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LIFEL1K3 Review

by Isela Canale
written by Isela Canale

LIFEL1K3 by Jay Kristoff is a story filled with action, a little bit of romance and a very well written friendship.

It’s just another day on the Scrap: lose the last of your credits at the WarDome, dodge the gangs and religious fanatics, discover you can destroy electronics with your mind, stumble upon the deadliest robot ever built.

When Eve finds the ruins of an android boy named Ezekiel in the scrap pile she calls home, her entire world comes crashing down.

With her best friend and her robotic sidekick in tow, she and Ezekiel will trek across deserts of irradiated glass, battle cyborg assassins, and scour abandoned megacities to save the ones she loves and learn the dark secrets of her past.

LIFEL1K3 Review

LIFEL1K3 book cover

“This is not my life. This is not my home. I am not me.”

Eve is only trying to get money to buy his grandfather’s meds. After struggling for more than two years, Eve’s grandfather, Silas, is losing the fight to Cancer. 

Eve would do anything to buy the medicine his grandfather needs.

After a spectacular battle inside the WarDome, Eve destroys the robot with just a shake of her hand. Meaning she’s something else, not entirely human.

Because of this, the Brotherhood is looking for her.

At the same time, Eve and Lemon found an android in the Scrap, a lifelike. Androids that look just like a human, who also feel and think like a human would. 

But after trouble comes knocking on her door, Eve learns her life isn’t exactly what she thought it was.

Characters

Eve Carpenter is a 17 year old girl who’s been living with her grandfather after her mom, dad, brother and sisters died in a militia raid. She’s a dome fighter and a top-tier botdoc living on the island of Dregs.

Lemon Fresh, Eve’s best friend. After pickpocketing money from Eve’s grandfather, Kaiser and Silas found her and offered her food and shelter. Since then, she has lived with Eve, her grandfather Silas, Cricket and Kaiser.

Ezequiel is a lifelike that was found in the Scrap by Eve and Lemon. 

Cricket is a little robot but don’t call him “little” in front of him. He was made by her grandfather to protect Eve.

Kaiser is a blitzhund, a very loyal cyborg dog with a bomb inside who can rip your arm with his teeth.

Thoughts

Jay Kristoff’s writing is so unique. It’s a good thing and a bad thing, at least for me. In the beginning, I wasn’t understanding what was happening… I was 10% through LIFEL1K3 and I couldn’t say what the book was about. 

But thank goodness I persevered! LIFEL1K3 is awesome! I really can’t think of any book that is similar to this one. Maybe only video games such as Detroit: Become Human.

Eve and Lemon’s friendship is the best. It’s an excellent example of friendship goals.

“You’re my bestest. Rule Number One in the Scrap, remember?

“Stronger together.”

“Together forever”

LIFEL1K3 is not only a sci-fi series full of action, it also makes us question our humanity. Robots are basically created to be slaves, to protect and do whatever their creator wants.

It makes you wonder who the villain really is, either the robots who are fighting for their free will or the humans creating and destroying life, even if that life is a robot.

Let’s talk about world-building. Jay did a really good job here. LIFEL1K3 is set in a post-apocalyptic America destroyed by natural disasters, where two major corporations are fighting for control. Robots, androids and lifelikes live among humans.

Overall, I really liked how Eve discovered who she was and who she wants to be. It does end in a huge cliffhanger but thankfully the full trilogy has come out already. 

If you’re looking for an action packed book, a little bit of romance and a very well written friendship, LIKEL1K3 is for you.

Buy it on Amazon
Get it on B&N
Read it on Kobo

Looking for more great reviews?

Check out my review of There Will Come a Darkness here.

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AdventureAnti-HeroAssassinsBook ReviewsDark FantasyLGBTQMorally QuestionableSeries

There Will Come a Darkness Review

by Isela Canale
written by Isela Canale

In There Will Come a Darkness by Katy Rose Pool the age of darkness is coming, and five people will be responsible for the world’s salvation… or it’s destruction.

The Age of Darkness approaches.
Five lives stand in its way.
Who will stop it… or unleash it? 

For generations, the Seven Prophets guided humanity. Using their visions of the future, they ended wars and united nations―until the day, one hundred years ago, when the Prophets disappeared.

All they left behind was one final, secret prophecy, foretelling an Age of Darkness and the birth of a new Prophet who could be the world’s salvation . . . or the cause of its destruction. As chaos takes hold, five souls are set on a collision course:

A prince exiled from his kingdom.
A ruthless killer known as the Pale Hand.
A once-faithful leader torn between his duty and his heart. 
A reckless gambler with the power to find anything or anyone.
And a dying girl on the verge of giving up.

One of them―or all of them―could break the world. Will they be savior or destroyer?

There Will Come a Darkness Review

There Will Come a Darkness book cover

The Seven Prophets guided humanity until a hundred years ago when they disappeared, but they left one final prophecy. 

If the last prophecy becomes a reality, the Last Prophet will be either the world’s salvation or the cause of its destruction.

There are four bodily graces. 

The Grace of Heart enhances strength, agility, speed and senses, the Grace of Mind creates objects imbued with unique properties, the Grace of Sight senses and locates living beings and the Grace of Blood gives and takes energy to heal or harm.

But the Hierophant and his followers believe the Graced need to be purified of the corruption of Grace, either they can choose salvation or death.

Characters

Ephyra, also known as the Pale Hand, kills only those who deserve it but for a good cause. Her sister Beru is sick and Ephyra, using her Grace of Blood, kills to retrieve their blood and heal Beru for a while until she needs more blood again.

Hassan, prince of Herat, escaped after The Witnesses invaded and took his kingdom. He doesn’t know what to do to get it back and feels he’s not the right ruler because he hasn’t developed any Grace so far.

Anton has been running away from his past, but it always catches up. He’s been living a nightmare since eleven years ago, he has the Grace of Sight but can’t use it because he’s filled with nightmares every time he tries.

Jude will be the next Keeper of the Word, the highest honor for a Paladin. But it also comes with a lot of responsibilities. He needs to protect The Last Prophet at all costs but he’s torn between his duty and his inner desires.

Beru is losing all hope to get better. She feels responsible for the lives The Pale Hand has taken.

Thoughts

First of all, having 5 POV’s was very exhausting. I understand that these five characters and their actions are going to be either the salvation or destruction of their world. But it was too much for me. 

I ended up enjoying certain POV’s and just wanted to skip the other ones because they became too repetitive. At least until two thirds of the book.

Having more than 4 perspectives, the book becomes either slow paced or too confusing for the reader in my opinion.

Even though the plot wasn’t too interesting until the last third of the book, I really enjoyed how it ended. I’m interested in how the characters’ stories are going to change from now on.

I have to say that it did take me a while to reach those certain scenes where I couldn’t put the book down. 

At the beginning, we are introduced to the characters, and then know a little bit of how their past has affected them to the point that they become the way they are.

But I don’t think that introduction should’ve taken more than half of the book. 

Katy Rose Pool did an excellent job with world-building. You have a good knowledge of it to understand the story but still have questions that make you want to read the rest of the series.

Overall, There Will Come a Darkness feels like the introduction of this trilogy and nothing actually happened but at the same time it makes sure to pique your interest so that you read what happens next in the sequel.

Looking for more great reviews?

Check out my review of Fable by Adriene Young.

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Fable Review

by Isela Canale
written by Isela Canale

As the daughter of the most powerful trader in the Narrows, the sea is the only home Fable has ever known.

It’s been four years since the night she watched her mother drown during an unforgiving storm. The next day her father abandoned her on a legendary island filled with thieves and little food.

To survive she must keep to herself, learn to trust no one and rely on the skills her mother taught her. The only thing that keeps her going is the goal of getting off the island and find her father. Demanding her rightful place beside him and his crew.

To do so Fable enlists the help of a young trader named West to get her off the island and across the Narrows to her father. But her father’s rivalries and the dangers of his trading enterprise have only multiplied since she last saw him and Fable soon finds that West isn’t who he seems.

Together, they will have to survive more than the storms that haunt the Narrows if they’re going to stay alive. 

Fable Review

Fable by Adrienne Yuong book cover

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for sending me an Advanced Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Fable knows that in order to survive she needs to follow five simple rules: 

  • Keep your knife where you can reach it.
  • Never, ever owe anyone anything.
  • Nothing is free.
  • Always construct a lie from a truth.
  • Never, under any circumstances, reveal what or who matters to you.

After being left by her father on Jeval, an island filled with thieves, Fable needs to survive one way or another. It has been four years since her father abandoned her but she has a plan. 

Fable has been saving coins in order to leave the island and get what she’s owed, a place beside her father and his crew. But having a stash is dangerous in Jeval. Everyone’s looking out for themselves and would not hesitate to put a knife in your throat for a couple of coppers.

Fable needs three or four more weeks to have enough coin to barter passage out of Jeval. Unfortunately, people have been talking about the possible places where Fable could be hiding her coin.

When word got around, Fable was targeted and almost drowned. She barters passage to get off the island, losing all the coppers she saved.

Now Fable needs to earn coins fast to not show up empty handed when she sees her father again. Although it seems that coin isn’t what she needs to worry about.

Thoughts

Fable is about debts, riches and something more special than anything money can buy – family. It’s about relationships and the price you pay for them. About how people can grow to help each other and become something meaningful in life.

I loved how Adrienne wrote Fable’s character. She’s an excellent example of how it doesn’t matter how many times life knocks you down, you always need to pick yourself back up and try again.

Also, while you’re reading Fable, the writing is so descriptive that it makes you feel like it was you who was out at sea, diving deep or inside the ship.

The side characters are what sealed the deal in this amazing story. Their personalities and the way they connect and interact with Fable and each other are what truly enthralled me.

“I can’t decide if I like you or if I think you’re stupid.”

The cover is AWESOME! It was the first thing that really captivated me to request it in NetGalley and then I saw the reviews, which they didn’t disappoint.

The only downside is that I need to wait almost a year for the next book. I can’t wait that long with that ending.

Overall, Fable is a really great start of this duology and I can’t wait to see what happens with these characters that stole a little piece of my heart. If you’re looking for a fast-paced story, filled with emotions and high seas adventures, you just found it.

Fable art print

Fable comes out September 1st. Don’t forget to preorder from Malaprops Bookstore to receive a personalized copy and an exclusive art print from my favorite scene.

Retrieved from Adrienne Young’s Instagram. Art by @taratjah.

Looking for more great reviews?

Check out my review of The Lost City here.

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Angels and DemonsBook ReviewsPlot TwistsSeries

Rage and Ruin Review

by Isela Canale
written by Isela Canale

Rage and Ruin by Jennifer L Armentrout is the sequel to Storm and Fury. If you haven’t read the first book, this review contains spoilers for book 1.

I recommend you to stop reading at this moment and to check Storm and Fury Review here.

A half human, half angel and her bonded gargoyle protector must work with demons to stop the apocalypse while avoiding falling in love. The Harbinger is coming…but who or what is it? All of humankind may fall if Trinity and Zayne can’t win the race against time as dark forces gather.

As tensions rise, they must stay close together and patrol the DC streets at night, seeking signs of the Harbinger, an entity that is killing Wardens and demons with no seeming rhyme or reason.

Forbidden to be with each other, Zayne and Trinity fight their feelings and turn to unusual sources for help—the demon Roth and his cohorts.

But as deaths pile up and they uncover a sinister plot involving the local high school and endangering someone dear to Zayne, Trin realizes she is being led…herded…played for some unknown end.

As anger builds and feelings spiral out of control, it becomes clear that rage may be the ruin of them all.

Rage and Ruin Review

Rage and Ruin book cover

Thank you to Inkyard Press for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

After the end of Storm and Fury we found out that Misha was never supposed to be Trinity’s bonded Protector. The bond could’ve twisted Misha to hate Trinity and become bad enough to work with Bael and The Harbinger.

While Trinity is trying to deal with the aftermath of Misha’s betrayal, she still needs to find out who The Harbinger is and stop it. But at the same time she still feels attracted to Zayne, which is a big NO NO because a relationship between a Trueborn and its bonded Protector is forbidden.

“Just because I’m not supposed to want you, doesn’t mean I’ve stopped wanting you”

Rage and Ruin

But in the middle of everything, the Harbinger is still killing Wardens, and seems to taunt them by putting them on display.

“All that rage… it will be your ruin.”

Rage and Ruin

Characters

Trinity is a half-angel, half-human; a Trueborn who sees ghosts and spirits. Due to her degenerative eye disease, retinis pigmentosa, she’ll eventually end up with partial or total blindness. But that will not stop her.

Zayne is a Warden who’s always supposed to be Trinity’s bonded Protector. Together, they become a force to be reckoned with because they were built for one another, and the only thing that could separate them is death.

Thoughts

First of all, I’m shocked by that ending and I have a lot of questions. Did that just happen?

I’m a huge fan of JLA books and usually once she announces a book I buy it without reading the synopsis.

Unfortunately, Rage and Ruin didn’t meet my expectations. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great book, but it’s missing a plot in most of it. I felt that not a lot actually happened to justify the 600 pages of the book.

JLA has these epic dialogues where characters are sarcastic and funny, but while reading Rage and Ruin I was hoping for the dialogues to stop and just go directly to the action.

I had a hard time connecting either with Trinity or Zayne, some dialogues were unnecessary in my opinion. They kept “taunting” each other in a very juvenile way throughout the whole book and just dragged on and on… and on.

She’s 18, I’m not expecting her not to have YA moments but she would say or think things like a 13 year old that had me cringing.

A little bit of sarcasm and insults are entertaining, but at some point it becomes excessive and exhausting.

The best parts were where Roth appeared. I may be biased but his snarks were the best without being cringy.

“So, what’s up with the tie?” I asked, and Zayne stared down at it like he’d forgotten he’d been holding it. “Now that is a question I was dying to ask,” Roth commented. “BDSM, Stony? I am shooketh.”

Will I read the next and final book? Definitely, especially with that ending. Do I recommend this book? Probably, but I won’t say it’s one of her best ones. 

This series borders between mature YA and NA so keep that in mind.

Looking for more great reviews?

Check out my review of Ruby Red here.

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