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Helm of Awe (Anchoress Series Book 3) by D.L. Armillei – Review by Ariel Jensen

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Helm of Awe (Anchoress Series #3)Helm of Awe by D.L. Armillei
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Being the third book in the series, I don’t want to give too much away with any more of a synopsis than the author gives. I had quickly made my way through the first two books and was eager to continue the journey with Van into her third year of missions. This third installment did not disappoint with the depth and growth of the first two.

D.L. Armellei does a fantastic job at balancing out the narrative so, as a reader, you can enjoy this book as a standalone or as the continuation of the series. I appreciate that even into the third book, more world-building occurs so it doesn’t just feel like a lot of repeating. As a lover of the YA and Fantasy genre, this entire series fits in perfectly alongside some of the better-known series (eg. Hunger Games, Divergent, Percy Jackson, etc.) without feeling like another stereotypical teen drama.

I would highly recommend this book as a standalone for anyone wanting to dip their toes in the YA Fantasy genre. I’d recommend the entire series to anyone who already enjoys YA and Fantasy, and is ready to step into a whole new world that tickles your senses as somehow familiar and entirely new.

Review by Ariel Jensen

Divine Vintage by Sandra L. Young – Review by Ariel Jensen

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Divine VintageDivine Vintage by Sandra L. Young
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Every article of clothing has a story, though many of us will never know the truth in the threads. For Tess, however, she begins to experience the history of a dress and the original owner’s final moments. Those feelings become amplified from the first moment she lays eyes on Trey. Will they be able to uncover the century-old mystery? Is what they’re experiencing truly their feelings or just a shadow of ghostly desires?

Author Sandra L. Young weaves a fantastic tale of romance and mystery among the threads of history and murder. From the get-go, I was drawn into the balance among the various characters: Tess’ whimsical but fiercely independent nature contrasted with Trey’s calculated and calm demeanor. The varying levels of paranormal belief, how their backgrounds play a part in their present interactions, and how they develop as individuals and together all build an intriguing tale. It was a delightful addition for me as a seamstress and lover of vintage clothing to have this story be so strongly tied to specific period pieces.

For everything I liked about this book, minor stumbling blocks brought the overall rating down. For example, occasionally the author would take a clear stance on a particular “hot topic” (eg. homelessness). While I did appreciate the tie-in to the overall story, the initial appearance was abrupt and felt out of place.

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a romantic tale and those who want a first read into a book regarding ghostly encounters.

Review by Ariel Jensen

A Bride for Noah (Brides of Broken Arrow) by Cheryl Wright – Review by Ariel Jensen

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A Bride for Noah (Brides of Broken Arrow #1)A Bride for Noah by Cheryl Wright
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

*** 3 out of 5 stars
If losing his father suddenly wasn’t enough, Noah is now under a deadline according to the conditions of the will to find himself a bride. Not too far away, Mary is barely surviving each day and sees the offer of this “convenience marriage” to be her only way out of poverty. Will Noah and Mary find love in their contractual time together or walk away at the end of the year?

As the author herself promises, this is nothing but a feel-good short historical fiction story.

The overall story and theme were just as promised, with the character Noah and the depth of Mary’s life history being the main highlights. With that said, I didn’t feel I could rate the tale any higher due to some hiccups. For example, because there was so much depth to Mary, there seemed to be extraneous details that could have been further developed. Additionally, while time obviously seems to pass, each section broke up the story’s flow without a clear idea of just how much time it had been. Overall, I believe this short story would’ve been better drawn out but, understandably, that would have been a hard balance with the feel-good promise.

A Bride for Noah was an enjoyable and quick read. I would certainly recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction and needs a quick read between longer novels.

Review by @arielmj

 

The Mesmerist by Claire Luana – Review by Ariel Jensen

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The MesmeristThe Mesmerist by Claire Luana
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After an invite from a childhood friend takes Adrijana to court, her life is flipped upside down after a seemingly simple question. Being new to the court, Adrijana becomes the obvious suspect in a series of deaths. How can she prove her innocence? Aligning with a royal Mesmer, she sets out to unravel the mysterious deaths and ultimate plot to destabilize the only home she’s ever known. What will it take to unravel the truth and protect those dearest to her?

This young adult fantasy mystery will draw you in immediately. Having never read anything by this author, something was intriguing about the short synopsis that first drew me to this book. As with any new-to-me author, I was skeptical but I’m so relieved to find that this book was one of the best YA fantasy books I’ve ever read.

The flow of storytelling is so incredibly polished that the reader becomes immersed in the world of Adrjssia from the first page. Claire Luana does an eloquent job of setting the tone and atmosphere of this new world without drowning the reader in minute details. This story could have easily been drawn out into multiple books but it works perfectly as a stand-alone tale. I am a reader who typically tries to figure out the mystery before the narrator does. However, this was not the case in this book. The reading was easy enough to follow along while gripping to keep me drawn to the moment instead of jumping ahead. There’s an expertly practiced balance between the mystery, depth of the characters, and seductiveness of journeying with Adrijana.

Overall, this book deserves nothing less than five stars.

Reviewed by @arielmj