Book Review: Crooked Kingdom

 Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

Released: September 20th, 2016

Read: August 2017

Publisher: Henry Holt and Company

Format: E-Book, 536 pages

Series: Six of Crows #2

Description from GoodReads: When you can't beat the odds, change the game.
Kaz Brekker and his crew have just pulled off a heist so daring even they didn't think they'd survive. But instead of divvying up a fat reward, they're right back to fighting for their lives. Double-crossed and badly weakened, the crew is low on resources, allies, and hope. As powerful forces from around the world descend on Ketterdam to root out the secrets of the dangerous drug known as jurda parem, old rivals and new enemies emerge to challenge Kaz's cunning and test the team's fragile loyalties. A war will be waged on the city's dark and twisting streets―a battle for revenge and redemption that will decide the fate of the Grisha world.


Review: Just like Six of Crows, the ending to this duology hits every note right and kept me at the edge of my seat with every single jaw-dropping twist and turn. The gang returns with a vengeance, reminding at least me why I loved them the first time around. The book delved deeper into the backstories and life-changing moments that shape their decisions until the very end. Comparitively the side characters fall vaguely flat, but their scenes hint at more things that we just didn't have the chance to discover. 
   It was also really fun to read characters so close to each other that you almost learn more about one character from someone else's perspective than you do from their own. The gang is written so tightly-knit that it's almost like I am personally friends with all of them.
   Leigh Bardugo also keeps up the beautiful descriptions and dedicated world-building from the first book. I may be biased because she's one of my favourite authors, but I adore her writing.
   All in all, the book kept the pace, feeling, and excitement going from one end to the other and wrapped the duology up well enough for it to be over. But hopefully, maybe just maybe, there will be a follow-up.

Quoteable Quotes:
- "You like things that you can see. Like piles of snow and benevolent tree gods."
- "Fear is a phoenix. You can watch it burn a thousand times and still it will return."
- "You aren't a flower, you're every blossom in the wood blooming at once. You are a tidal wave. You're a stampede. You are overwhelming."
- "But if you couldn't open a door, you just had to make a new one."
- "It's shame that lines my pockets, shame that keeps the Barrel teeming with fools ready to put on a mask just so they can have what they want with no one the wiser for it. We can endure all kinds of pain. It's shame that eats men whole."
- "That's where you're wrong, I don't hold a grudge. I cradle it. I coddle it. I feed it fine cuts of meat and send it to the best schools. I nurture my grudges, Rollins."
- "When one plan was blown, you made a new one. When they backed you into a corner, you cut a hole into the roof."
- "And that was what destroyed you in the end: the longing for something you could never have."
- "But just as surely as life connected everything, so did death. It was that endless, fast-running river. She'd dipped her fingers into its current, heldthe eddy of its power in her hands. She was the Queen of Mourning, and in its depths, she would never drown."

Rating: 10/10

Read if You like: crime novels, bank heists, the Grisha trilogy, well built worlds.

Optimistically yours, Ola

Book Review: A Darkly Beating Heart

A Darkly Beating Heart by Lindsay Smith

Released: October 25th, 2016
Publisher: Roaring Book Press
Format: ARC, 272 pages
Read: September/October 2016

Description from GoodReads: A time-travel story that alternates between modern day and 19th century Japan as one girl confronts the darkness lurking in her soul.
   No one knows what to do with Reiko. She is full of hatred. All she can think about is how to best hurt herself and the people closest to her. After a failed suicide attempt, Reiko’s parents send her from their Seattle home to spend the summer with family in Japan to learn to control her emotions. But while visiting Kuramagi, a historic village preserved to reflect the nineteenth-century Edo period, Reiko finds herself slipping back in time into the life of Miyu, a young woman even more bent on revenge than Reiko herself. Reiko loves being Miyu, until she discovers the secret of Kuramagi village, and must face down Miyu’s demons as well as her own.

Review: Time travelling thriller about bitter teenagers in Japan? Sign me right up! This book was exactly what I'd hoped it would be, without me knowing what was about to happen at every twist and turn.
   Miyu is a wonderfully deep character who contrasts well with Reiko, who seems to only want revenge. Along with this, I found Reikos subtle "Hi I'm bi" attitude refreshing. There was no "Wow maybe I'm not straight" moment that seems to accompany her romance with Jiro.
   The way we discover important plot points in the book is a work of art. There is no foreseeable plot twists here (or maybe I'm just oblivious!) and they all clicked wonderfully. There were parts that creeped and grossed me out in a good way. They were tasteful, if that's possible, and all added to the plot.
   However, this novel is just under 300 pages. About 250 pages (not literally) build the plot and characters up beautifully, making me care, and interested me in what would happen to these dark darlings. The last 50 pages was left to make a complete ending. I was pretty sure that no author could wrap up a book in a neat bow in a mere 50 pages. And oh boy... was I right. The ending didn't fit the novel. You would find this kind of ending in a book aimed at 12 year olds. (Is that too mean?)
   But I did love the book. I adored it! Give me more, Lindsay Smith! I would like a follow-up!

Quotable Quotes:

• "I have mastered the path of hatred, and I know now where it ends. It ends with my revenge."
• "I'm tired of walking around with these memories in me, throbbing like a knife I never bothered to pull from my back."
• "Your mindset creates your reality, no matter what you believe."
• "We are all defined by our past, our choices and circumstances have made us who we are. It's all there, carved into us indelibly. But... it is not our present. Or our future. That's what we control. It's what we choose to do with the past that is entirely up to us."

Rating: 8/10

Read if You Liked: All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill, confusing but generally ok time travel, Ink by Amanda Sun, Japan?

Optimistically yours, Ola <3

Blog Tour: Lord Of Shadow Rises

Hello all! We are excited to be apart of this super cool blog tour, for this cool new fantasy book! Here it is and let us know what you think in the comments below!

The Lord of Shadow Rises
by James Terzian 
Genre: Epic Fantasy, YA

It has been 200 years since the Lord of Shadows was sealed in a horrific battle with the Order of White Rose. Now the year is 1998, a boy with murdered parent's must gather allies to stop the once powerful Lord of Shadows from regaining his full power and breaking the seal. Learning from the Order of the White Rose guardians he must fight or his parents death would be in vain.

From Norway to United States of America from China to Korea he must join with the other students and fight.

Goodreads * Amazon

​In the city of Moscow, a young teenager approached the entrance of the Greater Moscow Bank. On his shoulder he carried a bulging duffle bag. The bank’s security guard moved across the entrance as the boy approached.

“Do you need help, young man?” asked the guard.
“The only thing I need you to do,” said the teen, “is die!”
Pulling a semi-automatic from the bag on his shoulder he fired on the guard, his body sliding down the entrance door to the bank as bullets continued to ricochet against the glass. Shoving his body to the side, the boy strode through the doors and into the bank. Continuing to fire his weapon, he calmly stalked through the bank’s interior killing tellers and innocents as he came across them. With bodies littering the floor, the shooter turned and waved to three more teens that were now stationed at the entrance. The group walked over to the shooter and together they approached the vault. Grabbing the manager from his position, cowering under his office desk, they forced him to open the vault before ruthlessly shooting him when his usefulness had gone. The three teens removed duffel bags from their shoulders and began to fill them with cash. On the arm of one teen was a red hammer tattoo, and on another a sickle.
“Look for any survivors and take them out,” said the original shooter to his team. “I want no witnesses.”
Hearing sirens, the group quickly exited the building, firing as they went. Running to the end of the block, they turned left and jumped into a waiting vehicle.
“Get driving, the police are after us!” screamed the shooter. The driver, without delay, jumped on the accelerator and headed down the street and away from the bank. Turning right and gunning the gas the quartet of young bank robbers screamed in unison as a black portal opened up before them, swallowing the car.
The chasing police car stopped at the same street corner. Having been right behind them just a moment before, they were now faced with an empty street. “Chief, we’ve lost the suspects,” said the officer over the radio.
“They’ve just disappeared.”
“What do you mean?” said the voice of the Chief.
“They’ve just vanished,” said the officer.
“Report back to the station,” ordered the voice.
“Yes, sir,” confirmed the officer.
​

James Terzian is a upcoming Author with learning Disability in writing. Writing a novel to prove to others that having a Disability does not hinder you in anyway.   Born in Ukraine and came to America in 1992 at the age of five, Found his love for writing after graduation and is hoping to share his journey. Graduated with honor roll in High school despite his Disability, he strives to do what he loves, writing. He started to write fanfiction based on his childhood shows. Works for a local grocery store Safeway in Maryland.

Twitter * Goodreads * Facebook  

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Your Friends at

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Blog Tour: Shadows of Atlantis

Hello readers! So here we are again with another blog tour! We hope that you find a new read to add to your TBR pile!

Shadows of Atlantis 
Awakening
By Mara Powers ​
Genre: Fantasy

Atlantis is a luxurious paradise run by crystal technology built in alignment with nature. For thousands of years, Atlanteans have powered their cities with a Crystal Grid fed by psychic mindlight.

But the Grid has been infiltrated by parasitic shadows that feed off the negative emotions of humans - an epidemic called “the madness.” 

D’VINID, a dejected musician, is consumed by his personal problems. He meets Brigitte as she seeks to uncover the corruption in the Grid. Their magnetic attraction forces him to face his past and accept his future. He is among those born with a gene unlocking mystical powers once believed to be the birthright of all humans. 

As Atlantis slowly drowns in the trap of hubris and self-indulgence, he is faced with the shocking realization that his life may be mirroring Atlantis itself - he must choose to awaken or face destruction.

Goodreads * Amazon * iTunes * Smashwords * Kobo * B&N

MARA POWERS has been researching Atlantis avidly since she was a teenager. 

Mara Powers is a true Gen X American nomad. She has managed to establish a life of travel, moving around all her favorite cities on a quest to chase the perfect weather. She discovered the myth of Atlantis at age 16, and has made it her life work to unravel the riddle. She studies both esoteric and secular theories, and incorporates them all in her stories. In a way, her Atlantis series is a dissertation on the knowledge and experience she has accumulated over almost 3 decades. 

Also a social butterfly, Powers spent the early part of her career as an event manager. She has worked at resorts, on boats, restaurants, in the festival circuit, and underground clubs as a promoter of bands, performers and electronic music. 

Her many travels have been incorporated into her work. For instance, her time spent as a denizen of Venice Beach is represented by the dog-town-style hover tricksters who have plagued the streets of Atlantis. 

She loves hearing everyone’s past life memories of Atlantis. Shoot her an email with yours.

Website * Amazon * Goodreads * Facebook

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Blog Tour: The Sound of Rain

Hello all! We here at The Autumn Bookshelf are really excited to be apart of this blog tour! Read, add to Goodreads and comment what you think!



The Sound of Rain by Gregg Olsen

Release Date: December 13th, 2016
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Format: Hardcover, 350 Pages

Synopsis:

Former homicide detective Nicole Foster has hit rock bottom. Driven off the force by her treacherous partner and lover, she’s flat broke and struggling with a gambling addiction. All Nicole has left is the dream of a warm bed at a homeless shelter and the haunting memories of three-year-old Kelsey Chase—whose murder case ended her career.

As Nicole obsesses over the old facts, she realizes everything about that case felt off: a disinterested mom, a suicidal pedophile, and too many questions left unanswered. When the little girl’s grieving father begs Nicole for help, she’s drawn back into the investigation…and given one shot at redemption.

But the deeper Nicole digs, the more evil she uncovers, including betrayals that hit painfully close to home. Will a shocking discovery be the key to finally getting justice for Kelsey and resurrecting her own life?

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Throughout his career, Gregg Olsen has demonstrated an ability to create a detailed narrative that offers readers fascinating insights into the lives of people caught in extraordinary circumstances.

A New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author, Olsen has written nine nonfiction books, nine novels, a novella, and contributed a short story to a collection edited by Lee Child.

The award-winning author has been a guest on dozens of national and local television shows, including educational programs for the History Channel, Learning Channel, and Discovery Channel. He has also appeared on Dateline NBC, William Shatner's Aftermath, Deadly Women on Investigation Discovery, Good Morning America, The Early Show, The Today Show, FOX News, CNN, Anderson Cooper 360, MSNBC, Entertainment Tonight, CBS 48 Hours, Oxygen's Snapped, Court TV's Crier Live, Inside Edition, Extra, Access Hollywood, and A&E's Biography.

In addition to television and radio appearances, he has been featured in Redbook, USA Today, People,Salon magazine, Seattle Times, Los Angeles Times and the New York Post.

The Deep Dark was named Idaho Book of the Year by the ILA and Starvation Heights was honored by Washington's Secretary of State for the book's contribution to Washington state history and culture. His Young Adult novel, Envy, was the official selection of Washington for the National Book Festival.

Olsen, a Seattle native, lives in Olalla, Washington with his wife, twin daughters, three chickens, Milo (an obedience school dropout cocker spaniel) and Suri (a mini dachshund so spoiled she wears a sweater).

WEBSITE: http://www.greggolsen.com/
TWITTER: @Gregg_Olsen
GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15035.Gregg_Olsen
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/GreggOlsenAuthor

Interview:

What inspired the story behind the book?
Initially it was a conversation with a friend of mine who’d gotten herself into big trouble. Like Nicole Foster in my book, she’d lost everything and her life was a shambles. Yet, deep down, I knew she could pull herself out of the mess. She was strong. That idea morphed into the new novel. 

What do you hope readers take from this book?
I want them to see Nicole as somebody who made a terrible mistake, but is not going to let it define the rest of her life. I want readers to see that possibility in others they know who might have fallen hard, but deserve a second chance.

Who was the first person to read the book, and why?
I have a few beta readers that I trust and they were the first to give feedback. I trust the people around me to be honest in their assessment of what I’m trying to do. It means a lot to me to have their support. 

Which character from your book do you connect with the most?
Nicole, the lead character, has my heart. I tried to see the world through her eyes – someone who’d been badly wounded, hurt by so many, yet responsible for her own downfall. She didn’t blame anyone for her problems, but it takes her awhile to really become self-aware. I like that about her. 

If you had to describe your novel if one sentence how would you do it?
When searching for the murderer of a small child a police detective with a broken heart finds herself. 




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Blog Tour: S.H.A.Y.

Hello again, it's yet another addition to the blog tours here at the Autumn Bookshelf! Let us know what you think about the book in the comments!

S.H.A.Y. (Almost #1) 
by Christina Leigh Pritchard
Genre: NA Scifi/Suspense 
Release Date: August 16th 2016 
Limitless Publishing 

Summary from Goodreads: 

Experiment 318: Gone Rogue

Shay is scientific experiment #318. 
Science may have created her, but she refuses to allow it to blind her to the difference between right and wrong...

Synthetic Hominid Assumed Youth (S.H.A.Y.) is eighteen years old, which means she has completed Phase One: Developmental. Shay no longer requires the assistance of her Optional Human Parent, Darla, who has guided her in the process of discovering her morality. Shay loves her easy, charming life aboard the marine research facility and doesn’t want it to change. 

Phase Two: Experimental. All S.H.A.Y. ages 18-20 will experience loss...Darla shouldn’t have to die because ofan experiment. The thought of losing the only parent she’s ever known is too much. Determined to make sure the scientists at the facility don’t get their way, Shay entraps Darla in a transport device to escape across the Miami Border. There, on the mainland, law enforcement will keep her human parent safe.   


Escape Mission: Failed...

Shay crashes into one of the Lone Keys off the coast of Florida, abandoned to all humanity, except for the stranger who drags her ashore. Shay must get Darla to safety or she will die of radiation poisoning trapped inside the Freeze Portal, but Shay can’t do it alone.  

The boy who found her,an Ersatz Reproduction Intelligence Clone (E.R.I.C.), is her only hope. He has adaptation skills she needs to complete her mission. Eric was created by the same scientists who want to kill Darla, though. She tries to keep their interaction strictly business, but it’s hard to hate him. He’s flirty, charming and not to mention devastatingly handsome.  

Shay must put her trust in Eric’s hands if she wants to save Darla from her fate. It may be worth her heart, but will it be worth her life?

Add to Goodreads

About the Author:

Christina Leigh Pritchard was born and raised in South Florida. Her first stories were written at the age of nine in spiral notebooks and in the various diaries she kept. Since she's upgraded to a computer, she's completed over fifty books, including her ALMOST Series, signed with Limitless Publishing. Christina Leigh Pritchard is still going strong with many more to come! Her genre's include science fiction, dark fantasy, young adult, drama, suspense, historical romance, multicultural, comedy, poetry and many more. 


Author Links: Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Facebook 

Blog Tour Organized by: YA Bound Book Tours


Hope you enjoy the book!
Your Friends,
The Autumn Bookshelf

Christmas Wednesdays: 12 Days of Dash and Lily

12 Days of Dash & Lily by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

Released: October 18th, 2016

Read: November 2016

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Format: ARC, 215 pages

Series: Dash & Lily #2

Description from Goodreads: Dash and Lily have had a tough year since readers first watched the couple fall in love. Lily’s beloved grandfather suffered a heart attack, and his difficult road to recovery has taken a major toll on her typically sunny disposition.
  With only twelve days left until Christmas—Lily’s favorite time of the year—Dash, Lily’s brother Langston, and their closest friends take Manhattan by storm to help Lily recapture the holiday magic of New York City in December.

Review: This book was more depressing than I thought it would be, especially considering how sweet and simple the first book was. Although it did have some funny parts, it was mostly sadness and coming to terms with change.
   I am glad that Dash finally ditched his fedora, but it worried me a little that there was a noticeable change in times between the last book and this one. For instance Trump was mentioned more than once, which is way too many times for a YA novel of any kind.
   Also, out of the two, Lily definitely changed the most between books and during this one. She went from cute teenage shut-in to over serious young-adult, but still makes mistakes and risks that don't particularly fit this new stage of her life. The end brings back most of her cheerfulness but she's still different, which is good. Because she can't remain the same forever, but it also seems like too drastic of a change in one short year. I mean, she's barely seventeen.
   Altogether, a weird and slightly disappointing sequel, but a realistic disappointment... if that makes sense.

Quotable Quotes:
- "What an idiot Santa is for flying around alone. Because who would want to travel the world without another person's heartbeat beside him?"
- "The minute she left the apartment, I missed having her there. But as with all loves, I supposed, the consolation was in the fact that she'd be back."

Rating: 6/10

Read if You Liked: Dash and Lily's Book of Dares, adventures, romance, i'm not sure

Optimistically yours, Ola <3

Blog Tour: Faithfull

Hello Readers! We are stoked to be apart of the Faithful bog tour, hosted by Rockstar Book Tours! Check out the book, and let us know what you think in the comments!

About the Book:

Title: FAITHFUL

Author: Michelle Hauck

Pub. Date: November 15, 2016

Publisher: Harper Voyager Impulse

Pages: 384

Formats: eBook

Find it: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Goodreads

Following Grudging--and with a mix of Terry Goodkind and Bernard Cornwall--religion, witchcraft, and chivalry war in Faithful, the exciting next chapter in Michelle Hauck's Birth of Saints series!

A world of Fear and death…and those trying to save it.

Colina Hermosa has burned to the ground. The Northern invaders continue their assault on the ciudades-estados. Terror has taken hold, and those that should be allies betray each other in hopes of their own survival. As the realities of this devastating and unprovoked war settles in, what can they do to fight back?

On a mission of hope, an unlikely group sets out to find a teacher for Claire, and a new weapon to use against the Northerners and their swelling army.

What they find instead is an old woman.

But she’s not a random crone—she’s Claire’s grandmother. She’s also a Woman of the Song, and her music is both strong and horrible. And while Claire has already seen the power of her own Song, she is scared of her inability to control it, having seen how her magic has brought evil to the world, killing without reason or remorse. To preserve a life of honor and light, Ramiro and Claire will need to convince the old woman to teach them a way so that the power of the Song can be used for good. Otherwise, they’ll just be destroyers themselves, no better than the Northerners and their false god, Dal. With the annihilation their enemy has planned, though, they may not have a choice.

A tale of fear and tragedy, hope and redemption, Faithful is the harrowing second entry in the Birth of Saints trilogy.

Forgot about book one? Well here it is!

About the Book:

Title: GRUDGING

Author: Michelle Hauck

Release Date: November 17, 2015

Publisher: Harper Voyager Impulse

Formats:  eBook

Find it: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks

A world of chivalry and witchcraft…and the invaders who would destroy everything.

The North has invaded, bringing a cruel religion and no mercy. The ciudades-estados who have stood in their way have been razed to nothing, and now the horde is before the gates of Colina Hermosa…demanding blood.

On a mission of desperation, a small group escapes the besieged city in search of the one thing that might stem the tide of Northerners: the witches of the southern swamps.

The Women of the Song.

But when tragedy strikes their negotiations, all that is left is a single untried knight and a witch who has never given voice to her power. And time is running out.

A lyrical tale of honor and magic, Grudging is the opening salvo in the Book of Saints trilogy.

About Michelle:

Michelle Hauck lives in the bustling metropolis of northern Indiana with her hubby and two teenagers. Two papillons help balance out the teenage drama. Besides working with special needs children by day, she writes all sorts of fantasy, giving her imagination free range. A book worm, she passes up the darker vices in favor of chocolate and looks for any excuse to reward herself. Bio finished? Time for a sweet snack.

She is a co-host of the yearly contests Query Kombat and Nightmare on Query Street, and Sun versus Snow.

Her epic fantasy, Kindar's Cure, is published by Divertir Publishing. Her short story, Frost and Fog, is published by The Elephant's Bookshelf Press in their anthology, Summer's Double Edge. She's repped by Sarah Negovetich of Corvisiero Literary.

Website | Twitter |Facebook | Goodreads | Tumblr

Giveaway Details:

2 winners will receive signed paperbacks of book 1, Grudging, US Only.

Did you check out the past days of the tour? Check them out now!

Tour Schedule:

 Week One:

11/7/2016- Books,Dreams,Life- Interview

11/8/2016- Bibliobibuli YA- Review

11/9/2016- Book in the Bag- Interview

11/10/2016- History from a Woman's Perspective- Review

11/11/2016- Marty Mayberry- Guest Post

Week Two:

11/14/2016- Book for Thought- Review

11/15/2016- Curling Up With A Good Book- Guest Post

11/16/2016- Always Me- Review

11/17/2016- Dazzled by Books- Interview

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Well that's it from us!
Your Friends,
The Autumn Bookshelf