The Winner's Crime by Marie Rutkoski

The Winner's Crime by Marie Rutkoski
Release Date: March 3, 2015
Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux
Pages: 402
Series: The Winner's Trilogy #2
Review Source: eARC from publish through Raincoast Books

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)

Book two of the dazzling Winner's Trilogy is a fight to the death as Kestrel risks betrayal of country for love.

The engagement of Lady Kestrel to Valoria’s crown prince means one celebration after another. But to Kestrel it means living in a cage of her own making. As the wedding approaches, she aches to tell Arin the truth about her engagement... if she could only trust him. Yet can she even trust herself? For—unknown to Arin—Kestrel is becoming a skilled practitioner of deceit: an anonymous spy passing information to Herran, and close to uncovering a shocking secret.

As Arin enlists dangerous allies in the struggle to keep his country’s freedom, he can’t fight the suspicion that Kestrel knows more than she shows. In the end, it might not be a dagger in the dark that cuts him open, but the truth. And when that happens, Kestrel and Arin learn just how much their crimes will cost them.

My Thoughts:
The Winner’s Crime is an intense sequel to The Winner’s Curse and it is so, so good. It’s very much a second book, in that things don't get resolved, more problems arise, and there's definitely not any happy shipping moments. Despite this, the plot moves forward beautifully and the emotional intensity was at a high for the the whole book.

Kestrel is determined to keep Arin safe by keeping him out of the loop. She plays a very dangerous game, loving Arin and wanting to help him (and his people, by extension), while under the watch of the emperor and the threat of her father. This book is full of courtly intrigue and Kestrel's extreme intelligence in doing everything she can for Arin without him knowing and without getting caught. I would have liked to see Kestrel and Arin working together, but I get why things were the way they were.

In this second book we also see how Arin's people, the Herrani, are surviving and what the Valorians are doing to another people in the east. There’s so much evilness in this empire that is always wanting to expand.

I can’t stop using the word intense to describe this book, because it’s such a perfect descriptor. My stomach was in knots almost the whole time reading The Winner’s Crime. Marie Rutkoski is such a talented writer. Her words are beautiful, and she does an amazing job at portraying the subjugated and the subjugators in a slave based empire. I can’t even explain how highly I recommend this series, and I am on pins and needles waiting for the arrival of the third book (which will hopefully have some happier moments in it!).

The Cover:
Like!

Rating:
[5/5]

Purchase Links:
Kobo | Amazon.ca | Amazon.com | Chapters-Indigo | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

Island Escape by Viv Daniels

Covers created by Vania Stoyanova of VLC Productions

Island Escape by Viv Daniels
Release Date: January 20, 2015
Publisher: Self-Published
Pages: 172
Series: Island Series #0.5
Review Source: eARC for review

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)

Adam
Luxury yacht, tropical seas, babes in bikinis…dream job, right? Wrong. The passengers are rich jerks who treat the crew like garbage, when they aren’t pretending we’re their whores. The best day was when that cokehead heiress Kalina tried to fire me just for doing my job. I swore I’d never go back home to my parents and their crazy fundamentalist ranch in the desert, but nothing could be worse than this.

And then the pirates attack.

Kalina
Luxury yacht, tropical seas, billionaire boyfriend…dream trip, right? Wrong. After catching my man getting “extra services” from the maid, I know I’m the laughing stock of passengers and crew. Every time I lay eyes on that quiet, handsome deckhand Adam, I can feel him judging me. I want to die, and when the pirates show up, I think I’m going to.

But Adam… he saves me. Now we’re alone together on a lifeboat in the open ocean. Adam thinks we don’t have a chance, but thanks to him, we’ve made it this far.

And then, in the distance, I spot an island…

My Thoughts:
Island Escape is a prequel to the Island series. While I haven’t yet read Book 1, it’s clear that this Book 0.5 sets up how the island was discovered and why people are living on it now.

One of our main characters, Kalina, starts out as the stereotypical rich party girl. She and her friends aren’t exactly the most endearing, with their behaviour toward the yacht’s staff and their partying drug habits. However, even when I was unsure if I really empathized with Kalina, there was still a softer (and maybe deeper) side to her. We see that she’s a secret romantic and that she has fears relating to the death of her parents. Adam grew up completely away from society, making him pretty much the complete opposite of Kalina. He’s a crew member on the yacht, drooled over by all the rich girls. He hates the wasteful, rich lifestyle and how Kalina's group treats those “lower” than them.

As you can see from the book’s description, Island Escape becomes much more than an opposites attract romance. It’s a survival story, about how Kalina and Adam stay alive in the open water, and then on a deserted island. Personally I love these types of stories. I mean, On the Island by Tracey Garvis-Graves? Utterly compelling. Island Escape doesn’t disappoint in this regard. It offers up crazy action scenes and dangers that you would expect to encounter.

I really love how Viv Daniels wrote the character changes in this book, especially with Kalina. We knew from the beginning that Surface Kalina wasn’t who Kalina really was, but being on the island forces her to sober up (literally) and examine herself. She transforms into a strong and caring person, and it’s really awesome to watch. The connection between Kalina and Adam was also great. The spark between them starts as lust, but it definitely becomes a real partnership.

Island Escape is a quick read, a great book to pick up if you’re looking for something with romance and the thrills that come with a survival tale. It features a few twists to leave you wondering, and it’s a sweet and sexy book, too. I can’t wait to see where Book 1 in the series takes us.

The Cover:
Pretty hot! Eye catching, I think.

Rating:
[4/5]

Get Island Escape for free:
Amazon.com | Barnes & Noble | iTunes

Want more from the Island Series? Pre-Order Island Born on iBooks today!

Island Born releases on February 28.

Island Born by Viv Daniels

Once you come to the island,
You’ll never be the same.

Joshua Truman grew up on a private island in the South Pacific with only his philosophy books and the beauty of his surroundings for company. His billionaire parents raised him to be the perfect man, brilliant of mind and pure of spirit.

You know what? Purity be damned.

When tempting grad student Carrie Young arrives on his island with a group of researchers, Joshua makes his move. He wants her, and he’ll utilize every advantage of his gorgeous surroundings and exquisitely thorough education to seduce her.

Carrie is shocked by the things this supposed innocent is making her feel. But she must resist him, for Carrie is the keeper of dangerous secrets, and her boss has plans more devious than anyone knows…

The first of the 4-book ISLAND series.

About Viv:
Viv Daniels writes love stories for the young and young at heart. Like many of her characters, she met her husband in college, and knows all the ins and outs of navigating that kind of relationship -- from how to date when you're both flat broke to how to fit two people in narrow dorm room bed.

Her favorite new adult authors include Tammara Weber and Sarina Bowen.

Viv can usually be found on her Facebook page or Twitter feed, chatting with readers about her favorite New Adult fiction, or sharing pictures of cute boys.

Where to find Viv:
Website | Facebook | Twitter

The Worlds We Make by Megan Crewe

The Worlds We Make by Megan Crewe
Release Date: February 11, 2014
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Pages: 288
Series: Fallen World #3
Review Source: Netgalley

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)

The virus has taken away Kaelyn’s friends, her family, her home.

And now a deadly enemy threatens to take the one hope she has left: THE CURE.

When Kaelyn and her friends reached Toronto with a vaccine for the virus that has ravaged the population, they thought their journey was over. But now they're being tracked by the Wardens, a band of survivors as lethal as the virus who are intent on stealing the vaccine no matter what the cost.

Forced onto the road again, Kaelyn and her companions discover the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta is their best hope for finding scientists who can reproduce the vaccine. But with the virus already spreading among them, the Wardens hot on their trail, and hundreds of miles to cross, Kaelyn finds herself compromising her morals to keep her group alive. Her conscience seems a small price to pay if protects them and their precious cargo. Unless even that is not enough...

In the final installment in Megan Crewe’s captivating the Fallen World trilogy, Kaelyn is on the run from her biggest adversaries yet. While she continues to face horrific loss, her resolve is still strong. But to survive this shattered world, will she have to sacrifice all that's left of the girl she was?

My Thoughts:
The Worlds We Make, the conclusion to the Fallen World trilogy, is a book filled with tough decisions, harsh realities, and heartbreaking situations. But don’t let that scare you away, because this book, out of the three, definitely has the most hopeful tone, despite its dark edges.

Kaelyn is a character who I definitely admire. She always seems to find the determination to go on, no matter how difficult her situation is. I really love her strength and how she cares for other people. Kaelyn is an intelligent and empathetic young woman, someone who has had to make tough decisions and do things that aren't pretty, but who ultimately wants to do right by people. She always sticks to her goal of ending the virus by getting her late father’s vaccine to the right people. This requires making huge choices, but I so loved seeing Kaelyn realize that she has the power to shape the world into a place where she wants to live.

Megan Crewe is a very powerful writer. You can really feel the frustrations and hopes and all of the things that the characters are feeling and experiencing. This book, like the others, really looks into the nuances of human behaviour, examining the type of things you'll do to survive. There’s also heart pounding action alongside these philosophical musings, as this book focuses on Kaelyn and her group trying to avoid those who aim to hurt them.

At the end of the book I felt like some things were a tad open ended, but the way the trilogy ended still felt very right. There was definitely enough closure and a “happy for now” type of ending, or at least “at peace for now”. This is such an interesting and thought provoking trilogy, and I'd definitely recommend it to all YA fans.

The Cover:
Like it.

Rating:
[4/5]

Purchase Links:
Kobo | Amazon.ca | Amazon.com | Chapters-Indigo | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

Three by Kristen Simmons

Three by Kristen Simmons
Release Date: February 11, 2014
Publisher: Tor Teen
Pages: 384
Series: Article 5 #3
Review Source: eARC from publisher through Raincoast Books

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)

Ember Miller and Chase Jennings are ready to stop running. After weeks spent in hiding as two of the Bureau of Reformation’s most wanted criminals, they have finally arrived at the safe house, where they hope to live a safe and quiet existence.

And all that’s left is smoking ruins.

Devastated by the demolition of their last hope, Ember and Chase follow the only thing left to them—tracks leading away from the wreckage. The only sign that there may have been survivors.

With their high profile, they know they can’t stay out in the open for long. They take shelter in the wilderness and amidst the ruins of abandoned cities as they follow the tracks down the coast, eventually finding refugees from the destroyed safe house. Among them is someone from Chase’s past—someone he never thought he’d see again.

Banding together, they search for a place to hide, aiming for a settlement a few of them have heard about…a settlement that is rumored to house the nebulous organization known as Three. The very group that has provided Ember with a tiny ray of hope ever since she was first forced on the run.

Three is responsible for the huge network of underground safe houses and resistance groups across the country. And they may offer Ember her only chance at telling the world her story.

At fighting back.

My Thoughts:
Kristen Simmons concludes her fabulous Article 5 trilogy with a book full of incredibly high stakes. It seems like there’s danger and risk for the main characters at every turn, which made for an awesome, but nerve wracking, read.

Ember has come so far from the first book. There’s a real transformation in her character that is documented throughout the series. She’s brave and strong, but she also questions who she is: the person she was versus who she's become. Ember struggles a bit, not feeling entirely comfortable with the things that she's done personally and the things that she's accepted because of the situations they’ve been in.

I absolutely loved the interactions between Ember and Chase, the fact that they stayed strong and recognized how they're so much better together, but that there were still moments of tension between them. Chase is such an interesting character, and I adore him as a love interest. He’s a great guy, but he’s not that “perfect” character. Chase struggles sometimes, and he doesn’t always like sharing about his problems. Chase is this completely tough macho soldier type, but he’s also so much more than that. He has panic attacks, and he doesn’t like fighting, even though that’s what he’s good at. He’s strong and desirable, but he has a tough time dealing emotionally with the things that he’s done.

The beginning of Three is a teensy bit slow. It’s not that I found it boring at all, but I wanted more action and less sitting around and talking about what to do. Very quickly this changed and the book became extremely exciting, with crazy reveals and hold your breath type of action. Overall I thought this was a completely perfect end to the trilogy. It didn’t wrap everything in a bow with a magical solution, but neither did it leave you hanging with some far off hope like how another certain dystopian trilogy did. The end of Three leaves off with the main characters in a good place, giving the reader even more hope for the greater political situation. This was such a great book, and I really can’t recommend this trilogy highly enough.

The Cover:
Not my favourite, but I like how the three books look together.

Rating:
[5/5]

Purchase Links:
Kobo | Amazon.ca | Amazon.com | Chapters-Indigo | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

Fractured by Sarah Fine

Fractured by Sarah Fine
Release Date: October 29, 2013
Publisher: Amazon Skyscape
Pages: 357
Series: Guards of the Shadowlands #2
Review Source: Netgalley

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)
In the week since Lela returned to Rhode Island as Captain of the Guard with Malachi as her second in command, local news has been dominated by chilling sightings of human-like creatures running on all fours. Lela knows there’s only one explanation: the Mazikin have arrived in the land of the living.

Needing to maintain the appearance of a normal life for her foster mother, her probation officer, and her classmates, Lela returns to Warwick High along with Malachi. At night they secretly hunt for the Mazikin nest. To assist, two new Guards from very different parts of the Shadowlands are assigned to Lela’s unit, including the bad boy Jim, who repeatedly challenges Lela's authority. Lela struggles to keep all her Guards on the right side of the law, but their mistakes come at a terrible cost.

As one painful revelation follows another and the Mazikin start targeting those closest to her, Lela finds herself more vulnerable than she’s ever been, wanting a future more than she ever has. With an enemy determined to separate soul from body, one question remains: how much is she willing to sacrifice to protect those she loves?

My Thoughts:
I feel the need to point out that this is definitely not a happy story. Does that need to be pointed out, when the first book takes place in a version of hell for suicides? I’m not sure, but yes, this is a great book, but one that was definitely tough to read at times. There are some good moments, but they quickly dissolved into angst and pain and despair. While this sounds pretty horrible, it really is a good book (I feel like it's somehow necessary it keep pointing this out).

Fractured picks up where book 1 (Sanctum) left off, fighting the Mazikin in the human world. Our characters are trying to prevent them from taking over people, and are attempting to figure out and stop their end game. While a lot of the “twists” in the book are generally predictable, they still bring about some major feels. There were definitely moments when I was flailing (in a horrified way) and crying. It takes talent to bring about such visceral reactions, and Sarah Fine has talent in spades.

One thing I’m always impressed by in Fine’s writing is how intricate the world building is. Even though we’re physically in the human world for this book there were many details revealed of the different afterlife options, and also about the Mazikin. I’m looking forward to seeing more of this in the next book.

Fractured definitely leaves its readers with a cliffhanger. We’re left with a big decision and a question of “what now??”. There are such big things on the horizon for this series, and it definitely made me wish there wasn’t a big wait for the next book. If you’re looking for something happy and light, I’d strongly recommend you find something else (Cinderella Screwed Me Over, anyone? So cute!), but if you’re looking for something intricate and gritty, I’d really suggest you check out this series. I know I’ll be waiting with bated breath for the third installment.

The Cover:
A little busy, but gorgeous!!

Rating:
[4/5]

Purchase Links:
Book Depository | Chapters-Indigo | Amazon.ca | Amazon.com | Barnes & Noble

Horde by Ann Aguirre

Horde by Ann Aguirre
Release Date: October 29, 2013
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Pages: 432
Series: Razorland Trilogy #3
Review Source: eARC from publisher through Raincoast Books

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)
The epic conclusion to the USA Today bestselling trilogy.

The horde is coming.

Salvation is surrounded, monsters at the gates, and this time, they're not going away. When Deuce, Fade, Stalker and Tegan set out, the odds are against them. But the odds have been stacked against Deuce from the moment she was born. She might not be a Huntress anymore, but she doesn't run. With her knives in hand and her companions at her side, she will not falter, whether fighting for her life or Fade's love.

Ahead, the battle of a lifetime awaits. Freaks are everywhere, attacking settlements, setting up scouts, perimeters, and patrols. There hasn't been a war like this in centuries, and humans have forgotten how to stand and fight. Unless Deuce can lead them.

This time, however, more than the fate of a single enclave or outpost hangs in the balance. This time, Deuce carries the banner for the survival of all humanity.

My Thoughts:
This book is incredibly intense, a completely action-packed conclusion to the Razorland trilogy. I’ve enjoyed this series from the beginning, but this was definitely my favourite installment. There was a little bit of everything (action, character development, romance), and it concluded the series perfectly.

Horde features a lot of time at war. What I enjoyed (“enjoyed” being an odd word, but I’ll go with it) so much is that there real consequences and that war was never glorified. There were injuries and there were losses, and while it was sad, it was also real. Similarly, there are scenes where Deuce describes the bone tiredness she feels in long battle. Despite her skills, she’s not perfect, and she needs help from Fade or from others at times. Everything was all the more real, because Deuce is a strong and mighty character, but she’s also not invincible. I just loved how that was shown, making the book feel more real and the character more relatable.

Deuce has grown as a character throughout the trilogy, but it really shows in this book. She starts out as a Huntress, prizing the fight over anything else, but she’s learned to value people: to build a family and accept love. This book, and this series, is her journey as a warrior, but also as a person and a woman. Deuce has learned what bravery and fighting are all about. She no longer fights for glory or for the sake of fighting, but she fights for a peaceful future for her and her family.

On the romance end of things, I totally forgot how much I ship Deuce and Fade. You might not expect to find such a swoonworthy romance in a series about zombies, but these two love each other something fierce, and they are so lovely together. Horde shows such an awesome progression of their relationship.

What this book needed to really succeed was answers about the Muties, and Ann Aguirre provides them in spades. There’s a lot of discussion throughout the book about how the Muties are changing, and why they are the way they are. There are also some revelations which were definitely surprising, yet still made sense.

This book definitely wraps up the trilogy so well. I really loved how there was a happy and hopeful ending after all the misery the characters went through, but that there was also loss and a sense of the bittersweet. It left you in a good place, but it didn’t feel unrealistic. The one thing I’m not sure about is the epilogue. On the one hand it was kind of nice and sweet, but on the other hand it felt a bit cheesy and not really necessary. Either way, I am such a fan of this series, and I’m so grateful and happy that Horde was the strongest and most epic of the three books. I love when the last book of a series can remind me why I fell for the characters and the plot to begin with, and then make me want to read the series all over again, and that definitely happened here.

The Cover:
So freaky!! I like it, though.

Rating:
[5/5]

Purchase Links:
Book Depository | Chapters-Indigo | Amazon.ca | Amazon.com | Barnes & Noble