steph's bookshelf: all en-US Sat, 26 Apr 2025 17:57:42 -0700 60 steph's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg <![CDATA[Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass, #3)]]> 76706470 576 Sarah J. Maas steph 3
i fear i need 24/7 action in a book because honestly i was bored for the majority of this book.
but there were still some AMAZING parts that i loved so much!
i absolutely devoured the short stories littered throughout the series but especially the ones in this book. i think that even though they may seem insignificant, they help show how the public speaks out in their own ways, and how they make impacts even though they are never named.
i also loved celaena’s character development!! she was annoying me a bit at the beginning of this book, with her reluctance to do what she should do, but by the end of this book she is so much stronger. the chapter where it all clicked for her was so satisfying and one of my fav chapters of this book.
finally, THE ENDING??? ive already picked up the first few chapters of queen of shadows because that ending, whilst not a cliffhanger or anything, IS STILL DIABOLICAL. dorian� oh my god. JUST EVERYTHING that went down in that room HAUNTS me.
but at the end of the day this was kinda hard to get through spare for a few chapters and the end.
]]> 4.44 2014 Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass, #3)
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: steph
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2014
rating: 3
read at: 2025/04/26
date added: 2025/04/26
shelves:
review:
3.3 stars

i fear i need 24/7 action in a book because honestly i was bored for the majority of this book.
but there were still some AMAZING parts that i loved so much!
i absolutely devoured the short stories littered throughout the series but especially the ones in this book. i think that even though they may seem insignificant, they help show how the public speaks out in their own ways, and how they make impacts even though they are never named.
i also loved celaena’s character development!! she was annoying me a bit at the beginning of this book, with her reluctance to do what she should do, but by the end of this book she is so much stronger. the chapter where it all clicked for her was so satisfying and one of my fav chapters of this book.
finally, THE ENDING??? ive already picked up the first few chapters of queen of shadows because that ending, whilst not a cliffhanger or anything, IS STILL DIABOLICAL. dorian� oh my god. JUST EVERYTHING that went down in that room HAUNTS me.
but at the end of the day this was kinda hard to get through spare for a few chapters and the end.

]]> <![CDATA[Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass, #2)]]> 76705490 An alternative cover edition for this ISBN can be found here.

"A line that should never be crossed is about to be breached.

It puts this entire castle in jeopardy—and the life of your friend."

From the throne of glass rules a king with a fist of iron and a soul as black as pitch. Assassin Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become his Champion. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown. She hides her secret vigilantly; she knows that the man she serves is bent on evil.

Keeping up the deadly charade becomes increasingly difficult when Celaena realizes she is not the only one seeking justice. As she tries to untangle the mysteries buried deep within the glass castle, her closest relationships suffer. It seems no one is above questioning her allegiances—not the Crown Prince Dorian; not Chaol, the Captain of the Guard; not even her best friend, Nehemia, a foreign princess with a rebel heart.

Then one terrible night, the secrets they have all been keeping lead to an unspeakable tragedy. As Celaena's world shatters, she will be forced to give up the very thing most precious to her and decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie... and whom she is ultimately willing to fight for.]]> 420 Sarah J. Maas 1639730966 steph 4
i have no words because this book put me THROUGH IT ALL.
the betrayal, bloodshed, vengeance???? ]]> 4.34 2013 Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass, #2)
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: steph
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/22
date added: 2025/04/22
shelves:
review:
3.7 stars

i have no words because this book put me THROUGH IT ALL.
the betrayal, bloodshed, vengeance????
]]> <![CDATA[Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass, #1)]]> 76703559 An alternative cover edition for this ISBN can be found here.

In a land without magic, where the king rules with an iron hand, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She comes not to kill the king, but to win her freedom. If she defeats twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition, she is released from prison to serve as the king's champion. Her name is Celaena Sardothien.

The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. But something evil dwells in the castle of glass—and it's there to kill. When her competitors start dying one by one, Celaena's fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival, and a desperate quest to root out the evil before it destroys her world.]]> 406 Sarah J. Maas 163973094X steph 4
I LOVE CELAENA.
shes one of, if not the most, relatable fmcs ive come across in a while.
i feel like we’d be sisters in a different life because we think the same ]]> 4.18 2012 Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass, #1)
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: steph
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/19
date added: 2025/04/18
shelves:
review:
4.0 stars

I LOVE CELAENA.
shes one of, if not the most, relatable fmcs ive come across in a while.
i feel like we’d be sisters in a different life because we think the same
]]> <![CDATA[The Assassin's Blade (Throne of Glass, #0.1-0.5)]]> 126062562
When Celaena's scheming master, Arobynn Hamel, dispatches her on missions that take her from remote islands to hostile deserts, she finds herself acting independently of his wishes—and questioning her own allegiance. Along the way, she makes friends and enemies alike, and discovers that she feels far more for Sam than just friendship. But by defying Arobynn’s orders, Celaena risks unimaginable punishment, and with Sam by her side, he is in danger, too. They will have to risk it all if they hope to escape Arobynn’s clutches—and if they fail, they’ll lose not just a chance at freedom, but their lives . . .

A prequel to Throne of Glass, this collection of five novellas offers readers a deeper look into the history of this cunning assassin and her enthralling—and deadly—world.

Included in this volume:
The Assassin and the Pirate Lord
The Assassin and the Healer
The Assassin and the Desert
The Assassin and the Underworld
The Assassin and the Empire]]> 451 Sarah J. Maas 1619632217 steph 4
1. what the fuck.

2. why did you do that.

3. why am i hooked.

honestly, i thought this book would be in the 3 star range during the first two novellas. but those last three??? oh bitch i was ADDICTED.
i dont think ill ever forgive any of you for what happened near the end� cause i was NOT expecting that level of heartbreak from a PREQUEL.

this book gave me trust issues. i thought i could trust certain characters but oh boy definitely not.

im not even sure how i havent gotten spoiled for anything that happens in this series, so im terrified that not only this series will make me sob my heart out but also be one of my top favourites.]]> 4.16 2014 The Assassin's Blade (Throne of Glass, #0.1-0.5)
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: steph
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/15
date added: 2025/04/15
shelves:
review:
4.0 stars

1. what the fuck.

2. why did you do that.

3. why am i hooked.

honestly, i thought this book would be in the 3 star range during the first two novellas. but those last three??? oh bitch i was ADDICTED.
i dont think ill ever forgive any of you for what happened near the end� cause i was NOT expecting that level of heartbreak from a PREQUEL.

this book gave me trust issues. i thought i could trust certain characters but oh boy definitely not.

im not even sure how i havent gotten spoiled for anything that happens in this series, so im terrified that not only this series will make me sob my heart out but also be one of my top favourites.
]]> <![CDATA[Fearless (The Powerless Trilogy, #3)]]> 214151222 Descubre el épico final de la trilogía Powerless de Lauren Roberts.

A Paedyn y a Kai vuelve a separarles una realidad que se impone a sus deseos, y deberán enfrentarse a una terrible decisión en esta emocionante conclusión de la exitosa trilogía romántica, perfecta para fans de Sarah J. Maas.]]> 608 Lauren Roberts 1665955465 steph 5 6.0 stars 4.26 2025 Fearless (The Powerless Trilogy, #3)
author: Lauren Roberts
name: steph
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/10
date added: 2025/04/09
shelves:
review:
6.0 stars
]]> <![CDATA[Six Scorched Roses (Crowns of Nyaxia, #1.5)]]> 123027751
Lilith has been dying since the day she was born. But while she long ago came to terms with her own imminent death, the deaths of everyone she loves is an entirely different matter. As her town slowly withers in the clutches of a mysterious god-cursed illness, she takes matters into her own hands.

Desperate to find a cure, Lilith strikes a bargain with the only thing the gods hate even more than her village: a vampire, Vale. She offers him six roses in exchange for six vials of vampire blood–the one hope for her town’s salvation.

But when what begins as a simple transaction gradually becomes something more, Lilith is faced with a terrifying realization: It’s dangerous to wander into the clutches of a vampire� and in a place already suffering a god’s wrath, more dangerous still to fall in love with one.

Six Scorched Roses is a standalone fantasy romance novella set in the world of the Crowns of Nyaxia series, perfect for those who love dark, romantic tales with bite and fans of Sarah J. Maas or Jennifer L. Armentrout.]]> 187 Carissa Broadbent steph 5
i did NOT expect to love this novella so much.
i think it was the perfect length for lilith and vale’s story with an amazing, well paced plot.

the concept of the six roses was so intriguing and the book being split into 6 parts, one for each rose, was really creative!! each rose told its own story and the character development was clear through each mini-arc.

although there wasn’t much action in this, nothing that had me on the edge of my seat, it was such a cute romance novella and i enjoyed it a lot!]]> 4.25 2023 Six Scorched Roses (Crowns of Nyaxia, #1.5)
author: Carissa Broadbent
name: steph
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/05
date added: 2025/04/05
shelves:
review:
4.8 stars

i did NOT expect to love this novella so much.
i think it was the perfect length for lilith and vale’s story with an amazing, well paced plot.

the concept of the six roses was so intriguing and the book being split into 6 parts, one for each rose, was really creative!! each rose told its own story and the character development was clear through each mini-arc.

although there wasn’t much action in this, nothing that had me on the edge of my seat, it was such a cute romance novella and i enjoyed it a lot!
]]> <![CDATA[Reckless (The Powerless Trilogy, #2)]]> 183086339
After surviving the Purging Trials, Ordinary-born Paedyn Gray has killed the King, and kickstarted a Resistance throughout the land. Now she’s running from the one person she had wanted to run to.

Kai Azer is now Ilya’s Enforcer, loyal to his brother Kitt, the new King. He has vowed to find Paedyn and bring her to justice.

Across the deadly Scorches, and deep into the hostile city of Dor, Kai pursues the one person he wishes he didn’t have to. But in a city without Elites, the balance between the hunter and hunted shifts � and the battle between duty and desire is deadly.

Be swept away by this kiss-or-kill romantasy trilogy taking the world by storm.]]> 396 Lauren Roberts steph 5
oh girl� i have a lot to say about kai� and we’d be here for hours if i said them all.
this entire book was basically all character based, romance, and other entertaining things, and lots of people hate it for that. but i honestly ate it up because pae and kai are my forever obsession.

this book is why kai is my #1 book bf!! and rereading made me fall in love with his pretty words once again.

although i wished the action scenes could have lasted a bit longer as they just came and went, i loved this book nonetheless, even more than the first time i read it.

i wish this was longer too, the angst could have been more prolonged. but hey, who am i to complain, giggling with every interaction between them??

i just know fearless will be at least a 4.5 ⭐️ and so will any novellas (if any) after that!!


Read 1: 4.4 ⭐️
Read 2: 4.7 ⭐️]]> 4.07 2024 Reckless (The Powerless Trilogy, #2)
author: Lauren Roberts
name: steph
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/06
date added: 2025/04/05
shelves:
review:
Reread - 4.7 stars

oh girl� i have a lot to say about kai� and we’d be here for hours if i said them all.
this entire book was basically all character based, romance, and other entertaining things, and lots of people hate it for that. but i honestly ate it up because pae and kai are my forever obsession.

this book is why kai is my #1 book bf!! and rereading made me fall in love with his pretty words once again.

although i wished the action scenes could have lasted a bit longer as they just came and went, i loved this book nonetheless, even more than the first time i read it.

i wish this was longer too, the angst could have been more prolonged. but hey, who am i to complain, giggling with every interaction between them??

i just know fearless will be at least a 4.5 ⭐️ and so will any novellas (if any) after that!!


Read 1: 4.4 ⭐️
Read 2: 4.7 ⭐️
]]> <![CDATA[Powerful (The Powerless Trilogy, #1.5)]]> 203840597
Adena and Paedyn have always been inseparable. Fate brought them together when they were young, but friendship ensured they would always protect each other and the home they built in the slums of Loot. But now Paedyn—an Ordinary—has been selected for the Purging Trials, which means almost certain death.

Now alone in Loot, Adena must fend for herself. After attempting to steal, she's rescued by a mysterious man from the market. Mak's shadowy past and secretive power set him apart from the other low-level Elites of Loot. And as the pair team up to see their loved ones before the Trials, the quest tests their loyalty, their love, and their lives.]]> 272 Lauren Roberts steph 5
this book BROKE me. BROKEEEE me.
“see you in the stars�
]]> 4.13 2024 Powerful (The Powerless Trilogy, #1.5)
author: Lauren Roberts
name: steph
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/30
date added: 2025/03/30
shelves:
review:
Reread - 5.0 stars

this book BROKE me. BROKEEEE me.
“see you in the stars�

]]> <![CDATA[Powerless (The Powerless Trilogy, #1)]]> 75513900 She is the very thing he’s spent his whole life hunting.
He is the very thing she’s spent her whole life pretending to be.

Only the extraordinary belong in the kingdom of Ilya—the exceptional, the empowered, the Elites.

The powers these Elites have possessed for decades were graciously gifted to them by the Plague, though not all were fortunate enough to both survive the sickness and reap the reward. Those born Ordinary are just that—ordinary. And when the king decreed that all Ordinaries be banished in order to preserve his Elite society, lacking an ability suddenly became a crime—making Paedyn Gray a felon by fate and a thief by necessity.

Surviving in the slums as an Ordinary is no simple task, and Paedyn knows this better than most. Having been trained by her father to be overly observant since she was a child, Paedyn poses as a Psychic in the crowded city, blending in with the Elites as best she can in order to stay alive and out of trouble. Easier said than done.

When Paeydn unsuspectingly saves one of Ilyas princes, she finds herself thrown into the Purging Trials. The brutal competition exists to showcase the Elites� powers—the very thing Paedyn lacks. If the Trials and the opponents within them don’t kill her, the prince she’s fighting feelings for certainly will if he discovers what she is—completely Ordinary.]]> 523 Lauren Roberts steph 5 holy-grails
KAIDYN FUCKUFICYFCJGSHSGSGS
i ALMOST forgot how much i LOVE this book.
and the reread was EVEN MORE gut wrenching than the first time i read this.
kai is my #1 book man and this only reminded me of WHY he is my #1. HIS WORDS� oh my god im weak.
i felt like i was being hit with a brick through this entire book, and it KILLS ME. THE ENDING. IT KILLLLLS ME.
and i will NOT rest until i finish reading fearless when it comes out. because kaidyn is one of my FAV book couples EVER.
i think my feelings about certain characters have changed through this reread, and i definitely sympathize with one of them, after what they went through.
and yet again, the ending did not fail to make me cry, scream, and break my heart ONCE MORE.

onto the powerful reread, time to cryyyyy�.


Read 1: 5.0 stars
Read 2: 5.0 stars]]> 4.17 2023 Powerless (The Powerless Trilogy, #1)
author: Lauren Roberts
name: steph
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/29
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: holy-grails
review:
Reread - 5.0 stars

KAIDYN FUCKUFICYFCJGSHSGSGS
i ALMOST forgot how much i LOVE this book.
and the reread was EVEN MORE gut wrenching than the first time i read this.
kai is my #1 book man and this only reminded me of WHY he is my #1. HIS WORDS� oh my god im weak.
i felt like i was being hit with a brick through this entire book, and it KILLS ME. THE ENDING. IT KILLLLLS ME.
and i will NOT rest until i finish reading fearless when it comes out. because kaidyn is one of my FAV book couples EVER.
i think my feelings about certain characters have changed through this reread, and i definitely sympathize with one of them, after what they went through.
and yet again, the ending did not fail to make me cry, scream, and break my heart ONCE MORE.

onto the powerful reread, time to cryyyyy�.


Read 1: 5.0 stars
Read 2: 5.0 stars
]]> <![CDATA[The Ashes & the Star-Cursed King (Crowns of Nyaxia, #2)]]> 62335396 Love is a sacrifice at the altar of power.

In the wake of the Kejari, everything Oraya once thought to be true has been destroyed. A prisoner in her own kingdom, grieving the only family she ever had, and reeling from a gutting betrayal, she no longer even knows the truth of her own blood. She’s left only with one certainty: she cannot trust anyone, least of all Raihn.

The House of Night, too, is surrounded by enemies. Raihn’s own nobles are none too eager to accept a Turned king, especially one who was once a slave. And the House of Blood digs their claws into the kingdom, threatening to tear it apart from the inside.

When Raihn offers Oraya a secret alliance, taking the deal is her only chance at reclaiming her kingdom–and gaining her vengeance against the lover who betrayed her. But to do so, she’ll need to harness a devastating ancient power, intertwined with her father’s greatest secrets.

But with enemies closing in on all sides, nothing is as it seems. As she unravels her past and faces her future, Oraya finds herself forced to choose between the bloody reality of seizing power � and the devastating love that could be her downfall.]]> 626 Carissa Broadbent steph 4
SUCHHHH A BEAUTIFUL ENDING ]]> 4.10 2023 The Ashes & the Star-Cursed King (Crowns of Nyaxia, #2)
author: Carissa Broadbent
name: steph
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/22
date added: 2025/03/21
shelves:
review:
4.3 stars

SUCHHHH A BEAUTIFUL ENDING
]]> <![CDATA[The Serpent and the Wings of Night (Crowns of Nyaxia, #1)]]> 60714999 Human or vampire, the rules of survival are the same: never trust, never yield, and always � always � guard your heart.

The adopted human daughter of the Nightborn vampire king, Oraya carved her place in a world designed to kill her. Her only chance to become something more than prey is entering the Kejari: a legendary tournament held by the goddess of death herself.

But winning won’t be easy amongst the most vicious warriors from all three vampire houses. To survive, Oraya is forced to make an alliance with a mysterious rival.

Everything about Raihn is dangerous. He is a ruthless vampire, an efficient killer, an enemy to her father’s crown� and her greatest competition. Yet, what terrifies Oraya most of all is that she finds herself oddly drawn to him.

But there’s no room for compassion in the Kejari. War for the House of Night brews, shattering everything that Oraya thought she knew about her home. And Raihn may understand her more than anyone � but their blossoming attraction could be her downfall, in a kingdom where nothing is more deadly than love.

The Serpent and the Wings of Night is the first book in a new series of heart-wrenching romance, dark magic, and bloodthirsty intrigue, perfect for fans of From Blood and Ash and A Court of Thorns and Roses.]]> 504 Carissa Broadbent steph 5
THEEEE chokehold that last 15% had on me was INSANE. what the fuck just happened and i neeeed to know what happens in book 2 right now.

this is a typical "the hunger games" romantasy. it doesn't stand out amongst countless others, but who said it has to be special to be addictive?? cause i was HOOKED.

i loved oraya and her attitude, alongside raihn of course. their banter was amazing and i loved every minute of them together. vincent was also such an interesting character and i was very intrigued by his switches in personality.

i also absolutely adored the trial aspects!! my fav was definitely the 3rd one, it was so exciting and i was on the edge of my seat the whole time. the final trial was also really good and i was super shocked at the plot twists, although i had already (slightly) predicted them because of my friend's (bad) efforts to not spoil it for me.

im still torn about a certain character's decision, but im hoping they get redeemed in book 2. this entire book was just addicting and i loooved the vampire aspects.]]> 4.29 2022 The Serpent and the Wings of Night (Crowns of Nyaxia, #1)
author: Carissa Broadbent
name: steph
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/14
date added: 2025/03/13
shelves:
review:
4.7 stars

THEEEE chokehold that last 15% had on me was INSANE. what the fuck just happened and i neeeed to know what happens in book 2 right now.

this is a typical "the hunger games" romantasy. it doesn't stand out amongst countless others, but who said it has to be special to be addictive?? cause i was HOOKED.

i loved oraya and her attitude, alongside raihn of course. their banter was amazing and i loved every minute of them together. vincent was also such an interesting character and i was very intrigued by his switches in personality.

i also absolutely adored the trial aspects!! my fav was definitely the 3rd one, it was so exciting and i was on the edge of my seat the whole time. the final trial was also really good and i was super shocked at the plot twists, although i had already (slightly) predicted them because of my friend's (bad) efforts to not spoil it for me.

im still torn about a certain character's decision, but im hoping they get redeemed in book 2. this entire book was just addicting and i loooved the vampire aspects.
]]> <![CDATA[Heavenly Bodies (Heavenly Bodies, #1)]]> 58650445
In a world where no entities exist but the Stars, cruel and merciless gods that watch over the world, Elara has been cursed by fate. A prophecy that promises she will fall for a Star, and it will kill them both.

But when one descends to wreak havoc on Elara's Kingdom, she is forced to flee into the arms of her enemy in the neighbouring country.

As she learns more about her own magic, and the depth of the Stars' deceit, she also finds herself learning more about the country she is forced to take refuge in, and the enemy prince forced to train her into a weapon.

Something dark brews within her, a power made of night and shadows that begs to be broken free.]]> 619 Imani Erriu steph 5
ELARAAAA ]]> 3.97 2022 Heavenly Bodies (Heavenly Bodies, #1)
author: Imani Erriu
name: steph
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/12
date added: 2025/03/12
shelves:
review:
4.5 stars

ELARAAAA
]]> War Storm (Red Queen, #4) 27188596 Victory comes at a price.

Mare Barrow learned this all too well when Cal’s betrayal nearly destroyed her. Now determined to protect her heart—and secure freedom for Reds and newbloods like her—Mare resolves to overthrow the kingdom of Norta once and for all� starting with the crown on Maven’s head.

But no battle is won alone, and before the Reds may rise as one, Mare must side with the boy who broke her heart in order to defeat the boy who almost broke her. Cal’s powerful Silver allies, alongside Mare and the Scarlet Guard, prove a formidable force. But Maven is driven by an obsession so deep, he will stop at nothing to have Mare as his own again, even if it means demolishing everything—and everyone—in his path.

War is coming, and all Mare has fought for hangs in the balance. Will victory be enough to topple the Silver kingdoms? Or will the little lightning girl be forever silenced?

In the epic conclusion to Victoria Aveyard’s stunning series, Mare must embrace her fate and summon all her power� for all will be tested, but not all will survive.]]> 662 Victoria Aveyard 0062422995 steph 4

i love this ending.
it was bittersweet in the best way possible, and although we didnt see much mare + cal in it, i still loved it so so much.
the epilogue was so beautifully written and perfectly ends the story!

evangeline was my favourite character, and i wish there was a whole other novella about her story now that she has escaped to montfort. i absolutely loved her ]]> 3.80 2018 War Storm (Red Queen, #4)
author: Victoria Aveyard
name: steph
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/05
date added: 2025/03/05
shelves:
review:
4.2 stars


i love this ending.
it was bittersweet in the best way possible, and although we didnt see much mare + cal in it, i still loved it so so much.
the epilogue was so beautifully written and perfectly ends the story!

evangeline was my favourite character, and i wish there was a whole other novella about her story now that she has escaped to montfort. i absolutely loved her
]]> Onyx Storm (The Empyrean, #3) 209439446
Now Violet must journey beyond the failing Aretian wards to seek allies from unfamiliar lands to stand with Navarre. The trip will test every bit of her wit, luck, and strength, but she will do anything to save what she loves—her dragons, her family, her home, and him.

Even if it means keeping a secret so big, it could destroy everything. They need an army. They need power. They need magic. And they need the one thing only Violet can find—the truth. But a storm is coming...and not everyone can survive its wrath.]]> 527 Rebecca Yarros 1649374186 steph 2
fourth wing? 6 stars. my second fav read ever.
iron flame? 4.2 stars. pretty good.
and this?? yeah no. 2 stars if im being generous. (1 star is for the book, the other is for xaden)

i seriously did not understand the need for the first 50% of this book. name after name after name... for what exactly..? the only part of this book i partially enjoyed were the parts during the 60/70% mark. and usually i love rebecca yarros' endings... but this one felt predictable, sooo anticlimactic, and overall boring. will i be theorising till the daybreak? well yes! will i read book 4 and 5? also yes! but the fact still remains that this book was a total snoozefest and i did not like it at all.

i did love xaden in this book though!! i think i like fourth wing xaden more but ohhhh onyx storm xaden... yeah you got me there.

i loved the first two books so much, i cant find it in me to quit the series now... so yes, ill be marking my calendars when the time comes!]]> 4.17 2025 Onyx Storm (The Empyrean, #3)
author: Rebecca Yarros
name: steph
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2025
rating: 2
read at: 2025/02/07
date added: 2025/03/03
shelves:
review:
how does a series just get worse and worse...

fourth wing? 6 stars. my second fav read ever.
iron flame? 4.2 stars. pretty good.
and this?? yeah no. 2 stars if im being generous. (1 star is for the book, the other is for xaden)

i seriously did not understand the need for the first 50% of this book. name after name after name... for what exactly..? the only part of this book i partially enjoyed were the parts during the 60/70% mark. and usually i love rebecca yarros' endings... but this one felt predictable, sooo anticlimactic, and overall boring. will i be theorising till the daybreak? well yes! will i read book 4 and 5? also yes! but the fact still remains that this book was a total snoozefest and i did not like it at all.

i did love xaden in this book though!! i think i like fourth wing xaden more but ohhhh onyx storm xaden... yeah you got me there.

i loved the first two books so much, i cant find it in me to quit the series now... so yes, ill be marking my calendars when the time comes!
]]> <![CDATA[Glow of the Everflame (Kindred's Curse, #2)]]> 124935969
The threat of war has arrived at Diem’s doorstep, along with a new discovery that could save her people. To use it, she must survive the next thirty days by forming a devil’s bargain with the people she hates most: the royal family of House Corbois.

But as she dives into the world of the Descended elite, Diem quickly realizes good and evil aren’t as simple as they seem. Old prejudices are challenged, and new loyalties blur the line between friend and foe.

Meanwhile, her mother is still missing, and the secrets she left behind can no longer be ignored—and neither can the Guardians and their demands. Caught between an old flame and a sizzling new spark, Diem must confront the truth about who she is and what she wants before time runs out.

War is coming, and dangerous enemies wait on all sides.. but the most deadly battle Diem faces may be the one for her heart.

Glow of the Everflame is the second book in The Kindred's Curse Saga, a four-book fantasy romance series. This book will appeal to fans of plot-heavy, character-driven romantasy such as A Court of Thorns and Roses, Throne of Glass, From Blood and Ash, Gild, Shadow & Bone, and The Serpent & the Wings of Night.]]> 637 Penn Cole steph 5 holy-grails i love her so much.
anyways this book was a 5 star (4.9 to be exact but whos counting), that last 20% was.... my gosh
its been 2.5 months since i read this but i still think about it ALL. THE. TIME.
i distinctly remember screaming WHAT THE HELL over and over throughout the last portion of the book. and i loved it.
i will literally crawl to get burn of the everflame released like, rn.]]> 4.36 2023 Glow of the Everflame (Kindred's Curse, #2)
author: Penn Cole
name: steph
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/16
date added: 2025/03/03
shelves: holy-grails
review:
i will defend diem with my entire heart and soul.
i love her so much.
anyways this book was a 5 star (4.9 to be exact but whos counting), that last 20% was.... my gosh
its been 2.5 months since i read this but i still think about it ALL. THE. TIME.
i distinctly remember screaming WHAT THE HELL over and over throughout the last portion of the book. and i loved it.
i will literally crawl to get burn of the everflame released like, rn.
]]> Believe Me (Shatter Me, #6.5) 58517502 The devastatingly romantic fifth novella in the New York Times and USA Today bestselling Shatter Me series, chronicling the events after Imagine Me, the explosive sixth novel.

Juliette and Warner fought hard to take down the Reestablishment once and for all. Life in the aftermath isn’t easy, as they and their friends at the Sanctuary work with their limited resources to stabilize the world.

Warner has his sights set on more than just politics. Since he proposed to Juliette two weeks ago, he’s been eager to finally marry her, the person he loves more than anything and has endured so much to be with. But with so much chaos around them, it’s been nearly impossible for them to have a wedding. And even Juliette has been distracted by everything they need to do.

At long last, Warner and Juliette’s future together is within reach, but the world continues to try to pull them apart. Will they finally be able to be happily, officially, together?

Celebrate the tenth anniversary of Tahereh Mafi's bestselling Shatter Me series with Believe Me!]]> 177 Tahereh Mafi 0063228319 steph 4 4.13 2021 Believe Me (Shatter Me, #6.5)
author: Tahereh Mafi
name: steph
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/11
date added: 2025/03/03
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Prisoner’s Throne (The Stolen Heir Duology, #2)]]> 61250159 An imprisoned prince. A vengeful queen. And a battle that will determine the future of Elfhame.

Prince Oak is paying for his betrayal. Imprisoned in the icy north and bound to the will of a monstrous new queen, he must rely on charm and calculation to survive. With High King Cardan and High Queen Jude willing to use any means necessary to retrieve their stolen heir, Oak will have to decide whether to attempt regaining the trust of the girl he’s always loved or to remain loyal to Elfhame and hand over the means to end her reign—even if it means ending Wren, too.
�

With a new war looming on the horizon and treachery lurking in every corner, neither Oak’s guile nor his wit will be enough to keep everyone he loves alive. It’s just a question of whom he will doom.

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black comes the stunning blood-soaked conclusion to the Stolen Heir duology.
]]> 359 Holly Black 0316592730 steph 3 3.88 2024 The Prisoner’s Throne (The Stolen Heir Duology, #2)
author: Holly Black
name: steph
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/05
date added: 2025/03/03
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Stolen Heir (The Stolen Heir Duology, #1)]]> 61198133 A runaway queen. A reluctant prince. And a quest that may destroy them both.

Eight years have passed since the Battle of the Serpent. But in the icy north, Lady Nore of the Court of Teeth has reclaimed the Ice Needle Citadel. There, she is using an ancient relic to create monsters of stick and snow who will do her bidding and exact her revenge.

Suren, child queen of the Court of Teeth, and the one person with power over her mother, fled to the human world. There, she lives feral in the woods. Lonely, and still haunted by the merciless torments she endured in the Court of Teeth, she bides her time by releasing mortals from foolish bargains. She believes herself forgotten until the storm hag, Bogdana chases her through the night streets. Suren is saved by none other than Prince Oak, heir to Elfhame, to whom she was once promised in marriage and who she has resented for years.

Now seventeen, Oak is charming, beautiful, and manipulative. He’s on a mission that will lead him into the north, and he wants Suren’s help. But if she agrees, it will mean guarding her heart against the boy she once knew and a prince she cannot trust, as well as confronting all the horrors she thought she left behind.

#1New York Timesbestselling author Holly Black returns to the opulent world of Elfhame in the first book in a thrilling new duology, following Jude's brother Oak, and the changeling queen, Suren.]]> 356 Holly Black 0316592706 steph 2 3.92 2023 The Stolen Heir (The Stolen Heir Duology, #1)
author: Holly Black
name: steph
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2023
rating: 2
read at: 2024/12/03
date added: 2025/03/03
shelves:
review:

]]> Caraval (Caraval, #1) 27883214 A legendary competition.
A mesmerizing romance.
An unbreakable bond
between two sisters.

Scarlett Dragna has never left the tiny island where she and her sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval—the faraway, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show—are over.

But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt-of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.

Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. Nevertheless she becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic. And whether Caraval is real or not, Scarlett must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over or a dangerous domino effect of consequences will be set off, and her beloved sister will disappear forever.

Welcome, welcome to Caraval . . . beware of getting swept too far away.]]> 407 Stephanie Garber 1250095255 steph 3 3.97 2016 Caraval (Caraval, #1)
author: Stephanie Garber
name: steph
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2016
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/16
date added: 2025/03/03
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Queen Trials (The Queen Trials, #1)]]> 61235705 What happens when The Hunger Games meets The Selection?

I never wanted to join the Queen Trials.

But I’m not a victim and never have been. When a peacekeeper attacks me in a mine shaft, I fight back and win.

Sort of. Because I made a mistake. I let him live.

He knows my name. He’ll come after me and he’ll kill the only person I love, my sweet, clueless brother Shellor. Nobody escapes from Locality Fourteen. There was only one way out that would protect us both: enter the Queen Trials and become a star.

Now, I’m plunged into a competition with dozens of gorgeous women from all over the kingdom. My fame shelters my brother. My beauty protects me. Or is it my luck? Every woman in the arena wants to capture King Ergondy’s attention, but he only has eyes for me. How long will it be before my luck runs out?

I never wanted to join The Queen Trials.

Now, I must win them.]]> 265 Penelope Wright steph 3 4.16 The Queen Trials (The Queen Trials, #1)
author: Penelope Wright
name: steph
average rating: 4.16
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2024/04/01
date added: 2025/03/03
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Princess Crown (The Princess Trials, #3)]]> 53426840 She wanted to destroy the monarchy.
Now she must battle to save her prince.

Zea resumes her role as a spy but this time against the people she once pledged her loyalty—the Red Runners.

Rescuing Prince Kevon won’t be easy, especially when suspicion plagues Zea's every step. She also doesn’t know how the prince will react to learning her terrible truth.

Lies are uncovered, hearts broken� Can Zea and Prince Kevon overcome their differences, save Phangloria and find love?]]> 428 Cordelia K. Castel steph 3 3.92 2020 The Princess Crown (The Princess Trials, #3)
author: Cordelia K. Castel
name: steph
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2024/05/01
date added: 2025/03/03
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Princess Trials (The Princess Trials, #1)]]> 53320739 Thirty young women. A handsome prince. A battle to the death

Water is scarce. Deserts have taken over the land. Nuclear war has devastated humanity. Humans live in walled super cities to keep out the irradiated. The land that was formerly known as America is divided into kingdoms ruled by royal elites.

Born into the lowest Echelon of the Kingdom of Phangloria, sixteen-year-old Zea Calico faces a life of hunger, thirst, and toil. The only way out of this drudgery is revolution, and Zea is desperate to help the cause.

When the palace calls for candidates to compete to marry Prince Kevon, Zea joins the Princess Trials to search the palace for weaknesses.

The trials should be a fairytale of sumptuous meals, ballgowns, and romance, but one misplaced word causes Zea to attract the Prince's attention. When Zea uncovers the man beneath Prince Kevon's public facade, she is at risk of falling in love and losing sight of her mission.

But the televised beauty pageant turns deadly, and Zea must fight for survival.]]> 504 Cordelia K. Castel steph 3 3.79 2020 The Princess Trials (The Princess Trials, #1)
author: Cordelia K. Castel
name: steph
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2024/05/01
date added: 2025/03/03
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Princess Games (The Princess Trials, #2)]]> 53441053
When her enemies uncover a secret that drives a rift between Zea and Prince Kevon, she’s not only battling for survival but facing execution.

Perfect for fans of The Hunger Games and The Selection, this exciting tale of courage, intrigue, and betrayal will have you turning pages.]]> 516 Cordelia K. Castel steph 3 4.00 2020 The Princess Games (The Princess Trials, #2)
author: Cordelia K. Castel
name: steph
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2024/05/01
date added: 2025/03/03
shelves:
review:

]]> King's Cage (Red Queen, #3) 35072205
Mare Barrow is a prisoner, powerless without her lightning, tormented by her lethal mistakes. She lives at the mercy of a boy she once loved, a boy made of lies and betrayal. Now a king, Maven Calore continues weaving his dead mother's web in an attempt to maintain control over his country—and his prisoner.

As Mare bears the weight of Silent Stone in the palace, her once-ragtag band of newbloods and Reds continue organizing, training, and expanding. They prepare for war, no longer able to linger in the shadows. And Cal, the exiled prince with his own claim on Mare's heart, will stop at nothing to bring her back.

When blood turns on blood, and ability on ability, there may be no one left to put out the fire—leaving Norta as Mare knows it to burn all the way down.]]> 700 Victoria Aveyard 6023852866 steph 4 3.77 2017 King's Cage (Red Queen, #3)
author: Victoria Aveyard
name: steph
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/27
date added: 2025/02/26
shelves:
review:

]]> Glass Sword (Red Queen, #2) 23174274 If there’s one thing Mare Barrow knows, it’s that she’s different.

Mare Barrow’s blood is red—the color of common folk—but her Silver ability, the power to control lightning, has turned her into a weapon that the royal court tries to control.

The crown calls her an impossibility, a fake, but as she makes her escape from Maven, the prince—the friend—who betrayed her, Mare uncovers something startling: she is not the only one of her kind.

Pursued by Maven, now a vindictive king, Mare sets out to find and recruit other Red-and-Silver fighters to join in the struggle against her oppressors.

But Mare finds herself on a deadly path, at risk of becoming exactly the kind of monster she is trying to defeat.

Will she shatter under the weight of the lives that are the cost of rebellion? Or have treachery and betrayal hardened her forever?

The electrifying next installment in the Red Queen series escalates the struggle between the growing rebel army and the blood-segregated world they’ve always known—and pits Mare against the darkness that has grown in her soul.]]> 444 Victoria Aveyard 0062310666 steph 4 3.79 2016 Glass Sword (Red Queen, #2)
author: Victoria Aveyard
name: steph
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/20
date added: 2025/02/19
shelves:
review:

]]> Red Queen (Red Queen, #1) 22328546 This is a world divided by blood—red or silver.

The Reds are commoners, ruled by a Silver elite in possession of god-like superpowers. And to Mare Barrow, a seventeen-year-old Red girl from the poverty-stricken Stilts, it seems like nothing will ever change.

That is until she finds herself working in the Silver Palace. Here, surrounded by the people she hates the most, Mare discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy the balance of power.

Fearful of Mare's potential, the Silvers hide her in plain view, declaring her a long-lost Silver princess, now engaged to a Silver prince. Despite knowing that one misstep would mean her death, Mare works silently to help the Red Guard, a militant resistance group, and bring down the Silver regime.

But this is a world of betrayal and lies, and Mare has entered a dangerous dance—Reds against Silvers, prince against prince, and Mare against her own heart.]]> 388 Victoria Aveyard 0062310631 steph 4 3.98 2015 Red Queen (Red Queen, #1)
author: Victoria Aveyard
name: steph
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/15
date added: 2025/02/15
shelves:
review:

]]> The White Girl 45020150 "A profound allegory of good and evil, and a deep exploration of human interaction, black and white, alternately beautiful and tender, cruel and unsettling."--Guardian

Australia's leading indigenous storyteller makes his American debut with this immersive and deeply resonant novel, set in the 1960s, that explores the lengths we'll go to save the people we love--an unforgettable story of one native Australian family and the racist government that threatens to separate them.

Odette Brown has lived her entire life on the fringes of Deane, a small Australian country town. Dark secrets simmer beneath the surface of Deane--secrets that could explain why Odette's daughter, Lila, left her one-year-old daughter, Sissy, and never came back, or why Sissy has white skin when her family is Aboriginal.

For thirteen years, Odette has quietly raised her granddaughter without drawing notice from welfare authorities who remove fair-skinned Aboriginal children from their families. But the arrival of a new policeman with cruel eyes and a rigid by-the-book attitude throws the Brown women's lives off-kilter. It will take all of Odette's courage and cunning to save Sissy from the authorities, and maybe even lead her to find her daughter.

Bolstered by love, smarts, and the strength of their ancestors, Odette and Sissy are an indomitable force, handling threats to their family and their own identities with grace and ingenuity, while never losing hope for themselves and their future.

In The White Girl, Miles Franklin Award-nominated author Tony Birch illuminates Australia's devastating post-colonial past--notably the government's racist policy of separating Indigenous children from their families, known today as the Stolen Generations--and introduces a tight-knit group of charming, inspiring characters who remind us of our shared humanity, and that kindness, hope, and love have no limits.]]> 272 Tony Birch 070226038X steph 3 4.05 2019 The White Girl
author: Tony Birch
name: steph
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2019
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/11
date added: 2025/02/10
shelves:
review:

]]> Inferno's Heir 206777437 Fearing for her life, an outcast princess joins the rebellion against her own kingdom and family.�.�. but when playing with fire, someone always gets burned.

Teia Carthan abandoned her morals long ago, and now there’s nothing she won’t do to stay alive. So far she has survived her parents� deaths, the ire of the Council, and innumerable attempts on her life, orchestrated by Jura, her half brother and soon-to-be king of Erisia. Teia’s rare control over two elements marks her as both an outsider and a formidable opponent—but once Jura is crowned king, there will be no way to survive him. Not for Teia, not for anyone.

When Jura moves to crush the rebellion that seeks to overthrow the monarchy, Teia sees one last opportunity to ensure her own safety. She can infiltrate the rebels, locate their base .�.�. and betray them to Jura, trading their lives for her own.

Yet when Teia meets the rebels, she gets far more than she bargained for. And when she gains not only their trust but their friendship, she begins to have doubts. Perhaps the rebels are right. Perhaps the Golden Palaceshouldbe torn down and the monarchy destroyed.

But then again—what if there is another possibility? What if Teia were on the throne instead?]]> 400 Tiffany Wang 1959411772 steph 3 3.71 2024 Inferno's Heir
author: Tiffany Wang
name: steph
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/09
date added: 2025/02/09
shelves:
review:

]]> Iron Flame (The Empyrean, #2) 90202302 “The first year is when some of us lose our lives. The second year is when the rest of us lose our humanity.� —Xaden Riorson

Everyone expected Violet Sorrengail to die during her first year at Basgiath War College—Violet included. But Threshing was only the first impossible test meant to weed out the weak-willed, the unworthy, and the unlucky.

Now the real training begins, and Violet’s already wondering how she’ll get through. It’s not just that it’s grueling and maliciously brutal, or even that it’s designed to stretch the riders� capacity for pain beyond endurance. It’s the new vice commandant, who’s made it his personal mission to teach Violet exactly how powerless she is–unless she betrays the man she loves.

Although Violet’s body might be weaker and frailer than everyone else’s, she still has her wits—and a will of iron. And leadership is forgetting the most important lesson Basgiath has taught her: Dragon riders make their own rules.

But a determination to survive won’t be enough this year.

Because Violet knows the real secret hidden for centuries at Basgiath War College—and nothing, not even dragon fire, may be enough to save them in the end.]]> 623 Rebecca Yarros 1649374178 steph 4 4.33 2023 Iron Flame (The Empyrean, #2)
author: Rebecca Yarros
name: steph
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/29
date added: 2025/02/01
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Fourth Wing (The Empyrean, #1)]]> 61431922 Enter the brutal and elite world of a war college for dragon riders...

Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general—also known as her tough-as-talons mother—has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders.

But when you’re smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away...because dragons don’t bond to “fragile� humans. They incinerate them.

With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother’s daughter—like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant.

She’ll need every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise.

Yet, with every day that passes, the war outside grows more deadly, the kingdom's protective wards are failing, and the death toll continues to rise. Even worse, Violet begins to suspect leadership is hiding a terrible secret.

Friends, enemies, lovers. Everyone at Basgiath War College has an agenda—because once you enter, there are only two ways out: graduate or die]]> 528 Rebecca Yarros 1649374046 steph 5 holy-grails
THIS WAS AMAZING. like what-the-fuck-girl amazing. cant-put-this-down amazing. im-weak-for-xaden amazing.
finally a main character who isnt overpowered and has FLAWS. YES PLEASE!!
and xaden? dont get me started. i was GIGGLING every time he spoke. call me crazy, lovesick, stupid, all of the above - i dont care. he is so fucking EEEEEK ]]> 4.56 2023 Fourth Wing (The Empyrean, #1)
author: Rebecca Yarros
name: steph
average rating: 4.56
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/23
date added: 2025/01/22
shelves: holy-grails
review:
6 FUCKING STARS. (also my second 6 star book ever)

THIS WAS AMAZING. like what-the-fuck-girl amazing. cant-put-this-down amazing. im-weak-for-xaden amazing.
finally a main character who isnt overpowered and has FLAWS. YES PLEASE!!
and xaden? dont get me started. i was GIGGLING every time he spoke. call me crazy, lovesick, stupid, all of the above - i dont care. he is so fucking EEEEEK
]]> <![CDATA[Cursed Fates (Zodiac Academy, #5)]]> 50391615 Lionel seeks to hurt us, the Nymphs seek to hurt the entire Fae race, and between all of it, we just have to try and survive each day as it comes.
I'm afraid of everything falling apart, but it looks like it already has.
]]> 886 Caroline Peckham steph 5 holy-grails 4.31 2020 Cursed Fates (Zodiac Academy, #5)
author: Caroline Peckham
name: steph
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/01
date added: 2025/01/22
shelves: holy-grails
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Restless Stars (Zodiac Academy, #9)]]> 198954263 Orphans. Changelings. Princesses. Queens.
We are all and nothing now, our fate weighed on the scales of the stars and counterbalanced by the forces that oppose us. The shadow of the false king spreads as thick as oil across the kingdom we were born to rule, and none remain untouched by its darkness. Our crowns lay within reach if only we can claim them. All souls are at risk now and when the final battle dawns, a new regime will rise. The time for the true reckoning is upon us and we have proven ourselves as savage as our father, as brutal as our mother, and as wild as the Elements which roar through our veins. We can only hope it is enough. When the last sword strikes the final death in this game of fate and fortune, only one side will be victorious. The Starfall Legion charges at first light. And our destiny rides upon our shoulders as we rush into the end. All hail the True Queens. May our rule last longer than this night.

***This is a dark fantasy romance � don’t go expecting a sweet school for magic with friends around every corner. Fae fight for everything they own and Zodiac Academy is a cutthroat school for students aged 18+ where only the strongest prevail. There’s no Dumbledore here to save anyone’s ass and Lionel Acrux will give Voldemort a run for his money in the evil dictator category. So hold onto your stardust (broomsticks not required) and get ready for a bumpy ride***]]> 1153 Caroline Peckham steph 5 4.7 stars (oh my stars a happy ending, wtf?!?! tier)

song/lyrics: legends never die - league of legends “its deep in their bones, theyll run into smoke, when the fire is fierce�

~~~

HAPPILY EVER AFTER. ]]> 4.28 2024 Restless Stars (Zodiac Academy, #9)
author: Caroline Peckham
name: steph
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/20
date added: 2025/01/19
shelves:
review:
Zodiac Academy: Restless Stars (#9)
4.7 stars (oh my stars a happy ending, wtf?!?! tier)

song/lyrics: legends never die - league of legends “its deep in their bones, theyll run into smoke, when the fire is fierce�

~~~

HAPPILY EVER AFTER.
]]> <![CDATA[Live and Let Lionel (Zodiac Academy, #8.6)]]> 207603149 This is a bonus content novella to celebrate the series coming to a close and contains 100k words of bonus content from the Zodiac Academy Series.

Savage - a short story about Hail and Merissa Vega's love story
The Shimmering Springs - that night Caleb and Seth did or didn't kiss...
The moment Geraldine first saw the twins
Seth on the Moon - one Werewolf's wanderings on the moon
Night - that time the twins met the Ruthless Boys - with a never before published chapter!
Orion ‘blue� alternate POV - BRAND NEW
Orion ‘Fairy Fair� alternate POV
Darius 'throne room' alternate POV
Darius ‘Stars� alternate POV - BRAND NEW
Featuring the never before seen map of Solaria!
Each chapter is introduced by Lionel Acrux, looking back on how his enemies have thwarted him and how he overcame their insufferable rebellion - BRAND NEW]]> 330 Caroline Peckham steph 4 3.7 stars (idk how to rate a short story collection tier)

~~~

how do i even start, i have differing feelings for each short story ]]> 3.85 2024 Live and Let Lionel (Zodiac Academy, #8.6)
author: Caroline Peckham
name: steph
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/15
date added: 2025/01/15
shelves:
review:
Zodiac Academy: Live and Let Lionel (#8.6)
3.7 stars (idk how to rate a short story collection tier)

~~~

how do i even start, i have differing feelings for each short story
]]> <![CDATA[Beyond the Veil (Zodiac Academy, #8.5)]]> 177899172 The Veil closed at our backs.
And now death holds us in its clutches.

We were torn from life before our time, a Savage King, his queen, a betrayed son, a wronged brother, a scorned wife and so many more. We watch those we left behind as they struggle against the grip of the stars, the answers to so many of their questions within our grasp and yet out of their reach.
But what if we could find a way to answer their pleas? What if we could find a way to help them from this side of the divide? And what price would such a thing come at?

*This is a bridging book which takes place beyond The Veil (in the land of the dead) during the events of book 8 in the Zodiac Academy series. It should be read after book 8 to avoid spoilers for that book and holds the answer to what takes place for the characters who are held within the clutches of death by this point in the story, as well as vital clues to the conclusion of this epic series.*]]> 416 Caroline Peckham steph 5 4.4 stars (this was wayy better than a certain sorrow and starlight)

song/lyrics: let the world burn - chris grey “id let the world burn for you, this is how it always had to end, if i cant have u then no one can�

~~~

never thought id love this as much as i did but here we are.
sorrow and starlight? snoozefest.
but this?? redeemed.
i am SO glad i picked up this as a tandem read, otherwise 1200+ pages of SAS would be BORING. however i loved almost every moment of this!!
i could read a whole book on felicia night. i LOVED her story, it was more interesting than what was going on in SAS at the time.
and darius� povs? ]]> 3.84 2023 Beyond the Veil (Zodiac Academy, #8.5)
author: Caroline Peckham
name: steph
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/15
date added: 2025/01/14
shelves:
review:
Zodiac Academy: Beyond the Veil (#8.5)
4.4 stars (this was wayy better than a certain sorrow and starlight)

song/lyrics: let the world burn - chris grey “id let the world burn for you, this is how it always had to end, if i cant have u then no one can�

~~~

never thought id love this as much as i did but here we are.
sorrow and starlight? snoozefest.
but this?? redeemed.
i am SO glad i picked up this as a tandem read, otherwise 1200+ pages of SAS would be BORING. however i loved almost every moment of this!!
i could read a whole book on felicia night. i LOVED her story, it was more interesting than what was going on in SAS at the time.
and darius� povs?
]]> <![CDATA[Sorrow and Starlight (Zodiac Academy, #8)]]> 59808792 All stars must fall.

Bloody, lost, broken. We live to fight another day. But with so much stolen from us, can the fates ever twist in our favour again?

My sister and I have been torn apart by shadows and despair, and now we each stand alone.

Our sorrow is spun like a web, trapping us tight, and I fear our enemies will soon come to feast upon our souls.

But if I have my way, the merciless sky will have dealt us its final fortune. It’s time for us to take back the power that’s been ripped from our grasp and turn the tide of this war.

All stars must fall, and all Phoenixes must rise.

Long live the Savage Queens.

*This will now be book 8 of 9 in the series*

***This is a dark, bully romance � don’t go expecting a sweet school for magic with friends around every corner. Fae fight for everything they own and Zodiac Academy is a cutthroat school for students aged 18+ where only the strongest prevail. There’s no Dumbledore here to save anyone’s ass and Lionel Acrux will give Voldemort a run for his money in the evil dictator category. So hold onto your stardust (broomsticks not required) and get ready for a bumpy ride***]]> 1242 Caroline Peckham steph 3 3.5 stars (i dont know what to feel tier)

song/lyrics: the one that got away - katy perry “in another life, i would be your girl, we’d keep all our promises, be us against the world�

~~~

i mean, this book was alright.
did it meet my expectations? no, but did i enjoy reading it regardless? yeah!
in comparison to previous zodiac academy books, this one just fell short for me. everyone was split up, nothing was happening, and where did the DRAMA go??? this entire book was tory trying to get darius back, orion and darcy just sitting in a lil cage being kicked about by lavinia. honestly, it only started getting interesting again at 90%+ through, when tory sets out to the damned forest and stella took orions bond and her life. but the last 10%? amazing. loved it. i missed the academy so much, im so sad that they likely wont be back there for a while ]]> 4.03 2022 Sorrow and Starlight (Zodiac Academy, #8)
author: Caroline Peckham
name: steph
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/15
date added: 2025/01/14
shelves:
review:
Zodiac Academy: Sorrow and Starlight (#8)
3.5 stars (i dont know what to feel tier)

song/lyrics: the one that got away - katy perry “in another life, i would be your girl, we’d keep all our promises, be us against the world�

~~~

i mean, this book was alright.
did it meet my expectations? no, but did i enjoy reading it regardless? yeah!
in comparison to previous zodiac academy books, this one just fell short for me. everyone was split up, nothing was happening, and where did the DRAMA go??? this entire book was tory trying to get darius back, orion and darcy just sitting in a lil cage being kicked about by lavinia. honestly, it only started getting interesting again at 90%+ through, when tory sets out to the damned forest and stella took orions bond and her life. but the last 10%? amazing. loved it. i missed the academy so much, im so sad that they likely wont be back there for a while
]]> <![CDATA[Heartless Sky (Zodiac Academy, #7)]]> 56474282
On the run and cast out from society, we’ve been forced to hide from the mad man who stole our throne. But as more secrets come to light and my sister and I work harder than ever before to reach our potential and claim our birth right, the end is finally drawing closer.

There is no turning from this path now. The curse chases on our heels as time rushes by and the blood drenched destiny of the man I love looms ever closer just like the monster who stole our throne.

We must prepare for the final battle, but three things are clear now.

The cards have already been dealt.

Blood will spill for a new future to rise.

And the stars themselves can’t help us.

The fight for the throne is upon us. All hail the heartless sky.]]> 991 Caroline Peckham steph 4 4.5 stars (what the fuck was that ending tier)

song/lyrics: till forever falls apart - ashe & finneas “im so glad i got to hold ya, and if the sky falls from heaven above, i know i had the best time falling into love�

thoughts below - major spoilers for heartless sky

~~~

AAAAAAAAAAAAA.
no. this CANNOT be happening.
FUCK FUCK FUCK.
SAY SIKE RIGHT NOW ]]> 4.20 2021 Heartless Sky (Zodiac Academy, #7)
author: Caroline Peckham
name: steph
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/09
date added: 2025/01/09
shelves:
review:
Zodiac Academy: Heartless Sky (#7)
4.5 stars (what the fuck was that ending tier)

song/lyrics: till forever falls apart - ashe & finneas “im so glad i got to hold ya, and if the sky falls from heaven above, i know i had the best time falling into love�

thoughts below - major spoilers for heartless sky

~~~

AAAAAAAAAAAAA.
no. this CANNOT be happening.
FUCK FUCK FUCK.
SAY SIKE RIGHT NOW
]]> <![CDATA[The Reckoning (Zodiac Academy, #3)]]> 49551172 The answer to your question will be revealed on the Lunar Eclipse. But when finding the truth, don't let the shadows take you.

The week of The Reckoning has begun. And senior students have been tasked with making the freshmen's lives pure hell as they prepare to take their fateful assessment.

With the Lunar Eclipse on the horizon, Tory and Darcy have more to worry about than just passing their exams. A dark plot is unfolding and the shadows are drawing closer...]]> 561 Caroline Peckham steph 4 4.33 2019 The Reckoning (Zodiac Academy, #3)
author: Caroline Peckham
name: steph
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/29
date added: 2025/01/05
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Ruthless Fae (Zodiac Academy, #2)]]> 51966347 They tried to break us.
They almost did.
But we're not going anywhere.


The Celestial Heirs think the stars are on their side. But they don't know what's coming.Fighting them one on one isn't an option so we have to be stealthy. Remaining under the radar won't be easy, but if we pull it off, they'll never suspect our involvement when their lives start falling apart.

Besides, they've already taken us to the brink of hell, what more can they really do?]]> 475 Caroline Peckham steph 4 4.20 2019 Ruthless Fae (Zodiac Academy, #2)
author: Caroline Peckham
name: steph
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/27
date added: 2025/01/05
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Awakening as Told by the Boys (Zodiac Academy, #1.5)]]> 58800799 **This is a retelling of book 1 of Zodiac Academy from the perspective of Orion, Darius, Caleb, Seth and Max**

The Vega twins are alive.

Those five words circle in my mind like an oncoming storm. They change everything about the future we thought had been set in stone. They challenge everything we were raised to be and the stability of the entire kingdom.

They’re coming to our academy looking for the life that was stolen from them, but we can’t let them take it back.

So much hangs in the balance and we can’t risk the arrival of two naïve princesses destroying everything we worked so hard for.

I have trained in dark magic, overcome all challenges and stood in the shadow of Lionel Acrux for far too long already. I won’t let them come between me and his downfall.

Which means they have to go before they discover how powerful they truly are.

This is a retelling of the first book in the Zodiac Academy series from the point of view of Orion and the Heirs and should be read after you have finished the original story. It includes scenes from alternative points of view as well over 50k words of additional content and scenes which have never before been revealed. So prepare to step into the dark minds of the Zodiac boys and watch out for the heartbreak and carnage that will ensue.]]> 534 Caroline Peckham steph 3 3.4 stars (boring but had very major redeeming qualities tier)

song/lyrics: angels like you - miley cyrus “a little more hurt wont kill you� i brought you down to your knees, cause they say that misery loves company�

thoughts below - spoilers for this book/ the awakening!

quick note: i read this after book 6: fated throne. so some of my judgement may be affected by how i was freaking itching to get back to the main plot - therefore i read this just slightly quicker. ]]> 4.07 2021 The Awakening as Told by the Boys (Zodiac Academy, #1.5)
author: Caroline Peckham
name: steph
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/06
date added: 2025/01/05
shelves:
review:
Zodiac Academy: The Awakening as told by the Boys (#1.5)
3.4 stars (boring but had very major redeeming qualities tier)

song/lyrics: angels like you - miley cyrus “a little more hurt wont kill you� i brought you down to your knees, cause they say that misery loves company�

thoughts below - spoilers for this book/ the awakening!

quick note: i read this after book 6: fated throne. so some of my judgement may be affected by how i was freaking itching to get back to the main plot - therefore i read this just slightly quicker.
]]> <![CDATA[Fated Throne (Zodiac Academy, #6)]]> 53535526
Without my sister, the world seems darker than ever before and the shadows loom thicker, rising up to answer the call of the Shadow Princess and changing the face of Solaria for good.

Now Lionel Acrux has the strength to make a move for the throne, I’m not sure how much time we have left to stop him.

Our only hope is to find the Imperial Star before he does. We made the sacrifice the stars called for and we’re paying the price for that decision so it can’t be for nothing. But with the stars turning against us at every move, and the last light in the world seeming to fade, I’m afraid we’re almost out of time. Hope is a dangerous thing. It’s the key to us fighting on. But it could be what destroys us in the end.

One thing is for certain, I won’t stop until I have been reunited with my other half and together we will fight to take our crowns.

A war is coming.

The throne is calling for a new monarch. And someone must answer its call.]]> 823 Caroline Peckham steph 5 4.7 stars (ripping my hair out tier)

song/lyrics: die first- nessa barrett “maybe i can break the curse, and i can be in love forever, if i die first�

thoughts below - major spoilers for fated throne!!

~~~

WELL FUCK.
id gotten spoiled for the ending by a tiktok before, (it had no spoiler warning) and DAMN. that hurt more than i thought it would, considering i had prepared myself since 95% through the book.
MY MAN DARIUS� what the FUCK.
]]> 4.32 2020 Fated Throne (Zodiac Academy, #6)
author: Caroline Peckham
name: steph
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/04
date added: 2025/01/04
shelves:
review:
Zodiac Academy: Fated Throne (#6)
4.7 stars (ripping my hair out tier)

song/lyrics: die first- nessa barrett “maybe i can break the curse, and i can be in love forever, if i die first�

thoughts below - major spoilers for fated throne!!

~~~

WELL FUCK.
id gotten spoiled for the ending by a tiktok before, (it had no spoiler warning) and DAMN. that hurt more than i thought it would, considering i had prepared myself since 95% through the book.
MY MAN DARIUS� what the FUCK.

]]> <![CDATA[The Big A.S.S. Party (Zodiac Academy, #5.5)]]> 54798561
Now, on this most special and wonderous of days, the very day of their birth � I will prove myself to be the most loyal and dependable of their followers. Though of course, Venus is in my chart and Lady Petunia has caught sight of the bothersome barracuda once more.

Max Rigel is my most sinful of temptations, the shark in the dark who wishes to lure me to his sea cave and I don’t know if I’m Fae enough to resist him for long.

But one thing is for sure, I will make certain the Vegas get the big A.S.S. party they deserve for their birthday or I’ll die trying. Succulent squids be damned!


This is a 25k novella set in the world of Solaria during Book 5 of the Zodiac Academy series, Cursed Fates, featuring Geraldine and Max as they attend the party of the century and try to resist the lure of the moon as it pushes them together once more. It’s full of slippery salmons and more buttery bagels than you can shake a stick at and is best read after Cursed Fates.]]> 98 Caroline Peckham steph 3 3.81 2020 The Big A.S.S. Party (Zodiac Academy, #5.5)
author: Caroline Peckham
name: steph
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/03
date added: 2025/01/02
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Shadow Princess (Zodiac Academy, #4)]]> 53146871
With a secret binding them to Darius and Orion, they must find a way to all work together for the greater good. But some things are easier said than done...]]> 724 Caroline Peckham steph 5 Song: Phoenix - League of Legends

i like, never write reviews.

never.

but DAMN that ending.

~~~~~~~

Warning: this is not really a review. its more of a rant. so if you wanna read an absolutely dogshit rant about this book and literally all of my thoughts, go ahead. if youre here for a real review, tough luck.

~~~~~~~

ive never cried over a book in my life.
one thing about me is that i absolutely LOVE heartbreak. kill off all the main characters' partners?? id be laughing my ass off. and was i laughing my ass off as tory shattered darius' heart into pieces and hers as well in the process? HELL YEAH!

i dont think an ending has ever made me feel this way before other than the ballad of never after's. but this could be a close, CLOSE second.

like - the book itself? it was pretty good, especially in the latter half. tory x darius might just be one of my fav character dynamics ever. instalove? not for me. i NEED enemies and lovers to get me going and tory x darius fulfilled this need PERFECTLY. was i secretly having a party in my head whenever tory shut darius down? WELL YES! was i cackling like a goddamn witch whenever darius really thought he had tory once and for all? OBVIOUSLY!

loved the shimmering springs scene. loved the throne room scene. loved tory. loved darius.

and yes - i dont hate tory. i actually might just love her more after this ending.

my opinion on darius? flamin hot.

btw, sorry about the absense of bluelance through this review. i honestly could not care less about them.
ykw i lied theyre cute too but THIS REVIEW IS DEDICATED TO MY QUEEN AND KING TORY FUCKING VEGA AND DARIUS FUCKING ACRUX.

so. the ending.
HOLY DAMN THE ENDING MADE ME FEEL SO GIDDY INSIDE AND MADE ME WANT TO SLAM MY KINDLE AGAINST THE WALL SO MANY TIMES WHILST SCREAMING MENTALLY AND GIGGLING MY ASS OFF. in the BEST. WAY. POSSIBLE.

tory breaking darius' begging heart into pieces? YES PLEASE.
darius practically begging tory to choose him and accept the bond? YES YES YES.
and tory ranting about every single time darius had given her a reason to hate him? HELL FUCKING YEAH!

i knew it was coming, but i didnt know how fucking amazing it would be. like - i want them to be together. but i dont want it to come easy. i want the world to turn against their love so theyll have to FIGHT to win it back. thats MY type of romance plot - and im hoping the next books of ZA will deliver just that.

the next time orion sends out that email about joining clubs? mark my words, ill be the first to sign up for the "Tory & Darius Heartbreak Society" - and i wont be late to arrive a single day.

what a PERFECT way to end 2024.]]> 4.27 2020 Shadow Princess (Zodiac Academy, #4)
author: Caroline Peckham
name: steph
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/31
date added: 2024/12/31
shelves:
review:
Zodiac Academy (#4) - Shadow Princess | 4.8 stars
Song: Phoenix - League of Legends

i like, never write reviews.

never.

but DAMN that ending.

~~~~~~~

Warning: this is not really a review. its more of a rant. so if you wanna read an absolutely dogshit rant about this book and literally all of my thoughts, go ahead. if youre here for a real review, tough luck.

~~~~~~~

ive never cried over a book in my life.
one thing about me is that i absolutely LOVE heartbreak. kill off all the main characters' partners?? id be laughing my ass off. and was i laughing my ass off as tory shattered darius' heart into pieces and hers as well in the process? HELL YEAH!

i dont think an ending has ever made me feel this way before other than the ballad of never after's. but this could be a close, CLOSE second.

like - the book itself? it was pretty good, especially in the latter half. tory x darius might just be one of my fav character dynamics ever. instalove? not for me. i NEED enemies and lovers to get me going and tory x darius fulfilled this need PERFECTLY. was i secretly having a party in my head whenever tory shut darius down? WELL YES! was i cackling like a goddamn witch whenever darius really thought he had tory once and for all? OBVIOUSLY!

loved the shimmering springs scene. loved the throne room scene. loved tory. loved darius.

and yes - i dont hate tory. i actually might just love her more after this ending.

my opinion on darius? flamin hot.

btw, sorry about the absense of bluelance through this review. i honestly could not care less about them.
ykw i lied theyre cute too but THIS REVIEW IS DEDICATED TO MY QUEEN AND KING TORY FUCKING VEGA AND DARIUS FUCKING ACRUX.

so. the ending.
HOLY DAMN THE ENDING MADE ME FEEL SO GIDDY INSIDE AND MADE ME WANT TO SLAM MY KINDLE AGAINST THE WALL SO MANY TIMES WHILST SCREAMING MENTALLY AND GIGGLING MY ASS OFF. in the BEST. WAY. POSSIBLE.

tory breaking darius' begging heart into pieces? YES PLEASE.
darius practically begging tory to choose him and accept the bond? YES YES YES.
and tory ranting about every single time darius had given her a reason to hate him? HELL FUCKING YEAH!

i knew it was coming, but i didnt know how fucking amazing it would be. like - i want them to be together. but i dont want it to come easy. i want the world to turn against their love so theyll have to FIGHT to win it back. thats MY type of romance plot - and im hoping the next books of ZA will deliver just that.

the next time orion sends out that email about joining clubs? mark my words, ill be the first to sign up for the "Tory & Darius Heartbreak Society" - and i wont be late to arrive a single day.

what a PERFECT way to end 2024.
]]> Foxy Tales 61168411
A Charity Novella for The Fox Project Containing a Collection of Bonus POV Chapters By Caroline Peckham & Susanne Valenti

PART ONE
ZODIAC ACADEMY 2: RUTHLESS FAE
DARIUS ALTERNATE POV POWER SHARING

PART TWO
ZODIAC ACADEMY 2: RUTHLESS FAE
ORION ALTERNATE POV THE SWIMMING POOL

PART THREE
ZODIAC ACADEMY 3: THE RECKONING
ORION ALTERNATE POV SEX ED CLASS

PART FOUR
ZODIAC ACADEMY 4: SHADOW PRINCESS
DARIUS ALTERNATE POV THE SHIMMERING SPRINGS

PART FIVE
KINGS OF QUARANTINE
BONUS EPILOGUE]]> 201 Caroline Peckham steph 4 4.21 2022 Foxy Tales
author: Caroline Peckham
name: steph
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/30
date added: 2024/12/30
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Origins of an Academy Bully (Zodiac Academy, #0.5)]]> 49646047 Dark magic is forbidden at Zodiac Academy.
That's why I hide it so well.

But now I'm supposed to mentor Darius Acrux: the son of the most ruthless Dragon Shifter in Solaria.

If he's caught using blood magic, he'll lose his claim to the throne.

The problem is? Our families are up to something, and we're determined to find out what. No matter what dark power we must turn to...

Welcome to Zodiac Academy, where your star sign defines your destiny.

As the Fae of the future, you will soon learn the merciless way to claim your power. Life among the Vampires, Shifters and Sirens is no easy ride, but if you can make it through your exams, you might just be able to harness your inner strength and earn your place among the elite.

This is a prequel novella set four years before Zodiac Academy: The Awakening, Book 1 in the Supernatural Bullies and Beasts series.]]> 94 Caroline Peckham steph 3 3.76 2019 Origins of an Academy Bully (Zodiac Academy, #0.5)
author: Caroline Peckham
name: steph
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2019
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/29
date added: 2024/12/30
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Awakening (Zodiac Academy, #1)]]> 46261182 This is an alternate cover edition for ASIN B07SV21LFY

You have been selected to attend Zodiac Academy, where your star sign defines your destiny.

If you're one of the Fae, elemental magic is in your blood. And apparently it's in ours. As twins born in the month of Gemini, we're a rare breed even in this academy of supernatural a-holes.

Changelings were outlawed hundreds of years ago but I guess our birth parents didn't get the memo. Which means we're totally unprepared for the ruthless world of Fae.

Air. Fire. Water. Earth.

No one has ever harnessed all four of them, until we arrived. And it hasn't made us any friends so far.

As the rarest Elementals ever known, we're already a threat to the four celestial heirs; the popular, vindictive bullies who happen to be some of the hottest guys we've ever seen. It doesn't help that they're the most dangerous beasts in the Academy. And probably on earth too.

Our fates are intertwined, but they want us gone. They've only got until the lunar eclipse to force us out and they'll stop at nothing to succeed.

We never knew we had a birthright to live up to but now that we do, we intend to claim our throne.

We can't expect any help from the faculty when it comes to defending ourselves. So if the dragon shifters want some target practice, the werewolves want someone to hunt or the vampires fancy a snack then we have to be ready. But we've been looking after each other for a long time and fighting back is in our blood.

Today's horoscope: totally screwed.]]> 436 Caroline Peckham steph 4 3.81 2019 The Awakening (Zodiac Academy, #1)
author: Caroline Peckham
name: steph
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/26
date added: 2024/12/25
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Metal Slinger (Fire & Metal, #1)]]> 213309864
Neither is the encounter with an enemy soldier.

Returning home to Alaha, she’s confronted with the aftermath of the day’s events. The future is uncertain as the threat of hunger looms over the people. With rumors of a growing rebellion, Brynn and her closest friends promise to stick together.

When an unexpected visitor arrives, Brynn’s loyalty will be tested as she learns of a world of magic and treachery. Once her enemy, always her enemy, right? But the dark, knowing eyes of a stranger make her question everything�

…including her heart.]]> 497 Rachel Schneider steph 4 4.28 Metal Slinger (Fire & Metal, #1)
author: Rachel Schneider
name: steph
average rating: 4.28
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/24
date added: 2024/12/24
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Cure (The Cure Chronicles #1)]]> 57582961 But now, turning eighteen means certain death.

Unless you prove yourself worthy of the Cure.

On her seventeenth birthday, Ashen Spencer is blindfolded and escorted to the massive, mysterious building known as the Arc to begin her year of training and testing in hopes that she can earn the Cure—a powerful drug given only to those deemed worthy to survive beyond their eighteenth birthday.
Ashen has a chance to rise up from her former life of squalor and be granted a place in society, if the Panel—the mysterious group of powerful men and women in charge of the Arc—deems her year a success.

She’s assigned to work for twelve months as a servant for a wealthy family whose son is the most alluring young man she’s ever met. At first, Ashen is grateful for the opportunity to earn her place in a society she’s always dreamed of inhabiting.
But as time passes and she begins to learn the truth about the people she admires so much and the home she left behind, she realizes she has a choice:

Be part of the disease�
Or be part of the Cure.]]> 326 K.A. Riley steph 4 4.01 2021 The Cure (The Cure Chronicles #1)
author: K.A. Riley
name: steph
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2024/05/01
date added: 2024/12/23
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Ascend (The Cure Chronicles #3)]]> 60024002
Ash's fight may be unwinnable...but the affection of a certain young man may just give her the strength she needs to persevere.]]> 332 K.A. Riley steph 4 4.04 Ascend (The Cure Chronicles #3)
author: K.A. Riley
name: steph
average rating: 4.04
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/05/01
date added: 2024/12/23
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Heat of the Everflame (Kindred's Curse, #3)]]> 124936017
After her disastrous coronation, Diem finds herself at the center of the conflict between the Descended and the Guardians. With her newfound friends and the man she’s falling for on one side, and the mortals she has vowed to protect on the other, Diem must walk a careful line to save the people she loves� even from each other.

The mystery of her unusual heritage begins to unravel, sending Diem and Luther on an unexpected journey across the realms. The answers may hold the key to winning the war, but finding them will require her to face painful truths about her mother, her bloodline, and her fate.

Meanwhile, the Crowns have set Diem in their sights. Some could be her greatest allies—while others want her dead. To end their oppressive reign, Diem must sort friend from foe and risk it all to build an army of her own.

But a powerful figure in the north has plans that could change everything...

Heat of the Everflame is the third book in The Kindred's Curse Saga, a four-book epic fantasy romance series that follows our fiesty, bad*ss heroine Diem Bellator in her fight against injustice, her struggle to survive in a royal palace full of betrayal and intrigue, and her journey of self-discovery and finding true love. This slow burn, enemies-to-lovers series is perfect for fans of unique magic systems, dragons and other mythical creatures, angst and romantic tension, and hilarious banter. This book will appeal to fans of plot-heavy, character-driven romantasy such as A Court of Thorns and Roses, Throne of Glass, From Blood and Ash, Gild, Shadow & Bone, and The Serpent & the Wings of Night.]]> 1026 Penn Cole steph 4 4.27 2023 Heat of the Everflame (Kindred's Curse, #3)
author: Penn Cole
name: steph
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/22
date added: 2024/12/21
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Spark of the Everflame (Kindred's Curse, #1)]]> 123471760 When old secrets catch fire, everything will burn.

In a mortal world colonized by the gods and ruled over by the Descended, their cruel offspring, Diem Bellator yearns to escape the insular life of her poor village.

Her mother’s sudden disappearance—and the discovery of a dangerous secret about her past—offer Diem an unexpected opportunity to enter the dark world of Descended royalty and unlock the web of mysteries her mother left behind.

With the dying King’s handsome, mysterious heir watching her every move, and a ruthless mortal alliance recruiting her to join the growing civil war, Diem will have to navigate the unwritten rules of love, power, and politics in order to save her family—and all of mortalkind.

Spark of the Everflame is the first book in The Kindred's Curse Saga, a four-book fantasy romance series. This slow burn, enemies-to-lovers epic is perfect for lovers of magic, dragons, angst, and banter and will appeal to fans of books like A Court of Thorns and Roses, From Blood and Ash, Gild, and The Serpent & the Wings of Night.]]> 438 Penn Cole steph 4 4.20 2023 Spark of the Everflame (Kindred's Curse, #1)
author: Penn Cole
name: steph
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/13
date added: 2024/12/13
shelves:
review:

]]> Imagine Me (Shatter Me, #6) 44054122
Juliette Ferrars.

Ella Sommers.

Which is the truth and which is the lie?

Now that Ella knows who Juliette is and what she was created for, things have only become more complicated. As she struggles to understand the past that haunts her and looks to a future more uncertain than ever, the lines between right and wrong—between Ella and Juliette—blur. And with old enemies looming, her destiny may not be her own to control.

The day of reckoning for the Reestablishment is coming. But she may not get to choose what side she fights on.]]> 450 Tahereh Mafi 006267644X steph 5 holy-grails 4.01 2020 Imagine Me (Shatter Me, #6)
author: Tahereh Mafi
name: steph
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/11
date added: 2024/12/10
shelves: holy-grails
review:

]]> Defy Me (Shatter Me, #5) 34992959
Juliette’s short tenure as the supreme commander of North America has been an utter disaster. When the children of the other world leaders show up on her doorstep, she wants nothing more than to turn to Warner for support and guidance. But he shatters her heart when he reveals that he’s been keeping secrets about her family and her identity from her—secrets that change everything.

Juliette is devastated, and the darkness that’s always dwelled within her threatens to consume her. An explosive encounter with unexpected visitors might be enough to push her over the edge.]]> 357 Tahereh Mafi 0062676393 steph 5 4.27 2019 Defy Me (Shatter Me, #5)
author: Tahereh Mafi
name: steph
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/10
date added: 2024/12/10
shelves:
review:

]]> Ignite Me (Shatter Me, #3) 13188676
With Omega Point destroyed, Juliette doesn't know if the rebels, her friends, or even Adam are alive. But that won't keep her from trying to take down The Reestablishment once and for all. Now she must rely on Warner, the handsome commander of Sector 45. The one person she never thought she could trust. The same person who saved her life. He promises to help Juliette master her powers and save their dying world . . . but that's not all he wants with her.

The Shatter Me series is perfect for fans who crave action-packed young adult novels with tantalizing romance like Divergent by Veronica Roth, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, and Legend by Marie Lu. Tahereh Mafi has created a captivating and original story that combines the best of dystopian and paranormal and was praised by Publishers Weekly as "a gripping read from an author who's not afraid to take risks."

Don’t miss Restore Me, the electrifying fourth installment of this New York Times bestselling series, available now!]]> 408 Tahereh Mafi 006208559X steph 5 4.46 2014 Ignite Me (Shatter Me, #3)
author: Tahereh Mafi
name: steph
average rating: 4.46
book published: 2014
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/08
date added: 2024/12/10
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Curse for True Love (Once Upon a Broken Heart, #3)]]> 62816044 Two villains, one girl, and a deadly battle for happily ever after.

Evangeline Fox ventured to the Magnificent North in search of her happy ending, and it seems as if she has it. She’s married to a handsome prince and lives in a legendary castle. But Evangeline has no idea of the devastating price she’s paid for this fairytale. She doesn’t know what she has lost, and her husband is determined to make sure she never finds out . . . but first he must kill Jacks, the Prince of Hearts.

Blood will be shed, hearts will be stolen, and true love will be put to the test in A Curse for True Love, the breathlessly anticipated conclusion to the Once Upon A Broken Heart trilogy.]]> 386 Stephanie Garber 1250851203 steph 5 4.14 2023 A Curse for True Love (Once Upon a Broken Heart, #3)
author: Stephanie Garber
name: steph
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2024/11/26
date added: 2024/12/10
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Ballad of Never After (Once Upon a Broken Heart, #2)]]> 59808071 Not every love is meant to be.

After Jacks, the Prince of Hearts, betrays her, Evangeline Fox swears she'll never trust him again. Now that she’s discovered her own magic, Evangeline believes she can use it to restore the chance at happily ever after that Jacks stole away.

But when a new terrifying curse is revealed, Evangeline finds herself entering into a tenuous partnership with the Prince of Hearts again. Only this time, the rules have changed. Jacks isn’t the only force Evangeline needs to be wary of. In fact, he might be the only one she can trust, despite her desire to despise him.

Instead of a love spell wreaking havoc on Evangeline’s life, a murderous spell has been cast. To break it, Evangeline and Jacks will have to do battle with old friends, new foes, and a magic that plays with heads and hearts. Evangeline has always trusted her heart, but this time she’s not sure she can...]]> 416 Stephanie Garber 1250268427 steph 5 holy-grails 4.49 2022 The Ballad of Never After (Once Upon a Broken Heart, #2)
author: Stephanie Garber
name: steph
average rating: 4.49
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2024/11/25
date added: 2024/12/10
shelves: holy-grails
review:

]]> Legendary (Caraval, #2) 36329818
After being swept up in the magical world of Caraval, Donatella Dragna has finally escaped her father and saved her sister, Scarlett, from a disastrous arranged marriage. The girls should be celebrating, but Tella isn’t yet free. She made a desperate bargain with a mysterious criminal, and what Tella owes him no one has ever been able to deliver: Caraval Master Legend’s true name.

The only chance of uncovering Legend’s identity is to win Caraval, so Tella throws herself into the legendary competition once more—and into the path of the murderous heir to the throne, a doomed love story, and a web of secrets…including her sister's. Caraval has always demanded bravery, cunning, and sacrifice, but now the game is asking for more. If Tella can’t fulfill her bargain and deliver Legend’s name, she’ll lose everything she cares about—maybe even her life. But if she wins, Legend and Caraval will be destroyed forever...

Welcome, welcome to Caraval . . . the games have only just begun.]]> 451 Stephanie Garber 125009531X steph 5 4.11 2018 Legendary (Caraval, #2)
author: Stephanie Garber
name: steph
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at: 2024/11/20
date added: 2024/12/10
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Queen of Nothing (The Folk of the Air, #3)]]> 26032912 He will be destruction of the crown and the ruination of the throne.

Power is much easier to acquire than it is to hold onto. Jude learned this lesson when she released her control over the wicked king, Cardan, in exchange for immeasurable power.

Now as the exiled mortal Queen of Faerie, Jude is powerless and left reeling from Cardan’s betrayal. She bides her time determined to reclaim everything he took from her. Opportunity arrives in the form of her deceptive twin sister, Taryn, whose mortal life is in peril.

Jude must risk venturing back into the treacherous Faerie Court, and confront her lingering feelings for Cardan, if she wishes to save her sister. But Elfhame is not as she left it. War is brewing. As Jude slips deep within enemy lines she becomes ensnared in the conflict’s bloody politics.

And, when a dormant yet powerful curse is unleashed, panic spreads throughout the land, forcing her to choose between her ambition and her humanity�

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black, comes the highly anticipated and jaw-dropping finale to The Folk of the Air trilogy.]]> 321 Holly Black 0316310409 steph 5 holy-grails 4.33 2019 The Queen of Nothing (The Folk of the Air, #3)
author: Holly Black
name: steph
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2024/11/07
date added: 2024/12/10
shelves: holy-grails
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Winter (The Lunar Chronicles, #4)]]> 13206900
When Winter develops feelings for the handsome palace guard, Jacin, she fears the evil Queen will crush their romance before it has a chance to begin.

But there are stirrings against the Queen across the land. Together with the cyborg mechanic, Cinder, and her allies, Winter might even find the power to launch a revolution and win a war that's been raging for far too long.

Can Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter claim their happily ever afters by defeating Levana once and for all?]]> 827 Marissa Meyer 0312642989 steph 5 4.41 2015 Winter (The Lunar Chronicles, #4)
author: Marissa Meyer
name: steph
average rating: 4.41
book published: 2015
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/25
date added: 2024/12/10
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Catching Fire (The Hunger Games, #2)]]> 6148028 Sparks are igniting.
Flames are spreading.
And the Capitol wants revenge.

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the Hunger Games. She and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark are miraculously still alive. Katniss should be relieved, happy even. After all, she has returned to her family and her longtime friend, Gale. Yet nothing is the way Katniss wishes it to be. Gale holds her at an icy distance. Peeta has turned his back on her completely. And there are whispers of a rebellion against the Capitol—a rebellion that Katniss and Peeta may have helped create.

Much to her shock, Katniss has fueled an unrest that she's afraid she cannot stop. And what scares her even more is that she's not entirely convinced she should try. As time draws near for Katniss and Peeta to visit the districts on the Capitol's cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. If they can't prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that they are lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying.

In Catching Fire, the second novel of the Hunger Games trilogy, Suzanne Collins continues the story of Katniss Everdeen, testing her more than ever before . . . and surprising readers at every turn.]]> 391 Suzanne Collins 0439023491 steph 5 4.34 2009 Catching Fire (The Hunger Games, #2)
author: Suzanne Collins
name: steph
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2009
rating: 5
read at: 2024/04/01
date added: 2024/12/10
shelves:
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]]> <![CDATA[Mockingjay (The Hunger Games, #3)]]> 7260188 My name is Katniss Everdeen.
Why am I not dead?
I should be dead.

Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived, even though her home has been destroyed. Gale has escaped. Katniss's family is safe. Peeta has been captured by the Capitol. District 13 really does exist. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding.

It is by design that Katniss was rescued from the arena in the cruel and haunting Quarter Quell, and it is by design that she has long been part of the revolution without knowing it. District 13 has come out of the shadows and is plotting to overthrow the Capitol. Everyone, it seems, has had a hand in the carefully laid plans—except Katniss.

The success of the rebellion hinges on Katniss's willingness to be a pawn, to accept responsibility for countless lives, and to change the course of the future of Panem. To do this, she must put aside her feelings of anger and distrust. She must become the rebels' Mockingjay—no matter what the personal cost.]]> 390 Suzanne Collins 0439023513 steph 5 holy-grails 4.10 2010 Mockingjay (The Hunger Games, #3)
author: Suzanne Collins
name: steph
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2010
rating: 5
read at: 2024/04/01
date added: 2024/12/10
shelves: holy-grails
review:

]]> Reveal Me (Shatter Me, #5.5) 43514655 This fourth companion novella to Tahereh Mafi’s New York Times bestselling Shatter Me series is narrated by fan favorite character Kenji Kishimoto!

The explosive revelations in Defy Me have left readers reeling and desperate for answers. This fourth and final novella in the series will bring readers back to the world of the Shatter Me before the final novel installment hits shelves in winter 2020.

And don’t miss Find Me, the gorgeous paperback bind-up that brings together Shadow Me and Reveal Me in print for the first time!]]> 112 Tahereh Mafi steph 5 3.96 2019 Reveal Me (Shatter Me, #5.5)
author: Tahereh Mafi
name: steph
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/10
date added: 2024/12/10
shelves:
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]]> Shadow Me (Shatter Me, #4.5) 40863452
The ending of Restore Me left readers gasping, and this novella full of Kenji’s signature sass and big heart is the perfect story to tide fans over until Defy Me, the shocking fifth book in the Shatter Me series.]]> 69 Tahereh Mafi 0062906267 steph 4 3.97 2019 Shadow Me (Shatter Me, #4.5)
author: Tahereh Mafi
name: steph
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/09
date added: 2024/12/10
shelves:
review:

]]> Restore Me (Shatter Me, #4) 34992929 448 Tahereh Mafi 0062676369 steph 4 4.14 2018 Restore Me (Shatter Me, #4)
author: Tahereh Mafi
name: steph
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/09
date added: 2024/12/10
shelves:
review:

]]> Destroy Me (Shatter Me, #1.5) 13623150 Destroy Me, Warner is not that easy to get rid of...

Back at the base and recovering from his near-fatal wound, Warner must do everything in his power to keep his soldiers in check and suppress any mention of a rebellion in the sector. Still as obsessed with Juliette as ever, his first priority is to find her, bring her back, and dispose of Adam and Kenji, the two traitors who helped her escape. But when Warner’s father, The Supreme Commander of The Reestablishment, arrives to correct his son’s mistakes, it’s clear that he has much different plans for Juliette. Plans Warner simply cannot allow.

Set after Shatter Me and before its forthcoming sequel, Unravel Me, Destroy Me is a novella told from the perspective of Warner, the ruthless leader of Sector 45.]]> 111 Tahereh Mafi 0062208195 steph 4 3.96 2012 Destroy Me (Shatter Me, #1.5)
author: Tahereh Mafi
name: steph
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/06
date added: 2024/12/08
shelves:
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]]> Unravel Me (Shatter Me, #2) 13104080
It should have taken Juliette a single touch to kill Warner. But his mysterious immunity to her deadly power has left her shaken, wondering why her ultimate defense mechanism failed against the person she most needs protection from.

She and Adam were able to escape Warner’s clutches and join up with a group of rebels, many of whom have powers of their own. Juliette will finally be able to actively fight against The Reestablishment and try to fix her broken world. And perhaps these new allies can help her shed light on the secret behind Adam’s—and Warner’s—immunity to her killer skin.

Juliette’s world is packed with high-stakes action and tantalizing romance, perfect for fans of the Red Queen series by Victoria Aveyard and the Darkest Minds trilogy by Alexandra Bracken.

Ransom Riggs, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, raved: "A thrilling, high-stakes saga of self-discovery and forbidden love, the Shatter Me series is a must-read for fans of dystopian young-adult literature—or any literature!"]]> 480 Tahereh Mafi 0062085530 steph 4 4.11 2013 Unravel Me (Shatter Me, #2)
author: Tahereh Mafi
name: steph
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/07
date added: 2024/12/08
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Fracture Me (Shatter Me, #2.5)]]> 17331518
On the battlefield, it seems like the odds are in their favor—but taking down Warner, Adam's newly discovered half brother, won't be that easy. The Reestablishment can't tolerate a rebellion, and they'll do anything to crush the resistance... including killing everyone Adam has ever cared about.

Fracture Me sets the stage for Ignite Me, the explosive finale in Tahereh Mafi's epic dystopian series. Set during and soon after the final moments of Unravel Me, Fracture Me is told from Adam's perspective.]]> 72 Tahereh Mafi 0062284835 steph 3 3.33 2013 Fracture Me (Shatter Me, #2.5)
author: Tahereh Mafi
name: steph
average rating: 3.33
book published: 2013
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/08
date added: 2024/12/08
shelves:
review:

]]> Shatter Me (Shatter Me, #1) 10429045 I have a curse
I have a gift

I am a monster
I'm more than human

My touch is lethal
My touch is power

I am their weapon
I will fight back

Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days.

The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war—and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.]]> 338 Tahereh Mafi 0062085484 steph 4 3.86 2011 Shatter Me (Shatter Me, #1)
author: Tahereh Mafi
name: steph
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/06
date added: 2024/12/06
shelves:
review:

]]> Spectacular (Caraval, #3.5) 203578793 Welcome, welcome back to the mysteriously enchanting world of CARAVAL! Return to the legendary magic and the whimsical wonder with this beautifully illustrated holiday novella.

Snowflakes are falling.
Invitations are arriving.
And holiday magic is swirling in the capital city of the Meridian Empire.

It’s Great Holiday Eve Eve. Scarlett Dragna is planning a spectacular Holiday celebration for the city. Donatella is searching for the perfect gift. Julian is looking ridiculously handsome in green. And Legend . . .

Well, sadly Legend is not fond of the Great Holiday. Tella is hoping her perfect gift will change his mind. Unfortunately, she hasn’t found this perfect gift just yet. But it is Great Holiday Eve Eve . . . surely there’s some holiday magic swirling around.

Welcome, welcome back to the world of Caraval, where even holidays are not as they seem.

Set after Stephanie Garber's #1 NEW YORK TIMES bestselling Caraval series, this delightful novella will take readers on the ultimate holiday adventure full of clockwork boys, poisoned candy, impish snow globes, merriment, and―if Tella gets her way―love.

Gorgeously illustrated by Rosie Thorns, SPECTACULAR is the perfect edition for collectors, readers, dreamers, and lovers of holiday magic.]]> 207 Stephanie Garber 1250893402 steph 4 3.71 2024 Spectacular (Caraval, #3.5)
author: Stephanie Garber
name: steph
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/23
date added: 2024/11/26
shelves:
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]]> <![CDATA[Once Upon a Broken Heart (Once Upon a Broken Heart, #1)]]> 55987278 How far would you go for happily ever after?

For as long as she can remember, Evangeline Fox has believed in true love and happy endings... until she learns that the love of her life will marry another.

Desperate to stop the wedding and to heal her wounded heart, Evangeline strikes a deal with the charismatic but wicked Prince of Hearts. In exchange for his help, he asks for three kisses, to be given at the time and place of his choosing.

But after Evangeline’s first promised kiss, she learns that bargaining with an immortal is a dangerous game—and that the Prince of Hearts wants far more from her than she’d pledged. He has plans for Evangeline, plans that will either end in the greatest happily ever after or the most exquisite tragedy...]]> 408 Stephanie Garber 1250268397 steph 4 4.06 2021 Once Upon a Broken Heart (Once Upon a Broken Heart, #1)
author: Stephanie Garber
name: steph
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/24
date added: 2024/11/26
shelves:
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]]> Finale (Caraval, #3) 40381392 A love worth fighting for. A dream worth dying for. An ending worth waiting for.

It’s been two months since the Fates were freed from a deck of cards, two months since Legend claimed the throne for his own, and two months since Tella discovered the boy she fell in love with doesn’t really exist.

With lives, empires, and hearts hanging in the balance, Tella must decide if she’s going to trust Legend or a former enemy. After uncovering a secret that upends her life, Scarlett will need to do the impossible. And Legend has a choice to make that will forever change and define him.

Caraval is over, but perhaps the greatest game of all has begun. There are no spectators this time—only those who will win, and those who will lose everything.

Welcome, welcome to Finale . . . all games must come to an end.]]> 478 Stephanie Garber 1250157668 steph 5 4.14 2019 Finale (Caraval, #3)
author: Stephanie Garber
name: steph
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2024/11/22
date added: 2024/11/26
shelves:
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]]> <![CDATA[The Wicked King (The Folk of the Air, #2)]]> 26032887 The enchanting and bloodthirsty sequel to the New York Times bestselling novel The Cruel Prince.

You must be strong enough to strike and strike and strike again without tiring.

The first lesson is to make yourself strong.

After the jaw-dropping revelation that Oak is the heir to Faerie, Jude must keep her brother safe. To do so, she has bound the wicked king, Cardan, to her, and made herself the power behind the throne. Navigating the constantly shifting political alliances of Faerie would be difficult enough if Cardan were easy to control. But he does everything in his power to humiliate and undermine her even as his fascination with her remains undiminished.

When it becomes all too clear that someone close to Jude means to betray her, threatening her own life and the lives of everyone she loves, Jude must uncover the traitor and fight her own complicated feelings for Cardan to maintain control as a mortal in a Faerie world.]]> 336 Holly Black 0316310336 steph 4 4.27 2019 The Wicked King (The Folk of the Air, #2)
author: Holly Black
name: steph
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/06
date added: 2024/11/26
shelves:
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]]> <![CDATA[The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air, #1)]]> 26032825 Of course I want to be like them. They’re beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever.

And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.

Jude was seven when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.

To win a place at the Court, she must defy him–and face the consequences.

As Jude becomes more deeply embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, she discovers her own capacity for trickery and bloodshed. But as betrayal threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.]]> 370 Holly Black 0316310271 steph 3 4.01 2018 The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air, #1)
author: Holly Black
name: steph
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2018
rating: 3
read at: 2024/10/31
date added: 2024/11/26
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Cress (The Lunar Chronicles, #3)]]> 13206828
Their best hope lies with Cress, a girl imprisoned on a satellite since childhood who's only ever had her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker. Unfortunately, she's just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.

When a daring rescue of Cress goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a higher price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing prevent her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only hope the world has.]]> 552 Marissa Meyer 0312642970 steph 4 4.40 2014 Cress (The Lunar Chronicles, #3)
author: Marissa Meyer
name: steph
average rating: 4.40
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/24
date added: 2024/11/26
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles, #1)]]> 36381037
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.]]> 400 Marissa Meyer steph 4 4.11 2012 Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles, #1)
author: Marissa Meyer
name: steph
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/22
date added: 2024/11/26
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles, #2)]]> 13206760
Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother, or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana.

The adventure continues in this fresh fairytale retelling that combines elements of Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood.]]> 454 Marissa Meyer 0312642962 steph 3 4.24 2013 Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles, #2)
author: Marissa Meyer
name: steph
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2013
rating: 3
read at: 2024/10/23
date added: 2024/11/26
shelves:
review:

]]> Loyalty (Anarchy, #2) 40377043 THIRTY MILLION READERS WORLDWIDE. INCLUDES EXCLUSIVE NEVER BEFORE SEEN CHAPTER.

'The Hunger Games meets The Road' MTV

Don't look back. That's where the danger lies.

With Grace left reeling from choosing between Hayden and her family, she knows she needs to accept her decision.

Meanwhile as the youngest leader of Blackwing, Hayden is coping with the demands placed on him to keep the camp alive. Can he protect his friends from their violent rivals? And should he trust himself to do the right thing?

Demand loyalty. Protect your family. Trust no one.

]]> 384 Megan DeVos 1409183874 steph 4 4.04 2018 Loyalty (Anarchy, #2)
author: Megan DeVos
name: steph
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/18
date added: 2024/10/20
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Selection Stories: The Prince & The Guard (The Selection, #0.5, #2.5)]]> 18172471 New York Times bestselling Selection series are now available in print for the first time. The Prince and The Guard both offer captivating views into the hearts and minds of the two men fighting to win America Singer's love. This collection also features exclusive bonus content, including a sneak peek at The One, the eagerly anticipated third novel in the Selection series.

Before America arrived at the palace to compete in the Selection, there was another girl in Prince Maxon's life. The Prince opens the week before the Selection begins and follows Maxon through the first day of the competition.

Raised as a Six, Aspen Leger never dreamed that he would find himself living in the palace as a member of the royal guard. In The Guard, readers get an inside look at Aspen's life within the palace walls—and the truth about a guard's world that America will never know.]]> 227 Kiera Cass 0062318322 steph 2 3.97 2014 The Selection Stories: The Prince & The Guard (The Selection, #0.5, #2.5)
author: Kiera Cass
name: steph
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2014
rating: 2
read at: 2024/05/01
date added: 2024/10/20
shelves:
review:

]]> Annihilation (Anarchy, #4) 40670782 THIRTY MILLION READERS WORLDWIDE. INCLUDES EXCLUSIVE NEVER BEFORE SEEN CHAPTER.

'The Hunger Games meets The Road' MTV

This is the end of us all.

For Hayden and Grace, the threat of war has become a reality. The world is running out of resources, driving the survivors to drastic, inhuman measures. Blackwing is the obvious target and physical attacks from enemies are accompanied by the devastating mental turmoil that cannot be fought off with weapons.

This is life impacted by war with enemies, allies and oneself. Now, not much is certain, but a few things are guaranteed:

There will be pain. There will be death. There will be annihilation.]]> 383 Megan DeVos steph 4 4.19 Annihilation (Anarchy, #4)
author: Megan DeVos
name: steph
average rating: 4.19
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/21
date added: 2024/10/20
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]]> <![CDATA[Never Fade (The Darkest Minds, #2)]]> 16150830
When Ruby is entrusted with an explosive secret, she must embark on her most dangerous mission yet: leaving the Children’s League behind. Crucial information about the disease that killed most of America’s children—and turned Ruby and the others who lived into feared and hated outcasts—has survived every attempt to destroy it. But the truth is only saved in one place: a flashdrive in the hands of Liam Stewart, the boy Ruby once believed was her future—and who now wouldn’t recognize her.

As Ruby sets out across a desperate, lawless country to find Liam—and answers about the catastrophe that has ripped both her life and America apart—she is torn between old friends and the promise she made to serve the League. Ruby will do anything to protect the people she loves. But what if winning the war means losing herself?]]> 507 Alexandra Bracken 1423157516 steph 2 4.21 2013 Never Fade (The Darkest Minds, #2)
author: Alexandra Bracken
name: steph
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2013
rating: 2
read at: 2024/06/19
date added: 2024/10/20
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]]> <![CDATA[The Darkest Minds (The Darkest Minds, #1)]]> 10576365
Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones.

When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. Now she’s on the run, desperate to find the one safe haven left for kids like her—East River. She joins a group of kids who escaped their own camp. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can’t risk getting close. Not after what happened to her parents.

When they arrive at East River, nothing is as it seems, least of all its mysterious leader. But there are other forces at work, people who will stop at nothing to use Ruby in their fight against the government. Ruby will be faced with a terrible choice, one that may mean giving up her only chance at a life worth living.]]> 488 Alexandra Bracken 1423157370 steph 2 4.17 2012 The Darkest Minds (The Darkest Minds, #1)
author: Alexandra Bracken
name: steph
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2012
rating: 2
read at: 2024/06/01
date added: 2024/10/20
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]]> Revolution (Anarchy, #3) 40670774 THIRTY MILLION READERS WORLDWIDE. INCLUDES EXCLUSIVE NEVER BEFORE SEEN CHAPTER.

'The Hunger Games meets The Road' MTV

You fight, you kill, you steal, you lie.... or you die.

As war breaks out between Blackwing and Greystone, Grace's allegiance becomes clear. But that doesn't make her task any easier.

Hayden knows that war is coming. That these raids are just the beginning, and there is something else coming for them. But can he save his camp and free himself at the same time?

Welcome to the revolution.]]> 385 Megan DeVos steph 4 4.24 Revolution (Anarchy, #3)
author: Megan DeVos
name: steph
average rating: 4.24
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/20
date added: 2024/10/20
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]]> Anarchy (Anarchy, #1) 40214283 THIRTY MILLION READERS WORLDWIDE.'I re-read them again recently and fell in love all over again!!!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐�'I could NOT put it down' ⭐⭐⭐⭐�'READ IT! You'll love it' ⭐⭐⭐⭐�The world is different now.There are no rules, no governments and no guarantees that you will be saved . . .Rival factions have taken over, fighting each other for survival with no loyalty to anyone but their own.At twenty-one, Hayden has taken over Blackwing and is one of the youngest leaders in the area. In protecting his camp from starvation, raids from other actions and the threat of being kidnapped, he has enough to worry about before he finds Grace.The daughter of the head of the rival camp, Greystone, Grace is slow to trust anyone-much less the leader of those she has been trained to kill . . .This is danger. This is chaos. This is anarchy . . .]]> 396 Megan DeVos 1409183858 steph 4 3.87 2018 Anarchy (Anarchy, #1)
author: Megan DeVos
name: steph
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/17
date added: 2024/10/18
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]]> Insurgent (Divergent, #2) 11735983
Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth's much-anticipated second book of the dystopian DIVERGENT series is another intoxicating thrill ride of a story, rich with hallmark twists, heartbreaks, romance, and powerful insights about human nature.]]> 525 Veronica Roth 0007442912 steph 4 3.97 2012 Insurgent (Divergent, #2)
author: Veronica Roth
name: steph
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2024/06/01
date added: 2024/06/20
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]]> <![CDATA[The Forever War (The Queen Trials, #4)]]> 123064252
With this new knowledge that she shouldn't have, can she live with herself if she leaves The Trials?

Either way, the Rotunda wants her dead.]]> 328 Penelope Wright steph 4 4.27 The Forever War (The Queen Trials, #4)
author: Penelope Wright
name: steph
average rating: 4.27
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/04/01
date added: 2024/06/19
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]]> <![CDATA[Of Stone and Steel (The Queen Trials, #3)]]> 63344059 338 Penelope Wright steph 4 4.27 Of Stone and Steel (The Queen Trials, #3)
author: Penelope Wright
name: steph
average rating: 4.27
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/04/01
date added: 2024/06/19
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]]> <![CDATA[The Wishing Round (The Queen Trials, #2)]]> 63044636
But first comes The Wishing Round, where three winners will receive the ultimate the chance to make one wish, which King Ergondy is bound by duty to grant... whether he wants to or not.

But not everyone is allowed to play in The Wishing Round, and those that do will learn.... be careful what you you wish for.

It just might come true.]]> 326 Penelope Wright steph 4 4.25 The Wishing Round (The Queen Trials, #2)
author: Penelope Wright
name: steph
average rating: 4.25
book published:
rating: 4
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date added: 2024/06/19
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]]> <![CDATA[Kingdom of Lies (The Queen Trials #5)]]> 181337953
But if she chooses survival, can she live with herself? Clio has always been destined for more. She just didn't know how much she would be asked to give.]]> 314 Penelope Wright steph 4 4.31 Kingdom of Lies (The Queen Trials #5)
author: Penelope Wright
name: steph
average rating: 4.31
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/05/01
date added: 2024/06/19
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]]> <![CDATA[All That Glitters (The Queen Trials #6)]]> 202770365
And when she does reveal she survived what the Rotunda thought was an excruciating death, is there something even more sinister in store for her?

Nothing is as it seems, and all that glitters is not gold...]]> 290 Penelope Wright steph 4 4.36 All That Glitters (The Queen Trials #6)
author: Penelope Wright
name: steph
average rating: 4.36
book published:
rating: 4
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date added: 2024/06/19
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]]> Divergent (Divergent, #1) 13335037
During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.]]> 487 Veronica Roth 0062024035 steph 4 4.13 2011 Divergent (Divergent, #1)
author: Veronica Roth
name: steph
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at: 2024/05/01
date added: 2024/06/19
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]]> Allegiant (Divergent, #3) 18710190
But Tris's new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend to complexities of human nature - and of herself - while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.

Told from a riveting dual perspective, ALLEGIANT, by #1 New York Times best-selling author Veronica Roth, brings the DIVERGENT series to a powerful conclusion while revealing the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers in DIVERGENT and INSURGENT.]]> 531 Veronica Roth 0007524277 steph 3 3.59 2013 Allegiant (Divergent, #3)
author: Veronica Roth
name: steph
average rating: 3.59
book published: 2013
rating: 3
read at: 2024/06/01
date added: 2024/06/19
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]]> <![CDATA[Awaken (The Cure Chronicles #2)]]> 60015643
This is the second book in the Cure Chronicles.]]> 332 K.A. Riley steph 5 3.97 Awaken (The Cure Chronicles #2)
author: K.A. Riley
name: steph
average rating: 3.97
book published:
rating: 5
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date added: 2024/06/19
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]]> <![CDATA[Fallen (The Cure Chronicles #4)]]> 59468109
The city is a war zone overshadowed by the Behemoth, the largest Arcology in existence. Few are allowed entry, and those who go in never leave. At first, Ashen assumes the power structure is one she knows well: Directorate vs. Dregs, Wealthy vs. Poor.

She's seen this fight before, and she knows how to win it.

She soon discovers that the power in New York is held entirely by one young man. Known only as the Bishop, he's mysterious, unnervingly handsome, and smooth-voiced. His allure is undeniable, despite his tendency toward cruelty.

But as Ashen gets to know him, she begins to question how he managed to gain so much power at such a young age. Who is the Bishop, really? And where did he come from?

The even more mysterious question is....

What exactly goes on inside the Behemoth?]]> 327 K.A. Riley steph 5 4.23 Fallen (The Cure Chronicles #4)
author: K.A. Riley
name: steph
average rating: 4.23
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2024/05/01
date added: 2024/06/19
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]]> <![CDATA[Reign (The Cure Chronicles #5)]]> 60378423 342 K.A. Riley steph 5 4.28 Reign (The Cure Chronicles #5)
author: K.A. Riley
name: steph
average rating: 4.28
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2024/05/01
date added: 2024/06/19
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]]> The Crown (The Selection, #5) 26074181
Eadlyn still isn’t sure she’ll find the fairytale ending her parents did twenty years ago. But sometimes the heart has a way of surprising you…and soon Eadlyn must make a choice that feels more impossible—and more important—than she ever imagined.]]> 278 Kiera Cass 0062392174 steph 3 3.61 2016 The Crown (The Selection, #5)
author: Kiera Cass
name: steph
average rating: 3.61
book published: 2016
rating: 3
read at: 2024/04/01
date added: 2024/06/19
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]]> The Heir (The Selection, #4) 22918050
But a princess's life is never entirely her own, and Eadlyn can't escape her very own Selection—no matter how fervently she protests.

Eadlyn doesn't expect her story to end in romance. But as the competition begins, one entry may just capture Eadlyn's heart, showing her all the possibilities that lie in front of her . . . and proving that finding her own happily ever after isn't as impossible as she's always thought.]]> 342 Kiera Cass steph 3 3.64 2015 The Heir (The Selection, #4)
author: Kiera Cass
name: steph
average rating: 3.64
book published: 2015
rating: 3
read at: 2024/04/01
date added: 2024/06/19
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]]> The One (The Selection, #3) 18635016
When she was chosen to compete in the Selection, America never dreamed she would find herself anywhere close to the crown—or to Prince Maxon's heart. But as the end of the competition approaches, and the threats outside the palace walls grow more vicious, America realizes just how much she stands to lose—and how hard she'll have to fight for the future she wants.]]> 323 Kiera Cass 0062059998 steph 4 4.14 2014 The One (The Selection, #3)
author: Kiera Cass
name: steph
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2024/04/01
date added: 2024/06/19
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]]> The Elite (The Selection, #2) 16248068
America is desperate for more time. But the rest of the Elite know exactly what they want—and America's chance to choose is about to slip away.]]> 336 Kiera Cass 0062059963 steph 4 3.94 2013 The Elite (The Selection, #2)
author: Kiera Cass
name: steph
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2024/04/01
date added: 2024/06/19
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]]> <![CDATA[The Selection (The Selection, #1)]]> 10507293
But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself—and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.]]> 336 Kiera Cass 0062059939 steph 3 4.07 2012 The Selection (The Selection, #1)
author: Kiera Cass
name: steph
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2012
rating: 3
read at: 2024/04/01
date added: 2024/06/19
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]]> <![CDATA[The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1)]]> 2767052
Winning means fame and fortune. Losing means certain death. The Hunger Games have begun. . . .

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before-and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.]]> 374 Suzanne Collins steph 5 4.34 2008 The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1)
author: Suzanne Collins
name: steph
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2008
rating: 5
read at: 2024/04/01
date added: 2024/06/19
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]]>