February Book Review

February is the shortest month of the year, but with the help of Audible I got quite a bit of reading done! I cannot believe that I was able to get through seven books this month! Let's review!

Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros - Everyone expected Violet Sorrengail to die during her first year at Basgiath War College - Violet included. But Threshing was only the first impossible test meant to weed out the weak-willed, the unworthy and the unlucky. Now the real training begins and Violet's already wondering how she'll get through. It's not just that it's grueling and maliciously brutal, or even that it's designed to stretch the riders' capacity for pain beyond endurance. It's the new vice commandant who's made it his personal mission to teach Violet exactly how powerless she is - unless she betrays the man she loves.

Although Violet's body might be weaker and frailer than everyone else's, she still has her wits - and a will of iron. And leadership is forgetting the most important lesson Basgiath ever taught her: Dragon riders make their own rules. But a determination to survive won't be enough this year. Because Violet knows the real secret hidden for centuries at Basgiath War College - and nothing, not even dragon fire, may be enough to save them in the end. 

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐of five - This is the second book in the Empyrean series; I listened to the first late last year and wasn't 100% sure what to think, but when I was able to purchase book two on Audible for $2, I decided to continue on. This book definitely drew me deeper into the lore and world-building, as well as the storyline and I enjoyed it so much that when the third book came out in the middle of the month, I bought a hard-copy!

Home Front by Kristin Hannah - All marriages have a breaking point. All families have wounds. All wars have a cost.

Like many couples, Michael and Jolene Zarkades have to face the pressures of everyday life - children, careers, bills, chores - even as their twelve-year marriage is falling apart. Then a deployment sends Jolene deep into harm's way and leaves defense attorney Michael at home, unaccustomed to being a single parent to their two girls. As a mother, it agonizes Jolene to leave her family, but as a soldier, she always understood the true meaning of duty.

In her letters home, she paints a rose-colored version of her life on the front lines, shielding her family from the truth. But war will change Jolene in ways none of them could have foreseen. When tragedy strikes, Michael must face his darkest fear and fight a battle of his own - for everything that matters to his family.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐of five - I don't know that I've ever read a bad Kristin Hannah book! She truly writes the most amazing stories and this one sucked me in from the start! I loved the way the story was told, the characters were all so well fleshed out and it really tugged at your heart strings/touched the heart. I love Kristin Hannah's books because they feel real, they feel true and they feel important. She is hands down a favorite author.

 

Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros - After nearly eighteen months at Basgiath War College, Violet Sorrengail knows there's no more time for lessons. No more time for uncertainty. Because the battle has truly begun, and with enemies closing in from outside their walls and within their ranks, it's impossible to know who to trust. 

Now Violet must journey beyond the failing Aretian wards to seek allies from unfamiliar lands to stand with Navarre. The trip will test every bit of her wit, luck and strength, but she will do anything to save what she loves - her dragons, her family, her home and him. 

Even if it means keeping a secret so big, it could destroy everything. They need an army. They need power. They need magic. And they need the one thing Violet can find - the truth. But a storm is coming - and not everyone can survive it's wrath. 

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐of five - There was so much hype around this book; people waiting for it to be released at midnight (reminds me of my Harry Potter days). I just grabbed a copy from Target a week after it came out and I really enjoyed this book. I don't think it was quite as entertaining as the first or second book, but I'm invested enough to stick with it - although the next book - four of a five part series - will likely not be out for another two years. 

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas - From the throne of glass rules a king with a fist of iron and a soul as black as pitch. Assassin Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become his Champion. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown. She hides her secret vigilantly, she knows that the man she serves is bent on evil.

Keeping up the deadly charade becomes increasingly difficult when Celaena realizes she is not the only one seeking justice. As she tries to untangle the mysteries buried deep within the glass castle, her closest relationships suffer. It seems no one is above questioning her allegiances - not the Crown Prince Dorian; not Chaol, the Captain of the Guard; not even her best friend, Nehemia, a foreign princess with a rebel heart. 

Then one terrible night, the secrets they have all been keeping lead to an unspeakable tragedy. As Celaena's world shatters, she will be forced to give up the very thing most precious to her and decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie... and whom she is ultimately willing to fight for.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐of five - I struggled to get into the Throne of Glass series, but again - this was $2 on Audible and so I figured I'd jump into book two and see how it went. Having read this one, I have to say that it definitely piqued my interest and now I am committed to finishing the series - it hooked me, ha-ha! What can I say? Sarah J. Maas reels me in every time!

Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World by Max Lucado - Does the uncertainty of life keep you up at night? Is irrational worry your constant companion? Could you use some calm? If the answer is yes, you are not along. One psychologist reports that the average high school kid today has the same level of anxiety as the average psychiatric patient in the early 1950's. Chances are, you or someone you know seriously struggles with anxiety.

Anxious for Nothing invites readers to delve into Philippians 4:6-7/ After all, it is the most highlighted passage of any book on the planet, according to Amazon: Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐of five - This was a great read and perfect for someone who deals with anxiety! It is a wonderful reminder that we can replace negative thoughts with the truth of God; and is also a beautiful reminder that God is sovereign in all things, so we have no need to worry. The book is an easy read and a quick read as well - and will be perfect to go back to when I need the wonderful words of wisdom the book provides! 

Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Mass - Celaena has survived deadly contests and shattering heartbreak - but at an unspeakable cost. Now, she must travel to a new land to confront her darkest truth... a truth about her heritage that could change her life - and her future forever. Meanwhile, brutal and monstrous forces are gathering on the horizon, intent on enslaving her world. Will Celaena find the strength to not only fight her inner demons, but take on the evil that is about to be unleashed?

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐of five - This is the third book in the Throne of Glass series and it has officially hooked me! I loved the character development, changes in scenery (and the changes in some names - wink wink) and also how this book completely opened up the world the books are set in! I can't wait to read the other five books in the series! 

Here Be Dragons: Treading the Deep Waters of Motherhood, Mean Girls & Generational Trauma by Melanie Shankle - In medieval times, uncharted waters were marked on maps as Here Be Dragons to signify that no one knew what dangers might lie ahead. Melanie Shankle quips that the years spent raising our teenage daughters could be labeled the same due to uncertainties before us. 

Like a lot of moms, Melanie found herself in need of a parenting map when her teenage daughter, Caroline, entered her sophomore year of high school where she encountered relentless mean girls & brutal heartache. While trying to equip her daughter to deal with the toxic social dynamics of high school, Melanie was hit with a cruel realization that the shame, criticism & verbal abuse she had endured through her own life was wrought by one particular mean girl - her own mother.

Melanie hoped to raise her daughter to be a warrior, & she realized she couldn't do that unless she became healthy enough to fight her own dragons. She invites you into her story as she explores her complex family dynamics discovering what it takes for any of us to survive & ultimately thrive in spite of wounds that remain. This was the beginning of her journey trusting God to help break generational cycles that had told the women in her family to find their value in everything but His love. 

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐of five - This book was incredible! I literally read this book in one day; I absolutely devoured it and even though I am only mother to an angel baby and some silly little cats, this book's message spoke to me so deeply and in such a beautiful way. I've read every book Melanie Shankle has written and this is hands down my favorite. 

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Books I'm Reading Along the Way - I'm currently in two church groups and they both have books that go along with them! I'm about halfway through Find Your Brave by Hannah Wagner and Ryan and I have just started Don't Give the Enemy a Seat at your Table by Louie Giglio! I'll keep reading these in the background for the next few months as we move through them in our groups - and then I'll tell you all about them when I finish!