Sun Warrior (Tales of a New World: Book 2) by P. C. Cast

Sun Warrior (Tales of a New World #2)

4 Stars

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Date of publication: October 17th, 2017

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult

Number of pages: 551

POV: 3rd person

Series: Tales of a New World

Moon Chosen – Book 1 (review here)

Sun Warrior – Book 2

Where you can find Sun Warrior: Barnes and Noble | Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

The battle lines have been drawn and Mari, an Earth Walker, and Nik, a Companion, who were once from rival clans now find themselves fighting to save each other and their people from destruction.

Thaddeus betrayed his own people, killing Nik’s father and destroying their entire clan. But he wants more. He wants the power he believes Mari has stolen from him and his people and he will do anything he must to get them back, even if it means destroying everything in his path. There is only way to stop Thaddeus, but it means a harrowing journey for Mari and Nik into the heart of darkness. But if they hope to survive the coming fight, they have no choice but to believe in each other.

Trigger Warning: Talk of past rape, abuse of animals

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Diary of Anna the Girl Witch: Foundling Witch (Diary of Anna the Girl Witch: Book 1) by Vic Connor

Diary of Anna the Girl Witch: Foundling Witch by [Connor, Vic]

5 Stars

Publisher: Helvetic House

Date of publication: December 7, 2014

Genre: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Mystery, Paranormal

Number of pages: 284

POV: 1st person

Series: Diary of Anna the Girl Witch

Foundling Witch – Book 1

Wandering Witch – Book 2

Fighting Witch – Book 3

Where you can find Foundling Witch: Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

What do you do when you discover you’re a witch… And that using your new powers destroys your soul a little each time? 

Set in the Swiss countryside, this story blends ancient folklore with a coming of age tale about a young witch on the brink of womanhood. 

Anna Sophia has always known she was different. She didn’t know just how different until now. 

On the eve of her 13th birthday — in the orphanage where she’s spent most of her childhood — Anna wonders about her past. She never knew her parents, doesn’t even know where she came from. All she has to go by is an unbelievable fairy tale her uncle used to tell: that she was found as a baby, tucked among a pack of bear cubs in the wilds of Russia. 

To make matters even more complex, Anna has discovered that she can see and do things that no one else can. So far, she’s kept her powers a secret, and they remain strange and frightening even to her. 

It’s only when Anna receives a letter from her mother — a mother she will never meet — that she discovers some of the truths about her past, and begins to uncover the possibilities in her future. As Anna continues to learn more about her secret abilities, she finds out that her neighbors are hiding something of their own: a plot to harm Anna and her friends. 

Can Anna Sophia use her newfound supernatural powers to stop them? Can she fight back, without endangering her own soul? And maybe, just maybe, is her own secret tied up with theirs? 

Through a story of otherworldly magic, Anna Sophia finds a sense of real-world belonging. With its cast of strong characters, an inventive setting, and engaging storyline, this fantasy adventure is a relevant novel for middle-grade children or young adults. 

Genre: middle grade / young adult adventure.

Trigger Warning: none

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Catching a Witch by Heidi Eljarbo

Catching a Witch: A Novel of Loyalty, Deception, and Superstition

4 Stars

Publisher: TCK Publishing

Date of publication: August 1st, 2017

Genre: Paranormal, Historical Fiction

Number of pages: 284

POV: 3rd person

Where you can find Catching a Witch: Barnes and Noble | Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

What Would You Do to Save Your Best Friend from Burning? 
The year 1660 is when it all changed… 

That’s when a witch-hunter comes to Clara Dahl’s seaside village in Norway. She’s horrified to discover how fast her neighbors and friends are to turn against each other. She soon realizes her sleepy, little, picturesque corner of the world has been invaded by evil—and it has nothing to do with witchcraft. 

As neighbor turns against neighbor, Clara finds herself drawn into the fray, forced to do what she can to protect her friends and loved ones. An educated and upstanding minister’s daughter, Clara speaks out against the witch-hunter’s unjust treatment of those accused of witchcraft. She sees how he plays the villagers, using their superstitions and religious beliefs to make good people accept horrible things. 

When Clara’s best friend Bess is accused of being a witch, Clara must make an incredible sacrifice to save not only her friend but the entire town… before it’s too late. 

About the Book

In 1660, women had no voting rights, couldn’t own property, and were treated as second-class citizens. If that weren’t bad enough, many innocent women—especially poor women—were tried and executed for witchcraft. The people responsible for their deaths were often their own friends, family members, and neighbors. 

Catching a Witch is a story about a young woman who’s willing to do whatever it takes to protect the people she cares about most in this world. 

You’ll love this book if you enjoy… 

Historical dramas 
Witches and witch hunting 
Historical thrillers 
The history of religion and superstitions 
A story with a strong female protagonist fighting for what’s right 
Readers of similar books such as Year of Wonder by Geraldine Brooks, The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe, The Heretic’s Daughter by Kathleen Kent, and The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare will love Catching a Witch. 

Scroll up and click “buy now” to help Clara save her village from evil.

Trigger Warning: abuse of women, some graphic death scenes

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Berserker by Emmy Laybourne

Berserker (Berserker #1)

4 Stars

Publisher: Macmillian Children’s Publishing Group, Feiwel & Friends

Date of publication: October 10th, 2017

Genre: YA, historical fiction

Number of pages: 352

POV: 3rd person

Where you can find Berserker: Barnes and Noble | Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

Are Hanne’s powers a gift from the old Norse gods, or a curse?

Her brother Stieg swears their powers are a gift from the old gods, but Hanne Hemstad knows she is truly cursed. It’s not Stieg’s fault that their father is dead, their mother has left, and their brother Knut has been accused of a crime he didn’t commit.

No, the fault lies with Hanne and her inability to control her murderous “gift”–she is a Berserker. When someone she loves is threatened, she flies into a killing state. The siblings must leave Norway for the American frontier or risk being brought to justice.

Aided by a young cowboy who agrees to be their guide, Hanne and her siblings use their powers to survive the perilous trail, where blizzards, wild animals, and vicious bounty hunters await.

Will they be able to reach their uncle, the one man Hanne believes may be able to teach her how to control her drive to kill? With Berserker, Emmy Laybourne, the author of Monument 14, presents her vision of an American west studded with Viking glory.

Trigger Warning: None

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Rafe, the Maverick (The Shamrock Trinity: Book 1) by Kay Hooper

Rafe, the Maverick (The Shamrock Trinity)

4 Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group, Loveswept

Date of publication: October 10th, 2017

Genre: Romance

Number of pages: 256

POV: 3rd person

Series: The Shamrock Trinity

Rafe the Maverick – Book 1

York, the Renegade – Book 2

Burke, the Kingpin – Book 3

Where you can find Rafe, the Maverick: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

Heirs to a great dynasty, the Delaney brothers were united by blood, united by devotion to their rugged land … and known far and wide as THE SHAMROCK TRINITY. Powerful men… rakes and charmers… they needed only love to make their lives complete.

Rafe Delaney was a heartbreaker whose ebony eyes held laughing devils and whose lilting voice could charm any lady — or any horse — until a stallion named Diablo left him in the dust. It took Maggie O’Riley to work her magic on the impossible horse…and on his bold owner. No woman had jolted Rafe Delaney’s heart until this tiny dynamo had come to Shamrock Ranch; now her grace and strength made him yearn to share the raw beauty of his land, to teach her the exquisite pleasure of yielding to the heat inside her. Maggie was stirred by Rafe’s passion, but would his reputation and her ambition keep their kindred spirits apart?

Trigger Warning: None

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Naked We Came (Jake Travis: Book 5) by Robert Lane

Naked We Came (Jake Travis, #5)

4 Stars

Publisher: Mason Alley Publishing

Date of publication: September 25th, 2017

Genre: Mystery, Thriller

Number of pages: 355

POV: 1st person

Series: Jake Travis

The Second Letter – Book 1

Cooler Than Blood – Book 2

The Cardinal’s Sin – Book 3

The Gail Force – Book 4

Naked We Came – Book 5

Where you can find Naked We Came: Barnes and Noble | Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

Jake Travis searches for the man who abducted and killed his sister and only sibling over 30 years ago, while on a family vacation in Florida. She went to their motel room to get the book “Matilda.” She was never seen again.

Now, the man suspected of killing her has washed up on a beach near Jake’s house. He penned a confession just days before his mysterious death. Jake believes that the confession was forced and that DNA was tainted.

His vengeful quest tangles him in a web of murky and powerful figures. As Jake forges ahead, seeking both justice for his sister and personal closure, he questions if he will ever spring free of his past, or whether the past will forever shackle him in its chains.

Foreword Clarion Reviews calls, “Naked We Came” “An emotionally austere and endlessly surprising thriller. Jake remains a character who shines among other genre leads. His dialogue is snappy, his appetites are insatiable. A thriller with heart.”

Trigger Warning: None

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The After War: The Complete Novel (The After War: Books 1-2) by Brandon Zenner

The After War Box Set: Books 1 and 2 of the Post-Apocalyptic, Dystopian Series by [Zenner, Brandon]

4 Stars

Publisher: Brandon Zenner

Date of publication: June 30th, 2017

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Science Fiction, Dystopia

Number of pages: 445

POV: 3rd person

Series: The After War

To Alice – Book 1

Fire Horizons – Book 2

The After War: The Complete Novel – Books 1 & 2

Where you can find The After War: Barnes and Noble | Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

Two years have passed since mankind faced extinction: Brain Rhodes and his cousin, Steven, are leaving the protection of their underground bunker for the first time after a cataclysmic war and unrelenting disease ravaged the earth. On the other side of North America, young Simon Kalispell is leaving the safety and seclusion of his cabin deep in the woods, traveling with his aging canine companion, Winston. For individual reasons, these men are traveling east, where the fragmented lives of a small number of survivors will soon be decided by the choices of a corrupt few. 

Simon Kalispell and Brian Rhodes are not yet aware, but the strength that resides inside them will soon be tested, and destiny will call for their fates to be forever intertwined.

Trigger Warning: Attempted rape

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7th Grade Revolution by Liana Gardner

7th Grade Revolution

Title: 7th Grade Revolution

Author: Liana Gardner

Publisher: Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Member’s Titles

Date of publication: October 24th, 2017

Genre: History, Middle Grade

Number of pages: 301

POV: 3rd person

Where you can find 7th Grade Revolution: Barnes and Noble | Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

WHEN UNEARTHING A NATIONAL TREASURE BECOMES A NATIONAL INCIDENT.

Inspired by True Events

Dennis Alexander: Washington Academy Middle School promises to be another in the long line of boring schools he has been expelled from. 

Rhonda Snodgrass: Although trained from childhood in survival tactics, she tries to stay off the radar of the “cool” kids who think she’s weird. 

7th grade turns out to be anything but normal when teachers announce the students’ bloodless revolution succeeded and they are now in charge. After conducting a secret-ballot vote on policy, the 7th graders emerge to find the school evacuated and the FBI lurking outside with the task of unearthing a treasure of national importance. 

The students’ mission is clear—discover the treasure before the FBI locks down the building. Dennis and Rhonda lead the revolt and must work together to follow century-old clues left by a crazy Revolutionary War buff. 

To stay one step ahead of the FBI, they must delve into history and amass an arsenal to defend their school … because this is WAR! 

Trigger Warning: None

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Faithless by Graham Austin-King

Faithless

4 Stars

Publisher: Fallen Leaf Press

Date of publication: June 30th, 2017

Genre: General Fiction, Fantasy, Science Fiction

Number of pages: 404

POV: 3rd person

Where you can find Faithless: Barnes and Noble | Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

The temples of the Forgefather have fallen. The clerics and defenders that could once be found across the nine lands are no more. Priests huddle in the great temple, clinging to the echoes of their lost religion. But the Father has fallen silent. There are none who still hear his voice.

The mines of Aspiration lie far below the temple’s marble halls. Slaves toil in the blackness, striving to earn their way into the church and the light. Wynn has been sold into this fate, traded for a handful of silver. In the depths of the mines, where none dare carry flame, he must meet his tally or die. But there are things that lurk in that darkness, and still darker things within the hearts of men.

When the souls bound to the great forge are released in a failed ritual, one novice flees down into the darkness of the mines. The soulwraiths know only hunger, the risen know only hate. In the blackest depths, Kharios must seek a light to combat the darkness which descends.

Trigger Warning: sexual abuse of children

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The Screaming Staircase (Lockwood & Co. : Book 1) by Jonathan Stroud

Lockwood & Co.: The Screaming Staircase by [Stroud, Jonathan]

3 Stars

Publisher: Disney Book Group, Disney-Hyperion

Date of publication: August 26th, 2014

Genre: Children’s Fiction, Middle Grade, paranormal

Number of pages: 401

POV: 1st person

Series: Lockwood & Co.

The Screaming Staircase – Book 1

The Dagger in the Desk – Book 1.5

The Whispering Skull – Book 2

The Hollow Boy – Book 3

The Creeping Shadow – Book 4

The Empty Grave – Book 5

Where you can find The Screaming Staircase: Barnes and Noble | Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

When the dead come back to haunt the living, Lockwood & Co. step in . . .

For more than fifty years, the country has been affected by a horrifying epidemic of ghosts. A number of Psychic Investigations Agencies have sprung up to destroy the dangerous apparitions.

Lucy Carlyle, a talented young agent, arrives in London hoping for a notable career. Instead, she finds herself joining the smallest, most ramshackle agency in the city, run by the charismatic Anthony Lockwood. When one of their cases goes horribly wrong, Lockwood & Co. have one last chance of redemption. Unfortunately, this involves spending the night in one of the most haunted houses in England, and trying to escape alive.

Set in a city stalked by specters, The Screaming Staircase is the first in a chilling new series full of suspense, humor and truly terrifying ghosts. Your nights will never be the same again . . .

Trigger Warning: Suicide after the fact, Murder after the fact

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