Author: Lady Nightwolf

Historian. Wife. Dog Mom. Book Hoarder. Gamer. When she's not working or studying, she can most often be found in a hammock devouring a book, buried under her 70 pound lap dog, or in the kitchen creating new delicious things to feed to her mountain man husband.

LORE

By Alexandra Bracken. Pub Date: January 5th, 2021

Four and a Half Stars! Best enjoyed when you’re in the mood for some serious vengeance!

The Agon takes, an ancient practice that involves the hunting of old gods, takes place every seven years. During these hunts, differing factions of Hunters track down and kill the gods, the strongest member of their faction absorbing the powers and immortality of the god and becoming a new god who can rule over and bless the members of their faction.

Lore Perseous was only a child during that last Agon, but it changed her life when a rival faction brutality murdered her parents and younger sisters in cold blood in order to wipe out the line of Perseus. Running from her old life, she has learned to live in a world that is a far cry from the one she used to be a part of. She has pushed any notion of revenge from her mind and has developed friendships, like the one with her roommate turned best friend Milo. However, although she is done with the brutal world she left behind, it is not done with her. When her former training partner Castor turns up at one of her underground fights, he drags with him not only the realization that he is not in the grave, but also the pain of the past. Although it’s still not enough for her to consider going back into the family business, the bleeding body of a barely alive and brought-to-mortality Athena shows up on her doorstep and forces her back into a place she wanted to forget forever. With Castor alive and the threat of a new god bent on destroying the entire world and remaking it in his image, Lore must stop the turning tide before it destroys not only the history she hates but the people she has come to care for.

Lore is a driving adventure from page one. The brutal life that Lore Perseous lived in the past is interwoven with the current time, helping readers further understand what the culture of the cult-like groups that make up her family legacy are all about, and why she chose to turn away from it. Although Lore seems to be a hard person, her characterization is well rounded and the revelations of her past shed light on why she feels as she does. It’s an origin story wrapped up in an almost superhero-like tale of a group of people having to use what they can to save the world from an evil god bent on destroying everything they hold dear.

This book has everything. Betrayal, love, ambition, power, mystery, forgiveness, vengeance, redemption, and explosive adventure. Bracken brings us a true feast of the imagination with this one.

Thank you to Netgalley and Disney Hyperion for the advanced copy in exchange for a fair and honest review!

Fantasy Horror Mystery

City of Villains

by Estelle Laure. Pub Date Jan 21, 2021

Four and a Half Stars **** Best enjoyed when you’re feeling like you need a little magic. Legacies can sympathize.

Mary Heart is a Legacy, a member of a community of people who used to have the ability to wield magic until a disaster caused all of the magic in her world to disappear, along with the friends and the relatives of many of the Legacies who worked at the tower in the center of their corner of the city. Now, the only thing remaining is a lake made of black water that is highly toxic where the building used to be. Now, Mary, her friends Ursula, James, and other Legacy peers, are stuck sans-magic while the wealthy members of the surrounding communities have moved into their previously magic neighborhood, now called the Scar, to take advantage of the anomalously perfect weather that is the only remaining indication that magic used to be the driving force there, slowly gentrifying the now broken-down Legacy community. In order to protect those she loves, Mary has turned to the regular way of dealing out justice: as an intern to the city police, with hopes of becoming like her hero, the current police captain who helped solve the murder of her parents when she was a young girl. When her classmate and fellow Legacy Mally Saint disappears one evening from the Wonderland club where all of the Legacy kids hang out, she knows she has to be part of the investigation and find her. The further into the investigation she and her partner, Bella, get, the more she realizes that something is wrong in the Scar, and someone close to her may be in danger as well.

This is the second book by Estelle Laure that I read back in 2020, and it was absolutely amazing. She’s a very talented author and she’s quickly made her way to my must read authors list where Sarah J Maas, Holly Black, Margaret Rogerson, and Riley Sager reside along with a few others I love. However, it wasn’t until after I read City of Villains that she solidified her place.

City of Villains turns the Disney franchise on its head and brings it into a modern and urban setting. I usually don’t like that kind of treatment. I’ve always been a fan of fairy tales in all their glory, and have loved the redemption stories, especially in the vein of Gregory McGuire’s The Other Stepsister and Jennifer Donnelly’s Stepsister, but my favorite part has always been that they stuck to the time period. Even though Laure does not do this, she takes the most prolific of the Disney villains, turns them human, and adds in a healthy heap of police procedural, vigilante justice, and scientific experimentation along with catastrophic disaster and creates something entirely new that is still just as enticing, even to a staunch traditionalist like me. It is something all its own and I have a deep appreciation for it and I’m excited to see where this goes!

Thank you to Netgalley and Disney-Hyperion for the chance to read an advanced copy of this book in return for an honest review!

Fantasy Horror Science Fiction Survival

The Hollow Places

By T. Kingfisher. Pub Date: 10/6/2020

5 Stars. For when you want a truly unsettling story or love horror and comedy.

The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher is a story about the worlds that creep into the places below our own and open up when we least expect them.

Kara is going through a divorce and has returned to her roots taking care of her uncle’s curiosity museum. When doing her rounds one day, she discovers a strange crack in the wall leading to a concrete hallway that doesn’t seem like it should be there. She enlists the barista next door, Simon, to help her look into the mysterious corridor that turns out to be a portal to a strange and dangerous world of monsters, alternative dimensions, and tortured souls that seems to be turning the universe itself slowly into a block of swiss cheese. Arm yourself with a steady heart and mind when you delve into this one, and “pray they are hungry”.

I LOVED The Hollow Places. Simon and Kara were both human disasters and their banter and friendship was hilarious and fun, adding levity to the extremely unsettling setting of this tale. Unsettling is the key word, here. There were parts that were terrifying and the entire thing was unsettling but also so interesting and fun. I’ve never read anything that I could describe as both “a humorous buddy comedy” and an “unsettling story of alternate universes” –it felt like the love child of a Will Ferrell movie and an HP Lovecraft story of horror. I FIVE STAR believe it’s a must-read for anyone who loves a good horror story. I don’t think I’ll look at willow trees and fog the same way.

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery/Saga Press for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for the above fair and honest review.

Fantasy Romance Survival

Fable

Adrienne Young. Pub Date 9/1/2020

Five Stars. Best Enjoyed within a short distance of the scent of the sea and its salty spray

Fable is a Jevali dredger, a diver off the coast of Jeval, the island of thieves on the edges of The Narrows, a dangerous stretch of sea rife with traders and privateers alike. Fables’ secret gift for sensing the presence of gemstones has been a boon to her profession in a world where it’s every person for themselves and she’s so close to being able to buy her way off of this hellish island that’s she’s been stuck on since she was 12 years old. She can practically feel what it will be like to confront the man who dropped her there in the first place, the infamous trader, Saint, and take her place amongst his crew where she belongs–after all, he is her father.

*Image Credit: Irina Markova/ Shutterstock.com*

However, on day while on a dive things quickly go awry and with death close on her heels, she flees toward the very trader whose gold has filled her cache with coins. After giving him everything she has in exchange for passage, Helmsman West of the Marigold reluctantly agrees to take her to her destination. However, once they are out to sea, the very place she feels like she belongs, Fable starts to note some strange things about the crew itself. What did she get herself into?

Fable is jam-packed with action, high-seas adventure, and a healthy dose of romance. Every character is well-written, the scenes are well-set, and everything comes together so beautifully. I had a very hard time putting this book down once I got started and I loved every second of it. It never slowed down for me. I have always loved stories of privateers and pirates, especially those set in a Caribbean-type space and this checked all of my boxes. Young is an amazing author and I cannot wait for the sequel. I really hope we get closer to the gem-trading city of Bastian and learn more about Fable’s mother’s past and about Fable’s gift. What really happened when the Lark wrecked when she was a child? I feel like there is way more to this tale and I will wait with baited breathe.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced galley in exchange for a fair and honest review. ❤

Fantasy Mystery Romance

Cinderella is DEAD

By Kalynn Bayron. Pub Date: July 7, 2020.

5 Stars. I practically read it in one sitting, so the best time is when you can make time.

Cinderella is dead, but for two hundred years her story has been acted out by countless girls living under the thumb of King Manford of Mersailles in the city of Lille. Rather than being a magical event as is depicted in the story, girls are required to attend, their families going broke in order to provide the best dresses and to stand out in the crowd so their child can be chosen and married to any man who wishes to make a claim on them. They follow these rules or risk that same child being forfeit to the the king where they are never seen nor heard from again.

These are the rules that have been set down for the last 200 years. In Mersailles, women have very few choices and no independence. They are fully at the mercy of their husbands or fathers, but to survive is to give oneself over to it.

However, Sophia does not want to relent. She does not want to be wed unless she can choose her partner, and the only love she has ever known is the love she has for her best friend, Erin. Such a love is absolutely forbidden and is a forfeitable offense in Lille, if not executable. When the day of the ball comes, something horrible happens that forces Sophia to flee. As she runs from the palace, she comes across the abandoned–but not forgotten–tomb of the original Cinderella. Inside, her last remaining relative, Constance, has the answers that Sophia has been seeking. Together they plan to find a way to reveal the dark and horrifying secrets of the king and his rule and bring him to his knees.

I have a thing for retellings, and this checked so many of my boxes. Sophia, although a little reckless and selfish in the beginning, is a strong character with a drive to make things right for all of the oppressed people in the kingdom she grew up in. Women and LGBTQ oppression is a huge problem in Lille and Mersailles, and both affect Sophia and her friends. Spousal abuse runs rampant throughout the book and is another factor driving the story forward. A lot of what the story covers is all too real in our world, and I love that they acknowledge that it’s a long fight and won’t just be over by killing the king. It is a long battle the involves changing hearts and minds, especially with a 200 year long tyrannical patriarchy to disband.

The supporting characters were also described in such an amazing way and the places and people are fleshed out nicely. I could see every phase of the scenes with Amina, the horrible beauty of the palace, and feel the undercurrent of fear and instability of the town. Bayron did an AMAZING job and I can’t wait to see what she has for us next!

Thanks to Bloomsbury YA and NetGalley for an advanced galley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions in the above review are mine.

Children's Books

If You Were Night

By Muon Thi Van, Illustrated by Kelly Pousette

Pub Date 9/1/2020

4.5 Stars. Best enjoyed as a night time read with a little one.

If You Were Night is an adorable children’s book that explores the world as it is when most humans go to bed. Using beautiful photos of pastel-colored 3-D paper scenes built in a way to allow a play of shadows similar to moonlight, its pages capture the beauty of the world during a full moon. I can imagine that this book would be a hit with children who love animals and curious kids who often wonder what happens in the world while they dream.

I also imagine the if you have a child who gets afraid as the sun disappears behind the horizon, this book could help them get over their fears. The gentle landscapes depicted in the pictures and soft, poetic prose of the story would be set anyone with such a fear at ease.

I feel that anyone with a child who loves pretty pictures and whispered stories would love to have this in their library.

Thank you NetGalley and Kids Can Press for a copy of this Children’s book in exchange for a fair an honest review.

Fantasy Mystery Romance

MAYHEM

By Estelle Laure, Pub Date 7/14/2020

Five Stars*****, Best Enjoyed during the summer twilit hours and into the night.

It’s 1987 and Mayhem Brayburn and her mother, Roxy, are living in small town Taylor, Texas, and things aren’t good. Life in general for Mayhem isn’t great. She doesn’t have friends, and her home life is a horror show. One night, Mayhem’s stepfather, Luke, takes things too far. As Mayhem and Roxy flee the abusive home, Roxy head toward the last place she wants to be. Santa Maria, California. Home.

The second they pull up to the Brayburn farm, Mayhem feels an almost immediate connection to the family homestead, even as her mother seems hesitant. As she gets to know her aunt’s adopted kids, she begins to uncover things about her family, things her mother has tried to hide from her throughout her life. As the petals of her inheritance begin to unfurl, Mayhem begins to understand what it truly means to be a Brayburn. She also begins to fall in love with the town where her family’s legacy has been firmly rooted, and when she finds out about the Sand Snatcher, someone who has been stalking the beaches at night and kidnapping young teen girls, she feels compelled to do something about it. True power and impowerment is found, Loyalties are tested, the true meaning of “home” is explored, and the balance between good and evil is rocked in this epic beach read.

I absolutely LOVED this book! It’s the perfect summer read and reminds me so much of the books I enjoyed as a teen when chilling on the beach with my friends. Dark and empowering, “Mayhem” is a triumph in contemporary YA fantasy. It is a spiraling staircase of emotion, power, and learning who you truly are as a person during a pivotal time in your life. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to get totally lost in an awesome read. I will absolutely be picking up more from Laure in the future!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy of this book given in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions in this review are mine.

Fantasy Graphic Novels Mystery Survival

Ever After

by Olivia Vieweg. Pub Date 9/1/2020

5 Stars. Best enjoyed when you want to see some gorgeous illustrations of zombies.

Ever After is a beautiful post-apocalyptic adventure that takes place in Germany and features two very different girls fighting their own demons who get lost outside of the barricaded city where they live. Eva meant to get lost while Vivi was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The world has been taken over by a plant-based plague that affects human beings and is passed by bites or scratches. Barricaded in Weimar city in a mental hospital, Vivi is haunted by the ghosts of her past and barely sleeps in order to escape them. She is deemed well enough to help on the outskirts of the city with to do some work and is put on Eva’s team. Horrible events unfold, causing Vivi to have to escape from the asylum and hide on a train. However, when that train start to move outside the city, she finds she’s not the only one on it, and she’s bound for a life changing adventure in the dangerous wilds of the world.

The illustrations are truly beautiful and the friendships that form in the vast post apocalyptic world of rural Germany are not sweet, but are nonetheless potent. Amid the pages of vivid, pastel-colored landscape, Vivi and Eva both discover things about themselves and overcome past, festering wounds under the surface. Survival doesn’t always mean taking care of one’s body, sometimes it means taking care of your soul as well. Sometimes it also means doing things you never thought you would for someone else.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lerner Publishing Group for the advanced copy of this adorably dark graphic novel in exchange for a fair and honest review. ❤

Romance

Who Wants to Marry a Duke

Post author By Lady Nightwolf
Post date May 26, 2020
No Comments on Who Wants to Marry a Duke

By Sabrina Jeffries, pub date Aug 25, 2020

4 Stars. Best enjoyed by one’s self–just trust me on this…

Marlow “Thorn” Drake, Duke of Thornstock, had met Miss Olivia Norley far before his brother Grey hired her on as a chemist to test his late father’s remains. Her face is burned into his memory from a scandously shared kiss many years before, when he first came back from England. That kiss changed his life in more ways than one, and not in a good way. With the sour memories turning themselves over in his head, he is convinced that this beautiful bluestocking is up to something besides stoking the fire in him…

Miss Olivia Norley, a bookish science-minded woman, also remembers that kiss with Thorn, and the denied marriage proposal thereafter. She never could figure out why he acted so very coldly toward her the next day or why he came to offer in the first place. Although that evening played over and over in her head for years after it happened, she can’t let that get in the way of the one chance she has to make herself a name in the science community amongst her Uncle’s peers–regardless of the very real chemical reaction reigniting between Thorn, now a rake of the first order, and herself.

Will Thorn and Olivia give in to the the draw they feel toward one another, or will their past and their secrets continue to keep them at arm’s length?

This is a delightful bodice-ripper romance rife with secrets, murder, misunderstandings, and plenty of compromising content! I really love a good Edwardian romance and the one was the perfect thing to get me out of a reading slump. Olivia is a smart and logical person who wants nothing more but to make a name for herself in the science community and is fiercely driven to do so. At first, she approaches Thorn’s advances as experiments as she has no misgivings about his lusty intentions. Despite Thorn’s better judgement and suspicions of this woman who once spurned his marriage proposal, he has an undeniable attraction to her. This book contains a good dose of mystery, a healthy heaping of folly, and enough heat to light a bunsen burner!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the advanced galley in exchange for a fair and honest review. ❤

Children's Books Non Fiction

In the Dark

by Lisa Deresti Betik. Pub Date September, 1, 2020.

5 stars. Best enjoyed with your favorite little curious mind.

In the Dark is a beautifully illustrated book for kids about a ‘darker’ side of science–what happens when most of us are sleeping at night!

This book covers many different subjects concerning biology, astronomy, and anatomy. For example, the first section is on the human body and why sleep is important for repairing and maintaining our bodies and brains. It acts as a fantastic reminder for both children and adults as to why sleep is so important. I found the review of circadian rhythm to be an interesting reminder that I think kids will be able to integrate into their lives as they grow.

The next two sections cover nocturnal creatures and plants and the biology that they’ve developed in order to adapt and survive. It covers predator/prey relationships, the anatomy of the eye of a cat verses that of a human, how plants capture and store energy for nighttime, and also moon gardens (everyone should have one!).

The last section is all about one of my personal favorite subjects: Astronomy! There is a lot to learn and some very cool and beautiful charts that kids can reference regarding meteor showers, constellations, planetary positions, aurora borealis, and the phases of the moon.

There is so much information and so many opportunities to learn in this book for both kids and parents. For someone like me who has always had a passion for science, this was a nice little refresher course–I picked up a few cool new facts as well!

It is so important to foster a love of science in young minds and I think this book does that with panache. The colorful and beautiful illustrations accompany some very fun information, which gives kids, especially those who are visual or right-brained, the opportunity to retain some very useful information that they will definitely be able to apply to the world around them. I have a feeling that I will be buying a few copies for birthday presents and we will probably be planning meteor shower watching parties soon.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kids Can Press for the opportunity to read this advanced copy in exchange for a fair and honest review. I loved this one.