Review: Der Struwwelpeter

Title: Der Struwwelpeter

Author: Heinrich Hoffman

Goodreads Summary:

So the summary is in German so now sure what is says but here you go!

Wer kennt nicht die Verse über den Zappelphilipp, Hans Guck-in-die -Luft und den Suppenkaspar? Der berühmteste deutsche Kinderbuchklassiker liegt hier in einem Nachdruck der Frankfurter Originalausgabe vor

My Review:

I was interested in this book first because the cover gave me Edward Scissorhand vibes and then also because it had off the wall stories! And guess, what? It did not let me down!

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Honestly, I wish I had known about this book sooner! In my childhood years when I used to read Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark and Goosebumps, this would have been right there with them! The quirkiness! I miss old books! Books like Madeline, Where the Wild Things Are, etc.!

What I love about older books is that the authors weren’t scared to tell their stories. You could have fun with it, be dark, and it was still beautifully humorous! The illustrations were my absolute favorite in this with their eccentricness! I recommend this one to anyone who has no sensitivity issues or gets easily offended!

What’s your favorite children’s book?

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Review: The Princess and the Fangirl

Title: The Princess and the Fangirl

Author: Ashley Poston

Date of Publication: April 2nd, 2019

Goodreads Summary:

Imogen Lovelace is an ordinary fangirl on an impossible mission: save her favorite character, Princess Amara, from being killed off from her favorite franchise, Starfield. The problem is, Jessica Stone—the actress who plays Princess Amara—wants nothing more than to leave the intense scrutiny of the fandom behind. If this year’s ExcelsiCon isn’t her last, she’ll consider her career derailed.

When a case of mistaken identity throws look-a-likes Imogen and Jess together, they quickly become enemies. But when the script for the Starfield sequel leaks, and all signs point to Jess, she and Imogen must trade places to find the person responsible. That’s easier said than done when the girls step into each other’s shoes and discover new romantic possibilities, as well as the other side of intense fandom. As these “princesses” race to find the script-leaker, they must rescue themselves from their own expectations, and redefine what it means to live happily ever after.

My Review:

I thought Geekerella was one of the cutest books after I read it, plus, I loved all the fandom stuff! The Princess and the Fangirl did not disappoint in that aspect! There was some pretty awesome fandom stuff mentioned!

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I was also excited to see two girl perspectives! However, I feel like the romantic stuff, while cute, was extremely insta love. It’s fine for insta attraction or whatever, but neither  Jessica’s or Imogen’s relationship was developed enough, since the girls had other things they were doing in the book while the romantic interest was missing. So I don’t know!

Besides the romance stuff, the rest was pretty awesome! There was a lot of witty dialogue, diversity, wonderful writing, and a neat setting! Ashley Poston is becoming an insta buy for me because I’ve liked every book I’ve read by her thus far!

Have you read Geekerella?

Review: King of Scars

Title: King of Scars

Author: Leigh Bardugo

Date of Publication: January 29th, 2019

Goodreads Summary:

Nikolai Lantsov has always had a gift for the impossible. No one knows what he endured in his country’s bloody civil war—and he intends to keep it that way. Now, as enemies gather at his weakened borders, the young king must find a way to refill Ravka’s coffers, forge new alliances, and stop a rising threat to the once-great Grisha Army.

Yet with every day a dark magic within him grows stronger, threatening to destroy all he has built. With the help of a young monk and a legendary Grisha Squaller, Nikolai will journey to the places in Ravka where the deepest magic survives to vanquish the terrible legacy inside him. He will risk everything to save his country and himself. But some secrets aren’t meant to stay buried—and some wounds aren’t meant to heal.

My Review:

I’m going to say right now that Leigh Bardugo has more creativity and writing skills in her pinky finger than I have within my whole being! But let me just say I did like the book but I wasn’t in love with it. Andddddd I wanted more romance in this book!

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Let me just say when I heard this was going to be Nikolia’s book I was shouting from the rooftops, but here is where things go clunkity clunk clunk. To me, the book wasn’t even Nik’s story—it felt as if he was in the background the majority of the time, even in his own chapters. The other 3 main POVs seemed to have more interesting backstories with more attention—at least I felt that way.

Then there’s Nina… I’m just going to say so far, her story didn’t go where I hoped it would… So not sure how I will feel about that in book 2—could change. Isaak was new and a sweetheart and Zoya, well, she’s become pretty freaking awesome. I really enjoyed learning more about her.

So a lot of the book was slow, but don’t worry there was some awesomeness mingled in. Oh, and as expected, the book does end on a major cliffhanger. But as it stands right now, I feel like all the good things are going to take place in book 2, as if this was more of an opening book. I don’t know, but I hope Nik has more chapters next time because he deserves it!

Have you read Bardugo’s other books?

Review: Blood Heir

Title: Blood Heir

Author: Amélie Wen Zhao

Date of Publication: June 4th, 2019

Goodreads Summary:

A fugitive princess with the power to control blood. A cunning conman with no past and no future. An Empire spiraling into darkness. A world worth saving.

The Cyrilian Empire: a glittering white sprawl of frozen tundras and ancient, snow-capped forests, where ice spirits roam beneath the flickering northern lights, and where slavers hunt Affinites — those born with powers to manipulate elements.

Born with a horrifying Affinity to blood, Anastacya Mikhailov has never believed herself to be anything more than a monster. Her curse rings true when an accident in the dead of the night results in the death of her father, the Emperor of Cyrilia — and she is sentenced for his murder.

But Ana knows what she saw that night: the scent of poison in Papa’s blood, and the face of a murderer vanishing into the dark.

Alone, hunted, and on the run, Ana makes a bargain with Ramson Quicktongue, a handsome yet dangerous underground crime lord: help her find the true murderer and clear her name in exchange for her alliance.

When Ana’s search lands her in the lair of the most powerful slave trader in the Empire, she uncovers a horrifying truth. A new monarch stands poised to lead the empire to a path of hatred and divisiveness, and Ana must stop her before Cyrilia falls to darkness. But first, she must come to terms with the monster she thinks she is and the heir she was destined to be.

My Review:

A dark retelling version of Anastasia? I’m all in! I’ve read one other Anastasia retelling, Heart of Iron, which was totally different than this one but both were awesome!

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Ana was my baby monster—she could do some pretty amazing things with other people’s blood! We get another POV besides her, Ramson, and oh boy, this young gent had a mind full of things—betrayals, a dark past, a dark heart with a hint of light hidden in it. I loved him!!! And the scenes with him and Ana own my life!

The writing was so good, and the story was an incredible page turner. I was so scared of another book with a cliffhanger because I’ve started so many dang series that end on them, and while it is open ended because of the second book, it isn’t the death cliffhanger sentence that I loathe! And I’ll be ready for book two when it comes! Can I also just state that the freaking cover artist deserves a metal for the beautiful cover!

What’s a power that you wish you had?

Review: Dracula Retold

Title: Dracula Retold

Author: S.G.D. Singh

Date of Publication: February 1st, 2019

Goodreads Summary:

Inspired by E. Nesbit’s Shakespeare Stories and the BBC’s The Musketeers, S.G.D. Singh’s Dracula Retold takes Bram Stoker’s captivating tale of an un-dead Count and those brave enough to challenge him, and brings it into the twenty-first century. Discover the world’s favorite vampire, whose fame has endured for more than a century and influenced countless films, novels, and art across the globe—or rediscover a favorite classic and fall under the spell of this mesmerizing adventure all over again.

DRACULA RETOLD: A young lawyer travels to Transylvania, where he begins to doubt his own sanity and unwittingly helps to unleash an ancient evil across the sea and onto the teeming streets of London. A beloved and beautiful woman suffers from a puzzling illness, her blood mysteriously drained with each passing day. And a group of improbable heroes gather to hunt a vampire. Can they destroy the creature before it’s too late for us all?

My Review:

Dracula has always been an intriguing character, hasn’t he? Drink blood to live? Definitely interesting! As soon as I saw this cover, I knew I was down! Throw all my money at that miraculous sight!

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I really loved how the story was told through journals, emails, etc. I’ve never read the original book, but I think I may need to now! I’m usually more of a vampire movie person, but I was sucked into this world and these characters! The bond between these people and how they sacrificed themselves with selflessness to help one another was amazing!

My favorite part would have to be at the beginning when Jonathan first encounters Dracula and all the lovely and creepy descriptions that came with it. From there, things get super interesting for the remainder of the book! Absolutely adored this one and the beautiful writing!

Have you read Dracula?

Review: Reylor’s Lament

Reylor’s Lament Review:

If you’ve read Two Thousand Years, which I hope you have, then you know what a bad, bad boy Reylor is. The question you may find yourselves asking is, was he always this way? There has to be something that made him the way he is, right? Right?

Well, let me tell you dear friends that this is the perfect opportunity to get into this villain’s head. Along the way you learn more about him, more about his background, and more about what made the future story come to pass. You also get glimpses of Treyan, Bria, and crew!

There’s definitely some sibling rivalry!

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I highly recommend reading this one because you may possibly change your mind about how you feel about Reylor. Or, like me, you may even love him more than you already do! Great writing and perfect character development in this novella!

Have you read Two Thousand Years yet?

Review: Dream

Title: Dream

Author: Natalia Jaster

Date of Publication: February 21st, 2019

Goodreads Summary:

Lyrik is a rogue with skills. 

In the Kingdom of Winter, he’s a swaggering potioneer who hunts for wisdom—a brew that will shake the world.
It’s the only secret he craves.
Except for the one boy he can’t have.

Nicu is a dreamer with hopes. 

He’s an impish Royal who hunts for wishes—a legendary star that grants yearnings.
It’s the only mystery he desires.
Except for the one boy he can’t stand.

It’s been three years since they clashed, never wanting to see each other again. But in a land of glittering frost, they might discover something more than wisdom or wishes. Something far more exquisite—and painful.

My Review:

This conclusion to the series, is one I have literally dreamed of! Get it, DREAM? To have Nicu’s story was like a freaking gift answered!

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The thing about Nicu is he doesn’t fit into a certain category that would be considered “normal.” What Nicu is, though, is one of the most specialist characters I’ve ever encountered, and I feel like this story isn’t only one about love, but it can relate for people in the real world.

Now, let’s talk about major swoon! My man, my rogue—Lyrik! Absolutely loved him and reading from his POV chapters! While Nicu is sweet and lyrical, Lyrik is feisty and blunt and down right awesome. These two lit up the pages whether together or separated!

Let me just say that Jaster’s writing is by far one of the best I’ve ever read, and I read a LOT of books! Her stories just bring emotion, and oohs and ahhs, and have my life organ pumping with happiness! This series is definitely one that will stay close to my heart!

Have you started this series yet?