'The Raven Boys' by Maggie Stiefvater

Book details

Series: The Raven Cycle, #1

Genre: YA Fantasy

Publisher: Scholastic Press

ISBN: 9780545424929

Synopsis

“There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.”

It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

From Maggie Stiefvater, the bestselling and acclaimed author of the Shiver trilogy and The Scorpio Races, comes a spellbinding new series where the inevitability of death and the nature of love lead us to a place we’ve never been before.

[From Goodreads]

Review

This is the first time I’ve ever dared to delve into Maggie Steifvater’s world, and I have to say I’m struggling a little to keep my emotions in check. I have a headache. It feels like all my thoughts about this book are spilling out of my ears because my brain is hyperventilating and throwing around furniture.

What a marvelous story. Stiefvater’s writing is magical. There’s really no other way to describe it. Right from the opening line, Stiefvater began weaving this intricate and electrifying spell that made me dizzy. It may have started off slowly, drawing on more and more of my energy as the story built itself up, but ten pages in I was already entranced. By the time I reached the halfway mark, the world around me felt like it was buzzing with electricity, but for the life of me I couldn’t draw my eyes away from the pages. The final few chapters were an explosion – Blue’s world and my own seemed to shatter into a billion pieces, and then it just… ended.

Note to the author: That is not okay. You broke me. You can’t just drop a bomb like that with such nonchalance, and then skip happily on to the acknowledgements.

The only negative point I have to mention about The Raven Boys is with regards to the characters. While charismatic Gansey and eccentric Blue seemed so enchanting and otherworldly in the beginning, I couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed in them by the end. They seemed to become increasingly two-dimensional as the novel progressed, whereas Adam, Noah and Ronan did the exact opposite. It was a strange scenario, but I’m sure Stiefvater will rectify it in The Dream Thieves.

Overall, though, this was an incredible novel. I love Maggie Stiefvater’s writing style, and I can’t wait to read more of her work.

Rating: 4/5

Recommended to: Everybody. Everybody. Everybody.

The Last Word

The Noah twist:

Well played, Stiefvater.

'Lumiere' by Jacqueline Garlick

Book details

Series: The Illumination Paradox, #1

Genre: YA Steampunk

Publisher: Amazemo Books

ASIN: B00H9GXS1Q

Synopsis

One determined girl. One resourceful boy. One miracle machine that could destroy everything.

After an unexplained flash shatters her world, seventeen-year-old Eyelet Elsworth sets out to find the Illuminator, her father’s prized invention. With it, she hopes to cure herself of her debilitating seizures before Professor Smrt—her father’s arch nemesis—discovers her secret and locks her away in an asylum.

Pursued by Smrt, Eyelet locates the Illuminator only to see it whisked away. She follows the thief into the world of the unknown, compelled not only by her quest but by the allure of the stranger—Urlick Babbit—who harbors secrets of his own.

Together, they endure deadly Vapours and criminal-infested woods in pursuit of the same prize, only to discover the miracle machine they hoped would solve their problems may in fact be their biggest problem of all.

[From Goodreads]

Review

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my opinion on the novel or its author.

I’ve never really dared to delve into the steampunk genre before. Honestly, the idea of a world partially submerged in history but containing futuristic elements made me feel a little uncomfortable at first. I imagined authors approaching historical fiction with a dystopian attitude and clumsily altering the past until it became a huge mess of puzzle pieces that didn’t fit together.

After finishing Lumiere, I want to read nothing but YA steampunk.

I don’t know if it was Garlick’s hardcore characters or her attention to detail in plotting one of the most intricate stories I’ve ever come across that made my heart seize up at several points in her novel. She doesn’t waste time with convention – her story is unique and confident in its approach, and executed with style and poise.

A particularly powerful aspect of Garlick's novel is the nonchalance with which she allowed her misfit characters to shine. Each person is marked by some or other imperfection that forces them onto the outskirts of society, and yet not once do any of them become slaves to their hardships. Eyelet and Urlick are two of the most powerful protagonists I’ve ever come across: they are highly intelligent, independent, determined and downright brilliant. Nothing can hold them back – not even Eyelet’s seizures or Urlick’s insecurity about his appearance. Furthermore, Garlick’s secondary characters were just as moving as her two protagonists. Iris, especially, dodged every stereotype assigned to a character in her role – she was selfless and loyal, but also stubborn and fierce.

Although the romantic feature of Lumiere wasn’t heart stopping, I found that it neither detracted from nor added much to the novel, which was actually a nice change. Too often, an author will fixate on a romantic relationship, and the story will revolve around the couple’s love for each other. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but there’s a point where one has to wonder how much more meaningful the story would be if the fate of a dystopian world didn’t rely on the destiny of two people. It gets tiresome. Whilst understated, Garlick’s romance was far more realistic. The couple worked together to save the world, but the fate of the world didn’t depend on their love for each other (if that makes any sense at all).

Lumiere is an enthralling novel, and I can’t wait to read Garlick’s next installment.

Rating: 4/5

Recommended to: Lovers of kickass heroines and beautiful storylines.

The Last Word

I fell in love with the cover of this novel, and the storyline lived up to my skyscraper expectations. I’m holding back the last star because I feel that the pacing of the novel wasn’t fantastic – lightning-fast scenes made me dizzy with excitement (in a good way), but then they were interspersed with passages that moved soooo slllooowwwlllyyy that I had to consciously force myself not to fall into the habit of skimming. That was a minor thing, though, and maybe it was just because I was so addicted to the rush I got in Garlick’s climactic scenes that the calmer scenes seemed slower than they actually were.

'A Court of Thorns and Roses' by Sarah J. Maas

Book details

Genre: YA Fantasy (with a few New Adult elements)

Publisher: Bloomsbury

ISBN: 9781408857861

Synopsis

A thrilling, seductive new series from New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas, blending Beauty and the Beast with faerie lore.

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it... or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

Perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore and George R. R. Martin, this first book in a sexy and action-packed new series is impossible to put down!

[From Goodreads]

Review

I’m struggling to find words that will accurately describe the sheer extent to which this novel destroyed me. I'm broken inside. But I loved it. I love Sarah J. Maas, and I love everything about her writing – her characters, her fantasy worlds, her enthralling stories. Honestly, although I’ve read a few negative reviews, I cannot find a single fault with A Court of Thorns and Roses.

Perhaps this is because I didn’t enter Maas’s world expecting to read the perfect retelling of Beauty and the Beast – in fact, I almost forgot that it was supposed to be a retelling until I was about a third of the way through. Maas loosely winds some elements of the classic tale into her own storyline, but she’s warped and altered it so much that it is now entirely her own. Strangely enough, that makes her novel even more appealing to me – I have more interest in reading a unique tale with subtle recognizable elements than a book relying on the exact framework of the classic story.

One thing I do have to shine the spotlight on is Maas’s characterization. Sometimes I wonder if the reason that her novels seem to surpass all other fantasy works is because her heroines are not only kickass, but entirely human in their flaws and emotions. It’s magical how characters like Celaena and Fayre will stay in my mind for ages after I’ve finished reading their stories. I want these women in real life, and I kinda want to be them, too. (Also, hello Tamlin. Please magically materialise into my life right now.)

A Court of Thorns and Roses is one of the best fantasy novels I’ve ever read. It ruined me. I fell in love with its smooth, lyrical words and the way it moved. Then it ripped a hole in my chest and tore out my heart, lighting it on fire and grinding it to dust before grinning sheepishly and running away. 

Rating: 5/5

Recommended to: Fans of Throne of Glass and George R. R. Martin.

The Last Word

These are my reactions throughout the novel, expressed in gifs, because nothing else will accurately portray my emotions.

Buying the book:

Reading the first page:

Feyre:

Tamlin:

Amarantha:

Rhysand:

Towards the end:

The actual end:

Realising the sequel comes out in MAY:

‘Under Different Stars’ by Amy A. Bartol

Book details

Genre: YA Fiction/Fantasy

Format: Audible book

Producer: Brilliance Audio

View on Goodreads.

Synopsis

 Kricket Hollowell is normally not one to wish upon stars; she believes they’re rarely in her favor. Well versed at dodging caseworkers from Chicago’s foster care system, the past few years on her own have made Kricket an expert at the art of survival and blending in. With her 18th birthday fast approaching, she dreams of the day when she can stop running and find what her heart needs most: a home. 

Trey Allairis hates Earth and doubts that anyone from his world can thrive here. What he’s learning of Kricket and her existence away from her true home only confirms his theory. But, when he and Kricket lie together under the stars of Ethar, counting them all may be easier than letting her go. 

Kyon Ensin’s secrets number the stars; he knows more about Kricket's gifts than anyone and plans to possess her because of them. He also knows she’s more valuable than any fire in the night sky. He’ll move the heavens and align them all in order to make her his own. 

When everything in their world can be broken, will Kricket rely upon love to save her under different stars?

Review

When I first downloaded Under Different Stars, it was with the intention of having something barely entertaining to do on the long drive down to the beach. Basically, I wanted a book that would keep my mind off the horribly gross eight-hour car trip, and maybe have the added bonus of putting me to sleep.

Was I entertained? Definitely. Did I go to sleep at all in the 9 hours it took to finish the book? Maybe once.

I can’t really figure out why I enjoyed Bartol’s novel. Maybe it was because it exceeded my pretty limited expectations? Maybe because the storyline at its core was cute and original? Or maybe (probably) because it involved three of my favourite things: a strong protagonist, super hot unearthly beings and new insults that other non-readers won’t understand.

The characters and storyline in Under Different Stars are definitely among its most appealing qualities. Although I sometimes found Kricket mildly annoying, I did admire her as a protagonist: she’s intellectual, independent and turns out to be invaluable to her male counterparts. A part of me did reason that the writer shouldn’t have felt the need to make her stunningly attractive to every single male character in the novel on top of all her other qualities (making her pretty much perfect), but that’s probably just me being argumentative. It also turned out that her beauty played a rather large role in the storyline towards the end of the novel (think Helen of Troy on steroids).

Oh, and of course there’s Trey – the brooding, calculating hero who could easily join the ranks of Jace, Damon and Patch. They should actually form a club or something where they discuss weaponry and complain about how difficult it is to admit their love for stunningly attractive, infuriatingly stubborn heroines. On second thought, that might not be such a good idea due to the fact that Damon and Trey, both among the buff unearthly type with dark hair, call their love interests “Kitten”. Cringe.

In any case, Bartol’s delicate writing style and good plotting helped me to overlook some of her more clichéd and predictable moments. The story itself is lovely – lighthearted at some points, but involving the perfect touches of drama, action, romance and tension to make up a relatively good YA novel.

Rating: 3 stars

Recommended to: Fans of JLA’s The Lux series.

The Last Word

I just have to mention the romantic aspect of Under Different Stars in this section, because although it didn’t make me dislike the story significantly, I’m noticing the same issue pop up in several other YA stories.

To both authors and readers of YA: a hero does not have to be buff and tall in order for him to be attractive. A heroine does not have to look like a Barbie in order for her to be beautiful. Also, funnily enough, sullenness, grumpiness, gruffness and even outright rudeness shouldn’t be surefire signs that a guy’s madly in love with you. If anything, they should be warning signs that you shouldn’t enter a relationship with somebody whose emotional state makes you feel uneasy.