Blog Tour and Review: Defy by Raine Thomas

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Defy (Firstborn, #1) by Raine Thomas

Release Date: April 30, 2012

Publisher: Iambe Books
Author Information: Website / Blog / Twitter / Facebook

Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Adventure

Available Formats: Paperback and eBook

My Shelf: Own (eBook)

Other Information: Prelude: Daughters of Saraqael series

Buy the Book: Amazon

Seventeen-year-old Tate is about to make her parents’ dreams come true. Unfortunately for her, their dreams foretell her death.

Eager to explore more of the Estilorian plane and prove her abilities, Tate goes against her parents’ wishes and leaves the area of protection surrounding her home. Her choice puts her on a deadly path…one that leaves her alone, severely injured and battling for her life.

Her possible savior arrives in the form of Zachariah, a male who has removed himself from Estilorian society for more than fifty years. Fighting an unexpected connection to Tate, he must decide whether saving her life is worth destroying his.

As Tate struggles to find a way home, she ends up drawn into a dark Mercesti plot involving multiple murders and a powerful ancient artifact. With the unpredictable Zachariah as her only source for aid, she’ll soon find out if her abilities are strong enough to help her defy her Fate.

Review:

Wow! Talk about a whirlwind of a story! This book was intense (in a good way), and all the action and plot twists had me sitting on the edge of my seat. With character perspectives changing throughout the story, there never seems to be a dull moment, and I was beyond riveted.

Initially, I was concerned about how much of this story I would understand since I have not read The Daughters of Saraqael series (which I will soon remedy). I worried for nothing! There is a nice glossary of terms and descriptions of the different races in the beginning, and if there was a moment where backstory was needed, Raine summarized the past events nicely. All of the characters were new for me, but that did not prevent me from connecting to them, and I also enjoyed learning about the world and all the people in it. Essentially, nothing should stop you from reading this book!

I adored Tate. She is a free spirit and adventurer who craves to explore the unprotected areas surrounding her home. In moments of trial, she proved to be very resourceful and was able to fend for herself, which is something I always admire in a female lead. It is nice not always needing the male lead to swoop in and save the day (although there were a few moments that happened in this book- but it only made me swoon). That brings us to the male lead, Zachariah, otherwise known as Sparky, a name bestowed upon him by Tate. How could you not love a guy who lets a girl call him Sparky? Zachariah is a character shrouded in mystery, and events from the past plague him, forcing him to withdraw from society for over five decades. I liked his character from the very beginning, and learning more about him over the course of the story was a real treat. He has a tendency to be snarky, loves to overuse the word ‘bloody,’ and has a kraken as a companion, but that all just made up the amazing package (affectionately?) called Sparky. Tate is one lucky girl. My favorite parts of this story were the many interactions between Tate and Sparky, and I wish there could have been more! Their romance left me with a huge smile on my face, and I loved the chemistry between them. I hope we get to see more of these two in the next book!

Overall, this is a great read that you should not miss out on! Chocked full of action, adventure, plot twists, and romance, Defy is a book that will leave you wanting more. Raine is a talented writer, and I cannot wait to see what she has in store for us next!

The Greatest Escape!

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Review: Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken

Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken

Release Date: June 1, 2010

Publisher: Egmont USA

Age Group: Young Adult (14+)

Available Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, and eBook

My Shelf: Own (Paperback)

Buy the Book: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / Books-A-Million

When Wayland North brings rain to a region that's been dry for over ten years, he's promised anything he'd like as a reward. He chooses the village elder's daughter, sixteen-year-old Sydelle Mirabel, who is a skilled weaver and has an unusual knack for repairing his magical cloaks. Though Sydelle has dreamt of escaping her home, she's hurt that her parents relinquish her so freely and finds herself awed and afraid of the slightly ragtag wizard who is unlike any of the men of magic in the tales she's heard. Still, she is drawn to this mysterious man who is fiercely protective of her and so reluctant to share his own past.

The pair rushes toward the capital, intent to stop an imminent war, pursued by Reuel Dorwan (a dark wizard who has taken a keen interest in Sydelle) and plagued by unusually wild weather. But the sudden earthquakes and freak snowstorms may not be a coincidence. As Sydelle discovers North's dark secret and the reason for his interest in her and learns to master her own mysterious power, it becomes increasingly clear that the fate of the kingdom rests in her fingertips. She will either be a savior, weaving together the frayed bonds between Saldorra and Auster, or the disastrous force that destroys both kingdoms forever.

Review:

Here are three words to sum up my feelings on this book: I loved it! The writing was simplistic and beautiful, the world and its magical elements were exquisitely crafted, and the characters were well developed and likeable. This book is packed full of adventure, magic, and even some romance. It has certainly been awhile since I got this engaged in a story, and I really did not want it to end.

My favorite thing about this book has to be the characters. I respected and liked Syd and completely fell for the (magical) charms of North. Sydelle, or Syd, is one of the best female MC I have come across, and I appreciated how steadfast, willful, and intelligent she was. In fact, Syd is the epitome of what I believe is a ‘strong’ female character. When under pressure or faced with a problem, she has a hard time protecting herself when the fight gets physical being slight, so she uses her wit. Syd is smart, and I like how she uses her intelligence to get out of some sticky situations. While girls who love to kick butt, live for insulting men and their manly parts, and sport brass knuckles are awesome, I like seeing a character being able to fall back on their wit. The mind is mightier than the sword! (I may have tweaked the saying a little bit to suit my prerogative…) Regardless, knowledge never fails!

And then there is North. Oh, North, North, North. I have developed a new (or another) literary boy crush in North. Here is a wizard who is both cursed and plagued by the past, has a rather snarky demeanor, can be cowardly at times, and even gets drunk occasionally. He is far from prefect, yet he is kind and protective, and he treats Syd with nothing less than respect. I cannot even begin to express how much I adore him. It is so refreshing to finally have a male lead that is not being referenced to Adonis/some Greek god or having angel-like beauty (*bats eyes* Did it hurt when you fell out of heaven?). North is not infallible, he does not make all women swoon at the sight of him, and Syd has to fight with him constantly to get him to open up. In other words, he resembles what an ‘actual’ guy is like, and I cannot help but love him.

I loved the chemistry and relationship between Syd and North. Their relationship had me giggling randomly, and it left me with a warm, fuzzy feeling at the end. Syd detests the wizard in the beginning for taking her from her family, but as she comes to discover some of his secrets and grows to understand him more, her feelings and view of him changes. They had some rough patches, and there were even moments when Syd was not sure she could trust North, but they overcame them all and started a nice (romantic, but not in a sappy way) relationship. They really care for one another, and I just adored their steadily progressing relationship.

I have to admit, I am at a bit of an impasse. I loved this book, and I think the ending was beyond perfect. Part of me wants a sequel, while the other part of me wants to leave everything as is. There are a few loose ends begging to be tied (such as North’s curse and if a cure was ever discovered), but readers can interpret for themselves what happened. However, even though I have enough information to make my own conclusions, I want more of this magical world and more of North and Syd. What can I say? I guess I am a selfish person! Either way, Brightly Woven now has its own place on my favorites shelf. This is definitely a book you should look into if you have not read it yet. Bracken has another book coming out on December 18, 2012, and it is entitled The Darkest Minds. You can bet I will be reading it when it comes out! 

The Greatest Escape!

Waiting on Wednesday (3)

Waiting on Wednesday was created by Jill at Breaking the Spine, and it is a weekly event in which readers mention one book they are eager to get their hands on!


I am back!! :) Sorry for the extended hiatus, but I am back and better than ever (and also super behind in reviews). So to jump back into things, why not do a WoW post and talk about an exciting upcoming release?


For this week, I have chosen......

Grave Mercy by R.L. (Robin Lorraine) LaFevers


Release Date: April 3, 2012

Summary (taken from Goodreads.com):

Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf?

Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.

Ismae's most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?

I decided to avoid any dystopian novels since they have recently taken over my to-read list and went with something a little more historical. Add in some elements of adventure and I am sold. I'm looking forward to getting my hands on this book!

Crossed (Matched, #2) by Ally Condie

Crossed by Ally Condie

Release Date: November 1, 2011

Publisher: Dutton Juvenile

Age Group: Young Adult (14+)

Pages: 367

Format: Hardcover (also available in eBook)

ISBN: 0525423656

Buy the Book: Amazon

The hotly awaited second book in the dystopian Matched trilogy.

In search of a future that may not exist and faced with the decision of who to share it with, Cassia journeys to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky - taken by the Society to his certain death - only to find that he has escaped, leaving a series of clues in his wake.

Cassia's quest leads her to question much of what she holds dear, even as she finds glimmers of a different life across the border. But as Cassia nears resolve and certainty about her future with Ky, an invitation for rebellion, an unexpected betrayal, and a surprise visit from Xander - who may hold the key to the uprising and, still, to Cassia's heart - change the game once again. Nothing is as expected on the edge of Society, where crosses and double crosses make the path more twisted than ever.

Review:

I wanted to like this book. I really did. I thought Matched was okay, but I figured this book would make or break the series for me. Well, it broke.

I like Ally Condie’s poetic writing style, but that is about the only good thing I can say. I like her use of poems and I think her descriptions are gorgeous (and poetic). However, beautiful prose cannot make up for weak characters and plot lines. At the end of the book, I thought that almost nothing happened, at least nothing significant. The story did not draw me in and I actually had a hard time staying focused. There was no climax to the plot, no heightened emotions, and no action that would have kept me reading. Never once did I wonder what would happen next, nor did I really care, for that matter. Overall, I found the story’s plot and tone rather weak and dull.

Unfortunately, I thought the characters were also lacking. Condie tells half the story from Ky’s perspective and the other half from Cassia’s. I got a little excited about it the beginning, thinking that I could learn more about Ky and his past, but all this did was show how similar ALL the characters are. Even though the chapters said either “Ky” or “Cassia” in the beginning, it was really hard for me to differentiate between whose POV it was since their voices sounded exactly the same. I kept having to go back to the start of the chapter to remind myself whose chapter it was, and that was really annoying. It was the same with the minor characters. Here is this 12-13 year old boy named Eli who talks and acts just like the mature and emotionally scarred/drained 22 year old named Hunter. Really? There was nothing that stood out about any of the characters and I did not connect to them in the slightest.

The one thing that annoyed me the most was Cassia and her stupidity. To be honest, I do not know if it was so much her stupidity as much as her inability to see the (GLARINGLY) obvious. She spends the whole book traveling with a girl named Indie, who is a rather suspicious character. Indie tries to get Ky to leave Cassia behind to join The Rising, she steals Cassia’s microcard of Xander, and Cassia is constantly wondering if Indie is hiding something. Then why, oh why, does Cassia spend so much time wondering if Indie is her friend??? If someone lies to you, steals from you, and you cannot trust them, THEY ARE NOT YOUR FRIEND AND YOU SHOULD NOT EVEN CONSIDER BEING FRIENDS WITH THEM. Cassia also gets determined to join the Rising, even though she has no real idea as to who they are, and that just leads to a stupid fight between her and Ky! I mean, seriously? And no matter how many times Ky and everyone else tell her the blue pills are poison, she refuses to believe it even after she took one and then felt like curling up in a ball and sleeping forever. GRRRRRRR.

FRUSTRATING.

This book also left me with even more questions. Almost nothing was explained! Who is behind The Society? How did The Rising come about and gain inside support when The Society monitors everything so well? Why are some people (such as members of The Rising) immune to the red tablets and others aren’t? Who is The Enemy and what is their motivation for war? Are they fighting The Society or The Rising? There are so many questions and not enough answers and in the end, I was just CONFUSED.

The third book in the series, which is still untitled, is due out November 2012. I may read the last book just to say  that I finished the series, but is it even worth it? I will get no bragging rights, will I? We'll see, we'll see. (Why is Fallen popping into my head right now? Hmmmm. I wonder….)

No Escape :(

Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck

Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck

Release Date: January 1, 2011

Publisher: Sterling

Author Information: Website / Blog / Twitter
Genre: Paranormal, Romance, Mythology 

Available Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook

My Shelf: Borrowed

Buy the Book: Amazon

The last thing Kelsey Hayes thought she’d be doing this summer was trying to break a 300-year-old Indian curse. With a mysterious white tiger named Ren. Halfway around the world.

But that’s exactly what happened.

Face-to-face with dark forces, spell- binding magic, and mystical worlds where nothing is what it seems, Kelsey risks everything to piece together an ancient prophecy that could break the curse forever.

Tiger’s Curse is the exciting first volume in an epic fantasy-romance that will leave you breathless and yearning for more.

Review:

As much as I hate to admit it, the main thing that drew me to this book was the cover. I read the synopsis and it seemed interesting, but the cover art and detail were what finalized the purchase. I try to stay true to the saying “Never judge a book by its cover,” but this is one of the few instances where I was shallow. All the different hues of blue are beautiful and I love the texture!

As far as the plot and premise of the book are concerned, I appreciated the originality of the story (it is like Tomb Raider and Indiana Jones go to India). I have never read a book that deals with Indian religion and/or mythology, so it was definitely something different for me. I have to say with all the books dealing with vampires, werewolves, faeries, nephilim/fallen angels, etc. nowadays, this book was a refreshing read. Colleen Houck does a good job weaving in elements of Indian mythology and shaping a story around an Indian curse and tigers.

Houck also did an okay job with the characters. They are not the greatest characters ever and most of them just had mundane and generic personalities that can be found in almost any other book. I have to say I did not particularly care for Ren or Kelsey, and I was worried about how much I would like the story when I did not care for the main characters. But then you meet Kishan, Ren’s brother. Oh man, Kishan. Why are you a minor character? WHY? He is the reason why Houck did an ‘okay’ job with the characters. Kishan, being the bad boy he is and stirring up trouble, salvaged this book. Lots of people go on about Ren and how great he is, but he cannot hold a candle to Kishan. Kishan has the real personality of the two. Ren was described as being perfect and the only thing that could get under his skin was Kelsey, but that does not make him ‘real.’ People are not perfect and everyone has flaws. While some people liked Ren for that reason, it was the same reason why I did not like him. Kishan is the one that actually seemed to have faults and regrets from the past, which is what makes a good character and enables a reader to connect to him. And boy, did I connect (hello, sir).

The things that really took away from this book was the childish writing and plot/character inconsistencies. I am sorry, but this book honestly could have been written by a ten year old. The dialogue was weak, and in some cases it seemed like Houck just looked up a word in the thesaurus and picked one that seemed most SAT-esque. And the details….oh, the details.

I thought I had a little bit of OCD because my drawers were also meticulously tidy. My socks were all rolled in balls, arranged from the front of the drawer to the back. I usually grabbed the front ones and worked my way to the back. White socks were lined up on the right, black ones in the middle, and colored ones on the left.

I picked up the first one. The label read “Hot Dog Buns.” I hauled it over to the hot dog stand, then went back to get another box. It said “Neon Necklaces.” I took that one to the memorabilia stand.

Not. Necessary. Details like this do not help the story progress in the least, and they just frustrated me. It was another reason I thought the writing was childish and left a lot to be desired.

Another thing that really annoyed me was Phet. I did not dislike the character, but his way of speaking just really irked me.

“At the present, you must respite. Important sunrise is tomorrow. Phet must pray in the dark hours, and you necessity sleep. Embark on tomorrow your traverse. It’s hard as difficult. In first light, Phet assist you in the company of tiger. Durga’s secret to unveil. Now go drowse.”

 Really? For a man who is obviously not fluent in English, he certainly uses some big words, no? One would think that if he knew words like this, grammar would be a cinch. This REALLY got on my nerves. In Houck’s defense, Phet was not around for very long. However, coupled with her immature writing style, Phet’s speaking abilities were just….UGH (insert shudder here).

Another thing that really grated on me was plot holes and inconsistencies. Kelsey decides she is going to go to India randomly to take care of a tiger, and her foster parents do not even blink an eye. There was also the time she was able to get a passport in an hour and there were no security problems for bringing a tiger along on a private airplane. There were many moments like this in the story where things just went by a little too smoothly to be believable. These moments were not terribly important to the overall plot, but they distracted from the book itself and made Houck’s writing seem even worse than it actually is (or is it just naturally that bad?). It displayed one of the weaker points of her writing abilities. The inconsistencies just continue from there. Ren is a gentleman stuck in the past, where he cannot kiss Kelsey without asking for her permission and is very behind on current dating practices and culture references (he does not even know about Shakespeare). So how, pray tell, is he able to make jokes about wet t-shirts? How does he even know about wet t-shirts? Maybe this kind of knowledge is just innate in a man, or maybe there were wet t-shirts in India 300 years ago. Sorry, but I find it very unbelievable and unrealistic.

And then there was the beginning and ending of the story. The first 100 pages of the story were really not needed. It was supposed to be an introduction to Ren and Kelsey, but it served almost no purpose besides making the book longer than it should have been. And the ending, WTF? Kelsey decides that Ren is too perfect for her, so she leaves? “I am sorry, Ren. I love you, but I must leave you for you are too amazing.” Seriously? If it wasn’t the end of the book, I would have hurled it at the wall, pretty cover and all. Not to mention the bickering that went on for 50 pages or so when she decides she wants to split from Ren and he gets angry about it. Here are the two main characters on a life and death quest, and while running from danger, they are yelling insults at one another. In some cases, it can be comedic (like in an Indiana Jones movie), but in this case, it was just SUPER ANNOYING.

Overall, the novel had a very original story and plot (and pretty cover), but poor writing and inconsistencies really dragged it down. I respect the fact that Houck tried to make a story based on Indian mythology, but when compared to other books dealing with mythology, such as Percy Jackson and the Olympians, she is a little out of her league.  I will try reading the next book in the series, but my expectations are going to be much lower.

A Small Escape