Title: The Rose and The Dagger
(The Wrath and the Dawn Book 2) Author: Renée Ahdieh Published by: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers Publication date: April 26, 2016 Pages: 432 Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Historical Fiction Summary from Goodreads: I am surrounded on all sides by a desert. A guest, in a prison of sand and sun. My family is here. And I do not know whom I can trust. In a land on the brink of war, Shahrzad has been torn from the love of her husband Khalid, the Caliph of Khorasan. She once believed him a monster, but his secrets revealed a man tormented by guilt and a powerful curse—one that might keep them apart forever. Reunited with her family, who have taken refuge with enemies of Khalid, and Tariq, her childhood sweetheart, she should be happy. But Tariq now commands forces set on destroying Khalid's empire. Shahrzad is almost a prisoner caught between loyalties to people she loves. But she refuses to be a pawn and devises a plan. While her father, Jahandar, continues to play with magical forces he doesn't yet understand, Shahrzad tries to uncover powers that may lie dormant within her. With the help of a tattered old carpet and a tempestuous but sage young man, Shahrzad will attempt to break the curse and reunite with her one true love.
[Spoilers for The Wrath and the Dawn, only keep reading if you haven’t read the first book.]
Renée Ahdieh-jan, I’m in love with your story. From the stars, to the stars. I missed all the wonderful descriptions of food, but I was filled with satisfaction by your magical storytelling and selfless, brave characters in this conclusion to the Wrath/Dawn series. When finished with the book, I just sat smiling for some time (before I turned my Kindle back on to reread certain scenes!). Though there was less mystery to unwind, you succeeded in bringing all our characters together in a dramatic fashion with well-timed twists in a story worth retelling on platformed beds with green silk cushions. Like Shahrzad, you griped and enticed me to the very end. Khalid and Shahrzad’s worlds expand and collide in Rose/Dagger. Shazi is back with her family trying to unravel Khalid’s curse while being held prisoner by those she loves. We get to know Irsa, Shazi’s sister, who is steady and faithful (I love her and Khalid’s relationship!). Tariq’s character could’ve gone many ways as a lover scorned, but he, along with many other characters, chooses to put others before himself, and quickly realizes that rash decisions made out of anger and fear can be disastrous. This story does not conclude without heartbreak, but it draws these characters together in a more poignant conclusion. “Sometimes, “ he gasped, “the family you choose …is stronger than blood.”
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Title: Starflight
Author: Melissa Landers Published by: Disney-Hyperion Publication date: February 2, 2016 Pages: 368 Genres: Science Fiction, Romance, Adventure Summary from Goodreads: Life in the outer realm is a lawless, dirty, hard existence, and Solara Brooks is hungry for it. Just out of the orphanage, she needs a fresh start in a place where nobody cares about the engine grease beneath her fingernails or the felony tattoos across her knuckles. She's so desperate to reach the realm that she's willing to indenture herself to Doran Spaulding, the rich and popular quarterback who made her life miserable all through high school, in exchange for passage aboard the spaceliner Zenith. When a twist of fate lands them instead on the Banshee, a vessel of dubious repute, Doran learns he's been framed on Earth for conspiracy. As he pursues a set of mysterious coordinates rumored to hold the key to clearing his name, he and Solara must get past their enmity to work together and evade those out for their arrest. Life on the Banshee may be tumultuous, but as Solara and Doran are forced to question everything they once believed about their world—and each other—the ship becomes home, and the eccentric crew family. But what Solara and Doran discover on the mysterious Planet X has the power to not only alter their lives, but the existence of everyone in the universe...
I was ready for a space odyssey. I’m a girl who grew up watching Star Trek and Star Wars with my family. When a book is released exploring a new frontier, I’m there. Starflight takes us from Earth to the outer realms of our planet. Some realms are for farmers, some for explorers, and some for vacations of the wealthy. That’s how Solara’s life gets intertwined with Doran’s. She’s desperate to get somewhere and he decides he can take on a servant (yes, the book begins with her being his servant…but she gets some payback). Solara and Doran end up traveling with some quirky characters and get themselves in a few pickles. The book was a little predictable, but still a fun, quick-read adventure.
Title: The Winner’s Kiss
Author: Marie Rutkoski Published by: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) Publication date: March 29, 2016 Pages: 498 Genres: Fantasy, Romance Summary from Goodreads: War has begun. Arin is in the thick of it with untrustworthy new allies and the empire as his enemy. Though he has convinced himself that he no longer loves Kestrel, Arin hasn’t forgotten her, or how she became exactly the kind of person he has always despised. She cared more for the empire than she did for the lives of innocent people—and certainly more than she did for him. At least, that’s what he thinks. In the frozen north, Kestrel is a prisoner in a brutal work camp. As she searches desperately for a way to escape, she wishes Arin could know what she sacrificed for him. She wishes she could make the empire pay for what they’ve done to her. But no one gets what they want just by wishing. As the war intensifies, both Kestrel and Arin discover that the world is changing. The East is pitted against the West, and they are caught in between. With so much to lose, can anybody really win?
[Spoilers for The Winner’s Curse & Crime, only keep reading if you haven’t read the rest of the series]
My anticipation was high for the final book in the Winner’s series. It only took me three days to read, and I was not disappointed! I love when I get to say that about a book, especially a series finale. It was the sort of story that made me want to keep reading and reading. Then when it was finished, I didn’t want it to end. I love how Marie Rutkoski molded and transformed her characters and storytelling through each book. While Winners Curse is mostly about star-crossed lovers, Crime and Kiss have Arin and Kestrel rediscovering themselves—through a forced separation, to strategic, dangerous deception, and finally war. “Arin imagined how, if he could, he would kneel before the boy he had been. He’d cradle himself to his chest, let the child bury his wet face against his shoulder. Shh, Arin would tell him. You will be lonely, but you’ ll become strong. One day, you will have your revenge.”
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.
Title: Reign of Shadows
Author: Sophie Jordan Published by: HarperTeen Publication date: February 9, 2016 Pages: 304 Genres: Fantasy, Adventure, Romance Summary from Goodreads: Seventeen years ago, an eclipse cloaked the kingdom of Relhok in perpetual darkness. In the chaos, an evil chancellor murdered the king and queen and seized their throne. Luna, Relhok’s lost princess, has been hiding in a tower ever since. Luna’s survival depends on the world believing she is dead. But that doesn’t stop Luna from wanting more. When she meets Fowler, a mysterious archer braving the woods outside her tower, Luna is drawn to him despite the risk. When the tower is attacked, Luna and Fowler escape together. But this world of darkness is more treacherous than Luna ever realized. With every threat stacked against them, Luna and Fowler find solace in each other. But with secrets still unspoken between them, falling in love might be their most dangerous journey yet.
A trek across an eternally dark landscape, not a lot happens in Reign of Shadows. Mostly world building and character development, the story follows Luna and Fowler and their growing affection for one another. But that character development didn’t always feel consistent, and details in the world building were abrupt at times (tree wolves – Digger! What happened to you? And why were you there at all?? Gigantor bats, plain old rabbits, oh and a mutated octopus eels were also in the story, but there could’ve been more background to these large, strange animals).
I loved Luna when we first meet her, then I loved her even more when her disability is illuminated. A soldier has trained her, so she’s capable, and she has these super sensitive senses that give her an advantage to everyone. She’s also compassionate. However, despite being more than capable, I was disappointed as the book went on when she became more of a damsel in distress. I wanted to see her kick butt, and defend herself; instead Fowler almost continually jumps in to save her. Granted, he is very protective, but all I’m saying is the girl has skillz and I wanted to see her use them. “Luna was like that flower: innocent on the outside, but dangerous to anyone who got too close. Even me.” – Fowler |
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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