ARC Review: Ariadnis by Josh Martin

Ariadnis by Josh Martin

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Publisher: Hachette, Feb 2017

My Rating: 

Synopsis: Joomia and Aula are Chosen. They will never be normal. They can never be free.

On the last island on Erthe, Chosen Ones are destined to enter Ariadnis on the day they turn eighteen. There, they must undertake a mysterious and deadly challenge. For Joomia and Aula, this means competing against each other, to end the war that has seethed between their cities for nine generations.

As the day draws nearer, all thoughts are on the trial ahead. There’s no space for friendship. No time for love. However much the girls might crave them.

But how you prepare for a task you know nothing certain about? Nothing, except that you must win, at whatever cost, or lose everything.

This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. It has not affected my opinion of the book in any way.

So, Ariadnis. I was lucky enough to get my hands on a copy of this book from the lovely Books With Bite once again, and I was really excited to read it; the book even came with little cards depicting the characters.

However, Ariadnis fell short of expectations for me. Let me just say, this book mainly got three stars because the imagination behind it was excellent. The story and setting were fresh, and there was a lot of diversity too. I really applaud the author for not regurgitating the same old YA Fantasy story.

Yet, for me, it fell short in other areas. Mainly: writing, pacing, world-building and characterisation. And yes, I am contradicting myself by saying it fell short in world-building. So, let’s start there.

The story is set on a magical island where huge trees grow beneath a cliff face, housing the city of Metis, and huge trees also grow atop the cliff, home to the city of Athenas. The setting was really imaginative, but I just could not get my head round the concept; I really struggled to picture this cliff face and the trees so massive they could hold up cities. And I’m not talking about a big forest, I mean nine trees per city. And you can also travel down or up through the cliff to get to each city. And in the cliff is a magical place called Ariadnis. And the city on top of the cliff, Athenas, has hollowed out its trees, filled them with machines, encased the trunks in metal, and built their city atop huge dinner plates on the trees. My brain just could not wrap itself around the entire concept; it was almost too imaginative.

So, not only was I totally mind-boggled from the get go, the characters then start mentioning a place called ‘Erthe’ that was destroyed by big waves and a comet. ‘Okay cool,’ I thought, ‘so it’s like a different world just named similarly to ours.’ But then one of the characters mentions Hindi and India and suddenly I’m confused all over again. It’s our Earth, but there’s magic. Normally, this is a pretty normal concept  in Fantasy, mainly magical realism, but where did the magic come from? It hadn’t been there before, so why does suddenly everyone on this island have the ability to wield magic when no one alive in modern times could?

I was entirely confused, once again. I’m not a huge Fantasy reader; I like it, but I’m quite picky about what Fantasy I read. So, maybe a big Fantasy lover would be able to wrap their head around this world-building better. After all, I seem to be in the minority with these opinions compared to other reviewers.

Now, onto the writing and pacing. The writing was okay at the beginning – nothing special, but also nothing awful. However, I felt it began to unravel as the book progressed. The story is told in alternating POVs between the main characters Aula and Joomia in their respective cities. At first, their voices and story lines were easy to differentiate. However, when they eventually met up, I began to feel lost, especially because the POV would switch multiple times in a chapter. I would think I’m reading from Joomia’s perspective and then confuse myself, backtrack, and see actually it was Aula talking. I thought it would be easy to differentiate them as Aula is headstrong and uses ‘en’t’ all the time instead of ‘isn’t’, and Joomia is quiet and can only communicate via telepathy, shown in bold lettering, but I did end up becoming confused (again).

Really, what I think this book was lacking was precision. The ideas were great, but they needed a lot of skill to be pulled off correctly, and I felt that skill was lacking. It is a debut, so the second book may vastly improve, but it just felt too big and in need of more control.

The same goes for the pacing. The entire middle portion of the book sagged, which can often happen after the excitement of the inciting incident dies down and the climax is currently out of sight. Yet, oddly, things were happening, but it just didn’t feel like it. There were twists and a bit of action, but it all lacked a punch. I think this was also down to the writing; it wasn’t exciting enough. I don’t think it fell prey to telling instead of showing, but rather it just skipped over the action. Fight scenes were cut down to a couple of short paragraphs. Emotional scenes only took up half a page. I think it focused on the wrong details, and as such there was no suspense or tension.

In addition, as I didn’t really connect with the characters, any attempts at tension didn’t make me that nervous. The characters were clear-cut – I knew who was who – but for some reason they just didn’t excite me.

Also, one thing that did annoy me a bit was that everyone was horny all the time. Like all the time, at totally inappropriate moments. Someone would die and Aula or Joomia would be sad for five seconds before lusting over another character. It was like instalove but instead it was instahorny.

So, that concludes my main comments. I think Ariadnis was a great idea, but it lacked finesse and just wasn’t for me. Others might enjoy it, and certainly on Goodreads and Amazon there are a lot of glowing reviews, but if you’re not a big Fantasy fan, it may not be for you.

Have you read Ariadnis? Did you enjoy it? Do you want to read it? Let me know in the comments below!

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Stacking the Shelves | Sci-Fi with a Sprinkle of Fantasy

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme from Tynga’s Reviews where you showcase the books you’ve received or purchased.

I’ve been on a bit of a book-buying ban since Christmas, mainly because I’m struggling to find the time to read since I started full-time work. However, now that I’m settling into the world of work a bit better, I’ve treated myself to a few more books.

So, first up, we have the much-talked about Caraval, that my friend Vicky @ Hung Up On Books kindly gave to me as she had two copies.

I’m really excited to read Caraval. A small part of me is worried it may be over-hyped, yet I’ve seen nothing but good reviews.

Remember, it’s only a game…

Scarlett Dragna has never left the tiny island where she and her sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval—the faraway, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show—are over.

But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt-of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.

Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. Nevertheless she becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic. And whether Caraval is real or not, Scarlett must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over or a dangerous domino effect of consequences will be set off, and her beloved sister will disappear forever.

Welcome, welcome to Caraval…beware of getting swept too far away.

Goodreads

Next up, I’ve finally caved and bought The Maze Runner series. I really enjoyed the first film adaptation; it had great acting (Dylan O’Brien is A+++) and pretty good cinematography. The second film wasn’t quite as good but still entertaining, and I heard it deviated a lot from the book, so I’m keen to find out what really happened. Also, these books get quite mixed reviews. I think the premise is so interesting, but whether the writing and characterisation lives up to it, I’ll just have to wait and see. (Please excuse the blurry photo, it didn’t look blurry on my camera screen).

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his name. He’s surrounded by strangers—boys whose memories are also gone.

Outside the towering stone walls that surround the Glade is a limitless, ever-changing maze. It’s the only way out—and no one’s ever made it through alive.

Then a girl arrives. The first girl ever. And the message she delivers is terrifying.

Remember. Survive. Run.

Goodreads

Lastly, I got The Sign of One by Eugene Lambert. I’ve heard good things about this dystopian series and have been wanting to get my hands on a copy for a while.

ONE FOR SORROW, TWO MEANS DEATH.

In the Barrenlands of Wrath, no one dies of old age. Kyle is used to its harsh laws, but the cold-blooded separation of identical twins and execution of the ‘evil twists’ at the Annual Peace Fair shocks him.

When Kyle himself is betrayed, he flees for his life with the reluctant help of Sky, a rebel pilot with a hidden agenda. As the hunt intensifies, Kyle soon realises that he is no ordinary runaway, although he has no idea why. Fighting to learn the hideous truth, their reluctant, conflicted partnership will either save them – or kill them.

Goodreads

Have you read any of these books? What did you think? Do you want to read them? Let me know in the comments below!

 

Review: An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

Genre: Fantasy / Young Adult

Publisher: Harper Voyager, 2016

My Rating: 

Synopsis: Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death.

When Laia’s grandparents are brutally murdered and her brother arrested for treason by the empire, the only people she has left to turn to are the rebels.

But in exchange for their help in saving her brother, they demand that Laia spy on the ruthless Commandant of Blackcliff, the Empire’s greatest military academy. Should she fail it’s more than her brother’s freedom at risk . . . Laia’s very life is at stake.

There, she meets Elias, the academy’s finest soldier. But Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined – and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.

I had heard so many good things about An Ember in the Ashes, and seen so much hype for A Torch Against the Night, that I couldn’t resist getting my hands on a copy. Fortunately, I wasn’t disappointed, however, there were a few flaws I’d like to address in this review. So buckle up, as I have a lot to discuss.

But let’s start with the good. Mainly, what I loved about it was how entertaining it was. The blurb doesn’t begin to scratch the surface of the number of sub-plots that are weaved within the main arc of the story. The plot was complex and fleshed-out well and, whilst there were some things that grated on me, I was never not entertained or invested.

This especially includes the beginning. It was a fast-paced, action-packed opening that set up the story well. Whilst the action meant there was a fair bit of telling not showing when it came to the world-building and characters, I was still hooked.

Almost immediately, I found myself drawn to Elias’ chapters first. The story is told in alternating points of view from Laia, a Scholar hoping to free her captured brother, and Elias, a Martial trained to be a deadly fighter who wants nothing more than to abandon his post. I preferred Elias’ chapters to Laia’s and found him to be more engaging both in his personality and his situation. He was confident and passionate, but also struggling with his morality. As a result, he was much more enjoyable to learn about and had a stronger voice than Laia. I think I can definitely add him to my list of favourite characters.

However, Laia did display some good character development. When we first meet her, she is a meek and fearful girl. As the story progresses, she begins to find the strength she needs, although slowly. And whilst I really did enjoy having a heroine who wasn’t all badass and could kill a man with one well-time punch, Laia’s constant reminders to the reader of how weak she is did start to grate. Okay Laia, we know you’re a bit of a wet fish, we don’t need reminding; just get on with it.

Nevertheless, whilst Laia wasn’t your generic badass YA heroine, she did fall prey to another trope: the heroine who doesn’t notice just how beautiful she is and how all the men want her despite a number of blokes vying for her affections and everyone constantly telling her how pretty she is. I think I actually prefer the tough girl heroine to the ‘beautiful but doesn’t know it’ heroine.

And this leads on to probably my main issue. Rape is mentioned a lot in the book. Now, I wouldn’t usually mind that, except for the fact that rape was talked about constantly in a casual manner. This is partly where the book falls prey to telling not showing again, as we are often told of how the Martials rape Scholar slaves but never actually see anything. I know that this is a YA book and so scenes of rape may be deemed too distressing, but there are a few almost-rape scenes. However, they only really involve Laia. She is constantly threatened with rape because she’s just so beautiful and the Martial men will simply have to have her. Yet nothing truly happens. Except for the one time where it is about to be attempted by one of the antagonists, only for the hero to swoop in and save her and not actually add anything to the plot. And then when the suggestion of rape is used to stop an antagonist discovering Laia’s real whereabouts. It just felt like a plot device really and it was only ever an excuse for the hero to save the damsel in distress, or as a scapegoat, or to emphasise Laia’s beauty. I know that this is a brutal world, but I believe the display of brutality could have been handled better.

So yes, my main problems really lay around Laia’s characterisation and the flippancy with which rape was threatened. I’ve seen this mentioned in a few other reviews, but mainly it hasn’t been picked up on.

Nevertheless, like I said, I still really enjoyed the story. I loved Elias and greatly enjoyed many of the other characters.

Helene is a character who seems to either be loved or hated by readers. Personally, I neither loved nor hated her. I really liked her, but it was more her complexities that interested me. She really was the most complex character in the book and I applaud Tahir for her excellent writing of Helene. I never quite knew what Helene was going to do in any given situation (but not in a bad way) and, as a result, I looked forward to any scene she would be in. Her relationship with Elias was gripping and there was one scene in particular that I thought was really well written:

*SPOILER ALERT* 

 

 

When she confesses her love to Elias. That was a great scene and had me on the edge of my seat.

 

 

*SPOILER OVER*

I thought the romances (yes, plural) were kind of up and down in how I favoured them. There were a couple that didn’t interest me, including the main one that we’re obviously supposed to be rooting for, and then there’s one I definitely root for, but I won’t say which as I don’t want to spoil it. However, none of them were instalove! 

As for the antagonists, whilst I could take or leave Marcus, I thought the Commandant, Keris, was brutal. Cold, calculating, sadistic, she was an excellent villain, but she still had the complexity that the villain needs, the idea that there was once some good in her but circumstances snuffed it out. Whenever she was around, I worried for the safety of the characters.

Keenan was a secondary character that I thought was fine. Interesting enough and I felt a little sorry for him towards the end. Izzy I also liked, for the sense of purpose she found and her determination.

The writing was also fine. It wasn’t the best I’ve ever read and I didn’t really read any lines thinking ‘wow’, but it kept the pace moving well and did its job. However, one small problem I had was that the language sometimes sounded much too modern and American. When I first read the word ‘jackass’, it really threw me as I wasn’t expecting such an Americanism in a Fantasy setting. And yes, whilst it is Fantasy and not a real world, ‘jackass’ is such an American word and not really used anywhere else in the world that it felt quite jarring.

Which I suppose leads me onto the world-building. I really liked the setting overall and thought it was unique, especially with the Roman inspirations. However, I think it did need more fleshing-out. I’m still unsure as to what the Scholar race are really like. At first I was imagining them as being inspired by a South Asian or Middle Eastern setting, due to Laia’s dark hair and golden eyes, but then the constant references to the Scholar’s thirst for knowledge and philosophy made me think that maybe there were Ancient Greek influences, which would go along with the Roman theme. I was just really quite unsure as to what the Scholars were like and right now I can’t think of any way to describe their culture except for their desire to read and write and learn. I’m hoping that the world-building around the Scholars will be improved upon in the sequel.

So after nit-picking a lot of things, you’d probably think I’d give less than 4 stars. But all in all, I really did enjoy it. I loved Elias, really liked Helene, and I was totally caught up in the story itself. So, whilst there were a few faults, the fact that I enjoyed it so much is why I’ve given it 4 stars.

Overall, Tahir has crafted a good, complex story with a few standout characters, and I look forward to getting my hands on the sequel.

Have you read An Ember in the Ashes? Did you enjoy it? Or do you want to read it? Let me know in the comments below!

 

My Top 5 YA Books From My Early Teens

Recently, I’ve been redecorating my room, and in the process I’ve found a lot of old books. Books I read and re-read numerous times in my early teens, when ‘YA’  wasn’t quite yet the booming market that it is today.

The books I loved in my early teens, from about 12-15, seem to have been forgotten about as YA became such a ‘big thing’ and new books flooded the market. The only few books from the 90s and early 00s that seem to have hung on have been Harry Potter and The Confessions of Georgia Nicolson. So, I’m here to showcase some of my favourite YA books from my early teens, and why they shouldn’t just be swept under the carpet.

It’s ten years since the terrible war in the cities that took Kat and Tanka’s parents. A new life in the New Frontier beckons them, far from bullet holes and bomb craters. New Frontier people are building a fresh, liberal society, without the genetic classification and discrimination that led to the war. Kat and Tanka have a beautiful new home, Cherry Heaven, and everything promises them peace and happiness. But Cherry Heaven carries haunting marks of the past, bubbling to the surface in mysterious and frightening ways. 

Cherry Heaven came out whilst I was halfway through Year 8, so when I was almost 13. I didn’t know it at the time, but it was actually the second in a series. However, it read like a standalone and I never really felt confused.

I think I probably picked this one up because I liked the cover, but I’m fairly certain it might just have kick-started my love for all things dystopian. It was a really gripping and exciting read, with complex yet mysterious world-building. I’m not sure why I’ve never picked up the first book or the sequels – maybe because I was young and not too bothered about reading things in order or finishing series – but perhaps that’s something I’ll do now I’m older and at least a little more organised.

For fans of: dystopian thrillers.

Jessica Allendon is bored and Googles her name. Weirdly, she finds another girl, same age, same name, also living in London. They arrange to meet. At the designated time and place, Jess sees the girl, shock registering on both their faces as they realise they look identical. They shake hands and in that instant are catapulted into each other’s worlds. Jessica finds herself somewhere which looks like the London of 50 years ago, but the year is still 2008. In this parallel London, the history is different, key war memorials are missing, and the Jessica whose life she now inhabits was involved in a dark and sinister conspiracy. Jess must convince everyone she is the same girl, at all costs, if she wants to get back to her London – alive.

This is another published in February 2008, and I kept re-reading this all the way until I was 16, I enjoyed it that much. I suppose this is another dystopian-ish YA novel but, just like Cherry Heaven, it’s also a great thriller with some interesting and funny characters.

I can actually still remember much of this book and can still envisage particular scenes, which goes to show how much I enjoyed this one because I can’t even remember what I read two years ago.

For fans of: alternate history thrillers and a witty protagonist.

Sixteen-year-old Gemma has had an unconventional upbringing in India, until the day she foresees her mother’s death in a black, swirling vision that turns out to be true.

Sent back to England, she is enrolled at Spence, a girls’ academy with a mysterious burned-out East Wing. There Gemma is snubbed by powerful Felicity, beautiful Pippa, and even her own dumpy roommate Ann, until she blackmails herself and Ann into the treacherous clique. Gemma is distressed to find that she has been followed from India by Kartik, a beautiful young man who warns her to fight off the visions.

Nevertheless, they continue, and one night she is led by a child-spirit to find a diary that reveals the secrets of a mystical Order. The clique soon finds a way to accompany Gemma to the other-world realms of her visions “for a bit of fun” and to taste the power they will never have as Victorian wives, but they discover that the delights of the realms are overwhelmed by a menace they cannot control. Gemma is left with the knowledge that her role as the link between worlds leaves her with a mission to seek out the “others” and rebuild the Order.

To say I worshipped this series would be an understatement.

My dad actually chose the first book in this series for me. For someone who doesn’t read fiction, he’s strangely good at choosing books.

I can still partly remember the last page of the final book, The Sweet Far Thing, because it was so bittersweet and profound. Not only does this series have great writing, but it has intriguing characters, magical realism and a great romance. Also, this is probably the only book/series on my list that I still see mentioned today in the bookish community.

For fans of: historical fantasy and romance.

The days between Christmas and New Year’s Eve are dead days, when spirits roam and magic shifts restlessly just beneath the surface of our lives.

A magician called Valerian must save his own life within those few days or pay the price for the pact he made with evil so many years ago. But alchemy and sorcery are no match against the demonic power pursuing him. Helping him is his servant, Boy, a child with no name and no past. The quick-witted orphan girl, Willow, is with them as they dig in death fields at midnight, and as they are swept into the sprawling blackness of a subterranean city on a journey from which there is no escape.

I was a big fan of Marcus Sedgwick when I was younger. In fact, practically my whole family was. Me, my mum and my sister all read the Book of Dead Days series. I liked to try and read the same things as my mum and sister when I was younger, which is how I found out about my favourite YA series, Garth Nix’s Old Kingdom series, when I overheard my mum and sister chatting about it and wanted to be involved. The same happened for The Book of Dead Days and Sedgwick quickly became one of my go-to authors in my early teens.

This duology is quite sinister and dark for a YA series, but it’s one reason why I loved it. Not to mention the covers were made of this mottled kind of card and so they even felt creepy. Also, an honorary mention to one of Sedgwick’s other novels, My Swordhand is Singing, for being extremely creepy and helping to kickstart by zombie obsession.

For fans of: creepy historical horror and dark magic.

Ever since she was child, Jem has kept a secret: Whenever she meets someone new, no matter who, as soon as she looks into their eyes, a number pops into her head. That number is a date: the date they will die. Burdened with such awful awareness, Jem avoids relationships.

Until she meets Spider, another outsider, and takes a chance. The two plan a trip to the city. But while waiting to ride the Eye ferris wheel, Jem is terrified to see that all the other tourists in line flash the same number. Today’s number. Today’s date. Terrorists are going to attack London. Jem’s world is about to explode!

Even just thinking about this series gets me pumped up. This trilogy was action-packed and didn’t pull punches. Plus it had POC and biracial main characters, discussed issues like teen pregnancy and drugs, and looked at how the British government can fail young people from poorer areas. Not to mention it featured superpowers, of course.

For fans of: dystopian thrillers (again. Maybe my dystopian obsession did start earlier than I thought) and gritty, raw characters.

Have you read any of these books? What did you think of them? What books did you enjoy when you were younger? Let me know in the comments below!

 

Review: A Darker Shade of Magic (Shades of Magic #1) by V.E. Schwab

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

Genre: Fantasy / Young Adult

Publisher: Titan Books, 2015

My Rating: 

Synopsis: Most people only know one London; but what if there were several? Kell is one of the last Travelers magicians with a rare ability to travel between parallel Londons. There is Grey London, dirty and crowded and without magic, home to the mad king George III. There is Red London, where life and magic are revered. Then, White London, ruled by whoever has murdered their way to the throne. But once upon a time, there was Black London…

 

My Review

I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of parallel universes, or the multiple worlds theory, so what better than to read a book about four parallel magical London’s? I had heard so many great things about this series, and about V.E. Schwab in general, and as a result I was keen to give A Darker Shade of Magic a go.

So, after about two months of promising to read and review it, I have finally completed it. And I loved it!

I was hooked right from the beginning, mainly because V.E. Schwab’s writing style is great. It’s detailed, yet doesn’t overload you, keeps the story moving and has a great balance between action and the character’s thoughts. Yet the real winner here is the world-building. It’s fantastic. London is such a vibrant landmark, full of history and a mix of cultures. It’s the perfect city for magical alternate realities. Probably the only other city that could pull this off would be Paris, but London is the true winner.

I loved the clear differences in the London’s. The dingy mysterious London of the 1800s that we all know and love. Vivid, floral Red London. Dangerous and bleak White London. And then Black London, consumed by magic. I have to say, probably White London interested me the most because it was so creepy, along with the stories surrounding Black London, but Red London was also pretty interesting in its own right; it just didn’t have that scary-factor that I love. The four cities were definitely the highlight of the book and I loved learning more about them. I can’t wait to dive back in again whenever I get to the sequel.

Now, what about the other stuff? Characters and plot?

Well, I did like the characters, but they didn’t entirely capture me like others have. They were just fine. I have no complaints. I would have perhaps liked a little more development around Holland’s character, however, as he was interesting but I didn’t totally understand him or his motives. The same goes for Lila. I felt that her character arc needed to be fleshed out a bit more. She went from being all “I don’t care about anyone but me” to “I’ll risk my life to save Kell”. I knew that was the logical progression for her, but I never really saw the gradual change as it was a bit too sudden.

Kell, Rhy and the Dane twins were probably my favourite characters. Kell felt the most rounded, with lots of different sides to him. I couldn’t quite put my finger on who he really was, but not in a bad way; he just had a mystery about him. Rhy was witty, flirtatious and fiercely protective, and I’m interested to see how prominent a role he plays in the next two books. As for the Dane twins, they were interesting villains. Brother and sister twins is a trope I like in books, especially if they’re a bit evil, and Astrid and Athos definitely fulfilled that. Their mixture of strength and hunger was captivating.

However, I did have a few issues with the book, hence why I dropped a star in the rating. First off, the language was so inauthentic for the 1800s. No one in London in that time would use words like “okay” or “sure”. The words and the sentence structures of the dialogue were just too modern and American and it could be quite jarring. I don’t think you need to make your dialogue 100% authentic for the time period, as I know that can be a difficult task, but it seemed a bit like Schwab hadn’t even tried. Also, I can get behind the idea that maybe in Red or White London people might use “okay” because we don’t entirely know what time periods they’re supposed to be set in, but Lila Bard would definitely not be using those words or sentence structures, being from pre-Victorian London.

If you want to see a good example of just how people spoke in those times, then check out this clip from Ripper Street. The dialogue is very authentic and the script writers did a lot of research to make it so. Plus, Ripper Street is set in the 1880s-1890s, later than A Darker Shade of Magic in Grey London, and the way people spoke was still very wordy and formal.

As for the plot, whilst it was mostly sound and very captivating, it did have its issues. Firstly, I didn’t like the book being split up into sections of about four-five chapters each. That was something else that felt jarring to me and was unnecessary as the next section would pick up where the first one left off; there was no jump in time to warrant it.

Secondly, this isn’t really a spoiler but if you don’t want to know anything that happens, then skip this section: but there was a big inconsistency with a spell used. When Kell and Lila become intangible at one point, they’re described as being unable to even touch each other. Yet a few paragraphs later, they’re described as holding onto one another as they walk the streets. Also, Lila can’t pick up an apple, her hand going straight through it, but can hold a pocket watch. I thought the inconsistencies here would be glaringly obvious to author, agent, editor or proofreader. It’s just a small thing at the end of the day because it didn’t really ruin my enjoyment, but it’s quite an obvious and slightly annoying mistake.

So, those reasons are why I dropped a star from my rating. Without them, it would have been a 5 star read for me, and overall I did really enjoy it. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next, especially because this book felt like it could have happily been a standalone, so I’m intrigued to see how Schwab carries it on without the next couple of books feeling a little unnecessary. But all in all, I really liked it. Excellent world-building, interesting enough characters and smooth writing.

Have you read A Darker Shade of Magic? Did you like it? Dislike it? Do you agree or disagree with any of my points? Have you read and enjoyed any of V.E. Schwab’s other books? Let me know in the comments below!

 

ARC Review: Gilded Cage by Vic James

Gilded Cage by Vic James

Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy / Dystopian

Publisher: Pan Macmillan

My Rating: 

Synopsis: Our world belongs to the Equals — aristocrats with magical gifts — and all commoners must serve them for ten years. But behind the gates of England’s grandest estate lies a power that could break the world.

A girl thirsts for love and knowledge.

Abi is a servant to England’s most powerful family, but her spirit is free. So when she falls for one of the noble-born sons, Abi faces a terrible choice. Uncovering the family’s secrets might win her liberty, but will her heart pay the price?

A boy dreams of revolution.

Abi’s brother, Luke, is enslaved in a brutal factory town. Far from his family and cruelly oppressed, he makes friends whose ideals could cost him everything. Now Luke has discovered there may be a power even greater than magic: revolution.

And an aristocrat will remake the world with his dark gifts.

He is a shadow in the glittering world of the Equals, with mysterious powers no one else understands. But will he liberate—or destroy?

This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. It has not affected my opinion of the book in any way.

It’s taken me nearly three weeks to read Gilded Cage. However, that isn’t because I didn’t enjoy it. On the contrary, I loved it, but life just kept getting in the way! This isn’t a book that’s easy to put down, yet I will say that if you do have to put it down for a few days, it’s not difficult to get back into the story and reorient yourself.

That’s all down to the fact that this book is seamlessly written, with an intriguing, fresh plot, a richly woven world, and complex characters. I’d heard great things about Gilded Cage before I started, so I was eager to begin. I definitely wasn’t disappointed.

Let’s start with the plot. In an alternative universe where some members of the population possess the power of magic, these people with ‘Skill’ have mostly ascended to the higher ranks of society. In some parts of the world, they’re shunned, but in Europe they rule over the Skilless masses as a magical elite. The Skilless must serve the elite, known as ‘Equals’, for ten years as slaves.

The story is written from the third person POV of a number of characters, each chapter focussing on a different one, and this gave a great feel for the world, allowing us to see this society from different perspectives, as well as learning more about the motivations of the main characters.

Mostly, the chapters centre on Abi and Luke Hadley, brother and sister. The Hadley family have all signed up to get their slavedays over and done with together. However, the family find themselves split up, with Luke carted off to the slave town of Millmoor, a large, almost Victorian slum-like industrial complex, and the rest of the family – Abi, little sister Daisy, and Mum and Dad – are sent to work for the most powerful Equal family in the country – the Parva-Jardine’s.

I found the chapters in the two locations of Millmoor and Kyneston (the Jardine estate) equally interesting, although perhaps Kyneston piqued my interest a little more. However, the two settings provide a great contrast and really set two different tones. You have the dirty Millmoor, with rumblings of rebellion, and the picturesque Kyneston, where everything isn’t quite as perfect as it seems.

I liked both Abi and Luke as the two most central characters, but I really did enjoy the entire cast as a whole. It’s quite a large cast of characters, all complex and clearly drawn. There are no characters that feel like stereotypes, or like the author just has a check list of stock characters she’s ticking her way through. Instead, even a character such as Bouda Matravers, engaged to Gavar Jardine (Heir to the Jardine estate), could easily have fallen prey to the ‘bitchy girl’ stock character, but she didn’t. Whilst she certainly was bitchy, she had much more depth to her. She was motivated, headstrong and very intelligent. I really enjoyed the couple of chapters from her perspective as, even though I didn’t particularly like her, I admired her ambition.

My favourite characters as a whole though, I would say, are the three Jardine brothers: Gavar, Jenner and Silyen. I liked the complexities of Gavar’s character; initially, he just seems very brutish, when in reality there’s much more to him and he does have a soft side. Silyen, however, was my favourite. The youngest brother, Silyen possesses the most Skill. He’s dark, mysterious and very cunning. Not always likeable, I’ll admit, but I was hanging on his every word and looked forward to scenes involving him. He was definitely one of the best characters I’ve read about this year.

In terms of the writing, I enjoyed the style. It was fresh and didn’t seem like Vic James was trying to emulate any other author. It was often detailed, yet not boring. However, my one small gripe with this novel, though not big enough to affect the rating, is that some events were kind of glossed over. We’d learn about them in passing rather than get to see them. There were a few times where I was a little disappointed I wasn’t privy to this conversation or that event, and would have liked them to be included. However, it may have been that there was a strict word count that Vic James needed to adhere to; YA books aren’t often allowed to be quite long.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Gilded Cage. This is definitely one of my favourite YA books of the year and I’m really excited to continue with the series, especially because of the climactic ending that, thankfully, didn’t fall flat, and the character of Silyen. Also, as you can see from the blurb, there is a romance, but it didn’t overpower the plot. If, like me, you’re sick of insta-love and cringe-worthy ‘swooning’, you’ll be glad to know that there’s none of that here.

So, if you’re looking for a new YA series to sink your teeth into, especially an interesting, unique dystopian filled with magical realism, then I highly recommend this series. You seriously don’t want to miss out.

Gilded Cage will be released 1st Dec in e-book format, with the paperback out 26th Jan.

Have you read an ARC of Gilded Cage? Are you excited for the release? Let me know in the comments below!

Review: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Genre: Fantasy / Young Adult

Publisher: Indigo

My Rating: 

Synopsis: Criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker has been offered wealth beyond his wildest dreams. But to claim it, he’ll have to pull off a seemingly impossible heist:

Break into the notorious Ice Court (a military stronghold that has never been breached);

Retrieve a hostage (who could unleash magical havoc on the world);

Survive long enough to collect his reward (and spend it).

Kaz needs a crew desperate enough to take on this suicide mission and dangerous enough to get the job done – and he knows exactly who: six of the deadliest outcasts the city has to offer. Together, they just might be unstoppable – if they don’t kill each other first.

My Review (Spoiler-free)

I was hoping Six of Crows would live up to its insane hype. Did it? Definitely.

I read Shadow and Bone (although my early edition is called A Gathering of Shadows), the first in the Grisha trilogy, when it was originally released. I liked it, but I didn’t like it enough to immediately pick up the sequel. As a result, it fell to the wayside and I just never got round to finishing the trilogy. Then along came Six of Crows. I saw so may rave reviews, saw so many people gushing about it, that I decided to give the world of the Grisha another go.

Bardugo’s writing has certainly improved. Smooth, decorated with emotional flourishes, but not pulling any punches when it came to some of the more gory aspects, I loved every minute of it. Bardugo keeps the plot moving along at a steady pace and there isn’t a single word that feels unnecessary. And whilst the plot itself was unique and interesting, a kind of mashup between Ocean’s Eleven and Peaky Blinders in a world of magic, it was the characters that definitely stood out for me.

They’re all unique and diverse. Perhaps Wylan fell a little bit by the wayside, never getting a chapter dedicated to himself which I would have liked to have seen, but other than that they’re all exceptionally crafted. My favourites, however, were Kaz, Nina and Jesper. Kaz in particular was very complex and, as I’ve mentioned before, is basically a teenage Tommy Shelby from Peaky Blinders – both dress in smart suits, both have their hair shaved at the sides (which is a staple for the Shelby brothers), both are very good with words, and both have a troubled, traumatic past that affects them in the present. Oh, and they’re both gangsters, of course. If you love Kaz, go watch Peaky Blinders now, I can’t recommend it enough; I’d be very surprised if Bardugo wasn’t watching the show when writing Six of Crows. However, that’s of course where the similarities end; Kaz is his own person (although it was hard not to read his dialogue without a Brummy accent). I really liked learning about his childhood and discovering more about his habits and quirks. Whilst his choices were perhaps sometimes hard to swallow, you can see what drove him to it.

The standout character for me, however, was Nina. I really loved Nina. She was witty, headstrong, loved to eat and didn’t care who knew, and powerful yet compassionate. My favourite chapters were definitely hers, whether it was discovering more about her or learning more of her relationship to Matthias. Their journey together was one I really enjoyed finding out more about.

There are also a fair few twists and turns in this book and, I have to say, I didn’t see any of them coming. Normally, these things can be quite obvious, especially in YA. I don’t know if some authors just think readers of YA are dumb, but I can assure you we’re not. Thankfully, Bardugo isn’t one of those authors. All the twists caught me by surprise and kept me reading.

As for the world-building, I really enjoyed it, and it made me consider going back and trying the Grisha trilogy again. However, and this is a big however, I’m 99% sure there is a mahoosive spoiler in Six of Crows for that series. So now I’m a little bummed. I’m not going to mention what it’s about because even hinting at it will probably spoil it for those who haven’t read the first trilogy. You find out early on that this book takes part after the events of the original trilogy, so I can’t complain too much for skipping that trilogy and going to Six of Crows, but it was still a bit disappointing; I didn’t expect such a major spoiler. Anyway, you have been warned.

So, overall, a seamless story with excellent, complex characters. If you haven’t picked up this series yet, then do it! It certainly deserves all the hype it gets. I’ll probably wait a little bit until I get Crooked Kingdom, allow myself to digest this book first. In the meantime, I still have the last episode of series 3 of Peaky Blinders to watch…

Have you read Six of Crows or the Grisha trilogy? Or are you planning to read them? Let me know in the comments below!

 

Review: Nevernight by Jay Kristoff

Nevernight by Jay Kristoff

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher: Harper Voyager

My Rating: 

Synopsis:

Destined to destroy empires, Mia Corvere is only ten years old when she is given her first lesson in death.

Six years later, the child raised in shadows takes her first steps towards keeping the promise she made the day that she lost everything.

But the chance to strike against such powerful enemies will be fleeting, so if she is to have her revenge, Mia must become a weapon without equal. She must prove herself against the deadliest of friends and enemies, and survive the tutelage of murderers, liars and daemons at the heart of a murder cult.

The Red Church is no ordinary school, but Mia is no ordinary student. The shadows love her. And they drink her fear.

My Review

I was so excited to start Nevernight. I’d read some really good reviews and had high hopes after the brilliance that was Illuminae. Let me just say, Amie Kaufman clearly reigns in Jay Kristoff. If you thought Illuminae was gory, then wait till you read Nevernight.

I really enjoyed this book. Truly and thoroughly enjoyed it. Great characters, intrigue, wit, gore, it had it all. One thing I especially loved was the world-building. I’ve seen in some reviews that people didn’t really like the footnotes, but I actually liked them! After studying English at uni and reading books with tons of footnotes and asterisks, I’m pretty used to them now, and they’re often full of interesting information. The footnotes here in Nevernight really added to the depth of the world Kristoff has created and they were often just funny anecdotes too. I didn’t feel like they detracted from the flow of the story at all.

I actually found a lot of comparisons with Garth Nix’s Old Kingdom series in this book. I don’t mean comparisons in the sense of Nevernight stole ideas from Sabriel etc. or just regurgitated them, but there were definite similarities. A cult living in a mountain? Yep. A labyrinthine library that is home to some things much more unsavoury than just books? Yes. A smart-arse cat? Definitely. However, there are of course differences here too. Whilst the Clayr’s Glacier in Nix’s series is home to a benevolent clan of clairvoyant women, the Red Church is home to some very deadly assassins. Whilst the Red Church library has its dangers, it’s not quite as dangerous as some of the Free Magic entities lurking within the depths of the Clayr’s library. And whilst Mister Kindly from Nevernight is sarky and made of darkness, his allegiances are much clearer than those of the Old Kingdom’s Mogget. I actually enjoyed finding these comparisons. Like I said, they’re just similarities, not blatant plagiarism, but it definitely helped my enjoyment. So, if you like Nix’s series, you may like Nevernight. 

Another thing I enjoyed here was the plot and the pacing. The story itself was, overall, original and a very fun read. I would often be reading and think “right, I’m gonna stop at the end of this chapter” and then some massive cliff-hanger would arise and I’d have to keep reading, desperate to know what happens next with all the twists and turns. Some people mentioned it lagged a little at the beginning, and I can see that, but because I enjoyed the world-building I didn’t mind, and it didn’t move slowly for very long. I’m not going to spoil too much about the world because I think it’ll be more fun to read about it yourself, but there was a definite Roman/Greek undertone to it that I loved.

So, why only 4.5/5? Well, as I mentioned in my September wrap-up, Mia annoyed me a little. I failed to fully connect with her and I’m not too sure why. I think perhaps it was because her confidence sometimes slipped over into the realm of cockiness. I did warm to her much more by the end – I think she definitely matured – but for a large portion of the book I found myself struggling to feel much for her, which was a shame. However, I did enjoy other characters, such as Tric, Mercurio, a few of the Shahiid’s and Mister Kindly. Tric certainly had his flaws (he was a sulker) and there was sometimes something a little sinister about Mister Kindly, but I did really like them.

Yet, being a Jay Kristoff book, I knew there was going to be a fair bit of death. Why oh why does Kristoff insist on killing off my favourite characters all the time?! I’m not going to mention who, of course, but don’t get too attached to anyone, I’m warning you now; Kristoff is the George R. R. Martin of the young adult world. Not that this book is young adult. It may feature teenage protagonists, but this book contains a lot of gore, swearing and sex. You won’t find this book in the YA section. However, I wouldn’t warn teenagers away from it. It’s definitely a 16+ book and, after all, Mia is only 16 and she engages in many of the aforementioned activities.

So, overall, I loved this book. Whilst my inability to fully connect with Mia meant the rating came down slightly, I still highly recommend it as an enjoyable and twisted fantasy. I’m excited to see where the story goes next.

Have you read Nevernight? What did you think? Or are you hoping to read it in the future? Let me know in the comments below!

 

Stacking the Shelves | YA Fantasy

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme from Tynga’s Reviews where you showcase the books you’ve received or purchased.

This week I finally got my hands on Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo and An Ember In the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir! I’ve seen everyone raving about these books for months now and I’m so excited to finally add them to my TBR.

I’m definitely having a bit of a Fantasy spree at the moment and I’m sure these two won’t disappoint. Seeing as both the sequels are out very soon though, I’m going to have to try hard to avoid any spoilers!

Have you read Six of Crows or An Ember In the Ashes? Did you get any books this week? Let me know in the comments below!

Review: The Stars Never Rise by Rachel Vincent

The Stars Never Rise by Rachel Vincent

Genre: Young Adult / Dystopian / Urban Fantasy

Publisher:  Mira Ink, 2015

My Rating: 4/5

Synopsis: In the town of New Temperance, souls are in short supply and Nina should be worrying about protecting hers. Yet she’s too busy trying to keep her sister Mellie safe.

When Nina discovers that Mellie is keeping a secret that threatens their existence, she’ll do anything to protect her. Because in New Temperance sins are prosecuted as crimes by the brutal church.

To keep them both alive, Nina will need to trust Finn, a mysterious fugitive who has already saved her life once. Wanted by the church and hunted by dark forces, Nina knows she needs Finn and his group of rogue friends.

But what do they need from her in return?

My Review

This is the second book my boyfriend bought me and, whilst Soundless was a flop, The Stars Never Rise was not. This was a thoroughly enjoyable and fast-paced read. There were some flaws, hence the 4/5 rating instead of 5/5, but it was still a fun, and surprisingly mature, book.

This novel is set in the future, 100 years after a war between humans and demons, and the occurrence of stillbirths due to there not being enough pure ‘souls’ to go around. The vast majority of America was ravaged by the war, but big towns and cities survived, protected by high walls and the authority of the Church. The rules of society are strictly upheld and sins severely punished. Sins include anything from blasphemy to fornication. And as if that wasn’t enough to contend with, ‘degenerates’ also roam the badlands, demons occupying decaying human bodies, searching for human flesh and a new human vessel to occupy.

The world-building was really interesting and unique, and I’m excited to learn even more in the sequel. The author doesn’t info-dump all this information either. It’s given to us in drips and drabs, mainly through clever dialogue.

In addition to this, there was thankfully no preaching. Of course, this novel deals with Christianity, yet it doesn’t force any ideas down your throat. There’s no preaching or mention of Biblical stories and figures, or even God for that matter. There’s nothing wrong with having religion in a book, but I was worried this novel might go on and on about the power of God or something like that. However, it also doesn’t insult religion, so people of any faith, or no faith at all, can read this without feeling offended or preached to.

Also, the novel doesn’t gloss over sex and swearing like some YA does. It’s silly to think teenagers don’t engage in these activities or don’t know anything about them, because they do. Nothing is gratuitous and any mention of sex is referred to vaguely, but it’s at least mentioned.

Our story follows the life of Nina. Neglected by a sinful mother, she’s forced to steal in order to care for her sister Mellie. Nina is headstrong and practical; she knows what she needs to do to survive, until the night she meets Finn. One thing I did enjoy about Nina is that she wasn’t overly trusting. Too often, the female protagonist is swept off to safety by a handsome boy and she falls madly in love within about five seconds. Nina, however, after being helped by Finn, keeps trying to bolt. She doesn’t fall straight into his arms and believe every word that comes out of his mouth, which was really refreshing to read. If I was in some dire situation and a boy saved my life, I’d be very grateful, but I certainly wouldn’t fully trust him. I know a character being trusting, or not trusting enough, can be a personality trait, but too often these girls are more trusting than is normal.

Finn himself is an interesting character. He has a particular ‘quirk’ that makes him stand out from other love interests, but I won’t spoil it. At first, this quirk of his was strange to get my head around and put me off a little, just like it does Nina, yet I eventually got my head around it, especially because he’s a very likable character. Witty, caring and confident, he was a love interest I genuinely liked. Too often the male love interests are just as formulaic as the female protagonists. Finn was certainly his own person. However, the romance itself was a little strange, mostly due to Finn’s quirk, but also because of its progression. Yes, Nina wasn’t entirely trusting at the start, yet I did feel like the romance suddenly progressed quickly over the span of about two days. Still, there was no insta-love, with no “I love you’s” being thrown around.

The plot is fast-paced with twists and turns. Some of the twists I worked out early on, others took me by surprise, and the twists keep coming right until the very end. This was definitely a plus point; the plot is never stagnant and neither is the ending, with action going on right to the very last page. Sometimes, endings can just fizzle out, with the action pretty anti-climactic, but here it was done well.

Lastly, the writing was good, successfully building up the tension. The emotion of it didn’t feel forced and it was poetic at times and, as a result, I enjoyed reading from Nina’s POV.

So, overall, it was a quick read with an abundance of action and a refreshing take on the Dystopian genre. The oppressive government being the church made for an interesting spin and there were also multiple layers to the oppression and deceit. This is a book I’d recommend to anyone who enjoys the Dystopian genre but is perhaps fed up of a lot of the current books feeling too similar, especially because this series has the added element of Urban Fantasy.

Have you read The Stars Never Rise? Or any other of Rachel Vincent’s novels? Did you enjoy them? Let me know in the comments below!