All the Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace

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Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Princess Amora has lived out her entire eighteen years on the island of Arida. Disconnected from the rest of her kingdom, Amora longs to travel to all of its islands, sailing across the high seas. The kingdom of Visidia is made up of six islands. Magic used to be practiced freely across Visidia until, as legend has it, a beast started killing those who practiced multiple magics to punish them for their greed. Now, each individual is only allowed to practice one type of magic and must live out their lives on the island which is dedicated to their chosen power. 

The royal family is the only family who can practice soul magic, allowing them to read souls and inflict pain without touching a person. The beast is said to live within the royal bloodline and the heir to the throne is required to prove to their people that they can control the beast. When Amora's chance to prove herself comes along, things don't go as planned. Amora is forced to flee and soon finds herself in league with a pirate on a mission to save her kingdom from a threat she had no idea existed.

What I liked about this book

• The characters - I loved the characters in this book. My favourite character is Ferrick. He is so loyal and fiercely brave. I hope to see more of him and Vataea in the next book. 
• Magic ships, pirates, mermaids - need I say more? 
• The story - this book is full of adventure and a few twists. The pacing is great from the get go and it is consistent throughout the story.

What I didn't like 

• Absolutely nothing! - I thought really hard and I could not think of one thing I didn't like about this book.

If you enjoy magic, pirate and adventure? Then this book is for you!!

5 Stars 

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Ignited by Ella M. Lee

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I received a copy of this Book Sirens in exchange for an honest review. 

Ignited is the second installment in in the Fire Within series. The story picks up a few weeks after the end of the first book. Fiona is now an official Water clan candidate and will soon become a full clan member with her own access to magic. Once she has been 'clanned', Fiona is brought up to speed with the ambitious plans of her new commander Nicolas Demarais. These plans will have a massive impact on the magical world. Fiona has started to develop feelings for Nicolas and is settling into her new life within Water. But Nicolas' enemies are still at large and Fiona's happiness may be short lived.

What I liked about this book 

• As with the last book, I love the uniqueness of the magic in the book.
• The characters are developed further really well, and the book gives a deeper look into some of the characters pasts.
• I really liked the way the romance developed, it was really sweet.
• The pacing in this book is sooo much better than the first book. There is plenty of action and twists that keep the story interesting and moving forward.

What I didn't like 

• Fiona - this character is supposed to be 29 (2 years older than me), but to me she just read so much younger than that.

I enjoyed this book a lot more than the first one. As the world building was mostly done in the first book, there was more room for the story itself. I have pre-ordered the 3rd and final book which is out on the 15th September 2020, and I am excited to see how the story is concluded.

4 stars

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Fire Within by Ella M. Lee

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I received a copy of this book from Book Sirens in exchange for an honest review.

 

Fiona Ember and a group of Flame clan members take part in an assassination attempt on one of the most powerful members of the Water clan, the Auspex. Fiona finds herself captured and stripped of her magic. She is given the option to live and demonstrate her value or be executed. The Auspex can see the future and alludes to a future which will be beneficial for both of them. Can Fiona play her part and survive in enemy territory in order to get her magic back?

What I liked about this book 

• The idea of the clans and the magic - the way this is presented is really quite unique and interesting.
• The writing - Ella's writing is structured, coherent and easy to read.
• The character development - the characters are really well developed. Their personalities and motivations are described perfectly so that you gain a clear picture of who the characters are.

What I didn't like 

• The theme of slavery throughout the book - I think this statement speaks for itself.
• The lack of action - about the first three quarters of the book is world, character and relationship building. This is of course necessary but i just wish there was a bit more action sprinkled throughout the book.

Despite the things above, I found myself drawn into the book and routing for the relationships. I intend to read the next one to find out how the story moves on.

3.75 stars 

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Review: Remnants of Atonement (Release date 8 Oct 2020)

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I received a eArc of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

Kilco and her tough as nails mother, Dr Kira, live in the city of Bethany. Kilco is bored of the humdrum life she leads. When her mother receives a request to become the royal physician in one of the neighbouring kingdom's war camps, she is desperate for her mother to let her come along. Kilco soon finds more adventure than she bargained for when an injured patient is brought to the infirmary. Kilco has to stay quarantined with Ilya , and the two soon become fast friends. Their relationship begins to change as Ilya heals and is preparing to leave the infirmary. Kilco is approached by a stranger who offers her a way to keep Ilya by her side forever. This sets off a series of events that will turn their lives upside down.

What I liked about this book 

• The chapter titles - the chapters are all named after different fears. This was really interesting as hadn't heard of some of them before. 
• The world - its filled with unusual creatures and magic.
• Pierous and Dr Kira are definitely my favorite characters. Dr Kira is very abrasive but also cares alot about Kilco and her patients. Pierous adds a comedic factor to the story.

What I didn't like

•  For the first few chapters the story seemed to move along in jumps. It was quite disorientating and i kept thinking I'd missed a bit, but this does even out and the story continues at a more steady pace.

I did enjoy reading Remnants of Atonement. After finishing, I was left with a lot of questions, but as this book is the beginning of a series I am sure my questions will be answered in the upcoming continuations. 

3.5 stars

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Review: This Eternity of Masks and Shadows by Karsten Knight

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

This Eternity of Masks and Shadows is about a girl named Cairn's journey to discover the truth about her mother's death. In a world in which the gods from every Pantheon are being reincarnated when they die and walk the earth, she must discovery the truth before it is too late.

What I liked about this book 

• it's a murder mystery - at some points I felt like I was watching an episode of CSI.
• it's full of twists and turns - there are plot twists throughout the book that are completely unexpected! 
• it's fast paced - in every chapter something happens that moves the story along and keeps you interested.
• my favourite character is Ahna - she is extremely funny! I actually laughed out loud at some of her lines. 

This book kind of reminded me of the Percy Jackson book series but for older readers. I would highly recommend it if you like books about gods and magic.

5 stars   

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Review: City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

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 Clary has recovered her mother from Valentines clutches, but Jocelyn remains in a coma. Valentine has fled, leaving Jace and Clary with the knowledge that they are brother and sister. They must try to learn how to move on with their lives now that they know this. The inquisitor is sent to the institute to investigate the events which have recently taken place. As Jace is Valentine's son the inquisitor takes a particular dislike to to him. When someone starts killing downworlder children and draining their blood, the group must find out who the culprit is and what they intend to do with the blood.

What I liked about this book 

• The story line - as with the first book, City of Ashes has a great story line that is action packed and keeps you interested the whole way through.
• The world - I love the whole idea of the shadow hunters, their runes that give them extraordinary powers and the idea of the downworld in general. 
• Magnus Bane - such an extravagant and interesting character.

What I didn't like 

• Clary and Jace's relationship - I get that they are supposed to be star crossed lovers ripped apart by circumstance, but to be honest it was just so cringy and awkward. 

3 Stars

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