BOOK REVIEW | Deep Blue by Jennifer Donnelly

Title: Deep Blue
Series: Waterfire Saga #1
Author: Jennifer Donnelly
Publication Date: May 6, 2014
Pages: 340
Source: I listened to Deep Blue via audiobook though my local digital library.

Serafina, daughter of Isabella, Queen of Miromara, has been raised with the expectation - and burden - that she will someday become ruler of the oldest civilization of the merfolk. On the eve of the Dokimí ceremony, which will determine if she is worthy of the crown, Sera is haunted by a strange dream that foretells the return of an ancient evil. But her nightmare is forgotten the next day as she diligently practices her songspell; eagerly anticipates a reunion with her best friend, Neela; and anxiously worries about Mahdi, the crown prince of Matali, and whether his feelings toward her and their future betrothal have changed. Most of all, she worries about not living up to her mother's hopes.

The Dokimí proceeds, a dazzling display of majesty and might, until a shocking turn of events interrupts it: an assassin's arrow wounds Isabella. The realm falls into chaos, and Serafina's darkest premonitions are confirmed. Now she and Neela must embark on a quest to find the assassin's master and prevent a war between the mer nations. Their search will lead them to other mermaid heriones scattered across the six seas. Together they will form an unbreakable bond of sisterhood as they uncover a conspiracy that threatens their world's very existence.

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Goodreads

Book Review: The Conspiracy of Us by Maggie Hall

The Conspiracy of Us was much more fun than I ever anticipated. 

I decided to give this book a whirl after seeing my friend Lauren's review on it here. The Conspiracy of Us follows our main character Avery as she is thrust into a world she never knew existed. She goes to her prom only to be taken to Paris and find out that there are 12 families (known as The Circle) that are descendants of Alexander the Great who rule the world. Avery is apparently  a distant relative to the Saxon's, a family that is part of the circle. Things kick off from there and everything is (obviously) not what it seems.

Mini Review #2

Hey guys and welcome back to my blog! Today I will be reviewing three recent reads that I want to share my thoughts on. However, I don't have enough to make a full review for each book so I'll just be doing mini reviews for each.

Sinner by Maggie Stiefvater
Sinner is the last book in Stiefvater's Wolves of Mercy Falls series. Although Sam and Grace had a complete story arc in the first three books, the series continues with Isabel and Cole. I loved Isabel and Cole in the first three books, and was disheartened when they didn't get their happily ever after in Forever. Maybe it is because I have grown as a reader, but I didn't really enjoy this one. Both Isabel and Cole frustrated me and instead of rooting for them, I just wanted the book to wrap up. If you're a fan of the first three books but haven't read them in a while, I would say to just skip this one and be content with the ending of Forever. 
2.75 Stars

Half Blood by Jennifer L. Armenntrout
Half Blood is the opening novel in Armentrout's Covenant series. If you've read the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead, you might see some similarities between the two. Both feature a protagonist that is half human with the other half being a superior species. Our protagonist also want to be in a relationship but isn't because they would be shunned. Though I had a lot of fun reading this book, I couldn't get over the striking similarities between the two. Alex also reminds me of Rose due to how similar they are physically and in personality. However, if you are looking for a fast paced read that doesn't require too much thought, I would recommend this. What it lacked in originality was made up for in its humor. I'm sure that the series improves as it progresses, so I will be continuing on with this series.

3.75 Stars


Did I Mention I Love You? by Estelle Maskame
Did I Mention I Love You? (or DIMILY for short) is the first book in a contemporary trilogy by teenage author Estelle Maskame. This series is a wattpad sensation and has its roots there. The novel follows Eden as she spends the summer with her estranged father in California. Along the way, Eden slowly falls for her infuriating stepbrother Alex. This novel was pure fun and I started to really love the characters. I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who is looking for a fast paced summer/spring read! I'm reading the sequel right now and cannot get enough of it. 
4.25 Stars

So those were my mini reviews! Have you read or are planning to read any of these?

Thanks so much for stopping by and I'll see you soon with another post!

Happy Reading!

Genni @ Ready, Set, Read!

Book Review: Forbidden by Kimberley Griffiths Little

I didn't have much expectations going into Forbidden and I was pleasantly surprised with how much I liked it!

Forbidden is a novel that takes place in 1759 BC and follows desert nomads. Jayden, our main character, has a relatively happy life with her pregnant mother, her dad, and her loving sister. However, she is to be married to the prince of the tribe, Horeb, whom she hates. Things spiral out of control when her family loses her tribe after a tragic experience. While following the tracks of their tribe in order for them to reunite, Jayden and her family come across a mysterious stranger, Kadesh.

There was never a slow moment in Forbidden. The book starts off with a tragedy and kept on going with it. Jayden's life in the book faces so many hardships. Jayden and Kadesh's love story isn't exactly insta-love, but it is very close to it. Immediately, Jayden feels this connection to Kadesh and gets jealous every single time he looks at her sister. Though that annoyed me, I actually really liked their relationship.

The pace of the novel was really weird. Several months would pass in the span of a couple chapters, while sometimes the chapters would only span days. Jayden's narration made it easy to understand and the story move quickly, so it didn't confuse me as much as I expected it so. However, I do wish it was more evenly paced out. Jayden was pretty mature for her age and I really appreciated it. She has to deal with a lot and she never complains constantly about her struggles.

While reading Forbidden, I didn't know what I was getting into. Only two of my friends on goodreads have read this book, and they both enjoyed it, so I was hoping that I would as well! Thankfully, I did. I have owned Forbidden for over a year and had it signed for that long as well. I picked this book up because of my TBR challenge, and I am so happy that I did. I don't read historical fiction that much, or at all, so Forbidden was a change of pace for me.


One of the most refreshing things about this novel was that it's main focus was not on the romance, but on Jayden's journey as a whole. There are several plot lines, her relationship with Kadesh is only one of them. Near the last quarter of the book, the relationship between Jayden and Kadesh do have more of a focus. I'm eagerly anticipating how their story continues with the next book! The end of this book does leave off on a cliffhanger, but not one where it doesn't have a sense of an ending. I am happy to hear that the next book in this trilogy, Banished, is coming out very soon.

Overall, I had some issues with the book. Jayden's character annoyed me at times, though she did show real growth. The novel wasn't evenly paced and did get a bit confusing at times, but her narration made up for it.  Though Forbidden wasn't groundbreaking and didn't change me in any way. Forbidden was pure fun to read. I would recommend this book as I enjoyed it a lot! I will definitely be continuing on with the series come February when it is released.

With that, I give this book

3.75 out of 5 Stars!

What are some historical fiction novels you have recently read?

Thanks for stopping by and I'll see you soon with another post!

Happy Reading!

Genni @ Ready, Set, Read!