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Mini Reviews: Children of Blood and Bone, Daughter of the Pirate King, Hunting Prince Dracula, Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore, & A Reaper at the Gates


Happy Monday everyone!  Today I'm sharing mini reviews of some recent five star reads - Children of Blood and Bone (Legacy of Orïsha #1) by Tomi AdeyemiDaughter of the Pirate King (Daughter of the Pirate King #1) by Tricia LevensellerHunting Prince Dracula (Stalking Jack the Ripper #2) by Kerri ManiscalcoMr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan, and A Reaper at the Gates (An Ember in the Ashes #3) by Sabaa Tahir.  Without further ado, here we go:


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Children of Blood and Bone (Legacy of Orïsha #1) by Tomi Adeyemi is one of the most hyped up books of 2018. Luckily, it totally lives up to the hype and is one of my favorite reads of 2018. This is honestly one of the best debut YA fantasy novels I've ever had the pleasure of picking up. Adeyemi's prose is downright stunning, the world-building and magic system is a breath of fresh air, and the characters are well-drawn. Zélie is a fantastic leading character and I love her narration, but the other characters with POV chapters are just as intriguing. I know my review doesn't this story justice at all, but take my word for it - you need this story in you life. If you like X-Men, Harry Potter, and Black Panther, I have a feeling you'll enjoy Children of Blood and Bone. I don't know about you, but I'm absolutely dying for book two, Children of Virtue and Vengeance.


I read this debut novel from May 7 - 24, 2018 and my review is also on Goodreads.



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Daughter of the Pirate King (Daughter of the Pirate King #1) by Tricia Levenseller was exactly I needed! I'd heard so many great things about this YA adventure fantasy romance with pirates, but I don't know why I put it off. Either way, I'm so glad I tried the audiobook because the story and the production was so addicting. Alosa is a clever and cunning pirate who easily holds her own and I adored every minute I got to spend with her as well as her crew. I also enjoyed the world building and fantasy elements especially as we learn more and more about Alosa's heritage and abilities. If you like Pirates of the Caribbean and The Girl From Everywhere by Heidi Heilig, I have a feeling you'll love this debut novel. I can't wait to read the sequel, Daughter of the Siren Queen!


I listened to this audiobook from June 9 - 14, 2018 and my review is also on Goodreads.



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Hunting Prince Dracula (Stalking Jack the Ripper #2) by Kerri Maniscalco had a lot to live up to as the sequel to one of my favorite reads of 2017. I shouldn't have worried, though, because it is a brilliant and more than worthy sequel to Stalking Jack the Ripper. I thoroughly enjoyed being back with Audrey Rose and Thomas Cresswell. Plus, the setting here is so cool and quite creepy - I mean, it's Dracula's castle as a school of forensic science! You can't get much better than that for atmosphere! This time around we also get introduced to few great new additions to the cast of characters. Daciana, Thomas Cresswell's sister, totally steals the show in my opinion. Anyway, aside from the characters, one of my favorite aspects of this story are all the twists and turns - and here there are quite a few doozies. Let me tell you, after that ending I'm dying to see some of my favorite characters return in Escaping from Houdini. I don't know how I'll be able to wait until September. Overall, if you haven't started in on this series and enjoy brilliant characters, great twists, and a tight central mystery, you absolutely need to begin Kerri Maniscalco's Stalking Jack the Ripper series.


I read this novel from April 26 - May 7, 2018 and my review is also on Goodreads.



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Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore is an awesome story. I have no idea why I didn't read this years ago when it was originally released. I'm going to be honest, I would totally want to work in and explore Mr. Penumbra's fascinating little shop. Robin Sloan's novel is a fantastic combination of mystery and modern fantasy and it pulled me in right from the very beginning - I just had to know more! The story wasn't quite what I was expecting, but I'm still glad that it managed to pleasantly surprise me in the long run. Plus, I'm pretty sure I just found a new favorite audiobook narrator, Ari Fliakos. This novel comes highly recommended from me and I have a feeling you'd enjoy it if you also like Libriomancer by Jim C. Hines, Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, and The Man Who Loved Books Too Much by Alison Hoover Bartlett.

I listened to this audiobook from April 20 - 22, 2018 and my review is also on Goodreads.



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An Ember in the Ashes series by Sabaa Tahir has quickly become one of my favorite YA fantasy series and the third installment, A Reaper at the Gates is no exception. I simply can't get enough of Sabaa Tahir's brilliantly fast-paced and twisty writing, world-building, and complex cast of characters. As much as I enjoy reading from the perspectives of Laia and Elias, I have to admit that I was particularly drawn to Helene's story line in this installment of the series in particular. I found myself looking forward to her chapters the most. On that note, can I just mention how much I like Elias, especially as we learn more and more about his new role even though it's taking him further from the human world. I also just want to mention the cover change in the series - I loved the two original covers, but I do like the new ones as well with this installment's cover (so far) taking the top spot. Finally, I have to know: how am I supposed to wait until next year for the finale to this marvelous series?!


I read this novel from July 14 - 19, 2018 and my review is also on Goodreads.


Congrats for making it this far!  Have you read any of these books yet - and did you like them as much as I did?  As always, thanks for visiting my blog and perhaps even commenting down below!

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