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".

The Warrior Witch by Danielle L. Jensen

Title: The Warrior Witch (The Malediction Trilogy, #3)

Author: Danielle L. Jensen

Date Published: May 3rd 2016 

Publisher: Angry Robot

Rating: 5 out of 5 

*ARC provided by NetGalley* 

Goodreads Blurb:

Cécile and Tristan have accomplished the impossible, but their greatest challenge remains: defeating the evil they have unleashed upon the world.
As they scramble for a way to protect the people of the Isle and liberate the trolls from their tyrant king, Cécile and Tristan must battle those who’d see them dead. To win, they will risk everything. And everyone.
But it might not be enough. Both Cécile and Tristan have debts, and they will be forced to pay them at a cost far greater than they had ever imagined.

If there is one thing you should read this book for, it would be the ending.

That ending was a bit idiosyncratic, especially as it did not entirely "match" with the rest of the book. But it was beautiful and quite possibly one of the most heart-breakingly wonderful endings I have ever read. I am now going to create a tag just for that.

Cecile has lost so much over the course of this series. She lost here freedom when she was first kidnapped to Trollus. And then she lost her mom twice, once to the city and then again to the witch Anushka. She loses her innocence as she sees the evil in the world of Trollus as well as in Trianon. And then, this probably doesn't count, but she loses her heart to Triston.

This novel picks up exactly where The Hidden Huntress ends and, even more than the last, incorporates supernatural forces and alternate worlds.

One big problem (and non-problem) was that Tristan and Cecile seemed to be working for two different end goals and did not feel as united as they were in the first two books. This created more conflict/tension, and although it was annoying, it added a lot of suspense. It opened up a lot of possibilities: Tristan and Cecile were going to become enemies, maybe they were going to reconcile at the end, maybe Cecile realizes that trolls are evil and monstrous.

The freeing of the trolls was the catalyst for everything that happened in this book (which was catalyzed by the death of Anushka). The dilemma of freeing them/ not freeing them ended after Anushka's death. But a new dilemma arose- how would Tristan keep them under control? And who is the new king? SPOILER Tristan's mom and dad die, and although I personally was happy to see the crazy Troll King go, his death allowed another power-hungry to wreak havoc. This begs the question: are trolls evil? And if not for Tristan, Marc & the Twins my answer would have been a resounding yes.

There were a few epic/memorable moments (the singing during the battle, the death/ "rebirth" of one of my fave characters, and the awesome ending, but there were also silly/bad moments, such as when Cecile feels useless and decides to wander off right into the hands of the witch, when Tristan chooses to forget/dissolve the bond (that was truly annoying), and when the fairy King dude forces Tristan to leave to the other realm, which was frustrating.

If you liked the first two book, I think this one will come as a shock because 1) it is much different, and 2) it does not go the way you expect it to. But if you read it without expectations, I think you'll be able to thoroughly enjoy, just as I was able to.

I recommend this to fantasy lovers as well as those who are interested by magical (evil) creatures and life after death ;)

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

Reawakened by Colleen Houck

Title: Reawakened (Reawakened #1)

Author: Colleen Houck

Date Published: August 11th 2015

Publisher: Delacorte Press 

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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.

*SPOILERS*

As a fan of Colleen Houck's Tigers Curse series, I was ecstatic when I first stumbled upon this book on Goodreads about a year ago. It seemed too good to be true- Egyptian mythology! Mummified princes! Ancient Curses! But sadly I was a bit disappointed- Reawakened did have everything that was promised, but while reading this book I was bored and didn't feel the same sort of excitement that was ever-present with the Tigers Curse series. 

So why the 4 stars? With this one I'll admit that the rating reflects my love for the Tiger's Curse series (and this cover!) more than it does for the content of this book.

Now, don't think this book is bad- it's not. It was filled with mummies, Egyptian princes, funny moments, and a few interesting characters. It had all the elements of a 4 star book in the fantasy genre. But what I found lacking was the life. Reawakened was boring. I felt no excitement whatsoever and characters & events were formulaic, lifeless, and middle-grade. I'm thinking that this book is directed at a younger, middle grade age group rather than my usual YA- this might be the reason I find it lacking. *shrugs* I'm not sure why I didn't have a blast with this book when I absolutely loved Tigers Curse and I know, I know. I should stop comparing it to Tigers Curse. 

|OK, lets start the review portion of this post.|

The main character, Lily Young, is the only child of two wealthy parents and, as you can imagine, quite lonely. She is a bit unsure of herself and has a "bubble-wrapped" view of the world. She doesn't really have a defining character trait (not funny, smart, or bold) except for her "hidden" sarcasm, which seems to be the main trait that is required in all YA/middle-grade heroines. 

The male MC is Amon. He's an Egyptian prince who was awakens every couple thousand years or so to perform a ritual that is meant to protect his people from Evil (aka Seth). This time, he wakes up in the Metropolitan Museum. Amon starts off weirdly backwards and slowly gets more modern as the book goes on. He was an interesting character with a background I really wanted to know about but sadly his thoughts/personality didn't shine through and he wasn't quite a dynamic character. 

The plot itself was interesting- Amon had to travel back to Egypt, locate his two brothers, and perform the ritual but of course things don't go as planned. Amon can't find his canopic jars (preserved organs) so he was to use Lily's organs. Then while trying to locate his organs/brothers, the evil Seth makes life difficult and sends henchmen to impede their progress and/or kill them. However, the narration was often dry. The climax of this book (the fight between Seth and the brothers) was anti-climatic because there was already so much fighting going on that it was a bit too much. The Indiana Jones-type scenes that were present in Ms. Houck's Tigers Curse series were in this book; they were pretty good and had me engaged.

My biggest problem: lack of character development. There were only a handful of characters in this book. I personally enjoy a large cast (such as in the Throne of Glass series) but a small one can be nice as well since it helps the author focus on developing each individual. However, in the case of this book, the characters were mostly flat. Interesting but not quite alive. Hopefully Ms. Houck will develop the three brothers in the next book.

My favorite part: the backstory. There are periodic flashbacks through this book and provide context for most of the events. The flashbacks definitely provided more depth to the mysterious brothers, whose individual personalities I found to be lacking. The flashbacks also felt like the most solid and well executed part of this book, and without them, I think there wouldn't be such a clearly defined plot/purpose.

Overall, this book was good. Maybe not exactly 4 stars but it had so much potential. I recommend it those looking for a beach/light read and those who enjoy Egyptian mythology.

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. 

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). 

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 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. 

Stolen Songbird by Danielle L. Jensen

Title: Stolen Songbird (The Malediction Trilogy #1)

Author: Danielle L. Jensen

Publication Date: April 1st, 2014

Publisher: Strange Chemistry

Rating: 5 out of 5

Goodreads Blurb:

For five centuries, a witch’s curse has bound the trolls to their city beneath the mountain. When Cécile de Troyes is kidnapped and taken beneath the mountain, she realises that the trolls are relying on her to break the curse.
Cécile has only one thing on her mind: escape. But the trolls are clever, fast, and inhumanly strong. She will have to bide her time…
But the more time she spends with the trolls, the more she understands their plight. There is a rebellion brewing. And she just might be the one the trolls were looking for...

A talented singer/farm girl, Cécile, is kidnapped and sold to the legendary Trolls of Trollus, who were thought to no longer exist. The King forces her to marry the Troll prince, Tristan, and hope that their bonding will get rid of an ancient curse that prevents them from ever escaping their cage under the Forsaken Mountain. When things don't go according to plan (no surprise- they rarely do), Cécile is allowed to live as princess (more accurately, prisoner) and provides the trolls of Trollus with hope for a better life.

Instead of giving up and allowing the cave to suck the life out of her, Cécile resists the trolls "way of life" and fights to escape at every chance she gets. But the longer she's there the more she sees that trolls aren't the heartless, thoughtless creatures legend made them out to be. She uncovers a whole world filled with prejudices and a thirst for power that is not so different from her own. And after a while, she makes it her quest to free the trolls from the curse that traps them under the mountain. 

But Cécile soon finds out that very few of the trolls are willing to side with her. As she navigates through the treacherous slopes of Trollus, she finds but a handful of trolls/people she can trust- one of them the prince, Tristan. 

As the story progresses, we discover that Tristan is not an evil, heartless snake like his father (I mean that figuratively, he's still a troll) but believes that humans and half trolls should not be treated with such contempt and disrespect. To further build on this surprising turn of events (not really, it was after all in the official summary), HE is the one leading the rebellion of mistreated half-bloods, trolls, and humans to overthrow his father, the King.  

Both Cécile and Tristan began to trust each other and as they face countless obstacles, they fall in love. But, humans are still hated and although Cécile is the princess, some want both her and Tristan dead. After numerous attacks on their life (they are bonded, so if one dies, so will the other), Tristan wants Cécile to escape back to her world and be safe, but the stubborn heroine won't give up and both of them fight against the rising tensions within the different classes of Trollus. 

But when Tristan's half brother attacks Cécile, everything falls apart and nothing in Trollus will ever be the same. 

In my opinion, the beginning of this book could have been done better- what happens at the beginning of this book is not a very good representation of what happens throughout the rest of the book. 

This unique and compelling book is truly one of a kind and I can truthfully say that is definitely on my 2014 Top Ten List. So if you enjoy an undeniably interesting plot, prophecies, or ancient civilizations, this is the books for you. 

Defy by Sara B. Larson

Title: Defy (Defy #1)

Author: Sara B. Larson

Publication Date: January 7th 2014

Publisher: Scholastic Press

*ARC provided by NetGalley*

Rating: 3 out of 5

Goodreads Blurb:

Alexa Hollen is a fighter. Forced to disguise herself as a boy and serve in the king's army, Alex uses her quick wit and fierce sword-fighting skills to earn a spot on the elite prince's guard. But when a powerful sorcerer sneaks into the palace in the dead of night, even Alex, who is virtually unbeatable, can't prevent him from abducting her, her fellow guard and friend Rylan, and Prince Damian, taking them through the treacherous wilds of the jungle and deep into enemy territory.
The longer Alex is held captive with both Rylan and the prince, the more she realizes that she is not the only one who has been keeping dangerous secrets. And suddenly, after her own secret is revealed, Alex finds herself confronted with two men vying for her heart: the safe and steady Rylan, who has always cared for her, and the dark, intriguing Damian. With hidden foes lurking around every corner, is Alex strong enough to save herself and the kingdom she's sworn to protect?

An amazing debut that leaves you waiting for more- Defy will capture your attention. But, I warn you, that might be all that it does. 

Alexa, disguised as Alex, is sworn to protect the seemingly sullen and uninterested prince and at the same time make sure no one discovers her secret. After her brother is killed, things quickly spiral out of control and soon Prince Damian, Alexa, and a fellow Gaurd member, Rylan, are kidnapped by the enemy and travel through the jungle. 

The main character Alexa, reminds me of Katsa from Graceling with her superior fighting skills and tough exterior.
In the jungle, several interesting revelations take place and Alexa has to decide exactly who to trust. This book was fast-paced and intriguing, and I definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoyed Graceling and Mulan.

I really enjoyed the plot, although it was sometimes lacking. I felt as if the romance took over at times, but overall this book was enjoyable. SPOILER. There is a love triangle.

This book was riddled with revelations, secrets and hidden agendas. I liked how all those fit together to make the book interesting. Even though I felt as if there was too much being thrown in, it was altogether satisfactory.

Although the book was definitely good, I do have some qualms. The world building was practically nonexistent- yes there were definitely some details that seemed interesting (ex: black sorcerers, jungles, the war) but overall there could have been more. Also, this book wasn't particularly creative- it had too many elements from the standard fantasy YA books that were altered a bit to fit the author’s taste. So even though this book didn’t make me go “OMG this is one of my favorite books!” or even “This book is spectacular!”, I still recommend it to anyone looking for a light, enjoyable read.