With a ruthless sect
of humanity intent on wiping out their species, five intrepid heroes
must think like their enemies in this epic sci-fi adventure for fans of The Expanse and Battlestar Galactica.
The
galaxy was once terrorized by the Sturm, a group of "species purists"
intent on destroying any human with genetic or cybernetic enhancements.
Fashioning themselves as the one true "Human Republic," the Sturm cut a
bloody swath across the stars, killing billions before finally being
defeated and driven into the far reaches of Dark Space. Centuries of
peace bred complacency. Everyone believed the Sturm had died out in the
Dark. They were wrong.
The enemy has returned and, with a brutal
and decisive attack, knocks out almost all of humanity's defenses. Now
on the brink of annihilation, humankind's only hope is a few brave souls
who survived the initial attack: Commander Lucinda Hardy, thrust into
uncertain command of the Royal Armadalen Navy's only surviving warship.
Booker3, a soldier of Earth, sentenced to die for treason, whose time on
death row is cut short when the Sturm attack his prison compound.
Princess Alessia, a young royal of the Montanblanc Corporation, forced
to flee when her home planet is overrun and her entire family executed.
Sephina L'trel, the leader of an outlaw band who must call on all of her
criminal skills to resist the invasion. And, finally, Admiral Frazer
McLennan, the infamous hero of the first war with the Sturm hundreds of
years ago, who hopes to rout his old foes once and for all--or die
trying.
These five flawed, reluctant heroes must band together to
prevail against a relentless enemy and near-impossible odds. For if
they fail, the future itself is doomed.
I love space operas, space books of all sorts so I jumped at the chance
to read The Cruel Stars. At first I couldn't get into the book and to be
honest I think it was my mood and not the book. There were so many
people in the book, I thought I would never get what was going on. That
being said, I'm not one hundred percent sure of things that happened,
but I got the jist of it and started to love it.
There are five
groups of individuals that are going through one thing or another. This
is what threw me off as I wanted to get to know the first group. They
pretty much all come together in the book when they have to fight for
their lives and such.
The book has plenty of blood and guts too,
let me tell you! I mean that's fine with me, I'm just sayin' for those
that don't like that kind of thing. There are some cannibal people
things that were quite disturbing at times. There are radicals and
humans and human things and stuff.... yeah.. good times. There is a war
going on and there always seems to be people getting bit, ate, throwing
up, yelling, cursing and what not, but it makes for a good story. I do
believe my sci-fi peeps out there will enjoy this book!
*I would like to thank Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read this crazy book.
Happy Reading!
Mel ♥
GOODREADS REVIEW
Introducing an epic new trilogy from Taran Matharu, author of the New York Times–bestselling Summoner series.
Throughout history, people have vanished with no explanation. A group of teenagers are about to discover why.
Cade
is settling into a new boarding school, contemplating his future, when
he finds himself transported to another realm. He soon discovers their
new world is populated with lost remnants from the past: prehistoric
creatures, ancient relics, and stranger still — people. Overwhelmed by
his new surroundings, Cade has little time to adjust, for soon he and
his fellow classmates are forced to become contenders in a brutal game,
controlled by mysterious overlords.
But who are these beings and
why did they choose these teens? Cade must prepare for battle . . .
because hiding is not an option.
The Chosen turned out to be a bit crazier than I thought, a good kind of crazy though!
To
be honest, I'm not sure if I dreamed I read this book because it was
different to me than what the summary of the book says it's about. Don't
get me wrong, there is some crazy universe these kids get taken to but
what I read wasn't about a boarding school, it was about prison...... Am
I the one that went to an alternate universe?
Anyway.. when
Cade and some of the boys were getting transferred from the
prison/boarding school??... they actually woke up somewhere else. When
all of the boys finally come together I was thinking this was something
like Mazerunner in a way but it went totally beyond that. I don't want
to give out any spoilers but they are in some other universe? Planet?
I'm not sure but it's crazy and I would have freaked clean out and died
the first 5 minutes!
There is this Codex thing that follows them
around and can only give them so much information. They find all kinds
of stuff from different times in history, etc.
It's a fast-paced
little game of what? I'm not telling you and I don't know all of the
answers. But I am looking forward to what the end game is going to be
with this trilogy because the thing/person/whatnot that have these boys,
is freaky!
*I would like to thank Netgalley and the Publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book.*
Happy Reading!
Mel ♥
GOODREADS REVIEW
A world divided.
A queendom without an heir.
An ancient enemy awakens.
The
House of Berethnet has ruled Inys for a thousand years. Still unwed,
Queen Sabran the Ninth must conceive a daughter to protect her realm
from destruction—but assassins are getting closer to her door.
Ead
Duryan is an outsider at court. Though she has risen to the position of
lady-in-waiting, she is loyal to a hidden society of mages. Ead keeps a
watchful eye on Sabran, secretly protecting her with forbidden magic.
Across
the dark sea, Tané has trained all her life to be a dragonrider, but is
forced to make a choice that could see her life unravel.
Meanwhile, the divided East and West refuse to parley, and forces of chaos are rising from their sleep.
LOOK OMG
I
love this book so damn much!! I have this special edition, the kindle
and the Audio! I loved so much about this book, the world, the people,
the dragons! Ead is one of my favorite characters! I’m looking forward
to savoring the Reread on Audio!!
I’m going to add a few excerpts and that’s me done!!
An enormous head towered over the fence of Orisima. It belonged to a creature born of jewel and sea.
Cloud
steamed from its scales-scales of moonstone, so bright they seemed to
glow from within. A crust of gemlike droplets glistened on each one.
Each eye was a burning star, and each horn was quicksilver, agleam under
the pallid moon. The creature flowed with the grace of a ribbon past
the bridge and took to the skies, light and quiet as a paper kite.
A
dragon. Even as it rose over Cape Hisan, others were ascending from the
water, leaving a chill mist in their wake. Niclays presses a hand to
the drumbeat in his chest.
"Now, what," he murmured, "are they doing here?"
Her
bare feet lit upon the marble. As the cutthroat stepped into the Great
Bedchamber, dagger aloft, she covered his mouth and drove her blade
between his ribs.
The cutthroat bucked. Ead held fast, careful not to let a drop of blood spill on to her.
*****
The
dragon rose with the rest of her kin over the rooftops of the city.
Water made flesh. As a mist of divine rain streamed from their scales,
soaking the humans below, a Seiikinese male reared up, gathered his
breathe, and expelled it in a mighty gust of wind.
Every bell in the temple rang out in answer.
*****
As Fyredel unleashed his fire, so Ead broke the chains on her long-dormant power. Flame collided with ancient stone.
Happy Reading!
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
GOODREADS REVIEW
AMAZON REVIEW
This is the first year I have heard of Tome Topple! I was totally excited a I have many Tomes! I might even do this challenge for myself as a monthly or bi-monthly challenge. I'm not sure on that one! But here are the books I read and my star reviews. 10 books total
BOOK 1:
The sequel to Alex Marshall's A Crown for Cold Silver, an outstanding, game-changing epic adventure featuring an unforgettable warrior.
After
five hundred years, the Sunken Kingdom has returned, and brought with
it a monstrous secret that threatens to destroy every country on the
Star.
As an inhuman army gathers on its shores, poised to invade
the Immaculate Isles, the members of the Cobalt Company face an ugly
choice: abandon their dreams of glory and vengeance to combat a menace
from another realm, or pursue their ambitions and hope the Star is still
there when the smoke clears.
Five villains. One legendary general. A battle for survival.
I gave this book 4 stars and thought it was a great second book in the trilogy
BOOK 2:
The final book in the Crimson Empire trilogy, a game-changing fantasy epic featuring an unforgettable warrior.
Former
warrior queen and now pariah, Cold Zosia wakes in the ashes of a
burning city. Her vengeance has brought her to this - her heroic
reputation in tatters, her allies scattered far and wide, and her world
on the cusp of ruin.
General Ji-Hyeon has vanished into the
legendary First Dark, leaving her lover Sullen alone to carry out the
grim commands of a dead goddess. The barbarian Maroto is held captive by
a demonic army hell-bent on the extermination of the Crimson Empire,
and only his protégé Purna believes he can be saved.
Zosia must
rally her comrades and old enemies one last time, for what will prove
the greatest battle of her many legends...if anyone lives to tell it.
FIVE HEROES. NO HOPE. A WAR AGAINST DEVILS.
The Crimson Empire Trilogy:
A Crown for Cold Silver
A Blade of Black Steel
A War in Crimson Embers
I also gave this book 4 stars! I thought it was a fantastic ending to the trilogy! Choplicker was my favorite character, but I also loved Zosia!
BOOK 3:
A kingdom at risk, a crown divided, a family drenched in blood.
The
erratic decisions of a prophecy-obsessed king have drained Innis Lear
of its wild magic, leaving behind a trail of barren crops and despondent
subjects. Enemy nations circle the once-bountiful isle, sensing its
growing vulnerability, hungry to control the ideal port for all trade
routes.
The king's three daughters—battle-hungry Gaela, master
manipulator Reagan, and restrained, starblessed Elia—know the realm's
only chance of resurrection is to crown a new sovereign, proving a
strong hand can resurrect magic and defend itself. But their father will
not choose an heir until the longest night of the year, when prophecies
align and a poison ritual can be enacted.
Refusing to leave
their future in the hands of blind faith, the daughters of Innis Lear
prepare for war—but regardless of who wins the crown, the shores of
Innis will weep the blood of a house divided.
I gave this book 4 stars! I thought it was weird, sad and good!
BOOK 4:
Mists of Avalon
meets Philippa Gregory in the first book of an exciting historical
trilogy that reveals the untold story of Languoreth—a powerful and,
until now, tragically forgotten queen of sixth-century Scotland—twin
sister of the man who inspired the legendary character of Merlin.
Intelligent,
passionate, rebellious, and brave, Languoreth is the unforgettable
heroine of The Lost Queen, a tale of conflicted loves and survival set
against the cinematic backdrop of ancient Scotland, a magical land of
myths and superstition inspired by the beauty of the natural world. One
of the most powerful early medieval queens in British history,
Languoreth ruled at a time of enormous disruption and bloodshed, when
the burgeoning forces of Christianity threatened to obliterate the
ancient pagan beliefs and change her way of life forever.
Together
with her twin brother Lailoken, a warrior and druid known to history as
Merlin, Languoreth is catapulted into a world of danger and violence.
When a war brings the hero Emrys Pendragon, to their door, Languoreth
collides with the handsome warrior Maelgwn. Their passionate connection
is forged by enchantment, but Languoreth is promised in marriage to
Rhydderch, son of the High King who is sympathetic to the followers of
Christianity. As Rhydderch's wife, Languoreth must assume her duty to
fight for the preservation of the Old Way, her kingdom, and all she
holds dear.
The Lost Queen brings this remarkable woman to
life—rescuing her from obscurity, and reaffirming her place at the
center of the most enduring legends of all time.
I gave this book 4 stars as well and I must say the narrator was awesome!
BOOK 5:
Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love and dared to imagine a world free of bloodshed and war.
This is not that world.
Art student and monster's apprentice Karou finally has the answers she has always sought. She knows who she is—and what
she is. But with this knowledge comes another truth she would give
anything to undo: She loved the enemy and he betrayed her, and a world
suffered for it.
In this stunning sequel to the highly acclaimed Daughter of Smoke & Bone, Karou must decide how far she'll go to avenge her people. Filled with heartbreak and beauty, secrets and impossible choices, Days of Blood & Starlight finds Karou and Akiva on opposing sides as an age-old war stirs back to life.
While
Karou and her allies build a monstrous army in a land of dust and
starlight, Akiva wages a different sort of battle: a battle for
redemption. For hope.
But can any hope be salvaged from the ashes of their broken dream?
This book was a 5 star reread for me!
BOOK 6:
A world divided.
A queendom without an heir.
An ancient enemy awakens.
The
House of Berethnet has ruled Inys for a thousand years. Still unwed,
Queen Sabran the Ninth must conceive a daughter to protect her realm
from destruction—but assassins are getting closer to her door.
Ead
Duryan is an outsider at court. Though she has risen to the position of
lady-in-waiting, she is loyal to a hidden society of mages. Ead keeps a
watchful eye on Sabran, secretly protecting her with forbidden magic.
Across
the dark sea, Tané has trained all her life to be a dragonrider, but is
forced to make a choice that could see her life unravel.
Meanwhile, the divided East and West refuse to parley, and forces of chaos are rising from their sleep.
I gave this book 5 stars! It was so freaking good!
BOOK 7:
Fitz has survived his
first hazardous mission as king’s assassin, but is left little more than
a cripple. Battered and bitter, he vows to abandon his oath to King
Shrewd, remaining in the distant mountains. But love and events of
terrible urgency draw him back to the court at Buckkeep, and into the
deadly intrigues of the royal family.
Renewing their vicious
attacks on the coast, the Red-Ship Raiders leave burned-out villages and
demented victims in their wake. The kingdom is also under assault from
within, as treachery threatens the throne of the ailing king. In this
time of great danger, the fate of the kingdom may rest in Fitz’s
hands—and his role in its salvation may require the ultimate sacrifice.
This book was a reread and I went from a 4 to 5 stars!
BOOK 8:
In this indispensable conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Shattered Realms series, master storyteller Cinda Williams Chima delivers spellbinding action, bittersweet reunions, and dazzling revelations.
Warrior
Alyssa ana’Raisa would do anything to protect her home, the Fells, and
her legacy, the Gray Wolf line. But as a prisoner of Empress Celestine,
Lyss is forced to turn her fearsome talents as an army commander against
her beloved homeland. Refusal would swiftly lead to her death, and her
death would end the Gray Wolf line.
In Lyss’s absence, Fellsmarch
Castle swarms with intrigue, deception, and a primordial threat. Destin
Karn, a southern spymaster with a hidden agenda of his own, might be
the queendom’s only hope of defeating the forces aligned against the
Seven Realms . . . as well as the enemies within the castle.
Unfortunately, this end of series book only got a 3 stars. It means I still liked it but not as well as he other books. I will do a reread of the entire series some time and see if that helps.
BOOK 9:
What if you weren't the hero?
Kihrin
grew up on tales of long-lost princes and grand quests - despite being
raised in a brothel, making money as a musician and street thief. One
day he overreaches by targeting an absent noble's mansion, hunting for
jewels. There he witnesses a prince performing a terrifying dark-magic
ritual. Kihrin flees but he's marked by a demon and his life will never
be the same again.
That night also leads to him being claimed as a
lost son of that prince's royal house. But far from living the dream,
Kihrin finds himself practically a prisoner, at the mercy of his new
family's power plays and ambitions. He must also discover why his
murderous father finds Kihrin more valuable alive than dead. Soon Kihrin
attempts to escape his relative's dangerous schemes, but finds himself
in far deeper waters.
He becomes tangled in a plot to kill the
Emperor, rob the Imperial Vaults, claim a god-slaying sword and free
bound demons to wreak havoc across the land. Kihrin also discovers the
old tales lied about many things: dragons, demons, gods, prophecies,
true love - and the hero always winning. But maybe Kihrin isn't fated to
save the empire. He's destined to destroy it.
The Ruin of Kings is the first book in Jenn Lyons's epic new series.
I gave this one 5 stars as I loved it to bits!
BOOK 10:
The first novel in the First Law Trilogy and debut novel from New York Times bestseller, Joe Abercrombie.
Logen
Ninefingers, infamous barbarian, has finally run out of luck. Caught in
one feud too many, he's on the verge of becoming a dead barbarian --
leaving nothing behind him but bad songs, dead friends, and a lot of
happy enemies.
Nobleman, dashing officer, and paragon of
selfishness, Captain Jezal dan Luthar has nothing more dangerous in mind
than fleecing his friends at cards and dreaming of glory in the fencing
circle. But war is brewing, and on the battlefields of the frozen North
they fight by altogether bloodier rules.
Inquisitor Glokta,
cripple turned torturer, would like nothing better than to see Jezal
come home in a box. But then Glokta hates everyone: cutting treason out
of the Union one confession at a time leaves little room for friendship.
His latest trail of corpses may lead him right to the rotten heart of
government, if he can stay alive long enough to follow it.
Enter the wizard, Bayaz. A bald old man with a terrible temper and a
pathetic assistant, he could be the First of the Magi, he could be a
spectacular fraud, but whatever he is, he's about to make the lives of
Logen, Jezal, and Glokta a whole lot more difficult.
Murderous
conspiracies rise to the surface, old scores are ready to be settled,
and the line between hero and villain is sharp enough to draw blood.
Unpredictable, compelling, wickedly funny, and packed with unforgettable characters, The Blade Itself is noir fantasy with a real cutting edge.
This book only got a 2 star from me which sucks because I was sure I was going to love it!
And that's it for my Tome Topple challenge. If anyone reads this post and read some books for Tome Topple, I would love to know what you read! I might find more books I would like to read =)
Happy Reading!
Mel ♥
Sometimes the hardest part of beginning is knowing where to start!
The Bible’s depth can seem overwhelming, but within the pages of
Scripture you will find words of peace, hope, and love waiting for you.
The NIV Starting Place Study Bible guides you through
Scripture, so you can understand God’s love for you and build a
relationship with the Savior who longs to know you personally.
Features:
Full text of New International Version (NIV), the translation known for clarity, accuracy, and readability
Perfect study Bible for those beginning their Bible journey
Ideal gift for new believers
88 Bible Characters: Explore the lives of the Bible’s most fascinating personalities
282 Q&A Notes: Get answers to your most perplexing questions
146 Context Notes: In-depth articles on the cultural and historical context of Scripture
138 Bible Truths: Core Christian beliefs and their basis in Scripture
Book Introductions provide you with a helpful overview of each book of the Bible
Over 6,000 study notes explain the text, verse-by-verse
I love this study Bible! I love how there are context notes, Q & A sections, illustrations, I love the reading plans at the back of the book that are in bullet journal format, just so many things.
I find this will be an easier bible for people like me to get through when you have all of these things included. I also love how they included a section in each book on Bible characters. There just isn't anything for me not to love in this bible. There is even a ribbon to help mark your place. Of course, if you're like me, you have a million bookmarks you can use in place of this or in accordance with this ribbon =) I usually put the tabs on all of my bibles to quickly get to each section but I think I'm going to leave this one alone as it will be fun to see all of the little sections as I'm trying to find what I'm looking for!
*Thank you to LookBookBloggers for a print copy of this book. All reviews and thoughts are my own.*
I will leave several pictures so you can get an idea of what it looks like!
Happy Reading!
Mel ♥
Ashlyn Zanotti has big
plans for the summer. She’s just spent a year at boarding school and
can’t wait to get home. But when Ashlyn’s father is arrested for tax
evasion and her mother enters a rehab facility for “exhaustion,” a.k.a.
depression, her life is turned upside down.
The cherry on top?
Ashlyn’s father sends her to work with a cousin she doesn’t even know at
a rustic team-building retreat center in the middle of nowhere. A
self-proclaimed “indoor girl,” not even Ash’s habit of leaving
breadcrumb quotes—inspirational sayings she scribbles everywhere—can
help her cope.
With a dangerously careless camp manager doling
out grunt work, an overbearing father trying to control her even from
prison, and more than a little boy drama to struggle with, the summer is
full of challenges. And Ashlyn must make the toughest decision of her
life: keep quiet and follow her dad’s marching orders, or find the
courage to finally stand up to her father to have any hope of finding
her way back home.
I freaking loved it!!! It’s so freaking fluffy!!! It’s on my favorites list and I’m gonna buy it!!
Oh, this is the book I never knew I needed! I have missed reading a good fluffy book from time to time!
When
I read that this book was basically about a girl that was being sent
away to a camp I was hooked, but I’m jumping ahead! Backtrack....
Ashlyn
is in boarding school for some things she did in her past. She’s hoping
to come home to spend her senior year at her old school and be with her
best friend. Welllll.. that didn’t go as planned. Suddenly her father
is going to jail for things and her mom is going into rehab for
depression. Ash is being sent to relatives she hasn’t seen since she was
a tot and she’s working at the Sweetwater Overlook Retreat Center with
her cousin, Hannah. I mean you can imagine how Ash is feeling with her
world being pulled out from under her.
BUT, at the camp, Ash
finds herself and realizes she is stronger than she thinks. Ash finds a
bond with her cousin and with Baxter. I love Baxter! Dear God, I hope
the author writes more about him and things.
Anyhoo, there are a
lot of things that go wrong at the camp with a supposed person in
charge, but Ash and Hannah take it upon themselves to get it sorted. It
was awesome!
There were other issues Ash had to sort out but it all worked out.
There
was a thing they did at camp that involved writing things on a piece of
paper and putting it in the bonfire! This reminded me of a similar
thing one of my oncology nurses told me to do. Welp, I’m making my lists
and going to throw it into the fire on me and dads upcoming bonfire. I
totally forgot and we have had a few fires the past few months. But I
digress!!
The story is also about family coming back together when it seems all is lost!! FLUFFY!!!
I’m so glad I read it! I’m excited to buy it and read it again! I’m glad I found a happy place in this book!!
I hope others like it but if you don’t, that’s okay? BE YOU!!
*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a digital copy of this book or I would have missed it!!*
Happy Reading!
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
GOODREADS REVIEW
Hello my dears! Today is my Bday and look what came in the mail! Yes, my Owlcrate box! Yay! Fairyloot box yesterday and Owlcrate today!
Anyhoo, lets get on with it!
First up we have a beautiful Wicked Saints cloth map! It's totally awesome!
Next we have a beautiful scarf inspired by the Darkling in the Grishaverse!
Next we have a freaking awesome Owlcrate pin banner! I just have to talk myself into putting my owlcrate pins on them as I don't want to take them out of the package =D
Next are some amazing freaking socks made by Out of Print of Six of crows! Yas!
We have a popsocket for your phone inspired by Vicious
We have the Owlcrate pin of the month inspired by the beaded necklace Nadya uses in Wicked Saints =)
We have a hardback notebook with a quote inspired by Manon from Throne of Glass!
And finally we have the book of the month "Wicked Saints" This is an exclusive black with red cover! I now have to get the white one! I love this book!
I hope you all enjoyed!
Happy Reading!
Mel ♥
Tomorrow - the 19th - will be my birthday! Last year on my birthday we celebrated it knowing I had cancer. This year we are celebrating my birthday cancer free.
I hope and pray there will be many more Birthday's cancer free!
Prayers to all out there that are going through any type of medical horrificness ←←← I made that word up, but you guys know what I mean. Life is hard. I hope good things for everyone.
Mel xoxo
Hello one and all! It's that time again! Time sure does fly. Today I have the April Fairyloot Unboxing. We have some awesome stuff as usual. =)
First up we have a double-sided book sleeve inspired by V.E. Schwab's "A Darker Shade Of Magic" and a double-sided tote bag inspired by Leigh Bardugo's Grisha Trilogy. They are gorgeous!
Next we have a little notebook inspired by "Children Of Blood And Bone" It's lovely!
Next we have the beautiful Emberfall enamel pin inspired by A Curse So Dark and Lonely!
Next we have a Nevernight tea strainer of Mr. Kindly!
Next we have a Philosopher's Stone Soap bar! Too cool!
We have this months tarot cards inspired by Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows duology. And I threw in a little card that was in the box as well. =)
And finally we have the book "Nocturna" with sprayed edges and an exclusive cover. The book is signed and it came with an art piece with the author note on the back.
I hope you guys enjoyed!
Happy Reading!
Mel ♥
