The Glittering Court by Richelle Mead

When I think about Richelle Mead, I think about her Vampire Academy series. The Glittering Court couldn't be more different than her breakout series but these new characters and new settings are as colourful and imaginative. Richelle Mead is really on to something with this series because I was hooked right from the beginning, despite a few lulls here and there.

In a parallel universe that is very similar to ours, the setting is a Victorian-like era that could almost be Britain trying to colonize the New World with its hopeful emigrants. We are introduced to the protagonist that we come to know as Adelaide as she is being pawned off in marriage to some distant cousin of hers. As the Countess of Rutherford, her heritage means a lot but with very little money left in her name, her grandmother is desperate to have her married to someone wealthy and as soon as possible. The Countess is very unhappy with the match so she becomes determined to write her own destiny. She steals her maid's identity and signs up to be a part of the Glittering Court, where impoverished girls are schooled for a year on how to become noble ladies. Their destination is in the New World, where they can hopefully marry a man who has made his fortune in this New World, and hopefully become a part of the new nobility.

Obviously Adelaide doesn't need to be schooled, but she plays the innocent and "learns" as the others do. Her goal was to simply go through her education and not raise any suspicions about her past, but circumstances change and she's crowned the top girl, the diamond of her class. She's not sure what her future holds, but for her, creating her own destiny is better than any rushed wedding to a man she can help but loathe. In the Glittering Court, she makes two new friends whom she doesn't trust entirely with her secret but would trust with everything else. The only person who knows her secret is Cedric, one of her guardians whom will get a commission from her bride price when she marries in the New World. They form a strong bond, especially when Adelaide learns his damaging and dark secret.

Richelle Mead was able to weave religion, politics and romance in this well rounded book. It has everything a historical romance might have, including a scandalous lady and a strong untitled hero. Together, Adelaide and Cedric embark on an adventure with very little money in their name but are determined to do anything for love. The Glittering Court is the complete opposite of her vampire novels, so readers expecting fantasy and magic will be disappointed. There are absolutely no supernatural elements in this book but since historical romances are one of my guilty pleasures, I was pleasantly surprised with this new series. It thought it was very well written, had great characters with noble values and dreams and I thought was daring when it came to religious freedoms. I just wish the author would have expanded a little bit more on the feminist front and given the girls a stronger voice when it came to making their own choices. However, I think Adelaide's friends, Mira and Tasmin, will expand on that theme in future books, especially with Mira's secrets and Tasmin's strong will. Mead has given Adelaide a great conclusion but has set up Mira and Tasmin's stories wonderfully.

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by Tynga at Monday, April 18, 2016

 Historical, Penguin, Purchased, Random House, Razorbill, Review, Richelle Mead, The Glittering Court, Victorian, young adult  1 Person left their mark

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Vitro by Jessica Khoury

I picked up this book less than a week ago, and I'm really glad I decided to read it. (Funny story: While browsing my local library, I found it on the wrong, and instead of finding its rightful spot, I decided to check it out.) At first, I didn't realize it was the second book of the Corpus series because it's not really part of a "series." The author calls them companion books. I read the first book more than two years ago, but both can be read as standalones. In Vitro, the author introduces us to completely different characters, yet the scientific atmosphere and mystery is very similar to the first book, Origin. Also, instead of working on immortality, the scientists in this book are working on human beings that are grown in labs in order to serve a specific purpose.

Sophie Crue never really understood what her mother's work on Skin Island was, but she always suspected it was something cutting edge and extraordinary. When she receives a cryptic email from her estranged mother, she flies from the continental US to the island of Guam, the island where she spent most of her childhood growing up. With the help of her childhood friend Jim, she finds a way onto this top secret island, worried that her mother is in real danger. However, the person who's in real danger isn't necessarily her mother. Someone wanted Sophie on this island.

I like how unexpected every chapter is. I definitely predicted some of the things that happened in the story, but most of it was really surprising, one twist after another. While I had a few reservations about the science in Origin, the science behind this story seems a little bit more realistic and plausible. As a science nerd, I like it when things hold up in reality. If not, then I like it when things are explained in order to create a better foundation for the story. In my opinion, Jessica Khoury did a better job with this in this second book. With a title like Vitro, one can only expect human beings grown in labs, and even if this is a recurring theme in many books, the author did a great job in putting her own spin on it. The book is based enough on modern reality and society that I have a hard time qualifying it as a true science-fiction novel, however, it does have enough technology and futuristic science to categorize it in this genre.

Jessica Khoury is definitely a fan of exotic settings. Her debut book, Origin, was set in the Amazon Rain Forest. Now this second book is set near the island of Guam, a US territory in the Pacific Ocean, for those who didn't know (I sure didn't). At the end of Vitro, we mention something going on in South America linked to Corpus, the cooperation that funded the Vitro project. It seems Corpus has roots in many scientific experiments, and we've only began to learn its power. In the summary of the next book, it looks like Corpus also has ties to the Kalahari desert in southern Africa. I'm curious to see if all three books will be tied together. Like I said earlier, these books don't seem to be part of a series. They are simply linked by this big cooperation and its scientific experiments that go on for years.

I definitely liked Vitro better than the first book. It feels like the characters and the story were more thought out. There was a slight lag in the middle of the book, as the characters were trying to figure out what was going on, but all in all, I think it was a good science/adventure book that will please many science nerds like me. It's not Orphan Black, but it definitely draws on some of the same themes and ideas.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMnICjb7V8Y

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by Tynga at Monday, August 10, 2015

 Cloning, Corpus, Jessica Khoury, Library, Penguin, Razorbill, Review, Science, Science-Fiction, young adult  2 People left their mark

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The Sinister Sweetness of Splendid Academy by Nikki Loftin

I picked this book up because I wanted a cute, refreshing retelling. I went into it knowing it would be for younger audiences, however I thought that all ages could read it. My mind immediately compared it to the Percy Jackson series that can be enjoyed by all ages. And while I have to admit that THE SINISTER SWEETNESS OF SPLENDID ACADEMY was slightly too young for me. For example, I loved that there were pictures in this book. They were adorable! But the rational part of my brain was telling me that there were pictures in this book and that may be the cause of why I was rolling my eyes every now and then. This book is truly meant for younger audiences. It's a good read to share between mother and daughter.

As far as the plot goes, it was definitely cute. I think it could be more appreciated by younger audiences, but I recognize the potential. Our main character is a smart girl, but she wouldn't have come to half of the conclusions she eventually came to if not for Andrew, the overweight classmate that most people made fun of. She harbors a huge amount of guilt because her mother passed away from cancer earlier and she felt she helped accelerate the process of her death. Why she believes this is something that you'll have to discover for yourself, but there is a surprising amount of depth to this tale. It's about forgiving oneself and realizing that because you do something wrong, you're not an evil person.

All plot issues aside, the retelling nerd inside me is extremely satisfied. This is a really unique twist on the HANSEL AND GRETEL fairytale. Essentially, these witches opened up a school where there are no rules and snacking on candy is encouraged. The bowls fill themselves and lunch is an infinite helping of deliciousness. There's several snack times a day and if you're not eating, the teachers get mad. See, they've got to fatten up the kids one way or another. This is their house of candy that attracts the children where they can slowly fatten up to prepare for their magnificent feast. I absolutely adore this entire idea. And I can't complain about execution because I know that, in the end, the age level chosen for this novel was what the novel demanded.

I can't complain about the novel because I went in thinking that, as a middle grade lover, it would be a level I could read. I didn't realize it was for younger middle grade readers, but I still found the overall tale to be adorable. Some characters are extremely frustrating, like the evil step-mother that didn't have to be evil but was made evil for the purpose of the retelling. Even our main character is slow to catch onto things at time. But, in the end, this novel was satisfactory. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it. It is simply okay.

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by Tynga at Thursday, June 26, 2014

 fairytale, Fantasy amp; Magic, Gifted, nikki loftin, Penguin, Razorbill, Retelling, Review, young adult  2 People left their mark

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The Merciless by Danielle Vega

I'm always looking for a good YA horror novel because sadly there are so few of these types of novels out there. The majority of YA books that are classified as horror are far from being frightening and so, The Merciless had tough shoes to fill. Much to my delight,  The Merciless is one of the best horror novels I've ever read and it is easily one of my favorites books of the year so far. With a plot that screams Stephen King meets Mean Girls, what's not to love?

Sofia really got in with the wrong crowd, she never expected to get involved with an exorcism. At first she thought Riley and her friends wanted to help Brooklyn, but things quickly escalate when Riley traps Brooklyn in a house with the rest of the girls. If Sofia can't figure out how to save Brooklyn from Riley and herself, there will more than a few drops of blood shed.

The Merciless starts off like so many novels with the new girl trying to fit in with the popular kids, expect this time around there's a lot more blood, baptisms, and exorcisms. The girls spy on Brooklyn and everything is pretty innocent at first, giving The Merciless a Mean Girls. Vega even references the infamous burn book and she perfectly captures the atmosphere of high school in the opening chapters.

Readers who enjoy the opening chapters might not enjoy the rest of the novel because the rest of the novel is much darker in tone. Gone is the light atmosphere and Vega definitely means business in the rest of this novel because she never holds back. The rest of  The Merciless is gloriously twisted and messed up, providing readers with some of the creepiest imagery I've seen in a novel recently. You won't want to read this one in the dark because Vega's prose will get under your skin and give you chills.

The Merciless moves at an incredibly quick pace and getting through this novel was an easy feat. I was extremely engaged by the ominous, strange aura that this novel gave off and once I started The Merciless, this novel became the center of my attention. I'm a reader who lacks the ability to give a book my undivided attention because I easily get distracted, but The Merciless was able to capture from the start. This whole novel is bizarre and it's unlike anything I've ever read, which isn't something I throw IMF the law. around lightly.

Considering it's the 1st book in a series, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that Vega ends this on a cliffhanger. This is the type of cliffhanger that will infuriate you and make you so curious about book 2. Vega did an excellent job at setting up this conclusion and for managing to surprise readers until the very end.

The Merciless isn't for everyone, but those who have twisted, dark minds will absolutely love it. If you're looking to read this book, Prepare yourself one of the most horrifying book you've read in ages!

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by Tynga at Wednesday, June 11, 2014

 BEA, Danielle Vega, Demon, horror, Paranormal, Penguin, Razorbill, Review, Social Issues, The Merciless, young adult  Leave your mark

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A Fool's Errand by Maureen Fergus

Turns out even though Persephone grew-up as a slave, she was the long lost twin sister of the young King Finnus. Finding out brings its lot of trouble though and to save her life, as well as the one of her friends and her brother, she must set out on a foolish quest to discover the Pool of Genezing. There's only one problem though, no body knows if it really exist. When your very life is in the balance though, you are willing to take leaps of Faith!

What an awesome second installment to this trilogy! Written by a fellow Canadian, this series is available in print, only in Canada, BUT, it's available in the US in kindle format, so fear not! I truly loved the first encounter, The Gypsy King, even though I thought it didn't quite live up to Cashore or Snyder. The same is true for A Fool's Errand, but I think I enjoyed it even more than I did the first book.

The characters we came to love, or despise depending on the character, are still an intricate part of the story and I was pleased to see Finn and Rachel being granted a bigger role. We discover a more serious side to them, and even though I liked the touch of humor of the first book, circumstances being what they are, the tone was simply perfect. King Finnus exceeded my expectations and proved to be a lot more than many thought.

This time around, the better part of the novel took place in the forest and the different tribes (which where amazing to discover, Fergus created such unique customs for them!) while our heroes face countless dangers on their quest for the pool. Throughout the whole mission, I was simply hooked onto the characters steps, and I have to confess, I was frustrated when we left Persephone's point-of-view to go back to Mordecai's POV. I had this strong Need to know what would happen to Persephone and Azriel, and while the Regent's perception provides depth to the story, I never really cared for him. There is also a mysterious character chasing after our heroes, and I thought it added a nice suspense not knowing what his intentions really were.

The plotline was exciting and engrossing. Truly, despite being over 500 pages long, this novel was a real page turner. True to herself, Fergus also ended  this novel with a bang and I truly can't wait to see if my suspicion concerning some plot points were founded. No title or tentative release date were revealed (to my knowledge) so I hope I won't have to wait too long for the last novel! If you are a fantasy lover, I strongly suggest you give this novel a try :)

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by Tynga at Friday, October 25, 2013

 Gypsy, High Fantasy, Historical, historical fiction, Maureen Fergus, Penguin, Publisher, Razorbill, Review, The Gypsy King, young adult  Leave your mark

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Rebel Spring by Morgan Rhodes

Now that Auranos is under the control of the tyrannic King Gaius everything has changed. Enemies suddenly aren't the same, and our youth's focus and missions swiftly reoriented. Everyone, even his own wife and son, want to see the King fall. Will his strong grip and merciless actions be enough for him to keep control?

I am a huge fan of Falling Kingdoms, the first novel in this series, and despite Rebel Spring being a good installment it somehow found itself in the 'not as amazing as the first book' dreaded category. I think the main reason I felt this way is that Rebel Spring is one big transition and there is no clear goal or achievement to reach for this story arc. Yes, there is the ultimate goal of finding the Kindred and defeat the King, but it has become the goal of this series, not an achievable goal for the short term window that is Rebel Spring. All our characters take actions toward this goal, and we get some answers, but ultimately, there no possible victories in this novel and it's slightly disappointing.

Despite its weaknesses, I truly enjoyed reading Rebel Spring. I love the fantastical world Morgan created and the vividness of her characters. Once again, Rhodes blessed us with alternative point of view between multiple characters (including some watchers, the Queen and the King himself) and it definitely adds a richness to the story. I always enjoy seeing how the perceptive on a same situation is different from one character to another, it brings additional depth and nuances to certain key scenes.

Our heroes are faced with interesting situations once again, and I'm afraid to say more deaths awaits them (Morgan couldn't refrain now, could she?). [spoiler]Magnus & Cleo are getting married[/spoiler] and I felt terrible for them, I kept hoping this connection would bring more to their relationship, and I keep my fingers crossed that it will have an impact in the following book. Jonas is more ambitious then ever and he is willing to put aside his feud with Cleo to reach his new objective. He scared me on many occasions and I'll let you discover why! Lucia has a really passive role this time around because she's in a coma most of the novel, but after some shocking revelations at the end of Rebel Spring, my hopes for her are really high and I hope her actions will benefit the 'good'.

Rebel Spring was a great novel and delivers promises of an even better installment. I disliked it's strongly transitional atmosphere (can I even say that?), but overall, it didn't impair my enjoyment. High fantasy lovers definitely want to pick up this series. Magic, mysteries and death awaits you in those pages, and you won't regret jumping on the wagon.

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by Tynga at Friday, September 20, 2013

 Falling Kingdoms, Fantasy, High Fantasy, Magic, Michelle Rowen, Morgan Rhodes, Penguin, Publisher, Razorbill, Review, young adult  5 People left their mark

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Shades of Earth by Beth Revis

As much as some people might love this trilogy, I am not a fan. I wasn't after this last book and I definitively wasn't after reading book one. However, it did make me realise that even if I rate book one of a series pretty low, I shouldn't completely disregard the other books. As this series progressed, the writing and the story improved, and I actually ended up enjoying this last of the trilogy. I won't go out of my way to recommend SHADES OF EARTH to everyone, but I will tell people to finish the series, even if they weren't satisfied with the previous two books, like I was.

I agree that Beth Revis has a great imagination and that her science fiction world is truly original. However, the fact that all of her characters were in the dark about everything happening in the story, it made me feel as if she, herself, didn't know where her story was going. Up until SHADES OF EARTH, the flow of the series was irregular at best. In this latest installment, everything came together rather well and so many of the unanswered question were certainly acknowledged. I think what I like the most about this book is that the space crew has finally landed on the new planet they've been talking about since the opening page of the series. What surprises everyone from the ship however, is that the planet is already inhabited by sentient beings and that their space mission has more or less already been completed by another faster ship and crew.

Amy, one of the two main characters has definitively grown throughout the series. We first met her when she was about to be literally frozen so that she could wake up hundreds of years into the future, in order to populate a new planet. However, something went wrong and she woke up early.  The ordeals she deals with, the people she loses and the leadership role she acquires transforms her from a spoiled teenager into a capable leader. I would have liked to have seen her leadership qualities sooner but without a doubt, that would have changed the course of the story. Of course, her relationship with Elder remains a constant throughout the series (despite its ups and downs) and it's this relationship that makes the series worth finishing. It was neat how the dual point of views between Amy and Elder allowed us to understand their different ways of thinking and their very different worlds.

Another element that I really liked was Phydus, the drug that made people literally obey and become as passive as anyone can be. Phydus was first introduced in book one, and its history wasn't all that clear. With time, we slowly learn more and more about it and it's real purpose. It's scary to think that a drug could possibly turn a human into a mindless drone, and it makes you wonder if any pharmaceuticals on the market or in production right now could ever alter the state of mind of a patient. I'd rather not think about it and it makes me want to stay away from unnecessary medication even more.

For a science fiction book, it didn't have many science fiction elements, except space ships and space travel. SHADES OF EARTH was more a story about humanity and all of its weaknesses. I rather enjoyed this conclusion to the series, despite its slow and mediocre start. Many reviewers have been raving about the series, but not every books is made to please everyone. This one wasn't for me, but obviously I'm the minority when it comes to this one. What are your thoughts? Did you enjoy the trilogy more than I did?

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by Tynga at Sunday, September 01, 2013

 Across the Universe, Beth Revis, Library, Penguin, Razorbill, Review, Science Fiction, Science-Fiction, Space, young adult  Leave your mark

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