Mind Games by Kiersten White

Readers, Feelers and Seers oh my. Mind Games by Kiersten White kind of just starts in the middle and keeps on going. We see Sophia, Fia for short, on a mission to kill Adam. She doesn't know why but she knows that if she doesn't then 'they' will kill Annie, her sister, and Fia must protect her sister.

The book alternates between the present and the past. We find out slowly and in pieces how Annie and her sister have come to this point in their lives. The school that they attend "isn't a school so much as a testing ground for psychic talent. Only girls, too... for whatever reason, boys can't do any of these things." We learn how Fia has been trained to steal bank account information from CEOs and to blackmail judges. Their mysterious boss is well mysterious and is paranoid but that "probably comes with the territory when you have US senators killed."

At first, I thought that Fia was an attempt by White to reinvent Evie from the Paranormalcy trilogy but 30 pages in and you realize that the two are very different. Yet both are very strong female characters that kick butt. :) Although, Fia is a whole lot of crazy but a kind of crazy that I like.

I am a slow reader, so when I say that this was a quick and easy read, it really was. This book was not life changing but it was fun and entertaining. The plot moves quickly and normally I don't like the back and forth between present and past but it works here. A good lazy Sunday read.

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Dark Triumph (His Fair Assassin, #2) by Robin LaFevers

I normally do not like historical fantasy. Honestly, I would have never read the 1st book if it wasn't free. But Grave Mercy was such a entertaining read and I really had no clue who the 'bad' person. I was very pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed it. In fact, I enjoyed Grave Mercy so much, that I tossed ALL the other books that are my reading list aside and purchased Dark Triumph the day it came out. I have a history background and it usually drives me crazy the liberties that people take. LaFevers does a satisfying job of balancing the history and fantasy aspect in both books. 

Dark Triumph begins with Sybella warning Ismae and the duchess, risking the exposure of her true loyalties. It is not an inviting beginning for new readers. Who the characters are, their relationships to each other, who is important and why is not explained. The religion of LaFevers alternate Brittany is not explained either, thus new readers must puzzle out who Mortain is and how his handmaidens work for themselves. Some may wish for a small refresher on the world, however I thought this was refreshing. Too many authors spend too much times doing recaps when all you want them to do is get to the good stuff.

Sybella isn't instantly likeable like Isame but as her backstory is revealed throughout the book, the reader begins to understand why Sybella is the way that she is. In addition to espionage, murder, and sabotage, Dark Triumph features a daring rescue and perilous fighting across the countryside. Truth be told, the perilous fight scenes are a bit over the top and not very believable. But that does not reduce the entertainment value of this book.

I've said this once and I will say it again, not all books can be The Hunger Games nor do they have to. Was this the BEST book ever? No. But that does not take away how enjoyable it is.

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

So I'm sitting here staring at this blank screen trying to figure out what I want to say that would be meaningful about Siege and Storm because there are no words that I can think of that will do this novel justice. Plus, I don’t want to spoil anything. It’s such a fun read. I don’t want to take that away from anyone. I seriously called into work sick because I could not put it down. Yes, it is THAT GOOD!

Siege and Storm quickly picks ups where Shadow and Bone left off, with Alina and Mal on the run. No one is who they seem to be. (See, am I giving too much away?) It is crazy intense, with never a dull moment. The book has some new and exciting characters, as well as some old favorites.

I absolutely LOVE this book. And then the last 50 or so pages happened and Bardugo took me on an emotional roller coaster, which just made me love it even more. And the end… the end was insanely crazy, intense, and emotional. It basically left me thinking –HEY you CANNOT just END it THERE. I WANT MORE!!!!!! Sally, it will be another year before book 3 comes out.

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo comes out June 4th 2013 by Henry Holt and Co.