Title: Ice Like Fire
Author: Sara Raasch Published by: Balzer + Bray Publication date: October 13, 2015 Pages: 496 Genres: Fantasy, Romance Summary from Goodreads: It’s been three months since the Winterians were freed and Spring’s king, Angra, disappeared—thanks largely to the help of Cordell. Meira just wants her people to be safe. When Cordellan debt forces the Winterians to dig their mines for payment, they unearth something powerful and possibly dangerous: Primoria’s lost chasm of magic. Theron sees this find as an opportunity—with this much magic, the world can finally stand against threats like Angra. But Meira fears the danger the chasm poses—the last time the world had access to so much magic, it spawned the Decay. So when the king of Cordell orders the two on a mission across the kingdoms of Primoria to discover the chasm’s secrets, Meira plans to use the trip to garner support to keep the chasm shut and Winter safe—even if it means clashing with Theron. But can she do so without endangering the people she loves? Mather just wants to be free. The horrors inflicted on the Winterians hang fresh and raw in Januari—leaving Winter vulnerable to Cordell’s growing oppression. When Meira leaves to search for allies, he decides to take Winter’s security into his own hands. Can he rebuild his broken kingdom and protect them from new threats? As the web of power and deception weaves tighter, Theron fights for magic, Mather fights for freedom—and Meira starts to wonder if she should be fighting not just for Winter, but for the world.
There will be spoilers for Snow Like Ashes, so please do not read if you haven’t finished the first book.
Snow like Ashes was one of my Top 10 books last year – I was excitedly anticipating this sequel. I was so disappointed with Ice Like Fire. I put off this review for a month, because I’m so sad about Raasch’s second installment. Oh, Meira. You hold a large, unexpected weight on your shoulders now, but you went from brave and daring to whiny and whiny. Meira thinks she has to change herself to be queen. Her decisions are based on a theory that the old Meira is unworthy of being a queen, so she tries to do things differently. This translates in the book to a whiny heroine who thinks she has to do everything alone and is terribly lonely because of it. I’ve seen this before in books when a heroine inherits unexpected responsibilities. She doesn’t want to burden others around her, so she takes all the responsibilities on herself – the lesson being you need community and support. Just when we see some of the old Meira back and she has an epiphany about not being alone at all, she goes off…alone. What? Frustrating.
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Title: Legacy of Kings Author: Eleanor Herman Published by: Harlequin Teen Publication date: August 18, 2015 Pages: 432 Genres: Fantasy, Historical Fiction Summary from Goodreads: Imagine a time when the gods turn a blind eye to the agony of men, when the last of the hellions roam the plains and evil stirs beyond the edges of the map. A time when cities burn, and in their ashes, empires rise. Alexander, Macedonia’s sixteen-year-old heir, is on the brink of discovering his fated role in conquering the known world but finds himself drawn to a newcomer… Katerina must navigate the dark secrets of court life while hiding her own mission: kill the Queen. But she doesn’t account for her first love… Jacob will go to unthinkable lengths to win Katerina, even if it means having to compete for her heart with Hephaestion, a murderer sheltered by the prince. And far across the sea, Zofia, a Persian princess and Alexander’s unmet betrothed, wants to alter her destiny by seeking the famed and deadly Spirit Eaters. In Legacy of Kings, Eleanor Herman writes about a compelling group of characters all on the brink of becoming who their fated to be. This first book in the series feels like the coming-of-age story, where characters discover themselves and begin to take on their specific roles in fate.
While Alexander stands out as the notable historical figure (think: The Great), the story focused more on the surrounding characters, especially, Katerina. While I anticipated Alexander becoming who he’s famous to be, my interest stayed with Katerina—her mission and mysterious abilities. And while there’s supposed to be a great connection between Katerina and Alex, I never felt the connection, only kept hearing about it by the author’s insistence. Katerina and Jacob’s relationship also fell short for me. Eleanor Herman is better at plot than character development, which is somewhat problematic for a book about multiple characters. Title: The Last of the Firedrakes Author: Farah Oomerbhoy Published by: Wise Ink Creative Publishing Publication date: August 15, 2015 Pages: 488 Genres: Fantasy, Romance Summary from Goodreads: 16-year-old Aurora Darlington is an orphan. Mistreated by her adopted family and bullied at school, she dreams of running away and being free. But when she is kidnapped and dragged through a portal into a magical world, suddenly her old life doesn’t seem so bad. Avalonia is a dangerous land ruled by powerful mages and a cruel, selfish queen who will do anything to control all seven kingdoms—including killing anyone who stands in her way. Thrust headlong into this new, magical world, Aurora’s arrival sets plans in motion that threaten to destroy all she holds dear. With the help of a young fae, a magical pegasus, and a handsome mage, Aurora journeys across Avalonia to learn the truth about her past and unleash the power within herself. Kingdoms collide as a complicated web of political intrigue and ancient magic lead Aurora to unravel a shocking secret that will change her life forever. I got this book free for Kindle on Amazon.com, because it sounded like a fun fantasy adventure. I like to read these kinds of stories, so I was hopeful. What I discovered is a story with borrowed themes and a winey, immature protagonist. None of the characters were very developed. I wanted to like Aurora, but she was a body of contradictions—capable and powerful one moment, unable to hold her head up against a bully the next. She didn’t make sense to me. I wanted her to be bold and confidant, strong and worthy, but even when she comes into herself she doesn’t take counsel from those around her, but makes rash decisions. I was more interested in Rafe’s Robin Hood-esque adventures than Aurora’s coming-of-queen story. Rafe was not a bad character, but a little cliché. The romance with Rafe was too fast and underdeveloped. They hardly spend any time together, but he’s handsome and rescues her multiple times and makes her heart flutter and smirks…he’s a smirker—UH! And Aurora spends most of the book making assumptions about Rafe’s feelings with little context. How can she know anything about how he’s feeling? They don’t know each other! The world building in the book relied heavily on borrowed ideas from Lord of the Rings about elves, dwarves, and wizards, and their multiple kingdoms. I thought Farah Oomerbhoy’s story could’ve been more unique. The heroine could've been stronger the the characters more developed. Would I let my teen read this book? I’m not giving this book one star, because on the positive side—the book is free on Amazon and it’s totally clean. If you’re young daughter likes fantasy and struggles to find appropriate books, then this is an option. I just can’t promise a lot of substance. Age recommendation: 12 Language – None Drugs & Alcohol— One character had been drinking Sex – One kiss Violence – There is mention of magical, stuns, burnings, and killings, but it’s stated, not depicted. My Goodreads rating: 2 out of 5 stars Order The Last of the Firedrakes on Amazon, currently FREE Title: A Court of Thorns and Roses Author: Sarah J. Maas Published by: Bloomsbury USA Childrens Publication date: May 5, 2015 Pages: 432 Genres: Fantasy, Fairy Tale Retelling, Romance Summary from Goodreads: 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. This is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, which is my favorite Disney movie. Tamlin doesn’t feel like a real beast, though. He’s a shape-shifting Fae. Although Tamlin and his court are cursed with masks covering their faces, Feyre knows he’s a beautiful man, which feels a little un-beast-like. Feyre might hate him because he’s Fae, but could anyone avoid falling in love with a kindhearted, handsome MAN? Doubtful. Feyre is a self-taught hunter and all-around regular Bear Grylls—you get the feeling she could survive anywhere. Awesome. Ah, but Feyre is not one-sided; she loves beautiful things too. She dreams of capturing beauty on paper, and studies Tamlin’s Fae paintings for pleasure. Sarah J. Maas writes beautifully. She has a way of drawing you into a new world with interesting characters. Details about paintings and scenery could have become monotonous, but Maas kept my attention. I think Maas also writes great action sequences, I just wish there were more in this book! The book’s cover totally raised my expectations for an exciting, action-pact story. The majority of the 432 pages is relationship building between Feyre and Tamlin. We don’t even learn too much about Tamlin’s world because some details must be kept from Feyre (Though the second book in the series will probably be enlightening). One of the most exciting parts of the book is in the last 100 or so pages, which made for a great conclusion with twists, new relationships, and a set up for the next book in the series. Would I let my teen read this book? Maas is a popular YA author. Her Throne of Glass series, about a teenage assassin fighting for her freedom, won her many fans. However, I would not let my teen read this book. I think it’s more appropriate in the New Adult or Adult category. Unsurprisingly, this was a sensual book. It’s represented that way in some of its descriptions, and books about Fae tend to lean in that direction. I was disappointed when the sex veered toward an adult paperback romance. This was a sort of sexual relationship I don’t think teens need to be reading. Because Tamlin is a beast underneath his skin, these characteristics come out in their intimate scenes, like biting, and his claws digging into her hips when they have sex… There’s some violence, and the villain is a dark, evil woman. These things combined with the sexual content really confused me about the Young Adult categorization. Here’s some of the details below. Age recommendation: 18 Language – mild Drugs & Alcohol— Feyre gets drunk on fairy wine Sex –Feyre imagines what it would feel like to kiss Tamlin, and what it would feel like to have him touch her in intimate ways, for example: his fingers brushing her breasts; There’s a sexual ritual that transfers Tamlin’s magic back to the earth (or something) – he’s in some sort of primal sexual haze when he finds Feyre afterwards, tells her he looked for her, but when he couldn’t find her he took another woman who asked him to not be gentle, he then bites Feyre’s neck in a sort of warning and marking of territory (YIKES!); There are 2 sex scenes with some graphic details. Violence – The dark Fae are really bad. There are threats of skin being peeled off, rape, and other forms of torture and horrific death; One character finds a severed head on a stake in the garden; A young girl is tortured (unseen) and displayed after she dies as a warning by the villain; Feyre suffers great injuries at the hands of the villain, too. My Goodreads rating: 2 1/2 out of 5 stars Buy: A Court of Thorns and Roses on Amazon.com Title: An Ember in the Ashes Author: Sabaa Tahir Published by: April 28, 2015 Publication date: Razorbill Pages: 453 Genres: Fantasy, High Fantasy, Romance Summary from Goodreads: Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear. It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do. But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy. There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself. “This life is not always what we think it will be,” Cain says. “You are an ember in the ashes, Elias Veturius. You will spark and burn, ravage and destroy. You cannot change it. You cannot stop it.” “You are full, Laia. Full of life and dark and strength and spirit. You are in our dreams. You will burn, for you are an ember in the ashes. That is your destiny.” I was really looking forward to this book, and I wasn’t disappointed (much). It’s been on my reading list since the beginning of the year after it was already getting media buzz. Paramount has also already bought the movie rights. So, I wanted to discover what the hubbub was all about. An Ember in the Ashes is gripping while being surprisingly slow-paced. I guess there hasn’t been word of a sequel to the book yet. If it’s a stand-alone, readers will be sorely disappointed. If it becomes a series, Ember… is one thrilling launching pad to the story. It was one of those books I couldn’t put down. I stayed up way to late to finish it. I have few complaints, except for a complicated love quadrangle? I get tired just thinking about it… The Martial Empire is a dark place—threat of death, rape, and severe beatings are real, which makes the story that more urgent and compelling. When Laia is sneaking around Blackcliff Military Academy, I was continually gripped with horror at the consequences if she is caught. Neither of our main characters walk away unscathed. I liked both characters, but I particularly enjoyed Laia’s development. She comes into herself towards the end of the book, gaining confidence and control over her desires. They’re from different social worlds, but Elias and Laia both long for their freedom. Elias wants to escape his future of dealing death and swearing fealty to an unjust Empire. Laia wants freedom for her imprisoned brother. Their journeys are wrought with difficulties and they will be tested to their breaking points, but through each other they might find deliverance. Would I let my teen read this book? Some of the themes of this book reminded me of Hunger Games—war and rebellion and fighting to the death. Martial Empire is worse than the Capital though. Children are beaten in the military academy, and the Masks (who graduate from the academy) are expected to rape and kill without remorse. Though you feel this threat, especially for the women of this story, there is no graphic sexual violence. The Commandant is a cold, frightening character that dishes much of the abuse. She’s ruthless, tyrant of the academy. There are some sexual references, but no sex scenes. There are two kissing scenes with some mention of longing, but are relatively short. The soldiers especially talk about sleeping with women and whores. And several times Elias thinks about his love interests without clothing and in intimate embraces. Magic also has a part in this story, which plays out as devilry and is associated with dark figures. An Ember in the Ashes is a more mature young adult book. I’d save this one until high school, at least. I wouldn’t recommend it for kids younger than 14. Age recommendation: 16 Language— No common swearing Drugs & Alcohol-- References to getting drunk Sex--2 kissing scenes; Women slaves are treated as property to be used; Whore is regularly mentioned, along with references to the brothel; References to the soldiers having multiple sexual affairs. Laia is threatened with rape twice Violence--Sword and hand-to-hand combat; Character’s are stabbed in battle; Throats are slit; A ten-year-old boy is whipped to death for deserting; Commandant physically maims slaves as punishments; Laia is nearly beaten to death My Goodreads rating: 4 out of 5 stars Buy: An Ember in the Ashes on Amazon.com |
Lindsey Learn
I read a lot. I'm a Mom. I'm officially in my 30s, but strangers often don't believe I'm old enough to drink. I love Young Adult fiction, and thought it was worthwhile to help teens and adults find age-appropriate options. Categories
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