Monday, June 12, 2017

TOWARD A SECRET SKY by Heather Maclean & MASK OF SHADOWS by Linsey Miller





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.
 
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)

So why not 5 stars? 
he 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
What are you reading? Any books out there that I will totally need but don't know exist? I love recommendations and comments. :D 
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Happy reading,

Chelly