Books Via Ashley

The Rogue Queen by Emily R. King *I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review* WARNING: Spoilers for The Hundredth Queen  and The Fire Queen ! Synopsis (from Goodreads) Despite the odds, Kalinda has survived it all: Marriage to a tyrant. Tournaments to the death. The forbidden power to rule fire. The icy touch of a demon. . . . Kalinda soon realizes that the demon has tainted her with a cold poison, rendering her fire uncontrollable. But the lack of control may be just what she needs to send the demon back to the darkest depths of the Void. To take back the empire, Kalinda will ally with those she distrusts—and risk losing those most loyal to her—to defeat the demon and bring peace to a divided nation. Review This book picks up right where the second book ends. For me, it was a little slow in the beginning and made it hard for me to get back into the world, but once that action got going I was drawn in. These books have ro...

The Sword of Summer (Magnus Chase Book #1) by Rick Riordan Synopsis (from Goodreads) Magnus Chase has always been a troubled kid. Since his mother's mysterious death, he's lived alone on the streets of Boston, surviving by his wits, keeping one step ahead of the police and the truant officers. One day, he's tracked down by an uncle he's never met—a man his mother claimed was dangerous. His uncle tells him an impossible secret: Magnus is the son of a Norse god. The Viking myths are true. The gods of Asgard are preparing for war. Trolls, giants and worse monsters are stirring for doomsday. To prevent Ragnarok, Magnus must search the Nine Worlds for a weapon that has been lost for thousands of years. When an attack by fire giants forces him to choose between his own safety and the lives of hundreds of innocents, Magnus makes a fatal decision. Sometimes, the only way to start a new life is to die . . . Review This is the first book is a semi "spin off"...

The Macedonian  by Nicholas Guild * I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review * Synopsis (from Goodreads) On a cold, snow-swept night in the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon, a son is born to the king’s principal wife. His mother hates him for being his father’s child. His father hardly notices him. With two elder brothers, obscurity seems his destiny. The boy is sent off to be nursed by the chief steward’s wife. Yet, in a moment of national crisis, when Macedon is on the verge of being torn apart, the prince raised by a servant finds himself proclaimed the king. This is the story of Philip, prince and king, the forgotten boy who rose to save his country and became a legend in his own lifetime. His extensive military conquests across the Greek peninsula would pave the way for expansion under his son, Alexander the Great. Review I was initially drawn this book because I'm a lover of ancient history, and I wanted to know...

Hanna Who Fell From The Sky by Christopher Wreade *I received a free ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review* Synopsis (from Goodreads) Hanna has never been outside her secluded community of Clearhaven. She has never questioned why her father has four wives or why she has fourteen brothers and sisters. And in only one week, on her eighteenth birthday, Hanna will follow tradition and become the fifth wife of a man more than twice her age. But just days before the wedding, Hanna meets Daniel, an enigmatic stranger who challenges her to question her fate and to follow her own will. Then her mother tells her a secret--one that could grant Hanna the freedom she's known only in her dreams. As her world unravels around her, Hanna must decide whether she was really meant for something greater than the claustrophobic world of Clearhaven. But can she abandon her beloved younger sister and the only home she's ever known? Or is there another option-...

The Fifth Doll by Charlie N. Holmberg * I received a free ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review * This book releases 25 July 2017 from 47North Synopsis  (f rom Goodreads ) Matrona lives in an isolated village, where her life is centered on pleasing her parents. She’s diligent in her chores and has agreed to marry a man of their choosing. But a visit to Slava, the local tradesman, threatens to upend her entire life. Entering his empty house, Matrona discovers a strange collection of painted nesting dolls—one for every villager. Fascinated, she can’t resist the urge to open the doll with her father’s face. But when her father begins acting strangely, she realizes Slava’s dolls are much more than they seem. When he learns what she’s done, Slava seizes the opportunity to give Matrona stewardship over the dolls—whether she wants it or not. Forced to open one of her own dolls every three days, she falls deeper into the grim power of Slava’s ...

Everything, Everything - Nicola Yoon Synopsis Madeline has a rare disease that makes her allergic to the world. She's never left her house, where she lives with her mother and spends her days reading. One day, a new boy moves in next door, they begin texting, and soon Madeline is realizing her bubble world doesn't contain everything she wanted. Review This book is along the same lines as The Fault In Our Stars , in terms of teens with illness finding love, but it's much more lighthearted. The main character, Madeline, is smart and cute, especially in her awkwardness of getting to know Olly (the boy next door). Olly starts off a bit as a manic pixie dream boy , but as the book develops we get some more depth to him too and he becomes a well-rounded character. I thought the romance was cute, even with it being a bit of an insta-romance (she's basically in love with him from when she first sees him). But the whole process of their relationship is really cha...

The Reader by Traci Chee Synopsis (from Goodreads) "Sefia lives her life on the run. After her father is viciously murdered, she flees to the forest with her aunt Nin, the only person left she can trust. . . . But when Nin is kidnapped, Sefia is suddenly on her own, with no way to know who’s taken Nin or where she is. Her only clue is a strange rectangular object that once belonged to her father left behind, something she comes to realize is a book." Review The main reason I picked up this book was that it got a LOT of hype. I thought it was a good book, but I'd say more for younger YA. I think if I were 12-14, I would have REALLY loved this book. The premise is interesting: In a world where reading doesn't exist, Sefia has a rare book. However, I found at times the story was a bit too  meta... stories within stories within stories, and how reading is literally magic. The pacing was quite slow. I also found the feel or tone of the story jumped around. Fi...

Uprooted  - Naomi Novik Synopsis The people of Agnieszka's village live a simple life on the edge of the mysterious corrupted Wood. A sorcerer, called the Dragon, keeps the evil at bay, but at a steep price. Every ten years, he takes a girl from the nearby villages to live with him. Everyone knows at the next choosing that he will take Kasia, the best, brightest, and most beautiful, and Agnieszka's best friend. But when the Dragon comes, it is Agnieszka that is chosen instead. Review I really enjoyed this book. The story catches you quickly and then takes you in an unexpected direction. Loosely based on Polish culture and mythology, it has the feeling of an old Brother's Grimm fairytale. The writing is beautiful, the characters complex, and the world magical and tense. Even though her name sounds like a sneeze, I liked Agnieszka. We see her growth as she goes from a backwoods girl who never expected anything much out of life, to her realizing she has an enormous...

The Girl On The Train - Paula Hawkins Synopsis Rachel, a recently divorced alcoholic, takes the same train into London every day. Even when she gets fired, she keeps her daily commute so her landlord/roommate won't know. Every day, she passes the same set of houses--one of them her ex's and his new wife.  There is another house that sticks out, just down the street. A young couple lives there, and every day as she passes them, Rachel feels like she comes to know them.  She makes up names for them, creates backstories, etc. But then one day she sees something that isn't right. Her observation gets her caught up in a dangerous police investigation and tangled up in the intimate details of other people's lives. Review This was a HUGE best-selling thriller earlier this year, and one of the most reviewed books on Amazon. I read it in about a day. This book was mainly told from the viewpoint of three complex women: Rachel, Anna, and Megan. Rachel is the main p...

The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Gailbraith (aka J.K. Rowling) Synopsis Cormoran Strike is a private investigator barely making ends meet and is now living in his office after a final breakup with his ex-fiancée. Enter John Bristowe, a childhood friend who asks Cormoran to look into the death of his supermodel sister, Lula Landry, from a few months back. The police ruled it as a suicide, but there are hints that it was not. Following the case, Cormoran is plunged into the world of supermodels, rockstars, and the fabulously wealthy as he seeks to expose the dark underbelly of that glittering world.  Review If you're looking for Harry Potter, don't bother with this book. However, for what it was (a crime/detective novel), it was good. Not great, but good. The characters had some depth, though at times it ran on cliché (rough but brilliant detective in a dingy office with a female secretary, etc). I felt like the main character maybe had too many crazy de...