Review: Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

 Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf?
Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.
Ismae’s most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?

I have a love/hate relationship with historical fictions because a lot of them contain too much romance for me. I went into this book expecting a lot of kick butt assassin action happening and that’s exactly what I received. Of course there was a little romance to the novel, but I think it added to the story.

I liked how the book began with telling how Ismae came to live and be trained at the convent. There was a lot of world building and I loved how I got to read about Ismae’s relations with her fellow “sisters” and St. Mortain. Ismae was a character I could really relate to because she didn’t want a man to rule her life and she knew what she wanted to do and how she wanted to do it. All through Grave Mercy, Ismae is finding her true self and understanding what it is to be a handmaiden of death.  Two other characters I loved that were different were Annith and Sybella. The other two books in this series are actually about them and I’m glad the author made/is making separate books for each of the girls because I want to know more about them.

I know I said the romance added to the novel, but it felt a bit rushed in the beginning. SPOIL ALERT!!! For example, Ismae mostly focused on her goals and almost hated Duval and then in the middle-end of the book she had a sudden realization that she loved him and then by the end they were wanting to be married.

Grave Mercy was a great start to a new series and I’m excited to read Dark Triumph which features Sybella’s story. If you enjoy historical fiction and/or stories with assassins, you will enjoy this. 4.5 stars!

Source: Bought

Stacking the Shelves

This week I bought The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson (already read and LOVED) and Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo (yay:)).

Waiting On Wednesday

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Cath is a Simon Snow fan.

Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan . . .

But for Cath, being a fan is her life — and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.

Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?

Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?

And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

Release Date: September 10th, 2013 from St. Martin's Press

Review: Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

 Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She's trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive.
Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.

Marissa Meyer is one of my favorite authors after reading Cinder and she’s still one of my favorites after devouring Scarlet. This is a book that will leave everyone anxiously awaiting the release of Cress and Winter. The story focused on a teen girl named Scarlet who’d grandmother has been kidnapped. With the help of a mysterious, strong man named Wolf, she faces many challenges to find her Grandmere. Although this book was mostly about Scarlet, there was still a lot of Cinder’s story in it too and it all intertwined.

I loved reading about Scarlet and her journey to Paris to find her grandmother. I admit I didn’t like her character at first because she was very bratty and headstrong, but I grew to like her. I enjoyed reading about her and Wolf’s relationship. It was a good kind of weird reading about them because their relationship grew really fast, but in a way it was also slow (if that makes any sense). One character that I absolutely hated (in a good way) was Queen Levana, my goodness I can’t wait for her to be defeated.

I liked the setting change and how the author made it so readers could explore a lot of Earth, not just the Eastern Commonwealth. In Scarlet, a lot of the story takes place in France which was a nice bit of cultural diversity. There was a new array of characters and a little bit of the book was about the old (well, a bunch was about Cinder).

I really liked this book and there wasn’t really anything I didn’t like except Scarlet at the beginning so this book gets 4 stars from me. This series is a must read, especially if you love retellings of fairytales. I cannot wait for Cress to come out next year.

Source: ALA Conference 2012

Review: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

 After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin. Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king's council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she'll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom.
Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she's bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it's the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.
Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another.
Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.

Guys. May I just state that this is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. Fer reals. Sarah J. Maas is officially my new author because of her fabulous writing, witty characters, and great stories. I loved following the journey of young assassin Celaena-it was exciting and there were always new twists and turns.

The description Maas put in this book was great. I understood what was happening and I literally couldn’t put the book down because it would’ve been like walking out of a theater when a fantastic movie was playing. I also liked the way the history of the world was described and I felt like I learned what I needed to about the setting and backstory. Here’s a little snippet of the first book:

The true test, however, would come at the end of the five minutes, when they were to drink from the goblet they deemed the most harmless. If they got the answer wrong…Even with antidotes on hand, it would be unpleasant. Celaena rolled her neck and lifted one of the goblets to her nose, sniffing. Sweet-too sweet…

My favorite character was the headstrong Celaena because she was a kick-butt independent heroine. Her remarks were full of humor and I truly felt connected to her character. Another favorite of mine was Nehemia, Princess of Eyllwe. One thing I haven’t seen in books recently are solid friendships that readers can relate to and I saw that in Throne of Glass between Celaena and Nehemia. The romance in this novel was terrifically subtle and I think that the love triangle in this novel will be refreshing to YA readers. 

This book is so great. Go out and buy it, now (you must own it!!) 

Check out the second book as well, coming out August 27th, 2013. You know you want to.

Books to Movies: !!!!

Most of these books that are becoming movies will probably be old news to some, but let me tell you how excited I am for these upcoming releases:
OOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMGGGGGG!!!!!!!

*Cat pictures do not belong to me unless stated so
                            Divergent by Veronica Roth

Guys. Shailene Woodley (Secret Life of an American Teenager) is playing Tris in this movie. I personally think she's perfect for the role and I can't wait to see this opening night. Also, Mr. Hottie McHot pants, Theo James (Underworld: Awakening) will be playing Four. He's British, 'nough said. Get excited. Very excited.

Synopsis:
In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue--Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is--she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.
During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are--and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
I really liked Vampire Academy and I'm kinda stoked to see it become a
movie. Actors like Sarah Hyland (Modern Family), Zoey Deutch  (Beautiful Creatures), and Danila Kozlovsky (a bunch of Russian movies; he's playing Dimitri...yum yum yum). It comes out next year so be ready. You're Welcome---------->

Synopsis:
St. Vladimir’s Academy isn’t just any boarding school—it’s a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They’ve been on the run, but now they’re being dragged back to St. Vladimir’s—the very place where they’re most in danger...
Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy’s ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world’s fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever.

                                      The Maze Runner by James Dashner

I absolutely loved this book and I'm so excited to hear that it'll be releasing early next year (February). I'm interested to see how they deal with the sets and effects, but I think the movie making people will do a great job! Dylan O'Brien (Teen Wolf) will be playing Thomas while Kaya Scodelario (Skins) will be playing Theresa. 

Synopsis:
 When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade—a large, open expanse surrounded by stone walls.
Just like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night they’ve closed tight. And every thirty days a new boy has been delivered in the lift.
Thomas was expected. But the next day, a girl is sent up—the first girl to ever arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers.
Thomas might be more important than he could ever guess. If only he could unlock the dark secrets buried within his mind.

Review: Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Tally’s adventures begin in Uglies, where she learns the truth about what life as a Pretty really means. She rebels against the surgery that will make her a Pretty, but ultimately succumbs. In Pretties, Tally has forgotten all about her Ugly life, and when she’s reminded, she has a hard time listening. And what little’s left of the old Tally is further compromised in Specials, because Tally has been transformed into a fierce fighting machine. But when she’s offered a chance to forever improve civilization, will she be able to overcome her brainwashing? The answer is evident years later in Extras, after the Pretty regime has ended. Boundless human creativity, new technologies, and old dangers have been unleashed upon the world. But fame and popularity can be just as dangerous as extreme beauty….

I first read this book about four years ago and remembered loving it and so I decided that since the boxed series was on sale on BN.com, I would buy the new covers and reread the series. Scott Westerfeld has been one of my favorite authors since I was thirteen and rereading this book made me want to get back into reading more. The characters were well developed over time and I felt like I got to know each one personally. I related myself more to Tally who teetered on the edge of abandoning what she's known all her life or staying within the nicely made lines of her society.

Westerfeld made this dystopian world believable and fun to read about because being pretty now is what it's all about for most people. It was interesting reading about how Uglies would call themselves and others ugly, fat, skinny, etc just because they grew up knowing that the Pretties were the best and eventually everyone would become one. I'm reading book number two right now and I can still say to this day that the Uglies series is one of my favorite young adult series because it makes sense (and that may not make sense to you, but just go along with it). The only thing I didn't really like was the romance because it happened so fast and it was one of those relationships where it hurt other people.
All in all, I loved this book and if you haven't read it already, you should probably read it right now or else you're bogus (fo reals).

Goodreads Link