Book Review: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

You know what's weird? I've had Shadow and Bone on my to-read list for about 3 years but I still read Six of Crows, which is set in the same universe but was released much later, first. Anyways, Shadow and Bone was a book that originally caught my attention as it was listed as a recommendation at my local library. It took me forever to actually pick it up and read it though. After reading Six of Crows (you can check out my review here) I decided that I really wanted to learn more about the Grisha and dive back into the world that Leigh Bardugo created. Luckily Shadow and Bone is the first book of the original trilogy so I settled down to read it as soon as I could.

The country of Ravka was divided many years ago when the Dark Heretic created the Shadow Fold, an area of impenetrable darkness that separates West Ravka from the rest of the country. Within the fold, live creatures that were once human known as Volcra. Corrupted by darkness, they feed on the human flesh of travelers and soldiers that make the dangerous trip into the Fold. Enter Alina Starkov and Malyen "Mal" Oretsev. Both orphans due to the Border Wars that Ravka raged against its neighboring countries, Mal is a tracker with the First Army of Ravka while Alina is a mapmaker. During their first trip into the void, they are attacked by Volcra and it's during this attack that everyone witnesses a display of Alina's powers. Deemed a Grisha, practitioners of the "Small Science" and akin to sorcerers, Alina is whisked away into a world of politics and power.

Ok, that was a pretty lame summary but really, I can't tell you much without giving it all away! Shadow and Bone was a book that I read in approximately three hours. I was actually completely ignoring my schoolwork and just devouring this book! It's an easy read and fast paced so that every time I stopped, I did so begrudgingly because something was always going on. I liked its fast pace and I especially liked the realistic way in which Alina was portrayed. She went from, "Idk what I'm doing, I'm going to fail so horribly at this" to "Come at me bruh." Mal was difficult to figure out, and while he had some character development, I felt like I wasn't 100% sold on this character even at the end. Other characters were similar in that I felt like I had only skimmed the surface with them. And that's actually ok, because as the first part of a trilogy, I think it's acceptable to do so. While the books get reviewed as separate entities, they're all telling a part of one overarching story, so I hope that I see more of the supporting characters and more character development in the following books.

Book Review: Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare

Following on my last post that reviewed the show, "Shadowhunters" based on The Mortal Instruments series, I decided to finally write up a review of the first book in Cassandra Clare's new series taking place in the Shadow World, The Dark Artifices. This new trilogy takes place five years after the events of City of Heavenly Fire, the final book in the Mortal Instruments series. The first book of this new trilogy is Lady Midnight, and it introduces a new crew of Shadowhunters, fighting new forces of evil and with copious mentions and cameos of characters from both The Infernal Devices and The Mortal Instruments.

Lady Midnight primarily follows Emma Carstairs, the last surviving Carstairs family member (yes, she's a descendant of Jem Carstairs from the Infernal Devices, although not directly), after her mother and father were murdered. Emma actually makes her first appearance in the series during City of Heavenly Fire, along with her dear friend and now parabatai Julian Blackthorn. Parabatai, in case you weren't aware, are a pair of Shadowhunters that have chosen to be bounded to each other; they move in battle as one and can often feel each other's pain as well as know instinctively when his/her parabatai is in trouble. Among Shadowhunters, it's considered to be a very special bond and a duty that should not be taken lightly.

The plot of Lady Midnight is two-fold: first, there's Emma's thirst for revenge. She is positive that her parents were not casualties of the war incited by Sebastian Morgenstern and when she gets a lead, she pursues it relentlessly, placing herself, Julian, and the other members of the Blackthorn family in danger. The second part of the plot is in regards to Emma and Julian's feelings for one another. As parabati, they're forbidden from falling in love with one another, a rule that is set because of the consequences that can result. The details of what happens when two parabatai fall in love is, for some unfathomable reason, never shared with anyone. Emma is able to learn what it's and she has to struggle with the fact that she shouldn't reciprocate Julian's feelings despite her urge to do so. It's romance and action tangled into one complicated web against the backdrop of Los Angeles and the Shadow World.

On: Shadowhunters: The Revival of a YA Urban Fantasy

A few years ago, I decided to read the first book in the Mortal Instruments series, City of Bones, by Cassandra Clare. My main motivation was that the movie was about to be released on DVD. I had wanted to watch it while it was in theaters but didn't have the time to read the book. So, I proceeded to read not only the first book, but the second, third, fourth and fifth! Then, I waited patiently for the release of the 6th and final book. While I waited, I watched the movie and to be honest, I was pretty neutral on it. I felt like certain aspects of the story were well portrayed and I liked the casting for Simon, Jace, and Clary, the 3 main characters of the show. However, the movie didn't do so hot and a sequel was trashed. After having watched the movie at least 10 times, I read the Infernal Devices, a series that takes the same universe from the Mortal Instruments, but is set in 1800's London. With the release of the final book in the series, I considered the story of Jace and Clary to be mostly done (a third series, the Dark Artifices is in the works and the first book was released this year. More on that later). 

But! I was wrong. Freeform picked up the series for a TV Show and the first season just wrapped up so I'm here to talk reactions/thoughts/general musings on the show. Now, in the world of the Mortal Instruments, there is a "Shadow World." The shadow world consists of all manner of legendary creatures - werewolves, vampires, warlocks, and fairies, referred to as "Downworlders." They're very real, but are able to hide themselves in plain sight. Along with the Downworlders, there are demons that wreak havoc in the human world if left to their own devices. To keep the Downworlders in line, kill demons, and protect mundanes (aka mortals), Shadowhunters also exist in this world. Half human, half angel, Shadowhunters are a race of incredibly strong, supernatural beings that hold tight to their traditions and interestingly enough, have a general disdain for both downworlders and mundanes. They're not tied to any specific religion, but train ever since they're young to fight demons. They use wand-like glass objects called seraph blades, to burn runes into their skin (kind of like getting a tattoo) which gift them with various powers depending on the rune - among these are swiftness, the ability to see across long distances, endurance, and healing. The Mortal Instruments follows the story of Clary Fray, a young girl who one day finds out that her mother was a Shadowhunter and that everything she thought she knew, was a lie. 

Book Review: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

You know when you finish a book and berate your friend for recommending it because it's the first book in a series and you have to wait FOREVER for the second book? Well, what started with Truthwitch, continued when Katsyxo recommend Six of Crows to me. I had no idea what I was getting into when I opened this book. Now I can't stop thinking about it because it was so freaking awesome! 

Kaz. Inej. Nina. Jesper. Wylan. Matthias. 

Each and every one of these characters (and criminals!) completely stole my heart. Six of Crows follows the story of Kaz and his gang of carefully chosen criminals who are about to take on an impossible job - break out a prized prisoner from the most fortified jail in Fjerda. 

There is so much to gush over - the world building, the character development, the awesome diversity in characters, the sarcastic jokes thrown left and right (I love characters that are sarcastic, I relate to them on a very personal level), and of course, all of the anticipation and action that comes with such an impossible heist. 

Book Review: Truthwitch by Susan Dennard

Katsyxo, who is a good friend IRL, is always posting reviews for some of the latest YA releases on her website (which you should definitely check out~). One of the books she reviewed, was Truthwitch. After I read her review, I immediately tried to locate a copy at the library where I work. To my surprise, it hadn't been bought - or even ordered for that matter. So, I submitted a "Suggest a Title" form and within a few weeks, two copies of Truthwitch were added to the collection and I started my journey into the world of the Witchlands.

Truthwitch follows the story and friendship of Safiya von Hasstrel and Iseult det Midenzi who start out the book running away from guards and facing off against the Bloodwitch Aeduan, who would hunt them throughout the duration of the book. Wait, wait, hold up - Bloodwitch? Yep, you read it right, this book has a unique system of magic in which certain individuals are born with magical powers. The Bloodwitch Aeduan, is able to smell a person's blood and use it to track down anyone. Safiya is a Truthwitch, able to determine if a person is saying the truth or lying. And Iseult is a threadwitch, able to see see the invisible ties that bind individuals, although she is not able to see her own.

Book Review: Destria Waves

*Full disclaimer*: The author Lily Raine is a personal friend of mine. She has asked me for an honest review of her first book.

Anastasia's life has been marred by the memories of the brutal murder of several of her family members while she visited Russia as a child. She is haunted by the image of the murderer who calls her "Aria" and worse yet, she has instances where she disconnects with reality and sees a woman in a white dress who tries to feed her blue flowers. But when she's lured to the woods by a man in a mask who refers to her as Aria, warning of danger coming, Anastasia discovers there's something far greater than visions and the memory of a murder that make her different. 

Destria Waves (the first book of the Anastasia series) is a book that I mulled over long after completing it. There is a lot that happens in the first book, so much that at times I had to go back and reread certain sections to make sure I didn't miss something. Details that might seem insignificant in one part of the book come back in full force later in the book (like the chocolate! Read this book and then dare to tell me that the chocolate wasn't a freakin' awesome detail). The plot and pace was clearly planned out significantly which for me, instantly places this book at a higher calibre than many YA fiction series currently out there. 

Book Review: Before I Fall

Earlier this year, I read a list created by my good friend Katie over at Paperback Planes that details the 10 books she believes everyone must read at least once. Luckily for me, I have read the majority of books on the list, save for two, one of which was Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver. I decided to pick this book up first namely because 1. the premise sounded really interesting and 2. Katie strongly recommended it to me and Katie's recommendations have always been spot on.

I'll admit that it took me a while to get really far into the book, but that was largely due to work and other real life obligations. But, once I got past the first 100 or so pages, I couldn't put it down (regardless of whether or not I should have really been heading to the bank...). Samantha Kingston is part of the most popular group of girls at her high school. She's also a mean girl that laughs at and torments others with her friends, actions they believe don't cause much harm. On a Friday night, Sam and her friends go to Kent Mc Fuller's party and the night ends with a car accident that leaves Sam dead. Sam is then forced to relive her final day a total of 7 times, each time changing certain aspects in order to try to save herself. It's only until she reaches the seventh time, does she come to realize that the point of reliving her final day was not what she believed it to be at all.