Lady Renegades by Rachel Hawkins [Review]

3.5 out of 5 Robots!

Lady Renegades by Rachel Hawkins
Series: Rebel Belle #3
Genre: YA Paranormal
Release: September 1, 2015
Hardcover: 264 Pages
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
My Copy: Purchased
Reviewer: Shannon

Book Summary:

Just as Harper Price starts coming to terms with her role as David Stark’s battle-ready Paladin, protector, and girlfriend—her world goes crazy all over again.

Overwhelmed by his Oracle powers, David flees Pine Grove and starts turning teenage girls into Paladins—and these young ladies seem to think that Harper is the enemy David needs protecting from.  Ordinarily, Harper would be able to fight off any Paladin who comes her way, but her powers have been dwindling since David left town…which means her life is on the line yet again.

New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hawkins brings the fun once again in the finale of this pitch-perfect romantic paranormal comedy series.

(Courtesy of the Publisher)

Shannon's Thoughts:

Overall I've really enjoyed this series.  Much more than I expected to.  The very beginning was a little suspect, but about half way through the first book I saw what Rachel Hawkins was up to and sat back and enjoyed the ride.  I just really like her irreverent humor.  But this book just didn't quite capture the fun the other two books had.  It was darker and definitely mopier.  I wouldn't say I was disappointed per se, but I do miss the lighter parts of the earlier books.

David has run off, being driven mad by his visions and creating more oracles who apparently have it out for Harper and want to kill her.  I wasn't quite sure why he was doing this, but sure.  Harper mopes through most of the book with David being gone until she gets a clue to his whereabouts and what he is up to.  Blythe, Harper's frenemy, comes a long to help.  That part was fun and Blythe gets redemption at the end.  But it is all slightly predictable and things always work out a little TOO easy for Harper to succeed. The ending is a little forced, but ultimately bittersweet and hopeful.

Books in the Series:
1. Rebel Belle
2. Miss Mayhem
3. Lady Renegades

The Skylighter by Becky Wallace [Review]

4 out of 5 Robots!

The Skylighter by Becky Wallace
Series: The Keepers' Chronicles #2
Genre: YA Fantasy
Release: March 22, 2016
Hardcover: 422 Pages
Publisher: Margaret McElderry Books
My Copy: Purchased
Reviewer: Shannon

Book Summary:

Johanna and Rafi are in a race against time to save their country before a power-mad Keeper destroys everything they hold dear in the “enthralling magical world” (Cinda Williams Chima, author of The Heir Chronicles) introduced in The Storyspinner.

As the last of the royal line, Johanna is the only person who can heal a magical breach in the wall that separates her kingdom of Santarem from the land of the Keepers, legendary men and women who wield elemental magic. The barrier protects Santarem from those Keepers who might try to take power over mere humans…Keepers who are determined to stop Johanna and seize the wall’s power for themselves.

And they’re not the only ones. As the duchys of Santarem descend into war over the throne, Johanna relies more than ever on the advice of her handsome companion, Lord Rafael DeSilva. But Rafi is a duke too, and his people come first. As their friendship progresses into the beginnings of a tender relationship, Johanna must wonder: is Rafi looking out for her happiness, or does he want the throne for himself?

With war on the horizon, Johanna and Rafi dodge treacherous dukes and Keeper assassins as they race to through the countryside, determined to strengthen the wall before it’s too late…even if it means sacrificing their happiness for the sake of their world.

(Courtesy of the Publisher)

Shannon's Thoughts:

Skylighter was a solid follow up to the Storyspinner.   It does veer plotwise from The Storyspinner as it focuses much more on Johanna trying to decide whether to take her throne.

What I liked:
- I liked the multiple POVs.  I'm not sure this is everyone's cup of tea, but I liked it.  The chapters are short and it kept my interest.
- It's a page turner.  Because the chapters are short and the POV changes, it kept me wanting to see what happened next.
- I liked the side story with Rafi's brother, Dom.  It was fun to see him come into his own and I liked his relationship with Mirabelle.

What I disliked:
- Johanna and Rafi's relationship is fairly annoying.  Which is too bad because it is one of the main focuses of the story.  Rafi and Johanna argue a lot over the future.  Johanna doesn't trust Rafi and Rafi is overprotective.  It gets old after awhile.
- As in inevitable in these types of series, this book focuses more on the "big picture" and Johanna accepting her heritage.  The first book was more about Johanna finding out the truth, which I enjoyed slightly more.  

Overall, I think it was a good ending and if you liked the first one I think you will like this one as well. 

Books in the Series:
1. The Storyspinner
2. The Skylighter

The Immortal Heights by Sherry Thomas [Joint Review!]

2.5 out of 5 Stars!

The Immortal Heights By Sherry Thomas

Series: Elemental #3

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Release: October 13, 2015

Paperback:  432 Pages

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

My Copy: Library

Reviewer: Julia & Shannon

Book Summary:
In a pursuit that has spanned continents, Iolanthe, Titus, and their friends have always managed to remain one step ahead of the forces of Atlantis. But now the Bane, the monstrous tyrant who bestrides the entire mage world, has issued his ultimatum: Titus must hand over Iolanthe, or watch as his entire realm is destroyed in a deadly rampage. Running out of time and options, Iolanthe and Titus must act decisively to deliver a final blow to the Bane, ending his reign of terror for good.

However, getting to the Bane means accomplishing the impossible—finding a way to infiltrate his crypt in the deepest recesses of the most ferociously guarded fortress in Atlantis. And everything is only made more difficult when new prophecies come to light, foretelling a doomed effort…(Courtesy of Goodreads)

Julia & Shannon - Joint Review! 

1. What are your general thoughts on Immortal Heights?

Shannon:  I don't really know what to think.  I know I really enjoyed the first two books but I really struggled with this one.  I could not get into it at all!  I don't know what changed between the 2nd and 3rd book but I was just really...bored.

Julia: My thoughts are full of apathetic nothingness. This book didn't do anything for me, zero emotions. I would have quit halfway through if it wasn't the last one, but I figured I owed it to myself to at least see how the trilogy ended. I thought the first one was pretty good, the second was okay.... this one? Ugh!! In all fairness, my favorite character died in the previous installment so maybe there wasn't anything else to carry me through. 

2. How did you feel about the plot?

Shannon:  It meandered too much for me.  A lot of talk, not a lot of action.  I had trouble remembering details of what happened in the previous books, so that's on me.  But I also kind of felt there wasn't much of a plot and there was a lot of treading water.

Julia: What plot? Lol. I need action in my books, especially the fantasy ones. There isn't any action here, but lots of talking about things. Come on. 

3. This is the third and final book in this series- did the characters evolve?

Shannon: I think so?  They must have?  As I mentioned, the details from the previous books are fuzzy.

Julia: The characters do evolve, but there isn't much that makes you really care for them or feel connected with them. It's all rather flat.

4. Any thoughts on the chemistry between Iolanthe and Titus?

Shannon: I always liked them together.  But I definitely liked them better when they didn't always know who each other ways or know all the secrets.  There was a lot more push and pull and it was more exciting.  The "dearest" and "darling" stuff got a little...much...for my tastes at least.

Julia: They work- that's obvious. There isn't chemistry popping out of the pages, but they've got it. Shannon's right, the dearest and darling stuff got silly. 

5. Is the ending satisfying? 

Shannon: Here's a common problem with a Big Bad.  The characters spend three books worrying about the villain, so your expectation as a reader is that the climatic showdown is going to be epic.  Unfortunately, sometimes the showdown is more of a fizzle than a bang and I think that is the case here.  But I do think it wrapped up the story well.  I didn't feel like there was any loose threads.  So in that sense, I am satisfied.

Julia: I don't have any lingering questions, though there isn't any big bang at the end to get you all worked up and happy. It's only satisfying in that, well, you know how it goes for everyone. I HATED the epilogue. I thought it was just... weird. I mean, awesome, thanks, I know what happens to the characters... but it just made my eyes roll. A lot.

6. Rating and recommendation?

Shannon:  I would give it 3 out 5 based on my boredom.  It was a real struggle to get through this book.  I'm crazy busy right now, so I really need something to hold my attention and make me want to read.  In general, I have recommended this series, but...I would put a little asterisk on the final book. 

Julia: 2 Stars, I was so bored and apathetic about the ending, plot and characters. I'm not recommending this book, though the first two were just okay. This one made me not want to recommend the others either. Kind of put a damper on the entire series.

Books in this series:

1. The Burning Sky - REVIEW

2. The Perilous Sea - REVIEW

3. The Immortal Heights