Tag Archives: teen fantasy

May 14 2014
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Coming Soon: Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch

snow like ashesTitle: Snow Like Ashes

Author: Sara Raasch

Series: Snow Like Ashes #1

Genre: Teen Fantasy

Release Date: October 14, 2014

The Overview: A heartbroken girl. A fierce warrior. A hero in the making. Sixteen years ago the Kingdom of Winter was conquered and its citizens enslaved, leaving them without magic or a monarch. Now, the Winterians’ only hope for freedom is the eight survivors who managed to escape, and who have been waiting for the opportunity to steal back Winter’s magic and rebuild the kingdom ever since. Orphaned as an infant during Winter’s defeat, Meira has lived her whole life as a refugee, raised by the Winterians’ general, Sir. Training to be a warrior—and desperately in love with her best friend, and future king, Mather — she would do anything to help her kingdom rise to power again. So when scouts discover the location of the ancient locket that can restore Winter’s magic, Meira decides to go after it herself. Finally, she’s scaling towers, fighting enemy soldiers, and serving her kingdom just as she’s always dreamed she would. But the mission doesn’t go as planned, and Meira soon finds herself thrust into a world of evil magic and dangerous politics – and ultimately comes to realize that her destiny is not, never has been, her own.

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Hosted by Breaking the Spine

I’m really fired up about this book – it looks to have everything I love about high fantasy – all wrapped up in an appealing YA package. It’s supposed to be similar to Game of Thrones, and while I had some issues with that series (the details of which I’ll spare you here) I think the premise of Snow Like Ashes sounds highly interesting. If I can’t manage to get my hands on an early copy of this baby, you’d better believe I’m picking one up the day it comes out! :)

What book are you waiting on?

by Niki Hawkes

May 9 2014
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Escape Reality Book Club – May 2014’s Selection!

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Hosted by your’s truly and Charlotte at Apathy and Rhetoric

Your votes have been counted and the results are in!

May 2014′s official book club book is:

selectionTitle: The Selection

Author: Kiera Cass

The Overview: For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn’t want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she’s made for herself–and realizes that the life she’s always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

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So what happens now?

If you missed the Escaped Reality Book Club launch post, click here for more details.

Otherwise, you are all invited to join in the fun!

We will be reading The Selection throughout the rest of May and geeking out about it on our official Facebook page, followed by a meeting at Menchies Frozen Yogurt for those of you in the Southern Utah area.

This blog reaches a global audience, so not everybody will be able to make it to the meetings. Because of that, if you read the book and want to be included in the discussions, Charlotte and I will be willing to host a twitter conversation (#escaperealitybc) for anybody who shows interest (just send me a message through our Facebook group, or leave a comment).

 I hope you all enjoy the book! :-)

by Niki Hawkes

May 8 2014
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Book Review: After the End by Amy Plum

After the endTitle: After the End

Author: Amy Plum

Series: After the End #1

Genre: Teen Fantasy

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

The Overview: She’s searching for answers to her past. They’re hunting her to save their future. World War III has left the world ravaged by nuclear radiation. A lucky few escaped to the Alaskan wilderness. They’ve survived for the last thirty years by living off the land, being one with nature, and hiding from whoever else might still be out there. At least, this is what Juneau has been told her entire life. When Juneau returns from a hunting trip to discover that everyone in her clan has vanished, she sets off to find them. Leaving the boundaries of their land for the very first time, she learns something horrifying: There never was a war. Cities were never destroyed. The world is intact. Everything was a lie. Now Juneau is adrift in a modern-day world she never knew existed. But while she’s trying to find a way to rescue her friends and family, someone else is looking for her. Someone who knows the extraordinary truth about the secrets of her past.

 The Review:

Those of you who follow my blog regularly might remember that I went on a digital arc requesting spree back in January – a rather greedy decision that I’m still paying for in May. After the End was one of those titles I probably shouldn’tt have asked for, considering I hadn’t yet read anything by the author. However, I’m glad I did because it drew me in on the first page and didn’t let up until the end.

The dual POV was easily my favorite part of the book, as both Juneau and Miles brought their own flavor to the story. Juneau’s plight was interesting, and I felt intellectually drawn to her throughout the story, but Miles was the character that sold it for me. He was just so funny and I found myself thinking “just one more chapter” to see what would happen with him next. I would go so far as to say he’s one of my favorite characters read about so far this year. He was earnest and vibrant, and I love how distinct his voice was from Juneau’s.

Another thing I really liked about the story is that it took place practically in my own backyard. Not to say that the setting was in Southern Utah, but Plum described places I’ve been and highways I’ve traveled, and it made the story have an extra element of fun because I could picture them perfectly! I’ve also always been incredibly fascinated in Alaskan culture (Eskimos!), and although Juneau’s clan wasn’t indigenous, her people lived off the land and had a great connection with nature… something I’ve always admired but could never bring myself to do (maybe if the yurts had electrical outlets?). Anyway, that bond with nature provided the basis for a cool magic system, and I look forward to exploring it further with Juneau in the second book.

The only thing I didn’t enjoy about this book was the ending… the story stops in kind of an odd spot and I didn’t find it particularly climactic. As this is a series, the ending isn’t a deal breaker, but I can think of the few things that would have made it stronger. I will leave it at that to avoid spoilers. :-)

Overall, I may not have read anything else by Plum before, but I am strongly considering picking up her other series now because of how much I liked the writing style and the voice of her characters. The writing had this great effortless feel, and was a lot of fun to read. If you’re in the mood for an entertaining story that’s not quite like anything else, this would be a great pick!

Other books you might like:

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.

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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? 

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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!

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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