Ranking in the top 1000

Since I joined Wattpad a month ago, I’ve been furiously working on Daughter of Darkness. I’ve managed to bust out 21 chapters in just over a month *wipes away sweat*

And I feel like it’s really paid off. I’ve had a couple of binge readers, great comments and critiques, and loyal followers who jump on updates.

But two days ago, I woke up, checked Wattpad and nearly choked on my cereal.

Daughter of Darkness was currently ranked at #789 in fantasy.

I couldn’t believe it. I still can’t. I know that #789 really isn’t that great of a number. But out of thousands of stories, it was something. And it really feel like all the work I put in for this last month was actually amounting to something.

Anyways, I just wanted to share the exciting news. Again, if you aren’t on Wattpad and have been thinking about posting something or even just reading people’s stories, I would 100% recommend it.

Daughter of Darkness: https://www.wattpad.com/374142717-daughter-of-darkness-chapter-1

Writing so far…

Hi guys!

Just wanted to give a quick update for those wondering how Wattpad is going… the answer is GREAT!

Seriously though, I’m loving it so much. The feedback and support I’ve gotten so far and the friends I’ve made just blows my mind. I’ve you’ve been thinking about joining to read or to write, I would absolutely recommend it.

Here’s my main book I’m working on:

Title: Daughter of Darkness 

Summary: In a land where magic belongs solely to the gods, Talia Kinsley struggles to hide the unpredictable power that her younger sister Willow seems to have been cursed with. Powers, that if discovered, could get her killed.

So when men show up at their home, knowing of Willow’s power and take her to Fairhaven, the royal city, Talia has no choice but to follow, prepared to do anything to free her sister. But once there, the Royal Council reveals that Willow has been blessed by the goddess Melora herself, and is destined to rule Lumor as it’s queen. Having no place in Willow’s new royal life, Talia is cast aside and joins the new recruits of the royal army, refusing to leave her sister at the mercy of the Council.

Struggling with being the only female in the recruits and protecting a sister who now wants nothing to do with her, Talia must unravel the secrets of the darkness lurking in the castle and find a way to stop the necromancer on the hunt for her sister. Finding unexpected allies like the charming Captain DeGray and Hale Rennick, a fellow recruit determined to help her, Talia begins a fight, not just for her sister’s life and soul, but for the fate of the whole kingdom.

** I currently have 15 chapters up for this! Woo hoo! Check it out if you’re interested: https://www.wattpad.com/374142717-crowned-in-darkness-chapter-1

AND…

I’ve just started posting my second story!!! YAY! I was getting such good feedback and enjoying posting my first book so much that I figured I’d multitask and work on my second as well. The two are not related, they are both book one in separate series!

So here’s my second book:

Title: Forged in Flame 

Summary: Aeryn Rivell has been a prisoner for over a year. Held captive and forced to endure the horrors of prison, the only thing keeping her from giving up is the silver eyed boy in the cell next to her… and her dragon, Sakala, waiting for her on the outside.

After an old friend breaks in to help her escape, Aeryn finds herself on the run in a kingdom sworn to wipe out dragons entirely. Hunted by the king’s most ruthless trackers and traveling with those who could betray them at any moment, Aeryn and Sakala’s only hope lies in making it to the neighboring kingdom of Kalis, where freedom awaits. But it soon becomes clear that there’s more at stake than their freedom, and Aeryn must face her past and embrace her future when she discovers that she might be the only one who can save the warring kingdoms.

** Check it out here! https://www.wattpad.com/384274913-forged-in-flame-chapter-1

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Anyways, Wattpad is going so well, I’m beyond excited. Hopefully you check out my writing or decide to just check out Wattpad in general because some people have put their heart and soul into their works and it really shows!

Thanks for the continuous support guys!

 

Wattpad Story

Hello everyone!

As you might have read from my last post, I’m taking a break from reviewing to work on my book on Wattpad. Yay for me trying to accomplish something in my life!

I’ve received several messages from people asking about my book so since I’ve officially posted 10 chapters (!!!!!) I thought I’d post a link in case anyone wants to read it.

No seriously, go read it.

Haha just kidding (not really). But in all seriousness, here’s the link if you wanna check it out.

Thanks!!!

https://www.wattpad.com/374142717-crowned-in-darkness-chapter-1

Quick Update

Hi everyone!

So obviously I’ve been super absent… like, super super absent. I think my last post was September. Yikes. I haven’t been doing any new book reviews because I’ve been busy working on a new book idea.

Yep, that’s right, I’m going to try writing an actual book.

So as you can imagine, that’s left me little to no time for my reviews. And I probably won’t have any time in the near future.

However, anyone interested in my story can check it out on Wattpad. I just posted the first chapter today, yay! You can check it out here… https://www.wattpad.com/user/RKPriest

And a huge thanks to everyone that’s still with my despite my spotty attendance.

 

Review: Nemesis

Title: Nemesis (Nemesis #1)

Author: Anna Banks

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Publication Date: October 4th, 2016

Summary: The princess didn’t expect to fall in love–with her nemesis.

Princess Sepora of Serubel is the last Forger in all the five kingdoms. The spectorium she creates provides energy for all, but now her father has found a way to weaponize it, and his intentions to incite war force her to flee from his grasp. She escapes across enemy lines into the kingdom of Theoria, but her plans to hide are thwarted when she is captured and placed in the young king’s servitude.

Tarik has just taken over rulership of Theoria, and must now face a new plague sweeping through his kingdom and killing his citizens. The last thing he needs is a troublesome servant vying for his attention. But mistress Sepora will not be ignored. When the two finally meet face-to-face, they form an unlikely bond that complicates life in ways neither of them could have imagined.

Sepora’s gift could save Tarik’s kingdom from the Quiet Plague. But should she trust her growing feelings for her nemesis, or should she hide her gifts at all costs?

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A huge thanks to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Am I the only one that thinks this cover is hideous? Because I keep seeing it from a distance and thinking it can’t be that bad and then I actually look at it and realize, yep, it actually is that bad.

Despite the ugly cover though, I decide to go for it because it sounded intriguing and you know, don’t judge a book by it’s cover. In this case, I sort of wished I had.

The world was interesting, I’ll give the book that much. I liked the differences between the Theoria and Serubel and enjoyed reading about Theoria as a place. It was a vibrant world and I would have loved to get more of it, but Sepora was confined to the palace for a decent portion of the book.

Another aspect of the book I liked were both Sepora and Tarik as characters. I struggled at first with connecting with either of them because of the constant flipping back and forth between point of views, some of the chapters feeling very short and abrupt. But eventually, once I got a feel for the characters, I grew to like them. Tarik especially stood out to me, as the young struggling king, and I felt his struggles when it came to putting his heart or kingdom first. That conflict always twinges my tender heartstrings. When it came to Sepora, I flipped back and forth between loving and hating her. She was tough and stubborn, both things I can respect in a young woman. But… she was also overly dramatic and kind of snotty. Although, in her defense, she is a princess.

Everything else in the book was pretty lackluster, even frustrating at times. There was a silly insta-love, which I kind of expected, considering the two main characters didn’t even meet until a third of the way into the book. Their relationship was just kind of meh, mostly just Tarik musing every five seconds about how amazing Sepora’s shining silver eyes are or how mouthwatering her chamomile and orchid scent is. Give me a break.

And the romance was obviously supposed to carry the story because seriously, nothing else happened. And I mean, nothing. The plot was so slow and full of a whole lot of nothing. And when something happened, it felt like it wasn’t very well explained. Almost like the author had an idea for something she wanted in the book but wasn’t quite sure how to work it into the story so it’s explanation is sketchy and kind of unbelievable. Not only that, but I was so disappointed that Sepora’s forging is never really used for anything. At the beginning, she uses it to make a knife and I thought, as an interesting power, she would use it throughout the book for various things. But I actually don’t think she uses it again for the rest of the book. It was such a letdown.

I was looking forward to this book so much but it ended up being a slow love story with no much else going for it. And an unsightly cover on top of everything else.

RATING:

Review: Empire of Storms

Title: Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass #5)

Author: Sarah J Maas

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens

Publication Date: September 6th, 2016

Summary: The long path to the throne has only just begun for Aelin Galathynius. Loyalties have been broken and bought, friends have been lost and gained, and those who possess magic find themselves at odds with those who don’t.

As the kingdoms of Erilea fracture around her, enemies must become allies if Aelin is to keep those she loves from falling to the dark forces poised to claim her world. With war looming on all horizons, the only chance for salvation lies in a desperate quest that may mark the end of everything Aelin holds dear.

Aelin’s journey from assassin to queen has entranced millions across the globe, and this fifth installment will leave fans breathless. Will Aelin succeed in keeping her world from splintering, or will it all come crashing down?

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WARNING: This is not going to be a spoiler review but if you aren’t caught up with the series, I would read at your own risk. There will be potential mild spoilers in this review.

So I’m going to do something different than usual for this review. Normally I take the time to type out a big complicated review, going in depth on things… But I’m not doing that this time. You guys are getting a jumbled speed review because I’ve sat at this computer for days now trying to write a review and I just can’t. My brain and heart haven’t recovered enough yet. So here we go…

AELIN: My poor baby, you big selfless, crazy, ridiculously stupid brat. I love you but I want to punch you so hard right now. Through the whole book she was just being her usual sassy badass self but I KNEW SOMETHING WAS UP. I KNEW IT. And I was right. That ending wrecked me.

ROWAN: I love this guy. And I cried for him so much. Like I just can’t even think about him right now. What he did for Aelin and just thinking about the next book… These tears are real.

MANON: Just when I thought it wasn’t possible to love his girl any more than I already did, she went and got more amazing. She is just the perfect blend of cold, killing evil badassery, with a gooey heart hiding underneath. CAN THIS GIRL JUST BE QUEEN OF EVERYTHING PLEASE?

DORIAN: Still love him. His part didn’t feel as big in this book but he still shone like a little star. His magic powers are seriously becoming really impressive, Aelin might have some competition.

AEDION: Can I just say, thank god for this kid… If he wasn’t around, no one would be challenging Aelin or calling her out. Sure, he might be wrong most of the time, but I’m just relieved to have someone around who doesn’t think she’s the bee’s knees 24/7. Oh and I would totes marry this boy.

LYSANDRA: ALL BOW DOWN TO THE NEW QUEEN IN TOWN, THIS SHAPESHIFTING GIRL IS KICKING ASS AND TAKING NAMES. Lysandra is so cool you guys. Like, to levels that I really wasn’t expecting. I doubted her for a little bit and I take it all back, she is perfect. And that sea wyvern scene just… I can’t.

ELIDE: This girl is in my heart like on a more personal level. I feel like if I was a character in this book, this would be me; forgotten about, no flashy magic, not unbelievably perfect… BUT THIS GIRL DON’T CARE. Holy wow, she was so resourceful and brave and tough and I really wasn’t expecting the feels I got from this. You go girl.

LORCAN: I really didn’t have much of an opinion on this guy and now I don’t know if I want to kiss him or chop his head off. I mean, I get it, I get him, but that just doesn’t make it better. But then… the whole period shirt thing just makes me want to bawl and shove him and Elide together.

MAEVE: I’m so ready for this bitch to die. I don’t even care about that other bad guy, this bitch needs to die. I hope Sarah J Maas takes several pages to describe her suffering when it happens.

Of course, I have to touch on the ships because there are so many for this stupid book series and my heart can’t handle it.

AELIN/ROWAN: Perfect. Enough said.

DORIAN/MANON: YES. I’ve shipped them since they first met and I’m so satisfied right now. Their relationship isn’t all warm romance and rainbows but I kind of like that because as they fix each other, then it can turn into that in their own way. Also, can Dorian please just marry her already so she can be queen of like, everything. K thanks.

AEDION/LYSANDRA: I can wait. This is worth waiting for, I can feel it. And can we just talk about how awesome it is that Aedion likes everyone and is still super close to and besties with one of his previous male lovers? What a cool guy.

ELIDE/LORCAN: I was so not expecting this and I’m still struggling to understand why I ship it so much. I don’t even love Lorcan or anything but my heart just broke when he told Elide he wanted to go to Perranth. I need them together but not until Lorcan grovels A LOT.

And everyone keeps talking about the fact that this book has some fairly descriptive sex scenes in it, so I suppose I’d better too. I keep hearing lots of people talking about how they are mad that Sarah J Maas put them in the book. Basically, I agree that the sex scenes aren’t really necessary. But do I care? Nope. I get that they didn’t need to be in here and I feel bad for anyone that was offended by them. But that being said, I still enjoyed them in a way. I ship these characters and sex is usually something that happens in a romantic relationship. And I can absolutely believe that these characters would have sex. So it didn’t feel forced or unbelievable to me. Would the books have been just as good without the sex scenes? Yes. But Sarah J Maas is the author and if she wanted to write some smutty scenes, good for her. I’m just here to read and enjoy and having some unexpected sex in my book did absolutely nothing to change that.

Anyways… THE PLOT: Brilliant. Mind blowing. Heartbreaking. Like, I’m trying not to think about it so I don’t cry. Sarah J Maas continues to amaze me. I’m a filthy fangirl when it comes to her, I know, but I can’t help it. And I loved that this book had the feeling of like, the dream team slowly coming together. Now we just need Chaol and Nesryn to swoop in at a key moment in the next book. Calling it now.

OVERALL: Darrow can die, Maeve needs to die slowly, no one on the dream team had better die, and I’m going to die after the next book.

RATING:

Review: A Shadow Bright and Burning

Title: A Shadow Bright and Burning (Kingdom on Fire #1)

Author: Jessica Cluess

Publisher: Random House BFYR

Publication Date: September 20th, 2016

Summary: Henrietta Howel can burst into flames. When she is brought to London to train with Her Majesty’s sorcerers, she meets her fellow sorcerer trainees, young men eager to test her powers and her heart. One will challenge her. One will fight for her. One will betray her. As Henrietta discovers the secrets hiding behind the glamour of sorcerer life, she begins to doubt that she’s the true prophesied one. With battle looming, how much will she risk to save the city–and the one she loves?

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A huge thanks to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’m not going to lie, this one was tough for me. It’s possible that this book is actually amazing on a regular basis but because I read it while still recovering from the disgusting hangover that EoS gave me, I had abnormally difficult time with it. But that being said, it doesn’t change the fact that this book was really just so hard for me to get into and, to be honest, just not that great.

Right away, this book was confusing. I’ve never been opposed the authors acting like their readers actually have brains and letting us fill in some gaps, but damn, this book just jumped right in, talking about Ancients and having spooky monster girls on flying stags dropping out the sky. All with very little explanation about the world or what was happening. My brain was definitely a little annoyed and I found it hard to follow.

But hey, I kept reading because you know, magic and sorcerers and cool staves that you can twirl around and whoosh wind at people with. Those are all things I like. But you know what I don’t like? Boring characters. The typical “chosen one” story line. Continuously stupid decisions. Giant love triangle squiggle things. All of those are bad. And all of those were in this book.

My main issue with this book was that I honestly didn’t care about any of the characters at all. I had a hard time even keeping all of the boys straight, to be honest. But not even that, they also made decisions that made me resent them or had random changes of heart that made no sense to me. Two characters that hate each other with a passion through the whole book suddenly have a little heart to heart and the next thing I know, they are literally best friends. No joke, like calling each other their best friend and parading around with their arms linked, best friend badges nice and shiny for the world to see. And Henrietta lies a lot. But these boys still have this weird unshakable faith in her, almost like some sort of hero worship that feels very undeserved. Speaking of lying, this was one of those books where the main character has to lie and sneak around all the time and you are just counting down the pages until you know it’s going to blow up in their face as dramatically as possible.

And of course, I have to discuss the love blob that was happening here. It felt so forced and shallow, I could hardly stand it. There are multiple guys that have feelings for Henrietta, but she hardly ever thinks about them romantically until they are in the moment and something romantic happens, then she just brushes it off with hardly a second thought. There was no progression or building when it came to the romance, it was just kind of there, but in a way that just didn’t work at all. So there is definitely a love triangle, but I’m going so far as to call it a love blob because there’s a third guy that doesn’t pursue her romantically in this book but I’m calling it right now; it will happen.

This might seem like a random, nit-picky thing, but it bothered me so much that I have to mention it. At some point in this book, a character is telling Henrietta something important. He tries to twice and it’s that thing where he conveniently gets cut off one second before he can mention the important part of what he’s trying to tell her… So for example (this isn’t in the book), he’s like, “I only have a second. The treasure’s buried in-” BOOM, CONVENIENT EXPLOSION.

Come on. This bothers me so much. It feels so childish and lazy, like the author can’t think of a creative way to tie this secret in or make us intrigued enough to pick up the next book without employing the use of this extremely annoying and cheap feeling tactic.

The one redeeming factor this book had was that towards the end, it actually started to pick up and I did get a little interested. Up until about 85%, nothing really happened in the book, just Henrietta lying and juggling multiple boys and bursting into flames a few times. But last chunk of the book was a bit faster paced and exciting.

So overall, my main problem with this book was really that nothing felt original or unique. Not the story or the characters. The writing felt simple and uncomplicated, the relationships flat and forced, and the magic was disappointing. I really wanted to like this book because it sounded like something I would love, but it just didn’t deliver. I will give it two stars though for the fact that I did finish it and didn’t hate the end and that overall, it didn’t make me angry, it just left me feeling very meh.

RATING:

Most Anticipated Books of Fall 2016!

Fall is my absolute favorite season. Nothing’s better than curling up with a snuggly sweater, a steaming hot cup of tea and a great book while the world outside consists of gray skies and crunching leaves. Fall is also usually when a big chunk of my most anticipated books of the year come out. The fall season and new books go together like peanut butter and jelly.

Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas: I’m not even sure I need to explain this one, and yes, I know it’s already out but I couldn’t leave it off the list. Sexy fae warriors (yes, that is plural, as in more than one), Aelin kicking massive ass with her flame powers, tons more smoochy scenes, Manon slicing people’s guts out, bad guys being bad, and guaranteed heartbreak. What’s not to love?

Heartless by Marissa Meyer: Another book by Marrisa Meyer? How could I possibly resist? Not to mention the fact that it’s a freaking origin story for the Queen of Hearts. I’ve been hearing so many raving reviews for this book already, so I know Marissa Meyer is working her magic yet again. Plus, I really need to know how an innocent baker becomes the evil, head-chopping Queen. I can’t even being to imagine how that comes about.

Bright Smoke, Cold Fire by Rosamund Hodge: After reading Crimson Bound, I can help but be excited for another retelling, this time featuring Romeo and Juliet. I have a love/hate relationship with Romeo and Juliet but I have complete faith in Rosamund Hodge to make it interesting and creepy enough to hold my attention and hopefully capture my heart.

Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake: I adore everything about this book. That cover makes my heart pitter-patter and the idea behind it, of dark magic and trickery, betrayal by those closest to you, and a rivalry between sisters that can only end in death… My stomach is fluttering just thinking about it. This book has so much potential to be one of my favorites of the year.

Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo: Guys… this book. I can’t even begin to describe the feelings I get in my stomach when I think about it. Six of Crows was one of my absolute favorites last year and the wait has nearly killed me. But in a few short weeks, this book will finally be in my hands. There is not a single shred of doubt that I’m going to laugh and cry and probably scream at the heavens for ever cursing me with such a book.

Den of Wolves by Juliet Marillier: This author is one of the few that genuinely makes me cry from a place deep down in my heart. One of the most underrated actors that I love, she’s broken my heart many times with her incredible stories of love, faith, redemption, healing, and a little magic. This series is no exception. Blackthorn and Grim are back and no doubt, once again, getting in way over their heads with someone’s problems. Which I’m actually okay with because with every near death experience, the more their relationship grows and the more feels I get. Win win.

Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff: I’m not even sure how to describe Illuminae to someone who hasn’t read it, but if you haven’t, I’m pretty sure you should just go read it and find out for yourself. One of the most surprising and unique books I’ve read in a long time, and now the sequel is almost out. Be still my heart. But seriously, this book is going to wreck me if it’s even half as good as the first one.

What new fall releases are you guys most excited for?

Giveaway Time!

Hey everyone, to celebrate my return to all things bookish, I’m hosting a new giveaway! Percy says enter to win a fabulous book!

The winner will get to pick one of the books from above. This giveaway is US only and will end 9/18.

Enter to win on Rafflecopter.

You can get additional entries through twitter here: https://twitter.com/Book_Babe23/status/775053281919836160

And on Instagram. My username is rowanreadsandraves.

Thanks again to everyone that’s stuck with me this past few months, you guys are unbelievable.

I’m Back!

Hi everyone! I know it’s been an embarrassing amount of time since I last posted anything but I’m back and ready to roll out the reviews. Life has been a little hectic lately so unfortunately my bookish hobbies took a major backseat. To start with, I got a new job, at a bookstore of all places! Also, I moved into my own apartment, quickly followed by my first trip to the ER, which was definitely an experience.

And guess who went blue?

And got two sweet new kitties?

   

Life is pretty good now and with everything settled and going back to normal, that means it’s book time again. Thanks for everyone that’s stuck with me through these last few months, love you guys!