Book Review: The Sleeper and the Spindle by Neil Gaiman

Title: The Sleeper and the Spindle

Author: Neil Gaiman

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Release Date: October 23^rd, 2014

ISBN: 1408859645

Rating: 5/5

Cover Impressions: Ahhh it’s beautiful. *Dies.* The dust jacket is transparent and you can see the picture behind it and there are vines woven up the sides and the colour scheme is perfect… *dies again.*

I received a copy of The Sleeper and the Spindle from Bloomsbury in exchange for an honest review so here goes:

Synopsis: On the eve of her wedding, a young queen sets out to rescue a princess from an enchantment. She casts aside her fine wedding clothes, takes her chain mail and her sword and follows her brave dwarf retainers into the tunnels under the mountain towards the sleeping kingdom. This queen will decide her own future – and the princess who needs rescuing is not quite what she seems.

Review: The Sleeper and the Spindle is a fairy tale retelling, incorporating the well-loved stories of Snow White and Sleeping Beauty but with the spins and twists that we’ve all come to expect from Gaiman’s amazing work.

I loved this book so much, not only the magical story, but also the astonishing illustrations by Chris Riddell. In studying them I was able to feel more connected with the story. I could literally stare at them all day, every day, for weeks.

At a short 72 pages, The Sleeper and the Spindle appeals a very broad audience, where both younger readers and older fans can indulge in the metallic sheen black and white sketches which appear on every page.

Overall I give The Sleeper and the Spindle   there was a good ratio of words to pictures in this book, and everything balanced out perfectly. I love how instead of there being the stereotypical 'Prince Charming' there is a Queen who wants to save a city, with the aid of three dwarves. This book was incredible.

Can’t wait to get your hands on it? Read an excerpt now:

Book Review Hollow City by Ransom Riggs

Title: Hollow City

Author: Ransom Riggs

Publisher: Quirk Books

Release Date: January 14th 2014

ISBN: 1594746125

Rating: 4.5/5

Cover Impressions: I love, love, love the photography.

I received a copy of Hollow City from Quirk Books in exchange for an honest review so here goes:

Synopsis: Having escaped Miss Peregrine's island by the skin of their teeth, Jacob and his new friends must journey to London, the peculiar capital of the world. Along the way, they encounter new allies, a menagerie of peculiar animals, and other unexpected surprises.

Review: It was exciting to see the children travel to London, as the first book was set in a very closed environment, it was interesting to see how thy interacted with the outside world. The world building was great with more loops and other interesting thinks such as peculiar animals.

I love learning about the characters and I feel that Riggs’ characterization is so good. It was good to explore the personalities of Jacob, Emma, Olive and so many others further and connect with them more. The loop really contributed to this, having to live the same day over and over again makes it seem like the children are actually adults trapped in children’s bodies.

My only problem with Hollow City wasn't really a problem, just something I don’t really understand and therefore can’t particularly endorse, I love both Emma and Jacob exclusively, but I still feel that their relationship is completely unneces
sary to the series and doesn't really add anything to it either.

The vintage photographs in Hollow City are just as bizarre and outlandish as the ones in the first book, taken from private collections; they each raise questions to the reader about the lives of those in them. I admired Riggs’ ability to craft a story out of them; they were dark and sometimes nightmarish, but managed to add a whole other dimension to the story which I loved.

Hollow City is incredibly fast-paced with an interesting story that fans of Miss Peregine’s Home for Peculiar Children will absolutely love. With plenty of unexpected twists, Hollow City is quite frankly one of the best sequels I've read to date and it definitely surpasses its predecessor which is unusual to say the least. Overall, I give it four and a half out of five stars and I can’t wait to read the final book in the trilogy when it comes finally comes out, I can’t wait.

Book Review: Miss Peregine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Title: Miss Peregtine's Home for Peculiar Children

Author: Ransom Riggs

Publisher: Quirk Books

Release Date: June 7^th 2011

ISBN: 1594744769

Rating: 4/5

Cover Impressions: I like the use of black and white photography; it ties in really well with the story.

I read Miss Peregtine’s Home for Peculiar Children on my kindle a while ago and when I heard that Quirk Books were going to send me a copy of the next book in the series, Hollow City, I thought I might as well throw a review on here:

Synopsis: As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

Review: From the very start, I was at ease with the way the book was written and was in love with how Riggs conveyed words. I never knew that such simple sentences could be so haunting and beautiful. The way Jacob's character was portrayed was really good, I found him easy to relate to and admired his curiosity, relentlessness and his peculiarity.

The idea of ‘the loop’ was really interesting as were the hollowgast's and I liked reading about the different powers that the children possessed.

I didn't really latch on to Jacob’s romantic attraction to Emma because all I could think about was that she had previously been involved with his Grandfather and this reminded me of JacobxRenesmee, which I hated.

 I especially enjoyed Miss Peregtine’s Home for Peculiar Children because of the way it incorporated unusual antique photographs into the narrative, this ensured a unique and extraordinary reading experience and I loved it.

This book follows a very realistic story which combined with Riggs’ incredible and vivid writing you feel like you've fallen through time, right into his world of wonders. I love the characters, they're all very special, in every aspect, and their fear mixed with their bravery makes them seem that much more realistic, overall I give it four out of five stars.

Book Review: How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff

Title: How I Live Now

Author: Meg Rosoff

Publisher: Penguin

Release Date: November 30^th, 2004

ISBN: 0553376055

Rating: 4/5

Cover Impressions: I love that behind the stylized outlines of trees and butterflies (which are beautiful), there is a drawing like a child has crossed out their work, a large swirling pattern which indicates that not all may be as it seems.

I picked this up off my shelf after buying it some time ago, primarily because my cousin and I watched the DVD for the first time last week. I know, I know – never watch before you read but I couldn't say; “just wait there for a couple of hours so I can read this book”, so I watched it with her and when we were done I read the book. The film was good but of course the book was better (as per norm).

Synopsis: Fifteen-year-old Daisy is sent from Manhattan to England to visit her aunt and cousins she’s never met: three boys near her age, and their little sister. Her aunt goes away on a business trip soon after Daisy arrives. The next day bombs detonate as London is attacked and occupied by an unnamed enemy. As power fails, the farm becomes more isolated. Despite the war, it’s a kind of Eden, with no adults in charge and no rules, a place where Daisy’s uncanny bond with her cousins grows into something rare and extraordinary. But the war is everywhere, and Daisy and her cousins must lead each other into a world that is unknown in the scariest, most elemental way.

Review: Can I firstly say that I LOVED the writing in this book. I have heard some people hating on it purely because it is a little out of the ordinary (no speech marks are used, what the characters are saying is just stated instead). Having never read a book like this before, I however thought that it was unique and I felt that it added significantly to the story.

I liked the voice of fifteen year old daisy. After her Dad remarried to a woman she despised and with their baby on the way, she was shipped to London. Throw in some great but abnormal cousins, an eating disorder and a war and you’re going to end up with a character whose perspective is extremely interesting to read about, being inside her head was funny, unusual and thought provoking. I liked reading about Daisy’s family, especially her cousin Piper. The war is like a character itself, making brutal appearances in the lives of Daisy and her family, it made the characters stronger, forced them to grow up before their time.

After the family is split up, they quest to find each other once again. Traveling through a country terrorized by the effects of modern war, Daisy fights for what she wants. I really liked the world in which How I Live Now was set in, where adults are making the wrong decisions for the wrong reasons, children are making decisions for only one reason, no one can be trusted and there is no well-defined adversary.

Overall I give this book four out of five stars, it is a touching mix of how far people will go for those they love, how strong the bonds of family can be and the ultimate test of survival, a great coming of age read.

The Book of Ivy by Amy Engel Trailer Reveal

Trailer:

Synopsis:

After a brutal nuclear war, the United States was left decimated. A small group of survivors eventually banded together, but only after more conflict over which family would govern the new nation. The Westfalls lost. Fifty years later, peace and control are maintained by marrying the daughters of the losing side to the sons of the winning group in a yearly ritual.This year, it is my turn. My name is Ivy Westfall, and my mission is simple: to kill the president’s son—my soon-to-be husband—and return the Westfall family to power. But Bishop Lattimer is either a very skilled actor or he’s not the cruel, heartless boy my family warned me to expect. He might even be the one person in this world who truly understands me. But there is no escape from my fate. I am the only one who can restore the Westfall legacy. Because Bishop must die. And I must be the one to kill him…

Buy links:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1mj5PXZ

B&N: http://bit.ly/BoIBN

iTunes: http://bit.ly/BoIiTunes

Kobo: http://bit.ly/BoIKobo

Goodreads link:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20640755-the-book-of-ivy?ac=1

About Amy Engel:

Amy Engel was born in Kansas and after a childhood spent bouncing between countries (Iran, Taiwan) and states (Kansas, California, Missouri, Washington, D.C.), she settled in Kansas City, Missouri where she lives with her husband and two kids.  Before devoting herself full time to motherhood and writing, she was a criminal defense attorney, which is not quite as exciting as it looks on TV.  When she has a free moment, she can usually be found reading, running, or shoe shopping.

Find Amy online:

Website: http://amyengel.net

Twitter: http://twitter.com/aengelwrites

Goodreads Giveaway:

Here's the link to the giveaway: https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/111469-the-book-of-ivy

Goodreads Book Giveaway:

The Book of Ivy

by Amy Engel

Giveaway ends November 04, 2014.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Book Review: The Book of Ivy by Amy Engel

Title: The Book of Ivy

Author: Amy Engel

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Release Date: November 11^th, 2014

ISBN: 9781622664658

Rating: 5/5

Cover Impressions: She is wearing a wedding dress holding a knife, doesn't that say it all?

I received a digital copy of The Book of Ivy from Entangled Teen in exchange for an honest review and was so excited because I love dystopian fiction so much and this one did not disappoint at all.

Synopsis: What would you kill for? After a brutal nuclear war, the United States was left decimated. A small group of survivors eventually banded together, but only after more conflict over which family would govern the new nation. The Westfalls lost. Fifty years later, peace and control are maintained by marrying the daughters of the losing side to the sons of the winning group in a yearly ritual. This year, it is my turn. My name is Ivy Westfall, and my mission is simple: to kill the president’s son—my soon-to-be husband—and return the Westfall family to power. But Bishop Lattimer is either a very skilled actor or he’s not the cruel, heartless boy my family warned me to expect. He might even be the one person in this world who truly understands me. But there is no escape from my fate. I am the only one who can restore the Westfall legacy. Because Bishop must die. And I must be the one to kill him…

Review:  Dystopia has hands down got to be my favourite genre of YA and having read The Book of Ivy three times now (yes I loved it that much), I think I can safely say that it is on par with the Hunger Games and Divergent, it is one of the best books I have ever read (or in my case re-read).

The way that Ivy’s society functioned was so complex and interesting, addressing questions such as, what to do for the greater good? And also making it difficult to keep secrets. I loved the world that Engel set up. Is it just me who thought that this book was a better executed version of Romeo and Juliet, except without the instant love and untimely deaths? Anyway, I loved the idea of two warring families and all that jazz.

Ivy was certainly a character that I could relate to. While she wasn't always completely likable, she made sense. She'd certainly been through a lot during her life, and didn't really have a lot of support. Her family was quite focused on their mission and preparing Ivy for it, and weren't really focused on building Ivy up as a person her Father and sister were cold and distant to Ivy, but in a way I felt that this enabled Ivy to be a stronger, more rounded person because she was not sheltered and knew what hardships her world had to off. Bishop was insanely likable, just a normal boy who dreamed of going to the ocean, who cared for anyone and everyone.

Thankfully there was no love triangle of any kind in this book, just a slow, well-paced build up between Ivy and Bishop. I loved the fact that Engel didn't make Ivy and Bishop’s romance instant, instead they became friends slowly, began to trust each other and fall in love within a realistic time frame and I felt that this made the book all the more enjoyable.

The writing was to die for… enough said.

The Book of Ivy raises all kinds of questions for Ivy, Bishop, and the reader. There were political issues, and familial issues, and the biggest of them all, morality issues. Questions about allegiance, sacrifice and loyalty. Overall, I give this book five out of five stars, it was perfect.

*Spoilers beyond this point*.

In the words of Zoe Marriott, I would chew of my right arm to have it the sequel (Revolution of Ivy) now *sighs*. Unfortunately we have to wait till November 2015.

In the meantime read this beautiful synopsis; Ivy Westfall is beyond the fence and she is alone. Abandoned by her family and separated from Bishop Lattimer, Ivy must find a way to survive on her own in a land filled with countless dangers, both human and natural. She has traded a more civilized type of cruelty—forced marriages and murder plots—for the bare-knuckled brutality required to survive outside Westfall’s borders. But there is hope beyond the fence, as well. And when Bishop reappears in Ivy’s life, she must decide if returning to Westfall to take a final stand for what she believes is right is worth losing everything she’s fought for.

There is hope yet.

Book Review: Queen of Someday by Sherry D. Flickin

Title: Queen of Someday

Author: Sherry D. Flickin 

Publisher: Clean Teen Publishing

Release Date: October 7th, 2014

ISBN:  1940534909

Rating: 4/5

Cover Impressions: It is certainly very pretty.

I received a digital copy of Queen of Someday, the first book in the Stolen Empire series, in exchange for an honest review (thank you!) and here it is:

Synopsis: ONE GIRL WILL BRING AN EMPIRE TO ITS KNEES... Before she can become the greatest empress in history, fifteen-year-old Sophie will have to survive her social-climbing mother’s quest to put her on the throne of Russia—at any cost. Imperial Court holds dangers like nothing Sophie has ever faced before. In the heart of St. Petersburg, surviving means navigating the political, romantic, and religious demands of the bitter Empress Elizabeth and her handsome, but sadistic nephew, Peter. Determined to save her impoverished family—and herself—Sophie vows to do whatever is necessary to thrive in her new surroundings. But an attempt on her life and an unexpected attraction threatens to derail her plans. Alone in a new and dangerous world, learning who to trust and who to charm may mean the difference between becoming queen and being sent home in shame to marry her lecherous uncle. With traitors and murderers lurking around every corner, her very life hangs in the balance. Betrothed to one man but falling in love with another, Sophie will need to decide how much she’s willing to sacrifice in order to become the empress she is destined to be. In a battle for the soul of a nation, will love or destiny reign supreme? 

Review: Can I just say that this story will not appeal to everyone, however it did appeal to me so yeah (I literally have no idea where this sentence is going).  While some may deem this book a ‘predictable’ because of its content, I felt that it was anything but.

I absolutely adore the main character, Princess Sophie, who was fiercely intelligent and witty (think Katniss only in a ball gown).  She dealt with Peter’s possessiveness and objectification of her really well and overcame stereotypes that ‘men are stronger than women’. She showed initiative, determination, cunning and strength and refused to sit back and be the damsel in distress.

There were three love interests, and back to my original point, I didn't even predict who her lover was going to be *face palm*. This book revolves around the romance in Sophie’s life it is touching and well written with unexpected twists and turns (the ending was so unexpected but of course great).

I enjoyed reading about all the characters in this book, even the side characters. Everyone seemed to have ulterior motives which made Sophie’s quest for the throne all the more difficult, but at the same time all the more enjoyable and realistic.

This book is based on the life of Catherine the Great, before she became empress of Russia and even though it is not meant to be an accurate representation of events, I love history and found it was hugely enjoyable to read.

Lastly, the writing was gorgeous, the descriptions made me feel as if I was there beside Sophie going through what she was dealing with, feeling what she was feeling, wanting what she wanted.

Overall, I give Queen of Someday four out of five stars, it was fast paced, and full of twists, I found myself one-more-chapter-ing all night until I realized that I had no more chapters left, I can’t wait to read the penultimate book in the trilogy, Queen of Tomorrow and the final book, Queen of Always when they hit the shelves hopefully sometime in the near future.

Book Review: Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater

Title: Blue Lily, Lily Blue

Author: Maggie Stiefvater

Publisher: Scholastic

Release Date: October 21th, 2014

ISBN: 9781407136639

Rating: 4.5/5

Cover Impressions: Once again, beautiful.

I received a copy of this book from Scholastic in exchange for an honest review, (this review will include spoilers, ye hath been warned) so here goes nothing:

Synopsis: There is danger in dreaming. But there is even more danger in waking up. Blue Sargent has found things. For the first time in her life, she has friends she can trust, a group to which she can belong. The Raven Boys have taken her in as one of their own. Their problems have become hers, and her problems have become theirs. The trick with found things though, is how easily they can be lost. Friends can betray. Mother's can disappear. Visions can mislead. Certainties can unravel.

Review: For me, The Raven Cycle isn’t just about Gansey’s quest to find Glendower, or Ronan’s ability to pull things from his dreams, or even Blue’s curse. It’s about the amazingness of the characters and how astoundingly realistic they are. In Blue Lily, Lily Blue new characters including the Grey Man and Piper were introduced, I love them all so much.

In Blue Lily, Lily Blue, the boys and Blue discovered secrets hither to unknown to them. The disappearance of Blue's mother (off to find Blue’s father) three months earlier led them to the magical forest of Cabeswater. Their quest leads them to a strange set of caves and as they explore each one, they stumble upon a cave containing an ancient Welsh coffin. In the coffin is the daughter of Glendower, Gwenllian.

At the beginning of The Raven Boys, it became known to us that Gansey was going to die. In Blue Lily, Lily Blue, I couldn’t get this out of my head and so, was sat on the edge of my seat from beginning till end. Thankfully Gansey is still breathing… for now.

The budding romance between Blue and Gansey is one interesting thread in a story that I was so happy about. With Blue and Gansey taking it one step at a time, meeting late at night and of course the threat of Blue’s curse always overshadowing events, this romance will not be anything short of a rollercoaster ride.

In the first two books, Stiefvater threaded her needle and she pierced Blue, each of the Boys, the women at 300 Fox Way, The Gray Man together and began weaving a tapestry so intricate that and beautiful. In Blue Lily, Lily Blue, these threads have begun to tighten, to pull themselves closer together and form a rainbow. I don’t want the next book to come around too soon because then it will all be over, but at the same time I need it now, does that make sense?

Overall, I give this book four and a half out of five stars, it was great.

Book Review: The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater

Title: The Dream Thieves

Author: Maggie Stiefvater

Publisher: Scholastic

Release Date: September 19th, 2013

ISBN: 0545424941

Rating: 5/5

Cover Impressions: Again, beautiful.

With an even higher average rating on Goodreads than The Raven Boys, (with a magnificent score of 4.26 out of 5 stars) The Dream Thieves certainly promised something extra special. Let’s get right to it:

Synopsis: Now that the ley lines around Cabeswater have been woken, nothing for Ronan, Gansey, Blue, and Adam will be the same. Ronan, for one, is falling more and more deeply into his dreams, and his dreams are intruding more and more into waking life. Meanwhile, some very sinister people are looking for some of the same pieces of the Cabeswater puzzle that Gansey is after…

Review: It’s a rare and momentous occasion when a sequel as anticipated and sought-after as The Dream Thieves lives up to its predecessor and surpasses expectations in every possible way. The Dream Thieves is, in all my personal definitions of the word, a perfect book. Maggie Stiefvater said that it had all her favourite things in it, and it quite clearly has all my favourite things in it too. It – along with The Raven Boys – has become one of my all-time favourite books.

In this instalment, the focus takes a slight shift from the lure of ley lines and deadly kisses and the hunt for the Welsh king Owen Glendower, and rests instead on Ronan Lynch’s ability to bring dream to reality. We have magical night terrors, impossible languages, an unpredictable Anglo-Saxon-poetry-loving hit man, and illegal street-car races. It’s a slow-burn plot, and explosive and exciting all at once. Unlike in the The Raven Boys, where the story line followed a mostly linear fashion, The Dream Thieves has multiple threads criss-crossing at different stages, some given more attention than others. It’s difficult predicting what the climax will be, or where it will be, until it actually happens. 

A lot of the time, The Dream Thieves feels quite character-driven, and as the characters are the main reason that I’m so hopelessly in love with this series, it could not be more fitting. The star of this show, though, is Ronan. With his savage smiles and his uninviting remarks. With his humourless laughs and his heartbreakingly hidden acts of compassion. 

Stiefvater is the queen of pacing and never rushes any aspect of the development here. The third person multiple point of view is almost mind-blowingly flawless giving us the perfect glimpses into the friendships and careful relationships from all crucial angles.

Overall, I give The Dream Thieves five out of five stars, it’s impossible not to.

Book Review: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Title: The Raven Boys

Author: Maggie Stiefvater

Publisher: Scholastic

Release Date: September 18th, 2012

ISBN: 0545424925

Rating: 5/5

Cover Impressions: I absolutely love this cover, it’s so beautiful.

With an average rating on Goodreads of 4.03 out of 5 stars, this book is definitely a keeper so here goes:

Synopsis: Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her. His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble. But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little. For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

Review: I love the way the narrative is split in this novel. It was not the standard first person perspective that Stiefvater usually favours. Instead, it was divided between Blue and several of the Raven Boys and told using the third person omniscient narrative, which enabled the reader to uncover buckets of knowledge, which made for an immensely enjoyable read.

Although I wasn’t gripped right from the beginning, once I had read a few chapters, I was captivated by the story. I loved the setting and the search for ley lines and the ancient Welsh king Glendower was fascinating. Stiefvater has truly outdone herself with her novel The Raven Boys. Stiefvater has a way of submerging the reader and making them feel like part of the story.

The characters in this book were amazing. Blue and the Boys were so original and realistic, each with their own little quirks, I loved them all. I enjoyed reading about Blue, because unlike many other YA heroines, she definitely had common sense and the ability to hold her own while she was around the Raven boys. I also liked the fact, that there were no sparkling vampires or demi-gods, just an ordinary group of boys with ordinary problems who just happened to have stumbled upon a supernatural adventure.

While I always love a good romance, I am more often than not disappointed by the fact that a seemingly supernatural thriller fast derails from its paranormal angle and ends up as a cheesy love story protagonists. Not so, with The Raven Boys. The book is packed with intricate details, delightful patches of history, legends, scientific facts and unexplainable phenomena, it was unlike anything I've read before.

The Raven Boys is utterly unlike Maggie Stiefvater's previous works, which makes this story all the more intriguing. Stiefvater's writing features words strung together in lovely, vivid ways that I've come to expect and enjoy. The characters, especially the leads, shine brightly with their vivid personalities - they demand your attention, and I was more than happy to give it. The Raven Boys is electric, mesmerizing, and somewhat strange (but in a good way). Overall, I give The Raven Boys five out of five stars.

That last line… just wow, I can’t wait to read The Dream Thieves, thank goodness I can see from here.

Book Review: Darkness Hidden by Zoë Marriott

 I received copies of Darkness Hidden and The Night Itself (see below) by Zoë Marriott from Walker Books and was so excited because she is one of my all-time favorite authors.

In the electrifying second volume of Zoë Marriott's The Name of the Blade Trilogy, Mio, Jack and Shinobu have defeated the terrifying Nekomata against all odds, and brought Jack's sister home alive. But Mio is still compelled to protect the katana, her family's ancestral sword, and now the Underworld has spawned a worse monster – one carrying a devastating plague that sweeps through London like wildfire. As Mio struggles to protect the city and control the sword’s deadly powers, she realises that this time there is no way she can keep everyone she loves alive... and she must make a terrible sacrifice to save the world.

Marriott certainly had a lot to live up to after the whirlwind that was The Night Itself and Darkness Hidden certainly didn’t disappoint it was an emotional roller coaster ride from start to finish.

Mio developed immensely over the course of the book. I love Mio, because while some YA heroines make rash decisions and stand around waiting to be rescued, Mio was the complete opposite; she was fast thinking and decisive and fought her own battles. And even though she struggled to deal with the fact that the katana had a mind of its own, she was hilarious, sassy and cared deeply about those closest to her. Rachel developed to, no longer was she Jack’s bossy sister, she used the trauma she had suffered from being kidnapped by the Nekomata and turned her character right around and became a main driving force for the plot.

This story is one of nail-biting suspense, thanks to the combination of deadly Shikome flying around and the mysterious plague storming across London. As with The Night Itself I enjoyed the combination of Japanese folklore and modern day England.

The ending broke my heart (which was already mostly made of tape and superglue). I won’t say anymore because of spoilers but this book is well worth a read.

Overall the pace and action of Darkness Hidden combined with emotional depth and heartbreak was overwhelmingly good. I give this book four out of five stars and I cannot literally wait to read the final book in the trilogy, Frail Mortal Heart, which will hit the shelves in 2015.

Book Review: The Night Itself by Zoë Marriott

I received copies of The Night Itself and Darkness Hidden (see above) by Zoë Marriott from Walker Books and was so excited because she is one of my all-time favorite authors.

When Mio steals the family's katana – a priceless ancestral sword – from her parents’ attic, she just wants to spice up a fancy-dress costume. But the katana is much more than some dusty antique and her actions unleash a terrible, ancient evil onto the streets of unsuspecting London. Soon Shinobu, a fearless warrior boy, appears to protect Mio – and threatens to steal her heart. With the gods and monsters of Japanese myth stalking her and her friends, Mio realizes that if she cannot keep the sword safe, and learn to control its legendary powers, she will lose not only her own life... but the love of a lifetime.

I just loved all the characters in this book! They were a great mix of hilarious, adorable, and completely kick-ass. Mio has a really strong voice as the main character that grabbed me from page one, and Marriott gave every character such depth, complexity and realness that I felt personally connected each and every one. I particularly enjoyed chapters where Marriott would move away from Mio’s plight and tell the stories of other people (the sections of the book in a different font from the main story).

I enjoyed reading about Mio’s relationship with her best friend Jack, Jack’s sister Rachel and even how Mio dealt with her overbearing Father. Although I feel that Mio’s Grandfather really was her driving force, even though the reader only got snippets of information about him from the past as he had sadly passed away before the start of the book, I felt that he shaped Mio into the great person she was.

The Night Itself was a great blend of old and new. I loved the idea that ancient mythology was tangled up in reality. The Kitsune (characters from Japanese folklore) and monsters such as the evil Nekomata really gave this urban-fantasy a streak of individuality.

While I usually hate love at first sight romances, this one worked. It was a powerful literacy device that really worked and even though the whole book took place over a short twenty four hour period, Mio and Shinobu really had known each other a lifetime thanks to their connection via the katana.

Overall I give The Night Itself, four out of five stars and I can’t wait to start reading Darkness Hidden (good thing its right next to me, hehe). Marriott’s writing style is beautiful and her storylines, dangerous, touching and original she truly is ‘A rising star of fantasy fiction’.

Giveaway! - Queen of Someday by Sherry D. Ficklin

Synopsis:

Before she can become the greatest empress in history, fifteen-year-old Sophia will have to survive her social-climbing mother’s quest to put her on the throne of Russia—at any cost. Imperial Court holds dangers like nothing Sophie has ever faced before. In the heart of St. Petersburg, surviving means navigating the political, romantic, and religious demands of the bitter Empress Elizabeth and her handsome, but sadistic nephew, Peter. Determined to save her impoverished family—and herself—Sophie vows to do whatever is necessary to thrive in her new surroundings. But an attempt on her life and an unexpected attraction threatens to derail her plans. Alone in a new and dangerous world, learning who to trust and who to charm may mean the difference between becoming queen and being sent home in shame to marry her lecherous uncle. With traitors and murderers lurking around every corner, her very life hangs in the balance. Betrothed to one man but falling in love with another, Sophie will need to decide how much she’s willing to sacrifice in order to become the empress she is destined to be. In a battle for the soul of a nation, will love or destiny reign supreme?

Excerpt:

“If I could, I would offer you my heart, my soul, and make that be enough. But I know it is not. I know that Peter is your destiny. You are going to be the most beautiful, clever, kind empress Russia has ever seen. And I want to be there for that. But I can’t think about that now because today, in this moment, all I want is you. The thought of losing you cuts me to my very marrow.”

I look away, even as he draws me closer. The war rages inside me, one part wanting nothing more than to kiss him until the sun rises, another part knowing why I can’t.

He tilts my chin up gently.

“If you want to send me away, tell me only that you do not love me, and I will go. I will never speak your name again, never touch your hand. I will pretend that the loss of you hasn’t killed me.”

I sigh, my hard-fought resolve fading quickly.

“I could never say those words, because they would be the gravest lie. Of course I love you. I love you so much that I risk everything just to come to you tonight. If anyone knew—I would be ruined, sent away in a cloud of scorn. No one would ever have me, and I would bear the shame all my days.”

He takes my face in his hands.

“I would have you, in shame or sin, I would have you in any way I could, in any way you could give yourself to me.”

He kisses me again, and I know I’ve lost. Reaching up, I wrap my arms around his neck, holding him to me. He smiles against my lips.

“My sweet Helen, for you I would be Paris, and for your love, I would defy God himself and then return to you for a kiss.”

“Peter and the empress will return in a few days. What will we do? Meeting like this… it’s too dangerous,” I say, unwilling to pull away again.

“Do you trust me?” he asks solemnly.

I nod. “I do.”

“And do you love me?”

“With all my heart and my life, I do.”

He kisses my hair. 

“Then trust me. Give me a few days and by the time they return, I will have a plan. In the meantime, if you need me—”

“I always need you,” I interrupt.

He grins.

“If you want to meet me…” I open my mouth to interrupt again, but he puts a finger against my lips, which I kiss. “Leave me a message in a book. John Wilmont’s letters to his mistress.”

I frown. “Am I to be your secret mistress?”

He shakes his head. “No, my love. I will be yours.”

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Book Review: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

I bought Fangirl on my kindle a couple of days ago and started reading it straight away, I finished the whole thing in one night, I think that says it all don’t you?

Cath and Wren are identical twins, and until recently they did absolutely everything together. Now they're off to university and Wren's decided she doesn't want to be one half of a pair any more - she wants to dance, meet boys, go to parties and let loose. It's not so easy for Cath. She's horribly shy and has always buried herself in the fan fiction she writes, where she always knows exactly what to say and can write a romance far more intense than anything she's experienced in real life. Without Wren Cath is completely on her own and totally outside her comfort zone. She's got a surly room-mate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words ...And she can't stop worrying about her dad, who's loving and fragile and has never really been alone. Now Cath has to decide whether she's ready to open her heart to new people and new experiences, and she's realizing that there's more to learn about love than she ever thought possible.

At the beginning of Fangirl, Cath has some serious anxiety issues. She keeps jars of peanut butter and boxes of energy bars under her bed because going to the school dining hall is terrifying. Cath finds comfort in Simon Snow. Cath is a huge fan of the Simon Snow books (Fangirl’s version of Harry Potter). She writes her own fan fiction called Carry On, Simon and throughout Fangirl, snippets of her story and also extracts from Gemma T. Lesley’s books are presented, I loved this aspect of Fangirl, as it seemed as if there were two books in one, both of which were beautifully written.

Cath’s roommate Reagan and Reagan’s ex-boyfriend, Levi, are near constant fixtures in Cath’s room and they help her adjust to new people and come out of her shell bit by bit. Reagan is cranky and fierce but somehow doesn’t scare Cath into hiding under her bed with the peanut butter. Levi is funny and sweet and made me fall in love with receding hair lines.

Cath has other problems in the form of her sister Wren, who, at one point in the book landed herself in hospital with alcohol poisoning. Throughout the book, the girls’ were barely on speaking terms but towards the end, I adored the way that they worked together on the deadlines for Carry On, Simon. Cath also has to deal with her unstable Dad, she worries constantly about him and the amount of pressure he is under. Cath also has to put up with her hardly-there Mom who walked out on her family when she was eight, I felt that these emotional issues really strengthened Cath as a character and moulded her into a brilliant person.

Cath and Levi’s romance was perfect. It practically oozed cuteness out of the pages. Enough said.

This book really captures the essence of what it’s like to grow up with Harry Potter and be surrounded amazing and life changing people who you will love for the rest of your life. This is another one of those books that I won’t be forgetting for a long time and I’m sure in no time at all I’ll be giving it a re-read. Overall, I give Fangirl five out of five stars.

Book Review: Raging Star by Moira Young

I received a copy of Raging Star by Moira Young from Scholastic publishing house and couldn’t wait to read because I was marathoning the series. Thank you Sophia (hi).

Her passion kept them alive. Now it may destroy them all. Saba is ready to seize her destiny and defeat DeMalo... until she meets him and finds herself drawn to the man and his vision of a healed earth, a New Eden. DeMalo wants Saba to join him, in life and work, to build a stable, sustainable world…for the chosen few. The young and the healthy. Under his control. Jack’s choice is clear: to fight DeMalo and try to stop New Eden. Presumed dead, he's gone undercover, feeing Saba crucial information in secret meetings. Saba hides her connection with DeMalo and commits herself to the fight. Joined by her brother, Lugh, and her sister, Emmi, Saba leads a small guerrilla band against the settlers and the Tonton militia. But the odds are overwhelming. Saba knows how to fight—she's not called the Angel of Death for nothing. But what can she do when the fight cannot be won? Then DeMalo offers Saba a chance—a seductive chance she may not be able to refuse. How much will she sacrifice to save the people she loves? The road has never been more dangerous, and betrayal lurks in the most unexpected places in the breathtaking conclusion to the Dust Lands Trilogy.

Raging Star is every bit enjoyable as Blood Red Road and Rebel Heart, and it’s one that’s left me drained because there’s just so much going on that your emotions are tugged all over the place – but in a such a good way! I am completely fascinated with Moira Young’s writing and her unique story telling about these amazing characters and their journey for survival. It was one heck of a journey and I still can’t believe it’s over.

I’ve always been a fan of Saba’s. I love that she’s imperfect and makes mistakes like any normal person. I like that she’s hard-headed and stands up for what she believes in, but mostly I admire her love for her family, friends and of course Jack. Their love is what makes her stronger, makes her work harder at achieving the life they all want. Even when people do wrong by her, she still continues to love them. She’s strong and brave and even when she doesn’t know the right direction to go in, she tries and tries until she find a solution.

It’s her relationship with Jack that I love the most though. These two are perfect together – sure they fight but they love too and that’s what is most important. Saba thinks a lot about Jack in Raging Star, she never wants him to find out about DeMalo and it plays on her mind, she can’t risk losing him.

The plot of the story was exciting and all though it’s not as action driven as the first two books, it’s still a very driven story. It’s unpredictable and nerve-racking, full of suspense and more importantly, has a great ending.

In all, Saba and Jack are going to be very hard characters to leave behind. Their journey was hard and tough but it was definitely unforgettable, and it’s one that I’ll hold close to my heart for a long time!

Overall I give this book four out of five stars, that last paragraph was particularly perfect. My face when I read it was like this:

Book Review: Rebel Heart by Moira Young

I received a copy of Rebel Heart by Moira Young from Scholastic publishing house and couldn't wait to read because I was marathoning the series. Thank you Sophia (hi).

Saba has rescued her kidnapped brother and defeated the fanatical Tonton. But the price to be paid for her violent victory is terrible. Jack has disappeared – and can no longer be trusted. A new and formidable enemy is on the rise in the Dustlands. No one is safe. And Saba must confront the terrible secret hidden in the darkest depths of her soul ‘…you can’t kill all the badness in the world. You cut it down in front of you only to find that it’s standing right behind you.’ 

The language was much easier to appreciate this time around. When I read Blood Red Road, I was gripped by Saba's unique narrative voice, spoken in a catching dialect and without the usual punctuation conventions of direct speech. The opening section of Rebel Heart is told in third person from Jack’s point of view, and then the reader is back to Saba’s first person narrative thereon in. I relished it this time. Her dialect felt very natural and it was surprisingly easy to immerse myself in. 

Once I was back with Saba after the brief glimpse into Jack’s journey to The Lost Cause and Molly, the story becomes more significantly about Jack and Saba’s reunion in the West. But whereas in Blood Red Road, she was focused on rescuing her brother Lugh, in Rebel Heart she seems at a loose end, almost unhinged, and haunted by the people she has lost and killed. This leads to a more introspective tone to the opening chapters and a deeper exploration of her character and of her relationship with Lugh.

That's not to say there's a lack of action, though; there are ostrich-riding monks, highway hijacking, a camel-drawn cart chase and with the Tonton land-grabbing, enslaving and branding right, left and centre, danger is only ever around the corner.

I grew to particularly love the character of Emmi (Saba’s younger sister) who really seemed to mature and take on her own (great) personality. I also liked the other characters that were introduced, Auriel and Slim. I enjoyed reading about Tommo and DeMalo too.

Things really heat up on the love front in this book, as Saba finds herself confused and at the center of a complicated love triangle. At the moment I’m not sure what to make of it, but that’s probably because I will always be rooting for Jack, but I’m sure that in Raging star (the final book of the Dustlands trilogy) everything will become clear.

The last quarter or so of the book is my favorite part. The story wraps up beautifully, though remains open for another sequel. Young has taken the plot to an interesting new place, even though it took a little while to get there. I give this book four out of five stars and I can’t wait to read the next one.

Book Review: Red Blood Road by Moira Young Book Review

I first read Blood Red Road a few years ago, but recently when I heard that I was going to receive the last two books in the trilogy for review, I borrowed it from my local library re-read it and thought I might as well upload my review of it.

Saba lives in Silverlake, a wasteland ravaged by constant sandstorms where her family scavenge from landfills to stay alive. After four cloaked horsemen kidnap her beloved twin brother Lugh, she teams up with daredevil Jack and the Free Hawks, a girl gang of Revolutionaries. Saba learns that she is a fierce fighter, an unbeatable survivor, and a cunning opponent. And she has the power to take down a corrupt society from the inside. Saba and her new friends stage a showdown that changes the course of her civilization.

Unlike other dystopian YA novels, Blood Red Road isn't focused on issues that lead to rebellion and upheaval.  You know what it is?  An adventure, plain and simple.  It's not seeking to teach but to engross and entertain but, for me, I was so thoroughly engrossed and entertained by this story that I really became invested in it over the course of almost 500 pages. The world-building is not the main focus here; the characters and their emotions are in the spotlight while the adventure of the story acts as the plot.

And what an adventure it is. The story begins with Saba's life in Silverlake with her father, her twin Lugh and her younger sister Emmi. When Lugh is kidnapped by a dangerous cult organisation that call themselves The Tonton, Saba vows to rescue him. The setting changes as Saba moves swiftly across the deserts of Silverlake, to Hopetown (where she becomes a cage fighter) and then to Freedom Fields. Blood Red Road is set on earth, several hundreds of years after the ‘Wreckers’ wrecked it, I loved it.

Young wrote Blood Red Road brilliantly. At first, I had a hard time reading it. After about 20 pages, I did not even notice it. As the story progresses, you realize how important this writing style is to portray Saba. The grammatically incorrect sentences reveal Saba’s rawness and her simple desire to survive. 

I enjoyed the romance between Saba and Jack because, it wasn’t an all-consuming romance. Jack didn't hold Saba back, he urged her forward, to find Lugh and change the world. I liked the fact that the love story was only as small part of Blood Red Road and while it was going on there were other issues being addressed.

Blood Red Road was a whirl wind of a read, packed with adventure, action, survival, coming of age elements, family ties, love and loss. It has defiantly become one of my favourite books and I can’t fault it at all, which is why I rate it five out of five stars.