Tag: book review

REVIEW: The Poppy War – R. F. Kuang

2 Comments

35068705Title: The Poppy War (The Poppy War #1)
Author: R. F. Kuang
Rating: ★★★★

“War was not a game, where one fought for honor and admiration, where masters would keep her from sustaining any real harm. War was a nightmare.”

We’re not even halfway through the year and yet again I am blown away by another debut. What a time to be alive. The Poppy War is a grimdark fantasy featuring a fierce heroine, addictive writing, and plenty of action. There are so many amazing elements about it that make it a totally engrossing read. This book is considered grimdark, and therefore I feel I need to mention that it contains graphic violence, graphic rape, mutilation, torture, mass murder, drug abuse, and many other things of that nature.

“Fear was impossible to eradicate. But so was the will to survive.”

R. F. Kuang’s writing was incredible: it was simple and yet completely addicting. The pacing was absolutely wonderful. The book is split into three parts, each growing darker as the story goes on. I was also very impressed by her ability to blend fantasy elements with history. The Poppy War is inspired by parts of Chinese history, such as the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Nanking Massacre, and it was very easy to see the illusions to those events throughout the book. In addition, there are many other components of the novel that make this such a gripping read: gods and goddesses, military school, shamanism, war strategy, and lots of fighting and action. 

“I have become something wonderful, she thought. I have become something terrible. Was she now a goddess or monster? Perhaps neither. Perhaps both.”

One of my favorites things about The Poppy War was the protagonist, Rin. She was such a well-developed heroine and her growth as a character was amazing to follow. I loved her intensity, her determination, her faults, her strengths. I also enjoyed her interactions with many of the side characters. In particular, I loved the easy friendship she forms with Kitanay, the complicated relationship between her and Altan, and the rivals-to-friends (to hopefully lovers? Please??) relationship that develops with Nezha. 

Just a small note. It takes a lot to rattle me, especially while reading. That being said, Chapter 21 was one of the toughest things I’ve ever had to read. I had to pause a couple times before continuing, and at one point I even felt a little light-headed. Heed the content warnings, my friends. That was not easy chapter to read.

The Poppy War is an spectacular grimdark fantasy by debut author R. F. Kuang. The vivid storytelling, world-building, wonderful characters, and compelling plot all come together to create a riveting story. I can’t wait to read the next books in the series and I’m so excited to meet R. F. Kuang at BookCon! 

 

 

REVIEW: Furyborn – Claire Legrand (ARC)

7 Comments

34323570.jpgTitle: Furyborn (Empirium #1)
Author: Claire Legrand
Rating: ★★★★

ARC provided by the publisher. 

Once again, I’m annoyed with myself for the procrastination of reading a book that I would later end up really enjoying. There were so many elements about this that I absolutely loved: the characters, the writing, the plots. Furyborn is an excellent start to an exciting trilogy that I look forward to reading.

From the prologue, I was completely hooked by the story. It not only connects the stories of the two protagonists, Rielle and Eliana, but also gives a glimpse to how one of those stories will end up unfolding by the time the series is over. Furyborn is written in alternating chapters narrated by Rielle and Eliana, whose timelines are separated by a thousand years. Each of their POVs were action-packed and thrilling. I rushed through the pages in an effort to know what would happen next to both Rielle and Eliana. I also loved the fact that we’re told from the very beginning who the Blood Queen is. It made reading her chapters all the more fascinating; we follow her growth and become invested in her story, all the while knowing how it will end.

There are a lot of things about Furyborn that I believe will others will enjoy as much as I did: great writing, wonderful characters, intriguing plots and action-packed chapters. The alternating POVs and verging storylines blend together expertly to create a highly entertaining story. I can’t wait to continue with the rest of the series!

REVIEW: Whisper of the Tide – Sarah Tolcser (ARC)

Leave a comment

36134048Title: Whisper of the Tide (Song of the Current #2)
Author: Sarah Tolcser
Rating: ★★★★

ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

“You had to know what you wanted – but knowing wasn’t enough. You had to be willing to fight for it. To be so strong even the sea could not defy you. That is how strong we must be, to keep the things we love.”

This was such a fun sequel and the perfect ending to the series! I really enjoyed Song of the Current and I think it’s such a shame that these books don’t have more popularity. I really hope more people decide to read this series, because they are full entertainment!

“Doing the right thing had made me miserable. I’d already resolved to never do it again.”

Whisper of the Tide was just as action-packed and thrilling as the first book. There are so many things about this book to love: pirates, treasure hunts, female friendships, adventures. There were even some elements of the book that reminded me of Pirates of the Caribbean and that made me enjoy it even more! Caro remains unapologetically herself, and love how she continues to grow as a character. Her relationship with Markos also grows and matures, which is very refreshing to read in a young adult book. The plot was fast-moving, the world-building remains excellent, and the writing as just as compelling as Song of the Current. I wish this was more than a duology; I would have loved to be back in this world for a third book!

Whisper of the Tide was a great ending to an entertaining series full of sea adventures, pirates, assassins, sea/river deities, and fun characters! If you enjoy Pirates of the Caribbean and books like Daughter of the Pirate King, then I would definitely suggest reading these books! They’re totally underrated and need more love from the bookish community. 

Top 5 Wednesday: DNF Books

2 Comments

Top 5 Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Thoughts on Tomes. If you want to join or find out more information about the weekly themes check out the Goodreads page! May is going to be Top 5 Wednesday Rewind month, so the topics are open to any that we’ve missed out on in the past. This week, I decided to choose the top five books I marked as DNF (Did Not Finish). 

26074181THE CROWN – This book is a mess. I enjoyed the original books in The Selection series and I liked The Heir, but then this book happened. I honestly have no idea what the author was thinking when she wrote it. I was already bored with it because the plot was moving really slow, and then I started to notice a weird shift that seemed out of place. I decided to read spoilers about the ending, and after that I just couldn’t force myself to finish. The romance takes a complete one-eighty and Eadyln’s choice at the end makes zero sense; they have no chemistry and they’ve had less than a handful of conversations, none of which were deep or meaningful. It seemed like Kiera Cass wanted to avoid the predictability with that ‘twist’, but overall The Crown was a huge disappointment and a terrible waste of time.  DNF @ 58%  [review]

29939048ROAR – I was really excited to receive an ARC for this, and I’ll admit that the stunning cover is what first intrigued me. The plot and concept are really compelling and interesting, and there’s a lot of unique elements in the story that should have made it a great read. Unfortunately, the romance ruined it. This book features the epitome of the bad and unnecessary love triangle. Love Interest #1 is introduced almost immediately, and Love Interest #2 enters the story only a handful of chapters later. After I had read about 15% of the book, I skimmed ahead and read other reviews. I didn’t find much to my liking. Although both the love interests were only briefly featured in the small amount I read, enough was revealed about their characters for me to determine I wouldn’t find much to like about either of them; they were both domineering, possessive, and controlling. Those are not cute or romantic qualities. No thanks.  DNF @ 15%  [review]

30163661SPINDLE FIRE – I love retellings of mythology and fairytales. The concept and synopsis of this book was unique and interesting, but unfortunately the writing and execution was poorly done, and ultimately caused the story to fall flat. I forced myself to read to the halfway mark before calling it quits. When I read fairytale retellings, I want to be mesmerized and enchanted by the story. The writing was choppy and it felt like someone was just explaining the events of the story to me, instead of being able to read about them happening. This book tried too hard to be like other Young Adult fantasies for it to be enjoyable: instalove, no world-building, info-dumps, and a plot that become a little too far-fetched and ridiculous.  DNF @ 50%  [review]

27161846THE LOOSE ENDS LIST – It really seems like everyone except me like this book. The plot was interesting, but I was so bored while reading. I probably would have kept reading if that was my only issue, but it wasn’t. The main character was selfish, immature, and bitchy. She was completely unpleasant to read about, and therefore I couldn’t bring myself to care enough about her or her story. I was really disappointed by this as I had been looking forward to reading this book.  DNF @ 34% [review]

22299763CROOKED KINGDOM – *dodges tomatoes* Okay, look. It’s not that I didn’t finish this book because I didn’t like it. Leigh Bardugo is the Boss Ass Queen of Writing and I love all her books, including this one. However, I was in a bit of a slump while reading it, and so it was taking me awhile to get through. On top of that, I accidently stumbled upon the spoiler of all spoilers regarding a certain character death at the end, a character who also happened to be my favorite in the series. Needless to say, I was so upset about both the (unnecessary) death and being spoiled, that I couldn’t bring myself to continue reading it for a couple days. Those days turned into weeks, which turned into months, and here we are. I technically still have it marked as hiatus instead of DNF. Will I ever finish it? I want to say yes with all my heart, but honestly – I don’t know.  DNF @ 65% 

REVIEW: Circe – Madeline Miller

14 Comments

35959740Title: Circe
Author: Madeline Miller
Rating: ★★★★★

“But in a solitary life, there are rare moments when another soul dips near yours, as stars once a year brush the earth.”

I’ve been a huge nerd for Greek mythology for almost half my life. My friends used to make fun of me because I read books like The Iliad and Metamorphoses for fun. When I studied abroad, I took a Myths in the Ancient World class and to this day, it remains the best class I’ve ever taken in my academic career. Not many authors can accomplish what Madeline Miller has done with Greek mythology, and when I found out she was writing a book about Circe, I was thrilled.

“Of all the mortals on the earth, there are only a few the gods will ever hear of. Consider the practicalities. By the time we learn their names, they are dead. They must be meteors indeed to catch our attention. The merely good: you are dust to us.”

While the stories of heroes have always been great, it was the heroines featured that I’m constantly fascinated by. Give me Andromeda over Perseus, Medea before Jason, Ariadne instead of Theseus. Circe is a book completely about her: while the other characters from the myths associated with her are present, this book is first and foremost about Circe and her story. We follow her journey as she discovers who she is and what she is capable of. We see all of her ups and downs, her struggles and inner turmoil, her heartache, her anger, her resolve, her love. Circe is a totally character driven book, and yet there was so much to her story that I never wanted to put the book down. Madeline Miller does an excellent job adding her own distinct twists to this Greek myth to create a story that is both genuine and unique.

“That is one thing gods and mortals share. When we are young, we think ourselves the first to have each feeling in the world.”

 The ending was absolutely perfect. It was probably one of the best endings to a book that I’ve ever read; it evoked a feeling of profound hope that made me feel a bit emotional. I’m so thankful that authors like Madeline Miller exist to bring to life the characters and stories of the ancient world that I’ve always been enamored with, and I can’t wait for whatever she writes next.