Book Review: Curtsies and Conspiracies by Gail Carriger

Curtsies & Conspiracies by Gail Carriger
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Delightful read as always from Carriger. These books aren't rich literature, but are fully entertaining.

The Good: Such a fun story! I love the whole idea of a girl's finishing school that teaches them to be spies. Carriger weaves the location, school setting, and an adventure together expertly. Beyond plot, I think that these fierce girls are something to be admired and are a delightful addition to many of today's novels. I'm not sure why these books are not more well-known, but I enjoy them none-the-less.

The Bad: Honestly, since I was listening to these books the girls' names could be easier to remember. They are all so unusual and difficult to remember who is who (especially when it has been awhile since I read the first book). Also, the book gets a bit wordy here and there and I find myself "tuning out" of the story and paying attention to other things. This isn't normally a problem I have with audio books, but when the story begins to lag I get distracted.

Overall I'll continue with the series, it is the perfect fill-in when I don't have any books checked out :) These are usually available on audio from my library :)


View all my reviews

Book Review: Everless by Sara Holland

Everless by Sara  Holland
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh dear, this book was so much better than I had anticipated. The rating might be slightly inflated, but we will get to that.

I got this book in my ShelfLove Crate a couple months ago and really approached it with no expectations. In fact, I thought it would be average at best. The dust jacket overview was not that captivating for me and I didn't expect to really like it.

In fact, as I started reading, and it started a little slow, I really didn't have great expectations. I considered putting it down about 20 pages in because I didn't really care.

However, HOWEVER, I kept reading and somewhere around a 1/3 of the way through the book, I was hooked. All of the sudden the book was exciting, there was so much going on, so many little mysteries ... I was actually shouting at the book, don't do that. But I digress.

Book Review: King's Cage

King's Cage by Victoria Aveyard
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I hate to admit it, but I kinda love this story. Is the world building terrible? Yes. Do I dislike most of the main characters? Yes. Can I still not get enough? YAAASSSSSS.

I read this book for one reason (MAVEN) and that one reason didn't disappoint (MAVEN IS AWESOME). There is something strange about rooting for the "bad guy" in these stories. But he isn't really the bad guy is he? I mean, if his mother hadn't messed around in his head ALL THE TIME he wouldn't be so messed up?

Right? I am right, right? This isn't Stockholm syndrome is it?

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.