Review: How to Hang a Witch by Adriana Mather

How to Hang a Witch is the about a young descendent of Cotton Mather. Everything she thinks she knows about her family and magic is wrong. Witches are real and things

So, I really love a book that mixes actual historical events/places with fantasy. The combination just gets me and that is exactly what you are going to get with this book. Adriana Mather is an actual descendant if Cotton Mather (Of the Salem Witch Trials) and she sure did do her research in order to include as much authenticity into this story as possible. That, plus some ghosts and witchcraft made this a delightful read that I just didn't want to put down. Plus what is all that without the hinting of a love triangle. This is one that I am sure, if I ever get to the bottom of my TBR pile, I would read again. I hear Adriana is writing a sequel (?) but that it is going to be on a different topic. I'm not sure about that exactly, but after this book I'm willing to give whatever she decides to write a try.

Review: The Infinty of You & Me by J.Q. Coyle

So, this was an interesting book and I don't know any other way to describe it, This was outside of my usual genre (sort of). I really have never read a book quite like this. It had a different sort of vibe than other books that I cant quite explain. I think you would have to read it to understand. The story is of a girl that basically thinks she's crazy because of these episodes she has where she hallucinates that she is someone else in different locations doing dangerous things with her father, who left when she was a child. Eventually she finds out she is not crazy or hallucinating, but instead traveling to other infinite alternate universes into the conscience of different versions of herself. She has to find a way to save her father and save another world without being taken by people that want to stop her and find ways to exploit her gift. It was a really fascinating good read. I only rated it a 3 because for some reason it gave me weird vibes.

Review: Heartstone byElle Katherine White

I'm actually giving this book a 3 1/2-4 star rating but only because it took some work on my part to get through it, even though I really did like it. This is a Pride and Prejudice retelling (with dragons!). I couldn't help but imagine the movie characters as I was reading it for a mental picture. The end was heartbreaking but beautiful and left me with the same mushy heart pain as Pride and Prejudice. If you like that and you like fantasy then this is a great combo. The author stuck mostly to similar concepts as the original, changing the details to fit the genre. The characters names we variations or plays on the characters from Pride and Prejudice. Overall it was a very enjoyable book and gave me the same feels as P&P. I honestly don't know why I was dragging my feet to get through this. Maybe I was just in a bit of a slump. 

Review: Chasing the Green Fairy (Book 2 of The Airship Racing Chronicles) by Melanie Karsak

I think I like this one even better than the first one.  These two books were my first attempts at steampunk novels. If these were a representation of what steampunk books are like then I'm in! This is another tale of the adventures of Lily Stargazer. Something I liked about this book was that it was less of a sequel and more of another installment about the same character. I mostly read series because I get attached to characters but the unfortunate side effect is the cliffhangers. These books could almost be stand alone's about the same character.  I like that.  Moving on.
Lily Stargazer is a unique girl for her time,  even given the fact that it's a steampunk novel.  She is a sassy Airship jockey in a time where the profession is dominated by men.  I love this character. The author has made a strong female heroine that is sort of polyamorous without it coming across as slutty. This book does pick up where the last one left us but starts a new tale.  Someone seems to be determined to stop Lily and her team from racing by vandalizing her ship.  Meanwhile things are getting serious with Sal until Lord Byron's assistant shows up requesting Lily's presence because Lord Byron is dying. Lily is stuck between her past life and the potential of her future and fate is throwing obstacles at her left and right. From sabotage and adventure to life,  love,  and death with some magic sprinkled in this book was a joy to read.  My only criticism is that the the character Robin and the elements of magic and fairy lore seem a little out of place with the rest of the book.  There is going to be a third (and final)  installment,  so there is still room to elaborate on all that,  but it was a little jarring going from the rest of the story to those parts and back again.  This book broke my heart a little but I won't spoil it. 

Review: Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis by Anne Rice

Looking for some light reading? Then put this book down. Lol. If you are a fan of Anne Rice and familiar with her writing style (which I assume you are if you've gotten this far) then you know her books are quite heavy....not in the physical sense. It took me some time to get into this book,  as I've been reading mostly young adult and the transition was tough for me. Anne Rice is a very descriptive writer. I always joke that she can go on for pages just describing the carpet. Once I adjusted,  I quite enjoyed this book.  Anne Rice is the author that returned me to my love of reading and set me on my journey through the realms of fantasy. I was overjoyed when she returned to this genre, especially when she returned to the vampire chronicles. Now,  as for this book,  she reaches back even further into the history of Amel to show us his origins and the tale of the lost city of Atlantis. She also introduces her readers to a new species of immortals and ties the history of human religion to the creation of these immortals as well as Amel and the city of Atlantis. You may want a refresher on the various characters (as there are many) by rereading The Prince Lestat. I did not,  so re-orienting myself was sometimes a challenge,  but it is possible. As usual,  perspective changes from Lestat to various other characters. I will say that I liked learning more about Amel's history and that he wasn't/ isn't completely evil,  as you may have thought prior to this installment. Anne's version of the fate of Atlantis is fascinating, to say the least, and has a realistic feel to it.  Her version of the history is so detailed one could almost believe it was true. The only problem I had with this book is difficult to put into words.  I feel a little as if Lestat has been lost. In this novel, and perhaps the last, his presence seems a little superficial. Anne's earlier works gave such a strong sense of who Lestat is,  a "Lestateness" if you will,  and he seems watered-down in the newer books.  That's the best way I can describe it.  Other than that I really did enjoy this book.  Some series' don't handle longevity well,  but Mrs. Rice has proven, yet again,  that she has what it takes.  Her attention to detail is astounding and I can't wait for more.

Review: Passenger by Alexandra Bracken

It took me a minute to get into this book,  honestly. But once I was in,  I was in!  I absolutely adored this book.  A mix of adventure, mystery, fantasy,  and romance.  What more could you want?
Etta Spencer is a musical prodigy by way of the violin who's world is shattered when she is thrust from 21st century New York into a high seas pirate battle in the 1700s. Everything she thought she knew of her family has been a lie. She must outwit a conniving time traveling family, following clues left by her mother, in order to find her way back home,  to her rightful time period, and save the people she loves.  The story takes you to multiple countries in multiple eras and is a joy to read.  Etta is a likeable character. She's been sheltered from the world around her but has amazing strength, wit, and bravery in the face of the dangerous world she finds herself in.  The other characters are well written and the romantic interest is unconventional in the fact that it is between Etta, who is white,  and Nicholas Carter, an African American. Nicholas is from an Era where this type  of relationship is forbidden. Nicholas himself is unconventional,  as he was born into slavery but has never accepted the role of the times and has worked hard on his journey towards owning his own ship someday.  Nicholas is unwittingly tricked intro helping Etta, but will he betray her to reach his own goals or will he go against his evil grandfather in order to deliver Etta safely to her own time?
Getting the details of the back story took a little longer than I would have liked,  which left me a little confused in the beginning.  But once you understand what is truly happening this book was pretty fantastic. I was lucky that I didn't read this until book #2 (Wayfarer) was about to be released so I won't have to wait to continue this tale.  Had I read it when it was first released I would be dying,  as the end if the book is left wide open! Luckily, I only have to suffer as long as it will take for my copy of Wayfarer to be mailed.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Review: Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst

So, I nabbed this book after seeing a comment somewhere about it on social media. It's a young adult fantasy/ romance but with a unique twist from the traditional romance, in the sense that it is the tale of a Princess who falls in love with the sister of her betrothed. I feel like there aren't nearly enough LGBTQ books out there,  especially in the sci-fi/fantasy genre. I've only read one other recently and sadly they both gave me the same vibe. I don't know what it is exactly,  but it seems as if writing lesbian romance instills some feeling of dullness. I loooove some love in my fantasy, but why are opposite sex romances so much more exciting and passionate on paper?
FIRST, I'll say, this was a lovely enough story but not something that left me wanting more. The main character is likeable and the storyline is unique. Its an alternate world where magic is revered by some kingdoms and feared by others.  Princess Dennaleia has a secret gift but as she is set to unite two kingdoms through marriage,  she must find a way to rid herself of magic while maintaining its secrecy. In the meantime,  someone is out to get the royal family and find a way to end the alliance between the two kingdoms. Princess Dennaleia unites with her fiancés sister,  Princess Amarathine (Mare) to try to discover who is assassinating the royals and they fall in love. 
Ok. So. The characters.

Dennaleia is alright when she's narrating (the perspective  alternates between her and Mare) but when Mare narrates she seems like a frigid idiot. If this is how Mare sees her,  why did they fall in love?
Truly though, she is not an idiot and this is the part I liked about her.  She is well read, intelligent,  and has a desire to help the kingdom and be useful(instead of planning parties).

Mare- Oh Mare. Ok so is it me or is it totally cliché for one of them to essentially be butch? Mare is a Princess who hates all things princessy. She swears and is dirty and only wants to wear pants....because one of them has to be the boy in this relationship right?  It's not that this isn't a realistic character,  it's just to me it seems like this is the easy go-to dynamic in a girl/girl relationship.

Thandilimon (The Prince)- I don't know much about this guy but that he is awfully dull and a complete idiot. How the fiancé of the main character barely exists in the book is beyond me but the reason she fell for his sister instead of him is apparent.

Most of the other characters don't matter much.  What information is provided about them is either useless fluff or a means to distract you from the trail of the real villain. The only character who might be really interesting was killed off at the beginning of the book.   

World building- I read a lot of other reviews on this book that complained of the lack of world building.  How you are just thrown into the story and don't know anything about it.  This is true, but I find that to be no different than most fantasy books I've read. All the questions I've read about the world building of this book were answered throughout the story.  It would be awfully boring if chapter 1 was a history lesson. This book seemed to be no different than any other on that concept, for me.

So all in all, not a BAD book per se. Just extremely underwhelming.