Jen Castleberry's Blog, page 3

Review: The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater

Thank god I stuck with this series - it just keeps getting better and better.The Dream Thievesis book two inMaggie Stiefvater'sThe Raven Cycle.Rest assured, this installment gives ample attention to all our beloved raven boys (and our honorary raven girl)...but as you might expect from the title and cover art, it gives a littleextraattention to that deliciously misunderstood hoodlum-wannabe, Ronan Lynch.If you weren’t already in love with Ronan after The Raven Boys, guess what – you’re going to fall head over heels for him in The Dream Thieves. Surprise, surprise – the hardass has a soft, gooey heart. I don’t care if you saw it coming (I didn’t), the balancing act he’s playing between hard exterior and sweet, fragile Soul is so well done – it will make you weep.I wanted to jump Ronan’s bones in book one and I want to MARRY him in book two and guess what – I can’t, because he’s SO smitten with Adam. (Also, he’s fictional).[Side-note, I had to try REALLY hard not to give Adam the boot in this book (the boot out of myHEART)…but stick with him – he redeems himself in book three and has you cheering for him in book four, which really speaks to Stiefvater’s talent because lesbehonest – he TESTED my patience in this one. He really did.]In The Dream Thieves, we learn the ins and outs of that cliffhanger Stiefvater left us with at the end of The Raven Boys: that Ronan Lynch can extract items from his dreams (although often not without serious consequence). P.O.S Kravinsky plays a bigger role in this installment, teaching Ronan the finer aspects of dream-thing-extraction. What (orWHO) is real, and what (orWHO) is simply dreamed up by the Lynch family?? We get some (not all) of the answers in The Dream Thieves (Also, some steamy Blue/Gansey almost-action.)The Dream Thieves is a whirlwind of action – monsters and kidnapping and hit men (oh, my!). We meet new characters (my favorite by far is the Gray Man), Get to know old characters better (Ronan, obvs, but Noah is decidedly less ghostly and more teenagery in this one), and hold our breath as Blue ALMOST kills Gansey. (if you’ve read The Raven Boys, you’ll know exactly what this means!) The search for Glendower continues, a new romance begins to blossom, people die. You’ll laugh (a lot) and swoon (a lot) and scowl (a little) and worry (a lot).Grab it, grab it, grab it, it’s excellent.Five stars.let me know what you thought of the dream thieves in the comments!happy reading!-J

Review: Vicious by VE Schwab

Vicious, byVE Schwab, is a superhero (erm, supervillain) flick in which two pre-med students (Eli and Victor) discover that the origin ofextraordinaryabilities is a fatal incident from which the victim is successfully resuscitated.Being experimental in nature, both as college students and as science-majors, the boys decide to duplicate these circumstances. They learn (too late) that the exact nature of powers-gained is decidedly circumstantial.The story zig-zags over a period of roughly ten years, but picks up with Victor straight out of prison and Eli in the midst of a murder spree. An escapee inmate and two inadvertentExtraOrdinaries, (Schwab's clever name for superpeople), round out the cast, with the role ofgood guydecidedly absent.There are no heroes in this one, only bad guys and worse guys. Honestly, I spent most of the book wondering if I was rooting for the right character, which might be Schwab's whole point. Themes of conveniently contrived divine authority, vengeance, and the logical obligation (rather than the emotional or instinctual tendency) to choose right behavior over wrong lend a whole lot of grey to this utterly engrossing tale.I wholeheartedly recommend this book. In fact, I can see myself reading it again. It is, pardon me for saying,SUPER.Smart, dry, and strangely endearing. Schwab weaves in just enough science to satisfy. Her brisk chapters, frequent time shifts, and well-timed perspective swaps make this tidy standalone read like a perfectly paced puzzle.Five stars!Have you read anything by VE Schwab? Tell me your favorites in the comments!-J

Review: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Wow! This book did a one-eighty on me in the best way. I'll admit, I wasn't all-in until about halfway through...There seemed to be a few too many characters, all crammed together, none of them particularly individualized.  In the beginning, I had some trouble designating speakers without a tag. But I'm glad I stuck it out! And doubly glad there are THREE MORE BOOKS IN THE SERIES! Happy dance! This is going to be a veryMaggiemonth!The Raven Boysfollows a psychic's daughter (Blue) as she joins a group of prep-school boys on their quest to awaken a legendary Welsh king.  Unbeknownst to most of the boys, (all of whom seem to have a bit of a crush on her), it has been foretold that Blue will kill her true love.  Unbeknownst toallof the boys, their ringleader (Gansey) will die within the year - according to Blue's first-ever interaction with the future-dead (stay with me here).Kudos to Stiefvater for fitting eight-thousand threads into four-hundred intelligible (and intriguing) pages. This book has something for everyone: treasure hunts, ghosts, witches, magic, murder, hullucinogenic trees (seriously, stay with me), baby birds, romance, tragedy, mystery...it's got it all!  Plus, Blue/Gansey - what a freaking perfect ship, amiright? Funny and sweet and sad and tantalizing...I can't wait to get my hands on the next book in the series!Three stars,justbecause it took about two hundred pages to really grab me. Now I'm hooked and I see four and five star installments ahead!Watch one of my favorite book vloggers fangirl about The Raven Boyshere!XTINA's review @PolandBananasBOOKSHave you read The Raven Cycle? Who'd you ship in book one? Leave it in the comments!-J

February Reading Goals

This is my first year setting a Goodreads reading goal, and so far, I'm right on target! I'm shooting for five books a month, although truly, I'm hoping to readsixthis month. With TRT #3, AWAUT, and now, The Sparrow Queen on my plate, we'll see how well that goes!Here are the books I read in January:Check out my February reading list below!The Raven Boysby Maggie Stiefvater (Raven Cycle #1)The Dream Thievesby Maggie Stiefvater (Raven Cycle #2)Blue Lily, Lily Blueby Maggie Stiefvater (Raven Cycle #3)The Raven Kingby Maggie Stiefvater (Raven Cycle #4)The Magican Kingby Lev Grossman (The Magicians #2)The Magician's Landby Lev Grossman (The Magicians #3)I was originally planning to readThe Grisha Trilogythis month, but I'm going to set it aside for March (if I can manage to resist)...I'm already one book into Grossman's trilogy, and halfway through the first installment of The Raven Cycle, and I don't want to start athirdseries on top of them.Catch the Book trailers for The Magicians and The Raven Cycle below!The MagiciansThe Raven BoysWhat are YOUR Goodreads goals this year?  Leave 'em in the comments!-J

Review: Six of Crows/Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

The Six of Crows duology, encompassingSix of CrowsandCrooked Kingdom, byLeigh Bardugo, was the highlight of my reading LIFE by a long shot.  I don’t even care how overtly exaggerated that sounds.  These books are everything, and everyone on the planet should read them.Six of Crows follows a gang of bottom-of-the-barrel miscreants and misfits as they tackle a seemingly impossible heist and are, ultimately, betrayed by the villainous, money-grubbing merchant who put them up to the job.In Crooked Kingdom, the Crows-crew enacts its revenge and ensures that their special breed of justice is served.The cast is funny and romantic and tragic and heroic and just – everything.  The action is nonstop from the very start.  I laughed out loud, I sobbed my eyes out, I worried and worried and worried.  I could not put it down.  Literally, there was not a single yawn-worthy moment in the combined 1000+ pages of this set.Five (HUNdred) stars.Catch Leigh Bardugo’s teasers below!Six of CrowsCrooked KingdomHave you read the Six of Crows duology?  How about Bardugo’sGrisha Trilogy?  (Don’t spoil it for me – it’s on my February reading list!)  Let me know what you thought in the comments!Happy reading!-J

A Wild and Unremarkable Thing and Other Updates

Hi January! Bye January! This month has been a blur of reading, writing, and editing! Here are the highlights:Twoglowingbetas came back forA Wild and Unremarkable Thing!  Check out the mostly-spoiler-free excerpts below, and a tentative jacket.  Additional reports to come!A WILD AND UNREMARKABLE THINGJacket(STC)“Men bow to nothing but gold, glory, flesh, and death.”Cody has trained fifteen years to slay a Fire Scale.  Wolfe has not trained fifteen minutes.  Now they’ll both march into the Summer Alps for the Emerging.  But who will come out the victor, and who will not come out at all?Castleberry pits girl against dragon in this brisk blend of Greek mythology and medieval lore.  Readers will not quickly forget the diverse cast or the thrilling, sexy ride!BETA EXCERPT #1BETA EXCERPT #2In other news...Freight(TRT #3) has shifted into second-draft mode.The Sparrow Queenhas been fully blocked and I'm 10,000 words in!  Stay tuned for updates on this one...I'mkind offreaking out about it..!And last but not least:I'm five books into my Goodreads goal!Reviews are on the way, but in the meantime, here are my star-ratings:The Magicians,by Lev Grossman - Four StarsVicious,by VE Schwab - Five StarsSix of Crows,by Leigh Bardugo - Five StarsCrooked Kingdom,by Leigh Bardugo - Five StarsA Fierce and Subtle Poison,by Samantha Mabry - Three StarsWhat haveyouread so far this year?  Leave it in the comments!-J

Nashville, TN!

Hi everyone!If you've been following my SM platforms, you may already know that I spent last week in NASHVEGAS visiting my MIL and SIL and speaking to elementary and middle schoolers about creative writing!I spent most of my downtime, including this layover in Baltimore, reading Kendare Blake's THREE DARK CROWNS [check out my reviewhere]. Is that a mimosa? Why yes, I think it is!Couldn't do Nashville without visiting a few local bookshops! My favorites were BookMan/ BookWoman and McKay's!Book haul! Next time I do Nashville, I'm bringing an extra suitcase just for books! These are all gently-loved [eh hem, seriously discounted!]. Some of them only cost me two bucks!Arrington Vineyards was, by far, the most beautiful, peaceful part of my trip!Who better to go wine tasting with than my silly MIL? Even though we were both too tipsy to take a good selfie! Whoops!Speaking to elementary and middle schoolers at Carroll Oakland was so fun! I got to meet so many future authors and artists!This handsome guy spent his entire Veterans Day talking to kids about the military!Jessica Khoury's ORIGIN is one of my all-time favorite books, so I was super excited to dive into VITRO on the flight home!It was a little cloudy when we landed in VA Beach, but I couldn't be happier to be home! Thanks for having us, Nashville! We can't wait to see you again!-J[If you'd like to book a speaking engagement or signing, shoot us an e-mailhere]

Review: Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake

Just, wow.  Give Kendare Blake a crown because she is a queen.THREE DARK CROWNS is a fantasy YA that follows triplet queens as they prepare to kill one another for the crown.  Fantastically unusual in plot and voice, this is one that has split readers down the middle: love or hate, can't-put-it-down or DNF.  For me, it was PERFECT.Third person, present tense was definitely a strange perspective, but Blake OWNED it. Talk about an author who has veered away from the norms and troves of the genre.  THREE DARK CROWNS was a page-turner from the first.  Its choppy sentence structure and short, brisk chapters with alternating POVs made it a quick read.  Some readers have dropped it quickly, citing the unusual voice, but I thought it was interesting and refreshing.  Right away, it sucked me in.The cast was believably flawed and I sympathized with even the worst of them.  The understandable misunderstandings added a level of realism and interest, and the decidedly (but brilliantly soft-handed) female power structure was unique and never overbearing.  This book will make readers reevaluate the way YA literature has historically treated the concept of femininity.Friendship, romance, magic, power, and a brutally normalized kill-or-be-killed dynamic combine in this PERFECT masterpiece.  Kept me on the edge of my seat every step of the way.Seriously, pick it up so we can jump up and down about it together.Five stars.Happy reading!-J

Review: An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

JACKET:Laia is a slave. Elias is a soldier. Neither is free.Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear.It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do.But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy.There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.mY REVIEW:Where do I start?  Tahir isbrilliant.  An Ember in the Ashes was nearly perfect.  And I almost didn’t give it a chance.  I’ve read a few too many books lately with sprawling maps and multiple factions competing for rebellion.  Rest assured, this book sets itself apart, and fast.The story follows Laia, a seventeen-year-old girl belonging to a marginalized class, and Elias, a trained assassin desperate to defect.  Their paths cross at Blackcliff, a training school for assassins, after Laia agrees to aid an underground resistance by posing as a slave. In the midst of her spying, the Emperor’s death is foretold, and Elias is cohersed into competing against his peers for possession of the Empire.This book is action.packed.  The fight scenes are creative and gory and easy to follow.  The world is colorful and cohesive and just feelsreal.  The pace is brisk, and yet, the inner-evolvement of Laia and Elias remains steady throughout.  The various romances fell a little flat for me – but otherwise, I would call Tahir a masterful storyteller.All in all, I thought this book was excellently written.  Very engaging from beginning to end.  The last hundred pages or so kept me on the edge of my seat.  I’m looking forward to reading the next installment.Four stars.Happy reading!-J

Book Tour Wrap Up!

My virtual book tour withThe Fantastic Flying Book Clubhas come to an end...how sad! You can check out the full tourHERE, or click the links below to revisit some of my favorite blog stops!THE BOOKISH CONFECTIONS- Guest PostYA OBSESSED- Review of STOWAWAYTHE ALCHEMY OF INK- Reviews of CARGO & STOWAWAYMAMA READS, HAZEL SLEEPS- Review of STOWAWAYI had SUCH a fun time on this tour! Can't wait for the next one! Thanks, FFBC!-J