[Review] A Crown of Wishes by Roshani Chokshi

ABOUT

Title: A Crown of Wishes

Author: Roshani Chokshi

Series: The Star-Touched Queen #2 

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Release Date: March 28th 2017 

Goodreads page

Synopsis:

Gauri, the princess of Bharata, has been taken as a prisoner of war by her kingdom’s enemies. Faced with a future of exile and scorn, Gauri has nothing left to lose. Hope unexpectedly comes in the form of Vikram, the cunning prince of a neighboring land and her sworn enemy kingdom. Unsatisfied with becoming a mere puppet king, Vikram offers Gauri a chance to win back her kingdom in exchange for her battle prowess. Together, they’ll have to set aside their differences and team up to win the Tournament of Wishes—a competition held in a mythical city where the Lord of Wealth promises a wish to the victor.

Reaching the tournament is just the beginning. Once they arrive, danger takes on new shapes: poisonous courtesans and mischievous story birds, a feast of fears and twisted fairy revels.

Every which way they turn new trials will test their wit and strength. But what Gauri and Vikram will soon discover is that there’s nothing more dangerous than what they most desire.

The Many Sequels Ri has Bought But Has Yet to Read

I'm really bad.


Like really bad.

I have this thing where I'll have loved the first book. I then buy the sequel because I loved the book. But then I never read it.

Why? WHY??

I suppose I just get distracted by all the new and shiny things that are released. There are ARCs and there are new releases by authors I love. And I still want to read the sequels. . . . I just. . . get distracted. . . .  a lot.

So here is an indefinite list of all the sequels I have bought and have yet to read and perhaps someone will convince me to pick one of them up soon over the shiny new things on my Kindle or in my ARC pile.

By the way, this list is probably nothing compared to my unread books that I have bought pile or my bought ebooks pile. It's so bad.

Ri's Indefinite List of Unread Sequels That She Has Bought

I love the first book and it also ended in a cliffhanger. (Dang you, Jodi Meadows! *shakes fist*) So I absolutely needed the second book. I just. . . .  haven't quite gotten to it yet.





I loved The Fixer. I LOVED The Fixer. It was so much fun and I constantly compared it to Scandal but without the romance. And I have the ebook of this. I got it recently when it was on sale. I just. . . haven't read it yet. Cookie/Mith of BiscottoBooks keeps telling me to read it and I SWEAR I WILL. Eventually.




I have had this one for a long, long time. I think I started it when I had an e-ARC, but I never finished it, and I just haven't picked it up again. I will, eventually.







I KNOW. At least this isn't an actual sequel and is really book five. But I've had this book for several years now and I still haven't read it. . . .





This one is perhaps one of my worst offenders. This book came out in 2011. It's been six years, peeps. And I still haven't read it. I enjoyed the first book. I mean, it's about a magical mafia. But yeah. Still haven't read it.






Yeah. I haven't finished this series. Idk. *shrugs* Is this going to devastate me? Probably. That's partially why I'm putting it off and also because shiny new things are distracting.






Yeah. I've been thoroughly convinced by some friends to read this. So this will be the one that I'll realistically read the soonest of these books.




So there's probably more sequels I own and probably haven't read. I just can't think of them right now. (because there's so many. so. . . many. . . . )

Anyways, Happy Reading, y'all

Toronto Book Tag

This book tag is created by Joey at Another Afterthought and Ambur of Burning Impossibly Bright.

"The Six"- A book with numbers in its name. 

I mean. Self explanatory. But also, if you haven't read this book, DO IT. It's a heist novel in the Grisha universe. Also the number matches up with Toronto's "The Six" thing. 

"Queen Street" - Favourite bookish merch

I don't actually have all that much bookish merchandise. What I do have is bookish swag, and my favourite of all kinds is notebooks. I'm a notebook fiend and I have too many blank ones and half filled ones to really warrant purchasing any more, but I want more. MORE. 

"CN Tower" - The tallest/biggest book on your shelf

This book is massive. Probably not the largest that I own but it's up there. This book is both the tall format of hardcover and also 600 ish pages. Also, read this series because Laini Taylor's writing and world building is gorgeous. 

"The DVP" - Most well read/worn out book you own

This is definitely my copy of The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan. Part of the cover is bent and a corner is missing. I've definitely probably written in it at some point as a child. There are dog ears. This copy is wrecked. 

"TTC" - A book that took too long to get to where it should

It just took too long to get to the actual fighting bits that I wanted to see. Most of the book is Fallon training to be in the ring and whatever gladiator fights there were, most of them were glossed over. Here's my review on this book, so you can read more in depth about my thoughts on this one. 

"Toronto Sports Teams" - A book you expected to like but felt let down by (or your choice of Leafs, Jays, Raps, etc.)

I am a fan of the whole "fake girlfriend/boyfriend" trope, but this one just didn't do it for me. It was sweet and fun, but I wanted more depth to it.

"Lake Ontario" - Favourite fictional map

The hardcover of Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore is one of the most gorgeous books I own. The maps and the illustrations throughout the novel are just so pretty. 

"Torono? Teronno? Tomato? Toronto!" - A character name you found difficult to pronounce

Okay. So not the characters, but the author, Siobhan Vivian's first name. I had no idea how to pronounce it until I watched Orphan Black (It's pronounced Shi-vonne). It's those Irish names, like Saoirse (pronounced Sersha) that are hard to figure out how to pronounce. 

Anyone who wants to do this tag is welcome to do so! I tag you all.

Happy Reading!

Waiting on Wednesday: Flame in the Mist by Renée Ahdieh

ABOUT

Title: Flame in the Mist
Author: Renée Ahdieh
Series: Flame in the Mist #1
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Release Date: May 16th 2017
Goodreads Page

Synopsis:

The daughter of a prominent samurai, Mariko has long known her place—she may be an accomplished alchemist, whose cunning rivals that of her brother Kenshin, but because she is not a boy, her future has always been out of her hands. At just seventeen years old, Mariko is promised to Minamoto Raiden, the son of the emperor's favorite consort—a political marriage that will elevate her family's standing. But en route to the imperial city of Inako, Mariko narrowly escapes a bloody ambush by a dangerous gang of bandits known as the Black Clan, who she learns has been hired to kill her before she reaches the palace.

Dressed as a peasant boy, Mariko sets out to infiltrate the ranks of the Black Clan, determined to track down the person responsible for the target on her back. But she's quickly captured and taken to the Black Clan’s secret hideout, where she meets their leader, the rebel ronin Takeda Ranmaru, and his second-in-command, his best friend Okami. Still believing her to be a boy, Ranmaru and Okami eventually warm to Mariko, impressed by her intellect and ingenuity. As Mariko gets closer to the Black Clan, she uncovers a dark history of secrets, of betrayal and murder, which will force her to question everything she's ever known.

This sounds awesome. It reminds me of one of the shinobi manga I've read way back when and I am into this whole concept. I loved reading manga that were set in this era and I've never read a novel in this sort of setting so I am anticipating this novel and hoping that it turns out really awesome.

Happy Reading,

[Review] Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Cordova

ABOUT

Title: Labyrinth Lost

Author: Zoraida Córdova 

Series: Brooklyn Brujas #1 

Release Date: September 6th 2016 

Goodreads Page

Synopsis:

Nothing says Happy Birthday like summoning the spirits of your dead relatives.

I fall to my knees. Shattered glass, melted candles and the outline of scorched feathers are all that surround me. Every single person who was in my house – my entire family — is gone.

Alex is a bruja, the most powerful witch in a generation…and she hates magic. At her Deathday celebration, Alex performs a spell to rid herself of her power. But it backfires. Her whole family vanishes into thin air, leaving her alone with Nova, a brujo boy she can’t trust. A boy whose intentions are as dark as the strange markings on his skin.
The only way to get her family back is to travel with Nova to Los Lagos, a land in-between, as dark as Limbo and as strange as Wonderland…

Beautiful Creatures meets Daughter of Smoke and Bone with an infusion of Latin American tradition in this highly original fantasy adventure.