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Book review: The Diseased Ones, by Danielle Harrington

| Gifted | YA dystopian |

The Diseased ones tells the story of Hollis set in a dystopian world in the year 2647. The world-building is captivating! I love the entire concept of the “diseased ones”; a mutation of the blood that gives whoever possesses it unique abilities. I also find greatly intriguing how society established what is the norm for behavior of its citizens, who are not allowed to show emotions or any type of feelings, which are characteristics of the Diseased Ones. Hollis never imagined she would carry the gene of the Diseased Ones. She wants nothing else then to be a perfect obedient member of society.

I enjoyed the plot twists at the end and I am very curious for the sequel!

Her life is turned completely upside down, the government is after her and who she thought was the enemy has taken her in. Worst is, she has a very dangerous and rare ability, which makes her one of the most powerful Diseased Ones. Can she control herself or will she give in to this dark power that calls to her? The story reads fast paced, I practically binged it! The plot has so much potential, I really love the side characters, they are all very well developed. Hollis however makes so many decisions that frustrated me that drove me to not like her. Although I understand her reasons, she is dragged away from home and is told that everything she knew up to that point is a lie, she was still very naive.

You can check out more about the book and the author here.

Book review: The Kingdom of Another World by V. Vent

. tata.lifepages | Gifted | YA fantasy |

This novel pulled me in right away and kept my eyes glued to the page! It has all my favorite tropes: arranged marriage, chosen-one, enemies to lovers, royalty… It was a very enjoyable read that had me feeling completely satisfied at the end. The story follows Kiara, a beautiful and loving princess, loved by all, who to her father’s dismay was not the chosen one as predicted by the prophecy. She feels the king distance himself from her as his disappointment is clear, she was not to be the savior of her kingdom. He forces her hand on an arranged marriage, to the very rude lord Kollen who bumped into her, she wants nothing to do with him.

I loved the bickering between these two characters, it was fun to watch Kollen try to win the princess back after ruining her first impression of him. The story picks up speed as soon as Derek and his cunning sister Nora, appear. They are in disguise, the poor Kiara and her father have no idea they have lured the enemy right into their very palace. What Derek was not expecting, was to fall head over heels with Kiara. Thus a love-triangle begins, and who will get the girl? The characters are one of the elements I loved of this novel, they are all super fun and intriguing! Their development is great, including the side characters like Emmett and Sprout, I loved reading about them.

The world building was a bit hard to grasp at first, specially the magic behind the portals between worlds, however as the story progresses it becomes clearer. The romance and chemistry between Derek and Kiara was breathtaking, and I found myself giggling and blushing like a little girl who was smitten. I love it when I fall for these bad boys alongside the main character. I am anxious for the next book in the series! I have grown fond of these characters and I want to read more about them!

You can check out more about the book and the author here.

Book review: Akelarre in New York, by M. H. Gorostiza

. tata.lifepages | Gifted | fantasy |

I went into this book blindly, not knowing exactly what I would encounter, and boy was I surprised to discover in the first chapters that Lilith, our beautiful and alluring main character, was in fact an immortal creature that requires blood for living. I was not expecting that! The author writes in such an original and unique way, containing texts, emails, lyrics, thoughts and even different timelines mixed together (present and past flashbacks). The past timeline interested me the most, I was intrigued by Lilith’s history and how she came to where she was today.

I'm not in love
So don't forget it
It's just a silly phase I'm going through
And just because I call you up
Don't get me wrong, don't think you've got it made
I'm not in love, no no, it's because

The first half of the book I had a bit of a hard time to grasp the timeline of events and who was descendant of who exactly, however by the second half everything is explained and magically clicks to a point that you go “Ohhh that’s why!”, I love those revelation moments! I finally discovered how good it is to have representation in fantasy books, I was overjoyed that the story included a Brazilian character, Fernando. This is the first time I see Brazilian culture represented in a new adult magical novel and the author definetly knows the culture, which made my latin heart super happy!

I was delighted to see mention of the current global issue, climate change, it even mentioned the Paris Agreement! My engineer heart was utterly happy by the amount of accurate historical details and awareness included in the novel. Sometimes the historical facts were a bit too much for me to follow, but you can definitely see the amount of research and time the author has put into her work. There is also beautiful artwork included at the beginning of each chapter which I loved to see.

You can check out more about the book and the author here.

Book review: Beyond, by M. C Winkkle

. tata.lifepages | Gifted | sci-fi |

Beyond is the first book in the adult sci-fi series Black Tears, with elements of thriller and a little bit of romance. I really enjoy reading dark and intense novels, and this one was no exception. It is definitely a book with a bit of a psychopathic touch, as the synopsis states. It follows the story of Stella, a girl with special gifts who is abducted by the CIA. The government hopes to use her abilities to win the war against the aliens. They treat her like a prisoner, and she is tested on, restrained and humiliated during her captivity. In this regard, since the synopsis mentions trigger warnings, I think the biggest to point out is Stella’s suicidal attempts. As a girl who already suffered from anxiety, her mental health is stressed to extreme levels

The story follows two other characters besides Stella: The Commander and Abigail. At first, it would seem there is no connection between these three characters, but the more you continue reading, the more it is clear where the story is going. I love romance, so I enjoyed reading the one between the alien leader and the human he falls in love with. I found it especially interesting reading The Commander’s perspective. We see him slowly learn how to feel like a human and give himself to love, but also struggling with his duty to his people and everything he has ever known.

You can check out more about the book and the author here.

Book review: Darkwind, by Renee Dugan

. tata.lifepages | Gifted | fantasy |

Darkwind follows the story of Cistine, a young princess who decides to take matters into own hands to avoid war. She sails north with her closest companions in hopes to strike a deal with a land that was once her kingdoms enemy. What she didn’t expect, was to be taken captive by a band of dangerous outlaws. What I loved most about this story was the elaborate set of characters. Wow! The author develops a masterful and complex set of characters with unique personalities, motivations and backstories! The band of outlaws, the cabal, reminds me of the dregs from six of crows, you will fall in love with every single one of them.

In the first half of the book it took me a bit to grasp the world building and all the names and settings, but after that it was much clearer! I was glad to see that Cistine was not a fighter or strong princess like we usually encounter in fantasy novels lately, she has a lot to learn still to lead, it made her relatable. It is an action-packed dark fantasy with amazing character development, I felt connected to them like I knew them in real life. The ending made me eager to pick up the sequel. This plot has so much potential I am eager to continue following this unlikely group that I have grown very found of.

You can check out more about the book and the author here.

Book review: Daughter of Lightning, by Anna Logan

. tata.lifepages | Gifted | YA fantasy |

The story follows Talea, a humble laborer girl that hides a dangerous secret: she can control lightning. Talea and her family work hard to survive and make a living as laborers, until one day when she discovers a boy that holds the same ability as her, as well as mysterious masked men stalking her. The novel has this dystopian vibes that remind me of The Hunger Games in the beginning, with her family obviously suffering to make ends meet living through strict rules of the government and mandatory drafts of the men to the army.

The story has a lot of potential to develop into an amazing series, the world building flows perfectly and is easy to grasp. I am hoping for a more romantic side-story development in the subsequent books (you guys know I need some romance) however since the main character is 15 I’m not sure if that will be the case.

The pages flew in my hands, its very intriguing and fast paced. I am eager to read the following books in the series!

You can check out more about the book and the author here.

Book review: Oil & Water, by Lara Ann Dominick

. tata.lifepages | Gifted | paranormal |

Oil and water is a paranormal adult romance that also has thriller and suspense elements mixed in to the plot. The world-building of the vampire society was amazing, I really enjoyed reading about the entire levels of hierarchy between vampires and their rules. It follows the story of two women; Opal, a seductive and dangerous vampire who also happens to be one of the strongest vampires alive, and Elsie, a ordinary human girl who loves reading about vampires. The story has some strong elements such as mentions of sexual abuse, profanity, gory deaths, which for me was very well portrayed in the plot.

I enjoy a darker and more intense adult read and was satisfied with how the plot highlights issues in society. The novel has elements of female empowerment, which delighted me, characterized by strong female leads fighting against abuse and rape. The plot twists in the novel are incredible. It was very well planned out throughout the story and giving you hints there and there. The author definitely knows how to build-up suspense and keep the reader intrigued. I will keep an eye out for future novels from this author!

You can check out more about the book and the author here.

Book review: The Veiled Threat, by Sophia Menesini

. tata.lifepages | Gifted | NA fantasy |

The Veiled Threat follows the story of Shea Lara, a dangerous and beautiful elf who is captain of the Veiled Duchess and holds behind her fierce gaze a caring and loving heart. This is an action-packed read full of plot-twists, betrayal, friendship and chemistry! The pages flew in my hands as I journeyed with Shea throughout the world of Nereid. Shea is a sassy and witty pirate, as well as brave and loyal. She is the perfect morally gray character, sailing the seas robbing yet still with moral beliefs. The elves are enslaved, mistreated and humiliated therefore she longs for a way to save her race. The side characters are very well written, I love Aster the most.

The story is full of female empowerment, which fills my heart with joy, with a matriarchy queendom in place. The female characters are strong, independent and leaders. The romance between Shea and the princess starts as an intense attraction, the chemistry is tangible and written very well. It is beautiful to see throughout the story how their attraction progresses into love. I can’t wait to start book 2 in the series!

You can check out more about the book and the author here.

Book review: Under the Surface, by Sonya Blake

. tata.lifepages | Gifted | Paranormal romance |

Under the Surface was a delightful surprise, and it sucked me into the pages in minutes. The story starts with Kaia, who has moved to a new town after she has lost both her job and boyfriend. The book starts out as dual POV (there will be a third later on), and Kaia soon meets Sam, a fisherman. I found myself rooting for them from the beginning. There was a spark between them right away, and the chemistry was on point (you guys know how much I love chemistry!).

One night they are caught in a storm while on Sam’s ship, and they both end up in the sea, threatening to drown. Kaia manages to save him and brings him to an alcove. There, she discovers her legs have disappeared; in its place is a scaled tail. From this point on, both Sam and Kaia undergo a whirlwind of activities, and my heart pounded throughout the book for them. I enjoyed the writing style, and how the characters struggle and grow into finding their beliefs and norms. Their adventure was gripping, and I enjoyed every second of it!

You can check out more about the book and the author here.

Book review: Talon the Black, by Melissa Mitchell

. tata.lifepages | Gifted | YA fantasy |

As soon as I spotted the book I was drawn, the dark cover filled with dragon scales and its sheer size were both intimidating and captivating. As I read, I was fascinated by the authors eloquence, the writing is descriptive and beautiful. The story is told in third person, from the point of view of various characters spread out throughout the world of Dragonwall. It mainly focused on Claire and Talon’s point of view, which carried the main plot-line, however all characters storylines were intertwined masterfully.

I also loved Tamara’s story, which had more insights on the concept of the Drengr race and their mates. The world-building is outstanding; the author was able to create this slow burn high-fantasy full of magical creatures (dragon-shifters, goblins, mages, sprites…) that you find yourself completely immersed in. The story has many romance storylines happening in parallel, which for me is amazing because you guys know I love me some romance! I am eager to get my hands on book 2, I get the feeling that my favorite trope is brewing (enemies to lovers) … 😉

 You can check out more about the book and the author here.