ARC Review: Death Sworn

by Leah Cypess
3.5/5 stars
Greenwillow Books, 2014
352 pages
YA Fantasy
Scheduled to release March 4

Source: Received an e-ARC through Edelweiss from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a hard review for me to write because I liked this book but I didn't love it. I think there are a lot of cool ideas played with here and I read it pretty easily but I'm not left dying for the second book and I don't feel motivated to make people in my real life read it (the sure sign of a winner.)

The basic concept of this book is super cool. Ileni, the main character, is a sorceress whose power is diminishing and is basically sent as a sacrificial lamb to an underground tavern of assassins. She fulfills a treaty between their people, attempts to minimize the knowledge of magic that the assassins gain, and can investigate the death of the previous two wizards sent there. BUT, it's more complicated than that (isn't it always?) as Ileni comes to question her very upbringing, seeing the different philosophy of the assassins and how they are working to slowly chip away at an oppressive empire.

How can I describe Ileni? She's tough for sure with extensive reserves of inner strength. Her life has been dedicated toward increasingly complex magic but as she loses that ability, she loses the very essence of herself and she's not entirely sure what to do now. She's also flustered by a certain handsome assassin and his life, based around the Master's long-term plan and his ease at always facing death. She's clever, coming up with different strategies to compensate for her loss of magic and she's not afraid to ask questions as necessary. But she was a little tough to connect with for me-I don't know that I've ever had such a great talent as hers and thus have never had to lose such a thing. The other characters have some defining characteristics but do not receive the same definition.

I liked seeing the plot come together as answers were given while still setting up tension for the second concluding book in this duet. But I'm just feeling overall lackluster about it. You should give it a try if you've liked Cypess' writing before and if you want some fantasy in your life.

ARC Review: The Winner's Curse

by Marie Rutkoski
4.5/5 stars
Farrar Straus Giroux, 2014
355 pages
YA Fantasy
Scheduled to release March 4

Source: Received an ARC through Amazon Vine in exchange for an honest review.

Ah hype. So obviously I liked this book but due to my contrary, fickle nature, I'm withholding a perfect five star rating. It's just so hard to compete when a book has praised heaped upon it. I start looking for faults and I hold back from committing fully to a story. However the more I let the ending of this one sink in to me, the more impressed I was.

As for that hype, it is incredible. I have seen so many rave reviews around the blogosphere and this ARC I received is filled with praise from those bloggers as well as from staff involved in its publication. Since I read books in order, I looked through all of those pages before even beginning my journey and it just set a very high bar for this book to clear.

To be frank, the fact that our main character is named Kestrel did not help. Bird names seem big lately (or least Wren was terribly popular) but it's very much not to my taste. And her name is on every page so that did not help. She seems anti-slavery but pretty soon, she has purchased a slave to serve as a blacksmith to her general father. Soon though this decision lives up to the book's title as Kestrel realizes she has paid a greater price than she imagined (the author talks a little bit more about this in her author's note; it's fascinating how a discussion about an economic concept inspired this work of literature.)

The most interesting parts of this book to me were Kestrel's analysis of situations and her strong handling of military strategy. I don't think that I would really enjoy a book analyzing strategy but having some incorporated into a novel is apparently very satisfying to me. And it's not just the military arena where she has these skills. She easily sizes up those around her, excels in the popular party game of the time, and manipulates most everyone around her.

In fact, her big competition is her new slave Arin, part of the population conquered by Kestrel's father and subjugated for ten years but nursing rebellion in their hearts. Arin has untapped depths that spark with Kestrel (because of course there's a bit of a romance) but he also struggles with his loyalty to his people and his hatred for the cruelties committed by hers. He really comes into his own in the second half of the book with his genius for strategy coming to the forefront but also his love for Kestrel-the two are in impossible circumstances and I look forward to seeing them negotiating that over the course of the next two books.

Overall: Off the top of my head, I most compare this series to Leigh Bardugo's Grisha trilogy. Both are fantasies with slightly nontraditional settings (Bardugo owes a lot of inspiration to Russia while this series seems to speak to Roman history) that have earned tremendous praise with difficult romantic entanglements. Neither quite won me over with the first book but had tremendous promise. I do prefer this series more so far but there is room in everyone's heart for both.

Cover: I love this cover, of course. I am very curious if the sequel will also have Kestrel in a pretty dress or if it will get a redesign (hopefully not!)

SPOILERS AS I WONDER ABOUT THE NEXT BOOK:
So I assume we're going to meet Kestrel's fiance in the sequel. I am wondering if he will be as charming as Strumhond in Leigh Bardugo's Siege and Storm (also from a Macmillan imprint), if he'll be brutally cruel and vicious, trying to crush Kestrel's spirit, or even if he's a complete dolt and the emperor wants Kestrel to compensate for his many weaknesses. Personally I am expecting the former especially so that Kestrel has two young men to go toe to toe with but I guess we'll just have to wait and see. I'll admit it's a bit weird that my big lingering question for book two revolves around Kestrel's fiance's possible personality but that's the way the cookie crumbles.

Defy

by Sara B. Larson
3/5 stars
Scholastic Press, 2014
323 pages
YA Fantasy

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Who doesn't crave a good YA fantasy every now and then? (Or more frequently?) That's what I was in the mood for when I picked up this debut and I will say that it certainly hit on some beloved tropes for me. The primary one is girl disguised as male soldier but the use of magic and the prince also had their charms.

Alexa has been in hiding as Alex for years, following the death of her parents and her decision to masquerade as a boy supported by her brother. Her options were join the king's army or his breeding houses, making the choice simple. Fortunately her spirit also led her to this work and she now serves in the prince's guard. However when a powerful sorcerer kidnaps her, the prince, and another guard, her entire world is again upended as no one is what they seem and their greatest threat may come from within.

Unfortunately the overall presentation didn't really work for me. I'm not sure if it's my mood, which has not been conducive for reading or if it's the books I'm choosing but I was decidedly not impressed. I thought the book had some intriguing moments but that the girl disguised as boy has been done better (most notably Tamora Pierce's Alanna series) and the romance that emerges did not captivate me at all (hint: it's got aspects of a love triangle though there is obviously a clear preference.) The most captivating relationship to me was between main character Alex(a) and her brother, which does not last for the entirety of the book.

As I think back on my reading experience, I am most struck by how much I had to force myself to keep reading. I could easily read just one chapter and then put the book down. When I'm engaged with a book, that is so not the case. I also saw myself losing interest the more time Alexa spent thinking about the love interests. Though her fighting is demonstrated on several occasions, it seemed overshadowed by romance in the end to my disappointment.

In conclusion, I feel like this book was partly victim to my disinclination to read but I also feel like it doesn't quite deserve a place at the top of the YA fantasy pantheon anyway. Read it if you absolutely love the genre and tropes presented but I don't think it's a must-read by any means.

If you have read this book, what do you think? Was I just in a crabby mood and unable to appreciate this book's charms?

Taste of Darkness

by Maria V. Snyder
4/5 stars
Harlequin Mira, 2013
458 pages
Adult Fantasy Romance

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I've eagerly followed Snyder across many worlds including the one of this Healer series and while I adore her introductions and the exciting worlds they set up, I've tended to have problems with the second book and especially with the conclusion. Thus it was no surprise that I adored Touch of Power and had some reservations about Scent of Magic. I hoped this finale would be the one to prove me wrong though. And happily it was as I felt this was a very strong conclusion to the Healer trilogy.

At first I worried. I didn't really remember what had happened at the end of the second book and basically the only two people I remembered were main character healer Avry and her lover Kerrick. Many of the other names mentioned flustered me but thankfully as I kept reading, most of the characters came back to me especially the lovable jokers who have been present in this series from the start.

I can't go too in-depth for fear of spoilers so I will just mention some elements that seem notable. For instance I think I can reference two moments that had a big impression on me. One is when Avry sets out to do something small and ends up doing something much bigger that has huge repercussions on Prince Ryne's mission. The other is Avry getting entangled with cannibals. The former was more of a fist-pumping moment while the latter horrified me for obvious reasons.

One of the biggest threads for the book has been Avry's connection with the evil Tohon. I'm not sure I liked the way it was handled as I have been consistently uncomfortable with the manipulations he performs on her, making it difficult for me to read some sections. In this case I thought the final confrontation with him was a bit easy though the very last pages made up for it presenting me with just the ending I wanted.

Another point to mention is that Scent of Magic left me disappointed with the separation of Avry and Kerrick. These two certainly do not live in easy times so it is certainly no surprise that they don't get to spend nearly enough time together in this book but what parts they did were intensely romantic. I really wanted them to get a happy ending :)

Overall I think this has been Snyder's strongest trilogy throughout and I am eager to see what she has in store for us next!

ARC Review: Cruel Beauty

by Rosamund Hodge
4/5 stars
Balzer + Bray, 2014
352 pages
YA Mythical Fantastical Fairy-Tale Romance
Scheduled to release January 28, 2014

Source: Received an e-ARC from the publisher through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

I read and am reviewing this book a bit earlier than I usually would because I was just so in the mood for a fairy tale and was richly rewarded in choosing this one with a complex main character and a story I found richly romantic though I can definitely see people being turned off by some aspects. For me, this is a winner though and one you'll want on your radar as its release date in January approaches.

Like many people, I fawned over this cover in many a "Waiting on Wednesday" post with the spiraling rose/staircase and powerful red capturing my imagination. Learning that it was based on "Beauty and the Beast" only further sealed the deal. I still feel like B&B is an underutilized fairy tale for retellings so I was ready for one to sweep me away.

And that's what happened here. Nyx has grown up knowing that her mother died birthing her and her twin sister Astraia; the price for even conceiving the girls was that one would grow up to marry the Gentle Lord who rules over their isolated kingdom. Nyx was chosen and trained for this duty while her sister was petted and cosseted. Upon arriving at the castle for her marriage, Nyx is drawn into a tangled love triangle with the Lord Ignifex and his shadow Shade while also unraveling the secrets of her kingdom's very foundation.

I know, I know that I referenced a love triangle above but it's so much more complicated than that and I can't go more in depth without spoiling things and I really don't want to do that to you. Let's just say that I've been very exasperated with triangles in my YA reading but this one didn't provoke those feelings at all. Also this appears to be a standalone so you can rest assured that there's resolution about the relationships and the main plot.

As for the characters, Nyx is a tough nut. She both loves and resents her sister, feeling respect for that familial relationship and how much Astraia smiles and seems to depend on her but also loathing the precious sister who will always be loved more by their father as the splitting image of their mother. For the most part, she is aware of what is right and what is wrong but actually implementing those ideals is a struggle that the reader will journey. I had topsy-turvy feelings about Ignifex (whose name I hate) and Shade, sometimes feeling very positive and other times just anger on behalf of Nyx. When the romance deepens though, I was able to go along for the ride.

Another idea wrestled with is the nature of bargains. Nyx is in this position because of a bargain her father struck and we learn about so many other people who offer certain sacrifices for what they want, so rarely fathoming how far the tricky bargainers will stretch their word. While one thing is promised, there are always unforeseen consequences.

I'm not really someone who tends to notice writing other than identifying a distinct preference for more commercial rather than literary writing. I feel like this one leans more toward the latter but still maintains a good pace with a lot of wonder as everything unravels toward the end. I consider it a bit more literary because of the difficult names and allusions to mythology and history. I was fortunate to be familiar with some of the myths referenced, which I think helped me understand the book better upon first read. This book could definitely still be enjoyed even without that knowledge though.

Overall: An enchanting tale that keeps the "Beauty and the Beast" tale intact while also altering and greatly expanding for a satisfying novel of magic and consequence.

ARC Review: The Creature Department

The Creature Department by Robert Paul Weston
3/5 stars
Razorbill, 2013
331 pages
MG Fantastical
Scheduled to release November 5

Source: Received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Happy Halloween everyone! This is going to be a short review because I don't have much to say.

I received a copy of this unsolicited from the publisher and was thrilled to discover that it glows in the dark after being exposed to much light. After checking out its release date, I decided to save it for review on Halloween and to hope for some spooky going-ons.

I don't know that I'd classify this necessarily as "spooky" but it fits some out of the ordinary adventures. For example, the Research & Development team at DENKi-3000, the world's fifth-largest electronics factory, is staffed by creatures, hidden from the world but intent on creating magnificent inventions that seem to defy human science and logic. But lately they haven't had a hit and are in danger of the company being taken over. So the human head of R&D, Archie, invites his nephew Elliot and friend Leslie to the company to assist. While there, they uncover a darker plot and help save the day!

This book was cute enough but it didn't have anything special that really popped out at me. Everything felt so familiar except for the descriptions of the creatures, who are brought to life via the book's website. They are very colorful, of all kinds of different shapes and sizes with helpful personalities. Another delight was the descriptions of Chinese food, which left me craving some!

Overall: A fun read-may be better suited for its targeted middle-grade audience as this adult didn't find much crossover appeal.

The Burning Sky

by Sherry Thomas
4/5 stars
Balzer + Bray, 2013
449 pages
YA Fantasy

Source: Received an ARC through Amazon Vine in exchange for an honest review.

When I first saw this book (with its old cover, I think), I wasn't much interested. Nothing personal, I just didn't think I wanted or needed any more YA fantasy at the time, preferring to explore more contemporary offerings. Then I started seeing reviews for this and actually read the synopsis, only to realize that I actually really did want to give this a read--and I'm so glad I've had a chance to do so!

Publisher's Summary: Iolanthe Seabourne is the greatest elemental mage of her generation—or so she's being told. The one prophesied for years to be the savior of The Realm. It is her duty and destiny to face and defeat the Bane, the greatest mage tyrant the world has ever known. A suicide task for anyone let alone a sixteen-year-old girl with no training, facing a prophecy that foretells a fiery clash to the death.

Prince Titus of Elberon has sworn to protect Iolanthe at all costs but he's also a powerful mage committed to obliterating the Bane to avenge the death of his family—even if he must sacrifice both Iolanthe and himself to achieve his goal.

But Titus makes the terrifying mistake of falling in love with the girl who should have been only a means to an end. Now, with the servants of the Bane closing in, he must choose between his mission and her life.

The part that most intrigued me was the promise of Iolanthe as an elemental mage, based on my love of Mercedes Lackey's Elemental Mage series. There's just something so interesting to me about directing power through the four elements. Don't think this is a copy though-the rules here are very different. I think I have a grasp on everything but I bet there are still a lot of new magical surprises to come in the rest of the series.

Add in the meticulous plannings of Prince Titus and Iolanthe's disguise as a boy at Eton (some of my favorite moments took place during those times) and I was quickly sold in mind. My heart took a bit longer as I really struggled with the writing. It took me two days to read about 150 pages, which is rather long for me. Seeing that the imprint is one from HarperCollins, I assumed I would be able to get into the story really fast and fly through it; previous experiences with Balzer + Bray books (such as Everneath and Unraveling) have been exactly like that. Maybe it was the third person narration that sometimes zoomed in on Iolanthe in her boy disguise as Archer Fairfax, sometimes on Titus, and sometimes zoomed out for a macro perspective. Perhaps there were my struggles to become acclimated to this fantasy world; one of the reasons I love contemporary is that you don't need much world-building because so much is already familiar to me. Maybe I was a bit distracted. Whatever the reason, though I was enjoying this book and desperately wanted to finish it, I did not make good progress on it until finally something clicked and I was frantically turning the pages to finish the book.

As I mentioned above, Titus is a planner. He has contingencies for his contingency plans but oddly he never planned for the mage he would protect to be female. This throws him for a loop but he adapts, leading to a burgeoning romance. Though both try to fight it, there are so many little hints and tingles for the reader as we are privy to knowledge that the other is not. And when they do give in to their feelings, it's small and subtle compared to romance novels but it brought the swoon for me. This may also be because I'm a planner and I appreciate that in other people.

Another huge plus is her disguise as a boy at Eton. Given her dire need, it's no surprise that she would attempt with her utmost but due to some innate talent and acting experience (along with a pinch of magic), she is a very successful boy. I loved all the worlds we visited but have a soft spot for Victorian England so that was a special standout for me.

Overall: I would very much recommend this fantasy even to people who think they are tired of fantasy. What was a slow-starter turned out to be a very rewarding reading experience and I can't wait for book 2!

Other Opinions:
Candace's Book Blog
Good Books and Good Wine
Reading Extensively

Witchstruck

Witchstruck by Victoria Lamb
3.5/5 stars
HarlequinTeen, 2013
303 pages
YA Historical Fantasy

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'm a bit surprised not to have seen more reviews of this. Though historical fiction, it does feature witchcraft and HarlequinTeen is an imprint I trust to put out the kinds of books I tend to like. Though this one was not an all-around winner, I am still curious enough to want to try the sequel, due March 2014.

Going back to 1554, Lady Elizabeth is under house arrest under suspicions of treasonous dealings against her sister Queen Mary who is preparing to marry the Spanish Catholic Prince Philip, perhaps birthing an heir and forever stifling England in Catholicism. Accompanying Elizabeth is a small cohort including Meg, a witch who must navigate her own tricky path in deeply superstitious patriarchal England.

This book initally caught my attention due to its historical setting (I adore Elizabeth but haven't read much about her life under her sister's reign) combined with the paranormal element of witchcraft, being that fear of witches and their persecution was rampant, women without a male's protection being especially vulnerable to such a charge.

What's striking to me in hindsight is comparing Elizabeth and Meg's journeys over the course of the book. Though neither gets to travel much given that Elizabeth is under house arrest for almost the entire book, they share many parallels. Both are young women whose mothers died young with rather uncaring fathers, currently under the control of someone else's indifference. Both would be given in marriage by others for political gain (Elizabeth to a royal prince, Meg to the powerful local witchfinder). And both attempting to wrangle power as Elizabeth wants to cement her position as heir to the throne and Meg wants to consolidate her witchly powers. Both would also like to just plain survive, which is threatened at several points.

The problem comes about as I was absolutely fascinated with Elizabeth but less enthralled with Meg, who is our main character. I thought Meg was kind of dumb and unduly possessed with growing her powers especially as she's under almost constant surveillance. I would prize survival higher and it's only when she's almost caught on several occasions that she ever really considers this. I was frustrated with her at several parts for the dumb choices she made though I do admire her determination to correct the wrongs.

Probably my least favorite part was a budding romance with a Spanish priest Alejandro who is planning to join an order that does allow for marriage albeit with some vows of chastity for most of the year (this is told to us several times). I was not charmed by him though he's certainly the best male character depicted as almost every other male is absolutely vile. I was not feeling the sparks!

Overall: This book just lacked some magic for me-I found the writing easy enough to follow but I wasn't thrilled with anything. I plan to check out book two and hope for more amazement there.

Cover: I love the colors and seeing Woodstock but I'm not really a fan of what we can see of the girl's face-it's just awkward.

Other Opinions:
Buried in Books
Inspiring Insomnia
The Reader Bee

Starry Nights

Starry Nights by Daisy Whitney
4/5 stars
Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2013
226 pages
YA Fantastical Contemporary

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I must give credit to Heather from The Flyleaf Review (review linked below) for her beautifully enthusiastic review of this book, which totally prepped me for the book by sharing about her art history background, something I do not possess. While I like looking at paintings, I do not have that passion for them that others have and can use the additional knowledge and love.

Julien loves art and realizes how fortunate he is to be able to roam the halls of the Musee d'Orsay after hours due to his mother's position there. In turn she appreciates his keen eyesight that catches possible sun damage before anyone else. His knowledge is uncanny and his talents are even rarer as he realizes that he can bring paintings to life, including the enchanting young woman in a recently rediscovered Renoir painting. Unfortunately he also starts seeing paintings around the world start to break down and he must race against time and his own desires to restore the art for the world's enjoyment.

Honestly the premise for this book is a bit weird-I mean, paintings coming to life? But Julien's love of the artwork is so real and compelling that it is easy to follow again. I mean, if I stopped to think about it, I'd find it quite bizarre but while reading, I was just swept away. Are most teenagers that interested in art (even French ones)? Probably not but I did like how he has this unique passion and the means and determination to follow it. Julien learns some pretty interesting things about himself over the course of this book that will definitely shape his future.

However the two parts that stay with me most don't really have anything to do with him. For example, my favorite parts were definitely Julien's interactions with a young ballet dancer-he can hear music coming from her, signs of her future career. As a musician, it is probably not surprising that those sections resonated so strongly with me especially because the referenced music is incredibly famous. My other lingering impression from this book is that Renoir is kind of a jerk-a sexist elitist jerk and I don't like him much. He does not come off well for sure and the parts that annoyed me the most are confirmed in the author's note as being true.

Unfortunately there is a romance and not just between Julien and art in general. No it is with that girl in the painting, Clio. Clio has been stuck there for years and that seems to have worn away her personality as in she didn't have much of one. I understand that she's beautiful but I need a bit more to get on board a train of human and painted creation, you know? So the romance is where this book really lost its luster for me as well as how the chapters leading up to the ending sort of dragged. This would also be an instance of a book where I did not want a traditional happy ever after and the path that this book took was too far away from what I wanted and expected to happen, leaving me dissatisfied about that.

Overall: Though my rating is on the positive side, I do find this book a bit slow and was very unhappy with the way the romance was handled. Still if you enjoy lightly magical stories and have an appreciation for art, this may be something you'd enjoy.

Cover: I feel like the cover is a bit cheesy (why yes it *is* set in Paris) but I've heard lovely things about the book in print so I'd like the chance to glimpse that for myself.

Other Opinions:
A Reader of Fictions
Alexa Loves Books
In Bed with Books
Into the Hall of Books
Jen Ryland/YA Romantics
The Flyleaf Review

Conjured

Conjured by Sarah Beth Durst
3.5/5 stars
Walker, 2013
358 pages
YA Horror Fantasy

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I feel like I saw a lot of wildly varying opinions for this book before starting it. Personally I was drawn mostly by the reputation of the author, someone I think of as writing very atypical books that don't fit a YA mold. And now that I am finished with this, I stand by that assessment. I'm not really sure where to go in my review or how to sum up this remarkable book.

Eve is in the witness protection program with no memories, which is a problem as it seems that she is the only one who could bring a serial killer to justice. Adding to her woes is her mysterious ability to do magic, which completely saps her of energy leading to days or even weeks with memory loss. Meeting Zach though changes all that as he seems to be a way to channel her magic. But the forces after the serial killer cannot afford to let Eve rest and will push her until the killer is caught, no matter the cost.

My summary may make this book seem a bit more focused than it felt while reading; personally I felt like it meandered a bit and then gave us loads of details before everything came into view (basically when Eve gets closer to the killer, not long before the end.) Man, did those pages drag! I tried to be patient, having read some reviews and wanting to trust in the author but that is just not the kind of reader I am.

The bright spot was definitely Zach, a total chatterbox and bookworm, filled to bursting with imagination and knowledge. He's not going to bring the swoon to the blogosphere because he's not dark and mysterious; instead he's remarkably open and honest and completely loyal to Eve through all her uncertainties. I wish we had gotten some more development of him though as I feel he started and ended as the same.

There are a ton of mysteries here (Why can't Eve remember? Why does she keep passing out? What is her history? Who has been killing people? Will Eve survive the forced remembering or succumb to the serial killer?) and I'm not really sure anyone could solve them. As the pieces were revealed, I was gasping at some of the revelations and I really enjoyed how everything played out. This book gets pretty dark and horrific, drawing many gasps from me.

Overall: A refreshing divergence from the usual YA fare despite not quite being to my taste. The reader who perseveres through the slow beginning is definitely rewarded though so don't be put off by my assessment of that-see if this one sounds to your taste!

Cover: Not really sure how I feel about this though my initial thought of what to put on the cover would be pretty spoiler-y.

Other Opinions:
Books and Things
Inspiring Insomnia
Jen Ryland/YA Romantics
Once Upon a Twilight
The Book Smugglers

The Deepest Night

The Deepest Night by Shana Abe
3.5/5 stars
Bantam, 2013
320 pages
YA Fantasy Historical

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Continuing with my love of dragons, earlier this year I read The Sweetest Dark and enjoyed its distinct writing style that seemed to really ground it in a different historical setting. It also had the bonus of featuring a boarding school, one of my favorite places to read about. So I was excited to start this sequel.

In this go-around, I tended to find the writing less enchanting, more distracting with several passages meriting rereads to erase my confusion (though it is also really hot so that helps to explain my muddled head). This sequel does feature some cool plot points such as Eleanore and Armand journeying from England to Germany to rescue another drakon being held as a prisoner of war. That takes up about the latter half of the book and was positively thrilling.

The first half of the book had its moments though too with Lora flailing a bit following the loss of an important character at the end of book one and ending up serving as a nurse at the new convalescent home in Armand's mansion (this made me think of "Downton Abbey") before embarking on the above quest. I thought this was an interesting perspective on WWI though it is still early days yet. I was constantly amazed by how much food was mentioned as I was fully expecting rationing.

Yet it's not so much the plot as the writing which matters and I just wasn't as enthralled by it in this go around. Sometimes I felt like things could be much more plainly stated and that if they were, it would make the story go down easier. I'm still not sure how much of the drakon mythology I understand, which probably stems from my unfamiliarity with the adult series this spins off from.

Overall: I think if you liked the first book, you'll have some idea of what to expect from the writing in this second but you should definitely check it out to start or you may end hopelessly lost.

Other Opinions:
Candace's Book Blog
In Bed with Books
The Best Books Ever
The Eclectic Reader
The Reader Bee

ARC Review: The Song of the Quarkbeast

The Song of the Quarkbeast by Jasper Fforde
4/5 stars
Harcourt Children's Books, 2013
289 pages
YA Fantasy
Scheduled to release September 3

Source: Received an ARC through Amazon Vine in exchange for an honest review.

After enjoying book one The Last Dragonslayer, I was pleased to get an early peek at its sequel (not really early as it has already been released in the UK). I picked this up one weekend expecting more hilarious shenanigans from Jennifer Strange and her coterie of magicians and assorted associates. As I anticipated, this was quintessentially Ffordian. I think if you enjoyed the first book and Fforde's writing in general, then you'll want to check out this sequel.

This go-around makes mention of the resurgence of magic following the events of the first book and continues some of the same threads but mostly the story is new, giving us further insight into the world of the Ununited Kingdoms. The big threat is over the future of magic with the king and wizard Blix eager to monetize it for their own gain while Jennifer and her crew want it available for everyone. These divergent philosophies battle it out, culminating in a bridge rebuilding competition to decide the fate of magic.

But really the plot doesn't much matter. Instead you'll be enchanted by the charming writing with its asides and the way that everything will come together. Small details are carelessly tossed to the side but later events prove how we had all the clues we needed, if only we could piece them all together the way Fforde does!

Jennifer continues to be plucky as foundlings are and we get to spend some time with the mysteriously disappearing and reappearing Great Zambini as well as all the fun characters from last book. I think my favorites here were greedy King Snodd IV and the King's Useless Brother (this is his actual title from the book) who is easily distracted by just about everything.

Overall: Though you could probably read this as a standalone, I do recommend checking out the first book beforehand and just being prepared for a zany ride!

Other Opinions:
Adventures of a Bookonaut
Lauren's Loquacious Literature (how cool is that blogname? I'm a sucker for alliteration)
Yolando Sfetsos

The Wells Bequest

The Wells Bequest by Polly Shulman
3.5/5 stars
Nancy Paulsen Books, 2013
257 pages
YA/MG Fantasy

Source: Received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

First book The Grimm Legacy was an absolute delight for me so I was thrilled to discover this companion novel! This book is loosely related featuring Jaya, the younger sister of Anjali, both of whom played important roles in the first book and of course the backdrop for both is the New York Circulating Material Repository. While the first book played with fairy tale items, this one takes a turn for the science-fiction side looking at items from HG Wells' novels as well as others.

Our new main character is Leo, son and younger brother of scientists whose own interests tend more toward the fantastical. He however is shocked when a tiny version of himself along with a beautiful girl, both on a time machine, appears in his bedroom. This sets off a journey that leads him to the aforementioned repository where he discovers that some of the creations he's read about are real (like HG Wells' time machine from the titular novel), meets the beautiful girl, and must confront a jealous rival.

Leo was a good kid. Probably my favorite thing about him is his concern over possibly messing up the future through his time travel. I loved his caution and how it was necessary to balance out his counterpart, the lovely Jaya, an experienced page whose enthusiasm takes over the adventure.  She easily rushes forward ready for anything.

While both of the leads were good, the villain was pathetic-I don't really remember the villain in The Grimm Legacy but I did not find this book's villain scary at all. I found him deranged and possibly in need of some medical health. This was the biggest point of frustration for me and I found that his simplicity brought the story down to more of a middle-grade level. Additionally I found a bit of the time travel confusing although further reflection has mostly brought it into line-I did enjoy those sequences but I found it very young for my taste.

Overall: A cool companion to The Grimm Legacy; while your reading experience will be enhanced by reading both in order, I don't think it's necessary and if fairy tales aren't really your thing, you could probably skip it and dive right into this one.

Other Opinions:
A Reader of Fictions
Little Squeed
Random Musings of a Bibliophile

ARC Review: The Bitter Kingdom

The Bitter Kingdom by Rae Carson
5/5 stars
Greenwillow Books, 2013
448 pages
YA Fantasy
Scheduled to release August 27

Source: Received an e-ARC from the publisher through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

I liked The Girl of Fire and Thorns and The Crown of Embers well enough but I wasn't as passionate about this series as other bloggers had been. Still I hoped to end the series strong so I was pleased to receive an early copy of this conclusion to the trilogy. Well, if you looked at my rating, you will see that I was well-rewarded by taking that chance because this book blew me away! I'm going to share a few non-spoiler points as well as a marked spoiler at the very bottom to hopefully explain how this book won me over.

Though most of the narrative is told from Elisa's perspective, as occurred in the first books, this one also brings in a few chapters narrated from Hector's point of view. I adore dual narration and really loved it here. Because my e-copy showed which chapters he narrated in the index, I could easily access how long it would be until the next entry and looked forward to each and every one. Which is not to say that I don't like Elisa's narration; I just happen to like the variety provided by Hector.

Another plot element I actually liked was the journey-Elisa and her crew have to travel a lot in this book and though that is not ordinarily the kind of story I like, it really pleased me here. Especially exciting was when they were caught in a snowstorm and decide to seek safer passage through mines (it was so Fellowship of the Ring). There was just so much action and it kept me glued to the pages.

But I guess what I liked the most was Elisa's confidence, which has been growing rapidly since her introduction as a shy mousy thing. She knows her rightful place as ruler and that she has the capacity to conceive and execute fantastic daring plans. She can fight, she can love (I promise you Hector fans some good things!), she can strategize-it's amazing! Right after Elisa comes spunky new character Mula, a little girl whose heartbreaking past will be only a dark memory as she gets to embark on an amazingly bright new future.

Overall: An excellent conclusion to this fantasy series. Usually my favorite book in a trilogy is the first but in my opinion, this finale demonstrates such tremendous growth on the part of its characters while also amping up the tension to almost unbearable stakes throughout the course of the novel. I thoroughly enjoyed it and hope you'll be finishing this series!

SPOILER:

So near the end Elisa's godstone falls out because she has fulfilled her purpose. First I loved that she didn't die because she had friends to share the burden-so many other Chosen had lived in isolation and couldn't finish but she built those relationships and invested in them and was rewarded. Then second she has to try to face her enemy without that power. But then it turns out she doesn't need it because she is anything but ordinary even without the stone. Oh, I just loved it!

END SPOILER:

Other Opinions:
Book Labyrinth
Paranormal Indulgence
Pure Imagination

The Hero's Guide to Storming the Castle

The Hero's Guide to Storming the Castle by Christopher Healy
4.5/5 stars
Walden Pond Press, 2013
477 pages
MG Fairy Tale Fantasy

Source: Library

This highly anticipated sequel to The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom is an absolute pleasure, proving a worthy successor, no second book syndrome here! Its many delights include the chatty humorous narration style, which matches exactly the first book's writing style, the familiar characters plus new charmers, and the way the plot thickens in preparation for book three.

As mentioned the humorous writing style continues. Here's an example of one of my favorite lines: "The element of surprise can offer a hero great advantage in battle. The element of oxygen--also important" (page 382). That's just one that really struck me so I wrote down the page number for reference. There's basically an average of one laugh a page as you go through this whole entire book.

Of course the characters are fab too! For me, the real standouts this time were Duncan and his wife Snow White; though neither will ever win an award for intelligence, they can be depended upon to provide a distraction like none other and are uncommonly sweet. I can't list the number of times I was cracking up because of something they said or did. The other standout was Briar Rose whose vile character I thought was self-evident. Well, not so much as this book complicates her motivations and deepens her character. And as I write this I realize that I have a third standout in the character of Troll who is just awesome and who fully enlivens the pages on which he appears. Okay, I totally could go on but seriously pretty much every character is great. Still I did struggle a bit to differentiate personalities and motivations of the princes Frederic and Duncan-their timidity tends to confuse me. But I think I almost have them straightened out.

So why didn't this get a perfect 5 stars? I feel like it's a little on the long side. Yes, I flew through the book but still an itsy bit on the long side. Additionally I wasn't that impressed with the villain(s). I liked getting to see their side and what was being plotted but I twiddled my thumbs a bit during those sections, waiting to return to the Princes Charming and co.

Other Opinions:
The Book Monsters
Buried in Books
Paranormal Indulgence

Siege and Storm

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo
4/5 stars
Henry Holt and Co, 2013
432 pages
YA Fantasy

Source: Received an ARC from Amazon Vine in exchange for an honest review.

No spoilers for Siege and Storm but some light spoilers for Shadow and Bone (possibly)

When I was choosing a book to read on the plane for my vacation, I thought Siege and Storm would be the perfect pick. Highly anticipated and already receiving rave reviews from the blogosphere. But when I tried reading it on the plane, I was confronted with the fact that this is a fantasy and I really struggled to concentrate on the world, eventually putting it aside until I landed where I promptly devoured it.

I can't share too much about the plot but I will remind you how Alina has an amplifier and is on the run from the Darkling in the company of Mal. This book picks up with them still on the move and quickly escalates from there. No moments of piece for the young couple but new and ever more difficult challenges keep arising, both external and internal.

Although Shadow and Bone received a decidedly meh review from me, the more reviews I read around the blogosphere and the more I mused on the book, the more excited about it I became. Now that I have completed Siege and Storm, I still have similar feelings. There is just something about this series that fails to captivate me like my favorite books do.

Yes, there are some great moments like the introduction of Sturmhond, a privateer with charm to spare who is quite the trickster. Every moment with him sparkles although his flirtation with Alina pissed off the Mal fan in me. Speaking of Mal, he is kind of a gloomy Gus in this book as he feels increasingly stifled by the decisions he and Alina have made and how that limits his future. I just wanted him to give his all to Alina but then I guess he wouldn't have been the kind of guy he is. As someone who quite liked the Darkling despite a long-time dislike of the "bad boy," I was disappointed that he didn't have more page time. When he's there, he's there-he takes over everything and he's always in the background of Alina's thoughts but he didn't have the presence he did last time.

And then we come to Alina who is probably my biggest problem with the book. I just don't click with her. There's nothing particularly objectionable about her to me but we don't have the easy camaraderie that I've had with other heroines (say Alanna of Tamora Pierce's series). It's as simple as that.

Overall: I would still definitely say this is a must-read for fantasy fans and those who enjoyed the first book; it's also a good read for people who want to stay abreast of what's popular in the YA category as these books have inspired a lot of love.

Other Opinions:
Beauty and the Bookshelf
Candace's Book Blog
Jen Ryland/YA Romantics
Supernatural Snark
The Midnight Garden

Without a Summer

Without a Summer by Mary Robinette Kowal
4/5 stars
Tor Books, 2013
364 pages
Adult Fantasy Historical Austen

Source: Library

This is the third book in the Glamourist Histories series following the adventures of Sir and Lady Vincent in Shades of Milk and Honey and Glamour in Glass during Regency times. Although the first book drew heavily on the works of Jane Austen, the second moved away and this third book continues the trend expanding on the historical and magical foundations of this world.

The year is 1816 and it seems like the winter will never end with crops failing and increasing unemployment with returning soldiers from the Napoleonic wars.  A convenient target is the coldmongers who, in small doses can manipulate glamour to keep things cold; the general public considers them the reason between the freezing and the situation gets tense. On a more personal level, Jane and her husband have a commission in London and they take this opportunity to bring Jane's sister Melody along so she can potentially acquire a husband. But her number one choice seems very unsuitable especially as he may be involved with something very shady.

My favorite aspect of this book is actually one I didn't mention above: Sir Vincent has been estranged from his family ever since he pursued glamour as a profession but the possibility of reconciliation is dangled, introducing many new characters including his cold and cruel father. I also really liked the historical elements-I didn't even know about this cold summer until I read this book.

The part I didn't really like was the romantic subplot-I didn't think much of Melody's suitor, which coincides with Jane's assessment of his character. When the main character is so anti-someone, it is hard to persevere in liking him. Luckily Jane and Vincent have some really cute moments as they fight for their marriage despite many challenges. They are starting to know each other so well and have great banter.

Overall: Fun magical world incorporating lesser-known historical facts (there's a fun discussion guide at the end to peruse) and ever deepening its characterization.

A Corner of White

A Corner of White by Jaclyn Moriarty
4/5 stars
Arthur A Levine Books, 2013
373 pages
YA Fantastical Contemporary

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a book about which I had seen a lot of buzz, hailed as something truly unique and extraordinary. With praise like that, who could resist? Having finished, I see where that stems from but I don't know if this book was quite as special as it was made out to be. The ending in particular where secrets are revealed and everything comes together, though satisfying, was very expected by me. I'm not saying I was able to predict everything but when certain pieces of information were uncovered, I nodded in assent to the turn of events rather than gasping in surprise or clutching the book ever tighter in a frantic effort to discover what comes next.

It is rather difficult to write a plot summary but I'll give it a shot here. We alternate between two worlds: one is ours and the other is Cello, a kingdom plagued by dangerous Colors. In our world we closely follow Madeleine who strikes up a correspondence with Elliott in Cello via letters exchanged through a crack. Although at first they seem very different and separate, as the story progresses, the threads thicken and we can see the connections.

The writing for this book is very free-wheeling with seemingly random digressions into historical figures like Isaac Newton and Lord Byron but again everything does come together in a very pleasing conclusion. It's just that the beginning was a bit of a slog to my mind-it took entirely too long to really gain steam and capture my interest.

Both of the main characters have their commonalities as in their separation from their fathers (although for very different reasons), a longing to leave their setting for somewhere else (something that is largely sated by the end), and of course a certain amount of curiosity that encouraged them in their letter-writing exchange across worlds. Oddly I think I preferred Elliott's sections, enjoying learning about the land of Cello and the town of Bonfire. I consider this odd as I tend to prefer female protagonists in a contemporary setting so one would have thought I'd prefer Madeleine's narrative.

The big test for a first book (as this is the first in a series) is if I would read the second and while I am not craving the next book as I am in other series, it is still something I would like to check out as I feel that all the set-up in this book could pay off in a big way in subsequent books.

Other Opinions:
A Reader of Fictions
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Steph Su Reads
Unforgettable Books

The Flame in the Mist

The Flame in the Mist by Kit Grindstaff
3/5 stars
Delacorte Press, 2013
449 pages
MG/YA Fantasy

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Allow me a moment of digression to open this review. This weekend I happened to catch the beginning of "Brave" and my response to that film is rather similar to my response to this book. I'm pleased as punch to see a spunky red-headed female protagonist navigating a fantastical world, don't get me wrong. Yet unlike "Finding Nemo" and "Up" and despite my very high expectations, "Brave" failed to fully engage my emotions. Similarly, I read this book more dutifully than excitedly hoping to fall in love but never succeeding. I'm not really sure why I had this response but there you go.

It didn't even matter that this book had a lot of cool stuff like the fact that it seems to be a standalone although the world could probably be expanded into a series. Or there is the prophecy and magic swirling around the story that should have been enough to enthrall me. But it didn't.

Perhaps it was the length? I think this page amount is consistent with other fantasies but it felt so long to me. Maybe it's the darkness? As you can see in the title, there is mist all around and it is an evil presence that hurts most of the people in the book. Another possibility is the timing-I got very confused about what day it was and what day we wanted it to be. Some events took both more and less time than I anticipated. And sometimes the way circumstances turned out was just a little too pat for me, just a little too easy. Whatever the reason, I didn't enjoy this book as much as I wanted to but I would certainly not try to dissuade you from reading it. I think it was partly my mood which did not want a fantasy but did want to finish this book for review.

Overall: Appropriate for older MG as it's a bit on the long side and there are some darker moments and young YA as well as older readers-hope this works better for you than it did for me.

ARC Review: Wednesdays in the Tower

Wednesdays in the Tower by Jessica Day George
4/5 stars
Bloomsbury Children's, 2013
233 pages
Middle Grade Fantasy
Scheduled to release May 7

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

After being absolutely enchanted by Tuesdays at the Castle, I was thrilled to see that a sequel would be released. I was eager to return to the world of Castle Glower and to hang out with Celie as she chronicled its ever-changing halls and rooms. This second book promised more delights!

We are dropped back into the castle, where life seems to have settled down after the tumult of the events of the first book. But Castle Glower cannot remain quiet for long with Celie's life being shaken up by the hatching of a griffin, a species long thought extinct, who Celie must keep hidden amidst the ever-changing rooms of the castle and its population.

I thought this book was such a cute fun fast read; it was one I picked up during my recent personal readathon and just flew through. Celie is as tough as ever, bearing up well under difficult circumstances. My hope for this sequel was that the parents and rest of the family would be around, which came true. As I predicted, Celie is still able to get up to plenty of mischief even as her parents evince an interest in what she is hiding.

Something else I loved was the mythology around the griffin. They have mysterious origins and it is uncertain if they will continue to survive as there seems to be only this one. Who knows about the history of griffins? Why is there such a paucity of information? Is someone trying to stop Celie and her family from learning more? These are some of the questions teased and it seems that there should be a third book to further explore.

Still while I had fun reading this, I didn't enjoy it quite as much as its predecessor just because it seemed to be continuing in the same vein instead of adding and deepening the world introduced. I loved our first glimpse at Castle Glower but I needed more from this book to really fall in love.

Other Opinions:
Books Are Sanity
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Karissa's Reading Review