#DeathKnell #NetGalley

Title: Death Knell
Author: Hailey Edwards
Publisher: Platkus
Genre: Scifi/fantasy

Publish Day: Dec 4, 2018
Rating: 🥄🥄🥄🥄

Description:

This is the third book in the Foundling Series with another on the way.

After her two worlds clashed apocalyptically, Luce Boudreau needed some time out. But Destiny had other ideas. When bodies begin washing ashore down the Mississippi River, Luce discovers they are part of a gruesome, lethal message. Her final sister, Death, is trying to break through.

Every sign is clear: the end is coming, but earth will be destroyed - quite literally - over Luce's dead body, even if that means she'll be battling her own nature. And her coterie will stand with her, though Cole keeps standing one step too goddamn far away. Her mysterious new partner, Adam Wu, on the other hand, seems determined to keep her close at all times. And the more Luce learns about the new world she's part of, the deeper the secrets go. Who - if anyone - can she really trust?

As the final pieces of an ancient war come together, Luce's chance to fight back comes sooner than she expected. Death can come at her . . . she's eager to return the favour.

My Review:

I enjoyed the continuation of this story. It keeps growing and hasn't felt  stale or that it is going to fall off story-wise. For me, the way it is written it felt as if I was re-entering a TV show or someone's actual life.

In this one it expands away from her hometown and her human life (which are spoilery so I won't add here). There is a tug at a love triangle but it isn't annoying and a rival that is interesting and not  -- for me anyway-- reasons to roll my eyes so hard that I end up throwing down the book.

Downloaded through Netgalley free in exchange for a free review.

#SpoonsNbooks: 2018 a Book of a Year

It's the second day of the new year. Tomorrow I go back to work and fantasy about the next vacation time we have. Don't get me wrong -- I love my job and what I do but I love not doing anything even more.

The first half of 2018 I was giving up on becoming a teacher. I graduated in December of 2016 and wasn't gainfully employed like almost everyone I knew was. It was frustrating.

So, I decided to join Netgalley and start blogging more about the books I'm reading. I was already book blogging and reading book blogs but this time I was going to go full in.

Plus, I had no job so there wasn't a whole lot I was doing anyway.

July came around we decided to move out of the house. I was worried because once again -- I was the only person in this relationship not employed. My boyfriend's job was heavy on the work hours and it happened. Love that we've moved. I love having my own place so far no regrets.

The start of August I interviewed for a position that would start in like a few days. I had a feeling  I was not going to get it -- I mean, I've been interviewing since 2016 and no one wanted me. But I am now in my second semester at this job -- it has its challenges due to the students and my medical problems but I'm still survivin'

ANYWAY TO THE BOOKS!!

Since I was unemployed for most of 2018 I had a LOT of time to read books. I didn't meet my 125 goal for the reading challenge on Goodreads. BUT I forgot to drop down the book count to match how many books I did make it through. Many consider that cheating but I'm just challenging myself so why does it matter?

My goal was to read a lot and remember most of them. I usually read through things so fast that by the end of the year I'm like.. I read that?? Me??? Are you sure?? So, the reviews help keep them in memory.

BOOKS THAT I ABSOLUTELY LOVED:

by HAILEY EDWARDS:

Bayou Born 
Bone Driven

by NNEDI OKORAFOR

Binti

by ELLERY A. KANE

Daddy Darkest 

by EMILY SKRUTSKIE
The Abyss Surrounds Us

BOOKS THAT I'M GLAD I READ:

by TF Lince

Room 119

by KELLEY ARMSTRONG

Rough Justice

There's definitely more books but if we went through that..this would be a forever long blog entry. I have read a variety of books in 2018 and I'm glad it happened. I've found so many cute, educational children books to the fun, bizarre books for adults.

#BoneDriven #NetGalley

Title: Bone Driven  Author: Hailey Edwards    Publish Day: May 31, 2018   Rating: 5/5

Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group UK/Piatkus From: Netgalley!

Book is available as an eBook & hard copy. I'm sure this is available at other people's libraries. But none of her books are available at Tulsa Library and I don't know how to suggest they get there.

I'm late i'm late for a very important date.. but here is the review.

 Description

'Edwards creates amazing fantasy worlds that the reader becomes completely engrossed in' (Goodreads)

The bayou is burning, the battle is just beginning - and Luce Boudreau is smack in the middle of no-man's land . . .

Life as a cop in Canton Town, Mississippi, is never dull - particularly when hiding deep within you is a demon bent on the apocalypse. Luce is doing her best to pretend her two worlds aren't crashing into each other, but what should be a routine arson investigation takes a shocking turn when Luce discovers a link between the suspects and her own dark secrets. There's no turning back, even though her search for the truth threatens to burn her old life down around her.

Lines are being drawn in a war Luce barely understands, and she just might be on the wrong side of them. Now she must embrace her powerful destiny, or the ones she loves most will pay the ultimate price.

Always Possible Spoilers In My Reviews. 

Review:

Picked this one up the moment I completed Bayou Born. In most reading experiences I need a day before diving into another book. For this series so far that wasn't the case. This series so far is very character driven that is the focus while the plot is helping us learn more of the characters.

It's a paranormal set in Canton, Mississippi so it's a small town atmosphere. A place where odd things get to happen in swamps or the woods. What I love so far is the consistency of the main character as she's growing into who she is or whatever she decides she is. I struggle with reading paranormal / urban fantasy because female protagonists often have unnecessary short fuses.

This book is a segue for Luce from her human life to her demon life. She struggles with guilt and balancing her two worlds. It's noted of her guilt when leaving her dad, and aunt/uncle when she's off with the group. Then, the guilt when she is with the group and not with her dad and uncle/aunt. While she struggles with this worlds collide in a tearful and horrible way.

She's lovey-dovey with her male coterie folk but isn't so much with Portia. I can't remember specifically but I believe portia and her have a different relationship. Then, she's now possessing Luce's bestie I feel this is not only a story builder but possibly away to keep her love-dovey way only with the men?

This one is more focused on Luce on being an active character. It felt like she was more present, not just a damsel in distress. I understand that she was under the impression that she was human..and violent things happening around her. Whereas in this one she's warming up to her new reality and present.

Since I read this right after reading the first one I cannot tell if you can read this one alone. Unlike the first one thought I do believe it'd be hard to read alone without the first in the series.

The romance is present but it's still not the major aspect of things going on. She wants to be with him when she's 100% certain it's not her being the person who captured him. There is more interaction with Rixton and Sherry (Love them!!), her dad and her uncle/aunt (love them!). We don't get a lot of interaction with her father due to the problems that happened in the first book. This goes for Portia and Maggie, too.

Once more it's hinted at that Miller is a terrible demon? Looks ugly? Can't control himself in his original form? But we do not see him in this way this book. That's something later on in the story or just something that will get touched on once in awhile.

Overall there is a fun story to be had while reading this. If you're wary about paranormal/ urban fantasy think this one is a good starting place. It's how you'd imagine the genre to be..but don't see it much.

Recommend? Yes

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#Nook Why I still use it

My short conversation about my opinion on the Kindle app. I've made another list post about why I enjoy eBooks. I still have a Nook tablet sitting under my TV stand from years ago when my mom purchased me one. It was one of the older ones which didn't have a lot going for it and I couldn't change settings as much as I wanted to.

I only have one page of books that comes to 51 books on it. So, I don't purchase a lot of eBooks with it. Most are 'classics' that I could get for free. Nook app and all was my first through the eBook world so had less money back then to buy 'rent' eBooks. So, classic downloads it was.

Recently, I discovered I could buy books through PayPal. I work at Rev.com on and off when I can sit down and work an audio file. Can't do it full-time like so many who are on there. I would love to but I can sit long or have headset on for a long while. But it's good if I want to buy a book once in awhile.

I'm currently reading Bayou Born from Hailey Edwards on Nook. It was 99 cents which is what I had on my PayPal account. It's good and I'm enjoying it a lot.

The issues I have with Nook is that jumping from different devices it doesn't have the feature of getting to the last page you read. So, while reading on my phone I have to remember what page I am on when I log into my Tablet. Or, on the computer. The Nook for Web is a frustration more often than being convenient..and yet, I use it still. If I need to sit up to read it's where the book I'm currently reading residents...so gotta.

So, it doesn't automatically for me save my spot same as the other devices. But it also does this:

To which I have to refresh occasionally so I can access the books. Then, sometimes, when I am reading a book I've purchased it acts like I'm just reading a preview. So, I'll be reading toward the end of the story and poof! sends me back to preview.

But y'know I have proof that I did buy it. On my PayPal (which I'm not loading here) and on B&N's website saying so. This problem I have to sign out of and back into B&N, refresh the "Unknown error" and hope it's cooperating today.

Nook does have brightness option with a beige, gray and black background options. It does have font size and margins and font change options.

Would love to be able to have a green background option as it helps me the most. The original font on Nook for me isn't bothersome to read so that is a bonus. The brightness is still brighter than Kindle for night reading which hurts sometimes. But my phone has a blue light filter that if I remember putting on helps counter the brightness so there's that.

But all my reasons why I still use it even though it seems to have more problems than Kindle.

1) sometimes doesn't register I purchased something

2) errors a lot

 3) Some limitations on visual options

4) Doesn't save my spot in various mobile devices used

BUT:

1) I can use PayPal to purchase a book

2) I have another way to read eBooks






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#BayouBorn by Hailey Edwards

Pictured above is the image from my nook. For whatever reason Nook's browser version doesn't register the book that I've purchased. Ugh.

Title: Bayou Born
Author: Hailey Edwards
Published:  October 17, 2017
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Description:

Her beginning may be our end... Deep in the humid swamps of the Mississippi bayou, a mysterious, half-wild child is dragged just in time from the murky waters. She has no memories, no family and is covered in strange markings, the meaning of which no one is able to decipher. Adopted by the policeman who rescued her, Luce Boudrou follows him into the force, determined to prove herself in the eyes of those who are still suspicious. However, there's more of a battle ahead than Luce could possibly imagine. She may be an orphan without a past, but no one - including Luce herself - could ever be prepared for the truth of her dark, powerful destiny...


With possible spoilery information.

My Review:

I enjoyed this a lot more than expected. I was worried. This is my first read of her books. I've been following her and in her book group for awhile before reading. I know probably sounds weird but I do this a lot with books I'm interested in but not sure..

Things I absolutely love and thanked her was:

This book does not include the 24 hour waiting to report a  missing persons myth unlike..

Blood Will Out by Jo Treggiari & Daddy Darkest by Ellery Kane

It's a stupid myth that pops up regularly in these books. I wish someone would smack their hands when they type it up.

"The first twenty-four hours are the most critical." He couldn't argue with me there.

"You're going to file a missing person report."

"The quicker the report filed, the sooner the search can begin and the sooner I can access full departmental resources to help locate her."

Out of Order Quotes to help with not being too spoilery.

Errors / Writing Mishaps?

There was at times where words felt oddly places. Or typos. There was a few points where my phone had boxes. A few times I had to flip the page/page back to make Nook calm down. So, I'm not 100% certain if typos/words where they shouldn't be was the book or if Nook was being an asshole.

Annoying bits:

The lead male love interest constantly being described as a mountain And he ...growls. I don't quite get the growling a lot thing at all. Unless it was a hint at not being human.  

"I'm here to speak with Luce Boudreau," he rumbled in a deep tenor befitting a half-man, half-mountain. A mantain?" 

When characters are described as mountainous or anything I probably... imagine the opposite of what this is supposed to trigger. These descriptions make the character seem more cartoonish for me. So.. y'know. 

Enjoyable:

The mystery and the way the supernatural elements are introduced in the story. The connection to the private company and the main character. We're given answers as to why the main male lead is always around the main female.. usually it's done in an annoying way.

The "twist" / supernatural element and how everything is wrapped up in this. 

Stand Alone or Series?

This is a series but you can comfortably read it as a standalone. To do it comfortably...don't read the epilogue. Otherwise, it works alone or continue onward..I absolutely loved that. 

The will they? Won't they? If you don't give a shit about romance this book works, too. There is romance but it's not strong enough to worry about. 

THE BIG BADDIE:  There's pieces to thread into the next book but really you don't have to jump into it. The issue is wrapped up in this book.

Recommend? Yeah, it's good reading. I'm reading the 2nd one and will have the review up some point tomorrow. 

“Beauty is a reflection on the genetic soup we got served. It says nothing about your character or personality. Pretty is just that. Pretty. Substance is what matters. Clichéd as it sounds, it really is what’s inside that counts.” ― Hailey Edwards, Bayou Born

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