Hunted by Megan Spooner

Author: Megan Spooner
Publisher: HarperTeen
Date of publication: March 2017

Beauty knows the Beast’s forest in her bones—and in her blood. Though she grew up with the city’s highest aristocrats, far from her father’s old lodge, she knows that the forest holds secrets and that her father is the only hunter who’s ever come close to discovering them. 

So when her father loses his fortune and moves Yeva and her sisters back to the outskirts of town, Yeva is secretly relieved. Out in the wilderness, there’s no pressure to make idle chatter with vapid baronessas…or to submit to marrying a wealthy gentleman. But Yeva’s father’s misfortune may have cost him his mind, and when he goes missing in the woods, Yeva sets her sights on one prey: the creature he’d been obsessively tracking just before his disappearance. 

Deaf to her sisters’ protests, Yeva hunts this strange Beast back into his own territory—a cursed valley, a ruined castle, and a world of creatures that Yeva’s only heard about in fairy tales. A world that can bring her ruin or salvation. Who will survive: the Beauty, or the Beast?

I have always loved Beauty and the Beast, so I was looking forward to this retelling.  In Hunted, Yeva has lived a privileged life. When her father loses everything in a business deal,  she and her family must move to the family cabin deep in the woods.  This is the place that Yeva feels most at home.  Her father slowly goes crazy and disappears one day into the woods.  Yeva takes it upon herself to go find him.

I did enjoy the book. I liked Yeva and the Beast characters.  Yeva was a strong female lead and was a good match for the Beast. The Beast was interesting and did have some layers. Their tie together did drag at times , however.  I will say that I was hoping for more of a twist to the story.  But the retelling pretty much follows the story line of most adaptations of Beauty and the Beast.  There isn't really much new here.  There are even a few magical creatures thrown in to the mix.  One aspect of the story that I did enjoy a lot was the mythology behind how the Beast came to be.  That story was a little different and did set Yeva up for a few interesting tests.  This is a stand alone with a satisfying HEA.   I would recommend it to any YA fantasy enthusiast.

Their Fractured Light by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

Authors: Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Date of publication: December 2015

A year ago, Flynn Cormac and Jubilee Chase made the now infamous Avon Broadcast, calling on the galaxy to witness for their planet, and protect them from destruction. Some say Flynn’s a madman, others whisper about conspiracies. Nobody knows the truth. A year before that, Tarver Merendsen and Lilac LaRoux were rescued from a terrible shipwreck—now, they live a public life in front of the cameras, and a secret life away from the world’s gaze.

Now, in the center of the universe on the planet of Corinth, all four are about to collide with two new players, who will bring the fight against LaRoux Industries to a head. Gideon Marchant is an eighteen-year-old computer hacker—a whiz kid and an urban warrior. He’ll climb, abseil and worm his way past the best security measures to pull off onsite hacks that others don’t dare touch.

Sofia Quinn has a killer smile, and by the time you’re done noticing it, she’s got you offering up your wallet, your car, and anything else she desires. She holds LaRoux Industries responsible for the mysterious death of her father and is out for revenge at any cost.

I was stalking the library for the final book in this trilogy. I enjoyed the first two book and was hoping this final one would be the perfect ending to the story.  Their Fractured Light was a great conclusion!  While not my favorite of the trilogy, it was still a great read.  I just felt like it was slow to get going.  It also took me a little bit to warm up to Sophie.  But Gideon won me over right away. 

It was hard to figure out how these two fit into the overall story, but once the reveal happens about midway through the book, things make a lot of sense. So just hang in there. The authors were very clever in how they make everything fall into place. I also loved the "whisper" portions at the beginning of  each chapter.  They actually provide a lot of insight to the overall story-line. There is also a very surprising twist of events that really kept me on the edge of my seat during the second half of the book.  The ending was just perfect for the series!

I do have to say that I wouldn't recommend reading this series out of order.  I don't think that this third book holds up as a stand alone book.  You kind of need some of back story or a lot of the events in the later half of the book won't make sense.  I highly recommend this series to any YA reader.  I have definitely enjoyed the journey.

This Shattered World by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

Authors: Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner
Publisher:Disney-Hyperion
Date of publication: December 2014

Jubilee Chase and Flynn Cormac should never have met.

Lee is captain of the forces sent to Avon to crush the terraformed planet's rebellious colonists, but she has her own reasons for hating the insurgents.

Rebellion is in Flynn's blood. Terraforming corporations make their fortune by recruiting colonists to make the inhospitable planets livable, with the promise of a better life for their children. But they never fulfilled their promise on Avon, and decades later, Flynn is leading the rebellion.

Desperate for any advantage in a bloody and unrelentingly war, Flynn does the only thing that makes sense when he and Lee cross paths: he returns to base with her as prisoner. But as his fellow rebels prepare to execute this tough-talking girl with nerves of steel, Flynn makes another choice that will change him forever. He and Lee escape the rebel base together, caught between two sides of a senseless war.

This Shattered World is the second book in the Starbound series.  Autumn and I did a joint review of the first book last year.  This Shattered World, thankfully, features a new couple who are unwittingly caught up in a fight for their planet and their lives.  I say thankfully because I am getting a little tired of the same main characters involved in a trilogy that probably could be a duology or a little longer stand alone.  Having said that, I probably wouldn't read this one unless you have read These Broken Stars.  There are things in this one that refer back to the first and a new reader might be confused.

I enjoyed This Shattered World.  I thought it was a good addition to the series.  We learn a little more about the whispers and the evil Laroux industries.  There were a couple of twists that cause some anguish between Jubilee and Flynn but I was satisfied with the resolution.  As in the first, the romance is slow to build and that was refreshing.  Jubilee and Flynn slowly learn to trust each other without the insta-love. In the end there is the hope for a HEA.   One of the things that I have been liking about this series is the authors' ability to write a strong kick-ass female character.  I liked Jubilee and the fact that she could save herself.  She made a better match for the rebel Flynn.  

Fans of Lilac and Tarver from the first book will be happy to see them make an appearance. It also serves to help tie the two books together.  The next book, Their fractured Light comes out next year.  I look forward to the conclusion!

Joint Review: These Broken Stars by Aime Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

Author: Aime Kaufman & Meagan Spooner
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Date of publication: December 2013

It's a night like any other on board the Icarus. Then, catastrophe strikes: the massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive. And they seem to be alone.

Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a young war hero who learned long ago that girls like Lilac are more trouble than they’re worth. But with only each other to rely on, Lilac and Tarver must work together, making a tortuous journey across the eerie, deserted terrain to seek help.

These Broken Stars was a pretty good read.  I felt like it was fast paced and never really stalled anywhere for me.  I actually liked that most of the story took place on the deserted planet.  I gave the main characters a chance to really develop a relationship.  I loved that Tarver and Lilac didn't get along at first.  Their friendship and love developed over time.  It was nice that there was no inst-love and no love triangle!

It's kind of hard to review without giving away key plot points.  I liked the couple of twists that the characters find out about the planet and what really happened there.  I also loved how it ended. The book alternates between Lilac and Tarver's point of view with the story continually moving forward.  Sprinkled throughout the book are excerpts from Tarver's interview about what happened on the planet.  I liked that concept.  Autumn and I both listened to the audio and it was well done with two different narrators.  I look forward to reading the next in the series, This Shattered World.

Like Kari mentioned, I liked the alternating view points.  I particularly liked the interviews at the beginning of each chapter.  It gave the reader a glimpse into how Tarver was treated by his superior officers and what happened off the planet.  

There were some pretty amazing plot twists in this book.  In fact, I kept thinking to myself that these authors were pretty rough.  However, I think they kept expectations fairly realistic.  Like if this were to happen, what's a realistic reaction?  Not some kind of romantic reaction and I liked that.  I liked the verbal interplay that Tarver and Lilac had too.  It was fun to listen to.
I would definitely recommend it and look forward to the next book.