Review: Tell the Wind and Fire by Sarah Rees Brennan

Tell the Wind and Fire

Author: Sarah Rees Brennan

Series: -

Pages: 368

Publisher/Source: Clarion Books

Release date: 5^th April 2016

Synopsis: (Goodreads) Tell the Wind & Fire is about a young girl called Lucie who lives in a New York very different from the New York we know: the city is torn between two very different kinds of magic, and Lucie’s own family was torn apart years ago by that conflict. Lucie wears magic rings and carries a burden of guilt she can’t share with anyone.

The light in her life is her sweetheart boyfriend Ethan, but it turns out Ethan has a secret too: a soulless doppelganger created by dark magic, who has to conceal the face identical to Ethan’s with a hood fastened by a collar nobody but a Light magician with magical rings can take off… and who introduces himself to both of them by, for reasons nobody can understand, saving Ethan’s life…

Review: 4 out of 5 stars

I have read a few books now by Sarah Rees Brennan so I was quite eager to read Tell the Wind and Fire, especially since it is a retelling of Charles Dickens A Tale of Two Cities with a futuristic twist.

Our MC is Lucie, confident and brash I really came to like her character; her boyfriend is Ethan, overly perfect, kind and caring and then we have doppelganger Carwyn who I found perfectly imperfect; I think this book could have been faultless if we could have read each of these characters POV’s to get to know them on a deeper level, I think we only got to see a snippet of their personalities through Lucie's eyes.

I didn’t absolutely love these characters as much as those I have previously read in SRB’s books but they were each likeable; as I mentioned before if we could have gotten to know them a little better I could have connected with them a little more. 

The world-building wasn’t without flaws but it worked for me - the futuristic NY setting did work well; I would have liked more details about the rebellion and Lucie’s connection. The magic system is original, I like the way the dark and lights were explained, it wasn’t used as a backdrop which can be extremely unsatisfying; it was an important facet to the story but I would have liked to have seen it more in action.

SRB’s writing is wonderful, I was hooked from the very beginning; I think she has created a unique retelling that did Dickens story justice. Make sure you have the tissues handy because it is quite emotional. I liked how each of the characters dealt with their own issues in a realistic way; I was satisfied by the end.

Overall, a book filled with mystery, tragedy and intrigue; it kept me highly entertained from the very first page but you'll definitely need the tissues for this one!

Thank you to Clarion Books via Edelweiss for the opportunity to read and review Tell the Wind and Fire by Sarah Rees Brennan.

Review: Team Human by Justine Larbalestier & Sarah Rees Brennan

 

Authors: Justine Larbalestier, Sarah Rees Brennan

Genre: Young Adult – Parody

Pages: 352

Publisher: Allen & Unwin - Harper Teen

Amazon: Team Human

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

Just because Mel lives in New Whitby, a city founded by vampires, doesn't mean she knows any of the blood-drinking undead personally. They stay in their part of town; she says in hers. Until the day a vampire shows up at her high school. Worse yet, her best friend, Cathy, seems to be falling in love with him. It's up to Mel to save Cathy from a mistake she might regret for all eternity

On top of trying to help Cathy (whether she wants it or not), Mel is investigating a mysterious disappearance for another friend and discovering the attractions of a certain vampire wannabe. Combine all this with a cranky vampire cop, a number of unlikely romantic entanglements, and the occasional zombie, and soon Mel is hip-deep in an adventure that is equal parts hilarious and touching.

Acclaimed authors Justine Larbalestier and Sarah Rees Brennan team up to create a witty and poignant story of cool vampires, warm friendships, and the changes that test the bonds of love.

Review: 4 out of 5 stars

Team Human by Justine Larbalestier and Sarah Rees Brennan was kindly provided to me by Allen & Unwin.

Craunston High School senior Mel Duan isn’t a fan of Vampires, she has never associated with them and has never wanted to but things change when her best friend Cathy becomes infatuated with a newcomer to their school, Francis who Mel is convinced is shifty.

Team Human follows the story of Mel trying to help Cathy understand the consequences of falling in love with Francis and her decision to become a vampire by proving Francis is up to no good as well as investigating the disappearance of another friend, Anna’s father who is believed to have run off with a vamp but they suspect otherwise; It was a fun-filled storyline that kept me turning the pages, I loved the mystery of it all.

Mel was a great main character, she was snarky, flawed but believable she was also absolutely hilarious in such a dry way and I adored her loyalty to her family and friends.

The secondary cast of characters were wonderful! I adored Kit; I thought he was the sweetest, so oblivious to the human ways since he was raised by vampires but he was a perfect match for Mel; I loved Cathy who although smitten with Francis was intelligent and loyal, Jared was great and Camille, Francis and the other Vampires within Kit’s shade were also great additions to this story.

This book is the very first parody I have read and I thoroughly enjoyed the humor, the sarcasm and the lightness of it, the authors have written an entertaining read that on numerous occasions had me giggling but the more serious side also kept me riveted.

Ms. Larbalestier & Ms. Rees Brennan make a wonderful writing team; it is cleverly written, was a load of laughs and caught me completely by surprise.

Overall, if you are looking for something a little on the lighter side then Team Human is for you; I thought it was a great story of consequences and great friendships.

REVIEW: Unspoken (Lynburn Legacy #1) by Sarah Rees Brennan

 

Author: Sarah Rees Brennan

Series: Lynburn Legacy

Pages: 370

Genre: Young Adult

Publisher: Random House Books

Amazon: Unspoken

Release Date: 11^th September 2012

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

Kami Glass loves someone she’s never met . . . a boy she’s talked to in her head ever since she was born. She wasn’t silent about her imaginary friend during her childhood, and is thus a bit of an outsider in her sleepy English town of Sorry-in-the-Vale. Still, Kami hasn’t suffered too much from not fitting in. She has a best friend, runs the school newspaper, and is only occasionally caught talking to herself. Her life is in order, just the way she likes it, despite the voice in her head.

But all that changes when the Lynburns return.

The Lynburn family has owned the spectacular and sinister manor that overlooks Sorry-in-the-Vale for centuries. The mysterious twin sisters who abandoned their ancestral home a generation ago are back, along with their teenage sons, Jared and Ash, one of whom is eerily familiar to Kami. Kami is not one to shy away from the unknown—in fact, she’s determined to find answers for all the questions Sorry-in-the- Vale is suddenly posing. Who is responsible for the bloody deeds in the depths of the woods? What is her own mother hiding? And now that her imaginary friend has become a real boy, does she still love him? Does she hate him? Can she trust him?

REVIEW: 4 out of 5 stars

Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan is the first book in the Lynburn Legacy series and was kindly provided to me by Netgalley for Random House Books.

17 year-old Kami Glass is a wanna-be investigative reporter living in the small town of Sorry-in-the-Vale and has decided her next big story will be about the original founding family, the Lynburns.

Kami has spent her life being comforted and supported by her imaginary friend, Jared he is always with her and vice versa but that is all they have ever been to one another – imaginary. When the Lynburn family returns to town, everyone is intrigued but tight lipped about them and the history they share and imagine Kami’s complete and utter shock when she realizes the boy in her head is actually very much real.

Jared Lynburn is a mysterious, tortured hero who has relied on Kami to always be there for him; he was reluctant to get close to the ‘real life’ Kami which was understandable, she knew his secrets as well as his fears.

There are a number of secrets in the small town as well as surrounding the Lynburn’s and who or what they are so Kami sets out with Jared and his cousin Ash as well as her school paper colleagues and friends, Holly and Angela to uncover what they are hiding. But there are obstacles in the way preventing them from finding out the truth.

I really liked our main protagonist Kami, she was quirky, smart, sarcastic, daring and strong, she is so gun ho and shied away from nothing and noone. I loved the telepathic relationship she shared with Jared but you can imagine how it all went when they both realized they were very much real; it was enjoyable to watch the connection they shared. I was captivated by the innocence of both Kami and Jared whose lives are intertwined in so many ways, seeing them uncover everything together, including why they were linked was fascinating.

I really enjoyed the humor Ms Brennan bought to this book; the banter between the characters had me giggling on numerous occasions – especially those involving Angela. The dialogue was entertaining and the interactions between them all enjoyable.

Unspoken is well paced and engaging and Ms Brennan’s writing flows well, I found the premise of this book to be really intriguing and the light twists and turns kept me turning the pages. There were a number of revelations and big events so I am eager to get hold of the next installment.

The only thing which had me pulling my hair out was the ending! Argh!! Definitely not what I was expecting and left me with my mouth gaping. Book 2 can’t come fast enough for me.