April Wrap Up + Stacking The Shelves


News

I’ve had another kind of rough month. I’ve got some personal shit going on, and it’s been hard mentally to deal with several sick family members and death.

I’m also dealing with some health issues myself (again but unrelated to when I nearly died), leading to me needing to see a specialist. I had to wait 10 days to see my GP and now I have to wait 3 months to see the specialist. At least I’m not dying this time.

After I had such a great reading month in March, in April I really slowed down. I lost momentum, and I’m pretty sure it’s do with my mental health as all I want to do is lay on my bed and do nothing. I haven’t read a physical book, and I haven’t made much progress with audiobooks either.

I at least got the final week of April off on leave from work. Though I’m not quite sure I know how to relax. I don’t really think that lying around literally doing nothing is relaxing, because then I stress that I’m not making use of my leave or being productive.


Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme created by Tynga’s Reviews and hosted by Reading Reality.
It’s all about sharing the books we’ve picked up for the week, whether they are bought, borrowed, gifted, galleys, physical or virtual.
Share your shelves and remember to visit Reading Reality to find more great books!


Purchased

Up To The Challenge by Maria V Snyder

Meet Mongrel as she protects an injured “dog” from those seeking to kill him in Mongrel. Fly through space with Sergeant Harris on a mission to defuse a bomb in Godzilla Warfare. Discover why fencing phenom Ava’s new and famous coach keeps wooden swords in his equipment closet in Sword Point. Follow Gwen, an exiled Fae princess, as she searches for her missing sister in Lost & Found, INC.

A compilation of Maria Snyder’s short stories. I basically buy everything Snyder puts out as she’s one of my favourite authors. As the author self-published this, I had to purchase it from Amazon, which I generally do not do as a rule, but it’s worth it in my opinion. My husband even gave me a $10 voucher to use for it.


Borrowed

What We Devour

What We Devour by Linsey Miller

The story of a girl who must tether herself to a violent ruler to save her crumbling world.

Lorena Adler has a secret—she holds the power of the banished gods, the Noble and the Vile, inside her. She has spent her entire life hiding from the world and her past. She’s content to spend her days as an undertaker in a small town, marry her best friend, Julian, and live an unfulfilling life so long as no one uncovers her true nature.

But when the notoriously bloodthirsty and equally Vile crown prince comes to arrest Julian’s father, he immediately recognizes Lorena for what she is. So she makes a deal—a fair trial for her betrothed’s father in exchange for her service to the crown.

The prince is desperate for her help. He’s spent years trying to repair the weakening Door that holds back the Vile…and he’s losing the battle. As Lorena learns more about the Door and the horrifying price it takes to keep it closed, she’ll have to embrace both parts of herself to survive.

I enjoyed Linsey Miller’s Mask of Shadows and Ruin of Stars so I borrowed this on audio from my library.


The Bone Charmer (The Bone Charmer, #1)

The Bone Charmer by Breeana Shields

In Saskia’s world, bones are the source of all power. They tell the future, reveal the past, and expose secrets in the present. Each village has a designated seer who performs readings for the townsfolk, and in Midwood, the Bone Charmer is Saskia’s mother.

On the day of her kenning―a special bone reading that determines the apprenticeships of all seventeen-year-olds―Saskia’s worst fears come true. She receives an assignment to train as a Bone Charmer, like her mother, and even worse, a match-making reading that pairs her with Bram―a boy who has suspicious tattoos that hint of violence.

Saskia knows her mother saw multiple paths for her, yet chose one she knew Saskia wouldn’t want. Their argument leads to a fracture in one of the bones. Broken bones are always bad luck, but this particular set of bones have been infused with extra magic, and so the break has devastating consequences―Saskia’s future has split as well. Now she will live her two potential paths simultaneously. Only one future can survive. And Saskia’s life is in danger in both.

It’s weird. I don’t like zombies, but I don’t mind bone magic. I love the two-futures concept, and I hope it means we get like a sliding doors kind of story.


Rise Up from the Embers

Rise Up From The Embers (Set Fire To The Gods #2) by Sara Raasch and Kristen Simmons

Two gods are dead. The Mother Goddess has returned. War is rising.

Fleeing the ruins of Deimos, Ash and Madoc sail across the ocean toward their only possible allies: the water and plant gods. But when Anathrasa attacks on the way, Ash leaps to the defense—by using a power she didn’t know she had.

When Madoc made the fire and earth gods mortal, he inadvertently transferred their magic to Ash. Now, if Ash can get energeias from the other four gods, she will be powerful enough to end Anathrasa once and for all.

But not all the gods want the Mother Goddess defeated. To stop her, Madoc will have to become the obedient son his mother always wanted, and Ash will have to take a merciless place among the gods.

To defeat an immortal, Ash and Madoc must fight like gods—even if it means sacrificing their humanity.

I think I enjoyed the first book enough to warrant at least attempting the sequel.


The Archer At Dawn (The Tiger at Midnight) by Swati Teerdhala

The Sun Mela is many things: a call for peace, a cause for celebration, and, above all, a deadly competition. For Kunal and Esha, finally working together as rebel spies, it provides the perfect guise to infiltrate King Vardaan’s vicious court.

Kunal will return to his role as dedicated Senap soldier, at the Sun Mela to provide extra security for the palace during the peace summit for the divided nations of Jansa and Dharka. Meanwhile, Esha will use her new role as adviser to Prince Harun to keep a pulse on shifting political parties and seek out allies for their rebel cause. A radical plan is underfoot to rescue Jansa’s long-lost Princess Reha—the key to the stolen throne.

But amid the Mela games and glittering festivities, much more dangerous forces lie in wait. With the rebel Blades’ entry into Vardaan’s court, a match has been lit, and long-held secrets will force Kunal and Esha to reconsider their loyalties—to their country and to each other. Getting into the palace was the easy task; coming out together will be a battle for their lives.

This will be the second or third time I’ve tried to read this book, and I normally wouldn’t do this to myself but I was provided a PDF ARC a couple of years ago by a publicist that I can’t read on my Kindle due to the enormous watermarks (PLEASE STOP DOING THIS), so I still feel obligated to read the whole thing, even if it ends up being one or two stars. I’ll feel better once I’m able to give this a red hot go.


Monthly Wrap Up

Book Stuff

  • Number of books read: 2
  • Finished a series: No
  • Started a series: No
  • New to me authors: Kady Cross, Katrina Leno
  • Favourite book: n/a

Book Reviews:

Game Reviews

Nemo
Nemo

About Nemo

A lover of kittens and all things sparkly, Nemo has a degree in English Literature and specialises in reviewing contemporary, paranormal, mystery/thriller, historical, sci-fi and fantasy Young Adult fiction. She is especially drawn to novels about princesses, strong female friendships, magical powers, and assassins.

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