Scorched Souls: The Chosen Trilogy #3 by Jeff and Erynn Altabef || Review

I received a digital copy of this book in exchange for a honest review, with thanks to the authors, Jeff and Erynn Altabef!

Title: Scorched Souls
Series: The Chosen Trilogy #3
Author: Jeff and Erynn Altabef
Publication Date: 24th October 2016
Publisher: Evolved Publishing
Pages: 300
My Rating: 5 stars 

Not everything is black and white. 

Sometimes, things will surprise you with how grey they are. 

Juliet has to make a choice. Who will she trust and who will follow her on her mission to stop the Alphians and the Deltites ripping the Earth apart in an ancient feud? But with unlikely allies along the way, and a lot riding on her shoulders, will Juliet be able to cope with the pressure? 

Along with Juliet. as she meets the Prime Elector for the first time, we follow the story from Connor's point of view as he struggles to better himself in the world around him, and Barrett, an Alphian who has been sent on a hell bent mission by his father. 

Can they stop the world as they know it from being destroyed? Or will their differences hinder them?

I read the first two books of this series sometime last year, and I really enjoyed it, as dystopian (at that stage) was my favourite YA Genre. That's changed now, however, I still found myself really loving and enjoying this world as we followed Juliet through her mission. I loved how much we got to see her grow throughout the three books, she went from trusting very few, to trusting openly and being a more likable and well rounded heroine. 

My first two reviews can be found here: 

Wind Catcher (Book One): https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1416679117?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

Brink of Dawn (Book Two): https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1417738661?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

You can see even in my previous reviews how much my views on Juliet changed! I thought she was rash in the first book, yet better in the second. This book I thought that she was pretty brilliant. She was strong and brave but also amazingly human! I think that's what is lacking in Dystopian books sometimes, the human side of it. 

Connor made for an interesting character too, we watched as he fell in love with Juliet, and how he also failed miserably in love. We learn about his troubled background, orphaned, drinking, the lot. But we also see his fire to become a better person in this book. And I think that's why I felt so gravitated towards his character. He was hopeful. 

Barrett was the spanner in the works. 

I didn't know what to think of him at first, thinking he was just a teenager against his father's rules, but through him we learn that not everything is how it seems. It teaches us that there is good in both sides of the divide, and there is also bad. It forces Juliet to not only think, but for the reader to think that there is always two sides to a story. 

Overall, I think this was a brilliant wrap up to the trilogy, all this week WIND CATCHER WILL BE FREE AND BRINK OF DAWN WILL BE ON SALE to celebrate the release of this book! 

My Links: 

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Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake || Review

*This book was sent to me by the Publisher, Macmillan Children's Books in exchange for an honest review, major shout out to the team over there, for not only an ARC but also a finished copy!*

Title: Three Dark Crowns
Series: Untitled Series
Author: Kendare Blake
Pages: 405
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books
Publication Date: September 20th 2016
My Overall Rating: 4 stars 

Three sisters. 

One throne. 

A fight to the death. 

Fenbirn has a queen that rules every generation, it's been that way for centuries. Every past and present queen has been gifted with power from the goddess that allows them to govern along with the elite families that share those talents. 

It's tradition. It's political. It's deadly. 

Three daughters are born, but only one can assume the throne when she's 16. Separated at a young age, each princess must hone in on their individual power before being pitted against one another to the death. 

Arsinoe is a naturalist, she manipulates animals and plants...technically. Her powers haven't manifested yet and her fellow naturalists are beginning to panic. She wants to leave Fenbrin, but Fenbrin won't let her go. Desperate times are beginning to call for desperate measures...

Katharine is a poisoner, her powers are weak, her anxiety is high and the poisoner families are willing to do anything to keep a hold of their reign, but Katharine has to decide who she can trust, and who may have alternative agendas...

Mirabella is an elemental, she's the strongest of the triplets and she can manipulate the world around her. However, she's plagued with nightmares of the night she and her sisters were separated and feels affection towards them. 

There is no compromise. 

I've never read a Kendare Blake book before, I'll be honest. I've been very close to it, but other books have just taken precedence or been more convenient at the time, but when I read the blurb of this book I just knew...When you know, you know. I knew that this book and I were going to be a better OTP than Hazel and Augustus, Ron and Hermione and probably most of your favourite OTPs. 

The premise of this book was just so good. Like swear words good. So when I got an email from Pan Macmillan with the opportunity to read this book early, I nearly hit the roof. Yes girl, one million percent, yes. And to my shock, I actually got a copy. A beautiful proof copy with gold indent on the cover and a purple background. 

 However, when you get hit with a reading slump, one as momentous as mine has been this year, there is no telling what books you will be able to and won't be able to read, I think I've read half a book since August until I finally sat down and read this one. Yesterday. 

I've had this book on my shelf for months. Months. And I only read it yesterday.  

And I was blown out of the water. Over the hill. Far far away and all of that because this book is just so enchanting. There's something about a power play, especially between siblings, that I love and Kendare Blake writes it so well. It's enchanting. It's dark. It's kind of like Half Bad by Sally Green got punched in the face with A Song of Fire and Ice by George R R Martin (without all the other bits y'know what I mean.) 

However, my biggest surprise came as I snuggled up with this book, 6 cups of Lemsip and an episode of Doctor Who when my mum shouted up the stairs, "Are you expecting a book from that publishing company?" And my thoughts were immediately, "What?" THEY SENT ME A FINISHED ARSINOE THEMED BOOK PACK (see picture of book cover.) WHAT! They have themed covers for each sister and I got probably my favourite sister's cover. Although Katharine is anxious and Mirabella is hesitant to hurt her sisters, I liked Arsinoe the best. She was kind of against the system and I like the rebel behaviour. It speaks to the inner rebel in me! 

Overall, this is a brilliant book and I can't wait to see where Kendare Blake will take it. 

QOTD: If you had to pick between being a Naturalist, a Poisoner or an Elementalist, what would you choose and why? 

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New World: Ashes || Blog Tour & Review

Hello! Welcome to the very first blog tour on Drowning in Book! 

You may remember a few months ago, I reviewed New World Rising (Click HERE for the review) and I adored it! So when the author, the amazing and lovely Jennifer Wilson posted looking for bloggers for the book tour, I immediately asked to take part! (Her links will be below) 

First thing's first: The Cover. 

Let me have a minute. Because this cover is stunning! This cover, and the cover for the first book look so beautiful together. Check out the @oftomes instagram page for pictures of them together!

Kim-G at DauntlessHunter has such an unbelievable talent for cover design, and she definitely has delivered on this series so far!

After the action of the last book, Phoenix has sacrificed herself to save her loved ones. But in doing so, she may have taken another unexpected turn in her turbulent life. 

Having no memories before the age of 11, she has forgotten her past. 

But her past hasn't forgotten her. 

War is coming, and Phoenix must choose where she stands, and how pivotal her role in this war will be. She has to keep her guard up while facing trials from her past and present, her tyrannical grandfather and a not so friendly blast from the past. 

In this book we get to see inside this utopian Sanctuary that Phoenix's family fled from and we get to see our characters, new and old, grow and develop. 

This book blew me away. 

I'm still in shock after reading it and is it bad that I'm already excited for the third and final installment in this trilogy? 

But back to this one:

Phoenix is such an amazing heroine. Usually female leads annoy me a little in books as the authors can make them whiny or dependent on a love interest, but Jennifer Wilson has presented her in such a bad ass yet relatable way and it makes you really want the best for this character. 

I loved that we got to see something from her past for the first time as she did, she knew what we knew and I loved as we saw little bits about her parents or her family being slowly uncovered. I never saw her Grandfather being in the sanctuary, and I never even thought this would book would have been as action packed and adrenaline fuelled as the first one. 

The second books in series often lag, and this book did not in the slightest. The writing, the pace, the characters. There were no disappointments with this book and this book sits at the top of my Dystopian favourites! 

Release Date || JUNE 7TH 2016

Competition: If you pre-order this book on kindle and send proof of purchase to oftomes@oftomes.com you'll be entered to win some book swag and a bookish mug! Link to preorder is here: x

Jennifer Kay Wilson's Links: 

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jkwbooks/?fref=ts
• Instagram: @jkwilson29
• New World Website: thenewworldseries.com
• Twitter: @J_KayWilson

My Links: 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/20748319-connie

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Email: conniedalton@hotmail.com

Series Review: How the Wolf Lost Her Heart

I received free digital copies of the two books in this series from the author in exchange for an honest review, with thanks to Sarah Brownlee!

This series is set in 2217 in a dystopian London. There are people called Morphers living amongst the ordinary humans, people fear them, they are looked upon with prejudice, so they keep their "gift" hidden. But there is politics in the Morpher world, two major families are battling with one another. Can the morphers stay hidden?

Book One: How the Wolf Lost Her Heart

The first book is when we are introduced to our two main characters; Skye Archer, who has the ability to turn into a wolf. She is standoffish, independent and a really brilliant female lead. She seemed like a really relatable and normal teen, apart from the fact she turns into a wolf of course. 

And Raphael Renzo, son of one of the main men in the families mentioned above, he has the ability to turn into a Tiger. He was immediately my favourite of the two, he was so quick witted and it was obvious that he liked Skye from the offset. 

This book had a bit of a slow build up, as it was very much about setting up the world around it and it was introducing us to the environment in which these characters are too develop. But when something happened, something happened. 

The author has a definite skill of holding your attention throughout the build up and the romance building sections. I liked how there was a whole thing between Skye wanting to fight the gang violence and not falling in love with Raphael. 

Probably the weirdest thing about this book though was the whole thing about a wold and a tiger...I don't know...Weird...

Book Two: How the Tiger Faced His Challenge




There was no denying that this book was Raphael's, and although Skye was in it a lot, it was mainly about my main man developing and growing in himself. The two mains were so developed in this book and I loved every moment, the action in this book was so gripping. Plenty of it, and it's so fast paced and well explained!

My heart broke in this book in the scene between Raphael and his dad. 

Sarah Brownlee, I salute you because this is one of the best dystopian books that I've read in awhile! 

My final rating for this series is: 5 stars!

This duology is one that I would definitely recommend to you all. 

If you're into dystopian books with a unique plot, great characters, then this is definitely for you!

QOTD; if you had a spirit animal, what would yours be? Mine would probably be a wolf too!

Links: 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/20748319-connie

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Email: conniedalton@hotmail.com

Review: New World Rising

Title: New World Rising
Series: New World #1
Author: Jennifer Wilson
Genre: YA, Dystopian
Publisher: OfTomes Publishing
Publication Date: January 5th 2016
Pages: 206

This book is available on Kindle Unlimited for those who have a KU subscription. 

JOIN OR DIE

She's fended for herself since she witnessed her parent's murder when she was eleven. The world around her is a dangerous place, her parents must have left the Sanctuary for a reason, and the tribes aren't welcoming with their motto, join or die, but Phoenix has sworn that she will never join them. She has to uphold her mother's last words, stay strong and survive. 

But it's getting harder to find supplies and when a group of Ravengers from the Tribes attack a child, Phoenix steps in, only to be taken captive by a group of people who claim to be a third society in this divided world. Has Phoenix finally found her haven in this manic world? Or has she found a society more complex than she could have originally anticipated?

This is one of those books where I let it be a very pleasant surprise, of course I knew what the book was about, I knew that I wanted to read it, but I didn't read any reviews of this book because I didn't want it to be spoiled for me, and thank god I didn't! 

What a book! 

Phoenix was a relatable main character who loved reading (my personal favourite touch was that she saved books from destruction,) and she was just very likable despite how isolated she initially was. I really appreciated that she wasn't bitter, she was defensive and sometimes that line isn't very clear. Her relationship with Mouse is very cute and it's not very often that you get to see a sisterly relationship quite so touching. 

I loved that smell. In all my adventures, nothing ever smelled like an old book. 

The action in this book was so well written that it made you feel almost involved, I got a bit of an adrenaline rush reading those scenes and I loved how independent Phoenix was. The love interest in this book was also incredibly well written. It wasn't insta-love at all and it was actually developed quite thoughtfully and intelligently. 

I can't wait for the sequel of this book to be re-released and I hope you all pick up a copy!

My Final Rating is: 5 stars

QOTD: Do you like dystopian books?

Links: 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/20748319-connie

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Instagram: @conniedalt

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Email: conniedalton@hotmail.com

Series Review: Delirium by Lauren Oliver

This is my second time reviewing Lauren Oliver on this blog, and the reason would be that I genuinely love her writing. I loved Panic (to a certain extent) and I loved Before I Fall. But until last week I hadn't read probably her most popular series, Delirium. 

The Delirium series is set in a world where love is a disease. And to be immune to the disease, you have to get cured. The story follows Lena whose mother caught the disease when she was a child, and it's how she navigates her way through this dystopian world. 

Here's what I thought. 

Delirium 

95 days to go until Lena gets cured, but obviously things don't go to plan, or else we wouldn't have a book. 

This book is a four out of five, I liked this one quite a lot. At first, I wasn't too sure about Lena, I thought she was a bit too distant for us to become connected to her, but I was quickly proved wrong by how much she really grew throughout this book, she was unique and likable by the end. 

The world for this book was so interesting too, it was very different from any other dystopian book I had read. It was overall a really good read that made me excited for continuing the series. 

Pandemonium 

This book for me was conflicting, in some ways it was such a step up from book one. It gave us more development, more action and more drama. The ending literally left me speechless and I couldn't make any cohesive thoughts for a few minutes other than OH MY GOD. I really loved some aspects about this book, but there were also sections where this book fell flat. 

I felt that although the ending was incredible, there was something missing, the book was building and building for something that didn't arrive and it left me feeling a bit disappointed. 

I really liked Lena's character development and the introduction of Julian in this book. He was actually a character that I loved. 

Four out of five stars. 

Requiem 

It's always the last book in a trilogy that disappoints me. 

I felt cheated by this book. I was so into it until the last 20% and then it just died. It faltered and I couldn't get back into it. The whole thing with her mum in this book kind of messed me up because I wanted more. I feel like we were promised more from the beginning books in this series than this book gave us. 

I liked some parts about it, I liked getting to know Hana. I liked the little touches on relationship throughout this book but by the end of it I was just so cheated and disappointed that I found the ending anti-climatic and too vague for my liking. 

Three out of five stars. 

Overall Review: 

I wanted to love this so badly. 

But with hyped books, you always have to be careful and with this series I just gave it my heart for it to not live up to my expectations and the last book kind of just ruined it all. 

Overall series review: 3.5 stars. 

QOTD: Have you read this series, did you like it? If not, can you imagine a world without love? 

Links: 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/20748319-connie

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ARC Review: Five-Seven-Five

An ARC Review or a read to review book is one that was sent to me in exchange for an honest review, either from the author or publisher, but this in no way alters my review or thoughts on the book.

Thank you to C.E. Wilson!

Title: Five-Seven-Five

Series: The Boy With Words #1

Author: C.E. Wilson

Genre: Young adult, dystopian, mystery

Publication Date: November 20th 2015

Pages: Unknown 

My Rating: 5 stars

Take what you can, Take what won't be missed and Take what can be used. 

Because the creators are watching...They're always watching...

White Frost lives in a community that doesn't know what the outside world looks like, all they know is the grey that surrounds their everyday lives. Except for the chosen ones, who get to venture outside of the community to the outside, where the Creators live, to scavenge for supplies. But the stories her cousin, Shade, has told her, has her hopes and dreams aimed for becoming a chosen one. 

She wants to see blue skies, she wants to see clouds. And she wants to find out more about the words on the pieces of paper that Shade brings her back.

When a girl from the colony goes missing, the Chosen Ones are sent to look for her in the outside world, but when Shade dies, White's world shatters around her. 

But with the help of his friend, Salt, she learns even more of the outside and she takes it into her own hands to get there. But when she does, she finds out that everything she has even known is a lie. When she meets a being who she believes is a creator, he shows her colours she could never have imagined, light that blasts from the sky...

He shows her a life she never knew, and it leaves her questioning her own. 

I won't lie, I was shocked by how much I loved this book. 

From the get go, I was enchanted by the world. I wanted to know more, why had White never seen the outside world? What was going on with the government in her world? 

What happened to Shade?

I was so obsessed that I read this book in one sitting, something I struggle to do with ebooks, as the screens give me a headache. But I needed to get to the bottom of this book that reminded me of Legend by Marie Lu, in the aspect of her only family member dying and her taking matters into her own hands. Across the Universe by Beth Revis, in the aspect that they'd never seen the world outside and knew nothing more than the blank, grey world around them and finally The Borrowers or The Secret Life of Arrietty. 

The twist in this book was something that I did not have any idea was coming. Everything seemed so normal until that point, and then when it hits, you have to react to it in shock! It was so imaginative and unhinted at! 

I think this book is brilliant, and honestly it's worth the read, it's quick and easy and so enjoyable!

You can find it on Kindle here: x (it's £1.99 or free for Kindle Unlimited users)

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Goodreads: sunstormsandthunderclouds (Connie)

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