[review] The Burning Sky

Title: The Burning Sky
Author: Sherry Thomas
Series: The Elemental Trilogy, #1

Balzer + Bray
464 pages

It all began with a ruined elixir and an accidental bolt of lightning…

Iolanthe Seabourne is the greatest elemental mage of her generation—or so she's being told. The one prophesied for years to be the savior of The Realm. It is her duty and destiny to face and defeat the Bane, the greatest mage tyrant the world has ever known. A suicide task for anyone let alone a sixteen-year-old girl with no training, facing a prophecy that foretells a fiery clash to the death.

Prince Titus of Elberon has sworn to protect Iolanthe at all costs but he's also a powerful mage committed to obliterating the Bane to avenge the death of his family—even if he must sacrifice both Iolanthe and himself to achieve his goal.

But Titus makes the terrifying mistake of falling in love with the girl who should have been only a means to an end. Now, with the servants of the Bane closing in, he must choose between his mission and her life.


I am really not altogether sure of how to start this review - I have very mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, it has sweeping romance, great characters and a great potential for the series - but my biggest problem was the worldbuilding.
Not that it wasn't good - I mean, Sherry Thomas has built a world around the Domain, with magic and strange elements and so many great things, but her problem was actually the writing. So many of this very cool stuff that she put we have to figure out on our own - especially the dynamics. We have the mage world - ruled by Atlantis and the terrible Bane, a great and powerful wizard, but we also have the mage world, which is just plain England. I thought that this was going a bit too far for my own taste - to be honest, I don't think high fantasy and victorian England go together that much, but that's just my opinion. But excepting the fact that Thomas just throws elements around and expects the reader to make something of it, the other parts were pretty cool.
I have to hand it to her - up until half of the book I wasn't liking it that much, but Iolanthe and Titus have conquered my heart in the end and made a new otp. They have great dynamics together, and although some stuff did not convince me altogether, I'm sure that it'll get better, and what they already have going now is great. Iolanthe is very sweet and not the bravado kind of girl, which surprised me in a YA heroine. Titus, of course, is the prince, which made me automatically swoon - but he also has a lot of depth and cunning, which makes his character even more real.
The plot is good - although we have some slight troubles with it, and this book has a very slow start - and I think it's setting something great for the next books in the trilogy to come. At first I wasn't entirely sure I would be continuing the series, but in the end the book convinced me. I will not be buying it immediately after they come out, but will definetly be reading them later.

Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Quote: “As long as I live and breathe, I will be with you.”  

[arc review] Heir of Fire

Title: Heir of Fire
Author: Sarah J Maas
Series: Throne of Glass, book #3
Bloomsbury USA
565 pages
Goodreads

Lost and broken, Celaena Sardothien’s only thought is to avenge the savage death of her dearest friend: as the King of Adarlan’s Assassin, she is bound to serve this tyrant, but he will pay for what he did. Any hope Celaena has of destroying the king lies in answers to be found in Wendlyn. Sacrificing his future, Chaol, the Captain of the King’s Guard, has sent Celaena there to protect her, but her darkest demons lay in that same place. If she can overcome them, she will be Adarlan’s biggest threat – and his own toughest enemy. 

While Celaena learns of her true destiny, and the eyes of Erilea are on Wendlyn, a brutal and beastly force is preparing to take to the skies. Will Celaena find the strength not only to win her own battles, but to fight a war that could pit her loyalties to her own people against those she has grown to love?

I'm still not sure if I'm entirely up to the task of reviewng this book - first of all, because it basically killed me while I was reading it. I'll try as much as possible to not tell any spoilers - and here it goes.

This book is as amazing as the last one - I'm not kidding. If Crown of Midnight gave you feels, Heir of Fire will give out as much as the last one. This book is brilliant - and this time, we follow Celaena's journey into Wendlyn and even more especially, her acceptance towards her destiny, the destiny she's wanting to hide from. All of this is written beautifully, I got so emotional with Celaena, her feelings just blossomed out of the page, and her character arc in this book is so thrilling and deep and joyful and so simply brilliant. Celaena just shines through the pages - if you didn't like her before, you'll definetly like her now. It's very very good - we have her conflict, her destiny, people trying to manipulate her, her fears... Sarah handled it so well that I barely have words for it.

The worldbuilding remains as amazing as always, I must say - this time, we get a lot of background on the Fae and their powers, and even more flashbacks of what happened 10 years ago in Terassen. I really liked the coming back and forth of it, and it gives so much life to the setting. This book I think finally ends what I'll call the 'introductory' part of the series - by the end of this book, we have all important characters and all plots settled, and by the next one we shall be moving to the actual plot. Not that this doesn't have a plot - it does, of course, but it's a much more internal journey of the characters than action. Mind you, there's a whole lot of action still - especially as new  characters are introduced.

What can I say about the new characters except that I've fallen in love with all of them? Manon's beautifully written and painful and very deep, her character is intriguing. Aedion and Rowan are two other characters introduced to the series and I'm not ashamed to say that I've fallen in love with both - their relationships and feelings are just so well marked. To be quite honest, I think I'm in love with all of this characters. Dorian and Chaol do not fail to disappoint - each must walk his own path, and it's very interesting how both of them are facing the same thing as Celaena: finding what they believe in.

All in all, this book gave me a lot of feelings - I was bursting out laughing in some parts, ugly sobbing in others, but it gave me the general feeling of hope and brightness. It's like a beacon was lit in me, and I'm amazed by Sarah's writing and how she managed to do it. I'm anxious to discuss this book more openly and tell you what parts exactly made me feel like this, but few books have made me more happy and sad and believing in something again. It's just that kind of book. Needless to say that I'll wait very impatiently for the next book in the series.

Rating: 5/5 stars

Quote: "It would not take a monster to destroy a monster - but light, to drive out the darkness."

[review] Great

Title: Great
Author: Sarah Benincasa
Series: Standalone
HarperTeen
263 pages

In Sara Benincasa's contemporary retelling of The Great Gatsby, a teenage girl becomes entangled in the drama of a Hamptons social circle, only to be implicated in a tragedy that shakes the summer community.

Everyone loves a good scandal.

Naomi Rye usually dreads spending the summer with her socialite mother in East Hampton. This year is no different. She sticks out like a sore thumb among the teenagers who have been summering (a verb only the very rich use) together for years. But Naomi finds herself captivated by her mysterious next-door neighbor, Jacinta. Jacinta has her own reason for drawing close to Naomi-to meet the beautiful and untouchable Delilah Fairweather. But Jacinta's carefully constructed world is hiding something huge, a secret that could undo everything. And Naomi must decide how far she is willing to be pulled into this web of lies and deception before she is unable to escape.

Based on a beloved classic and steeped in Sara Benincasa's darkly comic voice, Great has all the drama, glitz, and romance with a terrific modern (and scandalous) twist to enthrall readers.

To tell the absolute truth and nothing but the truth, I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book. I've read the Great Gatsby and liked it a lot, even though it wasn't my favourite book of all time. But when I heard that this was a Gatsby but with LESBIANS, it became my number one obsession. Yes, I'm that desperate to get my hands on ya lit that includes queer characters that are not only hinted at.

To start off, this had some great things and bad things at the same time. Naomi was a protagonist who complained a lot and that I couldn't either like or dislike - her romance and plotline just seemed something stupid to fill up the book. Although this happened, by the end of the book I could understand her feelings perfectly and was completely in tune with her character. Sometimes this book felt a little way too much gossip girl for me (in a bad way), especially the beggining, which bothered me a bit. The setting and the way of living among the rich does not appeal to me in any way, so I thought this started off very snobbish and a bit irritating.

The writing is commonplace - nothing completely extraordinary. What I loved, of course, was the whole twist in the tale - and Jacinta's character, who is just as fascinating as Jay Gatsby's. She is good, kind, innocent and hopeful - you can't help but to root for her. She's the most wonderful character of this book, undoubtly, and still very tragic. As it also happened to me in the Great Gatsby, I could not truly sympathyse with Daisy's character, and in this case, Delilah. Her scenes with Jacinta are absolutely wonderful - but as soon as she steps off that light, she's back into being annoying and a little bit bitchy.

I did love the whole plot and the way it was woven - specially the ending. I thought that it was wonderful, and even though I was starting to dread it because I knew it ended badly, the surprise at the end was a nice and hopeful addition. Even though at the beggining I felt like I was too hopeful for this book, it did not however disappoint me. I was crying my way through the end, and very much enjoyed reading it.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Quote: “It's like there's this knowledge hanging in the air that one person has more power than the other, and we're supposed to pretend everything is nice and normal and equal, but in reality, luck or chance has showered benefits on one person that the other person couldn't dream of.” 

introducing the blog

Hi everyone!
So this is my new blog, dedicated solely to YA. I've been thinking of starting it for a while, and now I've finally done it!
This blog is not where the main things happen - here at blogspot I'll post my reviews and try to keep you updated on what work I've been doing over at tumblr. I thought this would be an awesome way to enhance the general experience of reading, and I'll keep you posted about the few projects I'll be organizing on tumblr. Feel free to roam from here to there and back (:

[review] Siege and Storm

Title: Siege and Storm
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Series: The Grisha Trilogy, #2
Henry Holt & Co
435 pages

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.


Okay, so when I started this I thought - it can’t possibly be better than the first one. Let’s all be very honest - it just can’t. So I’ll just tell you upfront that it isn’t better - but man, it’s AS GOOD AS. Leigh Bardugo doesn’t disappoint.
So up front, the only thing I actually have to complain about is that it started way too fast - chapter 2 and you are slammed into the story, back once again in Ravka. The worldbuilding is still wonderful of course, but what I loved about this one was the characters. I loved Alina and Mal and the Darkling since book one, and they’re all pretty amazing - and now we get introduced to Sturmhond (and may I say, I got a new boy-crush). The characters are threaded so well into the plot, and every little twist is amazing. The Darkling is still creepy as hell, and you get chills through out the whole book. Some developments are also interesting and I can’t wait for book 3 to see how everything will fall out.
All in all, it’s an awesome book, full of interesting characters and questions and so many other things - it’s an absolutely amazing read.

Rate: 5/5 stars
Quote: 
“Why won’t you leave me alone?” I whispered one night as he hovered behind me while I tried to work at my desk.

Long minutes passed. I didn’t think he would answer. I even had time to hope he might have gone, until I felt his hand on my shoulder.

“Then I’d be alone, too," he said, and he stayed the whole night through, till the lamps burned down to nothing.”

[review] The Winner's Curse

Title: The Winner's Curse
Author: Marie Rutkoski
Series: The Winner's Trilogy, #1
Farrars, Straux Girous
355 pages

Winning what you want may cost you everything you love 

As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions. 

One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction. Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin. 

But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined. 

Set in a richly imagined new world, The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.



I started reading the Winner’s Curse because of a Fierce Reads promotion - they gave me the book and I’d help build the buzz around for it. I was pretty excited for this book in particular, because I’d been hearing loads of great things about it. I didn’t expect to fall absolutely and rather madly in love with it.
First of all, The Winner’s Curse has this amazing worldbuilding - a world that had been plagued by war, and now is full of slaves. The passages and setting are beautifully written, but what gripped me was the description of the people and how Marie Rutkoski made this world feel absolutely real - even the history of it felt real.
Now to the characters (my absolutely favourite part) - Kestrel is an amazing main character. She knows her weaknesses and her strenghs so well that it made me tear up. She’s proud, smart, delicate - she’s a strong girl without resorting to force. It’s quite amazing how she’s built, and how much I loved about her. Her strategist self made into my heart, and she quickly became one of my favourite characters.
In fact, so did Arin - to be honest, even though the rest of the characters are very well built and with awesome backgrounds, the main characters are the ones that come off the pages perfectly. Arin is amazingly well-built, you can feel his rage and his love and all of his emotions, it’s all beautiful - and yes, I’m repeating myself, but there is no other word for it.
What I also loved about this book was the questions it raised - about slavery, freedom, history, everything else. Culture appropriation and many other issues we face in the current world, all of them intricately woven into the plot. Sometimes I had to stop reading just to catch my breath. And another thing - that ending. I was utterly surprised and astonished, and yes, ended up crying a little bit. 
To patch it up, the Winner’s Curse is a book every fan of young adult and fantasy SHOULD BE PICKING UP RIGHT NOW. GO.

Rating: 5/5 stars
Quote: “Isn't that what stories do, make real things fake, and fake things real?”

[review] Dorothy must Die

Title: Dorothy Must Die
Author: Danielle Paige
Series: Dorothy Must Die, #1
Harper Collins
452 pages

I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't ask to be some kind of hero.
But when your whole life gets swept up by a tornado—taking you with it—you have no choice but to go along, you know?

Sure, I've read the books. I've seen the movies. I know the song about the rainbow and the happy little blue birds. But I never expected Oz to look like this. To be a place where Good Witches can't be trusted, Wicked Witches may just be the good guys, and winged monkeys can be executed for acts of rebellion. There's still the yellow brick road, though—but even that's crumbling.

What happened?
Dorothy. They say she found a way to come back to Oz. They say she seized power and the power went to her head. And now no one is safe.

My name is Amy Gumm—and I'm the other girl from Kansas.
I've been recruited by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked.
I've been trained to fight.
And I have a mission:
Remove the Tin Woodman's heart.
Steal the Scarecrow's brain.
Take the Lion's courage.
Then and only then—Dorothy must die!



To begin, I must be honest and say that I was expecting a lot from Dorothy Must Die, mostly because I had read its preceding novella, “No Place Like Oz”. I loved No Place Like Oz - it took me back to a something familiar like Dorothy, and I could relate to her problems so much. It was a great way of telling us how she became dark, and also extremely logical - throughout the entire novella, I could completely relate to Dorothy and her feelings.
This didn’t happen right away with Amy and “Dorothy Must Die”. Although yes, I understood that Oz was dying and its magic as well, it didn’t feel the same. The atmosphere was a little off, and I felt like everything was going too fast. I didn’t connect to our protagonist, Amy - although the other elements in Oz were pretty good and with great worldbuilding.
So the series in general has potential - especially because it’s populates with other amazing characters, like the Wizard, Ozma and the wicked witches, and as begginings go this book was pretty good - but I didn’t fall head over heels with it as I wished I could. The potential for this series to be completely awesome is there - and I’m kind of expecting it in the next books. In general, it’s a pretty dark story filled with magic and great stuff - but don’t expect too much from it.
If you like twisty tales and retelling, then you better watch out for this one - I think this series is gonna grow better and do BIG STUFF.


Rating: 4/5 stars
Quote: “I didn’t know what was worse: to have your shot and screw it up, or to never have had a shot in the first place.”