Book Review: The Moment of Letting Go

To wrap up our Release Day Blitz, here's my review for The Moment of Letting Go

The Moment of Letting Go by J.A. Redmerski
Publication Date: August 11, 2015

You can follow the rules or you can follow your heart… 
Sienna Murphy never does anything without a plan. And so far her plans have been working. Right after college, she got a prestigious job and gained the stability she’d always craved—until work takes her to the sun-drenched shores of Oahu and places her in the path of sexy surfer Luke Everett. For the first time, she lets her heart take control. Drawn to his carefree charm, she makes a spontaneous and very un-Sienna-like decision to drop everything and stay in Hawaii for two more weeks.

Luke lives fast and wild. When he meets Sienna, he’s convinced that some no-strings-attached fun is just what she needs. As their nights quickly turn from playful to passionate, Luke can’t deny the deep connection he feels. But there’s a reason Luke doesn’t do long-term. He can’t promise Sienna forever, when the enormity of his past has shown him just how fragile the future can be.

Jessica Redmerski has done it again! She has always managed to blow me away with her writing whether it was in her Darkwoods Trilogy, the Edge of Never series, or the In the Company of Killers series. This book is no exception. Jessica has such an amazing talent, and knows just how to put a smile on your face while you read. From the very beginning of this novel, you know you're in for an exciting adventure, one filled with romance and excitement. I finished this book in one sitting because I never wanted to stop reading Luke and Sienna's story. Everything about this book is perfection to me, and it also has a message that everyone needs to remember. The message is this: always take risks because you never know what will happen; even when life is getting crazy and stressful, just take a minute to appreciate where you are, and what's around you, and let go of your troubles.

One of my favorite aspects of this novel was the characters. You fall in love with Luke immediately. I can't even begin to tell you how much I love him. Suffice to say, he's a new book boyfriend. He was also a very realistic character. Because we get to read from his POV, we do have a much better insight into his character. I really think the dual POV added a great element to this story, because it was important to see the story from Luke's perspective. You know there is a story behind what he's doing and why he's doing certain things, but when it all comes out, you're heart just breaks for him. Sienna is a character you'll love instantly as well. She was funny, witty, and just like Luke, realistic. I could relate to Sienna in many ways (and I think a lot of people will too) because she is very goal-oriented (so much that this can get in the way of her life in general), and she also has her own mind. Sienna never once gave into Luke and always stuck with what she believed. She listened to both her mind and her heart.

However, the beauty behind both Luke and Sienna's characters is that they are both flawed in certain ways, and through their relationship, they help each other grow and become more. Luke and Sienna are perfectly imperfect, and that's what makes them the best couple. As a couple, they balance each other out, and accept each other for who the other is. Luke and Sienna's relationship had its highs and its lows, and Jessica captured what a real relationship is like perfectly. You can't deny the chemistry between them though, and they definitely have some steamy scenes. But those scenes were gorgeously written and never overshadowed the plot. Again, Jessica balanced the sexy times scenes with the plot expertly.

The side characters were also just as loveable as the main characters, and they weren't just pushed to the side. They had a role in the story, and were featured often. I would love to read more about them in the future actually because they were an excellent element in this story.

Set against one of the most beautiful backdrops imaginable, The Moment of Letting Go is a light romance that is the perfect summer read. Filled with adventure, excitement, and excellent writing, you will not want to miss out on this new story from Jessica Redmerski!

I was given a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Happy reading :)

~Cassie

Release Day Blitz: The Moment of Letting Go

Jocelyn and I have been wanting to incorporate some new and different elements to our blog, so we decided to start with participating in a Release Day Blitz!  Hopefully this is something fun for all of our followers, and we definitely want some feedback on what you think!  For our first time, we're featuring author J.A. Redmerski, one of my all time favorite authors, and her newest release, The Moment of Letting Go.  She has written so many amazing series in my opinion including: The Darkwoods Trilogy, The Edge of Never Series, and In the Company of Killers Series.  One of the things I love about Ms. Redmerski is her interaction with her fans.  You can connect with her via

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads

I really hope everyone will enjoy this event, and check out this amazing book!   

Sienna Murphy never does anything without a plan. And so far her plans have been working. Right after college, she got a prestigious job and gained the stability she'd always craved-until work takes her to the sun-drenched shores of Oahu and places her in the path of sexy surfer Luke Everett. For the first time, she lets her heart take control. Drawn to his carefree charm, she makes a spontaneous and very un-Sienna-like decision to drop everything and stay in Hawaii for two more weeks.

Luke lives fast and wild. When he meets Sienna, he's convinced that some no-strings-attached fun is just what she needs. As their nights quickly turn from playful to passionate, Luke can't deny the deep connection he feels. But there's a reason Luke doesn't do long-term. He can't promise Sienna forever, when the enormity of his past has shown him just how fragile the future can be . . .

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Excerpt:

“Damn, my back is killing me,” I say, grimacing and reaching behind me for my muscles again. “Sleeping on this sofa is brutal.”

Sienna’s face falls under a little veil of guilt and pity.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” she says. “Is it bad?”

No.

“Yeah, it’s pretty bad.” I groan deeply for added affect. “I should’ve crashed in Seth’s room—would have if I’d known he wasn’t coming home last night.” Truthfully, I’m not sure of that; Seth might be in his room and I just slept so well through the night that I didn’t hear him when he came in, like I usually do.

“Now I feel bad,” she says and stands up from the coffee table, her long, lightly tanned legs stretching for miles underneath the thin fabric of her cotton shorts— damn,

she is sexy; the things I want to do to her right now. “I’m not really hungry anyway, so don’t worry about breakfast. I was just messing with you.”

“Nah, don’t feel bad.” I wave it away like it’s nothing, while at the same time still kneading my back with the other hand. “I’m going to make you something . . . but you could help me out by walking on my back.”

“Huh?” Her face scrunches into a cute, confused expression. “You want me to walk on your back?”

“Well, yeah,” I say with a nod, suddenly realizing myself how just the thought of her touching me—with her feet, her hands, her lips; I don’t even care which—makes my heart ache and my palms sweaty. “It’ll work out the kinks.”

She smiles ridiculously and shakes her head—I fight the urge to reach out and pull her down on my lap; the image of her bare thighs around my waist, my hands hugging the curvature of her ass…breathe Luke…just breathe.

“I’m not walking on your back,” she sort of laughs the words out.

“Why not?” I tilt my head to one side.

“Well I think I’m a little too heavy to be walking on your back,” she says as if I should already know this. “And because it’s weird?” It was more a statement than a question, but something else she thinks I should already know, apparently.

God, she’s so fucking cute.

I roll my eyes. “Don’t tell me you’re one of those girls who wears a size zero and thinks she’s fat.”

“No! I’m not one of those,” she defends. “I just don’t want to hurt you!”

I laugh without restraint.

“OK, well you’re not going to hurt me, I can promise you that.” I get up from the couch—with pretend difficulty—and step around Sienna and the coffee table and then lay on my bare chest on the floor. “Come on. It’ll really help me out a lot.” One side of my face is pressed against the rug as I look up at her at an angle. She stands over me with her flimsy arms crossed—I grow even harder beneath my shorts.

“No, Luke,” she laughs, “I’m not going to do it.”

“Yeah you are,” I say casually and wave my hand at her as if there’s nothing to it. “The only way you can hurt me is if you jump up and down really, really hard. Now get on.”

“No.”

“Please?”

She shakes her head repeatedly, her smile growing.

I break out the big guns.

“It’s the least you can do for me letting you stay here for free and have my bed.” I grin subtly, which I imagine looks strange with my cheek smashed against the floor.

“No!” She laughs out loud. “I’ll sleep on the couch from now on if that’s the case.”

With me? I want to say—and almost do—but restrain myself.

“No you won’t,” I tell her sharply. “What kind of guy would I be if I made you sleep on the couch while I was all sprawled out on the comfy bed? Now step on and start walkin’.”

“You’re crazy.”

Absolutely, one hundred percent, no-going-back crazy for you—I admit it. 

*Provided by J.A. Redmerski and Publisher

Author Bio: J.A. Redmerski

J.A. (Jessica Ann) Redmerski is a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author and award winner who juggles several different genres. She began self-publishing in 2012, and later with the success of THE EDGE OF NEVER, signed on with Grand Central Publishing/Forever Romance. She has since signed three more deals with GC/Forever for titles THE EDGE OF ALWAYS, SONG OF THE FIREFLIES and THE MOMENT OF LETTING GO. Her works have so far been translated into twenty languages. THE EDGE OF NEVER made it to #2 on the New York Times bestseller eBook list, and remained on the #1 spot on Amazon for two straight weeks. THE EDGE OF ALWAYS also made the New York Times bestseller list.

Jessica is a hybrid author who, in addition to working with a traditional publisher, also continues to self-publish. The Portuguese rights to her popular crime and suspense series, In the Company of Killers, have already been picked up by one of Brazil's largest publishers.

Jessica is a lover of film, television and books that push boundaries; and she's a sucker for long, sweeping, epic love stories. Things on Jessica's wish list are to conquer her long list of ridiculous fears, find a shirt she actually likes, and travel the world with a backpack and a partner-in-crime.

Q&A with J.A. Redmerski 

What do you love about writing stories that involve characters stepping out of their comfort zone or facing their fears?

It may be a clichéd answer, but I really do live vicariously through most of my characters. I love being able to feel like I’m overcoming my own fears and stepping out of my comfort zone, even though in reality, I’m just pretending. I’m afraid of so many things, and have been most of my life, and until I find the courage to face my fears, and do the things I really want to do, the only way I know how to experience that is through the characters I create.

A la Twitter style, can you describe your book (or series) in 140 characters or less.

You can follow the rules or you can follow your heart. Two people living very different lives learn from one another how to let go of the things holding them back from truly living.

If THE MOMENT OF LETTING GO became a movie who would you want to see playing the lead characters?

Hmm, that’s tough! I think there are many who look the part, but if I had to choose I’d probably say Alexander Ludwig or Zac Efron as Luke Everett and Karen Gillan as Sienna.

Finish this sentence: My heroine will never… do anything as extreme as BASE jumping, though she might jump off that small cliff into the water someday.

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Check out my review for The Moment of Letting Go later today :)

~Cassie 

Book Review: The Iron Trial (Magisterium, #1)

The Iron Trial (Magisterium, #1): Holly Black and Cassandra Clare 

Most kids would do anything to pass the Iron Trial. Not Callum Hunt. He wants to fail.

All his life, Call has been warned by his father to stay away from magic. If he succeeds at the Iron Trial and is admitted into the Magisterium, he is sure it can only mean bad things for him.

So he tries his best to do his worst - and fails at failing.

Now the Magisterium awaits him. It's a place that's both sensational and sinister, with dark ties to his past and a twisty path to his future.

The Iron Trial is just the beginning, for the biggest test is still to come . . .

I've had this book for a really long time and honestly a middle grade book has to be really good for me to like it. Often times I feel like I can't relate to the characters, I get bored by their interactions with each other, and the plot often falls flat for me. Now, I was a little bored with The Iron Trial for the first 40 pages or so but after that I truly loved it. Holly Black is one of my all time favorite authors and if you haven't read The Darkest Part of the Forest or The Coldest Girl in Coldtown, I highly recommend them both to you. 

"Fire wants to burn

Water wants to flow

Air wants to rise

Earth wants to bind

Chaos wants to devour"

I found the world of the Magisterium to be exciting and fresh. There was a little bit of information dumping that I wish was spread out some more within the book, but the overall world building was spot on. I've heard this book compared to Harry Potter many different times. While obviously friendship and a magic school are main themes in both books, I don't think The Iron Trial is a direct emulation of Harry Potter. The plot wasn't predictable at all, which really helped to keep me engaged in the book. It definitely holds its own as far as middle grade books are concerned. I'm currently reading the second book now and I'm trying really hard to keep them separate from each other when writing this review. 

The best thing about this book is the characters. Call is the main character, which is weird because why isn't he the one in the middle on the cover? The one in the middle is Aaron, who I actually really like as well. Call is a great main character to me because he's so snarky and sarcastic. I mean, who doesn't love a character that throws some sass at everyone? Aaron is extremely caring to everyone and everything. He comes from a foster home, so I think he just wants a place to call his home. Tamara was probably my least favorite of the three of them. She's very pretentious and very cold hearted. I think she has a huge crush on Aaron which kind of leaves Call the odd one out. 

"They all yelled in excitement. Tamara yelled because she was happy. Aaron yelled because he liked

 it when other people were happy, and Call yelled because he was sure they were going to die."

To be completely honest, this was a very awesome book for middle grade. I always have a hard time getting into mg novels, but this wasn't as bad as most. I'd recommend this book if you like to read mg novels. If you really can't stand them and the character development in them, I don't think this book will change your mind. I heard this series was actually optioned for a movie, I'm not sure how well it will work as a movie. However, I did really love the plot and there were a lot of exciting twists and turns. I don't blame people who compare this to Harry Potter, but I don't think it's fair to shrug this book off as fan fic. I will definitely be continuing with the series - and I'm excited to see where it goes from here. 

- Jocelyn 

ARC Review: Fans of the Impossible Life

Fans of the Impossible Life: Kate Scelsa 
Publication Date: September 8th, 2015 

Ten months after her recurring depression landed her in the hospital, Mira is starting over as a new student at Saint Francis Prep. She promised her parents she would at least try to act like a normal, functioning human this time around, not a girl who sometimes can’t get out of bed for days on end, who only feels awake when she’s with Sebby. 

Jeremy is the painfully shy art nerd at Saint Francis who’s been in self-imposed isolation after an incident that ruined his last year of school. When he sees Sebby for the first time across the school lawn it’s as if he’s been expecting this blond, lanky boy with a mischievous glint in his eye. 

Sebby, Mira’s gay best friend, is a boy who seems to carry sunlight around with him like a backlit halo. Even as life in his foster home starts to take its toll, Sebby and Mira together craft a world of magic rituals and secret road trips, designed to fix the broken parts of their lives. 

As Jeremy finds himself drawn into Sebby and Mira’s world, he begins to understand the secrets that they hide in order to protect themselves, to keep each other safe from those who don’t understand their quest to live for the impossible.

The initial synopsis for this book was "This is the story of a girl, her gay best friend, and the boy in love with both of them." What would that make you think of? A bisexual love triangle, right? Wrong! It was not a bisexual love triangle. I was looking forward to this book for that particular reason, so I think when I didn't get that I was disappointed. It was more of a book about friendship, which in that respect was good. If I had to compare this book to any book, I think it would be I'll Give You the Sun, except there is more of a focus on friendship instead of family. 

Have you ever dreamt about reading a book with your favorite characters just doing nothing? Like they aren't doing anything significant, they are just hanging out with each other for the entire book - because I have lol. And that's also how much of this book played out. They weren't ever really doing anything, but it wasn't awful because the characters were really interesting and had great personalities. Of course, the characters all had tragic stories to tell. All three main characters are really easy to care about because  Kate Scelsa adds perfectly crafted secrets at just the right moments so that they really hit home.

"When do they bring out the pig's blood and dump it on the head 

of the awkward girl with telekinetic powers?" Sebby asked.

"Not until ten, I think."

Mira, Jeremy, & Sebby (Sebastian) all have chemistry. If this book wanted to go in the direction of a bisexual love triangle, it would have completely worked. Sebby is my favorite character in the book - he's outgoing and nothing seems to bother him. Coincidentally, he's also the one who is having the hardest go at life. To me it seems like he never wants to put the burden of his life onto his friends. Mira and Jeremy also are going through their own problems, and I don't even think how they deal with them is more or less healthy than how Sebby deals with his problems. It really made me think about what sets people apart with their problems? Or is it really just luck if they make it through them?

"We’re all just trying to survive however we can."

I was conflicted on my rating for this book. The first 200 pages of the book were good, but they felt directionless. I wasn't sure where the book was going and to me, there was too much dialogue and not enough plot. After I was finally able to see a direction in the book, I wasn't able to put it down. It was addictive and based on the rest of the book I would easily give it 5 stars. Sadly, for 200 pages I was upset with the fact that I couldn't see a plot. I also felt like the book was a bit rushed at parts I thought were important and slower at parts I didn't really care about. Which is why I'm giving it 3 stars. I fully recommend this book to you if you enjoy diverse books. You might even like the first half of the book, but after the first half I promise you will LOVE it! 

- Jocelyn 

Book Review: Revolution (Revelation Series #4)

As this is the 4th book in the series, you can find my reviews for the first 3 books here:
Revelation (The Restoration Series #1)
Restraint (The Restoration Series #2)
Redemption (The Restoration Series #3)

Revolution (The Revelation Series #4) by Randi Cooley Wilson
Publication Date: May 31, 2015
 
A King Rises
A Fate Seals
Realms Fall

Eve Collins has set in motion a chain of events that could destroy everything she’s ever loved. Surrounded by dangerous creatures, dark worlds, and the struggle to become who she was meant to be, Eve must complete her ascension and accept her destiny.

War has begun. Losing is not an option. With dangers lurking around each corner, and everything against her, will Eve sacrifice her own happiness in order to tip the scale of balance? Which side will rise to power, and which fall to fate?

In this fourth installment in The Revelation Series, Eve must risk everything she loves in order to prevent a centuries old war.

Everything comes with a sacrifice, even love.

Holy granola this was absolutely AMAZING!!!! Words cannot even describe my intense love for this series, and Randi just blew me away with this phenomenal installment in the Revelation Series! If the other books were the ice cream sundae, these were the sprinkles on top (I'm saving the cherry for the finale of the series). There were so many feels in this book, and my emotions were all over the place.



There were times I was squealing like the crazy fangirl I am, and then there were times I wanted to cry because of the pure beauty I was reading. Seriously, this book is the epitome of an emotional rollercoaster...and I loved Every.Single.Second.Of.It. I could literally go on for days about my love for Randi and her awesomeness, as well as the how much I loved this book, but I'll cut it down a bit (because who wants to read a review that goes on for days haha). My fangirl feelings can basically be summed up for this book by this:



As always, I loved Eve. She's stubborn, strong, and fiercely independent. She wants to do things her way, and is one of the feistiest characters you will ever read. The girl cracks me up with her witty banter between Asher, Callan, Keegan, Abby, McKenna, and the plethora of other character, but also with her inner monologue. Eve definitely comes into her own in this one, and I loved watching her growth over the course of this story. Asher is hot as ever, but also moody, which makes him even hotter. Ugh, the things this boy does to me. Gosh darn him! He's so protective of Eve, but he's also learning to give Eve her space. But never fear, Asher is still his normal self. Callan...you can't not love Callan. He's just so adorable and loveable! Plus, he's absolutely hilarious, and will have you cracking up even more than normal. Abby is a lucky girl! Lastly, Gage (because you can't forget Gage), he is my favorite bad boy gargoyle, and I will love him forever. He has so many great lines in this novel (just like always), but I feel like we also get a bit more insight into his character. My heart broke for him at the end, and yours will too when you read the ending scenes of this book. Honestly, my heart broke for all of them, and I can't even imagine what the ending events will mean for the next book.

The twists in this book are unreal, and the plot will leave you guessing until the end. Just when you think you have everything figured out, Randi throws a monkey wrench into everything and you're left second-guessing all your thoughts. Every time, you're like this:



The plot moves quickly, and I devoured this in one sitting. Nevertheless, it is the perfect pacing for this story, and it never feels rushed. You will be on the edge of your seat throughout this entire novel, and the action is at an all time high. You never know who will live and who will die. All of these exciting events lead to an extraordinary ending that will leave you desperate for the last book in the series, Restoration. To say this is a cliffhanger is not an accurate description...it's a mountain hanger! And with a sneak peak into the finale, let's just say I have no clue what's going to happen. All I do know is, it's going to be so so good, and I can't wait. After all it will be



This is a definite must read for fans of this series, and if you haven't started this series yet, what are you waiting for? Fall in love with one of the best gargoyle series out there! This book has it all, and the finale can't come out soon enough!


  

Happy reading :)

~Cassie

Book Review: Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles, #1)

Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles, #1): Marissa Meyer 

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl.

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

Cinder is the first ever fairytale retelling I've read! I've been meaning to read it for so long, not because I was afraid it wouldn't live up to the expectations but because committing to a series is a lot of work - right? Well, with Winter coming out this fall I knew if I didn't start now - I would be spoiled for the entire series. This is because everyone spoils me for every series on Twitter or Goodreads. Depressing, right? Tell me about it. If you spoil big plot points in later books in a series like a character dying - shame on you! 

So the story itself is so unique - a cyborg? What?! I loved how Cinder worked. Me being myself, I was thinking way too hard into what being a cyborg actually means. Come on guys, I can't be the only one here. Well hear me out. It seems that the cyborgs are kind of like people with prosthetic limbs. Obviously not only limbs, but people can get a mechanical heart valve, larynx, pancreas. We are getting closer to artificial lungs. So - what makes Cinder different from those people? For me, I think it's that mechanism where she can detect that people are lying, and when to cool herself off. Anyway, that part of the book just made me really curious that I wanted to talk about it! Did anyone else think about that? Besides Cinder's interesting anatomy, her personality was even better. She was orphaned at 11, and despite the fact that her adopted mom was a total bitch - Cinder remained sarcastic and had the funniest carefree outlook on life. Until of course, she is reminded she doesn't have the same life as everyone else.

Fan cast of Cinder: Malese Jow 

“I'm sure I'll feel much more grateful when I find a guy who thinks complex wiring in a girl is a turn-on.” 

I really loved Prince Kai. I think we had just enough enough interaction with him and Cinder, especially since this is a series. Ok, so at first I thought the stories were on their own and just in the same universe: like Cinder was just about her, Scarlet was just about her, and so on. So I was like wait, wait, wait - we can't end Cinder's story like this! But I see now that everything is connected somehow, am I right? So the think I liked most about this whole entire story was that Kai and Cinder weren't stupid. It's hard to find that in main characters these days, ok! They each had their own problems, and they were doing what they thought was best to fix the problems. Basically, I liked that they weren't throwing all common sense and good reason out the window so they could fall in love. And it worked because they worked. They had such a connection that radiated through the pages of the book and they didn't need to tell each other words for you to know that they meant them. Does that make sense?

Fan cast of Prince Kaito: Harry Shum Jr.

“Imagine there was a cure, but finding it would cost you everything.

 It would completely ruin your life. What would you do?” 

Queen Levana is one of the meanest book villains I've ever encountered. It's so scary that she can make people do things with her mind, basically anything - even kill themselves! I think she's such a good villain because she literally shows no emotion whatsoever. The only person Queen Levana cares about is herself, she has no obvious weaknesses. She just wants to destroy and conquer. If people don't know that she has all of the power, she will make sure to show them. She is ruthless and gorgeous (or is she?). Anyway, she is definitely in the running for cruelest villain of all.

I totally loved Cinder! It channeled so many emotions, like a good book should! The plot was intense with nonstop action and the setting was just as awesome. I'm kicking myself that I didn't pick it up sooner because I loved it so much, but then again I would have had to wait even longer for Winter! I already ordered Scarlet with my B&N coupon and it should be here today sometime! If you didn't read Cinder yet (which I'm sure you all have because I'm usually the last one to board the almost finished series train), you should read it soon! I even think I'm going to give more fairytale retellings a chance, because I do love fairytales after all :) 

- Jocelyn

ARC Review: Crystal Kingdom (Kanin Chronicles #3)

Crystal Kingdom (Kanin Chronicles #3) by Amanda Hocking
Publication Date: August 4, 2015

Cast out by her kingdom and far from home, she's the Kanin people's only hope.

Bryn Aven - unjustly charged with murder and treason - is on the run. The one person who can help is her greatest enemy, the enigmatic Konstantin Black. Konstantin is her only ally against those who have taken over her kingdom and threaten to destroy everything she holds dear. But can she trust him?

As Bryn fights to clear her name, the Kanin rulers’ darkest secrets are coming to light… and now the entire troll world is on the brink of war. Will it tear Bryn from Ridley Dresden, the only guy she’s ever loved? And can she join forces with Finn Holmes and the Trylle kingdom? One thing is certain: an epic battle is underway—and when it’s complete, nothing will ever be the same.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Amanda Hocking has done it yet again and written a phenomenal finale to an amazing series. Fans of the Kanin Chronicles will not be disappointed by this ending and will be blown away from beginning to end. The action is non-stop and the adventure will leave you breathless. There is so much suspense that you will literally be on the edge of your seat while reading. And let me say this, Amanda Hocking is the queen of twists and turns...because the twists in this book will leave your head spinning, and you will have no idea who to trust or who is good. Suffice to say, this is a marked improvement over the last novel, Ice Kissed, which was a great book as well (just a little boring). There is definitely no boring elements here, and you will fly through the pages, never wanting this book to end.

This book picks up right where we left off in the previous novel, with Bryn on the run and being hunted for treason and murder. Bryn is fierce as ever, physically, mentally, and emotionally. I love her character so much, words can't even describe it. She grows so much in this novel, and finally realizes that she can't carry the world on her shoulders. Bryn realizes that she needs to share her fears, worries, and concerns with those who she loves the most, and are there to support her through it all. She has a great set of friends and loved ones that go above and beyond for her. The thing I love the most about Bryn's character though is her relatable nature. She is flawed, imperfect, but she also doesn't let anything get her down. Bryn fights with everything she has in her, and that is definitely something to admire.

The romance does kind of take a back seat in this one, that's to say, it's not at the forefront of the story. Nevertheless, it still plays a role, but one that is in the perfect amount for this novel. It never overshadows anything in the story. It definitely is steamy, and is meant for an older crowd, but at the same time, it's not explicit and the steamier scenes are very well done. I was very happy with the ending and how everything turned out between Ridley and Bryn. And I think fans will be too.

The one character that I hated to love was Konstantin. I wanted to dislike him, I really did, but I just couldn't help but love him in this novel! Even though throughout the series he is the villain, in this one, we see a different side to Konstantin, one in which we understand the reasons why he has done what he has, and more importantly, the truth. Though he is definitely not innocent, he has definitely redeemed himself in my eyes.

Overall, this was an extremely exciting, fast-paced adventure that is fantastic from the very first word to the very last. It will satisfy every fan of this series, and will leave you longing to re-read this series as soon as you finish. I can't wait to read whatever Amanda Hocking writes next!

Happy reading :)

~Cassie