Whatcha Reading Wednesday - All That We See or Seem

This week I'm reading...

All That We See or Seem

by Kristina Mahr

What they say: Every night, seventeen-year-old Reeve Lennox finds herself under a noose.

By day she is a lady of Acarsaid's royal house, daydreaming of adventure and love. But every night in sleep she wanders through a nightmarish city, an invisible witness to the screeches of monsters and the screams of their victims. Her only consolation is Bran, a battle-torn young man with a selfless heart and eyes that reflect the stars. 

Yet while Reeve falls deeper into her dreams, in truth she is engaged to Arden, a mercurial nobleman who has long been cured of his belief in love and breathes fire and flattery like other people breathe air.

Torn between two lives, Reeve struggles to remember what's real, until night and day collide, with a revelation that threatens all of Acarsaid.

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From Breath and Ruin is LIVE!!

From Breath and Ruin - Elements of Five #1

by Carrie Ann Ryan

What they say: In her YA debut, New York Times bestselling author Carrie Ann Ryan dives into a world with magic and sacrifice with the Elements of Five.

Five hundred years ago, the Maison Realm was shattered, divided into warring kingdoms of elemental Wielders with fate and truth shadowed and uncertain. Now, factions of both the light and dark venture into the human realm in search of the prophesied Spirit Priestess who is said to Wield the Elements of Five to bring the two fractured kingdoms together.

Lyric has no idea that there's a realm outside the human one she lives in. When fate and circumstances are pulled from her hands after an accident, she finds out that nothing is as it seems.

War is raging around her, and when Lyric realizes that they are searching for her, she must rely on those she once trusted as she trains: a boy who isn't who she thought, and a new realm of warriors who have come to protect her.

For the darkness is coming, and the Queen of Obscurité wants to ensure that the King of Lumière can't get his hands on Lyric. And the only way to ensure that is if Lyric herself is no more...no matter the cost to prophecy.

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I received a copy in exchange for an honest review!

What I say: I went through a range of emotions reading From Breath and Ruin. I started off distracted by some of the characters immaturity and 'young' language - The beginning is slow. We get detailed descriptions of things like the main character, Lyric's, favourite running outfits and a lot about the usual teen relationship drama, but after this initial slow pace, the action picks up and the characters all go though huge changes. They find the missing maturity and become more developed characters. As a result the narrative improves and I could understand their 'voices' more.

I found Lyric difficult to like at first because she's full of doubt and lacks confidence - I blame a lot of this on Emory (more on her later). I did warm to Lyric throughout the story as I began to empathise with her struggle and the huge revelations. 

I really liked Braelynn. Kind characters are often underrated in stories but I appreciated the support she provides and the balance she brings to the plot. Emory - ugh! I know we're not supposed to like her, but I really wanted her to disappear and never be mentioned again. I kept thinking she can't be that selfish all the time.

Oh Rhodes! I liked him and wanted to see his confidence grow. I liked his badassery (yep I know it's not a word) and did find him charming. My suspicious mind kept expecting him to do something terrible - no spoilers here!

Once the story gets going, it's an engaging read and I like how everything is set up ready for the next book...!

4 Stars in my Sky!

Cover Reveal - Steel Tide

The cover for the second instalment in Natalie C. Parker's Seafire series was released last week. What do you think?

Steel Tide - Seafire #2

by Natalie C. Parker

What they say: The second book in a heart-stopping trilogy that follows the captain of an all-female ship intent on taking down a vicious warlord's powerful fleet.

Caledonia may have lost her crew, but she's not done fighting yet. After nearly dying at the hand of a powerful foe, Caledonia is pulled from the sea and nursed back to health by a crew of former Bullets that call themselves Blades. The Blades escaped Aric Athair's clutches and now live a nomadic existence, ready to disappear at a moment's notice should trouble come their way.

But Caledonia wants to do more than just hide. She wants to find the Mors Navis and her beloved sisters. She wants to continue fighting Aric's fleet and to take back the Bullet seas. She'll need to do everything in her power to convince the Blades that fighting is their only option, that there has to be a life better than the one under Aric Athair's reign, and that finding the women of the Mors Navis is the first step to revolution.

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Am Reading - What the Wind Knows

This is a bit of a change from what I usually read but am really enjoying it.

What the Wind Knows

by Amy Harmon

What they say: In an unforgettable love story, a woman’s impossible journey through the ages could change everything…

Anne Gallagher grew up enchanted by her grandfather’s stories of Ireland. Heartbroken at his death, she travels to his childhood home to spread his ashes. There, overcome with memories of the man she adored and consumed by a history she never knew, she is pulled into another time.

The Ireland of 1921, teetering on the edge of war, is a dangerous place in which to awaken. But there Anne finds herself, hurt, disoriented, and under the care of Dr. Thomas Smith, guardian to a young boy who is oddly familiar. Mistaken for the boy’s long-missing mother, Anne adopts her identity, convinced the woman’s disappearance is connected to her own.

As tensions rise, Thomas joins the struggle for Ireland’s independence and Anne is drawn into the conflict beside him. Caught between history and her heart, she must decide whether she’s willing to let go of the life she knew for a love she never thought she’d find. But in the end, is the choice actually hers to make? 

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Team Elsa - A Frozen Heart

A Frozen Heart - Disney

by Elizabeth Rudnick

What they say: Love is an open door...

Be careful who steps inside.

Anna is a princess of Arendelle. Locked away from the outside world for years, she is desperate to leave her lonely life behind. Her parents are gone and her sister, Elsa - the only person who might show her love - is cold and distant.

Hans is a prince of the Southern Isles. Thirteenth in line to the throne, Hans is desperate to escape the tyranny of his father and older brothers and find a kingdom of his own to rule.

Their worlds collide at Elsa's coronation. At first, it seems as if all Anna's dreams have come true. At last she has found someone to love! But as Hans's true motives are revealed, their fairy-tale romance begins to melt away and Anna discovers that love is a more mysterious - and powerful - force than she ever could have imagined.

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Too Cute - A Place for Pluto

A friend came across this little treasure (thanks Lucy) and I couldn't help myself - I had to buy it! Themes of friendship, sharing, bullying, caring, inclusion and some really cool space facts, make this not only a cute story, with fab pictures, but a great teaching aide...!

A Place for Pluto

by Stef Wade

Illustrator: Melanie Demmer

What they say: Pluto got the shock of his life when he was kicked out of the famous nine. His planet status was stripped away, leaving him lost and confused. Poor Pluto! On his quest to find a place where he belongs, he talks to comets, asteroids, and meteoroids. He doesn't fit it anywhere! But when Pluto is about to give up, he runs into a dwarf planet and finally finds his place in the solar system. This feel-good picture book combines a popular science topic with character education themes of self discovery, acceptance, and friendship. It has bonus material in the back matter to support curriculum. 

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