Dark Breaks the Dawn

Goodreads Description:    After a thousand years of peace, the battle between Light and Dark has resumed.

On her eighteenth birthday, Princess Evelayn of Éadrolan, the Light Kingdom, can finally access the full range of her magical powers. The light looks brighter, the air is sharper, and the energy she can draw when fighting feels almost limitless. 

But while her mother, the queen, remains busy at the war front, in the Dark Kingdom of Dorjhalon, the corrupt king is plotting. King Bain wants control of both kingdoms, and his plan will fling Evelayn into the throne much sooner than she expected. 

In order to defeat Bain and his sons, Evelayn will quickly have to come into her ability to shape-shift, and rely on the alluring, but mysterious Lord Tanvir. Not everyone is what they seem, and the balance between the Light and Dark comes at a steep price.

My Thoughts:

-    I enjoyed this one.

-    I love the magic system that Sara created. It is unique, but makes perfect sense, and it isn't over complicated.

-    I really liked Evelayn. She is a doer. She doesn't wait for things to happen, and she doesn't let others do things for her or in her place. She takes care of everything herself, and she really steps up and takes her responsibilities seriously. 

-    On the flip side, I was bugged that Evelayn would push herself too hard. There were people willing to help.

-    There were some slow points in the middle. I didn't like how the battle plans were completely laid out and then we had to read about them be carried out exactly how they were supposed to. I wish there had been variables, or that the plans weren't laid out for me so completely

-    The ending was really good. Even though I know the Swan Lake story, I was still mildly surprised by the ending. 

-    I'm excited to read the next book, and I'm happy that this is just a duology. It could change, but I hope it stays a duology.

Endure

Goodreads Says:    At last, Alexa and King Damian are engaged to be married. But their lives are far from safe. The kingdom of Antion is under siege, and Rylan is a prisoner of the enemy. Even worse, Alexa remains at the mercy of the evil Dansiian Rafe, who controls her mind and can force Alexa to kill or harm Damian at any moment. Despite this, Alexa is determined to rescue Rylan, which soon leads her far from Damian and deep into enemy territory.

When she arrives, what awaits her is deadlier than anything she could have ever imagined: an army of black sorcerers and a horrifying plot to destroy the world as Alexa knows it. Will she be able to gather the strength to free herself, protect the love of her life, and save the land? Will there ever be true peace?

Acclaimed author Sara B. Larson has woven a stunning, romantic, and evocative finale to the Defy trilogy that is sure to leave readers breathless until the very last page.

My Thoughts:

-    This was a good conclusion to the series. I was happy with how everything wrapped up.

-    I really wanted Damian to take a bigger role in this book. I wanted to see his amazing fighting and magic skills, but there wasn't much of it. I was disappointed. I think it would have been cool to see Alexa and Damian go on an adventure together. They are equally matched, and I wanted to see more of that.

-    Damian and Alexa's relationship still bugs a bit. Damian pretty much became Four in the beginning of the book. 

-    I liked all the action and I thought the story telling was well done. 

-    I really wish Rylan had been replaced with Marcel. I don't like the love triangle, but it would have been awesome if Alexa had been trying to save her beloved brother. I could have gotten behind that. 

-    Spoiler! People die. For a little bit I was thinking the author was killing people off just to kill people, but I'm actually okay with the deaths. I feel like the character's deaths weren't wasted, and it made the book more realistic. 

-    I like how the author portrayed war as something horrible for both sides. She didn't sugar coat anything, and I appreciate that. 

-    I would consider this more of a fluff fantasy trilogy, but I enjoyed it. 

Previous Books

(covers are linked)

 

Sara B. Larson Author Event

A couple weeks ago, my friends and I went to an author event! It has been a long time, and it was fun to get back to doing what we love.

Sara was at the Provo Library with Erin Summerill to talk about Sara's new book.

Erin played a few rounds of Truth or Dare with Sara. It was awesome! During the truths, Sara talked about her difficult pregnancy, and how her baby and book were taking all her brain power. She also talked about how social media has changed writing for her. She wants to get back to writing for her, and not for critics and fans.

The dares were hilarious!

The first dare was to act out animals from her book. She got on the floor and made noises.

The second dare was for Sara to act out a scene in her book with her fingers. I got a video of this, but it won't upload.

During the Q & A, Erin incouraged dares, and I dared Sara to do some moves from Swan Lake, we got some Dirty Dancing instead.

 Here is Sara and Erin signing our books.

For some reason, I can't find the picture with us and the authors. Oh well!

It was fun night!

Ignite

From Goodreads:    Murder, kidnapping, and forbidden romance abound in this thrilling sequel to Sara B. Larson's acclaimed YA debut, DEFY.

Alexa continues to harbor a secret love for the newly crowned King Damian, yet she remains by his side as his guard and ever committed to helping him rebuild Antion and reclaim the hope of Antion's people. However, when a new threat to Damian and his kingdom emerges, and blame is cast on the once friendly nation of Blevon, Alexa knows things are not what they seem. Once again the fate of her country hangs in the balance. Will Alexa be able to protect her king and uncover the true enemy -- before it's too late?

My Thoughts:

-    It has been a while, and I didn't take notes. I hope I can remember how I felt about this.

-    Overall, I liked it a lot. 

-    The Alexa/Rylan/Damian triangle thingy still bugs. I wish Rylan was just a good friend. Alexa doesn't even consider him an option.

-    I liked the fighting and action. I love reading about how Alexa beats everyone.

-    I felt bad for Alexa and her insecurities. I'm sure any woman would be sensitive over her face getting burned, and I liked how the author portrayed Alexa dealing with that. I liked seeing how others could overlook her scars. It was a bigger deal to Alexa than it was to anyone else, and I'm sure that is so true for a lot of things in life.

-    I hated Alexa keeping secrets and things from Damian. Their relationship seemed a tad immature in this book. Although there were plenty of tension moments.

-    I love the different cultures and seeing them through Alexa's POV.

-    Again, I felt like the romantic relationships overpowered the actual story. I wish more focus had been on the conflict. There was a lot going on with the politics and stuff.

-    Despite the minor setbacks, I'm eager to read the final book! 

Previous Book

(cover is linked)

Ignite Launch Party

 On Tuesday I had the pleasure of going to Sara Larson's launch party for Ignite!

It was fun!

Of course I went with my bestest book buddies Jenni, Suey, and Tori

Sara had a really great presentation. She talked about how glamorous her life has become since being published, or rather, how it wasn't, but it kinda was. She had a lot of great gifs to illustrate her journey through writing and publishing. Then she had a Q&A bit where her family asked funny and ironic questions.

What I got out of her presentation:

She likes Justin Timberlake a lot

She likes Chris Hemsworth a lot

I need to watch a skit where Jimmy Fallon and two other guys dress in drag and take a selfie.

She writes really fast

Here is Sara signing her book!

The author and the gang

Sara is really tall.

We went to Paradise Bakery afterwards for some food. It was my first time eating there, and I loved it! I highly recommend the blue cheese salad.

Defy

From Goodreads:    A lush and gorgeously written debut, packed with action, intrigue, and a thrilling love triangle.

Alexa Hollen is a fighter. Forced to disguise herself as a boy and serve in the king's army, Alex uses her quick wit and fierce sword-fighting skills to earn a spot on the elite prince's guard. But when a powerful sorcerer sneaks into the palace in the dead of night, even Alex, who is virtually unbeatable, can't prevent him from abducting her, her fellow guard and friend Rylan, and Prince Damian, taking them through the treacherous wilds of the jungle and deep into enemy territory.

The longer Alex is held captive with both Rylan and the prince, the more she realizes that she is not the only one who has been keeping dangerous secrets. And suddenly, after her own secret is revealed, Alex finds herself confronted with two men vying for her heart: the safe and steady Rylan, who has always cared for her, and the dark, intriguing Damian. With hidden foes lurking around every corner, is Alex strong enough to save herself and the kingdom she's sworn to protect?

My Thoughts:

-    I had the pleasure of being a part of the blog tour for this one! I had to read this pretty fast and pass it along, but it was no problem! I devoured this book in a day!

-    The prince was full of surprises. He started out kinda creepy, but I grew to like him more and more. About halfway through the book, I started picturing him as Richard Armitage, and I liked him a WHOLE lot!

-    The story was like Mulan meets Graceling. Alexa is a girl disguised as a boy in the prince's guard, and she is a kick butt fighter!

-    The breeding house was creepy and terribly sad.

-    I didn't like the love triangle. I liked Rylan, but I wish he was just a friend. The love triangle got a little too much attention and started overtaking the story at times.

-    I really liked the bonds and relationships between characters. I loved Alexa and her twin, and how they cared so much about each other. Marcel reminded me of my brothers and how they protect me. I really liked the dynamic in the prince's guard. They were like family to each other.

-    The action was thrilling and fun. I loved the sparring and the fighting. I wish I could fight like that. 

-    The ending is good but killer! I want more! Overall, it was a great read! I'm looking forward to more from this author.

Re-read Thoughts:

-    I loved reading about Damian. I picked up on so much from him.

-    I still think the love triangle stole the spotlight a little too much.