BOOK REVIEW + DISCUSSION: The Rose & the Dagger by Renee Ahdieh

Such a sumptuous conclusion of The Wrath and the Dawn duology that is madly unforgettable! Renee Ahdieh remained evocative on her narration and moved my heart in many different ways. Her writing style takes us to a pure bliss as if we’re living inside her epic tales. I like that the plot was less angsty and had a lighter feel to it. I wish it’s a trilogy ‘cuz I feel like we could have explored this world more deeply.

TITLE: The Rose & the Dagger ( The Wrath & the Dawn # 2)
AUTHOR:Renee Ahdieh
GENRE: Young Adult, Retelling, Fantasay, Romance
FORMAT: Paperback
PUBLISHER: Putnam
DATE READ: July 27, 2016

GOODREADS:

The much anticipated sequel to the breathtaking The Wrath and the Dawn, lauded by Publishers Weekly as “a potent page-turner of intrigue and romance.”

I am surrounded on all sides by a desert. A guest, in a prison of sand and sun. My family is here. And I do not know whom I can trust.

In a land on the brink of war, Shahrzad has been torn from the love of her husband Khalid, the Caliph of Khorasan. She once believed him a monster, but his secrets revealed a man tormented by guilt and a powerful curse—one that might keep them apart forever. Reunited with her family, who have taken refuge with enemies of Khalid, and Tariq, her childhood sweetheart, she should be happy. But Tariq now commands forces set on destroying Khalid’s empire. Shahrzad is almost a prisoner caught between loyalties to people she loves. But she refuses to be a pawn and devises a plan.

While her father, Jahandar, continues to play with magical forces he doesn’t yet understand, Shahrzad tries to uncover powers that may lie dormant within her. With the help of a tattered old carpet and a tempestuous but sage young man, Shahrzad will attempt to break the curse and reunite with her one true love.

A BEAUTIFUL TALE THAT WILL MESMERIZE YOU.  

“Destiny was for fools. Shahrzad would not wait for her life to happen . She would make it happen.”
From the stars, to the stars. I rate it 4.5 STARS!

The Rose & the Dagger picks up right where it ended on the first book but this time, Renee showed us the lustrous depth of the world she created and submerged it deeply into a course of rich fantasy. She incorporated lots of elements to spiced up her story more; more tales, magic, flying carpet, giant serpents,  unbeknownst temple that harbors people with special gifts, those and all other things were present here to captivate the readers. And by the time you’re reading this review, it means you have read the first one. This book tackled more on how to break Khalid’s curse which i a good thing because we still don’t know whether it’s breakable and what are the things at stake to break it.

I also enjoyed the presence of little tales in this book to remind us what we’ve grown to love on this story. The two tales that I’ve loved inside there story were; The Girl Who Grasped the Moon that was really a poignant tale that taught us that greediness comes with a price and The Tribe of Weeping Men a tale taught us that just looking forward and never looking back to where you came from also comes with a price.

There’s less romance on this book but every stolen moments of Khalid and Shazi are swoon-worthy. I like that even they are apart from each other, they could still function as a normal human being rather than whine all day. I like the fact that the characters are mature enough to be realistic and face the situation they’re in without jeopardizing each other.

“It was because they were two parts of a whole. He did not belong to her. And she did not belong to him. It was never about belonging to someone. It was about belonging together.”

There were lots of fighting, bargaining, betrayals and deceptions, that would test the where the characters’ allegiance and loyalty truly lies. I like the fact that Renee managed to dwell on more of the character’s development because it helped us to understood the story more in the eyes of her feisty leads.

There’s an impressive progression of the story line but I have to admit that the beginning was rather slow. I have so much love for this duology and I can talk about it for hours, but I will end my review on a final conclusion about the ending.

I am genuinely happy that the conflict of this book ended on a high note. She gave us an ending with less bloodshed and more of resolution. An ending that we didn’t expect because in a story with a presence of war , we always think of putting the enemies’ head on the spike. But no one has to die all the time. Just like what Sun Tzu said in his famous ART OF WAR book, Every battle is won or lost before it’s ever fought. The characters dealt with this in a peaceful manner preventing the potential war that would cost more lives and do more harm than good. The rise of the girl power on this book really helped a lot. I enjoyed this conclusion more than I should because it’s full of surprises and jaw-dropping moments.

I’ll miss this duology so much. Moreover, I’ll miss Khalid Ibn al-Rashid.

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BOOK REVIEW + DISCUSSIONS: The Liberty Box by C.A. Gray

The whole plot and world building are all incredibly intriguing and I love the scientific aspects incorporated in the story as well as some of its interconnected elements and themes with our real life situation. The sequel The Eden Conspiracy will hit the shelves on July 18th 2016! 

 

 

TITLE: The Liberty Box # 1
AUTHOR:  C.A. Gray
GENRE: Science Fiction, Dystopian
FORMAT: eBOOK
PUBLISHER: Wanderlust Publishing
DATE READ: July 17, 2016

GOODREADS:

Kate Brandeis has it all: a famous reporter at the age of twenty-four, she’s the face of the Republic of the Americas. She has a loving fiancé and all the success she could wish for. But when she learns of the death of a long-forgotten friend, her investigations unravel her perfect memories, forcing her to face the fact that she’s been living a lie.

Jackson MacNamera, trained from a young age in the art of mind control, returns to the Republic for his mother’s funeral. Within a few hours of his arrival, authorities collect Jackson and take him by force to a room ironically called The Liberty Box, where he must choose between surrendering his thoughts to the new Republic, or fleeing for his freedom.

Kate, bereaved and confused, finds her way to a cave community of refugees, where Jackson seems to offer her an escape from her grief. The two forge an uneasy bond, and in the process Jackson learns that Kate has some insight which may help the hunters in their attempt to free other citizens from the tyranny of the Potentate. Against the expressed wishes of the Council, the hunters plot a series of daring raids, attempting to prove that not only is freedom possible, but that the citizens are not too far gone to desire it. But with the odds so stacked against them, can the refugees succeed in their rescue missions right under the Potentate’s nose?

AN INTELLIGENTLY WRITTEN BOOK THAT HAS MANAGED TO BALANCE AND CAPTURE THE ELEMENTS OF A GOOD STORY.  

I just finished this book! I highly recommend it! I received this eBook copy from @royalsocialmedia in exchange for my honest review.

First of all…. I was mind-blown! I think I love C.A. Gray now! The whole plot and world building were all incredibly intriguing and I love the scientific aspects incorporated in the story as well as some of its interconnected elements and themes with our real life situation.

What I like about this story is that it felt believably real. This story takes place in a future time but it embodies what we fear at present day-being unable to distinguish what’s real and what’s not.

In this story, the economy of The United States had reached its rock bottom and the country suffered from what seems to be a serious stagflation that cannot be resolved. There’s chaos everywhere. This is where a billionaire man Volotini entered the scene. He’s Machiavellian by all means but with a plan. His rise to power was abrupt but the Congress had no other choice but to buy his idea and to instate him as the dictator or Potentate.

Now called the Republic, the government collects people’s brain waves and make everyone believe that the country is prosperous. What you see is not really what it is. Everything is a lie and controlled by the government. People remained optimistic because they think they are living a good life and the government is always helping them. In short, the whole country is brainwashed and only an outsider can see the truth. The government sacrificed realism for their own good.

What if you found out everything was a lie? Would you sacrifice your happy and sound mind to face the truth? Or would you deny it and refuse to believe to continue living life as you have known it?

Kate Brandeis is a product of this Volotinian system. She’s a successful reporter, wealthy and has a loving fiance. One day, Kate’s senses suddenly awakened after her old friend Maggie was reported to be assassinated for treason. She has been branded as an enemy of the state. Since then, Kate started to get images of her past and small vision on what her world truly looks like. She’s an interesting character though we have yet to view her as a heroic figure.

Jackson MacNamera is a guy who grew up on Iceland. He’s described as a person with heightened senses and he could see right through everything because of his strong mind. His training with his grandfather helped him learn how to control his own mind. I like him as a character because he possesses exceptional skills that could be necessary on this situation that would be soon be a revolution.

The Liberty Box is a thrilling dystopian ride that will surely mesmerize you. Every element is balanced and there are lots of tension and action going on. I’m excited to unravel what’s going to happen on the second book because this is a very promising novel. This book is a rare gem that everyone should try reading. There are no dull moments and every bits of it are truly action-packed.

The sequel will be released tomorrow, July 18th! Be sure to grab your copies!

 

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BOOK REVIEW + DISCUSSIONS: The Crown’s Game by Evelyn Skye

A book with an exciting premise. You’ll truly appreciate the details Evelyn Skye has thrown at us. The tsarist Russia felt alive. This book has its best moments, it wasn’t all that bad and was truly astonishing.

TITLE: The Crown’s Game # 1
AUTHOR: Evelyn Skye
GENRE: Young Adult, Fantasy, Historical Fiction
FORMAT: Hardcover
PUBLISHER: Balzer + Bray
DATE READ: July 11, 2016

GOODREADS:

Vika Andreyeva can summon the snow and turn ash into gold. Nikolai Karimov can see through walls and conjure bridges out of thin air. They are enchanters—the only two in Russia—and with the Ottoman Empire and the Kazakhs threatening, the Tsar needs a powerful enchanter by his side.

And so he initiates the Crown’s Game, an ancient duel of magical skill—the greatest test an enchanter will ever know. The victor becomes the Imperial Enchanter and the Tsar’s most respected adviser. The defeated is sentenced to death.

Raised on tiny Ovchinin Island her whole life, Vika is eager for the chance to show off her talent in the grand capital of Saint Petersburg. But can she kill another enchanter—even when his magic calls to her like nothing else ever has?

For Nikolai, an orphan, the Crown’s Game is the chance of a lifetime. But his deadly opponent is a force to be reckoned with—beautiful, whip smart, imaginative—and he can’t stop thinking about her.

And when Pasha, Nikolai’s best friend and heir to the throne, also starts to fall for the mysterious enchantress, Nikolai must defeat the girl they both love… or be killed himself.

As long-buried secrets emerge, threatening the future of the empire, it becomes dangerously clear… the Crown’s Game is not one to lose.

Love over ambition.

The concept of the game was interesting. I like the setting, an alternate fantasy version of the tsarist Russia. I like the idea of having one enchanter for each country to defend the state. I like the magic Nikolai and Vika possessed. I also appreciate how detailed Evelyn Skye was when she described the setting, it felt rich and magical. This book has its best moments too, it wasn’t all that bad.

The whole progression of the story felt a bit tedious but I’m glad it gets better as I progress.

In this book, we have two enchanters, Vika and Nikolai but each country could only have one enchanter so that all the powers will be concentrated into one individual. If there are two enchanters, the powers will be divided hence they wouldn’t have all the access to the powers out there needed to protect the tsar and the whole Russia now that the Kazakhs are showing signs of threats.

The number of enchanter shall be limited because each country’s wellspring emits a finite amount of magic at any given time. It is not without limits.

Thus, the Crown’s Game was commenced. The two enchanters will battle to win the title. But it wasn’t the physical-stupefy-expelliarmus kind of duel. Each of them will take turns and try to conjure their powers around St. Petersburg and show that he/she is better than the other. It’s up to them what move they’ll do. Each of them has a scar on their chest and once it burns, it means it’s your turn. But at the end of the Game, only one will live and the other will die. There is no escape in the Crown’s Game, because even you won’t kill your opponent, once all the 5 turns has been taken, the game itself will decide, the game itself will kill you. Death by burning

Sounds pretty intense right? The book felt promising and left me wanting for more.

The book is written in third person perspective and we can see all the aspects of the characters envolved; Vika, Nikolai, the Tsar and Pasha the Prince even his sister Yulianna. I have to give credit to Evelyn Skye for the massive historical research she had done to include on this book; The historical event of the seige of Mesologgi from the Ottomans; the Greek Revolution; even the truths behind the tsar Pasha Alexender and his imperial court.

I’m excited as to what this book has to offer.

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BOOK REVIEW + DISCUSSIONS: Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum

This book is the book you should read if you want to feel lighthearted or if you want to be cheered up. This book can also be a cure for reading slump or a book hang-over from your previous read.

TITLE: Tell Me Three Things
AUTHOR:  Julie Buxbaum
GENRE: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
FORMAT: eBOOK
PUBLISHER: Delacorte Press
DATE READ: July 12, 2016

GOODREADS:

Julie Buxbaum mixes comedy and tragedy, love and loss, pain and elation, in her debut YA novel whose characters will come to feel like friends. Tell Me Three Things will appeal to fans of Rainbow Rowell, Jennifer Niven, and E. Lockhart.

“Three Things about this novel: (1) I loved it. (2) No, really, I LOVED it. (3) I wish I could tell every teen to read it. Buxbaum’s book sounds, reads, breathes, worries, and soars like real adolescents do.” —Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestselling author of Leaving Time and Off the Page

 Everything about Jessie is wrong. At least, that’s what it feels like during her first week of junior year at her new ultra-intimidating prep school in Los Angeles. Just when she’s thinking about hightailing it back to Chicago, she gets an email from a person calling themselves Somebody/Nobody (SN for short), offering to help her navigate the wilds of Wood Valley High School. Is it an elaborate hoax? Or can she rely on SN for some much-needed help?

It’s been barely two years since her mother’s death, and because her father eloped with a woman he met online, Jessie has been forced to move across the country to live with her stepmonster and her pretentious teenage son.

In a leap of faith—or an act of complete desperation—Jessie begins to rely on SN, and SN quickly becomes her lifeline and closest ally. Jessie can’t help wanting to meet SN in person. But are some mysteries better left unsolved?

A fresh and authentic YA Contemporary that will leave you a giddy feeling. 

Tell Me Three Things is a book that made me smile. It’s a very light read and it left me with a lighthearted feeling that I haven’t felt for a long time. After finishing it I already miss the characters. I want to see how they’re doing right now because the end doesn’t conclude their story, you know that their lives would go on. It moved me and I see myself in Jessie’s head. This is the kind of book I wished I have read when I was sixteen when I’m out there trying to fit in the new environment I was plunged into.

Three things I love from this book:

1. The narration, I like how genuine and it didn’t feel pretentious at all. When you read this book, you could actually feel like you are Jessie or you could be Jessie’s best friend. I like how Julie Buxbaum wrote the story with a perfect balance. It didn’t feel rushed. It felt natural and authentic.

2. The characters, are all well written that you could resonate with all of them. And they didn’t feel fictional at all. It felt like they’re real people.

3. The message of the story, time heals everything. Wherever you are in this world or whatever you’re experiencing, it will end. And one day you’ll look back and pat yourself for not giving up.

The story revolves around Jessie Holmes, she just moved to L.A with her dad after her mom died. His dad remarried with a woman who also has a son and suddenly she needs to do all the adjusting. New school, new people to deal with and new family. She’s enrolled in a prestigious school in L.A. called Wood Valley High. One day, she receives an anonymous email from a boy/girl who also happens to study in her school. He/she offered to help her adjust in the new school and be a guide to everything she needs to know there. He/she is called Somebody Nobody or SN. With the whole high school drama, Jessie finds herself confiding to SN and vice versa. They tell everything to each other and feel comfortable with it. Basically the whole book is about how Jessie adjusts on her new life, the desire to meet SN, and also finding herself.

I like how this is one of the mysteries we try to solve with Jessie; who is SN? But I also like that it doesn’t just focus on that, the book deals with a whole lot of other things such as discovering your voice in this world, developing “real” friendship as a foundation of everything, and acceptance, that everything happens for a reason and we have to deal with it.

The premise looks typical but once you started reading, the story will echo in your mind.

I could actually relate with Jessie which made me like this book so much. In real life, we tend to limit to whom we would share the dose of our real selves. But once we’re online, we’re a whole new different persona, we are ourselves. We are more confident because the anonymity gives us freedom to show the real us. Maybe that’s what Jessie and SN thought when they’re talking each other online. They feel connected.

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BOOK REVIEW + DISCUSSIONS : Unhooked by Lisa Maxwell

Another Peter Pan retelling! This book has the potential of being amazing but it didn’t live up to that. Though I wasn’t a fan of the this book,  I enjoyed reading it anyway. This is my 100 % honest review and this is not sponsored.

 

TITLE: Unhooked
AUTHOR:  Lisa Maxwell
GENRE: Fantasy, Young Adult, Retelling
FORMAT: eBOOK
PUBLISHER: Simon Pulse
DATE READ: June 23, 2016

GOODREADS:

For as long as she can remember, Gwendolyn Allister has never had a place to call home—all because her mother believes that monsters are hunting them. Now these delusions have brought them to London, far from the life Gwen had finally started to build for herself. The only saving grace is her best friend, Olivia, who’s coming with them for the summer.

But when Gwen and Olivia are kidnapped by shadowy creatures and taken to a world of flesh-eating sea hags and dangerous Fey, Gwen realizes her mom might have been sane all along.

The world Gwen finds herself in is called Neverland, yet it’s nothing like the stories. Here, good and evil lose their meaning and memories slip like water through her fingers. As Gwen struggles to remember where she came from and find a way home, she must choose between trusting the charming fairy-tale hero who says all the right things and the roguish young pirate who promises to keep her safe.

With time running out and her enemies closing in, Gwen is forced to face the truths she’s been hiding from all along. But will she be able to save Neverland without losing herself?

A retelling that would give you a mixed emotion and  would leave you with a tad bit of resolution.

First of all, I have picked up this book because I’ve decided to join a read along on a book club on instagram called Not Your Mamas Book Club. It was really fun discussing this book with them because we get to exchange different ideas and theories every Sunday. And after a month of read-along, it’s time to write my honest review on this book.

I have a love and hate relationship with this book because I’m really struggling to love it but at the same time hate it. This wasn’t a perfect book to begin with but that doesn’t mean that it was awful. It had its great moments and at some point, it got me hooked and got me really invested in the story. Because I’ve always loved Peter Pan stories and adaptations and I’m glad 2016 opened with another one! I didn’t feel disoriented with the first few chapters because I liked the mystery and suspense Lisa Maxwell has given us. What’s the real deal with Captain Hook? Will he still play the villain in this story? Will Peter still be the hero? Just like what we’ve always known?

This is the map illustration of Neverland I’ve found on YA BOOKS CENTRAL . Feel free to click on that to see their site and enter their giveaways. Anyways I have seen this map late, I’m almost done with the book when I’ve randomly seen this. But it really helped me a bit into picturing out the shape of Neverland.

The story was crafted in the eyes and voice of Gwendolyn Allister, a girl who’s always on the run with her mom not because they were fugitives, but because her mom believes that monsters were running after them. I don’t know where to stand with Gwen because I feel like she’s an indecisive protagonist. Twists and turn happened and Gwen ended up in Neverland as well as her bestfriend Olivia. But Gwen found herself in the ship of the famous Captain Hook while Olivia was in the hands of the heroic Peter Pan. Gwen knew how the story works, Hook was evil and Pan was good. But Neverland was different from what she had known in the story book. Aside from that, Neverland is now being haunted by evil creatures and mystery envelopes the whole land.Gwen felt that it was pretty hard to decide whom to trust because everyone seems to have their own agendas (I’ve felt that too girl). Little did she know, there were lots of greater things at stake in which the solution lies within her decisions. She was suddenly thrust in the midst of embracing who she was and sacrificing the life she had always known.

“I should be terrified of how very alive it all feels, but after all I’ve been through—and after everything I’ve done—fear seems like a luxury I can’t afford.”

I couldn’t give much details because it would spoil the whole story but I just want to say that this book was okay and it could be appealing to others more than it did to me. I liked it but didn’t love it. It could give a reader a sense of mixed emotions but with a thread of resolution. I like how the author gave us a choice on whom to side with or who to root for. The book felt engaging and I like that there were things in this that we could discuss.

But I was a little bit  disappointed toward the end part because it felt rushed and blurry. To think that this was a stand alone, some questions weren’t answered and there were loopholes in the story that I wanted to let it pass but I couldn’t really ignore. I wanted to explore the world of Neverland not just a tad bit. It’s like you know that the setting was in Neverland but you don’t feel like you were there, because to me, it didn’t feel that alive. I wanted more. The pacing was quite slow but on the last few pages of the book wherein so much thing should have happened, it suddenly become all fast-paced but it felt too short and incomplete. 

But over all, it was a great read and if you’re looking for a book about Peter Pan retelling with a twist, this book could be your cup of tea. And besides, Hook is kind of hot here and sexy. 😀

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BOOK REVIEW + DISCUSSIONS : The Forbidden Wish by Jessica Khoury

The Forbidden Wish has easily became one of my favorite retellings! The narration was captivating that it left me delighted. Here’s my full review on the beautiful Aladdin retelling.

TITLE: The Forbidden Wish
AUTHOR:  Jessica Khoury
GENRE: Fantasy, Young Adult, Retellings, Romance
FORMAT: eBOOK
PUBLISHER: Razorbill
DATE READ: June 7, 2016

GOODREADS:

She is the most powerful Jinni of all. He is a boy from the streets. Their love will shake the world…

When Aladdin discovers Zahra’s jinni lamp, Zahra is thrust back into a world she hasn’t seen in hundreds of years—a world where magic is forbidden and Zahra’s very existence is illegal. She must disguise herself to stay alive, using ancient shape-shifting magic, until her new master has selected his three wishes.

But when the King of the Jinn offers Zahra a chance to be free of her lamp forever, she seizes the opportunity—only to discover she is falling in love with Aladdin. When saving herself means betraying him, Zahra must decide once and for all: is winning her freedom worth losing her heart?

As time unravels and her enemies close in, Zahra finds herself suspended between danger and desire in this dazzling retelling of Aladdin from acclaimed author Jessica Khoury.

A strong and incredible novel that has a beautiful story outside the romance.

First let us appreciate the detailed and wonderful cover! omg! I’ve read it in eBook and I can’t wait to purchase the paperback. (It’s not available in our local bookstore still. Grr rude. )

This book is breathtakingly exquisite and I loved every bits of it. Jessica Khoury has
managed to craft a beautiful retelling of a story that we once knew, the Aladdin but with a twist. What would it be like when the owner of the lamp, falls for the jinni inside it? Jessica has written a story that felt real; The history of how jinnis were made and the old tale of powerful jinn and about wishes that should never be spoken because it’s the worst mistake a jinni could ever make, all felt vividly real.

The story follows a boy name Aladdin who  got the lamp in the ruins of the desert. He called out the jinni inside the lamp but to his surprise, it was a girl. Zahra, is an immortal jinni who is about four thousand years old. She was made into a jinni by Nardukha, the King of all the Jinns. And since then, she had been granting wishes for anyone who found the lamp. She has been trapped in the lamp for almost 500 years and has been hidden in the ruins as a punishment for the incident that happened hundred years ago. Aladdin found her and him being her new master, she must stick with him ’til his 3 wishes has been granted. Unexpected twists happened and they faced a much more stronger forces along their way that will determined whether their feelings are worth risking or if their love will stand against the test of time.

Zahra and Aladdin are equally interesting characters and I like the fact that what’s going on between them is not insta love! They slowly grow and they have their own dilemmas to deal with and also there is a beautiful story going on outside the romance. Though this book has a romance-driven story, it offers a deeper and wider aspect of the story line that makes it enticing. It’s not just about enchanting magic and a tale of romance. It’s about heroism and sacrifice for freedom and love and most of all, friendship. It’s about fighting for what you truly want. It’s about having a choice and taking it.

“You can’t choose what happens to you, but you can choose what you become because of it.”

All the elements in this book are well balanced. And I tell you! The girls in this book are all bad ass like Zahra. The characters are well written and have their own special traits that you’ll either love or loathe. The setting is fresh and it’s really picturesque that I can see it in my mind as a vibrant, beautiful and happy place to be in. I really recommend this to anyone. I’m a bit sad that this was a stand alone but even it was one, it felt complete and perfect.

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BOOK REVIEW + DISCUSSIONS : Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas

Yes ladies and gentlemen! It took me too long to review this book but finally and with all Mala Fire Bringer’s glory, Queen of Shadows review is on!

 

TITLE: Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass # 4)
AUTHOR:  Sarah J. Maas
GENRE: High Fantasy, Young Adult
FORMAT: Paperback
PUBLISHER: Bloomsbury UK
DATE READ: June 3, 2016

GOODREADS 

Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she’s at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past . . .

She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die just to see her again. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen’s triumphant return.

Celaena’s epic journey has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions across the globe. This fourth volume will hold readers rapt as Celaena’s story builds to a passionate, agonizing crescendo that might just shatter her world.

Buy in Amazon       Buy in Book Depository

This book was massively long and eventful. 

 

One of the major appeals of this book aside from its bad ass plot, is the ships. And I have to agree that many ships had already sank or maybe some still sailing. I’m not going to focus on that more because there were so much thing that happened that I wanted to tackle here BTW I’m #Rowaelin shipper.

It was really hard for me to review this book because this book was really long. And after it’s done, there were lots of unanswered question still bugging my mind and I’m still trying to look for answers about what’s gonna happen next. I theorized a lot but I don’t know if any of them were right. And that’s what I really like about this book. It really makes you think. It’s not as easy as reading it. It felt engaging.  This wasn’t the conclusion to everything because we still have two more books to go. The old world ends. The new world begins. I wish my questions will be answered through the next installments. The writing style of Sarah remains sophisticated as ever and the story is like watching my favorite tv series. I don’t want it to end.

I really enjoyed Throne of Glass, Crown of Midnight and had a little bit doubt with Heir of Fire. But I’m glad that Queen of Shadows took me back to Aelin’s little complicated world.

Queen of Shadows is the fourth book in the Throne of Glass series and the story picks up right where it ends. Here we find Celaena Sardothien fighting her way to free magic and to take down the evil King of Adarlan and all the bad elements. This book was such a roller coaster ride with a strong plot. I love how versatile it was and as I read, it didn’t ceased to amaze me.

All I could say for the non-spoilery part is that this book was really long but all worth it. It raises questions but that’s a good thing because the book wants to engage us inside the world. Though there were some parts that I felt bored, and I got some complains with the fate of some characters, but it all falls in its place in the end. Even though Sarah introduced us to new characters, I think the heart of this novel is Celaena, Chaol and Dorian. They are the magic trio that I really miss. You should really hang on and believe that Sarah has surprises for the readers. You will see how Celaena struggles to survive the battle with strong forces without her magic, only her assassin skills, wits and also with the help of her friends. I like where Sarah is leading the story and I think if you really enjoyed the last three books, you’ll be a fan of this one too.

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BOOK REVIEW: STORM SIREN by Mary Weber

3 STARS

TITLE: Storm Siren (Storm Siren # 1)

AUTHOR: Mary Weber

GENRES: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, Magic

PUBLISHER: Thomas Nelson

FORMAT: Kindle Edition

DATE READ: April 28, 2016

 

 

GOODREADS SYNOPSIS:

In a world at war, a slave girl’s lethal curse could become one kingdom’s weapon of salvation. If the curse—and the girl—can be controlled.

As a slave in the war-weary kingdom of Faelen, seventeen-year-old Nym isn’t merely devoid of rights, her Elemental kind are only born male and always killed at birth — meaning, she shouldn’t even exist.

Standing on the auction block beneath smoke-drenched mountains, Nym faces her fifteenth sell. But when her hood is removed and her storm-summoning killing curse revealed, Nym is snatched up by a court advisor and given a choice: be trained as the weapon Faelen needs to win the war, or be killed.

Choosing the former, Nym is unleashed into a world of politics, bizarre parties, and rumors of an evil more sinister than she’s being prepared to fight . . . not to mention the handsome trainer whose dark secrets lie behind a mysterious ability to calm every lightning strike she summons.

But what if she doesn’t want to be the weapon they’ve all been waiting for?

Set in a beautifully eclectic world of suspicion, super abilities, and monsters, Storm Siren is a story of power. And whoever controls that power will win.

MY REVIEW:

“I raise my chin as the buyers stare. Yes. Look. You don’t want me. Because, eventually, accidentally, I will destroy you.”

Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of things to like about this book, such as Nym’s struggle not to kill even if her power and the war requires her to do so. And that decision was brought upon by her experiences in the past, the killings she’d caused and how she never wanted to commit another harm to anyone anymore even if it would be the key to win the war she’s been training for. And I admire that about her but the whole time I was like “Get yourself together woman! Something has to be done.”

BOOK REVIEW : PASSENGER by Alexandra Bracken

 

A perfect blend of all the elements you’re looking for in a book. I highly recommend it to anyone who is a fan of time travelling and savvy sailors.

 

TITLE: Passenger (Passenger # 1)
AUTHOR: Alexandra Bracken
GENRE: Young Adult, Fantasy, Sci Fi, Time Travel
FORMAT: Hardcover
PUBLISHER: Disney-Hyperion
DATE READ: April 29, 2016

 

GOODREADS SYNOPSIS:

Passage, n.
i. A brief section of music composed of a series of notes and flourishes.
ii. A journey by water; a voyage.
iii. The transition from one place to another, across space and time.

In one devastating night, violin prodigy Etta Spencer loses everything she knows and loves. Thrust into an unfamiliar world by a stranger with a dangerous agenda, Etta is certain of only one thing: she has traveled not just miles but years from home. And she’s inherited a legacy she knows nothing about from a family whose existence she’s never heard of. Until now.

Nicholas Carter is content with his life at sea, free from the Ironwoods—a powerful family in the colonies—and the servitude he’s known at their hands. But with the arrival of an unusual passenger on his ship comes the insistent pull of the past that he can’t escape and the family that won’t let him go so easily. Now the Ironwoods are searching for a stolen object of untold value, one they believe only Etta, Nicholas’ passenger, can find. In order to protect her, he must ensure she brings it back to them—whether she wants to or not.

Together, Etta and Nicholas embark on a perilous journey across centuries and continents, piecing together clues left behind by the traveler who will do anything to keep the object out of the Ironwoods’ grasp. But as they get closer to the truth of their search, and the deadly game the Ironwoods are playing, treacherous forces threaten to separate Etta not only from Nicholas but from her path home… forever.

Astonishing turn of events that will leave you in awe.  

 

Hi there bookish peeps! I have been hiatus for a long time because I have been on a vacation and now looking for a job. I wish I’ll have all the luck into being hired in my desired airline agency. *fingers-crossed*. I’ve missed the blogsphere! I wonder if I still have my bookish friends here haha.

So for today I’m going to be reviewing Passenger by the lovely and awesome Alex Bracken. Have you read this one?  I finished this last April and posted a review on goodreads but sadly, I’m just updating it here now. This is going to be a short review I apologize >.<

So let’s start!

“You cannot fathom the distance I would travel for you.”

 

Yes! I was greatly astonished by the turn of events! This is my first Alex Bracken read and I must say that I am quite impressed with her writing style. She is like Tahere Mafi in a sense that they both use figures of speech and beautiful sentences to craft an engrossing events and lines. There were relevant and important issues tackled in this such as how people with different race and color were treated in different time periods, corruption of the upper class and government, and how one person takes all the power for his own benefit.

What I love about this, is that the story gives you a choice . It shows us that no matter where we are, we always have a choice. The story is pretty interesting and vast and you can’t even conclude or make wild guesses on what’s going to happen next. It is open to all sides and all possibilities and that’s what makes it so enthralling. Something more awaits.

The plot is enticing enough because of the presence of Time Traveling wherein so much thing could happen. There is also a set of riddles and whenever there’s a riddle presented, it felt engaging as if we are also part of the squad who needs to solve it to save the world. We try to solve it with the characters and that is so much fun.

Etta and Nicholas were interesting characters though I have to admit that I still can’t see the mature side of Etta, but she is likable and her POV doesn’t annoy me. Nicholas on the other hand was really mature and manly. I know that in the future installments of this book, they will improve as a character. The romance between them is not much strong but I liked it. I felt every frustrations they have about choosing to be together and sometimes you have to sacrifice a great deal of yourself just to save the other. But I still ship them though and I can’t wait to see more!

The villain, I’m still not sure whether to be scared with him or not. But a man like him with every resources to hunt you down no matter which time period you hide in, really gives me shivers.

I highly recommend this book because it has all the elements you’re looking for in a book. The characters were equally interesting and am excited for the second book and I hope it would be as interesting as the first one! And because this, I will read the other novels written by Alex Bracken because she’s starting to become one of my favorites. 😀

 

What are your thoughts about this book? Is it yay or nay? Let me know in the comments below! 😀

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BOOK REVIEW: REBEL OF THE SANDS by Alwyn Hamilton

TITLE: Rebel of the Sands (Rebel of the Sands # 1)

AUTHOR:  Alwyn Hamilton

GENRES: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance

PUBLISHER:  Viking Books for Young Readers

FORMAT: Ebook

DATE READ: April 9, 2016

GOODREADS SYNOPSIS:

She’s more gunpowder than girl—and the fate of the desert lies in her hands.

Mortals rule the desert nation of Miraji, but mystical beasts still roam the wild and barren wastes, and rumor has it that somewhere, djinni still practice their magic. But there’s nothing mystical or magical about Dustwalk, the dead-end town that Amani can’t wait to escape from.

Destined to wind up “wed or dead,” Amani’s counting on her sharpshooting skills to get her out of Dustwalk. When she meets Jin, a mysterious and devastatingly handsome foreigner, in a shooting contest, she figures he’s the perfect escape route. But in all her years spent dreaming of leaving home, she never imagined she’d gallop away on a mythical horse, fleeing the murderous Sultan’s army, with a fugitive who’s wanted for treason. And she’d never have predicted she’d fall in love with him…or that he’d help her unlock the powerful truth of who she really is.

 

MY REVIEW:

“A New Dawn! A New Desert!”

3.5 Rebel Sands! 

This was a good debut novel written by Alwyn Hamilton. Though I have issues with some of the elements of the story, nevertheless, it was reassuring enough that the second book could be so much more interesting.

Rebel of the Sands has a unique setting that is not the usual norm for historical fantasy fiction which is medieval Europe vibe. It is set in the Middle Eastern desert with djinnis (people who practice magic), mythical horses, a tyrannic Sultan who conspired with cruel foreign soldiers called the Gallan Army and allowed them to inhabit the whole country of Miraji.

In the midst of a possible uprising led by a rebel prince, there comes a girl named Amani Al’Hiza who was born and grew up in a dead-end town, Dustwalk. We first met her in a gun shooting competition where she disguised as a boy in hopes of winning the prized money that she would use in order to escape her cul-de sac town and her uncle who wanted to marry her. She had a one escape route in mind. Flee to Izman. A place where she could start a new life and discover who she wanted to be. In the competition, she met a mysterious foreigner named Jin and suddenly their fates intertwined and Amani finds herself in the middle of trying to get to Izman and being part of a rebellion against the tyrannic Sultan. And in this journey, she found out that she also possess an ability which is destined for something big and indeed, the fate of the desert lies in her.

This book was enticing enough for me to read ’til the end. It has the exciting elements that you’re looking for a fantasy novel. Unique setting, a not-so-annoying protagonist whose POV won’t make you cringe with annoyance. Though this book started out so good, I have to admit that it became a little bit dull toward the middle. The whole ordeal of the rebellion become like a grand scheme of things which was not so big if you would compare it to other books that have rebellion plots. Some of the characters felt flat and I only found myself attached to only 3 or 4 of them but not to all of them. Amani’s journey across the desert was far more enjoyable to read than her stay in the rebel prince’s keep. That part felt so blunt and rushed.

The idea of having special group of humans with special set of abilities that serve as the only hope for the future, kind of felt redundant to me now. Most fantasy stories are like that these days and I wanted some more. I wanted a whole new plot that can offer a reader an endless of exciting events that are so distinct or maybe dynamic. I’m not saying that this book is not good, but I just had that feeling while I was reading it. “I’ve read this kind of thing before.” “This is quite similar to this and that.”

But what I admire with this book is that it stayed true to its purpose. When the author Alwyn Hamilton said that the fate of the desert lies with Amani, the story proved it. Amani’s ability impressed me and despite of some of my comments above, I like her as a main character. Even without her abilities, she is a skilled human with superb sharpshooting skills.

As for the romance, I don’t think I am a fan of it. I didn’t feelthe chemistry between them when they were in the rebel prince’s keep. Though I enjoyed their journey together in the desert, it’s still not enough for me to fangirl with them.

All in all, this wasn’t a perfect book but it’s promising and I’ll still anticipate to read the sequel which comes out on 2017. A long wait again. But I can manage.

PS: The cover was indeed beautiful. #Coverlove 😀

 

MY STAR RATING: 

 

QOTD: What’s your favorite debut novel?

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