Book Review | The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

I was generously gifted a copy of The Inheritance Games by Penguin Random House South Africa. This was one of my most highly anticipated reads, so you can imagine how excited I was when I opened my book mail to find this beauty in there! 🤩 And how awesome is that cover?

Published: September 2020
Pages: 400
Pace: Medium
Genre: Mystery, Young Adult, Contemporary

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

I absolutely loved the premise of The Inheritance Games. In a nutshell, there is a rich family consisting of the grandfather, his children and their children. The grandfather is so rich it makes your eyes water. And then he passes away. Now everyone comes together for the reading of his will to see how many gazillions each of them gets, only… Most of them get absolute peanuts and one girl, who is a stranger to the family, inherits EVERYTHING! I’m talking all the material possessions and money we all dream of owning all at once. Now, there is pandemonium as the family tries to figure out why this girl got everything. And she has one condition. She has to stay in the mansion… Doesn’t it sound amazing??

I loved everything about this book. I loved the story line. I loved envisioning myself as Avery, who just inherited all this wealth (and all the drama that comes with that). I loved meeting each member of the family and exploring their different motivations and their different personalities. I thoroughly enjoyed the journey of discovering the mansion and all its cool rooms and tunnels and mazes.

And obviously, I thought that Tobias Hawthorne was a treat of note. I so enjoyed how his legacy of games and mazes and puzzles lived on, even in death. The adventure of the lot of them figuring out clues that he had left and moving on to the next piece of the puzzle. It was exactly my kind of story.

I thought the pace and the intrigue was done really well. The characters were strong and believable. The many different elements in the book kept me so hooked. It’s safe to say I could not put this book down. I wish I could read and experience it for the first time again. It was so good. I cannot wait for the second book in the series. That ending was just too much after the crazy adventure we had just been on.

Five out of five for me. What a great read. If you would like to buy yourself a copy, click here.

To add it to your Goodreads TBR list (because you need to), click here.

Until next time! 😊
Chevonn

Book Review | The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna

I was so generously gifted a review copy by Penguin Random House South Africa. I was ecstatic to have received this one as I had seen it all over Bookstagram and the premise of the book sounded fantastic! I received the copy with the beautiful sprayed edges. I’m so in love with it. And that cover is just stunning! 😍

Published: February 2021
Pages: 416
Pace: Fast
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Fiction

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

I’d like to start off by saying I have seen many mixed reviews when it comes to The Gilded Ones. However, I genuinely and thoroughly enjoyed it. I rated it 5 stars as I was captivated, entertained, made to think and engrossed in the story from beginning to end. It was just over 400 pages but it read quickly and was fast paced!

The Gilded Ones tackles some really important topics in such a unique way. Girls can bleed gold and, if they do, it exposes them as impure – something all girls dread somewhere around their 16th birthdays. Deka lives in a seriously patriarchal society that is truly horrible and violent. Will she be saved or will it only get worse?

I really enjoyed following Deka’s journey and felt a lot of what she went through. I shared her frustrations when her questions weren’t being answered. I loved how she developed as a character. I also loved the beautiful friendships that developed with the other girls in the story. There was a bit of romance which was sweet. I could understand how it could get intense as quickly as it did since they were in a highly stressful environment. There was a lot of personality within the characters.

I especially enjoyed how badass and special Deka was in her abilities but the twist in the end was shocking. The world building and the creative animals and places was so interesting and kept me really engrossed. I was invested in Deka’s life and her story.

Lastly, by way of a warning, there are some graphic scenes and many things that could be distressing such as violence, torture, battle scenes and mistreatment of women and children. I do believe it all adds to the story but it could be really upsetting to some.

This was an amazing read. It was interesting and really well written! I would highly recommend it and I can’t wait for the second book in the series, The Merciless Ones! Come quickly 2022!

When you are ready to buy your copy, just click here and thank me later! 😉

Until next time! 😊
Chevonn