Malice of Crows (The Shadow #3) by Lila Bowen

The sequel to Conspiracy of Ravens and third novel in Lila Bowen's widely-acclaimed Shadow series. 

The Ranger known as Rhett has shut down a terrible enterprise running on the blood of magical folk, but failed to catch the dark alchemist behind it. And now the Shadow refuses to let him rest. 

Rhett must make the ultimate transformation if he has any hope of stopping the alchemist or fulfilling his destiny; he must become the leader of a new Rangers outpost.

To save his friends, and the lives of countless others, he'll first have to lead them on a mission more dangerous than anything they've ever faced.

Review

First of all, if you have not read the first 2 books, Wake of Vultures and Conspiracy of Ravens, you should do that. Now. 

        

For those of you haven't read the first 2 books in The Shadow series, I will try to keep this as spoiler-free as possible. 

This book is AWESOME, and it's absolutely HILARIOUS! It's not often that I read a book that makes me laugh out loud like that. I love the author's sense of humor. 

I didn't like the ending, but I won't talk about why and give up the book. 

This was such a unique concept, and it shed a light on how people who weren't white were treated during the gold rush and when the railroads were being built. 

It also explores the topics of gender identity and sexuality in a very unique way. 

I can't say enough good things about this book. The only bad thing I can say is that I am not happy with the way it ended. I was kind of freaking out because I thought this was a trilogy and that was it for Rhett and Sam and their little posse. 

However, I just found out that the author wrote 1 more book for this series, Treason of Hawks! I'm so excited that I get to see what happens next with them! I am just disappointed that I have to wait until October to read it!

The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air #1) by Holly Black

Of course I want to be like them. They're beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever.

And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe. 

Jude was seven when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nnothingmore than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King. 

To win a place at the Court, she must defy him-and face the consequences.

As Jude becomes more deeply embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, she discovers her own capacity for trickery and bloodshed. But as a betrayal threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.

Review

HOLY CRAP!!! I absolutely LOVED this book!!!

I have heard lots of good things about this book and have wanted to read it for a while. It totally exceeded my expectations! 

This was the first book I've read by Holly Black, but I definitely intend to read more.

I sped through this book! I couldn't put it down. I probably would have stayed up and finished it all in one night if I didn't have to get up and adult the next day. 😢 Adulting sucks!

The ending was EPIC, and totally not at all what I was expecting to happen!

The only thing that I'm upset about is how long I have to wait to read the sequel! Does anyone know where I can get an ARC of The Wicked King?

A Court of Frost and Starlight (A Court of Thorns and Roses #3.1) by Sarah J. Maas

Feyre, Rhys, and their close-knit circle of friends are still busy rebuilding the Night Court and the vastly-changed world beyond. But Winter Solstice is finally near, and with it, a hard-earned reprieve. 

Yet even the festive atmosphere can't keep the shadows of the past from looming. As Feyre navigates her first Winter Solstice as High Lady, she finds that those dearest to her have more wounds than she anticipated -- scars that will have far-reaching impact on the future of their Court.

Review

Let me start out by saying, I was a little worried after reading some of the reviews of this book. Sarah J. Maas is my FAVORITE author, and this is one of my all-time favorite series, so when I read some of the less-than-stellar reviews of this book, I was scared to ruin my love of the series with a book that is not up to SJM's high standards.

I should never have worried! However, it is best to go into this book with the mindset that this is a NOVELLA, it is not a full-length novel. You cannot expect this to be like the first 3 books in the series. Unlike the action-packed first 3 books, this is more of a transition into the 4th book. The war is over, and Feysand and the inner circle are settling into life in Velaris. 

I was missing Rhys and the gang! I am just glad SJM released something so that we don't have to wait so long to see what happens next! This was was a perfect little teaser of what's to come in the next book. It's super short, and I read it really quickly. It's just what you need to get your ACOTAR fix in since book #4 will not be released until next year, and Kingdom of Ash, the 7th book in the Throne of Glass series, will not be released until October. 

Plus, there is a sneak peak for book #4 in the back of this book, and that one ends with a cliffhanger! ☺

Here's some of my favorite fan art for the ACOTAR series! Please note: None of this artwork is mine. Click on the pics to go to the artist's site. 

The first few are from JoPainter. I ♥ ♥ ♥ her artwork. Here's a link to her website: http://jopainter.co.uk/ 

You can also go here to purchase her artwork: JoPainter on Etsy  

These 2 come from The Art of Jana Etsy store:

I found this one on Instagram: @taratjah

I couldn't find who did these, but I really like them!

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