Sunday Funday: ARC Mini Reviews - Spectacle by Jodie Lynn Zdrok & Corpse & Crown (Cadaver & Queen #2) by Alisa Kwitney

Happy Sunday everyone!  Today I'm sharing two ARC mini reviews with you: Spectacle by Jodie Lynn Zdrok (available February 12th, 2019) and Corpse & Crown (Cadaver & Queen #2) by Alisa Kwitney (available February 12th, 2019).  Both ARCs were provided by NetGalley in exchange for honest reviews.  Read on to see my thoughts on these two stories.

❋ ❋ ❋ ❋

Spectacle by Jodie Lynn Zdrok is a pretty fantastic debut YA historical fantasy mystery set in fin de siècle Paris. I enjoyed all of the historical detail that's gone into the story, like the construction of the Eiffel Tower for example. I also particularly enjoyed getting to know Nathalie. She's a great protagonist. Her curiosity (things get a bit morbid, fair warning), determination, and dedication are quite refreshing. All that said I was also hooked on working out the mystery surrounding the fantastic abilities Nathalie has discovered she has while working on her morgue report for the newspaper and a Jack the Ripper-esqe killer behind a recent string of murders in the city. Plus, I just have to mention that I appreciated the female friendships and the scenes between Nathalie and her mother. Honestly, this was almost a five star read for me, but sometimes the pacing drags and that ending was a bit cruel. Fingers crossed that Zdrok's upcoming release, Exposition, is going to be a sequel because I need to know more. I highly recommend Spectacle to fans of Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco and Penny Dreadful.

I read this ARC from February 7 - 10, 2019 and my review is also on Goodreads.

❋ ❋ ❋ ❋

Corpse & Crown by Alisa Kwitney is an excellent companion novel to Cadaver & Queen. The first book in the series was such a pleasant surprise that I was so excited to be approved for book two. Luckily for me, this companion was just as good. You could read this without being familiar with book one, but you won't be sorry if you take the time to read it before diving into this novel. I loved seeing how a retelling of Oliver Twist would fit into Kwitney's initial alternate history world of a Frankenstein-retelling featuring Bio-mechanicals (aka reanimated corpses who perform menial tasks and follow orders). This installment primarily follows a different set of lead characters, including Agatha who was Lizzie's nursing student roommate in book one. We get to know quite a bit more about her this time around. She's brilliant in her own right and refreshingly caring. Her character arc is incredible over the course of the story here. Without giving too much away, the Artful Dodger is probably my favorite male character of the series - he has a lot of great moments. Finally, I'm glad we got to see more of Queen Victoria since she's so delightfully impish. Since I've been hooked on Victoria I totally imagined her as an older Jenna Coleman. Overall, if you're a fan of alternate historical fantasy, steampunk, Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco, and Cinder by Marissa Meyer, I have a feeling you'll enjoy Corpse & Crown by Alisa Kwitney. I'm looking forward to from the author in the future, especially more set in the world of Cadaver & Queen.

I read this ARC on February 10, 2019 and my review is also on Goodreads.


What have you been reading this weekend?  Have you read or are you planning to read these two novels?  As always, thanks for visiting my blog and perhaps even commenting down below!