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Showing posts from February, 2017

The Valiant by Lesley Livingston: A Book Review

The Valiant Author: Lesley Livingston Genre: Young Adult, Historical Fantasy Publisher: Razorbill Release Date: February 14, 2017 Pages: 381 Source: Edelweiss/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: Princess. Captive. Gladiator. Always a Warrior.       Fallon is the daughter of a proud Celtic king and the younger sister of the legendary fighter Sorcha. When Fallon was just a child, Sorcha was killed by the armies of Julius Caesar.       On the eve of her seventeenth birthday, Fallon is excited to follow in her sister's footsteps and earn her place in her father's war band. She never gets the chance.      Fallon is captured and sold to an elite training school for female gladiators—owned by none other than Julius Caesar himself. In a cruel twist of fate, the man who destroyed Fallon’s family might be her only hope of survival.       Now, Fallon must overcome vicious rivalries, deadly fights in and out of the arena, and perhaps the most dangerous thre

A Crown of Wishes by Roshani Chokshi: A Book Review

A Crown of Wishes Author: Roshani Chokshi Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffith Release Date: March 28, 2017 Pages: 352 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: Gauri, the princess of Bharata, has been taken as a prisoner of war by her kingdom’s enemies. Faced with a future of exile and scorn, Gauri has nothing left to lose. Hope unexpectedly comes in the form of Vikram, the cunning prince of a neighboring land and her sworn enemy kingdom. Unsatisfied with becoming a mere puppet king, Vikram offers Gauri a chance to win back her kingdom in exchange for her battle prowess. Together, they’ll have to set aside their differences and team up to win the Tournament of Wishes—a competition held in a mythical city where the Lord of Wealth promises a wish to the victor.      Reaching the tournament is just the beginning. Once they arrive, danger takes on new shapes: poisonous courtesans and mischievous story birds, a feast of fears and twi

Dead White: A Della Arthur 1940s Murder Mystery by Gwen Parrott: A Book Review

Dead White: A Della Arthur 1940s Murder Mystery Author: Gwen Parrott Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery Publisher: Corazon Crime Release Date: 2015 Pages: 214 Source: This book was given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: In a 1940s Welsh village a school teacher stumbles across two dead bodies, and the secrets and lies of a close-knit community.       During the harsh winter of 1947, Della Arthur arrives at a remote Pembrokeshire village in the middle of a snowstorm to take up her new job as headteacher of the local primary school. Losing her way from the train station, she comes across a farmhouse and takes shelter there. After finding two dead bodies inside, Della struggles to discover the truth behind their deaths. She soon realises that in this close-knit community, secrets and lies lurk beneath the surface of respectability.      Della must choose who to trust among the inhabitants of this remote village – should she reveal what she k