All of Us Villains by Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman

This book has been staring at me on my kindle for quite some time. I’ve been so anxious to read it, but I wanted to wait until the spooky season to get into it. Here we are just a day before it’s publishing birthday to share the tale!

Thank you Tor Teen for my gifted ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Synopsis: The Blood Moon rises. The Blood Veil falls. The Tournament begins. Every generation, at the coming of the Blood Moon, seven families in the remote city of Ilvernath each name a champion to compete in a tournament to the death. The prize? Exclusive control over a secret wellspring of high magick, the most powerful resource in the world–one thought long depleted. This year, thanks to a salacious tell-all book, the seven champions are thrust into worldwide spotlight, granting each of them new information, new means to win, and most importantly: a choice – accept their fate or rewrite their story. But this is a story that must be penned in blood.

You know that feeling when you pick up a book that seems familiar and you start to get a little nervous about it? Is this something I’ve read before? Will this live up to the hype? These feelings were strong with this read, and it really came out strong on the other side! I really enjoyed this one! I loved how this book mashed magic, fantasy, mystery, and adventure all into one. It really is Hunger Games meets the world of magic. It’s intense and jaw dropping – it’s wildly entertaining! The worst part about this read? It leaves you hanging on a vine. It sets-up for the next book in this new series, but it left me really wanting more. I wanted just a tad more of a pretty bow-type ending, but I guess I just need to wait to see what’s coming next!

4/5 Stars

Legendary by Stephanie Garber

As soon as I finished Caraval, I just had to read Legendary!

This is Donatella’s story this time. The story picks up with the letter that ended Carval. Tella owes her friend a big payment – the true name of Legend. She has to play Caraval again on a new island in order to get the payment. This time, Caraval is not just a game – it’s real and her life is at stake. Will she find out who Legend really is? Will she survive? Who is this “friend” of hers?

I didn’t love it as much as Caraval. I am not a fan of Tella and Dante, and the majority of the story was about them. This story is also much darker than Caraval. I also wasn’t a fan of who Legend was at first, but I started to warm up to the idea. The romance tends to be cheesier in this book, but I honestly love Stephanie’s writing. It’s so captivating and detailed. Even if I wasn’t a fan of the story, I was completely engulfed and couldn’t stop reading. And, of course, I am going to need to read the third book because, that ending…UGH!

4/5 Stars

Caraval by Stephanie Garber

I did it! I finally read it! After seeing this book being bragged about all over the place, I finally got to it!

Scarlet and her sister Donatella (Tella) have heard the wonderful stories about Caraval, a magical island where you get to take place in the performance of a lifetime. Scarlet has wanted to be invited to participate in the game for years, and never got to. Until now. Scarlet is invited, along with her sister, to attend. The problem is, their father is a nasty human being and would never allow them to leave the island. In fact, he has arranged for Scarlet to marry a Count in a few days, so their dreams of seeing Caraval are shot. Then along comes Julian, a sailor who gives them the opportunity to experience Caraval and escape their father’s fate for them. Once they arrive to Caraval, all seems wonderful until Tella disappears. Will Scarlet find her in time? Are they in true danger? Is the magic all it’s cracked up to be? Will their father get ahold of them? Will she really marry the Count? SO MANY QUESTIONS!

WOW you guys. WOW. I’m beating myself up over here for how long it’s taken me to read this book. What a magical, whimsical adventure. It’s so beautiful! Honestly, there were a few times I got mad at the book. There were a few instances where I didn’t love where the story was going, but MAN did the story always make-up for it. Holy crap! This is a huge roller coaster of emotions. This story will play games with your head. If you aren’t a fan of being tricked, don’t read this. I’m all for being captivated with the characters. And the ending?! UGH! Thankfully I read this now so the sequel is available for me to get right away. The only problem is, I got Legendary (the sequel) on audiobook to play on my 8 hour car ride this week so I have TWO DAYS to wait and start it. I don’t know if I can do it! I never wanted this book to end. The romance wasn’t cheesy either! Sigh….just beautiful. I will bask in this wonderful book high all day.

5/5 Stars

Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty

I’m starting to get pretty excited about Robert’s new book – Willa of the Wood. I read this book awhile back on a road trip and completely fell in love. I live in the same town that this story takes place, so it has a special meaning to me.

Serafina lives with her dad in the Biltmore Estate, the largest home in America found in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Her dad is a maintenance man for the estate and Serafina has lived in secret in the servants corridors. She goes exploring one day, only to find a mysterious figure in a black cloak roaming the halls. She hears that children are disappearing in the night and she’s determined to figure out who this man is. She teams up with the Vanderbilts’ (the owners of the estate) nephew to go on a harrowing adventure to uncover the truth. Not only does she work to figure out who the man is, but she begins to find out who she truly is and where she comes from.

This book is so magical and whimsical. It’s such a fun, quick read that will engulf you into the story right away and keep you waiting for more. I love the time frame of the story and how accurately detailed it is. The ending is unexpected which makes it all the more fun to read. This book is truly perfect for all ages and I highly recommend it!

5/5 Stars

Order it here for a great price!Serafina and the Black Cloak