Review: Storm and Fury (The Harbinger #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Firstly, thanks to Harlequin Books Australia for this review copy <3

Date Read: June 18 - June 27 2019
Date Released: June 11 2019
Publisher: Harlequin Teen Australia
Source: Review copy via publisher
Genre: Paranormal
My Rating:

Synopsis:

"Eighteen-year-old Trinity Marrow may be going blind, but she can see and communicate with ghosts and spirits. Her unique gift is part of a secret so dangerous that she’s been in hiding for years in an isolated compound fiercely guarded by Wardens—gargoyle shape-shifters who protect humankind from demons. If the demons discover the truth about Trinity, they’ll devour her, flesh and bone, to enhance their own powers.

When Wardens from another clan arrive with disturbing reports that something out there is killing both demons and Wardens, Trinity’s safe world implodes. Not the least because one of the outsiders is the most annoying and fascinating person she’s ever met. Zayne has secrets of his own that will upend her world yet again—but working together becomes imperative once demons breach the compound and Trinity’s secret comes to light. To save her family and maybe the world, she’ll have to put her trust in Zayne. But all bets are off as a supernatural war is unleashed…"

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I do wonder if JLA puts crack or weed or some kind of drug in her books because they are freaking addictive. I literally had to physically tear myself from the book every time I needed to put it down. Side note I didn’t realise Storm and Fury was a spin-off of The Dark Elements and I should have finished that series before picking up this one because now I know how TDE ends… welps. Storm and Fury is essentially the story that Zayne got since he didn’t get the girl – I’m actually bitter about that because as much as I loved Roth, I shipped Layla with Zayne. Now that’s off my chest, on to the actual review.

Trinity Marrow is a human who’s grown up protected in the Warden compound. I’m not going to lie, I could guess who she was pretty early on so it wasn’t a big WOW when the reveal happened. I enjoyed her character, to an extent. By now I’ve kind of gotten the gist of the kind of female MCs JLA likes to write: really good at combat, witty/snarky sense of humour, a girl who stands her own ground, manages to attract trouble, wants to help others and is stubborn. Trinity fit right into that mold and it almost felt the same as reading Alex from Covenant. I think they’re basically the same person just in different bodies. Katy and Layla also displayed similar traits however I really likened Trinity to Alex. Although Trinity sometimes annoyed me and I don’t actually know why. The main difference from Alex was Trinity’s physical appearance and her vision impairment. I thought the vision impairment was the most interesting aspect of her character as it’s not every day a supernatural book has a combat-competent MC that’s vision impaired. I would have liked to see more of this actually – rather than her randomly tripping I wanted to know if she wore contacts or glasses and how this affected her day-to-day life. I got the impression she sometimes wore glasses and I would’ve liked to see how she fought with glasses because that’s got to be a hassle – considering how I can’t even do downward dog without them slipping down my nose I can’t imagine dodging punches without them flying off.

Now Zayne is even broodier than in TDE. More broodier, more sullen, just as sweet and hot (but nobody beats Aiden St Delphi. NOBODY). I don’t know how the scary looking stone gargoyles on buildings can be hot but JLA makes them hot. Especially a fine specimen (statue?) like Zayne. I really liked the way JLA wrote his character in that he hasn’t miraculously gotten over the events of TDE. His wounds are still fresh and Layla is still a touchy subject. Moving on is never easy and we get to see Zayne’s progression through Storm and Fury. Seeing his character unfold through Trinity’s eyes was also interesting considering the way we perceived him in TDE – both Layla and Trinity pine for him but in different ways. One’s been in love with him from the beginning, the other was sceptical of his character and only physically attracted to him. Makes for an interesting dynamic.

There’s quite a few appearances from TDE which I enjoyed seeing and how they play into the events of the Harbinger series will be an interesting one in the future books. I do love it when authors include much loved characters into other books *rubs hands together* just as long as they stay happy ya know? Poor characters had their fair share of turmoil in their own books, now they must rest.

I liked the diversity explored in Storm and Fury – there’s a same-sex couple who have a healthy relationship, as well as characters with different ethnicities and skin colours (still waiting for an Asian though). They’re not used as plot devices, these characters just are, which is the way society is so I was on mega board with this.

Plot-wise I’m not sure I follow with how big the impact is made out to be. Like I’m getting the impression this is Armageddon (ya know Harbinger giving me the End of Days/Judgment Day vibes) but the ways the characters are playing out seems lowkey. I’m hoping for the significance of some characters to be revealed later on because they seemed to be arbitrarily selected in Storm and Fury for convenience rather than destiny/fate playing out in epic proportions. That made more sense in my head. I’m trying to make the connections of certain characters to the overall plot and how all the pieces were strategically placed eons ago to be played out. Got to wait and see I guess.

Overall, Storm and Fury is another addictive paranormal story in JLA’s repertoire. I’m hoping we get more differences in Trinity’s character development and the plot expands to the Biblical heights it forebodes. The characters show potential and the Harbinger series is promising thus far so I’ll definitely be picking up the sequel.

Blog Tour: The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

Date Released: February 26th 2019
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Genre: Fantasy

Synopsis:
"From the internationally bestselling author of The Bone Season, a trailblazing, epic high fantasy about a world on the brink of war with dragons—and the women who must lead the fight to save it.

A world divided.
A queendom without an heir.
An ancient enemy awakens.

The House of Berethnet has ruled Inys for a thousand years. Still unwed, Queen Sabran the Ninth must conceive a daughter to protect her realm from destruction—but assassins are getting closer to her door.

Ead Duryan is an outsider at court. Though she has risen to the position of lady-in-waiting, she is loyal to a hidden society of mages. Ead keeps a watchful eye on Sabran, secretly protecting her with forbidden magic.

Across the dark sea, Tané has trained all her life to be a dragonrider, but is forced to make a choice that could see her life unravel.

Meanwhile, the divided East and West refuse to parley, and forces of chaos are rising from their sleep."

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YOU GUYSSSSSS I AM SO EXCITED FOR THIS BLOG POST TODAY!!! LOOK AT THE EXCLAMATION MARKS. My most and I mean MOST anticipated release of 2019 is Samantha Shannon's The Priory of the Orange Tree AND IT IS HERE - it is glorious, it is MAGNIFICENT.

I am beyond thrilled to be part of the blog tour for the release of this masterpiece and today I have for you a playlist inspired by the book.

For me this playlist represents many of the elements I felt and saw whilst reading the book: fighting,  war, the world falling apart, dragons, believing in yourself and freedom. I thought these songs embodied these ideas and I hope you feel them too when you listen.

Listen here:


(I created the playlist on YouTube as Swordland isn't available on Spotify, sorry peeps!)

Blog Tour: Enchantée (Enchantée #1) by Gita Trelease

WOOHOO I'm very pleased to be on the blog tour to celebrate the release of Enchantée by Gita Trelease! The blog tour is worldwide and started on February 6, with the Australian leg of the tour beginning 27 February. Check out the hashtag #enchanteeblogtour on social media for more.

Date Read: February 16 - March 2 2019
Date Released: February 21st 2019
Publisher: Pan Macmillan (Australia)
Source: Review copy via publisher
Genre: Historical Fantasy
My Rating:

Synopsis:
"Paris in 1789 is a labyrinth of twisted streets, filled with beggars, thieves, revolutionaries—and magicians...

When smallpox kills her parents, Camille Durbonne must find a way to provide for her frail, naive sister while managing her volatile brother. Relying on petty magic—la magie ordinaire—Camille painstakingly transforms scraps of metal into money to buy the food and medicine they need. But when the coins won’t hold their shape and her brother disappears with the family’s savings, Camille must pursue a richer, more dangerous mark: the glittering court of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.

With dark magic forbidden by her mother, Camille transforms herself into the ‘Baroness de la Fontaine’ and is swept up into life at the Palace of Versailles, where aristocrats both fear and hunger for la magie. There, she gambles at cards, desperate to have enough to keep herself and her sister safe. Yet the longer she stays at court, the more difficult it becomes to reconcile her resentment of the nobles with the enchantments of Versailles. And when she returns to Paris, Camille meets a handsome young balloonist—who dares her to hope that love and liberty may both be possible.

But la magie has its costs. And when Camille loses control of her secrets, the game she's playing turns deadly. Then revolution erupts, and she must choose—love or loyalty, democracy or aristocracy, freedom or magic—before Paris burns…"

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Enchantée was a fun adventure with an undercurrent of darkness - disguised as a light, magical read all set against the opulent backdrop of the final years of the French monarchy.

Self-sacrificing middle sister Camille is tasked with taking care of her siblings after their parents died. Her brother is descending into gambling debts and her sister is still weak after suffering the illness that killed their parents. Camille has a large weight on her shoulders and puts a lot of pressure on herself to protect her sister who doesn’t see how their older brother is becoming more and more dangerous. I really felt for her because I feel that if she hadn’t been the breadwinner, she might have been better off - the things we do for blood no matter how toxic the relationship hey? As the only worker of magic amongst her siblings, she uses her own blood and sorrow to fuel the magic so that she can pretend to be a baroness and gamble for money at Versailles. Girl has a lot of sorrow from years in poverty let me tell you. I loved the effect of Versailles on Camille - she doesn’t become addicted to gambling itself but rather to the glitz and glamour of that lifestyle, and always wanting more. It’s an escape from reality because while what she’s doing is dangerous, a part of her is having fun eating and drinking and meeting friends. Personality wise I can’t deny I thought she was a bit bland - other than a common interest of gambling and being courtiers I didn’t really see how everybody became friends? There was no proper conversation, she’s constantly thinking about the next game to get more money, protect her sister and that’s about where her personality starts and ends?

I definitely preferred the secondary characters more. My favourite was probably Chandon who’s this sweet, fun loving guy who, having been bred at court, really gets how everything works and helps Camille navigate court life. I would have liked more exploration into her court friends and female interactions, especially with Aurelie- need more female friendships! Her younger sister Sophie has a talent for making hats and her creations sounded fascinating. Not gonna lie I did find Sophie a tad annoying at times - Camille had tried to shelter her as much as possible and its like as a result she doesn’t see Camille’s sacrifices and could be ungrateful at times.

Then there’s Lazard from reality. With his hot air balloon and dreams of exploration, Lazare represented Camille’s desires to be free. Their relationship did start off as a “like” at first sight because of his looks *eye roll* but I did feel the chemistry between them as Camille showed her brains and understanding of what the balloon represented for them all. Lazare is actually the perfect boy and it was kind of unbelievable? The guy is actually so wholesome - sweet, kind, smart, handsome, good at everything he does like wow boy slow down. The romance is hella cute though and there’s these little things he does that has me swooning.

In terms of plot, things didn’t start picking up until midway. Up until then, it’s a lot of Camille back and forthing from Paris to Versailles, turning cards, gambling and glutting herself on the lavish lifestyle then returning to Paris, the magic having spent her physically. But hey it turns out Versailles isn’t all the opulence it’s facade presents - there are evil people at court who are hurting others, revolution is on the horizon as the population’s unrest becomes evident with their dissatisfaction of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette’s exorbitant spending. And through all this Versailles drinks and parties, thinking it will hide everything.

I loved the way Versailles was described. Opulent, lavish, luxurious - everything I imagined the court of Marie Antoinette to be, it was. Macarons, champagne, frills, pastels, strawberries, trimmed hedges and magnificent gardens, silk and everything imaginable... whilst underneath it’s all actually fading. If you looked closely, unused corridors were dusty, the stunning ceilings would show signs of leaking and carpets chewed up with nobody to care enough to fix it. Honestly though I lived for the silk dresses and suits, the haze of champagne and adrenaline from a win - like hells yeh I too would live that life if I had unlimited resources LOL.

The underlying themes of this story were very important though. Trelease has done a fine job of weaving darker themes into the magic - addiction is hands down the biggest problem addressed, but there’s also domestic violence and social-economic class/financial stability. Many key characters in the book were fuelled by addiction - Camille’s brother Alain has a gambling addiction, he’s addicted to the gambling itself. Camille, at first looks like she has a gambling addiction but she knows when to stop - her addiction was deeper. It was an addiction to the magic, the more she used it the more it drew on her. She also became addicted to the thrill of the lifestyle and what it offered. Addictions were the catalysts of so many people’s actions throughout and highlighted how dangerous it could be. Alain being a domestic abuser was pivotal in driving Camille’s decisions but I thought it was important to note that domestic abusers could be the brothers we looked up to as children and loved. We can try to make excuses for them but at the end of the day, one’s own safety is the most important. Socio-economic class was an obvious topic - on hand the general populace are basically living in slums, bread prices see through the roof and everybody is starving. On the other hand, the rich are throwing down money like its Monopoly money, drinking expensive champagne and gorging themselves until dawn, hidden away in the golden glow of Versailles. Camille being on both sides gave us perspective into both lives and the importance of financial stability. She would always want more money - how much was enough? I could understand why she didn’t want to stop, as a commoner with no wealth she needed a steady income to pay rent, buy food etc. no matter how much she won from gambling, if she stopped gambling, at some point the money would run. And it’s that fear that drove her. And it’s this distinction that marked the difference between who she really was and the baroness she pretended to be.

Overall, Enchantée was a magical adventure into the lavish court of Marie Antoinette and its vices. I loved living the Gossip Girl life of 18th century France. The story was fun and cute and hopeful. More importantly, I found the themes of Enchantée to be relevant and transcending time.

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Don't forget to drop by the other tour stops:

Review: Bloodwitch (Witchlands #3) by Susan Dennard

Firstly, thanks to Pan Macmillan Australia for this review copy <3

Date Read: January 13 - February 15 2019
Date Released: February 12th 2019
Publisher: Tor/Pan Macmillan (Australia)
Source: Review copy via publisher
Genre: Fantasy
My Rating:

***Contains spoilers for previous books***

Synopsis:

"Loyalties will be tested as never before.

The Raider King’s plans to claim the Witchlands are under way. Now, his forces sow terror in the mountains, slaughtering innocents. After finding the slain, Aeduan and Iseult race for safety. And despite differing goals, they’ve grown to trust one another in the fight to survive. Yet the Bloodwitch keeps a secret that could change everything . . .

When Merik sacrifices himself to save his friends, he is captured by the Fury. However, Merik isn’t one to give up easily, and he’ll do whatever it takes to save those he loves. And in Marstok, Safi the Truthwitch agrees to help the empress uncover a rebellion. But those implicated are killed and Safi becomes desperate for freedom.

War has come once more to the Witchlands. Perhaps if Safi and Iseult were united, their powers could bring peace. But chaos is not easily tamed."

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Why hello yes it’s been a while. My last review was May last year and I’m definitely guilty of not posting some reviews for books I was meant to during the second half of 2018. Long story short, I basically threw my life away last year for work but I’m REALLY trying to get back into blogging now. I find it quite fitting that the book that’s got me coming back to reviewing is one I’ve been looking forward to for like 2 years – Bloodwitch is definitely one of my most anticipated releases of 2019.

Bloodwitch took me a whole month to read, partly because I only felt like reading on the way to work (too tired aftewards) and partly because I wasn’t as hooked on this as the previous books. FYI I finished Truthwitch and Windwitch in like 2 days? I remember DEVOURING them I was so addicted. But something changed for me in Bloodwitch, maybe it was Dennard’s writing style or more likely my attention span has shortened.

Aeduan’s book literally picks up right where Windwitch ended. Aeduan, Iseult and Owl are trekking through a forest and Aeduan is following blood scents. Now it’s been a while since Windwitch but I’ve always commended myself on having a good enough memory to remember main plotlines. I’ve definitely lost the plot in Bloodwitch though. I don’t actually know where they were going – but we’ll get to plot later.

Back to Baeduan. He’s one of my favourite characters (you’ll hear me saying that throughout this whole review about basically everybody haha sorry not sorry). I’m one for broody guys in books and Bae here is as broody as they get. Misunderstood his whole life, he blames himself for a lot of things that happened in his childhood. As a result he’s cold, reserved and not cared for anybody – living that mercenary life is very lonely ya know? He’s definitely thawed throughout the series but he finally gets his own voice in this book. Watching him grow as a person, learn to care, watching him with Owl? Omg FEELS. And the guy has a LOT of emotions, he just doesn’t show them. What I really appreciated in this book was the way Aeduan had to deal without his power (for reasons). In previous books he had it easy, casually stalking through everything and coming out able to heal all his injuries, his blood enhancing him physically. Throughout Bloodwitch though, he had to suffer through injuries that wouldn’t heal, go through pain like a normal person. And the way he finds strength mentally for his cause as a result of not having that physical power he so relies on? Guy grows exponentially.

Of course we have our leading ladies Safi and Iseult, there is no book without these Threadsisters. They initiate, they complete. MY GIRLS. FAVS. While they are stronger together, they were also leaning heavily on the other’s strength in previous books – Safi would initiate and rely on Iseult’s logic to finish while Iseult would hang back until Safi acted. That all changed in Bloodwitch as they were separated and put into dire situations where they had to rely only on themselves. Safi started to think of what the next steps were when she rushed into things while Iseult starting acting quicker. I cannot wait for them to come together again in the last book and see the Cahr Awen power!

Witchlands is one of those series that, as it progresses and more characters are introduced, they get their own perspectives in subsequent books. One of my favourites was Vivia’s chapters. We used to only see her through Merik’s eyes and their sibling relationship was tense and there were a lot of misunderstandings between them. Our Queen in Waiting is still fighting the good fight in Bloodwitch and I loved the way Dennard has emphasised that females should rule – it is Vivia’s right to rule. All of Vivia’s chapters are about females in power – flashbacks to her mother who suffered from mental illness, her dealings with Empress Vaness, her best mate Stix – and it’s fantastic. We see how men keep trying to step on women, from keeping them from their rightful places, and yet these ladies still persevere. While Vivia’s dad rages and sulks like a child when he doesn’t get his way, Vivia pivots and thinks of a better way to do things. She gets things done! So much respect.

I seriously love all the characters in this series and the way Dennard has easily made it diverse. No matter the races, cultures, languages and differences, these characters come together in politics, in friendship and in love. It’s also a breath of fresh air when love is a choice and not fated to be – characters fall in love because of feelings, not forced into mating bonds.

I love how character driven this series is, I really do and as a result I’ve found I couldn’t follow the plot at all in Bloodwitch. There is a plot, I know there is. It’s related to Cahr Awen restoring healing wells and prophecy; ancient paladins in history where six turned on twelve; there’s something to do with goddesses and sleeping goddesses (yes I have read Sightwitch); there’s a 20 year treaty that’s ended in war between a lot of countries and somehow a monastery; a rebel king; probably the end of the world and we’ll also throw an immortal crow in there. I have no bloody clue how any of it links together though. I don’t know what side anybody is playing on, what countries are doing what. I think Vaness and Vivia are trying to protect their kingdoms from the Raider King. The monastery is playing some part in this but Cahr Awen something something? Oh and then there’s the Puppeteer, I have no idea what her agenda is. There is heaps going on, and it made everything so hard to follow. Like what is the point of everything?

Another thing that made everything slower for me was Dennard’s writing style. Not sure if it’s changed from the previous books but everything felt wordier – I get that in a fantasy book we need descriptions and imagery but I felt there was too much at times. I’d read a passage and lose what the point was BECAUSE SO MANY WORDS? Then I’d go back and re-read and repeat that throughout the whole book and we have lost precious time people. Sad days, it’s probably just me and being tired and short attention span.

I’ve also come to the conclusion that the world-building itself will not be expanded upon. We will never know the boundaries of the magic system and have it explained which kind of frustrates me. Like what’s the difference between an Airwitch and Windwitch? Is a Windwitch a type of Airwitch but not as powerful? Is that the same kind of thinking with Earthwitches and Stonewitches? One is a subset of the other? Then what about Weaverwitches and Threadwitches? Like where is the limit? Can I be a Treewitch? Branchwitch? DIRTWITCH? And what about how Iseult sees threads. Like in my mind, if everybody has threads around them doesn’t that make it hard to view surroundings? Does she see everything differently to everybody else? How does she ‘see’ threads in her mind and sense them. Is it like one coming out of their head, or threads wrapped around a person? I’ll be forever confused.

This has been a long and ranty review weow what a comeback. I’ve come to accept the world-building and while the writing didn’t flow as well for me as it did the previous books, I still really enjoyed Bloodwitch. As I said, I adored the characters; Dennard has skill in making her characters memorable, diverse and relatable. I felt the pacing was also great with continuous action and movement. My biggest issue was with the way the plot was handled as nothing seemed to tie back together. Aat times it felt like each perspective was a different story, not parts of a whole. Regardless, I do think Witchlands is a great YA fantasy and I cannot wait for the last(?) book! GIMME THE CARH AWEN.

Review: Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman

Firstly, thanks to Black & White Publishing for this review copy <3

Date Read: March 22 - 24 2018
Date Released: April 5th 2018
Publisher: Ink Road
Source: Review copy via publisher
Genre: Contemporary
My Rating:

Synopsis:

"Kiko Himura has always had a hard time saying exactly what she’s thinking. With a mother who makes her feel unremarkable and a half-Japanese heritage she doesn’t quite understand, Kiko prefers to keep her head down, certain that once she makes it into her dream art school, Prism, her real life will begin.

But then Kiko doesn’t get into Prism, at the same time her abusive uncle moves back in with her family. So when she receives an invitation from her childhood friend to leave her small town and tour art schools on the west coast, Kiko jumps at the opportunity in spite of the anxieties and fears that attempt to hold her back. And now that she is finally free to be her own person outside the constricting walls of her home life, Kiko learns life-changing truths about herself, her past, and how to be brave.

From debut author Akemi Dawn Bowman comes a luminous, heartbreaking story of identity, family, and the beauty that emerges when we embrace our true selves."

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Starfish had great biracial and mental health representation and I found it to be an important contemporary overall that tackled difficult issues.

Oh boy was Kiko a hard character to read from. She’s going through so much – but it wasn’t her social anxiety, the abuse she suffered at an early age, or the fact that her mother is a horrible human being that made Starfish so hard to read (those factors definitely contribute). It was the fact that she was going through all this and she didn’t have anybody to help her. This was BLEAK. And it was an honest portrayal of what many teens are going through. I thought Kiko’s social anxiety was very well done. I could definitely relate to a lot of the situations she was in: not being to express what she was thinking and not wanting to because of the position it would put her in. Hating the spotlight, not wanting to go out because there are PEOPLE and it’s hella awkward and you kind of know people aren’t looking at you, but your brain is saying they are so you’re hella self-conscious and just NOPE take me home. She’s such a brave character, basically taking the brunt of everything because she feels like she has to but at the same time it was ruining her inside. Her character definitely grows a lot throughout her journey, being away from her family helps A LOT. I LOVED that at the end, her social anxiety isn’t ‘fixed’ because you just can’t fix some things, but she feels better and surer about herself.

I thought Bowman’s portrayal of relationships and interactions was very accurate. It’s hard for Kiko to communicate with others and they understandably get frustrated or don’t understand why she’s ‘shy’. I liked the way her best friend Emery really tried to be understanding, was patient and stuck by Kiko. Kiko’s family though, wow what a messy home life. I really wish Kiko’s father had tried harder with Kiko and her siblings knowing their mother (we’ll get to her soon) and it broke my heart that parents, who are the ones that are meant to be always there for us, were the biggest failures here. And it also hurt to Kiko’s older brother escaping and leaving Kiko to deal with their mother and shield her younger brother. I found it cowardly and weak that he didn’t really try to see if his younger siblings were ok. At the same time, I could understand that Kiko didn’t know how to reach out, her family were quite disconnected especially as her parents had divorced when she was young so everybody kind of did their own thing.

The romance was cute af. Jamie’s a lovely human being and it really helped Kiko to have him back. He saw most of her, but he wasn’t perfect – he didn’t completely understand her anxiety. I loved that he tried, cared, was so sweet but at the end of the day, love doesn’t make everything better. He definitely had his own demons to deal with, and things would have been much better if he communicated with Kiko instead of trying to deal with everything on his own. Ah the importance of communication and being open and honest.

Where this book fell apart for me was Kiko’s mother. I know there are definitely people out there like her, but what I didn’t understand was how nobody around her made her stop and assess herself? She’s an absolutely horrible person. I mean what woman doesn’t believe her own daughter when she comes to you crying about something as serious as abuse? She clearly needed therapy/help for the way she psychologically and emotionally abused the people around her. The people around her saw it. Kiko’s father clearly knew but he left. Kiko and her siblings are left to deal with her. This part was just unbelievable. Why? Well, Kiko’s home life isn’t actually bad, her mother aside. Her mother can clearly provide for 3 children without trouble. In all her verbal abuse she doesn’t actually complain about financial hardship. She can afford for Kiko’s younger brother to go to taekwando lessons, afford to redecorate the house which can easily house 5 people. All these social constructs imply a stable and good paying job. Not to mention she cares about her appearance, wears makeup and seems to buy nice clothes. Now, with a personality like that you can only fake being ‘nice’ for so long. There’s a short mention of Kiko’s mother having an argument with someone at work but otherwise she doesn’t have trouble at work. There’s also no mention of her going between jobs. My scepticism arises with how her mother can be horrible at home, so manipulative but not display a single bit of this at work? There is only so much that can be faked long-term before the cracks begin to show. I get this is a work of fiction but it didn’t make sense to me that Kiko’s mother could have gone on so long unchecked. Stuff like this eventually bleeds into work life.

Ok rant about Kiko’s mother over we can go back to all the awesome stuff about this book. I loved how California and being away from her mother helped Kiko see the world clearly. Being immersed in art and exposure to good, wholesome people does wonders for a person’s psyche. Loved the art descriptions and the exploration of artistic places around Cali. Despite being half-Japanese, Kiko was never exposed to her Japanese side as a result of her racist mother. Her first ever visit to Chinatown and being amongst other East Asians was a real eye-opened. Manga, boba, Asian food, it felt like home for Bowman to write about these things.

Despite my issues with Kiko’s mother, I enjoyed Starfish for its accurate representation of mental health and exploration of Japanese culture, friendship and art.

Review: Only Human (Themis Files #3) by Svlvain Neuvel

Firstly, thanks to Penguin Random House for this review copy <3



Date Read: February 2 -7 2018
Date Released: May 1st 2018
Publisher: Del Rey Books
Source: Review copy via publisher
Genre: Science fiction
My Rating:

Synopsis:

"In her childhood, Rose Franklin accidentally discovered a giant metal hand buried beneath the ground outside Deadwood, South Dakota. As an adult, Dr. Rose Franklin led the team that uncovered the rest of the body parts which together form Themis: a powerful robot of mysterious alien origin. She, along with linguist Vincent, pilot Kara, and the unnamed Interviewer, protected the Earth from geopolitical conflict and alien invasion alike. Now, after nearly ten years on another world, Rose returns to find her old alliances forfeit and the planet in shambles. And she must pick up the pieces of the Earth Defense Corps as her own friends turn against each other."

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DO NOT READ THIS REVIEW IF YOU HAVE NOT READ WAKING GODS. I REPEAT DO NOT. SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS FOR WAKING GODS. 

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Ok so this is going to turn into a mess of a review because I don’t even know how to talk about my feelings properly.

From a 10 year-old girl falling into a hole and discovering a giant robotic hand, to this, I can’t believe we’ve come full circle and the Themis Files are over. There’s this bittersweet feeling left in me because my gosh does this series fly and I feel like I’ve watched these characters grow old while I’m left in the past and it hurts. But it’s also immensely satisfying to see them come so far. And let me tell you Only Human was a damn perfect ending.

There’s a significant time jump again from the end of Waking Gods to when Only Human starts and I admit I kind of did a double take when I realised how old Vincent is. (And Rose and Eva too of course but my gosh Vincent.) He’s a really stand out character to me because I remember not liking his young-self much at the beginning of Sleeping Giants and he’s now my fav; Vincent has changed so much and to see that he’s also aged so much felt surreal – like he wasn’t much older than me in Sleeping Giants?! Omg. All he wants to do is protect Eva and he’s honestly doing the best he can. I have so much respect for him. Fatherhood was just shoved on him, but he took it in stride and he tries so hard – whether he succeeds is a different story (I personally think he does). Love love LOVE the way Neuvel has developed his character, there is such growth from Sleeping Giants but he’s still the same Vincent who obsesses over details (the linguist in him). His heart has expanded a tonne. You know what really hurts though? Knowing that Vincent will always be older than Kara… and one day Eva will be too. I just started crying when I realised that.

Eva’s grown up into an independent young woman with very strong opinions. She’s definitely rebellious and has completely different views to Vincent. She may not always be right (I thought she had a naïve and skewed perspective of the world) but nobody can blame her given her dysfunctional upbringing and what she’s had to endure. There’s the world she was born in and the world where she’s grown up and spent most of her life so it’s no surprise where her loyalties lie. For her there’s only ever one home. She really embodies the rebellious teen image haha.

While Rose faced a lot of internal conflict in Waking Gods, she’s become a constant in Only Human. She’s finally settled into her own skin and accepted who she is. Throughout Only Human I found her to be the voice of reason like she was back in Sleeping Giants. It felt grounding to finally have level-headed Rose back as I felt like she was the one who held not only the gang together, but the story itself. The way Neuvel wrote her character was seriously amazing. Rose had the perfect balance of a brilliant mind that was ethical and moral. She’s juxtaposed against some pretty intense characters – Alyssa who we’ve witnessed in the previous books as purely research driven and will do anything to get the scientific results; new character Katherine who works for Russian intelligence and seems like a regular manipulating, somewhat sadistic human being who only listens to the top. Rose shows that humans can still be humane, putting people before science, that a person can still be manipulated by superiors but end up doing the right thing.

There is no villain in Only Human, or in the series overall really, but in this last book it’s really about humanity being pitted against one another. I think that’s what makes the Themis Files so fascinating and different to me – Neuvel tackles current issues of race and extends that to our species and what does it mean if human isn’t human? What makes us human? What is humanity? There is no one answer but I think Neuvel is able to portray differences of humans versus aliens to say, collectively this is what it means to be human.

I would have loved more world-building on Esat Ekt but I can understand why Neuvel didn’t concentrate on this – this series has always been about the people and their thoughts/feelings. The glimpses we did get of Esat Ekt through the characters’ journal entries was definitely interesting, kudos to Neuvel to creating a planet similar to Earth but not the same.

I still can’t believe this trilogy is over. Does humanity come out on top? Or do we end up decimating each other using alien technology at no fault but our own? You really need to read this finale to find out.

Review: Ash Princess (Ash Princess #1) by Laura Sebastian

Firstly, thanks to Pan Macmillan Australia for this review copy <3

Date Read: April 5 - 14 2018
Date Released: April 24th 2018
Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia
Source: Review copy via publisher
Genre: Fantasy
My Rating:

Synopsis:
"Princess. Prisoner. Orphan. Rebel.

Theodosia was six when her country was invaded and her mother, the Fire Queen, was murdered. On that day, the Kaiser took Theodosia's land and her name. Theo was crowned Ash Princess - a title of shame to bear in her new life as a prisoner.

For ten years Theo has been a captive in her own palace. She's endured the relentless abuse and ridicule of the Kaiser and his court. She is powerless, surviving in her new world only by burying the girl she was deep inside.

Then, one night, the Kaiser forces her to do the unthinkable. With blood on her hands and all hope of reclaiming her throne lost, she realizes that surviving is no longer enough. But she does have a weapon: her mind is sharper than any sword.

And power isn't always won on the battlefield.

"Tense and imaginative. Ash Princess is a smart, feminist twist on a traditional tale of a fallen heroine, with plenty of court intrigue, love, and lies to sweeten the deal. Good luck putting this one down." Virginia Boecker, author of the Witch Hunter series."

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2018 is really setting the bar for debuts, I keep reading great book after great book and Ash Princess has joined my list of 2018 faves. Ash Princess was a chilling, dark take on your princess-takes-back-stolen-throne tale and I loved every moment of it.

Princess Theodosia watched her mother be murdered in front of her and she’s lived with her mother’s murderers for the last 10 years. She’s a prisoner in her home and literally had her identity physically whipped from her. Her spirit is basically broken but she still gets up each day with that tiny spark of hope left in her and faces her tormenters. Her strength lies not in her ability to fight (because she can’t) but in the way she strategises and plans. All her time in the palace watching has taught her people’s tells and she uses those to her advantage. Theo also understands the true meaning of being a ruler – her life is not her own, her life belongs to her people. And so she gets up everyday knowing her people are still out there and enslaved. I deeply admired the strength of her character, her bravery, political savvy and selflessness.

Theo’s best friend, Cress, was an interesting character to read about. The daughter of the man who murdered Theo’s mother, Cress is actually Theo’s closest friend in the palace. She’s all about looking pretty and pretending all the horrors her father and the man he serves aren’t happening. She doesn’t really have a choice and tries to combat the cruelties the Kaiser inflicts on Theo by protecting Theo from others and ensuring she gets nice things. I didn’t know what to make of her but I do think she’s smart – she knew she couldn’t win so she plays the game her way. Cress is smarter than she looks but at the end of the day she’s still kind of petty and all she wants is to be the next Kaiserin which is how she was brought up. I appreciated her attempts at kindness but at the end of the day I do think her upbringing and Kalovaxian background overshadowed the tyranny of her people.

There’s a love triangle and you can picture me wrinkling my nose because I’m not a fan of them. This one is ok and understandable but at the same time not entirely necessary. I mean I obviously have a ship WHICH I HOPE SAILS. Like ohmygoodness my ship better sail because I’ve had so many ships sink already but if it doesn’t then I just want Theo to be queen standing on her own two feet k thanks. I looove the guy I’ve got my money on because he doesn’t try to hide his feelings, he’s honest and upfront about them which gives me all kind of mushy feels ya know?

All of this plays out in the palace of Theo’s birthright, stolen from her by the tyrannical Kalovaxian Kaiser. The guy is a horrifying piece of work, ruling through fear and brutality. He’s disgusting and a very straightlaced villain which I’m hoping Sebastian expands on in the future stories – I’d like to know a bit more about how he became the way he is so his character has more dimension. The Theyn, Cress’s father and the Kaiser’s right-hand man definitely intrigued me though. He does as ordered but there are signs he doesn’t enjoy the blood like the Kaiser does. Then there’s the Kaiserin who seems to be not all here as well as the legendary Dragonsbane. All these characters play an important part in the unfolding of Theo’s plan as she manipulates people like pieces on a chess board.

I found the world Sebastian built to be quite intriguing. For now, the magic is very light touch but it definitely has potential. The fantasy world and the people seem to draw on our various cultures – the Kalovaxians are German inspired while the Astreans play homage to Grecian culture. I liked that Sebastian mixed the cultures a bit though, as the Kalovaxian titles are German-based but the culture had a lot of different Scandinavian/northern Europe touches whereas the Astreas were more Mediterranean. Major props to Sebastian for making the Astrean society a matriarchal one.

Sebastian has taken a seemingly common plot and made it her own. I loved the workings of Theo’s mind and the way everything unfolded. There’s a shipworthy romance, political strategizing, interesting characters and a world I can’t wait to see expanded upon. Theo might have been given the title Ash Princess to shame her, but with the power of her mind and belief in her people, she’s rising up and she’s going to set the world on fire.

Review: Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young

Firstly, thanks to Wednesday Books for this review copy <3

Date Read: February 23 - 27 2018
Date Released: April 24th 2018
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Source: E-galley via publisher
Genre: Fantasy
My Rating:

Synopsis:

"OND ELDR. BREATHE FIRE.

Raised to be a warrior, seventeen-year-old Eelyn fights alongside her Aska clansmen in an ancient rivalry against the Riki clan. Her life is brutal but simple: fight and survive. Until the day she sees the impossible on the battlefield—her brother, fighting with the enemy—the brother she watched die five years ago.

Faced with her brother's betrayal, she must survive the winter in the mountains with the Riki, in a village where every neighbor is an enemy, every battle scar possibly one she delivered. But when the Riki village is raided by a ruthless clan thought to be a legend, Eelyn is even more desperate to get back to her beloved family.

She is given no choice but to trust Fiske, her brother’s friend, who sees her as a threat. They must do the impossible: unite the clans to fight together, or risk being slaughtered one by one. Driven by a love for her clan and her growing love for Fiske, Eelyn must confront her own definition of loyalty and family while daring to put her faith in the people she’s spent her life hating."

---

Sky in the Deep was a great light fantasy set in Scandinavia. I enjoyed every aspect of this book and it deserves all the hype it’s been getting.

I liked being in Eelyn’s mind. She’s a fierce and loyal warrior of the Aska clan with a very obvious fighter mentality. Her character was drawn out very well, I especially liked when she finds out about her brother and the struggle to love him but also feel betrayed spans nearly the whole book. It’s not an easy thing to get over and Eelyn is faced with a LOT of conflicting emotions throughout. Loyalty to her people, what she thinks is right and the unmistakable pull of the Riki family. Her internal battle is a long one and I like the way she manages to still hold to her beliefs while embracing new ones.

There’s a bit of romance in this but it’s super slow burn and I actually had no idea it was coming until like halfway through the book. It’s minimal and doesn’t take away from the story but the build up is perfect. Having not read the blurb prior to diving into this, I actually had no idea there was romance at all haha. Young keeps it lowkey but also angsty at the right times. I’m on board with this ship.

One of my favourite themes in Sky in the Deep was the familial aspect. Bonds to family and bonds to clan were explored deeply here as Eelyn struggled to come to terms with her brother fighting with the Riki. He’s fighting for the enemy but he’s still her brother. Does loving him mean she accepts him as Riki and does that in turn betray her family back home and the Aska? The Riki are not so different from the Aska in their way of life, and they too have loving families as Eelyn witnesses first hand. I loved the dynamic between Eelyn and her brother’s Riki family.

Young has put just the right amount of action and detail into this to make it a juicy fantasy but not too much that it should be stomach turning. There’s lots of axe throwing, sword slicing, guts spilling out as well as stitches (without anaesthesia back in those days mind you) and resetting bones right on the spot (this did kind of creep me out). These are people born to fight, male and female alike, a weapon put into their hand as soon as they can walk so it was fitting. I was curious about this ruthless clan and wish there had been more about their origins though.

That being said can we talk about the male and female equality in this book? It was great, both genders can fight, are EXPECTED to both contribute and both can take positions of leadership too. Hallelujah. Women who’ve had children can choose to take care of them but can also take up the blade again if they feel like it. I’m here for that.

The writing in this is great, it flows well in a sophisticated manner. You don’t realise how much you’ve read (and you’ll fly through this) because Young’s style is so effortless you take in the descriptions so quickly, the images easily conjured in the mind and you don’t want to stop.

Sky in the Deep is kind of one of those stories that you know how it ends. You kind of get the general idea of where it’s heading based on the blurb, but you’re there for the ride. Which is sublimely executed. It’s one helluva ride with lots to see and learn along the way. As they say, it’s all about the journey right?

Review: To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo

Firstly, thanks to Allen & Unwin for this review copy <3

Date Read: March 12 - 15 2018
Date Released: March 6th 2018
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Source: Review copy via publisher
Genre: Fantasy
My Rating:

Synopsis:

"Princess Lira is siren royalty and the most lethal of them all. With the hearts of seventeen princes in her collection, she is revered across the sea. Until a twist of fate forces her to kill one of her own. To punish her daughter, the Sea Queen transforms Lira into the one thing they loathe most—a human. Robbed of her song, Lira has until the winter solstice to deliver Prince Elian’s heart to the Sea Queen or remain a human forever.

The ocean is the only place Prince Elian calls home, even though he is heir to the most powerful kingdom in the world. Hunting sirens is more than an unsavory hobby—it’s his calling. When he rescues a drowning woman in the ocean, she’s more than what she appears. She promises to help him find the key to destroying all of sirenkind for good—But can he trust her? And just how many deals will Elian have to barter to eliminate mankind’s greatest enemy?"

---

Honestly, what DIDN’T I love about To Kill a Kingdom? The answer is not much because this was a darn near perfect book. A debut you say? Could’ve had me fooled.

To Kill a Kingdom is a Little Mermaid inspired tale, but Christo has given this a dark twist. Siren princess Lira is no damsel in distress. Known as the Prince’s Bane, she instils fear in the hearts of men, and then rips their hearts out… literally. She basically feared nobody (except her seriously scary mum) and was sure of her powers as a Siren. I loved conflicted Lira as a human. Without her powers she was like every other human and her character growth was phenomenal. She saw the value of friendship and loyalty beyond blood, forged through near death experiences and saving each other’s lives. By being human, she was subject to humanity and I thought Christo executed this so well. Lira saw it and felt it all, but she didn’t necessarily understand at first which made her development so believable. At the same time she maintained her fierceness and I’m-not-afraid-of-you-I-will-claw-your-eyes-out-if-you-so-much-as-look-at-me persona. She’s super switched on, doesn’t need to be told twice in a situation where she’s in danger and just has the common sense I wish all heroines had.

Then there is prince and sailor Elian who is definitely more sailor than prince. He’s supposedly a pirate but I didn’t really get this because I didn’t see any hint of him and the crew of the Saad raiding any other ships? Plus everybody knew he was the prince of Midas so he was untouchable anyway. With absolutely no care for the title waiting for him back in Midas, his home is the sea. I loved his longing for adventure, of the need to be free and discover new lands – it really brought my wanderlust to the surface. I admired his loyalty, especially to his crew but also to his kingdom – despite claiming he’d make a horrible prince, he makes sacrifices for his country. Elian’s determination to achieve his goal was inspiring like wow his need to destroy the Sirens was so intense he’d give up what he loved most? I wish I had half that determination to wake up in the morning to go to work… and I get paid too.

The romance was the slowest burn everrrrr, made all the better by the banter. THE BANTER YOU GUYS WOW. Peak sarcasm, wit and sass, Christo had me craughing from the hilarious back and forth between Lira and Elian. I LIVED for their exchanges, and it showed how intellectually matched they were that the banter kept flowing – a battle of brains and a matching of souls if you ask me. Who needs sappy moments when you can have awesome roasting all day?

Christo gives great personality to the crew of the Saad. The banter between Kye and Madrid were especially entertaining, it pleased me greatly that Madrid always came out on top. Also loved that Madrid was all about helping her fellow girls out. There’s also Lira’s cousin Kahlia who I had a soft spot for and I think she really needs a hug. The characters are all diverse – in race/skin colour, sexuality and traditions which heightened the fantasy element. However, it was still obvious that the Pagese were Japanese inspired especially in names and eye shape, but I appreciated that Christo mixed up the rest of the looks what with the white hair/skin and blue lips.

The world-building in this book is stunning. There’s the chilling underwater world of the Sirens, the golden (Egyptian-Greco inspired?) land of Midas and the sweet queendom of Eidyllio which reminded me of Wonderland for some reason. But nothing compared to the descriptions of freezing Pagos. There’s this one part in the book that left me awe-struck and gave me massive Mt Gagazet vibes (Final Fantasy X/Fantasy X-2, Google image it!). Christo descriptions are so detailed I felt myself freezing my arse off along with the Saad crew.

Christo weaves this all together with her captivating writing. It’s the flowery writing I love, accentuated with banter of the highest calibre. Add on the immersive world-building and everything is tied together with dark undertones, both gritty and sensual at the same time. Lira and Elian’s story is not one to be missed – it’s a tale of humanity, trust and the struggle of living up to expectations whilst finding freedom for yourself.

Review: The Queen's Rising by Rebecca Ross

Firstly, thanks to HarperCollins Australia for this review copy <3

Date Read: March 1 - 6 2018
Date Released: February 19th 2018
Publisher: HarperCollinsAustralia
Source: Review copy via publisher
Genre: Fantasy
My Rating:

Synopsis:

"Born out of wedlock, Brienna is cast off by her noble family and sent to Magnolia House - a boarding house for those looking to study the passions: art, music, dramatics, wit and knowledge. Brienna must discover her passion and train hard to perfect her skill, in the hope that she will one day graduate and be chosen by a wealthy patron, looking to support one of the `impassioned'. As Brienna gets closer to the eve of her graduation, she also grows closer to her smart (and handsome) tutor, Cartier. He can sense that she is hiding a secret, but Brienna chooses not to reveal that she is experiencing memories of her ancestors - memories uncovering the mysteries of the past that may have dangerous consequences in the present. A daring plot is brewing - to overthrow the usurper king and restore the rightful monarchy - and Brienna's memories hold the key to its success. Cartier desperately wants to help Brienna, but she must chose her friends wisely, keep her enemies close and trust no one if she is to save herself and her people."

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My goodness I haven’t read something this lovely in such a long time. If an author was to take a list that said “Jaz’s Checklist for Perfect Book”, this would’ve basically ticked all the boxes. I didn’t really have any idea what I was getting into reading this (didn’t even read the blurb) but your girl was SO pleased.

I loved Brienna’s character. She starts off as kind of average, not really excelling in any of the passions of art, music, dramatics or wit. She eventually settles on knowledge but she knows she’s got nothing on the other knowledge student. What I admired about her character was her dedication and diligence – hell she knows she’s lacking and makes up for it by studying endlessly and trying her hardest. I saw in her this drive to extend herself and when she found a purpose, a calling, she dedicated 110% to the cause. She’s loyal, committed and uses her brains to her advantage when she knows she lacks in swordsmanship.

There’s a whole cast of characters dedicated to the cause of overthrowing the tyrant king and I liked the way Ross showed different sides to the characters – the refined Valenians versus the Maevans who are skilled with swords. I admired Jourdain who accepted Brienna so quickly for his cause, it took a lot of trust on his part. My favourite was Yseult who’s very quick with her blade but also kind and had a just side to her. I really hope we get to see more of her in future books. The Queen’s Rising was really Brienna focused and didn’t have the other characters as fleshed out, which I’m sure means we’ll see more of them in the sequels!

The romance WOAH AM I HERE FOR THE ROMANCE. Like I said I hadn’t read the blurb (or properly looked at the cover) going into this (sometimes I like to live life on the edge and request books based on their titles LOL) so didn’t have a clue there was romance. BUT BOY WAS I ON BOARD THIS SHIP FROM THE GET GO. I’m getting all swoony and biting my lip just thinking about it. It’s hella slow burn… SLOW. And it’s worth every. Angsty. Agonising. Precious. Stolen. Moment. I love my men smart, gentle, slightly broody but caring and hella sweet. The kind who don’t try to hide their feelings but tell you straight out how they feel and my heart is pounding just thinking of Brienna and the love interest haaaaah. I’m rest assured by Ross that there is more of this person in book 2 and I AM EXCITE.

I thought the plot was very intriguing, starting with Brienna’s flashbacks, then the mystery unfolding and the whole plan coming together. I did have a few questions as there were things that happened that looked a teeny bit like possible plot holes. I overlooked these because the beginning of the book has a whole cast of characters that gives some things away so I may have gone off these assumptions? I don’t know. Either way, it was still very fun and I loved the adventure. There’s also a touch of magic with the promise of more. I’m not usually one for light magic but I’m here for the potential! Not gonna lie, some twists were predictable but I was having so much fun (AND MY SHIP) I was happy to be along for the ride.

I can’t get over Ross’s lovely writing. It’s the perfect balance of flowery and effortless so I just flew through the pages, every night going “one more chapter” and reading like 3 instead. I really liked the world she created too – the French-inspired Valenia was delicate and lush, whereas Irish-inspired Maevana was more wild in a highlands-calling-you kind of way that spoke of freedom and castles. I loved both and can’t wait to see more of Maevana in the next books.

I enjoyed The Queen’s Rising the further I read, to the point where I was smitten. I’m not going to even deny that it’s mainly because of the romance/ship because IT IS. Lovely writing, great ship, dedicated heroine, swoony love interest and an intriguing world set up for more – WHEN IS BOOK 2?

Review: Say You'll Remember Me by Katie McGarry

Firstly, thanks to Harlequin Teen Australia for this review copy <3

Date Read: February 16 - 23 2018
Date Released: February 1st 2018
Publisher: Harlequin Teen Australia
Source: Review copy via publisher
Genre: Contemporary
My Rating:

Synopsis:

"When Drix was convicted of a crime--one he didn't commit--he thought his life was over. But opportunity came with the new Second Chance Program, the governor's newest pet project to get delinquents off the streets, rehabilitated and back into society. Drix knows this is his chance to get his life back on track, even if it means being paraded in front of reporters for a while.

Elle knows she lives a life of privilege. As the governor's daughter, she can open doors with her name alone. But the expectations and pressure to be someone she isn't may be too much to handle. She wants to follow her own path, whatever that means.

When Drix and Elle meet, their connection is immediate, but so are their problems. Drix is not the type of boy Elle's parents have in mind for her, and Elle is not the kind of girl who can understand Drix's messy life.

But sometimes love can breach all barriers.

Fighting against a society that can't imagine them together, Drix and Elle must push themselves--Drix to confront the truth of the robbery, and Elle to assert her independence--and each other to finally get what they deserve."

---

Katie McGarry has a real knack for writing page turning contemporaries centred on someone from the wrong side of the tracks. Whether it’s bad girl meets good boy or vice versa she always writes a good story that has me hooked.

Drix is a reformed bad boy who’s spent the last year in a special program for juvenile delinquents. He comes back home completely changed but also with a heavy heart because he was accused of a crime he didn’t commit. And he knows someone close to him did it but he took the fall. That’s the kind of guy Drix is, he loves his family and friends so much he’d protect them to no end. What I liked about Drix was he wasn’t afraid to think about his emotions and how he was feeling. He didn’t brush them away but considered how he was feeling and the impact that might have on those around him. Like if he was angry he’d stop and pause, move away from the situation if he felt like he could possibly punch a guy. What I really loved about Drix was his ability to admit his mistakes. While he didn’t commit the crime, he acknowledges that the life he was previously leading was heading towards a downward spiral. He was self-destructing, he knew it, but he couldn’t stop it. The second chance program really helped him and he openly says so instead of fighting it. I think it really shows great character growth when someone can see ways to improve themselves.

On the other perspective, governor’s daughter Elle is the external picture of perfection for her dad’s election campaign. I’m not entirely sure I enjoyed being in Elle’s head. I appreciated the way she was written in that she knows she’s privileged and extremely lucky to be living in the luxury she has. Her parents both came from tough backgrounds and worked hard so she could have everything and she knows this. She’s sheltered and quite naïve, struggling to earn her parents’ approval because she’s not perfect at everything. I understand all that but after a while her internal arguments just became privileged white people problems for me. Constantly complaining about how she hates being part of her dad’s campaign – understandable given the disgusting older white rich men leering at her – but at the same time loving it. I couldn’t tell if she really did enjoy spending hours memorising bullet points so she could speak to younger votes, if she really believed in a lot of those policies. She said she did but it’s easier said than done. She also hates her parents for not letting her pursue an internship because they don’t think she can handle the hours with the campaign. I didn’t get why she didn’t just pick one when it was obviously destroying her inside. I mean, at least she even had extra-curriculars to choose from? First world problems.

Obviously there’s the chemistry between them and romance which kind of developed quickly. They’re both immediately drawn to each other’s appearances. Drix was captivated by the exact shade of Elle’s blue eyes and I do admit I thought it was a bit cheesy. They do get to know each other more and like each other’s internal qualities but I couldn’t help but notice how much of it was physical?

This was the majority of the book to be honest. Flipping between Drix and Elle as they went through their internal struggles, both trying to do their part for the governor’s campaign. There’s some focus on finding the real culprit but I didn’t think it was major. This book was sloooooow. I mean that 80% of it was pretty uneventful and there’s family stuff thrown in but I was pretty bored. The only thing keeping me going was McGarry’s writing.

Overall, it was ok. I was turning those pages very quickly at the end. I enjoyed Drix’s character and the way it started with him reformed so he’s adjusting back into his life. However, I didn’t care for Elle much and the book moved slowly. The highlight was definitely McGarry’s writing and I do think her Pushing the Limits series is her strongest work yet.

Review: The City of Brass (The Daevabad Trilogy #1) by S.A. Chakraborty

Firstly, thanks to Harper Voyager Australia for this review copy <3

Date Read: January 31 - February 17 2018
Date Released: January 22nd 2018
Publisher: Harper Voyager Australia
Source: Review copy via publisher
Genre: Fantasy
My Rating:

Synopsis:

"Nahri has never believed in magic. Certainly, she has power; on the streets of 18th century Cairo, she’s a con woman of unsurpassed talent. But she knows better than anyone that the trade she uses to get by—palm readings, zars, healings—are all tricks, sleights of hand, learned skills; a means to the delightful end of swindling Ottoman nobles.

But when Nahri accidentally summons an equally sly, darkly mysterious djinn warrior to her side during one of her cons, she’s forced to accept that the magical world she thought only existed in childhood stories is real. For the warrior tells her a new tale: across hot, windswept sands teeming with creatures of fire, and rivers where the mythical marid sleep; past ruins of once-magnificent human metropolises, and mountains where the circling hawks are not what they seem, lies Daevabad, the legendary city of brass?a city to which Nahri is irrevocably bound.

In that city, behind gilded brass walls laced with enchantments, behind the six gates of the six djinn tribes, old resentments are simmering. And when Nahri decides to enter this world, she learns that true power is fierce and brutal. That magic cannot shield her from the dangerous web of court politics. That even the cleverest of schemes can have deadly consequences.

After all, there is a reason they say be careful what you wish for..."

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If you told me The City of Brass was Chakraborty’s debut, I wouldn’t have believed you. Set in a wonderfully built world, with gorgeous writing and complex characters, it was easy to fall into the world of 18th century Cairo and be transported to Daevabad.

I adored our protagonist Nahri. Bred on the streets of Cairo with no family whatsoever, she’s learnt to fend for herself. Cunning, at times sly and fully independent, she’s a rare sight in a world that expects her to be married. I loved her quick thinking and ability to leverage every situation so it turned in her favour. She’s untrusting and rightly so given her upbringing. I thought this was balanced nicely with her ability to heal – she could have been taken advantage of easily because of her powers but she doesn’t let that happen. Nahri is put in a lot of difficult situations and pushed to her limits but she’s so determined and when she puts her mind to something, she succeeds.

The book switches perspectives between Nahri and Prince Ali (wow I just started humming that song from Aladdin) and while I liked his character I can’t say I particularly cared too much for his chapters. Especially during the beginning and middle, Nahri’s and Ali’s chapters alternate and I just really wanted more of Nahri. I can understand why Chakraborty did this though because Ali’s character is basically the opposite of Nahri’s. Where Nahri’s ways can be morally questionable, Ali is all about morals. He’s very devout to his religion and lives in a world of black and white… at least in the beginning. Ali is so sheltered that when his dad and brother think it time to expose him to the world, it’s not surprising how confronting reality is to him. His once black and white world is suddenly harder to navigate as he learns there is no single right or wrong. I really did love his character growth. He learns to overcome his prejudices, his preconceived notions of people and the way the world works. His is a journey of politically and morally questionable choices that would leave anybody mega confused and conflicted by the end.

All the secondary characters are important and memorable. I loved reading their interactions with each other, with Nahri and Ali. I especially loved the dynamic between Ali and his brother the Emir, Muntadhir. There is so much love there which I find refreshing and rare in books with two brothers next in line for the throne. There’s also the sweet Jamshid which I have many THOUGHTS about but shall leave unsaid for reasons.

The romance though, am I here for that. I only wish there was more. I know that wasn’t the focus of the novel but boy does Chakraborty know how to keep a shipper on the edge of her toes. It made all the rare moments more precious and cherished. Honestly, THE ANGST. Like just get together already ya know? I still have hope after that ending though and will wait to see what the sequels bring.

My issue with The City of Brass was the pacing. It was immeasurably slow. The beginning starts off great, with high speed chases and magic carpet rides (YES MAGIC CARPET RIDES but we’ll get to that later). There’s flashy magic and it’s wonderful but then it starts to draaaaag. And drag. The middle consists of a heap of… political stuff happening? In excess too. To the point where I kind of lost the plot and didn’t really know where the story was going or if it was going anywhere. I lost the bigger picture. Was it about rebellion and Daevabad’s history, was it about Nahri’s heritage, was it about Dara’s history? But then the ending comes at me in a rush and it all comes back together again. There’s a lot of secrets going on what with the current royal family, all the history of the different characters (DARA ERMAGHERD) and the unrest in the city. Chakraborty reconnects everything for one helluva killer ending and it all makes sense again! I just wish it had been spaced out better.

Let’s talking about the world building though. Weeeooooow was it imaginative and lush. From 18th century Cairo to sudden magic I was immediately immersed in this world. There are magic carpet rides (YOU CAN SCREAM NOW), enchanted tea, cursed lakes and mythical creatures throughout. Then there’s Daevabad with its upside-down waterfalls and magic where you least expect it. Can we also talk about the food? *Drools* My goodness does Chakraborty know how to make me drool. I want to eat everything described in this book. The desserts and the wine and the platters of rice and dishes full of flavour and spices. I literally just had dinner but thinking about the food in The City of Brass has my second stomach growling.

None of these complex characters or beautiful world would have worked without Chakraborty’s lovely writing. Her style is sophisticated and her flowery prose is right up my alley (again I say FOOOOD). She doesn’t overdo it, putting in just the right amount of descriptions to make me really see/feel/hear/smell the wonderful City of Brass.

Complex characters, thoughtfully and thoroughly built world, my only gripe was the pacing which was a major setback for me. Overall, The City of Brass is a strong debut from Chakraborty and I’m eager to see where the Daevabad trilogy goes.

The Belles (The Belles #1) by Dhonielle Clayton

Firstly, thanks to Hachette Australia for this review copy <3

Date Read: January 22 - 29 2018
Date Released: February 8 2018
Publisher: Gollancz (Hachette Australia)
Source: E-galley via publisher
Genre: Fantasy
My Rating:

Synopsis:

"Camellia Beauregard is a Belle. In the opulent world of Orléans, Belles are revered, for they control Beauty, and Beauty is a commodity coveted above all else. In Orléans, the people are born gray, they are born damned, and only with the help of a Belle and her talents can they transform and be made beautiful.
But it’s not enough for Camellia to be just a Belle. She wants to be the favorite—the Belle chosen by the Queen of Orléans to live in the royal palace, to tend to the royal family and their court, to be recognized as the most talented Belle in the land. But once Camellia and her Belle sisters arrive at court, it becomes clear that being the favorite is not everything she always dreamed it would be. Behind the gilded palace walls live dark secrets, and Camellia soon learns that the very essence of her existence is a lie—that her powers are far greater, and could be more dangerous, than she ever imagined. And when the queen asks Camellia to risk her own life and help the ailing princess by using Belle powers in unintended ways, Camellia now faces an impossible decision.

With the future of Orléans and its people at stake, Camellia must decide—save herself and her sisters and the way of the Belles—or resuscitate the princess, risk her own life, and change the ways of her world forever."

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The Belles was like nothing I’d ever read before. Clayton has created a completely unique world where people are born with grey skin, red eyes and straw-like hair. Nobody is exempt, not even royalty. Only the Belles, born with the gifts of the Goddess of Beauty, can alter someone’s appearance, give them colour and make them beautiful. Beauty is all that matters in the world of Orleans.

Protagonist Camellia (she prefers to be called Camille) is one of six Belles of her generation vying for the esteemed title of ‘favourite’ to serve the royal family as their Belle. Trained since birth she is determined to be the favourite and is adamant that not only does she deserve the title more than her sisters, she is also ready because she is the best. I’m now going to proceed and word vomit on her character. Camille is very obviously not ready to face court, she’s not even ready to face the real world. I don’t know what du Barry (the keeper of the Belles if you will) was teaching them for 16 years but it was not in touch with reality. Camille is extremely naïve with regards to the world around her. There is a time and place for everything. We’re meant to learn from our mistakes. She repeats her mistakes, and what seemed like naivety in the beginning, turns into ignorance and stupidity by the end. She has basically no character growth. After spending ages amongst aristocrats and royalty, being amongst their games, being the target of their games, you’d think she gets it. Know when to speak, know when to keep her mouth shut and observe, learn, strategise. Learn to play their games and be SMARTER than them. Nope. If she’d done this she wouldn’t have landed in as many as the horrible situations she did (but then I guess there’d be no story?). Her ignorance is obvious in the way that people tell her she’s being watched, listened to, her every move tracked. She goes and runs off, has what she thinks are ‘private’ conversations with other people, completely oblivious to the eyes and ears that are everywhere. I am so done with her. I got so frustrated I wanted to throw my Kindle. These qualities of hers dominated my reading experience and negated all the good in her.

Clayton introduces a whole host of secondary characters that are complex and memorable. These are the ones that kept me reading. There’s the other Belles, especially the temperamental rule follower Amber who is Camellia’s best friend and rival. The fiery Edel who loves to break rules and is my personal favourite. I was also intrigued by Camille’s guard Remy (can I announce now that I ship them, don’t worry no spoilers) who is perpetually stoic but has a good heart. Most interesting of all is the Princess Sophia. Erratic, controlling and in my opinion, something’s not right about her from the moment we meet her. There are parts of Sophia’s character that were blatantly obvious to me and I’m hoping Clayton explores her further and digs deeper into her personality. I’d made certain assumptions about Sophia very early on and so far to the end I was right. I’d like Clayton to prove me wrong and show me there’s more depth to her in the sequel. I loved reading about all these different characters Camille interacted with. They really painted a picture of the value of beauty, perfection and court life.

Of course there’s romance. Ship it I do not (haha punny, you’ll get it when you read). It felt forced, fake and totally lacking in chemistry. Honestly, I thought there was more chemistry between Camille and Remy who was basically expressionless so you know how I feel about all this.

I found the plot arc for this first book quite predictable but there’s also an overarching story regarding the Belles and their history which fascinated me. Clayton slowly peels back the layers and I loved discovering more about their powers. The pacing is slow for the majority of the book with the plot slowly unfurling but the big reveal happens quite quickly and it kind of ends in a cliff-hanger. Got me all excited for the next book which I can tell will expand on the world!

My favourite part of The Belles was hands down the world-building and Clayton’s writing. I went to see the Australian Ballet perform Sleeping Beauty late last year and it had the most beautifully opulent set, gorgeous pastel colours throughout and decadent costumes. Stepping into Clatyon’s Orleans felt like watching Sleeping Beauty all over again. The world is luxurious, opulent, ostentatious. In a society where people are born without colour, they substitute this loss by surrounding themselves with it. Not only by altering their appearances constantly to cover the grey, but by dressing in increasingly exuberant outfits and living luxurious lifestyles. Think Laduree on fleek. Pastel macarons, cakes, petit fours, all the dainty teacups and everything you’d need for a tea party. The most flashy gowns bordering on ridiculous. This is their daily life. Clayton pulls the reader in with her flowery writing and descriptions. It’s filled with imagery utilising blooms, desserts and a wide colour gamut. I fell in love with this world.

Clayton’s opulent world is enhanced with her lovely writing and balanced with the undercurrent of danger beneath the gorgeous façade of Orleans. In a world where beauty is literally everything, people will go to any resort to stay on top of the game. This is a game I’m quite happy to observe.

Review: Foolish Hearts by Emma Mills

Firstly, thanks to Pan Macmillan Australia for this review copy <3

Date Read: December 20 - 28 2017
Date Released: December 27th 2017
Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia
Source: Review copy via publisher
Genre: Contemporary
My Rating:

Synopsis:

"A contemporary novel about a girl whose high school production of A Midsummer Night's Dream leads her to new friends—and maybe even new love.

The day of the last party of the summer, Claudia overhears a conversation she wasn't supposed to. Now on the wrong side of one of the meanest girls in school, Claudia doesn't know what to expect when the two are paired up to write a paper—let alone when they're both forced to try out for the school production of A Midsummer Night's Dream.

But mandatory participation has its upsides—namely, an unexpected friendship, a boy band obsession, and a guy with the best dimpled smile Claudia's ever seen. As Claudia's world starts to expand, she finds that maybe there are some things worth sticking her neck out for."

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I still remember picking up Mills’ debut novel First & Then and being completely in awe of her simple yet sophisticated style and engaging characters. Foolish Heart is her third book and Mills is really showcasing her talent and ability to expand the way she writes personalities.

I found Foolish Hearts to be a bit different to her previous two books – First & Then, This Adventure Ends – in that while those two were definitely more plot focused (adjusting to a new family member and finding a painting respectively), Foolish Hearts was definitely more character focused. This is not something I regularly see in American books which are plot focused while Aussie contemporaries are more character driven, hence I found this very refreshing.

Claudia Wallace was an interesting character and at first, I didn’t think I’d like her. She was so ordinary and seemed like the wallflower type before the story really got going. As someone who’s not rich but goes to a prestigious school she kind of hides and tries to be invisible, not making an effort to make any friends despite it being her senior year. She observes and hangs back but whenever someone asked her to do something she’d do it and she came across as a bit of doormat. But then the story progresses and I realise she’s a genuinely nice person. She cares about other people and she’s also got an awesome sense of humour - +1 to anybody who speaks sarcasm. When someone really gets to know her, they know they’ve found a true friend in Claudia Wallace – she’s the person who’ll give you a lift when you’ve no one to drive you home, who will listen when you have problems, who has a wicked sense of humour when you need to hear a good joke. I also loved that she’s a nerd – SHE GAMES. She is extremely passionate about this MMORPG called Battle Quest and I was like omg you love this game like I love mapulsutoriii *hums MapleStory login theme song* (to be fair Battle Quest has way more purpose than Maple… actually on second thought what MMORPG doesn’t have more purpose than Maple?)

Anyway poor Claudia gets stuck helping out with her school’s joint production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream with their brother school as extra credit for her poor co-written essay with Iris. Iris was such a well-written character. Kind of hate her because she’s a bitch who says some really scathing things and has no filter, but kind of love her too because she says it like it is and once Claudia/the reader got to know her, Iris is actually trying. She’s the kind of person who looks at a situation and doesn’t need to be told twice to get it, she’ll do the right thing. Iris also has an amazingly fascinating obsession with a boyband called TION (This Is Our Now… is that like 1D in Mill’s world?) and the singer Kenji. I could relate to this because I love my Korean boybands… not at the Iris Huang level though… but still! Her passion!

Senior year is definitely the year everything changes for Claudia though because not only does she get landed with Iris but she catches the attention of popular boy Gideon Prewitt from the brother school. And ohmygod does Mills write the most uniquely lovely boys. When we’re first introduced to the full force that is Gideon Prewitt I thought he was going to be one of those fake nice boys who plays with girls’ feelings, knows he’s hot and does drugs just because he’s a rich kid. I was so wrong. This boy is so genuinely sweet, lovely and full of excitement I fell in love with him so easily. He is extremely thoughtful, considerate of his friends and doesn’t hide his feelings to be ‘manly’. You know when guys tease each other about liking a girl in front of everyone and they get all weird about it and deny it? Gideon is the kind of guy who will earnestly say yes, he likes her. And that I find, shows a guy who feels confident in his own skin and is genuine about his feelings. This makes the romance immensely adorable and there was a lot of squealing on my part because there are so many moments that could have turned out differently HAHA. Like to the point where I’m like, is anything ever gonna happen? So cute guys, SO CUTE.

Foolish Hearts also has one of the best family dynamics I’ve ever seen. Claudia has quite a decent relationship with her parents but it’s her relationship with her siblings I enjoyed. She games with her brother Alex and their older sister Julia and her husband Mark! They go on quests and run dungeons together along with Claude’s best friend from pre-school, Zoe. It’s a different way of bonding with each other, learning how to work together in your different character classes to battle bosses. Alex is a great brother to Claudia, protecting her and while Julia may not live at home anymore, they obviously all care about one other what with the constant calls and texts like you’d have with friends. Great family dynamics like this aren’t usually explored and despite their non-constant presence, Mills managed to really give their personalities depth.

Another aspect I really appreciated was the amount of diversity Mills explored. I acknowledge that her previous books didn’t have as much of this (I recall This Adventure Ends had gender diversity) and it kind of felt like it was included amidst all the outcry of whitewashing in books. However, I think Mills did diversity right. There’s diversity of class, of race, of sexual orientation but it’s never used as an excuse for anything or as a plot device. These characters just are and don’t impede on the overall story.

All of this to set to the backdrop of the progress of turning A Midsummer’s Night Dream into a fully-fledged production. Friendships are formed in rehearsals, whilst sewing costumes and practicing lines. Romance is lowkey forming watching each other on stage and interact with others. There’s misunderstandings and drama… just like a Shakespearean comedy!

With the genius that Mills has established early on and continues to display, Foolish Hearts is like a standard high school romance but when you look closely, resembles a piece of literature the book heavily references. With a cast of stunningly unique and memorable characters, Foolish Hearts is a lovely contemporary that further cements Emma Mills as a truly talented YA writer.