Micro Reviews: Finishing Up 2013, Part 2

Part 2 of the last of my 2013 books (see Part 1 here).  Enjoy!


The Brides of Rollrock Island by Margot Lanagan
Disturbing, depressing, horribly sad, but gorgeously written and so believable I wanted to visit Rollrock Island. Sort of.


Transparent by Natalie Whipple
I distinctly remember enjoying this book and the different "powers" people have in it.  But for the life of me, I can't remember much of what actually happened :)

Earthbound by Aprilynne Pike
This book made me think "what is going on?" a few too many times.  I'm pretty sure I ended up skimming the last half.  Now I don't remember a thing about it.


Hero by Alethea Kontis
Love, love, love Saturday.  She's such a cool heroine.  Also, I love the fairy-tale mash-ups going on in this series.


Just One Day by Gayle Forman
Fascinating story, though I wanted to smack Lulu upside the head a number of times.  The plot was a bit difficult for me to swallow, because it's something I'd NEVER do, but I have to give Forman props for wonderful writing and characters that kept me reading.


Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Despite many angry responses, I found the surprise ending rather believable for Tris. The rest of the story, however, I had some trouble swallowing.  End of the Divergent series.


Blackout by Robison Wells

Another crazy adventure story, complete with x-men powers and cliff-hanger ending. 

The Bitter Kingdom by Rae Carson

A wonderful and satisfying ending to one of my favorite fantasy series (and heroines) ever. Can we get more Elisa please?

The Eye of Minds by James Dashner

Completely insane virtual reality plot with a surprising twist I never saw coming. Some parts a little too unbelievable with some writing that grated my nerves, but intriguing enough that I want more. 

Just One Year by Gayle Forman

An interesting look at what happened to Willem over the course of a year. Made me dislike him slightly less :)

I Am Half-Sick of Shadows by Alan Bradley

Flavia de Luce up to more antics at home, always with mad crime-solving skills up her sleeve. 

Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson

Intense, interesting, and extremely well-written story about a serious lack of heroes in a world of superpowers. While I guessed some twists, others caught me by surprise. 

Blackmoore by Julianne Donaldson

Wonderful story of friendship and romance, with a heroine who sticks to her guns and seizes what she wants in a time when women didn't get to do that much.

Whew! I'm so relieved to be done with 2013 books!

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Book Review: The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson

The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Publication date: September 2012
Pages: 416
Source: Purchased
For: Fun
Series: Girl of Fire and Thorns, Book 2

*Spoilers are inevitable for Book 1, The Girl of Fire and Thorns*
Elisa achieved a victory for her country, but things didn't calm down even after defeating the army of sorcerors. There are those who would like to see her removed from the throne - those from outside her country and those within. She sets off on a dangerous journey, to find a way to conquer her own power from the Godstone. Can she complete this quest, or will she be betrayed before she even arrives at her destination?

Things I Liked:
Oh how happy I was to find this book did not suffer from any sequel-itis problems.  The story was absolutely exciting and managed to be almost independent of what happened in the first book.  I loved watching Elisa continue to grow in different ways - learn how to be a queen and take charge of what needs to happen in her kingdom.  I was once again completely captivated by the fantasy world and fell right back into it as if I'd never left.  I highly recommend this series if you are looking for fantasy with a smart, flawed heroine and a complex world complete with a bit of romance too.

Things I Didn't Like:
Not much I can think of.  The journey's end kind of left me a bit disappointed and confused, but not enough to ruin it for me.  It made sense in a way.  And left me eager to know what will happen in the next book.

Read-alikes:
Start with The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson
The Blue Sword and The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: none
that I recall :)

mrg-factor: X
nothing on page, but it's talked about a bit

v-factor: -> 
some rather violent things happen, but not described in detail

Overall rating: *****

What's your favorite sequel that seems to tell its own story?

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Book Review: The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Publication date: September 2011
ISBN: 9780062026484
Source: e-book provided by NetGalley

 

Elisa has always been told she'll do something remarkable - after all, she was chosen by God to bear the Godstone.  But, as the younger daughter of a distant king and feeling wholly inferior and useless compared with her older sister, Elisa is not sure if she'll ever do anything.  When she's married off to a foreign king, one who only wants her for her Godstone, her life is about to change forever.  Will she be able to discover what her purpose is before her life is ripped away forever?

Things I Liked:
I really liked the world Carson created here.  What I think sort of fed that love, at least initially, is that it felt like The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley, a favorite book of mine.  But this book was great on its own.  I loved Elisa.  She was a real person to me, with weaknesses and doubts and I love how she dealt with her body image - most of the time, she didn't care what people thought of her.  It hurt, the things people said, but it didn't consume her.  I liked the original cover they had for the book, but not after I'd read the book.  So glad they got rid of the one with the thin model on it.  The love interest in the book also was unique and didn't feel like the same thing I've been reading - it was so different from what I expected.  This was a really well created and interesting story, not the mention I loved that God and religion were just a part of the world, a part of Elisa.  It was a positive and also balanced portrayal of religious people.  For coherent thoughts on that, check out Kiersten White's post.
 
Things I Didn't Like:
I was a little disappointed at how quickly things were resolved at the end.  It really came down to the wire and I thought maybe it was going to have a sequel to wrap up this story (and thank heavens, if there is a sequel, there wasn't a cliffhanger).  It just seemed a bit rushed at the end.  Still, it was satisfying and not completely perfect, just the way endings should be.

Read-alikes:
The Blue Sword and The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley
Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !
I think one or two mild words

mrg-factor: none

v-factor: ->->
there is fighting and death, some a bit gruesome

Overall rating: *****

Anybody else read and loved this? Or not loved it?

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