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Passenger - Alexandra Bracken

In an ode to the ending month of love and all that, the long overdue review of Alexandra Brackens' Passenger has finally been posted. I liked Passenger for 2 reasons:
1 - It deviates from the usual dystopian/vampire/coming of age literature we've seen in the young adult category over these past few years and, 2 - The male protagonist and love interest is a person of colour. Two pioneering thumbs up here.
In a rather unfortunate way, Etta (our heroine) travels - or is hurled really - for the first time from the present day to 1776 where a series of events unlocks her true lineage as a traveler and her connection to the powerful Ironwood family. Cue the introduction to handsome Nicholas Carter who would become her companion throughout the twisted adventures spurred by Ironwood.
I'm tempted to compare the book to other more well known time travelling books, but I think Passenger more than holds its own.
*Book sponsored by Pan Macmillan

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Three Dark Crowns - Kendare Blake

The lauded author of Anna Dressed In Blood, Kendare Blake's Three Dark Crowns captured me from the first page. describing the advisers who prod the wasting body of the poison Queen Katharine who, is one of the three sisters vying for the crown on Fennbirn. Sisters Mirabella - the elemental queen - and Arsinoe - the naturalist - too have their advisors skilled in that specific talent who plot and plan from their separate sections of the island to claim the throne after the festival of Beltane where each queen must display their talent to prove their strength. And then plan to kill the rest of their sisters - as you do, in every generation of triplets born from the former queen of the island.
With the sisters separated from a young age, they're conditioned to accept that to be queen, you need to kill off the siblings that pose a threat - or you'll die yourself. Unique in character. personality and surroundings, the queens face similar manipulations from those who provide their council, and who seek to further the interests of their own kind.
I was surprised to find that for this book, three covers are available and themed according to each queens talent. I had the pleasure of reading from the beautiful rose gilded crown cover (representing naturalist Queen Arsinoe I assume?) and found it riveting. Itching to read the sequel, One dark Throne.
*Book sponsored by Pan Macmillan