Review of THE BITTER KINGDOM (Fire & Thorns #3) by Rae Carson

(Blurb from Goodreads.com)

Elisa is a fugitive.

Her enemies have stolen the man she loves, and they await her at the gate of darkness. Her country is on the brink of civil war, with her own soldiers ordered to kill her on sight.

Her Royal Majesty, Queen Lucero-Elisa né Riqueza de Vega, bearer of the Godstone, will lead her three loyal companions deep into the enemy's kingdom, a land of ice and snow and brutal magic, to rescue Hector and win back her throne. Her power grows with every step, and the shocking secrets she will uncover on this, her final journey, could change the course of history.

But that is not all. She has a larger destiny. She must become the champion the world has been waiting for.

Even of those who hate her most.


The way I read it ~


This is me at 1am, after reading all day and experiencing one of the best journeys in storytelling everrrrrrrrrr .



And yes, I could not fall asleep afterward. Who could sleep after such awesomeness?

Okay.... enough gushing. Review time.

The Bitter Kingdom made me happy!



(well maybe just a little more gushing)

The Crown of Embers (Part 2) leaves you with an ending that truly stumps you, leaves you in a broken mess and running out to buy the third book if you had not already.

I loved the progression of this book. It never felt rushed, it was never bogged down my unnecessary details and descriptions. I got a clear and precise picture of all that was happening which left me room to enjoy what I was reading. This was a perfect piece of fiction, for me at least. I don't know about the rest of the world. But this girl right here thought this story was perfect. 

And the true beauty of it all was that it wasn't a perfect story. Confused? Well, the perfection came in the form of exquisite writing skills by Rae Carson and her ability to craft the right words and weave them together. But by no means did everything go right in this story. Where would be the fun? 

I enjoyed the scope of Elisa's journey this time. You clearly pity her in the beginning of (The Girl of Fire and Thorns), as she was just finding herself and in this book her personality had developed, taken some hits, been put through the ringer. This time she was rude, sarcastic and a little bossy. But she was a Queen and I did not feel the arrogance she sometimes displayed was overdone. There was a wonderful supporting cast of characters that gave tiny bits of enjoyment and plausibility to what was going on in the plot and personally to Elisa. It seemed to me they were all selected specifically by the author to portray these roles which is a weird concept for book characters but they all worked. Their personalities were completely different but they each supported the whole story. Sometimes like not knowing too much about a character and discovering little quirks on your own and deciding for yourself if you should trust them or not. It was never always apparent who would be friend or foe at given points. This made it all the more exciting.

The Bitter Kingdom answered a lot of the questions the second book brought pertaining to the history of this world and Elisa's part in it. She became so much stronger than even I anticipated (which I LOVED) She had real womanly problems along with her power struggle and to see her accept her faults and face her insecurities made her all the more enjoyable. It made her realistic.

And I must mention the romance. Some of you might gag. But it positively had my heart doing crazy flip-flops and twisty turns. I loved it all. And it was not the annoyingly shallow - puppy kind of love. This was 'Intense, real world, real situation, fighting for our lives, heartburn, can't sleep, can't live without you' kind of love. It wasn't all honky dory. It was never clear of it would ever work out. I was rooting for it since the last book and Thank the heavens!!! it finally went somewhere. 

I LOVE HECTOR!!! Hector was just deliciousness wrapped in armor with a title.

I love when the hero appears out of nowhere; unassuming but with grace and tact and sarcasm. I have to admit. I did not see him coming at all. There wasn't even a 'hint, hint' in The Girl of Fire and Thorns. None. Nada. Or maybe there was and I rolled right past it.

But there he was, loving Elisa from a distance.



Their romance was never easy, probably not until the very end. So many obstacles they had to face and overcome, I felt for them. And I will say Hector stepped up to the plate magnificently. Thank you Rae Carson for a hero that admits he's man enough to bow to his queen.



Yes, he tickled my fancy and my lady parts swooned.




This book goes down as one of my all time favorites. 

It is unforgettable.

RATED TOO SWEET - 5 out of 5 Sugar cubes

Reviewed by Leelo

Review of THE CROWN OF EMBERS (Fire & Thorns #1) by Rae Carson

(Blurb from Goodreads.com)
Elisa is a hero.

She led her people to victory over a terrifying, sorcerous army. Her place as the country's ruler should be secure. But it isn't.

Her enemies come at her like ghosts in a dream, from foreign realms and even from within her own court. And her destiny as the chosen one has not yet been fulfilled.

To conquer the power she bears, once and for all, Elisa must follow a trial of long-forgotten—and forbidden—clues, from the deep, hidden catacombs of her own city to the treacherous seas. With her go a one-eyed spy, a traitor, and the man whom—despite everything—she is falling in love with.

If she's lucky, she will return from this journey. But there will be a cost.

The way I read it ~

Firstly...



So thrilled where this story took me in this second book. I'm totally blown away.


The Crown of Embers continues the tale of Elisa on her journey to finding out the kind woman she is and what her ultimate destiny entails. Her 'coming of age' truly intensifies as she grapples with the reality that she is responsible for so many lives and she continues to question whether or not she is equipped to be a great ruler. She forms new alliances this time around as she recovers from past devastation and loss. She also is faced with the challenge of staying true to herself and her faith while discovering underlying threats beginning to surface and enemies she cannot see. I enjoy stories where the heroine is constantly underestimated and in proving her worth becomes more than even she imagined.

Let's see... what else did I like?

1. Epic storytelling. I loved the vast landscapes created here. In The Girl of Fire and Thorns you were allowed a good glimpse at this unique world. I was happily surprised to read that there was so much more and the vivid detailing just brought it all together for me.

2. Intrigue. There it was again, urging me on to page after page. I like knowing when to expect the unexpected and The Girl of Fire and Thorns definitely taught me that. I was clueless as to who the true villain would be. It left me feeling both anxious and hopeful at the same time.

3. Spiritual references. It hits you in the gut when you least expect it but doesn't strangle you. I sensed the urgency here and maybe an underlying message about faith and the power of prayer. Maybe it occurs that much more to me as I was going through spiritual revelations in my own life while I read it. But I totally got it. Totally. It was a comfort in a way and the eloquence with which Rae Carson related the religious aspects of this world and these characters is something I won't forget.

4. Love angst. I loved how it was well paced and intense. It was told with such beauty that I 'awwww'ed and sighed every damn chapter.



It's a heart twisting romance that had many obstacles and constant setbacks. You were given a taste and then that morsel was yanked away and dangled in front of you. Urgh! It pissed me off while I enjoyed every single word.

Can't a guy and girl get a break?



5. That ending!!!

RATED SWEET: 4 out of 5 Sugar cubes

Reviewed by Leelo

Review of THE GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS (Fire & Thorns #1) by Rae Carson

(Blurb from Goodreads.com)

Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness.

Elisa is the chosen one. 

But she is also the younger of two princesses, the one who has never done anything remarkable. She can't see how she ever will. 

Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs the chosen one, not a failure of a princess.

And he's not the only one who seeks her. Savage enemies seething with dark magic are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people's savior. And he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake.

Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn't die young.

Most of the chosen do.

The way I read it ~

The Girl of Fire and Thorns is a coming of age story for Elisa. She's the second daughter of a King and feels like she isn't worthy of anything spectacular or can accomplish anything of great importance but she's so endearing in her doubt and lack of self confidence that I couldn't help empathize with her. She doesn't consider herself beautiful and was extremely jealous of her sister Alodia's natural grace or what she perceives as natural. I never really got to understand Alodia's character and at first instance (she was barely in the story) I detested her because she seemed callous and uncaring towards Elisa. But in retrospect, maybe that was older sibling tough love. And maybe Elisa needed it to become who she was by the end of the story. What Elisa did have going for her was her intelligence and her devout faith. If nothing else this fueled her emotions and guided her instincts, which could have led her all over the place.

Elisa finds herself thrust into a new life. She's married off unexpectedly and quite urgently to a man she doesn't know and has never met and moves to a new place where nothing and no one is who they seem. So of course she can't trust anyone and mostly,I think she couldn't trust herself to survive it. All of that drama is centered around the Secret! she holds and if it is revealed she's in mortal danger. 

I truly began to enjoy the characters by the second half. I think I didn't know what to make of them or if to like any of them. I loved the progression of the story. As Elisa matured and came into her own, the scenery of the books changed with her. I clearly saw the evolution although there were one or two slumps in the story telling that I couldn't ignore and frustrated me to no end. I almost didn't finish the book. But I did. Why?

My Spidey-book sense.

It tingled along with my frustration because I knew there was more to the story and with two sequels, I was inevitably intrigued. Ultimately that is my downfall. Intrigue me enough Authors and I will read on!

I'm looking forward to the rest of this tale. It's without a doubt unlike anything I've ever read and maybe it isn't like most other fantasy books out there... Maybe (as I haven't read them all).

I like it. I like it a lot.

Oh and before I go... there was one part. 

This part totally sucker-punched me. I couldn't breathe. I choked on my rage.


Why Rae Carson, Why?!!! 

But then I really noticed 'dreamboat'.

You. Are. Forgiven.

RATED SWEET: 4 out of 5 Sugar cubes

Reviewed by Leelo

Review of THE SUM OF ALL KISSES by Julia Quinn

(Blurb from Goodreads.com)

Hugh Prentice has never had patience for dramatic females, and if Lady Sarah Pleinsworth has ever been acquainted with the words shy or retiring, she's long since tossed them out the window. Besides, a reckless duel has left this brilliant mathematician with a ruined leg, and now he could never court a woman like Sarah, much less dream of marrying her.

Sarah has never forgiven Hugh for the duel he fought that nearly destroyed her family. But even if she could find a way to forgive him, it wouldn't matter. She doesn't care that his leg is less than perfect, it's his personality she can't abide. But forced to spend a week in close company they discover that first impressions are not always reliable. And when one kiss leads to two, three, and four, the mathematician may lose count, and the lady may, for the first time, find herself speechless ...

The way I read it ~

The Sum of All Kisses turned out really to be 'The Sum of various sarcastically flirtatious conversations that had absolutely nothing to do with kissing till almost to the end of the story'



I kept waiting for the kissing.  And waiting and waiting.....




Till finally they kissed....





Which made up for the long wait.



I loved all the witty banter between Hugh and Sarah. Neither character was what I expected them be. Which was delightfully surprising. 

I fully expected the surly 'I always get what I want, when I want and I want it now' British Lord. But Hugh was intense yes, though in a laid back, sarcastically flippant and funny way. Outrageously funny. Outrageously daring. So naughty.

Sarah was very opinionated yet still naive in most ways common to gentlewomen of her time. She was sassy but never too outspoken to be considered rude or impolite. I disliked her at first and found it difficult to sympathize with her. She was borderline inconsiderate with her choice of words and overly dramatic, yes definitely. But her personality altered and developed as the story progressed and through it all, her penchant for sarcasm was such a force to be reckoned with. 

And in that Hugh sure did reckon with it. 



They were characters who were both very sure of themselves (even though at times I felt, not very aware of themselves) , what they said and how they said it. Which was probably why they butted heads and totally disliked each other instantly.

Which all translated to me as



The writing was marvelously done. I loved how Julia Quinn kept it light and engaging. I rather enjoyed The 17th/18th century slang, once I allowed myself to swim with the words rather than against them. I learnt a few new ones here. It was great! 

And yes I totally read with an English Accent.

A point to consider:
This is the third in a quartet. You will meet characters who've had their own stories told. But I didn't feel like I missed anything in reading this first. All characters were given their due entrance and part in the story line and it may make you curious. The Sum of All Kisses can absolutely be read as a stand-alone though feel free to read in order. I simply 'happened upon' this one and didn't read the blurb.

Sometimes it works out best that way, makes the journey that much more intriguing. 

RATED SWEET: 4 out of 5 Sugar cubes

Reviewed by Leelo

Review of FURY by Charlotte Mc Conaghy

(Blurb from Goodreads.com)

Eighteen-year-old Josephine Luquet wakes up naked and covered in blood on the same day every year-when the blood moon is full. Josi has not responded to the "Cure"-an immunization against anger mandated by the government-and believes herself to be a threat to others. 

Then she meets Luke. Luke has had the Cure but seems different than the other "drones"-and he's dead set on helping Josi discover the truth about herself before the next blood moon. 

But time is running out. Is Luke willing to risk his life to be near her? Does he truly understand what violence she is capable of? 

Raw and full of passion, Fury is a story of love in a dystopian world, and how much we are willing to forgive in the struggle to remember our humanity. 

The way I read it ~

Sooooo many unanswered questions.



Took me a while (3 months) to hash out this review with my over-active brain, my all too deceiving curiosity and my unhinged spidey-book sense.

Fury, for me, was a bundle of unnerving sequences that left me floored, flabbergasted and feeling outright weird.



I read Josephine as strong willed but she's ultimately a tortured soul, defeated and torn by her 'circumstance'. I loved her deadpan sarcasm (I'm a total sucker for it) and her unwavering resolve (though it did annoy me when it made her seem obtuse). She was all alone in the world midst her terrifying reality till she meets Luke. 

Luke. Can I tell you about Luke?



Yeah... Luke was a picker-upper for me. He walked in like the blazing hero to swoop and conquer the heroine and set her ovaries on fire.

Well not really. But I'll just go back to my previous point...



Luke was a steady force that Josephine could not resist. He was kind and compassionate, strong willed and sweet. He was the screw driver to all Josephine's loose screws, as I like to put it.



Their romance (If I dare call it that. It was so twisted and complicated it probably isn't) was well spaced and played out. I truly felt heartbroken for them. I hoped for a bright and shiny ending for these two love birds but noooooooo. No brightness, no shine and no way it will end well, or at the very least get better before it ends in total catastrophe.

I will say I am intrigued by the whole premise of this world, where emotions are 'erased'. This story was full of suspense, mystery and weirdness. There was a bit of horror which scared and delighted me in equal measure. And as I said before, it left off with a ton of unanswered questions and wonderful possibilities. 

I feel irked. 

But I also feel excited as I contemplate where the story will continue. I'm eager for more of this dark, twisty tale.

And this feeling usually gets me into good trouble.

Here's hoping...

**************************************
Received from Publisher via NetGalley

RATED TOO SWEET: 5 out of 5 Sugar cubes

Reviewed by Leelo

Review of DEFIANCE by C. J. Redwine

(Blurb from Goodreads.com)

Within the walls of Baalboden, beneath the shadow of the city’s brutal leader, Rachel Adams has a secret. While other girls sew dresses, host dinner parties, and obey their male Protectors, Rachel knows how to survive in the wilderness and deftly wield a sword. When her father, Jared, fails to return from a courier mission and is declared dead, the Commander assigns Rachel a new Protector, her father’s apprentice, Logan—the same boy Rachel declared her love for two years ago, and the same boy who handed her heart right back to her. Left with nothing but fierce belief in her father’s survival, Rachel decides to escape and find him herself. But treason against the Commander carries a heavy price, and what awaits her in the Wasteland could destroy her.

At nineteen, Logan McEntire is many things. Orphan. Outcast. Inventor. As apprentice to the city’s top courier, Logan is focused on learning his trade so he can escape the tyranny of Baalboden. But his plan never included being responsible for his mentor’s impulsive daughter. Logan is determined to protect her, but when his escape plan goes wrong and Rachel pays the price, he realizes he has more at stake than disappointing Jared.

As Rachel and Logan battle their way through the Wasteland, stalked by a monster that can’t be killed and an army of assassins out for blood, they discover romance, heartbreak, and a truth that will incite a war decades in the making.

The way I read it ~

This book caught me by surprise.

Good surprise? Bad surprise?

Meh. I'm not even sure.

What I am sure about is NOT A SINGLE THING IN THIS BOOK WENT HOW I WANTED IT TO GO!!!



Suffice it to say, that isn't necessarily a terrible thing or within my reader-realm of control obviously. But dang it! 

There was romance and this chick right here loves the romance. This particular brand of romance was more the 'I love you but you broke my teenage heart followed by awkward degrees of heartache, angst and longing until the day our world changes forever and you realize that you love me too'



What's not no love?

Defiance for me, bordered along the line of love/hate. I hated to love it but I loved to hate it. Confusing right? Exactly! 

My spidey-book sense was all over the place.




There were moments I yelled at the characters, shook my fists and all that, I threw my reader to the side a few times in frustration because NOT A SINGLE THING IN THIS BOOK WENT HOW I WANTED IT TO GO!!!



I was outraged! I was disgusted. I was utterly intrigued. Because I didn't stop reading. It drew me in completely. I was baffled while I was in there for sure, but I didn't hate it. I didn't love it either. Could I love it? Meh. 

Who knows?



I sure don't.

What do I know? 

I'll be reading book 2.

Why? 
Because I am intrigued. 

And also...

RATER BLAND: 2 out of 5 Sugar cubes

Reviewed by Leelo