Review: Red Rising by Pierce Brown

Title: Red Rising
Author: Pierce Brown
Series: Red Rising, #1
Format: Paperback, bought
My rating: 4 / 5

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Darrow is a Red, a member of the lowest caste in the color-coded society of the future. Like his fellow Reds, he works all day, believing that he and his people are making the surface of Mars livable for future generations.

Yet he spends his life willingly, knowing that his blood and sweat will one day result in a better world for his children.

But Darrow and his kind have been betrayed. Soon he discovers that humanity already reached the surface generations ago. Vast cities and sprawling parks spread across the planet. Darrow—and Reds like him—are nothing more than slaves to a decadent ruling class.

Inspired by a longing for justice, and driven by the memory of lost love, Darrow sacrifices everything to infiltrate the legendary Institute, a proving ground for the dominant Gold caste, where the next generation of humanity's overlords struggle for power. He will be forced to compete for his life and the very future of civilization against the best and most brutal of Society's ruling class. There, he will stop at nothing to bring down his enemies... even if it means he has to become one of them to do so.

-- As seen on Goodreads

My Thoughts

I read Red Rising quite a while ago and I made the mistake of not writing a review straight away. I remember loving the story at the time, but I have a feeling this review won’t be quite as gushing as it would have been if I’d written it back in March.

The world building was easily my favourite thing about the book. The best way I can describe the story is if you put Harry Potter and The Hunger Games in a blender with a handful of Roman gods, blitz them together and throw the result 500-plus years into the future and set the story on Mars. And I really liked it! Despite the familiar HP and THG vibes, the story manages to bring lots of uniqueness to the table, which is always a good thing.

Darrow is the main character, and while I did like him as a narrator while I was reading, looking back on it now I’m a bit unsure why I liked him. I mean, there wasn’t anything that particularly bothered me about him, and in a way I think that’s the problem. When the book began he seemed quite interesting and I was looking forward to seeing how his character was going to develop. I really liked the Reds and the Helldiver aspect and then… things changed and he becomes all nice and polished and perfect. This makes sense for the faceless leader of a rebellion, but as a character in a book I’m supposed to care and root for, well, not so much.

Just thinking of the secondary characters for a second, I found myself more curious about their stories rather than Darrow’s. I really liked Mustang and hopefully she will have a main role in the sequel. I’m thinking of quite a few other characters right now, but I won’t mention them just in case I cross the line into spoiler territory.

He wasn’t in the book that much, but from what I have seen, Sevro is perfection and needs to be protected at all costs. That is all. Oh, and also the Howlers! I have a feeling they’ll be in future books, and I can’t wait to find out more about them.

Writing-style and pacing: Maybe it’s just me, but Red Rising was A LOT slower paced than I was expecting. Also the writing style, while really good, took me a while to like and enjoy. The first hundred pages or so seemed a bit… tense? Uptight? Maybe a little bit too structured? But after that, things slowly started to relax and the natural flow of the story took over and I began to really enjoy the book.

Trusting Pierce Brown is a bad idea, right!? Seriously, though! I mean, with all the characters he had no problem killing in this book I’m slightly terrified of what he has come up with for the rest of the trilogy! Also, can I just say, he’s a genius for planting VERY subtle clues. There were quite a few times when I was surprised when something was revealed, but I felt like I should have seen it coming as the clues were there, I just didn’t connect them because I was distracted by a billion other things. I love unpredictability like this, and it was SO well done!

Overall, I really enjoyed Red Rising, and now that I’ve finally written a review for it, I’m starting to remember why I enjoyed it so much. I do remember finishing the final few pages thinking I needed to get my hands on Golden Son ASAP. Well, fast forward eight months and I haven’t read it yet. (Oops?) I do plan on changing this status as soon as I can, and hopefully I’ll be able to complete the trilogy next year.

Mini-Reviews: The Secret of Ella and Micha and Crossed

Title: The Secret of Ella and Micha
Author: Jessica Sorensen
Series: The Secret, #1
Format: Paperback, bought
My rating: 4 / 5

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A rule-breaker with a fiery attitude, Ella always wore her heart on her sleeve. Then she left everything behind to go to college, where she transformed into someone who follows the rules, keeps everything together, and hides all her problems. Now it's summer break and she has nowhere else to go but home. But once there, Ella fears that everything she's worked so hard to bury might resurface-especially with Micha living right next door.

Smart, sexy, and confident, Micha can get under Ella's skin like no one else. He knows everything about her, including her darkest secrets. If he tries to tempt the old Ella to return, he will be impossible to resist. But what Ella doesn't realize is that when she left, she took a piece of Micha's heart with her. Now he's determined to win back the girl he lost, no matter what it takes.

-- As seen on Goodreads

My Thoughts

What a pleasant surprise! It’s been a really long time since I’ve read a contemporary romance and I’ve had The Secret of Ella and Micha sitting on my shelves for well over two years, and on a whim I decided to pick it up and give it a go a few weeks ago. I enjoyed it so much more than I initially expected to. Is it a bit predictable? Yep. Is it a unique story amongst the thousands of other contemporary romances out there? Ehh, probably not. But you know what, I don’t care. It ticks the boxes you expect to find within the genre and did it well. I got caught up in the story, I liked the characters, and overall I enjoyed reading it. All of that is exactly what I look for when I take a break from my more usual Fantasy/Sci-fi reads, so no complaints from me!

Title: Crossed
Author: Ally Condie
Series: Matched, #2
Format: Paperback, bought
My rating: DNF

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The Society chooses everything.

The books you read.
The music you listen to.
The person you love.


Yet for Cassia the rules have changed. Ky has been taken and she will sacrifice everything to find him.

And when Cassia discovers Ky has escaped to the wild frontiers beyond the Society there is hope.

But on the edge of society nothing is as it seems...

A rebellion is rising.

And a tangled web of lies and double-crosses could destroy everything.

-- As seen on Goodreads

My Thoughts

DNF @ page 118

I read Matched in mid-2014 and I’ve been mildly curious about the sequel ever since. Fast forward two years, and I really wish I stomped that curiosity into oblivion. Two years isn’t that long ago and usually when I pick up a sequel the general gist of the story will come back to me after the first few chapters. Well, I don’t know what went wrong here, but I hadn’t a clue what was happening. Either Matched wasn’t as memorable as I thought it would be, or my memory is in need of a serious upgrade. The main character, Cassia, was a complete stranger. I did remember Ky, though vaguely. I don’t think the first book had multiple POVs, so I was a bit surprised to see both Cassia and Ky with their own separate viewpoints. The portion I read was way too mopey, too nauseatingly lovey-dovey and I just couldn’t stomach it any longer. Maybe it eases out later in the book, but I wasn’t interested in sticking around to find out. I was warned that this book was where the series began to go downhill, and I should have heeded the signs that were there from other readers I trust.

Review: Partials by Dan Wells

Title: Partials
Author: Dan Wells
Series: Partials Sequence, #1
Format: Paperback, bought
My rating: 1 / 5

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Humanity is all but extinguished after a war with Partials—engineered organic beings identical to humans—has decimated the population. Reduced to only tens of thousands by a weaponized virus to which only a fraction of humanity is immune, the survivors in North America have huddled together on Long Island. But sixteen-year-old Kira is determined to find a solution. As she tries desperately to save what is left of her race, she discovers that that the survival of both humans and Partials rests in her attempts to answer questions about the war's origin that she never knew to ask.

Playing on our curiosity of and fascination with the complete collapse of civilization, Partials is, at its heart, a story of survival, one that explores the individual narratives and complex relationships of those left behind, both humans and Partials alike—and of the way in which the concept of what is right and wrong in this world is greatly dependent on one's own point of view.

-- As seen on Goodreads

My Thoughts

Ahh, Partials, what a disaster you turned out to be. When future-me looks back on this book I can imagine I’ll be classing it amongst some of my most hated books – and I only read 251 pages before I began skim reading to see if things improved. They didn’t. Maybe I missed some of the finer details, but there wasn’t anything that grabbed my attention to make me regret skimming on ahead. Let me explain my hatred. *Cracks knuckles*

Whenever I read a dystopian book, it’s inevitable I’ll compare it to The Hunger Games. Those books are pretty much a blueprint to everything I love about the dystopian genre, and everything I crave to experience when I pick up a dystopian book: fast pace; action packed; a real sense of risk; a bond with the characters; awesome writing etc. They’re my benchmark. Yes, it’s a bit unfair, but it’s how I subconsciously as well as consciously compare how I liked a book overall.

Here’s the thing: Partials is too slow. Slow, slow, slow. I don’t mind a slower pace if there’s an equal amount of heart stopping action popping up throughout the story. The glaring problem I had was that nothing happened. In my copy, on page 158 it says: “but nothing happened” and also on 159 it says “but nothing happened”. Why in the world would you even bother writing an action sequence where, quite literally, nothing happens?! The characters didn't do anything beyond talking to each other for dozens of pages at a time, walking through abandoned streets, or riding horse-drawn carts down even more abandoned streets. It’s tedious. For all the warning we get of how terrible The Voice is, and how lethal and horrible the Partials are, honestly, they didn’t seem very threatening in the grand scheme of things.

I haven’t a clue where this impression came from but I thought Paritals was going to be a zombie book. I was expecting hoards of the undead coming to eat every brain in sight and eradicate every glimmer of humanity left in the world. Colour me surprised when I began reading to discover a breeding programme that every woman is forced to participate in. *Grinds teeth* I’ll be honest here, if I had known about this going into the book, I wouldn’t have read it. Forcing pregnancy on anyone is something that’s guaranteed to unleash my inner fire breathing bitch queen. Ohh, I could just imagine someone coming up to me and telling me it was my responsibility, by some bloody proclamation, that I had to pop out a baby once a year as long as my fertility lasted. Honestly, the expression on my face alone would probably cause the coward to run away in fear, and that would be the sensible thing to do. Oh my good grief, heads would ROLL.

Also, the subtle layer of sexism throughout what I read infuriated me even more. I’m not sure if it’s accidental or intentional, but either way, I have some huge issues with ‘traditionally female activities’ being sneered at or classed as lesser. It doesn’t sit well with me on ANY level, and it makes it even worse when the female main character reinforces these themes. Overall it left me feeling very uncomfortable, and angry.

And speaking of the characters, quite frankly, they were unbearable. Kira was the biggest pain in the arse I’ve ever come across in YA. She’s sixteen, yet she acts like she’s freaking forty-six! And, of course, a sixteen year old will be the one to suggest a new avenue of study to enlighten poor little humanity on how to save itself. Feck all the people that were in the field studying for decades before the Break – they haven’t a clue! But the sixteen year old INTERN with TWO YEARS of study is smarter than the lot of ya. Sorry, I can’t buy this. We’re given the excuse that she’s supposed to be some sort of medical/biological genius. After two years of schooling! *Sigh*, I can’t take this stupidity.

Something else that hindered my suspension of disbelief: the book is set 60 years in the future. ONLY 60 YEARS! Since verbal traditions have been passed down through thousands of years – not to mention that buildings can last in various stages of abandonment for hundreds of years – it makes no sense to me whatsoever that they don’t know what an ice-rink or a weather station is. Or where the State of Georgia was located!! If we’re two, three or four hundred years in the future, then maybe I could try and accept it, but not sixty!

Add in endless info-dumping, stagnant writing and not enough action to stem off the boredom, and there was a never going to be a doubt about my overall feelings toward the book. In short, it was slow, boring, dull and pointless – and that was just the characters. The plot and pacing was even worse. Honestly, you won’t be missing anything if you skip reading Partials.

Review: Winter by Marissa Meyer

Title: Winter
Author: Marissa Meyer
Series: The Lunar Chronicles, #4
Format: Paperback, bought
My rating: 3 / 5

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Princess Winter is admired by the Lunar people for her grace and kindness, and despite the scars that mar her face, her beauty is said to be even more breathtaking than that of her stepmother, Queen Levana.

Winter despises her stepmother, and knows Levana won’t approve of her feelings for her childhood friend—the handsome palace guard, Jacin. But Winter isn’t as weak as Levana believes her to be and she’s been undermining her stepmother’s wishes for years. Together with the cyborg mechanic, Cinder, and her allies, Winter might even have the power to launch a revolution and win a war that’s been raging for far too long.

Can Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter defeat Levana and find their happily ever afters?

-- As seen on Goodreads

My Thoughts

Reading the final book in a series is a bitter-sweet moment. I always hope for a satisfying conclusion, and while WINTER did deliver this to a certain level, I can’t help feeling it was missing so many of the elements that made this series awesome in the first place. And, oh boy do I feel like the odd one out saying this! Looking at the sea of 5 star reviews before I began reading set me up for quite a bit of disappointment. I don’t know if I read a completely different book, but personally, I thought WINTER was the weakest book in the series.

Putting this bluntly, the book was far too long and drawn out. We get hundreds of pages of unnecessary build-up and not enough pages dedicated to any sort of concrete or epic conclusion. If the book had been condensed by a few hundred pages, I doubt we would have missed out on anything important. I was expecting so much more than what we got, but the biggest surprise I had was being bored out of my mind for well over half of the book! By the time I got to the 500 page mark I was wishing for the book to end. Let me tell you, that definitely was NOT the reaction I was expecting to have while reading the conclusion to this series!

In the previous books, I thought the author did an excellent job point-of-view-juggling between all the main characters. But for me, WINTER is the book where all the POV-juggling fell completely flat. I remember counting 10 different POV’s over the course of this book – Winter, Cinder, Jacin, Kai, Levana, Cress, Iko, Thorne, Scarlet and Wolf – and there could have been more I’ve forgotten about – and for me, this was a bit overkill. Now, granted, this could be a personal taste thing as I greatly prefer books with fewer POV’s in general … but I did think CRESS was handled excellently, and comparing WINTER to its immediate predecessor, this book didn’t deliver to the level already set.

With so many dominant characters introduced over the course of the series, it was difficult for each voice to shine through clearly without drowning out someone else. Considering each of the previous books in the series has been dedicated to one of the main characters, I was very surprised that Cinder took up the majority of the spotlight in Winter’s book. Personally, I thought there was far too much Cinder and not enough everyone else and I know that’ll be an unpopular opinion. I’m also a bit shocked that Winter didn’t have a much bigger role to play in the finale than she did. Also, there was something a bit… off… about the relationship between Winter and Jacin. Now, I get that they have a past and their relationship was already formed before we get to see their story, but I didn’t really feel any bond of love or affection between either of them.

It’s no secret that Scarlet is my favourite character, and once again she proved what a smart, ballsy, sassy badass she truly is. I absolutely LOVE her character, and I’m so thankful she was introduced into the series. Cress is another character I adore, and she comes in a very close second to Scarlet. Now, here comes my problem: Wolf and Thorne. Thorne didn’t seem like the same person as he was in the previous books, and Wolf… oh where do I even begin? Purely to avoid spoilers I won’t mention anything more, but if you’ve read the book, you might be able to guess what I’m saying.

Oh, and just for the record? I still haven’t clicked with either Cinder or Kai. It always sucks when you don’t click with the main characters in a series, and it’s even more unfortunate when the vast majority of an 800+ page multi-POV book revolves around the characters you have no feelings for.

I’ve always classed The Lunar Chronicles as being one of the more unique YA series of recent years, so I was quite shocked to see your standard tried-and-true-been-there-done-that dystopian ending emerge. Add in the similarities to Mockingjay (and The Hunger Games trilogy in general) – the ‘districts’ disguised by other names, the Capitol, the Lunar’s crazy fashion sense, Levana turning into Snow... I don’t know, I guess I had hoped for a truly unique ending to do this series justice, and I just don’t feel we got that.

I’m very conflicted right now. Overall, I did like WINTER, but the ending wasn’t as strong or impactful I had anticipated. I guess my real rating would be closer to 2.5 stars, but I’m rounding up to 3 as I can’t bear rating a book in this series lower than that! And also it’s for Scarlet’s sake. As I mentioned earlier, she’s my favourite character and her book still remains my favourite in the series. I do wish I had a better reaction to reading WINTER, but The Lunar Chronicles as a whole will always remain beloved series in my heart, even if the ending wasn’t as strong as I had hoped it would be.

Review: Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine

Title: Ink and Bone
Author: Rachel Caine
Series: The Great Library, #1
Format: Paperback, bought
My rating: 5 / 5

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Knowledge is power. Power corrupts.

In a world where the ancient Great Library of Alexandria was never destroyed, knowledge now rules the world: freely available, but strictly controlled. Owning private books is a crime.

Jess Brightwell is the son of a black market book smuggler, sent to the Library to compete for a position as a scholar . . . but even as he forms friendships and finds his true gifts, he begins to unearth the dark secrets of the greatest, most revered institution in the world.

Those who control the Great Library believe that knowledge is more valuable than any human life—and soon both heretics and books will burn. . .

-- As seen on Goodreads

My Thoughts

When I first read the synopsis for Ink and Bone, my expectations were set very high: it’s a book about books after all! Add in the concept that The Great Library of Alexandria was never destroyed and they control all the knowledge in the world, and I knew I had to get my hands on it as quickly as possible. Beginning reading with really high expectations can be quite daunting, and it was such a huge relief that I ended up LOVING Ink and Bone – it was easily one of my favourite reads of 2015. I’ve been chipping away at the Morganville Vampire series over the past year or so, and I can’t believe the same author wrote both works – Ink and Bone is so much better!

The best way I can describe Ink and Bone is that it’s like a futuristic historical dystopian with a pinch of steampunk story, where owning original books is illegal and The Great Library of Alexandria controls the flow of all knowledge in the world. Everybody, regardless of age, sex, race or class has access to the knowledge stored within the Library in the form of blanks. The world-building throughout the book was amazing! It’s very intricate with lots of information to take in, but it’s described and presented in a way that makes it really easy to absorb. If anything, it only made me want to learn even more about the world! Also, I loved the writing style. It held my attention continuously and consistently. I really liked the little snippets of information in the form of Ephemera between chapters that helped to round out the story.

The prologue begins with Jess, the son of a black market book smuggler, who is assigned as a runner, to (literally) run with illegal books through the streets of London and deliver them to their clients. His father gives him an ultimatum when he shows no interest in following in his footsteps: join the library as a scholar and become the eyes and ears within for the family, or be disowned. The book is written in the third person, and we get to see over Jess’s shoulder as the story unfolds. I really liked his narration (even though I kept calling him Jesse in my mind!) I really liked that he was self-assured and self-confident without coming across as an arrogant prick. It made him really likeable, and I was rooting for him throughout the story.

I’ve got to say, the characters were fabulous right across the board. There was loads of diversity, and the book had a wonderful cosmopolitan feel. Considering the tensions and competitive nature that’ll naturally develop when a bunch of ambitious students are learning, studying and living together 24/7, I LOVED how mature they appeared. If they had a problem or personalities clashes, it’s dealt with there and then, rather than dragging on throughout the entire book. The students are a unit, and they stick together when it matters most despite any personal issues with each other. My favourite character, though, was Wolfe. I loved seeing his story slowly revealed. Right from the beginning, we could see there was more to him that initially meets the eye, and I loved that my opinion of him changed so much throughout the story.

I’m actually struggling to come up with something I didn’t enjoy… which is kind of awesome! The only thing that I had a tiny issue with was that a few of the secondary characters didn’t feel as developed as much as the central ones, but in honesty, this didn’t negatively influence my feelings on the story as a whole. Overall, I loved Ink and Bone, and I can’t wait to find out what happens next!

Review: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Title: Red Queen
Author: Victoria Aveyard
Series: Red Queen, #1
Format: Hardback, owned
My rating: 2 / 5

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This is a world divided by blood - red or silver.

The Reds are commoners, ruled by a Silver elite in possession of god-like superpowers. And to Mare Barrow, a seventeen-year-old Red girl from the poverty-stricken Stilts, it seems like nothing will ever change.

That is, until she finds herself working in the Silver Palace. Here, surrounded by the people she hates the most, Mare discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy the balance of power.

Fearful of Mare's potential, the Silvers hide her in plain view, declaring her a long-lost Silver princess, now engaged to a Silver prince. Despite knowing that one misstep would mean her death, Mare works silently to help the Red Guard, a militant resistance group, and bring down the Silver regime.

But this is a world of betrayal and lies, and Mare has entered a dangerous dance - Reds against Silvers, prince against prince, and Mare against her own heart...

-- As seen on Goodreads

My Thoughts

Red Queen was one of my most anticipated reads of 2015, and it also happened to be one of the most hyped new releases of the year. My expectations were through the roof, and I was expecting it to deliver so many awesome and unique things. I should know by now to approach really hyped books with lots of caution as I’ve been bitten by the hype bug one too many times. Sadly, I didn’t think Red Queen lived up to any of the hype, and I don’t feel any of my expectations were matched.

Red Queen felt like a recycled version of dozens of books I’ve read in the past, and most notably for me, there were A LOT of Hunger Games vibes. While a little familiarity can be a nice thing occasionally, too much similarity bugs the hell out of me. It was like I was playing a game of ‘this reminds me of X-Book-That-I-Love’. It’s so frustrating! There was SO MUCH potential for a truly awesome story, but I feel it’s been boiled down to mass-palatability, rather than branching out and trying something a bit more unique and risky.

Initially, I started out liking the book, so it was quite surprising how much I grew to dislike the story and become indifferent toward the characters. The world-building in general felt a bit sketchy, and I didn’t manage to get that clear a picture of the dynamics between each of the neighbouring lands, or their history. I began questioning what the point of the story was very early on, and I don’t feel like I got any answers after I’d finished reading. The society is defined by blood, and the Silvers are the oppressors, and the Reds are the oppressed. So, naturally, a rebellion is on the cards, and the Reds have formed a secret resistance called The Scarlet Guard with the intent of infiltrating the Silver’s lavish court, and causing a bit of havoc. While all of this is grand, I can’t help feeling like it’s a rebellion for the sake of having a rebellion. Yes, the reds are the suppressed class and they’re pretty fed up and want some changes, but what was the catalyst, the spark… or the straw that broke the camel’s back, so to speak? What did the Silvers do to push some of the Reds over the edge to want to rebel, and to actually form an entire group? Way too much vital world-building was skipped over, certainly from the Reds perspective, and things moved forward to establishing the Silvers far too quickly. I didn’t have enough time to care about the Reds before we’re immersed in Silver culture.

Unfortunately, I didn’t really like any of the characters, either. Mare Barrow is the main character and narrator, and I have to admit, she’s one of the weakest heroines I’ve read about in quite a while. She’s trying so hard to be fearless and badass, but honestly, she’s just a whiny, naïve brat. Her reaction to some of the things that happened was simply laughable at times. She actively sought out The Scarlet Guard, and offered to help them without giving it a second thought. Then, she begins whinging when people start dying. Umm… what did you think a rebellion would lead to?! People sitting around singing Kumbaya until the governing people get sick of all the noise and they surrender? I’m sorry, but I ended up having zero sympathy for her. Also, Mare has powers that Reds aren’t supposed to have. She can control electricity, and I’m assuming this is meant to create the image of a fearless, badass, power wielding rebellion leader in the making… but, erm, well… *cough*… all I could picture was Pikachu.

My opinion of the male characters didn’t fare much better. Kiloran is pretty much a pseudo-Gale, and between Cal and Maven we have 50 Shades of Every Bland YA Male You Can Possibly Think Of. Since Mare is such a special little snowflake, naturally all three guys are in love with her. I felt their individual development as characters was sacrificed in favour of creating a love square, and it really didn’t appeal to me at all. If I ended up liking one of the characters more than the others, then I’d at least have had something to root for, but as it stands from my neutrals perspective, it seemed a bit unnecessary.

By a mile, the ending was my favourite part of the book, and the action sequences were awesome. But by the time we’d gotten to the ending, my opinions had already been set in stone, and it was a case of too little too late. If you try too hard to convince me of something, it’s usually not true, and the more you hammer on about one point, the more resistant I’ll be to believing you. I kind of saw what happened coming a long way off, so most of the surprise was lost on me.

I really wish I enjoyed Red Queen more than I did. I was sure I would love it and it sucks when things don’t work out quite as expected. It’s a shame, as there was so much potential, but I didn’t find it anywhere near as unique, awe-inspiring or clever as the hype had lead me to believe. A lot of what happens in this book has been done before – and done much better. Oh well, can’t love them all, I guess. :(

Review: An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

Title: An Ember in the Ashes
Author: Sabaa Tahir
Series: An Ember in the Ashes, #1
Format: Paperback, won via
Goodreads giveaway
My rating: 5+ / 5

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Laia is a slave.

Elias is a soldier.

Neither is free.

Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear.

It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do.

But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy.

There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.

-- As seen on Goodreads

My Thoughts

An Ember in the Ashes clobbered me over the head, ripped my guts out, tortured my soul and managed to prove that this was EXACTLY what I’ve been dying to read for so long. Holy crap, people, this book was EPIC! I’ve tried to write a review for months now, and I really don’t think I can manage to sum up just how amazing it was. It was almost impossible not to notice all the hype building up to its publication – it was everywhere. Knowing the book was already optioned to become a movie long before release day, I will admit that I got all squinty-eyed sceptical. In a way, I think this was a really good thing. It kept my expectation levels down, and I ended up loving every single word. I honestly can’t wait to see this story come alive on screen – it’ll be truly epic if it’s handled correctly.

On the surface, An Ember in the Ashes does seem like it could be your typical Fantasy meets Dystopian novel, with a conquering Empire keeping the conquered nation oppressed and in slavery, and a band of rebels wanting to fight back. But there is one huge difference in this book to the majority of its predecessors, and it boils down to one thing: risk. Each character faces challenges and situations that truly tests them and the risk to their life and those around them is very, very real. I loved that all of this was portrayed so vividly, and it was awesome to have a real sense of danger throughout. There were several moments when I honestly didn’t know which characters would make it, and this added so much intensity and anxiety that made the story even more amazing.

Granted, this might sound a little weird, but I loved how gory the story turned out to be. It’s disgusting, disturbing, completely brutal and raw and it’s utterly AMAZING. I’m so glad nothing was sugar-coated and glossed over. The world Sabaa Tahir has created is as intricate as it is brutal, and to hide behind the fluffy-bunny-farting-rainbows protective coating that you sometimes get in YA would have been a complete disservice to this phenomenal story. I absolutely loved the Ancient Roman vibe, and I can’t help feeling that we’ve only caught a small glimpse of the world-building that’s to come in future books.

And the characters, just how amazing were they! We get to see the story unfold from both Laia and Elias’s points-of-view, and I loved how both their narratives intertwined without any annoying backtracking. It was seamlessly done, and at times the unknown only ratcheted up the tension even more. It was perfect! I love characters that slowly evolve and grow, and I wasn’t really conscious of when I began to become invested in their futures, but all of a sudden, everything mattered. I just NEEDED them to be okay! And it wasn’t just the main characters; the secondary characters were equally amazing. Whether I ended up liking or hating them is irrelevant – each one was fabulously crafted and evoked the exact emotion intended.

The ending did feel to drop off a bit in comparison to the majority of the novel, but this was the only mar on an otherwise epic story. I’m so thankful there is a sequel on the way! I’ve become really invested in the characters stories, and it would be nothing short of traumatic if this was where their story ended. Overall, I highly recommend An Ember in the Ashes to anyone that’s on the fence about reading it. I really don’t think you’ll be disappointed!

Review: The Selection by Kiera Cass

Title: The Selection
Author: Kiera Cass
Series: The Selection, #1
Format: eARC, kindly provided
by the publishers via
NetGalley (Thank you!)
My rating: 2.5 / 5

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For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself—and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

-- As seen on Goodreads

My Thoughts

*I received an eARC from the publishers via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This didn't influence my opinion in any way.*

I feel a very strange mix of emotions about The Selection: I sort of liked and hated it in equal measure. In honesty, I think The Selection and I will end up being best frenemies. On the one hand, my expectations for an entertaining story were met, yet there were quite a few things about said story that didn’t make any sense at all, and it became extremely frustrating to read. I can’t help feeling that this is a cute contemporary story being forced into a dystopian shell.

Despite some strange names, I thought both America and Maxon were decent characters. Maxon, despite some cringe-worthy dialogue, wasn’t the worst character in the book. He’s depicted as being shy and inexperienced around other people, particularly women. While the believability of these traits was questionable considering he’s next in line to the throne, comparing him to the other love interest, Aspen (and yes, there is a love-triangle), his characterisation is brilliant. I don’t really see any point to Aspen other than to introduce the caste system, add some make-out scenes and to provide extra drama. The book is written in the first person from America Singer’s perspective, and it did take me a long time to start liking her. My initial impressions weren’t favourable, but thankfully as the story progressed I ended up tolerating her silliness. It sort of became strangely endearing. Well, except when she began obsessing over Aspen. That was just pitiful.

My biggest surprise was how addicting the story was. I continually alternated between being entertained and being irritated, but I just HAD to keep reading. The selection itself is incredibly fun and entertaining, and I really enjoyed that part of the story for what it is – pure entertainment. But I do have a couple of problems, and they’re not very easy to overlook. I thought that both the world-building in general and any sort of descriptions were severely lacking. I never got a clear picture of what anything looked like to give any sense of scale or grandeur. Some random objects such as plush carpets, windows or vases aren’t enough, I want to visualise the Palace, the rooms, the grounds, the cities, the country… everything.

And this leads me onto my biggest problem with the book: HOW is The Selection a dystopian novel? Nothing we’re told makes any sense. Just because you have a caste system where some of the lower castes skip a meal or two, and the royal family has to deal with a few skirmishes with pissed off factions from the North and South… I’m sorry, but this doesn’t make a believable dystopian world to me. And speaking of the royal family, WHY did North America become a monarchy? Just because some random dude married into a distant royal family and liked the idea of monarchical rule, so he introduces the system to his own country? I don’t buy it. I also wish I could forget reading about China invading the U.S. over a debt. Like, seriously? I mean, repossessing a car makes sense, but repossessing a COUNTRY isn’t exactly practical. And once the debt collectors come back empty handed, the immediate conclusion the Chinese jumped to was INVADE FOR MORE LABOUR FORCES! Yeah… totally believable. Oh, and let’s not forget Russia. They wanted to stretch out a little since they have so little land to play with, and some bright spark had the brilliant idea to take over BOTH China and North America simultaneously?! I’m sorry, but I just couldn’t take any of this seriously. Nothing that happened in The Selection is remotely plausible, and that instantly eliminated any sense of ‘wow… what if this really happened.’ Sometimes vagueness is a kindness, and this is certainly a case where less information would have been more beneficial in the long run.

Time will tell whether I continue with the series, but I’m not sure I really need to. I mean, all I have to do is look at the titles and the covers of the next two books, and I’m pretty sure I know what will happen and how the ending will pan out. I’m torn on how to rate The Selection: I’m hovering between two and three stars, so I think I’ll settle on a two-point-five. The Bachelor part of the story was entertaining, but the lacklustre dystopian elements took so much of that entertainment away. I wish I had better things to say about the book as I know it’s a favourite for so many people, but unfortunately it just didn’t work for me as well as I’d hoped.

Mini-Reviews: We Were Liars, Ticker and How I Live Now

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

Title: We Were Liars
Author: E. Lockhart
Series: Standalone
Format: Kindle, owned
My rating: 3 / 5

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A beautiful and distinguished family.
A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth.


We Were Liars is a modern, sophisticated suspense novel from National Book Award finalist and Printz Award honoree E. Lockhart.

Read it.
And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE.

-- As seen on Goodreads

My Thoughts

This is a tough review to write. Anything I could discuss would edge into unintentional spoiler territory, so I’m going to refrain from saying too much. The advice that’s been floating around is 1000% correct: go into this book with as little prior knowledge as possible, it’ll be a huge benefit. I had HUGE expectations for We Were Liars, but I think I was bitten by the dreaded hype bug. I enjoyed the book, but not nearly as much as I had expected to. The story itself is fascinating, and I was hooked very quickly and flew through the pages. While I love fast paced books, I think a lot of necessary detail was skimmed over here, making things seem a little more simplistic than they should have been. My biggest issue was the book lacked any sort of feeling. I wasn’t attached to the characters, and any hiccups along the way didn’t cause much of a reaction in me. I did enjoy We Were Liars overall, and I’d definitely recommend reading it, but when I consider the hype surrounding it, I was expecting so much more.

Ticker by Lisa Mantchev

Title: Ticker
Author: Lisa Mantchev
Series: Standalone
Format: eARC, kindly
provided by the publisher
via Netgalley (Thank you!!)
My rating: DNF

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A girl with a clockwork heart must make every second count.

When Penny Farthing nearly dies, brilliant surgeon Calvin Warwick manages to implant a brass “Ticker” in her chest, transforming her into the first of the Augmented. But soon it’s discovered that Warwick killed dozens of people as he strove to perfect another improved Ticker for Penny, and he’s put on trial for mass murder.

On the last day of Warwick’s trial, the Farthings’ factory is bombed, Penny’s parents disappear, and Penny and her brother, Nic, receive a ransom note demanding all of their Augmentation research if they want to see their parents again. Is someone trying to destroy the Farthings...or is the motive more sinister?

Desperate to reunite their family and rescue their research, Penny and her brother recruit fiery baker Violet Nesselrode, gentleman-about-town Sebastian Stirling, and Marcus Kingsley, a young army general who has his own reasons for wanting to lift the veil between this world and the next. Wagers are placed, friends are lost, romance stages an ambush, and time is running out for the girl with the clockwork heart.

-- As seen on Goodreads

My Thoughts

*I received an eARC from the publishers via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This didn't influence my opinion in any way.*

DNF @ 32%

I had started reading Ticker a couple of times since I downloaded it from Netgalley a while back, and I struggled to get into the story after the first few percent and I kept setting it aside, thinking it was just my mood not matching the story. So, I finally got in a steampunkish kind of mood recently, and I decided to just sit down and plough through. Unfortunately, I just couldn’t do it. The characters felt very distant and sort of… unapproachable, if that makes sense. Also, I thought the steampunk elements were a little over the top. The continual mentions of machines and other gadgets didn’t really set the atmosphere enough – it’s one thing to be told something, it’s a complete different thing to actually feel something and to believe it. I really like the concept of Ticker, but sadly I just couldn’t get into the story.

How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff

Title: How I Live Now
Author: Meg Rosoff
Series: Standalone
Format: Paperback, owned
My rating: 4 / 5

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“Every war has turning points and every person too.”

Fifteen-year-old Daisy is sent from Manhattan to England to visit her aunt and cousins she’s never met: three boys near her age, and their little sister. Her aunt goes away on business soon after Daisy arrives. The next day bombs go off as London is attacked and occupied by an unnamed enemy.

As power fails, and systems fail, the farm becomes more isolated. Despite the war, it’s a kind of Eden, with no adults in charge and no rules, a place where Daisy’s uncanny bond with her cousins grows into something rare and extraordinary.

But the war is everywhere, and Daisy and her cousins must lead each other into a world that is unknown in the scariest, most elemental way.

-- As seen on Goodreads

My Thoughts

I bought How I Live Now quite a while ago on a whim, and it’s been sitting gathering dust on my to-read shelves ever since. It has been probably two years since I read the synopsis, and when I picked it up recently I was under the impression it would be a quick contemporary YA read. Well, I was right about the quick read part, but it was such a pleasant surprise to find it was a Dystopian. I swear, it was like a gift from the Gods!

The narrative and writing style did take a little getting used to, but once I settled in after a chapter or two, I really enjoyed it. With the way the story is written, it’s very hard to feel anything toward all the other characters beyond Elizabeth (Daisy), the narrator. Daisy isn’t the most likeable character in the world, but I couldn’t help rooting for her and I ended up with a weird sort of grudging respect for her as the story unfolded. Right, I have to mention the cousin-on-cousin action. If you’re not comfortable with underage-sex or even discussing incest/cousins-falling-in-love, then this book is probably best avoided. Personally, I’ve read other books that I thought handled the topic of incest better and in a more thought-provoking way. Having said that, I didn’t have any real problems with the way Daisy and Edmund’s relationship progressed (apart from it being a tad insta-lovey.) The survival portions of the book were by far my favourite themes. I loved how brutal, honest and compelling it was during this chunk of the book.

Overall, I really enjoyed How I Live Now, and I’d highly recommend giving it a chance. It looks at a very stark, dark and brutal battle for survival when your country is invaded and occupied by the enemy, and how the scars never leave. Brilliant.

Review: Fairest by Marissa Meyer

Title: Fairest
Author: Marissa Meyer
Series: The Lunar Chronicles, #3.5
Format: Hardback, owned
My rating: 5 / 5

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In this stunning bridge book between Cress and Winter in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles, Queen Levana’s story is finally told.

Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the fairest of them all?

Fans of the Lunar Chronicles know Queen Levana as a ruler who uses her “glamour” to gain power. But long before she crossed paths with Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress, Levana lived a very different story – a story that has never been told . . . until now.

Marissa Meyer spins yet another unforgettable tale about love and war, deceit and death. This extraordinary book includes full-color art and an excerpt from Winter, the next book in the Lunar Chronicles series.

-- As seen on Goodreads

My Thoughts

Oh wow, where do I begin, Fairest was awesome! I really liked Cress, but I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as I was expecting to. It did affect my anticipation for Winter – I wasn’t really that keen on reading it right away. But now after reading Fairest, I can’t WAIT to read Winter, it really is going to be epic!

In Fairest we get to see from Queen Levana’s childhood right up to her mid-twenties, and the events that shaped her into the evil Queen we know and hate. Holy wow, she is one scary lady! She’s been dealt some really terrible cards in life, and I couldn’t help feeling sorry for her at times. I definitely wasn’t expecting to feel sympathy toward her, and this shows just how fabulous Marissa Meyer is at developing well-rounded characters. I loved getting a better understanding of what warped Levana into the cold, calculating, ruthless antagonist who will stop at nothing in her pursuit of what she wants. Seeing her logic is nothing short of unsettling and repulsive, yet so morbidly fascinating.

The writing style was flawless, as always. I love how crystal clear Meyer’s books are, and how easy it is to imagine everything that’s taking place. I loved learning a bit more about Luna and how the society works. I get the feeling that there’s a whole lot more left to discover, and I can’t wait to read about it in Winter.

Technically, you could read this novella between any of the books in the Lunar Chronicles series, but I do think it’s best reading it after you’ve finished Cress. There are no full-on spoilers for the first three books in the series, but it would be possible to pick up on a few hints that could spoil things slightly. And also, I think keeping the mystery that is Queen Levana for as long as possible is vital. I’m not going to name specific names, but I LOVED seeing some familiar characters popping up throughout the book, and finding out where they are linked into Queen Levana’s story.

Overall, Fairest was an excellent addition to an already amazing series, and I highly recommend reading it. This novella is a must read, and should not be skipped over!

Review: End of Days by Susan Ee

Title: End of Days
Author: Susan Ee
Series: Penryn and the End of Days, #3
Format: Paperback, owned
My rating: 3 / 5

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End of Days is the explosive conclusion to Susan Ee’s bestselling Penryn & the End of Days trilogy.

After a daring escape from the angels, Penryn and Raffe are on the run. They’re both desperate to find a doctor who can reverse the twisted changes inflicted by the angels on Raffe and Penryn’s sister. As they set off in search of answers, a startling revelation about Raffe’s past unleashes dark forces that threaten them all.

When the angels release an apocalyptic nightmare onto humans, both sides are set on a path toward war. As unlikely alliances form and strategies shift, who will emerge victorious? Forced to pick sides in the fight for control of the earthly realm, Raffe and Penryn must choose: Their own kind, or each other?

-- As seen on Goodreads

My Thoughts

I read End of Days back in May, and it’s taken me until the end of July to figure out how I feel about the conclusion to one of my favourite series. I guess it could be summed up in one sentence: I liked how the story concluded, but I was expecting so much more. I was truly gutted when I found out End of Days would be the final book in the series. Like everybody, I had been looking forward to five glorious book of Penryn, Raffe and their plight to survive the angel apocalypse. I thought I’d have years of awesomeness to come, so it came as a big shock when I found out that the third book is actually the end. (I can’t help wondering if this disappointment has clouded my overall enjoyment of the ending.)

Ok, I have to say this: four books would have made this series perfection – namely, a book in-between World After and End of Days. Why? So much was condensed into this one book and lots of little events were skimmed over, and quite a few things were left either unanswered or rushed. If everything that happened was expanded on, slowed down and developed even more than it was and split between two books… it really would have been epic.

Penryn: Angelfall Penryn is one of my all-time favourite characters, but End of Days Penryn… gosh, I don’t know what happened, but she didn’t really seem like the Penryn I remembered at all. I didn’t connect with her that much and it really breaks my heart. In the first book, the majority of her focus was on protecting her mother and sister, and while this still applies in End of Days, those intentions didn’t seem as genuine anymore. It felt like she was going through the motions of caring for her sister, but if I’m honest, most of her focus is on Raffe. Now, I love Raffe, but what made this series awesome was Penryn not letting the gorgeous hunk of angel distract her from her own goals. I feel this side of her personality shrivelled away a bit too much, and a bit too quickly. I’m also a bit surprised with Penryn’s attitude toward her sister. I don’t want to say too much, but I was expecting her to be more… open… to Paige’s new needs.

Raffe: Most of what I mentioned about Penryn can apply to Raffe, too. I liked him in this book, but he wasn’t quite the same. While the swoony and humours words are there, a lot of the feelings and emotions behind them have disappeared. I think back to Angelfall, and even to World After, and every sentence and interaction made an impact. Here though, his personality felt a little flat at times. Smart-mouth, humorous, badass Raffe is adorable, but indecisive Raffe isn’t that appealing, if I’m honest.

I felt Penryn and Raffe’s relationship was a little bit too convenient at times. We went from one book (WA) with very little Penryn and Raffe, to a book with LOTS of Penryn and Raffe. While the banter is present, the emotion behind it was lacking and all the tension I remember from the first two books was skimmed over. It wasn’t just their relationship that felt a bit a bit rushed: I would have loved to know more about The Watchers and Hell! And I can’t forget about the ending and the epilogue. It was a weird combination of satisfying and disappointing. I have a love/hate relationship with epilogues in general, and this one leans into the hate side. I can only describe it as feeling out of place, and not as impactful as I had hoped for.

Overall, I really enjoyed Penryn’s story and I’m satisfied with the conclusion, but I can’t help feeling that the ending to the trilogy had the potential to be so much better. While I might have been a bit disappointed, I highly recommend starting this series. Angelfall still remains one of my favourite books, and that will never change.

Review: Cress by Marissa Meyer

Title: Cress
Author: Marissa Meyer
Series: The Lunar Chronicles, #3
Format: Paperback, owned
My rating: 4 / 5

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In this third book in the Lunar Chronicles, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, now with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army.

Their best hope lies with Cress, a girl imprisoned on a satellite since childhood who's only ever had her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker. Unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.

When a daring rescue of Cress goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing prevent her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only hope the world has.

-- As seen on Goodreads

My Thoughts

To put this bluntly: I liked Cress, but… I preferred Scarlet. I read Cress when I was on holidays a few months ago and I don’t know if that had an unintentional influence on my overall lack of fangirling. Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed it, but it didn’t quite live up to my expectations.

What I Loved

The Characters: Oh my goodness, I LOVE the characters in this series. We get to know Cress and Thorne a lot more in this book, and they are simply adorable together. Their entire storyline was amazing, and I kind of wish the book was more focused on these two! And Iko! I’m so glad she had a bigger role to play in this part of the story.

World-Building and Fairy-tales: So far, we’ve had three fairy-tales – Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, and now Rapunzel – blended together into the Lunar Chronicles world, and oh gosh, it’s FABULOUS! How Marissa Meyer manages to blend all these ideas and concepts together into an even greater and more vibrant world is simply stunning. She created an incredibly fascinating and detailed world in both Cress and Scarlet, and to see it grow and expand to seamlessly incorporate a new tale and characters, it’s amazing.

What Didn’t Work For Me

The Severe Lack of Scarlet and Wolf! This is my biggest complaint about Cress. In book two, I clicked with Scarlet straight away, and after reading the first couple of chapters I felt like I ‘got’ her. I was really looking forward to seeing both Scarlet and Wolf’s characters growing along with all the others in Cress, and to find that they have minimal page-time… I was extremely disappointed.

A little too much POV switching: I love that there is never a dull moment in the Lunar Chronicles series, and point-of-view switching between the main characters is a big reason for this. We have a lot of main characters and story lines to catch up with, but I didn’t feel the POV switching was a seamless in Cress in comparison to Scarlet. I loved Cress and Thorne’s story, and I wanted to be completely immersed in what was going on with them, but all of a sudden a chapter would end and we’d be transported to, for example, Kai’s POV. I’m one of the very few people that hasn’t completely clicked with Cinder or Kai, and I don’t really know why. I LIKE them; I just don’t FEEL anything toward them. So, when the story switched to a character I’m not AS invested in right in the middle of a crucial moment that a character I DO care about is in… it’s a tad frustrating! I couldn’t completely settle into one story line before it switched away to something else. I don’t remember having this problem in Scarlet – I remember the POV switches being so well timed and blending together perfectly, it was a strange surprise that I had a problem with them here.

Overall, I did really enjoy Cress. I loved seeing how Rapunzel was incorporated into an already extremely intricate Dystopian Sci-fi world. Both Cress and Thorne are fabulous characters, and I can’t wait to see more from them in Winter – hopefully with a lot more Scarlet and Wolf, too!

Review: The Infinite by Lori M. Lee

Title: The Infinite
Author: Lori M. Lee
Series: Gates of Thread and Stone, #2
Format: eARC, kindly provided by the
publishers via Netgalley (Thank you!!)
My rating: 3.5 / 5

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The walls of Ninurta keep its citizens safe.

Kai always believed the only danger to the city came from within. Now, with a rebel force threatening the fragile government, the walls have become more of a prison than ever.

To make matters worse, as Avan explores his new identity as an Infinite, Kai struggles to remind him what it means to be human. And she fears her brother, Reev, is involved with the rebels. With the two people she cares about most on opposite sides of a brewing war, Kai will do whatever it takes to bring peace. But she’s lost her power to manipulate the threads of time, and she learns that a civil war might be the beginning of something far worse that will crumble not only Ninurta’s walls but also the entire city.

In this thrilling sequel to Gates of Thread and Stone, Kai must decide how much of her humanity she’s willing to lose to protect the only family she’s ever known.

-- As seen on Goodreads

My Thoughts

I enjoyed The Infinite so much more than Gates of Thread and Stone! The world-building was more detailed this time around, and most of the characters felt more vibrant and distinct. I really wish the first book had been a bit more like this!

I have to confess, at the start of The Infinite, I was really apprehensive. Avan grated on my nerves in the first book, and I was dreading more of the same here. I just can’t like him! I’m sorry! I really tried, but it’s not happening. I disliked his attitude even more here, and I have to admit, I was glad to get a break from his character for a while in the middle chunk of the book. What was revealed during this break was how AWESOME Kai could be! When Avan is removed from the picture, she is such a fantastic character to read about. I find it incredible that her personality can change so much, so quickly, just because of one character…

It’s no secret that I love Mason. I still think he’s the most complete and well-rounded character in the series. He has a serious side to his personality that really shines through when he’s in trainer-mode or involved in a task, but I love that he has a contrast, and how kind-hearted, sweet, caring and playful he is under the surface. I LOVED the interactions between Mason and Kai! It felt so natural, and I loved the banter between them.

I have a fear, though. Do I detect a love triangle on the horizon?! I got the sense that one could develop in the first book, and it seems like that’s the angle the trilogy will continue to take. Now, obviously, Mason is my choice in this situation. He’s my favourite character in the series, but, Avan is Kai’s golden-haired boy, and she takes every opportunity to remind us of this fact, so I doubt that will change. But, it bothers me that Mason’s character has to become the ‘other’. When it’s fairly obvious what the end-game will be, why bother including a love-triangle?

I was prepared to give The Infinite all the stars possible… until the ending happened. I’d begun to really like Kai over the course of this book, but I lost pretty much all respect for her when she forgave a certain person after a betrayal. I’m being intentionally vague not to spoil things, but the entire situation didn’t sit well with me. Overall, I really liked and enjoyed The Infinite, but it sucks that the ending tainted my overall feelings about the book. I’m curious to see what direction the last book in the trilogy will take, and I really hope it turns out to be awesome!

*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This didn't influence my opinion in any way.*