Again, before you start into this review, you might want to check out Bloodleaf first. Although I do my best, I would hate to spoil anything from the first book, especially if you haven’t read it yet.

With that said, let’s get started! So in Greythorne, Princess Aurelia is still reeling from the ruin of a kingdom as well as the loss of a loved one to a shipwreck. Her brother’s claim to the throne is also disrespected and so she seeks safety in the only place she knows…Greythorne Manor. Unfortunately she gets swept up in a coup d’etat that has everyone turned against her, and as enemies rush in from all sides, she’ll do everything in her power to protect those she loves. After all, she has nothing left to lose.

I have to say, the way that this sequel started was what really pulled me in from the start. Conrad’s perspective is very interesting and adds a level of mystery that I felt was missing from the first book. There’s a lot more storytelling happening here and it’s such vivid imagery that you can’t help but want to know what will happen next. Aurelia’s character arc in this book is so good. While she’s devastated at the loss of her love, she is still desperate to protect her brother and those she cares for so much. She’s also starting to see a path opening in front of her that she knows she won’t be able to run away from, and you can see just how much she’s grown by the way she doesn’t run away from it. She’s ready to face it however she can, even if it means death.

The romance in Greythorne was interesting, and I liked the vibe I was getting from it. I can’t talk about it too much because of spoilers, but there’s quite a bit more happening than I felt was going on in Bloodleaf and I was here for it. The drama also got ramped up and I can’t wait to see how it’s all going to play out at the end. Also, KELLAN. My goodness, my heart went out to the guy. All I can say here is you’re going to want to read it because it is INTENSE.

Getting to see more of Aurelia’s magic as well as some very interesting secrets come to light made a lot of things in this world start to make more sense and I honestly cannot wait to find out more, especially because of how it intertwines with the villains of this story. I love the way Crystal Smith was able to weave all of these storylines into one another so seamlessly and things suddenly made a lot more sense. There’s still a bit of gore going on in this story, but not in an overwhelming way.

With all the sacrifices being made, the ending had quite an ominous tone to it. What comes to mind is the scenes in movies where something crucial just happened and the music is beginning to swell to a huge crescendo? That’s what’s happening here, and I can’t wait until the next book comes out because the suspense that Crystal has left me in is just like a tightrope. One wrong move and it feels like everything is going to fall apart. My one consolation is definitely the fact that the title and cover have been revealed, so it doesn’t feel like I’m going to have to wait as long as I thought.

My final thoughts are that you should definitely read this book! When I finished it, I posted on Twitter that it was EVERYTHING. I genuinely still feel that way. I’m not sure how I got so connected to these characters but I did, and now it’s going to be so much harder to wait for the next book! Get it on your list if you love fantasy, because you’re going to be sad to miss out if not.

Greythorne is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of September 1st 2020.

Will you be picking up Greythorne? Tell us in the comments below!

Synopsis | Goodreads

Princess Aurelia’s life is turned upside down when the kingdom she thought she saved turns to ruin, a loved one is tragically killed in a shipwreck, and her home country refuses to respect her brother’s legitimate claim to the throne. With no place left to call her own, Aurelia returns to Greythorne Manor—her best friend’s family mansion—only to get swept up in a coup d’état on the night of her brother’s coronation.

With everyone turned against her and enemies closing in on all sides, Aurelia has nothing left to lose in a mad fight to protect the only people she has left—her family. But in her darkest moments when all seems grim, will Aurelia find a spark of hope from a love she thought long lost?

The post Review: Greythorne by Crystal Smith appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Harley in the Sky by Akemi Dawn Bowman
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

The Greatest Showman meets This Is Us by way of Sarah Dessen in this heart-wrenching, hopeful contemporary novel about a multiracial teen who risks it all to follow her dreams by joining the circus, from the critically acclaimed author of Starfish.

The Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu comes a historical YA fantasy about a musical prodigy and the dangerous lengths she’ll go to make history remember her—perfect for fans of Susanna Clarke and The Hazel Wood.

Look by Zan Romanoff
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

It’s a story about what you present vs. who you really are, about real intimacy and manufactured intimacy and the blurring of that line. It’s a deceptively glamorous, feminist, emotionally complex, utterly compelling, queer coming-of-age novel about falling in love and taking ownership of your own self–your whole self–in the age of social media.

Havenfall by Sara Holland
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A safe haven between four realms. The girl sworn to protect it–at any cost. New York Times bestselling author Sara Holland crafts a breathtaking new contemporary fantasy perfect for fans of Melissa Albert and Holly Black.

Only Mostly Devastated by Sophie Gonzales
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda meets Clueless in this boy-meets-boy spin on Grease.

The Raven and the Dove by Kaitlyn Davis
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Four fates collide in this avian-inspired, epic fantasy retelling of Tristan and Isolde perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Sabaa Tahir, and Leigh Bardugo!

The Midnight Lie by Marie Rutkoski
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Set in the world of the New York Times–bestselling Winner’s Trilogy, Marie Rutkoski’s The Midnight Lie is an epic LGBTQ romantic fantasy about learning to free ourselves from the lies others tell us―and the lies we tell ourselves.

The Truth About Keeping Secrets by Savannah Brown
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Sydney’s dad is the only psychiatrist for miles around their small Ohio town. He is also unexpectedly dead. Is Sydney crazy, or is it kind of weird that her dad-a guy whose entire job revolved around other peoples’ secrets-crashed alone, with no explanation? THE TRUTH ABOUT KEEPING SECRETS is a page-turning, voice led, high school thriller.

Greythorne by Crystal Smith
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Brimming with deliciously mysterious magic, political intrigue, and a passionate heroine who will do anything to save the ones she loves—this highly anticipated sequel to Bloodleaf won’t disappoint.

We Were Promised Spotlights by Lindsay Sproul
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

People think Taylor is living the dream, and assume she’ll stay in town and have kids with the homecoming king…but Taylor is actually desperate to leave home. Also? She’s completely in love with her best friend, Susan. Lindsay Sproul’s debut is full of compelling introspection and painfully honest commentary on what it’s like to be harnessed to a destiny you never wanted.

Wicked As You Wish by Rin Chupeco
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

An unforgettable alternative history fairytale series from the author of The Bone Witch trilogy about found family, modern day magic, and finding the place you belong.

The Winter Duke by Claire Eliza Bartlett
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

An enchanted tale of intrigue where a duke’s daughter is the only survivor of a magical curse. Part Sleeping Beauty, part Anastasia, with a thrilling political mystery, The Winter Duke is a spellbinding story about choosing what’s right in the face of danger.

What YA book releases are you most excited for? Tell us in the comments below!

The post March 2020 Book Releases: YA appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Who’s ready to get their hands on some new YA releases!? We definitely are and we bet you can’t wait too! We love a new year because that means there’s going to be so many new books coming out over the next 12 months from authors we already love as well as authors releasing their very first novel into the wild!

Naturally there’s many books being released, so we’ve narrowed it down to 48 titles that we are really looking forward to being released between the months of January and June!

So, what can we expect from 2020? Well there’s new books from familiar names such as Cassandra Clare, Melissa de la Cruz, Suzanne Collins,  Alwyn Hamilton, and many more! In terms of content, there’s gender-swapped retellings, vampires, assassins, magic, thrillers, dragons, sweet contemporaries, stories of friendship, tales of love and revenge, and much, much more!

Read on to discover just a few of our favourites and tell us in the comments if you are looking forward to any of these releases!

JANUARY

Oasis by Katya de Becerra
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

In this young adult thriller for fans of Lost and The Twilight Zone, a group of teens are saved when they come across a mysterious oasis. But who will save them from the oasis?

Loveboat, Taipei by Abigail Hing Wen
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Sarah Dessen, and praised as “an intense rush of rebellion and romance” by #1 New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Garber, this romantic and layered Own Voices debut from Abigail Hing Wen is a dazzling, fun-filled romp.

Dark and Deepest Red by Anna-Marie McLemore
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

With Anna-Marie McLemore’s signature lush prose, Dark and Deepest Red pairs the forbidding magic of a fairy tale with a modern story of passion and betrayal.

Rogue Princess by B.R. Myers
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A princess fleeing an arranged marriage teams up with a snarky commoner to foil a rebel plot in B. R. Myers’ Rogue Princess, a gender-swapped sci-fi YA retelling of Cinderella.

Woven in Moonlight by Isabel Ibañez
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A lush tapestry of magic, romance, and revolución, drawing inspiration from Bolivian politics and history.

Black Girl Unlimited: The Remarkable Story of a Teenage Wizard by Echo Brown
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Heavily autobiographical and infused with magical realism, Black Girl Unlimited fearlessly explores the intersections of poverty, sexual violence, depression, racism, and sexism―all through the arc of a transcendent coming-of-age story for fans of Renee Watson’s Piecing Me Together and Ibi Zoboi’s American Street.

Blood Countess by Lana Popović
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A historical YA horror novel based on the infamous real-life inspiration for Countess Dracula.

Don’t Read the Comments by Eric Smith
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Slay meets Eliza and Her Monsters in Eric Smith’s Don’t Read the Comments, an #ownvoices story in which two teen gamers find their virtual worlds – and blossoming romance – invaded by the real-world issues of trolling and doxing in the gaming community.

FEBRUARY

The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Tricia Levenseller, author of Daughter of the Pirate King, is back with an epic YA tale of ambition and love in The Shadows Between Us…

The Gravity of Us by Phil Stamper
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Teen boys find love when their parents’ NASA mission uproots their lives in this sweet debut perfect for Adam Silvera fans.

The Queen’s Assassin by Melissa de la Cruz
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Red Queen, this is the first novel in a sweeping YA fantasy-romance duet about a deadly assassin, his mysterious apprentice, and the country they are sworn to protect from #1 NYT bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz.

Yes No Maybe So by Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

New York Times bestselling authors Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed have crafted a resonant, funny, and memorable story about the power of love and resistance.

Belle Révolte by Linsey Miller
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From the author of the Mask of Shadows duology comes a standalone fantasy where two young women must trade lives, work together to stay alive, and end a war caused by magic and greed.

The Last Confession of Autumn Casterly by Meredith Tate
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

If I Stay meets One of Us is Lying in this gripping contemporary thriller.

Ink in the Blood by Kim Smejkal
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A lush, dark YA fantasy debut that weaves together tattoo magic, faith, and eccentric theater in a world where lies are currency and ink is a weapon, perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Kendare Blake.

Foul Is Fair by Hannah Capin
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Foul is Fair is a bloody, thrilling revenge fantasy for the girls who have had enough. Golden boys beware: something wicked this way comes.

MARCH

Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Chain of Gold is the first novel in a new trilogy that stars the Shadowhunters of Edwardian London.

Bone ​Crier’s Moon by Kathryn Purdie
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Kathryn Purdie comes a high-stakes fantasy duology flush with doomed romance and macabre magic, perfect for fans of Stephanie Garber and Roshani Chokshi.

Anna K.: A Love Story by Jenny Lee
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Dazzlingly opulent and emotionally riveting, Anna K.: A Love Story is a brilliant reimagining of Leo Tolstoy’s timeless love story, Anna Karenina―but above all, it is a novel about the dizzying, glorious, heart-stopping experience of first love and first heartbreak.

Greythorne by Crystal Smith
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Brimming with deliciously mysterious magic, political intrigue, and a passionate heroine who will do anything to save the ones she loves—this highly anticipated sequel to Bloodleaf won’t disappoint.

Harley in the Sky by Akemi Dawn Bowman
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

The Greatest Showman meets This Is Us by way of Sarah Dessen in this heart-wrenching, hopeful contemporary novel about a multiracial teen who risks it all to follow her dreams by joining the circus, from the critically acclaimed author of Starfish.

Havenfall by Sara Holland
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A safe haven between four realms. The girl sworn to protect it–at any cost. New York Times bestselling author Sara Holland crafts a breathtaking new contemporary fantasy perfect for fans of Melissa Albert and Holly Black.

Only Mostly Devastated by Sophie Gonzales
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda meets Clueless in this boy-meets-boy spin on Grease.

When We Were Magic by Sarah Gailey
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A sly, witchy dark comedy about four teens whose magic goes wildly awry from Magic for Liars author Sarah Gailey, who Chuck Wendig calls an “author to watch.”

APRIL

Incendiary by Zoraida Córdova
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Jack Kerouac Is Dead to Me by Gae Polisner
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Gae Polisner’s Jack Kerouac is Dead to Me is a story about the fragility of female friendship, of falling in love and wondering if you are ready for more, and of the glimmers of hope we find by taking stock in ourselves.

Time of Our Lives by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A reflective, romantic coming-of-age novel that explores life after high school–perfect for fans of Fangirl and Emergency Contact.

The Lucky Ones by Liz Lawson
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

For fans of Thirteen Reasons Why, This Is How It Ends, and All the Bright Places, comes a new novel about life after. How do you put yourself back together when it seems like you’ve lost it all?

Clique Bait by Ann Valett
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Pretty Little Liars meets Burn for Burn in this thrilling debut from Wattpad star Ann Valett.

Verona Comics by Jennifer Dugan
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From the author of Hot Dog Girl comes a fresh and funny YA contemporary romance about two teens who fall in love in an indie comic book shop.

Late to the Party by Kelly Quindlen
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From author Kelly Quindlen comes a poignant and deeply relatable story about friendship, self-acceptance, what it means to be a Real Teenager. Late to the Party is an ode to late bloomers and wallflowers everywhere.

Loveless by Alice Oseman
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Loveless is a journey of identity, self-acceptance, and finding out how many different types of love there really are. And that no one is really loveless after all.

MAY

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

The post 48 YA Book Releases To Look Out For In 2020 appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Happy March, everyone! This month, there will be quite a lot of debut book releases and if you’re looking forward to find your next favourite author (and book, obviously!), be sure to keep reading this post as we’ve selected a few of our personal most anticipated!

Contemporary

Where the Forest Meets the Stars by Glendy Vanderah (March 1)
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A magical story of a mysterious child who claims to have been sent from the stars to witness five miracles and teaches two strangers how to love and trust again.

Opposite of Always by Justin A. Reynolds (March 5)
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Before I Fall meets The Butterfly Effect. A love story of Jack and Kate, where Jack has to prevent Kate’s death by time-travel into the past. Jack will learn that each of his action has a different outcome and there will always be consequences.

The Quiet You Carry by Nikki Barthelmess (March 5)
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A story of Victoria Parker who tried to leave her dark past, yet still freeze up at random moments with unwanted memories and nightmares that disrupt her sleep. All she wants is to move forward, but how do you focus on the future when the past won’t leave you alone?

When All Is Said by Anne Griffin (March 5)
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

This is the story of Maurice Hannigan, who, over the course of a Saturday night in June, orders five different drinks at the Rainford House Hotel. With each he toasts a person vital to him: his doomed older brother, his troubled sister-in-law, his daughter of fifteen minutes, his son far off in America, and his late, lamented wife. And through these people, the ones who left him behind, he tells the story of his own life, with all its regrets and feuds, loves and triumphs.

Mystery

Call Me Evie by J.P. Pomare (March 5)
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A gripping story of a seventeen-year-old girl, Kate Bennet, that kept in an isolated cabin by a mysterious man named Bill. Bill calls her Evie and tells her he’s hiding her to protect her from something terrible one night back home in Melbourne—something so unspeakable that he had no choice but to take her away. The trouble is, Kate can’t remember the night in question.

House on Fire by Bonnie Kistler (March 12)
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A suspenseful story about a blended family in crisis after a drunk driving accident leaves the daughter of one parent dead—and the son of the other parent charged with manslaughter.

Save Me from Dangerous Men (Nikki Griffin #1) by S.A. Lelchuk (March 19)
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Nikki Griffin isn’t your typical private investigator. She’s a bookseller by the day and a justice warrior by the night. She helped women victims that get hurt by men that claimed to love them. But then something goes wrong, and suddenly Nikki is no longer just solving a case—she’s trying hard to stay alive.

My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing (March 26)
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

It’s a story of a couple who has been married for fifteen years. Every marriage has its own secrets. This one just happens to be getting away with murder.

SFF

The Fever King (Feverwake #1) by Victoria Lee (March 1)
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Sixteen-year-old Noam Álvaro is a son of undocumented immigrants. He spent his life fighting for the rights of refugees, and he’s also happened to be a technopath. This skill becomes useful, especially with his plan to use it against the government. But then he met the minister’s beautiful son and now he has to decide who he can trust and how far he’s willing to go in pursuit of the greater good.

The Last 8 (The Last 8 #1) by Laura Pohl (March 5)
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A high-stakes survival story about eight teenagers who outlive an alien attack—perfect for fans of The 5th Wave.

Bloodleaf (Bloodleaf #1) by Crystal Smith (March 12)
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

An imaginative retelling of the Grimm Fairy tale “The Goose Girl” that takes a ghostly mystery and sets it inside an epic fantasy world.

If, Then by Kate Hope Day (March 12)
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

In the quiet haven of Clearing, Oregon, four neighbours find their lives upended when they begin to see themselves in parallel realities. Each of them started to get relatively benign visions that grow increasingly disturbing—and, in some cases, frightening.

Are there any other debut authors or debut novels that you’re excited for or would recommend? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Debut Authors Making A Splash In March 2019 appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Read on to discover our picks and tell us in the comments below what you are excited to read!

Famous Men Who Never Lived by K. Chess
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

For readers of Station Eleven and Exit West, Famous Men Who Never Lived explores the effects of displacement on our identities, the communities that come together through circumstance, and the power of art to save us.

New Suns by Nisi Shawl
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

New Suns: Original Speculative Fiction by People of Color showcases emerging and seasoned writers of many races telling stories filled with shocking delights, powerful visions of the familiar made strange. Between this book’s covers burn tales of science fiction, fantasy, horror, and their indefinable overlappings. These are authors aware of our many possible pasts and futures, authors freed of stereotypes and clichés, ready to dazzle you with their daring genius.

The Light Brigade by Kameron Hurley
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From the Hugo Award­­-winning author of The Stars Are Legion comes a brand-new science fiction thriller about a futuristic war. A worthy successor to classic stories like Downbelow Station, Starship Troopers, and The Forever War, The Light Brigade is award-winning author Kameron Hurley’s gritty time-bending take on the future of war.

Bloodleaf by Crystal Smith
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Perfect for fans of RED QUEEN and UPROOTED, Crystal Smith’s debut novel, BLOODLEAF, is an imaginative retelling of the Grimm Fairy tale “The Goose Girl” that takes a ghostly mystery and sets it inside an epic fantasy world.

The Bird King by G. Willow Wilson
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From award-winning author G. Willow Wilson, The Bird King is an epic journey set during the reign of the last sultan in the Iberian peninsula at the height of the Spanish Inquisition.

The Women’s War by Jenna Glass
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

In a high fantasy feminist epic, a revolutionary spell gives women the ability to control their own fertility—with consequences that rock their patriarchal society to its core.

To Best The Boys by Mary Weber
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Perfect for fans of The Scorpio Races and Caraval, To Best the Boys is a new fantasy novel from the beloved and bestselling author of the Storm Siren trilogy, Mary Weber.

The Perfect Assassin by K.A. Doore
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A novice assassin is on the hunt for someone killing their own in K. A. Doore’s The Perfect Assassin, a breakout high fantasy beginning the Chronicles of Ghadid series.

Beware The Night by Jessika Fleck
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Ancestral Night by Elizabeth Bear
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A space salvager and her partner make the discovery of a lifetime that just might change the universe in this wild, big-ideas space opera from multi award-winning author Elizabeth Bear.

The Fever King by Victoria Lee
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

In the former United States, sixteen-year-old Noam Álvaro wakes up in a hospital bed, the sole survivor of the viral magic that killed his family and made him a technopath. His ability to control technology attracts the attention of the minister of defense and thrusts him into the magical elite of the nation of Carolinia.

The Witch’s Kind by Louisa Morgan
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From the author of A Secret History of Witches comes an absorbing tale of love, sacrifice, family ties, and magic, set in the Pacific Northwest in the aftermath of World War II — perfect for fans of Practical Magic, The Witch’s Daughter, and A Discovery of Witches. 

What book are you excited to read this month? Tell us in the comments below!

The post March Book Releases: Fantasy + Sci-Fi appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

This was a story that I started twice. I originally started this story around a month and a half ago and stopped because it hadn’t captivated me. I gave it another chance and pushed through that feeling and found myself in an interesting, if underdeveloped world full of magic and mayhem. This would have been an enchanting story if descriptions would have been a little more developed and fleshed out. The characters definitely needed more development, and there are relationships that I would have loved to explore further. I want to be able to feel and care about a character, and this story just didn’t get me there.

Parts of the plot really pulled me into the story, and those were the parts that I loved. It’s funny, because I’ve noticed quite a few reviewers didn’t like Aurelia as a character, but as she is a teenage girl having to make quick decisions, she’s an excellent representation of her age. It’s not that she’s purposefully being stupid or naive, her quick thinking and not understanding of her power leads to some unfortunate consequences. I think that is very realistic for this story. Parts of the story were very gorish, and I enjoyed that aspect of it, because it made sense to the story. There’s a lot of not nice things happening, so naturally, they should be included in the story.

A character that I would have loved to see more in this story was of Simon. He’s a very sage-y character that is mentioned quite a bit and I think that readers would also love to see more of. There’s a quality to him that I would have loved to see play more within the story. Especially with all of the magic involved. Kellan is another character that I feel readers did not have the opportunity to become connected to, on purpose or accident I’m not for certain but I really wanted to know more about him.

I wasn’t sure how to feel about the romance. There are parts in the book where I loved it and other moments where I think we could have done without it. Again, a little more development on this front is needed and I think we’d have an excellent relationship. Though I will admit I found it a little trope-ish and predictable, I’m still a sucker for a romance and that’s not going away any time soon. Development though, development is the key word for this book. If it had a little more time, I can only imagine how amazing it can become.

Despite that, this has the making of an excellent novel. The idea behind is very interesting, and the tidbits that allowed readers to make the connection to The Goose Girl fairytale by the Brothers Grimm was fun and very cleverly written into the story. It’s one of my favourites, and I feel like it doesn’t get re-told too often. I think the last time I read The Goose Girl was the series written by Shannon Hale, which I absolutely adored.

The rating that I give to Bloodleaf would be 7/10 because it was a little hard to get pulled into the story, and there are just quite a few things that need to be hashed out a tad bit more to get them where they need to be. Easy for me to say when I’m not the one who spent all the time writing it, but here’s the thing, I really want to love it. I’m looking forward to seeing more from Crystal Smith, because I can see how she can captivate me and I would love to see that. If not in Bloodleaf, in one of her future stories.

Bloodleaf is available from March 12th 2019 at Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers.

Will you be reading Bloodleaf? Have you already? Tell us in the comments below!

Synopsis | Goodreads

Princess Aurelia is a prisoner to her crown and the heir that nobody wants. Surrounded by spirits and banned from using her blood-magic, Aurelia flees her country after a devastating assassination attempt. To escape her fate, Aurelia disguises herself as a commoner in a new land and discovers a happiness her crown has never allowed. As she forges new bonds and perfects her magic, she begins to fall for a man who is forbidden to rule beside her.

But the ghosts that haunt Aurelia refuse to abandon her, and she finds herself succumbing to their call as they expose a nefarious plot that only she can defeat. Will she be forced to choose between the weight of the crown and the freedom of her new life?

The post Review: Bloodleaf by Crystal Smith appeared first on The Nerd Daily.