The Magic Warble - Victoria Simcox

Wow. I should look in my drafts folder more often. I've had this review written for a WHOLE year! Good news for me, I actually have something to post haha

Summary

From Goodreads:

Twelve-year-old Kristina Kingsly feels like the most unpopular girl in her school. The kids all tease her, and she never seems to fit in. But when Kristina receives an unusual Christmas gift, she suddenly finds herself magically transported to the land of Bernovem, home of dwarfs, gnomes, fairies, talking animals and the evil Queen Sentiz. In Bernovem, Kristina not only fits in, she's honored as "the chosen one," the only one who can release the land from Queen Sentiz's control. But it's not as simple as it seems. To save Bernovem, she must place the gift she was given, the famous "Magic Warble," in its final resting place. She must travel through the deep forest, climb a treacherous mountain, and risk capture by the queen's "zelbocks" before she reaches her destination. Guided by her new fairy friends, Clover and Looper and by Prince Werrien, a teenage boy, and an assortment of other characters, Kristina sets off on a perilous journey that not only tests her strength but her heart

First Line: "Kristina awoke when the jangling of her alarm sounded right in her ear."

Thoughts

First off, I would like to thank Vailia's Page Turner for running the giveaway that gave me a chance to read this story (And you should go check out her blog, she's always hosting great giveaways!), and secondly I would like to thank Victoria Simcox for being kind enough to allow me to host a giveaway of her book!

This was such a charming read!  It is definitely more for the middle grade reader than for the more teen oriented YA, so don't go into the book expecting instalove and love triangles (thank the lord for that!)


Here's what I loved:

- If you cross The Chronicles of Narnia with The Lord of the Rings, you get The Magic Warble
- Kristina's family is so very much what family is like when you're twelve (in most households anyway). Her parents clearly love her, but they are also clearly out of the loop when it comes to Kristina's relationships to other people and how she feels.
- I love Raymond!  Rats aren't generally thought of as pets, but I would love to have a rat like Raymond as a pet!  It also suits Kristina that she doesn't have a "usual" pet like a cat or dog.
- Talking animals, 'nuff said
- Kristina is a really great character.  She's strong and determined, but she's not superhuman.  She feels terrified and isn't afraid to admit it, but she keeps going despite her fears.  It makes her so likeable, because she's everything you'd want to be when you are twelve, but she's not a perfect character (which probably would have made me hate her a little bit if I read this when I was twelve)
- Werrien becomes Kristina's first best friend, and it was really sweet seeing them grow to be friends.  It wasn't instafriend (my version of instalove for younger readers).  They didn't know each other, there were plenty of misunderstanding, but when push came to shove they had each other's backs and they really grew to appreciate and love each other.
- Also Werrien is awesome with the bow and arrow and there's a lot of great action scenes.  Not too long which might bore some of your girl readers (some of them...some of us are all about knowing when to use a battle axe or a broad sword), but definitely plenty to engage those of us who love our action scenes!
- The concept of fairy blossom felt new and unique to me.
- Miss Henlsey reminded me so much of Miss Honey from Roald Dahl's Matilda.  I instantly fell in love with her! (And I'm really curious what her connection to the Magic Warble is!  I mean, I can guess, but I wonder if we'll get any of her story in the sequel?)



Most of what I didn't love as much has little to do with the actual story, and more to do with me as a reader.  It's been a long time since I've read a middle grade book that I didn't read when I was a kid.  I actually can't think of any at the moment!  So it took me a while to get into the story.  I think anyone who regularly reads middle grade stories, and particularly the age group it is aimed at will fall in love with the story immediately.  If I look at it analytically, you get the perfect amount of time set in our world, getting background on our characters, and then you jump to the magical world and the fast paced adventure starts right away!  I honestly have no idea why I didn't jump into the story right away.  I also had a hard time with the good vs. evil - and again I think it's because I primarily read stories aimed at older audiences (if we're going to be honest, I probably read more NA than YA since that's a category now).  The Magic Warble is full of villains - and the villains are perfectly villainy.  Again it reminds me of The Chronicles of Narnia - you've got your true evil, and your only sort of evil (there are so many twists and turns in The Magic Warble!  I don't want to give anything away, but I was constantly being surprised).  I've gotten used to explanations on the truly evil, but it is characteristic of middle grade stories for evil to simply be evil.  Overall, I only wish there had been more character development for the secondary characters, but I think part of that is being set up for the sequel.  The second half of the book flew by for me!  I got really into the story, and when I found out there is a sequel out, I was super excited!  It might have taken me a while to relax and get into the story, but when it happened, boy did it happen.  I'm definitely going to get my hands on the sequel when I get chance!


Would I recommend it?

Absolutely.  Buy this for your younger readers - or really just readers that aren't hooked into the romance aspect of books yet (which generally means younger readers).  The cast is a great mix of all genders and species, there's loads of adventure, fairies and gruesome creatures, and some really nice world building. 

I'm Dying, Someone Please Send a Lifeboat: Pegasus by Robin McKinley

Summary

Goodreads:  On her twelfth birthday, Princess Sylviianel is ceremonially bound to her own Pegasus, Ebon. For a thousand years humans and pegasi have lived in peace, relying on human magicians and pegasi shamans to converse. But close friends Sylvi and Ebon can talk. As their bond strengthens, can their friendship threaten to destroy the peace between their nations?

Thoughts

Guys. We need to talk.  I think I need an intervention.

On one hand, this book was everything I love/expect in a McKinley novel.  It's definitely not for everyone - the character development is very internal, there's beautiful world building done - but if you're more of an action packed plot driven person then this book is definitely not for you (and nor is Robin McKinley probably).  And I loved it. I mean, I'm a huge fan, so this is the sort of book I salivate over.  None of this is unexpected, and if you have enjoyed her books, then I would definitely recommend this.  

BUT.

AND IT'S A BIG BUT.

THAT ENDING ASLDKJFA;TJIROAWIAOWIRTH

I literally threw a tantrum. I had a full on melt down, complete with laugh/crying and arm flailing/leg kicking.  My boyfriend was rather alarmed and somewhat bemused. 

Basically how I entered the room after finishing this book.

 I would be upset about an ending like that in ANY book, but this is worse somehow.  I feel betrayed.  I had been warned that there was a ridiculous cliffhanger in this, and in general I'd say if Robin has a weakness, it can be her endings, but it's Robin. I've read all her books! HOW COULD SHE DO THIS TO ME?!!?!?!?  About 100 pages from the end, the pace really starts picking it up and gets really, really intense.  And then about 10 pages from the end it hits full throttle and OH MY GOD HOW. WHY.  It feels like she cuts off in the middle of the MOST. CLIMACTIC. SCENE.  Why?!? Just why? And it was published FOUR YEARS AGO. Which means that there's no sequel in sight, especially as she's published a book and has an ongoing serial.  THESE THINGS HAPPENED BEFORE THE SEQUEL.

I just...I feel hurt. And confused.  Not that this changes how I feel about Robin McKinley, because she remains one of my all time favourite authors and that will never, ever change.  I just...I feel a little bit like a puppy who just got kicked and it doesn't understand what it did wrong and why its owner doesn't love it anymore.

...I'm totally not overreacting at all.

I feel like I'm drowning. In despair. Someone send help.

Mini Reviews: Being Henry David by Cal Amistead

Soo...last week I got an e-mail from NetGalley being all like "Yo gurl where you been? Remember those books you got for free like a year ago? You totally owe us some reviews. PAY UP."  So I thought maybe I should get on that.  Unfortunately I actually DID mean to put up reviews for this before my hiatus...but now I've kind of forgotten a lot of stuff.  Commence mini review #1!

 

Summary

Goodreads: Seventeen-year-old "Hank" has found himself at Penn Station in New York City with no memory of anything --who he is, where he came from, why he's running away. His only possession is a worn copy of Walden, by Henry David Thoreau. And so he becomes Henry David-or "Hank" and takes first to the streets, and then to the only destination he can think of--Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts. Cal Armistead's remarkable debut novel is about a teen in search of himself. Hank begins to piece together recollections from his past. The only way Hank can discover his present is to face up to the realities of his grievous memories. He must come to terms with the tragedy of his past, to stop running, and to find his way home.

Thoughts

This book was interesting...in a way that at times I didn't entirely love, but in the end did touch me. I think my biggest problem is that it reads like an MG book, but the main character is 17.  A lot of the romance here felt awkward and forced (that might be why it felt like MG to me...that's how I feel about most hints of romance in MG books). And some of the lines both grossed me out immensely and made me laugh - with gems like "Music creates a bond between us, an intimacy. Like touching her with music instead of fingers."  I just...eww! I could totally get behind everything the author was communicating here...until those last three words. And I felt like that was what a lot of the book was for me.  As a whole this book was a great coming of age novel that deals with all sorts of different issues that comes along with that - relationships with girls and family, choosing what to do when you graduate high school, how transformative music can be.  I can get behind all of that, and these parts were my favourites.  But then there would be something like the line above and it would jerk me out of the story.  I don't want to make this sound like I hated the book, or even really disliked it because I didn't. I think it has a really heart warming story - I definitely teared up in spots (although admittedly that isn't hard to do in my case) and I really ended up caring for the characters.  In fact, I really want to more about what happens when the book ends! As much as the romance didn't work for me as a whole, there is a part towards the end where the main characters really connect through music. It might sound corny, but I have been there, where someone you are performing with can specifically draw something out of you that you couldn't have done on your own.  Music really can just...electrify a relationship.  It's parts like these that I think are really powerful in this book (it's clear the author is a musician) and that really made it for me. 


TL;DR

Overall while I feel like this book can have success with the age group its marketed at, I think it will have more success with a slightly younger group (maybe early high school kids or middle school).  And I think it might be the perfect book for a specific kid and that it might really open things up for them. I just don't think it's as a whole going to hold a lot of interest across a wide audience.

Jessie's Song - Eleni Papanou

Summary

Goodreads:  A kidnapping. A 24 hour deadline. A shocking ransom demand.

Markos Adams is famous, but not for his flashy guitar chops, leading man good looks or homemade baklava. After a heavily publicized suicide attempt, he tries to get his life and mind back in order. The morning after his return to the stage, Markos's worst nightmare is realized when his daughter, Jessie, is abducted. The kidnapper contacts him with the terms of the ransom: Markos must identify who he is in twenty-four hours. If he fails, he must commit suicide. Markos races against the clock to unmask the kidnapper and starts to question his sanity when he experiences visions of Jessie singing to him. Is Markos slowly descending into madness, or is he the victim of a sadistic criminal act that will force him to face his biggest fear...that he'll die before seeing his precious daughter again. 

Jessie's Song is a gripping suspense novel that shows how far a father will go to save his only child and how love and forgiveness are the key to saving Jessie…and himself. 

This book falls under the genre of visionary fiction and was written for the reader who appreciates books with a spiritually uplifting theme, minus the dogma. 


Thoughts

I am so mixed up on this book!  For me the real interest in the book picked up in Part III of the book (I think it was divided into parts?  I might be making that up.  Needless to say, I am referencing the last third).  I think most people will probably be really into the first 2/3rds and the ending might really throw them for a loop, so I will say that I think what I liked about this book will be coming from a minority opinion.

Have any of you watched The Waking Life?  It's one of the most thought provoking films I've ever watched, dealing with the meaning of dreams, lucid dreaming, mortality, what reality is...it's basically a lot of really interestingly done philosophy.  It's kind of hard to categorize the movie as it's kind of documentaryish, but it's kind of a narrative, and it's cartoon but definitely not for kids what with the philosophy aspect.  In any case, the book reminded me a lot of The Waking Life with many of the theories that passes through it, particularly the last third.  It's no coincidence that the last third reminds me of The Waking Life and that the last third was my favourite part of the book.  So if you are into philosophy dealing with any of the things listed above and particularly Eastern philosophy, I think this book is worth reading...and worth wading through the first 2/3rds if you're not loving them.

This isn't at all to say that I disliked the first part of the book...my interest just wasn't held consistently.  There are multiple story lines going on simultaneously, similar to the way Scott Lynch in his Gentleman Bastards.  I love this way of story telling, but it only works if you are invested in all the story lines.  Unfortunately, I found one story line dramatically more interesting than the others, so I just got frustrated when I had to wait to come back to it and started skimming the other two.  I think part of it was my inability to connect with the characters.  None of them are particularly likeable, which isn't that big of a problem for me, but if a character isn't likeable, I have to be able to relate to them in some way.  Honestly, I couldn't and I don't think this is a problem with the author's writing.  I'm simply in a different place than the main characters and haven't experienced any of their problems.  And I think at times the characters felt inconsistent or...something.  I'm not entirely sure?  The dialogue felt really awkward to me, and any time the characters spoke to each other it just felt kind of childish in a way.  But mostly, I think I'm just not in the right place to really appreciate who the characters are.  But on the flip side - so much diversity!!  I'm pretty sure there weren't any white characters, although I could be wrong on that one.  The main character was Greek, which I don't think I've ever experienced, and I loved that!

The mystery itself was engaging at first, but it petered out pretty quickly...I think part of this was the involvement with the other story lines.  In general, my biggest complaint is a complaint I have with a lot of adult novels...they just seem dreary.  Dragged on, saddish, but not tragic enough for tears.  Which is purely an interest problem on my end.  But as soon as that happened (or fairly soon after), we hit that end section of the book and I instantly gained interest again.  Unfortunately this review is coming off as a bit uneven, with more on the negative side, which is not at all how I feel.  Or only sort of how I feel, if we're being honest.  Sadly, I really, really can't go into the last section of the book because it will ruin everything.  Just trust me.  Like philosophy dealing with life/reality/dreams/eastern philosophers?  Read this book.

Let me end with my favourite part of the book - the music.  Music is integral to the book, and as a musician I'm obviously going to be really picky about how this is portrayed.  I will give the disclaimer that the focus on this book is jazz, which is an entirely different ball park from classical, but I'm not 100% ignorant of jazz, and somethings are true across all fields of music.  The verdict?  Eleni Papanou nails it.  She's clearly very familiar with jazz, referencing all sorts of musicians and particular pieces that I don't think detract from the book by not knowing them (I didn't know most of the songs), but I feel probably really make the book for a jazz lover.  The way she talks about the music and the musicians make it clear she's either spent a lot of time with musicians and in jazz clubs, or she was one herself at some point.  I'm always so excited when I feel music is portrayed realistically (or as realistically as can be expected in a novel, as one must always keep it interesting, and honestly practicing is the opposite of interesting to the layperson).  Even better?  At the top of each chapter it starts with a music quote!  So instead of a snippet of a poem or a quote, it begins with a few bars of music notated with lyrics.  Sadly, on the Kindle you can't really see the music so I couldn't make it out well enough to hear it in my head *grumble grumble effing kindles*, but I loved the concept!  The end of the book has all the pieces in their entirety...I meant to see if any of them were original songs or not...but well...I forgot and a very quick google search didn't answer my question.  BUT I can confirm that Papanou is very involved with jazz music, so there you are.


TL;DR

Like jazz music?  Like dream/reality/mortality/eastern philosophy?  Definitely check this out.  Want to work on reading books with more diversity?  This is chock full of it.  Not into any of those things?  This book may not be for you.

Chicago Bound (Jake McGreevey #2) - Sean Vogel

Summary

Goodreads:  Jake’s plan for a carefree holiday at a musical performing arts camp in the Windy City hits a sour note when he stumbles upon a long-hidden message from his mother, art historian Karen McGreevy. She had traveled to Chicago thirteen years earlier on a dream assignment, never to return home. With his violin and his mother’s mysterious letter in hand, Jake, his best friend Julie, and new pals Ben and Natalie are heading west, where they will follow the clues and uncover the truth about a missing masterpiece, the meaning of friendship, and the enduring bond between a mother and her son.

Thoughts

Once again, my Netgalley mania struck!  Although this is the 2nd book in the series, I must have liked the title so much I requested it anyway (or I was dumb enough to not notice it was the second book.  It wouldn't be the first time).  And I am so glad I did!  There is just so much to enjoy about this book.  While some might find it too cutesy for their taste, I thought it was really heart warming.  And any time it skewed towards any suspicious looks from me, the author immediately put in a lot of details that really made a difference.  For example there's a scene in the book that plays out very much like Home Alone with all sorts of home made contraptions to stall the villains.  Just as I was about to roll my eyes out how naive and unlikely to succeed in the real world this plan was, Jake detailed an actually very plausible plan.  And it had all the fun you got from Home Alone! 

In general it was just so clear that the author had done his research.  And there's just so many interesting things in this book!  Jake and his friends are very tech savvy, Jake is well versed in architecture as his father is an architect and at least somewhat knowledgeable in art as his mother was...whatever you call an art verifier person.  It was never info dumped and never so much that you wanted to skip sections, just little snippets here and there that were plausible given the characters' backgrounds and I just loved seeing certain things referenced (particularly because it was set in Chicago), so it basically just felt like a lot of awesome shout outs for his readers who are interested in any of those subjects.  Even better?  Jake and most of his friends are musicians.  So this book was basically meant for me.  Musicians?  In Chicago?  I mean, there's a reason I requested this book despite it being the second in a series.  Oh speaking of - this is easy to read as a standalone.  The books are definitely separate novels that follow the same character, sort of the way mystery novels (like Nancy Drew) or adventure novels (James Bond, Dirk Pitt, etc.) can be.  But back to the music!  The author was clearly a musician (or if he wasn't I'd be shocked and very, very impressed at how well he portrays a lot of aspects about music that are glossed over or just plain wrong in books), although my guess is that he was a choral musician.  (But then that just might be me reading into things).  It's so great reading a book where the author clearly understands how it works!  The way rehearsals are run, that it's not just some magical talent - you become a musician with practice and hard work.

I'm just so excited that music was written in a realistic way!  I literally can not think of a SINGLE novel where the musicians weren't just magically talented or just lay about all day and acted bohemian or something.  I mean seriously.  Come on.

I also loved all the information about Chicago.  I mean, from the title this is no surprise.  But coming from a small town, I'm not used to getting to read about places I walk by all the time.  There's just something about that that makes me so excited.  Until this year I didn't even know that was a thing I cared about, but I love it.  So many references to a lot of the attractions downtown as well as some interesting things about the history of the architecture here, and some good mentions of the skyline.

 

 In case you didn't know, Chicago has the best skyline in the world.  You can show me skylines from New York, Hong Kong, and I'm sorry but they just don't compare.  I'm not usually one for non-nature settings, but this is one of the most beautiful things you will ever see.  ...sorry I really love it here haha

Vogel also makes a point to really include diversity, even amongst the main characters.  One of my favourite scenes is at a nursing home and Jake is addressing some of the military members there.  Among them were some of the first women in the army who were not nurses.  It really felt like the author made a conscious effort on this and some of the more PC sections, and while that's generally not my style, who am I to complain about something that I want to see in books? 

I know I primarily review YA books and that the characters in this book are fifteen, but I did want to say that it is definitely more of a MG book than YA fiction, just as a heads up for those of you are less inclined to read MG.  (Although I'd say this is a really fun book if you'd like to give MG fiction a shot!).  There's very little romance, although the attraction is there, and addressed.  Jake is a little level-headed about it in a nonteenagery way at times, but again it really didn't bother me.  It was clear the author took into account a lot of things about being a teenager, and I really appreciated that.  And you know what?  It's just really nice to read a book where romance isn't the main focus, or the next main focus.  This book is about Jake solving a mystery involving his mom and dealing with the fun, crazy messes he and his friends manage to get into.  It was refreshing, and very fun :)

Overall

Basically this is one of the best researched novels I've ever read, and at the same time SO FUN.  Usually super researched books get really dull (I'm looking at you Headlong).  I mean it just has everything in it - art, architecture, music, libraries, fancy tech stuff that I don't understand, gymnastics, history...it's fantastic!  If you like MG literature at all and are looking for a really fun read (most of my MG lit tends towards the dark and depressing, so this was a very nice change of pace), you should definitely check this out.  On the other hand, if cutesy isn't for you this probably isn't going to be your scene.

Allegiant (Divergent #3) - Veronica Roth

 

Summary

Goodreads:  The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.

But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.

Told from a riveting dual perspective, Allegiant, by #1 New York Times best-selling author Veronica Roth, brings the Divergent series to a powerful conclusion while revealing the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers in Divergent and Insurgent.


Thoughts

I am actually not a huge fan of the trilogy (I can hear my cousin shouting in dismay from across the country).  This isn't to say I disliked the books, just that I don't connect to them the way other people seem to.   I think this is a thing that has to do with first person, and overall the writing style didn't work for me.  In general I don't do well with first person because I find it very limiting and there are a lot of things that come off clumsily when trying to point out other people's motivations.  This isn't to say it can't be done, just that it has to be done really well or it doesn't work.  I didn't make a note of it, so this might not have been specifically the problem I had with the writing style, but I very, very rarely like first person books.  I will say that in this book I had a REALLY hard time with the alternating POV's which is something I usually do ok with.  I found Tris and Tobias's voices hard to distinguish, and I'd only remember each chapter was a different POV when I was a couple pages into each chapter and realized things weren't making sense, which kept jolting me out of the story line.

Despite everything negative I've been saying so far, it really is a fun, action packed read.  It was also a lot of fun for me because I realized early on that is was set in Chicago, so it was great discovering all these places I see regularly (or in the spring when I stop hibernating inside of my apartment).  I've discovered that I actually really enjoy reading/seeing places I recognize.  And since I've moved here I've discovered there are a TON of books that are set here!  But of course that doesn't really mean much to the rest of you as I assume the majority of you couldn't possibly live here, and therefore could care less that the trains the Dauntless ride are the El.

I have to say I actually quite liked the ending.  I knew there were pretty much only 3 options as to what it could be since there's only one thing that could make people so upset, so perhaps it helped that I had warning and it wasn't a sudden discovery.  Again, the execution didn't necessarily work for me, but it did feel like this was where the trilogy as a whole was building to.  I'm also a masochist, so the more a book hurts me, generally the more I like the book.  Because I am a crazy person haha



Overall

This trilogy wasn't my cup of tea, but I can certainly see why other people loved it.  I just didn't connect to the writing style and the characters in the way I needed to.  I don't regret reading the series, it was definitely a fun time, so if you like the dystopia/post-apocalyptic genre and haven't read this series yet, I would definitely recommend it.

Echo Prophecy (Echo Trilogy #1) - Lindsey Fairleigh

I received a copy of this book from the publishers.  This did not affect my opinion or the content of this review.

Summary

Goodreads:  Discover what's hidden--a powerful, mythic race, an ancient Egyptian prophecy, and a love strong enough to shatter the boundaries of time.

Alexandra Larson isn't human...but she doesn't know that. As far as Lex is concerned, she's simply an ambitious and independent archaeology grad student with a knack for deciphering ancient languages, especially the various forms of Egyptian. When she's recruited to work on her dream excavation, her translating skills uncover the secret entrance to an underground Egyptian temple concealed within Djeser-Djeseru--the famous mortuary temple of Queen Hatchepsut. Lex is beyond thrilled by her discovery...as is the enigmatic and alluring excavation director, Marcus Bahur.

As the relationship between Lex and Marcus heats up, a series of shocking revelations leave the young archaeologist reeling. Once Lex discovers the truth of her ancient Egyptian roots--the truth of her more-than-human nature--the people she trusts most make one final, terrifying revelation: Lex is the central figure of a four-thousand-year-old prophecy. She is the only thing standing between the power to alter the very fabric of time and an evil megalomaniac...who also happens to be her father. As events set in motion over four millennia ago lead Lex and Marcus from Seattle to the heart of Egypt, the fate of mankind depends on one thing: the strength of Lex's love.

***Contains adult content.***


Thoughts

So I've come to realization that apparently I went absolutely mad on Netflix and requested everything (and I mean EVERYTHING), and for some reason they were all archived in January, because I an going though a whole shlew of books that I ordinarily wouldn't have picked up.  Clearly I was possessed because I have no recollection of requesting them, nor do I have a clue what made me think I'd want to.  That being said, it's kind of great!  I'm having good luck reading outside of my comfort zone, so yay!


This is the sort of book I'd ordinarily read for fun and wouldn't bother reviewing.  It's actually a lot like something I'd enjoy reading on fictionpress.  I'm not saying this to dismiss it, as I have high regard for a lot of the really fantastic authors on fictionpress.  Basically it's the kind of book that I don't mind for a quick, fun read.  I'm not reading it to engage my mind, and I just don't feel like picking it apart.  It was fun!  Did it have a lot of issues with the feminist side of me?  Yeah sometimes.  Was I confused as to whether Lex was a graduate student or doctoral student?  Yeah, and ok I probably would have liked that clarified.  I also would like the whole father thing clarified because I was SUPER confused *spoilers* I totally thought her biological father ended up being the same guy who raised her, but then half way through the book it wasn't him? I must have really missed something along the way *end spoilers*  I just don't have high standards if I'm reading a book specifically for romance.  Once I figured out that's what the book was, I turned my brain off and went along for the ride.  Which of course is not helping me figure out how to review this, particularly because I forgot to jot down any notes about the book when I finished.  So it's time for Elizabeth's lazy list time because

- Clearly there was some research done on Egyptian mythology and ancient culture, although I can't guarantee how thorough it was (and in the end it doesn't really bother me too much one way or the other).  I could just tell it had been done.  I do wish there had been a bit more world building, but then the only series I have to compare this with is Kushiel's Dart, as if I do read a romance, it's almost always historical.   Honestly the two are utterly incomparable.  I mean Kushiel's Dart is one of the best written series I've ever read and is SO MUCH MORE than a simple romance book (in fact mostly it's not one, at least in my mind).  The world building that is done is pretty cool though.
- When I'm about to roll my eyes, she often acknowledges it is an eye rolling worthy bit of writing, even if that didn't stop her from including it in the first place.  But the fact that it is acknowledged assuages me, so I'm not too worried
- Lex can come off as rather Mary-Sueish at times, or rather that the things that come easily to her are sometimes a bit convenient.


Overall

Do you want a romance novel?  Do you want paranormal/mythological tones to that romance novel?  By all means check this out because it's a really fun read!  Do you want a book with an infallible plot and characters that extremely fleshed out?  This book probably isn't for you.  So really, this book is mostly about what you want in your romance novels, and that will largely affect how much you enjoy this one.  Happy reading (and Happy Valentine's Day since my bloglovin feed has hinted that perhaps that's today)

Defy (Defy #1) - Sara B. Larson

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.

Summary

Goodreads:  A lush and gorgeously written debut, packed with action, intrigue, and a thrilling love triangle.

Alexa Hollen is a fighter. Forced to disguise herself as a boy and serve in the king's army, Alex uses her quick wit and fierce sword-fighting skills to earn a spot on the elite prince's guard. But when a powerful sorcerer sneaks into the palace in the dead of night, even Alex, who is virtually unbeatable, can't prevent him from abducting her, her fellow guard and friend Rylan, and Prince Damian, taking them through the treacherous wilds of the jungle and deep into enemy territory.

The longer Alex is held captive with both Rylan and the prince, the more she realizes that she is not the only one who has been keeping dangerous secrets. And suddenly, after her own secret is revealed, Alex finds herself confronted with two men vying for her heart: the safe and steady Rylan, who has always cared for her, and the dark, intriguing Damian. With hidden foes lurking around every corner, is Alex strong enough to save herself and the kingdom she's sworn to protect?


Thoughts

I was mostly entertained by this book, even if I got very frustrated at times.  I was on a road trip to a competition with my quintet when I was reading this, and needless to say THEY were entertained by my reactions.  Anytime a book includes a line that says "The artery in my neck pounded beneath my skin, and I felt light-headed with shock"  used as a romantic statement, it is hard not to share.

So...I have a lot of mixed feelings about this book.  On the one hand, I think it's an interesting premise and with some work I could come to enjoy the series.  On the otherhand....so much of it is cringeworthy and rather offensive.

I think part of my issue is that it was written in first person.  This is not my favourite style of narration because it is so limiting, and because it so often isn't done well.  For example, our main character Alexa often makes clear observations (or heavily insinuated ones) about people and how they appear to feel about her, but then she seems to become oblivious all of a sudden like she hasn't realized this.  This is the author's way of showing us how the other characters feel, but because it is filtered through another character who apparently hasn't actually realized these things, it makes your main character seem really dumb.  Or falsely humble.  It was also frustrating because Alexa would constantly tell us how a character was acting very differently (particularly the prince) and that it was weird and out of character...but we never saw the characters act any other way, so it doesn't actually feel like the character is acting strangely. 

 I've mentioned on the blog before that world building and character development are the most important things for me.  And simply put...this book doesn't have them.  It puts every effort into having them, but it's all talk and no show.  And the world building is the very bare bones.  And actually a bit confusing - I definitely needed a lot more not only on the actual feel of the area (not just this is a jungle.  This other country is a desert), but also the politics (the kind invaded this country and is invading the next?  Why?  Why should Alexa feel loyalty to this king if he technically just conquered her country?  I mean then he's not really her king is he?  I might have misunderstood some stuff, so maybe I just missed something as far as these questions go).  And the whole breeding houses thing....I mean what??  In the book it's explained that women are sent to breeding houses where they are....forced to have children to build an army.  I'm a little unclear as to what qualifies some women to go and some not since not everyone is in them...but more importantly uhhh....that seems like a really terrible way to build an army.  I mean it does take more than a few years for a kid to become strong enough to fight in a war.  And there's no explanation beyond that.  It serves as nothing but a simple plot device, and I absolutely do not approve of using rape to simply say, oh those guys are bad.  The guys who are in love with me also think they are bad, therefore they must be good guys.  NOT OK.  Also slut shaming.  I don't feel like going into it, but it happened, and it's my biggest pet peeve.  Ever.

Needless to say, I think my quintet was starting to think I had gone absolutely bonkers haha

I know this has pretty much been negative, but I will say that I did enjoy parts of the book.  I will also say that Alexa's confusion on spending the past 4 years of her life as a boy, and then being seen as a girl felt very real.  Her reactions and her place in how gender roles felt absolutely true.  It changes how people react to you and after four years as a boy, I can imagine that would be confusing, as there is a social stigma to react and behave a certain way when you are a woman versus a man.



Overall

This is not the strongest debut I've ever seen, but I really do believe that this author has all the parts there to turn this series into something pretty good.  I think she has potential as an author and I will be sticking around to see what happens in the next book.

Bellman & Black - Diane Setterfield

 I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

In other news, I'm using Grammarly to check for plagiarism because if aliens ever take over Earth, I think not being a plagiarizer will make them more sympathetic to my cause. (My cause of please don't kill me!)  (And I'm also using it because my sentences tend to have an infestation of commas.  And parenthesis.  Like this one.  Oops?)

Summary

Goodreads:  Bellman & Black is a heart-thumpingly perfect ghost story, beautifully and irresistibly written, its ratcheting tension exquisitely calibrated line by line. Its hero is William Bellman, who, as a boy of 11, killed a shiny black rook with a catapult, and who grew up to be someone, his neighbours think, who "could go to the good or the bad." And indeed, although William Bellman's life at first seems blessed—he has a happy marriage to a beautiful woman, becomes father to a brood of bright, strong children, and thrives in business—one by one, people around him die. And at each funeral, he is startled to see a strange man in black, smiling at him. At first, the dead are distant relatives, but eventually his own children die, and then his wife, leaving behind only one child, his favourite, Dora. Unhinged by grief, William gets drunk and stumbles to his wife's fresh grave—and who should be there waiting, but the smiling stranger in black. The stranger has a proposition for William—a mysterious business called "Bellman & Black" . . .

Quotes

When the mysterious sky dance is over, the spectators blink and breathe and come to themselves after their long enchantment.  They feel mild surprise at finding themselves contained in their bodies on this sloping hillside:  for the last half hour they have been elsewhere.  Their souls resettle in their bodies.  Fingers stretch and toes wriggle experimentally.  Their rib cages and unfeathered flesh feel faintly foreign to them.

Thoughts

I want to preface this review by saying...I hate to have to do this.  Diane Setterfield's debut, The Thirteenth Tale was one of the most amazing books I have ever read.  It is easily in my list of all time favourite books.  It has EVERYTHING - crazy levels of suspense, well thought out characters, a twisty plot, and some of the most lush, vivid, beautiful writing I have ever had the pleasure of reading.  I have been waiting for Diane Setterfield's next book for YEARS.  Every few months I'd search for when the next book was out, so when I found out about this book (and when I got approved for an ARC) I was ecstatic.  

Bellman & Black has the same beautiful language and gothic feel as The Thirteenth Tale, but sadly none of the suspense.  Reading about a man's obsession with making money just isn't what I'm into.  There are only so many times I can read the details of a mill's accounting before I start getting agonizingly bored.  Especially when I don't understand what the point of it all was!  

From here on out be careful of minor spoilers!  The first part of the book details what a charmed life William has - he's handsome, charming, has had luck with pretty much ALL the ladies in town, is incredibly intelligent, and ends up running a mill.  Unfortunately in the next section of the book, it's all downhill from there.  And throughout all of this William comes off anywhere from being a...jerk, and incredibly boring.  Worst possible combination I can think of.  And the worst part of all of this is...I STILL DON'T GET IT.  I really, really don't know why we had to know all the details of the accounting.  I think I get who Black is?  But what was the deal?  What was he supposed to do?  It makes me SO. ANGRY.  If I had to read this entire book of nothing I at least need to know WHAT WAS IT ALL FOR?!?!?!

On the upside, I actually liked all the asides with facts about the rooks.  For one, it made a break from the monotony of what it's like to run a business.  It also involved some of Setterfield's most beautiful writing.  I didn't include it here, but the last line of the book is everything I love about last lines in a book.  (And of course it involves rooks)

Overall  

I wanted to love this.  I adore Setterfield's writing, and I absolutely will buy her next book regardless of my feelings on this one.  I imagine it is always incredibly difficult to write another novel when your debut has been so successful with both critics and readers.  I pray that she gets the chance to release another novel because I know I'm not the only one out there rooting for her, despite not loving this novel.

The Demon's Surrender (The Demon's Lexicon Trilogy #3) - Sarah Rees Brennan

Summary

Goodreads:  The Goblin Market has always been the centre of Sin's world. She's a dancer and a performer, secure in her place. But now the Market is at war with the magicians, and Sin's place is in danger. Keeping secrets from the market she loves, struggling with a friend who has become a rival, Sin is thrown together with the Ryves brothers, Nick and Alan - whom she's always despised. But Alan has been marked by a magician, to be tortured as the magician pleases, and as Sin watches Alan struggle to protect the demon brother he loves, she begins to see both brothers in a new light. But how far will brother go to save brother - and what will it cost them all?


Thoughts

Soo...eh.  This was weird.  It's from Sin's point of view, which I both liked and disliked - I really like her character, but I felt like because she was the narrator there were a bunch of plot tangents that weren't really necessary, but because they weren't really explored, they were also not fleshed out enough to work either.  Particularly the competition between Mae and Sin - and that's a whole other issue.  If you aren't worried about spoilers, look up the goodreads reviews and they really hit on the issue of race and culture, etc.  Also, speaking of POC - why is Alan on the cover?  It's from Sin's POV!  Why isn't she on the cover??  Oh wait.  Because she's half black.  Clearly not worthy of a cover.  (Admittedly there is ONE version of the cover with her on it.  But the other FIVE covers?  All Alan.)

I also felt like the romance was lackluster.  Once again I just didn't care.  And in some cases I was like...what??  *spoilers* Jamie and Seb?  Huh?  Where did that come from?  He was dating Jamie's sister for Pete's sake!  Not that I'm not happy for them I guess?  But we don't get to see their relationship mature at all, it's just suddenly THERE.*end spoiler*  In fact only one couple didn't seem out of the blue and that's because they've been sort dancing around the subject for at least a book.  In a way it felt like the couples were just...I don't know paired of so...neatly.  Which I feel isn't a real complaint, so I don't know what my problem is.  I don't know.  I mean I enjoyed the book, it's not that I hated it, but I wasn't really loving it either.

What did she do to my poor Jamie?!  He was unrecognizable!!  I actually would have loved a book from his POV and I feel like there was more action around him than whatever tangents we went down with Sin/Mae.  That being said, I did like the ending, and how the magical problems were solved (at least as far as Sin/Mae go).  Some people had some...issues with it, and I definitely see where they are coming from (Again, head to the goodreads reviews if you don't mind spoilers and want to see what all the race/culture hullaboo was about).  But in the end, I thought it was a good ending to the trilogy.

The Demon's Covenant (The Demon's Lexicon #2) - Sarah Rees Brennan

Summary

Goodreads:  Mae Crawford's always thought of herself as in control, but in the last few weeks her life has changed. Her younger brother, Jamie, suddenly has magical powers, and she's even more unsettled when she realizes that Gerald, the new leader of the Obsidian Circle, is trying to persuade Jamie to join the magicians. Even worse? Jamie hasn't told Mae a thing about any of it. Mae turns to brothers Nick and Alan to help her rescue Jamie, but they are in danger from Gerald themselves because he wants to steal Nick's powers. Will Mae be able to find a way to save everyone she cares about from the power-hungry magician's carefully laid trap?


Thoughts

It's weird because in some ways I loved this more than The Demon's Lexicon, and in other ways I definitely didn't.  I felt like the tone was much more like SRB's Unspoken actually - lots of humour in this one (maybe because we were following Mae's narration this time?)  We get lots of Jamie who I love and he was as quippy as usual!

I really am not a huge fan of romance tangles in my book, and I think I'm going through a definite anti-romance thing, because I really wasn't into the romance in this book even slightly.  Not even a small part of me was interested in ANY of the love...combinations?  I won't go into details because of spoilers, but there's basically this huge love tangle and it's confusing and dumb and I was bored.  Unfortunately, it was a rather large portion of the book as well.  I would like to give the disclaimer that if I wasn't feeling so anti-romance in books right now, I might take that statement back - the romance wasn't bad, I just wasn't interested.

Luckily there's plenty of action complete with Nick's badassery and Jamie's hilarity, so overall the book is balanced.

Sorry this is so short, I've been feeling rather uninspired about reviewing :-/ (so unfortunately I think short reviews are in both of our futures, assuming you read the ones I write).  Hopefully I snap out of it soon!

A White Room - Stephanie Carroll

Summary

Goodreads:  At the close of the Victorian Era, society still expected middle-class women to be “the angels of the house,” even as a select few strived to become something more. In this time of change, Emeline Evans dreamed of becoming a nurse. But when her father dies unexpectedly, Emeline sacrifices her ambitions and rescues her family from destitution by marrying John Dorr, a reserved lawyer who can provide for her family.

John moves Emeline to the remote Missouri town of Labellum and into an unusual house where her sorrow and uneasiness edge toward madness. Furniture twists and turns before her eyes, people stare out at her from empty rooms, and the house itself conspires against her. The doctor diagnoses hysteria, but the treatment merely reinforces the house’s grip on her mind.

Emeline only finds solace after pursuing an opportunity to serve the poor as an unlicensed nurse. Yet in order to bring comfort to the needy she must secretly defy her husband, whose employer viciously hunts down and prosecutes unlicensed practitioners. Although women are no longer burned at the stake in 1900, disobedience is a symptom of psychological defect, and hysterical women must be controlled.

A novel of madness and secrets, A White Room presents a fantastical glimpse into the forgotten cult of domesticity, where one’s own home could become a prison and a woman has to be willing to risk everything to be free.

Thoughts

I definitely enjoyed this book, but I think it's one of those books that you are totally absorbed in when you read it...but if you think too hard about certain aspects it requires you to suspend quite a bit of belief in a lot of things.

The pacing in the beginning was sooooo slow!  It was beautifully written (My copy wouldn't allow bookmarks in it or I would have an example quote for you.  Everything is quite descriptive), but it definitely dragged.  Once you get past all the creepy house descriptions though, it's utterly gripping!  The suspense is crazy!!  Whatever complaints I have about the characters being a bit two-dimensional or the weird crazy house stuff, I completely put aside as I got sucked into this story.  I don't want to say too much because a lot of the suspense is built on coming to the book not knowing much more than what is written on the back cover, but trust me.  If you read this and are finding yourself stuck WAIT.  As I said, once you get past the house bits, the story takes you for a rollercoaster ride.  (I'm pretty sure I just made that saying up.  YOU ALL MUST USE IT NOW.)    Beyond the suspense, the plot itself is very interesting.  I know very little about the history of medicine which is a big part of this book and it was fascinating!  Not only in relation to women, but in general.  This is set right around the time that germs were becoming common knowledge.  While there is a big focus on medicine and techniques of the time, it doesn't weigh the story down.  In fact it makes the story even more interesting. 

Unfortunately, a book can't thrive on plot and suspense alone.  While I feel like Emeline was very well written, I didn't get a good feel for any of the other characters.  The villains are villainish, and the good guys are...sometimes villainish.   It adds to the suspense that you don't know who's on Emeline's side, but I feel like character development was sacrificed for this (and we all know characters are #1 for me, so this might not bother most other people).  I was especially unconvinced by the romance and the ending seemed rather too convenient.  But that being said, I am glad it ended the way it did.

In a few ways this reminds me of a historical fiction adult version of the Mara Dyer series.  If you're at all interested in any combination of those things, I'd check this out.  Part of this is how well the suspense is played out (and we all know that the suspense in Mara Dyer about did me in it was so crazy).  Another part of this was Emeline's madness.  I personally didn't really understand why she was seeing things really, but it adds to the suspense as I wasn't sure if she really was crazy.  (Starting to sound familiar?)

 But on to the parts of the story that I loved and have very little to do with the mechanics of writing.
The subject for this novel is near and dear to my heart.  I see how far we have come (and how far we haven't) as women in society now, compared to a century ago - when midwives considered criminals, hysteria was a diagnosis and had...unpleasant solutions (They thought the uterus wandered into your head!  What?!), when abortion was a crime, when disobedience in a woman was diagnosed as a mental disorder.  Literally.  They could put you in the madhouse if you disobeyed your husband or parents.  No questions asked.  In a lot of ways this paralleled an earlier version of The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox, one of my all time favourite books.  I always love books like these because I think more needs to be written about this time period and women's rights (or really women's rights throughout the 20th century).  The awareness needs to be there.  It hasn't been so long since we've had the rights we do now, and it's still a battle.  A lot of people have started to dislike the word feminist and the sort of people it stands for.  You should definitely read that article - it's an interesting look at feminism and what it means to people (and also Joss Whedon).  Feminism for me still stands simply for equal rights between genders.  I think a lot of us take for granted what our predecessors lived through and what they have done to make our life the way it is now.  We shouldn't lay back and think "that's just the way it is" - we have to keep fighting for equality not only in our laws but in the way society views us.  We have to keep improving for all the generations that follow us.


Overall

Despite the flaws I listed, I would definitely recommend this book.  It is utterly readable and it accurately (to my knowledge - the book seems well-researched) depicts a time in our history that is extremely important to know as a woman.

The Color Master - Aimee Bender

 

Summary

Goodreads:  The bestselling author of "The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake" returns with a wondrous collection of dreamy, strange, and magical stories. 

Truly beloved by readers and critics alike, Aimee Bender has become known as something of an enchantress whose lush prose is "moving, fanciful, and gorgeously strange" ("People"), "richly imagined and bittersweet" ("Vanity Fair"), and "full of provocative ideas" ("The Boston Globe"). In her deft hands, "relationships and mundane activities take on mythic qualities" ("The Wall Street Journal"). 

In this collection, Bender's unique talents sparkle brilliantly in stories about people searching for connection through love, sex, and family--while navigating the often painful realities of their lives. A traumatic event unfolds when a girl with flowing hair of golden wheat appears in an apple orchard, where a group of people await her. A woman plays out a prostitution fantasy with her husband and finds she cannot go back to her old sex life. An ugly woman marries an ogre and struggles to decide if she should stay with him after he mistakenly eats their children. Two sisters travel deep into Malaysia, where one learns the art of mending tigers who have been ripped to shreds. 

In these deeply resonant stories--evocative, funny, beautiful, and sad--we see ourselves reflected as if in a funhouse mirror. Aimee Bender has once again proven herself to be among the most imaginative, exciting, and intelligent writers of our time.

Notable quote:   

"He could feel it, just feel it, the glimmer of something that he did not understand. But he would never call it God. He would not call it prayer. But just beyond his sandwich, and the four TV shows he watched back to back, and his teeth brushing, and his face washing, and his nighttime reading of a magazine, and his light switching off, just the faint realization that there were many ways to live a life and that some people were living a life that was very different than his, and the way they lived was beyond him and also didn't interest him and yet he could sense it. Comfort and fear rose together inside him. Like standing in the middle of a meadow, where no one had his back." 

"The Doctor and the Rabbi" (probably my second favourite story in the lot after "The Devourings")


Thoughts

It's always hard for me to think of a way to review short stories (which is why I haven't so far), but I thought now would be as good as a time as any to start trying.  The Color Master is divided into three parts that all seem to be centered around a sort of theme.

  The very first story in the entire book titled "Appless" featured from what I can tell *spoilers* a gang rape.*spoilers*   I thought it was offensive, unnecessary, and it made it hard for me to have much patience for the other stories in Part I, which featured women who explore power/equality/other things like that with their sexuality.  I thought most of them were interesting, but none really stood out and captured me the way I had been expecting them to. 

Fortunately, Aimee Bender worked her magic and there were plenty of other stories to enjoy!  I thought "Bad Return" which featured a college student who wanders into a stranger's home pretty enjoyable, and "Origin Class" was thought provoking in a different way than many of Bender's other stories were.  "Wordkeepers" was more realistic than her usual works (no hint of magic realism or even just strange things).  In fact it describes me in pretty much every conversation.  What does it mean for us that we can't remember words?  That we're constantly replacing names with "stuff" or "thingie"?  It wasn't something I'd thought of before, but it struck a chord with me.  Because it is a new thing that we're forgetting words, and it affects all generations.  It might come off as a bit pedantic to some, but I enjoyed the questions it posed.

As someone who is madly in love with faerie tale retellings, I obviously loved "The Color Master" - a retelling of Donkeyskin which is one of my all time favourite fairy tales, as well as "The Devourings".  "The Devourings" is the very last story in the book and it follows the perspective of the troll's wife (or giant if you're thinking Jack in the Beanstalk) whose husband accidentally eats his own children.  It follows her past her death and the death of all civilization when all that is left is a magical self-replenishing cake.  If I hated the opening to this collection of stories, "The Devourings" couldn't have been a more perfect ending to it.  Easily my favourite short story of the lot, the writing is just magical in a way I've come to love and appreciate from Aimee Bender.  Even when I don't necessarily understand everything at play, there's this feeling of rightness to a lot of her writing.

If you're looking for a little more background on the individual stories, this review does a really great job of giving a brief summary of each story and how the reviewer felt about them.  I don't necessarily agree with all the ratings, but I've spotlighted the stories that I enjoyed the most here.


Overall

The collection was a bit of a mixed bag.  Part I didn't do much for me, whereas I enjoyed almost all the stories in Part II  and III immensely, and "The Devourings" is one now one of my favourite short stories of all time.  I definitely recommend looking into this if you are a fan of Aimee Bender at all (or even Neil Gaiman - there's some resemblances there even if I can't articulate exactly what they are) or enjoy short stories.  This isn't usually my scene as I rarely read short story collections, but I don't regret it for a minute.  Aimee Bender's stories are always refreshing and often take a turn for the completely unexpected.



Bechdel Test

I was silly enough to return this to the library without marking any quotes at all which is a shame.  It's no surprise to me that Aimee Bender's work passes the Bechdel Test with flying colors.  Off the top of my head, I can think of at least two of the short stories that pass the test - Lemonade and Tiger Mending - simply because they only have women in the stories.  Other works like Americca, The Color Master, Bad Return, and The Red Ribbon pass the test in some form or another (I think, I can't guarantee as I don't have the book to check against).  It's amazing that in a book full of short stories, about half pass the test, whereas most full length novels can't manage it.  Something to ponder over...

Emerald Green (Ruby Red Trilogy #3) - Kerstin Gier

 

Summary

Goodreads:  Gwen has a destiny to fulfill, but no one will tell her what it is.

She’s only recently learned that she is the Ruby, the final member of the time-traveling Circle of Twelve, and since then nothing has been going right. She suspects the founder of the Circle, Count Saint-German, is up to something nefarious, but nobody will believe her. And she’s just learned that her charming time-traveling partner, Gideon, has probably been using her all along.

This stunning conclusion picks up where Sapphire Blue left off, reaching new heights of intrigue and romance as Gwen finally uncovers the secrets of the time-traveling society and learns her fate.


Thoughts

*Shrugs* well it's about what I was expecting.  There was less Gideon angst, so yay for that?  I figured out some mysteries in the first book, and pretty much all the others about half way through this one.  I mean it's fine I guess, I wasn't bored and it didn't frustrate me that I already knew (probably because I had other question, but more on that later).  It's not giving me much to fangirl over though.  Basically everything I loved in previous books I loved here.  Gwyneth and Lesley continue to be a delight, and the other side characters are just as awesome.  Great- Aunt Maddie is hilarious, her siblings are cute.  Everything I didn't love, I still didn't love.  I need more background on everyone!  I need the mysteries that were left off half-heartedly to be explained, and the mysteries that were explained a little less obvious.  And I would really, really have loved explanations on how things worked.   Like for example:  (Only read this next paragraph if you don't care about spoilers!)

- Jack White is never explained!  Why does he suddenly have a personality change and like Gwyneth?  Why does he let her fake sick?  What's up with his son?  WILL HE EVER KNOW THE GHOST OF HIS SON FOLLOWS HIM AROUND?
- Why does Gwyneth's grandmother become such a heartless...being, particularly towards Gwyneth?  I mean I guess the grandfather dying is part of that, but still.  She doesn't have enough reason for me.
- Why did there need to be twelve people?  How were the chronothingies built?  Did time travel really start with the Count?  Why did he kill his ancestor?  How did the Count get the vial that got him into the present time?  I mean, ok so he probably blackmailed someone, as that was the going theory, but how?  Who? Basically none of the concepts behind how everything works is explained.  And I really,  really wanted that.
- So what's the point in Gwyneth's ghosts other than our entertainment?
- Are they going to live forever?  Do they age?  HOW DOES THIS ALL WORK??  Also *gags* ...so sickly sweet and urggghhhh Gideon.  I may like you more than I did before, but that tolerance is still pretty low.


So to basically sum that up, nothing about the Count or the workings of the time travel itself was ever explained, and that's what I wanted the most from this book.

Overall

Do I regret reading this series?  No.  Would I do it again?  Probably not.  I think the trilogy was a lot of fun, and I wouldn't steer people away from the books, but I also would only recommend the books to a certain type of reader.  The characters (most of them.  The good guys, basically) were hilarious and really awesome to experience, but everything else I could take or leave.

The Demon's Lexicon (The Demon's Lexicon Trilogy #1) - Sarah Rees Brennan

 Summary

Goodreads:  Sixteen-year-old Nick and his brother, Alan, are always ready to run. Their father is dead, and their mother is crazy—she screams if Nick gets near her. She’s no help in protecting any of them from the deadly magicians who use demons to work their magic. The magicians want a charm that Nick’s mother stole—and they want it badly enough to kill. Alan is Nick’s partner in demon slaying and the only person he trusts in the world. So things get very scary and very complicated when Nick begins to suspect that everything Alan has told him about their father, their mother, their past, and what they are doing is a complete lie. . . .


Thoughts

So I know most people have gone from this series to Unspoken, but I am an expert at doing things backwards.  And coming from that series to this one was...interesting.  It was so much...heavier than Unspoken.  I mean Kami is so funny despite all the things that go on in Unspoken.  This book DEFINITELY wasn't like that.  Jamie put in some good quips (And is probably my favourite character in this book), but for the most part it felt tense the whole time.  I felt seriously on edge the ENTIRE BOOK.  I have yet to decide whether this is a good thing or not.  Ordinarily I avoid books that give me the bad feels the whole time...but...it was pretty engaging.  Sarah Rees Brennan definitely gives you full power suspense/tension.  You know something isn't quite right but you're not sure what.  Or you know what, you're just not sure of the how/why. I can't say I love this series as much as Untold, but then I didn't think much of Supernatural the first time I watched it either (blasphemy!).  Speaking of, it's so easy to see Sam and Dean in these characters!  I mean two brothers, fighting/hiding from demons, loyal to each other beyond comprehension..they've got it down. 

...this is going to be an extraordinarily short review, sorry.  I just don't really have anything else to say?  I enjoyed it, but it didn't blow my world apart.  I think some of this was caused by coming to the book with such high expectations.  It's not that they weren't met, it's just that the tone of this came as a bit of a shock.  Luckily I feel a bit more prepared for the next book (I feel like I am tempting fate saying that, but I've said it so that's how it's going to be). So while this may come off as a lackluster review, I actually did enjoy this very much and am really looking forward to the next book!

Enna Burning (The Books of Bayern #2) - Shannon Hale

Don't forget I've got a giveaway running until October 14th!

 

Summary

Enna and Princess Isi became fast friends in The Goose Girl, but after Isi married Prince Geric, Enna returned to the forest. Enna's simple life changes forever when she learns to wield fire and burn anything at will. Enna is convinced that she can use her ability for good--to fight Tira, the kingdom threatening the Bayern borders--and goes on secret raids to set fire to the Tiran camps and villages. But as the power of the fire grows stronger, she is less able to control her need to burn. In her recklessness she is captured by the Tiran army and held captive by a handsome, manipulative young captain who drugs her to keep her under his influence. Can Isi and her old friends Finn and Razo rescue her without sacrificing themselves? And with the fire still consuming her, will Enna find a way to manage the gift that threatens to destroy her?


First line - The woman bore a scorch mark from her chin to her brow.


Thoughts

I enjoyed this book overall, although not nearly as much as I did The Goose Girl.  I'm not sure why really.  Perhaps because fairy tale retellings have a special place in my heart - especially those not often done?  In any case, regardless of my comparisons to the first book in the series, Enna Burning is a good read on its own.

Enna Burning is definitely a little darker than The Goose Girl.  Enna discovers how to fire-speak, but the need to burn consumes her.  It almost feels like a slow possession as you see Enna morph from Isi's outspoken and loving best friend into a person who sneaks into enemy camps and sets tents on fire.  Little by little the power takes control, until she breaks her promise to never burn people.  Much of the book is spent in Enna's thoughts as she tries to fight her compulsion to burn.  Enna questions who she is, what she has become, as well as how her relationships with the people she loves has changed.  I can't really say much about the story without spoilers, but it's full of adventure and action, as well as love, and moral quandaries.  It's got a little bit of something for everyone, and Isi/Ani makes many appearances here, as does Finn.  I am quite fond of Finn, he's easily my favourite character of this book!  He's genuinely sweet and caring, and he's a sort of quiet soul.  He's got this sort of calm confidence which is refreshing after Ani and Enna's loud thoughts all the time (I love them both, dearly, but it does off set Finn quite a bit).

That being said, I felt a little disconnected from characters - things happened that I would have expected more emotional response from, but didn't and I'm not sure why.  Maybe it's because Enna's character is stubborn enough that she doesn't go through nearly as drastic a transformation as Ani did.  Agh here I am trying to figure out why I didn't love the story, when I've already said it was a good read!  It makes me sound ungrateful.  If you are a fan of Shannon Hale there is no reason not to read this book.  If you don't know who I'm talking about, go read The Goose Girl (the first book in this series) right now!  Or the Book of a Thousand Days, which was my introduction to Shannon Hale's writing and is another favourite of mine.  You could read this book without reading The Goose Girl if you wanted to I suppose, as the focus is on a different main character, but almost all the characters in this book were in the previous book as well, so you won't get quite the same feel for the story.

I was looking at the later books in the series to see who gets featured, and you know what I realized?  I want to know what happens Conrad!  What is he up to now?  Is he still a goose boy?  I'd like to think some of those questions might get answered, but I don't think it's likely.  Maybe I'll find a new fanfic to follow haha!


Bechdel Test  


Isi moved her chair closer and turned the wet cloth on Enna's forehead over to the cooler side.  Enna held her breath until she could control the desire to cry, then spoke with a stunned, sleepy calm.
"I killed.  Hundreds of people.  I burned them alive."
"It was war," Isaid Isi.
"It was me,"  Enna said bitterly.  "You were right about the fire, about its power being too much for one person.  But you should know, nothing forced me to do it.  I chose to...to.." She lifted up her hands and saw the smooth, natural skin. 
"Why aren't I burnt up?"
"You nearly were.  I heard rumor of you on the wind, and then I cooled you.  The wind had to keep at you, like putting out a hay fire that keeps relighting."  
"Ah," said Enna remembering.
They were quiet a moment.  Enna studied the way strips of light behind the curtains painted the wall

Ahh, I love Enna and Isi's relationship!  It makes me so happy.  Even if this is a particularly dark subject.  There's not quite as many female conversations in this book, but that's because it's set in a war camp, so that's not hugely surprising.