Sunday, November 10, 2019

NaNoWriMo 2019: Day 9

Words Written: 4260

Song: Chandelier by The Wind and The Wave

Lunch was going to be a disaster. I could tell the moment I walked in and there was a blood on the floor.

NaNoWriMo 2019: Day 10

Words Written: 2904

Song: Dance For Me Wallis by Abel Korzeniowski and Don't Believe the Things They Tell You (They Lie) by Tegan and Sara

I looked at my fallen queen. Then I lifted her up and began to reset the board. Elias’s hands lay in his lap, his eyes following mine and I put everyone back where they started.

“Another?” I asked. Elias said nothing but he nodded. He lifted a hand. “No.” I said and he froze. “This time, I make the first move.”



NaNoWriMo 2019: Day 8

Words Written: 2055

Song: Familiar by Nils Frahm

When he was cold, I wanted to run. But when he smiled, I so desperately wanted to touch his lips, the slight wrinkles at the corner of his eyes. To prove to myself that despite the fact that his blood ran purple, he was still alive. I flushed at the thought.

NaNoWriMo 2019: Day 7

Words Written: 2037

Song: Kingdom Underground by Matt Duke

He peered down at me and I wasn’t sure what to think with his face this relaxed. It almost seemed more dangerous than when he had no emotion at all. “When you decide to go to war, what’s the first thing you should do?”

I looked up at him. “Pick a weapon.”

NaNoWriMo 2019: Day 6

Words Written: 1773

Song: Gold by Wake Owl

So this is what this competition was. A battle of pain and power and cruelty. How did the scales work, I wondered. What did it take to win? What was left if you lost?

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

NaNoWriMo 2019: Day 5

Words Written: 2402

Song: Born Ready by Zayde Wolf

Why had he been nothing but cordial, when he was now in a battle with his siblings for the throne. Why had they all looked at him, when we’d arrived at the palace, as if sizing up his choice? As if he, until I’d arrived, had been the biggest contender.

What did that mean?

NaNoWriMo 2019: Day 4

Words Written: 1698

Song: Seisouso from Quidam by Cirque du Soleil

As I grew older I imagined how it would feel if he held my hand. If instead of a ribbon he caressed my hair. What it would be like if we were to kiss.

And now, with Elias’s lips pressed against mine, I knew it was the thing of dreams and nightmares.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

NaNoWriMo 2019: Day 3

Words Written: 3109

Song: I Did Something Bad by Taylor Swift

Thirty years ago was the war between the Fair Ones, a battle of blood and magic between the queen and her most trusted general. It began with a poisonous snake in the bedchamber of the queen’s oldest daughter, and it finished with her body speared on one of the spires of the palace, pushed from the tallest window. And in between was a war between those loyal to the old queen and those loyal to the general, and blood colored red and purple.






NaNoWriMo 2019: Day 2


Words Written: 905

Song: Dark Side by Bishop Briggs

“Excuse me.” The ground hadn’t moved under my feet but it might as well have. It took all my strength to stay upright, to not sway at the sound of a voice I hadn’t heard in years. I looked to my left.

“Elias.” I said, though I didn’t really make a sound.


Friday, November 1, 2019

NaNoWriMo 2019: Day 1

It's that time of year again!

Also hi, hello, it's been a while.

Check in here for NaNoWriMo Updates!

This year's project is...*drumroll* STRONG ARE THE WICKED. Some of you might recognize this name but for those of you who don't it includes dark magic, fae like creatures, and three sisters. The Selection meets The Cruel Prince.

SpoooOOoOooOooooky.

Words Written today: 2956

Song: Precious Things by Tori Amos

"Sometimes I’d try and assign each sound an instrument. My footfalls were a drum, the wind a flute, the trees groaning the low sound of a standing bass, a behemoth of a string instrument that made the floor rumble.

I liked to think that Wicked sang it just for me. It didn’t give me magic, but it gave me something arguably more beautiful."

Tuesday, May 7, 2019

Finale by Stephanie Carber - Review

Welcome, welcome to Finale, the third and final book in the #1 New York Times bestselling Caraval series!

Welcome, welcome to Caraval...all games must come to an end.

It’s been two months since the last Caraval concluded, two months since the Fates have been freed from an enchanted deck of cards, two months since Tella has seen Legend, and two months since Legend claimed the empire’s throne as his own. Now, Legend is preparing for his official coronation and Tella is determined to stop it. She believes her own mother, who still remains in an enchanted sleep, is the rightful heir to the throne.

Meanwhile, Scarlett has started a game of her own. She’s challenged Julian and her former fiancΓ©, Count Nicolas d’Arcy, to a competition where the winner will receive her hand in marriage. Finaly, Scarlett feels as if she is in complete control over her life and future. She is unaware that her mother’s past has put her in the greatest danger of all.

Caraval is over, but perhaps the greatest game of all has begun―with lives, empires, and hearts all at stake. There are no spectators this time: only those who will win...and those who will lose everything. . .

-------------------- Amazon, B&N, Goodreads ---------------------

I absolutely fell in love with Caraval when it released. It was a sleeper - I mostly picked it up because the author is local to where I grew up (holla Roseville!) and it became one of my favorite books of the year. When it was announced that there would be a third book in the series, I was elated! 

Finale begins shorty after Legendary ends. Scarlett is my favorite character, so I was happy to have the book split between Tella and Scarlett's stories as each try and do everything they can to stop magic from wreaking havoc in their world. Legend and Julian are now co-stars in this story and I appreciate how each compliment Scarlett and Tella in different ways. The real winner here, though, is Stephanie's amazing writing. Lyrical and magical and mysterious, I love the way the story is told and the world is described and how Scarlett and Tella interact with the world in different ways. It may be because I've had the chance to hear Stephanie talk about her inspiration and such, but I think that the things at the heart of the series - sisterhood, family, identity, facing your fears - are evident during key moments in the story. 

The world has expanded greatly from the first book, and even the second. The lore and magic are interesting and related to the magic from the caraval that started it all but there were moments when I got a little lost. I missed the whole charade aspect from the first two books - the magic was closer to more traditional fantasies, in my opinion, than the feelings I got from the first two books, the 'is it real or all just an illusion' type. I think that the book stands well on it's own, but it's a great departure from the original story. That being said, I'm glad that Stephanie had the chance to wrap things up and finish it the way that she wanted, and the conclusion was satisfactory, if not a little predictable. 

Overall I really enjoyed Finale. It was different than I was imagining, but stands strong on it's own in the series. Tella and Scarlett's determination and fearlessness in the face of overwhelming forces propel the story forward and make for a magical, adventurous tale. 
Find out more about the author here: http://stephaniegarberauthor.com

Stephanie Garber is the #1 New York Times and internationally bestselling author of Caraval, Legendary, and Finale. She grew up in Northern California, where she was often compared to Anne Shirley, Jo March, and other fictional characters with wild imaginations and stubborn streaks. You can find her on Twitter and on Instagram.

Happy Reading!
Jasmine


Wednesday, April 3, 2019

Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan - Review & Excerpt!


A girl who can speak to gods must save her people without destroying herself.

A prince in danger must decide who to trust.

A boy with a monstrous secret waits in the wings.

Together, they must assassinate the king and stop the war.

In a centuries-long war where beauty and brutality meet, their three paths entwine in a shadowy world of spilled blood and mysterious saints, where a forbidden romance threatens to tip the scales between dark and light. Wicked Saints is the thrilling start to Emily A. Duncan’s devastatingly Gothic Something Dark and Holy trilogy.

---------------------------- Amazon, B&N, Goodreads -------------------------------

If you don't want to read my kind of long and ramble-y review, skip to the bottom for an excerpt!

My Thoughts

I am so happy to be a part of the Wicked Saints Blog Tour! Thanks for stopping by! 

Just to start off, I have to say that this book has literally everything I love in a fantasy. An incredibly developed world, an interesting and nuanced magic system, complex and lovable characters. And even then, there was so much more about this book that I loved, like the push and pull between faith and choice, between believing in yourself and believing in others, and that people are often more than they appear. 

In many ways this world will remind readers of Leigh Bardugo's Grisha series, particularly in the Russian influences and social structure. However, Emily Duncan's world is completely unique, filled with monstrous humans and misguided princes, a temperamental pantheon of gods and magic forged by blood. I found the tensions between the characters and people the most interesting - one ruled by a complete trust in the gods and the other strengthened by the idea of being able to forge one's own destiny. And more importantly, people on either side who work together and believe that maybe, just maybe, there is room for all of them. 

Nadya's sarcasm is balanced by her loyalty not only to the gods that only she can talk to but also her friends. I loved seeing her grow as her way of life was challenged by outside forces after she must flee the convent in which she grew up. The mysterious Malachiasz and the people she meets on her journey change the way she sees the world as much as she changes their perspective, and the conversations around why people do the things they do were a joy to read. Though on opposing sides, seeing the world from both Nadya and the warrior prince Serefin's points-of-view felt like watching two trains racing towards each other, waiting to see what would happen when they collided. People are so much more than they appear in this book, for better and for worse, and following all of them on the beginning of this adventure was a treat. 

There's a lot more I could gush about but I think you probably get it by now. Wicked Saints was everything I hoped it would be and so much more. Even beyond all the tropes I love, the writing is haunting and atmospheric, the characters believable and flawed, and the world and magic enchanting. I cannot wait for the next installment! 
Thank you Wednesday Books for including me in the tour! 

And now, for the excerpt! 



Learn more about Emily here: http://glitzandshadows.tumblr.com 
(Also follow her on Twitter! @glitzandshadows)

EMILY A. DUNCAN works as a youth services librarian. She received a Master’s degree in library science from Kent State University, which mostly taught her how to find obscure Slavic folklore texts through interlibrary loan systems. When not reading or writing, she enjoys playing copious amounts of video games and dungeons and dragons. Wicked Saints is her first book. She lives in Ohio.

Happy Reading!

Jasmine


Tuesday, March 26, 2019

Archangel's Prophecy by Nalini Singh - Review

Return to New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh’s darkly passionate Guild Hunter world, where human-turned-angel Elena Deveraux, consort to Archangel Raphael, is thrust center stage into an eons-old prophecy....

Midnight and dawn, Elena’s wings are unique among angelkind…and now they’re failing. The first mortal to be turned into an immortal in angelic memory, she’s regressing. Becoming more and more human. Easier to hurt. Easier to kill.

Elena and Raphael must unearth the reason for the regression before it’s too late and Elena falls out of the sky. Yet even as they fight a furious battle for Elena’s very survival, violent forces are gathering in New York and across the world.

In China, the Archangel Favashi is showing the first signs of madness. In New York, a mysterious sinkhole filled with lava swallows a man whole. In Africa, torrential monsoon rains flood rolling deserts. And in Elena’s mind whispers a haunting voice that isn’t her own.

This time, survival may not be possible…not even for the consort of an archangel.

--------------------- Amazon, B&N, Goodreads --------------------

In case any of you didn't know, the Guild Hunter series is one of my favorite series of all time. I love Elena and Raphael and their motley crew of sassy, dangerous, attractive cohorts. The world is one of the best urban fantasy worlds I've read (and I can relate now that I live in New York!). I can't rave about this series enough and Archangel's Prophecy didn't disappoint. 

One of the best parts of this series is Nalini's ability to make each book its own supernatural murder mystery while also tying in threads to much larger storylines. In this book, Elena and Raphael must prepare for a war with an unknown, powerful enemy, while also dealing with whatever might be happening to Elena. I was left with more questions than answers as even more angelic and supernatural powers are revealed in this book, but it only made me more ravenous for the next installment. I really like how after the first couple books Elena and Raphael's relationship is established and steady - and it makes this book heart-wrenching and filled with tension. 

I do think that in some ways it felt like this book was a lead-up to the next one. It ends on a cliffhanger (warning!) and while there is a solid thread that comes to a head at the end, the questions concerning the Ancients, the Legion, and Elena's place as a mortal made Angel are all poised to be addressed in the next installment. 

Overall I was not disappointed by Archangel's Prophecy, though it left me trying not to scream at 2 AM once I finished it. It's filled with everything reader's have come to love about the series, with more and more secrets and developments to the world that will keep them coming back for more. If you haven't read these books, I highly recommend you start! The first book is Archangel's Blood. 
Find out more about the author here: https://nalinisingh.com

Nalini Singh is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Psy-Changeling, Guild Hunter, and Rock Kiss series. She lives and works in beautiful New Zealand, and is passionate about writing.

If you’d like to explore her other books, you can find lots of excerpts and free short stories on her website. Slave to Sensation is the first book in the Psy-Changeling series, while Angels’ Blood is the first book in the Guild Hunter series. The Rock Kiss books are all stand alone and can be read in any order.

Happy Reading! 

Jasmine 


Tuesday, March 19, 2019

Books I'm Excited For in 2019 - March

March 5, 2019

38739550

29749094

39875158

March 12, 2019

35707080

March 19, 2019

40556417

39863312

30189974

March 26, 2019

40944082


Tuesday, March 12, 2019

I'm Alive! And a question??

Have I said that before? Probably. Sorry?

Anyway, I'm back! I want to get back into writing updates, reviews, and maybe a few other things thrown in. Inconsistently, probably, because let's be real, that's kind of part of my brand by now *shrug emoji*.

I was also thinking of maybe starting a series or posting here and there about my getting into the publishing industry? What classes I took, how to interview, what it's like, etc? Let me know if anyone would be interested! I know that when I was trying to look into it, I might have benefited from a blog that has some real-talk about how it all works (spoiler: it's kind of wild). Let me know!

Posts will start going back up starting next Tuesday!

Happy Reading!

Jasmine


Tuesday, May 15, 2018

Furyborn by Claire Legrand - Review


Release Day: May 22, 2018


The stunningly original, must-read fantasy of 2018 follows two fiercely independent young women, centuries apart, who hold the power to save their world...or doom it.

When assassins ambush her best friend, the crown prince, Rielle Dardenne risks everything to save him, exposing her ability to perform all seven kinds of elemental magic. The only people who should possess this extraordinary power are a pair of prophesied queens: a queen of light and salvation and a queen of blood and destruction. To prove she is the Sun Queen, Rielle must endure seven trials to test her magic. If she fails, she will be executed...unless the trials kill her first.

A thousand years later, the legend of Queen Rielle is a mere fairy tale to bounty hunter Eliana Ferracora. When the Undying Empire conquered her kingdom, she embraced violence to keep her family alive. Now, she believes herself untouchable--until her mother vanishes without a trace, along with countless other women in their city. To find her, Eliana joins a rebel captain on a dangerous mission and discovers that the evil at the heart of the empire is more terrible than she ever imagined.

As Rielle and Eliana fight in a cosmic war that spans millennia, their stories intersect, and the shocking connections between them ultimately determine the fate of their world--and of each other.

---------------------------- Amazon, B&N, Goodreads ----------------------------

I had heard so much about this book and was so happy to have my wish granted on Netgalley! This type of fantasy is right up my alley and I was excited to see if it lived up to the hype. I'm going to be honest in this review - this book was great in many ways and fell flat for me in others. The synopsis does a good job of explaining the basis of the book but my biggest question was how was it going to differ from other fantasies like it, and hopefully this review will help those of you with the same question! 

The story is told following two different women worlds apart. Rielle grew up in the royal court and is best friends (and has a secret crush) on the Crown Prince. She also has the secret of having a multitude of powers when the rest of the world is gifted with one, if any, and learns that she has a greater part to play. Eliana is living a different life years later as a killer for the tyrannical Emperor, before having to go rogue to protect her family. 

I personally found Eliana's story much more interesting than Rielle's. I think this is because of the prologue, which lays out the characters and relationships from the very first pages. The magic is really interesting - the lore takes a really interesting twists on angels, especially in a fantasy/medieval sense, and is done pretty well. I think the prologue does a good job of throwing the reader into the action and conflict right away, and showing that this will be a no holds barred type of adventure. That being said, knowing Rielle's fate made me disinterested in her parts of the story, whereas Eliana's was much more of a mystery. She seemed more complex to me, and her destiny was so up in the air that I wanted to know what was going to happen next, not only to her but to those she loves. 

The story isn't incredibly unique, in my opinion, but the writing makes up for a fairly predictable plot. I wanted to see how it was all going to unfold and how all the pieces that we are shown throughout will fit together (if at all) by the end. Fans of Throne of Glass and Red Queen will like Rielle and Eliana for being strong female characters that often give in to their flaws. While I skimmed through a lot of Rielle's parts, I was still engaged with the story as a whole, and can't wait for the next installment (like, REALLY can't wait). 

The story has a great balance of mystery, action, and romance, and the movement between the past and the present, or Rielle's narrative and Eliana's, work nicely with one another without being too dependent. Overall, I recommend this book for anyone that reads the synopsis and thinks it may interest them and enjoys fantasies like Throne of Glass and Red Queen. 
** I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. **
Read more about Claire and her books here: http://www.claire-legrand.com

Claire Legrand used to be a musician until she realized she couldn’t stop thinking about the stories in her head. Now she is a writer and librarian living in central New Jersey (although her heart will always live in her home state of Texas).

Happy Reading!

Jasmine

Saturday, May 12, 2018

Love Beyond Opposites by Molly E. Lee - Review

If high school has taught mathlete Jade Aaron anything, it's that nerds never get the guy.

So when rock star Lennon Pryor starts pursuing her, It's not rocket science. This doesn't add up.

I mean, sure, he's hot.

And charming.

And a god on the guitar...

But he's also the world's biggest player. Being with him would be a bigger mistake than 2+2=5.

Until graduation night, when a reckless moment leads to a reckless kiss. And now Jade's falling for the one guy destined to break her heart.

**************************** Amazon, B&N, Goodreads ****************************

Love Beyond Opposites is a cute summer romance starring two teenagers who are just trying to figure everything out  before college. The premise wasn't quite what I was expecting - a rock star and a nerd usually goes something like "Girl: He's so popular and I'm not, we'd never work, but I'm so attracting to him, what will I do? Boy: She has no idea how much I love her but I'm not good enough for her, what will I do?" Now, I'm totally for the story quoted above, but this played with those ideas and shifted them in good and bad ways. 

Lennon isn't a star yet. He's a high school senior with dreams of stardom and the talent to make it happen. Jade's a mathematical genius but would rather pursue art after graduation. Really, the story is about following your passions, both professionally and romantically. There are some shades of the classic story - Jade is convinced that Lennon doesn't like her, and Lennon has at this point told himself he wasn't good enough for her for four years. But the fact that the story is about high schoolers and takes place basically in one night gives it a fresh feel. 

There were some things that threw me off in a different way. The pacing seemed a little strange, the beginning covering multiple days and years, but the last two thirds taking place all in one night. Halfway through the night, I found myself wondering how long it had actually been and if it was possible to do all that without a time-turner. The other part of the story that I had a slight issue with was the dialogue. Some of it seemed stilted, and moments that were supposed to be funny or sharp snapbacks didn't quite hit. Save for the last thirty pages or so, I didn't find that the dialogue really moved anything along or reveal anything interesting about the characters. 

This is the 3rd book in the Grad Night series, and while I haven't read the first two, I can imagine that reading the entire series will create a more well-rounded, developed story. The other characters are fairly prevalent, and it would be interesting to see Jade and Lennon from other points of view. 

Overall, Love Beyond Opposites is a cute summer read that will fit right into post-graduation YA romance lulls. The characters are lovable, if not lacking a little depth, and the whirlwind adventure that takes place in a span of hours will keep you reading to see what will happen with Lennon and Jade's futures. 
** This book was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review **
Find out more about Molly E. Lee here: https://www.mollyelee.com/about-me.html

Molly E. Lee is an author best known for her romance novels, the Grad Night series and the Love on the Edge series. She is a 1001 Dark Nights Discovery Author for 2017. Molly writes Adult and Young Adult contemporary featuring strong female heroines who are unafraid to challenge their male counterparts, yet still vulnerable enough to have love sneak up on them. In addition to being a military spouse and mother of two + one stubborn English Bulldog, Molly loves watching storms from her back porch at her Midwest home, and digging for treasures in antique stores.

Happy Reading!

Jasmine

Sunday, April 29, 2018

Camp NaNoWriMo Day 29 - I Won!!

I did it! I finished Camp NaNoWriMo and a whole day early too! Still have about 20,000 words left in my project goals overall, but I'm so happy that I did it!

For Brightly She Burns

Words Written: 3, 643

Words Total (Camp): 50, 284

Words Total (Overall): 65, 201

Music: Emperor's New Clothes by Panic! At the Disco

Excerpt:

Now that I knew this place was here, I wanted to bring one of the books from The Widow’s shelves and sit in the sunshine and read all day. As much as I loved fighting, the thrill of it, the exhilaration, reading was like training for my imagination.

Happy Writing!

Jasmine 

Saturday, April 28, 2018

Camp NaNoWriMo Day 28

Hey guys!

I did it! I won today (a whole day early, just like NaNoWriMo 2017)! I will post a picture of my progress bar from the site on the page for April 30th, so if you want, you can see how I did. I'll also post some tips and advice!

For Brightly She Burns

Words Written: 3,295

Words Total (Camp): 46,700

Words Total (Overall): 61,906

Music: Emperor's New Clothes by Panic! at the Disco

Excerpt:

“You don’t agree with your father.” I said plainly and Quasim’s eyes widened in surprise. He looked away, studying the darkness of his cell.

“No.” He said. “I don’t. He is weak-minded but ambitious. Devany gave him the means to gain what he wants without much work. It’s difficult. I don’t disagree with everything Devany wishes to see in the world, but I strongly disagree with the ways in which she wants to achieve them. Of course, my father is the third king to rule under Devany’s…guidance.” Qasim rolled his eyes at that word, the way she had twisted what had once been a partnership into a tyranny. He swallowed. “I didn’t expect him to stand up to her, to see her vision but gentle her hand, but a king could, theoretically. It may do no good but he could’ve. But he didn’t. And that’s what I can’t seem to forgive him for.”

Happy Writing!

Jasmine 

Friday, April 27, 2018

CampNanoWrimo Day 27

I didn't write at all today! This is how I felt the next day! πŸ™ƒπŸ™ƒπŸ™ƒπŸ™ƒ

Happy Writing! (lol)

Jasmine