Tag: Magic/Supernatural (Page 10 of 29)

BOOK REVIEW – The Holders (Holders #1) by Julianna Scott

BOOK REVIEW – The Holders (Holders #1) by Julianna ScottThe Holders (Holders #1)
by Julianna Scott
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

17-year-old Becca spent her whole life protecting her brother from, well, everything. The abandonment of their father, the so called 'experts' who insist that voices in his head are unnatural and must be dealt with, and the constant threat of being taken away to some hospital and studied like an animal. When two representatives appear claiming to have the answers to Ryland's perceived problem, Becca doesn't buy it for one second. That is until they seem to know things about Ryland and about Becca and Ryland's family, that forces Becca to concede that there may be more to these people than meets the eye. Though still highly skeptical, Becca agrees to do what's best for Ryland.

What they find at St. Brigid's is a world beyond their imagination. Little by little they piece together the information of their family's heritage, their estranged Father, and the legend of the Holder race that decrees Ryland is the one they've been waiting for. However, they are all--especially Becca--in for a surprise that will change what they thought they knew about themselves and their kind.

Warning : the plot is VERY similar to X-men at first but it didn’t bother me, because I get the impression that the author actually acknowledges it by several references. Secondly it’s just…. so FUN, and if some readers find that fun is cheap, I don’t : after trying a tons of books lately, I can say without doubts that fun isn’t easy to find. Moreover, there are some magical additions that appealed to me (alchemy, for example) and the great villain, Darragh, while sharing some particularities with both Magneto and Sylar from Heroes, is more complex that I imagined at first. Finally, I don’t mind inspirations of other works when it’s well-done and when the author uses them as a background to create a compelling and original story. In my opinion it was the case here, and the way the story unfolded satisfied me.

But perhaps the most important thing to consider is the fact that The Holders managed to get me involved in Rebecca and Rylan’s story at any time during my read : I was hooked from page one, and that’s something because I started almost 10 books yesterday. Yes, 10! So freaking annoying. The writing style was compelling, and the pacing pretty fast, as there wasn’t any dull moment and I couldn’t have stopped reading for the life of me.

Sure, some of the plot twists were glaringly obvious, yet instead of spoiling my read, they made it an almost better experience because the knowing created an expectation in me that improved my read, you know? Therefore strangely, I never minded the predictability.

As for the settings, most of the story takes place in St Brigid, a special academy standing in Ireland. While I appreciated the fact that the descriptions weren’t all over the place (I never had a huge patience for that, to my literature teachers’ dismay) I have to admit that while quite atmospheric at times it never reached the level of others books set in Ireland I read. Indeed the settings aren’t the main focus here, as we don’t get to travel and wander a lot. Therefore don’t expect to be transported otherwise you would be disappointed. This being said, I remained curious along the way, eager to catch any occasion to learn something about it, so it’s almost a win for me. And to be frank, I read enough fantasy to be satisfied on that count, and this kind of book is refreshing, not to mention that everything actually makes sense (you would be surprised to see how many books TRY to create a world-building and FAIL because it’s just too confusing and messy).

As far as the characters are concerned, the only thing I can that is that I loved them because they all were very likeable and felt genuine. Indeed Becca’s voice was refreshing and believable for a 17 years-old-girl : she can be immature at times but never dumb or annoying. What defines her the most is her strong love and mean to protect her brother and her mother, and for this I loved her.

“It’s just a school,” the younger man interrupted, in what I can only imagine was his best peacekeeper voice. “I promise.”
“You promise? What are we, twelve? Next I suppose you’re going to pinky swear me that this will all be for his own good, and expect me to let you take him?”

Well, yeah, she can be kind of ill-tempered sometimes, but it’s for a good reason, I promise! Pinky swear 😛

Alex has been designed for us to crush on him and strangely… I crushed on him. Hey, I never said I was immune to an adorable superpowered guy who can create illusions larger than life. I mean, seriously, the guy must rock on dates. Duh. Moreover, he’s loyal, caring, blushes all the time and frankly? So sweet and kind and AWW, I adore him.

Concerning the romance, I realize how easy it would be for me to take all the information at once and shows something else entirely. The truth is, if some aspects are part of what I usually don’t like in romances, here it worked. In my opinion here lies the talent of an author : when the peeves we can see in a book feel so right that we don’t care nonetheless. How could I bother about objective complains if in my heart I wouldn’t have wanted the story to be different? It would be so unfair of me – I won’t.

First Becca’s instant-crush on Alex, which could have been extremely annoying, strangely wasn’t because she kept it in check, let’s say. She’s well aware that she isn’t supposed to daydream about him and frankly, her take on the situation was refreshing. Yes, she has a crush. So what? Who never had? I might had a crush on him too As soon as it never morphs her in a somewhat pathetic and dumb heroine, but she stays focused on her goals, how can I complain? And as I already said, the guy is charming, and as we get to see their relationship growing from friendship to… something else, I didn’t mind.

Hey, guess what? It even contains a plot twist I never like View Spoiler » but I was so engrossed in their relationship that I didn’t care and shipped them hard nonetheless.

Finally, as I said earlier, this story also deals with family bounds and friendship. First of all, I absolutely adored the heart-warming relationship between Becca and her brother : it’s when I read books like this that I realize how much I have changed these past few years. When I was a teenager and my early 20s, I wasn’t a kid person – like, at all. They annoyed me, and I didn’t get all the fuss was about them, frankly. And then, well, I became a teacher, and most of my daily interactions are with children. What did I realize? That I liked talking with kids – that they were often more open-minded than the adults around us and that we underestimated grandly what they could understand. Therefore while I would have hated the addition of the little brother some years ago, I have to admit that today, I loved it, even more because in my opinion he talked like a 10 years old and not as if he was 5 (yes, because unfortunately that happens often in books)

Moreover, the friendship between Becca, Chloe, and really, all the side characters we meet was adorable and smile inducing : It won’t surprise you to know that I love when my heroines care about their family and have actual friends. Because in the end, what this story says us is that even though you’re different, there are people out there who care about you and who love you for who you really are – it can seem cheesy, but in our cynical world, sometimes it’s good to remember it, don’t you think?

► To sum up, The Holders came as a surprise as it kept me enthralled until the very end. Does it really deserve 4.5 stars? I don’t know.  Do I care? Nope, because it got me out of my reading slump and for this I’m really, really grateful.

Above that, contrary to many series I read lately, I won’t be able to wait before starting the sequel : that says it all, doesn’t it?

BOOK REVIEW – Prince of Shadows by Rachel Caine

BOOK REVIEW – Prince of Shadows by Rachel CainePrince of Shadows by Rachel Caine
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

A thrilling retelling of the star-crossed tale of Romeo and Juliet, from the New York Times bestselling author of the Morganville Vampires series.

In the Houses of Montague and Capulet, there is only one goal: power. The boys are born to fight and die for honor and—if they survive—marry for influence and money, not love. The girls are assets, to be spent wisely. Their wishes are of no import. Their fates are written on the day they are born.

Benvolio Montague, cousin to Romeo, knows all this. He expects to die for his cousin, for his house, but a spark of rebellion still lives inside him. At night, he is the Prince of Shadows, the greatest thief in Verona—and he risks all as he steals from House Capulet. In doing so, he sets eyes on convent-bound Rosaline, and a terrible curse begins that will claim the lives of many in Verona…

…And will rewrite all their fates, forever.


Wow. Here I am, in love with a Romeo and Juliet retelling. Who would have ever believed that it was possible? Not me for sure.

Romeo is a foolish infatuated kid who composes poems like we would write a shopping list. Yay! Finally I found in Benvolio a hero who shares my opinion of Romeo : as a kind but inconsistent and immature teenager who craves for drama. God, I’ll take the Prince of Shadows on any day.

“It’s Romeo. He’d swoon over a dancing bear if it wore a skirt.”

My thoughts exactly.

Tybalt Capulet is an abusive asshole who deserves to die from a slow and painful death (I’m ready)

I have a love/hate relationship with Mercutio, but mostly, I can’t help but love him.

“I love Rosaline”, Romeo said. “One risks anything for love”
Mercutio gave him a disbelieving stare, then turned to me. “You actually let this infant out in the streets, Ben? On his own?”

Their friendship was so fierce and heartwarming that I found myself smiling more often than not.

Romeo and Juliet’s love story is filled with madness. Indeed the direction chosen by Rachel Caine to portray Romeo and Juliet’s love story was surprising and pleased me a lot. I don’t want to say too much but I found this way so much more understandable and believable!

Benvolio is such a complex and captivating character. I shall marry him someday. The oldest of his generation, he can’t afford to be a dreamer like Romeo : by all appearances he’s (almost) exactly what we could call a wise fellow : strong, discreet, respectful, and if he sometimes sheds the blood, it’s only to protect himself. Except that appearances can be deceitful and that’s for the best : indeed Benvolio is none other than the Prince of Shadows, famous thief who strikes, revengeful, in the most important houses of Verona.

“I smiled, feeling fierce and free and wild in ways that no one would ever believe of the quiet, solid, responsible Benvolio Montague. At night I could be something else than what my city, my station, and my family required.”

Benvolio is trust-worthy and loyal where Romeo is charming, but restlessly fights against his own inner demons, either impossible feelings or thirst for blood.

“There was a wilderness trembling inside me that begged to let fly, and let the arrows fall as random as rain.”

I loved this about him – How couldn’t I? It makes his character so much layered and real.

Rosaline is an heroine I can admire : strong-minded, smart, brave. I fell in love with them both – and suffered for them. One might say that it was insta-love, but I don’t agree, as their relationship grows slowly, after perhaps an insta sparkle of interest on both counts, and with reasons, because they’re both different from other people around them and both bounded by secrecy. In any case it didn’t prevent me from loving the story because there was a splendid characterization and yeah, I fell in love with them.


Don’t get fooled though : It would be grandly unfair to reduce this book to a love-story, because even if it is present, it’s far, far away from being the main plot. Verona’s world is brutal, unforgiving, filled with secrets, political alliances, violence and betrayals. Each path can lead to destruction, and one might act like a wolf to escape wolves’ wrath.

How to survive in this pack of wolves? How to avoid all the low blows and manipulations present along the road? How far will you go to protect your family, your friends, your love?

How to live a life where deception is the norm and personal happiness a stupid and impossible dream?

The writing is utterly beautiful, and creates an haunting atmosphere that I wasn’t able to escape before the last sentence. From the very first page I was transported into Verona, enthralled by Rachel Caine’s vivid and superb words.

⑤ Whether because of the awesome action scenes or the slowly growing tension, I felt so many emotions – compassion, hope, rage, love, with always, in this world, the despair lurking.

Frankly? As far as retellings are concerned, it was fantastic. Why, it almost makes me want to read Romeo & Juliet again – except I won’t, because this is the story I want to carry in my heart.

BOOK REVIEW – Ink and Bone (The Great Library #1) by Rachel Caine

BOOK REVIEW – Ink and Bone (The Great Library #1) by Rachel CaineInk and Bone (The Great Library #1)
by Rachel Caine
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

In an exhilarating new series, New York Times bestselling author Rachel Caine rewrites history, creating a dangerous world where the Great Library of Alexandria has survived the test of time.…

Ruthless and supremely powerful, the Great Library is now a presence in every major city, governing the flow of knowledge to the masses. Alchemy allows the Library to deliver the content of the greatest works of history instantly—but the personal ownership of books is expressly forbidden.

Jess Brightwell believes in the value of the Library, but the majority of his knowledge comes from illegal books obtained by his family, who are involved in the thriving black market. Jess has been sent to be his family’s spy, but his loyalties are tested in the final months of his training to enter the Library’s service.

When he inadvertently commits heresy by creating a device that could change the world, Jess discovers that those who control the Great Library believe that knowledge is more valuable than any human life—and soon both heretics and books will burn.…

In my honest opinion the strength of Ink and Bone lies first in the plot, which is entertaining as hell, and in the world-building, which contains several of my main interests : think books, automatons, alchemy, a dystopian world ruled by Librarians who control every knowledge (or aim to) and an academy blended together. Exciting? FUCK YEAH.

Random facts you might want to know about Ink and Bone (because there’s no way I’m spoiling the story for you)

✔ After reading I went to my bookshelves and HUGGED my paperbacks. Not my Kindle. The thing kind of scared me.

✔ It presents an alternative history that actually MAKES SENSE (most of the time) : think about our history with a twist, the uprising of the Great Library, an organization that controls every book and then, holds a great deal of power. No press. No Gutenberg. I know, *GASP*

✔ Oh, they have lions automatons as guards : HOW AWESOME IS THAT???

✔ I loved the concept of Codex and every invention, really. I don’t want to give away too much, but let’s say that the Great Library developed a number of mechanisms, first of all the ability to transfer and erase words on every book sold, because they’re all blanks, sort of ereaders controlled by the Library awhile originals are carefully kept in Alexandria. An example? Look at your book, and imagine that it would be possible for someone else to alter or erase its content in one second without even being at the same place as you. OMG BUT THAT’S POSSIBLE! Frightening, right? I thought so. Especially given that printed books are outlawed.

Concerning the characterization, I have to admit that I’m not completely convinced by it because it lacks of depth. Indeed the characters felt quite blank sometimes – not in a boring way, but they weren’t fleshed-out enough in my opinion, especially the secondary ones like Jess’s fellow students, who were border stereotypical on some aspects. That’s why I’d have wanted them to be less transparent in their intentions and more intricate. However, I did enjoy Wolfe’s character a lot, because he was complex and multi-layered : here’s the kind of characters I can love.

“I suppose you want me to apologize for calling you a bastard.”
“No need,” Santi said. “You should hear what his friends call him.”
” I have friends?” Wolfe said.
“They don’t care to admit it in public.”

As for Jess, the main character, I’m afraid that my complaints prove to be the same. Indeed although I can’t say that I didn’t care about him because it would be false, at the same time I can’t deny that I kept feeling that something was missing to completely win me. Oh, well. I don’t know. Perhaps I’m not used to that kind of books (which emphasizes on the plot, let’s say) anymore. Indeed almost every one of my favorite authors (Marchetta, Moskowitz, Robin Hobb, even) focus primarily on the characterization and that’s okay with me, because that’s what I seek most of the time. Not here : not that Jess’s character wasn’t interesting, but he never stood out either. Now, perhaps does it serve the story’s purpose, in a way? Concerning his personality, he’s not flawless and I’m glad he isn’t : indeed he makes mistakes, he has at first a restrained vision of the world (yes, he’s sometimes full of shit stereotypes, but now, he’s 16, give him a break) but how in the world could it be different, tell me? From his upbringing spent as a smuggler for his family’s business to his training in the Academy, he has always been used, and genuinely doesn’t know how to deal with real relationships. However something about him rubbed me the wrong way, and that’s the fact that he cares about books more than people. Well, even as a book lover (no shit) it made me a little uncomfortable at times, I must confess. Fortunately it doesn’t stay that way, because despite the fact that books are rare in his world, I wouldn’t have stand a character who happily watches people getting starved and killed because of books. Sorry guys. I’m TEAM HUMANS. (I’m French, after all. Yes, that’s relevant. You’ll see)

But then, little by little, he evolves. Day after day, he realizes that the world is not near as simple as he thought he was. Page after page, we get to know him better, to understand him more. Chapter after chapter, the choices he has to face become more and more difficult and the lines between right or wrong blur… For that, I thank you, Rachel Caine. For that, I’m eager to read the next book because I feel how strong his potential can be.

Finally, for most of the book, I got the feeling that the romance was… Well… I’d say “low-cute”. What is it, you’re asking? It means that I’m happy for them, kind of, but I don’t care and to me it was unnecessary since the author openly didn’t focus on it, so much that the story would have been as great without it. Now, (don’t hit me) but that’s what I thought about the romance in Harry Potter too. I just don’t care. That’s not why I loved the books. So, yeah, I wasn’t a big fan of this romance which stayed in no-chemistry territory, until, until, until suddenly I started to feel something, and that was as glorious as unexpected.

Now, and that’s something I rarely write, but to me the pacing was perfection : I was never EVER bored and the writing just flowed smoothly, making the read completely addictive, and some parts were so full of tension that my heartbeat increased.

PS : French are rebels, eat lambs and drink red wine : of course they do >.<
PS2 : No, Dario, Spanish wine isn’t better than Cahors. DUH.
PS3 : I might be (a little) subjective. MAY-BE.

BOOK REVIEW – The Wrath and the Dawn (The Wrath and the Dawn #1) by Renee Ahdieh

BOOK REVIEW – The Wrath and the Dawn (The Wrath and the Dawn #1)  by Renee AhdiehThe Wrath and the Dawn (The Wrath and the Dawn #1)
by Renee Ahdieh
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Every dawn brings horror to a different family in a land ruled by a killer. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, takes a new bride each night only to have her executed at sunrise. So it is a suspicious surprise when sixteen-year-old Shahrzad volunteers to marry Khalid. But she does so with a clever plan to stay alive and exact revenge on the Caliph for the murder of her best friend and countless other girls. Shazi's wit and will, indeed, get her through to the dawn that no others have seen, but with a catch . . . she’s falling in love with the very boy who killed her dearest friend.

She discovers that the murderous boy-king is not all that he seems and neither are the deaths of so many girls. Shazi is determined to uncover the reason for the murders and to break the cycle once and for all.

BR with my broken boys’ favorite specialist, Chelsea

Useless horrible love-triangle : now, that’s an addition to the original tale that doesn’t appeal to me. Indeed it was unnecessary and resulted in predictability for the plot. Plus, Tariq is an asshole. A stupid one at it.

Fast forward in Shazi’s feelings : what is it with the fluttering in the stomach after one night? So Khalid listened to her story, so what? At this point he never showed anything to prove that there’s more to him than his fucking murderer caliph’s status. More generally, I’m sorry because I know that many of my friends loved her, but Shazi annoyed me something fierce, especially because her inner monologues were always in contradiction with her acts and well, grew old after several chapters. I despise him. I WILL take revenge. I WILL stop my heart from fluttering (again with this word, godammit, I don’t even know how many times she used it), I WILL kill him. Oh, come on. We both know you won’t. Just stop it.

“The tightening in her chest… would have to be ignored.
At all cost.”

It remains to be seen.

The truth is, I was told during the whole book that Shazi was badass and fierce but I’m still not convinced. What I saw is a beautiful, immature and ill-tempered girl who never even tried to fulfill her quest. There. I said it. Actually she reminded me of Frances from Daughter of Deep Silence, as to me her behavior never justified who she was supposed to be and what she was supposed to do.

Can somebody explain to me why Khalid is interested in Shazi in the first place? Why does he seek her after the wedding? Huh? Oh, yes, he does explain it at some point, but his reasons are far too close to instalove for my taste, sorry. So, no, I’m not mad because it is mostly a romance, because I do like romance and that it could have been beautiful. Yet sadly, as it is, I didn’t buy it and therefore never felt enthralled nor captivated.

It was boring : So much that I struggled to go on and felt the urge to skim some parts – I didn’t, but damn, how I wanted to! I’m pretty sure that I can explain this by the fact that I didn’t connect with the characters : I didn’t care about them one bit before the last 30%, therefore it was pretty hard to feel involved in their story. Moreover, let’s be frank, almost nothing happens during most of the book, but I do feel like I read an eulogy of Shazi’s PERFECTION in all things. Good for you, girl. Now show me. I’m waiting. And don’t even get me started about the parts in Tariq’s POV.

✘ I have to admit that I am on the fence about the writing, since there are some features I loved (I’ll come back to them later). However, mostly I found it over-descriptive, with several similes which made me roll my eyes, and in my opinion I wasn’t shown enough.

The settings : I felt like I was there, either in the palace or the market or anywhere the characters go, really. The writing was evocative and if sometimes on the purple prose side (as I said earlier), it did make a great job as creating the world-building.

✔ I liked Khalid‘s character for the most part, who was complex and interesting, even though his eyes-opening changes thanks to Shazi are rather clichés – who don’t like a broken King, tell me? His inner turmoil moved me, especially in the last 30%.

✔ If most of the story failed to pull me in, I have to admit that the last 30% hooked me (well, kind of) and were way better in my opinion (except for everything linked to Tariq. Really, what an useless prick). Is it enough to make me want to read book 2? Frankly, I don’t know. I guess I’ll see.

► Here I am, disappointed and in the minority. The only thing I can say is that unfortunately I didn’t like The Wrath and the Dawn how much I thought I would (I’m the queen of understatements), now do whatever you want with it.

BOOK REVIEW: Uprooted by Naomi Novik

BOOK REVIEW: Uprooted by Naomi NovikUprooted by Naomi Novik
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Naomi Novik, author of the bestselling and critically acclaimedTemeraire novels, introduces a bold new world rooted in folk stories and legends, as elemental as a Grimm fairy tale.

“Our Dragon doesn’t eat the girls he takes, no matter what stories they tell outside our valley. We hear them sometimes, from travelers passing through. They talk as though we were doing human sacrifice, and he were a real dragon. Of course that’s not true: he may be a wizard and immortal, but he’s still a man, and our fathers would band together and kill him if he wanted to eat one of us every ten years. He protects us against the Wood, and we’re grateful, but not that grateful.”

Agnieszka loves her valley home, her quiet village, the forests and the bright shining river. But the corrupted Wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power, and its shadow lies over her life.

Her people rely on the cold, driven wizard known only as the Dragon to keep its powers at bay. But he demands a terrible price for his help: one young woman handed over to serve him for ten years, a fate almost as terrible as falling to the Wood.

The next choosing is fast approaching, and Agnieszka is afraid. She knows—everyone knows—that the Dragon will take Kasia: beautiful, graceful, brave Kasia, all the things Agnieszka isn’t, and her dearest friend in the world. And there is no way to save her.

But Agnieszka fears the wrong things. For when the Dragon comes, it is not Kasia he will choose.

 

There were roots in my heart, as deep as any corruption could go.

HO-LY SHIT. Ahhhh what was this??? What was this absolutely amazing, fantastic, out of this world masterpiece?? It’s certainly not something I would ever enjoy. It’s surely out of my comfort zone. It seemed to have a somewhat long and drawn out plot…But it was that agonizingly wonderful warm-summer-breeze writing I so cherish that I can never find. And not only was the writing out of this world spectacular, the story-line was like crack.

“The power in the wood isn’t some blind hating beast; it can think and plan, and work towards its own ends. It can see into the hearts of men, all the better to poison them.”

Seriously, come on, think about it: The Dragon (very scary name, in my opinion. One of the reasons I didn’t pick this up right away…I mean…Dragon) comes to take a new girl every ten years back to his tower, and after the ten years are over, the girls come back to the village. But they never come back the same. It almost, almost has a Beauty and the Beast vibe (I know UGH I stole that from someone else’s thoughts but for the life of me I can’t remember who!) in the aspect that the girls are locked away in a tower with an unmanageable beast. Except…

“He’s not-he’s not-”
“If you don’t want a man dead, don’t bludgeon him over the head repeatedly,” the Dragon snapped.

BAHAHAHAH–cranky bastard

Except he’s not unmanageable. In fact, he’s completely down to earth…calm…cool…collected…if you think dealing with a prickly rose is manageable. That’s right-what we have here is a total asshole. Not in a long time have I ever fallen so hard for such a big jerk. Literally everything he says is seeped with sarcasm and screams ineptitude, but there is a good man underneath…probably. I dunno, I just adore him. All his idiot!s and fool!s topped with a pointed look had me busting out laughing and the smile rarely left my face.

He roared at me furiously for ten minutes after he finally managed to put out the sulky and determined fire, calling me a witless muttonheaded spawn of pig farmers-“My father’s a woodcutter,” I said-“Of axe-swinging lummocks!” he snarled.

Oh! And there’s a creepy haunted forest. They call it the woods. I ADORED this aspect and

 

Oh fuck it. Just read the sonuvabitch. You’ll love it.

All you need to know:

-Spectacular, out of this world writing
-Wonderful main character
-Asshole male lead
(Example-

He roared at me furiously for ten minutes after he finally managed to put out the sulky and determined fire, calling me a witless muttonheaded spawn of pig farmers-“My father’s a woodcutter,” I said-“Of axe-swinging lummocks!” he snarled.

Lmaoooo I do so love him)
-Magic
-Magic
-Magic
-Haunted woods that want to kill literally everyone and take over the world

That’s all.


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