Book Review: Darkness by Ciye Cho

Title: Darkness

Author: Ciye Cho

Series: Florence Waverly Series (Book #3)

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult

Pages: 245

Publisher: Studio Amazepop

Year Published: 2015

First Line: “In a dark cavern, I found myself standing in a cage.”

“A dire prophecy has emerged and the mer believe that humans and merfolk are in grave danger. Terror is closing in, but only one person hold the key to stop it: Florence Waverly. However, her mission to save two worlds will lead her far, far out into the darkness0 a shadow realm full of monsters, magic and wicked tides that could tear apart bodies.

With the help of her friend, Florry must uncover a secret about humans and mer. A long-lost secret that could change her life. And above al else she must fight hard to light the darkness. Everything depends on her mission: her friends, her world and the one she loves.

The past, present and future are about to collide- but can she stay afloat? One way or another nothing will be the same when she enters the Darkness.”

My Rating: 3.5/5

This is the most recent instalment of the Florence Waverly Series just released previously this year. I found this story to be interesting, and when thinking back to the other Florence Waverly volumes I realize how much the main character in this series has grown. Florence has gone from a timid mouse of a human to someone who is willing to do anything for those she cares about. This is proven time and time again throughout this novel.

 Although, I must say that the details in this book seemed to slip slightly and I found it difficult to picture some of the things that were going on in this fantasy world.

Overall this series has been a thrilling adventure filled with romance, emotion and imagination.

To create such a world in such a short amount of time is impressive, and Ciye Cho should certainly have a following of YA readers that enjoy a taste for adventure.

THANK YOU CIYE CHO FOR TAKING US ON A GREAT ADVENTUE AND TESTING THE LIMITS!

Thank you for reading,

Love,

Sidny xoxo

Spoiler: Darkness by Ciye Cho

As mentioned above this is the third instalment in the Florence Waverly Series that has just come out this year. I was impressed by the self-published author Ciye Cho, as it must take a lot to go solo on a series such as these. I was even more impressed with how he created a world and a way of life through his words. His characters have grown and changed and I couldn’t be happier with it. I do have a few questions, as always, but all in all this was a good book.

♥Characters♥

♥Florence Waverly: The main character of these stories has truly changed. She is no longer timid and afraid to show who she is, in fact she shows who she is proudly and steps into the role of hero in this third book. I was impressed by the fact she walked into the Shadow Fyre. She did what had to be done to save those she loved, although she knows it could change her forever. Although I never found Florence very relatable, although this could be because she is so wishie washie about every decision she makes and I’m more the type of person who leaps in. All or nothing.

  

♥Rolan: He has also changed. He is more willing to show himself for who he is as well as able to confess his love for Florence without thinking he is “stealing” her soul. In fact, it takes two to tango, and Florence and Rolan dance this dance quite well. I wish them all the best in the future although I don’t think that all in Nimelia will be impressed with this changed Florry.

  

♥Mara: Mara has also changed. Although she gives it her all, she isn’t afraid to care for people around her (Wynn, Florence, Rolan). She fights truly till the end. Even though she finds out her father is a traitor she carries on like a true warrior.

♥Wynn: At the beginning I was questioning Wynn’s loyalties, but I believe once again her remains loyal to Florence and Rolan.

  

♥Kiren: Where did you go again????

♥Malor: I don’t know if he’s crazy, or if his madness stems from the beginning of his kind. Could it be possible that this is the colony Cornelius found? Did the darkness that affected Cornelius’s body also affect his mind and affect the leadership found here?

♥Moments to Remember♥

♥Pg. 114

“‘You’re holding me to tight,’ I whispered.

‘Maybe I’m trying to make sure you don’t slip away.

‘I’m not going anywhere.’”

♥Final Line: “It’s not over…”

Thanks for reading,

Love,

Sidny xoxo

Book Review: Maplecroft by Cherie Priest

Title: Maplecroft

Author: Cherie Priest

ISBN:9780451466976

Series/Novel: The Borden Dispatches (Book #1)

Genre: Horror, Fantasy, Historical Fiction

Pages: 435

Publisher: Roc Trade

Year Published: 2014

First Line: “No one else is allowed in the cellar.”

“Lizzie Borden took an axe and gave her mother forty whacks, and when she saw what she had done, she gave her father forty-one…

The people of Fall River, Massachusetts, fear me. Perhaps rightfully so. I remain a suspect in the brutal deaths of my father and his second wife despite the verdict of innocence at my trial. With our inheritance, my sister, Emma, and I have taken up residence in Maplecroft, a mansion near the sea and far from gossip and scrutiny.

But it is not far enough for the affliction that possessed my parents. Their characters, their very souls, were consumed from within by something that left malevolent entities in their place. It originates from the ocean’s depths, plaguing the populace with tides of nightmares and madness.

This evil cannot hide from me. No matter what guise it assumes, I will be waiting for it. With an axe.”

My Rating: 3.5/5

This book has taken me a long while to finish (damn you college). I’ve been reading this book for far too long and since it’s the end of the year I’ve decided it’s about time to get my but in gear on free reading time. Who needs a beach body when you’ve got reading to prepare for!

This book is much different than I thought it would be. I assumed that the book would be closer to historical fiction; perhaps the madness that ensued after the murder had taken place. It didn’t cross my mind that this rendition would be so far fetched. That being said this book certainly had moments that intrigued me, whilst making my skin crawl.

Cherie Priest has an interesting imagination, and this book shows her writing talent. The fact that she was able to make me truly believe in things that are unthinkable shows that she has true talent.

I was intrigued by the characters as well as amazed at the way the story carried out. I never thought that this book would take so many twists and turns.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes thrillers with a mix of fantasy. This book touches on both of these genres.

Thanks for reading,

Love,

Sidny xoxo

Spoiler: Maplecroft by Cherie Priest

As mentioned above this book took me completely by surprise. I have been fascinated by Lizzie Borden since I watched the Lifetime movie about her trial and the death of her parents.

I expected this book to follow Lizzie through what many assume that she did, but rather this book took a turn towards fantasy. Claiming that the murder was in self-defence as her parents turned into monsters. At first a believed this was descent into madness, but as I continued to read I understood that this book was taking a completely different spin to the story.

In all honesty, this is not my favourite book of all time. And that’s alright, you won’t like them all. There will be some that simply will not be for you and that’s a-ok. This story just didn’t make sense to me. The idea of things coming from the ocean to take over was interesting and at times horrifying, but it didn’t gather my full interest, rather it bothered me that such an interesting real story had been changed so dramatically into this fantasy.

♥Characters♥

♥Lizzie: I noticed that Lizzie is portrayed as a hero in this telling of her story. If you do not know who Lizzie Borden is a highly suggest you look it up. It is an interesting case in history that I found fascinating. This story changed the ideas that are shared by many about the case of the Borden deaths. I can’t say that I like the character of Lizzie. Perhaps this is because I’ve assumed she was the villain for so long that this book could not change my mind.

That being said I felt for Lizzie after Nance is “infected” it couldn’t be easy to see the love your life become something that you have had to kill previously. That would mean that you would have next to no one to look after, other than Emma who has apparently just decided to peace out of the whole situation.

♥Emma: I think that Emma has an interesting side to this story. What made her sick? Why is she this way? And how did she come to realize her true calling of science, considering such things were not very lady-like in her time. I believe that she is smart, although very self-concerned. I know that Professor Zollicoffer was coming, but she didn’t appear the least concerned about what the death of Nance would do to her sister, or the fact that the rest of the town was going straight to Hell.

♥Dr. Seabury: It is terribly sad that he began to go crazy by the end of the whole scenario. Increasingly so because of the way his solution worked out to help Emma and Lizzie. Although he may not remember it, he did save the town. Lucky for them, but they will only stay safe as long as he doesn’t go through the full transformation as Zollicoffer.

♥Professor Zollicoffer: So this guy was crazy, simply because something came from the ocean. And in today’s world there are only a ton of cities by the ocean in the 21^st century. No reason to fear the Mother. Any who, I thought that this man would be smarter about defeating Emma and Lizzie, but really he seemed to be decently easy to overcome. In reality, they all should have died.

♥Nance: Curiosity killed the cat. Don’t go to the basement could not have been clearer, but apparently the call was too great for this girl.

♥Moments to Remember♥

♥Pg. 173

“‘I saw the Hamiltons’ bodies.’

 I wouldn’t have been more stunned if he’d taken off his shirt and done a little dance.”

♥Pg. 230

“She so beautifully disturbed the darkness, all flapping shape in gray and white. Like an owl. With that kind of grace and silence.”

♥Final Line: “Perhaps I can be of greater service to mankind without you.”

Thanks for reading,

Love,

Sidny xoxo

Fancy Meeting You Here

Hello to anyone reading this. 
It's been far to long since I have posted anything. It's getting sad really. I haven't forgotten about this blog. It's just been extremely busy. But here's what going on on this blog.
Today I logged on to check stats and see if I could update anything. I looked at the stats and we had approximately 133 views. Just for today. What is up with that?!? I'm loving that! 

So now I have a question for you!
What would you like to see? What is an improvement that could be made? Would you be interested in more personal posts or keeping with the reviews?
Let me know in the comments or email me at sweetgirlsid@hotmail.com

Thanks for reading,
Love,
Sidny xoxo

Book Reivew: Luminaire by Ciye Cho

 

Title: Luminaire

Author: Ciye Cho

Series/Novel: Florence Waverly Series (Book #2)

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Form Read: eBook

Pages: 200

Publisher: Studio Amazepop

Year Published: 2012

First Line: “Everything had to be perfect.”

“Being the only human in the world of merfolk… isn’t easy. Florence Waverly chose to stay in Nimela, but things have gone awry. Secrets have risen and the prince she cares about has pulled away. All the while, dark dreams warn her of a tragedy that only she can stop. But in order to save the merman she loves, Florence will have to enter the Life Path tournament: a brutal test of fear and madness.

The tournament is a rite of passage—a maze where young mermaids and mermen battle to find their purpose. It is also a place where Florence will face grave danger: mermaids with evil magic, tunnels filled with sea fire and guardians who wish to use her as a pawn for their secret plans. But will Florence be strong enough to survive the tournament… or will she perish inside it?

Everything hangs in the balance: her life, her world, her love.”

My Rating: 4.5/5

Hi there. Hope that you are all having a great weekend and enjoying this brand new month of March. I hope that I’m not the only one that is having the busiest times in school EVER! So forth the delay in review.

Today I will be reviewing Luminaire by Ciye Cho. This is the second book the Florence Waverly series. It continues following Florence as she discovers new things about the mers and works her way through Nimela’s societal pressures.

This book was surprisingly better than the last one. I don’t mean that to sound as though the first one was a bad story, rather I mean that sequels usually don’t do the first book justice. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was interesting, exciting and suspenseful (also including just the right amount of romance). I loved seeing more of Nimela and learning more about how their society functions. The idea that all Nimelans work together and choose a life path was already of interest, but to add a tournament was genius.

We also get to meet many more characters and learn more about the characters we already know. It was interesting to find out more about the life paths first hand from characters studying them.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in fantasy along with a little bit of romance. It is not frightening or including dystopia with is hard to come by for people who like fantasy right now.

Thanks for reading,

Love,

Sidny xoxo

Spoiler: Luminaire by Ciye Cho

Welcome! (That sounded really cool in my head). Today I will be writing about the second instalment in the Florence Waverly Series, Luminaire by Ciye Cho. This book follows Florence Waverly through the steps she takes to become one of the Nimelans. All Nimelans must have a life path, and Florence doesn’t believe she is an exception; the only catch is that she is human. That’s rough.

I was impressed with this book. It was a thrilling read, although it took me a long time to read, it was entertaining which is something that is important in books for me. The setting was improved and I was able to understand the inner workings of Nimela far better. Especially the idea that Nimela has a heart was a thoroughly interesting aspect of this book. It is interesting to think about.

♥Characters♥

♥ Florence: She has really grown into who she is. She seems less afraid to stand for what she believes in. She is wiling to fight Rolan not just sit back while he orders her around. Although entering a maze filled with deadly creatures to defy him is going a bit far, but I think we’ve all done that at some point in our lives. “I’ll prove you wrong HA!” I think she deserved to be accepted by the animal trainers, but unfortunately that wasn’t possible although the way she crossed Provonox can’t help her any. Hopefully she is still able to find a place in the kingdom.

♥ Rolan: He was kind of a jerk. Let’s be honest here, he was sending her the message they were done to protect himself from what he might become. I hope that he realizes his mistake and doesn’t do this again because that would just get old very quickly, especially after how sweet and nice he was at the end of this book. I think that I grew attached to him at the end of this book and if he’s a jerk again, I’m gonna go through an emotionally confused state. I also hope that he is more wary of his councillors.

♥ Yolee: It’s sad that she wasn’t able to end the tournament at the same time as the other builder novices, but she seems young and too nervous to be able to survive the whole maze by herself. I couldn’t have seen that ending well. I’m happy she went straight to builder, because seeing her die would be heartbreaking.

♥ Wynn: I can see him getting corrupted by the Guardians, it’s a bad thing to say, but it’s quite possible. Also can we mention he’s adorable and he should definitely be with Marilenna. It would counteract her attitude.

♥ Marilenna: She seemed like a real arse at the beginning. And no I didn’t originally type arse. But throughout the story she changed. I wouldn’t be surprise that she is working against them, I’m suspicious though sooo. But other than that she seems to be living under her father’s ideas and to take her life into her own hands was a hard thing for her to do, but she did it!

♥ Provonox: He’s a sly son of a gun. And don’t you forget it. Just because he let Wynn join his life path doesn’t mean he’s any better. I think he’s just trying to seem like a better person, that won’t last long.

♥ Kieran: WHAT THE HELL?!?! What is going on here???

♥Moments to Remember♥

♥Pg. 129

“‘I seek out the human… because she means more to me than anything else.’”

♥Final Line: “‘At last you awaken. Good… It is time for our work to begin.’”

  

Thanks for reading,

Love,

Sidny xoxo

Book Review: End of Days by Eric Walters

Title: End of Days

Author: Eric Walters

Series/Novel: Novel

Genre: Science Fiction, Young Adult

Pages: 316

Publisher: Doubleday Canada

Year Published: 2011

First Line: “It looked like a giant butterfly fluttering though space, the wings of its solar panels extended to gather in the power from the sun’s rays.”

“The world’s most important astrophysicists, astronomers, and mathematicians have all died within the same twelve-month period. Or so their families and friends think. What very few know is that the countdown to doomsday has begun: an asteroid is racing towards the planet, threatening to extinguish humanity as we know it. The world’s brightest minds are actually huddled together in a secret location, desperately plotting to avert a catastrophe. But it’s only when Billy, a teenage boy with rare gifts, is recruited to the cause that they can hope to prevail over evil and return themselves- and Earth- to safety.”

My Rating: 2/5

Hey readers. Today I will be reviewing End of Days by Eric Walters. This book takes place a few decades in the future when there is news that there is an asteroid headed for our planet. It focuses on two main groups different ways of confronting this problem and how both of those confrontation go. I was very interested in this book as it has to do with the story of the end of days. That’s a story that authors rarely write about as it is a horrifying thing for us to think about. To think about humanity ending as we know it is scary, but it usually makes for a good book.

This book didn’t really do anything for me. I read it, I understood it but I can’t say I enjoyed it. I found it to be bland and dry. Hard to get through. As well as not going into enough detail with the characters. The characters didn’t connect to me at all and vice versa. I would recommend this book to someone with a large interest of dystopia and space, but be prepared for a book that doesn’t really tackle emotions.

THANK YOU ERIC WALTERS FOR SHOWING THE WORLD CRUMBLING!

Thank you for reading,

Love,

Sidny xoxo

Spoiler: End of Days by Eric Walters

Hey you!! Haven’t written in a while. Today I’ll be reviewing End of Days by Eric Walters. I’d like to begin with saying this book didn’t really do anything for me. I wasn’t impressed and I didn’t find it interesting. The only aspect that I did find interesting was the way that humans reacted to their impending doom and the way the world as we know it now started to crumble. I did think that this book would focus in more on the characters and the dangers at stake, but it really didn’t do that. I didn’t feel anything during this book, and I didn’t feel for the characters. When people died, I kind of just thought, oh well and carried on reading. That’s not a way that I enjoy feeling when I read.

♥Characters♥

♥Daniel Sheppard: I think that he really got dealt a shitty hand. He got handed a project to stop an asteroid while there was a terrorist group working against him and no real answers to the problem at hand. It didn’t surprise me that people wanted him dead. People always want someone to blame when things go wrong and who better to blame then the man who seemed to have all the answers.

♥Billy: This kid lucked out, he found a way to survive. I wonder if he thinks about all the children he left behind and the world he lived in. I think it would be difficult to forget them and let them die so easily. I hope his adventures in space go well and he appears to be a good leader. Someone I would have liked to know more about.

♥Joshua Fitchett: I knew that he wasn’t dead. This information had 0% shock value. No I didn’t anticipate that he would have a secret cave to save humanity as we know it, but that sounds like what his character would have been designed to do. I think that his plan may work out but he forgets that humans are unpredictable and if a riot begins below the surface or on the space shuttle, there will not be a chance of humanity surviving.

♥Markell: No one steps down from a hire up position to be a nobody without a reason. His death was unfortunate but likely. Who better to kill off then one of Daniel’s closest peers.

♥Moments to Rememeber♥

♥Pg. 312

“‘I don’t know if I’ve said this before, but thank you for everything,’ Billy said.

‘No need for thanks. Just fulfill your destiny.’

‘I’ll try,’ Billy said.

‘No, don’t try. Succeed. Have no doubts, because I have none.’”

♥Final Line: “‘No,’ Fitchett said. ‘Not the end… it’s the beginning.’”

Thanks for reading,

Love,

Sidny xoxo

Book Review: Florence by Ciye Cho

Title: Florence

Author: Ciye Cho

Series/Novel:  Florence Waverly Series (Book #1)

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance

Pages: 240

Publisher: Studio Amazepop

Year Published: 2012

First Line: “I positioned the rifle against my left shoulder.”

“Seventeen-year-old Florence Waverly is out of her depth. Literally. Kidnapped and taken below the waves to the mer world of Niemela, she is the ultimate gift for merman Prince Kiren: a human familiar tied to his side. But nothing is what it seems amid the beauty and danger of a dark ocean.

Every Niemelan has a role to play, from the mermaids who weave towers out of kelp to the warriors who fight the sea monsters. But in trying to survive, Florence will end up in the middle of a war between the mer and the Darkness. A conflict that will push her between two brothers: Kiren, the charmer inexplicably drawn to both her and the monsters; and Rolan, the loner who has been pushing her away since the day they met. But in order to take a stand and find out where she belongs—Florence will have to risk it all: her life, her heart and her very soul.”

My Rating: 4.5/5

I would like to start with this book was requested by the author for a review. That being said it doesn’t change the fact that this is still an honest and opinion based review. Those who have read frequently know that all my reviews are based on opinion.

Now onto the serious stuff. This book surprised me in many ways. First off the way the setting was described as well as the passing of time. The way that the characters look and were portrayed throughout the book. These two things along with how the plot itself played out.

To start with, the setting in this story is really untouched territory for me. I think I have read one other mermaid based book but that was probably about 7 years ago. It is completely up to the author how the city of Niemela looked and how it was described. It’s up to the reader to envision the authors words. Ciye Cho did a lot of describing in this book and that helped me as a reader to understand the world he was creating. This was a very interesting idea and the idea of how the city was versus the darkness outside of it was both interesting and terrifying. The only thing that made me upset about the setting and timing was the timing itself. The days seemed to long in the book. I realize that this is something that is difficult for authors to use as the characters are made to pass through the days. This reason alone is why the book lost .5 points for me.

The characters were another untouched area. What a mermaid looks like is really up to your imagination. And once I got used to how the author described the mermaids and mermen, I enjoyed the creativity. The colours themselves were at first hard to comprehend but after given time a delight to imagine.

Lastly, the plot. This book had many unexpected twists and turns which I did not anticipate. That’s what I love to read about. At the beginning I was sceptical as I thought this book was on a sure path but as I read I became increasingly intrigued.

THANK YOU CIYE CHO FOR BUILDING A WHOLE NEW WORLD IN SUCH VIVID COLOUR!

Thanks for reading,

Love,

Sidny xoxo