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 SIGNING RECAP: Amy Zhang and Andrea Portes in PH

 

 

Hi bookish peeps! This is my 10th time attending a book signing here in our country. I started last 2011, though I wasn’t able to attend everything, it’s fine. And I have noticed the vast improvement in the way these events are handled.

It’s only been half of the year and 5 NYT best-selling authors have visited the Philippines. The book signing is really the most favorite thing in the world of bookworms ( next to reading books of course), because we get to meet and greet the amazing authors behind our favorite novels! PLUS WE GET OUR BOOKS SIGNED! ❤

July, 3, 2016, #AmyandAndreainPH started! The best selling author of Falling into Place and This is Where the World Ends, Amy Zhang, and Andrea Portes, author of two YA novels, Anatomy of a Misfit and Fall of Butterflies, and other NA novels, finally had their book signing in Manila. This is again made possible by our dearest National Bookstore in partnership with Raffles Makati and Shangri-la Plaza. THANK YOU!  

Now let’s start the event recap! This recap will also include the interview portion and fan Q.A. with Amy and Andrea! Stay tuned. 😀

BOOK REVIEW + DISCUSSIONS: The Wrath and The Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

I finished this last night and I realized it was a great book to wrap up my June reads. This book was truly a gem! It’s a stirring and sexy retelling of the famous classic One Thousand and One Nights that will left you yearning. This has been by far one of the most beautiful piece I have ever read in a long time! I actually felt happy reading this because it mesmerized me in an exquisite way. This is my in depth review accompanied by gifs to express my feels! *hyperventilates*

TITLE: The Wrath & the Dawn (The Wrath & the Dawn # 1)
AUTHOR:  Renee Ahdieh
GENRE: Fantasy, Young Adult, Retelling, Romance
FORMAT: eBOOK
PUBLISHER: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
DATE READ: June 30, 2016

GOODREADS:

One Life to One Dawn.

In a land ruled by a murderous boy-king, each dawn brings heartache to a new family. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, is a monster. Each night he takes a new bride only to have a silk cord wrapped around her throat come morning. When sixteen-year-old Shahrzad’s dearest friend falls victim to Khalid, Shahrzad vows vengeance and volunteers to be his next bride. Shahrzad is determined not only to stay alive, but to end the caliph’s reign of terror once and for all.

Night after night, Shahrzad beguiles Khalid, weaving stories that enchant, ensuring her survival, though she knows each dawn could be her last. But something she never expected begins to happen: Khalid is nothing like what she’d imagined him to be. This monster is a boy with a tormented heart. Incredibly, Shahrzad finds herself falling in love. How is this possible? It’s an unforgivable betrayal. Still, Shahrzad has come to understand all is not as it seems in this palace of marble and stone. She resolves to uncover whatever secrets lurk and, despite her love, be ready to take Khalid’s life as retribution for the many lives he’s stolen. Can their love survive this world of stories and secrets?

Inspired by A Thousand and One Nights, The Wrath and the Dawn is a sumptuous and enthralling read from beginning to end.

Utterly Perfection !    

This is absolutely the type of retelling I was looking for. It didn’t entirely adapted the original classic but also created a whole new thrilling premise!

The story revolves around Khalid Ibn al-Rashid, the Caliph of Khorasan, who takes a new bride each night only to have them executed at sunrise. Shahrzad volunteers herself to be his next bride with a plan to outsmart the evil boy king to take revenge after her best friend Shiva, was killed in the same manner as the Caliph’s previous brides. Shazi was able to extend her life by telling Khalid a story with a promise to only reveal what happens next if he should let her live another day.

One of the strongest aspects this book has, is the writing style of Renee Ahdieh . It’s truly rich, vibrant and evocative that it would really plunge you inside the story. Also, all the characters are equally compelling and they all have their own charms. None of them are throwaways because each plays a vital role in the story. Even those annoying villains and most importantly Tariq (gosh he’s so annoying), are important bricks to establish the whole construction of the story.

The dialogue feels natural and addicting. The good dialogue between the characters promoted their rich knowledge and vocabulary; they spoke beautifully, argued beautifully and what they say always make sense which always leave some points to ponder. I also love the stories within the story narrated by Shahrzad herself, she easily became one of my favorite heroines; sarcastic, smart and silver-tongued and she’s a dmn good storyteller. Khalid, on the other hand, is a character that I was scared to meet at first. He is like the beast in Beauty and the Beast; quick-tempered and unpredictable. But once you get to know him, you will surely understand him and at some point, love him.

The world building is lustrous and splendid and I love the pacing and how every pieces of puzzle fits together to form the story. The romance melted my heart because it’s such a perfect balance and not forced. I can’t really say that this is an insta love on Shahrzad’s part because she’s conflicted on whether or not she should surrender her heart to the Caliph of Khorasan knowing his murky and dark history of killing his wives. But I’m still not sure on Khalid’s part as to why he chose to make an exception and spare Shazi’s life. Is it because he was beguiled with her stories? Is it as simple as a mutual attraction or love? Or something entirely even more? What is it with Shazi? I have a theory that will discuss on the spoilery part down below.

The plot twists incorporated in this story are really unexpected and all the events and revelations that lead to that plot twist is really gripping nail biting. I highly recommend reading this but I warn those who don’t like romance that much because this book is “romancey” but in a good way.

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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 SIGNING RECAP: Jennifer Niven in PH

Hi bookish peeps! It’s a special time of the month again where a certain author visits the Philippines to conduct a book signing event! And this time, it was Jennifer Niven! The lovely author of “All The Bright Places”– the winner of the 2015 Goodreads Choice Awards for Best Young Adult Fiction. The event is made possible again by none other than, National Bookstore.

I will also cover here some of the interview portion of Jennifer Niven and question and answer portion from the fans. So stay tuned 🙂

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: 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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