The King's Jewel by Sasha and Sarena Nanua

The King's Jewel by Sarena and Sasha Nanua

Published by: iUniverse
Published on: July 23rd 2013
Page Count: 331
Genre(s): Fantasy, YA, Paranormal
Source: paperback sent from iUniverse
My Rating: 4 stars

Goodreads synopsis: click here

Where to buy: iUniverse // Amazon // B&N // BD

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Hey guys!

The King's Jewel is a continuation of the story from The Gemstone. Arica arrived in the Sorcerer's Underworld. She soon realizes that the King's crown, his jewel, was stolen by a mysterious thief. The queen sends Arica, Jess, Janine, Joseph, and Prince Adam to hunt down the thief. The group ends up on the Water Train..and let me say! The Water Train is so flipping cool! I loved how Sasha and Sarena described it! It was absolutely perfect! If Arica wants to go home she must find the Jewel, defeat the thief, and find her gemstone in the Hall of Lost Gemstones. "...but what she doesn't realize is that the culprit could be closer to her than she'd ever imagined.."*

     I would honestly LOVE it if they would write a story on Drake! Drake is so cool! AND SUMMER! I loved how she spoke half French and half English half the time! As a third year French student I loved that I could understand what she said! She's so bubbly and fun and gahh! Sarena, Sasha! I beg of you! Write their stories!
  
     The King's Jewel is soo much better than the Gemstone. I feel like Sarena and Sasha have grown into their writing style, and there are less undertones of Harry Potter ;). Sasha, Sarena, y'all are word wizards and world creators and I applaud you! Bravo! Bravo!
     
     Now allow me to vent. This book! It frustrated me immensely! Arica! GURRRRLLL... (shakes my head)...She's so naive and she doesn't think with her gut. She needs to trust her instincts and pay attention to the hints in front of her. There would literally be obvious against someone and their funny business and Arica would doubt them and she would think to herself "noo they're my friend it's impossible that they could do something devious!" Girl, obviously they're scheming and plotting against you! Stop doubting your instincts and think with your head! Don't trust anyone! Gahhh! 

     
Random Notes:

     Also! Also! I imagine that Janine and Jess are Sarena and Sasha (XD). Everytime the twin's appearance is described in the story, I have to do a double take because I imagine them as Sasha and Sarena...

PS: Crigoes remind me of thestrals from Harry Potter...I don't know why but they do haha

This was quite good guys!

Enjoy guys! 
Until next time!
Olivia
~livthebooknerd~

*From the back cover synopsis

The Gemstone by Sarena and Sasha Nanua

The Gemstone by Sarena and Sasha Nanua
Published by: iUniverse
Published on: May 22, 2012
Pages: 285
Source: Sent to me by Sasha, Sarena, and iUniverse
Genre(s): Fantasy, YA, Science Fiction
My Rating: 3 & 1/2 stars

Goodreads synopsis: click here

Where To Buy:  iUniverse // Amazon // B&N // BD

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Hey guys!

     So I was asked by Sarena and Sasha on Instagram to review their books; and they hooked me up with their publishers email..And let me say! They hooked me up! Not only did they send me The Gemstone, they sent me the second and third book in the Pendant Trilogy: The King's Jewel & The Poisoned Emerald. Again! Thank you so much Sasha and Sarena Nanua and thank you iUniverse for sending them to me!

     Sasha and Sarena are twin, teen authors from Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. The Gemstone was their first novel, and they have been writing since they were 9 years old. They love reading in their spare time and their favorite genres are fantasy and science fiction.

     The Gemstone is the first in the Pendant Trilogy. The Gemstone is about 15 year old Arica Miller. Arica is beginning her sophomore year at the Hill Valley Private Arts Academy. Hill Valley is a mysterious school...especially Headmistress Lembrose...After encountering a gemstone necklace in her basement, Arica recieves strange hallucinations of her family's past. Arica soon discovers that her necklace contains more power than she can imagine, and she's soon "absorbed with knowledge of a world of sorcery."*

     So I went and dived into this right after I finished Alienated and Until Midnight by Melissa Landers, anddd I was in a bit of a book hangover. I pushed on through this and I'm so glad I did! For their first book, this was really good! Props to Sarena and Sasha for an a-okay book!

     Now allow me to rag on it a bit..You can tell it's written by amateur writers and its quite obvious that it's their first book. The story doesn't quite flow the way most fantasy books do, but the whole idea is so intriguing and interesting and it made me want to keep reading to know what would happen next. Another thing I saw as I read was that Arica wasn't exactly given the chance to discover things for herself. [SPOILERS COMING UP READ AT YOUR OWN RISK] At certain points throughout the novel, some things happened were written so that it was easy for Arica to figure stuff out yet she didn't figure out who was against her at the end. Arica is also kind of oblivious, I mean seriously! How could she not know that Ash was plotting something against her with Lembrose! She was so obvious!

Notes: 

• Poor Monika! I hope she's in the next book and is ok!
• Oh my gosh I really like Rowen. If he comes out of his magic induced stupor I hope he and Arica become friends..or more than friends
• Joseph and the mangoes HA! MAGIC GOALS!
• I really like how bookish Joseph is. He cracks me up.
• The snake burns that Ash puts on people are like the Deatheater marks in Harry Potter and the drawer thing that the twins and Arica go into is just like a Vanishing Cabinet as well...The spirit of Draco Malfoy is alive within this book!

If you like ..(#).. then you'll love The Gemstone

1. The Pendragon series (10)
2. The Harry Potter series (7)
3. The Maximum Ride series (10)
4. The Darkest Powers series (3.6)

     Thank you again Sasha & Sarena Nanua and iUniverse for sending me The Gemstone, The King's Jewel, and The Poisoned Emerald! I can't wait to finish TKJ & TPE later this week. :) Reviews will be coming soon after I finish them!

Follow Sasha and Sarena on Instagram! @sarenasashabooks 

Until later guys!
Olivia
~livthebooknerd~