I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you publisher!
I am really saddened to say that this is a DNF for me. This review will contain slight spoilers so please proceed with caution.
I honestly could only take about 150 pages of the book before I had to call it a day and move on.
The Ninth House is a story of Galaxy ‘Alex’ Stern, who can see ghosts and gets rescued from a life of drugs in LA and initiated into a secret society called Lethe who are basically like overseers of all magic done by secret societies at Yale University. The story jumps from Alex’s view to Arlington’s (her mentor) view to flashbacks of her growing up and her life in LA. First and foremost - nothing new, there are plenty of books about people seeing ghosts and secret societies at Ivy League universities. The first hundred pages are complete info dump with so much information that I had a hard time keeping it straight in my head. Actually nothing much happened in the first 100 pages except you get to read a lot about history of the magic societies and there’s a murder squeezed into them. You also do get a lot of scorn and disgust about how rich and privileged the kids who go to Yale are.
As if the info dump wasn’t enough to take you out of the story, Alex is also an ex-drug addict who is completely cured. It’s just not believable, not one craving, not one stray thought - nothing. I did not get far enough to find out how she gets miraculously cured, if it’s even ever addressed, but if it’s magic it’s just soooooo convenient and just makes it even more unbelievable. However, even this I can look past, but what I absolutely cannot look past is child rape.
That’s right - Alex gets raped by a ghost when she is in junior high. Rape used as a cannon in any book is bad, but child rape…it just begs the question - why? Yes she said that her book is suppose to be disturbing and shocking and I guess if that’s her main goal then she has succeeded. I just don’t understand what it’s suppose to prove. There are plenty of adult novels out there that write about adult themes without using child rape in them. It feels like Leigh fell into the same trap as J.K. Rowling with her “Casual Vacancy” - both wrote about insanely disturbing topics just for the sake of proving that they can. It doesn’t make for an enjoyable read or good literature and I do not think that it’s done in the hope for raising awareness of child rape and abuse - I think it’s just pure shock. Or was it done to make the reader like Alex? Because up to that point I didn’t, and now am I suppose to like her b/c I feel sorry for her? All that scene made me feel was disgust and confusion.
The one thing I did like about the book is the magic and the rituals - they were really well thought out and very interesting. I give Leigh props for that but we already know she’s great with magic.
Some people will not like me for saying the things I said about the novel or the author and listen - there is a book out there for everyone. This particular book was just not for me and if you like it - great. I think anyone who liked The Casual Vacancy or The Last Magician series will like this series as well.
I received this book from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. thank you Publisher!
3 out of 5 stars
The moment I saw this cover and read the synopsis all I could think about was reading this book. Definitely one of my more anticipated reads of 2019.
Overall the book was cute and enjoyable but nothing special. I had some issues, particularly the use of the French language and other various cultural aspects taken from France without the book actually taking place in France, or really the real world at all. It was quite obviously a book about a fictional world but using everything non-fictional about our world instead.
One particular line in the book compared an event to “Moses parting the Red Sea”. Again, this comes back to the author taking aspects from our already existing world and including it in a fantasy book where you wouldn’t really expect Moses or his religious backstory to appear or exist at all. I felt like the author chose to use French and Catholicism because she wasn’t creative enough to come up with her own language and religion. I have reads books by authors who were able to do both flawlessly while using our existing world as a starting point and as inspiration.
It’s a shame that the book didn’t quite live up to my expectations but I can definitely see this story appealing to the young adult audience it is geared to. There is a somewhat steamy sex scene which you normally wouldn’t see in a young adult book and truthfully was the only time during the entire book that I felt that I wasn’t meant to be a 13 year old girl reading this book.
The romance was cute but rushed, and the characters weren’t as well fleshed out as I would have liked. I feel like this would have been a spectacular book had it truly been taken into the adult reader category and the dialogue was made to reflect that. Having modern day slang and curse words in a world closely related to 1700’s France just did not fit for me.
I received this book from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. Thank you publisher!
4 out of 5 stars
The Descendant of the Crane is not your typical YA novel. It is a book which will make you stop and think and reevaluate your ideas about good and evil. It is not wasted on petty tropes of a typical YA novel and it is absolutely wonderfully written.
Our story begins with Hesina visiting a soothsayer in order to uncover who was responsible for her father death. Soothsayers and magic are outlawed and Hesina is risking a lot - while the soothsayer cannot tell her exactly who did it, she does confirm that her father was murdered. Now Hesina just has to find out who did it. And so we enter the world of intrigue, politics, twits and turns - and let me tell you - I did not see a lot of them coming. Not only that, but the author does not divide his world into good and evil, most, if not all, characters are morally grey and relatable and it makes everything feel so real! Furthermore, Hesina is a reluctant queen - she is thrust into the role and she has to learn how to make decisions which serve the greater good but which leave her questioning her own morality. All in all - just WONDERFUL!
My only complaint with the novel is that the themes of the book are NOT YA and I do not understand why it was put into the genre - I think it would have been a more successful adult fantasy novel. I saw some reviewers compare it to The Game of Thrones and while I agree that the political intrigue and the backstabbing is VERY a la Game of Thrones, I think it’s “cleanness” is actually a deterrent. Don’t get me wrong - I don’t want books littered with rape or sexual abuse or torture - but it is really hard to pull off a believable fantasy world and not mention any adult situations or violence. I also think that the characters would have been more believable if they were older, a general who is 16 years old? I don’t know…seems far fetched and I can swallow a lot.
That being said - I will still pick up book two of this series and I honestly cannot wait. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves GREAT fantasy and is looking for a book which will keep you on the edge of your seat.
I received this book in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley. Thank you publisher!
3 out of 5 stars
I would like to start with the cover - the cover is one of the best covers I have seen in a while in fantasy. In a world where graphic covers rule the genre - it was refreshing to see a beautifully rendered painting. The color scheme and the subject is just superb! Lauren (art director of Orbit) and Jeremy Willson (the artist) created a one of a kind beautiful cover that I honestly wouldn’t mind hanging on my wall.
Now onto the book itself. Seven Blades in Black is my first Sam Sykes novel. I have heard a lot of great things about the writer and I was very excited to dive into this novel. However, while I liked it well enough, it took me a very long time to get into the story. I really did like Sal the Cacophony - she’s funny, witty, snarky and just a great MC. I also really appreciate that she is gay (or at least bisexual as this is a first book in the series and the reader doesn’t know everything). The main reason why I struggled with the book is that it moves REALLY fast - I mean videogame fast. I know that Sam said this series was his love letter to The Final Fantasy and it truly is, with many of the same elements - but it moves at a dizzying speed. Furthermore, I found the whole magic system really complicated and hard to follow. I had to reread the passages a few times and then think about what/how the magic would work - it really took me out of the story and did not let me enjoy the book.
I think that anyone who loves fast paced fantasy or Sam’s previous work will really enjoy it. I really appreciate Orbit letting me read and review this book.
Synopsis: “Emma and Violette are sisters who share the same dream of attending Paris’s most prestigious dance school. Violette passes the first audition with flying colors, but Emma doesn’t…their wold comes crashing down. But if this vibrant and graceful story teaches us one thing, it’s that there may be more than one way to dance through life…”
Review: ★★★★ This was a short and cute coming of age graphic novel about two sisters who love to dance. Emma is learning who she is, she is growing up and realizing that dreams can change. She is also learning that her parents are human, and though they want what is best for her, they are not all knowing. I really liked this story, and the artwork is BEAUTIFUL! I look forward to the next one.
I received a copy of Emma and Violette for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I’ll keep this review spoiler free, but in Soul of the Sorceress we’re back in Runswick with Cordelia and Percy! I have to admit to having missed these two, so I was looking forward to settling into this second book in the Shadow and Soul series.
I’ll keep this review spoiler free, but in Soul of the Sorceress we’re back in Runswick with Cordelia and Percy! I have to admit to having missed these two, so I was looking forward to settling into this second book in the Shadow and Soul series.
While the book opens quickly on our two main characters, it’s made apparent early on that this book has not been written for new readers in mind. If you pick this book up without realising it’s book two, you’re going to find yourself very lost, very quickly. There’s little-to-no recap, and it has sections that allude to character histories that, without context, simply mean nothing to the reader but, honestly, I’m nitpicking. This is a second book, and it has deep lore, established backstory and character histories that I was aware of going in.
Despite these small areas of potential improvement, Cassandra’s skillful storytelling pulls us into a world of magic and romance very quickly. I devoured this book in just a few hours, but it’s got a lovely pacing that lends its content to a quiet evening and a glass of wine, or a relaxed weekend perusal.
There is intrigue and high stakes, but you never feel pushed to rush the story. It’s cleverly interspersed with periods of soft romance, and quiet affection between Cordelia and Percy and despite my ever growing desire to understand the motivations behind the other players on the board, and what allies or dangers they might turn out to be, it was my love of Percy and Cordelia’s relationship that truly captured my attention throughout.
A gorgeous addition to the series, and I’ll be keeping my eyes peeled for the next installment to add to my collection!
Review: ‘The Last Firefox’ by Lee Newbery (illust. Laura Catalan)
Review: ‘The Last Firefox’ by Lee Newbery (illust. Laura Catalan)
[ID: ‘Book Reviews’ and ‘Sabrina @ Notes From a Paper Plane Nomad’ in lilac and yellow text on a space-themed background.]
…I turn slowly.The head of the Grendilock is peering back through the curtain of ivy. I can see myself reflected in the empty blackness of its insect eyes.I look afraid.
Death Sworn surprised me with how good it was. I expected a story about a girl sent to teach a bunch of assassins magic, probably some kind of steamy love story, and her inevitable realization that the assassins are Good People, no, really. I am pleased to report that I was wrong.
Ileni is a seventeen-year-old sorceress whose skill is unsurpassed but whose magic is waning, sent to teach a community of deadly assassins how to use sorcery. She is terrified of her students, and believes strongly that they are terrible, unprincipled murderers. Leah Cypress does an excellent job of writing Ileni as a resourceful and practical young woman, who stands by her basic principles even as her world crumbles around her. Her main weapon in a cave full of danger is her quick thinking, and she uses it to her best advantage.
Dear readers, you may know of my hatred for extraneous love stories. Death Sworn contains one of the only romantic subplots I have actually liked in recent YA lit. It advanced the story, was written well, and enhanced the characters rather than making them less believable. I loved the way Cypress left it at the end of the book, too.
Who will like this book? Lovers of smart female protagonists, lovers of ambiguously ethical assassins, lovers of good Fantasy YA, lovers of interesting magical systems.
Maggie Stiefvater has done it again! Blue Lily, Lily Blue may be the weakest of the Raven Cycle so far, but that is not saying much. It’s still miles better than anything else I’ve read recently!
Stiefvater really develops her magic systems in this book. Previously we’ve heard something about the psychics, we’ve heard quite a bit about the Greywaren, and we know something about Blue’s abilities, but not much. Blue Lily, Lily Blue focuses more heavily on Adam and his strong but uncertain bond with the ley line, and on Blue as she figures out a bit of how to control her magical battery status. We also learn a lot more about mirrors. I’m a big sucker for cool magic systems, so this was totally awesome for me.
We lost a bit of the search for Glendower in The Dream Thieves, but that plot picked up seamlessly and then really careened along. This was a plot-heavy book that sets up for what promises to be a spectacular finale. It did suffer somewhat from middle book syndrome - it very obviously cannot stand alone. The first two are obviously the beginning of a series, but they stay self-contained in a way Blue Lily, Lily Blue does not. It’s a bridge between books rather than a book in and of itself. It is wonderful and necessary, but exists mostly to catapult you toward the end with a lot more information than you had before.
My favourite detail: the revelation that Blue and her family has a list of the people who will die in Henrietta in the next year, and the general reaction. They’re all so low-key macabre that when they get called out it’s really funny.
