Tag Archives: teen books

May 3 2014
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Stacking the Shelves – April 2014 Edition!

Stacking the shelves

Hosted by Tinga’s Reviews

Considering how many books I bought last month (as seen in March’s STS) I think a serious cutback in book buying was definitely called for. I’m pleased to say that the only books I acquired this month were either purchased last month during my spend-a-thon or bought under my personal read 4, buy 1 challenge. Here’s a look at what I got: 

Hardcopies:

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Most of these I’ve already read. I’m at the point where I’m only adding the best of the best to my collection. I think all of these qualify. :)

Ebooks:

All of these I snagged for under $3.00 – killer! I’ve been hearing awesome things about both Red Rising and Archived, and who doesn’t love Robin Hobb?

Library:

Turtlebomb!!! I’ve read about half of the books I’ve borrowed (thank goodness for online renewals), and have, for the most part, enjoyed them all. My favorite read in this category was the Girl of Fire and Thorns – which you may have noticed is also in the “purchased” category… it was AWESOME!

ARCs:

Thief’s Magic by Trudi Canavan
May 29, 2014
Fool’s Assassin by Robin Hobb

Thank you Penguin Random House! Having the chance to review an early copy of The Immortal Crown is like a blogging dream come true for me. Be on the lookout for the review of it near the end of the month!

 Also, you may have noticed I’m doing a great job sticking to my new resolution to stop requesting so many titles from Netgalley and Edelweiss. I’m reserving that for the best ones – like a new Robin Hobb and a new Trudi Canavan!

So that’s it for my haul! How did YOU do this month? :)

by Niki Hawkes

May 2 2014
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DNF Review: The Eighth Day by Dianne K. Salerni

The eighth dayTitle: The Eighth Day

Author: Dianne K. Salerni

Series: The Eighth Day #1

Genre: Teen Fantasy… maybe.

Rating: DNF

The Overview: In this riveting fantasy adventure, thirteen-year-old Jax Aubrey discovers a secret eighth day with roots tracing back to Arthurian legend. Fans of Percy Jackson will devour this first book in a new series that combines exciting magic and pulse-pounding suspense. When Jax wakes up to a world without any people in it, he assumes it’s the zombie apocalypse. But when he runs into his eighteen-year-old guardian, Riley Pendare, he learns that he’s really in the eighth day—an extra day sandwiched between Wednesday and Thursday. Some people—like Jax and Riley—are Transitioners, able to live in all eight days, while others, including Evangeline, the elusive teenage girl who’s been hiding in the house next door, exist only on this special day. And there’s a reason Evangeline’s hiding. She is a descendant of the powerful wizard Merlin, and there is a group of people who wish to use her in order to destroy the normal seven-day world and all who live in it. Torn between protecting his new friend and saving the entire human race from complete destruction, Jax is faced with an impossible choice. Even with an eighth day, time is running out.

The eighth day 2

The Review:

I try not to post DNF reviews unless I think something in my reading experience might make a difference for someone else (either a positive or negative influence… pretty much whatever helps the reader out the most). In this case, I actually think a lot of people are going to enjoy this book despite my personal objections. It had an original concept, entertaining writing, and interesting characters – there were just a few things that kept me from fully appreciating it.

It started out with a really cool concept and a mildly futuristic, technological feel. The idea that time stands still for an eighth day of the week – which only a few people get to experience – was evoking, and I found myself engaged in the story right from the start. However, somewhere around 1/4 of the way through the book, the story suddenly shifted from that mildly futuristic feel to suddenly revolving around Arthurian lore… it was really bizarre. Up until that point, there was zero indication that this was where the story was heading. A few drop-in references of King Arthur and Merlin earlier on would’ve gone a long way in marrying these two very different plot ideas together (thereby preventing me from feeling totally blindsided).

I realize if I had read the overview more carefully before requesting this book, I probably could have saved myself a lot of time, as I don’t particularly enjoy reading anything Arthurian. That said, what the author did with the lore had an interesting twist, and I might have stuck with it if not for my biggest issue with the book. You see, by the time I stopped reading – about halfway through the book, the main arc (as in, the purpose of the story) was only just starting to be hinted at. Up until that point, the book had good elements, but no clear direction. I don’t ask much: just a general inkling of who the bad guy is and what danger that bad guy holds for the characters (heck, in this novel I would’ve settled for just one). I think it would’ve been really easy to incorporate early on, and might even have fixed the blindsided effect I mentioned earlier. In any case, I just got tired of waiting to find out what the book was about. As a general rule, the sooner you can bring in your main conflict, the better. I felt this book lacked a lot of organization and focus.

If you couldn’t tell, The Eighth Day didn’t work for me. Aside from the fact that I don’t care for Arthurian lore (a preference issue that probably won’t affect most readers), there were many things that sucked my enjoyment out of what could have been a really cool book – after all, it had interesting characters, a cool basic concept, and Salneri had a great writing voice… for me too many other elements fell short. The beauty of this review is that I don’t think my issues will bother many other readers. If you like Arthurian lore and don’t mind waiting until the second half of the book for the story to really start, give this one go… but don’t say I didn’t warn you. ;)

Other books you might like (better):

by Niki Hawkes

Apr 29 2014
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Coming Soon: Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas

heir of midnightTitle: Heir of Fire

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Series: Throne of Glass #3

Genre: Teen Fantasy

Release Date: September 2, 2014

The Overview: Lost and broken, Celaena Sardothien’s only thought is to avenge the savage death of her dearest friend: as the King of Adarlan’s Assassin, she is bound to serve this tyrant, but he will pay for what he did. Any hope Celaena has of destroying the king lies in answers to be found in Wendlyn. Sacrificing his future, Chaol, the Captain of the King’s Guard, has sent Celaena there to protect her, but her darkest demons lay in that same place. If she can overcome them, she will be Adarlan’s biggest threat – and his own toughest enemy. While Celaena learns of her true destiny, and the eyes of Erilea are on Wendlyn, a brutal and beastly force is preparing to take to the skies. Will Celaena find the strength not only to win her own battles, but to fight a war that could pit her loyalties to her own people against those she has grown to love? 

heir of midnight 2

Hosted by Breaking the Spine

I kind of jumped the gun on this post by including the new cover for Heir of Fire in yesterday’s TTT (Top Ten Books You Might Like If You Enjoyed Throne of Glass). What can I say? I couldn’t help myself… it’s gorgeous.

 I think most people who like YA Fantasy are waiting on Heir of Fire, and it’s not hard to see why! This series is absorbing, heart-wrenching, and an absolute blast to read. If you haven’t picked it up yet, you are missing out on one of the most promising series I’ve read in ages (start with Assassin’s Blade… you won’t regret it)! You better believe I’m devouring Heir of Fire the day it comes out.

 What book are you waiting on?

by Niki Hawkes

Apr 28 2014
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Top Ten Books You Might Like If You Enjoyed Throne of Glass – Revamped!

top ten tuesday

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Yup, I have finally jumped aboard the Sarah J. Maas fangirl train, and not a moment too soon! As high-fantasy YA novels are my favorite things EVER, I’m thrilled that Throne of Glass has had such an impact on the reading community. Most of the bloggers I follow have read it, the same holds for the many YA readers in my own community. After recommending it constantly to customers, I quickly realized that I needed to be prepared for when they came back with “Ooooooh! I loved it so much! What can I read next?” From that question was born this list:

Top Ten Eleven Books You Might Like If You Enjoyed Throne of Glass!

If you liked:

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas
Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas

You might like:

girlBook Info: Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

Genre: Teen Fantasy

Reason for Recommending: setting, story, and genre – this is my favorite book from this list. While I love reading about Celaena and think she’s a cool character, I don’t find a single thing about her relatable. Elise, however, from Girl of Fire and Thorns is exactly the kind of heroine that makes me fall in love with a book. Her relatability is what allowed me to fully immerse myself in the story, whereas ToG always seem to keep me at arms-distance. I’m not saying you will also like this one more, but there’s definitely a good chance you will enjoy it.
                                                                                                                                                                    

Grave Mercy by Robin LeFevers

Book Info: Grave Mercy by Robin LeFevers

Genre: Teen Fantasy

Reason for Recommending: story, romance, character – and assassins! Granted the main character is a lot more timid than Celaena, but progression of the story in the romance feels really similar to ToG. I haven’t read the second or third book in this series, so I can’t speak to its ongoing similarity, but I think ToG readers will definitely at least enjoy the first one.

                                                                                                                                                                     

The Midnight ThiefBook Info: Midnight Thief by Livia Blackburne

Genre: Teen Fantasy

Reason for Recommending: character, atmosphere – this book offers another kick butt heroine who shows a lot of skill in her profession (thieving) right from the start. The city she lives in and the conflicts also remind me of ToG and I thought the general atmosphere both books were incredibly similar. This one definitely takes its own unique turn, but I felt it was just as entertaining along the way.
                                                                                                                                                                     

The winner's CurseBook Info: The Winner’s Curse

Genre: Teen Fantasy

Reason for Recommending: character, genre, setting– of all the female protagonists on this list, actually view the main one in The Winner’s Curse as the most similar to Celaena, yet I can’t quite put my finger on exactly why. She’s an interesting character with a lot of strong convictions, so that might be why she resonated with ToG for me. I am really confident about the recommendability of this one to ToG fans – everyone seems to be raving about it with the same enthusiasm.
                                                                                                                                                                      

The Young Elites by Marie Lu

Book Info: Young Elites by Marie Lu

Genre: Teen Fantasy

Reason for Recommending: character, setting, and genre – the main character for this book reminds me a lot of Celaena, only she wears the scars of what she’s been through on the outside as well as the inside. There is also a real darkness to her character that mimicked some of the low points of Celaena’s journey. Add in a secret guild and magic-users and you’ve got yourself a fairly comparable novel. I really liked it.
                                                                                                                                                                      

The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas

Book Info: The Assassin’s Blade by Sarah J. Maas

Genre: Teen Fantasy

Reason for Recommending: all the things – okay, I realize how stupid it is to say “if you like this author, you should read more of this author” but not everybody takes the time to read prequels and novellas, so I have to tell you this book makes ALL THE DIFFERENCE! If you haven’t read it yet, drop everything and read it now – it turned to me from a casual admirer of the series to a ToG super fan overnight… possibly because it gave me the insight into Celaena’s character that I’d been needing.
                                                                                                                                                                       

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Book Info: Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Genre: Teen Fantasy

Reason for Recommending: genre, character, romance – this is the teen fantasy book that got me hooked on the genre. It has a wonderful adventure and a beautiful love story. I’m recommending it for ToG fans because I think they will like the main character and enjoy the journey. I don’t have any specific similarities between the two series, but chances are if you liked the genre in general you’ll enjoy this book. That being said, the third book, Bitterblue, has a TON of similarities…
                                                                                                                                                                      

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

Book Info: Poison Study by Maria Snyder

Genre: Fantasy

Reason for Recommending: character, story, pretty much everything – this is the single most similar book to ToG on my list, down to the introduction of our heroine being led from her prison and being made an offer. From there, the love story, the setting, the conflicts, and the plot all resonate with the things I loved about ToG, which is why I am highly recommending this title. If you only choose one book from my list to try, I’m most confident about this one.
                                                                                                                                                                      

The Magician's Guild by Trudi Canavan

Book Info: Magician’s Guild by Trudi Canavan

Genre: Fantasy

Reason for Recommending: setting, atmosphere – this is another one of those titles that reminded me of ToG because of the general setting and atmosphere of the story. It takes place in a school for magicians, and the castle, city, and world all reminded me of where ToG took place. I also found a resonance with the magic system, particularly the dark magic. This wouldn’t be my first recommend on the list, but if you’ve read most of the others this one will definitely help hold you over.
                                                                                                                                                                         

Medalon by Jennifer Fallon

Book Info: Medalon by Jennifer Fallon

Genre: Fantasy

Reason for Recommending: story, setting, character – I’ll admit it has been a really long time since I’ve read this book, but the overall essence of what I remember reminds me a lot of what I like in ToG, especially as the series progresses. It’s one of the books I’ve been itching to go back and reread, and now might be a great time while I’m waiting for the next ToG book to come out…
                                                                                                                                                                        

Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey

Book Info: Kushiel’s Dart by Jacqueline Carey

Genre: Fantasy

Reason for Recommending: setting, atmosphere – I’m including this book on my list because there are several parts within the story that evoked the same regal atmosphere as in ToG… And that’s kind of where the similarities end to be honest with you. This is one of my all-time favorite series, but it comes with several disclaimers – sexual content, violence, and slow pacing. Read it at your own risk…
                                                                                                                                                                        

I hope you find this list helpful and enjoy these titles as much as I did! I’ve added all of them to a shelf on my Goodreads page if you’d like to go read more about them. Happy reading! :-)

Have you read any good books similar to Throne of Glass?

by Niki Hawkes

Apr 28 2014
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Book Review: Rush by Eve Silver

RushTitle: Rush

Author: Eve Silver

Series: The Game #1

Genre: Teen Fantasy

Rating: 3/5 stars

The Overview: When Miki Jones is pulled from her life, pulled through time and space into some kind of game—her carefully controlled life spirals into chaos. In the game, she and a team of other teens are sent on missions to eliminate the Drau, terrifying and beautiful alien creatures. There are no practice runs, no training, and no way out. Miki has only the guidance of secretive but maddeningly attractive team leader Jackson Tate, who says the game isn’t really a game, that what Miki and her new teammates do now determines their survival, and the survival of every other person on this planet. She laughs. He doesn’t. And then the game takes a deadly and terrifying turn.

Rush 2

The Review:

Based on the premise of Rush – involving live-action video game battles against invading aliens – I’m actually surprised I hadn’t picked it up before now. I love competitions (I know, you guys are sick of hearing that) and have always wondered what it would be like if the contents of video games were reality. Now, if I were to pick one to bring to life, it probably wouldn’t be a scary shoot-em-up alien game because I’m a wimp, but watching others live it was super intense and exciting!

The sequences that took place in the “game” were my favorite parts of the book. It set a cool atmosphere right from the start, and the way Silver presented it really drew me me into the story. I like the framework behind how everything worked and the rules within the game. It sounded like fun… you know, provided you weren’t actually living it. I enjoyed watching Miki, an ordinary girl, draw on strength she didn’t even know she had in order to adapt and survive. I will say, as much as I enjoyed the action sequences in Rush, I have a strong suspicion the bits found in Push will be even more fascinating. I won’t ruin the plot or anything, but suffice to say Silver set things up strongly for her sequel.

One thing I’m looking forward to in the sequel is going in with more information right up front – which is something that could’ve made Rush a lot stronger. I know you need an element of discovery to keep your readers engaged, but the back-and-forth Q&A in Rush seemed like it went on forever (when you get to the last couple chapters of the book and your main character is still trying to get basic answers – who, what, when, where, why – there might be a problem). I actually think including that information early on and cutting some of the lengthy Q&A sections would have added a great deal to the plot, and perhaps solved some of my dissatisfaction with the reality sequences…

While half of the novel takes place in the game, the rest takes place in reality where teenage drama and romance unfold. I have to say, the teenage drama part was okay, but I didn’t enjoy the love story as much as I thought I would. I hate to admit that I think the problem was an instalove – the sort with no compelling reason why the main character would be drawn to a guy… unless her only criteria was “he was hot.” After the fifth or sixth time she called him an asshole (and meant it), I just couldn’t wrap my brain around why she all of a sudden thought “Ooooooh, I really want to date this guy!”

Now, of course as with any teen drama, the boy she liked was not as awful as the façade he showed the world, blah blah blah, but that doesn’t change his behavior towards Miki, and I didn’t buy in to her sudden fawning, even knowing how these things usually go. Maybe if I was more convinced of their relationship at first, the reality scenes wouldn’t have drug out quite so much, but it is what it is. There is a silver lining though – even though I couldn’t understand the initial attraction, I can definitely see what’s holding the relationship together, so I might be able to enjoy the romance in the second book a lot better.

My rant about the insalove aside (which I swear I’ve never cared about before… I guess the blogosphere is rubbing off on me), the way it was done actually fit in well with the framework of the story, and I can see why Silver presented it that way. All of the story elements worked well together and it was nice to see how one thing built off of another.

Overall, despite a bit of dissatisfaction with the love story, the action scenes were enough to make Rush an enjoyable read. The author left things off in a way that makes me doubly excited to pick up the second book, so there’s hope any issue I had will disappear in the next installment. I’m sure I could find people to recommend this too – it had enough strong points and all the negatives were preferential. It’s definitely different… I think it would be perfect for someone who likes action in books, but doesn’t want all the depressing baggage that comes along with full-blown dystopians/post-apocalyptics.

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes

Apr 22 2014
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Coming Soon: Firefight by Brandon Sanderson

firefightTitle: Firefight

Author: Brandon Sanderson

Series: Reckoners #2

Genre: Teen Fantasy

Release Date: January 8, 2015

The Overview: They told David it was impossible–that even the Reckoners had never killed a High Epic. Yet, Steelheart–invincible, immortal, unconquerable–is dead. And he died by David’s hand. Eliminating Steelheart was supposed to make life more simple. Instead, it only made David realize he has questions. Big ones. And there’s no one in Newcago who can give him the answers he needs. Babylon Restored, the old borough of Manhattan, has possibilities, though. Ruled by the mysterious High Epic, Regalia, David is sure Babylon Restored will lead him to what he needs to find. And while entering another city oppressed by a High Epic despot is a gamble, David’s willing to risk it. Because killing Steelheart left a hole in David’s heart. A hole where his thirst for vengeance once lived. Somehow, he filled that hole with another Epic–Firefight. And he’s willing to go on a quest darker, and more dangerous even, than the fight against Steelheart to find her, and to get his answers.

firefight 2

 Hosted by Breaking the Spine

 With the premise of superheroes gone bad, Steelheart could have easily been cheesy and overdone… instead, it was one of the most unique books I’ve read in a long time. I found it cheeky, action-packed, and thoroughly engaging and am practically chomping at the bit to get my hands on this sequel. Sanderson is quickly creeping up my list of favorite authors – everything I read by him is just so different and amazing… is there anything he can’t do? Who would’ve thought the man that brought us the most epic fantasy ever (Way of Kings) could also write a comic book adventure with a twist? It’s almost not fair. If you haven’t read the Sanderson yet, pick up anything – you won’t regret it. I had so much fun reading Steelheart, I can only imagine Firefight will be just as good!

What book are you waiting on?

by Niki Hawkes