Daughter of Smoke & Bone- Laini Taylor

Synopsis: Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she’s prone to disappearing on mysterious “errands”; she speaks many languages—not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she’s about to find out.

When one of the strangers—beautiful, haunted Akiva—fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself? -Goodreads

Review: I had been wanting to read this one for awhile now and ooo-boy am I so glad I did. This book is fantastic. The storyline was above average but not one I’d generally go for, but it was the writing that made Daughter of Smoke & Bone a really special read. Have I mentioned that I really loved this book?

Karou is a really interesting main character, she comes off as a little off beat and annoyingly mysterious (to her friends, as a reader you get a pretty nice look into her life) with her bright blue hair and numerous tattoos. Karou is someone I would love to get to know but probably be way to intimidated to ever talk to.

What makes her so mysterious? Where she comes from and the abstract looking demons she calls her family. I wish we had gotten to read more about them but what I saw, I liked and you can see how they shaped Karou into who she is. Karou’s world is an interesting one, that I’m not entirely sure I understand but I can’t wait to read the next book. Seriously.

I know a lot of people have already come out to say how much they recommend this book, and once again I’m a little behind the times but you should really read this book. I found myself constantly writing down quotes from the book. “For the way loneliness is worse when you return to it after a reprieve—like the soul’s version of putting on a wet bathing suit, clammy and miserable.” A little depressing, but a great quote none the less. Read. This. Book.

Buy the book @Amazon (US) @Amazon (CAN)

Rating:

 

 

 

Second Opinions:
@The Book Fairy’s Heaven
@Emily’s Reading Room
@ParaJunkee

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Insurgent- Book Discussion

To kick us off… THIS POST CONTAINS SPOILERS. There. You have been warned. If you are looking for a spoiler free review, you can find mine here. Now let’s get to it.

The first thing I’ve been dying to talk about with someone… Caleb. I actually had a moment mid book where I was thinking “hmm, I really like this guy,” and then everything went to crap. I wish there had been a bit more of an explanation about why he decided to go all dark side, as I need to know it was more than just a plot device. To be fair, it was absolutely a plot device I didn’t see coming. I also want to know how all of this is going to change his relationship with Susan (I think that was her name), and if anything his betrayal makes that part of his story that much more interesting.

Some people have complained about Tobias’s behavior in this book and I’d like to get more specifics as to what bothered you, if anyone cares to share. Not that he was super fantastic but I didn’t notice much about what he was doing one way or the other, which is obviously a problem in itself

On the flip side, I really enjoyed Christina in this book. I thought her path as a character was something Tris really needed and it made their relationship that much more interesting to follow. That storyline also makes a good argument for the right answer being that people should embody all five of the traits whenever they can.

My favorite part of this series is still the world that Veronica Roth created for her characters to live in, so I really enjoyed finding out more about some of the other factions as well as the major plot point at the end of the book. I hope we get to see some of the gaps filled in as two why the society was set up in this way, and how all of the major players fit into the master plan. I’m not sure I really understand Amnity yet, they definitely seem the most weird and cult like to me but their purpose is still a good one, so I wouldn’t mind some more redeeming qualityies to show up for that group.

Well, that’s my ranty ramble over. Obviously there is no question that this was a fantastic read that got so many of us madly turning pages to find out what happens next. So, some question… how do you think this series is going to end? What will the focus of the next book be? Any guesses as to titles?

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Insurgent- Veronica Roth

Synopsis: One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.
Tris’s initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.
New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth’s much-anticipated second book of the dystopian Divergent series is another intoxicating thrill ride of a story, rich with hallmark twists, heartbreaks, romance, and powerful insights about human nature. -Goodreads

Review: So, I didn’t think I would be able to read Insurgent right away because it came out the day I left for Cuba. Then I remembered, doh! Ibooks store! I was halfway done the book by the time we landed and if my ipod’s battery hadn’t died I would have been hard-pressed to do any actual vacationing until I finished the book. Insurgent hooks you right away, and there is never any question that this book will live up to the mind explosion you’re left with when reading Divergent. Haha, we’ll just pretend that made some kind of sense, needless to say this book was good and I liked it.

Speaking of endings, I thought the ending of Insurgent was perfect. Obviously, I won’t tell you what it is but it left me with the perfect combination of resolution and needing to know what comes next. It looks like this series may have actually been pretty well thought out right from the beginning which is something I always look for but never see enough of.

Overall, this book manages to replicate everything that made everyone fall in love with Divergent while still adding in enough new to keep me hooked. Tris is so easy to root for and the supporting characters feel real and can be both frustrating and swoon worthy but it’s really hard to go into that without giving anything away.

Honestly though, nothing comes to mind in terms of criticism. I didn’t love this book quite as much as Divergent but it was one of those books that I couldn’t make myself put down and that’s 5 star worthy to me. Books are great, and you should read this one.

Stay tuned tomorrow for my spoiler filled discussion of Insurgent. Sometimes we all need to bust out of the spoiler free review world we live in. I’d love to hear what you all think so be sure to check it out.

Buy the book @Amazon (US) @Amazon (CAN)

Rating:

 

 

 

Second Opinions:
@Book Hooked Blog
@Nick’s Book Blog
@The Book Smuggler

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Bout of Books 4.0

Alright, I am back from my mini hiatus and and jumping back in with a read-a-thon. I’ve never done Bout of Books before but their hash tag keeps showing up in my twitter feed so why not. I don’t actually have much on the go this week so lets see how much I can get through. My goal is 5, and I’m already half way through Blood Red Road so who knows…

1. Blood Red Road by Moira Young
2. Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep
3. Fire by Kristin Cashore
4. The Trouble with Demons by Lisa Shearin
5. Spark by Amy Kathleen Ryan

Bonus Book
6. Hunting Ground by Patricia Briggs

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Graceling- Kristin Cashore

Synopsis: Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight—she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug.     When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change. She never expects to become Po’s friend. She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace—or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away . . . a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone.

With elegant, evocative prose and a cast of unforgettable characters, debut author Kristin Cashore creates a mesmerizing world, a death-defying adventure, and a heart-racing romance that will consume you, hold you captive, and leave you wanting more. -Goodreads

Review: I’m reviewing Graceling based on my first reread of this book. I read it for the first time awhile back and loveddd the world Kristin Cashore had created, and always knew that I was going to come back to this book. With the final book in this trilogy Bitterblue coming out soon, now seemed like the perfect time, and I was definitely left wondering why I hadn’t reread this book a year ago. It’s definitely one I could keep coming back to time and time again.

Without question, the coolest part of this series is the world building. The Graceling Realm takes what is no longer a particularly original idea (some among us are born with special abilities) and takes it from a traditionally sci-fi (think X-Men) concept to one beautifully interwoven with a fantasy landscape.

The characters play another big part of why I love this book. The main character Katsa (who in no small way reminds me of Katniss) is thoughtful, unsure of herself and so very powerful. She’s a fantastic character to follow and is clearly someone you want to root for right from the beginning. I also really liked Po and (yay!) Bitterblue. I can’t wait to see what her story is.

If you haven’t read this book or Fire (the next in the series, which follows a different character) yet, I highly recommend it. They are both crazy good and don’t follow a lot of the cliches that come with either YA or fantasy novels.

Buy the book @Amazon (US) @Amazon (CAN)

Rating:

 

 

 

Second Opinions:
@Carina’s Books
@Paranormal Indulgence
@Justin’s Book Blog

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