With Tide and Tempest

****

4 Stars/5

Aemi is still struggling to adapt to life in Itlantis, with people believing she is part of the Nautilus plot, someone is trying to kill her again and her mother and sister have returned home to Primus. Still trying to find out information about her father and the Azure Institute, Aemi talks to Valus, the son of Arik Nautilus, the person who destroyed Celestrus. When Aemi receives word that her best friend Kit might be alive on the surface, she and some of her friends set out to find him but will they be able to avoid Nautilus’s men who petrol the waters?

With Tide and Tempest is the really enjoyable third book in the Secrets of Itlantis series. It is addictive, just like the other books in the series, and has action, twists and romance. However, I did find it a bit similar to By Sun and Saltwater, with them going off to investigate things.

Aemi is still as good as she was in the first two books as she was clever and strong but has learn to think things through more than she did before. My favourite newish character in this book is Valus because he is not what I was expecting.

I am really enjoying this series and am really looking forward to reading the next book For Wreak and Remnant as this book ends on a bit of a cliff-hanger. I would recommend With Tide and Tempest to fans of the first two books in the Secrets of Itlantis series. 

By Sun and Saltwater

****

4 Stars/5

Life in Itlantis has turned out differently from how Aemi first imagined it, with her discovering that she is the heir to the Graywater family and a member of Itlantis high society. However, being one of the elite is not as easy as she would have believed, with Itlantis high society being fraught with rumours and accusations, multiple assassination attempts and she discovers that her father was executed for treason. Desperate for answers Aemi and her friends set off to Arctus, the ice city, but they discover more than they expected.  

By Sun and Saltwater is a really good sequel to Of Sea and Stone. It has plenty of twists and secrets, and it is fast paced and has action, mystery and romance.

I really like Aemi in this book as she has so much to deal with yet she is still strong and kind. There are lots of returning characters including Lyssia and Merclus and another character who I am glad reappears in this book. My favourite new character is Tallyn as he is not all he seems and really cared for Aemi.

This book is just as good as the last book and I am looking forward to the next book With Tide and Tempest. I would recommend By Sun and Saltwater to fans of the first book in the Secrets of Itlantis series Of Sea and Stone. 

Of Sea and Stone

****

4 Stars/5

Thanks to Xpresso Book Tours for giving me this book to review.

Aemi is a thrall in the Village of the Rocks, and has been for as long as she can remember. She dreams of travelling to Perilous, her mother’s home before her mother became a thrall and died. Aemi’s life changes forever when a ship emerges from the ocean, her village is burnt and she, along with some of the young men of the village, are taken to Itlantis, a world under the ocean made of glass cities. Aemi and her nemesis from the village, Nol, are made servants in a friendly household in the city of Celestrus, and are told not to tell anyone that they are from the surface or else they will be killed. Desperate to be free, Aemi plots to escape to the surface, but as she becomes friends with some people under the sea and the secrets and conspiracies of Itlantis, escaping is not as simple as she first thought it would be.

Of Sea and Stone is a very good fantasy novel and I found it hard to put down. It is fast paced, has a hint of romance, and action, it is also not as predictable as I thought it would be.

I liked Aemi as she was smart, resilient and struggles with her loyalties between her life on the surface and the people she has become friends with in Celestrus. Nol is an interesting character and I could never tell what he was thinking. I also liked the characters of Lyssia and Merclus and how they slowly became like a family to Aemi, and I hope we get to see more of Kit as I feel like he has a big part to play.

I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait to read the next one, By Sun and Saltwater. I would recommend Of Sea and Stone to fans of Stolen Songbird by Danielle L Jensen and Witch Fall by Amber Argyle. 

The Shadow of the Swarm

***

3 Stars/5

Thanks to Sweet Cherry Publishing for giving me this book to review.

Tallitha is trapped in the castle, Hellstone Tors, along with her brother, as she has been betrayed and is being forced to become one of the swarm. She is determined to free her Aunt Esmerelda who is trapped in the Bleak Rooms, a terrible prison, and to also break the pact before she becomes one of the swarm. With a mysterious boy following her, is she able to trust him or does he have his own agenda?

The Shadow of the Swarm is the enjoyable sequel to The Morrow Secret, and it has action, suspense and a mysterious and creepy feeling. I found this book more interesting than the previous book as it is not as slow and has more POVs.

Tallitha is not as trusting as she was in the last book but just as determined to do what she has set her mind to. With more POVs we also get to see what is happening at both Hellstone Tors and at The Winderling Spires. Quillam was an interesting character and I wish we could have learned more about him, and I was still really annoyed by Tyaas and I wish he would grow up.

I liked this book more than the last one and am looking forward to the final book in the trilogy The Dark Spell. I would recommend The Shadow of the Swarm to fans of the first book The Morrow Secrets.

You can buy The Shadow of the Swarm at Amazon UK

The Morrow Secrets

***

3 Stars/5

Thanks to Sweet Cherry Publishing for giving me this book to review.

Tallitha is bored with her life at Windering Spires and is unable to be the girl that the Grand Morrow wants her to be. Along with her brother Tyaas, she discovers that the family has a secret which could spare her from the responsibility of being the heir. Tallitha goes on an adventure through sinister forests and dangerous caves to find out the truth about her family’s past.

The Morrow Secrets is an enjoyable, creepy, and gothic children’s novel. It was slow especially when the characters were at Winderling Spires, however, it did pick up after they left. I like the illustrations in the book as it was nice to see how the people and creatures were meant to look like.

Tallitha is headstrong, loyal, and protective, however, it was said in the book that she was about 14/15 years old yet she acted much younger than that. All the other characters and creatures were really interesting and eccentric, however, I did get annoyed at Tyaas, Tallitha’s younger brother.

I predicted a lot of the twists in this book but it was still an enjoyable book. I would recommend The Morrow Secrets to fans of gothic fantasy books.  

You can buy The Morrow Secrets at Amazon UK

Captive

***

3 Stars/5

Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin (UK) Limited for giving me this book to review.

Kitty is growing frustrated with impersonating the Prime Minister’s niece, Lia Hart, firstly, because her fake fiancé, Knox, is not letting her become more involved in the rebellion and secondly, she is unable to spend much time with her boyfriend Benji. While looking for information on the prime minister, she discovers that she has been watched by the Hart family long before she was masked. After trusting the wrong person, Kitty’s greatest fear comes true as she is sent to Elsewhere, a prison from which no one has escaped. With Kitty not knowing who to trust, will she give up or help the rebellion even when it might cost her everything?

Captive is the good dystopian sequel to Pawn with action, romance and violence. It is fast paced and full of twists, some of which I saw coming but some I did not.

I liked Kitty more in this book because, even though she is really easily deceived, she still fights for what she believes in and does want to be a pawn anymore. I also like Benji as he is kind, loyal and protective of Kitty without smothering her. There are lots of new characters in this book as well as people from the previous book, my favourite is Knox as I could never tell where he stood and if we could trust him.

I really enjoyed this book and am looking to the next book, Queen. I would recommend Captive to fans of the first book in the Blackcoats rebellion trilogy Pawn. 

A Tithe of Blood and Ashes

****

4 Stars/5

It has been 2 months since the blood moon and Lucy’s life is going great (apart from doing exams) with good friends and a perfect boyfriend. The Hel-Blar seem to be drawn to Lucy, but as she discovers the secret her parents have been keeping from her, is she willing to pay the price to make it stop?

A Tithe of Blood and Ashes is a really enjoyable short story and has everything I loved from the Drake Chronicles, action, romance and the Drake Brothers. I love Lucy, and all the characters, and I am not sure how they manage to get into so much trouble.  

I preferred this short story much more than The Longest Night and please Alyxandra can you please do a Lucy and Nicolas spin-off. I would recommend A tithe of Blood and Ashes to fans of the Drake Chronicles. 

The Perilous Sea

****

4 Stars/5

A teenage boy and girl are in the middle of the Sahara with no memories of who they are and how they came to be there, and all they know is that they need to avoid the people from Atlantis. 7 weeks earlier Titus and Iolanthe have spent the summer apart and are eager to return to Eton to spend time together and to find a way to stop Atlantis and the Bane. However, when Titus makes a shocking discovery it changes everything about their relationship and the mission. With Iolanthe coming to terms with her new role and Titus finding out if he should believe his mother’s prophecies will they be able to avoid the Bane’s grasp and find a way to defeat him.

The Perilous Sea is a really good sequel, just as enjoyable as The Burning Sky. This book had action, romance, suspense and twists, and does not suffer from middle book syndrome. This book is really interesting as it is written from both the past and the present and it was fascinating how the character got from how they were to the present situation.

Everything Iolanthe believes in is challenged in this book and she has to discover who she truly is but like the last book she is a bit too perfect and good at everything. Titus has an internal battle in this book and he really struggles with what to believe in but I liked him better in this book compared to the last. The secondary characters are interesting, especially the Eton boys as we got to know them better.

There is a big twists at the end of the book and I am really looking forward to reading the last book in the series. I would recommend The Perilous Sea to fans of the first book The Burning Sky. 

On The Run

***

3 Stars/5

Thanks to I-Lanaa Twine for giving me this book to review.

3 years ago Jade’s mother disappeared and left a message which changed her and her father’s life forever. Now Jade and her dad have been moving around the country, never staying in one place for long, looking for clues about her mother. However, everything changes for Jade when she meets Derrick and she realises that all she wants is a normal life. But her secrets cannot remain hidden and the past catches up to them, and Jade has to fight to survive as her whole world is destroyed.

On The Run is an enjoyable paranormal/sci-fi book with action, romance and twists. The book felt a bit all over the place and didn’t flow very well, also the first half of the book had a different feel to it compared to the second half.

Jade in some ways was a normal teen with attitude and wanting more in life but is also very different as she is physically strong but emotionally weak as she had to grow up very quickly. While I liked Jade, I could not understand why people kept on falling in love and wanting to look after her really quickly. There are lots of interesting secondary characters such as Keith, the flawed but loving father, Derrick, the good looking boyfriend and Nuption, who is complex and sarcastic.

This is an enjoyable book and I would be interested to see what happens next. I would recommend On The Run to fans of YA paranormal or sci-fi books

Stolen Moon

***

3 Stars/5

Thanks to Xpresso Book Tours for giving me this book to review.

Katarina – a Royal Knight bound by honor and duty who steals a powerful relic from a sorcerer in a desperate attempt to save her kingdom from the clutches of a madman.

Ethan – a mercenary leader trapped between his growing attraction to Katarina and his responsibility to protect his friends from the evil pursuing her.

Zebulon – a malicious sorcerer waging war as though it’s a game, caring nothing for the lives he destroys in his quest for power.

Drawn together by a moonstone medallion – an indestructible relic with immense magical power.

Katarina steals the medallion from Zebulon and flees in the dead of night. Together with Ethan and his mercenaries, she struggles to stay one step ahead of the sorcerer and his minions in a race against time to save her homeland. Fierce battles, ravenous monsters, and bloodthirsty brigands – those are no surprise. But Katarina never dreamed her greatest obstacle could be falling in love.

Stolen Moon is a sweet and enjoyable YA fantasy novel which is the sequel to Shadow fire and is fast paced and full of action and light romance. However, there was a lot of parallels between this book and Shadow Fire as both the plot and romance were very similar.

Katarina is a very strong woman who has had a hard life but did not make her a harsh or uncaring person, but I did feel that she did not react liked most people would after their entire family just died as she seemed to get over it very fast. Ethan is the perfect hero as he is charming, protective and very loyal to his friends.

The romance is very sweet but the amount of time it took them to fall in love was even quicker and unrealistic than Shadow Fire. It was nice to see Ashlyn, Zane and some of the other characters we grew to love in Shadow Fire.

I am looking forward to reading the next book in the Light Chronicles series and whatever else Wheaton writes next. I would recommend Stolen Moon to fans of the first book Shadow Fire.

The other tour posts are at Xpresso Book Tours

You can buy Stolen Moon at Amazon UK

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