Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas

 Series: Throne of Glass #3

Publication: September 2nd 2014 by Bloomsbury USA Childrens

Source: Purchased

Goodreads Summary: Celaena has survived deadly contests and shattering heartbreak―but at an unspeakable cost. Now, she must travel to a new land to confront her darkest truth . . . a truth about her heritage that could change her life―and her future―forever. Meanwhile, brutal and monstrous forces are gathering on the horizon, intent on enslaving her world. Will Celaena find the strength to not only fight her inner demons, but to take on the evil that is about to be unleashed?

The bestselling series that has captured readers all over the world reaches new heights in this sequel to the New York Times best-selling Crown of Midnight. Packed with heart-pounding action, fierce new characters, and swoon-worthy romance, this third book will enthrall readers from start to finish.
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Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Series: The Illuminae Files #1

Publication: October 20th 2015 by Knopf Books for Young Readers

Source: Purchased

Goodreads Summary: This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do.

This afternoon, her planet was invaded.

The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to fight their way onto an evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.

But their problems are just getting started. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results; the fleet's AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth, it's clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: the ex-boyfriend she swore she'd never speak to again.

Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, schematics, military files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more—Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping, high-octane trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes.
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A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses #2

Publication: May 3rd 2016 by Bloomsbury USA Children's

Source: Library Book

Goodreads Summary: Feyre survived Amarantha's clutches to return to the Spring Court—but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can't forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin's people.

Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms—and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future—and the future of a world cleaved in two.

With more than a million copies sold of her beloved Throne of Glass series, Sarah J. Maas's masterful storytelling brings this second book in her seductive and action-packed series to new heights.
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My Thoughts:

First of all: what the heck? This is an 8 BOOK SERIES? WAT. 
*My review of the first book with spoiler tags here.*

It. Was. Amazing. What even was ACOTAR compared to this?? I'm so happy with how this book turned out and has completely redeemed my belief in the characters of this series. It's no secret that I didn't really care for ACOTAR. I have a whole review with spoiler tags all about the various things in it that made zero sense. Trust me, there's a lot. To be fair, it was the first of Sarah's books I'd ever read and now that I have read a couple others I better understand her books/style I think. Although, to be fair, I think if I reread ACOTAR, I still would give it my very-generous-at-the-time rating of 3 stars.

I don't know where even to begin. This book has the perfect balance between action and character development. It's full of emotion and realism and I LOVED it. Gone is the Feyre cross-breed of Katniss and Bella Swan that I despised so much in ACOTAR. We're given a newborn Feyre who finds her own feet and strength to make her own decisions. Sure, there were still times I wanted to tell her to stop being stupid but those times were shortlived compared to other characters I've seen (including Celaena), and Feyre would return to being the more mature, likeable version of herself that now lives. I loved who Feyre became in this and reading as she came into her own. I cheered for her the entire time.
Rhysand. I loved Rhysand in the first book. He's actually one of the only things I listed as a "like" in my ACOTAR review from last year. I wanted to see more of him. Wanted to figure out who he really was and what his true motives were. Let me tell you: you get all of that and more in this book. I wish I could write more but, alas, spoilers. Suffice it to say, I love him and I loved what happened in this book concerning him and just yes.
Of course, we are given some scenes with some of our original characters such as Tamlin and Lucien, but let me just say, I never cared for Tamlin and I'm glad that I never fell into that fangirl love so many readers had. Tamlin has always reminded me of Edward Cullen and he continues to keep that comparison well and alive. Lucien, poor Lucien. I do wish his history wasn't what it was and that he didn't have to live his life in the Spring Court. He deserves better.
I really liked the new characters introduced in this book. The Night Court certainly holds some interesting people and I enjoyed reading and learning more about them.

I loved how the plot was paced. I think it had the perfect balance between action and harrowing scenes and fun, playful scenes that allowed us more beautiful glimpses into the world of Prythian. The way the plot played out gave us plenty of new insight into the seven courts and I really liked learning more about them. It gave me the happy feels that I got when reading the Percy Jackson series and learning more about the different cabins and demigods. And, of course, I LOVED the romance in this book. I do think that if you aren't a romance fan, this book may be overwhelming for you and you won't enjoy it as much. I mean, it's literally laced throughout the book and is a deeper theme even than ACOTAR. Although the romance in this sequel is much different and less starry-eyed I would say. I loved what it brought to the book and felt it was absolutely perfect for this sequel.

Lastly, I'm glad my predictions for this book didn't run true. If you read my review on ACOTAR, you'll see I predicted a love triangle and predicted that Feyre would spend all of her time running back and forth between two guys. I'm so glad that I was wrong (and I really hate being wrong lol). Bravo, Sarah. That's all I got to say. Bravo.

Likes: Literally all of it. I loved how Feyre changed and who she became. I loved Rhysand. I loved the new characters introduced. I loved the plot. I loved the romance. I loved the new glimpses into the world of Prythian. I loved it all.

Dislikes: Literally cannot think of anything. I'm glad that I never liked Tamlin...

Overall:
Recommend? Yes!!!
Reading the Next One? Yes!!!

Stifled by Rainy Kaye

Series: Summoned #2

Publication: May 17th 2016 by Bastei Entertainment

Source: Received a free copy of this from the publisher in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley. Thank you!

Goodreads Summary: Dimitri would like nothing more than to live a low-key life in Naples, Italy. His girlfriend, Syd, has other plans. After three months of researching, she is positive she has found a jinn on a killing spree in San Diego, California. Since Syd gave Dimitri the one thing he thought was out of reach, he feels obligated to use his ill-gained talents for her cause.

A few hours back in the US proves that Dimitri and Syd didn't quite make the clean escape they had thought. As they trail the elusive jinn, someone else trails them. What should have been a simple trip to confirm once and for all if the jinn are living among humans, instead reveals a community keeping dark secrets.

Unfortunately for Dim, the only way out is in.
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Redemption by Elora Mitchell

Series: Standalone

Publication: Self-published

Source: Received this for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, Elora!

Goodreads Summary: In a world torn apart by war, seventeen-year-old Agent 093762 is working to find her place in it. She’s moving up in rank, and things are going well—at least until she’s injured and left for dead. Now life has new meaning for her as a woman marked for death.
Her life becomes a struggle for survival, and with it comes the memories of her past. Memories she would rather forget.
But hope isn’t lost. She meets Logan, a man fighting demons of his own. Together, they will try to accept their past while looking to the future in this dark tale of betrayal, love and the lengths a human will go through to find redemption.
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Boston's Quest by Shanae Branham

Series: Holoquest #2

Publication: July 1st 2015 by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Source: Received this for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, Shanae!

Goodreads Summary: The external drive containing the information for building a hologram machine is stolen and sold on the black market. Now someone has connected a new hologram machine to the Internet, forcing people to fight for their lives in an online fantasy game. Trapped inside this deadly scenario, seventeen-year-old Boston Manning learns that her weakness for tolerating abuse is stopping her from unlocking her elven powers. Can she overcome her character flaw or will she die trying?

In book 2 of the Holoquest Fantasy Series, Boston and Jason return with another action-packed, romantic adventure. Boston’s Quest will electrify your imagination as you experience elves, dwarfs, trolls, priests, vampires, and demons as you’ve never experienced them before.
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The Wrath & the Dawn Short Stories by Renee Ahdieh

If you were unaware, Renee has released 3 novellas for her series of The Wrath & the Dawn in ebook format. Two of them are currently available for free and one of them is $1.99. I'm just grouping all three of them into one post so you will find the other two novella reviews after the jump. Enjoy!

Series: The Wrath and the Dawn #0.25

Publication: March 22nd 2016 by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

Source: Purchased

Goodreads Summary: It started as playful, if barbed, banter before rising to a fateful wager with a most notorious rake—the Captain of the Guard, Jalal al-Khoury—who may have finally met his match in a lovely, if haughty, handmaiden, Despina. But she, too, seems to have met her match in the handsome Jalal. What begins as a tempestuous battle of will and wit in short order becomes a passionate affair spurred on by tragedy of the worst kind.
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The Rose & the Dagger by Renee Ahdieh

Series: The Wrath & the Dawn #2

Publication: April 26th 2016 by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

Source: Purchased

Goodreads Summary: The much anticipated sequel to the breathtaking The Wrath and the Dawn, lauded by Publishers Weekly as "a potent page-turner of intrigue and romance."
I am surrounded on all sides by a desert. A guest, in a prison of sand and sun. My family is here. And I do not know whom I can trust.
In a land on the brink of war, Shahrzad has been torn from the love of her husband Khalid, the Caliph of Khorasan. She once believed him a monster, but his secrets revealed a man tormented by guilt and a powerful curse—one that might keep them apart forever. Reunited with her family, who have taken refuge with enemies of Khalid, and Tariq, her childhood sweetheart, she should be happy. But Tariq now commands forces set on destroying Khalid's empire. Shahrzad is almost a prisoner caught between loyalties to people she loves. But she refuses to be a pawn and devises a plan.

While her father, Jahandar, continues to play with magical forces he doesn't yet understand, Shahrzad tries to uncover powers that may lie dormant within her. With the help of a tattered old carpet and a tempestuous but sage young man, Shahrzad will attempt to break the curse and reunite with her one true love. 
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Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

Series: Throne of Glass #2

Publication: August 27th 2013 by Bloomsbury USA Childrens

Source: Library Book

Goodreads Summary: "A line that should never be crossed is about to be breached.

It puts this entire castle in jeopardy—and the life of your friend."

From the throne of glass rules a king with a fist of iron and a soul as black as pitch. Assassin Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become his Champion. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown. She hides her secret vigilantly; she knows that the man she serves is bent on evil.

Keeping up the deadly charade becomes increasingly difficult when Celaena realizes she is not the only one seeking justice. As she tries to untangle the mysteries buried deep within the glass castle, her closest relationships suffer. It seems no one is above questioning her allegiances—not the Crown Prince Dorian; not Chaol, the Captain of the Guard; not even her best friend, Nehemia, a foreign princess with a rebel heart.

Then one terrible night, the secrets they have all been keeping lead to an unspeakable tragedy. As Celaena's world shatters, she will be forced to give up the very thing most precious to her and decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie... and whom she is ultimately willing to fight for.
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Sparked by Sheena Snow

Series: Metal Bones #1

Publication: December 16th 2015 by Soul Mate Publishing

Source: Received a free copy of this in exchange for an honest review from ebooksforreview.com. Thank you!

Goodreads Summary: They weren't supposed to have feelings.

Metal will Clash

In a not-too-distant future, robots composed of metal for bones, electric cords for veins, and synthetics for skin are now available. For purchase. Eighteen-year-old Vienna Avery’s home is going to change forever, now that her mom purchased a French Chef Robot to cook and reside in their house.

Secrets will Unfold

The government claimed robots were indifferent, unthinking pieces of metal and elastic—assistance for hire to humans. Vienna never believed much of what the government said. The pieces didn’t always fit. And now Vienna knows why, because she’s uncovered the government’s secret: that robots have emotions, sucking Vienna into the underground world of feeling, thinking, and sovereign robots.

Sparks will Fly

Alec Cypher is everything a robot is not supposed to be: deep, dark, and dangerously human. And for some reason, he wants to save Vienna from the government’s prying, vindictive eyes. Going forward, Vienna will have to learn to trust robots and battle the growing feelings she never thought possible . . . feelings for the green-eyed, soul-searching robot named Alec.
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Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Series: Throne of Glass #1

Publication: May 7th 2013 by Bloomsbury USA Children's

Source: Library Book

Goodreads Summary: "Nothing is a coincidence. Everything has a purpose. You were meant to come to this castle, just as you were meant to be an assassin."

When magic has gone from the world, and a vicious king rules from his throne of glass, an assassin comes to the castle. She does not come to kill, but to win her freedom. If she can defeat twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition to find the greatest assassin in the land, she will become the King's Champion and be released from prison.

Her name is Celaena Sardothien.

The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her.

And a princess from a foreign land will become the one thing Celaena never thought she'd have again: a friend.

But something evil dwells in the castle—and it's there to kill. When her competitors start dying, horribly, one by one, Celaena's fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival—and a desperate quest to root out the source of the evil before it destroys her world.
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DiSemblance by Shanae Branham

Series: Holoquest #1

Publication: August 20th 2012 by CreateSpace

Source: Received a free copy of this in exchange for an honest review from ebooksforreview.com. Thank you!

Goodreads Summary: Jason Tanner lives between two worlds. Problem is, only one is real.

Inside the hologram machine 17-year-old Jason has everything his heart desires, including a digital simulation of his dead mother. While outside the machine, he’s forbidden contact with everyone. Living within the shadow of a serial killer, Jason is captivated by the beautiful girl next door, Boston Manning. Disobeying his father, he secretly cultivates a relationship with her.

For Boston life is divided into those that have and those that have not. Displaced in a new high school, she is determined to have the life she’s always wanted. But will her choices hijack her dreams and plunge her into the treacherous clutches of a serial killer?

As an action-packed romantic thriller, DiSemblance is sure to keep you guessing until the very end.

“A Marvelous, fast-paced thriller, sure to appeal to teen science-fiction aficionados and the uninitiated alike.” ~ Jill Allen, Clarion Review
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Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Series: Lux #1

Publication: May 8th 2012 by Entangled Teen

Source: Library Book

Goodreads Summary: Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I’d pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring… until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something… unexpected happens.

The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon’s touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I’m getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.

If I don’t kill him first, that is.
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Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs

Series: Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children #3

Publication: September 22nd 2015 by Quirk Books

Source: Purchased

Goodreads Summary:  boy with extraordinary powers. An army of deadly monsters. An epic battle for the future of peculiardom.

The adventure that began with Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children and continued in Hollow City comes to a thrilling conclusion with Library of Souls. As the story opens, sixteen-year-old Jacob discovers a powerful new ability, and soon he’s diving through history to rescue his peculiar companions from a heavily guarded fortress. Accompanying Jacob on his journey are Emma Bloom, a girl with fire at her fingertips, and Addison MacHenry, a dog with a nose for sniffing out lost children.

They’ll travel from modern-day London to the labyrinthine alleys of Devil’s Acre, the most wretched slum in all of Victorian England. It’s a place where the fate of peculiar children everywhere will be decided once and for all. Like its predecessors, Library of Souls blends thrilling fantasy with never-before-published vintage photography to create a one-of-a-kind reading experience.
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Fatal Exchange by Cindy M. Hogan

Series: Christy #3

Publication:  September 22nd 2015 by O'neal Publishing

Source: Received a free copy of this in exchange for an honest review from ebooksforreview.com. Thank you!

Goodreads Summary: For 19-year-old Christy Hadden, it’s life as usual as a spy, only this time in Paris, France. Her mission: retrieve a flash drive containing evidence that a high public official is working to destroy Paris. Pretty standard, until someone steals the drive from her. Forced to abandon her position protecting the informant, she goes after the thief, but returns empty handed—only to find her informant dead.

Christy's failure taints her reputation at Division and the director has lost all faith in her. But Christy isn't one to slink into the shadows. Alone and disgraced, she decides to track down the drive and solve the murder, not only to redeem herself as a spy, but to give meaning to her informant’s sacrifice, and perhaps even save Paris.

Suspenseful, with the right amount of romance, and awash with action, Fatal Exchange will send you on a thrill ride that will be hard to forget.
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Winter by Marissa Meyer

Series: The Lunar Chronicles #4

Publication: November 10th 2015 by Feiwel and Friends

Source: Purchased

Goodreads Summary: Princess Winter is admired by the Lunar people for her grace and kindness, and despite the scars that mar her face, her beauty is said to be even more breathtaking than that of her stepmother, Queen Levana.

Winter despises her stepmother, and knows Levana won’t approve of her feelings for her childhood friend—the handsome palace guard, Jacin. But Winter isn’t as weak as Levana believes her to be and she’s been undermining her stepmother’s wishes for years. Together with the cyborg mechanic, Cinder, and her allies, Winter might even have the power to launch a revolution and win a war that’s been raging for far too long.

Can Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter defeat Levana and find their happily ever afters?
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Kate Unmasked by Cindy M. Hogan

Series: Code of Silence #1

Publication: August 18th 2015 by O'neal Publishing

Source: Received a free copy of this in exchange for an honest review from ebooksforreview.com. Thank you!

Goodreads Summary: The mysteries of her past consume her.

Seventeen-year-old Kate has never stopped searching for the secrets of her past - the secrets that began with her missing birth parents. After years of every lead drying up and every hope turning false, Kate finally lucks onto a promising lead.

Determined to find the truth once and for all, Kate travels to the gritty New Jersey shore. But what she finds is worse than she ever could have imagined. She can't hide from who she is, and now she must face the awful consequences of finding the very people she should have been hiding from.

Some secrets should stay dead and buried.
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The Ninth Chosen by K.A. Parkinson

Series: The Shadow Prison #1

Publication: July 1st 2014 by Legends Press

Source: Received a free copy of this in exchange for an honest review from ebooksforreview.com. Thank you!

Goodreads Summary: Sixteen-year-old Macy is not your average teenager—she’s a member of the Chosen, an elite group of gifted and magically talented children responsible for protecting humans from the monsters of the Hidden race. But when the Shard of the Ninth Chosen arrives at her Watcher’s door with the deadly Shadow Wraiths in hot pursuit, her world is shaken. The Ninth is to lead the Final Battle against the evil forces of the Dark. And when the Ninth turns out to be Tolen Parks, a clueless seventeen-year-old who has no idea he’s anything other than a freak, she figures the world is a goner. The two of them are swept down a dangerous path that tests everything Macy is ... and brings out everything Tolen can be. Amidst monsters and Radia Warriors, the pair must discover who they really are and face the heart of darkness in order to find victory ... and their destinies.
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Evertrue by Brodi Ashton

Series: Everneath #3

Publication: January 21st 2014 by Balzer & Bray

Source: Library Book

Goodreads Summary: Now that Nikki has rescued Jack, all she wants is to be with him and graduate high school. But Cole tricked Nikki into feeding off him, and she’s begun the process of turning into an Everliving herself... which means she must feed on a Forfeit soon — or die.

Terrified for her survival, Nikki and Jack begin a desperate attempt to reverse the process using any means possible. Even Cole, who they expected to fight them at every turn, has become an unlikely ally — but how long can it last? Nikki needs to feed on Cole to survive, Cole needs Nikki to gain the throne in the Everneath, Jack needs Nikki because she is everything to him — and together, they must travel back to the Underworld to undo Nikki’s fate and make her mortal once more. But Cole isn’t the only one with plans for Nikki: the Queen has not forgotten Nikki’s treachery, and she wants her destroyed for good. Will Nikki be forced to spend eternity in the Underworld, or does she have what it takes to bring down the Everneath once and for all?

In this stunning conclusion to the Everneath trilogy, Brodi Ashton evokes the resiliency of the human spirit and the indomitable power of true love.
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Defiance by G.G. Vandagriff

Series: Saga of Love and War #3

Publication: July 26th 2015 by Orson Whitney Press

Source: Received a free copy of this in exchange for an honest review from ebooksforreview.com. Thank you!

Goodreads Summary: As Hitler’s armies overrun France, Rudolf von Schoenenburg, a young Austrian baron, is living in exile in England. Though his true love, Hannah, is engaged to another man, Rudi and Hannah risk their lives together to help rescue thousands of British Troops from Dunkirk. Their powerful love story develops against the backdrop of the Battle of Britain and an old world being blown to pieces.

Rudi’s family and friends suffer under the nightly barrage of bombs and rockets of the London Blitz while he pilots a British fighter plane in what looks like an impossible defense of the small island. Each night is a desperate fight for survival, each dawn a miracle.

While Hannah spends her days and nights helping to provide early warning of German air attacks, she realizes that every hour of every day is precious. Each moment carries the threat of sudden death. As the world around her changes, should Hannah allow her passion for Rudi to overcome promises she made to her dying father in what seems like another lifetime?
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