Monday, May 18, 2015

BOOK REVIEW: THROUGH FIRE & SEA BY NICOLE LUIKEN

Hello All!!!
So I have been sick. Like, sicker than sick. The kind of sick that makes you completely gross to be around and incapable of doing the wonderful things you need to do...like putting up your book reviews!

Today I have my review for Through Fire & Sea by Nicole Luiken!


Through Fire & Sea was very much a fun read. Alternating between the perspectives of Leah and Holly - the same girl, but living on alternate universes - the story takes you between how both girls find their soul-mates (Gideon and Ryan). In Leah's world she's the bastard daughter of a ruling duke, who forces her to take the place of his real daughter with a duchess who just happens to be able to get rid of the country's dragon...for a price. When she meets Gideon sparks fly. For Holly, it's a normal day hanging out with her dad on his boat when she falls in and almost drowns. But when she meets her mysterious rescuer at school the following week she feels inexplicably drawn to him.

Overall, I enjoyed the tale, but had trouble with the back and forth perspectives of the girls. Because they lived in such drastically different worlds, alternating between the two became jarring. I felt like at times I was more happy with Leah's story than Holly's, and vice versa, which made it difficult to truly care about either one of them.

I enjoyed the magic piece of the story, but the solutions to some of the problems faced felt a bit convenient for me. I'd have liked to know how Ryan's mom got busy with the sea god, because we didn't get any info on that, but were given tons of detail on how Gideon's mom got herself knocked up. 

All in all, it was a fun read, with decent characters and a plot that was a bit all over the place. I'd give it 3 stars!

Thursday, May 7, 2015

BOOK REVIEW: DRAGONS ARE PEOPLE, TOO BY SARAH NICOLAS

Hey All!!!
Today I'm reviewing a fantastic book by Sarah Nicolas, Dragons Are People, Too!

In DAPT we meet Katherine "Kitty" Lung, who is a super spy operative within a super secret government agency housed in DC. It's Kitty's job to take on various missions through the world for the U.S. She's also responsible for keeping the President's son safe while at school. If you're wondering why some teenage girl is racked with so much responsibility, and how she can be expected to handle it all...it just so happens that Kitty is not only trained to be a lethal fighting machine, she also is part dragon! At her own will, Kitty can change into a full on, non-fire-breathing (only English dragons breath fire) dragon!

But when the dragons cover is blown and the President's son is kidnapped, it's up to Kitty to save both her best friend and her people.

This book was action packed and full of mind-blowing fun. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Kitty and all of the people/dragons surrounding her. Kitty's progression from a well trained fighter battling with her emotions, to a girl who can be true to herself was nice to watch. I also enjoyed seeing her figure out how to navigate the difficult waters of freeing the President's son, while trying to barter for her parents (and friends) freedom. 

The characters throughout the book were spot on. Both her parents were fierce and seasoned warriors who had different battle scars. It was nice to see how each one had a different influence on who Kitty was and how she would grow throughout the story. And the plot twist that conveniently got them out of the way so that she could grow as the hero was well done. I also liked how the romance between herself and her partner in crime, Sani, developed. It felt natural and not at all rushed. You'll find no insta-love here!

Overall, this was a great story, with great characters that really drew me in.

4 Stars!!!