Blog Tour Review: A Torch Against the Night

Author: Sabaa Tahir

Series: Ember in the Ashes, #2
Released: August 30th 2016

Publisher: Razorbill

Length: 452 pages

Source: Publisher for review

Buy: Amazon

Elias and Laia are running for their lives.
After the events of the Fourth Trial, Martial soldiers hunt the two fugitives as they flee the city of Serra and undertake a perilous journey through the heart of the Empire.
Laia is determined to break into Kauf - the Empire's most secure and dangerous prison - to save her brother, who is the key to the Scholars' survival. And Elias is determined to help Laia succeed, even if it means giving up his last chance at freedom.
But dark forces, human and otherworldly, work against Laia and Elias. The pair must fight every step of the way to outsmart their enemies: the bloodthirsty Emperor Marcus, the merciless Commandant, the sadistic Warden of Kauf, and, most heartbreaking of all, Helene - Elias's former friend and the Empire's newest Blood Shrike.
Bound to Marcus's will, Helene faces a torturous mission of her own - one that might destroy her: find the traitor Elias Veturius and the Scholar slave who helped him escape... and kill them both.

The thrilling, long-awaited sequel to An Ember in the Ashes is finally in our greedy little hands and it’s even better than we dared to hope. Beautifully written, emotionally exhausting, filled with pain and far too much heartbreak, A Torch Against the Night once again shows that Saba Tahir deserves all the praise she’s been getting. It is a bloody, painful and surprising work, a true challenge for readers and fans, but one that is worth every tear and all the hurt it causes.

Review: Rebellion

Author: J.A. Souders

Series: Elysium Chronicles, #3

Released: July 12th 2016

Publisher: Tor Teen

Length: 334 pages

Source: Publisher for review

Buy: Amazon

In this conclusion to J. A. Souders’s thrilling, twist-filled Elysium Chronicles series, Evie Winters and Gavin Hunter return to the isolated, dangerous underwater city that they fought so hard to escape.

Back in Elysium at last, Evie has finally found her true self hidden under layers and layers of false memories implanted by the woman she knew as Mother. Thanks to the intervention of her father, she knows the horrible truth about Mother and her insidious plans for her city. With the help of the love of her life, Gavin, and her best friend, Asher St. James, she’s determined to free her people from the cruel dictatorship of Mother’s laws. But how do you free people who don’t know they need rescuing?

Working with the growing Underground rebellion, Evie tries to remove Mother from her position by force—with disastrous results. As the body count rises, Evie must find a way to save Elysium before Mother destroys them all.

Almost three years have passed since the release of Revelations, the previous book in J. A. Souders’ Elysium chronicles trilogy, but loyal fans haven’t forgotten Evie, Gavin or Asher. Renegade gave us a chance to explore a gorgeous underwater view with a very dark side, and Revelations really developed our three main characters and set them on a dangerous path.

Review: An Ember in the Ashes

Author: Sabaa Tahir

Series:Ember in the Ashes, #1

Released: April 28th 2015

Publisher: Razorbill

Length: 446 pages

Source: Publisher for review

Buy: Amazon

Laia is a slave. Elias is a soldier. Neither is free.

 

Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear.

 

It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do.

 

But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy.

 

There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.

Often the most difficult books to review are those we love the most. How many superlatives can I possibly write before you grow bored and run off to read something else? It’s been a while since this reader felt the need to gush unashamedly, but today seems to be the day for it. Sabaa Tahir’s mesmerizing debut left me drowning in my own tears, wondering what on earth took me so long to read it.

Release Day Review: Bite

Author: K.S. Merbeth

Series: Standalone

Released: July 26th 2016

Publisher: Orbit

Length: 416 pages

Source: Publisher for review

Buy: Amazon

Kid is trying to survive in a world gone mad. 

Hungry, thirsty and alone in a desert wasteland, she's picked up on the side of the road by Wolf, Dolly, Tank and Pretty Boy - outlaws with big reputations and even bigger guns.

But as they journey across the wild together, Kid learns that her newfound crew may not be the heroes she was hoping for. And in a world that's lost its humanity, everyone has a bit of monster within them...

Bite, K. S. Merbeth’s entertaining debut, shines like the bright star it is as we follow a ragtag group of misfits with no sense of self-preservation and an unholy love of violence. Fans of post-apocalyptic movies like Mad Max will find plenty to love in this bloody debut. If you are bothered by severed body parts, you should perhaps skip this one, but if you are one of those readers who like to see their characters swimming in blood, this is an excellent choice for you.

Review: Stone Rider

Author: David Hofmeyr
Series: Stone Rider, #1
Released: July 14th 2015
Publisher: Delacorte
Length: 336 pages
Source: Publisher for review
Buy: Amazon

In the vein of The Outsiders and the early Western novels of Elmore Leonard, this inventive debut novel, a cross between the cult classic Mad Max movie series and Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, blends adrenaline-fueled action with an improbable yet tender romance to offer a rich and vivid portrayal of misfits and loners forced together in their struggle for a better life.

Adam Stone wants freedom and peace. He wants a chance to escape Blackwater, the dust-bowl desert town he grew up in. Most of all, he wants the beautiful Sadie Blood. Alongside Sadie and the dangerous outsider Kane, Adam will ride the Blackwater Trail in a brutal race that will test them all, body and soul. Only the strongest will survive.

The prize? A one-way ticket to Sky-Base and unimaginable luxury.

And for a chance at this new life, Adam will risk everything. 

I find the distinction between boy books and girl books to be discriminatory and a tiny bit offensive, and yet Stone Rider undeniably aims towards young adult boys as its intended audience. Heavy on the action, violence and technical description and very light on any kind of emotional development, it often reads as a videogame on paper. But by no means is it a bad thing – whatever it tries to do, this book does exceptionally well, and the end result is an unusually written story that has a lot to offer to its readers.

Review: Revolution

Author: Jenna Black
Series: Replica, #3
Released: November 11th 2014
Publisher: Tor Teen
Length: 400 pages
Source: Publisher for review
Buy: Amazon

Nadia Lake and Nate Hayes find themselves at the center of a horrifying conspiracy in this action-packed finale of Jenna Black’s SF romance series that began with Replica

From the author of the Faeriewalker series comes the stunning conclusion to the young adult science fiction thriller series that began with Replica and continued in Resistance.

At the conclusion of Resistance, Nadia Lake and the Replica of her best friend, Nate Hayes, found themselves at the center of a horrifying conspiracy. Framed for murder and wanted by the government, they have no choice but to go underground and seek refuge in the dangerous, gang-ridden slums of the Basement. 

Jenna Black brings readers an action-packed final installment that will have them racing to the finish. 

Saying goodbye to dear characters is never easy, but when they’ve been through hell and back in the time you’ve spent with them, it’s even harder to let them go. My time with Nadia, Nate, Bishop, Agnes and Dante was exciting and wonderful, and I'll gladly join them again if Jenna Black ever decides to revisit them.

Review: The Stars Never Rise

Author: Rachel Vincent
Series: Untitled, #1
Released: June 18th 2015
Publisher: Mira INK
Length: 384 pages
Source: Publisher for review
Buy: The Book Depository

There’s no turning back…

In the town of New Temperance, souls are in short supply and Nina should be worrying about protecting hers. Yet she’s too busy trying to keep her sister Mellie safe.

When Nina discovers that Mellie is keeping a secret that threatens their existence, she’ll do anything to protect her. Because in New Temperance, sins are prosecuted as crimes by the brutal church.

To keep them both alive, Nina will need to trust Finn, a mysterious fugitive who has already saved her life once. Wanted by the church and hunted by dark forces, Nina knows she needs Finn and his group of rogue friends.

But what do they need from her in return?

A blend of futuristic dystopia and urban fantasy, The Stars Never Rise follows in the famous footsteps of Downside Ghosts and Kate Daniels, at least genre-wise. In her new series, as of yet untitled, Vincent takes us to a world of demon possessions and fallen governments, where souls are a hot commodity and terrified people are ruled by the Church’s iron fist.

Audiobook Review: The Hit

Author: Delilah S. Dawson
Narrator: Rebekkah Ross
Series: The Hit, #1
Released: April 15th 2015
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Length: 7 hrs and 55 mins
Source: Publisher for review
Buy: Audible

NO ONE READS THE FINE PRINT.

The good news is that the USA is finally out of debt. The bad news is that we were bought out by Valor National Bank, and debtors are the new big game, thanks to a tricky little clause hidden deep in the fine print of a credit card application. Now, after a swift and silent takeover that leaves 9-1-1 calls going through to Valor voicemail, they’re unleashing a wave of anarchy across the country.

Patsy didn’t have much of a choice. When the suits showed up at her house threatening to kill her mother then and there for outstanding debt unless Patsy agreed to be an indentured assassin, what was she supposed to do? Let her own mother die?

Patsy is forced to take on a five-day mission to complete a hit list of ten names. Each name on Patsy's list has only three choices: pay the debt on the spot, agree to work as a bounty hunter, or die. And Patsy has to kill them personally, or else her mom takes a bullet of her own.

Since yarn bombing is the only rebellion in Patsy's past, she’s horrified and overwhelmed, especially as she realizes that most of the ten people on her list aren't strangers. Things get even more complicated when a moment of mercy lands her with a sidekick: a hot rich kid named Wyatt whose brother is the last name on Patsy's list. The two share an intense chemistry even as every tick of the clock draws them closer to an impossible choice.

Delilah S. Dawson offers an absorbing, frightening glimpse at a reality just steps away from ours—a taut, suspenseful thriller that absolutely mesmerizes from start to finish. 

Delilah S. Dawson is an author whose previous work I thoroughly enjoyed. Her adult paranormal romance series fought through my PNR allergies thanks to Ann Aguirre’s wholehearted recommendation, so when Delilah started writing in a genre I actually enjoy, I was over the moon. Her first YA book, Servants of the Storm, certainly had its problems, but it was delightfully creepy overall and I really enjoyed the tone. Hit is a very different book, with a very different dynamic, although no less spine-chilling.

Audiobook Review: End of Days

Author: Susan Ee
Narrator: Caitlin Davies
Series: Penryn & the End of Days, #3
Released: May 12th 2014
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Length: 8 hrs and 43 mins
Buy: Audible

End of Days is the explosive conclusion to Susan Ee's bestselling Penryn & the End of Days trilogy. After a daring escape from the angels, Penryn and Raffe are on the run. They're both desperate to find a doctor who can reverse the twisted changes inflicted by the angels on Raffe and Penryn's sister. As they set off in search of answers, a startling revelation about Raffe's past unleashes dark forces that threaten them all.

When the angels release an apocalyptic nightmare onto humans, both sides are set on a path toward war. As unlikely alliances form and strategies shift, who will emerge victorious? Forced to pick sides in the fight for control of the earthly realm, Raffe and Penryn must choose: Their own kind, or each other?

End of Days is the conclusion we’ve all been anxiously waiting to read since early 2011, when Susan Ee first released what was to become a self-published sensation. Angelfall was quite a surprise for readers and publishers alike and luckily, the quality was recognized on all sides. But if Angelfall was a huge success, the book that followed, World After, was an even bigger hit. Not only did Ee manage to reach the same level of excellence, she somehow doubled the excitement and our own emotional investment.

Review: The Glass Arrow

Author: Kristen Simmons
Series: Standalone
Released: February 10th 2015
Publisher: TorTeen
Length: 320 pages
Source: Publisher for review
Buy: Amazon

The Handmaid’s Tale meets Blood Red Road in Glass Arrow, the story of Aya, who lives with a small group of women on the run from the men who hunt them, men who want to auction off breeding rights to the highest bidder.

In a world where females are scarce and are hunted, then bought and sold at market for their breeding rights, 15-year old Aya has learned how to hide. With a ragtag bunch of other women and girls, she has successfully avoided capture and eked out a nomadic but free existence in the mountains. But when Aya’s luck runs out and she’s caught by a group of businessmen on a hunting expedition, fighting to survive takes on a whole new meaning.

For some reason, I was quite sure The Glass Arrow would be a fantasy book. The cover certainly points that way, and although I should not have assumed, I was still surprised to find a complex dystopia instead of the fantasy novel I was hoping for.

Review: Savage Drift

Author: Emmy Laybourne
Series: Monument 14, #3
Released: May 1st 2014
Publisher: Hodder Children's
Lenght: 320 pages
Source: Publisher for review
Buy:Amazon

The stunningly fierce conclusion to Emmy Laybourne's Monument 14 trilogy.

The survivors of the Monument 14 have finally made it to the safety of a Canadian refugee camp. Dean and Alex are cautiously starting to hope that a happy ending might be possible.

But for Josie, separated from the group and trapped in a brutal prison camp for exposed Type Os, things have gone from bad to worse. Traumatized by her experiences, she has given up all hope of rescue or safety.

Meanwhile, scared by the government's unusual interest in her pregnancy, Astrid (with her two protectors, Dean and Jake in tow) joins Niko on his desperate quest to be reunited with his lost love Josie.

Author Emmy Laybourne reaches new heights of tension and romance in this action-packed conclusion to the Monument 14 trilogy.

As hard as it is to say goodbye to a beloved trilogy (and it seems we’ve been doing it quite often lately) the Monument kids have certainly earned their happy ending. Although it’s not without its problems, Savage Drift is a worthy conclusion to Laybourne’s post-apocalyptic work, a book that inspires both admiration and a healthy dose of introspection.

Review: Nice Dragons Finish Last

Author: Rachel Aaron
Series: Heartstrikers, #1
Published: July 15th 2014
Publisher: Rachel Aaron
Format: ebook, 315 pages
Buy: Amazon

As the smallest dragon in the Heartstriker clan, Julius survives by a simple code: keep quiet, don’t cause trouble, and stay out of the way of bigger dragons. But this meek behavior doesn't fly in a family of ambitious magical predators, and his mother, Bethesda the Heartstriker, has finally reached the end of her patience. 

Now, sealed in human form and banished to the DFZ--a vertical metropolis built on the ruins of Old Detroit--Julius has one month to prove that he can be a ruthless dragon or kiss his true shape goodbye forever. But in a city of modern mages and vengeful spirits where dragons are considered monsters to be exterminated, he’s going to need some serious help to survive this test. 

He only hopes humans are more trustworthy than dragons...

When this book first came my way, I didn’t recognize the name Rachel Aaron and was surprised when a friend talked about her like she’s someone I’m supposed to be very familiar with. The joke’s on me though, guys, because Rachel Aaron is Rachel Bach, author of the Paradox trilogy, published by Orbit, which I’m currently enjoying in audio format.

Review: Meridian (Arclight, #2)

Author: Josin L. McQuein
Series: Arclight, #2
Published: May 27th 2014
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Format: Hardcover, 458 pgs
Source: Publisher for review
Buy: Amazon

Marina thought that she had solved all of the Arclight’s mysteries. She had found her own history—that she was one of the Fade, that she never should have been human. She knows that the Fade who surround the Arclight don’t want to be the humans' enemies at all. She knows that the leader of those inside the Arc, Honoria Whit, never told the whole truth. But there is so much more that Marina is just discovering. There are more survivors out there. Only Marina—and her friends, all of whom have connections to the Fade they'd never known about—can lead her people to them. But there are also darker dangers, things that even the Fade fear. And Marina slowly realizes she may never have been “cured,” after all. The sequel to Arclight, Meridian is an intense, action-packed page-turner about the lines we draw between right and wrong, light and dark . . . and the way nothing is ever that black and white.

Meridian resumes where Arclight left of, with a newly established, fragile peace between humans and Fade and with Marina right in the middle of things as an ambassador of sorts. However, it is a weaker book than its predecessor, somewhat aimless and heavily burdened by the infamous middle book syndrome.

Meridian’s biggest flaw is that it doesn’t have a clear story arc. It’s a series of fast-paced events that can (and often do) become extremely confusing. However, even with all those random, loosely connected events, not much actually happens in this book. There are so many characters to keep track of in this claustrophobic world, and the amount of information we get on each page is quite overwhelming, but the actual story is insubstantial at best.

Splitting the novel between Marina’s and Tobin’s points of view was certainly part of the problem. For one, their voices were far too similar, so much so that I had a hard time telling them apart. What’s more, two perspectives made the narrative seem choppy and disorganized, which certainly didn’t work in McQuein’s favor.

What did work in her favor was the new enemy she introduced. McQuein is surpassingly good at writing extremely creepy scenes. The new enemy of humans and Fade alike is absolutely terrifying.

The romantic situation wasn’t my favorite at all. Marina’s Fade self, Cherish, has strong feelings for the Fade boy Rue, while Marina still feels plenty for Tobin. It’s more than just a love triangle, it’s a torturous mess with seemingly no light at the end of the tunnel. And yet, the whole thing doesn’t really go anywhere, not in this book at least. It’s an awkward, mostly silent tug of war between Rue and Tobin, with Marina (or Cherish) as the prize.

I was quite ready to hate Rue for the disruption of our “first” romance (which, if you think about it, really wasn’t first at all), but that boy is all sweetness and self-sacrifice, completely impossible to hate. In fact, I find myself far more interested in his story and other good Fade, than Marina and her human friends and enemies.

I’m still hoping for a satisfying conclusion to all this, although I’m not even sure how I want it to end. I suppose I’ll just relax and wait for the next book to come out.

A copy of this book was kindly provided by the publisher for review purposes. No consideration, monetary or otherwise, has influenced the opinion expressed in this review.

Review: Rebel (Reboot, #2)

Author: Amy Tintera
Series: Reboot, #2
Published: May 13th 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen
Format: Hardcover, 352 pgs
Source: Publisher for review
Buy: The Book Depository

The sequel to the action-packed Reboot is a can't-miss thrill ride, perfect for fans of James Patterson, Veronica Roth, and Marie Lu.

After coming back from death as Reboots and being trained by HARC as soldiers, Wren and Callum have finally escaped north, where they hope to find a life of freedom. But when they arrive at the Reboot Reservation, it isn't what they expected. Under the rule of a bloodthirsty leader, Micah, the Reboots are about to wage an all-out war on the humans. Although Wren's instincts are telling her to set off into the wilderness on their own and leave the battle far behind, Callum is unwilling to let his human family be murdered. When Micah commits the ultimate betrayal, the choice is made for them. But Micah has also made a fatal mistake . . . he's underestimated Wren and Callum.

The explosive finale to the Reboot duology is full of riveting action and steamy love scenes as Wren and Callum become rebels against their own kind.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: long live Amy Tintera! If you enjoyed her debut last year, you are going to love the sequel. Rebel is absolutely thrilling: the rapid pacing and impressive character development are just two of the things that make Tintera’s sophomore novel an absolute success.

Rebel is unputdownable from start to finish: strong plot, moral dilemmas and the wonderfully mature romance all perfectly entwined to create a breathlessly exciting read. While Reboot was excellent in so many ways that are difficult to repeat, Rebel has its advantages too: it happens, for one, in an already established, strongly built world, which allows for excellent character growth and gives us time to examine the moral and psychological repercussions of Wren’s life before Callum. At the same time, Tintera neatly takes Callum off his throne of non-violent sainthood and gives him time to open his eyes and adjust his idealistic nature and his actual circumstances.

There was never any reason to doubt Wren and Callum’s feelings for each other (though Wren’s feelings in general were questionable for a time), but it was clear from the start that theirs was not a relationship of equals. In the attempt to hold on to his humanity, Callum was always perfectly happy to keep his hands and conscience clean and leave all the decisions and the necessary violence to Wren. This lack of balance wasn’t as obvious in Reboot, when Callum’s aforementioned humanity was essential for waking Wren up. In Rebel, however, their different ways of thinking and Callum’s readiness to step aside and allow Wren to handle things become a serious problem.

However, fear not: this rift between them isn’t unnecessarily dramatic or unrealistic. Quite the contrary, Tintera allows them to find their balance slowly, in a way that becomes relevant not only to their relationship, but to the overall plot as well. While they were running for their lives, there simply wasn’t time to note all the disparities between them, but in Rebel, they slowly work their way around them.

That’s not to say that Rebel is a slow book. It is, perhaps, even more tense than Reboot and there’s plenty of action to keep everyone happy. No middle book syndrome for Amy Tintera; I doubt she knows the meaning of those words.
There’s really not much to say except brava, Ms. Tintera. My hat’s off to you.

A copy of this book was kindly provided by the publisher for review purposes. No considerations, monetary or otherwise, have influenced the opinions expressed in this review.

Review: Sunrise (Ashfall, #3)

Author: Mike Mullin
Series: Ashfall, #3
Released: April 15th 2014
Publisher: Tanglewood Press
Format: Hardcover, 466 pgs
Source: Publisher for review
Buy: Amazon

The Yellowstone supervolcano nearly wiped out the human race. Now, almost a year after the eruption, the survivors seem determined to finish the job. Communities wage war on each other, gangs of cannibals roam the countryside, and what little government survived the eruption has collapsed completely. The ham radio has gone silent. Sickness, cold, and starvation are the survivors' constant companions.

When it becomes apparent that their home is no longer safe and adults are not facing the stark realities, Alex and Darla must create a community that can survive the ongoing disaster, an almost impossible task requiring even more guts and more smarts than ever — and unthinkable sacrifice. If they fail . . . they, their loved ones, and the few remaining survivors will perish.

This epic finale has the heart of Ashfall, the action of Ashen Winter, and a depth all its own, examining questions of responsibility and bravery, civilization and society, illuminated by the story of an unshakable love that transcends a post-apocalyptic world and even life itself.

Ashfall, Ashen Winter and Sunrise are, in that order: the good book, the better book, and the best book by far. In this final installment, Mullin shows a level of maturity that was beyond him in the previous two books, and proves to us that – while his characters slowly developed and grew – he was also busy becoming a much better writer.

I was not among those readers who fell madly in love with Ashfall. While I liked the story and even enjoyed Alex’s voice, I felt that the faulty pacing was impossible to ignore. A year later, the same thing happened with Ashen Winter. While I enjoyed the characters and the overall darkness of the story, I struggled with the lack of oscillations in the pacing.

Sunrise is a whole different ballgame. It is long, it is slow, it is, at times, excruciatingly detailed. But it is also a well-rounded book, a complete work that functions perfectly in its entirety. I’ve noticed reviewers complaining about the first half, but for me, the process Alex and Darla had to go through to find their place under the sun and rebuild was more than necessary. Through it all, Alex matured admirably, and his growth – both emotionally and within the community – made perfect sense to me. Darla, happy to stay in the background and be the moral support he desperately needs, followed him every step of the way.

And if we’re to be perfectly honest here (which we always try to be), the Ashfall series was always pretty much Darla’s show. She was the supporting pillar and she carried this whole thing on her back, until the very end. While she did seem idealized at times, no one can resist a true hero, especially in the shape of a thin teenage girl.

There were more than a few surprises in this book, unexpected, unwanted and very painful. But each and every one served a specific purpose, and they all led to a very satisfactory ending.

Bravo, Mr. Mullin. I wonder what you’ll give us next.

A copy of this book was kindly provided by the publisher for review purposes. No considerations, monetary or otherwise, have influenced  the opinions expressed in this review.

Audiobook Review: Ignite Me (Shatter Me, #3)

Author: Tahereh Mafi
Narrator: Kate Simses
Series: Shatter Me, #3
Published: February 4th 2014
Publisher: Harper Audio
Lenght: 9 hrs and 50 mins
Buy: Audible

The heart-stopping conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Shatter Me series, which Ransom Riggs, bestselling author of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, called "a thrilling, high-stakes saga of self-discovery and forbidden love."

With Omega Point destroyed, Juliette doesn't know if the rebels, her friends, or even Adam are alive. But that won't keep her from trying to take down The Reestablishment once and for all. Now she must rely on Warner, the handsome commander of Sector 45. The one person she never thought she could trust. The same person who saved her life. He promises to help Juliette master her powers and save their dying world . . . but that's not all he wants with her.

The Shatter Me series is perfect for fans who crave action-packed young adult novels with tantalizing romance like Divergent by Veronica Roth,The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, and Legend by Marie Lu. Tahereh Mafi has created a captivating and original story that combines the best of dystopian and paranormal, and was praised by Publishers Weekly as "a gripping read from an author who's not afraid to take risks." Now this final book brings the series to a shocking and satisfying end.

I’ve always considered Shatter Me to be a work of art. Don’t get me wrong, every book is supposed to be art to some degree, but nowadays, that simply doesn’t stand true anymore. Maggie Stiefvater creates art. So does Brenna Yovanoff. Although I don’t much care for her writing, Laini Taylor is an artist as well. It is the difference between writing your story for your readers, and unleashing your authorial voice because the story threatens to burst out of you, regardless of who might read it sometime down the line.

When Tahereh Mafi first thought “screw the conventions”, she crossed that line boldly. And in Shatter Me, it was clear in the way she stayed true to Juliette’s voice, her mental condition and her traumas. She never wavered, even when Juliette’s narration became downright nonsensical, she never once toned it down. As the story progressed and Juliette changed and grew, her thoughts became less scattered and her metaphors less elusive. In Ignite Me, there are hints of the old Juliette, but Tahereh’s writing unfailingly reflects these changes at all times. Even more firmly structured, her prose is a thing of beauty, woven carefully like finest filigree work.

Like its two predecessors, Ignite Me isn’t just about the romantic relationships, no matter how wonderful and complicated they may be. It is also about strong friendships, new friendships, tentative friendships, broken bonds and violated trust. Emotions are one thing Tahereh’s books never lack, and if not careful, the reader can easily drown in everything her characters feel.

I’ve had the pleasure of listening to Kate Simses narrate Matched and Crossed by Ally Condie so I wasn’t unfamiliar with her voice. It is tender, almost shy, but confident if need be, and as such, it was perfect for Cassia. But for Juliette, I needed more strength, and while Simses did everything right and her voice characterization was excellent, the timbre of her voice was simply wrong for this story. I will gladly pick up something else narrated by her, but I do think she was the wrong choice for this trilogy.

It’s true that Ignite Me could have benefited from an epilogue. The last few chapters don’t feel like the end of this story, but rather the end of its first part, with so much more yet to come. Perhaps that’s the best way to end a trilogy, with the whole world still ahead of our heroes, not just the good parts, but dangers and pain as well. Looking back, I can appreciate the openness, the life that awaits them, but when I first finished it, I felt just a little bit cheated.

It’s always hard to say goodbye, but when you love a set of characters as much as I love Juliette and her friends, it becomes almost impossible. So I won’t. I own these books in every available format and I’ll surely revisit them many, many times.

Review: Uninvited (Uninvited, #1)

Author: Sophie Jordan
Series: Uninvited, #1
Published: January 28th 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen
Format: Hardcover, 384 pages
Source: Publisher for review
Buy: The Book Depository

The Scarlet Letter meets Minority Report in bestselling author Sophie Jordan's chilling new novel about a teenage girl who is ostracized when her genetic test proves she's destined to become a murderer.

When Davy Hamilton's tests come back positive for Homicidal Tendency Syndrome (HTS)-aka the kill gene-she loses everything. Her boyfriend ditches her, her parents are scared of her, and she can forget about her bright future at Juilliard. Davy doesn't feel any different, but genes don't lie. One day she will kill someone.

Only Sean, a fellow HTS carrier, can relate to her new life. Davy wants to trust him; maybe he's not as dangerous as he seems. Or maybe Davy is just as deadly.

The first in a two-book series, Uninvited tackles intriguing questions about free will, identity, and human nature. Steeped in New York Times bestselling author Sophie Jordan's trademark mix of gripping action and breathless romance, this suspenseful tale is perfect for fans of James Patterson, Michelle Hodkin, and Lisa McMann.

Considering my horrid experience with Firelight, Sophie Jordan’s YA paranormal project, I started Uninvited a bit wearily, honestly not expecting much. And yet, not even 50 pages in, I found myself wound so tightly I could barely breathe.

Jordan did an excellent job of building this mistrustful, terrified society. Parents turning on their children, boyfriends turning on their girlfriends, best friends turning on each other, for no reason other than two recessive genes combined. Fear and mass hysteria are worst enemies of mankind, and combined with the financial interests of some huge company, they make the most dangerous thing in the world.

The horrible injustice of it all burned my throat as I struggled to understand how an entire nation could become so close-minded and prejudiced in such a short period of time. How does one go from ‘innocent until proven guilty’ to ‘guilty simply for having the so called kill gene’? Are we really that easily manipulated? I’m afraid the answer to that question came to me just a bit too quickly, and it wasn’t one I wanted to believe.

Ostracized by her friends and completely abandoned by her formerly loving family, Davy suddenly finds herself completely alone in a world unknown. The rules she lived by for the first 17 years of her life no longer apply. One minute she is a former child prodigy, a well-loved and well-cared for girl, already accepted to Julliard, girlfriend of the most desirable boy in school, with her life all planned out – the next, she is no one, a person with no friends, no family, no name and no rights. She is fair game to every bully and predator out there, and the law is never on her side.

At the beginning, the author took a great risk by making Davy just as prejudiced as her peers, just as ready to judge and turn her back on someone without bothering to find out the first thing about them. She discriminated even while being discriminated against. However, the worse her situation got, the more she realized how unimportant outward signs of violence – forced upon those like her by the government – really are. Little by little, Davy changed the frame through which she viewed the world, and built herself into the person she needed to be to survive.

The strong philosophical undertones, the never-ending nature vs. nurture discussion, make Uninvited a much better book. This isn’t a story you’ll breeze through. If you pay enough attention, it will force you to consider things you’d rather not think about.

Thought-provoking and deeply disturbing, Uninvited is a perfect read for those who enjoy their dystopias with a slightly more realistic edge.

A copy of this book was kindly provided by the publisher for review purposes. No considerations, monetary or otherwise, have influenced the opinions expressed in this review.

Review: Into the Still Blue (Under the Never Sky, #3)

Author: Veronica Rossi
Series: Under the Never Sky, #3
Published: January 28th 2014
Publisher: HarperTeen
Format: Hardcover, 400 pgs
Source: Publisher for review
Buy: The Book Depository

Their love and their leadership have been tested. Now it's time for Perry and Aria to unite the Dwellers and the Outsiders in one last desperate attempt to bring balance to their world.

The race to the Still Blue has reached a stalemate. Aria and Perry are determined to find this last safe-haven from the Aether storms before Sable and Hess do-and they are just as determined to stay together.

Meanwhile, time is running out to rescue Cinder, who was abducted by Hess and Sable for his unique abilities. And when Roar returns to camp, he is so furious with Perry that he won't even look at him, and Perry begins to feel like they have already lost.

Out of options, Perry and Aria assemble a team to mount an impossible rescue mission-because Cinder isn't just the key to unlocking the Still Blue and their only hope for survival, he's also their friend. And in a dying world, the bonds between people are what matter most.

In this final book in her stunning Under the Never Sky trilogy, Veronica Rossi raises the stakes to their absolute limit and brings her epic love story to an unforgettable close.

The long-awaited, breathlessly anticipated final book in Veronica Rossi’s Under the Never Sky trilogy is finally here, but is it everything I’d hoped for? Not really. Rarely does a middle book end up being the strongest of a trilogy, but it’s been known to happen now and then, and it happened here. Through the Ever Night set the bar extremely high for this conclusion, and while Into the Still Blue reached significant heights, it stayed well below its predecessor.

The struggles and losses continue in this book – some more painful than others – but none have the impact of the loss we faced in Through the Ever Night. Looking back at the whole picture, I’ve come to realize that the intensity present in the first two books, the gripping fear and uncertainty of survival simply weren’t there now. If anything, Into the Still Blue was somewhat predictable, and while there were lives lost, I saw every death coming from a mile away.

How strange that I didn’t find Perry and Aria’s relationship convincing at all in this book! Perry held back too much, they each had their struggles and secrets and things they just didn’t discuss, and even when that changed, the closeness I’ve hoped for, the intimacy I’ve come to expect, was gone. It pains me to admit this, but there was something missing between them and as a couple, they lost at least some of their shine. That’s not to say that I didn’t appreciate the daring route Rossi took with Aria and Perry. They remain a favorite in so many things, most of all the complete lack of drama and/or love triangles between them. But while I liked the idea, the execution was somewhat lacking, and their previous chemistry was virtually non-existent.

Strangely enough, Aria and Roar’s friendship continued being the highlight of the series. That’s where I found the closeness I wanted to see in other relationships as well. While it was never more than a pure, honest friendship, I still felt more intimacy between them then I did between Perry and Aria. Aria found a perfect friend in Roar and he found the same in her. However, by far the most interesting and emotionally intense part of this book was Perry’s friendship with Roar. The pain, the guilt, the resentment, it all came crashing down on them both and they were tested unlike ever before.

Into the Still Blue would have benefited from a longer epilogue, a chance for fans to calmly say goodbye and close a book with a satisfied sigh. After all the pain and suffering we (and the characters) were put through, after all the tears for lives lost, I felt that we deserved something more, akin to what Melina Marchetta gave us in Quintana of Charyn or similar to what Ann Aguirre did with Horde. Here, the ending felt rushed and entirely insufficient, so here’s to hoping for another novella to make things right.

Despite feeling a bit underwhelmed by this conclusion, I’d never hesitate to recommend the trilogy to anyone who would listen. The quality of Rossi’s writing makes up for most things that went wrong, and these characters will certainly stay with me for a long time to come.

A copy of this book was kindly provided by the publisher for review purposes. No considerations, monetary or otherwise, have influenced the opinions expressed in this review.

Review: Pawn (The Blackcoat Rebellion, #1)

Author: Aimee Carter
Series: The Blackcoat Rebellion
Published: January 3rd 2014
Publisher: Mira INK
Format: Paperback, 304 pages
Source: Publisher for review
Buy: The Book Depository

For Kitty Doe, it seems like an easy choice. She can either spend her life as a III in misery, looked down upon by the higher ranks and forced to leave the people she loves, or she can become a VII and join the most powerful family in the country.
If she says yes, Kitty will be Masked—surgically transformed into Lila Hart, the Prime Minister’s niece, who died under mysterious circumstances. As a member of the Hart family, she will be famous. She will be adored. And for the first time, she will matter.
There’s only one catch. She must also stop the rebellion that Lila secretly fostered. The same one that got her killed…and one Kitty believes in. Faced with threats, conspiracies and a life that’s not her own, she must decide which path to choose—and learn how to become more than a pawn in a twisted game she’s only beginning to understand.

After a very rough beginning that almost made me abandon Pawn and never look back, Aimee Carter’s first foray into dystopian fiction turned out to be pretty decent after all. Even with a few significant flaws, it is an utterly absorbing read.

The rough beginning and the desperate choice Kitty was forced to make almost made her unredeemable in my eyes. There are very few things I find unforgivable, and Kitty came very close to making the biggest mistake of her life. Truth be told, it wasn’t the job she signed up to do that bothered me so much, it was the loving boyfriend she left behind, her overall attitude and lack of trying to find a different solution. I don’t take kindly to heroines who give up too easily, especially when they hurt other people in the process.

Fortunately, as the story progressed, Kitty miraculously discovered that she does in fact have a spine, and she learned to fight back, no matter the cost. Being thrown in the middle of a twisted family makes you or breaks you, I suppose, and Kitty turned out to be quite a fighter.

After being lead to believe that there was a strong love triangle in Pawn, I was thrilled when one didn’t truly develop. A mild attraction to Lila Heart’s gorgeous, competent and kind-hearted fiancé was more than understandable, but there was only ever one boy for Kitty, and it wasn’t Knox Creed. This is why one should never trust back cover descriptions – they are sensationalized and therefore misleading, and just as they can make a bad story sound interesting, they can make quality seem formulaic as well.

While I found Carter’s world interesting, her worldbuilding left a lot to be desired. No explanation was offered for how the Hearts came to power, and the infamous Elsewhere, where all the undesirables get sent, was never properly outlined. We caught one horrifying glimpse of it, but since it was constantly used to threaten Kitty into obedience, more details were definitely required. In addition, I find it hard to believe that Kitty’s dyslexia would go undiagnosed in a futuristic society. Considering her circumstances before she became Lila Heart, a treatment was highly unlikely, but surely her new “family”, with all their resources, would know what to do about it. Their doctors can make someone taller, and yet they can’t recognize a reading disorder.

Overall, however, I found Pawn to be a surprisingly good beginning to a new dystopian series. The person Kitty has become gives me much hope for the next installment, which I’ll be picking up the second it becomes available.

A copy of this book was kindly provided by the publisher for review purposes. No considerations, monetary or otherwise, have influenced the opinions expressed in this review.

Review: Sky on Fire (Monument 14, #2)

Author:  Emmy Laybourne
Series: Monument 14, #2
Published: November 7th 2013
Publisher: Hodder Children's
Format: Paperback, 288 pgs
Source: Publisher for review
Buy: The Book Depository

Trapped in a superstore by a series of escalating disasters, including a monster hailstorm and terrifying chemical weapons spill, brothers Dean and Alex learned how to survive and worked together with twelve other kids to build a refuge from the chaos. But then strangers appeared, destroying their fragile peace, and bringing both fresh disaster and a glimmer of hope.

Knowing that the chemical weapons saturating the air outside will turn him into a bloodthirsty rage monster, Dean decides to stay in the safety of the store with Astrid and some of the younger kids. But their sanctuary has already been breached once. . . .

Meanwhile, Alex, determined to find their parents, heads out into the darkness and devastation with Niko and some others in a recently repaired school bus. If they can get to Denver International Airport, they might be evacuated to safety. But the outside world is even worse than they expected. . .

There really aren’t that many post-apocalyptic trilogies I truly enjoy, but the raw realism of Laybourne’s apocalyptic vision, the sheer probability of it all, is what makes her series stand out in the sea of post-apocalyptic reads out there. The point of these books, I think, is to convince the readers they’re entirely possible, and with Monument 14, my mind was free of doubts from the start.

In Sky of Fire, our small group of young survivors split into two groups. The larger group, lead by Niko, decided to try to reach Denver International Airport by bus. The second group stayed behind, mostly because of their blood type and the danger they can easily become to others. The two brothers we’ve been following from the beginning, Alex and Dean, got separated, with Dean staying in the Monument shopping mall, and Alex leaving to seek help.

Things did not get easier for our group in this installment. If anything, Sky on Fire is darker and more violent than its predecessor – not that Laybourne ever shied away from harsh realities of a world in shambles. The difference is that by now, our teen survivors learned what they must do to survive, and their hands aren’t clean anymore. They are ready to threaten, drug or kill people in order to save themselves and their friends. In other words, they have adapted, even if they hate themselves for it.

While the addition of Alex’s point of view was absolutely necessary, being inside Dean’s head was far more enjoyable. There’s just something about Dean’s simple honesty that would melt even the hardest of hearts, and his love for Astrid, open and undemanding, no matter the circumstances, endeared him to me even further. Those who have read Monument 14 will remember that Astrid, Dean’s long-time crush, is pregnant with another boy’s baby, but our Dean takes it all in stride, willing to accept this and anything else she might throw his way, just to be with her.

Emmy Laybourne still excels at building characters, but her skill is somewhat less pronounced in this sequel, probably because of the rapid pacing. With so many things going on, it’s hard to focus on anyone except the POV characters. But while I felt a tiny bit detached from some of the secondary characters’ issues, I did get to know Dean even better and learned to appreciate him a lot more.

Sky on Fire has a nice, satisfactory ending with just enough issues left open to make me more than interested in reading the next book. Not every middle book has to end with a cliffhanger, and in fact, if it were up to me, I’d ban them from existence altogether. Thankfully, things like cliffhanger endings and middle book syndrome aren’t part of Emmy Laybourne’s repertoire.

A copy of this book was kindly provided by the publisher for review purposes. No considerations, monetary or otherwise, have influenced the opinions expressed in this review.