Review: The Glass Spare by Lauren DeStefano

Synopsis:

The first in a new fantasy duology, The Glass Spare is a gorgeously told tale of love, loss, and deadly power from Lauren DeStefano, the bestselling author of the Chemical Garden series. Perfect for fans of Shannon Hale and Renee Ahdieh.

Wilhelmina Heidle, the fourth child and only daughter of the king of the world’s wealthiest nation, has grown up in the shadows. Kept hidden from the world in order to serve as a spy for her father—whose obsession with building his empire is causing a war—Wil wants nothing more than to explore the world beyond her kingdom, if only her father would give her the chance.

Until one night Wil is attacked, and she discovers a dangerous secret. Her touch turns people into gemstone. At first Wil is horrified—but as she tests its limits, she’s drawn more and more to the strange and volatile ability. When it leads to tragedy, though, Wil is forced to face the destructive power within her and finally leave her home to seek the truth and a cure.

But finding the key to her redemption puts her in the path of a cursed prince who has his own ideas for what to do with Wil’s power.

With a world on the brink of war and a power of ultimate destruction, can Wil find a way to help the kingdom that’s turned its back on her, or will she betray her past and her family forever?

My Review:

2/5 ⭐️

So… I really wanted to love this book… Truly I did. But I just couldn’t get into it. Wil is SO ANNOYING and honestly nothing happened???? How is that possible you ask? Well, she basically kills a member of her family and then runs away… And that’s basically it? And don’t get me started on her love interest. Just no thanks. I DNFed this book at page 180.

~Me noping right out of this book~

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Feature Friday: Enchanted Bookmarks!

To be transparent: I am a rep for Stephanie from March until May. My rep code is DREAM10. Even though I am a rep all thoughts are my own and I would never rep for a company I didn’t already love or believe in.

Welcome to Feature Friday! This may be a sporadic thing here on my blog as the last time I did this sort of thing was a few months ago 😅 But I figured why not bring it back? Starting with Enchanted Bookmarks!

She has really cute designs from quotes to characters! She does bookmarks, magnetic bookmarks, and stickers. Also, you can have the choice of having the bookmark laminated, for an extra price, which I really like!

Here is one of her bookmarks in action!

I also have her Stranger Things kids stickers which are SO CUTE! And it’s printed on really nice sticker paper which is great.

What I really love about her shop is that every month she has a free bookmark that will be sent with orders. I have her Happy Halloween one from October which is super cute.

Overall I really love her shop. She has the best quotes! I am slowly growing a collection of her bookmarks which is so great! Check her out ✨

Blog Tour, Review & Giveaway: Within These Lines by Stephanie Morrill

ABOUT THE BOOK

 

Within These Lines

by Stephanie Morrill

Publisher: BLINK

Release date: March 5, 2019

Genre: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, WWII

 

Synopsis:

 

Evalina Cassano’s life in an Italian-American family in 1941 is everything it “should be” until she falls in love with TaichiHamasaki, the son of Japanese immigrants. Despite the scandal it would cause and that inter-racial marriage is illegal in California, Evalina and Taichi vow they will find a way to be together. But anti-Japanese feelings erupt across the country after the attack on Pearl Harbor, and Taichi and his family are forced to give up their farm and move to an internment camp.

Degrading treatment make life at Manzanar Relocation Center difficult. Taichi’s only connection to the outside world aretreasured letters from Evalina. Feeling that the only action she can take to help Taichi is to speak out on behalf of all Japanese Americans, Evalina becomes increasingly vocal at school and at home. Meanwhile, inside Manzanar, fighting between different Japanese-American factions arises. Taichi begins to doubt he will ever leave the camp alive.

With tensions running high and their freedom on the line, Evalinaand Taichi must hold true to their values and believe in their love to make a way back to each other against unbelievable odds.

 

BOOK LINKS

 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40556592-within-these-lines

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2FNuhzv

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/within-these-lines-stephanie-morrill/1128931479#/

Book Depository: https://www.bookdepository.com/Within-These-Lines-Stephanie-Morrill/9780310765233

 

My Review:

4/5 ⭐️

This book was honestly just… Beautiful. Well fleshed out and the characters were great!! Stephanie wove together such a nice story that I couldn’t put down. I love books set during this time period and this one didn’t disappoint!

TOUR SCHEDULE

https://fantasticflyingbookclub.blogspot.com/2019/01/tour-schedule-within-these-lines-by.html

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 

Website: https://www.stephaniemorrill.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/StephMorrill

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StephanieMorrillAuthor/

 

 

GIVEAWAY

 

Prize: 5 sets of a Finished Copy of Within These Lines by Stephanie Morrill + a Signed Bookplate + and a pre-order poster(USA only)

Starts: 3/4/19

Ends: 3/15/19

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: The Continent by Keira Drake

Synopsis:

For her sixteenth birthday, Vaela Sun receives the most coveted gift in all the Spire—a trip to the Continent. It seems an unlikely destination for a holiday: a cold, desolate land where two nations remain perpetually locked in combat. Most citizens lucky enough to tour the Continent do so to observe the spectacle and violence of battle, a thing long vanished in the peaceful realm of the Spire. For Vaela, the war holds little interest. As a talented apprentice cartographer and a descendant of the Continent herself, she sees the journey as a dream come true: a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to improve upon the maps she’s drawn of this vast, frozen land. 

But Vaela’s dream all too quickly turns to nightmare as the journey brings her face-to-face with the brutal reality of a war she’s only read about. Observing from the safety of a heli-plane, Vaela is forever changed by the sight of the bloody battle being waged far beneath her. And when a tragic accident leaves her stranded on the Continent, Vaela finds herself much closer to danger than she’d ever imagined—and with an entirely new perspective as to what war truly means. Starving, alone and lost in the middle of a war zone, Vaela must try to find a way home—but first, she must survive.

My Review:

3/5 ⭐️

I wanted to give this book a shot because the author is a real sweetie. I did like the overall story… However the language used felt very old fashioned. The writing was stilted too which detracted from my ability to read it. I did finish the book and sort of liked it? I may pick up the other one when it comes out 🤷🏻‍♀️

~Me being frustrated with the way this book is written~