The Biased Bibliophile

Genre: YA Dystopian Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Recently, I saw on social media that an indie author plagiarized the work of another indie author. While I am very disheartened to see that happen in the book community, it led me to the original book, Sunset Rising by S.M. McEachern.

300 years after a nuclear fallout in the United States, Sunny O’Donnell is one of the survivors. You might think she be pretty lucky to survive such a disaster, but there are two classes in the biodome, the elite “Domers” and the unlucky laborers who live in the “Pit.” Being part of the latter group, Sunny’s life isn’t easy, but when she ends up being pulled into a dramatic farce with the President’s daughter, her life is quickly turned upside-down.

I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The plot is definitely the aspect that appealed to me the most, as it was robust and interesting. There wasn’t necessarily constant action, but so many things happened that it felt like a whirlwind just reading the book, which emulated what Sunny was likely feeling.

The theme of government corruption was perfect and I thought the events in the book were realistic, but also inventive, which is not easy to pull off in a dystopian novel.

Furthermore, I thought the characters were well-written. I particularly liked Sunny and her love-interest (I won’t spoil who it is!). Many of the supporting characters were great too!

Finally, the ending certainly left me wanting more! I was bummed because I have so many other books that I’ve committed to reading, but I just wanted to abandon all my responsibilities and read the next book in the series.

Overall, Sunset Rising was a wonderful YA dystopian novel! I am a huge fan of dystopian books, and I think anyone who enjoys that genre will love this book too!

Genre: YA Fantasy Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

At this point, do I honestly need to include a rating for Tricia Levenseller’s books? I can officially say that I’ve read all 5 of her books that are currently published, and not a single one deserves anything less than 5 stars. Clearly, Blade of Secrets, the first in a soon-to-be finished duology, was no different!

Ziva will do anything to keep her younger sister safe, but having the ability to imbue weapons she makes with magic might not be the stability she craved. Ziva’s powers and blacksmithing abilities are known throughout the kingdoms, but not everyone is as honest as they seem. When Ziva accidentally creates a sword that tells its user the secrets of those it injures, Ziva’s life becomes much more complicated.

By far, my favorite aspect of this novel was the way in which Levenseller portrayed Ziva’s social anxiety. I know that might sound like a silly thing to like about a novel, but as some who had horrible social anxiety growing up, not many authors can convey what it feels like. When I was a child, I couldn’t explain to any of the adults in my life why I was too afraid to get out of my seat in class to turn a quiz or test in, but Levenseller portrays that social anxiety more accurately than any book I’ve read before.

Mainly for that reason, Ziva was my favorite character because she was so relatable. All the worries that run through her mind, while far removed from my reality, mimic the racing thoughts characteristic of anxiety. Seeing that representation in Blade of Secrets just made me feel like that part of me is seen and understood.

Similarly, I also appreciated the way the other characters in the novel treated Ziva’s anxiety. While they were not always perfect, most of the characters were so understanding and supportive. Anxiety in fiction sometimes feels like this thing that the MC must overcome, but the characters in Blade of Secrets didn’t force Ziva to overcome her anxiety, but to learn to live with it.

Everything else about the novel was wonderful too! The romance was perfect and the plot flowed, as always. I’m actually happy that I waited so long to read this book because now I don’t have to wait forever for Master of Iron to come out!

Genre: YA Fantasy/Mystery Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

It’s been a long time since I read a book that was so good that I felt compelled to skip ahead and read the ending, but that is exactly what happened with Blood and Moonlight by Erin Beaty!

The book is about Catrin, an orphan who was basically adopted by her town’s architect. One night, as she is inspecting the scaffolding of the Sanctum, she witnesses a murder. She is too late to help the victim, but is set on helping with the investigation, which may be more trouble than it’s worth. Add to the mix the mysterious young man appointed to lead the investigation, Simon, who is dark and complicated. On top of all that, Cat’s association with the investigation brings her closer to the magical and shunned Selenae, who worship the moon instead of the Sun.

This was the first book in a long time where I was urgently turning the pages, trying to read as fast as I could because the story was so interesting that I needed to know what happens immediately! The plot was certainly robust, as Catrin goes on adventures to catch a serial killer. Although I don’t read a lot of mysteries, this was the best one I’ve read in years, and it’s convinced me that all mysteries should incorporate elements of fantasy!

As I said, the mystery was fantastic, and would have kept me guessing until the end if I had not purposefully spoiled the ending for myself, but the elements of fantasy really made this book shine! The Selenae are essentially very mysterious, nocturnal people who secretly have magick. Most of society isn’t aware of the Selenae’s powers, but Catrin’s involvement in the murder investigations immerse her within their world, which added a lot of excitement to the story.

Finally, I thought the little bit of romance in the novel was cute, and didn’t take over the plot. I appreciated the fact that Catrin had ambitions outside of her feelings that develop for Simon, such as her dedication to her job, her friendships with Marga and Remi, and her determination to learn about her past. These aspects on top of the romance added a lot of depth to the story, and I feel as though the book would have felt incomplete if it had been missing even one of them.

As a whole, Blood and Moonlight was a wonderful book! I would recommend it to both fantasy and mystery readers, especially if you also enjoy YA.

Genre: Apocalyptic Rating: ⭐⭐

Unfortunately I did not finish Into the Mist by P.C. Cast. Honestly I really tried to push through and finish the book, but I simply couldn’t…. First off, the characters were extremely annoying. When I read an excerpt of the book, I though they were teenagers, only to find out that they are women in their 40s, who speak and act like teenagers.

While the novel is advertised as feminist, I did not get that from the portion I read (about 22%). Simply killing off most of the men in the novel doesn’t make it inherently feminist. Not to mention the fact that all the characters were extremely superficial.

Finally, many aspects of the novel were highly unrealistic. The characters conveniently had everything they would need in an apocalypse, which was a bit absurd. Likewise, there was supposedly an EMP, yet the characters claimed that electronic cars would still work as long as they were off at the time of the EMP, they were also able to use batteries and cell phones (even though they had no service), which wouldn’t be possible after an EMP. It really showed a lack of research on the author’s part because that is not how EMPs work.

Overall, I just found this book disappointing, unrealistic, and a little annoying.

Genre: YA Fantasy Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I was so excited to read my first YA book with Blackberry Book Tours, Amethyst Pledge by Leonie Rogers. If you’ve seen my review for the second book in the series, Dark Days, then you likely already know how I feel about Amethyst Pledge!

In the world Rogers created, every 15-year-old must make a decision that will impact the rest of their lives; pledge their service for The Lady, or choose another path in life. Only a few are called on to serve The Lady, but Kazari knows she is one of them. Once a person declares that they will spend their lives in service to The Lady, she chooses what role they will have. Kazari never imagines that she would be destined to become a Hunter, but that is exactly what happens, and she is quickly thrown into a new and dangerous world.

So many aspects of this book were absolutely wonderful! First off, the writing and plot both flow really well, which made the book go by really quickly. The storyline is action-packed, and I felt like the writing swiftly carried me through the events of the novel. On top of that, I also thought that the events that occurred made sense for the storyline and kept the novel interesting throughout its entirety.

Furthermore, I found many of the characters captivating, especially Kazari. There was something about her that I couldn’t really put my finger on that felt fun, yet relatable. She certainly shows some immaturity, but it felt true to her age, and honestly added to the book as a whole. The character development for Kazari was absolutely phenomenal.

The one thing I didn’t necessarily love about the book was The Lady and the religious aspects. That addition just isn’t appealing to me, and I felt like Kazari’s references to The Lady were a tad bit annoying. That being said, there was a point in the novel where one of the other Hunters subtly suggests some hesitation in his faith in The Lady, so I think it’s possible that Rogers could further develop this idea into something more unique and exciting.

Overall, I was so pleasantly surprised by Amethyst Pledge. If you don’t already know, I ended up emailing Rogers’s publisher immediately after finishing it to see if I could read and review the sequel, Dark Days. If you’re looking for a fast paced fantasy novel that has compelling characters and a robust plot, then this is the book for you!