March Reading Wrap-Up!

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Did you have a good reading month in March? I am super excited to share that mine was awesome! I managed to fit in 5 books and not a single one was a dud! It was quite a wide array of books and I can’t wait to tell you all about them! I realize that we are already halfway through April…but if you have been around here a minute it probably doesn’t come as a surprise that I am running late! Anyway…on to the main attraction…the books!

Lakesedge by Lyndall Clipstone

First up we have Lakesedge by Lyndall Clipstone. This was included in an Owl Crate box and it was all kinds of Gothic with major Beauty and the Beast vibes for me! It was packed with mystery, magic, and darkness. This is the first book in a duology…and I am definitely interested to read book two when it comes out. I really enjoyed the authors writing style, but this book didn’t suck me in as much as I wanted it to. Don’t get me wrong, I definitely enjoyed it and it kept my interest…but it wasn’t the one that I got so invested in that I couldn’t think of anything else. Ya know? This was a 3.5 star read for me.

From Amazon

A lush, gothic fantasy from debut author Lyndall Clipstone about monsters and magic, set on the banks of a cursed lake, perfect for fans of Naomi Novik and Brigid Kemmerer.

When Violeta Graceling and her younger brother Arien arrive at the haunted Lakesedge estate, they expect to find a monster. Leta knows the terrifying rumors about Rowan Sylvanan, who drowned his entire family when he was a boy. But neither the estate nor the monster are what they seem.

As Leta falls for Rowan, she discovers he is bound to the Lord Under, the sinister death god lurking in the black waters of the lake. A creature to whom Leta is inexplicably drawn… Now, to save Rowan―and herself―Leta must confront the darkness in her past, including unraveling the mystery of her connection to the Lord Under.

The Lost Dreamer by Lizz Huerta

Next up we have The Lost Dreamer by Lizz Huerta. This was our Book Club selection over at The Booknerd Cafe for the month of March. We were abolutely smitten by the gorgeous cover of this book. It is just begging to be picked up and read! We also were floored to find out that it was inspired by Ancient Mesoamerica…which is something we don’t see very often!

This was such a beautifully written book. The world building was phenomenal. Author Lizz Huerta truly makes the reader feel immersed in this mythical story. While I loved the story and the writing, this one took me a while to get into. There were a lot of characters and names and I definitely found myself getting a little confused at times. That said, it was still a 3.5 star read for me.

From Amazon

A stunning YA fantasy inspired by ancient Mesoamerica, this gripping debut introduces us to a lineage of seers defiantly resisting the shifting patriarchal state that would see them destroyed―perfect for fans of Tomi Adeyemi and Sabaa Tahir.

Indir is a Dreamer, descended from a long line of seers; able to see beyond reality, she carries the rare gift of Dreaming truth. But when the beloved king dies, his son has no respect for this time-honored tradition. King Alcan wants an opportunity to bring the Dreamers to a permanent end―an opportunity Indir will give him if he discovers the two secrets she is struggling to keep. As violent change shakes Indir’s world to its core, she is forced to make an impossible choice: fight for her home or fight to survive.

Saya is a seer, but not a Dreamer―she has never been formally trained. Her mother exploits her daughter’s gift, passing it off as her own as they travel from village to village, never staying in one place too long. Almost as if they’re running from something. Almost as if they’re being hunted. When Saya loses the necklace she’s worn since birth, she discovers that seeing isn’t her only gift―and begins to suspect that everything she knows about her life has been a carefully-constructed lie. As she comes to distrust the only family she’s ever known, Saya will do what she’s never done before, go where she’s never been, and risk it all in the search of answers.

With a detailed, supernaturally-charged setting and topical themes of patriarchal power and female strength, Lizz Huerta’s The Lost Dreamer brings an ancient world to life, mirroring the challenges of our modern one.

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

I have to be honest…I get a little worried when I sit down to read a book that has such a huge following and is so well loved. What if I dont like it? Well, those worries were unfounded because I loved every single page of An Ember in the Ashes. I honestly wasn’t sure it was going to be for me since I dont normally gravitate toward books that are full of fighting and battles but man this was such a fantastic book. I loved Sabaa Tahir’s writing style. This was so fast-paced but not so fast-paced that I lost sight of the story. The characters were so easy to fall in love with as well. This was most definitely a 5 star read for me. Can’t wait to read the rest of the series!

From Amazon

Laia is a slave. Elias is a soldier. Neither is free.
 
Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear.
 
It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do.
 
But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy.
 
There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself. 

Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco

Another book with a huge cult following…and another 5 star read for me. Holy moly I loved Kingdom of the Wicked. Everything about it was just perfect for what I was looking for. I immediately felt transported to an old Italian village and I loved every second of it. What is it about old Italy that just makes for such a great setting? Anyway, I should have purchased the entire series because this definintely wasnt a one-and-done for me. I am too invested now. The characters…gah…just loved them…especially Wrath. Just sayin’. I recommend this series 100% to anyone who is looking to get lost in a page turner.

From Amazon

A James Patterson Presents Novel From the #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Stalking Jack the Ripper series comes a new blockbuster series! Two sisters.One brutal murder. A quest for vengeance that will unleash Hell itself… And an intoxicating romance. Emilia and her twin sister Vittoria are streghe — witches who live secretly among humans, avoiding notice and persecution. One night, Vittoria misses dinner service at the family’s renowned Sicilian restaurant. Emilia soon finds the body of her beloved twin…desecrated beyond belief. Devastated, Emilia sets out to find her sister’s killer and to seek vengeance at any cost-even if it means using dark magic that’s been long forbidden. Then Emilia meets Wrath, one of the Wicked-princes of Hell she has been warned against in tales since she was a child. Wrath claims to be on Emilia’s side, tasked by his master with solving the series of women’s murders on the island. But when it comes to the Wicked, nothing is as it seems…

House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig

And last, but certainly not least, House of Salt and Sorrows. Sigh. I haven’t been able to get this book out of my head since reading it. In a good way. I loved every page of this. The line on the back cover did me in. “In a manor by the sea, twelve sisters are cursed.” Tell me more. I am here for it. This was every bit as good as I was hoping it would be. This was the perfect blend of magic, mystery, and mayhem. It had all of the elements of a spooky fairy-tale and I loved it. Give me more!! I was so invested! All kinds of good spine-tingling energy. Most definitely a 5 star read and a great way to end March!

From Amazon

In a manor by the sea, twelve sisters are cursed.
 
Annaleigh lives a sheltered life at Highmoor with her sisters and their father and stepmother. Once there were twelve, but loneliness fills the grand halls now that four of the girls’ lives have been cut short. Each death was more tragic than the last–the plague, a plummeting fall, a drowning, a slippery plunge–and there are whispers throughout the surrounding villages that the family is cursed by the gods.
 
Disturbed by a series of ghostly visions, Annaleigh becomes increasingly suspicious that her sister’s deaths were no accidents. The girls have been sneaking out every night to attend glittering balls, dancing until dawn in silk gowns and shimmering slippers, and Annaleigh isn’t sure whether to try to stop them or to join their forbidden trysts. Because who–or what–are they really dancing with?
 
When Annaleigh’s involvement with a mysterious stranger who has secrets of his own intensifies, it’s a race to unravel the darkness that has fallen over her family–before it claims her next. House of Salt and Sorrows is a spellbinding novel filled with magic and the rustle of gossamer skirts down long, dark hallways. Be careful who you dance with…

Happy Reading

How about you? Did you read anything great for March? What about April…are you off to a good start? I have definitely gotten some really good books in for April…can’t wait to share them with you! Drop a comment below, I would love to hear if you have read any of these books!