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Review: Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch

Oct12
Review: Snow Like Ashes by Sara RaaschSnow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch
Series: Snow Like Ashes #1
Published by Balzer + Bray on October 14th 2014
Pages: 416
Format: Hardcover
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three-stars

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.

I basically read Snow Like Ashes in one day. I couldn’t put it down. I was so absorbed in this world that when I DID put it down, it felt like I was being yanked back to reality. I credit Sara Raasch’s epic world-building skills for this! The characters were a bit iffy for me, but the plot was intriguing and I really enjoyed it.

Meira was kind of frustrating. In the beginning, she was incredibly bad-ass – She did what no one else had managed to do for 16 years. But later on in the book, she acted like a toddler having a tantrum. She whined and complained a LOT. She was so focused on the idea of doing something to make her important to Winter, to make her belong and feel needed. Yet when she was presented with something that she could do to help the kingdom, she balked at the idea and the way her life would change. I understand why she was upset, but she was also getting what she wanted. I grudgingly admit that, by the end of the book, she came into her own. The revelation, though, was something I guessed at VERY early on, so I wasn’t surprised, but it was awesome getting that confirmation that I was right.

I both liked and disliked Mather. Weird, I know, but it’s basically the Meira situation all over again. He had moments where he was epic and awesome and he had moments where he tried so hard to be gallant, but came off all moody and tortured – like he was making this big sacrifice. When I finished the book, I really shipped him and Meira, but the more I think about it, the more I’m not sure. His behavior at the end of the book was… I’m not even sure what the word is, honestly. But I didn’t like it.

I REALLY liked Theron. I think he’s the only character that I really liked for the majority of the book, to be honest. He was funny and sarcastic, he stood up to his father and he owned his leadership role. I don’t really ship him and Meira, but I loved their chemistry.

Sir really ticked me off, especially in the beginning. I hated the way he treated Meira and the way he was so cold and distant. His actions made a little more sense once some of the revelations came to light. I was SHOCKED when one thing happened to him, but I’m satisfied with where his story ended. I will say, though, that Sir’s attitude was what first tipped me off to the revelation with Meira.

There were a LOT of secondary and tertiary characters in this book, between Meira’s group and the eight kingdoms, so it’s hard to talk about everyone. I’ll just say this: many of them lacked enough character development/growth to satisfy me, but I’d still love to learn more about them.

Despite how quickly I read this book, the pacing was definitely a little slow. I think that’s mostly because, as I mentioned earlier, Raasch does a LOT of world-building and she has a lot of description and background information mixed in. But I kind of liked that – It really made me feel like I was a part of the story. With eight kingdoms and all the history we were given, there was a lot of information to keep track of, which was a bit difficult at times. And as I mentioned previously, I wish there had been a little more character development to balance the world-building – not that there wasn’t some, but I would have liked to see more.

There were a LOT of parallels with this book and the Throne of Glass series. I think that, more than anything, kept me intrigued. I found myself saying, “Oh, that reminds me of this from ToG!” every few pages. The major parallels were with King Angra and the king of Adarlan, as well as the work camps and Endovier.

Overall, I definitely recommend Snow Like Ashes to fans of high fantasy, especially to fans of the Throne of Glass series. Though the pacing is slow, due to all the world-building (which was actually epic and worth the slow pacing) and the characters needed way more character development/growth, this was still an awesome book with an intriguing plot.

three-stars

Review: A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis

Oct9

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnisA Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis
Published by Katherine Tegen Books on October 6, 2015
Pages: 384
Source: the publisher
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four-stars

Grace Mae knows madness.

She keeps it locked away, along with her voice, trapped deep inside a brilliant mind that cannot forget horrific family secrets. Those secrets, along with the bulge in her belly, land her in a Boston insane asylum.

When her voice returns in a burst of violence, Grace is banished to the dark cellars, where her mind is discovered by a visiting doctor who dabbles in the new study of criminal psychology. With her keen eyes and sharp memory, Grace will make the perfect assistant at crime scenes. Escaping from Boston to the safety of an ethical Ohio asylum, Grace finds friendship and hope, hints of a life she should have had. But gruesome nights bring Grace and the doctor into the circle of a killer who stalks young women. Grace, continuing to operate under the cloak of madness, must hunt a murderer while she confronts the demons in her own past.

In this beautifully twisted historical thriller, Mindy McGinnis, acclaimed author of Not a Drop to Drink and In a Handful of Dust, explores the fine line between sanity and insanity, good and evil—and the madness that exists in all of us.

A Madness So Discreet was nothing like I expected it to be. It was my first Mindy McGinnis book and I really enjoyed it! The beginning was a bit odd (though not necessarily in a bad way), but after that, it got super intriguing. McGinnis’ writing style takes some getting used to but she really dives into the world she creates and you can’t help but dive in right along with her!

The first 90 pages were very blunt, in-your-face and completely unapologetic. Honestly, the whole book was like that, but it was especially apparent in the beginning, when we saw the way Grace was treated in a less-than upstanding insane asylum. The way women used to be thrown in asylums simply because their husband or father (or any male in their life) said, “yep, she’s crazy. Lock her up!” was completely horrifying, sick and twisted.

Grace was a pretty amazing character. She faced a LOT of hard times – and that’s an understatement. One thing that happened to Grace – the thing that got her sent to the asylum in the first place – was truly heinous. I don’t want to spoil it and, to be honest, it’s not something I’ve dealt with very much and I don’t think I could discuss it properly/do it justice, so I’m just going to say that it was horrifying and no one ever deserves to go through what she experienced, never mind the fact that she was deemed “crazy” to hide the heinous act of another. Though I won’t elaborate (because spoilers) and I don’t know much about the subject, I will say that it felt like McGinnis handled it very well in the context of this book.

With everything Grace went through, I feel like she was a very strong, fierce character. She didn’t let what she experienced harden her. She didn’t lose herself in the asylum – though there was that one moment…. But in the end, she faced the things that haunted her and saw justice served. She found a place for herself and made her own happiness.

Thornhollow was an interesting but frustrating character. It was hard to get a good read on him. He rescued Grace from a very bad situation, but he did it more for himself than for her. He had a bit of a one track mind when it came to his work. Sometimes that was a good thing, but sometimes it made him very stubborn and he refused to listen to Grace or accept alternate theories on a certain subject. I also didn’t see much character growth in him. He stayed pretty much the same throughout, though he had a few moments where he learned important lessons and seemed to embrace those lessons.

Adelaide was an epic character. She said whatever was on her mind, never holding anything back. I thought she was hilarious and sarcastic and loved the way she sided so quickly with Grace, rather than Thornhollow. Their bond was awesome.

There were a lot of secondary characters that I really came to like – and some I strongly disliked. I appreciated the way McGinnis showed that there were good and bad people in this world and not everyone was who they seemed. At the first asylum, you had Croomes and Mr. Heedson, who were evil and horrible. But then you had Mrs. Clay, who was a kind old lady. And then there’s Falsteed, who was super creepy and weird and who seemed to be straddling that line of good versus evil. But there was still something likable about him.

At the second asylum, Grace met Nell and Lizzie, both of whom I really liked. Despite their circumstances, they still managed to hold their heads high. Nell was fierce and spoke her mind, while Lizzie was more perceptive that people gave her credit for, as well as fiercely loyal.

This book’s pacing was a bit odd. Sometimes, it slowed down and I had to push to get through certain sections. Other times, I sped through 50 pages without even realizing it. The beginning was hard to get through because of the conditions of the first asylum and the things that Grace was subjected to. But once I got through that, the pace picked up and stayed up for awhile before it began slowing a little bit. The ending, though, will have you flipping pages as fast as you can!

Overall, this book was Criminal Minds in the form of YA historical fiction. If you like criminology and criminal psychology, you’re going to love this book! The characters are complex, flawed and wonderful. McGinnis is an amazing author and her writing will pull you in and refuse to let go. Trigger warning for sexual assault – If books with that topic bother you, you may want to avoid this book or read with caution. I highly recommend this book for fans of psychological thrillers and historicals!

four-stars

Review: Daughters Unto Devils by Amy Lukavics

Oct7

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: Daughters Unto Devils by Amy LukavicsDaughters Unto Devils by Amy Lukavics
Published by Harlequin Teen on September 29, 2015
Pages: 304
Format: ARC
Source: the publisher
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three-stars

When sixteen-year-old Amanda Verner's family decides to move from their small mountain cabin to the vast prairie, she hopes it is her chance for a fresh start. She can leave behind the memory of the past winter; of her sickly Ma giving birth to a baby sister who cries endlessly; of the terrifying visions she saw as her sanity began to slip, the victim of cabin fever; and most of all, the memories of the boy she has been secretly meeting with as a distraction from her pain. The boy whose baby she now carries.

When the Verners arrive at their new home, a large cabin abandoned by its previous owners, they discover the inside covered in blood. And as the days pass, it is obvious to Amanda that something isn't right on the prairie. She's heard stories of lands being tainted by evil, of men losing their minds and killing their families, and there is something strange about the doctor and his son who live in the woods on the edge of the prairie. But with the guilt and shame of her sins weighing on her, Amanda can't be sure if the true evil lies in the land, or deep within her soul.

Lately, I’ve really been in the mood for a creepy, scary, “keep the lights on” book – Something that scares me as much as my favorite horror movies, maybe more. Which is why I’ve been desperately anticipating Daughters Unto Devils for over a year now. But as a horror buff, not much scares me. So, sadly, neither did this. But beyond that, the entire book fell kind of flat for me.

I didn’t connect with any of the characters, nor did I particularly like them. They were very flat and had very little character growth or development throughout the book. Not to mention the fact that they were all pretty nasty and mean to each other. Pa was such a cold man. Ma seemed broken. Amanda was bland. Henry was completely using Amanda. And though Emily had reason to be angry with Amanda, she also didn’t have to stay so angry. Wasn’t Amanda punished enough with everything that happened to her? I just didn’t see any love at all between these characters. Also, I didn’t trust Zeke or Doctor Jacobson at all.

Though the majority of the book didn’t scare me, the last page did gave me a small chill, but it was nothing near what I’d hoped to feel with this book. Rather, it was like watching a horror movie that you’ve already seen – you know what’s coming, yet you still anticipate that moment when you’re going to be scared and jumpy, but you’re never actually scared, just jumpy. It’s unfortunate that this book wasn’t creepy because the setting – the isolated prairie in the 1800s – had such creep-factor potential.

Despite all that, I will say the plot was intriguing! With the right music and special effects, I could completely see it being a successful movie or TV mini-series. Also, the pacing was pretty spot-on. I finished this book in a matter of hours – mostly because I was desperate to get to the creepy part (which didn’t happen), but also because the writing flowed very nicely and it was an easy read.

If you love horror, give this one a shot! And if you’re easily scared, you might want to read this during the day.. With all the lights on.. Just in case..!

So.. Short review is short. But I honestly don’t have anything else to say about this one. I’m very sad panda that I didn’t enjoy it more; however, this book had all kinds of potential and I’m still excited to see what Amy Lukavics comes up with next.

three-stars

Review: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Oct6

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: Six of Crows by Leigh BardugoSix of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Series: The Dregs #1
Published by Henry Holt and Co. on September 29, 2015
Pages: 480
Format: ARC
Source: the publisher
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four-stars

Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can't pull it off alone...

A convict with a thirst for revenge.

A sharpshooter who can't walk away from a wager.

A runaway with a privileged past.

A spy known as the Wraith.

A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums.

A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes.

Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz's crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don't kill each other first.

After binge reading the entire Grisha trilogy, I was super pumped to dive right into Six of Crows. I had extremely high expectations for this book, since I loved the Grisha trilogy so much – and Six of Crows more than delivered! With incredible world-building, epic characters and Leigh Bardugo’s gorgeous writing, this book was everything I hoped it would be and more!

First of all, I love this world. I love that we (those who read the Grisha trilogy) know this world – it’s established and we know the rules and laws, but it’s also a different side of the world we know and love. It’s darker and heavier, yet it still has moments that make you laugh out loud. Bardugo’s world-building and writing skills have gotten even better since she did the Grisha trilogy and since that trilogy was insanely amazing, it’s hard to believe she could get even better than she already was!

I also loved these characters. They have so much depth and richness – I was immediately and completely invested in them and their story. They were insanely awesome and had such great chemistry, I just shipped everyone with everyone!

Kaz is incredibly cocky, sarcastic and bad-ass. He had nothing and no one and he had to build himself up and, essentially, start from scratch. He needed a roof over his head, a source of income, a way to ensure his safety and reputation – and he did all of that and more. He’s fiercely loyal to the Dregs and his friends, yet driven by revenge

I had a major girl crush on Inej. I loved everything about her – her background, who she was to the Dregs and Kaz, her attitude and personality, how badass and loyal she was – absolutely everything. She’s a trained fighter and capable of holding her own. In those regards, she reminded me of Alina and Celaena.

I 100% shipped Kaz and Inej. They were just perfect together. They were both loyal and bad-ass and they could both hold their own in a sticky situation, yet they still watched each other’s backs, kept each other’s secrets and were concerned beyond words for each other’s safety when things looked grim. Yet they still butted heads over a number of things and the tension between them was insane. My heart completely broke for them at the end of this book and I’m anxious to see what happens next for them.

I wasn’t really crazy about Jesper in the beginning, but then he grew on me. He and Wylan (one of my favorite characters) were hilarious and perfect together. It’s hard to pick who my OTP was, between them and Kaj & Inej, but I can definitely say that they were one of my absolute favorite ships in this book!

For the most part, I liked Nina. She was hilarious and I loved the role she played in the group, but I never fully trusted her – She had her own agenda and I was always waiting for her to stab them all in the back, to do what she had to in order to fix the messes she found herself in.

Matthias was an okay character, but he wasn’t stand-out for me. What he did was brave and it showed that he DOES know right from wrong and he CAN learn to do the right thing. But I wasn’t crazy about his background or his personality. And I definitely did NOT ship him and Nina, which made me very sad because I had heard a LOT about this ship prior to reading the book and everyone loved them. I wanted to like Matthias and I wanted to ship him and Nina but I just couldn’t. Not after the things he did and how many times he betrayed her or hurt her. He reminded me of the Darkling – I wanted to like him, but I could’t forgive the things he did.

Normally, this many POVs in one novel would annoy me – Unfortunately, too many multiple POV’s (greater than three) are almost always done because it’s the only way to kept the story moving and without them, there would be less plot and a shorter novel. But Bardugo made it work and I loved seeing inside everyone’s heads! I also felt the pacing was pretty spot on. Some people found it slow to get going, but I think that’s because Bardugo really took the time to develop this world and these characters and, as a very character-driven reader, I really appreciated and enjoyed that. For me, nothing felt like filler – it all felt relevant and important to the overall story. Others might disagree and that’s okay! But I do suggest pushing through the potentially slow beginning – it’s so worth it for the epic cliffhanger ending!

And, my goodness, was that cliffhanger epic, intense and insane! This book JUST came out a week ago and I’m already dying for the sequel! So many revelations, so many plot twists, so many crazy character developments… My poor heart couldn’t take it!!! I really don’t want to say more for fear of spoilers, but trust me, it was ridiculously good!

Overall, if you couldn’t tell from my rambling-filled fangirl review, I LOVED this book, I LOVE Leigh Bardugo and I CAN’T wait for her next book (both in this series and in general). I can’t get enough of this world, these characters or Bardugo’s crazy-good writing! I HIGHLY recommend this book, whether you read the Grisha trilogy or not (Side note: You DON’T have to read the Grisha trilogy before you read Six of Crows – they’re companion novels and can be read together or separately; however, I HIGHLY recommend you read both the Grisha trilogy AND Six of Crows because both are amazing beyond words), give this one a chance! It’s filled with amazing characters, an epic plot and a rich, well-developed world – So, basically, it has everything that makes an amazing book!

four-stars

Review: Spinning Starlight by R.C. Lewis (Blog Tour + Giveaway)

Oct5

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: Spinning Starlight by R.C. Lewis (Blog Tour + Giveaway)Spinning Starlight by R.C. Lewis
Published by Disney Hyperion on October 6th 2015
Pages: 336
Source: the publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
four-stars

Sixteen-year-old heiress and paparazzi darling Liddi Jantzen hates the spotlight. But as the only daughter in the most powerful tech family in the galaxy, it's hard to escape it. So when a group of men show up at her house uninvited, she assumes it's just the usual media-grubs. That is, until shots are fired.

Liddi escapes, only to be pulled into an interplanetary conspiracy more complex than she ever could have imagined. Her older brothers have been caught as well, trapped in the conduits between the planets. And when their captor implants a device in Liddi's vocal cords to monitor her speech, their lives are in her hands: One word and her brothers are dead.

Desperate to save her family from a desolate future, Liddi travels to another world, where she meets the one person who might have the skills to help her bring her eight brothers home-a handsome dignitary named Tiav. But without her voice, Liddi must use every bit of her strength and wit to convince Tiav that her mission is true. With the tenuous balance of the planets deeply intertwined with her brothers' survival, just how much is Liddi willing to sacrifice to bring them back?

Haunting and mesmerizing, this retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's The Wild Swans strings the heart of the classic with a stunning, imaginative world as a star-crossed family fights for survival in this companion to Stitching Snow.

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Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks

SpinningStarlight 
Hey everyone! Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Spinning Starlight by R.C. Lewis! I’m very excited to be a part of this blog tour! I absolutely loved this book and I hope you enjoy my review!

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According to the synopsis, Spinning Starlight is a retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Wild Swans. I’ll admit, I haven’t read that one and have no idea what it’s about. But I’ll say this: In my opinion, Spinning Starlight was The Little Mermaid meets These Broken Stars and full of awesome. With intriguing characters, epic world-building and Lewis’ signature writing, this companion to Stitching Snow (one of my top reads of 2014) will take you on a wild ride!

I really liked Liddi. She’s burdened with a heavy responsibility from a young age, yet it never really goes to her head. In fact, it has the opposite effect and she actually doubts herself and her abilities. She puts a lot of pressure on herself to live up to other people’s expectations. She’s incredibly loyal to family and the love she has for her brothers – and the love they had for her – was amazing. Often, you see siblings fighting in YA and not getting along, so this was a very refreshing change of pace. I would have loved to get to know her brothers more, though. We definitely didn’t get to see enough of them and their interactions with Liddi!

In the journey to save her brothers, Liddi ends up being in a constant state of danger. She was almost always in an unknown place or situation and, without an easy means of communication, she had to fight to be understood and to survive. In my mind, that makes her brave, loyal and fierce.

The only thing that annoyed me, in regard to Liddi, was the process by which she and Tiav communicated in the beginning. Deciphering the weird syllables of Liddi’s robotic/computerized voice was a bit annoying and it often slowed down my reading pace.

I liked Tiav for the most part, especially in the beginning and end – though he lost some brownie points in the middle for some of his behavior! But in the beginning, when he first met Liddi, he was very level-headed and open-minded. He was quick to trust Liddi, though he remained cautious, but he was kind and very protective and accepting of her. Like I said, his behavior in the middle portion of the book kind of ticked me off, but from his perspective, I get why he acted the way he did, so I won’t come down too hard on him for it. And he definitely redeemed himself in the end.

There were a LOT of secondary characters in this book. As with Stitching Snow, I admired Lewis’ ability to make us care for characters that we didn’t really have a lot of time to get to know. Some note-worthy characters (for both good and bad reasons) are Garrin, Quain (who I liked but didn’t always trust), Shiin (again, liked her but didn’t trust her), Minali (don’t even get me started), Dom and Kalkig. But they are/were all wonderful characters that I loved reading about and, in some cases, would have liked to read about more and get to know better.

The Spinning Starlight world was WAY more elaborate than the Stitching Snow world – which is weird to say because I know it’s supposed to be the same world, since this was a companion novel. But Lewis definitely upped the world-building in this book and I love how detailed it was. At the same time, there was more action in Stitching Snow versus this book and the pacing of Stitching Snow felt faster, though I still read this book pretty quickly. The ending for both books felt slightly rushed, but I noticed it more so in Spinning Starlight. I really would have loved an epilogue, something to make the ending feel more complete.

The only two complaints I really have are with the flashbacks at the end of each chapter and some of the tech talk. The flashbacks were a bit confusing because they felt very random and I couldn’t figure out what they had to do with the chapter they proceeded. The formatting of this eARC was a bit off, though, so I’m wondering if they make more sense in the finished copy of the book. As for the tech talk, I really felt very lost and confused with a lot of the technology and the explanations for the Khua, conduits, etc. And not understanding a lot of that meant I was confused for a good portion of the book, so that took a bit of enjoyment away from reading.

But overall, this book was epic and a fun read. I love Lewis’ writing. I love the worlds she creates. I love the characters she develops. I just really love her books and can’t wait to see what she does next! And, of course, I highly recommend this book!

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And now for the giveaway! 1 winner will receive a signed finished copies of STITCHING SNOW & SPINNING STARLIGHT. US Only. To enter, complete the Rafflecopter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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RC
About the Author:
 
R.C. Lewis teaches math to teenagers—sometimes in sign language, sometimes not—so whether she’s a science geek or a bookworm depends on when you look. That may explain why her characters don’t like to be pigeonholed. Coincidentally, R.C. enjoys reading about quantum physics and the identity issues of photons.

Website | Twitter | Facebook

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Tour Schedule:

Week One:
9/28/2015 – Fangirlish – Interview
9/29/2015 – A Backwards Story – Review
9/30/2015 – Supernatural Snark – Guest Post
10/1/2015 – YaReads – Review
10/2/2015 – Two Chicks on Books – Interview

Week Two:
10/5/2015 – Pandora’s Book’s– Review
10/6/2015 – Bookhounds ya – Guest Post
10/7/2015 – Just Commonly – Review
10/8/2015 – Mundie Moms – Interview
10/9/2015 – Please Feed The Bookworm – Review

four-stars

Review: Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo

Sep28
Review: Ruin and Rising by Leigh BardugoRuin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo
Series: The Grisha #3
Published by Henry Holt and Co. on June 17, 2014
Pages: 422
Format: Hardcover
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
four-stars

The capital has fallen.

The Darkling rules Ravka from his shadow throne.

Now the nation's fate rests with a broken Sun Summoner, a disgraced tracker, and the shattered remnants of a once-great magical army.

Deep in an ancient network of tunnels and caverns, a weakened Alina must submit to the dubious protection of the Apparat and the zealots who worship her as a Saint. Yet her plans lie elsewhere, with the hunt for the elusive firebird and the hope that an outlaw prince still survives.

Alina will have to forge new alliances and put aside old rivalries as she and Mal race to find the last of Morozova's amplifiers. But as she begins to unravel the Darkling's secrets, she reveals a past that will forever alter her understanding of the bond they share and the power she wields. The firebird is the one thing that stands between Ravka and destruction—and claiming it could cost Alina the very future she’s fighting for.

Warning: This is a hard book to review without spoilers, because it’s the last book in a trilogy and so much happened. I tried not to out-right spoil anything, but I definitely alluded to certain spoilers. So if you haven’t read all three books, I suggest waiting to read this review!

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Ruin and Rising was one giant rollercoaster of emotions! There were so many revelations and plot twists, I actually feel exhausted from reading this book. After the cliffhanger in Siege and Storm, I was anxious to see what happened next. Though I’m still not sure how I feel about the ending, this book was definitely INSANE and this trilogy is still one of my absolute favorites of all time!

It was very frustrating to see Alina so weak in the beginning of Ruin and Rising, whether it be real or exaggerated, for the eyes of the Apparat. I’m so used to her being strong, bad-ass and take-charge – it was SO hard to see her with her tail between her legs, putting on sweet smiles and motherly tones to appease him and make him think she was his good little lap dog saint. It made me want to throw up a little, actually. The weakness act didn’t last long, thank goodness, and Alina really put the Apparat in his place!

Alina was her usual bad-ass self for the remainder of the book. She didn’t have much character growth in Ruin and Rising, but she’s grown so much throughout the entire trilogy, I don’t mind that the level of growth dropped a bit in the final book. Looking back to where she started in Shadow and Bone and where she ended in Ruin and Rising, Alina has kind of gone full circle. I’m not sure how I feel about the way her story ended, though. I don’t like what she lost and I was hoping she would end up with someone else. But I’m satisfied with her overall journey from beginning to end.

I still think Mal is completely in the friend zone. I still only mildly like him. I grudgingly admit he was slightly better in this book than he was in the last two. I also think he was completely robbed of an epic ending. He sacrificed SO MUCH and then it felt like his sacrifice was.. For nothing. Taken away. I think his sacrifice should have been permanent and honored. I’m not saying I didn’t want him in Alina’s life, but what he did was noble and then it was, essentially, dismissed. And it made his willingness to sacrifice so much feel.. cheap (for lack of a better word).

I still can’t wrap my head around the idea of shipping Alina and the Darkling. The Darkling was the villain, the bad guy. He did HORRIBLE things. But at the same time, I saw a different side of him in this book. He genuinely believes what he’s doing is for the greater good. He truly wants to bring peace. In his own way, he really does love Alina and truly wants to rule beside her. His desires might be borne of evil and power hungry-ness, but he does want these things and wholeheartedly believes he’s doing what’s best to achieve his goals. That made him an incredibly frightening villain and an epically intriguing character. I was BEYOND SHOCKED by the way his story ended. Also, shockingly, I was very saddened by the way his story ended. I didn’t expect it and it felt like such a… human way for his story to end, when he was much greater than a simple human. He was an ancient, immortal man who deserved to go out like a firework, not a firecracker.

Nikolai definitely got the short end of the stick in this book. He was my absolute favorite of the guys and my heart broke for him. I wanted so much more for him and his story and it just didn’t happen. Plus there wasn’t nearly enough of him in the second half of the book for my satisfaction! I can’t say much without spoilers, though, so… Moving on!

There were so many epic, wonderful characters in this book – and throughout the entire trilogy. It’s impossible to discuss them all, but major hearts and feels go out to Genya, Tamar, Tolya, Zoya, Nadia, David, Baghra, Ruby, Fedyor, Botkin and anyone else I’m forgetting. These characters are so real and beloved, they’re like family at this point. I’m happy when they’re happy and I’m sad when they’re hurting. I rooted for all of them, even the ones I didn’t like or the ones who didn’t deserve to be rooted for.

There were also many, many shocking deaths in this book and many of them broke my heart. I can’t discuss them without spoilers, obviously, so I’ll just silently mourn them all.

As far as pacing goes, the first 119 pages were a bit cumbersome and filler-ish. There were some important revelations and things that had to be taken care of/dealt with, so I get it. The rest of the book flew by fairly quickly with a more even pacing. There were a few points when the pacing lulled a bit, but it always picked up again fairly quickly. The middle of the book (from roughly 237-338, depending on what edition of the book you have) was epic, intense and insane. The number of revelations, plot twists and feels in this section made my heart hurt! I actually had to put the book down and stop reading for the night, to give myself a chance to recover.

But then those last 79 pages? JUST AS FEELS-INDUCING! Seriously, I don’t think I can discuss anything that happened in those last 79 pages AT ALL because SO MANY SPOILERS. And honestly, I don’t even know if I could find the words to describe the epic and awesome and heartbreak and feels. So I’m just not even going to try. Just read this book! Read this trilogy! See for yourself how crazy it is! Then you’ll get why I can’t put it into words.

I’ve never been more conflicted over a book’s ending – or a trilogy’s ending – than I am with Ruin and Rising. I’m a little disappointed, but at the same time, it feels…. Right. Like it couldn’t have ended any other way, though I certainly have ideas/thoughts of how I wish it had ended. For better or worse, though, this is definitely an ending I’ll remember for a long time and ponder over for a long time.

Overall, this trilogy was amazing and one of my absolute favorites of all time! Leigh Bardugo is an epic writer and storyteller. Her world, her characters – they’re all so real and so beloved. I felt like I went on this incredible journey right along with them. Now, when people ask what my favorite fictional world is, I’ll have to say “Hogwarts… And Ravka!”

four-stars

Review: Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

Sep24
Review: Siege and Storm by Leigh BardugoSiege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo
Series: The Grisha #2
Published by Henry Holt and Co. on June 4, 2013
Pages: 435
Format: Hardcover
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four-half-stars

Darkness never dies.

Hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Fold, Alina must try to make a life with Mal in an unfamiliar land. She finds starting new is not easy while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. She can’t outrun her past or her destiny for long.

The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and a dangerous plan that will test the very boundaries of the natural world. With the help of a notorious privateer, Alina returns to the country she abandoned, determined to fight the forces gathering against Ravka. But as her power grows, Alina slips deeper into the Darkling’s game of forbidden magic, and farther away from Mal. Somehow, she will have to choose between her country, her power, and the love she always thought would guide her--or risk losing everything to the oncoming storm.

If you’re looking to create a list of books that suffer from Second Book Syndrome, then you need to look elsewhere because you’ll find none of that in Siege and Storm. If anything, Siege and Storm is even better than Shadow and Bone! The first chapter started off a little bit slow, but once the action began, it never let up. This sequel is incredible and intense, with amazing characters and epic plot twists – the stakes are high and the characters have so much more to lose.

Alina has changed SO MUCH since the beginning of Shadow and Bone! Her character growth was a bit stagnant throughout the beginning and middle of Siege and Storm, but then really picked up speed again during the last 100 pages. Honestly, I have a bit of a girl crush on Alina. She’s just completely epic and she’s come so far! Her revelations and plot twists at the end were insane! I’m BEYOND excited to see what happens next for her, especially after that EVIL cliffhanger!!!!

In Shadow and Bone, I didn’t ship Mal and Alina because he was a bit of a jerk to Alina. I also felt like he was completely in the friend zone. But in Siege and Storm, I just really couldn’t stand him at all. My deepest apologies to those who love him and who ship him and Alina, but he was SUCH a whiny brat, I seriously just wanted to slap him silly! He moped and got angry with Alina for not telling him things, but then when she tried to, he stalked off like a sullen kid. He had some okay moments in the beginning of the book, but the closer it got to the end, the more annoying he became. And then he did something that put him beyond redemption for me – though I’ve been told he DOES redeem himself in Ruin and Rising, so I guess I’ll see what happens…

I still don’t understand how anyone can ship the Darkling. He’s the villain! He’s evil! He’s the bad guy Alina has to defeat. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve fallen hard for the bad guys who seem beyond redemption before (*Cough*Damon*Cough*) But… I just don’t see any redemption in the Darkling’s future. He’s done a lot of terrible, heartless things and he’s incredibly power hungry. He’s in so deep, I just can’t see him giving up all of that and changing his ways. I have to admit, though, I love the way his story ended in Siege and Storm and I’m very intrigued to see what happens next for him in Ruin and Rising!

And then there’s Sturmhond…. Major heart-eye emoji! He’s so cocky and full of himself and his big reveal was epic beyond words! He’s charming and hilarious and not only do I adore him, but I 100% ship him and Alina! But the way his story ended… My heart is breaking with worry for him and I’m desperate to see how things go for him in Ruin and Rising! (Sorry for the vagueness and shortness.. Trying to avoid spoilers here!).

At some point, roughly 150-pages from the end, I started to feel like the pace was slowing down. But then I started to wonder if I was just anxious to see how it ended and to get to Ruin and Rising. And almost as soon as I thought the pacing was slowing, things picked up speed and became so intense, my heart was in my throat! There were some character deaths that shocked and saddened me – some more than others – and some revelations and plot twists that left me reeling!

As I’ve mentioned, the cliffhanger at the end of this book was super evil and super intense! I can’t even imagine how the people who read this right when it originally released felt – They finished it and had to wait an entire year to read Ruin and Rising! I finished Siege and Storm last night and I’m starting Ruin and Rising later today and I’m like O___O – and I’m only going a few hours without reading! I can’t imagine having to wait a year to see what happens next!

Seriously, Leigh Bardugo is a goddess and officially on my auto-buy list. She took her incredible world and her beloved characters and made them even more incredible and beloved. I regret that it took me so long to read this series and I’m loving it so much! I’m super pumped for Ruin and Rising – though I’m conflicted because, while I desperately want to see how it ends, I DO NOT want it to end! I’m already anticipating a major bookish hangover after Ruin and Rising! But it will be SO WORTH IT to see how this epic series ends!

If you couldn’t tell from my all my fangirling, this book was BEYOND epic and a MUST-READ! I HIGHLY recommend this trilogy (and I’m not even finished reading it)!

four-half-stars

Review: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Sep22
Review: Shadow and Bone by Leigh BardugoShadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
Series: The Grisha #1
Published by Henry Holt and Co. on June 5, 2012
Pages: 358
Format: Hardcover
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four-stars

Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha . . . and the secrets of her heart.

Shadow and Bone is the first installment in Leigh Bardugo's Grisha Trilogy.

Everyone I know who has read this book/trilogy, loves it! I had no interest in reading it until the third book, Ruin and Rising, released. At that point, I figured I could add them to my TBR and then binge read all three. Still, it’s taken me another year since then to get to them – And I’m SO sorry I didn’t read this brilliant, wonderful series sooner! Shadow and Bone was epic beyond words! The world/world-building was beautiful and full of depth, the characters were realistic and likable and Leigh Bardugo’s writing was rich and gorgeous.

I love Alina. She’s so real and relatable and awesome. I love how she’s not perfect and her gift doesn’t come easy to her. I love how she defends herself and speaks her mind, even to people who could kill her with a snap of their fingers – even to the Darkling. I love how she’s both brave and vulnerable. I also loved her progress throughout the book. She struggled, slowly learning how to master her gift, getting a little bit better, day by day. I loved that it didn’t come easy to her. She had to work hard and fall a few times, but she got right back up each time.

She actually reminded me of Celaena from Throne of Glass. Both are strong, fierce, badass women. Both have identities/gifts they kept hidden. Both have the potential to change the world. The big difference is that Celaena was raised to be a badass assassin and, up until now, Alina was a regular girl who didn’t know she was special. But both are two of my all-time favorite female MC’s now!

I know Mal is the major love interest in this book, but I really just got the friend vibe from him. Also, he acted like a major jerk and I wanted to smack him for the way he spoke to Alina and the way he treated her. As much as I hate to admit it, though, he really redeemed himself as the book went on. By the end, I really liked him, but he still never felt like a potential love interest. I always felt like he and Alina were great friends and that’s all they should be. Maybe that will change as I get into the second book. But for now, I’m not convinced of their ship.

In the beginning, I was wary of the Darkling. He’s the bad guy you can’t help but swoon over, the one you hope ends up on the side of good, who realizes the error of his ways. Overall, the Darkling was an epic villain. He’s a master manipulator and it’s hard to tell when he’s being deceitful in order to get his way and when he’s being sincere – something that makes it easy to fall into his trap, to believe his lies and doubt his truths. It makes him very, very scary. The revelations regarding him and his background were insanely epic and completely blew my mind. But keeping them in mind, I can’t help but wonder how anyone could ship him and Alina – no offense to anyone who does! I still have two books to convince me otherwise! But his actions at the end of Shadow and Bone left much to be desired…

I really liked Genya in the beginning. She was kind and more authentic than most of the other characters we met. But her actions near the end had me doubting her authenticity. I hope we see more of her in the second book and I hope she redeems herself. The Apparat was creepy and I don’t trust him, but I have a feeling there’s more to him than we know.

There were a LOT of secondary and tertiary characters in this book. While I couldn’t possibly talk about them all, I want to say that I did really like a lot of them, even when they were getting on my nerves! They just made this whole world feel that much more real and authentic. Really, I just loved everything about this world – the magic, the rules, the history, all of it. The whole thing was breath-taking and wonderful. Ravka is definitely in my Top Ten Favorite Fictional Worlds!

The ending was epic and intense. I’m very excited to pick up the next book and see what happens next for our beloved characters. Leigh Bardugp is a gorgeous writer who will pull you into her world and make you fall for her characters. I highly, highly recommend this book for fans of fantasy and magic. If you loved Throne of Glass (and books like it), you’ll love Shadow and Bone!

four-stars

Review: Twist My Charm: The Popularity Spell by Toni Gallagher

Sep21

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: Twist My Charm: The Popularity Spell by Toni GallagherTwist My Charm: The Popularity Spell by Toni Gallagher
Series: Twist My Charm #1
Published by Random House Books for Young Readers on September 22, 2015
Pages: 272
Format: ARC
Source: the publisher
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four-stars

Magic and a little twist of mayhem will charm fans of Sarah Mlynowski, Lauren Myracle, and Wendy Mass in this fresh, contemporary debut!

When a package arrives in the mail for Cleo Nelson, she can’t wait to open it. The birthday present is seven months late, but it’s from Uncle Arnie and that can only mean one thing: magic! Inside is a voodoo doll complete with instructions for making happy, wonderful things happen to Cleo and her friends—err, friend. Just one, really. But maybe the doll can change that. . . .

Cleo can’t wait to try out the magic with her friend, Samantha. They start small by wishing for treats (surprise pizza!), but then their spells start to grow. And when they wish for popularity, they accidentally get the popular girl in school in major trouble with the principal. Can happy spells be twisted into bad magic?

I don’t read much middle grade – Okay, I never read middle grade. But when this book was pitched to me, it sounded like a really fun, intriguing read. Plus, the author was a TV producer for Disney’s Bug Juice. So.. Umm.. I had no choice but to read it!!! And I ended up really enjoying it!

The characters in this book were extremely relatable and yet extremely hard to relate to. I know, those two statements are completely at odds. But let me explain – I’m used to reading books with older characters. And at times, it was really hard to remember that the characters in this book were only around eleven and twelve years old. Sometimes, I caught myself thinking, “Wow, that was REALLY childish and immature,” only to stop and remind myself that they ARE children, so of course they’re going to react and behave to certain things in certain ways.

That being said, Cleo was a fun, relatable character. She was the awkward new girl who didn’t have the right hair or clothes and who was bullied by the mean girl – things that anyone, at any age, can relate to. She’s dealing with living in a new place and going to a new school, along with the realization that her dad is starting to seriously date someone. That’s a lot for anyone to handle! I admired Cleo’s ability to realize she was in over her head and needed help a few times. She realized when things had gone too far and knew she had to put a stop to them. Overall, I loved her character and personality.

Samantha’s a tough character to talk about because I really didn’t like her, but the reasons why I didn’t like her.. Well, again, some of the things she did were really childish and mean. But, like I said earlier, I have to remember that she IS a child. On the other hand, her age is no excuse for the way she treated Cleo. She was a bad friend, plain and simple. I understand why she was upset and I understand why she did a lot of what she did, but still. I’m happy with where her story ended, though, and excited to see what happens with her and Cleo in the second book.

Madison’s another tough character to talk about. I very strongly disliked her in the beginning. She reminded me of every mean girl I’ve ever encountered – and tried to forget – in my life. Couple that with the things she did to Cleo and Sam and you can see why she wasn’t likable. Once we got to know her better, though, I understand her actions and where she was coming from. Her personality did a major 180, roughly half-way through the book and I started to feel sorry for her and like her more. I REALLY like how her story ended and can’t wait to see more of her in book two!

I really liked Terri. She tried so hard to be kind to Cleo, to get on her good side without overstepping her boundaries. But Cleo was very stubborn and unkind to Terri. I understand why – to a certain extent – but it still made me sad. I loved Cleo’s dad and Terri together – they were such a fun, cute couple! I was shocked by the way Terri’s story ended and I’m crossing my fingers that something will change for her and her story in book two.

The middle/end of this book was pretty crazy and intense. I was shocked and saddened by some of the things that happened. But, overall, I really liked the way it ended and I’m very excited to get my hands on book two and see what happens next for Cleo, Sam and Maddy, as well as Cleo’s dad and Terri. If you’re a fan of middle grade and magic, then you’re going to love this one!

four-stars

Review: A Curious Tale of the In-Between by Lauren DeStefano

Sep16

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: A Curious Tale of the In-Between by Lauren DeStefanoA Curious Tale of the In-Between by Lauren DeStefano
Series: Pram #1
Published by Bloomsbury USA Childrens on September 1, 2015
Pages: 240
Format: ARC
Source: the publisher
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four-stars

Pram Bellamy is special--she can talk to ghosts. She doesn't have too many friends amongst the living, but that's all right. She has her books, she has her aunts, and she has her best friend, the ghostly Felix.

Then Pram meets Clarence, a boy from school who has also lost a parent and is looking for answers. Together they arrive at the door of the mysterious Lady Savant, who promises to help. But this spiritualist knows the true nature of Pram's power, and what she has planned is more terrifying than any ghost.

New York Times bestselling author Lauren DeStefano is beloved by critics and readers alike, and her middle grade debut is lyrical, evocative and not to be missed.

I don’t normally read middle grade novels, but I’m a huge fan of Lauren DeStefano’s YA books, so I knew I had to give A Curious Tale of the In-Between a chance! To my (slight) surprise, I really enjoyed it! I loved Pram, the world and the plot.

Pram was an awesome character. She’s described (through the eyes of her aunts) as being eccentric and imaginative. She knows she’s strange, but she doesn’t really let it bother her. She worries what others will think of her, but she doesn’t change herself to make them happy. She’d rather be invisible than be noticed, which I can completely relate to! She’s also very loyal to her friends and a very strong, brave person. She endures a LOT at the end of this book – both mentally and emotionally and even physically (a little bit) – and I’m very excited to see what happens next for her! Also, I know this is weird, since she’s so young, but I couldn’t help but picture her as Jennifer Love Hewitt in her Ghost Whisperer role – Like, this whole book just reminded me of a Middle Grade version of Ghost Whisperer!

Felix was an intriguing character. It’s a bit odd, because he’s young and he has the mentality of someone who’s young, but he’s also been a ghost for a long time, so he has a bit of maturity and wisdom that seems beyond his years. He has moments where he acts mature and wise, where he had enough sense to know when something was wrong and when he couldn’t handle something alone. But other times, he very much acted like the age he was when he died – like when he felt Clarence was taking Pram from him and she had to choose between her dead friend and living one. Someone older would know that you can have many friends and that you can have different interests and hobbies with each friend. But, despite his many years as a ghost, Felix couldn’t completely comprehend this. I felt bad for him because, at times, he seemed so sad.

Speaking of Clarence, I really liked him. Though his actions were a bit selfish sometimes and though his one-track mind got Pram into a lot of the trouble she found herself in, he was really good for Pram. Someday, if and when Felix DOES decide to move on, Pram will need a friend and Clarence is a good friend. He understands a lot of what Pram is going through and he’s very fierce and loyal to her. His actions at the end of the book – coupled with Felix’s help – really saved the day.

I loved Aunt Dee and Aunt Nan. They were pretty content to let Pram be herself, even when she was being eccentric, speaking to people who weren’t there and telling them about “imaginary” friends. For the most part, they did everything they could to keep her safe. I think they should have been more honest with her at times, but I understand that they felt they were protecting her by not telling her certain things. Also, this might be as odd as my Ghost Whisperer comment, but they completely reminded me of Aunt Hilda and Aunt Zelda from Sabrina the Teenage Witch – sans magic and slightly less quirky, though!

Lady Savant.. Ugh, it’s really hard to talk about her because I absolutely hated her for the majority of the book, but then something happened near the middle/end and I felt really bad for her. So even though I want to hate her for what she did… I really can’t now. There’s no excuse for the things she did, but the things that happened to her weren’t fair, either. I don’t want to justify her actions, but it’s hard not to want to defend her a little bit.

I loved the world and rules in this book, as well, though DeStefano is amazing at world-building, so that doesn’t surprise me. I loved the different approach she took to the ghostly world and the whole story with memories and objects – I know that’s vague, but I don’t want to spoil it for you guys! You’ll just have to read it to find out what I’m talking about!

My only complaint was that the writing felt a little bit awkward and stilted, which surprised me because I never had that problem with DeStefano’s YA books. But then I started to wonder if maybe it was just me and getting used to reading a book with a younger protagonist and, therefore, a different voice. Of course the book’s tone would be different. Once I got into that mentality, the writing didn’t bother me as much and I actually forgot it had bothered me at all by the time I got roughly half-way through the book!

The ending was pretty intense and I didn’t expect a lot of what happened, to happen! I also thought this was a stand-alone and apparently there’s going to be a second book! So that makes me really excited, especially given how it ended.

I highly recommend this for fans of Lauren DeStefano – and, of course, fans of MG novels and ghosts/paranormal plots. DeStefano is an amazing writer and she creates amazing worlds, characters that you care about and plots that keep you reading until the very last page.

four-stars