Toward a Secret Sky
Shortly after 17-year-old Maren Hamilton is orphaned and sent to live with grandparents she’s never met in Scotland, she receives an encrypted journal from her dead mother that makes her and everyone around her a target. It confirms that her parents were employed by a secret, international organization that’s now intent on recruiting her. As Maren works to unravel the clues left behind by her mother, a murderous madness sweeps through the local population, terrorizing her small town. Maren must decide if she’ll continue her parents’ fight or stay behind to save her friends.
With the help of Gavin, an otherworldly mercenary she’s not supposed to fall in love with, and Graham, a charming aristocrat who is entranced with her, Maren races against the clock and around the country from palatial estates with twisted labyrinths to famous cathedrals with booby-trapped subterranean crypts to stay ahead of the enemy and find a cure. Along the way, she discovers the great truth of love: that laying down your life for another isn’t as hard as watching them sacrifice everything for you.
With the help of Gavin, an otherworldly mercenary she’s not supposed to fall in love with, and Graham, a charming aristocrat who is entranced with her, Maren races against the clock and around the country from palatial estates with twisted labyrinths to famous cathedrals with booby-trapped subterranean crypts to stay ahead of the enemy and find a cure. Along the way, she discovers the great truth of love: that laying down your life for another isn’t as hard as watching them sacrifice everything for you.
What I thought:
I loved the setting. Scotland. Pretty much all I need to say about that, because, Scotland. Sigh. I found the main character, Maren, interesting. She's portrayed as intelligent and she's got this thing for solving puzzles. The story's well-written and the plot kept me turning pages, but I couldn't get on-board with the romance. Insta-love. Sure he's dreamy and whatnot, but the oh-my-God-so-many-feels drama was too over the top for me. Hopefully, the next installment will have less swooning and more action.
Rating: *** (3 stars)
*I received an eARC of this title from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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Mask of Shadows (Untitled #1)
Perfect for fantasy fans of Sarah J. Maas and Leigh Bardugo, the first book in this new duology features a compelling gender fluid main character, impressive worldbuilding, and fast-paced action.
Sallot Leon is a thief, and a good one at that. But gender fluid Sal wants nothing more than to escape the drudgery of life as a highway robber and get closer to the upper-class―and the nobles who destroyed their home.
When Sal steals a flyer for an audition to become a member of The Left Hand―the Queen's personal assassins, named after the rings she wears―Sal jumps at the chance to infiltrate the court and get revenge.
But the audition is a fight to the death filled with clever circus acrobats, lethal apothecaries, and vicious ex-soldiers. A childhood as a common criminal hardly prepared Sal for the trials. And as Sal succeeds in the competition, and wins the heart of Elise, an intriguing scribe at court, they start to dream of a new life and a different future, but one that Sal can have only if they survive.
Sallot Leon is a thief, and a good one at that. But gender fluid Sal wants nothing more than to escape the drudgery of life as a highway robber and get closer to the upper-class―and the nobles who destroyed their home.
When Sal steals a flyer for an audition to become a member of The Left Hand―the Queen's personal assassins, named after the rings she wears―Sal jumps at the chance to infiltrate the court and get revenge.
But the audition is a fight to the death filled with clever circus acrobats, lethal apothecaries, and vicious ex-soldiers. A childhood as a common criminal hardly prepared Sal for the trials. And as Sal succeeds in the competition, and wins the heart of Elise, an intriguing scribe at court, they start to dream of a new life and a different future, but one that Sal can have only if they survive.
What I thought:
The MC, Sallot Leon is unlikable, which I loved. In fact, there are very few likable characters in this story, and I'm totally on-board with that.
I loved the premise and the pacing is so well-done. I didn't really connect with the MC, but the action was ongoing and fast-paced and dragged me through the pages. There's a love-interest, which, yay, but the action is what hooked me and kept me dying to know what happened next. The tension in this is remarkable. The writing here is great and I'm definitely looking forward to book 2.
So why not 5 stars?
The gender-fluid aspect left me wanting more, as it kind of seemed an afterthought--a few lines dropped in every now and then for flavor--and incidental. Taken out, nothing would really change except the wardrobe. But maybe book 2 takes it to the next level. IDK.
And the ending. The very end. Like, the last 10%. No spoilers, obviously, because I don't spoil, but allow me to butcher a metaphor: Yeah, sure, you have to break a few eggs to make an omelet, but I expected some of those eggs to be really hard to crack. The ending seemed way too easy and, because of that, kind of, sort of, implausible.
So, I was a little disappointed, but it wasn't enough to destroy all the great stuff that came before that point.
I recommend this book for those who like their stories on the darker side. Instead of comparing it to Maas and Bardugo, I'd say for fans of NEVERNIGHT by Jay Kristoff and AND I DARKEN by Kiersten White.
Rating: **** (4 stars)
*I received an eARC of this title from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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Happy reading,
Chelly
