Monday 14 April 2014

Crown of Midnight - Book Review

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Crown of Midnight – Book Review

Sara J Maas

YA Fantasy

Throne of Glass series Book #2

Synopsis:

From the throne of glass rules a king with a fist of iron and a soul as black as pitch. Assassin Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become his champion. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown. She hides her secret vigilantly; she knows that the man she serves is bent on evil.

Keeping up the deadly charade becomes increasingly difficult when Celaena realises she is not the only one seeking justice. As she tries to untangle the mysteries buried deep within the glass castle, her closest relationships suffer. It seems no one is above questioning her allegiances – not the crown Prince Dorian, not Chaol, the captain of the guard, not even her best friend, Nehemia, a foreign princess with a rebel heart.

Then one terrible night, the secrets they have all been keeping lead to an unspeakable tragedy. As Celaena’s world shatters, she will be forced to give up the very thing most precious to her and decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie… and whom she is ultimately willing to fight for.

Review:

            I absolutely adored this book! The second instalment of Sarah J Maas epic, Throne of Glass series, this was a story I found virtually impossible to put down. With just as much romance, magick and mystery as the first, Crown of Midnight was a tremendous read.

Beginning a few weeks after the end of the last book, the story picks up with Celaena in full assassin mode, reluctantly fulfilling her duties as the king’s champion. Yet even though she resents her new ‘boss’ she is determined to win back her freedom, but even he can’t snuff out her rebellious spark and I like how she continues to work on her own terms.

However when Celaena becomes aware of a new darkness lurking in the castle, try as she might to remain uninvolved, her curiosity inevitably gets the better of her. Yet as new secrets are revealed, Celaena chooses to flee rather than face her own past. But when tragedy strikes, she must make the choice, sacrifice those she loves, or reveal the truths she has kept hidden so long.

But with a new evil rising, and the king’s armies growing, Celaena must act quickly, and figure out just which side of the board she is on. But knowing everyone is looking to use her for their own agendas, she must work out who to trust, and who to love, before it’s too late.

A truly spectacular sequel, this book had it all. Action, drama, and plenty of suspense! Yet while I felt many of the new revelations had been foreshadowed, although I admit expertly so, there was still plenty of unexpected plot twists that completely threw me out of orbit.

Also while the pace never stopped, I felt it did lull in places – but more in a ‘catch your breath’ kind of way rather than a ‘put the book down and do something else’ way. But those things aside, my enjoyment of the story never once lagged.

As with the first book I found the characters completely riveting. Celaena for her feisty, kick ass girl attitude – but this time around I was also eager to see the undertones of her past finally brought to light.

However I felt we also grew closer to the secondary characters. Both the King and Duke up the stakes in their nefarious plans, Princess Nehemiah is always more than what she seems. But Even Chaol and Dorian branch out the story with woes and troubles of their own. And the new characters such as the Iron toothed witch, and Mort, the talking door knob, were certainly delightful additions to what is already a diverse and exemplary cast of characters.

So all in all, Crown of Midnight was a book I soon devoured – and one I will most certainly recommend to all. If you haven’t already picked up the first Throne of Glass Book, it’s a story I would urge all Fantasy lovers to read. You won’t be disappointed!

Overall a fantastic sequel! 5 Stars!


Friday 11 April 2014

Gameboard of the Gods - Book Review

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Gameboard of the Gods – Book Review

Richelle Mead

Adult Urban Fantasy

Age of X Book #1

Synopsis:

In a futuristic world nearly destroyed by religious extremists, Justin March lives in exile after failing in his job as an investigator of religious groups and supernatural claims. But Justin is given a second chance when Mae Koskinen comes to bring him back to the Republic of United North America (RUNA). Raised in an aristocratic caste, Mae is now a member of the military’s most elite and terrifying tier, a soldier with enhanced reflexes and skills.

When Justin and Mae are assigned to work together to solve a string of ritualistic murders, they soon realise that their discoveries have exposed them to terrible danger. As their investigation races forward, unknown enemies and powers greater than they can imagine are gathering in the shadows, ready to reclaim the world in which humans are merely game pieces on their board.

Review:

I’ve been a big of fan of Richelle Mead, both her adult and YA titles, for many years. Therefore I was intrigued by the concept of this futuristic fantasy and while I felt it got off to a slow and slightly confusing start, after a few chapters, I found myself hooked.

The story is written in third person, but follows the lives of two main characters. Mae, who is a praetorian - an elite, military solider with enhanced speed and strength gifted to her via a special implant. And Justin, a servitor charged with finding the truth behind fantastical and outlandish religious claims.

Both have their own pasts and histories – not to mention their own problems. Like the darkness that lives within Mae, urging her to kill and gain power. And Justin, who has two wise (and very chatty) ravens living inside his head. But when these two characters are brought together to help solve a series of mysterious murders, they soon learn that the Gods society has forgotten, may just be real after all. And they are picking their champions, but for what dark purpose… Mae and Justin have yet to discover…

This story crosses a lot of genres, a little dystopian, a little fantasy, with plenty of mythology and action thrown in. It makes for an intriguing read, and if you can persevere through the first hundred pages – it is a book many of you would ultimately enjoy.

My main issue with the opening chapters was all the new ideas and terms that were thrown about. As a reader you are suddenly thrust into this futuristic world with no explanation as to how and why it was formed. Of course this is all slowly revealed over time through dialogues and actions, but without the back story I was a little confused so it took awhile to ease into the flow of the story. However once I understood what was happening, I was captivated.

The plot is weaving, making it impossible to see which direction it’s taking you so there are plenty of twists and surprises.  Fast paced, the story itself is action packed and held my interest throughout – and I like the way the romance is slow burning and filled with complications that the reader (but not the characters) get to understand.

In regards to the characters, each one is individually unique. And as Richelle Mead is known for her strong female protagonists, it’s safe to say Mae certainly holds her own with the rest of them. I particularly liked how her past was revealed piece by piece, and she is a character I really came to care about.

As for Justin, he complimented Mae’s character well. He is strong where she is weak and vise-versa. This made their romance a delight to read and I couldn’t help but love the comedy Justin’s ravens add to the story – along with his sarcastic wit and humour. I look forward to seeing how things develop for them in the next book.

So overall a great, action packed story that is choc full mystery, romance and mayhem. Set in a post apocalyptic world, with a dash of fantasy and a little myth and legend, this is an intriguing book. A one of a kind read, I would recommend it to all Richelle Mead fans and for anyone who is looking across the genres for something just a little different. 4 stars!