This month was a great reading month. I managed to read ten books across many different genres. Surprisingly, my favorite reads were not the popular books I tried, but two books my friend suggested that I probably would not have picked up on my own.
So here are the two needles in a haystack that I read this month and think you should give a try as well.
Enjoy!
The Rise of The Vicious Princess
Book Title: Rise of the Vicious Princess
Author: C.J Redwine
Length: 432 pages
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Action, Fiction, YA
My Rating: 4.5/5
My Age Rating: 13+
Content Notes: Violence, Crude Comments, Emotional themes, sex(skipped over, very clean)
Book Synopsis:
Princess Charis Willowthorn has been raised to be Calera’s sharpest weapon. Trained to be ruthless and cunning, her only goal is to hold her war-torn kingdom together long enough to find a path toward peace with their ancient foe, Montevallo, even if the cost is her happiness and her own heart.
When violence erupts within the castle itself, Charis is forced to assume her mother’s duties and manage both the war and the kingdom. Thrust into a role she never wanted but cannot refuse, she must navigate political intrigue, fragile alliances, and dangerous secrets, all while walking a careful line between duty and desire.
Living a double life, Charis fights for her kingdom while guarding a forbidden affection for the one person sworn to protect her, yet never allowed to be hers. The boy who guards her life but steals her heart.
With enemies hiding in the shadows and the fate of Calera hanging in the balance, Charis must decide how much she is willing to sacrifice to save her people, and whether power is worth the cost of her heart.
Book Review:
My friend read this book before me and basically forced me to read it. Well, not really. I willingly picked it up the moment I heard it had the princess and bodyguard trope.
This book completely blew me away. I am still recovering from it in the best way possible. The romance was a true slow burn and was delivered perfectly. It was also clean, with no swearing and no explicit sex. They might have slept together, but I did not even realize it until I really thought about it, so it never felt uncomfortable or inappropriate. There was a fair amount of violence and definitely some crude comments throughout, though.
I really loved the story and the characters. The plot progressed at a great pace, and the ending… let’s just say I need to get my hands on the sequel before my heart explodes.
Overall, I loved this book and am so glad I read it. I would recommend it to anyone over 13 who loves romantic slow burns, well-placed humor, and nail-biting action. This book is easy to devour.
The Goliath Code
Book Title: The Goliath Code
Author: Suzanne Leonhard
Length: 392 pages
Genre: Dystopian, Fiction, Christian Fiction
My Rating: 4/5
My Age Rating: 13-14+
Content Notes: Violence, gore, mild swearing, mentions of prostitution, death
Book Synopsis:
A massive Yellowstone super-eruption has decimated the United States, throwing the world into chaos. Millions are dead, and millions more vanish without explanation. When Sera Donner’s mother is taken by the light, Sera is left to protect her disabled twin brother as they seek safety within their isolated mountain community.
As resources dwindle, fear takes over, and survival becomes a brutal test of loyalty. Neighbors turn against one another, forcing Sera to make impossible choices to protect the people she loves.
Her only source of comfort is Micah Abrams, her brother’s bitter enemy. Once known for violence, Micah now clings to faith and speaks of hope in a coming King. Sera is desperate for hope, but can she really trust this schoolyard bully suddenly turned prophet?
When a powerful outside force arrives promising order and salvation, the community believes rescue has finally come. But as Sera soon learns, the greatest threats often come disguised as answers.
Book Review:
This book really intrigued me. It is about the Rapture. If you do not know what that is, it is essentially the end of the world as described in the Bible, when all Christians are taken to heaven before chaos breaks out on Earth.
I have always loved dystopian novels, but I had never read one based on real biblical events. Nevertheless, I completely devoured this book. It was definitely a bit scary. I truly hope I am in heaven if all of this ever happens. I also learned a lot while reading it.
The plot was not the strongest I have ever read, but I still really enjoyed it, and the writing style was easy to follow. I also liked the characters, especially Micah. They felt relatable, and I quickly grew to love some and strongly dislike others.
The only thing I did not love was that the romance felt slightly lacking. Since it was not the main focus, it was pushed to the sidelines, and I wish we had gotten a bit more of it, especially because what we did get was really good.
The book was clean, with only minimal swearing and no sex, just kissing. There are mentions of prostitution, concubines and human trafficking, so I would still recommend this book for mid to older teens. It is definitely heavy. The Rapture is not a light topic, and there is a lot of war, death, and disturbing events.
Overall, I would suggest this book for ages 14 and up, or 13 and up for mature readers. It is a great pick for anyone who loves dystopian stories, action, and a deeper look at the biblical end times.
P.S. I read Revelations after finishing this book, and several things I did not understand before suddenly made a lot more sense.
Final Thoughts:
Thanks for reading. I hope you found a new book to add to your TBR list this month.
Remember: don’t judge a book by its cover. Quite literally in this case.
Happy reading,
Ava
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