Title: Daughter of Smoke & Bone

Author: Laini Taylor

Series: Daughter of Smoke & Bone, #1

My rating: 5 of 5

(Book read from January 8th to January 20th, 2014,  for a read-along.)  

Summary: 

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil’s supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real, she’s prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands", she speaks many languages - not all of them human - and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she’s about to find out.

When beautiful, haunted Akiva fixes fiery eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself? 

My Thoughts on the Book:

 

 

Daughter of Smoke & Bone is one of the most hauntingly & beautifully written books. I just have to start with the setting & the author's writing style. The way Laini Taylor manages to capture the atmosphere of Prague & the rest of the cities & places in this book is absolutely amazing. She will enthrall you & enchant you, so you will feel like you can almost see & feel those streets, that art, those characters, that world. Slowly, she will spin a web around you with her words, and before you realize, you'll be caught between that place where you want to continue reading, yet at the same time, you don't, because you don't want to leave that place. Almost every second of it was woven perfectly, and I'm glad I finally read this book, because I didn't know what I was missing.

As for the story, I thought it was great, and I was actually quite surprised by it, at least at first. I have to admit that I'm not a fan of books with angels, probably why I've been postponing reading this book, but I loved Laini Taylor's spin on them, it was definitely unexpected & different. And even though it was a little bit on the obvious side about who Karou is, that didn't diminish at all my enjoyment.

One thing I didn't like was the whole "Romeo & Juliet" spin - it was fine for a meeting place, but that whole "Paris" thing I really, really didn't like, though maybe it was necessary, I don't know, I haven't decided, but after overcoming my unhappiness about it, and returning to the book, in the end it definitely worked.

I thought that all the characters were quite interesting & intriguing & unique & likable, but my favorite without a doubt was of course Karou.

If you're like me, and you still haven't read Daughter of Smoke & Bone, what are you waiting for? This book is so, so great! Especially, if you love books that are written in such a life-like & fantastic way, then this book is a must-read for you, and I can't recommend it enough.

Daughter of Smoke & Bone is now one of my favorite books, and I can't wait to read the sequel, and I'm definitely going to read everything else Laini Taylor writes, too.

 

 

Challenges:

 

2014 TBR Pile Reading Challenge

Last year, Tt @ Never Ending Stories... hosted the Cinder Read-Along, and I participated, and got hooked on the series, and this year when she announced she'll be hosting the Scarlet Read-Along, I knew I had to join, despite already having read Scarlet in 2013.

Actually, I decided to re-read both Cinder & Scarlet, as well as their prequel stories Glitches & The Queen's Army, and once again I loved re-visiting the world & the characters.

 

I'm really glad that I re-read Cinder, because apparently some details that were mentioned in it, I've missed the first time (or probably just forgot about them, not realising they'll be important in the future books). Anyway, that was so awesome, and I think it's obvious that Marissa Meyer had thought through the series and what will happen in all the books before starting the series, and I just love when authors do that. I love all of those crumbs in the different books in a series that will lead to the finale, even if they are minor ones.

That being said, I loved Cinder the first time, although I thought it was a little bit too sweet, and I loved it once again, although now I've changed my mind & I don't think it's too sweet.

And the characters, I love them so much: Cinder, Iko, Peony, Kaito, even Dr.Erland, as for Queen Levana - I hate her so much, and I loved hating her ;)

Glitches is actually a prequel story to Cinder, where we follow Cinder's first encounter with her family & Iko, as well as the following few weeks of her trying to adapt to her new life. This story was sweet & fun, but also so, so sad, and if you loved Cinder & you can't get enough of The Lunar Chronicles, read it. It's available for free online on Wattpad HERE.

The Queen's Army is a prequel story to Scarlet, but it's not about Scarlet, it's about our 2nd main character in the book - Wolf. This story is amazing & so, so sad & heartbreaking. You don't have to have read Cinder or Scarlet to read this story, it can actually stand as stand-alone, but I think at the end you will get hooked & want to know more. This story together with Scarlet last year got me totally hooked on the series, and it made me understand & love Wolf even more. The Queen's Army is also available to be read for free on Wattpad HERE.

And now for Scarlet, the actual goal of the read-along. I decided to stick to the reading schedule & read 2 chapters a day, and I managed to do that, although it wasn't easy, until I caved on January 17th & finished it. To read only a chapter a day - no way!

Once again I loved every second of Scarlet. I love the way the author incorporated Scarlet & Cinder's stories, and the twist on the fairytale in Scarlet was even better then the Cinder one.

 

In Scarlet, we got more action, more suspense, more evil, and more amazing characters. I love Scarlet as a character, and Wolf is actually an unexpected sweety, too, and I loved their interactions, they're great together. Another amazing addition is Captain Thorne. This guy is something else - he's sweet, yummy, funny, sometimes silly, sometimes smart, but loyal, and I want to hug him & never let him go. Seriously, the moment the description for Cress was revealed, I totally started fangirling over Thorne & Cress (and I never do that), so that's how excited I am about the series & its characters.

 

 

 

What I love about The Lunar Chronicles?

 

First of all, the world-building. I think that if the world-building wasn't as great as it is, the series wouldn't have been that awesome. I love the futuristic world the author has created, and on top of that, the way she has implemented classic fairytale elements in it, it's amazing. I never would've thought this would work, (especially about the cyborg Cinderella), but it totally does. 

 

Adding to the great world-building a great & interesting story, that implements the futuristic world perfectly, and you've got yourself a winner! Even though the overall storyline (both in Cinder & Scarlet) is predictable, the execution of it isn't, and it's highly entertaining, and funny, and sad, and addicting, and you almost won't be able to stop yourself from flying through the pages.

 

And of course the last thing I absolutely love about The Lunar Chronicles are the characters. Cinder, Kai, Iko, Thorne, Scarlet & Wolf - all of them has found a special place in my heart, and I can't wait to read more in Cress, The Little Android (I think this one might be about Iko, maybe, just a speculation) and of course Winter (I'll have to wait a lot more about this one, since it comes out next year, but it's the final one, so yeah, I can't wait!).

 

I highly recommend the series to everyone to try, because I think everyone would enjoy these books!

 

 

The 2013 Read-along Challenge was hosted by O'Dell @ Book Twirps.

 

There were monthly read-alongs (although in February there were 2 books), and I actually participated every month, and read & reviewed all 13 books.

 

I loved participating in this challenge, because I finally picked up some of the books from my TBR pile, as well as read lots of new releases that I might have postponed reading otherwise, so thank you O'Dell for hosting this challenge & the read-alongs!

 

 

My Reading List:

1. January - Poison Princess by Kresley Cole - my review

2. February - Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally - my review
3. February - Looking for Alaska by John Green - my review
4. March - The Archived by Victoria Schwab - my review
5. April - Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger - my review
6. May - Black City by Elizabeth Richards - my review
7. June - Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell - my review
8. July - The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey - my review
9. August - The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani - my review
10. September - If I Stay by Gayle Forman - my review
11. October - Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry - my review
12. November - The Storyteller by Antonia Michaelis - my review
13. December - Vicious by V. E. Schwab - my review  

 

 

I don't know if he'll decide to host this challenge again, I think he might be too busy, but it was fun while it lasted ;)

Title: Vicious

 

Author: V. E. Schwab

 

 

My rating: 5 of 5

  

(Book read from December 5th to December 19th, 2013, for a read-along.)

 

Summary:

 

A masterful, twisted tale of ambition, jealousy, betrayal, and superpowers, set in a near-future world.

Victor and Eli started out as college roommates — brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong.

Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison, determined to catch up to his old friend (now foe), aided by a young girl whose reserved nature obscures a stunning ability. Meanwhile, Eli is on a mission to eradicate every other super-powered person that he can find — aside from his sidekick, an enigmatic woman with an unbreakable will. Armed with terrible power on both sides, driven by the memory of betrayal and loss, the archnemeses have set a course for revenge — but who will be left alive at the end?

In Vicious, V. E. Schwab brings to life a gritty comic-book-style world in vivid prose: a world where gaining superpowers doesn’t automatically lead to heroism, and a time when allegiances are called into question.

 

My Thoughts on the Book:

 

I've loved everything Victoria Schwab has written so far, and her latest novel isn't exception. Actually, Vicious is her best one, and I know I won't do it justice with this review, but I'll try.

I loved, loved the story. From the way it was told (going back & forth through the far past, the near past & the present), to the story itself & the idea behind it, I just adored everything about it, to the wonderful & complex characters (that you won't be able to stop yourself, but care for), and their different background stories, just everything was woven perfectly in one amazing & addicting tale, that will keep you glued to the pages to see how exactly it will play out, yet at the same time you wouldn't want for it to end. At least, that's what I felt while reading this book, and I really, really hope there will be a sequel, because I want more.

As I said, all the characters were so complex, there just aren't good or bad characters, heroes or villains, so you'll have to decide for yourself who you'll root for in this tale of betrayal, heartbreak & revenge. I was just so captivated by the characters & the story & the suspense of it. Victoria Schwab is one brilliant author that has written one unique & wonderful & brilliant novel, that I know I'll love reading again & again. The moment I finished it, I wanted to start it again. So, yeah, I can't wait to see what she comes up with next, because her imagination & stories are so different & unique, and she's such an eclectic author with one of the most amazing writing styles, and she never stops to surprise me :)

I can't recommend this book enough. It's dark & twisted & fun & wonderful & heartbreaking & amazing & villainous & suspenseful & addicting & unforgettable, everything I would wish for in a book, so if there's one 2013 book you must read, that's Vicious.

 

Challenges:

2013 Read-along Challenge

Title: The Storyteller

 

Author: Antonia Michaelis

 

Translator: Miriam Debbage

 

My rating: 5 of 5

 

(Book read from November 12th to November 30th, 2014, for a read-along.)

Summary:

 

A good girl.
A bad boy.
A fairy tale that's true.
A truth that is no fairy tale.

It begins the day Anna finds the child's doll on the floor of the student lounge. When it's claimed by Abel, the school drug dealer, Anna becomes determined to learn more about this mysterious boy with the military haircut and deep blue eyes. She follows him after school and discovers a secret: Abel is caring for his six-year-old sister, Micha, alone. Anna listens in as he tells her a fairy tale, the story of a little orphan queen pursued by hunters across the oceans for the treasure she carries: her pure, diamond heart.

It's a story with parallels to reality. Social services and Micha's abusive father could take her from Abel if they discover the truth.

Despite friend's warnings, Anna is drawn to Abel and Micha, and falls under the spell of the story of the little queen and her desperate voyage.

But when people Abel has woven into his tale turns up dead, it's Anna whose heart is in danger. Is she in love with a killer? And has she set out on a journey from which there is no return?  

 

Antonia Michaelis has written a spellbinding tale of suspense, danger, and transformative love.

  

 

 

  

 

My Thoughts on the Book:

The Storyteller is one of those rare & beautifully captivating books, that will stay with you long after you've finished them. The last sentence in the description above is perfect - The Storyteller is definitely a spellbinding tale full of suspense, danger & love, but also mystery & heartbreak, and although it's a contemporary book, it's actually quite magical, too.

How is that possible? Because of the writing style. It was magical, and beautiful, and captivating, and addicting, and the way Antonia Michaelis managed to bring the atmosphere of the book to life with her words was so, so perfect, and I loved every second of it. Also, I have to mention the translator, she definitely did a wonderful job. I know for a fact that a great book can be destroyed by a bad translation, but thankfully this wasn't the case, because none of the magic was lost by the translation from German to English (this is only a guess, I haven't actually read the original, my German is not that good). 

  

As for the story, to be honest, I don't really want to talk about it, because you have to experience it for yourself, but I loved it. I mean, sure, I predicted almost everything, (for one thing I was in total denial, because I didn't want that to be the case), but it wasn't that predictable, the mystery was actually executed in a wonderful way, as well as the way all the pieces of the puzzle were revealed, so it was actually a great mystery story & I definitely enjoyed the journey, and I loved the way the author interwove the fairy tale with the real life, it was amazingly done.

As for the characters, I adored Micha, Abel & Anna. I don't think that anyone will be able to stop themselves from caring for them, so they carved themselves a special place in my heart.

I can't recommend The Storyteller enough! It's actually the perfect read for the cold winter nights, and it's now one of my favorite reads, and I'm definitely looking forward to trying Antonia Michaelis's other books!

 

 

Challenges:

2013 TBR Pile Challenge

2013 Read-along Challenge

 2013 Books in Translation Reading Challenge

Title: Rot & Ruin

Author: Jonathan Maberry

Series: Benny Imura, #1

My rating: 5 of 5

(Book re-read on October 21st-22nd, 2013, for a read-along.)

Summary:

In the zombie-infested, post-apocalyptic America where Benny Imura lives, every teenager must find a job by the time they turn fifteen or get their rations cut in half. Benny doesn't want to apprentice as a zombie hunter with his boring older brother Tom, but he has no choice. He expects a tedious job whacking zoms for cash, but what he gets is a vocation that will teach him what it means to be human. 

 

  

 

 My Thoughts on the Book:

I first read Rot & Ruin in 2010 when it was published, and I totally fell in love with it, and I've wanted to read it again since then, and I finally did, and I'm so glad that I did. Even though Rot & Ruin for me was one of those memorable books that left me remembering lots of details about them, even after years of reading them, I loved reading it again because of all those tiny details I didn't picked up on the 1st time, because it was my 1st Jonathan Maberry book, but now I totally did.

In Rot & Ruin, we meet Benny Imura, who just turned 15, and now has to find a job, so through his & his best friend's eyes (Chong), we see how their town survives in this post-apocalyptic world. Benny has an older brother Tom, who is a bounty hunter, but because of his own reasons, Benny doesn't like his brother, so he doesn't want to work for him. But, when he ends up not having a choice, he agrees to be Tom's apprentice.

Everything outside their town they call Rot & Ruin, and there's no law in the great rot & ruin, only danger, zombies, and just about everything out there wants to kill you, and when Tom takes Benny outside for the 1st time, Benny's world changes forever.

I love how the author starts gradually introducing Benny's world, and how he thinks everything works & what he thinks about everything & everyone, so you can say Benny is your typical teen in an untypical world, he thinks he knows best and that he's right, while not realising that he's naive when it comes to some things, so that's what makes him quite a realistic character. Also, I love how much Benny changes & grows up through the book, I really love him as a character.

And then there's his brother Tom Imura. Oh, how I love Tom Imura - without doubt Tom is one of my most fav characters ever, he's just so amazing, and I can sing his praises quite a lot, so I'll stop here.

I also really liked Nix, Lilah, Chong, and even Morgie, they were fun & interesting characters, as for the villains in the story, they were quite villainous, and once again I loved seeing them get what they deserved.

Once again I was wrapped up in this story, and couldn't stop reading it, even though I already knew how it ends since I've read it before. Rot & Ruin is one amazing post-apocalyptic YA book, filled with amazing characters, action, zombies, suspense, adventure, heartbreak, and I know it will always be one of my favs, so I can't recommend it enough!

 

 

 

Challenges:

2013 Books-In-A-Series Reading Challenge

2013 Read-along Challenge

 

Title: If I Stay

Author: Gayle Forman

Series: If I Stay, #1

My rating: 4.5 of 5

(Book read on September 23rd, 2013.) 

Summary:

The last thing Mia remembers is the music. After the accident, she can still hear it. And she can see her damaged body being taken from the wreck of her parents' car - even though she doesn't feel a thing.

All she can do is watch as doctors rush to save her life, as her friends and relatives gather outside her room, as the boy she loves struggles to be near her.

As the next twenty-four hours unfold, Mia must come to terms with what came before the crash - and what would come after. And she knows she must make the most difficult choice of all. If she stays...

 

 

  

My Thoughts on the Book:

I've heard great things about Gayle Forman's books, and now after finally reading this book, I can see why. I totally breezed through this book, I just couldn't stop reading it until I finished it.

What I loved the most about this book, was the approach the author took while developing all the characters. I definitely got to know & love them, and of course my heart was breaking for them. I totally got teary-eyed, and sad and heartbroken.

I loved Gayle Forman's writing style, and I'm definitely going to read more of her books.

 

I don't want to go into details about the story, so I won't, but all I'm going to say is that If I Stay is one great, but heartbreaking contemporary book, that I recommend a lot to every fan of contemporary books.

 

 

 

Challenges:

2013 Books-In-A-Series Reading Challenge

2013 Read-along Challenge

Title: The School for Good and Evil

Author: Soman Chainani

Series: The School for Good and Evil, #1

My rating: 5 of 5

(Book read from August 13th-18th, 2013.)

Summary:

  

 

“The first kidnappings happened two hundred years before. Some years it was two boys taken, some years two girls, sometimes one of each. But if at first the choices seemed random, soon the pattern became clear. One was always beautiful and good, the child every parent wanted as their own. The other was homely and odd, an outcast from birth. An opposing pair, plucked from youth and spirited away.”

This year, best friends Sophie and Agatha are about to discover where all the lost children go: the fabled School for Good & Evil, where ordinary boys and girls are trained to be fairy tale heroes and villains. As the most beautiful girl in Gavaldon, Sophie has dreamed of being kidnapped into an enchanted world her whole life. With her pink dresses, glass slippers, and devotion to good deeds, she knows she’ll earn top marks at the School for Good and graduate a storybook princess. Meanwhile Agatha, with her shapeless black frocks, wicked pet cat, and dislike of nearly everyone, seems a natural fit for the School for Evil.

But when the two girls are swept into the Endless Woods, they find their fortunes reversed - Sophie’s dumped in the School for Evil to take Uglification, Death Curses, and Henchmen Training, while Agatha finds herself in the School For Good, thrust amongst handsome princes and fair maidens for classes in Princess Etiquette and Animal Communication.. But what if the mistake is actually the first clue to discovering who Sophie and Agatha really are…?

The School for Good & Evil is an epic journey into a dazzling new world, where the only way out of a fairy tale is to live through one.

 

My Thoughts on the Book:  

The School for Good and Evil is an amazing magical book, that will take you on quite the magnificent journey that you wouldn't want for it to end, yet you'll keep turning the pages, because you can't wait to see how it will end.

So, what exactly is this book about? Well, it was definitely about more than I expected it to be. Imagine a place where fairy tales, and their heroes & villains, are part of the real world & the history, and your family legacy is to be a hero or a villain, so of course there's a school for you to hone your skills - the School for Good for the heroes a.k.a the Evers, and the School for Evil for the villains a.k.a the Nevers. And imagine that that world is magnificent & magical, but also a little bit dark, and a little bit heartbreaking, too. That's all I'm going to say about it.

The world-building in this book was done beautifully, and the world itself was absolutely brilliant. Seriously, what an imagination. I loved everything about it, the sweet & fun, as well as the sad & dark, just everything about it. I do love when the author really thought it through while creating their story, and Soman Chainani has done a wonderful job in that aspect.

Now, for the story itself. You might think you'll know what will happen in this book, and yeah, for some things I was right from the beginning, but there are so many twists & turns in this book, and they all totally worked, and they didn't feel like too much, and it totally amazed me & made me fall in love with this book even more. Really, this book will be an amazing movie, I really can't wait. It was entertaining, funny, heartbreaking, magical & fantastical read full of surprises, and I can't recommend enough to every fan of fantasy &/or fairy-tale-like books!

But, the strongest point about this book are all the characters, and when I say all, I mean all of them: the main, the secondary, the really minor ones, everyone, both Evers & Nevers. I actually loved Agatha as a character from the beginning, but the rest slowly got under my skin & in my heart, and I absolutely adored everyone of them. They were so, so amazing, beginning with Agatha and ending with Hort.

And now, I absolutely can't wait for the next book, I'm so happy that there will be 2 more, because I want more of this world & especially of these characters.

 

Also, something I have to mention is the amazing art of Iacopo Bruno. I mean, sure I thought it was a beautiful cover when I saw it for the first time, but what I didn't realise until I started reading this book, was how perfect it is for the story, and the details it contains. Actually, it seems that's always the case when it comes to Iacopo Bruno's book cover illustrations. Also, the illustrations inside the book were lovely & perfect also.

So, The School for Good and Evil was quite the unexpected, but lovely surprise this year, and it's definitely one of my fav reads now, and I can't recommend it enough!

 

 

Challenges:

2013 Books-In-A-Series Reading Challenge

2013 Read-along Challenge