4.5 stars Here’s a fair warning for you guys: don’t start reading Boy Nobody just before bedtime, especially if you have something important to do the...more4.5 stars Here’s a fair warning for you guys: don’t start reading Boy Nobody just before bedtime, especially if you have something important to do the next day. It will not end well, learn from my mistake. I thought I’d just read a few chapters and go to sleep, but somehow I ended up with a can of Red Bull at three in the morning, desperate to keep myself awake long enough to finish that last part.
Zadoff was very careful not to reveal our protagonist’s name for most of the book, giving him an alias only when the narrative would have suffered otherwise, and always emphasizing the fact that his name, or anything else about him, don’t matter. His alias, Benjamin, was also used sparingly in the attempt to make him seem less like a person, and more like a well-oiled machine, completely stripped of personality, a weapon you aim at any given target and wait for it to go off.
Our protagonist – I’ll call him Ben to avoid confusion although it’s not his real name - is emotionless, but not cruel; well-trained, but not bloodthirsty; competent, but not overly ambitious. The Program killed his parents and recruited him when he was no more than twelve, and his life is just mission after mission. He has no friends, no family, just two bosses (or handlers) he calls Mother and Father.
While Ben’s story is undoubtedly sad and one can understand why he made some of his choices, make no mistake – he is a killer. He is no would-be assassin; he is an agent with six successful missions behind him. He is the new boy in school who will use his training and expertise to worm his way into your life, kill your parents at first available opportunity and then disappear forever.
Zadoff’s story seems to be Young Adult by accident, not by design, by which I mean that his protagonis’s age seems to be determined by the effect it has the story, and not the publishers or the market. This means that he didn’t pull any punches: the violence in Boy Nobody is not graphic, but it's constantly present. In many ways, this is a story better suited for older, more mature readers, although there's nothing to prevent me for recommending it to younger audience as well..
I loved that the author never tried to redeem his character. He never made excuses for him, never tried to turn him into something he’s not. In that, Boy Nobody is unlike any other YA book before it. Yes, Ben asks himself questions about morality, right and wrong, love and duty, but those questions aren’t the center of this story, nor is there some life-altering lesson hidden between the lines.
Let me put it this way: try to imagine Jason Bourne in his formative years. If you like what you come up with, it means you’ll probably like Boy Nobody as well. Just make sure to start reading when you know you have time to finish it in one sitting.
4.5 stars The last two books in Julie Kagawa’s impressive bibliography – first The Lost Prince and now The Eternity Cure – show a certain level of matu...more4.5 stars The last two books in Julie Kagawa’s impressive bibliography – first The Lost Prince and now The Eternity Cure – show a certain level of maturity and self-assuredness that simply wasn’t there before. I always enjoyed her books, even those first few ones in which she relied on familiar mythology and tropes, but now that she trusts herself enough to fly solo, like has become too small a word for how I feel. In The Eternity Cure more than ever before, Kagawa kept all the fine threads tightly in control.
Things that bothered me in The Immortal Rules, like lack of backstory and worldbuilding, were neatly taken care of with Dawn of Eden, a prequel novella published in the ‘Til the World Ends anthology. Going into this sequel with the hows and whys properly explained allowed me to relax and sink into the story without the constant nagging questions rising at the back of my mind.
Our long-awaited reunion with Allison Sekemoto brings with it a few surprises. Months have passed since she left Eden behind, and while she’s getting closer to Kanin every day, she still hasn’t found him. After so many months spent in solitude, searching fruitlessly for her Sire, Allie is a somewhat different vampire. She is much stronger and far more confident, but even more importantly, she knows who and what she is, and although she suffers from occasional bursts of nostalgia, she never whines or wallows in self-pity anymore. This Allie is someone I can get behind, a person (oh, fine, a vampire) I can admire.
It’s probably why I felt so strongly about the romance this time, when it failed to touch me at all in the first book. Back then, I simply didn’t understand the attraction between her and Zeke, it seemed like something included pro forma rather than a passionate, heartfelt thing. Allie is not the only one who’s changed, matured. Zeke is hardened, different, but still the kind, gentle boy somewhere underneath. Still, this new and improved version seemed somehow more believable in those circumstances. To explain it like a vampire would: he stopped being prey and became a hunter instead.
After reading dozens of reviews, I think it’s safe to conclude that Jackal, Allie’s blood brother, is the readers’ favorite. I just love redeemed characters, but I love characters that dance on that fine line between good and bad, likeable and obnoxious, even more. Allie kept having to remind herself to hate him for what he’s done, and I had the same problem, although it’s safe to say Zeke never came near forgiving and forgetting. Jackal brought with him what the first book sorely lacked – a wonderful sense of humor. Without him, this would have been an action-packed, tense, but humorless adventure.
As much as I enjoyed my love-hate relationship with Jackal, Kanin remains my favorite. Quiet and solemn, he seemed a bit more approachable this time around, and possibly a bit warmer too, especially towards Allie. We finally learned about his past, and the revelations were timed perfectly. Instead of turning me and everyone else against him, they just made me love him even more.
The Eternity Cure is positively addictive and it took me completely by surprise. As someone who felt merely lukewarm about the first book, I didn’t expect to love it as much as I did, but I said exactly the same about The Lost Prince. I won’t make the same mistake a third time.
Once again Jennifer Armentrout managed to take a fairly simple, run-of-the-mill plot and turn it into something entirely her own. Armentrout’s greates...moreOnce again Jennifer Armentrout managed to take a fairly simple, run-of-the-mill plot and turn it into something entirely her own. Armentrout’s greatest strength is not originality of the plot, or even her characters, but rather the dialogues that flow very naturally. She is familiar with current slang and she uses it strategically, which gives her characters and extra layer of believability. Nothing they say ever seems forced, they are realistic and easily relatable.
Yes, Armentrout relies upon familiar tropes, but she turns them into a quick, enjoyable, very hot read, and sometimes, that’s really all I’m looking for. Desperate to run away from her deeply traumatic past, Avery chose a college thousands of miles away from home. She is extremely lonely, wary and mistrustful. When she (literally) runs into Cameron on her first day of class, she is determined not to let him anywhere near her. But Cam is gorgeous, sweet and above all determined. No matter how many times Avery tries to push him away, he just keeps coming back.
I honestly don’t know how someone with Avery’s past would actually behave, but the way Armentrout wrote it didn’t strike me as something out of a textbook, or worse yet, a self-help manual (Katie McGarry, I’m looking at you here!). She didn’t, perhaps, use Avery’s past to its full potential, but what she did seemed genuine to me.
All secondary characters were very well done, with the exception of Avery’s mother. Given how responsible she was for Avery’s state of mind, I would have liked to see her more nuanced, more tangible. She was no more than a constant negative presence in Avery’s life, when she could have easily been much more. With just a little more work on these details, Armentrout could have turned this enjoyable, compelling read into something even more wonderful and, more importantly, memorable.
I’m not sure which couple the sequel focuses on, but I have my hopes and I’ll keep my fingers crossed that I’m right. Whoever it may be, Cam and Avery will surely be around and I will enjoy seeing them through someone else’s eyes.
The number of urban fantasy series I still get excited about becomes smaller every year. I’ve been disappointed by authors and characters more times t...more The number of urban fantasy series I still get excited about becomes smaller every year. I’ve been disappointed by authors and characters more times than I can count, and I even flat-out refuse to speak of a series that went in an unwanted direction.( I’d totally tell you which series it is, but you know, I’m refusing to speak about it.;) I am very emotional where urban fantasy is involved and I can hold a grudge like nobody’s business. But sometimes (rarely) an author surprises me in a very different way, and that’s exactly what Cassie Alexander has done.
The Edie Spence series is right back on track and I’m happier than a bird with a french fry. My relationship with Edie Spence wasn’t always smooth and painless. She is a very lonely character, a night shift nurse with a brother addicted to heroin and very few friends. In the first book, Nightshifted, she was so easy to identify with, and while I’m sure she would never want my pity, there were times when I just couldn’t help it. The second book, Moonshifted, brought with it a different Edie, one who took loneliness to a whole new level. She was in a very bad place back then, but I didn’t appreciate how she handled it. Instead of fighting for herself, she allowed every supernatural creature in town to walk right over her and it didn’t take long for it to become very tedious.
In Shapeshifted, Edie is different yet again. Depressed, yes. Possibly lonelier than ever. But she is also determined to do something about it, to find a way to help herself and those she loves, and that’s something I can work with. I adored this new Edie, and I loved seeing her out of her element. Her job in Y4 was fun, but working with human patients while at the same time struggling with supernatural issues was even better.
Shapeshifted shows significant improvement in the romance department as well. This is the second romantic involvement for Edie since the beginning of the series, and while the romances Cassie writes are never straightforward or simple (or even sweet, for that matter), I loved that this one had time to developed, that it was born out of mutual trust and friendly affection. I’m trying to avoid mentioning the name of this love interest, but it is someone I was rooting for from the start. I think he’s the only one who really sees Edie, and he’ll probably be great for her self-esteem.
So yes, I am a huge fan of this series once again, and I hope the next book will be as exciting as this one. Can I please have it now?
Lately, I’ve been growing increasingly tired of all the apocalypse scenarios we’re being bombarded with. Getting me to read one without whining too ha...moreLately, I’ve been growing increasingly tired of all the apocalypse scenarios we’re being bombarded with. Getting me to read one without whining too hard is no small feat, my friends. But even though Monument 14 has been getting some very mixed reviews, I felt weirdly drawn to it from the start and surprisingly enough, ended up enjoying it. We’ll call this intuition, although dumb luck might be more accurate.
Emmy Laybourne’s version of the apocalypse is what makes Monument 14 work. None of it is too hard to imagine: the chemical disaster, weather gone mad, people affected according to their blood type, child predators using the opportunity to do their absolute worst. Really, this could all happen tomorrow! When Dean and Alex woke up that morning, they didn’t even dream that they wouldn’t be coming home that day, that there would be no home to come back to. Who could have predicted that they wouldn't be going to school at all, but that they would end up in a superstore with twelve other terrified kids and with raging weather outside.
In such claustrophobic environment, characters become extremely important. Worldbuilding itself, while convincing and terrifying, didn’t do much to show Laybourne’s skill. Characters, on the other hand, showed how great a writer she is, despite this being her debut. She did more than just flesh out Dean and Alex, she breathed life into all 14 of her characters equally. Each name came with a complete person with opinions, backgrounds, traumas, and more importantly, coping mechanisms. We get a clear picture of each of them, even though we only see them trough Dean’s eyes.
Each of these kids reacts differently and Laybourne is an excellent psychologists. Everything her characters did made perfect sense in those circumstances, and she showed rather excellently how people deal with grief and fear in so many different ways. Some kids fight to be in charge and organize the others to increase their chances of survival, while the others raid the pharmacy for prescription drugs. Some even attempt to do both. Adding the smaller kids into the mix was a risky, but extremely smart move. It was them, or the need to take care of them, that kept the older ones from losing it.
For the most part, our Dean is no hero. He is not one of the popular kids, he is not smart like his younger brother, he has no talent for sports and his people skills need work. But there was something about his sardonic voice I found very easy to identify with and while he kept doing stupid and embarrassing things, I couldn’t help but sympathize. His thoughts and comments were often unintentionally hilarious, which only made me like him even more.
The almost-cliffhanger Laybourne left us with didn’t bother me as much as these things usually do. There was at least some closure, not an ending, but a new beginning, a change in the circumstances that promises a brilliant and thrilling sequel.
4.5 stars I’ll start with this: Gameboard of the Gods is a definite step up for Richelle Mead. It is her most ambitious project in terms of worldbuildi...more4.5 stars I’ll start with this: Gameboard of the Gods is a definite step up for Richelle Mead. It is her most ambitious project in terms of worldbuilding and structure, though perhaps not the plot.
Mead’s futuristic world is divided between two great forces: RUNA (Republic of the United North America) and EA (Eastern Alliance). Everything else are the provinces, barbaric in comparison, technologically and culturally inferior. Mead envisioned a world in which religion is considered to be a true danger for the society. It is tightly controlled by people called the servitors, one of them our Dr. Justin March. The RUNA is a glorious country, a place where people can feel safe and protected, guarded by a powerful military force. It is not a dystopian setting; if anything, it’s closer to utopia, based on the Greco-Roman social structure.
The RUNA held three things responsible for the Decline: biological manipulation, religion, and cultural separatism. All of the early genetic mixing had gone a long way to stamp out group solidarity, and the loose Greco-Roman models the country had adopted provided a new, all-encompassing culture that everyone could be a part of.
The worldbuilding is of the sink-or-swim variety, fascinating and in many ways almost visionary, but a bit overwhelming at times. Mead is an expert at showing rather than telling, but perhaps she took it too far at times. Her world doesn’t lack structure; the lines are very clear and there’s an abundance of details, but some (admittedly smaller) parts I simply failed to understand.
I mentioned at the beginning that there were some minor problems with the plot. A murder investigation is at the center of the plot, but it takes a back seat to character development and the paranormal element. The murder mystery itself is painfully neglected throughout the novel, serving mostly as a reason for the two main characters to work together.
The paranormal element is very present – this is Richelle Mead we’re talking about, but it’s always hidden beneath the surface, dampened somehow and rarely talked about. The RUNA is not a great place to discuss such matters, but both Justin and Mae, our two protagonists, are undeniably tied to something otherworldly.
Aside from being brilliant, Dr. Justin March drinks a lot, takes all the drugs he can get his hands on, sleeps with a different woman every night, and is generally a poor (albeit handsome and charming) excuse for a human being. Mae Koskinen is no prize either. A genetically altered elite soldier, a castal girl of pure Nordic descent, desperately afraid of any kind of commitment, haughty and often overcome by a darkness that brings out her violent side. The two have nothing in common, except for the loneliness their superiority brings with it.
The two start by sleeping together under wrong assumptions and their relationship goes downhill from there. They are forced to work together on a string of cult-related murders, Justin as a brilliant investigator returned from exile for that very purpose, and Mae as his unstoppable bodyguard. If you expect a breathtaking romance from Justin and Mae, you might end up disappointed. There is a lot of delicious sexual tension between them, but the night of their first encounter is always a looming obstacle. Besides, being with Mae means a life-long servitude to an unknown god for Justin, and he is not one for blind obedience to anyone, not even a deity.
Mead could never be accused of lack of imagination, but with Gameboard of the Gods, she outdid herself in more ways than one, and for the most part, she held a tight control over all the bits and pieces. It was only at moments that the worldbuilding became too big for her and confusing for the reader. There is nothing more important to me than character development, and Mead’s thorough approach to it left me in awe. While Gameboard of the Gods could prove to be a bit challenging for less patient readers, it was a great read according to my taste and a promising start to an exciting new series.
First, a quick note: How to Lead a Life of Crime is among the most violent young adult novels I’ve ever read. If you enjoyed I Hunt Killers, for examp...moreFirst, a quick note: How to Lead a Life of Crime is among the most violent young adult novels I’ve ever read. If you enjoyed I Hunt Killers, for example, you’re likely to enjoy this too, but if the thought of YA books that contain murder, corporate crime, illegal drug trials, teenage prostitution, implied rape and even a severed head bothers you, then this is not a book for you.
Flick’s is one of the clearest voices I’ve come across in YA. He grabs your attention right from the first page and he never lets go. He is instantly likeable, despite being a small-time thief. Flick cares about two things in life: avenging his younger brother (which entails destroying their father, the murderer) and Joi, a girl he met on the streets. Because he loves Joi, he considers her his great weakness and knows he’ll have to abandon her as soon as he’s strong enough to confront his father. Flick is not your typical street kid; his family is obscenely rich, but Flick sees surviving on the streets as a way to toughen up enough to face the man who abused him all his life.
I never set out to be a thief. I suppose I once had something grander in mind. But when you live on the streets, you find out that your career options are limited. You can be one of the kids who disappear with the strangers who cruise cruise through every night. You can sell the stuff that helps those kids forget what they’ve seen. Or you can be a thief. If those choices don’t suit you, you can always be dead.
Once Flick agrees to go to Mandel Academy, hoping to find evidence against his father, he realizes it’s nothing like he expected. The school is full of kids with colorful pasts and nowhere else to go. Some of them are hackers, some skilled thieves, some are drug dealers and prostitutes and some are even serial killers. Most of them aren’t poor misunderstood individuals, no matter what we’d like to believe. They are cruel, they’re vicious and they’d do anything to survive. Mandel Academy breeds psychopaths and sociopaths and prepares them to be world leaders.
In the second part of How to Lead a Life of Crime, Miller strayed into more implausible territory, and the further she took things, the less enthusiastic I became. The plot suddenly became too big, far too over the top and while it was still bloody and wildly interesting, it paled in comparison to the realistic grittiness of the first half. Some of Flick’s outrageous confidence was also lost somewhere along the line, which meant that he wasn’t nearly as funny (or as endearing) as he was at the beginning.
If there’s one thing in this book I object to, it’s the censorship of swear words spoken by the characters, and somehow I don’t think it was the author’s choice. I am firmly against using asterisks or anything similar in their place. That’s not to say that I advocate excessive profanity in YA, but there are times when it’s expected. In this book, all the teens come straight from the streets. They are ex drug dealers, thieves and prostitutes. They will use swear words on occasion or they wouldn’t be very realistic, would they? What are we protecting our teens from, exactly? And can we really write something they haven’t already seen? If we replace every F-bomb with f---, what message are we sending, especially in this context? That severed heads are fine, but fuck isn’t?! I think that’s ridiculous and maybe a little bit sad.
I’d have preferred it if this book remained as realistic and unsettling as it was in those first one hundred pages, but even with the turn it took later on, it was a read I won’t easily forget.
My poor, POOR Ben. The first part of Undone focuses on Ben’s life before Janelle. We see where he came from and how, and it all helps explain his unfl...moreMy poor, POOR Ben. The first part of Undone focuses on Ben’s life before Janelle. We see where he came from and how, and it all helps explain his unflinching loyalty to his two best friends, Eli and Reid. Ben spent so many years admiring Janelle from afar, but even though he admitted as much in Unraveling, I never quite understood the importance of it until now. It was charming and a bit heartbreaking to learn how many times he wanted to approach her, talk to her, but could never quite gather the courage to do it.
In the second part, which is also the shortest, we see some of the most important events from Unraveling through Ben’s eyes. His decision to save Janelle’s life carries far more weight now that I know all about the risks it brought with it. For Ben, Janelle shines like a comet, she’s as untouchable and perfect as a goddess.
Third part is the longest and it shows Ben’s life after Unraveling. Going back to his old life wasn’t nearly as easy as he’d hoped – by the time he and Eli made it back, there wasn’t much left to find. Neither Ben nor Eli really belong there anymore, but just as they start to talk about leaving once more, something happens to change their plans.
I’m not quite sure whether I should recommend reading Undone before or after Unbreakable (honestly, I’m leaning toward after), but I definitely recommend reading it. It will give you a very clear idea of Ben’s life before and after Janelle, but even more importantly, seeing Janelle through Ben’s loving eyes will make the intensity of his emotions somewhat easier to understand.
Jessica McClain is the only female werewolf in existence. She is also the strongest, fastest and most powerful among werewolves. Not even her father,...moreJessica McClain is the only female werewolf in existence. She is also the strongest, fastest and most powerful among werewolves. Not even her father, the strongest Alpha, can force her to obey him if she doesn’t do it willingly. Her first change was met with hostility and anger since it was prophesied that a female werewolf would destroy their entire race. According to a different prophecy, she'll be the one to bring ballance to the entire supernatural community.
But Jessica doesn’t want to rule the werewolves or bring balance to the supernatural world, no matter what the prophecies say. In truth, she just wants to be left alone to run her small PI business, but it simply isn’t in the cards. In Hot Blooded, her pack found itself in the middle of a war, and Jessica had to abandon them all to save her mate from an evil goddess bent on revenge.
In the first book, worldbuilding was a bit neglected in favor of character development, but in Hot Blooded, Carlson more than made up for it. The second part was especially interesting in that regard – Jessica and her friends had to fight all kinds of mythological creatures to get to Rourke, each of them more fascinating than the last.
Hot Blooded is full of heart-pounding action. To save her mate from the evil goddess Selene, Jessica has to fight her way through a forest full of traps from the underworld, but she’s more than up to the task. She’s not just incredibly strong and resistant to hostile magic, she is also quick witted and kind, always ready to risk her life to save someone else. Carlson found a perfect balance for her main character – she made her stubborn and strong, but also compassionate and thoughtful.
Unfortunately, romance is where Hot Blooded fell a tiny bit short. In Full Blooded, Jessica and Rourke discovered their mating bond, but before they had a chance to talk about it, let alone do something more than that, Rourke was taken and Jessica forced to move heaven and earth to save him. He ended up being absent through most of this book, and while I adored both he and Jessica separately, I simply wasn’t invested in their romance as much as I should have been. Hopefully, that will change in Cold Blooded. Carlson is a skilled enough author to make me forget all about it and I already think Rourke is perfect for Jess. I just need to see how well they work together.
Carlson’s secondary characters are extraordinary. I am emotionally attached to every one of them, especially Tyler and Danny. She really took the time to flesh out Jessica's entire inner circle. Her take on vampires was also very enjoyable. While it wasn’t the most original, she at least made their rules fascinating to read about.
I honestly think every urban fantasy fan should give this series a chance, and even those who don’t read much UF would probably find it very easy to read.
4.5 stars I knew it! I knew I should follow my instincts and stay far, far away from this book, but as usual, I let you people convince me with your wo...more4.5 stars I knew it! I knew I should follow my instincts and stay far, far away from this book, but as usual, I let you people convince me with your wonderful reviews and look where it got me! I am heartbroken and depressed. And I ate more ice cream than one person should in a lifetime. I hope you’re happy with yourselves.
If you find me, take me home, I’d written.
The story that poured out of Emily Murdoch and onto these pages is extraordinary in many ways, but above all, in that it defies analysis and predictions of any kind. It both is and isn’t what you’d expect, and comparing it to other books, other stories, seems unfair and unnecessary. This white star stands on its own.
However, some minor comparisons can’t be helped. I’ve read many stories about abused children in the past, but very few of them had voices as strong as Carey’s. Murdoch showed that not all traumatized kids act out. Some of them go to the other extreme – they behave respectfully, responsibly, always polite, always tiptoeing around those who make them feel safe, hoping to be allowed to stay where life doesn’t seem so bad.
The poor grammar served to strengthen the authenticity of Carey’s voice, but she didn’t need it, not really. She was as clear as bell from the very first sentence, her heart and her thoughts clearly on display for all of us to see. Instead of making her seem detached, her matter-of-fact narration only emphasized her hurt tenfold. She had every right to be angry, to rage and scream at the injustice, and I kept expecting her to do so, at least once, but she never did. She is very accepting of her past and her present both, always trying to make the best of things.
That’s not to say that I didn’t appreciate Murdoch’s excellent writing. I can only assume that playing with language while telling a story like Carey’s wasn’t easy, but she did elegantly. She was consistent in language, and it often reflected Carey’s state of mind, which is quite extraordinary, if you think about it. She did it subtly, making Carey’s grammar more polished when she felt secure (or wanted to protect herself by slipping into a different persona, in a way), and more deteriorated when she was, physically or mentally, closer to her camper in the Hundred Acre Woods.
Everything about Carey’s family seemed warm and inviting, so of course she had a hard time believing it to be real. She’s never had anyone taking care of her; she was the caregiver from the day her sister Nessa was born. Even allowing someone else to take care of Jenessa is hard, but Carey always does what’s best for her sister, and having a family and a warm home is exactly that.
Even if somehow If You Find Me doesn’t get all the literary awards it deserves, I’ll always picture this cover covered in medals. But I’m hoping for the William C. Morris award at the very least, and I’ve been right about these things before, you know. So even though I complained about my persuasive fellow bloggers at the beginning of this review, I am really very grateful. Some books you read for entertainment, and some because they make you a better person. If You Find Me is of the latter variety.
In my review of The Immortal Rules, I complained rather loudly about the lack of backstory and the incomplete wo...moreDawn of Eden by Julie Kagawa - 4 stars
In my review of The Immortal Rules, I complained rather loudly about the lack of backstory and the incomplete worldbuilding. With Dawn of Eden, Kagawa elegantly took care of that little problem and gave us a story that is informative (a foundation for this series, I’d say), at times terrifying, but also very human and warm.
Although it describes the apocalypse, Dawn of Eden has a strong underlying message of hope that cannot be ignored. Some of the horrors portrayed are difficult to stomach, and I don’t say this lightly. I’ve read my fair share of horror, but a scene or two in Dawn of Eden made me uncomfortable at the very least. On the other hand, love can be born in such awful circumstances, and that’s what Kagawa decided to show us.
I find it most interesting that this series puts Kanin front and center, even though he appears very briefly. I feel it’s reasonable to assume that he’ll be the one to find some solution in the future. Since he’s my favorite character, I’m very much looking forward to seeing more of him.
Thistle & Thorne by Ann Aguirre - 5 stars
It took no more than a few seconds for me to find myself completely immersed in this world. It’s amazing how Aguirre establishes her world building and her heroine’s voice in no more than two pages. Her world solidifies around you so quickly that you become captivated before you fully realize what’s going on. I’ve experienced this so many times now, but I never get tired of it.
Thistle and Thorne is begging to be a full-length novel. Now that I’ve caught a glimpse of this world, and especially the characters, there’s nothing I’d love more than to see it turned into a series. I’m quite willing to beg and bribe, if necessary.
The ending was perfect – it was both entirely satisfying and open enough to leave me hopeful and excited about things to come. The world Aguirre created has an enormous potential and I’m confident she’ll make the best of it. She always does.
Sun Storm by Karen Duvall - 3 stars
Sun Storm is a well-written and well-paced story, although it certainly isn’t without issues, especially in the romance department. I’m not a fan of couples that are drawn together by some supernatural force or that are get together in a situation where they have no other options because I feel it makes their love both unconvincing and less valuable. Some authors find a way to make it work regardless (Tahereh Mafi is an excellent example), but Karen Duvall is not among them, at least not in this case. Sarah and Ian were drawn to each other because of their abilities, they complemented each other perfectly. That left me wondering about the nature of their (rather sudden) attraction for each other. As hard as I tried, I just didn’t believe their feelings were genuine.
Sun Storm may be the weakest link in this anthology, but it’s still a decent enough tale. The worldbuilding alone is interesting and thought-provoking enough to make this story well worth your time.
Some books should be sold with a companion novel, a cheerful, nonsensical one people would read immediately after the main story to lighten up their souls. If there was ever a book that left me in urgent need of some cheering up (and a cup of spicy hot chocolate), it’s this one. But would I change a single thing about it? Not in a million years!
There are some things most people would rather not think about. I dare say Spanish flu is one of them. It’s a nasty scar in human history, and October 1918 possibly the worst month humankind has ever endured. Not only was the world desperate and exhausted by the First World War, but far worse was the second wave of influenza that killed anywhere between 50 and 100 million people.
This is the month Cat Winters chose to write about, and she did so with the surety of a seasoned author (I still can’t believe that this is her debut) and a thorough research behind her. In the Shadow of Blackbirds is a story built on the contrast between a young, innocent love and the war that tried (and succeeded) to steal that innocence away. Everywhere Mary Shelley turned, she saw nothing but ugliness and death. In her world, human warmth and compassion disappeared behind fear and mistrust. The gauze masks people wore to protect themselves from the flu are very symbolic of the period, and of the terror and distance between people.
”Oh, you silly, naive men.” I shook my weary head and genuinely pitied their ignorance. “You’ve clearly never been a sixteen-year-old girl in the fall of 1918.”*
Through it all, Mary Shelley Black is practically alone. Her father is in prison, accused of being a traitor, her 26-year-old aunt is superstitious and unsupportive, and her young boyfriend Stephen died in a battlefield in France. As a very unconventional girl who enjoys taking things apart to see how they work, Shell is quite used to a lonely life, but at least before she always had Stephen to talk to. He was the only one who ever appreciated and even admired her eccentricities.
When Stephen's spirit starts showing up next to Mary Shelley in photographs taken by his opportunistic half-brother, Mary has to consider the possibility that he isn’t resting peacefully and investigate the circumstances of his death. In this book, the brutally realistic and the paranormal collide, and the reader is never quite sure how much of it is truth, and how much is the product of overactive imagination (actually, the words ‘group delusion’ and ‘mass hysteria’ come to mind).
I’ve never given much thought to the things people hold on to in difficult times to alleviate their fear, but the sudden (renewed) popularity of spiritualism during World War I makes perfect sense, as do the folk remedies people resorted to to protect themselves from the flu. It’s very easy for us to be judgmental and ridicule people who stuffed salt up their nose, but in October 1918, I’m not sure I wouldn’t have done the same.
I don’t need to be a clairvoyant to see the future that lies ahead of Cat Winters and her debut: awards, critical acclaim, translations to more languages than I can name (I’m a linguist, I can name a lot of languages). If you squint at the cover, you can already see the shiny William C. Morris medal in the top left corner, possibly even a Printz. I’ll keep my fingers crossed.
4.5 stars I am, first and foremost, an urban fantasy reader. On the secluded island that is my mind, a new series as good as The Others is more rare an...more4.5 stars I am, first and foremost, an urban fantasy reader. On the secluded island that is my mind, a new series as good as The Others is more rare and more coveted than a fresh batch of blueberry muffins. And I do love my blueberry muffins. It should be mentioned that Written in Red leans more towards the fantasy part of urban fantasy. In fact, if we take the strictest definition, it’s not urban fantasy at all. But it’s a thin line, and Bishop’s world so unique that I see no point in making the distinction.
In Written in Red, we familiarize ourselves with Thasia and its inhabitants. In Thasia, Others live in compounds where they govern themselves. Human laws don’t apply. Their contact with humans is extremely limited, which is for the best. Any human who breaks a law of the Others ends up eaten or worse. Humans (or monkeys, as the terra indigene call them) have access to a few stores and restaurants, but they aren’t allowed to go anywhere near the residential complexes where the Wolfguards, Hawkguards, Crowguards, Sanguinati and other clans live.
The terra indigene are not human. They are supernatural creatures that acquired human skin because it suited them for some reason. If visitors to the courtyard expect them to react and behave like humans, they are most likely to get eaten. The Others don’t advertise the fact that they all eat special meat, but they don’t try too hard to hide it either. To them, humans are monkeys, and they only tolerate them because there are certain human inventions and products they enjoy.
“But what would they have said to their Liaison? It’s like this, Meg. We didn’t like that Asia Crane, so we ate her. When dealing with humans, honesty isn’t always the best policy, Vlad thought”
Meg Corbin, a blood prophet and the courtyard’s human liaison, is not your typical urban fantasy heroine. She is physically weak from being imprisoned all her life and her knowledge and social skills come from carefully selected photographs and video clips. Until she escaped, she wasn’t allowed to talk unless she was speaking a prophecy. But despite her obvious weaknesses, there is a certain strength in her quiet, persistent ways, a steel spine in her small, fragile body. And unlike all the other humans, she doesn’t smell like prey.
The narrator’s voice has a very pleasant timbre and her voice characterization is excellent. Simon Wolfguard is a true alpha male if there ever was one (notice how I wrote male but not man!), and getting his voice just right was no small feat, yet Harris gave him just the right amount of growl and menace without making it seem like she was trying too hard. 18 hours is a very long time to spend listening to a single person, but Harris made it very easy. In the future, I won’t hesitate to pick up any audiobook she narrated.
I can’t believe I have to wait a whole year for Murder of Crows to come out. Just thinking about it is painful. But I do know I’ll wait for the audio, if they keep the same narrator. This is another book I can already add to my ‘Best of 2013’ list.
Long live Amy Tintera! That was the thought that was going through my head as I was reading the last few sentences of her debut. While by no means per...moreLong live Amy Tintera! That was the thought that was going through my head as I was reading the last few sentences of her debut. While by no means perfect, Reboot is an absolute delight. Why? There are several reasons, really, the most important (in my opinion) being that it brings a breath of originality into an oversaturated genre.
The idea of Reboots’ value being measured by the number of minutes it took them to revive was truly fascinating. The longer they’re dead, the less emotional they become afterwards, and when you’re a soldier, less emotions means less danger of breaking. Wren is a legend among Reboots because it took her 178 minutes to revive. Other Reboots and especially humans see her as a machine. When Callum shows up, he is her exact opposite, physically weak and emotional after being only 22 minutes dead and with most of his humanity preserved. Somehow, he gets under her skin and when the time comes to eliminate him, Wren can’t let that happen.
The worldbuilding is quite possibly what Tintera does best. A part of it seems to be inspired by favelas, and the author makes it very easy to visualize. The amount of mistrust between humans and reboots is suffocating, and combined with the poverty and fear of disease, it’s almost overwhelming.
It’s true that once you take the time to process it, Reboot loses some of its shine, but not nearly enough to make that initial delight fade completely. The complete emotional shutdown Wren experienced when she rebooted could have been used better. She got over it too quickly when she met Callum, and since it was supposed to be a consequence of being dead for so long (in other words, brain damage), it seemed a bit unrealistic that a cute boy would cure her in a matter of days.
If worldbuilding was this books strong point, the romance was its weakness. The change in Wren happened far too quickly and their connection smelled too strongly of instalove. In the first few chapters, she was portrayed as someone who feels absolutely nothing: no fear, no remorse, no pain, and certainly no love. But it took no more than two smiles from Callum to completely change her behavior. It’s true that some of her coldness remained, but the change was still too pronounced.
Nevertheless, Reboot is a debut worthy of the hype. The pacing is excellent – Tintera doesn’t allow her readers to get bored even for a second. This story has so much potential and I think I have every reason to be optimistic about the second installment.
The Rules for Disappearing is a book for those who are prepared to put logic aside, a least for a little while. It is comparable to an action movie, a...moreThe Rules for Disappearing is a book for those who are prepared to put logic aside, a least for a little while. It is comparable to an action movie, albeit one with solid characterization. It is captivating and very impressive in some ways, but if you expect it to be realistic and to always make sense, you might end up disappointed.
Meg and her younger sister Mary have been through so many witness protection placements that they don’t want to choose their own names anymore. Their parents are taking it even harder; their father is absentminded and generally unhelpful and their mother, a former cocktail party queen, is drunk around the clock. Meg and Mary are not the girls’ real names, of course, but they’re never allowed to use their own, not even among themselves. That is just one of the many rules they have to live by if they want to stay alive.
The suits, which is their name for the US Marshalls, are a constant looming presence in their lives. They can show up anytime, even in the middle of the night, and take them all to a new country with new names and a new life.
RULES FOR DISAPPEARING BY WITNESS PROTECTION PRISONER #18A7R04M: Don’t fall into a routine. Shake things up. Doing the same thing over and over makes you feel comfortable. And feeling comfortable is bad.
The first part of this book was utterly captivating. It focused on Meg and Mary’s internal struggles, their psychological traumas and their family issues. Meg had pretty much become apathetic, and Mary nearly catatonic, with occasional hysterical outburst, usually caused by men in suits. The second part, however, was where it all went wrong. As soon as Elston stopped focusing on the girls and started focusing on the reason for their placement in the Witness Protection, the story became far too unbelievable. I kept expecting Bruce Willis to pop out like jack-in-a-box, with a semi-automatic in hand and proclaim that he’s there to kill the bad guys and save them all. (No such luck, though.)
There’s also the small matter of Meg’s boyfriend Ethan. As much as I liked him as a character (and believe you me, he had some pretty adorable traits), him getting involved in this huge, dangerous mess for a girl he barely even knew just didn’t make sense. I couldn’t relax and enjoy their romance because my brain kept screaming ‘no one would do that, no one would do that, there’s no way in hell that a sane person would ever do that!’
I can easily imagine The Rules for Disappearing being turned into a movie, especially the second half (which is why I enjoyed the first much more). It is very tightly paced and dynamic. Although it had its problems, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it as a quick, exciting read.
There’s only a handful of authors whose insightfulness I admire as much as I admire Sarah Skilton right now, most of them Australian. At first, my rating was 4.5 stars, but then I decided that such profound understanding of human psyche combined with really excellent writing deserves more. So I gave it a five, which is something I rarely do. And I don’t regret it.
Control and power are such interesting things. We all crave them, some more, some less, and none of us like to feel helpless or weak. But feeling powerful and in control can be a double-edged sword. That wonderful feeling easily turns into something horrible the second someone stronger comes along. We all want to believe that we can defend ourselves, that nothing big can harm us. Those things happen to other people, right?
But what if you spend years preparing for exactly one such event? Countless hours of training to protect not just yourself, but those who are weaker, powerless? And what if, when the time comes, you fail? I doubt an adult would be able to handle that very well. A sixteen-year-old girl? She’s likely to get angry, violent and depressed, and not in neat little stages, but all at once. She’s likely to crack.
Imogen spent six years living and breathing Tae Kwan Do. She followed all the rules, inside and outside the dojang. She trained hard, ate healthy and studied a lot for her average grades. She was confident that she could face any situation, confront any bully, fend off any attack, all thanks to her rigorous training. What she didn’t count on was a gun.
This story about Imogen’s struggle with guilt, depression, and the need to prove to everyone that she IS capable of defending herself, is one of the most heartbreaking things I’ve ever read. Skilton’s approach is brutally honest and realistic, and she’s not in the business of creating heroes. Imogen wasn’t always the easiest character to like, but even when she was being unfair or judgmental, I could feel the hurt pouring off her, and I desperately wanted to protect her even though she doesn’t need anyone’s protection.
The most wonderful thing about Bruised are its layers. As the story progresses, more of Imogen’s family issues are revealed, and we see it’s not just the event in the diner she struggles with, but also problems that were there before. She’s angry at her father for ignoring his diabetes and ending up in a wheelchair, she’s upset with her older brother for outshining her in everything, but most of all, she resents her mother for not accepting her for who she is.
There is no magic wand Imogen can wave to make her problems disappear. Depression and anger aren’t things one can just decide to recover from overnight. Bruised isn’t some miraculous story about self discovery. It’s about a girl forced to question everything she stands for and maybe become a better person in the process.
If you’re a contemporary fan, Bruised is an absolute must-read. If you’re not… well, neither am I, but the best things in life come from unexpected directions. I know not everyone will love this book as much as I did, but it will definitely leave an impression. It’s not one you’ll easily forget.
I honestly never thought I’d say this, but Frost is even better than Mist. The stakes are higher, the romance is more intense (although still appropri...moreI honestly never thought I’d say this, but Frost is even better than Mist. The stakes are higher, the romance is more intense (although still appropriate for MG readers), and the action is far more exciting.
After spending two months far north, trying to open the iron camps and release their elders, Evan had to return to help the other Elven children, but he is not the lighthearted boy he once was. Watching his parents and hundreds of other Elven waste away in the iron camps changed him, made him mistrustful of all humans, including Nell. During those two months, Nell tried to go back to her usual, everyday life, but a part of her remained with the Elven and especially with Evan. When Star comes to her for help, terrified and panicky, Nell is ready to do anything to save Evan’s world.
She saw shadows start to move on his face, like last time when he’d told her about his family in the iron camp. This time, as he’d told her how cold they’d become, and how they’d walked for days, hardly sleeping, snow formed on his eyelashes and frost on his face.
The harps that are keeping the Elven world alive are slowly going quiet. Without them, there will be no more forest behind the mist, no place the Elven kids can call their own. They would be forced to come to the human world, where they would surely be hunted down by the Watchers and forced into iron camps. There are no adults they can turn to, only Nell and Evan.
This time, the sweetest almost-couple had more than just prejudice and fear to fight – they had to join forces against the cold-hearted ice Elven. A brother and a sister, Loki and Laki, showed up in Nell’s little town and turned Nell’s older sister and her friends into mindless servants. While immune to their powers, Nell was still desperate to protect her sister Gwen.
In Frost, the world around Evan and Nell expanded even more and Kathryn James was really able to let her imagination run wild. When she combined that with her beautiful writing, what resulted was a book that was rich and magical, gentle and more satisfying than any fairy tale.
Nell was even more fierce and daring in this book, and rightfully so. She did achieve the impossible last time after all. Evan, while wounded and traumatized, still kept showing his sweet side, especially around Nell.
All the loose ends were tied in Frost so I don’t think there’ll be another book, but I can hope, right? For someone who doesn’t even read Middle Grade, I’m enjoying this series more than I can put into words.
4.5 stars ... And wow! It’s no secret that I didn’t much care for Night School. While I thought there was nothing wrong with it technically, it just di...more4.5 stars ... And wow! It’s no secret that I didn’t much care for Night School. While I thought there was nothing wrong with it technically, it just didn’t leave much of an impression. But I’ve been known to change my mind before, and I’ve changed my mind this time. Everything C.J. Daugherty failed to do with Night School, she did with Legacy, and then some. The characters were more memorable, the plot was absolutely thrilling, and even the love triangle wasn’t as obnoxious as last time. Quite the contrary, in fact.
Before all else, I feel the need to say more about this formerly obnoxious love triangle. I have never in my entire life switched teams mid series, not once, but I suppose there’s a first time for everything. Daugherty expertly manipulated me into liking Carter a lot less, and liking Sylvain infinitely more, and yet I never felt manipulated at all. Other authors have tried, I assure you, it just never worked before. So mark this day on your calendars because I’m about to write something I doubt I’ve ever written before: this love triangle works! Every time Allie changed her mind, I changed mine too, and every time she was confused, I was right there alongside her. I obviously have a favorite now, but she’s already pushed me into changing my mind once, she could just as easily do it again. Brava, Ms. Daugherty. Well done.
Daugherty showed her ability to successfully transform her characters through more than just Sylvain. Jo was a different person altogether – wounded, insecure and vulnerable after everything she’s been through, but more composed and reliable as well. Some new characters were introduced, and I found them all very interesting, especially Rachel’s father Raj Patel and Sylvain’s friend Nicole. Old enemies were still there, but as soon as the truth about Allie’s family came to light, some new ones showed up as well.
Just the other day I was sitting here, chatting with a friend and shamelessly making fun of boarding school books (with a few exceptions, of course), and now I am forced to eat my words. Or just add Night School to that very short list of exceptions. I adore Cimmeria Academy. I adore the idea behind it, I adore the teachers and I desperately want to be an advanced Night School student. (Only I’m not very athletic so that would never, ever work.) This series is a new favorite of mine and my expectations for the third book are sky high.
Legacy doesn’t end with a cliffhanger, but it does have an open ending, so be prepared for quite a few unanswered questions. It didn’t bother me. To be honest, I barely noticed, I was too busy crying and worrying and crying some more.
Finally, I’m not usually overdramatic, but please allow me to say this: Oh my God, my heart is broken, I doubt I’ll ever, ever (ever!) recover! Please write faster, C.J. Daugherty!
4.5 stars Perfect Scoundrels was my Waiting on Wednesday pick just over a month ago, and no wonder; I’ve been looking forward to it for months. I loved...more4.5 stars Perfect Scoundrels was my Waiting on Wednesday pick just over a month ago, and no wonder; I’ve been looking forward to it for months. I loved Heist Society and I loved Uncommon Criminals (although maybe just a tiny bit less), but Perfect Scoundrels exceeded all my expectations. It was by far the best of the series, exciting and virtually unputdownable. Finally (finally!) things moved forward between Kat and Hale, but just as Kat recovered from the panic attack their new girlfriend-boyfriend status caused her, the news came that Hale’s grandmother is dead and that he inherited his family’s billion dollar company.
In Perfect Scoundrels, Kat and her crew face the most cunning enemy yet, and the stakes are even higher because they’re defending one of their own. W.W. Hale the Fifth may be an heir and a billionaire, but he is also the most loyal, wonderful person any of them has ever met. Kat’s entire family (and it’s a very large family) will have to work together to fix the mess and steal back the boy that has become irreplaceable to them all. As difficult as that sounds, it’s still easier said than done. Kat’s usual crew – Gabrielle, Nick, Simon and the Bagshaw brothers – will need help from their elders if they’re to outsmart Hale’s enemies and save his company.
It was exactly what Kat would have done – what she had done on a number of occasions – and she felt the sting that comes from knowing that turnabout is absolutely not fair play.
In this emotionally difficult situation, Kat shined brighter than ever. I’ve always admired her, but here she showed the presence of mind and astounding maturity one simply doesn’t expect from a 16-year-old, not even an accomplished thief. Hale always seemed more mature to me, but that was not the case in Perfect Scoundrels. While he was busy mourning and showing us his more vulnerable side, Kat was fighting everyone (including him at times) to steal back the boy she just wasn’t ready to let go.
Once again, Ally Carter’s trademark sense of humor shone from every page, but in this book, she showed a different side of her characters as well – a frightened, more vulnerable side that gave them more credibility. I’ve complained in my earlier reviews that this series lacks emotional depth, but that’s not the case anymore. Finally these characters are three-dimensional. I just hope this won’t be the last time we get to see it.
I think my overall enjoyment of this series is largely due to my love for W.W. Hale the Fifth. He is the perfect love interest (and possibly a hero in his own right) , good looking and genuinely nice, but mysterious enough to keep me on my toes the entire time. He still didn’t share what W.W. stands for, although he came very close in one heartbreaking scene, but we did get to learn the nickname his family uses for him, and let me tell you, it’s not one you’re likely to forget. *g*
Objectively speaking, this isn’t a 4.5-star book, but I gave it the extra half just because it made me happy – and objectivity be damned. It’s my party after all, and I fervently wish there were more books like Perfect Scoundrels out there. I’d read them all. And then I’d re-read them.
Here’s what you need to know about Chantress by Amy Butler Greenfield: 1. It is part one of a trilogy. Although there's nothing on GoodReads to indicat...moreHere’s what you need to know about Chantress by Amy Butler Greenfield: 1. It is part one of a trilogy. Although there's nothing on GoodReads to indicate that this is a series (oh, GoodReads, how you have failed me) and the story has a nice, clean ending, Chantress is the first book in a trilogy. And thank goodness for that. 2. It is more than just a pretty cover. It’s true. These days, a pretty cover usually hides all kinds of nasty surprises, but not in this case. Chantress is a wonderful historical fantasy that will keep you glued to the pages from start to finish. The gorgeous cover art is just a bonus. 3. It is utterly absorbing. Did I mention you’ll be glued to the pages? The setting alone is enough to keep you interested, not to mention the characters. I was completely invested in this story from the very beginning. 4. The romance takes time to develop. Oh, but what a treat this was. Chantress takes place between 1667 and 1669 and many months pass before Lucy and Nat start showing interest in each other. Theirs is a wonderful, sweet romance that starts with a lot of distrust and ends in deep admiration and understanding. Plus, Nat is a real bookworm and an inventor. Perfection. 5. It is well-researched. There is an author’s note in the end that explains the setting, geography, as well as the research and reasoning behind some of Nat’s inventions. Greenfield chose to replace King Charles I with Henry Seymour, a real person and a distant claimant to the throne, whom she turned into King Henry IX for the purposes of her story. Although I honestly didn’t notice any of it (I don’t exactly have all the kings memorized), I was happy to find it all explained in the end, as well as the absence of the Great Fire of London. 6. The monsters aren’t all that’s scary. Oh, yes, the Shadowgrims are horrible, far scarier to Lucy than anyone else. As a Chantress, she is more susceptible to their special brand of terror, but betrayal of people close to her is far scarier. 7. The plot needed more work When I set out to write this list, I was ready to point out the good and the bad, so here it is: considering how much thought was put into the worldbuilding and the main characters, the plot was somewhat of a disappointment. It was pretty straightforward when I was hoping for something more complex. Such amazing setting deserved far more twists and turns, but alas, clean and simple is what I got. 8. The villain just wasn’t frightening enough. It takes a lot of skill to write a good heroine, but sometimes, a good villain is even harder to write. With Scargrave, all the ingredients were there: immense power plus a healthy dose of cruelty and insanity usually equal a very good villain, but not this time. I never felt any real danger from him, and dealing with him was just too easy.
The moment the stone was off, the songs came to me – hundreds of them, humming like bees, flickering like firelight, crossing like shadows. And the strongest one was the wild tune I’d heard in the garden. This time, however, it went on and on. It spoke of the sea and of home and of times long past. It tugged at my heart and my throat and my lips. Sing me, it said. And I did.
Wow, this review is a bit different from what I usually write. Perhaps my friend Heidi possessed me for a day. In the end, all I can say is that Chantress turned out to be much better than I expected and I’ll be waiting eagerly to read the sequel. Oh, and I’d have that cover tattooed somewhere on my body, but I doubt it would go well with the rest of my tattoos.
Everyone knows that Michael is my favorite Merrick (if you have any illusions that you’ll be able to take him from me, please keep in mind that I have...moreEveryone knows that Michael is my favorite Merrick (if you have any illusions that you’ll be able to take him from me, please keep in mind that I have mad ninja skills I’ve been keeping under wraps all this time and that I won’t hesitate to use them), but what you might not know is that smart, calm, level-headed Nick is a close second. There was always something especially vulnerable about him that made me want to hide him and protect him.
I must admit that I love the direction Nick’s story is taking. What lies ahead of him is sure to be painful and extremely difficult, but I hope he’ll find the courage to go where his heart leads him, despite what his brothers might think. In the end, it probably won’t be nearly as terrible as he’s imagining it.
Ever since Spark, I’ve been uneasy when I thought of Nick (and I do think about the Merricks more often than I care to admit). I didn’t like Quinn for him, she is too unpredictable, too wild and self-centered. But Breathless showed a different side of her, and a different side of Nick, too, and I can’t wait to see where it will all lead them in Nick’s full-length novel, scheduled for January 2014. I liked Adam the second he showed up. I think he might be exactly what Nick needs – gentle and wise beyond his age, but also a bit pushy and determined not to let anyone dictate his life. I don’t doubt Nick’s happy ending at all, I just hope neither of them will get too hurt in the meanwhile.
January 2014, huh? Where’s that darn pre-order button?
When the release of The Lost Prince was announced, I didn’t quite know what to think about it. In ninety percent of the cases, a spin-off isn’t the be...moreWhen the release of The Lost Prince was announced, I didn’t quite know what to think about it. In ninety percent of the cases, a spin-off isn’t the best idea an author can have and it ends up disappointing the fans. While I wasn’t the biggest fan of The Iron Fey in the world, I still enjoyed the series and I didn’t want it ruined in some sad attempt to milk the cash cow. Now, after reading the first book, I’m very excited that Ethan’s (and I suppose Keirran’s) story is being told.
As usual, what bothered most reviewers is actually what I enjoyed the most. Ethan is very angry; at himself, at his life, his parents, but above all at Meghan for abandoning him and deciding to cut all ties to her human family. The way he sees it, she is the Iron Queen now and she doesn’t need Ethan or the problems he inevitably brings. Being inside his head was interesting to say the least, and I thought it was done really well. I suspect that’s exactly how I’d feel and behave in Ethan’s shoes.
I honestly didn’t thing Kagawa was capable of writing a book without a love triangle, but even though I expected it, there wasn’t one in The Lost Prince, which is probably part of the reason I liked the book as much as I did. I loved Kenzie and Ethan’s relationship, they are definitely a couple I can get behind. Even with all their problems, they are both better people around each other and there’s this wonderful chemistry between them that makes my heart flutter every time. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same about Keirran and Annwyl, I just didn’t feel any sparks there. Since I know Kagawa is excellent at writing swoony romances, I can only assume this was done on purpose.
Keirran is the primary source of suspense, at least once you try to look at the big picture, and through him, Kagawa manipulates her readers splendidly. As much as I wanted to like him, I was never quite sure where he stood, and as sincere as he seemed, there were always doubts at the back of my mind. I don’t want him to turn bad, mostly because of who he is, but I fear that it’s inevitable.
Once again, Julie Kagawa simply excels at worldbuilding. Nevernever is just as rich and imaginative as before, if not more. She always paid attention to detail and this time is no different. I’m not usually one for long descriptions, but Kagawa has a talent for creating vivid images with no more than a few carefully chosen words.
It was old, even from a distance, I could see that. Stone walls and mossy roofs, vines coiled around everything. Trees pushing up through rock, roots draped and curled around stone. Some of the buildings were huge – massively huge. Not sprawling so much as they looked as if they were built by a race of giants.
Here comes the real shocker: I ended up liking The Lost Prince even more than I liked the original series. Lack of a dreaded love triangle probably contributed to that fact. If Kagawa continues following her usual pattern, this series will only get better. Considering how much I already like Kenzie and Keirran, and how much I’ve warmed up to Ethan, it seems I really have something to look forward to. More, please!
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