Book Blitz: House of Chaos

Book Review: Daughters of Ruin

Daughters of Ruin by K.D. Castner

Released: April 5th 2016
Read: May 2016
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Format: Paperback ARC, 320 pages

Description from Goodreads:
Rhea, Cadis, Suki, and Iren have lived together since they were children. They are called sisters. They are not. They are called equals. They are not. They are princesses. And they are enemies.
A brutal war ravaged their kingdoms, and Rhea’s father was the victor. As a gesture of peace, King Declan brought the daughters of his rivals to live under his protection—and his ever-watchful eye.
For ten years they have trained together as diplomats and warriors, raised to accept their thrones and unite their kingdoms in peace. But there is no peace among sisters, and all plans shatter when the palace is attacked. As their intended future lies in ashes, Rhea, Cadis, Suki, and Iren must decide where their loyalties lie: to their nations, or to each other.

Review:
This novel was one that I really thought I enjoy. However this book fell just slightly off the mark. I felt that there should've been a more loving connection between the 'sisters'. They were (quite frankly) total enemies. But the rest of the book had an almost medieval twist to it, and I really liked it. But the parenthesis were OVERWHELMING! The youngest sister queen is a mere 14 years old, and is an extremely chatty person. Since the book is told from alternating POV's, her chapters were filled with ideas coming from ideas, coming from ideas. At the end of one such 'rant' I counted NINE brackets! NINE! It felt a little ridiculous.. But all in all it had an engaging story, and you couldn't have helped but feel a little attached to at least one of the queens (I quite liked Iren!). It was a nice read, but I don't see how there can be a sequel, or how this is the beginning to a whole series.

Favourite Quote:
"She knew now they would never truly be sisters, the way her father wanted."
- K.D. Castner

Rating: 6/10

Recommended for people who enjoy: fantasy, historical fiction, sister stories, female heroines

Happy Reading,
Mari 

Book Review: The Telling

The Telling by Alexandra Sirowy

Released: August 2, 2016

Read: July 2016

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Format: ARC, 400 pages

Series: Stand-alone

Description on Goodreads:

    Lana used to know what was real.

    That was before when her life was small and quiet.

Her golden step-brother, Ben, was alive, she could only dream about bonfiring with the populars, their wooded island home was idyllic, she could tell the truth from lies, and Ben’s childhood stories were firmly in her imagination.

    Then came after.

    After has Lana boldly kissing her crush, jumping into the water from too high up, and living with nerve and mischief. But after also has horrors, deaths that only make sense in fairy tales, and terrors from a past Lana thought long forgotten: Love, blood, and murder.

Review:
  This isn't a spoiler, no matter what you may think, but I am a committed member in the Alive-until-literal-body-is-proven-dead club. As soon as Ben's death was described, and I learned that he fell off a cliff into the water below, I believed that he was alive. I've watched waaaay too many of my favourite characters on TV shows die then come back to life. There's always a loop hole or a small detail that someone missed, that proves the person isn't dead. So for the majority of THE TELLING, I searched for Ben. But what happens, I will not say.
    Ben and Lana share a complex relationship, considering their horrible childhood ( before meeting each other). The stories Ben tells Lana bond them and make them closer siblings. These stories, although quite morbid, are unique and really interesting. Beakless black birds and  rosary peas, an odd combination. Also in these stories, Lana and Ben are the common protagonist, always killing the villain the same way the villain killed its victims. Lana the Brave is outgoing and fearless, unlike her current realistic self.
    Lana's relationship with Josh Parker is short and not really there. Of course they're good friends, but if you're looking for a strong romance, this is not the book for you. They act nervous and semi-casual around each other, but you can't feel their connection. It's as if she doesn't like him and is awkward around him just because he's a guy. In short: not very lovely dovey.
    The mystery was kept alive during the entirety of the novel, and made me switch between many suspects. I couldn't figure out who had the right motive and how each murder was pulled off. Why did Maggie hide where she did? Why does everyone suspect it was Fitzgerald Moore? And what did any of this have to do with Lana and Ben?
    By the end of this thriller, Lana finds out the true nature of many of the people around her. Many are not who they seem to be, and each of these discoveries is even more captivating than the one before.

Quotes:

• " I was an earthworm dreaming of being a python."
• " The good and bad are indistinguishable in the dark."
• " You can't go back in time any more than you can regrow a lung once you've lost it. The only thing to do is learn to breathe with just one."
• "Gant, the idyllic island where the millionaires of Seattle flock with their 2.4 kids, labradoodles, and trophy wives. Gant, where shit doesn't stink and bullshit is recyclable, where everyone gets to be white, rich, and an asshole."
• " Perception is nine-tenths of everything, and you only need to appear okay for them to think you are."
• " People wear sadness like they wear hats."
• " I'm tired of hearing what anyone but me thinks I should be. I want to define myself. If I am small, it's my choice. If I'm daring, it's because it's who I am. If I'm good, fine. If I'm bad, that's on me."

Rating: 9/10

Recommended if you like: thrillers, high school drama, reading about bullying, family drama, murder mysteries, the Creeping by Alexandra Sirowy, books about story telling, obsessions.

Keep flipping pages,

Lauren