Glass Sword

Mare Barrow's blood is red- the color of COMMON FOLK but her silver ability, the power to control lightning has turned her into a weapon that the royal court tried to control.

The crown calls her an impossibility, a fake, but as she makes her escape from Maven, the prince-the friend-who betrayed her, Mare uncovers something startling: she is not the only one of her kind.

Pursued by Maven, now a vindictive king, Mare sets out to find and recruit other Red-and Silver fighters to join in the struggle against her oppressors.

But Mare finds herself on a deadly path, at risk of becoming exactly the kind of monster she is trying to defeat.

Will she shatter under the weight of the lives that are the cost of rebellion? Or have treachery and betrayal hardened her forever? - excerpt from book

Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard is the second book in this trilogy and I have to say I was a bit disappointed in it. I think it's because I was expecting a lot more action in this book but it was not up to my standard nonetheless it was still a good sequel. I think the highlight of this book is the character growth but I sometimes find Mare a bit whiny. Her interactions with other characters are sometimes exciting and also frustrating too. There were moments that I wanted to slap her so so bad. Mare did change a lot in the whole journey of this book to the point that either you love her or hate her. 

The White Rose

No one said leaving The Jewel would be easy.

After the Duchess of the Lake catches Violet with Ash, the hired companion at the Palace of the Lake, Violet has no choice but to escape. So along with Ash and her best friend, Raven, Violet runs away from her unbearable life of servitude.

But as they make their way through the circles of the Lone City, Regimentals track their every move, and the trio barely manages to make it into the safe haven they were promised-a mysterious house in the Farm.

But there's a rebellion brewing, and Violet has found herself in the middle of it. Alongside a new ally, Violet discovers her Auguries are much more powerful than she ever imagined. But is she strong enough to rise up against the Jewel and everything she has ever known? - excerpt from book.

The White Rose by Amy Ewing is the second book of the Lone City trilogy. My attention was already captured at the start of the book, it was super exciting and action packed. With a start like this, the book was bound to be good and surely it did not disappoint me at all. It was a book that was hard to put down, you have to keep reading to know their journey. As you can tell, the plot was fantastically good, non stop action and excitement with many incidents in the story. The incidents that happen are very smooth and connects really well to the plot line, everything happens at very good timing. The plot twists were just so good and unexpected.

The main character in this book has the most growth in this second book and mostly it is the circumstances that she's in that needed her to change. I love that we get to learn more about the side characters in this book as the first book just manage to touch the surface of those characters and in this book so much more was revealed about their past. Their actions towards incidents of the book was fantastic and on point to their personality. I loved every character in this book and they truly make the story come alive.

This second book really beat the ball out of the park. It was exciting, capturing, fast-paced and also with a message attached to the story. I couldn't stop reading so I finished it quickly hoping it was a thicker book. I absolutely loved this book more than the first which was a great start but this second book puts so much more perspective into the world that the characters live in. I highly recommend this book to fantasy lovers, although there might be similarities to other books it's still unique. If you have read the first book, you must read the second, it will not disappoint you. I seriously can't wait for the last one to be out, it's gonna be a one year wait. For those who have not read this trilogy go pick up the first book, my review is here: The Jewel (The Lone City #1)

The Jewel

Today is my last day as Violet Lasting.

The Jewel means wealth. The Jewel means beauty, The Jewel means royalty.

But for girls like Violet, the Jewel means servitude.

Violet, born and raised in the Marsh, has been trained to work for the royalty. And she quickly learns of the brutal truths that lie beneath the Jewel's glittering facade: the cruelty, backstabbing, and hidden violence that have become the royal way of life. 

When an unlikely friendship offers her an opportunity she never dreamed possible, Violet clings to the hope for a better life. But a forbidden romance changes everything. And suddenly Violet finds herself in a different kind of danger, one that may cost her more than she bargained for.

The Jewel by Amy Ewing is the first book of The Lone City trilogy. It's about a girl name Violet being trained to be a surrogate and little did she know things aren't what she thought it is. I like the concept of this book as it's in the dystopia genre. The world built is an interesting place and the people in it are awful but it makes the story good. I feel that the plot flowed really well with a good twist at good moments. This book can grab my attention well at good moments but also some chapters can be just okay, nothing exciting.

I didn't quite like the main female character as I felt she is a bit too immature and naive but I guess it fits the story well. Sadly, I did not see much character growth for her or maybe I was expecting too much. The other characters of the book are interesting people as not much has been revealed yet and I'm sure that's on purpose. I'm really curious to know more about other people instead of Violet. Sad to say she kind of annoys me. The romance of the book is insta-love style which is not acceptable for me as I prefer love that slowly blossoms. The love story seems rushed and lack of development which puts me off a little.

Overall, it is a story that has much interesting elements and many questions unanswered which intrigued me to continue reading and I'll definitely wait for the second book. The ending was also quite shocking to me and that itself earn a star on it's own. This book represents many things that I feel young people should know about society. I love the message I got from the book and I hope others who read this understands it as well. A good story to enjoy just forego the romance part and I'd like to recommend to dystopia lovers.