trilogy | Ad Librum Aeternam

Genre: Fantasy, YA, Time Travel, Romance
Number of pages: 416
ISBN: 9780063024748

ASIN: 0063024748

Format: Hardcover, eBook (Kindle, Kobo, Nook), Audiobook (Audible, Kobo, B&N)
Publication date: August 19, 2025
Publisher: HarperTeen
Type: Novel, Series

Series: Trilogy

Previous books: Once a Villain (#1), Never a Hero (#2)

Thank you to HarperCollins and Edelweiss+ for giving me an e-ARC of Once a Villain by Vanessa Len. I receive no compensation whatsoever, and I write this review willingly.

This adventure all started when I read the first book of the Monsters trilogy: Only a Monster. I must say, it had the best world-building and time travel and angst I had seen in a long while. I became hooked. So much so I’d pre-ordered the second one, Never a Hero, with ALL the goodies (this included a gorgeous bookmark and a few postcards of a few scenes in the book), which I still cherish. Of course, I HAD to pre-order the last one, Once a Villain. But, little did I know that my enthusiastic request for an ARC on Edelweiss+ would be kindly granted by HarperCollins.

Here I am, reviewing the last volume of a trilogy that means so much to me, thanks to HarperCollins giving me the e-ARC of Once a Villain. I can’t thank them enough!

Once a Villain was the book I was most anticipating this whole year!!

Spoiler? It did NOT disappoint. At all. It succeeded my expectations (and trust me, they were high due to my love for this series expertly crafted by Vanessa Len).

How about jumping through book traveling with me to learn about all the ways this book (and trilogy) is really worth your time?

Here we go!

(I swear, you’ll wonder how you didn’t pick it up sooner!)

Blurb

The finale in the contemporary fantasy Only a Monster trilogy from Vanessa Len—which New York Times bestselling authors Holly Black, Chloe Gong, and Stephanie Garber called “delightful," "captivating,” and “unputdownable”—will take Joan into the darkest timeline in the monster world, as she fights to restore the world she remembers.

Joan has failed to stop Eleanor.

Now, Eleanor rules ruthlessly over a new London in which monsters live openly among humans, preying on them and subjugating them.

Only Joan, Aaron and Nick remember that there was once a better timeline. And now, wrenched between love and rivalry, they must negotiate their fractured pasts as they fight to survive the new world and fix the broken timeline.

But how will they defeat a whole world of monsters with power over time itself?

The sweeping love and high stakes of Divine Rivals meets the intricate worldbuilding and propulsive thrills of This Savage Song in this high-octane, cross-genre finale to the Only a Monster trilogy—where a breathless race against time is the only chance for Joan, Aaron, and Nick to restore the world they love.

The Positive Points

For starters, I really love that all this series is about a mismatched team pulled together due to circumstances. Plus, they all become friends, some warier than others, but the banter is fun and their friendship shows despite their intentions. They clearly care about one another and their team’s survival, although a few of them won’t admit this. It’s cute and much like a found family. It pleases me greatly and reminds me of the lovely Six of Crows gang by Leigh Bardugo (a high compliment on my part). Also, it’s worth noting how each character brings their own skills and thoughts, ideas, and opinions to the gang. Like, they’re ALL useful and interesting in so many different ways. They’re not just… filling up the space, which is usually the case in most stories.

Plus, Tom and Jamie?! DAWWWWW, they’re so freakin’ cute, I love and ship them so much. They remind me of Malec in Shadowhunters by Cassandra Clare, and there’s no gay couple I love more than Malec, so it’s a compliment right here. But wow, the heartache poor Jamie goes through (I love this character so much, he’s sweet, intelligent, caring, and poised)… and what about their marriage?! Ugh, anyways, I loved going on a roller-coaster ride with Tom and Jamie, they’re so sweet and loving.

On a another romantic note, the intensity of Nick and Joan’s love is something I love and crave, while the softness, kindness and loyalty of Aaron’s love is so beautiful I could cry.

I have to agree with Joan on a point: Nick is an excellent hero. (But so is Aaron; I always believed he was and could.) I hurt when something happened to Nick… because I might side with Aaron on their love triangle, I still really love Nick’s character. And Nick’s love, devotion, passion and intensity for Joan is unmistakable.

The fact the new horrible timeline and all the other timelines function as characters and worlds of their own. It’s amazing, impressive, and so immersive. It makes me giddy.

Also, this story took a dark turn and kept turning. It’s very good though, but yewwwww, it was nauseating at some point, yep, poor them.

Ah why not kill me again?! THAT’s when Aaron gets his chance?! Aaron is so achingly good and pained and sensible in this desperate situation. Why now, why why why?! Aaron deserves better. But now Aaron’s pain hurts me, so just kill me again yeah?! And wow, finally, for fuck’s sake she admits she’s got feelings for him. I’ve been waiting for three books. She’s not quick on that when it’s not Nick, is she? I know she tried to never think about difficult feelings, pushing it all down, but wow… Aaron really does get the shit end of her thoughts and feelings, right? Also, is she a player?! Because minutes ago she swore her life to Nick and kissed him, and then something really bad happens and she seeks solace with Aaron. And then, ONLY then, does she realize she loves him too and wants him right after that?! She sounds like a cheat to me or just a fucking player. I hated her for most of the book because of this. She does seem to play with Aaron… and I hate it. Gurl, give him to me! I’ll treat him well, like he deserves.

However, Aaron is the first to get a go at something important for her? Sounds about right. That’s redeemable for her. And iiiiiih, I bit my nail and squealed. Yes! Maybe my ship will sail! I spent most of the book being angry at Joan though, while hoping she wouldn’t just go back to Nick like “yeah, it was nice Aaron, but Nick’s back now, so ok bye?” It would have broken Aaron. And NO ONE hurts my baby!

I could ship Nick and Aaron in this new dark timeline, and I kept thinking that (and developing fanfic ideas of them together) while reading a specific chapter. I mean, they were close somehow, and Joan died as an infant there. And also the first word of the cipher is one of their names? Please, babe, we all know you’re in love. And OMG, my SURPRISE. I almost cried with tears of joy and iiiiiih cute feels. It’s beautiful and heart-wrenching. Heeeeeeeeeeeelp! This is glorious! My feels. I ship it. I can smell the fanfics!!! I already have two ideas for fanfics with that Nick and that Aaron, so, yep, I’m ready! All of this is pure gold, thank you very much, Miss Len!

A fun thing is I love that somehow, the dead Nick and Aaron in this dark timeline will help save our beloved gang via what’s left of them. Their messages, plan, etc. It’s awesome, like two timelines helping each other out. It’s brilliant. Plus, I love how neatly the author ties the first volume and timeline to this dark one in ways we hadn’t thought of and which seem so subtle or useless until they matter a lot. Like a certain accessory… What is fun about this series is that the information from the other books is well interwoven into the story. It’s not overwhelming, nor delivered through info dumps. And it’s so lovely to see how actions or details from past events and characters really come through and back in ingenious ways and uses in each sequel, and mostly the last one. There’s an impressive progression for the characters (all of them) as well as the events and possibilities.

Honestly, it’s really fun and satisfying to see Joan get more and more comfortable and at ease with her Grave power. A lovely arc progression. The need to feel the emotions to better control one’s power reminds me so much of a writer who needs to feel in order to write. It’s a crucial part. Power in the monster world and art are so similar. And feeling one’s emotions is at their center.

I love that there was some kind of arc with the Curia Monstrorum (the Monster Court) where we learned of them in the first book, got a glimpse of them. Then, the second volume was more involved with them, but still we couldn’t really see them. And in Once a Villain, THEN we see them. It felt satisfying, like a natural progression and curiosity of “when will we really get to see them and all their powers?” The title, Once a villain, is very fitting to a certain someone. Poor her, though. I understand her suffering and her deep love for her family and how she wanted to bring them back and protect them at all costs. I believe she is the child from the myths of the end of all times who tears into the void looking for their parents, dooming all of the timelines and people… She worked so hard to save her family that she is destroying the timeline, everything.

As for the villain herself, Eleanor is so powerful and so brilliant. She’s a genius strategist; a scary and intimidating villain. One who makes you believe Joan’s gang won’t win against her… It’s perfect. She’s an excellent villain. One of the best I’ve seen. Motivated by love, family, and ego, yet exceedingly cruel and ruthless and brilliant. Plus, I love Eleanor’s plan with Nick’s unpredictability. It adds even more substance to the timelines, and an element of surprise, like and that anything can happen at any moment with and around him.

It’s great that we get to see the Graves’ house. When we first saw it in this new, dark timeline, I hoooooped we’d get to go inside, or at least meet other Graves. Plus, I’m so glad Gran was in this volume too. She’s always been so awesome and kickass. I love her so much. I feared we wouldn’t see her again, but oh yes, we do, thank you! Annnnnd there’s a sweet Grave surprise, which is quite touching. Speaking of which, the “windows” part (you’ll see) just got me going awwwwwww so many times, my mom looked up at me quizzically from her phone. This scene is so touching and sweet. And omg, we do learn why Joan has always had the worst fadeouts ever out of the whole gang. So many explanations now, it feels rewarding as a reader. There are so many surprises, I love it!

A detail I’m so happy about is that this series has parents and grandparents and cousins… Like they matter, like they’re active parts of the story. So beautiful and so rare. Somehow, it’s always teenagers and, at rare moments or in rare series like Shadowhunters, it’s the parents too. But grandparents and other relatives? Fucking rare and I love to see it here. It’s utterly lacking in YA. Just like in movies and TV shows…

And awwwww yes, Aaron is me and I am Aaron. We’re always everyone’s second choice; I’ve been proved it, too. So, I feel him, deeply. His doubts, his jealousy, his low self-esteem of how much he matters to Joan… It’s so sad, yet relatable. And yet again Aaron is me and I am Aaron. I, too, believe I am a piece of shit. Sad truth. I felt for him so much throughout the whole series, but this book almost killed me with feels and emotions for him. I almost couldn’t stand it.

Honestly, the romantic development of this trio is really interesting. I won’t spoil it for you because it’s so worth it, and it satisfies me. It’s unusual, but great to see. And there’s no tearing apart between the two of them… I sided with my favorite (Aaron) all along, but you know what? I’m glad of this ending, of this resolution of their love triangle. I was ready to be mad, hurt, or whatever… (I honestly didn’t believe she would choose Aaron, because he DOES seem like a second choice to her, always beneath Nick…, but in a way, a big one, I was pleasantly surprised!) In the previous books, I had wondered sometimes whether this could happen, and I am so glad the author took that road for her main trio. I support! This endgame is the best Miss Len could ever have written for these beloved characters.

The paaaaaaain near the end, though. I screamed in silence with a hand over my mouth and tears in my eyes (I read the ending in bed at night). I knew he could save the whole world, but no please, no, not him! Not there in the void. No no no, there won’t be another version of him ever. Awwwwwwww, it’s making me nauseous, my feelings. No, why my favorite? Why why why? + Honestly, the emotional pain of what happens to my favorite is so paaaaainful, it’s similar to what I feel in real life when this happens to people I love. This fucking hurts. On a later side note (let’s call it this), the fucking RELIEF I felt. My heart just swelled and I squeezed my eyes shut, tears rolled down my cheeks, and I grimaced a smile. Thank you! The timeline reacted exactly as I thought it would, which is super duper appreciated on my part. And it was rather cute.

Speaking of the timeline itself, Joan did the right thing at the end with it. I hoped she would do exactly that. The good heart of my baby Joan didn’t fail—it never does, and I love her for it. 🙂

Also, the fact that Joan’s power awakened in its worst and most powerful iteration when a specific tragedy happened towards the end makes me really happy. She reacted most violently and heartbreakingly with him than in all the previous times where she used her powers involuntarily whenever she lost someone dear to her. Yes, I took a side, and that makes me pretty happy to see her react this way for him.

Look, this was the culmination of a FANTASTIC story. I devoured all of it. I had so many emotions and feelings (I still do, and always will). I loved the Monsters series SO MUCH so that it now stands beside my favorite series, which is Shadowhunters by Cassandra Clare (all of them). I mean it in a metaphorical way—no series could ever surpass Shadowhunters to me, I never even thought one would sit beside it in my heart, but here we are with the Monsters series by Vanessa Len. I talked to my people SO MUCH about it, and cared and loved and hoped and… felt deeply personal with these characters. I love that world. I love them. So, yeah, that’s how much that trilogy is amazing. Now, I’ve got two series I adore and which mean so much to me: Shadowhunters by Cassandra Clare and Monsters by Vanessa Len. This is NOT an easy feat. I’m very, veeeeeery picky with favorites. But Monsters just blew my mind, awed me, grabbed my heart, wrenched it, put it back, made it melt, and more. So, it’s won its spot fairly.

On top of that, this Monsters series is SO thrilling and emotionally loaded, and it has so much potential to explore other stories from both the monsters and humans’ point of views, along with historical events in that world, that I would take AT LEAST 15 books of this world! I NEVER say this about any series, except for Shadowhunters (and I’ve been lucky with that one, because Cassandra Clare DID explore a lot of stories within her Shadowhunter world); yet, this series by Vanessa Len deserves the same opportunity. I WANT to know what happened before, what happens next, what happens to that side character or another I haven’t met yet… Please, give me 15 more books of Monsters! Usually, I find most series end where they should, that there isn’t much potential for other stories within that world… But Monsters? Please, YES! I NEED MORE!

Speaking of ending, I love the very end of Once a Villain; it’s like it echoes the “true timeline” (the very first, the OG timeline), and it’s beautiful. Almost poetic.

Lastly, this book (and series) was filled with lovely and crucial themes: Hope, love, family, friends, fairness, sacrifices, grief, survival, despair, evil vs good isn’t black and white, courage, and coming into oneself. What more can you ask for?

The Negative Points

Surprisingly, there are negative points, but they are very few and do not impact my rating.

First, I noticed a big inconsistency: At some point, Jamie was out walking the dog, Frankie, but then he’s back without any notice or mention of his return, and he’s suddenly close to Joan and talking like he never left; he’s way too aware of the conversation going on for someone who was out a minute ago. We didn’t even know he’d been back.

Second, and this one is rather funny, it’s something that the author does in all three books… but in this one, she really went all in with “she released the breath she didn’t know she was holding”, with a variation for Nick at some point. I counted at least three occurrences throughout the book. I mean, it’s not bad, it’s just a tiny bit annoying and so tropey.

I thought it was still worth mentioning, although like I said, they don’t impact the rating.

In Conclusion

Overall, Once a Villain by Vanessa Len mesmerized me (the whole trilogy in fact!), and caught me so tight by my feels. For all the emotions, the awe, the thrills, the amazing world-building, the angst, and the perfect resolution, I give this fantastic book a rating of 5 stars out of 5. I would give it much more, but, well, I can’t go higher. So, a perfect rating it is for a much beloved adventure!

On a side note, I highly recommend reading the series from the beginning (you can start with Only a Monster, then go to Never a Hero, and finally Once a Villain). Otherwise, it could be confusing—very confusing. However, if you’re not too much into series, keep in mind it’s only three books, and it’s sooooo amazing, I urge you to read it!

If you want to learn more about the author, Vanessa Len, you can head over to her website. She also has an Instagram account. You can also follow her Author Page on Goodreads. Don't forget to add Once a Villain–and the whole trilogy while you're at it!–to your cart, your bookshelves, or your wishlist!

Knight in Retrograde (Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Magical Realism, Dark Fantasy, Pansexual): A Book Review

Book Reviews March 5, 2022 Leave a comment

Amazon

Universal Buy Link

by Lee Hunt

Publishing Company: Lee Hunt

Release Date: Tuesday, March 1 2022

Format: Audio

Is This Book Romance?: No

ISBN: 9781999093594

Price: $18.99 USD

Story Type: Novel

Word Count: 147,000

Cover Artist: Jeff Brown

Genres: Fantasy, epic fantasy, magical realism, dark fantasy

LGBTQ+ Identities: It is quite subtle, but all the Methueyn Knights are pan-sexual, and there is a sex scene that is pansexual

Tropes (don't we love them?!): Uncovering the past, Going forward or going backwards, secret past, unlikely hero

Is This Part of a Series?: Yes

Series Title: The Dynamicist Trilogy

Position (Number) in Series: Third

Necessary to Read Previous Books: Yes

Other Books in Series:

1 – Dynamicist

2 – Herald

Was This Book Published in An Earlier Edition?: Not under a different edition, but the paperback and eBook versions have been out since Sept 2020

*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. No compensation has been given, and I write this book review willingly. A big thanks to Lee Hunt and Other Worlds Ink!*

Introduction

So, dear Other Worlds Ink approached me with Knight in Retrograde for a blog tour. I said: What, a seemingly science fantasy told like an epic fantasy in audiobook format with a glorious narrator?!

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What else was there to say, honestly?

I'm a strong woman, but this story knew my cravings.

Want to read the blog tour article along with the amazing author guest post about writing an audiobook? It's right here!

How about we see my love for it in detail??

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Blurb

Would you trade uncertainty for stagnation, chance for god, invention for inertia, thought for dogma?

Four years have passed since the events of Dynamicist and war is on the horizon.

Robert, Koria, Eloise and Gregory went to the New School, hoping to change the world. They thought that mathematically based dynamics, the enlightened age's answer to wizardry, would give them the power to make everything better. Their hopes were naïve.

Protestors are condemning the creation of a new vaccine. The city is seeing a series of hangings; is it murder or sacrament? The cloaked man is back stalking students. The long-absent demons Skoll and Hati reappear and begin slaughtering whoever they meet. But the real question is, will Nimrheal return? If he does, who will die first?

Uncertainty is inspiring fear, and inventions are not making the world better, only more complicated. The terrified civilians don't want dynamics and reason. They want the word of Elysium and the return of the Methueyn Knights.

Koria fears the world faces an awful conundrum: that if the Knights return, Nimrheal will stay.

Will Robert, Koria, Eloise and Gregory choose to transform into angelic knights or, at the cost of such heavenly communion, instead banish Nimrheal? What price will be paid? If a new Methueyn Knight rises, will the age of invention disappear forever?

The Positive Sides

The two major points that struck me were how spicy and rich the vocabulary and phraseology are! By spicy, I mean, well-woven, unexpected, carefully chosen for maximum effect. Second, the main character's voice is highly refreshing and one I've been waiting for a long time. It's also quite hilarious and sarcastic, loved it!

Its harsh, intriguing and powerful beginning grabbed me right on, and its fairytale-like storytelling is a blessing. Not the cute, Disney style (which I love), but more like the narrator from the Grimm fairy tales (which I also love)!

Then, this story offers a lot of concepts and things to keep track of, but it's not a bad thing! They're all so weird mixed together it's like they begged to be put together! I mean, they fit, they make an awesome whole and story! It's fantastic, clever, hilarious, and full of science & mathematical references (who'd have thought I'd like it? Not me!)

What about the audiobook itself? First things first: the narration is SO much fun and engaging! Usually, I dislike male narrators because they're monotonous and boring with flat voices, but Craig A. Hart has so many inflections and emotions; he's not reading the story, he's living it. I was hooked from the first words! Honestly, it's one of the best audiobooks I ever read! Which is funny because I'm not a big audiobook reader. I read a few per year, and I'm very picky about them, and it's easy to disappoint me in this field. So, it says a lot, don't you think? In short, the quality of the audio, the narration, the storytelling and the story is mind-blowing–they all work in sync!

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In the end (cue Linkin Park's song), while I didn't read the previous books (a wrong I'll right quite soon!), it didn't matter. Everything is entertaining, highly engaging, and summarizes what happened skillfully. I want all of them! YUP!

*I find it's hilarious and ironic how Lee Hunt and the Dynamicist Trilogy gained a new fan with the very last book… Still, it'll be an adventure to read the other books in the trilogy. I loved it, okay?!?

The Negative Sides

There are only two.

The first one pertains to the characters. While they are good and amusing, they seemed a bit distant or out-of-reach to me due to how the story is told. It feels like an omniscient narrator, yes, but in an overview way. It flies over each before diving into the main character's voice, then it's distant again, and so on. I couldn't get get attached to the other characters as much as I could with the main character, which is a shame. But I liked them overall, anyway.

The last one is how it took me a while to catch on it was a woman speaking–every time. Not only because of the man narrating the story, but also due to its scattered hints about who was speaking at the moment. It appeared unclear to me at the time.

In Conclusion

Despite the two light negative points, it was, I must say, a rather enjoyable adventure I went on with Knight in Retrograde! It's definitely one of my five favorite audiobooks ever, and I'll purchase the previous books in this trilogy because I had such a fun time with this finale. Imagine that! Thus, a science fantasy vibe in an epic fantasy-like setting and story with amazing vocabulary, phraseology and incredible audio storytelling quality? Nothing less than a rating of 4.5 stars out of 5 would be a mathematical crime! 😉 And I fell in love with this quality audiobook, plain and simple. Kudos to Craig A. Hart, the narrator, for this incredible performance!

Don't forget to check out my blog post article for an excerpt of Knight in Retrograde as well as an exclusive guest post on the art of making an audiobook!

If you want to learn more about the author, Lee Hunt:

Ever try to do things you were really not well suited to? Lee Hunt understands. He was born with only one working lung, but has gone on to be an Ironman triathlete, a sport rock climber, and a professional geophysicist. The poor lung function has been an excellent excuse for his unimpressive triathlon performance—he is among the worst of those able to complete the Ironman under his own power—and is of some service in eliciting a modicum of sympathy for his average at-best skills as a climber. Actually no one on a rock wall really cares about excuses. It’s a climb-or-fall kind of thing.

His marginal ability to breathe is of no use whatsoever in explaining his career as a geophysicist. He was good at that. Lee published close to fifty journal papers, articles or expanded abstracts, has been awarded numerous best paper awards, and was even sent on a national speaking tour to Canadian universities by the Canadian Society of Exploration Geophysicists. He was born on a farm but grew up near the giant oil sand mines of Fort McMurray and is interested in discussing the environment and the amorality of science. He is also useful at parties in explaining the physics around why, or why not, fracture stimulation might be a risk to manmade structures and the fuzzy cuddly things of nature. Lee’s career helped him appreciate the difficulty in predicting outcomes, the dangers of arrogance—such as thinking you can predict even the smallest thing—and the exigent need to try anyway. He was comfortable and happy being a geophysicist, so after twenty-eight years, he quit to go do the things he was less well suited to.

If you want to hang out with Lee, look for him hiking, cycling, floundering in a lake, clinging desperately to a wall, or at his desk trying to write an entertaining story.

Author Website

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A huge thanks to Other Worlds Ink for this amazing blog tour opportunity!

See you next post, lovelies!

Blog Tour – Knight in Retrograde by Lee Hunt with Other Worlds Ink (Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Magical Realism, Dark Fantasy, Pansexual)

Blog Tours March 5, 2022 Leave a comment

Hello hello!

Today I bring you: a blog tour post for the amazing book, Knight in Retrograde, by author Lee Hunt!

This trilogy finale is a wildly engaging story multifaceted with fantasy and scientific knowledge! I got in with the third book, and honestly, I was hooked! So, I'll be going over the previous books because I loved it so much! If you want to know why, you can read my review.

Now, let's explore this book, shall we? And make sure to stay till the end because there's an exclusive guest post by the author and a special surprise, folks! 😀

Author: Lee Hunt

Publishing Company: Lee Hunt

Release Date: Tuesday, March 1 2022

Format: Audio

Is This Book Romance?: No

ISBN: 9781999093594

Price: $18.99 USD

Story Type: Novel

Word Count: 147,000

Cover Artist: Jeff Brown

Genres: Fantasy, epic fantasy, magical realism, dark fantasy

LGBTQ+ Identities: It is quite subtle, but all the Methueyn Knights are pan-sexual, and there is a sex scene that is pansexual

Tropes (don't we love them?!): Uncovering the past, Going forward or going backwards, secret past, unlikely hero

Is This Part of a Series?: Yes

Series Title: The Dynamicist Trilogy

Position (Number) in Series: Third

Necessary to Read Previous Books: Yes

Other Books in Series:

1 – Dynamicist

2 – Herald

Was This Book Published in An Earlier Edition?: Not under a different edition, but the paperback and eBook versions have been out since Sept 2020

Where you can purchase Knight in Retrograde:

Amazon

Universal Buy Link

Book Blurb

Would you trade uncertainty for stagnation, chance for god, invention for inertia, thought for dogma?

Four years have passed since the events of Dynamicist and war is on the horizon.

Robert, Koria, Eloise and Gregory went to the New School, hoping to change the world. They thought that mathematically based dynamics, the enlightened age's answer to wizardry, would give them the power to make everything better. Their hopes were naïve.

Protestors are condemning the creation of a new vaccine. The city is seeing a series of hangings; is it murder or sacrament? The cloaked man is back stalking students. The long-absent demons Skoll and Hati reappear and begin slaughtering whoever they meet. But the real question is, will Nimrheal return? If he does, who will die first?

Uncertainty is inspiring fear, and inventions are not making the world better, only more complicated. The terrified civilians don't want dynamics and reason. They want the word of Elysium and the return of the Methueyn Knights.

Koria fears the world faces an awful conundrum: that if the Knights return, Nimrheal will stay.

Will Robert, Koria, Eloise and Gregory choose to transform into angelic knights or, at the cost of such heavenly communion, instead banish Nimrheal? What price will be paid? If a new Methueyn Knight rises, will the age of invention disappear forever?

Series Blurb:

The Dynamicist Trilogy examines the difficulties of change in a fantasy setting. This challenge manifests itself through a rigorous magic system where thermodynamic cost is accounted for, and an inventor killing god. Most realistically, the challenge of creating a better world is illustrated by the many mistakes and miss-steps of the well-meaning and intelligent characters. The power and importance of memory, love and hope are ever present.

Here Comes the Excerpt

As their eyes met, Heylor found himself abruptly pulled away from the handshake and whirled around by the strong hands of his mother on his shoulder. “What in Leylah’s long night happened to your face, Heylor?”

This again.

“It looks like he got trampled across the gizzard by a team of oxen,” said Herevor in a deadpan voice, rubbing his long narrow jaw with his right hand. His fingernails were black with dirt.

“He wouldn’t tell me what happened!” Shelley yelled from the kitchen table.

I don’t want to talk about it.

“Who’s there?” came a new voice from the couch. It was grandma’s broken, warbly twitter. Heylor peered into the den again and saw her slouched low on the half-collapsed couch. Beside her, perched primly with a straight back, sat Constable Lynwen, hands on lap. Heylor had not seen the young woman cross the room and sit down. He had forgotten about her completely, and now there she was beside his grandma.

“It’s me, Grandma. Heylor.”

The old lady squinted at him. She seemed little more than a bundle of thin, wrinkled skin, looking as if she had lost another two inches of height in the months since Heylor last saw her. Looking at her, spine hunched like a question mark and eyes rheumy and clouded with cataracts, felt like a stab in the gut.

“I thought you were out there across the line.”

“I was.” Heylor looked at Lynwen again, sitting beside his grandma. What is she thinking? “I’m back. Where are Heyden, Scrandeyn, and Helloise?”

Jesteyn crossed her arms. “They’re out farm-handing, Heylor. We told you that at the beginning of the season.”

“Sorry, I forgot about the farm work,” Heylor mumbled. “It’s probably a good thing they’re not here.”

“Why’s that?” Jesteyn asked, eyes narrowing. “They’d love to see you. You know that.”

“Why would they?” Heylor spread his arms wide in a surge of frustration. “They must be glad to be away from here. I can’t believe all the junk you have here.”

Herevor flinched for a microsecond before breaking into a mad grin that exposed every one of his missing teeth. “One knight’s junk is another knight’s armor.”

“Oh, for knights’ sake,” Heylor exclaimed, “why is there a wheelbarrow full of cats in the fireplace? What knight is going to make plate out of that? The cat would be better armor! And isn’t that Shelley’s sextant on the bookshelf? She lives in the orchid now. I do remember that. And isn’t that my old cooper’s kit spread out on the shelf yonder? And why do we have three busted telescopes? I’m sure I threw away the bronze one after second year. What is all this stuff doing here?”

“I needed a place to store my spare things,” Shelley replied evenly. “My room in the Orchid isn’t big enough.”

“Those rooms are huge!”

“Nope.” Shelley was not flustered in the least.

Heylor clenched both fists so hard his face hurt where Skoll had gripped it. “What about the cooper’s kit?”

“Heygard thought we should hold on to it for him until harvest is done,” his father answered nonchalantly

“Oh, of course,” Heylor whispered. “What about the telescope I know I threw away?”

“I think I can fix that,” Grandma piped up.

You? You can barely stand up!

“Well, that accounts for one telescope. How about the other two?”

“That’s me,” jumped in Herevor. “I thought I would see if I could make a small version of an Eindarch Eye.”

Heylor blinked. “Did you succeed?”

“Nope.”

Heylor shook his head. Of course you didn’t. “How about the old wheelbarrow?”

Herevor rubbed his jaw again. “Scrandeyn didn’t want it anymore. I figured it could come in handy. Someday.”

“Of course! Of course it could. Someday,” Heylor almost shouted, angrier than ever. Everything about his family reminded him of himself, of his own failings, of killing his friends. In that moment, he despised them like he despised himself. “It’s come in handy for the cat at least. Whose cat is that anyway? No, don’t answer, I know it came from a cousin or was thrown away by someone somewhere. Everything is useful, everything comes back. From everyone. Nothing is trash. It’s all worth something. My hand-me-down clothes probably got handed back and used for another cat’s nest.” He whirled around. “You know what this family is? Sick, crazy hoarders. It’s an illness. You’re so bad that, even when one of you finally throws something out, it gets thrown back by some other member of the family. When they throw something out, you take it. It’s a circle, a circle of junk, a knights-damned hoarding circle! We should study it in the New School. It’s a mathematical singularity for trash. Nothing ever leaves that doesn’t re-enter. There’s no escape from the entropic pull of the Style family’s hoarding circle vortex! No junk is abandoned, no mistakes are left behind, nothing is forgotten or moved on from.” Heylor held his hands up and whirled slowly around. “This might be a big new house, but we’re still just the same old peasants.”

Smack!

Heylor’s jaw rung for the second time that day, this time from the big hand of his own mother.

“My face already hurts, Mom! Don’t hit me.”

“I love you, boy, but I know that hurts less than what you’re carrying.” Jesteyn had hit him, but she did not look angry. Her liquid eyes betrayed a different emotion. “What mistakes aren’t you leaving behind? What pain are youhoarding? What happened to your face? It’s your family here. The only way yer gonna get rid of whatever it is, is to share it.”

Heylor started laughing. “That’s so clever, Mom.” He kept laughing and didn’t stop until his nose started running because he was actually crying. Through blurry eyes, he looked over at Lynwen, sitting silently, watching. “I’m sure you want to leave now, Constable.”

“Nope.” Lynwen smiled.

Still tagging along on our adventure? AMAZING!

As a mighty Knight, I bestow upon you this gift:

The Blessed Exclusive Author Guest Post

Writing for the audiobook, Knight in Retrograde

When you wrote Knight in Retrograde (KIR), did you have a clear plan?

I did. KIR is not a sequel, it is the continuation and conclusion of a three book story, and needed to draw together all the thematic elements of the entire trilogy. Each character arc and plot point were planned, and planned to an even higher degree than the previous two novels.

You wrote the entire plan out?

Most of it was on a multi-tabbed spreadsheet. There was room for organic growth and on-the spot creativity, of course, but the story was heavily charted out. Especially in regard to what it all meant and what I wanted to say.

And what was it that you wanted to say?

I wanted to examine the costs and challenges of progress, in a way both fantastic and realistic. And it had damn well better be entertaining and not feel like a lecture.

It damned well better not. But what do you mean by progress?

Technological progress, mainly, but also social progress. In KIR, Nimrheal—the demon that murders inventors—returns. It kills people who create truly original ideas. Technical inventions would be the obvious sort of thing, but Nimrheal kills poets and writers as well.

What made you think about that?

There is an anti-science struggle going on all around us. And our level of scientific sophistication has gotten to the point where our current state of knowledge can be difficult for regular people to fully grasp. But more poignantly, the struggle to define ourselves as people—who we are what, we value, and where we are going, also continues.

And you felt that this could be contained in a fantasy novel?

A little bit of it can be. There is a long tradition of this kind of thing. Star Trek has a long history of looking at social issues, and Star Trek Discovery has held progressive subjects very close to its heart.

How is KIR’s approach to progress different than Star Trek’s?

I try to show some empathy to both sides of the problem. While some of the protagonists in KIR are clearly pushing forward, they also have reasons to be apprehensive about the future. There is a cost to progress. Even if the world must change, there are winners and losers, something to be lost as well as gained. It is easy to write the folks trying to hang on to the old ways as the “bad” ones, but it is also less interesting than acknowledging and doing something with their understandable fear of what is to come.

What is the most realistic thing about progress in KIR?

I am a scientist (a geophysicist) and I have hidden a lot of scientific realism in the book. Especially in the sense that no matter how intelligent the characters may be, they won’t be able to figure out everything. Even our best aspirations have unintended consequences, and it has been fun showing some of those.

What were some of your concerns and challenges about writing and producing the audiobook format of KIR?

There were a few, but sound effects were on my mind. I elected to use some onomatopoeia in the trilogy, particularly around the sound of thunder or of the reverberations off Gregory or Eloise’s entropic shields. Deciding to use this device in writing is … debatable. Not everyone likes it. This became a discussion point with the audiobook narrator, Craig A. Hart.

How did Craig feel about sound effects?

He was reluctant to over-rely on them. He felt that, if done improperly, they could detract from the audio experience. The problem is identical in writing as it is in an audio production—it is easy to go too far.

And what happened?

Craig found a good solution that creates the right effect without overpowering or distracting from the story.

What are some other considerations that a writer should make when planning an audiobook format?

There are a few. One is how people sound. I usually try to give each character a distinguishing feature, or several. Eloise’s size and ferocity, Bethyn’s truculence, Koria’s cool use of logic and compactness of mind that is reflected in her appearance, Heylor’s inability to be still. But they may also have a distinguishing sound, or sounds should come with their features. This needs to be planned for in the writing. Heylor’s energy must come out in his speaking voice. He is going to talk quickly. And Eloise’s curt decisiveness must be written on the page and expressed by the narrator. Craig uses a flat Germanic accent for Eloise, which is perfect. But the written words need to fit the sounds, too.

How is this communicated to the narrator?

The more these character-based features are contained in the writing, the better, though writing economy must also be maintained. But narrators also discuss the nature of each and every character in the story with the writer. How do they fit in? What is their attitude, their accent? Do we want the reader to like them? This information all gets written down and discussed.

Can production costs affect the product?

Sure. If I was infinitely wealthy, I would hire a cast of narrators and special audio effects experts. Craig does an excellent job of making each different character come alive, but in the fantasy world where we are have an enormous budget, getting a few other voice actors in there with Craig would be a lot of fun. Actually, if I had infinite dollars, I might just produce a movie or series, too.

Surprise Giveaway!

The author is giving away a $30 Amazon gift card with this tour. Just click on the link, and have fun participating! Wishing you luck. 🙂

Okay, but who's the great author who wrote this kickass story?

Fret not, here he is!

The Author: Lee Hunt

Ever try to do things you were really not well suited to? Lee Hunt understands. He was born with only one working lung, but has gone on to be an Ironman triathlete, a sport rock climber, and a professional geophysicist. The poor lung function has been an excellent excuse for his unimpressive triathlon performance—he is among the worst of those able to complete the Ironman under his own power—and is of some service in eliciting a modicum of sympathy for his average at-best skills as a climber. Actually no one on a rock wall really cares about excuses. It’s a climb-or-fall kind of thing.

His marginal ability to breathe is of no use whatsoever in explaining his career as a geophysicist. He was good at that. Lee published close to fifty journal papers, articles or expanded abstracts, has been awarded numerous best paper awards, and was even sent on a national speaking tour to Canadian universities by the Canadian Society of Exploration Geophysicists. He was born on a farm but grew up near the giant oil sand mines of Fort McMurray and is interested in discussing the environment and the amorality of science. He is also useful at parties in explaining the physics around why, or why not, fracture stimulation might be a risk to manmade structures and the fuzzy cuddly things of nature. Lee’s career helped him appreciate the difficulty in predicting outcomes, the dangers of arrogance—such as thinking you can predict even the smallest thing—and the exigent need to try anyway. He was comfortable and happy being a geophysicist, so after twenty-eight years, he quit to go do the things he was less well suited to.

If you want to hang out with Lee, look for him hiking, cycling, floundering in a lake, clinging desperately to a wall, or at his desk trying to write an entertaining story.

Author Website

Author Facebook (Personal)

Author Facebook (Author Page)

Author Amazon

Make sure not to miss the rest of the blog tour by Other Worlds Ink!

Next stops: Boy Meets Boy Reviews (tomorrow, Sunday, March 6) & Beauty in Ruins (Monday, March 7)!

The Big Surprise: Interview with Author Chris Babu

Book Reviews, Interviews May 13, 2019 Leave a comment

Hello, hello, folks!

Remember a few months back when I foreshadowed some big reveal on Twitter? Well, here we are:

I had the great pleasure of interviewing Chris Babu, author of The Initiation and The Expedition, both YA sci-fi, post-apocalyptic, dystopian first books in the trilogy with Permuted Press.

PLEASE NOTE that this is an audio interview (I’m sorry I said “video” in it).

On this, I really hope you enjoy this interview with Chris Babu! It was a fun experience for me (my very first interview!) and I won’t stop there.

Thank you to the awesome Chris Babu and Permuted Press for this glorious experience!

Listen here:

The Interesting Links

Chris Babu’s Web site

His Goodreads account, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram

The Initiation: Amazon, B&N, Kobo, Indigo, Goodreads, LibraryThing, WorldCat

The Expedition: Amazon, B&N, Kobo, Indigo, Goodreads, LibraryThing, WorldCat

My review of The Initiation and my review of The Expedition

Permuted Press

Tell me, what did you prefer? What answers spoke to you or not? Also, are you excited for the third book?

Thank you very much for tuning in!

See you next post, lovelies. *Mwah!*

Alchemy’s Air: A Review

Book Reviews April 8, 2019 Leave a comment

by Stacey Tucker

Alchemy’s Air: Book Two of the Equal Night Trilogy
by Stacey Tucker
Publisher: SparkPress

Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Action & Adventure

Pages: 352
ISBN: 9781943006847
Format: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook (Kindle & Kobo)
Publication date: May 14th, 2019
Publisher: SparkPress
Type: Novel (2nd in a trilogy)

*A special thanks to SparkPress for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion via Edelweiss+.*

The Blurb:

The ancient secrets of the Book of Sophia were entrusted to Skylar Southmartin. She needs to succeed at a deadly mission where she journeys to the Underworld of the Earth to restore a vital memory to the Akashic Library. This Now that she’s passed her trial by fire, Skylar Southmartin has been entrusted with the ancient secrets of the Book of Sophia. Ahead is her greatest mission to date: a journey to the Underworld to restore a vital memory to the Akashic Library that will bring her face to face with the darkness within. Many seek this library because they believe the future of human potential is at its core.

Will Skylar and her friends survive the darkness hidden in all of us and the risk of it destroying their very souls?

Introduction:

When I read Alchemy’s Air’s blurb on Edelweiss+, I simply had to give it a go even though I hadn’t read the first one, Ocean’s Fire. Fiction related to the spiritual, mythologies, and witches’ powers (or the likes!) interests me a great deal.

Thank you so much for this opportunity, SparkPress and Edelweiss+!

The Positive Sides:

First of all, the ideas themselves of the Book of Sophia, the realm of the spiritual, the Akashic library an the Underworld of Earth just held my attention quite forgive the pun religiously. I genuinely liked that a fiction book dares to dive deeper into the depths of the magic of the world and the spiritual as a main objective (from what I can assume). I’ve read other books like Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Heroes of Olympus series where they DO get to the Underworld and such other books, yet while greatly enjoyable, never gets past the surface of the topic. But Alchemy’s Air does it!

Moreover, the sheer details of the underworld and the spiritual realm (hinted at the very beginning) are immersing and glorious! The words paint a stunning picture of the concepts and objects such as a special Tree of Life which is scorched to us, but gorgeous and quite alive on the spiritual side. Love that we get to experience the sensation (almost!) of what it’s like to see such things!

As for the characters, they’re interesting. I like them and how they care about something else too such as veterinarian care and studies. It makes them lovelier to me. And that run from Milicent’s husband to President? That’s fun and different in a fantasy novel. I must admit I greatly enjoy those down-to-earth sides of the story. They’re awesome and much welcomed.

Furthermore, the stakes are high, pressing and essential to humankind. Also, I love the use of different concepts from all kinds of religions and beliefs. It’s a beautiful, carefully chosen melting pot.

The Negative Sides:

Sadly, there’s no way around this: The dialogue killed my enthusiasm quite early on. They’re not only forced, but they are 3-4 sentences long with each character. It’s not realistic. Plus, it TELLS us in dialogue what we figured out most of the time. It’s the main negative side and a dealbreaker for me. I couldn’t believe in the story (even though the rest is great!) and kept rolling my eyes every time a character spoke. I swear, I was enjoying myself in the narrative… until a line of dialogue popped up.

Speaking of narrative, it takes a good while before things get heated. While I truly loved the passages where we glimpse at the other world (the spiritual world), the story took too long before starting up. But maybe you like things to go slow in books. If so, then go for it!

In Conclusion:

Rating this one was tough. On the one hand, I LOVE the ideas in the book, the amazing details about the supernatural world, and got involved in the story. On the other, my involvement stopped as soon as any character spoke. So, torn between two polar opposites (I’m loving this versus oh no here’s the unrealistic dialogue again), I’m giving Alchemy’s Air by Stacey Tucker a rating of 3.5 out of 5.

Let me be clear: If, like me, the summary interests it, read the book! I’m sure some of you will enjoy it because it IS enjoyable, hence the rating. But, to me, the false dialogue rang too loudly. But do I recommend this book? Absolutely! The idea is still kick-ass and I swear the details and concepts about the spiritual world are the best I’ve read yet!

If you want to learn more about the author, you can visit her Web site, you can also follow her on Instagram, her Pinterest account, and Goodreads . You can visit her publisher, SparkPress, https://gosparkpress.com/. You can also add Alchemy’s Air to your bookshelves on Goodreads.

Alchemy ‘ s Air: A Review

Book Reviews April 8, 2019 Leave a comment

by Stacey Tucker

Alchemy's Air: Book Two of the Equal Night Trilogy
by Stacey Tucker
Publisher: SparkPress

Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Action & Adventure

Pages: 352
ISBN: 9781943006847
Format: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook (Kindle & Kobo)
Publication date: May 14th, 2019
Publisher: SparkPress
Type: Novel (2nd in a trilogy)

A special thanks to SparkPress for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion via Edelweiss+.

The Blurb:

The ancient secrets of the Book of Sophia were entrusted to Skylar Southmartin. She needs to succeed at a deadly mission where she journeys to the Underworld of the Earth to restore a vital memory to the Akashic Library. This Now that she’s passed her trial by fire, Skylar Southmartin has been entrusted with the ancient secrets of the Book of Sophia. Ahead is her greatest mission to date: a journey to the Underworld to restore a vital memory to the Akashic Library that will bring her face to face with the darkness within. Many seek this library because they believe the future of human potential is at its core.

Will Skylar and her friends survive the darkness hidden in all of us and the risk of it destroying their very souls?

Introduction:

When I read Alchemy’s Air’s blurb on Edelweiss+, I simply had to give it a go even though I hadn’t read the first one, Ocean’s Fire. Fiction related to the spiritual, mythologies, and witches’ powers (or the likes!) interests me a great deal.

Thank you so much for this opportunity, SparkPress and Edelweiss+!

The Positive Sides:

First of all, the ideas themselves of the Book of Sophia, the realm of the spiritual, the Akashic library an the Underworld of Earth just held my attention quite forgive the pun religiously. I genuinely liked that a fiction book dares to dive deeper into the depths of the magic of the world and the spiritual as a main objective (from what I can assume). I’ve read other books like Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Heroes of Olympus series where they DO get to the Underworld and such other books, yet while greatly enjoyable, never gets past the surface of the topic. But Alchemy’s Air does it!

Moreover, the sheer details of the underworld and the spiritual realm (hinted at the very beginning) are immersing and glorious! The words paint a stunning picture of the concepts and objects such as a special Tree of Life which is scorched to us, but gorgeous and quite alive on the spiritual side. Love that we get to experience the sensation (almost!) of what it’s like to see such things!

As for the characters, they’re interesting. I like them and how they care about something else too such as veterinarian care and studies. It makes them lovelier to me. And that run from Milicent’s husband to President? That’s fun and different in a fantasy novel. I must admit I greatly enjoy those down-to-earth sides of the story. They’re awesome and much welcomed.

Furthermore, the stakes are high, pressing and essential to humankind. Also, I love the use of different concepts from all kinds of religions and beliefs. It’s a beautiful, carefully chosen melting pot.

The Negative Sides:

Sadly, there’s no way around this: The dialogue killed my enthusiasm quite early on. They’re not only forced, but they are 3-4 sentences long with each character. It’s not realistic. Plus, it TELLS us in dialogue what we figured out most of the time. It’s the main negative side and a dealbreaker for me. I couldn’t believe in the story (even though the rest is great!) and kept rolling my eyes every time a character spoke. I swear, I was enjoying myself in the narrative… until a line of dialogue popped up.

Speaking of narrative, it takes a good while before things get heated. While I truly loved the passages where we glimpse at the other world (the spiritual world), the story took too long before starting up. But maybe you like things to go slow in books. If so, then go for it!

In Conclusion:

Rating this one was tough. On the one hand, I LOVE the ideas in the book, the amazing details about the supernatural world, and got involved in the story. On the other, my involvement stopped as soon as any character spoke. So, torn between two polar opposites (I’m loving this versus oh no here’s the unrealistic dialogue again), I’m giving Alchemy’s Air by Stacey Tucker a rating of 3.5 out of 5.

Let me be clear: If, like me, the summary interests it, read the book! I’m sure some of you will enjoy it because it IS enjoyable, hence the rating. But, to me, the false dialogue rang too loudly. But do I recommend this book? Absolutely! The idea is still kick-ass and I swear the details and concepts about the spiritual world are the best I’ve read yet!

If you want to learn more about the author, you can visit her Web site, you can also follow her on Instagram, her Pinterest account, and Goodreads . You can visit her publisher, SparkPress, https://gosparkpress.com/. You can also add Alchemy's Air to your bookshelves on Goodreads.

Breaking Order: A Review

Book Reviews May 6, 2018 Leave a comment

39027890

by Catherine Kopf

Genre: YA, Dystopian, Fantasy

Pages: 244

ISBN: 9781981781324

*I was given a free e-copy of Breaking Order by the author. Thank you!*

The Story:

Dreams, Creativity, and Magic are all gone under a single order.

Banned from the things that make you different, people must conform to a dull and practical lifestyle.

The daughter of The Regime’s Head Executioner is expected to follow in his footsteps, but fourteen-year-old Calista Knight is curious about creativity and dreams. It doesn’t help that she is isolated and bullied at school because of her asthma. When the new boy, Wes, encourages Calista to stop taking the medicine preventing dreams and introduces her to creativity, a new life opens up to her. Magic becomes very real, and with dreams and creativity intertwined, limits are endless.

But the Regime wants no one to dream.

Calista is a threat to the order, and she only has two options:

Overcome her own personal fears of dreaming…

…or end up just as compliant to the Regime as others around her.

The Introduction:

Read that summary? That’s what got me greatly interested in reading this book as well as the gorgeous cover! All about this book screams creativity and dystopia and I so wanted to see how it was dealt with. Also, you said magic? Here I am! I must say Breaking Order delivered. How about we review it together?

The Positive Points:

Let’s start with the positive sides. This story introduces us to a terrifying and very controlling dystopian reality in Fortress (that’s the city’s name. Lovely, isn’t it?) Creativity and ambition (a.k.a dreams) are outlawed and their penalty is death, no less. In other words, you mustn’t stand out in a crowd nor think much for yourself. What’s better is that Calista’s own father is the Head Executioner. Now that makes for drama! Also, I’ve got to say the villain in this story is quite vile and cruel, which makes them totally my style. I didn’t think they could go to such lengths but… Yes, and it was wonderful (in a gasping, shocked-sort of way).

Their dreaming confers the Dreamers, the radicals and rebels who dare to dream and be creative, powers from the likes found in fantasy stories. How interesting is that?!

As for the writing, it is smooth and the vocabulary quite developed, which is a delight. Moreover, a few foreshadowing moments are woven into the exact words the author chooses to describe the story. It shows Miss Kopf really thought it through and gave it the attention it deserves!

Honestly, I spent days either wanting to go back to reading this book or flipping through its pages, engrossed in the story! The reading is eased by the good writing and ongoing action and drama.

The Negative Points:

As for the bad points, there simply are two. A few mistakes and typos, but nothing too troublesome. Also, there’s the issue of fighting being way too easy for the children against trained adults. I know the kids have military training, but two of them (those who don’t have offensive powers) can take down several guards without batting an eye or at least much of it? That’s the only weakness of this story.

In Conclusion:

You’re probably expecting an excellent rating for this one and you’d be right. I give it a rating of 4.5 stars because it’s amazing but too easy for the teens’ gang. Besides that, I can assure you you’re in for an entertaining ride! The villain, the mysteries, and the sheer creativity of the story are worth it, in my opinion.

I recommend Breaking Order without hesitation and now I’m patiently waiting for the sequel, i. e. I want it. Right. Now!

…

Is it out yet?

If you want to learn more about the author, Catherine Kopf, and her books, please visit her Web site , Twitter and Wattpad accounts (where you can read the first draft of the sequel, yay!). You can also add Breaking Order to your Goodreads shelves and follow her Goodreads author page!

P.S.: You’ll notice on Web sites where there are no half points possible that I’ve given this book 5 stars. I think it deserves more a 5-star rating than the loss of a whole point. Thank you.