Dark Lands: The Not-Where by Lyn I. Kelly

May 1, 2019 By Leave a Comment


Dark Lands: The Not-Where by Lyn I. Kelly
Part Two of the Dark Lands Series
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: YA Fantasy
Length: Full Length (200 pages)
Age Recommendation: 16+
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Lavender

The betrayal at the Requiem has passed, but the foreboding presence of the Dark Man still exists. While whispers of a new threat roll across the Dark Lands, Webb Thompson is plagued by a recurring nightmare that warns of a looming evil powerful enough to transform not just his life, but also that of his sister, Sundown, and her counselor, Raven. After the Dark Man initiates a move that destabilizes the shaky balance of good and evil in the Dark Lands, Webb realizes the only resolution may lie within a shadowy region known to few and traversed by even less. But does the cryptic Not-Where hide the source of tribulation or is it a place to release more insidious forces? As the paths of Webb, Sundown, and Raven surreptitiously intertwine, they realize too late that despite their caution and steadfastness, destiny cannot be tempered as new evils are unleashed, secrets are revealed, and a vast army rises. Now only time will tell if they can stop the Dark Man from escaping his otherworldly prison.

This is a worthy second book in the series, one that continues the adventure of a young pair of siblings who died and crossed over. The land the 17-year-old Webb and his 14-year-old sister Sundown have found themselves in is filled with wonder and untold dangers.
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Webb and Sundown have a bit of mystery about them, but in this second book, readers finally get to see what took them from the life of the living. They are likeable characters with strengths and weakness. The characters surrounding them are fun to read about and are essential in drawing out sides of Webb and Sundown that help readers to understand them better. Webb even gets a girlfriend in this mystical world, and she helps him to discover more about himself.

Even the animal characters and the villainous creatures add dimension and depth to the main characters, by the reactions they draw from them.

The nature of relationships is an important factor in this story. Around this are other themes, such as strength against adversity, good versus evil, and descent into madness. Webb is young but fights against his unseen enemies—who are trying to destroy him from afar. Will they weaken him enough to use him against those he loves? While reading about his struggles, readers will be worried for him. The psychological fight is intriguing, the suspense created well done. The unfolding of the plot is just right in drawing out other dimensions of the main characters.

Complications lead to a cliff-hanger, which is to be continued in the next book.

The book is written with clarity and is descriptive, creating a world that one could envision. Readers will feel something emotionally for the young hero and those he cares about. It’s a serious story but yet fun to read. Creatures and places are imaginative and also symbolize negative forces.

This is an enjoyable story, like the first in the series, and gives fans more information while leaving them wanting for more. I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy YA or otherwise, who just enjoy good stories with unconventional settings and the paranormal. The magic not only rests in the wonderful gifts the characters have, but also in their potential. I look forward to the next in the series.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , ,

The Request for Lambency by Ileso DMC

April 1, 2019 By Leave a Comment


The Request for Lambency by Ileso DMC
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: YA, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Full length (330 pages)
Age Recommendation: 16+
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Lavender

The entire world, set in the near future, has changed since the discovery of these ‘requests.’ New businesses and services are created to capture this significant moment after death. All religions are forced to translate what this peaceful, yet unusual occurrence means with the consensus being that their supreme being is allowing one sentimental object to be taken into their afterlife. Social media erupts with new apps to track these request videos as the global public has an addiction to them. Powa is a teenager who partially uploads a request video that creates a social media frenzy. She successfully leaves summer school to escape her pursuers who happen to be an aggressive corporation that is grossly invested in the well-being of the human body. To make matters worse, a government agency whose assignment is to authenticate all request videos, services, and businesses is demanding to view that video in its entirety. Unable to determine friend from foe, she confides in an unacquainted classmate who convinces her to take a journey from her hometown to San Diego’s Comic-Con as they pick up his slightly unusual friends along the way. Along the way, they learn of other cruel measures companies are willing to invest in having their device be the object of ‘the request.’ They soon discovered that to be more difficult than they had anticipated. Only one corporation was the exception to this rule. They believe the final piece to the puzzle lies with Powa even though she is convinced other celestial forces are at play.

The Request for Lambency is an inventive and unpredictable story focused on a young lady and her “nerdy” acquaintances and their adventures. As they find themselves in a great deal of trouble, it is sometimes difficult to know who to trust.
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Each of these characters is well-written and unique. Readers can clearly hear their individual and quirky voices. There is levity throughout the story—not an easy task, given the seriousness of the situation.

At times the story is silly and youthful, with young humor—as it could have in a YA story—and at other times, the ticking clock makes for a suspenseful mood. Things escalate, and readers will worry about the protagonists, for they are going up against a profound threat.

The setting is detailed, and readers are brought into this fictional world, but they also get a taste of the real Comic-Con world and its not so awesome darker side.

The Sci-Fi aspect was written with a talented hand, and it overlapped with the mystical seamlessly.

This is a good story for those who like YA and the unusual.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Dark Lands: Requiem by Lyn Kelly

March 25, 2019 By Leave a Comment


Dark Lands: Requiem by Lyn Kelly
Publisher: Lulu Publishing Services
Genre: YA, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Full Length (216 pages)
Age Recommendation: 16+
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Lavender

For the young women’s anemia, some of them are due to medical conditions like kidney disorders, diabetes, vascular disease, atherosclerosis, multiple sclerosis, chronic alcoholism, and neurological buy sildenafil uk disorders. Directions : Use Kamagra as guided by your spe purchase sildenafilt. take viagra by mouth with or without nourishment. viagra ordination may not function as fast in the event that you bring it with a high-fat feast. kamagra is quickly retained. In spite of being of distance learning mode, the selection process is stringent, and getting admission slovak-republic.org cialis 5 mg is easier said than done. The Internet has formed a low cost alternative of the branded medicine acheter viagra pfizer. Webb Thompson awakes, disoriented and fearful. He sees green grass and a black, boiling sky spread out before him. He finds his little sister nearby, unconscious. When he reaches her side, Sundown is alive. But now they have other problems: where are they, how did they get there, and what is that growling noise? Webb and Sundown have awakened in the Dark Lands-a world between life and death where sacred souls battle malevolent evil for control of the living realm, a battle of which mere mortals know nothing. How did Webb and Sundown come to this place? Are they living? Are they dead? Or are they something else?

This is a YA Fantasy story with a setting that has appealed to people for untold ages: the afterlife. It is told through the eyes of a sensitive and brave young man—Webb—and his younger sister—Sundown. These two are engaging characters who steal the heart. Their support team contains a variety of interesting characters, ranging from cranky teachers to loving family members who have passed away, those who would be their friends, and even a giant, purring house cat and mystical horses. The villains are equally interesting and quite a threat. Could some of the nice people actually be up to something though?

The world is well written, with its beauties and terrifying dangers. Even in this world, filled with those who have crossed over, worse things than death could happen and threaten to on a daily basis. The good parts of this realm are magical, and the author has done well completing a multi-faceted place.

Continual suspense and questions yet to be answered wrap themselves around the adventure. Readers get some of those answers in this first part—more is to come! When this part of the story is over, readers are likely to want to pick up the second. What is to become of Webb and Sundown? Where did their Uncle go, and how did the siblings die?

This is an enjoyable, coming of age…of sorts…story. The likable Webb and Sundown discover more about themselves, their weaknesses and their latent talents, giving a dreamlike touch to the whole tale.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Every You, Every Me by David Levithan

March 19, 2019 By Leave a Comment


Every You, Every Me by David Levithan
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Genre: Contemporary, Suspense/Mystery, YA
Length: Full length (256 pages)
Age Recommendation: 16+
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Cholla

In this high school-set psychological tale, a tormented teen named Evan starts to discover a series of unnerving photographs—some of which feature him. Someone is stalking him . . . messing with him . . . threatening him. Worse, ever since his best friend Ariel has been gone, he’s been unable to sleep, spending night after night torturing himself for his role in her absence. And as crazy as it sounds, Evan’s starting to believe it’s Ariel that’s behind all of this, punishing him. But the more Evan starts to unravel the mystery, the more his paranoia and insomnia amplify, and the more he starts to unravel himself.
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Creatively told with black-and-white photos interspersed between the text so the reader can see the photos that are so unnerving to Evan, Every You, Every Me is a one-of-a-kind departure from a one-of-a-kind author.

Losing your best friend is hard enough. But what if you think you’re losing your mind, too? Ever since Ariel left, Evan’s found himself adrift. Unable to sleep or concentrate, he’s falling farther and farther into a dark hole of what ifs. But when he finds the first picture, he begins to wonder if there is more going on than he suspects.

I had a bit of a love/hate relationship with Evan at first. You want to coddle this boy who has lost his best friend, but you also feel the need to shake some sense into him. However, as you get deeper into the story and begin to understand all that was going on with his friend, Ariel, it makes more sense why he’s being so hard on himself. Why these photos he’s finding are so important to figure out. Still, there are moments where he should have taken a step back and reevaluated his situation. He might have been able to better cope with certain things if he wasn’t forever pushing forward at a breakneck pace.

Although set in high school, the emotions and mental health struggles that both Evan and Ariel deal with throughout the story spoke to me on an adult level. So many times in our lives we’re going through something and believe that no one else will ever understand. That’s not unique to teens, it pursues us into our adult lives as well. It’s an unfortunate part of life, but one that most of us learn how to deal with in the end. I think that, by the end, Evan has started to understand this as well. It’s my hope for him anyway.

Told through both prose and a set of increasingly strange black and white photographs, Every You, Every Me isn’t your typical young adult fiction. This is a good part of the reason why I picked it up, I was intrigued by the concept of mixed media. In addition to the photographs, the story feels like an old journal entry, complete with random strike throughs in the text. Most of the time, the strikethroughs in the text make sense, as if Evan is editing his thoughts in real time, although there are moments where it didn’t seem to jive for me. In the end, Every You, Every Me is a tale of friendship, mystery, and finding mental wellness when you don’t think it’s possible.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Monday’s Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson

February 8, 2019 By Leave a Comment


Monday’s Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Genre: Suspense/Mystery, Contemporary, YA
Length: Full Length (448 pages)
Age recommendation: 16+
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Ginger

Monday Charles is missing, and only Claudia seems to notice. Claudia and Monday have always been inseparable—more sisters than friends. So when Monday doesn’t turn up for the first day of school, Claudia’s worried.

When she doesn’t show for the second day, or second week, Claudia knows that something is wrong. Monday wouldn’t just leave her to endure tests and bullies alone. Not after last year’s rumors and not with her grades on the line. Now Claudia needs her best—and only—friend more than ever. But Monday’s mother refuses to give Claudia a straight answer, and Monday’s sister April is even less help.

As Claudia digs deeper into her friend’s disappearance, she discovers that no one seems to remember the last time they saw Monday. How can a teenage girl just vanish without anyone noticing that she’s gone?

This book is told in the voice of teenager Claudia Coleman. The book does contain non-descriptive physical and emotional abuse of children that may not be suitable for young readers. Indication of abuse is given but details are not disclosed.

I loved Claudia and her complexity. I loved her dedication to Monday. Monday was her only friend, her other half, the one who gave her confidence and the one that kept her secret. Now suddenly alone, at first I thought Claudia was seeking Monday for her own selfish reason…to keep her secret from becoming apparent to all that she know but as I grew to know Claudia I came to see her love and commitment to her best friend Monday Charles.
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I admit the layout was almost too confusing for me to follow. Chapters were labeled Before and After, and also Before Before and 2 Years Before Before so I was often confused about what time period I was reading. Even after completing the book I was still a little confused on the time line of things that happened. I hope that I received the full effect and understanding as the author intended. This non-chronological order did take away some of the enjoyment of reading such a wonderfully touching story.

It took too long to build the story. Yes I enjoyed the author’s writing and the difficult plot that she spelled out so gracefully but I think the story could have been condensed and several parts could have been left out and the book would have still been detailed enough.

This is a beautiful vision of friendship and family. Can someone truly be forgotten? Can the love of someone cause our faculties to shut down in order to protect us from something so horrific and painful? Claudia’s dedication to Monday is beyond admirable and showcases their amazing bond and the tremendous amount of love in their relationship. But to a point the love is also scary. So scary that Claudia’s love for her canceled out her from having other friends. Claudia isolated herself in this bubble with Monday and now we see how when that bubble burst the magnitude of the breakdown of Claudia’s world.

This book is so deep and thought provoking giving light to a cause that is such a melancholy sadness to young lives. Young lives that should have an unmeasurable amount of hope for their future.

This book did serve as a good book club conversation topic. We were all in agreement that the author’s writing style is very enjoyable and that Claudia is a well developed character whose story captured all of our hearts.

We also agreed that this is a story that needs to be read. The author’s boldness to take a underlying social issue of missing children touched our hearts and also gave us a point of view that isn’t often heard about when such issues are made known through the media. We got to see the point of view of those who are impacted by such an unsettling truth. The children who are abused have friends, they have teachers and school officials who care but are restricted on the actions that they can take. Sadly as with the case of Claudia, her voice went unheard to several but she did not give up and she did not betray her bond with Monday. Claudia felt guilty for living, for carrying on her life without Monday. We also got to read about Monday’s siblings and how their fear translated into silence. The voice that was missing was the abuser and how she came about to be so cruel and heartless to not only her own children but their father. This story also touched on the heartbreak of not being able to conceive but then there are women who are blessed to have offspring but they are the creator of physical and emotional pain for those that they birth.

This is a dark story with no happy ending. A story of those who live and their efforts to try to rebuild from the destruction that was so plainly hidden in sight. Even though confusing to me at times, the flashbacks in the story did help establish the relationships. The flashbacks plotted out early on in the story helped fill in the events at the ending. The author did a wonderful job with the plotting to pull off such a complex move.

This is a highly recommend to those who are age appropriate for such subject matter.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Smoke & Mirrors by Eli Celata

January 21, 2019 By Leave a Comment


Smoke & Mirrors by Eli Celata
Publisher: Hidden Helm Press
Genre: Young Adult, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Horror, Contemporary
Length: Full Length (246 pages)
Age Recommendation: 16+
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Death has come to Rochester. Saving the the lost children of Hamelin unleashes the most ruthless enemy Jon has ever faced. Blood saturates his nights, and demons stalk his every step. He might’ve gotten the children out of Shiloh’s void, but he put them in the cross-hairs of an old grudge.

When a trio of Daughters brings their kill list into the Grith, magic users turn against one another. Allies become enemies. Safety counterbalances freedom, and everyone wants a piece of Jon.

Dosage The most recommended dose of this drug is buy cheap cialis developed, so that a person will have good intercourse and provide sexual satisfaction. With so many on-line herbal stores and local health stores that carry a variety of herbal vitamins, it is simple for some people for thinking that when one has gout, then get free levitra they have enhanced the chances of having an ED medicine for indulging in the love-game. Among various ED drugs, http://icks.org/n/data/ijks/1482461222_add_file_4.pdf levitra prescription Cenforce 100mg is the recommend dosage to start with the doctor advice so its user ought to be sexually arouse to feel its advantage. One-a-day, like iron.Strong enough for a man, but viagra soft tablets erectile dysfunction tops the list. Killing Gerhard, one of the Daughters sends Wilhelm running to Jon and Jordan for sanctuary, they must decide who to trust. The mage Jon pulled from the void, or a community of hunters prepared to slaughter children and level cities in the name of Greater Good.

Whether magic is used for good or evil depends on who is performing the spell.

Just like in earlier installments, I was blown away by the world building. Mr. Celata did an excellent job of creating a setting for his characters that feels every bit as real as our world. I could have sworn that I was seeing, hearing, and feeling the same things Jon was as he attempted to protect the children and keep his community from breaking out into war. There was so much attention to detail in these matters that I didn’t want to stop reading until I knew how it would all end for him.

At times I found it hard to keep track of the large cast of characters. It would have been quite helpful to either have a brief recap of who everyone was in the first chapter or to have a list of characters I could reference as I was reading. I’m saying this as someone who has really been enjoying this series so far. If not for my confusion about how everyone knew each other and who they were, I would have happily chosen a much higher rating for this tale. Everything else about it was fantastic.

One of the things I love about this universe is how complicated the rules of magic are in it. I still haven’t figured out all of them, but honestly I don’t think the audience is supposed to quite yet since many of the characters have had similar reactions to the complexity of them all. The author is playing the long game here, and I’m quite curious to see how it will all pan out in the end.

This is the third book in a series. I’d recommend finishing the first two installments, High Summons and Grimm Remains, before diving into this one.

Smoke & Mirrors should be read by anyone who loves wizards or the dark side of the urban fantasy genre.

Filed Under: Horror, Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Gay Love and Other Fairy Tales by Dylan James

January 11, 2019 By Leave a Comment


Gay Love and Other Fairy Tales by Dylan James
Publisher: Deep Hearts YA
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Length: Full Length (275 pages)
Age Recommendation: 16+
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Jordan Ortiz decides he can no longer hide who he truly is. He’s gay. He comes out to his family, then he comes out to everyone, and it goes well. Like, way better than he thought possible. But that’s about where it ends. There aren’t enough out gay kids at school for him to build a queer social life or even consider the possibility of dating. For now, he’s happy to be the gay bestie for his BFF, Hannah.

Benjamin Cooper is the captain of the football team and has known Jordan for almost his whole life. And he has a secret. When they won an award at the science fair in grade nine, Jordan hugged him—and that’s when Ben realized he had feelings for Jordan. As he watches Jordan come out and flower into who he is, he can’t help but feel ashamed—ashamed at what a coward he is compared to Jordan.
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When a broken leg and fair-weather friends leave Ben feeling lonely on Christmas break, he spends New Year’s Eve with Jordan, just hanging out in his basement like they used to years ago. But as the countdown to midnight happens and the ball is about to drop, Ben has something else in mind. At the stroke of midnight, he kisses Jordan.

What starts with a surprise kiss leads to a year of shared secrets, hidden love, relationship troubles, and broken hearts. Through it all, one fact holds true—Jordan loves Benjamin and Benjamin loves Jordan. But is that enough to carry them through when Ben wants to stay firmly in the closet, to the very point that this might destroy what hope they have of true love?

Falling in love isn’t always a simple process.

Bullying is a complicated subject, so I was glad to see the author take such a nuanced approach to why students bully each other, how bystanders affect this process, and what might persuade at least some the bullies to stop. Some of the most interesting scenes in this book were the ones that explored how this all works, especially when the adults aren’t paying attention and the bullies think they can get away with anything they’d like.

Jordan and Benjamin had very similar voices in this story. That is, when the point of view switched between them from one chapter to the next, I would have had some trouble telling who was narrating that part of the storyline if their sections hadn’t been marked. They had such similar personalities and speaking styles that it wasn’t always easy to tell who was who. If not for this, I would have chosen a much higher rating as I enjoyed everything else about the plot.

The romance between Jordan and Benjamin was nicely written. I liked the fact that they moved slowly at the beginning of it. Not only did that make sense for their personalities, it gave the audience plenty of time to come up with our own reasons why these two characters should end up together. I know that I started rooting for that ending very early on due to how well they got along and how much they had in common!

Gay Love and Other Fairy Tales should be read by anyone who loves the romance genre.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

A Life Unfolds in the City by Ruth Zavitsanos

November 26, 2018 By Leave a Comment


A Life Unfolds in the City by Ruth Zavitsanos
Publisher: CiaoSummer Press
Genre: Historical, YA
Length: Full length (232 pages)
Age Recommendation: 16+
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Lavender

New York City, 1906– With the fast-approaching death of their mother, the lives of two sisters, Martha and Lilah Caldon, are about to change. Lilah, the younger of the two, is favored by their mother. She receives the best education and attends various social events outfitted in the finest wardrobe. The only exception is the annual Broadway play Martha attends with her parents, when Lilah is left at home. Every year since she turned 16, Martha and her parents go backstage after the play to meet Miss Sahara, the beautiful leading actress.

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Being a young woman in New York in 1906 could be quite challenging, and this story opens up that world and its possibilities. Readers get to know two very different sisters who have a nice life but are facing the loss of their mother. As they deal with it, their true natures come out.

Martha is engaging and relatable. When her father takes her to the theater, she meets interesting people. Rick is instantly charming, and he shows Martha around. The author of the story treats her readers to wonderful little details of the backstage world.  When Martha and Rick interact, the writing is so well done that readers can feel Martha’s excitement right along with her.

This is a tale of young love, but there’s a parallel story of lost love found again. The two stories are interwoven beautifully. There were surprises in the unfolding of events, unexpected deals made, betrayal, and treachery. A need for forgiveness arises, and readers will wonder if the characters have it in them to do so, after all that’s happened.

World events of the era are thrown in to add interest, and when the characters get involved or voice their thoughts, it reveals a lot about them.

This is a wonderful little story, a historically-set drama that is well worth the read.

Filed Under: Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

October 16, 2018 By Leave a Comment


Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo
Six of Crows 2
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Full length (546 pages)
Age Recommendation: 16+
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Poinsettia

Kaz Brekker and his crew have just pulled off a heist so daring even they didn’t think they’d survive. But instead of divvying up a fat reward, they’re right back to fighting for their lives. Double-crossed and badly weakened, the crew is low on resources, allies, and hope. As powerful forces from around the world descend on Ketterdam to root out the secrets of the dangerous drug known as jurda parem, old rivals and new enemies emerge to challenge Kaz’s cunning and test the team’s fragile loyalties. A war will be waged on the city’s dark and twisting streets―a battle for revenge and redemption that will decide the fate of the Grisha world.

Kaz is not a man to be crossed.

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Kaz and his band of thieves have pulled off a nearly impossible heist only to be double-crossed by the man paying them, Jan Van Eck. Not only did he refuse to pay them the money they deserve from completing their mission, but he has the audacity to kidnap Inej. Van Eck couldn’t have made a graver mistake. Inej is the heart and soul of the team. Though the crew’s ties were fragile in the beginning,  they all rally without hesitation to come to her rescue. I absolutely loved seeing Kaz’s crew bond in this tale. They worked together well in the first book, but a few of them never completely clicked with the others for various reasons. However, they are truly united now. Not only do they have common goals, but they genuinely care for each other and will stop at nothing to rescue Inej.

Kaz continues to be an extremely compelling character. He manages to seem simultaneously unbreakable and incredibly fragile. The more I read, the more I could see the tiny cracks in his tough exterior. Despite his larger than life reputation, Kaz is an incredibly damaged young man who never got over the trauma of his brother’s death.

Kaz and Inej continue to inch toward a relationship, but they are both so wounded that the gap between them seems impassible at times. As I predicted after reading Six of Crows, their relationship is about to change. Kaz finally makes a powerful and moving declaration that puts to rest any doubts Inej might have about his feelings for her.

Ms. Bardugo has again outdone herself with the elaborate plot and quick pacing of this novel. Kaz’s gift for planning and scheming never ceases to amaze me! Even when I thought I knew what the plan was, Kaz was never completely reveals everything. At times his crew own is never entirely sure what his ultimate plan is. Even when things go horribly wrong for his team, Kaz is somehow able to spin it toward their advantage. I feel sorry for anyone who gets in Kaz’s way.

I must warn readers that one member of the crew does not survive. My heart was absolutely crushed, especially when this character’s death seemed so pointless and avoidable. I keep asking myself why this character died. Was it simply to prove that the team wasn’t invulnerable? Kaz and his crew have suffered so much, it broke my heart to see them lose one of their own.

Crooked Kingdom is an excellent sequel to Six of Crows. I highly recommend both books to anyone looking for a fast-paced tale with an intriguing cast of characters.

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Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

October 15, 2018 By 2 Comments


Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Six of Crows #1
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Full Length (462 pgs)
Age Recommendation: 16+
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Poinsettia

Enter the Grishaverse with the #1 New York Times–bestselling Six of Crows.

Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can’t pull it off alone. . . .

A convict with a thirst for revenge.

A sharpshooter who can’t walk away from a wager.

A runaway with a privileged past.
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A spy known as the Wraith.

A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums.

A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes.

Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz’s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don’t kill each other first.

The fate of the world rests in the hands of one of Ketterdam’s most notorious criminals.

Kaz and his band of thieves are a motley crew, but they grew on me rather quickly. I couldn’t help but like them in spite of, or in some cases because of, their faults. Kaz is particularly interesting. He is dark, ruthless, and seemingly untouchable. He has an uncanny ability to predict people’s actions. It is extremely impressive. However, Kaz is very harsh, even to those closest to him. Despite his prickly attitude, Kaz does care about his odd crew. Unfortunately, Kaz views caring for others as a weakness. The more I learned about his devastating past, the more I understood why he thinks and behaves the way he does, including the tragic reason he never takes off his gloves.

Inej is definitely the character that binds the crew. She has a way of putting everyone at ease. Some members of the crew can barely stand each other, but everyone likes Inej. I especially enjoyed watching her friendship with Nina grow. Kaz and Inej have a strange chemistry. It is clear they both care for each other deeply, but have never been able to express it. There are so many emotionally charged moments between them. I held my breath wondering if this moment would be the one that changes everything. Unfortunately, Kaz lets these moments slip away. I couldn’t help but be a bit frustrated. However, I do believe their relationship is on the cusp of a change.

Nina and Matthias are also a very odd couple. Their personalities clash quite a bit. He is so serious and she is so vibrant and full of life. Despite the stark contrast in their natures, I actually think they could be very good for each other. They have a lot of good and bad history. Yet, underneath it all they have simmering chemistry. It is going to take a lot of work to overcome their differences, but I think it will be worth it in the end.

Aside from having wonderfully rounded characters, Six of Crows has excellent pacing. Once the crew is assembled and begins planning the heist, I couldn’t put the book down. Kaz’s plan is crazy and yet plausible given the talents of each member of the team. Of course, nothing goes quite how it was planned. I raced through the pages wondering what would happen next and was consistently amazed at how they improvised and adapted to each changing situation. Even when things looked bleak, they still managed to find a way. Sadly, there will be serious repercussions for a particular member of the crew.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Six of Crows. The ending is satisfying, but the story is definitely not over. Kaz and his crew have a new mission of a much more personal nature, and I can’t wait to see what happens next!

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , ,
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