Top Ten Tuesday: Most Anticipated Releases of the Second Half of 2019

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. This weeks topic spotlights the top 10 Most Anticipated Releases of the Second Half of 2019!!! I thought I’d have trouble with this topic since It’s been a very slow bookish year for me however, it turns out I have closer to 20 smh. For this list I’ll keep it to 10 but Yikes! my Goodreads is Poppin’ now 😂 …yeaaaaa I lied! 🤷🏻‍♀️ there are 12 & I would’ve felt bad leaving any of these out! 🖤

June 17th: Most Anticipated Releases of the Second Half of 2019

The Good Luck Girls (The Good Luck Girls #1) by Charlotte Nicole Davis – Described as Westworld meets The Handmaid’s Tale 😱 who wouldn’t stop dead in their tracks & with a STUNNING cover to match?!?! 😍 Historical Fiction/Fantasy, this one is about children who’re sold to a “welcome house” where one is accused of murder. they escape & are on the run from both human & inhuman forces.

The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones -YA Fantasy/Horror, honestly the synopsis mentioned a few things that made me go OOooO! ahhh!: Fae, Mapmaker, Corpses coming back to life & a decades old curse. Fascinating!

Kingdom Of Souls by Rena Barron– STUNNING cover! 😍 this is one I’ve been following closely on Twitter. As soon as I heard Witch Doctors my soul did a little shimmy 🤗 this one features a MC who is having difficulty calling on their powers. Pretty soon, she may just have to go to her last resort & exchange years of her life for magical powers. INTRIGUED!

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern– Full transparency here, Erin Morgenstern could write up a grocery list & I’d soak it in! ever since reading The Night Circus years ago, I have searched the internet for any morsel of info on when if ever we’d get a new book by this author. Whelp! not only are we getting it but it has PIRATES in it! 🤗 “a timeless love story set in a secret underground world–a place of pirates, painters, lovers, liars, and ships that sail upon a starless sea.”

Serpent & Dove (Serpent & Dove #1) by Shelby Mahurin– YA Fantasy “Bound as one to love, honor, or burn.” I am MOST intrigued by this one, with lines in the synopsis like “The war between witches and Church is an ancient one” we get the story of a witch who crosses path with one who has taken an oath to the church to kill all witches. They are somehow wed & I’m just wondering how that happened and what the repercussions will be…

The Revolution Of Birdie Randolph by Brandy Colbert– “Perfect for fans of Nina LaCour and Nicola Yoon comes a novel about first love and family secrets from Stonewall Book Award winner Brandy Colbert.” I’ve been meaning to get to Brandy Colbert (have Little & Lion hauled) & then I see for fans of Nina LaCour…YASSS PLEASE! 😍 YA Contemporary/Realistic Fiction; this one features a MC who is trying to please her parents by sticking to studying at all times until she meets a boy who is sweet but has a troubled past. We also meet her aunt who moves in after leaving a treatment facility for addiction. I can already tell this one is right up my alley & I will most likely love! also…it’s set above a hair salon & I’m here for that! 🤗

Steel Tide (Seafire #2) by Natalie C. Parker–“The second book in a heart-stopping trilogy that follows the captain of an all-female ship intent on taking down a vicious warlord’s powerful fleet.” This is one of the sequels I am HIGHLY anticipating! after reading Seafire last year & LOVING it! I’m due for a dose of Caledonia & crew. I can’t really go into detail this being a sequel & all however, If you love pirates & are looking for a feminist take then I’d say this one is def worth a shot! 🖤

Tarnished Are The Stars by Rosiee Thor– “The Lunar Chronicles meets Rook in this queer #OwnVoices science-fantasy novel, perfect for fans of Marissa Meyer and Sharon Cameron.” I mean it’s like they know exactly what to say to hook me in! 😩“A secret beats inside Anna Thatcher’s chest: an illegal clockwork heart. Anna works cog by cog — donning the moniker Technician — to supply black market medical technology to the sick and injured, against the Commissioner’s tyrannical laws…I’m long overdue for a f/f romance 😍

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo– Ha! when my Dark Queen writes ANYTHING! all else fades 😌 this is a boarding school Fantasy & I was blessed enough to have a friend lend me her copy sooOo this ism next read & I legit can’t contain my excitement 🤗

Children Of Virtue and Vengeance (Legacy Of Orïsha #2) by Tomi Adeyemi– Last year I read Children Of Blood and Bone which left me with quite the book hangover. This is the sequel & so in the spirit of staying spoiler free, I’ll just say that COBAB ending was EPIC! 🔥 the world building is A+ and if you’re a fan of sibling relationships, well written magic systems, and a MC who rides a giant Tiger then I’d say def give this one a go 😉

The Never Tilting World (The Never Tilting World #1) by Rin Chupeco– I fell in love with The Bone Witch trilogy & now we get a Duology by my new fave author?!?! 💓 “Frozen meets Mad Max in this epic teen fantasy duology bursting with star-crossed romance, immortal heroines, and elemental magic, perfect for fans of Furyborn.” …Two things here that had me nodding yes! Frozen & Furyborn 🤗 Unlike Ana & Elsa though, the sisters (Twins) in this story are torn apart by a betrayal. Their worlds are literally split in half & they’re set to rule apart. Each sister is raising a daughter & circumstances make it so they must come together and save their world. This is one of the arcs I wasn’t able to get at BEA & so my wait begins…worth the wait! 🖤

Gideon The Ninth (The Ninth House #1) by Tamsyn Muir– I need all the Necromancy books to line right up & proceed to making themselves comfy on my nightstand 😌 This one leading the pack, LGBTQIAP+ Sci-Fi Fantasy…Lesbian Necromancers…sitting here wondering if it’s too soon to count down to September *taps fingers*

The Emperor needs necromancers.

The Ninth Necromancer needs a swordswoman.

Gideon has a sword, some dirty magazines, and no more time for undead bullshit.

I need nothing more than this ^^^

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Spoiler Free Review: Middlegame by Seanan Mcguire

Title: Middlegame

Author: Seanan McGuire

Pub. Date: May 7th 2019

Genre: YA Fantasy/Sci-Fi

Publisher: Tor.com

Pages: 528

GOODREADS | BARNES & NOBLE | AMAZON

🖤ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review 🖤

I think I’ve finally met my match. This book is like no other I’ve ever come across in so many ways but trying to summarize it is just not going to work. Clever, dark, multi-layered…this story will sink it’s claws into you & keep you until all hours of the night. One of my my all time favorite classics is Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein & all throughout my time with this book I kept getting those mad scientist vibes. Alchemy is at the center of this story, we get introduced to Asphodel Baker who is a very advanced alchemist ahead of her time. Being a woman, Asphodel encounters challenges by her own peers & decides to take matters into her own hands in order to leave behind her legacy. She begins her work to try & bring into physical manifestation, the Doctrine of Ethos. The Doctrine holds the secrets of the Universe ultimately granting it’s keeper a lot of power.

Asphodel creates Reed in her lab; he is some parts human, creature, alchemy & magic. Reed is meant to outlive Asphodel and carry on her legacy which he does & then some. Reed splits up the Doctrine into two of his creations, twins Rodger and Dodger. One is gifted with all things mathematical knowledge & the other comes with a mastery of language. We watch these twins grow and mature via alternating points of view as they live separate lives. When the twins establish a connection via what can be seen as some sort of telepathy, it becomes clear that staying away from each other is impossible. They have no idea how powerful they are individually & how dangerous they can be when they come together.

This book is 500+ pages but its non-stop action & character development. It won’t be for everyone, it will demand your complete attention but it will also introduce you to some of the MOST unforgettable characters you’ll ever meet on the page. McGuire gives us alchemy mixed with magic, mad scientists, telepathy, math & words that form their own language for these twins and at its core a story about family & friendships.

Content Warning: Murder, suicide, torture, abandonment, mass murder, violence

Reed is Asphodel Baker’s greatest creation so much so he’s outdone his creator. Reed is a master manipulator, great at sitting back and observing before he strikes. Reed is only interested in one thing: world domination. He will stop at nothing to create the perfect set of twins that can embody the Doctrine & ultimately extract it from them for power.

Leigh is Reeds creation & honestly she inspired fear in me the MOST! even more so than Reed himself. In some ways I did feel Reed also feared Leighs detachment from humanity. Leigh loves taking apart (twins) the creations she keeps in her lab in the most grotesque of ways.

“Her bones were stolen from the graves and deathbeds of thirteen brilliant women- and if those deathbeds were made by a long-dead alchemist, rather than by natural selection, she has no sympathy for them”

Erin is Leigh’s creation & true to the understanding that the predecessor is more superior…Erin does manage to keep Leigh watching over her back. This character plays an interesting role because she’s used as a pawn with the twins and their development. Erin’s life is directly affected by the decisions made by the twins on any given timeline. Erin could quite possibly be the single most cold blooded TERRIFYING fictional character I’ve ever come across!

Rodger & Dodger- these twins hold within them a genius level of knowledge over language and mathematics. They have a sort of telepathic way of communicating with each other. An understanding that whatever happens to one, the other will feel as well. I loved seeing the twins develop from adolescence into their adult years. Their bond is strong and we get that depth through the years as they come into awareness of their power. They may just be artificially created however, I felt this sibling bond deep in my core.

This is one of those rare reads you come across every once in a while that I feel might come off as too smart or too complex when trying to understand the he science of it all. Personally, I enjoyed the characters the MOST & glad for it since this is a very character driven book. It’s not at all a easy read, oftentimes painful seeing these twins who can’t help but be driven towards one another but cause so much destruction in their union. I felt this on another level because Dodger was left with abandonment issues that played a major role in her growth & development. We see suicide attempts & anxiety rule over her life meanwhile Rodger tries to understand it all to be there for her. He is the #1 most important person in her life while also being the one to bring her the most pain. I may not have been a fan of the plot as a whole but I have a deep level of respect for these three dimensional characters. This book is hella dark & not for the feint of heart but ultimately it will keep its hold on you when given the chance. I’m SUPER curious now to read all of McGuire’s other books and would recommend Middlegame to anyone who loves sibling stories, sci-fi, twisted villains, and alchemy.

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Friday Reads & Thangs…

It’s Friday for this New Yorker & I could NOT be happier to start this 3 day holiday weekend!!! After all, this is the weekend before BEA which means it’s legit prep time for many bookworms…

I’m super excited to be seeing many of my friends both far & near next week. Some of them I’ll be meeting for the very first time in person but I feel like I’ve known them my whole entire life. With that in mind, I’ve been trying to keep my reading light. I’m finally in a good reading flow and want that to continue by only reading books I’ve been absolutely excited to get to. I also have a few reviews that I’ll be streaming throughout the coming week (Middlegame, Vicious (Sinners of Saint #1) & Serious Moonlight) to get back in the flow of things. This weekend I will most likely be heading to D.C. which means all of my reading will take place on my commute to & from (4.5 hours)…as long as sleep doesn’t sabotage my plans *fingers crossed*

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

I am 250 pages into this Contemporary New Adult & really enjoying it so far. It’s the LGBTQIA+ LATINX read I didn’t know I needed in my life. This follows the son of the first female President of the United States in a hate to love romance with the Prince of Wales. Not only is the chemistry off the walls but there’s an amazing friend group I can’t get enough of. I find myself constantly laughing out loud on the train ride to work and shaking my head in awe. Politics does play a big role in this story & I’m loving how McQuiston has pulled in some very relevant current day issues impacting this romance. I am only half-way through with hopes to finish this read tonight.

Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

Initially I had my heart set to jump into The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides (still next on my queue after this read) which was one of my May Book of the Month add-ons. Then I was blessed by an awesome friend who text me asking if I wanted her arc copy of Sorcery Of Thorns. I really didn’t even have to think twice before I accepted after hearing non-stop early rave reviews. One of my 1st jobs ever (unpaid) was as a Librarian Assistant in 5th grade. To come across a book about books that have a life of their own…Grimoires that are kept in chains and guarded by a Warden?!?! YES PLEASE! SIGN ME ALL THE WAY UP! I haven’t been this curious about a book in a VERY long time. *fingers crossed* it becomes a new favorite.

Honestly, I’m quite surprised I have yet to watch Big Little Lies. I read Liane Moriarty’s book some time last year & was as hooked as I was back in the day to Desperate Housewives on abc. To further entice me, it features two of my fave actresses, Reese Witherspoon & Nicole Kidman!!! *GASPS* I ABSOLUTELY LOVED the book & have high hopes for this HBO series, especially now that it’s been renewed for a second season. The plan is to alternate between reading Sorcery Of Thorns & watching Big Little Lies tonight on my ride to D.C.

Friends!!! We made it to the end of the week & I personally cannot be more excited for the chill time this weekend. Sure I’ll miss not having Game Of Thrones to run home to Sunday nights but thankfully I have a never ending TBR! What are your plans this weekend? Reading anything rave worthy? Sound off in the comments <3’s

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Spoiler Free Review: Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan

Title: Wicked Saints

Author: Emily A. Duncan

Pub. Date: April 2nd. 2019

Genre: YA Fantasy

Publisher: Wednesday books

Pages: 385

GOODREADS | BARNES & NOBLE | AMAZON

This may just speak to the dark corners of my soul but once I started reading this book on a flight to New Orleans, there was no other place I’d rather be. Between the pages of this dark gothic fantasy a war is being waged between Kalyazin & Tranavia. Kalyazin, a land of people who still believe in the Gods that ruled them. Gods who have partially retreated their presence but have chosen Clerics to use as messengers and vessels for their power. The war however has pretty much wiped out almost all Clerics & only one really powerful remains hidden in a Monastery to be protected at all costs. The one who is believed to be the end to this war against Tranavia. This is a land of people who have turned their backs on the Gods in favor of free will. Referred to as heretics, Tranavia set out to never to be controlled or be at the mercy of Gods whims. They chose instead to tap into blood magic and cast powerful spells. They’ve eradicated any and all signs of the Gods & made it so that the Gods cannot access Tranavia. We get introduced to 3 pivotal characters who all have a role to play in this war. Their lives somehow interconnected…

“You could be exactly what these countries need to stop their fighting. Or you could rip them apart at the seams.”

Content Warning: War themes, Violence/gore, parental abuse, Self-harm (cutting as part of the magic system), torture, alcohol abuse

Credit: Orulyon-Sama @ Tumblr (Click on photo for link)

Nadya Lapteva Our MC is a powerful Cleric chosen by the Gods. She stands out among the few that are left due to her ability to communicate and draw power from all of the Gods. This alone made this character a total bad a** to me! I LOVED how she learned the personalities of all of the Gods she called upon. Which ones to approach with more caution than others. Nadya is dutiful & devout, she takes her role in this war very seriously. My only gripe with Nadya was that she’s got a whole lot of power and wisdom bestowed upon her & yet her judgment is severely clouded in matters of the heart. I don’t just mean with regards to the love interest but also when it comes to the Gods she serves without question. I hope to see some maturity from this character in the follow-up, especially after the way things left off.

Malachiasz Czechowicz a VERY powerful Blood Mage who from the very beginning is hard to read. It’s hard to go into this character without spoiler so I’ll leave it as vague as he was upon first meeting him 😉

Serefin Meleski The crown Prince sent to the front lines as a blood general. Serefin is one of my favorite characters in this story. It couldn’t have been easy being born a more powerful Blood Mage than your father & in turn have him hate you for it. Serafin knows he has a target on his back placed there by his own father. Serefin wants to end the war but he isn’t without his faults.

Although the story is centered around the three MC’s we do get some awesome side characters from both the Kalyazin & Tranavia sides. There are no clear cut good/bad characters. Everyone is fighting for what they believe to be right in order to end this war. I really enjoyed the relationships between all of the side characters as well as seeing the diverse representation. We get POC characters as well as a sexually diverse cast on the page. One of our side characters who plays sort of a right hand role to the Crown prince is disabled. My only hope is to see more of these characters brought to the forefront in the follow-up.

Wicked Saints is just the book I was looking for to get me back in the mood for YA Fantasy. It checked off so many of the things I believe make for a good story. I felt immediately invested in the characters and their relationships with one another. I questioned Nadya’s choices in general but can see this was necessary as a foundation to who she will become. Many have compared Malachiasz to the Darkling from the Grishaverse whom I wasn’t really sold on. Malachiasz however…is 50 shades of messed up! it doesn’t get more darker than this guy right here. Complex characters, interesting blend of religion in a fantastical setting, complete with a magic system I was genuinely intrigued by…This was a 5 star read by the time I’d read the last page & a pre-order for the follow-up is definitely in the future.

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WWW Wednesday 4/24/2019

WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Sam @ Taking On a World of Words and to participate all you have to do is answer the three W’s listed below. Once you’ve posted your WWW, drop a link to your post in Sam’s comments <3’s!

The questions:
1. What are you currently reading?
2. What did you recently finish reading?
3. What do you think you’ll read next?

A little coffee along with the latest Grey’s Anatomy episode playing in the background sets the mood for a long overdue WWW Wednesday post. I don’t want to jinx myself but I’ve been reading non-stop & with that comes reviewing. I second guessed myself on being able to draft up a review since I’ve been on hiatus for a while but I was very happy to see it felt very much like coming home. This year I’m very focused on quality reading which I’m hoping means less meh & more awwwww shi**!!! haha! This also means, I will be making use of the good ol’ DNF if necessary. Something I’ve never done cause my personality often gets in the way, my mind says I MUST finish whatever I start but that’s just not realistic or fair to myself at this point. My last two reads were both 5 star reads motivating me to sort of (haha!) create a TBR which I may just post 😉

Serious Moonlight by Jenn Bennett

Currently I’m 60% into this read set in Seattle, leaning towards 3.5-4 stars. It’s my first read by Jenn Bennett & it has stirred up interest in towards her other books. The romance in this one had to grow on me but it only gets cuter as the story progresses. There’s a LATINX side character I am ABSOLUTELY love! & the MOST creative first date ever that has me all in my feels. I’ve always been enamored with the idea of one day living in Seattle, this book reignited that dream 😍

Wicked Saints (Something Dark and Holy #1) by Emily A. Duncan

This book truly surprised me in the BEST deliciously dark way possible! 🖤 Confession that may get me in trouble: I was never a big fan of The Darkling in the Grishaverse…YUP! I said it! no backsies. The villain in Wicked Saints has been compared to the Darkling & I feel this villain is WAY more appealing while also being 50 shades of messed up. The last 30% had me in its clutches & I cannot wait for the sequel. The magic system is A+! I’d recommend to those who were fans of Children Of Blood and Bone by Toni Adeyemi. If you love the premise of a MC who is divinely protected by the Gods & can communicate with them, this is your book. If said Gods also happen to have a range of personalities on the page, this is your book. My 5 star review will go live tomorrow 4/25/19.

Middle Game by Seanan McGuire

“Godhood is attainable. Pray it isn’t attained.”

I was very blessed by the Book Gods to receive an ARC of Middlegame earlier this year (LOVE TOR!!!) & it’ll be my very 1st Seanan McGuire read. I don’t know very much about this book other than it featuring twins, one whois a genius with words and the other with numbers. That they aren’t necessarily human & that this may be somewhere between Fantasy & Science Fiction. It’s a pretty thick book that is set to release May 7th so I am making it my next beast to tackle. I’ve heard some mixed reviews but mostly that it is quite the odd read & I can dig that so fingers crossed I do hope I enjoy this one 🖤

It’s that time of year when I try to aggressively tackle my TBR in preparation for BEA. Good thing I’ve been craving books like water cause the shelves have been crying for some TLC 🖤 I hope you’re all falling in love with some amazing fictional characters & stepping into worlds that leave you wanting more 😉

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MARCH BOOK HAUL

Hello Hello is anybody out there? It’s been a hot minute since I’ve written a blog post & I’m admittedly a bit rusty 🙈 but ummm have no fear! I am quickly getting back in the swing of things. 2018 was a bit rough at the end for a number of reasons but 2019 so far has proven to be full of blessings & beautiful surprises 💓 I thought I had lost my love for books & blogging, turns out *Maury Voice* the lie detector determined THAT WAS A LIE!!! 🙌🏽 my appetite for books has returned full force. I recently finished & LOVED Daisy Jones & The Six, a gift from my Twin Soul Gretchen over at ChicNerdReads who truly knows when to send a book recc my way (thanks Twin!) 🖤 I’m currently reading Wicked Saints (Something Dark and Holy #1) by Emily A. Duncan, my first Fantasy of the year & so far I’m really enjoying this one 🤞🏽I have reviews I’ve been working on & will start to sprinkle out over the next week. One major thing did change & that’s the way I buy books. After un-hauling 50+ books, I knew I was going to be hella selective going forward. This haul contains only books that I’ve HIGHLY been anticipating & will be reading very soon. Whether you’re new or a Ol’ G here on my blog, thank you for sticking around & stay tuned for all the new content 🖤

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Hello Bookworms! I hope you’re all having a wonderful day with your next best read ❤ I am STOKED to be reading & blogging again. This blog & community has brought me so much happiness & friendships I am so thankful for 💓 I think I’m going to enjoy making up for lost time ☺️ Happy reading!

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SEPTEMBER BOOK HAUL

Hello Bookworms! I haven’t done a book haul since July here on the blog (book buying never stopped) & that’s because during the end of August/beginning of September I was on vacation. My first one in over 10 years & it was the most magical & happiest place on earth…more to come -pictures too- in my Wrap-Up. In September I got two subscription boxes and one Exclusive Box. My Kindle probably saw the most love during September & I’m kind of happy it worked out that way cause I’m way overdue for a un-haul & cleansing of my physical shelves. I’m really excited for the books that I did haul, they’re titles I have been eagerly anticipating and can’t wait to dive into. We’ll start this haul off with a little Gosling appreciation *heart eyes*

FAIRYLOOT

Mirage (my review) by Somaiya Daud

I read Mirage as part of a ARC Buddy read & was surprised in a good way to find that it’s a Sci-Fi Fantasy. I wasn’t expecting the sci-fi aspects but loved every bit of the world building this 1st book delivered. As for the FL box, with the exception of the shoelaces (major side eye) I’m really satisfied with the contents of their September box. My fave items are the art prints, notebook, and candle…although if I’m being honest I can’t smell anything from these teeny tiny candles so it’s more for the label *shrugs*

Owlcrate Vicious & Vengeful Exclusive Edition

BOOK OF THE MONTH

The Silence Of The Girls | The Mermaid And Mrs. Hancock

*Making an active effort to read these sooner rather than later 😉

KINDLE & AUDIBLE

*Review for Pride goes live on 10/4*

eGalleys

Hello Bookworms! I hope you’re all having a wonderful day with your next best read ❤ The next two weeks are HUGE in the publishing world with so many great new releases what are some you’re excited to see hit the shelves? Sound off in the comments down below 😉

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Blog Tour: The Devil’s Thief by Lisa Maxwell Spoiler Free Review + Giveaway!!!

Title: The Devil’s Thief

Author: Lisa Maxwell

Pub. Date: October 9th. 2018

Genre: YA Historical Fantasy

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Pages: 704

🖤 ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review 🖤

WEBSITE (BUY LINKS) | MAIN WEBSITE | TWITTER | GOODREADS | INSTAGRAM

In this spellbinding sequel to the New York Times bestselling The Last Magician, Esta and Harte set off on a cross-country chase through time to steal back the elemental stones they need to save the future of magic.

Hunt the Stones.
Beware the Thief.
Avenge the Past.

Esta’s parents were murdered. Her life was stolen. And everything she knew about magic was a lie. She thought the Book of Mysteries held the key to freeing the Mageus from the Order’s grasp, but the danger within its pages was greater than she ever imagined.

Now the Book’s furious power lives inside Harte. If he can’t control it, it will rip apart the world to get its revenge, and it will use Esta to do it.

To bind the power, Esta and Harte must track down four elemental stones scattered across the continent. But the world outside the city is like nothing they expected. There are Mageus beyond the Brink not willing to live in the shadows—and the Order isn’t alone in its mission to crush them.

In St. Louis, the extravagant World’s Fair hides the first stone, but an old enemy is out for revenge and a new enemy is emerging. And back in New York, Viola and Jianyu must defeat a traitor in a city on the verge of chaos.

As past and future collide, time is running out to rewrite history—even for a time-traveling thief.

I’m just going to preface this review with a whole lot of thanks to the publishers for inviting me on this tour! The Last Magician was one of my top favorite books of 2017 & ever since then my heart has been eagerly awaiting any bit of news I could get for a sequel. The Devil’s Thief was everything I could’ve asked for in a follow-up & it will for sure be on my list of top favorite reads for 2018! ❤

Lisa Maxwell can continue writing books set in this world with these characters for the rest of eternity & I’d never tire! I thought it couldn’t get better than The Last Magician which was EPIC, atmospheric, full of action and that 1920’s NYC magic (see my review here)….coming in at 704 pages, The Devil’s Thief not only holds it’s weight, it DELIVERS!!! full of those plots twists that made it’s predecessor a page turner, The Devil’s Thief hits the ground running. This time around we get introduced to a couple of new characters along with our beloved crew of misfits. Esta and Harte are back & legit my heart could not be filled with more happiness to get more of one of all time favorite ships!<3 If you’re like me & you wished to have had more backstory to some of the side characters from The Last Magician, this book will give you all that and much more! Both Viola & Jianyu get more page time & seeing them more fleshed out only further grew my attachment to this cast of characters. Maxwell is one of those authors that gets multiple POV’s right! I love reading fantasy books in this format but find that often the characters just blend into one another. Here we have distinct voices that carry their personality all on their own, this matters when reading a behemoth of a book.

While I felt The Last Magician balanced action/plot + Character development really well, this sequel is a lot for focused on the characters. Of course I didn’t mind since I LIVE for books with characters like these but for those who love a good plot driven story, this might be a bit of a change of pace. This isn’t a bad thing in my opinion, there were still many parts that I found myself not being able to put down the book. However, we do get some slower pacing & to be honest, I for one was a bit thankful since we do get a ton of time travel between centuries and different cities. I praised Maxwell’s world building in the first book but I was left shooketh with The Devil’s Thief! I legit felt I was in St. Louis during the World’s Fair in the 1900’s so much so that returning to my every day tasks felt like a chore. I constantly wanted to be immersed in this world.

A+ world building, character development and beautiful story telling to ignite the imagination are just some of the main reasons to pick these books up! If you love Diverse Fantasy that comes off the pages organically, look no further! Maxwell has characters in her books from all walks of life, they are layered and three dimensional. One of my favorite characters to come out of these books is Viola, I wished so hard to get more from her & that wish was granted. We get a beautiful F/F romance that only further solidified Viola as my all time fave. I also enjoyed each of the new characters introduced & already am highly anticipating book 3! *adds St. Louis to list of places to see*

Lisa Maxwell is the New York Times Best-Selling author of THE LAST MAGICIAN. Also of UNHOOKED, SWEET UNREST, and GATHERING DEEP. When she’s not writing books, she teaches English at a local college. She lives near DC with her very patient husband and two not-so patient boys.

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Top Ten Tuesday: Books By My Favorite Authors That I Still Haven’t Read

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. This weeks topic spotlights the top 10 unread books by your favorite authors. I typically like to read my faves as they are released but this year saw me collecting them & not reading them? yea It’s this new thing where I find myself avoiding book hangovers by not reading my faves 🤦🏻‍♀️ this will be changing in 2019 though that’s for sure. Watch me play catch up 😉

*These are in no particular order*

September 25th: Books By My Favorite Authors That I Still Haven’t Read

Strange The Dreamer by Laini Taylor– Strange made an appearance in my TTT last week as will others because I will be reading them this Fall/Winter season. Laini is my #1 favorite YA author of all time, this book is going to break me with its beauty & I’m finally ready to embrace all of it!

Wonder Woman by Leigh Bardugo– My Dark Queen has written two books that I haven’t read but know that I’m going to LOVE! I actually learned about this book from Leigh Bardugo while listening to her speak at a signing at NYC Strand. It wasn’t news in the bookish community so it was a real treat to get the 411 straight from Leigh Bardugo. Definitely reading WW this season.

The Language Of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo– This book is STUNNING both inside & out with eye popping illustrations. I meant to read this last Winter just cause it has cold season vibes but that didn’t happen. This Winter season I will be reading this collection.

Nevernight by Jay Kristoff– Jay Kristoff won me over with The Illuminae Files & since then I’ve just wanted to read all of his books. I also own The Lotus War trilogy that I’d really like to get to but Nevernight has 100% of my interest for next Kristoff read.

Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare– It’s been a while since I’ve been in the Shadowhunter world & returning to it this Fall will probably be a bit nostalgic. I have a ton of good memories buddy reading TMI & TID with my hubby. Since he’s already read Lady Midnight, I will have someone at home to bounce my thoughts off of 😂

Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman– Uncle Gaiman as I affectionally have dubbed him here on the blog, wrote a book and I haven’t read it 🙈 what’s worse is that I love anything Greek or Norse Mythology so I really don’t have any excuse. I’m a big fan of Gaiman’s audiobooks, he has one of my favorite narrating voices & it always feels like I’m getting a bedtime story. This is a collection of short stories so I may just read it along with another book.

Wire and Nerve by Marissa Meyer– This Illustrated Graphic Novel has been sitting on my shelves for far too long! I loved The Lunar Chronicles & Iko was my fave character along with Captain Thorne of course. Iko as a lead though is all my heart could’ve hoped for so it’s time I give this one a go.

Until It Fades by K.A. Tucker– K.A. Tucker holds a special place in my heart as the first New Adult author I ever read. I’m so happy it was Tucker cause since then I’ve been OBSESSED with anything she writes. Until It Fades gave me darker vibes though but that might just be my perception. Either way, having just recently finished The Simple Wild by Tucker, I want nothing more than to read those books I have yet to get to by this author.

Vicious by V.E. Schwab – I actually received my Owlcrate exclusive edition box for the sequel Vengeful earlier today & it was EVERYTHING I could’ve hoped for 🙌🏽 I LOVED The Monsters of Verity Duology so much last year that I just simply couldn’t resist! Most bookworms love the Darker Shades Of Magic books & although I didn’t become obsessed after reading the 1st book, I haven’t quite given up on them either 😂 I will be reading Vicious sometime in October.

The Winds Of Winter by George R.R. Martin – Sort of cheating here since this isn’t out in the world for me to read but I feel putting it out in the Universe may make it actually happen in my lifetime #jussayin 🤷🏻‍♀️ We keep getting other books in this EPIC world & I welcome them all but I just really need book 6 like yesterday 😂

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Top Ten Tuesday: Books On My Fall 2018 TBR

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. This weeks topic is the top 10 books on your Fall 2018 TBR. I’m actually happy this is the topic because it made me put pen to paper and outline the books I’ve been meaning to get to but for one reason or another, haven’t. These also happen to be books I ABSOLUTELY feel in my core, will be 5 star reads. I may be wrong but given how some of my blogging buddies have spoken about these books, I have a feeling I’m in for a treat so let’s do this!

*These are in no particular order*

September 18th: Books On My Fall 2018 TBR

The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers – This book has shamefully been sitting on my shelf collecting dust for far too long! Having discovered it on Booktube YEARS ago & hearing all of the GUSH reviews, I just knew the Sci-Fi lover in me would appreciate this title. Diverse Character driven books will always be a MUST read for me

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor– Why do I feel like I already know the characters in this book on a personal level? I can’t wait to meet Lazlo on the page though haha! Laini is one of my top 3 fave authors of all time, she holds the #1 spot. This means that I get excited when book news makes its rounds but I also strangely cannot bring myself to read the book. Laini’s books are the only books to give me hangovers and everything else that follows it typically suffers a bit SMH. I own a copy of Muse of Nightmares though so a binge session is coming later this month 😉

Sleeping Giants (Themis Files #1) by Sylvain Neuvel – Hi! Hello! My name is Lilly & I cannot resist Sci-fi books written in mixed media format ever since the Illuminae Files. This is another book I’ve owned for too long but now that the other books in this series are out I really have no excuse not to get to. Also, I hear the audiobooks are A+ in performance

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang – Now this one has quite the buzz behind it & from what I’ve heard it’s well deserved. An Asian inspired Fantasy, magic, and a military school?!? why I haven’t read this is BEYOND me since it seems to check off all my boxes for a MUST read

CIRCE by Madeline Miller – Greek Mythology has always managed to reign in my attention for as long as I can remember. I was that kid reading The Iliad and the Odyssey in 7th grade who had to read ahead of the required reading chapters in class smh. Prioritizing this one above all others for October.

City Of Brass (The Daevabad Trilogy #1) by S.A. Chakraborty – This book just spews magic right from the very cover. I feel it in my core that this will be a 5 star read. “an imaginative alchemy of The Golem and the Jinni, The Grace of Kings, and One Thousand and One Nights, in which the future of a magical Middle Eastern kingdom rests in the hands of a clever and defiant young con artist with miraculous healing gifts” —Yea hard to pass up with this blurb

Fruits Basket (Volume 1) by Natsuki Takaya – I actually read the first 40 pages to Fruits Basket while waiting in B&N for a appointment. Engrossed in what I read, I’m not sure why I never returned to buy a copy but that has since been remedied & I’m ready to dive back in. Basically this one is about a girl who is orphaned & she decides to set up a tent to live in but it’s on a wealthy clans family. This family has a bit of a secret, when embraced by the opposite sex, they turn into the animals of the Chinese Zodiac. HELLA intrigued!

Vicious (Villains #1) by V.E. Schwab – Ok, so this one is about college buddies turned arch-nemeses with Supernatural abilities in the mix as well. This is another book where I feel as If I know the characters, Victor & Eli! I’ll see you in the pages! also it’s Schwab so I couldn’t help myself and totes ordered myself the exclusive Owlcrate edition for Vengeful *yupppp I never said I don’t have a problem*

The Diviners by Libba Bray – I’ve been counting down the days till October to read this book. Not only is it hella diverse but it takes place in the 20’s which is my favorite time period in history. I have both the physical and audiobook copy & will most likely read them in both formats at the same time. It’s a chunker of a book so it’ll be nice to listen to when I cant read at work, also I’ve heard Libba Bray narrates & SLAYYYYYS the performance for each character

Lady Midnight (The Dark Artifices #1) by Cassandra Clare- Last but NEVER least is this beauty of a book! Last time I was in this world was probably last year when I read Tales of the Shadowhunter Academy & miss it something bad! I will be buddy reading LM with Melanie from Meltotheany who is currently reading all of the TMI & TID books, giving me all of the feels reliving my reading experience with some of my favorite fictional characters of all time!