An Enchantment of Ravens » Book Review

 

An Enchantment of Ravens » Sierra's Thoughts

I must have been a faerie in my past life because this book made me feel nothing. It's a pity because it has such an interesting premise and I really thought I would enjoy it. Another reviewer compared the setting and atmosphere of the novel to Uprooted, which is one of my absolute favorite books of all time, so I was pumped.

While I do agree with that assessment, it wasn't enough to save the book for me.

WARNING: I may sound like a Love-Grinch, here...

In order to like this book, you have to be rooting for Isobel and Rook's love story. But... WHAT LOVE STORY?! How did it even happen?! Somehow, the process of them falling in love completely slipped by me.

When I started the book, I thought Isobel was a great character. She was not only an extremely talented artist but also a clever young woman...

Now, in the book, human crafts are traded for faerie enchantments. However, you have to be very careful about how you word these enchantments because the faeries enjoy tricking humans and finding ways to subvert those enchantments. Our heroine, Isobel, always thought these enchantments through and made sure that they benefited her whole family — her Aunt Emma and random goat-sisters. She was smart.

Alas, all good things come to an end because she meets a prince and feelings happen.



"This wasn't like me. So many years of being cautious, and in a matter of minutes I'd started slipping up."

DAMN YOU, ISOBEL. I refuse to believe that years of dedicated attention to detail can fall by the wayside as soon as she gets a crush. Shouldn't some kind of cognitive muscle-memory kick in?

Here's a quote where Isobel does some self-reflection on this matter:

"Now I have to tell you how foolish I am. Before that gray and lifeless time following Rook's departure, I'd always scoffed at stories in which maidens pine for their absent suitors, boys they've hardly known a week and have no business falling for. Didn't they realize their lives were worth more than the dubious affection of one silly young man? That there were things to do in a world that didn't revolve solely around their heartbreak? Then it happens to you and you understand you aren't any different from those girls after all. Oh, they still seem just as absurd - you've simply joined them, in quite a humbling way."



Here's the thing. I can actually buy into this. Ellen can tell you, I pine like no other. However, unlike the readers of this story, Ellen knows every searing detail behind the pining. (She may not want to, but she does.)

In An Enchantment of Ravens, we have no idea why the pining is happening. Isobel meets Rook; Rook saves Isobel; Isobel starts slipping up; Rook sits for portrait; Rook is vain, Rook pays Isobel in enchanted ravens; (*BAM*) Isobel is in love with Rook. And all this happens within the first four chapters...

As I read on, though, I realized that there is a redeeming quality in Isobel. She does eventually realize that infatuation is different from love and is able to discern that within herself.

But by that point, I had lost my investment in the characters. In the book, we never really figure out why or how Isobel and Rook fall in love. And because their love is the driving force behind the plot and action of the book, I wasn't very invested in those things, either.

Plot, Pacing, and the Rest

The plot of this book is predictable. If you are familiar with its genre, you will see the plot twists coming a mile away. Nothing surprised me. As for the pacing, it was a little all over the place, but it didn't detract from the overall story.

The main issue I had with this novel, is the way the author seemed to hide pieces of information from the reader for no apparent reason. Have you ever had a friend, in your childhood, who would start to give you something and then just snatch it away at the last second? That's what it felt like. (I'm not friends with that person anymore.)

For example, Isobel references the trauma of her parents' death a few times, even in a discussion with her aunt (who was also shaken up by what had happened), but nobody — not the author, not Isobel, not the aunt — ever goes into any details about what occurred. It was infuriating!

To Close...

Even though An Enchantment of Ravens is supposed to be a stand-alone novel, it could be expanded into a series. Maybe that's where we'll learn what happened to Isobel's parents. I don't think I will pick up a sequel. However, I do think I will give this author another try if she publishes an unrelated novel.

A Promise of Fire » Book Review

Ellen and I were both DYING to get our hands on an ARC copy of A Promise of Fire when we saw the slew of 4-5 star reviews from reputable bloggers. Unfortunately, we didn't feel the same kind of magic that they did. Ellen disliked it (to put it mildly) and she already wrote up a review (HERE) detailing her less-than-stellar opinion of the book.

Fortunately for me, I didn't despise it quite as much as she did. But I definitely agree with all the issues that Ellen brought up in her review.

Catalia

Our main character, Cat (as she likes to be called), is 23 years old. I didn't figure that out until I started writing this review! She talks like a petulant 15 year old. During her inner monologue, she frequently uses words like 'gah' and 'gag'. If I was playing a drinking game, I would be drunk in 3 chapters flat. Okay, okay. I'm a lightweight. BUT STILL.

"Thanks the Gods. Gag!
Sort of.
Except not at all.
Gah! I'm going insane!"

SHOOT ME.

The synopsis calls Cat smart-mouthed.

I wouldn't say that the words coming out of her mouth are... 'smart'. It's mostly a constant stream of 'I hate you', 'get lost' and 'let me go'. Look, I love a witty character. I LIVE for banter and sexual tension. She talks for the sake of saying words and to antagonize others. I should pull out quotes, but gaaahhhhh I don't wanna! (See what I did there?)

One of my bookish pet peeves is when a character claims that she is secretive and guarded and yet can't seem to keep her mouth shut and spills her secrets anyway. This happened NUMEROUS times. For example, even when she clearly makes everyone around her promise to keep her secrets from Griffin's family, SHE IS THE FIRST ONE TO BLAB IT OUT. It took about 10 minutes into dinner for that to happen.

Uh huh. Guarded. Secretive. I see it. Of course the BIG secret needed to be kept because how else can we stretch it into a trilogy?

My other pet peeve is when self-sacrifice is taken to the extreme (*cough* Supernatural *cough*). Cat is supposed to be a strong, badass woman with amazing powers. And sure she makes use of some of them, BUT TO THE POINT OF DEATH. This happened not once, not twice, but a total of THREE times. She gets completely conked out and needs Griffin to take care of her. That seems to be the feminist response to the damsel in distress trope. We can't have the female be completely incompetent... so let's make her snarky and powerful, but still need a man to save her from the aftermath of it to keep the romance alive!

Why a 3 Star Rating?

For all my griping, I did enjoy the read. It was frustrating at times, and cringe-worthy at times, but I kept going and I was always interested to see what was going to happen next. Even though Kato & Flynn (the other members of Griffin's personal team) were practically identical characters, I ADORED the brother/sister relationship they had with Cat.

Even though I found the romance problematic and Griffin a little too high-handed, I was still invested. Until a certain plot detail cropped up. Then I totally lost it. [spoiler]Magical sexual healing??? WTF! Poseidon sent Cat a magical jizz man to heal her?![/spoiler] I managed to get through it though. Thank god for Ellen.

Even though I firmly believe that this book didn't have to be stretched into a trilogy, I am still willing to give the next 2 books a shot. Hopefully it gets better from here.

A Promise of Fire releases today. Happy reading everyone!

The Witch Hunter » Book Review

Disappointed doesn't even begin to cover my range of emotions upon completion of The Witch Hunter. I wanted to love it! I was completely ready to jump on the bandwagon. But I sadly could only wave as the bandwagon passed me by along its journey to the squealing fandom.

Elizabeth - Our Witch Hunter

The setting of the book isn't anything new, surprising or special. Our main character is Elizabeth and she happens to be a witch hunter. She is pretty damn good at her job but unfortunately gets accused of witchcraft herself. Whoops.

Luckily she gets rescued! Unfortunately it's by a wizard. That isn't going to do her reputation any good.

I really enjoyed the first 100 or so pages of the book. But I quickly started losing interest after that. I can't exactly explain why. Maybe it's because I had left my hotel in Ohio and I could no longer read by the pool. Maybe the first 100 pages were only made interesting by the fact that I had THIS to look at (via bookishpeach @ Instagram).


I genuinely liked Elizabeth. She was strong, hard-working, and loyal. However, most of the characters surrounding her seemed dull and lifeless. Call me crazy, but it got to the point where I felt that book was seeping energy OUT of me.

Romance

We do have a teensy love triangle in the works. It didn't bother me too much because the two love interests were kept separate from each other and there wasn't a whole lot of mooning on Elizabeth's part. Her first love interest is Caleb. He introduced her to Blackwell and the world of witch-hunting but can't seem to see Elizabeth as anything other than a sister or a dear friend. So we do have some pining to deal with. Luckily it wasn't overwhelming and I found it quite relatable (since I do occasionally find myself in the pining stage as well).

Then we have John, the healer. I liked him, he seemed nice and sweet. But I FELT nothing. I wanted a romance that I could really get behind, something I could root for. All I felt was a lot of 'meh'.

Our Crew & Villain

I'm lumping these two categories together because I have the same complaint.

(Just so you guys know, I recited the rest of the lines in my head)

Elizabeth ends up going on a quest with a John, George and some girl whose name I can't remember because of a prophecy. What a wonderful opportunity for me to fall in love with these characters!

Nope. NOTHING. I have NO feelings.

We instead end up at a really bizarre juvenile party that reminded me a terrible YA high school contemporary instead of a fantasy story with real stakes. The change in tone really threw me off and I couldn't make myself recover from that.

Onto our villain, Blackwell. He was SO BORING. Nothing about his character surprised me at all. Apparently, I had guessed the big reveal right after reading the synopsis (which I must say, must be some kind of record for me). He was just a standard villain. There was nothing interesting about him.

There wasn't anything interesting about anyone, really.

I do have the next book, The King Slayer, already checked out from the library. I will probably give it a go in a few days just so I can complete this duology. Maybe it will be a little better than The Witch Hunter.

I know some of my blogger friends out there really enjoyed this one. I'M SORRY GUYS! I really did try, I promise.

PS: There is NO political intrigue. Absolutely none. Don't fall for the Game of Thrones comparison!

The Forbidden Wish » Book Review

The Forbidden Wish is a beautifully written book filled with exactly the kind of magic I needed. I shall do my best to be coherent, but there might be more swooning and gushing than one might except from a romantic cynic such as myself.

Now, I will be the first one to say that I am tired of the fairy-tale retelling genre. But Khoury did an amazing job with this one. This is a fantastic stand-alone fantasy novel that is a retelling of the story of Aladdin. At this point, I can't even decide which version I love more.

Our Jinni

Our protagonist is Zahra, the jinni. Formerly known as Genie voiced by our beloved Robin Williams. There are some major differences between the two. For one, Zahra is a woman. For another, she possesses an entirely different kind of humor.

Aladdin stumbles across Zahra's lamp deep in a cave surrounded by a beautiful garden made entirely of gems. He manages to escape with the help of Zahra and forges an unlikely friendship beyond that of master and jinni.

I loved reading from Zahra's perspective. She is a flawed character, witty, manipulative, and sometimes painfully insightful. Her life experiences have warned her against love in a way that is entirely realistic and plausible. I've read/watched too many heroes refuse to show or have emotion out of pure stubbornness and selfishness instead of having a justifiable reason.

The story is told in first person and is addressed to Zahra's old friend Roshana, also referred to as Habiba. Roshana used to a previous master of Zahra's but they formed a deep and abiding love for each other that transformed their bond into that of sisterhood. When Zahra spoke of Roshana, it was as if Khoury had weaved a spell around my heart. I could feel that love and connection resonate within myself, and it was a very powerful moment for me.

Everyone Else

The princess of our story, Caspida, is freakin' badass. She is a warrior princess with her own band of warrior-maidens. How amazing is that?! I loved every single moment with her and her ladies. Khoury did an amazing job creating a vast array of strong female characters with their own strengths, weaknesses and personality. Every character was distinct from each other and had their own role to play within their insular society.

The interactions between Zahra and Caspida had me pumping my fist in delight. Two strong women coming together to discuss politics and the fate of the kingdom? SIGN ME UP.

The romance that slowly developed and simmers between Zahra and Aladdin was absolutely swoon-worthy. Their relationship is built on friendship and mutual trust. There were moments when I would skim over some of the political intrigue in the story to get to an Aladdin and Zahra section. Of course, I made sure I went back and re-read what I missed.

Magic and the Jinni

I found the descriptions Khoury used to describe Zahra's brand of magic to be breathtaking. I am typically not a visual imaginative reader. By that, I mean that I don't picture things in my head. But when I was reading about Zahra, I couldn't help but imagine the swirls of smoke that would erupt around her as she practiced a certain aspect of her magic and giggle over her ability to turn from a cat or a bumbling peacock to a tiger at a moment's notice. I know I keep saying the same things over and over again, but this book was just beautiful.

If you're interested in learning a little more about Zahra's background, Jessica Khoury has written a free short story (HERE) on Wattpad aptly titled The Jinni.

I couldn't recommend this book more. I strongly urge you to pick it up and give it a chance yourself.

Rat Queens, Vol. 1 » Graphic Novel Review

I have owned the first volume of Rat Queens for over a year now. I can't believe it took me this long to pick it up!

I ADORED it. It is dark, gory, and laugh-out-loud hilarious. The artwork is stunning, and I loved the diverse group of women that made up the squad of Rat Queens.

Our Rat Queens

Betty



Betty, our Hippy Smidgen Thief, was dueling it out with Dee for my favorite character. She had some of the funniest lines, and she never failed to make me laugh.

Dee



Dee, our Atheist Human Cleric, is my official favorite. She has badass healing powers, and her social skills speak to my soul. This panel is my absolute favorite. That is straight up me at a party. Also I have to admit, I do have a teensy girl crush on Dee. BUT WHO WOULDN'T, amirite?

Hannah



Hannah is our Rockabilly Elven Mage. And she is SO COOL. I mean, look at them tats.

Violet



Violet, our hipster dwarven fighter, is a kickass fighter. And according to this installment, she and Dee have the most interesting backstory by far.

These women are unapologetically themselves. They are bawdy, vulgar, arrogant and badass. They aren't wearing skintight spandex, their bodies look like the bodies of women. I shouldn't be this excited by something this simple, but you don't often see women represented in graphic novels/comics in a realistic manner.

The volume was quick-paced, it threw you into the action right away. While I usually enjoy that, it did take me a while to recognize the individual characters. I also didn't necessarily feel like all of the characters were developed equally. I had a harder time getting to know and remember both Hannah and Violet. Hopefully that will be rectified in the next installment!

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Are there any graphic novel series that you enjoy? Let us know in the comments below!

Princess of Thorns by Stacey Jay » Book Review

Hello Wonderful Readers!

Princess of Thorns was recommended to me by a dear IRL (In-Real-Life) friend and it turned out to be exactly the light, occasionally humorous, fantasy fare I needed at the time.

First off, I would like to inform you that this book is absolutely NOTHING like Game of Thrones or Grimm's fairy tales. It is not as convoluted, or as epic high fantasy, or as miserable as either of two aforementioned comparisons. If I had to compare it to something, I would say it's a semi-confusing mixture of Disney films targeted towards young teens.

Now, I personally don't find anything wrong with that. I just wouldn't want someone picking up the book thinking it's something that it's not. On one hand, we have Aurora. She is the daughter of Sleeping Beauty and fairy-blessed with strength, mercy, and cursed with the ability to suck the free will out of any boy she kisses. She is the token strong female character. I say token because I didn't feel like there was much depth to her. And I think it's because all I really knew of her was her backstory, her amusing back-and-forths with Niklaas, her impressive fighting abilities as a result of being fairy-blessed, and her love for her family. That may seem like more than enough, but there was something missing. She was definitely an enjoyable character, I just don't believe that she is a character strong in mind, body and spirit. There were moments where the author could have elevated her narrative from a run-of-the-mill fantasy story to something with more substance through Aurora's thoughts and actions, but sadly, Stacey Jay let those moments slide.

Aurora's traveling companion was Niklaas, the 11th son of an immortal King. His father was so worried about his sons trying to take his throne that he found a way to curse them upon their 18th birthday. Each boy would turn into a swan upon their majority. See what I mean about the amalgam of Disney and fairy tales? Oh, but it only gets better! Let's throw some Mulan into the mix! Niklaas thinks Aurora (Ror) is a young lad, and hilarity (for us readers) ensue.

I must admit, I'm a sucker for the 'girl-disguised-as-a-boy' trope. I find it absolutely enchanting, probably because for most of my childhood I actually wished to be a boy. It's wish-fulfillment at its weirdest. I can't think of many books out there that pull it off WELL, especially within the YA genre. But I will admit that it did seem plausible within this story, and hence enjoyable. The banter between Aurora and Niklaas was amusing, and did make me smile. I can imagine 13-yr-old me being absolutely enamored with their romance. I was always a sucker for good old-fashioned bickering. I blame that on Indian soap operas. It taught me that bickering = love, a woman who faints for any reason = pregnant, and real passion occurs when your bangles break or when someone is slapped.

When it comes to the setting of this fantasy, everything is dull and easily forgotten. We have fairies/Fey, ogres, witches, kings/queens, princes/princesses, etc. Everything felt plugged in as opposed to organically being part of the narrative. The focus of this fantasy definitely remains on our two lovebirds. I did enjoy their simmering romance, even when, Aurora and Niklaas veered into soap-opera territory many a time.

I did discover a few Indian soap opera clips for you guys to enjoy! We are dramatic people. #myindianchildhood

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPR7c7VGowo

Discussion of the Captive Prince Series, by C. S. Pacat

C O N T A I N S     S P O I L E R S!!!

Something occurred to me when I was writing my review of C. S. Pacat's Captive Prince a few weeks ago.  And that is, there is so much I want to talk about with people! However, I can't in good conscience recommend this book to the people in my day-to-day life, all so I can chat them up about it. The Captive Prince series, especially book one, is extreme and explores some very dark, very immoral themes in a disturbing manner.  I don't want to risk scarring people by foisting Captive Prince on them.  A recommendation of this series should come with a full disclosure. It brought me to the brink of total disgust and I consider myself to be a pretty liberal reader.  That being said, after I was finished with book one, which contains the lion's share of horrific material, I loved the series.  I want to talk about it with people, or, at the very least, share some of my thoughts. So here we go — a discussion of the Captive Prince series.

Book One Really Pushes It

In interviews C. S. Pacat is frequently asked about her boundary-pushing writing.  So far, from what I've read of her answers, Pacat seemed keen to disturb people.  That was utterly intentional on her part. She even admits to having written with her eyes averted from her screen, squeamish herself. So, what I haven't picked out yet is, why?  I understand wanting to elicit strong feelings in readers to create high emotional stakes... but was the explicit content in Captive Prince, Volume One necessary? Why did Pacat push it that far?  I was almost totally alienated by the content, which contains graphic sexual assault, rape, and torture, amongst many other things.

Here's my bottom line: I cannot love Captive Prince, Volume One like I do the rest of the series, because it was so goddamn disturbing.

I've tried to re-read book one, like I've done with books two and three, but I just can't manage it. I'm finished with that novel, and I can't make myself re-visit it.  Books two and three — I can read them over and over again.  But not Captive Prince. Despite this, I have to appreciate book one in many respects for laying the foundations for Prince's Gambit and Kings Rising. 

So here's my question: Did the boundary-pushing in Captive Prince, Volume One actually affect the emotional stakes for the rest of the series positively, or was it all gratuitous?

Laurent Has a Mysterious Backstory That Can Be Reconstructed

We find out in plain terms at the end of Kings Rising what was hinted at throughout the entire series — Laurent had a sexual relationship when he was a boy with his uncle, who is a pedophile.  Readers, we all saw that coming, right?  Throughout the books, Laurent is exhibits classic symptoms of having been abused and exploited at a young age.  There were countless small hints dropped and countless, heart-squeezing suggestions.

What shocked me, though, is when Laurent hints that he was partially complicit in the abuse. It's such a sad, wrenching backstory.

I found it somewhat frustrating that we never get a clear picture of what exactly happened to Laurent.  But, with some reflection, I found that Pacat had given us enough clues for us to put the story together.

Here's what I think happened, based off of evidence from the text:

Laurent's uncle, a pedophile, dialed in on a young Laurent as a potential victim from a time before Auguste's demise.  Auguste, for his part, protected Laurent from their uncle's manipulations while alive.  Upon Auguste's violent death, however, there was no one standing between Laurent and his uncle's dark agenda.  Desperate for comfort and affection, a young Laurent became complicit in a secret, sexual relationship with his uncle, the predator.  

Much like the regent's other young victims, Laurent became both enthralled by his uncle and coerced into a servile role.  After a number of years, however, the regent exchanged Laurent for a younger victim.  At first confused and disoriented, Laurent, with some distance from his uncle, gradually came to understand that he'd been exploited, by his own family and 'caretaker' no less... hence, his terrible thirst for revenge...

In the present, Laurent is still suffering the ill-effects of years of sexual and mental abuse. This explains, in full, Laurent's "virgin/whore" dichotomy, where he seems at once wholly bored by and exposed to sexuality, adroit at explicit verbal jabs, and yet, he is frigidly prudish to an infamous degree.

That's my idea of what happened.  Readers, does it align with your concept of Laurent's backstory?

Laurent's Relationship With Damen, His Brother's Killer, Starts Out Sick, Winds Up Surprisingly Healthy

From the age of thirteen, Laurent has been obsessed with 'Damianos,' the war hero of Akielos.  The reason why — Damianos bested Auguste, Laurent's older and beloved brother, in a single-combat deathmatch. Not only did Damen kill Auguste, but his victory ushered in the darkest period of Laurent's life.  Without his protector in Auguste, Laurent fell prey to his pedophilic uncle.

Even before the Regent, Damen of Akielos was Laurent's first enemy.  Fantasizing revenge, Laurent trained with the sword, learning both Veretian techniques and the Akielon style, all to one day seek Damianos out and avenge Auguste.

So when, ten months before Laurent's ascendancy to kingship, the new Akielon regime sends Damianos to Laurent in chains, Laurent is thrown.  At first, Laurent intends to toy with Damen like a mouse, aware than Damen thinks his identity is undiscovered.  However, Laurent reacts with rage and disgust when Damen makes a sexual overture, and has Damen flayed near to death.

Realizing that he's made a political error in gambling with Damen's life, Laurent decides to keep his slave and adversary alive.  In little time, however, Damen's character, sensitive, honorable, and so contrary to the dumb brute Laurent had expected, makes an impression on Prince of Vere. At the end of Captive Prince and throughout part of Prince's Gambit, Laurent decides to put some careful trust in the man who he used to loathe above all others. Over time, their camaraderie grows, with a romantic edge to boot.

When Laurent and Damen's relationship becomes sexual, near the end of book two, it comes as a shock to the reader, though not in the expected way. Damen was born into a homoerotic culture and has been lusting after Laurent since book one.  That there is lust and attraction on his side is not a shock. What's gripping is that Damen's identity has just been discovered by Jord, who gives Damen a deadline to get out of town. All of this deception is hanging like a guillotine and Damen has sex with Laurent anyway... Damen!

What's even more shocking is Laurent's complicity.  The reader has been shown outright that Laurent is frigid, and its been intimated that he's been sexually abused by his uncle.  To accept Damen as a lover is a marvelous personal step in letting himself heal and be vulnerable! Or so we think...

We find out in King's Rising, along with a blindsided Damen, that Laurent has known Damen as 'Damianos' from the first. Instead of Damen taking advantage of Laurent when they had sex, it was the other way around. Laurent!

After everything's out in the open, however, the two men actually move forward. It's hard to discern the point when, after everything, Laurent decides to earnestly pursue a relationship with Damen.  Most certainly, has already occurred when the two reunite in the sheets, after Laurent has interrogated the two-timing Jocaste, Damen's former lover and possible baby-mama.  The difference between that honest encounter and Damen and Laurent's first, manipulation-ridden rumble is palpably different. And from that point onward, Laurent becomes vulnerable and giving in leaps and bounds, much to a love-sick Damen's delight.

But when exactly did Laurent forgive Damen, put their history aside, and decide to love his former enemy?  Did it happen gradually, or was it a moment's decision?

The Identity of Damen, 'Damianos,'

A big theme in the books is the concept of dual identities. Yes, it's no mistake that Damen, 'Damianos,' has two names. So, did Damen become a slave during the course of the series, casting aside his former self? Or was he the Prince of Akielos all along?  The books seem to argue in favor of his being one person, with different facets.  Damen always had a generous and giving side — it grew and developed during his time as a slave — and yet, he also has unyielding integrity and the personal pride of a king.

Laurent gets a mighty share of recognition for being a complicated and faceted character, but in my opinion, Damen doesn't get enough credit.  He is a complex character in his own right. For instance...

Part of Damen's identity is 'Damianos,' Prince-Killer and jock lord.

His greatest hits:

• Throwing a six-pound sword through the air to impale a man.


• Besting an armed adversary with a wooden practice weapon, to the the astonishment of all present.


• Shattering an opponent's shield with a single blow.


• Being kicked in the nuts by Laurent during a bought, and carrying on through the blackout pain.


• Winning victories in his army's athletic games, with nonchalance and a cheerful attitude.


• Being recognized as 'Damianos, Prince-Killer' through his body-language on the battlefield.


• Ripping a window out of a wall.

I have to say, I loved this character, especially during his 'jock moments.'  And I thought it was a great move on Pacat's part to have him be our narrator, even though she's intimated in interviews that she favors Laurent.  Damen is quite relatable, but also enough of a unique character and a powerful identity to make his narration vastly entertaining.

Who was your favorite of the two protagonists? Laurent? Or Damen?

These Books Are Going To Stay With Me

That's mainly what I have to say. Only over 1,600 words of raving. Haha! But if you're reading this, please, comment! I would LOVE to hear your own thoughts on this complicated, sexy, fantastic series.

A Court of Mist and Fury » Book Review

If A Court of Thorns and Roses was a Beauty and the Beast retelling, then A Court of Mist and Fury is the story of Hades and Persephone. This book is darker, sexier, and more twisting than its predecessor and I LIKED THAT.

Here's the thing... Maas has the ability to write vastly entertaining books, ALBEIT with juvenile edges. She often resorts to B-movie theatrics and hair-pin turn-arounds, and that can annoy me.  So even though I can't respect her writing as that of a master, I can enjoy her stories immensely.

And I enjoyed A Court of Mist and Fury, moreso than I have any of Maas's other books.

Part of the charm was the romance.  [spoiler]In a move that is just SO Maas, the love interest of the previous book is demolished. Tamlin goes the way of Chaol from the Throne of Glass series and becomes an asshole...all to make way for a newer, fresher, more intense love story.[/spoiler] I'm not going to lie — I love a dark-edged love story and that's exactly what Maas delivers in A Court of Mist and Fury.

As for Feyre, our protagonist, we don't see her do anything as incredibly epic as the Wyrm Hunt of A Court of Thorns and Roses, but the character does come into her own in A Court of Mist and Fury.  At times, I thought she was losing her distinction as a character, but then Maas would tighten things up once more and Feyre emerge once again. She's a human-hearted girl who can hold her own in a crowd of powerful and ruthless fae.

Another great character — Rhysand.  He was the complicated villain character in the previous book, and he comes back with a vengeance in A Court of Mist and Fury.  He is Tamlin's foil, and he has a whole other agenda when it comes to Feyre and ideas about how she should be spending her new immortality.  Rhysand is the High Lord of Night, Dreams, and Nightmares, and, in the words of Feyre, is as faceted as the night sky.  The prose lit up whenever he was present on the page.

Speaking of characters, one of my big complaints about A Court of Thorns and Roses, was how few major characters there were.  The cast seemed very, very small — Feyre, Tamlin, and Lucien.  Fortunately, Maas broadens her story in the sequel.  We got to meet more than several new cast members, mostly friends and allies of Rhysand.  My favorite by far was Cassian, a brute of a soldier with passionate appetites.  I hope we see more of him going forward. Mor was also great — a lovely high-fae woman with a brutal past.

We get to learn far more about how the fae-realms work in A Court of Mist and Fury, partly because the book is quite long (a good thing!) and partly because Feyre has the means to find out more.  One sub-storyline I liked immensely was that of the Illyrians — a low-fae race with bat-wings and talons.  They're a warrior race with a rich culture, but they treat women like shit.  It was so interesting to see fae-feminism come into play in this book.  It's a subject that usually isn't touched on in the flood of fae-centered fantasies on the market. It was a really nice sub-plot.

This review has been quite rambling, but meh, whatever.  So was the book, really — meandering, long, and self-indulgent. But I really, truly liked all of these qualities.  Most especially, the darker, more adult turn this sequel took.  Is A Court of Mist and Fury really being sold in the YA section? Whew! It most definitely has NA themes about it.

So, if you were hesitant about picking up the sequel to A Court of Thorns and Roses, I say give it a shot.  I liked it far better than book one, which I thought was deeply flawed, yet entertaining.  A Court of Mist and Fury is most definitely imperfect, but nevertheless shines in its own, weird light.

 

Captive Prince » Series Review

What if a lion and panther met in the jungle?  There might be some vicious spats at first, but you know those big cats would wind up feeling admiration for the other.  Because although they're intensely different creatures, each is a remarkable beast in his own way...

Damianos, Prince of Akielos, is a hero to his countrymen.  He's famous for his defeat of Auguste, the heir of a rival kingdom, on the field of battle. His skill in combat is unparalleled, and his future kingship will continue a noble legacy of generations.

But despite his grandeur, Damianos has a soft and loyal heart.  So when his own brother moves to betray him, Damianos doesn't see it coming.  Forced into slavery, 'Damen' is gifted to Laurent, the younger brother of Auguste, the very man Damen is famed for slaying.

Thus begins an epic tale of war, politics, and power.

I began this series because it comes very highly rated.  And I would have stopped at book one, if not for the encouragement of other reviewers.  You see, reading book one in this series, Captive Prince, was terrible.  The writing itself was very skilled; it wasn't an issue of quality.  The problem was, the content was utterly horrific — slavery, rape, and pedophilia are depicted unflinchingly and with excruciating detail. I wanted to pitch the book away from me and scrub my brain.

Regardless of the depravity, you do get the sense, while reading, that foundations are being laid and that great events are brewing, about to boil over.  And, indeed, in book two, matters culminate in a way that is truly spectacular writing. Really, I can't praise book two, Prince's Gambit, enough. It will go down as one of the best fantasies that I've had the joy of reading.

Book three, Kings Rising, continues the momentum of Prince's Gambit.  I won't say that it was a perfectly stunning conclusion, but it left me very happy overall.

Perhaps the thing I loved most about this series was the characterization, which was incredibly rich, for both major and minor players.  Damen, or Damianos, 'Prince-Killer,' is our narrator, and my favorite character.  He's not unlike a classical hero — an Achilles or an Alexander. Damen's arc throughout the series was wonderful and distinct.

You get the sense that before his enslavement, Damen lived life as a bit of a simple jock.  Despite having a very big heart, he's been unable to put it to good purpose.  After being put through the ringer of book one, however, Damen blooms into a powerful man with strongly empathetic feelings. Because of this, he's able to befriend and love Laurent, who is so damaged by life and circumstance, that he's become an icy and unpleasant person.

Oh yes, and how could I finish this review without mentioning the romance?  Readers, it was scorching.  Whoa, Nelly. In regards to M/M romance, I haven't read anything else yet in the genre that compares to this eroticism. C. S. Pacat knows when to get wordy and when to get crude. Moreover, so much of the characters' individual journeys are at play when they're having sex; it makes the encounters so much more than 'hot scenes.'  It bears saying again — I've never read explicit writing quite of this caliber. And if that's the hook that drives you to pick up this series, good!

So, have you read this series yet?  Heard of it?  It's so exciting when you find an amazing piece of writing, not by keeping up with mainstream media and journalism, but by following bloggers and internet reviewers. The Captive Prince series is special like that — a wonderful and subtle surprise.

 

Truthwitch » Review

I can't believe what I'm about to write. Truthwitch was possibly THE most anticipated book of the winter YA publishing season.  It was THE book at BEA last year and has been getting buzz, buzz, buzz for months.  I could not WAIT to get my paws on a copy.

But there were signs.

I read the first few chapters on NetGalley.  I had some problems, some issues, but I patted them aside. Lie at rest, issues, I whispered.

Then the book came out and I read it.  Well, I read about 60-70% of it.  Then I just... stopped.

I STOPPED.

I was frustrated, yeah, but I also didn't care.  And I honestly wanted one of the main characters to die, just a little.

But seriously, I just could not get behind characters who were such petty, selfish, BRATS.

One of the best pieces of writing criticism I've ever read mentions how we, as readers, learn so much from the actions of our characters when we're introduced to them. When we meet Safiya and Iseult, they're robbing someone, something they do frequently.  When I first read that, I thought, what for? It turns out, they just want more money. Okay, whatever.

But then, the characters consistently acted like douchebags.  They trashed the property of their friends, they stole horses from their owners, they ran those horses down into the dirt like they were sports cars in an action movie, not animals.  They would douche-ely yell things like "sorry!" and "I need this!" to the people they stole from as they ran away. Assholes.

Safiya in particular was intolerable.  She was vain and temperamental on top of being selfish. There was one part of the book where she admires herself in a silken dress, or whatever, and it's SO vain and stupid that I simply couldn't take it.  Me and Safiya couldn't be friends after that point.

I realize that I'm writing about these characters like they're real.  I understand that they're constructions of Dennard's.  To which I can only think, did she intend for readers to have a totally different response to these characters? Or what?

The only character I liked was the bloodwitch, Aeduan, not because he was a saint, (quite the contrary), but because his motives were realistic and valid.  To that, he is SUPPOSED to have a villainous tint to him, and that made him appealing to me instead of gross.

On top of the characters being problematic, I shied away from the writing.  It was written in a cinematic style, and by cinematic, I mean B-movie.  Guys whip of their shirts just so the female can shudder over the manly breadth of their shoulders. Maybe I'm a-romantic, but that shit is so silly to me. And the fight scenes. The fight scenes were like that part in Daredevil when Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner fight on a seesaw. It was ridiculous.

As for good aspects, the political intrigue had promise, Iseult's character is salvageable, and Aeduan is creepy awesome. Everything else was — sorry — stinky garbage.

I'm sorry.  I'm just so, so sorry.

Burning Glass » Review

Burning Glass wasn't perfect by any means, but I was enraptured nonetheless.  I am always on the lookout for a good romantic fantasy, trying to relive the glory that is Graceling, and while Purdie's novel doesn't come close to that genre standard, it was a very promising start. I blazed through this book.

The story follows a young woman, Sonya, who is an auraseer — a person with the power to read the emotions of others.  Every identified auraseer in the kingdom of Riaznin must be trained by an order, in preparation for serving the crown.  And the crown needs the help of auraseers more than ever, because the political climate is tumultuous: taxes are high, people are starving, and the legitimacy of the new emperor is in question.

Sonya, our protagonist, eluded conscription for seventeen years, growing up with freedom, before being discovered and sent to the auraseers' remote, wintry covent. As the story opens, Sonya, who has been mercilessly ostracized by her new peers, is rendered insane by the ravenous hunger of a raiding party of peasants. Driven mad with empathetic hunger, she triggers a series of events which has devastating consequences.

As a consequence of these events, Sonya is sent to the home of the emperor to serve as his auraseer.  She tumbles straight into a pit of court intrigue and a nasty feud — between two brothers, who were raised separately and who are almost like strangers to each other. Burning Glass most definitely has an "out of the frying pan, into the fire," element to it.

The style of narration is first person, and highly introspective.  We receive a lot of detail about what Sonya is feeling at any given moment, and those feelings often wavered and were definitely inconsistent.  This almost made Sonya an unlikable character for me, and I have no doubt that it'll be too much for some readers. However, I found myself getting behind Sonya, even when she made questionable choices.

There is quite a hefty love triangle in this book, by the by, which is resolved before the story's end, thankfully.  Usually, I cannot abide that kind of geometry in my literature, but I felt that the romantic complications were well integrated into the storyline in Burning Glass.  Part of the whole point of the book is that Sonya stands between the two brothers, Anton and Valko.  They are like those two friends you have, who, for some reason, just hate each other and won't get along.  The one thing they have in common is that they like you.

It makes for some intriguing drama, that had me riveted, in between my eye rolling.

Ultimately, I think this was a fabulous and promising debut.  I am going to read the sequel, with absolutely no hesitation, and while I hesitate to recommend the book to readers who are allergic to youthful drama, I can say without reservations, that I really enjoyed reading Burning Glass.

 

The Name of the Wind » Review

I enjoyed Patrick Rothfuss's The Name of the Wind... at times  At other moments while reading, I was frustrated, impatient, and sleepy.  Yes, sleepy.  Usually, books keep me up at night.  The Name of the Wind put me to sleep during the day.

To be fair, at 662 pages, with ninety-two chapters, The Name of the Wind is much longer than the books I normally read.  It took me two whole weeks to wade through this tome.  I was bound the get drowsy during that time!  But I think I fell asleep more than the common amount while reading this novel.

Part of it, I think, was the gentle, lulling style of the writing.  Rothfuss writes complex, yet flowing sentences that are quite beautiful. They also have an almost poetic rhythm that relaxes instead of excites. His pacing was also unhurried — to an extreme degree. As the first book in a trilogy, I expected The Name of the Wind to be somewhat expository, but I had no idea that the whole book would be exposition.

What I've come to realize is that Rothfuss is writing literary fantasy, to an extent.  Literary fiction, unlike other "commercial" fiction, largely ignores those qualities that draw in readers — juicy hooks, brisk pace, familiar plot structure.  Instead, the author, content with creating a work of art, busies himself with writing with a more unique structure and style.

For example, at the beginning of The Name of the Wind, we learn that our protagonist, Kvothe, has:

• Killed a king


• Spent the night with a deadly woman, and was the only person ever to survive it


• Was expelled from the University at a younger age than most are admitted


• Composed songs that made minstrels cry


• Burned down the town of Trebon


• Stolen back princesses


• Talked to Gods


• And more

All of these mighty accomplishments are "guns on the wall," as it were, and the rule of commercial fiction is that these guns, shown in Act One, must go off by Act Three.  However, out of the slew of flashing guns in The Name of the Wind, only one or two ever go off by the end of the story, despite the reader's waiting. The rest are left for books two and three.

I'm used to each book in a trilogy having an exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution, all to themselves — a microcosm of a complete plot within a larger story.  Rothfuss, in The Name of the Wind, does not do this. This book is exposition for the larger story, and as such, no catharsis is achieved by reading this installment. Only rising expectations are gained.

Now, is this a bad thing? Perhaps not, but I certainly found it frustrating.

Despite this, I did find myself enjoying the book, especially in the latter middle of the story.  As mentioned before, Rothfuss's writing is very smooth and well-crafted, and I enjoyed the style of writing no less than I did the content.

I liked the worldbuilding as well, which was excellently conveyed by showing, not info-dumping.  For example, throughout the book, Kvothe worries over, steals, cajoles, earns, and spends enough money for currency to become a full-fledged motif in The Name of the Wind.  Through integrating the money system so naturally into the plot of the book, I found myself understanding this part of Kvothe's world, better than had Rothfuss wrote an appendix on the subject.

One thing I found dismaying was the treatment of women and girls in the story.  I'm actually writing a spin-off post right now on the subject, which I may or may not share.  I'm not sure how well-founded my complaints are, but I felt that the female characters were not so much characterized as they were categorized by Rothfuss.  There were several passages in particular that dealt in soft sexism, that made me want to bang my head against the wall.  The thing is, though, in another person's view, the passages that drove me insane might be seen as neutral or nothing to cry over. I just don't know.

Overall, The Name of the Wind wound up disappointing me a little, if only because it came so well-touted by bloggers I respect.  It just did not live up to the buzz for me. I will probably read the sequel, A Wise Man's Fear, although I will take a hearty break to read some slimmer fair in between.

 

Nimona » Review

I found Nimona at my library, tucked into those little display stands that librarians use in lieu of shaking you and saying, read this!  Those displays always catch my attention, and Nimona caught mine doubly because of the striking girl on the cover — the eponymous Nimona.

I saw her and immediately thought of Eleanor, from Rainbow Rowell's Eleanor and Park.  Eleanor, with her wide hips and big boobs — a future bombshell body in its awkward, early stages.  But nothing about Nimona says awkward.  She's dressed in a chain-mail accented mini-dress, proudly showing off her knee dimples.  She has a punk rock haircut, the kind that's mostly buzz-cut that you need confidence to pull off.  All of that, and she's standing in the center, slightly in front of, two grown men.

Her expression is fierce, and joyful at the same time, like she's saying to you, Betcha don't have the guts to pick up my story! 

Needless to say, I picked up the book and checked it out.  What I discovered was a graphic novel full of "humor and heart," as Rowell herself puts it in her blurb of the book.

Artist and author Noelle Stevenson creates a world that combines classic fantasy elements with science fiction.  (It works better than you might think!) In that world she's planted Ballister Blackheart and Ambrosius Goldenloin, two former boyhood friends and schoolmates who whose relationship turned sour after a gruesome jousting "accident."  Now men, Blackheart has become a loathed villain, while Goldenloin is a celebrated knight for the 'Institution.'  Then, their world of bad-guy-and-hero spins off its axis with the arrival of Nimona on Blackheart's doorstep.  She's his new sidekick, "sent from the agency!"

Nimona looks and acts like a rambunctious girl, but she quickly proves to be more than she seems...

[caption id="attachment_1433" align="aligncenter" width="399" class="imagepro-polaroid "] These rough panels are taken from the original webcomic. The artwork in the book has been sharpened and refined.[/caption]

She's a shapeshifter! It's the perfect metaphor for Nimona's character, too, because just when you think you've got her figured out, she evolves.  She's a wonderfully complex character, constantly shifting while staying consistent.  I'd love to discuss her character in more depth, but I also don't dare to give anything away!  All I'll say is that Nimona was more than I could have imagined.

As for the art... I loved it!  It's presented to us in a sketchy style, with exaggerated shapes and figures.  The backgrounds are simple and muted, letting the colors and lines of the characters pop. What I'd like to know is — can Noelle Stevenson do more, or was she drawing at her best?  If the former, I'd have liked to see her push herself a little farther.  If the latter, then she did well working within her skill boundaries.

In regards to the storyline and writing, that is where Nimona could see some improvement.  The plot, aside from everything Nimona, was quite simple... "classic" if you want to put it nicely, and "cliched" if you don't.  I found some of the names and titles in the book to be a little too simple and slapdash for my tastes.  The 'Institution.' Really? And as for Blackheart and Goldenloin... well, I would have liked their characters to be a little less predictable and categorized.

But, overall, if you love graphic novels, this won't be a title you'll want to miss, especially if you want to read about a diverse and complex female character.  I hope Nimona steals your heart as much as it did mine.

 

The Subtle Knife » Review

In the sequel to The Golden Compass, Phillip Pullman shows how a book can be totally different from its predecessor while still holding true to the style and heart of the original.

At the end of His Dark Materials' first installment, Lyra and her daemon, Pantalaimon, stepped through a rift in the universe and into a parallel world.  Needless to say, I was anxious to see how Lyra was faring and where she went.  Masterfully, however, Pullman draws out the suspense by introducing us to a new protagonist, Will Parry, who lives in a place readers are quite familiar with.

After becoming immersed in the alternate Britain of the first book, it was somewhat jarring to encounter our own, modern world.  I thought it was pretty genius, however, making His Dark Materials into a more complex fantasy.  The interplay between the worlds was fantastic, as we soon see, for early in the book, Will stumbles into a parallel universe himself and bumps right into Lyra Silvertongue.

The chemistry between Will and Lyra was fantastic, but not in a romantic sense.  Their interactions were dynamic because they're such fundamentally different people.  Will is very much an adult before his years, solid and responsible, while Lyra is like the spirit of childhood, clever and minxish.  The two were at delicious odds when they first meet. However, what Will and Lyra both are is resourceful, and pretty soon, they've created an intriguing plot for readers to follow.

Our slew of villainous adults from book one are back in The Subtle Knife, with even more adversaries thrown into the mix for good measure.  We have Mrs. Coulter, beautiful, charismatic, and charming, with her true nature revealed by her infernal monkey daemon.  Then there is Lord Asriel, seemingly a force for good but willing to do incredibly evil things.  The fact that Coulter and Asriel are Lyra's true parents, well, it makes matters even more complex.  Such intriguing questions emerge. Do Coulter and Asriel have love for their daughter inside their hearts, at all?  And how much of her parents' characters is made manifest in Lyra?

The Subtle Knife was an outstanding book, straddling the line between middle grade and young adult.  In the end though, the book is ageless.

Ruin and Rising » Review

I can't believe it's over!  I remember the first time I read book one... It's like a Disneyland commercial — Never Forget the Magic!  ...And then I waited years to read book two, well past its release. Way, way past.

Why did I do this, when I loved Shadow and Bone so much?  I think it was because I was terrified over what would happen to the characters.  I didn't want to read about them getting maimed, or dying, or never being quite the same, like Frodo, at the end of Lord of the Rings.  Because I knew something like that had to happen to make the serious epic and serious and all that.

But, I'm pleased to say that I finally bit the bullet and read Siege and Storm and Ruin and Rising back to back, and it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it'd be!  That's not to say there wasn't maiming, death, and Frodo-fate, because there was. All of that happened, but my heart is still intact.

After a bit of weird pacing in Siege and Storm, Ruin and Rising had a steadier pace and I enjoyed the book more than the middle installment but less than Shadow and Bone.  There were some really excellent plot twists that had me gasping and a proper, finished ending that left me satisfied.  (Granted, my ship sailed, so I had reason to be pleased.)

There's not much I can say about the plot without giving things away.  It wasn't a perfect construction, but I found it to be structurally sound.  My main quibble is that the climax was rather abrupt and a tad of a letdown.  I was expecting a bit more of a drawn-out, epic battle, but we got a skirmish instead.

As for the out of control love rhombus in Siege and Storm, well, it settled the fuck down in Ruin and Rising, thank God.  Things were handled quite skillfully and gracefully in my opinion. (Again, my ship sailed.)  There were plenty of swoony moments in the text, especially after a certain twist took place.  It was a great moment where plot and relationships collide and the effect was just excellent.

Overall, this isn't a book that I ever should have been scared to read, although it definitely kept my heart racing, wondering where the next betrayal was coming from, when the Darkling would manifest to wreck havoc, and what the third amplifier would do to Alina.  It was a magnificent conclusion to a great series.

Six of Crows » Review

I love this book so much I carry it around with me when I go places. I love it so much that I mark it up with colored pens so I can figure out how Leigh Bardugo writes so well. I love it so much that I'm currently reading everything Bardugo has written. I love it so much that I've read the book five times over already, and it hasn't even been a month since its release.

Part of the reason I love it is that I'm currently writing an industrial fantasy adventure and Six of Crows happens to be an industrial fantasy adventure. It's a little niche off of steampunk that I love. So right away the genre of this book had me. There are all the issues that come from the setting being on the cusp of modernity, there's a healthy dose of magic, and there's action, risk, and suspense. Love it!

Another aspect I adored was the character development. The book follows a team of criminals and has an ensemble narration, with clearly defined arc for each character. Mechanically, the character arcs were neat and well done. Emotionally, they were compelling.

My favorite characters, though I loved them all, were Kaz and Inej. Kaz is the perfect anti-hero, a twisted and dark criminal genius, who happens to still be a teenager and working his way to the top. Inej is a former sex slave that Kaz rescued and turned into his own personal spy, redirecting her skills in acrobatic performance.  Their relationship is so compelling.  I could seriously write an essay on their relationship, their dynamics are so complex.

There's also Jesper, a combat savant with a nasty gambling addiction. There's Nina, a grisha Heartrender — a throwback connection to Bardugo's Shadow and Bone series. There's Matthias, a Nordic-inspired giant who worked as a grisha hunter before he was imprisoned on a hellish island. And then there's Wylan. Poor Wylan is the only member of the team who doesn't get POV chapters, so as of now, I'd call him a more peripheral character. He has a privileged background, but threw it all away because of his principles.



The book starts out with a chapter that could turn off readers, because it slides into the action indirectly and gradually, through the POV of a redshirt. Chapter two is when we get introduced to Inej, and from there, I can't see readers having a problem sticking with the book. It sinks its claws in.

As for the plot, I think Bardugo did a marvelous job in making things believable. There were a few instances where I questioned plausibility, but for a heist novel, it was pretty solid. Bardugo also did fantastic work in weaving quiet moments into the action. I just want to give her a standing ovation.

Already, I'm plotting how to get my greedy paws on the sequel, Empire of Crows as soon as I possibly can. Six of Crows ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, setting up book two perfectly. This is going to be an amazing series, everyone.

Also, I entered a contest to get my name inserted in the second book.  This is my entry.



 

Carry On » Review

Carry On is a strange novel, with a strange, nesting doll-like genesis.  First, there was a little series called Harry Potter and Rainbow Rowell, a writer, wrote Harry Potter fanfiction online.  Then Rowell published an original novel called Fangirl, where a character, Cath, writes fanfiction about a series called Simon Snow, which Rowell bases off of Harry Potter.  Now, Rainbow Rowell has published the book that Cath the character was writing as fanfiction — and both are titled Carry On. Got that?

Carry On is tied so closely to Harry Potter, it can come across as a spoof at times.  There are jokes that I think poke fun at Rowling's masterpiece a little, such as Voldemort's propensity to attack Harry constantly at Hogwarts — purportedly the safest place for Harry to be.  In Carry On, the Mage, our Dumbledore-like character, tells Simon Snow that he must leave Watford School of Magicks immediately because the Insidious Humdrum just won't stop attacking Simon there.  I got a good laugh in at that.

But aside from the jokes, Carry On is mostly a loving homage to both Harry Potter and the the once thriving culture of Harry Potter fanfiction.  While reading Carry On, I felt enormous nostalgia both for Harry Potter and for one of my favorite pieces of fanfiction, The Shoebox Project.  

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="602"] The Shoebox Project's Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs.[/caption]

The Shoebox Project was a multimedia effort by two college students, one a writer and the other an artist, who shared the passionate belief of many that Rowling's characters, Remus Lupin and Sirius Black, were so, so gay for each other.  The Shoebox Project was highly sophisticated, hilarious, and moving.  I'm not entirely sure if Rowell is familiar with The Shoebox Project, but I kind of hope she is.  It so perfectly encapsulates what Carry On represents — the brainchild of a nascent writer, made with equal measures of talent and passion, that can never see the mainstream of literature, but is nonetheless followed by many thousands of fans.

Apart from its ties to Harry Potter, Carry On stands on its own feet as a powerful and well-written story.  For instance, Rowell writes characters that are clear translations of Rowling's famous characters, but nonetheless emerge as distinct and fully dimensional characters in their own right.  A great example is Penelope Bunce, our Hermione Granger character.  At the beginning of the story, I was only making comparisons between Penelope and Hermione.  As the story went on, however, I stopped comparing and contrasting entirely.  Penelope Bunce was her own, wonderful and clear-cut character.

As for the romance, it was hot without being explicit.  I loved Simon and Baz together — their intense love/hate obsession and their never knowing if they want to smack or smooch each other. There are not tons of mainstream YA books out there with gay romance, but I can see the tide turning soon. Carry On is a great example of how gay romance can bust out of its niche corner and be appreciated by all.

One thing I didn't like about Carry On was the pacing.  Our exposition was enormous. It took a long, long time for the gears to get turning.  And then, the plot ramped up to a fever pitch.  One revelation was coming after the other, the pages of the book were dwindling, and I just wanted to yell, stop, stop, STOP! Slow down! Instead of a proper triangle, the plot looked like a blip on a heart monitor.

Then there were some inconsistencies with the language.  Rowell did a good job at incorporating British slang, especially in a manner than reads like American fanfiction — jumpers, trackies, boaters, etc. What better example than this quote...

"Agatha, is everything, you know, tickety-boo with Simon?"

There were some places though, where the continuity of language lapsed. Baz being described as "smart" instead of "clever" was a glaring oops.  And then, in the beginning portion of the book, we see "magic" be spelled "magick."  However, later in the book, we revert to the popularized spelling.

"Thank magic! I was worried you'd never speak again."

This isn't a big deal, just something I noticed. Overall, I loved Carry On.  I can't recommend it enough for both fans of J. K. Rowling (which is pretty much everyone) and for fans of Rainbow Rowell.

Bravo, Rowell. Carry on writing, and I will carry on reading.



 

The Golden Compass » Review

When I was a kid, I was homeschooled, and ran with a very religious crowd. Lutherans, Methodists, Mennonites, Baptists, Southern Baptists... All of my friends had different belief systems, which had subtle differences despite being all 'Christian.' My family, however, was Catholic, and we were a minority in the universally Christian homeschooling community. On the kids' part, we ignored our families' differences when we got together to learn or play. Sparks flew amongst the parents though, and the kids picked up on it. From my mother, me and my siblings learned words like 'Heretic', 'Protestant,' 'Anti-Catholic,' 'Sola Scriptura' and 'Scott Hahn.' A climate of bias against, and downright hatred towards, other Christian religions was the norm of my youth. In high school, I attended a Protestant cottage school. Okay, I guess it was Southern Baptist technically, but wow the principal loathed Catholics. (This woman was also cruelty incarnate.) She knew my family and I were Catholic and would glare at me when ranting about the extravagances of the Vatican and the morally corrupt popes like I, personally, spoke for the Magisterium. She loved Pullman's His Dark Materials. Loved it with a special kind of passion. Why? Mostly because, besides writing really bomb books, Pullman lobs those bombs at Catholicism. Pullman's main antagonistic force in his series is the "Authority." This oligarchical organization rules through the power religious belief and wealth, and has enough power and sway to influence world politics. Sound familiar??? In book one of the trilogy, The Golden Compass, we see the Authority give power to an off-shoot organization, which, in turn, kidnaps and mutilates the souls of children. This is subtle stuff for kids, but a glaringly obvious motive to an adult reader. Now, I don't have a problem with Pullman putting a controversial message into a children's books. Virtually every children's book has a motive, some more intense than others. Furthermore, speaking as a (non-practicing) Catholic, I understand that nothing,nothing is above criticism. To get all worked up over someone else's questioning of your beliefs is the mark of extremism. I love Pullman's writing. It's classic, lyrical, and vastly imaginative. I also like his powerful and gutsy message. Unfortunately, I will always associate this amazing book with one of the pettiest, most mean-spirited adults I've ever encountered... But it all works out though. Because all I have to do is imagine my former teacher's head on top of Mrs. Coulter's wretched monkey daemon, and everything is perfect.

The Bone Season » Review

What an odd book! When trying to decide on a rating for The Bone Season, I was waffling between three and four stars. My reasoning for three stars was that, while this book is a fantasy of sorts, it was also unrelentingly weird, and I never really felt like I believed it all. What settled me on four stars, however, is the feeling that a lower rating would be doing the book a disservice, because The Bone Season really is an accomplishment.

I'm not even going to try to explain the plot of The Bone Season. Just know that it involves special powers, an oppressive and discriminatory government, underground crime syndicates, a powerful, humanoid species, and a prison camp/city. It's all slightly baffling, which is, in my opinion, the main weakness of the novel. It was so much to take in. Granted, I'm not sure how the author could have presented her world to us in any other way. All I can say is, I frequently found it overwhelming.

Now for the praise. The creative bravery of Samantha Shannon is something to be applauded. Despite the fact that the world ofThe Bone Season did my head in at times, it was also nice to read something so different from what's usually presented in urban fantasy genre. In fact, I hesitate to call this series true urban fantasy since that genre has become so distinct — read trope ridden — of late. The quality of writing that we see in The Bone Season was also at a higher level than what we typically see in urban fantasy of late. There were slip ups throughout the novel, but for the most part, I was impressed by the solid prose.

Our main character, Paige, is compelling as well. She's 19 during the events of the book, but comes across as much older. She's a quiet, self-possessed young woman, although she's still trying to find herself. Shannon also strikes a great balance between making Paige be special and stand out from the crowd, without turning the character into a reprehensibly superior life form.

Speaking of superior life forms, there is the Warden, who is the second most prominent character in The Bone Season. For him, I really think we need more books to develop him further. He's depicted, throughout the novel, as both a cold, empty shell and as someone with unusual motives that go against the tide of his species. He was a little all over the place, but he was, nonetheless, a commanding presence. I do look forward to see where Shannon takes him during her 7-book series arc.

All in all, there were plenty of bones to pick with this novel, but I couldn't help being impressed despite it all. I'm truly looking forward to following this immense, new series.

The Sin Eater's Daughter » Review

"Who will save me?"

The real question is what could've saved this book?

Having a stronger heroine, or at least a stronger character arc.

Many reviewers have noted how Twylla is a weak character. It's true — she is highly reactive. Throughout the entire book, Twylla instigates nothing of importance. All of her actions are in response to other characters and forces; she's pushed around. It makes for a boring protagonist and a boring read. Twylla's passivity would have been okay as a starting point for a larger character arc, but such development never materialized. Having such a lame lead character was a deathblow to the novel.

Developing the hook of the story further.

The hook for this story is that, as a goddess embodied, Twylla's touch causes death. That's pretty awesome. Many people were predicting The Sin Eater's Daughter would hold similarities to Graceling because of this. I wish! However, Twylla's is too frightened of her ability to do anything but execute selected people selected by higher-ups. She is so afraid of herself, she spends the rest of her time practically rocking in a corner. I longed for her to either embrace her gifts or to endeavor to find out more about them so she could understand them and, you know, weild them. This never happens.

Presenting a less cartoonish villain.

Our antagonist is an evil queen. Salisbury does a fantastic job at making her quite diabolical. However, she's never fleshed out and made three-dimensional. There was a gross and shocking reveal at the end of the book that fell flat for me because the queen's motivations were never revealed or even hinted at. Boo.

Getting rid of that ridiculous love triangle.

Maybe this is a matter of personal preference, but I, in almost all cases, believe love triangles weaken a story. I'm not opposed to forces getting in the way of a relationship, but love triangles come with a whole host of problems. They can make characters seem pathetic by appearing weak-willed and not self-aware or decisive. They can also hijack and plot and turn things into dumb soap operas. In The Sin Eater's Daughter, both the characters and plot are diminished because of the cheap drama.

Forming a more coherent plot.

Nothing streamlined occurs in The Sin Eater's Daughter. Horribly, Twylla is given nothing to do. I longed for there to be a mystery for her to solve or a journey to go on. Any kind of action. But nothing happens.

Bottom line is, the book wasn't a total disaster but it was still irredeemably flawed. Two stars.