The Crown of Gilded Bones by Jennifer L. Armentrout

 

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Poppy has found what she never dared to dream of, love and happiness with Casteel, prince of Atlantia. But not everything is as it should be. They still need to find her brother and rescue Casteels. This rescue mission will reveal to them consequences that they hadn’t considered. 

Poppy is the true ruler of Atlantia, the blood of the gods runs in her veins.

Poppy has never wanted to control the lives of others but now she must choose between the life she has always wanted and the gilded crown. But as the secrets of the kingdom start to unravel, an old power will stop at nothing to make sure poppy never seizes the crown.

But the biggest threat lies with the Queen of Blood and Ash and her plans. Poppy and Casteel must consider waking the King of the Gods himself. Poppy and Casteel will soon discover what they are willing to do for each other and their people as betrayals and secrets are discovered.

What I liked about this book

• Jennifer L Armentrout has created a magical world full of shifters, gods and monsters.
• There are a lot of good side characters. Kieran being my favourite.
• The ending was great. I was not expecting The Crown of Gilded bones to finish in this way.

What I didn't like 

• The writing style is really quite cheesy. ‘I love you’ is said far too many times.
• There is a certain joke that is repeated frequently. Long standing jokes are fine as long as they are used sparingly. Sadly this is not the case in this instance.
• The intimate scenes were too frequent. As though they are there just for the sake of it.

Despite what I’ve said above I do like the story that’s being told over the course of the From Blood and Ash series. I will be reading the next book to find out what happens after the nail biting ending of The Crown of Gilded Bones. I have high hopes for the upcoming series finale. 

3 stars
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The River Exiles: Book One: Columbia By David White

 

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Thank you to the Author for the opportunity to read and review this book. 

In a world that has been ravaged by a severe lack of water, children are forced to leave their families at the age of 12 to discover new lands. This is seemingly to help with the distribution of resources.

When it is Megan and Jacob Hadaway's turn to make the journey, they discover that their new life is not all it was said to be .

Megan makes it her mission to discover the secrets hidden by society. With guards watching their every move, how will she escape the life that she is being forced to live? And where are all the other children that have been exiled?

 What I liked about this book

• The concept is really interesting. How the world's hierarchy is organised is unlike anything I have read before.
• I liked Megan as a character. She is strong willed and not afraid to fight when she needs to and will do anything to take care of her brother.
• The story takes place in a range of landscapes - arid land, open ocean and the depths of the rainforest. David White describes each scene in detail allowing the reader to easily imagine the environment.

What I didn't like

• It took quite a long time for the story to gain momentum.

The River Exiles: Columbia is the first book in The River Exiles Trilogy. After reading the first instalment, I still have a lot of questions, which I am sure will be answered in the next book. I think that this book would appeal to anyone who enjoys reading YA dystopian fiction.

3.5 stars 

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