Review: The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

Source: Goodreads

Title: The Girl of Fire and Thorns

Author: Rae Carson
Series: Fire and Thorns trilogy #1
Published: 2011 by Gollancz (Orion Publishing Group)
Where I got the book from: the library
Rating: 5/5

 

Synopsis from Goodreads

 

 Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness.
Elisa is the chosen one.

But she is also the younger of two princesses, the one who has never done anything remarkable. She can't see how she ever will.

Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs the chosen one, not a failure of a princess.

And he's not the only one who seeks her. Savage enemies seething with dark magic are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people's savior. And he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake.

Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn’t die young.

Most of the chosen do.

My thoughts

 

There has been a lot of hype in the blogosphere about Rae Carson’s Girl of Fire and Thorns and I had my hopes very high for this first novel in a fantasy trilogy. I am so glad to say that Elisa’s story mesmerized me from the very first chapter and without doubt lived up to my expectations.

Being an overweight princess, outshined by a beautiful and wise sister and practically ignored by her father is not the easiest fate for Lucero-Elisa de Riqueza, and it is no less challenging for her to also be God’s chosen one, the Godstone bearer which is selected every one hundred years. When Elisa is abruptly married off to the king of a neighbouring land on her birthday, everything changes. Girl of Fire and Thorns is as much of a story of a young girl’s evolution from overshadowed into admired as a unique fantasy adventure with riveting characters.

 

I have a weak spot for fictional approaches to religion – not quite sure why I find it such an appealing aspect as I am not a particularly religious person myself – and this novel definitely aced that part. The Godstones, the rituals, the Scriptura Sancta and the Belleza Guerra are all so well thought out, original and convincing that I can only give praise to Carson’s imagination. The different sides to and interpretations of faith are also thought-provokingly written.

 

Moreover, Carson’s writing is fresh and appealing; I couldn’t get enough of it. While traditional high fantasy novels tend to have long and detailed descriptions, Girl of Fire and Thorns uses a more modern style with crisp, to-the-point prose with vibrant vocabulary that creates an engaging tale and a vivid series of images in the reader’s mind. The settings, tangible and constructed with skill, were amazing and definitely an aspect that is core to the novel. Orovalle, Brisadulce, the desert… It was all intoxicating, fascinating because the world-building is amazingly believable.

 

The cast of characters is diverse and their actions pleasantly unforeseeable. Though I never actually felt a bond with Lady Aneaxi, the rest of the characters have depth, interesting agendas and distinct personalities. I especially appreciate the way Ximena and Cosmé are gradually introduced and given well-fleshed personalities. Most of all I love Elisa herself – somehow I find her immensely relatable, likeable and admirable, and it was encouraging to witness how she changes as a person. The challenges she encounters, both within herself and physically, made her someone to sympathize with, especially as she succeeds in defeating fears, insecurities and difficult problems. The romantic interest – whose name I won’t mention in fear of spoiling – didn’t dazzle me, but I like the person and think that what eventually happens is a surprising and actually good turn of events - this hardly ever occurs in books. In the following instalments I want to find out more about Lord Hector because he seems so steadfast and intelligent. I'd love it if Ximena also got more action!

 

If I have to find some flaw, then it is that though I love the title, I can’t quite comprehend what it’s relation to the story is, meaning that it’s not obvious or anything. I suppose I have my own theory about what it could mean but usually I prefer titles that make clear sense after reading the book. Of course this is only my own opinion and somebody else could argue that the title is perfect for this novel. Another concern I do have is that what happened to a certain character in the very end was rather convenient in a way, perhaps a little too neat – I might have preferred that this would not have taken place at least not just yet. On the other hand, this could be another situation that matures Elisa and gives her new opportunities to prove herself. However, these two things that I wasn’t entirely satisfied with in no way changed my experience or overall opinion of The Girl of Fire and Thorns and I can say with confidence that it is one of my favourite fantasy reads this year.

 

5/5 Exotic fantasy and an unconventional main character, along with vibrantly described scenery and a brilliant story itself!


-Eve 

Mini Review: Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez

Source: Goodreads

Title: Virtuosity

Author: Jessica Martinez

Series: no

Published: 2011 by Simon Pulse (Simon and Schuster)

Where I got the book from: the library

Synopsis: Goodreads

Rating: 3/5 

 

 

 

 

 

Carmen is estranged from the world of ordinary teenagers, stuck in a life full of music with her strict mother, kind stepfather and grumpy violin teacher being her only company. Not the most original premise for a book, perhaps, but honestly I haven’t read that many music-centred books (namely If I Stay, Where She Went) so I thought I’d give this one a try.

 

Carmen is working hard to achieve her greatest dream, winning the prestigious Guarneri music competition that would certainly guarantee her career as a violinist. Her mother, an ex-musician, has always pressed her to do more than her best. However, vying for victory is also another virtuoso, Jeremy King, an obnoxious guy of her age. Carmen’s emotional struggles were described well enough, and I absolutely loved the passion evoked into the passages about music, but the plot didn’t whirl me away in ecstasy. I also was a little sceptical towards the romance – it was definitely insta-love, basically changing in the space of a few hours from near hate into a complete crush. Despite the fact that Carmen has no previous experience of boys I find it unrealistic for her to fall head over heels a few hours after she meets a specimen of the opposite gender, especially if thirty pages before she's thinking of him as a "complete jackass".

 

Regardless of my issues with the romance plot, I found Virtuosity entertaining and worth reading. An interesting twist was Carmen’s stage fright and Inderal addiction, especially because it caused a contrast in what music was supposed to give her – passion and joy – and what kind of affect taking the Inderal actually had on her playing – an hollow, empty feeling.

 

In short, Virtuosity didn’t actually bore me, although for me it doesn’t stand out among contemporary YA novels. The importance of music was portrayed beautifully but the romance felt lacking and unrealistic with its insta-love qualities.

 

3/5 Though I don't love this novel, the music aspect is very well-written!

 

-Eve

 

Review: Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

Source: Goodreads

Title: Between Shades of Gray
Author: Ruta Sepetys
Series: no
Published: 2011 by Philomel Books and Puffin Books
Source of book: the library
Rating: 3.5/5

SYNOPSIS FROM GOODREADS

Lina is just like any other fifteen-year-old Lithuanian girl in 1941. She paints, she draws, she gets crushes on boys. Until one night when Soviet officers barge into her home, tearing her family from the comfortable life they've known. Separated from her father, forced onto a crowded and dirty train car, Lina, her mother, and her young brother slowly make their way north, crossing the Arctic Circle, to a work camp in the coldest reaches of Siberia. Here they are forced, under Stalin's orders, to dig for beets and fight for their lives under the cruelest of conditions.

 

A LITTLE BACKGROUND

 

In my most recent history course at school we studied major turning points in Finnish history, and obviously the time of the World Wars was an important part of the course. Finland fought two separate wars against the Soviet Union during the Second World War, the Winter War (1939-1940) and the Continuation War (1941-1944), and though the country lost areas of land and obviously there were many casualties, the Soviet soldiers never occupied Finland. In fact, the capital Helsinki was one of the few European capitals that weren’t occupied in World War II. Due to political reasons such as the President Paasikivi’s diplomatic and friendly approach to the Soviet Union (a prime example is the YYA treaty which was not as constricting as the similar treaties the Soviet Union made with other Eastern European countries) and the defeat of the communist party (Finnish People’s Democratic League – SKDL, Suomen Kansan Demokraattinen Liitto) in elections in 1948 Finland did not become a communist people’s republic like many Eastern European countries. Therefore most Finns did not encounter such horrible fates as Lithuanians, Latvians and Estonians did at Soviet prisons and forced labour camps. Between Shades of Gray tells the story of a group of Lituanians, deported from their homeland and made to suffer in squalid conditions at work camps in the Soviet Union.

 

MY THOUGHTS

Ruta Sepetys’ novel awoke emotions of horror, pity, sorrow and disgust in me. I was not surprised by the atrocities described – which are based on true accounts - that were committed in the 1940s. However, knowing that unbelievably cruel acts have been performed sometime in history is not the same as reading about them, especially when the victims are given voices and the foul treatment against all the innocent individuals builds up into a tidal wave of suffering, pain and trauma.

Awareness of these things sometimes fills me with anguish and despair – how can humanity be so easily tossed away in favour of barbarism? – and yet, awareness is also empowering because it gives us knowledge that we can use to spread goodness, acceptance and tolerance. Sepetys writes: “These writings may shock or horrify you, but that is not my intention. It is my greatest hope that the pages in this jar stir your deepest well of human compassion. I hope they prompt you to do something, to tell someone. Only then can we ensure that this kind of evil is never allowed to repeat itself.” I couldn’t agree more.

I liked many of the traits of this novel, in particular the historical basis, some beautiful phrases and the realistic feel of the characters’ personalities and reactions to their fates. Unfortunately I can’t say I loved Between Shades of Gray because one of the most important characteristics for me in a book, the way it was written, felt a little disjointed and awkward. I didn’t become attached to Lina’s narrative properly and in my opinion the flashbacks weren’t necessary. To be honest, they really bothered me in the beginning, but some of the ideas behind them were lovely, especially toward the end. I do want to see what else Sepetys has written and will write in the future because I see potential for her style to evolve into something I can connect with better.

As I mentioned, Sepetys created a few pearls in her prose, and I'd like to share some of those favourite quotes with you:

"Have you ever wondered what a human life is worth? That morning, my brother’s was worth a pocket watch."

 

“'Sometimes there is such beauty in awkwardness. There's love and emotion trying to express itself, but at the same time, it just ends up being awkward.'”

 

“We'd been trying to touch the sky from the bottom of the ocean.

 

 3½/5 A harrowing yet hope-filled historical novel about the horrors of forced labour camp!

 -Eve

 

Top Ten Tuesday (#7): Beach Reads

This awesome book blog meme - hosted by The Broke and the Bookish - is where book lovers list their favourites inspired by a new topic each week. This week everybody is sharing their list of Top Ten Beach Reads! For me, the perfect book to read at the beach is a blend of a few of the following ingredients: an entertaining plot, adventure, a dash of humour, a sprinkle of romance, a dose of friendship and a summer setting. And it definitely should be a paperback! My favourite reads that fit in with my definition of a beach read are, in no particular order...


Source: Goodreads

1) Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley

Graffiti Moon is one of the best contemporary books I've read this year! It's sweet, arty, summery and enchanting, a great choice for the beach!



Source: Goodreads

2) The Absolutely True Diary of A Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Arnold is different from other kids because of brain damage at an early age. His story is touching and yet humorously told, a sort of black comedy of the harsh circumstances and awful incidents he faces. Though it isn't entirely light, I think The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian would be fun to read at the beach - especially since it has cartoonish pictures to balance out the dark side.


Source: Goodreads

3) Ten Things We Shouldn't Have Done by Sarah Mlynowski

Looking for a FUN beach read? Humour, romance, friendship, crazy times? Yes? Then this is what you should take with you to the seaside.



Source: Goodreads

4) Paper Towns by John Green

Mix together an epic revenge plot, a secretive girl, a guy who's in love with her, a mystery and a road trip, and you finish up with Paper Towns. For me it fits the bill of beach read - and seriously, I can and will add a John Green book to every TTT possible. And come on, road trips are the epitome of summer.



Source: Goodreads

5) After Summer by Nick Earls

This was a great read with a guy's perspective - a little quirky, amusing and with a summer and a beach setting! The aspect of body-surfing was fascinating, I'd never heard of it before.



Source: Goodreads

6) The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

Yup, this has been on several of my TTT lists already, but how can this cute novel not be a marvellous choice for the beach? Traveling by plane to London, going to a summer wedding, meeting a nice boy... Light, but not too much so, and honestly so adorable.

Source: Goodreads

7) Where Rainbows End by Cecelia Ahern

I had a Cecelia Ahern phase once when I read several of her adult chick lit novels and this one just might be my favourite. It's really quite original - the story of Rosie and Alex, BFFs, that spans basically their whole lives (literally decades) and consists of e-mails, letters and cards they have sent and received from people. And it all works so well, despite there never being a "proper" narrative! Anyway, any Ahern book would work for the beach since they're all kind of magical, enjoyable and unique.



Source: Goodreads

8) Siren by Tricia Rayburn

In case you want something mysterious and paranormal to read at the beach, pick up Siren. In short, the main character Vanessa tries to figure out the truth behind her sister's death and the disappearance of their mutual friend - creepy, yet not especially "heavy" or too dark.



Source: Goodreads

9) The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Two words: summer camp. Add in Ancient Greek gods, sword-fighting and going on a quest with a satyr and a daughter of Athena... Can't get much better than that.








Only thought of nine this week - what do you think are great books for the beach? Feel free to leave a comment or a link to your TTT and I'll stop by! =) All of the books have been linked to Goodreads.

-Eve

Review: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Source: Goodreads

Title: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

Author: Michelle Hodkin
Series: Mara Dyer #1
Published: 2011 by Simon and Schuster
Where I got the book from: the library

Synopsis from Goodreads

Mara Dyer doesn’t think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.
It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can’t remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.
There is.

She doesn’t believe that after everything she’s been through, she can fall in love.
She’s wrong.

My thoughts

There are some books that just grab you, glue you to your seat and make you simply turn the pages like a whirlwind. Those are the books that I love the best – the ones that make you tremble and laugh, the ones that send thrills through you and have you hold your breath (metaphorically) in fearful anticipation. I am so glad that I re-read The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer because I felt all that already for the second time.

I’m not even sure if I can describe this novel adequately enough. There were so many aspects that I LOVED and for me everything – yes, I’m fairly confident that everything – fit together into a perfect, intricate plot. Mara’s story unfolds steadily and with a fast pace, revealing shocking things one after another and making my eyes bulge out and my mouth drop open. This book literally sent shivers down my spine. Perhaps what makes it so deliciously creepy and captivating is Mara’s uncertainty about her sanity – I asked myself, as she asked herself, what EXACTLY was real and what was going on.
 
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer was not only eerie – it was also funny. I loved the snarky dialogue between the main characters and the believable relationships. Especially Mara’s family was wonderful – Daniel and Joseph! Whee! - and I look forward to the relationships being developed even further in the next book. Of course Jamie was awesome and I need more of him – and I do have a feeling that his story isn’t over yet – and obviously I can’t leave out a mention of how much I am in love with Noah. He balances out Mara so well and they seem so equal in their banter – they can both stand up for each other and they have a connection that feels real. None of the characters in this novel felt at all shallow and I can’t wait to read more about them.
 
What more can I say? The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer is a beautifully, dangerously, powerfully captivating novel that I definitely recommend to people who want their head messed with by a book. Mystery, friendship, madness, grief, romance, fear, murder, uniqueness – this book has it all. So just, you know, get hold of it. Quick.
 
 
5/5 One of my favourites – an intense, unputdownable YA psychological thriller!

 

-Eve

Top Ten Tuesday (#6): Books Featuring Travel In Some Way

This awesome book blog meme - hosted by The Broke and the Bookish - is where book lovers list their favourites inspired by a new topic each week. This week everybody is sharing their Top Ten Books Featuring Travel In Some Way and without further ado, here are mine - in no particular order... (Confession: I cheated a little and listed twelve. Oops.) The links go to Goodreads.

 

Contemporary Trips

 

1) Paper Towns by John Green - road trip

 

2) An Abundance of Katherines by John Green - road trip

 

3) The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith - aeroplane

 

Fantasy Quests

 

4) Age of the Five trilogy by Trudi Canavan

 

Perhaps the very best part of this trilogy is the unique world and the different species that inhabit it (oh, how I love the Siyee!). The reader gets to see all that as the characters travel all over the continent - methods of transport varying from ships to flying.

 

5) His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman

 

Lyra and her companions travel so much and in so many ways throughout the series and I loved all of the vividly described places and the entire journey itself.

 

6) Cry of the Icemark by Stuart Hill

 

The aspect of Thirrin traveling through all kinds of lands seeking allies appealed to me greatly. I have been thinking about re-reading this book and its sequels for a long time - I ought to, as they were childhood favourites.

 

7) Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini

 

Discovering the deserts, towns, forests, rivers, cities and mountains of Alagaesia alongside Eragon and Saphira was exhilarating and such an adventure for me. Their travels are among my favourites in the fantasy genre.

 

8) Graceling by Kristin Cashore

 

Riding by horseback and sometimes progressing by boat or foot, Katsa journeys a great length through the kingdoms. Graceling is a wonderful fantasy quest and the ups and downs of traveling are presented well and entertainingly.

 

 

Science Fiction and Dystopian Journeys

 

9) The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

In many ways, The Knife of Never Letting Go is different from other YA novels - and one of these differences has to do with traveling. While others take a car, aeroplane, horse or dragon, Todd does the unusual thing. It's so amazing that he basically just runs and runs and keeps on running, and the style all of it was written in felt, in my opinion, so fresh and taut with suspense.

10) Blood Red Road by Moira Young

Saba is one of my personal favourites among YA heroines and her journey is so much more than just moving from place A to place B. Saba also grows while traveling, building relationships and her sense of who she is. The vehicle she uses to travel across the plain is so cool.

  

Historical Travels

11) The Egyptian by Mika Waltari

I'm expressing a little Finnish pride here! The Egyptian affected me profoundly with its ideas and themes. This captivating, unfortunate story is told in an intriguing first-person narrative and Sinuhe's route through lands bordering the Mediterranean gripped me tightly.

12) Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

Lina and her family's journey from Lithuania to Siberia is heart-wrenchingly painful because it is based on true facts from history. Traveling by train in unhygienic cars stuffed with too many people is definitely horrifying, but the storyline is captivating and laced with hope and goodness among hunger and filthy conditions.

Those were my Top Ten (Twelve) for this week - what books featuring travel have you loved? Feel free to comment or leave a link! =)


-Eve

 

 

Series Review: Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan

Synopsis from Goodreads

Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school... again. And that's the least of his troubles. Lately, mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy's Greek mythology textbook and into his life. And worse, he's angered a few of them. Zeus' master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect.

Now Percy and his friends have just ten days to find and return Zeus' stolen property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. But to succeed on his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the true thief: he must come to terms with the father who abandoned him; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of betrayal by a friend; and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves.

  

#1 The Lightning Thief
#2 The Sea of Monsters
#3 The Titan's Curse
# 4 The Battle of the Labyrinth
# 5 The Last Olympian

My thoughts

 

Percy Jackson and the Olympians is one of the many favourite series of my childhood – and with reason. I wanted to re-read these five fantasy books inspired by Ancient Greek mythology so that I could experience Percy and his friends’ fantastic adventures again, and I wasn’t at all let down or left feeling like I’d outgrown the series. The very opposite – Percy Jackson has now definitely got an eternal place in my heart and I will eagerly recommend his stories to young and young adult readers alike when they are searching for an exciting and hilarious take on ancient tales.

 

Riordan is a talented story-teller – each of the Percy Jackson books has a plot of its own, but they link together into a greater story arc. The writing zigzags expertly between heart-racing, action-packed fighting sequences and bursts of witty humour – such as chapter titles that I guarantee will make even the most serious reader’s facial muscles twitch and brain whir in anticipation. Examples of these are Grover Unexpectedly Loses His Pants, We Meet the Dragon of Eternal Bad Breath and I Put on a Few Million Extra Pounds.

Of course, a series can hardly become one of my fond favourites if it doesn’t have a lovable and memorable cast of characters. Percy, Grover, Annabeth, Chiron, Tyson, the gods and everyone else are all amazing. I mean, of course I don’t like everyone’s personality (I’d have to be pretty insane to agree with some of the bad guys’ ideas) but as characters, I think they work well in the story and are all fascinating individuals.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians is also fantastic because it has one of the most epic final battles I have read – simultaneously tense, thrilling, sad and funny. Not many authors can handle a combination like that, but Riordan succeeds.

To round this off, I’d like to share some of my favourite funny quotes from the series!

                                                                   

                “How did you die?"
                "We er....drowned in a bathtub."
                "All three of you?"
                "It was a big bathtub.”

                                                -The Lightning Thief

 

                                                ***

 

                “There will be deaths,” Chiron decided. “That much we know.”

                “Oh, goody!” Dionysus said.

                Everyone looked at him. He glanced up innocently from the pages of Wine            Connoisseur magazine. “Ah, pinot noir is making a comeback. Don’t mind me.”

                                                -The Curse of the Titans

 

                                                ***

 

                “He looks like a magician. I hate magicians. They usually have rabbits.”

                I stared at him. “You’re scared of bunnies?”

                “Blah-hah-hah! They’re big bullies. Always stealing celery from defenceless satyrs!”

                                                -The Last Olympian

 

 

5/5 A hilarious fantasy series full of action-packed adventures!

 

-Eve