Paperglass by A.R. Ivanovich

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Title: Paperglass
Author: A.R. Ivanovich
Series: War of the Princes #2
Published by: Alloy Entertainment
Release Date: January 5, 2016
Format: Kindle Book
Pages: 300
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Steampunk
Reading Challenges: Lenoreo's 2020 Beat the Backlist Challenge, Lenoreo's Can You Read a Series September 2020
Find it: Goodreads ✩ Amazon
My rating:

Blurb:

After narrowly escaping the war-torn outside world with her life, Katelyn Kestrel vows to never again venture beyond the mountains of Haven Valley. But just as Katelyn begins to prepare for life after high school—a normal life with no warring princes, no dangerous magical abilities, and no handsome, duty-bound soldiers—the outside world comes crashing into her reality once again.

A team of explorers from Haven has been captured by Prince Raserion, the leader of the Western Kingdom. Only Katelyn, with her remarkable ability to find anything she looks for, can hunt the team down and bring them home. And only Katelyn knows just how much trouble the explorers—and all of Haven—are in . . .

The princes have been searching for Haven and its people for seven hundred long years. Like it or not, Katelyn must go back to the outside world and rescue the captives, or witness the destruction of everything she’s ever loved.

This is a new edition of the previously self-published novel Dragoon.

My Review:

ORIGINAL REVIEW:
4.5 stars — great followup to the first book. Again, lots of great action, an intriguing and unique built world, hilarious banter between characters, a flawed protagonist that has been thrust into the craziness again….oh yeah, and Rune. *sigh*

Hmmmm, how am I going to do this review without giving anything away? Impossible. Maybe I will just say that I enjoyed this one equally as well as the first, but there are still a few tiny things that bothered me on occasion (but obviously not enough for me to round down).

1) Katelyn could get a little caught up in her maudlin self-defeatist attitude…luckily that was usually countered with a friend calling her on it. And really, she does have a lot on her shoulders, though she really could learn to lean on her friends and allies more.
2) Sometimes the details about the world became overwhelming, and since I’m actually the type of reader who needs a lot of realistic touchstones to enjoy a story, it became taxing on my imagination….it’s really a personal preference thing. (ie I enjoy paranormal, but usually not all out fantasy)
3) Huh, I thought I had a 3rd, but now I can’t think of it.

I really do enjoy that these books don’t have cliffhanger endings…they set up for the next book, but you can still feel you got a bit of a conclusion in there. That being said, I am *not* looking forward to Monarch based on the synopsis…NO KATELYN NO!!!

In summary: Prepare for intensity, prepare for heartbreak, prepare for horrifying images, prepare for snark….good stuff.

ON REREAD:
4.5 stars — DUDE!  I seriously forgot how tense and crazy and occasionally heartbreaking this book was!!  I just…I’m so glad it’s as good as I remember.  Minus the toned down snark from Katelyn.  That still makes me sad, and I still don’t understand why the author or the traditional publisher made that decision…

I loved that we got extra time with a few of the Haven characters in this one, though I still want more.  I’m so intrigued about Kyle’s abilities.  I really loved that by the end we got to learn even more about the nature of Haven and its people as well.  I don’t remember that as well from my first readthrough, so I wonder if that’s new, or my memory is just crap.

I cannot believe the horror of Lastland.  Like, it’s freaking crazy.  Just when you think they can’t get more depraved, you learn more.

I loved a few of the twists and turns, and hated a few others.  I’m so glad I’m finally going to find out what happens next, because I think it’s going to be epic.

BUDDY READ:

It’s also been insanely fun to buddy read this series with Lillian @Mom With a Reading Problem (COYER sign up linky #16), because we’ve been totally fangirling and getting our incredulity out.  Link to her review coming once it’s posted.