Book Review | JUST DREAMING, by Kerstin Gier

Just Dreaming (The Silver Trilogy #3), by Kerstin Gier

Publish Date: October 8, 2015 (audiobook published May 2, 2017)
Published by: Macmillan Audio
Translated to English by: Anthea Bell
Narrated by: Marisa Calin
Pages: 349 (approx. 10 1/2 hrs)
Genre: YA Paranormal
My Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.5 out of 5 stars)

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Synopsis:

The course of dream travel never did run smooth—at least, not in Liv Silver’s experience. Able to visit other people’s dreams (whether they want her to or not), Liv has solved mysteries, unearthed difficult truths, fought madmen, and escaped life-threatening peril, all from the comfort of her own bed. But Liv’s troubles are just beginning…

A rocky romance, a malicious blogger with a hidden identity, a wedding, and a classmate (or two) dead-set on revenge all await Liv in this action-packed conclusion to the Silver trilogy.

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My Review:

This was definitely a great ending to such a fun trilogy! I very much enjoyed listening to these audiobooks. Gier has such a way of pulling me into the story so easily and filling it with such interesting ideas and fun characters that I can’t help but falling in love.

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Book Review | THE CONFECTIONER’S GUILD, by Claire Luana

The Confectioner’s Guild (The Confectioner’s Chronicles #1), by Claire Luana

Publish Date: October 23, 2018
Published by: Live Edge Publishing
Pages: 395
Genre: YA Fantasy/Mystery
My Rating: ★★★★☆ (4 out of 5 stars)

**I received this as an egalley from the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.**

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Synopsis:

A magic cupcake. A culinary killer. The perfect recipe for murder.

Wren knew her sweet treats could work wonders, but she never knew they could work magic. She barely has time to wrap her head around the stunning revelation when the head of the prestigious Confectioner’s Guild falls down dead before her. Poisoned by her cupcake.

Now facing murder charges in a magical world she doesn’t understand, Wren must discover who framed her or face the headsman’s axe. With the help of a handsome inspector and several new friends, Wren just might manage to learn the ropes, master her new powers, and find out who framed her. But when their search for clues leads to a deep-rooted conspiracy that goes all the way to the top, she realizes that the guild master isn’t the only one at risk of death by chocolate.

If Wren can’t bring the powerful culprit to justice, she and her friends will meet a bittersweet end.

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My Review:

On reading the premise of this book I was immediately intrigued. It sounded both magical and mysterious and I was in the mood for a little bit of both. The Confectioner’s Guild turned out to be a semi-sweet tale that had a lot of intrigue and intricate world-building, some really interesting characters, and a unique blend of magic that added just the right touch to the story.

Wednesday Whimsy | BOOKISH PET PEEVES

We all have them, of course, but there are some that just irk you more than anything else.  I have been compiling this list in my draft folder for a while and think it’s about time to post it.  I’ll probably come back and add more as new things start to get on my nerves as well.

Book Review | DREAM ON, by Kerstin Gier

Dream On (The Silver Trilogy #2), by Kerstin Gier

Publish Date: June 26, 2014 (audiobook published June 21, 2016)
Published by: Macmillan Audio
Translated to English by: Anthea Bell
Narrated by: Marisa Calin
Pages: 317 (approx. 10 hrs)
Genre: YA Paranormal
My Rating: ★★★★☆ (4 out of 5 stars)

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Synopsis:

Things seem to be going well for Liv Silver: she’s adjusting to her new home (and her new family) in London; she has a burgeoning romance with Henry Harper, one of the cutest boys in school; and the girl who’s been turning her dreams into nightmares, Anabel, is now locked up. But serenity doesn’t last for long.

It seems that Liv’s troubles are far from over–in fact, suddenly they’re piling up. School gossip blogger Secrecy knows all of Liv’s most intimate secrets, Henry might be hiding something from her, and at night Liv senses a dark presence following her through the corridors of the dream world. Does someone have a score to settle with Liv?

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My Review:

I enjoyed this one just as much as the first one, although I did feel in the beginning that Liv wasn’t as Little-Miss-Nancy-Drew as she claimed to be. There were just a lot of clues and things that she didn’t seem to pick up on, and it was getting a little annoying. Towards the end she got better, but with focus being on other things it didn’t really matter much then, anyway. 

Book Review | ESCAPING FROM HOUDINI, by Kerri Maniscalco

Escaping from Houdini (Stalking Jack the Ripper #3), by Kerri Maniscalco

Publish Date: September 18, 2018
Published by: Jimmy Patterson Books
Pages: 431
Genre: YA Historical Fiction/Mystery
My Rating: ★★☆☆☆ (2 out of 5 stars)

Synopsis:

Audrey Rose Wadsworth and her partner-in-crime-investigation, Thomas Cresswell, are en route to New York to help solve another blood-soaked mystery. Embarking on a week-long voyage across the Atlantic on the opulent RMS Etruria, they’re delighted to discover a traveling troupe of circus performers, fortune tellers, and a certain charismatic young escape artist entertaining the first-class passengers nightly.

But then, privileged young women begin to go missing without explanation, and a series of brutal slayings shocks the entire ship. The strange and disturbing influence of the Moonlight Carnival pervades the decks as the murders grow ever more freakish, with nowhere to escape except the unforgiving sea. It’s up to Audrey Rose and Thomas to piece together the gruesome investigation as even more passengers die before reaching their destination. But with clues to the next victim pointing to someone she loves, can Audrey Rose unravel the mystery before the killer’s horrifying finale?

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My Review:

Sad to say what was one of my most anticipated reads of this year turned out to be quite the disappointment. I read the first two books in this series last year and absolutely loved them, and so I was fully expecting to enjoy this one as well. However, with a combination of a plot that felt far too drawn out, dialogue that seemed over-the-top and confusing, and a sudden addition of a horrid love triangle, I could not bring myself to like this one as much I did the first two.

Book Review | DREAM A LITTLE DREAM, by Kerstin Gier

Dream a Little Dream (The Silver Trilogy #1), by Kerstin Gier

Publish Date: March 8, 2013 (audiobook published April 14, 2015)
Published by: Macmillan Audio
Translated to English by: Anthea Bell
Narrated by: Marisa Calin
Pages: 319 (approx. 10 hrs)
Genre: YA Paranormal
My Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.5 out of 5 stars)

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Synopsis:

Mysterious doors with lizard-head knobs. Talking stone statues. A crazy girl with a hatchet. Yes, Liv’s dreams have been pretty weird lately. Especially the one where she’s in a graveyard at night, watching four boys conduct dark magic rituals.

The strangest part is that Liv recognizes the boys in her dream. They’re classmates from her new school in London, the school where she’s starting over because her mom has moved them to a new country (again). But what’s really scaring Liv is that the dream boys seem to know things about her in real life, things they couldn’t possibly know–unless they actually are in her dreams? Luckily, Liv never could resist a good mystery, and all four of those boys are pretty cute….

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My Review:

So after being completely sucked into the Ruby Red trilogy by Kerstin Gier, I knew I had to continue with her work in Dream a Little Dream. And from the description alone it was already giving me some Raven Boys vibes, so I was excited to get into it. And it definitely did not disappoint.