The Queens of Renthia

I received a notice from Goodreads that I had won an advanced copy of The Reluctant Queen by Sarah Beth Durst. This book is the second in the Queens of Renthia series. The synopsis sounded really interesting so I dove right into the first book, The Queen of Blood. I love the world that Sarah Beth Durst has created. I also love that these stories read like young adult novels even though they are categorized as adult fantasy.

In the world of Renthia, there are spirits that control the land and have a lust for killing humans. This is why a queen is needed to keep the spirits in line. The queen has the power to stop all of the spirits in her land from harming anyone and being able to put them to use doing things such as creating new houses and libraries.

The first book, The Queen of Blood, primarily follows Daleina first as a child and through her challenges to become an heir to the queen. Daleina struggles with her power throughout the story and only really begins to hone that power with the help of Champion Ven. Together they work to help keep the people of Renthia safe.

The second book, The Reluctanct Queen, follows a few more characters. We still get to follow many of the same people from the first book but a few more are added as well. In this story, the queen is dying and needs to find someone to replace her when she dies. There are a lot of twists and a lot of good characters. I do not feel that this one fits quite as well in the young adult category but I believe that is because the characters are older.

I really enjoyed both of these books and cannot wait until the third installment releases next year. If you want to find out more about these books and more from this author, you can check out her page at this link.

Comments

Driftwood Bay

Driftwood Bay by Irene Hannon is a sweet and inspirational story. This is part of the Hope Harbor series but is the first one that I have read. I feel that this makes a good stand alone book but found myself becoming curious about the side characters in the story and would love to read the others in the series. Jeannette has created a new life for herself in the town of Hope Harbor. She owns a lavender farm and tea shop and spends most of her time alone. Her quiet world is shaken up when Logan moves in next door. Not only does he have a little girl, but also a trouble making dog that force their worlds to collide. Alongside the story of Jeannette and Logan is a beautiful and heartbreaking story of a family that has escaped persecution in Syria. Everyone in the story has their own heartbreak, but they all come together to create a new life and new relationships. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more books from Irene Hannon.

Review: Love the Wine You're With

I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy of Love the Wine You're With by Kim Gruenenfelder from St. Martin's Press. This book releases next month on June 13th. This is great timing because this is a perfect book to pick up for a light read on vacation. This story is about three friends that are all struggling with various aspects of their lives. They are all having problems with their careers and love lives. The women visit a wine bar one night and make the decision to open one themselves. They all jump right in to this new venture and in the process all find out a bit about themselves and what they want out of life. The book skips between the view point of the three women and I really enjoyed the author's writing style. This was a fun, light read and I hope you enjoy it. You can find out more about the book and the author here .

A List of Cages

I was inspired by the February Bookish Box to read A List Of Cages by Robin Roe. There is an option to receive a book with the box and this was the book that was chosen for the month of February. While I did not receive a book with my box, the title was included with everything else that I received. I have not cried this much over a book in a long time. It is so heartbreaking. I think this story fit very well with the theme of friendship. Julian lost his parents when he was 8 or 9 and was put into foster care with Adam and his mother for 8 months. After that he was taken to a long lost uncle by marriage who was very abusive. Adam and Julian reconnect after Adam is asked by the school psychologist to hang out with him and find out why he is missing class. They end up building a beautiful friendship. Julian who does not feel worthy of anything finds a place among Adam's group. I feel like there were still a lot of loose ends at the ending but it ends on a hopeful note. The story end...

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