Book Review: Isolation by Dan Wells

Title: Isolation

Author: Dan Wells

Series/Standalone: Partials Sequence (Book # 0.5)

Genre: Dystopian, Science Fiction, Young Adult, Novella

Pages: 75

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Year Published: 2012

Format: Ebook (Library)

"Two decades before the events of Partials, the world was locked in a different battle for survival: a global war for the last remaining oil reserves on the planet. It was for the Isolation War that the American government contracted the ParaGen Corporation to manufacture the Partials- our last hope in reclaiming energy independence from China. And it was on these fields of battle that the seeds of humanity's eventual destruction were sown.

Isolation takes us back to the front lines of this war, a time when mankind's ambition far outstripped its foresight. Heron, a newly trained Partial soldier who specializes in infiltration, is sent on a mission deep behind enemy lines. What she discovers there has far-reaching implications- not only for the Isolation War, but for Partials and humans alike long after this war is over."

My Rating:4/5

I should have read these in publication order because this really built on Heron as a character, I just don't think I realized what this novella was about and I couldn't find an audiobook for this one. I really loved seeing what made Heron who she is in the Partials series. I would have liked to see the part she played in the Partial War/Revolution though. If you have read the first one I beg of you to read this before starting the second one.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: 11 Hours by Octavia Jensen

Title: 11 Hours

Author: Octavia Jensen

Series/Standalone: Eleven Series (Book #1)

Genre: Novella, Smut

Pages: 53

Publisher: Self-Published

Year Published: 2022

Format: Kindle Unlimited

"A lawyer and a paralegal get trapped in an elevator- it sounds like the beginning of a bad joke, but it's not a joke.

It's my life.

It's been hours with no sign of rescue, and the only thing I know for sure is that if I don't manage to either get out of here or under him soon, I'm going to go insane."

My Rating: 4/5

This is such a short little smutty novella that is fun. It has some plot, but it's mostly just people getting ready to get down and dirty. My only reason for it not checking all the boxes of the expectations I want it to be. There were a few things that moved a bit to out of left field, even for what it was.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas

Title: The Assassin's Blade

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Series/Standalone: Throne of Glass Series (Book #.5)

Genre: Novella Collection, Fantasy, Young Adult

Pages: 448

Publisher: Bloomsbury 

Year Published: 2014

Format: Paperback Copy (Own It)

"Contains all five novellas.

Celaena Sardothien is Adarlan's most feared assassin. As part of the Assassin's Guild, her allegiance is to her master, Arobynn Hamel, yet Celaena listens to no one and trust only her fellow killer-for-hire Same. In these action-packed novellas- together in one edition for the first time- Celaena embarks on the five daring missions. They take her from remote islands to hostile deserts, where she fights to liberate slaves and seeks to avenge the tyrannous. But she is acting against Arobynn's orders and could suffer an unimaginable punishment for such treachery. Will Celaena ever be truly free? Explore the dark underworld of this kick-ass heroine to find out."

My Rating: 4/5

I think that this novella bound up did exactly what it set out to do. It helps readers further understand our main characters' past. It helps to see how the events in the first novel take place and I'm glad I read it after the second book in the series due to the twists that take place in the second book. It was exactly what it set out to be and my only complaint was that the main character started to be annoying in this prequel situation. I know a lot of people find her annoying throughout the series, but I've never thought that until this one. Fun, intriguing and plot-driven. I look forward to continuing the series.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Below Zero by Ali Hazelwood

Title: Below Zero

Author: Ali Hazelwood

Series/Standalone: The STEMinist Novellas (Book #3)

Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Novella

Pages: 139

Publisher: Berkley

Year Published: 2022

Format: Audiobook

"It will take the frosty terrain of the Arctic to show these rival scientists that their chemistry burns hot.

Mara, Sadie and Hannah are friends first, scientists always. Though their fields of study might take them to different corners of the world, they can all agree on this universal truth: when it comes to love and science, opposites attract and rivals make you burn...

Hannah's got a bad feeling about him. Not only has NASA aerospace engineer found herself injured and stranded at a remote Arctic research station- but the one person willing to undertake the hazardous rescue mission is her longtime rival. 

Ian has been many things to Hannah: the villain who tried to veto her expedition and ruin her career, the man who stars in her most deliciously lurid dreams... but he's never played the hero. So why is he risking everything to be here? And why does his presence seem just as dangerous to her heart as the coming snowstorm?"

My Rating:  2.5/5

This one was my least favourite out of the three novellas that I read from this author. it just didn't go the way I expected which is fine, but I think this one could have benefited from being a full-length novel. It just didn't have the traction that other pieces of her work had. I liked it, it was fun, but it wasn't all I thought it could be. 

Thanks for reading, 

Sidny

Book Review: Stuck With You by Ali Hazelwood

Title: Stuck with You

Author: Ali Hazelwood

Series/Standalone: The STEMinist Novellas (Book #2)

Genre: Romance, Novella, Smut

Pages: 127

Publisher: Berkley

Year Published: 2022

Format: Audiobook

"Nothing like a little rivalry between scientists to take love to the next level.

Mara, Saide and Hannah are friends first, scientists always. Though their fields of study might take them to different corners of the world, they can all agree on this universal truth: when it comes to love and science, opposites attract and rivals make you burn...

Logically, Sadie knows that civil engineers are supposed to build bridges. However, as a woman of STEM she also understands that variables can change, and when you are stuck for hours in a tiny New York elevator with the man who broke your heart,  you earn the right to burn that brawny, blond bridge to the ground. Erik can apologize all he wants, but to quote her rebel leader- she'd just as soon kiss a Wookiee.

Not even the most sophisticated of Sadie's superstitious rituals could have predicted such a disastrous reunion. But while she refuses to acknowledge the siren call of Erik's steely forearms or the way his voice softens when he offers her his sweater, Sadie can't help but wonder if there might be more layers to her cold-hearted nemesis than meet the eye. Maybe, possibly, even burned bridges can still be crossed...."

My Rating: 4/5

I have really enjoyed these smutty little novellas. The smut is great, the plot is fun and they are a quick little read for on-the-go. I do have a complaint that our heroine is constantly the same archetype. She is so small, awkward, petite and has the same interests stereotypically (we did see a flux with some interest in soccer here). The male lead is also very similar. Tall, muscular and for the first time this one had a bit of a different look. But overall I can't distinguish any of the heroes or heroines written by the author. I would just like to see a bit more of a diverse range of characters. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Under One Roof by Ali Hazelwood

Title: Under One Roof

Author: Ali Hazelwood

Series/Standalone: The STEMinist Novellas (Book #1)

Genre: Romance, Smut, Novella

Pages: 112

Publisher: Berkley

Year Published: 2022

Format: Audiobook

"A scientist should never cohabitate with her annoyingly hot nemesis- it leads to combustion.

Mara, Sadie and Hannah are friends first, scientists always. Though their fields of study might take them to different corners of the world, they can all agree on this universal truth: when it comes to love and science, opposites attract and rivals make you burn...

As an environmental engineer, Mara knows all about the delicate nature of ecosystems. They require balance. And leaving the thermostat alone. And not stealing someone else's food. And other rules Liam, her detestable big-oil lawyer of a roommate, knows nothing about. Okay, sure, technically she's the interloper. Liam was already entrenched in his aunt's house like some glowering grumpy giant when Mara moved in, with his big muscles and kissable mouth just sitting there on the couch tempting respectable scientists to the dark side... but Helena was her mentor and Mara's not about to move out and give her inheritance without a fight. 

The problem is, living with someone means getting to know them. And the more Mara finds out about Liam, the harder it is to loathe him... and the easier it is to love him."

My Rating: 4.5/5

This is what I expect from a four-hour romance novella audio. This was smut! It was fun, it was a bit of pining but mostly knowing that by the end the people are getting together and it's gonna be fun to read about. If you've read Ali Hazelwood's other work you might want to take a minute in between this and the rest as I'm finding that most of her female main characters are fairly similar. That being said if it isn't broken, don't fix it!

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Review The Tailor by Leigh Bardugo

 Title: The Tailor

Author: Leigh Bardugo

Series/Standalone: The Shadow and Bone Trilogy (Book #1.5)

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Novella

Pages: 18

Publisher: Holt Children

Year Published: 2013

Format: Paperback Copy (At the back of 2nd book)

"New scene from Shadow and Bone told from Genya's point of view."

My Rating: 4.5/5

This was such a great insight into the first book and helps you to further understand Genya's motive for the action she takes in the first one. I really loved seeing her p.o.v. I can't wait to read more in the series.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: The Lost Sisters by Holly Black

Title: The Lost Sisters
Author: Holly Black
Series/Standalone: The Folk of the Air (Book 1.5)
Genre: Novella, Fantasy, Young Adult
Pages: 50
Publisher: NOVL
Year Published: 2018
Format: Audiobook

"When Jude fought for power in the Court of Elfhame against the cruel Prince Cardan, her sister Taryn began to fall in love with the trickster, Locke.

Half-apology and half-explanation, it turns out that Taryn has some secrets of her own to reveal.

The Lost Sisters is a companion e-novella to the New York Times bestselling novel The Cruel Prince by master writer Holly Black."

My Rating: 3.5/5

This is such a great novella. I always seem to love them more when I don't even care that much about the main story. What I will say is that I don't agree with anything that Taryn has done but at least we are better able to understand why she has done something. I'm super concerned about where this series is going to take Taryn and Locke. I'm curious but worried.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Reread Thoughts: Cruel Crown by Victoria Aveyard

Title: Cruel Crown
Author: Victoria Aveyard
Series/Standalone: Red Queen Series (Book # 0.1- 0.2)
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Dystopian
Pages: 208
Publisher: HarperTeen
Year Published: 2016
Format: Physical Copy (Own it)
First Line: 

"Two women on either side of the Silver and Red divide tell the stories no one else knows.

Discover the truth of Norta's bloody past in these two revealing prequels to #1 NEW YORK TIME bestseller RED QUEEN.

Queen Song
Queen Coriane, first wife of King Tiberias, keeps a secret diary- how else can she ensure that no one at the palace will use her thoughts against her? Coriane recounts her heady courtship with the crown prince, the birth of a new prince, Cal, and the potentially deadly challenges that lie ahead for her in royal life.

Steel Scars
Captain Farley was raised to be strong, but being tasked with planting the seeds of rebellion in Norta is a tougher job than expected. As she travels the land recruiting black market traders, smugglers, and extremists for the first attempt at an attack on the capital, she stumbles upon a connection that may prove to be the key to the entire operation- Mare Barrow."

My Rating: 5/5

This is my third or fourth time rereading this novella collection and every time that I start it I think it can't be as good as I remember. But it always is. Aveyard is able to conjure such enormous feelings for characters who appear briefly in the series itself. I think that this novella collection does an amazing job of bringing different perspectives to the series. It helps us understand why certain groups of people act the way they do.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Review: Unite Me by Tahereh Mafi

Title: Unite Me
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Series/Standalone: Shatter Me Series (Book #1.5, #2.5)
Genre: Dystopia, Young Adult, Romance
Pages: 197
Publisher: HarperTeen
Year Published: 2014
Format: Paperback Copy (Own It)
First Line: "I've been shot."

"Juliette will not stand alone
In a battle that will decide the fate of her world...
In Destroy Me, Warner, the ruthless leader of Sector 45, refuses to let her go.
In Fracture Me, Adam, Juliette's first love, will do anything to get her back.
These two explosive novellas are available in print for the first time. Unite Me also features an exclusive look into Juliette's journal and a preview of Ignite Me, the conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Shatter Me series."

My Rating: 4/5

So after finishing Ignite Me I needed more of Warner's backstory and wanted to see aspects of the story from his perspective. I know that he is not the nicest character and many people don't enjoy his character aspects. I think that this story is quite a redemption for Warner as well as Adam. I think novellas really add different aspects to the story and I can't wait to read the next book.

Thanks for reading,
Sidny

Novella Review and Spoiler: The House of The Stone by Amy Ewing

Title: The House of The Stone
Author: Amy Ewing
Series/Standalone: The Lone City (Book #1.5)
Genre: Dystopia, Young Adult, 
Pages: 82
Publisher: HarperTeen
Year Published: 2015
Format: Ebook
First Line: "I am Raven Stirling."

"In The Jewel, we followed Violet in her servitude under the Duchess of the Lake. Now we'll hear Raven's story and her time as a surrogate for the Countess of the Stone in this digital novella from Amy Ewing.

When Raven is bought at the Auction, she knows immediately that things will not go well. And when she arrives at the Countess's palace, Raven quickly discovers that the Countess is much less interested in having a baby than experimenting with Raven's mind and body. Raven can only hope for an escape... and to see Violet again, all the while reminding herself that she is Raven Stirling, and she does matter.

HarperTeen Impulse is a digital imprint focused on young adult short stories and novellas wth new releases the first Tuesday of every month."

My Rating: 4/5

I want more. That's all I can really think in the moments after finishing this short little novella. I want to know more. I want to hear about her life before the Exetor's Ball and about how she stays so strong in between. Maybe we'll get more from the next book in the Lone City series and I certainly hope so because Raven is such an important character to th main character in the series and she is leading such a different life in comparison to Violet's surogacy. I do wonder about the past in this series, like generations in the past so I hope to read more of the novellas when I get through the series as a whole if I still enjoy it..... here's hoping.

Thanks for reading,
Sidny

Book Review: Happily Ever After by Kiera Cass

Title: Happily Ever After
Author: Kiera Cass
Series/Novel: Selection Series Companion
Genre: Young Adult, Dystopia, Science Fiction, Romance
Pages: 416
Publisher: HarperTeen 
Year Published: 2015

"Before they found their happily ever afters, Amberly Maxon, Aspen and Marlee had other stories to tell.
Return to the world of the #1 New York Times bestselling Selection series with the enchanting collection of four novellas."

My Rating: 5/5

This book is a collection of novellas from the Selection series. So this is me completing my endeavour into this series. I must say that I really did enjoy the series as a whole and this was the perfect way to wrap it up. Those of you who have read my previous reviews and spoilers on this series, will know that I was more interested in the first three books than the last two. This is why I loved this book so much. It was amazing closure and I enjoyed the notes from the author at the beginning of the novellas. This was a great story if you're interested in finding out more about the characters in this story I strongly recommend this book. If you're fine with all the endings feel free to leave it out. 

Thanks for reading,
Sidny

Spoiler: Happily Ever After by Kiera Cass

This book was as mentioned above, a companion novel on the Selection series. This story was a good wrap up for me for the series as I really loved the first three books and disliked alot about the last two books. I found it interesting to see the changes in the country of Illea from different perspectives and especially since it followed up on all the girls in the selection.
Way to go Kiera Cass. 

Characters:
Amberly: I found that this was really helpful to find out more about how such a kind and sweet woman ended up with such an apparent horrible man. I think that it helped to also understand Clarkson. How would we know about how he'd experienced abuse as a child if not reading this. That being said, it's never ok. I was surprised that Amberly put up with so much though. It's hard to do so many things for someone and not be put out by it. 

Maxon: I think that seeing how he felt about America helped me to understand his need to be with her in the second book. I found that they instantly connected but I didn't know what he was thinking.

America: I loved her pregnancy announcement. It was beautiful.

Aspen: I found it sad to watch him losing America, but I still don't care for him. I liked who he was in the fourth and fifth books more so.

Marlee: I think that learning more about her relationship. I was surprised at how quickly her and Carter fell in love it was really amazing. 

Celeste: It both made me smile and broke my heart to read her section of the story.

Lucy: I was happy that she ended up with someone who loved her and was very interested to see her reaction to learn about Aspen and America but all in all her reaction made sense. 

Thanks for reading,
Sidny

The Wrath and The Dawn Series Novellas/Short Stories

It came to my attention after moving home, that there were three short stories. There are three in total that I found. 
The Moth and The Flame, The Crown and the Arrow, The Mirror and the Maze.

These are all either prequels or in betweens for The Wrath and The Dawn by Renee Ahdieh. I must say that these were interesting short reads, but I don't believe they are necessary to read if you want to jump right into The Rose and The Dagger although I'm yet to start it. I enjoyed the brief snippets in between the stories, but I found them to be frustratingly short and not all that meaningful.
All and all I would give these book a solid  4/5. They are a fun short read if you have the time.
It looks deeper into the relationship between Jalal and Despina, as well as thoughts of Khalid. 

I don't think a review is necessary but I hope that this was helpful.

Thanks for reading,
Sidny xoxo

Spoiler: The Goddess Hunt by Aimee Carter

This book was more than I anticipated. I didn’t think there was very much that Aimee Carter could convey in 69 short pages. But she did more than enough. I think this book serves its purpose very well. We learn that the gods aren’t the best at making decisions. Just like us, sometimes they screw up. I think the setting was important and was hoping to see more of it, but most important were the characters so let’s get to it.

♥Characters♥

♥Kate: She’s still a love struck newly wed. And I think that at the beginning of this novel she thinks that the gods can do no wrong. That they are the good guys, but as the book progresses and she meets Pollux and Castor she realizes that sometimes they mess up. And there choices aren’t ones that she will always agree with. She is so sympathetic to the twins that it broke my heart to watch her struggle knowing that the reason they are still on the run is partially her husbands fault.

♥James: I’m not really rooting for him. I still like Henry better. He doesn’t really have a chance I wouldn’t think. I mean he’s sweet and everything but still I mean Henry is so… I don’t even know how to put him into words (I may have developed a crush on a fictional character).

♥Pollux: I can’t imagine having to go through life with a twin who you love more than yourself and finding out that you get to live forever but when he dies you can never see him again. He’ll just be gone. Poof. I don’t question that he broke him out of the Underworld. I feel bad that they are being chased but I think that the deal went sour mainly because of Walter, not Henry.

♥Castor: Caring and compassionate, he seems able to control his brothers emotions with a look. If I were the gods I would think that was a good thing and keep him around. Let them split the immortality. Why not. I was so ecstatic when he wasn’t taken to the Underworld.

♥Henry: The fact that he didn’t let his pride get in the way of his relationship with Kate was something that really caught my attention. It would have been so simple for him just to continue his deal with Walter and not care what Kate would think but he did. And that’s why I’m still rooting for this guy. Compassion.

♥Moments to Remember♥

♥Pg. 27

“Now is not the time to get into a pissing contest. Her very existence could be at risk if you do not tell me where she is-“

♥Final Line: “And if Walter wanted to smite me for it, then bring it on.”

Thanks for reading,

Love,

Sidny xoxo