What's Next, Wednesday (76)

•  To play along share a book you've been looking forward to reading, whether it's new or has been on your reading list for a while.

I'm looking forward to...

Aaru by David Meredith. A dying girl is given the chance to live on in a computer-created heaven, life everlasting with a price tag. But there's a lot of controversy swirling around the idea of a virtual heaven. I'm excited to read this one mainly because of the techno-fantasy feel this book's synopsis gives off. I think it's going to be both eerie and entertaining. 

Teaser Tuesday (285)

Welcome to Teaser Tuesday, the weekly Meme that wants you to add books to your TBR, or just share what you are currently reading. It is very easy to play along:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! Everyone loves Teaser Tuesday.




Brewing Up Murder (Kindle 93-94%)
    - Neila Young

"Well, I wanted to talk to you about a few things. I know Kyle finally got a hold of my records from the campus police in Lawrence, but I wanted you to hear everything from me first." 

Short Story Sunday - The Language of Thorns #2

The Too-Clever Fox

In this short story, all of the animals of the forest can speak, and though they are distinguished as prey and predator, they must come together to face a previously unstoppable hunter.


Koja is the main character of this story and though he's ugly his name means handsome. He's a clever fox that is always escaping death. Koja uses his words to trick his predators and his words and wit become his symbol for hope. This brings a major theme into this short story. As long as the fox has a voice, he has hope.

The fox becomes friends with a bear, Ivan, after outsmarting him to keep his life. But, his friend is lost when a dangerous hunter comes to the woods. Koja becomes focused on stopping this hunter and he dedicates his mind to doing so. To achieve this, the fox doesn't let fear cloud his logic and he notices that the hunter's sister, Sofiya, may be the key to learning more about the hunter. As Koja studies Sofiya, he observes that she seems sad and unhappy to be the bearer of the trophies her brother kills, in the form of a coat made of animal hides. Koja approaches Sofiya and slowly becomes her ally against her brother.

She tells the fox of a charm her brother always wears and they devise a plan to steal it. Yet, when she is successful, Koja learns that he has been tricked by a pretty face and a pair of sad eyes. Before he dies, Koja uses his voice to cry out, calling his friend the nightingale to come. She blinds Sofiya and saves Koja, ending the reign of the true hunter and freeing Sofiya's brother from her malevolence.

As a reader, when Sofiya's trap is revealed, there's a sense of betrayal and a tone of deceit. Just as Koja had, readers trust Sofiya because of the very characteristics that tricked the too-clever fox. This echoes a theme from the first story in the book, that beauty can be deceptive and we can't rely on how we see people when it comes to trusting them. However, it also demonstrates how people, or animals, come together when there is a greater threat to their way of life. The prey and predators of the forest all became prey at the hands of the Huntress. This shifted the laws of the forest and put all of the animals on the same side, knowing that they had to face this threat together. Finally, this story also shows that the lowest member of society can be brave and helpful in times of trouble. Just as the unloved child saves the town in "Ayama and the Thorn Wood", Koja saves the forest even though he was born a runt. By demonstrating these themes in this specific way, they become powerful tools that save those who use them and Bardugo uses these themes to share larger moral messages that translate to contemporary society.

Next Story: The Witch of Duva 

 

The Beacon (The Crystal Coast #3)

There can only be one queen…

Still reeling from the devastation wrought by Susan, Stevie struggles to find a way to retrieve the amulet from the dark witch who now calls herself queen. She develops a plan to amplify her powers, believing it will give her an edge, but the magic is untested and dangerous.

Susan will stop at nothing to complete her rise to power, including eliminating the last of Lucia’s descendants: Stevie and Charlie. She calls for a showdown, with all of the town’s witches present, leaving Stevie no choice but to comply.

Queens who came before her sacrificed their lives to protect the witches, and Stevie is prepared to join their ranks. In this life or death battle, she'll do whatever it takes to save her people.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Chrissy Lessey wraps up her Crystal Coast series with The Beacon in which the final battle between Stevie and Susan takes place. Stevie is the rightful heiress to the station of Queen because of her family's bloodline within the coven, yet Susan is a vengeful and power-hungry witch determined to kill Stevie and rule the coven. And as they say, it all comes down to this. 

Stevie is obviously the better character in terms of relatability and character connection so I think it's safe to say that most (if not all) readers will be rooting for her. She's a caring mother, a loyal friend, and a courageous leader. Though it may be a little risky, Stevie is determined to fight Susan and keep the other witches of Beaufort, NC safe, even if that means she'll die. Over the first two books, readers have seen Stevie suddenly have her magical powers show up, learn how to use them, watch Susan and Vanessa try to get their revenge, and witness the death of her mother. Through all of this, her character has grown so much. She's become a true leader who cares and has the sense of morality a leader needs. I think readers will be really impressed with Stevie's choices in this third book as she does something I would have never thought of in order to give her coven a chance to not only survive but to win the battle against Susan. 

In the second book, readers also saw a shift in personality with Vanessa's character. I'm happy to say that that continues in this third book as well. Vanessa, though terrified of her mother, knows that Susan is making malevolent and evil choices. She's worried for the safety of Charlie, who showed her extreme kindness in the second book. But Vanessa also knows that if she goes against her mother and Susan ends up winning... she'll make Vanessa's life a living hell. However, Vanessa isn't just going to stay out of it. She and Stevie end up making a little deal, a plan B if you will, which is both surprising and smart. 

Like previously mentioned, the plot of The Beacon revolves around the showdown between Stevie and Susan. The book follows the coven members helping Stevie prepare and figuring out how they will fight against Susan, who is all powerful thanks to her stealing of the amulet in the previous book. I think readers will be very happy with how this book turns out as it demonstrates a community of people coming together to fight against an evil threat. It's entertaining, easy to read, and engaging. I'd highly recommend the entire series to anyone who enjoys the supernatural genre with an empowered female main character and a little romance. 

Rating: 4/5 Cups

Read the first two books in the series: