Released by Sarah Noffke

" The universe plays games, but not by the rules."

This is the last book in the amazing Vagabond Circus Series. And boy was that good! The author picks right up from where we were left in book two and goes straight into the story with lots of action and a plot that evolves in every chapter.

'Only those who have been through hell know how to withstand fire'

The book is full of  amazing revelations, new relationships forming, shocking moments, as well as incredible feels of sadness and frustration. The circus members have to come to terms to their new reality and to deal with Charles Knight and his sadistic behaviour. I loved that we were shown each character's point of view and so we could see their thoughts and feelings as well as the way each one handled this situation.

Chapter 65 was my favourite one BY FAR! Loved Finley (as in all the books of the series) and Zuma. But in the third book we get to know more about other characters as well, like Sunshine, Ian and the triplets.

Being the third book I really can't tell much without giving things away. But all in all, it was a very satisfying ending to an incredible story. Make sure you read it ;)

*Many thanks to Sarah Noffke for giving me an eCopy of her amazing book!*

Favourite Quote:
'Love is really the most beautiful show. It can’t rehearsed. It can’t be planned. It is the product of magic. It is what Vagabond Circus is all about.'

Released 
by Sarah Noffke
Published: March 15, 2016

Earth's End by Elise Kova

As it is book #3 in the Awoken Series, this review could contain mild spoilers. Proceed at your own risk ;)

Oh, dear Mrs. Elise Kova.... what have you done to my poor poor heart.. AGAIN! The whole book was amazing, but the last few chapters were just out of this world, leaving me in a state of shock. Book #2 finished in a similar way and I didn't think I could handle that ending either.

'No matter how far we go, the Tower takes care of it's own.' 

Earth's End is full of rapid developments and situations that turn everything upside down. Pretty emotional in the beginning, with parts that confused me a bit between Vhalla and Daniel. This book is full of love, powerful scenes, loads of action and heartbreaking moments.

'He was the start and end of her world, the glue holding together her fragile sanity. He was everything, and without him she was lost.'

Vhalla has changed completely from how she appeared in book #1. From a lowborn library apprentice, now she is an admired Windwalker with amazing powers and an incredible woman. I love the transformation. <3

Aldrik is impressive as always, I really really liked Jax and Daniel and Prince Baldair is growing on me. However, I can't begin to express how much I dislike the Emperor! Oh.My.God this man just gives me a headache!

Book #4 is called Water's Wrath and will be available on April 26th. However, this morning I received an email from Mrs. Kova informing me that I was selected to be an advanced digital reviewer and so I already have an ARC in my hands!!! *happy dance* Can't wait to dive in!

Air Awakens is an amazing series that you just HAVE TO read!

Earth's End
by Elise Kova
Published February 11 2016

Frozen Tides by Morgan Rhodes

OMG.... that ending left me totally flabbergasted!
Oh, Mrs. Rhodes... you can't end a book like that! I was totally in shock, going back and forth making sure this was the last page in the book!

“All magic comes with a price. A price that is never revealed until after the damage has been done.” 

One thing is for sure: this is the most unpredictable series EVER! No one is safe! No matter how important you may think a character is, he or she may die with the flick of a page...

Fast pacing once again with not a dull page in sight. Each chapter is more shocking than the previous one! The revelations keep on coming, changing the story continuously. New alliances are formed and then are broken just like that. Some of the characters gain more power and play a bigger part in the plot. The Kraeshia kingdom is added on the map, and new characters are added in the story making it even more interesting and compelling!

For me Magnus is still the most interesting character. I've come to seriously dislike Lucia. And at one point I started to sympathize with Amara and start to connect with her, only to dislike her even more in the next chapter! The author likes to play with your feelings like that and make you change your mind continously.

“Because if you don't choose to fight against the wrong in the world, then you are the wrong in the world.” 

I'll only make one comment about this series... All women are breathtakingly gorgeous and Jonas doesn't know how to keep his eyes off them! He seems to like another woman in each chapter... which makes me like him less sometimes.

I'll say it again that this is one of my most favourite series EVER, and I think that if you like fantasy books, then you should definitely include this one in your reading list ASAP! There are 2 more books left in this series, one coming out this year and the last one in 2017. All I can do now, is wait.....!

Favourite Quotes:
'I tried to spit on him, you know, to show my support for the rebels, but it landed on a seabird instead.'

'Go. But remember one thing: If you get yourself killed, I'm going to be furious with you.'

'See? There's that cheeky rebel I like.'
'You like me? That's news to me, Cassian.'
'You're growing on me. Slowly. Like a fungus.'

“You broke it. Congratulations. You’ve just given me my sixth broken nose, and now I’m going to kill you.”

Frozen Tides
by Morgan Rhodes
Published: December 15, 2015

Paralyzed by Sarah Noffke

"The show must go on."

Before I begin my review, I have to mention the unbelievable covers this series has! The colours are just amazing!

I went into this book ready for action, violence and intricate plans to defeat Charles Knight and make him pay for what he did. What I got was a book full of grief, sadness, anger, unbelievable revelations (some too raw for me to swallow), declarations of love and hate, hilarious scenes in hospitals and an ending that brought everything upside down leaving me again starring at the last page and needing the 3rd book right now!

"That top hat wouldn't fit anyone else."

After what happened in the first book, everybody is trying to come to terms with the new situation and deal with their pain and grief. The story is unraveling in every page, giving us glimpses of what happened in the past. Now we get to understand each character more, and the events that have led to the current situation. The revelations about Knight and the inhumane conditions under which he keeps all those kids in the compound and under his command are unbelievable, making you dislike him and hate him even more.

"One must weather the storm to spy the rainbows."

You can feel the contrasting emotions that Zuma deals with as she realises what has happened. But as the story unfolds and she finds out things, you can see how her feelings just change around. At the same time, even though you learn so much about Finley's awful past, you never for one minute feel pity for him. You just feel proud that he has managed to come out of it as a strong and confident man. But his demons will come and chase him and for once again he will have to be strong in order to protect the people he loves and cares about.

Even though I missed the mesmerizing world of the circus that we were introduced in book #1, this was a necessary installment to clarify things and to give us more information about the story and the characters surrounding it. But now I am ready for more action and plans to finally take Charles Knight down! I'm sure book #3 will be kick ass! ;)

*Many thanks to Sarah Noffke for giving me an eCopy of her amazing book!*

Favourite Quote:
"Life is full of magic and if you try and explain it all then you lose the opportunity for bewilderment, which is a beautiful thing."

Paralyzed
by Sarah Noffke
Published: February 15, 2016

Gathering Darkness by Morgan Rhodes

"I am my magic, and my magic is as old as the stars."

I think I've been saying this about all the books in this series, but WOW... Just WOW... No words. The amount of betrayal, double-crossing, revelations, murders, deceit, backstabbing (literally) this book has is unbelievable! I'm both amazed and shocked at the same time.

"There are no guarantees in this life, only strong possibilities."

Again there were loads of gasping moments (even more than the previous books). At one point I thought that there would be no more characters left alive!

"You are King Gaius's secret weapon, a girl of prophecy and magic."

The hunt for the crystals and the obtainment of absolute power continues. The amount of interest towards them grows, since more and more characters seem to be after them, ready to look after their own interests and agendas.We have characters that are ruthless and thirsty for what those crystals promise to give them. They even make King Gaius look nice (shocking, I know!).

"You control your destiny, princess. No one else."

But also there was lots of love in all its forms and friendship. But of course not all of them last...

The pace was incredibly fast with unbelievable things that were happening left, right and center. The twists, oh my God the twists were changing the plot and the story in every other chapter. And the ending turned everything upside down once more.

You've just got to read this!

Favourite Quote:

“In the shadow my father has cast over my entire life, you are the only light I can see anymore. And, whatever the cost, I refuse to let that light be extinguished” 

Gathering Darkness
by Morgan Rhodes
Published: December 9, 2014

Rebel Spring by Morgan Rhodes

'And so it begins.'

I just finished reading Rebel Spring and I just had to sit down and write my review straight away. What an amazing second installment. Fast paced, full of magic and corruption, it takes you into an incredible journey within kingdoms and realms.

The characters get more complicated and intense and the story thickens, gets darker and more evil - if that's possible. Not a dull moment or a boring chapter in sight. The events unfold in every page and more revelations and more lies come to the surface. You can't trust anyone. And you never know who's going to survive or not. There were at least 2-3 instances where I gasped out loud and I just could not believe what I was reading.

“I believe we make our own destinies, every last one of us.”

I really liked that you get to see the story from many people's point of view - lots of characters have chapters from their own POV. Even King Gaius - I find it very interesting when you get into a villain's head and you see how he thinks and feels.

------- P O S S I B L E   S P O I L E R --------

I still like Magnus the most out of all the characters. He has such a complicated personality and it's really interesting to see how he feels and thinks versus how he actually acts. Is it bad that I ship Magnus and Cleo???

I still consider this to be an amazing book series and can't wait to jump into book #3!

Favourite Quote:

'For ten thousand centimos, I'm tempted to turn myself in.'

Rebel Spring
by Morgan Rhodes
Published: December 3, 2013

Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes

War brought them together. Love will tear them apart.

There is no way I would take a look at this cover and this title and I would not have picked up to read this book. Oh, this is me all over! Aside from the amazing cover though this book was everything I expected and more. I just could not put it down!

“Love is stronger than anger. Love is stronger than hate - stronger than anything.” 

There are a number of characters that play a big part in this book, but the main ones are: Cleo, Theon, Lucia, Magnus and Jonas. Some of them are heirs to the throne in different kingdoms, others are rebels and others are sorcerers. Quite a bunch! War, love and fate will bring them together and change their lives forever!

"And believe in magic... always."

The amazing thing with this book is that while you're reading it you can't help but wonder who the main two characters are? Because it so beautifully talks about 3 different stories in 3 different kingdoms and how they come to affect each other's lives and have their fates intertwined.

The writing style was so good that it made reading through this book effortless, while you are learning about new worlds and ideas, and you get acquainted and connect with all the new characters. With a fast paced plot that thickens the more you get into the book.

I really liked every single character in this book! (.... well apart from Aron - he was too annoyingly selfish for my liking!) Even the bad boys, the cunning witches and the mean Kings! But if you know me at all, you'll know that I've rooted for the bad boy Magnus from page one! Oh, my Magnus! :)

"Strength. Faith. Wisdom."

There is violence, murders, secret alliances, deception and betrayals, greed, magic and love. All these combined create an amazing story with very strong characters and incredible feels throughout the book. It is amazing to see how fate can bring some people together. 

“Magic will find those with pure hearts, even when all seems lost.” 

Off to book #2 now! I just know that this will be one of my all time favourite book series, ever! 

Favourite Quotes:
"If you want something, you have to take it. Because nobody's ever going to give it to you."

"You aren't exactly the freshest flower in the valley right now either."

Falling Kingdoms
by Morgan Rhodes
Published: 

Candidate by Rachel E. Carter

'Isn't the best bit of truth always woven in with a lie?'

Oh.My.God.
I am lost for words once again after finishing one of Rachel's books. What can I say... I just didn't see that coming...

'Little girl, don't you know? The world is made up of shades of grey.'

This is the third book in this amazing series that keeps getting better and better. I thought that it was going to be only about the candidacy but I was wrong. It was more, so much more! It was full of powerful scenes from page one and an amazing plot that keeps you guessing. I loved the detailed candidacy fights, and let's just say that my emotions went up and down like a roller coaster throughout the book!

It was nice to meet again with Ryiah and Darren, as well as with some of the other characters we've seen before in books #1 and #2. All the characters seem to have evolved and you get to see different parts of their personality as well as their views and perceptions.  Also we are introduced to some new people that really add to the story.

'Evil. Corruption. Greed.'

I don't think that I've ever disliked a book character as much as King Lucius - Darren's father. Oh my, I just wanted to punch him in the face! Even though by the time I finished this book, there were some more characters that I wanted to give them a slap or two!

I was also a bit frustrated with Ry and her obsession of being better than Darren, being the best... Especially towards the end with everything that was taking place, I found her reaction very unreasonable.

Nothing though could prepare me for the last third of the book. You never know who to trust, who is your enemy and who's going to betray you.

Can't wait for book #4 to see how this amazing series is going to end.

Favourite Quotes:

'For every little girl who wished for a sword instead of a tiara. And for every little girl who wished for a tiara. Because tiaras are pretty cool, too. And for the girl that wanted both. Because that just kicks ass.'

Candidate
by Rachel E. Carter
Published: October 26, 2015

Truthwitch by Susan Dennard

Girl Power!

This book was full of strong female characters, amazing friendships and powerful magic. Loved it!

'Stasis. Stasis in your fingertips and in your toes.'

It took me a while to understand all this world building and I have to admit that I got quite confused in the beginning with all the different characters and their powers, along with the Twenty Year Truce, the three empires, the other small nations and the politics surrounding all that. However, after the first 1/3 of the book I was hooked and I just dived into the story!

'Sometimes justice was all about the small victories.'

I really liked the two main female characters; they're quite different between them like night and day, but together they were two very powerful and kick-ass heroines! Safiya was my favourite character of all. I loved her personality, her sense of humour, her powerful feelings and her sense of loyalty. At the same time she has a restless spirit and she will not settle for anything less than her freedom. I enjoyed reading about her friendship with Iseult - they're threadsisters after all!

The chemistry between Safiya and Prince Merik was unbelievable and I loved the love-hate relationship they had throughout the book. It made everything even more interesting.

I even liked Aeduan, the bloodwitch that is after Sadiya - he is presented as mean and evil, very powerful and smart - qualities that make him a very, very interesting character.

'Threadsisters to the end.'

Even though I don't generally like books with witches, I really like this one! It was a fast paced and very enjoyable adventure and I can't wait for book No.2!

Favourite Quotes:

'Why always me? There are a thousand shoulders for a gull to crap on, but they always pick me!'

'Give it to me now, Polly, or I shal castrate you with a fork.'

'If you wanted to, Safiya, you could bend and shape the world.'

Thruthwitch
by Susan Dennard
Published: January 5, 2016

Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard

"Red and Silver and stronger than both."

Oh my... I am lost for words...
I honestly didn't see this ending coming...

The second book in the Red Queen series by Victoria Aveyard begins with amazing action, while Mare and Cal with all the others try to run and hide from Maven and the Silvers that are after them. We are being reunited with old characters from the first book, both good and bad, some that have changed and others that haven't, some that I liked and some that I just couldn't stand reading about! We are also introduced to some new characters that really add to the plot and the story.

The Scarlet Guard is bigger and more organised than we (or Mare) thought, with connections to other countries too. It was very interesting getting to know all the newbloods and the amazing and different abilities that each one has. How they were trained and used to accomplish each mission.

"Trust no one."

It is evident from the very beginning that again Mare should trust no one, something that makes everything even more interesting! You can't stop guessing and double guessing who's with who, and if anyone is double crossing them and so on. There were at least a couple of instances where I was just left with my mouth forming a wide 'O' while still staring at the book and trying to come to terms with what I just read!

"To rise. And rise alone."

Even though I enjoyed reading the whole book and there was not a dull moment, the last third of it was simply amazing! I loved the last mission - realizing the dangers behind it, how difficult it was to plan and quite frankly how impossible it all looked. You can feel how scared the characters are through the pages and how determined they are to make this work. It totally kept me at the edge of my seat while reading it, and that ending.... woah .... I did not see that coming....  I was sad, frustrated and upset.

The only thing that I have to say left me a bit disappointed, was the relationship between Mare and Cal. I couldn't feel the bond between them, the connection. I could still feel it between Mare and Maven, which was quite strange. Chapter 27 gave me amazing feels... I understood where Cal was coming from, but I was very confused with Mare towards the end. I couldn't get her views, her plans and her intentions.

All in all an amazing second book in an equally amazing Series. Can't wait for the final book. 

Favourite Quotes:

'If I am a sword, I am a sword made of glass, and I feel myself beginning to shatter.'

'If you die, I'll kill you.'

Glass Sword

by Victoria Aveyard

Publication: February 9, 2016

:: I received a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. ::

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

'And we will rise up, Red as the dawn.'

I decided to re-read this book before I started reading book #2 and I'm so glad that I did! It was even better than the first time!

First of all let's take a moment and admire this amazing cover. I love it! Even before I read the synopsis I knew I had to read this book! :)

The writing is captivating... It grabs you and doesn't let you go.
The world building is amazing, with detailed descriptions of places and buildings, the family houses, the colours, the abilities, the histories... I could picture everything right in front of me while I was reading it. The characters are so intriguing combined with their unique abilities. Even the Reds are awesome! You could totally connect with them and their cause. The atmosphere is electric. The feels... oh, the feels you get from this book are all over the place... You're up and down and you just don't know what to think and who to side with till the very end. The pacing was great, not a dull moment and even though I was re-reading the book, I was still on the edge of my seat throughout reading it! There's so many twists and turns that you just can't put it down.

'Anyone can betray anyone.'

I was team Cal from the beginning but I have to admit I changed my mind multiple times throughout this book. I did not see that ending coming! OMG that was amazing and intense and way out there awesome!

I'm so glad I have book #2 in my hands right now so that I can literally jump in! ;)

Favourite quote:

'In the stories, the old fairy tales, a hero comes. But all my heroes are gone or dead. No one is coming for me.'

Red Queen
by Victoria Aveyard
Publication: February 10, 2015

Suspended by Sarah Noffke

"There's still Magic in the World"

If you've been following me on Goodreads for a while, you should know by now that I have a soft spot for all books written by Sarah Noffke! I've read all of them (apart from one... Ren I promise you 2016 is your year ;) ). All her books are based on the very unique and fascinating concept of Dream Travelers, people with the power to travel while they're sleeping. I loved The Lucidites and The Reverians Series and of course I got all excited for the new Vagabond Circus Series too!

I absolutely loved it!

The circus world was mesmerising. I wish there was a circus like that in real life! It was unique and entertaining. The characters were so good, and different and perplexing and I enjoyed reading about each one of them. It was so interesting learning about their characters and their unique powers.

I liked Dave from the beginning. He was the best ringmaster and I enjoyed reading about his character. He is the soul of the circus.

The chemistry between Finley and Zuma was out of this world! I seriously couldn't get enough of it. And Finley, oh Finley! He was so mysterious, and interesting and drop dead gorgeous! Dare I say it that he was almost as good as Aiden???? (shocking I know!!!!) It goes without saying that I didn't like Jack much, for obvious reasons!

The suspense was killing me all through the book and the revelations of what was actually going on were so intriguing.

Can't wait to see what happens next. ;)

Favourite quote:

'She somehow always knew if one thing prevented her from doing something it was because something better was in store for her. She trusted life.'

Suspended (The Vagabond Circus #1)

by Sarah Noffke 

Publication: January 15, 2016.

*Free copy from author in exchange for an honest review*

Horde by Ann Aguirre

Excellent!

One of the most satisfying endings to an amazing trilogy.

I admire Deuce for her bravery and her courage and I loved everything about her! Her and Fade are ment to be together and I thoroughly enjoyed reading about their relationship and how it evolved. The plot thickens with strategies, army building and a war that they so desperately need to win.

It kept me glued to each page and it's easily one of my favourite trilogies!

Favourite Quote:

'It was frightening how happy he made me with a mere handful of words, but my heart, stupid bird that it was, sang on.'

Horde 
by Ann Aguiree
Published: October 29, 2013