Waiting on Wednesday #137

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine which spotlights highly anticipated upcoming releases.

Title: Outrun the Wind

Author: Elizabeth Tammi

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, LGBTQ+

Publisher: Flux

Publication Dates: November 27, 2018

The Huntresses of Artemis must obey two rules: never disobey the goddess, and never fall in love. After being rescued from a harrowing life as an Oracle of Delphi, Kahina is glad to be a part of the Hunt; living among a group of female warriors gives her a chance to reclaim her strength, even while her prophetic powers linger. But when a routine mission goes awry, Kahina breaks the first rule in order to save the legendary huntress Atalanta.
To earn back Artemis’s favor, Kahina must complete a dangerous task in the kingdom of Arkadia— where the king’s daughter is revealed to be none other than Atalanta. Still reeling from her disastrous quest and her father’s insistence on marriage, Atalanta isn’t sure what to make of Kahina. As her connection to Atalanta deepens, Kahina finds herself in danger of breaking Artemis’ second rule.
She helps Atalanta devise a dangerous game to avoid marriage, and word spreads throughout Greece, attracting suitors willing to tempt fate to go up against Atalanta in a race for her hand. But when the men responsible for both the girls’ dark pasts arrive, the game turns deadly. 

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Why I'm waiting on Outrun the Wind this Wednesday: Greek mythology, LGBTQ+ rep, and strong female characters? Um, yes, what more could you ask for?! I'm so excited for this one -- I'm a total sucker for Greek mythology and I haven't read a book about it in a while! Plus, I've never really read a book about specifically about Artemis and her huntresses! I've always been fascinated by Artemis so hopefully we get lots of cool scenes and information about her.

Have you heard of Outrun the Wind? Are you excited about it? Ugh, I don't know how I'm going to wait two more months before I can read it. This is definitely one of those books that I'm going to have to go to the bookstore to get the day it releases!

What are you waiting on this Wednesday?

Waiting on Wednesday #136

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine which spotlights highly anticipated upcoming releases.

Title: A Curse So Dark and Lonely 

Author: Brigid Kemmerer 

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Retellings

Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's 

Publication Date: January 29, 2019 

Fall in love, break the curse.
It once seemed so easy to Prince Rhen, the heir to Emberfall. Cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year over and over, he knew he could be saved if a girl fell for him. But that was before he learned that at the end of each autumn, he would turn into a vicious beast hell-bent on destruction. That was before he destroyed his castle, his family, and every last shred of hope.
Nothing has ever been easy for Harper Lacy. With her father long gone, her mother dying, and her brother barely holding their family together while constantly underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy, she learned to be tough enough to survive. But when she tries to save someone else on the streets of Washington, DC, she’s instead somehow sucked into Rhen’s cursed world.
Break the curse, save the kingdom.
A prince? A monster? A curse? Harper doesn’t know where she is or what to believe. But as she spends time with Rhen in this enchanted land, she begins to understand what’s at stake. And as Rhen realizes Harper is not just another girl to charm, his hope comes flooding back. But powerful forces are standing against Emberfall . . . and it will take more than a broken curse to save Harper, Rhen, and his people from utter ruin. 

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Why I'm waiting on A Curse So Dark and Lonely this Wednesday: Ohhh my goodness, this sounds so good. I'm a total sucker for retellings and this one sounds so dark and atmospheric and lovely. Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorite Disney Princess movies and I'm always eager to see how people reshape it in retellings! I'm looking forward to picking this one up ASAP!

What is your favorite sort of retelling? I've been so excited to see all the unique and interesting retellings coming out recently -- seriously, I never get tired of them. If you have any suggestions for retellings, let me know in the comments below! 

What are you waiting on this Wednesday?

Review: Red Seas Under Red Skies

Title: Red Seas Under Red Skies 

Series: Gentleman Bastard #2 

Author: Scott Lynch 

Genre: Adult, Fantasy

Publisher: Del Rey 

Publication Date: July 31, 2007

Source: Bought

After a brutal battle with the underworld that nearly destroyed him, Locke Lamora and his trusted sidekick, Jean, fled the island city of their birth and landed on the exotic shores of Tal Verrar to nurse their wounds. But even at this westernmost edge of civilization, they can't rest for long---and they are soon back doing what they do best: stealing from the undeserving rich and pocketing the proceeds for themselves.
This time, however, they have targeted the grandest prize of all: the Sinspire, the most exclusive and heavily guarded gambling house in the world. Its nine floors attract the wealthiest clientele - and to rise to the top, one must impress with good credit, amusing behavior...and excruciatingly impeccable play. For there is one cardinal rule, enforced by Requin, the house's cold-blooded master: it is death to cheat at any game at the Sinspire.Brazenly undeterred, Locke and Jean have orchestrated an elaborate plan to lie, trick, and swindle their way up the nine floors...straight to Requin's teeming vault. Under the cloak of false identities, they meticulously make their climb - until they are closer to the spoils than ever.
But someone in Tal Verrar has uncovered the duo's secret. Someone from their past who has every intention of making the impudent criminals pay for their sins. Now it will take every ounce of cunning to save their mercenary souls. And even that may not be enough.

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I'm so in love with this series. I can't get enough of it. I've always been fairly hit or miss with adult fantasy but these books check all of my boxes and make me just want more and more. The Gentleman Bastard series is such a great mix of adventure, danger, humor, and amazing found family. I can't get enough of Locke and Jean and I'm already eager to continue on reading the third book!

This book is so massive and full of so many twists and turns, it's honestly a little hard to know what to talk about first. So, I'll just start with my absolute favorite part of this series: Locke and Jean. I love these two so much! Their entire history and relationship is so complex and layered and complicated and it's a pleasure to learn more about them throughout each book. I also loved that they stood by each other even when they absolutely wanted to rip each other's heads off. Jean and Locke definitely do not have the easiest relationship but they love each other fiercely and it just absolutely made the book for me. 

The world that Scott Lynch created is so vivid and expansive -- as a writer myself, I know how difficult it can be to world build and he has gone above and beyond. I can totally see the setting and I understand the customs. It's detailed and explained without being overwhelming or shoved in the reader's face. Honestly, I was taking notes on how to improve my own worldbuilding while reading because his is amazing. It was initially really exciting in this second book to see more of the world but so much of Red Seas Under Red Skies takes place on a boat in the middle of the ocean and I found myself missing the land and especially missing Camorr. 

On the boat, it began to feel a bit repetitive. I mean, don't get me wrong, a lot of really big and exciting things happen but, the thing is, it's such a long book that bit and exciting things can only take up so much of it. And so when they were stuck on a little boat, there just wasn't as many potential outside conflicts that could come in and spice things up. So a lot of the middle bit of the book was Jean and Locke getting used to sea life and doing chores on the boat. It was interesting at first but after a while, I just wanted back on dry land (much like Locke and Jean). 

But this was my only complaint about this book and it's a little one. For the most part, I absolutely enjoyed this. I loved jumping back into this world with Locke and Jean. It left me desperate for more and I've already started reading the third book (which is the last one currently published. PLEASE PUT OUT MORE!) 

“Difficult" and "impossible" are cousins often mistaken for one another, with very little in common.” 

        Four out of Five Teapots       

Waiting on Wednesday #134

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine which spotlights highly anticipated upcoming releases.

Title: The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein

Author: Kiersten White 

Genre: Young Adult, Retelling, Historical, Fantasy, Horror

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Publication Date: September 25, 2018

Elizabeth Lavenza hasn't had a proper meal in weeks. Her thin arms are covered with bruises from her "caregiver," and she is on the verge of being thrown into the streets . . . until she is brought to the home of Victor Frankenstein, an unsmiling, solitary boy who has everything--except a friend.
Victor is her escape from misery. Elizabeth does everything she can to make herself indispensable--and it works. She is taken in by the Frankenstein family and rewarded with a warm bed, delicious food, and dresses of the finest silk. Soon she and Victor are inseparable.
But her new life comes at a price. As the years pass, Elizabeth's survival depends on managing Victor's dangerous temper and entertaining his every whim, no matter how depraved. Behind her blue eyes and sweet smile lies the calculating heart of a girl determined to stay alive no matter the cost . . . as the world she knows is consumed by darkness. 

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Why I'm waiting on The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein this Wednesday: This book sounds freaking amazing. I've always loved Frankenstein retellings and this one sounds so unique and interesting. I love that it's about Elizabeth and I really like the sound of the conflict that arises between Elizabeth and Victor -- she sounds like such a strong character already, I can't wait to meet her!

Do you like Frankenstein retellings? What are some of your favorites? My favorite one I've read is called The Dark endeavor and I've heard almost nothing about it in the book community so I'm looking forward to reading another retelling that's being hyped up before I'll have people to talk with about it! 

What are you waiting on this Wednesday? 

Audiobook Review: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Title: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire 
Series: Harry Potter #4
Author: J.K. Rowling
Narrator: Jim Dale 
Publisher: Pottermore from J.K. Rowling
Publication Date: November 20, 2015 (first published July 8, 2000
Source: Audible Credit

"'There will be three tasks, spaced throughout the school year, and they will test the champions in many different ways...their magical prowess - their daring - their powers of deduction - and, of course, their ability to cope with danger.'"
The Triwizard Tournament is to be held at Hogwarts. Only wizards who are over seventeen are allowed to enter - but that doesn't stop Harry dreaming that he will win the competition. Then at Hallowe'en, when the Goblet of Fire makes its selection, Harry is amazed to find his name is one of those that the magical cup picks out. He will face death-defying tasks, dragons and Dark wizards, but with the help of his best friends, Ron and Hermione, he might just make it through - alive!
Listening Length: 21 hours and 12 minutes

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This was my first experience listening to an audiobook and I'm really surprised by how much I enjoyed it! I was worried going in that I wouldn't enjoy having someone else tell the story or that I would have trouble staying focused enough to listen to it. Luckily, I had no reason to worry -- this audiobook kept my attention. Having experienced this world in so many different ways (the original books, the illustrated editions, the movies, plays, etc), it was neat to have one more way to experience it. 

The story was, of course, still the same as it has been in all the other editions of the book. And, like always, it pulled me quickly into the world and the lives of these characters. I really love this book in the series -- this is the one that truly starts delving into the history of Voldemort and we see Harry face him for the first time since he was baby alone -- away from Hogwarts and without Ron and Hermione by his side. It's a pretty pivotal point in the series and as terrible as the events of the book are (lots and lots of murder), I love reading it and watching Harry grow and fight against Voldemort. 

Jim Dale did a great job with the narration -- I appreciate the effort he put into creating unique voices for all the characters. These different voices made it much easier to follow the story without the physical book in front of me. I also thought the overall pace he set was a good one. I was tempted to speed it up at first but ultimately decided to just stick with the normal speed. 

My only complaint as far as the narration goes were the sometimes strange pronunciation and emphasis of certain words. For one, he pronounced Voldemort without the "t" sound at the end. Maybe this is how you're supposed to say it but I've always pronounced the "t" and I'm fairly certain the movies did, too. So that was a little hard to get used to. He also occasionally pronounced "okay" strangely -- he was say it like "OOoo . . . kay". Like, it was just too long and strangely said for the situation it was being said in. It created a weird emphasis. 

Overall, this was a great first experience with audiobooks! I enjoyed listening to it while I was walking my dog or working out. I'm looking forward to listening to the other audiobooks in this series and trying others!

“If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.” 

Four* out of Five Teapots 

*The actual story will always be a solid five stars from me -- the four stars is specifically for this edition and the narration.

Review: The Lies of Locke Lamora

Title: The Lies of Locke Lamora 
Series: Gentleman Bastard #1 
Author: Scott Lynch 
Genre: Adult, Fantasy
Publisher: Del Rey 
Publication Date: June 26, 2003 (First published June 27, 2006)
Source: Bought

The Thorn of Camorr is said to be an unbeatable swordsman, a master thief, a ghost that walks through walls. Half the city believes him to be a legendary champion of the poor. The other half believe him to be a foolish myth. Nobody has it quite right.
Slightly built, unlucky in love, and barely competent with a sword, Locke Lamora is, much to his annoyance, the fabled Thorn. He certainly didn't invite the rumors that swirl around his exploits, which are actually confidence games of the most intricate sort. And while Locke does indeed steal from the rich (who else, pray tell, would be worth stealing from?), the poor never see a penny of it. All of Locke's gains are strictly for himself and his tight-knit band of thieves, the Gentlemen Bastards.
Locke and company are con artists in an age where con artistry, as we understand it, is a new and unknown style of crime. The less attention anyone pays to them, the better! But a deadly mystery has begun to haunt the ancient city of Camorr, and a clandestine war is threatening to tear the city's underworld, the only home the Gentlemen Bastards have ever known, to bloody shreds. Caught up in a murderous game, Locke and his friends will find both their loyalty and their ingenuity tested to the breaking point as they struggle to stay alive...

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I genuinely don't even know where to start this review. I can't express how much I absolutely love it. Going into it, I had almost no expectations -- I picked it up because one of my good friends and my favorite buddy reader wanted to read it! She definitely reads more adult fantasy books than I do so, while I trust her reading tastes, I expected not to like it as much as I would have liked a YA fantasy. 

BUT. 

I was totally wrong. I freaking fell in love with this book so hard. From the very first page, I was completely wrapped up in the world Scott Lynch created and was enamored with his characters. Locke Lamora certainly is an excellent thief because he 100% stole my heart (ba dum pss). But honestly, learning about Locke's history and seeing the way he grew throughout the book was amazing. He felt like a little puzzle I was desperate to figure out. Plus, he was just such a unique main character. I'm so used to reading about main characters who are strong and amazing at fighting but that wasn't Locke. His strengths lay in his smarts and his wit. I loved that about him. He was so funny and so clever -- I found myself consistently surprised and shocked while reading -- Locke was an unpredictable character which added so much excitement to my reading experience. 

Honestly, Scott Lynch, in general, did an amazing job of keeping me on my toes as I read. Several times throughout the novel, I found myself with my jaw on the ground because I'd just been absolutely turned around by the twists in it. Lynch definitely does not coddle his characters and he does not go easy on them. I felt the numerous threats looming over them throughout the story and loved being kept on my toes like that. 

I have so much I want to talk about in this review -- the other characters, like Jean, Calo, Galdo, Bug, and Chains. What an awesome cast of unique and three-dimensional characters. Even those who weren't in the book as frequently as Locke and Jean were written in a way that made me feel as though I had spent all 500+ pages with them. Each one made a place for themselves in my heart. 

I also want to talk briefly about the world -- we only saw such a small slice of this in this first book of the series but wow, what we did see was so vivid in detail. I can't wait to see where else the next books will take us!

This review is such a gushing mess and I've only expressed a fraction of the love I feel for this book. If you have any interest at all in fantasy books, I'd highly recommend reading this book. It's easily my favorite fantasy novel. Everything about it completely won me over -- the writing style, the world building, the surprising twists, the humor, and, of course, the characters.

“What kind of knife is this?” Locke held a rounded buttering utensil up for Chains’ inspection. “It’s all wrong. You couldn’t kill anyone with this.” 

Five out of Five Teapots

Waiting on Wednesday #132

Title: Enchantée
Author: Gita Trelease 
Genre: Young Adult, Historical, Fantasy 
Publisher: Flatiron/Macmillan 
Publication Date: February 5, 2019

Paris in 1789 is a labyrinth of twisted streets, filled with beggars, thieves, revolutionaries—and magicians...
When smallpox kills her parents, Camille Durbonne must find a way to provide for her frail, naive sister while managing her volatile brother. Relying on petty magic—la magie ordinaire—Camille painstakingly transforms scraps of metal into money to buy the food and medicine they need. But when the coins won’t hold their shape and her brother disappears with the family’s savings, Camille must pursue a richer, more dangerous mark: the glittering court of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.
With dark magic her mother forbade her to use, Camille transforms herself into the ‘Baroness de la Fontaine’ and is swept up into life at the Palace of Versailles, where aristocrats both fear and hunger for la magie. Though Camille's resentment of the rich is at at odds with the allure of glamour and excess, when she meets a handsome inventor she believes liberty and love may finally be possible.
But la magie has its costs. When a scheming courtier blackmails her and Lazare’s affections shift, Camille loses control of her secrets. Then revolution erupts, and she must choose—love or loyalty, democracy or aristocracy, reality or la magie—before Paris burns…
ENCHANTÉE is a thrilling YA historical fantasy that combines the decadence of Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette with the dangerous enchantments of Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell.

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Why I'm waiting on Enchantée this Wednesday: I'm absolutely obsessed with all things Paris. I've visited it once before and have always wanted to go back. The history of it especially interests me so I was so excited to learn about this book! I will definitely be making grabby hands at it until it finally releases!

I love books that make me feel like I'm in the story and the setting with the characters and I really hope this book makes me feel this way! I'm so looking forward to the world building and the descriptions. I've been planning a trip to Paris for some time in the next year so maybe I'll get this book and travel to Paris to read it! That would be a really amazing experience, actually -- I could go to all the different places that the book mentions and takes place at!

What book are you waiting on this Wednesday?

Review: A Court of Frost and Starlight

Title: A Court of Frost and Starlight 
Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses #3.1
Author: Sarah J. Maas 
Genre: New Adult, Fantasy, Romance 
Publisher: Bloomsbury YA 
Publication Date: May 1, 2018 
Source: Bought 

Hope warms the coldest night.
Feyre, Rhys, and their close-knit circle of friends are still busy rebuilding the Night Court and the vastly-changed world beyond. But Winter Solstice is finally near, and with it, a hard-earned reprieve.
Yet even the festive atmosphere can't keep the shadows of the past from looming. As Feyre navigates her first Winter Solstice as High Lady, she finds that those dearest to her have more wounds than she anticipated--scars that will have far-reaching impact on the future of their Court.

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I'm a happy little peach whenever I get to read a new Sarah J. Maas book. Her writing has inspired me so much as I've worked on my own writing and stories. A Court of Thorns and Roses has been one of my all-time favorite series since I read the first book and while I'm not a huge fan of novellas, I knew I would read this one when it was first announced! While I enjoyed spending time with these characters and in this world, it sort of felt like something was missing from this novella for me. 

Feyre, Rhysand, and the Inner Circle are so much fun to read about -- I love learning more about their history and seeing the way they all interact with each other. Sarah does an incredible job of creating and developing unique and dynamic relationships between each of them individually as well as a whole group. It felt like this novella was mostly spent just exploring these relationships further and setting things up for future novels in the story. We did get a couple of new perspectives -- I think it was Cassian and Mor, which I really enjoyed, though this did make the story feel a bit disjointed. As much as I love Cassian and Mor, their POVs felt a little forced in this and like they was just set up for future books. 

My biggest issue with this book was the lack of plot. This is a problem I tend to have with novellas just in general but I was a bit disappointed to see it happen with ACOFAS. Most of the story revolved around Feyre finding her own space in Velaris and preparing for the Winter Solstice. It just . . . felt like nothing very exciting happened? It was nice hanging out with the characters but it made me wonder exactly how necessary this novella was. I did set up for the next books a bit but I feel like the next books would've been fine without this one. 

While this wasn't amazing, I still had fun reading about these characters and this setting. I definitely don't think this is a super necessary read -- you could probably get through the series without reading this and you wouldn't really miss anything. If nothing else, it made me even more excited for the next actual novel in this series; it follows two characters (one in particular) that I absolutely love.

“Stars flickered around us, sweet darkness sweeping in. As if we were the only souls in a galaxy.” 

Four out of Five Teapots 

Waiting on Wednesday # 131

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine which spotlights highly anticipated upcoming releases.

Title: The Gilded Wolves 

Series: The Gilded Wolves #1 

Author: Roshani Chokshi 

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy 

Publisher: Wednesday Books 

Publication Date: January 15, 2019

Set in a darkly glamorous world The Gilded Wolves is full of mystery, decadence and dangerous but thrilling adventure.
Paris, 1889: The world is on the cusp of industry and power, and the Exposition Universelle has breathed new life into the streets and dredged up ancient secrets. In this city, no one keeps tabs on secrets better than treasure-hunter and wealthy hotelier, Séverin Montagnet-Alarie. But when the all-powerful society, the Order of Babel, seeks him out for help, Séverin is offered a treasure that he never imagined: his true inheritance. To find the ancient artifact the Order seeks, Séverin will need help from a band of experts:
An engineer with a debt to pay. A historian who can't yet go home. A dancer with a sinister past. And a brother in all but blood, who might care too much.
Together, they'll have to use their wits and knowledge to hunt the artifact through the dark and glittering heart of Paris. What they find might change the world, but only if they can stay alive. 

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Why I'm waiting on The Gilded Wolves this Wednesday: Hooooooly cow, it's like this book is made up of all my wildest dreams. Dark fantasy? Check. Mystery? Check. Paris? Double check. I'm going to need this book ASAP. 

(Also, how gorgeous is this cover?!)

Have you guys read anything by Roshani Chokshi? I haven't had the chance but I'm definitely going to be picking this one up as soon as I get the chance. I have no doubt that it will meet (and maybe exceed???) my expectations! 

What are you waiting on this Wednesday? Let me know in the comments below!

Review: To Kill A Kingdom

Title: To Kill A Kingdom 
Author: Alexandra Christo 
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Retelling 
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends 
Publication Date: March 6, 2018 
Source: Bought 

Princess Lira is siren royalty and the most lethal of them all. With the hearts of seventeen princes in her collection, she is revered across the sea. Until a twist of fate forces her to kill one of her own. To punish her daughter, the Sea Queen transforms Lira into the one thing they loathe most—a human. Robbed of her song, Lira has until the winter solstice to deliver Prince Elian’s heart to the Sea Queen or remain a human forever.
The ocean is the only place Prince Elian calls home, even though he is heir to the most powerful kingdom in the world. Hunting sirens is more than an unsavory hobby—it’s his calling. When he rescues a drowning woman in the ocean, she’s more than what she appears. She promises to help him find the key to destroying all of sirenkind for good—But can he trust her? And just how many deals will Elian have to barter to eliminate mankind’s greatest enemy?

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I'm such a sucker for dark fantasy books. Add in a dash of fairytale retelling, an enemies-to-lovers romance, and killer world building and I'm a goner. To Kill A Kingdom has all of this and more and it totally sucked me in. I'm a little sad that it's not a series, even though it ended so well. I just want more time in this world and with these characters. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Alexandra Christo will write more in this world, even if it doesn't necessarily follow these same characters. 

First -- the world! I can't rave about the setting, history, and lore of this world enough. I loved the concept of having a bunch of royal families who are all thought to have some sort of mystical/magical aspect/ability in their bloodline. I really wanted to learn more about all the other kingdoms and royal families; the ones we did learn about were just so cool. And the setting was just gorgeous in general -- the imagery had me wishing I could spend a couple months just going all throughout this world exploring it.  It feels like we only just scratched the surface of this world and I really would love another few books set here!

Okay, Lira and Elian are so, so amazing. I loved how their upbringings and positions mirrored each other while also contrasting each other. There was so much awesome in both their characters and a lot of that awesomeness stemmed from their flaws and their complexity. Neither were perfect (far from it, in fact) but their experiences and growth throughout the novel earned them a place in my heart. I loved watching their relationship develop as they were forced together time and time again. They were also both so stabby and murderous and I couldn't get enough of that. I love somewhat villainous and morally gray characters and these ones definitely fit the bill. While I would love to read more about them, I'm happy with the way both their stories were left. 

The only thing that kept this from being a five-star read for me was the rushed and somewhat chaotic ending. So much was happening at once and there were so many characters at play that it made it difficult to keep track of exactly what was going on and with who. But still, the majority of this book was absolutely amazing and the chaos of the end definitely didn't take much from it!

Overall, I'm so thrilled I picked up this book. I loved the world and the characters and I want more of all of it! My fingers are firmly crossed that we will get another book set in this world. It's such an interesting concept and one that we've only just started to explore. If you're a fan of fantasy books, retellings, and awesome romance subplots, I'd highly recommend picking To Kill A Kingdom up!

“They celebrate love as though it's power, even though it has killed far more humans than I ever have.” 

Four out of Five Teapots

Review: Children of Blood and Bone

Title: Children of Blood and Bone 
Series: Legacy of Orisha #1
Author: Tomi Adeyemi 
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publisher: Henry Holt Books for Young Readers 
Publication Date: March 6, 2018 
Source: Bought 

They killed my mother.
They took our magic.
They tried to bury us.
Now we rise.
Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zélie’s Reaper mother summoned forth souls.
But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope.
Now Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good.
Danger lurks in Orïsha, where snow leoponaires prowl and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zélie herself as she struggles to control her powers and her growing feelings for an enemy.

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You guys, this book was so good and I'm so happy it's getting all the recognition and praise it deserves. So many fantasy novels are all based in the same recycled worlds and this one felt so fresh and exciting -- I loved the history, the setting, and the magic systems. This fantasy novel makes me excited to see what other diverse and amazing stories will be released.

Children of Blood and Bone is told through three different point of views: Zélie, Amari, and Amari's brother, Inan. These characters were so interesting -- they were flawed, had unique backgrounds, and had to confront different obstacles throughout their journey. While they drove me crazy at times (particularly Zélie and Inan), I found myself rooting for them throughout the story. Also, I love Amari. Seriously, she was the character I was rooting for the most, the one that had me feeling all the feels. I want all her dreams to come true and for her to be happy for forever. As far as Zélie and Inan go . . . I was frustrated with them so often. Zélie kept making rash decisions that put people in danger and Inan was so wishy washy . . . I kept wanting him to have an independent thought and do what he wanted to do, rather than the people around him. 

The plot was fairly straightforward -- a quest in which the characters were working to retrieve something to save many people. I won't say much else because I don't want to spoil anything but I definitely enjoyed the main plotline in this. One thing that bothered me though was that there seemed to be so many side quests that took us away from the main story. I started getting frustrated and it made me take longer to read this than I wanted.

Overall, this novel was one that made me excited to read more like it. I'm hoping this will lead to more diverse and interesting fantasy books (and more diverse books in general). I'm also excited to see where this series goes -- the ending was a bit of a cliffhanger and I'm looking forward to getting answers to the questions I was left with!

“Courage does not always roar. Valor does not always shine.” 

Four out of Five Teapots

Review: The Girl in the Tower

Title: The Girl in the Tower 
Series: Winternight Trilogy #2
Author: Katherine Arden 
Genre: Fantasy, Historical, Fairy Tale
Publisher: Del Rey 
Publication Date: December 5, 2017
Source: Bought 

The magical adventure begun in The Bear and the Nightingale continues as brave Vasya, now a young woman, is forced to choose between marriage or life in a convent and instead flees her home—but soon finds herself called upon to help defend the city of Moscow when it comes under siege.
Orphaned and cast out as a witch by her village, Vasya’s options are few: resign herself to life in a convent, or allow her older sister to make her a match with a Moscovite prince. Both doom her to life in a tower, cut off from the vast world she longs to explore. So instead she chooses adventure, disguising herself as a boy and riding her horse into the woods. When a battle with some bandits who have been terrorizing the countryside earns her the admiration of the Grand Prince of Moscow, she must carefully guard the secret of her gender to remain in his good graces—even as she realizes his kingdom is under threat from mysterious forces only she will be able to stop.

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I honestly was pretty scared to read this book. After loving the first book -- The Bear and the Nightingale -- and loving it, I was worried that this one wouldn't live up to my high expectations. While I didn't fall in love with it like I did with TBatN, I still thoroughly enjoyed falling back into this world with these characters!

In this second book, the already lush and vivid world established in TBatN was expanded -- we saw a lot more of Russia and were given more details about the different conflicts occurring at the time. There were a lot of different threats surrounding Vasya and the people she was with -- one of these threats being the fact that no one in Moscow knew she was a woman. I'm generally a fan of this aspect in books and I was a fan of it in this one. Of course, it was frustrating and infuriating seeing the way Vasya was treated as a man versus how she was treated as a woman, but I think showing this injustice is important. 

The characters in this series are amazing. They have completely stolen my heart and I don't even want it back. I'm so inspired by Vasya's resilience and strength. She's so unapologetically herself and, honestly, I wanna be like her when I grow up! And then we have Morozko, the love of my life. I need more of him in these books. Seriously, I do. He's such an interesting character and I love the mythology surrounding him and the magic. I'm really, really hoping we see more of him in the third book. 

Like I said, I thoroughly enjoyed this book but I wasn't quite as in love with it as I was the first. I don't know exactly why -- it may be because there was a lot more politics throughout this book. While I enjoyed that aspect, I missed Vasya's home and the magic and wonder of the Russian wilderness surrounding it. The city just didn't hold that same spark for me. 

Overall, I enjoyed this novel. It was a great sequel for The Bear in the Nightingale and has made me even more excited for the third (and final) book in the trilogy to release in August. 

“Witch. The word drifted across his mind. We call such women so, because we have no other name.” 

Four out of Five Teapots 

Review: The Bear and the Nightingale

Title: The Bear and the Nightingale 
Series: Winternight Trilogy #1 
Author: Katherine Arden 
Genre: Fantasy, Historical, Fairytale 
Publisher: Del Rey Books 
Publication Date: January 10, 2017 
Source: Purchased 

A magical debut novel for readers of Naomi Novik's Uprooted, Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus, and Neil Gaiman's myth-rich fantasies, The Bear and the Nightingale spins an irresistible spell as it announces the arrival of a singular talent with a gorgeous voice.
At the edge of the Russian wilderness, winter lasts most of the year and the snowdrifts grow taller than houses. But Vasilisa doesn't mind--she spends the winter nights huddled around the embers of a fire with her beloved siblings, listening to her nurse's fairy tales. Above all, she loves the chilling story of Frost, the blue-eyed winter demon, who appears in the frigid night to claim unwary souls. Wise Russians fear him, her nurse says, and honor the spirits of house and yard and forest that protect their homes from evil.
After Vasilisa's mother dies, her father goes to Moscow and brings home a new wife. Fiercely devout, city-bred, Vasilisa's new stepmother forbids her family from honoring the household spirits. The family acquiesces, but Vasilisa is frightened, sensing that more hinges upon their rituals than anyone knows.
And indeed, crops begin to fail, evil creatures of the forest creep nearer, and misfortune stalks the village. All the while, Vasilisa's stepmother grows ever harsher in her determination to groom her rebellious stepdaughter for either marriage or confinement in a convent.
As danger circles, Vasilisa must defy even the people she loves and call on dangerous gifts she has long concealed--this, in order to protect her family from a threat that seems to have stepped from her nurse's most frightening tales. 

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So, I'm just going to come out and say it right away: I am obsessed with this book. Thoroughly obsessed. I read it a few weeks ago and still can't get it out of my head. There was something about the tone, the setting, and the characters that captured me and I haven't been able to shake that magic since (not that I want to). If you're a fan of historical fantasy with fairytale elements, I would 100% recommend picking this book up. 

The first thing I want to rave talk about is the setting. Holy wow, did this author put in work. The world building is extraordinary. It takes place in the Russian wilderness many, many years ago. While I knew almost nothing about Russia during this time while reading, I fell seamlessly into this world; the author did a fantastic job of introducing readers to the legends, life, and language of these people. I came out of this excited to do my own research and learn more about the world Vasilisa and her family would have lived in. 

 Speaking of Vasilisa . . . I don't think I've ever read about a character who was as resilient and true to herself as Vasilisa. We follow her from the time she's born until she's a teenager and watching her grow and embrace who she is despite the adversity she faced was amazing and inspirational. She was strong and determined to protect those she loved, even when they didn't necessarily accept or embrace who she was. It was heartbreaking watching her fight for people who weren't willing to fight for her but that's who she is. 

While the story was slow at times, I was never bored or tempted to put the book down. These slower parts were used for world building and to develop the characters, which I enjoyed a lot. I'd say it wasn't until halfway through that the plot picked up quite a bit and we got to see more action. I know that slowness might bother some people, but I enjoyed reading both the fast-paced and slower parts. 

I can't end this review without talking about Morozko -- I love this guy so much. Seriously, so much. I need more of him in the next books. There's still a lot of mystery surrounding him and I'm excited to solve that mystery with Vasilisa. 

This is a series I'll definitely be continuing -- the second book is already out and the third book, The Winter of the Witch, releases in August. I know some people might be turned off of this book because of the slower pace, trust me -- it's entirely worth the read. You don't want to miss experiencing this world and these characters!

“If this is the last decision I can ever make, at least it is my decision. Let me go, Alyosha. I am not afraid.” 

5/5 Teapots