YA books

Review: Forging Silver into Stars (Forging Silver into Stars #1) by Brigid Kemmerer

~ megs14malloy

Forging Silver into Stars (Forging Silver into Stars, #1)Forging Silver into Stars by Brigid Kemmerer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Forging Silver into Stars is the 1st-book in the series of the same name. This is a companion/follow-up to Kemmerer’s popular Cursebreakers series. This YA Fantasy series started as a loose reimagining of Beauty & the Beast, but it has certainly come a long way since then.

I really enjoyed my time throughout the Cursebreakers books and was extremely happy to be reunited with Grey, Rhen, Harper and Lia Mara, here. Additionally, seeing sweet baby Tycho all growns up was such a treat!

This story is set approximately 5-years after the final events of the Cursebreakers series. In this one we follow three different perspectives: Tycho, who you may remember from the Cursebreakers books, where he had a small role, as well as Callyn and Jax, two new characters.

Callyn and Jax are best friends, living in the small village of Briarlock. Callyn runs her family bakery and takes care of her little sister, Norah. Jax is a blacksmith, who runs his father’s shop, while his Dad is busy gambling, drinking and otherwise spending all their money.

As he is passing through Briarlock for a spell, Tycho ends up meeting both Callyn and Jax. The plot centers mainly around a underground movement growing against the new King of Syhl Shallow because of his rumored magic.

The members of this rebellion claim to be loyal to the Queen, but they view the new King’s magic as a threat to their entire kingdom. They’re determined to stamp out that threat.

Tycho, as we know, has connections to both Syhl Shallow and Emberfall. Callyn and Jax, whose village is a part of Syhl Shallow, soon find themselves on opposite sides of the issue. Can their friendship survive all the new drama, and potential new loves, surrounding them?

This was so good. Kemmerer is such a great writer with fantastic world-building and characters. She never fails to pull me in and keep me invested.

Her characters are so likable. Even the ones you aren’t supposed to like, you sort of love to hate them. I loved how the main characters from Cursebreakers were included in the periphery of this one, and as we got further along, they began to appear more and more.

From the conclusion of this, I am left thinking that we are going to be seeing a lot more of them all in the next book, which I couldn’t be more excited about.

There is some romance in this for both Callyn and Jax. I liked the way that built up, the uncertainty of their feelings and all that, but there was a section where there were a few chapters in a row that were quite romance-heavy in lieu of the rest of the plot.

That sort of lost my interest a little, as I would have preferred that more interspersed amongst the rest of the book. Nevertheless, it was a fairly short section when considering the bigger picture, so didn’t really affect my overall enjoyment that much.

The action definitely picked up towards the end and we are in a great position to jump into the next book. There’s a lot of unfinished business and so much more to explore as our characters head in new directions.

I’m so excited for the next book to release. I love that this world didn’t have to end with A Vow So Bold and Deadly. I’ll read anything Kemmerer wants to write involving Emberfall and Syhl Shallow.

I would recommend reading Cursebreakers first, but it’s not absolutely necessary. This is written in such a way that you wouldn’t feel lost without that background, but it definitely adds to the experience if you have read that trilogy.

Content Warning: Animal Content — (view spoiler)
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Review: Clever Creatures of the Night by Samatha Mabry

~ megs14malloy

Clever Creatures of the NightClever Creatures of the Night by Samantha Mabry
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I was going to wait for a while before writing this review, see if I could settle my thoughts a bit, but I’d rather just rip the proverbial band-aid off. Let’s get this over with…

Prior to starting this, I saw the overall low rating and I laughed in its face. I frequently find myself in the minority opinion on YA Horror books, so was completely expecting to enjoy this in some way.

Unfortunately, I fall directly in line with the majority of other Readers on this one. OMG, for me, this was a complete and total mess. I have no idea what I just read.

This story is a fever dream meets a bad acid trip and I wasn’t having it. The only things I really took from this are: we’re following a character named, Case; she’s gone to visit her friend, Drea, per Drea’s invitation; when she gets to Drea’s home at the appointed time, she’s not there and instead Case is forced to interact with Drea’s bizarre housemates.

There’s a slight post-apocalyptic feel to this. Like an event happened that forced all these kids to move into this remote house together and they live cut off from the rest of society, but I have no idea why.

From the start, I knew it probably wasn’t going to be for me, but I kept going. I wanted to see if I could find some sort of enjoyment in the story. The writing style was not to my tastes at all, but sometimes, if the storyline is gripping enough, I can see past that.

Initially, I was intrigued by the fact that Drea seemed to be missing. If we could believe Case’s thoughts, Drea had invited her there, so why would she suddenly be gone?

The property itself was rather eerie and all of Drea’s roommates were odd in a way that did, at the start, seem like it could provide a good creep factor. Sadly, that never took off. It was so confusing, I just could never settle in to enjoy any of the atmosphere, or outlandish circumstances.

The dream-like quality of the writing, paired with the hopping around in focus, made it very hard to decipher any sort of plot. I wanted to get to the bottom of what happened to Drea, but the story was relayed in such a way that it made that close to impossible and not enjoyable.

I’m not sure who I would recommend this to. I would say you’d have to be a big fan of Literary, or Speculative, stories to enjoy this. Also, perhaps if the words of a story are the most important thing for you, it could work.

The writing does have a certain sense of lyricism to it that could be pleasing to some Readers, but if enjoy any coherent plot, or well-developed characters, you may as well skip it.

Thank you to the publisher, Algonquin Young Readers, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

I went in with an open mind, but woefully, this was a complete miss for me. On to the next!

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Review: Icon and Inferno (Stars and Smoke #2) by Marie Lu

~ megs14malloy

Icon and Inferno (Stars and Smoke, #2)Icon and Inferno by Marie Lu
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Icon and Inferno is the 2nd-book in Marie Lu’s fast-paced Spy Thriller series, Stars and Smoke. This romantic YA series features a Pop Star and a Secret Agent.

I had a lot of fun with the 1st-book, Stars and Smoke, so I was excited to continue on with these characters and this world. Unsurprisingly, Lu’s exceptional writing drew me in from the start and kept me hooked throughout.

In this installment, we are reunited with our MCs, Winter, an international pop superstar, and Sydney, an operative for a mysterious organization known as the Panacea Group.

Winter and Sydney were paired together on a mission in London in the 1st-book, but have now, at the start of this, gone a year without any contact between them.

They’re about to be thrust together again though, when Panacea calls upon Winter to assist them with a mission in Singapore, where he is set to perform a show.

The mission involves a lavish party, an assassination plot, and is the very highest of stakes. Panacea needs their best ops on the job.

The chemistry between our mains is still simmering directly under the surface, but we have their exs in tow as well, so that sets up some interesting tension.

Lu excels at character development. I love how well developed these characters are, particularly Winter and Sydney. It’s impossible not to fall in love with them and yearn for them to be together.

I appreciate the slow burn feel of the development of their relationship. Even the pining isn’t overdone. It feels natural and leaves the Reader wanting more.

The action is also gripping and believable. I love the idea of the Panacea Group, the mystery of it all; the operatives and missions. The possibilities for this series are truly endless.

My only small gripe about this is that I wanted more. I feel like the mission went almost too quickly. I could have definitely spent more time in Singapore.

That’s obviously a personal preference, but I definitely could have done with it being built-out even more.

Overall though, I had a lot of fun reading this. The audiobook narration is fantastic, bringing the story to life.

Winter and Sydney compliment each other. Their personalities play off one another so well. He’s always in the spotlight, she’s always in the shadows. They’re like two sides of the same coin and I only want the best for them.

The way this story left off at the end was great. I love that Lu left a bit of mystery. There’s obviously more that could be explored, or we could leave it here. Personally, I am hoping for more, but we’ll see…

Thank you so much to the publisher, Roaring Brook Press and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. This series is highly underrated!!

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Review: A Vow So Bold and Deadly (Cursebreakers #3) by Brigid Kemmerer

~ megs14malloy

A Vow So Bold and Deadly (Cursebreakers, #3)A Vow So Bold and Deadly by Brigid Kemmerer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A Vow So Bold and Deadly is the final installment to Brigid Kemmerer’s popular YA-Fantasy Cursebreakers trilogy.

I have an issue closing out trilogies and series. Mainly, I put it off because I don’t want my experience with them to end. I definitely feel that’s why it took me so long to read this.

Honestly, now that I’ve completed it, I am really sad.

Why did I do this to myself? I’m not ready to say goodbye to Emberfall, Harper, Rhen, Grey, and even Lia Mara. I’ll sleep fitfully tonight.

All jokes aside, is this the last time I am going to see these characters? I know Forging Silver into Stars is related, but how related? If you know, comment below!!

Since this is the 3rd-book in the series, I’ll try to avoid revealing too much about the plot. I sort of feel like I’m the last person to read it, but you never know what other procrastinators could be lurking around.

Firstly, I was giddy with happiness about returning to this world. It felt so good to be reuniting with the characters I had grown to love over the previous two novels.

I enjoyed how Kemmerer formatted this series, with Rhen and Harper being the focus of book 1, Grey and Lia Mara, book 2, and everyone getting equal play in this one. I felt like that was a clever choice and a great way to get the Reader to attach to everyone equally.

At this point in the story, you do have characters on opposing sides and that was difficult to read. I wanted everyone to be back together and happy.

Grey was definitely pulling my attention in this one. He was being his best badass, alpha male self and I was absolutely, 100%, here for it.

There was still so much drama involving Rhen, but I did really feel for him and his circumstance. It felt so hopeless at times. I feel like Kemmerer captured the desperate nature of his feelings so well. It tore at my heart.

I loved how this felt, as we were moving back and forth between the various perspectives, you could tell you were building up to a big showdown. It was super enjoyable as the tension continually increased.

When everything came to a head, I was reading so quickly. I had to know the ultimate outcome. I did love the conclusion as well. It wasn’t stars and rainbows and fairy tale happily ever afters, but it did make sense, and I think it was as satisfying as could be wished for many of these characters.

As sad as I am that this journey through Emberfall is finally over for me, I’m definitely looking forward to picking up more of Kemmerer’s Fantasy work!!

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Review: The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson

~ megs14malloy

The Reappearance of Rachel PriceThe Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

16-years ago, Rachel Price, wife and mother, went missing. There were a lot of odd details surrounding her disappearance, such as her car was found abandoned with her 2-year old daughter, Bel, still inside.

Ever since, the mysterious disappearance of Rachel Price has remained a well-known case with many speculating on what could have happened to her.

All these years later, a documentary filmmaker has decided to revisit the disappearance and create a film. He’s asked the Price family to participate and they’ve agreed.

Even though Bel wishes everyone would just move on, she amiably participates, as she knows it’s something important to her Dad. He was initially suspected, but since cleared. It’s remained a touchy subject for the family, as you can imagine, ever since.

The crew has established themselves in the Price’s area and are doing regular interviews and filming. During this process, the unimaginable happens. Rachel reappears.

Seemingly out of nowhere, Rachel returns with an unbelievable story. It’s so unbelievable, Bel doesn’t believe it’s true. If Rachel is lying though, where has she been all this time and why come back now?

We follow along with Bel as she tries to figure out what happened all those years ago, and more importantly, what the heck is going on now.

I enjoyed this a lot. The set-up is great. I loved the idea of a long unsolved mystery being explored afresh by a documentary film crew. I felt like Bel was a good sport about the doc and I did feel empathy for her in regards to everything she had to deal with in her life.

The Price family is complicated and I do love a complicated family dynamic. I had fun getting to know the family and learning all of the details surrounding Rachel’s disappearance.

Even though Rachel’s reappearance was expected, I still found it to be eerie. Her story was just so bizarre, it didn’t make any sense and she didn’t seem to be able to provide clarity.

Bel is uncomfortable with Rachel being back. She feels like she’s being forced to live with liar, and it’s difficult for her to interact with Rachel as Rachel tries to reconnect with her.

I was right there with Bel. I didn’t trust Rachel either and my Horror Heart was screaming, CHANGELING, even though I knew that probably wasn’t the case.

A lot of the focus of the story is this back-and-forth between Rachel and Bel. Jackson definitely succeeded in keeping me at the edge of my seat during all of that. It raised my pulse, not going to lie.

I will say, the first 3/4 of this was better for me that the closing sections. The tension and intrigue of the build-up and center portions held more weight for me; it kept me more engaged and excited. The ending, with some of the reveals, started to lose me a bit.

I wasn’t crazy about some of the explanations and ultimate outcomes, but getting there was fun. Also, keep in mind, this is personal taste. The outcomes didn’t quite mesh with what I wanted for these characters, but others may enjoy it more.

It must be tough being Holly Jackson actually. She stormed onto the scene with a MONSTER of a debut, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, which just so happens to be my favorite YA Mystery of all time.

That debut novel, and the rest of the series, has been incredibly popular. Absolutely OTT-levels of hype and love surround that series and has for years.

I feel like everything she’s put out since naturally gets compared to that and it’s gonna be real difficult to surpass. It’s not that I don’t think she can do it, I know she has the talent, but it’s gonna be tough.

Neverless, she’s a queen of twists and bringing solid, page-turning drama. While this one didn’t reach AGGG level for me, it was still darn good and a heck of a lot of fun to read. I would definitely recommend it, and look forward to whatever Jackson writes next!!!

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Review: The Invocations by Krystal Sutherland

~ megs14malloy

The InvocationsThe Invocations by Krystal Sutherland
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

Jude Wolf is the daughter of a billionaire. You’d think she’s a girl that has everything, but worries. Sadly, you’d be wrong. Jude has a serious issue that is literally eating her alive.

Dabbling in the occult at the age of 15, Jude cursed herself and now her soul is slowly turning necrotic. After every remedy she’s tried has failed, she’s been looking for someone to help her purge this blasted curse.

Zara Jones lost her beloved sister, Savannah, to the hands of a vicious serial killer. Savannah was the only person she trusted and now that she’s gone, Zara would do anything to bring her back, including turn to occult methods.

Zara feels if she could bring her back, Savannah could identify her killer and he could be brought to justice.

Two girls on a desperate hunt for someone with the abilities to help them, happen by chance upon one another. Instant attraction and a kinship of need follows.

The girls see a potential ally in Emer Byrne, a witch with a tragic past, who sells spells to women looking to escape desperate situations. Emer has a lot of knowledge and power, two things that Jude and Zara hopelessly seek.

They notice women being murdered at an alarming rate in their city of London and after some thought, it seems they all have one thing in common: connections to Emer.

Now Emer, Zara and Jude must team up and figure out the identity of the serial killer before any of them end up next on his list.

I didn’t have any expectations when I picked up The Invocations. Although I have House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland, and have heard incredible things about it, I haven’t picked it up yet.

I’m so impressed with how this played out. I loved the combination of the intriguing murder mystery mixed with all the vivid occult elements. The character work was fantastic and I truly hope this isn’t the last we see of these characters.

I was hooked into this story very quickly. Initially, we are just learning about Jude and Zara. I loved meeting both of them and Sutherland made their personal stories so believable and compelling.

I was interested to see how their paths were going to intersect and what would keep them together. I think they way Sutherland drew out this process and then their meeting, it was so impactful.

Once Emer comes in, I loved how they all needed to band together to work towards a common purpose. Even though they were very distinct individuals, with different end goals, it made sense for them to combine their efforts to achieve everything they wanted.

I found Sutherland’s writing to be highly readable. The setting was incredibly atmospheric. I loved how ‘our world’ it felt, with a touch of dark magic and stellar witchy vibes.

Additionally, I felt like the occult elements were amazing. The concepts were captivating and well thought out. I also feel like this will be accessible to a broad audience, easily enjoyed by Readers of all ages.

The feminist themes were also well presented and in this case, well received. I’m looking forward to reading more from Sutherland. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who thinks the synopsis sounds interesting. It delivers what is promised.

Thank you to the publisher, Nancy Paulsen Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I cannot wait to see what Sutherland creates next!

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Review: Scythe (Arc of the Scythe #1) by Neal Shusterman

~ megs14malloy

Scythe (Arc of a Scythe, #1)Scythe by Neal Shusterman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Scythe is an incredible book. Everything about it is top notch. I wish I could give it a million stars…

I’m close to the last person to read this Shusterman golden child, yet I am still going to rave about it nevertheless!

Set in a futuristic version of our world, where natural death no longer exists, Scythe, follows two young people, Citra and Rowan, who are chosen to apprentice with the powerful and well-respected, Scythe Faraday.

Scythes are granted the power to end life. The Scythedom is a world-wide community of individuals who have trained, passed trials and taken an oath to serve as Scythes, an ultramodern version of grim reapers.

As the Reader, we go along with Citra and Rowan as they meet Scythe Faraday and become his apprentices. We learn about the Scythedom as they do, which made the world come together naturally, versus an enormous info dump.

I always enjoy when an author can frame their world creation in this way. I know it doesn’t work with every story, but I love to learn things right along with our protagonists.

The further they get into it, the clearer it becomes that there is currently a schism building within the Scythedom. There are followers of the more traditional ways of the Order, and others who would like the shake up the status quo.

The system does indeed begin to shake, quite violently, and both Citra and Rowan find themselves right at the heart of it. The stakes are extremely high, as each teen struggles to make it through unscathed.

I loved the overall concepts presented in this book, as well as the characters and actions. It’s so well plotted and absolutely hooked me from the start.

Citra and Rowan were fun to get to know. They develop a bit of an unlikely friendship over the course of their apprenticeship and I really started to look at them like opposite sides of the same coin.

There are a lot of twists and turns throughout, some that I didn’t see coming from a mile away. Maybe I’m dense, but I’d like to think that it was because I was so in the moment with this story, that I wasn’t thinking further ahead.

I love too how philosophical Shusterman can get with his writing. I finished his Skinjacker trilogy not long ago, and encountered the same types of themes and issues explored there as here. It’s really first-rate stuff that makes you think and leaves you with a lot to consider.

At the conclusion of this installment, we had some fairly major revelations that left me chomping at the bit to get to the next book.

Luckily, I already have the entire series waiting for me on my shelves, so shall be getting to Thunderhead this month. I’m so excited to get back into it!!

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Review: The Rosewood Hunt by Mackenzie Reed

~ megs14malloy

The Rosewood HuntThe Rosewood Hunt by Mackenzie Reed
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Lily Rosewood’s family life is quite complicated, but billions of dollars will do that to you. Oodles of wealth is a tricky thing to navigate for most people.

I know it seems like it would make life grande, but ask any fictional character with an inheritance at stake, and they’ll tell you that’s far from the truth.

Lily dreams of one day running the family company, Rosewood, Inc. Her Gram, the current head of the company, has promised to teach Lily everything she’ll need to know to successfully take over one day.

When Gram dies suddenly though, Lily’s life is turned upside down. Gram wasn’t just the head of the company, she was also the formidable figurehead of their family. It was so unexpected. Lily can hardly believe it’s true.

Then Gram’s Last Will and Testament is read, and Lily definitely can’t believe that’s true…

There’s no mention of the vast family fortune; a purported quarter of a billion dollars. What? Like it’s gone? The money is missing? How could that be?

As everyone is left scratching their heads, one last cryptic letter from Gram sends Lily, along with three other teens, on the treasure hunt of a lifetime. When news of Gram’s missing fortune goes public though, outsiders join the hunt and they’re not messing around.

Soon the teens are dodging dangers left and right, as they try to be the first ones to discover the hiding place of the vast Rosewood fortune. This could change their lives, or end them. Who will win the Rosewood Hunt?

I’ll admit, it did take me a little time to commit to this one. The set-up is rapid fire. You really have no time to get to know Gram, you just learn through Lily’s musings that she was this clever lady, who enjoyed puzzles, invisible ink and things like treasure hunts.

It sort of made me wish someone would have set her up with the elder Hawthorne from The Inheritance Games when they were both alive. It seems like they would’ve really hit it off, like plotting ways to send their basically disinherited loved ones on wild goose chases for cash…

About a quarter of the way in was when I really started to sit up and pay attention. Two other teens, Leo and Quinn, were also pulled into the hunt by Lily’s Gram and I found the dynamic amongst the three teens very fun.

Lily’s best friend, Miles, also becomes part of the action and I enjoyed him as well. Lily’s cousin, Daisy, on the other hand was a total jerk, which I didn’t really understand. Eventually the contention in their relationship was explained, but something about it didn’t feel genuine to me.

Either way, I did vibe with the cast of characters overall and the way they worked together was entertaining. They weren’t really friends going into this, so it gave it a bit of an unlikely allies feel, which I enjoyed.

It gets pretty wild. Once the outsiders swarm into town hunting the treasure the danger level amps up considerably. There are break-ins, car chases, it’s a lot. Lily definitely fears for her life, and I did too!

Through all of it, the teens start showing each other more of their true selves and they really start to bond. I think that was my favorite aspect of the whole story, the Found Family element that Reed ultimately creates. Lily feeling like she finally had friends, it filled my heart.

Most of these characters, their families were pretty crappy, so having each other to rely on meant a lot to them.

The pace hits warp speed towards the end, as a ton of new information is revealed. I enjoyed the way it wrapped up. Overall, a satisfying inheritance story. The Rosewood Hunt was a game I won’t soon forget. That’s for sure.

While it may not go down in history as one of my favorite YA books, it was still hella entertaining, and I would definitely be interested in reading more from Mackenzie Reed.

Thank you to the publisher, Harper Teen, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m so happy I finally made the time for this one. It was worth it!

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Review: The One that Got Away with Murder by Trish Lundy

~ megs14malloy

The One that Got Away with MurderThe One that Got Away with Murder by Trish Lundy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I had so much fun reading The One that Got Away with Murder. I read it in a 24-hour period and clearly, it hooked me.

It was drama-filled, fast-paced and compelling. Exactly how I like my YA Mystery/Thrillers. I can’t believe this is a debut!? How is that even true?!

In this story we follow Lauren. a high school soccer star, just about to enter her Senior year. Sadly, she’s going to be doing that at an all new school, as she has recently moved with her Mom from California to Happy Valley, Pennsylvania.

Her Mom’s long-distance boyfriend lives in Happy Valley, so following a scandal at Lauren’s old school, they decide it would be best for them to make a fresh start there.

Lauren understands the reasoning behind the move, but it’s still a difficult transition and her new teammates won’t be making it any easier on her.

Prior to the school year beginning, Lauren meets a boy, Robbie Crestmont, and the two begin spending time together. Hooking up, may be the most accurate term for their relationship.

Once she begins hanging out with her teammates though, when soccer season begins, she learns that Robbie isn’t the most liked guy in Pleasant Valley. In fact, some of the girls are downright hostile towards him.

In fact, they blame him for the death of their teammate, Victoria, Robbie’s one-time girlfriend. The story is that Victoria died during a late night swim at the Crestmont’s lake house. Her friends and teammates aren’t buying the story that it was an accident. They suspect foul play.

Not helping is the fact that Robbie’s brother’s girlfriend also died a mysterious death about a year after Victoria. Two brothers, two dead girlfriends. That can’t be a coincidence. Even Lauren can admit that doesn’t seem right.

After agreeing to go visit Robbie’s family lake house over Labor Day weekend, Lauren vows that will be the last weekend she will spend with him. While there, however, she discovers some evidence that may just confirm Robbie’s involvement in Victoria’s death.

Lauren is scared. Does anyone know she found what she found at the lake house? She hopes not.

With dangers around every corner, Lauren is unsure who she can trust. As she navigates between the the powerful Crestmont family and her soccer teammates, Lauren begins to piece together the truth of the two dead girls.

As mentioned above, I had a blast reading this. It’s so compelling. It drew me in from the start.

There was something about Lauren’s character that vibed well with my tastes. I loved reading from her perspective, and learning about her. She can be a little harsh, a little cold, a little angry, but I like that…

You could tell that something fairly significant had happened in her past, but it was slowly revealed to you over the course of the story, instead of laid on you all at once.

I enjoyed how that was done. I like that Lundy took her time revealing Lauren’s full-self. She’s a tough girl, but she definitely struggles with a lot over the course of the story.

I also liked Robbie and his brothers. They were extremely wealthy and powerful in this town, but instead of being the revered golden boys, as would typically be the case in these type of circumstances, they were more like social pariahs.

Lauren looking into their family, and others in the town was very interesting and if kept me on my toes. There were plenty of suspicious actors floating about.

It’s funny, when I was about halfway through this book, I was having so much fun, I thought, I need to go read this author’s previous books! With this in mind, I went to Trish Lundy’s author page here on Goodreads and discovered, THIS IS HER FIRST BOOK!?

I was seriously shocked. This is such a well-constructed and thought-out Teen Mystery, IMO. If this is her debut, I cannot wait to watch her career over the next few years.

If you enjoy YA Mystery/Thriller authors such as Jessica Goodman, Karen M. McManus, or Kara Thomas, you have to check this out. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

Thank you to the publisher, Henry Holt & Company (BYR) and Macmillan Audio, for not only providing me with copies to read and review, but also for introducing me to a talented new author to obsess over!!!

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Review: The Eternal Ones (Deathless #3) by Namina Forna

~ megs14malloy

The Eternal Ones (The Gilded Ones #3)The Eternal Ones by Namina Forna
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4 5-stars**

The Eternal Ones is the final installment in Namina Forna’s Deathless series. I’m walking away an emotional mess.

I wasn’t ready for this to end.

I’ll admit, this series intimidated me at first. It took me a while before I dared to pick it up, but once I did, Forna laid those fears to rest. With this being said, this is heavy and a bit complicated; it’s not an easy read by any stretch.

You need to be focused and paying attention at all times, but if you do, it pays off in spades.

I’m not going to say anything about the plot here, as I am seriously at a loss for how to describe this book without spoiling the events in the previous two.

My experience with this was very positive. I was a little nervous that it’s been a few months since I read The Merciless Ones, the 2nd-book, and I was concerned I wouldn’t remember enough about how that one left off.

Again, I should have trusted Forna’s skills more. She provided a perfect, natural-feeling recap that helped to jog my memory so well. I really appreciated that aspect. It was concise and gave just what I needed to get me back in the proper headspace for this series.

As mentioned above, this is complex, and by that, I mean the world is complex. You are being dropped into a fully-formed, beautifully-developed world and while I may have thought I knew everything about it by this point, I was wrong.

We had some great new developments here, with Deka and her friends traveling to the edge of the world and discovering a whole new realm. It’s there they glean some information needed for the final showdown and meet some promising new potential allies.

I was surprised by the emotional levels that Forna was able to bring to these books. In each one, I always felt for Deka, but in this one in particular my heart was with her. It was a roller coaster, for her and for me.

I just couldn’t imagine going through everything she had been through. It’s tumultuous. It’s like Deka can never catch a break, it’s one thing after another, but she had to travel the path she did. She really had no choice. I respect her courage throughout this series.

In addition to the fabulous main character that Deka is, I also love her best friend, Britta so, so much. She’s like Samwise Gamgee level perfect sidekick.

Their friendship is actually one of my favorite aspects of this entire series; the way it is written. Like when it is just the two of them having a private moment, it’s so cute. In those moments, you can really see their humanity; just two teen girls caring about each other. Britta is just such a light to me, in an otherwise fairly dark narrative.

I also enjoy Keita, Deka’s love interest. Their relationship is sweet and definitely hit me in the feels.

He has been through a lot in his life, like Deka, so I think it’s easy for them to relate to one another and find solace in one another. Even though their experiences are very different, they can appreciate what they’ve each been through.

One of the most powerful scenes in this book, IMO, involves them returning to Keita’s family home. Y’all, you better have your tissues ready. There was something so moving and believable about that scene for me.

Lastly, the Found Family element, created over the course of the series, for me is shining its brightest in this book.

This group is tight, and with what they’re facing in the final scenes, it couldn’t have come at a better time. The camaraderie, the good spirits as a group and the ability to communicate well and work together, it’s so well done.

I’m sad this is over. Frankly, it’s such a beautifully-imagined world Forna’s created here, it’s a shame to use it just for these three books and never see it again…

That’s why I’m proposing a prequel following Deka’s Mom and White Hands. Forna, if you’re out there, we need this.

To the rest of you, write your Congressman, your mayor, pass around petitions, let’s make this happen!

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