REVIEW: Dance of Thieves by Mary Pearson

Dance of Thieves by Mary E. Pearson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Dance of Thieves is a new novel set in the Remnant Chronicles universe, in which a reformed thief and the young leader of an outlaw dynasty lock wits in a battle that may cost them their lives—and their hearts.

When the patriarch of the Ballenger empire dies, his son, Jase, becomes its new leader. Even nearby kingdoms bow to the strength of this outlaw family, who have always governed by their own rules. At the same time, Kazi, a legendary former street thief, is sent by new young queen to investigate transgressions against the new settlements. When Kazi arrives in the forbidding land of the Ballengers, she learns that there is more to Jase than she thought. As unexpected events spiral out of their control, bringing them intimately together, they continue to play a cat and mouse game of false moves and motives in order to fulfill their own secret missions.

This novel is full of action, adventure, romance and betrayals. A must read for fans of Pearson's work as well as readers who enjoy Sarah J Maas and 'Furyborn' by Claire Legrand.

View all my reviews

REVIEW: Ruin of Stars by Linsey Miller (Mask of Shadows #2)

Publisher's Summary:
As Opal, Sal finally has the power, prestige, and most importantly the ability to hunt the lords who killed their family. But Sal has to figure out who the culprits are before putting them down. Which means trying to ignore the fact that Elise is being kept a virtual prisoner, and that the queen may have ulterior motives.

And the tales coming out of north are baffling. Talk of dark spirits, missing children, and magic abound. As Sal heads north toward their ruined homeland and the lords who destroyed everything, they learn secrets and truths that can't be ignored.

____________________

Finally reaching the goal of one of the Queen's assassins, Sal is free to pursue vengeance and retribution.  But at what cost? Can Sal withstand the price weighing on her soul?  This was a satisfying conclusion to the duology.

Sal is an intriguing character and Miller has done a nice job exploring a gender fluid protagonist as well as world building. 

There are a fair amount of twists, turns and surprise revelations. A recommended read for those who've enjoyed books by Robin LaFevers and Sarah J. Maas.

I received an ARC in exchange for a review from Netgalley and Sourcefire Books.

Final rating: 3 out of 5 stars

_____________________

Don't Miss Book 1 of the series: Masks of Shadows!

Publisher's Summary:

Sallot Leon is a thief, and a good one at that. But gender fluid Sal wants nothing more than to escape the drudgery of life as a highway robber and get closer to the upper-class—and the nobles who destroyed their home.

When Sal steals a flyer for an audition to become a member of The Left Hand—the Queen’s personal assassins, named after the rings she wears—Sal jumps at the chance to infiltrate the court and get revenge.

But the audition is a fight to the death filled with clever circus acrobats, lethal apothecaries, and vicious ex-soldiers. A childhood as a common criminal hardly prepared Sal for the trials. And as Sal succeeds in the competition, and wins the heart of Elise, an intriguing scribe at court, they start to dream of a new life and a different future, but one that Sal can have only if they survive.

______________________________

Perfect for fans of Throne of Glass  and His Fair Assassin, Mask of Shadows follows gender fluid thief, Sallot Leon on a quest to become Opal, one of the Queen's personal assassins.  Sal must complete feats of cunning and deceit to win the title and use its power toward enacting revenge.

I enjoyed the book and the series as a whole; however, I wish the audiobook had done the story justice.  

Final rating: 3 out of 5 stars

REVIEW: Tart of Darkness by Denise Swanson

*Thank you to Netgalley & Sourcebooks for an ARC in exchange for a review*

Expected publication: April 1, 2018

Publisher's Summary:
Right when Dani thinks she’s hit a dead-end in her career, she unexpectedly inherits an enormous old house in a quaint college town. This gives her the perfect opportunity to pursue her true passion—cooking! So Dani opens Chef-to-Go, preparing delicious, ready-made meals for hungry students attending the nearby university, as well as providing personal chef services and catering events for the local community. To help support her new business, she opens her home to a few students, renting them rooms and becoming almost like a big sister figure in their lives.

But just as Dani is relishing her sweet new life, the friend of one of her boarders is murdered, and Dani becomes one of the primary suspects! She’ll have to scramble to clear her name and save her business before the killer reappears—perhaps to silence the new chef forever.

______________________________________________

I have a passion for 'food mysteries' so I was excited about a new series.  This first book is likable--Dani is an interesting female protagonist, down on her luck with new opportunities for a career and love on the horizon.  I thought it was funny that she essentially becomes a den mother to college girls but it the basis for a good premise.

General assessment--the plot works but felt a little clunky at times, especially with the suspect development, the investigation and the wrap up.  It all felt a little forced and as a reader I wanted more finesse. I also think I'd prefer the POV from one character rather than shifts from time to time.

Final rating: 3 out of 5 stars

REVIEW: Godsgrave by Jay Kristoff

*Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas Dunne Books for an ARC in exchange for a fair review!*

Godsgrave marks the second in the Nevernight Chronicle by Kristoff. Check out my review for Nevernight, probably by favorite book of 2016 and a stellar re-read for 2017 prior to this release in September.

Assassin Mia Corvere has found her place among the Blades of Our Lady of Blessed Murder, but many in the Red Church ministry think she’s far from earned it. Plying her bloody trade in a backwater of the Republic, she’s no closer to ending Consul Scaeva and Cardinal Duomo, or avenging her familia. And after a deadly confrontation with an old enemy, Mia begins to suspect the motives of the Red Church itself.

When it’s announced that Scaeva and Duomo will be making a rare public appearance at the conclusion of the grand games in Godsgrave, Mia defies the Church and sells herself to a gladiatorial collegium for a chance to finally end them. Upon the sands of the arena, Mia finds new allies, bitter rivals, and more questions about her strange affinity for the shadows. But as conspiracies unfold within the collegium walls, and the body count rises, Mia will be forced to choose between loyalty and revenge, and uncover a secret that could change the very face of her world.

I adored this book.  It is well written and edgy with fantastic structure, pacing and characterization. The characters and narrative are complex and highly entertaining. I love the dark humor and sense of unease. Mr. Kindly's banter with Eclipse is truly epic. I love Mia. I was on the edge of my seat with some surprise revelations and a fantastic cliffhangers for the next book.  Readers are in for a bloody good treat full of sarcasm, betrayal, sex and violence.

Final rating:  5 out of 5 stars

REVIEW: Daughter of Deep Silence by Carrie Ryan

Following the utter destruction of luxury yacht Persephone, fourteen year old Frances is one of only three survivors. However, their story is a far cry from the terrifying truth and Frances makes it her mission to avenge the brutal deaths of her parents and best friend Libby even if it means targeting the boy she loves.

This is one of those books where readers are torn whether to connect with Frances, her loss and need for justice or to be alarmed and appauled by her actions.  Fast forward four years later, Frances has been living as Libby (the only person to know her true identity is Libby's father and he's recently passed away). She's determined that this is the time to put her plan in motion.

Daughter of Deep Silence is a fast paced and compelling thriller even if there are some flaws. Frances is pretty messed up which is probably normal after her ordeal but that doesn't excuse her horrible and rather vicious choices even if the bad guy deserves what he gets.  The senator's son, Grey, is just a victim in all of it--true he's bullied into lying, but Frances' treatment of him and the subsequent ills which befall him are harsh. Poor Shepard is a pawn too. Frances manipulates him using his feelings for Libby.

Overall, this is a quick and interesting read but it left me wanting a bit more resolution.  Plus, Frances does some pretty horrible stuff without any real consequence.  I have a problem with this since books are supposed to help set a precidence for behavior. I'm reading way too much into this, but as an adult working with youth, I know that teens are impressionable and often look toward book protagonists as life guides. Frances living as Libby, plotting nefarious crimes, digging up her BFFs corspe and then trotting off to make her way in the world with lots of money isn't setting the greatest example.

Final rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Follow the author on Twitter: @CarrieRyan



#DaughterOfDeepSilence #YAlit #teen #revenge #thriller #romance #mystery