The Fall of Five by Pittacus Lore

The Fall of Five is Lorien Legacies #4, so there may be spoilers for books #1-#3 in this review.

This is such a cool series!  Teens who are actually aliens who aren't evil and plotting world domination.  No stereotypes.  I like that they're unpredictable.  Since this is book #4, we already know the backstory and we know most of the characters pretty well, so the author is able to concentrate more on plot.  That's fun.

Six of the ten are united and hiding out together in a Chicago penthouse when the book opens.  They're busy working on their plot to fight and defeat the Mogadorians when they get a signal from Five.  Yay!  Finally!  Once they collect him, all living Loriens will be together!  However, things do not go as planned.

The whole "things don't go as planned" bit was actually a bit of a bummer for me.  I don't know if I'm jaded or if I'm just not a teen or if the writing was just a little off in this book, but I saw it coming a mile away.  Browsing some other reviews on Goodreads I see that I'm not alone.  I hate that such a big plot point ended up being too obvious and therefore rather anticlimactic.  I won't reveal what it is, just in case you're able to read The Fall of Five without guessing the outcome.

Five isn't the only character with a big reveal of a plot point!  Tiny, quiet Ten/Ella also plays a large role in The Fall of Five.  I'll admit, in the past I've gotten pretty frustrated with Ten.  She seemed like an overly weak character... almost borderline sexism on the part of the author.  But in The Fall of Five we get to see her strength.  It's a quiet strength, but it's there.  We get to see her struggle with and work through a kind of knotty situation.

While it's exciting to go along with the characters on their quest to save Earth, I also enjoy the quieter moments in these books, when the main characters act very much like everyday teens.  When they tentatively date or go on a joyride or make up silly games.  There are moments where I almost forget that they're aliens!

Overall, The Fall of Five is good but not excellent.  I really enjoyed it, because it's a continuation of a story that I've been enjoying through the first three books.  If you were picking it up without any context you might not like it at all.  I would certainly recommend it to someone who had read the first books.  I just hate that it wasn't very action-full.

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by Tynga at Thursday, January 26, 2017

 Alien Contact, aliens, Fiction, HarperCollins, Library, Lorien Legacies, Pittacus Lore, Review, YA, young adult  Leave your mark

✎

The Cage by Megan Shepherd (second opinion)

I'm taking a second look at The Cage by Megan Shepherd.  You can see Stephanie's original review from last year here.

I had the ARC of The Cage sitting on my bookshelf for way too long before I finally read it!  I love love love The Madman's Daughter trilogy by Shepherd, so I was anticipating enjoying this new trilogy just as much.  And I did!  Shepherd is one of my all-over fave YA authors.  I think I've compared her to a female Stephen King for teens in a previous review.  I get sucked into her writing and transported into the book's world and get actual physical goosebumps while I read!

Aliens!  It's not often that you find a book that features aliens that isn't campy.  The aliens in The Cage have kidnapped six teens from earth and placed them into an elaborate cage.  These aliens aren't little green men- they're a very sophisticated race that look vaguely human.  They have the same number of arms and legs and same facial features; the big difference is that their skin is kind of metallic.  They are described as being very solid and a bit on the tall side, which I imagine would make them formidable captors.  These aliens are definitely frightening, with their silence and stoicism and lack of emotions.

Then there's the cage.  The cage, to me, is very reminiscent of a zoo- it's got multiple "habitat" areas that are meant to mimic geographic features of earth, such as a desert area and a town area and a jungle area.  None of them are quite right, of course, but they're just close enough to bug the teens.  (For example, there's daily rain in the jungle area, but no bugs.)  Within the cage are multiple puzzles that the teens can solve over and over again to win tokens.  I kept thinking of seals or killer whales, who are often made to do a trick to earn fish.  It made me cringe.

The setting and the story are very well set up and elaborate.  I won't give anything away, but there's more to the caging of the teens than originally meets the eye.  Even with it's elaborateness and depth, though, the story is never hard to follow.  Shepherd is quite the writer!  However, I didn't feel that the characters were as well developed as they could be.  The reader sees the story from every character's point of view at least once, but a majority of the chapters are from Cora's point of view.  Even with that, though, I didn't always feel like I knew her.  I'd be cheering her independent spirit one moment, then completely confused when she turns around and has feelings for her captor.  We have a whole backstory on her that makes her sound really tough, then she starts to lose it in the cage.  This is the first book in a trilogy, so maybe we get to know other characters better in the second and third books.

The Cage was fantastic!  I'm kind of glad it took me so long to get around to reading it; now I can binge read right into the second and third books without waiting!  Even with the underdevelopment of characters, the unique plot and the whammy of an ending left me wanting more.

P.S. I'll say that I do kind of agree with Stephanie about the aliens' requirement that the teens mate.  (Like animals in a zoo.)  It is pretty creepy.  However, it fits into the story and adds to the terror and suspense, and when characters comply the actions are never described in any detail, so I'm actually ok with it being in the book.  I just wouldn't recommend it to young/immature teens.

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by Tynga at Thursday, October 20, 2016

 Alien Contact, aliens, Balzer + Bray, megan shepherd, Publisher, Review, The Cage, Thriller, YA, young adult  Leave your mark

✎

Found by Evangeline Anderson

I read a few books from this series a couple years back and I'm really glad I decided to get back into it. I love a good science fiction novel and the way the author blends romance into her stories is wonderful. The love scenes are pretty erotic and not for the faint of heart but as a whole, the novel isn't just about the romance. There's an actual actual story that involves dangerous situations, multiple characters and many storylines.

The main storyline is about Lauren, a Florida native who was abducted by an evil alien race called the Scourge. It was prophesied by the AllFather, the leader of the Scourge, that she was the future of their dying race. Luckily, she was saved from a grave future of rape and torture by one of her captors, Xairn, whom she falls for romantically. At first, she attributes her feelings to a sort of Stockholm Syndrome but the more time she spends with Xairn, the stronger her feelings become. Xairn promises to keep Lauren safe but his duty doesn't come easily, especially when the AllFather still wants her. Also, Xairn feels he must protect her from himself and his dark sexual urges, so he represses his feelings, which annoys Lauren immensely.

They try to create a life together but Xairn's finds controlling his sexual urges difficult, especially with a very affectionate Lauren. The more Xairn shares about his past, the more Lauren realizes where his fears come from. Xairn's childhood was an abusive one which has shaped him into the cold warrior that he is. When the AllFather threatens someone he loves, the cold warrior facade might be the only thing that saves both of them.

The author made the right choice with Lauren. She could have made her the hapless female that is mentally scared by her abduction but instead Lauren has turned out to be a strong female lead. Xairn might be afraid of hurting her, but at this point, the only thing that could possibly hurt her is leaving. They've gone through so much together, including DNA modification, escaping the AllFather and a horrible market trade on a strange planet. I can't help but cheer for this couple, even if they are the most unlikely pair.

Space travel, psychic abilities, medical advances and alien technology are present in this novel, but the one thing I wish the author could have done is spent more time on is elaborating these aspects. Evangeline Anderson has created a wonderful and strange world and I can't wait to learn more about it and its remarkable inhabitants. Found is a compelling science fiction romance that is leading this series in a great direction.



 

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by Tynga at Monday, August 22, 2016

 aliens, Brides of the Kindred, Erotica, Evangeline Anderson, Purchased, Review, Romance, Science Fiction, Science-Fiction, Self Published  Leave your mark

✎

Hunted by Evangeline Anderson

I'm quite obsessed with this series. Honestly, it isn't great literary fiction but it is fun and entertaining to read when you're looking for a good romance book. Sci-fi romance is a guilty pleasure of mine and this second book of the series definitely delivers.

This book tell the story of Sophia and Sylvan. In this alternate reality, Earth is threatened by the Scourge, and evil alien race. Enter the Kindred, a warrior alien race that have sworn to protect Earth's inhabitants. On one condition: the Kindred females are very rare and so, the Kindred warriors need human brides in order to guarantee the survival of their race. This genetic exchange is mandatory for all unmated human females. For some, it's a dream come true. For Sophia, it's a nightmare.

Sophia has been scared to get close to anyone ever since she was attacked on her prom night. That horrible ordeal has followed her through adulthood, along with her fear of needles and pointy things. The worse possible thing for her would be to be claimed by a Blood Kindred. She probably wouldn't mind the Beast Kindred or the Twin Kindred, but luck has her being attracked to Sylvan, a Blood Kindred. A vampire-like sub-bread of the Kindred, Sylvan feels the urge to bite and bond Sophia to him forever. However, he knows Sophia is very afraid of him and his fangs so their relationship is a complicated one. Even more, Sophia is being hunted by the Scourge for some bizarre reason and Sylvan has sworn to protect her personally. That keeps them in close proximity for flames to burn and attraction to deepen. But still, they fight the bond between themselves, Sophia out of fear, and Sylvan out of honour.

Sylvan is your typical Alpha male hero and you couldn't ask for a better leading man. As for Sophia, she really got under my skin. Quite frankly, she's pathetic. Her fears are founded, but quite honestly, by now you would think she would have out-grown and tried to get over them. In my opinion, she's too weak, too sensitive and too tortured to be considered a good heroine.

This book is quite erotic at times but also has a good storyline. We're almost guaranteed a happily-ever-after but bumps along the way makes you doubt a good ending. If you can get over the tortured and teary-eyed heroine, this is a fantastic sci-fi romance. It has action, and evil antagonist and steamy love scenes. Great for the guilty pleasure shelf, however, not so great for feminism.

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by Tynga at Monday, June 27, 2016

 aliens, Brides of the Kindred, Evangeline Anderson, Paranormal Romance, Purchased, Review, Romance, sci-fi, Self Published  Leave your mark

✎

The Selection by Christine Castle and Jayne Faith

The notion of a selection, where young adults are more or less given away like property, sounds a bit barbaric. We’ve seen it in the Hunger Games, and in another series with the same title as this one by Kiera Cass. All are similar in the sense that the powers that be host a competition. In the Hunger Games, they fight to the death for entertainment with one (supposedly) victor at the end. In Kiera Cass’ series, the winner ends up with prince charming. In this book however, it’s a little of both. The surviving winners ends up in the Lord’s employ while the rest end up…dead. The girl who wins ends up in the Lord’s harem, while the winning boy ends up as a servant for that same lord.

Although it feels as if this story has been told multiple times, I enjoyed this version very much. Not only is it sci-fi, but it does have a magical feel to it, with the prophesies and mystical themes.  I loved the idea of a race humans that abandoned Earth long ago that are now back to reclaim the planet, now called Earthenfell, while fighting an alien race. It took me while to understand the whole concept and the world the characters lived in but I loved how the writers slowly incorporated the necessary details as the story progressed. I thought it was very well written although I wish it could have been even more detailed.

Usually, I dislike female leads that are naive and fragile, but in Maya’s case, I think it was necessary. Her whole life she thought she would be safe from the selection since her community had preselected a girl that would be trained and prepared for the competition, to be the Obligate of Maya’s clan when the time came. However, because this preselected girl dies right before the bi-annual ceremony that would announce her as the next Obligate in the deadly game, Maya is randomly selected instead. Maya has no clue what the selection really entails. As she mourns her fate with her family and friends during her last night on Earthenfell, I believe she comes to terms with her possible fate. “An Obligate entering the competition with no training was walking into almost certain death (loc 215).” However, once in the competition, Maya proves to everyone that she might just have what it takes in order to survive the physical and mind games they are putting her through.

When we first learn of Lord Toric through Maya’s point of view, he’s made out to be an evil and sadistic leader. However, the more we learn, the more we see the humanity in him. He has a dark past which has forged him into the man he is, and we slowly realize that he’s not the real enemy. Actually, he singles out Maya the first time he sees her and she becomes his obvious favourite. I love the rapport they build. It’s simple and modest, and Toric does his best not the intimidate the shy and innocent Maya.

One of my critics would be the length of the book. Not only does the story finish on a cliffhanger,  but I find the book was too short. It’s almost as if the writers purposely cut the story in order to make it fit into a trilogy. The ending makes you want more so if their goal was to leave me wanting more, they certainly achieved it in the most evil of ways. I definitely plan on reading the next book, however the release date has yet to be announced.

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This review is part of an online Book Tour organized by Expresso Book Tours. Click on the tour banner for other stops and reviews. There is also a tour wide giveaway. To enter, use the rafflecopter below.

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by Tynga at Monday, December 07, 2015

 aliens, Christine Castle, Dystopian, future, giveaway, Jayne Faith, Review, Sapient Salvation, Science Fiction, Self Published, Space, Xpresso Book Tours, young adult  1 Person left their mark

✎

Accidental Abduction by Eve Langlais

I wasn't sure if I should review this book for the blog or not, but honestly, since I got hooked in the first few minutes, I decided it might be worth sharing. For a sci-fi romance, it's highly entertaining and has so many laugh out loud moments. The characters are very enjoyable with their intense chemistry and snappy conversations.

It all begins with Megan about to drown in the open water, who was left there by her boyfriend, planning to kill her for her money. At first, she thought the bright light was heaven calling her, but then she quickly realized that she was being abducted by an alien ship, along with many fish and marine life. Actually, Megan doesn't seem too worried about being abducted. In her place, I guess I wouldn't be either since the only other option would be death. But to her benefit, her open mind and accepting personality, helps her survive something that could have been really traumatic for someone else. I love her initial description of her captor as "Han Solo on crack" and her multiple one-liners.

It wasn't Tren's intention to abduct the "barbaric female" from planet Earth. As an ex-mercenary turned acquisition specialist, his intention was to acquire some of Earth's marine life since the planet's barbarians were killing off some of their species with their destructive ways. At first, he decides to sell her off in the first available auction but her snarky mouth and curvy body makes him want to keep her all for himself.

Their sexual chemistry is definitely palatable. Tren might have purple skin and a few different body parts but he and Megan prove that their species are completely compatible. Both physically and emotionally. It doesn't take time for Tren to sample what Megan has to offer (it's not his fault since she's the one always bringing it up). Apparently all it takes is a few sips of a very potent wine to get things started.

It's only when Megan is abducted by someone else that Tren realizes he truly has some feelings for his barbaric human. Despite their differences, they do fit as a couple. Their intense chemistry and entertaining banter only proves their compatibility. Even though the story is primarily an erotic romance, it still has enough sci-fi elements and a good storyline to satisfy my need for a good story to go along with the rest. Literary wise, it's nothing amazing but overall, the novella length story was so  entertaining, I started reading the second book of the series immediately. Eve Langlais is definitely on to something with her purple aliens because they are definitely sexy and skilled (as warriors and lovers).

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by Tynga at Monday, November 16, 2015

 abudction, Alien Abduction, aliens, erotic, Eve Langlais, Purchased, Review, Romance, sci-fi, Science Fiction, Science-Fiction, Self Published  4 People left their mark

✎

The Cage by Megan Shepherd

This book is quite out there but I was hooked right from the start. Alien abduction isn't an original concept but the ideas in this book are far fetched enough to be innovative and entertaining. From the writer of The Madman's Daughter trilogy (which I still haven't read), The Cage is Megan Shepherd's  first book of a new trilogy about alien abductions, love, deceit and survival.

The introduction to the characters and their new habitat is perfect because we're as confused as they are about their situation. Abducted from Earth, five strangers are place in a fake environment, expected to follow the rules set by their captor, who calls himself Caretaker. Caretaker, who's name is actually Cassian, is definitely not human, but has a human shape and some human features. For some odd reason, Cora is mildly attracted to her captor, even though she would never admit it to her fellow prisoners. At first, the five humans learn to live together in their fake and experimental setting but Cora never gets comfortable enough to ignore the black windows which are placed everywhere for surveillance and evaluation.

The whole concept of holding humans in a (rather large) cage, like we would animals in a zoo, is quite frightening. Personally, I've never been able to watch Big Brother because I find it almost barbaric. I don't care if the Caretaker says it's to save and protect the human race. Cassian is part of the Kindred, a race they believe are more "intelligent" than humans because of their psychic and telepathic abilities. The Kindred's goal with the experiment is obviously not just to protect Cora and her new friends. They must have a secondary agenda and Cora is determined to escape, no matter what it may be.

The book has multiple point of views so we really get to see this world through every captive's eyes. Cora, however, is the main point of view and main character and she's in fact the most rebellious prisoner. She defies the rules set for "their own good" and tries to reason with the other prisoners who eventually seem to surrender. At first, she thinks Lucky, a boy she forms a bond with, might be willing to help her, but his lies and hidden knowledge about her Earth life makes things a little awkward. Even more so, her Stockholm Syndrome attraction to Cassian makes things even more awkward between Cora and Lucky.

The weird relationship between Cora and Cassian is interesting to follow. At first, I didn't really know what to make of it. Cassian seems genuinely interested in Cora's safety, but it's obvious he has deeper motives. The Stockholm Syndrome thing is a little cliché, but entertaining none the less. Oddly enough, I didn't know whether to care about Cassian who seems actually really nice, or be disgusted by the whole affair.

My one concern with the rules of their captivity is that the prisoners are expected to copulate in order to keep the human race alive. Honestly, a little bit too much for a YA novel, in my opinion. Some characters cave into the pressure, more out of attraction than duty, but still, I hated seeing them forced together for some larger purpose. Teens are pressured enough in this day and age that they don't need to be forced to have sex in order to survive. A real scientific experiment would have let things take a more natural course.

The Cage is dark and twisted enough to be really interesting. I love a good sci-fi, especially when it's heavily influence by science. In this case, this human social experiment is a little extreme but I love it none the less. The characters are tested mentally, physically and intellectually. Their reactions in this experiment are actually quite realistic and I would hate to see if tested for real, would human really be that deceitful when it comes to surviving. Megan Shepherd may have experimented with a new genre and in my opinion, she succeeded in taping into the sci-fi genre. I can't wait for the sequel!

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by Tynga at Monday, July 06, 2015

 Abduction, aliens, Balzer amp; Bray, Harper Collins, megan shepherd, Purchased, Review, sci-fi, Science Fiction, Space, The Cage, young adult  9 People left their mark

✎

Wild Cards I Edited by George R. R. Martin

I hope that nobody is getting too tired of my love affair with anthologies.  This one, however, is an anthology with a difference.  More than just stories along a common theme, Wild Cards is a single story but, from many mouths.  Martina and Dozois bring together the talents of many authors to tell  us a tale of many tales.  We get to see the genesis of a class of humanity.  We even get to meet the creator of this class and get a peek into it's intent.

Tracking character development is a rather tricky since, while it is a unified story, it's told in a patch work of tales and a variety of characters.  There are a few, such as Dr. Tachyon, who are fixtures throughout, but, some only have the span of a chapter or two.  With all of that, you can get a sense of the characters and their struggles.  Most do what they are meant to do, act as set pieces to chart the societal changes that this new class of people have instigated.

I said before that it is a patchwork of stories and though that is true, there is one central narrative that bonds all the short stories and makes it less obvious that there is more than one story teller.  If you see the subtle differences in the descriptions of scenes and circumstances as a way to highlight the differences in the point of view it's written from rather than differences in the writers, the story becomes even richer.

To me, this book brings to mind a mix of the old style comic books and the old pulp fiction novels.  There is a kind of back to basics 'earthiness' to the writing and stories themselves.  This makes them an easy yet entertaining read.

Whether taken strictly as a well formed story or as allegory for modern treatment of people with the differences, these stories are engaging and thought provoking.  If you enjoy old-style science-fiction with a few modern twists, this book will be a good addition to your collection.  This one is definitely for the more mature of audiences and lands deeply in the PG13 range because of violence and adult content.

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by Tynga at Wednesday, May 20, 2015

 aliens, Dystopian, George R.R. Martin, Purchased, Review, Science Fiction, Tor Books, Wild Cards  2 People left their mark

✎

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

The 5th Wave definitely opens with a bang. I've heard it compared to Justin Cronin's The Passage - and I can see where people see that similarity. Much like in The Passage, The 5th Wave has dual POVs among multiple characters that seem to have nothing to do with each until it all comes together late in the book. For the first few chapters, I was completely captivated. Cassie's descriptions of the world and how it has all but ended were haunting. The way she described the desperation and desolation that the remaining humans faced was so realistic, it often had me feeling a little desperate myself.

Cassie was a strong character. Early in the story, she makes some decisions that are questionable - but she's still a relatable character. In fact, one of the greatest things about the characters in this story are the ways in which they are all so realistically flawed. They struggle, they make mistakes, they will drive you crazy - but they'll also come to feel like your friends. As though you're right there with them, one of the very last surviving humans on Earth waiting for The Others to finish it off once and for all.

Unfortunately, the pacing in The 5th Wave disappointed. Even though it had a kick-butt start, the dual-POVs and excess of details really slowed down the action for a huge middle chunk of it. Huge amounts of The 5th Wave take place in the character's minds and memories, which is all well and good, except that it hindered the action. Although it all did pick up by the end, I'm not sure it fully made up for all the time I felt I had invested in the backstory and build-up. I'd be interested to read upcoming books in this series, now that the lion's share of the world and character building have been laid out.

Be warned, The 5th Wave ends suddenly. This is even more so accented by the fact that the last 30-some pages of the book are actually a preview of another Rick Yancey title. Nothing wrong with that in theory, except that it made the ending feel that much more stunted and unexpected.

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by Tynga at Wednesday, September 18, 2013

 aliens, Purchased, Putnam Juvenile, Review, Rick Yancey, Science Fiction, The 5th Wave, young adult  1 Person left their mark

✎

Origin by Jennifer L. Armentrout

It's always difficult to write a review for a book that you've been stalking for as long as I've been stalking Origin. It's hard to step away from your own sense of hype and excitement and really examine the book for what it was, which is what I'll try to do with this review. Opal and I got off to a rough start, but with that ending - whoa - I've been waiting on Origin for what feels like forever! So when I finally got my hands on it, I couldn't have been more excited. I had the same sort of experience with the first 1/3rd or so of Origin as I did with Opal - and that was just a general feeling of "let's get on with it, already". Not because anything happening was boring, just because I felt like I kept tripping over myself to try to get to the 'big reveal' that these last few books seem to thrive on.

For the most part, I did enjoy the dual POVs that switched between Katy and Daemon. Especially as the story progressed, I thought that it added a cool new layer to the story. Was I expecting a bit more from it? Sure. Normally when an author switches to a dual POV, it's to demonstrate the differences in how the characters are perceiving the same situation. Or to up the angst when the reader knows that one character is hiding something from the others, etc. (Imagine if we'd had Blake's POV in Opal - how incredibly tense would that have been?)

Instead, it was used as another device for us to see that all that Katy and Daemon think about are each other. And I love them as much as the next fan-girl, I really do, but at the end of the day, I get it - you're in love. You'll burn the world to save her and punch anyone that gets in your way, and all that jazz. I can't deny, there were some super sweet moments, but overall, I didn't feel that the dual POV really added much to the story. It was strange actually, because at first, I was completely riveted by Katy's experiences in jail - but towards the end, I really felt like her narrative faded and got a bit bland compared to Daemon's.

All of that said, much like Opal, by the time I got to the end of Origin, I was about frothing at the mouth for the next book. The Lux series has no lack of drama and high stakes, and I absolutely love that about it. Do I think Opal and Origin probably could have been combined to be one big, incredibly mind-blowing book? Yeah, probably. But I'm also okay with them as they are.

It probably sounds like I've got lots against Origin, but I really don't. This is a series that I have thoroughly enjoyed, and will continue to follow faithfully. Something about the way that the main characters, and even the secondary characters (looking at you, Archer!) are written will just have you falling in love with them constantly. I wish we didn't need to wait another whole year to find out how everything shakes out! Things definitely got downright chaotic by the end of Origin, and Daemon and Katy definitely have quite a mess to clean up.

One thing is for damn sure though, the last book in this series is going to be EPIC!

 

Read an excerpt

 



 

 

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by Tynga at Wednesday, September 11, 2013

 aliens, Entangled, Fantasy, Jennifer L. Armentrout, Lux, Purchased, Review, young adult  Leave your mark

✎