TELL THE WIND AND FIRE Because Heartbroken Doesn't Even Begin to Describe It

Title: Tell the Wind and Fire
Author: Sarah Rees Brennan
Series: stand-alone
Publisher: Clarion Books
Publication Date: April 5, 2016
Source: from publisher via Edelweiss
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Tell the Wind & Fire is about a young girl called Lucie who lives in a New York very different from the New York we know: the city is torn between two very different kinds of magic, and Lucie’s own family was torn apart years ago by that conflict. Lucie wears magic rings and carries a burden of guilt she can’t share with anyone.

The light in her life is her sweetheart boyfriend Ethan, but it turns out Ethan has a secret too: a soulless doppelganger created by dark magic, who has to conceal the face identical to Ethan’s with a hood fastened by a collar nobody but a Light magician with magical rings can take off… and who introduces himself to both of them by, for reasons nobody can understand, saving Ethan’s life…

Sarah Rees Brennan novels are always a breath of fresh air for me, but SRB retelling A Tale of Two Cities? Brilliant. I loved it from start to finish, and even knowing how it would end, I still feel as heartbroken as the first time I read the original story. Which I now want to pick up again since it's been ages. (And since Audible recently had it on sale and I may have picked it up on a whim.) My love for Sydney Carton's character has been renewed and seems even more justified to me as an adult, sobbing for a similar character imbued with his sense of self-sacrifice.

So far as retellings go, this one was pretty great. It bore just enough resemblance to the original tale to call itself a retelling, but it was also vividly different and very much its own story when all was said and done. The underlying message is still present and the need for revenge is still very much ingrained in the story. But while the characters do mirror their counterparts from A Tale of Two Cities to some extent, I feel that the author explored their hidden depths and growth as characters in a way that made them wholly unique to this story.

As with SRB's Lynburn Legacy series, the magic took a back seat to the battle between good and evil at times in this story. Even so, it doesn't take magic to make Lucie Manette a force to be reckoned with. When the story begins, Lucie seems to be a meek slip of a girl, but as the story progresses, we see hints of what she's done to get to this point and how far she'll go to protect those she loves. Her life thus far has been tragic and full of loss, especially compared to that of her boyfriend Ethan who's lived a charmed life. But just as Lucie isn't what she seems, neither is Ethan. His own secret is about to change everything.

I always expect some level of predictability when it comes to retellings, but there were times when I was reading and I'd forget that this story was based on another. It felt uniquely SRB...I don't know any other way to say it. If you've read her books before, you'll probably understand that sentiment. (Otherwise, you should rectify that immediately.) This book was a little less sassy and sarcastic than the author's previous works, but it was no less witty or well-written.

I'm glad I hadn't re-read A Tale of Two Cities prior to picking this up because I would have inevitably spent too much time comparing the two stories and not enough time just enjoying this beautiful book for what it was. That said, I do hope that reading this story might entice those who are hesitant to read the classics to give the original story a chance. It's one of my favorites, even though it's one of those they forced us to read in school. But even having a general idea of the story because of the book that inspired it didn't prepare me for how much this novel was going to hurt. Heartbroken doesn't even begin to describe it.

GIF it to me straight:

About the author:

Sarah Rees Brennan is Irish and currently lives in Dublin. For a short stint, she lived in New York and became involved with a wide circle of writers who encouraged and supported her, including Holly Black and Cassandra Clare. She has developed a wide audience through her popular blog, mistful.livejournal.com, where she writes movie parodies, book reviews and some stories.

Find Sarah:

Website | Goodreads | Twitter

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Labels: a tale of two cities, beautiful covers, classics, favorite authors, grabby hands, houghton mifflin harcourt, retellings, reviews, sarah rees brennan, tell the wind and fire

Review: Unmade by Sarah Rees Brennan

Title: Unmade
Author: Sarah Rees Brennan
Series: The Lynburn Legacy, book #3
Publisher: Random House BFYR
Publication Date: September 23, 2014
Source: purchased
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Powerful love comes with a price. Who will be the sacrifice?

Kami has lost the boy she loves, is tied to a boy she does not, and faces an enemy more powerful than ever before. With Jared missing for months and presumed dead, Kami must rely on her new magical link with Ash for the strength to face the evil spreading through her town.

Rob Lynburn is now the master of Sorry-in-the-Vale, and he demands a death. Kami will use every tool at her disposal to stop him. Together with Rusty, Angela, and Holly, she uncovers a secret that might be the key to saving the town. But with knowledge comes responsibility—and a painful choice. A choice that will risk not only Kami’s life, but also the lives of those she loves most.

This final book in the Lynburn Legacy is a wild, entertaining ride from beginning to shocking end.

I don't think I'll ever love Untold or Unmade as much as I did Unspoken, especially since I adored that original cover design on the hardcover and have never really come to terms with the redesign. But Unmade was a very fitting end for our friends in Sorry-in-the-Vale, and I'm sad to be saying goodbye to them.

I think I've mentioned a time or two how difficult it is to review a series finale without spoiling anything in the previous books, so this won't be my typical review. I will say that I wish I'd re-read the first two books in preparation for this final installment, not because I was missing or had forgotten any vital information, but because the witty repartee and humorous interactions between the characters might have made this sad, sad goodbye more bearable.

Thank you, Sarah, above all for these characters. For Kami and Sulky and Blondie and Rusty and Jon Glass and every bit of comic relief you bestowed upon them. They deserved it. I'll never forget -- or forgive you for -- what you've put them through, those that were sacrificed, and those that live on so that those sacrifices were not in vain. Thank you for making sure that, while they suffered, they always had a good support system, that they had each other in the end and always. I know what you did and why you did it but it doesn't make the hurt any less.

I'll miss visiting Sorry-in-the-Vale, the Sorrier River, the Crying Pools, the tolling of the bells...everything that made this sleepy little village quaint and magical and real. I'll miss Kami's newspaper. I'll miss her bond with Jared and Ash but also the love she held for her own brothers. I'll miss Aurimere and the secrets it held. I'm going to miss it all.

This final book was perfectly plotted, well-paced, full of the dark, snarky humor I've come to expect from the author. Kami still rocks as a quirky, independent, take-charge protagonist and I wouldn't have wanted her to change for the world. She's going to remain one of my favorites, without a doubt. I can't say I'm 100% happy with how this story finishes but I have my reasons. And they'd be spoilery if I told you, so you'll just have to trust me that this is a worthy end. I'm happy but heartbroken, which is honestly how I always expect to feel at the end of a treasured trilogy, so in that respect, Unmade is pretty par for the course.

GIF it to me straight:

About the author:

Sarah Rees Brennan is Irish and currently lives in Dublin. For a short stint, she lived in New York and became involved with a wide circle of writers who encouraged and supported her, including Holly Black and Cassandra Clare. She has developed a wide audience through her popular blog, mistful.livejournal.com, where she writes movie parodies, book reviews and some stories.

Find Sarah:

Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Tumblr

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Labels: all the feels, all the swoons, cover redesigns, favorites, gothic mystery, magic, must-read, random house, reviews, sarah rees brennan, the lynburn legacy

Review: Grim by Ellen Hopkins, Julie Kagawa, Amanda Hocking...

Title: Grim
Author: Various
Series: n/a
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Publication Date: February 25th, 2014
Source: received from publisher via NetGalley
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Step into a world of dark and twisted fairy tales, with stories by Julie Kagawa, Amanda Hocking and more...

In the days when fairy tales were first spun, they weren’t the sweet and cheerful stories we tell today. Back then, fairy tales were terrifying. They were a warning to the listener to stay out of the night, to keep away from the mystical and ignore the mysterious. Prepare to open a treasure box of the unusual and the macabre.

Grim features some of today’s best young adult authors, sharing their own, unique retellings of classic fairy tales from around the world. These talented writers, many of them New York Times bestsellers or award-winners, put their own spin on these magical worlds.

Ellen Hopkins
Amanda Hocking
Julie Kagawa
Claudia Gray
Rachel Hawkins
Kimberly Derting
Myra McEntire
Malinda Lo
Sarah Rees-Brennan
Jackson Pearce
Christine Johnson
Jeri Smith-Ready
Shaun David Hutchinson
Saundra Mitchell
Sonia Gensler
Tessa Gratton
Jon Skovron

.

Over the past few years, Anthology books have grown on me. The few that I’ve read have been really good. Grim was good, but it wasn't my favorite. There were some great stories in here, but there were also some that didn’t grasp my attention at all. Throughout, it was very hit or miss for me.

The Key by Rachel Hawkins – I’m not sure I would have opened up the book with this one. It was good, but it ended pretty abruptly. I would have liked to know what happens. I know it’s a short story but jeesh, give it an ending please. It deals with psychics and was pretty suspenseful so I’ll give it that.

Figment by Jeri Smith-Ready – This one was really clever. Figment is a little good luck charm Eli is left with, a gift from his estranged rock star father after he passes. This isn’t an ordinary good luck charm, it’s the real deal, and it talks. I loved Figments character, but most of all I loved the message in this story.

The Twelfth Girl by Melinda Lo – This story reminded me of a Bratz movie on Netflix. My Daughter watches this one Bratz Fairy movie sometimes, and I could not stop thinking about it the whole time reading this. I don’t really know what is in this story, I don’t think it ever truly says, but it is reminiscent of the whole fairy realm. It could just be the underworld, but there were things that made me think of the fey. I liked it; it was dark and fit the title of this book I think.

The Raven Princess by Jon Skovron - I really loved this one. A princess is cursed as a baby, turned into a raven. She spends her life looking for the one who can break the curse. It was really cute, and I adored the ending.

Thinner than Water by Saundra Mitchell – This story was bad ass! One of my favorites for sure. I’ve never read anything by Saundra Mitchell before, but now I’m going to have to. The Princess of Flamen lost her mother as an infant. The king has been a doting father for most of her life, until she is no longer a child. Then his affection becomes inappropriate. The Princess of Flamen is not having it and I felt for her. She’s smart as well as beautiful, and wit is a dangerous weapon.

Before the Rose Bloomed by Ellen Hopkins – This is a retelling of The Snow Queen. I didn’t like this one at all. I blame Frozen. I’m so in love with Disney’s version right now that nothing else can compare. It’s well written, but not how it’s supposed to go! It’s just too soon!! Lol (I have issues for real)

Beast/Beast by Tessa Gratton – I’m a huge fan of Tessa Grattons writing. Everything she puts out is beautifully written and this story is no exception. It’s obviously a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. I love the original spin she put on it.

The Brothers Piggett by Julie Kagawa – I was not expecting a retelling of the three little piglets! Loved how she gave this tale extra depth. I was always told as a child that there was a wolf who wanted to eat the three pigs…. Boring…. this version is so much better!

Untethered by Sonia Gensler – This story was extremely short and kind of meh if I’m being honest.

Better by Shaun David Huchinson – I’m a huge fan of sci fi and this had a touch of it. Pip is man made but she feels real. Children are dying and they are running out of time trying to figure out how to stop it. Pip was made to help discover a cure. I loved how it played out at the end.

Light It Up by Kimberly Derting – I didn’t really like this one. It’s a retelling of Hansel and Gretel. I hate that story so I had a hard time getting into it and ended up skimming most of it.

Sharper than a Serpent’s Tongue by Christine Johnson – This one also didn’t stand out for me. By this time, I was just ready for the book to end. Oh and whoa to all the bad language. Not that it bothered me, I’m a sailor, but I thought it was worth mentioning.

A Real Boy by Claudia Gray – This is retelling of Pinocchio but he’s a robot, not a wooden. I’m not a fan of Pinocchio but this version was pretty awesome. I really enjoyed it. Also, Claudia Gray is another author I hadn’t read yet, so now that I know I like her style, I’ll have to pick something else up by her.

Skin Trade by Myra McEntire – This one turned me off right away. Opening page… a guy walks into a strip club… nope, not interested. I knew I wouldn’t like this one so I just moved on.

Beauty and the Chad by Sarah Rees Brennan – This was another meh for me. Meh’s are to be expected when reading anthologies. The problem with this one is, there is already a Beauty and the Beast retelling earlier on in this book. Compared to Tessa Gratton’s contribution, this one was not that great, at least in my opinion.

The Pink by Amanda Hocking – I read a book by Amanda Hocking a few years ago. It was okay, but I wasn’t blown away. This story though, was so awesome. I loved everything about it. Prince Brenn has a special power, he can wish for anything his heart desires and it will appear right in front of him. But that kind of power can be dangerous, especially if the wrong person discovers you have it. I was reminded me a little bit of Rapunzel, but without the hair. My favorite part about this one was the love story. It warmed my little heart. <3

Sell Out by Jackson Pearce – I know see why Pearce is so famous for her retellings. She actually made Snow White Tolerable. (She’s my least favorite princess). It’s only natural that they would close out the book with this story. I don’t own any of Jackson Pearce’s retellings but I will now. Sell Out was great.

I had some trouble picking it up at times, especially when I was in the middle of a story that I didn’t like as much. I couldn’t tell what some of these stories were retellings of… I’m thinking I need to brush up on my fairy tales. You’d think being a mother, I’d be more educated. 

I did like Grim. There were a few stand out stories that I adored. The ones I didn't care for dragged it down for me. Not a bad anthology but I've read better ones. 

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Labels: amanda hocking, anthology, claudia gray, Ellen Hopkins, fairy tales, harlequin-teen, jackson pearce, julie kagawa, kimberly derting, myra McEntire, rachel hawkins, retellings, reviews, sarah rees brennan

Review: Untold by Sarah Rees Brennan

Title: Untold
Author: Sarah Rees Brennan
Series: The Lynburn Legacy, book #2
Publisher: Random House BFYR
Publication Date: September 24, 2013
Source: purchased
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Free from bonds, but not each other...

It’s time to choose sides… On the surface, Sorry-in-the-Vale is a sleepy English town. But Kami Glass knows the truth. Sorry-in-the-Vale is full of magic. In the old days, the Lynburn family ruled with fear, terrifying the people into submission in order to kill for blood and power. Now the Lynburns are back, and Rob Lynburn is gathering sorcerers so that the town can return to the old ways.

But Rob and his followers aren’t the only sorcerers in town. A decision must be made: pay the blood sacrifice, or fight. For Kami, this means more than just choosing between good and evil. With her link to Jared Lynburn severed, she’s now free to love anyone she chooses. But who should that be?’

Oh, the angst!  The denial!  The sacrifices!

I loved Unspoken...in fact, I think I might have deemed it my favorite read of 2012.  And I was crushed by that ending...hopelessly crushed, as many readers were.  I didn't know if I'd ever be able to pick up the pieces of my wrecked heart after what Brennan did to it.

But the heart is a frail, fickle thing, and as much as I wanted to despise the author for what she put me through in the first book, I also wanted to give her the chance to make amends with Untold, to pick me up and put me back together after the heartbreak I suffered.  Kinda like Kami needed to be put back together.

Many have despaired at the lack of action, the lack of forward movement in this sequel.  And it's kind of true...this book doesn't really serve to advance the story much.  There's a war brewing between those evil sorcerers led by Rob Lynburn and those who wish only to protect Sorry-in-the-Vale.  But it's like the most mild-mannered war ever.  There is a battle scene, and it does get kind of cray-cray, but other than that, the two opposing sides seem almost pleasant toward each other.

This book mostly revolves around Kami amassing an army of her own and preparing them for battle.  She entrusts Rusty and Angela to teach them all self-defense moves.  Rusty.  *sigh*  Kami helps mastermind a plan to aide the magical and non-magical folks alike in disposing of the evil sorcerers' powers, if only temporarily. She even brushes up on her history of the Lynburns and Sorry-in-the-Vale in hopes of discovering some secret that helped destroy the evil Lynburns all those years ago.  Essentially, Kami really takes charge of the situation, but I don't think we'll really see any of this come to fruition until the next book, sadly.

But where others are claiming the story suffers from the banter and quips, I have to disagree.  That was one of the more resplendent qualities in the first book, and I was glad to see that it survived, even if the link between Kami and Jared didn't.  (And boy, do I miss that.)  I guess I'm just really happy about it because after the ending in Unspoken, I was just so afraid that Jared would go missing, as love interests are wont to do in sequels.  But he's there...or at least as present as Jared Lynburn ever is.  And he's grumpy as all get out.

This book is just so damn angsty.  I mean, I get it...after having been able to talk to each other without ever uttering a word, after knowing what each other was thinking for their entire lives, not being able to read each other is really taking a toll on Jared and Kami.  And then there are just so many misunderstandings and things left unsaid and gah...So. Many. Feelings.  And not just with Kami and Jared.  There's the weirdness between Angela and Holly.  And it seems like Rusty may have developed a little crush of his own.  And Ash is steadfastly trying to get out of the friends zone, with little success.  Poor guy can't catch a break, but I guess them's the breaks when you help your crazy dad with his blood sacrifices in order to gain more power.

Maybe this sequel didn't quite live up to my expectations, but those expectations might have been were wholly unrealistic to begin with.  I think this second installment did just what a sequel is supposed to do: built upon a world I've already come to love and entirely cemented my affection for the characters I've grown to care for so completely.  And so, even though I was really disappointed with the cover redesign -- and I mean REALLY disappointed -- I still think this book was awesome.  The series thus far is among my favorites, as is most of what Sarah Rees Brennan writes.


(And I always picture Knives when I think of Kami. :D)

In case you missed it, The Night After I Lost You is a short story told from Ash's POV, and it's free here.

About the author:

Sarah Rees Brennan is Irish and currently lives in Dublin. For a short stint, she lived in New York and became involved with a wide circle of writers who encouraged and supported her, including Holly Black and Cassandra Clare. She has developed a wide audience through her popular blog, mistful.livejournal.com, where she writes movie parodies, book reviews and some stories.

Find Sarah:

Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Tumblr

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Labels: all the feels, all the swoons, cover redesigns, favorites, gothic mystery, magic, must-read, random house, reviews, sarah rees brennan, the lynburn legacy

Teaser Tuesday #77: Untold by Sarah Rees Brennan

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Here's what I'm teasing this week:

Title: Untold
Author: Sarah Rees Brennan
Series: The Lynburn Legacy, book #2
Publisher: Random House BFYR
Publication Date: September 24, 2013
Source: purchased
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Free from bonds, but not each other...

It’s time to choose sides… On the surface, Sorry-in-the-Vale is a sleepy English town. But Kami Glass knows the truth. Sorry-in-the-Vale is full of magic. In the old days, the Lynburn family ruled with fear, terrifying the people into submission in order to kill for blood and power. Now the Lynburns are back, and Rob Lynburn is gathering sorcerers so that the town can return to the old ways.

But Rob and his followers aren’t the only sorcerers in town. A decision must be made: pay the blood sacrifice, or fight. For Kami, this means more than just choosing between good and evil. With her link to Jared Lynburn severed, she’s now free to love anyone she chooses. But who should that be?’

My teaser:

    "I wasn't following you home so I could break into your house and steal your underwear," Jared pointed out.  "There are sorcerers killing people in this town.  I wanted to make sure you got home safe."

- p. 147

Well, at least it sounds like Jared is being his normal self.  I was afraid things would continue to be painfully awkward between him and Kami for the duration of this book after the events that unfolded in Unspoken. Speaking of, I am terribly unhappy with the cover change for this series.  The other cover was just...so unique.  This new design is woefully unimaginative.

What are you teasing this week?  Share it in the comments or leave a link so I can visit!

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Labels: favorites, gothic mystery, magic, must-read, random house, sarah rees brennan, teaser tuesday, the lynburn legacy

Waiting on Wednesday: Untold by Sarah Rees Brennan & Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's WoW selection is...

Title: Untold
Author: Sarah Rees Brennan
Series: The Lynburn Legacy, book #2
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: September 24, 2013

Free from bonds, but not each other.

It’s time to choose sides… On the surface, Sorry-in-the-Vale is a sleepy English town. But Kami Glass knows the truth. Sorry-in-the-Vale is full of magic. In the old days, the Lynburn family ruled with fear, terrifying the people into submission in order to kill for blood and power. Now the Lynburns are back, and Rob Lynburn is gathering sorcerers so that the town can return to the old ways.

But Rob and his followers aren’t the only sorcerers in town. A decision must be made: pay the blood sacrifice, or fight. For Kami, this means more than just choosing between good and evil. With her link to Jared Lynburn severed, she’s now free to love anyone she chooses. But who should that be?’

Why Jen's waiting:  I think Unspoken was probably my favorite book last year.  There were lots I loved, but that one, it was made of pure awesome.  And after that ending, GAAAHH!  I need this sequel now.

But, can I have it with a cover to match the first book?  Pretty please?  This one's okay, but I really liked how different and unique the cover for Unspoken was and was hoping for more of the same with the rest of the series, especially since the "covers" for the prequel stories even match.  :(

Title: Fangirl
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Series: n/a
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: September 10, 2013

A coming-of-age tale of fan fiction, family and first love.

Cath is a Simon Snow fan.

Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan . . .

But for Cath, being a fan is her life — and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.

Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this? Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?

Or will she just go on living inside somebody else’s fiction?

Why Mendy's waiting:  Yay, a sister story!  Sort of.  :)  This sounds fun, and Jen liked Eleanor & Park, so I think I'd like to give this author a try myself.


What are you waiting on this week?  Feel free to share it in the comments or leave a link so we can stop by!

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Labels: contemporary, fangirl, favorites, gothic mystery, magic, rainbow rowell, random house, sarah rees brennan, st. martin's press, the lynburn legacy, waiting on wednesday (wow)