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. 

Mini- Reviews #1: May 2016

This will be a new feature on my blog and in these posts I will write short reviews for about 3-5 books I've read throughout every month that I didn't have too much to say about, but felt the need to review for whatever reasons. 

Title: Scarlett Espstein Hates It Here 

Author: Anna Breslaw

Date Published: April 19th 2016

Publisher: Razorbill

Ratings: 3 out of 5 stars

Goodreads Blurb:

Meet Scarlett Epstein, BNF (Big Name Fan) in her online community of fanfiction writers, world-class nobody at Melville High. Her best (read: only) IRL friends are Avery, a painfully shy and annoyingly attractive bookworm, and Ruth, her pot-smoking, possibly insane seventy-three-year-old neighbor.  

When Scarlett’s beloved TV show is canceled and her longtime crush, Gideon, is sucked out of her orbit and into the dark and distant world of Populars, Scarlett turns to the fanfic message boards for comfort. This time, though, her subjects aren’t the swoon-worthy stars of her fave series—they’re the real-life kids from her high school. Scarlett never considers what might happen if they were to find out what she truly thinks about them...until a dramatic series of events exposes a very different reality than Scarlett's stories, forever transforming her approach to relationships—both online and off.

I found this novel a bit awkward at times, especially the interactions between the characters, however Scar's voice (both IRL and online) was genuine and hilarious. I literally cried when the Ruth died and it was such a big moment in the novel; I just wish that there were more Ruth + Scarlett scenes because they were so funny and honest. But I feel like the author definitely used Ruth's death as a way to advance the plot and I really didn't like how it was "thrown-in" for that purpose.

There was a lot going on, but the author did a really really good job telling it from Scarlett's point of view, and the vibes I got from this book were overall positive and warm.

I don't often read realistic fiction, but this was a light read. Fans of realistic fiction will probably love this, as the character is so relatable.

Title: Sword and Verse

Author: Kathy MacMillan

Date Published: January 19th 2016

Publisher: HarperTeen

Ratings: 2 out of 5 stars

Goodreads Blurb: 

Raisa was only a child when she was kidnapped and enslaved in Qilara. Forced to serve in the palace of the King, she’s endured hunger, abuse, and the harrowing fear of discovery. Everyone knows that Raisa is Arnath, but not that she is a Learned One, a part of an Arnath group educated in higher order symbols. In Qilara, this language is so fiercely protected that only the King, the Prince, and Tutors are allowed to know it. So when the current Tutor-in-training is executed for sharing the guarded language with slaves and Raisa is chosen to replace her, Raisa knows that, although she may have a privileged position among slaves, any slipup could mean death.
That would be challenging enough, but training alongside Prince Mati could be her real undoing. And when a romance blossoms between them, she’s suddenly filled with a dangerous hope for something she never before thought possible: more. Then she’s approached by the Resistance—an underground army of slaves—to help liberate the Arnath people. Joining the Resistance could mean freeing her people…but she’d also be aiding in the war against her beloved, an honorable man she knows wants to help the slaves.
Working against the one she loves—and a palace full of deadly political renegades—has some heady consequences. As Raisa struggles with what’s right, she unwittingly uncovers a secret that the Qilarites have long since buried…one that, unlocked, could bring the current world order to its knees

I've been wanting to read this book forever, as I am a fan of high fantasy, but honestly this was so disappointing. Nothing original except the dual story line (which honestly wasn't very interesting). I did enjoy the mythological aspect of it and how it played out alongside the "real" plot, but it seemed unconnected to the actual plot and was really boring. 

The main character was an utter bore and I had no respect for her or the prince, who were both spineless and boring.

This novel really doesn't have anything original going for it and the justification for those two stars is the very literal interpretation of language having power, as only the upper class in this society were allowed to read and write.

Sword and Verse is based on an interesting concept but the the execution of it was entirely uninteresting. I would not recommend this book to anyone.... Unless you were writing an essay about how language consolidates power.

Title: Ruined (Ruined #1)

Author: Amy Tintera

Date Published: May 3rd 2016

Publisher: HarperTeen

Ratings: 2 out of 5 stars

Goodreads Blurb: 

A revenge that will consume her. A love that will ruin her.
Emelina Flores has nothing. Her home in Ruina has been ravaged by war. She lacks the powers of her fellow Ruined. Worst of all, she witnessed her parents’ brutal murders and watched helplessly as her sister, Olivia, was kidnapped.
But because Em has nothing, she has nothing to lose. Driven by a blind desire for revenge, Em sets off on a dangerous journey to the enemy kingdom of Lera. Somewhere within Lera’s borders, Em hopes to find Olivia. But in order to find her, Em must infiltrate the royal family.
In a brilliant, elaborate plan of deception and murder, Em marries Prince Casimir, next in line to take Lera’s throne. If anyone in Lera discovers Em is not Casimir’s true betrothed, Em will be executed on the spot. But it’s the only way to salvage Em’s kingdom and what is left of her family.
Em is determined to succeed, but the closer she gets to the prince, the more she questions her mission. Em’s rage-filled heart begins to soften. But with her life—and her family—on the line, love could be Em’s deadliest mistake.

Sigh. This book is so similar to others in this genre. Overdone themes/ideas present in this book include, but are not limited to:
* magic wielders are persecuted/feared
* the assassin falls in love with the person they are trying to kill
* the parents are evil, and the children "pay" for their "sins"
* the MC is a fabulous fighter, super smart, and tries to hide her true emotions/ can't trust anybody
* the MC has one sidekick/ helper that remains loyal to them, yet they are treated by the MC as expendable and unimportant

Credit where credit is due, the narration was mostly exciting and the writing was not bad. The character were extremely under-developed however, and this more than anything was the real reason for only 2 stars.


I recommend this to those who enjoy any of the aforementioned themes.

The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi

Title: The Star-Touched Queen

Author: Roshani Chokshi

Date Published: April 26th 2016

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Rating: 5 out of 5

*ARC provided by NetGalley*

Goodreads Blurb:

Fate and fortune. Power and passion. What does it take to be the queen of a kingdom when you’re only seventeen?
Maya is cursed. With a horoscope that promises a marriage of death and destruction, she has earned only the scorn and fear of her father’s kingdom. Content to follow more scholarly pursuits, her whole world is torn apart when her father, the Raja, arranges a wedding of political convenience to quell outside rebellions. Soon Maya becomes the queen of Akaran and wife of Amar. Neither roles are what she expected: As Akaran’s queen, she finds her voice and power. As Amar’s wife, she finds something else entirely: Compassion. Protection. Desire…
But Akaran has its own secrets—thousands of locked doors, gardens of glass, and a tree that bears memories instead of fruit. Soon, Maya suspects her life is in danger. Yet who, besides her husband, can she trust? With the fate of the human and Otherworldly realms hanging in the balance, Maya must unravel an ancient mystery that spans reincarnated lives to save those she loves the most…including herself.

Reincarnation! I totally love this topic and although it has popped up in a few books such as Incarnate by Jodi Meadows, Girl of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor, and Timekeeper by Alexandra Monir, none of these books skillfully or impactfully weave it in as this one.

I absolutely love the two main characters and the horse.
I absolutely love the magical world of Akaran.
I absolutely love how this parallels Greek mythology and some Indian mythology but at the same time is something completely fresh and new.
I absolutely love the magical and sometimes frightening descriptions of the battles, cities, and palaces.

The plot and the characters were the best part of this novel, only rivaled by the beautiful blend of different mythology. 

The Star-Touched Queen is deep and thoughtful, unlike many fantasy novels being released this year 

Maya is a princess who is written off as a harbinger of death and bad luck. But it's a little more complicated than that as she is the actually connected to the underworld and Death. Cue Amar who saves Maya from her father's awful plan to let her die, and takes her away to be the Queen of Akaran, the place of dreams and nightmares (The Night Court in The Court of Mist and Fury reminded me of this a bit, but this is probably a really bad comparison as these two amazing books are quite different).

So Amar, I think, represents Hades, the ruler of the underworld, Death himself and his Queen is Maya. Except Maya doesn't remember any of her past lives, so she doesn't trust Amar. Cue the villain, Nritti, who is one of the secrets trapped behind the doors mentioned in the blurb. She entraps Maya in a web of lies, making her lose faith in Amar. This turns out to be cataclysmic, and heralds the end of Akaran as well as of peace.

After realizing her folly by discovering her past, Maya fights to get back to Akaran and free both Amar and the rest of the world from the evil of Nritti, And obviously she succeeds but I kinda wish she didn't just so we could have a sequel ;) 

I recommend this book to fans of The Wrath and the Dawn as well as of the fantasy or mythology genres. This novel is one of my favorites this year, and honestly recommending it to literally everyone because this novel is the definition of "magical".

WoW: The Vanishing Throne by Elizabeth May

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

Title: The Vanishing Throne (The Falconers #2)

Author: Elizabeth May 

*RELEASE DATE: November 19th 2015

Publisher: Gollanzc 

Goodreads Blurb: 

1845.
The battle is over. Edinburgh stands in ruins. Only Alieana Kameron, former heiress and debutante, now murderess and fae-slayer, remains amid the destruction.
Humanity has moved on - but the war has only just begun.

So this book released in the UK in November but its going to release in the US in June (2016). I don't see why/how that's reasonable. Sigh. I still haven't read this book and that is a veritable problem. I must acquire a UK copy (maybe from Amazon?) and read this book ASAP. 

The Falconer ended with the biggest cliffhanger possible and I am very not happy with how long it took for the book to release (to partially release? to selectively release? why can't books release on the same date throughout the entire world?). Here is my review of The Falconer. 

Although I'm not happy with the release date, I am content in my knowledge that this book will be amazing and I guess it won't hurt to wait a bit until I can get my hands on this book. 

What I'm most looking forward to is Alieana growing into a warrior and saving the world. Because I'm sure that's going to happen. Also Kiaran's transformation might be interesting as well. Hopefully there will be copious amounts of witty banter and it won't be boring. 

Book, please don't be boring. 

*Note: Yes, technically this book is released but only kinda released so we're going to let this dubious WoW slide*

The Scorpion Rules by Erin Bow

Title: The Scorpion Rules 

Author: Erin Bow

Publication Date: September 22nd 2015

Publisher: Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing 

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

*ARC provided by NetGalley*

Goodreads Blurb: 

A world battered by climate shift and war turns to an ancient method of keeping peace: the exchange of hostages. The Children of Peace - sons and daughters of kings and presidents and generals - are raised together in small, isolated schools called Preceptures. There, they learn history and political theory, and are taught to gracefully accept what may well be their fate: to die if their countries declare war.  

Greta Gustafsen Stuart, Duchess of Halifax and Crown Princess of the Pan-Polar Confederation, is the pride of the North American Prefecture. Learned and disciplined, Greta is proud of her role in keeping the global peace, even though, with her country controlling two-thirds of the world’s most war-worthy resource — water — she has little chance of reaching adulthood alive.  

Enter Elián Palnik, the Prefecture’s newest hostage and biggest problem. Greta’s world begins to tilt the moment she sees Elián dragged into the school in chains. The Prefecture’s insidious surveillance, its small punishments and rewards, can make no dent in Elián, who is not interested in dignity and tradition, and doesn’t even accept the right of the UN to keep hostages.  

What will happen to Elián and Greta as their two nations inch closer to war? 

I requested this ARC because the blurb seemed intriguing. But after I read the first chapter, I started questioning if this was actually the book that the blurb was describing. The style of this book is highly esoteric and unlike anything I've encountered before.

Let us first examine the characters, who are oh so serious and proper, with the exception of Elián and Talis who provided much needed comical relief to the reader. Greta, the princess, was respected by everyone and acknowledged by her Precepture ("Amish" settlements where the royalty learn to live off the land) as the "leader". She is the MC but her relationships with the other characters are non-existent at best. She is almost like a robot herself, and although she is portrayed as such for a reason, it did not help me connect to the story what-so-ever. The other hostages Xie, Thanda, Grego, and Han are obviously important, being Greta's closest companions, but there was startlingly little emphasis placed on their thoughts or actions. Elián, however, was portrayed as refreshingly real, but by the end, him and all the other characters seemed so helpless in their society and it was a little frightening. Talis. The Ruler of the World. He was so pathetically childish that I found myself ridiculing the others for following his lead. There was not enough information given to substantiate everyone's profound fear of Talis; yes he did blow up a city (which, btw, was so random and made no sense) but he is so silly.

The world-building is so lacking; although we know there are more countries, they are never talked about. This book is apparently supposed to be a science fiction (dystopian) novel but it never had that vibe; in judging dystopians, the book I use to scale is 1984 by George Orwell. This book lacked the "reality" that was present in 1984; it simply DID NOT feel real and felt entirely made up, almost as if it was some type of fantasy in which powerful robot dudes had the power to blow up cities.

The best aspect of this book was not the characters, or the plot, or even the backstory/history (which was barely explained unless Greta felt like spouting random facts). The best aspect of this book was the science, in which there could have been more a lot more detail. But, the field of AI is quite interesting and arguably, AI is a misnomer for the robots in this book considering those robots are uploaded with a human "essence", for lack of a better word. I thought the idea of immortalizing a human in a non-organic body quite similar to that of The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson.

The plot was entirely one directional, and uncomplicated. There were no side stories, no surprising twists, and absolutely no depth. I found it extremely stodgy and lackluster- I wanted a story that engaged me and appealed to either my emotions or brain. This story did not have enough science (political or technological) or enough action/dialogue/life to satisfy my expectations. However, if straightforward, uncomplicated books work for you, you will definitely enjoy this novel.

The 2.5 rating I gave this book is based on it's ideas that had the potential to captivate. It is also based on the fact that it was highly unique and took a new (although uninteresting) approach on AI as well as dystopian fiction.

This book was not my type of book; it was dull and I found it hard to appreciate the futuristic world presented. But, like I stated before, the style was esoteric and I'm sure this book will appeal to those who look for and appreciate the subtler connotations to the story. One of those interesting nuances that I appreciated is the fact that the use of hostages is an ancient practice (which is stated in the blurb, not the book... but an interesting fact nevertheless). But even with those connotations, it is hard to naturally enjoy this book. However, if I read this with the intent to uncover those connotations and use my critical thinking skills to pick apart the plot, then maybe what I would find would be thought-provoking. But alas, that was not my approach and consequently I was quite frustrated with the lack intrigue and life in this book.

Stitching Snow by R.C. Lewis

Title: Stitching Snow 

Author: R.C. Lewis

Publication Date: October 14th 2014

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Rating: 4 out of 5

Goodreads Blurb: 

Princess Snow is missing.
Her home planet is filled with violence and corruption at the hands of King Matthias and his wife as they attempt to punish her captors. The king will stop at nothing to get his beloved daughter back—but that’s assuming she wants to return at all.
Essie has grown used to being cold. Temperatures on the planet Thanda are always sub-zero, and she fills her days with coding and repairs for the seven loyal drones that run the local mines.
When a mysterious young man named Dane crash-lands near her home, Essie agrees to help the pilot repair his ship. But soon she realizes that Dane’s arrival was far from accidental, and she’s pulled into the heart of a war she’s risked everything to avoid. With the galaxy’s future—and her own—in jeopardy, Essie must choose who to trust in a fiery fight for survival.

SPOILERS.


I've heard that this book is similar to Cinder, being all futuristic and cyborg-y but honestly I didn't even see the similarities until someone pointed them out.

Stitching Snow was a wonderful Snow White retelling, complete with the evil queen, huntsmen, handsome prince, and the seven robots. That's right robots. They were brilliant robots and I really really wish they all had a bigger part in the story.

One thing that made this quite different from the original Snow White is that there were a lot of different races/countries involved. There were four to be exact, and the politics/war between the countries stood out from the standard YA Snow White retellings.

One thing I couldn't believe was that Dane's father died. That was honestly so heartbreaking because 1) it was so unexpected and 2) it totally threw everything in a loop because Dane's father was the catalyst for all the action in this book.

The two main characters, Essie and Dane, are both royalty who assume different roles to suit their purposes. At first they seem like they're on opposite sides, but by the end they totally unite against the evil monarchy of Windsong.

Essie was strong in the physical sense but she didn't really have a sense of purpose; she was perfectly willing to live disguised as a Thandan instead of going to reclaim her throne and fight for her life back. She acted all tough but throughout the book I see glimpses of the frightened nine year old girl whose world just collapsed. I fully empathized with her situation and admired how she pulled together and prevailed in the face of such odds: almost killed by her step-mother's decree and living in a harsh, unaccommodating planet just to spend her days fighting in the Cage to earn money. But near the end, Essie definitely lost some of that admiration. She was rude and dismissing, especially towards Dane, and after Dane's father died, that was definitely not ok. But overall, Essie was a well developed character.

Dane was great, and his actions (kidnapping Essie, going undercover, saving Essie's life) were either understandable or undeniably brave. He was the most down-to-Earth (does that phrase even apply in galaxial settings? Should I say "down to planet"...) person in the entire novel and I totally agreed with everything he said and did. Even kidnapping Essie. He was kind and unassuming, and also focused. Almost the opposite of Essie. Overall, Dane was great, but also a bit of an uncomplicated person (definitely an oxymoron- uncomplicated person), which however didn't help in enlivening his character.

Filled with robots, an evil Queen, interplanetary travel, and superpowers (yup, it fits in somehow), Stitching Snow is a book I recommend to fairy tale lovers as well as those who enjoy a more futuristic setting.

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!

Click here to order on Amazon!

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*

WoW: Reawakened by Colleen Houck

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

Click here to pre-order on Amazon! 

Title: Reawakened (The Reawakened #1)

Author: Colleen Houck 

RELEASE DATE: August 11th 2015

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Goodreads Blurb:

"When seventeen-year-old Lilliana Young enters the Metropolitan Museum of Art one morning during spring break, the last thing she expects to find is a live Egyptian prince with godlike powers, who has been reawakened after a thousand years of mummification.

And she really can't imagine being chosen to aid him in an epic quest that will lead them across the globe to find his brothers and complete a grand ceremony that will save mankind.

But fate has taken hold of Lily, and she, along with her sun prince, Amon, must travel to the Valley of the Kings, raise his brothers, and stop an evil, shape-shifting god named Seth from taking over the world.

From New York Times bestselling author Colleen Houck comes an epic adventure about two star-crossed teens who must battle mythical forces and ancient curses on a journey with more twists and turns than the Nile itself."

The Tiger's Curse series by Ms. Houck was delightful, and I'm hoping this one will be even better! Egyptian mythology (any mythology, really) is so intriguing and I literally cannot wait any longer for August 11th! 

The Heart of Betrayal by Mary E. Pearson

Title: The Heart of Betrayal (The Remnant Chronicles #2)

Author: Mary E. Pearson 

Date Published: July 7th 2015

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. 

Rating: 5 out of 5

Goodreads Blurb: 

Intrigue abounds in this hotly anticipated sequel to The Kiss of Deception!
Held captive in the barbarian kingdom of Venda, Lia and Rafe have little chance of escape. Desperate to save her life, Lia's erstwhile assassin, Kaden, has told the Vendan Komizar that she has the gift, and the Komizar's interest in Lia is greater than anyone could have foreseen.
Meanwhile, nothing is straightforward: there's Rafe, who lied to Lia, but has sacrificed his freedom to protect her; Kaden, who meant to assassinate her but has now saved her life; and the Vendans, whom Lia always believed to be barbarians. Now that she lives amongst them, however, she realizes that may be far from the truth. Wrestling with her upbringing, her gift, and her sense of self, Lia must make powerful choices that will affect her country... and her own destiny.

 Heart of Betrayal. Finally. A really good book. I haven't read anything this good since A Court of Thorns and Roses and the other book, The Wrath and the Dawn. This definitely was everything I was expecting after reading A Kiss of Deception last year; the second book in a series is rarely as good as the first one, but in this case Heart of Betrayal was fantastic. 

Jezelia aka Lia. She was amazing albeit a little too conniving. I absolutely enjoyed her "political maneuvering", but at times it was too much; at times I found myself questioning whose side she was on and what she hoped to accomplish. If there was one thing I could change, it would be the amount of pages spent on Lia's, Kaden's, Rafe's, and the Komizar's petty little power games and acting.

Rafe. For the most part he was pretty sweet and seemed like an awesome prince. I didn't have any qualms whatsoever with his spinning of the truth. In fact, his cover as emissary was brilliant and he was probably my favorite character, right after Aster. 

Kaden. Ugh. This guy is confused. I mean, he obviously is completely loyal to the Komizar, but after failing to kill Lia, he doesn't know what to with his life anymore. I appreciated that he tried to help Lia, but at the same time was he reaally helping? In truth, he was completely undecided and although he did have a perplexing persona and ambiguous motives, he didn't quite portray the strong yet enigmatic figure.

Komizar. The classic YA villain: someone with at least one awesome skill (sword-fighting, magic, persuasion) and murky motives. Someone with a dark past, who seems altruistic as well as malevolent. He's the guy we know is bad, but have a hard time accepting because he seems to care about everyone's else's welfare.... Until he chops off someone's head. Yup, an extremely accurate description of the Komizar, ruler of Venda. 

I loved how there are different kingdoms and an actual geography to this fictional world. The kingdoms of Dalbreck, Venda, Morrighan were wonderfully created, each with their monarchs/rulers, political discord, structure, language, and culture. There was a huge behind-the-scenes plot brewing throughout this whole novel, but it was still quite unclear as to what it's supposed to lead to. Without giving away too much, my take on it was: Lia discovers some ancient texts that seem to rewrite the history of all three kingdoms. SPOILER. Through the same channels, she also discovers an ancient prophecy calling for the sacrifice of the one called Jezelia (her name). 

So this book has all the elements required for a high fantasy: magic, an evil villain, dashing hero(s arguably more than one), kingdoms at war, an ancient prophecy, and loyal sidekicks (Berdi, Pauline, and Gwyneth). And while we're talking about loyal sidekicks, the chapters are told from different POVs, and while the majority are told by Kaden, Rafe, and Lia, some are told from Paulina's POV. Although it was nice to hear her voice in this book, the few chapters in which she appeared didn't feel natural: we only hear from Paulina for important transpirations in Morrighan. Everything we are told by Paulina was useful, but her chapters were few and scattered throughout the book, which gave off the vibe that they were added as an afterthought. 

The Ending. Why would anyone end it like that?! I enjoy endings that resolve, and that make you cry, not because they're so frustratingly incomplete, but because they make you weep as if you've lost a good friend. Here are my feelings on what a good ending should be like: 
“Finishing a good book is like leaving a good friend.”
― William Feather
The ending of the Heart of Betrayal was the exact opposite. Instead of resolving, Ms. Pearson decides to betray our trust and rip out all our hearts. It was the worst possible ending because it left me with more questions than answers. It was so artfully cruel, that I can't help admire her ruthlessness. I mean it wasn't a classic cliffhanger; one chapter of Lia's life was closed, albeit only temporarily (according to my predictions). But there was so much going one: someone really, really important dies, someone else really important might be dead, an entire country is mutinying, alliances are shifting and the MC just did something crazy to cause the entire mess... And then DONE. The book just ends. Worst feeling ever. 

Rife with betrayals, secrets and fighting, this books will satisfy the appetites of even the pickiest bibliophile, at least one of the YA fantasy genre. 

A School for Unusual Girls By Kathleen Baldwin

Title: A School for Unusual Girls (Stranje House, #1)

Author: Kathleen Baldwin

Date Published: May 19th 2015

Publisher: Tor Teen

Rating: 5 out of 5 

Goodreads Blurb: 

 It’s 1814. Napoleon is exiled on Elba. Europe is in shambles. Britain is at war on four fronts. And Stranje House, a School for Unusual Girls, has become one of Regency England’s dark little secrets. The daughters of the beau monde who don't fit high society’s constrictive mold are banished to Stranje House to be reformed into marriageable young ladies. Or so their parents think. In truth, Headmistress Emma Stranje, the original unusual girl, has plans for the young ladies—plans that entangle the girls in the dangerous world of spies, diplomacy, and war. After accidentally setting her father’s stables on fire while performing a scientific experiment, Miss Georgiana Fitzwilliam is sent to Stranje House. But Georgie has no intention of being turned into a simpering, pudding-headed, marriageable miss. She plans to escape as soon as possible—until she meets Lord Sebastian Wyatt. Thrust together in a desperate mission to invent a new invisible ink for the English war effort, Georgie and Sebastian must find a way to work together without losing their heads—or their hearts...

This book was surprisingly awesome. I totally expected a stereotypical plot (no offense but Etiquette and Espionage by Gail Carriager was what I was anticipating from reading the blurb) and dull characters but I was so wrong. The genre is historical fiction (one of my favorites) and had three important elements- balls, science, and spies. Ahem, sorry. Diplomats. 

So when Gerogie (yup we're on a first name basis) was sent to the finishing school by her abominable parents, I was hooked. I totally felt her emotions as my own and her character was extremely endearing, not only because she was incredibly smart, but also because she had a crazy passion for science. That was pretty awesome, since most MCs rarely come off as being blue stockings. She was prodigious but wasn't a super ninja like Tess, or a wonderful diplomat like Maya. She just seemed like an ordinary girl, and that, more than anything else, emphasized the fact that she was absolutely brilliant.

Another well done factor in the book was the finishing school. The peculiar characters, like the headmistress, Madame Cho, Ravencliffe, and the girls were extremely dynamic and all of them clearly had depth. Although the specifics and history of a few characters, like Jane and Maya, weren't thoroughly enough described to satisfy my curiosity, the resulting, enigmatic persona only added to their charm. The General and his nephew, Sebastian (OMG, I think Cassandra Clare has well and truly ruined that name for me. Sigh. I totally forgive her though, her novels were wondrous) were ruggedly noble characters. 

The secret spy vibe going on was too cool, and all the parts of the book (the espionage, the war against Napoleon, Stranje house, Georgie's life, Sebastian's still murky past) were all combined seamlessly and left me wanting to know a looooot more about each and  every character. Especially Headmistress Stranje (what is up with her and the Captain), who I adored. 

This book was uniquely its own and I believe it is easily on my top 25 list for 2015. I recommend it to anyone who is a fan of any of Gail Carriager's novels (either the Finishing School series or the Parasol Protectorate series, which btw is FAB) or a fan of steampunk, Regency London, bluestockings, and teenagers with superpowers (I know that this doesn't seem to fit in with anything I previously described but trust me, this was the most germane description I could think of).

The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski

Title: The Winner's Curse (The Winner's Trilogy #1)

Author: Marie Rutkoski

Date Published: March 4th 2014

Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers

Rating: 5 out of 5

Goodreads Blurb:

Winning what you want may cost you everything you love...
As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions.
One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction. Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin.
But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined.
Set in a richly imagined new world, The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.

This is one of my all time favourites.
Why, you ask? 
Because of the realistic and beautiful setting. 
The believable, intelligent characters. 
The style of writing- engaging and poetically elegant. 
The fast, unbelievably unique plot.
And (an equally contributing factor to my adoration of this book), the fact that this book is (loosely) based on a phenomenon called the "Winner's Curse."


DEFINITION OF 'WINNER'S CURSE'
"A tendency for the winning bid in an auction to exceed the intrinsic value of the item purchased. Because of incomplete information, emotions or any other number of factors regarding the item being auctioned, bidders can have a difficult time determining the item's intrinsic value. As a result, the largest overestimation of an item's value ends up winning the auction."       
(Source: Investopedia.com)


From a historian's point of view, the world-building was incredible. Almost as good as Narnia. Almost. And the history between the two countries, the war, the enslavement of a whole race- it was almost textbook perfect. But, note that I said "unique" while I was listing the wonderful qualities of this book. It was unique: every dialogue, action, scene, and character was literally incomparable to those of any other book. While the structure of the society and the conflict was based on that of historical societies, all the small details of this book were remarkably distinct. I absolutely loved Kestrel's home- it was described beautifully and if I had to compile a list of fictional vacation sites, her home would be on it. 

Kestrel was an awesome female protagonist, comparable to my other favorites (Calaena, Penryn, and Tessa) solely because they were all wonderfully brave and witty. But the similarities end there. Kestrel is the daughter of the General, living among the nobility of Valoria. She's pressured by her father to join the military, but all she wants to be is free from the constraints of society. She doesn't believe in the subjugation of the Herranis and defies the rules of her society by showing them kindness. She's also incredibly manipulative and is tightly wrapped in armor- she doesn't give away any feelings and is constantly on guard. 

Similarly, Arin is extremely reserved at the beginning of this book solely because he had a BIIG secret to hide [won't give it away this time]. He is kind but also resents the Valorians for stealing away his home and country. This resentment fuels his secretive actions, but by the end the tables are turned and Arin's character changes significantly once he starts to trust Kestrel. 

By the end the two characters seemed incompatible, especially since once was a slave while the other, a master. But hopefully everything works out well in the next book (which I have already read, but I'm trying not to let it influence this review). 

Another aspect of the book I enjoyed was Kestrel's love of playing the piano and her skill at the game of Bite and Sting (check out Marie Rutkoski's website to play this interesting game!) I also adored the Herrani Gods, and although there wasn't very much information about them, it helped add to the culture and background. The idea of such gods is similar to the idea of Saints; for example, there is a Herrani God of Lies. 

If I had to choose, I would say the end was the most enjoyable part of the book. Because literally everything was falling apart, I was truly in a tailspin and everything that happened from the last ball (that's right, there are balls, who doesn't like balls?) to the end of the book was wonderfully unexpected. It was however infuriatingly incomplete and I was raging at the cliff-hanger, because believe me, the last few pages are so crazy they will knock your socks off. 

I recommend this to fans of historical fiction as well as those who enjoy witty banter. Actually I recommend this to EVERYONE, because this book has drama, love, wit, and war. At the risk of sounding like an ad, this book has something to suit everyones's tastes.    

Princess of Thorns by Stacey Jay

Title: Princess of Thorns 

Author: Stacey Jay 

Date Published: August 19th 2014 

Publisher: Random House Children's

Rating: 5 out of 5

*ARC provided by NetGalley*

Goodreads Blurb:

Though she looks like a mere mortal, Princess Aurora is a fairy blessed with enhanced strength, bravery, and mercy yet cursed to destroy the free will of any male who kisses her. Disguised as a boy, she enlists the help of the handsome but also cursed Prince Niklaas to fight legions of evil and free her brother from the ogre queen who stole Aurora's throne ten years ago.
Will Aurora triumph over evil and reach her brother before it's too late? Can Aurora and Niklaas break the curses that will otherwise forever keep them from finding their one true love?

I loved this book. It was a blend of the classical Sleeping Beauty fairy tale and the contemporary heroine-based novel. And, truthfully it rocked in both those aspects.

Both the main characters, Ror and Niklaas, were fantastic and extremely well developed. They both had a lot of depth and I loved the parallel fate- both were cursed and both had to fight for their future. Ror (Aurora) was a strong heroine and although she was somewhat of the stereotypical YA heroine, I absolutely loved her wit, fighting skills, and character. This book didn't have much depth- it was a lot of fluff. Enjoyable fluff, but still fluff. And other than the prologue/backstory and ogre scenes, it wasn't a very serious book.

Another aspect of the book I loved (and this honestly could have been explained better) was the ogres who took over. Although the setting was beautiful, there wasn't much history or explanation and that really bugged me, because I wanted to more about the kingdom/ogre takeover. SPOILER. The ogres were the "villains" and Ror's destiny was to defeat the ogre king/priest. The ogre Queen, however, was an intriguing character who I ended up really liking.

Aurora's history with the faeries was something that was barely explained and, truthfully, warrants a novella. SPOILER. I definitely did not expect them to ever show up in this book, but I was so glad when they came to the rescue at the very end of the book- I want to know more about these mysterious faerie warriors.

To conclude, this was a fantastic, fun, and unique read. I feel as if it was very different from Ms. Jay's Of Beast and Beauty, and in my opinion, much much better. This book is perfect for those who want a fast-paced, loosely-based fairy tale retelling with an amazing heroine and awesome plot. (Yes, this book deserves every single adjective I have used in this review.)

The Tyrant's Daughter by J.C. Carleson

Title: The Tyrant's Daughter 

Author: J. C. Carleson

Publication Date: February 11th 2014

Publisher: Random House Children

Rating: 5 out of 5

*ARC provided by NetGalley*

Goodreads Blurb:

From a former CIA officer comes the riveting account of a royal Middle Eastern family exiled to the American suburbs. 
When her father is killed in a coup, 15-year-old Laila flees from the war-torn middle east to a life of exile and anonymity in the U.S. Gradually she adjusts to a new school, new friends, and a new culture, but while Laila sees opportunity in her new life, her mother is focused on the past. She’s conspiring with CIA operatives and rebel factions to regain the throne their family lost. Laila can’t bear to stand still as an international crisis takes shape around her, but how can one girl stop a conflict that spans generations? 
J.C. Carleson delivers a fascinating account of a girl—and a country—on the brink, and a rare glimpse at the personal side of international politics.

The Tyrant's Daughter was a mash up of political tension and teenage worries- two that normally wouldn't go that well together. But the clash is what makes this book more real and unique. Also, the fact that Ms. Carleson has background knowledge and experience makes it impossible to doubt this book is based on a true story.  

My only peeve is that we didn't get to know all the characters better- they all had so many stories to tell and although I enjoyed listening to Laila's voice, I wanted to know her mother's story, and also the stories of all the others deeply affected by this war. But through Laila's voice we are able to see the stark contrast between the two worlds and how she struggles to find which one she belongs in. Throughout the book, Laila compares her values to the ones of others around her and struggles to make sense of whether or not she should move on. 

After moving to America, Laila discovers her sheltered upbringing and also her one sided view on the war- she realizes that everything she was told as a child was wrong and that her father was not a fair king but actually a ruthless tyrant. So when her mother gets re-involved with the crisis, Laila has the choice to ignore the painful reminders of her exile and move on, or attempt to get involved and find out how her family was responsible for  the war ravaging her country. She chooses to uncover the secrets- but her actions only further ensnare her in her mother's trap. At times, I really felt as if the mother and Laila were on opposite sides and the mother's motives, personally, were hard to understand. 

The other characters in this book were colorful additions and helped emphasize both Laila's hidden baggage and her complex personality. I enjoyed this book and especially enjoyed how the author was able to effectively present Laila's point of view.   

Champion by Marie Lu

Title: Champion (Legend #3) 

Author: Marie Lu 

Publication Date: November 5th 2013 

Publisher: Putnam Juvenile

Rating: 5 out of 5

Goodreads Blurb:

He is a Legend. 

She is a Prodigy. 

Who will be Champion? 

June and Day have sacrificed so much for the people of the Republic—and each other—and now their country is on the brink of a new existence. June is back in the good graces of the Republic, working within the government’s elite circles as Princeps-Elect, while Day has been assigned a high-level military position.But neither could have predicted the circumstances that will reunite them: just when a peace treaty is imminent, a plague outbreak causes panic in the Colonies, and war threatens the Republic’s border cities. This new strain of plague is deadlier than ever, and June is the only one who knows the key to her country’s defense. But saving the lives of thousands will mean asking the one she loves to give up everything.With heart-pounding action and suspense, Marie Lu’s bestselling trilogy draws to a stunning conclusion.

First it's Allegiant and now this- I'm convinced that all my favorite authors are all conspiring to break their readers' hearts. But, do not lose hope because, unlike Allegiant, Champion hints at a brighter future.  

Everything from the previous two books carries over and Champion is more intriguing/ heartbreaking and results in a sensory overload. I mean that both positively and negatively; although there is no doubt this book is fabulous, it brings up too many unimportant information. There is soo much going on and frankly, I was skimming to the "important" parts. 

In Marie Lu's Champion, Day is diagnosed with a terminal disease and pulls away from June. But as the plague and the war with the Colonies worsens, both are forced to make difficult choices. As the story progresses, so do the characters of both June and Day. We see more depth to Day and see June's drive to do what's right.

The ending is my favorite part (other than the fact that, you know, it ended) because what happened (won't spoil it!) was soo unexpected (well not really, there were enough hints that I refused to put together) and it made me start crying. Ugh, I'm becoming a silly headed ninny- so many books are making me dissolve into tears! But this book totally deserved it, and Ms. Lu ended the series with so much forethought and general "wonderfulness", that it put many authors to shame- this is a perfect example of ending a series the "right" way.