Tag: Dark (Page 3 of 7)

BOOK REVIEW – Deceptions (Cainsville #3) by Kelley Armstrong

July 12, 2016 / Anna

Deceptions (Cainsville #3)
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
The #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Otherworld series delivers her most suspenseful novel yet, where the discovery of Cainsville’s dark past and the true nature of its inhabitants leads to murder, redemption, love, and unspeakable loss.

Olivia Taylor Jones’s life has exploded. She’s discovered she is not only adopted, but her real parents are convicted serial killers. Fleeing the media frenzy, she took refuge in the oddly secluded town of Cainsville. She has since solved the town’s mysteries and finds herself not only the target of its secretive elders but also her stalker ex-fiancé.

Visions continue to haunt her: particularly a little blond girl in a green sundress who insists she has an important message for Olivia, one that may help her balance the light and darkness within herself. Death stalks both Olivia and the two men most important to her, as she desperately searches to understand whether ancient scripts are dictating the triangle that connects them. Will darkness prevail, or does Olivia have the power to prevent a tragic fate?

✨ Now available in Paperback! ✨

Whaaaat? Is it finished already? Damn it.

▨ Gabriel character’s growth : Alright. I feel like a broken record, so don’t mind me. As in the first two books, here lies my favorite part of these books. I’m all about the characters most of the time, and a great characterization can decide of my love for a book. In Deceptions Gabriel continues to learn how to stop being a cyborg (not really) and I absolutely adored peeking through the layers of his character. GAH. I love this man. See, I love the way he talks. All practical. I’ve loved his tough side from the start, his inability to react like people are supposed to, because that what makes him different from other characters : he’s not a bad-boy, he’s not a knight in shining armor either, he just… is, and I can’t help but enjoy every time he appears, even if he is being an ass (yes, it happens. No, it doesn’t change a thing). When he starts showing vulnerabilities, though? I melt. I just – I can’t. It’s subtle, and it’s way more interesting as it is. It’s showing, never telling, but he cares, so much – it made my heart throb with wonder and yes, break a little.

“He kept giving me that look, the confusion deepening to something like disappointment, like hurt, as if he’d tried to be kind and thoughtful, and I was rejecting it, and he didn’t know why. That little boy, reaching out and being pushed away. Goddamn it, Gabriel. Don’t look at me like that. Wake up. Snap out of it, pull that wall back up and retreat behind it.”

Finally, his interactions with Olivia and really – everyone – made my day. I’ll take more of this, please.

“His brows shot higher. “That would imply I have time for such frivolities. I don’t watch television or movies, and while I read a fair bit, fiction would hardly advance my education. Data, data, data. I cannot make bricks without clay.” I crossed my arms and glowered up at him. “Obviously, you’ve made an exception.” “I never make exceptions. An exception disproves the rule.” ” I hate you so much right now.”

▨ Ricky’s case : Strangely, I feel bad about Ricky. Why? Because he’s genuinely adorable with Olivia and they seem really great together but even if 1)he doesn’t annoy me and 2)I don’t mind their sex scenes, on the contrary, I can’t help but feel not involved in their story. I’m a Gabriel girl through and through, even if I repeat, it’s not a love triangle-team Gabriel kind of situation. Not really. To be frank, I have nothing against Ricky : he’s sweet, respectful, charming, a little wild… I like him, really. And still… He isn’t near as fascinating as Gabriel. *shrug* Gabriel is the one who makes me smile. Always.

▨ Olivia’s behavior : I still like her, but I have to admit that she annoys me a little when she refuses to see the obvious View Spoiler ». However, she does act on it and I appreciate how realistic that makes her : yes, in real life we bury our head in the sand sometimes. I’m often the Queen of that ship, even if I’m not proud of it. That doesn’t prevent me from waking up when I sense that I need to, and Olivia does. Whilst lost and confused, she always stays brave, smart, and funny. Am I tired to be in her head? No, never. And that’s saying something : she doesn’t ramble, she doesn’t daydream, but she always tries to make the best out of the chaos that followed her arrival in Cainsville. However, I cannot stand how she handles a certain situation, and it’s a spoiler, so here we goes (sorry) :View Spoiler »

▨ TC! Every book needs a moody cat.

▨ Addictive factor : Once again, the writing is completely addictive and I couldn’t stop reading for the life of me. From page one I dived into Cainsville’s mess as if I had never stopped, and there are very few series about which I can say that.

▨ Creepy factor :

First of all : I’m a chicken (yes, it’s important to state). This being said, the creepy scenes increased in number in this third book, definitely. I got chills at her visions ~~and no, the light of my Kindle wasn’t enough anymore.~~ Chicken, I said.

▨ ANSWERS! I’m not gonna lie, the first two books let me –

You get the idea. Lost. Confused. Did I say lost? So, does it change? Yes we get explanations about the murders. Yes they’re twisted and wicked. Yes I loved that. Does the story seem less captivating after getting these answers? Oh hell no. I’m even more curious to see where the story will go from now on. Now, I must confess that some parts disappointed me and that I am scared that this series will become stereotypical (that’s why I lowered my rating) View Spoiler ». I hate Fate related plots and I really can’t fathom why authors do that. I strongly hope I’m wrong, and I want to trust Kelley Armstrong to stay far from the easiest path View Spoiler »love-triangle shit « Hide Spoiler[love-triangle shit (hide spoiler)], because so far everything was way more complicated than it seemed, and I loved these books for it.

Ps. I need to say something about the bike club scene : it made me cringe so bad. I do not like girl fight at all, and the whole “handling over” Olivia played with my nerves. I know, I have no idea if it is accurate or not. Maybe it is. I still can’t help but hate the casual sexism that is pictured there. Ugh.

BOOK REVIEW – This Savage Song (Monsters of Verity #1) by Victoria Schwab

July 11, 2016 / Anna

This Savage Song (Monsters of Verity #1)
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
There’s no such thing as safe in a city at war, a city overrun with monsters. In this dark urban fantasy from author Victoria Schwab, a young woman and a young man must choose whether to become heroes or villains—and friends or enemies—with the future of their home at stake. The first of two books.

Kate Harker and August Flynn are the heirs to a divided city—a city where the violence has begun to breed actual monsters. All Kate wants is to be as ruthless as her father, who lets the monsters roam free and makes the humans pay for his protection. All August wants is to be human, as good-hearted as his own father, to play a bigger role in protecting the innocent—but he’s one of the monsters. One who can steal a soul with a simple strain of music. When the chance arises to keep an eye on Kate, who’s just been kicked out of her sixth boarding school and returned home, August jumps at it. But Kate discovers August’s secret, and after a failed assassination attempt the pair must flee for their lives.

So. This Savage Song. Rarely a novel created so many divergent reactions in my feed. If the fact that opinions differ doesn’t strike me as unusual – suffice it to take a look at most romance novels’ pages to see radically different ratings – it still contributed to my confusion before reading because mixing most of them would lead to a hell of an oxymoron.

The world-building is fantastic and original, but generic.
The characters are well-rounded and complex, but rather dull and one-dimensional.
It was unputdownable. It was so fucking boring.
It lacked romance. Thanks god there’s no romance.

I very much enjoyed reading all these interesting and well-thought reviews – and I am not being ironic – yet my questions started piling up with increasing speed : so, what? Would This Savage Song be the first novel from Victoria Schwab that would leave me indifferent? Should I lower my expectations? Would I like, would I like, would I like?

But then I thought : Anna, these reviews aren’t about you. Such a tiny thing, this. So easily forgotten. As much as we start noticing similarities between our tastes and particular reviewers’ over the years, their reviews are never, ever, about ourselves. How could they?

I guess that’s why it baffles me so much when I see people leaving hmm, let’s say, tactless comments on reviews they don’t agree with. Sure, sometimes we can’t change the facts. Does the MC cheat? Is there consent? (because yes, I’m one of these people who think that there’s nothing grey or “blurred” about consent) But most of the words written in a review are opinions and are linked to so many factors : the number of books read in that genre, the personal tastes, the current mood, etc, etc.

We can organize our reviews all we want, use bullet points or dialectical reasoning, who cares, it doesn’t change a thing (or ramble before even talking about the book itself, I know, I know, the irony isn’t left on me).

In the end, sometimes our opinion will only revolve around the chemistry we share with a particular author and her work. This is where I stand when Victoria Schwab is concerned.

Does that mean that I will love every one of her books? Hell no. I only liked Vicious, and This Savage Song awoke the same kind of contradictory feelings in me :

✔ As usual with Victoria Schwab‘s novels, I was fascinated by the concept and the writing managed (without forcing, it seems) to tug at my heartstrings at the most random moments.

✘ ✔ The pacing didn’t suit me during the first 50%, my read was interspersed by at least 10 minutes of rest every few chapters, but once the second half started, the story captivated me so much that I forgot everything that wasn’t August (yes. I am playing favorites) – it started with a whimper, ended with a bang? How fitting.

✔ Verity’s monsters were as disturbing as engrossing to read about, and the darkness lurking enveloped me completely.

“Be careful, parents told their children, be good, or the Corsai will come, but the truth was the Corsai didn’t care if you were careful or good. They swam in darkness and fed on fear, their bodies sick, distended shapes that looked human only if you caught them out of the corner of your eye.”

✘ The somewhat dystopian settings made me think that really, I’m not sure we need to read about a umpteenth version of the decaying United States. I’d rather go somewhere else next time. Really. Please think about it.

✘ ✔ I would say that the characters are pretty generic and trope-ish, because this is what my mind was screaming at first, but I cannot dismiss the fact that they made me care and snort and bite my nails and feel. They left me craving for more. Perhaps Victoria Schwab used an old mold to craft her characters, it doesn’t change the fact that they genuinely interested me and that I, for one, enjoyed their dynamics a lot.

Also, I really have a thing for male leads who sob and whisper. I KNOW. THIS IS RIDICULOUS. But THIS IS WHO I AM. It only works in books, though. Weird how attraction works, ha. In real life I would probably say something along the lines of, [frowns] why the hell are you whispering?! Because of course. Kill Mood Is Me.

“This was the opposite of peace. He felt alive – so alive – but tarnished, his sense screaming and his head a tangle of dark thoughts and feelings and power, and he was drowning and shivering and burning alive.”

► My review, it seems, is everything but helpful. This being said, given the huge fanbase Victoria Schwab has – which she deserves, as far as I’m concerned – I know that my review will hardly change anything in your decision. Read it, don’t read it. One thing is sure : your review will be unique and genuinely interesting to me.

BOOK REVIEW – The Butterfly Garden by Dot Hutchison

July 9, 2016 / Anna

The Butterfly Garden by Dot Hutchison
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Near an isolated mansion lies a beautiful garden.

In this garden grow luscious flowers, shady trees…and a collection of precious “butterflies”—young women who have been kidnapped and intricately tattooed to resemble their namesakes. Overseeing it all is the Gardener, a brutal, twisted man obsessed with capturing and preserving his lovely specimens.

When the garden is discovered, a survivor is brought in for questioning. FBI agents Victor Hanoverian and Brandon Eddison are tasked with piecing together one of the most stomach-churning cases of their careers. But the girl, known only as Maya, proves to be a puzzle herself.

As her story twists and turns, slowly shedding light on life in the Butterfly Garden, Maya reveals old grudges, new saviors, and horrific tales of a man who’d go to any length to hold beauty captive. But the more she shares, the more the agents have to wonder what she’s still hiding…

“Cowardice may be our natural state but it’s still a choice.”

For more than a year now I’ve been making little pictures for my reviews, and this is the first time it doesn’t feel right. Thinking about letting my mind wander around a butterfly makes me sick, if I’m completely honest. I’d rather not express my thoughts that way because it would feel a little like corrupting myself.

Those who read The Butterfly Garden know.

The only art I can think of is a huge, covering splash of black paint, for some reason. I’m sure psychologists would have things to say about that, but then, I am not one of those. Perhaps I would be more equipped to review this unforgettable novel if I was, but somehow I doubt that it would change a single thing. I sure don’t regret being speechless, because I would feel uncomfortable with myself if I was not.

I’m sure you would love for me to make some kind of sense, though? Alright.

The Butterfly Garden is a disturbing, dark, unforgettable novel that you won’t be able to put down until the very end, whose sick atmosphere will grab you instantly and attach you to its characters whether you like it or not. Once I turned the first page, I knew that I couldn’t rest until I learned everything Maya had to say, even if it meant going through a fucking nightmare.

The Butterfly Garden is not the kind of novels where Stockholm syndrome is praised and called love. It seems baffling to me that I have to point that, but we can’t ignore the ridiculous amount of these ~~love~~ stories now can we? Do not fear, The Butterfly Garden is definitely not a love story (and again, a statement whose need baffles me, given the subject handled).

Although I would be lying if I told you that it was an easy journey to take, I don’t regret exploring this twisted and gruesome story one second. Perhaps it’s the complex and true-to-life characterization. Perhaps it’s the never-ending suspense. Perhaps it’s the compelling writing, part poetic and part trivial.

Really, though? Despite the complaints I could have considering the believability, it’s how deeply it affected me, because in this news-saturated world, I believe that we need books that don’t let us indifferent. The Butterfly Garden sure didn’t. How could it?

Trigger warning : Rape & Violence.

BOOK REVIEW – And I Darken (The Conquerors Saga #1) by Kiersten White

June 28, 2016 / Anna

And I Darken by Kiersten White
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
NO ONE EXPECTS A PRINCESS TO BE BRUTAL. And Lada Dragwlya likes it that way. Ever since she and her gentle younger brother, Radu, were wrenched from their homeland of Wallachia and abandoned by their father to be raised in the Ottoman courts, Lada has known that being ruthless is the key to survival. She and Radu are doomed to act as pawns in a vicious game, an unseen sword hovering over their every move. For the lineage that makes them special also makes them targets.

Lada despises the Ottomans and bides her time, planning her vengeance for the day when she can return to Wallachia and claim her birthright. Radu longs only for a place where he feels safe. And when they meet Mehmed, the defiant and lonely son of the sultan, who’s expected to rule a nation, Radu feels that he’s made a true friend—and Lada wonders if she’s finally found someone worthy of her passion.

But Mehmed is heir to the very empire that Lada has sworn to fight against—and that Radu now considers home. Together, Lada, Radu, and Mehmed form a toxic triangle that strains the bonds of love and loyalty to the breaking point.

From New York Times bestselling author Kiersten White comes the first book in a dark, sweeping new series in which heads will roll, bodies will be impaled . . . and hearts will be broken.

Excuse me while I shake my head, burst into crazy laugher and tear up a little. Bear with me, would you? I need to vent – Apparently being stuck in the head of a psychopath will do that to you.

✔ Unfortunately your right or wrong radar works like shit now, and you find yourself nodding along the way when murdering someone is advised. What? Your safety, you fool! (not all deaths, though – you know what I mean)
✔ Your sense of humor is – oh my GOSH, what have you done to your sense of humor? No more cute giggles because of puppies videos, no! Now you revel in hidden threats and your laugh gets a scary quality.

Well… No. Most of it is – Vicious and unforgiving and ruthless and oh so enthralling. Also, the FEELS. Trust me, I could spend the next hours rambling about how that fucked up book made me feel, about the flawed characters and all these times I CRINGED in their wake. But I COULDN’T STOP READING. Not for any second.

Why, they made me furious, the three of them (YES, the THREE of them, but mostly Lada and Mehmed). Lada… being Lada, and Mehmed with his double standards towards women (I know, I KNOW, his way of thinking is certainly realistic, but I hate – loathe – when men categorize women into little boxes). I shouldn’t care for them but FUCK ME, I DO, WHAT DO I DO NOW TELL ME?

I could leave it at that, but the truth is, I also need to talk about the genuine sympathy I felt for them, about the messed-up but wonderful portray of a sister/brother relationship, about the ANGER I felt on behalf of Radu (aw, poor thing) and Lada.

The anguish.

What about it indeed. Oh my. The characters dynamics are lost into the threads of power, jealousy, love, tainted by them and so much more complicated because of them. This is all kinds of fucked up but oh so complex : first you have Radu, waiting for the smallest pieces of love his sister – anyone, really – could give him, while Lada… Sigh. Her need to control and own everything and everyone is relentless. Her father is a psychopath, alright? So what does she want? To make him suffer? Oh no. She wants to be better. Stronger. Everything he thought she couldn’t be because she’s a girl.

Radu and Lada both suffered from negligence. Such an horrible and hidden weapon, negligence is.

Honestly? Wandering in her mind is straight-on chilling sometimes, and her rage is soon wrapped around us, suffocating and formidable. Yet where a simplistic characterization would make it easy to root for sweet, kind Radu, and Radu only, this is not what happens. The complexity of Lada’s personality – her layers – make it impossible for us to hate her, even though we perhaps ought to do.

I’m sorry, but I just love Lada, okay? How cruel and cunning she can be, I can’t help but care for her all the same.

As for the romance, it was slow, never overwhelming, and above all, it felt real. Real because it never made Lada or Mehmed act out of character. Of course, then, it’s messy and will make you suffer if you expect some kind of puppy perfect love. Nothing of the sort. They know and respect each others, and their lives don’t revolve around their needs. They entered a fucked-up dance and none of them can possibly know where it will go. I can’t wait.

Do not seek magic here, because there’s none. Indeed there’s no fantasy element but it reads more like alternative history, filled with politics and machinations. What are you ready to sacrifice to get what you want? Your love? Your family? Your country? Your dreams?

Honestly, I didn’t know what to hope because FUCK ME, THERE ARE NO GOOD ANSWERS. Where have all the simplistic plots twists gone? They flee somewhere else for sure. Everything is so complicated that I couldn’t even choose a path but the whole time I was about to yell WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME? FUCKING TELL ME.

I should also tell you that the ending was fantastic, and that I will count the days before I can dive into their lives again. That Kiersten White‘s writing may not be magnificent, but that its compelling quality is pretty impressive. If the pacing was a little slow, in my opinion it was perfect to convey the story.

This said, I cannot be the only one who struggled to keep tab on their ages. SERIOUSLY! There are so many jumps in time that even if they didn’t annoy me per se, I found myself confused several times when it comes to the current age of the characters, because if 2 pages could relate 2 years, sometimes 90 pages only covered a few weeks.

Anyway, although the story seemed to run a little out of steam between 60 and 80%, my interest never wavered and trust me, this is rare lately.

Oh, and before I forget, a fair warning : I know little to nothing about the history of this area during this period of time so I cannot judge the book’s accuracy. But what I can say is that it made me want to learn more. So there’s that. I mean, there’s even religion! And I could stand it! How awesome is that?! Given that my tolerance for religious talk is close to none, I’d say it’s pretty amazing.

► Truly a fascinating story. Recommended.

Now available to order wherever books are sold!

darken praise

*arc kindly provided by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

BOOK REVIEW – Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire

June 15, 2016 / Anna

Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children
No Solicitations
No Visitors
No Quests

Children have always disappeared under the right conditions; slipping through the shadows under a bed or at the back of a wardrobe, tumbling down rabbit holes and into old wells, and emerging somewhere... else.

But magical lands have little need for used-up miracle children.

Nancy tumbled once, but now she’s back. The things she’s experienced... they change a person. The children under Miss West’s care understand all too well. And each of them is seeking a way back to their own fantasy world.

But Nancy’s arrival marks a change at the Home. There’s a darkness just around each corner, and when tragedy strikes, it’s up to Nancy and her new-found schoolmates to get to the heart of the matter.

No matter the cost.

As I hated them as a child, of course I had to write a review this way. That’s my High Logic combating my High Nonsense for you. You’re welcome.

► START HERE : Have you ever wished that you could escape this world and discover another one in which you would really belong?
■ YES : Go to #1
■ NO : Go to #8

#0 “This world is unforgiving and cruel to those it judges as even the slightest bit outside the norm.” Want more? Go to #3

#1 First off, welcome! You’re about to start a fantastic journey, full of adventures, friendships, betrayals, suspicions….. Okaaaay I’m overdoing it. When starting Every Heart a Doorway, you shouldn’t expect an action-packed novel, because it couldn’t be further from what you’ll get.

► Are you still interested in this perfect mix of creepy atmosphere and hilarious dark humor?
■ YES : Go to #2
■ NO : Go to #10

#2 Not to say that this novel was plotless, because an important part of the story revolved around a murder mystery, but in my opinion its strength lay elsewhere : in the issues dealt with, first of these being the way we humans need to satisfy our thirst for acceptance and understanding – for hope.

► Now tell me, how would you describe your relationship with morally ambiguous characters?
■ I’d rather not say : Go to #5
■ Pretty good, actually : Go to #4
■ God, I hate them : Go to #7

#3 Sometimes you find friendship in the most unexpected places, you know? Of course, of course, a boarding school shouldn’t be so surprising a place, but given that 99% of the students want to run away elsewhere and suffer from some kind of PTSD, bonding with each other is often easier said than done. Yet Candy, Kade, Jack, Jill, Sumi and Christopher (Skeleton Boy! I would call dibs, but that would be Neanderthal-ish, wouldn’t it? Sigh) delighted me with their interactions. Fantastic characters’ dynamics, really.

► Need more convincing? How about some quotes, okay?
■ “Because ‘boys will be boys’ is a self-fulfilling prophecy…” Go to #6
■ “This is not an asylum, and you are not mad – and so what if you were?…” Go to #0
■ “If they corner her because they’ve decided I’m guilty, she’s liable to hurt someone just so she can get away…” Go to #9
■ “Time resumed…” Go to #11

#4 Seanan McGuire‘s characters aren’t morally ambiguous, they use different scales of values as reference. And yes, by that I mean that each and every one of them offers a different definition for the old Goods and Evils. Their past in the fantastic world they discovered and the way their life unfolded once they returned “Home” – they matter : These characters are different, intriguing and fascinating. You should know that they’re disturbing too, though.

► Alright – Are you ready to meet the oddest group of friends?
■ YES : Go to #3
■ NO : Go to #10

#5 BAHAHAHAHAHA REALLY, did you think you could get away with this? Go to #4

#6 “Call it irony, if you like, but we spend so much time waiting for our boys to stray that they never have the opportunity. We notice the silence of men. We depend upon the silence of women.” Want more? Go to #3

#7 The funny thing is, this is not relevant. Go to #4

#8 : I don’t know what to tell you, really. I mean, have you watched the news? Please go watch the news.
■ If you changed your mind : Go to #1
■ If you didn’t : Go to #10

#9 “I’d rather not get expelled right after I’ve disposed of a body. Seems like a waste of good acid.” Want more? Go to #3

#10 : Hey, no hard feelings, but GAME OVER. Try again?

#11 : “Time had a way of doing that.” Want more? Go to #3

PS. Tell me, was it supposed to be hilarious? Because somehow I couldn’t stop laughing? Or is it yet another case of, Anna, really, your sense of humor sucks big time? I guess we’ll never know.

Hole : credit
Old Book : credit