Kell is one of the last Travelers—rare magicians who choose a parallel universe to visit. Grey London is dirty, boring, lacks magic, ruled by mad King George. Red London is where life and magic are revered, and the Maresh Dynasty presides over a flourishing empire. White London is ruled by whoever has murdered their way to the throne. People fight to control magic, and the magic fights back, draining the city to its very bones. Once there was Black London - but no one speaks of that now. Officially, Kell is the Red Traveler, personal ambassador and adopted Prince of Red London, carrying the monthly correspondences between royals of each London. Unofficially, Kell smuggles for those willing to pay for even a glimpse of a world they’ll never see. This dangerous hobby sets him up for accidental treason. Fleeing into Grey London, Kell runs afoul of Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She robs him, saves him from a dangerous enemy, then forces him to another world for her 'proper adventure'. But perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, Kell and Lila will first need to stay alive — trickier than they hoped. Summary via Goodreads A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E Schwab (aka Victoria Schwab) was published in February 2015 under Tor. This novel is the first in a series and it Victoria’s second novel in science fiction/fantasy realm (her other books are young adult books).
I have to say, I picked this book up on a whim. I kept seeing it on my twitter feed and was like what is this book I see magic hmmmm and so I decided to check it out. Thank the stars I did decide to. The summary itself was enough to intrigue me to the point that I instantly went and bought the book and then jumped into it blind. ADSOM was just fantastic. I had never read any of Victoria’s books so this was a completely unbiased reading. I fell in love with how Victoria wrote out her characters (Kell <3) and her world building was fantastic. At first, I was slightly confused by the worlds but I quickly understood what was happening and kept reading in eager anticipation of the two main characters meeting up. I have to say, if you've never read anything by Victoria Schwab, then this book is the perfect place to start. (Also, if you didn't know, the book went through so many printings. I think it hit 2nd printing just a few days after it came out—if that’s not a sign of a good book then I don’t know what is). I just could not put this book down and it’s definitely one of my favorite books of all time. Also, if you were looking for a great novel without romance, this is the book! There are subtle hints are it, but the book doesn't revolve around romance at all. So if you like London, royalty, badass females, magic, and just fantastic novels, then pick up this book and try it out! I swear you won’t be disappointed. If you haven’t read ADSOM, then go and read the book and then come back to discuss! (warning: long review/rave ahead) -Talia
0 Comments
Fourteen-year-old Nick would have been murdered by the drug dealers preying on his family had Peter not saved him. Now the irresistibly charismatic wild boy wants Nick to follow him to a secret place of great adventure, where magic is alive and you never grow old. Even though he is wary of Peter's crazy talk of faeries and monsters, Nick agrees. After all, New York City is no longer safe for him, and what more could he possibly lose? There is always more to lose. Accompanying Peter to a gray and ravished island that was once a lush, enchanted paradise, Nick finds himself unwittingly recruited for a war that has raged for centuries—one where he must learn to fight or die among the "Devils," Peter's savage tribe of lost and stolen children. There, Peter's dark past is revealed: left to wolves as an infant, despised and hunted, Peter moves restlessly between the worlds of faerie and man. The Child Thief is a leader of bloodthirsty children, a brave friend, and a creature driven to do whatever he must to stop the "Flesh-eaters" and save the last, wild magic in this dying land. This is possibly my favorite book of all times.
Brom is a gothic fantasy artist and had drawn the picture for the cover and all the illustrations throughout the book, including the glossy character pages in the middle and they're all absolutely beautiful. They add to the story and help the reader imagine just how horrific and beautiful the world he builds really is. This is definitely a more plot-driven than character-driven novel. Still, each character is built, serve their purpose, and there's a favored character for everyone from the crazy Redbone, the strong Sekeu (my personal favorite), the confused and angry Nick, and the ever so beguiling Peter. The plot itself is intricate and the first half of the novel's chapters go back and forth from telling the current story and Peter's flashbacks that explain the current circumstances. Yet, Brom is able to not leave any plot holes as far as I can see. The Child Thief is classified as an adult horror fantasy retelling of Peter Pan, but it definitely also qualifies as YA so it's open to a wide range of readers even though it has some mature content. Read more for a discussion of the themes! -Alise The poverty stricken Reds are commoners, living under the rule of the Silvers, elite warriors with god-like powers. To Mare Barrow, a 17-year-old Red girl from The Stilts, it looks like nothing will ever change. Mare finds herself working in the Silver Palace, at the centre of those she hates the most. She quickly discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy Silver control. But power is a dangerous game. And in this world divided by blood, who will win? Summary via Goodreads Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard was published by HarperTeen in 2015. This book is the first in a trilogy and is also Victoria's debut novel. I'd give it a 4 out of 5 stars and I eagerly await the next installment. The plot was super intriguing and I absolutely loved it. There were a lot of plot twists but I did wish that there was more world building. I would definitely recommend reading this book.
Spoilers below the cut! -Talia A short review of Fairest by Marissa Meyers!
Goodreads Summary: In this stunning bridge book between Cress and Winter in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles, Queen Levana’s story is finally told. Fans of the Lunar Chronicles know Queen Levana as a ruler who uses her “glamour” to gain power. But long before she crossed paths with Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress, Levana lived a very different story – a story that has never been told . . . until now. Check out the written review Talia did! Alise has her own channel for acting! https://www.youtube.com/user/lilylixi A lyrical novel about family and friendship from critically acclaimed author Benjamin Alire Sáenz. Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship—the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be. This book has a 4.29 star rating on Goodreads and a number that high is really rare to see, but this book definitely deserves it. Now, some may be put off by the cover and think it's a junior reading level book, but it's definitely YA which means everyone can and should read it. It falls into the LGBT genre and if you're interested in reading something from this genre, this is a great book to start with. The story is about the relationship between two friends rather than heavy controversial issues though it does bring the problem to our attention, but doesn't make it the core of the story. It is, in the simplest terms, a story about two friends growing up and discovering themselves (and the universe, of course).
The story is told from Ari's point of view though it could be argued that both boys are equally the main character. The boys themselves are complete opposites of one another, yet the same in their boyish fun. They spend their days during the summer at the pool and live in a Mexican prevalent society in El Paso, Texas where the two of them don't exactly fit in, Dante for not being "Mexican enough" and Ari for just not caring about anything or anyone. This, if nothing else, brings them together. It's a very character-driven book rather than plot-driven which is possibly the reason why it's so appealing. Read on for more discussion of the characters and spoilers -Alise |
ArchivesHome
November 2015
Categories
All
Request a book review from us on our contact page or social media! |