Stacking the Shelves

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews  where we showcase books we've won, purchased, been sent, etc, that we have on our shelves now. So this week September 1-September 7, I have gotten: 

Physical: 

Crowfeather's Trial (Warriors Super Edition 11) by Erin Hunter 

Shadows of the Dark Crystal (Jim Henson's The Dark Crystal 1) by J.M. Lee

E-Books:

Vortex Visions (Air Awakens: Vortex Chronicles 1) by Elise Kova 

For Review:
The Map from Here to There by Emery Lord (Thank you Bloomsbury!!) 

Book Review: Before She Ignites by Jodi Meaows

Title: Before She Ignites (Fallen Isles 1)
Author: Jodi Meadows
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Release Date: September 12, 2017
Rating: 4/5 Stars

Goodreads Summary:

Before

Mira Minkoba is the Hopebearer. Since the day she was born, she’s been told she’s special. Important. Perfect. She’s known across the Fallen Isles not just for her beauty, but for the Mira Treaty named after her, a peace agreement which united the seven islands against their enemies on the mainland.
But Mira has never felt as perfect as everyone says. She counts compulsively. She struggles with crippling anxiety. And she’s far too interested in dragons for a girl of her station.

After  

Then Mira discovers an explosive secret that challenges everything she and the Treaty stand for. Betrayed by the very people she spent her life serving, Mira is sentenced to the Pit–the deadliest prison in the Fallen Isles. There, a cruel guard would do anything to discover the secret she would die to protect.

No longer beholden to those who betrayed her, Mira must learn to survive on her own and unearth the dark truths about the Fallen Isles–and herself–before her very world begins to collapse.

My Thoughts: 
I'm a fan of Jodi Meadows "The Orphan Queen and The Mirror King" and I didn't realize this series was out in the world until earlier this year. I kind of disappeared from the book world. Anyway I loved this story.

Being able to see a main character with anxiety was nice because as a reader with anxiety, I could understand everything that Mira was going through. Learning to adapt and not let her anxiety rule everything she did and every little decision rocked. And we have dragons! Dragons! I loved that the dragons play such an important role to Mira and the story and how much they mean to the Seven Isles. Seeing the dragons and the role that Lex had was pivotal in how much Mira discovered about herself.

I know this is short but I'm a little rusty and I can't wait to continue the series soon.

Until next time!

September Reading List

Hi everyone! This is going to be my *hopeful* reading list for the month of September. I say hopeful because there's a lot going on this month family wise. A whole week of birthdays occur towards the end of the month. I'm not kidding there's 6 of them within a week and half. 

So onto the list: 

Finish:
Before She Ignites by Jodi Meadows
The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco 

Start: 

As She Ascends by Jodi Meadows
When She Reigns by Jodi Meadows

Impostors by Scott Westerfeld 

Shatter City by Scott Westerfeld
Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan 

Maybe: 

The Heart Forger by Rin Chupeco

Waiting on Wednesday: When She Reigns (Fallen Isles #3) by Jodi Meadows

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly book post hosted by Breaking the Spine that we're anticipating. 

This week I'm waiting for When She Reigns by Jodi Meadows. I'm just now part way through Before She Ignites (Fallen Isles #1) and I'm enjoying it immensely and I already have As She Ascends on standby for when I finish which should be soon and a review to follow so stay tuned for that. 

 When She Reigns (Fallen Isles #3)
September 10, 2019
Katherine Tegan Books 

Goodreads Summary:

The First Dragon

The Great Abandonment has begun. Panic has seized the Fallen Isles, where no one knows which god will rise next. Mira Minkoba believes her dreams hold the secret to bringing an end to the destruction, but in order to save her people, she’ll have to find a legendary treasure: the bones of the first dragon.

The Last Hope

Mira’s desperate search leads the Hopebearer and her friends on a dangerous journey into the heart of enemy territory: the Algotti Empire itself. The empress is more than willing to help—for an impossible price. And as tensions escalate beneath the shadows of the risen gods, Mira grapples with a terrifying question: What will she have to sacrifice to preserve what she loves?

The explosive finale to Jodi Meadows’s Fallen Isles trilogy is ablaze with sizzling romance and fiery magic as Mira’s fight to save dragons from extinction evolves into a mission to save her world from annihilation.

Welcome Back!

Welcome back everyone. I'm kind of surprised to see that this site hasn't disappeared after all these years. Lots of attempts have come and gone since I had started this blog 5 years ago and yet, since its here and its my most established I think, I'm going to stick with this one. I'm still in a little bit of disbelief that its still around.

So welcome back everyone. Let's make this blog shine like it once used to.

Star Wars: New Jedi Order: Star by Star Review

Title: Star Wars: New Jedi Order: Star by Star (Book 9)

Author: Troy Denning

Publisher: Del Rey
Release Date: October 30, 2001
Format: paperback

Genre: Sci-Fi 

Rating: 5/5

Synopsis: 

" It is a solemn time for the New Republic, as the merciless Yuuzhan Vong continue their campaign of destruction. The brutal enemy has unleashed a savage creature capable of finding-and killing-Jedi Knights. Now Leia Organa Solo faces a terrible ultimatum. If the location of the secret Jedi base is not revealed within a week, the Yuuzhan Vong will blast millions of refugee ships into oblivion.

   

As the battered but still unbroken Jedi scramble to deal with the newest onslaught, Leia's son Anakin lays out a daring plan. He will lead a Jedi strike force into the heart of enemy territory in order to sabotage the Yuuzhan Vong's deadliest weapons. There, with his brother and sister at his side, he will come face-to-face with his destiny-as the New Republic, still fighting the good fight, will come face-to-face with theirs..."

Oh the wonders of Star Wars Expanded Universe! While it no longer is canon within the Star Wars Universe, it is still near and dear to my heart! This book, more so than any other of the EU books, has brought me much sorrow, happiness, and remains my most conflicted reads ever! This book is the 9th in the New Jedi Order (NJO) mini-series,therefore, much that is discussed in it and on here will be kinda new to those who don't know much about it. Not to mention that the entire EU is one giant comprehensive group and many story lines from either books and characters get fleshed out more here, or even meet their ends. 

As the synopsis states (very Star Wars opening scroll is it not?), The New Republic, the government that is formed out of the Rebel Alliance after the fall of Emperor Palpatine, is fighting a losing war against the extra-galactic invaders, the Yuuzhan Vong. Invaders from a distant lifeless galaxy. The Yuuzhan Vong wield organic ships, weapons, and armor, obsessed with self-mutilation in honor of their Pantheon of gods, and most vexing of all, are invisible to the Force. Calling the technologically advanced races of the Star Wars galaxy "infidels" and looking for a new home, the Vong invade the galaxy and begin a long and deadly war. The Jedi, rebuilt by Luke Skywalker, are seen as the only honorable and dangerous beings to be found in the galaxy and worthy of personal destruction at their hands. Creating a Force-hunting creature based off the native creatures of the planet Myrkr, the Vong unleash them upon the battered Jedi. 

With no options left to the dwindling guardians of the galaxy, Anakin Solo, Leia and Han's youngest son, devises a plan to strike at the Voxyn Queen, mother of all these dangerous creatures. Joined by his siblings, the twins Jacen and Jania, Chewbacca's nephew Lowbacca, the Dathomiri Tenel Ka, the former Dark Jedi Zekk, the Alderaan survivor Raynar Thul, his childhood friend Tahiri Veila, the healer Tekli, the reptilian hatch mates, Tesar Sebatyne, Krasov and Bela Hara, the rebellous Ganner Rhysode, musically inclined Ulaha Kore, spacer Eryl Besa, and the Rodian sniper Jovan Drark, they plan on taking the war finally to the Vong and showing the galaxy the might of the Jedi Order.

While this team of Jedi apprentices battles overwhelming odds in order to save their Order, the Yuuzhan Vong, allongside traitors and spies, plan on launching daring attacks against the few remaining strongholds of the New Republic, including their capital, Coruscant. 

This book is just jam packed with wonderful, sad, and joyous information of the Star Wars EU. The author, Troy Denning, brings characters introduced in older books, to a close in a way that shows the overarching impact of the antagonists. Bringing in twists and turns from beginning to end, Denning turns a simple book into a block-buster that would have made a wonderful addition to George Lucas's movie franchise! Following not just the young strike team but also old favorites like Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa Solo, Han Solo, Lando Calrissian, and Wedge Antilles, the book brings action and intrigue  to every corner of its pages. From beginning to end, from every upturn to every tear-jerking moment, this book brings to mind the very movies it was based on. 

If sci-fi is your cup of caf, and if you are looking forward to a book that harkens to the block busters in theme, grandeur, and storylines, this is a book, and a mini-series for you!

Howdy Fancy Visitors! A Little More About Me!

Howdy our perfect friends!!!

I just wanted to apologize to ya'll for not posting since I became a co-blogger! You know, Life and all those things, but fear not!! For your new blogger has a review of one of his favorite books soon to come out on this lovely blog.

Unlike Brian, I do not have a way to read e-books, so many of mine will be more of the hardcopy variety. I also have always wanted to review some of the more older books in my library, such as the one coming to ya'll from 2001! So many of my reviews will be from slightly older times. That's not saying, of course, that Brian won't do older books nor I newer ones, but just wanted to give you all a heads up on that!!

I hope you all enjoy the review and continue to tune in to The Guy's Side and enjoy the wonder that is the inner workings of Brian's mind and my little contributions here and there!