Reading Wrap Up October – November | Blogmas

Hi friends!

So I didn’t post much after October… I’ve got a new job so I’ve been super busy, but I’ve also been reading lots! So I thought I’d share with you what I’ve been reading the last couple of months.

I did a TBR for October, and wouldn’t you know it, I actually read some of it! Out of the five, I read three, and then some other books. I’ll get into that below.

Books I read in October

Empress of a Thousand Skies (Empress of a Thousand Skies, #1) by Rhoda Belleza
Published by Razorbill on February 7, 2017
Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction
Pages: 314
Goodreads

Crown Princess Rhiannon Ta'an wants vengeance.

The only surviving heir to an ancient Kalusian dynasty, Rhee has spent her life training to destroy the people who killed her family. Now, on the eve of her coronation, the time has finally come for Rhee to claim her throne - and her revenge.

Alyosha is a Wraetan who has risen above his war refugee origins to find fame as the dashing star of a DroneVision show. Despite his popularity, Aly struggles with anti-Wraetan prejudices and the pressure of being perfect in the public eye.

Their paths collide with one brutal act of violence: Rhee is attacked, barely escaping with her life. Aly is blamed for her presumed murder.

The princess and her accused killer are forced to go into hiding - even as a war between planets is waged in Rhee's name. But soon, Rhee and Aly discover that the assassination attempt is just one part of a sinister plot. Bound together by an evil that only they can stop, the two fugitives must join forces to save the galaxy.

Sadly I really didn’t enjoy this one. It has SUCH potential… but it missed the mark.

DEV1AT3 (Lifelike, #2) by Jay Kristoff
Published by Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers, Amazon Digital Services LLC - Kdp Print Us, Bloomsbury YA, Bonnier Publishing Fiction, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, Jimmy Patterson Books, Katherine Tegen Books, Little, Brown, Razorbill, Smashwords on October 3, 2019
Genres: Young Adult
Pages: 400
Goodreads

Lemon Fresh has seen better days.

After the climactic battle in Babel, she finds herself separated from Ezekiel and Cricket in the wastelands. Lemon’s abilities to manipulate electricity mark her as a deviate, and deadly corporate operatives are hunting her to use as a weapon in the war between BioMaas Incorporated and Daedelus Technologies. Instead, Lemon finds herself falling in with a group of fellow deviates—a band of teenagers with astonishing abilities, led by an enigmatic figure known as the Major, who may hold the secrets to Lemon’s past.

Meanwhile, Cricket finds himself in possession of the puritanical Brotherhood, a religious cult set for a head-on collision with the Major and his band. Searching for Lemon, Ezekiel finds a strange ally in an old enemy, and uncovers a plot that may see him reunited with his beloved Ana.

And inside Babel, a remade Eve hatches a plan to bring an end to the world.

AHHH Jay Kirstoff is just a god of writers I swear. I LOVED Deviate!

Girls of Storm and Shadow by Natasha Ngan
Published by Jimmy Patterson Books on November 5, 2019
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy
Pages: 403
Goodreads

In this mesmerizing sequel to the New York Times bestselling Girls of Paper and Fire, Lei and Wren have escaped their oppressive lives in the Hidden Palace, but soon learn that freedom comes with a terrible cost.

Lei, the naive country girl who became a royal courtesan, is now known as the Moonchosen, the commoner who managed to do what no one else could. But slaying the cruel Demon King wasn't the end of the plan---it's just the beginning. Now Lei and her warrior love Wren must travel the kingdom to gain support from the far-flung rebel clans. The journey is made even more treacherous thanks to a heavy bounty on Lei's head, as well as insidious doubts that threaten to tear Lei and Wren apart from within.

Meanwhile, an evil plot to eliminate the rebel uprising is taking shape, fueled by dark magic and vengeance. Will Lei succeed in her quest to overthrow the monarchy and protect her love for Wren, or will she fall victim to the sinister magic that seeks to destroy her?

I finally managed to read Girls of Storm and Shadow, and now I need the next one!

The Gilded King by Josie Jaffrey
Published by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform on June 25, 2018
Genres: Romance, Science Fiction
Pages: 292
Goodreads

In the last city on Earth, death is just a step into the trees.Readers' Favorite ✭✭✭✭✭ "The Gilded King is an amazing tale of adventure, friendship, and loyalty with a tone reminiscent of fairy tales and a unique fantasy spin on vampires in a journey so complex and addictive you'll immediately want the next one."In the Blue, the world's last city, all is not well.Julia is stuck within its walls. She serves the nobility from a distance until she meets Lucas, who believes in fairytales that her world can't accommodate. The Blue is her prison, not her castle, and she'd escape into the trees if she didn't know that contamination and death awaited humanity outside.But not everyone in the Blue is human, and not everyone can be contained.Beyond the city's boundaries, in the wild forests of the Red, Cameron has precious little humanity left to lose. As he searches for a lost queen, he finds an enemy rising that he thought long dead. An enemy that the humans have forgotten how to fight.One way or another, the walls of the Blue are going to come down. The only question is what side you'll be on when they do.✭✭✭✭✭ It blurs the lines between so many sub-genres of SFF: dystopian, post-apocalyptic, quest fantasy, zombies, vampires, romance, mystery... I loved it. - A Cat, A Book and A Cup of Tea✭✭✭✭✭ Jaffrey manages to put a compelling new twist on vampire myth. - Lozzy's Things✭✭✭✭✭ It is a fantastic read, rich with colourful and diverse characters, incredible imagery and powerful storytelling. - Crown of Ice and Roses

I started this forever ago and just didn’t keep up with it… WHY?! I LOVED IT SO MUCH. You’ll soon see that I devoured this series and the first one! (I may have read them in the wrong order haha)

A Heart So Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer
Published by Bloomsbury YA on January 7, 2020
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy
Pages: 464
Goodreads

In the sequel to New York Times bestselling A Curse So Dark and Lonely, Brigid Kemmerer returns to the world of Emberfall in a lush fantasy where friends become foes and love blooms in the darkest of places.

Find the heir, win the crown.
The curse is finally broken, but Prince Rhen of Emberfall faces darker troubles still. Rumors circulate that he is not the true heir and that forbidden magic has been unleashed in Emberfall. Although Rhen has Harper by his side, his guardsman Grey is missing, leaving more questions than answers.

Win the crown, save the kingdom.
Rumored to be the heir, Grey has been on the run since he destroyed Lilith. He has no desire to challenge Rhen--until Karis Luran once again threatens to take Emberfall by force. Her own daughter Lia Mara sees the flaws in her mother’s violent plan, but can she convince Grey to stand against Rhen, even for the good of Emberfall?

The heart-pounding, compulsively readable saga continues as loyalties are tested and new love blooms in a kingdom on the brink of war.

AHHHHH I was so thankful to be sent this. I really loved it, though as much as I loved the perspective of different characters, it made me a bit sad not to see it from the perspective of the original ones.

The Silver Queen by Josie Jaffrey
Published by Amazon Digital Services LLC - Kdp Print Us on October 16, 2018
Genres: Young Adult, Dystopian
Pages: 288
Goodreads

What blood contaminates, only blood can cleanse.The last city on Earth is contaminated. Now blood is the only thing that can wash it clean.Julia is trapped inside the Blue as the Nobles fight over the few humans who are still alive. When the dust settles and she finds herself shackled to a new master, she knows she must escape or die.Meanwhile, Cam has gathered a handful of comrades and is on his way into the Red to rescue his queen. But not all of his friends can be trusted, and not all of them will make it back alive.The Silver Queen is the second book in Josie Jaffrey's Sovereign trilogy, set in a dystopian Europe where vampiric Nobles control the last remnants of the human race.✭✭✭✭✭ Josie Jaffrey takes us back into this dystopian world with another highly emotional, razor-sharp and magnetic read. - Tome Tender✭✭✭✭✭ With action, romance, political plotting and supernatural fights for dominance, there's something in there for everyone! - Sapphistication✭✭✭✭✭ This is my favorite 2018 series. I can't wait to read the next one! - Brittany The Book Guru

Like I said, LOVED THESE BOOKS.

The Blood Prince by Josie Jaffrey
Published by Smashwords on February 20, 2019
Genres: Romance, Science Fiction
Pages: 301
Goodreads

The price of freedom is always paid in blood.

The sovereigns of the Silver have awakened, but the Queen is a fractured shell of the woman Cam remembers. He hopes to put her back together by finding her son, the missing prince. At least, that’s what he tells his friends when he leaves for the Red.

Back in the Blue, Julia’s old tormentor Rufus is hounding her at every turn. She’s sick of feeling powerless, but she has a plan that will bring the Nobles to their knees.All she needs is blood.

The Blood Prince is the final book in Josie Jaffrey’s Sovereign trilogy, set in a dystopian Europe where vampiric Nobles control the last remnants of the human race.

See above haa.

Books I read in November

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
Published by Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers on April 16, 1996
Length: 10hrs 45mins
Pages: 399
Goodreads

Lyra is rushing to the cold, far North, where witch clans and armored bears rule. North, where the Gobblers take the children they steal--including her friend Roger. North, where her fearsome uncle Asriel is trying to build a bridge to a parallel world.

Can one small girl make a difference in such great and terrible endeavors? This is Lyra: a savage, a schemer, a liar, and as fierce and true a champion as Roger or Asriel could want--but what Lyra doesn't know is that to help one of them will be to betray the other.

I read these as a child, and I’ve been meaning to reread for SO LONG. So I decided to try the audiobook. IT WAS AMAZING. The whole trilogy was. It’s the first audiobook that’s a cast that I’ve listened to, and I HIGHLY recommend.

The End and Other Beginnings: Stories from the Future by Veronica Roth, Ashley Mackenzie
Published by Katherine Tegen Books on October 1, 2019
Pages: 272
Goodreads

Bestselling Divergent and Carve the Mark author Veronica Roth delivers a stunning collection of novella-length stories set in the future, illustrated with startling black-and-white artwork.

No world is like the other. Within this masterful collection, each setting is more strange and wonderful than the last, brimming with new technologies and beings. And yet, for all the advances in these futuristic lands, the people still must confront deeply human problems.

In these six stories, Veronica Roth reaches into the unknown and draws forth something startlingly familiar and profoundly beautiful.

With tales of friendship and revenge, plus two new stories from the Carve the Mark universe, this collection has something for new and old fans alike. Each story begins with a hope for a better end, but always end with a better understanding of the beginning.

With beautifully intricate black-and-white interior illustrations and a uniquely designed package, this is the perfect gift for book lovers.

I didn’t realise this was short stories when I got it… and I almost just left it! BUT I’m glad I persevered, I really enjoyed the stories!

The Lost Sisters: The Folk of the Air Novella by Holly Black
Published by Bonnier Publishing Fiction on October 2, 2018
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy & Magic, Juvenile Nonfiction, Curiosities & Wonders
Pages: 96
Goodreads

Sometimes the difference between a love story and a horror story is where the ending comes

While Jude fought for power in the Court of Elfhame against the cruel Prince Cardan, her sister Taryn began to fall in love with the trickster, Locke.

Half-apology and half-explanation, it turns out that Taryn has some secrets of her own to reveal.

The Lost Sisters is a companion e-novella to the New York Times bestselling novel The Cruel Prince, by master writer Holly Black.

It took me so long to get this, but YAAAS I’m so glad I did before reading Queen of Nothing!

A Bargain in Silver (Solis Invicti, #1) by Josie Jaffrey
on January 3, 2015
Genres: Romance, Science Fiction
Goodreads

If the price of safety is slavery, would you bargain your life?

A Bargain in Silver is book one of Josie Jaffrey's Solis Invicti paranormal romance series, set in a dystopian, post-apocalyptic London.

A deadly infection threatens to wipe out humanity. The only people who can stem its advance are the Silver, a vampiric race who offer a simple exchange: protection in return for blood and subservience. It's not a deal that Emmy's willing to make, but as her world burns around her she finds herself in the arms of the enemy and the line between oppressor and saviour begins to blur.

After an attack by the infected, Emmy is rescued by the handsome Drew who introduces her to the world of the Silver. Desperate to escape subjugation and confused by her attraction to him, she gathers what remains of her surrogate family and plans to make a break for freedom.

But despite her efforts to resist, she is drawn further into the intrigues of the mysterious Silver through the agency of their ruler, the Primus: Solomon. Emmy refuses to submit to the cold and detached Primus and an attempt on her life makes it clear that he is unable to protect her from the political machinations of his race.

As the connection between them deepens she must choose between her desire and her will to rebel, but can she trust his intentions when everyone is after her blood?

I realised there were a few other books based in this world I hadn’t read, then realised they were set before the ones I’d already read (facepalm). I still loved them though!

The Silver Bullet by Josie Jaffrey
Published by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform on September 7, 2017
Pages: 316
Goodreads

"To think of death as a thing of beauty: that's a threshold you can't cross twice."

The truth is out, and Emmy is faced with a choice she dreads: surrender her mortality, or allow her frailty to threaten the nascent society the Silver are building. With exile the only reasonable alternative, she struggles with feelings she can't define and a duty she's reluctant to accept. While the Silver city hangs in the balance, Emmy must remake herself to redeem it and save her friends. Her reinvention forces her to choose sides, threaten alliances and risk becoming like those she fears: inhuman.

The Silver Bullet is the final book in Josie Jaffrey's Solis Invicti paranormal romance quadrilogy, set in a dystopian, post-apocalyptic London where a deadly infection threatens to wipe out humanity. The only people who can stem its advance are the Silver, a vampiric race who offer a simple exchange: protection in return for blood and subservience.

The Price of Silver (Solis Invicti, #2) by Josie Jaffrey
Genres: Romance, Science Fiction
Goodreads

In the straits of necessity, sometimes there isn't room for freedom.

The Price of Silver is the second book in Josie Jaffrey's Solis Invicti paranormal romance series, set in a dystopian, post-apocalyptic London where a deadly infection threatens to wipe out humanity. The only people who can stem its advance are the Silver, a vampiric race who offer a simple exchange: protection in return for blood and subservience.

Emmy is fenced in by the city, the walls marking the edge of safety closing in around her and sealing her in with one vampire who loves her and another who wants her dead. As she struggles to keep herself and the people she cares about alive, her fellow humans chafe against their enforced submission, and it becomes clear that there are bigger schemes and greater deceptions in play than she had ever imagined.

All the while, the monsters wait outside the barricades for their moment. Of one thing she is certain: without the help of the Silver, the humans won't be safe for long.

Bound in Silver (Solis Invicti #3) by Josie Jaffrey
Genres: Romance, Science Fiction
Goodreads

If you're living against the clock, try not to do it in a cage.

Exiled from the city and from the affections of the vampire who had loved her, Emmy finds herself pushed into a captivity she never expected to experience. With the bond to her former protector broken, she knows that the chance to turn Silver is now a monstrous obligation rather than a glittering opportunity.

In an unfamiliar place among unfamiliar people, Emmy feels deserted by those Silver she had thought of as friends, out of sight and out of mind. If only her enemies were equally forgetful.

Bound in Silver is the penultimate book in Josie Jaffrey's Solis Invicti paranormal romance quadrilogy, set in a dystopian, post-apocalyptic London where a deadly infection threatens to wipe out humanity. The only people who can stem its advance are the Silver, a vampiric race who offer a simple exchange: protection in return for blood and subservience.

The Queen of Nothing (The Folk of the Air, #3) by Holly Black
on November 19, 2019
Narrator: Caitlin Kelly
Length: 9 hrs 41 mins
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy
Pages: 300
Format: Audiobook
Goodreads

He will be destruction of the crown and the ruination of the throne.

Power is much easier to acquire than it is to hold onto. Jude learned this lesson when she released her control over the wicked king, Cardan, in exchange for immeasurable power.

Now as the exiled mortal Queen of Faerie, Jude is powerless and left reeling from Cardan’s betrayal. She bides her time determined to reclaim everything he took from her. Opportunity arrives in the form of her deceptive twin sister, Taryn, whose mortal life is in peril.

Jude must risk venturing back into the treacherous Faerie Court, and confront her lingering feelings for Cardan, if she wishes to save her sister. But Elfhame is not as she left it. War is brewing. As Jude slips deep within enemy lines she becomes ensnared in the conflict’s bloody politics.

And, when a dormant yet powerful curse is unleashed, panic spreads throughout the land, forcing her to choose between her ambition and her humanity…

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black, comes the highly anticipated and jaw-dropping finale to The Folk of the Air trilogy.

THIS WAS THE LONGEST WAIT. I am still sad that it’s now over, I NEED MORE.

The Toll by Neal Shusterman
on November 5, 2019
Pages: 637
Goodreads

From New York Times bestselling author Neal Shusterman comes the thrilling conclusion to the Printz Honor–winning series Arc of a Scythe.

It’s been three years since Rowan and Citra disappeared; since Scythe Goddard came into power; since the Thunderhead closed itself off to everyone but Grayson Tolliver.

In this pulse-pounding conclusion to New York Times bestselling author Neal Shusterman’s Arc of a Scythe trilogy, constitutions are tested and old friends are brought back from the dead.

Same as with Queen of Nothing, I can’t believe it’s over. I’m convinced they’ve set it up for sequels.

I hope you enjoyed this post! I’m so proud of how many books I read the last few months! I feel like I’m getting back to it. Have you read any of these?

 

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