Review | "Traitor to the Throne" (Rebel of the Sands #2) by Alwyn Hamilton

Title: Traitor to the Throne

Series: Rebel of the Sands #2

Author: Alwyn Hamilton

Pub. Date: February 2, 2017

Publisher: Faber & Fabers

Pages: 570

Format: Digital arc by NetGalley

Find it here:

Goodreads blurb: This is not about blood or love. This is about treason.

Nearly a year has passed since Amani and the rebels won their epic battle at Fahali. Amani has come into both her powers and her reputation as the Blue-Eyed Bandit, and the Rebel Prince's message has spread across the desert - and some might say out of control. But when a surprise encounter turns into a brutal kidnapping, Amani finds herself betrayed in the cruellest manner possible.

Stripped of her powers and her identity, and torn from the man she loves, Amani must return to her desert-girl's instinct for survival. For the Sultan's palace is a dangerous one, and the harem is a viper's nest of suspicion, fear and intrigue. Just the right place for a spy to thrive... But spying is a dangerous game, and when ghosts from Amani's past emerge to haunt her, she begins to wonder if she can trust her own treacherous heart.

My Review:

Alwyn Hamilton is not just a talented storyteller. She is a graphic scene maker and a director.
She doesn't just describe the situations in which her protagonist finds herself, she makes you feel you are an part of the whole scene, like you are actually in Amani's shoes.
And, I deeply admire her for that and the deeply fascinating world she has created.

Amani's story made me fall instantly in love with her whole world and the powerful creatures that created it, from the first few chapters of the very first book in the series.

In this second novel of the story, we even learn more about the Djinns and their half-human offsprings.

We also get to have an insight in the ways of the harem and the mind of the brutal and intriguing Sultan who claimed his throne after treacherous and murderous acts all these years ago.

Amani finds herself all alone in the most dangerous situation she has encountered yet.
But, she manages to remain the same brave and strong girl I deeply loved in the first book.

The deaths and sacrifices are, yet again, not missing from this action-filled book and the way it ends, it makes me crave the next and final installation in the trilogy even more anxiously.

Hamilton's way of writing is once again magical, and it really makes me wonder why this amazing series is not even more widely popular:

- Amazing, brave, strong and intelligent protagonist - Check!
- Swoon-worthy, sexy and protective romantic interest - Check!
- Rich of amazing and deep supporting characters, willing to sacrifice themselves and fight for their cause and their country - Check!
- Lots of action and a healthy dose of romance to keep things hot in every aspect - Check!
- Amazing and original world, filled with people with unique and fascinating powers - Check!

After all these elements, how can you not love such a marvelous piece of work?

All in all, wishing I could give more than 5 stars

for the second book of what is shaping to be

one of my most loved series of all times.

Review ⤞ What Does Consent Really Mean? by Pete Wallis, Joseph Wilkins, Thalia Wallis

What Does Consent Really Mean?
by Pete Wallis, Thalia Wallis, Joseph Wilkins

⤞ GOODREADS BLURB ⤝

"Consent is not the absence of 'NO', it is an enthusiastic YES!!"


While seemingly straightforward, Tia and Bryony hadn't considered this subject too seriously until it comes up in conversation with their friends and they realise just how important it is.


Following the sexual assault of a classmate, a group of teenage girls find themselves discussing the term consent, what it actually means for them in their current relationships, and how they act and make decisions with peer influence. Joined by their male friends who offer another perspective, this rich graphic novel uncovers the need for more informed conversations with young people around consent and healthy relationships. Accompanying the graphics are sexual health resources for students and teachers, which make this a perfect tool for broaching the subject with teens.


⤞ MY REVIEW ⤝


This is one of the best graphic novels I've read!
Not only is it well written and nicely illustrated, but it also tackles a very important issue, that has been broadly discussed lately, but I am not confident enough that its importance has been emphasized to the younger populations.

And, this novel could serve exactly that purpose!

Just like the creators highlight, consent is not just the absence of "No", but an enthusiastic and explicitly communicated "YES".

This message is conveyed through the graphic novel, when a group of female friends start discussing about one of their new classmates who is rumored to have been raped.

I like the fact that the girls at first seem to never having thought of the issue of consent in much detail before, something that I am fairly sure is the case among the majority adolescents. But, gradually and through their conversation, they start realizing that they do not have any need or obligation to consent to anything they are not 100% sure they want.

And, then, their male friends approach them and are let into the conversation, which only serves to make it even more realistic and important, as it is highlighted that they do not purposefully make their girlfriends do stuff the latter might not have done otherwise, but they really have no clue as to how to properly ask for their consent and not just assume that they do.

I can't stress enough how important it is for today's adolescents to have access to this particular graphic novel, and especially to familiarize with the concept of consent.

All in all, 5 stars for an important graphic novel, 
which succeeds in conveying a powerful message.

⤝ ⤞

⤞ Find the book on Amazon ⤝

 ⤞ Find the book on Book Depository ⤝

Review ⤞ The Best Kind of Magic by Crystal Cestari

The Best Kind of Magic

(Windy City Magic #1)

by Crystal Cestari

⤞ GOODREADS BLURB ⤝

Amber Sand is not a witch. The Sand family Wicca gene somehow leapfrogged over her. But she did get one highly specific magical talent: she can see true love. As a matchmaker, Amber's pretty far down the sorcery food chain (even birthday party magicians rank higher), but after five seconds of eye contact, she can envision anyone's soul mate.

Amber works at her mother's magic shop--Windy City Magic--in downtown Chicago, and she's confident she's seen every kind of happy ending there is: except for one--her own. (The Fates are tricky jerks that way.) So when Charlie Blitzman, the mayor's son and most-desired boy in school, comes to her for help finding his father's missing girlfriend, she's distressed to find herself falling for him. Because while she can't see her own match, she can see his--and it's not Amber. How can she, an honest peddler of true love, pursue a boy she knows full well isn't her match?

The Best Kind of Magic is set in urban Chicago and will appeal to readers who long for magic in the real world. With a sharp-witted and sassy heroine, a quirky cast of mystical beings, and a heady dose of adventure, this novel will have you laughing out loud and questioning your belief in happy endings.


⤞ MY REVIEW ⤝


The first novel of Windy City Magic was a fantastic start to a bran new series, one I had not anticipated to like so much and one I absolutely loved.
From the easy to read writing and the brilliant heroine, all the way to the powerful message it emphasizes, which can be applied in so many different and deeper levels.

But, first things first...
Amber Sand is the descendant of a long ancestry of witches. But, she isn't one herself.
However, she does have a unique magical gift. She is a matchmaker. She has learnt to believe that everything is set to stone and once a love match has been declared, it is the only and absolute truth.

And, that book was all about slowly witnessing her realization that things aren't always so solid and concrete. In fact, her gift will even prove to wrongfully match two people right in front of her eyes. And, what about the matter of the heart? Sometimes, this is the organ that makes all the decisions, and doesn't really rely on the Fates.

Amber herself, is a strong character, one I grew to completely like, and one I trusted even if I suspected that some of her choices wouldn't turn out in the best possible ways. I loved her relationship with her best friend, Amani, who is in fact another supernatural, as she can 'see' the future, and a person that has been constantly mysterious about Amber's future. Which only served to exhilarate me even more, trying to catch the smallest of hints throughout the book.

The plot was very interesting, and I loved the fact that all the magic was taking place in Chicago, amidst all the standard and 'normal' craziness of the city. Amber's classmates were your typical non-supernatural beings, calling our heroine a freak and not believing in magic, unless it suited their purposes to ask her to confirm a match, and unless there was a confirmation of their current boyfriend being the one.

I will definitely be keeping an eye out for the second book of the series, because I can already tell just how much I will miss Amber and her crazily amazing life.

All in all, 5 stars for a book that deeply mesmerized me and 
made me devour it, unable to leave it down for more than five minutes.

⤝ ⤞

⤞ Find the book on Amazon ⤝

 ⤞ Find the book on Book Depository ⤝

Review ⤞ Mask of Shadows by Linsey Miller

Mask of  Shadows
(Mask of Shadows #1)
by Linsey Miller

⤞ GOODREADS BLURB ⤝

I Needed to Win.
They Needed to Die.

Sallot Leon is a thief, and a good one at that. But gender fluid Sal wants nothing more than to escape the drudgery of life as a highway robber and get closer to the upper-class—and the nobles who destroyed their home. 

When Sal steals a flyer for an audition to become a member of The Left Hand—the Queen’s personal assassins, named after the rings she wears—Sal jumps at the chance to infiltrate the court and get revenge. 

But the audition is a fight to the death filled with clever circus acrobats, lethal apothecaries, and vicious ex-soldiers. A childhood as a common criminal hardly prepared Sal for the trials. And as Sal succeeds in the competition, and wins the heart of Elise, an intriguing scribe at court, they start to dream of a new life and a different future, but one that Sal can have only if they survive.

⤞ MY REVIEW ⤝

Admittedly, this is one of those stories that I started and wasn't really sure I would like.
Because it is a controversial book. And, unfortunately, I am not used to reading that many novels who share this trait. But, that would never really stop me from reading a book, unless the storytelling or the way the book was written was painful to me.
Fortunately, this book had neither characteristic.

In fact, I so enjoyed this story, that I found myself more and more immersed into it, despite my initial hesitation. The plot had everything, from honor to vengeance, from (sometimes a little raw) violence to heartwarming romance, all the way to an agonizing cliffhanger.

Sal, our protagonist, was brilliant, honest and even kind in an honorable way.
His/her/their quest for avenging the death of all Nacean people through various ways, was the focus of the book. And, I found myself empathizing with this goal. For Nacea had been the victim of vicious shadows and the even more vicious warlocks who had created them.

It was such an easy read, and I am anxious to find out more about what happens next to Sal and to a particular other person I grew to love through the protagonist's eyes. Although, I have to admit, there are plenty more characters that grew fond in my heart through the struggles and pains they endured during this book.

My overall advice to everyone thinking about picking up this book is this:

Do not be put off reading the controversial blurb. This is the second book I've read this year that deals with controversy around gender identity and both of them haven't failed to amaze me with their awesome plot and unique qualities.
If you like the rest of the plot and you only hesitate because of that, please don't. You really won't regret picking this book up.

All in all, 3,5 stars for a book that was controversial and I loved every part of it, 

even if it had a little bit more violence and fighting than I would have liked otherwise.

⤝ ⤞

⤞ Find the book on Amazon ⤝

 ⤞ Find the book on Book Depository ⤝

Reviewed ♠ Caraval (Caraval #1) by Stephanie Garber

Caraval (Caraval #1) 

by Stephanie Garber

Goodreads Blurb

Whatever you've heard about Caraval, it doesn't compare to the reality. It's more than just a game or a performance. It's the closest you'll ever find to magic in this world . . . 

Welcome, welcome to Caraval―Stephanie Garber’s sweeping tale of two sisters who escape their ruthless father when they enter the dangerous intrigue of a legendary game.

Scarlett has never left the tiny island where she and her beloved sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval, the far-away, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show, are over.

But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.

Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. But she nevertheless becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic with the other players in the game. And whether Caraval is real or not, she must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over, a dangerous domino effect of consequences is set off, and her sister disappears forever.

My Review

Friendly advice: Do not read this book before going to bed, because you will simply end up neglecting your sleep, unable to let this book and this story out of your grasp, not even for a few hours.

In fact, in my case, I was in such a constant state of anxiousness, I kept turning the pages until I regretfully reached the end of this book, without even realizing it.

This story was so well-thought and well-written, the characters so truthful, some being so lovely and some others so loathsome, it was incredible. And, the book, of course, soon became one of the best I've read all year, seemingly effortlessly.

Meaning that everything took place so fast and the turns and plot twists were always around the corner, taking you by complete surprise, even if you were already suspicious of the ever-changing nature of Caraval and its players.

And, towards the end, when everything starts being slowly explained and things become clearer, it gets even more intriguing to go back and read the book from the beginning, seeing in new light all that took place and finally starting to make sense of it all.

As for the characters, Scarlett is amazing! She is who most people would be under similar circumstances. Confused, distrustful but brave and intelligent enough to keep going and trying to solve one riddle at a time, no matter how hard the situation. She is definitely my favorite of the two sisters, despite the fact that their strong bond makes me deeply envious of their relationship, and the fact that this is the kind of love I have never experienced and, sadly, do not expect to do so, anymore.

Concerning Julian, the mysterious sailor that whisks Tella and Scar away from their small isle, and introduces them to the mysterious and thrilling world of Caraval, all I can say is this:

I think I found myself a brand new book boyfriend.

One that made me feel all the things the heroine was feeling (yes, it is that much of a well-written book), and one that possibly even won me over even before we reached the half of the book.

And, of course, I couldn't not mention that ending. So mysterious and yet so revealing, and making me crave the second book in the series long before it is published.

From what the author herself has said, this is not the first book she has ever written.

However, after that introduction to the book industry, I am definitely going to be hooked and faithfully read everything she writes from now on.

All in all, there is nothing better than to be so immersed in a book, and read it so fast because the pages and the story are flowing so smoothly, that you find yourself unable to put it down. How not to give all the stars in such a book? Or, more accurately, a tear drop inside a star inside a sun!

Reviewed ♠ Confessions of a Shopaholic (Shopaholic, #1) by Sophie Kinsella

Confessions of a Shopaholic (Shopaholic, #1) 
by Sophie Kinsella

Goodreads Blurb

 Meet Rebecca Bloomwood.

She’s a journalist. She spends her working life telling others how to manage their money.

She spends her leisure time … shopping.

Retail therapy is the answer to all her problems. She knows she should stop, but she can’t. She tries Cutting Back, she tries Making More Money. But neither seems to work. The stories she concocts become more and more fantastic as she tries to untangle her increasingly dire financial difficulties. Her only comfort is to buy herself something – just a little something…

Can Becky ever escape from this dream world, find true love, and regain the use of her Switch card?

My Review

I found out about this book while searching for novels taking place in London, but I never expected just how awesomely British it would turn out to be!

There was quite a lot of British slang, which I immensely enjoyed, as I am not particularly used to it (yet), and the humor flawed in abundance in every single page. But not pointlessly, let me tell you.

In fact, some of the situations Rebecca (a name I looove, too) was throwing herself into were down-right hilarious, some really embarrassing, most of them had me sighing in exasperation and there was a point that I actually wanted to cry and also felt really proud of our heroine.

But, first things first. In the beginning of the novel, Rebecca Bloomwood is a spoiled young woman, working for a secondary financial newspaper, and having constantly only one thing in mind. Shopping. In a continuous circle of clothes-shoes-makeup-clothes. Despite her debt. Which is getting worse and worse with every mindless purchase she makes.

The banks and the various companies, whose debit cards have got way over the limit, are trying to contact her and how does she deal with it? Throw away their letters in numerous creative ways and go out for more shopping!

Really, as a person who doesn't like shopping all that much, reading about a character that is practically and utterly addicted to it, was hilarious, and just a little bit irritated by her complete lack of self-control. But, all these intense feelings only served to intensify my interest to see just how far could she go with that kind of behavior.

I found this novel completely addicting and just couldn't help but be completely absorbed by it and turning each page with more anticipation than the last one.

It was the kind of read I needed to enjoy on a quiet rainy afternoon, thinking of London's biggest and fanciest roads and the lives the different people living on them, lead.

I could almost say it was a fluffy read, but I wouldn't do it justice, considering it was so much more.

It was interesting, funny, with a witty and very clever protagonist, and a lot of unexpected courses of events that could inspire even the most hopeless of shopaholics.

Reviewed ♠ Maestra (Maestra #1) by L.S. Hilton

Maestra (Maestra #1)

by L.S. Hilton

Goodreads blurb

A shockingly original thriller - the launch title of Zaffre, the new fiction imprint of Bonnier Publishing Fiction

Judith Rashleigh works as an assistant in a prestigious London auction house, but her dreams of breaking into the art world have been gradually dulled by the blunt forces of snobbery and corruption. To make ends meet she moonlights as a hostess in one of the West End's less salubrious bars - although her work there pales against her activities on nights off.

When Judith stumbles across a conspiracy at her auction house, she is fired before she can expose the fraud. In desperation, she accepts an offer from one of the bar's clients to accompany him to the French Riviera. But when an ill-advised attempt to slip him sedatives has momentous consequences, Judith finds herself fleeing for her life.

Now alone and in danger, all Judith has to rely on is her consummate ability to fake it amongst the rich and famous - and the inside track on the hugely lucrative art fraud that triggered her dismissal.

Set in the exotic palaces and yachts of Europe's seriously wealthy - plus graphic sex. With a heroine as wickedly perceptive as Amy Dunne and as dangerous as Lisbeth Salander, this marks the beginning of a sequence of novels that will have readers around the world on the edge of their seats and holding their breath. 

My Review

I have to admit that I had very high expectations when I picked this book.

I was actually ogling it in physical and online bookstores for several months.

However, when I actually got the chance to acquire it, and started reading it, the verdict didn't end up being so positive.

The opposite, in fact.

At first, it was okay, our heroine (whose name I have to think very hard about, in order to remember, after all those different ones she has used) was just a hardworking girl, who had made her life entirely on her own, with no help whatsoever from anyone else. And, (at first, let me emphasise) I actually admired her for it.

But, then, she just became power-money-fashion-sex hungry, interested only in herself, setting up dangerous tricks and even ending up killing people that didn't fill into her plans.

Somewhere around that point I had started being fed up of her whole attitude and her character in general, and the constant extremely detailed descriptions of every single piece of outfit she was wearing.

All in all, I'm disappointed to say, and try hard to avoid any strong verbs or nouns, that this book deeply tired me and almost forced me to drop it and never pick it up again, but I kept going just because I was curious as to how many more people would the heroine get rid of and play around like they were nothing.

NEW RELEASE & REVIEW | Trapped In Silver by Emily Sowden

 Title: Trapped In Silver

Series:  Eldryn Chronicles (#1)

Author: Sowden, Emily

Format: e-book ARC provided by Oftomes Publishing

Edition: English

Publisher: Oftomes Publishing

Publication: February 7th, 2017

Goodreads Blurb: 

" Courage comes from a shadowed place in our hearts; a blurred line that straddles love and sheer stupidity.
To seventeen-year-old Ava, wild woodcats, hungry stragglers, and simple-minded townsfolk are the evils she’s grown accustomed to. But when Ethan, an unusual man with eyes of smoke and fire opal, enters her world she quickly understands that there are worse things out there than drunken men and carnivorous forest creatures. She’s a specialised liar and a hell of a fighter, but against a group of animalistic men called Berserkers she struggles to survive the encounter as the desperate swing of a dagger is all it takes to change her life for good.
Half-dead and hunted by the Berserker’s leader when he forms a monstrous obsession with her, Ava escapes his pursuit in an unfamiliar land full of impossible creatures, unlikely allies, and the man she doesn’t know whether to kiss or kill. 
But after dreadful news of her missing brother surfaces, Ava becomes more involved in the centuries-long war and begins to unravel the reasons behind her relentless nightmares, discovering truths long-buried in a violent history of love, loss and betrayal. "

My Rating: ✿✿✿✿✿

My Review:

Trapped in Silver is a brand new release, the first book in a very promising new series and the debut novel of the author!

It is so beautifully written, capturing our attention right from the beginning and making us anxious to reveal all the secrets and mysteries revolving around Ava, Ethan, and everyone involved with them! And, believe me, the story is rich with them, that you constantly feel like you just have to keep reading, to find out about everything!

That's what happened to me.

Ava's story captured my full attention, right from the start, with her personality and strength and bravery, playing a huge role in my respect of it.

I love reading about fierce protagonists, that can embrace their weaknesses and make them their strengths. And, Ava, was just that.

There is the mystery of her visions, her locket, her family history, her foster brother!

And, then, there's Ethan, who is a moving mystery himself!

Not to mention, so many other interesting characters, that I deeply liked and constantly wanted to see more about! Like Ric and Lavender!

All of them, amazing characters, with carefully thought and described personalities.

And, don't even get me started on Ava and Ethan's interactions!

I actually wanted to shudder myself at certain points!

Another aspect of this book and the way its story unfolded, that I loved, was the fact that the mysteries surrounding the characters were revealed in such a way that it felt completely natural. The way it's supposed to be, when the heroes get more used to each other, and start confessing their secrets.

For something less that half of the book, I wasn't even sure what kind of creatures most of them were!

Although, I had my suspicions, only because I am a part of the original review team, so I had a rough idea of two of the main species of importance!

The adventures of Ava were numerous, and the dangers she was called to face, were to certainly give me nightmares, too, if I were her, even if I didn't have such occurrences before!

And, the moment you thought that her life would get a little less dangerous, suddenly all hell would break loose again, and new challenges would arise!

This fact made me be constantly alert and I just loved it!

All in all, 4.5 stars for a wonderful debut novel, 

the start of a promising new series,

filled with so much adventure and action, 

that made me completely anxious and unable to put this book down!

~~~

I was part of the #TeamBerserker 

and loved it through and through!

Find out more on Twitter about both #TeamBerserker and #TeamDemon,

and take the quiz to see which creature YOU are!

REVIEW | Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Córdova

 Title: Labyrinth Lost

Series:  Brooklyn Brujas (#1)

Author: Córdova, Zoraida

Format: e-book ARC provided by NetGalley

Edition: English

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Publication: September 6th, 2016

Pages: 336

Goodreads Blurb: 

" Nothing says Happy Birthday like summoning the spirits of your dead relatives.

I fall to my knees. Shattered glass, melted candles and the outline of scorched feathers are all that surround me. Every single person who was in my house – my entire family — is gone.

Alex is a bruja, the most powerful witch in a generation…and she hates magic. At her Deathday celebration, Alex performs a spell to rid herself of her power. But it backfires. Her whole family vanishes into thin air, leaving her alone with Nova, a brujo boy she can’t trust. A boy whose intentions are as dark as the strange markings on his skin.

The only way to get her family back is to travel with Nova to Los Lagos, a land in-between, as dark as Limbo and as strange as Wonderland…

Beautiful Creatures meets Daughter of Smoke and Bone with an infusion of Latin American tradition in this highly original fantasy adventure. "

My Rating: ✿✿✿✿✿

My Review:

This novel was the kind of book that I started with the intent to only read the first few pages and get a feel of it, and ended up, three hours and 7 chapters later (at 6am none the less), grudgingly putting it down in order to get some sleep, all the while thinking about the story!

It was the kind of book that kept me up in my sleepless nights, for the sole reason that you just CAN'T put it down so easily!

Every time I vowed that I will read on more chapter, or even a few more pages, I would find myself addicted and unable to stop!

So much is happening, and when you think things are going to get a little more steady for our dear bruja protagonist, BAM, new plot twists and challenges arise!

But, let's take things one at a time...

The story follows Alejandra, a young bruja (the Spanish/Mexican word for a witch, because our heroine is descented from these countries, as well as from Africa, and not from European witch bloodlines), who lives in Brooklyn, and all she wants is to become an ordinary girl!

Right from the first chapter, the first line actually ("The second time I saw my dead Aunt Rosaria, she was dancing") the book introduces us to the many mysteries that surround Alex and her powers.

Mysteries like her Aunt Rosaria's death, her father's disappearance, the constant guilty feelings of Alex, who blames herself regarding that fact, as well as her powers, which are supposed to have been manifested, although our heroine keeps that a secret from her mother and her two sisters.

Alejandra is a shy, introverted girl, that only has one friend, Rishi, from whom, of course, she withholds the fact she is actually a bruja, even if the whole school regards her as strange and unusual (not in a good way, though).

After an incident which involved her best and only friend, Alex is forced to act on her powers, a fact that, of course, can't be kept a secret.

Soon, she learns that her power is unlike that of her mother and older sister Lula's (who are healers) and her younger sister Rose's (who is able to speak with the dead and foresee what's coming).

On the contrary, she is far more special and unique than she could have ever imagined!

She continues wishing that she can get rid of her powers though, a thought that only gets greater after her meeting with Nova, a charming young brujo.

At her Deathday (the ceremony in which young brujas and brujos get a blessing from all of their blood relatives - alive or not), she decides to act on it, and instead cast an enchantment with which she hopes to be relieved of her power.

But, when she acts on that urge, all hell breaks loose. Literally!

In order to protect Alejandra, her whole family (both the living and the dead, at that) stands in front of her and gets sucked into another dimension, a dark one, where souls of dead people usually end up!

Now, Alejandra needs to create a portal and travel to that dimension (Los Lagos), in order to free her family.

Only Nova can help her do that, who asks for a fat payment in order to guide her.

From that point on, the story gets more and more adventurous, with Alex and Nova facing many difficulties, seeing new, dangerous places while the travel through Los Lagos, and meet people that could either harm them, or help them reach their goal and face The Devourer, the dark being, former bruja, who is after Alex's powers.

I loved all the side characters, with each and every one of them having their own unique personality, from the heroine's family and friends to the beings they encountered on this epic journey!

There was also a love triangle, which believe it or not, was half GLBT, a fact that amazed me, as this was the first time I encountered it in a book!

I had a preference regarding whom the heroine should end up with, a fact that had to do more with Alex's actual feelings, than my own preferences.

But, then, my whole world collapsed along with Alex's, as the events unfolded in such a quick way that had me devouring the book 'till the not-so-early hours of the day, in order to find out exactly what is going on, and how things came to this, and, most importantly, why?!

All in all, 5 stars for a book that I deeply loved and literally couldn't put down, 

as it made me anxious about everything going on. 

5 stars for a fast-paced adventure that will make you, too, 

obsessed with this new series and its author, 

and devastated that its sequel will be coming almost at the end of the year!