Category: Young Adult

Title: The Dysasters (The Dysasters #1)
Author: P.C. Cast, Kristin Cast
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: February 26, 2019
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Foster Stewart knows she’s different. Her life has never been “normal.” Talking to plants and controlling cloud formations aren’t things most seventeen year olds are into. Tate “Nighthawk” Taylor is perfect. Star quarterback and all around dreamy boy next door he never thought about his “extra” abilities. What quarterback wouldn’t want night vision? That’s not weird, right? It’s cool! 

But on the night of their first meeting a deadly tornado brings them together and awakens their true abilities – the power to control the element air. Unbeknown to Tate and Foster, they are the first in a group of teens that were genetically manipulated before birth to bond with the elements. Which truly sucks for Foster, as she has to face the fact that Dr. Rick Stewart, her beloved scientist father, betrayed her and now wants to use her and the others for his own nefarious world domination plot. 

Foster and Tate must stop Dr. Stewart and his minions before he destroys their lives and the world.

Review:

This is a great start to a new fantasy series.

P.C. and Kristin Cast have been huge fantasy writers for years, but I haven’t read one of their books before. I loved this one! It was very detailed and fast paced. It was never a dull moment while reading this story!

There were lots of characters that were introduced throughout the story. There are the two main characters, Foster and Tate, who have special powers that control the air. There are also Foster’s adoptive siblings, Mark, Matthew, Luke, and Eve. Later in the story, two more main characters are introduced, named Charlotte and Bastien. There were loads of other important characters as well.

I felt like there were so many characters, that we were barely introduced to some of them. I’m not sure how long this series is going to be, but this seemed like a brief introduction, even though it was a full book. The ending was really a huge climax in the story! I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book!

What to read next:

About the Authors:

#1 New York Times & #1 USA Today bestselling author P.C. Cast was born in the Midwest, and, after her tour in the USAF, she taught high school for 15 years before retiring to write full time. PC is a member of the Oklahoma Writers Hall of Fame. Her novels have been awarded the prestigious: Oklahoma Book Award, YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers, Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, Booksellers’ Best, and many, many more. Ms. Cast is an experienced teacher and talented speaker who lives in Oregon near her fabulous daughter, her adorable pack of dogs, her crazy Maine Coon, and a bunch of horses.

Kristin Cast is a #1 New York Times and #1 USA Today bestselling author who teams with her mother to write the wildly successful House of Night series. She has editorial credits, a thriving t-shirt line, and a passion for all things paranormal. When away from her writing desk, Kristin loves going on adventures with her friends, family, and significant other, playing with her dogs (Grace Kelly and Hobbs the Tiny Dragon), and is currently obsessed with her baby.

Buy the book:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Dysasters-P-C-Cast/dp/1250141044
Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Dysasters-Audiobook/B076XQ72M5
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-dysasters-p-c-cast/1127202690?#/
Books-A-Million: https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Dysasters/P-C-Cast/9781250141040
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/P_C_Cast_The_Dysasters?id=dfQ4DwAAQBAJ
iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/cy/book/the-dysasters/id1300201444
IndieBound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781250141040
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-dysasters

Thank you to Wednesday Books for letting me participate in this blog tour.

Title: Ace of Shades (The Shadow Game #1)
Author: Amanda Foody
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Source: Library
Format: Ebook
Release Date: April 10, 2018
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Welcome to the City of Sin, where casino families reign, gangs infest the streets…and secrets hide in every shadow.

Enne Salta was raised as a proper young lady, and no lady would willingly visit New Reynes, the so-called City of Sin. But when her mother goes missing, Enne must leave her finishing school—and her reputation—behind to follow her mother’s trail to the city where no one survives uncorrupted.

Frightened and alone, Enne has only one lead: the name Levi Glaisyer. Unfortunately, Levi is not the gentleman she expected—he’s a street lord and a con man. Levi is also only one payment away from cleaning up a rapidly unraveling investment scam, so he doesn’t have time to investigate a woman leading a dangerous double life. Enne’s offer of compensation, however, could be the solution to all his problems. 

Their search for clues leads them through glamorous casinos, illicit cabarets and into the clutches of a ruthless Mafia donna. As Enne unearths an impossible secret about her past, Levi’s enemies catch up to them, ensnaring him in a vicious execution game where the players always lose. To save him, Enne will need to surrender herself to the city…

And she’ll need to play.

Review:

I’ve been wanting to read this book for so long! It definitely lived up to the hype!

This story was different from other contemporary fantasy novels which are set in worlds that resemble past eras. This one was set in the City of Sin, which was like Las Vegas. Instead of kings and queens, there were gamblers and gang leaders.

The story was told between two perspectives: Enne’s and Levi’s. This gave two points of view of the city. Enne was new to the city so she was new to everything, just like the reader. Levi has always lived there, so there were many more characters and drama in his narrative. I preferred Enne’s narrative because I could relate to it more since she was a newcomer to the City of Sin.

I loved this story! I can’t wait to read the next book in the series when it comes out in a couple of weeks.

What to read next:

Have you read Ace of Shades? What did you think of it?

Title: Hollow City (Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children #2)
Author: Ransom Riggs
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publisher: Quirk Books
Source: Purchased
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: January 14, 2014
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

This second novel begins in 1940, immediately after the first book ended. Having escaped Miss Peregrine’s island by the skin of their teeth, Jacob and his new friends must journey to London, the peculiar capital of the world. Along the way, they encounter new allies, a menagerie of peculiar animals, and other unexpected surprises.

Complete with dozens of newly discovered (and thoroughly mesmerising) vintage photographs, this new adventure will delight readers of all ages.

Review:

This story begins right where the last one ended. It was thrilling right away because the action began immediately.

The kids meet more peculiars in this story. It was a little confusing and difficult to keep track of all of the peculiars because there were so many! It also got a bit overwhelming because there was a lot of drama with the ymbrynes who go missing.

The ending of the story was exciting. It was a great cliffhanger to lead to the next book!

My review for Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children can be found here.

What to read next:

Have you read Hollow City? What did you think of it?

Title: King of Scars (Nikolai Duology #1)
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publisher: Orion Children’s Books
Source: Indigo Book Box
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: January 29, 2019
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Nikolai Lantsov has always had a gift for the impossible. No one knows what he endured in his country’s bloody civil war—and he intends to keep it that way. Now, as enemies gather at his weakened borders, the young king must find a way to refill Ravka’s coffers, forge new alliances, and stop a rising threat to the once-great Grisha Army.

Yet with every day a dark magic within him grows stronger, threatening to destroy all he has built. With the help of a young monk and a legendary Grisha Squaller, Nikolai will journey to the places in Ravka where the deepest magic survives to vanquish the terrible legacy inside him. He will risk everything to save his country and himself. But some secrets aren’t meant to stay buried—and some wounds aren’t meant to heal. 

Review:

I’ve been excited about this book for months! I’m so glad I finally got to read it.

It’s been a while since I read Six of Crows and the Grisha trilogy, so it took me a few chapters to get oriented in the story. It was a little confusing because there are characters from both series in this one, so I had to remember what happened in both series to understand this one.

This story was so thrilling. It was so hard to put down because there were a lot of plot twists. This book followed different perspectives, like the Six of Crows series, including Nina, Nikolai, and Zoya. We get to learn a lot about their histories. These were some of the most interesting characters so I’m glad they were the focus of this book.

This is a fabulous story! I recommend reading the Grisha trilogy and the Six of Crows duology before reading this book, since those characters appear in this book. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book!

What to read next:

Have you read King of Scars? What did you think of it?