Tag Archives: romance

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Review: The Lynburn Legacy Novellas by Sarah Rees Brennan

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Since the gals and I are reading Unspoken for our On the Same Page feature this month, I thought I would read and review the novellas to see what I am in for! It is safe to say that I am pretty excited for this series after what these novellas contained!

 

Title: The Spring Before I Met You

Author: Sarah Rees Brennan

Publishing Information: September 11, 2012

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance

Series Information: Novella 0.25 in The Lynburn Legacy

Format: ebook, 18 pages

Source: Available for free here

For readers who are looking for a novella that will only add mystery and pique your interest of the series more, read these novellas! This novellas gives the reader more insight into Jared’s character, and even though we haven’t met Kami yet, we are able to see her through is eyes and it is rather beautiful. We are also able to see Jared’s family dynamic, which was really rather sad but still so mysterious. Honestly after finishing this novella all I could think of was how quickly I needed to read this series. I had held off because I heard that the first two books had crazy cliffhangers, but thankfully the end is near so I can pick them up and binge read!

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Review: Sabriel by Garth Nix

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Title: Sabriel

Author: Garth Nix

Publishing Information: Published September 30th 1995 by Harper Collins 

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Magic, Adventure

Series Information: Book 1 in the Abhorsen series

Format: Hardcover, 292 pages

Source: Received as a gift for my personal library

Recommended For: Readers looking for an adventure story with a likable heroine, a powerful and less than harmless feline creature, and a young man haunted by his past.

Ever since she was a tiny child, Sabriel has lived outside the walls of the Old Kingdom, away from the random power of Free Magic, and away from the Dead who won’t stay dead. But now her father, the Mage Abhorsen, is missing, and to find him Sabriel must cross back into the nine Gates and Precincts of Death. Though her journey begins alone, she soon finds companions: Mogget, whose seemingly harmless feline form hides a powerful-and perhaps malevolent-spirit, and Touchstone, a younger Charter Mage imprisoned two centuries in a wooden ship-head, still trapped by painful memories. With threats on all sides and only each other to trust, the three must travel deep into the Old Kingdom, toward a battle against vicious Hands, Mordicants, and the evil Kerrigor.

Confession time, my friends! My grandmother bought this book for me over ten years ago and you know what? I didn’t read it because the cover looked boring. SHAME ON ME! It wasn’t until I moved into my new apartment and was putting it on the shelves that I remembered that Garth Nix was writing a fourth book (and that it would be available at BEA) that I decided to maybe try it out. I was still a little put off by it for some reason and then I found out that Tim Curry narrates the audiobook! Well, I love Tim Curry in all things and I immediately started listening to Sabriel on audio. It took some time for me to fall into the story but once I decided to read the book in print and listen to it I really fell for the storyline. Continue reading →

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Review: Of Neptune and The Syrena Legacy novellas by Anna Banks

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Back for some mini (spoiler free) reviews! I always find that novellas help me to determine whether or not I would be interested in a series so here a little taste for you guys to decide whether or not to give The Syrena Legacy a chance!

Title: The Stranger

Author: Anna Banks

Publishing Information: June 18th 2013 by Tor

Genre: Young Adult, Mermaids, Romance, Fantasy

Series Information: Novella 0.4 in the Syrena Legacy

Format: ebook, 32 pages

Source: Available for free on Tor.com

Recommended For: Readers interested in “dipping their toes” (hehe) into this series, or fans of the series who want to learn a little bit more about Galen and Rachel’s relationship!

I loved this novella! It was adorable seeing Galen when he was little and it was so endearing to see how the bond between Galen and Rachel began. Definitely give this a shot if you are unsure of the series but want to get a feel for the characters. Rachel is absolutely hilarious in her no nonsense way, I loved learning more about her. Continue reading →

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On the Same Page: Landline by Rainbow Rowell

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Title: Landline

Author: Rainbow Rowell

Publishing Information: July 8, 2014 by St. Martin’s Press

Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Series Information: Standalone

Format: Hardcover, 308 pages

Source: Received an ARC from the publisher at BEA 2014

Recommended For: Those of you who sometimes feel the pressures of a long time relationship, the good and the bad.

Related Reviews: Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

 

Wow, friends, have I been struggling with this review. As you know, for our On the Same Page feature we usually do something a little out of the ordinary to showcase the unique things that we loved about the novel we just read together. The bottom line is, I don’t know how to do that for this book. So I decided I would write a quick and open letter to Rainbow Rowell trying to convey what I felt when I read her novels… Continue reading →

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Review: Night of Cake & Puppets and Dreams of Gods & Monsters by Laini Taylor

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Title: Night of Cake & Puppets

Author: Laini Taylor

Publishing Information: November 26th 2013 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance

Series Information: novella 2.5 in the Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy

Format: ebook, 89 pages

Source: Purchased for my personal library

Recommended For: Readers looking for a deeper look into Zuzana and Mik’s relationship as well as the closeness between Zuzana and Karou in Daughter of Smoke & Bone

Related Reviews: Daughter of Smoke & Bone (Daughter of Smoke & Bone 1), Days of Blood & Starlight (Daughter of Smoke & Bone 2)

In lieu of a traditional review, I am going to write a mini review for Night of Cake & Puppets and Dreams of Gods & Monsters because at this point I almost think it is silly to go in depth about the conclusion to a well known series. Bottom line is, if you haven’t read this series yet – get on it. Immediately.

“I want to do mysterious and improbable things alongside a fierce and beautiful girl who looks like a doll brought to life by a sorcerer.”

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On the Same Page: Fairytales for Wilde Girls

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Title: Fairytales for Wilde Girls

Author: Allyse Near

Publishing Information: June 3, 2013 by Random House Australia

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Gothic, Fairy Tales, Romance, Paranormal, Mental Illness

Series Information: Standalone

Format: Paperback, 432 pages

Source: Purchased for my personal library

Recommended For: Fans of darker fairy tales filled with descriptive imagery, fans of Neil Gaiman, and fans of books that are much more than what they seem.

Fairytales for Wilde Girls was unlike anything I have ever read before. It was dark, and deep, and sad while simultaneously maintaining ribbons of hope and stolen moments of happiness. It was a novel of self discovery and it was the dark overtone of the novel that really assisted the snippets of light to shine through. One of the most outstanding things about Fairytales of Wilde Girls was the language and use of metaphor by the author. Allyse Near has such a gift in the way in which she conveys every moment with lyrical and descriptive language, it really heightens the novel and sets it apart from other pieces of literature. That being said, some of the quotes throughout the novel really stuck with me and I wanted to share their beauty with you guys! I made up some nifty little images to go along with a few quotes that I really loved, take a peek! Continue reading →

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Review: Cruel Beauty of Rosamund Hodge

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Title: Cruel Beauty

Author: Rosamund Hodge

Publishing Information: January 28, 2014, by Balzer & Bray

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Mythology, Romance, Retellings

Series Information: Standalone

Format: Hardcover, 346 pages

Source: Obtained an ARC from the publisher via Edelweiss

Recommended For: Fans of vibrant fantasy novels with strong heroines, tall, dark and handsome male leads, and beautiful imagery

Since birth, Nyx has been betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom-all because of a foolish bargain struck by her father. And since birth, she has been in training to kill him. But Ignifex is not at all what Nyx expected. The strangely charming lord beguiles her, and his castle-a shifting maze of magical rooms-enthralls her.

As Nyx searches for a way to free her homeland by uncovering Ignifex’s secrets, she finds herself unwillingly drawn to him. Even if she could bring herself to love her sworn enemy, how can she refuse her duty to kill him? With time running out, Nyx must decide what is more important: the future of her kingdom, or the man she was never supposed to love.

What a synopsis, am I right?  One thing I have to add is that there really should be some mention of Mythology in the synopsis for this book. The first part of the book is so completely wrapped in Mythology that I was wracking my brain trying to figure out how all of the gods fit together in this world. Then it tapers off a little bit, not in a bad way, but enough that this really could have been a retelling of Cupid and Psyche, it even has Hades and Persephone elements, and it definitely directly circled around Pandora. That isn’t to say that there aren’t elements from fairytales, Cruel Beauty also had some strong emphasis on Beauty and the Beast and Bluebeard. This might seem like an array of randomness thrown together but I promise that it all falls together nicely. Continue reading →

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Review: Unhinged by A.G. Howard

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Title: Unhinged

Author: A.G. Howard

Publishing Information: January 7, 2014 by Amulet

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Retellings

Series Information: Book 2 in the Splintered Trilogy (review of Splintered)

Format: Hardcover, 400 pages

Source: Received an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley

Recommended For: Fans of darker fairy tale retellings, and yummy kissy scenes!

As prom and graduation creep closer, Alyssa juggles Morpheus’s unsettling presence in her real world with trying to tell Jeb the truth about a past he’s forgotten. Glimpses of Wonderland start to bleed through her art and into her world in very disturbing ways, and Morpheus warns that Queen Red won’t be far behind.

You may remember that I really enjoyed the first novel in this series, and I was very impatient to get my hands on Unhinged. I am sorry to say that though Unhinged was enjoyable, it fell a little short of my expectations. Continue reading →

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Review: While Beauty Slept by Elizabeth Blackwell

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Title: While Beauty Slept

Author: Elizabeth Blackwell

Publishing Information: February 20, 2014 by Putnam

Genre: Adult, Historical Fiction, Romance, Gothic, Fairy Tale

Series information: Standalone

Format: Hardcover, 432 pages

Source: Received an ARC from the publisher

Recommended For: Fans of historical fiction, and darker, bittersweet fantasy novels

 

While Beauty Slept re-imagines the legend through the lens of historical fiction, telling the story as if it really happened. A Gothic tale of suspense and ambition, love and loss, it interweaves the story of a royal family and the servants who see behind the glamorous facade, following the journey of a young woman as she lives out a destiny that leads her to the brink of death.

This novel was not at all what I was expecting. For some reason, I went into this novel thinking it was a retelling of Sleeping Beauty, complete with magic, and evil villains. While it was, in a roundabout way, a retelling of Sleeping Beauty, it consisted of much more. While Beauty Slept was a very interesting work of historical fiction, with palace intrigue, upstairs/downstairs drama, and coming of age happenings.

The romances in this novel take a back seat to the familiar relationships and in truth, they are much more impressive than those focused on romance. The love between the queen and Elise, and between Elise and Rose is very special to watch. They all become family in an unusual but sweet way. The romances of the novel, however, fell a bit flat for me. I had a hard time relating to most, and they seemed thrown together in a bit of randomness.The relationship between Elise and Dorian threw me off but I can appreciate how they each got together out of a sense of duty rather than romantic inclinations. It surely did show a new side to Elise, but overall it seemed a little out of place. I suppose the ending of the prince “waking the beauty” was fairytale-esque, but as mentioned, this was a hisotircal fiction novel and not a fantasy so while the ending was tied up neatly, it didn’t sit right in the historical fiction setting.

The villain of While Beauty Slept was a little underwhelming for me as well. She did manage to take down an entire kingdom, but there were so many things hinted at regarding her character, and her association with the queen and in truth I just wanted more. I understood her villainy, and I understood the queen’s loyalty to her, but I wanted more wickedness from her character. The King and Queen were very lovable, and they loved each other in a beautiful way, it shone throughout the novel. Elise was likable in her own way but there were times that I wanted her to have a little more strength and live for herself instead of others. In the end, she is able to find her own happiness which was a relief but the novel was very bittersweet throughout.

Overall I found While Beauty Slept to be intriguing and only slightly reminiscent of traditional fairytales. While reading this novel I was extremely captivated, but looking back with more of a critic’s eye, I am finding some aspects of the novel falling short of my general expectations and first impressions. That being said, I do recommend it highly to readers who enjoy historical fiction. However, if you are looking for an upbeat fairytale, complete with straightforward happy endings, maybe skip over this one as the novel as a whole was beautiful, but bittersweet.

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Review: Tsarina by J. Nelle Patrick

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Title: Tsarina

Author: J. Nelle Patrick

Publishing Information: February 27, 2014 by Razorbill

Genre: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Romance

Series Information: Standalone

Format: Hardcover, 331 pages

Source: Obtained an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley

Recommended For: Fans of historical fiction, especially Romanov Russia

Natalya knows a secret.
A magical Faberge egg glows within the walls of Russia’s Winter Palace.
It holds a power rooted in the land and stolen from the mystics.
A power that promises a life of love for her and Alexei Romanov.
Power, that, in the right hands, can save her way of life.
But it’s not in the right hands.

I was very intrigued by the idea of this story, Romanov Russia has always been interesting to me and the stories that surround the family have always been fascinating. While intrigued, I was also very worried. I honestly had no idea how Ms. Patrick was going to finagle a love story with Alexei, who was only thirteen when he was killed, it seemed like it would be at the very least, a very short and sad novel. The truth it, Ms. Patrick did manage a love story starring Alexei, but this story was much more than that. It was not so much a story of Alexei, though he is very important to the novel, but it was a story of his love, Natalya, and her quest to save Russia.

The relationships in Tsarina were something special as each character complimented one another. Each character believed in something whole heartedly, and each felt conflicted with their companion’s beliefs. Natalya and Leo were especially interesting to view together as they both believed in a better Russia, and though they started as not being able to understand one another’s beliefs, they eventually came to realize that they both wanted the same thing. I can’t completely say the same about Emilia, thought I do think that she believed what she did was right, she was still rather close minded in comparison to those around her.

I found that I really enjoyed Natalya, she had a strength within her that shone through as she moved forward in her task. Throughout the novel, she remained faithful in her unwavering support of her true love, Russia. As stated, Leo had the same strength as Natalya, he believed in his ideal Russia and did what he thought necessary to succeed. The mysticism that played a part in the central storyline was fantastic, and Maria’s character was especially interesting, and through her, the portrayal of Rasputin was incredibly intriguing. In fact, if Ms. Patrick chose to write a novella from Maria’s point of view, I would be very interested, seeing things from her mind would be fascinating.

I can’t say that I didn’t see the romance of the novel coming, but it unfolded slowly and surely in a way that made it very believable and sweet. I had my doubts, but this was very well done. I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would, and I do believe it is a book that has a little something for everyone. To those of you worried about the historical inaccuracies, I remind you that this is a work of fiction. The author really did a wonderful job of keeping things historically accurate while also adding a very interesting fictional storyline. Overall, I am happy to say that Tsarina was a beautiful portrayal of a rather sad piece of history. It is a story of a girl who believes in love. It is a story of hope.