Blog Tour: Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones! Wintersong is one of my most anticipated 2017 new releases, and it lived up to all my expectations and I can't wait to share all my thoughts with you. Before I get to that, I also have a pronunciation guide to share and lots of other information about J.J. and Wintersong. Hope you enjoy!

Title: Wintersong
Author: S. Jae-Jones
Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
Release Date: February 7th, 2017

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All her life, nineteen-year-old Liesl has heard tales of the beautiful, mysterious Goblin King. He is the Lord of Mischief, the Ruler Underground, and the muse around which her music is composed. Yet, as Liesl helps shoulder the burden of running her family’s inn, her dreams of composition and childish fancies about the Goblin King must be set aside in favor of more practical concerns.

But when her sister Käthe is taken by the goblins, Liesl journeys to their realm to rescue her sister and return her to the world above. Down in the Underground, Liesl discovers that the Goblin King still inspires her—musically, physically, emotionally. Yet even as her talent blossoms, Liesl faces an impossible choice. As she grows closer to the Goblin King, both of them must learn just what it is they are each willing to sacrifice: her life, her music, or the end of the world.

With an enchanting winterized cover, WINTERSONG will keep readers cozy while experiencing a chilling adventure like no other. S. Jae-Jones’ richly imagined debut spins a spellbinding tale of music, love, sisterhood, and a young woman’s search for self-actualization.

Meet the Author

S. Jae-Jones (called JJ) is an artist, an adrenaline junkie, and erstwhile editrix. When not obsessing over books, she can be found jumping out of perfectly good airplanes, co-hosting the Pub(lishing) Crawl podcast, or playing dress-up. Born and raised in Los Angeles, she now lives in North Carolina, as well as many other places on the internet, including Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, Instagram, and her blog.

Pronunciation Guide

My Thoughts

I’m struggling to put into words just how much I enjoyed Wintersong. It was one of my most anticipated 2017 new releases, and when I was invited onto the blog tour I jumped at the chance and immediately said yes! It’s a very loosely inspired Labyrinth retelling, and I personally love that this story moved away from the original and found its own voice. My only concern is that if you begin reading this book with the hopes of a pure Labyrinth retelling, you might end up being disappointed. It’s so much more than that, and I feel there are quite a few other inspirations woven in that had a stronger relevance to the overall story. For example, I did notice quite a few nods to both the Phantom of the Opera and Hades and Persephone which I absolutely LOVED!

The story is set in a small village in Bavaria where our main character, Liesel, spent much of her childhood days playing in the nearby Goblin Grove with a childhood friend, the Goblin King. With a friendship built on silly tricks and flippant remarks, she made an innocent promise to her friend and didn’t think anything more of it, and like all little girls, she grew up and left her childhood stories behind. However, the Goblin King didn’t forget her promise, and he intends to hold her to her word. Liesel is a character that could divide opinions, but I fall into the loved her half. If you like imperfect main characters with realistic flaws and self-doubts, Liesel will be the perfect character for you to root for. All her life she’s been overlooked, and with her mixed jealousy, envy and unconditional love toward her younger siblings, I found her very easy to empathise with. There are two sides to her personality, and I loved seeing her journey of self-discovery. Hurt after hurt, battle after battle of being ignored, undervalued and taken for granted, she built a wall and hid behind a mask of duty to supress her own anguish and desire for others to notice her talent as a musician and composer. For once in her life she decided to be selfish, and it leads her to understand and accept herself for who she is and I loved seeing how she changed and matured throughout the book.

In a way, Wintersong reads like a book of two halves. One half focuses more on Liesel and her family, and the other on the Underground world inhabited by the Goblin King and various other goblin and fae creatures. I liked each for different reasons, but if I had to choose, I slightly preferred the first half of the book to the second. Overall, the book is a slower paced, more atmospheric read which I thought suited the story beautifully. Also, the writing style is gorgeous! It captured the moody atmosphere effortlessly, and the images popped off the pages with no need for embellishments and purple prose. While the slower pacing and lack of all-out action scenes might not work for everyone, I ended up thoroughly enjoying it.

I always prefer slowly developing romances, and the romance that developed between the Goblin King and Liesel was no exception. But being completely honest, I’m torn on whether I liked them together and this is the only complaint I had with the story. One minute, I’d love them and I felt and believed the chemistry between them, and then the next it would slip and I’d end up feeling disconnected. I do believe they have deep feelings for each other, yet there was something holding me back from loving them completely. I can’t pin down anything specific that occurred to make me feel this way, and it’s very frustrating as I want to ship them together so badly!

Overall though, Wintersong definitely lived up to my expectations and that made the ending twice as bittersweet. And yes, I may have been a weeping mess at one stage, not going to lie, but it was worth it! Exploring music, faith, love and hope, Wintersong is a journey of self-discovery that took inspiration from a well-known source and made it its own. If you love retellings that create their own story without relying on the original too much, then I can’t recommend Wintersong highly enough.

The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi Blog Tour - Excerpt and Review

Welcome to my stop on The Star-Touched Queen Blog Tour! The Star-Touched Queen is Roshani Chokshi’s debut novel, and it’s a fantasy story inspired by Indian folklore, and Hades and Persephone from Greek mythology. Sounds so awesome, doesn’t it?! Today I have an excerpt from The Star-Touched Queen, and I’ll also chat about the book and share my thoughts on it. Hope you enjoy!

Excerpt

Thinking of Gauri always made me smile. But as soon as I caught sight of my tutor of the week, the smile disappeared. He stood between two pillars of the archive section marking the kingdom’s history. Beyond the sheer number of things to read in the archive room, what I loved most was its ceiling. It was empty, wide enough to crawl through and conveniently linked to my father’s inner sanctum.

The tutor, as luck would have it, stood directly below my hiding spot.

At least Father’s announcement hadn’t started. The courtiers still murmured and the footfall of tardiness fell on my ears like music. But if I was ever going to get to hear that meeting, I had to get rid of the tutor first.

“Punctuality is a prize among women,” said the tutor.

I bit back a cringe. His voice was sticky. The words drawn out like they would morph into a noose and slip around you in the dark. I stepped back, only to see his eyes sharpen into a glare.

He was heavyset and tall. Soft- rounded jowls faded into a nonchin and thick neck. Greasy black eyes dragged across my body. In the past, my tutors had all been the same— a little doughy, a little nervous. Always superstitious. This new tutor held my gaze evenly. That was unexpected. None of my other tutors had ever met my eye. Sometimes the tutors sidled against the dark of the archival chambers, hands trembling as they pushed a set of notes toward me. History lessons, they said. Why did they always start with history? Show me a dream unrealized. Don’t show me unchangeable paths.

The tutor cleared his throat. “I have no intention to teach you history or letters or speech. I intend to teach you silence. Stillness.”

This time I didn’t even try to hide my scowl. I did not like this replacement. Tutors generally left me alone. I never had to raise my voice. I never had to scowl. I didn’t even need words. What scared them most was much simpler and sweeter than that— a smile. The moment I smiled— not a real one, of course, but a slow, crocodile reveal of teeth and a practiced manic gleam— the tutor would make an excuse, edge along the wall and flee out of the archive rooms.

Who wanted to be smiled at by the girl that trailed shadows like pets, conjured snakes and waited for Death, her bridegroom, to steal her from these walls? Never mind that none of it was true. Never mind that the closest I had come to real magic was making off with an entire tray of desserts without anyone noticing. The shadow of me always loomed larger than the person who cast it. And sometimes that had its benefits.

This tutor, however, was not as easily cowed. I strained my ears, listening for the footfall of more courtiers, but it was silent. The meeting would start any minute now and here I was, stuck with some fool who wanted to teach me the virtue of silence.

I grinned at him . . .

. . . and he grinned back.

About the Author

ROSHANI CHOKSHI comes from a small town in Georgia where she collected a Southern accent, but does not use it unless under duress. She grew up in a blue house with a perpetually napping bear-dog. At Emory University, she dabbled with journalism, attended some classes in pajamas, forgot to buy winter boots and majored in 14th century British literature. She spent a year after graduation working and traveling and writing. After that, she started law school at the University of Georgia where she's learning a new kind of storytelling. More information on the author can be found at www.roshanichokshi.com.

Title: The Star-Touched Queen
Author: Roshani Chokshi
Series: Standalone
(but a companion novel is on the way!)
Format: eARC, kindly provided
by the publishers for review.
(Thank you!!)
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
My rating: 4 / 5

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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.

A lush and vivid story that is steeped in Indian folklore and mythology. The Star-Touched Queen is a novel that no reader will soon forget.

-- 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.*

The Star-Touched Queen was one of my most anticipated releases of spring 2016, and it definitely didn’t disappoint. Retellings are an addiction of mine, and once I heard that this one was inspired by Hades and Persephone, I knew I had to read it as soon as I could get my paws on it. Add in Indian folklore, and my expectations went through the roof!

As you may know, The Star-Touched Queen is a fantasy story with the world being based on Indian folklore (and Hinduism), with a sprinkling of Hades and Persephone from Greek mythology. I really loved the combination, but I will say that I didn’t get as strong Hades and Persephone vibes as I has initially expected. Reincarnation takes centre stage throughout the story, and I LOVED this! I’ve always been fascinated by the entire concept and how the soul is eternal and can’t be destroyed, and to see it influencing and shaping an entire book… I was soooo blissfully happy!

Something I really need to talk about is the writing style: if you like flowery prose and stunningly beautiful sentences then you should consider getting this book into your life within the next ten minutes! The narrative has a whimsical, almost ethereal quality to it, and at times it felt like I was reading poetry in novel form. With the writing style becoming so absorbing and adding that little something extra to the overall atmosphere, in a way The Star-Touched Queen reminds me of both Cruel Beauty and The Wrath and the Dawn, and if you liked either of those books, chances are you’ll adore this one.

Mayavati (nicknamed Maya) is our main character and narrator, and by the end of the book I really liked her character. She’s stubborn, head strong and impulsive, and while some of her decisions left me screeching in horror and rage, she’s an awesome character to read about. Considering this is a standalone fantasy, I really liked seeing the amount of development she went through over the course of the story. And I can’t forget Amar! The best way I can describe him, personality wise, would be a cross of Flynn Rider (from Tangled) and Morpheus (from the Splintered trilogy). He’s VERY charismatic, and he’s one of those characters you can’t help but end up liking. I do have one little gripe, though: I feel like we didn’t get to see the full range of his personality. He’s very enigmatic, and I completely understand that this is needed to keep our interest up as readers, but I can’t help feeling like too much of his personality was kept under wraps for a bit too long.

Overall, I really enjoyed The Star-Touched Queen, and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the fantasy genre. I loved that the book was set in an Indian-inspired fantasy world, and when you add in the stunningly beautiful prose, it was so easy to get completely lost in the world the author created. I know there is a companion novel in the works, and I can’t wait to read it!

And now, only one question remains: where can I get a demon horse of my own?!

Review: The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

Title: The Wrath and the Dawn
Author: Renee Ahdieh
Series: The Wrath and the Dawn, #1
Format: Hardback, bought
My rating: 3 / 5

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A sumptuous and epically told love story inspired by A Thousand and One Nights

Every dawn brings horror to a different family in a land ruled by a killer. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, takes a new bride each night only to have her executed at sunrise. So it is a suspicious surprise when sixteen-year-old Shahrzad volunteers to marry Khalid. But she does so with a clever plan to stay alive and exact revenge on the Caliph for the murder of her best friend and countless other girls. Shazi’s wit and will, indeed, get her through to the dawn that no others have seen, but with a catch . . . she’s falling in love with the very boy who killed her dearest friend.

She discovers that the murderous boy-king is not all that he seems and neither are the deaths of so many girls. Shazi is determined to uncover the reason for the murders and to break the cycle once and for all.

-- As seen on Goodreads

My Thoughts

How in the world can a book be both awesome and underwhelming at the same time?! I have so many conflicting feelings about The Wrath and the Dawn, and I’m not really sure where to begin this review. How about with the positives?

The story itself was actually really gripping and held my attention pretty consistently throughout. It’s a One Thousand and One Nights retelling, and if you’ve visited my blog before, you know how obsessed I can be about retellings! It’s written in the third person with multiple POV’s used, and I absolutely LOVED the writing style. The pacing flowed so beautifully, and the descriptions, wow! It really felt like I had been transported to the Middle East and was walking through the halls of beautiful buildings and towns. And the food, oh so yum! The only possible down side to vividly described food is being constantly hungry while you’re reading.

Technically – for writing style, imagery, atmosphere, pacing etc., – I want to give all the stars under the sun to The Wrath and the Dawn. But, something is holding me back, and it’s a pretty big something. I knew going into this book that it would be romance-heavy, and I was completely okay with that. But, you see, here’s where my problem lies. The romance left me feeling ice cold. I didn’t feel any emotion or passion between Shahrzad and Khalid – all the words are there, but the emotions and feelings that should have been evoked didn’t translate over to me. I love romances where I’m practically climbing through the pages of the book to mush the characters faces together. That tension and the not knowing if they’re going to give into their feelings is half the fun! I was hoping for something along those lines here, but the romance developed a LOT sooner than I had expected.

Shahrzad – or Shazi – is a character I wanted to love, but unfortunately I struggled to care what happened to her. She certainly makes lots of threats, but in actuality she did next to nothing to back up her words. I was also very surprised at how quickly Shazi developed feelings for Khalid. Last time I checked, rage, resentment, hatred and a desire for vengeance are all pretty strong emotions. Add them together and I really doubt they’ll disappear within two days. Also, I don’t understand why Shazi is the one to have 'changed’ things for Khalid… and how is she not dead?! Just because of a few half-heartedly told stories? If I was Khalid with a penchant for killing his wives the morning after he marries them, Shazi would have been dead long ago. I don’t see what’s so special about her, nor do I see what all the other characters keep harping on about. So, she’s a good archer… well, so is the vast majority other YA fantasy heroines these days. We’re continually being told that Shazi is an amazing girl – fearsome, headstrong, opinionated, cunning, intelligent etc. – yet, I didn’t see any of this in practice at any stage. If anything, what we were shown completely contradicted all of these claims!

I wish I could talk to you about my feelings toward Khalid, but I felt absolutely nothing toward him. Logically, I guess I’m supposed to feel repulsion toward him at first, and that slowly transforms into sympathy… but, sorry, I got nothing.

Here’s the thing, I pretty much loved everything about The Wrath and the Dawn, bar the main characters and the romance. Yes, it’s unfortunate that both of these things take up the vast majority of the book, but despite all of this, I’m still really curious to see where the story goes next! As far as I know this is a duology, and I’ll definitely consider picking up The Rose and the Dagger when it’s released, and I really hope my opinions will change when I read it.

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: Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

Title: Cruel Beauty
Author: Rosamund Hodge
Series: Standalone
Format: Paperback, owned
My rating: 3.5/ 5

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Graceling meets Beauty and the Beast in this sweeping fantasy about one girl's journey to fulfill her destiny and the monster who gets in her way-by stealing her heart.

Based on the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, Cruel Beauty is a dazzling love story about our deepest desires and their power to change our destiny.

Since birth, Nyx has been betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom-all because of a foolish bargain struck by her father. And since birth, she has been in training to kill him.

With no choice but to fulfill her duty, Nyx resents her family for never trying to save her and hates herself for wanting to escape her fate. Still, on her seventeenth birthday, Nyx abandons everything she's ever known to marry the all-powerful, immortal Ignifex. Her plan? Seduce him, destroy his enchanted castle, and break the nine-hundred-year-old curse he put on her people.

But Ignifex is not at all what Nyx expected. The strangely charming lord beguiles her, and his castle—a shifting maze of magical rooms—enthralls her.

As Nyx searches for a way to free her homeland by uncovering Ignifex's secrets, she finds herself unwillingly drawn to him. Even if she could bring herself to love her sworn enemy, how can she refuse her duty to kill him? With time running out, Nyx must decide what is more important: the future of her kingdom, or the man she was never supposed to love.

-- As seen on Goodreads

My Thoughts

Undeniably, Cruel Beauty is a fabulous book. It includes so many things I love - fantasy, fairy-tale retellings, mythology, magic, the list goes on. In theory, I should love every single word, but … I didn’t. For the life of me, I can’t understand why I wasn’t completely besotted by this story. Now don’t get me wrong, I ended up really liking it, but not nearly as much as I had expected to.

I really liked both the writing style and world building, and they were easily my favourite parts of the book. I loved the Greek mythology hints that were sprinkled throughout, and the incorporation of Beauty and the Beast was really good. It did take me a chapter or so to completely settle into the story, but I blame this on my indifference toward Nyx more than anything else. Despite how much I liked the ideas surrounding the story, I never felt completely invested or anxious to see how things would progress. By the half-way point I felt things slowly began going downhill, and my attention span along with it.

The book is written in the first person, and I usually have an easier time clicking with the main character when this point-of-view is used. But with Nyx, gosh, I kind of half liked and half hated her. She changed her mind that often, I was in fear of getting whiplash. When she was sassy, cold and determined, she was fabulous, but unfortunately this side of her personality didn’t shine through long enough. In honesty she spent most of her time running around a castle like a headless chicken, and the rest of the time moping after two guys – one of which she was sent to kill. I had expected more assassin spirit and a lot less love sick puppy. Also, for such a smart girl she could be incredibly insufferable and obtuse. I’d correctly guessed the majority of the outcome by the fifth chapter, and I find it intensely infuriating when the MC doesn’t cop onto what’s right in front of her nose!

The romance was… not that wonderful if I’m honest. The whole thing felt a bit off and insta-lovey. Ignifex was the only character I really liked in the book, but he wasn’t as charismatic or evil as I had hoped. He was very… erm, tame. (What can I say, Tamlin and Rhys from ACoTaR have spoiled me!) I hadn’t expected a love-triangle when I began reading, so I was quite surprised and apprehensive when Shade was introduced to the story. He was just a pain in the arse throughout, and when Nyx was ready to declare her undying love after seeing him twice I was ready to throw in the towel.

Overall, Cruel Beauty was an enjoyable read, but nowhere near as stunning as I had expected it to be. I can’t help feeling I read it at the wrong time. That je ne sais quoi was missing, I guess, and I really think I probably should have enjoyed it a lot more than I did. I’d like to (and I intend to) reread it again at some stage, just to see if timing really is the reason why I didn’t love Cruel Beauty right now.

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: 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: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

Title: A Court of Thorns and Roses
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses, #1
Format: eARC, kindly provided
for a review by Bloomsbury UK
via NetGalley (Thank you!!)
My rating: 5+ / 5
Publisher: Bloomsbury UK

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A thrilling, seductive new series from New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas, blending Beauty and the Beast with faerie lore.

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

Perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore and George R. R. Martin, this first book in a sexy and action-packed new series is impossible to put down!

-- As seen on Goodreads

My Thoughts

If I could sum up A Court of Thorns and Roses in one word, it would be perfection. Epicness, awesomeness and Best Book of 2015 would also work, too! Oh gosh, I LOVED it so much! There aren’t enough words to describe how epic every element of the book actually is. The writing, world-building, the love story, the characters… each and every element was utter perfection, and the amount of emotions I went through… it’s simply stunning! I know it’s a little early in the year, but I honestly think A Court of Thorns and Roses will be my favourite book of 2015!

A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACoTaR) is a Beauty and the Beast retelling, and I LOVED how the original tale is incorporated and moulded into a completely new, vibrant, intricate and fascinating faerie world. I was a little afraid that I’d end up comparing it to the Throne of Glass series, but thankfully, I didn’t! It’s just as awesome in every way, but there is a completely different vibe right from the beginning: it has a distinct Mature YA/New Adult feel. Now I have a new bench mark for the NA genre, and I already fear nothing will be able to measure up! THIS is what I always hoped the New Adult genre would be: phenomenal YA-style storytelling, with the age restrictions and limitations of the ‘YA’ tag removed. It was simply amazing and everything I hoped it would be!

I absolutely adore Maas’ writing style in the Throne of Glass series, and when I began reading ACoTaR, and saw that this book was written in the first person, I was really curious to see how it would pan out. I shouldn’t have worried: I LOVED it! She’s masterful at creating crystal clear imagery with only a few perfectly chosen words, and I loved seeing through Fayre’s eyes, and experiencing a world Maas created through a different style. Plus, how she manages to effortlessly ratchet up the tension and convey so much information so quickly and clearly… it’s so awesome to read!

I’ve got to say, the characters here are simply AMAZING! Each character has light and shade. They aren’t clear cut ‘good’ or ‘bad’, and I absolutely LOVE it! Every character we meet leaves an impact, from the mercenary in the early chapters, to Alis (pronounced Alice) later on in the story, and I love that each and every one has a purpose and leaves a lasting impression.

Fayre and Tamlin

Firstly, Fayre (pronounced Fay-ruh). Ohh my gosh, I LOVE this girl! At the beginning, I did get a few Katniss Everdeen vibes, but she grew into her own character as the story developed. She’s our narrator, and I connected with her really early on. I think it was around the time she went into local village with her sisters in chapter three-ish… I felt so much empathy and sympathy toward her. She’s a survivor, and I loved how tenacious, stubborn and determined she is. She has buckets of courage, and I loved seeing her character grow and develop. Plus, let’s not forget that she’s a total bad-ass! My heart was in my mouth during the last section of the book… holy crap, it was intense, but oh so awesome!

And, Tamlin. *Fans -self* Oooh boy! Wow. He’s… he’s… how in the world do I describe him without turning into fangirling mush?! I don’t think anything I can say will do him justice! He’s the prefect representation of Beast, yet there’s a lot more to his character. He gives of the calm, quiet, man of few words and a little socially awkward vibe, yet underneath this you can see he’s lethal. Very, very lethal. My initial impressions weren’t exactly favourable toward him… but, as you can probably tell, that changed! Once his walls started coming down, he’s adorable! When he transforms into flirty Tamlin… *melts and dieees* Ok, you know what? Just go read the book! He’s a character you NEED to meet! RIGHT! NOW!

I love the relationship between Fayre and Tamlin, and I’m completely smitten with these two: they’re perfect for each other! The first 50-60% of the book is dedicated to establishing the characters, and the majority of the focus in on both the world-building, and Fayre and Tamlin’s relationship. This part was a lot slower paced than I was expecting, but I wasn’t bored at any stage. Once the actual romance developed… wow, just, WOW! *fans-self* It’s epic. EPIC, I tell ya!

Lucien

I freaking LOVE Lucien, not gonna lie! It took me a while to warm up to him – he’s a bit of a frosty asshole at the beginning – but once we get to see the guy he is underneath the thorny exterior, he’s a fabulous character! He’s a little witty, a little sarcastic and snarky, a little hot headed and a whole load of hilarious! I love how his personality constantly unfolded, and we got to learn something new about him all the time. I particularly loved the interactions between Fayre and Lucien: I love characters with a great sense of humour, and the banter between them was fabulous! I loved how he brought Fayre out of her shell, and in a way, she returned the favour.

Rhysand

Why, oh why, do I always end up falling for characters with wings?! Rhysand is definitely charismatic! And… oh alright, I’ll admit it… he’s kind of yummy in an evil sort of way. Admittedly, Rhys isn’t exactly a likeable character, but for the life of me, I can’t figure out why he’s so appealing! I don’t know what to make of him… but I really likey! I cannot wait to see how is character develops over the series.

If felt like the book was in two halves: the start is nice and calm, and then all hell slowly begins to break loose. The entire build up to the ending is simply stunning, and left me completely breathless. It’s intense, brutal, and completely EPIC! And waiting to see what the outcome would be was so stressful! I was completely wrapped up in the story and so desperate to know what would happen: one moment you’re left reeling, then swooning, laughing, crying, worried… I love it. Plus, no cliff-hanger ending! This story is wrapped up perfectly, yet leaves a couple of hints that this book is only the beginning. I can’t wait to see what happens next! If you don’t have A Court of Thorns and Roses on your to-read list, please, please, please, add it and read it as soon as you can – I don’t think you’ll be disappointed!

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

Review: Ensnared by A.G. Howard

Title: Ensnared
Author: A.G. Howard
Series: Splintered, #3
Format: Paperback, owned
My rating: 5+ / 5
Pages: 404

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After surviving a disastrous battle at prom, Alyssa has embraced her madness and gained perspective. She's determined to rescue her two worlds and the people and netherlings she loves. Even if it means challenging Queen Red to a final battle of wills and wiles . . . and even if the only way to Wonderland, now that the rabbit hole is closed, is through the looking-glass world--a parallel dimension filled with mutated and violent netherling outcasts.

In the final installment of the wildly popular Splintered trilogy, Alyssa and her dad journey into the heart of magic and mayhem in search of her mom and to set right all that's gone wrong. Together with Jeb and Morpheus, they must salvage Wonderland from the decay and destruction that has ensnared it. But if they succeed and come out alive, can everyone truly have their happily ever after?

-- As seen on Goodreads

My Thoughts

Oh, how do I begin! I’ve been avoiding writing this review for DAYS because I don’t want to burst the bubble and face the reality that the Splintered series is really over. I loved this trilogy so much (except for one person – I hate his guts.) This will be the hardest thing I’ve ever done – talking about this book without including spoilers. But I will do my very best. I promise.

I love the characters in this series – and one in particular above all the others. If you’ve read my Splintered and Unhinged reviews (and have seen my proudly displayed Team banner), you will know I have a severe dislike (OK, hatred) for one character in particular. I’m sorry for those on Team Jeb, but going into this book I was secretly hoping for his demise – preferably painfully. I could just about tolerate him in Splintered, but in Unhinged, his controlling, standoffish, over obsessively-protective ways firmly cemented my hatred. Well, I didn’t think it was possible, but I’ve found a new path for my hatred – Alyssa’s father. Oh. My. GOSH! What a judgmental, arrogant, snobbish, Jeb-carbon-copy, ANNOYING father he turned out to be! I was really looking forward to seeing a father/daughter bond develop, but instead Thomas Gardner turned into a self-serving, self-centred control freak! At one stage I swear I had to put the book down and move away or else I would have DNF’d.

I think my hatred for Thomas Gardner allowed me to be a teeny tiny bit more… tolerant… toward Jeb. But, still, his double standards are absolutely sickening. He’s grown an awful lot since the first book. This growth was desperately needed in my opinion, but I still have absolutely no idea what Alyssa sees in him.

But, I have a HUGE confession. I did something I NEVER do – when I reached page 103 and I was FUMING mad with Alyssa’s father… I skipped ahead and read the last page. I couldn’t take the suspense anymore – I needed to know! Then I couldn’t stop there. I read the entire Epilogue. Moving on before I start chatting about stuff I shouldn’t…

Alyssa grew on me a lot more in this book. I was a bit doubtful of her in Unhinged, but she had moments where she really blossomed into a fabulous character in Ensnared. She trusts herself a lot more, and doesn’t base her decisions totally on outside influences, but takes her own opinions into account. But, she also had moments where I wanted to shake so much sense into her! Her indecisiveness was quite pitiful at times. Alyssa is two parts of a whole. She is human, but she is equally netherling. The previous books felt like a battle between each half, whereas Ensnared felt like she finally accepted both halves of herself, and that each half has a different set of desires and beliefs. For a while I’ve felt her feelings for Jeb were borne out of habit, duty and guilt, not love. I’m of the opinion that both her human and netherling halves love Morpheus, while only her human half could love Jeb… but then again, I’m not Alyssa, just an observer!

It's no secret that I will be forever Team Morpheus! In Ensnared, Morpheus is nothing short of brilliance. His dialogue is flawless, his intentions impeccable, and he is the main reason why I love the Splintered trilogy so much. Morpheus is simply… perfection. He is so imperfect, he becomes the perfect character. He is the prefect duality: light and dark; cunning, yet open; confident, yet unsure. He is kindness, and maliciousness. He is gentle, and ruthless. He is mischievous, and caring. He is manipulative, and trusting. And simply, his most precious trait, he has a heart of gold. I loved falling for this psudo-bad boy with a heart of gold over the course of three books. Morpheus captures EVERYTHING I look for in book characters, and in particular, male characters. I am sick to DEATH of goody-two-shoes, cardboard-cut-out, ‘bad-boy’ wannabe male characters. Please, can we have more uniquely imperfect male characters like Morpheus?! PLEASE!! The term book-boyfriend gets thrown around so often between us bloggers, but for me, Morpheus will forever be my numero uno, and sitting happily at the top of the list. No other character can compare. It will take one hell of a character to capture everything I love in one place again – but I like a challenge, so… bring it on!

I love A.G. Howard’s writing style, and I clicked with it in the first two books, and it stays true to style in Ensnared. I love her descriptions, and the dialogue between characters is fabulous. I loved that the world building was back to its best, just like it was in Splintered. Seriously, that book has some of the best and most beautifully twisted world-building I have ever read, and to see it matched here was amazing!

The ending… ooh the ending. I have a feeling that this one will cause lots of heated debates. Personally, after I’ve thought about it for a while, I think it’s fitting. Looking back over the three books in hindsight, I think it makes sense, and we could see it coming. Overall, I loved Ensnared. While in my heart I would have like things to be slightly different, I’m satisfied with it. When it comes to a rating, I have no idea what to give! It has elements that would warrant a 4 star rating… and each of my ratings up to New Favourite! My official rating would be “Unrateable”… but we’ll go with 5+… because, well… Morpheus!! (It’s a perfectly legit reason! *Grins*)

PS. For those curious folk who already have read the book, and would like to see a perfect gif reaction of how I felt when I cheated and read the last page… click this link ;-)

Review: Unhinged by A.G. Howard

Title: Unhinged
Author: A.G. Howard
Series: Splintered, #2
Format: Paperback, owned
My rating: 5+ / 5

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Alyssa Gardner has been down the rabbit hole and faced the bandersnatch. She saved the life of Jeb, the guy she loves, and escaped the machinations of the disturbingly seductive Morpheus and the vindictive Queen Red. Now all she has to do is graduate high school and make it through prom so she can attend the prestigious art school in London she's always dreamed of.

That would be easier without her mother, freshly released from an asylum, acting overly protective and suspicious. And it would be much simpler if the mysterious Morpheus didn’t show up for school one day to tempt her with another dangerous quest in the dark, challenging Wonderland—where she (partly) belongs.

As prom and graduation creep closer, Alyssa juggles Morpheus’s unsettling presence in her real world with trying to tell Jeb the truth about a past he’s forgotten. Glimpses of Wonderland start to bleed through her art and into her world in very disturbing ways, and Morpheus warns that Queen Red won’t be far behind.

If Alyssa stays in the human realm, she could endanger Jeb, her parents, and everyone she loves. But if she steps through the rabbit hole again, she'll face a deadly battle that could cost more than just her head.

-- As seen on Goodreads

Review: Crane by Stacey Rourke

Title: Crane
Author: Stacey Rourke
Series: The Legends Saga, #1
Format: Kindle
My rating: 4.5 / 5
Setting: Sleepy Hollow
Pages: 221

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The Horseman is unending,
his presence shan’t lessen.
If you break the curse,
you become the legend.

Washington Irving and Rip Van Winkle had no choice but to cover up the deadly truth behind Ichabod Crane’s disappearance. Centuries later, a Crane returns to Sleepy Hollow awakening macabre secrets once believed to be buried deep.

What if the monster that spawned the legend lived within you?

Now, Ireland Crane, reeling from a break-up and seeking a fresh start, must rely on the newly awakened Rip Van Winkle to discover the key to channeling the darkness swirling within her. Bodies are piling high and Ireland is the only one that can save Sleepy Hollow by embracing her own damning curse.

But is anyone truly safe when the Horseman rides?

-- As seen on Goodreads

Review: Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Title: Scarlet
Author: Marissa Meyer
Series: The Lunar Chronicles, #2
Format: Paperback, owned
My rating: 5 / 5
Pages: 452

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This is not the fairytale you remember.

But it’s one you won’t forget.

Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing. The police have closed her case. The only person Scarlet can turn to is Wolf, a street fighter she does not trust, but they are drawn to each other.

Meanwhile, in New Beijing, Cinder will become the Commonwealth’s most wanted fugitive – when she breaks out of prison to stay one step ahead of vicious Queen Levana.

As Scarlet and Wolf expose one mystery, they encounter Cinder and a new one unravels. Together they must challenge the evil queen, who will stop at nothing to make Prince Kai her husband, her king, her prisoner . . .

-- As seen on Goodreads

Review: Splintered by A.G. Howard

Title: Splintered
Author: A.G. Howard
Series: Splintered, #1
Format: Paperback, owned
My rating: 4.5 / 5
Pages: 377

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Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.

When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family.

She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own.

-- As seen on Goodreads

Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Title: Cinder
Author: Marissa Meyer
Series: The Lunar Chronicles, #1
Format: Paperback, owned
My rating: 4.5 / 5
Setting: New Beijing
Pages: 387

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Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

-- As seen on Goodreads

My Thoughts

I’ve started writing up my review for Cinder so many times, and I keep struggling to put into words how much I loved this book! I had a rough idea what it was about before reading it: a Sci-fi retelling of Cinderella. I didn’t realise just how amazingly well it works! There is so much hype surrounding The Lunar Chronicles, and as we all know, sometimes that hype can come back and kick you in the arse. Thank goodness that is not the case here! Cinder lived up to all my expectations, and all the hype surrounding it.

Cinderella was one of my favourite fairy tales when I was a child, and I watched the Disney movie a bazillion times. Sometimes retellings can hit a bit too close to the original, and if it’s a favourite, it’ll take one hell of a story to live up to it. Cinder was completely different to what I was expecting: I thought it was so much better! I loved that we can see the familiar threads from the original tale, but Cinder evolved into its own story and didn’t use the original as a crutch.

In the past, sometimes I find books written in the third person prevented me from connecting with the characters as fully as I do with a first person POV. Cinder on the other hand, completely worked. I loved the writing style, and the pacing of the plot. Granted, I did predict quite a bit of the plot, but there were a few little unexpected surprises along the way which I didn’t see coming. The only slight negative on this front could be in the world-building. I really liked what was shown, but I wanted more! So much thought has been put into this part of the story, and I wanted to experience all of that in even greater detail than what we got. As there are so many layers, I guess it could be a bit confusing keeping all the facts in the correct order, especially at the beginning when we are new to the story and the characters.

All the characterisations are excellently portrayed, in my opinion. Each character from the MC’s to the secondary supporting characters and the so called villains were so vibrant and relatable. Cinder herself is such a fascinating character! She’s smart, outspoken, opinionated, a gifted mechanic and 36.28% cyborg. I loved her character right from the start. And Iko! How could you not love that little android? I loved that the secondary characters actually supported and enhanced the story, rather than being present to represent certain characteristics superficially. From Prince Kaito, to Cinder’s family, Adri, Pearl and Peony, and to Queen Levana to name a few, I could see their perspectives and understand why they did the things they chose to do.

I’m so glad I took the plunge and read Cinder. I can see why the books in The Lunar Chronicles feature on so many favourites lists. I didn’t want the book to end, and I tried to read a bit slower when the pages were counting down. The awesome consolation I have is knowing there are three more books still to read in the series, and the characters I’ve met here will pop up again. Bring on Scarlet!