Waistcoats & Weaponry by Gail Carriger

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Title: Waistcoats & Weaponry
(Finishing School #3)
Author: Gail Carriger
Length: 304 pages
Publisher: Little Brown Books
Classification: Young Adult, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Paranormal, Steampunk
Release Date: November 4, 2014
Source: e-galley via NetGalley (Thanks Little Brown!)
Read: November 2014

Class is back in session...Sophronia continues her second year at finishing school in style--with a steel-bladed fan secreted in the folds of her ball gown, of course. Such a fashionable choice of weapon comes in handy when Sophronia, her best friend Dimity, sweet sootie Soap, and the charming Lord Felix Mersey stowaway on a train to return their classmate Sidheag to her werewolf pack in Scotland. No one suspected what--or who--they would find aboard that suspiciously empty train. Sophronia uncovers a plot that threatens to throw all of London into chaos and she must decide where her loyalties lie, once and for all.  Gather your poison, steel tipped quill, and the rest of your school supplies and join Mademoiselle Geraldine's proper young killing machines in the third rousing installment in the New York Times bestselling Finishing School Series by steampunk author, Gail Carriger. (From GoodReads)

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***I received an e-galley of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

***This is part of a series. There will be spoilers of things that happened in the other book(s) so if you haven't read it and don't want to know things that happened, please stop reading now.*** 

My Rating:

Wow! For me, the books in the Finishing School series just keep getting better and better! This book pulled me in quickly and I devoured it. I started it late one night and easily finished it the next day.

There is a lot of action packed into this book. There were some moments where I was extremely anxious to see how the scene was going to play out. There were a lot of things revealed in this story and some of my questions have been answered. The author has done an amazing job creating a story that leaves me with new questions due to the interesting turn of events in this installment. 

Waistcoats & Weaponry takes back up a little bit after the ending events in book two. Sophronia and her friends are all back at their schools. The girls are back in classes learning fun new skills like fighting with a fan and the art of seduction. And the boys are back at Bunson's. Sidheag receives some troubling news which makes her want to get back to Scotland quickly. Which makes Sophronia, Dimity, Soap, and Lord Mersey accompany Sidheag on an adventure to get her home.

I was a little sad that some of the characters that have had bigger parts in the other two books were not in this story very much. Pillover has a fun small part in the story. Though I did find those scenes to be entertaining. And Vieve is just mentioned a few times. But even though these characters had minor parts, the story was still captivating and unique. 

We learn more and more about our favorite characters in this book. 

Sophronia continues to be a good friend. She always helps her friends and also not stand in the way of their decisions and desires at the same time. To me it does seem that Sophronia makes up her mind about where her allegiance lies. 

We also learn and see a bit of a different side of Soap in this book. We see more of Soap as well. At least that is how it felt to me. And I am dying to know more about Soap in the next book!

Felix also has an interesting role in this story. Though I feel like things are still a bit mysterious with him. I am not sure what to think really. I am anxious to see what happens next with this character.

I found the parts with Dimity in this book to be a bit humorous. Sidheag has a lot of challenges that she is facing in this story.

This story made me love the characters more and also made me have a lot of different feelings. I felt happy, frustrated, angry, sad, and a little heartbroken at various points of the plot. And more than anything I hooked on this unique book series and can't wait to find out what happens next!

My Recommendation:

If you have read the first two books, DEFINITELY pick up this one. I found it to be a great addition to this unique storyline. I think that this book is fun, entertaining and serious all at the same time. We find out a lot of different things in this story, but are left wanting to know what else will happen to our group of characters!

Curtsies & Conspiracies by Gail Carriger

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Title: Curtsies & Conspiracies 
(Finishing School #2)
Author: Gail Carriger
Length: 310 pages
Publisher: Little Brown
Classification: Young Adult, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Paranormal, Steampunk
Release Date: November 2013
Source: e-galley via NetGalley (Thank you Little Brown!)
Read: October/November 2014

Does one need four fully grown foxgloves for decorating a dinner table for six guests? Or is it six foxgloves to kill four fully grown guests? Sophronia's first year at Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality has certainly been rousing! For one thing, finishing school is training her to be a spy (won't Mumsy be surprised?). Furthermore, Sophronia got mixed up in an intrigue over a stolen device and had a cheese pie thrown at her in a most horrid display of poor manners. Now, as she sneaks around the dirigible school, eavesdropping on the teachers' quarters and making clandestine climbs to the ship's boiler room, she learns that there may be more to a field trip to London than is apparent at first. A conspiracy is afoot--one with dire implications for both supernaturals and humans. Sophronia must rely on her training to discover who is behind the dangerous plot-and survive the London Season with a full dance card. In this bestselling sequel to New York Times bestselling Etiquette & Espionage, class is back in session with more petticoats and poison, tea trays and treason. Gail's distinctive voice, signature humor, and lush steampunk setting are sure to be the height of fashion this season. (From NetGalley)

GoodReads || Amazon || Barnes & Noble || Books-a-Million

***I received an e-galley of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*** 

***This book is part is part of a series, and so this review may include spoilers from previous books***

My Rating:

A fun and entertaining continuation to Etiquette & Espionage! I really enjoyed reading this book. In fact I liked it more than the first book in the series.

I think that Curtsies & Conspiracies picks up not long after the end of the first book. Sophronia is now in her second year of Finishing School. She is back on the airship school with her group of friends, Dimity, Sidheag, Agatha, Vieve and Soap. The girls are tested for the skills that they have been learning. And friendships are tested as well. Sophronia continues to do quite well at the school and quickly learns new skills and techniques.

This book (at least for me) had a bit more action and espionage. Which made the book really fun and entertaining to read. I was quickly drawn into the plot of the story. And found the addition of some of the boys from Bunson's to be very interesting. It was fun for the girls to practice their skills on the boys. As well as, learning more about the characters like Pillover and Felix.

I loved that there is a bit of mystery to the story and there were some surprising plot twists that kept me longing to know what would happen next. I like that the story doesn't really have much of a cliffhanger at the end, but I am still left wanting to read more so I can find out what else is in store for these characters.

I already liked the characters going into the second book, but I feel like I became a bit more attached to them while reading this sequel.

Sophronia is still a very likable character. She is quite smart and very entertaining. And I like that I am not sure where her loyalties lie. And I think she doesn't know for sure either. I love that she gathers information and likes to make her own decisions. Sophronia has some tough decisions to make during the events of this book and it is interesting to find out what happens. I really love the friendships that she has with the other characters. Their interactions are some of my favorite parts of the story.

I really liked that I learned a bit more about Dimity and Pillover and their family in this book. I really like both of these characters to it was awesome to feel like I knew them a little better. I still find Dimity to be Sophronia's opposite. But I think that is why I love their friendship so much. They really fit together well and help each other out.

I also enjoyed the parts with Sidheag and Agatha. They are fun characters that made excellent additions to the group of friends. I really like how well Sidheag and Sophronia get along. They have similar interests.

Felix is a new character. I love how he is a bit of a mystery to me. I am really curious to see what happens next for this character. I love the interactions with Sophronia.

My Recommendation:

If you have read the first book of this series and enjoyed reading it, I highly recommend reading this sequel. I found it to be just as unique as the first story, with a little more action and spying. I was very entertained and can't wait to find out what happens in the next installment!

Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger

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Title: Etiquette & Espionage
(Finishing School #1)
Author: Gail Carriger
Length: 307 pages
Publisher: Little Brown Books For Young Readers
Classification: Young Adult, Steampunk, Paranormal, Historical Fiction, Fantasy
Release Date: February 5, 2013
Source: e-galley via NetGalley (Thank you Little Brown!)
Read: October 2014

Fourteen-year-old Sophronia is the bane of her mother's existence. Sophronia is more interested in dismantling clocks and climbing trees than proper etiquette at tea--and god forbid anyone see her atrocious curtsy. Mrs. Temminnick is desperate for her daughter to become a proper lady. She enrolls Sophronia in Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality. But little do Sophronia or her mother know that this is a school where ingenious young girls learn to finish, all right--but it's a different kind of finishing. Mademoiselle Geraldine's certainly trains young ladies in the finer arts of dance, dress, and etiquette, but also in the other kinds of finishing: the fine arts of death, diversion, deceit, espionage, and the modern weaponries. Sophronia and her friends are going to have a rousing first year at school. (From GoodReads)

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***I received an e-galley of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***
My Rating:

(Between 3.5 & 4. I've rounded up to 4 because I did enjoy the story and was left wondering what will happen in the next book.)

This story wasn't really what I was expecting, but I am glad that I read it. It is a fun story with a fascinating world and entertaining characters.

Sophronia is not your typical girl. She doesn't care much for fashion. She cares more about climbing around and snooping. She likes to see how things work. Which is not proper etiquette. Her mother agrees that finishing school seems to be the right fit for Sophronia to learn more about proper etiquette and manners.

I think that this is a promising start to an interesting trilogy. This is a very imaginative world full of inventions and fun characters. There are vampires, werewolves, mechanicals, and flywaymen.

At first some of the vocabulary was surprising. I haven't really read many books that have the same words. But I really enjoyed the way that the characters spoke and the language used. I feel like it really fit in well with the story. The names were also different than I am used to. Some of them I am not sure I pronounce them the correct way, but I love how the names add to the story.

This book has some action, but not as much as I thought there would be. There were some times while I was reading, where I felt like the story dragged a little slowly for me. I was interested to find out what would happen next.

I like that the story focuses more on friendship than romance. Yes, there are male characters in the story. And yes, there are boys that the girls will mention are handsome. But there wasn't really any romance in the story.

I really like the characters.

Sophronia is a fun and entertaining main character. There were several times where I was anxious to find out what she would do next. She really likes to explore and find things. I really like that she is smart. She figures things out for herself.
I especially love the friendships that she develops through the story.
Dimity is a great character. She reminds me of myself because I also hate the sight of blood. I like that in some ways she is the opposite of Sophronia. I also love how well they get along. Dimity is a wonderful friend and she really is there for Sophronia.
Soap is another fun character. His friendship with Sophronia is also very enjoyable. I like that he also is there for Sophronia and helps her.
Vieve is one of my favorite characters. So smart and clever! I also love the inventions. And this friendship with Sophronia is also loyal and heartwarming.
There are several other supporting characters that I really enjoyed reading about and like their interactions with the main characters.
I also like the little feud between Sophronia and Monique. I had no problem picturing Monique in my head. And I was very interested in the interactions between these two characters.

My Recommendation:
I think this is a fascinating world. I enjoyed reading the story and I am looking forward to reading book two and finding out more about these fun characters and what is going to come next!

Salt & Storm by Kendall Kulper

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Title: Salt & Storm
Author: Kendall Kulper
Length: 416 pages
Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Classification: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Witches, Magic, Historical
Release Date: September 23, 2014
Source: e-galley (I was approved for this ARC via NetGalley. Thank you Little Brown!)
Read: July 2014

GoodReads 
Barnes & Noble
Books-a-Million

A sweeping historical romance about a witch who foresees her own murder--and the one boy who can help change her future.
Sixteen-year-old Avery Roe wants only to take her rightful place as the witch of Prince Island, making the charms that keep the island's whalers safe at sea, but her mother has forced her into a magic-free world of proper manners and respectability. When Avery dreams she's to be murdered, she knows time is running out to unlock her magic and save herself.
Avery finds an unexpected ally in a tattooed harpoon boy named Tane--a sailor with magic of his own, who moves Avery in ways she never expected. Becoming a witch might stop her murder and save her island from ruin, but Avery discovers her magic requires a sacrifice she never prepared for. (From GoodReads)

***I received an e-galley of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***



My Rating:

After seeing the cover of this book and reading the summary, I was so glad that I was approved by Little Brown via NetGalley to read an ARC!
The cover is so lovely. I really like that the picture is simple, but at the same time pretty. And I love the font used for the title!

I really liked this take on Witches. I really found their abilities and how they do magic/charms very interesting. 

The Story:

I really like that the story wasn't only about what was happening to the characters in the story, but also about the history of the island and the Roe witches. I think the author did a great job at including a lot of background and information while not overshadowing the plot and storyline. 

I really like the  setting and the descriptions. There were times where I wished I could be on this island, seeing what the characters would be seeing. 

I like that there was a mystery feel to the story as well. I was very interested in the mysterious dream that the main character, Avery, kept having. I also really enjoyed the mystery surrounding the other characters. I felt like they all were mysterious in their own ways. I had fun trying to figure out what was going on with those characters individually and how it relates to Avery.  
 For most of the book, I was left guessing what would happen next. But around the middle of the story, I made a guess for what I thought would happen and ended up being close. But it didn't take away from me enjoying the book. And it definitely did not keep me from feeling emotions about the events and the ending. 

The Characters:

 I think that the characters are well written with well-developed backstories. I found them to be very fascinating characters and I enjoyed learning more about them as the story progressed.

Avery is interesting, determined, and at times stubborn. But I really like that she knew what it was she wanted and that she would do whatever she could to fight to achieve it. 

Tane is a very mysterious character. While reading the story, I kept thinking about how there was so much more I wanted to know about his character. I was very happy with the development and found his backstory to be captivating. 

Avery's Mother is a frustrating character for me. We view her from Avery's POV (point of view) and as a reader I could feel the anger and frustration that Avery had for her mother. 

My Recommendation:

If you like reading about witches and like informational stories, then I would recommend giving this book a read. The story was fascinating and mysterious. I liked the characters and the island. 

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

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Title: Grave Mercy 

(His Fair Assassin #1)

Author: Robin LaFevers

Length: 576 pages

Publisher: HMH Books For Young Readers

Classification: Young Adult, Fantasy, Historical Fiction

Release Date: April 3, 2012

Source: e-book (purchased)

Read: July 2014

GoodReads

Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf? Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others. Ismae’s most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart? (From GoodReads)

My Rating:

The Story:

This is another book that I wasn't really sure about before I started reading it. I didn't read the description. In fact, I bought it because it had good reviews by bloggers that I follow on GoodReads and Twitter, and it was on sale for the Kindle, so I thought I would give it a chance. And yet I still wasn't really sure what I was reading when I started the first few chapters.

Nun Assassins.

I wasn't expecting that. And I wasn't really expecting to like the book. I didn't consider putting the book down, but I also didn't expect to like it as much as I did.

For me the story started out on the slow side. It held my attention enough for me to continue reading the story, but I was thinking I wouldn't like it as much as everyone else did. I started thinking it just wasn't "for me".

Then BAM!

I hit a section in the book where the story grabbed me and pulled me in. I COULD NOT put it down! I kept thinking to myself, "Just read one more chapter, then you can pick it back up tomorrow." Yet I didn't listen to my brain, I stayed up super late due to needing to know what happened next, and I still had to force myself to put the book down.

This book was awesome, amazing, wonderful, great, (all other synonyms for good)! I absolutely loved the story and the characters. I love this book so much, I can't believe I kept putting off reading it.

The Characters:

Ismae is very interesting character. I was very fascinated by what was happening with her and her task that she was given. I also liked the whole assassin aspect. I was interested in how she would handle certain situations. She is strong and smart.
Duval. I. Love. Him. Seriously. I love his character. I love the relationship between him and Ismae. I also love the relationship between him and his friends. I love how loyal and intelligent he is. He is an amazing leader. Definitely a character that you would want on your side during a conflict.

My Recommendation:

Read this book. It has easily been added to my favorite reads shelf. It has action and romance. And overall, a very fascinating story with well-developed characters.

I also think that those that enjoy watching Reign may like this one.

The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd

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Title: The Madman’s Daughter

Author: Megan Shepherd

Length: 437 pages

Publisher: Balzer + Bray (HarperCollins Publishers)

Classification: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Horror, Science Fiction

Release Date: January 29, 2013

My Rating: 

I bought this book because I had read somewhere that it was a good book and it was on sale for the Kindle for $1.99. So I thought why not. And I am glad that I did!

I didn't know anything about the book going in and I didn't even realize that it was inspired by H.G. Wells’ The Island of Dr. Moreau until I looked at the blurb on Amazon  after reading most of the story. I have never read The Island of Dr. Moreaubut I am interested in reading it one day. 

I think that this book is: An interesting gruesome page turning mystery with a strong female lead.

I enjoyed reading this book. It kept my interest and I read it rather quickly and I had a hard time putting it down.

I am not a HUGE horror fan (I get scared pretty easily which I am embarrassed about…) but I didn't really feel like it was that scary, at least for me. There were a couple parts that made my heart race. 

The author did a wonderful job with making parts of the story gruesome, vivid, and disturbing. It was definitely a page turner for me.

And there were a few parts where I thought I knew what is going to happen. I think the mystery was set up pretty well. A couple things I saw coming and there were parts that I didn't completely guess correctly. 

I LOVED Juliet's character. I felt that she was well written and very interesting.

Spoilers ahead. If you haven't read the book you should stop reading here.
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I like how she was able to stand up for herself several times throughout the book. Like near the beginning when the creepy professor was trying to hit on her and grab her, she was able to protect herself. No one had to come and save her.
I also like that she stood up to Montgomery and had him take her along to the island.

I liked Montgomery. Well...I guess I had a little bit of a love/hate relationship with him...
Overall, I liked him.
And yeah, I understood why he went with the Dr. to the island and is his assistant. But still...
And I did "see that coming" but yet, I was still a little shocked about it.

Then on the ship we meet Edward.
I couldn't put my finger on it, but I knew at the beginning that there was something off or different about him, but I couldn't figure out what it was.

And I did consider Edward to be suspicious since he kept running off and disappearing for periods of time.

And I thought it was a bit weird how her father kept trying to push her to Edward. But I chalked it up to him just not wanting her to end up with Montgomery.

In this little LOVE TRIANGLE between the three of them, most of the story I wanted her to end up with Montgomery. Although, this isn't really a romance story.
I was a little shocked to find out why Montgomery cared about Alice so much.

And there was a time where I considered Balthazar to be the evil creature. And I also considered the possibility of it being the little boy.

The very ending surprised me. The fact that Montgomery did not leave the island with her.

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END OF SPOILERS

The ending tugged at my heartstrings and I cannot wait until Ms. Shepherd's next book in the series, Her Dark Curiosity is released later next week.