February Wrap-Up

Hey everyone!

The month of February was crazy busy, and I honestly didn't expect to get much reading done. But, throughout the month, I read a total of 9 books (3 were novellas, so it isn't as exciting as you would think). But, I'm going to be reviewing these books in order from my least favorite to my favorite

The Best Kind of Magic- Crystal Cestari

So I bought this book on a whim at a trip to Barnes and Noble. It's about Amber Sand, who comes from a family of witches, but the gene skipped over her. Though she isn't a witch, she does have a cool talent of her own: She's a matchmaker, and a really good one. When her mom's best friend's fiancee goes missing, Amber is surprised when his son, Charlie, seeks Amber's help in making sure she stays missing. When Amber realizes that this woman isn't his father's match, she agrees to help him. However, as she realizes she's falling for Charlie, she is torn between her duty as a matchmaker (to set everyone up with their match), and her feelings for Charlie.

I was really intrigued by the premise of this book, because magical realism is always really cool, and I thought reading about a teenage matchmaker would be really cool. But this book just didn't do it for me: The characters weren't very likable (I couldn't stand Amber, honestly), the writing was something I was just NOT into, and I feel that the book ended with a very unnecessary plot twist. I saw a review on Goodreads that said, "If I had read this book at 15, I would have loved it. But at 25, I was disappointed." And that, I have to agree with.

The Orphan Queen- Jodi Meadows

This book has been on my TBR for quite awhile. It's a YA Fantasy novel about a world where magic is thought to be the root of the apocalypse, and where anyone who uses magic is seen as a criminal. Wilhelmina belongs to a band of rough-and-tumble teens who just so happen to be the orphaned children of nobility, and Wilhelmina was meant to be queen before her parents' thrones were overtaken and she had to go into hiding. When the leader of the Osprey's, Wilhelmina's group, suggests that Wil and her best friend, Melanie, infiltrate the palace and get info on the Wraith (the magical apocalypse) and how to stop it, Wil can't agree fast enough. But when she gets to the palace, she learns more than she ever could have expected: about her kingdom, about the usurper, and about Black Knife: a vigilante who has made it his mission to eliminate those able to use magic, those like Wil.

Truthfully, when I first started this book, I thought I was going to DNF, because it didn't grab my attention, the writing was subpar, and I didn't like Wil or Melanie, who are the two main characters for most of the book. However, about 1/4 of the way in, it started to pick up, and it was really, really good. I think the final 75% only took me a day to get through, because I was hooked. I was entertained enough to where I want to read the conclusion, but I am happy that I didn't spend money on this

The Wrath and the Dawn Novellas- Renee Ahdieh

So if you have never read The Wrath and the Dawn, you should. However, these novellas happen during the story line of the duology. I don't want to give too much away, because it's important to read the duology to understand what's going on, and who the characters are, in these novellas.

I absolutely adore The Wrath and the Dawn, and have been wanting to read these novellas for a while. I'm happy I read them, though I wouldn't say they're must-reads.

Cruel Beauty- Rosamund Hodge

This YA Fantasy novel is actually a fairy tale retelling of Beauty and the Beast, with roots in Greek mythology. Nyx has been promised to the tyrant that rules her kingdom since she was born, and has been training to kill him- the kind of tyrant that is able to control demons, and is part demon himself. Growing up resenting her father for her betrothal, she has accepted that she may die trying to free her kingdom. However, living in Ignifex's castle is more enchanting, and frightening, than she ever could have imagined, and she realizes that killing her new husband isn't the way to free her kingdom: she must break the 900 year old curse that Ignifex and his demons placed on it. 

I really loved this book. I loved that Nyx was a heroine that was good, but had some evil in her. She had her own sense of morals that she held fast to, even when they didn't align with the morals her family had. The only reason I didn't give this book 5/5 stars was because I was very iffy on the ending. It was satisfying, but only just. I think more could have been done with it, but I didn't hate it.

A Crown of Wishes- Roshani Chokshi

A Crown of Wishes is the second in a series, but I truthfully believe that it's more of a companion than a sequel (so you could, conceivably, only read this one if you wanted to).Vikram is an illegitimate prince, unsatisfied with being a puppet king, disrespected by his own council. Gauri is a princess who is taken prisoner by an enemy kingdom, after her brother steals her throne. When Vikram offers Gauri a partnership in the Tournament of Wishes (held by the Lord of Wealth in a magical realm), Gauri sees it as a chance to outsmart Vikram and go home. However, before she can escape, they find themselves in this magical realm, competing for their lives, for wishes, and for a chance to get home.

I really enjoyed The Star-Touched Queen (The first in this "series"), and this book didn't captivate me like I thought it would- much like The Orphan Queen, I thought I was going to DNF this book and it made me SO SAD. But, about 60 pages in, I finally got into it, and I was hooked. I liked the characters, and Roshani Chokshi does such a beautiful job of creating these worlds. My favorite part of this book was Vikram being the clever one, who doesn't fight very well, and Gauri being the fighter, who isn't always clever. I feel like these roles are often switched in YA fiction, and I loved that we saw each gender adopt a different role.

The Wrath and the Dawn- Renee Ahdieh

I have talked about this book on this blog more times than I can count, but in the spirit of new beginnings, I'll talk about it again.

This is a retelling of A Thousand and One Nights, and, like in the tale, we follow Shahrzad, who volunteers to marry Khalid, the monstrous king of Khorasan. Shahrzad, unbeknownst to anyone else, plans to kill her new husband for murdering her best friend, and her plot to survive for more than one night in the palace is to tell the king stories. As Shahrzad spends more time in the palace, and with Khalid, she realizes that there is more to the King, and to the murders, than she ever could have imagined.

I absolutely love this book. I read this book, at least, once a year, and each time, I fall more in love with it. I sincerely suggest that that everyone read this book, at least once. The characters are phenomenal, Renee Ahdieh is a beautiful world builder, and the writing style is fantastic. Please, read this.

Hunting Prince Dracula- Kerri Maniscalco

This is another sequel. This series is set in Victorian Europe, this one in particular, in Romania. Audrey Rose Wadsworth and Thomas Cresswell, two coroner's apprentices, are headed to study at the best school for Forensic Medicine in Europe. However, locals are being drained of blood and impaled, leading them to believe that Dracula has risen from the dead. 

I liked Stalking Jack the Ripper, the first book in this series. I was kind of iffy on if I wanted to continue with the series, but I'm really happy I did, because I loved this book. I really loved Audrey Rose and Thomas as characters, and I liked the Gothic Horror element to the story. Furthermore, I like that the stories always hinted around supernatural elements, but were very realistic in their solutions and problems.

Overall, out of the 9 books I read this month, I read 8 of them for the first time! If there are any books I read that you agree/disagree with my reviews of, or any recommendations for me, feel free to hit me up on Facebook, Twitter, or in the comments! Stay tuned for my March TBR!