Review: "Sea of Shadows" by Kelley Armstrong

In the Forest of the Dead, where the empire’s worst criminals are exiled, twin sisters Moria and Ashyn are charged with a dangerous task. For they are the Keeper and the Seeker, and each year they must quiet the enraged souls of the damned.

Only this year, the souls will not be quieted.

Ambushed and separated by an ancient evil, the sisters’ journey to find each other sends them far from the only home they’ve ever known. Accompanied by a stubborn imperial guard and a dashing condemned thief, the girls cross a once-empty wasteland, now filled with reawakened monsters of legend, as they travel to warn the emperor. But a terrible secret awaits them at court—one that will alter the balance of their world forever.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review an ARC of this book.

What a thrill this was!  "Sea of Shadows" totally exceeded my expectations.  I'm not sure why, but I was anticipating something more middle-grade, but this definitely wasn't.  Lots of gore and non-stop action in a world that Armstrong creates meticulously.  I could clearly picture each character and every action taken as I raced through this book.

With an alternating point of view, we get to know Ashyn and Moria equally well, and I'd be hard pressed to pick a favourite of the two.  Ashyn is more shy than Moria, and she really doesn't have much in the way of self confidence, which is too bad because she's just as brave as her twin and extremely caring and loyal.  Moria is more outgoing.  She's also impulsive and brash, but this just makes her more endearing.

There was a bit of romance, but it was absolutely not the focus.  If Armstrong's intention was to make me fall for the "love interests", well, she did a fantastic job.  Once again, I'd have a hard time choosing between the two, but I think Ronan wins by a nose.  I just loved his wit!  Gavril was a lot more serious and stalwart.

The girls end up getting separated by circumstance and enduring different dangers as they travel across their kingdom to seek help.  We learn a lot about their myths, and it turns out that some of these myths are based firmly in reality, contributing to the danger and action.  

All in all, I would highly recommend "Sea of Shadows" to anyone looking for their next YA fantasy!

My rating:

Review: "The Here and Now" by Ann Brashares

An unforgettable epic romantic thriller about a girl from the future who might be able to save the world . . . if she lets go of the one thing she’s found to hold on to. Follow the rules. Remember what happened. Never fall in love. This is the story of seventeen-year-old Prenna James, who immigrated to New York when she was twelve. Except Prenna didn’t come from a different country. She came from a different time—a future where a mosquito-borne illness has mutated into a pandemic, killing millions and leaving the world in ruins. Prenna and the others who escaped to the present day must follow a strict set of rules: never reveal where they’re from, never interfere with history, and never, ever be intimate with anyone outside their community. Prenna does as she’s told, believing she can help prevent the plague that will one day ravage the earth. But everything changes when Prenna falls for Ethan Jarves. From Ann Brashares, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series, The Here and Now is thrilling, exhilarating, haunting, and heartbreaking—and a must-read novel of the year.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review an ARC of this book.

So, I liked this book okay, overall, but...

I really liked the middle - there was some action, some romance, the plot was really taking off, and then the end kind of fizzled out.

One weird thing I noticed - a lack of contractions.  I don't know about you, but when I read, I kind of speak the words in my head.  With fewer contractions, there was a lack of flow - everything seemed stilted.  At first I thought this was deliberate - since Prenna is from the future, it makes sense that she would speak differently.  But Ethan spoke that way too.  I don't know.  Like I said, weird.

How about the characters?  Again, they were okay.  Prenna had some feisty moments.  Ethan also had a few "wow" moments, but I definitely didn't fall in love with either of them.  I'm not sure if there will be a sequel, but if there was, I probably wouldn't read it, simply because I don't care enough about Prenna and Ethan.

My rating:

2014 "Real" Book Challenge - April Update

How many "Real" books did you read this month?  I'm talking books with actual covers, and pages, and that weird smell that only real books have?  

I read three, and all three were FANTASTIC!  I'm so happy to be actually reading the pretty books I have on my shelf - ever since I got my Kobo almost two years ago, I've been pretty bad about neglecting my "real" books, so this challenge is exactly what I need!

Anyhoo, enough gabbing!  What "real" books did I read last month?

So, all in all, I'm quite pleased with myself!  Are you in on this challenge?  There's still time if you're not!  Just click the button in my sidebar to take you where you need to go!  

Review: "The Tryrant's Daughter" by J.C. Carleson

From a former CIA officer comes the riveting account of a royal Middle Eastern family exiled to the American suburbs. When her father is killed in a coup, 15-year-old Laila flees from the war-torn middle east to a life of exile and anonymity in the U.S. Gradually she adjusts to a new school, new friends, and a new culture, but while Laila sees opportunity in her new life, her mother is focused on the past. She’s conspiring with CIA operatives and rebel factions to regain the throne their family lost. Laila can’t bear to stand still as an international crisis takes shape around her, but how can one girl stop a conflict that spans generations? J.C. Carleson delivers a fascinating account of a girl—and a country—on the brink, and a rare glimpse at the personal side of international politics. *Bonus Backmatter includes a note about the author's CIA past, and a commentary by RAND researcher and president of ARCH International, Dr. Cheryl Benard. Recommendations for further reading are also included. From the Hardcover edition.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review an ARC of this book.

Leila has a heavy load to bear, and I fully admire the strength with which she fights her daily battles.  The relationship Leila has with her mother is very complex - we can see the love, but there's also a lot of animosity and misunderstanding.  It was nice to see Leila make some friends - I loved how she shocked them with one of her "barbaric" fairy tales from home, it was kind of funny/sad - and even a boyfriend, but through it all, I knew she was never going to fit in completely.  And I guess that's where Amir comes in.  Amir's character was really well done - I thoroughly  enjoyed watching his and Leila's relationship evolve from outright hostility to understanding and a friendship of sorts. 

Where this novel excels is in its subtle comparisons between life in the Middle East and America.  I loved the scene right at the beginning where Leila's little brother is having difficulty choosing what cereal he's going to eat, because in his former life, there weren't any options.  All of these comparisons were so beautifully written, it wasn't like the author was beating the reader over the head with them - I really appreciated that.

This whole book was a real surprise, including the ending - I wasn't expecting "The Tyrant's Daughter" to be as good as it was.

My rating:  3.5 stars

Mini-Review: "Stoked" by Lark O'Neal

The second, compelling chapter in the Going the Distance series. A novella of 100 pages. He never believed in love at first sight until he fell…. At the beginning of the summer, former Olympic hopeful Tyler Smith was knocked off his feet by Jess Donovan. Smart, beautiful, courageous—and dirt poor—she awakened his desire to be someone better than he is. The two found a rare and rich connection, but in a moment of bad judgment, Tyler nearly broke it all to pieces, forcing Jess to make a decision that would take her far away from him—and maybe build a brilliant new life for herself. Now he has a second chance to win her love…. When Tyler is handed an unexpected opportunity to earn her respect, and maybe his own, he’s ready to give it everything he’s got. Can he shed his demons and become the man she deserves? More urgently, can he do it in time? Because there might be another guy who would like to be Jess’s one and only…and that guy hasn’t spent a life time sabotaging everything good in his life. This novella is the second episode in Jess and Tyler's story. Read about how they met in RANDOM.

I was pretty excited to read "Stoked", as "Random" was one of my Top Ten New Adult Contemporary Reads from one of my Top Ten Tuesday posts.  I really enjoyed getting a look inside Tyler's mind and getting his point of view of some of the events from "Random".  But "Stoked" also carries on the story of Tyler and Jess, even though Jess is now in New Zealand and their relationship is somewhat undefined.  In "Random", I was a little unsure as to Tyler's motivations as far as Jess was concerned - did he really love her, or was he just playing her.  Now, after reading "Stoked", I felt that Jess was being a bit hard on him, and not forgiving enough.  So now I'm conflicted.  But I am definitely "Stoked" to read "Epic"!

My rating:

Review: "Going Long" by Ginger Scott

They fell in love in high school and found their way back to one another despite the odds. But can first loves really be forever? For Reed Johnson, the dream was always football. But then Nolan Lennox took over his heart. Is he willing to give up his first love just to keep his true love? Or will he be too late? Reed and Nolan’s story continues in "Going Long," sequel to "Waiting on the Sidelines."

Thank you to Netgalley and Ginger Scott for allowing me to read and review an ARC of this book.

"Going Long" is a follow-up to Ginger Scott's "Waiting on the Sidelines", which was one of my top ten reads of 2013.  I fell in love with Nolan and Reed in the first book, so I was pretty excited to see that I would have more of them in "Going Long".

Did "Going Long" live up to my expectations?  Not exactly.  This time around, we get to hear Reed's point of view as well as Nolan's, and I'm not sure how I feel about that.  But mainly I was just irritated with both characters in that they didn't COMMUNICATE with each other!!!  None of their problems would have happened if they'd just talked to each other!  Then I guess there'd be no book, either.  So, it's a bit of a conundrum.

Anyway, I still like Nolan, I still like Reed, and their friends and family are all great (well, except Reed's mom and brother, but they're the ones you love to hate!) and I'm really happy with the way things wrapped up.  So definitely a worthwhile read if you're a fan of "Waiting on the Sidelines".  

My rating: 

Review: "Endless" by Amanda Gray

Jenny Kramer knows she isn't normal. After all, not everybody can see the past lives of people around them. When she befriends Ben Daulton, resident new boy, the pair stumble on an old music box with instructions for “mesmerization” and discover they may have more in common than they thought. Like a past life. Using the instructions in the music box, Ben and Jenny share a dream that transports them to Romanov Russia and leads them to believe they have been there together before. But they weren't alone. Nikolai, the mysterious young man Jenny has been seeing in her own dreams was there, too. When Nikolai appears next door, Jenny is forced to acknowledge that he has travelled through time and space to find her. Doing so means he has defied the laws of time, and the Order, an ominous organization tasked with keeping people in the correct time, is determined to send him back. While Ben, Jenny and Nikolai race against the clock - and the Order - Jenny and Nikolai discover a link that joins them in life - and beyond death.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review an ARC of this novel.

"Endless" started out strong - I was involved, enjoying both Jenny and Ben, liking the reincarnation piece.  But as the book progressed, I started to lose momentum, and I think the main reason was Nikolai.  There is nothing to dislike about him, but there's also nothing to draw me to him either.  He was a bit too perfect, the cookie cutter hero, and really lacked personality.  Usually, with love triangles, I'm rooting for the person the protagonist will ultimately end up with, but  in this case, I was really hoping Jenny would see the light and end up with Ben, the guy who actually has some depth and dimension.

If you're interested in Romanov, history, I don't think "Endless" will satisfy your curiosity.  This aspect of the story is not fleshed out in any great detail.  I also feel a bit disillusioned with the whole time travel thing.  Maybe it was all a bit much, you know - either stick with time travel, reincarnation, or freaky, seeing-into-the-past-through-physical-contact powers, but not all three.

So when all is said and done, "Endless" was just okay for me.  It definitely didn't leave a lasting impression.

My rating: 2.5 stars