ARC Review: The Library of Fates by Aditi Khorana

Title: The Library of Fates
Author: Aditi Khorana
Publication Date: July 18, 2017
Publisher: Razorbill
Pages: 354
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A romantic coming-of-age fantasy tale steeped in Indian folklore, perfect for fans of The Star-Touched Queen and The Wrath and the Dawn

No one is entirely certain what brings the Emperor Sikander to Shalingar. Until now, the idyllic kingdom has been immune to his many violent conquests. To keep the visit friendly, Princess Amrita has offered herself as his bride, sacrificing everything—family, her childhood love, and her freedom—to save her people. But her offer isn't enough.

The unthinkable happens, and Amrita finds herself a fugitive, utterly alone but for an oracle named Thala, who was kept by Sikander as a slave and managed to escape amid the chaos of a palace under siege. With nothing and no one else to turn to, Amrita and Thala are forced to rely on each other. But while Amrita feels responsible for her kingdom and sets out to warn her people, the newly free Thala has no such ties. She encourages Amrita to go on a quest to find the fabled Library of All Things, where it is possible for each of them to reverse their fates. To go back to before Sikander took everything from them.

Stripped of all that she loves, caught between her rosy past and an unknown future, will Amrita be able to restore what was lost, or does another life—and another love—await? 

Something you may know about me if you follow my blog at all is that I love mythology, folktales, and retellings. The Wrath and the Dawn was my first foray into Indian mythology and The Star-Touched Queen was the second. Both were five star reads for me, so I was thrilled to get my hands on an early copy of The Library of Fates, especially once I saw the comparison!

Amrita is the MC of this story and she's a character I liked from the first page. Mostly because of the way her story started - with her childhood friend turned something more, Arjun. Although Amrita was undoubtedly a spoiled rich kid who had no idea how to take care of herself, I found myself sympathizing with her unfortunate arranged marriage situation and rooting for her and Arjun, to run off together and live happily ever after!

This book had a lot of great bits and pieces. I loved Amrita and Arjun, like I said. I thought Thala's backstory was fantastic! And I loved the idea of Sikander pursuing the three of them as they ran off together and dodged danger at every turn. In fact, The Library of Fates had me totally believing it would end up on my favorites shelf... until it went totally off the rails.

Be warned, this may be venturing into mild spoiler territory, but I feel like it's necessary to point out that this book probably isn't what you think it is. I expected adventure and romance and, I dunno, maybe a Library of Fates. But, while this book did technically have those elements, there was a lot of magic and talking wind and shape shifting animals and weird mystical beings without much explanation that don't really seem to serve any real purpose. Not to mention, possibly the worst case of instalove I've ever seen. "But Tracy," you say. "The blurb says Amrita has a childhood love!" Yes, reader, you're correct. That would've made a fantastic story. That's really the story I thought I was getting. But you see that itty bitty piece at the every end? The "another love" bit? I'll say no more about that.

The world, I'll admit, was interesting, but it really felt like it was trying to be The Star-Touched Queen. The writing was the same kind of lyrical style, but it just didn't work for me this time. Everything seemed far too rushed while the story simultaneously moved at a crawl. I was always waiting for things to pick up and for something truly exciting to happen! Unfortunately, it never really did. Even when the big plot points were unfolding, there was no real sense of urgency.

While I felt that the characters were well-written and easy to sympathize with, The Library of Fates had too many issues for me to truly enjoy. The rushed plot and elements that just didn't make much sense left me wanting and honestly wishing the story more closely resembled the synopsis. If you go into this book knowing that it's really heavy on the folklore and expecting extreme instalove, maybe you'll enjoy it more than I did.

Audiobook Review: Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman

Title: Norse Mythology
Author: Neil Gaiman
Narrator: Neil Gaiman
Publication Date: February 7, 2017
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
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Introducing an instant classic—master storyteller Neil Gaiman presents a dazzling version of the great Norse myths.

Neil Gaiman has long been inspired by ancient mythology in creating the fantastical realms of his fiction. Now he turns his attention back to the source, presenting a bravura rendition of the great northern tales. In Norse Mythology, Gaiman fashions primeval stories into a novelistic arc that begins with the genesis of the legendary nine worlds; delves into the exploits of the deities, dwarves, and giants; and culminates in Ragnarok, the twilight of the gods and the rebirth of a new time and people. Gaiman stays true to the myths while vividly reincarnating Odin, the highest of the high, wise, daring, and cunning; Thor, Odin’s son, incredibly strong yet not the wisest of gods; and Loki, the son of a giant, a trickster and unsurpassable manipulator. From Gaiman’s deft and witty prose emerges the gods with their fiercely competitive natures, their susceptibility to being duped and to dupe others, and their tendency to let passion ignite their actions, making these long-ago myths breathe pungent life again. 

I have always loved mythology! First it was Egyptian Mythology throughout my childhood, followed by Greek Mythology in high school, and Roman Mythology in college. I've always been interested in Norse Mythology, but too daunted by it to dive in. When I saw that Neil Gaiman was releasing a retelling of Norse Myths I knew I had to have it! Stumbling across the audiobook narrated by Neil himself was even better!

First of all, it was impossible to listen to Neil read this and not imagine these guys:

Of course, there were so many other characters in these stories, but these two were by far my favorites! Embarrassingly, most everything I know about Thor and Loki comes from Marvel, so it was awesome to get so much background about the characters they're based on. Thor was absolutely hilarious! His ego is massive and I was constantly cracking up at the ridiculous ways he got out of situations (e.g. assuming a goddess would marry a giant to get his hammer back and then crossdressing instead when she refused). Loki was also a fantastic character, but (maybe not surprisingly) much more intelligent and crafty than Thor. His children were especially fascinating!

Each story was included separately and broken into chapters. They didn't necessarily intertwine like a normal novel, but there were elements that wouldn't be understood without reading previous stories. Each story could be read individually, but I do think that reading the entire book chronologically is the best way to go with this one, at least on the first read! While I've never read any of these myths before, I've read that Neil Gaiman stayed very true to the source material while expanding upon it and making it his own. All of the stories certainly had the feeling of classic mythology!

Some of my favorites: 

• The Treasures of the Gods, in which Loki steals Thor's wife's hair and tries to get a replacement
• The Children of Loki, in which Odin is worried about being murdered by Loki's wolf kid 
• Himir and Thor's Fishing Expedition, in which Thor goes fishing and almost sinks the boat
• The Last Days of Loki, in which I became depressed and cried a little

Neil did a fantastic job of keeping all these stories interesting, but they were still somewhat simplistic as myths generally are. There were moments when I was a little bored, I'll admit, but Norse Mythology fully lived up to my expectations! Best of all, I learned so much about the gods and locations! All of the Norse gods became fully fleshed out characters through these stories and I'm honestly a little excited to go see Thor: Ragnarok knowing so much more about this mythology than my husband! (Ha!)

As always, Neil Gaiman is an incredibly narrator! I wish so much that he'd narrate books other than his own so I could hear him talk more... I wasn't totally sure what to expect from Norse Mythology but I ended up really loving it! I definitely recommend this book (and the audiobook in particular) to any mythology lover!

Book Review: The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi

Title: The Star-Touched Queen (The Star-Touched Queen #1)
Author: Roshani Chokshi
Publication Date: April 26, 2016
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Pages: 342
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Fate and fortune. Power and passion. What does it take to be the queen of a kingdom when you’re only seventeen?

Maya is cursed. With a horoscope that promises a marriage of death and destruction, she has earned only the scorn and fear of her father’s kingdom. Content to follow more scholarly pursuits, her whole world is torn apart when her father, the Raja, arranges a wedding of political convenience to quell outside rebellions. Soon Maya becomes the queen of Akaran and wife of Amar. Neither roles are what she expected: As Akaran’s queen, she finds her voice and power. As Amar’s wife, she finds something else entirely: Compassion. Protection. Desire…

But Akaran has its own secrets—thousands of locked doors, gardens of glass, and a tree that bears memories instead of fruit. Soon, Maya suspects her life is in danger. Yet who, besides her husband, can she trust? With the fate of the human and Otherworldly realms hanging in the balance, Maya must unravel an ancient mystery that spans reincarnated lives to save those she loves the most…including herself. 

The Star-Touched Queen is one of those books I took way too long to read without a good excuse. One person told me they didn't think I'd enjoy it, so I just never did pick it up. This January I had the pleasure of meeting Roshani Chokshi at ALA in Atlanta and picked up a copy of A Crown of Wishes, book two in this series, so it seemed like a good time to finally give it a go!

I'm going to switch things up with this review and start with the writing. I had heard that the writing in The Star-Touched Queen was very flowery, which I tend to get bored with, and that's one reason I was told to avoid it. After reading it, I have to say I disagree. This book isn't flowery, it's mythology. I always laugh at people who talk about what they minored in as if it makes them experts, but I did happen to minor in Classics. I read a lot of myths. A lot. And this reads like them, just a little prettier and more appropriate for the 21st century. While I can see why some people might have been put off by the writing style, I happen to love mythology and I loved every single thing about The Star-Touched Queen!

The main character of this story is Maya, the daughter of the Raja, and she's pretty much a badass. She has lived her entire life in the shadow of a horrible horoscope. Maya is shunned by everyone around her and seen as cursed, so she's surprised when her father decides to marry her off for political reasons. Although she is upset, Maya resolves to do this to help her father, but the husband she chooses is much more than she expects.

Amar is the Raja of his own kingdom, one Maya has only heard about in stories. He is dark and mysterious and handsome... He is totally my kind of love interest. Little bits and pieces about him are revealed as the book goes on and, trust me, this guy is fascinating! I'll give it to you straight - the romance in The Star-Touched Queen is insta-love, but it totally and completely works. I loved Amar and Maya so much! Maya is simultaneously completely out of her element, while being totally sure of herself. She always makes the decisions she feels are best for her, even if they don't always work out in the end. I can't say too much about Amar's character without spoilers, but Amar by himself makes this book worth reading!

Just like the writing and characters, the world building is incredible. The descriptions of both the real world and the Otherworld locations like the Night Bazaar and Akaran were gorgeous. I could easily visualize the locations and the magic of the different places Maya visited. Even the different rooms in Amar's palace were each distinct and easy to picture! Roshani should really get an award for the magic she weaved into this book.

I cannot say a whole lot about the plot of The Star-Touched Queen without spoiling it, but I will say that the story completely surprised me a couple times! I expected a pretty straight-forward story that went in one direction, but I ended up getting blindsided halfway through... and it was awesome! I had a lot of feels and nearly threw the book across the room at one point, but it's too pretty and I didn't want to damage it, so I persisted. The ending wrapped up nicely so that this could easily be read as a standalone, although I'm definitely excited to see what happens in A Crown of Wishes!

In case I haven't made it clear, The Star-Touched Queen totally exceeded all of my expectations. I went in not knowing if I'd even want to finish it, and came away clearing a space on my favorites shelf! If you're a fan of fantasy, mythology, or retellings (did I mention this is a Hades and Persephone retelling?) and you've been avoiding this book for any reason, I highly recommend you take the plunge sooner rather than later!

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

Title: A Court of Mist and Fury (ACOTAR #2)
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Publication Date: May 3, 2016
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Pages: 624
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Review for book 1

Feyre survived Amarantha's clutches to return to the Spring Court—but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can't forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin's people.

Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms—and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future—and the future of a world cleaved in two.

With more than a million copies sold of her beloved Throne of Glass series, Sarah J. Maas's masterful storytelling brings this second book in her seductive and action-packed series to new heights. 

A Court of Thorns and Roses was one of my top books of 2015 - possibly even my number one. I have been (not-so-patiently) waiting on A Court of Mist and Fury literally since book one ended and obviously preordered a copy as soon as I could! Upon receiving it in the mail, I quickly started reading but didn't want to read it too quickly. This is one of those books you also want to savor! Especially knowing that I'll have to wait an entire year for the final book in the series. Before I jump into this review, let me say that I do not think Sarah J. Maas can do no wrong. I read the first two books in her Throne of Glass series before giving up on that one. But THIS series... In this series she can do no wrong because every single word of this book was perfection.

This book picks up where the first left off, with Feyre, Tamlin, and Lucien back at the Spring Court working on getting the Court back to its former glory. With all that she has been through, Feyre has been left a shell of her former self. Unfortunately, everyone seems to be more worried about keeping up appearances than making sure their Cursebreaker has what she needs to heal and live with her actions. Where A Court of Thorns and Roses was a love story about a girl risking all to save her Love, A Court of Mist and Fury is a story about a girl learning to respect herself, finding out who she really is after a huge trauma, with a love story weaved in. Feyre's character growth in this novel was incredible. I said in my review of ACOTAR that she was an unlikable character who I came to really love. Now I can honestly say that Feyre is an amazing, strong female character and the kind of role model I wish teens could read more about (as opposed to the weak female characters who allow a man to define them).

As I'm sure you have probably gathered, in this book Rhysand gives Tamlin a run for his money. As the synopsis says, Rhys has not forgotten the bargain he made with Feyre under the mountain and he plans to make good on it. While I did like Tamlin in the first book, I have made it abundantly clear over the last year that I did not know enough about Rhys to choose a "team" and would have to wait until the next book was released to decide. I can now say I am firmly #TeamRhysand at this point and I don't see that changing. Rest assured, there is no love triangle in this book whatsoever, which is a huge relief considering that's what most YA fiction gravitates towards.

Relationship Spoilers

I need to just take a minute here to fangirl over the relationship between Rhysand and Feyre - THIS is what love is. I love so much that Rhys gives Feyre every single bit of room she needs to heal and then some! He allows her to be her own person from the beginning of this book. Yes, he did some despicable things in ACOTAR, but yes, they were justified in this book. Usually I cannot stand the justification of borderline-abusive behavior, but Under the Mountain was a very unique situation and I can fully forgive Rhys for everything he did, especially knowing now that he always knew that they were mated and did literally everything within his power to protect her in the long run.

Now, Tamlin... I know a lot of people have complained that he is totally out of character in this book, but is he really? I did a re-read of ACOTAR right before this came out and I can totally see his extremely controlling tendencies. I believe he had to keep it in check if Feyre was going to break the curse, but he was always extremely controlling of her from the very beginning. Does anyone else remember all the times when he said he just couldn't control himself and had to apologize for things? Does anyone else remember when they were going to have sex and he told her he couldn't stop if they went any further? Bullshit. I think that once Feyre had broken the curse and Tamlin no longer needed her help, he was able to show how extensive his controlling nature went and I, for one, am SO glad that Feyre escaped from him!

And then there's Lucien. I know there are a lot of mixed feelings about Elain being his mate, but I am super excited to see where this goes in the next book! 

I actually loved almost every character in this book, whether I loved them because they were so perfectly wonderful or horrible. The villains are just as terrible as they should be (although Amarantha is going to be damn hard to beat) and the new characters that Feyre aligns herself with grew on me as the story progressed. Surprisingly, I came to like Nesta much more than Elain, which is the exact opposite of how I felt about them in A Court of Thorns and Roses.

One of my favorite things about A Court of Mist and Fury (and honestly, there are so many) was the world building. In book one, we only got to see the Spring Court, Under the Mountain, and the human realm. This time we I got to travel with Feyre all over Prythian and, obviously, my favorite was the Night Court, which was anything but what I expected! Sarah J. Maas' beautiful writing style contributes so much to the love I have for this gorgeous world. I think a lot of other authors would have a really hard time making me care as much as I care about every single location Feyre visits. I'll admit, I usually skim when I get to descriptions of cities and such, but here I took my time to take in every single word on the page.

And then there's the story. Oh, the incredible, beautiful, heart-wrenching story. I loved every single agonizing minute of it. As I've already said, this book is about Feyre discovering who she is after Under the Mountain and she is stronger than anyone realized. There are multiple conflicts for her to deal with - mentally, in her personal relationships, and with a potential war brewing. The journey this book takes over 600+ pages is brutal and extraordinary and heart breaking and I adored it. I was actually a little worried that over 600 pages would be too much, that the story would get bogged down or that it would lag, but it didn't. There wasn't non-stop action, but everything that happened was relevant and I couldn't name anything that served only as filler.

Something to definitely keep in mind is that this book has significantly more sexual content than the first, but I'm totally okay with that. As a 28 year old lover of YA, I was thrilled for the authenticity this little bit of extra explicitness brought to this story. I mean, when characters are talking about marriage and are fighting wars, it's not out of the question that they're probably going to be having more adult relationships. But I do think it's important to point out for those readers who perhaps don't want to read steamier scenes. (I'm sure you could easily skip past them.)

As you can probably tell, I loved this book. I don't have a single bad thing to say about it, which is unusual for me, even when I rate a book five stars. I loved Feyre, I loved Rhysand, and I loved their constant bantering back and forth. I loved that Feyre learned to respect herself. I loved the gorgeous writing and world building and storytelling. I honestly cannot go on without becoming a total fangirl so instead I'll leave you with what I have dubbed Rhysand's theme song (you're welcome):

Book Review: The Siren by Kiera Cass

Title: The Siren
Author: Kiera Cass
Publication Date: January 26, 2016 (July 1, 2009)
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 327
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From Kiera Cass, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Selection series, comes a sweeping stand-alone fantasy romance.

A girl with a secret.
The boy of her dreams.
An Ocean between them.

Years ago, Kahlen was rescued from drowning by the Ocean. To repay her debt, she has served as a Siren ever since, using her voice to lure countless strangers to their deaths. Though a single word from Kahlen can kill, she can’t resist spending her days on land, watching ordinary people and longing for the day when she will be able to speak and laugh and live freely among them again.

Kahlen is resigned to finishing her sentence in solitude...until she meets Akinli. Handsome, caring, and kind, Akinli is everything Kahlen ever dreamed of.

Falling in love with a human breaks the Ocean’s rules. But for the first time in a lifetime of following the rules, Kahlen is determined to follow her heart.

I have a love/hate relationship with Kiera Cass. I loved her initial Selection trilogy, but I hated The Heir and never quite understood why there was ever a need for it to exist. I added The Siren to my TBR list way back before I ever read The Heir, when I was still excited about Kiera's books. Back when it looked like that. →

Even after really not liking The Heir, when I saw that The Siren was being re-released with an edit and a new cover, I decided to give it a try. Although I didn't go in with high expectations, I did expect to enjoy it since it was a departure from The Selection series.

The Siren begins with Kahlen's story before she became a siren. It's brief and doesn't give a huge amount of detail, although it's enough to explain how she became a mythical creature. Very quickly, we skip ahead 80 years and Kahlen is still a teenager in every way, which seems a little weird. It seems to me that if a person lives for almost 100 years, they should have a different level of maturity than your standard teenager, but okay... I don't really have much to say about Kahlen because, despite reading over 300 pages of her story, I don't feel like I learned anything about her. The entire story is literally about Kahlen moping and being depressed over the tragedy that is her life and her lost "soulmate," which brings me to Akinli.

Again, I don't feel like I learned enough about Akinli to make any kind of statement about his character. Kahlen repeatedly tells the reader what an incredible, perfect person he is, but how do I know this? All I came away from The Siren knowing about this character is that he's from Maine, likes cake, and knows how to dance. I don't feel like I have any reason to dislike Akinli, but I certainly don't know enough about him to say that I like him.

Let's jump right into the "romance" shall we? Allow me break this relationship down for you. Kahlen and Akinli meet twice, have one date, don't see each other for several months, spend less than 24 hours together, and are apparently soulmates.

Kahlen spends the entire book pining over a guy she has seen for less than 48 hours total. Less than 48 hours of 100 years, and that is completely ridiculous and unforgivable. Not only was there some pretty intense insta-love between the two love interests, but Akinli's entire family apparently instantly loves Kahlen too because... I have no idea why.

If I could sum up The Siren in one word it would be "incomplete." Reading this book, it is totally obvious that it was her first and that it needed a lot more work. Better yet, it should have been left alone. Nothing in The Siren seemed completely fleshed out. There was literally no history given on the sirens or how they came to be. The Ocean was vague and I didn't quite understand why She needed human sacrifices. The bit about the memories disappearing when a girl became a siren didn't make much sense because it only seemed to happen part of the time and the Ocean's rules seemed pointless since it seemed to be so easy to get around them.

In case I haven't made it clear, this book is NOT a book about sirens. The siren angle was secondary to the "romance" between Kahlen and Akinli. The fact that Kahlen was a siren only served as a way to keep the two apart so that they could pine over each other and almost die of heartbreak. (Excuse me while I go throw up.)

I didn't completely hate The Siren. There were a couple things I actually enjoyed, mainly Kahlen's sisters, but overall I was so disappointed by The Siren. I was really looking forward to another non-Selection book by Kiera Cass and truly hoped that I she would redeem herself in my eyes, but I have to report that was, sadly, not the case.

Book Review: Reawakened by Colleen Houck

Title: Reawakened
Author: Colleen Houck
Publication Date: August 11, 2015
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Pages: 400
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When seventeen-year-old Lilliana Young enters the Metropolitan Museum of Art one morning during spring break, the last thing she expects to find is a live Egyptian prince with godlike powers, who has been reawakened after a thousand years of mummification.

And she really can't imagine being chosen to aid him in an epic quest that will lead them across the globe to find his brothers and complete a grand ceremony that will save mankind.

But fate has taken hold of Lily, and she, along with her sun prince, Amon, must travel to the Valley of the Kings, raise his brothers, and stop an evil, shape-shifting god named Seth from taking over the world.

From New York Times bestselling author Colleen Houck comes an epic adventure about two star-crossed teens who must battle mythical forces and ancient curses on a journey with more twists and turns than the Nile itself.

I LOVE Ancient Egyptian mythology. In fact, I love all mythology. I'm a classics minor. But Egyptian mythology was my first love. I started studying it on my own in middle school and still enjoy reading Egyptian myths today. So when I found out about Reawakened I was ecstatic! I'd never read anything by Colleen Houck, but I've heard a lot of praise for her Tiger's Curse series. I knew I'd have to read this one as soon as I could get my hands on a copy, and that's what I did. Unfortunately...

Welcome to my first one star review of the year! I'm going to be honest. I was totally shocked I didn't like this book. I went into it expecting to completely love it because everyone I know has loved it! In reality it was painful to read. It took me five days to get 263 pages in. Five agonizingly slow days in which I had to literally force myself to read this while gazing longingly at Harry Potter. After that I admitted defeat and skimmed the rest.

I like action. I like adventure. I like romance. I like mythology. So what did I not like about this book? Well, for starters I didn't like the characters. Lily is a privileged rich girl from New York City who complains about the box she's confined to. She complains about how she got into every college and now has to pick one (the horror!), complains about her big fancy house (the agony!), and basically just complains about everything. I can't stand it, guys. I can't handle filthy rich characters who complain about their privilege. Then we have Amon. I get it, he's old and has godlike powers and he's really, REALLY gorgeous.

The romance between these two is Stockholme Syndrome at its finest and made zero sense to me. They knew each other for all of five minutes before Lily was whining to herself about how Amon wouldn't kiss her (while also reminding us that she does not suffer from lack of confidence). All of this while she laments the way he uses his god powers to control her will. Um... yeah, so there's that. Literally the entire book is them darting from location to location while Lily whines about how Amon won't kiss her. Never mind that he's trying to save the world and all.

Which brings me to the "action." I think the problem is I can't stand the writing style. It's basically, "We went to this place and there was lots of sand and then a bad guy came and then we beat it and then I felt sick and then Amon wouldn't kiss me and then we went to another place and..." You get the idea. The best way I can think to describe it is that the author inserted YA plot points in a middle grade book. The world building also left a lot to be desired because it is basically what I've just laid out. I didn't feel like I was actually in any of the locations described. There was a lot of telling and not a lot of showing, if that makes sense.

Not only that, but my god, the info dumps. I really love mythology retellings. I do. But this one was like a mythology textbook (in serious need of fact checking) and a YA romance met and had a baby. The stories about the gods and goddesses could have been fun, but it they way it was done ripped me out of the story every single time.

I could really go on and on about the issues I had with this book. The cover was gorgeous and the premise was fantastic and I would love to read this idea written in a better way. A lot of the mythology was off and the Big Bad was predictable and ridiculous. The romance was unbelievable and the ending made me roll my eyes so hard I got a headache. I've read that the writing in this book is actually a step up from The Tiger's Curse Saga (although the story is apparently a near-carbon copy), which is really sad because I have that one on my shelf, but now I doubt I'll read it. I really couldn't recommend this to anyone, but I know that I'm in the minority on this one!

Book Review: Crimson Bound by Rosamund Hodge

Title: Crimson Bound
Author: Rosamund Hodge
Publication Date: May 5, 2015
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Pages: 448
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When Rachelle was fifteen, she was good—apprenticed to her aunt and in training to protect her village from dark magic. But she was also reckless— straying from the forest path in search of a way to free her world from the threat of eternal darkness. After an illicit meeting goes dreadfully wrong, Rachelle is forced to make a terrible choice that binds her to the very evil she had hoped to defeat.

Three years later, Rachelle has given her life to serving the realm, fighting deadly creatures in an effort to atone. When the king orders her to guard his son Armand—the man she hates most—Rachelle forces Armand to help her find the legendary sword that might save their world. As the two become unexpected allies, they uncover far-reaching conspiracies, hidden magic, and a love that may be their undoing. In a palace built on unbelievable wealth and dangerous secrets, can Rachelle discover the truth and stop the fall of endless night?

Inspired by the classic fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood, Crimson Bound is an exhilarating tale of darkness, love, and redemption.

Earlier this year I read Cruel Beauty, Rosamund Hodge's first novel, and absolutely loved it! When I saw that she was writing a new book, I decided I'd probably have to buy it, even though I'm not a huge fan of the Little Red Riding Hood fairytale. Hodge has such a unique style of storytelling that's always dark but somehow hopeful and it's amazing! That carries over into Crimson Bound, which is not just based on the fairytale of Red Riding Hood, but also on the story of The Girl Without Hands, which I'd never heard of. What she weaved together from those two tales was something truly unique.

Rachelle is the main character in Crimson Bound. At age 15 she was marked by one of the creatures of the Great Forest - the forestborn. When a person is marked they have to kill someone within three days or die. Since Rachelle is 18 in this story, it's safe to say she chose the first option. Now, though, she is a bloodbound and it's only a matter of time before she joins the evil in the Great Forest. Through some kind of loophole, she works for the king, which buys her time before she loses her heart and goes into the Forest.

Because she's, well... a murderer, Rachelle may not immediately be the most likable character. But I found myself sympathizing with her from the very beginning of the book and really enjoyed her as a character. She has super awesome powers because she's not entirely human anymore and is kind of a badass. It seems like a lot of people hated Rachelle for a certain physical decision she made with a certain man, but honestly? It didn't seem that shocking and it really wasn't that unbelievable. That's not to say it was morally okay, but she's part evil-forest-being so I'm not sure it's fair to hold her to human moral standards. Given the situation she was in and her background, I'm willing to forgive her one mistake.

Another one of the king's bloodbound is Eric - and he's the one in charge. Rachelle has been fighting alongside him for three years and they have a kind of attraction that she's never fully given into. But Eric is persistent throughout the book and he has a mean sarcasm streak. I actually kind of liked him for most of the book... until he turned into one of the most repulsive characters I've ever encountered. Even then though, I found myself sympathizing with him and could never fully hate him.

Of course, this wouldn't be a YA novel without a love triangle and the other love interest is Armand, a man who parades himself around the kingdom as a saint who has met the forestborn and lived. At first he comes off as kind of an arrogant jerk, but as the book goes on and more is revealed about his past, I found myself liking him more and more. This is a book where I actually felt the love triangle worked and I enjoyed it.

I could go on and on about all of the secondary characters who took this story to the next level, but we might be here all day, so I'll just move on.

Sometimes certain authors are able to write about their world in a way that makes me feel like I'm watching on a TV screen and can see every single thing as it's being described. That is how Rosamund Hodge writes. I loved every time she moved to a new location because every single one was described in such detail that I almost felt like I was there.

My favorite location was definitely the Great Forest. Despite the fact that it's supposed to be super scary I felt like it was just beautifully detailed and I almost kind of wished I could have tagged along with Rachelle just to see it in person! I also really enjoyed reading about all of the different places in the chateau. Reading about how the Forest manifested itself at different places inside made me feel like I was in Jumanji!

I do wish there was a little more explained about the relation of the Great Forest to the rest of the world - maybe a map? I felt a little disoriented when they went from one place to another and struggled to understand where exactly they were geographically. But I feel like that's a pretty minor complaint in the grand scheme of things.

I loved all of the unique backstory and magical lore presented in Crimson Bound! That was one of the things I really enjoyed about Cruel Beauty too - having to really think about everything I was being told and putting all the pieces together. I really felt Rachelle's race to beat the Devourer and really think the whole story was just really well done.

There was also a plot twist. Like, a HUGE plot twist! I didn't see it coming at all and when it actually happened I turned back and reread it probably three times to make sure I read it right. I just kind of sat there with my mouth hanging open for a few minutes, said "No way," and then finally moved on. Basically, it was brilliant.

Rosamund Hodge is amazing. That's all. She's a brilliant writer with some incredible ideas that make me stare at the closed book and wonder where in the world she comes up with these stories. But I'm so glad she's done it again! I'm a little disappointed that there don't seem to be anymore fairytale retellings on the docket. However, she is releasing a Romeo and Juliet retelling next year and that's high on my TBR list!

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

Title: A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR #1)
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Publication Date: May 5, 2015
Publisher: Bloomsbury Children
Pages: 416
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A thrilling, seductive new series from New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas, blending Beauty and the Beast with faerie lore.

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

Perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore and George R. R. Martin, this first book in a sexy and action-packed new series is impossible to put down!

Warning: This review contains a lot of all caps, exclamations, and flailing. And I'm kind of going to do a lot of comparisons between the movie and the retelling. 

Like everyone else, I saw this book ALL OVER THE PLACE for months leading up to its release. Apparently unlike everyone else, I didn't actually pay attention to what it was about. I knew it was written by the author of Throne of Glass, which I still haven't read. What I didn't realize was that it was a Beauty and the Beast retelling. Don't ask me how I missed that bolded text at the top of the synopsis. I have skills.

Once I took a good look at the book on the shelf at Target I thought I might faint from excitement. A part of me was really irritated that I'd somehow missed it, but then again, at least I wasn't dying of anticipation for months like the rest of you!

Let's be real for a second. I've had a crush on the Beast since before I knew what having a crush was. When I thought boys were icky, I thought the Beast was the real deal. So, while I love most all retellings, I am a huge sucker for BatB retellings! After Cruel Beauty blew my mind earlier this year, Sarah J. Maas had a lot to live up to. And HOLY CRAP did she deliver!

I've found the whole fairy (faery? fae? you know what I mean) angle to be really hit or miss over the years. Some books have it and some just totally miss the mark. I wasn't sure how making my Beast a fairy was going to work out, but A Court of Thorns and Roses totally pulled it off.

Tamlin (Beast) was totally, 100% amazing. I absolutely LOVED the fact that he could shift between "man" and beast because it made my love of the Beast seem way less creepy.  I liked that he wasn't exactly what I'd expect from the Beast. He was never awkward, for example. Tamlin was a gentleman from day one, which kind of threw me off a little, but it was honestly pretty refreshing. I feel like there are way too many jerk "heroes" in YA fiction these days, so it was nice to have one who wasn't an ass. Don't get me wrong, he wasn't warm and cuddly, but he was never outright mean either. Feyre, on the other hand...

The protagonist of this story, Feyre (Belle) was not initially likable. She wasn't particularly nice or relatable... But I will definitely say that Sarah J. Maas has mad character-writing skills because I ended up loving her. And despite the insistence in the book that her name is pronounced "Fay-ruh," it was always "Fair" in my head, because really? That's what it looks like. And... well, Belle/Fair. Come on.

Anyway, she was a total badass even when she was afraid and everything she did was ultimately selfless. She was an amazing character all around, despite the fact that she started out as kind of a not nice person.

Even the secondary characters in the book were amazing. I absolutely loved Lucien and, yes, even Rhysand, though he was supposed one of the bad guys. The big bad in A Court of Thorns and Roses is equally well-written and completely terrifying, although she isn't fully revealed until late in the book.

The world building was just as fantastic as the characters! I loved learning all about every part of the fairy world! I really enjoyed the map at the front of the book. I spent more than a couple minutes referring back to it. Every place Feyre went was almost tangible! Tamlin's estate itself was so much fun to explore with Feyre, getting to know all of the rooms as she did.

Just in case I haven't made it clear, I absolutely LOVE what was done with the story here! Not only is the Beauty and the Beast story totally recognizable and familiar, but there are so many new elements that it's just endlessly exciting and amazing and OMG I need book two to come out like, yesterday! The magical backstory added so much! I even loved that everyone was stuck wearing super mysterious masks...

But my absolute favorite thing about this book is that there were so many scenes that brought my love of the movie directly onto the pages... For example, this one:

I'll leave it at that, but suffice it to say there were others that nearly made my little heart explode with giddiness! 

A Court of Thorns and Roses is Beauty and the Beast for adults and it is perfect in every way! May 2016 honestly can't get here fast enough! 

Book Review: World After by Susan Ee

Title: World After (Penryn and the End of Days #2)
Author: Susan Ee (Penryn & the End of Days #2)
Publication Date: November 19, 2013
Publisher: Skyscape
Pages: 314
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Review for #1

In this sequel to the bestselling fantasy thriller, Angelfall, the survivors of the angel apocalypse begin to scrape back together what's left of the modern world.

When a group of people capture Penryn's sister Paige, thinking she's a monster, the situation ends in a massacre. Paige disappears. Humans are terrified. Mom is heartbroken.

Penryn drives through the streets of San Francisco looking for Paige. Why are the streets so empty? Where is everybody? Her search leads her into the heart of the angels' secret plans where she catches a glimpse of their motivations, and learns the horrifying extent to which the angels are willing to go.

Meanwhile, Raffe hunts for his wings. Without them, he can't rejoin the angels, can't take his rightful place as one of their leaders. When faced with recapturing his wings or helping Penryn survive, which will he choose?

I picked up World After as soon as I could possibly get my hands on it after finishing Angelfall and wanted to yell at myself for waiting so long on this series! Angelfall left off in a very abrupt place, which would really make me mad if I had been reading this series as it was released. As it was, I only had to wait a few days to see what happened next and even that was torture!

This book gives so much more depth to the secondary characters than Angelfall did! Normally I don't care a whole heck of a lot about any characters other than the main one (or two), but this time I was really interested in finding out more about Penryn's mom, Paige, and even Beliel (don't judge me, I thought he was a really interesting character). I'm still not sure quite what to make of Penryn's mom. I'm still not decided on whether she's as insane as we think she is nor not... And poor Paige! I mean, I don't want to give her a hug, but... Suffice it to say I greatly enjoyed the characters in this book and was grateful to get to know them better!

Which brings me to Raffe and Penryn... If there's one thing that really drives me INSANE it's when the main love interests aren't actually together for most of a book. And this book did that. And I thought I was going to lose it (I survived). All of that being said, their reunion was so incredibly satisfying! I have nothing negative to say! I do have some questions about the logistics of the flying situation though.

World After took the story to a whole new level with the archangel schemes and politics. I really enjoyed the descriptions of San Fransisco in Ruins, especially since I was just there recently. I also LOVED the use of Alcatraz! That's a conspiracy theorists' dream! I mean, seriously, Susan Ee. You've outdone yourself with that one!

And then there's pretty much my favorite thing from this book:

I can't say much more or I might spoil the fun, but seriously. That ^ was awesome!

Overall, World After was basically amazing! I can't say it was quite as epic as Angelfall was, but it's still amazing enough to warrant a five star review! I am pretty much dying while I wait for the final installment of this series! I'm just glad I don't have long to wait!

Audiobook Review: Mortal Danger by Ann Aguirre

Title: Mortal Danger (Immortal Game #1)
Author: Ann Aguirre
Publication Date: August 5, 2014
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Pages: 384
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Revenge is a dish best served cold.

Edie Kramer has a score to settle with the beautiful people at Blackbriar Academy. Their cruelty drove her to the brink of despair, and four months ago, she couldn't imagine being strong enough to face her senior year. But thanks to a Faustian compact with the enigmatic Kian, she has the power to make the bullies pay. She's not supposed to think about Kian once the deal is done, but devastating pain burns behind his unearthly beauty, and he's impossible to forget.

In one short summer, her entire life changes, and she sweeps through Blackbriar, prepped to take the beautiful people down from the inside. A whisper here, a look there, and suddenly... bad things are happening. It's a heady rush, seeing her tormentors get what they deserve, but things that seem too good to be true usually are, and soon, the pranks and payback turns from delicious to deadly. Edie is alone in a world teeming with secrets and fiends lurking in the shadows. In this murky morass of devil's bargains, she isn't sure who—or what--she can trust. Not even her own mind...

When I first saw the cover of Mortal Danger, I knew I'd have to read it. That combined with the synopsis and the fact that I absolutely LOVED Ann Aguirre's Razorland trilogy (highly recommended, by the way) sealed the deal for me. I ended up picking it up on audiobook (which was actually how I read the Razorland trilogy too...) and that was definitely a good decision!

Mortal Danger is definitely unique - I'll give it that. Edie is an outcast and she's pretty much done with everything. The book begins with the shock of Edie on the verge of committing suicide. But she's saved in a very unusual manner and is basically given three wishes. Unfortunately, Edie's first wish was kind of a turnoff for me.

The entire central them of this book is beauty. Edie's wish is to be beautiful and I just really can't figure out exactly how I feel about it. Of course everyone has something they'd like to change about themselves - even me! If I had three wishes, I might use one of them to fix something about myself, sure. I could have been totally on board if her issues were things that she couldn't have done anything about. But none of Edie's problems were things that she couldn't have changed about herself and that's what bugged me. She didn't like her weight? Okay, so stop eating junk and go to the gym. She didn't like her glasses: get freaking contacts! I don't want to go so far as to say this book tells girls they can't do anything about their body image problems and to call it quits, but it kind of leans pretty far in that direction. I mean, she's about to kill herself over it when the book starts. From that point on, the book revolves around how beautiful everyone, including Edie, is (and she sure gets over all of her self-esteem issues in a hurry once she's pretty).

That aside (but that's a pretty huge aside), this was a pretty good book. I actually did like Kian. I liked his honesty and the way he seemed to regret Edie changing herself. The romance between them seemed genuine, though I can see how some people might think it's slightly insta-lovey. I'm sure that probably had something to do with the fact that Kian had been creeping on Edie for quite awhile before they met... The other relationships in the book were about the same. Honestly, all of the character interactions were just meh for me.

The concept of the game between immortals was certainly interesting and I feel like it had a lot of potential. The bad guys were super creepy for sure! Especially the Bag Man - he was straight out of a creepypasta! There were definitely some moments that had me on the edge of my seat. Mortal Danger is full of suspense and the creep factor is there. It just didn't do it for me... And that makes me sad.

As always, everyone will obviously have differing opinions when it comes to certain topics. This one just didn't sit well with me, although plenty of others will have no problem looking right past it without a second glance! I loved Ann Aguirre's Razorland series and will not hesitate to read any new series she puts out, but I don't think I'll be finishing this one. It did have some good qualities like the horror and originality, but there were too many negatives that outweighed them.

Notes on the Audiobook

Susan Hanfield is an amazing voice actor!! Her narration skills really saved this book for me. I'm not sure I would have finished it had I been reading it on paper. Susan has unique voices for each of her characters and made the scary ones truly terrifying. I'll definitely be on the lookout for other books read by her!

Book Review: Angelfall by Susan Ee

Title: Angelfall (Penryn & the End of Days #1)
Author: Susan Ee
Publication Date: January 1, 2011
Publisher: Hodder and Stoughton
Pages: 326
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Review for #2

It's been six weeks since the angels of the apocalypse destroyed the world as we know it. Only pockets of humanity remain.

Savage street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night.

When angels fly away with a helpless girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back... 

This is one of those books when, after I've finished it, I just sit there for a moment and think, "What did I just read?"

But in a good way. Angelfall was recommended to me by a ton of people over the last few weeks. Like, I'd never even heard of it (obviously very behind) and once I did hear of it, it was EVERYWHERE. I saw it on lists, I put it on lists! And every single person who I heard from was completely in love with it. So I took the plunge. I ordered it and had it in my hands in two days. And it had been read a very short time later.

Angelfall is only the second angel book I've read, the first being Fallen, and I'm happy to say that this one blows that out of the water!

I seriously can't understand why all the hype is around Fallen. There's literally no reason that I should never have heard of Angelfall before now because it's awesome. I'll admit, I was a little wary when I saw the names Penryn and Raffe (I had an old supervisor in the military named Raffy so that was a little weird for me), but I gave it a chance and I was seriously not disappointed.

The post-apocalyptic world presented by Susan Ee was just awesome. Nothing in this book was typical YA and I loved it because it was so real. No fantasy here (okay, other than the angels) - it's dark and grimy and realistic, which is really just so much better in this context than the romanticized versions that often appear in YA fiction. I could feel the hoplessness surrounding everyone throughout her journey to San Fransisco and the setting definitely contributed to the mood.

The story itself was like nothing I've ever read. Most books that are labeled post-apocalyptic really deal with the "post." Angelfall, however, is right in the middle of the apocalypse itself. And it's caused by angels. Not humans, not global warming - angels. The good guys. What?

I am so intrigued by the little tidbits about where their orders came from. I cannot wait to read more!

And then there were the characters. I could never quite tell how I felt about Penryn. I didn't have any real beefs with her, but there was something I couldn't quite put my finger on that I didn't really love. I think a lot of it had to do with her attitude, but then, it wouldn't have been the same story with her bleak outlook. Raffe, on the other hand...

Oh my god. Come on. How could I resist? Seriously though, Raffe was probably one of my favorite book love interests of all time - he's up there almost equal with Morpheus. And that's saying something. I could feel his anguish over his wings and even over his feelings that steadily grew. The romance, for that matter was so subtle and just so good! I can't wait to get to book two because I'm thinking that will probably be fleshed out a little more. Overall I feel like Susan Ee wrote her characters in such a sympathetic way. Even with the things I didn't like about Penryn, I still felt for her and didn't -not- like her.

So, in case you hadn't picked up on it, I loved this book. I loved it. I already ordered book two and I'm having kind of a fit to get my hands on it. Oh, and I'll just leave this here...

©Dominique Wesson

Audiobook Mini Review: Torment by Lauren Kate

Title: Torment (Fallen #2)
Author: Lauren Kate
Publication Date: September 28, 2010
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Pages: 452
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Review for Part 1

How many lives do you need to live before you find someone worth dying for?

In the aftermath of what happened at Sword & Cross, Luce has been hidden away by her cursed angelic boyfriend, Daniel, in a new school filled with Nephilim, the offspring of fallen angels and humans. Daniel promises she will be safe here, protected from those who would kill her. At the school Luce discovers what the Shadows that have followed her all her life mean – and how to manipulate them to see into her other lives. Yet the more Luce learns about herself, the more she realizes that the past is her only key to unlocking her future . . . and that Daniel hasn't told her everything. What if his version of the past isn't actually the way things happened . . . what if Luce was really meant to be with someone else?

The second novel in the addictive FALLEN series...where love never dies.

Torment was really more of the same for me. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't amazing. It opens with Luce at her new school in California where she's supposed to be hiding from the bad guys. Unfortunately, that means it's very, very similar to the first book since she goes through getting used to a new school and making new friends all over again. Also similarly, Luce makes a lot of the same mistakes. She constantly ignores warnings from Daniel to stay on school property and ends up putting everyone in danger - again.

Throughout this book, Luce is angsty and distrusting over Daniel's lack of physical presence by her side. Her immaturity is glaring throughout the book as she constantly goes off on Daniel over every little inconvenience to her. I'm just not her biggest fan. I mean, she's not a total bitch, she's just a teenager, I guess. Daniel remains one of my favorite characters. He tries so hard to keep Luce safe! Again, Adrianne was a super fun character!

Lauren Kate does a lot right with this book, she just doesn't do enough to keep me interested. I liked it... But despite the blurb's claims, the Fallen series isn't nearly addictive enough to make me read (or even listen to) the third book.

Notes on the Audiobook

Nothing much to add here either! I really enjoyed the narration provided by Justine Eyre and would certainly listen to something else performed by her.

Audiobook Review: Fallen by Lauren Kate

Title: Fallen (Fallen #1)
Author: Lauren Kate
Publication Date: December 8, 2009
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Pages: 452
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What if the person you were meant to be with could never be yours?

17-year-old Lucinda falls in love with a gorgeous, intelligent boy, Daniel, at her new school, the grim, foreboding Sword & Cross . . . only to find out that Daniel is a fallen angel, and that they have spent lifetimes finding and losing one another as good & evil forces plot to keep them apart.

Get ready to fall . . .

This is another on a long list of books that I have put off reading for reasons unknown. The other day, while browsing my local indie bookstore, I came across a new copy of this with a bright and shiny "Soon to be a major motion picture!" sticker on the front. If there's anything that will force me to read a book immediately, that's it. I absolutely MUST read books before I see them on the big screen. Well, most of the time (that didn't really work out with The Giver or The Maze Runner). So anyway, I went straight home and got a copy of the audiobook to listen to.

Fallen is almost as dark and depressing as the cover suggests, although there are enough humorous and heartwarming moments to keep readers from throwing it across the room. The story begins when Luce is enrolled into a new boarding school for troublemakers - Sword and Cross. After several rough first encounters, she develops a couple very interesting friendships with Arriane, a slightly psychotic and pretty intense shock bracelet wearing student, and Penn, one of the only normal people Luce encounters at the school. I really enjoyed watching these two very different friendships develop. The characters were multi-faceted and well developed. I especially loved Arriane's personality! I think I would have enjoyed having someone like her by my side in high school.

Luce herself was a character I wasn't quite sure about. I didn't dislike anything in particular about her... She was nice enough, I guess. I think it was just her naivety that really grated on my nerves. I know that there's no way I could have expected her to know everything she needed to know going into this story, but her actions make her seem more like she's 12 than 17.

The love interest(s) in Fallen were slightly less appealing, in my opinion of course. First there's Daniel. From the very beginning, Daniel is a total jerk to Luce. In fact, the first interaction they have is when he flips her off. Yet, for whatever reason, she continues to seek him out. Now, I get that there's a supernatural element to their relationship. Still, I'll never understand characters who continually seek out guys who are nothing but rude to them. On the other hand, Cam is nothing but a gentleman from day one. Luce seems torn between them at first, but there's never any doubt who she'll choose (I mean, read the blurb). Again, I understand the supernatural implications, but I don't know many girls in real life who would choose Daniel over Cam, at least from what is revealed about him in the first 3/4 of this book.

Since this is the first book about angels I've read, I'm tempted to say it's totally original. However, I have Hush, Hush sitting on my bookshelf right now waiting to be read after I finish this series. I'm not sure if calling this original is really totally fair. Whether the whole "fallen angel" angle is unique or not, the story was really interesting and did keep me reading (err, listening). I really enjoyed learning the history of the fallen angels and the differences between the different kinds. The villain of the book was also very unexpected - great twist!

Lauren Kate also did a really great job of describing the environments at Sword and Cross. I especially loved the way she painted the pictures of the woods, lake, and church/pool. Not all authors are able to write their worlds in such a way that they can be visualized, but this one did and I hope that it will translate well to the big screen.

Fallen was a very quick read and was definitely interesting and I liked it enough to make me read the next book in the series. That being said, I didn't love it and I doubt I'd read it again. Something about Luce and the romance between her and Daniel just didn't quite work for me. Hopefully it'll be fleshed out more in book two! I still would recommend Fallen to fans of paranormal romance, especially those dealing with fallen angels, since I seem to have different preferences towards romantic relationships in books than a lot of my peers.

Notes on the Audiobook

The voice acting skills of Justine Eyre were actually very good - much better than some I've encountered recently! My one annoyance was that the voices she used for the men were all very, very similar. I get that it's difficult to sound manly as a female, but I wish there had been a little more variety. She did a great job overall though and I have no qualms about listening to more books narrated by her.

Book Review: Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

Title: Cruel Beauty
Author: Rosamund Hodge
Publication Date: January 28, 2014
Publisher: Balzer & Bray
Pages: 342
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Graceling meets Beauty and the Beast in this sweeping fantasy about one girl's journey to fulfill her destiny and the monster who gets in her way-by stealing her heart.

Based on the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, Cruel Beauty is a dazzling love story about our deepest desires and their power to change our destiny.

Since birth, Nyx has been betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom-all because of a foolish bargain struck by her father. And since birth, she has been in training to kill him.

With no choice but to fulfill her duty, Nyx resents her family for never trying to save her and hates herself for wanting to escape her fate. Still, on her seventeenth birthday, Nyx abandons everything she's ever known to marry the all-powerful, immortal Ignifex. Her plan? Seduce him, destroy his enchanted castle, and break the nine-hundred-year-old curse he put on her people.

But Ignifex is not at all what Nyx expected. The strangely charming lord beguiles her, and his castle-a shifting maze of magical rooms-enthralls her.

As Nyx searches for a way to free her homeland by uncovering Ignifex's secrets, she finds herself unwillingly drawn to him. Even if she could bring herself to love her sworn enemy, how can she refuse her duty to kill him? With time running out, Nyx must decide what is more important: the future of her kingdom, or the man she was never supposed to love.

If we're being completely honest with each other, my buying Cruel Beauty was kind of a happy accident. See, I had gotten a promotional gift card to Barnes and Noble and had gone in to buy a different book. Unfortunately, there were only two copies of that one and both were in pretty poor condition. So I looked around and spotted this one, which had been on my to-read list for close to a year. I'm not sure why I hadn't picked it up sooner. Perhaps it had something to do with my Beauty and the Beast obsession and not wanting to hate it. After I bought this book, I stared at it on the shelf for about a week before I finally decided to open to chapter one. I am so glad I did!

Rosamund Hodge has created a world in Cruel Beauty that was 100% not what I was expecting. The story is dark and creepy and the characters are not the kind that you would want to love. I knew from the very first page that this book would be different. Arcadia was such a mystery but I felt like I could picture it completely in my head! I've never even heard of hermeticism, but Hodge did a fantastic job of explaining it and keeping it interesting. This is definitely one of those books that makes me sit back and think every time I close it and wonder where in the world the author could have come up with such an amazingly unique story. The combination of mythology and fairy tale, while complex, worked so well and, as a classics buff, I was totally intrigued. Rosamund Hodge really knows her myths, unlike some other authors who have tried similar techniques.

Source

The romance between Nyx and Ignifex, The Gentle Lord, was kind of strange. Then again, so was everything else. I couldn't put my finger on the moment when Nyx started to love Ignifex and I'm not entirely sure that it was love in the beginning. Like I said, these aren't characters that make you want to love them initially. Nyx was a bitch, but in a way that was totally sympathetic. Ignifex was mysterious, sometimes a little frightening, and charming for reasons I really can't identify, but I love him! Shade was equally mysterious and exciting. The love triangle in the book also worked for me, and they can definitely be pretty hit or miss.

I loved the subtle nods to Beauty and the Beast - the mirror Nyx used to see her sister, the witch's (Kindly One's) curse, the rose(s), the Gentle Lord's cat-like eyes (okay, maybe that's just me wanting to see him as the Beast). I also really loved that it was nothing like what I was expecting!

As each piece of the mystery was revealed, I felt confused at first. Once I let it sink in though, I didn't have any issues understanding what was happening. I really appreciate that everything wasn't overly spelled out or dumbed down. There was a terrifying moment near the end when I thought it was over and was ready to throw the book across the room, but then Rosamund Hodge graciously softened the blow.

Cruel Beauty was a totally amazing book. Now that it's over, I'm not sure if I should be happy that it was wrapped up at the end or sad that it isn't a trilogy. I know that I definitely want to read more from this author and soon! I highly recommend this book to... anyone! Everyone should read this book!

Audiobook Review: The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

Title: The Goddess Test
Author: Aimée Carter
Publication Date: April 19, 2011
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Pages: 293
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Every girl who had taken the test has died.
Now it's Kate's turn.

It's always been just Kate and her mom - and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear that her mother won't live past the fall.

Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld - and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.

Kate is sure he's crazy - until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she'll become Henry's future bride and a goddess.

If she fails...

The Goddess Test has been on my radar for a really long while now. For whatever reason I just took my sweet time getting around to it. But now I've read it and... I'm torn. I am a big proponent of Greek mythology - hell, I'm a Classics minor. I am totally, 100% cool with an author changing around the gods a little. One of my favorite series of all time is the Dark Hunter series by Sherrilyn Kenyon! But Aimée Carter really did a number on these guys. She makes them totally... good. Like, way too moral to fit into the realm of Greek mythology at all...

Gluttony: Dionysus
Lust: Every god except Artemis, Athena, and Hestia
Wrath: Ares/Athena/Poseidon (to name a few)
Sloth: Dionysus/(possibly) Apollo
Pride: Aphrodite/Zeus
Envy: Hera/Hades/Aphrodite
Greed: Hades/Poseidon

I'm just saying. Has this woman ever read ANY Greek myth? There's only so much change an author can get away with in my opinion and Aimée has crossed the line.

Okay, so now that I've gotten the big god changes out of the way, let's talk about our protagonist. Kate Winters is the girl who is chosen for the tests. For whatever reason, Henry (Hades - what is with all the changed names, by the way?) thinks she's totally perfect. I think she's totally slow. Like, sloooooow. There were so many times that I was literally rolling my eyes and huffing and puffing because I was so exasperated with how amazingly SLOW she is to get anything! For example, once she's been told that Henry is Hades and he's done a million things to prove it to her, she's still like, "I dunno..." I mean, seriously? And then when Henry gave her the little clue to the tests and she wanted to sit there and argue with him about it and he literally had to spell it out for her! I mean, come on! Honestly though, she isn't the only one who's slow in this book. Henry has had literally decades to figure out who the "bad guy" is and he has a pretty huge clue to point directly at that person. He's a god. And he couldn't figure this out. Is this really who we want ruling the underworld (he calls it "hell" at one point, by the way)? But I digress.

More than being slow, Kate is kind of a bitch. I'm also pretty sure she's twelve. They talk about sex quite a bit in this book but they -never- call it "sex." They call it (I kid you not) "that." Over and over. "Not 'that...'" or "Are you going to do 'that'?" Can we please act like adults? You're 18 years old. This brings me to my (other) biggest complaint about The Goddess Test - the way they handle the "issue" of sex.

For whatever reason, the author of this book decided to treat sex as something dirty, wrong, and (quite literally) sinful. Kate's best friend (also a really weird topic), Ava, does "that" with a guy who she's known for literally six months. Because of *gasp* jealousy between men, something terrible happens to said guy. And who does Kate blame? The guys who acted like morons, surely. Um... no. Kate goes postal on Ava - like, full-on psychotic - literally calling her a slut and telling her everything is her fault for being easy. She forbids Ava from ever coming near her again lest Ava's slutty ways rub off on her. While I'm utterly appalled at Kate's behavior, everyone else proceeds to pat her on the freaking back and let her know her judgment was fair. Um... excuse me?! So because Ava had sex with some guy (and let's not forget, Ava is 18 years old - she is an adult and has known this guy for quite a while. Even if she'd just met him the night before, however, SHE IS AN ADULT AND CAN SLEEP WITH WHOEVER SHE WANTS TO!) she is the worst of people, everything is her fault, and she can never look in Kate's direction again. The amount of slut shaming (for lack of a better term) in this book is unreal. This obviously carries over to Kate's storyline, but I won't even get into that.

Let's go back to the Greek gods for just a minute. Who's familiar with the story of Leda and the Swan? Anyone? Go read it... Finished? Okay. Now, please tell me again how lust is totally not something the Greek gods are cool with. Aimée Carter should probably stay away from mythology. Forever.

The only redeeming quality of this book is that the story was actually interesting. I did like the original concept of the search for a new goddess. I was listening to the book on my iPhone and I did get through it fairly quickly. I enjoyed the romance between Kate and Henry even if it seemed to happen suddenly - something I've attributed to the fact that months at a time are skipped. I also kind of enjoyed the relationship between Kate and her mom. Because of these things, I'm actually going to go with a slightly higher rating. Just be prepared to be enraged if you are a woman of the 21st century who doesn't believe sleeping with a guy you've been seeing for six months makes you a slut.  I might listen to the next book just because I already own it, but I'm undecided at the moment.