Review: Before the Broken Star

Before the Broken Star by Emily R. King
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

My Review: This book was very good. I love Emily's writing and the world's she creates. This one takes us on the tale of a girl on a mission to avenge her family's murder as well as living with a clockwork heart. I have to say that this one would classified as a light retelling of Pinocchio. I mean it even has an evil whale in it. The fantasy elements in this one brings to life the world that Everly lives in and I could not put it down.

The story was well paced and although I do think that the sea voyage took a little longer than I had hoped it did allow Everly to really connect with the love interest. The only real issue I had by the end of this one was that the bad guy and well one other person that I can't really talk about because its a spoiler. They just seemed off just a little. But I still loved this story.

I can not wait until the next one!

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Review: The Haunted

The Haunted by Danielle Vega
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My Review: In this gripping story about a girl recovering from an abusive boyfriend finds herself living in a haunted house.

Man I knew that Vega wouldn't let me down with this one. It was so good!! I love how she can take 250 pages and turn it into such a vast story with so much emotion. The only thing I did feel was left out was Hendrick's ex boyfriend. We learn a lot about how he was so obsessed with her and he only lives about 4 hours away. So why didn't he show up? I think that would have added just one more aspect part of this story. Without it that the story felt a little less important at least on the side that Hendricks was always afraid that he was going to show up.

The rest of the story was so amazing!! We get this awesome cast of characters that are spunky and nice and then the lone boy that has a bad past. I loved everyone but this does have a bit of insta-love. I'm not sure how long Hendricks really speaks to Eddie in this one as we don't get a lot of time line related things. But by the end he is professing his love for her and it just feels like its been about a month or so. And they didn't really spend all that much time together. I do think that if the story would have been just a little longer so they could have spent more than a hot second together that this would have made more sense. So for me the romance in this one was a little over the top but what are you going to do?

The twist in this one was out of this world. Like REALLY!! It deals with ghosts and a little girl who had been killed a few years prior and how her killer was found, released, and then he killed himself. I really enjoyed how this one started. It really got the story moving in a very suspenseful way. And by the end when its revealed where and who the ghosts are I was just like wait WHAT!! Because I really didn't connect something that had happened earlier in the story with the ghosts. So that was so awesome! Thinking about this now there was one other thing that wasn't tied up by the end of this story. I won't put it here as I don't want to spoil anything but the real killer who was still around. The story never said what happened to them. Were they prosecuted? Did they get off Scott free? I would really like to know.

All in all this was one spooky story with ghosts, young love, recovery, and friendship.



Go Into This One Knowing: ghosts, young love (insta-love), recovery, friendship, PTSD, Abusive Relationship mentioned (happened in past)

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Review: Hazel and Holly

Hazel and Holly by Sara C. Snider
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My Review: OMG this was such a great book. I really loved how the story unfolded and all the snark that is in this one. It was about witches and warlocks and it was so full of snarkyness that I just fell so in love. Snider brings to life a new world and amazing characters. I really loved Tum and Chester and would love a story about them on their own. Maybe they team up to grab spoils.

If you are looking for a new story to fall for then check this one out ASAP!! Because I was laughing a lot during the story and it was just done so well.

The story itself is not faster paced, it is a slow burn of story that I could not put down. I think that for this one the slower story worked so much better than it being speedy. Every part of this story has a meaning on why it's in there. And Snider did a wonderful job bringing this story to life.

The characters were great. I loved how a side character even mentioned about how the four main characters all had H names. Because that was the only issue I had when I first started this one. Was keeping all the names right.

I don't want to accident spoil anything for anyone else. But I do want to say that although this is tech. an adult title you could totally read it as YA as well. Nothing really over the top happens so I would allow my 14 year old read this at the drop of a hat. I am so happy I got the chance to read this one.

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Review: The Warrior Queen

The Warrior Queen by Emily R. King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My Review: My goddess this book ripped me apart. It picked a few months down the road from book three and after the events of the last book things are pretty depressing for our heroine Kalinda. This one filled me with all the feels, I loved how everything came to an end. It was so nice to see where Kali came from, where her best friend ended up, and just all of it. I was reading this one as fast as I possibly could because it was just so amazing.

The story tied up all the loose ends that were in the story and even gave us a very nice ending. I do wish we would have gotten an epilogue set a few years into the future but we did get something.

Kalinda in this one found out a lot about herself and what she was willing to save the man she loved. I have to say that I didn't see any of it coming even though I probably should have. Because, it was staring me right in the face. In this one we get one more POV of Ashwin which weren't my favorite for the most part but really worked to get the story moving. It was king of interesting to learn what he was going through with marrying a Bhuta and getting the kingdom to accept them as people who deserve equal rights.
Deven my god his chapters ripped out my little heart they were the hardest to read with what he was going through.

The thrilling conclusion to The Hundredth Queen series transport you to the ending you won't be able to put down until the very last page.



Go Into This One Knowing: Three POVs, Ties Up Loose Ends

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Review: The Rogue Queen

The Rogue Queen by Emily R. King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My Review: This one picks up where book two left off. To start off this one really reminded me of parts of the Throne of Glass series. They are going into a cove with a breaker just like what is in the Pirates cove in a few of the TOG books. As well as a man who doesn't know his father which is also in the TOG books. I really liked the similarities of the two stories.

The pacing of this one was just as fast as book two. It's really speeding along. I do will say that what was going on with Kalinda and Ashwin was kind of predictable to me. Which when I first figured out what was going on I was a little bummed but once things started heating up I was yelling at them NO NO!!! Because of corse I knew why they were doing certain things but they didn't. So in the end knowing before hand what was happening and why really worked out. It raised the suspense and really just made me want to hop into the book and like slap them both to make them stop.

Kalinda in this one has really come into her own. She knows what she wants by the end of this story and really understands what she wants to bring to the empire. As for Ashwin I really enjoyed his parts of the story and he as well has grown. He isn't so much of a fluffy little boy anymore and is really starting to take the lead on being a ruler. As for Deven I didn't like parts of his POV as much as I did in book two. I do still love the man with all my heart but parts of his POV just seemed a little flat to me.

Another part of this story that I really thought was wonderful is that the author didn't try and have Kalinda stop the multiple wives and courtesans things. I thought she was going to bring it up or have Ashwin say he only wants Kalinda but they never did. I think that really brings a lot of culture and way of life to this story. That just because it's not how we do things. We should still respect how things are done in other places.

The third installment of The Hundredth Queen series will leave you grasping for you heart and gives new understanding what it means for good to fight evil.




Go Into This One Knowing: Slightly Predicable, Good vs. Evil



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Review: The Fire Queen

The Fire Queen by Emily R. King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My Review: First off you really do need to read book one of this before this one. However if you decide to jump into this one without reading book one. I think the author did a wonderful job giving us an update on what happened in book one. She didn't over do it and did it just enough to remind you of the key points of what happened in the first title.

This story was very well done. I do think that there is one part of this where Kalinda is in a cave and there's something else down there with her. I really hope that we find out what it was. I really thought that maybe it was a dragon that was going to come out of hiding and jump in and save her but that never happened. So much stuff happens in this story and the flow of it was so good. I was up until 2am to finish it and the it left me on a slight cliffhanger and I really wanted to start the next book but of course I fell asleep before that happened.

I really loved how Kalinda was torn between keeping her throne and doing what she wanted. It felt very real and genuine with how she felt and how she was dealing with the aftermath of book one. This is one of those stories where you will be flipping the pages faster and faster.

I asked Emily R. King last night about Kalinda and how in the world she embodied the Dragon Queen from Game of Thrones and she told me she doesn't watch it at all. So that was a big shocker. Because fans of the Danny will totally fall in love with Kalinda in this title. She is fierce as all get out and OMG I love her so much!!
I really did enjoy having Deven's POV in this one however parts of it early on just kind of rubbed me the wrong way. I know that Deven had it in his head that he was disgraced but how could he loose faith in Kali so fast? On the other hand I know how it feels to doubt yourself and in this stance he was doing that more than really losing faith with Kali. But I really wished that would have come out on the page. I feel so sorry for Deven in this story to start out with.

Duty and Love war in this second installment of The Hundredth Queen series set in a vivid world you are sure to fall for this thrilling adventure! ~CrossroadReviews

Go Into This One Knowing: Dual POV, Light Love Triangle

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Review: The Hundredth Queen

The Hundredth Queen by Emily R. King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My Review: OMG I really kind of forgot how much I loved this book!! From beginning to end it was a beautiful story and one that I enjoyed rereading. This one starts off with the world abusing women and slowly changes with the help of Kali. I really can not wait to start the next title. As I remember nothing of what happens. This is one story where the men think they hold all the power but it's really the women that are in charge. This is one story that will make you both happy and sad and it will rip out your heart by the end.



Go Into This One Knowing: Overthrowing an Empire, Death, Slight Insta-Love, Cliffhanger, Abuse of Women

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