The Faerie Wand (The Faerie Games,#4)

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                        CONTAINS SPOILERS

I thought I could return home once the Faerie Games were over. I was wrong. 

 
Now, Julian and I must complete the dangerous quest given to us by the Empress of the Otherworld. The Holy Wand is out there. We just need to find it. 

No matter where the journey takes us, we'll destroy anything blocking our path. We have to. Otherwise, we'll be dead. 

 

❀   

There are no words. I have been curious about what is to come from the moment that I finished The Faerie Mates . As a reader, how can you not but wonder what would happen to Julian and Selena during the quest if they would be able to accomplish their task? I felt that the two of them would face many challenges to get The Holy Wand. I worried the most about the Zombies, and that one of them would get to either Selena or Julian, passing the plaque to one of them. The Faerie Wand is filled even with more action than the last book. In each of the books in the series, as it progresses, there is more action. The Faerie Wand was even harder for me to put down; I wanted to keep reading until I found out what happened with Selena, Julian, Torrence. I’m eager to see if Torrence and Selena will finally reunite; she had a long journey. 

Julian.I have a strong feeling that something isn’t right. The way that he suddenly started to distance himself, pushing Selena away from him, there is a reason behind that. Like Selena, I wonder what is going on with him, what he is hiding. Even though he communicates with her, it doesn’t feel as if he does it with emotion. I’m concerned about him; it’s not like him to act distant and not to tell Selena what is going on. I loved that the point of view shifted between Selena and Torrence. If I were asked which of two is my favorite, I don’t think that I would decide. Selena and Torrence has courage, especially with everything that they had to face. I loved that the two of them kept on going, despite all the challenges in their way. I can’t wait until Torrence and Selena is reunited. 

I should know there would be a twist at the end. That’s one of my favorites about Michelle Madow books that no matter how many of her books you read, there are still unexpected twists. After such ending, I am eager to pick up The Faerie Plaque and see how it all ends. There is part of me that doesn’t want it to come to an end, but another curious if Selena and her friends will be able to stop the plague. This is the series that you will go back and re-read; I know that I plan to in the future. It’s a series that I recommend to my friends. A must-read. A series that will have you on the edge of your seat from the beginning.

Deadly Betrayals(Risks & Betrayals Duet,#2)

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                        CONTAINS SPOILERS

An unexpected discovery leads to new revelations.

  Trisha’s life had already changed before she saved a stranger from a bullet. Their connection began the instant their eyes and lips locked. 

Her feelings have since intensified, along with her desire to help. But nothing prepared her for what would happen on a risky quest for the truth, much less how deep the sinister scheme ran. 

Alexander is still in danger and is nowhere close to solving the mystery. The one person his heart is certain of is Trisha. 

Losing her unleashed the kind of dread he’s never felt before. But he also never anticipated it would give clarity to a painful misunderstanding. 

Fear grows as their relationship strengthens. Still, no matter what, Xander and Trisha will fight together, and more than anything, fight for each other. 

 

❀   

Mysterious. Adventurous. 

Oh, man. Another book that has my emotions everywhere. I knew that it would be filled with suspense, and yet it still took me by surprise. It seems like Trisha and Xander cannot catch a break, just when they think that they are safe. There wasn’t a single moment in the book where I wasn’t turning the pages. Every page, every chapter had something happening and making you anxious about what’s coming next. I was curious to see what would happen since that ending in Risky Encounters when Trish realized what happened to Xander’s mother. I cannot begin to imagine how it must felt like to be held captive for 15 years; how do you get through something like that? I wondered if the two of them would be able to escape, or would both be trapped in there, for years to come. I was on the edge of my seat, seeing what was going to happen next. The main question is who was behind it and what their motive was. Most of all, what was their motive to keep Diane alive for 15 years. 

The person behind the kidnapping, trying to get Xander killed, and later Trisha. It was the least expected person. He treated everyone with such warmth, making sure that they had everything they needed, knowing where their mother was all those years. I knew that he wanted revenge for what happened to his parents, and most of all seemed as he wanted Diane, all to himself, that’s going too far. He even went as far as to blame Xander’s father for almost everything that was happening. It even convinced me that he might be behind it. The first book, Risky Encounters , had a lot of suspense, but I felt that this one had even more; there was more mystery behind in Deadly Betrayals . I couldn’t get enough of the story, and I wanted to see what would happen, how it would end. 

I don’t think that Trisha and Xander would make it as far as they did if they didn’t have each other. I know that Trisha’s friends and mother disapproved, and I don’t blame them. Trisha did end up in a lot of danger from the moment that she met Xander. On the other hand, they were there for one another. It was clear how much the two of them loved each other. I just hoped that Trisha’s friend and mother see that and would come to their senses. I was hoping that all of the danger would come to an end soon, so Trisha and Xander could be together safely. This is not a book you can put down. You will be thinking about it long after you reach the last page. 

Do you love romance with suspense twists? I would highly recommend Deadly Betrayals. Be prepared for a thrilling ride!

The Faerie Mates(The Faerie Games,#3)

 

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                       CONTAINS SPOILERS

In the Faerie Games, it’s kill or be killed. And I’m going to survive, no matter what the cost. 

 
Who will win the next Emperor of the Villa competition? Will I tell Julian that we’re soulmates? And most importantly—will Julian, Cassia, and I defeat Octavia and make it out of the Games alive? 

I’ll do whatever’s necessary to survive. Because I’m Selena Pearce—raised by the leaders of Avalon, born of a powerful witch and a faerie prince, and gifted with magic from Jupiter. 

And I’m not going to let fear control me any longer. 

 

 ❀ 

Magical. 

I have loved Michelle Madow’s Dark World series since I have read The Vampire Wish years ago. I didn’t think that I could fall in love more with this series. I should have known, Michelle Madow knows a way to draw you into the story and to keep on reading. Dark World is the type of book where it’s hard for you to pull away, there is always something happening, and as a reader, you want to know what’s going to happen next. I loved The Faerie Games from the start, and each book has me craving for me and wanting to see who would win the games, and what would happen if Selena and Julian are the last two left; will they have to fight against each other? It’s the questions that you cannot help but wonder about while you are reading the book. The Faerie Mates was filled with action from the start until the end of the book. That ending, I knew there would be a twist coming towards the end, but even I didn’t see that coming. Now, I am eager to pick up the next book and see what happens with Selena and Julian; if they will succeed. 

I love the relationship between Julian and Selena, it’s no wonder that the two of them are soulmates. I love that no matter what happens in the games and how hard it can get, they are always there for each other, taking care of one another. From the beginning, I have been rooting for them to make it in the games, defeat Octavia, and be with each other. I should know that it would not go the way that they planned. I hope that they succeed on the quest and can be with each other without any more issues. However, I have a feeling that they are about to face more challenges on the way. I did wonder the reason why they were sent on that particular quest, and that ending, it made sense behind it. Let’s hope that Julian and Selena make it to the end. 

Octavia, that was not a character I liked. I don’t think that the character anyone liked. The worst part, it seemed as if nobody could defeat her. The way that she tortured Cassia before she killed her, I was afraid that there was a chance that she would win. I wonder if she would be killed at some point or not. Another character I disliked was Felix; there was something off about him. I didn’t trust him. It seemed that he had everyone fooled, including Octavia. Yet, somehow he managed to convince almost everyone that he was on their side. Every page in The Faerie Mates had something happening, and I kept on turning the pages because I couldn’t seem to stop; I wanted to see how it would end, who would win the games. I’m eager to see what Selena and Julian will have to face next.

Sunflower Sisters(Lilac Girls,#3)

 

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Lilac Girls introduced readers to Caroline Ferriday, an American philanthropist who helped young girls released from Ravensbruck concentration camp. Now, in Sunflower Sisters, Kelly tells the story of her ancestor Georgeanna Woolsey, a Union nurse who joins the war effort during the Civil War, and how her calling leads her to cross paths with Jemma, a young enslaved girl who is sold off and conscripted into the army, and Ann-May Wilson, a southern plantation mistress whose husband enlists.

 
Georgeanne "Georgey" Woolsey isn't meant for the world of lavish parties and demure attitudes of women of her stature. So when the war ignites the nation, Georgey follows her passion for nursing during a time when doctors considered women a bother on the battlefront. In proving them wrong, she and her sister Eliza venture from New York to Washington, D.C., to Gettysburg and witness the unparalleled horrors of slavery as they become involved in the war effort. 

In the South, Jemma is enslaved on the Peeler Plantation in Maryland, where she lives with her mother and father. Her sister, Patience, is enslaved on the plantation next door and both live in fear of LeBaron, an abusive overseer who tracks their every move. When Jemma is sold by the cruel plantation mistress Anne-May at the same time the Union army comes through, she sees a chance to finally escape--but only by abandoning the family she loves. 

Anne-May is left behind to run Peeler Planation when her husband joins the Union Army and her cherished brother enlists with the Confederates. In charge of the household, she uses the opportunity to follow her own ambitions and is drawn into a secret Southern network of spies, finally exposing herself to the fate she deserves. 

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  I have been looking forward to Sunflower Sisters since I found out that there will be a third installment to the Lilac Girls . I had loved the two previous books: The Lilac Girls, The Lost Roses . I did enjoy Sunflower Sisters but not how I thought that I would. There were few exciting parts throughout the book, but they were parts in the book where I felt it was dragging on and did not capture my attention. Sunflower Sisters were told point of view from three women. I tend to enjoy when a book is told from multiple points of view, giving you a chance to know each character better. There was one character I didn't like in this book, Anne-May, and it could be because she wasn't a character you could enjoy. I didn't particularly appreciate reading from her point of view, and it could be of the way it was written, or might because I did not like her. It did not change how I felt about the character. 

However, I did enjoy reading from Jemma and Georgey's point of view. I felt more going in, and their storylines were more exciting and easier to get than Anne-May. Those two went through so much. Jemma, my heart broke from her every single time, and I hoped that she would find a way to escape from it. I had read books that took time in the war multiple times before, but never the one that took place in the Civil War, so that was something new for me. When I read from Jemma and Georgey's point of view, that's when it was hard for me to put the book down because I wanted to see what would happen next. I think that the books' descriptions were terrific, and I felt as I was being transported there, along with everyone. 

In general, I didn’t think that Sunflower Sisters was a bad book. There were quite a few good parts, and I couldn't pull myself away from them. For me, it wasn't what I was excepting the book to be. It was different from her other books. If you love historical fiction and are interested in the Civil War era, I would check this book out. Sunflower Sisters is worth giving a chance to.

The Rose Code.

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                                            CONTAINS SPOILERS

1940. As England prepares to fight the Nazis, three very different women answer the call to mysterious country estate Bletchley Park, where the best minds in Britain train to break German military codes. Vivacious debutante Osla is the girl who has everything—beauty, wealth, and the dashing Prince Philip of Greece sending her roses—but she burns to prove herself as more than a society girl, and puts her fluent German to use as a translator of decoded enemy secrets. Imperious self-made Mab, product of east-end London poverty, works the legendary codebreaking machines as she conceals old wounds and looks for a socially advantageous husband. Both Osla and Mab are quick to see the potential in local village spinster Beth, whose shyness conceals a brilliant facility with puzzles, and soon Beth spreads her wings as one of the Park’s few female cryptanalysts. But war, loss, and the impossible pressure of secrecy will tear the three apart. 

1947. As the royal wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip whips post-war Britain into a fever, three friends-turned-enemies are reunited by a mysterious encrypted letter--the key to which lies buried in the long-ago betrayal that destroyed their friendship and left one of them confined to an asylum. A mysterious traitor has emerged from the shadows of their Bletchley Park past, and now Osla, Mab, and Beth must resurrect their old alliance and crack one last code together. But each petal they remove from the rose code brings danger--and their true enemy--closer...

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 The Rose Code is the second book that I have read by Kate Quinn , and I had fallen in love with her writing style, the characters. You cannot help but fall in love with Osla, Mab, and Beth. While reading The Rose Code , you will find yourself going through everything the girls uncover as they work at Bletchley Park. All through the book, I wondered if their positions at Bletchley Park would be discovered. I knew that if it were discovered, it wouldn’t end well for either of them. Each of the three girls worked in the different parts of Bletchley Park, and all of them were so dedicated to their work. It was one of the reasons that I wondered what happened between them and Beth. She had mentioned betrayal, and I couldn’t help but wonder what happened. The most mystery was why Beth ended up in the asylum if she was crazy. From the way that she was acting, it’s now how a crazy person act. It caused curiosity about why she was there in the first place. 

The Rose Code took place during a royal wedding in 1947, and back when the girls started working at the Bletchley Park. I cannot begin to imagine having to watch someone you were in love with marrying somebody else. If it was me, I don’t think that I would be able to handle it. I loved the relationship between Phillip and Osla; the two of them seemed to have a constant connection. It was clear how much the two of them were in love with each other. My heart broke for Osla. There were few love stories throughout the book, but it wasn’t what the book focused on. The one character that surprised me was the one who ended up being the traitor, the one that I liked and didn’t suspect at all. Most of all, he was the reason behind Beth ending up at asylum. I hoped that he would get discovered. He had everyone fooled, and I didn’t even suspect him as a traitor. As I look back at the story, I see the clues; his suspicious behavior at times. 

Osla, Mab, and Beth are three different girls, yet the three formed an extraordinary bond. Despite what happened between the three of them, in the end, they were still there for one another. Mab and Osla helped Beth when she needed help to try and figure out what happened. The two of them stood by her side. If that’s not a true friendship, then I don’t know what is. I wondered about the title, The Rose Code and the reason behind that title. Don’t you want to pick up the book for the title? If I haven’t read the author before, I would be curious because of the title. I figured the meaning behind the title halfway through the book. The Rose Code is not a book you will be available to put down; it’s a story that will make you think; make you wonder what’s coming next. I did feel that it started slowly in the beginning when all the characters were being introduced. In general, The Rose Code is a book that you will keep on reading until the last page.

The Last Night In London.

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                       CONTAINS SPOILERS

  London, 1939. Beautiful and ambitious Eva Harlow and her American best friend, Precious Dubose, are trying to make their way as fashion models. When Eva falls in love with Graham St. John, an aristocrat and Royal Air Force pilot, she can’t believe her luck – she’s getting everything she ever wanted. Then the Blitz devastates her world, and Eva finds herself slipping into a web of intrigue, spies and secrets. As Eva struggles to protect everything she holds dear, all it takes is one unwary moment to change their lives forever.

London, 2019. American journalist Maddie Warner travels to London to interview Precious about her life in pre-WWII London. Maddie, healing from past trauma and careful to close herself off to others, finds herself drawn to both Precious and to Colin, Precious’ enigmatic surrogate nephew. As Maddie gets closer to her, she begins to unravel Precious’ haunting past – and the secrets she swore she’d never reveal …

 

 

❀ 

How do I begin? This is one of those stories where I cannot seem to explain all of the emotions. The Last Night In London is not a book where you won’t experience emotions. My emotions have been all over the place few chapters into reading the book. London is one place that I never visited but want to one day. I loved that the story took place in London, and despite what was happening there in the 1940s, I want to visit even more after reading the book. When it comes to historical fiction, I loved for a chance to read from different timelines, to see how it has changed, the discoveries that might be made. I enjoyed reading from Eva and Maddie’s point of view. I loved the mystery aspect in Maddie’s storyline, as they tried to locate Eva and what could happen to her. I found myself trying to solve the mystery along with Maddie. When the truth about Eva was discovered, it was shocking and not anything that I was suspecting. Precious acted around Maddie; sometimes, I felt that something was off, yet I didn’t imagine that. From Maddie’s storyline, the mystery was my favorite aspect of the story. 

Even though I had enjoyed Maddie’s storyline, Eva and Precious’s story in 1940 was my favorite, more interesting to read. There was more happening, and of course, I loved the history aspect. When Eva met Alex, that’s when it got fascinating. I had a bad feeling about him when he was introduced. When he gifted Eva with an expensive gift, I had a feeling that nothing good can come out of it. I did wonder if the outcome would be different if she returned his gift or told Graham about the present. I wondered if Eva’s choice could affect what happened later in the book. I never liked Alex, and as the book progressed, my dislike turned to hate. I hoped that Eva could find a way to get away from him. There was also part of me that hoped that Graham found out and helped her. 

From the two love storylines, Graham and Eva were my favorite. I liked Maddie and Colin, but Maddie kept on pushing him away. I knew that she liked him, but because she was afraid, she kept pushing him away. She pushed him away to the point where I figured that Colin would have enough. To me, there was more connection between Graham and Eva than there was between Maddie and Colin. For Graham and Eva, you could feel the love that the two of them had for each other. I loved reading the scenes between the two of them, wondering what would happen between the two of them next. I was curious what happened to him, if he was still alive. The Last Night In London is another book that will be impossible to put down. 

The Last Night In London is a story about love, friendship, courage, sacrifice. This is a story that will stay with you; long after you turn the last page.

Parabellum.

 

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A shooting at a Chicago beach leaves several dead and dozens injured. In the year before the attack, four individuals emerge as possible suspects. 

An apathetic computer programmer. 

An ex-college athlete with a history of head injuries. 

An Army veteran turned Chicago cop. 

A despondent high school student. 

One of them is the shooter. Discover who and why. 

“Parabellum is taut, slow-burning crime fiction at its best. And it’s a great deal more than that.” - Paul Flower, author of The Great American Cheese War 

If you like nuanced literary crime fiction that explores the depths of the human psyche, you’ll love Greg Hickey's compelling and unforgettable novel.

 

 ❀ 

Mysterious. Realistic. Memorable.  

*Thank you to the author, Greg Hickey, for providing with a copy of the book, in exchange for an honest review * 

 
Through the years, I have read few different books about shootings. However, those books mostly consisted of school shootings, and some were caused by accident. Parabellum was unlike any of the others that I have read. The author draws you in the right from the start—mass shooting on the beach. As a reader, you cannot help but wonder who is behind the shooting and the shooter’s motive. Was it for revenge? Or was the shooter disturbed in some way? You could not help but wonder what led to the even if the shooting was planned. After such a mysterious opening, you will keep on turning the pages because you are curious to see who the killer is; how it started. Parabellum is an impossible book to put down. There were few times where I had to force myself to put it down because it was getting late. Parabellum is the book that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the end. 

Parabellum will have going through few different emotions. It’s not an easy book to read, but it’s powerful. I was thinking about the book, the characters long after I turned the last page. The characters don’t go by the names, at least not until the unique. I thought that it was a unique way to tell the story. I did get confused a couple of times, but it did not last long. I have never read a book where you weren’t aware of the characters' names before. I liked the way that their names were revealed towards the end of the book. All through the book, I wondered which one of them was the killer. I loved that the book had you guessing until the end. I loved the cover and the book's title; it has a mysterious look and perfectly fits the story. Greg Hickey is an author that I wished that I had discovered earlier. Now that I have, I cannot wait to see what he has in the story for us next. 

Highly recommended.