Storm Siren By Mary Weber

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author, book, book reviews, books, characters, fantasy, fiction, mary weber, Netgalley, novel, read, reader, review, storm siren, writer, YA, young adult

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Pages: 320

Point of view: First Person, Nym

Source: Netgalley

Release Date: August 19, 2014

Molly’s Rating: 8/10 Stars

My Summary: Nymia is a slave in the kingdom of Faelen, which has long been at war. She’s also a rare Elemental with white hair and blue eyes. All Elementals are male and killed at birth, but because Nym is female she was spared.

Her parents died when she was five and she was taken in by a midwife, but after disaster struck she was sold as a slave. Nym’s had fourteen owners now and each time her curse somehow hurts them.

Nym’s new owner Adora gives Nym a chance to learn to control her powers, something she thought was impossible. Adora’s only helping her because Faelen is losing the war and she want Nym to become a weapon.

There’s political intrigue and people plotting while the country is at war, but Storm Siren is mostly about Nym learning to use her powers.

My Review: I admit it, I was first interested in this book because of the cover. Can you blame me? I love a kick butt girl and though she is a slave there’s nothing weak about Nym, she’s tough. Her attitude when she gets a new owner is setting down what she will and won’t put up with. (and it’s not work she’s concerned about.) I have the impression she’s had a rough time of it. Her past is well done except for the occasional flashback to her parents’ deaths. (which I didn’t find necessary.)

There was a romance subplot and it’s well done. I can see where some would call it a love triangle, but it’s not. There’s no wishy-washy-ness in Nym. She’s only interested in one of the men and she makes it clear that she only considers the other her friend. The romance is slow and well done as both try to fight their feelings for various reasons.

The good: Nym isn’t a perfect heroine, she’s had a hard past and her left hand was broken and didn’t heal properly, but she’s tough and spunky and I liked her. Though she’s supposed to be super powerful she doesn’t use her powers to solve her problems, they’ve mostly been the cause of her problems. Nym really grew throughout the novel, as she learned to trust people and realized that she wasn’t a monster.

All of the characters were great. Adora, Nym’s new owner, is an eccentric and powerful politician, who throws crazy parties. Eogan, Nym’s trainer is gorgeous and mysterious. Breck is a blind maid at Adora’s mansion and becomes Nym’s friend. Brekk’s twin brother Colin has been training with Eogan and he’s a huge flirt, but also a nice guy. There were a few other characters but there wasn’t enough time to develop them much yet.

The world building was good too and everything was explained so gradually that I wasn’t confused. Things were renamed, but all the names were simple, like terrameters for distance. I liked unique animals, which were combinations of animals like panther-monkeys and ferret-cats.

The plot was somewhat but not entirely predictable, and there was plenty to keep me guessing.

The Bad: There wasn’t much bad in this novel, except it felt too short. I wanted to watch more of Nym’s lessons and go to more parties and fight more battles. (There wasn’t much of the later in the book.)

The worst part of this book is the ending. [Small spoilers] It’s actually only the last page that’s bad. There was enough left open for another book and then the author decided to punch her readers in the face. (That’s what it felt like to me.) It really tainted how I felt about this book, because it was so good up until that last little bit! Why?! [End Spoilers]

Would I recommend this book? Yep. Do I plan to read the next one? I think so.

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Other News

• I’m back from my vacation! I had a wonderful time in South Carolina visiting my sister. I’ve got a couple of reviews to type up and plenty of posts to catch up on. (I missed you guys!)
• Yvo of It’s All About Books nominated me for the Liebster Award. Thank you!
• As of last week, I’ve been blogging for a year! :O

Skulduggery Pleasant By Derek Landy

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author, book, book reviews, books, characters, Children's book, Derek Landy, fantasy, fiction, Kids Book, Middle grade book, novel, read, reader, review, Skulduggery Pleasant, writer

SCEPTER OF THE ANCIENTS

Genre: Children’s Middle Grade, Fantasy

Pages: 416

This is such a strange book that I’m not sure how to go about describing it. I suppose I’ll start at the beginning.

Gordon Edgley’s sudden death came as a shock to everyone- not least himself.

That’s the first line of the book and it sort of has it all, a little wit and a little morbid.

Gordon Edgley was a writer. He was a strange and a wealthy man. At the reading of the will he unexpectedly leaves his fortune and mansion to his 12 year-old niece Stephanie.

Due to a washout in the road Stephanie winds up spending the first night in her new mansion all alone. When the phone rings she answers it, it’s her phone now after all, but she reveals herself to be there alone and a man breaks in.

That’s when Skuldruggery Pleasant shows up. He uses magic to fight the man off, and during the fight his hat slips off revealing that he’s actually a skeleton. He’s a detective who was friends with her late uncle and he plans to investigate why the man broke in. Stephanie convinces him to bring her along. (After she wakes up of course, she sort of passed out after seeing a walking skeleton.)

This is a self contained book there is no to be continued and though it is a series there isn’t really an ongoing storyline either.

The world building is simple, but well done, as is the magic. Skuldruggery has enough back story to explain his actions, while remaining enough of a mystery. I liked both Stephanie and Skuldruggery. They had a good relationship and I liked the joking back and forth between them. Even the minor characters were well fleshed out and likeable. (Trying not to make a skeleton pun here.) The main bad guy was a bit over the top, but this is a book about a walking skeleton after all.

I’d recommend this book to kids 10 plus and adults with a good sense of humor. (Or maybe it should be humour since this book takes place in Ireland.)

7 Stars

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PLAYING WITH FIRE

The sequel isn’t as good as the original, sigh. Not as funny and Valkyrie is too much of a damsel in distress towards the beginning. The fighting got kind of boring after a while. For people with magic they sure do wind up punching each other a lot.

I have a feeling that someone told Landy that he should mention them buckling their seatbelts, (so he decided to be annoying about it) because every time they enter the car Valkyrie is reminded to put on her seatbelt.

No new world building, but the magic was expanded nicely. I especially liked China Sorrows’ symbols. There were a few new characters. I particularly liked the professor, Kenspeckle Grouse.

An ongoing storyline started in this book, but book still had an ending and things were wrapped up.

Playing with Fire wasn’t all bad, there are some cute parts and some chuckles. It’s worth reading if you’re in the mood for something light.

6 Stars

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THE FACELESS ONES

The third book is as good as the first, not as witty, not as funny, but it doesn’t have the forced bad humor of the second either. The plot, the pacing and the mystery were all much better. I guessed the mystery before it was revealed, but not until the end of the book.

No world building or magic expansion, but there were a few new characters, along with growth for the old ones. Skulduggery’s origins were hinted at, making me really want a prequel of the great war when he was alive!

Unfortunately The Faceless Ones ended to be continued, so now I’m going to have to read the fourth book. I wasn’t planning to, but the hint of what was to come looked too good.

7 Stars

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Tomorrow I’m going on vacation! I’m going to South Carolina to visit my sister!

I’m borrowing my mom’s Ipad so I’ll still be able to go online. (As long as I don’t muck it up. Electronics don’t like me. )

Since I have a Kindle now I’m trying not to pack my luggage full of books. (Wish me luck!) I still have to take a couple paperbacks though, just in case. 😉

How is your summer going? Go anywhere nice?

The Seven Deadly Sins of Books

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7 deadly sins tag, books

I wasn’t tagged, but I wanted to do this anyway. I read about this tag on The Quirky Reader and Books and Cleverness.

Greed – What is your most inexpensive book?

I got The Dark is Rising By Susan Cooper for 10 cents at a yard sale. Am I cheap or what?

Wrath – What author do you have a love/hate relationship with?

George R.R. Martin, but not for the reason most people do. I just wish the man would write faster!

Gluttony – What book have you devoured over and over with no shame?

Harry Potter, I don’t even know how many times I’ve read the series!

Sloth -What book have you neglected reading due to laziness?

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson, it’s 1007 pages in hardcover and I don’t want to get behind on my book reviews to read it. (This is one of those books that makes me thankful for Kindle.)

Pride – What book do you most talk about in order to sound like an intellectual reader?

I don’t really like intellectual books. :p

Lust – What attributes do you find attractive in male or female characters?

They’re fictional, so why not be perfect. 😉 My idea of perfect is Witty and cleaver, but not too good looking. (I realized I just described my male protagonist from Woven Magic…)

Envy – What book would you most like to receive as a gift?

The Blood of Olympus. Okay, I already got the pre-order for my birthday, but I want it NOW!

I know I’m defeating the purpose of this tag thing, but I wouldn’t want to annoy, so I’m not tagging anyone. (Why I never posted my book award, I was too shy to nominate someone…)

Do you have a 7 deadly sins post? Please link it, or post yours below. 🙂

Book Review: Sinner by Maggie Stiefvater

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author, book, book reviews, books, characters, fantasy, fiction, Maggie Stiefvater, Mercy Falls, Netgalley, novel, read, reader, review, romance, Sinner, werewolf, werewolves, writer, YA, young adult

Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Fantasy

Pages: 368

I won another book from Netgalley! (I was also approved for The Iron Trial by Cassandra Clare and Holly Black, but I can’t post a review until next month, 30 days before its release date.)

I haven’t read the trilogy, but you don’t have to, Sinner stands on its own.

Sinner is billed as a fantasy, (and Cole is a werewolf) but Sinner’s really more of a romance. The werewolf part isn’t all that important to the plot and is easily ignorable, so don’t pass on this book just because of the werewolves.

SUMMARY: (By Molly.)

Cole used to be a popular music singer, but after a drug overdose on stage he’s stayed out of the public eye for over a year. He decided to take a job creating an album on a reality TV show so he can go to LA and see Isabel again.

Isabel has just graduated high school. She has a job at a fancy designer’s store and she’s taking classes to get her CNA in nursing, because it will help her get into med school. She’s good at not caring about anyone. The last thing she expected was for Cole to turn up at her work, bringing all her old feelings back.

MY REVIEW:

This was my first book by Maggie Stiefvater. She has a unique voice and has an interesting use of similes. I liked the way she describes things. Perhaps because of the wolves in this book, everything is described in scents. LA was beautifully pictured. It was like the city was a character in the book. She really puts the reader into the scene. (Molly moves the Raven Boys up on her to read list.)

I thought she depicted accurately what it must be like inside the mind of a recovered drug addict. I loved all the little inside jokes the characters had and the nicknames they had for places and things. (Isabel’s House of Dismay and Ruin.)

Cole and Isabel knew each other before Sinner, (In the trilogy I’m guessing.) but it didn’t feel like I missed anything. They had feelings for each other before, but in this book we’re there for the start of their relationship and its growth.

They’re not your typical protagonists, but surprisingly they’re both likable. Even though Isabel can come off as cold and unfeeling and Cole uses people like they’re objects. They both still have someone who shows they can be kind. Cole is nice to his driver Leon for no reason other than the man seems unhappy and Isabel cares about her cousin Sofia and wishes she’d learn to stand up for herself. I liked both Sofia and Leon. Sofia reminded me of myself, except she can cook. (This book sure made me hungry!)

The characters really grew into themselves and it was done so subtly as to be believable. They were still the same people, but stronger.

I’m torn when it comes to epilogues that take place years after the story, but I felt that Sinner needed one and was made all the better for it.

Though Sinner isn’t an action book it’s fast paced and not at all boring. I read it in one day, so that tells you something! I’d recommend Sinner to fans of romance books.

8/10 Stars

My favorite quote:

I only knew that my heart was galloping so fast that my fingers were numb. Logically, I knew it was just from surprise, but I didn’t know if it was like Surprise, here is a cake or Surprise, you’ve had a stroke.

Book Review: Legend, Prodigy, Champion By Marie Lu

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author, book, book reviews, books, Champion, characters, Day, dystopian, fiction, June, Legend, literature, Marie Lu, novel, plot, Prodigy, read, reader, review, science fiction, scifi, stories, story, write, writer, writing, YA, young adult

Genre: Young Adult Dystopian

LEGEND By Marie Lu

This was one of those books that started so good I wanted to read it slowly and savor it. I was also afraid that it wouldn’t hold up to the outstanding beginning, but it did! The plot, the characters, the world, the voice, they were all perfect! I loved it all! (Molly, tone down the fangirl…)

Day is fifteen and the most wanted person in the Republic. He’s guilty of numerous crimes, including theft, breaking into military bases and blowing up jets, but he never hurts anyone. He lives on the streets with a little girl named Tess and secretly watches over his family who believes him to be dead. At the start of Legend the plague has spread to the poor Lake sector where his family lives.

June is also fifteen. At ten every child takes the trial and the results decide what their lives will be like. Where Day failed his test June did more than pass, she’s the only one ever to get a perfect 1500 score. She lives with her brother, a captain in the military (their parents are dead) and goes to the top academy in the country. She’s always getting in trouble for her outrageous stunts; her latest was scaling a sky scraper to see how fast she could do it. (Copying something that Day’s known for.)

The characters are both similar people, even though they’ve led very different lives. They’re both really smart and talented, but in different ways. June is the kind of person who notices every detail and kicks butt in a fight and Day is great at making complicated plans and leaping about on buildings. The story is told from both points of view and I rarely confused the two of them.

In a Dystopian there usually comes a time when the main character realizes what kind of a world they really live in. Day already knows how terrible the government is, but June buys the propaganda. She’s told the truth, but she also figures it out for herself and as such it’s more gradual and realistic for her to totally change her beliefs.

The world the author created is rich and I could really picture it in my head, from June’s fancy apartment to the streets of the Lake Sector.

Legend is a unique Dystopian and my favorite so far!

9/10 Stars!

PRODIGY

Prodigy was almost as good as Legend. Everything wrapped up so wall it felt like the final book of the trilogy not the second. I’m glad they were all released otherwise I would’ve been screaming for the next one. Though things wrapped up, not everything was happily ever after.

At the start of Prodigy I liked both June and Day, but I had no feelings whatsoever about whether they wound up together or not. By the end I was like, NO!! They’re meant to be! (Whispers otp. Molly your fangirl is showing)

Some of the dialogue to catch readers up felt a bit forced, but this was only at the beginning.

I enjoyed learning how the Republic started, that’s the one thing I was wondering about while reading Legend. (We also learned about the Colonies and a bit about the world at large.)

The side characters were better fleshed out and we were introduced to a couple of new characters in the Patriots. (The group who fights against the Republic.) After reading dystopians I automatically distrust everyone the characters meet.

8/10 Stars

CHAMPION

As much as I wanted to read this book, I was afraid to. So many dystopians don’t end happily. (Especially the popular ones, what’s up with that?)

In Champion the war with the Colonies has accelerated and the Patriots are back along with Tess. We also got to see Antarctica, which was cool! (And there could so be another dystopian set from there.)

Talk about a roller coaster ride of emotions! I didn’t like the entire story line with Day. In my opinion it wasn’t necessary and took away from the story.

THE END: Though it’s probably considered a happy ending, I wasn’t happy. The epilogue ten years later tries to fix things, but it felt like too little too late. I think I’ll pretend it ended happily after prodigy. 😉

8/10 Stars

What did you read this week?

Book Review: Maximum Ride By James Patterson

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Angel, author, book, book reviews, books, characters, Fang, fiction, James Patterson, literature, Maximum Ride, novel, plot, read, reader, review, science fiction, scifi, stories, story, write, writer, writing, YA, young adult

Maximum Ride

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction (Ages 12 and up)

8 book series

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Max, Fang, Iggy, (14) Gazzy, (11) Nudge (8) & Angel (6) were genetically engineered and have wings. They spend their time running from the other mutants the lab developed and trying to save the world.

The Good: The characters and their relationships with each other were well done; they really felt like a family. One the best parts of the books was how Patterson describes flying. It felt like I was right up there with Max and the Flock. (What the group of kids calls themselves) I also liked the unique powers that members the Flock have.

The Bad: These aren’t deep books, I’d consider them ‘fluff’. They’re fun to read, but there’s not much thought required. Maximum Ride is an entertaining series if you don’t try to analyze it. (Like a corny B movie)

The villains feel like they’re out of old movies and I half expected them to twist their mustache. They were the old making a speech instead of killing the good guy so the good guy has time to escape kind of villain.

THE ANGEL EXPERIMENT

Four years ago, the flock escaped from the lab called the school with the help of one of the scientists named Jeb. Two years ago he disappeared and they’ve been on their own in the Colorado mountains ever since. Max as the oldest has been acting as the leader and mother of the Flock.

After years of peace, the people at the school have found them, sending Erasers, genetically engineered people with dog DNA (think werewolves) after them. The flock wakes up after the attack to find youngest, Angel kidnapped. Max leaves blind Iggy and young Gazzy (Angel’s brother) at the house while the other three  return to the School, the site of their worst nightmares in an attempt to rescue Angel.

The Angel Experiment is a good, but easily put down-able book. The chapters are really short (like a couple of pages short) and at the beginning the narration switches between Max, Nudge, Gazzy, and Angel. With such short bursts of action you’d think it would make me want to read on, but it just annoyed me. Luckily the switching stopped at around 40% and with Max as the only narrator it was much easier to read.

Like a lot of kids’ books the main characters are telling their story to the readers. I have no problem with this, (After all I love Percy Jackson) but the way the story is told seemed overly simplified, and almost felt dumbed down. And though the characters were good, at this point they felt more like characterizations.

The Angel Experiment has plenty of action, but most of it was running and fighting Erasers. The Erasers didn’t make much sense, they attacked randomly, sometimes viciously, and other times they’d just leave.

6/10 Stars

SCHOOL’S OUT FOREVER

If the first book was put down-able, this one wasn’t. I almost read the entire book in an afternoon.

There was less action, but somehow it was less boring. I also found myself chuckling a couple of times.

The characters were also expanded nicely, especially Fang and Iggy. Fang seems more like a real kid; he starts a blog and shows that he has a sense of humor. And in Iggy’s narration we learn isn’t as carefree as he seems, being blind really bothers him and he wants to find his parents.

The whole clone story line seemed rather unnecessary and cliche, but it didn’t detract from the story. (Not a spoiler, at the beginning of the book when the first hint of the clone appears we’re told.)

I have a feeling Patterson only included Disney World so he’d get to go and write it off as research. (Why didn’t I think of that?)

7/10 Stars

SAVING THE WORLD AND OTHER EXTREME SPORTS

Wow talk about an explosive start! Unfortunately, there’s there’s more chapter hopping at the beginning. (between Max, Nudge and Fang.)

I liked that there was finally some romance! I wish the flock would stick together though. The interactions between the characters is what makes the books.

I still don’t know what the ‘big bad guys’ plan was. We know they planned end the world as we know it, but it was never explained how they hoped to achieve this. There is a serious lack of explaining the villains’ plans in these books. First they want to test the flock, then capture them, then kill them. Make up your minds already!

7/10 Stars

THE FINAL WARNING

The flock is ‘mutating’ and gaining new abilities. I’ve wanted more powers for a while and this is the best part of the book, (and the only reason not to skip over it). Even if the powers don’t come into play much.

This book should be called “Why global warming is bad”. I understand Patterson trying to send a message, but it felt forced. Everything about the Final Warning was rather ridiculous. The bad guy was even called the Uber-director…

More violence than the others. (Though nothing was described in detail.)

6/10 stars

MAX

Dr. Martinez is kidnapped and her scientist friends get the navy to help search for her. Before the flock can board the sub they have to pass some basic combat tests to receive clearance. (This part was hilarious and easily the best part of the book!)

‘Max’ felt like another side story and was easily skip-able, but it’s worth the read just for the training scenes.

7/10 Stars

FANG

There’s a new bird kid named Dylan, (Who I didn’t like.) And he’s supposedly Max’s soul mate.

I liked the romance in this book. I thought the other kids were a bit rough on Max though. The whole flock is supposed to be together! (I sound just like Max. She can be mean sometimes, but she really cares for her family, which is why I like her.)

7/10 Stars

ANGEL

The book bounces between the two teams (flocks) but we don’t really get enough time in either. I hate when the flock is fighting and unhappy. (Enough teenage drama, just kick bad guy butt!) There’s a new plan to end the world. This one is a little more thought out than the others and seems like it might actually happen.

There are suddenly lots of new mutants called gen 77 or something. I’d rather the flock was special. (Also, for having the book named after her, Angel isn’t in it that much.)

7/10 Stars

NEVERMORE

The last novel was good and fitting, but we were left with many hows. How did they do that? Why did that happen? I expected more plot from Patterson. It also wrapped up a bit neatly. In the last three chapters all the characters were suddenly perfect and their relationships miraculously fixed. (Huh?)

7/10 Stars

Overall I’d recommend the Maximum Ride books if you want something lighter (brainless) to read. Though they’re billed as young adult they’re really more kid books.

Sorry for such a long review!

Next week: Legend. (So far it’s REALLY good!!)

Spin-Off to Leigh Bardugo’s Grisha Trilogy

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author, book, book reviews, books, characters, fantasy, fiction, Grisha, Leigh Bardugo, literature, novel, plot, read, reader, review, Rising and ruin, Shadow and bone, Siege and Storm, stories, story, The Dregs, write, writer, writing, YA, young adult

Title: THE DREGS
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22294935-the-dregs

• Set in the same world as the Grisha
• Takes place not long after the events of Ruin and Rising
• A new cast of characters
• Two book series
• Expected release date: Fall 2015 (First draft done)

Described as a blend of Ocean’s 11, Inglorious Bastards and Game of Thrones.

SETTING: Kerch, a small island nation, hub of all world trade (legal and illegal) and a country rich in art and culture. Also home to one of the most dangerous criminal underworlds. It’s a very different place than Ravka: different politics, different players, and different food.

SUMMARY:
A crew of dangerous felonious misfits face impossible odds when they are pulled together to break into one of the most guarded places in the world.

YES THERE WILL BE MAGIC!!!!!!! One of the Dregs is an exiled Grisha named Mina.The magic of the Grisha Universe is there and it’s expanded upon.

I’m so excited! I can’t wait!!! Can I have it now? Please!!

Sources:

http://shelf-life.ew.com/2014/06/25/ruin-and-rising-leigh-bardugo/
http://www.twochicksonbooks.com/2014/06/fierce-reads-tour-stop-interview-and.html
http://www.themidnightgarden.net/2014/06/ruinrisingtour.html