Red Rising Netgalley

It’s a bank holiday (three day weekend) in the UK, so Red Rising is available to everybody who requests it from Netgalley to review. (Click here.) And although I’m a Yank (from the US) I figured everybody applied to me too.

I’m hoping it does, because I’ve been wanting to read this book for a while now! There’s a twitter conversation going on too. Tweet #RedRisingBook to join in. Let me know if you plan to read it too.

Description from Goodreads:
Darrow is a Red, a member of the lowest caste in the color-coded society of the future. Like his fellow Reds, he works all day, believing that he and his people are making the surface of Mars livable for future generations. Yet he spends his life willingly, knowing that his blood and sweat will one day result in a better world for his children.

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

Inspired by a longing for justice, and driven by the memory of lost love, Darrow sacrifices everything to infiltrate the legendary Institute, a proving ground for the dominant Gold caste, where the next generation of humanity’ s overlords struggle for power.

He will be forced to compete for his life and the very future of civilization against the best and most brutal of Society’ s ruling class. There, he will stop at nothing to bring down his enemies . . . even if it means he has to become one of them to do so.

Personal news: My Dad’s been in the hospital for 21 days now. The dialysis is helping with his kidneys and they’ve put him on a pill for his heart. He has fluid in his lungs so they’ve put him on a C-PAP machine at night, but with all of the drugs he’s been waking up confused, so my mom and I have been staying at the hospital the past couple of nights.

I’m sorry I’m a bit behind on reading everyone else’s blogs, but I get them all delivered to my email, because I think that’s the best way I can show my support for the blogs I like, so I won’t miss anything.

I hope you all have a lovely weekend.

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Between By Megan Whitmer

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book, book reviews, books, characters, fantasy, fiction, Netgalley, novel, read, reader, review, writer, YA, young adult

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Pages: 384

Point of View: First, Present tense (Like Hunger Games)

Source: NetGalley

Released: July 29th 2014

Predictability: 4 out of 5 (Where 1 is George RR Martin (If the characters make a plan or think about the future I know it isn’t going to go that way.) And 5 is Cinder (where I guessed what was going to happen long before it did, but it was still a great book.)

My Rating: 8/10 Stars

 

Don’t read the official summary! It details the entire novel and I’d rather go into a book blind.  (Read mine instead 😉

My Summary:

Charlie, (short for Charlotte) and Sam are celebrating their seventeenth birthday when they’re attacked by a monster. Their mom bravely puts herself in front of the monster, but this isn’t just a mom protecting her kids, she shows neither fear nor surprise. Then Seth, the older boy their mom adopted five years ago, shows up and throws their mom a knife telling her how to kill the monster. She injures the monster, but doesn’t kill it.

Their mom grabs Sam and disappear and Seth takes Charlie, explaining that they’ve flickered, teleported with magic. The next thing Charlie knows Seth’s guided her through a portal and into another world he calls the Between.

Charlie learns her mom and Seth work for an organization of magical creatures called the Fellowship. They guard the mystical realm and cover up sightings of magical creatures in our world. (All except Bigfoot: that attention whore is a total lost cause.) The Between is the magical land in between the two worlds created by Mother Nature herself.

My Review:

In the mystical realm live almost all of the creatures from fairy tales and legends; fairies, centaurs, trolls, leprechauns, unicorns, and others that are unique to this book. I thought that all of the ones we learned about were well done, traditional with enough unique to make them interesting.

Charlie is not your traditional high school girl. She’s witty and quirky and has big dreams of becoming an artist. Sam dreams of becoming a musician and all three of them (Charlie, Sam and their mom) have a great relationship. Seth’s parents died and he moved to town five years ago, their mom kind of adopted him after he came around looking for a lawn mowing job. Charlie thinks he’s too serious and too much of a rule follower, but still annoyingly cute.

The Good:

In one chapter I liked and cared about these characters, that’s all it took and I’m worried something will happen to one of them. We meet more characters in the mystical world and even those I don’t like were well developed and colorful. The characters have so many cute little quirks that make them real. I loved the humor, it really lightened the mood.

I can tell a lot of TLC went in to this book. I could accurately picture the world. Sometimes I’m bored by descriptions, but these were well done.

The world building was well developed, as was the history and the creatures / people. The magic was a bit basic, elemental powers, but how the magic was taught was unique.

The romance wasn’t love at first sight! It felt true to real life! There was another flirty guy who she found attractive and I was afraid of a love triangle, but they only became friends and neither had feelings for the other beyond that.

The plot was solid and without holes. The pacing at the beginning was good, but it slowed a little before the end. (The beginning of the book is easily ten stars.)

The ending was good, the story line wrapped up well, but not perfectly. This could be a standalone book, but there’s still a hint of things to come.

The Bad:

Charlie’s mom banned swearing, so she came up with pseudo words to use instead. At first this was cute, but it was a little over done, especially in her thoughts.

Every time Charlie disobeys and sneaks off bad thing happen. People are trying to kill you girl! Maybe you should listen and stay put.

Would I recommend this book? Yes. Will I read the Sequel? Yes, where is it!

Perfection By JL Spelbring

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author, book, book reviews, books, characters, dystopian, fiction, JL Spelbring, Netgalley, novel, Perfection, read, reader, review, science fiction, scifi, writer, YA, young adult

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Dystopian

Point of View: Third (Ellyssa, Dr. Hirch Ellyssa’s ‘father’, Angela a member of the Gestapo, and Rein a young renegade)

Pages: 317

Source: Netgalley

Release Date: July 8, 2014

My Rating: 6/10 Stars

Predictability: 4 out of 5 (Where 1 is George RR Martin (If the characters make a plan or think about the future I know it isn’t going to go that way.) And 5 is Cinder (where I guessed what was going to happen long before it did, but it was still a great book.)

Warnings: Attempted rape and torture (with super powers)

My Summary: Perfection is a Dystopian where Hitler won the war. Now it’s not enough to have blonde hair and blue eyes, but you have to have the right shade of hair and eyes. Anyone without these traits is sent to a concentration camp.

Ellyssa is a genetically engineered young woman.  She’s literally perfect, a beautiful genius with kick butt martial arts skills, and the ability to read minds. Ellyssa’s spent her entire life in a place called the Center with her siblings. The first chapter is her first experience out in the world after escaping the Center.

Through a series of flashbacks we learn that a young dark haired renegade was dragged through the center and communicated into Ellyssa’s mind Kansas City. She’d never experienced anything like this before. How could an imperfect have such a skill? She then hacked into her ‘father’s’ computer, where she discovered the truth of his plans for the future.

My Review:

This was hard book for me to get into. I’d have liked a chapter or two of Ellyssa’s life at the Center first rather than the flashbacks. That way I would have cared more about what happened to her as she was struggling during the first part of the book.

I was surprised to learn this book was only just over 300 pages, it felt way longer than that. I think the reason for that was that there were so many points of view.

The book would’ve been better if it was only told by Ellyssa. Rein’s perspective was interesting and Dr. Hirch’s showed what was going on back at the Center, but Angela the Gestapo’s wasn’t necessary at all.

Even though there were four points of view, they were all unique and I never confused the characters.

The Good:

When we meet Ellyssa one of the first things she does is enjoy the emotion of panic, because it’s an emotion and she was never supposed to feel. She’s tough and kicks some serious butt. I liked that Ellyssa wasn’t a damsel in distress.

The world is interesting and I’d like to see more about what ordinary life is like, because our protagonists led very different lives, but both weren’t normal. The powers Ellyssa and her siblings had were cool and I liked how they developed.

The plot was fine overall, though I’d have liked Elyssa to have more of a plan when she escaped. The pacing slowed in spots, but there was enough action to keep me reading and the action scenes were nicely done.

The characters were likable enough, and even the side characters were well developed. I liked Ellyssa’s growth from someone who was afraid to feel or show emotion to more of a normal girl.

The ending was good, everything wrapped up nicely making this a self contained story, but still with room for a sequel.

The Bad:

The romance. I actually sped read through some of the romantic parts. I didn’t ‘feel’ the romance. It was love at first sight… *sigh* and they went on and on about how much they meant to each other. *eye roll* I like romance in books, but it happened too quickly and they felt too strongly for each other.

There was also the start to a love triangle, which I think might be developed more in future books. I actually found myself liking her relationship with the other guy, though he fell for her too quickly also.

There was one instance where Rein did something that made no logical sense, but needed to happen to further the plot. (These kinds of things bug me.)

Would I recommend this book? Yes to fans of Dystopian and romance. Will I read the Sequel? Maybe.

My Favorite Quote:

“Perfection? People, in themselves, ARE perfect. Creativity, emotions, the innate quest to find truth – these are the things which evolved humans. All of them. Not just what you choose.”

The Iron Trial (Magisterium #1) By Holly Black and Cassandra Clare [Spoiler Free Review]

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book, book reviews, books, Cassandra Clare, characters, fantasy, fiction, Holly Black, Iron Trial, Kids Book, Kids Books, Kids's Books, Magisterium, Middle Grade, Netgalley, novel, read, reader, review, The Iron Trial, The Magisterium, writer

(Left to Right: Call, Aaron, & Tamara)

Genre: Middle-Grade Fantasy

Pages: 295

Point of View: Third (Call)

Source: Netgalley

Release Date: September 9, 2014

No Spoilers whatsoever in this review.

Why is it harder to write a review for a book that I really loved than one I just liked? I was so excited about this book it was hard to write in complete sentences. Hehe!

I am very conservative with my 10 star ratings, only books that are my absolute favorite that I know I will read again and again get a perfect score. The Iron Trial gets 10 Stars!

Many of the reviews on Goodreads compared this book to Harry Potter. I think fans of Harry Potter will like this book, but this is NOT a Harry Potter copy! The plot, the characters, and the magic are all unique and different.

My short summary: (This only the setup for the beginning of the book.)

Twelve year-old Callum Hunt, called Call, is always getting in trouble at school and being bullied over his bad leg. Call knows about magic, but his father hasn’t used it since Call’s mother died when he was a baby. It’s now time for Call’s Iron Trial to see if he’s to be trained in magic, but Call’s father has told him that the Magisterium is evil and he has to fail his trial.

My Review:

Call’s not your perfect protagonist. He has an abrasive personality, always saying the wrong things. He complains that he doesn’t have friends, but when people try to befriend him, he’s mean to them. I think because he’s never had friends he has trouble trusting people. It takes a little while to warm up to Call, but I liked that he wasn’t the usual narrator.

Aaron is your typical orphan protagonist. Call calls him Captain America, good looks, nice, talented, and makes friends easily. There are numerous other minor characters and if I had a complaint about this book it was that there were so many minor characters that they were hard to keep straight.

The Iron Trials comes out on September 9th and I already pre-ordered it and I suggest you do too. I also plan to read it again once it comes! Yes it’s that good!

Sorry I didn’t say much about the actual book, I wanted to be careful not to give anything away. Just read it!

I only wish it was longer!! I want more!!

Can I have the next one now? Please?

The Iron Trial: 10 Stars!

---

The next four books are: (Titles may change.)

1. The Iron Trial (September 9, 2014)
2. The Copper Gauntlet (September 2015!)
3. The Cosmos Blade
4. The Golden Boy
5. The Enemy of Death

Read the prologue and the first chapter free at USAtoday. If you read it let me know what you think. 🙂

I was so excited about the book I even made a Pintrest board! (There’s already fanart on Clare’s Tumblr.)

 

Think you know magic? Think again.
The Magisterium awaits…
During your time at the Magisterium, there will be five trials to complete — one for each school year. They will test your magical skill, your endurance and your ability to handle dark and dangerous situations.
It begins with the Iron Trial . . .

Sabriel By Garth Nix

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author, book, book reviews, books, characters, fantasy, fiction, Garth Nix, novel, read, reader, review, Sabriel, writer, YA, young adult

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Point of View: Third (Sabriel & Touchstone mostly)

Pages: 491

Published: 1996

My Rating: 8/10 Stars

Predictability: 4 out of 5 (Where 1 is George RR Martin (If the characters make a plan or think about the future I know it isn’t going to go that way.) And 5 is Cinder (where I guessed what was going to happen long before it did, but it was still a great book.)

My Summary:

Abhorsen is a necromancer, but unlike ordinary necromancers he sends the Dead back to death. He lives in the land of the Old Kingdom, but life there is dangerous, so he sends his daughter Sabriel to a boarding school in Ancelstierre, which is protected from the magic in the Old Kingdom by a wall. Sabriel’s boarding school is on the border so she can learn Charter magic there while Abhorsen teaches her necromancy when he visits her twice a year.

Sabriel knows something is wrong when Abhorsen’s late for his visit. He sends her his sword covered in Charter Marks and his bells of necromancy. She knows he’s in danger, so she braves the difficult journey to his house in the Old Kingdom.

Sabriel meets a white cat at her father’s house who calls himself Mogget, (Yes, he can talk.) who is really an ancient being of Free Magic. He tells her that her father was on his way to the capital. On their journey to save her father she frees a guard of the royal family who has secrets of his own and is known only as Touchstone.

My Review:

The beginning of the book is slow, but it’s worth the wait. Once Touchstone comes in the story gets better. Though it’s awkward at first when he joins the point of view and we randomly jumps heads between Sabriel and Touchstone.

This is a fantasy novel, but there are horror elements as well. I’m usually bothered by this sort of thing, but I wasn’t in this book even though the Dead throughout are certainly grotesque.

The Good: The world building is fantastic. It truly felt like a real world with a rich history. Both Ancelstierre, which reminded me of the 1910s with its beginning technology, and the Old Kingdom’s crumbling Monarchy.

The magical system was complex and unique. I particularly liked the use of bells for magic and picturing marks in one’s mind. How they were hard to remember sometimes and easy at others depending on what the characters were going through.

Sabriel has a good solid plot. The pacing was just okay, because it’s slowed by descriptions and time passing, but in the end it really picks up.

Sabriel (the character) really grows up over the course of the novel and she’s a good influence on Touchstone.

The Bad: The romance was too slow then too all of a sudden. (If that makes sense) I wish that Sabriel and Touchstone talked more on their journey and gradually got to know each other. It felt like their secrets were blurted too suddenly since it was mentioned that they didn’t talk while traveling.

Sabriel (the book)’s weakness is the characters. They had potential, but they had no voice and therefore came off flat. It takes quite the book to make up for weak character building, but Sabriel manages it because the world building, magic system, and plot are all so good.

Nix is rather long winded when it comes to descriptions. For instance one time our characters reach a pine forest. That was all we really needed, he didn’t have to describe the pine needles on the ground, and the pine cones looking like skulls.

I didn’t like how the villain’s motivations were just stated, when the character speaking was really guessing. It made the villain seem simpler than he was.

The Ugly: That cover! What’s up with her hand? Yes, that is a girl…

Would I recommend it? Yes, if you can get through the beginning it’s defiantly worth it. Am I going to read the sequel? Yep.

My wonderful vacation and my horrible week back

I haven’t done a personal update in a while, because not much has happened in my life and I’d hate to be thought of as boring. Can I have boring back? The last couple of weeks certainly haven’t been boring. I’d like boring back.

Last week was wonderful. I went to visit my sister in South Carolina. We spent a couple of days at the pool and I actually managed not to get burnt. We found shark’s teeth and went out to eat at these amazing restaurants. We took my sister and her roommate out to eat and bonded making fun of sis. (I don’t mean we were being mean to her. My family jokes around, all in good fun. Everyone was cracking up.)

I got to see a movie in the theater for the first time in a while. We were down to the planet of the apes or Lucy and picked Lucy. It was good for the first half, but then it got really weird. It was still fun though.

It was 99 degrees the day before we left. It’s so humid down there. The humidity made my hair grow so much it got checked by airport security. You know you’re having a big hair day when…

Unfortunately this week has been busy in a terrible way. My father wound up in the hospital. His health’s never been good, but it’s worse now. Heart failure and kidney failure, they’re putting him on dialysis.

With all this going on I’ve just wanted something brainless to read while we’re waiting, so I picked up the other Skulduggery Pleasant books. I’m writing up another set of mini reviews for that and I read Sabriel on vacation, but I don’t know when I’ll get it posted. It might be a few days before I get my reviews up and I wanted to explain why. Thanks for listening.