Trilogy Review / Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller

There will be plenty of time for me to beat him soundly once I've gotten what I came for.

Sent on a mission to retrieve an ancient hidden map―the key to a legendary treasure trove―seventeen-year-old pirate captain Alosa deliberately allows herself to be captured by her enemies, giving her the perfect opportunity to search their ship.

More than a match for the ruthless pirate crew, Alosa has only one thing standing between her and the her captor, the unexpectedly clever and unfairly attractive first mate Riden. But not to worry, for Alosa has a few tricks up her sleeve, and no lone pirate can stop the Daughter of the Pirate King.

In Daughter of the Pirate King, author Tricia Levenseller blends action, adventure, romance, and a little bit of magic into a thrilling pirate tale.

Published:  28 Feb 2017 (Book 1)  

                    27 Feb 2018 (Book 2) and    

                    1 Nov 2023 (Book 3)
Publisher:  Pushkin
Goodreads : Click Here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Series
Source:  Bought

MY REVIEW

What I liked about this trilogy...  This is a story that I would not normally have picked up, but was bought for me as a present.  This was such a fun trilogy to read.  This is young adult so, for me, I found it very predictable and easy to read.  However, I had a really fun time following the journey Alosa takes throughout this series.  I particularly liked how the story unfolded within each book, especially when you get to more the middle and last book in this trilogy where you learn a lot more about the hidden treasure.

What I did not like about this trilogy...  I would have loved to have been surprised a lot more and have a few twists that I never saw coming.  

Would I recommend?   I would but don't go into this story thinking that is is going to be anything deep or complicated.  This is a fun trilogy to read and enjoy.

 

Trilogy Review / Songs about a Girl by Chris Russell

Charlie Bloom never wanted to be 'with the band'. She's happiest out of the spotlight, behind her camera, unseen and unnoticed. But when she's asked to take backstage photos for hot new boy band Fire&Lights, she can't pass up the chance.

Catapulted into a world of paparazzi and backstage bickering, Charlie soon becomes caught between gorgeous but damaged frontman, Gabriel West, and his boy-next-door bandmate Olly Samson. Then, as the boys' rivalry threatens to tear the band apart, Charlie stumbles upon a mind-blowing secret, hidden in the lyrics of their songs...

Published:     2016 to 2018
Publisher:  Hodder
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Book 45, In Death
Source:  Owned

MY REVIEW

I read the first two books back when they first came out and adored them.  I hadn't realised until I saw a review that I had not finished reading the trilogy and I knew I had to remedy that quickly!  I had owned all three books for a while and I can't believe it has taken me so long to get to reading the whole lot!  Of course I started from book 1 again before getting to the final book that I had not read yet and fully immerse myself back in the story.

I loved this just as much, if not a bit more, than I did the first time around.  Following Charlie, a budding young photographer, as she attends school but gets offered the job of taking photos of Fire & Lights (the hottest boy band of the time).  She gets to know the band and various other characters that come along the way - some good and some not so good.  There's also a bit of a love triangle going on and simply because I had read the first two books before I kind of knew that was coming but there were definitely a lot of questions I had about what has happened in the past that ties some characters together.

The characters also were a big pull for me in reading this trilogy.  Whether they are a good character or a not so good character, all had their own quirks and personalities and were intriguing to follow.  If I had to pick my favourites they would have to be Charlie (of course!) and Yuki who is another member of the band and a larger than live character.


I cannot recommend this trilogy enough.  If you like Emery Lord's Open Road Summer, you need to pick this up!

Trilogy Review / Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare

In a time when Shadowhunters are barely winning the fight against the forces of darkness, one battle will change the course of history forever. Welcome to the Infernal Devices trilogy, a stunning and dangerous prequel to the New York Times bestselling Mortal Instruments series.

The year is 1878. Tessa Gray descends into London’s dark supernatural underworld in search of her missing brother. She soon discovers that her only allies are the demon-slaying Shadowhunters—including Will and Jem, the mysterious boys she is attracted to. Soon they find themselves up against the Pandemonium Club, a secret organization of vampires, demons, warlocks, and humans. Equipped with a magical army of unstoppable clockwork creatures, the Club is out to rule the British Empire, and only Tessa and her allies can stop them...

Published:     First book published in 2010
Publisher:  Simon & Schuster
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Books 1, 2 and 3, Infernal Devices
Source:  Owned

MY REVIEW

What I loved about this trilogy...  By a long shot, the best thing about this series is the world they are in.  Having just previously read The Mortal Instruments Series, The Bane Chronicles and Tales of the Shadowhunters Academy, I was deep into this world and was hoping that this Trilogy would add more depth to that.  This trilogy definitely did not disappoint me!  In this trilogy, we step back quite a number of years before the Mortal Instruments Series and get to learn a bit more about the history of the world and even how some things have come to be that end up being featured in the Mortal Instruments Series.  

I also loved the romance aspect of this trilogy.  You have a classic love triangle and, for me, it was really well developed and played out exactly how I would have hoped it did. 

What I did not like about this trilogy...  I really did enjoy this trilogy very much but it did take me a while to read, mainly because I felt that the pace of the stories in this trilogy were very slow.  Despite the fact that I was hooked by the story and the characters, it seemed like it was taking me ages to read something that really shouldn't have taken that long.  I felt that maybe the stories did not have to be 500 to 600 pages long but rather 300 to 400 pages long and it would still have been just as good.

In summary...   A really fun trilogy that has plenty of twists and turns.  Although a bit slow paced for me and each book could have been shorter, this is a trilogy that really adds to the depth of the Shadowhunters world and I really can't wait to read what comes next in this world. 

Trilogy Review / Immortal Beloved by Cate Tiernan

Nastasya has spent the last century living as a spoiled, drugged-out party girl. She feels nothing and cares for no one. But when she witnesses her best friend, a Dark Immortal, torture a human, she realizes something's got to change. She seeks refuge at a rehab for wayward immortals, where she meets the gorgeous, undeniably sexy Reyn, who seems inexplicably linked to her past.

Nastasya finally begins to deal with life, and even feels safe--until the night she learns that someone wants her dead.

Published:     2012
Publisher:  Little Brown
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Books 1 to 3, Immortal Beloved
Source:  Owned Copies
 

MY REVIEW

This is one of those trilogies that I have read the first two books but never got around to reading the last book.  I have made it my mission this year to try and get to and finish some of those series that I have started but not finished and this trilogy was on the top of my list.  

Having read and LOVED the Sweep series by this author I already know that I love the writing style.  I always know I have found an author that I get on well with and enjoy when I can delve into their books easily and absorb myself in the story even quicker!  Even though it has been quite a while since I read the first two books, starting from the beginning again I was surprised at how much I remembered the story (which also shows how great this author is at story telling).  

What could you want more in a story  like this.  You have a bunch of immortals who seemingly are set in their ways and then you have Nastasya who 'breaks free' and goes into hiding from her immortal friends and finds a 'retreat' for people similar to her.  What she doesn't know is that she is more powerful than she realises and also that the people that she meet in this retreat are more than what she realises or bargains for!  

Very predicable but fun to read.  I would definitely re-read this series in the future.