February Wrap-Up & March TBR

Okay, so, February really didn't go according to plan. I read more than I expected to read, but I didn't follow my TBR. There is a really simple explanation to this: I received a lot of ARCs that I needed to prioritize, so I mostly read them. The good news is that I now only have one left (Blood Rose Rebellion), that I'm currently reading.

Thursday Quotables: Stalking Jack the Ripper (Stalking Jack the Ripper #1) by Kerri Maniscalco

Hosted by Bookshelf Fantasies

Welcome to Thursday Quotables! This weekly feature is the place to highlight a great quote, line, or passage discovered during your reading each week.  Whether it’s something funny, startling, gut-wrenching, or just really beautifully written, Thursday Quotables is where my favorite lines of the week will be, and you’re invited to join in!

Review: Whirl (Ondine Quartet #1) by Emma Raveling

Title: Whirl

Author: Emma Raveling

My rating: 4 hearts

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance

Pub. date: September 16th 2011

Publisher: Mandorla Publishing

Synopsis: Outspoken and independent, Kendra Irisavie has always played by her own rules.

She's an ondine, a water elemental gifted with the powerful magic of Empath Virtue and trained to be a fighter. Pursued by Aquidae demons, she and her mother remain Rogue, hiding among humans to avoid becoming casualties in an ancient war.

Everything changes when violence erupts on Kendra's seventeenth birthday. A dark stranger appears, promising answers to her mysterious past and stirring unexpected feelings in her fiercely guarded heart.

But as Kendra uncovers the truth about her heritage and future, she realizes just how deep the lies and deception run.

Now, in the face of unthinkable odds, she will need all her wits, skills, and magic to fulfill an extraordinary prophecy.

The first in a sweeping urban fantasy series, Whirl is the beginning of a young woman's exhilarating journey for survival, love, and hope as she fights for her place in a world where she doesn't belong. (synopsis from Goodreads)

Review: Guardian of Secrets (Library Jumpers #2) by Brenda Drake

*I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This is no way affects my opinion, all opinions expressed in this review are honest and my own.*

Title: Guardian of Secrets

Author: Brenda Drake

My rating: 4 hearts

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance

Pub. date: February 7th 2017

Publisher: Entangled: Teen

Synopsis: Being a Sentinel isn’t all fairytales and secret gardens.

Sure, jumping through books into the world’s most beautiful libraries to protect humans from mystical creatures is awesome. No one knows that better than Gia Kearns, but she could do without the part where people are always trying to kill her. Oh, and the fact that Pop and her had to move away from her friends and life as she knew it.

And if that isn’t enough, her boyfriend, Arik, is acting strangely. Like, maybe she should be calling him “ex,” since he’s so into another girl. But she doesn’t have time to be mad or even jealous, because someone has to save the world from the upcoming apocalypse, and it looks like that’s going to be Gia.

Maybe. If she survives. (synopsis from Goodreads)

Review: Six of Crows (Six of Crows #1) by Leigh Bardugo

I absolutely loved the Grisha Trilogy, I love this world Bardugo has created, but I must say, Six of Crows was even better! It beat the Grisha Trilogy, right along with all of my expectations. I have no idea why I waited so long to read this.

Title: Six of Crows

Author: Leigh Bardugo

My rating: 5 stars

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Pub. date: September 29th 2015

Publisher: Henry Holt and Company

Synopsis: Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can't pull it off alone...

A convict with a thirst for revenge
A sharpshooter who can't walk away from a wager
A runaway with a privileged past
A spy known as the Wraith
A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums
A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes 

Kaz's crew are the only ones who might stand between the world and destruction—if they don't kill each other first. (synopsis from Goodreads)

In My Mailbox #4

Hey guys! It's been ages since I've done an IMM, but I decided that, since I've gotten so many books lately, I had to do one, so here it is! I've mostly received a lot of ARCs, and I'm so excited to get to read them all!

January Wrap-Up & February TBR

Hi! How have you guys been? I hope you've had a good start to  2017! I have had such a wonderful start of 2017, both bookish and otherwise. I've made a new friend IRL that loves books as much as I do, and I love discussing books with her! I've also read 11 books, most of which were amazing. I finally got to reading Six of Crows and there has been a lot of wonderful releases this month! I'm actually surprised I managed to read so many books, because right now, I have a lot at school, so I have to spend most of my time studying. I also have so many books I'm excited about reading in February, both new releases and "old" books that I'm finally getting around to reading.

ARC Review: The Bone Witch (The Bone Witch #1) by Rin Chupeco

I have mixed feelings about this book, actually. On one hand, I really loved the characters and it was really original and unique, both the plot and the change between present time and Tea’s past. On the other hand, the plot was pretty slow, which made it difficult to get into it.

Title: The Bone Witch

Author: Rin Chupeco

My rating: 3.5 hearts

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Pub. date: March 7th 2017

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Synopsis: When Tea accidentally resurrects her brother from the dead, she learns she is different from the other witches in her family. Her gift for necromancy means that she’s a bone witch, a title that makes her feared and ostracized by her community. But Tea finds solace and guidance with an older, wiser bone witch, who takes Tea and her brother to another land for training.

In her new home, Tea puts all her energy into becoming an asha — one who can wield elemental magic. But dark forces are approaching quickly, and in the face of danger, Tea will have to overcome her obstacles…and make a powerful choice.

Memoirs of a Geisha meets The Name of the Wind in this brilliant new fantasy series by Rin Chupeco! (synopsis from Goodreads)