Category: Fantasy
Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore
(Cover picture courtesy of the Graceling Wiki.)
Eight years after Graceling, Bitterblue is now queen of Monsea. But the influence of her father, a violent psychopath with mind-altering abilities, lives on. Her advisors, who have run things since Leck died, believe in a forward-thinking plan: Pardon all who committed terrible acts under Leck’s reign, and forget anything bad ever happened. But when Bitterblue begins sneaking outside the castle—disguised and alone—to walk the streets of her own city, she starts realizing that the kingdom has been under the thirty-five-year spell of a madman, and the only way to move forward is to revisit the past. Two thieves, who only steal what has already been stolen, change her life forever. They hold a key to the truth of Leck’s reign. And one of them, with an extreme skill called a Grace that he hasn’t yet identified, holds a key to her heart.
Each book in the Graceling Realm series is a little different. The first book, Graceling, is first and foremost about a Graceling’s (Katsa) struggle to remain free in a world where Gracelings are the property of kings. The second book is about Fire, a part-monster who has to struggle with the gift of her beauty and mind control that makes others suspicious of her and her motives. And finally, this third book is first and foremost about Bitterblue, a queen who really is trying to rule and heal a broken realm to the best of her ability.
I love how Kristin Cashore never paints her characters as perfect, even in the end. Bitterblue is first and foremost a flawed character and she grows because of it. She has no clue about Monsea aside from what her advisers tell her and even when she tries to gain independence they block her at every turn. She has a hard time relating to the average person even though she thinks she’s getting better when she starts sneaking out. It’s only when she truly looks inside herself and at her kingdom that she becomes the queen Katsa and Po meant for her to be.
Bitterblue is pretty much my favourite character in the whole novel, but the secondary characters are well fleshed out. Sapphire is fascinating, Fox is full of surprises and we even see how Katsa and Po have changed eight years into their relationship. There aren’t really any stock characters and that’s one of the main reasons why I love Kristin Cashore’s writing. She may take forever to write her books, but she does an amazing job with them.
I can’t in all honesty call the plot fast-paced yet it kept me up later than I intended. There are a lot of twists and turns as plots are uncovered and Bitterblue is forced to act and react to them. Everything we thought we knew about Monsea is turned on its head and there are stirrings of revolution in the other kingdoms.
Speaking of politics, that’s another one of Kristin Cashore’s strengths. In her fantasy world things don’t stagnate, they change as they do in this one. New technologies and ideas are developed, just like they really were in the Middle Ages. Tyrannical kings are toppled, new realms are discovered as exploration technology improves and medicine gets better. There are actual consequences for the actions of nobles and kings! It’s just a fascinating concept for fantasy and I’m so happy that Kristin Cashore takes her time to consider the geopolitical consequences of everyone’s actions.
If you loved the first two books in the series, you’re pretty much guaranteed to love Bitterblue. It’s that simple.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
Fireblood by Trisha Wolfe
(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)
To save a kingdom, Zara must choose between a prince who could be the answer and a rising rebellion that threatens to take control.
When Zara Dane is chosen to marry Prince Sebastian Hart, son of the man who ordered her father’s capture, Zara knows she must fight to save everything she loves from ruin.
Being betrothed to the prince means a life trapped behind the towering stone walls of the Camelot-forged realm. Under the watchful eye of the prince’s first knight, Sir Devlan Capra, changing her future becomes difficult.
When an unlikely rebel reveals the truth about the deadly secrets that fuel King Hart’s twisted world, Zara’s path to rescue her father becomes clouded by deception. The Rebels clear her path by forcing Zara’s hand with an ultimatum: sway Prince Sebastian to join the Rebels, convincing him of his father’s evil nature, or they will take him out.
But Zara is uncertain about a future under the Rebels’ command and where the prince’s heart truly lies. She must decide who to trust, what to believe, and what she’s truly fighting for before the king destroys all of Karm, including her heart.
[Full disclosure: I received a free ebook copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]
Fireblood had it all, really: complicated and realistic characters, a believable world, plot twists and even a fast-paced plot. So why do I feel so melancholy after finishing the book?
Well, the problem is that the ending sucked. I really thought Trisha Wolfe was going to break down some of the clichés that are so common in the YA genre. After all, the first two thirds of the novel had all kinds of inverted and subverted tropes as well as new takes on old clichés. But then something happened and it felt like the story took a totally random new direction into Clichéland. I was just so disappointed in the predictable ending that it’s colouring my whole perception of the novel.
Despite the admittedly horrible ending, Zara was a great character throughout the novel. She was strong and feisty without swinging too far into the territory of a stereotypical action girl. I loved her conflicted feelings over Sebastian and Devlan; it was a love triangle I could actually identify with and believe. That’s pretty rare in YA these days, so I’ll give Trisha Wolfe credit where credit is due. I loved Devlan because I’m a sucker for the bodyguard-falling-in-love cliché. He’s a complicated character, which makes it more realistic and his character arc never really followed the traditional bodyguard one.
The world-building in Fireblood was fantastic. An evil despotic ruler taking civilization back to the Medieval period while constantly monitoring his people with technology? Sounds good to me! Although the way I’ve described it makes it sound so trite it’s really not and you may hate it at first, but Trisha Wolfe really added a lot of depth to her world. She reveals some aspects of her world at a more natural pace as well, trusting in the intelligence of her readers rather than spoon-feeding information to them.
The plot was fast-paced and unpredictable for about two thirds of the novel, then the dreaded ending happened. It was just so forced and didn’t really fit at all with the mood of the story that I had a hard time finishing Fireblood. That just goes to show that without a good ending, an amazing novel can become just another mediocre one. Do I hold out hope for the rest of the series, though? Of course! Trisha Wolfe is an incredible writer and I think she’ll learn from this first novel in the series.
I give this book 3.5/5 stars.
Sworn to Conflict by Terah Edun
(Cover picture courtesy of trips down imagination road.)
Ciardis Weathervane fought for the living dead and won. But worse than taking on a mass murderer, was her discovery that she had been deceived by her friends. Now she needs to not only fight a war in the North and survive, but also decide where she stands in the midst of competing sides.
A threat to all she holds dear lies in the North and her heart is not the only thing she might lose. A massive army awaits in the mountain pass, surging closer to the gates of the southern lands. Nothing the Algardis army has done so far has dissuaded their march forward and Ciardis finds out that her powers to enhance are needed now more than ever.
As she faces her greatest fears on the battlefields and her heart is torn between her love of Sebastian and loyalty to her family, Ciardis must choose her fate carefully. For in her path, lies the destiny of the empire.
This third novel continues the story of Ciardis Weathervane from Sworn To Transfer.
[Full disclosure: I received a free ebook through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]
You know, I was more than a little skeptical of the entire Courtlight series after reading the first novel. It was more than a little rushed and the writing was decent enough, but nothing special. What made me stick with the series was the amazing characters and the incredibly unique premise. So, now that I’m on the third book out of four books, was it worth it?
Of course!
I loved Sworn to Conflict even more than I loved the previous book, Sworn to Transfer. It’s better than the first one and I thought it would be hard to top the second book, but Terah Edun has improved yet again. She’s found the perfect balance between dialogue and description and has expanded her fascinating fantasy world yet again. There are new creatures, new threats to the realm and terrifying new secrets that change everything Ciardis thought she knew.
Aside from the world-building, I really enjoyed the characters in this novel. Ciardis is a great character in that she’s not afraid to stand up to Prince Sebastian, despite the fact he’s the heir to the realm and she’s only a Companion. And when she’s betrayed by him, she doesn’t go running back to him, ready to forgive all of his wrongs. No, she’s able to be mad and stay mad and eventually begin the long path to forgiveness. It’s far more realistic, believe me.
The plot was fast-paced but not to the point where I had no idea what was going on. There were so many twists and turns that I barely kept up, but I enjoyed myself the whole time. You never really know just where Terah Edun is going to take the series and I think the final book, Sworn to Secrecy is going to be even better than this one. I can’t wait for the release!
I give this book 5/5 stars.
A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
(Cover picture courtesy of The Young Folks.)
A Victorian boarding school story, a Gothic mansion mystery, a gossipy romp about a clique of girlfriends, and a dark other-worldly fantasy–jumble them all together and you have this complicated and unusual first novel.
Sixteen-year-old Gemma has had an unconventional upbringing in India, until the day she foresees her mother’s death in a black, swirling vision that turns out to be true. Sent back to England, she is enrolled at Spence, a girls’ academy with a mysterious burned-out East Wing. There Gemma is snubbed by powerful Felicity, beautiful Pippa, and even her own dumpy roommate Ann, until she blackmails herself and Ann into the treacherous clique. Gemma is distressed to find that she has been followed from India by Kartik, a beautiful young man who warns her to fight off the visions. Nevertheless, they continue, and one night she is led by a child-spirit to find a diary that reveals the secrets of a mystical Order. The clique soon finds a way to accompany Gemma to the other-world realms of her visions “for a bit of fun” and to taste the power they will never have as Victorian wives, but they discover that the delights of the realms are overwhelmed by a menace they cannot control. Gemma is left with the knowledge that her role as the link between worlds leaves her with a mission to seek out the “others” and rebuild the Order. A Great and Terrible Beauty is an impressive first book in what should prove to be a fascinating trilogy.
Just like the title may suggest to you, there are some great things in this book and some terrible things. Let’s start with the great ones, shall we?
I loved the Victorian feel of this novel. Libba Bray’s talent here is that she never loses the dark Victorian atmosphere while still exploring things like women’s issues and teenage love. Some of the things the main characters learn in A Great and Terrible Beauty can certainly apply to teens today, so I think this book is still very easy to relate to. At the same time, there’s still that exotic feel that comes with a completely different time period.
Another good thing was the main character, Gemma. Gemma is not your typical kick-butt girl empowerment type of character. She’s a little bit shy, impulsive and struggles to fight against a society where women aren’t supposed to have their own opinions. Does that mean she’s constantly fighting with her teachers at Spence over women’s issues and boldly doing things like wearing pants? Of course not. This goes back to the whole authentic Victorian feel of the novel: Gemma rebels in a realistic way, not necessarily in a modern way that YA readers have come to expect.
Now for the terrible: Gemma’s friends. I know that they certainly had their flaws, but they were still not given much depth. Pippa only acquired some depth in the end, but Felicity was just your typical It-Girl through-and-through. Yes, teenagers do stupid things, but the idiotic thing they do at the end of the novel at the behest of a malevolent spirit just made me face-palm. I mean, really? Hardly any girl would do that today, let alone girls raised to believe that showing your ankles and wrists meant you were a loose woman.
As for the mysterious Order I was generally happy about what information Libba Bray chose to reveal as the book went along. She reveals enough for us to understand what the heck is going on, but not so much that I could end the trilogy here. For now I’m going to reserve judgment on the other realms and the magic but I’ll say that I’m satisfied with the explanations thus far.
Overall, A Great and Terrible Beauty was a pretty good novel. Was it the best I’ve ever read? No, I wouldn’t put it up there on my top 10 or even 20 list. But it was a mostly enjoyable read and I’d definitely recommend giving it a try.
I give this book 3.5/5 stars.
Mine to Tarnish by Janeal Falor
(Cover picture courtesy of YA Bound Book Tours.)
Katherine’s place is the same as any woman’s—on the shelf next to the dresses and bolts of cloth. When she’s sold to a warlock, life grows even bleaker. Her new owner is as old and rancid as he is cruel, driving her to do the unthinkable: run.
Nothing prepared her for being on her own. And she’s definitely unprepared for the warlocks hunting her down. But she must stay one step ahead because if caught, the best she can hope for is death.
[Full disclosure: Janeal Falor provided me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.]
A lot of times I’m not a big novella fan, I admit it. Even when they’re prequels or just extra information about characters. Sometimes they’re repetitive, but sometimes like with Mine to Tarnish they add a whole other dimension to the rich world the author has created.
I was always fond of Katherine in You Are Mine, but seeing her story through her own eyes is so much better than having it secondhand through Serena. Serena and Katherine are very different people to start out with, but their situations are remarkably similar. It’s just how they deal with those situations that I found fascinating. For instance, when Katherine chooses to escape I was cheering for her the whole way! In a world where violence against women is the norm and women are nothing but property, I had a hard time finding hope for poor Katherine’s life even outside of marriage but it was better than the alternative.
You can technically read Mine to Tarnish before you read You Are Mine, but I’d recommend sticking to the publishing order. It’s nicer to go back and hear Katherine’s backstory because then you at least have a better grasp on the world she’s living in from the full length novel. At the same time, you can get a pretty good taste of the terrifying world of the Mine series by just reading the novella first. It really depends on your personal tastes.
The novella was fast-paced and well written. There wasn’t really any time when I was tempted to put it down because I liked the faster pacing. That, and it helped that Katherine’s story is pretty remarkable for a woman in that world. You can’t help but like the feisty Katherine who was raised by a remarkable woman who believes in true equality, even if she hides it.
Really, what more can I say? If you read and liked You Are Mine, you’re going to love Mine to Tarnish. If you’re new to the Mine series, let me say welcome and I hope you enjoy it as much as I am!
I give this novella 5/5 stars.
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