Return to Royalty (A Gexalatian Tale Series #1), by E. Paige Burks ~ 4.0 Stars

Tags

Fantasy, YA Fiction

I’d like to thank the author for providing an ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: Available Now

412 Pages

Synopsis: Nyx Estrella is a princess from Gexalatia, a world on the other side of a portal. Unfortunately, she has no idea. Sent to Lucky, Texas, when she was a baby to protect her from the evil King Paraximus, her biggest concerns are grades and seeing her friends. She has no idea that she possesses magical abilities and that her reality is about to become really strange.

Jet Lamia is a war prisoner, sent from Gexalatia by the queen, Liana Estrella, to bring Nyx back home to the kingdom of Ymber. The portal only opens on the winter solstice, so Jet finds himself trapped on Earth, trying to blend in. Fortunately he has the help of the queen’s chosen assistant, Seth Alvar. But playing well with others has never been one of Jet’s talents.

It is a race against the clock to tell Nyx her true identity and try to train her, while also keeping her alive. Nyx and Jet struggle to defeat the assassins sent to kill them both, while trying not to kill each other. Can this duo put their differences aside and return to Gexalatia?

I have to say that Return to Royalty was quite the pleasant surprise. The opening immediately captured my attention, and was a perfect introduction to the story.

There are no love triangles and this is definitely NOT a case of insta-love between Nyx and Jet. Yay! I loved Nyx, who comes across as being very believable and relatable. Given that she’s a college student who hasn’t a clue about her true heritage, I thought she took the news rather well, and adapts fairly quickly. And Jet, well, let’s just say I spent most of the novel wanting to smack him. He’s got a really dark past, and he’s arrogant, conceited, impatient, rude, and just doesn’t play well with others. Oh, and he smirks…A LOT! Their  feelings for each other go from outright hatred, to dislike, to the possible beginnings of friendship…maybe. It was actually quite refreshing to have their relationship not fall into one of the usual YA tropes.

After the exciting beginning, the story does slow down somewhat. There’s a lot of time spent getting to know the characters but I appreciated that there wasn’t an info dump. The world-building between Gexalatia and Earth is extremely well-executed, and I loved the way the author seamlessly wove the fantasy world of Gexalatia into our contemporary world. Most of the action takes place on Earth, but there are tantalizing  glimpses into this other mysterious world that drew me in and made me want more. 

Return to Royalty is a promising beginning to this new YA/NA series. It’s quite unconventional in regards to what I’ve come to expect from a book in this genre and I absolutely loved that. I’m truly looking forward to seeing where E. Paige Burks takes her story and characters next. 

 

Pretty Fierce, By Kieran Scott – 3.5 Stars

Tags

Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: Available Now

320 Pages

Synopsis: Kaia has been on the run her whole life. The daughter of professional assassins, she knows true danger–and she’ll do anything to survive. After her parents vanished during a job gone bad, Kaia’s spent the last year in hiding, trying to blend in as an ordinary teenager, and there’s no one who makes her feel more normal or more special than her boyfriend, Oliver.

But when she’s jumped by a hit man, and Oliver catches her fighting back, Kaia’s secret is exposed. In a split-second decision, she flees the small town, taking Oliver with her. With professional killers stalking their every move, can Oliver and Kaia protect each other long enough to uncover the secrets of her past?

I was excited to read Pretty Fierce because I love spies and espionage, and I haven’t come across a lot of YA books with those themes. It definitely has plenty of action, thrills, and twists, but a lot of it is just so over the top, that some of it lost credibility with me. 

Kaia is a kickass heroine right from the beginning, and there’s very little that sways her. I kept thinking if Jason Bourne ever got married and had a daughter, she’d be exactly like Kaia. She’s stubborn and determined and I liked her, but for some reason I never fully connected with her. I think perhaps it’s because she came across to me as being emotionally distant for much of the book. Oliver is sweet and charming, and displays all the expected reactions of a boyfriend who suddenly discovers that his girlfriend has a dangerous, secretive life he knew nothing about. Instead of running for the hills, he stays loyally by her side, which I found most commendable. The romance between them though, is completely lacking in chemistry and it felt staged throughout the entire story.

The plot itself is very exciting and fast-paced, and filled with plenty of surprises. As I previously said, there are some eye-rolling moments that strain credulity, but it’s still a lot fun. The ending wraps everything up satisfactorily leaving no loose ends.

Pretty Fierce is definitely more a plot driven novel than a character driven one. As they were written, I didn’t find Kaia or Oliver to be particularly memorable, yet watching them unravel all the tangled secrets and events leading up to the disappearance of  Kaia’s parents was enjoyable. I do think this will appeal to a lot of teens, simply for all the action that takes place. It’s a quick read, and one that I have no problem recommending.