After Hours by Claire Kennedy

What do you think of the cover?
 Interesting or bland?

Title: After Hours

Author: Claire Kennedy

Page count: 256 pages, ebook

Publishing date: June 16th, 2015

Publisher: Simon Pulse

My rating: 3/5 stars!

Blurb:

Isa, Xavi, Peter, and Finn know that a job at the high-end Waterside Cafe isn't just about waiting tables. It's about the gossip, the hook-ups, the after-hours parties and, most of all, it's about Tips.

Tips--the high-stakes game based on dares. Whoever completes the most dares wins the collected money. A sum that could change a wasted summer into a Summer to Remember.

Isa is the new girl with an embarrassing secret, and as long as she stays on top of her game, she sees no reason why anyone could ever find out.

Xavi will do anything for the money...absolutely anything.

Peter, Xavi's stepbrother, has been in love with her for years, and he thinks the game is the perfect time to confess his feelings.

Finn is in the game just for the thrill. He has enough tips coming in to keep him happy...even if those tips come with some conditions.

From seduction to stealing to threats, the dares are a complete free-for-all, and only the best can win.

The sophisticated Waterside Cafe is anything but classy behind the scenes...and things are about to get dirty.

I'll admit, when I was accepted for this book, I was pretty happy. This was my first ARC from a major publishing company, and I was thrilled with that aspect. I wanted this book to be totally awesome- to be able to give a 5 star review. But, sadly, I couldn't do that. For many reasons. 

What I didn't like:

This book is supposed to be about Tips and it really wasn't. This is really disappointing because I really liked the idea of this mysterious Tips game. It seemed really dangerous and I was really interested in what the characters were going to have to do to earn the money in the jackpot. But really? Tips was only played a handful of times and it wasn't dangerous or exciting AT ALL. The "dares" were mediocre at best. Nothing more. The fact that Tips wasn't this great thing really took away from the overall aspect of the book. Hello, the blurb talks about Tips like it's this magical game, full of danger and betrayal! Yeah, not so much. More like a bunch of kids getting together and being stupid. 

There were too many POV switches. I'm all for POV switching. In fact, I like it. But, like most everyone else, I enjoy it to an extent. Two characters POVs are fine. Three is where it gets a little too much. And four? That's when it's too many POVs. I'm sorry, but I just didn't want to be inside the heads of four people in a 256 page ebook. There was too much jumping around, too much confusion. And while it states the characters name at the beginning of each POV switch, all of the characters seemed to have the same voice, the same personality, as the other three. 

The characters. They all tended to be really immature and annoying. They all had one thing in mind: themselves. And if they had to sacrifice everyone else in the process? So be it. I'm sorry, but I just don't want to read about self-centered people. I can understand one character for the sake of showing that not everyone is perfect, but everyone in this book only cared about themselves even when the author tried to make them seem like they cared about others. It didn't work. I could see right through it. 

Isa, Xavi, Peter, and Finn have their own secrets, their own agendas. That's the ONLY thing that interested me about them. I wanted to figure out all of their secrets. It kept my interest trying to decipher them. Other than that? They were mediocre characters. They did nothing important in the book unless you call whining and screwing up their lives important. Because, honestly, that's all they did. 

THE ENDING: I can't stand the ending. AT ALL. It was terrible, ridiculous, and left so much to question. The ending was so random that I actually emailed the author to see if the ending had actually been deleted from the ARC I received. I couldn't believe it when the author told me that, no, the ending I had was correct. It was such a weak ending. Probably the worst ending I've ever read in my life and that's saying something.

What I did like:

The drama. I don't normally like a lot of drama in a book but, surprisingly, I enjoyed the drama. Maybe it was because I wanted something to roll my eyes at and laugh at the situations these characters found themselves in or something else entirely, but I found myself really like the drama. It wasn't really relationship drama, and I think that's the reason why I did enjoy the drama. This was more like life-throwing-you-a-curve-ball drama than anything else. Life can be really horrendous at times and it's how you respond to it that matters. In my opinion, that was the theme of this book. Either you get back up and try again or you don't. But whatever you do, you've got to make a choice. 

Waterside Cafe. I've never worked at a cafe or restaurant before so I can't really tell you if the way things were handled in this book when it comes to work was realistic, but it sure was enjoyable. I think that everyone has that sense of must-keep-moving when they are in the job force, and I laughed at how hectic Waterside Cafe seemed to be. It reminded me a lot of restaurants that I've gone to during rush hour, and I was always amused with the waitresses and waiters running around trying to keep their heads from exploding. Or ripping their hair out. (That probably sounds mean, but take a look the next time you're in a busy establishment. See if you don't see a worker wanting to fall on the floor and cringe.) Anyways, it was funny to me and I guess that's what matters. 

Overall thoughts:

This was okay. Not wonderful, but not terrible. It needs work, but I think it can be done. The ending was really what got me here. I'm still surprised at how it ended. Many fellow GR members who have read this title think the same thing. 

Would I recommend this? I guess so but only if you enjoy drama and many, many POV switches. If you don't enjoy whiny characters, this book isn't for you. 

Until next time,

              

The Innocent Assassins by Pema Donyo

Title: The Innocent Assassins

Author: Pema Donyo

Page count: 283 pages, ebook

Publishing date: June 2014

Publisher: Astraea Press Publishing

My rating: 3.5/5 stars!

Blurb:

There are three rules to staying an assassin at the corporation of Covert Operatives: (1) your parents must be deceased, (2) your contracts must remain confidential, and (3) you must be under the age of eighteen. 

After a murder mission goes awry a month before her eighteenth birthday, Covert Operatives assassin Jane Lu finds herself caught by the federal government and forced to spy for the CIA while remaining in Covert Operatives. Once her spying mission is over she will be allowed to live a civilian life without facing criminal consequences, a life she’s only dreamed of having. 

As Jane leaks information to the CIA, she uncovers secrets with enough power to both destroy Covert Operatives and her own boyfriend, Adrian King, who’s next in line to be CEO of the company. When her identity as a double agent for the CIA is discovered within Covert Operatives, she must decide where her allegiance, and her heart, truly lies. 

Okay, guys, I want to apologize to the awkward formatting with the photo and the list of book information. For some reason the picture would not allow me to type anything beside it (it has done this before), so I had to deal with centering the photo and adding the information underneath it. 

I must say that this book is unlike anything I've ever read before. When it comes to assassins/CIA/FBI stuff, I don't tend to read it. I think the last thing that even remotely resembled any of that was the Alex Cross series. Anyways, I had already wanted to get out of my shell a little bit when it comes to what I read and it turns out that Pema Donyo, the author of this title, emailed me asking if I'd like to read The Innocent Assassins. I agreed, and so it begins. 

The plot of this title is rather interesting. I like the idea of Covert Operatives. It's interesting and it kept my attention. I thought it was cool that they used teenagers to end "contracts"... aka: assassinating the target. I also enjoyed the idea that assassins can go off to college afterwards or even become an executive in CO if they're accepted. So, it's not like Covert Operatives is completely evil, which brings me to my point: there are some good things that CO did. They took kids from homeless shelters and adoption agencies and gave them a bed, food, friends, and a way to better the world and themselves. Right? Well yeah, but then there's the fact that they do hone those children to do their dirty work, raising them so that they can one day kill targets. I had to keep reminding myself that CO was not as good as they claimed to be,  and I think that's the point Donyo was trying to make. I believe that she wanted the reader to be torn between CO and the CIA... who has the better people? Who's right and wrong? That's the whole point. I struggled with this for the better part of the book, but eventually came to the conclusion that both agencies have their problems, although CO is quite evil in their ways. You'll find that out in the last couple of chapters. 

My point is, Jane is torn between the two: CO and the CIA. After finding out that CO betrayed her, she's determined to help the CIA bring CO down. But, that also means that Adrian King, her long-time boyfriend, might never forgive her. Adrian King is a big-time shot in CO, thankful for them taking him in as a child. Jane knows that he respects CO and everything that the company does. Betraying CO also means that she's betraying Adrian as well. Can she do it? Or will she double-cross the CIA?

I enjoyed Jane as a character for the most part. Jane is strong, intelligent, and brave. She can stand her own. She doesn't need to be coddled like a princess. If she's ordered to shoot someone in the head, she'll do it. And she doesn't sit down and sob after she does it, either. I think that's what I liked the most about her. She's not a crybaby. She was brought up by CO; how could she afford to be whiny? I liked that she knows what she wants in life and that she's determined to get it. She's a respectable main character for this series. The only thing I didn't like about her was her relationship with Adrian, but I'll get to that later. 

I liked that Jane had become a spy for the CIA. It brought a thrill to the book; the thrill of constantly wondering when she was going to get caught. As the reader, you're looking forward to it but at the same time you're dreading it. I love that feeling, and I was glad that I was able to experience it for most of the book. 

As for the other characters, I didn't find many of them that important to the story. Adrian was important, of course, and Tristan, Jane's CIA informant, but that was pretty much it. I didn't see the CEO of Covert Operatives that important because he really wasn't in the story that much. Sure, he was mentioned a lot, but he didn't show his face until the very end. I felt like he should have been present for more of the book. I think it would have made him more intimidating that way. 

As for Adrian King, I have mixed feelings about him. While he's portrayed as this sexy character, I don't really see it. I couldn't see past his controlling and possessive behavior. He also seemed to be quite obsessive... not just with Jane but with everything. He could be really rude to others and that doesn't do anything for his "sexiness". I did, however, like the mystery about him. I was constantly wondering what he was hiding from Jane. I wanted to know more about his past and why he did some of the things he did. The mysteriousness was really what made me like him. Not his behavior. His actions were not that great.  

The romance:

I just couldn't see the appeal of Jane and Adrian being together. I felt like their relationship was more of a soap opera on TV than a serious, committed relationship. They were constantly arguing, constantly having trouble trusting each other, constantly breaking up. How many times did they break up? Two? Almost three? I don't know, but I do know that it took away from the authenticity of their relationship. I know that people break up and get back together, but I don't need to read about all of their break-ups. I felt like they spent more time broken up or mad at each other than actually sharing their love for each other. It annoyed me. 

Break up #1:

 I   steeled  myself  to  meet  his  own  emotionless   gaze.   Red   shadows  clouded  my  vision  and  my  blood  boiled  at  his  confidence.  "It's  over.  We're  over."

 I  marched  away  on  my  heels,  the  patent  leather  stilettos  I'd   put  on  just  for  him  clipping  against  the  wooden  slats  of  the  dock.   To  think  I'd  worn  this  dress  for  him  too.  I  pulled  down  the  tight   black  material.  Well,  he  wasn't  getting  any  of  this  anymore!    

 I   was   done  with   Adrian   King.   I  was  through.   I  was  an   independent  woman  who  didn't  let  anyone  stand  in  my  way.    

Break up #2:

“You  were  right.  We  used  to  be  closer  than  this.”  Adrian   swallowed  hard,  his  Adam’s   apple  bobbing.  “We’re  done."

Break up #3 for two seconds:

“You  can’t  keep  telling  me  what  to  do.  We’re  done.”

“We’ve  already  broken  up,  what,  two  times  already?  And   we  just  get  back  together  again.”   Adrian   pleaded,  his   voice   straining.  I  heard  his  footsteps  stride   toward  me.  “There’s   something  that  brings  us  back  together,  Janey.”

Yeah, Adrian, it's called stupidity. See what I mean? They just aren't right for each other. I think a lot of it stemmed from Adrian being a controlling robot, but Jane letting him walk all over her might have to do with some of that as well. They fight more than they love. It didn't help that Tristan liked Jane and Emma, Jane's friend, like Adrian. It just made things messier. It was exhausting to watch them get together, then break up, then pretend hate each other, then get back together, then fight, then break up, and back to the pretend-hating. It was too much drama. It took away from the overall plot. They would have been better as good friends, honestly. I would have liked to see them as a dynamic duo, but I got a high school relationship filled with drama. The romance was a disappointment. And it's also the reason why I couldn't give this a higher rating. Without the on-and-off-again relationship, this would have probably gotten a four star, maybe even a four point five. 

I don't have anything else to say in regards to what I didn't like about this title other than I was slightly disappointed in the lack of action scenes in this book. I was expecting there to be a lot more fighting, especially since Jane is an assassin. I wanted to see more chapters with missions and Jane having to fulfill more contracts. I wanted to see gun fights, hand-to-hand combat, anything. Just more.  

Even though I didn't like the romance and the fact that there were little action scenes, I DID like the way it was written. Donyo has a special talent. Her writing style is unique, beautiful, and flows brilliantly. I thoroughly enjoyed the writing. I don't think I saw any grammatical errors at all! Yay!

The ending:

Seemed to me that Donyo left it open for a sequel. I looked to see if anything in regards to a second book had been put up on Goodreads, but I didn't see anything. If there is a sequel, I'll give it a shot. Maybe knowing what happened at the end, the romance will be much better for a sequel if there is one. Besides that, I think it'll be even better than its predecessor! 

Until next time,

                

Splintered by A.G. Howard

Title: Splintered
Author: A. G. Howard
Page count: 371 pages, hardback
Publishing date: Jan 2013
Publisher: Amulet Books
My rating: 4/5 stars!


B
Blurb:

This stunning debut captures the grotesque madness of a mystical under-land, as well as a girl’s pangs of first love and independence. Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.

When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own.


As I've said before, I'm lagging behind on my book reviews. I read this title back in November and, because of the holidays, I haven't had much time for reviewing. Now that the holidays are over, I'm getting back into the groove. Out of several books, I choose Splintered to review next because I really did enjoy this book and felt that it needed to be reviewed really badly. 

I've always been interested in Alice in Wonderland remakes or add-ons and my intrigue for this book was no different. I first saw this title on Goodreads- many of my friends had read it and were giving it high ratings. When I was finally able to read it at my local library, I grab it like it was the last one on the universe. I can't tell anyone how excited I was to finally have it- the cover is so gorgeous; I was hoping that the contents inside would be as well!

While it wasn't "perfect", I really liked it. This is the first time I've seen A.G. Howard's writing style and I will admit that I enjoyed it. There was something unique about the way she wrote; it's hauntingly beautiful. She doesn't have any other published works (I think?) but I'll definitely give anything she writes a shot because of her talent. Really, I like her as an author a lot. 

The story follows Alyssa, the direct descendant the famous Alice Liddell. Obviously that's going to cause some problems, which it does. Like her mother, Alyssa's mind is going a little crazy. She can hear the whispers of flowers and bugs and things are only getting worse. Determined to set things right, Alyssa is going to enter Wonderland and stop the curse that's been afflicting her family since Alice. 

Wonderland...

A.G. Howard spins a complete different side of the fateful Lewis Carroll's Wonderland. While Carroll's Wonderland was more confusing, A.G. Howard's Wonderland is more dark and twisted. It's still completely bonkers, but there's a dark quality to it that I just didn't get from Carroll's. Wonderland is very intricate and crafted beautifully. Even the small things have their own unique personality- down to the flowers that Alyssa encounters in her first few moments in Wonderland. I really enjoyed this world and I can't wait to see more of it. 


The plot...

I absolutely love the overall plot of this story. I love that Alyssa is desperate to save her mother and bring justice to her ancestors. She's determined to take Alice's mistakes and make them better. Of course, it's not going to be that easy. With her best friend (and crush) following her down the rabbit hole, Alyssa now has to make sure that he makes it out safe and sound. Already that brings in a little bit of future romance. And then Alyssa meets Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland. Yes, this book does have a love triangle. But it didn't ruin the book for me. While the concept of love triangles has been overdone, I think A.G. Howard made it work. And that's solely because of Morpheus. *swoons*


The characters...


Alyssa. 

I really enjoyed Alyssa as the main female protagonist of this story (and series). I liked her crazy side; I think it made her a dynamic character and more than just a "Mary Jane". She's very loyal and strong: two qualities that I really enjoy in a main lead. Things are easy for her in her real life and in Wonderland, but Alyssa always seems to make it out alright. She does what she thinks is best and I admire that. The only cons I have when I think of Alyssa is the way she bouncing around from Jeb to Morpheus. But that might be because I don't care for love triangles and I only care about her with Morpheus. 

Jeb.

Jeb is Alyssa's best friend in the real world. He's always leaving Alyssa for that stupid hoe in the real world been there for Alyssa when she needed him. He's funny, caring, and controlling protective . What's not to love, right? Wrong. 

Okay, it's obvious that I don't like Jeb. While he's not a terrible person, I just didn't like him. He's really quite annoying. He's controlling and wants things to go his way. If he doesn't get what he wants, he throws a fit. Like a toddler. And he's oh-so overprotective it's not even funny. He doesn't let Alyssa do anything on her own. If she even tries, he gets mad, which just goes back to him throwing a fit when things don't go as he likes. 

I just think that the author could have made him better than he was. I know that he's a main character in this series but, I don't know, I just didn't find him that important to the plot or to Alyssa or me. 

 Morpheus.

Do I really need to say anything else? He's mysterious, sarcastic, funny, odd, and so freaking hot. I love that he's such a mystery. It adds to his hotness. I like that we don't know much about his past. I like that we never really know what he's thinking because he's so spontaneous, so weird. And while weirdness is not that great on some people, Morpheus rocks it. 

Despite how troubled he really is, he's got a kind side to him. Not every character will see how compassionate he really can be, but Alyssa does. The reader does. And that's what matters. A.G. Howard strips him bare of his cruelty and hatred and shows us the deep side to him. The side that really, truly, without-a-doubt cares. I love him. He's great. He's wonderful. He's perfect. Unlike Jeb. 

Side characters:

Alyssa's dad. Alyssa's mom. The queen. The cat. Everyone else. I won't mention them in detail because I don't want too lengthy of a post, but I will say that each and every one of them brings depth to the plot. They might have not been as present as Alyssa, Jeb, and Morpheus were, but that doesn't make them insignificant. They were all important in their own ways. 

I'm not going to mention the antagonist of this story in this review solely because finding out about the antagonist can be sort of a plot twist, and I don't want to ruin it for anyone. I feel like it would be a spoiler for readers who haven't read this yet, and I don't want that to happen. However, I will say that the antagonist is a formidable character, worthy of being the villain. He/she wasn't as cruel or creepy as other villains that I've read, but I'll give he/she props for being interesting, if not slightly creepy. 

The romance... 

I know that the author spent a lot of her time trying to make Jeb really relatable and adorable. If people didn't like him, the whole love triangle thing is a fluke. Obviously. But I really don't like him as a character or as a love interest, so the love triangle thing just doesn't work for me. I didn't find the "chemistry" between Alyssa and Jeb real. I felt like the author was trying so hard to make it something that it wasn't, and I could tell. It was forced. Nothing like how real romance would be. It felt more like a school crush than real, unadulterated love. 

Between Alyssa and Morpheus, I felt something more real. I felt longing. I felt intense desire between both characters. Their relationship had more depth to it than Alyssa could ever have with Jeb. I felt like they have more of a chance at happiness together. Morpheus makes Alyssa think more, to challenge everything she's ever known. At the same time, Alyssa makes Morpheus feel compassion, remorse, and everything else that makes someone a human. She makes him feel something more than just numbness. She makes him happy. He makes her happy. Their romance needs to happen! 

Overall thoughts?

This was a fun and interesting read. I devoured this book. It was exciting, filled with magic and wonder. It was thrilling, complete with awesome characters and wonderful world-building. I would definitely recommend reading this book to everyone who enjoys twisted tales of Alice in Wonderland. I can't wait to read the next book in the series! All I have to say is: more Morpheus! 

Until next time,

                

Storm Fall by Tracy Banghart

Title: Storm Fall
Author: Tracy Banghart
Page count: ebook, 230 pages
Publishing date: December 2014
Publisher: Alloy Entertainment
My rating: 3.5/5 stars!

Blurb:

In the action-packed sequel to Rebel Wing, Aris battles for life and love . . . and not everyone will survive.

Aris Haan gave up everything to join the Atalantan Military: her family, her boyfriend, even her identity. In the end, though, it didn’t matter that she was a war hero. When the all-male Military discovered that she was actually a woman, she was sent home and erased from history.

Now she has a chance to go back to the battlefield—as herself. But as hard as it was to be a soldier in disguise, it’s even more difficult now. The men in her unit undermine her at every turn. The Safaran army has spies everywhere, perhaps even on Aris’s stationpoint. And she’s falling for her mysterious superior officer, Milek. But their relationship is forbidden, just stolen moments between training sessions and missions. There’s no room for love in war.

Then Aris discovers that Safara’s leaders have set their sights on her, Atalanta’s hero. And she must find them before they find her . . . 


Because I've been neglecting to write my book reviews lately (mostly due to the holiday season), I'm now ready to get back into the groove. I've got several upcoming book reviews to do, so stay tuned! The first review I wanted to do after the holiday season is Storm Fall because I was accepted to review this book via Netgalley and owe them a review on A Bookish Nerd. So, here it is, you guys. 

I will admit that I did enjoy the sequel to Rebel Wing, but I didn't nearly love it as much as I loved the first one for various reasons. While reading it, I felt like some things were just so different from the first book; most of the qualities that I loved and adored in Rebel Wing. This disappoints me greatly because I really loved the first book and was truly convinced that this series would be the next bestseller. And while I do think that it is still deserving of popularity, I will admit that I think the second book digressed from the first. 

My main problem with this book was the Aris/Milek romance. While I absolutely loved their relationship in Rebel Wing, I didn't care too much for it in Storm Fall. It seemed rushed and unplanned. And I know that things are never set in stone when it comes to romance, but the ending chapter about where their future was going to go seemed a little strained and just too fast. It didn't make me swoon. It didn't even make me smile. I wanted to roll my eyes, in fact. Even despite the "future" that could possibly happen, I still could have enjoyed their romance if not for the fact that their relationship progressed even more quickly throughout the story. And then the ending just seemed like a cherry on the top of a "crap-tastic" cake. 

Now, with romance on my mind, I MUST talk about Dysis. Okay, if you've read the first book, you know that Dysis is in love with a certain somebody. Things don't go exactly as planned if you've read the first book, obviously, and things aren't any better for Dysis and her love interest in Storm Fall. But there is hope for her and someone else. I won't give any names because of spoilers for readers who haven't read the first or second book, but let's just say that I ship them. There isn't anything big that happens between them- more like the hinting at what's to come. I really hope that they'll get together. I like Dysis with him more than the other guy. I feel like they have more of a chemistry together. 

As I'm writing this, I'm referring to other people's reviews for this title on Goodreads. And I will admit that I agree with quite a bit of them when it comes to this book being more about the war and less about Aris as a person. In this title, you will see more of the fighting and casualties that come with war. While Rebel Wing is more of a personal struggle inside Aris with a little bit of war on the side, it's completely reversed in the sequel. And I think I liked it. I enjoyed Aris's struggle in the first book, but I think showing the reader more about the war that she's sacrificing everything for is also a good idea. As the reader, we need to know why Aris is serving her country. We need to know what this war is costing others. This book really showed that, and I'm pleased in the aspect. 

If you're more interested in a swoon-worthy romance packed with steamy make-out sessions and professions of undying love, this book is not for you. While this book does have romance, it's not the single sole reason for this plot. The war is. I honestly think that just the romance could not make this series what it is. 

As for the actual characters, I didn't really have any complaints or compliments. I enjoyed Aris the same as I did in the first book: in other words, I loved her! She's just as strong as she was before, and I really admire her for her strength and the sheer will that she possesses. She's a great main character for this series. I also enjoyed Dysis a lot as well. She's strong in ways that others is not. She's got a rough edge to her. She can tear you apart in a minute. Yet, at the same time, she can be very thoughtful and caring. Milek was still awesome like he was in the first book. The only drastic change I saw in any of the characters was Calix. While I didn't necessarily like him in the first book, he has definitely changed my mind now. He acted like such a jerk in the first book, but he's become so much more understanding and caring. He understands that change can be a good thing, and he's not nearly as narrow-minded as he once was. I really think I'm going to like him in the third book.

And yes, I'll be reading the third book. I didn't hate this book AT ALL. Some things annoyed me, yes, but I overall enjoyed it. I'm interested to see what's going to happen next in this series. I'm not sure if this is a trilogy or what, but if it is, I'm excited to see how Banghart is going to tie everything in together for the final book. 

Overall thoughts?

This was good. Not great, but an interesting read. The romance between Aris and Milek needs to slow down A LOT... I mean, A LOT. But other than that and a few boring chapters, this was good. I enjoyed seeing more of what the war is like for both countries in this book. It was really interesting, and I'm glad to see more of the action that came with it. I recommend this book to people who enjoy war with some romance and books with multiple POVs (because this series has a lot of character switching).

                                                                  Until next time,