The Shadow Queen by C.J. Redwine - Paul's REVIEW

*I received this book as an eARC from Balzer + Bray via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review*

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Title: The Shadow Queen
Author: C.J. Redwine
Recent Release Date: February 16, 2016

Synopsis: Lorelai Diederich, crown princess and fugitive at large, has one mission: kill the wicked queen who took both the Ravenspire throne and the life of her father. To do that, Lorelai needs to use the one weapon she and Queen Irina have in common—magic. She’ll have to be stronger, faster, and more powerful than Irina, the most dangerous sorceress Ravenspire has ever seen.

In the neighboring kingdom of Eldr, when Prince Kol’s father and older brother are killed by an invading army of magic-wielding ogres, the second-born prince is suddenly given the responsibility of saving his kingdom. To do that, Kol needs magic—and the only way to get it is to make a deal with the queen of Ravenspire, promise to become her personal huntsman…and bring her Lorelai’s heart.

But Lorelai is nothing like Kol expected—beautiful, fierce, and unstoppable—and despite dark magic, Lorelai is drawn in by the passionate and troubled king. Fighting to stay one step ahead of the dragon huntsman—who she likes far more than she should—Lorelai does everything in her power to ruin the wicked queen. But Irina isn’t going down without a fight, and her final move may cost the princess the one thing she still has left to lose. 

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Review: The Shadow Queen may be a Snow White retelling, but it is a completely new story that stands on its own. The basic elements of the classic fairy tale are present, but so much has been added that it's far from a simple retelling. There are dragon people. There is an ogre war. The magic system is very cool and inspired by the well-known imagery of the heart in the classic story. 

I am a huge fan of Fantasy YA and I love how prominent it is becoming, but as more is made tropes definitely seem to be recurring. This is another story of a princess from a fallen kingdom who must live a simple life and train until the most opportune moment comes when she can attempt to take back her rule. I've read a lot of these recently, but they are all unique. They take different twists and turns in their storytelling.

Lorelai has a magical psychic link to a gyrfalcon named Sasha. I loves Sasha's role in the story. She's a hot headed predator with some sass.

I really enjoyed the character of Leo and wanted to see more of him. Early on I was shipping Leo and Trugg. 

The magic is such a big part of this novel. The villain's magic is super creepy. I liked how the hearts of everything come into play. The magic is described so well that you really get a grasp on it. And at some points, the imagery is very strong and goosebump-creating.

Irina is a great villain. It's nice seeing her perspective and at least understanding where she is coming from, if not sympathizing with her. 

I give this book a 5/5. I highly recommend it. Definitely one of the great YA Fantasy novels out there now. The writing is wonderful. The worldbuilding is magical. The characters tug at your heart.


--PAUL

As Red as Blood (Lumikki Andersson #1) by Salla Simukka - Ashley's Review

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Title: As Red As Blood (Lumikki Andersson #1)
Author: Salla Simukka & Owen F. Witesman (Translator)
Publication Date: August 1, 2015

Synopsis: In the midst of the freezing Arctic winter, seventeen-year-old Lumikki Andersson walks into her school’s dark room and finds a stash of wet, crimson-colored money. Thousands of Euros left to dry—splattered with someone’s blood.

Lumikki lives alone in a studio apartment far from her parents and the past she left behind. She transferred into a prestigious art school, and she’s singularly focused on studying and graduating. Lumikki ignores the cliques, the gossip, and the parties held by the school’s most popular and beautiful boys and girls.

But finding the blood-stained money changes everything. Suddenly, Lumikki is swept into a whirlpool of events as she finds herself helping to trace the origins of the money. Events turn even more deadly when evidence points to dirty cops and a notorious drug kingpin best known for the brutality with which he runs his business.

As Lumikki loses control of her carefully constructed world, she discovers that she’s been blind to the forces swirling around her—and she’s running out of time to set them right. When she sees the stark red of blood on snow, it may be too late to save her friends or herself.

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Review: I'm not going to lie - I picked this book up because I saw somewhere that it was based loosely on Snow White. I mean, the plot sounds absolutely nothing like a traditional Snow White story, and the title kind of references the classic "lips as red as blood," but that's enough to grab my attention! 

This book wasn't entirely what I was expecting. I was definitely looking forward to some subtle Snow White references, but I couldn't really find them. Well, except for Lumikki's name literally translating to "Snow White." Despite the lack of a traditional Snow White story, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am glad I gave it a chance. Salla's writing had me hooked from page one, and I know I was going to have to read this book cover-to-cover as soon as Lumikki finds the drying, blood-stained Euros. The whole book felt very lyrical, especially with the descriptions of the harsh Arctic winter. I've never been to Finland, but after reading this book I have absolutely no desire to go there during winter. Ever.

Most of the plot moves pretty quickly, and there were plenty of times where I couldn't wait to read the next page or the next chapter because I just had to know how Lumikki would get out of a crazy situation. Or to maybe learn the answer to one of the bajillion questions I had. Lumikki is smart, resourceful, and definitely someone I'd want to have in my corner if I found myself in a bad situation! She can outrun a bunch of goons, keep her friends safe, and still rock a pair of heels and a ball gown. Her friends are not quite so smart, and the boys were actually kind of annoying. 

I'm honestly not really sure where this book will go next though, since I felt like everything wrapped up pretty nicely. I mean, there are a few open ends and I have so many more questions. But I think this book would have worked pretty well as a standalone. I am looking forward to finding out what her next adventure will be, and I hope there are a few more Snow White references, but I won't be disappointed if the next book goes in a completely different direction.

If you're looking for a book based closely on a classic fairy tale, this isn't really the book for you. But, if you're looking for an exciting, fast-paced, YA crime thriller with slight nods to the Snow White story, you should definitely pick this book up! I can't wait to read As White as Snow next to see what kind of trouble Lumikki will get into! 4/5.


--Ashley

Vampire Secrets (Blood & Snow Season 2, Vol 2) by RaShelle Workman - Ashley's Review

*I received an eARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*

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Title: Vampire Secrets (Blood & Snow Season 2, Vol 2)
Author: RaShelle Workman
Publication Date: September 14, 2014

My Vampire Lies Review
My Blood & Snow Vol. 1 Review
My A Beauty So Beastly Review

Synopsis: A dream is a wish your heart makes...

It's been a month since Jasmine agreed to the wish that would keep Laeddin safe. By all accounts she should be happy. She's attending high school, hanging out with friends, and spending time with Laeddin. But she isn't. Ever since the sorceress ripped away a part of her, she hasn't felt like herself.

To make matters worse, the man with red eyes, the one that haunted her dreams, is appearing in real life. And demonic creatures keep showing up in Salem. The question on both counts is why?

Jasmine must figure out who the man is and what the creatures want. Thankfully, she isn't alone. Laeddin, Peter, Zoe, and some friends from the mansion next door will help.

And then there's the sorceress. she's using what she took from Jasmine to inflict havoc on the human realm as well as other realms.

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Review: Ok, first of all, I absolutely love this cover. I think it's my favorite of the Blood and Snow books. I just love how Jasmine's dress is white and there are black feathers everywhere, especially after the loss of her wings. I also really like all of the small details, like the genie lamp in the title. I cannot wait to have this gorgeous book on my shelves. 

Although this book picks up a month after the end of Vampire Lies, it doesn't feel like that much time has passed... and yet, it also feels like an eternity. Jasmine has moved on, but everything is so different. Jasmine is no longer dependent on blood, her wings are gone, and she's miserable despite having everything she wished for. I really felt for her, and I really just kept hoping that things were going to pick up. Oh, she's also got these crazy visions and a creepy visitor. 

I really enjoyed seeing Troy again in this book. I first met him in A Beauty So Beastly, but it's interesting to see how these stories all run parallel to each other and affect characters across the country. He's still upset over the events in A Beauty So Beastly, and I thought it was really nice that he and Jasmine can find comfort for their individual problems in each other. I enjoyed watching their friendship blossom and grow in to something more, and I was so happy for Jasmine that she had finally found a healthy relationship. 

I do wish we had seen more of Laeddin, Zoe, and Peter - they're around, but they pop off to go take care of things in other realms and it's a little frustrating to not know what's going on. I mean, we get the basics, but I wanted to know more! Hopefully there will be more in later books, and although it didn't lessen my enjoyment of Jasmine's story, I found myself with more questions than answers. 

Vampire Secrets is, overall, a really fantastic continuation of the Blood and Snow world. We get to meet new characters, see familiar ones, and witness the consequences of Jasmine's wish. And then there's that ending! I cannot wait to find out what the consequences will be, although I'm pretty sure I'm going to not really like the outcome.... especially since the consequences have not been favorable so far. I will definitely be on the look-out for the next book, and would definitely recommend this book to anyone who has read Vampire Lies. Also, I would recommend the series to any fans of fractured fairy tales! 4/5!

--Ashley

Blood & Snow Volume 1 [Audiobook] by Rashelle Workman - Ashley's Review

*I received a copy of this audiobook from the author in exchange for an honest review*

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Title: Blood and Snow Volume 1: Blood and Snow, Revenant in Training, The Vampire Christopher, Blood Soaked Promises
Author: Rashelle Workman
Narrated By: Rosanna Weigant
Release Date: August 6, 2014

My A Beauty So Beastly Review

Synopsis: "Lips red as rubies, hair dark as night. Drink your true love's blood, become the Vampire, Snow White."

Every thousand years, the vampire queen selects a new body, always the fairest in the land, and this time she's chosen snow white.

Blood and Snow: Snow White lives in Salem, Massachusetts, with her dad, stepmother, and her cat, Gatsby. Her entire life she's been teased for her fairy tale name, and the fact that her seven best friends happen to be guys whose names begin with the same letters as the seven dwarves.

Everything changes on a trip into Boston, where an unseen stranger bites her, and she's transformed into something not quite human.

Revenant in Training: Snow has been transformed into a revenant - not quite human and not quite vampire. She must discover how to live with the changes, hopefully without killing anyone.

The Vampire Christopher: As a revenant, Snow White craves blood. Especially the blood of her Hunter. But will drinking from him save or enslave her?

Blood Soaked Promises: Snow White must come to terms with her bloodlust. It's one thing to drink the blood of her Hunter, something else entirely to drink the blood of a human.

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Review: I love retellings of classic stories. Especially fairy tales. I love when an author takes something so timeless and well-known and well-loved as the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves and completely transforms it into something different. This was definitely the case with Blood & Snow, and I'm left wondering how I had never read these novelletes before! 

Blood & Snow Volume 1 is a collection of the first four novelletes in the first season of Blood & Snow - Blood and Snow, Revenant in Training, The Vampire Christopher, and Blood Soaked Promises. Although each individual story is very short, they come together to make something that's just really fantastic. Snow White is your average, clumsy teenager who is just trying to make it through high school with the help of her best friend, Cindy, and her neighbors, the seven "brothers" who have all been adopted by Professor Pops. She also has a thing for Gabe, one of the brothers. 

But then, she's mysteriously bitten by some random guy and now she's on her way to becoming a vampire! So now, in addition to trying not to fall flat on her face as she stumbles through track practice and trying to decide what to do about Gabe and still graduate high school, she's got to worry about all the fun things that come along with being a vampire. I really enjoyed watching her transformation, and I think RaShelle's excellent writing style really helped me to connect with Snow even though I've never been in a similar situation.

As far as the audiobook and the narration go, I thought it was pretty decent. I'm not an audiobook aficionado or anything, but the narrator held my attention for most of the book and made it easy to decipher when different people were talking. I kind of zoned out near the beginning and had to go back and listen to the first chapter or so of the first novellete, but once I got back into the story it seemed to be alright.

I will definitely be continuing this series - the ending was such a crazy cliffhanger and it made me wish I had Vol 2 ready to go! If you enjoy stories about vampires or modern retellings of fairy tales or Snow White or any combination of those, then you should definitely check out Blood and Snow! And also A Beauty So Beastly, which is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast set in the same world. A 4/5! 


--Ashley