Book Review: Allies & Assassins (Justin Somper)

They killed his brother. Now they're coming for him. . .

As the second prince of Archenfield, Jared never expected to rule. But behind the walls of the castle is a dark and dangerous court where murder and intrigue are never far below the surface. 

Now his older brother is dead. The kingdom is his. And the target is on his back. Can he find the assassin before the assassin finds him?

This book has it all. I love love LOVE it! Justin Somper has come up with another beautifully written book packed with mystery and thrill to drive anyone crazy. Even the cover drew me in - it captivated me and continued to do so with the plot as I read through the book. Allies & Assassins had a gripping and intriguing plot that really kept me guessing all the way.

It follows the life of Jared, Prince of All Archenfield, as he tries to cope with the assassination of his brother and as he hunts down the person responsible. I liked Jared. He seemed like an innocent teenager suddenly brought into the all-adult world of politics and feud unprepared. Nonetheless, Jared has kept a strong personality as he tries to find his own self and his brother's assassin, although admittedly at times I found him to be easily manipulated. 

Asta is one of  the characters I adored. She was an incredibly strong woman and knew what she wanted; And exactly how to get it. She was an intuitive and a humble character who I looked forward to reading more about - she's always off either investigating or doing something reckless!

The dark secrets of ex-Prince Anders involving his love life played a major role in this book, something which I never actually thought would come up. I was ready for a thriller, the romance was a nice surprise! 

In Allies and Assassins, Justin Somper has created a world full of mystery, adventure, thrill, politics, family feud and romance! It has an intricate and unbelievably well-crafted plot that kept me at the edge of my seat. The mystery was especially too much for me to handle and had me pulling at my hair as my suspect list kept growing and changing all the time.

Allies & Assasins had all the components of a good book and had me in the first few pages with its twist and turns. I really don't have much to say except that this is a wonderful book. It's definitely a must read for all those mystery and adventure lovers out there!

Five Stars!

*A massive thank you to Atom Books for letting me have my hands on this fantastic book!

Book Review: Nightshade (Andrea Cremer)

Calla Tor has always known her destiny: After graduating from the Mountain School, she'll be the mate of sexy alpha wolf Ren Laroche and fight with him, side by side, ruling their pack and guarding sacred sites for the Keepers. But when she violates her masters' laws by saving a beautiful human boy out for a hike, Calla begins to question her fate, her existence, and the very essence of the world she has known. By following her heart, she might lose everything— including her own life. Is forbidden love worth the ultimate sacrifice?

Nightshade is a very unique book. It is beautiful outside I always admire it. But right when I began reading, I realised it was also beautiful inside!

Calla is a very strong character. She is careful about everything and being an alpha means she always feels like she has to endure a lot of things. Even when she isn't exactly happy, she puts her pack first. She is tested heavily in the book, but she is a fighter and never quits. The Nightshades and the Banes are a fun group, even if they initially dislike each other. They make me feel like having a pack of my own! There are other characters to watch out for like the keepers and the wraiths, who are interesting but to prevent spoilers, you have to read the book to find out!

I love the romance! Shay and Ren are both really nice and are perfect in their own ways with Calla. They are both given enough time to interact with her so their chemistry with Calla is really seen in the pages of the book. As readers we can see how she reacts to them and what she feels for them and because it's so balanced it is quite difficult to choose sides. There is a lot of tension in the romance, which only adds to the overall tension in the book.

There is also a lot of mystery and suspense surrounding the plot. The idea of the relationships between guardians and keepers is unique and full of surprises and the laws that bind them together are very strict. If broken, consequences come up so when Calla breaks the rules... I did not know whether to be afraid for Calla or admire her being very brave. I also did not think what happened will happen, so there is a lot of surprises in the book that readers will surely adore! Plus, there are dramas between the Nightshade pack and the Bane pack which are both funny and sad. Readers will love it all I'm sure!

Nightshade will really keep you reading until the end.

Four Stars!

* Thanks you Atomics for my book :) - Hanna