Tag: Above the Treeline

A Gentle Tyranny by Jess Corban, ARC Review

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In the Monarchy of Nedé the men, also more widely known as brutes, are gentled. This is something the reader will learn much more about throughout the book.
Reina, or Rei, is a 17 yo girl living in a finca (a kind of farm or ranch) with her mother and sister and the little gentles that her mother raises with love. However, when Rei is selected as a candidate for the succession to be the next matriarch (a role her grandmother currently fills) all of her plans are put on hold. Her whole life she has been training to be an Alexia, which is a female warrior known for their prowess on a horse while facing down enemies.
Rei is kind, open minded and a little badass, which only makes it harder for her to fit in with the other candidates for the succession. The Nedé have a lot of restrictions and rules about society, particularly concerning a woman’s destiny. Another restricted area of this place is the gentles themselves, which Rei has a soft spot for.
This story immediately captivated me and I though the writing style was well done and very enjoyable to read. My only complaint is that the ending didn’t quite live up to what it could have been .

Curse of the Divine by Kim Smejkal, A Quick Review

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Curse of the Divine by Kim Smejkal was such an interesting read. Much like the first book, I didn’t love the beginning but as I kept reading, the story opened my eyes and I saw the depth behind the imagery. These books question reality and the line between life and death, not to mention the sincere way the characters deal with grief. I wound up really loving this series and do recommend it.

Comes out February 9th!

Of Silver and Shadow by Jennifer Gruenke, A Quick Review

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Of Silver and Shadow by Jennifer Gruenke is definitely an exciting story but it is not without its faults. The world is interesting and well done and I loved the characters but some things felt a little forced. Ren is a badass woman making her way through life by fighting and gambling for money to stay afloat but everything starts changing when Darek enters the scene and recruits her to join the rebel cause to overtake the throne. I enjoyed this read but the ending felt rushed and I simply think everything moved to quickly for me to feel a true resolution. The characters were well thought out. Adley and Lesa, Kellen and Holland, and Ren and Darek, separately were all great teams, but when they finally came together there just wasn’t enough explained for me to feel that there was true camaraderie between them and I feel the same about the romance between Darek and Ren. It’s a good story, I enjoyed the read but not one of my favourites.

A Curse of Ash and Embers by Jo Spurrier, A Quick Review

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A Curse of Ash and Embers by Jo Spurrier started out slow for me and it took me a while to understand the direction it was taking. Elodie is an unlikely hero. She is shy and always apologetic but by the end I believe she understands that there is much much more to the world and that perhaps she is a force to be reckoned with. I loved the interaction between Elodie and Aleida, a somewhat sisterly connection that I feel binds them. The ending of this story was the strongest part in my opinion. I recommend this if your interested in witchy vibes and unique spell craft.