Mildly Misty, Mildy Ruined

A Court of Mist and Fury
By Sarah J. Maas

Feyre and her people are in the midst of a great showdown against Hybern - the most evilist-fae because he hates humans.

Please know, that this review contains non-specific spoilers, in the attempt to discuss the weakest part of this book.





War. What is it good for? Absolutely nothing.

Unless you're on Feyre's side, then you escape with barely any lasting damage. Superficial cuts and bruises.
Death? No.
Sacrifices? Almost.

Just this time, EVERYONE LIVES!!!

Don't get me wrong. I enjoyed every single moment of reading this book. It was slow going as this book is 700 pages. BUT Maas's writing is candy - you munch and munch and want more.

The ending bothered me the most. There were lost moments where Maas could've really made what was being fought for seem that much more impactful. Only side-side characters lost their lives. None of the main characters suffered. People lose their lives in war. Good people. Yet, by the end, anyone who did make some serious sacrifice it was softened with magic and loopholes.

I do not like fantasies where it's too easy. I want to fear for characters. When characters don't die (and in their situation, should have), it feels cheap. Like Maas just couldn't go there.

Best advice from a professor:

KILL YOUR DARLINGS

Save your darlings for your own drafts, but they only bog down the main material.

I'm only hoping that in her 'Throne of Glass' series, she decides to be a little more ruthless.

4/5 STARS

Biggest elephant in the room: The cauldron? Where people go in it and become something different. I've read this exact fantasy item before. EXACTLY. Lloyd Alexander - an original of fantasy - came up with the cauldron. I'm incredibly angry at the blatant rip off. See my review for "The Black Cauldron" here. 

"Samurai" Bandits

Flame in the Mist
By Renee Ahdieh

Mariko finds herself in heaps of trouble when she is betrothed to the Prince's brother and on the way is attached by bandits. With thorough smarts and a willingness to adapt, she manages to join the bandits in the attempt to destroy them from the inside out.

Sold to me as a Mulan retelling, I can comfortably say this is NOT. It's closer to the 47 Ronin story - the Japanese setting, the disgraced Samurai, and a fight against the throne.

The writing is smooth and poetic. Always in the right places, staying away from bogging down action in any form. Ahdieh finds her moments of peace well. A Japanese-inspired fantasy (I'm pretty sure this is supposed to be that) lends well to gentle poetry.

Mariko as the main character: thorough, logical, adaptable. These three traits help her to analyze and assess situations before jumping headfirst in. It is refreshing to have a character that you get to read their thinking through actions first.

There is a romance. Only know that it was a good, slow build with a cliff-hanger on their status. 

The story was lacking for me. There was no spark. I love me some Japanese culture. This felt a little too much like a checklist: kimono - check, samurai - check, hot springs - check, geisha - check, etc. Which makes me wonder if she termed it a "fantasy" in order to escape criticism for lack of research. She could pick and choose what parts of the culture she wanted and made up the rest. The only part that read like 'fantasy' was the hints at something sinister...

The only part that I sat up straighter while reading was the itty-bitty interjections of magic. *gasp* what?! Magic?! Yes, but very slight. And I was hanging onto every bit. Sadly, it left as soon as it appeared.

If you want a Japanese-inspired "fantasy", an analytical main character, and poetic writing, definitely give this a read.

3/5 STARS

In Dreams We May...

Strange the Dreamer
By Laini Taylor

Magnificence. Wonder. Heartbreak.

Lazlo is a nobody. An orphan as a baby, raised by monks, and when tasked to go to the library he arrived and never left. Since then he's surrounded himself with myths, fairy tales, and folk tales that others ignore. He longs for a city without a name, one that's been long forgotten that it's become a legend, folklore, 'not real' - he calls this city Weep.

One day a convoy from Weep arrives. Lazlo is stunned and begs to be taken to this remarkable city. From here, our tale unravels.

Sweeping sentences, lovingly crafted - Laini Taylor is an extraordinary writer. Her words drip with emotion. She paints a magnificent world of wonder that I did not want to leave.

The story is slow. Do not expect a fast-paced thriller. It takes time to seep into your mind. Burrowing in and making a nest for itself. So much so, that upon rereading a few passages I was brought to tears (even though the first time reading I didn't cry). Longing to be a part of the world again. It was not a place I wanted to leave.

For the most part, I enjoyed the characters. Normally, I hate hate HATE books about gods. They never seem to have enough at stake. It's hard to do with immortal, all-powerful creatures. Laini Taylor does it! She made me feel for gosh-darn gods. For that I applaud her. Yes. I think I will only read books by her about gods. That's my limit.

Do read this if you don't mind a slow unravelling story. If you enjoy descriptive, poetic writing. If you enjoy scenes of dream-logic. Sense, but not. Confusion, clarification, more confusion, a little clarification, ...

Magical.

5/5 STARS

Animal Kissing Aplenty

Frogkisser!
By Garth Nix

In need of a humorous twisting of fantasy fairy-tales? You're in luck. Nix has just written a delightful story that hits all the right happy buttons.

Princess Anya is in a dire situation. Her evil, sorcerer step-stepfather is planning to take over the kingdom. Her sister is love-sick and useless. With her trusty dog, Ardent, Anya goes on a quest to find ingredients to make a lip-balm that can restore people who've been turned into animals. Hence her name, Frogkisser!.

Her simple quest turns into a greater fight for her kingdom and all others, restoring the balance and kissing all those frogs!

Though not always drawn to animal-talking books, I am drawn to Garth Nix. Nearly everything of his is an auto-read for me. This one is delightful and hilarious. I found myself chuckling a number of times.

He takes usual fantasy tropes and dunks them on their head. I was in the right mood for humor-fantasy. That's what this is.

The best part I liked was that several traditional roles that would be male (in most fantasy) are turned female. I loved that. Nix created a world where females could be in all sorts of roles in society. Best part!

One gripe: It was really long. 370 pages, where I felt it could've been whittled down to 300.

In need of a happy fantasy? Try this one.
Love fairy tales? Try this one.
Love competant, intelligent females? Try this one.
Adorable dog partners? This one!!!

4/5 STARS

Meander for You

Taran Wanderer
By Lloyd Alexander

The fourth book in the Chronicles of Prydain.

Taran does not know who he is. He feels he should find out before he settles down. Thus begins the wandering around the landscape.

Lloyd Alexander's writing is lovely, though a little dated. I enjoy the simple complexity in which he explores human experience.

Taran is far less naive than in previous books, though some of his innocence remains as he encounters various people who are motivated by selfish desires. He quickly learns that he cannot always rely on others.

For the most part, he is in search of his parents. Where did he come from? He hopes that by finding his ancestry he might begin to define his self. Most of him wants to have come from nobility.

He grows in tender ways and betrayals. Truly, a remarkable 'coming-of-age' story.

4/5 STARS

Magical World

The Paper Magician
By Charlie N. Holmberg


Ceony arrives at the cottage of the Paper Magician, Emery Thane, her new mentor. Unlike most magicians when they graduate, Ceony is forced to choose paper magic. She'd rather be a smelter - working with metals and weapons. As far as she can tell, paper is a useless material.
Almost instantly, I knew this would be a favourite book of mine.
This book, literal paper magic, has wedged itself firmly into my consciousness. Something reminiscent of Harry Potter mixed with a little Abhorsen (Garth Nix), this world is lovely and dangerous.

Magician Emery Thane is tailor-made for you to love him at first sight. Ceony is too busy lamenting the loss of being a smelter than to notice how enchanting Emery is. I cried in chapter 2 for Heaven's sake.

Ceony begins as a driven character. She's hardworking, which makes her sadness completely understandable. She's studied and worked so that she can do what she wants. It's taken away. When she begins to turn around on paper magic, it's something wonderful. She's powerful and the potential is captivating. The reader wants her to succeed. 

Now, I distinctly remember flipping the book around to read the synopsis and feeling betrayed at the spoiler. Fair enough, it's at the beginning of the book. But I would have rather it come as a shock.

Let's just say, there's another magician who practices the dark magic that uses flesh as the material. No further shall I go. You need to discover that on your own.

It goes in a surprising direction - almost abstract, kind of philosophical - exploring what it is to be a person. Very meaningful.

Enjoy. It's lovely. I cannot wait to continue this trilogy.

5/5 STARS

After the Battle

The Returning
By Christine Hinwood

The story of what happens after a long war. Cam is young when he embarks off on, what he thinks, an adventure when he joins the rebellion against an invading Lord. When he returns, nothing is the same. No one trusts him, no one seems the same. He cannot be what he was.

A heartbreaking story of the complexities of war. The reader experiences many points of view - villagers, Cam, Cam's sister, his betrothed, and the Lord who started this mess. We experience a world where no one is exactly right, nor are they wrong.

Cam has seen many terrible things. He witnessed deaths, experienced cowardice, been a prisoner of the enemy, and has lost his arm. When he comes back, all he wants is to be part of the family again. His family wants to know what happen. He does not want to talk about it.

The language of this book, the way it is told, I found was difficult to get into. It's beautiful and subtle and takes a while for the mind to wrap around. I'm not sure I became fully invested because of it. The possibility for empathy is strong with this story. We see the toll that war takes, our hearts bleed, but I could not attach myself to any of the characters.

While an important look at what happens after, I'm not sure I liked this book. I can appreciate the writing and the topics is explores. Maybe it was not for me.

3/5 STARS

Regency Magic

Newt's Emerald
By Garth Nix

On her birthday, Lady Truthful "Newt" Newington, is shown the magical emerald that she will inherit. A flash of lightning and it's stolen! Taking off to London, then dressing as a man to solve the mystery, Truthful spends time with delightful characters - her aunt, a policeman, and a power hungry noble.

As soon as I heard Garth Nix had written another book, I jumped on it. It's very different from his fantasies. His Abhorsen Trilogy shaped my teen years. His writing jives with me. "Newt's Emerald" is set in Regency England, taking a fun romp in that era and add in a little magic. Hilarity ensues.

Lady Truthful is a refreshing character. She keeps her decorum and breaks all the rules. She is largely enabled by her aunt that shares much the same thoughts on society. My favourite trope is to dress a character as a man. She isn't exactly the most believeable man, but we enjoy it anyway.

Major Harnett, the policeman, is a great character (and my favourite in this story). He's her partner in investigation, as much as he seems unwilling to be.

All the characters were rounded, distinguishable, and lovable. I love Garth Nix's characters.

The story itself is fairly straightforward. There aren't many twists and turns and it ends in a purely satisfying manner. It's a light book. Quite delightful. You will smile most of the time while reading.

Read with a cup of fruity tea in the shade of a tree.

4/5 STARS

5 Favourites

Hi Book-Sniffers and Librocubicularists,

As one of the challenges for Bout of Books 16, book readers were tasked to list their 5 favourites.

* 1 *

Literally any book from Tamora Pierce's Tortall-set fantasies. The 'Song of the Lioness Quartet' is where it all begins. The daughter of the main character has her own duology in "Trickster's Choice" and "Trickster's Queen". The 'Protector of the Small Quartet' is among my favourites as well.

Of them all, the one I reread the most is "The Woman Who Rides Like a Man". It is the third book of the 'Song of the Lioness Quartet'.

* 2 *

On Fortune's Wheel ~ By Cynthia Voigt
Genre: Fantasy

What I like best about this book is the interpretation of Fortune's Wheel. As one falls, the other climbs. Birle is our thoughtful and resourceful protagonist. She is promised to marry a man whom she does not love until one night she finds herself stranded on a boat in the middle of an ocean with a mysterious thief.

Part of a series. All can be read separately. Again, read this one. I'd recommend this one of all of them. Then, if you like the world, maybe "Jackaroo".

* 3 *

The Blue Sword ~ By Robin McKinley
Genre: Fantasy

Oh, hey look. Another fantasy. Featuring a resourceful young woman who is ambitious and willing to learn. This is a second book, however a companion, and can be read before. I'd recommend this one first. I love this one the most.

* 4 *

I Capture the Castle ~ By Dodie Smith
Genre:Classic

A lovely, lovely classic. Cassandra is a wonderful, naive, and insightful narrator for this tale. Her father is a famous author who has not written for a while and their savings from his last masterpiece have run out. Her family lives in near destitution, but they live in a beautiful castle. As Cassandra practices her story-telling and writing, as their lives are upturned in a most delightful manner.

* 5 *

Alice in Wonderland ~ By Lewis Caroll
Genre: Classic

Hilarious. Witty. A fast read that will have the reader giggling at ridiculous puns and absurdity.

Burning End

Prairie Fire: The Story of Owen, Book 2
By E.K. Johnston

As this is book two in a duology, this review will be as spoiler free as possible.

See review for book 1 here. 

Return to the parallel universe where dragons exist and they are pests on a grand scale. Siobhan McQuaid is our narrator/bard and Owen Thorskard is our dragon slayer. Together they join the Oil Watch (the branch of military that focuses on dragon maintenance protecting oil rigs).

LOVE this universe. Wouldn't love to live in it. Love reading about it.

Again, I am floored by how tailored this book seems to be for me. Of course, that'd be highly narcissistic - I'd still like to think so.

Siobhan is dealing with injuries sustained from last book - living the nightmare any musician would live: the fear of being unable to play. Johnston does an excellent job of incorporating the hurt that a musician could suffer, but Siobhan's bard-heart refuses to let her stop hearing the music. Interwoven are her descriptions of how she'll interpret scenes or what instruments she'll use to represent people.

Owen remains our stoic hero, and thankfully, not the romantic interest of Siobhan. Too many times in YA there are male/female friendships that inevitably become romantic. I hate that. It's overplayed and it's too easy. The friendship between these two is strong and believable.

There is a dragon in this book that is the Kraken of this dragon world. Let me tell you. Shivers. Chills. Oh, it is glorious and terrifying.

For making a world that I could dive into again and again and not be disappointed:

5 STARS



The Gripe: 

Passing through reviews on this series is that it's titled "The Story of Owen" and this book focuses mainly on Siobhan. My question is: Was it ever really about Owen?

Isn't it about the creation of the story? Siobhan is the author, the chronicler who tells the story. It's as if we are witnessing an author write a best seller. In this case, a composer creating music around a tale that will be passed around.

The title is clever. I refuse to believe that Johnston didn't know exactly what she was doing. To simply expect it to be about Owen, when being told by Siobhan, is a shallow interpretation.

Iron, Steam, and Monsters

The Iron Thorn
By Caitlin Kittredge

In an alternate history, where the cities are driven by Engines and the streets are protected by Proctors, there is a girl named Aoife (Ee-fay). Her mother is mad - the crazy kind - and her brother became mad on his 16th birthday. Aoife is days away from her 16th birthday and she fears this same madness will consume her. The Proctors hunt down mad people and throw them into mad houses.

Aoife wants to escape. She can escape from the city but can she escape from genetics?


Let me preface my review with this: I was so very unattached to all characters, uninterested in the story, and it pained me to finish this whole book. If my review is skewed, this is why. The story might be wonderful and I was not in the mood.

Mainly I found myself uninterested because the book felt like it still needed some serious cutting. It was 492 pages. For what really happened, that is too many. There were scenes that were superflous and much of the nattering inside Aoife's head was unneeded.

The world is cool. It's steampunk basically. Aether glows in lights much like electricity, but blue. An Engine located underneath the city constantly churns and keeps the Aether going. Typical steampunk things make appearances: goggles, dirigibles, machines with gears and cogs.

The best part of the world was not the steampunk aspect, but the insertion of Lovecraftian monsters. The monsters are THE best part of the book. There's creepy undead things, skittering humanoid creatures that lurk in the night, and faeries (were they faeries?) so dark you shiver at night thinking about the descriptions Kittredge gave.

Aoife (apart from having a ridiculously difficult name to pronounce) is a believable character. She studied engineering and machinery - yay intelligence - and, for the most part, she barrels through events without needing much of anyone's help. She is anything but helpless. Instead she needs her friends for moral support. I liked this apsect of her character. Not dependant on the boys around her.

Yes, there's boys. Of course. It's young adult. First, there's Conrad her mad brother who's disappearance takes her away from the city in the first place. Then there's Cal, her best friend. He's an incredible annoying character, with a chip off his shoulder, and he's there for her through thick and thin. And finally, Dean. With a name like that, you're sure shootin' he's the romantic interest. Oh, he's a rebel, a dark mystery about him, and he's totally into Aoife.

The story. At the core, it's a great story. A great set up for a trilogy I will not read. There was too much side stuff. Cut about 150 or 200 pages from this book and you've got a story that's action-packed and moves at a clip. Looking at the second and third book, looks like the publishers, or the author, realized  that the story needed to be more compact - the last book being 304 pages.


This book was NOT for me. Every time I sat down to read it, my mind wandered elsewhere. I found myself skimming half the time. After all that skimming, I lost nothing. I still took in the details of the world and the twists and turns of the characters' journey.

Venture into this dark, steampunk world and try not to have nightmares about the monsters. I know I am happy to have left it, never to return.


2/5 STARS

Gah, that cover is gross.

Filed Memories

The Archived
By Victoria Schwab

Mackenzie is a Keeper of the dead. When people die, their memories become Histories and are filed away in a library between worlds. Sometimes, the memories wake and it's Mackenzie's job to return them to rest in the library. When she moves to a new place, her family reeling from her little brother's sudden death, and the converted hotel in which they live in is full of mysteries and waking Histories.

A richly imaginative world. The concept is unique and every time there's an answer, five more questions pop up. Memorable characters and a deep world I'd love to visit.

Mackenzie seems super human - if this could be her only flaw. She is dealing with issue after issue and I wonder how she didn't break down a cry. I don't think she slept much. This girl is go go go and business like. I liked that about her.

Her family dynamics are lovely. The main character switches between present and memories from the past of her Da, her grandfather, who trained her to be a Keeper. For the first part of the book, I could not make the distinction between her Da (grandfather) and Dad (father) - quite a bit of confusion between those two.

Her fellow team mate Keeper, Wesley, is equally likeable if not more so. I liked their ambiguous chemistry. Business like, but possible hinted at romance. Not sure if this was a romance or a great friendship. Either way, the chemistry between these two is tentative and delightful.

The unravelling of the world was done in a delicate manner. The reader is confused for the first few pages, then slowly Schwab begins to explain the mechanics. This is one that takes a bit to get into, but once you do, be prepared to fly away to another dimension.

Would I want to visit the Library? Yes. But I would refuse to see any filed relatives. See people I don't know, for sure. And, hello, I'd love to meet Roland (who Schwab says is based on David Tennant's Doctor). Uh, yes please.

Overall, really cool. Really REALLY cool. Recommend for those wanting a sorta creepy, dimension expanding, library kinda story.

4/5 STARS

A Retelling?

A Court of Thorns and Roses
By Sarah J. Maas

Feyre's family has fallen into poverty after her father loses the family's money with a bad financial decision. The youngest of three, and perhaps the most responsible, she teaches herself how to hunt to keep her family fed. On one of her hunting trips she kills a giant wolf. As it turns out, that wolf was a faerie - a fearful creature from beyond the mysterious borders that keep humans out. Because of an age-old truce, Feyre must pay for killing the faerie by going across this border with one of these terrifying creatures.

Sold as a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, I immediately picked this book up. I am also a huge fan of Maas's writing style, so I knew this would be good.

Think of a faerie. Now erase that and think of the elves from Lord of the Rings and you'll get the image of the faeries in this book. You might ask: But they are attractive and isn't this supposed to be a retelling of Beauty and the Beast? Yes. It is retold very loosely. The bare bones of the story at least. Instead of being a beast, Tamlin, the elf fae who takes Feyre, is a hot-damn-warrior. The beast part is that fae are considered dangerous, murderous, and terrible.

Maas knows how to write a world that can EASILY be made for fangirls/boys. Much smoldering. Much chiseled abs. Much golden frollicking and sexiness.

And even with this, there's one hell of a story. The first part moves slowly building toward an action-packed, wow-holy-wham-bam-I-did-not-see-this-turn ending.

Is it without flaw? No. It's still incredibly enjoyable. Look past the flaws and find the moments of wonder.

Are the characters compelling? Yes. Feyre isn't your typical protagonist and some might not enjoy reading from her perspective. But her development is compelling. Tamlin is the golden boy - figuratively and literally. Lucien (Tamlin's second-in-command) is as devious and moody with biting humour as he is witty and loyal. There are many more characters of the like.

Are they frustrating? Sometimes. If characters always did what we wanted them to, they'd be perfect and boring.

How about the world? There are creation holes, however, I am fully on board for the world to expand and be explained in the following books. Yes, there will be two more (at least).

I really REALLY liked this. But it is not for everyone. Keep in mind, Beauty and the Beast is a tale about a beauty falling in love with a beast. There is romance. If you like that, read this. If you like fairy tales with a twist, read this. If you like Sarah J Maas. READ THIS. Otherwise, find something else.

5/5 STARS

Dragons, Maps, and Quite an Adventure

Here, There Be Dragons
By James A. Owen

A dark and stormy night, three men are brought together, reeling from an unexpected murder. Adventures comes calling when a strange man comes to tell them they are now the caretakers of the Imaginarium Geographica - a large book filled with maps of imaginary lands. Soon after they are persued by shadowy figures and are forces to board a ship that proves the imaginary lands are anything but.

Having been on my radar for a long while, mainly because of the dragon element, my best friend started reading this and announced I must immediately do so as well.

Every chapter there was a new twist, a new character inspired by age-old stories, and of course, a cliff hanger ending at every end. It is impossible to stop reading this delightful story. Action packed with compelling main characters and hilarious dialogue, I recommend to anyone who wants an old-fashioned, fairy-tale adventure story.

Owen rips off a multitude of stories and, surprisingly, I was bothered not one iota. The author gives us reasons for it and I fully accept them. Because of this reconfiguring of tales I was given that cozy, bed-time story nostalgia feeling the entire time I was reading it. The kind of feeling where you could hear yourself being read to by a beloved family member, curled up under a fluffy blanket, perhaps by a roaring fire.

John, our main protagonist, is fresh from The Great War (WWI) and is plagued by self-doubt and the memories of his fallen comrades. Jack, the youngest, is bright-eyed and energetic ready for any adventure. Charles is our constant - steady and unchanging, quiet and unassuming, but none-the-less important.

Most importantly, this book never lagged. Each chapter was an adventure unto itself. The story is bursting with borrowed and original creativity.

I was lucky enough to read the edition with illustrations, by the author himself. They added that charming old-world element like the old books with illustration plates. 

As I read this I thought, this book is perfect for older readers as much as it is perfect for the younger. The older reader can read this and experience the nostalgic feeling as they encounter much-beloved characters and hints at borrowed plot lines from a host of legendary stories. For a younger reader, this may be the first time they are meeting these characters or stories, thus when they encounter the original they might experience a backward nostalgia for this book from their childhood. That is the magic of this tale.

Bring on book two.

5/5 STARS

THERE ARE DRAGONS!

Pauper Prince

The False Prince
By Jennifer A. Nielsen

Sage lives in an orphanage. He steals so he can eat. Around him, the kingdom begins moving toward war, though he doesn't know it yet. One day, a nobleman named Connor, takes him away from the orphanage along with three other boys. Connor's plan for them is as treasonous as it it is insane and Sage can't figure out if he's on board or not.

Now this was a fun find. I saw someone reading one of the sequels and I asked to see the book, as I turned to read the insert she grabbed it from me immediately and said, "No spoilers!". Thank goodness she saved me from that because I would have been spoiled for the fun turns this book takes.

In terms of the title, (and my own post title), I fully expected this to be a retelling of "The Prince and the Pauper". Delightfully surprised that it is not and is instead a fresh fantasy story.

Characterwise, I enjoyed each of the people we encounter. At first, I was thrown off by the very rare first person point of view. Normally fantasy is told in third. No matter, 30 pages in I was into the story. I liked Sage. He rebels just enough and we have his internal reasoning so it doesn't come from out of nowhere.

Worldwise, the kingdom is lacking. To be fair, it's a short book, meant for a younger audience, and they spend most of their time at Mr. Nobleman-Connor's digs. We aren't given much of the world. But it was enjoyable all the same.

I think I'd like to continue the series, slowly but surely, and see if the world expands.

4/5 STARS

Classroom: Yes, definitely. It would be a great read-aloud. Some violence, beating-interrogation.

Blue Mysteries

Bitterblue
By Kristin Cashore

A sequel to Graceling, a companion to Fire - though one could read this as a standalone - we follow Princess Bitterblue, now queen, as she struggles to bring order to her kingdom after her father's 35 year tyranny. For years she's been struggling, nothing seems to be changing, and what's worse is that mystery upon mystery begin piling up and confusing her decisions. 

There is something enchanting about the worlds that Cashore creates. I will never not read a book by her and enjoy it thoroughly. Books like these are the reason that I'm a reader. It took me to another world that I wanted to be in. I want to know the people. I want to visit the castle and the city and see the architecture that Cashore describes. I want to see the art that forms a huge part of the plotline.

It is a hefty book, at 563 pages, but I was engrossed the entire time. I do believe you could read this without having read the other two, though having read Graceling will help in the background of a few reappearing characters.

I really, really liked Bitterblue. I got over the weirdness of her name within the first few chapters. She behaved exactly like I would in her position, though, I do not envy her at all. Imagine having to put an entire kingdom back in order after the chaos of a king who not only brainwashed his entire kingdom, but cruelly kidnapped and tortured children, women, and animals. This king was not a nice guy, far from it. In fact, the things he does is sickening. Cashore tackles the darkest corners of humanity carefully.

Po is still one of my top fictional boyfriends. He's funny, loyal, dependable, perceptive, and very intelligent.

Now comes the difficult task when people ask, "Which one was your favourite?" Looking at other reviews, most say they liked this one least. I cannot say that I like it the least, for I was as engulfed in the world, invested in the plot and characters, and was extremely satisfied with the ending. No less than the other two. I loved how mystery upon mystery stacked up - that is the most distinct difference between this story and the other two.

So, instead, I will say that it did not disappoint. And, that I would recommend the entire series. For all young adult fantasy lovers, read read READ this series. It is a must.

5/5 STARS

Words Fly on Wings of Magic

The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender
By Leslye Walton

Ava Lavender was born extraordinary. Born with a pair of wings, no one knows why. We read the history of her family, 3 generations of foolish love and magical realism, to tell her poetic story.

About a week ago, I finished this book in three days. It kept me up at night until my eyes were drooping, unable to read any futher. I'm still thinking about it. No words that I can put down will capture what it made me feel. It is an esquisite debut novel.

It starts with the introduction to Ava, then abruptly jumps back in time to her great grandmother and grandmother's time. I thought I'd be bored with this sudden change, however, I quickly fell in love with the style of writing and peaceful kindness in the story telling. The story flows smoothly and gently. It allows you to contemplate and absorb the characters and their journeys.

Each character is unique and completely, even with slight magical elements, human. No one is without their flaws and no one is without their perfections. Leslye Walton captures humanity at its worst, at its most tragic, its most sorrowful, and its most beautiful.

It is haunting and it made me weep with relief and melancholy. And yet, it is uplifting.

Truly, this book is made of magic.

5/5 STARS

Into the Land of Childhood

Into the Land of the Unicorns
Unicorn Chronicles, Bk 1
By Bruce Coville

Cara climbs the bell tower and on the strike of midnight she jumps into a land filled with unicorns and other strange mythical beasts. Her grandmother has tasked her with passing a message to the unicorn queen. She finds a band of mismatched creatures that guide her there. 

This was THE book that got me into fantasy and unicorns. I went through a crazy unicorn phase. Everything unicorn. This review is mostly nostalgia based... a little biased.

I read and reread this book until the pages were ragged. It ended suddenly. Then... no sequel. I put it aside. Forgot about it.

A few years later I discovered a second book had been published. Yes! I read it. Again, I wanted to read more, but no third book.

Then the looooooong gap between the second and third book. The first published in 1994, then 1999, 2008, and finally completed in 2010. I'm not complaining, Coville clearly had more pressing projects. However, this break in between books meant that I never finished the series.

I was well into my twenties by the time book three was published and not ready to get back into this series. My fantasy taste was refined. Then this year, I decided with all my commuting time I could be reading. Duh. Productivity. So I took the first book from the library, and began jumping back into the land of my childhood.

See what I did there?

The book is as delightful as I remember it. Gripping, heartbreaking, whimsical, and wonderous. Memories of the story came flooding back to me.

Vividly, the villain of this story haunted my dreams as a child. Why was she so terrifying? We never actually meet her in book one, only hear stories of her. Coville makes her an ultimate villain, we have sympathy for her but cannot condone her actions. For years, I have hated the word "Beloved" because that is the name of the villain.

How interesting that a story can change the way you regard even a word.

In an interview I saw of Bruce Coville, he said that he writes with the intention that his stories are read aloud. This is half the reason why I decided this would be the perfect book to listen to in the car. You can absolutely tell in his writing style.

I do recommend this. Read it aloud.

4.5/6 STARS

Bone Shaking Witches

Revenge of the Witch (The Last Apprentice)

By Joseph Delaney

Old Gregory has been a spook for years, ridding the county villages of evil. He needs an apprentice, he's already had twenty-nine. Thomas Ward will be his next apprentice, the seventh son of the seventh son. This is the first in a long series (13 books, plus additional short stories and novellas).

Honestly, I half expected this book to unimpress me. Boy was I wrong. Gripping action, creepy lore, and wonderful, yet mysterious characters. Sold.

Thomas Ward is an enjoyable character. He is terrified when he needs to be and resourceful. His actions are completely believable. The girl with pointy shoes, Alice, is an enigma. I expect her to come back, no doubt. And Spook, Old Gregory, the master knows more than he is telling. He is the right amount of mysterious.

Let's talk about the creep factor. Wow. This book has some serious elements of horror. I had to remind myself I was reading a middle grade book because the way Delaney wrote the Mother Malkin scenes and the last apprentice's appearance (no spoilers) had me biting my fingernails. I was on the edge of my seat. Surely, I would have nightmares.

Hands down, this is a great book. I might even continue with the series... if the length didn't daunt me.

4/5 STARS

Up is Down, Down is Up

Summer & Bird

By Katherine Catmull

Summer and Bird are sisters. Their parents disappear and they decide to search for them – this leads them to the magical, the enchanting bird-dimension world of Down. There, an evil puppeteer queen that swallows birds whole manipulates the birds and the two sisters' paths.

First off, I chose this book solely on the cover. The picture does not do the texture and metallic sheen justice. Inside, each chapter title is delicately outlined with an illustration of branches and birds (much like the front).

The writing deserves 5/5 stars. Beautifully written. I couldn't get enough of the writing style. Crisp, enchanting, mind bending, and lyrical.

However....

... the story I can only give 2/5 stars. For most of the book, I had no idea what was going on. It was written in a dream-like manner, abstract and vague. Up was down and down was up. Topsy turvy. Like Alice in Wonderland - minus the whimsy, more confusion.

The description in Goodreads says blending reality with magic. That is one way to put it.

I couldn't grab hold of the characters. Their motivations were clear, their feelings were clear, and yet, I felt very distant from them. The world probably was the reason for my disconnection. Dream logic - you think you're one place, and blink, you're in another. Highly imaginative settings; surreal landscapes.

Perhaps I missed the point. Like a piece of artwork so unusual you feel like there's a deeper meaning that you missed...

2/5 STARS