Daughter of the Pirate King

Goodreads Synopsis:   There will be plenty of time for me to beat him soundly once I’ve gotten what I came for.

Sent on a mission to retrieve an ancient hidden map—the key to a legendary treasure trove—seventeen-year-old pirate captain Alosa deliberately allows herself to be captured by her enemies, giving her the perfect opportunity to search their ship.

More than a match for the ruthless pirate crew, Alosa has only one thing standing between her and the map: her captor, the unexpectedly clever and unfairly attractive first mate, Riden. But not to worry, for Alosa has a few tricks up her sleeve, and no lone pirate can stop the Daughter of the Pirate King. 

My Thoughts:

-    I was so excited to read this book. I wanted a fun swashbuckling adventure. Instead, I got a frustrating flirting story.

-    The first chapter was brilliant. It introduced Alosa in the perfect way, and I really like Alosa's snarky and confident personality. I like Riden as well. I just wish their flirting hadn't been front and center to the story.

-    The ending had a little more action, and it was more enjoyable for me. 

-    I'm hoping the second book is more of a pirate adventure than a romance. 

The Paper Magician

From Goodreads:    Ceony Twill arrives at the cottage of Magician Emery Thane with a broken heart. Having graduated at the top of her class from the Tagis Praff School for the Magically Inclined, Ceony is assigned an apprenticeship in paper magic despite her dreams of bespelling metal. And once she’s bonded to paper, that will be her only magic… forever.

Yet the spells Ceony learns under the strange yet kind Thane turn out to be more marvelous than she could have ever imagined — animating paper creatures, bringing stories to life via ghostly images, even reading fortunes. But as she discovers these wonders, Ceony also learns of the extraordinary dangers of forbidden magic.

An Excisioner — a practitioner of dark, flesh magic — invades the cottage and rips Thane’s heart from his chest. To save her teacher’s life, Ceony must face the evil magician and embark on an unbelievable adventure that will take her into the chambers of Thane’s still-beating heart—and reveal the very soul of the man.

My Thoughts:

-    The magic was confusing towards the end. I loved the magic system in general, but they pushed the limits too far. 

-    The origami stuff was really fun.

-    Let's talk about the romance. I am not a fan! I really wanted Magician Thane and Ceony to just have a master and apprentice relationship. I would have loved it to become a more father/daughter thing, but I don't want to see them fall in love! Magician Thane is too old! I just can't get behind it. It would be like Obi-Wan and Leia falling in love. Just NO!

-    Fennel is the best part of the book. I love that Ceony had his constant companionship. Dogs are amazing that way. 

-    I really liked how the book started, and I liked the idea of the story, but I didn't like the direction it took. There was SO much unfulfilled potential. I won't be continuing the series. 

One Trick Pony

Goodreads Says:    The aliens have arrived. And they’re hungry for electricity. In the Earth of the future, humans are on the run from an alien force—giant blobs who suck up electrical devices wherever they can find them. Strata and her family are part of a caravan of digital rescuers, hoping to keep the memory of civilization alive by saving electronics wherever they can. Many humans have reverted to a pre-electrical age, and others have taken advantage of the invasion to become dangerous bandits and outlaws. When Strata and her brother are separated from the caravan, they must rely on a particularly beautiful and rare robot pony to escape the outlaws and aliens—and defeat the invaders once and for all.



My Thoughts:

-    I think this needed to be part of series and not a stand alone. I felt like I was thrown into the middle of a story, and there wasn't a beginning or ending.

-    I was moderately entertained while reading, but when I finished I was all, "What the heck did I just read?"

-    I liked the idea of the story. It would make a cool sci-fi. 

-    The illustrations were fun and very Nathan Hale.