

What are some of the prettiest book covers you've seen this year?

What are some of your most anticipated fantasy novels of the year?

I'd love to chat with you!

 

Witty, Sharp and Sassy - I NEED MORE // REVIEW: Swear You Won't Tell? by Vedashree Khambete Sharma

Title: Swear You Won't Tell?
Author: Vedashree Khambete Sharma
Publication Date: March 25th 2018
Publisher: Harper Collins India
Part of a Series?: No, A Standalone
I Got A Copy Through: Harper Collins India (THANK YOU!)
Buy Links: Amazon IN || Flipkart || Infibeam || Google Books

Blurb Description: When Mumbai Daily journalist Avantika Pandit is asked to interview her childhood nemesis Aisha Juneja, she knows it'll like an express bikini wax - painful, but quick. Then Laxmi, her former best friend, shows up dead. And suddenly Avantika finds herself turning into the reporter she used to be - a nosy little newshound with the self-preservation instincts of a dodo. Now, she has to meet old acquaintances she'd hoped never to run into again, try to unravel the puzzle of Laxmi's death, and ask the questions nobody seems to be asking: Who is the man Laxmi was in love with? Why hasn't anybody heard of him? What does he have to do with her death? The answers could get her killed. But if the choice is between churning out listicles on handbags and death, dying might not be that bad after all. 

Actual Rating: 4.5 Stars

THINGS Swear You Won’t Tell? Contained:

-          A SASSY PROTAGONIST (Yes for sassy people)

-          Who also tackled Indian Society and the Patriarchy on so many fronts

-          And was also fearlessly trying to solve a murder-mystery

-          Some ADORABLE chemistry (and awkward moments)

-          A GENUINE male and female friendship (how do we not see more of this in books?)

-          DID I ALSO MENTION THAT THIS LADY’S HUMOUR AND SASS WAS ON POINT?

If you can’t already tell, I kind of LOVED this book.

When I first read about this book on a Harper Collins press release, I knew I had to get my hands on it somehow. I LOVE the murder mystery genre, but for some reason don’t read nearly enough as much as I’d like. Combine the genre with that beautiful cover and the praise it’s been getting, I knew it was a must read. I waited a matter of DAYS before picking it up from my TBR and diving in (*looks apologetically at the books that have been there since 2014*)

Swear You Won’t Tell was, in a nutshell, SUCH a fun book to read. Each time I picked it up, I simply did NOT want to put it down – it was THAT good. There was always something happening, I was rooting for the protagonist from the very first chapter, I let out laugh after laugh at her snarky disposition and her misfortune and honestly, this book made me CARE. I cared about the whodunit and the why and I wished Avantika Pandit got her happy(ish) ending. I cared about the secondary characters, what happened to Swati, about Avantika’s boss and even Ganesh, the Gandhian. (You HAVE to read this book!)

The only thing that I didn’t like – and the thing that’s stopping me from giving this book a five star rating is the flashback scenes to Avantika’s childhood. I felt like the writing suddenly turned a little awkward, and I just didn’t enjoy the scenes as much as I did with the present day ones.

All in all, Swear You Won’t Tell? Is a rambunctious, snarky witty little book with a true whodunit element that will leave you craving more. 4.5 stars.

Vedashree Khambete-Sharma is an award-winning copywriter in her mid-thirties. For the past twelve years, she has peddled everything from moisturisers to magazines, like some kind of a one-woman corner shop. 

She has contributed to several websites and blogs and is the author of the widely unrenowned novel There May Be An Asterisk Involved.

She lives in Mumbai with her husband, daughter and the niggling feeling that she should be writing more.

amazon.com/author/vedashreekhambete

What are some of your favourite murder mystery novels?

Whar are som eof your favourite novels with INDIAN characters/ by Indian Authors?

Which sassy literature character is your favourite?

 

ARC Review: Suitors and Sabotage by Cindy Anstey

Title: Suitors and Sabotage
Author: Cindy Antsey
Publication Date: April 17th 2018
Publisher: Swoon Reads (Macmillan)
Part of a Series?: No, A Standalone
I Got A Copy Through: Macmillan INTL (Thank You!)
Buy Links: Amazon US || Barnes and Noble || Wordery || Kobo || Books A Million || Chapters Indigo || Google Books

Blurb Description: Shy aspiring artist Imogene Chively has just had a successful Season in London, complete with a suitor of her father's approval. Imogene is ambivalent about the young gentleman until he comes to visit her at the Chively estate with his younger brother in tow. When her interest is piqued, however, it is for the wrong brother. 
Charming Ben Steeple has a secret: despite being an architectural apprentice, he has no drawing aptitude. When Imogene offers to teach him, Ben is soon smitten by the young lady he considers his brother's intended. 
But hiding their true feelings becomes the least of their problems when, after a series of "accidents," it becomes apparent that someone means Ben harm. And as their affection for each other grows—despite their efforts to remain just friends—so does the danger. . . 

 

Actual Rating 2.5 Stars

Over the last few months, I’ve been reading more romance books than ever before. I absolutely love awkward encounters, chemistry filled moments and the eventual realisation that the two protagonists have been in love all along.

I had HIGH hopes for Suitors and Sabotage, Cindy Anstey’s third book because of all the lovely reviews I’d seen trusted bloggers giving it, the GORGEOUS cover, and the premise in general.

Instead, what I found, was a rather silly book with absolutely no character growth that I forced myself to finish over the course of an ENTIRE week and, worst of all, a romance I didn’t even feel. All in all, it was not a book I enjoyed.

MY THOUGHTS:

1.       My initial problem, and one of the more jarring, was that I felt ABSOLUTELY 0% CHEMISTRY between our two forbidden lovers, Imogene and Ben. It was this Insta-love thing BUT dragged out over 250 pages, with the last 50 being your standard martyr nonsense. I SO BADLY WANTED TO FEEL THE ROMANCE between a headstrong artistic girl and an architect’s apprentice but I got nothing.

2.       Honestly, NONE of the characters in the book were well rounded. We heard nothing of their fears, anecdotes from their childhood or parental interaction and forgiveness or anything at all that made them seem more real. Instead, the only description// personality we got from them through the whole book, was EXACTLY what was in the back. I basically could have read the synopsis, instead of the whole book, because THERE WAS NOTHING BUT PINING AND WHINING ON THE INSIDE.

3.       So many of the plot points intended to harm Ben were so ridiculous, I skimmed through the pages everytime one happened. I especially did not understand the last two because WHAT EVEN? Bees? Muddy Water? Falling Roofs?

4.       Another thing I didn’t like was Emily and Imogene’s friendship. Not only was it THOROUGHLY UNEXPLORED and just there as an additional plot “problem” but also IMOGENE WAS SUCH AN UNSUPPORTIVE FRIEND (and jealous and petty) AND I HATED IT.

5.       Honestly, I wish this book had more SUBSTANCE, CHEMISTRY and PLOT and less ridiculous accidents and unsupportive friends and brothers.

I don’t know if I’ll pick up another Cindy Anstey book in the future, but I can say for sure that I wasn’t a fan of this one. 2.5 stars.

Whenever she is not sitting at the computer, throwing a ball in the backyard, gardening or reading, Cindy can be found--actually, not found--adventuring around the world with her hubby. 

She has lived on three continents, had a monkey in her yard and a scorpion under her sink, dwelt among castles and canals, enjoyed the jazz of Beale St and attempted to speak French. 

Cindy loves history, mystery and... a chocolate Labrador called Chester. Love, Lies and Spies is her debut novel.

What are some of your favourite romance novels?

I'm slowly getting into the genre, and I'd absolutely LOVE to get recommendations!

Thanks for reading until here <3

Adorable Modern Indian Romances // REVIEW: Love in Lutyens' Delhi by Amitabh Pandey

Title: Love In Lutyens' Delhi
Author: Amitabh Pandey
Publication Date: December 28th 2017
Publisher: Pan Macmillan India
Part of a Series?: No, A Standalone
I Got A Copy Through: PanMacmillan India (THANK YOU!)
Buy Links: Amazon IN || Snapdeal || Infibeam || Kobo || Google Books

Blurb Description: 'Akriti ‘Akku’ Patel and Sanjay ‘Sanju’ Saran become friends in kindergarten, lovers in college, and then hit the real world. With bureaucrats for parents, Sanju’s world is one of power, privilege and entitlement. Akku, on the other hand, is brought up by a single mother – a distinguished surgeon widowed very young – and an aunt who is a smart and sassy books editor with commitment problems.Sanju’s mind is in turmoil as he chooses to abandon his dreams and, like his parents, looks to the Civil Services for what he thinks will be a meaningful career. Meanwhile, Akku, armed with a BTech from IIT, is jetting off to a land of systems design and fun-loving computer geniuses.Can their love survive these growing differences? Or will the compulsions of Lutyens’ Delhi stand in the way of their togetherness?

I love best friend romances. I haven’t said it in a while, but they are my Achilles’ heel of all tropes in contemporary books.

Which is why, when I received an unsolicited copy of Love in Lutyens’ Delhi from Pan Macmillan India, I knew I would DEFINITELY be diving into it. On top of the storyline, this book has SUCH a pretty cover and I’ve fallen in love with it (EEEK!)

I have two exams tomorrow, and submissions as well and yet, I dove into this book today and finished it in little over an hour. It was a cute, different book that really highlighted modern Indian culture and the lives Millenials live. There were a few things I didn’t like as well, so let’s get into that:

THINGS I LIKED:

1.       THE DIFFERENT LOVE STORIES: When I read the synopsis of this book, I honestly expected it to revolve around JUST the two protagonists and their love story, but what I got was a look into Akriti’s (the female protagonist’s) aunt’s and mother’s ULTRA ADORABLE love stories as well, and I absolutely loved their sisterhood, their co-parenting and their romantic lives.

2.       THE ALTERNATING VIEW POINTS: I really liked the way this book was told – through emails, narration and also alternating viewpoints. It really showed you the lives of four different characters at different parts in their lives and I LOVED READING IT ALL.

3.       THE COVER AND THE PLOT: Like I said before, HOW PRETTY IS THIS COVER? It’s simple and yet so cheerful and I LOVE IT. I also love the very idea behind the plot – three love stories from a mother, daughter and aunt. Each is truly a different person and you get a whole backstory for each of them and it was SUCH fun to read.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

1.       THE STRUCTURE // NON LINEAR TIMELINE: This didn’t bother me that much because the book was SO SMALL, but the structure of the book was non-linear, flipping from past to present and fast-forwarding without any warning and it threw me off a little. I don’t mind non-linear books AT ALL, but I do like timelines put into them such as “23 years ago” or something like that.

2.       THE SIZE: Heard the phrase, ‘I like big books and I cannot lie?’ WELL, THAT IS ME WITH THIS BOOK. I finished this book in a little over an HOUR and while I liked the characters and the plot and the love interests, by the time I closed the book, I WAS CRAVING MORE because I felt like the book had just started and it was already over. I NEEDED THIS BOOK TO BE BIGGER.

So. That’s it. If you’re looking for an adorable Indian romance that also happens to be a quick read, make sure to get your hands on Love on Lutyens’ Delhi. The love stories are ADORABLE and REALISTIC and filled with problems all of us face as millennials and I LOVED IT. 4 stars. 

Amitabh Pandey studied Economics at St. Stephen’s College, and the Delhi School of Economics, Delhi University. He taught Economics at an undergraduate college of Delhi University and then joined the Indian Railways where he worked for twenty-four years, during the course of which he conceptualized, implemented and managed the Railways online ticket reservation system (http://irctc.co.in) at the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation. In 2007, Amitabh shifted to the private sector and spent five years building business software. Amitabh now lives in Noida. His first book, Himalayan White, was published by HarperCollins India (2016).

What are some of your favourite romantic books?
Who are some of your favourite Indian Fictional Characters?
I'd love to hear from you!

 

A Whirlwind Start to a Space Saga // REVIEW: Zenith by Sasha Alsberg and Lindsay Cummings

Title: Zenith (The Androma Saga #1)
Author: Sasha Alsberg and Lindsay Cummings
Publication Date: January 12th 2018
Publisher: HQ Young Adult
Part of a Series?: Yes, Book 1/2 of the Androma Saga
I Got A Copy Through: Harper Collins India (THANK YOU!)
Buy Links: Amazon IN || Barnes and Noble || The Book Depository || Wordery || Infibeam || Foyles || Waterstones || WHSmith || Kobo || Books A Million || Chapters Indigo || Google Books

Blurb Description: Most know Androma Racella as the Bloody Baroness, a powerful mercenary whose reign of terror stretches across the Mirabel Galaxy. To those aboard her glass starship, Marauder, however, she's just Andi, their friend and fearless leader.
But when a routine mission goes awry, the Marauder's all-girl crew is tested as they find themselves in a treacherous situation and at the mercy of a sadistic bounty hunter from Andi's past.
Meanwhile, across the galaxy, a ruthless ruler waits in the shadows of the planet Xen Ptera, biding her time to exact revenge for the destruction of her people. The pieces of her deadly plan are about to fall into place, unleashing a plot that will tear Mirabel in two.
Andi and her crew embark on a dangerous, soul-testing journey that could restore order to their shipor just as easily start a war that will devour worlds. As the Marauder hurtles toward the unknown, and Mirabel hangs in the balance, the only certainty is that in a galaxy run on lies and illusion, no one can be trusted

If you don’t know it already, I LOVE BOOKS SET IN SPACE. I love spaceships, the inventions, the villains – EVERYTHING. Which is why, the minute I heard about Zenith, I knew it was a book I would be diving into.

Within less than a week of having it on my TBR, I reached for this book, unable to keep myself from the adventure in space it no doubt held for me. Before I dive into my thoughts on Zenith, I’d like to thank the lovely folks over at Harper Collins India for sending me an ARC of this book.

MY THOUGHTS:

1.       An all-girl criminal space crew called the Mauraders trapped in a dangerous mission where all the things they’ve been running from come out to play? THIS SYNOPSIS EXCITED ME SO MUCH. I was so eager to meet Androma Racella and the rest of her crew.

2.       Unlike the resistance I feel with most Sci-Fi and fantasy books, I managed to slip right into Zenith’s world, and all of the Mirabel Galaxy. I did find a little hard to picture where each solar system was in the galaxy without a map in my ARC but I got used to it quite quickly.

3.       I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THAT THIS BOOK WAS TOLD FROM SO MANY VIEWPOINTS. I definitely would have enjoyed it less if it had been told just from Androma’s viewpoint because this book had so many different and interesting characters like Dex, Lira, Nor and Valen and reading through their points of view really let me get to know them.

 

4.       While the book started off REALLY well, it sort of lagged in the middle. I couldn’t help but shake the feeling that the story was dragging and that there were a lot of scenes that could have been cut away from this book. I wish it had been MORE action filled like Nyxia or The Illuminae Files.

5.       THE ENDING OF THIS BOOK, AND A CERTAIN TWIST THAT WAS REVEALED WAS MIND BLOWING. I don’t think I’ve fully processed what it all meant and what the very last scene means for the Galaxy as a whole but I LOVED THE ENDING. It was what I expected the whole book to be paced like.

6.       While I liked all the characters, I didn’t connect with any one of them SPECIFICALLY. They were all nice and I liked the unravelling of their past, there was nobody that I felt that certain kinship with, and I hope that changes with book two.

A WONDERFUL start to a saga set in space, and I can’t wait to see where this series takes me next. 4 stars.

Lindsay Cummings is the #1 NYT Bestselling co-author of ZENITH, along with her duology, THE MURDER COMPLEX from Greenwillow Books/HarperCollins, and the MG trilogy THE BALANCE KEEPERS, from Katherine Tegen Books/HarperCollins. She is represented by Pete Knapp at Park Literary in NYC.

Lindsay deals with chronic fatigue, writes full time from her home in the deep woods in North Texas, and loves to chat with fellow book nerds. Lindsay created the #booknerdigans hashtag.

She's still waiting on her letter from Hogwarts--it was probably just lost in the mail. You can follow Lindsay on twitter @authorlindsayc or on instagram @authorlindsaycummings

Sasha Alsberg is the #1 NYT Bestselling Co-Author of ZENITH: The Androma Saga.

When Sasha is not writing or obsessing over Scotland she is making YouTube videos on her channel Abookutopia. She lives in Northern Texas with her dog, Fraser.

​

For her writing, she is represented by Joanna Volpe at New Leaf Literary and is represented on YouTube by Brian Lieberman at Studio71. 

Have you read Zenith? What did you think of it?

What are some of your favourite books set in space? Are you a fan of the genre?

I would love to hear from you!

 

It's EVERYTHING You Never Knew You Needed // ARC Review: Daughter of the Siren Queen by Tricia Levenseller

Title: Daughter of the Siren Queen
Author: Tricia Levenseller
Publication Date: February 27th 2018
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends (Macmillan)
Part of a Series?: Yes, Book 2/2 of the Daughter of the Pirate Kind Duology
I Got A Copy Through: Macmillan Intl (Thank You!)
Buy Links: Amazon US || Barnes and Noble || The Book Depository || Wordery || Kobo || Books A Million || Chapters Indigo || Google Books

Blurb Description: Alosa's mission is finally complete. Not only has she recovered all three pieces of the map to a legendary hidden treasure, but the pirates who originally took her captive are now prisoners on her ship. Still unfairly attractive and unexpectedly loyal, first mate Riden is a constant distraction, but now he's under her orders. And she takes great comfort in knowing that the villainous Vordan will soon be facing her father's justice.
When Vordan exposes a secret her father has kept for years, Alosa and her crew find themselves in a deadly race with the feared Pirate King. Despite the danger, Alosa knows they will recover the treasure first . . . after all, she is the daughter of the Siren Queen. 

Read my review on Book One, Daughter of the Pirate King here 

Actual Rating 4.5 Stars

The minute I saw an ARC of Daughter of the Siren Queen in a parcel from Macmillan International, I SCREAMED. I read Daughter of the Pirate King, the prequel and Tricia Levenseller’s debut a few months ago and ever since then, I’d been ITCHING to get my hands on this book.

Despite the fact that I had so many pending ARCs and finished copies to review, I couldn’t help the itch to reach out and read this BEAUTIFUL book and within a week or two of receiving it, I caved.

Daughter of the Siren Queen was a BRILLIANT book filled with pirates, love, family, betrayals, battles, twists, mythical creatures, chemistry and FEMINISM. It was the perfect combination of everything good in the fantasy world and I loved every second of being immersed in this book.

In fact, I NEED MORE BOOKS WITH ALOSA AND RIDEN AND THE AVA-LEE AND EVERYONE ONE IT because HOLY CRAP THEY ARE ALL SUCH AMAZING CHARACTERS AND DESERVE MORE STORIES.

My Thoughts:

1.       While the prequel, Daughter of the Pirate King, took me by surprise with how good it was, I pretty much EXPECTED it from Daughter of the Siren Queen. I expected it to be great, and this book lived up to my expectations.

2.       Like the first book, this story is mostly told on sea, aboard a pirate ship but this one is different because Alosa is no longer a prisoner and is back on her own ship. Most of her crew is made up of badass female pirates and I loved getting to know them especially Mandsy, Nirida and Sorinda.

3.       THE ALOSA AND RIDEN SCENES IN THIS BOOK ARE LIFE. I absolutely loved how he tried to understand her as a half siren, and how she tried to deal with what she felt for him and why he kept her human. Their character development in this book was stunning, just like all their illicit kisses and arguments.

4.       Apart from her journey with Riden, Alosa made HUGE strides as both a Siren and a daughter in this book and how Tricia Levenseller made it all come to life was brilliant. I loved the way her mind worked, her Slytherin attitude, her fearlessness and her loyalty. I will truly miss reading from her perspective.

5.       While this book was GREAT, it somehow just missed the magic that made Daughter of the Pirate King one of my favourite 2017 reads. I don’t know if it was the fact that there were so many new characters, or the fact that I was expecting it to be brilliant, but this book ranks second to its prequel.

Would I recommend this series? HELL YES.

Daughter of the Siren Queen filled with feminism, sirens, magic, pirates, friendship, treasure and chemistry filled banter and IT’S EVERYTHING YOU NEVER KNEW YOU NEEDED IN YOUR LIVES. 4.5 Stars.

Tricia Levenseller writes historical fantasies for young adult readers. Her debut, DAUGHTER OF THE PIRATE KING, released earlier this year from Feiwel and Friends, an imprint of Macmillan Publishers.

Initially from a small town in Oregon, Tricia now lives next to the Rocky Mountains with her bossy dog, Rosy. She received her degree in English Language and editing and is thrilled that she never has to read a textbook again. When she’s not writing or reading, Tricia enjoys putting together jigsaw puzzles, playing volleyball, and watching shows while eating extra-buttered popcorn.

Have you had a chance to dive into this series?! WHAT DO YOU THINK OF IT?

What are some of your favourite YA Feminist Fantasy Novels? PLEASE DO GIVE ME RECOMMENDATIONS BELOW!