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Title: Iron Widow

Series: Iron Widow #1

Author: Xiran Jay Zhao

The boys of Huaxia dream of pairing up with girls to pilot Chrysalises, giant transforming robots that can battle the mecha aliens that lurk beyond the Great Wall. It doesn’t matter that the girls often die from the mental strain.

When 18-year-old Zetian offers herself up as a concubine-pilot, it’s to assassinate the ace male pilot responsible for her sister’s death. But she gets her vengeance in a way nobody expected—she kills him through the psychic link between pilots and emerges from the cockpit unscathed. She is labeled an Iron Widow, a much-feared and much-silenced kind of female pilot who can sacrifice boys to power up Chrysalises instead.​

To tame her unnerving yet invaluable mental strength, she is paired up with Li Shimin, the strongest and most controversial male pilot in Huaxia. But now that Zetian has had a taste of power, she will not cower so easily. She will miss no opportunity to leverage their combined might and infamy to survive attempt after attempt on her life, until she can figure out exactly why the pilot system works in its misogynist way—and stop more girls from being sacrificed.

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In an apocalyptic world, peasant girl Zetian sets out to avenge her sisters death by using her Qi to help power a fighting machine, a Chrysalises, for Huaxia in the war against the Hundans.

Qi is the vital essence that sustains everything in this world and keeps a boy/girl pair mentally connected in the war machines. Zetian is now the Iron Widow and gets a bit more than she bargained for in her new partner, Li Shimin, the Iron Demon.

Although I loved Zetian and her feminism, I actually thought she was a psychopath!! I loved her! I was out of breath reading it! Li Shimin I just wanted to cuddle all the time and along with them for the ride is Yizhi, calm, patient Yizhi.

The three of them and what grew into their relationship made my heart sing! The killer boy and the sweet boy and the psycho girl. A perfect triangle.

And that ending? Didn’t see that coming!

Welcome to Closing the Chapter! I hope you had a great reading month?

I had a bad start to the month after popping a disc out in my back and trapping a nerve. The pain was so bad! Fabulous timing for the start of school holidays, my poor son basically had to stay in with me and to top it off, his pc broke as well so hasn’t been the greatest of months! Onwards and upwards though eh!

I decided I needed to read some of my Netgalley books this month and I knew it was going to be a great reading month and I wasn’t wrong! I read 9 books and half of them were Netgalley reads!

Dark Prince by Michelle Hercules
See my review here

Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune
See my review here

The Gilded Cage by Lynette Noni
See my review here

Fire With Fire by Destiny Soria
See my review here

Because You’re Mine by Clare Contreas
See my review here

Rejected by Jaymin Eve
See my review here

Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson
See my review here

Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim
See my review here

Defy the Night by Brigid Kemmerer
See my review here

What did you read in August?

Title: Defy the Night

Series: Defy the Night #1

Author: Brigid Kemmerer

The kingdom of Kandala is on the brink of disaster. Rifts between sectors have only worsened since a sickness began ravaging the land, and within the Royal Palace, the king holds a tenuous peace with a ruthless hand.

King Harristan was thrust into power after his parents’ shocking assassination, leaving the younger Prince Corrick to take on the brutal role of the King’s Justice. The brothers have learned to react mercilessly to any sign of rebellion–it’s the only way to maintain order when the sickness can strike anywhere, and the only known cure, an elixir made from delicate Moonflower petals, is severely limited.

Out in the Wilds, apothecary apprentice Tessa Cade is tired of seeing her neighbors die, their suffering ignored by the unyielding royals. Every night, she and her best friend Wes risk their lives to steal Moonflower petals and distribute the elixir to those who need it most–but it’s still not enough.

As rumors spread that the cure no longer works and sparks of rebellion begin to flare, a particularly cruel act from the King’s Justice makes Tessa desperate enough to try the impossible: sneaking into the palace. But what she finds upon her arrival makes her wonder if it’s even possible to fix Kandala without destroying it first.

Set in a richly imaginative world with striking similarities to our own, Brigid Kemmerer’s captivating new series is about those with power and those without . . . and what happens when someone is brave enough to imagine a new future.

‘Mind your mettle, Tessa.’

What a vile world Tessa lives in, Kandala has a sickness that can only be staved off with moonflower petals so obviously they are a hot commodity and as usual, the rich prosper and the poor suffer. Tessa tries to put this right by stealing the moonflower, making a medicine and distributing to the poor.

But it all goes wrong…..well sort of. Every cloud has a silver lining and all that and in this case it like a sort of very pale silver of linings!

This was a story that hooks you straight in and makes you want more and more and I need that next book to see how this story continues!

Title: Six Crimson Cranes

Series: Six Crimson Cranes #1

Author: Elizabeth Lim

Shiori, the only princess of Kiata, has a secret. Forbidden magic runs through her veins. Normally she conceals it well, but on the morning of her betrothal ceremony, Shiori loses control. At first, her mistake seems like a stroke of luck, forestalling the wedding she never wanted, but it also catches the attention of Raikama, her stepmother.

Raikama has dark magic of her own, and she banishes the young princess, turning her brothers into cranes, and warning Shiori that she must speak of it to no one: for with every word that escapes her lips, one of her brothers will die.

Penniless, voiceless, and alone, Shiori searches for her brothers, and, on her journey, uncovers a conspiracy to overtake the throne—a conspiracy more twisted and deceitful, more cunning and complex, than even Raikama’s betrayal. Only Shiori can set the kingdom to rights, but to do so she must place her trust in the very boy she fought so hard not to marry. And she must embrace the magic she’s been taught all her life to contain—no matter what it costs her.

Utter perfection! I totally fell in love with this story from the get go!

Shiori and her 6 brothers are cursed by her stepmother and the story follows Shiori and her journey to basically put things right.

Shiori is an amazing lead character, she is smart, resilient, hard working and totally loveable.

Takkan is another who warmed my heart I love him!!!

But I was always trying to glimpse, Seryu the dragon prince, I loved him more!

The characters, the plot, the old lore and stories, the magic, the world building were all spot on and the writing just flowed!

As I said this is an utterly fabulous fairytale with a twist at the end I never saw coming. I need book 2!

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It’s time for a catch up as this challenge is coming to a close!

You can see my original post here where I said that I wanted to read 10 books for this challenge. I did name some books but changed some of these due to my mood!

I read 10 books and then another 11 so I managed the whole 20 books of summer – woohoo!

Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare READ

City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare READ

City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare READ

City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare READ

Lore by Alexandra Bracken – DNF

A Queen of Gilded Horns by Amanda Joy READ

Witches Steeped in Gold by Ciannon Smart READ

Captive of the Horde King by Zoey Draven READ

Claimed by the Horde King by Zoey Draven READ

Madness of the Horde King by Zoey Draven READ

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I said I was going to go for 10 but I did actually read more!

– Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy by Cassandra Clare

– Stars Above by Marissa Meyer

– The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare

– Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon

– Barbarian Alien by Ruby Dixon

– Dark Prince by Michelle Hercules

– Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune

– Fire with Fire by Destiny Soria

– Jade City by Fonda Lee

– Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson

– Defy the Night by Brigid Kemmerer

Ok I think it’s very clear that my bank account and my tbr is going to take a massive bashing in September!!

Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff

Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune

Steelstriker by Marie Lu

Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber

Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson

The Last Legacy by Adrienne Young

Defy the Night by Brigid Kemmerer

Dark Rise by CS Pacat

I’ve already read earcs of 4 of these but I need those physical books! I also *think* I’m getting a further 3 in book boxes so guess I might as well preorder the others too!

What books are you looking forward to in September?

Top Ten Tuesday is featured by That Artsy Reader Girl It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Today’s theme is –  Books I Wish I Could Read Again for the First Time

I have a slipped disc and sitting is not easy at the moment so I have just added a list below with no pics – forgive me if this post is sparse!

* Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas
* From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L Armentrout
* The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
* Untouchable by Sam Mariano
* Ride Steady by Kristen Ashley
* Golden Dynasty by Kristen Ashley
* Dragons Lair by Chantal Fernando
* Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
* Illuminae by Jay Kristoff

Title: Rejected

Series: Shadowbeast Shifters #1

Author: Jaymin Eve

My father made a terrible mistake. One I’m left paying for.

As a wolf shifter growing up in a strong pack, I should be living my best life. But after my father tried to kill the alpha, I’m labeled an outcast, traitor, less than dirt.

When I can’t take pack life any longer, I run, but apparently they don’t like losing their punching bag. Torin, the alpha’s son, drags me back before my first shift… a shift that will reveal my true mate.

I never could have predicted who mine would be, but the moment my wolf looks upon him, I’m filled with hope for a brighter future.

After all, no one ever rejects their true mate, right?
Wrong. Very wrong.

When the wolves attack, my soul screams for vengeance, and somehow I touch the shadow world. Somehow I bring him to our lands.

The Shadow Beast. Our shifter god. The devil himself.

Turns out being rejected by my mate was only the beginning.

Traitor Dad, drunk Mum, Mera is trying to get through the next few months before her change so she can go it alone.

‘I’d been alone, so alone and lonely, for almost my entire life.’

However, it all unravels whens she goes through her shift and finds she can do something no other shifter can do…..enter Shadow (and Inky, who I loved!)

It was an OK read but Mera’s mouth did start to grate on me. After a bit it sounded like my son taking it too far! I mean I get where she was coming from but gawd man, tone it down!

My other complaint was that (and this might sound weird!) is that there was only one moment of sexy times and the deed wasn’t even done…..I went into this not expecting that at all *sad times*

I did enjoy it though, it was the distraction I needed!

Title: Vespertine

Series: Vespertine #1

Author: Margaret Rogerson

The dead of Loraille do not rest.

Artemisia is training to be a Gray Sister, a nun who cleanses the bodies of the deceased so that their souls can pass on; otherwise, they will rise as spirits with a ravenous hunger for the living. She would rather deal with the dead than the living, who trade whispers about her scarred hands and troubled past.

When her convent is attacked by possessed soldiers, Artemisia defends it by awakening an ancient spirit bound to a saint’s relic. It is a revenant, a malevolent being that threatens to possess her the moment she drops her guard. Wielding its extraordinary power almost consumes her—but death has come to Loraille, and only a vespertine, a priestess trained to wield a high relic, has any chance of stopping it. With all knowledge of vespertines lost to time, Artemisia turns to the last remaining expert for help: the revenant itself.

As she unravels a sinister mystery of saints, secrets, and dark magic, her bond with the revenant grows. And when a hidden evil begins to surface, she discovers that facing this enemy might require her to betray everything she has been taught to believe—if the revenant doesn’t betray her first.

Well again this author has done it! I was hooked and held onto this story with everything I had!

Artemisa is a young grey sister and helps cleanse the dead and prepares their bodies until one day her carefully isolated world is shattered and she takes a powerful spirit, a revenant. But is captured by Leander, a Clerisy Confesser.

So now Artemisa has to escape Leander, who has taken her and isn’t really the nicest of chaps!

I don’t want to say much more about the plot apart from that this book had such great secondary characters Charles, Rathie, Jean, Marguerite and a lovely horse called Priestbane.

There is one character who deserves a special mention and that’s the revenant. I loved him and, the same with all weird type things in books, I want one!! His dry, sarcastic sense of humour had me smiling all through this book!

‘If there’s one thing I’ve learned about humans, it’s that your kind loves to gossip. Nuns are no exception, by the way. The ancient and terrible knowledge I harbor about Sister Prunelle’s bunions would make even you beg for mercy.’

The world building was just enough and I loved the hierarchy of the spirits and their Order.

The ending isn’t a cliffhanger at all so I’m wondering where the next book will take us!