Thunderhead

Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman

Thunderhead is the sequel to Scythe, which I reviewed HERE.

If you do not want anything spoiled for Scythe, DO NOT READ THIS REVIEW.

I'll give you the length of the amazon summary to ponder your choices, "Rowan and Citra take opposite stances on the morality of the Scythedom, putting them at odds, in the chilling sequel to the Printz Honor Book Scythe from New York Times bestseller Neal Shusterman, author of the Unwind dystology.

The Thunderhead cannot interfere in the affairs of the Scythedom. All it can do is observe—it does not like what it sees.
A year has passed since Rowan had gone off grid. Since then, he has become an urban legend, a vigilante snuffing out corrupt scythes in a trial by fire. His story is told in whispers across the continent.
As Scythe Anastasia, Citra gleans with compassion and openly challenges the ideals of the “new order.” But when her life is threatened and her methods questioned, it becomes clear that not everyone is open to the change.
Will the Thunderhead intervene?
Or will it simply watch as this perfect world begins to unravel?" AMAZON LINK OF JUSTICE

To recap, at the end of Scythe, Scythe Faraday is alive, Citra has joined the Scythedom, and Rowan is off grid. Corruption is running rampant in the scythedom, some of the more corrupt in the MidMerica sector have been killed, but there are still more. And so the chaos unfolds.... dun dun dunnnn 

SO. Thunderhead picks up with Rowan as Scythe Lucifer who researches and kills corrupted scythes, under the Thunderhead's watchful eyes. The Thunderhead cannot intervene with the scythes.

Citra has decided on her method of gleaning. She injects a tracker with poison inside of her victims. They have one month to get their affairs in order, and then she will kill them in whatever way they wish. If they try to flee MidMerica or do not contact her to let her know how they wish to be gleaned before the month is off, the tracker goes off and kills them anyways.

Then there's Greyson. A civilian who has essentially been raised by the Thunderhead and wants to join the Authority Interface; the humans who work with the Thunderhead to carry out tasks for a variety of reasons.

In the very beginning of the book, the Thunderhead kind of orchestrates Greyson to save the lives of Scythe Curie and Citra (Scythe Anastasia), and slowly begins to unravel more of the intricate plots and puzzle pieces.

Scythe Faraday is also actively looking for the land of Nod; a land heard only in a child's rhyme.

DUN DUN DUNNNNN

That's enough summary.

I LOVED this book on the same level as Scythe, and kind of for the same reasons. The world building is still on point, there are nefarious tasks at play disguised as small insignificant events that lead into much larger grand scheme things, and the character development is so on point.

Originally, I thought Scythe was a stand alone novel for some reason (I'm really not sure why, honestly), but I'm thrilled this is a series. HUZZAH!

I just cannot wait to find out more about the land of Nod... hehehe

Happy reading!

Scythe

Scythe by Neal Shusterman

I have a tendency to gravitate towards dystopian novels (if you've read any of my blog posts in the past, this is no surprise to you. If you're new here, SURPRISE!). I also kind of gravitate towards the idea of human beings acting as the grim reaper (most notably the Croak Series (First blog about the series)). Which means, that I pretty much immediately fell in love with Scythe. 

An amazon summary lead in, "Two teens must learn the “art of killing” in this Printz Honor–winning book, the first in a chilling new series from Neal Shusterman, author of the New York Times bestselling Unwind dystology.

A world with no hunger, no disease, no war, no misery: humanity has conquered all those things, and has even conquered death. Now Scythes are the only ones who can end life—and they are commanded to do so, in order to keep the size of the population under control.
Citra and Rowan are chosen to apprentice to a scythe—a role that neither wants. These teens must master the “art” of taking life, knowing that the consequence of failure could mean losing their own.
Scythe is the first novel of a thrilling new series by National Book Award–winning author Neal Shusterman in which Citra and Rowan learn that a perfect world comes only with a heavy price." 
AMAZON LINK OF JUSTICE  

First, we HAVE to talk about the world. It's the future. THE FUTUREEEE. Humans are immortal, if they 'die', they become deadish, and their bodies are taken to the revival centers, some science happens, and they're back to running around again. They have nanites that can heal them, ease pain, and prevent/cure diseases before they begin to happen. They can also reset their age. You're 62 years old and want to be 20 again? Science noises, and now you're back to 20. There's hardly anything that can eliminate a human....

Except for the Scythes.

So the world also reached a point where a powerful AI has become self aware and maintains the world essentially. This AI is called the Thunderhead, and it effectively oversees the planet.

However, there is a law of separation between the Scythes and the Thunderhead. The Thunderhead cannot interfere or interact with any Scythes.

Scythes kill people (they call it gleaning in the book), to control the population. Now that no one can really die (outside of fire or acid), the population increases at a haphazard rate.

Enter Scythe Faraday, Citra, and Rowan. Scythe Faraday takes on Citra and Rowan as apprentices to train to be a scythe, but only one may enter the scythedom.

Anddddddd, I'm going to cut off all further explanations there. With how intricate Neal Shusterman writes, it can be very easy to give away a spoiler or a piece of the grand puzzle too soon.

Which REALLY means, I loved this book. The world building is so fantastic, the character development and plot play together very well, and I love love love how well each character is their own unique person. Each character that enters the stage has a purpose, and every chapter reveals more of the story, which turns out to be kind of a puzzle. Dun dun dunnnn

I'll say, or should I say write, no more! (hehe)

Happy reading!

Poison's Cage

Poison's Cage by Breeana Shields

This is the second book in a duology. I reviewed the first book HERE, POISON'S KISS.

Do not read this review if you do not want spoilers for  Poison's Kiss. YE HAVE BEEN WARNED.

SPOILERS FOR Poison's Kiss BEYOND THIS POINT.

An amazon summary, "An assassin becomes a spy in this heart-pounding sequel to Poison's Kiss. Readers who love the assassin angle in Throne of Glass, the lethal touch in Shatter Me, or the high stakes of The Wrath and the Dawn will want to follow this story to the end.

A single kiss could kill. A single secret could save the kingdom.
Iyla and Marinda have killed many men together: Iyla as the seductress, Marinda as the final, poisonous kiss. Now they understand who the real enemy is--the Snake King--and together they can take him down. Both girls have felt as though they were living a lie in the past, so moving into the king's palace and pretending to serve him isn't as difficult as it sounds. But when you're a spy, even secrets between friends are dangerous. And each girl has something--or someone--to lose. Does every secret, every lie, bring them closer to the truth . . . or to a trap?
In Poison's Kiss, Marinda pulled a dangerous thread. In this sequel, it unravels to a heart-pounding conclusion." AMAZON LINK OF JUSTICE

ALRIGHT.

Let's clear the air.

That was a pretty INTENSE ending to Poison's Kiss. Mani was almost eaten by the Snake King who is apparently real, Kadru is a terrifying person, poor Iyla but at the same time WTH IYLA, REALLY? Oh, by the way, surprise cults for one of the four guardians. HUH-WHAT?!

Okay, I had to spit all that out so we can actually talk about Poison's Cage. 

So Marinda goes to the den of the Naga to be a spy to take them down from the inside hopefully. Iyla wants her life back (see how Kadru stole her lives to ensure Marinda lived through the poison administrations). Marinda's loyalty to the Naga is constantly tested by their leader, Balavan, who has plans for her (of course). One of the first things he has her do is a kiss a man in the dungeons who refuses to talk. Interestingly enough the dungeon man reveals that the other three original guardians do exist, and one of them is dead.

So sparks the race for Iyla to find the crocodile king (did I mention this book has two narrators? Iyla and Marinda? I know it always makes me hella suspicious too), and Iyla and Marinda are trying to find a way to trust each other.

The same whirlwind of magic, political intrigue, and even more cult stuff whirls through Poison's Cage.

HOWEVER. I am a bit peeved.

SPOILERS FOR Poison's Cage ahead. DON'T READ FURTHER UNLESS YOU WANT A PLOT ELEMENT TO BE RUINED.

Anyways, so one of the things the young adult genre keeps beating to death, is that everyone falls in love. EVERYONE. Salty Iyla is no exception. Which is just SO OBNOXIOUS because she's always been such a survivalist, will do anything to achieve her goal, but still loves Marinda so she definitely has compassion, etc. She's a complicated character, that honestly, felt really diminished by a love interest. It was also super obnoxious how she went about falling in love. Like the whole, "I saw a man, and suddenly I had a different kind of warmth in my belly" kind of deal. Like she has no idea what a crush feels like, at all, when she's been a seductress for how many years? I just refuse to believe that she's never had a crush or romantic interest in any of her targets before this point. It just doesn't line up with the rest of her characterization. It's vexing.

But other than that, despite the sudden first book having one narrator, to the second book having two narrators, I still liked the book a lot. It definitely enthralled me in the magic and moment once more.

Happy reading!

Poison's Kiss

Poison's Kiss by Breeana Shields

There have been myths about deadly, poisonous women that have cropped up over time. They tend to be beautiful and often used as assassins because who expects to be killed by a kiss? This story dabbles within that mythos, but brings more elements to the story.

An amazon summary, "A teenage assassin kills with a single kiss until she is ordered to kill the one boy she loves. This commercial YA fantasy is romantic and addictive—like a poison kiss—and will thrill fans of Sarah J. Maas and Victoria Aveyard. Marinda has kissed dozens of boys. They all die afterward. It’s a miserable life, but being a visha kanya—a poison maiden—is what she was created to do. Marinda serves the Raja by dispatching his enemies with only her lips as a weapon. Until now, the men she was ordered to kiss have been strangers, enemies of the kingdom. Then she receives orders to kiss Deven, a boy she knows too well to be convinced he needs to die. She begins to question who she’s really working for. And that is a thread that, once pulled, will unravel more than she can afford to lose. This rich, surprising, and accessible debut is based in Indian folklore and delivers a story that will keep readers on the edge of their seats." AMAZON LINK OF JUSTICE

Marinda is a visha kanya, someone whose poisonous kiss kills whoever the Raja decides. Marinda works with Gopal as well as Iyla. Iyla usually finds the targets, gets close to them, learns as much as she can from them, before the Raja decides it's time to kill them. Marinda delivers the kiss, a killing blow. The poison usually kills them within an hour.

Marinda also has a younger brother, Mani, and in exchange for her continued service to the Raja, Mani receives medicine to make him well. Her handlers look after Mani while she's away. Marinda also helps out in a bookstore, where she and Mani love to be. Japa owns the bookstore and looks out for them in his own way.

BUT THAT'S ENOUGH SUMMARY.

PEOPLE. This book has such a slow way of luring you into the magical madness of culture, cults, and political intrigue. It's such a fascinating plunge into beautiful turmoil.

If it's not enough to be a visha kanya, Marinda also finds herself in the ever evolving mystery of her work for the Raja. Is she actually working for the Raja, or someone else? Is Iyla working for someone else?

DUN DUN DUNNNN. 

There's also tons of magic throughout the book that comes into play, but not in the plot device way, but more in the explain character motivations sense. It's good.

I'm not going to say anymore, because I don't want spoil anything. If you read this, BUCKLE UP and pay lots of attention.

Happy reading!

A Crown of Wishes

A Crown of Wishes by Roshani Chokshi

This is a sequel....well maybe a companion book, kind of, which I reviewed here: THE STAR-TOUCHED QUEEN

While the first book was mesmerizing with some bits of confusion over character development, I absolutely LOVED the second book.

Before I get into it, an amazon summary, "From the author of The Star-Touched Queen comes a beautiful lush fantasy, Roshani Chokshi's A Crown of Wishes.

Gauri, the princess of Bharata, has been taken as a prisoner of war by her kingdom’s enemies. Faced with a future of exile and scorn, Gauri has nothing left to lose. Hope unexpectedly comes in the form of Vikram, the cunning prince of a neighboring land and her sworn enemy kingdom. Unsatisfied with becoming a mere puppet king, Vikram offers Gauri a chance to win back her kingdom in exchange for her battle prowess. Together, they’ll have to set aside their differences and team up to win the Tournament of Wishes – a competition held in a mythical city where the Lord of Wealth promises a wish to the victor.

Reaching the tournament is just the beginning. Once they arrive, danger takes on new shapes: poisonous courtesans and mischievous story birds, a feast of fears and twisted fairy revels.

Every which way they turn new trials will test their wit and strength. But what Gauri and Vikram will soon discover is that there’s nothing more dangerous than what they most desire." AMAZON LINK OF JUSTICE

THIS CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR The Star-Touched Queen; don't read any farther if you don't want anything spoiled.

SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT FOR The Star-Touched Queen. YE HAVE BEEN WARNED!

So, what I failed to mention in the blog review about The Star-Touched Queen, is Maya's half sister Gauri. Arguably, Maya's relationship with Gauri probably was integral to the story because it truly showcased Maya's humanity, but I significantly glossed over it because I had other priorities in that review. In summary, Maya loves Gauri, told her lots of stories as a child, while Maya was away in Akaran, a lot of time passed in the mortal realm, and Gauri grew up to be one amazing adult. So, A Crown of Wishes starts with Gauri as an adult.

...anywho.

So Gauri is Maya's sister. The story begins with her living in the dungeons of another kingdom after her unsuccessful attempt at overthrowing her brother for the throne of Bharata. 

Enter Vikram, the fox prince, aka the soon to be puppet king. Gauri is trapped in his kingdom's dungeon. He is very passionate about his country, but he is the adopted son of the king, not a blood heir. The king does not seem to have other children of any sort, adopted, birthed, or through mythical creation. ...I don't know, I just have to cover all the bases with fantasy stories. YOU'RE WELCOME.

Enter, the Lord of Wealth, who entices Vikram with the tournament of wishes. There's a few catches (which are revealed later), but the first catch is he has to find his partner.

Enter Gauri, an escape from the dungeon, and suddenly a manic adventure through the countryside, myths, and magic.

If the purpose of the first book was to only build the world for the second book, I'm suddenly mostly fine with it, because I loved the second book.

Gauri is a great heroine as she is very balanced between flaws/strengths and is very human.

Vikram is great because he's kind of got the clever, devil-may-care attitude with lots of humor sprinkled in.

There's also a THIRD narrator (did I mention the story switches between three different narrators perspectives? Because it does. SURPRISE) who is unique. I was fascinated with the third narrator, but I loved Vikram's narrations the most, even though we had the most chapters from Gauri's point of view. I also love Gauri, but there's just something special about Vikram.

It was just a great story. The only slight drawback, was when the magic and splendor of the other realm was playing out, sometimes it was a little difficult not to get lost in the details. BUT, that will not deter me from making this a recommended book. Even though the first one isn't. It knows what it did.

Happy reading!