DESCRIPTION Aurelia Jillian Brentwood is the Queen of Akkinor; a vast, powerful, and peaceful country. For three years, Her Grace has served as a just, capable ruler after the untimely death of her parents. Until now, when her harmonious rule is cut short by an uprising planned within the castle walls. As instructed by her parents in their final written message, the queen flees Akkinor and changes her identity. Alone and betrayed, Jilli Francis is smuggled across the sea to foreign lands, where she must find the allies she didn't know she had. While her secrets are being told and her name being tarnished on the other side of the world, she has no choice but to prove her strength, power, and title to strangers. On her journey, the once all-powerful queen will face assassins sent from her homeland, the loss and discovery of her identity, and a fresh view of the world seen through the eyes of friends she'll meet along the way. Will Queen Aurelia reclaim her throne and her country, or will Jilli Francis be trapped on the other side of the world forever? GENRE & SUB-GENRES
MY RATING AND REVIEW As written in the book's description, 'Gold, Ash, and Blood' is a story about a young queen of Akkinor named Aurelia Jillian Brentwood. She was crowned queen after her parents died at the sea, and even though it hasn't been more than just a few years since she began her reign, Aurelia has already been recognized as one of the kingdom's best monarchs of all time.
Too bad not everyone is happy with the sight of her sitting on the throne, and so that person orchestrated an uprising within the castle walls and tried to assassinate the queen. But thanks to her second-in-command and best friend Francis, she successfully escaped all the chaos and fled from the palace for the time being. With her parents' guidance through their final letter to her, Aurelia heeded their advice and kept her real identity a secret while searching for a man called Arian Christos who can be found in Carthe, a place located on the other side of the sea, far away from Akkinor. And that is when she starts living as Jilli Francis instead of Aurelia Brentwood. There's not much of character growth for Aurelia since she has always been kind, strong, and smart. However, it's really enjoyable to see her living like a commoner for a change and learning some new survival skills along the way — the kind of survival skills that will prove useful to her in more ways than one. Other than that, I like how her horizon widens due to the countless experience that she gets from this life-changing journey of hers. Her journey has not been an easy one, that's for sure, but without it, she wouldn't have met lots of wonderful new people like Kaia, Jack, and Arian who has left a huge impact on her life. They give her friendship, love, aid, and guidance as much as she needs it, and she returns those favors generously — loving and cherishing them unconditionally. On the whole, all I can say is that I absolutely love the whole plot-line of the story. The creative history of the places and the background story of the characters help in making the story come to life. Moreover, the dialogues really portray the characteristic of the characters, not to mention that the author has truly nailed the medieval time's way of talking. Everything about this book is simply amazing, and I can easily tell how much effort and love the author has put into her story to make it this close to perfection so that her readers can enjoy it to the fullest. It really makes you feel like you're a part of the story, like you have escaped reality and joined the expedition along with Aurelia and her companions. So, what are you guys waiting for? I highly recommend this book because it is very well-written and not at all short of the surprise elements. It would definitely leave you dumbfounded for more than once. The author has made sure of that 😉.
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DESCRIPTION Design student Layla Monroe has everything in her life expertly arranged. With an impeccable resume, enviable good-looks, and a prestigious internship on deck, her life seems perfect on paper. Also 'on paper': a decade's worth of hand-written letters exchanged with her pen pal, former All-American football player Luke Casey. When Layla's life on the East Coast takes a dramatic turn for the worse, a visit to Luke's hometown of Seattle for Christmas seems like the perfect getaway. But after ten years of long-distance friendship, Layla has no idea what to expect when she finally encounters her pen pal in the (stupidly handsome) flesh. What she did not expect to encounter: a tangled web of secrets, lies and ancient Filipino mysticism with herself woven into the center. But that's exactly what she finds. All Layla wanted was a vacation from her life. Instead, she falls heart-first into a thrilling supernatural adventure that redefines her plans altogether. GENRE & SUB-GENRES
MY RATING AND REVIEW From the story's description, I'm pretty sure you guys already figured out that this book is another story about self-discovery, where Layla's little trip to Seattle keeps on changing directions; from having an amazing vacation time to getting drag into lots of dramas to 'who or what am I?'
So Layla's journey begins when she got her heart broken by her boyfriend of one year. It turns out that her serious relationship with him wasn't serious at all, at least not to the cheating scumbag named Brian Cutler. After cutting ties with him, Layla decided to take a three-week vacation to Seattle to busy herself with her photography project and also to heal herself while she's there. However, her original plan got hijacked by her meddlesome mother who had secretly asked the Caseys to take in Layla into their home and keep an eye on her during her stay in Seattle. Since Luke and Layla have been great pen-pal friends for a decade, Luke was more than happy to welcome her into his home and so did the rest of his family members, except for his younger sister Livy. Despite hating her mother's meddling, Layla couldn't deny the fact that she was having a great time spending her vacation with the Caseys and Pete Sawyer. But that was until things took a turn for the worse due to the love pentagon drama and the strange, supernatural phenomena that keeps on happening around Layla. I love that the story moves at a steady pace. The author did a great job at not rushing things while keeping the story interesting so that the readers would remain hooked to the story until the end. The writing style is simply fabulous and the character's development really stands out in the story. The author also succeeded in creating realistic characters that have their own depth and personality. Now, even though the story is great, I still found that sometimes the author simplified some of the scenes too much and in doing so, she unintentionally had made the flow less smooth — like something is missing in order to make sense of it or to make the scene more alive. And that's mainly the reason why I rated this book with 4-star instead of 5-star. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed reading this book, and I totally adore Layla and Pete's not yet official relationship. You can tell that they have genuine feelings for each other but couldn't act openly about it because of the people around them. They are my most favorite characters in the story, and I simply can't wait to read the sequel of the book so that I can continue follow their journey to unravel the mystery of Layla's origin. And so should you guys if you're a big fan of Paranormal-Romance-Mystery-Drama stories. DESCRIPTION "I feel like I've known you forever, Ms. Jones; near, far, you and I are meant to be," he whispers into her ear. "But this is wrong, Mr. Darcy. I can't just go on with this, and disregard my best friend," she cries softly. ~~~~~~~~~ When Kira Jones finally decides to take a six-week summer vacation, her best and only friend, Samantha, drags her into a trip out of California. What awaits in the way is something Kira has never fathomed, at all, as her life gets a serious turn. She meets a mysterious ranch owner whom her friend already has eyes for, and Kira finds herself drawn near him in a very strange way. What will win in the end between the power of love and friendship? GENRE & SUB-GENRES
MY RATING AND REVIEW Honestly speaking, I've never been much of a fan of stories that revolves around love-triangles, love-pentagons and whatnot, especially when friendships or family bonds are being put to the test. I never like such concept before and I never will. It just feels so wrong that a person would rather choose the love of a person that they just met compared to the love of a family member or friend that they have been cherishing since forever. So unless their family and friends are actually jerks, then I will never support such selfish and foolish decision of that certain individual / character.
However, with that being said, I find that this book is not like that at all. It is much more complex and has more depth to it than just a simple, shallow love story. Yes, Kira might have accidentally fallen in love with Liam, the same guy that her best friend Samantha is having a crush on, but the thing is, despite sharing a mutual romantic feeling with Liam, she did try to fight it because she really didn't want to lose Samantha over a guy that she'd just met, even to the point where she's willing to leave it all behind and go back home to California. That's how much she cherish her friendship with Samantha, but too bad I can't say the same about Samantha. The story then progresses with how their friendship crumbles when Samantha finds out about Kira's true feelings towards Liam after she reads her diary, and this is when the drama escalates and keeps on escalating as the author continues to drop one bomb after another. Furthermore, I have to say, this book really stir up my emotions in more ways than one. The author really did a great job in incorporating countless of dramas into her story, which makes her readers feel all kinds of emotions as we continue to read it. I got so easily humored, swooned, happy, angry and sad when I read the story. The characters' growth is very well done too. My favorite is Kira's character development. She's the docile and pushover type of character at first, which makes it easy for others to pick on her, especially Samantha. But then, halfway through the story, she learned to toughen up where she starts to stand up for herself and fight for her happiness. And I couldn't be more proud of her growth. Oh, there's also a hint of mystery element being incorporated into the story. It's regarding Kira's tragic past. In conclusion, this book is truly great and worth reading. Therefore, if you're up for a roller coaster ride that is filled with all kinds of drama, then do give this book a read. I'm sure you're going to love it too. DESCRIPTION Persephone is the goddess of spring. Hades is the god of the dead; he's dark, mysterious and sinfully attractive. When Persephone is pursued by Hades she wants to stay in the comforts of her garden, but also deeply desires to explore the searing tension between them. Our beautiful maiden seems to be more interested in; where his heated touch will explore next, when his skillful mouth will sweep her off her feet, and when his wicked crimson gaze will make her fall in love with him. GENRE & SUB-GENRES
MY RATING AND REVIEW Greek mythology is one of my all time favourite myth stories, hence the reason why I was attracted to this book in the first place. The book mainly focuses on Hades and Persephone's love story. I mean, who doesn't love the story of how the intimidating God of Hell, Hades found his romantic side after falling in love with the sweet and innocent Goddess of Spring, Persephone, am I right?
Anyhow, this story begins with Persephone choosing to elope with Hades to the Underworld without the knowledge of Demeter, her overprotective mother. It then proceeded with how their relationship grow as husband and wife. Of course, like every real-life married couple, their marriage life has its own ups and downs, not to mention that they would have to deal with Demeter's evil schemes that she had secretly devised in order to recover her precious daughter from the hands of the barbarian King of the Underworld, according to Demeter that is. Other than that, I really love the author's writing style. It's clean, rich with good vocabularies, and has a bit of a poetic vibe at times. The author's imagery of the Underworld is very creative too, and I like the personal touches that she has for the Underworld, making it a little different than what we usually read regarding the description of the place from other stories. Generally, I truly enjoy reading the story. However, I didn't give it a 5-star rating because I was a bit disappointed that the author didn't write more about Kore, Persephone's darker side. Kore makes a huge impact to the main characters during her first appearance in the story. And since she is a part of Persephone, I thought that she would have more screen time, which I was really looking forward to. But sadly, there was none and it was a bit of a downer for me. But regardless of that minor dearth, King's Queen is still a great story that is worth reading. It has a good, well-thought plot that could easily hook its readers. So if you're a lover of Greek mythology and romance stories, then you should definitely check this story out. DESCRIPTION Ish is chasing the rarest bird in the world, and so is a ruthless band of hunters. The air is contaminated. A monster with countless heads lurks underground, resurfacing often to wreak its havoc. Ish is unarmed. Carrying only a net and logbook, he rides alone through the wilds where mischievous little gray creatures called isps frolic. When the hunters unleash upon him a series of atrocities, his obsession for the chase is mingled with overpowering, vehement revenge. He grapples with morality, guilt, and a sickness that threatens his life. He does not know if the Golden Falcon will be his answer, but he suspects there could be more to this mystical creature than meets the eye. An allegory for the human condition, Ish and the Golden Falcon takes readers on a vivid, tragic, comic, and moving journey into friendship and hope. Gideon Easton imagines a place fantastic enough to captivate--from the steaming rocks of its shores to the ruins of its battlefields--but in which very real questions and answers as to why we persevere are left to flicker in its rainstorms. GENRE & SUB-GENRES
MY RATING AND REVIEW This book has been absolutely phenomenal from the beginning until the end. The author really has a way with words, and I truly love his unique style of writing. He always manage to win me over with the way he conveys the emotions of the characters and the sceneries in the story through his writing. It's breathtaking, refreshing, and very creative.
I love the fact that all of the characters in the story feel so real. They struggle like us, they fall and rise like us, and they have emotions like us. They all have different journeys to take on, and the author manages to portray everything beautifully. Moreover, the book holds many deep messages and life lessons, and I personally love the character development for Ish and his little friend, Trids. I can tell you that Ish is not your average type of MC that usually experience a series of hardships and then eventually rise up from the ashes like a reborn hero. Nope, he's not that type of cliché MC that we usually find in action and adventure stories. Unlike most authors who are afraid of making people dislike their MCs, Gideon is not one of them. He loves to make his characters very realistic, which includes the fact that nobody is perfect and that everyone makes mistakes. And Ish is the epitome of that. Driven by his thirst for revenge, Ish makes lots of rash decisions that endanger himself and his companions, and I can't remember how many times I got angry because of his selfishness. However, as the story progresses, his character improves greatly. He learns to forgive and accept fate for what it is, and this huge character development has made many of Gideon's readers think of Ish as a role model. As for Trids, to me, this little isp is the true MVP of the story. If you want to know why, go ahead and read this story. I guarantee you that you won't regret it. Other than that, there are also other characters that would make you either hate them or love them to the core. The author really has the talent to make us readers feel empathetic with the characters; be it the heroes or the villains, they all have their own story to tell. Overall, this book is truly amazing. It's filled with emotional and epic scenes that will definitely leave you astonished time and again. Also, there's a lot of unexpected twists too, so expect the unexpected, my friends. You'll be experiencing a total unique roller-coaster ride when you read this story. DESCRIPTION Have you ever wondered why you share such a deep connection with a particular person? What if that person were your soulmate? Lia Russo sees Matthew in her dreams for the first time when she is seven. She doesn't realize it yet, but Matthew is her soulmate. Throughout her adolescence, her dreams are filled by encounters with Matthew but are also plagued by other mysterious forces. OPEN CLARITY follows Lia's enigmatic journey as she learns, through her aunt's deepest secret, that her dreams are more than just the subconscious thoughts and memories of her physical life. GENRE & SUB-GENRES
MY RATING AND REVIEW I love the idea of meeting one's soulmate in a dream. It's like the bond is so strong that the person is connected to his/her soulmate not just in reality but also in the dream world, and this story is all about such connection and so much more.
Join Lia Russo on a journey of understanding what it means to be a dream walker. A journey that is filled with many secrets and mysteries for her to unravel while gradually learning how to master her gift. The story itself moves at a nice pace as the plot is very clean and organized. The author really did an amazing job with the flow of the storyline. Everything just makes sense and not a single scene seems to be out of place. Other than that, the age progression in the story allows us to have a better understanding of Lia's character. She's a very shy girl at the beginning but slowly comes out of her shell as she continues to grow older and becoming more confident in herself thanks to her close family and friends who always support her in more ways than one. I also love all of the life lessons that the author had embedded in the story, which makes it even more realistic instead of just imaginary. In short, I dare say that this story is one of the best dream walker stories that I've ever read so far. In fact, it's so much more than just about the dream world. It's about finding balance and living in the now (reality) without losing oneself by focusing too much on the other realm even though it can be a lot sweeter than the real world. So, if you like stories about out of body experiences, soulmates, family secrets, mysteries, and paranormal stuff, then you should definitely give this story a read. DESCRIPTION A storm. A girl with wings. A horse with wings. A journey from land to sky. Raven was never normal. A girl with a secret pair of wings that are only heard about in religion. So when she encounters a horse with the same condition fleeing from men who also have wings, what are they to do but take the same side? Follow them as they discover the world above and the many battles they will face. Let the heavens be shown and a whole new perspective be explained. GENRE & SUB-GENRES
MY RATING AND REVIEW For a beginner, the author did wonders to this book. I even had a pretty hard time believing that this story is actually her first creation because it's really that good. The imagery of the world that she created in her story was absolutely spectacular and extremely creative.
The plot itself is very interesting. Totally not a cliché story and full of great adventures that will keep the readers hook to the story. Furthermore, I'm a sucker for a strong female lead and the main character of the story, Raven Collins, didn't disappoint me at all. She's smart, brave, and strong. A little reckless and hot-headed at times but having flaws is what makes her character feel real. Anyway, in order to find out where she really came from, Raven made a hard decision to part ways with his adopted family when she fatefully saw a couple of angels chasing down a black horse-like creature with wings (not a Pegasus). She knew then that by following those angels, there's a high chance that she could find out about her background. Hence, that's the beginning of Raven's amazing journey of self-discovery. As for my rating, the reason why I give this story a 4-star rating is because I feel like the ending is a little rushed and that there are still many loose ends left untied. But regardless of that, overall, I still enjoyed reading the story. Therefore, if you love a great adventure story that has lots of action going on and with a dash of romance mixed in, then this story is definitely a story for you. DESCRIPTION The magic of first love, set against the backdrop of a small island hidden beneath a mysterious fog. At first sight the tiny Foggy Island promises Liam an uneventful summer, with the haunting prospect of starting a new school at the end of it. But does this magical, sleepy place hide something else? Is there something, someone lurking beneath the fog, expecting him? Maybe an old mystery waiting to be discovered? This story was crafted around three short words: a broken key, an old book, a smell of rain. GENRE & SUB-GENRES
MY RATING AND REVIEW What I love most about this book is the amazing imagery of the setting. The way the author described the island and the places within it is just absolutely breathtaking, and she always managed to win me over with her remarkable descriptive skills. She even makes me want to live in that imagery island since I love the tranquility of the setting. Although, having a ghost walked by my window every night might be the death of me one day 😰
Anyway, the story itself has a really good mystery case about the White Lady of the island's old lighthouse. I enjoy the fact that it's more of an event-driven story rather than a character-driven one. It's so engaging that it makes you feel like you're a part of the investigating team along with Liam and Emma. The dynamic between the main characters is amazing too. Liam is sort of the caution one while Emma is more of the wild and enthusiastic one. Together, they make up a perfect sleuthing duo as they teamed up to unravel the secrets behind the White Lady's death. Now, the only reason why I gave this story a 4.5-star rating instead of 5-star is because I feel like the author ended the story before it could reach its full potential. However, the rating could easily be varied between 4 to 5-star ratings according to the readers' preferences. Conclusively, if you love a good mystery/thriller story that moves at a good pace and has a quite unique twist at the end, then you should definitely give this story a read. I can guarantee you that it's totally worth reading. DESCRIPTION Meet Eva King, a high-spirited director in an international firm. She scraped her way up from zero to hero in the cold, hard world of power, money, and politics, where nothing and no one was going to get in her way. Until handsome Sven came along. Now, what was Eva going to do with a muscular Scandinavian university student with strawberry-blond hair, ocean-teal eyes, and a heart-warming Colgate smile? Put Sven into the mix and Eva's world was about to be stirred, shaken and rocked. Crazy, crazy, love was right around the corner, ready to hit her like a bus driven by a lunatic, and nothing was going to stop it from happening. GENRE & SUB-GENRES
MY RATING AND REVIEW This book is absolutely remarkable! It's a perfect example of what a romantic-comedy story should be like. I personally love Eva's character. She is one of the best strong female lead that I've ever read in a romance novel so far. She's the type of person who would always fight for her rights and won't allow anyone to walk all over her. She's no pushover that's for sure, and to balance out her strong personality, Eva has a really great sense of humor.
Other than that, this book really shows that taking a leap of faith is sometimes worth the risk. We just have to be brave to face the future no matter where it leads us to. Also, I'm really impressed with the author's creative way of writing. It's unique and very pleasant to read, not to mention that she never failed at making me laugh with every chapter I read. It's a total mood changer I guarantee you. What's more, I absolutely enjoy watching the characters mature and develop naturally. Eva and Sven really matured beautifully in the book. And the author succeeded in making the readers feel like they've developed a relationship with the main characters as they continue to follow Eva's and Sven's wonderful and realistic journey as an individual and together as a couple. All in all, this book truly deserves a 5-star rating. So if you're looking for a great story that would make you laugh, cry and fall in love, then this book is definitely what you're looking for. |
AuthorHi! I'm Miera, and I have been in love with story books for as long as I can remember. Therefore, here, in this blog of mine, I'm going to share with you about books and more, especially free Wattpad ebooks that you can enjoy at any time and place. Archives |