fantasy Archives - On Starships and Dragonwings

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: 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: 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

4.5 Stars: Poison by Bridget Zinn

April 9, 2013 by Anya 12 Comments

One of the first things I noticed about Poison by Bridget Zinn was the cover. I’ve heard differing opinions, but I loved a cover that told most of the premise and had a heroine that wasn’t in an overly sexual pose. It’s so difficult to find covers like this on fantasy books! I also loved the depth of the cover, since I kept noticing new aspects to it (totally didn’t see the piglet the first time >.>)! Anyway, the cover also reveals the “Disney”-esque feel to Poison, in that it totally could be the cover to a Disney movie and has a plot line that very much reminded me of a Disney movie. So if you are up for a light-hearted fantasy that doesn’t take itself overly seriously, check out Poison.

Note: I bought a copy of Poison to review because I couldn’t resist that cover…. >.>

Goodreads | Amazon | LibraryThing

Title: Poison
Author: Bridget Zinn
Length: 288 pages (hardcover)
Genre-ish: Light fantasy
Rating: ★★★★☆- fun for what it is

Sixteen-year-old Kyra, a highly-skilled potions master, is the only one who knows her kingdom is on the verge of destruction—which means she’s the only one who can save it. Faced with no other choice, Kyra decides to do what she does best: poison the kingdom’s future ruler, who also happens to be her former best friend.

But, for the first time ever, her poisoned dart . . . misses.

Now a fugitive instead of a hero, Kyra is caught in a game of hide-and-seek with the king’s army and her potioner ex-boyfriend, Hal. At least she’s not alone. She’s armed with her vital potions, a too-cute pig, and Fred, the charming adventurer she can’t stop thinking about. Kyra is determined to get herself a second chance (at murder), but will she be able to find and defeat the princess before Hal and the army find her? — Goodreads

Strengths:

There were several times when my neighbors probably got annoyed at me because I laughed long and hard while reading Poison. I just love those witty lines :D.
Poison is not a book that just throws a cute piglet on the cover to be adorable. The pig has a purpose and it’s a very important one, yey!
Potions! I love the idea of a heroine whose greatest skill is in making and using potions. Freaking awesome.
Poison has a pretty typical “magic kingdom” world, but there are a few interesting and fun twists.

Weaknesses:

The “potion” magic system in Poison is quite simplistic and convenient unfortunately.
There is a fair amount of vocabulary you wouldn’t expect in fantasy settings, though this fits in with the “Disney” feel.
Poison starts out all action-packed and cool, but it takes a fair while to explain the actual motivation that Kyra had for trying to assassinate her best friend. It makes sense once it’s explained, but I was a bit confused for the first part.

Summary:

Poison is great if you want a story that is light-hearted and fun with just enough fantasy elements to make your brain daydream. If you like Disney movies, you will probably like Poison ;-). Just don’t expect this to be an epic fantasy adventure since you would be setting yourself up for disappointment. As many of you know, the author of Poison, Bridget Zinn, passed away shortly after finishing Poison, and so there won’t be any sequels. I can assure you that Poison wraps up well and doesn’t really leave any questions, however I wish that there was the opportunity for deeper development of this world through later books.

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- A

Poison by Bridget Zinn

Filed Under: What A Story - Book Reviews Tagged With: easy read, fantasy, heroine, poison by bridget zinn, witches, ya

5 Stars: Above World by Jenn Reese

April 4, 2013 by Anya 8 Comments

Above World by Jenn Reese is a Nebula finalist (Andre Norton Award) this year, therefore as soon as I spotted it, I had to read it. I’ve been craving mermaid/underwater books lately (I think they make me think of summer, haha), so I was freaking thrilled to discover Above World. While the Kampii don’t want you to call them mermaids, and a lot of the book takes place in the Above World (ie land), this book had such an original combination of fantasy and sci-fi elements as well as an awesome retelling of the traditional mermaid myths. Think about a world were humans have altered themselves to be able to live underwater (tails, breathing devices and all), or fly through the skies (think harpies, but not evil), or gallop across the deserts (centaurs!). That is the world that Above World is set in :D.

I borrowed a copy of this book from the library. All statements are my own honest opinions.

Goodreads | Amazon | LibraryThing
Title: Above World
Author: Jenn Reese
Length: 368 pages (hardcover)
Genre-ish: Fantasy/Sci-fi hybrid :D (Younger YA)
Rating: ★★★★★- such awesome world-building and characters!

Thirteen-year-old Aluna has lived her entire life under the ocean with the Coral Kampii in the City of Shifting Tides. But after centuries spent hidden from the Above World, her colony’s survival is in doubt. The Kampii’s breathing necklaces are failing, but the elders are unwilling to venture above water to seek answers. Only headstrong Aluna and her friend Hoku are stubborn and bold enough to face the terrors of land to search for way to save their people.

But can Aluna’s warrior spirit and Hoku’s tech-savvy keep them safe? Set in a world where overcrowding has led humans to adapt—growing tails to live under the ocean or wings to live on mountains—here is a ride through a future where greed and cruelty have gone unchecked, but the loyalty of friends remains true. — Goodreads

Strengths:

One of my favorite things about Above World were the new phrases that Reese came up with to suit a culture that has been living under the sea for generations. They say things like “still as a starfish” because that’s what they are surrounded by! This level of detail to the world made me really happy :D.
At first I thought Above World was a fantasy with mermaids, then I realized it was a fantasy with sci-fi roots to explain how all the humanoids came to be. This hybridization was freaking awesome to read.
Aluna and Hoku are adorable and I love how they broke various stereotypes. Aluna was a great female character who was a complete tomboy, though her headstrong nature got her into trouble sometimes. Hoku was the one who needed rescuing because he was a complete nerd :D, but his curiosity for technology was quite useful in the end.
Above World is proof that best friends don’t always have to fall in love with each other. This was a huge relief ;-) and sends a good message I think. Turns out girls and boys can be just friends if they want, haha.

Weaknesses:

As with many books of this age range, there were some convenient developments to get the characters out of various pickles.
While Above World at first seems like a middle grade, I would be very cautious about suggesting this to kids. There were some pretty gruesome moments with all the body part switching technology. I would say Above World is more a light YA given the gore-y parts near the end.

Summary:

I may be biased due to my current mermaid addiction, but Above World is hands down an awesome fantasy/sci-fi book. I am in love with this world and can’t wait to find out more about the centaur people in the next book :D. While most of Above World has a MG feel to it, there is definitely a lot of weird and gore-y moments given the nature of the technological enhancements everyone has. If you are looking for a fun fantasy that has tech-mermaids (maybe you didn’t realize you were looking for that, but you should be!), great characters and world-building, and a bit of an edge, you have to pick up Above World like NOW.

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- A

Above World by Jenn Reese

Filed Under: What A Story - Book Reviews Tagged With: above world, fantasy, five stars, heroine, jenn reese, mermaids, mg, sci-fi, ya

4 Stars: The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

March 26, 2013 by Guest 7 Comments

The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan is the second book of the second series and continues the story of young demigods who must forge friendships and figure out to use their unique gifts in a race to save the world …. again.

When I (Barbara) finished The Lost Hero, I knew I would be working my way through the Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan. I had minored in classical studies during college and appreciate Riordan’s modern extension of the Perseus archetype into a light but engaging series for young adults. This book was my personal copy, and there aren’t any spoilers for The Son of Neptune, but there are some for The Lost Hero. If you haven’t read the first book, check out Anya’s review of The Lost Hero instead.
Goodreads | Amazon
Title: The Son of Neptune
Author: Rick Riordan
Length: 513 pages
Genre-ish: YA Fantasy (set in our world)
Rating: ★★★★☆- light and easy read

Setting: In The Son of Neptune, not only are the Greek gods real, but so are the Roman ones. While they are technically the same gods, the Roman aspects of the 12 Olympian gods are more stern, serious, and disciplined — but they still fall in love with mortals and have demigod children. The young Roman demigods, like the Greeks we met in the first series and in the Lost Hero, inherit traits and powers from their godly parents, speak Latin like a senator in the forum, have a special, secret camp, and are the favorite snack of monsters. Mere mortals are kept unaware of this by the Mist, which obscures reality and keeps us unaware of the battles between the gods and various powers that want to destroy the world and its inhabitants.

Premise: This time, Percy Jackson is the one with amnesia and monsters hot on his tail. He ends up at Camp Jupiter where he is as out of place as a Greek among Romans. One Roman in particular remembers who he is … and that he is not exactly on her favorites list. Still, Percy makes friends and ends up on a trip to Alaska to save the world. As the story progresses, it becomes clear that Juno/Hera is putting together a dream team from BOTH Camp Jupiter and Camp Half-Blood to defeat Gaea — the personification of the earth — who will threaten Mount Olympus itself before the end of the series.

Strengths:

Riordan’s writing is wonderful to read. He is descriptive without being too wordy, immersing the reader in the scenes he weaves. We come to see the world through the points of view of each of the major characters, which are interleaved without confusion.
Riordan also uses humor to good effect in The Son of Neptune to keep the tone of the story light. If the heroes are joking in the face of adversity, how bad can it be, right?
I love the friendships that develop between the heroes. They feel right and develop at an appropriate pace out of shared principles, choices, and actions.
In The Son of Neptune, each character has his or her strengths and weaknesses. Often the heroes complement each other, which shows young readers the value of collaboration and valuing one’s own gifts. But the heroes also show that you don’t necessarily have to like doing what you are good at. The son of the god of war does not particularly like what he inherited from his father – but these abilities are used wisely save the day on a number of occasions.
Although the Son of Neptune occurs at about the same time as The Lost Hero, it was not repetitious. The two stories run parallel until the very end when the two sets of heroes meet, leaving the reader to wonder who will comprise the seven heroes of the prophecy.

Weaknesses:

The formula is beginning to be a bit too repetitious. The frantic journey of less than a week to get somewhere, find something, and save the world at the last minute is exciting but … tired. And having a hero with a guilty secret – again – seemed definitely like a lazy way to bring in dramatic tension.
The female characters are strong and gifted, but after a series and two books, I’m hoping that the third book will really let Annabeth shine as the daughter of Athena.

Summary:

If you have been enjoying the two series up to this point, you should enjoy The Son of Neptune as well. It has some interesting variations to throw at you but keeps the winning formula intact.

- Barbara

The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

Filed Under: What A Story - Book Reviews Tagged With: easy read, fantasy, four stars, riordan, series, the son of neptune, ya

4 Stars: The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan

March 5, 2013 by Anya 7 Comments

As many of you know, I’ve been co-hosting an epic read along on this blog of Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series! The first book is The Eye of the World, which we finished up a couple of weeks ago now. I’d say it’s time for a review, don’t you? ;-) I feel like I’ve already talked about Eye of the World a lot, mostly because I have, haha. However, while we’ve discussed each 7 chapter section in gritty detail, a nice overview wrap-up post seemed like just what I needed to put everything in perspective :). If you’ve been skipping the read along posts for fear of spoilers, you don’t have to worry any more, since there are no spoilers here!

Goodreads | Amazon
Author: The Eye of the World
Length: 814 (paperback)
Genre-ish: High fantasy
Rating: ★★★★☆- classic fantasy, a little wordy

Life in Emond’s Field has been pretty boring for Rand Al’Thor and his friends until a strange young woman arrives in their village. Moraine is an Aes Sedai, a magician with the ability to wield the One Power, and she brings warnings of a terrible evil awakening in the world. That very night, the village is attacked by bloodthirsty Trollocs—a fearsome tribe of beast-men thought to be no more than myth. As Emond’s Field burns, Moraine and her warrior-guardian help Rand and his companions to escape. But it is only the beginning of their troubles. For Moraine believes Rand Al’Thor is the Dragon Reborn, and that he is fated to unite the world against the rising darkness and lead the fight against a being so powerful and evil it is known simply as the Dark One. – Goodreads

Strengths:

The Eye of the World had an awesome spin on the young hero needing to save the world trope, since there are actually three boys, one girl, and one village Wisdom involved in this legend come to life.
The world-building in Eye of the World is so amazing that I don’t actually know how Jordan kept it all in his brain while writing. There must have been crazy flowcharts! There is even a map halfway through to show you where the party has traveled to :D.
Mmm the foreshadowing, it is so delicious! I’ve always been a sucker for portents and trying to guess what they might foretell, and Jordan does not disappoint!
Every character we encounter has a rich backstory that we find out steadily. You might not find out right when you meet them. You might think that minor character was only there to sell you bread, you are probably wrong ;-). So many threads to be woven together, it is awesome!

Weaknesses:

There are some very obvious tributes to Tolkien in Eye of the World, and there has been heavy criticism of this already. I found myself able to acknowledge this unfortunate shortcoming and move on, but it might severely irk others.
Given the genre, you would expect the final epic battle to be crazy epic, but it falls a bit short and confusing….
As many books in this genre fall into, Eye of the World gets wordy in places and I found myself tempted to skim at times. This is no where near Tolkien levels of wordiness though!

Summary:

If you are craving high fantasy, Eye of the World is everything everyone has said it is. I didn’t find myself quite as edge of my seat as the lady in the bookstore said she was when she read the first five *shrugs*. It was refreshing to see women making a big splash in a high fantasy novel and the other new ideas that Jordan brought to his novel. While it was a little odd to see so many obvious parallels to The Lord of the Rings pop up again and again, it was easy to view The Eye of the World as inspired-by, but with plenty of original ideas.

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- A

The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan

Filed Under: What A Story - Book Reviews Tagged With: eye of the world, fantasy, four stars, high fantasy, magic system, series

4 Stars: Spirit Singer by Edward Willett Audiobook

February 26, 2013 by Anya 6 Comments

I was quite excited to see Iambik Audio open for review requests and a new fantasy available with a young female main character :D. What more could I really ask for right?? As many of you know, I’m always in the market for more audiobooks due to my frequent driving. While the slower fantasy pace of Spirit Singer sometimes made me need to take a break, I overall very much enjoyed this classic-style fantasy! Thank you to Iambik Audio for providing me a copy to review.

Goodreads | Amazon
Print Copy scheduled for May 2013
Title: Spirit Singer
Author: Edward Willett
Length: 4 hours 33 min
Genre-ish: Fantasy (with spirits)
Rating: ★★★★☆- solid fantasy story, audio wasn’t great

Amarynth is a spirit singer, gifted – or cursed, as she sometimes thinks – with the ability to lead the spirits of the dead from the Lower World through the Between World to the Gate of the Upper World and the Light that lies beyond it.

While she is still an apprentice her grandfather and tutor dies, slain by a mysterious creature in the Between World that is blocking access to the Upper World’s Gate. Without a spirit singer her village cannot survive, so Amarynth embarks on a hazardous quest to find out what the creature is, how it can be defeated, and how she can become a full-fledged spirit singer – a quest that takes her not only from her tiny seacoast home to the soaring mountains of the south, but across the even more rugged terrain of her own soul. — Amazon

Strengths:

I really liked the singing magic idea behind Spirit Singer. Chanting is usually a part of magic rituals, but it’s not often that it IS the magic itself :D.
Spirit Singer has some devious plot twists. I can’t say that I didn’t see them coming, because I definitely had a feeling that something was up, but then I wasn’t sure…. And then I definitely was!
The “Between World” is this treacherous place between our realm and their version of heaven and the descriptions of it were very compelling. There are all sorts of wayward spirits and traps that Amarynth had to watch out for, and some of those images are just never going to be scrubbed from my brain….
Spirit Singer had solid main characters. I wish was had gotten to know Grandpa a bit more, but you can’t have it all ;-).

Weaknesses:

I think I just have a problem with male narrators, but I just never could get used to the narrator in Spirit Singer. Male narrators never seem to be able to do female voices, and since the main character was female, this ended up being a big problem for me.
The plot of Spirit Singer ended up being a fairly typical fantasy in the end, but there isn’t anything wrong with that if that’s what you are in the mood for :).

Summary:

Spirit Singer is a fun fantasy adventure with a solid female character. The narration of Amarynth’s voice didn’t do it for me, so I suggest picking up the book in print or ebook when you can. The premise and world of Spirit Singer were quite interesting and fun to explore and I look forward to learning more about them in sequels *hopeful eyes*. If you are quite discerning, you will probably see some of the plot twists coming, but the evidence went back and forth enough for me that I wasn’t sure ;-). All in all, Spirit Singer is a great book if you are in the mood for some good ol’ fashioned fantasy!

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- A

Spirit Singer by Edward Willett

Filed Under: What A Story - Book Reviews Tagged With: 4 stars, audiobook, fantasy, heroine, magic system, spirit singer, willett

3.5 Stars: Red Madrassa by Terah Edun

February 21, 2013 by Anya 5 Comments

Welcome to my tour stop for the Red Madrassa blog tour! I decided to read Red Madrassa because, let’s be honest, look at that cover!!! It’s freaking gorgeous! I just wish I could have gotten a physical copy to drool over ;-). I have to say that I adored the beginning of Red Madrassa, even if it took me a little bit to get all the characters straight in my head, and while I was a bit disappointed at the sudden ending, I think Harry Potter fans might like this magical school adventure :).

Goodreads | Amazon
Title: Red Madrassa
Author: Terah Edun
Length: 244 pages
Genre-ish: YA fantasy
Rating: ★★★☆☆- awesome start, slipped at the end

A magical accident threw them together. But when Fate holds all the cards, it can be impossible to tell the difference between pure chance and Destiny…

The Madrassa, a magical school for mage practitioners, is the stuff of legend. With selective entrance exams and quotas for only the most advanced of mage children, it’s almost impossible to attend.

When Allorna, a guardian trainee for the royal family, ends up on the doorstep of the citadel on the eve of the final day of a recruitment ceremony, she decides it must be fate.

She was sure she knew the path her life would take before she enrolled. But sometimes life has a way of throwing in magical curveballs and strange friends, just to see if you’ll trip up.

Oh, and one of those friends is a mage accused of murder, another is a slightly psychotic dragon, the third a healer facing an existential crisis, and the last is a female storm-caller with more hidden secrets than a thief lord.

Do they all belong at the new school they call home? – Goodreads

Strengths:

Red Madrassa has a full cast of interesting characters with a wide range of backgrounds included various races and sexual orientations, yey diversity in fantasy for once!
The writing was so readable and compelling! No matter what was happening in the plot, I still found Red Madrassa fun to read, which is saying something since sometimes the kids were just taking classes, haha.
There were some nice editions to the typical schools of magic, including an unknown/innate type which was pretty cool to learn about :D.

Weaknesses:

There was a mystery that was introduced in the beginning of Red Madrassa, but the characters didn’t really do much to try to solve it and didn’t have a hand in resolving the plot tension. It just sort of resolves itself….
No real action happens in the last half of Red Madrassa until the veeerrrry end, since the kids were mostly just going to class. Don’t get me wrong, classes are great, but I really wanted the book to continue for another hundred pages at least to give me a nice epic conclusion.
There were several times where the pronouns really confused me and may not have been grammatically correct. Especially when there are so many characters, it probably would be better to use more specific identifiers than “he” and “she” given that there are multiple of those in a room pretty much all the time ;-).

Summary:

Red Madrassa had a great start as a magical school adventure, but it felt like it needed to be a bit longer in order to capture that young kids saving the day adventure that we all love. It’s no fun when the adults step in to do all the adventuring! Nonetheless, if you go in knowing what to expect and are looking for a light and diverse school-based fantasy, Red Madrassa is for you. I look forward to seeing what the next book holds, now that we’ve gotten the basics of the school out the way!

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- A

Red Madrassa by Terah Edun

Filed Under: What A Story - Book Reviews Tagged With: 3.5 stars, easy read, edun, fantasy, magic system, red madrassa, ya

4 Stars: Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede

February 19, 2013 by Anya 16 Comments

My friends and I were having a discussion about audiobook recommendations and one of them brought out Dealing with Dragons. She didn’t have the audiobook version, but apparently it is very good. She instead had a text-copy, which I immediately started eye-balling because it was a. short (so I wouldn’t feel guilty taking a break to read it) and b. had dragons in the title and the cover! (no brainer :D). She is pretty much always trying to lend me more books, and only resists because she’s knows that my TBR pile is on the verge of crushing me continually as it is, so she not only lent me a copy of Dealing with Dragons, but also a bookmark to match :D. She might be a little crazy that she tries to have bookmarks to match as many of her favorite books as possible (and she has many), but I think it’s cute :3.

Goodreads | Amazon

Title: Dealing with Dragons
Author: Patricia Wrede
Length: 212 pages
Genre-ish: YA (old) fantasy
Rating: ★★★★☆- light-hearted fun, no romance

Cimorene is everything a princess is not supposed to be: headstrong, tomboyish, smart – and bored. So bored that she runs away to live with a dragon – and finds the family and excitement she’s been looking for. – Goodreads

Strengths:

Dealing with Dragons has some REALLY fun characters! Between the witty dragon, headstrong princess, mischievous witch, and scheming wizards, what’s not to love??
This whole book is one entertaining fairytale re-telling after the next all tied up with a bow. I should have kept a list of all the references, but I didn’t want to distract myself from laughing, hehe!
There is not just one, not just two kick-butt princesses, but also a kick-butt dragon :D. So awesome!!
I just had to pull out this quote for all you cat lovers out there. This is from when Cimorene (the princess) and Kazul (the dragon) go to visit their witch friend who happens to have a lot of cats and Kazul asks one of them to get the witch for them:
“He doesn’t seem very impressed,” Cimorene commented in some amusement.
“Why should he be?” Kazul said.
“Well, you’re a dragon,” Cimorene answered, a little taken aback.
“What difference does that make to a cat?”
Hehe, cats aren’t afraid of dragons either apparently!

Weaknesses:

While Dealing with Dragons is juvenile fiction, it is an older book, so don’t expect it to have the same pumped up plot style that has become a trend in YA recently. This plot was much more fun and leisurely.
There is literally no romance in Dealing with Dragons, none at all, sorry :(. Some would consider this a strength, but I know many wouldn’t, so I’m just warning you :).
Because Dealing with Dragons is pretty dang short, there isn’t really room for any character development. There are several more books, so perhaps Cimorene grows up a bit in those, but she’s still just as headstrong and rowdy at the end of Dealing with Dragons as at the beginning, hehe.

Summary:

Dealing with Dragons was the perfect distraction, light-hearted and fun plus dragons! While it isn’t what we are used to with YA anymore, it is what juvenile fiction used to be, so if you are up for a break from all the angsty, romance-filled novels of today (or just want some fun, I’m not judging!) you should definitely try out Dealing with Dragons. There is just something alluring about running off to live with dragons isn’t there??

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- A