Talon by Julie Kagawa

Reading Level: Ages 12 and up
Paperback: 400 Pages
Release Date: October 28, 2014
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Narration: First Person:
Ember, Garrett, Riley
Genre: Dragons/Paranormal

The Talon Series:
Book One: Talon
Book Two: Rouge
Book Three: Unknown
Book Four: Unknown
Book Five: Unknown

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Long ago, dragons were hunted to near extinction by the Order of St. George, a legendary society of dragon slayers. Hiding in human form and growing their numbers in secret, the dragons of Talon have become strong and cunning, and they're positioned to take over the world with humans none the wiser.

Ember and Dante Hill are the only sister and brother known to dragonkind. Trained to infiltrate society, Ember wants to live the teen experience and enjoy a summer of freedom before taking her destined place in Talon. But destiny is a matter of perspective, and a rogue dragon will soon challenge everything Ember has been taught. As Ember struggles to accept her future, she and her brother are hunted by the Order of St. George.

Soldier Garret Xavier Sebastian has a mission to seek and destroy all dragons, and Talon's newest recruits in particular. But he cannot kill unless he is certain he has found his prey: and nothing is certain about Ember Hill. Faced with Ember's bravery, confidence and all-too-human desires, Garret begins to question everything that the Order has ingrained in him: and what he might be willing to give up to find the truth about dragons.

My Review:

Talon reminded me a lot of Sophie Jordan's Firelight.

Obviously the most prominent similarity being that they both revolve around dragons, but it went much deeper than that. Like Firelight, this book sported a star-crossed romance between a dragon and a dragon slayer. Adding to that, the third person in the love triangle was another dragon. There were more parallels than that, but for the sake of spoilers, I'm going to keep them out.

Talon was a very entertaining, action-packed, humor filled read. I had high expectations for Julie Kagawa after reading her Iron Fey series, and she definitely met them. I have to admit; I'm always quite wary when it comes to having expectations before starting a book, but I should've never doubted Julie's utter epicness. She always writes books filled to the brim with seat-gripping action, swoony romance, and sarcastic humor. What else could you possibly want? Ember was a headstrong, fiery (pardon the pun), and loyal character. She had a temper and was impulsive, but not overly so. Lately, I've been having issues with reading about characters who are too set on getting their way, ignoring advice from everyone else just because they don't want to be told what to do. There's a fine line between strength and stupidity. Ember made mistakes and raged a few times, but she grounded herself with the help of her loved ones.

The love triangle wasn't technically a love triangle....but it sorta was at the same time. We have two contenders at the moment, Garrett and Cobalt. However, despite Ember's attraction to both, it's obvious that her human side has stronger feelings for Garrett. He's the one always on her mind. They gradually fell in love through surfing lessons, carnival rides, and all the other cutesy things they did. With Cobalt, it was more primal instinct than anything else. Their dragons called to each other and when they were in dragon form, they could barely resist each other. What I'm thinking right now is that she'll end up with Garrett. However, there are two major problems standing in their way. One being the obvious "He's the enemy" sort of thing, but really, what's stopped two star-crossed lovers before? In fact, in most YA novels that seems to be the key factor. Impossible lovers = Definite relationship. Though there's also the issue that he's a human...and she's a dragon, a creature that lives for hundreds of years. This isn't Twilight. She can't bite him and turn him into a dragon so they can have a happily ever after. Unless some new secret about Garrett is revealed in the upcoming books, I can't see how they can be together in the long run.

Despite the fun I had reading this, the plot wasn't exactly original. Two radical societies hell bent on the destruction of the other. Two people from each society realizing that the world isn't as black and white as it had originally seemed. Later on in the series other people probably begin to realize the same thing, which leads to some sort of revolution and ends in either the abolishment of the old systems or the epiphany that things must change in order for both sides to survive. It's a storyline we've seen thousands of times before, but that didn't lessen my enjoyment of it. It still had me gripping my seat, wondering what was going to happen next.

Overall, I enjoyed Talon very much. It was fast-paced, fun, and full of humor. The writing was amazing, as Julie Kagawa's writing always is and the dragon lore that was introduced was explained well. I was never left wondering about what something meant or how something worked, but I'm looking forward to delving deeper into the history of dragons in the next novel.

Cover- 6/5 Simple, yet undeniably gorgeous!

Heroine- 4.5/5

Romance- 4.5/5

Action- 5/5

Writing- 5/5

Humor- 5/5

Overall- 4.5/5

Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo

Reading Level: Ages 12 and up
Hardcover: 417 Pages
Release Date: June 17, 2014
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Narration: First Person: Alina
Genre: Fantasy/Magic
Source: Amazon
Trailer: Trailer One ! Trailer Two

The Grisha Series
Book One: Shadow and Bone
Book Two: Siege and Storm
Book Three: Ruin and Rising

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Goodreads Synopsis:

The capital has fallen. 

The Darkling rules Ravka from his shadow throne.

Now the nation's fate rests with a broken Sun Summoner, a disgraced tracker, and the shattered remnants of a once-great magical army.

Deep in an ancient network of tunnels and caverns, a weakened Alina must submit to the dubious protection of the Apparat and the zealots who worship her as a Saint. Yet her plans lie elsewhere, with the hunt for the elusive firebird and the hope that an outlaw prince still survives.

Alina will have to forge new alliances and put aside old rivalries as she and Mal race to find the last of Morozova's amplifiers. But as she begins to unravel the Darkling's secrets, she reveals a past that will forever alter her understanding of the bond they share and the power she wields. The firebird is the one thing that stands between Ravka and destruction—and claiming it could cost Alina the very future she’s fighting for.

My Review:

Cover Thoughts: Hurrah! Consistent cover schemes! 

An idea that is seemingly unheard of in YA novels nowadays since publishers seem to love irritating book-buyers. The Grisha series is my favorite set of covers on my bookshelf. I mean, come on, have you seen the spines side by side?

WARNING: THIS REVIEW IS FULL OF SERIOUS SPOILERS. DO NOT READ UNLESS YOU'VE FINISHED THE BOOK. 

On a side note, it's also full of incoherent ramblings, 

so I apologize if it doesn't make sense.

Ruin and Rising was nothing like I had expected. All the little notes I scribbled down depicting what I believed would happen (who am I kidding, I don't write notes) never came to pass. To be honest, Alina losing her powers was a plot twist that never even crossed my mind. In YA novels, we've seen main characters die, we've seen their love interests die, we've seen their animal companions die, actually now that I think of it, most plot twists involve an awful amount of death. Alina and her sun summoning abilities seemed to be a package deal, permanent. When they just disappeared...I was like, "Nah, they're has to be something more to it." But as time progressed, I realized that it was set in stone, that she would never be a summoner again. One thing that I really liked was how she reacted to losing her powers. She wasn't a perfect heroine who felt all rainbows and butterflies for having saved Ravka; she mourned the loss of her power because it had been a part of her for so long. She was ashamed of her shallowness, considering all of the people who died in the battle, but she accepted it.

Originally, I was shipping Nikolai and Alina together. Please tell me that I'm not the only one who did. From the reviews on Goodreads, it looks like everyone was either for the Darkling or for Mal. The Darkling wasn't exactly evil, but I felt like he was too far gone to be redeemed within one novel. Maybe, if there were still more books in the series, Alina could've brought him back from the deep end, but since this was a trilogy, I predicted that they wouldn't be together in the end. If they did, I would've stabbed myself. Don't get me wrong, I felt for him and all the burdens he had to carry, but he was such a horrible person the majority of the time. The part where he said that Alina was nothing when she lost her powers? I was about to get violent. However, I do admit he still had his heartfelt moments.

 “In this moment he was just a boy -brilliant, blessed with too much power, burdened by eternity.” “Aleksander," I whispered. A boy's name, given up. Almost forgotten.”

Despite this smidgen of goodness in him, he was still pretty evil to me. 

On the other hand, I had nothing concrete against Mal. He was a childhood friend, understood her personality in ways no one else could, and had this undeniable bond with her since the start. Fate brought them together. Yet, I felt that Mal would never understand the Grisha side of her. He saw her as Alina, his best friend, the orphan he grew up with who taught him to not be afraid of the dark. He didn't see her as a powerful Grisha who had this immense power within her, who was afraid of herself because of the growing greed inside her. Not being a Grisha himself, he couldn't comprehend the nonstop struggles that came with suppressing her powers. While Mal was strengthened by normal, every-day living in normal every-day cities, Alina was weakened by it.That's why I felt like Nikolai was the best match for her. For one thing, he grew up surrounded by Grisha and was used to commanding his own crew of them. Although he wasn't a summoner, which for some reason I thought he was, he understood her powers better than Mal ever could. Although the Darkling understood her the best of all, he wanted to use her power for nefarious purposes, which is why I counted him out. Nikolai was like the center between two extremes. The Darkling represented exploitation. Mal represented suppression. Nikolai was the balance. 

Reason number two: His humor.

“I saw the prince when I was in Os Alta,” said Ekaterina. “He’s not bad looking.”

“Not bad looking?” said another voice. “He’s damnably handsome.”

Luchenko scowled. “Since when—”

“Brave in battle, smart as a whip.” Now the voice seemed to be coming from above us. Luchenko craned his neck, peering into the trees. “An excellent dancer,” said the voice. “Oh, and an even better shot.”

“Who—” Luchenko never got to finish. A blast rang out, and a tiny black hole appeared between his eyes.

I gasped. “Imposs—”

“Don’t say it,” muttered Mal.” 

This part of the book almost killed me. Tears were literally pouring out of my eyes! His sense of humor matched Alina's perfectly.

“On the fourth day, we came upon a cavern with a perfectly still pool that gave the illusion of a night sky, its depths sparkling with tiny luminescent fish.

Mal and I were slightly ahead of the others. He dipped his hand in, then yelped and drew back. “They bite.”

“Serves you right,” I said. “‘Oh, look, a dark lake full of something shiny. Let me put my hand in it.’”

You see? I loved both of these characters so freaking much. However, when she lost her powers in the end, I knew that she would end up with Mal. To me, that was really the only way she could end up with him. If she had kept her powers, she would've had to ascend to the throne and become Nikolai's queen. Someone said in the story, forgot who it was, that it was best for there to be both a human ruler and a Grisha one. That way peace could be preserved because both races were represented equally in court. However, without her power, there really was no need. Nikolai still wanted her to be his wife, but she had already made her choice by then.

Now that Alina was "normal" again, without her Grisha abilities, Mal and Alina could be together again. What really drove them apart in the first two books was their inability to connect with each other and Mal's reasoning that she was meant for greater things. The way Mal and Alina were living at the beginning of Siege and Storm, when they were hiding away from the Darkling, was a perfect example of how they would have lived together if Alina still had her power. The way Ruin and Rising played out at the end was necessary in order for them to ultimately be together. 

Overall, although Ruin and Rising was in no way what I expected it to be, I enjoyed it nonetheless. The action was non-stop, and I wasn't able to put down the book for more than ten minutes without getting anxious. The setting and descriptions of locations were as beautiful as always, and the writing was smooth and poetic. Contrary to the general population, I'm happy with how the love quad ended and how everything tied together. I know that a lot of fans are upset about the Darkling's death, but I felt that it was necessary for the novel to end. Originally, I had expected Alina to end up with Nikolai, but with the sudden, drastic turn of events, I agree that Mal was the better choice. The Grisha series is by far my favorite High Fantasy series out there. I'm sad to see it all end, but it was worth seeing Alina grow as a character and watch her discover who she was and what she was capable of overcoming.

The first winter, when it was time for her friends to leave, 

the girl ventured out into the snow to say goodbye, and the stunning raven-haired Squaller handed her another gift.

"A blue kefta," said the math teacher, shaking her head.

 "What would she do with that?" 

"Maybe she knew a Grisha who died," replied the cook, taking note of the tears that filled the girl's eyes. They did not see the note that read, You will always be one of us.

Cover- 6/5

Heroine- 5/5

Romance- 5/5

Action- 6/5
Humor- 6/5

Writing- 6/5
Setting- 6/5

Overall- 6/5

Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins

Reading Level: Ages 12 and up
Hardcover: 352 Pages
Release Date: April 8, 2014
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Narration: First Person: Harper
Genre: Paranormal,
Contemporary Setting
Paranormal Type: Paladins/Witches/Seers

Rebel Belle Series
Book One: Rebel Belle
Book Two: Unknown
Book Three: Unknown

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Harper Price, peerless Southern belle, was born ready for a Homecoming tiara. But after a strange run-in at the dance imbues her with incredible abilities, Harper's destiny takes a turn for the seriously weird. She becomes a Paladin, one of an ancient line of guardians with agility, super strength and lethal fighting instincts.

Just when life can't get any more disastrously crazy, Harper finds out who she's charged to protect: David Stark, school reporter, subject of a mysterious prophecy and possibly Harper's least favorite person. But things get complicated when Harper starts falling for him--and discovers that David's own fate could very well be to destroy Earth.

With snappy banter, cotillion dresses, non-stop action and a touch of magic, this new young adult series from bestseller Rachel Hawkins is going to make y'all beg for more.

My Review:

Rebel Belle was like a refreshing glass of sweet tea on a hot summer day. 

There should definitely be more novels out there like this, both tone wise and content wise. Rebel Belle was light and fluffy, but it still retained that kick-ass, grittier edge that I'm always after. Content wise, I believe that this is the first novel I've ever read focused on paladins. What do I know, there might be millions of paladin books out there that I'm oblivious to, but through my experiences, I haven't seen many of them, besides maybe The Paladin Prophecy, which I have yet to read. 

Rebel Belle was pretty much an equal blend of anything you could ever want in a novel: strong characters, humor, action, romance, and a unique theme. Rachel also has a flowing, hilarious, image provoking writing style that draws you right in! I felt like I was actually in the novel experiencing the emotions that Harper felt. Especially so in the beginning, when David Stark pulled off that huge stunt, which I'm not going to give away for the sake of keeping this a spoiler free review. The aggravation and indignation I felt made me want to hit my head against a wall amongst other things harmful towards my outwardly appearance of sanity.

The romance between Harper and David was slowly and steadily developed as well. They didn't immediately fall in love after discovering how much their lives were really connected. On the contrary, they seemed to despise each other even more. It was the little things, the little gestures and conversations, that eventually led them to deeper, realistic (Key Word REALISTIC) feelings. However, I am a bit ticked off at how Harper treated Ryan whilst this was all going down. Actually, the way she treated all her friends irritated me endlessly. While I understand the choices she made, I really wish she would've stopped dragging a relationship that would never see the light of day again. Every time she ditched Ryan or forgot to call Bee made me want to cover my face in horror.

Other then that, I liked Harper. I have no doubt that some people are going to rip on her because they believe she accepted the supernatural events that occurred too quickly, but I still thought it was believable. People face traumatic and shocking situations in different ways, and Harper's way involved colliding head first with her issues, using sarcasm and wit as her main defenses. Kind of like Percy Jackson now that I think of it. It was her personality that inclined her to react the way she did, not desire to get the storyline moving on the author's part. While her life was crashing down around her, the life she had worked so hard for, she remained strong. I admit I was a bit skeptical of how her character would play out in the beginning. Bluntly stated, I thought she was snobby and superficial. But throughout trying times, she showed her true colors and redeemed herself completely by the end.

Heroine- 4/5
Romance- 5/5
Cute and adorable. Realistic in the fullest!
Action- 4.5/5
Badassery included.
Humor- 5/5
In a Rachel Hawkins book, your always gonna have some sort of humor.
Writing- 4.5/5
Overall- 4.5/5

Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor

Reading Level: Ages 12 and up
Hardcover: 613 Pages
Release Date: April 8, 2014
Publisher: Little, Brown & Company
Narration: Third Person: Numerous
Genre: Fantasy/Paranormal
Paranormal Type: Angels/Chimaera
Source: Library

Daughter of Smoke and Bone Series
Book One: Daughter of Smoke and Bone
Book Two: Days of Blood and Starlight
Book 2.5: Night of Cake and Puppets
Book Three: Dreams of Gods and Monsters

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Goodreads Synopsis:

By way of a staggering deception, Karou has taken control of the chimaera rebellion and is intent on steering its course away from dead-end vengeance. The future rests on her, if there can even be a future for the chimaera in war-ravaged Eretz.

Common enemy, common cause.

When Jael's brutal seraph army trespasses into the human world, the unthinkable becomes essential, and Karou and Akiva must ally their enemy armies against the threat. It is a twisted version of their long-ago dream, and they begin to hope that it might forge a way forward for their people.

And, perhaps, for themselves. Toward a new way of living, and maybe even love.

But there are bigger threats than Jael in the offing. A vicious queen is hunting Akiva, and, in the skies of Eretz ... something is happening. Massive stains are spreading like bruises from horizon to horizon; the great winged stormhunters are gathering as if summoned, ceaselessly circling, and a deep sense of wrong pervades the world.

What power can bruise the sky?

From the streets of Rome to the caves of the Kirin and beyond, humans, chimaera and seraphim will fight, strive, love, and die in an epic theater that transcends good and evil, right and wrong, friend and enemy. 

At the very barriers of space and time, what do gods and monsters dream of? 

And does anything else matter?

My Review:

Holy crap that was the longest book I've ever read. No, really.

"There is the past, and there is the future. The present is never more than the single second dividing one from the other. We live poised on that second as it's hurtling forward-toward what?" Pg. 79

One thing that I loved about this book was that it took a reasonable amount of time for the seraphs and the chimaeras to unite against a common enemy. It wasn't just a magical "OMG, we have to fight together to stop the end of the world, and then be best friends forever" sort of nonsense. Bad blood doesn't disappear that quickly. It was a gradual, quite excruciating climb toward not friendship, but acceptance. There were so many obstacles in the way. Every time something happened to impede the united front that Karou and Akiva dreamed of, I flinched and wanted to cry big, fat, ugly tears. And even though it was physically painful for me, it was realistic, and that's what counts in the end. This is no fairytale. It's life. And life? It ain't easy.

"Absence has presence, sometimes, and that was what she felt. Absence like crushed-dead grass where something has been and is no longer. Absence where a thread has been ripped, ragged, from a tapestry, leaving a gap that can never be mended. That was all she felt." Pg. 497

Laini Taylor has SUCH a magnificent way with words. She uses a lot of similes and metaphors in her stories, and I absolutely love them. Some authors utterly fail at this style of writing, but Laini? She's a pro. The images her words brought to life in my brain were stunning.

“You are a conniving, deceitful hussy. I stand in awe." 

"You're sitting."

"I sit in awe.” 

And then there's the humor. Hilarious, dead-pan humor. Zuze is the best possible friend any protagonist could ever have.

Now you may ask, if I loved the story so much, why the four stars? Well, for one thing, I'm not too big a fan of Karou. She was awesome in the first book, especially the opening scene, but throughout the series, she's grown more and more obscure. I'm not saying she's a weak character, because that definitely isn't true. She's intelligent and brave, but I still expected more from her, some character growth. For the majority of the novel, she was like this shy, delicate flower who blushed every time she was in Akiva's presence. *Eye rolls* However, that's not to say that I didn't enjoy the romance. In fact, I loved it. This series is the epitome of star-crossed lovers. Not slight star-crossed lovers or intentional-but-not-really-star-crossed-lovers, but true, hard-core star-crossed lovers. It pained me to see all the events that tore these two people apart. My soul and body literally ached for them to find any kind of happily ever after.

Just a warning for all of you out there, this novel has a huge amount of different POVs. For the most part, Laini handled it well, but I still found that it detracted from the story. I always knew who was talking, but the constant character shifts threw me off balance.

If she wanted to, Laini could write a fourth novel in this series. Probably not gonna happen, but I would like to see the war against the monsters of the outer realm.

On a totally unrelated note, Akiva. Is. Such. A. Badass. Had to get that out there.

Karou- 4/5
Akiva- 6/5
Romance- 5/5
All of the romances in this novel were phenomenal.
Action- 4/5
Lost my attention once in a while.
Writing- 5/5
Overall- 4/5

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

Reading Level: Ages 13 and up
Hardcover: 432 Pages
Release Date: August 27, 2013
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Narration: Third Person: Celaena
Genre: Fantasy/Paranormal
Challenge: Paranormal
Source: Netgalley

The Throne of Glass Series:
Book One: Throne of Glass
Book Two: Crown of Midnight
Book Three: Untitled (2014)
Book Four: Untitled
Book Five: Untitled
Book Six: Untitled

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Author's
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Goodreads Synopsis:

An assassin’s loyalties are always in doubt.

But her heart never wavers.

After a year of hard labor in the Salt Mines of Endovier, eighteen-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien has won the king's contest to become the new royal assassin. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown – a secret she hides from even her most intimate confidantes.

Keeping up the deadly charade—while pretending to do the king's bidding—will test her in frightening new ways, especially when she's given a task that could jeopardize everything she's come to care for. And there are far more dangerous forces gathering on the horizon -- forces that threaten to destroy her entire world, and will surely force Celaena to make a choice. 

Where do the assassin’s loyalties lie, and who is she most willing to fight for?

My Review:

I read Crown of Midnight quite a while ago and decided to put off the review until we were closer to the release date. Unfortunately, since all this time has passed, I've forgotten some of the details. Suffice to say, I won't be waiting this long to write a review ever again. xD However, even after all this time, Crown of Midnight still holds a candle above all the other novels I've read this year, even surpassing Siege and Storm, a book that I wrote a nearly hysterical review on earlier in the year. For some reason, when I first read Throne of Glass, I marked it off as an alright read...nothing special or even close to remarkable. But after reading it over again, my views have definitely changed, kind of the same case that Angelfall by Susan Ee was for me. Since I loved Throne of Glass oh so much and reread it over and over again like a bajillion times, I had super high expectations for it's sequel. I was ecstatic when it didn't suffer from "second book syndrome" like many trilogies do nowadays and that it went above and beyond my original expectations.

In this novel, Celaena Sardothien was as bad-ass as ever. She knows how to fend for herself and hates it when she has to rely on others for support. She is, by far, the most independent and fierce heroine I've ever had the pleasure of reading about. However, even though she's definitely more courageous and brave than most, she still has her weaknesses. For one thing, she still hasn't gotten over her arrogance, although some light is shined on why she's so confident of herself to begin with. And even though she has a fierce, no BS, mess-with-me-and-I'll-slit-your-throat sort of persona, she's still as vulnerable as any other girl when it comes to matters of the heart. And Holy Crap, the secret that's revealed about her? Mind-Blown. I had speculated about it and even guessed it near the beginning, but immediately wrote it off as impossible, something I shouldn't have been so quick to do.

The romance was a bit confusing. If you've been keeping up with this series, you'd know that there are two love interests, Dorian, the prince and current heir to the throne, and Chaol, the head of the Guard. From the beginning I knew who I wanted her to pick and had no doubt as to who it would be, but now? Not so sure. Dorian....he's growing on me a bit. He's gone through a lot of character development, and although he's still a bit dependent on others to protect him, he's grown a backbone, can stand up for himself, and fights for what he believes in. With Dorian growing up before our very eyes and after what transpired between Chaol and Celaena, I'm not too sure which direction the last installment is going to take. Heck, I'm not even too sure if I know which side I'm on anymore.

This novel never had a dull moment! Every page was filled to the brim with nail-biting and seat-clinging suspense. The action scenes were marvelously written and I felt as if I was watching everything unfold before my very eyes. I was constantly gasping at every little detail and awed by all the amazing secrets that were revealed. We get a lot more history and world building in this one, something that was definitely needed and beautifully done.

Overall, Crown of Midnight definitely did not disappoint or suffer from "second book syndrome." If you came up to me today and asked me whether I liked this novel or it's predecessor better....I would say sort of. Both novels are amazing, but in there own special ways. I wouldn't be able to choose between them. If you've already read Throne of Glass and loved it, this is definitely one book you do NOT want to miss. If you haven't heard of this series yet or have been putting it off for a later date, STOP PROCRASTINATING AND START THIS SERIES NOW!

*An ARC was provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest and thoughtful review.

Cover- 3/5
Not really into this new cover scheme.
Trailer- 3/5
Heroine- 5/5
Comedy- 6/5
Action- 6/5
Romance- 4.5/5
A bit confusing
Writing- 5/5
Overall- 6/5

Click to Watch Book Trailer

Insignia by S.J. Kincaid

Reading Level: Ages 12 and up
Hardcover: 446 Pages
Release Date: July 10, 2012
Publisher: Katherine Tegan Books
Narration: Third Person: Tom
Genre: Sci Fi/Dystopian
Challenge: Dystopian
Source: ARCycling

The Insignia Series:
Book One: Insignia
Book Two: Vortex
Book Three: Untitled (2014)

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Goodreads Synopsis:

The earth is in the middle of WWIII in Insignia, the first entry in S.J. Kincaid’s fast-paced sci-fi adventure trilogy. The planet’s natural resources are almost gone, and the war is being fought to control the assets of the solar system. The enemy is winning.

The salvation may be Tom Raines. Tom doesn’t seem like a hero. He’s a short fourteen-year-old with bad skin. But he has the virtual-reality gaming skills that make him a phenom behind the controls of the battle drones.

As a new member of the Intrasolar Forces, Tom’s life completely changes. Suddenly, he’s someone important. He has new opportunities, friends, and a shot at having a girlfriend. But there’s a price to pay...

My Review:

“There really was nothing firm, nothing certain. Even here, even at this place where he thought he’d found something permanent—everything could change in a day. Everything could be lost so quickly.”

Insignia takes place in the middle of World War III, a war that's fought with robots on different planets to avoid ecological disasters on Earth, and of course, the most important reason of all, to avoid human deaths. In order to direct the robots in outer space, exceptional teenagers are combed out of the overall population to undergo an operation that will essentially make them half computer as well, therefore enabling them to establish links with other machines and control them through their neural processors. Why not adults, you ask? Because their brains are already fully developed and reject anything foreign added to them, whereas teenage brains are still malleable and will adapt to any changes made to its environment. This idea was developed pretty well. It felt realistic, as if this could actually happen in the world today. If we did advance our technology enough to be able to travel robots to and fro the solar system, then the next logical choice would be to fight our wars somewhere that wouldn't harm the human population.

Our main character was Tom, a young and talented gamer who is forced to move from town to town in order to make the money that his father usually wastes gambling. Tom is headstrong, clever, idiotic around girls, and a bit arrogant at times. He constantly rebelled against authority, which impressed me at first, because authority was so obviously corrupted, but then annoyed me later on, because he didn't pick and choose which battles were worth fighting. Instead, he rebelled against anyone who was in charge or anyone who asked him to do something he didn't want to do (You'll see more of this in Vortex). He brought so many conflicting emotions out of me, because he's both strong and weak and clever yet stupid. There wasn't much character development in Insignia, but there is a little bit more in Vortex, which I decided to read before writing this review. xD

Some of the supporting characters....surprised me. I judged a lot of them at first glance, but then realized I was completely wrong when Kincaid turned their personalities around on me. There was a bit of romance, but since all these kids are around fourteen or fifteen, it didn't really progress into anything serious. There were your average crushes, which the boys were oblivious to, and then there was a computer girlfriend, which doesn't really count as a "relationship" in my book, at least not until they meet face to face.

Insignia was pretty well paced. It took a few chapters for me to get interested in what was happening, but once I did, it was smooth sailing from there. I actually did pick this book up around seven or eight months ago and chucked it back onto the shelf, because it failed to catch my attention. When I saw it at ARCycling, I decided to give it another shot because of all the high ratings on Goodreads and all the praise I've been hearing around the Internet. I was definitely glad I did, because this is a pretty good dystopian novel in the making. I was literally up to 4 A.M., desperately trying to finish this novel, because my brain wouldn't send the signal to my fingers to close the book. I blame my burning eyes on you, Kincaid! xD

Overall, Insignia was a great dystopian novel with a realistic premise that made sense. I felt like this could actually happen someday in the world. The main character has a lot of potential, but before he reaches it, he has a lot of growing up to do, which I'm fine with, because he's still pretty young. Another thing I forgot to mention in my review is that Insignia was not scarce in the comedy department. All the characters had their very own special kind of humor, whether it's an astounding wit or adorable ignorance, Insignia will definitely bring out a few laughs from even the most stoic of people.

Hero- 3.5/5 Has a lot of potential.
Romance- 3.5/5
Action- 4.5/5 Fast paced after
you get into the heart of the story.
Comedy- 4.5/5 Hilarious
Trailer- 4.5/5 Epic and informative
Overall- 4/5

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The Art of Wishing by Lindsay Ribar

Reading Level: Ages 12 and up
Hardcover: 314 Pages
Release Date: March 21, 2013
Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers
Narration: First Person: Margo
Genre: Paranormal/Genies
Challenge: Paranormal/Debut Challenge
Source: Library

The Art of Wishing Series:
Book One: The Art of Wishing
Book Two: The Fourth Wish (2014)
Book Three: Untitled

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Author's
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Goodreads Synopsis:

He can grant her wishes, but only she can save his life.

Margo McKenna has a plan for just about everything, from landing the lead in her high school play to getting into a good college. So when she finds herself in possession of a genie's ring and the chance to make three wishes, she doesn't know what to do. Why should she put her life into someone else's hands?

But Oliver is more than just a genie -- he's also a sophomore at Margo's high school, and he's on the run from a murderer. As he and Margo grow closer, she discovers that it will take more than three wishes to save him.

A whole lot more.

My Review:

When I opened this book for the first time, I was eager to get into the heart of the story, because come on, how often do we see novels written about genies? I was expecting all sorts of magic, some really cool world-building, and well, as embarrassed as I am to say this, something along the lines of Aladdin and flying carpet rides. However, I was disappointed by the first chapter and ended up putting it down before anything really magical began. Months later, I decided to give it another go, bracing myself for nothing other than more disappointment. Fortunately, I was completely wrong! Despite the fact that I'm usually not into books of this sort (More contemporary than paranormal), I was charmed by the simple yet undeniably compelling plot The Art of Wishing had to offer.

Margo, the protagonist, was a character that I truly admired throughout the whole novel. She's the type of girl who you'd want to aspire to be one day. Strong, brave, pure-hearted, and determined to keep everyone around her safe. Unlike most YA protagonists, especially the ones who are 100% human, she didn't take on that tone of a damsel in distress. Despite the fact that she was fighting against something otherworldly, she didn't back down or plead with the villain to let her go, instead, she took matters into her own hands and did something about it.

Although it took me a while to get into the pacing of the story, once I did, it was nothing but smooth sailing from there. After I reached the third or fourth chapter, I was a goner. No matter how many times my parents attempted to cajole me out of my reading hole or pry the novel from my hands, I just wasn't able to set it down. Every word demanded my complete and undivided attention. The plot was pretty simple in itself. There weren't any long drawn-out explanations or any intricate world-building. There was a bit of genie history included, if I remember correctly, but the whole description lasted all of one or two pages. Essentially, all you had was the villain, the heroine, and the good guy. There were, of course, more characters than that, but those three were the most significant and the whole story revolved around them. Since I'm used to huge, convoluted, and twisted plots that need to be carefully read in order to be understood, The Art of Wishing was like a refreshing breath of air to me.

A lot of people on Goodreads who reviewed this book before me had said that the relationship between Margo and Oliver was an Insta-Love connection, something that I was deeply dreading as I read on. However, I'd have to disagree. Although their relationship progressed a little quicker than most, they didn't fall in love at first sight. Margo was attracted to him, as any girl would be, because he was hot, not because she felt this instant soul-felt connection to him. There's a huge difference between attraction, which was quite understandable in Ollie's case, and love. Anyways, the romance that they did have was absolutely, freaking adorable. I literally lost track of the amount of times I said "AWWWW!" while reading this story. It's drastically different from the romances I'm used to with steamy make out sessions and broody bad boys, but I loved it all the same!

Overall, I was really surprised by how much I ended up enjoying this book! Although the plot was pretty simplistic, I still found myself enjoying every second of it. The romance was a breath of fresh air and completely different from what you find in most YA novels nowadays. Instead of a dark and mysterious love interest with a tortured past, we have one that's cute, funny, awkward, and charming. I recommend The Art of Wishing to anyone who wants a quick and fun read with just a touch of supernatural.

Favorite Quote:

“...Oh God. I'm one of those girls."

"What girls?" he asked, perplexed.

"Those girls. The ones in all those books and TV shows. Some dumb high school girl falls in love with some supernatural guy, and he's all, 'Behold, I am five million years old!' and she's all, 'Oh my god, how can you ever love pathetic little me!' and he's like, 'Because of destiny!' or whatever. It's just so...ew. You know?” 

-The Art of Wishing by Lindsay Ribar

Heroine- 5/5
Romance- 4.5/5
A little too fast, but adorable nonetheless.
Action- 4.5/5 Slow in the beginning,
but it definitely picked up pace.
Writing- 4/5
Comedy- 4.5/5
Overall- 4.5/5

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

Reading Level: Ages 12 and up
Hardcover: 448 Pages
Release Date: June 4, 2013
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Narration: First Person: Alina
Genre: Fantasy/Magic
Challenge: Paranormal Challenge

The Grisha Series:
Book One: Shadow and Bone
Book Two: Siege and Storm
Book Three: Ruin and Rising (2014)

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Order On Barnes and Noble:
Hardcover and Nook

Author's
Goodreads  Website  Twitter

Goodreads Synopsis:

Darkness never dies.

Hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Fold, Alina must try to make a life with Mal in an unfamiliar land. She finds starting new is not easy while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. She can’t outrun her past or her destiny for long.

The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and a dangerous plan that will test the very boundaries of the natural world. With the help of a notorious privateer, Alina returns to the country she abandoned, determined to fight the forces gathering against Ravka. But as her power grows, Alina slips deeper into the Darkling’s game of forbidden magic, and farther away from Mal. Somehow, she will have to choose between her country, her power, and the love she always thought would guide her–or risk losing everything to the oncoming storm.

My Review:

Definition of Epic:
(courtesy of the Merriam-Webster Dictionary)

1. Of, relating to, or having the characteristics of an epic.

2. Extending beyond the usual or ordinary especially in size or scope.

This novel was the very definition of Epic. (Well the second definition of epic, scratch the first one. xD) In fact, Siege and Storm was so phenomenally well written that the definition of epic doesn't even do the book justice. I've been wanting to rave about this novel to anyone who would listen for weeks, and even after this long period of time, I still can't even begin to contemplate what Leigh has brought to the table without having to fight the urge to fangirl obnoxiously. I really wish I got the chance to review this book immediately after I read it to blow your mind with all the fascinating details, but unfortunately, things came up, and I had to force myself away from the blogging world in order to study for my final exams. Ehh, better late than never, right?

To start with, I want to talk about the romance. I was surprised by how much I actually enjoyed the relationship aspect of this book, considering the fact that I'm more of an action junkie than a romance one. I know some of you guys are a bit skeptical with all the reviews that talk in depth about yet another love interest, but don't freak out just yet. Trust me, I was hugely skeptical as well. After reading so many love triangle/angst fest stories, I've given up all hope of them ever amounting to something good. There's always a few exceptions, but for the most part, I'm sick of them. When I heard there was going to be a love square, I nearly facepalmed, but I still had faith that Leigh would be able to twist it in a way that would make it all work out in the end. She did! She's the first author I've ever encountered who was able to write a love square and have it go off without a single hitch! I really don't know how to describe it, everything just fell into place perfectly. You'll see what I mean once you read the book.

The Love Interests: 

First up we have Mal. Now don't get me wrong, I deeply respect him as a character.....just not so much as a love interest. Yeah, I know that Alina and Mal have known each other for practically their entire lives and can read each other without so much as a single word exchanged, but Mal doesn't really understand Alina, at least not in the Grisha sense. Their not compatible for each other, because they both experience different situations in different ways. Mal thrives in normal, day-to-day living and can charm anyone into liking him through his sparkly personality alone. Meanwhile, Alina slowly dies inside without the use of her power, living in the mundane part of the world where people can see her, but no one really gets her. And vice versa, minus the power part.

I'm not sure if The Darkling is still considered a love interest after this novel. After what he did to her, I don't understand how she could ever see him as anything but a cold-hearted monster. He has his moments where his humanity shines through, but those moments are few, and overpowered by the amounts of evil he's committed. On the other hand, I do see why Alina is drawn to him. There both considered anomalies in their world since there the only ones of their kind. No one better understands the heavy burden on Alina's shoulders than the Darkling himself. They both experience the same sort of soul-deep loneliness that no one else can even begin to fathom.

I will leave the last love interest, Stur, a mystery to you, because there is a sort of twist with him that I don't want to risk giving away. At the moment, I don't really have a team, but when push comes to shove, I'm edging towards Stur. We'll just have to see where the last installment takes us. :)

Now onto Alina, the protagonist of our story. I loved Alina even more than I loved her in the first novel! Although she was a strong and brave character, she still had her weaknesses, which made her all the more real to me. Thankfully, she still kept her hilarious wit, and I enjoyed reading up on the playful conversations she had with Mal. There were brief periods of time where she lost herself to the malicious feelings of greed and darkness that a certain amplifier induces, but instead of it being a turn-off for me, I felt that much more intrigued by her character, because it gave her a depth that I rarely see in YA heroines nowadays. She wasn't the perfect heroine who always did the right thing and would willingly sacrifice herself in a heartbeat, but instead a brave heroine who tried her hardest to take the right path, yet still had faults and often made mistakes along the way. What made her a truly great character was that she learned from those mistakes and became a stronger person because of them.

The action was fast-paced and felt even more involving than the first installment, which I didn't even think was possible.  Every page was chock full of action, mystery, and intrigue. Every answer only created more and more questions. Siege and Storm was literally the only book that was able to break my strict no-reading-until-the-exams-are-done rule. I started off telling myself that I would only read two itty bitty chapters. I mean, what harm can it do really? Yeah, it really didn't work out as I planned. I ended up finishing the book within 4 or 5 hours, which just helps support the fast-becoming fact that I have absolutely no restraint when it comes to anything pertaining to books, well good ones at least.

Overall, Siege and Storm is a definite MUST-READ. Even if you get a little squeamish with love triangles, or squares for that matter, I still strongly urge you to give this a try. The only advice that I have to give is to make sure you set enough time aside to read this novel in one sitting, because once you start, you won't be able to stop.

Cover- 5/5
Heroine- 5/5
Romance- 6/5
One of those rare cases where
a love triangle/square...actually works!
Action- 6/5
Comedy- 5/5 Loved the playful conversations between
Stur, Mal, and Alina.
Writing- 5/5
Overall- 6/5

The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Reading Level: Ages 14 and up
Hardcover: 544 Pages
Release Date: October 23, 2012
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Books for Young Readers
Narration: First Person: Mara Dyer
Genre: Mystery/Paranormal
Challenge: Paranormal Reading Challenge
Source: Library

Order On Amazon: Hardcover
                               Kindle
Order On Barnes and Noble:
Hardcover and Nook

Mara Dyer Series:
Book One: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer
Book Two: The Evolution of Mara Dyer
Book Three: The Retribution of Mara Dyer
                                                (10/22)
Author's
( Goodreads ! Website ! Twitter )

Goodreads Synopsis:

Mara Dyer once believed she could run from her past.

She can’t.

She used to think her problems were all in her head.

They aren’t.

She couldn’t imagine that after everything she’s been through, the boy she loves would still be keeping secrets.

She’s wrong.

In this gripping sequel to The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, the truth evolves and choices prove deadly. What will become of Mara Dyer next?

My Review:

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer left me breathless. The sequel rendered me speechless.

 

It's been days since I've read The Evolution of Mara Dyer, but even now, every single time my mind wanders in that direction, I have this almost irresistible urge to jump up and down and start hyperventilating like a little kid in a candy store. There are so many great and downright creepy things in this novel! I'm so relieved that I decided to read this in broad daylight, because if I hadn't, I would have definitely flinched at every single rustle of sound thinking that somewhere, out there, Jude was watching me.This is the type of novel to make you want to turn every single light in your house on. To check behind your shower curtain and under your bed just to make sure that there aren't any murderers lurking in the shadows. If you scare easily and still wish to read The Evolution of Mara Dyer, despite all my warnings, I urge you to proceed with caution.

 

I absolutely adored the protagonist, Mara. If I had the misfortune to be caught in her position, I would've cracked and gone 100% insane eons ago. I'm usually really good at distinguishing between the truth and the red herrings as well as figuring out answers way before the characters themselves do. But with Mara? It was just a huge jumble of puzzle pieces that I couldn't fit together no matter how hard I struggled to. Because, let's face it, she's not exactly what you would call the most reliable character.

At times you might think that she's just a misunderstood girl who wields a deathly power that no one understands. Not even herself. But other times......Michelle makes you wonder. Is she really insane? Are her hallucinations based on things that have actually occurred in the past or are going to occur in the future? Or are they the product of PSTD and a heightened sense of paranoia?  Her parents didn't make things any better either. Even though I knew that all they wanted was for their daughter to get better again, they could've at least taken the time to hear her out instead of nodding condescendingly every time she uttered a word.

 

Noah Shaw. I haven't been this swoony over a male character since Daemon Black from The Lux Series and Kaidan whatever his last name is from the Sweet Evil Trilogy. That's definitely saying something because Daemon's and Kaidan's sexiness can not even be comprehended or described from words of the English language. Why oh why can't boys like this exist in real life? British accent, dangerous, dark, mysterious, compassionate, and witty. What more could a girl ever want? The conversations between Mara and Noah always had me laughing out loud and clutching my stomach from not being able to catch my breath! Knowing my luck, those out loud moments always occurred during very inappropriate moments.

 

The relationships in this novel were beautifully written and perfectly executed. Not very often do we see such a strong bond between brother and sister. That one time when Daniel had to share his secret thoughts about Mara during an activity in the insane institution/Rehab Center was just So. Freaking. Beautiful. I was reduced to a sobbing, blubbering mess of tears. And Noah? The romance between them wasn't perfect. No romance ever is, which is why I loved this novel so much. We don't see the same, "He fell in love with her. She fell in love with him. He left because of some paranormal reason to protect the one he loved" sort of crap. Even though they did have fallouts and kept secrets from each other once in a while, they stuck together during the good and the bad times.

 

Loved the pacing of this novel! There was always so much stuff happening and your just continually bombarded left and right with questions! We get a little more background information on both of our main characters, but those answers just lead to more and more questions. I could barely make any guesses on where the novel was going next. Every plot twist, with the exception of one or two, took me by surprise. I was absolutely flabbergasted. And the end? I'm sure that everybody finds that to be such a big cliffhanger, but it can't be true. It's impossible. Michelle wouldn't do that to us. Right? .....o.o

 

Overall, please do yourself a favor and pick this book up as soon as you can. I might even get my mom to drive me to Barnes and Noble right now just to get a copy for the purpose of staring at it all day and thinking of the beautiful, masterpiece that is known as Noah Shaw. *Happy Sighs* A great read for everyone......except the fainthearted and easily spooked that is....*Evil grins*

 

Favorite Quotes:

 

“We are far too screwed up for a goddamned love triangle.”
― Michelle Hodkin, The Evolution of Mara Dyer

 

“You’re stronger than you believe. Don’t let your fear own you. Own yourself.”
― Michelle Hodkin, The Evolution of Mara Dyer

 

“I'm not sure you can appreciate how much I want to lay you out before me

and make you scream my name.”
― Michelle Hodkin, The Evolution of Mara Dyer

 

“It doesn't matter what we are. It matters what we do.”
― Michelle Hodkin, The Evolution of Mara Dyer

 

Heroine- 5/5

Romance- 5/5

Action- 5/5

Comedy- 6/5

Uniqueness- 5/5

Writing Style- 5/5

Overall- 6/5

 

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