ARC Review: Borne by Jeff VanderMeer

Borne by Jeff Vandermeer

Genre: Sci-Fi / Post-Apocalyptic

Publisher: Fourth Estate, 15th June 2017

My Rating: 

Synopsis: A ruined city of the future lives in fear of a despotic, gigantic flying bear, driven mad by the tortures inflicted on him by the Company, a mysterious biotech firm. A scavenger, Rachel, finds a creature entangled in his fur. She names it Borne.

At first, Borne looks like nothing at all― a green lump that might be a discard from the Company. But he reminds Rachel of her homeland, an island nation long lost to rising seas, and she prevents her lover, Wick, from rendering down Borne as raw genetic material for the special kind of drugs he sells.

But nothing is quite the way it seems: not the past, not the present, not the future. If Wick is hiding secrets, so is Rachel―and Borne most of all.

My Review

Thanks to my aunt who kindly lent me this ARC copy!

If you’re someone who needs answers immediately when reading a book or watching a film, someone who, when something unexplained happens, asks, “Why did that happen?” or “Why did they say that?” instead of waiting a few more chapters or 15 minutes more to find out, or someone who is not content with ever knowing the answers at all, then this is not the kind of book for you.

However, if you’re someone who likes a bit of ambiguity, who likes to be confused in a good, page-turning kind of way, then Borne is for you.

I read Jeff VanderMeer’s The Southern Reach Trilogy a few years ago and devoured each book one after the other. Usually, I leave a bit of a gap between books in a series if the series is already complete. However, I had so many questions, I needed to keep reading. That trilogy was fantastically creepy, suspenseful, horrifying and twisted. So that should give you a good idea of what Borne is like.

Borne, I would say, is the slightly calmer younger brother of The Southern Reach Trilogy. It’s still totally bizarre and full of some very creepy creations, but whereas that first trilogy was a full-throttle Sci-Fi Horror, Borne is more of just a Sci-Fi with a touch of Horror.

And immediately, the opening to Borne totally confused me. I had to go back and re-read sections because VanderMeer writes very intricately, yet with a throwaway attitude whereby he drops names of creations and places as if to say, “Keep up.” However, after the first twenty or so pages, I quickly settled into the rhythm and was captivated. VanderMeer has crafted a weird and wonderful story, with a bit more humour than his previous series, but with no less strangeness.

The story is narrated by Rachel, a young woman scavenging in a ruined city. She doesn’t quite know how she got there, but knows she travelled a dying Earth with her parents in search of salvation. Rachel lives with a man called Wick, who is a drug dealer of sorts, selling bits of ‘biotech’ to make a living. This crumbling city is haunted by a massive, murderous bear known as Mord. (Yes, you did read that right). One day, whilst searching Mord’s fur for bits to scavenge, Rachel finds a glowing blob that she takes home and calls Borne. She assumes it’s a strange plant, but it soon becomes apparent that Borne is much more.

Rachel herself is a great protagonist. Strong, hardened, but with a softness brought out in her by Borne. Borne, however, is the real star of the show, as the title would suggest. I won’t spoil what Borne is or much about him, but he’s a brilliant character. Innocent and funny, yet also deeply unnerving. He was crafted excellently and was easy to connect to, despite the fact he’s not even human. 

Wick was an odd character, but I ended up also liking him. I would say Wick is the most complex; you never really know what he’s thinking. He’s very flawed, yet clearly caring. I liked the dynamic the three characters had: Rachel, Borne and Wick. Despite the setting being just downright odd, the characters felt entirely real and relatable. 

And trust me, the setting is strange. It can be hard to imagine at times, but I find that VanderMeer manages to pull off describing these weird places. Whilst all my questions weren’t answered about the setting, I didn’t mind, and VanderMeer is able to write a setting and story shrouded in a bit of mystery, instead of feeling like he just couldn’t be bothered to tie up loose ends or have any reasoning behind particular aspects. The ending left me wanting to know more, but it didn’t feel incomplete. After The Southern Reach Trilogy, I have come to expect that VanderMeer likes to leave you guessing, and to leave parts open to interpretation. That works well for his novels, because any answers might actually ruin it in that they don’t feel right, or they feel anticlimactic.

For a while whilst reading, I compared Borne to The Southern Reach Trilogy and thought I liked the trilogy better as it was grittier and darker. However, thinking about it, Borne is totally its own entity and I shouldn’t compare it. Borne is a slightly ‘lighter’ read, and for that I found it had a little more meaning behind it rather than just being a brilliant idea. It’s a novel about loss and human nature, and can be quite moving at times. Not in the totally bleak and terrifying way of The Southern Reach Trilogy, but in a more bittersweet way.

If you haven’t tried any of VanderMeer’s books, I really recommend you do. If you’re not a Sci-Fi fan, and you’re scared easily, then you should probably skip them, but otherwise don’t be put off. They’re brilliantly imagined, entirely vivid and unique, and such gripping reads. Borne might be a softer introduction, but I honestly think VanderMeer has earned his place as one of my favourite authors, and I really look forward to more of his novels in future.

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

 

 

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My Most Anticipated 2017 Book Releases

There are quite a few books whose 2017 release dates I’m counting down the days until. And believe it or not, this list is just going to be a snapshot of some of the books I’m excited for. So hold onto your hats, because there’s quite a few.

The Burning World (Warm Bodies #2) by Isaac Marion | Post-Apocalyptic | UK Release Date: 7th Feb

Being alive is hard. Being human is harder. But since his recent recovery from death, R is making progress. He s learning how to read, how to speak, maybe even how to love, and the city’s undead population is showing signs of life. R can almost imagine a future with Julie, this girl who restarted his heart building a new world from the ashes of the old one.

And then helicopters appear on the horizon. Someone is coming to restore order. To silence all this noise. To return things to the way they were, the good old days of stability and control and the strong eating the weak. The plague is ancient and ambitious, and the Dead were never its only weapon.

How do you fight an enemy that s in everyone? Can the world ever really change? With their home overrun by madmen, R, Julie, and their ragged group of refugees plunge into the otherworldly wastelands of America in search of answers. But there are some answers R doesn’t want to find. A past life, an old shadow, crawling up from the basement.

Warm Bodies is one of my favourite books of all time so I am dying for this sequel. In fact, I still haven’t read the prequel, because there’s been such a huge gap between Warm Bodies and The Burning World that I didn’t want to torture myself by reading the prequel New Hunger and having withdrawal symptoms. I’ll definitely have to read that soon.

Empress of a Thousand Skies by Rhoda Belleza | YA Sci-Fi | UK Release Date: 1st March

Empress
Rhee, also known as Crown Princess Rhiannon Ta’an, is the sole surviving heir to a powerful dynasty. She’ll stop at nothing to avenge her family and claim her throne.

Fugitive
Aly has risen above his war refugee origins to find fame as the dashing star of a holo-vision show. But when he’s falsely accused of killing Rhee, he’s forced to prove his innocence to save his reputation—and his life.

Madman
With planets on the brink of war, Rhee and Aly are thrown together to confront a ruthless evil that threatens the fate of the entire galaxy.

I love a bit of Sci-Fi and this sounds like an interesting addition to the genre. Why do people think Aly has killed Rhee? Why do they think she’s dead if she’s not? Must be some nefarious stuff going on here…

The Beast Is An Animal by Peternelle van Arsdale | YA Fantasy | UK Release Date: 28th Feb

Alys was seven when the soul eaters came to her village.

These soul eaters are twin sisters who were abandoned by their father and slowly grew into something not quite human, something that needs to feed on souls to survive…

Alys and all the children in her village were spared by the twins, but having lost their parents and elders the children were sent to live in a neighbouring village. Afraid of facing a similar fate, the villagers in the children’s’ adopted home created a strict world where good and evil are as fundamental as the nursery rhymes children sing. Fear of the soul eaters – and of the Beast they believe guides them – rule village life. But the Beast is not what they think he is. And neither is Alys.

This sounds deliciously creepy and I’ve been really anticipating this book for quite some time now. It sounds like a very dark fairy tale a la the Brothers Grimm, with a bit of M. Night Shyamalan’s The Village thrown in. Fingers crossed this is good.

Defy the Stars by Claudia Gray | YA Sci-Fi | UK Release Date: 6th April

Noemi is a young and fearless soldier of Genesis, a colony planet of a dying Earth. But the citizens of Genesis are rising up – they know that Earth’s settlers will only destroy this planet the way they destroyed their own. And so a terrible war has begun.

When Noemi meets Abel, one of Earth’s robotic mech warriors, she realizes that Abel himself may provide the key to Genesis’ salvation. Abel is bound by his programming to obey her – even though her plan could result in his destruction. But Abel is no ordinary mech. He’s a unique prototype, one with greater intelligence, skill and strength than any other. More than that, he has begun to develop emotions, a personality and even dreams. Noemi begins to realise that if Abel is less than human, he is more than a machine. If she destroys him, is it murder? And can a cold-blooded murder be redeemed by the protection of a world?

Stranded together in space, they go on a whirlwind adventure through Earth’s various colony worlds, alongside the countless Vagabonds who have given up planetary life altogether and sail forever between the stars. Each step brings them closer – both to each other and to the terrible decision Noemi will have to make about her world’s fate, and Abel’s.

Ah, more Sci-Fi! I’m glad Science Fiction has become popular in YA recently; it’s not just for nerds you know! Well, this will be my first Claudia Gray book, unless I decide to purchase her Firebird series before then, but I’ve seen mostly good things about that series so it gives me hope that Defy the Stars will live up to expectations.

The Edge of Everything by Jeff Giles | YA Science Fantasy | UK Release Date: 9th Feb

Every day, Zoe struggles to keep going. The cruel winter took her father’s life and left her angry and broken hearted. As she carries her little brother through a snowstorm that could kill him in minutes, her only thought is finding shelter. The cabin beyond the woods is far from the place of safety she hoped it would be, but it is there that she meets a man whose muscular body, marked with strange and primitive tattoos, hints at an extraordinary story. He has the power to light up the lake, and with it, Zoe’s world.

Zoe calls the stranger X. He is a bounty hunter, tormented by the evils of his victims, which course through his veins. X has never known anything but hate, until he meets Zoe. She shows him what a heart is really for and, if they can find a way to be together, just maybe, his pain can help Zoe forget her own.

I’ve heard that this book is quite strange, but a good strange, which definitely has me intrigued. As far as I know, it’s a blend of Sci-Fi and Fantasy, aka Science Fantasy, which is actually a really great sub-genre. I’m interested to see what this book is all about.

Dreamland Burning by Jennifer Latham | YA Historical | UK Release Date: 23rd Feb

When seventeen-year-old Rowan Chase finds a skeleton on her family’s property, she has no idea that investigating the brutal century-old murder will lead to a summer of painful discoveries about the past… and the present.

Nearly one hundred years earlier, a misguided violent encounter propels seventeen-year-old Will Tillman into a racial firestorm. In a country rife with violence against blacks and a hometown segregated by Jim Crow, Will must make hard choices on a painful journey towards self discovery and face his inner demons in order to do what’s right the night Tulsa burns.

One of the deadliest race riots in US history happened in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on a hot 1921 night when the economically and culturally thriving black community of Greenwood was burned to the ground. Dreamland Burning gives voice to this little-known moment in history, crossing historical fiction with a cold case mystery in a story that makes bold statements about how racial tensions have changed — or haven’t — in nearly 100 years.

This book sounds unbelievably good and seems like it’s going to shed some light on the racial tensions that still dominate America today. I’ve neglected Historical fiction this year and I’m sure Dreamland Burning will be one to get me out of that slump next year.

The Space Between the Stars by Anne Corlett | Post-Apocalyptic | UK Release Date: 1st June

It was the end of days, but a new beginning

After a virus wipes out most of humanity, Jamie leaves her isolated posting on the planet Soltaire and heads for Earth. She feels compelled to reach the Northumberland coast, to see if her ex-partner Daniel is still alive. Joining a band of misfits and fellow survivors, each with their own agenda, she struggles to understand her place in this new world. She’ll wrestle with loss and heartache in order to gain one last chance at happiness. And when she reaches earth, Jamie will face something that could destroy that precious second chance – for all of them.

Post-Apocalyptic and Apocalyptic fiction is my favourite genre and The Space Between the Stars sounds breathtaking. I’m not picky when it comes to this genre. I like big shoot-em-stories in post-apocalyptic wastelands, and I like bittersweet tales of loss and hope. This sounds like it’s going to be the latter, which is fine by me, and I am soooo excited to get my hands on it.

Unfiltered: No Shame, No Regrets, Just Me by Lily Collins | Autobiography | UK Release Date: 7th March

In this groundbreaking debut essay collection, featuring never-before-seen photos, actress Lily Collins―star of Mortal Instruments and Rules Don’t Apply―is opening a poignant, honest conversation about the things young women struggle with: body image, self-confidence, relationships, family, dating and so much more.

For the first time ever, Lily shares her life and her own deepest secrets, proving that every single one of us experiences pain and heartbreak. We all understand what it’s like to live in the light and in the dark. For Lily, it’s about making it through to the other side, where you love what you see in the mirror and where you embrace yourself just as you are. She’s learned that all it takes is one person standing up and saying something for everyone else to realise they’re not alone.

By turns hilarious and heartbreaking, Lily’s honest voice will inspire you to be who you are and say what you feel. It’s time to claim your voice! It’s time to live your life unfiltered.

I’ve never actually read a celeb autobiography; they just don’t interest me. Or rather, no celebs that I really admire have written an autobiography – until now. I like Lily Collins and this sounds like it’s going to be a light-hearted, honest read.

The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco | YA Fantasy | UK Release Date: 1st April

When Tea accidentally resurrects her brother from the dead, she learns she is different from the other witches in her family. Her gift for necromancy means that she’s a bone witch, a title that makes her feared and ostracized by her community. But Tea finds solace and guidance with an older, wiser bone witch, who takes Tea and her brother to another land for training.

In her new home, Tea puts all her energy into becoming an asha–one who can wield elemental magic. But dark forces are approaching quickly, and in the face of danger, Tea will have to overcome her obstacles…and make a powerful choice.

I’ve seen a lot of hype for this and it certainly sounds good. I don’t enjoy necromancy, per se, because that would be weird and creepy, but it’s definitely something I like reading about after devouring my favourite series from the age of 13, the Old Kingdom series by Garth Nix. However, one thing about The Bone Witch that I think I might struggle with is how do you pronounce the protagonist’s name? Is it Tea as in the drink, or Tea like tee-ah? I hate not knowing how to pronounce names in Fantasy.

Frostblood by Elly Blake | YA Fantasy | UK Release Date: 4th May

In a land governed by the cruel Frostblood ruling class, seventeen-year-old Ruby is a Fireblood who has spent most of her life hiding her ability to manipulate heat and light – until the day the soldiers come to raid her village and kill her mother. Ruby vows revenge on the tyrannous Frost King responsible for the massacre of her people.

But Ruby’s powers are unpredictable… and so are the feelings she has for Arcus, the scarred, mysterious Frostblood warrior who shares her goal to kill the Frost King, albeit for his own reasons. When Ruby is captured by the Frost King’s men, she’s taken right into the heart of the enemy. Now she only has one chance to destroy the maniacal ruler who took everything from her – and in doing so, she must unleash the powers she’s spent her whole life withholding.

This sounds a bit cliche, but I’ve seen people raving about the ARC so it’s on my wishlist on the strength of those reviews. Hopefully it lives up to the hype!

Poison’s Kiss by Breeana Shields | YA Fantasy | UK Release Date: 10th Jan

Marinda has kissed dozens of boys. They all die afterward. It’s a miserable life, but being a visha kanya a poison maiden is what she was created to do. Marinda serves the Raja by dispatching his enemies with only her lips as a weapon.

Until now, the men she was ordered to kiss have been strangers, enemies of the kingdom. Then she receives orders to kiss Deven, a boy she knows too well to be convinced he needs to die. She begins to question who she’s really working for. And that is a thread that, once pulled, will unravel more than she can afford to lose.

This is another one I’ve heard good things about. It also sounds a bit cliche with the whole ‘girl with a deadly kiss’ trope, yet the Indian folklore sounds really interesting. I just hope the author does it justice!

And those are some of my most anticipated 2017 releases! Are you excited for any of them? Have you read any ARCs? Let me know in the comments below!

Film Review: The Girl With All the Gifts

I read the novel The Girl With All the Gifts by M.R. Carey about two years ago now and it’s definitely a book that has stuck with me. Excellent writing, lots of tension, great characters, and a unique twist on the zombie genre. If you’ve followed my blog for a while now, you know I love all things zombie, so to find such a well-written addition to the genre was great.

Understandably, I had high expectations for the film adaptation, especially after seeing some glowing reviews from the likes of Empire.  Thankfully, I wasn’t disappointed!

I dragged my boyfriend along to see the film and, strangely, we had an entire screen to ourselves. This was good in the sense that no one would be talking or texting, but bad in the sense that when Mark left to go to the loo, I was sat in a big screen watching a zombie movie all by myself with surround sound. Needless to say, it was creepy.

Anyway, onto the film itself:

The film itself is very, very true to the book. A couple of scenes were dropped, along with the concept of the “Junkers”, but the vast majority of the major plot points are pretty much identical, which was amazing.

For those of you who don’t know, The Girl With All the Gifts tells the story of Melanie (Sennia Nanua), a young girl kept in an army base along with other children. Each day, she is strapped into a wheelchair by guards who treat her like she’s dangerous and taken to a classroom for lessons from the kind Miss Justineau (Gemma Arteton). That’s when we discover that, outside the army base, the world has been ravaged by a zombie virus, specifically a fungal virus that turns people into “Hungries”. Melanie and her fellow kids in the classroom are Hungries, but they’re different. They aren’t mindless and feral, but instead act like any other average human child. I won’t say why, but be prepared for a very unique zombie story.

And then, one day, it all goes wrong and the army base must be evacuated. Only a handful escape, including Melanie, Miss Justineau, Sergeant Parks (Paddy Considine), Dr Caldwell (Glenn Close) and a couple of soldiers. Will they make it to safety? Can the calculating Dr Caldwell develop a cure? You’ll have to wait and see.

The heart of the story is Melanie. A kind and courageous girl, you can’t help but become deeply attached to her whilst almost slightly fearing her, and I thought Sennia Nanua did an excellent job of portraying the complexities of Melanie on the big screen. Interestingly, in the novel Melanie is white and Miss Justineau is black, but it’s been reversed in the film. I think it’s great that a young black girl has been given such a big part as the main protagonist here, and she was definitely the best actress to play Melanie.

Aside from that one change, I thought all the characters were very true to the book in terms of personality. Helen Justineau’s kindness and protectiveness, Sergeant Parks’ bravado hiding a softer interior, Dr Caldwell’s determination, Private Gallagher’s innocence. It really is a very true adaptation, keeping the core values of the book and much of the plot.

However, whilst this is a film about zombies, it is truly a film about humanity. Some of the best zombie films and books are the ones that look at humanity, not just the blood and gore. I can’t explain too much without revealing the ending, but there are some huge moral dilemmas in The Girl With All the Gifts. Me and Mark had a long conversation about it all afterwards, with differing opinions on morality. It’s definitely a bittersweet story.

The film has also clearly taken inspiration from Danny Boyle’s amazing 28 Days Later so, if you enjoyed that, you should enjoy this. I don’t think it’s as scary as 28 Days Later (Cillian Murphy in the church? The infected at the window? Terrifying), or even as scary as the novel, but it’s not trying to terrify you with jump scares; it’s about so much more than that. It’s about terrifying you with the prospect of the end of humanity.

In addition, I have to give a special shout out to the score for this film. It’s amazing. So creepy and tense and eerie, it was one of the best scores I’ve heard in a long while for a horror film. EDIT: (See link at the bottom to listen to the main theme).

However, there were a few slight negatives to the adaptation. One was that I think the ending was a little rushed. It needed more explanation. This was where me and Mark argued a little as the climax missed out some key aspects from the book and I had to explain it fully to him to make him understand the reasoning behind some of the actions in the finale. There were also a few scenes from the novel I would have liked to have seen included, but there was probably issues with running time. Lastly, whilst most of the big scenes did make it to the screen, some had been changed, and I would have liked them to be the same as the book because I think it would have had more of an impact. But hey, that’s just me being a picky reader.

Overall though, this was an excellent adaptation of the book and I was thoroughly impressed. Excellent acting, very true to the novel and a great score, I couldn’t have asked for much more. I definitely recommend both the book and the film.

Have you read The Girl With All the Gifts? Or seen the film? What did you think? Let me know in the comments below!

EDIT: I just managed to find the main theme from the composer on Soundcloud, so check it out here.

Review: The City of Mirrors (Passage #3) by Justin Cronin

The City of Mirrors (Passage #3) by Justin Cronin

Genre: Science Fantasy / Post-Apocalyptic / Horror

Publisher: Orion, 2016

My Rating: 5/5

Synopsis: The plague that almost ended humanity is finally over. For a new generation, the once-feared virals have begun to seem almost like imaginary monsters, creatures from a fairy tale they no longer believe in.

For Alicia, however, the bad dreams can never be forgotten. And the voice in those dreams is leading her towards one of the great cities of The Time Before. The ruined city of New York.

Ruined but not empty. For this is the final refuge of Zero, the first and most terrible product of the viral experiment. And Alicia knows that the nightmare can never truly be over until he is destroyed.

But what she finds is not what she’s expecting.

An opponent at once deadlier and more human than she could ever have imagined, who takes her on a terrifying journey into the past to learn how it all began.

And to find out how it must end.

My Review

WARNING: This review will contain minor spoilers for the first two books in the series. No major plot points will be revealed, nor information on who lives and who dies. Read on at your own risk. However, this review is spoiler-free in terms of the plot of The City of Mirrors.

I’m so sad to have finished this series. I started reading it back in 2010 when The Passage was first released. I was hooked from the start. At the time I was only 15. Now I’m 21 and this trilogy has remained with me, as well as remaining one of my favourite series of all time.

So, after the events of The Twelve, peace seems to have finally returned to North America. Or so it seems.

Make no mistake, this final book isn’t just a long, drawn-out conclusion tying up a bunch of pointless loose ends. No way. It’s just as poignant, hopeful and exciting as the first two installments, with an abundance of drama and tension.

The Passage was a rip-roaring read, most probably my favourite book in the series. The Twelve was excellent, however I felt it dragged a little in some places. Not enough for me to lose interest, of course, but still slightly slower in comparison. Thankfully though, it was by no means that dreaded filler book that the second novel in a trilogy quite often is; like The Passage, it had its own clear arc and revelations. As such, I like to think of this series as a vampiric The Lord of the Rings. Like The Fellowship of the Ring, The Passage gets the action started. We learn who the main players are and the identity of the main antagonist (Zero here, Sauron in LOTR), but we’re nowhere near close to defeating him yet. Instead, the antagonist of this first book is a lesser player, Babcock in The Passage and the Balrog of Morgoth in Fellowship. Subsequently, the group splits and moves on to the next antagonist, the main villain’s second-in-command. In The Twelve, it’s, well, The Twelve (or rather, the Eleven); the main virals, Zero’s henchmen. In The Two Towers, it’s Saruman, Sauron’s right-hand man. Now that they’ve been defeated, we’re onto the big one, the main villain, the final adversary who has been pulling the strings behind the scenes all along. Zero here is our Sauron, and The City of Mirrors is our The Return of the King.

Now, that’s where the similarities end, of course. No orcs or hobbits, but the The Passage series is no less epic in its own way. Thankfully, the final installment didn’t disappoint. I finished this book with tears in my eyes, barely able to see the last page. It’s a bittersweet book, a culmination of blood, sweat and tears from the characters (and from the author, I suspect). For years, the characters have struggled against the wasteland they inhabit – where the virals roam and Zero watches on – desperate to finally live in peace. The characters’ arcs reached their conclusion in this book, all in a satisfying way. There is an air of destiny in this trilogy and all the characters fulfilled theirs, whether it be good or bad, but I couldn’t argue that it all felt right. Everything about this book seems deliberate. Nothing is rushed or a coincidence. Everything is clearly mapped from the start, all the fates intertwined, and that’s what makes it a joy to read.

However, this series is all about a girl who saves the world, Amy Harper Bellafonte. Does Amy save it? I won’t say, but Cronin has written a remarkable set of characters, with Amy at the centre. This is a series with a huge cast and here we continue with the lives of Peter, Alicia, Sara, Hollis, Michael and Carter, among many other new characters. And we also finally get to know who Zero, aka Dr Timothy Fanning, really is. Somehow, Cronin has managed to create a villain you feel sorry for. Fanning has done terrible things, but in this book you’ll learn why. I could see the logic behind his actions and I pitied him, yet it didn’t excuse what he’d done; it was time for Fanning to give up his hold on the land.

What I’ve always loved about this story is its mix of Sci-Fi and Fantasy. Like I said, there’s a real sense of destiny in these books, a mysticism in its words, coupled with a raw humanity that I loved, and of course the origin of the vampiric, zombie-like virus isn’t wholly within the realm of science. This is a series of death and destruction, love and hate, joy and sorrow, with no punches pulled, but at its core is hope.

The plot of this book is faster-paced than The Twelve, I would say, and still as exciting as both its predecessors. All loose ends are tied up neatly, including the ending. I thought the ending was really well done. There’s nothing worse than getting attached to a series, only for the finale to be anti-climactic and just plain wrong. Thankfully, this trilogy doesn’t fall into that hole. As I said, I finished this with tears blurring my vision, and that was the case for much of the book.

I don’t really know what else to say. This series is brilliant. Complex, tense, exciting, heart-breaking and hopeful, it’s everything you could ask for. These characters are ones that will stay with me for a long time, as will the story itself. However, it’s not truly over. Before even The Passage was published, the film rights for the series were bought. Ridley Scott is the director so I am extremely excited; I don’t think anyone could do a better job at making these books into films than him. So that’s something to look forward to in the future. For now, I’m going to feel sad probably for a whole week, but also happy. It’s bittersweet to finish a series you loved, especially one as good as this, and I can’t recommend it enough.

Have you read this series? Or do you want to start it? Let me know in the comments below!

 

Top Ten Tuesday: Ten ALL TIME Favourite Books of the Sci-Fi Genre

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

This week’s theme is Top Ten ALL TIME Favourite Books of X Genre, and I have chosen Sci-Fi because it’s such a broad genre. From space opera to the apocalypse to dystopia, Sci-Fi encompasses so many different genres and that’s what I love about it. It can be funny, harrowing, epic or terrifying, there’s just so much scope.

NB, where I list the genres of the novels below and write ‘Sci-Fi’, it means it’s set in space. If it doesn’t list ‘Sci-Fi’, then it’s not set in space.

So, in no particular order, let’s begin:

The Passage trilogy by Justin Cronin, Post-Apocalyptic / Science Fantasy / Horror: I’m currently on the final book of this series and I’m so sad it’s almost over for me. This series has been with me for years and I’ve loved it. It’s extremely well written with a huge cast of characters and such a detailed plot. Also, Stephen King loves it. Need I say more?

The Forest of Hands and Teeth series by Carrie Ryan, Post-Apocalyptic / Zombie Outbreak / Young Adult: This is a really harrowing and unique series, fraught with emotion and tension. These books had my heart racing so often that I thought I might keel over before finishing it. Thankfully, I’m still here to tell the tale.

Red Rising trilogy by Pierce Brown, Sci-Fi / Dystopian / Young Adult: I’ve only read the first two books in this series and I’m waiting to get my hands on Morning Star but, so far, this trilogy has been exceptional. Great characters, a complex plot and amazing world-building.

Southern Reach trilogy by Jeff VanderMeer, Science Fantasy / Horror: This is one of those novels that flits between science and the fantastical which I really loved. The first novel is amazing, and the others great too (I devoured them all one after the other, they were that good I didn’t want to read anything else) but the first novel was definitely the best in the way it was written. These books are terrifying and confusing, in a good way.

The Illuminae Files by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff, Sci-Fi / Young Adult: Illuminae was just too good. I don’t know how Kaufman and Kristoff pulled it off. This series had me laughing one moment and sobbing the next. It was ruthless and hopeful, a truly great, truly terrifying, Sci-Fi novel that would make such an amazing film. (But only if Ridley Scott did it, please).

Pure trilogy by Julianna Baggott, Post-Apocalyptic / Young Adult: I’ve raved about this series many a time on this blog because it deserves so much more recognition than it actually gets. The characters and writing in this book are amazing, with El Capitan being one of my favourite characters I’ve ever come across; I have such a soft spot for all of the characters in this series. It’s also a truly unique idea and these books don’t pull any punches. Seriously, read them.

The Girl With All the Gifts by M.R. Carey, Post-Apocalyptic / Zombie Outbreak: This book has been made into a film which is being released this month! However, just in case the film is terrible, read the book first. Melanie is a brilliant character, full of hope, and the writing again is great.

Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion, Post-Apocalyptic / Zombie Outbreak / Romance (but good romance): This was such a good book, so philosophical and funny and poignant. As I’ve said before, one of my favourite passages ever written is in this book. I’d point it out, but it’s basically a major spoiler. However, the sequel to this novel is out the beginning of next year and I cannot wait.

Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell, Science Fantasy / Time-Travel: David Mitchell is one of my favourite authors and this is my favourite book of his. It’s another one that mixes science with the fantastical, and I love David Mitchell’s style. His writing is great, always funny but also emotional, and he weaves the threads of different people’s lives together in a complex, but ultimately satisfying, way. I don’t know how he does it, but it’s impossible not to become emotionally invested in his characters, even when they aren’t that nice. This book made me laugh and cry.

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, Dystopian / Speculative Fiction: Atwood is the queen of dystopian and speculative fiction. My teacher gave me a tattered copy of this book to read when I was in high school as she thought it would be something I’d like, and this is what kick-started my love for these kinds of genres. Beautifully written, deeply feminist, and with a unique world, I will never get bored of this book.

What are some of your favourite Sci-Fi novels? Do you agree with any of my picks? I could go on, to be honest, but it’s Top Ten Tuesday, not Top 100 Tuesday. Anyway, let me know in the comments below!

The Sunday Post #14

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted at The Caffeinated Book Reviewer in which book bloggers recap their week and look at what’s to come.

I read two books this week, one bad, one good. In fact, I gave my first 2 star review on this blog. I’ve been pretty lucky managing to read books no lower than a 3 star since I started blogging in March. However, that lucky streak had to end sometime.

In terms of my life, the only notable thing really is that I finished Stranger Things and I desperately need series 2. I think my parents are struggling with the wait even more than me!

The posts this week:

• Review: Soundless by Richelle Mead
• Entertainer Blogger Award
• Review: The Stars Never Rise by Rachel Vincent
• The Willoughby Book Club Unboxing #2

I’m currently reading the final book in Justin Cronin’s The Passage trilogy, The City of Mirrors. I’m really enjoying it so far; I just love Cronin’s writing style and world-building. If you haven’t read this series yet, get on it now! It’s amazing and being made into films by Ridley Scott. This is probably one of the few times I’m not worried about a book-to-screen adaptation because, well, it’s Ridley Scott, the man can do no wrong when it comes to horror sci-fi.

I have a couple of other posts planned so look out for those, most notably one on why I think diversity is needed in books. I’ve seen arguments about it on Twitter, some good and some bad, and there was a lot of nasty fallout from that video. So, I’m going to try and give a convincing argument around why diversity is a good thing.

This week I pre-ordered Kings of Leon’s new album which I am sooooo excited for. I’ve been a big fan of KoL for years and seen them live a couple of times. My favourite album is Because of the Times. So, here’s their new song they released recently:

The Sunday Post #13

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted at The Caffeinated Book Reviewer in which book bloggers recap their week and look at what’s to come.

My Weekly Recap

It’s been a pretty uneventful week in terms of my life! But next week I’m starting my part-time job to bring in a little money whilst I work out my career after uni, so that’ll actually be a reason to stop lazing about the house!

However, I’m almost at 200 followers on WordPress and Bloglovin, so a huge thank you to everyone who’s followed me! I’ve only had this blog since March so it’s amazing to be so close to such a milestone.

Anyway, this week’s posts were:

• The Versatile Blogger Award
• Let’s Wrap: August
• Review: The Fireman by Joe Hill
• YA Series I Haven’t Finished (And Probably Never Will)

Coming Up

I’m currently about halfway through Soundless by Richelle Mead but it isn’t really living up to my expectations. I love the premise but the execution is lacking. However, I’m hoping it’ll pick up. My review should be up next week!

After that, I’m onto The Stars Never Rise by Rachel Vincent which I have higher hopes for. And then after that I’m going to read the final novel in Justin Cronin’s The Passage series. It’ll be sad to finish it as this series has been with me for quite a few years, but I’m excited to see all the loose ends tied up.

I haven’t done Waiting On Wednesday in a few weeks so I’ll try and get back into it. Other than that, I have no specific posts planned right now, I’m having a little bit of blog writer’s block, but I’m sure I’ll come up with things to discuss next week.

And Finally

I haven’t been listening to anything really new recently so here, have some Foals. (Who make great writing music, by the way).

YA Series I Haven’t Finished (And Probably Never Will)

I was looking at my bookcase recently. I mostly have everything in order of when I read it, and I realised there are quite a few YA series I’ve started and never completed. Some I only had the first book, others I even made it to the second, but all were unfinished.

Because it’s been about ten billion years since I started some of these series, I’m probably never going to finish them now. In truth, they clearly didn’t capture me enough to make me eager to buy the next installment. Maybe one day, I’ll pick these series up again, but for now here’s a list of some YA series I just never finished and why:

The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare

I’ve said this once before on this blog and I’ll say it again: I’m just not really a fan of The Mortal Instruments. I managed to get to City of Glass but DNFed halfway through. Sure, I enjoyed the writing and the world-building was pretty good, but there was something about this series that just never really captured or gripped me.

Since then, I’ve never totally understood the hype around these books, although I have heard The Infernal Devices series is supposed to be better. But something tells me that I won’t ever be picking those books up if I can’t even finish the original series. I know they overlap and it would just get too confusing.

Divergent series by Veronica Roth

Now, I did enjoy the first book. Tris did really get on my nerves, but I liked the world and most of the other characters (even if that ending was totally OTT if I’m honest). I read Insurgent too and was actually pretty eager to find out what would happen next after another bombshell ending.

However, I left it quite a while before I even considered picking up Allegiant and by then the reviews started flooding in and oh… Yeah, all those reviews totally killed any faith I’d had in the series. And after I read a spoiler for the finale of Allegiant, just no. I’ve never bought the final book and I don’t really plan on doing so. There’s nothing worse than an unsatisfactory ending, especially in a series.

Penryn and the End of Days series by Susan Ee

This is actually a series I may continue with. Someone in the blogosphere, I can’t remember who it was, was raving about the character of Penryn and how she isn’t all about saving the world but instead about just protecting her family. I admit, it’s been quite a while since I read Angelfall and I don’t remember a lot except for Penryn’s very unstable mother and some kind of angel nightclub. But what this blogger said kinda made me want to give this series another go.

I only read Angelfall and planned to continue but just never got round to it. I think I did enjoy it, yet I have a feeling the romance annoyed me a bit. I was getting tired of normal human girls falling in love with supernatural beings at this point. Thankfully, that’s all died down now so maybe I’ll give this series another go.

The Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo

I actually bought Shadow and Bone as soon as it was released because it sounded so promising. Because of this, I have one of those copies called The Gathering Dark and when it got renamed it was all quite confusing. But anyway, I did actually enjoy that book! Some of it annoyed me a bit, I can’t actually remember what, it’s been so long, but when I think of the book I have a nagging feeling that something about it got on my nerves. Still, I know I enjoyed it overall and loved the world-building.

I was never so invested in the story though that I wanted to get Siege and Storm upon it’s release, so this was another trilogy that I just put off continuing and by then I’d moved onto other books and series.

Saying that, I really want to read Six of Crows as I’ve heard so much about it and, to me, it sounds better than the original Grisha trilogy. I know having read that trilogy enhances your reading of Six of Crows but I also know it isn’t necessary, so who knows if I’ll continue with the trilogy. I do, at least, already know a bit about the world. So, we’ll just have to see!

Crewel World series by Gennifer Albin

This was a really strange novel. I only read the first in the series and all I can remember was that it was just a bit complicated and baffling. I think I enjoyed it but can’t quite remember. However, that ending! I wasn’t too sure about the book until the ending which totally shocked me. Not because it was bad, but because it was really unexpected and intriguing!

So, I think one day I’d like to pick this series up again to find out what the hell was going on. For now though I’m not too bothered. I haven’t actually heard much about this series in the blogosphere, so I’m presuming it wasn’t overly popular, or was just average.

Newsoul series by Jodi Meadows

This, like Crewel, was another book that was just a whole load of what is even going on?! Seriously though, what was this book? It was really quite strange and didn’t ever really capture me. I don’t think I’ll be continuing with it, although it was a unique (and wacky) idea.

The Other Life duology by Susanne Winnacker

The Other Life was pretty creepy. I did enjoy it (it’s apocalyptic with monsters, of course I’d like it) but, if my brain is working correctly, I think what I didn’t like was the romance. However, the world-building and monsters were good and I think the writing was fine. I had 100% planned on continuing this series but the sequel took aaaaages to be released and by then I’d lost interest. Maybe I’ll finish it one day as it’s only a duology.

Starters series by Lissa Price

I think this book was pretty much a no from me. Interesting concept but a clumsy plot and romance. (Can you tell I’m very picky about romances in YA? It’s because too many are insta-love!). I knew after finishing this that I was probably never gonna pick up the sequel.

Partials Sequence trilogy by Dan Wells

I actually liked this series and have the final book waiting to be read. The problem was actually me: I took way too long to get round to each book and so my interest and understanding waned. However, I will finish this one day because I did like the first two books. And, guess what, no insta-love!

And there you have it! Do you think I should continue with any of these series? Or should I stay clear? Let me know in the comments below!

The Versatile Blogger Award

Hello, I’m back! I took a week away from the blogosphere because my boyfriend came to visit.

So, a little while back, I was nominated by the lovely Maya @ Maya the Book Explorer for the Versatile Blogger Award, so thank you very much!

The Rules

• Show the award on your blog
• Thank the person that has nominated you
• Share 7 different facts about yourself
• Nominate 15 blogs of your choice
• Link your nominees and let them know of your nomination

7 Facts About Little Old Me

1. I have a degree in BA English from Royal Holloway, University of London, and don’t let anyone tell you English degrees are easy because they really aren’t!
2. I have a Syrian Hamster called Cookie who’s very tame but also very naughty. He loves cheese and will wrestle you for it.
3. I want to be a successful author sometime in the future and I’ve previously been published and won competitions so fingers crossed!
4. I really love anything apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic, whether it’s a book, a film or a TV programme; there’s just something really fascinating about the apocalypse. Oh and zombies!
5. My favourite author of all time is Virginia Woolf.
6. I enjoy photography and would love to be a proper wildlife photographer but I’m nowhere near good enough, so taking photos of random cats and my hamster will have to suffice.
7. I like dinosaurs because I’m secretly a three-year-old boy at heart.

I Nominate

• Puput @ Sparkling Letters
• Ellie @ Ellie Maloney
• Elle @ Perusing Pages
• Jill @ Rant and Rave About Books
• Laura @ Laura Writes NE
• Ola @ Ola Reads Books
• Martin @ A Pretty Wonderful Book

I know that’s not 15 nominations but I’ve been nominating and tagging so many blogs recently I don’t want to keep bombarding all the same people! But these blogs nominated here are all ones I enjoy and worthy of the award.

Beauty and the Beast Book Tag

Thanks to icebreaker694 who tagged me for this a little while back, I’m finally getting round to it! Go check out her blog if you don’t follow her! And thanks to the creator of the tag,  Kristy and the Cat Read too!

Questions

1. TALE AS OLD AS TIME – A popular theme, trope or setting you will never get bored of reading

Okay, this has to be dystopian for me. Everyone is saying “oh it’s so overdone now”, but I totally disagree. As long as the society and plot are unique then I’m happy! I love the idea of different societies and what life might be like under a regime where kids kill each other for entertainment in arenas (The Hunger Games) or where a child hasn’t been born in decades ( The Children of Men). There are endless possibilities in this genre, so I don’t appreciate it when some books are clearly a rip-off of another and are just trying to jump on the bandwagon.

2. BELLE- A book you bought for its beautiful cover that’s just as beautiful inside too

All the Birds in the Sky was definitely an immediate cover-buy, although the blurb sounded really interesting too. It mentions the word ‘apocalypse’ after all so I was totally sold! However, I try not to buy books simply because I like their covers. A book could have some amazing cover art, but if it sounds boring or isn’t really my cup of tea, I won’t get it.

You can check out my review for All the Birds in the Sky here. It was a really magical and fantastical book, with some great characterisation too.

3. BEAST – A book you didn’t expect much from but that pleasantly surprised you

This has to be Throne of Glass. I hate the covers to this series. I know I just said I try not to judge a book by it’s cover but I just really don’t like the covers! I think they’re very kiddy and a bit corny. It definitely put me off when I first saw Throne of Glass, but then I also thought the blurb sounded pretty cliche too, so I steered clear. Like I said, if the synopsis had sounded great I might have tried it a bit earlier and not been such a snob. But when I joined the blogosphere and saw everyone raving about this series, I decided to finally give it a shot. And lo and behold, I was proven entirely wrong; I loved the first book! I’ve only read the one but I hope to get my hands on the second book sometime in the near future. Check out my review of Throne of Glass here.

4. GASTON – A book everyone loves that you don’t

Sorry guys, but I just can’t get into these books. I’ve read City of Bones and attempted City of Ashes but they’re just not for me. Actually, I think I even got as far as City of Glass but never finished it. I don’t even know. As you can tell, these books haven’t really stuck with me. I’m not a massive fan of all this urban fantasy/paranormal romance stuff. I can’t deny they’re pretty well written, but I never became obsessed like a lot of people.

5. LEFOU – A loyal sidekick that you can’t help but love more than their counterpart

I was 100% more of a fan of El Capitan than I was of Bradwell. I loved all the characters, but there was something just that little bit more special about El Capitan. He’s a really troubled soul and he’s ruthless, but he’s also exceptionally caring.

If you haven’t read this series, you are missing out on some of the best world-building, writing and characterisation I’ve ever read. This series is flawless.

6. MRS POTTS, CHIP, LUMIER & COGSWORTH – A book that helped you through a difficult time or that taught you something valuable

Do I even need to say why?

7. SOMETHING THERE – A book or a series that you weren’t into at first but picked up towards the end

Can I just start by saying there are so many different covers for this series and they’re all amazing. I love them.

But anyway, my love for the series as a whole didn’t quite start in the same fashion. In fact, I loved the opening chapter and the world; I was totally hooked. Aaaaand then the romance started and my interest went from 100 to 0. I just didn’t feel invested in the romance at all. But then the pace picked up again by the end of the first book (however, that motorcycle chase… what on earth?!) and continued on throughout the series. I preferred Julian to Alex, as you can probably tell, and was rooting for Julian throughout the series. By the final book, I had really come to love this trilogy, it’s just a shame it had a bit of a shaky start.

It’s odd really, because normally the first book in a trilogy is amazing, the second feels like a pointless filler, and the third picks up the pace and can either be amazing or a disaster. For me, I felt like the first book was a bit of a filler and the plots of the second and third novels were much more interesting.

8. BE OUR GUEST – A fictional character you’d love to have over for dinner

Anyone from the Old Kingdom series. Please come and love me and be my best friend. Especially Mogget. And Dog. And Sabriel and Lirael and Touchstone and Sameth and Nicholas. Everyone please. My ARC copy of Goldenhand is up next in my TBR and I’m practically salivating in anticipation of reading it.

I Tag

• Demi @ bookstraveller
• Arianne @ Beyond Chapters
• Aimal @ Bookshelves & Paperbacks

If you don’t do tags or you’ve already done this one, then please ignore me! If not, then have fun!