Reckless - Review

Reckless (Powerless Trilogy, # 2)

By: Lauren Roberts

Publication: July 2, 2024 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

383 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Magic

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Paedyn and Kai battle with duty and desire in this highly anticipated second installment in the sizzling and epic romantic fantasy trilogy that’s packed with spicy tension and edge-of-your-seat betrayal.

The kingdom of Ilya is in turmoil…

After surviving the Purging Trials, Ordinary-born Paedyn Gray has killed the King and kickstarted a Resistance throughout the land. Now she’s running from the one person she had wanted to run to.

Kai Azer is now Ilya’s Enforcer, loyal to his brother Kitt, the new King. He has vowed to find Paedyn and bring her to justice.

Across the deadly Scorches, and deep into the hostile city of Dor, Kai pursues the one person he wishes he didn’t have to. But in a city without Elites, the balance between the hunter and hunted shifts—and the battle between duty and desire is deadly.

I was disappointed with the ending of Powerless. *Spoilers for the previous book!* How Kitt and Kai could both basically be in love with the same woman, know the other brother is in love with her, yet refuse to even discuss it, was beyond me. I really wanted to punch Kitt in the face, to be honest. I wasn't even sure I wanted to continue the series if brothers fighting over a girl that obviously favored one of the over the other was going to be the path we took. But since I got Reckless on audio, I decided that I would continue at least through this book and see how I ended up liking it.

Paedyn is on the run for killing the king of Illya. Of course, he attacked her first, but details don't seem to matter. Kitt and Kai both feel betrayed by Paedyn. And Kitt has charged Kai with bringing her back. Kai injures her in his pursuit, but she does manage to escape and cross the Scorches to the next city of Dor. Kai pursues her. And the two play cat and mouse for a while. Ultimately, Kai does capture Paedyn, but getting back to Illya isn't smooth sailing. Plus, their forced proximity brings old feelings to the surface.

I can't even begin to tell you how much the cliffhanger to Reckless angered me. Like, I really and truly don't know if I want to continue the series after that mess. Seriously. What in the world is Lauren Roberts thinking except trying to make her readers angry? Well, it's working.

I don't have any favorite quotes since I listened to the audiobook version, but I will say the narrators Cecily Bednar Schmidt, Chase Brown, and Jared Zeus did a fabulous job.

Reckless was actually better than I expected it to be. I was hooked from the beginning due to the cliffhanger of the previous book. But I was so angry over the cliffhanger of this book that I don't even know if I want to finish the series. Kai and Paedyn all the way. Kitt can go kick rocks. Reckless would have gotten 4 Stars until the sorry cliffhanger which takes my rating down to 2 Stars. Have you read or listened to Reckless? What did you think? Let me know!

P.S. Since finishing these two books, I have followed a series on Instagram by Kim Argyle discussing the ethicacy of this series, and I am apt to agree with her assessment on this series thus far. I noticed similarities with Powerless and both The Hunger Games and Red Queen, but it's been so long since I read the Dance of Thieves duology that the similarities with that series didn't stand out to me, even though I did notice more similarities with Glass Sword.

All Things Halloween Review - Vow of Thieves

Vow of Thieves (Dance of Thieves, # 2)

By: Mary E Pearson

Publication: August 6th 2019 by Henry Holt

480 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Source: Personal Kindle Library

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Kazi and Jase have survived, stronger and more in love than ever. Their new life now lies before them―the Ballengers will be outlaws no longer, Tor's Watch will be a kingdom, and the two of them will meet all challenges side by side, together at last.

But an ominous warning mars their journey back, and in their rush to return to Tor's Watch, just outside the fortress walls, they are violently attacked and torn apart―and each is thrust into their own new hell.

Unsure whether the other is alive or dead, Kazi and Jase must keep their wits among their greatest enemies and unlikeliest allies. And all the while, Death watches and waits.

I've been looking forward to Vow of Thieves since finishing Dance of Thieves in 2018. I wasn't approved for a review copy of Vow of Thieves and this really contributed to how long it took for me to get my hands on this book. Review books take priority for me, so I absolutely love when my review books and books I've been stalking align. However, that wasn't meant to be for this one. And the more time goes by, the less I remember about the details of the prior book. So it took me much longer than I hoped to feel like I knew what was going on. Or at least to remember who characters were from the first book.

I say it all the time, but my favorite part of reading books is the relationships. Mostly the romantic relationships. And the plot and all of that good stuff take a backseat for me, although I do hope that's good too. So when Kazi and Jase were separated early on in Vow of Thieves, I was a little disappointed. Although, this did produce the anticipation of their reunion. I just love their relationship though.

I loved how Vow of Thieves felt like it had an entirely new plot from book 1, yet all of the pieces of Vow of Thieves were set up in Dance of Thieves. Plots like these impress me so much. I appreciate when all of the pieces fit together in a way that shows a cohesive plan from the beginning.

The side characters of this series are some of my favorites. Mary E Pearson does a great job getting you to care about characters that may have the smallest roles. Even some of the characters we once hated are written in a way that you can end up rooting for them. And on top of all of that, I want to know more about these characters. Wren, Synove & Mason, and Paxton and Priya. I need to know what lies ahead for them.

Favorite quote:

-I’m sorry. An apology from Death? Now I knew. Worse things than dying still lay ahead for me.

Vow of Thieves was a great wrap up to the duology. I love the characters. I love their relationships. I want more. The plot was great. I really can't say that I had any complaints. Vow of Thieves gets 4.5 Stars. Have you read Vow of Thieves? What did you think? Let me know!

This review is part of my All Things Halloween event--a month of fantasy, paranormal, supernatural, mystery/thriller, etc reviews and books.

Can't Wait for Vow of Thieves

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released as well. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine. Find out more here.

Vow of Thieves (Dance of Thieves, # 2)

By: Mary E Pearson

Expected Publication: August 6th 2019 by Henry Holt

480 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Kazi and Jase have survived, stronger and more in love than ever. Their new life now lies before them―the Ballengers will be outlaws no longer, Tor's Watch will be a kingdom, and the two of them will meet all challenges side by side, together at last.

But an ominous warning mars their journey back, and in their rush to return to Tor's Watch, just outside the fortress walls, they are violently attacked and torn apart―and each is thrust into their own new hell.

Unsure whether the other is alive or dead, Kazi and Jase must keep their wits among their greatest enemies and unlikeliest allies. And all the while, Death watches and waits.

What are you guys waiting on this week? Let me know!

Dance of Thieves - Review

Dance of Thieves (Dance of Thieves, # 1)

By: Mary E Pearson

Publication: August 7th 2018 by Henry Holt & Company

384 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--A new novel in the New York Times–bestselling Remnant Chronicles universe, in which a reformed thief and the young leader of an outlaw dynasty lock wits in a battle that may cost them their lives—and their hearts.

When the patriarch of the Ballenger empire dies, his son, Jase, becomes its new leader. Even nearby kingdoms bow to the strength of this outlaw family, who have always governed by their own rules. But a new era looms on the horizon, set in motion by a young queen, which makes her the target of the dynasty's resentment and anger.

At the same time, Kazi, a legendary former street thief, is sent by the queen to investigate transgressions against the new settlements. When Kazi arrives in the forbidding land of the Ballengers, she learns that there is more to Jase than she thought. As unexpected events spiral out of their control, bringing them intimately together, they continue to play a cat and mouse game of false moves and motives in order to fulfill their own secret missions.

I'm so glad that I jumped into Dance of Thieves immediately after finishing The Beauty of Darkness. Even though we're now following a different set of main characters, the cast we fell in love with from the original Remnant Chronicles series were all mentioned in one way or the other. Lia has quite a prominent role in that she's discussed frequently throughout the book and does have a section toward the end where we see her again. Kaden isn't mentioned by name I don't think, but his position and relationship to Pauline (who is mentioned more than once) is. Rafe is mentioned and is present. Even Natiya as well as Griz are all characters in this story. We even see Lia's brother, Bryn, at one point and discuss Jeb, who died at the end of The Beauty of Darkness.

Honestly, at first I was frustrated with Kazi because she's so quick to accuse Jase of being a thief, but yet she knows that she's one of the most accomplished thieves in Venda. Of course, this comes up later and isn't something that's ignored. Kazi and Jase's relationship is full of this type of thing. The very thing one holds against the other is often something they're doing also. I did feel like Kazi and Jase jumped into things quickly, but there was plenty of time that they spent together solidifying what may have happened too quickly for me. For me their relationship drove so much of the story, and this is always a good thing in my opinion.

Dance of Thieves did take me a good 10% to get invested. I kept falling asleep when I'd start reading. I don't think that's a fault of the book itself so much as me just being exhausted most of the time. But once I was hooked I didn't want to stop reading and would squeeze in a page or two every spare chance I had. Especially toward the end--70% on--I felt feverish to finish this book and see how everything was going to end until the next book in the series.

The side characters and world were just as vivid as the main two. I wasn't expecting Mary E Pearson to make a new series in the same world yet have it feel so cohesive and separate at the same time. The area of land that the Ballenger family is over has such a unique set of rules and customs that it truly made the series feel brand new even while being a piece of the world we came to love in the prior series. Kudos for that. And despite having such a large cast of characters (Jase's family alone is quite large), everyone felt separate and completely fleshed out.

Dance of Thieves was everything that I wanted it to be. Driven by the relationships yet still enough story and intrigue and questions to keep me devouring pages. I felt torn with Jase and Kazi at times. I wanted them to work things out, yet there were so many times that I thought each one had crossed the line of no return and not being able to fix their relationship. I loved the uniqueness of Thors Watch and the history of the Ballenger family where this was one of my complaints of the original series. And then there's that cliffhanger. Dance of Thieves gets 4.5 Stars. Have you read Dance of Thieves? What did you think? Let me know!

Can't Wait for Dance of Thieves

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released as well. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine. Find out more here.

Dance of Thieves (Dance of Thieves, # 1)

By: Mary E Pearson

Expected Publication: August 7th 2018 by Henry Holt & Company

384 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--A new novel in the New York Times–bestselling Remnant Chronicles universe, in which a reformed thief and the young leader of an outlaw dynasty lock wits in a battle that may cost them their lives—and their hearts.

When the patriarch of the Ballenger empire dies, his son, Jase, becomes its new leader. Even nearby kingdoms bow to the strength of this outlaw family, who have always governed by their own rules. But a new era looms on the horizon, set in motion by a young queen, which makes her the target of the dynasty's resentment and anger.

At the same time, Kazi, a legendary former street thief, is sent by the queen to investigate transgressions against the new settlements. When Kazi arrives in the forbidding land of the Ballengers, she learns that there is more to Jase than she thought. As unexpected events spiral out of their control, bringing them intimately together, they continue to play a cat and mouse game of false moves and motives in order to fulfill their own secret missions.

What are you guys waiting on this week? Let me know!