ya 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: 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

4.5 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: Geography Club by Brent Hartinger + Movie Pictures

March 15, 2013 by Anya 1 Comment

One of my goals for this year was to branch out into more contemporary fiction a bit. Geography Club by Brent Hartinger is an LGBT young adult book that seemed just perfect for my foray into realistic fiction :D. There is also a movie coming out sometime this year, and Brent Hartinger was awesome to give me a couple of snapshots of him with some cast members! If you are looking for some fun, quick, but meaningful reading, make sure to check out Geography Club in time for the movie release! Thank you to Brent Hartinger for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Goodreads | Amazon
Title: Geography Club
Author: Brent Hartinger
Length: 240 pages
Genre-ish: LGBT contemporary YA
Rating: ★★★★☆- sweet and realistic portrayal of being a gay teen

Russel Middlebrook is convinced he’s the only gay kid at Goodkind High School.

Then his online gay chat buddy turns out to be none other than Kevin, the popular but closeted star of the school’s baseball team. Soon Russel meets other gay students, too. There’s his best friend Min, who reveals that she is bisexual, and her soccer-playing girlfriend Terese. Then there’s Terese’s politically active friend, Ike.

But how can kids this diverse get together without drawing attention to themselves?

“We just choose a club that’s so boring, nobody in their right mind would ever in a million years join it. We could call it Geography Club!” – Goodreads

Strengths:

Geography Club has a wide variety of characters with different sexual orientations (including bi-sexual, finally) and at different stages of coming out. This also includes straight teens who have a range of reactions to finding out their friends aren’t straight. Geography Club also brings all these characters together in a believable way ;-).
There is a very sweet portrayal of developing love between two young men, along with all the problems that high school relationships often run into.
Geography Club tackles the outsider dilemma pretty well and recognizes that there isn’t an easy fix to the cliques in a real high school.
The writing in Geography Club is fast and light, while still showing the struggles and pain of closeted teens.

Weaknesses:

I really wanted Russel (MC) to grow a backbone when dealing with various social situations. I realize that high school is tough and you want to avoid conflict when you can, but the way he dealt with some of his “friends” actions made me a bit sad.
There are literally no parents at all in Geography Club. There is some reference to Russel’s parents not being a big part of his life, but it was still a little weird…. Dealing with parents and coming out to parents is also a difficult process for a lot of teens, so it would have been nice to see a portrayal of that.

Summary:

Geography Club manages to be light and fun, while also portraying the isolation and fear that goes along with being a gay teen in an unwelcoming high school. Russel finds that he is not nearly as alone as he thought, both because there are other gay teens at his school and because there are straight teens who care about him, not his sexual orientation. Anyone who is interested in a fast and compelling read about these situations should definitely check out Geography Club before the movie comes out!

Speaking of movie, here are a couple of pictures of Brent Hartinger with some of the cast of the upcoming Geography Club movie :D