Date With a Rockstar by Sarah Gagnon

I received this book for free via Netgalley however this in no way affects the opinions expressed in this review

Date With a Rockstar

by Sarah Gagnon

Released: 23rd June 2015
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Genre: Romance, Dystopian, YA, Girly
Other books by Sarah Gagnon:
Nil
Goodreads Description:
Monet isn t just another lust-struck teenager trying to win the heart of Rock God Jeremy Bane--she needs the prize money from his new reality show to cure her illness. Monet has Fluxem, a contagious disease that's spread through saliva. It's completely curable if you have enough money, which she and her single mother don't. Now that she's on the show, Monet has to work harder to keep her Fluxem hidden. She only has to keep the secret long enough to woo Jeremy Bane so he picks her as the winner. She doesn't even care about the love part; the prize alone will change her life. But the real Jeremy Bane is nothing like she imagined. Monet finds herself fighting against feelings that make her want to give in to her attraction and Jeremy's attempts for a kiss. The further she goes in the competition, the more impossible it becomes to resist him--and when the producers turn the tables and start digging up dirt on the contestants, Monet fears her secret will be revealed before she's ready and ruin everything. The only way to win Jeremy's heart is to tell him the truth, but confessing her disease could cost her the competition, the prize money, and him.




My Review


I write this at ten to four in the morning, precariously cradling a cup of tea on the sofa arm, inbetween my laptop and the crook of my elbow. Yes, Date With a Rockstar is one of those books. You know? The ones that you desperately try to put down just before midnight because you know you need sleep, but it’s to no avail because you just need to read a little more. So, you read a little more, and after that you’re reading a little more again, and the next thing you know you’re sat in front of Sky Arts at ten to four in the morning, writing a review whilst precariously cradling a cup of tea on the sofa arm, inbetween your laptop and the crook of your elbow.

Just to catch you up, Date With a Rockstar is about a girl named Monet who enters a reality TV show contest called…wait for it…Date With a Rockstar. So basically, she has this disease called Fluxem and it’s going to kill her unless she can get her hands on the $20,000 cure. If she can win Date With a Rockstar, which involves her having to woo the hottie popstar of the time, Jeremy, she’ll get $30,000. Also, I’d like to mention that for some reason this story seems to be set in a future where there’s a crap-load of sci-fi style technology, lots of pollution, and America’s selling all their metal back to China. I know what you’re thinking: “Oh for Christ’s sake… Really Sarah Gagnon? Really?” However, I am pleased to inform you that it surprisingly works and somehow manages to add a hell of a lot of charm. You’ll have to read it to get what I mean.

(Afternote: If you’re feeling put off by the idea of crazed fangirls and worshipped male pop icons, don’t be. I hate this idea as much as (and I’d be willing to bet more than) the next person, however it’s definitely worth the read. Sarah Gagnon writes in a way that makes it bearable and a little less frustrating than you’d expect.)

Now, I’m not quite sure what made this book so compelling. The writing was extremely easy (probably what made it so effortless to read so despicably late on) and the characters weren’t anything greatly special. Sure, Monet (our main gal) was likeable, and Jasmine (our beloved antagonist) was wholly hateable, however I’m not quite sure how I found myself rooting for Monet so much. I was whole-heartedly invested in her success with Jeremy (the lad of the book) and suffered some confusing and unnerving hyper squealing, as well as some tense palpitations of the heart on multiple occasions. I often found myself wondering: “What in hell’s name is happening to me.” Just to explain, this crap doesn’t happen to me with easy-read YA like this. What is going on?!

The world was fabulous, and even though the plot really was rather contemporary-style, Sarah managed to combine the world and the plot in a surprisingly fluid way. The sci-fi-esque technology wasn’t overly shouted about and I really felt as if the world was completely normal. Not sure how you managed it, but well done!

Read this if you like an easy and entertaining read that’s a little peculiar and eccentric whilst remaining a girly YA romance that you’re sure to finish in one or two sittings. It’s great if you’re looking for something that’s not necessarily intellectually stimulating but compels you from start to finish and sucks you into the storyline.

I entered Date With a Rockstar with a hell of a lot of trepidation however I finished it in one sitting. (It wouldn’t let me put it down; it’s the book’s fault.)


Links
Goodreads
Amazon UK
Amazon US


Abi Ainley

Romance by the Book by Jo Victor

I received this book for free via Netgalley however this in no way affects the opinions expressed in this review

Romance by the Book

by Jo Victor

Released: 15th June 2015
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
Genre: Romance, LGBT, Mystery
Other books by Jo Victor:
Revenge of the Parson’s Daughter Or The Lass that Loved a Pirate
Goodreads Description:
For a smart woman, Alex is pretty clueless. She wants the truth, but she’s looking in the wrong place. She wants love, but she’s not looking at all. If only Cam didn’t keep disrupting her life, Alex might be able to find some answers. After all, it’s not as if Cam is interested in her. Which is probably a good thing, since Cam is even more infuriating than she is charming—and she’s got plenty of charm. On the other hand, Rosamund, Cam’s ex and Alex’s professional rival, is definitely interested in Alex, but can she be trusted? Alex doesn’t even realize the historic house she’s staying in is haunted. Perhaps a little supernatural help will lead Alex to uncover the secret of a love story hidden for over a century, and to solve the greatest mystery of all—the truth hidden in her own heart.




My Review


(Afterword: I was dying of heat exhaustion as I wrote this. It should not be 32 degrees Celsius in England. Nu-uh. So, if my writing’s a little, well, crappy, then I apologise.)

Mega book hang-over here. I’m not even sure where to start with this review and almost certain I’m going to find it hard to write anything of substance. I shall give it a go though…

Romance by the Book did it right. Well, most of it. Her writing’s amazing: I was miffed when it ended. I could have read about Alex’s daily life for months without getting bored. I especially noticed how much I highlighted in this just because it made me laugh or I thought it was witty. There were plenty of superb and entertaining language choices that never failed to make my smile or even chuckle out loud.

The characters in this book – mainly Alex, Cam, Rosamund and Nicola – were diverse and enjoyable, however I did happen to notice how the entire friendship group was lesbian. Sure, you need a few lesbians to create a complex of relationships, however it took away so much potential realism. It wasn’t that big of a deal; it wasn’t like it was made a big fuss of. In fact, I rather liked how the sexuality wasn’t shouted about like it is in most lgbt novels.

I also loved how I was as interested in Alex’s work into discovering the mystery of Artemisia and Lady Melissa as I was in Alex and Cam’s relationship. It’s not often you get a romance novel where some other part of the plot is equally as – if not more – compelling as the romance. I absolutely loved this!

Most of all, I admired the sex scene, even if it was a relatively small part of the book. It was the longest, most honest and most gutsy lgbt sex scene I’ve read in a long while – and I’ve read a lot of sex scenes. Being a bit of a lgbt sex scene aficionado (no judgements here guys xD), I consider myself able to proclaim this one a masterpiece.

Also, West Yorkshire. Just saying. I was so not expecting to open this book and still be at home. Honestly, I was expecting something either American or European. Not a fictional village based near Ilkley. Props!

This book would be great for people who are after an excellent, enjoyable lgbt read, and also maybe to fans of mystery as Jo Victor does a fairly decent job of that as well. The only thing I can say though, is I wouldn’t recommend this novel for anyone who likes a fast-paced, clearly-defined plot. The actual writing of it is what makes this book so good. Although the plot is still great in my opinion, and quite compelling at multiple parts, it’s nothing next to the artistry of the words.


Links
Goodreads
Amazon UK
Amazon US


Abi Ainley

The Changeling by Helen Falconer

I received this book for free via Netgalley however this in no way affects the opinions expressed in this review

The Changeling

by Helen Falconer

Released: 4th June 2015
Publisher: Corgi Childrens
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Romance, Supernatural
Other books by Helen Falconer:
Primrose Hill
Sky High
Goodreads Description:
Some of us are born to be magic.

Aoife is an ordinary teenager, hanging out with her childhood friend Carla, putting up with school. The worst she has to contend with is that the boy of Carla’s dreams is trying to get off with her instead.

But then, after chasing a lost little girl no one seems to be able to see, Aoife starts to develop mysterious powers. Eventually her parents confess that she isn’t their real daughter. Their human child was stolen by the fairies, and Aoife is the changeling left behind in her place.

Shocked and disorientated, Aoife turns to Shay, the taciturn farmer’s son who is the only person who might believe her story. Together, they embark on a dangerous journey, which takes them deep into the underworld and changes everything they thought they knew about fairies.




My Review


I can’t express how amazing this book was! After the pretty upsettingly bad run of books I’ve had in the past few weeks, The Changeling was a welcome treat that’s definitely made it’s way onto my favourites. I read it in one sitting and it had reduced me to tears by the end: How could I not proclaim it a favourite?

Being a huge fan of romantic fantasy, I entered this book with my critic head on, ready to compare it to every other romantic fantasy on the planet. By about 20% through the book I realised that wasn’t going to work. The Changeling is incomparable to any of my past favourites and brings a whole new concept to my idea of romantic fantasy. Sure, I’ve read books based off Irish mythology, and I’ve read plenty of YA romantic fantasy, but combining the two can be quite a difficult task due to how complex Irish mythology actually is. Helen Falconer did it stunningly and proved it definitely can work.

The way she revealed the plot bit by bit had me rolling around my bed in eager frustration as I came up with the most abstract of theories about what was going on. And I still found myself screaming at myself as Falconer revealed things that I really should have guessed from all the sneaky little clues but nu-uh.

Aoife and Shay, the two main characters, were loveable at their worsts. Although you were kind of told something was up with Shay, Aoife was as normal as you can make a character. It was so exciting when she began sprouting up all these powers and began to learn who she was. On the other hand, for some reason I spent almost the entire book in denial about Shay, believing he was totally normal, even when he started showing a couple of blatant signs he wasn’t actually human. When it became too much and I finally had to admit he wasn’t quite human, it took me way longer than it should’ve to figure out the whole ins and outs of the situation and got me way more excited than it should’ve.

Anyway, I can’t recommend this book enough to anyone with any interest in folkloric fantasy or just a thirst for a good YA Romantic Fantasy. I will definitely be buying this book if only to lend it to everyone I know and can’t wait to reread it!

As far as I can tell there’s going to be more to this series and boy am I glad. I need more! Now!


Links
Goodreads
Amazon UK
Amazon US


Abi Ainley

My Personal Read-a-thon

So, as you might have noticed, I haven't posted a review in a couple of weeks or so. In and amongst my exams, my kindle breaking and my trip to London, it's been hell trying to find time to read. I've read on and off different books (I read a good way through This is Not a Love Story by Keren David but had to give it up because I just couldn't get into it) but haven't been able to finish any.

For these reason's, I'm ridiculously behind on review books and have therefore decided to spend the next week reading as many as possible, to a reasonable extent. I've just finished my first book (The Changeling by Helen Falconer), which reduced me to tears so I'm definitely out of my accidental reading slump! I'll be writing that review right after this and will post in either tonight or tomorrow. :D

Very excited to read all week!

Abi Ainley

5 Reasons Why All The Bright Places is So Painfully Amazing

This post contains graphic images of destroyed books.
Contains slight spoilers, but they won't inhibit the enjoyability pain of reading this book.

WARNING
This book will rip your heart out and shred it into dust, and may (will) cause ugly crying - the really ugly kind.

Just a quickie before we begin... I took this book way too personally and, from what I've seen, seemed to read it in a completely different way to most people. The romance wasn't really the focus in my mind as I read it. To be honest, the focus was more on how much I could relate to Finch. Then Miss Niven killed him off. So, you can see why I was probably a little more wrecked after reading this than some. This is also the reason I'm not writing a proper review as I don't think it'll be of much use due to the fact that I personally connected with the story in an unusual way.



And, onto the 5 Reasons Why All The Bright Places is so painfully amazing...
1. You know you'll never be as great at pick up lines as Finch

I hear that Pluto and Jupiter and the earth are about to align. I wonder if you want to join me in a floating experiment

1.5 You'll cry just skimming a section to find a quote.


2. "Oh hey look! Let's make the character one that everyone can relate to and love, and kill him!" Why Jennifer! Why couldn't he have been a little more hateable!


3. You'll read it late into the night and destroy the book in your babbling, teary, snot-faced stupor. Then seriously regret it the next day.

I will be picking up a hardback copy to replace this. It pains me to look at it Dx


4. The book will always torment you. No matter how hard you try to block it out. No matter how many TV programs you watch. It will take over your life, taking any chance to remind you what happened. The words will bounce around your head, bringing tears to your eyes at the most inconvenient of moments.

5. There's a movie coming out in 2017 and you know you're going to have to put yourself through the pain of going to see it. That's two years to try and prepare yourself for it. Two years of collecting tissues. Two years of tears.


All in all though, no matter how much pain it causes and ignoring the fact that your heart's in a million pieces by the end of it, it's an amazing book and a must read, if you haven't read it already. I'm probably the last person to read this; I've been putting it off for months, purely because I anticipated the above. In fact, no I didn't. I anticipated being babbling, teary and snot-faced but I seriously did not even imagine the rest of the pain!


Links
Goodreads
Amazon UK
Amazon US


Abi Ainley

Review: A Lonely Magic by Sarah Wynde

I received this book for free via Netgalley however this in no way affects the opinions expressed in this review

A Lonely Magic

by Sarah Wynde

Release: 10th July 2014
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Sci-fi, Romance
Other books by Sarah Wynde:
Tassamara (Series)
Goodreads Description:
Fen’s life is on track—she works, she studies, she pays her rent—until a gorgeous guy points a gun at her and demands that she choose how she wants to die. What the hell? When a teenage boy, Luke, comes to her rescue, she survives, but escape won’t be so easy.

Luke’s sexy older brother, Kaio, offers to help her, but his protection simmers with unnerving undercurrents. The brothers have secrets and Fen has questions. Who are they? How did they find her? And why was she targeted for murder in the first place?

When Fen and Luke are forced to run for their lives, Luke spirits Fen down into an enchanting underwater city. But every enchantment has its dark edges. Caught in tides of romance, fear, and a plot to destroy humanity, Fen must look deep within herself to find the strength and courage she’ll need to stay afloat in an amazing new world.




My Review

First of all, I'd like to mention that I did love this book. I wasn't expecting much from the lack of hype however this is one of those situations where you have to just ignore the presumption that it'll be crap and enjoy the book for what it is: absolutely brilliant!

Fen spends her days working in a bookstore, living on her own after her mum died and contemplating the benefits and banes of going to college. Until one day she's attacked by a man who offers her a choice between him killing her and her killing herself with pills. Lucky for her, there's a (rather good-looking) mysterious boy named Luken who intercepts her death in return for a bullet wound. The next thing Fen knows, she's on a journey through a fantastical land of magic, running from a group called the Val Kyr.

The characters in this novel were great. Fen was likeable and entertaining and the Del Mars (family) were suitably charming. I wouldn't say there was a great deal of emotional connection to the characters however this is a very light-hearted book and I think maybe too much emotional attachment could have destroyed that essence of humour that runs throughout the novel. So, that being the case, the characters were exactly how they should be. They weren't anything special but they worked brilliantly. Elfie even became my favourite character and she wasn't even a person: she was the magical equivalent of AI!

On the world-building front Wynde really impresses. Everything was sparkling and magical, as it should be in a joyous fantasy story like this one. The world was very reminiscent of an elf's dwelling, as Fen graciously pointed out, and I found myself desperate to explore every nook and cranny of this new world.

Most of all:
THAT PLOT TWIST!!!
I should have seen that coming. But I didn't. And I legit had to put down the book for a few minutes whilst I got my bearings back again after.

Finally, I hope to God this is the first in a series. The way it was left indicates that there's more to come but I can't find any sign of a sequel so my only option is to wait (im)patiently.


Links
Goodreads
Amazon UK
Amazon US


Abi Ainley

Review (MUST READ): Half Wild by Sally Green

So, another must read: I'm having a great booklife at the moment ;D

Half Wild

by Sally Green

Release: 24th March 2015
Publisher: Puffin
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Action, Romance, Awesome, Bloody amazing
Other books by Sally Green:
Half Bad
Goodreads Description:
"You will have a powerful Gift, but it’s how you use it that will show you to be good or bad."

In a modern-day England where two warring factions of witches live amongst humans, seventeen-year-old Nathan is an abomination, the illegitimate son of the world's most powerful and violent witch. Nathan is hunted from all sides: nowhere is safe and no one can be trusted. Now, Nathan has come into his own unique magical Gift, and he's on the run--but the Hunters are close behind, and they will stop at nothing until they have captured Nathan and destroyed his father.




My Review


Being a huge fan of Half Bad, I was expecting to love this book. I was expecting to finish reading it and write a lovely positive review about how good it was. Turns out I more than loved this book. I've loved books before but never as much as this one. And this ain't going to be a lovely positive review about how good it is. I'm pretty certain this is just going to be me babbling on about how god damn amazing and awesome and ridiculously super it was!

Everything just got turned up a notch when I opened the first page of this book. The setting was vivid and exciting, the characters were awesome and way too lifelike, and the emotions, well, I don't think any word in the English dictionary could describe accurately what this book did to me. I'm pretty sure my heart aged 20 years in the process of reading this book. I kind of feel sorry for it in some respect: it spent a good portion of this novel stopping, clenching and palpitating. My tear ducts have also been worn down significantly, and most of it was crying when Annalise kept refusing to disappear. Come on, I'm pretty sure everyone just wanted her out so Nathan and Gabriel could actually get together!

In a normal review, I'd be critically analysing the novel, picking out the good bits, the bad bits, commenting on the characterisation and the writing of the novel. However, I hardly think that's necessary here. I failed to pick out much that could have been better. Okay, there could have been a few more tears throughout the novel, but the ending seriously makes up for that.

Finally, I'd love to conclude with who I recommend this to but really:
-If you loved Half Bad you'll love Half Wild even more.
-If you hated Half Bad you'll love Half Wild.
-If you haven't read Half Bad you really need to go do that right now.


Links
Goodreads
Amazon UK
Amazon US


Abi Ainley

Review: Dragonfriend (Dragonfriend #1) by Marc Secchia

I received this book as an ARC from the author however this in no way affects the opinions expressed in this review

Dragonfriend (Dragonfriend #1)

by Marc Secchia

Release: 11th April 2015
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Dragons
Other books by Marc Secchia:
Shapeshifter Dragons (Series)
Shioni of Sheba (Series)
IsleSong (Series)
Feynard

Goodreads Description:
Stabbed. Burned by a dragon. Abandoned for the windrocs to pick over. The traitor Ra’aba tried to silence Hualiama forever. But he reckoned without the strength of a dragonet’s paw, and the courage of a girl who refused to die.

Only an extraordinary friendship will save Hualiama’s beloved kingdom of Fra’anior and restore the King to the Onyx Throne. Flicker, the valiant dragonet. Hualiama, a foundling, adopted into the royal family. The power of a friendship which paid the ultimate price.

This is the tale of Hualiama Dragonfriend, and a love which became legend.




My Review


I was flickering (I'm already on the puns ;D) between 4 stars and 5 stars for this book but I finally settled on the latter since it was my fault I found it confusing at times for picking completely the wrong period of time to read it! It took way longer than I expected to read this book but it was definitely worthwhile. It's not actually that long, however due to the nature of the writing it takes a lot of focus and can't just be lightly read like most YA novels.

The book begins with an adopted princess named Hualiama being thrown off a dragonship by Ra'aba, an evil power-seeker who's trying to steal the throne from the rightful king. As you can tell, she didn't die; that wouldn't have been much of a story! She's saved by a feisty dragonet called Flicker. As the story progressed Hualiama and Flicker search to save the Onyx Throne and in the process attempt to figure out Hualiama's past and why she remembers being raised by dragons.

First off, I'd like to mention the impressive character and relationship development at the beginning, when Flicker is looking after Hualiama. It was weeks ago when I read the first couple of chapters and I still remember how in awe I was of how they bonded and got to know each other. Honestly, I think that was my favourite section. Flicker is like no other character I've ever seen before and he quickly became my favourite dragon character - and I've read a lot of dragon books! His attitude towards humans, including Hualiama, had me laughing throughout the novel and was the main factor in keeping me interested before the dragon Grandion was introduced. The development of Grandion's character wasn't as great as Flicker's but it was still impressive. In fact, all the character relationships in this book were pretty amazing.

One thing I have to say about this book though, is it can be confusing as heck. With all the old English language and new made-up words it was a challenging read. Although I did enjoy the language used, I wouldn't recommend this to anyone who'll be preoccupied whilst reading it. It needs a heck of a lot of concentration. So basically, don't read it whilst you're doing exams. Tried and tested. Doesn't work. I had to break off every few chapters to think about what was happening so I'll definitely be setting aside some devoted reading time for the next in the series.

Back onto a bright note, this book is one on its own. Normally I'd be saying who I recommend it to here but I honestly have no idea. I've never read anything like it. As I tweeted last week, Dragonfriend is more of an experience than a story. The lyrical writing takes you on an extremely strange journey of thoughts and emotions and you come out from reading this as if you're waking up from a pretty amazing dream. I'm not entirely sure how to explain the feeling of reading Dragonfriend but it's different. I recommend you give it a go because, whether you come out loving or hating it, you won't ever forget reading it.

This book is the first in a series.


Links
Goodreads
Amazon UK
Amazon US


Abi Ainley

Review (MUST READ): Nowhere But Here by Katie Mcgarry

Nowhere But Here

by Katie Mcgarry

Release: 26th May 2015
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Romance
Other books by Katie Mcgarry:
Pushing the Limits (Series)
Red at Night

Goodreads Description:
Seventeen-year-old Emily likes her life the way it is: doting parents, good friends, good school in a safe neighborhood. Sure, she's curious about her biological father—the one who chose life in a motorcycle club, the Reign of Terror, over being a parent—but that doesn't mean she wants to be a part of his world. But when a reluctant visit turns to an extended summer vacation among relatives she never knew she had, one thing becomes clear: nothing is what it seems. Not the club, not her secret-keeping father and not Oz, a guy with suck-me-in blue eyes who can help her understand them both.

Oz wants one thing: to join the Reign of Terror. They're the good guys. They protect people. They're…family. And while Emily—the gorgeous and sheltered daughter of the club's most respected member—is in town, he's gonna prove it to her. So when her father asks him to keep her safe from a rival club with a score to settle, Oz knows it's his shot at his dream. What he doesn't count on is that Emily just might turn that dream upside down.

No one wants them to be together. But sometimes the right person is the one you least expect, and the road you fear the most is the one that leads you home.




My Review


This book didn't even make it onto my "currently reading" shelf I was that taken by it. It made me cry, laugh and boy did it make me smile!

Emily lives a fairly standard life with her mum and adoptive dad; her biological father visits her once a year and life's pretty swell - for use of a better word. Then one day there's an email from her biological father. Her grandma's dead and he wants her to go to her wake. Next thing she knows there's an illegal motorcycle club after her and she's forced to stay with her biological father and his motorcycle club with a personal bodyguard - who happens to be pretty damn good-looking.

Alright, the beginning didn't really grab me and I spent the first 30% of the book unsure whether it was going to go above average. But it did. It went way above average. It actually surprised me it became that good! I was expecting a fairly average and uninteresting book but Mcgarry managed to bring a lot more to the table than that. ;)

The characters were amazing. I usually hate characters in contemporary romance but that definitely wasn't the case here. Emily was believable and had me rooting for her from the beginning. Her hopes and fears were cleverly entwined into the story in a way that gave it a whole lot of substance. Oz (her bodyguard) was a great character who I'm pretty sure has yet to fail to steal any reader's heart. He was loveable with just the right amount of annoying quirks to keep him from becoming too perfect and unrealistic.

The romance in this book's extremely well presented. There's none of those cliche knew-that-was-going-to-happen moments and a lot of those exciting holy-shit-that's-unexpected-and-freaking-adorable moments. It most definitely was not annoying and I was in full support of this relationship, which is definitely unusual; I spend half my life sighing at the annoying and unrealistic relationships that seem to dominate contemporary romance!

There were also a hell of a lot of surprises throughout this novel which kept me on my toes. From finding out what the stars on her biological father's arms meant to discovering her parents' past. It keeps you guessing from point go and you'll be wanting to read the book every second of every day just to find out more of the story. All in all, I would recommend this book to anyone who's anyone as it's an almost perfect example of what a good contemporary romance novel should be like.

Aaaaaaand... Before I make this review unbearably long I'd like to say once last thing: Thank God this is a series because you'll want way more of this when you're finished. I'm so excited for Razor's story!


Links
Goodreads
Amazon UK
Amazon US


Abi Ainley

Review: Rogue (Talon #2) by Julie Kagawa

Rogue

by Julie Kagawa

Release: 28th April 2015
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Romance, Dragons
Other books by Julie Kagawa:
The Iron Fey (Series)
Blood of Eden (Series)
Talon (Series)
etc...


Goodreads Description

Ember Hill left the dragon organization Talon to take her chances with rebel dragon Cobalt and his crew of rogues. But Ember can't forget the sacrifice made for her by the human boy who could have killed her—Garret Xavier Sebastian, a soldier of the dragonslaying Order of St. George, the boy who saved her from a Talon assassin, knowing that by doing so, he'd signed his own death warrant.

Determined to save Garret from execution, Ember must convince Cobalt to help her break into the Order's headquarters. With assassins after them and Ember's own brother helping Talon with the hunt, the rogues find an unexpected ally in Garret and a new perspective on the underground battle between Talon and St. George.

A reckoning is brewing and the secrets hidden by both sides are shocking and deadly. Soon Ember must decide: Should she retreat to fight another day…or start an all-out war?


My Review

In this upstanding sequel to Talon, Ember, Riley and Garret continue to run from Talon and St. George, whilst Ember continues to battle between her feelings for the bad boy dragon, Cobalt (Riley), and the enemy-turned-ally human, Garret.

Contrary to Talon, Rogue is definitely a lot less teeny-I’m-kinda-a-dragon-romance and more YA- I’m-a-badass-dragon-fantasy. I loved this even more than I loved Talon, and probably for this reason. Not that I don’t like the romance aspect, I just like it quite a bit more when there’s dragons and fire and bloodshed involved! It adds a bit of an edge to the cliché girl meets two boys and can’t choose between them part. So, first off, Rogue is a hell of a lot more badass than Talon.

The increased badass-ness (I’m sorry, but it’s the best term to describe this book ;D) definitely made me root for the characters a lot more. On top of this, the characters seemed a lot more 3D in this novel, whether that’s because I was more interested in it due to all the action, or because the characterisation was actually better. Riley stole me this time. Originally, in Talon, I’d been a little dubious when it came to him, not quite sure what to make of the whole “look how amazing I am: come join me and be awesome too” thing. However, in Rogue, we find a lot more out about Cobalt (Riley) and he quickly loses that act, as I now know it was, becoming a pretty amazing and exciting character. I noticed that the characters’ faces all seemed to be a little more characterful in my mind’s eye. Again, probably because of how much Rogue sucks you in compared to Talon.

I found myself reacting to almost every situation: laughing, gasping, “f**k you”-ing. The one thing I’m waiting for is a bit of a sob. Yes, something a little sad happened at the end, but it wasn’t to the extent of tears. I’m strongly hoping that the next book in the series can reduce me to tears, because, well, no book series should go without at least one breakdown.

Julie Kagawa, if you can hear me, I’m ready to get out the buckets!


Links
Goodreads
Amazon UK
Amazon US


Abi Ainley

Short Review (rant): Travelling To Infinity by Jane Hawking

Travelling to Infinity

by Jane Hawking

I blatantly refuse to do a full-scale review of this book. As many people have already pointed out across the many social media sites that I inhabit, this is almost nothing but a book of complaints and whining. I hate to be this hostile, but I'm not the only one, and in the knowledge of that I feel I am completely fine to release my anger towards this work in whatever way I please.

        NO, this is not a romance.

        NO, this will not teach you anything interesting about Stephen Hawking.

        YES, you will find out what she had for breakfast.

        YES, you will be annoyed beyond comprehension from her bothersome grasping for sympathy.

        Need I say any more? If you wish to experience this book for yourself, go ahead - a good few people have enjoyed this book - but, take it from me, the majority of us were ready to pack up and migrate to the wilderness by the end.


Abi Ainley

Review: The Watcher in The Shadows by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

The Watcher in the Shadows

By Carlos Ruiz Zafon

The Watcher in the Shadows is definitely one of the best novels I have ever read. Set in 1930's Normandy, France, it follows the story of the Sauvelle family, Simone, Irene, and Dorian, who are struggling for money after the death of the father. Then one day, they are introduced to the kind, yet reclusive, toymaker, Lazarus Jann, who welcomes them with open arms. Lazarus lives in a grand building, set in the midst of a dark, mysterious forest. The story seemed to focus on the daughter, Irene, who meets a seclusive boy named Ismael. A good portion of the story focuses on their meagre adventures around the island and the forest, which I personally loved reading about.

        Ismael was probably the most characterised in this novel and his character development was brilliant. It wasn't hard to imagine that he could have been a real person, preferring seclusion but still strong-willed and brave. Dorian, Irene's younger brother, was also an interesting character, with a purposeful resemblance to the reclusive and eccentric toymaker. I noticed quite a bit of foreshadowing and hidden links in this story, which were very exciting to find. Now, I'm not entirely certain if this was intended or not because it seemed to work with the story, but Irene's character definitely seemed only half-there. It was almost as if she were a ghost in the story, the most of her personality veiled beneath a translucent cloak. The reader really didn't get to know this protagonist, but, as I said, it somewhat worked, enhancing the mystery, magic and intrigue that made this story so interesting.

        I must confess, the intrigue in this story beats a lot of what I've seen before. I have seen few people who claim to have experienced this also though, so I'll presume that this is just how my mind works, but the amount of mystery and guessing in this story really made it a whole. Every page, I was making links and guessing what was going to happen next. Every time I put the book down, every way in which the story could pan out appeared in my head. Congratulations to Zafon on this as it was truly outstanding.

        The thing that Zafon succeeded in the most though, was not the mystery, but the way the story grabbed you with sharp claws and drew you into the detailed gothic scenery. Everything was described in a way that painted a tantalising image in the reader's head, full of excitement and wonder. The Cravenmoore house, home of Lazarus Jann, was beautiful. The wonderful and exciting, yet creepy and disturbing, toys and artwork described around the house made it almost impossible to look away, drawing the reader into a swirling abyss.

        The tone of this book was very gothic and somewhat drab, but it worked wonderfully. I cried at one point and even laughed at one point, but the ominous nature of this book is really what made it such a thrilling read.

        The only thing I could really complain about with this book is the fact that it's a children's book. Maybe the childishness was what made the atmosphere so intriguing, but really I think this story is...
Oh nevermind, I'm trying to argue a point I don't really agree with and it's not working! This book was perfect. The only thing it really lacked was a bit of viscosity but I feel like I can hardly complain about that when the rest of it completely outweighed that fact.

        I would recommend this book to anyone, young or old, but I have to say, after lending this to my mum, I want to snatch it back very selfishly. I can tell you now, this is a book you will be very selfish about; this will be your story that will be shared with no one!


Abi Ainley