Tag Archives: fantasy books

Oct 5 2013
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New Releases: October 2013

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I don’t know about all of you, but this month feels like the new release jackpot! The star being, of course, Allegiant – the conclusion to Veronica Roth’s Divergent series. I’m also super eager to read anything new by Ann Aguirre. Here’s a look at these noteworthy releases:

October 15, 2013
October 8, 2014
October 1, 2014
October 15, 2013
October 1, 2013
October 1, 2013
October 8, 2013
October 22, 2014
October 29, 2014
October 8, 2013
October 29, 2013
October 22, 2013

 What books are you excited for? :-)

Sep 30 2013
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Top Ten Tuesday – Top Ten Book Turnoffs (Done Well) (10/1/2013)

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Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

This week’s TTT is one I’ve been trying to figure out how to compile for a few weeks now. The problem is, things that bother me in one book don’t necessarily bother me in another – It depends entirely on how well the author executes them. Basically, for every bad example of a turnoff, I came up with a good one. Since I don’t particularly want to focus on the negative, I decided to celebrate books that that turned typical turnoffs into turnons:

Top Ten Seven Book Turnoffs (Done Well)!

 I know it’s confusing, but all the books I’ve featured are examples of authors who handled each of these typical turnoffs brilliantly.

 #1 Perspectives Switches

Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey
Partials by Dan Wells
Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson

 Perspective switches can be a turnoff because, when handled poorly, it can steal the momentum away from the story – essentially giving readers permission have shorter attention spans. The books above used it effectively because each point of view switch added something to the overall arc of the story – driving it forward. There was no fluff or switches just for the sake of switching.

#2 Love Triangles

Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
Moon Called by Patricia Briggs
Guilty Pleasures by Laurell K. Hamilton

 This is the single biggest turnoff I hear my fellow readers complain about. The thing is, they don’t really bother me that much (what can I say – I like choices and the added element of competition). Why I feel the above books were successful in handling the love triangles is: they each had two equally appealing candidates, and we are able to see clear pros and cons of choosing either one.

#3 Slow Books

Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
Survival by Julie Czerneda

It can be frustrating when you commit time and energy to a book and it just doesn’t seem to go anywhere. I especially dislike it when I can tell the author is in explore mode rather than building towards some ultimate goal. I want to clarify that there is a distinct difference between slow-pacing and boring. The authors above took a long time developing the story, but they were always headed in a specific direction. Every scene had a purpose, and, if it were a little more mundane, they made sure the events were interesting. The end result: a slow-rolling snowball that speeds up as the story progresses resulting in fantastic endings!

#4 Morals

Wizard’s First Rule by Terry Goodkind
Fablehaven by Brandon Mull
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling

Done with a heavy hand, books that include life lessons can come across preachy and condescending. The key is subtlety – weaving it and so thoroughly to the story that some readers won’t even consciously pick up on it. Another way to do it is, in the case of Wizards First Rule, is to incorporate them as an integral part of each book… hence the title.

#5 Villain POVs

Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb
Homeland by R.A. Salvatore
A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

 I don’t often get irritated with books, but nothing sends me over the edge quite like a weak one page passage from the villain’s point of view. I find it usually does nothing but explain things the author couldn’t figure out how to work into the story. It also takes away part of the discovery process where the main protagonists has to figure out what the dark side is up to. Because these are often included in a prologue or a few paragraphs before each chapter, the villains come across as flat and child-like. If you’re going to include a villain’s perspective, take note from the authors above and really include them in the story. If you’re going to do it, he or she should be just as well-rounded and dynamic as your hero – if not more.

 #6 The Falsely-Accused

Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison
Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder
Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

 Let me clarify that, oftentimes, the protagonists really did do what they are being accused of, but they did it for reasons that would be considered acceptable by most readers. If done poorly, the resulting accusation and trial can be one of the most frustrating things to read about. Everybody sporadically loses their ability to reason and nothing the falsely accused protagonist says or does can sway them (no matter how plausible). It’s even worse when the opposing side has a thin argument. The key: give both sides depth to the argument (a solid list of accusations and defenses that can be reasonably evaluated), have the opposition play to the common beliefs of the general public (for example, you were seen smoking marijuana, but they don’t realize it’s for medicinal purposes… Yes, I really couldn’t come up with something better than that), or make the protagonists truly believe  they were in the wrong. For the record, the above titles were the only ones I could think of that handled it well.

 #7 Over-Sexualized Women

Daughter of the Empire by Raymond E. Feist and Janny Wurts
Wizard’s First Rule by Terry Goodkind
The Legend of Eli Monpress by Rachel Aaron

Now, there’s nothing wrong with a few sexy vixen characters in a book, even if it the main protagonist is one (although, you might lose the relatability factor with some of your audience). What I object to is the overuse of sexuality and the underused of femininity for every female character in a book. I’ve read quite a few where all the women are breathtakingly attractive but have characteristics that come off as, essentially, men with boobs. What I love about the characters above is that the authors managed to find that beautiful balance between attractiveness and relatability. The result: some of the most memorable female leads in fantasy.

 Again, I want to emphasize that all the titles I’ve highlighted represent the authors that I feel handled these typical turnoffs well.

What are your book turnoffs?

Sep 30 2013
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Your Pick for Nik! – September’s Review: Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

psTitle: Poison Study

Author: Maria V. Snyder

Series: Study #1

Genre: Fantasy Romance

Rating: 4/5 stars!

The Overview: About to be executed for murder, Yelena is offered an extraordinary reprieve. She’ll eat the best meals, have rooms in the palace—and risk assassination by anyone trying to kill the Commander of Ixia.

And so Yelena chooses to become a food taster. But the chief of security, leaving nothing to chance, deliberately feeds her Butterfly’s Dust—and only by appearing for her daily antidote will she delay an agonizing death from the poison.

As Yelena tries to escape her new dilemma, disasters keep mounting. Rebels plot to seize Ixia and Yelena develops magical powers she can’t control. Her life is threatened again and choices must be made. But this time the outcomes aren’t so clear…

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The Review:

From the the very first page, I was hooked. Not only did it begin at a pivotal time in the character’s life, but it also set the stage for a story with endless possibilities for character growth and story development.

Story: My favorite part of the book has to be the ideas behind the basic storyline. Throughout the book, I especially liked how the main character was either learning news skill or showcasing ones she already had. It gave off the same “learning environment” feel you’d get from books that take place in schools (and you all know how much I love school settings). What’s more, the character learned a trade you don’t encounter often in our world – poisons! It was fascinating, and I love feeling like I learned it along with her.

What’s great about this book is that it has multi-genre appeal. The company I work for categorizes it in romance, but it could easily find a home in either the teen section (15+) or fantasy. Because of this, I feel like I could recommend it to a wide range of customers, and that always makes me happy!

Another element of story I think a lot of readers would like is the slow-building relationships and love story. They all felt incredibly organic – again leaving lots of room for growth in the future.

Character: Yelena Is a “take no crap” protagonists who speaks her mind and follows her heart. She is the type of character that’s highly likable because she represents a lot of characteristics most of us wish we had. Not only is she brave enough to stand up for her convictions, she is also incredibly smart and loyal. I love her fire and I love her spirit!

I think it’s safe to say that Yelena stole the show – she was such a strong and dynamic chick that all other characters sort of faded into the background for most of the book. The good news is, that was really only an issue for the first half of the book, and Yelena’s story was more than compelling enough to carry the story until then. Considering it’s a full trilogy, I think there are plenty of side character exploration yet to come.

Writing: Snyder did a great job organizing – revealing just enough information to tell the story and strengthen character, while leaving enough mystery shrouding Yelena’s past (and everybody else’s, for that matter) to keep me turning the pages. She also used several “hooks” at the end of each section, which often had me saying “just one more chapter…”

She also used one of my all time favorite writing tools – when two characters are forced together into small quarters by an outside influence. It creates a great atmosphere where the characters are forced to interact with one another, and it especially works well in furthering a romantic spark. The way it was done here was so subtle that I am most missed it, but it immediately got me excited for where the story could go (not that I wasn’t already hooked).

Finally, I love the voice Snyder used to tell the story. It was incredibly understated (in a good way), letting the focus reside entirely on her main character. It was highly effective at drawing me in, and I imagine it would do the same for most readers.

World Building: The world building was definitely present, but a little low key. You could tell the author has a full magic system and world developed based on everything she alluded to, but she definitely didn’t bring it to its full potential in this first book. This is the only thing that I hope to see improvement on in book two – and I honestly don’t think she’ll let me down. She has a lot of groundwork set for something really amazing.

Overall, this was a fantastic book and I’m thrilled it was chosen for book club. It had been collecting dust on my shelf for over five years and I am seriously kicking myself for not having picked it up sooner! The best news: based on the direction this one took, I am expecting the second book to be just as good, if not better!

Recommended Reading: for anyone wanting great fantasy entertainment with a slow-developing love story!

by Niki Hawkes

Other books you might like:

Discussion Time!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Yelena, hands-down. She is just one of those strong female protagonists that you wish you could be, and I love how unabashed she is when fighting for something she believes in.

What was your favorite part of the book?

The opening! it was one of the best starts to a book that I’ve ever read, and set the tone for one killer story!

Which would you rather learn: poison study, acrobatics, dueling, magic, for self-defense?

I know it was unfair adding magic to the list because who wouldn’t want to learn Magic? Obviously that’s my number one, but my number two is acrobatics – I’ve always admired gymnasts!

The questions are meant to generate conversation, so feel free to answer any or all in the comments area. If you also wrote a review for Poison Study, let me know and I will add a personalized link in this review. 

For more information on this book club feature, click here.

Sep 28 2013
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Stacking the Shelves – September Edition!

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Hosted by Tynga’s Reviews

Considering I own over 4000 books, I have a difficult time justifying the purchase of new books when there are so many unread ones on my shelves. I did the math, and if you subtract the ones I’ve already read, then divide the remaining by my average 100 books read per year, it will take me at least 35 years to read everything in my current collection. That’s not even taking into account all of the new amazing books that will come out in that timeframe (I can think of at least 20 I want in the next few months alone). Because of this, I have recently started to clear out some of the titles I know I won’t get to within the next ten years. There are so many unread series that I am excited for that I honestly haven’t missed the ones I was only casually interested in. Let the book purge begin!

Does that mean I’ve stopped purchasing books altogether? Uh, no. Not even close. I’m just a little more picky. :-)

Here’s a look at my library’s new additions:

Hardcopies:

IMG_3681E-Books:

ARCs:

The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Alienated by Melissa Landers

 Thank you Netgalley!

 There you have it – my month of splurges for September!

What books stacked your shelves this week?

Sep 27 2013
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September 2013: Review Recap!

Review Recap

 I didn’t read as many books this month as I had intended, and I can blame that entirely on my New Puppy, Rory. Fortunately, I had a lot of carryover titles from last month. Here is a look at this month’s reviews:

(click the covers to read the full reviews)

 Leviathan Wakes – 5/5 stars

Leviathan Spirit Animals: Wild Born – 4.5/5 stars

September 10, 2013

September 10, 2013

Sky Jumpers – 4/5 stars

Sky Jumpers by Peggy Edelman

Sky Jumpers by Peggy Edelman

Wrath of a Mad God – 4/5 stars

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Your Pick for Nik Book Club:

The Sharing Knife – 4/5 stars

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And my favorite read:

All Our Yesterdays – 5/5 stars

All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill

All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill

 Last month I had the lowest average ratings so far for the year, and that was mostly due to my commitment to read ARCs and other shall we say “obligation” books. This month, I remembered what it was like to read something because I genuinely wanted to – and read several amazing books as a result.

 Waiting on Wednesday Features:

Loads of great reading to look forward to! I am especially excited for the new Patricia Briggs… too bad it doesn’t come out until March.

Your Pick for Nik! Book Club Selection for October:

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 Well, that sums up my month! What books did you read?

Sep 23 2013
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Top Ten Tuesday – Top Ten Series That Got Better and Better! (9/24/2013)

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Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

This week’s top ten was supposed to be about our favorite sequels. However, I thought it would be more fun to celebrate the authors that had multiple amazing sequels, rather than just one. Therefore, I give you:

Top Ten Series That Got Better and Better!

 All of these made my list because they got progressively more amazing with each book. If I were to evaluate each of these series on the first book alone, they would earn either a three or four star rating. Take into consideration how far the story grows, however, and you’re looking at a solid 5/5 stars across the board! If you’ve started and stopped any of these series, take it from me – keep reading! :-)

What are your favorite sequels?