Book Review Crown of Stones: Magic-Scars

Another recent finish is The Crown of Stones: Magic-Scars by C.L. Schneider.

Book 2 in The Crown of Stones trilogy, continues just about where book 1 left off. (I know...unheard of, right?)

Now, because this is a sequel, I don't want to go into any details of the current story, since anything I would say could be construed as a spoiler.  However, I'll link the Goodreads page here for those of you who want to learn more.

Just as the first, Magic-Scars is such a well-developed story.  Schneider has such a beautifully-descriptive writing style.  With only a few words, you're thrown right into Ian's--our main character--perspective and you're eager to suck in all the surrounding details.  I was fully invested in so many of the characters; whether I hated them and wanted so badly for them to kick it, or I was biting my fingers down to nubs because I was so terrified of the outcome.

I will admit, this--and the first, Magic-Price--is a very long story.  It could never be thought of as anything except High Fantasy, so you might anticipate a lot of dragging moments, but I only felt that once in the entire book and it was likely my own fault since I stretched it out over the entire month.  This book only just came out and I am in no way eager to wait for the final installment.

I've given this a 4 stars.  For fans of epic fantasy, particularly those who enjoy new magic outlooks, this is the book for you.

February Book Haul

February Book Haul.  Went a little crazy this month, but it doesn't feel so bad when it's done over the whole month.  I should really consider going on this book diet I keep hearing about...

Maybe next year.

I'll just jump right in.

John Green, The Fault in Our Stars

A.G. Howard, Splintered

Rachel Hartman, Seraphina

Marissa Meyer, Scarlet & Cress




If you haven't read these yet, do so right now.  I still have to read Cress & Fairest, but the others are sensational.

Joseph Delaney, The Last Apprentice Series books 2 (Curse of the Bane), 6 (Clash of the Demons), 13 (Fury of the Seventh Son)



I've been picking these up as they come into Half Price Books.  Right now I only have a few, but I seem to find a new one with every trip.  Too bad I also come out with an additional six books with every trip to the bookstore.

I've only read the first in the series so far and it is a fun story.  Not too challenging (I believe it's MG) and I love the growing relationship between the Spook and his apprentice.

Sally Green, Half Bad

Dr. Seuss, The Lorax



I picked this one up mainly to continue building my son's collection, though I have actually never read this one before.  I do love me some Seuss.

Brandon Sanderson, Mistborn: The Final Empire

Garth Nix, Sabriel

Tamora Pierce, Song of the Lioness Series books 1-4 (Alanna: The First Adventure, In the Hand of the Goddess, The Woman Who Rides Like a Man, Lioness Rampant)

J.A. White, The Thickety: A Path Begins

Gillian Flynn, Gone Girl



I'm going to make a prediction here...

I will un-haul this book before I ever read it.  Hopefully, by saying this, I'll prove myself wrong.

Kimberly McCreight, Reconstructing Amelia

Andrew Smith, Winger

Maria Semple, Where'd You Go, Bernadette

Christina L. Rozelle, The Treemakers



This is a fellow Indie Author's book I won during last year's Secret Santa Indie Book Giveaway.  Another one I'm hoping to pick up soon.

So, that's it for my February Book Haul. Let me know what books you've picked up recently or are planning to read soon.  Have any of you read any of those list above? What did you think?

Until next time...

I'm Looking Forward...to buying one less book next month.

Why I Love Being Indie

So, the wonderful people with #indiebooksbeseen directed me to this amazing post by Christina Rozelle called, 10 Things that SUCK (and ROCK!) about Being an Indie Author (Part 1).  What she has to say about Indie publishing is so spot on and expresses so many of the sentiments I've felt myself.

If you are an Indie author, or know one, or plan to be one, I would definitely check her out...she has so much to bring to the Indie table.

That being said, it is getting to be involved with people such as Christina that make being an Indie author all worth the challenges.  Coming together with her and all of the spectacular people with #indiebooksbeseen and those amazing bloggers who take the time from their busy lives to support the Indie life, make you feel part of a family.

I won't lie; self-publishing is like sitting on a bed of hot coals.  You keep thinking to yourself that if you just get off now, the burning flesh might be a bit salvageable, but then your skin heals over and you think you can hold out for a bit longer.  Every day offers another punch in the gut when you see you haven't sold a book or someone left a nasty review (or you don't have any reviews at all).  You wonder why you ever bothered getting into the business and maybe all of the traditional publishing people were right when they turned down your work.

These are the darkest of days.

And then you wake up one morning and find that you love the smell of your hot coal-burning-flesh.  That you can't wait to spend six hours on twitter bragging about how tremendous your book is or how everyone must read it or how everyone who is anyone already has.  You light up thinking of all the bloggers in the world who are bound to review your book any day now.

And do you know why?

Because you get to wake up every morning knowing that nothing stood in your way to publishing the masterpiece you worked so hard to perfect.  You didn't let the dozens (or hundreds) of NOs get you down.  You wouldn't listen when everyone told you to give up.  You had all the courage and faith you needed from the beginning, and to hell with the doubters.

You get to call yourself an author.  And it doesn't matter if you've sold 1 copy to your mom or a thousand copies to strangers; you are finally sending those characters out from under you bed and into the world.

For this reason, I love being INDIE.  Without this world, I wouldn't have had the strength to trust my novels.  I would have forever listened to those who turned me down, telling me I wasn't good enough.

Self-publishing opens up so much more for authors.  We GET to choose what stays or what goes; we GET to pick out our covers and fonts and word choices; we GET to be free.

Because we are INDIE-pendent, and we are INDIE-vidual and we are INDIE-structable.

Don't lose hope.  We are in this together!

Check out Christina's amazing post Here