Gregor and the Marks of Secret by Suzanne Collins

(Cover picture courtesy of Wikipedia.)

Now, with the third prophecy fulfilled, Gregor is drawn ever deeper into a brewing crisis.  For generations, rats have run the mice—or “nibblers”—out of whatever lands they’ve claimed, keeping them constantly on the move.  But now the mice are disappearing, and the young queen Luxa, who credits them with saving her life, is determined to find out why.

When Gregor joins her in a fact-finding mission, he is relieved that this time, at least, there’s no prophecy on the line.  But when the true fate of the mice is revealed, it is something far more sinister than Gregor or Luxa had imagined—and it points the way to the final prophecy he has yet to fulfill.  Gregor’s role as warrior and his abilities as a rager are put to the test in this suspenseful, action-packed penultimate installment of Suzanne Collins’s thrilling Underland Chronicles.

Gregor and the Marks of Secret is a really great build-up to the final book, in my opinion.  We learn about the aftermath of the plague in the third book, characters become much better defined and the ever-present threat of war finally becomes a reality.  Honestly, what’s not to like about this book?

Unlike in The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins allows the romance to develop at a natural pace.  The young love between Luxa and Gregor begins to bloom, with all of the awkwardness and heartache that it entails.  Collins does not neglect relationships between other characters as well, as evidenced by Howard’s almost brotherly protectiveness of Luxa and Vikus’ rocky relationship with Solovet.  These relationships are in the background, but they have certainly not been neglected.

As always, the plot moves along very quickly as Gregor rushes head-on toward his ultimate destiny.  There are rarely any slow scenes, but the ones that are present are a welcome reprieve when you need to put the book down and go to sleep.  Both boys and girls will enjoy this book because the themes of love and loyalty are universal and Gregor is an excellent narrator.  Suzanne Collins’ Underland Chronicles have long taken a back seat to her more famous Hunger Games trilogy, but it’s time that they were recognized for the great books they are.

I give this book 5/5 stars.

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If You Love the Iron Fey…

This is the novella about the events that take place between The Iron Queen and The Iron Knight (the third and fourth books respectively) in the Iron Fey series.  Summer’s Crossing is only about 72 pages long, but it really is an enjoyable read, especially if you’re a fan like I am.  Here is a link to the PDF where you can read the book online.  But be warned, it’s only free for a limited time!

And if you’re in a romantic mood, check out An Iron Fey Valentine (PDF), a short story written by Julie Kagawa about Ash and Meghan’s first Valentine’s Day together.  I wouldn’t recommend reading it unless you’ve already finished The Iron Knight, since it is a spoiler.

Discord’s Apple by Carrie Vaughn

(Cover picture courtesy of Carrie Vaughn’s blog.)

When Evie Walker goes to spend time with her dying father, she discovers that his creaky old house in Hope’s Fort, Colorado, is not the only legacy she will inherit.  Hidden behind the basement door is a secret and magical storeroom, a place where wondrous treasures from myth and legend are kept safe until they are needed again.

Of course, this legacy is not without its costs: There are those who will give anything to find a way in.

With the help of her father, a mysterious stranger named Alex, and some unexpected heroes, Evie must guard the storeroom against ancient and malicious forces, and protect both the past and the future even as the present unravels.  Old heroes and notorious villains alike rise to fight on her side or to do their best to bring about her defeat.

At stake is the fate of the world and the prevention of nothing less than the apocalypse.

I received Discord’s Apple as a late birthday present from a friend last year, which brings me to two points.  1)  As you read this review, keep in mind that I am biased because this is not a book I would normally read.  2)  For whatever reason, when I receive books as birthday presents from friends, they always end up being late birthday presents.  This last point is nothing but trivia, however, keep in mind that I never would have read this book unless it was a gift.

Discord’s Apple is a very fast-paced book, a bit too fast for my liking, to be truthful.  To me, it seems like Carrie Vaughn sacrificed natural character development for a fast plot.  Sinon is a well-developed character, but Evie Walker, the novel’s protagonist, doesn’t seem real enough to me.  She falls in love with Sinon very suddenly and accepts that she and her father are the guardians of a magical storeroom quite readily.

I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t exactly accept that Hera was after the legendary apple of Discord very quickly, especially if it was a complete stranger telling me that the apple in question was sitting in my basement.  My general feeling about the characters is that Carrie Vaughn spent far too much page time on Sinon’s backstory and neglected Evie, who had great potential as a protagonist.

Aside from the characters, I didn’t really mind Discord’s Apple.  It has a very interesting premise and Carrie Vaughn’s writing style is very clear and direct; she does not ramble on for pages about how exotic the landscapes are or how handsome Evie’s love interest is.  The ending was very satisfying in my opinion because I love symmetry.  The ending really does bring the story full circle, so that probably coloured my perception of the book as well.

So if you don’t mind a slightly unbelievable protagonist, but a decently written book with an intriguing premise, I would recommend Discord’s Apple to you.

I give this book 3.5/5 stars.

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Guest Post on 1001 Scribbles

I did my second ever guest post (well, technically first because I wrote this one first)!  It’s not a book review, but a collection of photographs from Canada, my dear country.  For those of you who are interested in my photography, please click here to view it.

The Borgia Bride by Jeanne Kalogridis

(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)

Vivacious Sancha of Aragon arrives in Rome newly wed to a member of the notorious Borgia dynasty.  Surrounded by the city’s opulence and political corruption, she befriends her glamorous and deceitful sister-in-law, Lucrezia, whose jealousy is as legendary as her beauty.  Some say Lucrezia has poisoned her rivals, particularly those to whom her handsome brother, Cesare, has given his heart.  So when Sancha falls under Cesare’s irresistible spell, she must hide her secret or lose her life.  Caught in the Borgias’ sinister web, she summons her courage and uses her cunning to outwit them at their own game.  Vividly interweaving historical detail with fiction, The Borgia Bride is a richly compelling tale of conspiracy, sexual intrigue, loyalty, and drama.

There’s this image of ancient Rome as a debauched city throughout its whole thousand year history.  This perception of debauchery is somewhat true under emperors like Tiberius, Nero, Commodus and Caligula, but it is mostly an undeserved reputation.  In reading this book, I learned that the Papacy under the powerful Borgia family had more backstabbing than the Medici court, more sexual debauchery than Caligula’s court and almost as much incest as the Egyptian royal family of Ahmose.  The tagline “Incest, poison, betrayal.  Three wedding presents for…The Borgia Bride” is certainly justified.  Before I get into the details of why this tagline is deserved, let me first warn you that this is a book for people at least fifteen years old—and that would have to be a very mature fifteen.

Sancha of Aragon, the novel’s protagonist, is a wonderful narrator.  She’s beautiful, intelligent and ambitious, three of the most dangerous things a woman in her time could be.  Even though she was only eleven years old at the time, she had the daring to sneak into her grandfather King Ferrante’s rooms in an attempt to catch a glimpse of the infamous chamber of his enemies’ bodies.  This little story may seem like a product of Jeanne Kalogridis’ imagination, but I can assure you that it is true.  Like most women of her time, Sancha is incredibly mature for her age, which makes The Borgia Bride an enjoyable read, even though she is young when it starts out.  Readers will fall in love with her and cheer for her throughout the novel as she is put up against tremendous odds.

Forcibly married to a boy three years her junior, Sancha still perseveres, even when she knows that she has caught the eye of the debauched Pope.  Despite having virtually no friends—even Lucrezia is not a true friend—she manages to find pleasure in small doses, particularly in the arms of the handsome Cesare Borgia.  But all is not as it seems and everyone holds their secrets close to their hearts, for any weaknesses were fully taken advantage of in the time of the Borgias.  I won’t give away the ending, but I want to say that it is not the stereotypical one where the main character’s husband dies and she gets to marry whomever she wishes.  Still, The Borgia Bride is a thoroughly enjoyable book.

I give this book 5/5 stars.

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