Destined for Doon by Carey Corp and Lorie Langdon

The second book in the popular new Doon YA series that takes on a classic story, Brigadoon, and spins it in a new way to give readers a fresh, modern experience.

In this sequel to Doon, Kenna Reid realizes she made a horrible mistake-choosing to follow her dreams of Broadway instead of staying in the enchanted land of Doon. Worse, she's received proof she and Duncan are meant to be, along with torturous visions of the prince she left behind. So when Duncan shows up and informs Kenna that Doon needs her, she doesn't need to think twice. But even if Kenna can save the enchanted kingdom, her happily ever after may still be in peril.

The Doon novels are a part of Blink, HarperCollins Christian Publishing's new YA imprint that delivers empowering and heartening literature while maintaining a tradition of imaginative and impactful storytelling.

SPOILER FREE REVIEW

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So this was a book that I read in literally two days because I was so moved and interested by the first one. Having being resubmersed in the world of Doon with Veronica and Jamie was the most exhilerating thing because I had requested it at the library literally right after I finished the first. Who knew that I would be so interested in a novel set in Scotland which was basically all about a magical kingdom with royalty and a whole town of loyal citizens. Reading the reviews of the first and second books on Goodreads just gave me even more reason to sit down for hours both days just reading to my hearts content, despite the love for the series that I had already gathered through reading the first and anything that Sasha Alsberg had to say about it. It is truly going to stay on my list of my favourite books I have ever read (video to come on that too - I have like a whole list of videos that I haven't yet filmed so bear with me please!).

Destined for Doon follows the story of Veronica, now living as the Queen of Doon with Jamie McCrae as her husband-to-be, and MacKenna who has left Doon and realised too late that she has now had a "calling" where Duncan has appeared to her begging for her to return to Doon to him. Fortunately Duncan is asked to come back to retrieve MacKenna for Queen Veronica as Doon is yet again in danger and she needs her best friend to help her think straight. Travelling back to Doon is a mission for them, not only is the trip highly awkward, but they discover that the main entrance of Doon has been corrupted by a flesh-eating magical curse that has been left by one of the witches and they have to try and take the back way through. MacKennna and Duncan finally make it back to the castle in Doon and Veronica describes to her everything that has happened since her "departure" of Doon and states that it has only been two months since, though MacKenna says she has been away for at least a whole year (it is described in the first book - if you forgot - that the time passes differently between both worlds). Veronica and MacKenna work together along with the McCrae boys to figure out what is really causing the virus in Doon to spread before it completely consumes everything and Doon is lost forever.

Things I LOVE about Destined for Doon:

* MacKenna is starting to realise how much she cares for Duncan! As frustrating as she was in the first novel, MacKenna finds that coming back to Doon has made her realise how much she really cares about Duncan but has no idea whether or not he has had visions of her too. Still the undeniable bond begins to build and things finally start to look like they're working out for the two lovebirds. However it might take a lot more than destiny and visions of Duncan to prove that she really belongs here in Doon.

* Veronica is a Queen and I can't even contain myself with how cool that would be! Like seriously, who doesn't want to be a princess or a Queen? I always wanted to be one even though I was such a tomboy as a kid. It comes with responsibility but it also comes with power and respect. A position a person like me would clearly be accustomed to seeing as I like being my own boss and not being told what to do (hence wanting to be an author - no one will tell me how to write my stories. There will only be deadlines which I don't mind trying to keep up with). Everyone is destined for something and I feel that's one of the main messages that this book portrays. If I were born in Scotland and maybe a whole century earlier, I could have been on the throne right now *Subtly buys self a cool circlet crown thing that Veronica wears off of the internet to show my rightful status*.

* It's the sequel to Doon and I couldn't be any happier! When one tends to enjoy one book thoroughly, they tend to be pretty keen to get the next in the series. 'nuff said really.

Overall I have given this book a five out of five stars because it satisfied my Doon craving after suffering for a week. Yes, a week and it was horrible, okay. Now I'm gonna have to get the third one which I'm sure is called Shades of Doon because Sasha said she was going to read it while she was travelling Scotland which would have really set the mood I guess. Also, I'm gonna have to look into the play that inspired the authors Carey Corp and Lorie Langdon to write these books because when one gets a whiff of Doon, they don't go back. And I don't regret a thing.

Go add Destined for Doon to your Goodreads list HERE

Go buy it on MightyApe with 1 day delivery in New Zealand HERE

Buy it on Book Depository with free shipping world wide HERE

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http://ellafleming-christie.weebly.com

My YouTube Channel: FeathersandFaith

The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski: Book Review

Winning what you want may cost you everything you love.

As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions. One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction. 

Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin. But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined. 

Set in a richly imagined new world, The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.

SPOILER FREE REVIEW

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I have realised how far I've come in terms of knowing what I like in a book; what draws me to the storyline and characters. With "The Winner's Curse" I have discovered that the theme of olden day, victorian times where royalty are the hierarchy and live in mansions and castles. This book drew me in more so because I knew it was a love story and the layout of the hardcover with the bristled edges of the paper made it so much more intriguing that I had to borrow this particular story from the library. I heard about it mostly through people on Booktube and had seen it occasionally floating around Goodreads so I felt like it was worth getting, especially reading for the Booktube-A-Thon which was a definite challenge. I did manage to read the whole thing in two days and I was proud of myself for the achievement although I was quite sad to see it end so soon, particularly on the note of which it had ended on.

Kestrel, the protagonist of the novel, was a character I found hard to like. One thing I particularly did enjoy about her character was the fact that she loved music so much thanks to her mother, who had passed on prior to the current story, who had been the one to teach her how to play. Unfortunately, due to the war between the Valorian's and the Herrani, music had been reprimanded as a forbidden activity seeing as music was something Herrani highly appreciated; the war had ended up leaving the Herrani as slaves to the Valorian's and were basically not an equal in any way whatsoever to the hierarchy, including their hobbies. With Kestrel I felt like she had absolutely no reason whatsoever to buy Arin as a slave to bring home, other than the fact that he apparently could sing and was a great blacksmith. As Arin and Kestrel eventually got to know each other, their relationship (if you could call it that) was cute in a way with the fact that they seemed to have feelings for each other. However this did not resemble any sort of serious relationship material that I would have expected and I think I was a little disappointed in that aspect.

Arin seemed like he was a great leader among the Herrani and served him useful tactics later on in the novel. However I feel like at the beginning he could have been a little less cocky and more soft towards Kestrel. I don't at all expect him to feel sorry for Kestrel or relate to her in anyway due to his past, it just would have made a better plot twist later on in the novel. He could have been more sly and discreet in terms of his plans and the novel would have had more of a climax, therefore being less foreseeable for the outcome of the situation. I like how Arin was strong and he didn't let anyone tell him what to do if he didn't have to; he wasn't a push over like some of the Herrani were and reminded me a lot of the strong-hearted nature of Enai, hence why Kestrel must have fallen for him.

Some of the things that happened throughout the story didn't really have a good enough reason for why the characters acted a certain way. I feel like there wasn't enough of a reason for Kestrel to buy Arin in the first place, it was more of a impulse decision because he sounded useful - but obviously not useful enough to tell her father about or have him do anything for days on end when he was sent to her house. If anything, I feel like Lirah and Arin were a better couple as Kestrel and Arin were polar opposites and had nothing to connect them in terms of history or emotion. Don't get me wrong, I actually enjoyed this novel. I just feel like there could have been more effort put into how it was written to ensure that the reader was so hooked that they couldn't put it down. If I hadn't of read this book for Booktube-A-Thon, it probably would have taken me about a week to finish.

Overall it was a decent novel and I am intrigued to read the next two in the trilogy but I'm worried that I'll just be let down again in terms of how the characters treat each other and end up plot wise. I am giving this book a 3 out of 5 stars because even though it was an enjoyable read, it let me down and I wasn't as satisfied with the outcome as I had been hoping. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a basic, interesting read with characters that will always have inconceivable differences.

Go add The Winner's Curse to your Goodreads list HERE

Find more out about my writing career at:

http://ellafleming-christie.weebly.com

My YouTube Channel: FeathersandFaith