Castle of Sighs - Jennifer Murgia

Castle of Sighs by Jennifer Murgia
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

(free copy from netgalley in exchange for honest review)

A perfectly creepy story to read the week before Halloween. This witchy, ghostly tale properly chilled me from start to finish.

Rune is trying to find her place in an empty, unfamiliar castle with Laurentz, her love. She finds that her, Laurentz and the two children she's vowed to protect are not the only ones residing there.

I have only one complaint – a few chapters in I started to wonder if I was missing something, so I did a little research and discovered that Castle of Sighs is book two in the Forest of Whispers series. There was no indication of a previous book on netgalley or in the title pages of the book. Though I was still able to appreciate the novel without reading Forest of Whispers (book one), I think I would have enjoyed the story more, and felt more connected to the characters, if I had read it. I gave the Castle of Sighs 4 stars because of this.

Overall, Murgia is a gifted writer and I will definitely look up her other novels.

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Winter Wolf (A New Dawn Novel) by Rachel M. Raithby

Winter Wolf by Rachel M. Raithby
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

(free copy from netgalley for honest review)

Katalina's 18th birthday starts as a happy one and ends in tragedy. This is the story of Kat coming to terms with that tragedy and the realization that she is not all that she seems.

I really loved this story. Kat's struggle with her new identity is authentic. It doesn't feel forced or contrived to make the tale interesting. Along with the struggle are the emotions of dealing with a horrible accident that changes her whole life. I love that she doesn't get over it and embrace everything after a month or two. She goes through denial, anger and depression, just as she should. On top of that, she is astounded by her strong feelings for a boy she's just met and who becomes the only thing that is keeping her sane.

Raithby did such a fantastic job conveying the passion and despair that Katalina experiences. I cried and rejoiced with Kat. I felt her anger and frustration. I was completely engrossed in the story; I couldn't pull myself away.

There wasn't a cliffhanger ending. It could be a one-off novel or the beginning of a new series. This story enchanted me and I look forward to reading more of Rachel Raithby.

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Sydney Whyte's Gift of the Blood God: Drawn (Faelings Doom Book 1)

Gift of the Blood God: Drawn by Sydney Whyte
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I'm not too sure what to make of this one. The base storyline seems to be well thought out – twins, Lorrie and Melory, suffer a car accident and are thrown into an entirely new world together. It appears their arrival was predetermined and they have a destiny to fulfill.

The writing style was something to get used to. It seemed that as soon as I thought I had the hang of it, somehow, I would be confused again. I had to reread paragraphs/pages to fully understand what was going on.

Whyte never stops to explain the differences between Mavishan and Tishan. Are they enemies? Are they from separate countries/territories? Are the differences physical or just cultural? Then she casually mentions Cerwi a couple times, also with no explanation. If the story was told only from Lorrie and/or Melory's point of view, it would be understandable that they don't know the differences. However, the POV changes frequently. Couple that with the different writing style and the details are getting lost, I think.

The premise of the story, though, is very interesting. Whyte did not let the twins off easy in the new world. I was also happy to see that communications between the twins and captors weren't magical either. A lot of thought was put into this plot and it shows through out.

Hopefully in book 2, Whyte can somehow put in a little world-building regarding the characters. Even so, I enjoyed the story and look forward to reading the sequel.

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Noir (The Illumination Paradox #2)

Noir by Jacqueline Garlick
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

So here I am, a few days after finishing Jacqueline Garlick's Noir, and I am still banging my head against the wall. How could she do this to me! I can't wait for book 3! This is going to be absolute torture.

Noir is Jacqueline Garlick's 2nd book in The Illumination Paradox series. It starts right where Lumiere left off - Eyelet is charged with breaking her love, Urlick, out of prison and finding the cure to her sickness.

Garlick's incredible fantasy world is completely unique and wondrous. Her words weave an exciting tale from start to finish. People die, are tortured, left in asylums. There are many setbacks and lots of heartbreaking moments. And then, after all that, she leaves you with the unbelievable cliffhanger.

The book is told from multiple points of view. I love that when C.L. (Crazy Legs) tells the story, he keeps his cockney accent in the reading.

Garlick's characters are one of a kind and extraordinary. She is able to take unusual people and make them phenomenal. Urlick is not your typical hero. He has physical “defects” but he has a heart of gold. He possesses a brilliant mind that he uses to build amazing machines and daring plans. His friends are as individual as he is, especially when he meets up with the freak show.

Garlick's pulls out all the stops in her story. It's never dragging or boring. It never lulls and never fails to make your heart beat faster. I love reading this series! I almost threw my phone across the room when I read the last page. UGH!!!

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A Timeless Romance Anthology: All Hallow's Eve

A Timeless Romance Anthology: All Hallow's Eve by Sarah M. Eden
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
(Received free copy in exchange for honest review)

A Timeless Romance Anthology: All Hallow's Eve is a compilation of short, sweet novellas that have a touch of ghostly aura about them. Each of the six authors in the collection are extremely talented. The writing styles are similar so the stories flow nicely from one to the next.

The first 3 stories are historical romances that take place between 1800 and 1860. The last 3 are contemporary romances that are present day.

Of course, as with any compilation, there will be stories you like, and others not so much. I can honestly say that, while there were a couple I loved, I really liked all 6 stories. There were all types of love stories – first loves, reunions, lost loves. There is a story for everyone.

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Queen of the Deep by Kay Kenyon

Queen of the Deep by Kay Kenyon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

(Received this book for free from NetGalley)

Kay Kenyon's Queen of the Deep follows aspiring actress Jane Gray through a doorway to a fantastical realm.

This story starts off nice and easy, but quickly starts to feel like we've been invited to the Mad Hatter's Tea Party. Jane is thrown into a entirely new world full of intrigue and back-stabbing. It's not confusing as in 'hard to grasp'; it's more like 'who can she trust?'. Who's lying? Who's on her side? Can she trust anyone? She's not sure and neither are you, from start to almost the bitter end.

Kenyon's Palazzo world is extremely well-thought out. She has wonderful world and character-building and keeps you engrossed from the first page. The ending nicely wraps up the whole book, but also leaves it open for Kenyon to devise more adventures for Jane if she so chooses.

Overall, a fun, marvelous read and I will definitely check out more novels from Kenyon!

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Lumière (The Illumination Paradox #1) Jacqueline Garlick

Lumière by Jacqueline Garlick
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Received a free copy for review from NetGalley.
****
Lumiere is a steam-punk, alternate reality adventure.

At the turn of the century, Eyelet Ellsworth is looking for her father's invention that she believes will save the Commonwealth, if not the world. On the way she meets a cast of interesting characters, one being an unusual love interest, Urlick Babbit.

Garlick's imagination is one of a kind. Her inventions and world-building are ingenious and the cast of characters unique, and actually quite refreshing.

I could not put the book down once I got past the first couple chapters. At first, I was wondering if it was a totally different planet they lived on but after a bit, I realized it was just an alternate Earth.

I was on edge the entire book. It was non-stop adventure from start to finish. At times I was actually scared, like, for real. Like I was reading a horror story at times.

Garlick provides amazing imagery in this book, with an action-packed story line that makes me excited to jump right into book 2.

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