Book Review: The Bitter Kingdom

The epic conclusion to Rae Carson's Fire and Thorns trilogy. The seventeen-year-old sorcerer-queen will travel into the unknown realm of the enemy to win back her true love, save her country, and uncover the final secrets of her destiny.
Elisa is a fugitive in her own country. Her enemies have stolen the man she loves in order to lure her to the gate of darkness. As she and her daring companions take one last quest into unknown enemy territory to save Hector, Elisa will face hardships she's never imagined. And she will discover secrets about herself and her world that could change the course of history. She must rise up as champion-a champion to those who have hated her most.  Quoted from Goodreads

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I love this series.  I adore this series.  Anyone who reads fantasy at all needs to pick this up.  Anyone who writes and reads YA should read this series.  Why?  Because it is absolutely excellent.  This is, without a doubt, a 5 star series.

First: Elisa.  I adore her for so many, many reasons. She's smart, funny, brave, determined,  cleaver, and refuses to give up.  She's also fat when she starts the series.  This may sound silly, but when's the last time you read a YA book whose main character wasn't "too skinny?"  Seriously.   Plus she's changed so much from the beginning of the series to it's conclusion.  She's really grown up, discovered who she is, and she's accepted it while constantly striving to be better.   She trusts and depends on her friends, but she really comes into her own.  

Then, of course, there is Hector.  While it was great to get a glimpse into his mind in the prequel novella The King's Guard, we actually get a few chapters from his POV in this book as well!  I loved those little insights.  Plus, well, he's just plain awesome. I love the way his and Elisa's relationship has developed.  It's delightfully free of angst this time around.  It's honest and sweet, and I love the way they are together.

Then there's Elisa's friends.  I love them.  I love her bond with Mara. She's not an annoying sidekick or the plucky comic relief.  She's serious, encouraging, and fun.  Then we have Storm.  I really do love the way his and Elisa's relationship has developed, from contempt to strong friendship.  They are an excellent support system for Elisa, while both having their own depth, hardships, and trials.

The action.  This is a perfect third book.  We get peak after peak of highlights.  There were several points that could easily have been the end of the book or the adventure.  Not in a Return of a King sort of way (love the movie, the the endings went on and on), but this has to be the climax of the book---no, this is the high point.  There is always something happening, some new threat, whether political, magical, weather, monsters, or just plain kicking butt, that keeps you turning pages.

Finally, the ending.  It's perfect.  It gives you just enough of the after to be satisfied without dragging everything out for too long (Clockwork Princess, I'm looking at you).  I won't say more because I don't want to give anything away, but I loved the way things worked out with just about everything.

This is a solid 5 star book and series. It's been one of my most anticipated releases this year, and I'm kind of sad to see the series end.  Still, Rae Carson has a new series coming out next year, and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

Theater Thursday: The Book Thief

This preview looks so good!  Seriously, it looks amazing.  I just hope the movie lives up to all the promise.  Check it out below.

Now, if you haven't read the book.   Here's a quick summary.  You really should pick it up.   I especially liked the intro by death.  It's such an interesting/excellent way to start a book.

It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will become busier still.

Liesel Meminger is a foster girl living outside of Munich, who scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement. 

In superbly crafted writing that burns with intensity, award-winning author Markus Zusak, author of I Am the Messenger, has given us one of the most enduring stories of our time.  Quoted from Goodreads

Meme Monday

Book Review: Doon

Veronica doesn't think she's going crazy. But why can't anyone else see the mysterious blond boy who keeps popping up wherever she goes? When her best friend, Mackenna, invites her to spend the summer in Scotland, Veronica jumps at the opportunity to leave her complicated life behind for a few months. 

But the Scottish countryside holds other plans. 
Not only has the imaginary kilted boy followed her to Alloway, she and Mackenna uncover a strange set of rings and a very unnerving letter from Mackenna's great aunt—and when the girls test the instructions Aunt Gracie left behind, they find themselves transported to a land that defies explanation. Doon seems like a real-life fairy tale, complete with one prince who has eyes for Mackenna and another who looks suspiciously like the boy from Veronica's daydreams. But Doon has a dark underbelly as well. The two girls could have everything they've longed for . . . or they could end up breaking an enchantment and find themselves trapped in a world that has become a nightmare.   Quoted from Goodreads

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There are a lot of things I really liked about Doon . . . and then there are a few things I would have changed.

First, I love the whole idea of Doon, the mythic land that you can only access once every hundred years, Scotland's hidden Utopia/Atlantis if you will.  Yes, it's inspired by the musical and the poem, but it definitely has it's own mythology going for it.  I really did like the world and the conflicts inherent in it. For example, they live in this perfect kingdom, but they can never leave.  They can see the ocean but never swim in it.  Part of me wishes the author's would have explored the sacrifice of living there further. Still, I love the idea of this idyllic kingdom.

Veronica and Mackenna are both great characters.  They're strong, spunky, and I love their friendship. They're both the sort of people you could see yourself being friends with.  To be completely honest, I actually wish the whole book would have been told from Veronica's POV.  It's not that I didn't like Mackenna. I did.  She's fun, spunky, and has a lot more to loose than Veronica, but the book time isn't shared out equally between them.  We get four chapters of Veronica, then one of Mackenna, and Mackenna's chapters didn't tell us anything we couldn't have gotten from Veronica's POV (well, except, maybe, how perfect and beautiful Veronica is).  It sort of broke up the story for me.  Honestly, I wish we would have simply gotten an epilogue from Mackenna's POV, maybe a prologue too, and that's it.  Then she could be the main character in the second book, which seems to be shaping up to be more of her story. Still, since there are two authors, maybe that's how the decided to split the work?

This sort of leads me to the down-side of this book.  It's a little bit too wish fulfillment happy for me.  For example, both friends potentially have a prince devoted to them? Couldn't one have at least been the captain of the guard or something?  Plus, Veronica's life is horrible.  From the beginning, you know the girls have to choose whether to stay in the Doon or leave.  For Veronica, she's basically leaving nothing behind. Half of what makes Brig o'Doon such a great story is what a person would have to give up to live there, and for Veronica the price is a bit too easy.

Other than that, the book really is a fun adventure.  There's plenty of romance.  Like I mentioned before, there are two princes for our two main characters.  Both are dreamy in their own way, though it took me a while to warm up to one of them.  

As for our villain, she is pure black and white evil (make of that what you will), and the book led up to a strong conclusion/confrontation. Most of it I totally saw coming, but there were a few twists that I enjoyed. 

Overall, this is a fun, light read.  I love the mythology behind it and our main characters. I'm interested to see how this series will continue and where the authors will take it next.  It's a delightful 3.5 stars for me.  Now I just need to figure out when the second book is coming out.

Flashback Friday: Avalon High

To newcomer Ellie, Avalon High seems like a typical American high school, complete with jocks, nerds, cheerleaders, and even the obligatory senior class president, quarterback, and all-around good guy. But it doesn't take Ellie long to suspect that something weird is going on beneath the glossy surface of this tranquil hall of learning. As she pieces together the meaning of this unfolding drama, she begins to recognize some haunting Arthurian echoes, causing her to worry that she has become just a pawn in mythic history.   Quoted from Goodreads

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Do not judge this book by the horrible Disney movie of the same name. Seriously.  I read the book, then someone told me there was a made for TV movie based on it, so of course I checked it out.  Poor decision.  First, it changed just about everything from the book.  Second, it was painfully cheesy. Third, the ending made no sense. Granted, it was a made for TV movie, so that should have tipped me off right there, but stupid me, I still watched it.  Now it's up there with Ella Enchanted as the worst book adaptions of all  time.

Now on to the real review.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I've been a big Meg Cabot fan (well as big as you can be without having read her Princess Diaries series) for a while, and this book follows pretty much what you come to expect from her.  Strong heroine, cute romance, difficulties caused by some paranormal aspect. You know the drill.

First and foremost, I loved Ellie as a main character.  She's not as snarky or funny as some of Meg Cabot's other MCs, but she's completely relatable.  She's the kind of girl you want to be friends with.  I loved her confidence in herself and her refusal to be shoved into the roll everyone else wanted her to play.  

I  enjoyed the interpretation of the King Arthur myth.  I love Arthurian interpretations, and this was a simple, fun one.   Even if you don't know anything about Kind Arthur (besides his name) this would be an interesting adaption. If you do know something about the legend, this book is even better.  

I enjoyed the portrayal of teenagers. We aren't inundated with cliches and stereotypes.  The popular girls aren't all mean, the jocks aren't all dumb muscle, etc.  And it's not just because they're reincarnated legends from the past. You may hate Lancelot and Guenevere's roll in what happened, but they're sympathetic here.  As for  Arthur, well A. William or Will, he's an excellent modern King Arthur.  He's the sort of person you can see becoming someone great in the future, helping the world the way helped his high school.  Plus he's cute. And confident.  Always a plus.

All in all, if you're looking for a light, fun read, you should check this out.  It's a stand alone, so not a huge commitment.  Plus it's just fun. I love the whole Lady of Shallot thing going on, and that there were a lot of adults involved in their kids lives.  Really, it's a solid 4 stars for me.  Maybe because I have a soft spot for the legend, but mostly because the book was just fun.  

Trailer Tuesday: Unbreakable & Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

Here's a few more trailers that recently came out (and I realize they've been out for a week or two) for books I'm super excited for.  Enjoy!

I never believed in ghosts. Until one tried to kill me.

When Kennedy Waters finds her mother dead, her world begins to unravel. She doesn’t know that paranormal forces in a much darker world are the ones pulling the strings. Not until identical twins Jared and Lukas Lockhart break into Kennedy’s room and destroy a dangerous spirit sent to kill her. The brothers reveal that her mother was part of an ancient secret society responsible for protecting the world from a vengeful demon — a society whose five members were all murdered on the same night.Now Kennedy has to take her mother’s place in the Legion if she wants to uncover the truth and stay alive. Along with new Legion members Priest and Alara, the teens race to find the only weapon that might be able to destroy the demon — battling the deadly spirits he controls every step of the way.  Quoted from Goodreads

You stop fearing the devil when you’re holding his hand…

Nothing much exciting rolls through Violet White’s sleepy, seaside town…until River West comes along. River rents the guesthouse behind Violet’s crumbling estate, and as eerie, grim things start to happen, Violet begins to wonder about the boy living in her backyard. Is River just a crooked-smiling liar with pretty eyes and a mysterious past? Or could he be something more? Violet’s grandmother always warned her about the Devil, but she never said he could be a dark-haired boy who takes naps in the sun, who likes coffee, who kisses you in a cemetery...who makes you want to kiss back. Violet’s already so knee-deep in love, she can’t see straight. And that’s just how River likes it.
Blending faded decadence and the thrilling dread of gothic horror, April Genevieve Tucholke weaves a dreamy, twisting contemporary romance, as gorgeously told as it is terrifying—a debut to watch.  Quoted from Goodreads

Okay, so I know that last one already came out, but I haven't read it yet, so I decided to include it.  Plus, it made me want to read it even more than I already did. Now you can get excited with me!

Meme Monday

http://weknowmemes.com/2012/07/book-hangover/