Book Review: Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes

Title: Falling Kingdoms

Author: Morgan Rhodes

Series/Standalone: Falling Kingdoms Series (Book #1)

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy,

Pages: 412

Publisher: Razorbill

Year Published: 2012

Format: Paperback Copy (Own It)

"In the three kingdoms of Mytica, magic has long been forgotten. And while hard-won peace has reigned for centuries, a deadly unrest now simmers below the surface.

As the rulers of each kingdom grapple for power, the lives of their subjects are brutally transformed... and four key players, royals and rebels alike, find their fates forever intertwined. Cleo, Jonas, Lucia, and Magnus are caught in a dizzying world of treacherous betrayals, shocking murders, secret alliances, and even unforeseen love.
The only outcome that's certain is that kingdoms will fall. Who will emerge triumphant when all they know has collapsed?

It's the eve of war.... Choose your side.

Princess: Raised in pampered luxury, Cleo must now embark on a rough and treacherous journey into enemy territory in search of magic long thought extinct.

Rebel: Jonas, enraged at injustice, lashes out against the forces of oppression that have kept his country cruelly impoverished. To his shock, he finds himself the leader of a people's revolution centuries in the making.

Sorceress: Lucia, adopted at birth into the royal family, discovers the truth about her past—and the supernatural legacy she is destined to wield.

Heir: Bred for aggression and trained to conquer, firstborn son Magnus begins to realize that the heart can be more lethal than the sword...."

My Rating: 3.75/5

This was our physical book club book for December, and I've been loving it. I will say that at the ripe age of 28, it read for its intended audience, but there was a surprising amount of violence for that age range. I did enjoy the plot, the different characters and the timeline. The plot twists were pretty obvious throughout so I was hoping for more from that. But I will be reading the sequel. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: A Million Suns by Beth Revis

Title: A Million Suns

Author: Beth Revis

Series/Standalone: Across the Universe Series (Book #2)

Genre: Science Fiction, Young Adult, Romance

Pages: 386

Publisher: Razorbill

Year Published: 2012

Format: Audiobook

"Godspeed was once fueled by lies. now it is ruled by chaos.

It's been three months since Amy was unplugged. The life she always knew is over. Everywhere she looks, she sees the walls of the spaceship Godspeed.

But there may be hope: Elder has assumed leadership of the ship. He's finally free to act on his vision- no more Phydus, no more lies.

But when Elder learns shocking news about the ship, he and Amy race to discover the truth behind life on Godspeed. They must work together to unlock a mystery that was set in motion hundreds of years earlier. Their success- or failure- will determine the fate of the 2,298 passengers aboard Godspeed. But with each step, the journey becomes more perilous, the ship more chaotic, and the love between them more impossible to fight.

Beth Revis catapulted readers into the far reaches of space with her New York Times bestselling debut, Across the Universe. In A Million Suns, Beth deepens the mystery with action, suspense, romance, and deep philosophical questions. And this time it all builds to one mind-bending conclusion: They have to get off this ship."

My Rating: 4/5

I'm gonna be clear, this is a fast-paced, young adult science fiction book.... that was written in 2012. So if you are a twenty-something like me still reading through your tbr from when you were 18 you might know what I mean by this. And that would be the fact that there is a somewhat uninteresting romance in her. I get what the author was doing, I understand it was very standard for the time, but god damn do I not care about the romance in this. The rest of this book though is fascinating. The mystery aspects, the dual p.o.v. the different atmosphere changes within the ship itself, and the author's ability to keep the reader entertained throughout. I look forward to completing this series soon and would recommend it as a fun science fiction read to people who long for the 2012 nostalgia in their YA.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Title: Across the Universe

Author: Beth Revis

Series/Standalone: Across the Universe Series (Book #1)

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction

Pages: 398

Publisher: Razorbill

Year Published: 2011

Format: Paperback Copy (Own It)

First Line: "Daddy said, 'Let Mom go first.'"

"Book #1 in the New York Times bestselling trilogy, perfect for fans of Battlestar Gallactica and Prometheus!

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO SURVIVE ABOARD A SPACESHIP FUELED BY LIES?

Amy is a cryogenically frozen passenger aboard the spaceship Godspeed. She has left her boyfriend, friends-- and planet-- behind to join her parents as a member of Project Ark Ship. Amy and her parents believe they will wake on a new planet, Centauri-Earth, three hundred years in the future. But fifty years before Godspeed's scheduled landing, cryo chamber 42 is mysteriously unplugged, and Amy is violently woken from her frozen slumber.

Someone tried to murder her.

Now, Amy is caught inside an enclosed world where nothing makes sense. Godspeed's 2,312 passengers have forfeited all control to Eldest, a tyrannical and frightening leader. And Elder, Eldest's rebellious teenage heir, is both fascinated with Amy and eager to discover whether he has what it takes to lead. Amy desperately wants to trust Elder. But should she put her faith in a boy who has never seen life outside the ship's cold metal walls? All Amy knows is that she and Elder must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets before whoever woke her tries to kill again."

My Rating: 4/5

This book was a weird one for me. It's been a while since I read something so distinctly science fiction, and I really enjoy it. I thought that the atmosphere was great and that the way the story was told was interesting. My only real complaint about the book was the relationship between our main characters. This book does the thing that a lot of YA books published in this time did, there had to be a romantic interest, and I've outgrown that trope. I'm fine without it unless it really adds something to the plot. And this one didn't. That being said there are twists, turns, and reveals that threw me for a loop while reading this book, and I can't wait to see where the series goes.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: The Valiant by Lesley Livingston

Title: The Valiant
Author: Lesley Livingston
Series/Standalone: The Valiant Series (Book #1)
Genre: Historical Fiction, Young Adult
Pages: 372
Publisher: Razorbill
Year Published: 2017
Format: Hardback Copy (Own It)
First Line: "The steam rising off the backs of the cantering horses faded into the morning fog."

"Princess. Captive. Gladiator.

Fallon is the daughter of a proud Celtic king, the sister of the legendary warrior Sorcha, and the sworn enemy of Julius Caesar.

When Fallon was a child, Caesar's armies invaded her homeland, and her beloved sister was killed in battle.

Now, on the eve of her seventeenth birthday, Fallon is eager to follow in her sister's footsteps and earn her place in the fearsome Cantii war band. She never gets the chance.

Fallon is captured and sold to an elite training school for female gladiators- owned by none other than Julius Caesar. In a cruel twist of fate, the man who destroyed Fallon's family might be her only hope of survival.

Now Fallon must overcome vicious rivalries and deadly fights- in and out of the arena. And perhaps the most dangerous threat of all: her forbidden irresistible feelings for Cai, a young Roman soldier."

My Rating: 3.25/5

Overall, the enjoyment of this book just wasn't there. I liked it, it was ok. I read it for the Winter Magical Readathon and it was ok. I don't think that I would have read it quite so fast if I wasn't participating in a readathon. I did enjoy it it was entertaining, but overall just didn't have the amount of action that I hoped that it would. The romance also just wasn't my cup of tea at some points it felt forced and unnecessary. That being said that if I wanted a dash of historical fiction I would pick up the second book. I don't think that it would be one that I'd have to pick up remembering every single aspect of the first instalment. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir

Title: A Torch Against the Night
Author: Sabaa Tahir
Series/Standalone: An Ember in the Ashes (Book #2)
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance
Pages: 452
Publisher: Razorbill
Year Published: 2016
First Line: "How did they find us so fast?"

"Elias and Laia are running for their lives. After the events of the Fourth Trial, Martial soldiers hunt the two fugitives as they flee the city of Serra and undertake a perilous journey through the heart of the Empire.

Laia is determined to break into Kauf- the Empire's most secure and dangerous prison- to save her brother, who is the key to the Scholar's survival. And Elias is determined to help Laia succeed, even if it means giving up his last chance at freedom.

But dark forces, human and otherworldly, work against Laia and Elias. The pair must fight every step of the way to outsmart their enemies: the bloodthirsty Emperor Marcus, the merciless Commandant, the sadistic Warden of Kauf, and, most heartbreaking of all, Helene- Elias's former friend and the Empire's newest Blood Shrike.

Bound to Marcus's will, Helene faces a torturous mission of her own- one that might destroy her: find the traitor Elias Veturius and the Scholar slave who helped him escpae... and kill them both."

My Rating: 4/5

So for anyone who may be unsure. This is the second book in the Ember's in the Ashes's series. That means this book review will likely contain spoilers for the first book. Sorry...
Now that that's out of the way. I really enjoyed this book. I considered not picking up the seoncd book in the series because I wasn't completely blown away by the first novel. I enjoyed it, I thought it was interesting enough, but not something that knocked my socks off. 
But this second book wasn't getting the best reviews either. Other's were saying that it was a disappointment compaired to the first book, so I thought since my opinions seem to be completely differentmaybe they would be. And I really enjoyed this book. I thought that the characters grew so much and became so much more flushed out. We learn so much more about the politics in this world.And the plot twists here and there were perfect. I would say that this didn't get a 5/5 because it didnt' pull me in right right away which might be because I wasn't sure about it going in. But that's just my little old opinion. Let me know your down below.

Thanks for reading,
Sidny 

Spoiler: A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir

So if you've been here a while you may have seen my review of An Ember In the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir. So I wasn't as pumped about it as so many others seemed to be. I didn't hate it I thought that it was fine. I didn't love it either though. I wasn't as drawn in as so many others were with the first book. I bought this book not sure if I would love it or even like it for that much. So when I started to really get into this book I was trash before I knew it. I loved the change of pace, being on the run from people who can track anyone who are trained to kill. A rescue mission and magic none the less. That being said it took my a little while to get truly into the story. I can't wait to see where the rest of this series goes and if more perspectives will come along or not. I'm enjoying the three we have so far but I'll mention more below.

Characters:
Elias: I love Elias, I know it's kind of messed up because he's now a Grim reaper type guy but he is so good. Too good to be a mask. To kill with no reason. To not care. He's got a troubled past sure thing but I'm expecting that Harper is going to come and stir up some shit that he doesn't even know about. I can't wait.

Laia: I think that her character really changed as well. She started to see that people were taking her movements seriously. I thought that while some of her actions were rash, they were what she believed was necessary to save her brother. I'm curious about her powers and what she will do now that Darin has been saved.

Helene: My heart breaks for her but she has truly been unmade. She will get through this because she is the strongest of them all. She's put up with being rejected, being lead by a psychopath and then watching her family be killed. I can't wait to see her next move.

Darin: Is he going to be whole after what he went through?

The Commandant: She's crazy if she thinks she can just overthrough everyone, but it makes sense that she would go for it. She's ruthless if nothing else.

The Warden: I kept picturing him as a Crow from Game of Thrones but spookier. To experiment of prisoners is horrifying but he had true power in that prison. With the fear that those who walked it's halls must have felt. 

Keenan: Our should I say not Keenan ( I had a better lead up but I forgot it). The Nightbringer is coming and he doesn't give a single F*ck about anyone. He wants to free his own true, but he also wants to kill many for what they did to him. 

Marcus: The way he played with the Commandant makes me happy, but he has a lot more battles to fight to win the support of those around him, and hopefully those around him give him a hell of a fight right back. Especially Helene.


Moments to Remember:
Final Line: "'Look at you.'"

Thanks for reading,
Sidny

Book Review: The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Macker

Title: The Future of Us
Author: Jay Asher and Carolyn Macker
Series/Standalone: Standalone
Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Fiction
Form Read: Audiobook
Publisher: Razorbill
Year Published: 2011

"It's 1996, and Josh and Emma have been neighbours their whole lives. They've been best friends almost as long- at least, up until last November, when Josh did something that changed everything. Things have been weird between them ever since, but when Josh's family get a free AOL CD in the mail, his mom makes him bring it over so that Emma can install it on her new computer. When they sign on, they're automatically logged onto their Facebook pages. But Facebook hasn't been invented yet. And they're looking at themselves fifteen years in the future.
By refreshing their pages, they learn that making different decisions now will affect the outcome of their lives later. And as they grapple with the ups and downs of what their futures hold, they're forced to confront what they're doing right- and wrong- in the present."

My Rating: 3/5

This was another audiobook that I took out from my local library for my road trip to see my boyfriend. I found that it was easy to listen to this book on the commute to work and while I was at the gym. Yes, I'm trying to go to the gym, and with books, it's not so horrible. That being said I wasn't the hugest fan of this book.  I thought that while it held an interesting concept, I didn't find it to be as entertaining as I hoped. I thought that the characters were annoying at many points of the story and even whiny. I also found that they sounded more childish than I imagined. I also thought that this was a dorky contemporary book, it held many interesting thoughts such as how you're now can change the future.

Thanks for reading,
Sidny

Spoiler: The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler

So as I will mention in the review, I got this book on loan through overdrive and my local library. I thought that this book was an interesting concept into looking in the future and how one small choice can ripple and completely change your future. That being said, I didn't enjoy the characters at all. I thought that they were completely immature, I know that they're like 16 and 17, but seriously they were annoying me. 
Overall this book was ok. I didn't love it, I didn't hate it. It was a solid mah.

Characters:
Emma: I thought that she was a self-centered ass. I really didn't appreciate her character. She just didn't seem to care about those around her. She put herself first and did what she thought was best for her with no regard. The first time I was on her side, but I also thought that sometimes you gotta play it by ear.

Josh: I think that Josh had good intentions but the teenage boy stereotypes were too real. "I gotta like this girl cause she's so damn hot." Screw that. Don't write that. Be different. Be better. I did appreciate the fact that he wanted Emma to stop and think about what she was doing and who she could be hurting.

Kellan: But does she get pregnant, though?????

Tyson: Once again the stereotypes are too real. Chill, skater guy. #90s.

Cody: Saw this one coming from miles away. This character really reminded me of a lot of people I went to high school with.  I guess he was single in the future for a reason.

Sydney: Hot but not necessarily the one. I hope she got what she wanted out of life in the long run.


Thanks for reading,
Sidny

Book Review: An Ember In The Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

Title: An Ember In The Ashes 
Author: Sabaa Tahir
Series/Standalone: An Ember In The Ashes (Book #1)
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, Science Fiction
Pages: 446
Publisher: Razorbill
Year Published: 2015
First Line: "My brother reaches home in the dark hours before dawn, when even ghosts take their rest."

"Laia is a slave.
Elias is a soldier.
Neither is free.
Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Laia and her family do not challege the Empire. They've seen what happens to those who do.
But when Laia's brother is arrested for treason, she is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire's greatest military academy.
There, Laia meets Elias, the school's finest soldier- and secretly, its most unwilling. he and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are interwined- and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself."

My Rating: 4.5/5

So I've read this book in the course of a few days because I had a beautiful stomach flu. Yay for working with children. But anyways I thought that this book was an excellent fantasy read. It was action packed and filled with characters that are unique. I will say that there are a few things in this book that I found to be bothersome. One of them is just a pet peeve I have about many books which I'll explain further in the spoiler. This being said, it didn't get a full 5/5 just based on these feelings (I know the emotion). I found that the action and twists really kept me interested in the story of both our main characters. I also found that there were many characters that made me wonder more about the world and the its past. I also wonder about many characters past that we won't have the opportunity to see, unless it digs deeper in the next book (which I plan to pick up very soon). I can't wait to continue the story and see what happens with the characters we know, and am hopeful in exploring a change of setting.

Thanks for reading,
Sidny