5 Minute Book Review: Grave Mercy by R.L. LaFevers

Rating: 3 Stars
Author: R.L. LaFevers
Publisher:Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Series: 1st in His Fair Assassin 
Pages: 549
File Under: Young Adult, Romance, Fantasy, Historical Fiction
Summary from Goodreads:

Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf?

Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others. 

Ismae’s most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?

5 Minute Reviews are just what they sound like. I take 5 minutes and jot out my feelings about the book, whether it's because I don't have time for a full on review or because I don't have a lot to say. Let's get started.

Like: 
Duval: He's the main squeeze. Not a jerk! Love him. (Is it sad that that's all it takes for me to like a YA male character. Sigh. Authors, quit making boys into jerks!)
Plot: A little predictable but sill enjoyable.
Setting: It's built up well.
 Sex: A YA book that acknowledges sex is a thing!
Cover: What is it about a girl in a red dress that drives me mad?
THERE IS NO LOVE TRIANGLE!!


Didn't Like: 
Ismae: It's not that she's unlikable. It's more that she's kind of boring. Sad.
Why they have sex: Really? Really? That's the big mystery? MMhm.
Pacing: Parts of the book are real drags.
"Womanly Charms": I get it. Please quit saying it.
Duval's Mother: That was fixed/dropped pretty fast. Not impressed.

Finally: Sybella's story is the next one and I really want to read it!

Wishlist Wednesday

Wishlist Wednesday is hosted by Pen to Paper.
This is a blog hop focused on books in our wishlist.
This week I'm wishing for:

Acid 
by Emma Pass 

Find it on Goodreads:

2113. In Jenna Strong’s world, ACID – the most brutal, controlling police force in history – rule supreme. No throwaway comment or muttered dissent goes unnoticed – or unpunished. And it was ACID agents who locked Jenna away for life, for a bloody crime she struggles to remember. 

 The only female inmate in a violent high-security prison, Jenna has learned to survive by any means necessary. And when a mysterious rebel group breaks her out, she must use her strength, speed and skill to stay one step ahead of ACID – and to uncover the truth about what really happened on that dark night two years ago

I like dystopian books. And I can't resist when a read head is on the cover.

Wishlist Wednesday

Wishlist Wednesday is hosted by Pen to Paper.
This is a blog hop focused on books in our wishlist.
This week I'm wishing for:

George, Nicholas and Wilhelm: Three Royal Cousins and the Road to World War I 
by Miranda Carter

Find it on Goodreads:

In the years before the First World War, the great European powers were ruled by three first cousins: King George V of Britain, Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, and Tsar Nicholas II of Russia. Together, they presided over the last years of dynastic Europe and the outbreak of the most destructive war the world had ever seen, a war that set twentieth-century Europe on course to be the most violent continent in the history of the world.  

Through brilliant and often darkly comic portraits of these men and their lives, their foibles and obsessions, Miranda Carter delivers the tragicomic story of Europe’s early twentieth-century aristocracy, a solipsistic world preposterously out of kilter with its times. 

Besides the fact that the author has my first name, I really want this book. I like History. I'm going to school to become a History teacher. I am especially interested in the First World War. I write essay after essay in this topic and never get bored. This is a book I need!

Review: Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross

Rating: 3 Stars
Author: Kady Cross
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Series: 1st in Steampunk Chronicles
Pages: 473 (Including the prequel which I didn't read.)
File Under: Young Adult, Romance, Steampunk, Historical Fiction
Summary from Goodreads:

In 1897 England, sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne has no one...except the "thing" inside her.When a young lord tries to take advantage of Finley, she fights back. And wins. But no "normal" Victorian girl has a darker side that makes her capable of knocking out a full-grown man with one punch.... 

Only Griffin King sees the magical darkness inside her that says she's special, says she's one of "them." The orphaned duke takes her in from the gaslit streets against the wishes of his band of misfits: Emily, who has her own special abilities and an unrequited love for Sam, who is part robot; and Jasper, an American cowboy with a shadowy secret. 

Griffin's investigating a criminal called The Machinist, the mastermind behind several recent crimes by automatons. Finley thinks she can help--and finally be a part of something, finally fit in. 

But The Machinist wants to tear Griff's little company of strays apart, and it isn't long before trust is tested on all sides. At least Finley knows whose side she's on--even if it seems no one believes her.

This book was given to be by Tena via RAK. Thank you so much!

At first I debated and debated on whether or not I wanted to read this book. No sooner than I decide I would give it a try, Tena sent it to me! This book book had the potential to be a favorite. I can see it under its surface. However it fell a little flat.

What I Liked:
It was entertaining. I enjoyed elements of the plot. And while it was predictable and stiff in some parts, I still liked it. For the most part the pacing was adequate.

It got my attention in the beginning.The book starts off with a great hook. Finley works for a family whose son is notorious for assaulting women. That night Finley catches his eye. He starts to assault her and her inner demon comes out to save her. She flees and gets ran over by my favorite man, Griff.

No instalove. Thank you! The characters in this book are not in love. They are attracted to each other. But things develop slowly. And granted most of their thoughts for each other are lustful. But it has a natural progression of feelings. Their relationship doesn't feel forced.

The humor. Cross kind of pokes fun at her book. Finley uhgs at Emily's love triangle, when she herself is in one. Sam mentions how perfect Finley is and he wouldn't be surprised if wings grew out of her butt.

Beautiful cover. I can't resist a red dress.

Writing. I am not the kind of person that likes long, drawn out descriptions. Give me what I need and move on. There is little purple prose in this book. (But there is a lot of telling instead of showing.)

Finley is a great name.

Multiple POVs. I usually do not like multiple POVs. Often books with multiple POVs annoy me. But it works here. The change in POVs is smooth. And it adds more to the story.

Griffin is not a jerk. Many books have the love interest who is a complete asshole or a creep. But for some ungodly reason the MC falls for him anyway. (cough Jack Dandy cough) Griffin is not that man.

Didn't Like:
The book is romance. Until it's not. Steampunk. Until it's not. Historical. Until it's not. The genres happen in parts. Not in one cohesive package.

The steel corset wasn't a big part of the story. It was more like a blip. It's introduced halfway through the novel and then mentioned again in the final battle.

Shallowness in plot and characters. While the story starts off fast it does loses it's steam pretty fast. The characters are flat and one-dimensional with cardboard personalities that we have seen before. And while I did enjoy the plot and the action, it could have been better. There could have been more mystery. There was little suspense.

Sam. I hate him. He is a horrible character who does not deserve Emily. She is the character that falls for the jerk character.

Finley needed more. She is out main character. This is supposed to be her story! We need more of her background and family to be explored more. Her father was Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde! And what about her personality? She herself barely has one. It's inner demon Finley that has character depth.

Love triangle. Jack Dandy could have easily been written out without much change to the story.

Overall:
Even with some of the negatice aspects, I enjoyed the book.

Wishlist Wednesday

Wishlist Wednesday is hosted by Pen to Paper.
This is a blog hop focused on books in our wishlist.
This week I'm wishing for:

Death by Black Hole: And Other Cosmic Quandaries

by Neil deGrasse Tyson

Find it on Goodreads:

Loyal readers of the monthly "Universe" essays in Natural History magazine have long recognized Neil deGrasse Tyson's talent for guiding them through the mysteries of the cosmos with stunning clarity and almost childlike enthusiasm. Here, Tyson compiles his favorite essays across a myriad of cosmic topics. The title essay introduces readers to the physics of black holes by explaining the gory details of what would happen to your body if you fell into one. "Holy Wars" examines the needless friction between science and religion in the context of historical conflicts. "The Search for Life in the Universe" explores astral life from the frontiers of astrobiology. And "Hollywood Nights" assails the movie industry's feeble efforts to get its night skies right. 

Known for his ability to blend content, accessibility, and humor, Tyson is a natural teacher who simplifies some of the most complex concepts in astrophysics while simultaneously sharing his infectious excitement about our universe.

It's Neil deGrasse Tyson. Who wouldn't want to read this?

Life Update

It's been a while since I posted on here. For those of you who don't know, I suffer from depression. This past year it has gotten worse. My feelings of uselessness,  hopelessness, and despair were out of control. Living got harder than it had ever been before. The suicidal thoughts got to a point where I was planning to act on them. Before this year reading was an escape. A way to get away from my feelings that drown me. But reading stopped being enjoyable. It became a chore. I tried and tried to get interested in reading but I couldn't. I have had depression for many years but it had never got to the point that reading was dreadful. And when I did read books I just wasn't up for reviewing them. Or even talking about them with friends.

While I still have suicidal thoughts on an almost daily basis, I'm getting help. I still have these thoughts and feelings but I am slowly getting better. I read a book! I wrote notes on that book! I am deciphering those notes to write a review!

I hope you guys are doing well.

Love,
Miranda

March RAK and April Sign Up

March was my birthday month and I had the money to do a RAK. I sent Tena at Crazy Book Slut  The Fireman Who Loved Me by Jennifer Bernard Ride, With Me by Ruthie Knox, and About Last Night by Ruthie Knox.

Today I got a package and it was from her. She gave me The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross. 

I'm so excited!

April will be SUPER busy for me so I won't be able to do it for a while.
Thank you Tena!

If you're interested in RAK go to Book Soulmates.