A Prisoner of Ice and Snow

A Prisoner of Ice and Snow by Ruth Lauren

I was a little hesitant to pick this book up since it has a younger narrator than what I usually read, and there was some subject matter covered that also seemed a little too...intense for that age? The story worked it in so it makes sense in a lot of ways... but I guess it really proves anyone can do anything if they put their mind to it... kind of like other series where the apprentices accomplish amazing things before their master could or something... lots of wandering here.

To the amazon summary, "She'll do anything to break her sister out of prison--even get arrested on purpose.

When thirteen-year-old Valor is sent to jail, she couldn't be happier. Demidova's prison for criminal children is exactly where she wants to be. Valor's twin sister, Sasha, is serving a life sentence for stealing from the royal family, and Valor is going to help her escape . . . from the inside.

Never mind that no one has escaped the prison in centuries. Valor has a master plan and resources most people could only dream about. But she didn't count on having to outsmart both the guards and her fellow prisoners. If Valor's plan is to succeed, she'll need to make some unlikely allies. And if the plan fails, she and Sasha could end up with fates worse than prison.

This exciting middle-grade debut effortlessly melds an unforgettable protagonist, a breathless plot, and stunning world-building--and is impossible to put down.

"Prisoner of Ice and Snow is an exciting, fast-paced story, full of twists and turns. Valor is an engaging heroine who never loses courage, even when everything goes wrong. I was captivated from the first word to the last. This is a story readers will love again and again!" --Jennifer A. Nielsen, New York Timesbestselling author of The False Prince

"Action-packed and full of heart, Prisoner of Ice and Snow is a riveting tale of betrayal, intrigue, and the love between two sisters. Valor's determination and the risks she takes to save her beloved twin will have you rooting for her from the very first page." --Aimée Carter, author of Simon Thorn and the Wolf's Den" AMAZON LINK OF JUSTICE

Sasha, Valor's twin sister, has been put into a very high security prison for criminal children for stealing an old music box from the queen of Demidova (well really the palace of Demidova, semantics). There's a ton of historical/cultural significance to the music box and it was supposed to be given to another country to cement the peace, but it went missing. Valor is determined to get Sasha out, and is pretty sure Sasha is innocent, but doesn't have concrete proof.

To get into the prison, Valor has to commit a crime. Soooo.... she shoots an arrow at the prince. She misses, but after a mild chase, she's carted off to Tyur'ma where Warden Kirov presides, and more importantly, where Sasha is kept.

So that's enough summary because this is a 'try to escape the prison and clear Sasha's name' story so anything more would significantly feel like spoilers.

A few takeaways; the prison seemed crazy intense maximum security for only containing children...and there were a LOT of children prisoners, which is concerning in of itself. The world building is pretty gripping but I wish more time had been spent on the Queendom and how everything is run, more on the culture, etc. I get the world is snow/ice etc, but like... I want more about the actual people and why they live in the snow and ice.

I really liked the spirit of Valor's character, but at times she came across as a kind of thick-headed clever person. It was mostly adorable but still kind of eh at times. I did enjoy the sprinkles of humor throughout the book, because otherwise it was kind of a darker read. The tone was kind of ominous, and not like Scooby Doo, I hope we solve this mystery and you know they're going to solve the mystery because it's Scooby Doo, but more like legit, we might die here. It felt more authentic in that sense.... but again, the prison was so intense. WHY. THEY'RE CHILDREN. That's the main hiccup I have which prevents me from marking this as a recommended book. I did like the book overall, but I'm curious what's going to come next. I'm pretty sure there's going to be a sequel, I just don't know if it's a series.

Happy reading!

The Bone Witch

The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco

I found this book to be a pretty refreshing story for the genre.

...an amazon summary, "Let me be clear: I never intended to raise my brother from his grave, though he may claim otherwise. If there's anything I've learned from him in the years since, it's that the dead hide truths as well as the living.

When Tea accidentally resurrects her brother from the dead, she learns she is different from the other witches in her family. Her gift for necromancy means that she's a bone witch, a title that makes her feared and ostracized by her community. But Tea finds solace and guidance with an older, wiser bone witch, who takes Tea and her brother to another land for training.

In her new home, Tea puts all her energy into becoming an asha―one who can wield elemental magic. But dark forces are approaching quickly, and in the face of danger, Tea will have to overcome her obstacles...and make a powerful choice.

Memoirs of a Geisha meets The Name of the Wind in this brilliant new fantasy series by Rin Chupeco!" AMAZON LINK OF JUSTICE

First, I really liked how this book switched between the present and the future. I thought it would be weird or difficult to understand or would spoil too many things about the present, but in the future, Tea is talking to essentially a journalist. The future chapters don't happen too often either, kind of every few chapters or so. You kind of get a sense of what she's doing, and then kind of a lead off to set up for the present chapters. So when I came across the first future chapter, I was like, ....excuse me, what is this??? BUT. Then when I got further into the book, the future chapters were kind of like shots of adrenaline to the story. I got more excited to read the next few chapters, and I kept track of what tidbits of information were dropped in the future chapters to try to piece together how the past was going to lead to these futures.

...so back to the story. The world is filled with magic. Every person has a heartsglass that will change colors depending on their mood, and there are also heartsglass that turn gray. The ones with gray heartsglass are elementals. They can train to become asha if they're female, or essentially a soldier if they're male. So Tea is a necromancer, which are very rare. Luckily for Tea, there is currently an older necromancer who can teach her the way of the dark arts. There's also a huge difference between necromancers and the rest of the magic wielders. Necromancy is a dark art, and the asha who practice it are more at risk to become dark/evil. By using the magic, they start becoming dark. They have to be very careful with their powers.

By the way, the other elementals are what you would expect of air/water/fire/earth etc, but when the amazon summary related it to Memoir of a Geisha, it was pretty spot on. So the asha are kind of like magical Geisha. They know a lot of formal, traditional dances, and they frequently entertain the richer people in the kingdom.

There's also a kind of rebel faction that's kind of hell bent on taking over the world on a weird level. They're a very real danger, but they also seem to have some Team Rocket kind of aspects about them. Kind of look the, "We're the big bad organization, FEAR US" and...they are scary...but they don't seem to be effective overall.

I did enjoy the book, I'm interested in reading the next one, but there are some world building elements that kind of conflict with each other. There's also a love triangle element coming into play, which is vexing, because I want less of that in books. Just less love triangle things, please. General plea to the young adult book world.

Happy reading!

These Ruthless Deeds

These Ruthless Deeds by Tarun Shanker, Kelly Zekas

I reviewed the first book in the series, These Vicious Masks, HERE.

If you don't want any spoilers for These Vicious Masks, I strongly recommend not reading this review. ....TO THE AMAZON SUMMARY!

An amazon summary, "Everyone’s favorite sarcastic Victorian healer is back in the sequel to These Vicious Masks, and this time she’s struggling with both a sinister secret society and an increasingly tangled love life...
England, 1883. Recovering from a devastating loss, Evelyn has become determined to use her powers to save other gifted people from those who would study and oppress them. But when her rescue of a young telekinetic girl goes terribly wrong, Evelyn finds herself involved with a secret society devoted to recruiting and protecting people like Evelyn and her friends.

Like magic, Evelyn’s problems start to disappear. Her reputation is repaired, her friends are provided for, and her parents are thrilled at all her new suitors. She’s even been reunited with the dashing Mr. Kent and the reclusive Mr. Braddock (who is much less brooding now that the society is helping him to control his dangerous power). Yet, somehow Evelyn can’t help fearing that there is something sinister going on…

Don’t miss These Ruthless Deeds, Tarun Shanker and Kelly Zekas’ gripping, action-filled sequel toThese Vicious Masks, chosen by readers like you for Macmillan's young adult imprint Swoon Reads." AMAZON LINK OF JUSTICE

Evelyn is back with Mr. Kent, and Sebastian. They've started to seek out and help other people with powers. They find themselves mixed up with the Society of Aberrations, who is a society of gifted people who find, help, and train people with their powers. Evelyn doesn't really trust the Society of Aberrations because something feels a little bit off.  Her friends are convinced the society is good, and they potentially have a way to cure Mr. Sebastian. So they start working together....but something still seems a little off.

That's enough summary.

I still love the dynamics between Mr. Kent, Evelyn, and Sebastian. The secondary characters also play off each other so well, they're complex, they grow, they build off of each other, and the story may be centered around Evelyn, but it's about everyone.

Basically, if you loved book 1, you won't be disappointed in book 2.

I do want to go into a little bit of spoiler land.

Do not read anymore if you don't want spoilers. SPOILER LAND begins NOW.

So at the end of the book, there's a pivotal moment where Evelyn must make the impossible choice between her sister and the rest of the people at the ball. HOWEVER, what I liked most is that the authors did not shy away from Evelyn's choice, and the fallout is crippling, intense, but makes sense with Evelyn's character. As awful as it is, I have to give MAD PROPS to the authors for sticking with it, and making Evelyn's choice valid. It was a very intense, emotional moment, and I loved how it unfolded (loved how it unfolded = very well written to clarify).

Can't wait to see what book 3 has in store.

Happy reading!!

King's Cage

King's Cage by Victoria Aveyard

King's Cage is the third book in a series. I reviewed the first two, RED QUEEN, and GLASS SWORD already. Sooo, if you don't want anything spoiled in the land of Victoria Aveyard's madness, (madness you may ask, to which I gleefully manically laugh), then do not read this review. Cool? Cool. Coooooooooooool.

An amazon summary, "The #1 New York Times bestselling series!

In this breathless third installment to Victoria Aveyard’s #1 New York Times bestselling Red Queen series, rebellion is rising and allegiances will be tested on every side.

Mare Barrow is a prisoner, powerless without her lightning, tormented by her lethal mistakes. She lives at the mercy of a boy she once loved, a boy made of lies and betrayal. Now a king, Maven Calore continues weaving his dead mother's web in an attempt to maintain control over his country—and his prisoner.

As Mare bears the weight of Silent Stone in the palace, her once-ragtag band of newbloods and Reds continue organizing, training, and expanding. They prepare for war, no longer able to linger in the shadows. And Cal, the exiled prince with his own claim on Mare's heart, will stop at nothing to bring her back.

When blood turns on blood, and ability on ability, there may be no one left to put out the fire—leaving Norta as Mare knows it to burn all the way down.

Perfect for fans of George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones series, King’s Cage is the third high-stakes installment in the #1 New York Times bestselling Red Queen series.

And don’t miss War Storm, the thrilling final book in the bestselling Red Queen series!" AMAZON LINK OF JUSTICE

First things for freaking first. The chapters have names under them when they didn't before. I feel like this is one of the number one things you can do to make all my red alarms go off as a reader, that the main character is GOING TO DIE. SPOILER MC SPOILER, when Allegiant by Veronica Roth did it (which, I did a book review on! SHAMELESS LINK) I went overdrive into red alert. It was the finale of the series. Going into this book, I knew that this wasn't the last book in the series so I was like WHOA, WHOA WHOA WHOA, WHAT IS THIS NONSENSE!?!?? ...and I'm not going to tell you how this conflict I have resolves, because, you know, no spoilers. :D Just know that this PEEVES me and will continue to PEEVE me when a book series goes from one narrator to suddenly ALL THE NARRATORS.

Anyways. 

...but there was one character's head that we got into that I was SUPER STOKED for because it was SO WELL WRITTEN (no, not Cameron), felt truthful, and just made a lot more things going on elsewhere in the world kind of do the clicky click thing like making sure your seat belt is secured before you go trundling off in a car, ready for grand adventures. Also, this xkcd comic makes me LOL sad when talking about car adventures: https://xkcd.com/1075/ ...you're welcome.

...anyways. STILL PEEVED.

At the end of the last book, Mare traded herself to Maven to save everyone else who was with them. This book begins with her life in Maven's cage. ...it gets weird. I kind of don't want to get into it. As much as I want to ridicule Mare for finding herself so simultaneously unworthy or undeserving, she did act in a way that she felt was right? I have to give her some credit for going with her gut? AT THE SAME TIME, I find this extremely problematic. I kind of just want books to stop teaching young women to "sacrifice themselves for the greater good" rather than fighting for themselves. ...I just felt like Mare almost immediately gave up. ...anyways. It skips over to Cameron in the Scarlet Guard camps, how the newbloods are doing, what the Scarlet Guard is doing, and the information they get intermittently about Mare's condition. How it affects everyone.

So the book becomes a weird place of with Mare & Maven, or hanging out with Cameron & the Scarlet Guard. There are a few kind of amazing crazy actions that happen, there is more monster Maven, but there is also more messed up Mare.

At this point, I'm really going to read the fourth book just to know how it ends. That's all I'm really going to say about this one, because you know, no spoilers?

Happy reading!

Three Dark Crowns

Three Dark Crowns by Kendra Blake

Honestly, I found this in a department store. The cover art was so compelling, and I was a little too intrigued by the back of it, I just grabbed it. It's been a bit of a confusing journey.

An amazon summary to give you a little more details about what I'm talking about, "New York Times Bestseller * New York Public Library Best Book of 2016 * Chicago Public Library Best Book of 2016 * Kirkus Best Book of the Year

Fans of acclaimed author Kendare Blake’s Anna Dressed in Blood will devour Three Dark Crowns, a dark and inventive fantasy about three sisters who must fight to the death to become queen. And don't miss the highly anticipated sequel, One Dark Throne!

In every generation on the island of Fennbirn, a set of triplets is born: three queens, all equal heirs to the crown and each possessor of a coveted magic. Mirabella is a fierce elemental, able to spark hungry flames or vicious storms at the snap of her fingers. Katharine is a poisoner, one who can ingest the deadliest poisons without so much as a stomachache. Arsinoe, a naturalist, is said to have the ability to bloom the reddest rose and control the fiercest of lions.

But becoming the Queen Crowned isn’t solely a matter of royal birth. Each sister has to fight for it. And it’s not just a game of win or lose…it’s life or death. The night the sisters turn sixteen, the battle begins. The last queen standing gets the crown.

Be sure to catch the stunning sequel to this New York Times bestseller, One Dark Throne." AMAZON LINK OF JUSTICE

This is book one in a trilogy. I have to keep that in mind...because reasons.

So, there is an island somewhere that has magic. There seems to be three kinds of magic, the poisoners, the naturalists, and the elementals. There are a few other magics mentioned, but we don't see any people with these magics? They're more like the stories from old to serve as warnings to the current generation. The elementals control the elements (SURPRISE???), the poisoners are immune to poison and kind of like to eat it or something, and the naturalists are able to talk to animals and have familiars that live as long as they do.

So magic. The island is ruled by a Queen. The queen bears triplets (because magic); when they come of age, they essentially fight to the death until only one remains standing, and then they are the new queen of the island. Once the queen has born the triplets, she's finally allowed to leave the island. Until then, she's stuck there because MAGIC. There is a goddess of the island who seems to set some rules, but as most goddess's, she's not really present? Not a speaking character, kind of like the voice behind the curtain effect. The goddess does have priestesses though, who seem to be working towards her will? But the priestesses also have a lot of weirdness going on? It's a bit complicated.

SO ANYWAYS. Mirabella (elemental), Katharine (poisoner), and Arsinoe (naturalist) are the current triplets who are coming of age. They were raised in the black cottage until age 6 together, before being split into the capital cities of each magic (elemental/poisoner/naturalist). This book primarily shows who each woman is as they come of age, and are trying to control their powers. They know they must kill their sisters in order to live, but that is very, very hard. I mean, killing people in general is hard but to know when you come of age you have to murder your sisters? OUCH. PLUS, the island people completely go along with it, and are like, "This isn't weird, this is how it's always been, it's the goddess's will," and keep letting the triplets duke it out for the queendom because you know MAGIC.

The story is told from each sister's perspective in rotating chapters, and it's also in third person. It was a pretty slow start, but the last part of the book more than makes up for it. I'm excited to read book 2, but I'm really hoping there are some things explained. The book overall does have a darker tone to it, but I think that's going to be pushed even darker in book 2.

I found some of the side characters to be very flat and didn't add much of anything to the story? But other side characters were AWESOME. I also want more explanation of how the island interacts with the outside, but we'll see.

Happy reading!