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

Trapped Dragons Are Dangerous Creatures

Hidden
By Sophie Jordan

The third and final installment in the Firelight trilogy.
Firelight (I) - Review here.
Vanish (II) - Review here.

Possible spoilers. A brief review shall ensue.

What a wonderful series to stumble across. I first encountered book one on a random shelf excursion at the library. Thought, "Hey, terrible cover, but worth a shot. Dragons are always awesome!" What a journey. Perfect summer books. They'd be great to marathon.

By no means are these literature-shaping stories. They are fun, light-hearted distractions. In this last one, especially, you can tell that the author writes romance. The descriptions are hot and sexy. Perfect for a teenage romance.

The typical love triangle has a slightly different angle and none-the-less frustrating.

Likeable characters, a head-strong and conflicted female protagonist, and just enough tension between everyone to push the plot forward. 

In this final book, everything that can go wrong goes wrong. I applaud Jordan for taking me on twists and turns and NEVER stopping the action. It was constant. One thing would finish, another would pop up. An excellent conclusion to a fun series.

4/5 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

Finding the Obvious

Witch Finder
By Ruth Warburton 

Late 19th century London, in the poor East End, Luke Lexton has been able to identify witches ever since his parents were brutally murdered when he was little. After being initiated into a secret society of witch-finders, he is tasked with choosing the name of the witch he is to kill. He chooses Rosa Greenwood, a young woman of the upper class.


Not gonna lie. This was mostly a cover purchase. You can't quite tell from this picture, but the woman on the cover is a much more golden colour. Perfectly striking against the sky blue.

Pleasant surprise. Yes. Totally engrossing, somewhat predictable, and yet, ultimately satisfying.

Luke struggles (as expected) with killing a young woman. Not only that, she's kind and lovely. No wonder he's torn. Also, no big surprise, he totally likes her. Typical, yes.

Rosa is a more complex character. You'd think her to be boring - there are glimmers of a girl with her own agenda. She's unfortunately trapped by society, having to marry for money so her family won't fall into misfortune. Her mother thinks only of money, her brother is terrible, spoiled and useless, and abuses Rosa. The man he decides to marry Rosa to is his best friend - equally cruel and terrible. Though, not useless. Actually intelligent.

Don't skip out on this because of the obvious romance. There's underpinning commentary on social constructs in this time period. We find that even if you have money, life can be a cage. There's a FANTASTIC chunk of the book that explores a match factory and working conditions of the time. Horrible. Fascinating.

I was utterly engrossed in this tale. The ending was laughable and cheezy. At the end of my edition, there was a preview to the next book. I felt that made a much stronger ending than the one that was written.

Will I go on? Sure. Why not.

4/5 STARS

Ugh, Summer

We'll Always Have Summer
By Jenny Han

Belly is now in college! We've grown with her through the high school to college years. She's in the middle of a really great relationship (no spoilers I promise) when he proposes. Then chaos ensues.

Teenagers wanting to marry. Exactly what I wanted to read *rolls eyes*. This is my least favourite of this series. The whole book I wanted to end sooner rather than later.

Good things:
- characters grow up, mature, evolve
- I really love Belly's mother. She and I would be great friends.
- Return to the beach house and heart-warming memories (present and past)
- Han is great at complex characters. She loves to reveal parts of them that change how you view them. Excellent!

Awful things:
- young people wanting to marry when Han clearly writes that they are not ready
- the drama of the love triangle... I still dislike love triangles. I've only ever read one that worked.
- SO MUCH DRAMA, yuk

Overall, read the first one "The Summer I Turned Pretty".

2/5 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

Always Pretty Summer Read

The Summer I Turned Pretty
By Jenny Han

Belly (yes, that's her name) spends every summer with her family and her mom's friend's family at a beach house. Every summer has always been magical, this summer things unexpectedly change.

There's boys in this book! Even better, two brothers, so the reader gets to try and figure out who Belly will eventually fall for.

I devoured this apple-pie book in an evening. Picked it up and next thing I knew, two hours later, I felt all warm and cozy and immediately wanted to pick up book two.

Loveable characters; a wonderful summer world; a plot to keep you turning pages until the end. It's a great summer read. Belly is relateable and makes silly mistakes, but believeable mistakes, ones we can pardon her for. The boys, on the other hand, I am actually torn. They're framed on the surface as "good boy" vs "bad boy" but they aren't really. I think I enjoyed that part of it. I will always choose the "good boy".

They talk about beach reads. This is a perfect one. Enjoy!

3/5 STARS

Not the Planet, The Sea King

Of Neptune
By Anna Banks

Not going into a synopsis, I don't want to spoil anything from the first or second books.


Anna Banks has this INCREDIBLE ability to write addicting stories. They are woven complexly, come together satisfyingly, and just when you think there's a lag in action, get ready for some action.

Her characters are funny, sweet, frustrating at times, and all the while so charming that you really wished that an underwater kingdom full of Syrena (mermaids/men) really existed.


Of the three, my favourite is still book two, 'Of Triton'. Not knocking 'Of Neptune' though.

Too often in Young Adult trilogies, book one feels like an obvious set up, book two gets draggy because the author is saving the best stuff for the third book, and then the third book things come together after a meandering mess of reveals. Let me be clear: Anna Banks gives each book weight, worth, their own story arc, all the while balancing a full trilogy arc. She beautifully crafted this trilogy.

In regards to her choice in point-of-view style switching, I've thought about why she might do so. For Emma (our protagonist), we read in first person. In alternating chapters we get Galen (love interest - that's not a spoiler, come on), but instead of first person we are in third. After careful thought, I realized it never phased me when reading. Banks smoothly transitioned each change.

The other reason might be that sometimes with two first persons, if it's not completely clear the reader could begin reading the chapter as the other person. I have read a book, with two first person narrators, where I mixed up them up, frustratingly, every switch - both characters were too similar (that's a whole other issue). I commend Banks's choice to do this. It was easy to read, to understand, and to switch.

I did have a few issues with some things (trying to be vague) feeling a tiny cliche. Hence why I overall didn't like the third as much as the second. It is a VERY strong finish.

Overall, I recommend this trilogy over many others.

4.5/5 STAR-fish

Of Poseidon (I) - Review here
Of Triton (II) - Review here

Waves Crashing, Mermaids Swimming

Of Triton
By Anna Banks

Back in the mermaid world for book 2! I enjoyed this book last summer ( Of Poseidon), so I decided to kick off this summer with the sequel. It is a trilogy. And after reading this one, I will most definitely finish off the series this summer.

Emma's mom has kidnapped her and they're on the run from the mermaid royals. The book starts with a pretty awesome chase scene. Then it gets complex.

I was reading this in bed and at about 11pm I thought, "One more chapter and then lights off." Next thing I know it's after midnight and I've finished the darn thing. Little did I know that the chapter I was to read kicked the story into full gear. IT WAS GRIPPING!

Same hilarious characters, great story weaving and mythology building - ultimately a great summer read. Fast paced and never dull. Recommended if you read 'Of Poseidon' first. 

I liked this one more than the first.

5/5 STARS

Where'd the Dragons Go?

Vanish
By Sophie Jordan

The second book in the Firelight series. It's impossible to write a review completely void of spoilers. So if you haven't read the first book, please read my review for Firelight and read the book.

Taking off from that cruel cliff hanger, we return to the dragon pride. Jacinda wanted to return, but now that she's back it all seems strange. She's been through things that others cannot understand. The town makes her family, except for her newly-special sister, the pariahs.

Even worse, the two 'princes' of the town have their eye on Jacinda and her sister, Tamra. It becomes apparent that they're meerly competing with each other to win the others choice ove the other. Young male dragons *ugh*.

Of those two dragons, Cassian, the Alpha-Leader's son and original guy that Jacinda was supposed to be bonded to, is the most interesting. He's in a bad spot. He truly cares for Jacinda. The unrequited lover. The reader sympathizes with him. That's the best part of this book. Sympathizing with these incredibly difficult situations that everyone is in.

I could've had more Tamra. She's off for most of the series, separated (intentionally) fom Jacinda and their mother.

Things get worse and worse, and when you think they can't get worse... they do. I kept checking the pages left, thinking the book would have to wrap up fairly quickly and then... of course... a cliff hanger! This one is a little less cruel than the first book's, however, I STILL WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED!!!!

Same fun storyline, action came at the right moment, and enough frustration to keep me reading. This book is FUN. It's like candy. Incredibly addicting.

But of course, there's a third book. This is a trilogy. *facepalm* I'll probably finish it next year.

4/5 STARS

In Your Dreams

Dream a Little Dream
By Kerstin Gier

Liv Silver moves around a lot. The latest place her mom has settled in is London. Because of this, her dreams have become weird. One night she dreams she's in a graveyard with four boys. Next day at school, those very same boys are there. Something is not right in the dreamworld.

This was on my to-read-list but not for this year. However, it came in the library and I had to take it out. I loved Kerstin Gier's Ruby Red Trilogy. It was fun and hilarious.

Can I say I liked this one better? The writing improved and the humour of the main character, Liv, had me giggling out loud. Gier has this magical ability to make funny heroines and really intriguing worlds. Long since I've been a fan of Alice in Wonderland, I've been fascinated by dreams and the riddles of our psychology that they play.

There could've been confusion when writing characters wandering around in each other's dreams, however, it is written with such ease that the transitions are non-confusing and delightful. The inserts of the high-school "Tittle Tattle" blog add a little extra, but might be superfluous. I do like the idea of including a different media into a novel.

Maaaaaybe a little bit of insta love. But I didn't care. Remember what it was like in high school? To have one crush one week and then next week another. Hormone's are wreaking havoc on the teenage system and they cannot fathom why they feel so attracted to someone immediately. At least, that's what I tell myself when I come across these "insta-love" type novels. Our main character was so head-strong that I don't believe her to be completely ruled by her heart over her head, or by her raging hormones.

Fun! Stupidly fun and a perfect summer read. Yet again, Kerstin Gier creates loveable characters and hilarious dialogue. Highly recommend for a quick, fun read.

4/5 STARS

Between the Spaces

Afterworlds
By Scott Westerfeld

Darcy Patel participated in a month long novel-writing challenge (not NaNoWriMo *wink*) and mailed in her manuscript. The Publisher sends her a contract and suddenly she's off to New York to begin a bright shiny life as a writer. We read her novel in alternating chapters as she polishes and gleans ideas from her peer writers.


Coolest idea for a book. It pulls back the curtain on the methods behind writing and how life experiences can effect the writing process. I love the tidbits of writing advice.

The voice of Darcy is believeable. She is confident and insecure at the same time. There were a few eyebrow-raising unrealistic parts, however, for the most part I was able to remind myself that it's fiction and Westerfeld was having fun.

Her novel: After an attack at the airport, Lizzie can now pass in the space between worlds. The Afterworld. There she meets Yamaraj, a sort of god of the underworld... but not quite. Now able to go between worlds, she begins a quest of revenge and soon realizes the consequences.

But of course there's love in this YA novel. Not the kind you're expecting though and it is utterly refreshing. In both stories!

I enjoyed both stories, neither being in my regular comfort zone genre. And, I didn't mind jumping back and forth.

The best part about the book was being aware that Darcy was the strings behind Lizzie. Darcy would say "I need to put that somewhere in my book" and then a few chapters later in Lizzies story there it would appear.  It brought us out of the Lizzie story, but further into Darcy's.

One downside: what genre is this?!??! One story is paranormal, the other is contemporary. Love the idea of bending the genre, two-in-one.

Overall, recommended to writers certainly. It's fun. And yes, a little long, but what do you expect when an average book is three-hundred and this is really two books in one.

4/5 STARS

The cover: The abstract tear with the ink makes more sense as you read the book. Something that doesn't come across in digital form is the pearl finish of the book. It shimmers. And the purple is a deeper indigo than your eyes can comprehend. Very striking.

Fire Breather

Firelight

By Sophie Jordan

Jacinda is a born draki – a human that can shapeshift into a dragon. Being a fire breather, a rare anomaly in her pride, she is special and the leaders want to keep her close. She will not be made captive. When her rebelliousness nearly costs her pride, her mother decides to pack up and leave with Jacinda and her twin, Tamra. Unfortunately, they pick the town where a group of dragon hunters live. Even worse, their star hunters are in Jacinda's grade. Especially, Will ... the cute one.

Again with the mythological romance, this book was enjoyable to the last page. A page turner and a dragon book at that! I'm reading the second book, hands down. 

Jacinda, our protagonist, is selfish, does what she wants, when she wants. Unless it comes to her family. She struggles with hiding her true identity and with moving to a new town where her sister seems to be making all the friends. She is lonely and wants to go back. Sometimes characters like this can get annoying, I never once found her annoying. I loved the struggle. It felt believable.

Tamra, her twin sister, does not have shapeshifting ability. Immediately this gives us conflict between the two. I love it! Their mother is struggling to give them a better life. The reader felt for her. And the twins didn't always understand the sacrifices she was making.

For a fast, light read. By no means is this a masterful novel, but it does make reading fun. Yes please! Book two here I come. Wait, there's another after that. Ok!

4/5 STARS

Classroom: Again, not for classroom use. Dragon suggested reading for the teen.

Swim Little Fishes, Swim

Of Poseidon

By Anna Banks

Galen has been sent by the Kingdom of the Syrena to seek out the girl who speaks to fish, Emma. For Emma, her literal run in with Galen leaves her rattled. A regular day at the beach quickly turns out to be the event that brings these two together.

Gosh, this was a happy, feel-good book. So enjoyable that I read it in one day. Could not put it down. The characters are likeable and realistic, with pet peeves and irritations of their own. I thoroughly enjoyed the take on the mermaid mythology.

If you're looking for a light, fast read of a romancey-mythological story, then pick this. The main character, Emma, is not passive. She reacts like anyone would in her situation. This is why I will continue with this series. Yes, a series. There are two more: “Of Triton” and “Of Neptune”.

Fun!!

4/5 STARS

Classroom: Suggested for summer reading or any student interested in mermaids. Not for classroom use.