Jasminda’s life has never been easy. Orphaned, alone, and an outcast in her homeland for her gift of Earthsong, Jasminda simply wants to keep her family farm alive. When soldiers arrive at her doorstep with Jack, an injured spy, she’s forced to leave her home behind. Jack only wanted to prove that the mantle between their two kingdoms was about to fall, and it nearly cost him his life. When Jasminda saves his life, the two must do whatever it takes to save his kingdom from the True Father, and Jasminda’s Earthsong is the only thing that can do it. As Jasminda and Jack rush to discover the secrets of The Queen Who Sleeps, they must constantly choose between love and duty if they want to end this war.

I really liked this book. At its core, its a love story. While Jack and Jasminda are trying to make peace between the kingdoms, they’re also trying to figure out their feelings for each other and if there’s even a chance for them to be together. All the characters were incredibly well written and multidimensional, even the background characters were dynamic and fascinating. The worldbuilding was really interesting and well done. I loved reading about Earthsong and all the things it could do. There are a few more mature scenes in the book, and I would recommend this more for older readers. --Lindsey

In this world, sisters Serina and Nomi have no rights as women and must face very different fates: one in the palace, and one in prison. Serina has spent her whole life being trained to be a Grace; an example of the perfect woman, to stand by the heir to the throne. When her younger sister Nomi catches the heir’s eye, Serina takes the blame for Nomi’s dangerous secret. Now Nomi is stuck in a role she never wanted, and the only way to save her sister is to surrender to the role of a Grace. Not only does she have to try and adjust to this role, but she must dodge deception and traitors at every turn. She has to be quick, because Serina is imprisoned on an island where she must fight to survive, and one wrong move could cost her everything.

I thought this book had a really interesting concept. This book is full of feminism, familial bonds (both blood and chosen), and fighting for what’s right. While this book is fantasy, it’s more realistic and grounded in history than a lot of other fantasy novels. The first few chapters are a bit slow, but it picks up pretty quickly and I couldn’t put it down. There are some really great plot twists, and the characters grow so much over the course of the book. I can’t wait for the next one! --Lindsey

Fatal Throne tells the story of Henry VIII and his wives, told from each of their points of view. From pious Katherine of Aragon, to sweet Jane Seymour, and the strong headed Kateryn Parr, we get an insider look into what these women went through. They all experienced so much trauma, many of them at young ages, and seeing them rise above it as best they could was incredible. As deplorable as Henry VIII was, his chapters were still compelling to read. 

I absolutely loved this book. The idea of having a different author tell the story of each different queen and Henry himself was really interesting and well done. It really helped to give each queen their own distinct voice. I also really liked how each queen told their story, followed by Henry telling his version of it. I especially liked the last chapter, which was from Queen Elizabeth’s point of view. This book is great for those who love historical fiction, however, I would definitely say it’s for more mature readers, considering both the violence and the more sexual scenes. 
--Lindsey