What A Story - Book Reviews Archives - On Starships and Dragonwings

2 Stars: The Resurrectionist by E. B. Hudspeth

May 20, 2013 by Anya 4 Comments

I was very excited to receive The Resurrectionist by E. B. Hudspeth from the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program. I love a good fantastical nonfiction that brings to life and reality all of the fun fantasy critters we adore ;-). However, I found my expectations were somewhat misplaced, since The Resurrectionist is not a book about dragons and satyrs being real and dug up. Instead it is a story about a mad “scientist” who constructs mythical creatures from tortured animals and humans in his desperation to be right about their existence. While The Ressurectionist might appeal to those who love a macabre premise and some pretty illustrations, it was not my cup of tea.

Note: I received a copy of The Resurrectionist to review through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program.
Goodreads | Amazon | LibraryThing

Title: The Resurrectionist: The Lost Work of Dr. Spencer Black
Author: E. B. Hudspeth
Length: 192 pages
Genre-ish: Fictional Nonfiction
Rating: ★★☆☆☆- Pretty pictures, creepy and inaccurate

Philadelphia, the late 1870s. A city of gas lamps, cobblestone streets, and horse-drawn carriages—and home to the controversial surgeon Dr. Spencer Black. The son of a grave robber, young Dr. Black studies at Philadelphia’s esteemed Academy of Medicine, where he develops an unconventional hypothesis: What if the world’s most celebrated mythological beasts—mermaids, minotaurs, and satyrs—were in fact the evolutionary ancestors of humankind?

The Resurrectionist offers two extraordinary books in one. The first is a fictional biography of Dr. Spencer Black, from a childhood spent exhuming corpses through his medical training, his travels with carnivals, and the mysterious disappearance at the end of his life. The second book is Black’s magnum opus: The Codex Extinct Animalia, a Gray’s Anatomyfor mythological beasts—dragons, centaurs, Pegasus, Cerberus—all rendered in meticulously detailed anatomical illustrations. You need only look at these images to realize they are the work of a madman. The Resurrectionist tells his story.– Goodreads

Strengths:

The premise of The Resurrectionist is interesting. I think all lovers of fantasy like to think about whether mermaids and all the other mythical beasts could have been real. I love the idea of a “nonfiction” book diving into that concept.
The illustrations in the second half of the book are lovely and very detailed with all the anatomy of various beasts.
The first part of The Resurrectionist definitely felt like a real biography, complete with newspaper clippings and quotes.

Weaknesses:

There were some flaws with the historical set up. Dr. Black refers to genes and inheritance quite frequently and while was working on his theory at the time the book was supposed to be set, he had no idea how inheritance would have worked because DNA and genes had not been discovered yet. It was quite annoying to someone who has studied genetics even briefly.
We are going to continue on the science flaws bandwagon here with the flaws of how evolution was presented. While it is entirely possible these were on purpose because Dr. Black was obviously insane towards the end of his life, it still annoys and evolutionary scientist when evolution is presented as the body trying to reach a goal. That is not how it works at all.
Further, what Dr. Black was doing in the second half of his life is not science at all. The Resurrectionist continues to refer to his madness as science, when he was really just performing macabre surgeries for carnivals….
Finally, the whole story of The Resurrectionist was just waaaaay too creepy for me. Dr. Black is told to have sewn bird wings onto a living dog to try to prove it could work, and the torture and suffering of the animal is described in quite a lot of detail. Dr. Black didn’t keep to animals either, and there are hints of the horrible things he did to human beings to try to recreate harpies and snake-women…. Just too much for me personally.

Summary:

If you enjoy a creepy story with lots of illustrations to accompany it, then you might enjoy The Resurrectionist more than I did. Unfortunately, The Resurrectionist had various scientific and historic flaws that I just could not let go of and the general tone of the story was not what I enjoy.

- A

The Resurrectionist by E. B. Hudspeth

Filed Under: What A Story - Book Reviews Tagged With: dark fantasy, fictional nonfiction, hudspeth, resurrectionist, two stars

5 Stars: Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi

May 17, 2013 by Anya 1 Comment

Veronica Rossi’s Through the Ever Night is the second in the Under the Never Sky trilogy and I have to say I think I liked the second book better :D. There will be spoilers for Under the Never Sky, so check out my review of it instead. Under the Never Sky was actually one of the first books I got from the library based on book blogger suggestions, so this trilogy has a special place in my heart ;-). I had some issues with the first book being too romance focused, but Through the Ever Night has completely fixed that problem! Through the Ever Night has strong friendships, heart-breaking adventure, just enough romance to make me smile, but a story beyond just how Aria and Perry feel about each other, haha. I haven’t read the novella about Roar and Liv, and I kind of recommend reading that before Through the Ever Night since I think it would have just upped the feels all the more. But now I get to go read it and get more of these awesome characters :D.
Goodreads | Amazon | LibraryThing

Title: Through the Ever Night
Author: Veronica Rossi
Length: 352 pages
Genre-ish: Dystopia YA
Rating: ★★★★★- amazing sequel, can’t wait for more!

It’s been months since Aria last saw Perry. Months since Perry was named Blood Lord of the Tides, and Aria was charged with an impossible mission. Now, finally, they are about to be reunited. But their reunion is far from perfect. The Tides don’t take kindly to Aria, a former Dweller. And with the worsening Aether storms threatening the tribe’s precarious existence, Aria begins to fear that leaving Perry behind might be the only way to save them both. Threatened by false friends, hidden enemies, and powerful temptations, Aria and Perry wonder,Can their love survive through the ever night? – Goodreads

Strengths:

Based on most of the YA books I’ve read, I’ve been convinced that boys and girls can’t be friends without falling in love. Through the Ever Night fixed this, yey! I was relieved and excited to see a strong friendship between Aria and Roar that didn’t have love triangle overtones (well, except for that one amusing moment with Perry >.>).
The action just keeps heating up in Through the Ever Night. The Aether is getting worse and not even Aria’s former home in the pod is safe. Everyone wants to find safe haven and I was biting my nails waiting to see how far they’d go to find it.
I know I said the romance wasn’t the major focus, and it isn’t, but I actually really like books where the main characters’ relationship is established and a comfy background to stressful plot developments. It’s like what real relationships are ya know?
If you’ve read Under the Never Sky, you already know this, but the writing of Through the Ever Night was fluid and compelling. The world-building is awesome (hope this doesn’t happen to our planet for reals D:). The characters develop and interact and grow together as real people. Also can I be best friends with all of them? I just need to hug Cinder and Willow :D.

Weaknesses:

I had a bit of vertigo when I started Through the Ever Night. I don’t re-read previous books before jumping into a sequel and I’ve never found it to be a problem. However, I felt like I had missed something when I started Through the Ever Night and actually went to make sure the novella wasn’t 1.5 and required to read 2. It’s not, you’ll get it figured out, just keep reading.
Ummm… when is the third book released please? (That’s all I got, I loved Through the Ever Night, sorry!)

Summary:

I like this pattern I’m seeing in second books where the romance becomes a secondary element and we get to really bite into the plot. Everything is being ratcheted up in Through the Ever Night and the friendships and relationships developed in the previous book are necessary for everyone to stay sane from the stress! If you were a little disappointed with the ending of Under the Never Sky, keep going! It’s totally worth it and you will (hopefully) not be disappointed. I wasn’t at least ;-).

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- A

Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi

Filed Under: What A Story - Book Reviews Tagged With: dystopia, five stars, heroine, rossi, sci-fi, through the ever night, trilogy

4.5 Stars: The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson ARC

May 13, 2013 by Anya 7 Comments

I was very excited to borrow an ARC of The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson from Krys at Bibliopunkk. I am a freaking huge Brandon Sanderson fan, so the opportunity to read his first YA novel was not one to pass up ;-). Like all Sanderson novels, The Rithmatist has a new and intriguing magic system, plot twists on top of plot twists, and characters you can’t help but adore. It also takes place in an alternate history where North America is actually an archipelago and so the United States is less united and more a bunch of island states that grudgingly cooperate! The Rithmatist is definitely a YA novel, though, with a magic school and teenage protagonists. While there isn’t a series indicator on the Goodreads page yet, I’m very much hoping Sanderson decides to write a sequel, because I can’t wait to go back to the world of chalk battles and mysteries. Though I have to admit that I’m still not sure which Rithmatist the title is referring to specifically….

I originally read an ARC borrowed from my friend. However, Tor also sent me a final copy for review, thank you!!! The Rithmatist will be published May 14th 2013, go get your copies tomorrow!
Goodreads | Amazon | LibraryThing

Title: The Rithmatist
Author: Brandon Sanderson
Length: 384 pages
Genre-ish: Fantasy YA
Rating: ★★★★★ (4.5) - amazing magic and ending, beginning a little simple

More than anything, Joel wants to be a Rithmatist. Chosen by the Master in a mysterious inception ceremony, Rithmatists have the power to infuse life into two-dimensional figures known as Chalklings. Rithmatists are humanity’s only defense against the Wild Chalklings—merciless creatures that leave mangled corpses in their wake. Having nearly overrun the territory of Nebrask, the Wild Chalklings now threaten all of the American Isles.
As the son of a lowly chalkmaker at Armedius Academy, Joel can only watch as Rithmatist students study the magical art that he would do anything to practice. Then students start disappearing—kidnapped from their rooms at night, leaving trails of blood. Assigned to help the professor who is investigating the crimes, Joel and his friend Melody find themselves on the trail of an unexpected discovery—one that will change Rithmatics—and their world—forever.– Goodreads

Strengths:

First thing is first: chalk magic :D. Certain people get the power to instill their chalk drawings with physical abilities like making an invisible wall above a line of chalk or attacking said walls. The best though are the little doodles that come to life to defend you or attack your opponent :D. There are dragons!!
I loved all of the characters for their own unique quirks. Melody is both girly with her unicorn drawings, insecure in her abilities and freaking hilarious in her declarations of “Everything is a tragedy!” Joel is a character many younger readers will relate to in that he is talented and bright when it comes to the subject he loves (Rithmatics) but is struggling in the rest of his classes because he just isn’t interested. Finally, Professor Fitch is a wonderful portrayal of the absent-minded professor, though he has his own strength when it comes to believing in all of his students, no matter their abilities. Seriously, I just want to hug all of these characters!
Brandon Sanderson always has awesome plot twists, and so I expected no less. The Rithmatist surprised me, however, with plot twists on top of plot twists with it all making sense in the end. I loved it! You will not be able to guess how this one ends, even when you only have 20 pages left ;-).
The alternate history was not emphasized much, but it was quite interesting as a backdrop to the magic and mystery. I am excited to learn more about how their world is different but similar to ours.
The ARC of the The Rithmatist that I read had delightful drawings that I’m sure with persist to the final copy. There are drawings at the beginning of every chapter to teach you about Rithmatic lines and strategies and then there are little doodles throughout the chapters of the chalkings (chalk creatures) that are being drawn in the accompanying text. They are awesome :D.
While the end of The Rithmatist left me content with what we had learned, it also is already building-up for an amazing sequel. I really hope that the sequel doesn’t take too long *puppy dog eyes*.
The ARC I originally read didn’t have a map, however the final copy does and it’s preeeeetty! It also helps a ton with understanding the alternative geography ;-).

Weaknesses:

The first 2/3 of The Rithmatist felt closer to MG that YA honestly. There was a strange dissonance in my head of Sanderson’s style that I’m used to in his adult books and the feel of a YA on the young side of the spectrum.
Hopefully this will be fixed in the final version, but there were a fair number of sentences that were quite repetitive, telling me information I had already learned a half page ago.
There is a church in The Rithmatist that apparently split from Christianity when Rithmatics was discovered but still is kind of Christian I think. There was some weirdness when it came to referring to the other world religions…. It just didn’t seem to be handled well.

Summary:

I am thrilled that Sanderson has decided to break into the YA genre and I think Harry Potter fans will love The Rithmatist. It has the same magic school with a mystery feel to it and it was just so much fun. The magic system seems simple at first, but we soon start to suspect there is much more potential than has been discovered so far. Sanderson has laid the ground work for an excellent series with The Rithmatist and I really hope he decides to build upon it soon, I must know all the answers!

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- A

The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson

Filed Under: What A Story - Book Reviews Tagged With: 4.5 stars, fantasy, magic system, mg, sanderson, the rithmatist, ya

4 Stars: School Spirits by Rachel Hawkins

May 10, 2013 by Anya 10 Comments

School Spirits by Rachel Hawkins may be a spin-off of her Hex Hall series, but it stands on its own as a fun start to an exciting new series. I haven’t actually read the Hex Hall series and still greatly enjoyed School Spirits. I’m now excited to go track down copies of Hawkins other series just to stave off the withdrawal, haha. I think a lot of us have a soft spot for younger urban fantasy set in high school. School Spirits does this well by approaching from the outsider’s perspective. Hawkins really nailed what it would be like for a home-schooled monster-hunter to try to figure out high school for the first time. I’m very much looking forward to Izzy’s next adventure!

Note: I recieved School Spirits for review through Netgalley. Thank you to Disney-Hyperion and Netgalley!
Goodreads | Amazon | LibraryThing

Title: School Spirits
Author: Rachel Hawkins
Length: 304 pages
Genre-ish: YA Urban Fantasy
Rating: ★★★★☆- well done characters and fun plot

Fifteen-year-old Izzy Brannick was trained to fight monsters. For centuries, her family has hunted magical creatures. But when Izzy’s older sister vanishes without a trace while on a job, Izzy’s mom decides they need to take a break.

Izzy and her mom move to a new town, but they soon discover it’s not as normal as it appears. A series of hauntings has been plaguing the local high school, and Izzy is determined to prove her worth and investigate. But assuming the guise of an average teenager is easier said than done. For a tough girl who’s always been on her own, it’s strange to suddenly make friends and maybe even have a crush.

Can Izzy trust her new friends to help find the secret behind the hauntings before more people get hurt? – Goodreads

Strengths:

As I said above, one of my favorite aspects of School Spirits was Izzy trying to understand this crazy high school thing. She turned to amusingly overdramatic TV shows and those hilarious teen advice magazines. Understandably, there were some laugh out loud moments as she discovered that all she had seen on “Ivy Springs” was not what high school was really like ;-).
Many YA novels have a strange lack of parents, but School Spirits didn’t fall prey to this theme. Izzy’s mother was a great character: just as confused as Izzy about this high school thing, trying to deal with Izzy’s sister’s disappearance, and trying to let Izzy grow into a successful monster-hunter.
There were some glimpses of the broader UF world that School Spirits’ inhabits at the beginning, which makes me really excited for further book to explore the world more. I assume though that Hex Hall is set in the same world, so I could get my world-building on that way, hehe. School Spirits understandably focused on the ghost aspect as well as a little magic.
I looooved the friends that Izzy made at school. Nerds and outcasts are the best in my opinion and what better place for Izzy to make friends than a paranormal hunting club, ha.
While you might be nervous at first, there is none of the love triangle angst, scout’s honor!

Weaknesses:

The ending of School Spirits had an easy wrap-up with a good info dump thrown in to explain everything. Not a happy Anya :(.
Izzy’s life-story can be very easily compared to early Buffy episodes, not that I don’t like Buffy, I just don’t like obvious comparisons.
As I said above, the world of supernatural beings was glimpsed early on in School Spirits, but then all we got was a little ghost-hunting throughout the rest of the book. I want to know more about this Council and all the interesting supernatural powers!

Summary:

School Spirits is a perfect book for those who are addicted to school settings with a supernatural twist. I was loving it all the way to the end when there was a bit of a hiccup in the awesomeness factor. However I’m very hopeful for the sequel to explore more of the mystery around Izzy’s sister and the hints of a pretty epic series plot-line. I also neeeed to go checkout Hex Hall now :D.

- A

School Spirits by Rachel Hawkins

Filed Under: What A Story - Book Reviews Tagged With: four stars, ghosts, heroine, school spirits, urban fantasy, ya

3 Stars: Zenn Scarlett by Christian Schoon ARC

May 7, 2013 by Anya 12 Comments

Zenn Scarlett by Christian Schoon has a promising premise and a gorgeous cover. There were some fun characters, but in the end I was left wondering where the plot went. I was very excited to receive Zenn Scarlett through Netgalley after seeing a couple of mentions on blogs, so thank you Strange Chemistry for giving me the opportunity to review it! While I had a good time reading Zenn Scarlett, and am therefore hopeful for the second book, I was left a bit unsatisfied :(. Zenn Scarlett comes out May 7th (today!), 2013 if you want to check it out yourself!

Note: I read an eARC of Zenn Scarlett from Netgalley. Some things may be changed in the final version.

Goodreads | Amazon | LibraryThing

Title: Zenn Scarlett
Author: Christian Schoon
Length: 304 pages
Genre-ish: Sci-fi YA
Rating: ★★★☆☆- fun premise and characters, weird plot

When you’re studying to be exoveterinarian specializing in exotic, alien life forms, school… is a different kind of animal.

Zenn Scarlett is a resourceful, determined 17-year-old girl working hard to make it through her novice year of exovet training. That means she’s learning to care for alien creatures that are mostly large, generally dangerous and profoundly fascinating. Zenn’s all-important end-of-term tests at the Ciscan Cloister Exovet Clinic on Mars are coming up, and, she’s feeling confident of acing the exams. But when a series of inexplicable animal escapes and other disturbing events hit the school, Zenn finds herself being blamed for the problems. As if this isn’t enough to deal with, her absent father has abruptly stopped communicating with her; Liam Tucker, a local towner boy, is acting unusually, annoyingly friendly; and, strangest of all: Zenn is worried she’s started sharing the thoughts of the creatures around her. Which is impossible, of course. Nonetheless, she can’t deny what she’s feeling.

Now, with the help of Liam and Hamish, an eight-foot sentient insectoid also training at the clinic, Zenn must learn what’s happened to her father, solve the mystery of who, if anyone, is sabotaging the cloister, and determine if she’s actually sensing the consciousness of her alien patients… or just losing her mind. All without failing her novice year….– Goodreads

Strengths:

Exovets :D. The premise of Zenn Scarlett is freaking awesome. It in fact makes total sense that people would need to learn how to heal all sorts of alien critters once we start making contact with other life forms. I love sci-fi with a dose of “it could actually happen this way!”
Zenn and Hamish are awesome for their own completely different reasons. Zenn is a great main character, exceedingly relatable (especially for us students!) with a protected but strong heart. Hamish is such a realistic insectoid alien :D. He has to ask permission to do anything because he comes from a colony where the queen tells everyone else what to do always. Makes a lot of sense huh?
Once I figured out what the plot was, there were plot twists and exciting action, yey!
Zenn has a pet that is fuzzy but intelligent named Katie! Katie is awesome and deaf and so Zenn taught her to use sign language. Now they chat and Katie says the cutest things!!!! “Katie hungry, hungry Katie eat now?” *squees”

Weaknesses:

Confused….

As I mentioned briefly above, I had a hard time nailing down the plot of Zenn Scarlett. There were all sorts of big important problems revealed early on, but then Zenn didn’t really try to fix any of them (because really she couldn’t do much). This left me scrambling to try to figure out what the big problem of the book would be that Zenn could solve. Eventually it becomes clear (it’s the strange events happening at the cloister), but not until at least half way through.
On that note, what about all that other stuff! There is a mysterious problem with ships disappearing (which Zenn is quite personally vested in), Zenn is having crazy connections with the animals, Zenn’s father is off doing crazy things, and the cloister is in financial trouble. All of these problems are revealed in Zenn Scarlett, but none of them are resolved in any way. So many questions left!
Related the general plot problem, there is a huuuuuuuuuuge cliffhanger. To the point that I really don’t consider the end of Zenn Scarlett all that connected to the rest of the book. The main plot is resolved and then another plot line starts. Then the book ends. Have fun waiting for the second book!

Summary:

Zenn Scarlett had a lot of promise between the amazing premise and wonderful characters. However the lack of a clearly defined plot frustrated and confused me. I will probably read the second book if/when it comes out, mostly because I want to know what freaking happens, but I hope that more attention is paid to having a well-developed plot line. If the premise of Zenn Scarlett interests you and you enjoy shenanigans at schools that need to be figured out, then you will probably enjoy Zenn Scarlett, so go for it! However if you can’t stand cliffhangers and unresolved questions, stay away ;-).

- A

Zenn Scarlett by Christian Schoon

Filed Under: What A Story - Book Reviews Tagged With: heroine, schoon, sci-fi, strange chemistry, three stars, ya, zenn scarlett

4 Stars: The Assassin’s Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke

May 2, 2013 by Anya 15 Comments

I have been seeing great reviews for The Assassin’s Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke since it came out! This made it impossible to resist the shiny new copy sitting on the library shelf, even though I had informed my boyfriend that I could not get any more books from the library…. I fail at those sorts of decisions, books are just impossible to resist, hehe! I did, however, resist reading The Assassin’s Curse until I finished books for various deadlines, so I showed some self-restraint ;-). I have to admit that I was expecting something a little different from what I got, however The Assassin’s Curse was still a fun ride!

Goodreads | Amazon | LibraryThing

Title: The Assassin’s Curse
Author: Cassandra Rose Clarke
Length: 320 pages
Genre-ish: Fantasy YA
Rating: ★★★★☆- fun premise and characters, weird plot

Ananna of the Tanarau abandons ship when her parents try to marry her off to an allying pirate clan: she wants to captain her own boat, not serve as second-in-command to her handsome yet clueless fiance. But her escape has dire consequences when she learns the scorned clan has sent an assassin after her.

And when the assassin, Naji, finally catches up with her, things get even worse. Ananna inadvertently triggers a nasty curse — with a life-altering result. Now Ananna and Naji are forced to become uneasy allies as they work together to break the curse and return their lives back to normal. Or at least as normal as the lives of a pirate and an assassin can be. – Goodreads

Strengths:

Ananna is spunky and authentic. It took me a couple chapters to get used to her accent (since it’s in first person), but I thought she was a much more realistic female pirate that many I’ve seen.
The Assassin’s Curse has not only a desert setting but also pirates :D. And assassins! How many awesome things do you need before you have to read this book??
If there is going to be a full-fledged romance, it certainly wasn’t insta-love and there was a very slow build up to Ananna even realizing she liked someone else >.>.
There are a few different types of magic in The Assassin’s Curse, but they mixed well and the otherworld people/creatures are cool :D.

Weaknesses:

There is no resolution, like at all. The Goodreads description builds you up for less of a disappointment, but the back of the book talks about Ananna going on three impossible quests. Yeah, that doesn’t happen in The Assassin’s Curse. Maybe it’ll happen in The Pirate’s Wish, we’ll find out.
We find out that there is a curse on an assassin pretty quick, but it takes most of the book for us to find out any real details about what is going on. Mostly Ananna just goes along with things because it’s better than going back to her family. I want details!
Ananna’s voice takes a bit to get used to. She uses non-standard English grammar, which makes sense, but it was a bit hard for this reader at first.

Summary:

While The Assassin’s Curse didn’t match up to exactly what I expected both from the back of the book and from various reviews, it was still a very good book. If you are aware that the plot isn’t quite the traditional one presented in some descriptions of the book, you should be good. Also, don’t stop just because of Ananna’s voice, give it at least a couple chapters, because she grows on you ;-). In the end, I really enjoyed the world and characters of The Assassin’s Curse, I just hope that the sequel finally progresses on the plot I thought The Assassin’s Curse would have….

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- A

The Assassin’s Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke

Filed Under: What A Story - Book Reviews Tagged With: assassin's curse, clarke, desert, fantasy, heroine, pirates, series, ya

4 Stars: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins Audiobook

April 30, 2013 by Anya 15 Comments

I’m thrilled to say that I’ve finally caught up and finished Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins! I was able to find a copy of the audiobook on my library Overdrive, woot! It was also excellent timing since it let me start Mockingjay right after finishing Catching Fire, definitely necessary ;-). Mockingjay is a spectacular conclusion to this already spectacular trilogy and a book I’m tempted to listen to again if I find myself low on audiobooks >.>. The narration is amazing for Mockingjay and Catching Fire (probably Hunger Games, too, but I only listened to the last two!). If you haven’t finished this trilogy yet, or want to reread it, I definitely recommend the audiobook! There will also be spoilers for the first two books!

Goodreads | Amazon | LibraryThing

Title: Mockingjay
Author: Suzanne Collins
Length: 9 discs
Genre-ish: Dystopia YA
Rating: ★★★★☆- awesome plot, weird ending

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she’s made it out of the bloody arena alive, she’s still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what’s worse, President Snow has made it clear that no one else is safe either. Not Katniss’s family, not her friends, not the people of District 12. Powerful and haunting, this thrilling final installment of Suzanne Collins’s groundbreaking The Hunger Games trilogy promises to be one of the most talked about books of the year. – Goodreads

Strengths:

I loved that Mockingjay departed from the “games” plot line that has been in the last two books. Obviously there aren’t any Hunger Games to participate in now >.>.
We finally get to see much more of the real Panem and the Capitol in Mockingjay, beyond what we peeked at in Catching Fire.
The character developments in Mockingjay were heart-wrenching and compelling. We got to know Gale much better since he’s finally able to be around some, and there is just a lot to find out about all the characters that didn’t play major roles in the first two books.
The plot twists! The last third of the book confused me greatly at times for other reasons, but the plot twists made it all better :D.

Weaknesses:

Without going into too much detail, I really didn’t like parts of the ending. The commentary they made on all the preceding events (and deaths) was just horrible. I’ll discuss more at the end ;-).
Some of the character deaths seemed arbitrary and unnecessary. Yes, they pulled at my heartstrings, but was that the only point??
Love triangle drama… :(

Summary:

I had a couple of reservations about the ending of Mockingjay, however I am very glad that I finally finished The Hunger Games trilogy. It was an epic and wild ride. I am now even more excited for the movies to come out so that I can relieve the adventure all over again :D. Anyone who loves epic adventure, compelling writing, and a great dystopian world should definitely finish this trilogy. While you’re at it, try to find a copy of the audio version and let your ears smile, hehe!

SPOILERY DISCUSSION!!!

All right, I just had to briefly discuss that ending. It’s now been about a month unfortunately (I’m getting better at reviewing right away!), so forgive me and gently correct any messed up details. When Coin and the group start going on about having a Hunger Games with the Capitol children, my chin dropped. I seriously got so many icky feelings about what that conversation said about history repeating itself. Then the whole assassination was crazy, and probably for the best given the conversation previously, but also a bit confusing. Anyone have any insight they can lend to make me feel less confused/icky about the rebel leaders? Or do you think that was the whole point?

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- A

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Filed Under: What A Story - Book Reviews Tagged With: collins, discussion, dystopia, four stars, heroine, mockingjay, trilogy, ya

4 Stars: Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare Audiobook

April 26, 2013 by Anya 12 Comments

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare is part of the prequel series Infernal Devices (prequel to The Mortal Instruments). I actually haven’t had a chance to read all of The Mortal Instruments yet, so this audiobook was a great introduction to the magic of the Shadowhunters :D. I also can report that you don’t need to have read The Mortal Instruments to mightily enjoy Clockwork Angel! Finally, thank you so much to Simon and Schuster Audio for giving me the chance to review Clockwork Angel.

I received Clockwork Angel from the publisher for an honest review.
Goodreads |Amazon | LibraryThing

Title: Clockwork Angel
Author: Cassandra Clare
Length: 13 discs
Genre-ish: Steampunk fantasy YA
Rating: ★★★★☆- awesome magic and narrator

Magic is dangerous—but love is more dangerous still.

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London’s Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What’s more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa’s power for his own.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by—and torn between—two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm’s length . . . everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world. . . . and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all. – Goodreads

Strengths:

The Shadowhunters have sweet powers based on runes drawn on their body. They also can make their weapons glow (and I assume hurt demons better >.>) with the names of angels :D. I love me a cool magic system!
The narrator of Clockwork Angel was amazing. She did the American accents believably and the English accents equally awesomely. Each character had their own voice, and I could even tell the male character voices apart (impressive for a female narrator in my experience).
There were some great plot twists in Clockwork Angel that I didn’t see coming :D.
Charlotte is one of the Shadowhunters and the main character Tessa had an amusing reaction when she realized that Charlotte dressed as a man when she fought, how shocking!
A lot of the characters that Tessa comes to know are orphans, including Tessa herself. There were lots of wonderful sentiments about making your own family out of the people you love instead of just who is related by blood. It was quite heart-warming.

Weaknesses:

One of the love interests is a complete jerkbutt. I really don’t appreciate a male character being cruel and cold towards the female main character and the female main character continuing to swoon over him. Yes, I realize that you can’t control who you fall in love with, but when guys have been a-holes to me, I haven’t been much inclined to hang around them no matter how pretty.
As the description implies, there is a love triangle brewing which I don’t consider a strength. But past that, Team Jem!
Clockwork Angel ends with a lot of questions unanswered. I would have liked the book to reveal a bit more on its own, or at least give some hints about the magical questions :(. Guess I’ll just have to listen to the next one ;-).

Summary:

While I’m all grumpy about the YA romance element, I otherwise loved Clockwork Angel. The audiobook is fantastic and highly recommended. This is actually the first steampunk type novel that I’ve read/listened to and it was an excellent introduction to the genre; I want more :D. I’m looking forward to finding out more about the magic of the Shadowhunters and Tessa in the rest of the trilogy. I also am eyeing my copy of City of Bones excitedly, haha.

- A

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Filed Under: What A Story - Book Reviews Tagged With: clare, clockwork angel, fantasy, four stars, infernal devices, steampunk, trilogy, ya

4 Stars: The Great Hunt by Robert Jordan

April 24, 2013 by Anya 5 Comments

We finished up our readalong for The Great Hunt by Robert Jordan a couple weeks ago, so it’s time for the review :D. There will be spoilers for those who haven’t read The Eye of the World, but not for the Great Hunt. I have to say that I didn’t find The Great Hunt as compelling as the first book for most of the book, however I loved the ending much more than the ending of The Eye of the World, so it worked out ;-). We’ll be continuing our reading of this epic fantasy series (epic in terms of length too D:), so keep your eye out for the first read along post :D.
Goodreads | Amazon | LibraryThing

Title: The Great Hunt
Author: Robert Jordan
Length: 705 pages
Genre-ish: High Fantasy
Rating: ★★★★☆- great ending, a bit slow

The Wheel of Time turns and Ages come and pass. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow. For centuries, gleemen have told of The Great Hunt of the Horn. Now the Horn itself is found: the Horn of Valere long thought only legend, the Horn which will raise the dead heroes of the ages.

And it is stolen. – Goodreads

Strengths:

As I said above, the ending of the Great Hunt is so epic and much more clear than in The Eye of the World. There were also so many feelings, omg! Just the way I like it ;-).
There are a lot of story lines going on in the Great Hunt (and the series in general), but they are weaved together elegantly before once again splitting as characters go on their way for the moment ;-).
Awesome plot twists! I definitely didn’t see the big one coming and it was so moving and made a lot of sense in hindsight. I always appreciate being surprised :D (in books, not in life though >.>)
We are continuing to find out more and more about the world in The Great Hunt, including a lot about the Aes Sedai and the people of Artur Hawkwing that had been hinted at previously!

Weaknesses:

For me at least, the first 2/3 of The Great Hunt were rather slow. This is where a readalong comes in handy, since I pushed through and didn’t just put the book down, which did pay off in the end ;-).
There were a few information dumps barely disguised as long sequences of dialogue or characters teaching others. Those got a little boring after a while.
This was pointed out by Nrlymrtl, but the beginning of The Great Hunt remarkably familiar, ie just like the beginning of The Eye of the World…. Peace interrupted by a Trolloc attack leading to a great chase. The only difference was this time they were chasing the Trollocs >.>.

Summary:

While I had trouble getting into The Great Hunt, the ending more than made up for any slow parts. I literally got shivers multiple times while reading the ending (with white knuckles… poor book!). If you like high fantasy and all the complicated story lines, intricate world, and grand adventures that go with it, then you will probably enjoy continuing the Wheel of Time series. However, the Great Hunt also had the typical weaknesses of the genre, so you better be in the mood otherwise you might get bogged down in all those details.

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- A

The Great Hunt by Robert Jordan

Filed Under: What A Story - Book Reviews Tagged With: four stars, high fantasy, magic system, robert jordan, series, the great hunt, wheel of time

5 Stars: Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

April 19, 2013 by Anya 18 Comments

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer is the second book in the Lunar Chronicles installment and it rocks! Possibly it rocks harder than the first book, Cinder, though that is probably a matter of opinion ;-). Cinder introduced us to cyborgs, plague, and crazy Moon people (Lunars!). Scarlet ramps up the action with dual viewpoints of Cinder and a new character, Scarlet. The fairytale retellings continue, this time with Red Riding Hood, but don’t you worry, Scarlet is so much more than the classic storyline. While Cinder entertained me, Scarlet made me never want to stop reading. From here on out there will be spoilers for the first book and you can just read my review of Cinder if you want to avoid them but find out about this awesome world!

Goodreads | Amazon | LibraryThing

Title: Scarlet
Author: Marissa Meyer
Length: 464 pages
Genre-ish: Dystopia/Sci-fi/Fairytale retelling awesomeness
Rating: ★★★★★- things are really getting going :D

The fates of Cinder and Scarlet collide as a Lunar threat spreads across the Earth…

Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She’s trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she’ll be the Commonwealth’s most wanted fugitive.

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn’t know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother’s whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner. – Goodreads

Strengths:

First off, the last third of Scarlet is dangerously awesome because I got white knuckles from holding my book too tight >.> I really wanted to know what was going to happen all right! There is no slow going this time: Scarlet is action-packed and amazing.
I really liked the way the Red Riding Hood retelling fit in, but Scarlet didn’t follow it precisely so you still won’t know what actually happens.
Wow, there were so many feelings while reading this one! Who can I trust? Such noble sacrifices! *melts in a puddle*
Iko is still around and she is possibly my favorite character >.> Go androids! I need a bumper sticker or something, haha.

Weaknesses:

The story lines of Scarlet and Cinder are separate for a loooooong time. I started getting impatient for them to meet up because I know it would be fun for them and me!
On that note, however, Scarlet and Cinder are fairly similar characters (strong, curious, dealing with an annoying guy, isolated from the world with secrets), which made it slightly hard to keep track of them and just annoying from a story perspective.
There are still so many questions! Why can’t my questions be answered ever???

Summary:

Many times second books aren’t as good as the first. No worries about that. I actually liked Scarlet far more than Cinder (well, a bit more, I still liked Cinder!). The magnitude of the world’s problems start coming to light and the action really gets going. We get a glimpse of just how epic the rest of this series is going to be and I love it; that aspect helped me get so much more invested in these characters’ actions. I’m also so excited that the next book, Cress, will finally be getting us to the desert! (I love deserts >.> as settings, not to visit probably, haha.)

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- A