Author: Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy Series: Once and Future duology #1 Reviewer: Renee
Summary
I’ve been chased my whole life. As a fugitive refugee in the territory controlled by the tyrannical Mercer corporation, I’ve always had to hide who I am. Until I found Excalibur.
Now I’m done hiding.
My name is Ari Helix. I have a magic sword, a cranky wizard, and a revolution to start.
When Ari crash-lands on Old Earth and pulls a magic sword from its ancient resting place, she is revealed to be the newest reincarnation of King Arthur. Then she meets Merlin, who has aged backward over the centuries into a teenager, and together they must break the curse that keeps Arthur coming back. Their quest? Defeat the cruel, oppressive government and bring peace and equality to all humankind.
This inclusive retelling of King Arthur is sassy, entertaining, funny, stressful, exciting, heartbreaking, and really all the feelings. I loved Ari from the beginning. The other characters were hit or miss for me. It’s a little hard to keep track of everybody since several characters are introduced early on and Merlin tries to associate them with their original Arthur personality (e.g., Lancelot but nobody in the group is named Lancelot). The characters stick together for most of the story so you do get to know them all better eventually.
The internal and external conflicts keep the action going so it was difficult to put this book down. The characters always seem to under some sort of threat so it keeps the plot moving along.
I enjoyed how Ari’s story unfolded. She doesn’t recall her past and you gradually learn it throughout the book with her. I love how she does what she feels is right and she’ll do whatever it takes to protect the people she cares about, even if it means sacrificing herself or something she cares about.
I wish Ari and Kay’s mothers had more of an active role. They seemed to only be present as a means of motivation for Kay and Ari, or to keep them in check. They are there and not there at the same time.
Overall, I loved this book and can’t wait for the conclusion in The Sword in the Stars in 2020.
This book is the first in a series centered around a girl in a Russian family. This book starts just prior to her birth and continues to her later adolescence. During this time perior, there is a shift in the village away from traditional beliefs that include sprites and demons to the orthodox teachings of the Russian church. Vasya and her step-mother both possess the abliity to see the old spirits. To one, it’s a comfort, to the other a sign of madness. Vasya is brought into conflict with her step-mother, the priest, and the spirit world as the old ways are abandoned and the natural balance is upset. Throw in a supernatural sibling rivalry, and you have a collision of worlds centered in the rural Russian forest.
I want to start with a recognition: many people like this book and go on to love the series. Every reader has at least one type of book that just falls short of their preferences and becomes a chore to read. This is one of those books for me. So, I will focus on the areas that made this a difficult read for me in hopes that others that feel the same may make a more informed choice.
Issue one: What’s the point?
I cannot stress how much detail is stuffed in this book. From the scenery, to the characters, the court, and the folklore, there is so much to get through. Unfortunately, most of that detail seems to be setup for book two because a lot of it has no bearing on anything in book one. The further I read, the more it became apparent that I was storing away details like a squirrel for a winter many months away.
Issue two: So much talk, but where’s the action?
Aside from a couple scenes in the later part of the book, there isn’t a lot of actual physical action that takes place. This book is mostly about making character connections whether that’s between the human characters or the humans and the spirit world. This requires a lot of conversation and observations, but not much action. I think there were opportunities where the same goal could have been achieved but in less of a stagnant, shut-in sort of way.
Issue three: What’s her name again?
Russian is a supremely confusing language, at least if I use this book as my guide. Every character has several variations of their names used by varying members of their families. It does make it difficult to understand if they’re being patronizing, kind, or formal without an explanation. And, it’s just not easy to keep track of all the characters, at least it wasn’t for me.
But what about the story?
Removed from the chore of actually reading the book, I can see the story for what it is and even appreciate the layers and nuance that the author provides. I will give the story it’s due: the ending finally pushed the pace from crawl to sprint. The ground covered in the last few chapters was immensely entertaining and engaging. And I greatly appreciated the ending of this portion of the story as a great set up for a far-reaching and epic adventure. I just don’t think I’ll be following along, at least not any time soon.
Appeal: This book would appeal to YA readers who are fans of darker themes and intricate character relationships. If you liked other fairytale retellings like the Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyers, or Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater, then you may also like this series for the incorporation of folklore. For adult fantasy readers, think more along the lines of The Night Circus than The Way of Kings. These comparisons are not made to say this book is similar, just that it may carry some of the same appealing qualities.
Author: Jay Kristoff Series: Lifel1k3 #1 Reviewer: Marlou
Summary
On a floating junkyard beneath a radiation sky, a deadly secret lies buried in the scrap.
Eve isn’t looking for secrets—she’s too busy looking over her shoulder. The robot gladiator she’s just spent six months building has been reduced to a smoking wreck, and the only thing keeping her Grandpa from the grave was the fistful of credits she just lost to the bookies. To top it off, she’s discovered she can destroy electronics with the power of her mind, and the puritanical Brotherhood are building a coffin her size. If she’s ever had a worse day, Eve can’t remember it.
But when Eve discovers the ruins of an android boy named Ezekiel in the scrap pile she calls home, her entire world comes crashing down. With her best friend Lemon Fresh and her robotic conscience, Cricket, in tow, she and Ezekiel will trek across deserts of irradiated glass, infiltrate towering megacities and scour the graveyard of humanity’s greatest folly to save the ones Eve loves, and learn the dark secrets of her past.
Even if those secrets were better off staying buried.
“1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.YOUR BODY IS NOT YOUR OWN.2. A robot must obey the orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.YOUR MIND IS NOT YOUR OWN.3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws.YOUR LIFE IS NOT YOUR OWN.”
In the wake of an uprising in a post-apocalyptic USA, the robotic populace have been reduced to slaves, and androids (robots who look like humans) have been outlawed. LIFEL1K3 is about a girl named Eve and her best friend Lemon, who find a ruined android in a scrap heap – an almost-boy named Ezekiel, who knows the truth behind the robotic revolt.
In the words of mister Kristoff himself: It features (in no particular order) Giant Mechanical War Machines. Sexah Androids. Mutant Powers. Doomed Romance. Warring Corporations. Cybernetic Bounty Hunters. Sassy Robot Sidekicks. Rebellions. Chases. Escapes. Betrayals. Lies Upon Lies. Splosions.
And oh boy it definitely has all of that. This book, wow, no words, speechless, < ERROR/ >
I can’t say much about this book without spoiling anything so I’ll keep this short. HOLY MOLY. This book is awesome. It starts slow, picks up the pace and goes out with a BAM. The ending had me stunned for a moment. Most of the story was easy to guess but that ending HOLY COW. I still can’t quite wrap my mind around how I missed it, why I didn’t figure it out…Jay Kristoff is a freaking legend. This book was so well written, I could not put it down. I even bugged my dad about it and kept telling him how amazing this book was.
Why only 4 stars? Scifi isn’t the genre I prefer to read so I always feel like something is missing because I’m used to reading about things like magic and super powerful fae or something. I can’t wait to see what Kristoff is going to do with Dev1at3 (book 2) and maybe he’ll get 4.5 stars with the next book.
A young woman trapped in darkness faces a choice–a chance for love or the freedom of light?
Stella lives in Noctum, land of eternal night. A stranger named Luc appears speaking of strange, impossible things—of a golden disc called the sun, of lands drenched in light with vivid blue skies, and perhaps most startling of all, he claims that Noctum is under a curse that he has come to lift. To banish the darkness that covers the land, all he has to do is kill Draven.
But curses are never easily broken and complications soon arise. Stella finds herself faced with an impossible choice—Luc’s life or the light she so desperately longs for. Because to gain one, she will have to lose the other.
I loved this book. I mean, I literally read it in ONE DAY! It was so much fun and the world was so wonderfully done.
The Dark Wood is about a young girl who lives in a world where it is always night, always dark, and there is a very strict divide between those who live in the cities and those faced with braving the forest. Not only does the constant darkness provide really rich and detailed descriptions of people and things in the dark that I haven’t seen used before, it provides a really deep, ominous mood. Additionally, there were so many details and pieces that were brought in that it was clear that Sydney had spent a lot of time connecting details and spinning this world together because it all made sense in the end, but never felt overwhelming or boring.
The action was fast-paced and kept me in constant worry about whether Stella was going to fall prey to the cruel and mysterious ruler. Also, the way that Stella’s love life became tangled in with all of it was perfect and had me rooting for one particular character. Let’s just say I’m a sucker for the enemies to lovers trope.
This book also presented a great character in Stella who was independent, resilient, passionate, and cunning. It was such a fun, thrilling ride to see how her story played out and even to the final page, I was left guessing and hoping and did not put the book down disappointed.
Author: VE Schwab Series: Shades of Magic #3 Reviewer: Marlou
Summary
Witness the fate of beloved heroes – and enemies.
THE BALANCE OF POWER HAS FINALLY TIPPED…
The precarious equilibrium among four Londons has reached its breaking point. Once brimming with the red vivacity of magic, darkness casts a shadow over the Maresh Empire, leaving a space for another London to rise.
WHO WILL CRUMBLE?
Kell – once assumed to be the last surviving Antari – begins to waver under the pressure of competing loyalties. And in the wake of tragedy, can Arnes survive?
WHO WILL RISE?
Lila Bard, once a commonplace – but never common – thief, has survived and flourished through a series of magical trials. But now she must learn to control the magic, before it bleeds her dry. Meanwhile, the disgraced Captain Alucard Emery of the Night Spire collects his crew, attempting a race against time to acquire the impossible.
WHO WILL TAKE CONTROL?
And an ancient enemy returns to claim a crown while a fallen hero tries to save a world in decay.
I liked this book the least even though I gave it the exact same rating as the rest. It started off extremely quickly and I was scared shitless because there were still hundreds of pages to go and things were going epically wrong already. Eventually it all slowed down and then I got bored. It picked up speed a little in the end. I disliked the pacing a lot as you can see. There was a lot of drama and way less banter and sass than in the other books and that’s a pity because that’s what I liked so much about the others. The characters were diverse and strong and well written but this is a more shaky and unstable 4 stars.
I loved the Shades of Magic books, I really liked the characters and the way it was written is amazing. So compliments to VE Schwab for writing so beautifully.
Author: VE Schwab Series: Shades of Magic #2 Reviewer: Marlou
Summary
It has been four months since a mysterious obsidian stone fell into Kell’s possession. Four months since his path crossed with Delilah Bard. Four months since Prince Rhy was wounded, and since the nefarious Dane twins of White London fell, and four months since the stone was cast with Holland’s dying body through the rift–back into Black London.
Now, restless after having given up his smuggling habit, Kell is visited by dreams of ominous magical events, waking only to think of Lila, who disappeared from the docks as she always meant to do. As Red London finalizes preparations for the Element Games–an extravagant international competition of magic meant to entertain and keep healthy the ties between neighboring countries–a certain pirate ship draws closer, carrying old friends back into port.
And while Red London is caught up in the pageantry and thrills of the Games, another London is coming back to life. After all, a shadow that was gone in the night will reappear in the morning. But the balance of magic is ever perilous, and for one city to flourish, another London must fall.
Lila is once again being a freaking badass. *heart eyes* She has learned magic (!) and she can’t wait to show Kell what she’s capable of. She’s also afraid to see him again after months on the sea and well, angst ensues.
“She bent most of the rules. She broke the rest.”
Kell is not as grumpy as he was in the first book because he gets to let go a little in this book.
Prince Rhy is more involved in this book and that is lovely because Rhy is absolutely lovely. I love Rhy’s personality. He talks himself in and out of trouble countless times. Shows off whenever he can. And he’s bi. Yes people, in this book we find out that Rhy does not have any preference as long as he can sleep with them (I guess he prefers them to be pretty tho).
“The prince shrugged. ‘Who needs magic when you look this good?’”
Alucurd Emery makes an appearance in this book. Holy moly, what a great character. I don’t know whether to hate him or love him. I want to whack him over the head or have a drink with him. I love it when characters are like that.
Favorite quote from the book? Easy choice (for once)
“Everyone’s immortal until they’re not.”
I liked this book a lot. It was so different from the first book that it did kinda give me whiplash. I didn’t like that Kell and Lila’s path crossed very late in the book. Still a solid 4 stars for this one, too.
Author: VE Schwab Series: Shades of Magic #1 Reviewer: Marlou
Summary
Kell is one of the last Antari—magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel Londons; Red, Grey, White, and, once upon a time, Black.
Kell was raised in Arnes—Red London—and officially serves the Maresh Empire as an ambassador, traveling between the frequent bloody regime changes in White London and the court of George III in the dullest of Londons, the one without any magic left to see.
Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of a world they’ll never see. It’s a defiant hobby with dangerous consequences, which Kell is now seeing firsthand.
After an exchange goes awry, Kell escapes to Grey London and runs into Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She first robs him, then saves him from a deadly enemy, and finally forces Kell to spirit her to another world for a proper adventure.
Now perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, they’ll first need to stay alive.
“I’d rather die on an adventure than live standing still.”
I’ve been waiting a while to write this review because I just didn’t seem to be able to find the words. It didn’t look like a strong review if I just wrote asdfghjkl but that’s exactly what I was thinking.
Delilah Bard is a freaking gem. I love her. I want to be her. I want to date her. But alas, she is a free woman and no one is gonna shackle that one. Good luck to anyone who might try.
Here’s one of my favorite Delilah snippets from this book:
“I apologize for anything I might have done. I was not myself.”
“I apologize for shooting you in the leg.” said Lila. “I was myself entirely.”
Kell is such a grumpy cutie and he also has a good sense of very sarcastic humor. Exactly the kind of humor I love.
“What are you?” she asked. “A monster,” said Kell hoarsely. “You’d better let me go.” The girl gave a small, mocking laugh. “Monsters don’t faint in the presence of ladies.” “Ladies don’t dress like men and pick pockets,” retorted Kell. Her smile only sharpened. “What are you really?” “Tied to your bed,” said Kell matter-of-factly. “And?” His brow furrowed. “And in trouble.”
A Darker Shade of Magic is a book all on its own. The story could very well be finished with this book, but lucky for us it was not! This book is mostly about Kell and Lila and I really like that. The world(s) itself and its magic (or lack thereof) is already complicated enough. With Kell and Lila being in the spotlight the rest is much easier to comprehend and the world-building is very strong in this book. A solid 4 stars.
In the land of Tarrkin lives four segregated clans. Humans with the capability of shifting into wolves on command as soon as they hit maturity at the age of thirteen. The clans are broken up based on color on their wolf’s coat; gray, brown, black, and white.
A rivalry between the black wolves and white wolves, a rivalry that has lasted since the beginning of time, is finally coming to an end. Binding the two heirs of both the Whitefangs clan and the Blackhearts clan.
Valenthia Percival is the leader’s daughter of the white wolves’ clan—Snowfangs. She is sent off to marry the Blackhearts, leader’s son—Ariston Armadyl. The treaty is to end their long-spanned rivalry and prevent a new war from erupting. This treaty holds the power to bond them together…forever.
For the first time ever, a white wolf and a black wolf are to have a child. As part of the treaty Valenthia is forced to marry her nemesis, Ariston, and bear his child. The treaty is to bring peace amongst them, but while in Blackheart territory Valenthia experiences nothing but rejection, hate, and conflict.
This book was provided to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.
I follow EM Courier on Instagram (both her author insta as her bookstagram) and I consider her a dear friend. You can buy her book via Amazon but Amazon and The Netherlands don’t do well together so I was afraid I could never read her book. That would have been tragic. Em decided to send me the ebook and I promised her I’d give a well written review. So here goes nothing:
I enjoyed the book very much but it’s not my kind of story. I’m very picky of how wolves are written and EM Courier’s way is a nice way to see it but doesn’t fit with what I like. BUT I still really liked the book.
There were several moments that I was like HELL TO THE NO but everything would turn out alright in the end. Several people die and I did not like that at all. Okay, I liked two deaths. If you read the book you might find out whose deaths I’m referring to.
I gave this book 3.5 stars because it’s not my cup of tea but it’s still well written and suspenseful. Val is a badass, Dalna is amazing, Cronin is intriguing and Ariston can be as infuriating as he is handsome but I still love him.
The House of Berethnet has ruled Inys for a thousand years. Still unwed, Queen Sabran the Ninth must conceive a daughter to protect her realm from destruction—but assassins are getting closer to her door.
Ead Duryan is an outsider at court. Though she has risen to the position of lady-in-waiting, she is loyal to a hidden society of mages. Ead keeps a watchful eye on Sabran, secretly protecting her with forbidden magic.
Across the dark sea, Tané has trained all her life to be a dragonrider, but is forced to make a choice that could see her life unravel.
The Priory of the Orange Tree is everything I love about fantasy. The worldbuilding is amazing and the characters are well developed. Bonuses for LGBTQ rep and several women as lead characters. There is so much in this book (which is why it’s so long!). Even at 850 pages, there are no wasted words. Everything keeps moving toward the ending. The LGBTQ relationships were treated no differently than straight relationships; they are part of the world just like everybody else.
You get a full belief system from three major cultures, politics shaped from those beliefs, love, betrayal, and so much more all under the threat of the Nameless One returning to destroy everything (or save the world, depending on what you believe).
The character arcs are great. I loved when some characters traveled to other locations where they hold vastly different views or when characters learned new information that challenged their core beliefs. You could feel the characters struggling to justify or adjust their beliefs based on these interactions.
There are many plotlines to follow as the characters are in various locations with very different beliefs and cultures. The beginning can be a bit overwhelming due to the number of characters, beliefs, and locations that are introduced, but I quickly got the hang of who was where and what their current goal was.
While I didn’t like all the POV characters, I loved most of them. I fell in love with Ead right away and she probably gave me (and a couple of the characters) the most stress. She began as my favorite and remains so after finishing the book. I love her determination and how she focuses on doing what she believes is right. She also doesn’t care for court manners, which puts her in conflict with some other characters.
I love how everything wrapped up at the end while leaving room to return to this world and characters. I would have gladly continued reading just to inhabit this world for a little longer. I really hope there’s a plan to have more books set in this world.
rape (including with a minor), domestic violence, homophobia, exorcism, forced marriage, drugging
Summary
Seventeen-year-old Rukhsana Ali tries her hardest to live up to her conservative Muslim parents’ expectations, but lately she’s finding that harder and harder to do. She rolls her eyes instead of screaming when they blatantly favor her brother and she dresses conservatively at home, saving her crop tops and makeup for parties her parents don’t know about. Luckily, only a few more months stand between her carefully monitored life in Seattle and her new life at Caltech, where she can pursue her dream of becoming an engineer.
But when her parents catch her kissing her girlfriend Ariana, all of Rukhsana’s plans fall apart. Her parents are devastated; being gay may as well be a death sentence in the Bengali community. They immediately whisk Rukhsana off to Bangladesh, where she is thrown headfirst into a world of arranged marriages and tradition. Only through reading her grandmother’s old diary is Rukhsana able to gain some much needed perspective.
Rukhsana realizes she must find the courage to fight for her love, but can she do so without losing everyone and everything in her life?
I cannot recommend this book enough. There are many themes that are so important not just for those who directly relate to Rukhsana but also for others who can learn and help those who do.
I couldn’t put this book down because Rukhsana always seemed to be at risk and I wanted her to have the safety and freedom to just exist and be happy. I found the dialog funny, especially Rukhsana’s thoughts when talking with a character who had much more conservative views than herself. The beginning has many lighthearted moments but it gets heavier as the book goes on. Many people can benefit from reading this story and will be able to relate to one or more themes.
I do think the end wrapped up a bit too quickly. More time could have been spent showing that things won’t be perfect after a few weeks of talking or trying to change.
Disclaimer: While I love the themes discussed in this book, I do not have any real-life experience with most of them. I do not come from a family who forced their beliefs on me and have been privileged to have freedom when it comes to deciding what to do with my life (though my mom is anxiously awaiting the prospect grandkids…)
Rukhsana struggles constantly to keep her two lives separate – the good conservative Muslim daughter at home and the “normal” American when out with her friends. She loves both her worlds, but finds herself constantly hiding or defending one over the other.
I love how Khan not only shows Rukhsana’s struggle, but also points out how difficult it is for her friends to understand what she’s going through. Rukhsana is constantly trying to explain to her friends how she can’t just tell her parents “no” or “escape.” They keep thinking she’s overreacting, even the friends she’s known for years and are familiar with her family.
One of my favorite parts is when Rukhsana has had enough and ends up telling everybody that she understands things are difficult for them but she’s tired of always being told she needs to understand what everybody else is going through when nobody has considered what she has gone through or what she feels. I felt this was a very strong moment in the story because it’s when Rukhsana decided to stop trying to explain herself to people who just didn’t get it and put it on others to consider how she feels.
Hopefully those who do read this book come away with learning to show more compassion and empathy for people who have different perspectives. Too many people brush aside the feelings/opinions of others simply because they are unwilling to try to understand why somebody feels/thinks the way they do. Again, while most of this book doesn’t directly relate to my real life, this message resonates strongly with me. I see and experience people viewing things through their blinders without considering why anybody would have a different perspective. It usually turns into being told “I don’t see why you don’t just agree with me” instead of “can you explain what you mean because I don’t understand.”
I also liked how forgiveness wasn’t just given. It had to be earned. Some characters lost Rukhsana’s trust and had to earn it back. She wasn’t going to just give it to them for a happy ending. She was upset and let them know how much they hurt her and she couldn’t just forgive them even if they regretted their actions because it was too late. The reverse was also true; Rukhsana lost trust with some people she cared about and had to earn it back.
I don’t usually do warm and happy feelings but this book thawed my heart a little.
Dream Read Repeat 