Review: The Midnight Star

The Midnight Star by Marie Lu
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

We meet up with the ever-charming Adelina one year into her reign. she rules with fear and swift action. The unmarked are given rotten food and harsh punishments. The marked are freed from their owners and given titles, never to be called malfetto again.

I actually believe that I enjoyed the conclusion to this series more than the previous two installments. The ending even had the emotional depth that I was waiting for since the first book. Since Adelina is an anti-hero, the reader usually has a difficult time relating to her and must rely upon secondary characters. Unfortunately, in the first two books there weren't many characters that I connected to. By the third book, I feel that it had changed. You felt the characters' pain when they experienced the death of a fellow.

I can't much else without spoiling the plot, so just go read the series. I definitely recommend it.

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Review: Three Dark Crowns

Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Three sisters, triplets are each born with a power. Katharine is a poisoner, able to consume the deadliest toxins with no harm. Mirabella is an elementalist, able to call storms of rain and lightning. Arsinoe is a naturalist, able to bloom flowers and call animals. Only one may be queen and she must kill her sisters to achieve it.

When reading the description of the book I personally came to an opinion about what I thought the characters would be like. But Kendare Blake completely flipped my perceptions about who I expected would be my favorite character. The book was intriguing to the last but not completely surprising. I don't want to spoil the plot but one of the reveals at the end was something I had come to the conclusion much earlier was probably what was affecting the sisters. I found that another reveal at the end was unexpected. So you don't go through the book knowing what's going to happen in this series right from the start. It's well-written and doesn't have too much foreshadowing.

The premise is fascinating, the world building is fairly good but I wish there was a little more character development. Overall, I would definitely recommend this series to fans of fantasy novels with royalty, conflict or magic.


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Review: Crooked Kingdom

Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Crooked Kingdom is the second book in a duology set in the world of the Grisha. It continues the story and Van Eck's double cross. You always worry a conclusion won't live up to the story, but this book did not disappoint. The pacing was well done, the characters continue to be realistic and diverse and the plot was engrossing.

It wouldn't be the wonderful heart-wrenching book that it is without a little death, but that doesn't have to mean that I like it. The death is poignant and makes your heart hurt. You feel like these characters are a part of your crew and their losses are your losses. It was lovely and beautiful and everything I could ask for in a conclusion. There's nothing else to say without spoiling the novel, so just go read it. The series is so good and I'm going to purchase the box set as soon as I am able.

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Review: Six of Crows

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Six of Crows is set in the world of the Grisha trilogy, but with an entirely new cast of characters. As the reader is already familiar with the world it only takes a few chapters to be hooked. The beginning of the book introduces us to the gang who we will accompany on a perilous journey.

Kaz is the mysterious leader with the gaze of a shark. He keeps more secrets than a diary and trusts no one. Kaz is never without his crow's head cane, gloves and willingness to do anything to get the job done. Inej is a wraith, able to make herself unnoticeable and get almost anywhere. She can scale walls, discover secret and have a blade in a man's back before he is any the wiser. Jesper is a good shot and prone to outbursts. He also has a gambling problem that has put him so far in debt that the only way out is to join Kaz on this likely deadly mission. Nina is the resident Grisha and a heartrender, although she must use her skills at times to heal or transform the others. She and Mattais have a history that is never far from either his mind. Mattias is Fjerdan and knows their target, but the only thing keeping him on this journey is the promise of a pardon at the end. Finally, it's Wylan the insurance and the son of the man offering them 30 million kruge to complete the job. He's also good with demolition and bombs, but not enough to warrant his place on the crew.

The mission is impossible or near to it, but they all have their reasons for needing it to succeed. Even though they're crooks, murderers and thieves you want them to succeed. They're strangely likable. All humans with flaws and backstories to show how they became the people they are and why. Leigh Bardugo's characters are wonderfully complex and well-developed. Each person's history is fluidly woven into the story and does not pull the reader out of the narrative or make them wish for a novella to help further flesh out the story or characters.

By the end, you love this misfit gang of hooligans and can't wait to read the stunning conclusion to this duology. Highly recommended to young adult readers who enjoy fantasy with great world building and character development.

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Review: Greeth

Greeth by Charles LaFave
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The world building in this novel could have been better. While it is a world set within our own, there are many elements that are unfamiliar. The reader is thrown into the story without any background knowledge and it leaves you a little confused. There is an entire culture of wizards, a ruling body called the Praesidium and wars that we learn very little about. Some knowledge is given to you in the form of flashbacks, unfortunately, they’re not specifically shown that way (for example, saying 3 years earlier or one month ago) and you start reading for a bit before you realize you’re not in the present anymore. It takes a little to adjust and could have been written more fluidly. But the flashbacks are important because they are filling in story holes and information about the world that the reader needs. While you don’t want to give the reader an info dump, when you’re creating an entirely new wizard culture with past wars, abilities and phrases it’s important to familiarize the reader with that world before throwing them headfirst into the story.

You immediately want to know – what types of powers do the wizards have? Are they all-encompassing or does each individual specialize in something like water or necromancy? Is the Praesidium in charge of all wizards around the world, or just in Japan and what exactly is the Praesidium? You encounter a few different wizards during the course of the novel, but those questions are never satisfyingly answered. The premise is unique and interesting enough to prompt the reader to want to know more. Unfortunately, the world building isn’t quite as expansive and detailed as I hoped that it would be. Locations are painted in beautifully, vivid detail and materialize in the reader’s mind even if they are unfamiliar with Japan.

Despite those concerns, I was intrigued by the story and by the time I was around 15% off the way through it I was really curious about what was going to happen. The main character had been approached by a mysterious man and offered a large sum of money if he would offer his expertise. His former girlfriend, Julie, was the more curious story as she had an unusual connection to her rapier and was potentially under attack by water wizards (who were believed to all be dead). The main character, Peter, is a wizard whose abilities have been taken away from him but must go on this harrowing journey.

** Warning: There is mature language and imagery. ** Curse words are used throughout the novel. The writing can be very gruesome and morbidly descriptive at times, so I would not recommend this book to younger (teen) readers or people who are squeamish. The author vividly describes the decomposed state of a hallucinated body a number of times, details horrifying destruction of bodies and other events that I would caution certain readers against. There is also a moment in the last few pages of the book that is a little unnecessary, in my opinion, and absolutely should not be read by teens. But that level of detail is also afforded to the people, places and events in the book which is definitely a positive overall even if it’s sometimes a little much. I would also warn you away from this book if you have a fear of insects and wish to sleep well tonight.

Overall, the book would fare better with a good editor who could cull the extraneous parts. While the plot was fascinating, some parts of the story dragged and could have been cut or shortened to help the flow of an otherwise engaging story. I would recommend this novel to fans of magic and horror, as the author seems to blend these two ideas together into his creation – Greeth. Again, I would not recommend to young adult/teen readers.

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Review: Mirrored

Mirrored by Alex Flinn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As a fan of Alex Flinn's fairytale re-tellings, especially Beastly, I was anticipating this novel greatly. It was a unique take on the Snow White tale's Queen, Huntsman, Prince and happily ever after. As the story of Snow White is pretty well known, there's not much I can say without giving away how this re-telling decided to approach the story. Definitely recommended for those who enjoy fairy tales and happily ever afters.

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Review: Zodiac

Zodiac by Romina Russell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Every time you think you have something figured out in this book, the author throws you a curveball. I never knew what to expect when reading this book but enjoyed it overall. The world building was good, but I hope it is developed more in subsequent books. It could be so rich and immersive if that happens. Some of the scenes were weak and made the pacing drag. The main character is relatable despite her unexpected change in station and dramatic odyssey. As seems typical in recent YA fiction there is an element of a love triangle. I don't find it entirely believable, so it pulls me out of the narrative at times. Overall, it's an enjoyable read and I will be reading the subsequent books in the series. Definitely recommend reading this book if you like YA fiction about space, technology, bad guys, adventure or romance.

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Day 23 (30-Day Challenge)

A Book You Wanted To Read For A Long Time But Still Haven't

Game of Thrones (Song of Ice and Fire) - George R.R. Martin

Review: Winter

Winter by Marissa Meyer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read the entire series over the course of four days, novellas included. That is how wonderful it is. As a fan of fairytale retellings, like Beastly by Alex Flinn, I had high hopes for this series and it did not disappoint. It gave the reader wonderful little omages to the classic fairytales, while weaving the story through a world and characters all its own.

The world building in this novel was wonderfully done. As a reader, I could imagine the Lunar Palace as a place of opulance while those in the lower districts lived in poverty. There were a number of important characters and none of them were overlooked. You were able to learn about their personalities, histories, or relationships in a way that gave each depth. Each character had a unique personality and strength in the group. from fiery Scarlet to shy Cress and from flirty Thorn to tortured Wolf.

Sometimes conclusions to series just don't stand up to their legacy, but this was not one of those books. The author gave the reader everything they desired, climactic action scenes, wrapping up story threads while opening the door to future adventures, and leaving the reader satisfied. There's nothing worse than reading an amazing series that you become wholly invested in and then being utterly disappointed by the conclusion.

Recommended for anyone who liked YA, romance, fairytales, sci-fi, or really good books/series that you won't regret reading.

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Review: Shadow and Bone

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I felt that this book started off slowly. It took a while to get into the storyline, but after a few chapters I was completely involved in the story. I wasn't sure that I was going to like the story, but I ended up falling in love with the concept and can't wait to read the other books.

The world and character building was a little sparse considering that the reader is going into these novels without any idea about the world, the rulers and rules, or the Grisha. I do wish we were given a chapter or so to really explain the Grisha as they are the most fascinating part of the novel. There are these people with powers and you're introduced to what they can do as you see them, but I feel like a reader would connect with the novel more if you understood the heirarchy of the Grisha, the way they categorize powers, and what those powers could entail before we are introduced to the multitude of abilities and fringe characters.

The novel progressed at a good pace until it came to the end and then it seems like a number of plot points were just jammed into the conclusion. It felt like the author wrote 87% of their novel and then said, "Shoot. We need the bad guy to accomplish x by the end of the novel, mess up the good guy's life, and then have the good guy come up with a plan that allows them to segue into the next novel... and I've only got 13% of the book left to accomplish it." It just seemed to jump around too much and I would have preferred it if the book was lengthened so that the storyline could be fully fleshed out.

Other than those concerns, I did really enjoy the book and look forward to reading the rest of the series. Definitely give it a chance if you like YA and unique magic series like Sword of Truth or Daughter of Smoke and Bone.

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Percy Jackson's Greek Gods

Percy Jackson's Greek Gods

By: Rick Riordan

Disney - Hyperion

Published: August 19th, 2014

Acquisition: Kobo

Summary: 

A publisher in New York asked me to write down what I know about the Greek gods, and I was like, Can we do this anonymously? Because I don't need the Olympians mad at me again. But if it helps you to know your Greek gods, and survive an encounter with them if they ever show up in your face, then I guess writing all this down will be my good deed for the week.

So begins Percy Jackson's Greek Gods, in which the son of Poseidon adds his own magic--and sarcastic asides--to the classics. He explains how the world was created, then gives readers his personal take on a who's who of ancients, from Apollo to Zeus. Percy does not hold back. "If you like horror shows, blood baths, lying, stealing, backstabbing, and cannibalism, then read on, because it definitely was a Golden Age for all that."

Dramatic full-color illustrations throughout by Caldecott Honoree John Rocco make this volume--a must for home, library, and classroom shelves--as stunning as it is entertaining.

My Review:

This retelling of the classic greek myths was absolutely fantastic. Rick Riordan makes each tale relatable by adding quips and anachronistic descriptors to events and people. Through his character Percy Jackson, we see the Gods and Goddesses in all of their glory - dirty laundry and all. I may be slightly biased as I love mythology, and will occasionally make a joke referencing Cerberus or Hermes' flying sandals, but this novel was incredibly entertaining. Unfortunately, I haven't had the chance to pick up a physical copy of it. The illustrations in my ebook form were wonderful, although I expect they'd be brilliant in color.

Percy Jackson is the perfect author/narrator for this novel. Adding his sarcastic spin on tales like the union of Aphrodite and Hephaestus: “So Aphrodite married Hephaestus and the celebrity ship Aphrophaestus completely dominated Olympian tabloid news for like a thousand years. Did they live happily ever after? HAHAHAHAHA. No.” I highlighted an incredible number of quotes that either gave really great descriptions for things or was just incredibly hilarious and I wanted to remember it. He would take the time to explain the rivers of the Underworld, like the Acheron and Styx while giving the reader facts about them in an interesting way. For example, he explained the names of the rivers and their meanings, the incredibly complicated family dynamics, and even some of the punishments Hades created.

I'm not even going to waste your time making you read a long review. If you know any greek mythology, you will enjoy this fresh new take on them. And if somehow, you've been living under a rock for your entire life and have never heard of Zeus before (don't tell him, he's got an attitude) then this is an enjoyable way to learn. In the unfortunate event that you cannot read, bribe a friend into reading this to you each night before you go to bed. It's worth it. Or you know, purchase the audiobook.

The age range for these books tend to be middle/young readers but anyone can enjoy it. If you like fantasy, romance, violence, debauchery, history, biography or anything remotely similar than you will enjoy this book - young, old, or illiterate.

Verdict: Why Don't You Already Own This? Go Buy It!

Star Rating:

Princess of Thorns

Princess of Thorns

By: Stacey Jay

Delacorte Press

Release Date: December 9th, 2014

Acquisition: NetGalley

Summary:

Game of Thrones meets the Grimm's fairy tales in this twisted, fast-paced romantic fantasy-adventure about Sleeping Beauty's daughter, a warrior princess who must fight to reclaim her throne.

Though she looks like a mere mortal, Princess Aurora is a fairy blessed with enhanced strength, bravery, and mercy yet cursed to destroy the free will of any male who kisses her. Disguised as a boy, she enlists the help of the handsome but also cursed Prince Niklaas to fight legions of evil and free her brother from the ogre queen who stole Aurora's throne ten years ago.

Will Aurora triumph over evil and reach her brother before it's too late? Can Aurora and Niklaas break the curses that will otherwise forever keep them from finding their one true love?

My Review:

Princess of Thorns is a not-so-classic retelling of the Sleeping Beauty story. The main character is actually the daughter of the cursed princess, who awoke from a kiss. Her name is Aurora, like the Disney movie's princess and her mother's name is Rose. In the french version of the tale, Sleeping Beauty's daughter is named Aurore. I believe that her mother's is the shortened form of Briar Rose, like German version of her tale by the Brother's Grimm. If you are familiar with the Grimm and Perrault versions of the tale, not only the Disney one, then you will notice many similarities. In a few versions of the tale, there is an evil step-mother or mother-in-law who attempts to eat the leading lady's children.

The author makes use of these characters and plots in her novel. She chooses to include the ill-fated mother, brother and sister, as well as the villainous step-mother. Although that familial tie is not explicitly stated, the King was the children's father and he married the ogre. Thus, she would be their step-mother. And you thought you had a dysfunctional family?

In true fairytale fashion, there are ogres, witches, fairies, and ruffians. Not all are portrayed as you would expect. The ogres have evolved, or perhaps devolved depending upon who you ask. In the early years, the ogres were monstrous creatures that devoured souls whole. They did not control themselves, but feasted on the entire soul leaving nothing behind. As time went on, they were forced to change and limit how much they took. After a time, the ogres began to become smaller and take on much more human-like appearances. Their food source never changed and they prided themselves upon each soul they took, marking their bare skulls.

The Fae seem human, although they possess extra-human traits and magic. One may not think of fairies and immediately imagine a human-like creature with great dexterity, skill in battle, and a lack of guilt -but the Fair Folk are shown this way in the novel. A fairy can bestow a gift upon a human child, like beauty, courage, eloquence, obedience, or strength. But each blessing comes with a curse, as the magic always finds a way to turn the gift into a burden. There are untold consequences to the blessings that cannot be avoided. As such, the fairies stopped giving their gifts to human children.

As with most fairytales, there is an element of romance. The love story blossoms under unusual circumstances and not without its share of problems. The two characters get to know each other throughout the journey, but their are many secrets left untold. As they are discovered, the relationship is altered for good or bad. And in the end, a choice must be made.

Most importantly, the novel isn't entirely predictable (although the budding romance was expected). Generally, you expect good to triumph over evil in most modern retellings of the story - unlike their Grimm counterparts. The plot's climax was frankly a little anti-climactic, but enjoyable non-the-less.

I think the author showed an average amount of character development, although I usually think more would be incredibly beneficial. Certain aspects of the world were explained, but not vividly enough. The "show-don't-tell" method could have been employed here to create a richer, more immersive world. Overall, I was pleased with the author's lexicon, grammar, and spelling - which happens much less often than should reasonably be expected.

I would certainly read another novel by this author as I love stories based upon fairytales. If you read Alex Flinn, I would highly recommend this novel to you just keep in mind it is slightly darker. Readers of fantasy, romance, and the like will enjoy this book and should give it a chance. It seems to target the female demographic, but males should enjoy it as well.

Verdict: Take A Chance

Star Rating: 

Frozen

Frozen (Heart of Dread, Book 1)

By: Melissa de la Cruz
and Michael Johnston

Putnam Juvenile

Published: September 17th, 2013

Acquisition: Net Galley















Summary:

From New York Times bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz and Michael Johnston comes this remarkable first book in a spellbinding new series about the dawn of a new kind of magic.

Welcome to New Vegas, a city once covered in bling, now blanketed in ice. Like much of the destroyed planet, the place knows only one temperature—freezing. But some things never change. The diamond in the ice desert is still a 24-hour hedonistic playground and nothing keeps the crowds away from the casino floors, never mind the rumors about sinister sorcery in its shadows.

At the heart of this city is Natasha Kestal, a young blackjack dealer looking for a way out. Like many, she's heard of a mythical land simply called “the Blue.” They say it’s a paradise, where the sun still shines and the waters are turquoise. More importantly, it’s a place where Nat won’t be persecuted, even if her darkest secret comes to light.

But passage to the Blue is treacherous, if not impossible, and her only shot is to bet on a ragtag crew of mercenaries led by a cocky runner named Ryan Wesson to take her there. Danger and deceit await on every corner, even as Nat and Wes find themselves inexorably drawn to each other. But can true love survive the lies? Fiery hearts collide in this fantastic tale of the evil men do and the awesome power within us all.

My Review:

The story Frozen, by Melissa de la Cruz and Michael Johnston, is a tale about a girl with powers who lives in a world unlike our own. In post-apocalyptic New Vegas, Nat fins the one object that might allow her to escape the frozen landscape. The map to help her find the Blue, a promised land untainted by the cold and destruction her world knows. A place that maybe she can live a good life and not spend each day fearful that she will be discovered.
For an established YA writer, this book is surprisingly wrought with errors and would make an English major cringe. It was a poorly written novel with a multitude of punctuation, grammar, and spelling errors. Those completely detracted from the book and made it difficult to read the novel fluidly. There was an overuse of commas, "For days upon days she had been left in the room, alone, in total silence, with little food and water, the weight of solitude becoming ever more oppressive, the silence a heaviness that she could not shake, punishment for refusing to do as she was told, punishment for being what she was." I ran out of breath just reading that incredibly long, run on sentence. It also illustrates another example, the banal repetitiveness. Some examples would be, "She walked down the road, the road that was smooth." Or "The fire that raged within her. The fire that destroyed and consumed. The fire that would destroy and consume her..." How many times does one need to write the fire? Many of the sentences are just reworded versions of the one that came before it. Unnecessarily repetitive and it makes the book sound like a novice writer threw it together in a slap-dash manner with no editor to speak of.

It also cannot decide what genre it wishes to fall under. The magical elements and new species lend itself to a label of fantasy, like books about faeries or nymphs. Paranormal romance perhaps, for the love story that blossoms over the course of the novel? Or the more recently popular zombie novels, with their diseases and alterations of the human dNA, like Forest of Teeth and Bones? Perhaps its a post-apocalyptic or dystopian style novel, akin to Divergent or the Hunger Games - with its frozen world, scarce resources, and tyrannical governments. Whatever it is, the fact that it cannot decide makes the book quite confusing. It does not flow well as a result of the colliding and conflicting worlds. There also is no world-building, which is incredibly important to me in a book. And character building, or even character personalities? Almost non-existent.

I would recommend this book to young teen readers, but not anyone who finds themselves frequently noticing errors in novels (even minor ones)as this will drive you crazy. I almost didn't finish the first chapter because the book was so poorly written, but I wanted to see if it would improve.

Verdict: Skip
Star Rating: 

World War Z

World War Z

By: Max Brooks

Crown

Published: September 12th, 2006

Acquisition: Library

Summary: 

The Zombie War came unthinkably close to eradicating humanity. Max Brooks, driven by the urgency of preserving the acid-etched first-hand experiences of the survivors from those apocalyptic years, traveled across the United States of America and throughout the world, from decimated cities that once teemed with upwards of thirty million souls to the most remote and inhospitable areas of the planet. He recorded the testimony of men, women, and sometimes children who came face-to-face with the living, or at least the undead, hell of that dreadful time. "World War Z" is the result. Never before have we had access to a document that so powerfully conveys the depth of fear and horror, and also the ineradicable spirit of resistance, that gripped human society through the plague years.

Ranging from the now infamous village of New Dachang in the United Federation of China, where the epidemiological trail began with the twelve-year-old Patient Zero, to the unnamed northern forests where untold numbers sought a terrible and temporary refuge in the cold, to the United States of Southern Africa, where the Redeker Plan provided hope for humanity at an unspeakable price, to the west-of-the-Rockies redoubt where the North American tide finally started to turn, this invaluable chronicle reflects the full scope and duration of the Zombie War.

Most of all, the book captures with haunting immediacy the human dimension of this epochal event. Facing the often raw and vivid nature of these personal accounts requires a degree of courage on the part of the reader, but the effort is invaluable because, as Mr. Brooks says in his introduction, "By excluding the human factor, aren't we risking the kind of personal detachment from history that may, heaven forbid, lead us one day to repeat it? And in the end, isn't the human factor the only true difference between us and the enemy we now refer to as 'the living dead'?"

Note: Some of the numerical and factual material contained in this edition was previously published under the auspices of the United Nations Postwar Commission. Eyewitness reports from the first truly global war.

My Review:

This novel is the oral history of the zombie war - as told by soldiers, civilians, doctors, and those who had a hand in decision-making. Some were people who created containment or attack plans, while others were in the government coordinating the military, corralling the people, and planning for the future of their countries.

You learn about the experiences of everyday people just prior to the outbreak. This is a time when no one knows what is happening. People are dying, becoming infected, and turning into violent cannibals. Is it some strange new disease that modern medicine has yet to find a cure to, or something worse? 

Then, the stories become more dire, strained, broken; as the population begins to figure out the absolute devastation that this event will wreak. Suddenly, the stories are just people trying to survive or those attempting to combat the enemy. No one knows how to halt the impending storm. The absolute destruction such an enemy poses.

Unlike humans and their armies, the undead need no respite. The undead don't feel pain, hunger, anguish, or lose moral. And as the military's forces dwindle in battles, the zombies swell in ranks. Each loss to you is a welcome addition to their force. An enemy that is unknown cannot easily be beaten. 

Will the human race even survive long enough to worry about rebuilding, destroying every trace of the plague, or even what brought it to the world to begin with? 

The novel was a unique take on the zombie/war genre and interestingly written. I did find my attention wandering at times and would have to reread sections. Although I prefer reading physical books, this novel has an incredible voice cast for its audio-counterpart. Their talents brought this book to an entirely new level, giving each character a unique voice and story (and I'm not just saying that because there was a different person voicing each one.) I've never read a book before (or listened to one) that had such a diverse cast to bring the book to life. 

If you like historical fiction or zombie novels, than you're likely going to enjoy this. If zombies and historical/realistic fiction (regardless of the fact that zombies are involved) are not your style, than you may not enjoy this. 

How would you react if the dead began to rise, attack, and devour your neighbors, overrunning your town - could you survive?

Verdict: Take A Chance

Star Rating: