Tag Archives: fantasy books

Aug 30 2013
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August 2013: Review Recap / ARC August Challenge

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I read quite a few books this month, and a lot of them were ARCs for my ARC August challenge (see below). In fact, I read so many books that I didn’t have enough time in my blogging schedule to feature them all (the one’s I didn’t get to will be featured in next month’s recap).

Here’s a look at this month’s books:

(click the covers for the full review)

Spartan Frost – 1/5 stars

Spartan Frost by Jennifer Estep

Spartan Frost by Jennifer Estep

Never Fade – 4/5 stars

Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken

Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken

Zenn Scarlett – 3/5 stars

Zenn Scarlett by Christian Schoon

Zenn Scarlett by Christian Schoon

 Hexed – 4/5 stars

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Legend – 5/5 stars!

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Broken Forest – 2.5/5 stars

Broken Forest by Eliza Tilton

Broken Forest by Eliza Tilton

Countdown – 2/5 stars

Countdown by Michelle Rowen

Countdown by Michelle Rowen

And my favorite:

Dragon Keeper – 5/5 stars!

The Dragon Keeper

The Dragon Keeper

Statistically, I find this month fascinating. It has the lowest average rating so far this year, and I can’t help but think that it has something to do with the fact that I read mostly “obligation” books (Aka: books I read because I feel like I should). I made a deal with myself at the beginning of the year that I wouldn’t read anything because I felt like I had to – and you know what? It’s made for this single best year in reading I’ve ever had! The moral of the story? Don’t bog yourself down by mediocre books just because they are free. That’s not to say there aren’t some truly amazing titles available as ARCs, it just pays to be picky.

Now for the ARC August challenge recap:

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 I am super excited that Octavia at Read. Sleep. Repeat. hosted this challenge because it gave me the motivation I needed to work through all of my outstanding ARCs. I’m happy to say that of the original six I plan to read, I got through four of them… And then read four additional acquisitions to boot! I never thought I would be at this point, but I finally have my Net Galley ARCs down to just two books – and it’s going to stay that way this time (by the way, for this challenge I considered only current ARCs eligible… it’s incredibly sad how many past ones I never got to before their release dates)!

ARCs Read:

You can definitely see what kind of arcs draw my attention. The clear winner for my favorite arc read this month is: All Our Yesterdays! I haven’t officially written a review for it yet, but suffice to say it was a 5/5 star rating and one that I will be talking about for months – I loved it! Spirit Animals was a close second, and that review is also forthcoming.

by Niki Hawkes

Aug 26 2013
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Top Ten Tuesday–Top Ten Most Memorable Secondary Characters! (8/27/2013)

hhh 2 Top Ten Tuesday is a feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s topic celebrates our favorite sidekicks:

Top Ten Most Memorable Secondary Characters!

 I’ve probably chosen a few who are considered main characters, so let’s say my criteria was that they were neither the main protagonist or love interest.

#1 Dead Witch Walking – Jenx: not only is this feisty, loyal pixie in my top ten, so are all of the side characters in this book.  Kim Harrison is the queen of side characters. They are all creative, memorable, and 100% entertaining – they honestly are what tips this series from great to amazing!

#2 Darkest Minds – Chubs: if you’ve read this series, I bet you haven’t forgotten about this character. He has such a lovable personality because it stems from a place that’s both loyal and compassionate. I would recommend this book for him alone. 

#3 Harry Potter – All of Them: need I say more?

#4 Wizard’s First Rule –Cara: the mord-sith are a totally fascinating organization. Quite a bit sadistic, but it was one of my favorite moments in the series to watch one struggle to breakaway from their horrific way of life. I don’t believe Cara actually shows up until the second book…

#5 Hunger Games – Cinna: I think he was Katniss’s rock and the only person who didn’t demand anything from her. He always did his best by her and I think that’s why I love him most.

#6 Sword-Dancer – the horse: this beast was the most ornery animal, and reading about the main protagonist trying to get it to follow direction was hysterical. It’s been ten years and I still remember how funny that stupid horse was.

#7 Blood Engines – Rondeau: aside from the really cool concept surrounding this character, I thought he was an excellent counterpart to the main protagonist. This is yet another series where I enjoyed all of the side characters.

#8 Poison Study – Rosie: animals tend to make an impression on me, and no more so recently in this tiny little pig. She may not stick with me as long as some of the others on my list, but she sure deserves a shout out.

#9 Grimspace – The Ithtorian: this character was so delightfully alien that I’m not really sure how I managed to form such a fondness for him. You would think any one of the amazing human characters would’ve appealed to me more. 

 #0 Assassin’s Apprentice: The Fool: I dare say this character is my favorite on the list. After nine novels, I love this character but I’m sure there are still more things I could learn. His complexity blows my mind and I would be really sad if Hobb doesn’t bring him up again. 

Now that the list is complete, I’m realizing that several of these books are in my all time favorites… Maybe side characters are more important than I initially thought. :-) My

Who are your memorable characters? 

Aug 24 2013
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Book Review: Dragon Keeper by Robin Hobb

4703450Title: Dragon Keeper

Author: Robin Hobb

Series: Rain Wild Chronicles #1

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 5/5 stars!

The Overview: Too much time has passed since the powerful dragon Tintaglia helped the people of the Trader cities stave off an invasion of their enemies. The Traders have forgotten their promises, weary of the labor and expense of tending earthbound dragons who were hatched weak and deformed by a river turned toxic. If neglected, the creatures will rampage–or die–so it is decreed that they must move farther upriver toward Kelsingra, the mythical homeland whose location is locked deep within the dragons’ uncertain ancestral memories.

Thymara, an unschooled forest girl, and Alise, wife of an unloving and wealthy Trader, are among the disparate group entrusted with escorting the dragons to their new home. And on an extraordinary odyssey with no promise of return, many lessons will be learned–as dragons and tenders alike experience hardships, betrayals . . . and joys beyond their wildest imaginings.

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The Review:

In my eyes, Robin Hobb is the epitome of an amazing fantasy author. Every element of writing I expect from my books she always delivers brilliantly, and is easily one of my all-time favorite authors. I didn’t think she could do anything to make me love her more… until she wrote a series about dragons!

She has written about dragons before, but takes it to the next level of brilliance in this latest, amazing series: The Rain Wild Chronicles. It follows the life cycle of dragons, makes them just as important as the humanoid protagonists, and celebrates just how beautiful and shall we say unhuman they really are.

I love how well-developed Hobb’s characters are. They always feel like real people, and their flaws make them endearing. What’s great about Dragon Keeper is that she applies that same talent for character development to dragons. I found the whole thing entirely fascinating and loves how much of an active role the dragons had in the story – we even get several chapters from the dragon’s POV.

Part of the reason Hobb’s characters are so memorable is that she takes a lot of time within the story developing them to their fullest. Her novels, while not lacking in either setting, plot, or events, are strongly character-driven. A lot of times the larger scope of the story takes a backseat to the inner conflicts of her characters. I have to say, I’ve never been bored despite the slower pacing. Hobb’s works are like trickles of water running into streams – A bit narrow and unremarkable at first, but eventually growing into raging rivers that give you an exhilarating ride to the end. I have never been anything less than completely engaged, and I absolutely love that about her works.

Overall, if you are a dragon-lover like me and haven’t yet picked this up you’ll kick yourself for waiting so long when you finally do (I know I did).

Recommendations: While this series can be read as a standalone, the characters within are ones we’ve seen before. In fact, this book is the culmination of everything we’ve been working towards in a previous series. Even though dragons don’t play a huge role in the earlier novels, they are still well worth your time to read. The last book in the Tawny Man series was so profound that it was one of the main reasons why I started this blog (I’d read a phenomenal book and had no one to tell… that had to change). :-)

So, if you’d like to start from the beginning (the recommended path) consider following the order below from left to right:

by Niki Hawkes

Other books you might like: 

Dragon Champion Review

Aug 19 2013
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Your Pick for Nik! – September’s Selection!

bbbbThank you all for your votes!

60510This month’s winner is… Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder!

A thorough review and discussion for this book will take place on Monday, September 30th, so there’s plenty of time to pick it up if you want to participate. For more information on the Your Pick for Nik! book club, click here. 

If you want to participate officially, all you have to do is answer the questionnaire at the end of the book review when it posts (which will hopefully generate some awesome discussion). If you post your own review of the book, send me the URL and I will include a personalized link at the end of the review.

Here’s a look at what the book is about:

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…

Aug 13 2013
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Coming Soon: Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson

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11543195Title: Words of Radiance

Author: Brandon Sanderson

Series: The Stormlight Archive #2

Genre: Fantasy

Release Date: March 4, 2014

The Overview: In that first volume, we were introduced to the remarkable world of Roshar, a world both alien and magical, where gigantic
hurricane-like storms scour the surface every few days and life has adapted accordingly. Roshar is shared by humans and the enigmatic, humanoid Parshendi, with whom they are at war. Among those caught up in the conflict are Brightlord Dalinar Kholin, who leads the human armies; his sister Jasnah, a renowned scholar; her student Shallan, a brilliant but troubled young woman; and Kaladin, a military slave who, by the book’s end, had become the first magically endowed Knight Radiant in centuries.

In Words of Radiance their intertwined stories will continue and, as Sanderson fans have come to expect, develop in unexpected, wonderfully surprising directions. The war with the Parshendi will move into a new, dangerous phase, as Dalinar leads the human armies deep into the heart of the Shattered Plains in a bold attempt to finally end it. Shallan will come along, hoping to find the legendary, perhaps mythical, city of Urithuru, which Jasnah believes holds a secret vital to mankind’s survival on Roshar. The Parshendi take a dangerous step to strengthen themselves for the human challenge, risking the return of the fearsome Voidbringers of old. To deal with it all, Kaladin must learn to how to fulfill his new role as leader of the restored Knights Radiant, while mastering the powers of a Windrunner.

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Nik’s Notes:

Hosted by Breaking the Spine, this is a weekly feature where we have a chance to look ahead at what’s new in reading. This is the second week this month that I’ve featured a forthcoming Brandon Sanderson novel. As an aspiring novelist, he is quickly becoming one of my ultimate inspirations because not only is he prolific, but his work is of the utmost quality. You are almost guaranteed an amazing read every time you pick one up. Of all the Sanderson’s on the market, none has gotten quite so much positive feedback as The Way of Kings. It is next on my reading list and I cannot wait to see what everybody is raving about. I will most assuredly be ready for the second book in the series by January.

What book are you waiting on?

Aug 12 2013
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Top Ten Tuesday – Top Ten Favorite Books with School Settings! (8/13/2013)

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Welcome to this week’s Top Ten Tuesday – a feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Today we got to choose what kind of setting to feature. My choice: schools. Above all else, if a book features a school I am more inclined to read it (even more so than dragons, and that’s saying something). So without further ado:

Top Ten Favorite Books with School Settings!

 All of these books feature schools in one way or another, and most of them include people learning things that I will never have a chance to study in reality. Magic of all different sorts, space ship navigation, and dragonriding – to name a few. Many of these books are among my all-time favorites.

You may notice that my final choice is not a typical cover but in fact a mockup one I converted from a free stock photo online. I debated for quite a long time whether or not to include my own book on the list, but finally came to the conclusion that it’s one of my favorite school stories, despite the fact that I’m the one writing it. It combines two of my favorite subjects (dragons and schools) and is literally the story I’ve always wanted to read. I hope to produce a novel of the same caliber as the other books on my list.

What books made your list?

by Niki Hawkes

Also, don’t forget stop by and vote your favorite book in this month’s Your Pick for Nik! Book Club:

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 Remember, you can vote for up to 3 books.

May the best book win! :-)