Category Book Reviews

Jul 20 2014
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Book Review: The Jewel by Amy Ewing

the jewelTitle: The Jewel

Author: Amy Ewing

Series: The Lone City #1

Genre: Teen Dystopian

Release Date: September 2, 2014

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

The Overview: The Jewel means wealth. The Jewel means beauty. The Jewel means royalty. But for girls like Violet, the Jewel means servitude. Not just any kind of servitude. Violet, born and raised in the Marsh, has been trained as a surrogate for the royalty—because in the Jewel the only thing more important than opulence is offspring. Purchased at the surrogacy auction by the Duchess of the Lake and greeted with a slap to the face, Violet (now known only as #197) quickly learns of the brutal truths that lie beneath the Jewel’s glittering facade: the cruelty, backstabbing, and hidden violence that have become the royal way of life. Violet must accept the ugly realities of her existence… and try to stay alive. But then a forbidden romance erupts between Violet and a handsome gentleman hired as a companion to the Duchess’s petulant niece. Though his presence makes life in the Jewel a bit brighter, the consequences of their illicit relationship will cost them both more than they bargained for.

the jewel 2

The Review:

As a HUGE fan of the Selection Trilogy (well, the first one, anyway) you can imagine how excited I was when The Jewel popped up on my radar a couple of months ago. Whenever a new book draws my attention, I’m always nervous it won’t live up to my expectations. In this case, however, The Jewel was even better than I expected it to be!

It had most of the same elements as the Selection, but in my opinion took all of them to a higher level. The world-building was robust – maybe not quite on the level of adult genres, but interesting just the same. The conflicts were excellent – driving the story forward and keeping my attention the entire time. Even though the specific conflicts Violet dealt with weren’t totally relatable (as many women probably haven’t been forced to carry someone else’s child), her emotional reactions to them certainly were, making parts of this book downright heart-wrenching.

But great world-building and conflicts wouldn’t mean a thing without the interesting characters within them. Even though I never felt Ewing was withholding information unnecessarily (a huge pet peeve of mine), I still don’t know everything about the characters that I’d like to. They all had such depth and complexity that I feel we’ve only just scratched the surface of their potential in this first book. The desire to learn more about them all is the main reason why I’m chomping at the bit for the sequel (which is over a year away…fml).

I found everything about The Jewel a mite unexpected. The love interest was fantastically unconventional, all of the characters showed duality, the subject matter was slightly more serious than a typical YA, and the plot never followed the route I thought it would. All of these elements were delightful twists that made the book stand out that much more.

As you can tell, I really enjoyed the The Jewel and would strongly recommended to fans of the Selection. Only, I think the novels in this one are only going to get stronger going forward rather than weaker. Add this one to your TBR – you won’t regret it!

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes

Jul 12 2014
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Book Review Cinder by Marissa Meyer

cinderTitle: Cinder

Author: Marissa Meyer

Series: Lunar Chronicles #1

Genre: Teen Fantasy

Rating: 4/5 stars

The Overview: 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. Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. 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.

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The Review:

I’d always intended to read Cinder, but it wasn’t very high up on my priority list. Then the blogosphere exploded after the third book, Cress, was released at the beginning of the year. I swear it was a solid three months of rave reviews left and right. Thinking this series was a trilogy (it’s not), Cress was going to be the last installment (it’s not), and wondering what I was missing out on, I decided to jump on the bandwagon. From what I can tell, most people enjoyed the first book and then went on to absolutely love the second and the third. Having read (and liked) Cinder, I can definitely see the potential it has to go somewhere amazing.

First of all, the concept for the story was out of this world. I am definitely not a fan of fairytale retellings, but found this one oddly compelling because it had so many unique twists. Even though the story is a classic and I already knew where it was heading, Meyer made it feel new and exciting at every turn. If the cyborg twist wasn’t cool enough, then the “alien” Lunars and the beginnings of an apocalyptical pandemic certainly tipped it over the edge. Even though it stayed true to all the classic fairytale elements of Cinderella, it always felt like I was reading a detail-rich urban fantasy… I loved it.

You wouldn’t think a girl who is half human, half machine would’ve been relatable, but Cinder was honestly the best part of the story. I liked her from the first page and was totally invested throughout the whole book. Although she was in tough situations, she was anything but a simpering little girl. I love how resourceful, compassionate, and brave she was and sincerely hope she has a strong role in the next two books.

Overall, I really enjoyed Cinder and am looking forward to continuing on a series. I can honestly say it’s unlike anything I’ve read before, so Meyer gets some major originality kudos. If you’re a fan of YA and Urban Fantasy, check this one out – it’s an awesome hybrid of the two.

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes

Jul 12 2014
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Book Review: Prophecy by Elizabeth Haydon

ProphecyTitle: Prophecy

Author: Elizabeth Haydon

Series: Symphony of Ages #2

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

The Overview: In Rhapsody, a fellowship was forged–three companions who, through great adversity, became a force to be reckoned with: Rhapsody, a singer of great talent and even greater beauty; Achmed, an assassin with unearthly talents; and Grunthor, a giant Sergeant-Major whose jolly disposition stands at odds with his deadly skill at weapons. Having fled the F’dor–an ancient, powerful evil–the three emerged on the other side of the world, only to discover fourteen centuries had passed. Their homeland had been destroyed, their people scattered across several continents, and everyone they ever knew had long since passed away…except, perhaps, the F’dor.

Prophecy continues this powerful epic. Driven by a prophetic vision, Rhapsody races to rescue the religious leader of her new homeland while Achmed and Grunthor seek evidence of the F’dor. These three may be their world’s only hope, the heroes spoken of in the Prophecy of the Three, but their time is running short. They must find their elusive enemy before his darkness consumes them all.

Prophecy

The Review:

This is actually my second read-through of this novel. Why I chose to reread one of the most long-winded fantasies out there is beyond me, but at the time it perfectly suited my mood, so no regrets. You see, back in December (yes, it has taken me that long to get around to writing this review… embarrassing) I had signed up for so many NetGalley and Edelweiss ARCs that my life pretty much revolved around “obligation” reading. I finally got fed up and picked up this 700 page behemoth and completely indulge myself in it for two whole weeks. A reading vacation, if you will. It’s not totally as random as it sounds, as I had just finished a reread of the first book for a book club about a year earlier, so I had intended on continuing anyway.

[Jump forward a few months: Haydon is once again writing, and the release of her 7th “Symphony of Ages” book, The Merchant Emperor, (which I’ve been waiting for for eight years) was finally released. So it turns out my reread couldn’t have come at a better time.]

My impressions of the book this time around are mostly positive ones, reminding me why I’d enjoyed it so much. Knowing what was going to happen obviously took away a little bit of that build up and excitement I felt the first time around, but it also freed up my attention to focus on other things. Ahem:

On one hand, I noted the excellent world building (specifically with the creation of the many nonhuman races), appreciated how thorough and rounded the plot was, and could clearly see how integrated dragons were into the story (because to me it wasn’t always that obvious). I also more than ever appreciate the excellent characters and how each of their stories culminate into a satisfying story arc.

On the other hand, I also noticed how incredibly long-winded and repetitive the writing was. I don’t remember that bothering me the first time around, but I definitely think Haydon could have shaved off a couple hundred pages of reminiscing and still had all of the things that made the story great. I don’t actually consider it a boring book, by any means – there was some really good bits of awesomeness thrown into the monotony that made reading through the rambling all worthwhile. I’m just saying I found several places where Haydon could have just cut to the chase. Furthermore, there were several instances where she would ramble on and on for dozens of pages about things that were secondary to the plot and only to skim over details of something within the immediate story. It was designed to have a more dramatic effect, but I think those moments might have been wasted opportunities to make the book more active rather than passive.

I also was a tad surprised at how confrontational and, shall I say it, downright bitchy the main character acted on occasion. I definitely don’t remember it being that prominent the first time around, but I’m thinking the overall arc of the story was so interesting I was mostly focused on that. In any case, once you get past the part where the characters are bristling at every little thing (say, the first half of the book), they mellow out a little bit and you’re really able to dive into the compelling parts of the story. 

As you can see, I’ve a bit of love/hate with this book… but am leaning more on the love side. Yes, it has some flaws, but it also has moments of brilliance to balance them out. I enjoyed every moment I spent reading it, but will probably stop my reread and jump right into the newest book next (I waited eight years, I definitely don’t want to wait any longer). If you are wondering whether or not this series is a good match for you, I’d say if you don’t mind slow fantasy reads, this book has brilliant world building, plot design, characters, and momentum, it just may take wading through a lot of words to find them.

 Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes

Jul 7 2014
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Book Review: The Fiery Heart by Richelle Mead

The fiery heartTitle: The Fiery Heart

Author: Richelle Mead

Series: Bloodlines #4

Genre: Teen Paranormal Romance

Rating: 5/5 stars!

The Overview: Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets – and human lives. In The Indigo Spell, Sydney was torn between the Alchemist way of life and what her heart and gut were telling her to do. And in one breathtaking moment that Richelle Mead fans will never forget, she made a decision that shocked even her. . . . But the struggle isn’t over for Sydney. As she navigates the aftermath of her life-changing decision, she still finds herself pulled in too many directions at once. Her sister Zoe has arrived, and while Sydney longs to grow closer to her, there’s still so much she must keep secret. Working with Marcus has changed the way she views the Alchemists, and Sydney must tread a careful path as she harnesses her profound magical ability to undermine the way of life she was raised to defend. Consumed by passion and vengeance, Sydney struggles to keep her secret life under wraps as the threat of exposure — and re-education — looms larger than ever.

The fiery heart

The Review:

I absolutely loved Fiery Heart – it’s the best Bloodlines book yet! I actually read it way back in February but have been stalling on writing the review because A. I always need extra time to think about what I’m going to say for positive reviews (to do them justice and all) and B. I had already written two Mead reviews (in which I totally fawned over her writing) and figured I’d give my readers a break from the repetition. Fair warning: this review is going to be reiterating all of the points I bring up in every Mead review – she’s just too amazing and consistent to do otherwise.

Because I’ve sung her praises in at least five reviews to date, I decided to turn this one into a “Why Richelle Mead is My Favorite Author” summary post. The reasons are as follows:

  • Characters: All of her characters are incredibly relatable – they all have totally different personalities that are as realistic as they are different. Not a single one of them is perfect, and that’s part of why they always feel like real people. Mead has written so many books you’d think after a while some of her characters might start to sound the same, but they don’t. Each series gets a totally new cast of people, and they are always superb! Sydney, more than any other character in any other series by any other author, is the person I relate to the most – I adore her.
  • Momentum: It has happened in three series so far – that point where the conflicts come together to form a snowball which sweeps you off your feet and sends you careening all the way to the end. Her books will beat you up, but in the best way possible! We are at the point in Bloodlines were that brilliant momentum has been set into motion. Hang on for dear life!
  • Conflicts: The characters and momentum would mean nothing if the story wasn’t beautifully crafted around them. I have yet to read a book by Mead where I wasn’t completely emotionally invested in the conflicts of the story. She puts her characters through hell… and I love it.
  • Prolificness: What’s better then a brilliant author who comes out with several books in different genres throughout the year? Not only do we get a new Bloodlines novel every six months, but we also get the fantastic Age of X series once a year. That’s three whole novels from my favorite author that I get to devour this year – you can’t ask for more… Mead is a superhuman.

I could go on, but those are the main reasons I love her, and they apply to every book she’s written (yes, I have read them all) and that consistency is one of the main reasons why she’s my favorite author. Out of all of those amazing books, Fiery Heart was one of the strongest. All I have to say is, thank goodness Silver Shadows comes out soon because I don’t think I could bear waiting another six months. As much as I loved Vampire Academy, I think I’m starting to like the Bloodlines series even more…

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes

Jul 4 2014
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Book Review: Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Under the never skyTitle: Under the Never Sky

Author: Veronica Rossi

Series: Under the Never Sky #1

Genre: Teen Dystopian

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

The Overview: Since she’d been on the outside, she’d survived an Aether storm, she’d had a knife held to her throat, and she’d seen men murdered. This was worse. Exiled from her home, the enclosed city of Reverie, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland–known as The Death Shop–are slim. If the cannibals don’t get her, the violent, electrified energy storms will. She’s been taught that the very air she breathes can kill her. Then Aria meets an Outsider named Perry. He’s wild–a savage–and her only hope of staying alive. A hunter for his tribe in a merciless landscape, Perry views Aria as sheltered and fragile–everything he would expect from a Dweller. But he needs Aria’s help too; she alone holds the key to his redemption. Opposites in nearly every way, Aria and Perry must accept each other to survive. Their unlikely alliance forges a bond that will determine the fate of all who live under the never sky.

Under the never sky 2

The Review:

I enjoyed Under the Never Sky a lot more than I thought I would, but not as much as I could have. You see, while reading it I got interrupted during ALL of the best parts. All of them. So when sparks finally start to fly between the characters, I got interrupted. When intense action scenes were underway, I got interrupted. When I was ten pages from finishing the book, I got interrupted. So, as you can see, the reading Gods works against me with this one… but even with all those things working against me, I still enjoyed it.

The concept for the book was great – it was a unique, futuristic take on the the age-old survival story. The world building, societies, and technology, while not the most solidly imagined, created an excellent atmosphere for the story that sucked me in right from the start. While it’s definitely not the best dystopian I have ever read, it held its own in a flooded market and is definitely more near the top of the list than the bottom.

My favorite part of the book was the love story between Aria and Perry. In an age of insta-loves and predetermined soul mates, it was refreshing to read about a relationship that came together organically. It doesn’t hurt matters that I’m totally on board with Perry as the male lead – hubba hubba! I like Aria, but I would definitely like to see her grow and develop a bit more in the next books. I should mention that many of my favorite book bloggers LOVED this series specifically because of the slowly-developing love story, which is what initially talked me into reading it.

I will admit I wasn’t totally convinced about the plot at first. While the world is well-thought-out and realistic, the direction the story took early on lacked a little feasibility. I found myself adopting that “just go with it” mentality. Luckily, once the story found its stride, it got a lot better. The big conflicts of the story were great – perfectly exciting and heart-wrenching. The smaller conflicts were entertaining, but did have the tendency to get a bit over dramatic on occasion… not enough to suck my enjoyment out of the book, but enough to make me hopeful that those scenes were just there for contrast (as I said before, I’m hoping to see even more character growth next).

Overall, of all the dystopian’s I’ve read over the last several years, Under the Never Sky is definitely one of the better ones. I am excited to read on, as I’ve heard great things about the next two books. The story definitely has potential to go somewhere momentous, but that’s what I said about the Divergent trilogy so I will just have to wait and see. :)

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes

Jun 21 2014
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Book Review: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Shadow and boneTitle: Shadow and Bone

Author: Leigh Bardugo

Series: Grisha Trilogy #1

Genre: Teen Fantasy

Rating: 4/5 stars

The Overview: The Shadow Fold, a swathe of impenetrable darkness, crawling with monsters that feast on human flesh, is slowly destroying the once-great nation of Ravka. Alina, a pale, lonely orphan, discovers a unique power that thrusts her into the lavish world of the kingdom’s magical elite—the Grisha. Could she be the key to unravelling the dark fabric of the Shadow Fold and setting Ravka free? The Darkling, a creature of seductive charm and terrifying power, leader of the Grisha. If Alina is to fulfill her destiny, she must discover how to unlock her gift and face up to her dangerous attraction to him. But what of Mal, Alina’s childhood best friend? As Alina contemplates her dazzling new future, why can’t she ever quite forget him? Glorious. Epic. Irresistible. Romance.

Shadow and bone 2

The Review:

I am a YA high fantasy addict. I’m sure of it. I just can’t seem to get enough, and Shadow and Bone was easily one of the most unique ones yet.

It all started with world-building. Actually, it started with an engaging prologue that had me hooked right away, then it dazzled me with world-building. I’m a sucker for desert settings (something which I’ve only just realized about myself), and the busy markets, the flag-topped tents, the “dry docks,” and the caravans were only some of the setting elements that created a really cool atmosphere for this book. Take all of that and add the shadowed white sands of the Fold – a magical dark divide containing flesh-eating monsters called volcra dividing the kingdom from the seaports on the other side – and I’m sold. It was fantastic.

But world-building goes beyond mere settings, and my favorite element was the magic system in the form of colorfully robed Grisha (I love it when things are color-coded, especially in books). The Grisha had many different talents, distinguished by these colored robes, and learning about them was easily my favorite part of the book. There’s even a school for Grisha, one which we get to explore a little. Bardugo definitely hit on several things that trigger my interest as a reader. My only hope going forward is that we get to learn even more about the Grisha because, as interesting as it was, we really only got into surface level stuff in this first book.

And the characters! Alina was incredibly relatable, which went a long way towards immersing me in the story. I liked her, but was also emotionally invested in her. She had a fantastic growth arc throughout the book, physically, emotionally, and mentally, and that’s probably why she was so much fun to read about. I also loved the the dynamic between her and the other characters, specifically Mal and The Darkling… let’s just say she surprised me (in a good way) on several occasion. It was refreshing.

Overall, this is an excellent addition to my arsenal of “awesome teen fantasy books” to recommend and I wish I had picked it up earlier. In any case, now that Ruin and Rising has just been released, I think I waited the perfect amount of time before devouring this trilogy (my apologies to those of you who’ve been waiting a few years, lol). That’s only part of it, though. What finally got me to pick it up was the news that Bardugo was just signed for a new trilogy taking place on one of the island nations within the series. I already kind of knew Shadow and Bone had a desert setting, but the knowledge that I’d be able to travel and explore this world through more books was incredibly appealing. So I hopped aboard the Grisha wagon… and I’m so glad I did! If you like any of my recommendations below, Shadow and Bone should definitely be on your list.

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes