Truthwitch by Susan Dennard

Title: Truthwitch (The Witchlands #1)

Author: Susan Dennard 

Publication Date: January 5th 2016

Publisher: Tor Teen 

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Goodreads Blurb: 

In a continent on the edge of war, two witches hold its fate in their hands.
Young witches Safiya and Iseult have a habit of finding trouble. After clashing with a powerful Guildmaster and his ruthless Bloodwitch bodyguard, the friends are forced to flee their home.
Safi must avoid capture at all costs as she's a rare Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lies. Many would kill for her magic, so Safi must keep it hidden - lest she be used in the struggle between empires. And Iseult's true powers are hidden even from herself.
In a chance encounter at Court, Safi meets Prince Merik and makes him a reluctant ally. However, his help may not slow down the Bloodwitch now hot on the girls' heels. All Safi and Iseult want is their freedom, but danger lies ahead. With war coming, treaties breaking and a magical contagion sweeping the land, the friends will have to fight emperors and mercenaries alike. For some will stop at nothing to get their hands on a Truthwitch.

I ended last year with a WoW for this book and sadly after reading over it and comparing my expectations to what it actually turned out to be, I am a bit disappointed. Yes, it was a great book because of the characters, the setting, and the story, but it lacked the depth and presence that characterizes my favorite fantasy novels like ToG and Angelfall. 

Pros:

• Loved the idea of elemental magic, very Avatar-like 
• World building/setting description was good
• Characters were interesting and had lots of potential (there were so many roles and personalities that were full of foibles)
• I gave this book 5 stars because it was fast paced and there was SO. MUCH. STUFF. The details, side-stories, descriptions, character interactions, magic, fights, travelling, and more fighting were all so interesting. I don’t think any one of these aspects of the book were developed as much as they could have been, but they were all undeniably interesting and added to the charm of this book.
• The writing was good and honestly I loved this book even before it came out. Thanks Twitter.
• The map in the front of the book really piqued my interest and I will continue this series in hopes of discovering the other regions. 

Cons:

• with all the build-up and hype, I expected the book to be my fave book ever, but it fell short of an ideal book
• weak character interaction- there wasn’t much tension/humor in the dialogue between the characters- it seemed to fall short of my expectations
• elemental magic could have been explained waaay better- I get that it’s a similar idea to Avatar, but it would have been helpful for the author to include how exactly the elemental witches contributed/played a role in society.
• the history was almost non-existent, I want to know more about Nubrevna, about where Safiya is from, why Safiya has such a high rank but lived like a peasant and how she was unable to help Iseult. The mood and intensity of the book was a little shallow/superficial and it felt like the author was just crafting a pretty story. It wasn’t very meaningful (to me personally).
• To compare to Throne of Glass, this book didn’t hold a candle to the action, suspense or gravity found in ToG. It had exciting moments, but neither of the heroines pulled off the “badass” vibe like Celaena did.
• Safiya and Iseult had a strong bond but it wasn’t the best bond I’ve seen in literature… I compare every “best-friend” bond to that between March sisters and I found this one to be lacking.

Main Characters: 
Safiya: Truthwitch (can discern lies from the truth), impulsive, outgoing, loud, and more lively and I guess this book is more "hers" than Iseult's
Iseult: Threadwitch (can see life threads), for the most part acts calm and secretive. She is an outcast and her backstory is heart-wrenching
Merik: Windwitch, the prince of Nubrevna and his role is to help the his country as Admiral of the Nubrevnan navy
Aeduan: Bloodwitch, tries to kill both Safiya and Iseult... but fails every single time. Complicated character, scary at times, and downright confused at others. 

Favorite scene:
I absolutely loved the dancing scene between Safiya and the captain; it was a sort of turning point and heralded a major conflict in this novel. Also, the writing was very descriptive and almost poetic. 

WoW: Truthwitch by Susan Dennard

A weekly post hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating!

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Title: Truthwitch

Author: Susan Dennard

RELEASE DATE: January 5th 2016

Publisher: Tor Teen

Goodreads Blurb: 

On a continent ruled by three empires, some are born with a “witchery”, a magical skill that sets them apart from others.
In the Witchlands, there are almost as many types of magic as there are ways to get in trouble—as two desperate young women know all too well.
Safiya is a Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lie. It’s a powerful magic that many would kill to have on their side, especially amongst the nobility to which Safi was born. So Safi must keep her gift hidden, lest she be used as a pawn in the struggle between empires.
Iseult, a Threadwitch, can see the invisible ties that bind and entangle the lives around her—but she cannot see the bonds that touch her own heart. Her unlikely friendship with Safi has taken her from life as an outcast into one of reckless adventure, where she is a cool, wary balance to Safi’s hotheaded impulsiveness.
Safi and Iseult just want to be free to live their own lives, but war is coming to the Witchlands. With the help of the cunning Prince Merik (a Windwitch and ship’s captain) and the hindrance of a Bloodwitch bent on revenge, the friends must fight emperors, princes, and mercenaries alike, who will stop at nothing to get their hands on a Truthwitch.

This is the most hyped book of my blogging career. No exaggeration. The book is not even out yet and there are "street teams" (#TruthwitchStreetTeam, #Witchlanders Street Team), twitter fan accounts (@WaterwitchBabes, @Airwitches, @Voidsisters, etc.), and frequent twitter chats/competitions in honor of this book. Not that I'm complaining. 

I really, really hope this hype is worth it. 

Ms. Dennard is super sweet and super active on Twitter (she responded to my tweet aaaaaahhh) and the fact that she is friends with SJ Maas makes me want to read this even more. That might be weird, but nevertheless true. 

My ONLY worry is that I wasn't much of a fan of her Something Strangle & Deadly series and I may not love her writing in this novel. But two completely different genres, so hopefully there's nothing to fear. 

Other than the fact SJ Maas read this book and loved it (she's my fave author ever), I think the main reason I want to read is because it gives off a slight "Avatar the Airbender" vibe with all the elemental clans. Also cool names, witches, and the saving the world concept all promise the best book ever. 

I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S RELEASING IN 6 DAYS.  esp since I've been hearing about this since as early as October (maybe even earlier?) 

The Wrath and the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh

Title: The Wrath and the Dawn (The Wrath and the Dawn #1)

Author: Renée Ahdieh

Publication Date:  May 12th 2015

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Goodreads Blurb: 

One Life to One Dawn.
In a land ruled by a murderous boy-king, each dawn brings heartache to a new family. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, is a monster. Each night he takes a new bride only to have a silk cord wrapped around her throat come morning. When sixteen-year-old Shahrzad's dearest friend falls victim to Khalid, Shahrzad vows vengeance and volunteers to be his next bride. Shahrzad is determined not only to stay alive, but to end the caliph's reign of terror once and for all.
Night after night, Shahrzad beguiles Khalid, weaving stories that enchant, ensuring her survival, though she knows each dawn could be her last. But something she never expected begins to happen: Khalid is nothing like what she'd imagined him to be. This monster is a boy with a tormented heart. Incredibly, Shahrzad finds herself falling in love. How is this possible? It's an unforgivable betrayal. Still, Shahrzad has come to understand all is not as it seems in this palace of marble and stone. She resolves to uncover whatever secrets lurk and, despite her love, be ready to take Khalid's life as retribution for the many lives he's stolen. Can their love survive this world of stories and secrets?
Inspired by A Thousand and One Nights, The Wrath and the Dawn is a sumptuous and enthralling read from beginning to end.

Cast of Characters: (I'm including this part mostly as reference for myself because I'm horrible at remembering character names)

Shazi- MC
Khalid- King, MC
Tariq- Shazi's old friend
Jalal- Khalid's "friend"
Despina- Shazi's new friend/handmaiden/"spy"
Yasmine- small role, interesting princess
Jahandar- Shazi's (crazy) dad


Overall Thoughts: 

One word: serendipitous. This book was such a lovely surprise .
When I first read the description, I wasn't entirely sure this would be my kind of book. But I am so very glad I was bored enough to pick up this book because if I wasn't I wouldn't have discovered one of my favorite books this year (maybe of all time?!).

This is a story of a girl named Shahrzad who sets out to avenge her friend's death, but instead discovers unexpected friends, secrets, and her soul mate. She saves her own life with her wit and storytelling and along the way learns: that things aren't black and white, those she trust the most don't always understand, to forgive.

The Wrath and the Dawn had beautiful writing and magnificent scenes of feasts, the palace, and the desert. The world-building was phenomenal and I loved how this is based off of A Thousand and One Nights. The characters were so real and alive. It has been a while since I related/understood a character as fully and completely as I understood Shahrzad. Her motives, her thoughts, and her actions were so clear. The same cannot be said of Khalid's, however. I didn't know from which angle Ms. Ahdieh was portraying him at first (was he the villain? the good guy?), but in contrast, I loved his enigmatic backstory. The revelation of the curse was entirely unexpected and was a great explanation for Khalid's actions but I wish there was more clarity to the conditions of the curse. The plot was entirely captivating and I enjoyed every exciting moment of this novel.


The Breakdown:

The characters, both main and side, were fully formed and independent beings. Each had a character arc and all of them had such interesting personalities. My favorite "side" character (in my opinion, a side character is everyone except the heroes/heroines) was probably Despina with her sharp wit and
"best-friend" personality. She was intelligent and kind, and wasn't there only to support Shahrzad. Despina and Shahrzad were in the process of building a really strong friendship, and I hope to see it continue in the next book.

The plot twist. Guys I didn't see the end coming. What even. It was fittingly exciting and suited the tone of the entire book. But what a cliffhanger. It was frustrating because one conflict (the curse) was fulfilled and done with, while the consequences of Khalid's actions (which were in reaction to the curse) took over as the main conflict.

This book was brilliant from start to finish; I can't really say which my favorite part was (beginning, middle, end) because it was consistently great. However, there was one thing I found lacking: Shazi's backstory.  I want to hear more about her adventures with her childhood friends and little sister.

I love the mythology & folklore of other cultures. This book perfectly integrates the Arabian setting with the magical atmosphere, complete with curses, a flying carpet, and elemental (fire) powers, that I loved in Aladdin. The crowded city, the palace, and the desert were described in detail and I found myself right next to Shahrzad, watching her overcome challenge after challenge. I think something really makes TW&TD really stand out is it's diversity. There haven't been many YA novels with PoC as the main characters and I just love how this is a pretty accurate and positive portrayal of a different culture.


Favorite Quotes:

“So you would have me throw Shazi to the wolves?”
“Shazi?” Jalal’s grin widened. “Honestly, I pity the wolves.”
― Renee Ahdieh, The Wrath and the Dawn

“You are not weak. You are not indecisive. You are strong. Fierce. Capable beyond measure.”
― Renee Ahdieh, The Wrath and the Dawn

“For without a measure of arrogance, how can one attempt the impossible?”
― Renee Ahdieh, The Wrath and the Dawn

WoW: Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas

A weekly post hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating!

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Title: Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass #4)

Author: Sarah J. Maas

RELEASE DATE: September 1st 2015

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens 

Goodreads Blurb:

Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she's at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past . . .
She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die just to see her again. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen's triumphant return.
Celaena’s epic journey has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions across the globe. This fourth volume will hold readers rapt as Celaena’s story builds to a passionate, agonizing crescendo that might just shatter her world.

I've been waiting for this book since I read Heir of Fire 10 months ago... 10 MONTHS. It's agony and I know that every other YA high-fantasy lover is suffering similar apoplectic fits for having to wait soooo long for this. But the promised 656 pages of literary nourishment should be an appropriate reward for our patience (not that I'm being very patient...). I know this is like the SECOND most awaited book in YA fiction in 2015 (the first being Winter by Marissa Meyer), so having this as my WoW is a bit redundant because it goes without saying that EVERYONE is waiting for this book (a tad exaggerated, just a tad). 

The main reason I'm such a fan of Sarah J. Maas's writing is because her characters are sublime and her plots are so enthralling. And her books are so emotional that I'm guaranteed to shed tears. Celaena's emotions come across so clearly and I definitely feel them as my own. Also, her depiction of the fae is is a thing of beauty and no one describes them like she does.

Oooh I just cannot wait! *off to invent a time machine*

The Girl at Midnight by Melissa Grey

Title: The Girl at Midnight (The Girl at Midnight #1)

Author: Melissa Grey

Date Published: April 28th 2015

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Rating: 3 out of 5

Goodreads Blurb: 

Beneath the streets of New York City live the Avicen, an ancient race of people with feathers for hair and magic running through their veins. Age-old enchantments keep them hidden from humans. All but one. Echo is a runaway pickpocket who survives by selling stolen treasures on the black market, and the Avicen are the only family she's ever known.

Echo is clever and daring, and at times she can be brash, but above all else she's fiercely loyal. So when a centuries-old war crests on the borders of her home, she decides it's time to act.

Legend has it that there is a way to end the conflict once and for all: find the Firebird, a mythical entity believed to possess power the likes of which the world has never seen. It will be no easy task, though if life as a thief has taught Echo anything, it's how to hunt down what she wants . . . and how to take it.

But some jobs aren't as straightforward as they seem. And this one might just set the world on fire.

The plot of The Girl at Midnight reminded me of the Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor. It was a good read and the style of writing was unique and peppy, but there were So. Many. Parallels. The writing style was a curious blend of old and new; the characters talked in a refined manner, but once in a while something snarky and entirely unrefined slipped in: 
“Pickpocket?” The word was so salty Caius could almost taste it.”
Salty? Realllyyy? It cracked me up, but it just seemed so alien. 

I enjoyed Echo's character, especially her Bravado as she called it. She was altogether super funny and witty. But the way she interacted with others and actually the way ALL the characters interacted with each other seemed so orchestrated. The only true connection/ depth of feeling I could perceive as genuine was that of The Ala and Echo. Speaking of The Ala, she was my favorite character! Loooved her. Although you could technically draw her as a parallel to Brimstone (from Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone), The Ala is much more of a parental figure, and she was so cool. That first chapter/prologue was my favorite chapter in the whole book because it just seemed so real and perfect. Rowan vs Caius. Hmmm, how well do we actually get to know them in this book? Not well at all, honestly; both characters could have been explained much, much more. Ivy was an interesting addition, and should have a louder voice/bigger role. Out of all the characters, I didn't truly understand any of them except maybe Echo. Virtually none the characters seemed to grow/mature; there was no transition period. To elucidate, at the beginning Echo is naive then bam she gets imprisoned then bam she's super mature and jaded. It was frustrating to see how quickly and unnaturally all the characters changed throughout the book. 

There are so many elements in this book, but none of the seem fully developed. For example all the locations visited in this book were pretty cool, but the only one I felt I truly understood and "saw" was Echo's library. Although the scenes take place in "familiar" (relative term) settings such as New York and Japan, the distinctions between the supernatural and the familiar are non-existent: when we are traveling through New York, I don't really get a feel of how the author is portraying the environment. Does she want it to be spooky, otherworldly, familiar, or intriguing? The writing is pretty and the dialogue droll, but it lacks life. The author doesn't always have clear voice and sometimes the story feels a bit directionless. 

There was an abundance of "action" but nothing actually got resolved. Also the famous firebird? Little to nothing was revealed about its so called powers. There is very little information on the history of the two species the Drakharin (dragon people) and the Avicen (bird people). I did however enjoy the descriptions of both races, and especially when describing Jaspar, found the feathers and scales to be absolutely ethereal. 

I know I had a lot of complaints with this book. The reason was that I was expecting something better, something really, really amazing. This book was merely good BUT I found myself enjoying the banter between Echo and her friends, and loved the descriptions of the otherworldly creatures as well as Echo's thieving escapades. I recommend this book to those who don't have any expectations and want to rebound after reading the Daughter of Smoke and Bone. Also, fans of high fantasy and snarky heroines will find themselves enjoying this book.

Thorn by Intisar Khanani

Title: Thorn

Author: Intisar Khanani

Date Published: May 30th 2012

Publisher: CreateSpace

Rating: 4 out of 5

Goodreads Blurb: 

For Princess Alyrra, choice is a luxury she's never had ... until she's betrayed. 

Princess Alyrra has never enjoyed the security or power of her rank. Between her family's cruelty and the court's contempt, she has spent her life in the shadows. Forced to marry a powerful foreign prince, Alyrra embarks on a journey to meet her betrothed with little hope for a better future. 

But powerful men have powerful enemies--and now, so does Alyrra. Betrayed during a magical attack, her identity is switched with another woman's, giving Alyrra the first choice she's ever had: to start a new life for herself or fight for a prince she's never met. But Alyrra soon finds that Prince Kestrin is not at all what she expected. While walking away will cost Kestrin his life, returning to the court may cost Alyrra her own. As Alyrra is coming to realize, sometime the hardest choice means learning to trust herself. 

Thorn is a retelling of Goose Girl. It is very well written; the language is exquisite and the characters have depth. The writing style is smooth, and the dialogue natural. 

On a more abstract note, the main plot was centered around the forced identity switch between Princess Alyrra and Lady Valka (lots of cool names in this book). The shift was caused by Lady, an enigmatic sorceress, who had to watch the brutal death of her mother by the hand of a previous King (the great great grandfather of Kesterin); Lady allowed her hatred to determine her actions and used Valka and Alyrra as pawns to achieve her goal to eradicate the entire line of rulers. Most of this story's plot revolved around Lady's drive for revenge. The remainder of it was focused on Thorn's refusal to fight for her rightful position as princess. (To clarify, Thorn is Alyrra's new nickname after she was forced to swap bodies with Valka.) Lady seemed, at first, as the evil villain type, but after Thorn went to rescue Kesterin, we learn that she has much more depth than what was anticipated. She has a heart, and she is willing to listen and learn. I found myself really liking Lady by the end of the novel. 

Falada was an awesome Horse (capitalized for a reason) and his connection with Thorn reminded me of Yelena's connection with her horse (from the Poison Study series by Maria V. Snyder). Falada's loyalty and kindness easily made him one of my favorite characters, and it was an undeniably despondent moment when he died. Another aspect of this book that reminded me of the Poison Study series was that Thorn's soft spot for helping the less fortunate (homeless, hungry children and Robin Hood-like thieves) was quite similar to Yelena's actions to help the poor. 

Although Kesterin's character could have been more present throughout the whole book, Thorn's character more than made up for any shortcomings. Thorn was simple, honest, and loving. At the beginning of the book, everything about her seemed pretty unambiguous but her actions were ultimately spontaneous and unexpected; she was fiercely loyal to her friends and had an extremely humble mien. I loved how her character developed and grew into something brave and confident, unlike the "shadow" it previously was. However, she was not perfect and her biggest flaw was her inability to speak out to help herself. This same weakness was what the Lady used to bind Thorn to the curse and it is the same one that got her into difficult situations multiple times.

Thorn's old life was frighteningly miserable and I was a bit surprised when Thorn didn't jump at the chance to ditch her heartless mother and brother. I, however, still do not understand the King (Kesterin's father) and it's not because he was purposefully made to be enigmatic. I just couldn't understand if the concern he had for Alyrra's safety came from his rectitude or was entirely fake. From Thorn's encounters with him, I found him to be unpredictable and rude but he ultimately ended up helping Thorn, which was wonderful but failed to allay any doubts that he had ulterior motives. 

One aspect of this book that could have been a little more detailed and exciting is the test Lady agreed to, to determine Kesterin's morality. The trials were meant to reveal Kesterin's ability to control his hate for the Lady and avoid turning into a raging murderer but how they were conducted was a bit cliché and expected; the Lady disguises Thorn as herself and pushes both of them into situations in which Kesterin might give into his impulse to kill the person who was responsible for the death of his ancestors.

I also enjoyed the addition of magic to this book; both the Wind and the talking Horse served to add an extra spark to the story. Also, the final reveal that the Wind was actually Kesterin was both sweet and unexpected. 

My Verdict: I like this book; it was sweet, uncomplicated, and picturesque. But it did lack a continuously engaging plot and a stronger set of characters, hence my 4 star rating. I recommend this to anyone who has read Goose Girl by Shannon Hale or The Posion Study series by Maria V. Snyder (although fans of Yelena might find themselves unsatisfied with Thorn's straightforward persona). 

Storm Siren by Mary Weber

Title: Storm Siren (Storm Siren #1) 

Author: Mary Weber

Date Published: August 19th 2014 

Publisher: Thomas Nelson 

Rating: 4 out of 5 

*ARC provided by NetGalley*

Goodreads Blurb:

“I raise my chin as the buyers stare. Yes. Look. You don’t want me. Because, eventually, accidentally, I will destroy you."

In a world at war, a slave girl’s lethal curse could become one kingdom’s weapon of salvation. If the curse—and the girl—can be controlled.

SPOILERS.
So when I first read the blurb on Goodreads, I was expecting a heroine similar to Celaena Sardothien (from Throne of Glass). But I wrong, and not regrettably so. I was pleasantly surprised with this book after I got over my disappointment. The MC, Nym, is an Elemental who has the power to control, wrong word, summon lightning. She struggles to rein in her emotions and often her rage unleashes storms that always end in death and destruction. She accumulates guilt and that causes her to hate her ability and herself. Nym was definitely not self-assured and at times seemed weak and fearful. But her caustic humour, sarcasm definitely wins some points and her need for redemption is admirable. 

When she is bought by a madwoman at a slave auction after unleashing her "thunder", Nym is given the option of either being executed as punishment for the deaths she's caused. Or a chance to seek redemption by fighting for the kingdom Faelen. When she "chooses" to help, the madwoman aka King's war adviser aka Adora hands her over to her Elemental trainer, Eogan, and the training begins. 

Along with Colin, another Elemental with the power of Earth, Nym learns to control her ability and they both prepare to take on invading forces. After a test on the mountains, Nym explodes with righteous anger at being manipulated and being used as a weapon and causes an avalanche that nearly destroys a nearby village. After another bout of self doubt, Nym lets the curse control her and refuses to use her ability to kill anyone. 

But Eogan complicates everything with secrets of both his and Nym's pasts and then the King of Faelen is betrayed and the legendary, accursed Draewulf attacks. 

I like the history and the world building was adequate but what needed the most improvement was the explanations and background of the characters- I felt as if there was a slight case of info-dumping. 

Personally, the last couple of chapters were the most suspenseful and tense moments of the whole book. And that ending. That Ending. The Ending. Like I totally thought it would be a happy ending but who was I kidding? Definitely myself- that ending was so brilliantly unexpected and so artfully done. I mean, it wasn't a great ending in and of itself but how the author springs it on you the very last minute/paragraph was what made me decide I really liked this book.