Author: jmcneel2

This weeks review is a bit of a break from the precedent I’ve established. Normally I review two books at a time but this book is so good that it deserves its own review. I stumbled upon Furyborn on the Goodreads giveaways page and it caught my eye. I didn’t win the giveaway and I had completely forgotten about the book until a coworker said we had gotten in at the bookstore I work at. It took some convincing but I bought the book that night and boy am I glad I did. This is simply one of the best YA/Teen Fantasy books I’ve read in a long. The characters, the story, the world, everything in this book is superbly done and I can not wait for the sequel to be released. And with that it is on to the review.

I start by saying this book is a little different from other books I have read. Not only is the book told from two points of view, but it is also told from two different time periods. Now normally, I am not a fan of time jumps in books. However, this book does it really well. Each chapter is titled by whose perspective the chapter is from and it alternates. One chapter is the past as told from the point of view of Queen Rielle. The next chapter is told from the perspective of Eliana and the story jumps forward 1.020 years. Despite the jumping back and forth, the book never feels disjointed or confusing. Sometimes each little chapter will feel like its own mini cliffhanger. The book flows pretty well and I never felt lost in the story. You also never get confused at which time slot you are in as each chapter is labeled and the characters from the past never show up in the future and vis versa with the exception of one character. The storytelling is very well done overall despite the fact that this type of storytelling is not my preferred method.

From a character point of view, there are not any bad characters in my opinion. The two main characters, Rielle and Eliana are each fantastic characters that share some similarities while also being different. Rielle wants to do more. She is tired of held back by her family and wants to prove herself not only to her family, but also to the person she loves most. She is definitely an emotional character and her story really feeds off her emotions. She is also impulsive and fiercely loyal to her friend Ludivine and to the person she loves most Audric The Lightbringer. But what her character really interesting is the relationship she has with the mysterious Corien. And while I will not spoil the reveal of who/what Corien is, he really makes the Rielle chapters. His need for power is evident and his powers of manipulation are well demonstrated.

Our other many character Eliana, share some of the same qualities that Rielle does. She is loyal to her family and friend and she is constantly trying to prove herself. On the other hand, she also is not the most honest of people and she is willing to do whatever it takes to save own skin. Unlike Rielle, Eliana is very impulsive in her actions and will often throw caution to the wind. Eliana’s relationship with those around is what makes her chapters good to read. When she is around her brother Remy, Simon or Zahra, her character becomes infinitely more interesting to read.

One of the things that really stands out in this book for me is the setting that Legrand has created. This is one of the best crafted, intricately written and described worlds I’ve seen in a long time. Everything is there from a map, lore of Gods and Goddesses, history and political systems and factions. Each chapter is prefaced with some sort of reading which only enhances the lore of the world. Weather its religious rites or a bit of historical writings, each adds just a little more to the large and elaborate world that has been so well crafted here. And it doesn’t just stop in the Rielle chapters. In the Eliana chapters, past history is referenced and newer history is easily explained with together creates a dynamic and flowing world that is ever-changing and I love it. Add into that angels and saints and elemental powers and you have an A+ plus world.

Overall, this is easily one of the best fantasy novels I’ve read. It is comparable to my all-time favorite series which gives an indication of just how much I love this book. The characters, the story, the world building, the lore and the history are all excellent and I could not get enough of it. The story is well written and while it is not a cliffhanger, it is open enough to leave wanting the sequel. I can not wait for the sequel to be published and I can definitely see myself reading this one a few more times.

Verdict-5 stars, go out and read this book. You will not be disappointed.

The two books I’m reviewing this week are a bit of a mixed bag and definitely not what I was expecting. Each book had good promise but only one really delivered. The Glass Spare by Lauren DeStefano and Cinder by Marissa Meyer are two books  that are different in their stories yet at the same time are similar in some ways. Each had a good premise, story idea and world. But what set these apart are the characters and the way the story progresses in each book. And with that it is on to the reviews starting with The Glass Spare.

 

 

I’ll start off by saying that this book was a disappointment for me. The premise of this book sounded really interesting and at first it seemed like it would deliver. Unfortunately, three-quarters of this book is nothing but a dull story with none of the good things that this book initially seemed to offer. Combine that with a very forced romance and fairly dull secondary characters and you get a book that while good on the surface, doesn’t cut it once you actually start to get to the heart of the book.

The main characters are a mixed bag and none are particularly noteworthy. Our main character Wil starts out as an interesting character. Used as a spy by her father the king, she longs to see what the rest of her world offers. She’s a pretty headstrong character who also has a good relationship with two of her three brothers. However, in the second half of the book, she turns into a bit of a whiny character. While she maintains her headstrong nature, she seems to complain about everything which really rubbed me the wrong way. And while she is forced to abandon her family, she makes no effort to send her brother Gerdie or even her mother a letter explaining what happened. Yes she still thinks about her family but it’s almost as if she just decides to forget them at the same time. The main male character, Loom, is also a mixed bag. It never seems like he can make his mind up on how he feels for Wil and Zay. He goes back and forth between the two so much that it’s maddening. And while he is on a defined mission, he is more concerned about explaining what he has to do instead of acting on it. And that for me is how so many of these characters are. They constantly talk about what they have to do instead of actually attempting to do anything. And that leads me into the story. The second half of this book is dull and uninteresting, save for the fight at the castle towards the end of the book. Other than that nothing much happens besides a lot of talking about each characters mission. On top of that, the “will they, won’t they” love story with Loom and Wil felt incredibly forced and didn’t seem to fit into the story or into the characters themselves.

The setting is not a bad one but it’s not a spectacular setting either. It seems to have an identity crisis as it can’t seem to decide if it’s more magic based or wants to introduce guns and other weapons into the story. While it is defined that the kingdoms hate each other, it really isn’t explained why. On top of that, there isn’t much lore to add substance to the world so the setting and world feel a bit empty.

Overall this book is a massive disappointment. The characters aren’t anything extraordinary, the story is dull and the world feels empty. And while this is the first in the series, I highly doubt I’ll read the rest of the series.

Verdict- 3 stars, not one I’ll probably read again.

 

We move on from a massive disappointment to a book that was a pleasant surprise for me. Cinder is the first in the Lunar Chronicles and while I had heard good things about the series, the book was not what I had anticipated. In a good way, the book surprised me with how much I enjoyed it. The world was solid, the characters were good and while I guessed the big plot twist correctly, the story was a good overall.

 

The main character, Cinder, is a solid main character. As a cyborg, she is looked down upon in society especially by her stepmother. But through all the hardship she suffers in this book, she almost achieves her goal only for forces beyond her control to conspire against her. She is driven, headstrong and an emotional character. Her relationships with the characters around her really drive the story forward. Her relationships especially with Prince Kai and head doctor are two very interesting story lines. And speaking of Prince Kai, he is a good solid secondary lead. Faced with governing his kingdom during multiple crisis’, he always tries to do what is best for his people and for the benefit of himself. And while he seems to really care for Cinder, it isn’t entirely possible that he loves her which I really like. The story didn’t need and explicitly stated romance so a little ambiguity between Cinder and Kai is a good story line. The side characters are also good as well and I can’t wait to see more of Queen Levana as a character. You can tell she has an evil side but yet she is cunning politician and I can’t wait to see how her character develops.

 

As for the story itself, it is a pretty solid story. With New Beijing battling an incurable plague, the story throws the Levana side story as well as several other side points that really keep you on your toes when it comes to the plot. The only downside to the story is that the big plot twist was a little easy to guess. I figured it out pretty quickly which took a lot of the suspense out of the end for me. But that aside, each side plot is good one. Trying to fight the disease ravaging New Beijing, dealing with Queen Levana, the upcoming ball and secrets that each character holds are all well written and are given enough to develop as a plot. Add to that a little bit of a Cinderella aspect to the story and you have yourselves a halfway decent story line.

The world that Meyer has created is a good one as well. Set in the future with Androids, Cyborgs mixing in with humans, it is quite the interesting dynamic. You add into that the Lunar people, who I think may just be the most interesting of all the world inhabitants and you get a dynamic and complex world with shifting attitudes and very interesting character dynamics. I can not wait to see more of Luna itself. While only hinted at in this book, it was enough to get me excited about the Lunar people.

Overall, this book is a really solid read. The book itself was not what I had expected when I started reading. The story, characters and world were all pleasant surprises and there was very little I didn’t like about the book. I really look forward to reading the rest of the series and seeing if these good things continues.

Verdict- 4 stars. A really solid first book in the series. Definitely has my attention for the rest of the series.

Another week, another two books to review. Although I read 4 books this week, one was so bad that I wouldn’t have been to write a comprehensive review and the second was a historical commentary. So that leaves us with the 2 books I’m reviewing this week brought to a close one series I really like and started another series that I hope to enjoy. War Storm by Victoria Aveyard and The Cruel Prince by Holly Black are two books that I both really enjoyed and in the case of War Storm, were kinda disappointed by. And so with the introductions out-of-the-way, onto the reviews.

War Storm by Victoria Aveyard concludes the excellent Red Queen series which has spanned four well written books. The book picks right up where Kings Cage, the third entry in the series, ended. And while the book continues a lot of the good things from the previous books, it unfortunately suffers from the same faults that previous books had as well.

The entire series has been built around an excellent world and this one is no different. We are introduced to new locations such as Montfort and The Lakeland kingdom. Aveyard has done an excellent job of world building and I am a sucker for beautiful and well crafted world. That has always been the biggest strength of the series. The book also continues to tell the story from multiple perspectives. While we continue to see the story told the perspective of Mare and Evangeline, we also get a glimpse from Cal, Maven and a totally new perspective in the shape of Lakeland princess and bride to Maven, Iris. Each new point of view is expertly crafted and the transitions are often smooth and don’t leave the reader guessing. I particularly like the new Iris perspective. She adds something new to the book and get to see the story unfold from the side opposing Mare.

The characters continue to be interesting although this is where the faults of the book begin to show. Mare is an interesting character in her own right, but even since the first book, I feel like her character has gone backwards in terms of development. And while I like her as a character, the decisions she made (or didn’t make) almost made dislike the character. The same goes for Cal. The back and forth between Mare and Cal becomes slightly tedious and downright frustrating to read as the book progresses. And just when you think progress has been made, they both throw it away. My favorite character however quickly became Evangeline. Although she started out as character I despised, the third book made her a decent character before this book made her a favorite of mine. Her relationship and devotion to Elane really stood out and it was a part of the book I really like. I would love to see a series from her perspective especially considering how the book ends. And that is my biggest bone to pick with this book. Without giving too much away, the ending of this back infuriated me. It was open-ended, nothing was resolved (except for one plot point) and it seemed as if it was done on purpose to set up a sequel series.

Horrible ending aside, the book is a good read. Those who have read the other three will enjoy it and find it very similar to the other 3. The world as always is excellent, the story proceeds at a good pace and while some of the characters go backwards in terms of development, others get great development.

Verdict- 4 stars- A good read but a terrible way to end the series.

From the finale of a series, we shift to the start of series that has really good promise. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black has a lot of the things I really like in a book. It has an excellent world, solid characters and decent story. The story follows three human sisters, Jude, Taryn and Vivian who are whisked away to the land of the Fae by Vivian’s father. Being human, the three girls are seen as outsiders and consequently are looked down upon by the Fae folk.

The world that Black has created is top-notch. The lore is there, different regions, a full government system, everything that I love in a world is there. It is superbly crafted and makes you feel like you are truly there and so I definitely commend her for that. The characters are solid for the most part. As a main character, Jude is a pretty good one although with a simple motivation. She longs to fit in among the Fae and will do anything to get it. She is loyal to her sisters, but at the same time is loyal to herself first and foremost. And while there isn’t a great amount of development, you definitely see a change in Jude. Her sisters are interesting as well particularly Vivian. Vivian hates being among the Fae and so she occasionally will go back to normal society. Her character development is good and I hope we see more of her in sequel. The girls’ father is not a bad character by any means but he also doesn’t stand out. The one Fae character that does stand out is Carden. Although I really hate him as a character, he is a well-developed character and the relationship between him and Jude is an interesting one.

When it comes to story its a mixed bag. If you are a fan of action packed stories then this not going to be the book for you. This is an intrigue heavy book and it is really well done. The set up is good, the build up is excellent and the payoff is one that I did not see coming. And speaking of, the ending to this book and twist that is thrown in are both very well written. I did not see either of them coming which is always a good thing. I love a book that is unpredictable and keeps me on my toes and this book certainly does that.

Overall the book is solid albeit slow read. The world is top-notch, the characters are solid and while the story is slower paced then other books, it is so well done that I really enjoyed it. I have been eyeing this book for a long time and I am glad that I finally picked it up. I am excited to read the rest of the series to where it goes.

Verdict- 4 star. A solid first entry in the series.

A one point this past week, it looked as if I would only be reviewing one book this week. This is until I picked up a terrific novel that I could not put down. So instead of one book, this weeks review is double feature and these two couldn’t be more different. One is YA fantasy set of novellas that goes along with a much bigger series, while the other is a Historical Fiction novel that stands out as a terrific read.

As this is my first review I will state how I review the books. First off these are just my opinions and I don’t expect everyone to agree with them. Secondly, the judge the books on how well they kept my interest, how well written they are and overall just how good they were. There will be no spoilers in the reviews and I grade on a 5 star scale. 4 and 5 star reviews and ones that highly recommend you go out and read. 3 star reviews are ones that while I liked the book, they are not must read. 1-2 star reviews are books that i will not recommend. With that on with the reviews and I will start with the Queens of Fennbirn by Kendare Blake.

The Queens of Fennbirn is a set of two novellas that go along with the Three Dark Crowns series. The series is one I highly recommend so I was intrigued to read the two novellas. The downside with novellas is that it seems like as soon as you start getting into the story, the story ends. That is a problem with most novellas and not solely related to this book. The two novellas in the book are The Young Queens and the The Oracle Queen. They each tell a very different story, but each in a way relates to the main series overall.

The Young Queens opens with the birth of the three queens who will become central the main series. The story makes a point of showing how close Katherine, Arsinoe and Mirabella were to each other before they were whisked away to different families. It also shows how the three families thought about the idea of raising a new queen and the challenges they each present. The main series seems to focus more on Katherine, but here, Mirabella seems to take center stage which I do really like. Out of all of the sisters, Mirabella seems to have the most character development in the series and this story shows that she was a complex character to begin with. She cares deeply for her sisters and some of her actions in the series can be explained by what happens in this short story.

By contrast, The Oracle Queen shows that the ruthlessness of Fennbirn politics dates back many years. A common tale told on the island is the story of the last oracle queen Elsabet. This queen saw that she was going to be overthrown and so she killed off three entire families in a fit of madness. The story however, tells it from a different point of view. The novella tells how Elsabet was drugged so that her oracle gift couldn’t be used and her own Black Council plotted against her and framed her. What is particularly interesting is just like in the main series, the Arron family leads the plotting. The lore in this story is wonderful as is the buildup and payoff. It really gives you the sense that position of Queen is a dangerous one.

Overall, these two novellas are wonderful to read. Blake continues to craft and expand upon her fantastic world and lore that she has created. It is well written and really gives some insight into the main series. The only downside of the book is these are just novellas. I kept wanting more out of the stories and unfortunately I couldn’t get it. That is the only downside to the book but because it’s such a big one it brings it down a star for me. I would still go out and read this especially if you have read the Three Dark Crowns Series.  Verdict- 4 Stars.

 

Moving on from a novel of fantasy to a Historical Fiction novel that is one of the best I have ever read. Written by Susan Holloway Scott, I, Eliza Hamilton tells the story of the wife of Alexander Hamilton, Eliza, from her point of view. Beginning at their first meeting and lasting till Alexander’s death during a duel, the sheds some light on one of the lesser known figures of the founding.

 

 

While this book is certainly taking advantage of the success of the Broadway smash hit musical Hamilton, the book is a phenomenal read. It is beautifully written, expertly described and makes you feel like you are truly there listening as Eliza tells her story. The book is told through first-person narration style which works out perfectly for this book. You really get the sense that you sitting at the home of Eliza Hamilton as she tells the story of how she fell in love with Alexander, struggled with his political career, was crushed by a scandal only to rebound and love him more before his death in duel. And I think for me that is the strength of this book. The book does a superb job of detailing Eliza’s struggles and how despite all that, her love for Alexander endured.

The writing in this book is top-notch. I loved how it was written and easily it shifted from period to period. Bringing in historical figures also helps this book and those are very well done. Toward the end of the book, as Alexander faces political battles left and right, the book does an excellent job of describing all of them and not only how they affected Alexander, but more importantly for this book, how it affected Eliza. The family ties are intertwined in this book very nicely as well. I also never got the feeling that this book was embellishing history. This book felt true to the record and never seemed to forget that this was a historical novel.

I finished this book in one day which alone should tell you my thoughts on the. I LOVED this book. I could not put it down as I just did not want to stop reading it. It is beautifully written, well researched and tells a fantastic story of a woman who we often forget about. I don’t care that this is capitalizing on the success of Hamilton, it is a great read in its own right and I believe that anyone how has an interest in the Founding period of America, Historical Fiction or is just looking for something new to read should this book. This is one of the easiest recommendations and ratings I have ever given the book is that good. Verdict- An easy 5 stars. Go out and read this book.