Seraphina (Rachel Hartman)

Title: Seraphina

Author: Rachel Hartman

Publisher: Random House

Length: 451 pages

Rating: 5/5

In a world where dragons and humans coexist in an uneasy truce and dragons can assume human form, Seraphina, whose mother died giving birth to her, grapples with her own identity amid magical secrets and royals scandals, while she struggles to accept and develop her extraordinary musical talents.

Seraphina is like Teen Wolf, and I mean this as the highest compliment. You think it's just going to be a stupid book about dragons and then you're addicted. I've read a lot of great books lately, but it's been a while since I've been thrown into a world so vivid and compelling that I couldn't stop reading, and when I did, all I wanted to do was pick the book back up.

It's part mystery, part fantasy, and a tiny bit of forbidden romance. I loved all the little details, from the garden in Seraphina's head to the fact that dragons can't have facial hair in human form. As readers, we don't only get to join Seraphina's journey of self-discovery, but we feel like we're on our own journey of world-discovery!

Occasionally I was a little confused as to why everyone loved Seraphina so much--she can be very prickly--but eventually came to love her, despite her flaws. 

I'm anxious for the second book to come out not only to find out what happens, but because I want an excuse to read this book again! Fans of high-fantasy, Tamora Pierce, and great books- this one is not to be missed!

Shadow and Bone (Leigh Bardugo)

Title: Shadow and Bone

Author: Leigh Bardugo

Publisher: Henry Holt and Company

Length: 358

Rating: 5/5

Alina is a perfectly ordinary orphan living in the war-torn nation of Ravka. But when she travels into the Shadow Fold, a dark place filled with monsters that divides Ravka and is the nation’s greatest weakness, everything changes. To save her best friend and fellow orphan, Mal, she summons power she didn’t know she had, and when her power is discovered, she is whisked off to the capital to join the magical elite Grisha. There, she is given every privilege and becomes the favorite of the most powerful magician of Ravka, the Darkling. But nothing is as it seems, and with darkness looming over Ravka, Alina must learn to control her power and escape control by others, including the Darkling.

This book was awesome. It’s fantasy, and pleased me down to the depths of my fantasy-loving heart, but not a fantasy so confusing as the scare off non-fantasy readers. It’s also a Russian-based fantasy, which creates a really great magically unique world.

The story arc in this book was brilliant, and everything tied in very neatly by the end, including the title.  Seeing things from Alina’s point of view put us right in the story, naïve and learning, just like Alina. All of the characters were complex, with more to them than expected, and I loved Alina and Mal most of all. And of course the Darkling was fascinating.

In an interview with Amazon, author Leigh Bardugo said, “The message at the heart of the story is basically that the things that you fear most in yourself, the things that make you different, are also the things that give you power. And that embracing them can make you beautiful.” THIS IS WHAT YA IS ALL ABOUT!

Pick this book up; you won’t be disappointed. 

A Hat Full of Sky (Terry Pratchett)

This review is dedicated to the Linwood Community Library where I've been the YA Intern the past four months. Thanks to my boss Dave for recommending this book!

Title: A Hat Full of Sky

Author: Terry Pratchett

Publisher: Harper Tempest (HarperCollins)

Length: 407 pages

Rating: 4/5

Tiffany Aching is a witch-in-training, away from home for the first time to learn about magic and witchly responsibility. But a sinister disembodied monster is after Tiffany, and it will take all her training, her bravery, and a little help from her friends the Wee Free Men (six-inch high troublemakers) and Mistress Weatherwax (the greatest witch in the world) to defeat it.

This book is the sequel to The Wee Free Men, in which Tiffany first befriends the small fairies and discovers she is a witch. Here, poor Tiffany is just learning to be a witch when she is attacked by one of the greatest threats in the world. Luckily, she has some amazing friends to help her out. The Wee Free Men were delightfully hilarious to read about, and all the other witches are quite peculiar and interesting (and often absurd).

I loved that this book made impossibilities happen and challenged my mind as I read. It takes place in a fantasy world where real rules don't apply and everything is turned on its head. Anything is possible, and the more absurd, the more likely it is to happen! But at the same time, everything is quite serious, because Tiffany's life is at stake, and in the end, only she can save it.

A very funny read that will make you wish the sky was your hat too!

Bitterblue (Kristin Cashore)

Title: Bitterblue

Author: Kristin Cashore

Publisher: Dial Books (Penguin)

Length: 563 pages

Rating: 4.5/5

In this sequel to Gracelingand companion to Fire, Bitterblue now sits on the throne of Monsea. Only 18 years old, Bitterblue must awake her kingdom from the 35 year spell of her father Leck, a violent psychopath who had the power of mind control. Tired of the futility of it all, one night Bitterblue sneaks out into the city alone, discovering the real problems her city faces, as well as the lies her advisers have been telling her. Can Bitterblue wade through the lies and find a way to save her kingdom, still under the spell of a madman 10 years after his death?

This book was intense. In my review of Fire, I suggested that my hate for Leck couldn’t grow any bigger. Well guys, it got bigger. Way bigger. I also began to pity Leck a bit, because we finally see some of the motives for his madness. But mostly I hated him.

 Bitterblue was definitely more violent and less romantic than its counterparts, but it also presented a bigger mystery. I connected with Bitterblue as she tried to wade through all the lies and not just discover who she was outside of being queen, but also discover what her father did, and despite his huge, awful destruction, how she can possibly make it any better.

One of the best parts of this book was the resurfacing of Katsa, Po, Fire and more. It was very interesting to see them from Bitterblue’s point of view, and to see that there is no “happily ever after” but more a “constantly working for peace and still loving each other” kind of ending. I can only hope there will be more books located in these worlds!

Fire (Kristin Cashore)

Title: Fire

Author: Kristin Cashore

Publisher: Dial Books (Penguin)

Length: 461 pages

Rating: 5/5

Fire is the last human monster in the Dells, a land mired in a violence, largely caused by the destructive power of Fire’s father, another, more vicious, human monster. Thought hated, adored and hunted, Fire is recruited by King Nash to use her powers of mind control to help save the kingdom.

This companion to the wonderful Graceling was everything I had hoped for and more. I’ve definitely found a new favorite author in Kristin Cashore. I did not want to put this book down! It was quite refreshing to read a book that wasn’t a sequel, instead, this book only had one recurring character from Graceling, a boy who becomes twice the villain he is in Graceling. I’m not sure I’ve ever hated a villain this much (maybe Voldemort…). Even though the Dells are next door to the seven kingdoms, it was a whole new world and culture, and I loved it just as much. Definitely read this book after you read Graceling, it will mean so much more.

There were some similarities between the two books. What should a person do with their power and influence? What if that power comes from violating others by reading their thoughts? Both heroines must embrace their power, and in Fire’s case, her beauty. Fire must come to accept her power and her beauty, and embrace it if she is to save the kingdom.

There was a lot more war strategy in this book than its companion, which I sometimes found a little hard to wrap my head around, but all together this book was haunting, beautiful, and surprising. Go read it!

Graceling (Kristin Cashore)

Title: Graceling

Author: Kristin Cashore

Publisher: Harcourt

Length: 471 pages

Rating: 5/5

Katsa lives in a world where some people are born with a skill called a Grace. While Graces are often feared, Katsa’s Grace of killing is especially feared and loathed. Katsa struggles with her horrifying Grace and what she must do with it under the command of her uncle, King Randa. Then Katsa meets Prince Po, Graced with the skill of fighting, and unexpectedly teams up with him to save all seven kingdoms in their land from a corrupt king and a dark secret.

This book is an easy contender for Best YA Book of 2012 for me (even though it came out in 2008). It has everything I loved about fantasy books as a kid and everything I love about YA now (think Tamora Pierce for older readers). Katsa is an amazing heroine with intense fighting skills and a good heart that rebels against her own power given through her Grace of killing. Po is an equally brilliant hero because he is the perfect seemingly-incompatible compliment to Katsa’s headstrong ways. While a romance does develop, Katsa doesn’t let it soften her, instead it improves her and she never gives up her own convictions against marriage.

An absolutely brilliant debut by author Kristin Cashore, I can’t wait for more from her! Luckily, because I’m late to this boat, there is a prequel, Fire, and a companion, Bitterblue, for me to read.

You can see the book trailer here.

Cinder (Marissa Meyer)

Title: Cinder

Author: Marissa Meyer

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends (MacMillan)

Length: 387 pages

Rating: 4.5/5

A plague threatens to destroy Earth while the Lunars threaten to destroy it through invasion. Cinder is only a cyborg mechanic, but when Prince Kai calls on her to fix his android, she gets sucked into the political mayhem. In this futuristic Cinderella story, Cinder becomes a reluctantly key player in saving the world.

Gorgeous cover.

I love modern fairy tales, and this one is done particularly well. Marissa Meyer creates a completely modern future society and brilliantly ties it into the classic Cinderella story for the perfect mix of reality and fantasy. And Prince Kai is one worthy of the storybooks.

Cinder is also a wonderful character. She’s an awesome mechanic, and not just because parts of her body have been replaced by metal due to a hover accident when she was a kid. Unfortunately, because of her cyborg status and uncaring step-mother, Cinder doesn’t have a lot of self-esteem. If only Prince Kai could sing this One Direction song to her! Or if someone could just tell her that in Young Adult fiction (and in life), what makes you different makes you special, and maybe Cinder will be able to save the world!

This book is definitely worth a read. And I’m thoroughly excited that the next book in the Lunar Chronicles will not only feature Cinder, but will introduce a new character, Little Red Riding Hood. I love this idea! 2013 is so far away though…

Grave Mercy (Robin LaFevers)

Title: Grave Mercy

Author: Robin LaFevers

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Length: 549 pages

Rating: 4/5

Narrowly saved from an awful arranged marriage and shuffled off to a mysterious convent in the night, seventeen year old Ismae finds her destiny lies with the god of death. At the convent, she is taught to be an assassin for Death and is trained in all matters of weaponry, poisons, and even the wily womanly arts. She will need all of her training and more to survive her most important mission: posing as the mistress to the handsome Gavrial Duval, she infiltrates the high court of Brittany to ferret out a traitor and save the duchess and the country from harm.

This book has everything that I love. It’s historical fiction, but written like the fantasy books I inhaled as a kid. It’s also got romance, intrigue, and great well-rounded characters. Plus a strong  main female character who kills…literally. I became quite fond of Ismae, who is just the right amount of confidence (when it comes to killing) and bumbling (when it comes to womanly charm).

Because it’s historically based on fifteen century Brittany, there are a lot of characters with remarkably similar names to keep track of, but the mystery and romance will keep you reading through the longest historical lessons. Plus, you can always count on Ismae to shoot someone with a crossbow to liven things up.

Overall, enjoyable read, and I’m very much looking forward to the other books in the series, which I’m excited to report, look like they’ll be about Ismae’s equally awesome killing friends. 

The Iron King (Julie Kagawa)

Title: The Iron King

Author: Julie Kagawa

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Length: 363 pages

Rating: 2/5

Meghan Chase never thought herself ordinary, never seeming to fit in with the rest of the world, ever since her father mysteriously disappeared when she was six. But she never imagined she was extraordinary, burdened by the density that comes with being the secret daughter of a mythical faery king. When her brother is kidnapped, she discovers her true identify and is launched into an adventure that challenges all that she knows about the world and herself. Aiding Meghan against the mysterious evil are an untrustworthy cat, her prankster best friend who was a faery all along, and an icy, gorgeous faery prince.

I had trouble getting into this book. Nothing ever goes right, ever, and there’s no variation or anticipation when the worst always happens. The tone was dark and brooding, and Meghan wasn’t a strong enough character to pull me out of the gloom. Puck (best friend) and Ash (prince) were bright spots but like everything in the world of faeries, they had an intangible alien strangeness to them that kept me from completely liking them. It was all very Alice in Wonderland-esque but without the positivity that comes with the power of imagination. Meghan feels powerless to make any sort of impact and I felt powerless as a reader. However, I did keep reading, as I wanted to know why Meghan was so special, if she could rescue her brother, and if something significant would happen between her and Ash.

Overall, worth the ninety cents procured in late fees at the library (this review was also a factor in why I kept reading), but at not enough to make me read the rest of the series. Have a disagreeing opinion? Tell me below!

Divergent (Veronica Roth)

(Disclaimer: no big spoilers in this review)

Quick back-story: A couple months ago, I was returning from the wedding of a college friend. The Megabus was busy, so I sat down next to a girl who seemed friendly. We began chatting as she was returning from the wedding of a college friend as well. At the time, I was reading a manuscript for the Denver Publishing Institute, so we started talking about publishing. One of her friends she saw at the wedding had just been published, and the book was titled Divergent. It sounded really interesting, so I put it in the back of my mind to read later.

The book kept cropping up until I finally got a chance to borrow it. SO GOOD! I admitted in my first post that I rarely buy books, but I needed my own copy of this one.

Divergent is set in a futuristic, dystopian Chicago that is divided into five different factions. At age 16, teenagers must choose the one faction with which they’ll spend the rest of their lives. Beatrice (Tris) Prior can’t decide which faction she belongs in, the one she grew up in or the one she feels drawn to. At first, this choice seemed a little superficial to me. Doesn’t she have to choose the one that will start the story? But Roth still managed to surprise me, and it wasn’t the last time.

I think part of the reason dystopias are so popular right now is because in them, kids get to DO stuff. It’s the same as in fantasies. Kids get a chance to prove themselves. What I love about these books (which I first discovered with the brilliant A Wrinkle In Time) is that the main character is always the person who is different. But the things that make them different are what make them stronger. And while the situation is fantastical, what they learn is relevant. In Divergent, Tris learns to face her fears and become a tougher person. Dystopias and fantasies aren’t superficial about life either. Choices the characters make have direct consequences. Bad stuff happens, and characters deal with it. Tris learns that being “divergent” instead of perfectly fitting into a faction is what makes her special. What a great message for young adults, and everyone actually…

Another thing that made this book so great was the boy. I’m a total sucker for a good romance, and Roth was brilliant in the growing relationship between Tris and Four. Tris is just the right amount of clueless, while Four (thank goodness!!) isn’t just another protective hero. In fact, he’s so great because he knows Tris well enough to know that she doesn’t need protecting. This doesn’t stop him from showing up in all the right moments though. While I thoroughly enjoyed the romance, I had to wonder if it’s something that would turn male readers off. Let me know if you’re a guy who enjoyed this book.

Now I’m really excited for the sequel (yay trilogies- I’m not done with Four yet) and the movie! In case you couldn’t tell by my enthusiasm, this is probably the most enjoyable book I’ve read all year.

Tell me your thoughts on Divergent, your love for Four, and the appeal of dystopias.