Book Review: Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Carry On
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Publication Date: October 6, 2015
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Genre: YA (Contemporary) Fantasy
Page Length: 522 pages
Goodreads

Simon Snow is the worst chosen one who’s ever been chosen.

That’s what his roommate, Baz, says. And Baz might be evil and a vampire and a complete git, but he’s probably right.

Half the time, Simon can’t even make his wand work, and the other half, he sets something on fire. His mentor’s avoiding him, his girlfriend broke up with him, and there’s a magic-eating monster running around wearing Simon’s face. Baz would be having a field day with all this, if he were here—it’s their last year at the Watford School of Magicks, and Simon’s infuriating nemesis didn’t even bother to show up.

Carry On is a ghost story, a love story, a mystery and a melodrama. It has just as much kissing and talking as you’d expect from a Rainbow Rowell story—but far, far more monsters.

Book Review: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Six of Crows 
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Series: Six of Crows #1
Publication Date: September 29, 2015
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company
Genre: YA Fantasy
Page Length: 465
Goodreads

Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price - and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker.  Ka is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams.  But he can't pull it off alone . . .

A convict with a thirst for revenge.
A sharpshooter who can't walk away from a wager.
A runaway with a privileged past.
A spy known as the Wraith.
A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums.
A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes.

Six dangerous outcasts.  One impossible heist.  Kaz's crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction - if they don't kill each other first.

Book Review: Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas

Queen of Shadows
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Series: Throne of Glass #4
Publication Date: September 1, 2015
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Pages: 656
Goodreads

Sarah J. Maas's New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass series reaches new heights in this sweeping fourth volume.

Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her.  But she's at last returned to the empire - for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past . . .

She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die just to see her again.  She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison.  And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen's triumphant return.

Celaena's epic journey has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions across the globe.  This fourth volume will hold readers rapt as Celaena's story builds to a passionate, agonizing crescendo that might just shatter the world.

Book Review: Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas

Heir of Fire
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Series: Throne of Glass #3
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Publication Date: September 2, 2014
Genre: YA Fantasy
Page Length: 562 pages

The king's assassin takes on an even greater destiny and burns brighter than ever before in this follow-up to the New York Times bestselling Crown of Midnight.

She was the heir of ash and fire, and she would bow to no one.

Celaena Sardothien has survived deadly contests and shattering heartbreak - but at an unspeakable cost.  Now she must travel to a new land to confront her darkest truth . . . a truth about her heritage that could change her life - and her future - forever.

Meanwhile, brutal and monstrous forces are gathering on the horizon, intent on enslaving her world.  To defeat them, Celaena must find the strength to not only fight her inner demons but to battle the evil that is about to be unleashed.

Book Review: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

A Court of Thorns and Roses
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Series: ACOTAR #1
Publication: Bloomsbury on May 5, 2015
Genre: NA Fantasy Retellings
Page Length: 432 pages
Source: Purchased

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it.  Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin - one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae.  But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin - and his world - forever.

Book Review: The Wrath and the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh

The Wrath and the Dawn
Author: Renée Ahdieh
Series: The Wrath and the Dawn #1
Publication: Putnam's Children on May 12, 2015
Genre: YA Fantasy Retellings
Page Length: 388 pages
Source: Purchased

One Life to One Dawn.

Every dawn brings horror to a different family in a land ruled by a killer.  Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, takes a new bride each night only to have her executed at sunrise.  So it is a suspicious surprise when sixteen-year-old Shahrzad volunteers to marry Khalid.  But she does so with a clever plan to stay alive and exact revenge on the Caliph for the murder of her best friend and countless other girls.  Shazi's wit and will, indeed, get her through to the dawn that no others have seen, but with a catch . . . she's falling in love with the very boy who killed her dearest friend.

She discovers that the murderous boy-king is not all that he seems and neither are the deaths of so many girls.  Shazi is determined to uncover the reason for the murders and to break the cycle one and for all.

Book Review: An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

An Ember in the Ashes
Author: Sabaa Tahir
Series: An Ember in the Ashes #1
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Page Length: 443 pages
Publication Date: April 28th, 2015
Publisher: Razorbill
Source: Purchased

Laia is a slave.
Elias is a soldier.
Neither is free.
Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death.  Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear.
It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother.  The family ekes out an existence in the Empire's impoverished backstreets.  They do not challenge the Empire.  They've seen what happens to those who do.
But when Laia's brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision.  In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire's greatest military academy.
There, Laia meets Elias, the school's finest soldier - and secretly, its most unwilling.  Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he's being trained to enforce.  He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined - and that their choice will change the fate of the Empire itself.

Mini Reviews - Throne of Glass & Cinder

Throne of Glass
by Sarah J. Maas
Series: Throne of Glass
Publication: Bloomsbury on August 7, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 406 pages
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Magic, Fiction

Jacket copy: 

When magic has gone from the world, and a vicious king rules from his throne of glass, an assassin comes to the castle.  She does not come to kill, but to win her freedom.  If she can defeat twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition to find the greatest assassin in the land, she will become the King's Champion and be released from prison.

Her name is Celaena Sardothien.  The Crown Prince will provoke her.  The Captain of the Guard will protect her.  And a princess from a foreign land will become the one thing Celaena never thought she'd have again: a friend.

But something evil dwells in the castle - and it's there to kill.  When her competitors start dying, horribly, one by one, Celaena's fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival - and a desperate quest to root out the source of evil before it destroys her world.

This was the very first Sarah J. Maas book I've read.  I honestly don't know how I went so long without reading Throne of Glass, one of the book blogosphere's greatest loves.  Prior to reading, I had only heard good things about Sarah J. Maas and her writing, so I entered the Throne of Glass realm with fingers crossed for a good read that wouldn't disappoint.

And it didn't!  Throne of Glass was a book filled with excitement and thrill, and that for the most part, kept readers on their toes.

My favorite part of the book?

Celaena Sardothein herself.  I totally appreciated how different Celaena was from other main characters.  After reading a lot of similar books with similar characters and plots in the genre, everything just begins to blur together.  Sarah J. Maas created a character, Celaena, who really stands out above the rest.  Celaena is an assassin.  She's such a kick-ass main character with loads of personality and wit, one that I loved to read about.  Celaena was strong, fierce, and independent - qualities we all try to strive for.

And though there was that love triangle we've come to slightly despise over the years, it thankfully wasn't written terribly.  There was no annoying drama or cheating - nothing like that.  This book focuses on Celaena's relationship with The Crown Prince, Dorian, for most of the story, but begins to shift more in favor of The Captain of the Guard, Chaol, towards the end.  (This love triangle totally reminded me of The Selection, though.)

All in all, Throne of Glass lived up to its praise!

Cinder
by Marissa Meyer
Series: The Lunar Chronicles
Publication: Feiwel and Friends on January 3, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 387 pages
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Fairy Tales, Romance

Jacket copy:

Even in the future, the story begins with Once Upon a Time . . .

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing.  A deadly plague ravages the population.  From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move.  No one knows that Earth's fate hinges on one girl . . .

Sixteen-year-old Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg.  She's a second-class citizen with a mysterious past and is reviled by her stepmother.  But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai's, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction.  Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world's future.  Because there is something unusual about Cinder, something that others would kill for.

Cinder, the first book in The Lunar Chronicles, is a book practically everyone has both read and raved about.

However, before I get into the review, I have to apologize if you're a fan, because I've taken up the unpopular opinion here.

Unfortunately, Cinder just wasn't for me.  Cyborgs and lunar people sound interesting and all, but I didn't enjoy the story Marissa Meyer pieced together.  Prior to reading, I heard it took a few chapters to really get immersed in the book, but it took me, honestly, the entire book.  The ending was pretty much the only part that interested me.

What bothered me most about this book was the "jaw dropper."  Like all other readers, I want to actually be surprised.  Just because Cinder is a fairy tale retelling, it doesn't mean the entire plot has to be see through.  And . . . it was.  Only a couple chapters into the book, I honestly read this one sentence and knew exactly what the jaw dropper was.  That was just disappointing for me.  Knowing the jaw dropper only a handful of pages in really inhibited me from being able to enjoy the story.

I still stoically read on until the end, and fortunately, the story improved.  However, even though Cinder was able to leave off on an exciting note, I don't think I'll be continuing on with the series.

The Ghosts of Heaven - Marcus Sedgwick

The Ghosts of Heaven

by Marcus Sedgwick

Series: Standalone

Publication: Roaring Book Press on January 6, 2015

Format: Hardcover, 336 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Fiction, Science Fiction, Short Stories, Time Travel

Jacket copy:

The spiral dance.

The spinning top in her brother's hands.

The waterwheel.

The carving under the water.

The rope at her neck.

Timeless, beautiful, and haunting, spirals connect the four episodes of this mesmerizing novel from Printz Award winner Marcus Sedgwick.  They are there in prehistory, when a girl picks up a charred stick and makes the first written signs; there tens of centuries later, hiding in the treacherous waters of Golden Beck that take Anna, who people call a witch; there in the halls of a Long Island hospital at the beginning of the twentieth century, where a mad poet watches the ocean and knows the horrors it hides; and there in the far future, as an astronaut faces his destiny on the first spaceship sent from earth to colonize another world.  Each of the characters in these mysterious linked stories embarks on a journey of discovery and survival; carried forward through the spiral of time, none will return to the same place.

What to say about this book?

I don't even know.

I'm not quite certain what compelled me in the first place to give this book a try, as Ghosts of Heaven is definitely not my usual reading selection.  However, after reading, I do suppose I'm happy I stuck through the 360 pages, reading on to the end.

Ghosts of Heaven is split up into four extremely different short stories, all written in extremely different styles of writing, all taking place at four extremely different times in history.  What connects the four stories together however, is a shape, a coil, a never ending curvature, the simplest of all forms that connects us to the past, present, and future: the spiral.

As the reader journeys on through different lives, different stories, and different times, the mystery of the spiral is slowly unraveled as Marcus Sedgwick forces us to think, to ponder about this one form and how it somehow in some way connects everything.

I usually am not a fan of books split up in such a way, however, I do think in this special case, the four short stories could work together as a whole.

QUARTER ONE: Whispers in the Dark

Set in prehistoric times.  Written in free verse.  A story of a girl and her tribe journeying, venturing, hunting, "making magic," writing.  Spirals are most apparent in this opening quarter: the spiraling fronds of ferns, the spiraling shells of snails, the coil of the snake, the flying formation of the falcon.

In my opinion, Whispers in the Dark was the most difficult to love.  Perhaps it may be attributed to the free verse, or for the strange ways of these ancient people, or maybe, for another, unknown reason.  As I found to be true with the other three quarters, the story improves and intrigues more as it progresses.

QUARTER TWO: The Witch in the Water

Set in historic England.  Written as per usual.  The story of a girl, Anna Tunstall, wrongly accused of witchcraft, perhaps dealt the wrong cards of heaven.  Person after person, supposed friends, lovers, neighbors, all, one-by-one, turn against Anna as "evidence" piles up against her.

The Witch in the Water was by far my favorite of the four.  It was a bit easier to immerse myself into this second quarter as I was used to the familiar writing style.

QUARTER THREE: The Easiest Room in Hell

1920s America.  An asylum overlooking the sea.  Written similarly to "diary-type" entries.  Intriguing.  A doctor, Doctor James, meets a crazed poet with the most unusual fear for the spiral form.

This quarter piqued my interest as, like Doctor James, I wanted, needed to find out the answer to the mystery of the spiral, and why it haunted the poet so.

QUARTER FOUR: The Song of Destiny

The future.  A spaceship spiraling towards New Earth with 500 "Longsleep" occupants on board dying mysteriously as the decades pass by overnight . . . first six . . . then one . . . then eight . . .

My second favorite of the four.  It reminded me very similarly to that of Interstellar.

All in all, Ghosts of Heaven was intriguing, though written unalike many other YA reads.  However interesting, it was difficult to understand, process, connect, and rather unfortunately, was not quite my taste.  Marcus Sedgwick does not give answers, but instead, leaves the reader foraging on their own journey to discover the mysterious secrets of space, time, and the universe: the secret of the spiral.

Red Queen (Red Queen #1) - Victoria Aveyard

Red Queen

by Victoria Aveyard

Series: Red Queen (#1)

Publication: HarperCollins on February 10, 2015

Format: Hardcover, 400 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Dystopia, Romance

Jacket copy:

Mare Barrow's world is divided by blood - those with red and those with silver.  Mare and her family are lowly Reds, destined to serve the Silver elite whose supernatural abilities make them nearly gods.  Mare steals what she can to help her family survive, but when her best friend is conscripted into the army she gambles everything to win his freedom.  A twist of fate leads her to the royal palace itself, where, in front of the king and all his nobles, she discovers a power of her own - an ability she didn't know she had.  Except . . . her blood is red.

To hide this impossibility, the king forces her into the role of a lost Silver princess and betroths her to one of his own sons.

As Mare is drawn further into the Silver world, she risks her new position to aid the Scarlet Guard - the leaders of a Red rebellion.  Her actions put into motion a deadly and violent dance, pitting prince against prince - and Mare against her own heart.

After hearing so much praise for Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard, I finally hunted down this author's debut novel at the public library.  Needless to say, after checking out the book, I stuck my nose in the spine and immediately got cracking to reading on the drive home.

Okay.  Before I get on to the real review, I just have to say this cover is gorgeous!  So very simple but I love it.  A million thumbs up from me. ☺

The main issue I had with Red Queen was that . . . it didn't feel original.  Sure, I've never read a book about "Reds" and "Silvers," but I felt like a whole lot of the plot overlapped with other popular YA Dystopia novels.  I suppose that it's quite difficult to make up completely original content, so I do understand.  However, at the beginning I felt as if I was reading a retelling of The Hunger Games, and during the middle and towards the end of the book, I felt as if I was reading a mix of The Selection by Kiera Cass and Divergent.  If any of you are devout fans of those series, then perhaps you will enjoy this book more due to the similar plots.  However, I thought of these similarities more as flaws - marks from the creativity factor.  And since the books were so similar, I couldn't help scrutinize the text and compare the plots that more closely.  I mean, as I said, it felt like I read it all before.

Some parts of the plot were cliché.  The big plot twists didn't come as a surprise to me (rather unfortunately.)  

However, the writing was exciting, especially towards the ending.  Overall I still enjoyed the book quite a lot.  The ideas and portions of the book that were completely original, I loved.  Many books talk about bloodlines and half-bloods, but I particularly enjoyed Victoria Aveyard's take with "Reds and "Silvers."  Oh yeah, and the Silvers' abilities were pretty (if you don't mind me saying) kick-butt.  The book was extremely action-packed and kept me intrigued.  I felt that Victoria Aveyard more than made up for the areas of her plot that were lacking.

Unfortunately, I have to admit I was expecting a bit more of Red Queen simply because I've heard so many good things about the book.  But all in all, I was thoroughly entertained and enjoyed the read.  So if you're looking for another YA action-packed novel with similar themes to books like The Hunger Games, The Selection, and Divergent, I'd say go for this one.  If you're a stickler for creativity, you might want to stay away.   

I'll be on the lookout for the sequel!

Frostfire (Kanin Chronicles #1) - Amanda Hocking

Frostfire

by Amanda Hocking

Series: Kanin Chronicles (#1)

Publication: St. Martin's Griffin on January 6, 2015

Format: Paperback, 321 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Adventure, Romance

Jacket copy:

Bryn Aven has never fit into Kanin society.  Her blond hair and blue eyes set her apart as an outsider - a half-blood unable to hold a respectable rank.  But she's determined to prove herself as a loyal protector of the kingdom she loves.  her dream is to become a member of the King's elite guard, and she's not going to let anything stand in her way . . . not even her growing feelings for her boss, Ridley Dresden.  A relationship between them is strictly forbidden, but Bryn can't fight her attraction to him.  And she's beginning to think he feels it, too.

Meanwhile, there's an attack on the kingdom - one that will test Bryn's strength like never before.  Finally, she has the chance to confront Konstantin Black, the traitor who tried to kill her father years ago.  It's up to Bryn to put a stop to him before he strikes again.  But is she willing to risk everything to protect a kingdom that doesn't accept her for who she really is?  And when her mission brings her closer to Ridley, will she be able to deny her heart?

So, after hearing quite a lot about this book and seeing it on multiple reading lists, I decided to get my own copy at Barnes & Noble the other day.  I think what really allured me into buying it (well, actually my mom bought it for me - thanks, mom!) was the gorgeous cover.  I'm sorry, I know how the saying goes, but I'm a sucker for pretty covers . . . we all are.  

At first, diving into the realm of Kanin was a bit confusing for me.  Only after reading the book did I find out it was a spin off of Amanda Hocking's popular Trylle Trilogy.  Unfortunately, I never read the series, and so it took me some time to get used to the storyline and setting.  However, I made a stop at the library today and just so happened to come across the entire trilogy - all three books in one!  I had to check it out.

After getting used to Kanin and the vocabulary that came along with it (changelings, Skojare, Omte, Vittra, etc.) I tried to focus on the storyline, but I didn't feel as if there really was one.  I mean, Bryn, the main character, spends the majority of the storyline hunting down the mysterious character Konstantin Black, who attempted to murder her father a few years back.  However, the reader never really gets to find out the driving force behind Konstantin's actions.  I suppose the reason will be slowly unraveled over the course of the series, but I feel as if Frostfire didn't have enough content in it.  When I flipped to the final page of the book, I couldn't believe it!  I thought for sure something would happen.  I felt as if there were no climax or ending.

Besides the mystery of Konstantin Black, another main storyline that runs throughout is the relationship between Bryn and Bryn's love interest, Ridley Dresden.  Again, this was another area of the book that I felt was missing content.  Ridley came across to the reader as an interesting character, however, the reader never had the chance to really fall in love with him with Bryn.  I hope that in the following books of the Kanin Chronicles, the author will further develop not only her storyline, but also her characters more.

Even still, with the lacking portions of the book accounted for, the main plot interested me as it was different and new.  And so, even though Frostfire did not live up to my standards as a book, I will give the world of Kanin another chance.  I plan to read the next installment in the series, and hopefully, I, as a reader, will receive more out of the chronicles.  Perhaps I was unable to fully immerse myself in Frostfire since I did not previously read the Trylle Trilogy.  Although, once I finish the trilogy, I will be sure to write a review on the blog to share how it went.

Frostfire wasn't all disappointing, and for that reason, I believe it deserves a peach rating of three.