What YA' Reading: Intrigue
I love a book that has some intrigue. It captures my attention and I can't put the book down until I know how it's going to resolve. One of the dictionary's definitions of intrigue is "a mysterious or fascinating quality" and these books have lots of that.
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Feyre knows her family's only hope of survival rests on her shoulders. When she goes hunting and shoots a large wolf, she has no idea it will changer her life forever. Tamlin, a faerie of great power and a jeweled mask on his face, comes to exact the price for killing a faerie (the large wolf). He drags Feyre away to live the rest of her days on his estate. She quickly discovers his court is dangerous in ways she never realized.This book is the first in the "A Court of Thorns and Roses" series and I can't wait to read the rest! Seeing the characters develop reminded me of why I enjoyed the author's "Throne of Glass" series. The world is crafted well and described so vividly that I can clearly picture it in my mind. Feyre and Tamlin are interesting and it feels like there is so much more to them than what they show others. This book had so many twists and turns that I was hooked from the very first page.
If you like magic, faeries and courtly intrigue, this is the book for you!
The Key by Jennifer Anne Davis
Rema lived almost her entire life hidden from the world. When she's introduced to Darmik, her life changes dramatically. Darmik’s brother, Lenneck, blackmails her into an engagement that takes her away from everything she knows. When she arrives at the palace she learns about the power struggles of her new life and that nothing is what it seems. As the first book in the “True Reign” series, this book ends on a dramatic cliffhanger that left me scrambling to find book two. Rema has an innocence that drew me into her character as she struggles to understand how to conform to her new life. The stark difference between Darmik and Lenneck, the crown prince, is almost like looking at the difference between good and evil. If you like political intrigue, you will like this book.
A Treason of Thorns by Laura E. Weymouth
Violet Sterling lives in a world where houses have magic, personalities and abilities beyond anything we could imagine. She grew up in Burleigh House, one of the great houses of England. Burleigh can hear and see and remember things before Violet was even born. The house exists in servitude to the king. When Violet's father betrays the king and tries to free Burleigh, he is killed and Violet is exiled. Years later, Violet is given the chance to return. She quickly discovers that Burleigh is not the house she once knew. Violet knows she is the only one who can save it. Saving Burleigh will require her to walk down a path that could lead to Burleigh's freedom or her own doom. There's no way to know which it will be.I loved this book! The idea of a house being fully sentient is incredible. The interaction that Burleigh has with Violet and the other characters of the book is really fun. At times I almost forget that Burleigh is a house. Burleigh is its own character with personality and feelings.
If you like magic, this is the book for you.
