Bloodleaf is Cyrstal Smith’s debut novel and is the first in a trilogy. I was originally intimidated by the book because, let’s face it- both the cover and title are pretty… strong, and I’ve never had a strong stomach for blood. I went in with very low expectations and am happy to say that I was pleasantly surprised by the book!

Voices: The Final Hours of Joan of Arc by David Elliott. is a collection of poems told in rhymed and metered verse that tells the story of the legendary Joan of Arc. i received this at Comic Con and was so ready to dive right in. I’ve always found Joan of Arc to be a fascinating and mysterious historical figure, and I was sure that this form of writing would provide some beautiful insight into the woman.

Hi everyone! How has your 2019 been? This new year has been off to a shaky start for me, but with such an incredible TBR ahead of me, I can’t help but feel some sort of happiness. I’ve been taking a step back these first few weeks of January and experimenting with “me time” that actually works for me. That might mean a few changes to the blog in the next couple of months! But first, I’m back with a review of a novel that I was really looking forward to, Empress of All Seasons by Emiko Jean. It’s a YA fantasy inspired by Japanese mythology that might remind readers of The Hunger Games or The Selection.