Category Book Reviews

Apr 3 2014
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Book Review: The Assassin’s Blade by Sarah J. Maas

assassin's bladeTitle: The Assassin’s Blade

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Series: Throne of Glass Novellas

Genre: Teen Fantasy

Rating: 5/5 stars!

The Overview: Celaena Sardothien is Adarlan’s most feared assassin. As part of the Assassin’s Guild, her allegiance is to her master, Arobynn Hamel, yet Celaena listens to no one and trusts only her fellow killer-for-hire, Sam. In these action-packed novellas – together in one edition for the first time – Celaena embarks on five daring missions. They take her from remote islands to hostile deserts, where she fights to liberate slaves and seeks to avenge the tyrannous. But she is acting against Arobynn’s orders and could suffer an unimaginable punishment for such treachery. Will Celaena ever be truly free? Explore the dark underworld of this kick-ass heroine to find out.

Assassins Blade

The Review:

Wow. I really loved this book…

If you read my review of Throne of Glass, you might remember that I had a few… well, not issues exactly, but there were a few things that kept me from really feeling connected to Celaena, the heroine. After reading this compilation of prequel novels, I am happy to say that ALL of the concerns I had have been completely laid to rest!

For example, I could not figure out why Celaena didn’t seem to have any major emotional damage from having endured a salt mine prison camp for a full year. In Assassin’s Blade, it became clear that she had been through so much worse, so the mine kind of paled in comparison. Also, while growing up she had extensive training on enduring hardships, which would explain how well she managed to cope. It all makes so much sense now…

The most important element I was missing was Celaena’s connection to the other characters (specifically the male leads). She always seemed guarded, never following through on the feelings she obviously had for the two, and I could never see a compelling motive as to why that might be. Suffice to say, if I had gone through the things I read about in Assassin’s Blade, I would be pretty guarded too.

Anyway, you can see how much of a difference this book made with my enjoyment of the author. While each story was beautifully written  (and stood solidly on their own), it was really cool how well they built off of one another. It made me feel like I was reading a robust novel rather than a compilation of short stories. It was superb, and I almost wish I had read it first because now I want nothing more than to go back and reread Throne of Glass with my newfound perspective on this character and her world. Seriously, if you only mildly enjoyed the first novel, give these prequels a try – it will make all the difference!

So what now? I am eagerly trying to get my hands on a copy of Crown of Midnight so I can see what happens next! Assassin’s Blade has made me an UBER fan of this series, and I don’t think I’ve been this fan-girly for a teen series since Hunger Games. If you could take one thing from my experience, read the prequel first! You won’t regret it. :-)

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes

Mar 28 2014
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Book Review: Salvage by Alexandra Duncan

SalvageTitle: Salvage

Author: Alexandra Duncan

Series: N/A

Genre: Teen Science Fiction

Rating: 4/5 stars

The Overview: Ava, a teenage girl living aboard the male-dominated deep space merchant ship Parastrata, faces betrayal, banishment, and death. Taking her fate into her own hands, she flees to the Gyre, a floating continent of garbage and scrap in the Pacific Ocean, in this thrilling, surprising, and thought-provoking debut novel that will appeal to fans of Across the Universe, by Beth Revis, and The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood.

Salvage

The Review:

I will admit I wasn’t sure if I was going to enjoy this book. It started off with an interesting concept, but I found it kind of difficult to follow and the language a bit convoluted. Because it was so unlike anything I’d ever read before, I decided to stick with it… And I’m so glad I did. This is definitely not your typical teen read – it followed a story line that almost seemed backwards (which was part of its brilliance), had an odd love-interest conflict (which was oddly refreshing), and as far as I know, is a standalone novel (which is probably why I feel so satisfied with it).

Duncan did a great job building culture and creating a cool atmosphere that was one of my favorite elements of the book. Aboard the transport ships where Ava, the protagonists, grew up, a hierarchal polygamist lifestyle that was once essential to their survival had warped into this weird male-dominated society where she is taught to keep quiet and obey the rules. It was an incredibly oppressive system which was made all the worse by the other women higher up in the pecking order. The intership politics and customs were so feasible that I found that whole portion of the story sufficiently creepy… in a good way. You see, it really made me think about how plausible that society actually was, and appreciate just how good I have it.

As far as character is concerned, although Ava made some really foolish decisions early on, I still admired how her desire to accomplish more than she was allowed was evident right from the start (well, maybe not the start… There was actually a good fifty pages of reminiscing that happened before the story really got going, but I’m choosing to block that out because, odd pacing aside, it was at least interesting). The side characters were unique in their own way, but the focus of this book really was all about Ava.

The earth portion of the story is really when the novel really came alive for me. You see, it was quite remarkable experiencing Earth from an outsider’s perspective (especially since it was an overcrowded, futuristic Earth that had evolved into a melting pot of cultural tradition and technology… It was friggin’ cool). Anyway, watching Ava adapt to a society so different from her own, and to see her growth throughout the story, was easily one of the highlights of this novel.

The more I evaluate this book as a whole, the more I like it. Despite the fact that it was  a bit difficult to get into and certain plot-points required a little bit of “just go with it” forgiveness, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. It’s one of those books that sticks with you long after you’ve read it, and am quite happy I decided to give it a chance.

Recommended Reading: I would probably only hand this to older teens and adults, as it has more mature moments than most books of this genre, (younger readers might find it a bit risqué). I will say this would be an excellent recommendation for someone looking for something “different.”

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes

Mar 20 2014
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Book Review: Dragon Haven by Robin Hobb

Dragon HavenTitle: Dragon Haven

Author: Robin Hobb

Series: Rain Wild Chronicles #2

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 5/5 stars!

The Overview: Fifteen dragons have set off on a dangerous trek up the Rain Wild River, in hopes of rediscovering their lost haven, the ancient city of Kelsingra. Accompanying them is a disparate group of rejects from Rain Wild society, including strong and defiant young Thymara; wealthy dragon scholar and Trader’s wife Alise; and her companion, the urbane Sedric. These human keepers yearn also to create a new home where they can decide their own fate. But is Kelsingra real or merely a fragment of a glorified past buried deep in the dragons’ shared memories? As they forge ever deeper into uncharted wilderness, starvation, flashfloods, and predators imperil them all. But as dragons and humans alike soon learn, the most savage threats come from within their own company . . .

Dragon Haven 2

The Review:

You could safely say Robin Hobb is one of my favorite authors, perhaps even my #1. Since I have gushed over how much I love her books in several past posts (and will continue to do so for the handful of titles I’ve yet to read) I’m going to keep this review relatively short. If you would like a full geek-out about the Rain Wilds series, check out my review of Dragon Keeper.

What can I say? Hobb gets better and better with every book, and Dragon Haven (book 2 of this series) was no exception! I love the progression of the story, the characters, and (most notably) the dragons. I particularly excited about these books because they are finally revealing some answers to questions I’ve had since books 2 or 3 of the Farseer trilogy. It’s that slow, ever present discovery process that makes these books so much fun to read. Add that to the fact that all of the mysteries seem to be centered around dragons, and you can see why I’m in love.

Hobb’s books have been my go-to books for years now – they’re always the ones I pick up when nothing else sounds good. You could even say I’ve been savoring them. However, with the release of The Fool’s Assassin (the beginning of a new trilogy) looming before us sometime in August, I admit I’ve been clipping along faster than usual to try to catch up. It’s bittersweet because I’m not sure what I’ll do with myself once I’ve finished all of the books (maybe go back and reread them?).

Part of the reason I love Hobb’s work is that every novel has an abundance of great characters. Every POV is relatable in one way or another, always adding their own unique momentum to the story. Multiple perspectives can be rough on a reader because it can make it difficult to get emotionally attached. This is so not an issue with these novels. I always want to know more about the character in question, mostly because they are all just so human. They have flaws and charms just like real people, which makes them incredibly interesting and fun to read about.

Overall, Dragon Haven was another strong novel from an exceptional author. I will continue to talk about her with anybody who will listen (and will hopefully one day have the chance to meet her).

Recommended Reading: as far as high fantasy is concerned, in my opinion you can’t get any better than Robin Hobb. I do find her books interesting to recommend, however: on one hand, my passion for them really comes out when I talk about them, but on the other, I’m aware that it does take a few books to see that earth-shattering momentum start to build and I get concerned that some readers might not have the patience. I’d say, if you don’t mind slowly developing (though never boring) fantasy novels, this is a great series to immerse yourself in. I’d recommend starting with The Assassin’s Apprentice. :-)

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes

Mar 14 2014
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Book Review: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Title: Throne of Glass

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Series: Throne of Glass #1

Genre: Teen Fantasy

Rating: 4/5 stars

The Overview: In a land without magic, where the king rules with an iron hand, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She comes not to kill the king, but to win her freedom. If she defeats twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition, she is released from prison to serve as the king’s champion. Her name is Celaena Sardothien.  The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. But something evil dwells in the castle of glass–and it’s there to kill. When her competitors start dying one by one, Celaena’s fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival, and a desperate quest to root out the evil before it destroys her world.

Throne of glass

 The Review:

I had Throne of Glass recommended to me at least a dozen times on the blogosphere, and once one of my favorite go-to girls for book recommends started raving about it I knew I couldn’t wait any longer to read it. And I’m really glad I did – I was hooked from the very beginning! It reminded me right a way of Maria Snyder’s Poison Study, and I actually found I liked it a little better (although I will admit I have not read beyond book one of either series, so the jury is still out on which one I’ll end up liking more).

While I enjoyed Throne of Glass thoroughly, it did have a couple of flaws, most of which center around characterization. The heroine, Celaena, was blatantly inconsistent throughout the novel and I never really felt emotionally connected to her. For one thing, she is supposedly an exceptional assassin but not once during the entire novel that she ever show off those skills. She also never dealt with the emotional fallout that I imagine a normal person would go through after enduring a year at a prisoner mining camp.

While a bit odd, those two elements didn’t bother me too much while I was reading. What did bother me was that Celaena’s actions often didn’t match up with her thoughts. During her POVs, she would think and feel certain things but would never show them. It made her come across as impartial during scenes that I felt were supposed to be the most emotionally evoking. She was just too casual about things that would ruin my whole day if they were happening to me. The thing is, I wish I knew why. I got a little insight to the inner workings of her mind, but never quite enough to see reasonings behind some of her behavior. This more than anything else kept me from feeling totally invested in her story. All I have to say is, thank goodness for the love interests because without their POVs, the novel wouldn’t have been nearly as enjoyable.

Despite the inconsistencies, there were still a few things I liked about the main heroine. She was confident without being cocky, highly skilled without being infallible, and sharp without being brilliant (she did, after all, have a difficult time watching what she said). I also really loved her progression through the competition to become the king’s assassin. It was a cool way to see the characters behave under pressure, and was really fun to read about. Those of you who follow my blog regularly know how much of a sucker I am for a good competition and this was one of the best ones I’ve read in years.

Overall, I really enjoyed this novel and look forward to reading both Crown of Midnight and The Assassin’s Blade within the next couple of months. I imagine the few issues I had with this first book will work themselves out as the series continues (hopefully).

Recommended Reading: I feel as though this is the start of what could be a killer series and would recommend it to any fan of teen fantasy. Despite its flaws, it promises to only get better from here.

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes

Mar 7 2014
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Book Review: The Lascar’s Dagger by Glenda Larke

lascar's daggerTitle: The Lascar’s Dagger

Author: Glenda Larke

Series: the Forsaken Lands #1

Genre: Fantasy

Release Date: March 18, 2014

Rating: 5/5 stars

The Overview: Saker appears to be a simple priest, but in truth he’s a spy for the head of his faith. Wounded in the line of duty by a Lascar sailor’s blade, the weapon seems to follow him home. Unable to discard it, nor the sense of responsibility it brings, Saker can only follow its lead. The dagger puts Saker on a journey to distant shores, on a path that will reveal terrible secrets about the empire, about the people he serves, and destroy the life he knows. The Lascar’s dagger demands a price, and that price will be paid in blood.

lascar's dagger

The Review:

I want to start out by saying how much I love Glenda Larke. She has the best world building of any fantasy writer I’ve ever read and it only seems to get stronger with each book. She’s taken me from stone cities to tropical islands to port cities to desert oases – basically anywhere that sounds interesting and exotic. If that weren’t awesome enough, she also tells her stories beautifully, creates complex an interesting characters, and provides epic adventures. In short, she is amazing.

When I talk about the world building, I’m not just talking about the setting, but rather something that is more all-encompassing. Larke weaves together multiple nations with their different cultural and religious backgrounds so seamlessly you’d think she was pulling information straight out of a history book. It’s just so thorough… it blows my mind. The depth of her world creations is astounding, but even more so is the way the cultures in her novels evolve as they start interact with one another. And another thing, they’re always so darn original. There are elements that have certainly been done before, but never as vibrant and evoking as when Larke does them.

While the worlds alone are reason enough to pick up Larke’s books, her characterization is just as strong. It’s not just that they’re interesting and well rounded, but that they always seem to have compelling conflicts. The trials they face, whether internal or external, are always an integral part of the stories – and done so well that I become immediately invested. In The Lascar’s Dagger, several POVs contributed to the overall arc of the story, and I found myself hard-pressed to decide which perspective I enjoyed following more. They all had different motives driving their actions, but somehow managed to get me feeling their successes and failures as if they were my own. I think the character that I felt the biggest connection to was Sorrel. Without giving too much away, let’s suffice to say that I found her perseverance inspiring and am most excited to see where her her courage and resilience take her in the next novel – there is so much more to her than meets the eye.

In case you didn’t get the memo from my highly praising review, Larke is one of the best fantasy authors I’ve ever read. My only disappointment is that she dwells on a different continent, so I’ll probably never have the chance to meet her. She has a lifelong fan in me, and I vowed long ago to pick up anything she writes the day it comes out (imagine how tickled I was to get access to an early copy of this novel – thank you, Netgalley!).

Recommended Reading: if you are a fan of high fantasy and have not yet read any of Larke’s books, you are sorely missing out! I recommend The Last Stormlord the most, but my true love is The Isles of Glory trilogy.

Other books you might like:

 by Niki Hawkes

Feb 27 2014
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Book Review: Panic by Lauren Oliver

Panic_HC_JKT_des4.inddTitle: Panic

Author: Lauren Oliver

Series: N/A

Genre: Teen Fiction

Release Date: March 4, 2014

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

The Overview: Panic began as so many things do in Carp, a dead-end town of 12,000 people in the middle of nowhere: because it was summer, and there was nothing else to do. Heather never thought she would compete in Panic, a legendary game played by graduating seniors, where the stakes are high and the payoff is even higher. She’d never thought of herself as fearless, the kind of person who would fight to stand out. But when she finds something, and someone, to fight for, she will discover that she is braver than she ever thought. Dodge has never been afraid of Panic. His secret will fuel him, and get him all the way through the game, he’s sure of it. But what he doesn’t know is that he’s not the only one with a secret. Everyone has something to play for. For Heather and Dodge, the game will bring new alliances, unexpected revelations, and the possibility of first love for each of them—and the knowledge that sometimes the very things we fear are those we need the most.

panic

The Review:

Panic was such a cool book. While outside of my normal genre (all things make-believe) it had the one element that will make me read practically anything:

Competition.

I’m serious. Someone could write a narrative about weeds encroaching on their front lawn and I probably pick it up because I want to see who wins. Luckily, the competition in Panic was a lot more interesting. Every year, high school graduates of this small town have the option to compete in a series of dangerous challenges in the hopes of earning a life-changing pot of money. For some of the graduates, the money is their ticket out of some pretty deplorable circumstances. I loved digging into the lives of a couple of the contestants to find out what motivated them to compete in this somewhat deadly game.

The competition ended up being a lot more personal to these characters than I would’ve guessed. The character development throughout the story, specifically that of Heather, one of the main POVs, was actually my favorite element of the story. The types of situation she finds herself in, and the inner strength she pulls from to get through them was inspiring. The other characters were great, too, but Heather is the one that will stick with me the longest.

This is the second book I’ve read by Lauren Oliver, and I can confidently say I’m a fan of her writing. Not only does she know how to create great atmosphere, but her writing style and voice are both lovely and evoking. I always get drawn into her books from the first page and have a difficult time finding good stopping places. In Panic, Oliver managed to portray exactly how it felt to be an angsty teen (of the non-annoying variety), reminding me of all the sweet, awkward, embarrassing, uncomfortable, and stupid things we go through at that age. It was nostalgic to say the least, and I kind of wish I’d been able to read this book when I was a teen because it offered a sort of reassurance that I wasn’t alone.

Overall, this was a fantastic novel from an author I am becoming quite fond of. I am certain I will be picking up anything she decides to write in the future (as soon as I devour all the books she’s already written). If you haven’t read her before, Panic is a great place to start.

Recommended Reading: this is going to be an easy book to recommend because it has love, adventure, drama and just a touch of mystery all wrapped into a nifty little package. I am glad to have something to recommend to readers who aren’t in the mood for fantasy or paranormal.

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes