Thanks to Random House Kids for sending a copy of Wonder Woman: Warbringer and for providing a finished copy to give away! Here's more about the book:
Title: Wonder Woman: Warbringer Author: Leigh Bardugo Series: DC Icons, book #1 Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers Publication Date: August 29, 2017 Purchase:Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible
She will become one of the world’s greatest heroes: WONDER WOMAN. But first she is Diana, Princess of the Amazons. And her fight is just beginning. . . .
Diana longs to prove herself to her legendary warrior sisters. But when the opportunity finally comes, she throws away her chance at glory and breaks Amazon law—risking exile—to save a mere mortal. Even worse, Alia Keralis is no ordinary girl and with this single brave act, Diana may have doomed the world.
Alia just wanted to escape her overprotective brother with a semester at sea. She doesn’t know she is being hunted. When a bomb detonates aboard her ship, Alia is rescued by a mysterious girl of extraordinary strength and forced to confront a horrible truth: Alia is a Warbringer—a direct descendant of the infamous Helen of Troy, fated to bring about an age of bloodshed and misery.
Together, Diana and Alia will face an army of enemies—mortal and divine—determined to either destroy or possess the Warbringer. If they have any hope of saving both their worlds, they will have to stand side by side against the tide of war.
I just finished reading this last week, and I kind of love Leigh Bardugo's take on Diana's origin story. It's also got me very intrigued by the rest of the DC Icons' stories to come!
About the author:
Leigh Bardugo is the #1 New York Times bestselling and USA Today bestselling author of the Six of Crows Duology and the Shadow and Bone Trilogy, as well as the upcoming Wonder Woman: Warbringer (Aug 2017) and The Language of Thorns (Sept 2017).
She was born in Jerusalem, grew up in Los Angeles, and graduated from Yale University. These days, she lives and writes in Hollywood where she can occasionally be heard singing with her band.
"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...
's Pick:
Title: These Ruthless Deeds Author: Tarun Shanker & Kelly Zekas Series: These Vicious Masks, book #2 Publisher: Swoon Reads Publication Date: March 14, 2017
England, 1883. Still recovering from the loss of her beloved sister, Evelyn is determined to use her powers to save other gifted people from those who would harm them. But when her rescue of a young telekinetic girl goes terribly wrong, Evelyn finds herself indebted to a secret society devoted to recruiting and protecting people like Evelyn and her friends.
As she follows the Society’s orders, healing the sick and embarking on perilous recruitment missions, Evelyn sees her problems disappear. Her reputation is repaired, her friends are provided for, and her parents are newly wealthy. She reunites with the dashing Mr. Kent and recovers the reclusive Mr. Braddock (who has much less to brood over now that the Society can help him to control his dangerous power). But Evelyn can’t help fearing the Society is more sinister than it appears...
These Vicious Masks was such a delightful discovery when I read it at the end of last year, and I couldn't wait to get my hands on the sequel, especially after that ending. But now I have to wait until next year?!? This feels like unnecessary torture! I mean, I'm happy to hear that Mr. Kent and Mr. Braddock are still very much in the picture, but I can't wait to see how all are faring with their newfound powers...
What are you desperately waiting for this Wednesday? Let us know in the comments or share a link to your own WoW post!
Title: Red Queen Author: Victoria Aveyard Series: Red Queen Trilogy, book #1 Publisher: HarperTeen Publication Date: February 10, 2014 Source: received from publisher via Edelweiss Purchase:Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Graceling meets The Selection in debut novelist Victoria Aveyard's sweeping tale of seventeen-year-old Mare, a common girl whose once-latent magical power draws her into the dangerous intrigue of the king's palace. Will her power save her or condemn her?
Mare Barrow's world is divided by blood--those with common, Red blood serve the Silver- blooded elite, who are gifted with superhuman abilities. Mare is a Red, scraping by as a thief in a poor, rural village, until a twist of fate throws her in front of the Silver court. Before the king, princes, and all the nobles, she discovers she has an ability of her own.
To cover up this impossibility, the king forces her to play the role of a lost Silver princess and betroths her to one of his own sons. As Mare is drawn further into the Silver world, she risks everything and uses her new position to help the Scarlet Guard--a growing Red rebellion--even as her heart tugs her in an impossible direction. One wrong move can lead to her death, but in the dangerous game she plays, the only certainty is betrayal.
Red Queen had the potential to be epic. And for some early readers, it seems to have been just that. But I think I let my excitement for this book get the better of me because the story I read just doesn't match up to other reader reactions...or my expectations.
I tried to ignore the comparisons to Graceling and The Selection before reading the book. I loved Graceling but I barely tolerated The Selection...though I did find it a compulsively readable series -- even if the story was banal and uninspired. And that's the same reason, I think, that I just didn't enjoy this novel as much as I'd hoped to. It's a mash-up of a lot of other stories I've enjoyed...and some that I haven't. It was slowslowslow to start. And the romance seems to be the focal point, despite the fact that the magical system and brewing revolution would have been much more captivating had they been more central to the story. Instead, they were background issues and were left mostly unexplored.
I found the special abilities that the Silvers were in possession of to be quite intriguing. Though they felt less like the graces the characters in Graceling had and more like powers developed through some genetic mutation, a la The X-Men, they gave the user an element (air, water, fire, etc.) to wield and use at their disposal...in fighting arenas where they were put on display before the lesser Reds to show how much mightier they were. The characters did practice with and demonstrate their gifts on occasion, including Mare, but not nearly enough for my liking. I wanted this to be an epic fantasy and the element that would have made it such was just lacking in development. Why do only Silvers have these abilities? Why does Mare, a Red, have them now? It's only the first book, but I still have so many questions, especially when it comes to the world-building.
I expect that the coming revolution between Reds and Silvers may be featured more prominently in future installments, if that ending is anything to go by, but I wanted to see more of it in this first book. It's been a bit since I read this novel, but I don't actually remember having the segregation of the Reds and Silvers explained, how the difference in blood and the magic, or lack thereof, came to pass. It's obvious that the Reds are unhappy and preparing to retaliate for their mistreatment all these years, but besides a few minor incidents, the only sign of a rebellion was the existence of the Scarlet Guard, and it seemed very, very small in comparison to the legions of soldiers under Silver control.
I think the aspect that killed this book for me was the romance, though. I like romance in the stories I read. In fact, I prefer there be at least a hint of it in most stories. But then there are those novels where the romance just overpowers the rest of the story, choking out anything good and interesting in order to heighten the drama. This is one of those books. And it wasn't just the fact that there's a love triangle involved -- though it's the kind I actually can't ignore, and I'm pretty tolerant when it comes to LTs -- or that it pitted two brothers against each other. It was the fact that if the MC had been smarter, had seen through the guise at the Silver court, there wouldn't have been a love triangle to begin with. Also, there's yet a third guy who's interested in Mare, and he would have been the guy I'd shipped her with in the beginning -- probably...maybe -- but now I just want his character arc to fizzle out and go away.
This story was just so full of drama for so much of the book. I was never in danger of not finishing it, though, because like The Selection, it was hard to look away from it. I mean, what is that? It's like hearing a song you hate but that's catchy regardless and ends up stuck in your head all day. Annoying, right? Honestly, Red Queen does get kind of exciting toward the end, even with an obvious reveal that I saw coming from a mile away, and ensured that I will have to pick up the next book, even if this one didn't blow me away. It wasn't horrible, but it also wasn't nearly as good as I expected.
GIF it to me straight:
About the author:
After growing up in small town Massachusetts, Victoria attended the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. She graduated with a BFA in Screenwriting, which is exactly the degree being sought after in a recession.
She tries her best to combine her love of history, explosions, and butt-kicking heroines in her writing. Her hobbies include the impossible task of predicting what happens next in A Song of Ice and Fire, road trips, and burning through Netflix.
Title: The Young Elites Author: Marie Lu Series: The Young Elites, book #1 Publisher: Putnam BFYR Publication Date: October 7, 2014 Source: ARC from publisher Purchase:Amazon | Barnes & Noble
I am tired of being used, hurt, and cast aside.
Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever. A decade ago, the deadly illness swept through her nation. Most of the infected perished, while many of the children who survived were left with strange markings. Adelina’s black hair turned silver, her lashes went pale, and now she has only a jagged scar where her left eye once was. Her cruel father believes she is a malfetto, an abomination, ruining their family’s good name and standing in the way of their fortune. But some of the fever’s survivors are rumored to possess more than just scars—they are believed to have mysterious and powerful gifts, and though their identities remain secret, they have come to be called the Young Elites.
Teren Santoro works for the king. As Leader of the Inquisition Axis, it is his job to seek out the Young Elites, to destroy them before they destroy the nation. He believes the Young Elites to be dangerous and vengeful, but it’s Teren who may possess the darkest secret of all.
Enzo Valenciano is a member of the Dagger Society. This secret sect of Young Elites seeks out others like them before the Inquisition Axis can. But when the Daggers find Adelina, they discover someone with powers like they’ve never seen.
Adelina wants to believe Enzo is on her side, and that Teren is the true enemy. But the lives of these three will collide in unexpected ways, as each fights a very different and personal battle. But of one thing they are all certain: Adelina has abilities that shouldn’t belong in this world. A vengeful blackness in her heart. And a desire to destroy all who dare to cross her.
It is my turn to use. My turn to hurt.
I've been anticipating The Young Elites for what feels like forever. I was not, however, anticipating just how dark this novel would be. I loved Marie Lu's LEGEND series and thought it was incredibly strong from start to finish. I sense that the same will be true for THE YOUNG ELITES series, as well.
The thing is, there's not a single character in this book who is well and truly good. Not one. They manipulate to their own ends. They scheme with ulterior motivations. I wouldn't trust any of them, and Adelina is right to keep everyone at arm's distance, even if it means she has to face her demons on her own. Adelina is not simply facing adversity at the hands of her captors or from her would-be allies...she's facing death because of who she is and what she can do...and what she now knows.
When she meets the members of the Dagger Society, she thinks she may have finally found kindred spirits. Adelina is broken and has been since she emerged from the blood fever that ravaged the city, killing many and leaving many more marked, including Adelina. As a malfetto, her life has not been easy, but it was made even less so by a father who only wanted to use her to his own ends. Making her situation worse still was the fact that her younger sister had not received any marking as a result of the fever and was therefore perfect in the eyes of their father and doted on as such.
I loved the sister dynamic in this book, most especially because it was so very reminiscent of the one in Cruel Beauty, another book I read and loved earlier this year. A hard, demanding father's expectations of his eldest daughter. His doting on the younger, more beautiful sister. Love, misplaced hatred, and jealousy that all lead to a broken bond...and all in the name of protecting one another. Adelina's memories paint quite the portrait of her relationship with Violetta, colored by her jealousy that she is marked and Violetta is perfect. But there are moments that show Adelina in a less harsh light. It's just a shame that the only one who seems able to keep Adelina from the darkness is her sister.
But others seek to fuel the darkness in Adelina, to harness the power that the darkness calls forth and use it for their own purposes. Adelina doesn't know who she can trust, only that she must do everything in her power to save her sister from the Inquisition. In doing so, she might risk the ultimate betrayal...and the only love she's ever known.
If you're anything like me, you saw one girl + two boys and immediately suspected that a love triangle was afoot. You'll quickly discover that, though the synopsis does lend itself to an air of triangularity, at least one of the potential love interests is otherwise engaged already. And I don't mean in the matrimonial sense, only that this character's affections are already spoken for. So, fear not, haters of love triangles...your ship will have smooth sailing...sort of. I enjoyed the romance that developed, for the most part, and when it was on, it was ON, but I still felt like something was missing. That could have something to do with the fact that I never fully connected with any of the characters, thanks to their continued evil-mindedness, though.
Also, I might lay some of the blame with all of those viewpoints. Adelina's is most prevalent, but from time to time, we are launched into Teren, Enzo and even Raffaele's perspectives and thoughts, though from a third-person point-of-view as opposed to Adelina's first person. I was intrigued to learn more about what was happening with the Daggers and at the Inquisition Tower, but I also felt that it pulled me away from feelings I could have developed toward Adelina's precarious situation, instead of thinking she was as bad as all the rest.
The ending of this novel is just as unsettling as the beginning and no less intense. I don't think it could've ended on a better note, albeit dark and dire as can be. It was soul-crushing but also elegant in its destruction. I don't know that I'd have wanted it any other way, even if it means that possibly even more disturbing things are coming as a result. I am just in awe of Marie Lu's ability to continually surprise me at every turn, to completely destroy what little heart I had left after her characters dashed it to pieces with their villainy. And I can't wait for her to do it again in the next book.
GIF it to me straight:
Mind = Blown
And be sure to check out my giveaway for The Young Elites, plus the entire LEGEND series by Marie Lu:
Marie Lu Prize Pack
US only
Ends 9/30
About the author:
Marie Lu is the author of the New York Times bestselling Legend series. She spends her spare time reading, drawing, playing Assassin’s Creed, and getting stuck in traffic. She lives in Los Angeles, California, with one boyfriend, one Chihuahua mix, and two Pembroke Welsh corgis.
Title: Vicious Author: V.E. Schwab (pen name for Victoria Schwab) Series: n/a Publisher: Tor Publication Date: September 24, 2013 Source: purchased Purchase:Amazon | Barnes & Noble
A masterful, twisted tale of ambition, jealousy, betrayal, and superpowers, set in a near-future world.
Victor and Eli started out as college roommates—brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong.
Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison, determined to catch up to his old friend (now foe), aided by a young girl whose reserved nature obscures a stunning ability. Meanwhile, Eli is on a mission to eradicate every other super-powered person that he can find—aside from his sidekick, an enigmatic woman with an unbreakable will. Armed with terrible power on both sides, driven by the memory of betrayal and loss, the archnemeses have set a course for revenge—but who will be left alive at the end?
In Vicious, V. E. Schwab brings to life a gritty comic-book-style world in vivid prose: a world where gaining superpowers doesn’t automatically lead to heroism, and a time when allegiances are called into question.
So, I'm of the mind that Victoria Schwab is just bloody brilliant. True, I enjoyed this novel just a smidgeon less than I did The Archived series, but even so, I loved Vicious in ways I never expected to. I often cringe when I read that a protagonist envisions themselves climbing into another person and becoming one with them, but dammit if I wouldn't just love to climb into Victoria's brain and live there, pick it apart and see how it works. Okay, that sounds a little creepy when I see it in writing, but you know what I mean.
This is an adult book that follows two young men with special abilities over the course of a decade. Victor and Eli were not born with these abilities. They were scientists, playing God and endangering their own lives in the process. These two best friends quickly become enemies when their experiments go awry, and the results are detailed in this book. But they are not the only humans with these "superpowers", which is what piqued their interest in the matter to begin with.
There are some characters you are supposed to connect with, others you are supposed to loathe, and then there are the characters that you dissect. Vicious is made up entirely of the latter. In this story, there is no good or evil, no black and white...only shades of grey. And there is definitely no shortage of morally ambiguous characters here. I expected this book to be full of men leaping buildings in a single bound or people who could stop a speeding car with the flat of their palm. And there are different people -- called ExtraOrdinaries, or EOs, for short -- with different abilities in this book, but the people and their gifts are far superior to any comic book characters you already know.
Schwab's writing is dark and brilliant and utterly fascinating. The plotting is so intricate and though some aspects are easy to guess, it's just so compelling watching as the story unfolds. Vicious aides the reader in putting the pieces together by traveling from present to past and back again through alternating chapters. The past to present dynamic, reminiscent of the method used in All Our Yesterdays, really changes how a story unfolds and how you meet certain characters and in what circumstances, and I find it entirely captivating.
This is not your average superhero book. It is about power, obsession, jealousy, and yes, supernatural abilities. But what I loved best was how this story explored the fine line between good and evil, right and wrong, and how easy it is to blur the two when one's motives are in question. I also just really enjoyed cheering for the antihero. I'll be reading The Near Witch soon and then I don't know what I'll do with myself besides cry rivers because I won't have another Victoria Schwab novel to read for ages. =(
GIF it to me straight:
This novel would make a spectacular movie!
About the author:
I am the product of a British mother, a Beverly Hills father, and a southern upbringing. Because of this, I have been known to say “tom-ah-toes”, “like”, and “y’all”. I also suffer from a wicked case of wanderlust, made worse by the fact that wandering is a good way to stir up stories. When I’m not haunting Paris streets or trudging up English hillsides, I’m usually tucked in the corner of a coffee shop, dreaming up monsters.
My first YA novel, THE NEAR WITCH, a dark original fairy tale, debuted with Disney*Hyperion in August 2011, and is now out in paperback.
My next YA novel, THE ARCHIVED, is the first book in a new supernatural series about a world where the dead are shelved like books, and it hits stores January 2013, also with Disney*Hyperion.
My first adult novel, VICIOUS, about two brilliant and highly disturbed pre-med students who set out to generate their own superpowers and end up mortal enemies, is out in hardcover from Tor September 2013.
I have more books coming out in 2014, but I’ll get to those later.
These days, when someone asks me what I do when I’m NOT writing, I just kind of laugh nervously. But in truth, on the odd occasion I’m not typing away, I’m probably baking cookies, or watching BBC shows, or wandering. (See how we came full circle, there?)
Title: Split Second Author: Kasie West Series: Pivot Point, book #2 Publisher: HarperTeen Publication Date: February 11, 2014 Source: borrowed ARC from Sara Purchase:Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Life can change in a split second.
Addie hardly recognizes her life since her parents divorced. Her boyfriend used her. Her best friend betrayed her. She can’t believe this is the future she chose. On top of that, her ability is acting up. She’s always been able to Search the future when presented with a choice. Now she can manipulate and slow down time, too . . . but not without a price.
When Addie’s dad invites her to spend her winter break with him, she jumps at the chance to escape into the Norm world of Dallas, Texas. There she meets the handsome and achingly familiar Trevor. He’s a virtual stranger to her, so why does her heart do a funny flip every time she sees him? But after witnessing secrets that were supposed to stay hidden, Trevor quickly seems more suspicious of Addie than interested in her. And she has an inexplicable desire to change that.
Meanwhile, her best friend, Laila, has a secret of her own: she can restore Addie’s memories . . . once she learns how. But there are powerful people who don’t want to see this happen. Desperate, Laila tries to manipulate Connor, a brooding bad boy from school—but he seems to be the only boy in the Compound immune to her charms. And the only one who can help her.
As Addie and Laila frantically attempt to retrieve the lost memories, Addie must piece together a world she thought she knew before she loses the love she nearly forgot . . . and a future that could change everything.
And Kasie West does it again. It's now guaranteed that I will purchase a copy of every book she writes, even if I've already read a review copy. It's my desire and my duty to support and promote such awesome authors. West just jam-packs her novels with imaginative storylines and humor and swoons and just everything that makes a book fun.
I loved diving into the world of the Compound, into the seedy underbelly of it, as it were. We get to experience more of their tech, their hierarchy, and what crossing them leads to. We also get to see more of life outside of the Compound and just how hard it is to keep it a secret from your average human. So, in essence, this sequel built upon everything I already loved in Pivot Point.
This time around, we don't get to experience two different paths Addie's life could take by way of the Search. Oh, she still uses her power -- when she remembers it! -- but it's in small doses as compared to what we saw in the first book. And her power has changed...it's evolved into something more, which was quite interesting to witness as Addie practiced it.
In this book, Addie is spending her winter break with her father in the Norm world, so to fill in the gaps with what's happening back at the Compound, we've got Laila's point-of-view. I wasn't sure how this would sit with me, considering her betrayal in the last book. Yes, I know she was coerced into it, but it still felt like betrayal, and I'm not the only one having a hard time coming back from that. Addie hasn't voiced her lack of trust in her best friend, but it's easy to see in what she doesn't say.
The Addie-Trevor thing is still there, even if neither understands why they feel such a connection since they can't remember how it was forged in the first place. Even if Trevor is starting to become suspicious of Addie, after witnessing a couple superhuman feats of speed. It's still just as sweet and adorable as it was in the first book, though. But now that we have Laila's perspective, we have another ship to cling to. Where Addie and Trevor are almost saccharine sweet, Laila and Connor are like Sour Patch Kids: first they're sour, then they're sweet. I loved how their relationship progressed, what they were willing to do for each other, what they learned about and from each other, how they made it work. I don't know if I'd call it a slow-burning kind of romance because I felt the intensity of their feelings almost immediately, and it wasn't entirely a hate-to-love type of romance either because of that. It was just perfect for the characters that they were. So, if you were afraid after the ending in Pivot Point that the sequel would be lacking in swoons, fret not. Kasie West wouldn't do us that way. =)
Also, lots of stuff happens. Like, stuff that even *I* didn't see coming, which is quite unusual indeed. And it all wraps up nicely. I'm a super-huge fan of duologies these days. Like, over-the-moon happy with this trend. Less waiting. More story but with less filler. Yep. Let's keep this duet-thing going, okay? That said, I'd still be okay with a third book in this series because I still have a ton of unanswered questions about Addie and this world.
If you liked Pivot Point, you're going to like Split Second, no doubt about it. If you haven't started this series yet, I highly recommend it. It's just fun. Good, good fun. It's got superpowers, football, swoons, and -- maybe not best of all, but I still highly treasure this fact -- it's set in Dallas where yours truly is from!
GIF it to me straight:
Yeah, I'm like crazy-person happy! Such a fun series!
About the author:
I write YA. I eat Junior Mints. Sometimes I go crazy and do both at the same time. My novels, published through Harper Teen are: PIVOT POINT, its sequel SPLIT SECOND (Feb 2014), and THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US (a contemporary novel). I also have two more contemporaries, ON THE FENCE coming out July 1, 2014, and THE FILL-IN BOYFRIEND coming out the summer of 2015. My agent is the talented and funny Michelle Wolfson.
Title: Ignite Me Author: Tahereh Mafi Narrator: Kate Simses Series: Shatter Me, book #3 Length: 9 hrs 50 mins Publisher: Harper Audio Publication Date: February 4, 2014 Source: purchased Purchase:Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible
The heart-stopping conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Shatter Me series, which Ransom Riggs, bestselling author of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, called "a thrilling, high-stakes saga of self-discovery and forbidden love".
Juliette now knows she may be the only one who can stop the Reestablishment. But to take them down, she'll need the help of the one person she never thought she could trust: Warner. And as they work together, Juliette will discover that everything she thought she knew-about Warner, her abilities, and even Adam-was wrong.
In Shatter Me, Tahereh Mafi created a captivating and original story that combined the best of dystopian and paranormal and was praised by Publishers Weekly as "a gripping read from an author who's not afraid to take risks." The sequel Unravel Me blew readers away with heart-racing twists and turns, and New York Times bestselling author Kami Garcia said it was "dangerous, sexy, romantic, and intense." Now this final book brings the series to a shocking and climactic end.
This would be a very difficult book to review without the use of spoilers, so I've separated my spoilery thoughts below for those who haven't read this book yet. Also, I have a feeling that this book will be very polarizing, that there are going to be a lot of unhappy fans but a lot of ecstatic ones, as well. I, for one, am very pleased with this final book in the Shatter Me series. Finally...a series finale that I can say that about!
First off, I still can't disassociate Kate Simses as the voice of Cassia in the Matched audiobook series. So, hearing her here as Juliette -- and in the previous books -- makes it hard to separate the two stories at times. Maybe that voice fit Juliette in the beginning, but she got to be quite fierce throughout the series, and with the innocent, child-like qualities of Simses voice, it was hard to vocalize the change in the character. I do love how she brought Kenji to life, though. I didn't get his appeal the first time I read Shatter Me, but after hearing his witty repartee, I found myself wishing for more of this character.
Second, I didn't read Adam's novella. I'd heard that it hinted at what's to come in Ignite Me, and I wanted to be surprised, I wanted to love this book as much as Unravel Me, so I refrained from picking up Fracture Me. Also, I'm just not an Adam fan. Haven't been from day one. Even in the first book, I found myself shipping Warner and Juliette...and that's when we knew little to nothing about Warner. Knowing what I know now, I would have pushed even harder for these two to end up together.
Despite that/in spite of that/because of that -- take your pick -- I found this ending really satisfying, which is kind of weird considering that it's pretty close to one of those endings that's all tied up in a pretty package with a bow and everything. I'm usually not a fan of those, but this ending wasn't entirely picture-perfect, so maybe that's why I find it so tolerable in this case. There were places in the story where the plot crawled at a snail's pace. The book was loaded with relationship melodrama. And the ending did feel a bit rushed. But I don't even care. This book was equal parts emotionally trying and rewarding, and I felt so relieved --triumphant? complacent? weightless? -- when it was over. And that's all I'm really asking for...when a series has to end, can't you just make me feel better about that fact?
Okay, now for all of the things I can't say without risk of totally spoiling things...
Oh, you poor Team Adam fans...you are not going to like who your boy becomes in this book, and I'm not just saying that because of what these changes result in. In Ignite Me, Adam becomes brooding -- though Kenji's always said he was moody as hell. He is selfish and hurtful and just plain not worthy of Juliette. Not anymore, if he ever was. I found the revelations Juliette has about their relationship to be refreshing. Aren't we all always saying that you rarely end up with your first love, that you both grow as people and fall out of love, making it hard to remain together in the end? That's exactly what happened with Adam and Juliette.
Some may say that Adam's transition to complete douche-nozzle is a complete 180 for this character, that they don't know him in this book, but considering I was never a fan of Adam's to begin with, I think I saw glimpses of this boy before. He's impulsive and somewhat irrational, and he's the son of Anderson. And just as there are shades of their father in Warner, there are in Adam, as well.
Warner and Juliette are were both kind of crazy-pants. They've both lived in isolation for most of their lives, never having a true friend or even anyone to really talk to. They may have had their differences in the beginning, but when the truth about Warner's real plans comes out, they realize they have a lot more in common than it seemed. And yet, they don't immediately fall into each other, despite what Adam may believe.
I kind of loathe that the romantic elements became the main focus of this trilogy, but at the same time, this is one of the few times that I've enjoyed a love triangle and applauded the way it worked itself out. This is how Boundless should have gone, even if it did piss off a lot of fans. People change, relationships mature, and sometimes they end. That's the way life goes.
I was a bit unhappy with the way Juliette projected her feelings onto Adam, though. It's one thing for her to admit that she is no longer in love with him, but it's another to assume that he feels the same way, especially when he's claimed no such thing. However, I did appreciate that she and Warner didn't try to parade whatever was happening between them around in front of Adam. He didn't deserve that, but also, nothing was happening for the longest, so there wasn't anything to parade around.
But when things did finally heat up, when Juliette was finally ready to admit her feelings...wowsers! Chapter 55. SO HOTT! That is all.
That isn't even half of what I want to say about this book, but it's enough for now. Feel free to get ranty or excited in the comments, just please remember that not everyone has read the book yet, so mark SPOILERS carefully.
GIF it to me straight:
SHATTER ME trivia: the eyes on the novella covers are closed bc they're not told from Juliette's POV, and she can't see what's happening.
— Tahereh Mafi (@TaherehMafi) October 31, 2013
About the author:
Tahereh Mafi is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the SHATTER ME series. She was born in a small city somewhere in Connecticut and currently resides in Santa Monica, California, where she drinks too much caffeine and finds the weather to be just a little too perfect for her taste.
When unable to find a book, she can be found reading candy wrappers, coupons, and old receipts. SHATTER ME is her first novel.
Foreign rights have sold in 25+ territories to-date and film rights have been optioned by 20th Century Fox.
Her work is represented by Jodi Reamer of Writers House, LLC.
I work with numbers by day, and I'm a mommy and avid reader by night. I'm a self-proclaimed Spreadsheet Queen, and I'll read anything you put in front of me. I seriously love all the books! And I adore audiobooks, too!
Monday, August 28, 2017
{Giveaway} WONDER WOMAN: WARBRINGER by Leigh Bardugo
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Series: DC Icons, book #1
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: August 29, 2017
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible
I just finished reading this last week, and I kind of love Leigh Bardugo's take on Diana's origin story. It's also got me very intrigued by the rest of the DC Icons' stories to come!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Wednesday, June 15, 2016
{WOW} THESE RUTHLESS DEEDS by Tarun Shanker & Kelly Zekas
"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...
's Pick:
Author: Tarun Shanker & Kelly Zekas
Series: These Vicious Masks, book #2
Publisher: Swoon Reads
Publication Date: March 14, 2017
These Vicious Masks was such a delightful discovery when I read it at the end of last year, and I couldn't wait to get my hands on the sequel, especially after that ending. But now I have to wait until next year?!? This feels like unnecessary torture! I mean, I'm happy to hear that Mr. Kent and Mr. Braddock are still very much in the picture, but I can't wait to see how all are faring with their newfound powers...
What are you desperately waiting for this Wednesday? Let us know in the comments or share a link to your own WoW post!
Friday, January 2, 2015
Review: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
Author: Victoria Aveyard
Series: Red Queen Trilogy, book #1
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: February 10, 2014
Source: received from publisher via Edelweiss
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Red Queen had the potential to be epic. And for some early readers, it seems to have been just that. But I think I let my excitement for this book get the better of me because the story I read just doesn't match up to other reader reactions...or my expectations.
I tried to ignore the comparisons to Graceling and The Selection before reading the book. I loved Graceling but I barely tolerated The Selection...though I did find it a compulsively readable series -- even if the story was banal and uninspired. And that's the same reason, I think, that I just didn't enjoy this novel as much as I'd hoped to. It's a mash-up of a lot of other stories I've enjoyed...and some that I haven't. It was slowslowslow to start. And the romance seems to be the focal point, despite the fact that the magical system and brewing revolution would have been much more captivating had they been more central to the story. Instead, they were background issues and were left mostly unexplored.
I found the special abilities that the Silvers were in possession of to be quite intriguing. Though they felt less like the graces the characters in Graceling had and more like powers developed through some genetic mutation, a la The X-Men, they gave the user an element (air, water, fire, etc.) to wield and use at their disposal...in fighting arenas where they were put on display before the lesser Reds to show how much mightier they were. The characters did practice with and demonstrate their gifts on occasion, including Mare, but not nearly enough for my liking. I wanted this to be an epic fantasy and the element that would have made it such was just lacking in development. Why do only Silvers have these abilities? Why does Mare, a Red, have them now? It's only the first book, but I still have so many questions, especially when it comes to the world-building.
I expect that the coming revolution between Reds and Silvers may be featured more prominently in future installments, if that ending is anything to go by, but I wanted to see more of it in this first book. It's been a bit since I read this novel, but I don't actually remember having the segregation of the Reds and Silvers explained, how the difference in blood and the magic, or lack thereof, came to pass. It's obvious that the Reds are unhappy and preparing to retaliate for their mistreatment all these years, but besides a few minor incidents, the only sign of a rebellion was the existence of the Scarlet Guard, and it seemed very, very small in comparison to the legions of soldiers under Silver control.
I think the aspect that killed this book for me was the romance, though. I like romance in the stories I read. In fact, I prefer there be at least a hint of it in most stories. But then there are those novels where the romance just overpowers the rest of the story, choking out anything good and interesting in order to heighten the drama. This is one of those books. And it wasn't just the fact that there's a love triangle involved -- though it's the kind I actually can't ignore, and I'm pretty tolerant when it comes to LTs -- or that it pitted two brothers against each other. It was the fact that if the MC had been smarter, had seen through the guise at the Silver court, there wouldn't have been a love triangle to begin with. Also, there's yet a third guy who's interested in Mare, and he would have been the guy I'd shipped her with in the beginning -- probably...maybe -- but now I just want his character arc to fizzle out and go away.
This story was just so full of drama for so much of the book. I was never in danger of not finishing it, though, because like The Selection, it was hard to look away from it. I mean, what is that? It's like hearing a song you hate but that's catchy regardless and ends up stuck in your head all day. Annoying, right? Honestly, Red Queen does get kind of exciting toward the end, even with an obvious reveal that I saw coming from a mile away, and ensured that I will have to pick up the next book, even if this one didn't blow me away. It wasn't horrible, but it also wasn't nearly as good as I expected.
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Review: The Young Elites by Marie Lu
Author: Marie Lu
Series: The Young Elites, book #1
Publisher: Putnam BFYR
Publication Date: October 7, 2014
Source: ARC from publisher
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
I've been anticipating The Young Elites for what feels like forever. I was not, however, anticipating just how dark this novel would be. I loved Marie Lu's LEGEND series and thought it was incredibly strong from start to finish. I sense that the same will be true for THE YOUNG ELITES series, as well.
The thing is, there's not a single character in this book who is well and truly good. Not one. They manipulate to their own ends. They scheme with ulterior motivations. I wouldn't trust any of them, and Adelina is right to keep everyone at arm's distance, even if it means she has to face her demons on her own. Adelina is not simply facing adversity at the hands of her captors or from her would-be allies...she's facing death because of who she is and what she can do...and what she now knows.
When she meets the members of the Dagger Society, she thinks she may have finally found kindred spirits. Adelina is broken and has been since she emerged from the blood fever that ravaged the city, killing many and leaving many more marked, including Adelina. As a malfetto, her life has not been easy, but it was made even less so by a father who only wanted to use her to his own ends. Making her situation worse still was the fact that her younger sister had not received any marking as a result of the fever and was therefore perfect in the eyes of their father and doted on as such.
I loved the sister dynamic in this book, most especially because it was so very reminiscent of the one in Cruel Beauty, another book I read and loved earlier this year. A hard, demanding father's expectations of his eldest daughter. His doting on the younger, more beautiful sister. Love, misplaced hatred, and jealousy that all lead to a broken bond...and all in the name of protecting one another. Adelina's memories paint quite the portrait of her relationship with Violetta, colored by her jealousy that she is marked and Violetta is perfect. But there are moments that show Adelina in a less harsh light. It's just a shame that the only one who seems able to keep Adelina from the darkness is her sister.
But others seek to fuel the darkness in Adelina, to harness the power that the darkness calls forth and use it for their own purposes. Adelina doesn't know who she can trust, only that she must do everything in her power to save her sister from the Inquisition. In doing so, she might risk the ultimate betrayal...and the only love she's ever known.
If you're anything like me, you saw one girl + two boys and immediately suspected that a love triangle was afoot. You'll quickly discover that, though the synopsis does lend itself to an air of triangularity, at least one of the potential love interests is otherwise engaged already. And I don't mean in the matrimonial sense, only that this character's affections are already spoken for. So, fear not, haters of love triangles...your ship will have smooth sailing...sort of. I enjoyed the romance that developed, for the most part, and when it was on, it was ON, but I still felt like something was missing. That could have something to do with the fact that I never fully connected with any of the characters, thanks to their continued evil-mindedness, though.
Also, I might lay some of the blame with all of those viewpoints. Adelina's is most prevalent, but from time to time, we are launched into Teren, Enzo and even Raffaele's perspectives and thoughts, though from a third-person point-of-view as opposed to Adelina's first person. I was intrigued to learn more about what was happening with the Daggers and at the Inquisition Tower, but I also felt that it pulled me away from feelings I could have developed toward Adelina's precarious situation, instead of thinking she was as bad as all the rest.
The ending of this novel is just as unsettling as the beginning and no less intense. I don't think it could've ended on a better note, albeit dark and dire as can be. It was soul-crushing but also elegant in its destruction. I don't know that I'd have wanted it any other way, even if it means that possibly even more disturbing things are coming as a result. I am just in awe of Marie Lu's ability to continually surprise me at every turn, to completely destroy what little heart I had left after her characters dashed it to pieces with their villainy. And I can't wait for her to do it again in the next book.
Marie Lu Prize Pack
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Saturday, February 22, 2014
Review: Vicious by V.E. Schwab
Author: V.E. Schwab (pen name for Victoria Schwab)
Series: n/a
Publisher: Tor
Publication Date: September 24, 2013
Source: purchased
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
So, I'm of the mind that Victoria Schwab is just bloody brilliant. True, I enjoyed this novel just a smidgeon less than I did The Archived series, but even so, I loved Vicious in ways I never expected to. I often cringe when I read that a protagonist envisions themselves climbing into another person and becoming one with them, but dammit if I wouldn't just love to climb into Victoria's brain and live there, pick it apart and see how it works. Okay, that sounds a little creepy when I see it in writing, but you know what I mean.
This is an adult book that follows two young men with special abilities over the course of a decade. Victor and Eli were not born with these abilities. They were scientists, playing God and endangering their own lives in the process. These two best friends quickly become enemies when their experiments go awry, and the results are detailed in this book. But they are not the only humans with these "superpowers", which is what piqued their interest in the matter to begin with.
There are some characters you are supposed to connect with, others you are supposed to loathe, and then there are the characters that you dissect. Vicious is made up entirely of the latter. In this story, there is no good or evil, no black and white...only shades of grey. And there is definitely no shortage of morally ambiguous characters here. I expected this book to be full of men leaping buildings in a single bound or people who could stop a speeding car with the flat of their palm. And there are different people -- called ExtraOrdinaries, or EOs, for short -- with different abilities in this book, but the people and their gifts are far superior to any comic book characters you already know.
Schwab's writing is dark and brilliant and utterly fascinating. The plotting is so intricate and though some aspects are easy to guess, it's just so compelling watching as the story unfolds. Vicious aides the reader in putting the pieces together by traveling from present to past and back again through alternating chapters. The past to present dynamic, reminiscent of the method used in All Our Yesterdays, really changes how a story unfolds and how you meet certain characters and in what circumstances, and I find it entirely captivating.
This is not your average superhero book. It is about power, obsession, jealousy, and yes, supernatural abilities. But what I loved best was how this story explored the fine line between good and evil, right and wrong, and how easy it is to blur the two when one's motives are in question. I also just really enjoyed cheering for the antihero. I'll be reading The Near Witch soon and then I don't know what I'll do with myself besides cry rivers because I won't have another Victoria Schwab novel to read for ages. =(
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Review: Split Second by Kasie West
Author: Kasie West
Series: Pivot Point, book #2
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: February 11, 2014
Source: borrowed ARC from Sara
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
And Kasie West does it again. It's now guaranteed that I will purchase a copy of every book she writes, even if I've already read a review copy. It's my desire and my duty to support and promote such awesome authors. West just jam-packs her novels with imaginative storylines and humor and swoons and just everything that makes a book fun.
I loved diving into the world of the Compound, into the seedy underbelly of it, as it were. We get to experience more of their tech, their hierarchy, and what crossing them leads to. We also get to see more of life outside of the Compound and just how hard it is to keep it a secret from your average human. So, in essence, this sequel built upon everything I already loved in Pivot Point.
This time around, we don't get to experience two different paths Addie's life could take by way of the Search. Oh, she still uses her power -- when she remembers it! -- but it's in small doses as compared to what we saw in the first book. And her power has changed...it's evolved into something more, which was quite interesting to witness as Addie practiced it.
In this book, Addie is spending her winter break with her father in the Norm world, so to fill in the gaps with what's happening back at the Compound, we've got Laila's point-of-view. I wasn't sure how this would sit with me, considering her betrayal in the last book. Yes, I know she was coerced into it, but it still felt like betrayal, and I'm not the only one having a hard time coming back from that. Addie hasn't voiced her lack of trust in her best friend, but it's easy to see in what she doesn't say.
Also, lots of stuff happens. Like, stuff that even *I* didn't see coming, which is quite unusual indeed. And it all wraps up nicely. I'm a super-huge fan of duologies these days. Like, over-the-moon happy with this trend. Less waiting. More story but with less filler. Yep. Let's keep this duet-thing going, okay? That said, I'd still be okay with a third book in this series because I still have a ton of unanswered questions about Addie and this world.
If you liked Pivot Point, you're going to like Split Second, no doubt about it. If you haven't started this series yet, I highly recommend it. It's just fun. Good, good fun. It's got superpowers, football, swoons, and -- maybe not best of all, but I still highly treasure this fact -- it's set in Dallas where yours truly is from!
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
{Audiobook} Review: Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Narrator: Kate Simses
Series: Shatter Me, book #3
Length: 9 hrs 50 mins
Publisher: Harper Audio
Publication Date: February 4, 2014
Source: purchased
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible
This would be a very difficult book to review without the use of spoilers, so I've separated my spoilery thoughts below for those who haven't read this book yet. Also, I have a feeling that this book will be very polarizing, that there are going to be a lot of unhappy fans but a lot of ecstatic ones, as well. I, for one, am very pleased with this final book in the Shatter Me series. Finally...a series finale that I can say that about!
First off, I still can't disassociate Kate Simses as the voice of Cassia in the Matched audiobook series. So, hearing her here as Juliette -- and in the previous books -- makes it hard to separate the two stories at times. Maybe that voice fit Juliette in the beginning, but she got to be quite fierce throughout the series, and with the innocent, child-like qualities of Simses voice, it was hard to vocalize the change in the character. I do love how she brought Kenji to life, though. I didn't get his appeal the first time I read Shatter Me, but after hearing his witty repartee, I found myself wishing for more of this character.
Second, I didn't read Adam's novella. I'd heard that it hinted at what's to come in Ignite Me, and I wanted to be surprised, I wanted to love this book as much as Unravel Me, so I refrained from picking up Fracture Me. Also, I'm just not an Adam fan. Haven't been from day one. Even in the first book, I found myself shipping Warner and Juliette...and that's when we knew little to nothing about Warner. Knowing what I know now, I would have pushed even harder for these two to end up together.
Despite that/in spite of that/because of that -- take your pick -- I found this ending really satisfying, which is kind of weird considering that it's pretty close to one of those endings that's all tied up in a pretty package with a bow and everything. I'm usually not a fan of those, but this ending wasn't entirely picture-perfect, so maybe that's why I find it so tolerable in this case. There were places in the story where the plot crawled at a snail's pace. The book was loaded with relationship melodrama. And the ending did feel a bit rushed. But I don't even care. This book was equal parts emotionally trying and rewarding, and I felt so relieved --triumphant? complacent? weightless? -- when it was over. And that's all I'm really asking for...when a series has to end, can't you just make me feel better about that fact?
Okay, now for all of the things I can't say without
risk oftotally spoiling things...Some may say that Adam's transition to complete douche-nozzle is a complete 180 for this character, that they don't know him in this book, but considering I was never a fan of Adam's to begin with, I think I saw glimpses of this boy before. He's impulsive and somewhat irrational, and he's the son of Anderson. And just as there are shades of their father in Warner, there are in Adam, as well.
Warner and Juliette
arewere both kind of crazy-pants. They've both lived in isolation for most of their lives, never having a true friend or even anyone to really talk to. They may have had their differences in the beginning, but when the truth about Warner's real plans comes out, they realize they have a lot more in common than it seemed. And yet, they don't immediately fall into each other, despite what Adam may believe.I kind of loathe that the romantic elements became the main focus of this trilogy, but at the same time, this is one of the few times that I've enjoyed a love triangle and applauded the way it worked itself out. This is how Boundless should have gone, even if it did piss off a lot of fans. People change, relationships mature, and sometimes they end. That's the way life goes.
I was a bit unhappy with the way Juliette projected her feelings onto Adam, though. It's one thing for her to admit that she is no longer in love with him, but it's another to assume that he feels the same way, especially when he's claimed no such thing. However, I did appreciate that she and Warner didn't try to parade whatever was happening between them around in front of Adam. He didn't deserve that, but also, nothing was happening for the longest, so there wasn't anything to parade around.
But when things did finally heat up, when Juliette was finally ready to admit her feelings...wowsers! Chapter 55. SO HOTT! That is all.
That isn't even half of what I want to say about this book, but it's enough for now. Feel free to get ranty or excited in the comments, just please remember that not everyone has read the book yet, so mark SPOILERS carefully.
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starryeyedjen
- I work with numbers by day, and I'm a mommy and avid reader by night. I'm a self-proclaimed Spreadsheet Queen, and I'll read anything you put in front of me. I seriously love all the books! And I adore audiobooks, too!
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