Review - The Winner's Trilogy

The Winner's Trilogy

5 out of 5 Winning Stars

“If you won’t be my friend, you’ll regret being my enemy.” 

I love this series. I feel like I need to lead with that statement, because it's been awhile since I've read a complete series, beginning to end, back to back with no wait for the next installment, that have left such a great impression. The progression of the story, the pacing, the characters and themes, and how everything is connected and flows together so well is not easy to do. Ms. Rutkoski, you've created one hell of a series here. 

So a bit of information for you guys: this is a fantasy series, and Rutkoski has created a whole new world for us to read about. To sum it up really quickly, there's the country Valoria, whose emperor is on a power quest to conquer pretty much everything, and one of the conquered is the country Herran. Valoria's offer after conquering land is die, or be enslaved. The Herrani chose enslavement, and that's what their lives have been for the past ten years.

Kestral is the daughter of General Trajan, who is second only to the Emperor of Valoria. While dealing with the decision of joining the army or marriage, as all Valorians must do, she ends up buying a slave. There is something different about this slave, Arin, and though the two are enemies, the connection between them grows. But with this connection, there are unexpected consequences that Kestral could have never foresaw.

"Do you think I care how you won?" her father said softly. "You won. Your methods don't matter."
Kestral thought about the Herran War. She thoughts about the suffering her father had brought to this country, and how his actions had led to her becoming a mistress, and Arin a slave. "Do you really believe that?"

"Yes," he said. "I do."

The first book in this trilogy, The Winner's Curse, does have quite a bit of romance to it, but that's not all that is happening. There is action, trickery, deceit, violence, and so much more. As the series progresses, the stories become even more intricate and intense. There is so much more to The Winner's Trilogy than the relationship between Kestral and Arin. And the best part about their relationship is that it is believable; it doesn't feel forced, and just leads to more complications (and drama).

The Winner's Trilogy is a series about alliances and treachery, secrets and revenge, gambling and plotting, and, most importantly, slavery and freedom. What will you do for your freedom? What will you sacrifice for your freedom? Compelling storytelling, intricate relationships, high-packed action and strategic plotting, along with gambling and awesome battle scenes, and doing whatever it takes to win, The Winner's Trilogy is a cleverly-crafted, complex, fantastic series, with a perfect ending. Thank you, Ms. Rutkoski, for sharing this story with the world. It's going to stay with me for a long time.

“Happiness depends on being free, and freedom depends on being courageous.” 

Review - Sharp Objects

Hey everyone, sorry I haven't posted in awhile. Finals may be over, but work is just getting started. I (promise) to be more active and update a bit more often. There are so many books to read, to review, and the same goes for new music, shows, and movies. But to get back into the swing of things, I'm going to start with an awesome psychological thriller by none other than the kickass author Gillian Flynn.

Sharp Objects

5 out of 5 Haunting Stars

"That's Wind Gap. We all know each other's secrets. And we all use them."

Holy shit. What the hell did I just read?? Sharp Objects has to be the most fucked-up, creepy, utterly disturbing book I have ever read. I love it. I feel sick to my stomach and like I need to cleanse my brain after finishing it, but it's so worth it. I have absolutely no idea how it is going to end, and just when I think I have everything figured out, Flynn throws in another plot twist that literally has me gripping the pages and having to re-read paragraphs. Amazing. Completely, totally unsettling, Sharp Objects is one hell of a debut novel.

Okay, moving on from my I-just-finished-reading-this-and-need-to-purge-my-feelings state, why don't I tell you guys what Sharp Objects is all about so you can understand my freakout (of the good variety). To sum it up real quick, our protagonist Camille Preaker has some mental instability due to an event in her past, and she's fresh out of a psych hospital when her boss sends her back home to cover the murder of two girls. See, Camille is a reporter, and her boss is hoping she'll have an in with the townies since she once lived there. It really does seem like small towns have the biggest secrets, and it's up to Camille to find out what's going on.

"Sometimes if you let people do things to you, you're really doing it to them. Know what I mean? If someone wants to do fucked-up things to you, and you let them, you're making them more fucked up. Then you have the control. As long as you don't go crazy."

I admit, I don't really like Camille's character. I don't really like any of the characters in the novel. But I think that's what makes Sharp Objects so addicting. Everyone has a problem, a dark side, something off about them, and it's very entertaining getting to read about it. Camille actually isn't too bad when compared to her half sister, Amma. Yeah, Camille makes some bad decisions that she knows she shouldn't be making, but Amma is serious bad news. Camille's  family is bad news. Hell, the whole freaking town is bad news. You really can't trust anyone.

Flynn deals with a lot of ideas and themes in Sharp Objects, but the one that stands out the most to me is the role of women. Women are seen as damsels in distress who need a big, strong man to take care of them. They're portrayed as victims. Imagine you're walking down a street alone at night. If a man is walking behind you, you're probably going to be on edge, but if it's a woman, not so much. Flynn takes this idea and twists it around; women may seem safe and kind, but that's not always the case. We're all human, and we all have the capacity for cruelty. This is what makes Sharp Objects such a complex, nasty book, and one hell of a dark, psychological thriller. Don't miss out on this one.

You're crazy to think what you're thinking. You're crazy to not think it.

*Oh, and Sharp Objects is being made into a TV series–so exciting!

Review - Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock

Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock

5 out of 5 Heart-Breaking Stars

"End this. Pull the trigger. Make it easier for everyone."

Holy crap this is a depressing novel. The whole time I was torn between just wanting to hug Leonard and then yell at everyone who's let him down to open their eyes! I feel like it should have been so obvious to others that Leonard was clearly spinning off the deep end, and that's the scary thing: sometimes, it's not as obvious as you think, and sometimes, people notice but just don't put together what all these signs mean, or just don't care to.

It's heartbreaking how many times Leonard is let down, how the few people he does care about don't realize he's saying goodbye. The redeeming factor about these characters is the few that matter do care, they do realize that Leonard needs help. But sometimes it's just too late.

"I feel like I'm broken–like I don't fit together anymore. Like there's no more room for me in the world or something. Like I've overstayed my welcome here on Earth, and that everyone's trying to give me hints about that constantly. Like I should just check out. I'm so fucking worthless."

Quick is very blunt in his writing; he never holds back on describing what Leonard is feeling, as he repeatedly reminds us how he is going to kill Asher and then himself. It really drives home how dark of a place Leonard is in. When the secret is revealed about why Leonard wants to kill his former best friend and then himself, I completely understood why Leonard wanted to commit a murder-suicide. This just goes to show how talented Quick is in his writing, and just how much Leonard has suffered.

The wonderful thing about Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock, is that, even though it is an extremely dark and sad book, it's about got humor and a sense of hope. There are two characters that I absolutely love in this novel (Walt and Herr Silverman). Also, the footnotes is a really cool idea. What I hope people take from reading this novel is that you can't put a measurement on pain, not really, and to never give up. Hold on to hope; it's one of the most powerful things in the world.

"People pay for what they do, and still more for what they have allowed themselves to become. And they pay for it very simply; by the lives they lead."

*Quick addition: Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock is in film development, with Channing Tatum as the director. Not sure about a possible release date yet, but I'll be looking out for it!

Review - This Song Will Save Your Life

This Song Will Save Your Life

5 out of 5 Uplifting Stars

"I didn't want to run out of music and die in silence."

Leila Sales, you have really impressed me with this novel. Your writing is addicting. I read This Song Will Save Your Life in two days, and would have finished it sooner if I didn't want sleep (I have had late nights reading, but come on, who doesn't love sleep?). The plot may seem a bit simple—girl almost commits suicide, finds something to live for—but it is so much more than that. Maybe it's the characters, how they develop, the power of music, or all that mixed together, but this novel is everything I could have wished for and more.

I need to start off by saying that, while this book may seem like it's been done before, Leila Sales has something special about her story-writing that makes This Song Will Save Your Life very unique. She doesn't hold back, and her characters are so real that you can't help but be sucked into their life and wanting to know what is going to happen next. Sales deals with many topics in this novel, and gives out advice without it seeming like she started this book with a moral lesson in mind. Everything comes together exactly as it should, in ways you might not expect, which just makes me love this novel even more.

"I saw them, just for a brief flash, as he probably saw them: three harmless-looking teenage girls, delicate features, pretty smiles. Like they couldn't cut you until you were so disfigured that you hardly recognized yourself."

Friendships, relationships, siblings and parents—Sales explores all of these in a way that you might not expect. There are different types of friendships, and sometimes people aren't who you need them to be, but that's a part of life. People can surprise you, can understand you even if you think you're alone, and Sales gets into the heart of this. And speaking of hearts, I cannot forget to mention the music. Elise finds her passion in DJing, and I love how music helps her find herself. We all have music in our hearts, and this connects us in amazing ways.

So, hopefully after reading this review, you'll take a chance on This Song Will Save Your Life. I love everything about this novel, and hope you guys will enjoy it just as much as I do. Also, it's not too long, so whenever you find yourself will a bit of free time, I'd go with reading this book. I can't wait to see what else Leila Sales has written!

"Sometimes people think they know you. They know a few facts about you, and they piece you together in a way that makes sense to them. And if you don't know yourself very well, you might even believe that they are right. But the truth is, that isn't you. That isn't you at all."

Review - Vicious

Vicious

4 1/5 out of 5 Twisted Stars

"ExtraOrdinary. The word that started—ruined, changed—everything."

Ohmygosh, V.E. Schwab has created a really vicious story here. See what I did there? Haha, okay moving on from my lame jokes. Vicious is an intense, disturbing, brutal story. It's like a comic book, but without the pictures. Schwab captures my attention right from the very first sentence of her novel, and keeps me hooked until the very last.

Vicious is novel about two brilliant and arrogant college students who decide to take academic research to the experimental, creating ExtraOrdinary abilities through near-death experiences. However, these experiments go horribly wrong, and results in Victor in prison and Eli carrying out some crusade to eliminate all EOs. This continues until Victor breaks out of prison, ready for revenge.

"All Eli had to do was smile. All Victor had to do was lie. Both proved frighteningly effective."

I need to start off by saying that the logic behind this science works, and it works well. For that, Ms. Schwab, I need to thank you. One thing I can't stand in stories is when things do not make sense logically, but Vicious is not one of those novels, and that is one of the many things I love about it.

Another thing I love about Vicious is the characters. Each one is so fully developed and flushed out, and the detail that Schwab gives them is amazing. Even characters that you may think aren't going to be important, and later become important, are given backstories. The explanation of how they get their powers is great. Third-person point of view is the best way to write this story as it allows the readers to really get to know why each character does what they do.

"The difference between Victor and Eli wasn't their opinion on EOs. It was their reaction to them. Eli seemed intent to slaughter them, but Victor didn't see why a useful skill should be destroyed, just because of its origin. EOs were weapons, yes, but weapons with minds and wills and bodies, things that could be bent and twisted and broken and used."

Speaking of characters and their actions, Eli is the perfect bad guy (even though no one in this story is good). He is completely insane, but wholly believes in what he is doing. He is using religion to justify his own actions and excuse his EO powers. It's scary how realistic this is, how these fanatical actions happen too often. Going through Eli's thought process and being in his head is so disturbing, but it's what helps make Vicious as awesome as it is. Also, I love Victor's quirk of blacking out sentences in books to create his own, and how his power gets developed.

The reason I'm taking away the half-star is because I was able to guess at ending. I was very nervous at parts, and didn't figure out the ending till later in the novel, but I wasn't surprised by final result. That doesn't mean I don't like it, though. Also, there are several unanswered questions that I am curious to solve, which is what the second novel will be for. I'm very excited for what V.E. Schwab has up her sleeve for Vicious #2 (currently not titled) in (hopefully) 2018. That's awhile to go, but I will preorder it the second I can.

"To never dying. To being remembered. Forever."

Review - Forget Tomorrow

Forget Tomorrow

2 1/2 out of 5 Futuristic Stars

*********************************************************************************

Synopsis:

Imagine a world where your destiny has already been decided…by your future self.

It’s Callie’s seventeenth birthday and, like everyone else, she’s eagerly awaiting her vision―a memory sent back in time to sculpt each citizen into the person they’re meant to be. A world-class swimmer. A renowned scientist.

Or in Callie’s case, a criminal.

In her vision, she sees herself murdering her gifted younger sister. Before she can process what it means, Callie is arrested and placed in Limbo―a prison for those destined to break the law. With the help of her childhood crush, Logan, a boy she hasn’t spoken to in five years, she escapes the hellish prison.

But on the run from her future, as well as the government, Callie sets in motion a chain of events that she hopes will change her fate. If not, she must figure out how to protect her sister from the biggest threat of all.

Callie herself.

************************************************************************************

"Knowing the future doesn't take away your free will. Only you can decide what you will do."

I was really looking forward to this one, even debated buying it. I'm sad to say that I'm glad I borrowed Forget Tomorrow from the library instead, because I'm a bit let down. I love the first half of the book—it's different, engaging, fast-paced, and really held my attention. 

In the first half, there's action and depth and complexity to what's happening, and it's a great read. I love getting to experience Callie's future memory and the life inside of Limbo, of these teenagers who haven't committed any crimes but are being punished based on what their future selves will do. It's an interesting idea and really shows how twisted this future is.

Dunn doesn't hold back on the gruesome details either, and her use of dark sarcasm is spot on. The analogies she uses are unique and interesting in a good way, and the relationship between Logan and Callie doesn't feel forced at all. It feels natural and sweet, even though it gets a bit cliche and sappy at times, and I like the flashbacks to when they were kids. 

The development of Callie's power and the character of Sully are also parts that make the book interesting. All this in the first half of the book had me devouring page after page, but it's after Logan helps Callie escape Limbo that things start to go downhill for me.

"I killed her. In my future memory, Jessa was in a hospital bed in TechRA, and I stabbed a needle into her heart. I murdered my baby sister. How can I love her? And if I don't love her, how can I love anyone?"

First off, the logistics of the escape don't really work out for me. It's too simple, too easy. This problem comes up again later in the book, and even though this is a futuristic dystopian type of novel, I still like the world-goings to be realistic, and in this area, the novel definitely is not. 

Also, the reasoning behind some ideas doesn't sit well with me. It's like Dunn went with the easy way out, the fit-in-the-box answer, and I expected more. The big reveal at the end, again, seems too easy. There's not enough evidence for the conclusions that are made, making them feel illogical and simple-minded. I want more depth, like we have in the beginning of the novel. 

What happened between the first and second half that changed this awesome book into a let-down? I'm disappointed where the story went, with how it goes from this new, engaging idea, to something that I've read already. Callie goes from a character whose thought process I'm able to really able to understand to a character that I've read about a thousand times now. 

Oh, and a quick thought—why the bird feathers on the cover? Yeah, it's pretty, but leaves definitely have more significance throughout the story than the small mention of a feather. And never have your characters say "what could go wrong?" Obviously, everything is going to go wrong! (I am all behind using this line sarcastically, but unfortunately, that is not how it is used in this specific scene)

"Love isn't something you can give halfway."

Despite all my problems with the second half of Forget Tomorrow, Pintip Dunn really did surprise me with a secret revealed about Callie and her sister Jessa, and with the ending. I guess I should have seen the ending coming, as it fits in so well with Callie's character, but again, it feels like the easy way out. Maybe I was surprised because I was still hoping for the awesomeness of the first half to make its appearance again, that Dunn wouldn't fit so well into the mold of YA dystopian. I don't know. 

If you really like YA dystopian, then this is the novel for you. And if you like the idea of the future affecting the present and the idea of time travel (which starts to get more engaged throughout the novel), then take a chance on this book. This novel just wasn't for me, no matter how much I wanted it to be. I might read the sequel Remember Yesterday when it comes out on October 4th, or I might not. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

"Hope, no matter how irrational it is, is a powerful thing. When the odds are against us, when the battle seems insurmountable, hope may be all that keeps us going."

Review - Menagerie

Menagerie

5 out of 5 Cryptid Stars

"Welcome to the menagerie, where beauty and grace shine from every cage and peek from every shadow. You've never seen anything like the exotic wonders within, so keep your eyes open, ladies and gentlemen, because in our world of spectacle and illusion, what you see isn't always what you get."

Another amazing read by the talented Rachel Vincent, Menagerie is everything I could have hoped for and more. This novel will really make you think, as what Vincent deals with throughout the story can easily be applied to the modern world, although without all the mystic creatures, called Cryptids. Vincent raises some really good questions about how people deal with the things that they fear, and the ramifications that occur when people group together in their fear of something larger than themselves, beating it down in order to make themselves feel secure. Sound familiar?

"Most people have something horrible hidden inside. A beast. A secret. A sin. What makes you and the other exhibits different is that your inner monster can't be explained by the laws of physics and biology as we know them. What people don't understand, they fear. What they fear, they lock up, so they can come see whatever scares them behind steel bars or glass walls and call themselves brave. But that only tells you who they are, not who you are."

Menagerie is a book about humanity, about how far someone will go in order to fight for their natural born rights and the rights of others, givens in life that should never have been denied them in the first place.

Deliliah Marlow has lived her whole life of 25 years as a human, but it's after a visit to Metzger's Menagerie and seeing firsthand how inhumanely the cryptids are treated that Deliliah discovers her own hidden beast within her. She's captured and declared property of the state of Oklahoma, then sold to the Menagerie, being forced to perform for other's entertainment while being denied basic privileges herself. 

While in captivity, Delilah is forced to live in a cage wearing chains and given scraps of food for meals, seeing her other fellow captives suffering the same punishment that she is, simply because they are different from humans. However, Delilah is stronger than even she knows, and she's not going down without a fight. She'll do whatever it takes to obtain her freedom once more.

"This can't be real. What was I, if I had no name, no friends, no family, no job, no home, no belongings, and no authority over my own body? What could I be?"

I love Delilah's character. She's the person you want fighting on your side, because she never gives up. No matter how many times she's knocked down, beaten and dragged through the mud, she gets back up and fights for what she believes in. The mystery of what she is is quite intriguing, and I'm very happy with the results. It's different than what anyone will expect, and works perfectly for her character and the novel as a whole.

I hate seeing what Delilah's forced to go through, and reading about how the Menagerie handlers treat their captives is heartbreaking. It's even worse when you realize that situations like this, minus the mystical creatures, still happens today. It's depressing how twisted people can be, how cruel they can become when faced with something stronger than themselves. They'd rather beat down what they fear and keep it contained than try to understand their fear instead. 

Vincent handles this idea magnificently, and her style of writing has you looking at things from an unexpected angle. She takes a simple visual and gives you the harsh details that normally linger and hide in the background. It's a different way of thinking, and Vincent doesn't hold back. She can reveal the true nature of the handlers and the cryptids in just one sentence.

"The only true different between the hybrids and most of their handlers was that the handlers hid their beasts on the inside. A wolf will growl to warn that it's angry and a bull will paw at the ground before charging. Rattlesnakes rattle, cats moan and hiss, and hyenas grunt and cackle. But a man will smile right in your face as he drives a knife into your heart."

The set-up and pacing of Menagerie is spot-on. The novel is broken up into three parts, and the title of each part accurately describes what that sections are going to be about. Vincent navigates multiple points-of-view magnificently. We have our first-person POV with Delilah, and her chapters definitely outweigh the rest, but I love the chapters told from the other's POV. 

We get to read from handler's POVs and other cryptids POVs in third person, and this adds more depth to the overall story. We get to experience everything that is happening from so many different angles, and while most authors would fail in this task, Vincent does not. She goes above and beyond what you would expect with her writing style, and it's amazing. Some people may think the ending is rushed, but I think it's just more of a quick crescendo to the finale, and it results in a solid ending.

"I couldn't make sense of this violent new existence, where terms like justice had no meaning, bondage was a state of existence, and hell was the forecast for the rest of my life. One word began to play over and over in my head. It was the most powerful word I'd ever known, yet the most worthless syllable to be uttered by someone wearing more chains than actual clothing. No. No. No. No. No..."

Vincent really surprises me with some of her characters in the story, but in a very good way, in a I-wasn't-expecting-that-but-I-really-like-it way. The only thing I would have liked more of is information on the surrogates. They are the cause of the Reaping, which changed the way humans deal with cryptids, and I want all the gory details of how everything happened. The snippets from old articles is a very interesting idea and handled extremely well, not interrupting the pacing at all and helping the reader to better understand the Reaping, but I just want a bit more of that. 

I would be fine with this novel being a standalone, as I know the general direction the sequel is heading, but I don't know if it's necessary. Rachel Vincent must have something really good in mind, some crazy twist that her readers aren't going to expect, since this series is supposed to be a trilogy. I am so happy with the ending of Menagerie, and can't wait to get my hands on Spectacle in the fall. What curveball is Vincent going to deliver? Whatever it is, it's going to be awesome.

"If monsters could look like humans, and humans could look like monsters, how could anyone ever really be sure that the right people stood on the outside of all those cages?"

Review - An Ember In The Ashes

An Ember In The Ashes

5 out of 5 Burning Stars

"You are an ember in the ashes, Elias Veturius. You will spark and burn, ravage and destroy. You cannot change it. You cannot stop it."

Several weeks ago, I used An Ember In The Ashes as a Spotlight Sunday post, and I am so glad I got my hands on a copy to keep for myself—it's made its way to the top shelf of my bookcase! Everything about An Ember In The Ashes is fantastic: the world building based around Ancient Rome, the language that is used that Ancient Romans would use, the dedication to detail, the beautifully illustrated maps on the front and back flaps, and the supernatural creatures that are added in to really up the danger of the whole novel, which is quite dangerous before the tribal myths and legends decide to show their faces. Simply fantastic. The plot of this cruel world is fully developed; I love how the separate storylines of Elias and Laia intertwine so seamlessly. Each have their own battles to face, which are much more brutal and darker than you'd expect, and Tahir makes it seem so effortless in tying these two plots together. She adds layer upon layers, throwing in twists and turns that you that I did not see coming. She's nasty in her writing, vicious even, but not in an in-your-face type of way. She's just showing her readers how cruel this world is, and that there are no "good guys," not really, and that "bad guys" is way too tame a word for what the antagonists do in this novel.

"You are full, Laia. Full of life and dark and strength and spirit. You will burn, for you are an ember in the ashes. That is your destiny."

Let's move on to the characters themselves. I love Elias's character, the dilemmas he faces again and again, trapping him in this terrible life when all he wants to do is escape. Some people may look at Elias and think that he has the best life in this situation—at least he's not a slave. But being the top student at Blackcliff Academy takes its toll, especially when he gets so close to graduation, to escaping, only to be sucked in by the Trials for the next emperor. Can he ever really escape Blackcliff and the ever-controlling Commandant and be free of the violent life that is instilled in the Masks (the graduates of Blackcliff who deal with controlling the rest of Serra)? Then there's Laia, who, I admit, I did not like at first. I wanted a badass heroine who would do whatever needed to be done in order to protect herself and her family, and Laia is not that character, not at first. She needed time to grow into her role of fighting against the Empire, of becoming the courageous, kickass heroine that I promise you we get at the end of the novel. I love getting to read about how she draws strength from her brother, empowering yet another bond that is important to the overall story. And I'm actually happy the way her character starts off—it allows us to understand how Laia gets from one point of her life to another, why she changes, and really appreciate all the work Tahir has done in developing Laia as a character. 

"Fear can be good, Laia. It can keep you alive. But don't let it control you. Don't let it sow doubts within you. When the fear takes over, use the only thing more powerful, more indestructible, to fight it: your spirit. Your heart."

Now, onto the rest of our cast. A lot of people probably hate the Commandant, and I do too (she's a complete sociopath), but I also love a vicious, evil antagonist, and one with a good backstory. Keenan and Helene are majorly important characters too, and without their relationships to our main characters, the story would be completely different. I love getting to read about Elias and Helene, and how their differing ideas of what the world should be change their relationship even as they try to hold on to their friendship. And while I may not have liked Keenan at first, he grew on me, although Mazen, not so much. And don't even get me started on those Augurs. Creepy as hell but so very interesting. Not only does Tahir deliver amazing protagonists, she also gives us a fantastic set of characters, developing each and every one of them, giving them their own stories within the overall plot and making it all seem natural. Gotta love an amazingly well-developed set of characters. It makes for one very well done story.

"I will miss the wind and the scents it carries, of faraway places where freedom can be found in life instead of death."

This is not a romance novel. Yes, there is romance present, but it is not the central focus. An Ember In The Ashes is an evocative novel about fighting for your freedom, fighting for your family, and overcoming all odds to reach your goals, no matter how many times you get knocked down and stepped on along the way. If there's one thing you take away from reading this review, it's this: An Ember In The Ashes is a dark book. Tahir will write out scenes that will grip your attention, and even if you want to stop reading and just take a second to let everything sink in, you'll keep reading because her writing is so addictive, you'll need to know what happens next. Sabaa Tahir has written a damn good book for her debut novel. I can't wait to see what she does next in the sequel A Torch Against The Night.

"As long as there is life, there is hope."

Review - Six of Crows

Six of Crows

5 out of 5 Thieving Stars

"No mourners, no funerals."

Oh, hell yes, Ms. Bardugo. This right here is one hell of an awesome book. I've always been a fan of the antihero, and here Bardugo has created an amazing cast of characters than we really shouldn't like, yet can't help liking anyway. I mean, we've got spies and thieves and convicts oh my! Simply awesome. Definitely deserving of a Spotlight Sunday post, and an all-consuming read that once you start, you'll forget about everything else and get sucked into the story whether you want to be or not.

"This isn't a job for trained soldiers and spies. It's a job for thugs and thieves."

Okay, I will admit, I was a bit lost and confused at first. Six of Crows is based in the same world as Bardugo's Grisha series, which I read the first book of, but I didn't remember enough to be able to really understand all these terms she was using (which reminds me, I need to read her other series ASAP). There's so much thought that is put into the Grisha, people that are separated into three groups, and then subgroups, depending on what magic they can wield. The amount of detail that is also put into this alternate world (for Six of Crows it's based on an alternate Netherlands, the Grisha series on alternate Russia) is crazy-good. The guide of the Grisha groups and the maps drawn in the beginning of the novel really help us understand these different groups, and accurately envision where the crew is during their heist.

"Everything seemed sunnier with a weapon in his hand."

Now, onto the freaking impressive cast of characters. I've been reading a couple of novels now that deal with multiple POVs, and Bardugo is able to navigate between five different POVs magnificently. With each character's chapter, I am sucked into their thoughts, understanding their reasoning behind their decisions and actions, and sometimes being treated to a couple of flashbacks, too! I absolutely love the characters she has created in Six of Crows; each one is unique and essential to the plot of the story, making for one hell of an engaging novel. Kaz, Inej, Nina, Matthias, Jesper, and Wylan are so developed and flushed out that I feel like I really know these characters. At first I thought they were older than they actually are, since this is definitely a mature read, but I like them as teenagers. It shows that anyone can become anything at any age. Oh, and the nicknames for the characters are pretty cool and match their person perfectly.  I love getting to see them grow and live up to their badassery, and they are the perfect group for this novel.

"Never something for nothing."

Moving past my obsession with the amazing crew Bardugo has created, I am blown-away by the amount of research that must have been done in creating this plot. Not only did Bardugo create her own language, she also had to make sure that the thieving skills of these characters are realistic. The way that she gets them into a problem, and then solving the problem, is completely believable. Hell, if anyone reading this wants to become a thief, you can learn quite a lot from Bardugo here. The finesse that is needed to make this work is astronomical, and Bardugo pulls it off with ease. I know it took a lot of research and planning, which just goes to show how talented an author she is because of how effortless it all seems.

"When everyone knows you're a monster, you needn't waste time doing every monstrous thing."

Okay, I haven't really talked about the plot yet, have I? Well, basically it's six people banding together as a crew to pull off the ultimate heist, one that seems so impossible you're going to need to know how they plan on pulling it off. But besides for the plot, I love the relationships between the crew, of seeing how they grow not just individually, but as a group and maybe, between certain characters, something more. Let me make it clear right now, though: Six of Crows is by no means a romance novel. Yes, the romance is there, but it's teasing, fluttering to the surface for a page, only to go back into the shadows. It never takes away from the overall feel of the novel, of a crew pulling off a heist, and in my opinion, it just adds more depth to the characters and makes them a bit relatable. There is just the right amount of romance in the background, and I'm glad Bardugo chose to add it in. 

"Trickery is not my native tongue, but I may learn to speak it yet."

Overall, if you haven't gathered this already from my review, you should start reading Six of Crows ASAP. It's suspenseful, action packed, dark, and there's never a dull moment. Everything that happens is important, and Bardugo has created a wonderful world filled with fantasy and kickass characters. Is it September yet? I need the sequel Crooked Kingdom now!! Oh, and those black stained pages? Beautiful!

"Nations rise and fall. Markets are made and unmade. When power shifts, someone always suffers."

Skin Game (The Dresden Files #15)

**Edit**—this review was written wayyy back in August of 2015, so that should make more sense when I complain about how long it is till the next book. Gotten down from 9 months of waiting to only 3!!! Peace Talks is out on May 10th!!!!!!!!!!!! Are you excited? I am!


Finally done playing catch-up with The Dresden Files. Umm, what??

Skin Game

5 out of 5 Hiest-Filled stars

"Thank you, Mab, for this wonderful, wonderful game. Maybe next time we can play pin the tail on the wizard."

I'm all caught up on The Dresden Files. How did this happen so quickly? Well, that's an easy question—this series is so completely epically awesome that I couldn't put any of the books down. The more important question: how am I going to wait until MAY OF 20-FREAKING-16 for the next book?!?! Butcher you're killing me here! Although I guess I can't complain too much, since everyone else who's caught up has been waiting a year already, with another several months to go. Gonna be a looonnnggg year. But worth the wait. As always, Butcher does not disappoint, and Skin Game is no exception.

"If you want to live, if you want your friends and family to live, I expect you to do more than survive it. I expect you to skin them alive."

Plot-Line:

Fast-forward a year from the end of Cold Days. Harry's still on the island, has a ticking time bomb inside his head, and Molly has yet to have spoken to him since she became the Winter Lady. So Harry's basically been spending his days doing Parkour while Alfred Demonreach (yes the island's spirit has been given its own name) is limiting the pain the parasite is causing Harry. And then, lo and behold, Mab shows up, telling him that he only has three days to live before the parasite kills him, and that she's been the one stopping him and Molly from communicating. Harry needs Molly's help in order to survive, but first he needs to complete Mab's newest mission for him: use his skills to pay off one of her debts. And what exactly does Harry need to do? Help Nicodemus, leader of the Knights of the Blackened Denarius, break into the vault of the Lord of the Underworld, Hades himself. Easy peasy. Nothing like being a part of a group of supernatural villains to up one's paranoia. But a quick snatch and grab seems too simple, and Nicodemus is known to be a tricky, back-stabbing bastard. Harry needs to find out what other game is being set into motion and quick, before his own 'allies' take him out of the equation. Just another day in the average life of the Winter Knight.

"This is what it looks like when someone's fighting for his soul."

Notable Parts:

Harry has developed a preference for Parkour. This includes shouting "parkour" whenever he finds himself doing it, whether that be while running through the Well of Demonreach or in the middle of a fight. Mostly in very absurd scenes, which always makes me crack a smile. We also learn more about the parasite in Harry's head, and have another get-together with Harry's double, which is always interesting. And Michael is back! Giving wise words of advice to Harry—it's great finally getting to read about him since the terrible attack all the way back to Small Favor. Karrin is a big help, as always, and even Butters gets some time in the spotlight. The little villain gang that Nicodemus brings together is quite the interesting group, and it was fun getting to read about all of these non-trustworthy people working together. Never know what someone is going to do next. As always, there's great setups for future novels, added in eloquently without it feeling like plans are just being thrown in our faces. And I always love it when Harry proves how much he has grown since Storm Front, using his head before his magic, planning and being prepared. Time to win some games, Harry.

"You think your power is what shapes the world you walk in. But that is an illusion. Your choices shape your world. You think your power will protect you from the consequences of those choices. But you are wrong. You create your own rewards. There is a Judge. There is a Justice in this world. And one day you will receive what you have earned. Choose carefully."

Overall:

What another great read to an amazing series. The Dresden Files is one of the best urban fantasy series out there, and I have absolutely no idea what I'm going to read next. 15 books in 3 months. 15 years of work all caught up. I can no longer finish one novel and move onto the next installment. I'm stuck in the same boat as everyone else: waiting patiently (ha) for the next book. At this point, I'll be happy to get a cover release. May, why are you so far away? It's going to be a looonnnngggg couple of months. I will now join the wait with all the other readers, taking whatever scraps of info Butcher will give us until the next release. Peace Talks sounds freaking awesome, and I can't wait to see what Butcher has in store for Harry next. Knowing him, it's going to be intense, action-filled, a rollercoaster of emotions, and, quite simply, epic. As each and every book in The Dresden Files has been.

"What happens if she does it? What happens if she turns me into her personal monster? What is she going to do with me then?"

"Oh, Harry. You're asking exactly the wrong question."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

He looked at me, his face serious, even worried. "What is she going to do with you if she can't?"

Cold Days (The Dresden Files #14)

Movin' along on The Dresden Files catch-up game.

Cold Days

5 out of 5 Winter Stars

"The fun begins when the games end, my Knight."

HARRY DRESDEN LIVES!!! And what a comeback! Cold Days is a complete game-changer in The Dresden Files series. Changes and Ghost Story may have felt like the world was turning upside down, but Cold Days takes the cake in this regard. Harry's life will literally never be the same. How can it be, when he's working for the Queen of Air and Darkness, Monarch of the Winter Court of Sidhe, Mab herself? Harry is facing some dangerous situations with even more dangerous decisions, not to mention the battle against the Winter mantle. It's quite a bumpy ride during this next installment of The Dresden Files.

"Bad things kept happening to me. It was high fucking time I started happening to them."

Plot-Line:

Cold Days picks up where Ghost Story left off: Harry's in Arctis Tor and healing from his gunshot wound. And Mab's got some very unique ideas regarding his physical therapy. Nothing like 77 attempted murders in 77 days to get you back on your feet. And boy does Mab have quite the mission for Harry once he's all healed up. Time to pull of the impossible, Harry, and kill an immortal. Yeah, you read that right. Mab wants Maeve dead, and to make matters even worse, Harry's got to deal with the dark, primal urges of the Winter mantle while also learning some seriously scary information and stop a growing threat that could take out the whole Midwest. Not to mention that the enemy is playing with some really dangerous, time-paradox weaponry. So, just an average day for our friendly, back-from-the-dead wizard.  

"Build a man a fire and he's warm for a day. But set a man on fire and he's warm for the rest of his life."

Notable Parts:

Lots of new information given out in Cold Days. Not only about the individual books in this series, in tying everything together from book-freaking-one, but also the world Harry lives in. Between Demonreach, the real purpose for the Winter and Summer Queens, and the dangerous Outsiders, I'm feeling a little overwhelmed. And really, really scared for Harry and friends. Speaking of friends, Harry's got some of the best. Without the help of Thomas, Murphy, Molly and Mouse, Harry would be in real trouble. Like, apocalypse-trouble. You can never underestimate the power and effect of trustworthy, having-your-back-till-the-end help. I love Harry and Thomas's relationship—they act exactly like brothers do, and it's nice having their banter mixed in with all the doom-and-gloom-end-of-the-world situations. But even their humor cannot ease what happens at the end of this novel. Let's just say that the Courts of Faerie have some changes to adjust to. I'm still trying to wrap my head around that ending.

"No one just starts giggling and wearing black and signs up to become a villainous monster. How the hell do you think it happens? It happens to people. Just people. They make questionable choices, for what might be very good reasons. They make choice after choice, and none of them is slaughtering roomfuls of saints, or murdering hundreds of baby seals, or rubber-room irrational. But it adds up. And then one day they look around and realize that they're so far over the line that they can't remember where it was."

Overall:

Butcher, you have some of the best characters I've ever read about, and I seriously cannot understand how well you plan out your novels. We're on book 14 and you're tying information back all the way to book one! Amazing! It takes serious skill to plan, remember and pace novels so effectively. I love it. We've come so far, so much has happened and changed, and still plans set in motion all the way back to the beginning are in effect 10+ years later. Mind-blowing. Simply amazing. Cold Days is one of my favorite installments to The Dresden Files, and I can't wait to see how everything plays out in future novels. Harry's right. There's a storm coming.

"This Winter Knight thing. You're not changing. You've already changed."