Mundie Moms

Wednesday, March 22, 2017

STRANGE THE DREAMER by Laini Taylor / Blog Tour: Book Review


By: Laini Taylor
Published by: Little Brown
To Be Released on: March 28th, 2017
Series: Strange the Dreamer #1
Purchase from: Amazon | B&N | Indiebound
Add it to Goodreads
Rating: 5 Stars
Source: e-arc from publisher to review in exchange for my honest review

A new epic fantasy by National Book Award finalist and New York Times bestselling author Laini Taylor of theDaughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy.


The dream chooses the dreamer, not the other way around— and Lazlo Strange, war orphan and junior librarian, has always feared that his dream chose poorly. Since he was five years old he's been obsessed with the mythic lost city of Weep, but it would take someone bolder than he to cross half the world in search of it. Then a stunning opportunity presents itself, in the person of a hero called the Godslayer and a band of legendary warriors, and he has to seize his chance to lose his dream forever.

What happened in Weep two hundred years ago to cut it off from the rest of the world? What exactly did theGodslayer slay that went by the name of god? And what is the mysterious problem he now seeks help in solving?

The answers await in Weep, but so do more mysteries—including the blue-skinned goddess who appears in Lazlo's dreams. How did he dream her before he knew she existed? and if all the gods are dead, why does she seem so real?

In this sweeping and breathtaking new novel by National Book Award finalist Laini Taylor, author of the New York Times bestselling Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy, the shadow of the past is as real as the ghosts who haunt thecitadel of murdered gods. Fall into a mythical world of dread and wonder, moths and nightmares, love and carnage.

Welcome to Weep.

Beautifully written, and utterly mesmerizing. Laini Taylor proves once again that I will read anything she writes. I'm pretty sure I say this about all of her newest releases, but this just may be her best book yet. I couldn't devour this book fast enough. 

Strange the Dreamer is one of those books that effortlessly pulls you into it's entangling, magical world, and ensnares you with it's poetic like writing style. While I normally like to talk about the characters and specific aspects of the book, all I want to talk about is Taylor's writing. It is beautiful. Her vivid descriptions effortlessly bring every aspect of this book to life. I am in love with the writing of this book. I wanted to crawl into this book, and hang out in far longer than it took me to read it. 

Taylor has a way of making it incredibly easy to visualize all of the details of her book. From her rich world building to her complex characters, and everything in between. I loved it. I wanted more. I couldn't read it fast enough, yet I wanted to take my time and savor everything I was reading. Taylor's writing is addictive. 

True to a Taylor's writing style, this book is not without unforgettable characters, rich world building, romance, magic, friendship, intrigue, heartache, danger, revenge, forgiveness, and destruction. The way she writes and infuses these elements together is heartbreakingly beautifully. It leaves you feeling satisfied, and wanting more all at the same time. 

My word, I hope Taylor never stops writing. I did not want this book to end. This is one book that I'd definitely recommend picking up. 


ABOUT THE AUTHOR




Laini Taylor is the New York Times bestselling author of the global sensation the Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy: Daughter of Smoke & BoneDays of Blood & Starlight, and Dreams of Gods & Monsters, and the companion e-novella, Night of Cake & Puppets. She is also the author of the Dreamdark books Blackbringer and Silksinger, and thehighly acclaimed Lips Touch: Three Times, a National Book Award finalist. Her newest book, Strange the Dreamer, is the first in a stunning new epic duology. Laini lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband, illustrator Jim Di Bartolo, and their daughter Clementine. 

LINKSWebsite | Twitter


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LIFEBLOOD by Gena Showalter / Blog Tour: Book Review & Giveaway


By: Gena Showalter
Published by: Harlequin Teen
Released on: February 28th, 2017
Series: Everlife #1
Purchase from: Amazon | B&N
Add it to Goodreads
Rating: 4 Stars - I Enjoyed It
Source: arc/book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review

My Firstlife is over, but my Everlife is only now beginning.

With her last living breath, Tenley "Ten" Lockwood made her choice and picked her realm in the Everlife. Now, as the war between Troika and Myriad rages, she must face the consequences.

Because Ten possesses a rare supernatural ability to absorb and share light, the Powers That Be have the highest expectations for her future—and the enemy wants her neutralized. Fighting to save her Secondlife, she must learn about her realm from the ground up while launching her first mission: convincing a select group of humans to join her side before they die. No pressure, right?

But Ten's competition is Killian, the boy she can't forget—the one who gave up everything for her happiness. He has only one shot at redemption: beating Ten at a game she's never even played. As their throw-downs heat up, so do their undeniable feelings, and soon, Ten will have to make another choice. Love…or victory.

An awesome sequel! Picking up right where FIRSTLIFE left off, LIFEBLOOD thrusts readers right back into the action packed storyline. With a whole new change in scenery, a few more characters, a lot more danger, and some unexpected twists, Secondlife is anything but for smooth sailing for Ten. It feels almost as though everything that took place in Ten's life in Firstlife was preparing for her for what's to come in Secondlife. 

Secondlife is a whole new life for Ten. Literally. She learns to make peace with the life she live in Lifeblood, which helps her accept her new life in Secondlife. There's a whole new set of laws to learn that govern this world. While she's learning the ropes, and her role here, she grows up a lot. Even in her changes, I admire that she's still stays that same loyal, passionate person who she has always been. She makes new friends, along with a few new enemies. I like that many of the characters I loved in the previous book, all play a huge part in this book as well. Including Killian.

Killian and Ten may be on opposing sides, which definitely causes a few problems for both of them, especially since their realms are still at war with each other. That doesn't stop them for falling more in love with each other, and risking it all to find a way to be together. I love how protective Killian still is of Ten. No matter the consequences, he risks a lot to help her. I loved seeing how much these two learn to rely on each other, and trust each other. It's not without consequences, since they're suppose to enemies. I loved seeing these two grow closer together, and fight for each other. I already loved these two in Firstlife, but I absolutely love these two even more so in Lifeblood. 

Character wise, I really enjoyed getting to know Deacon more. He's a character I was hoping to get to see more as the series went on. His role in this book was perfect. I loved all he brought to the story, and what he does for Ten. There's a few other characters who's roles now compared to what they were previously, surprised me. Overall, I loved seeing the new challenges for the characters, and how they handle their choices and consequences. This life is far from easy. The choices they made in their previous life have got them where they are at now. 

This is another fabulous Showalter book. Rich in world building, and character development, this is a story that doesn't suffer from second syndrome. It's just as engaging, if not more so, than the first book in the series. It's an action packed storyline with new twists, more dangers, a few surprises, more romance, and takes it's readers deeper into this series's complex history. LIFEBLOOD is fantastic sequel. I can hardly wait to read what happens next in Everlife. 

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