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.”

Trailer: 

Giveaway:

The giveaway is INTERNATIONAL, woo, yey!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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.