Book Review: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Six of Crows (Six of Crows #1)

Leigh Bardugo

YA - Fantasy

462 Pages

     I won't lie, I did not finish this book...Yet? I am undecided as to if I will finish it or not. Six of Crows had such rave reviews that I felt the need to pick it up and read it immediately. I couldn't get into it, the writing was great and it sounded like the plot of a heist to kidnap the man who invented the most deadly Grisha drug would be very interesting. I felt that I had a hard time relating to the characters, and honestly, I only really liked Nina and Mathias' relationship. The characters, to me, did not play off of each other very well, though they were very thoroughly and descriptively written. You could clearly see each character's personality, but they were all so different, and the point of view switched so often, that I just had a hard time keeping up. 

     Maybe I will pick this book up again one day, but probably not any time soon. I am thinking about picking up the first book in the Grisha trilogy to see if that is more my speed.

 

Book Review: A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas

* This post contains spoilers! *

A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses #2)

Sarah J Maas

YA - Fantasy

624 Pages

     So we left A Court of Thorns and Roses with Feyre returning to the Spring Court with Tamlin, Having just saved the entire country of Prythian and hopelessly in love. I am happy to say in A Court of Mist and Fury, she dumped his butt and found someone who actually cared for her, treats her like a person rather than a prisoner, and doesn't just "love" her because she is now the most powerful person in all the lands.
     Upon returning to the Spring Court, Tamlin and Feyre become engaged and Ianthe, a high priestess and Tamlin's good friend, moves in to help with wedding planning and to keep Feyre company. Feyre isn't allowed to leave the grounds, or go anywhere without an escort. She is so depressed that she won't paint, she hardly eats, and she sleeps about 80% of the time. This is all understandable for someone who just risked their life to save the one she loves, was used as a showpiece, almost died from an infection, actually dies when Amarantha snaps her neck, is reborn holding a piece of all 7 high lords' powers, and is now the most powerful person in Prythian. If she wasn't depressed, at least a little, that would be an issue. Point to Sarah J. Maas for keeping things real!
     In the first book, Feyre strikes a deal with Rhysand, High Lord of the Night Court, to keep her alive. She only has to spend a week with him every month. But he hasn't shown up yet. Come her wedding day, Feyre is freaking out, begging (internally) for someone to save her as she's walking down the isle toward Tamlin. Okay... Back up. Remember that tattoo that showed up when she made the deal with Rhysand? Well she has a mental bond with him now. He can hear all of her thoughts, when he chooses or when she is basically shouting in her head, including her pleas to save her from this marriage. Of course, heroic Rhys shows up and calls in the first week of his bargain. Tamlin is mad. So, so mad. I mean, honestly, who wouldn't be. A gorgeous, more powerful, High Lord whisks away his bride-to-be and takes her to his court. DRAMA.
     The first few times Rhysand calls in his part of the bargain, he's just housing Feyre. She can come and go as she pleases, she eats (thankfully) and drinks, teaching her to use her mental guard and he starts helping her learn to read and write. What she doesn't know is that there's a reason he's teaching her this.
     Time goes by and one day, Tamlin buys Feyre a new paint set... but she doesn't take it because she's so scared and depressed she isn't painting. He gets furious and destroys the room they're in and from there, it's all just downhill. Feyre decides one day that she's officially tired of sitting around with Ianthe discussing "girly" things and wearing dresses, so she demands Tamlin let her go with him on his rounds... and he locks her in the house, just like when Amarantha locked her in the dungeon, she was officially a prisoner. Her powers from the Night Court come out in full force, she engulfs herself in darkness, scaring the crap out of the servants, and is rescued by Mor, Rhysand's cousin. Feyre comes to in the Night Court and from there, she doesn't plan to go back to Tamlin.
     Feyre becomes one of the people of the Night Court. She befriends Mor, Az, Amren, and Cassian and is (mostly) at peace... Until she learns exactly why Rhys was teaching her to read and write. Being the most powerful person in Prythian, she can save (again) the country from Hybern, the wicked king who sent Amarantha over to scope things out. Hybern is waging war on Prythian and is already trying to snatch Feyre for his own. Feyre just has to find the Cauldron and say the spell from the Book of Breathings that Amren had translated.
     The whole situation is a mess. Feyre has monsters tracking her, Tamlin looking for her, she's learning what powers she has and how to properly use them and then, Rhys throws a curveball. They're mates. And he knew the entire time. Feyre of course throws a fit, "Why didn't you tell me?" "I never would have went back with Tamlin" ...blah, blah, blah. Honestly, he had a good reason. With Rhys being the most powerful Lord in Prythian and now Feyre being the most powerful person period in Prythian, their children would be hunted their entire lives. No one would ever be safe.
     When Feyre finally gets off her high horse after having some meditative painting time, they fully embrace their relationship and apparently sneak off and get married and their whole "mind-connection" thing solidifies forever and they're equals. Which turned out to be a good thing because when they "snuck" into Hybern's castle to perform the spell on the Cauldron, they were caught and guess who was there to take back his "beloved?" Yep, Tamlin. Filthy, filthy, horrible man. Tamlin brought in Nesta and Elain, Feyre's sisters, who were the test subjects for the human queens to see if they could really be turned fae and live immortally. Well, guess who now has two fae sisters?
     Of course, Feyre is putting on a show and acts like she snapped out of a trance so that she could help Rhys on the inside of the Spring Court. Tamlin believes the whole facade and he babies Feyre and tells her how everything will be okay and everything will be better now. That's about where it left off, I'm eagerly awaiting A Court of Wings and Ruin in May!

Oh yeah, Elain and Lucien are mates.

Book Review: The White Rose by Amy Ewing

* This post contains spoilers. *

* Read the reviews for the whole series here. *

A photo posted by A Book and Some Needles (@abookandsomeneedles) on Jan 10, 2017 at 7:54pm PST

The White Rose (The Lone City #2)

Amy Ewing

YA - Fantasy, Dystopia

308 Pages

     So if you remember, back in October I read The Jewel by Amy Ewing, book one in the Lone City trilogy. Boy did I rave about that book, and frankly, still do. The White Rose though, not full marks, but a four out of five stars for me. The White Rose gave some more insight to what Violet and the other surrogates are capable of, and how twisted the nobility of the Lone City are, but I felt like it was just a companion piece to the story. I know that sounds really bad, but I don't mean it to be. This book was mainly about escaping the Duchess of the Lake and keeping Ash from being caught, but frankly, I enjoyed the last chapters, when Violet, Raven and Ash were living with Sil at the White Rose best. 

     The White Rose takes place after Violet and Ash are caught in bed together in the Duchess of the Lake's manor. A companion and a surrogate, *tsk tsk tsk*  Ash is beaten in front of Violet and then taken to the Dungeon, then the Duchess brings Annabelle, Violet's mute, innocent, lady in waiting, and slits her throat and tells Violet that she killed her.  Of course, Lucien is MIA and Garnet is supposed to be Violet's rescuer. Violet is supposed to wake up in the morgue "dead" in a few hours, but she gave the serum to Raven, her best friend instead, to save her from the abuse and the pregnancy that will kill her. Raven does miscarry and die after arriving at the White Rose, but Violet revives her using her powers correctly. More on that in a bit. 

     Garnet manages to get Violet, and Ash (because we all knew that she wasn't leaving without him), out of the manor and to the morgue. From there, Violet has to use the auguries (powers) to manipulate the incinerator, the only way out of the morgue where no one will find them out. She, Ash, and Raven travel through the sewage system following a map that Lucien gave them when Raven (who apparently has a new ability) takes them right to where the exit they've been looking for. Ash is seen, and Violet gets separated, but in the end, they make it to the safe house separately after a night apart. 

     The journey from there goes from a companion house disguised as a man and his prostitutes to hiding in a storage compartment in a train, to being stored in shipping containers until finally, they make it to Lucien and Garnet. From there, Violet has to "trust her instincts" and lead them to where they need to be. That's how they end up at the White Rose.

     Okay, now my favorite part! Sil, a sassy, no nonsense, maternal, former surrogate built up this place, The White Rose, a safe haven for herself and other surrogates, to learn the real use of their abilities. The auguries are not the powers that surrogates are born with, the nobility twisted and corrupted the girls' ancestral connection with the elements when their people (the nobility's) took the island and murdered the natives. The girls who are confirmed "surrogates" are actually great-great-great-great (continues?) grandchildren of the native people of the island that had a connection with the elements. They were one with the elements and the elements were with them. Sil teaches Violet this, and Violet teaches Sienna (the lioness from the auction), and two other girls when brought to her.

     The story takes a dramatic turn when Violet finds out that the Duchess of the Lake has quickly and quietly found a replacement surrogate (who becomes quickly pregnant) after Violet escapes. This surrogate turns out to be Violet's younger sister, the girl that Violet is trying to start a revolution to save. 

     Like I said, this book isn't as great as the first, but I'm looking forward to delving into The Black Key (Book #3).

Series Review: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas

A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns And Roses #1)

Sarah J Maas

YA - Fantasy

416 Pages

     A Court of Thorns and Roses was recommended to me by my aunt, and I am so glad that I picked it up. Feyre and Tamlin are so perfect together, Lucien is a witty, sarcastic, know it all who really does care about Feyre's well being. I don't know what else to say about this book than ALL THE FEELS. I felt every emotion while reading this book, I felt like one with the characters. I felt what Feyre felt, I even cried a couple of times. Sarah J Maas is a wonderful author, and I'm looking forward to starting Throne of Glass. 

     Feyre is the middle child who, after her mother passes, is the caretaker of the family. She cooks, cleans, hunts, and provides. Once, they were nobility, living in a fancy house, wearing fancy clothes and being waited on hand and foot. When Feyre's father invests all of the family's money into some ships to be sent across the ocean and bring back more riches and jewels, the ships are never found, causing the debt collectors to collect their payment in another way. In way of broken bones and taking everything they own. The family looses their rank, Feyre's father's leg is completely shattered, and they're now outcasts. 

     The first page of the book takes place while Feyre is hunting. She finds a doe eating quietly and goes to shoot it when she sees a large wolf pursuing it as well. Now, in this world, animals are not always animals. Sometimes, the High Faeries are shifted into the shape of an animal such as a wolf. Feyre takes her chances and shoots the wolf, seeing as it will provide a pelt worth enough to give her family some extra money for the month. The wolf doesn't revert back into a faerie, so she shoots the doe and skins the wolf selling the pelt the next day at the market. 

     That night, a beast with the mane of a lion burst's through the door at Feyre's home demanding to know who shot and sold the pelt of one of his court. He gives Feyre the choice to die or to return to Prythian with him and live out her life comfortably as a member of the Spring Court. Tamlin wipes the family's minds so that they think Feyre is away taking care of a dying aunt. 

     Upon arrival to the Spring Court in Prythian, Feyre is very reserved. She doesn't talk, doesn't associate and barely eats. In the end, hunger wins out when presented with a multi course meal that she hasn't had since her family was nobility. She stays in the manor and after a while, lives happily. Painting, learning to read and write, and of course falling in love with Tamlin. 

     Tamlin tells Feyre about later on is about the "sickness" plaguing the lands of Prythian. All of the faeries in the land have lost most of their powers, and in Tamlin's court, the people are stuck with masquerade masks after the "plague" hit. The plague spoken of is not a sickness, but a dampening of magic abilities due to a curse by Amarantha, a woman who tricked the High Fae of the lands into giving her all the powers. 

      Fast forward to after Feyre and Tamlin fall in love and realize it for themselves, Tamlin sends Feyre away just as things are getting worse in Prythian. She doesn't know why, and refuses at first, but has no choice after all. She is sent back home to her family, who has been completely taken care of by Tamlin, and spends three months there before deciding she doesn't care if Tamlin wants her there, she's going to go back and help. When she returns, she is met with a destroyed, abandoned house. She is told by a servant who came back to forage that she was the solution to the whole situation. Tamlin had to have a human who hated faeries fall in love with him for the curse to be broken, Instead, now she has to trek to Under the Mountain where Amarantha now rules all of Prythian with Tamlin as her (Unwilling) partner, and go through three trials or solve Amarantha's riddle. 

     I of course solved the riddle as soon as I read it.

“There are those who seek me a lifetime but never we meet,

And those I kiss but who trample me beneath ungrateful feet.

At times I seem to favor the clever and the fair,

But I bless all those who are brave enough to dare.

By large, my ministrations are soft-handed and sweet,

But scorned, I become a difficult beast to defeat.

For though each of my strikes lands a powerful blow,

When I kill, I do it slow... ” 

     In the end, she completes the tasks, nearly dying multiple times in the process, but of course, Amarantha never meant to let her and Tamlin leave together alive. After Feyre completes the trials and Amarantha refuses to let them leave immediately, Tamlin, fully restored to his full magical powers, kills Amarantha.... after she kills Feyre. 

     For saving the population of Prythian, the seven high lords of the land, breathe life back into Feyre and she becomes a High Lady. 

     This book is definitely a read it now, in my opinion. Grab the book from somewhere, from someone, and divulge yourself in the world of Prythian. 

A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses #2)

Sarah J Maas

YA - Fantasy

640 Pages

So we left A Court of Thorns and Roses with Feyre returning to the Spring Court with Tamlin, Having just saved the entire country of Prythian and hopelessly in love. I am happy to say in A Court of Mist and Fury, she dumped his butt and found someone who actually cared for her, treats her like a person rather than a prisoner, and doesn't just "love" her because she is now the most powerful person in all the lands.
     Upon returning to the Spring Court, Tamlin and Feyre become engaged and Ianthe, a high priestess and Tamlin's good friend, moves in to help with wedding planning and to keep Feyre company. Feyre isn't allowed to leave the grounds, or go anywhere without an escort. She is so depressed that she won't paint, she hardly eats, and she sleeps about 80% of the time. This is all understandable for someone who just risked their life to save the one she loves, was used as a showpiece, almost died from an infection, actually dies when Amarantha snaps her neck, is reborn holding a piece of all 7 high lords' powers, and is now the most powerful person in Prythian. If she wasn't depressed, at least a little, that would be an issue. Point to Sarah J. Maas for keeping things real!
     In the first book, Feyre strikes a deal with Rhysand, High Lord of the Night Court, to keep her alive. She only has to spend a week with him every month. But he hasn't shown up yet. Come her wedding day, Feyre is freaking out, begging (internally) for someone to save her as she's walking down the isle toward Tamlin. Okay... Back up. Remember that tattoo that showed up when she made the deal with Rhysand? Well she has a mental bond with him now. He can hear all of her thoughts, when he chooses or when she is basically shouting in her head, including her pleas to save her from this marriage. Of course, heroic Rhys shows up and calls in the first week of his bargain. Tamlin is mad. So, so mad. I mean, honestly, who wouldn't be. A gorgeous, more powerful, High Lord whisks away his bride-to-be and takes her to his court. DRAMA.
     The first few times Rhysand calls in his part of the bargain, he's just housing Feyre. She can come and go as she pleases, she eats (thankfully) and drinks, teaching her to use her mental guard and he starts helping her learn to read and write. What she doesn't know is that there's a reason he's teaching her this.
     Time goes by and one day, Tamlin buys Feyre a new paint set... but she doesn't take it because she's so scared and depressed she isn't painting. He gets furious and destroys the room they're in and from there, it's all just downhill. Feyre decides one day that she's officially tired of sitting around with Ianthe discussing "girly" things and wearing dresses, so she demands Tamlin let her go with him on his rounds... and he locks her in the house, just like when Amarantha locked her in the dungeon, she was officially a prisoner. Her powers from the Night Court come out in full force, she engulfs herself in darkness, scaring the crap out of the servants, and is rescued by Mor, Rhysand's cousin. Feyre comes to in the Night Court and from there, she doesn't plan to go back to Tamlin.
     Feyre becomes one of the people of the Night Court. She befriends Mor, Az, Amren, and Cassian and is (mostly) at peace... Until she learns exactly why Rhys was teaching her to read and write. Being the most powerful person in Prythian, she can save (again) the country from Hybern, the wicked king who sent Amarantha over to scope things out. Hybern is waging war on Prythian and is already trying to snatch Feyre for his own. Feyre just has to find the Cauldron and say the spell from the Book of Breathings that Amren had translated.
     The whole situation is a mess. Feyre has monsters tracking her, Tamlin looking for her, she's learning what powers she has and how to properly use them and then, Rhys throws a curveball. They're mates. And he knew the entire time. Feyre of course throws a fit, "Why didn't you tell me?" "I never would have went back with Tamlin" ...blah, blah, blah. Honestly, he had a good reason. With Rhys being the most powerful Lord in Prythian and now Feyre being the most powerful person period in Prythian, their children would be hunted their entire lives. No one would ever be safe.
     When Feyre finally gets off her high horse after having some meditative painting time, they fully embrace their relationship and apparently sneak off and get married and their whole "mind-connection" thing solidifies forever and they're equals. Which turned out to be a good thing because when they "snuck" into Hybern's castle to perform the spell on the Cauldron, they were caught and guess who was there to take back his "beloved?" Yep, Tamlin. Filthy, filthy, horrible man. Tamlin brought in Nesta and Elain, Feyre's sisters, who were the test subjects for the human queens to see if they could really be turned fae and live immortally. Well, guess who now has two fae sisters?
     Of course, Feyre is putting on a show and acts like she snapped out of a trance so that she could help Rhys on the inside of the Spring Court. Tamlin believes the whole facade and he babies Feyre and tells her how everything will be okay and everything will be better now. That's about where it left off, I'm eagerly awaiting A Court of Wings and Ruin in May!

Oh yeah, Elain and Lucien are mates.

A Court of Wings and Ruin (A Court of Thorns and Roses #3)

Sarah J Maas

YA - Fantasy

Book Review: Tricky Twenty-Two by Janet Evanovich

* This post contains spoilers. *

Tricky Twenty-Two (Stephanie Plum #22)

Janet Evanovich

Fiction - Mystery

305 Pages

     So here we are again, Trenton, New Jersey. Stephanie and Morelli have broken up. Again. Stephanie is chasing down a fugitive. Again. Stephanie gets a car blown up. Twice. Predictable? Absolutely. 

     So in this book, Stephanie is looking for FTA Ken Globovic, a college student at Kiltman who was arrested for beating the dean of students with a baseball bat. As it turns out, that didn't really happen. Professor Pooka, a psychologically disturbed, "power wielding," biology professor is making "Black Plague infected" fireworks to shoot off over the students at Homecoming. (Or something like that.) When people start getting too curious, they're shot. Of course, being a Stephanie Plum novel, Stephanie is kidnapped by the psychotic Professor Pooka. She is supposedly injected with the plague and is supposedly providing blood for the fleas that are "carrying" the plague.
     The story isn't really action packed, it's an easy read, and as I said many times before, completely predictable. The only thing that was a great twist in this book was that Stephanie's mom, who is completely against Stephanie being a bounty hunter, takes Pooka down. She's beating the crap out of him for kidnapping Stephanie, for supposedly giving her the plague, and just because of the adrenaline. Other than that, it was once again, a three from me. Joe did ask Stephanie to marry him at the end, but I didn't find it sincere, so I'm on hold for Turbo Twenty-Three on my E-Library to see what's actually going to happen. 

Book Review: Top Secret Twenty-One by Janet Evanovich

Top Secret Twenty-One (Stephanie Plum #21)

Janet Evanovich

Fiction - Mystery

354 Pages

     I'm not even going to bother with explaining the characters and their roles in this book because frankly, after twenty-one books, you already know them. To say the least, I'm ready for this series to be done. Stephanie just needs to marry Joe, like we all know she's going to, and quit her bounty hunting job. I'm not saying that she can't be a married woman and still work, but I don't think that's her personality. She's already emotional, always looking over her shoulder and worrying about Morelli, all of that will just multiply tenfold when she's actually "tied down."

     I did enjoy the first few books of this series, but honestly, after the first...I don't know, five? It gets so repetitive, there's no point in reading the book because you know that she's going to catch the major FTA and at least thee smaller FTA's. The only thing that seems to be progressing at all is Stephanie and Joe's relationship. Though they're on again/off again, you always know that they're going to get back together and they're going to eventually get married.

     I gave this book three stars. It's an easy read, good for when you're in a reading rut and need something quick, but the series is no longer on my "must read as soon as they're released" list.

Book Review: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

* This post contains spoilers. *

* To see a review for each book in the series, go here. *

Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children (Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children #1)

Ransom Riggs

Fantasy - Supernatural

352 Pages

(Read 10/31/2016)

     First of all, let me just say, I absolutely despise the new cover art on this novel. I do believe that the cover art on the original book is what drew me in more than anything. That, and now it just does not go with the rest of the series' covers. Who wants to have a bright, colorful book when the rest of the series is black and white. Just my opinion, I'd love to hear your thoughts!

     So I've technically been reading this since June... It took a while to get into, and I mean a while. Jacob is a peculiar child, well teenage boy, and is put into counseling and is considered "psychologically unhealthy" after his grandfather, Abraham, dies and begins having nightmares of the things that his grandfather told him stories about. He is raised hearing stories of his grandfather's backstory, escaping from Germany during the war because he was Jewish, then fighting in the war (but not the war), and about growing up with his peculiar friends at the "orphanage." Jacob learns all about the levitating girl, the boy with the bees, the invisible boy, and the strongarm girl, each with their own photo. Among others, he also learns about the monsters. The monsters (later explained by Miss Peregrine) are former ymbrynes (ymbryni?) who thought that they could use the "loop" to relinquish aging for good. The whole thing was actually led by Miss Peregrine's own brothers. When they stepped through the loop, though, they were taken so far back in aging that it is believed that they were formed into their "before-the-soul" selves called hollowghasts. The hollowghasts have to feed on peculiars to thrive. They can feed on common people, but the peculiars are what give them strength. 

     Jacob gets a letter addressed to him from his grandfather after he dies that was found among Abraham's things. When Jacob reads the letter, he convinces his parents and psychiatrist to go on a trip to this Island on the coast of Wales to "prove to himself that none of it was true." In reality, he is going to find whatever his grandfather wanted him to find. He finds the old home in ruin and rummages through the remnants, not finding anything.

     So he finds the loop and meets all of the peculiar children who are old, like 80+ old, and Miss Peregrine, the headmistress. Miss Peregrine actually knows that Jacob is peculiar. He, like his grandfather before him, can see the hollowghasts. Later on when a group of wights kidnap Miss Peregrine, Miss Avocet and other ymbrynes, Jacob, Emma, Hugh, Bronwyn, Horace, and other Peculiars are going on a rescue mission. They manage to save Miss Peregrine, but when they get back to the loop, everything is wrong. Miss Peregrine can't revert back to her human self and the loop hasn't reset. This is where the book drops off and leads into the next book. 

     Overall, this book gets a three from me, it wasn't easy to get in to and I'm still not 100% sure about the series. What were your thoughts? 

Series Review: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

* This post contains spoilers. *

Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children (Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children #1)

Ransom Riggs

Fantasy - Supernatural

352 Pages

(Read 10/31/2016)

     First of all, let me just say, I absolutely despise the new cover art on this novel. I do believe that the cover art on the original book is what drew me in more than anything. That, and now it just does not go with the rest of the series' covers. Who wants to have a bright, colorful book when the rest of the series is black and white. Just my opinion, I'd love to hear your thoughts!

     So I've technically been reading this since June... It took a while to get into, and I mean a while. Jacob is a peculiar child, well teenage boy, and is put into counseling and is considered "psychologically unhealthy" after his grandfather, Abraham, dies and begins having nightmares of the things that his grandfather told him stories about. He is raised hearing stories of his grandfather's backstory, escaping from Germany during the war because he was Jewish, then fighting in the war (but not the war), and about growing up with his peculiar friends at the "orphanage." Jacob learns all about the levitating girl, the boy with the bees, the invisible boy, and the strongarm girl, each with their own photo. Among others, he also learns about the monsters. The monsters (later explained by Miss Peregrine) are former ymbrynes (ymbryni?) who thought that they could use the "loop" to relinquish aging for good. The whole thing was actually led by Miss Peregrine's own brothers. When they stepped through the loop, though, they were taken so far back in aging that it is believed that they were formed into their "before-the-soul" selves called hollowghasts. The hollowghasts have to feed on peculiars to thrive. They can feed on common people, but the peculiars are what give them strength. 

     Jacob gets a letter addressed to him from his grandfather after he dies that was found among Abraham's things. When Jacob reads the letter, he convinces his parents and psychiatrist to go on a trip to this Island on the coast of Wales to "prove to himself that none of it was true." In reality, he is going to find whatever his grandfather wanted him to find. He finds the old home in ruin and rummages through the remnants, not finding anything.

     So he finds the loop and meets all of the peculiar children who are old, like 80+ old, and Miss Peregrine, the headmistress. Miss Peregrine actually knows that Jacob is peculiar. He, like his grandfather before him, can see the hollowghasts. Later on when a group of wights kidnap Miss Peregrine, Miss Avocet and other ymbrynes, Jacob, Emma, Hugh, Bronwyn, Horace, and other Peculiars are going on a rescue mission. They manage to save Miss Peregrine, but when they get back to the loop, stuff is wrong. Miss Peregrine can't revert back to her human self and the loop hasn't reset. This is where the book drops off and leads into the next book. 

     Overall, this book gets a three from me, it wasn't easy to get in to and I'm still not 100% sure about the series. What are your thoughts? 

Hollow City (Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children #2)

Ransom Riggs

Fantasy - Supernatural

428 Pages

Library of Souls (Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children #3)

Ransom Riggs

Fantasy - Supernatural

464 Pages

Series Review: The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

*This post will be updated as I finish each book. *

* Each review contains spoilers. *

Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles #1)

Marissa Meyer

YA - Science Fiction, Fantasy

400 Pages

(Read 9/29/14)

     Where do I even start with this book? I love it. I am a huge fan of fairy tales and I believe Marissa Meyer did a great job of this spin-off of the classic Cinderella. The whole cyborg/lost princess Selene/supposedly murdered by her aunt/"adopted" by the Linh family/renowned mechanic backstory is spot on. 

     

Series Review: The Lone City series by Amy Ewing

* This Post will be updated as I finish each book. *

The Jewel (The Lone City #1)

Amy Ewing

YA - Fantasy, Dystopia

358 Pages

     This book showed up in my Facebook and Instagram feeds as recommended for many weeks, months maybe, before I actually downloaded it. I read the entire book in two days. Now, granted, that is my normal reading speed... I've just been slacking lately... A lot. This book was in a way, wonderful. But it was also horrible as in it was very degrading towards women, but I will explain that.

     This book is about a girl named Violet Lasting, aptly named for the vibrant violet color of hers eyes, in case you were wondering. Violet was born a surrogate. Not a surrogate as in a woman who volunteers to carry another woman's child... No, Violet was born the kind of surrogate who is forced to live in secluded "homes" and be raised to fulfill her duty to carry a royal child and keep the bloodline alive. The royal women in the Lone City cannot bear their own children, so they must have a surrogate. These surrogates aren't technically mortal, for lack of a better word. These women, the surrogates, have certain powers which they use to manipulate the genetics of the child, en utero, to determine how they will look and be. They manipulate the child's hair color, their skin color, and sometimes (as in Violet's case) they may even be able to manipulate the rate at which the child grows after conception.

     This book ended on a cliff hanger and I almost bought the second book on Amazon, since I'm fourteenth in line on the e-library hold list, because I was so eager to find out what happens. I didn't though, because I honestly only ever read most books once and I'm not going to spend money on a book that I might never read again. 

     These women who are born surrogates do not know that they are surrogates until they are tested at age twelve, but once they find out, they are sent to live with other surrogates and taught to use their powers. These girls are literally sold at an auction and bought by royalty based on their looks and scores on their tests. How awful is that? Violet is bought by the Duchess of the Lake, who has waited nineteen years to purchase another surrogate because it had to be the perfect one. 

     The Duchess of the Lake is obviously bipolar. When Violet first meets her, she slaps her across the face to "warn her" to behave. A few days later, she buys Violet an extravagant cello only to smash it to pieces a week or so later as punishment. The reason the Duchess purchased her is because of Violets score in the growth section of her final tests, in which she scored a perfect 10. The Duchess of the Lake wants a daughter (Royalty is only allowed one son and one daughter) who is perfect in every way... and who will be birthed in only three months. Since Violet has such great powers in growth, she practices with the Doctor to make sure that she can make this child grow at three times the rate of a normal child. They practice on a tree out in the garden because I guess growing trees is the same as growing children? Anyway, the first attempt at impregnating Violet nearly causes her to die in front of hundreds of people while performing a cello concert for them, and the second time is unsuccessful as well, but not as dramatically. 

     Before Violet was sold to bear the Duchesses child, she was "prepped" by a man named Lucien, who is a Lady in waiting for the Electress (Basically the queen, who isn't really royal, of everyone including the duchesses who are actually royal). Lucien sees something in Violet that reminds him of his sister, who was also a surrogate, and he wants to save her from the horrible, short life that she would endure and promises to get her out. He gives her a key thing that is like a walkie talkie, but no one can eavesdrop on your conversation. An invention of Lucien himself. Violet ruins this plan when she and Ash, her lady's niece's boyfriend, get caught together. 

   Ash is a consort who was also purchased, but as a boyfriend for the Duchess's niece. At the end of the book, she and Ash are caught in bed together and Ash is beaten in front of her and dragged to the dungeon. Violet is dragged upstairs to her room to await punishment. At the last minute, her key/walkie talkie-like thing that no one can ease drop on "rings" and Garnet, the Duchess's son, says "We are going to get you out." That's it, that's how it ends. Can you see why I was so eager to read the rest of the series?

     Overall, I give this book a 4/5 because I really hate that this book is about selling women for their bodies. Even if it isn't in a prostitutional way. Carrying a child is a blessing that not all women are able to enjoy, but I don't believe that women who can have children should be forced to carry for those who can't. If this book were about voluntary surrogacy, this book would get a 5/5. Get the book, read it, cry a little and maybe yell a bit. Read the whole series in two days, if you can manage that. Just don't spoil it for me.

The White Rose (The Lone City #2)

Amy Ewing

YA - Dystopia

308 Pages

 

     So if you remember, back in October I read The Jewel by Amy Ewing, book one in the Lone City trilogy. Boy did I rave about that book, and frankly, still do. The White Rose though, not full marks, but a four out of five stars for me. The White Rose gave some more insight to what Violet and the other surrogates are capable of, and how twisted the nobility of the Lone City are, but I felt like it was just a companion piece to the story. I know that sounds really bad, but I don't mean it to be. This book was mainly about escaping the Duchess of the Lake and keeping Ash from being caught, but frankly, I enjoyed the last chapters, when Violet, Raven and Ash were living with Sil at the White Rose best. 

     The White Rose takes place after Violet and Ash are caught in bed together in the Duchess of the Lake's manor. A companion and a surrogate, *tsk tsk tsk*  Ash is beaten in front of Violet and then taken to the Dungeon, then the Duchess brings Annabelle, Violet's mute, innocent, lady in waiting, and slits her throat and tells Violet that she killed her.  Of course, Lucien is MIA and Garnet is supposed to be Violet's rescuer. Violet is supposed to wake up in the morgue "dead" in a few hours, but she gave the serum to Raven, her best friend instead, to save her from the abuse and the pregnancy that will kill her. Raven does miscarry and die after arriving at the White Rose, but Violet revives her using her powers correctly. More on that in a bit. 

     Garnet manages to get Violet, and Ash (because we all knew that she wasn't leaving without him), out of the manor and to the morgue. From there, Violet has to use the auguries (powers) to manipulate the incinerator, the only way out of the morgue where no one will find them out. She, Ash, and Raven travel through the sewage system following a map that Lucien gave them when Raven (who apparently has a new ability) takes them right to where the exit they've been looking for. Ash is seen, and Violet gets separated, but in the end, they make it to the safe house separately after a night apart. 

     The journey from there goes from a companion house disguised as a man and his prostitutes to hiding in a storage compartment in a train, to being stored in shipping containers until finally, they make it to Lucien and Garnet. From there, Violet has to "trust her instincts" and lead them to where they need to be. That's how they end up at the White Rose.

     Okay, now my favorite part! Sil, a sassy, no nonsense, maternal, former surrogate built up this place, The White Rose, a safe haven for herself and other surrogates, to learn the real use of their abilities. The auguries are not the powers that surrogates are born with, the nobility twisted and corrupted the girls' ancestral connection with the elements when their people (the nobility's) took the island and murdered the natives. The girls who are confirmed "surrogates" are actually great-great-great-great (continues?) grandchildren of the native people of the island that had a connection with the elements. They were one with the elements and the elements were with them. Sil teaches Violet this, and Violet teaches Sienna (the lioness from the auction), and two other girls when brought to her.

     The story takes a dramatic turn when Violet finds out that the Duchess of the Lake has quickly and quietly found a replacement surrogate (who becomes quickly pregnant) after Violet escapes. This surrogate turns out to be Violet's younger sister, the girl that Violet is trying to start a revolution to save. 

     Like I said, this book isn't as great as the first, but I'm looking forward to delving into The Black Key (Book #3).

The Black Key (The Lone City #3)

Amy Ewing

YA - Dystopia

304 Pages