Book Review: The Last Samsara

The Last Namsara by Kristen Ciccarelli
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Asha isn't just a girl. You know how when you start books you think, well, there is this girl. But she isn't a girl. The book opens with her fighting a dragon, pretty much by herself, because it is her job. She is the princess ... well, no she isn't, but her father is the King. Okay, let's talk about this before I make a mess of the structure.

Asha is the Iskari - the death bringer, the destroyer, the dragon-fighter whose life is not peaches and sunshine. Actually, there are no peaches and sunshine is in short supply. As the Iskari, Asha cannot be touched, people fear her, and no one is to make eye contact.

Luckily, her BFF and cousin ignores these rules, when they are alone, so Asha isn't totally isolated.

BUT, Asha's job is to hunt dragons. Even though she is Iskari and is essentially an outcast, her father has helped her, trained her, molded her into a dragon hunter. She is fierce and amazing! Best of all, in defiance to her father, she calls them with STORIES. Brilliant.

Book Review: Nevernight

Nevernight by Jay Kristoff
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was a gift from Camille for Christmas. I've been listening to so many audio books that I forgot what a slow reader I was, haha. But there is something nice about getting tied up in slowing down and reading actual words on a page.

As with any book I throughly enjoyed, I'm going to be vicious in my review ;)

Mia, a fierce orphan bound and determined to avenge her father's killer sets out on a journey to train and join a league of assassins. After a dangerous journey through the desert where she and Tric almost die, they arrive at a school of sorts. But, before this sounds like every other school based story you've read, know that Mia is darken, which means she can control shadows and has a cat shaped shadow named Mister Kindly that follows her around and eats her fear. Intrigued? Well, you should also know that these students aren't getting punished Dumbledore style, but just die when they make mistakes. Want to keep reading? I thought so.

Book Review: Beaty and the Beast, Lost in a Book

Beauty and the Beast: Lost in a Book by Jennifer Donnelly
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

What to say, what to say.

I've read to many retellings lately. I'm overwhelmed with how they fall short of the original stories. That isn't really their fault, but rather that I need more variety in my reading choices.

I digress. This edition of Beauty and the Beast takes place mid-story in the Disney version. Right after the Beast gifts Belle with the library two new characters, Love and Death, begin a dangerous game. Love who has sent her sorceress to curse the Beast to begin with and Death, who finds that she does not want to lose to her sister and sends and enchanted book to Belle's library.

Belle finds said book, escapes into the pages, and begins an amazing second life there, where she feels free and not alone. However, Death is attempting to trap her there so she cannot fall in love the with Beast and break his curse (thus, losing the bet).

Book Review: Three Dark Crowns

Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Oh, I'm having a hard time choosing a rating for this one. Part of me thinks, it was great, fun story, interesting plot and the other part of me is sitting here thinking ... who was who again?

So, I started this about five months ago and got about 20% of the way through it only to stop reading. Why? Because I couldn't keep track of the characters. There are too many. There cannot be three main characters in a book and each of those characters have 3-5 important secondary characters along with building a new world. Even without the world building, which was adequate I think, I don't think one can keep track of that many characters. This isn't a Game of Thrones, this is a YA novel.

My number one complaint in adult Fantasy novels is that the characters get totally out of hand, and that is the problem here. Is each character interesting, each plot line holds my attention ... but I was still confused so much of the time.