Favorite Book Giveaway #1

My wonderful vacation and my horrible week back

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I haven’t done a personal update in a while, because not much has happened in my life and I’d hate to be thought of as boring. Can I have boring back? The last couple of weeks certainly haven’t been boring. I’d like boring back.

Last week was wonderful. I went to visit my sister in South Carolina. We spent a couple of days at the pool and I actually managed not to get burnt. We found shark’s teeth and went out to eat at these amazing restaurants. We took my sister and her roommate out to eat and bonded making fun of sis. (I don’t mean we were being mean to her. My family jokes around, all in good fun. Everyone was cracking up.)

I got to see a movie in the theater for the first time in a while. We were down to the planet of the apes or Lucy and picked Lucy. It was good for the first half, but then it got really weird. It was still fun though.

It was 99 degrees the day before we left. It’s so humid down there. The humidity made my hair grow so much it got checked by airport security. You know you’re having a big hair day when…

Unfortunately this week has been busy in a terrible way. My father wound up in the. His health’s never been good, but it’s worse now. Heart failure and kidney failure, they’re putting him on dialysis.

With all this going on I’ve just wanted something brainless to read while we’re waiting, so I picked up the other Skulduggery Pleasant books. I’m writing up another set of mini reviews for that and I read Sabriel on vacation, but I don’t know when I’ll get it posted. It might be a few days before I get my reviews up and I wanted to explain why. Thanks for listening.

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Book Review: Legend, Prodigy, Champion By Marie Lu

Genre: Young Adult Dystopian

LEGEND By Marie Lu

This was one of those books that started so good I wanted to read it slowly and savor it. I was also afraid that it wouldn’t hold up to the outstanding beginning, but it did! The plot, the characters, the world, the voice, they were all perfect! I loved it all! (Molly, tone down the fangirl…)

Day is fifteen and the most wanted person in the Republic. He’s guilty of numerous crimes, including theft, breaking into military bases and blowing up jets, but he never hurts anyone. He lives on the streets with a little girl named Tess and secretly watches over his family who believes him to be dead. At the start of Legend the plague has spread to the poor Lake sector where his family lives.

June is also fifteen. At ten every child takes the trial and the results decide what their lives will be like. Where Day failed his test June did more than pass, she’s the only one ever to get a perfect 1500 score. She lives with her brother, a captain in the military (their parents are dead) and goes to the top academy in the country. She’s always getting in trouble for her outrageous stunts; her latest was scaling a sky scraper to see how fast she could do it. (Copying something that Day’s known for.)

The characters are both similar people, even though they’ve led very different lives. They’re both really smart and talented, but in different ways. June is the kind of person who notices every detail and kicks butt in a fight and Day is great at making complicated plans and leaping about on buildings. The story is told from both points of view and I rarely confused the two of them.

In a Dystopian there usually comes a time when the main character realizes what kind of a world they really live in. Day already knows how terrible the government is, but June buys the propaganda. She’s told the truth, but she also figures it out for herself and as such it’s more gradual and realistic for her to totally change her beliefs.

The world the author created is rich and I could really picture it in my head, from June’s fancy apartment to the streets of the Lake Sector.

Legend is a unique Dystopian and my favorite so far!

9/10 Stars!

PRODIGY

Prodigy was almost as good as Legend. Everything wrapped up so wall it felt like the final book of the trilogy not the second. I’m glad they were all released otherwise I would’ve been screaming for the next one. Though things wrapped up, not everything was happily ever after.

At the start of Prodigy I liked both June and Day, but I had no feelings whatsoever about whether they wound up together or not. By the end I was like, NO!! They’re meant to be! (Whispers otp. Molly your fangirl is showing)

Some of the dialogue to catch readers up felt a bit forced, but this was only at the beginning.

I enjoyed learning how the Republic started, that’s the one thing I was wondering about while reading Legend. (We also learned about the Colonies and a bit about the world at large.)

The side characters were better fleshed out and we were introduced to a couple of new characters in the Patriots. (The group who fights against the Republic.) After reading dystopians I automatically distrust everyone the characters meet.

8/10 Stars

CHAMPION

As much as I wanted to read this book, I was afraid to. So many dystopians don’t end happily. (Especially the popular ones, what’s up with that?)

In Champion the war with the Colonies has accelerated and the Patriots are back along with Tess. We also got to see Antarctica, which was cool! (And there could so be another dystopian set from there.)

Talk about a roller coaster ride of emotions! I didn’t like the entire story line with Day. In my opinion it wasn’t necessary and took away from the story.

THE END: Though it’s probably considered a happy ending, I wasn’t happy. The epilogue ten years later tries to fix things, but it felt like too little too late. I think I’ll pretend it ended happily after prodigy. ;)

8/10 Stars

What did you read this week?

Book Review: Maximum Ride By James Patterson

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction (Ages 12 and up)

8 book series

Max, Fang, Iggy, (14) Gazzy, (11) Nudge (8) & Angel (6) were genetically engineered and have wings. They spend their time running from the other mutants the lab developed and trying to save the world.

The Good: The characters and their relationships with each other were well done; they really felt like a family. One the best parts of the books was how Patterson describes flying. It felt like I was right up there with Max and the Flock. (What the group of kids calls themselves) I also liked the unique powers that members the Flock have.

The Bad: These aren’t deep books, I’d consider them ‘fluff’. They’re fun to read, but there’s not much thought required. Maximum Ride is an entertaining series if you don’t try to analyze it. (Like a corny B movie)

The villains feel like they’re out of old movies and I half expected them to twist their mustache. They were the old making a speech instead of killing the good guy so the good guy has time to escape kind of villain.

THE ANGEL EXPERIMENT

Four years ago, the flock escaped from the lab called the school with the help of one of the scientists named Jeb. Two years ago he disappeared and they’ve been on their own in the Colorado mountains ever since. Max as the oldest has been acting as the leader and mother of the Flock.

After years of peace, the people at the school have found them, sending Erasers, genetically engineered people with dog DNA (think werewolves) after them. The flock wakes up after the attack to find youngest, Angel kidnapped. Max leaves blind Iggy and young Gazzy (Angel’s brother) at the house while the other three  return to the School, the site of their worst nightmares in an attempt to rescue Angel.

The Angel Experiment is a good, but easily put down-able book. The chapters are really short (like a couple of pages short) and at the beginning the narration switches between Max, Nudge, Gazzy, and Angel. With such short bursts of action you’d think it would make me want to read on, but it just annoyed me. Luckily the switching stopped at around 40% and with Max as the only narrator it was much easier to read.

Like a lot of kids’ books the main characters are telling their story to the readers. I have no problem with this, (After all I love Percy Jackson) but the way the story is told seemed overly simplified, and almost felt dumbed down. And though the characters were good, at this point they felt more like characterizations.

The Angel Experiment has plenty of action, but most of it was running and fighting Erasers. The Erasers didn’t make much sense, they attacked randomly, sometimes viciously, and other times they’d just leave.

6/10 Stars

SCHOOL’S OUT FOREVER

If the first book was put down-able, this one wasn’t. I almost read the entire book in an afternoon.

There was less action, but somehow it was less boring. I also found myself chuckling a couple of times.

The characters were also expanded nicely, especially Fang and Iggy. Fang seems more like a real kid; he starts a blog and shows that he has a sense of humor. And in Iggy's narration we learn isn’t as carefree as he seems, being blind really bothers him and he wants to find his parents.

The whole clone story line seemed rather unnecessary and cliche, but it didn’t detract from the story. (Not a spoiler, at the beginning of the book when the first hint of the clone appears we’re told.)

I have a feeling Patterson only included Disney World so he’d get to go and write it off as research. (Why didn’t I think of that?)

7/10 Stars

SAVING THE WORLD AND OTHER EXTREME SPORTS

Wow talk about an explosive start! Unfortunately, there's there’s more chapter hopping at the beginning. (between Max, Nudge and Fang.)

I liked that there was finally some romance! I wish the flock would stick together though. The interactions between the characters is what makes the books.

I still don’t know what the ‘big bad guys’ plan was. We know they planned end the world as we know it, but it was never explained how they hoped to achieve this. There is a serious lack of explaining the villains’ plans in these books. First they want to test the flock, then capture them, then kill them. Make up your minds already!

7/10 Stars

THE FINAL WARNING

The flock is ‘mutating’ and gaining new abilities. I’ve wanted more powers for a while and this is the best part of the book, (and the only reason not to skip over it). Even if the powers don’t come into play much.

This book should be called “Why global warming is bad”. I understand Patterson trying to send a message, but it felt forced. Everything about the Final Warning was rather ridiculous. The bad guy was even called the Uber-director...

More violence than the others. (Though nothing was described in detail.)

6/10 stars

MAX

Dr. Martinez is kidnapped and her scientist friends get the navy to help search for her. Before the flock can board the sub they have to pass some basic combat tests to receive clearance. (This part was hilarious and easily the best part of the book!)

‘Max’ felt like another side story and was easily skip-able, but it's worth the read just for the training scenes.

7/10 Stars

FANG

There’s a new bird kid named Dylan, (Who I didn’t like.) And he’s supposedly Max's soul mate.

I liked the romance in this book. I thought the other kids were a bit rough on Max though. The whole flock is supposed to be together! (I sound just like Max. She can be mean sometimes, but she really cares for her family, which is why I like her.)

7/10 Stars

ANGEL

The book bounces between the two teams (flocks) but we don’t really get enough time in either. I hate when the flock is fighting and unhappy. (Enough teenage drama, just kick bad guy butt!) There’s a new plan to end the world. This one is a little more thought out than the others and seems like it might actually happen.

There are suddenly lots of new mutants called gen 77 or something. I’d rather the flock was special. (Also, for having the book named after her, Angel isn’t in it that much.)

7/10 Stars

NEVERMORE

The last novel was good and fitting, but we were left with many hows. How did they do that? Why did that happen? I expected more plot from Patterson. It also wrapped up a bit neatly. In the last three chapters all the characters were suddenly perfect and their relationships miraculously fixed. (Huh?)

7/10 Stars

Overall I’d recommend the Maximum Ride books if you want something lighter (brainless) to read. Though they’re billed as young adult they’re really more kid books.

Sorry for such a long review!

Next week: Legend. (So far it’s REALLY good!!)

Spin-Off to Leigh Bardugo's Grisha Trilogy

Title: THE DREGS
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22294935-the-dregs

• Set in the same world as the Grisha


• Takes place not long after the events of Ruin and Rising


• A new cast of characters


• Two book series


• Expected release date: Fall 2015 (First draft done)

Described as a blend of Ocean’s 11, Inglorious Bastards and Game of Thrones.

SETTING: Kerch, a small island nation, hub of all world trade (legal and illegal) and a country rich in art and culture. Also home to one of the most dangerous criminal underworlds. It’s a very different place than Ravka: different politics, different players, and different food.

SUMMARY:
A crew of dangerous felonious misfits face impossible odds when they are pulled together to break into one of the most guarded places in the world.

YES THERE WILL BE MAGIC!!!!!!! One of the Dregs is an exiled Grisha named Mina.The magic of the Grisha Universe is there and it’s expanded upon.

I'm so excited! I can't wait!!! Can I have it now? Please!!

Sources:

http://shelf-life.ew.com/2014/06/25/ruin-and-rising-leigh-bardugo/
http://www.twochicksonbooks.com/2014/06/fierce-reads-tour-stop-interview-and.html
http://www.themidnightgarden.net/2014/06/ruinrisingtour.html

Sample Chapter of Woven Magic

It’s my birthday and the best present you could give me is reading and critiquing my story.

What’s it about? Here’s my latest summery.

Ten years ago two worlds merged, but when they split apart the Earth left several human cities behind in the world of the Kuth.

Everyone knows Altera is strange, her hair is never the same color you saw it last, but they don’t realize how special she is. Altera can see magic, enabling her to weave threads of magic together without the ceremony magic usually requires.

On a visit to a local Kuth village, Altera aids a healer who claims she’s a legendary Madj. The healer contacts her relative Jyk, to help Altera. Jyk is also a Madj, but he isn’t a teacher, he’s a regional, someone who travels across the land aiding countries with magical problems. Jyk has never had an apprentice before and doesn’t plan to start now, but after meeting Altera, he begins to change his mind.

Sound good? Read it here http://mollymortensen.wordpress.com/sample-chapter/

I’d like to know what you think and feel free to be harsh, I can handle it and I need to hear it. I’d rather honest criticism over false flattery any day. Thank you for stopping by.

~Molly

Book Review: The Last Changeling by Chelsea Pitcher

I won my first book to review from Netgalley!

THE LAST CHANGELING by Chelsea Pitcher

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

360 Pages

Pre-order from Amazon

Parental Rating: 12 and up. Mild Swearing and teenage ‘making out’.

The faerie Elora is trying to start a rebellion against her mother the Dark Queen, but to overthrow a millennium old faerie she needs the Bright Queen's help. The Bright Queen sets her a riddle, asking Elora to bring her a human offering. Elora travels to the human world, having only heard bad things about humans. She meets a human high-schooler named Taylor who lets her stay at his house. (She tells him to call him Lora, which is the name she mostly goes by in the book.)

The book is told from the perspectives of both Lora and Taylor. At the beginning Lora has a poetic voice and makes her seem more otherworldly, but as she assimilates to the human world she talks more normally. There were a couple of instances where Taylor sounded like Lora, too poetic for a normal teenage boy, but overall the characters were realistic and distinct. Though they were both told in first person I didn't confuse the two.

The characters were the stars of the story. I genuinely liked both of the main characters, which isn't always the case for me. The romance between them was gradual and felt natural. It was a sweet realistic romance. The side characters were just as good as the main characters and the friendships blossomed at a realistic pace the same way the relationship did.

Taylor and Lora gradually grow to trust one another and it makes them both better people. The change in their personalities is gradual and well done. They've both had a rough family life and they both have their secrets. They slowly open up to one another, and it felt like they would actually reveal these closely guarded secrets. Lora’s tells her story to Taylor as a nightly ‘fairy tale’. Since there is a lot of back story, this was a good way to do it without being boring.

Though there is plenty of magic in this book and excitement at the end, most of the book isn't fast paced. That doesn't mean it’s boring, not in the least. The Last Changeling mostly takes place in a modern high school and romance plays a large part of the story. Normally this wouldn't sound like my kind of book, but I really enjoyed it! There’s the normal teenage stuff, but it’s handled well and Lora is so different it’s fun to see through her eyes and watch her navigate the human world.

The world of the faerie has been done so many times, but the author still creates her own unique mythology. Like most fairies, those in Last Changeling can’t lie outright, are hurt by iron, and use glamours. (They also have wings, which I thought was the best part!) There isn't too much magic in the book, but what was there was imaginative and just plain cool.

There wasn't a to be continued ending, which I appreciated, but there’s certainly more to come. (At least I hope there is!) I would've appreciated if one question had been answered though. (I can’t say what it was without spoilers.)

I plan to buy The Last Changeling when it’s released and would highly recommend it.

8/10 Stars

Please visit again tomorrow for a chapter from my novel, Woven Magic. :)

Book Review: Chaos Walking Trilogy By Patrick Ness

The Knife of Never Letting Go

 497 Pages, $5.43 on Kindle

The Ask and the Answer

528 Pages, $7.39 on Kindle

Monsters of Men

808 Pages, $7.69 on Kindle

Genre: Young Adult, Scifi

I’m not rating this series, because it wouldn't be fair to the books. When I read the summery I expected a cute little fun book about kids who can read minds and a talking dog, but what I got was a thought provoking book, which was often sad. (I like books that make me happy, not sad.) It just wasn't my kind of book, but I got so wrapped up in the characters and the story that I read the entire trilogy. (And the short story that takes place afterwards.)

THE KNIFE OF NEVER LETTING GO

I was greatly annoyed by the bad spelling and grammar in this novel. Yes, it was intentional because the novel is written by a 12 year old boy. (14 Earth years.)

Todd lives on New World, a colonized planet where all of the men can hear each other’s thoughts. Most of the thoughts aren't clear, just Noise. As if that wasn't weird enough all of the animals can talk, including Todd’s dog Manchee. The planet was colonized 20 years ago and 10 years ago a war with the native species killed all of the women in Prentisstown and destroyed all the other settlements. Or did they?

Todd was raised by Ben and Cillian and is awaiting his birthday next month when he’ll finally be a man. One day he comes back from the swamp where he heard a strange quiet in the noise. Ben is alarmed, gets an already packed bag out for Todd and tells him to run. “Everything you know is a lie...” But Todd can’t know anything because then the other villagers would hear it in his Noise. (His thoughts.) So Ben writes Todd a letter, but the problem with this plan is, Todd only had the most basic lessons in reading...

I don’t want to say anymore and spoil the story. Throughout the novel the readers are taunted with the truth of Prentisstown, and finally at 75% ish through the book we find out. It was getting a bit silly at this point with interruptions so Todd couldn't learn the truth. (Although I pretty much had it figured out anyway.)

The voice is unique in this book and the strength is definitely the characters. Even the minor characters felt like people and I really enjoyed their relationships. Todd felt like a real little boy, imperfect, sometimes immature, and he has a temper. His commentary to the audience was amusing; My voice broke (shut up).

This isn't really a kids’ book. It’s deep, as in thought provoking, but also violent at times. (Both of which I don’t usually mind, but there’s one incident that bothered me.)

The Knife of Never letting Go is one big chase scene across the planet of New World. (Which is always my least favorite part of action movies.) Just when things are going well, or they have a plan, you just know everything’s about to go wrong. (Think Game of Thrones)

This book ends to be continued, and not just in a cliffhanger but a season finale cliffhanger where nothing is certain. I wasn't planning to read the next book, but well... I just had to know.

THE ASK AND THE ANSWER

The two perspectives in the sequel worked well, and I liked that half the book now has proper grammar. This book asks the question, who can you trust? And the answer is no one. There is not a ‘good guy’ and a ‘bad guy’. I've decided they’re all bad guys, even the main characters aren't exactly good.

This book isn't any more upbeat than the first and again, there is some heavy subject matter discussed. The characters also keep making mistakes, but Todd does seem more mature.

There are more new characters, one of which is a horse who calls Todd boy colt. (My favorite part of the book) We also get to know earlier characters better and some aren't what I thought. (Sorry for the teasing, I’m trying not to spoil anything.)

Another to be continued cliff hanger ending...

MONSTERS OF MEN

The perspective changes are confusing at first, mostly because they are both exciting and too short.

Then a third perspective is added, a native of New World, a species known as the Land in their own language. This perspective is unique and had such potential, but I found it hard to like the character, because he/she? is so full of rage and hate. It’s sad because I like other characters of his/her? race.

This book also ends to be continued! Another cliff hanger ending! At the end of a trilogy!

On Patrick Ness' website you can read three Chaos Walking short stories for free, including Snowscape which takes place after Monsters of Men. (Even though I was annoyed, I had to read it to find out what happens!) Snowscape is told by a side character, but the question we were left with at the end of the trilogy is answered. (Of course, not until the very end.)

How do you like your stories? Light and mindless or deep and thought provoking? I like mine somewhere in the middle, not total fluff, but not super serious either.

Anyone else have Goodreads? I love that site! Mine is here.

Book Review: Grisha Trilogy By Leigh Bardugo - Rising and Ruin

(No spoilers without proper warning.)

SHADOW AND BONE

Alina is a war orphan and has always been skinny and sickly. She grew up with her best friend Mal, a stocky boy who turned into a handsome young man. Alina’s afraid that the two of them are growing apart and she’s never had the courage to confess her true feelings to Mal.

The country of Ravka has been at war for over a century. A year ago Mal and Alina joined the military, Alina as a mapmaker, Mal as a tracker.

Their company is preparing to cross into the fold, an area of space where all is black and monsters known as volcra live. When they are attacked something shocking happens.

Alina is knocked out, then held at gunpoint and taken to the Darkling, a man with power over darkness itself. The Darkling leads the second army, the Grisha, people who have magical powers.

The Grisha are divided into summoners, (who control fire, wind or water) corporalki (heart renders and healers) and tinkerers. (Who make weapons, armor, and inventions like powders for explosives.)

The world of Grisha is unique as are the customs and words used, though they do sound a bit Russian. The romance worked and felt real. (I personally don’t like either of Alina’s suitors, but that’s just me. The Darkling has more promise than Mal, I just don’t like him.) The mystery actually fooled me. Afterwards I was surprised I didn’t see it coming, but it was well done, because I totally didn’t. (I kept talking about it afterwards too.)

Alina is sometimes foolish, but the author does such a good job of telling the story that these ‘mistakes’ make sense to the audience and some even turn out not to be mistakes.

SIEGE AND STORM

The sequel continues along the same lines as the end of Shadow and Bone. We meet some engaging new characters, most notably Stormhond the ‘pirate’. I found myself wishing Alina would have a new love interest and there is a new guy in her life, but I’m not sure what to make of him. He’s an interesting, mysterious character, but can he be trusted? Can anyone?

The book started with a bang, but dwindled in the middle. There’s too much planning and plotting and telling of time passing, but of course there’s plenty of action by the end.

RAISING AND RUIN

Raising started depressing, but luckily that storyline only lasts for the first chapter. (I hated that priest!)

We finally found out more about the Darkling’s past, including his name. I was satisfied with his name, it suited him.

There were multiple plot twists in the last book, and even the things I thought I’d figured out were a bit different than I expected. The first of the two major twists was good, but the second didn’t make any sense. (So much for small science...)

Most people will probably be happy with the ending, but I’m not. Overall I enjoyed this book and thought it was as good as Siege. (Except for that one part of the ending. I could rant about that all day, but I won’t.)

Shadow and Bone - 8 stars

Siege and Storm - 7 stars

Raising and Ruin - 6 stars (1 subtracted for the ending)

 

 

SPOILERS: DON'T READ IF YOU HAVEN'T READ SIEGE AND STORM (No spoilers for Rising and Ruin though)

 

 

 

Which guy were you rooting for? (Was anyone rooting for Mal?) What did you want to happen to Alina? Queen? Grisha leader?

I know that Mal is supposed to be the love interest for Alina, and she keeps telling me how great he is, but I just don't see it. I'd like to see her with the prince personally, (Which is strange for me, I'm not a prince sort of girl, but then again he isn't the usual prince.) And if not the prince than the Darkling. (Yes, I know he's technically the bad guy, but I can't help it. I like him. Certainly more than stupid Mal.)

I know Alina hated ruling the Grisha, but I think she could do a good job of it. Maybe not as the sole ruler, but with a council of other Grisha. (or the Darkling.) Sure. Or she could be the queen, that would be cool too. I'm good with either of these outcomes. Becoming evil and joining the Darkling would work too. She could become a pirate with Stormhond and I'd be happy. (Not that I expect that outcome.)

 

Okay, I had to rant a little (SPOILERS FOR END OF RISING AND RUIN) DON'T READ IF YOU HAVEN'T READ RISING AND RUIN 

 

 

 

 

The part I hated about the ending wasn't which guy she would up with, because though I hated Mal, I expected her to wind up with him. (Even though I kept hoping otherwise.) The whole he's dead, no wait he isn't was rather dumb, but that's not what really bothered me either. Nor was it about anyone who died. (Though a couple of more people could've died and made me happy, namely that priest.)

Alina losing her powers was about the worst outcome possible, and as if that wasn't bad enough now dozens of other people suddenly have the sun summoner powers! (So much for special!) Now tell me that's a happy ending? Everyone who got her powers is a good guy right and wouldn't cause all manner of trouble for the Ravka now? Right...

Even the pathetically sappy reopening of the orphanage would be acceptable if only Alina had her powers! (Maybe just the amplifiers broke so she's back with her natural powers.)

Okay, I know I said I wouldn't rant, but I couldn't help it. I really like these books and the whole losing her powers and lots of normal people all of a sudden having them almost ruined it for me! Okay, I'm done now. (Molly backs away sheepishly.)

YA Book Review: Daughter of Smoke and Bone Trilogy By Laini Taylor

Daughter of Smoke and Bone

This is a very imaginative book. The world and the magic are well thought out and are horribly wonderful. I liked the characters, even the minor ones, and if there was a weakness it would be the suddenness of the relationships. (But I don’t see any other way for it to have happened.)

I believe it’s best to read this book knowing as less about it as possible, so I recommend you skip the summary and just trust me and go out and get it.

Okay, I understand your curiosity to know more. There's no way to describe this book without some small spoilers, but I promise I won’t reveal anything in my summary that isn't already on the book’s back cover. (Which reveals way too much, so read mine instead.)

Karou is an art student living in Prague. Her friends all believe she has a great imagination and enjoy her sketches of her Chimera ‘friends’. She’s perfected the art of lying by telling the truth with a wry smile. Her friends never suspect that all her stories are true. The star of these stories is Brimstone, like all the chimera he’s part human and part beast, which in his case is a ram.

Karou goes on errands for Brimstone, collecting teeth of all things. The four chimera live in a magical shop which can be found behind doorways all over the world, which Karou uses for her errands. Brimstone never answers Karou's questions about what the teeth are for or how she wound up in the shop as a baby.

Strange burned handprints start appearing on Brimstone’s doors and there are rumors all over the world of sightings of angels. Karou doesn’t give them much thought until she comes face to face with one of these angels. He’s beautiful and he’s trying to kill her.

Days of Blood & Starlight

I liked the further expansion of the world and the characters, and all of the new characters. But (afraid there is a but) This book was just so depressing. Not much good happens to these poor characters...

My only problem with the characters rests with Karou.  I was mentally yelling at her throughout this book. I like you Karou, I do, and I know you’ve been through a lot, but where has your backbone gone? And how can you be so stupid? I figured it out chapters before you did.

Though the opposite was true too, the characters kept knowing things chapters before us readers found out.  (I know what you’re doing author lady. You keep withholding information from us readers so we don’t put your book down. And well... it might have worked... but it was still annoying!)

One of the Best parts of this book was Karou’s human friend Zuzana and her boyfriend Mik. I love their personalities, their weirdness, and their relationship. They were a happy part in an otherwise too sad book.

The first book was almost an older YA book, but this one definitely is older YA. For violence, sex, and one almost rape scene. (Don’t worry though it’s not a bad one.)

Dreams of Gods & Monsters 

It was strange how the author introduced new characters and plotlines in the last book of a trilogy. I kept wondering why she felt to need to add several seemingly pointless new side stories. At 75% of the book it all started to make sense. The new aspects of this book were the set up for the next set of adventures.

I’m glad the author decided to go for this odd way of writing though, because the new storylines turned out to be my favorite part of the book in the end. (Weird I know.) So, hang in there and don’t skip over them.

There was also more excellent world building in the third book. Perhaps even a bit too much was explained. It felt all too neat and tidy, but I’m sure that for the next book it won’t be. (And there had better be a next book!)

Daughter of Smoke and Bone - 9 Stars

Days of Blood & Starlight - 7 Stars

Dreams of Gods & Monsters - 8 Stars

Book Review: Book Review: Mortal Instruments, City of Heavenly Fire By Cassandra Clare

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult

Pages: 752

The end of the Mortal Instruments...

I enjoyed the Mortal Instruments series for the most part. There's a bit too much romance and long descriptions for me, but that's just my taste. The best part is the world the author has created and all of the unique characters. My favorite is the glittery bisexual warlock, Magnus Bane. (Yes, seriously. He's the best!)

Clary is a normal girl who enjoys drawing and hanging out with her best friend, Simon. She's at a club when she sees three other teenagers with strange tattoos murder a guy, but no one else can even see them. When her mother is kidnapped, (or dead, but she really hopes only kidnapped) she's thrust into a world of Demons, Fairies, Vampires, Werewolves, and Warlocks. Turns out those teenagers are Shadow Hunters and the man was a demon. Shadow Hunters keep the peace using a device called a stele to draw runes on themselves, which gives them special powers like grace and speed or invisibility to Mundanes. (Normal people, like muggles)

There are six books in the Mortal Instruments series (and a prequel trilogy) and the last book has just been released. The series spans only six months, but it felt like longer to me. I liked the first `trilogy' better than the second, though I liked Simon more in the second. There wasn't nearly enough Magnus, but I always think that.

If you haven't read the series up to City of Heavenly Fire (or the prequel) don't keep reading, there be spoilers below.


Heavenly fire was an exciting finale, which certainly didn't seem as long as it was. I was so afraid to read it, (I didn't want anyone to die) but I'm pleased by the ending. It was a good and fitting conclusion to the series.

Emma Carstairs (who will star in the next series, the Dark Artifacts) gets her own point of view. She grew up a Shadow Hunter and is already quite skilled with weapons. Her best friend is Julian Blackthorn, a boy with six siblings. (two of which are half fairy) I liked all the Blackthorns, they already have unique personalities. (Ty reminds me of Sherlock)

This book takes place mostly before the end of Infernal Devices, so Zachariah is still a Silent Brother. He doesn't get his own point of view. His parts are mostly told by Jia Penhallow. (How disappointing!) I really wanted more Jem and Tessa in this book! (I guess I'll have to hope for more of them in Dark Artifacts.)

I'm also sad we didn't get a Sebastian point of view, because it would've been interesting to see into his mind a bit more. He's a better villain than his father, more black and white, even though I think it was supposed to be the other way around.

SUMMARY (Plotline spoilers for the first half of the book)

Sebastian’s attacking Institutes and using the cup to make more soldiers for his war. The Clave orders everyone back to Idris. The London Institute is one of the last to leave and Sebastian attacks, but is thwarted. In his rage he attacks the Praetor Lupus and then comes after the Iron Sisters.

Before the meeting of the Clave the Fairy Envoy, Meliorn has invited the other Downworlder envoys to meet with him, but it’s a trap and, Raphael, Luke, Jocelyn and Magnus are taken hostage. Sebastian’s demands? Send Clary and Jace to him or he’ll kill the hostages.

Clary discovers that Sebastian has been hiding in a dimension of hell, Odom, and that’s why they haven’t been able to track him. To get to Odom they have to pass through the fairy court, but there they discover that the fairies have joined with Sebastian and are using their magic to transport his army.

City of Bones, City of Ashes, City of Glass - 9/10 Stars

City of Fallen Angels, City of Lost Souls, City of Heavenly Fire - 8/10 Stars

Clockwork Angel, Clockwork Prince, Clockwork Princess - 9/10 Stars

Book Review: Matched by Ally Condie

MATCHED

I kept getting that song Matchmaker, Matchmaker, find me a match caught in my head while reading these books. (Just thought I'd share, you're welcome.)

People who reviewed this book either loved it or they hated it. I think that's because when people hear dystopian they expect something like The Hunger Games or Divergant, but Matched is a quieter dystopian. Where Hunger Games is a dystopian with some romance and Divergant is a romantic dystopian, I’d say Matched is a romance in a dystopian world.

Cassia is seventeen and that means it's time for her Matched ceremony, to find out the person she’ll spend the rest of her life with. The Society controls everything, which books you read, which art you can see, and even whose hand you can hold. No one has any choices, but most people don’t realize it, and are happy with the way things are. Cassia was happy, until she got home from her Matched ceremony and put in the chip, which was supposed to contain data about her Match. The face on the chip isn't just that of her match. There's also the face of another boy, a boy she knows.

Based on the summary I thought Matched would be faster paced with more action, but that isn’t what these books are about. They’re about people, relationships, and their personal struggles. I’m not saying that Matched is a boring read, the author kept me flipping pages.

Whenever I hear that a book has good prose, poetic, or flowery writing I cringe inside. I think this is because it often seems forced or false. The author of Matched has a natural effortless poetic voice, which doesn’t feel like she’s trying. It also made sense that the character's voice would be poetic, because she loves poetry, which plays a large part in the book.

If you thought Matched was too slow paced than you won't enjoy the sequels either, because they have the same pace. (Crossed might be even slower.) That's not to say that nothing happens, but the focus remains on the characters and not on their struggle against the world.

---

 

CROSSED

In Crossed they are mostly traveling throughout the novel. I think if I knew this going in I wouldn’t have been so impatient for them to get somewhere and could’ve enjoyed the journey better.

We meet some new characters along the way and get to see what life is like outside of the Society.

Cassia and Ky are both trying to get back to each other. The book is told from both of their perspectives. (I kept wishing that one character knew what the other did.) The author did a good job of remembering what each character knew and not having them know something they shouldn’t. There might have been a mistake towards the end, but then again Cassia could’ve figured it out for herself too.

Xander is in the book as well and just because Cassia told him she loved Ky he’s not giving up. She did say she loved him too after all, so it’s understandable that he still loves her.

This is a strange book, because I think that if you skipped Crossed, Reached would still make sense. (The few things that happened in Crossed are explained again in Reached.) I’m not saying you should skip Crossed, I just think it’s weird that you probably could and not miss much in the way of story line.

---

 

REACHED

The author did a good job of the two perspectives in Crossed. (I was occasionally confused, because both were told in first person.) In Reached not only are Cassia and Ky telling the story, she’s added Xander too. I worried that she was biting off more than even she could chew, but the chapters were kept short enough that I didn’t get confused.

In Reached there's a rebellion against the Society and all three of the characters are on their own. Then there's an outbreak of a plague and a rush to find a cure. (Unlike Crossed, Reached doesn’t lack for plot, but the focus is still on the characters, not the action.) The author did a good job of making me worry for the characters.

There are new women in both of the boy's lives, so it wasn't obvious which one Cassia would end up with. (I didn't like Xander, so I actually cared who she wound up with in one of these stupid love triangles.)

Other than the dystopian aspect these books aren’t my normal style, so it surprised me that I enjoyed them. If Matched sounds interesting to you, you should give it a try.

Matched 7 Stars

Crossed 6 Stars

Reached 7 Stars

What was the last book you read that wasn't what you expected?

Book Review: Uglies, Pretties, & Specials By Scott Westerfeld

UGLIES

When everyone turns sixteen they change from ugly to pretty by means of advanced surgery. These new pretties are shallow and party all the time in New Pretty Town. Tally is almost sixteen and can’t wait until it’s finally her turn to be pretty.

Tally’s best friend turned before her and now she’s all alone. Uglies, those who haven’t had the surgery yet, enjoy playing tricks like sneaking into New Pretty Town. During one of her tricks, Tally meets Shay, a fellow Ugly whose friends have also all turned before her.

Over the course of the summer Shay and Tally become good friends and plan all sorts of fun tricks together. Shay teaches Tally how to hover board and takes her into the Rusties, the ruins of our civilization.

When it’s finally time for the two to turn pretty, (they have the same birthday) Shay confesses that she doesn't want to be pretty. Shay plans to run away to a place called the Smoke where apparently people live in the wild and don’t turn pretty. Tally decides she wants to be pretty and stays behind. On the day of her surgery Special Circumstances, the advanced police force (who are pretty, but pretty scary) tell Tally that she can’t be pretty unless she goes after her friend and activates a tracker for them to arrest all the Uglies in the Smoke.

The characters in Uglies are fine, but it’s mostly the world that I’m reading for. The author’s explanation of how the world wound up like this was unique and so is the society he’s created. I liked the idea of the hover boards and how they worked. They’re magnetic and only over metal or rivers. (Because of the metal fragments in the running water.)

The beginning of the book is interesting, but after Tally goes in search of the Smoke, things slow down and it feels like we are only waiting for Tally to get there. (Actually, if you skip Tally’s entire journey to the Smoke you won’t miss anything, because they talk about it all afterwards.)

Once she gets to the Smoke the pace picks up a bit, but I still felt like I was waiting for something to happen. It’s only half-way through the book things have to go wrong somehow. Is the Smoke all it seems? Will Tally betray her new friends? Come on, something happen already!

When things pick up, they really pick up. The end is as good as the beginning and a quick read.

Warning: It ends to be continued. (I couldn't go to bed until I’d started Pretties, which unfortunately starts slow.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

PRETTIES

It’s hard to say anything about the sequels without spoiling Uglies, so I’m just going to give my impressions.

There are fewer slow spots in Pretties, because even the less exciting parts are fun and the plot is much less predictable than Uglies. The slang is so awful it’s funny, but I think it’s supposed to be.

Uglies hooked me with the world and concept, but I love the characters in Pretties. This book has everything the first one was lacking.

Another to be continued ending. (grumbling)

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SPECIALS

I liked the powers in Specials, but I didn't like Tally as much. (I especially didn't like her interactions with David and Zane and I wanted to see more with both of them.)

Again there were slow spots towards the middle, but the author didn't go into as much detail so they weren't as long.

It felt like everything happened too quickly at the end, but that was largely because of the point of view and the plot was wrapped up nicely. I wanted more at the end to find out what's next for Tally. (Like an epilogue.)

There’s an extra novel (ironically called Extras) that takes place after the trilogy, but it has different characters.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Uglies- 7 Stars

Pretties- 8 stars

Specials- 7 stars

Book Review: Graceling, Fire & Bitterblue By Kristin Cashore

These books were good, but their saving grace (sorry couldn't resist the pun) is the unique magic system the author has created.

GRACELING

Certain people have mismatched eyes and are graced, meaning they have a particular skill or talent. Some talents are as simple as a skill at cooking, but others are more mystical such as swimming like a fish or reading minds.

Katsa has the Grace of killing. Her uncle, the king, uses her to dispense punishment to people who displease him, but Katsa's not content to simply be her uncle's pawn. She established the council to help people in trouble when the kings make unjust decisions. She thought she’d be alone, but the council has expanded and now spans the seven kingdoms. The council does things such as shelter farmers who are being punished for not paying their taxes after the king’s men trampled their crops.

On one such mission for the council, Katsa goes to rescue the father of one of the kings who has been kidnapped. There she meets a young man who has the grace of fighting. She knocks him unconscious and returns to her kingdom with the kidnapped man only to have the graced fighter show up at her king’s court. The man's name is Po and the man who was kidnapped is his grandfather and he’s here to rescue him.

Deciding to trust this young man, whose silver and gold eyes have a disarming effect on Katsa, the council tries to figure out who kidnapped his grandfather.

The first half of Graceling is quick paced and interesting. Then the characters go on a journey and it becomes a series of traveling and running. I’ve read lots of fantasy so I’m accustomed to such ‘journey’ novels, but it caught me off guard after the exciting beginning.

At around 50% there’s a sex scene making this an older YA novel, though you can see it coming and it’s easy enough to skip.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

FIRE

Fire is set in the same world as Graceling, but in a different place. In the land of Dell there are brightly colored animals, called monsters. They have the ability to bewitch people with their beauty and ensnare people’s minds. Fire is the only human monster, a girl of seventeen with hair the color of living fire. Fire’s father was the adviser to the king and an evil man. Most people hate her because of her father or fear her for her power.

I recommend reading the prologue as an epilogue (or at least after chapter 27) I think this will make Fire a better book, because you won't know what's coming.

The love story in Fire is slower to get started than Graceling, but still felt too sudden, because of things happening off page. (I would’ve preferred if she won him over herself gradually.)

Fire was a good character for about the first 70% of the book. She was a tough young woman similar to Katsa, but different enough to still come off as her own person. Then the character I'd been rooting for and liking for the majority of the book turned into a moody weakling. I only wish the author had ended things differently, but I suppose it's more realistic this way.

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BITTERBLUE

Bitterblue is eighteen and the queen of an entire country. Her days are filled shuffling endless stacks of paper. One night she decides to sneak out of the castle and see what her kingdom is really like. She discovers that people are still recovering from her father’s reign of terror, but things are worse than she thought.

She meets a pair of boys who work at a printing press. Are they thieves? What are they up to? They have many secrets, but she’s not exactly honest with them either, pretending she's only a baker in the castle’s kitchen.

In a world with Graceling magical powers, Bitterblue is just a normal girl. She might be a queen, but I wish she had some sort of special ability.

The high point of this book is seeing the old characters from Graceling, particularly Po. All of the excitement with the council takes place off page in this book, because like the first two books, it's told from a single viewpoint. I wished we could go with Katsa and Po instead of being stuck in the castle with Bitterblue. I liked Bitterblue in Graceling, but life as a queen isn't all it's cracked up to be, and life in the castle is dull and frustrating. I felt your pain Bitterblue!

Like Fire (where I kept reading to see how Fire would win Brigan over) I kept reading Bitterblue to see how her friends would find out she’s actually the queen. The revelation was much better than Fire and was probably my favorite part of the book.

The author ties the books together nicely, but I wanted an epilogue to tie up all the loose ends. Maybe the author wanted to leave it open for another book.

The best part of the book was the glossary. (Odd, but true.) It’s ‘written’ by the librarian in the book Death (pronounced like Teeth). I wish the rest of the book was told with such a good voice! I chuckled a couple of times while reading it and not at all during the third book.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I liked the witty lines in the beginnings of these books and watching the characters meet. I only wish that the rest of the books were as upbeat. I liked all of the minor characters and kept wishing to see more of them, especially the villain.

The world building is simple until we get to Dell in Fire, but there are enough details for it to feel like a real world.

If you’re one of those ‘show’ don’t ‘tell’ people the first two books might annoy you. The author tells a lot and it sometimes feels like we’re missing some good stuff. By Bitterblue she’s figured out how to tell a story, still telling how time passes, but unlike the first two books it flows naturally.

If you’re curious about the Graceling books, I’d say read the first half of Graceling, that's the best part of the trilogy.

Graceling- 7 Stars (First half 8 stars, second half 6)

Fire- 6 Stars (Same, First half 7 stars, second half 5)

Bitterblue- 6 Stars (whole book consistent)

What was the last sad book that you read?

Book Review: The Lunar Chronicles By Marissa Meyer

Cinder, Scarlet & Cress (Winter forthcoming)

Oddly enough the book I recommend most right now is Cinder, where Cinderella is a cyborg. Seriously that’s the plot, but it’s a good book honest.

The market is flooded with fairy tale retellings, and I almost didn’t read Cinder, but it looked popular on goodreads (and I found it on sale for $2) so I decided to give it a shot and I’m glad that I did.

Cinder is set after the fourth world war, where the world is divided into six kingdoms. Cinder is a mechanic living in the capital of New Beijing. The crown prince, Kai comes to her to have his android fixed. She keeps it a secret from him that she’s a cyborg, because cyborgs are looked down upon and have few rights.

Yes, Cinder has an evil step-mother, her legal guardian who practically owns her, and two step-sisters, but only one is evil and she’s really more bratty than evil. And of course there is a ball coming up, which both the stepsisters are preparing for, but that’s where the Cinderella plotline ends.

The plague that has swept the globe has come to New Beijing and Prince Kai’s father, the emperor, has been diagnosed with the disease. There’s no cure and it has a 100% mortality rate. Desperate to combat the disease, the government issued the cyborg draft. Cyborgs, considered less than human, are used as unwilling test subjects.

As if that wasn’t enough for the young prince to deal with, the evil Lunar queen is threatening war if her demands are not met, and one of those demands is to marry the prince. Her spaceships aren’t even her biggest threat. Lunars, the people who colonized the moon, have evolved into a separate race with the ability to create glamours and bend others to their will.

The Lunar Chronicles has excellent world building, an interesting plot, and good characters. (My favorite character is one of the minor ones, Iko, an android with a personality as the result of faulty programming.) A couple of the reveals which were supposed to be a surprising twist were rather predictable in this series, but it didn’t hurt the overall story for me.

The second book stars Scarlet as re-imagined red riding hood and a man with a shady past called wolf. This was my least favorite of the series, because it felt more like a side story with most of the book focusing on two new characters. I kept yelling at my book ‘Where’s Cinder? Get back to Cinder!’ As you can tell it took me a while to warm up to Scarlet. I understand she was going through a rough situation, her grandmother had been kidnapped after all, but it annoyed me when all she did was stress and complain. Scarlet gets better, mostly through her interactions with wolf, and towards the end the action really picks up.

Cress, re-imagined Rapunzel, is trapped on a satellite instead of a tower. I liked her character right away, and it's nice that we get to learn more about Carswell Thorne. Cress doesn't feel like a side story the way Scarlet did, because much more happens to advance the plot of the trilogy. I feel like the author really followed the ‘what would be the worst thing I can have happen to this character now?’ method of writing for this book. I can’t say too much about Cress without spoilers, but it’s almost as good as Cinder.

Cinder 9/10 stars

Scarlet 7/10 stars

Cress 8/10 stars

I’d recommend all three books, but I have no idea which books to compare them to, because they’re just so unique. Maybe dystopian, because the main plot features a world in chaos and characters that are trying to make things better.

Now I can't wait for Winter! (Never thought I'd say that, I hate the cold.)

Do you like fairy tale retellings? Usually I don’t, but Cinder is a happy exception. (and Grimm)

The Maze Runner Trilogy By James Dashner

The Maze Runner is a read in an entire day sort of book. It’s fast paced and never lets up. The continual questions kept me glued to the pages. What is going on here? My imagination ran wild with the possibilities and I was afraid that in the end I’d be disappointed, but surprisingly I wasn’t. The conclusion actually made sense and didn’t seem contrived just to explain the author’s cool concept.

I would have liked more character development, so that I could get to know the characters better and care about what happens to them more. (Though this is the sort of book I don’t dare get attached to anyone going in.) I understand that it must have been hard for the writer to show characterization when none of the characters has a past. Yep, that’s right none of the characters can remember anything before the maze.

Thomas wakes up in an elevator box with no memory other than his name. He’s greeted by other teenage boys in an area called the glade. The glade is surrounded by a massive maze that the boys are trying to solve to escape. Surprisingly for a group of kids they’ve established an organized society where everything works. I can’t really say anything more about the premise without spoiling things. The whole point of the book is to keep reading to figure out the why behind the maze.

The Maze Runner is a quick book. There are no slow spots with flowery descriptions here. Other than height, age, and shoe size all we know about the main character’s appearance is he has brown hair. I like a bit more than that, but that’s not the sort of book this is. Maze Runner's also light on romance, which is odd for a young adult book, but it worked. There wasn’t time for romance. (Though there is more romance in the Scorch Trials.)

The Maze Runner is almost an eight star book, but fell just short of great for me. I can’t explain without minor spoilers, so skip the rest of this paragraph if you don’t want spoilers of any sort. (It’s not really a spoiler that characters die in a book like this, but I know how some people are about spoilers of any kind.) I have no problem with characters dying, but I didn’t like the way a certain character died. It didn’t feel necessary and it was too brutal for me. (Though it was tame compared to a death in the Death Cure. I just know I’m going to have nightmares about that.)

The rest of the trilogy (spoiler free) I haven’t been so disappointed in an author in a long time. These books had such potential! Most of the story is good, but the Scorch Trials and The Death Cure had some serious flaws. (In my opinion) They were too gruesome, (scary doesn’t have to be gross) there was too much pointless action, (it got a bit much after a while) certain parts made no sense, (and I didn’t like them) and the main character kept acting stupid. (After the Maze Runner I expected more out of him, he is supposed to be a genius after all.)

So my recommendation is you should read the Maze Runner, it’s a good, unique book, but skip the the Scorch Trials and The Death Cure. (Though I doubt I’d be able to follow my own advice. I just have a need to find out what happens.)

The Maze Runner: 7/10 Stars

The Scorch Trials: 5/10 Stars

The Death Cure: 4/10 Stars

What is your opinion on character’s deaths, should they come quick and unexpected or do you like to see it coming?

I like to be prepared before a character dies, (I’ve been known to peek ahead...) but I don’t mind deaths as long as they serve a point for the story.

Next week's review: The Lunar Chronicles series by Marissa Meyer. Cinder, Scarlet, & Cress.

Book Review ~ Angelbound By Christina Bauer

Sorry for not posting last week. We had some major storms here in Michigan and I didn’t have power for a few days. The good news is with not much else to do I read the entire Maze Runner Trilogy. I’ve saved that review for next week though, because I read a better (and less known) book on Thursday.

I don’t know what it is about me and tail fascination. I’ve just always wanted one. So naturally the reason Angelbound caught my eye is the main character has a tail. (The author actually uses her tail to show emotion and humor too.)

Angelbound is told in a fun voice with plenty of humor and I liked the strong sassy heroine, Myla. It might just be me, (because I couldn’t pry the book out of my fingers to go to bed.) but this book was a quick read. I think Angelbound will appeal to fans of the Mortal Instruments.

Myla is a quasi demon (meaning part human) living in purgatory. Around twenty years ago demons invaded purgatory and left ghouls running things. Myla’s mom is super over-protective and won’t say anything about her life before the war with the demons or even about Myla’s father.

Myla spends most of her time at school, but every so often she’s called to duty. When a soul enters purgatory they can choose trial by combat. Since she was twelve Myla’s been required to fight to the death in the arena against theses souls. As the best fighter they save the nastiest ones for her, but she’s not your typical almost eighteen year-old. She enjoys her battles in the arena, particularly when it’s against a demon and she keeps extensive notebooks on how to beat the various demon races.

Myla’s best friend Cissy (who has the tail of a golden retriever, yes it does wag when she’s happy. Okay, enough about tails...) has a huge crush on a boy at school, so when said boy invites Myla and a guest to his party she can’t say no. At the party, abandoned by her friend, Myla meets the frustrating prince Lincoln. He’s a demon hunter who thinks all quasis are evil, but Myla can’t stop thinking about him and not just about punching him. Well, that too.

Romance is a strong part of this book and it’s well done. (I only wish we’d gotten to see all of their conversation in the maze instead of hearing about it afterwards...) There’s really only one make-out session that makes this an older YA book, but other than that it’s pretty light.

Angelbound has interesting characters and good world building. The plot is a bit predictable, but that isn’t always a bad thing. There are a few slow spots towards the beginning, but I’m glad I kept reading, because it quickly picks up. I did notice several errors, but I’m very nit picky about that sort of thing and often find such in books.

I give Angelbound 7/10 stars and would definitely recommend this book. (I can’t wait until the sequel comes out next month!) Buy it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Have you read any good books lately?

How to fix a bumpy story and make it flow

My second chapter was terrible! I wanted to show time passing, and cover a few events along the way, but it wound up a bunch of disjointed scenes jumping for one place to the next. It's a balancing act, showing enough for world building, but without boring readers with unnecessary travel. (Unfortunately I’m a klutz and that’s how this chapter came off, clumsy.)

After working on it for a week (yes, an entire week for one 5000 word chapter) I've ironed it out quite a bit. It now reads more like a chapter instead of a bunch of scenes haphazardly stuck together.

Here’s how I did it.

~CUT SCENES~

First cut out any scenes that aren't necessary. I keep asking myself, okay I like this scene, but how important is it? I keep everything I cut just in case, but some things have to go.

~REARRANGE & COMBINE~

The next step is rearranging and combining scenes. Which scenes can be changed to go together? If I move this scene from down here, I can add it to this one up here, and ta-da no more jumpy scenes, but one longer one.

~SMOOTH TRANSITIONS~

Finally smoothing out the last of the bumps and making sure the transitions are clear. When there a change in time, location, or character it has to be obvious to the readers.

I added parts to make it continuous instead of lots of little scenes and some lines of narration could be told by the characters instead. (Wallah! (not sure how to spell that) Instant showing instead of telling.)

I have to keep telling myself, ‘this story isn't set in stone, I can change it.’ Just because I wrote it this way the first time doesn't mean that’s the best way to tell my story.

Curious what I did? Click on the image above for an example. :) (Note: I’m still not happy with this chapter, but it’s certainly better than it was.)

What do you think the best method is for showing time passing?

How to find out how many words made the cut

I've done so much editing and rewriting I wanted to know how many words from my rough draft made the cut.

Open Microsoft word, you don't have to open a document.



1. Go to the review tab.

2. Click on compare and select whether you want to merge the documents or just compare them. Select Merge.

3. Under original document choose the rough draft and then under revised select the edited version. (There are options on what you want to compare, but I only compared adds, deletions, and moves.) Make sure your rough draft has a different font!

4. Open the merged document, it should have red font all over it. Under Review, track changes click the bottom for change tracking options and it pulls open a window. Change deletions to #.



5. Click on the black font in the document, (the part that didn't change) and click the home tab, on the right side there are selection options.  Select text with similar formatting.



Now the hard part, wait. On my old Acer computer this step took 10-15 minutes and it locked up if I tried to do anything. (Oh, how I wish I had patience.)

6. Copy the font, ctrl+c (Don't cut, that made it lock up for me too.) and past it into a new document.

7. Ta-da! Now you have the words that made it from the rough draft to the final!

How many did you have? I only had 38,000 words out of 108,000!

Woven Magic ~ Writing Update

It’s amazing how different my book is from when it started. Out of 108,000 words only 38,000 words are still the same as my rough draft! (That's a lot of rewriting!)

I saved every version of my book, including my rough draft. It was worth it, not just to compare them, but because it's hilarious reading it now. They say rough drafts are meant to be crap, yup mine was.

I still have a three page to-do list, but (I think) I'm finally done with major rewrites. (I like to-do lists, it makes me feel like I've really accomplished something when I get to check it off.)

From what I've read it takes everyone a different length of time to write their first novel, from a few months to a few years. My goal was to get mine done in a year, but that's not going to happen. (Since that would be next month.) So, I’m shooting for the date I finished writing, the end of July. I want it to be as good as I can make it, but I know I have to eventually stop editing.

How long did it take you to write and edit your first novel?

Writing Internal Conflict

(Yes, I made this beautiful picture myself.)

Something was missing from my book, but I couldn't figure out what. After reading my story for the umpteenth time, I realized my mistake. I forgot to show the internal struggle going on inside her head. A character can be complex and likable, but if the readers aren't inside her head, they’ll feel like the book is lacking something. (Which is what I was feeling.) I had to go through my entire story again and rewrite a lot of her internal dialogue. (Just what I needed, another rewrite...)

I know things are going to go wrong for my main character, so I started her out happy. That isn't realistic though, everyone is unhappy about something. It’s important to show what makes the main character unhappy in the beginning of the book, whether it’s loneliness, feeling stuck in responsibilities, or whatever.

I wanted my heroes to come off as brave, but I realized that doesn't mean they shouldn't have any fears or worries. Overcoming your fears is braver than not having any, that’s just stupidity. (Which is how my character was coming off...) So I had her put on a brave face, but added her worrying if she'd made the right choice. 'I could die. What have I gotten myself into?’ This also raises the stakes when the character realizes how dangerous things are.

My main character had changed after all of her experiences, which is why I was having trouble with a scene towards the end. I still had her acting like the character she was at the beginning. I had to realize that something that would be out of character for her at the start would totally be something she'd do after a year with my other main character. (He’s a bit of a bad influence.)

What does your character unhappy about? Do you fix it for them or just give them more problems?

My character is lonely and wants to have friends and fit in. I don’t make it easy for her, (my poor little characters.) but I do give her a couple of friends. She’s a stronger person than when she started her journey, but she doesn't fully accept herself yet. (She is only twelve.)

Breaking the rules of writing

For every rule, there is a reason to break it. Granted, breaking the rules takes more work, because the writer has to do everything right. Here are times where famous authors broke the rules and why it worked for them.

(Sure glad I wrote this ahead of time for once. I spent the last two days without a computer, because it decided to throw a tantrum. I barely survived!)

Don’t have a Prologue

JK Rowling starts with a prologue, even if it’s called chapter one. It works because it's the hook. Can you imagine Harry Potter without chapter one? The reader wouldn't know anything about the magical world, or that Harry is special. It would just start with Harry’s miserable life with his Aunt and Uncle. We keep reading, because we want to find out how Harry’s life will change, because we know it will.

 Don’t describe your character in a mirror

Veronica Roth described her character in a mirror in Divergent, but it worked for her because of why she did it. Beatrice has rarely seen herself in a mirror, so she would be interested in what she looks like. It also shows what the world is like and is an opportunity to show character growth the next time Beatrice sees her reflection. (I’m trying not to spoil the story.)

Don’t use flashbacks

Suzanne Collins uses flashbacks effectively in the Hunger Games. This is because the reader always knows when we’re in a flashback and it’s something the character is thinking about. She doesn't tell us about what happened, but takes us back to the scene and shows us. The flashbacks are important to the story to show how the characters met. Her story wouldn't be nearly as powerful if we didn't feel what it was like for Katniss in the past.

Don’t break the fourth wall (make your characters know the reader is reading a book)

Rick Riordan does this in Percy Jackson. It’s his way of showing voice and introducing comedy. It doesn't take you out of the story and is easily ignorable, because he doesn't do it often. It also lets him just say, “I’m Percy Jackson, 12 year old half-blood”. (Well not exactly, but close enough.)

I debated mentioning how Stephenie Meyer uses verbs other than said and adverbs to modify said, but since I've never read Twilight, (too much romance for me) I don't know why it worked for her.

Some authors get away with things others can’t pull off. They are rules for a reason, so before breaking them, ask yourself why you’re breaking the rules.

I’m on a young adult reading kick, hence the examples. ;)

Do you break any of the rules?

I’m on the verge of breaking a few. At the beginning, my character gets knocked out a couple of times, but it’s for story development, (overuse of magic) not to transport her someplace different mysteriously.

15 Writing Rules (Guidelines)

There are many rules to writing, but some I consider more like guidelines. (Like pirate rules) I’ve been working on this list of guidelines for a while now. I combined several other people’s lists and added a few of my own. (Elmore Leonard's 10 Rules of Writing, and 10 Storytelling Clichés to Stop Using are two of the most popular lists out there.)

1. Prologues, flashbacks, and dreams (oh my!)

Prologues, flashbacks, and dreams distract from the story. They can be confusing and boring, so unless they're relevant to the story, skip them. Prologues- When a reader picks up our book, we want to hook them, not make them wonder what the prologue has to do with anything. Flashbacks- When using flashbacks, the reader has to know when a flashback is taking place, and when it is. As writers, we know everything about our characters, but the reader doesn’t have to know everything we do. Dreams- The dream scare has been overused in popular media, so no one is falling for it. To show a character’s fears it’s better to go with a real life example than a dream.

2. Take your reader out of the story 

Said is ingrained in readers, we ignore it, so every time an author uses a word instead of said, (or asked), or uses a adverb to modify said it makes the reader realize they’re reading. Another example is having your characters break the fourth wall (they know they’re in a book).

3. Broadcasting an upcoming plot twist

If something dramatic is going to happen, don’t warn the readers ahead of time, then it isn’t a surprise anymore. (Words like suddenly actually have the opposite effect.) Giving your heroes a deadline is a good way to add tension, but everyone knows that somehow the hero isn’t going to save the day until the last possible second.

4. Regional dialect and accents 

Regional dialect or accents sound like a good idea to add flavor to a story, but if the reader doesn’t understand what the character is saying, or has to figure it out, then it doesn’t read smoothly.

5. Overly detailed descriptions of characters, places, and things 

As writers, we want to describe everything in absolute detail, so the reader feels like they are there and can picture our characters, but as a reader I usually zone out during long descriptions, they’re boring. Give enough details, but let the reader fill in the blanks themselves.

6. Cut out or summarize the boring parts (traveling and everyday activities)

The reader doesn’t have to know every time your character eats, sleeps, or changes clothes. It’s even more important for the beginning. Don’t open with the weather or getting dressed. Catch the reader in the first sentence. (It’s called a hook for a reason.)

7. Inside jokes and references 

If your readers have to watch a certain movie or read another book to get all the inside jokes, then they don’t work. Limit these to one or two per book and have them subtle, so those who don’t get it don’t know they’re missing anything.

8. The chosen one

The hero foretold by prophecy to save the world is a cool storyline, but the problem is it’s been done, and done. If a hero saves the world because they were always supposed to, then their achievement doesn't mean as much and it isn't as suspenseful. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with prophecy, but it has to be done well.

9. Love at first sight 

Disney has ruined love at first sight. Now readers want to understand why these characters are in love beyond the initial attraction. We want to know why they love each other and watch their relationship develop.

10. Bad guy had a tough life 

Writers want to show how the bad guy became evil, but a rough life isn’t reason enough. It might be a contributing factor, but we have to show their motivation too. Why are they doing what they are?

11. Stereotyping 

Diversity in books is sometimes hard, but in fantasy, the native helper or noble savage is getting old. If an author wants to show more races, they need to be added more creatively than that. It’s the same when creating another race, there’s no reason to describe them exactly like the Chinese, but call them something else. (Some authors do this for animals too, describe a dog, but call it a plat or whatever.)

12. Unrealistic injuries

Humans are surprisingly frail creatures. If your character is a normal human, they need to have all the strengths and weaknesses of a human. They can’t survive multiple gunshots and sword stabs. Knocking a character unconscious is a good way to get them somewhere else mysteriously, but they’d probably need a hospital for the concussion.

13. Best friend saves the day

The hero needs to be the hero in the end. They can’t be saved by someone else. (Unless it is obvious your narrator isn’t the hero, like Sherlock’s Watson.)

14. One dimensional characters

The good guy is always nice, always happy, and the bad guy is always mean. The woman warrior is always touch and not at all girly. Cut out people feel like characters not people. Real people are complicated and messy with depth and conflicting emotions. These cut out people only represent one side of a person, but we all have more than one face.

15. Static characters

Just like characters have to be complex, they should change after they go through an experience. (Not always for the better) A happy go lucky joking goofball wouldn’t still be all happy if one of his parents dies tragically. We are changed by our experiences and the people we meet. Little kids grow up and mature. Characters need to grow too.

I call them guidelines for a reason, and next week I’ll show examples of when it’s okay to break the rules. I tried to include all that I could think of. Please let me know if you can think of something important that I missed.

What do you think is the most important rule not to break?

Mine would have to be flat characters. The characters make the story and if I don’t care about them, then I don’t care about what happens to them.

 

 

 

Chapter Titles ~ Teasers, but not spoilers.

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This week’s topic is brought to you by Doctor Who, proving that you can find inspiration anywhere you look.

(In the future River Song will write a book, but the Doctor and company can’t read ahead, because if you know something is going to happen in the future, you insure that it will.)

Amy Pond: “But if River’s going to write that book she’d make it useful, yeah?”

River Song: “Well I’ll certainly try. But we can’t read ahead, it’s too dangerous.”

Amy Pond: “I know, but there must be something we can look at.”

The Doctor: “What, a page of handy hints? Previews, spoiler-free.”

Amy Pond: “Chapter titles.”

So many books right now only number the chapters, but I find that rather boring, so I’ve been naming mine. Right now, the titles are only to help me navigate my novel, but I’m trying to make them more into teasers for the chapter. (The way TV show writers do for episode titles.)

I don’t want to spoil anything with my chapter titles, because that’s often the first thing I read when I pick up a book. It’s not easy coming up with sixty clever phrases, (fun though) and if I do my job right, just reading the chapters will make people want to read my book. (At least that’s what I’m hoping.)

Chapter titles are also a good opportunity to show the voice of a novel. Is the book humorous? This is a good place to show that off.

My first chapter is called Born of two worlds. (One down, fifty-nine more to name.)

Do you name your chapters or just use numbers? Which do you prefer while reading?

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Chapter Titles ~ Teasers, but not spoilers.

This week’s topic is brought to you by Doctor Who, proving that you can find inspiration anywhere you look.

(In the future River Song will write a book, but the Doctor and company can’t read ahead, because if you know something is going to happen in the future, you insure that it will.)

Amy Pond: “But if River's going to write that book she'd make it useful, yeah?”

River Song: “Well I'll certainly try. But we can't read ahead, it's too dangerous.”

Amy Pond: “I know, but there must be something we can look at.”

The Doctor: “What, a page of handy hints? Previews, spoiler-free.”

Amy Pond: “Chapter titles.”

So many books right now only number the chapters, but I find that rather boring, so I’ve been naming mine. Right now, the titles are only to help me navigate my novel, but I’m trying to make them more into teasers for the chapter. (The way TV show writers do for episode titles.)

I don’t want to spoil anything with my chapter titles, because that's often the first thing I read when I pick up a book. It’s not easy coming up with sixty clever phrases, (fun though) and if I do my job right, just reading the chapters will make people want to read my book. (At least that’s what I’m hoping.)

Chapter titles are also a good opportunity to show the voice of a novel. Is the book humorous? This is a good place to show that off.

My first chapter is called Born of two worlds. (One down, fifty-nine more to name.)

Do you name your chapters or just use numbers? Which do you prefer while reading?