Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian

Theodosia was six when her country was invaded and her mother, the Fire Queen, was murdered before her eyes. On that day the Kaiser took Theodosia's family, her land and her name. Theo was crowed Ash Princess - a title of shame to wear in her new life as a prisoner. For ten years Theo has been a captive in her own palace. She's endured the relentless abuse and ridicule of the Kaiser and his court. She is powerless, surviving in her new world only by burying the girl she was deep inside. Then, one night, the Kaiser forces her to do the unthinkable. With blood on her hands and all hope of reclaiming her throne lost, she realizes that surviving is no longer enough. But she does have a weapon: her mind is sharper than any sword. And power isn't always won on the battlefield. For ten years the Ash Princess has seen her land pillaged and her people enslaved. That all ends here.


Diving back into the young adult genre, this novel captures the imagination and adventurous spirit of the reader with a quickly moving storyline and rushing plot twists. I typically reserve my young adult novel reading to certain authors, because I get bored with the boy meets girl, girl learns he's a vampire, forbidden love ensues... type of story. But this one caught my eye and is a pretty darn good story. The only downside? The sequel doesn't get published until next spring... 2019. Gah! Still, I have enjoyed the character development, the plot twists, the forbidden rebellions, the power, the helplessness, the madness that comes with this novel. I'm definitely planning a reread session when the next installment makes it's way to bookshelves next year. 8 out of 10

The Honorable Imposter by Gilbert Morris

Forced by his family to become a minister in the Church of England, Gilbert Winslow is offered a dangerous and challenging task by one of the most powerful nobles in Britain. Taking the post offers fortune and escape from a life he despises, but Winslow discovers it also means becoming a spy. His mission is to infiltrate a group of religious separatists and to ferret out the whereabouts of their leader, who is accused of dissention against the King. In spite of his initial uneasiness, infiltration proves to be an easy matter. But will the ultimate betrayal be so simple? With the influences of good and evil, faith and doubt, compassion and selfishness pulling him apart, to whom could he turn?


Published in 1986, this is one of those old classic Christian novels but, as a loyal fan of author Gilbert Morris, I am more than willing to pick up his first installment of The House of Winslow series. This was a pretty stereotypical religious novel, I will admit. But it's an easy read, a quick study of character development and the acquirement of faith amidst trials - and the love of a pretty girl, or two! - and the main hero will steal your heart pretty quickly. In the genre of its kind, I'd give this book an easy 8 out of 10. I will admit, my rating is biased because, yep, Gilbert Morris is my go-to author of Christian novels and it's saying something seeing as how my collection of said genre is limited to the best of the best.

King's Cage by Victoria Aveyard

"Mare Barrow is a prisoner, powerless without her lightning, tormented by her lethal mistakes. She lives at the mercy of a boy she once loved, a boy made of lies and betrayal. Now a king, Maven Calore continues weaving his dead mother's web in an attemptto maintain control over his country--and his prisoner"--

The third installment of this series kicks off with a bang and doesn't give you any time to loose. Definitely an improvement over "Glass Sword", "King's Cage" holds its own and provides a welcome plot twist for your pleasure. The main character, Mare, continues to develop in an interesting way. She's a great heroine but she's flawed and I think that's what makes her more relatable. Unlike the previous two books, "King's Cage" bounces from one character to another: Mare, Cameron and Evangeline. I personally didn't think I would like this method at first just because I wanted to be where the main character was. But the other two points of view and storylines are interesting and open the plot up a bit more to see a bigger picture. Who knew Evangeline was likeable in her metallic getup and razor sharp personality? I enjoyed learning more about her especially in light of the fact she was seen as a perpetual "bad guy" for the first two novels. My only complaint would be that I read this novel too quickly. The next installment doesn't come out until May! Ahh! This one leaves you on a pretty decent cliff hanger. And you pretty much want to strangle not one but two fire princes. 

8 out of 10

Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard

If there's one thing Mare Barrow knows, it's that she's different.

Mare's blood is Red - the colour of common folk - but her Silver ability, the power to control lightning, has turned her into a weapon that the royal court tries to control.

The crown calls her an impossibility, a fake, but as she makes her escape from the prince and friend who betrayed her, Mare uncovers something startling: she is not the only one of her kind.

Pursued by the Silver king, Mare sets out to find and recruit other Red-and-Silver fighters to join in the struggle against her oppressors.

But Mare finds herself on a deadly path, at risk of becoming exactly the kind of monster she is trying to defeat. Will she shatter under the weight of the lives that are the cost of rebellion? Or have treachery and betrayal hardened her forever?

The sequel to "The Red Queen" is fascinating and thrilling. Definitely a great follow up to an already amazing storyline. Great plot twists and character development. I didn't think I'd like the sequel as I tend to dislike the following books of a series but this one kept me hooked and before I was even halfway through it, I raced to the bookstore to find the next one. 

7 out of 10

Lily of the Nile by Stephanie Dray

With her parents both dead, the daughter of Cleopatra and Mark Antony is left at the mercy of her Roman captors. Heir to one empire and prisoner to another, it falls to Princess Selene to save her brothers and reclaim what's rightfully hers...
In the aftermath of Alexandria's tragic fall, Princess Selene is taken from Egypt, the only home she's ever known. Along with her two surviving brothers, she's put on display as a war trophy is Rome. Selene's captors mock her royalty and drag her through the streets in chains, but on the brink of death, the children are spared a a favor to the Roman emperor's sister, who takes them to live as hostages in the so-called lamentable embassy of royal orphans...
Now trapped in a Roman court of intrigue, where her heritage is reviled and her faith is suspect, Selene can't hide the hieroglyphics that carve themselves into her flesh. Nor can she stop the emperor from using her for his own political ends. Faced with a new and ruthless Caesar who is obsessed with having a Cleopatra of his very own, Selene is determined to honor her mother's lost legacy. The magic of Egypt and Isis remain within her. But can she succeed where her mother failed? And what will it cost her in a political game where the only rule is to win or die?


This book was intriguing. I don't know how historically accurate it actually is because I haven't done any research on Cleopatra or her family. But if any of what Stephanie Dray wrote is true about the Egyptian royal family, it's very interesting and intriguing. Obviously I don't believe in the goddess Isis or in magic of that kind, but it's an eyeopening idea that maybe those in Egypt did at that time. This is obviously a fiction novel based on true characters. It has an interesting plot line and impressive character development on behalf of the main heroine, Selene. The political status quo and dynamics of ancient Egypt and Rome are intense. I'm looking forward to reading the next installment of this series in order to see if the second book can be as captivating and intriguing as the first.

6 out of 10

Unhooked by Lisa Maxwell

For as long as she can remember, Gwendolyn Allister has never had a place to call home - all because her mother believes that monsters are hunting them. Now these delusions have brought them to London, far from the life Gwen had finally started to build for herself. The only saving grace is her best friend, Olivia, who's coming with them for the summer.
But when Gwen and Olivia are kidnapped by shadowy creatures and taken to a world of flesh-eating sea hags and dangerous Fey,Gwen realizes her mom might have been sane all along.
The world Gwen finds herself in is called Neverland, yet it's nothing like the stories. Here, good and evil lose their meaning and memories slip like water through her fingers. As Gwen struggles to remember where she came from and find a way home, she must choose between trusting the charming fairy-tale hero who says all the right things and the roguish young pirate who promises to keep her safe.
With time running out and her enemies closing in, Gwen is forced to face the truths she's been hiding from all along. But will she be able to save Neverland without losing herself?



Holy good read, Batman. This was an unexpected treasure of a book. I'm not usually keen on Peter Pan stories just because there are SO many of them. But this one was a fun read and not completely predictable. I wish there were more books to follow this one just because I got so attached to the characters. Speaking of characters, the character development of Gwen, the main heroine and a couple of the secondary characters, is impressive. Good plot. Great story line. Interesting twists. Not the Disney Neverland we all know and love.

8 out of 10.