Month in Review: March 2019

Somehow it's time for another monthly wrap-up! March isn't quite over, but I figured it's safe to go ahead and make my monthly wrap-up. I don't plan to finish any more books by the end of the weekend, but if I do then I'll just add them onto next month's wrap-up. I've been in a bit of a weird book slump over the past few months and I'm not entirely sure why--I think I finally got a little burnt out on all the fantasy I'd been reading, so I've been foraying a bit into other genres that I enjoy. I also tend to end up reading nonfiction in the spring, so maybe I'll pick up some of that soon. Because of my slump, though, I'm surprised by how many books I ended up reading this month... but I won't complain. How was your reading month? Has anyone else been in a slump lately?

I decided to revamp my wrap-ups a little, nothing huge just yet, but just minor things in the format that have been bothering me for a while. Blogger doesn't make it the easiest to mess around with formatting, so we'll see how crazy I get in the future. That being said, I decided to add the source for the books I read, largely as a way for me to keep better track of where I'm getting the books I'm reading, but also because I know I enjoy seeing when other bloggers do it, so why not?

In non-bookish family news and since it's mostly known by all of my family, I thought I'd share that my sister is pregnant! This will be her and her husband's first child and she's due in October. I've never been much of a kid person, but I am pretty damn excited to be an aunt and I'm going to do my best to be a good one! And to supply my new niece/nephew with endless books.

# books read: 12
 

The Rosewater Insurrection by Tade Thompson  ★★★★
Source: Review copy from publisher || Format: Paperback

The Promised Neverland by Kaiu Shirai ★★★★★
Source: Owned || Format: Paperback (Manga)

We Lie with Death by Devin Madson ★★★★
Source: eARC (author)

Holy Sister by Mark Lawrence ★★★★
Source: ARC

King of Fools by Amanda Foody  ★★★★
Source: eARC (NetGalley)

The Magic Misfits by Neil Patrick Harris ★★★★
Source: Owned || Format: Paperback

The Alchemist's Daughter by Katharine McMahon ★★★
Source: Owned (library sale) || Format: Hardcover

Territory of Light by Yoko ★★★
Source: ARC

The Girls at 17 Swann Street by ara Zgheib ★★★★★

Source: ARC

The Girls in the Picture by Melanie Benjamin★★★★

Source: Review copy from publisher || Format: Paperback

The Night Before by Wendy Walker ★★

Source: ARC

DNF:
Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James







Vita Nostra by Marina Dyachenko ★★★★★ 
The Rosewater Insurrection by Tade Thompson ★★★★
The Promised Neverland Vol. I by Kaiu Shirai ★★★★★
The Night Before  by Wendy Walker ★★
Winterhouse by Ben Guterson ★★★★
The Girls in the Picture by Melanie Benjamin ★★★★
Peace and Turmoil by Elliot Brooks ★★★★

Month in Review: February 2019
Anticipated April 2019 Releases
Wicked Saints blog tour

Top Ten Tuesday:
If These Standalones Had a Sequel...
Spring TBR

First Chapter Tuesday:
A Conspiracy of Truths by Alexandra Rowland & Malice by John Gwynne

Can't-Wait Wednesday:



Descendant of the Crane by Joan He & The Deepest Blue by Sarah Beth Durst
The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling & The Strangers by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Upon a Burning Throne by Ashok K. Banker & Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City by K.J. Parker
A Time of Blood by John Gwynne & The Raven's Tale by Cat Winters

The Friday Face-Off:
Fish (After the Quake by Haruki Murakami)
Shapeshifters 

Have you read any of these? What books did you read this month? I hope you all had a great month-- comment below and let me know!

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Review: Peace and Turmoil by Elliot Brooks

Peace and Turmoil by Elliot Brooks
Self-Published
Publication: March 19th, 2019

Hardcover. 732 pages.

About Peace and Turmoil:

"Thirty years of peace have graced the lands of Abra'am. The waning bloodshed from the War of Fire has ended, and the new generations have only the horrid tales of their forefathers to remind them of their countries' pasts. Poverty no longer prevails, the sights and palms of men have grown soft, yet four nations dictate more power than they know. Civil unrest stirs amongst the first, the heir to the throne of Mesidia and the Guardian to its Dagger questioned by a growing rebellion. To its south lies a country of scholars, the mighty nation of Xenith, liberators of the War of Fire and Guardians of the Amulet. Over the Dividing Wall lives the newly freed Sadie, a kingdom with an assassin for a prince and an insurgence at its heels. The fourth is the ancient realm of Eve, the Land Across the Sea, gifted and cursed with the Sight as it shows them what's to come. 

Only one knows the fate of the world, but all will be pawns in its reckoning."

**Full disclosure: I was an early beta reader for this book during the first round of beta reading. I have also since read the finished edition, which has undergone edits, and have formed my opinion around that reading experience. This affiliation has no effect on my honest opinions of the book and I was not asked to write a review, but I want to make sure my relationship to it is clear.

Peace and Turmoil is the start to Elliot Brooks' new epic fantasy Dark Shores series, and 'epic' is the perfect descriptor for it. This is a solid debut that will satisfy any fantasy lover, whether you're looking for engaging characters, political intrigue, a unique magic system, or strong world-building--it's all here. This book also have a very 'classic' epic fantasy vibe, complete with kingdoms and royalty and magical beings.

Peace and Turmoil tackles a lot of different things (which is partially why it's 700+ pages, I assume): family dynamics, political intrigue, social and romantic relationships, struggles with magic, and nearly constant epic stakes. The author introduces readers to a complex and expansive world that covers various kingdoms, and I felt the world-building itself was really well done. Brooks takes plenty of time to address the layout of the world, the history of each kingdom--including past wars and current tensions--and the physical environments of locations as well. She also spends time touching on the social classes and structure of the different societies, which I think added some great depth, as well as a good deal of lore and background that enriches the world and allowed it to feel more authentic.

The story follows a rather large array of character POVs throughout the book, starting off with only a few and slowly expanding until it's almost hard to keep track of everyone by the end. One of my favorite stylistic things that Brooks chose to do, however, was to include a small map location image at the start of each character's chapter. It's a little hard to explain without a visual to show you, but I thought this was such a nifty way to help readers like me visualize what land and location each character was currently in, as I tend to have difficulties with spatial visualization and things of that nature. It's a small touch, but it's one that made a big different in an epic fantasy with such a large cast. I also appreciated the artwork of the characters that appeared throughout the book, which was done in a manner that actually accentuated my own view of the characters and what to expect from them. And speaking of characters, the main ones we follow are Dietrich, X'odia, Gwenivere, and Roland, all of which I thought had strong development over the course of the story. Dietrich is probably my favorite of the bunch, but I was impressed by the developed personalities and relationship dynamics that each had.

The magic system is one of an elemental nature, and I thought Brooks had a great take on this classic style of magic. I can't fully explain how the system works in this review as it does get a bit complex, but the gist of it is that people can essentially see different auras that they basically absorb and are able to use. Of course, as with most things in life, too much of a certain aurors can be a bad thing, so it can be tricky to find a good balance. Although it took me a while to fully understand all of the rules associated with this magic system, I did still find it to be one of interest and with some really great ideas attached to it.

One of my favorite things about this book was all of the magical creatures, known as 'fiends,' that inhabit the world and play a role. Brooks included artwork of the different fiends as well and  incorporated excerpts of information about them at the beginning of some chapters, both of which I thought were a great touch. There are some traditional creatures, such as dragons, as well as some that are newly invented (as far as I know) by Brooks herself. Some people might not care about the different creatures in this book, but as a huge animal lover I am always looking forward to magical creates in fantasy.

I only have a few problems with this book and most of them lie with the pacing and abundance of chapters. The pacing is largely consistent, but it does sometimes feel as though there's an uneven balance between slow and fast pacing that made things a little difficult to get through at times. The chapters also vary quite a lot in length, and I found it difficult to stay focused when it would switch around between various characters too quickly. This isn't the most mind-blowing fantasy I've ever read, but for a debut it's incredibly promising and well-written, and I have very high hopes for Brooks' future work.

Overall, I've given Peace and Turmoil four stars! This is another great self-published fantasy that I would recommend to anyone who loves some epic fantasy, magical creatures, and a lot of political intrigue.

Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound

You might also like:
Furyborn by Claire Legrand
The Queens of Innis Lear by Tessa Gratton

Can't-Wait Wednesday: A Time of Blood by John Gwynne & The Raven's Tale by Cat Winters

Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released! This meme is based off of Jill @ Breaking the Spine's Waiting on Wednesday meme.

This week's upcoming book spotlight is:

A Time of Blood by John Gwynne 
(Of Blood and Bone #2)
Publication Date: April 16th, 2019

Orbit
512 pages

Pre-order: Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound 

From Goodreads: 

"Defy the darkness. Defend the light. 

Drem and his friends flee the battle at Starstone Lake to warn the Order of the Bright Star. They’ve witnessed horrors they’ll never forget, such as magic warping men into beasts. But worst of all, they’ve seen a demon rise from the dead – making it even more powerful. Now Fritha, the demons’ high priestess, is hunting Drem’s party. 

Concealed in Forn Forest, Riv struggles to understand her half-breed heritage. She represents the warrior angels’ biggest secret, one which could break their society. And when she’s found by the Ben-Elim’s high captain, he swoops in for the kill. 

As demonic forces multiply, they send a mighty war-host to overthrow the angel’s stronghold. This could decimate the fractured Ben-Elim. And their allies in the Order may be too overwhelmed to send aid – with Fritha and her monstrous beasts closing in. Like heroes of old, Drem and the Bright Star’s warriors must battle to save their land. But can the light triumph when the dark is rising?"

I just received a copy of this one from Orbit and I cannot wait to read it! A Time of Dread was epic and such an engaging fantasy, I've been really excited to read more from Gwynne. Also, this cover is a really nice take on the 'weapon cover' style, I love all the red.

and...

The Raven's Tale by Cat Winters
Publication Date: April 16th, 2019

Amulet Books
368 pages

Pre-order: Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound

From Goodreads: 

"Seventeen-year-old Edgar Poe counts down the days until he can escape his foster family—the wealthy Allans of Richmond, Virginia. He hungers for his upcoming life as a student at the prestigious new university, almost as much as he longs to marry his beloved Elmira Royster. However, on the brink of his departure, all his plans go awry when a macabre Muse named Lenore appears to him. Muses are frightful creatures that lead Artists down a path of ruin and disgrace, and no respectable person could possibly understand or accept them. But Lenore steps out of the shadows with one request: “Let them see me!”"

I've been secretly wishing for stories inspired by Poe's work for so long, and since I can't write them myself, I'm beyond thrilled to read The Raven's Tale. I really can't wait until this one is finally out and I can (hopefully) have a chance to read it!

What do you think about these upcoming releases? What are your anticipated upcoming releases?