Black Snow Spoiler Free Review

Black Snow
by Lena North

Release Date: October 24th, 2017

Synopsis:

Snow’s best friend is a bird. An osprey, to be specific.

Everyone knows Snow’s parents died a long time ago, and she has perfected her happy smile and girly giggle so no one suspects that she hides a darker side of herself deep inside. No one, except her bird – and Nick, who always seems to know how she feels.

Then Hawker Johns blackmails her into joining his covert group of protectors. The imposing sheriff from Norton sends Snow to the Islands to investigate Jamie Jamieson, one of her friends and a man she dates casually, and once the first fury has passed, she’s eager to go. Mostly so that she can come back and shove Hawker’s suspicions down his throat. 

Things are not what they seem on the Islands, though, and when Snow has been shot at, almost drowned and fallen through the roof of a cave, she starts thinking about her life, and her past.

Then she suddenly finds herself in a situation where she has a tough choice to make. Will she follow her heart or the pull from her family and friends? And will she ever find peace with her past?

Black Snow is the fourth book in the Birds of a Feather series, a young adult/coming of age series with paranormal elements, full of laughter, mystery, and romance.

My Thoughts:

***I recieved an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review***

I gave this book 3 stars. It was okay, a definite downgrade from the first three books in this series. I’m disappointed in this one.

I was so sad by this development, I loved the first three books, but I just felt like this  book didn’t have as much substance as the others. It was enjoyable, but that’s mostly because I was already accustomed to the characters and the world and the basic plot of the series. 

I can’t even really tell you what the climax of the story was. I can think of one part that may have been it, but at the time I didn’t know it and was actually surprised that I was done the book because I expected more. 

Not to say it isn’t still good, just not on the level as the other books. I am excited to read the final book in this series though. If you have read the other books in this series, then you should definitely still read this one. It’s still part of the story and I can’t wait for it to all be pulled together in the final book.

The romance in this book was cute, but a good romance isn't enough to make a book mind blowing and amazing, it can help it there, but it isn't the only factor. 

Why I Dislike the Chosen One Trope

This is different from the rest because I don’t actually completely hate the trope itself, I just hate when the trope is written badly. When done well, this trope can be really amazing.

(Harry Potter Spoilers)

Case in point: Harry Potter. Harry Potter was the chosen one, but he wasn’t the only possibility. There was another choice for the chosen one It was the circumstances that led to him having to step up to it. It wasn’t just him being “awesome” and doing everything himself. He had outside support, there were people who loved him and cared for him that wanted to help him succeed. There was also his love for his friends and family that propelled him into this position where he wanted to protect them. Harry had no added bonuses to help him get through it unless you count him being a Horcrux, but I would say that that one is just as much a burden as it is helpful.

(End of Harry Potter spoilers)

A lot of books have the chosen one with all these added powers and they are just so awesome and can never be beaten because they are the chosen one. Who could possibly be better than the chosen one? The Chosen one trope is like sticking your character onto a pedestal. The thing about Harry Potter is we know he is incredibly flawed and we don’t always agree with what he is doing. He’s just trying to do his best to get through it all in one piece. 

I just finished a book where the chosen one trope just felt sort of tossed in to make the protagonist's life a bit more interesting. It didn’t really fit into the story and felt more like the author was just trying to make her character more special. It really annoyed me when this happened.

The chosen one trope also ties into the Mary Sue trope. Authors are trying to make their characters more likable by using superficial things like special abilities and high levels of importance based on the character's usefulness.

(House of Night Spoilers)

A really bad case of chosen one/Mary Sue is Zoey Redbird from the House of Night Series. We start off the series thinking she’s pretty cool, relatable, but as the story progresses she just becomes this slut-shaming holy than thou character who somehow gets all the cool powers. She is the only character to have control of all the elements, therefore, she is better than you. As I was maybe 12 or 13 when I started reading this series I didn’t realize how awful she was until I got older and realized she was honestly the worst main character ever because she couldn’t seem to see her own flaws and the author made it out to be like she was the saviour of the vampire world. Honestly, this series could have been so much better without her in it.

(End of House of Night Spoilers)

Just, if you plan to write a book using this trope, don’t just throw it in because it seems cool, use it if it really means something to the story

What are some of your thoughts on the trope?

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September Wrap Up

I'm a few days late with this, but I guess better late than never. I had a pretty subpar reading month, I just kept starting books and never finishing them. Hopefully I will finish reading those books in October. I've also decided not to do a TBR this month because I most likely will not even follow it.  I'll see where the month takes me!

1. Tormentor Mine 

I gave this book 5 stars. I was bored and the premise sounded pretty good so I picked this book up and ended up loving it. For a more mature reader as it has some heated scenes, but it's overall a very good book.

2. Wicked Abyss 

I gave this book 5 stars. I've been obsessed with the Immortals After Dark series for a few years now and I can honestly say it's still as good as it was in the beginning. I have a lot of theories of the future.

3. She, Myself, and I 

I gave this book 3.5 stars. This book had a lot of plot issues, but it was still something I had a good time reading.

4. Her Book Boyfriends 

I gave this book 1 star. I have never actually read a book I just hated before. usually there is something that made me sick, turned my stomach even. This book didn't do that. It was just a mixture of misogyny, tropes, and an annoying main character that just destroyed a perfectly good premise. This book was honestly just offensive and I would highly suggest not reading it.

5. Approximately Yours 

I gave this book 3.5 stars. This was a cute read. I probably read it at the wrong time because it is a very festive book and it's very far away from December, but it was still enjoyable with lovable characters. 

6. Just One of the Boys 

I gave this book 4 stars. This was a twist on the classic, girl pretending to be a guy. Except this version had a lot less cringe worthy moments than She's the Man. I can appreciate that.

7. Taking Avery 

I gave this book 4 stars. There was a part that turned my stomach a bit, but I quickly got over it because the plot was so hectic and the characters had so much chemistry. It was well written and I would definitely recommend it.

8. Hearts Aflame 

I gave this book 4 stars. I read the first book in this series a couple years ago and loved it, so I decided to give the next book a go. I enjoyed this book enough, just not as much as I loved the first book. What I don't like when I'm reading a series where each book is about different characters, is when there are noticeable parallels. A couple would be fine, but sometimes it feels to close to the same story with different characters and slightly different circumstances. This book was guilty of a bit of that.

9. The Rules of Magic 

I gave this book 5 stars. I can't even express my feelings. This book brings you on such an emotional rollercoaster, it's about witches, but not always about their magic. It's intertwined beautifully with their lives and what they go through. Alice Hoffman has outdone herself with this one. It's a masterpiece. 

10. Anti-Step Brother 

I gave this book 3.5 stars. Not my favorite Tijan book, but it was a decent read. I liked the protagonist, she was chill and really grew throughout the book.  

11. Swords and Stilettos 

I gave this book 2.5 stars. I remember writing in my review of this book that I probably wouldn't remember the plot of this one after a day or two and I was 100% correct. If you want to read said review click here. 

What books did you read this month?

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Top 5 Books Featuring Witches

This weeks prompt seems like it was made for me. I love a good witchy novel, probably more than most. I love witches. I'm going to put these in order of their love of their general witchyness, not in the order of best book to worst book. This is solely based on the witch element.

5. Hex Hall

The first time she accidentally did magic she turned her hair purple. That is just the tip of the iceberg. This book was full of magic and trying to figure out where the protagonist came from and what she was and how she could fit into this world. It was also hilarious.

4. Talking to Dragons

It's been a long time since I read this book, but I know it must be good because I enjoyed it back when I hated reading. The story was very whimsical and fun, the protagonist being on his own a lot of the time trying to figure his powers out and then finding someone else like him and then there's double the magical fun. Amazing.

3. Harry Potter

The only time Harry Potter will ever be third on a list, I can promise you that. This is only third because this series never gave me the conventional witchy feeling that others on this list did. They went to a magical school, boys and girls alike and they were actually learning things. In my mind the conventional witch is Stevie Nicks.

2. Practical Magic

This book is an OG witch novel. The very atmosphere of the book feels magical. The way the author writes it, you know these characters aren't just any characters in just any world. This is something special, these characters are special.

1. The Witches

This book is all about witches, from myths to actually meeting them in person. This book made my childhood amazing, albeit a little frightening because I was too young to be watching that movie. This book is the embodiment of witches.

What books about Witches do you guys love?


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Hideaway Review

Hideaway
by Penelope Douglas

Spoilers

Release Date: October 2nd, 2017

Synopsis:

BANKS

Buried in the shadows of the city, there’s a hotel called The Pope. Ailing, empty, and dark—it sits abandoned and surrounded by a forgotten mystery.

But you think it’s true, don’t you, Kai Mori? The story about the hidden twelfth floor. The mystery of the dark guest who never checked in and never checks out. You think I can help you find that secret hideaway and get to him, don’t you?

You and your friends can try to scare me. You can try to push me. Because even though I struggle to hide everything I feel when you look at me—and have ever since I was a girl—I think maybe what you seek is so much closer than you’ll ever realize.

I will never betray him.

So sit tight.

On Devil’s Night, the hunt will be coming to you.

KAI

You have no idea what I seek, Little One. You don’t know what I had to become to survive three years in prison for a crime I would gladly commit again.

No one can know what I’ve turned into.

I want that hotel, I want to find him, and I want this over.

I want my life back.

But the more I’m around you, the more I realize this new me is exactly who I was meant to be.

So come on, kid. Don’t chicken out. My house is on the hill. So many ways in, and good luck finding your way out.

I’ve seen your hideaway. Time to see mine.

*Hideaway is a romantic suspense suitable for ages 18+. While the romance is a stand-alone, the plot is a continuation of events that began in CORRUPT (Devil's Night, #1). It is strongly recommended that you have read Corrupt prior to reading this.

My Thoughts:

I gave this book 5 stars. I decided to sleep on this before I wrote my review because after finishing it last night I was in a state of what the holy fuck?! I need more. Immediately. Sadly, I’m probably going to have to wait another two years to get the next book. I don’t know if I can wait that long. I devoured this book. I can not express my love for this book enough.

I guessed pretty early on that Banks was Damon’s sister. The hints were there and I just thought the overall idea of their relationship was a good idea. I love those two together. Damon needs a female that he can trust because he has had that shitty past with the woman he was supposed to trust the most. Seeing them together was probably the highlight of the book for me. I feel like I may be alone in this, but Damon is definitely my favorite character. 

This book took me by surprise. I was expecting something edgy with a plot that was 99% romance. What I got was so much more than that and I can honestly say that this is my favorite Penelope Douglas book. It’s 10 times better than all of her other books. I was a bit annoyed that the release date kept getting pushed back, but I understand that she was trying to perfect this book and I’m glad she took the time and made this book so amazing. 

Kai has totally grown on me. The first time I read Corrupt I didn’t really care for him, but as time went on and I reread Corrupt many more times I developed a love for Kai. I was so excited to read this book. Kai is a gentleman at heart, but he also knows that he can’t be contained by the rules of society and he accepts that he has a dark side sometimes and isn’t someone to be fucked with. 

Banks is an amazing protagonist. She was so calm and down to earth, but she was absolutely devious. I love Banks way more than Rika. I always found Rika to be a bit annoying. She just did things that irritated the crap out of me, Banks is not the same way. I’ve pretty much been on board with everything she decided to do in this book. 

The only thing that actually bothered me about this book is that Banks always wears these fingerless gloves. We don’t know why she wears them or what their significance is, and Gabriel Torrance at one point hints that we are going to find out. It has something to do with him keeping her “obedient”. So after he makes a comment about that, the reader expects that we’re going to find out why Banks wears those gloves. Except we never do. I would like to fricken know.

I am also happy to say that a bit of confusion I had stemming from the first book has been fixed. Damon’s last name is Torrance, and he’s Russian and has strong Russian ties. The only problem is that Torrance is not an Russian name. This is such a mini detail, but it really bothered me for the past two years. It turns out that when moving their family to America the Torrances just decided to pick up a more westernized name. 

Overall, if you are into darker adult romances with really intense plots then this is something you should definitely read.