Where Is Your Bookmark: My Bookish Mewsings on Hearts Unbroken & Other Friday Fun

I just got home from a book club meeting. It is pouring rain outside, and driving in the dark when you can't see the lines on the road clearly makes for a tense drive home. But I made it safely, and I am ready to settle in for an evening with my family--but first, a visit with my favorite bookish people (you, of course!). 

Along with this mini review, I am linking to both Book Beginnings, a meme in which readers share the first sentence of a book they are reading, hosted by Gillion of Rose City Reader and First Line Friday hosted by Carrie of Reading is My Super Power, as well as Friday 56 hosted by Anne of My Head is Full of Books, in which readers share a random sentence or two from page 56 or 56% of the book they are reading.  

Half past nine a.m. in the residual haze of my junior prom, I ducked into a powder room off the kitchen at the swanky lake house where the after-party took place. [opening of Hearts Unbroken]

               ★                    

I pulled the letter out. It was short and to the point.

"There is no place like home"

Go back to where you came from.

I dropped it to the countertop and backed away, reach for the phone to text Mama. [excerpt from page 101 Hearts Unbroken]

Hearts Unbroken by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Berkley, 2018
Fiction/Romance/Young Adult; 304 pgs
Source: Own TBR

New York Times best-selling author Cynthia Leitich Smith turns to realistic fiction with the thoughtful story of a Native teen navigating the complicated, confusing waters of high school -- and first love.

When Louise Wolfe's first real boyfriend mocks and disrespects Native people in front of her, she breaks things off and dumps him over e-mail. It's her senior year, anyway, and she'd rather spend her time with her family and friends and working on the school newspaper. The editors pair her up with Joey Kairouz, the ambitious new photojournalist, and in no time the paper's staff find themselves with a major story to cover: the school musical director's inclusive approach to casting The Wizard of Oz has been provoking backlash in their mostly white, middle-class Kansas town. From the newly formed Parents Against Revisionist Theater to anonymous threats, long-held prejudices are being laid bare and hostilities are spreading against teachers, parents, and students -- especially the cast members at the center of the controversy, including Lou's little brother, who's playing the Tin Man. As tensions mount at school, so does a romance between Lou and Joey -- but as she's learned, "dating while Native" can be difficult. In trying to protect her own heart, will Lou break Joey's? [From the Publisher]

My thoughts: Hearts Unbroken was the February selection for the Diverse Romance Book Club I am in. I haven't read much in the way of contemporary YA fiction, so this was a tad outside my norm. I enjoyed this romantic coming of age tale about Louise Wolfe during her senior year of high school. She is smart and not afraid to stand up those she cares about, even if only sometimes herself. Along with the everyday challenges teens face, Cynthia Leitich Smith tackles the serious issues of racism and discrimination, including zeroing in on microaggressions and more overt acts of bigotry.  

I enjoyed the high school newspaper setting and the way the student reporters show up for one another and their dedication to reporting the truth despite internal and external pressures. Joey, Louise's love interest, was a sweetheart and although I wish his character could have been fleshed out a little more, I thought he and Louise were well matched--much more so than Louise and Cam, her ex. Shelby, Louise's best friend, is another great character.

I adored Louise's family and how supportive they are of each other. Louise and her family are Native Muscogee (Creek), relatively new to Kansas, having moved there from Texas during the middle of Louise's junior year. Kansas appears to be a conscious choice for the setting given the musical at the heart of the controversary (set in Kansas); adding to that Wizard of Oz author L. Frank Baum's racist editorials about Native Americans. The uproar by groups like the Parents Against Revisionist Theater regarding casting non-white students in roles is very much a real world problem, sadly. In Hearts Unbroken, we see the escalation of the pressure and discrimination against the students and their families as well as the faculty. 

The author packs a lot into the novel, and I came away wishing there had been more development of the side characters as well as more attention given to certain aspects of the story for a deeper look into some of the themes presented. Even so, I think the author captures the essence of her teenage protagonist very well. For the seriousness of the topics covered in this romantic YA novel, the strength in community, family, and friends is at its heart. I enjoyed Hearts Unbroken overall.

 

Does this sound like something you would enjoy? If you have read it, what did you think? 

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. It is hosted by Linda Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell and Jen from That’s What I’m Talking About. Join in by answering this week's question in the comments or on your own blog.

Share your romance (HEA/HFN) recommendations.

Just in time for Valentine's Day! These types of questions always get me into trouble because I don't know where to stop once I start making a list of books to recommend. At least this time there's a specified genre. That makes it slightly easier to narrow down. Kind of. Okay, not really. I noticed I have no historical romance listed here. I must remedy that (please share your recommendations with me!). But here are some of the romances I have enjoyed and would highly recommend. 

Burn for Me (Hidden Legacy #1) by Ilona Andrews 

Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks by Shauna Robinson

The Kiss Countdown by Etta Easton

Wolf Gone Wild (Stay a Spell #1) by Juliette Cross 

The Truth According to Ember by Danica Nava

Pride and Prejudice, and Other Flavors (Rajes #1) by Sonali Dev

Bitten (Women of the Otherworld Series #1) by Kelley Armstrong 

Exes and O's by Amy Lea

Well Met by Jen DeLuca

The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun

Haunted Ever After by Jen DeLuca

Persuasion by Jane Austen 

Kiss and Spell by Celestine Martin (all the books in the Elemental Love series are amazing)

Heartstopper by Alice Oseman (this is such a sweet graphic novel series)

Once in a Lifetime by Jill Shalvis

The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling

Share your romance novel recommendations with me! 

Every Friday Coffee Addicted Writer from Coffee Addicted Writer poses a question which participants respond on their own blogs within the week (Friday through Thursday). They then share their links at the main site and visit other participants blogs.

Have you ever read a Nicholas Sparks romance novel? If so, what is your opinion on his endings? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer)

I read one novel by Nicholas Sparks many years ago, and it was The Notebook. I vaguely remember liking the ending at the time, finding it bittersweet, which I have heard is a trademark of his novels. He is not an author I gravitate towards nor necessarily want to read more of for a variety of reasons, but none of which are related to his endings. (And don't let Sparks hear you call his books romance novels; he's very adamant he writes love stories, not romance.)

Have you read a Nicholas Sparks novel? What are your thoughts on his endings?

 I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Be sure and tell me what you are reading and are up to!

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© 2025 Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Where Is Your Bookmark: The Witch Haven & Connect 5: Series Reading

Book Beginnings is a weekly meme where readers share the first sentence of the book they are reading, hosted by the amazing Gillion Dumas of Rose City Reader. Friday 56 is a weekly meme in which readers share a random sentence or two from page 56 or 56% of the book they are reading, hosted by the wonderful Freda of Freda's Voice.

Book Beginning: 

The East River smelled distinctly of death. [first line from The Witch Haven]

Friday 56: 

Like her office, she is dressed entirely in black velvet, from her floor-length dress to her cape, identical to those the other women wear, save for the fabric and the monstrous moonstone brooch secured at her throat. Her snow white hair is piled atop her head in a pompadour. She sits as straight as a board in her chair, her yes narrowed, looking down her pointy nose at me. [excerpt from page 56 of The Witch Haven]

My Bookish Thoughts : 

The Witch Haven by Sasha Peyton Smith (Simon & Schuster, 2021, 448 pgs)

My interest in all things witchy is how this book landed on my wish list and then under the Christmas tree thanks to my daughter (okay, so mostly due to my husband). It was my choice of first book of the year—in part because I wanted to start the year off with something fun, and also because I am terrible about reading books gifted to me in any sort of timely manner and decided I should work on changing that.

This historical fantasy novel is set in 1911 New York City and follows the story of Frances Hallowell, a seventeen year old seamstress whose magic comes alive during a brutal attack that leaves a man dead and Frances not knowing exactly how it happened. The next thing she knows, she is whisked away to Haxahaven Sanitarium, which, it turns out, is a school for witches.

Life at Hexahaven does not turn out to be all Frances hopes it will be, unfortunately. The headmistress makes it clear magic is dangerous and their lessons are geared toward simple and relatively safe magic. Frances knows there has to be more to it than that. When mysterious notes appear on her pillow implying knowledge of what happened to her brother, Frances sneaks out of Hexahaven to find out who and what the person knows. Things do not go quite as planned.

I was glued to the pages of The Witch Haven for much of the novel. Frances does not always make the best choices; her tunnel vision to find out what happened to her brother sometimes getting in the way. It is clear she loved him and is grieving his loss. I liked her and wanted to know what happened to her brother as much as she did. But I also was really interested in knowing more about the girls around her, especially her closest friends, Lena and Maxine, who she meets at the school, each with their own specific magical gifts. There is also charming Finn, a friend of her brother’s and a fellow magic user, who promises to teach her and her friends the kind of magic they are not allowed to learn inside Hexahaven’s walls. He also agrees to help Frances on her quest to find her brother’s killer. When other bodies turn up in the same spot where her brother’s was found, solving the mystery becomes more urgent.

I liked how the author weaves the history of the time period into the story: woman’s place in society as well as touching on women fighting for the right to vote, how race/ethnicity and class played into it, and the insidious practice of forcing Native American children to leave their families to attend schools where they often faced abuse or worse. Such details, while in the background, add a layer to the novel that only makes it stronger.

In addition, corruption, money and power play roles over the course of the novel. The witches of Hexahaven are not the only ones with magic. An old boys club, mostly made up of a membership of wizards, pretty much has everyone of authority in their back pocket. And when they learn just what Frances is capable of, their leader wants her on his side. Even if she was interested though, would Hexahaven be willing to let her go?

The Witch Haven has a good mix of magic, mystery and romance. I was swept up into this story of self-discovery, girl power, a murder mystery, a rivalry between witches and wizards, the magic, and first love. The novel was quite an adventure with many tense moments and twists. I do wish the author had given us more insight into Maxine’s backstory—there is some, but it’s mostly vague—as well as some of the other characters at Hexahaven. I think it would have more fully fleshed out that aspect of the story for me. Even so, in the end, I was pleased with the direction the author went with the novel and I enjoyed it.

 

Have you read The Witch Haven? If so, what did you think? Does it sound like a book you would like to read? 

Connect Five Friday is a weekly meme where readers share a list of five books, 

read or unread, or bookish things, that share a common theme. 

Hosted by the  Kathryn of of Book Date.

In my year end post last week I wrote about how I want to catch up with some of the series I have started. I have begun an embarrassing amount of series over the years. For today's Connect Five Friday, I thought I would list five series in which I have read more than one book and have more than one book to go to get caught up. Rather specific I know--but I had to find a way to narrow down the list for today somehow. 

The Hollows Series by Kim Harrison 

1. Dead Witch Watching  ~ read
2. The Good, the Bad, and the Undead ~ read
3. Every Which Way But Dead ~ read
4. A Fistful of Charms ~ read
5. For a Few Demons More ~ read
6. The Outlaw Demon Wails ~ read
7. White Witch, Black Curse
8. Black Magic Sanction
9. Pale Demon
10. A Perfect Blood
11. Ever After
12. The Undead Pool
13. The Witch With No Name
14. American Demon
15. Million Dollar Demon
16. Trouble With the Cursed (upcoming release)

The Invisible Library Series by Genevieve Cogman ~ featuring 

1. The Invisible Library ~ read
2. The Masked City ~ read
3. The Burning Page ~ read
4. The Lost Plot ~ read
5. The Mortal Word ~ read
6. The Secret Chapter ~ read
7. The Dark Archive
8. The Untold Story

The Maggie Hope Mystery Series by Susan Elia MacNeal

1. Mr. Churchill's Secretary ~ read
2. Princess Elizabeth's Spy ~ read
3. His Majesty's Hope ~ read
4. The Prime Minister's Secret Agent ~ read
5. Mrs. Roosevelt's Confidante
6. The Queen's Accomplice
7. The Paris Spy
8. The Prisoner in the Castle
9. The King's Justice
10. The Hollywood Spy

The Others Series by Anne Bishop

1. Written in Red ~ read
2. Murder of Crows ~ read
3. Vision in Silver ~ read
4. Marked in Flesh ~ read
5. Etched in Bone
6. Lake Silence
7. Wild Country
8. Crowbones (upcoming release)

The Kate Daniels Series by Ilona Andrews

1. Magic Bites ~ read
2. Magic Burns ~ read
3. Magic Strikes ~ read
4. Magic Bleeds ~ read
5. Magic Slays ~ read
6. Gunmetal Magic
7. Magic Rises
8. Magic Breaks
9. Magic Shifts
10. Magic Binds
11. Magic Triumphs

Are you a series reader? Have you read any of these series?

 I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Be sure and tell me what you are reading and are up to!

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© 2022 Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Bookish Mewsings: The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna

Today is the Ritual of Purity. ~ Opening of Gilded Ones

The Gilded Ones (Deathless #1) by Namina Forna
Delacorte, 2021
Fantasy/YA; 432 pgs

Source: NetGalley

Namina Forna's The Gilded Ones was just as good as I hoped it would be. It is the story of Deka, a sixteen year old, who must take part in a blood ceremony to determine if she is pure enough to become a full-fledged member of the village she grew up in or if she will be found as impure and suffer a fate worse than death itself. Deka has always known she is a bit different and not just because of her darker skin color, never feeling like she quite belonged. But if she is found pure, she knows that will ensure her a place in the village--marriage and children and respect.

On the day of the ceremony, however, her blood runs gold marking her as impure. Subjugated to unimaginable torture and abuse, Deka is saved when a mysterious woman comes to the village and offers her a choice. To stay and suffer her current fate or join the emperor's army of impure girls like herself, the alaki, near immortals. The idea of being able to find a place where she will be accepted and actually belong and to stop the cycle of death she's suffered at the hands of the village priests, Deka agrees. As Deka learns more about her special abilities and about her roots, she's also learning how to be an unbeatable soldier. The more she learns, the more her eyes are opened--and she begins to question all she's been  taught to believe. 

The world in which Deka lives is extremely patriarchal. Women are treated poorly and those who are deemed impure, whose gold blood and has special healing abilities, are enslaved, tortured and killed over and over. The world building in this novel is intricate and well thought out, from the various regions, native and magical creatures, and history of the land and its people. It is all so richly drawn. 

Deka is just one of many characters in this novel who have been oppressed and treated terribly. I enjoyed reading about how their relationships evolved over time. There is some romance but even more so the strong bonds of friendship. Deka grows significantly over the course of the novel. Seeing her and the other young alaki come into their power and be empowered was thrilling to read, especially given where many of them came from and how they were treated.

I loved every minute of this West-African inspired fantasy novel. I can see this novel making a great book club pick. There are plenty of themes that would make for an interesting discussion. While the first half was a bit slower than the second, it was no less interesting. I heard a rumor The Gilded Ones will be made into a movie. I sure hope they do it justice.  I cannot wait to see what Namina Forna brings us next.

Challenge Met: Spring COYER Challenge

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 © 2021, Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Waiting to Read Wednesday: Surviving Savannah / An Unexpected Peril / The Rest of Us Just Live Here

The New

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by the marvelous Tressa at Wishful Endings to spotlight and discuss upcoming release we are excited about that we have yet to read.

Surviving Savannah by Patti Callahan

Release Date: March 9, 2021 by Berkley

It was called "The Titanic of the South." The luxury steamship sank in 1838 with Savannah's elite on board; through time, their fates were forgotten--until the wreck was found, and now their story is finally being told in this breathtaking novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Becoming Mrs. Lewis.

When Savannah history professor Everly Winthrop is asked to guest-curate a new museum collection focusing on artifacts recovered from the steamship Pulaski, she's shocked. The ship sank after a boiler explosion in 1838, and the wreckage was just discovered, 180 years later. Everly can't resist the opportunity to try to solve some of the mysteries and myths surrounding the devastating night of its sinking.

Everly's research leads her to the astounding history of a family of eleven who boarded the Pulaski together, and the extraordinary stories of two women from this family: a known survivor, Augusta Longstreet, and her niece, Lilly Forsyth, who was never found, along with her child. These aristocratic women were part of Savannah's society, but when the ship exploded, each was faced with difficult and heartbreaking decisions. This is a moving and powerful exploration of what women will do to endure in the face of tragedy, the role fate plays, and the myriad ways we survive the surviving. [Goodreads Summary]

Why I want to read this: Everything about this historical fiction novel calls to me. 

An Unexpected Peril (Veronica Speedwell #6) by Deanna Raybourn

Release Date: March 2, 2021 by Berkley

A princess is missing, and a peace treaty is on the verge of collapse in this new Veronica Speedwell adventure from the New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award-nominated author Deanna Raybourn.

January 1889. As the newest member of the Curiosity Club—an elite society of brilliant, intrepid women—Veronica Speedwell is excited to put her many skills to good use. As she assembles a memorial exhibition for pioneering mountain climber Alice Baker-Greene, Veronica discovers evidence that the recent death was not a tragic climbing accident but murder. Veronica and her natural historian beau, Stoker, tell the patron of the exhibit, Princess Gisela of Alpenwald, of their findings. With Europe on the verge of war, Gisela's chancellor, Count von Rechstein, does not want to make waves—and before Veronica and Stoker can figure out their next move, the princess disappears.

Having noted Veronica's resemblance to the princess, von Rechstein begs her to pose as Gisela for the sake of the peace treaty that brought the princess to England. Veronica reluctantly agrees to the scheme. She and Stoker must work together to keep the treaty intact while navigating unwelcome advances, assassination attempts, and Veronica's own family—the royalty who has never claimed her. [Goodreads Summary]

Why I want to read this: I haven't made it this far into the series yet, but having loved the first book, I will definitely be reading it when I get the chance!

Do Surviving Savannah and An Unexpected Peril interest you? What upcoming releases are you looking forward to reading?

 

The Old(er) 

I have an embarrassing number of unread books sitting on the shelves in my personal library. Carole of Carole's Random Life in Books has given me the perfect excuse to spotlight and discuss those neglected books in her Books from the Backlog feature. After all, even those older books need a bit of love! Not to mention it is reminding me what great books I have waiting for me under my own roof still to read!

The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness (HarperTeen, 2015)

What if you aren’t the Chosen One? The one who’s supposed to fight the zombies, or the soul-eating ghosts, or whatever the heck this new thing is, with the blue lights and the death?

What if you’re like Mikey? Who just wants to graduate and go to prom and maybe finally work up the courage to ask Henna out before someone goes and blows up the high school. Again.

Because sometimes there are problems bigger than this week’s end of the world, and sometimes you just have to find the extraordinary in your ordinary life.

Even if your best friend is worshipped by mountain lions.

Award-winning writer Patrick Ness’s bold and irreverent novel powerfully reminds us that there are many different types of remarkable. [Goodreads Summary]

Why I want to read this: I bought a copy of this at a local indie bookstore just because it is written by Patrick Ness. I loved his Chaos Walking Trilogy and had been wanting to try something else by him and this one sounded really good. And yet there it sits on my shelf. Still waiting its turn. 

Have you read The Rest of Us Just Live Here? Does this book sound like something you would like to read? 

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© 2021, Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Mini Bookish Mewsings: How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse / Together, Apart / Anya's Ghost

They named the child Rory, because the firstborn of every generation was always a Rory, and had been since the first of that name had cut his way through the cursed briars on the homeworld and saved the kingdom of Thorne--and, incidentally, the princess--from the consequences of poor manners. ~ Opening of How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse by K. Eason

How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse (The Thorne Chronicles #1) by K. Eason 

DAW, 2019

Science Fiction/YA, 416 pgs

Source: NetGalley for an honest review.

How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse was such a fun read. Taking on several fairytale tropes and wrapping it up in a Science Fiction novel, K. Eason's first novel in this duology tells the story of Princess Rory Thorne, gifted with thirteen fairy blessings, one of which gives her the ability to see beyond the lies and platitudes. After her father the king is assassinated, she is to marry a prince of another world for political reasons. An ambitious Regent standing in for the prince until he becomes of age is hellbent on holding onto the power for himself. Rory is no damsel in distress, and with a small group of allies, she is determined not to let the Regent have his way. 

I was immediately pulled into the novel and liked Rory right away. She is a headstrong and clever young woman. Add in a well-developed cast of secondary characters who help make this novel what it is. From the writing to the characters, to the high stakes, occasional action, and carefully orchestrated political maneuvering, Eason's novel kept me entertained and has me eager to read the second book.

"This is it!" Mom said brightly, opening the door to my new room with a grand, ceremonial swing. ~ Opening of "Love, Delivered" by Erin A. Craig in Together, Apart

Together, Apart by Erin A. Craig, Auriane Desombre, Erin Hahn, Bill Konigsberg, Rachel Lippincott, Brittney Morris, Sajni Patel, Natasha Preston, Natasha Preston, & Jennifer Yen 

Delacorte Press, 2020

Fiction/YA; 288 pgs

Source: NetGalley for an honest review.

Several authors come together in this collection to share short stories set during the current pandemic. There's a definite sense of melancholy given the situation, but there's also a sense of hope in the connections the characters are able to make even despite the circumstances. I enjoyed each of these stories, relating to their feelings of frustration at being cooped up and enjoying the creative ways they made new friends--and even found love--while taking precautions and being safe. Whether flirting to the cute boy on the balcony across the way, falling for the pizza delivery boy, connecting with someone while out walking the dog, or bonding in an oak tree, among other ways, these stories capture our reality and that we really aren't alone in this.

Krak! ~ Opening of Anya's Ghost

Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol

First Second, 2011

Fiction/Graphic Novel/YA; 221 pgs

Source: Purchased

Vera Brosgol's graphic novel Anya's Ghost is about a teenager who just wants a friend. Her life isn't going the way she would like. Anya is ashamed of her immigrant parents and traditions, and only wants to fit in with the others in her school. A ghost Anya meets after falling into a well find a way to escape the well herself by tagging along with Anya when she is rescued. As Anya gets to know the ghost, she thinks perhaps she's met the answer to her problems. It soon becomes obvious that there is more the ghost's story than the ghost has let on.

There is a definite creepy factor to Anya's Ghost. Anya is an interesting character, insecure and full of angst, who grows over the course of the novel. The artwork is well done and enhances the dialogue. This graphic novel was a bit darker than I anticipated, but I thoroughly enjoyed it--probably more so as a result. 

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© 2020, Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

My Bookish Mewsings: A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik

I decided that Orion needed to die after the second time he saved my life. ~ Opening of A Deadly Education

A Deadly Education (Scholomance #1) by Naomi Novik

Del Rey, 2020

Fantasy/YA; 336 pgs

Thank you to everyone who voted for A Deadly Education in my October TBR List poll! I enjoyed Naomi Novik's Uprooted and was looking forward to reading A Deadly Education, which I purchased shortly after it came out. It wasn't long before beginning the book that I was glued to the pages, and eager to find out what would come next for the El and her schoolmates. 

Galadriel, aka El, comes from a small commune in Wales, the daughter of a well-respected healer. All her life El has been ostracized and treated poorly, despite her mother's reputation. Not to mention, she seems to attract all the mal (monsters) who are drawn to her. Like other magically gifted children, she is sent to Scholomance to study. The school is supposed to be a safe haven for young magic users who are often the most attractive food for the maleficaria (mals) in the world, perhaps because they are untrained and still so young. However, the school is full of its own monsters who the students must regularly fight off. Hence their rules of never walking alone anywhere, not even the bathroom, and to beware of monsters who may be lurking anywhere and everywhere. There are no teachers and no holidays. It's really more a game of survival as the students learn new spells, form alliances, and try to stay alive. 

El is very much a loner. She keeps to herself mostly, reaching out only when she needs something or can make a good trade. She is not an easy person to like. She is rude and does not take grief from anyone. Perhaps that is why she is so surprised when everyone's hero, Orion Lake from the New York enclave, takes an interest in her. She wants nothing to do with him, and yet he keeps saving her (and everyone else's) life. And now he's following her around everywhere. 

El knows she holds great power. The spells the school keeps sending her way to learn lean more toward mass destruction. Not exactly the kind of spells that a person would find useful. She tries to keep her head down as much as possible--not only for her sake, but everyone else's as well. El is not in this for the glory. She simply wants to make it out alive so she can live her life, whatever that may be. She makes hard choices, is willing to take risks, and has a strong moral compass. 

Although I felt sorry for El right from the start, it took a little bit longer for me to like her. She is pretty rude and, well, obnoxious. But it isn't without reason given her past. She's had to build a hard shell  of defenses around her to protect herself and keep from getting hurt. Only, it's obvious that even she is not going to be able to get through Scholomance all on her own. And now that she's a junior, joining an existing enclave or forming her own alliance is something she needs to give serious consideration to.

Over the course of the novel, El learns to trust others to some extent, but never loses her edge completely. She has a right to be suspicious of motives. It can be hard to tell who is using who for what given the environment they live in. 

I liked the juxtaposition between El and Orion. Everyone looks to Orion to be the hero. He has always gone after the monsters and people rely on him to do so. They depend on him and he even has his own fan club. But does anyone really see him for who he is? El and he make unlikely friends given their status at the school. He's popular and she couldn't be more of a pariah. And yet they both suffer under people's perceptions and expectations of them. I don't mean to focus so much on El's relationship with Orion. While that is an important part of the book, there are other characters whom El interacts with that are also noteworthy and who I am dying to know more about. 

There is plenty of teen drama and while the novel takes a bit to get off the ground, I was still drawn into the novel and could not wait to see how everything would unfold. There is always a sense of building tension throughout the novel, which really takes off in the second half. Overall, I really enjoyed A Deadly Education. It was dark and full of magic, set in an interesting time and place, not to mention has a great set of characters. I want to see where life takes them next. 

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© 2020, Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Bookish Thoughts: The King Slayer by Virginia Boecker

I sit on the edge of the bed waiting, the day I've feared for months finally here. ~ Opening of The King Slayer

The King Slayer (The Witch Hunter, #2)  by Virginia Boecker

Little, Brown Books for Young Reader, 2016

Fantasy (YA); 377 pgs

Elizabeth Grey was once the only female on Lord Blackwell's elite group of witch hunters, finding and meting out justice to those they found guilty of witchcraft. In the previous book, The Witch Hunter, Elizabeth suddenly found herself on the other end of the spectrum, herself accused of witchcraft. On the run and suddenly the target of all the witch hunters, Elizabeth makes some unlikely allies who came to her aid.

Although Elizabeth and her new found friends were able to come out on top at the end of The Witch Hunter, it was just the beginning of the horrors to come. With Lord Blackwell angrier than ever and more desperate for power, war is sure to come and no one is safe.

Elizabeth does not have the same strength or power she did in the previous novel, but her skills as a fighter and assassin remain formidable. She is hiding among those she once saw as the enemy of the kingdom, and there is no love loss from the witches and wizards she once had targeted. They do not exactly trust her. When her healer boyfriend begins showing the strain of being under the stigma and turns against her, Elizabeth feels she must solve this problem on her own. She must take out Lord Blackwell. She knows this will likely mean her death.

I had enjoyed The Witch Hunter quite a bit, and The King Slayer was just as good in its own way. It is much more action-packed and tense. With every decision made and step taken, the suspense builds, leaving me turning the pages as quickly as I could. I really felt for Elizabeth and the situation she was in. While I think she did not always make the wisest of choices, I could see why she made them.

It was good to see some of the returning characters and get to know them a bit better, particularly John (the healer) and Shulyer (a reverent). I wouldn't have minded a bit more time with Fifer though. An interesting twist I was not expecting was the appearance of the usurped king, who has a fairly bad reputation among the witches and wizards--and for good reason. His relationship with Elizabeth is a complex one to say the least, and it was interesting to see how the two interacted in this second novel. I admit to not liking, even hating, his character in The Witch Hunter, and I certainly did not warm to him, not even by the end of this book. Although, I do think he had changed and grown as a character. Some things though are hard to forgive.

The King Slayer takes the reader deeper into the conflict between the kingdom and the witches and wizards. The Witch Hunter was richer in world building and The King Slayer more action-packed. However, the use of magic in this one seemed more diverse and unique. I thought the power shift between some of the characters, particularly John and Elizabeth, was interesting, and added a different layer to the overall stories between the two books. 

To learn more about author Virginia Boecker and her work, please visit the author's website. 

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Bookish Thoughts: Bring Me Their Hearts by Sara Wolf

King Sref of Cavanos watches me with the deadened eyes of a raven circling a corpse--patient, waiting to devour me the second I let my guard down. ~ Opening of Bring Me Their Hearts

Bring Me Their Hearts (Bring Me Their Hearts #1) by Sara Wolf

Entangled Teen, 2018

Fantasy (Romance/YA); 400 pgs

Source: Netgalley

Sara Wolf’s Bring Me Their Hearts was pure entertainment, and I enjoyed every minute of it. Zera is a Heartless, an immortal slave to the witch, Nightsinger, who saved her from the bandits who murdered Zera’s family. Zera wants nothing more than her freedom—and her heart back. Zera is used to being told no when she asks for her heart, but this time Nightsinger offers her a deal. Her heart in exchange for the heart of the prince. Those in power hate the witches and will do anything to see them wiped out of existence. The witches have other ideas and using Zera is their latest ploy to gain the upper hand. Time is short, and Zera must learn the skills of a lady in record time. She must pass as a noble or forfeit her life if caught. Her timing could not be more perfect as Lucien is about to choose a bride. At least that is what his parents want. The crown prince is hard to please, however, and nothing short of extraordinary is bound to catch his eye. Zera is not at all what Lucien expected, nor is he what she expected. The two find themselves fighting their attraction to each other while at the same time unable to stay away. The risk to Zera is high. Her very life hangs on the line either way. If she doesn’t get the prince’s heart, she will die. And stealing his heart is the last thing she wants to do.

Zera may be a bit of a smart-ass, but she truly is smart and quick on her feet. Sometimes I found myself rolling my eyes at her quips, but I liked her just the same. She is in a very difficult position, and I felt for her and her situation. I could not help but think of Monstrosity as I read Bring Me Their Hearts. Zera must work hard to keep her inner monster under control. Not having a heart inside her chest has its consequences. I read a tweet in which someone mentioned the author having referred to the voice inside Zera’s head being a mirror image of the author’s own experience with Depression and how that inner voice continually tells her hurtful things. And I could see that. Zera feels so much guilt over her past, sees herself as a monster, but the more the reader gets to know her, the more she seems less like a monster and more like the caring human being she is. For someone without a heart, she has the biggest heart of all in this novel.

It is a constant struggle for Zera to push those voices down. Zera is grateful to the witch who saved her life but also longing to have the tie to her severed. She hates her fate and the more she gets to know the prince, the less she wants him to have to go through that too. Prince Lucien has the expected arrogance of his position, and as is often the case in novels like this, is a bit of a rebel. I got annoyed at some of the games he played with Zera—clearly he likes her, but playing hard to get got old fast for me. I did like him overall though. Lucien, it turns out, has a good head on his shoulders. And I liked that the romance between the two developed over the course of the novel. Neither he nor Zera trust others quickly—and with good reason.

There are a couple of other characters in the novel that won me over as well—both of whom I was skeptical of at first. Fione, a longtime friend of the prince and Lady Y’shennria, the noble woman who takes Zera in and trains her for court. Both have their own agendas and reasons for wanting to help Zera, although Fione does not have a clue about Zera’s true identity. 

I was intrigued with the world building in this novel. The old versus the new religion, the way science and magic are woven in, and the politics.  The novel has a definite medieval feel to it. The idea of a young woman sent in to assassinate or incapacitate the prince is not a new one, of course. It’s often the story around it that varies. Sara Wolf sets her story in the middle of a war between witches and humans, in which the humans are winning. The witches have developed a strong weapon of their own—that of the Heartless, humans whose hearts they keep in jars. They control those whose hearts they hold captive. Some witches are more humane with their Heartless than others. It could be argued that Zera is lucky the witch holding her heart is humane and even at times kind to her. And while I would not argue against the affection Zera feels toward her witch, there is nothing humane about enslaving someone to do your bidding.

Cliffhangers tend to make me mad, especially in books in which I am deeply involved like this one. Be forewarned as this has a big one. I hope we don’t have to wait long for the next book! Other than that though, I thoroughly enjoyed Bring Me Their Hearts. I look forward to the next book.

For more information about the author and her books, visit her website. You can also find her on Twitter and Facebook.

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© 2018, Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Bookish Thoughts: Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

The Summer King knelt before her. ~ Opening of Wicked Lovely

Wicked Lovely (Wicked Lovely, #1) by Melissa Marr 
HarperTeen, 2007
Fantasy/YA; 328 pgs
Source: I own two copies of this book, one in print and one in e-form.

Imagine going your entire life having to pretend you cannot see an entire segment of society because to acknowledge them could be detrimental. Imagine being one of very few humans who can actually see them or know of their existence. Aislinn, or Ash as she prefers to be called, wishes she could not see them and that she was not privy to their very existence. There are three basic rules her grandmother has ingrained in her: “Don’t stare at invisible faeries”; “Don’t speak to invisible faeries”; and “Don’t ever attract their attention.”

Ash had followed the rules very closely all her life, but when Keenan, the Summer King, sets his sights on her, all of those rules fall apart. As Ash, helped by her best friend Seth, attempts to sidestep the King at every turn, Keenan’s pursuit of her intensifies. He must find his queen and defeat the Winter Queen who holds all the power and is upsetting the balance.

Melissa Marr has created a world that I instantly found myself transported to. The fae of her world are both charming and terrifying. They are mischievous and playful as well as cruel and powerful. To draw the eye of the King of Summer means the end of one’s human life as she knows it.

For all his charm and good looks, it took me a while to warm to Keenan. The more I learned about him and his predicament, the more I sympathized with him and his situation. He really is a nice person at heart, with the best of intentions. He is used to getting his way, and isn’t sure what to make of Ash, who seems to thwart his every attempt to romance her. He comes to see it as a challenge, and a sign that she truly is meant to be the Summer Queen.

Ash, who is used to trying to hiding her ability to see the faeries, is rightfully scared when she realizes all the precautions she’s taken are no longer working. She is my kind of heroine though—resourceful and smart.

I appreciated how quickly Seth came to believe Ash’s assertions about the faeries living among them, despite his not being able to see them. While in other cases I might find it too convenient, in this instance, I felt it fitting. It spoke to Seth’s devotion to Ash.

I most felt for Donia though, the human who had given her life to be with Keenan, only to be felled by the Winter Queen’s curse. Even above Ash, Seth, and Keenan, I found her to the most interesting character—and probably my favorite. There is a bit of mystery and power about her. She is the underdog who should not be underestimated.

It is obvious from the start that Ash has a crush on Seth, and he on her, despite her protestations that they are just friends. If I had to complain about anything in the book, it would be that Ash ignored the signs as long as she did. For those who do not like love triangles (I rolled my eyes at the thought about this coming into play in this one too), I feel it is worth it to continue anyway. I really liked the way everything played out in the end in that regard.

In case you get the impression this book is all romance, it is far from it. The struggle between the Summer King and the Winter Queen is quite intense, and Ash finds herself right in the middle of it all. It was hard to tear myself away from the book because I had to know how everything would play out.

Wicked Lovely reads much like how I imagine Marr’s faery world—a dash of comedy, a dollop of romance, all swirled in with the darker elements. I loved the author’s imagery of winter and summer in their fae forms, especially when the Summer King and Winter Queen were around. I found this first book in the trilogy to be entertaining and thrilling. I look forward to reading the next book in the series. Thank you to all who voted for Wicked Lovely in my January TBR List Poll!

To learn more about Melissa Marr and her work, please visit the author on the her website and onTwitter. 

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© 2018, Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Bookish Thoughts: Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo (Audio)

You do not enter a race to lose. ~ Opening of Wonder Woman: Warbringer

Wonder Woman: Warbringer (DC Icons #1) by Leigh Bardugo, narrated by Mozhan Marno

Random House, 2017

Fantasy (YA); 376 pgs (12hrs)
Source: I purchased a copy for my listening pleasure.

High on the thrill of the recent Wonder Woman movie, I was interested in giving Leigh Bardugo’s Wonder Woman: Warbringer a try. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, although I knew Bardugo was an author I had been wanting to read for a while. Wonder Woman and I go way back to the days of Linda Carter, when she magically changed into her blue, red and white costume as she twirled around to sound effects and music. In the TV series set during World War II, she battled Nazis and other especially evil bad guys. I had been skeptical about the 2017 movie, but I ended up loving it. Gal Gadot was perfect as Wonder Woman. Would Bardugo’s version of Wonder Woman and her backstory measure up? I had to find out.

Mozhan Marno, an actress on the Blacklist television show, narrates the audio version of Wonder Woman: Warbringer. I thought she did a good job of pulling me into the story and making me feel like I was a part of the characters’ lives.

I liked that Bardugo is able to get across just how different Diana is not only from mortals but also from the Amazons. She did not come to the island the same way as the other women did, dying a heroic death. Diana, a teenager, longs to prove to the Amazons she belongs and to find her place among them. When a ship wreck leads to her saving a teenage girl, Diana risks exile if she’s discovered. It soon becomes clear that the mortal girl’s presence on the island is detrimental to the Amazons, and Diana must make a choice.

Bardugo takes an iconic character and creates her own Wonder Woman story tied to legends and myths of old. Alia, the mortal girl, is being hunted by those who think she is a catalyst of war. I especially liked Alia’s backstory—or the backstory of who and what she is, to be more exact. I found it all very intriguing.

I found the book slow in spots, particularly when Diana first sets foot in New York. Her fascination with everything and everyone she encounters is interesting enough, but it dragged on a bit too long. Once Diana, Alia and friends are at the ball, however, the book picked back up for me. There was a definite YA feel to the novel (which, it is—so no surprise there), and the expected action sequences, shows of strength, a hint of romance and coming into one’s own for both Alia and Diana. There were expected and unexpected twists. Overall I enjoyed Women Woman: Warbringer, although it didn’t quite live up the hype surrounding it.

To learn more about author Leigh Bardugo and her work, please visit the author's website. 

To learn more about narrator Mozhan Marno and her work, please visit her on Twitter. 

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© 2018, Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.