Eight Will Fall by Sarah Harian

Hey guys!
I don’t know why but I picked up this book, read a few chapters, put it back down, and then forgot about it. Now that I finally finished reading it, I could kick myself for tacking so long!

Eight Will Fall on Goodreads

The Plot (according to Goodreads):

In a land where magic is outlawed, eight criminals led by seventeen-year-old Larkin are sent on a mission to kill an ancient evil that plagues their kingdom. Descending into an underground realm full of unspeakable horrors, Larkin and her party must use their forbidden magic to survive what lies in wait, teeth sharp and jaws deadly.

As she fights for her life, Larkin finds a light in Amias, a fellow outlaw with a notorious past. Soon Larkin and Amias realize their fates are entwined. The eight of them were chosen for a reason.

But as the dangers multiply and her band of felons are picked off one by one, Larkin must confront a terrible truth: They were never meant to return.

The Rating:

This book dives straight into the action. Instead of spending a hundred pages on world-building, and situating the reader, here we start in medias res. It was a nice change after reading many other books that dragged on at first. Naturally, you’ll have a few confusing moments but you’ll soon be able to figure things out.

Forest of Souls by Lori M. Lee (Shamanborn #1)

Hey guys!
Another day, another subscription box book. I finally picked up this Fairyloot novel with a more than stunning cover. Let’s see whether the story can hold up to the design!

Forest of Souls on Goodreads

The Plot (according to Goodreads):

Sirscha Ashwyn comes from nothing, but she’s intent on becoming something. After years of training to become the queen’s next royal spy, her plans are derailed when shamans attack and kill her best friend Saengo.

And then Sirscha, somehow, restores Saengo to life.

Unveiled as the first soulguide in living memory, Sirscha is summoned to the domain of the Spider King. For centuries, he has used his influence over the Dead Wood—an ancient forest possessed by souls—to enforce peace between the kingdoms. Now, with the trees growing wild and untamed, only a soulguide can restrain them. As war looms, Sirscha must master her newly awakened abilities before the trees shatter the brittle peace, or worse, claim Saengo, the friend she would die for.

The Rating:

Oooh, this was thrilling!

So far, I think I haven’t picked up a book from Fairyloot I didn’t like. This is a fresh take on the whole power/magic/chosen one theme and keeps you on your toes.

The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller

Hey guys!
Another day, another book review. Today I bring you a little gold nugget of a novel called The Shadows Between Us!

The Shadows Between Us on Goodreads

The Plot (according to Goodreads):

Alessandra is tired of being overlooked, but she has a plan to gain power:

1) Woo the Shadow King.
2) Marry him.
3) Kill him and take his kingdom for herself.

No one knows the extent of the freshly crowned Shadow King’s power. Some say he can command the shadows that swirl around him to do his bidding. Others say they speak to him, whispering the thoughts of his enemies. Regardless, Alessandra knows what she deserves, and she’s going to do everything within her power to get it.

But Alessandra’s not the only one trying to kill the king. As attempts on his life are made, she finds herself trying to keep him alive long enough for him to make her his queen—all while struggling not to lose her heart. After all, who better for a Shadow King than a cunning, villainous queen?

The Rating:

This was absolutely impossible to put down. The Shadows Between Us is the Slytherin romance of your dreams and can only be described as delightfully wicked.

My edition is from Fairyloot and the purple and black cover is stunning. I think the normal version is red and black, but the special one stole my heart. It’s. So. Beautiful.

Dangerous Remedy by Kat Dunn

Hey peeps!
With Dangerous Remedy, Illumicrate had included a novel in one of their boxes that had my attention from the getgo. French Revolution? Dysfunctional found family? Dark and dangerous powers?
I’m here for it!

Dangerous Remedy on Goodreads

The Plot (according to Goodreads):

Camille, a revolutionary’s daughter, leads a band of outcasts – a runaway girl, a deserter, an aristocrat in hiding. As the Battalion des Mortes they cheat death, saving those about to meet a bloody end at the blade of Madame La Guillotine. But their latest rescue is not what she seems. The girl’s no aristocrat, but her dark and disturbing powers means both the Royalists and the Revolutionaries want her. But who and what is she?

In these dangerous days, no one can be trusted, everyone is to be feared. As Camille learns the truth, she’s forced to choose between loyalty to those she loves and the future. 

The Rating:

I love it when a book teaches me something and this one certainly did. The chapters have a date with them but not exactly in a way you’d recognize. Did you know that after the French Revolution the so-called French Republican calendar had been introduced? No? Me neither! Basically, everything was re-named and split into new categories. It’s quite fascinating, and I spent a good amount of time reading up on that, just because I got curious from seeing it in Dangerous Remedy.

Not only did I appreciate learning something new, but I also appreciate that Kat Dunn paid attention to such tiny details. Hardly anybody would have noticed if she had simply used the regular date but these little things make all the difference in the world to me.

Top 5 Tuesday: Books I haven’t read yet

Hey, guys!
It’s Tuesday, that means it’s time for a bookish favorites posts. Top 5 Tuesday is hosted by Meeghan over on Meeghan Reads and is quite simple: check out the topic and write a post with your picks.
So, here’s the deal. For this week’s topic, I’ll be doing a little theme within the theme. For books I haven’t read yet, I’ll be sharing some of the subscription box novels on my shelf that I just haven’t got to yet! I’ll leave you with the plot info from Goodreads. 😉

#1 Fable by Adrienne Young

Welcome to a world made dangerous by the sea and by those who wish to profit from it. Where a young girl must find her place and her family while trying to survive in a world built for men.

As the daughter of the most powerful trader in the Narrows, the sea is the only home seventeen-year-old Fable has ever known. It’s been four years since the night she watched her mother drown during an unforgiving storm. The next day her father abandoned her on a legendary island filled with thieves and little food. To survive she must keep to herself, learn to trust no one and rely on the unique skills her mother taught her. The only thing that keeps her going is the goal of getting off the island, finding her father and demanding her rightful place beside him and his crew. To do so Fable enlists the help of a young trader named West to get her off the island and across the Narrows to her father.

But her father’s rivalries and the dangers of his trading enterprise have only multiplied since she last saw him and Fable soon finds that West isn’t who he seems. Together, they will have to survive more than the treacherous storms that haunt the Narrows if they’re going to stay alive.

Fable on Goodreads

#2 The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab

A Life No One Will Remember. A Story You Will Never Forget.

France, 1714: in a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets.

Thus begins the extraordinary life of Addie LaRue, and a dazzling adventure that will play out across centuries and continents, across history and art, as a young woman learns how far she will go to leave her mark on the world.

But everything changes when, after nearly 300 years, Addie stumbles across a young man in a hidden bookstore and he remembers her name. 

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue on Goodreads