Sarai Henderson's Blog, page 199

Four Lands in all its fury | The Skaar Invasion by Terry Brooks

Title: The Skaar InvasionBy: Terry BrooksGenre: FantasyPages: 384Release Date: June 19th, 2018Publisher: Del Rey
Summary from Goodreads: Following The Black Elfstone, the second book of the epic four-part conclusion to the Shannara series from one of the acknowledged masters of the fantasy genre.
Tensions in the Four Lands are high. The mysterious force that laid waste to Paranor has revealed a more human face. While some gain a new understanding of the invaders and what they are after, others continue their existing quests even as the peril rises. For what looked to be a formidable invading force proves only the forerunner of a much vaster army--one that is now marching against the Four Lands in all its fury.
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Review: I've always been a big fan of Terry Brooks and I absolutely devoured the first two books in this series. They were epic. The story line is a spin off of the Shannara Chronicles. We follow several young magic users as they are molded  into Druids. The second book switched points of view a lot more than I would have liked, but I was totally enthralled with the story, so it doesn't matter.
Great read! 
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

Stuffed Pepper Time! | #WeeklyMenu Week #252

Happy Monday! Its been a long week. Work is hectic being short a person, meaning I have twice the work I did last week and I was hardly keeping up on my work then. 
This is the last week of school as well. I really don't know what I'm going to do with the kids this summer, so any suggestions are welcome. 
I can't write. In my current state of mind, there are thoughts there, but not the will to finish what I have started. I also don't even want to start anything new. I just don't want to write and it hurts. 
When you hit the bottom, the only way is up...
Please enjoy this weeks menu!
Monday- Sliced Steak Tagliata 
Tuesday- Pork and Thai Basil Stir Fry 
Wednesday- Herbed Chicken Cutlets 
Thursday- Korean Beef
Friday- Southwestern Stuffed Peppers
Saturday- Spaghetti
Sunday- Leftovers Night

The Black Chamber by S.M. Stirling

Title: Black ChamberBy: S.M. StirlingGenre: Mystery/ThrillerPages:Release Date:Publisher:
Summary from Goodreads: Book 1 a new Alternate History series “Tales from the Black Chamber”.
This takes place in 1916 in a world where Theodore Roosevelt became president of the U.S.A. in 1912, and features a covert-ops organization named “The Black Chamber”.
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Review: A thrilling story that flips history on its head. Stirling has a way of painting a beautiful world. Right up there with some of my favorite world builders like Robert Jordan and Sarah J. Maas. The world is so wonderful that it flows us through the story like a boat on a river. Had a great time reading this book.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

This Started With Me | Relegation by Karri Thompson #Giveaway

Relegation
Karri Thompson
(The Van Winkle Project #3)
Published by: Entangled: Teen
Publication date: June 4th 2018
Genres: Dystopian, Young Adult

The end is near—and I’m fated to save humanity.
I’m feared, yet revered. The presidents are leery of me, but I’ve read the files. And I know the truth—at least, I think I do. And I’m the one who is going to tell the clones. They deserve to know.
Michael and I have been forced to fight, to kill. We’ll do anything to keep our daughters safe and free. But we can’t do it alone. There’s a rumor about a secret society eager for battle… and we’re going to find them. Help them end the government’s corruption.
It’s my duty, my calling as the first mother of the new world I want to create.
This started with me, and that’s where it’s going to end.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / KoboEXCERPT:“What’s going on?” Michael asked. I thought it was Michael. No, maybe it was Travel. Everything spun, my head stretching and coming back as if I’d rocketed down an elevator shaft.
Hands caught me under my arms. Whose hands? I didn’t know. My feet hit the floor, but my knees buckled, and as I was lifted again, I opened my eyes and caught a blur of the room—wood paneling, a pedestal holding a vase of red flowers, and an oriental carpet under my feet.
What was wrong with me? My heartbeat thumped in my ears, the muscles in my legs refused to respond to my mental commands, and my skin hurt as tiny dots of pain erupted from my bones and spread to the surface of my limbs.
“They need to be separated,” a male shouted.
They? Who was they?
His words were sharp and desperate, bordering on panic. The grip under my arms shifted to my waist and my upper body. Limp and trembling with each beat of my heart, I fell against the person holding me. It was Michael. I recognized his spicy cologne and the width of his shoulders against mine.
“Michael, don’t you see what’s happening?” It was Travel. Now I recognized his voice, too, a voice marked with the same cast of anxiety in
Michael’s.
“Travel,” I tried to say. Or maybe I did say it. Had my lips even moved? A numbing heat whipped up my spine and spread through my shoulders and neck. My chin dropped to my chest, and the fuzzy red, white, and green colors I’d seen were replaced with the grey blur of my prison uniform.
“Take her away—now!” Michael shouted, his words seeping deep into my ear where the sounds writhed and burned, the sensation spreading to my forehead.
With each exhale, my hot breath pooled against my chest, stoking my lightheadedness.
“Get her out of here,” Michael said again. “Hurry!”
Her? Who? Me? VW2? Where was my daughter? Michael’s arms were empty, and my own still hung loosely at my sides and hit dumbly against my body when he shifted me closer to him.
“That’s his niece. You just can’t…” Whose voice was that? It was a presidential voice with its commanding yet concerned tone. It had to be Dabner. I wasn’t his niece. I wasn’t anybody’s niece in this century. Who was he talking about?

Author Bio:
Growing up in San Diego, California, Karri Thompson spent much of her years at the beach, reading novels, tanning, and listening to music. At SDSU, she earned a BA in English, MA in education, and her teaching credential. As a wife, mother, and high-school English teacher, she began writing novels, giving all of the compelling plots and unique characters in her head a home. Victorian literature rocks her socks, and when she’s not writing, jogging, going to concerts, or watching her son play football, she’s reading Dickens.
Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

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Outwit their enemies | Smoke and Iron by Rachel Caine

Title: Smoke and IronBy: Rachel CaineGenre: DystopianPages: 369Release Date: July 3rd, 2018Publisher: Berkley
Summary from Goodreads: To save the Great Library, the unforgettable characters from Ink and Bone, Paper and Fire, and Ash and Quill put themselves in danger in the next thrilling adventure in the New York Timesbestselling series.
The opening moves of a deadly game have begun. Jess Brightwell has put himself in direct peril, with only his wits and skill to aid him in a game of cat and mouse with the Archivist Magister of the Great Library. With the world catching fire, and words printed on paper the spark that lights rebellion, it falls to smugglers, thieves, and scholars to save a library thousands of years in the making...if they can stay alive long enough to outwit their enemies.

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Review: What?! This book is crazy... Crazy good. There was so much going on that it was hard to keep straight, but I think that was a good thing in this case. We followed the struggles of Jess as he tries to outwit the Magister of the Great Library. It was finger nail biting action. 
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

Its Release Day! | City of Bastards by Andrew Shvarts

Title: City of BastardsBy: Andrew ShvartsGenre: FantasyPages: 320Release Date: June 5th, 2018Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
It's release day for City of Bastards and I'm super excited to add this awesome read to my collection. Check out my review here. 
Summary from Goodreads: Tilla, bastard of House Kent, has it made. Safe from her murderous father in the dazzling capital of Lightspire, she lives a life of luxury under the protection of the Volaris King, alongside her boyfriend Zell and best friend, Princess Lyriana.
So why isn’t she happy? Maybe it’s the whispers and stares that follow her wherever she goes, as the daughter of the traitor waging war against Lightspire. Or maybe it’s the memories of her beloved brother, Jax, who lies cold in his grave even as she tries to settle into a life in the city's prestigious University.

Then, Tilla stumbles upon the body of a classmate, a friend. The authorities are quick to rule it a suicide and sweep it under the rug, but when Tilla herself is attacked by a mysterious man with terrifying powers, she’s convinced of a conspiracy. Her friends beg her to stay silent; what she's suggesting is impossible... and treasonous.

But Tilla can't, won't, let it go. And the deeper she digs, the more questions she uncovers. How is the West beating the supposedly invincible Lightspire Mages in battle? Is it connected to the shadowy cult wreaking havoc in Lightspire? Nothing is as it seems in the glorious capital, and Tilla’s presence might just be the spark that sets the Kingdom aflame.Tilla, bastard of House Kent, has it made. Safe from her murderous father in the dazzling capital of Lightspire, she lives a life of luxury under the protection of the Volaris King, alongside her boyfriend Zell and best friend, Princess Lyriana.

So why isn’t she happy? Maybe it’s the whispers and stares that follow her wherever she goes, as the daughter of the traitor waging war against Lightspire. Or maybe it’s the memories of her beloved brother, Jax, who lies cold in his grave even as she tries to settle into a life in the city's prestigious University.

Then, Tilla stumbles upon the body of a classmate, a friend. The authorities are quick to rule it a suicide and sweep it under the rug, but when Tilla herself is attacked by a mysterious man with terrifying powers, she’s convinced of a conspiracy. Her friends beg her to stay silent; what she's suggesting is impossible... and treasonous.

But Tilla can't, won't, let it go. And the deeper she digs, the more questions she uncovers. How is the West beating the supposedly invincible Lightspire Mages in battle? Is it connected to the shadowy cult wreaking havoc in Lightspire? Nothing is as it seems in the glorious capital, and Tilla’s presence might just be the spark that sets the Kingdom aflame.
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Brown Chicken, Brown Cow | #WeeklyMenu Week #251

My middle son is currently asking me if there is anything fun to do. That's life kid. Well, its Monday again and we have to live life, whether its fun or not. Hopefully, the rest of the week will be fun for you little man. 
The husband has been on vacation all week, even though I have to work, so we've been meeting for lunch every day. It hasn't been leaving me much time to write, although I had an epiphany about the third book in my Hunter series. Score one for morning brain!
Well, here is this weeks menu. Now, on to the grind. 
Monday- Korean Beef
Tuesday- Chicken Pesto
Wednesday- Grilled Sirloin Steak
Thursday- Southwestern Burrito Bowl
Friday- Chicken and Mashed Potatoes
Saturday- Pepper and Onion Cheese Burgers
Sunday- Leftovers Night

May 2018 Wrap Up

Its been another fantastic month of books and I think I'm finally out of my reading funk. Found some great books for you and I'm excited to share.



Title: Ready Player OneBy: Ernest ClineGenre: Dystopian ScifiPages: 374Release Date: August 16th, 2011Publisher: Crown Publishers
Summary from Goodreads: In the year 2045, reality is an ugly place. The only time teenage Wade Watts really feels alive is when he's jacked into the virtual utopia known as the OASIS. Wade's devoted his life to studying the puzzles hidden within this world's digital confines, puzzles that are based on their creator's obsession with the pop culture of decades past and that promise massive power and fortune to whoever can unlock them. When Wade stumbles upon the first clue, he finds himself beset by players willing to kill to take this ultimate prize. The race is on, and if Wade's going to survive, he'll have to win—and confront the real world he's always been so desperate to escape.
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Title: The Black ElfstoneBy: Terry BrooksGenre: Epic FantasyPages: 318Release Date: June 13th, 2017Publisher: Del Rey Books
Summary from Goodreads: The first book of the triumphant and epic four-part conclusion to the Shannara series, from one of the all-time masters of fantasy.
Through forty years of New York Times bestselling Shannara novels, Terry Brooks always had an ending in mind: a series that would bring it all to a grand conclusion. Now that time is here. 

The Four Lands has been at peace for generations, but now a mysterious army of invaders is cutting a bloody swath across a remote region of the land. No one knows who they are, where they come from, or what they are after—and most seem content to ignore these disturbing events. The only people who sense a greater, growing threat and wish to uncover the truth are society’s outcasts: an exiled High Druid, a conflicted warrior, a teenage girl struggling to master a prodigious magic . . . and a scrappy young orphan, improbably named Shea Ohmsford.
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Title: Daughter of the Siren QueenBy: Tricia LevensellerGenre: FantasyPages: 352Release Date: February 27th, 2018Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Summary from Goodreads: Alosa's mission is finally complete. Not only has she recovered all three pieces of the map to a legendary hidden treasure, but the pirates who originally took her captive are now prisoners on her ship. Still unfairly attractive and unexpectedly loyal, first mate Riden is a constant distraction, but now he's under her orders. And she takes great comfort in knowing that the villainous Vordan will soon be facing her father's justice.
When Vordan exposes a secret her father has kept for years, Alosa and her crew find themselves in a deadly race with the feared Pirate King. Despite the danger, Alosa knows they will recover the treasure first . . . after all, she is the daughter of the Siren Queen.
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Honorable Mentions...

Try Convincing Their Hearts | Kiss of the Royal by Lindsey Duga

Title: Kiss of the RoyalBy: Lindsey DugaGenre: FantasyPages: 400Release Date: July 3rd, 2018Publisher: Entangled Teen
Summary from Goodreads: In the war against the Forces of Darkness, the Royals are losing. Princess Ivy is determined to end this centuries-long conflict once and for all, so her new battle partner must succeed where the others failed. Prince Zach’s unparalleled skill with a sword, enhanced by Ivy’s magic Kiss, should make them an unstoppable pair—but try convincing Zach of that.
Prince Zach has spent his life preparing for battle, but he would rather be branded a heretic than use his lips as nothing more than a way to transfer magic. A kiss is a symbol of love, and love is the most powerful weapon they have—but try convincing Ivy of that.

With the fate of their world on the line, the battlefield has become a testing ground, and only one of them can be right. Falling for each other wasn’t part of the plan—but try convincing their hearts of that. 
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Review: I have mixed feelings about this book. In one hand, I loved the story and how it pans out. On the other hand, the world building was lacking and I was left wanting more. Even without knowing much about the world I was diving into, I finished this book in one day. Its a nice read, that keeps you busy from cover to cover.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

Confront the Real World | Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

Title: Ready Player OneBy: Ernest ClineGenre: Dystopian ScifiPages: 374Release Date: August 16th, 2011Publisher: Crown Publishers
Summary from Goodreads: In the year 2045, reality is an ugly place. The only time teenage Wade Watts really feels alive is when he's jacked into the virtual utopia known as the OASIS. Wade's devoted his life to studying the puzzles hidden within this world's digital confines, puzzles that are based on their creator's obsession with the pop culture of decades past and that promise massive power and fortune to whoever can unlock them. When Wade stumbles upon the first clue, he finds himself beset by players willing to kill to take this ultimate prize. The race is on, and if Wade's going to survive, he'll have to win—and confront the real world he's always been so desperate to escape. 
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Review: I don't usually review older books that I've been dying to ready, just for the fact that I'm super busy during the week and my time is limited. I'm going to start though, because I've been reading a lot of good books that have been out for a couple of years now, and I know you are always looking for your next read.
My husband picked up this book the other day and after a few short bursts of reading, he quickly convinced me to try it out. I was sucked in right away. No wonder this book was turned into a movie (which I haven't seen yet, but am excited to do so). 
We follow a high school boy as he searches through virtual reality to find a hidden treasure. The search turns deadly as a group of Sixers start killing of players in real life. The book dives deeply into 80 pop culture and games. Shows and movies that I know all too well. It was a really fun and exciting read from the first page to the last. 
If you are a fan of any and everything geeky, you have to read this book. Its a must!

This book received a Blogger's Choice Award from Confessions of an ExBallerina