Review: Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge (Cruel Beauty Universe)

Title: Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

Published: January 28^th, 2014 by Balzer and Bray

Source: ARC from ALA

Format: Paperback

Genre: Fantasy | Paranormal | Romance

Age group: Young adult

Grade rate: C+

Based on the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, Cruel Beauty is a dazzling love story about our deepest desires and their power to change our destiny. Since birth, Nyx has been betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom-all because of a foolish bargain struck by her father. And since birth, she has been in training to kill him. With no choice but to fulfill her duty, Nyx resents her family for never trying to save her and hates herself for wanting to escape her fate. Still, on her seventeenth birthday, Nyx abandons everything she's ever known to marry the all-powerful, immortal Ignifex. Her plan? Seduce him, destroy his enchanted castle, and break the nine-hundred-year-old curse he put on her people. But Ignifex is not at all what Nyx expected. The strangely charming lord beguiles her, and his castle-a shifting maze of magical rooms-enthralls her. As Nyx searches for a way to free her homeland by uncovering Ignifex's secrets, she finds herself unwillingly drawn to him. Even if she could bring herself to love her sworn enemy, how can she refuse her duty to kill him? With time running out, Nyx must decide what is more important: the future of her kingdom, or the man she was never supposed to love.

Liza’s Review

Well, that was not what I expected.  Cruel Beauty was pitched at a Graceling meets Beauty and the Beast and that it was not. Instead, the book is a mix of a Greek mythology fantasy, romance, and magic. 

I love Beauty and the Beast and retellings based on the story and thus I was eager to read this book.  Cruel Beauty was confusing, which is not something I like to feel when reading.  At first, the world that was introduced to is very strange.  It is based on Hermetic principles – four elements that create or destroy everything – that are studied by the people of the island of Arcadia.  It is believed that the island has been isolated from the rest of the world by magic created by the Gentle Lord.  Nyx, our protagonist, was raised to destroy the Gentle Lord upon marriage (more about that later), and trained on Hermetic principles and other useful things, since birth.  Are you with me so far? 

Let me try to explain something really quickly: the book can be divided in two parts that I will call Before and After. When Nyx marries the Gentle Lord, which is called Ignifex, is when my confusion starts.  What ensues next is a series of encounters with the very handsome demon and his shadow.  Nyx spends a lot of time searching the castle for clues and trying to steal keys to said rooms from Ignifex.  At the end the ‘Before’ part Nyx does the unthinkable, bound by a promise that she made to her sister.  I didn’t like this ending at all.  I think it was precipitous and disjointed. 

Also, I didn’t particularly liked Nyx.  Before she was cruel, hateful, and insecure.  She did have some redeeming qualities though, she was smart, fearless, and learned to love.  On the other hand, Ignifex was more straightforward.  He didn’t remember how he ended up the way he did, but he was unapologetically good and bad at the same time and more importantly, he was happy that way.  I like them both better when they were together. 

After the ‘first ending’ (confused yet?), we get to meet the same characters, but they are different.  Not only is the world itself altered, but the story takes a different turn.  This second part (the After) is much shorter, the last three chapters, and that might be why I was taken aback.  This Nyx is easier to like and much braver.  Ignifex is weaker and we don’t get to spend any time with him to even get to know him. 

Astraia is Nyx’s twin sister and it seems like the only purpose for her being in the story is for Nyx to have someone to hate.  Nyx’s father and aunt were horrible as well (at least Before) and expected Nyx to figure out how to defeat the Gentle Lord and fix everything, even though it was an impossible task. These are very minor characters because

The setting is weird.  Most of the story takes place while Nyx is inside the castle.  True to the B&B story, it is enchanted and changes all the time.  Another similarity is the mirror that Nyx uses to look to the outside. The world building is good and heavily based on Green mythology. The writing is straightforward and easy to read.

Overall, I enjoyed Cruel Beauty, but unfortunately I didn’t love it.  I’ll still read the next book settled in this universe and hope that they improve with time. 

Some quotes for you:

“If you start wondering how this house works, you'll likely go mad. That could be amusing, I suppose. Especially if it's the kind of madness that causes you to run naked through the hallways. Do feel free to indulge in that anytime.”

“You deserve all that and more. It made me happy to see you suffer. I would do it all over again if I could." I realized I was shaking as the words tumbled out of me. "I would do it again and again. Every night I would torment you and laugh. Do you understand? You are never safe with me." I drew a shuddering breath, trying to will away the sting of tears.

He opened his eyes and stared up at me as if I were the door out of Arcadia and back to the true sky. "That's what makes you my favorite." He reached up and wiped a tear off my cheek with his thumb. "Every wicked bit of you.”

“Why is he scared of the dark?"

I meant the words for a joke, but Shade nodded seriously. "Like all monsters. Because it reminds him of what he truly is".”

About the cover:  It’s gorgeous, and one of the things that had me reading the book in the first place. The roses have a very deep meaning in the Beauty and the Beast story, but not so here.  Also, the spiral stairs emphasize the confusion of the ever-changing castle. 

Review: The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater (The Raven Boys #2)

Title: The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater

Published: September 17^th, 2013 by Scholastic

Source: ARC from NetGalley

Format: eBook

Genre: Paranormal

Age group: Young adult

Challenge(s):

Grade rate: A

Now that the ley lines around Cabeswater have been woken, nothing for Ronan, Gansey, Blue, and Adam will be the same. Ronan, for one, is falling more and more deeply into his dreams, and his dreams are intruding more and more into waking life. Meanwhile, some very sinister people are looking for some of the same pieces of the Cabeswater puzzle that Gansey is after…

My Review

Wow!  If you’re looking for a different paranormal series, look no further, The Raven Boys is as unique as they come (see my review here).  The first book took a little getting used to, but The Dream Thieves went from unique to something more. 

While The Raven Boys was an introduction to the Boys, to Blue and her family and to Gansey’s quest; The Dream Thieves is about getting to know each character more intimately, especially Ronan.  If you read the first book, the ending is a pretty good clue of what Ronan can do; of course, the title is a pretty good clue as well.  What Ronan can do is incredible, but unpredictable and very dangerous.  It gets him in trouble

It breaks my heart to see the rift between Adam and Gansey grow bigger, but I hope that can be mended as the series goes on.  Adam has so many issues with confidence, with accepting help, love and friendship from others, and with anger, I have faith that he will overcome all of these. 

Blue is quirky, easy to anger, easy to love and to help her boys.  Nothing much of the romantic nature happens in this book, but rather there is a markedly absence of progress and a change of affections that might bring more bad than good; I guess I’ll watch and see how it goes.  With the problems with the line, Noah is a bit more absent during this book, but still there and since now everyone knows his secret, he’s a lot more open about things. 

I think that the Gray Man deserves his own paragraph. Why you ask? Because only Stiefvater would make such an efficient killer, likeable.  The Gray Man had a horrible childhood that it’s hinted at, and thus he became efficient in killing, but to him, this is a job and he doesn’t enjoy it. It’s his profession (besides being a poet) and he describes himself as a ‘hit man’ and he doesn’t ever hide what he does or intends to do.  Take the following for example:

“… And this man was polite in a keen, questioning sort of way.  He was polite like tentacles were polite, testing the surface carefully, checking to see how it reacted to his presence. 

He was, Blue decided suddenly, very clever. Nothing to be trifled with….

“You’re the hit man”

Mr. Gray had the good grace to look efficiently startled. “Oh. And you’re the daughter. Blue”

“The one and only.” Blue fixed a penetrating gaze on him. “So, do you have a favorite weapon?”

Without missing a beat, he replied, “Opportunity.”

Why didn’t Ronan’s father bothered to put everything to rights and explain before he passed away?  It was all a big puzzle that created a lot of tension and heartache for the Lynch brothers.  I’m glad that Ronan was able to figure it out, even if Kavinsky had to help him.  Kavisky is plain crazy, sorry, but there’s no other way to put it. Well. Maybe I can add more: he’s crazy, mean, self-centered, selfish, and many other ugly adjectives.

The story is told in the third person, from many of the character’s points of view. This way we know what is going on at all times, we can be in more than one place at a time. What can I say about the writing that I haven’t said before? It’s beautiful, insightful, fluid, amazing.  The plot, the story itself, it’s as complicated as ever, but as I said before, now it’s familiar to me and I understand it a lot better.  I am looking forward to the next installment of The Raven Boys, still untitled and due to be published next year.

Some quotes for you:

“His eyes were frighteningly alive, the curve of his mouth savage and pleased. It suddenly didn't seem at all surprising that he should be able to pull things from his dreams.

In that moment, Blue was a little in love with all of them. Their magic. Their quest. Their awfulness and strangeness. Her raven boys.”

“He danced on the knife’s edge between awareness and sleep. When he dreamt like this, he was a king. The world was his to bend. His to burn.”

“When Ronan thought of Gansey, he thought of moving into Monmouth Manufacturing, of nights spent in companionable insomnia, of a summer searching for a king, of Gansey asking the Gray Man for his life. Brothers.”

“Tears don't become us.”

Her mother wiped her eyes on the shoulder of Blue’s T-shirt. “You’re right. What becomes us?”

“Action.”

About the cover: That’s Ronan in the cover (we know by the haircut, or lack thereof), I like the ravens and all the things that seem to be coming from within him.  I like the font the ley line symbol over the title too. Beautiful.

Review: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater (The Raven Cycle #1)

Title: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Published: September 18, 2012 by Scholastic

Source: ARC from BEA 2012

Format: Paperback

Genre: Paranormal | Fantasy

Group age: Young adult

Challenge(s): TRB Pile 2013

Grade rate: B+

“There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.” It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive. Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her. His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble. But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little. For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

My Review

Once upon a time I went to BEA for the first time, actually it was last year, but never mind that part.  Anyway, I stood in line waiting for a signed ARC of The Raven Boys for about an hour and a half.  This was, by far, the longest line I waiting on and I was ever so happy with my new shiny book.  And then… it sat on the shelf for over a year (not an uncommon happening around here.) 

At this juncture you might be thinking one of two things:  Is this a review or what? OR/AND, Why stand in line for such a long time for a book.  Well, I promise to get on with the review in the next paragraph; as soon as I explain the why.  I adore Maggie Stiefvater’s writing.  I have now read everything she’s ever published.  I adore the Wolves of Mercy Falls series and just a few months ago I “read” The Scorpio Races (in audio book) and I can assuredly say it’s one of my favorite books ever. I’ve also heard Maggie speak at two book events and I follow her blog.  In essence, I’m a fan.  Now, the review…

The Raven Boys was an unexpected surprise. It has a different quality to her other books, it lacks the pure lyricism of The Scorpio Races and the romanticism of Shiver; instead it is something else.  Something new, different and unique. 

The Raven Boys (as Blue calls them) are: Gansey, Ronan, Adam and Noah.  This is an unlikely group of friends. They form a ‘family’ of sorts being led by Gansey.  Gansey is the glue that keeps them all together; he is exceptional, caring and careless at the same time.  He has one goal in mind and he has the temperament and the resources to see it through. 

Ronan is ruthless, tough, hard to get to know, in pain, and troubled, but he is like a brother to Gansey and loyal to the core.  He has gone through a really hard time and it’s trying to make peace with that fact.   Adam is very smart and not rich like Ronan and Gansey.  He has a partial scholarship to Anglioby and works really hard to pay for school, works really hard on his grades, it seems like everything is hard for him, especially his family life.  It’s so hard to read those parts of the story because they are often heartbreaking.  Noah is the easygoing one, always there when needed and he has a big secret.

And then, there’s Blue.  For some reason Blue, and to some extent her family, form a tight circle of protection around the Raven Boys.  Blue is different to everyone else in the group. She’s pragmatic, open minded, practical, loved, sarcastic, and a little weird.  It must be really hard growing up with this sort of prophesy that foresees a doomed love. I really enjoyed reading about her extended family, her mom and her aunts, that are all true psychics. 

The writing (as the quotes below can testify) is impeccable.  As I mentioned before, it is different than her usual style and a bit strange, but it’s still insightful and beautiful.  The plot is probably what confused me the most.  It is a mix of true psychics, a mystery (or mysteries), very serious conflict between friends and within families, and the paranormal.  At the end it all works together, but it wasn’t love at first sight like it was for her other books. 

Overall, The Raven Boys is a fascinating story and a testament to Maggie Stievfater’s imagination and endless capability of surprising the reader with a book that is somewhat something more.  

Some quotes for you:

“My words are unerring tools of destruction, and I’ve come unequipped with the ability to disarm them.”

“Maura had decided sometime before Blue's birth that it was barbaric to order children about, and so Blue had grown up surrounded by imperative question marks.”

“The fact was, by the time she got to high school, being weird and proud of it was an asset. Suddenly cool, Blue could've happily had any number of friends. And she had tried. But the problem with being weird was that everyone else was 'normal'".

“Where do you live?"

Adam's mouth was very set. "A place made for leaving"

"That's not really an answer."

"It's not really a place.”

“From the passenger seat, Ronan began to swear at Adam. It was a long, involved swear, using every forbidden word possible, often in compound-word form. As Adam stared at his lap, penitent, he mused that there was something musical about Ronan when he swore, a careful and loving precision to the way he fit the words together, a black-painted poetry. It was far less hateful sounding than when he didn’t swear.”

About the cover: I find the cover so pretty and artistic at the same time. The raven is (of course!) very important for more than the obvious reasons.

Review: Shadows of the Moon by Zoe Marriot

Title: Shadows onthe Moon by Zoe Marriott

Release date: July 7th 2011 by Walker Books Ltd

Source: Library

Format: Paperback (464 pages)

Age group: Young adult

Genre: Historical fiction/fantasy

Reviewer: Arianne

Grade rate: B

On my fourteenth birthday when the sakura was in full bloom, the men came to kill us. We saw them come, Aimi and me. We were excited, because we did not know how to be frightened. We had never seen soldiers before.Suzume is a shadow-weaver. She can create mantles of darkness and light, walk unseen in the middle of the day, change her face. She can be anyone she wants to be. Except herself.
Suzume died officially the day the Prince's men accused her father of treason. Now even she is no longer sure of her true identity.Is she the girl of noble birth living under the tyranny of her mother’s new husband, Lord Terayama? A lowly drudge scraping a living in the ashes of Terayama’s kitchens? Or Yue, the most beautiful courtesan in the Moonlit Lands?
Everyone knows Yue is destined to capture the heart of a prince. Only she knows that she is determined to use his power to destroy Terayama.
And nothing will stop her. Not even love.

Review

Fantasy and historical fiction are two of my favourite genres, so when I saw them both appear in the blurb for Shadows on the Moon I was sure this book would be the perfect read for me.

No matter what shelf you find it on, Shadows on the Moon is likely to have one major advantage over any book placed beside it: Zoe Marriott's stunning choice of setting. Inspired by the illustrious and often mystical history of Asia, solid research is delicately spun into a vivid web of ancient kingdoms and courtly politics, personal tragedy and wicked revenge. There's a sense that Shadows on the Moon is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to all the tales that could be told about the Moonlit Lands.

The characters, too, slide into this setting like fingers into a glove. The cast is multi-ethnic, crossing continents from Asia to African and back again, sometimes in the space of a single page. I loved this about the book. We like to think YA is getting more diverse but it's only when you read a book like this that you realize how limited mainstream literature really is.

None of the characters really jumped out at me as lasting favourites but the story is one of growth for Suzume so she really gets most of the page-time. There's even dainty prose and a reference to a fairytale to accompany her journey. Transformation is often a given in contemporary books, but it's refreshing to see it become the focus of a book which relies on its historical and paranormal elements to move the plot along.

This is where Shadows on the Moon began to let me down. I wasn't as invested in the plot as I wanted to be. I just didn't connect with it. Much is made of Suzume's desire for revenge but as a character I just didn't know if she was strong enough to be motivated by it as much as she is implied to be. Revenge isn't the only dark theme of the book, either. There are murders (always an eye-catching start), extra-marital affairs (mostly didn't see that one coming) and several incidences of self-harm (really didn't see that one coming) which could put off readers who are looking for a more laid-back approach. The climax failed to impress and left me feeling just a little unsatisfied with the way things turned out.

I also wished Suzume's powers had been explained better. I was like, "Dude, she can turn invisible. Don't you want to talk about that for a second?" Shadow-weaving is an interesting concept and I felt it  needed more attention.

Shadows on the Moon was a far more complex read than I expected. I got more than I bargained for when I picked this one up, but if you like a book that doesn't shy away from its problems, it's definitely for you. I would recommend it on the basis of its setting alone but be prepared to coax yourself into the plot if it doesn't connect with you right away. Filled with history, magic and just enough fairytale to make you wish you were royalty all over again, it's best feature is the insightful look it gives at life in an alternative-universe feudal Japan.

Waiting on Wednesday: Witch Finder by Ruth Warburton

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine in which we have the opportunity to let others know about books that we are eagerly waiting for.

Title: Witch Finder by Ruth Warburton 
Published by: Hodder Children
Release on: January 2nd, 2014

London. 1880. In the slums of Spitalfields apprentice blacksmith Luke is facing initiation into the Malleus Maleficorum, the fearsome brotherhood dedicated to hunting and killing witches.
Luke’s final test is to pick a name at random from the Book of Witches, a name he must track down and kill within a month, or face death himself. Luke knows that tonight will change his life forever. But when he picks out sixteen-year-old Rosa Greenwood, Luke has no idea that his task will be harder than he could ever imagine.

Why I want to read it: It's about magic, obviously about love and with a historical basis (or so I hope). I love this cover too, it's so pretty.

What are you waiting for this week?

Review: Texas Gothic by Rosemary Clement-Moore (Goodnight Family #1)

Title: Texas Gothic by Rosemary Clement-Moore

Published: July 12^th, 2011 by Delacorte

Source: Library

Format: Hardcover

Age group: Young adult

Genre: Paranormal mystery

Grade rate: A

Amy Goodnight knows that the world isn't as simple as it seems—she grew up surrounded by household spells and benevolent ghosts. But she also understands that "normal" doesn't mix with magic, and she's worked hard to build a wall between the two worlds. Not only to protect any hope of ever having a normal life. Ranch-sitting for her aunt in Texas should be exactly that. Good old ordinary, uneventful hard work. Only, Amy and her sister, Phin, aren't alone. There's someone in the house with them—and it's not the living, breathing, amazingly hot cowboy from the ranch next door. It's a ghost, and it's more powerful than the Goodnights and all their protective spells combined. It wants something from Amy, and none of her carefully built defenses can hold it back. This is the summer when the wall between Amy's worlds is going to come crashing down.

My Review

A few weeks ago the topic for Top Ten Tuesday was about authors that deserve more recognition and I stumbled upon a list with Rosemary Clement-Moore’s name in it.  I promptly went to my local library and checked out Texas Gothic and managed to fall in love with the Goodnights.

I love the writing from the beginning.  I mean, take for example the first line of the book:

“The goat was in the tree again.”

Isn’t this hilarious? I found it hard to stop reading right after that opening line.  The writing is a gem, it’s straightforward, easy to read and quirky.   The plot is a typical mystery, it actually reminded me to the Deadly Cool series, you know what I mean, right?  The heroine is investigating a mystery that gets her in trouble multiple times and at towards the end there’s a big dangerous scene and all is well at the ending.  However, the story behind Texas Gothic is different because it also involves the paranormal world of the Goodnights.

The Goodnight family is awesome!  Among them they have different kinds of paranormal abilities. There are psychics (taking / seeing ghosts) and witches.  I found it hilarious that they had the ability to tell when something was wrong with another member of the family, they call it the heebie-jeebies and it’s like their own 911 call and homing device rolled into one.  In this installment our main character is Amy (short for Amaryllis).

Amy is ranch-sitting for her aunt Hyacinth with the help of her sister Phin.  Here she is ‘contacted’ by a ghost that wants something from her and what follows is a series of both mysterious and extremely funny events on the hunt of answers.  Amy is loyal, strong, and tries to keep her family out of trouble by being the voice of reason.  I loved her voice so much; she is quirky, funny, ironic, self assured (you have to be to chase a cow in your undies, right?)

Phin is very scientific and less intuitive.  She reminded me to Temperance Brenan from the series Bones :)  I truly enjoyed reading about her and her relationship with Amy, they are so different and yet so close and they watch out for each other, as sisters should.  We are also introduced to Daisy, their cousin, who talks to dead people.  I’m not kidding; she actually does and she works for the police and the FBI helping them with murder cases.

Ben is a gorgeous and scowling cowboy from the neighboring ranch that, to boot (pun intended), does not believe in the paranormal.  I found Ben to be so sweet at the end, even if he was quite exasperating at the beginning.  Amy and Ben’s relationship is really new and I hope I get to see a bit of them in the next book.

As you can see the characterization is really good.  In summary, Texas Gothic is a mystery- paranormal-engaging-fun read and I cannot wait to read Daisy’s story on Spirit and Dust next!

Here are some quotes for your reading enjoyment:

“I was generally pro-bat, except when I was trekking through the dark trying not to think about the dire fate of every horror movie character stupid enough to go into the dark with a flashlight and check the fuses.”

“Emery cut in impatiantly, "For crying out loud. Who do you think you are, Nancy Drew?"

Hey," I snapped, because no one sniped at my sister but me, and Mark echoed with a stern "Chill, dude."

Phin was unperturbed. "Those books were highly unrealistic. Do you have any idea how much brain damage a person would have if she were hit on the head and drugged with chloroform that often?”

“You have a funny way of showing how much you don't like me."

"I don't like gophers, either, but I wouldn't leave one to suffer. I'd shoot it to put it out of its misery.”

About the cover: I really love this cover!  The colors work well with each other, the font plays on the ‘gothic’ title.  It is mysterious and beautiful at the same time.

Review: Skylark by Meagan Spooner

Title: Skylark by Meagan Spooner

Published: August 1^st, 2012 by Carolrhoda Lab

Source: Library

Format: Audio book narrated by Angela Lin

Group age: Young adult

Genre: Dystopian / Paranormal

Challenge(s):  2013 Dystopian

Grade rate: B

Sixteen-year-old Lark Ainsley has never seen the sky. Her world ends at the edge of the vast domed barrier of energy enclosing all that’s left of humanity. For two hundred years the city has sustained this barrier by harvesting its children's innate magical energy when they reach adolescence. When it’s Lark’s turn to be harvested, she finds herself trapped in a nightmarish web of experiments and learns she is something out of legend itself: a Renewable, able to regenerate her own power after it’s been stripped. Forced to flee the only home she knows to avoid life as a human battery, Lark must fight her way through the terrible wilderness beyond the edge of the world. With the city’s clockwork creations close on her heels and a strange wild boy stalking her in the countryside, she must move quickly if she is to have any hope of survival. She’s heard the stories that somewhere to the west are others like her, hidden in secret—but can she stay alive long enough to find them?

My Review

What a different take on dystopia!  I’m always amazed by the vision, imagination and invention of authors everywhere, that’s why you are so awesome!  Skylark is a testament to that :)

There are books that, for whatever reason, stay with you and Skylar is one of those.  To me, the best components of the story are the story building, the setting and the writing.  The story is very slow to build and I have to confess of losing interest at the beginning, I’m glad I persevered though!  The world created by Spooner is nothing short of magical.  It has been ravaged by wars 100 years ago and the survivors have either mutated to almost monsters, or banded themselves in walled cities that are powered by the ‘resource’, what we know of as magic.  I think one of the biggest lessons that Lark learned is that evil could be found inside and outside the walls equally and that she had to be very careful to survive.  The setting comes alive by the description of Lark experiences.  The writing is poetic and lyrical, rich in metaphors and simile; truly exquisite. I wish I could include some quotes here, but alas, this is harder to do when listening to an audio book.

Now that you read the paragraph above, you might be wondering why I haven’t mentioned that characters yet.  I’m getting to that part now.  It’s not to say that the characterization was poor, but to me, it takes second place to the story itself.  Lark is strong, loyal, but misguided and very incapable, at least at the beginning.  Since the story is told from her POV, we get to experiences all her ‘first’. The first time she sees the outside world as she leaves her domed city is traumatic.  She’s starving, tired, and scared. She makes many mistakes and is saved a few times by Oren.  I loved that Lark is aware of her shortcomings and wants to earn some independence and sense of belonging.

Oren is, as Lark initially called him, a wild boy.  However, he is taken with her and helps her many times, showing her how to survive in the ‘real’ world.  Oren is mysterious, stoic, strong and closed off, but I liked him immediately. I have faith in you!  Nix is a pixie (a machine created by the institute to track magic), that is Lark’s other companion on her travels, I loved her evasiveness and her loyalty.  I don’t know why, but I just didn’t like Kris from the beginning. The other characters, such as Dorian, the renewable leader, and others are not memorable. 

The plot is different and so full of twists and turns that I didn’t see coming and left my head spinning.  I hope that Lark learns to take care of herself and finds her missing brother Basil. I can’t wait to read Shadow Lark, the next book in the series that will be released in October of this year.  

About the cover:  The cover is pretty, but doesn’t give a lot away.  I guess the woods are prominent and that the swirls gives it a sense of whimsy.

Review: The Rose Throne by Mette Ivie Harrison

Title: The Rose Throne by Mette Ivie Harrison

Published: May 14, 2013 by Egmont

Source: ARC from Netgalley

Format: eBook

Group age: YA

Genre: Fantasy

Challenge(s): 2013 eBook

Grade rate: B-

                           

Ailsbet loves nothing more than music; tall and red-haired, she's impatient with the artifice and ceremony of her father's court. Marissa adores the world of her island home and feels she has much to offer when she finally inherits the throne from her wise, good-tempered father. The trouble is that neither princess has the power--or the magic--to rule alone, and if the kingdoms can be united, which princess will end up ruling the joint land? For both, the only goal would seem to be a strategic marriage to a man who can bring his own brand of power to the throne. But will either girl be able to marry for love? And can either of these two princesses, rivals though they have never met, afford to let the other live?

My Review

I have to start this review by letting you know that the book’s blurb is a bit misleading.  The Rose Thorne is not solely a romance; actually, that is a minor component of the story.  This book was really different for me; it is a fantasy with heavy magical and political undertones. 

The story is about an imaginary island world that was ‘broken’ apart and it’s now divided in two.  The major reason for the division is the type of ‘magic’ that people have and their importance in the eyes of the current ruler: women are supposed to have newyer and men should have taweyr.  The previous is a type of magic used for nurturing the earth, and the latter, is used for war and destruction.  There are also people that do not get any magic and then, there is also the possibility of a man or woman getting the wrong type of magic for their gender, which the King of Rurik has determined is a crime.  Harrison has created a wonderful and rich world of magic and classes, riddled with stereotypes, and complicated court politics.  The story is fast paced and very rich; the plot is full of twists and turns that are, more often than not, unexpected.  The writing is straight forward and unadorned.

Ailsbet and Marissa (Issa) are both princesses and they are pawns in the sense that only marriage will make them useful to their kingdoms. Ailsbet’s father, the king of Rurik is SO bad, I thoroughly despise the man and so does everyone that meets him, unfortunately he is too strong to be easy to defeat.  I feel bad for his family and for the kingdom.  On the other hand, Issa is the opposite of Ailsbet.  She has a loving father, friends; she’s kind, and beautiful.  However, their paths cross (don’t want to spoil it here for you), and I think that at the end they were able to tolerate each other fairly well.  I really liked Kellin, his strong character and his desire to do what is good for his country, regardless of the cost to himself.  I didn’t like Umber, Ailsbet’s intended, at all; he was so conceited and selfish.  

The story is told from the points of view of our two heroines. I really enjoyed their stories, and getting to know them both and their distinct feelings and most of all their brand of magic.

The ending is very open, and I sincerely hope that this is the beginning of a series; otherwise the ending doesn’t conclude the book… 

About the cover:  As you know, I’m a sucker for pretty covers and this one is just beautiful. I like the softness and how delicate it looks.

Note: I will be in a business trip until Friday, please bare with me and my limited use of the internet while I'm away.

Review: Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson (Fire and Thorns #1)

Title: Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

Published: September 11^th, 2011 by Greenwillow

Source: Purchased

Format: Audio book and paperback

Challenge(s): TBR pile

Grade rate: A

Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness.Elisa is the chosen one.

But she is also the younger of two princesses, the one who has never done anything remarkable. She can't see how she ever will.

Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs the chosen one, not a failure of a princess.
And he's not the only one who seeks her. Savage enemies seething with dark magic are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people's savior. And he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake.
Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn’t die young.
Most of the chosen do.

My Review

Why did it take me so long to read this book?  I have to say that Girl of Fire and Thorns is probably one of my favorite reads this year.

I first started listening to the audio book, but unfortunately, this is not the best format for me when reading fantasy.  It is really hard for me to remember all the names of people and places when they are not commonly known words and it is a lot easier to read instead.  Since I already had a copy of the book, and it started getting really interesting, I finished the book in no time.
 

Girl of Fire and Thrones was pleasant surprise for me.  Elisa quickly grew on me.

Lucero-Elisa (lucero means star) is a princesses and God’ chosen one.  She grew up in privilege and led a very sheltered life of study and prayer.  All of the sudden she’s married off to King Alejandro, a complete stranger, and she doesn’t even know why.  Elisa is an endearing character because, although she is plagued with self-doubt, self-esteem and body issues she rises above all of it and grows to be an amazing and strong female character.  She is extremely start and knows a lot about strategy, which comes in very handy when her country is threatened by war.  Her outer and inner change happened gradually and it’s very believable.  I enjoy her journey and its outcome.

Most of the characters are well fleshed out and memorable as well, so I’ll mention a few of them.  Alejandro is the king of Joya d’Arena (means jewel of the sand); he tries to be kind to Elisa, but after all she is very young (16) and he doesn’t know her either.  Hi is very weak of character and all his sneakiness made me dislike him.  I like Lord Hector, in charge of the royal guard, since he values Elisa and is very pleasant to her. I hope something deeper develops beteween them in the next book.  Ximena is Elisa’s nurse and guardian and she loves her deeply.  Oh, Humberto, I really love you. 

The setting is a bit of a mystery to me.  Most names of places and people are in Spanish (or Latin), and some of the places described sound almost like a Mexican villa.  However, the kingdom of Joya is huge and covers desert, forests and mountains, but it feels almost like an Arabian county.  Distances are outrageous (it takes a month to get from the capital to the mountains) and customs (food, dress) change from area to area.  The Inviernos (which means “winter”) are describes as white, fair haired and with light eyes, but a barbaric, which reminds me of Vikings.

The plot is very original.  I found a bit weird the fact that the Godstone was in Elisa’s navel and acted sort of like a danger and mood detector and like a GPS, but overall it worked with the rest of the story.  Also, I found Elisa’s lack of faith in her abilities and her continuous thought of food and her appearance a little bothersome. The book has heavy religious undertones, but this is fiction, so of course it is all made up.  The writing was easy to read and flawless; still my favorite part, besides the plot is the characterization. 

Some of my favorite quotes:

“I almost stab him right then.  What would this man know of God’s will?  He is insane, hardly human with his wild eyes and predatory hunger…Now even, my enemy presumes to know the mid of God…I am his bearer and I understand nothing.”  Elisa

“My heart hammers in my throat, my breath comes too fast, but I force my hands to relax, to lower the daggers.  Someone is saving me.  Someone who called me ‘Your Highness’ “…All the rage and grief and fear flow out of me until my body is limp.  I stumble toward Lord Hector, wrap my arms around him.”  Eliza

“Honor from death,” I snap, “is a myth. Invented by the war torn to make sense of the horrific. If we die, it will be so that others may live. Truly honorable death, the only honorable death, is one that enables life.” - Eliza

About the cover:  I’m not too crazy about the cover, which is probably one of the reasons it took me so long to read this book.  

Have you read this book?  Did you like it?  

Review: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas (Throne of Glass #1)

Title: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Expected publication: August 7^th, 2012 by Bloomsbury

Source: ARC from the publishers at BEA 2012

Format: Paperback ARC

Challenge(s):

Grade rate: A+

After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin.

Her opponents are men—thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the kings council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she’ll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom.

Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she’s bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it’s the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.

Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.

My Review

What an awesome book!  Throne of Glass is an amazing debut but author Sarah J. Maas, and one you should put at the top of your TBR list.

Celaena is an incredible kiss-ass heroine.   She is snarky, sarcastic, realistic, loyal, smart, beautiful, and all together awesome.  I really enjoyed getting to know her, although I suspect there is a lot more to learn about her and her past.  Celaena is a survivor that was forced to be an assassin, and just not any assassin, but the best there is.  She is surprisingly girly and well-read and educated (I’m sure we can all sympathize with a fellow book-lover), and hard to impress.  

Prince Dorian and Chaol are also outstanding characters.  They are both in awe with Celeana for their own reasons.  Dorian because she is straightforward and doesn’t act like the simpering ladies in court, and Chaol because he is impressed with her skill, her femininity, and her resilience.  This, my friends, is the beginning of a beautiful friendship and a possible love triangle.  However, at this point, I’m not sure who to team up with, although I have a soft spot for Chaol.


"He saw her face each time he closed his eyes. She haunted his thoughts, made him wish to do grand and wonderful things in her name, made him want to be a man who deserved to wear a crown." - Dorian


"There was still something soft in her face. It gave him hope - hope that he had not lost his soul in the act of killing, hope that humanity could still be found, and honor could be regained... She had come out of Envovier and could still laugh" - Chaol

The characterization is altogether remarkable.  I find Nehemia mysterious and delightful, Phillipa is a quiet accomplice, the king is odious, and even Fleetfoot has a strong personality.  Overall, the characters are part of what makes this an amazing story.

Celaena reminds me a bit of Katsa from Graceling, but just on their knack for survival and all around kiss-assery.   The plot is so well crafted, full of twists and turns to keep the reader on their toes.  The story is told in the third person point of view, which allows is an insight into many 'minds' at once.  A lot happens within these pages and the true triumph is that could have happy kept on reading.  The setting is another splendid aspect of Throne of Glass, as it is very well developed. From the mines, to the forest, to the glass or stone castle; visiting Adarlan was a true adventure.  The writing is surprisingly insightful, straightforward and easy to understand (this is a plus when reading fantasy!)  Throne of Glass made me laugh-out-loud, scream ‘Get up!’ and bite my nails – it is a truly amazing book! 

I cannot wait to read the sequel or the four pre-novellas that were just published (see them here).  Thorne of Glass is a must read (really, pre-order it now!).

About the cover:  It is a beautiful cover, we can see the glass castle on the background and Celeana with a dagger (although I think she’s showing too much skin for the setting ;).

Have you read Throne of Glass yet?  Do you like to read fantasy?  Do you like this type of heroine?

Remember to enter my Follower Appreciation Giveaway – Here 

Pushing the Limits Giveaway - Here

Review: Masters of the Veil by Daniel Cohen (Veil #1)

Title: Masters of the Veil by Daniel Cohen

Published: March 1^st, 2012 by Spencer Hill Press

Format: Paperback

Source: Finished autographed copy from BEA 2012

Challenge(s):

Grade rate: B+

  

Life can't get much better for Sam Lock. Popular, good-looking, and with a future as a professional football player. Every guy at Stanton High School wishes he were Sam. That is, until his championship football game, when Sam accidentally links with an ancient source of energy known as the Veil and reveals his potential to become a powerful sorcerer. Sam is whisked off to Atlas Crown, a community of sorcerers who utilize the Veil as a part of everyday life. Once there, he trains beside a mute boy who speaks through music, an eternal sage who's the eyes and ears of the Veil, and a beautiful girl who's pretty sure Sam's an idiot. As it becomes clear Sam's meant for power magic-the most feared and misunderstood form of sorcery-people beyond Atlas Crown learn of his dangerous potential. An exiled group of power sorcerers are eager to recruit Sam, believing that he is destined to help them achieve their long-held goal. If they succeed, they could bring about the downfall of not only Atlas Crown, but all humankind.

My Review

I had selected Masters of the Veil a few months back as my ‘Waiting  on Wednesday’  and Mr. Cohen contacted me to see if I wanted a guest post , which I totally did (see it here).  Therefore, I was very excited to get Masters of the Veil and to meet Mr. Cohen at BEA, I started reading the book right away and I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised.

To me the book was initially a blend of Harry Potter (inevitable comparison as the book is about magic) and The Warrior Heir.  Obviously this is not a copy of other books, but an original take on magic and its use.  The book started slowly with a lot of world building and it was a bit confusing at first, and I’m sure that’s exactly how Sam felt. 

Sam is very popular in school, he’s handsome and with an almost guaranteed professional football career, until he inadvertently uses magic and in a second all his dreams are lost.  He is whisked away to Atlas Crown, where he undergoes a crash course in magic, the Veil and all it provides.  I think one of my biggest hang-ups with the book is the fact that Sam is so fixated on football and on being a jock the he expected to receive ‘special’ treatment/considerations. 

Other characters were amazing if somewhat mysterious.  May, Bariv and Rona are all great role models that come from great adversity.  Other characters from the magical community and the school are well built and distinctive. Glissandro was my favorite because he found a way ‘talk’ with music.  Daphne was okay and Petir is the typical high school bully. 

The bad guys from the Tembrath Elite were quite twisted, and deceiving and a bit creepy too.

Atlas Crown is in and by itself a character (as much as the Veil is).  So many strange things happen in the magical community that is a testament to Mr. Cohen imagination.  There are singing flowers, trees that move, a talking snake, and swarm of bees that guard the forest.  The idea of wearing a ‘second skin’ (a glove) to do magic was pure genius. It is a truly wonderful place, but very foreign and had to adjust to, especially as Sam is older than most when he discovers his ‘talent’.

The time with the Tembrath Elite went by really fast, with minimum descriptions, even though he was with them for about three weeks.  Sam was a bit naïve, but then again, people in Atlas Crown were not too crazy about him. 

The plot was well crafted, imaginative and mysterious.  The writing was easy to follow and as I say, a bit slow at the beginning.

Overall, Masters of the Veil is a great start to a magical series, I will definitely read the next book.

About the Cover:  The cover is a close up of Sam’s second skin (glove) that is made from the skin of a very special snake.  It’s black with the reflection of stars on it.  I also like the font that is used on the cover and throughout the book.

Waiting on Wednesday: When the Sea is Rising Red by Cat Hellisen

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine

Title: When the Sea is Rising Red by Cat Hellisen

Publised by: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Released date: February 28th, 2012

In sixteen-year-old Felicita’s world, magic is strictly controlled—or so those in power like to believe. After her dearest friend, Ilven, kills herself to escape an arranged marriage, Felicita chooses freedom over privilege. She fakes her own death and leaves her sheltered life as one of Pelimburg’s magical elite behind. Living in the slums, scrubbing dishes for a living, she falls for charismatic Dash while also becoming fascinated with vampire Jannik. Then something shocking washes up on the beach: Ilven’s death has called out of the sea a dangerous, wild magic. Felicita must decide whether her loyalties lie with the family she abandoned . . . or with those who would twist this dark power to destroy Pelimburg’s caste system, and the whole city along with it.

Why I want to read it: This book caught my eye first because of the striking cover, isn't is beautiful? After reading the synopsis it sounds intriguing and interesting, although I'm not sure about the love triangle.

What are you waiting for this week?