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First spoken lines

It’s been a while since I’ve remembered to do a tag game. @novanovelwriting tagged me so here are the first spoken lines by my main characters in The Deceivers

Daniel

“Mama, what’s wrong?” Daniel whimpered as they kept running.

Vani

“I’ll miss the bus,” Vani said.

Iris

“Projections are down from this summer,” Iris said. “And according to last year’s report, September was much busier for them last year.”

Anyone who wants to is welcome to say I tagged you, but I’m also gonna tag @howdy-writes and @woodhouse-jay

#ocs #tag games #the deceivers #my ocs #whicheverwarrior

Get hooked on Kristen Simmons’s Norse mythology retelling series today! The ebook of The Deceivers is on sale now!

#tor teen #tor books #the deceivers #kristen simmons

The Deceivers by Kristen Simmons

I was fortunate enough to receive and arc for this book and I was so excited to get it! Not only is it con related, but it’s also a modern retelling/twist of the Valhalla story. I’m all in for anything con or heist related and mythology too? Yes, please.

The book follows Brynn Hilder, whose goal is to save for college by working a job...and conning the rich. She’s later recruited into a school called Vale Hall, where she earns her keep (and a scholarship to any school she wants) by learning secrets from her assignments.

We meet other characters (Henry being my favorite, next to Charlotte. You all will love both) who are also doing what she is.

The Good:

I liked Brynn well enough. Sometimes I was frustrated with her and her choices, but I understood her motives. I’m super excited because Brynn is half Latina (I can’t remember which country her dad is from, BUT IT’S A LATIN ONE AND I WANT TO SCREAM AT THE TOP OF MY LUNGS BECAUSE YAYAYAYAYAYAY). Brynn’s dynamic with her mother makes me sad for reasons I can’t say because of spoilers. But I understand how Brynn feels towards her mom. It felt real and it both made me happy and also a little sad.

I really liked that, despite only meeting classmates, soon enough, she was watching out for them. And vice versa. Which brings me to the secondary characters. Minus one, I truly liked them all. I hope there’s more of them in the second book.

We only learned a little bit of background information for some of them, but what we did learn? Makes me like them even more. Especially Charlotte.

The one character I didn’t like? I won’t put said character on the bad list because...well, you’ll see in the end. I have mixed emotions. I also have mixed emotions when it comes to Caleb (who is JAPANESE!!) Idk why, but I get bad vibes from him.

The Bad:

The bad is actually more so on the writing side, and that’s not even the authors fault. It’s more so mine. I saw most of the twists coming from miles away (though I was happy with them. Fit the story well.) I also wish part of the outcome of the end wasn’t so...easy? Not easy per say, but it felt kind of like a “well this fits well enough, here you go!” Justice was served a little cold, for me.

That’s pretty much it for the bad!

I’m so pumped to read the next book! I hope more develops and unfolds because I smell so many secrets in Vale Hall.

I originally was going to give this book 3 stars, but I feel like I’m being too critical about the things I didn’t like, so I’m gonna bump it up to 4 out of 5 stars.

Pick up the book February 5th!

#rose speaks #reviews #my reviews #book reviews #kristen simmons #the deceivers #ya books #my review #review

Tuesday’s Treats is a weekly blog post dedicated to newly released books that I’m most excited for. (Books are in no particular order.)

All books featured this week will be released: FEB. 5th (Part 1 of 2)

1. The Deceivers (Vale Hall: 1): Kristen Simmons (goodreads) (book depository)

A book about a school for con artists, sign me up!

The Deceivers follows Brynn Hilder as she starts at Vale Hall, escaping her mom’s boyfriend and her crappy town, and learns how to and helps rid the city of corruption. But that’s before she meets a senator’s son, and she learns that the headmaster is keeping secrets of their own.

YA Contemporary Fiction; Tor Teen/Macmillan, Hardcover (US)

2. Black Leopard, Red Wolf (The Dark Star Trilogy: 1): Marlon James (goodreads) (book depository)

Taking form African history and mythology, Black Leopard, Red Wolf follows Tracker as he searches for a boy who disappeared three years ago.

I, honestly, don't think I could be more excited for this book if I tried. I wish I were reading it right now.

Fantasy; Riverhead Books/Penguin, Hardcover (US)

3. Courting Darkness (Courting Darkness: 1): Robin LaFevers (goodreads) (book depository)

Despite not continuing with the His Fair Assassin series (yet), I absolutely adored Grave Mercy when I read it. The mixture of historic France and slight fantasy (and you can’t forget the assassin convent) is right up my alley. I’m so happy that there are more books set in this world that I can dive into.

Courting Darkness follows Sybella (who is a main character from the original series, but according to LaFevers you do not need to read the original trilogy for Courting to make sense) who is determined to keep her sisters safe, and Genevieve who has been undercover in the French court for so long that she’s forgotten who, or what, she has been fighting for.

YA Historical Fiction, Fantasy; HMH, Hardcover (US)

4. On the Come Up: Angie Thomas (goodreads) (book depository)

I, like a ton of other people, absolutely loved Thomas’ debut The Hate U Give. It was such an honest and impactful story, that I will surly reread it my whole life. But, ever since I read her first book, I’ve been itching for her next one, and now…IT’S HERE!

On the Come Up follows Bri who dreams of becoming one of the greatest rappers of all time. But when her mother loses her job and money becomes scarce, Bri has to make it big. A story about hip-hop, being true to yourself no matter what, and the realities of working-class black families, On the Come Up is sure to be another amazing story.

YA Contemporary Fiction; Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins, Hardcover (US)

5. Enchantée (Enchantée: 1): Gita Trelease (goodreads) (book depository)

Magic and revolutionary France? Yes, yes, YES!

YA Historical Fiction, Fantasy; Flatiron/Macmillan, Hardcover (US)

6. Fame, Fate, and the First Kiss: Kasie West (goodreads) (book depository)

Lacey has always wanted to act, so when she’s offered a role she jumps at the opportunity. But, all her daydreams never included school work, and they especially never included an annoying, nightmarish tutor named Donavan who knows how to get under her skin.

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, but I’m a bit weary since I haven’t heard the greatest things about this title from early reviewers. I’ll see what I think when I pick it up.

YA Contemporary Fiction, Romance; HarperTeen/HarperCollins, Hardcover (US)