Friday, April 23, 2021

Book Review: "Ace of Shades" by Amanda Foody

Title: Ace of Shades
Author: Amanda Foody
Series: "The Shadow Game" #1
Genre: YA Fantasy
Page Length: 411 pages
Publication Date: April 10, 2018
Rating: 5 // 5 stars

*Content Warnings for Ace of Shades: violence, death/murder, addiction and drug use, torture, gambling, pedophilia (it is completely condemned in the novel but there are mentions of it occurring off-page)*

Do you ever have those books that you know you'll enjoy but put off for ages? Ace of Shades is one of those books for me. I've been following the author since her debut novel, Daughter of the Burning City, released and was interested in Ace of Shades from the beginning. Now, three years later the trilogy is complete and I have just now finally started it. 

Ace of Shades was somehow completely unexpected and exactly what I needed and wanted. I didn't really know what I was expecting going into it, but it was not what we got. I loved every single minute of this book and it definitely will on my top favorite books list for this year. 

For me, what makes this book special is the characters. Our main characters, Enne and Levi, are very far from perfect. They make mistakes, are morally gray, and go through a lot of trials throughout this book. I loved both of their developments but I think I loved Enne's even more. She's very much a prim and proper lady who gets thrown into a world of debauchery and sin. It was wonderful to watch her navigate it all.

We also have an eclectic cast of side characters that really added an extra layer of depth to the story that I very much enjoyed. I won't get too much into them, either, but just know I loved how unique and well-written each one was! 

The magic system in this book is another reason why this book stands out to me so much. Magic is currency and everyone has different talents in this story. Magic is also passed down through family and some is more rare than others. I won't dive too deep in because you really do have to read the book to understand fully but I will say that it's one of the most intriguing magic systems I've ever read about.

When it comes to the world and setting, I think Amanda Foody knocked it out of the park. There's gang politics, a corrupt city, a terrifying game, and a sinful feel. In fact, the city is literally nicknamed the City of Sin. I was getting magical Las Vegas vibes if I'm being honest. I'm really intrigued to learn more in later books about how the city came to be the way it is.

Lastly, the story itself was fascinating. There were humorous moments but there was also a lot of tension, action, etc. I loved how we had a bunch of small storylines along the main plot line as well. It was also a lot darker than I had originally anticipated, which I'm very glad for. This book is definitely more upper-YA in my opinion, so make sure to take note of the trigger warnings I added at the top.

Overall, I just really loved this book. I'll also admit that I've already finished book two and am hopefully starting book three soon. I'll refrain from discussing either of those, though, since I will have a full review for the second book coming within the next few weeks. However, I will say that I am so intrigued and nervous for the final book. Amanda Foody truly knows how to write tension and high stakes in her stories.



Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



You can follow my bookstagram here for more bookish content!

To get more awesome posts like this post, click the follow button to the right!

Get free worldwide shipping with Book Depository using my affiliate link



Saturday, April 10, 2021

March 2021 Book Haul


Well hello everyone! It's a bit late this month but I'm finally here to share my March book haul with you all! I am incredibly excited about all of the books I got and can't wait to have proper shelves to display them on in the future. I got a total of nine books this month, though one was a textbook so we're only going to be talking about eight of them. Let's go ahead and dive on in!

The first book that I got this month was Chain of Iron by Cassandra Clare. This is the newest release in the Shadowhunters universe and the second in the Last Hours trilogy. I am planning a giant Shadowhunters binge, hopefully starting in the fall, and I can't wait to be able to dive into this trilogy. I've heard nothing but amazing things about this book and the first from very reputable reader friends. Also, I can't wait to take pictures of these books together cause the covers are stunning!

The next three books I got were all different editions of A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas. This is the newest book in the A Court of Thorns and Roses series and I am thrilled to have added these special editions to my shelves. I got the special tour edition that came with your ticket for the virtual tour, the signed Barnes & Noble edition which included a bonus Feysand scene, and a signed Books A Million edition which included a bonus Azriel scene. I'm honestly so excited I was able to get my hands on all the different editions. Not to mention that I actually loved this book so much (you can find my non-spoiler review here).  

The next book I got was The Accidental Apprentice by Amanda Foody. This was sent to me for free by the publisher in exchange for my participation in the blog tour. I absolutely loved this book and had such a fun time reading it. This is Foody's first middle grade novel and it was kind of a mashup between How to Train Your Dragon and Pokemon. I loved it. Plus, the physical book is so cute and I can't wait to collect the rest of the series! You can find my non-spoiler review here

Lastly, I picked up the entire Vicious Deep trilogy by Zoraida Córdova which includes The Vicious Deep, The Vast and Brutal Sea, and The Savage Blue. These recently went out of print and I wanted to snag copies before they become impossible to find. I was really lucky to get all of these for less than $12 total. The last book did end up being a different size from the others, which was confusing, but it's not overly noticeable on my shelf and, if I love these books, I can always search for properly-sized copy in the future.

Those are all the physical books I got this month! I anticipate April being way smaller in terms of what I pick up since this month had a lot of overflow from things I purchased in February or earlier. What did you pick up this month? Let me know in the comments!
 


Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



You can follow my bookstagram here for more bookish content!

To get more awesome posts like this post, click the follow button to the right!

Get free worldwide shipping with Book Depository using my affiliate link



Sunday, April 4, 2021

Blog Tour: "The Accidental Apprentice" by Amanda Foody

Blog Tour Banner featuring the cover for The Accidental Apprentice by Amanda Foody on a photoshopped background with the words: "Blog Tour: March 30-April 5"

Hello everyone! Today I am so incredibly excited to be bringing you my stop on the blog & Instagram tour for The Accidental Apprentice by Amanda Foody. I absolutely loved this book and am so excited that it's out in the world for everyone else to read and love too! Feel free to read through this tour stop and then check out my Instagram stop here


A boy who accidentally bonds with a magical Beast must set off on an adventure in the mysterious Woods in this whimsical and cheeky middle grade fantasy debut—perfect for fans of Nevermoor and How to Train Your Dragon.  

The last thing Barclay Thorne ever wanted was an adventure.

Thankfully, as an apprentice to the town’s mushroom farmer, Barclay need only work hard and follow the rules to one day become the head mushroom farmer himself. No danger required. But then Barclay accidentally breaks his town’s most sacred rule: never ever EVER stray into the Woods, for within the Woods lurk vicious magical Beasts.

To Barclay’s horror, he faces a fate far worse than being eaten: he unwittingly bonds with a Beast and is run out of town by an angry mob. Determined to break this bond and return home, Barclay journeys to find the mysterious town of Lore Keepers, people who have also bonded with Beasts and share their powers.

But after making new friends, entering a dangerous apprenticeship exam, and even facing the legendary Beast of the Woods, Barclay must make a difficult choice: return to the home and rules he’s always known, or embrace the adventure awaiting him. 

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Release Date: March 30, 2021


I first would like to say a big thank you to TBR and Beyond Tours for hosting me on this tour and providing me with a free copy of The Accidental Apprentice for review. It has been a wonderful time and I'm grateful to have been given the opportunity to read this book early and show early support for it!

You guys, I absolutely loved this book! I read it in one sitting and ended up staying up until 1:30 AM just to finish it because I couldn't put it down. It was cute, it was fun, it was full of adventure, and it even had some plot twists that I didn't see coming. This was a five star read for me and I am so excited to see where the story goes next.

For me, middle grade is hit or miss at this point in my life. I'm just not the target audience anymore and that's okay. I still enjoy reading middle grade books a lot, especially when it comes to rereading my favorites from childhood. Because I'm an adult now, it's generally a 50/50 split on if a middle grade book blows me away or not. Most of the new ones I read are enjoyable but I haven't read a new middle grade in a long time that actually blew me away like this one did. 

I knew from the first line of the book that I was going to enjoy it (in fact, that first line is the first one in my favorite quotes list down below!). I loved Barclay and connected with him almost instantly. He can be insufferable at times but, honestly, that just made me love him more. Reading his journey and getting to watch his character growth was simply wonderful. 

The side characters were all enjoyable as well. I'm not going to name names because of spoilers, but I'm  eager in the next books to find out more about each of the others as we only touched the surface of their backstories in this one. I think a solid cast of characters makes any book better and I am eager to see how these characters grow up and evolve in future books.

The plot itself was so fun. There's a tournament, mystery, and also character journeys that all tie together in a great way. I was a fan of it all and I thought that the author interwove it all in a way that each bit was complemented by the rest. There was a set up for another adventure at the end of the book, though it wasn't a cliffhanger, and I'm so intrigued to see where the plot could go next.

The magic system and world building was amazing. I'm currently reading another of Amanda's books (one of her young adult ones) and I've noticed that her magic systems are all incredibly interesting and fleshed out but aren't complicated to understand. I love the Beasts system and how magic is dependent on what beast a person bonds with. It's just...I'm so excited to explore more of this in future books. 

Overall, I absolutely loved The Accidental Apprentice. I love middle grade but it has been hit or miss for me as I'm no longer the target audience. However, this book greatly exceeded any expectations I had for it and has found its way onto my list of favorite books for the year. I'm so excited to see where the next book and rest of the series go. I highly recommend this book to middle grade fantasy lovers and those who like How to Train Your Dragon and Pokemon


"Barclay Thorne knew almost all there was to know about mushrooms, and there was a lot to know."

"Dullshire was a town of slights."

"Their loyalty is hard to earn, but once achieved, nearly unbreakable." 

"Barclay stalked off down the street wishing that Sycomore could be--if only a little bit--more like home."

"There's a difference between a companion and a monster."

"And when the adventure called, the wilds listened."


Amanda Foody has always considered imagination to be our best attempt at magic. After a double life as an accountant preparing taxes for multinational corporations, she now spends her free time brewing and fermenting foods much more easily obtained at her local grocery store. She lives in Boston, MA with a hoard of books guarded by the most vicious of feline companions, Jelly Bean.

Her books include The Shadow Game series and more. Her middle grade debut, Wilderlore: The Accidental Apprentice, hits shelves March 30, 2021, and her next YA novel, All of Us Villains, co-authored with Christine Lynn Herman, releases on November 9, 2021.

WEBSITE    |    TWITTER    |    INSTAGRAM    |    GOODREADS


AMAZON    |    BARNES & NOBLE    |    BOOK DEPOSITORY
INDIGO    |    INDIEBOUND



Follow along with the rest of the tour here!
And check out my stop on the Instagram tour here!



Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



You can follow my bookstagram here for more bookish content!

To get more awesome posts like this post, click the follow button to the right!

Get free worldwide shipping with Book Depository using my affiliate link



Thursday, April 1, 2021

March 2021 Wrap-Up


Hello everyone! Another month gone and boy was it a month. I have to be honest, March was a big month of up and down. There were some pretty stressful and horrible moments. However, I got my first vaccine dose and read a lot of amazing books. I enjoyed every single book I read this month and I definitely feel like I'm getting out of my reading slump from the beginning of the year. I read a total of seven books this month (which is more than double January and February combined!) and hopefully I'll be able to continue this reading speed into April. 


1. 
Title: A Court of Mist and Fury
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Rating: 5 // 5 stars
-reread-

2. 
Title: A Court of Wings and Ruin
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Rating: 5 // 5 stars
-reread-

3. 
Title: A Court of Frost and Starlight
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Rating: 5 // 5 stars
-reread-

4. 
Title: A Court of Silver Flames
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Rating: 5 // 5 stars

5.
Title: Stay With Me
Author: Jessica Cunsolo
Rating: 4 // 5 stars

6. 
Title: The Accidental Apprentice
Author: Amanda Foody
Rating: 5 // 5 stars
Review/Blog Tour TK

7. 
Title: Ace of Shades
Author: Amanda Foody
Rating: 5 // 5 stars





Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



You can follow my bookstagram here for more bookish content!

To get more awesome posts like this post, click the follow button to the right!

Get free worldwide shipping with Book Depository using my affiliate link