REVIEW: Brightly Burning by Alexa Donne - Paige

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book as an e-arc on NetGalley. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Rating:

Genre: YA Sci-Fi/Romance/Dystopian/Retelling

Recommended Age: 15+ (violence, sexual references, dystopian like horrors, and ice age)

Pages: 400

Amazon Link

Author Website

Synopsis: 

Stella Ainsley leaves poverty behind when she quits her engineering job aboard the Stalwart to become a governess on a private ship. On the Rochester, there’s no water ration, more books than one person could devour in a lifetime, and an AI who seems more friend than robot.

But no one warned Stella that the ship seems to be haunted, nor that it may be involved in a conspiracy that could topple the entire interstellar fleet. Surrounded by mysteries, Stella finds her equal in the brooding but kind, nineteen-year-old Captain Hugo. When several attempts on his life spark more questions than answers, and the beautiful Bianca Ingram appears at Hugo’s request, his unpredictable behavior causes Stella’s suspicions to mount. Without knowing who to trust, Stella must decide whether to follow her head or her heart.

Alexa Donne’s lush and enthralling reimagining of the classic Jane Eyre, set among the stars, will seduce and beguile you

So… I don’t read synopses and I shortly found out after I started reading this book that it was a Jane Eyre retelling. I’m one of those horrible people that hasn’t read many classics (well, I’ve not read the popular classics) but since I was somewhat familiar with Jane Eyre from a YouTube video explaining the highlights of it, I felt I was in a good position to read it. Surprisingly though I didn’t need my limited knowledge of the book to understand what was going on. The book was written so well and so unique given its retelling status. The book didn’t feel like a retelling and unless you were either familiar with the book you wouldn’t notice it was a retelling. The book also expanded from the original story so much and it really made the story its own. The characters in the book were very well developed and what you think is going to happen is completely the opposite of what does. The book did well at doing away at some of the tired old YA clichés. The book also had so many twists and turns that you can’t tell where the book is going. Hands down, one of my favorite Sci-Fi’s to date.

However, I did think that the book could have expanded more on the world building a bit, but once again what we got in the book was really well done and adequate. I need more though and I really hope we get a companion novel to this book. Maybe a Pride and Prejudice retelling? Little Women? White Fang? Wait…

Verdict: Jane Eyre in space is cool. If only Charlotte Bronte thought of it.

REVIEW: They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera - Paige

Disclaimer: None, I bought this book on Audible for a book club!

Rating:

Genre: YA Contemporary/Sci-Fi

Recommended Age: 16+ (language, violence, guns, sexual references, death, and living)

Pages: 384

Author Website

Amazon Link

Synopsis: 

On September 5, a little after midnight, Death-Cast calls Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio to give them some bad news: They’re going to die today.

Mateo and Rufus are total strangers, but, for different reasons, they’re both looking to make a new friend on their End Day. The good news: There’s an app for that. It’s called the Last Friend, and through it, Rufus and Mateo are about to meet up for one last great adventure—to live a lifetime in a single day.

Let’s start off that with a book about the end, I didn’t really expect it to have such a good beginning. I didn’t expect to feel for these characters as much as I did. And even though we know the ending, it still cuts like a hot knife. The writing was absolutely beautiful and even if this was the best book Adam Silvera ever wrote I would read every other book he penned. He’s gained a lifelong fan with this work. The story flowed together very well and the ending, while I have some issues with it, was beautiful as well. The book is a great conversation starter and it presents some amazing characters that are more developed than some of the most recent books I’ve read so far.

However, while I like the ending of the book I wish we had some sort of epilogue or final ending from a different POV so that we knew what the rest of the story looked like. I wish we had a final to the finale. I also wish we knew what the ending was to another character in the book and I want to see how all the side characters who didn’t get the call from deathcast handled the deaths. I want to see their happy endings, but I kind of know why I won’t. In life we really don’t get to see happy endings for anyone. Cinderella might have married the prince, but was she truly happy in the end? What constitutes happiness anymore? Is it acceptance of how well your life is compared to others or is it one final day on Earth with someone you love?

Verdict: This book makes me feel all the things.

REVIEW: Onyx and Ivory by Mindee Arnett - Erin

Onyx and Ivory (Rime Chronicles #1)

by Mindee Arnett

Hardcover, 512 pages

Published May 15th 2018 by Balzer + Bray

ISBN: 9780062652669

Library

About:

They call her Traitor Kate. It’s a title Kate Brighton inherited from her father after he tried to assassinate the high king years ago. Now Kate lives as an outcast, clinging to the fringes of society as a member of the Relay, the imperial courier service. Only those most skilled in riding and bow hunting ride for the Relay; and only the fastest survive, for when dark falls, the nightdrakes—deadly flightless dragons—come out to hunt. Fortunately, Kate has a secret edge: she is a wilder, born with magic that allows her to influence the minds of animals. But it’s this magic that she needs to keep hidden, as being a wilder is forbidden, punishable by death or exile. And it’s this magic that leads her to a caravan massacred by nightdrakes in broad daylight—the only survivor her childhood friend, her first love, the boy she swore to forget, the boy who broke her heart.

The high king’s second son, Corwin Tormane, never asked to lead. Even as he waits for the uror—the once-in-a-generation ritual to decide which of the king’s children will succeed him—he knows it’s always been his brother who will assume the throne. And that’s fine by him. He’d rather spend his days away from the palace, away from the sight of his father, broken with sickness from the attempt on his life. But the peacekeeping tour Corwin is on has given him too much time to reflect upon the night he saved his father’s life—the night he condemned the would-be killer to death and lost the girl he loved. Which is why he takes it on himself to investigate rumors of unrest in one of the remote city-states, only for his caravan to be attacked—and for him to be saved by Kate.

With their paths once more entangled, Kate and Corwin have to put the past behind them. The threat of drakes who attack in the daylight is only the beginning of a darker menace stirring in the kingdom—one whose origins have dire implications for Kate’s father’s attack upon the king and will thrust them into the middle of a brewing civil war in the kingdom of Rime.  (Goodreads)

Rating: 

Review:

A great opening to a new fantasy series.  Told through Kate’s and Corwin’s alternating perspectives we get a glimpse of what each character is feeling and how their story got them to where they are now. This means great character development for characters that you’ll love and root for.  The setting is mysterious and wonderful, scary and beautiful. With the new threat of Daydrakes looming around every corner and with the magic guild hunting wilders you’ll be worried for the main characters lives throughout. Yes there is some romance, but there is also a badass female who saves the prince! The story is not exactly unique, but it’s still good. The book is a pretty fast read filled with action and adventure. A perfect summer read for any fantasy fan. 

*To see more of Erin's reviews please click her signature to go to her blog

Review: The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski

Title: The Winner's Curse

Author: Marie Rutkoski

Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux

Publication: March 4th 2014

Cover Rating: 4/5

Goodreads | Amazon

It took me a bit of time to get into... Like half the book. It was so slow for me, there was something about the way that it was written that just seemed so freaking formal to me. But then once I got into it, I binge read the rest of the book. I lovveeeddd the scene of the kiss. I was going to delete that last part because I was thinking that it was probably a spoiler but then I was like nope, every book eventually has a kiss in it XD. The ending of the book was particularly intense but at the same time I was like WTF that just doesnt make sense. Like this guy is so into like... killing everyone and then hes like you know what, ill do what you want if you do this one thing. Like REALLY? youre willing to get rid of everything just for that? I thought you were supposed to be super cruel >.> But ttthhheeen I was like okay, it cant be that easy, this guy has to have some super evil plan right? Which is why I need to get the second book now XD

Recommend it?

Yeah, you simply have to give the book a chance

Overall, I gave the book 4/5 stars.

REVIEW: Furyborn by Claire Legrand

Title: Furyborn

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Author: Claire Legrand

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Publication: May 22nd 2018

Cover Rating: 5/5

Reading format: Provided ARC/Owned Hardcover

Goodreads | Amazon

Furyborn by Claire Legrand is the story of two queens. A Sun Queen and a Blood Queen. One of these Queens will save the world, the other will bring it to its end. The prophecy has no idea when these queens will come, just that they will, and they need to figure out which queen is which so that the queen who will end the world can be killed before the prophecy comes to light.

Each queen that is born will have the power to control all of the elements. When it comes to light that Reille, a friend of the crowned prince, possesses more than one element, she is put to the test to see if she is, in fact, on of the queens. This test will also prove which queen she is. 

The other end of the story is from the point of view of Eliana. She is pretty much an assassin. She takes jokes for money and so that her family is protected. She thinks she is untouchable until the person that is kidnapping women in her city takes her mother. She is hired to find this other assassin but things go wrong and she ends up teaming up with him instead, to find her mother and figure out who is kidnapping all these women and why.

this story is so fun and full of action and lore. It is a little bit much at first but once you wrap your head around everything you will love the book. There are so many aspects to this story and the plot line is so incredible. 

There is something this book had that I really wasn’t expecting and that is time-travel. I am not a big fan of time-travel at all but the author did it very well for this story and it fits in very well with the plot so I didn’t have a hard time with it.

In the end, I greatly enjoyed this entire story. I was a little confused at the beginning with all the back and forth between the storylines. Both main female characters seemed like the same person to me, but there is a really good reason for that and it is definitely explained. I cannot want for the next book in the series to see where it takes these characters.

Overall, I gave the book 4.5/5 stars.

5 YA Book Recommendations - July 2018

Goodreads | Amazon

Contemporary

Goodreads | Amazon

Science Fiction

Goodreads | Amazon
Mystery

Goodreads | Amazon

Fantasy

Goodreads | Amazon

Horror

REVIEW: Bright Burns the Night by Sara B. Larson - Paige

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for free courtesy of KidLitExchange and the publishing company. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Rating: 

Genre: YA Fantasy/Retelling

Recommended Age: 14+ (slight gore, violence, sexual references)

Pages: 320

Author Website

Amazon Link

Synopsis: 

Ten years ago, King Lorcan of the Dark Kingdom Dorjhalon defeated Queen Evelayn and cut her conduit stone from her. Since then, he has kept her trapped in her swan form. With the loss of balance between Dark and Light, winter has descended and the Draíolon of Éadrolan lose more power every day. But once a year, Lorcan transforms her back to her Draíolon form and offers a truce. And every year Evelayn refuses — for he requires her to Bind herself to him for life.But now, with an Ancient power bearing down upon them, everything may change. Evelayn will learn that the truths she once believed have shattered, and that she may need her enemies even more than her allies. Lorcan and Evelayn become partners in a desperate quest to return the balance of power to Lachalonia. How far will this partnership go? Can friendship — perhaps even love — bloom where hatred has taken root?Sara B. Larson delivers a thrillingly romantic and hauntingly satisfying end to this extraordinary duology.

 

I really need to watch Swan Lake. The ballet can’t be as beautifully tragic as this book right? Anyways, we return where we left off in the first novel of this duology: Evelayn is trapped as a swan doing her swan thing. She actually got a gathering as swans to see her as their queen, which was kinda cool. Anyways, I can’t say anymore because of spoilers but the novel was beautifully well written and it actually feels like you’re in a mid-1500s book. The plot was interesting and the premise was as well.

However, I do have some qualms about this book. The plot was intriguing, but at the end nothing is really solved. It just ends. I’m not sure if there was more to the novel that I’m missing since I only have an arc but the book just ended without a proper ending. The characters weren’t that well developed and the book really failed the Bechdel Test. The female characters, in particular, were lazily written and added nothing to the plot. Even Evelayn, who was my favorite of the previous novel, was severely weakened in this one. The other two females, who had their own strengths, were so weak in comparison to the males of this book. The men in this book basically protected and shielded the females and the book was so tropey that it made me angry. The book didn’t even go back into the swan thing, which I thought was the main point of Swan Lake.

Verdict: This book had so much potential, but in the end, it let me down. It’s still a beautifully well-written book, however.