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: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

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

Click here to order on Amazon!

Title: Six of Crows (Six of Crows #1)

Author: Leigh Bardugo

RELEASE DATE: September 29th 2015

Publisher: Henry Holt and Company

Goodreads Blurb: 

Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can't pull it off alone...
A convict with a thirst for revenge.
A sharpshooter who can't walk away from a wager.
A runaway with a privileged past.
A spy known as the Wraith.
A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums.
A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes.
Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz's crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don't kill each other first.

Six stories packed in one, each more interesting than the other- how can I not want to read this? Heist, spy, magic, criminal prodigy-- all these words are like little fireworks in my head, promising absolute brilliance. Ever since Heist Society (when is the next book coming out?!) the word "heist" triggers the excitement and a rush of adrenaline one may feel after successfully pulling off a con. Not that I would know first-hand how that feels like...

I will love this book, and of this I am certain. My prediction is not solely based on the fact that the blurb is absolutely fascinating but also on how much I adored Shadow and Bone, Ms. Bardugo's other great novel.

I'm constantly looking for the next awesome book, so feel free to comment below on any books you are waiting for!

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. 

Rook by Sharon Cameron

Title: Rook

Author: Sharon Cameron 

Date Published: April 28th 2015

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Goodreads Blurb:

History has a way of repeating itself. In the Sunken City that was once Paris, all who oppose the new revolution are being put to the blade. Except for those who disappear from their prison cells, a red-tipped rook feather left in their place. Is the mysterious Red Rook a savior of the innocent or a criminal? Meanwhile, across the sea in the Commonwealth, Sophia Bellamy’s arranged marriage to the wealthy René Hasard is the last chance to save her family from ruin. But when the search for the Red Rook comes straight to her doorstep, Sophia discovers that her fiancé is not all he seems. Which is only fair, because neither is she. As the Red Rook grows bolder and the stakes grow higher, Sophia and René find themselves locked in a tantalizing game of cat and mouse.

To put things into perspective: the ONE about this book that I absolutely hate is that it is a stand-alone. No sequel, trilogy, series, NOTHING. That being said, here's why I absolutely loved this book: 

Setting
It was beautifully crafted- the Sunken City and the Commonwealth (the two main locations) were very well written and both had such a historical feel to them, with an abundance of balls, mansions, and elegant, Regency era clothing. The charming country setting where the MC Sophia lived and the gritty slums of the Sunken City (where the villain resided) contrasted each other perfectly and while they were supposed to be loosely based actual locations, they were also wonderfully unique. 

The Guillotine 
I absolutely LOOOOOVE allusions, so I couldn't help drawing parallels to the French Revolution (from the perspective given by the Tale of Two Cities) to the social unrest occurring in the Sunken City, which BTW is the post apocalyptic version of Paris. When I say post apocalyptic I automatically think zombies, DNA alterations, and all that futuristic stuff BUT this is nothing supernatural. At times, I almost felt as if I was reading historical fiction. 
Back to the Revolution.The over-arching plot is a battle against the old and new; technology is considered the bane of humanity and responsible for the division of the rich and poor. So in the country this book was taking place in, all past relics (such as watches, light bulbs, and other tech) were illegal. 
Another startling parallel was that the government/Ministry was made up of wackos who were
1) were fanatical believers in fate, luck, and other nonsense, 2) sadistic murderers, 3) lazy, rich people, or 4) a combination of the aforementioned descriptions. 
These wackos responded very poorly to criticism and... wait for it.... chopped off the heads of thousands of so-called rebels. Similar to its purpose in the French Revolution, the Guillotine was used to consolidate power, instill fear, and keep rebellion to a minimum. 

That being said, the antagonist, who was one of those previously mentioned wackos (number 4, to be specific), wasn't as crazy as he could have been, and luckily there wasn't much psychological warfare going on (which at times, drives me absolutely nutty). 


Characters
The two main characters, René and Sophia definitely had layers and different images that were shown in different situations. René especially came as a biiig surprise. Even though I read the blurb before starting the novel, I was waiting for the actual hero/male lead to step in.... I waited until the chess game, and that's when it became obvious to me [SPOILER] René wasn't a silly headed ninny, he was just acting... You guys will probably realize that sooner than I did. But aside from their many, many interesting personas, all the characters were, for the most part, very simple. I don't mean to contradict myself, but the characters seemed too straightforward. There really wasn't much doubt to what each characters motives were (René and Spear being brief exceptions). Sophia's brother was an awesome brother and her "protecter", Spear, also had a strong voice throughout the book, especially near the end, when I couldn't discern his true feelings towards Sophia. I was able to understand and empathize with the characters and I felt their emotions as my own, which for any reader, is a big determining factor in judging a book. 
I also like the the dialogue between René and Sophia, it was refreshingly witty and non-gooey until the second half of the books, where they decided they didn't hate each other anymore. Sigh. Both were strong characters and had spunk, which I definitely appreciated. However, one thing about René I didn't like too much was that he was careless and pirate-like. I didn't see much of his serious side, unlike Sophia who was serious and witty in appropriate measures. 

Ending
It wasn't much of a memorable ending BUT I did shed a few tears over a character's death, which was surprisingly devastating. Also, it was near the end when I realized how long the book was and how the author could have stopped this book multiple times, and waited for a sequel to continue the story. I'm really glad she didn't, but with all the action going on, there were plenty of possible cliffhangers. 


VERDICT: This book is a fun, light read that successfully combines multiple genres (historical fiction, post-apocalyptic, fantasy). It was very long, but at the same time packed with action so there was never a boring moment. I recommend this to anyone who's finding the YA fantasy shelf a little lacking this summer/winter (whichever hemisphere you're in) and is ready to have their mind blown away by something that's actually satisfyingly good. 

The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson

Title: The Kiss of Deception (The Remnant Chronicles #1) 

Author: Mary E. Pearson

Publication Date: July 8th, 2014

Publisher: Henry Holt 

Rating: 5 out of 5

Goodreads Blurb:

A princess must find her place in a reborn world.
She flees on her wedding day.
She steals ancient documents from the Chancellor's secret collection.
She is pursued by bounty hunters sent by her own father.
She is Princess Lia, seventeen, First Daughter of the House of Morrighan.
The Kingdom of Morrighan is steeped in tradition and the stories of a bygone world, but some traditions Lia can't abide. Like having to marry someone she's never met to secure a political alliance.
Fed up and ready for a new life, Lia flees to a distant village on the morning of her wedding. She settles in among the common folk, intrigued when two mysterious and handsome strangers arrive—and unaware that one is the jilted prince and the other an assassin sent to kill her. Deceptions swirl and Lia finds herself on the brink of unlocking perilous secrets—secrets that may unravel her world—even as she feels herself falling in love. 

Although the story isn't particularly different from the usual YA reads, I loved the author's style and the world building and characters, which all added up to equal one of the most delightful reads this year.

I usually enjoy books told from different perspectives, and The Kiss of Deception was no exception- although I had a hard time figuring out which alias belonged to which character, I loooved the different POVs.  

I really liked Princess Lia's character and her spirit but it was very similar to all the other YA heroines nowadays. Both Kaden and Rafe aka he assassin and the prince were interesting additions and I loved the prince but I felt like strangling the imbecilic assassin during the second half of the book. He needs to figure out his priorities. 

Pauline, the best friend, was truly loyal and should have had a larger role in this book. SPOILERS. Walther, Lia's brother, was a supremely supportive and awesome brother and I felt really awful when he died.  

The kingdoms- Vendan, Dalbreck and Morrighan- are already suffering from shaky relations with with each other and Lia's escape from her marriage to the Prince of Dalbreck sparks even more conflict. The savages (Vendans) believe that Lia was able to escape because of her strong powers as the First Daughter so they send the assassin to kill her. But predictably, nothing goes as planned (antithesis? :D) and both the prince and assassin fall in love with the princess.

To those who hate love triangles, it wasn't much of a triangle- it was pretty obvious the prince was the One. Regardless, I personally felt that this book didn't emphasize much on the romance but rather Lia's refusal to be "a soldier in her father's army" and her burning desire to decide her own destiny. But alas destiny is hard to control and an ancient prophecy threatens to take over Lia's life.

The book ended with a slight cliff hanger but throughout, it was peppered with questions that I can't wait to see answered in the next book, The Heart of Betrayal. 

The Falconer by Elizabeth May

Title: The Falconer (Falconer #1)
Author: Elizabeth May 
Publication Date: September 26th 2013 
Publisher: Chronicle Books

Rating: 4 out of 5 

Goodreads Blurb:

Edinburgh, Scotland, 1844
Lady Aileana Kameron, the only daughter of the Marquess of Douglas, was destined for a life carefully planned around Edinburgh’s social events – right up until a faery killed her mother.
Now it’s the 1844 winter season and Aileana slaughters faeries in secret, in between the endless round of parties, tea and balls. Armed with modified percussion pistols and explosives, she sheds her aristocratic facade every night to go hunting. She’s determined to track down the faery who murdered her mother, and to destroy any who prey on humans in the city’s many dark alleyways.
But the balance between high society and her private war is a delicate one, and as the fae infiltrate the ballroom and Aileana’s father returns home, she has decisions to make. How much is she willing to lose – and just how far will Aileana go for revenge?

The only problem I had with this book was that it was too violent. But without the violence, this book probably wouldn't have been nearly as interesting. So my feelings are extremely contradictory (like they often are).

Although this book was too short (only 336... jk, it was just extremely fast paced), I enjoyed how we got to piece together the back story part by part. The plot was interesting and Gavin was an unexpected addition. The cliffhanger ending was also unexpected. For a second I though it was merely the end of the chapter, similar to how TV shows break right before the advertisements- suspenseful enough to ensure that viewers don't switch channel, but don't feel like the end. The ending of The Falconer definitely didn't feel like an ending, cliffhanger or not.

The main character, Aileana, is plagued by her mother's death. Unable to handle her grief, she forges a deep hatred for all faery kind (the correct term is sithichean) and decides that it is up to her to protect innocents and kill all sithichean. Little does she know that that has always been her destiny, as all the females before her were Falconers, fated to kill sithichean.

I actually don't know what to think about Kiaran. His intentions were never clear and although I understand that was entirely purposeful, it was just adding to his mysterious, shadowy, secretive stereotype (which is kinda just waaay to cliche). But he was still an awesome faery/sithichean, and an interesting plot complication- who exactly is Kiaran and whose side is he on? SPOILER. When Aileana met with the sithichean that killed her mother, Kiaran stopped Aileana from killing her. He later reveals that their lives are connected, so if the evil sithichean (extremely redundant) is killed, he also dies. Also Kiaran taught Aileana how to kill faery kind... and Kiaran is a faery... THIS is what I meant by plot complication.

This book is ideal for faery lovers who enjoy an unforgiving heroine and a unique plot.