Summary from Goodreads:
Sixteen-year-old Delilah is finally united with Oliver—a prince literally taken from the pages of a fairy tale. There are, however, complications now that Oliver has been able to enter the real world. To exist in Delilah’s world, Oliver must take the place of a regular boy. Enter Edgar, who agrees to take Oliver’s role in Delilah’s favorite book. In this multilayered universe, the line between what is on the page and what is possible is blurred, but all must be resolved for the characters to live happily ever after. Check out our Youtube channel on the right! The Sno-Isle Libraries Teen Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/snoisleteens Twitter: @dontkillabiblio Tumblr: http://booksandthebeasts.tumblr.com/ Alise has her own channel for acting! https://www.youtube.com/user/lilylixi
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Princess Eadlyn has grown up hearing endless stories about how her mother and father met. Twenty years ago, America Singer entered the Selection and won the heart of Prince Maxon—and they lived happily ever after. Eadlyn has always found their fairy-tale story romantic, but she has no interest in trying to repeat it. If it were up to her, she'd put off marriage for as long as possible. But a princess's life is never entirely her own, and Eadlyn can't escape her very own Selection—no matter how fervently she protests. Eadlyn doesn't expect her story to end in romance. But as the competition begins, one entry may just capture Eadlyn's heart, showing her all the possibilities that lie in front of her . . . and proving that finding her own happily ever after isn't as impossible as she's always thought. Summary via Goodreads The Heir (The Selection #4) was written by Kiera Cass and published under HarperTeen in May 2015.
Honestly, I have mixed feelings about this book. I really didn’t like the Selection, although I did read them all (and I own them all as well). I found America Singer to be the most annoying protagonist—ever. Eadlyn really wasn’t much better in my opinion. In the beginning of the novel, she pissed me off so much that I considered not reading the book. But I was able to get through America, so I’d be able to get through any protagonist, right? My main problem with America had been her indecisiveness. Thankfully, Eadlyn didn’t have that same trait—but she was full of herself, and it wasn’t until the latter half of the novel that we slowly see her start to grow (yay for character development!). I didn’t like the side characters as much as I did in The Selection, but there’s still one more book to go, so I’ll give them a chance. Also, when I went into this book, I didn’t realize that there was going to be one more novel. I thought that this was the last book and that it was only going to be a single spinoff novel—not two. So the ending did leave me a bit surprised until I realized that yes, there would be one more novel. On a side note, I have to admit that this cover was by far the prettiest. The colors, the sparkles, the dress, the model—I loved this cover way more than the other three (although The One has a pretty good cover as well, The Heir just tops them all). I hope that the next cover will be just as pretty, if not better. Overall, I’d say that if you’ve read the other three, you might as well read this book too. And if you didn’t really like them (hey, I only thought they were okay), I’d still suggest reading it. (And I’ll be honest, I only bought my copy this early instead of waiting to find it cheaper because it was signed that the cover is just gorgeous). So fans of the other three books should definitely pick up this book and check it out. Small discussion below, but there are spoilers so you’ve been warned! Also since Mallory has also read this book, she has a mini summary after thoughts below. -Talia We reviewed the The Winner's Curse which has the sequel The Winner's Crime by Marie Rutkoski which we also reviewed!
The Winner's Curse summary from Goodreads: As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions. One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction. Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin. But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined. Alise has her own channel for acting! https://www.youtube.com/user/lilylixi In a society steeped in tradition, Princess Lia’s life follows a preordained course. As First Daughter, she is expected to have the revered gift of sight—but she doesn’t—and she knows her parents are perpetrating a sham when they arrange her marriage to secure an alliance with a neighboring kingdom—to a prince she has never met. On the morning of her wedding, Lia flees to a distant village. She settles into a new life, hopeful when two mysterious and handsome strangers arrive—and unaware that one is the jilted prince and the other an assassin sent to kill her. Deception abounds, and Lia finds herself on the brink of unlocking perilous secrets—even as she finds herself falling in love. The Kiss of Deception is the first book in Mary E. Pearson's Remnant Chronicles, published in 2014 by Henry Holt. Summary via Amazon So going into this novel, I had no idea what to expect. The summary had sounded very intriguing and I thought that I would give it a try--after all, I adore romances and royalty. I'm glad to say that I wasn't disappointed at all. In fact, I was pleasantly pleased and love the way the plot was set out. For me, it worked out to my advantage but for others (like my friends) it ended up confusing them.
Mary tells the story in a specific way-- we know there's an assassin out to kill Lia, and there's the stunted prince who's out to find Lia. We meet both these men at the same time, but are never told who is who, only their names and descriptions. I adored this part of the story line and although I had made a guess as to who was who and hoped I was right (I was), I almost changed my mind multiple times because of Mary's very, very specific wording. As for the characters, I really liked both of the male leads (until a certain point and I definitely had my favorite a quarter of the way into the book) and I actually really liked Lia. Normally, I would have considered her a coward for running away from her wedding--in the end, I couldn't think of her as one. It takes a certain kind of bravery to follow your own heart after all. Lia did end up having character development (oh thank you so much) and I loved her interaction with the boys. I couldn't end up hating her and her willingness to drop her princess status and work for something actually made me like her even more. She was so determined to do a good job, but still managed to stand up for herself like the princess she was. She was contradicting at times, but it worked for her. Once we hit the second half of the novel, things really start to get heated and pave the way for the second book. Overall, this was an enjoyable novel and I'm really looking forward to reading Heart of Betrayal, which comes out in July 2015. Some spoilers below the cut. Continue reading and then discuss with me what you thought about this book! -Talia Book two of the dazzling Winner's Trilogy is a fight to the death as Kestrel risks betrayal of country for love. The engagement of Lady Kestrel to Valoria’s crown prince means one celebration after another. But to Kestrel it means living in a cage of her own making. As the wedding approaches, she aches to tell Arin the truth about her engagement…if she could only trust him. Yet can she even trust herself? For—unknown to Arin—Kestrel is becoming a skilled practitioner of deceit: an anonymous spy passing information to Herran, and close to uncovering a shocking secret. As Arin enlists dangerous allies in the struggle to keep his country’s freedom, he can’t fight the suspicion that Kestrel knows more than she shows. In the end, it might not be a dagger in the dark that cuts him open, but the truth. And when that happens, Kestrel and Arin learn just how much their crimes will cost them. Summary from Goodreads Didn't read the The Winner's Curse, the first book? Check out our video review of it here!
The first one of this series was amazing so thankfully this one was not disappointing. It brought in elements that weren't seen before in the first novel. The Winner's Curse had mainly taken place in the Valorian controlled Herranian territory up until we get a glimpse of the capital at the end when Kestrel speaks with the emperor and then returns to the Herranian peninsula. But in the Winner's Crime, Marie Rutkoski takes us all over her world as the characters travel. Kestrel herself mainly stays in the capital of Valoria with the emperor and the prince while Arin travels the realm visiting the "savage" eastern kingdom of Dacra, returns to Herran, and of course spends time in the capital with Kestrel. Some people think that the romance between the two was really heavy in the first book, so they'll be happy to hear that the romance in the sequel is much lighter. For the romantics out there, the struggles in Kestrel and Arin's relationship ARE REAL AND THEY HURT. We get to see the dynamics of their relationship change, for better or worse, and it's still realistic. Kestrel's not throwing away everything she has to be with Arin nor is he shirking his duties to steal away in a corner with her. They're still both trying to figure out where their loyalties lie and if their choices are going to harm more people than necessary. To be truthful, this book felt more like a filler book to me. The first one had its giant plot twist that made it a true story but this sequel was more of a development in the story than a crucial plot twist (not until the very end, that is). Rutkoski takes the time in the Winner's Crime to develop Arin and Kestrel's relationship and characters and build the plot and world around them by introducing new characters (killing them most of the time), building subplots and situations, and making readers and characters question themselves. For a sequel, The Winner's Crime was a thrilling read and leaves the reader waiting anxiously for the third one. Continue reading if you want to know more about this! In this stunning bridge book between Cress and Winter in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles, Queen Levana’s story is finally told. Mirror, mirror on the wall, Who is the fairest of them all? Pure evil has a name, hides behind a mask of deceit, and uses her "glamour" to gain power. But who is Queen Levana? Long before she crossed paths with Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress in The Lunar Chronicles, Levana lived a very different story—a story that has never been told . . . until now. Summary via Amazon/Goodreads So Fairest was published by Feiwel and Friends in 2015 and is sort of a prequel/add on to the wonderful Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer. This book delves into the past of our antagonist, Queen Levana, and we find out that maybe there is a plausible reason as to why she's certifiably insane.
I personally really enjoyed reading Fairest. It was a quick, short read, but it had plenty to add and definitely made me take another glance at Levana, if not changing the way I saw her (until I went back and reread the first three books again). I would only really suggest reading this book after you've read at least Cinder, but you can really read it any time. Marissa really does a fantastic job in adding more depth to her antagonist. A few spoilers and thoughts below the cut. Continue reading if you would like to discuss! -Talia She is the greatest assassin her world has ever known. But where will her conscience, and her heart, lead her? After a year of hard labor in the Salt Mines of Endovier, eighteen-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien has won the king's contest to become the new royal assassin. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown – a secret she hides from even her most intimate confidantes.Keeping up the deadly charade—while pretending to do the king's bidding—will test her in frightening new ways, especially when she's given a task that could jeopardize everything she's come to care for. And there are far more dangerous forces gathering on the horizon -- forces that threaten to destroy her entire world, and will surely force Celaena to make a choice. Where do the assassin’s loyalties lie, and who is she willing to fight for? Summary from Amazon Next up in Talia Talks... A review of Crown of Midnight, by Sarah J. Maas, published in 2013 by Bloomsbury. This is the second book in the Throne of Glass series.
Crown of Midnight was such a thrilling and exciting ride. I was gripping the edge of my seat the entire time to the point where I read it in one go. I literally could not put the book down. I thought that Throne of Glass had set a high bar and that it was going to be hard to overcome that, but Sarah has just proven her amazing writing skills to be over the top. Crown of Midnight was even more thrilling than Throne of Glass and deepened the plot even further for the next book. The world building just added on and used everything from the previous book to it's full extent. The mysteries continue adding up in this novel, but enough are solved that it's almost impossible to end up frustrated--instead, it leaves you wanting the next book. We only meet a few new characters, but these characters all have a depth that's rare to find in a second novel. We also find that Sarah has fun breaking her characters. After all, to make a character, first you have to break them (even though it breaks the readers hearts as well). If you haven't read Throne of Glass, then I highly recommend reading that! Crown of Midnight lives up to expectations, if not more. That's all for the non-spoliery part (well as non-spoilery as you can get for a second book in a series)! Continue reading if you want to discuss with me! In a land without magic, where the king rules with an iron hand, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She comes not to kill the king, but to win her freedom. If she defeats twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition, she is released from prison to serve as the king's champion. Her name is Celaena Sardothien. The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. But something evil dwells in the castle of glass--and it's there to kill. When her competitors start dying one by one, Celaena's fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival, and a desperate quest to root out the evil before it destroys her world. Sumary from Amazon Today's review is of Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas. Published by Bloomsbury in 2012, this stunning debut novel is the first in a series of six. Although I've already read Throne of Glass a few times (and the others that are currently out in the series), I thought that I'd do a review on this fantastic book. Clearly, I love this book. I find it fascinating (and while there are a few lulls, it's not enough to bring one to boredom at all) and I absolutely adore the plot. I'm a sucker for books that include royalty, but once you throw in assassins I'm gone for sure. It's been a trend for the past few years, but badass female main characters have really become the spotlight feature of novels. In this novel, we meet Celaena Sardothien, the most renowned assassin in the land--and she's managed to land herself in a competition to become the King's Champion. Celaena, while she is a little full of herself, does go through changes and has very human responses that are easy to relate to and understand. Through the novel, we slowly start to see the girl behind the cold assassin front--and she's just as badass, if not more, than her assassin facade. The other main characters, are all just as memorable. There's Dorian Havilliard, the Crown Prince, who although comes off arrogant at first, really starts to show his caring and compassionate side, proving that not all princes are jerks (and he's hot, but that was a given, right?). For me, his character was super lovable and I couldn't wait to see more of him and his interactions with Celaena (they are so cute come on). We are also introduced to Chaol Westfall, Captain of the King's Guard, and a fascinating character as well. Although we don't get to see him as much as we see Dorian, there's a clear shift from his harsh act to Celaena in the beginning of the book and after he gets to know her. It's also quite great how Chaol (with his limited page time) does manage to start going through some character development--and it's deep. To incorporate that into the first book of a series, well, bravo to Sarah. :) Those are the big three for now, but there are plenty more characters who play a large role in the plot and each of them are just as intriguing as the last. Being an avid reader, especially of YA books, I was pleasantly surprised to say that I was unable to predict a lot of happenings in this novel. Of course, there were things that were easily predictable, but it didn't take away from the plot at all. The fact that the plot revolves around an assassin working for royalty and fighting in a competition--to me it just spells it out clearly that this plot has places to go and it's going to go there. I really enjoyed the air of mystery that surrounds this novel--it really keeps one on their toes and it's very enjoyable to read this book. Being a first book in a series, I have to admit that the world building was phenomenal. I had a clear picture of things and as I read, the world just kept on expanding. I was utterly engrossed in it and I love that this series has such a strong base to build off of. Overall, I highly, highly, highly, recommend this novel. There are few books that I think can compare to it and it's definitely at the top of it's game. Pick it up and try it out--I swear you won't be disappointed. That's it for the non-spoilery review, but keep on reading if you've already finished Throne of Glass and want to hear my opinions on the book and/or if you want to discuss! -Talia |
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