Category Book Reviews

Dec 28 2013
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Book Review: Skinned by Robin Wasserman

SkinnedTitle: Skinned

Author: Robin Wasserman

Series: Cold Awakening #1

Genre: Teen Fantasy

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

The Overview: The Download was supposed to change the world. It was supposed to mean the end of aging, the end of death, the birth of a new humanity. But it wasn’t supposed to happen to someone like Lia Kahn. And it wasn’t supposed to ruin her life.

Lia knows she should be grateful she didn’t die in the accident. The Download saved her–but it also changed her, forever. She can deal with being a freak. She can deal with the fear in her parents’ eyes and the way her boyfriend flinches at her touch. But she can’t deal with what she knows, deep down, every time she forces herself to look in the mirror: She’s not the same person she used to be.

Maybe she’s not even a person at all.

Skinned

The Review:

This is another book that I’ve read before, but it was so many years ago that the second and third books in the trilogy hadn’t even come out yet. I’ve mentioned recently that I don’t often reread books but sometimes it can’t be helped when I want to continue on but there are too many things I’ve forgotten about the first book’s (it really irritates me when that happens – I guess I need to stop reading them before they’re all released #booknerdproblems101). Anyway, because I was on a major dystopian kick this year and kept noticing them sitting pretty in hardcover on my shelves, I decided it was time to give them another go.

This reread was kind of an odd decision because I only mildly enjoyed Skinned the first time around. Here’s the thing, this book is definitely not an “upper” by any stretch of the word, and I found it a difficult read because of the subject matter. There were a lot of elements that were raw, gritty and downright heart-wrenching, and I don’t think my innocent eighteen-year-old self was quite equipped to handle it at the time. This time around, however, I found it completely engrossing. Wasserman used strong imagery and sensations to really make me  feel what Lia was going through. It was superb – I truly felt like I was getting dragged through the mud with the character. I have also learned a lot about writing since then, and can now appreciate it for the beautiful piece of work that it is.

Lia, while not relatable in any way, was totally fascinating and I think that’s why I liked reading about her. It amazed me how much I could be angry on her behalf even though a lot of her conflicts involved her reaping what she had sewn. There was just so many negative things thrown her way… her pain sort of jumped off the page and made me believe that, despite her flaws, she didn’t deserve all she got.

The book also had a lot of great futuristic world building. It was a somewhat cheeky nod to the parts of our society headed down dangerous paths (sort of like the overweight people lounging around the spaceship in the movie WALL-E). I liked that it wasn’t totally unfeasible. In Lia’s world it was clear that not all people led these extravagant lifestyles, just the privileged (which left a lot of room for Wasserman to make it outrageous). It wasn’t preachy by any means, but thought-provoking.

Despite all of the positives, Skinned was still a depressing read. I plan to continue on in the series this time, but there’d better be some sort of silver lining somewhere in the second book or a might have to throw in the towel on the account of too much emotional turmoil.

Recommended Reading: I personally read to escape reality, not to be dragged through the dregs of it, so this one was a stretch for me. Because of that, I would be wary recommending this to other readers even though it had elements that were truly special. This is a book for readers who don’t mind sifting through the grit for some beautiful writing.

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes

Dec 19 2013
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Book Review: Rhapsody by Elizabeth Haydon

RhapsodyTitle: Rhapsody

Author: Elizabeth Haydon

Series: Symphony of Ages #1

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 4/5 stars

The Overview: Rhapsody is a woman, a Singer of some talent, who is swept up into events of world-shattering import. On the run from an old romantic interest who won’t take no for an answer, Rhapsody literally bumps into a couple of shady characters: half-breeds who come to her rescue in the nick of time. Only the rescue turns into an abduction, and Rhapsody soon finds herself dragged along on an epic voyage, one that spans centuries and ranges across a wonder-filled fantasy world– a world so real you can hear the sweet music of Rhapsody’s aubade and smell the smoldering forges deep within the Cauldron.

Rhapsody 2

The Review:

Finishing Rhapsody was my first step towards rereading this epic series by Elizabeth Haydon. The fact that I’m doing a reread at all should say something about how much I liked this series, espeically considering how many unread ones I still have on my shelves (I don’t usually pick up books I’ve already read more than once or twice a year… unless it’s an audio). I had three motivations behind the reread: I really enjoyed it the first time around (about ten years ago), I caught wind that the author is finally back to writing the series and wanted to get ready for the next release, and I felt compelled to figure out why I seldom recommended it even though I really liked it.

And what’s not to like? This book is the gateway into an epic world filled with unique cultures and histories unlike anything I’ve ever read before. It lets us explore the world through the eyes of several brilliant, vibrant characters who are incredibly likable and memorable despite their flaws. My favorite character, Achmed isn’t even human, but it’s his personality and interactions with the main heroine, Rhapsody, makes him the most entertaining and endearing in my eyes (he doesn’t even like her much, haha). Achmed, along with most of the characters, are so rounded that you don’t even scratch the surface of the mysteries surrounding them in this first book. Learning more about them was my main motivation to keep reading this series, and I have to say it didn’t disappoint!

So, why don’t I recommend this book even though I’ve just sung its praises? Because the first hundred pages (excluding the prologue) are among the most confusing and boring-assed of any that I’ve ever read. If not for a single thread of hope and interests in what was to come, I’m not sure I would’ve made it through the first time (much less the second). I just can’t bring myself to suggest it’s to people because a 100 page courtesy is too much to ask of a reader trying to find their next engaging book. It’s a shame too, because this really is one of the most memorable, unique fantasies I’ve ever read and would love to share the story as a whole with more people.

Overall, if you have the motivation (and time) to suffer a long winded book (and series) for an epic payoff, then you could possibly get the same enjoyment out of it as I have. Otherwise, perhaps stick to the great fantasy novels that provide a more, shall we say immediate gratification.

Recommended Reading: For brave fantasy readers who aren’t scared of long-winded authors. Also for those who don’t mind sex, violence, and language, as there’s a fair bit of all three.

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes

Dec 14 2013
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Book Review: Enclave by Ann Aguirre

enclaveTitle: Enclave

Author: Ann Aguirre

Series: Enclave #1

Genre: Teen Fantasy

Rating: 4/5 stars

The Overview: In Deuce’s world, people earn the right to a name only if they survive their first fifteen years. By that point, each unnamed ‘brat’ has trained into one of three groups–Breeders, Builders, or Hunters, identifiable by the number of scars they bear on their arms. Deuce has wanted to be a Huntress for as long as she can remember. As a Huntress, her purpose is clear—to brave the dangerous tunnels outside the enclave and bring back meat to feed the group while evading ferocious monsters known as Freaks. She’s worked toward this goal her whole life, and nothing’s going to stop her, not even a beautiful, brooding Hunter named Fade. When the mysterious boy becomes her partner, Deuce’s troubles are just beginning.

enclave

The Review:

Several months ago, I made the decision to read everything Ann Aguirre had on the market because I loved her Sirantha Jax series so much (so for all of you who visit The Obsessive Bookseller regularly, I’m sorry for being so repetitive, haha). I was particularly excited to pick up this series because I’d had it on my reading list even before I became fond of the author. I am glad to report that Enclave was every bit as enjoyable as her other books.

The characters were realistic and relatable (as usual) and the world building was totally immersive. I can say with confidence that I’ve never read anything quite like this book… It completely takes you into a new world filled with horrifying situations that would have me crying in a corner. What I liked about the protagonist, Deuce, is that she was every bit as frightened as I was but managed to draw on her inner strength to face it anyway. I appreciated her ability to adapt to each new situation and think for herself in a society that encourages the opposite.

Overall, the book was fast-paced, creepy as hell, and retained everything I’ve come to love and appreciate about this author. I’m looking forward to seeing where the story goes next!

Recommended Reading: this book is perfect for fans of the post-apocalyptic genre – especially those who love zombie stories (for the record, I think good for a couple years in all things zombie). This book is also one that I would feel confident recommending to both men and women, which is a rare find in the heavily “romanced” teen section these days.

 Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes

Dec 12 2013
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Book Review: Pawn by Aimee Carter

pawnTitle: Pawn

Author: Aimee Carter

Series: Blackcoat Rebellion #1

Genre: Teen Fantasy

Rating: 4/5 stars

The Overview: YOU CAN BE A VII. IF YOU GIVE UP EVERYTHING. For Kitty Doe, it seems like an easy choice. She can either spend her life as a III in misery, looked down upon by the higher ranks and forced to leave the people she loves, or she can become a VII and join the most powerful family in the country. If she says yes, Kitty will be Masked—surgically transformed into Lila Hart, the Prime Minister’s niece, who died under mysterious circumstances. As a member of the Hart family, she will be famous. She will be adored. And for the first time, she will matter. There’s only one catch. She must also stop the rebellion that Lila secretly fostered, the same one that got her killed …and one Kitty believes in. Faced with threats, conspiracies and a life that’s not her own, she must decide which path to choose—and learn how to become more than a pawn in a twisted game she’s only beginning to understand.

pawn

The Review:

I’ve noticed lately that it is more difficult for me to compose a review for a book that I really liked than one that I didn’t. In a 2 star review, all I have to do is focus on the facts and make it an impartial assessment of what did and didn’t work for me; but when I prepare a 4+ review, emotion enters the equation and I have to really push myself to keep it from being one long fangirl geekout. The thing is, I really want to do the book justice, describing exactly what I liked it so much, so I procrastinate… which is why you are getting this review now despite the fact that I finished Pawn ages ago.

Because I’ve taken so long to let this review percolate in my brain, I’ve been beaten to the punch by at least half a dozen other book bloggers (one’s that I’m following, obviously, because I’m sure countless others reviewed it before me, too). Eager to see what they thought, I was surprised to discover that most of them didn’t like Pawn nearly as much as I did. Many shared the objections that the characters were weak, the plot was thin, and the world needed more developing. What’s weird is that I can totally see why they felt that way about the book… but I still really liked it, anyway.

You see, despite the flaws, I truly loved the concept (a cool mesh of dystopian and a game of chess) for this story and thought the author told it with a great voice. It was one of those books that grabbed me right from the beginning and didn’t let up until the end. Carter introduced many difficult situations right off the bat in a way that showed the horrendous nature of this girl’s journey, but did so in a way that kept it light and age-appropriate (which I’ve come to understand is not nearly as important as it used to be). Anyway, all I have to say is, I dropped everything else I was reading to finish it, so that should speak for itself.

I do agree with my fellow bloggers in the sense that the characterization could’ve been a bit stronger. There were several events that I think affected me more profoundly than they did Kitty (the protagonist), which eventually made me resent her for not having more fight. To my eyes, she either had phenomenal survival sense… or was just plain callous. The side characters, on the other hand, had great motives (especially the villains) and I am eager to learn more about them because, as of yet, I feel we’ve only just scratched the surface.

If you think about the parameters of the world for too long, you will definitely notice some problems with it. However, because I liked the idea behind it so much, I was willing to overlook those issues in favor of just enjoying the story. It started out with this great momentum that you knew was building towards something epic. The trouble is, what I thought would’ve been turning point (and my favorite part of the book) was kind of skimmed over… leaving me feeling like if the author had taken a couple of days and really poured herself into the scene she would have had something truly special. It spoke to me of laziness (whether it actually was or not) and was really the only thing that knocked the book off its pedestal.

Overall, despite some issues, Pawn was still one of my favorite reads of the year. I even bought it in hardcover the day it came out.

Recommended Reading: I would recommend Pawn to people who like dystopians and don’t mind a slightly “fluffier” take on the genre.

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes

Dec 6 2013
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DNF Review: The Wizard Lord by Lawrence Watt-Evans

The wizard LordTitle: The Wizard Lord

Author: Lawrence Watt-Evans

Series: The Annals of the Chosen #1

Genre:  Fantasy

Rating: DNF

The Overview: The Wizard Lord’s duty is to keep the world in its delicate balance. He must govern lightly to protect his domain from power-hungry interlopers, such as certain wizards who previously fought to rule the world…But if the Wizard Lord himself strays from the way of the just, then it is up to the Chosen to intercede. The Chosen ones are the Leader, the Seer, the Swordsman, the Beauty, the Thief, the Scholar, the Archer, and the Speaker. Each are magically-infused mortal individuals who, for the term of their service, have only one function–to be available to remove an errant Wizard Lord, whether by persuasion or by stronger means. Breaker, a young man of ambition, has taken the mantle of Swordsman from its former bearer who wished to retire. Never did he realize that he would be called to duty so quickly, or that the balance of power in his world would be so precarious. He had a duty to perform.  A world to save. So why does he still have doubts…not just about himself, but about the entire balance of power?

The wizard Lord

The Review:

As the writer of my all time favorite Dragon series, The Obsidian Chronicles, Lawrence Watt-Evans had never failed to entertain me in the half a dozen books I’ve read from him so far. In fact, I liked him so much that I immediately went out and purchased every book he had on the market at the time – an impulse I have not yet regretted…Until now.

I have to say, for such a fantastic idea for a book, this one took a lot of time to get going. A hundred pages in, the main conflict of the story was finally hinted at… Although I don’t know that I would’ve been able to pick it out had I not read the back of the book. There was a lot of speculation and back-and-forth questioning by the main protagonist, which built great character right up front, but I think it could have been edited down a little bit without losing any of its impact. That said, it was still interesting and engaging even though not much was happening other than personal growth and discovery. I always appreciate authors who can take ordinary, everyday events and make them interesting to read about.

Then after that first hundred pages, when he finally got on the road I thought “great – now the story really begins!” The trouble is, it kind of didn’t. Sure, he was visiting new places for the first time, but it seemed like in every place he just rehashed everything that had been pounded into us before he even left on the journey. Not to mention that most of the scenes didn’t seem to add anything to the overall arc of the story. I’m a little sad to admit that I got a little bored reading it – and that saying something considering I just finished Prophecy by Elizabeth Haydon (One of the most long-winded books I’ve ever read… But still strangely amazing).

I have been working really hard to live by the motto that “life is too short to read boring books” and finally decided to put it down. This was a difficult decision considering how dazzled I’ve been with his works in the past, but I’m to a point where I have so many great books just begging to be read that I will not force myself to finish anything I’m not enjoying.

Recommended Reading: although I found this great conceptually, it came across uneventful and repetitive. I really can’t see myself recommending it, and have figured out why it went out of print so quickly. I will, however, stand behind my recommendations of The Obsidian Chronicles as my all-time favorite Dragon series – which happens to be coming back in print January 2014!

 Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes

Nov 28 2013
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Book Review: Blue Diablo by Ann Aguirre

Blue DiabloTitle: Blue Diablo

Author: Ann Aguirre

Series: Corine Solomon #1

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Rating: 3/5 stars

The Overview: Corine Solomon is a handler. When she touches an object she instantly knows its history and its future. Using her ability, she can find the missing, which is why people never stop trying to find her. Like her ex-boyfriend Chance, who needs Corine’s gift to find someone dear to them both. But the search proves dangerous as it leads them into a strange world of demons and sorcerers, ghosts and witchcraft, zombies, and black magic…

Blue Diablo

The Review:

I think it’s safe to say I’m on an Ann Aguirre kick. I’m really fond of her works and have been making an effort to get caught up in all of her series. Blue Diablo of the Corine Solomon series happens to be the last unexplored territory. Compared to her other works, I think this might be my least favorite so far, but compared to other urban fantasies (especially those with the Southwest feel) it was pretty good.

Perhaps the main reason I didn’t like it as much as, say the Sirantha Jax series was due to the love story. I’ve come to expect from this author the most epic, memorable relationships (which are not necessarily the romantic ones) and hoped for the same delivery here. While Blue Diablo had great relationships, the most important one between Corine and Chance was a little subpar. It essentially came down to a couple of ex-lovers debating whether or not to rekindle the fire between them. It was interesting, and well done for what it was, I just couldn’t get behind it. Mama always said “why would you want to take a bite out of the same turd twice?” and I feel the same way about literary relationships. It just lacked that bit of romantic tension. All I have to say is, thank goodness for that handsome law enforcer…

Because these characters already have a lot of baggage, it actually allowed the plot to jumpstart right into the meaty conflicts of the story. It was grabbing right from the beginning, and one of the best redeeming qualities of the story. We knew right away what the main arc of the story was going to be because the inciting moment took place within the first few pages (I love it when authors do that). It lost a little steam in the middle, but was for the most part a thrilling, action-packed book.

Overall, I enjoyed it enough to be interested in continuing in this series. It had a great atmosphere and I’m hoping it will gain the same momentum as the Jax series if I keep on reading.

Recommended Reading: I would probably suggest this series to a customer if they’ve already read most of my Top Ten Urban Fantasies. A warning to my wary readers, this book contains sexuality, language, and creepy-assed violence.

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes