The Emperor's Edge Series by Lindsay Buroker

The Emperor's Edge Collection by Lindsay Buroker

You know when sometimes you feel like reading something a little different?
Something that has your favourite elements but does not constantly make you angsty? You know, simply a cleverly laid out adventure which a bunch of solid characters and no bull...? That is what The Emperor's edge was like for me. The series had me thoroughly entertained till the end, and that is no easy feat when it spans a full 7 books! Set in a world with strong steampunk elements and a dash of scifi, it is bound to fall a little out of the box but has something to suit almost anyone.

This review covers 7 main books in this series! (Though there are 8 if you count the follow up Republic)

Let me start by saying I love our main girl Amaranthe. She is smart, she is funny, and overall she does not feel sorry for herself whilst trying to turn each bad situation into an opportunity. She is not 'pretty' or 'special', but comes up with plans and acts on them, with or without help from the others which I can appreciate. She is creative too, which she demonstrates in  becoming a leader to a gang full of flawed guys. Pushing them all toward a goal benefiting each individual as well as help a kingdom filled with unrest. Man if that is not a kick ass accomplishment, I don't know what is..

Cornerstone (Cornerstone #1) by Misty Provencher

Cornerstone by Misty Provencher
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Warning: This was suppose to be a review for Cornerstone, yet somehow I ended up reading all books in practically one sitting. It has thrown me off my usual format so you will  have to excuse me.. Actually, scratch that, I'd better not apologise as there is a pretty good chance it will happen again at some stage.. so yeah.. it may be slightly spoilery .

Cornerstone has been on my 'to read' list for at least a couple of years. I came across it as a recommendation based on previously read books and the synopsis sounded original and interesting. It really grabbed me. But then life got in the way, slowly pushing it further down my list and other books got scooted to the top as sequels kept coming out.

Finally, on a Friday I opened it up on my reader as I was sitting in the waiting room preparing to get my wisdom teeth removed. I can not tell you how glad I am that I did. I literally went on a reading binge for the following 4 days and blasted through the entire series (4 in all). Granted I was probably a little high from all the painkillers but I'm fairly sure they didn't impair my judgement to much..

It was simply unique, invigorating, touching and bitter-sweet. The books branch on a range of subjects in any young adults life as well as throw you into a fantastically imaginative world not found anywhere else. Misty Porvincher is most definitely not afraid of letting her readers stretch their imagination and take a bit of risk. It is not chewed out or easy to swallow but certainly refreshing in the current YA genre to have a writer not be afraid to go beyond the line. Though it is not all seriousness and crazy stuff.. it also shows a light and comical side..

They Call Me Alexandra Gastone by T.A. Maclagan

They Call Me Alexandra Gastone by T. A. Maclagan
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

After having the book blast on 'They call me Alexandra Gastone' a couple of months back, I was immensely intrigued by the synopsis. In this day and age, the story line is anything but far fetched and it definitely drew a cord watching the unrest in the Middle East that has been brewing for such a long time.

Of course the book is not referring to this conflict specifically (though it may have draw inspiration from it in part). Rather, It sets a very strong portrait of the thoughts and feelings a young woman has, being raised with ideals and saddled with a mission that may not have her (or a much wider populace's) best interests at heart. A reminder, if you will, of the heart ache that vengeance and misguided ideals can bring and that we cant see both sides of the same coin at once.

The Winner's Curse (The Winner's Trilogy #1) by Marie Rutkoski

The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
4.5 Stars

For the longest time The Winner's Curse has been showing on my E-book shelf, and when I saw the sequel The Winner's Crime I could not resist putting my hand up to review it. I completely glanced over the fact I had not actually read the first.

Consequently, I started reading, and came to the conclusion that I was seriously missing something and I had better skim the previous installment to refresh my memory. Only to find out I had NOT in fact read it. Queue, me in a panic as my deadline was looming and now I had 2 books and reviews to finish.