ARC Review: Ruined by Amy Tintera

Ruined

Author: Amy Tintera

Series: Unknown

Pages: 316

Publisher/Source: HarperTeen

Release date: 3^rd May 2016

Synopsis: (Goodreads) Emelina Flores has nothing. Her home in Ruina has been ravaged by war. She lacks the powers of her fellow Ruined. Worst of all, she witnessed her parents’ brutal murders and watched helplessly as her sister, Olivia, was kidnapped.

But because Em has nothing, she has nothing to lose. Driven by a blind desire for revenge, Em sets off on a dangerous journey to the enemy kingdom of Lera. Somewhere within Lera’s borders, Em hopes to find Olivia. But in order to find her, Em must infiltrate the royal family.

In a brilliant, elaborate plan of deception and murder, Em marries Prince Casimir, next in line to take Lera’s throne. If anyone in Lera discovers Em is not Casimir’s true betrothed, Em will be executed on the spot. But it’s the only way to salvage Em’s kingdom and what is left of her family.

Em is determined to succeed, but the closer she gets to the prince, the more she questions her mission. Em’s rage-filled heart begins to soften. But with her life—and her family—on the line, love could be Em’s deadliest mistake.

Review: 4 out of 5 stars

I am a huge fan of Amy Tintera’s debut series Reboot so I was eager to read Ruined which is the first book in her new YA high fantasy series.

Our MC is Emelina Flores who is from Ruina, she is a Ruined that has no powers but wields a sword with ease. On a quest for vengeance for the family that killed her parents and kidnapped her sister Olivia, she journeys to the kingdom of Lera in order to infiltrate the royal family and exact her revenge.

When Emelina, acting as Princess Mary Anselo of Vallos arrives the first task in her plan is to reluctantly marry Prince Casimir Gallegos as part of the treaty marriage, it’s the only way in which to salvage her kingdom but he is not what she was expecting and they come to share a sweet bond.

I really took a liking to the main characters; Emelina was strong, confident and determined to bring justice to her family no matter the cost. Cas was a little innocent, I didn’t see any real future king traits from him until towards the end of the book but I did like that he was logical, was kind and took care of Emelina/Mary. All of the side characters were written well and played a pivotal part in the overall story; my heart did break for Damian, I liked Galo, Aren and Iria, I didn’t trust Jovita at all and I am most curious about what has happened to Olivia.

The plot was interesting and flowed well but there were a few aspects I still questioned; I found parts of the background history especially about Ruina were lacking, I needed to know more about the world they were living in and also about the Ruined and their powers, but despite this it was thrilling with some fabulous and at time gruesome action sequences, I thought the way the planning and plotting took place and the key players in it was well done; I didn’t quite know who at times could be trusted and during some scenes things seemed a little rushed but I liked the revenge theme.

Amy Tintera’s writing is wonderful, her setting, the storyline and the characters all kept me entertained and wanting more. I can’t wait to read the sequel.

Overall, if you are after a story filled with deceit, character progression, ongoing action, enjoyable writing and an intriguing plot then you would quite enjoy Ruined by Amy Tintera.

About the author: (From authors website)

Hi! I’m Amy Tintera, and I write novels for young adults. I grew up in Austin, Texas and graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in journalism. After receiving a masters in film at Emerson College I moved to Los Angeles, where I promptly discovered I didn’t enjoy working in the film industry, and went back to my first love, writing.

REBOOT and REBEL are published by HarperCollins/HarperTeen.

Review: The Great Hunt by Wendy Higgins

The Great Hunt

Author: Wendy Higgins

Series: -

Pages: 416

Publisher/Source: HarperTeen

Release date: 8^th March 2016

Synopsis: (Goodreads) Kill the beast. Win the girl.

A strange beast stirs fear in the kingdom of Lochlanach, terrorizing towns with its brutality and hunger. In an act of desperation, a proclamation is sent to all of Eurona—kill the creature and win the ultimate prize: the daughter of King Lochson’s hand in marriage.

Princess Aerity understands her duty to the kingdom though it pains her to imagine marrying a stranger. It would be foolish to set her sights on any particular man in the great hunt, but when a brooding local hunter, Paxton Seabolt, catches her attention, there’s no denying the unspoken lure between them…or his mysterious resentment.

Paxton is not keen on marriage. Nor does he care much for spoiled royals and their arcane laws. He’s determined to keep his focus on the task at hand—ridding the kingdom of the beast and protecting his family—yet Princess Aerity continues to challenge his notions with her unpredictability and charm. But as past secrets collide with present desires, dire choices threaten everything Paxton holds dear.

Inspired by the Grimm Brothers’ tale, “The Singing Bone,” New York Times bestselling author Wendy Higgins delivers a dark fantasy filled with rugged hunters, romantic tension, outlawed magic, and a princess willing to risk all to save her people.

Review: 3 ½ out of 5 stars

The Great Hunt is a book that kept me entertained from the very beginning but fantasy can either be hit or miss for me and despite enjoying it mostly there were aspects that I didn’t enjoy so much but I was fascinated by the interesting world Wendy Higgins has created.

When a strange beast terrorizes Princess Aerity’s kingdom, hunters are invited by the king to kill the beast and have a chance at winning Aerity’s hand in marriage but killing the beast isn’t quite as easy as expected and as the hunt progresses we are taken on a thrilling adventure.

The plot is fast paced and mostly follows the hunter’s pursuit of the beast terrorizing the lands of Lochlanach and the king being forced to seek help from other kingdoms beginning the great hunt. There was action aplenty which I liked.

I was a huge fan of Wendy Higgin’s Sweet Evil series, I thought the characters were the highlight of the series but unfortunately this aspect fell flat for me when it came to the The Great Hunt. Princess Aerity was seemingly without fault; she was overly perfect, I liked her, she was kind and thoughtful but she didn’t truly stand out as a kick-butt heroine. Paxton Seabolt, a skilled hunter and the love interest I liked a little more, he could be broody and mysterious but I found myself looking forward to his page time. I was intimidated by the large cast of characters, but they were each introduced well.

What I did really enjoy was the backstory of the lands and the links between the kingdoms and the battle between the Lashed and the Unlashed, it made for an interesting and exciting read.

Another aspect I enjoyed was the slow burning romance between Aerity and Paxton, she agreed to the arranged marriage for the good of her kingdom and out of loyalty, Paxton agreed to participate in the hunt for monetary purposes so he could take care of his family; the chemistry was obvious between them, their interactions were great.

I couldn’t fault Wendy Higgins writing, it was rich in detail, creative and highly entertaining; I feel if I had of connected more with the characters then this book would have been a 5 star read.

Thank you to HarperTeen via Edelweiss for the opportunity to read and review this title.

About the author: Bio:
Wendy Higgins is the USA Today and NY Times bestselling author of the SWEET EVIL series from HarperTeen, the high fantasy duology THE GREAT HUNT, and her independently published Irish Fantasy SEE ME.
After earning a Creative Writing degree from George Mason University and a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction from Radford, Wendy taught high school English until achieving her dream job as a full-time writer.
Wend lives on the Eastern Shore of Virginia with her husband, daughter, son, and little doggie Rue. 

Review: Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass #4) by Sarah J Maas

Queen of Shadows

Author: Sarah J Maas

Series: Throne of Glass #4

Pages: 648

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Release date: 1^st September 2015

Synopsis (Goodreads):

The queen has returned.

Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she's at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past . . .

She has embraced her identity as Aelin Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen. But before she can reclaim her throne, she must fight.

She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die for her. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen's triumphant return.

The fourth volume in the New York Times bestselling series contrinues Celaena's epic journey and builds to a passionate, agonizing crescendo that might just shatter her world.

5 out of 5 stars

Queen of Shadow’s is the fourth book in the Throne of Glass series and begins where Heir of Fire ends.

My thoughts are a jumble at the moment! I was a little hesitant about starting this book; I’m a huge romance fan and it seemed to falter for me in the last book and the witchy parts were really turning me off but this book was absolutely amazing! My fave so far of 2015.

There were so many oh my god, gasping moments; I am not one to normally freak out when something surprising happens in a book but there was so much going on that I had quite a few late nights trying to get through all 600+ pages of awesome and I’m thrilled where Sarah J Maas left off.

We know Celaena/Aelin has returned to Adarlan to rescue her cousin Aedion,  put an end to the king and his alliance with the demon Valg, rescue her best friend Dorian from demon possession, and to confront the King of Assassins, Arobynn Hamel. By this stage in the series we know how fabulous and kick-butt she is and in Queen of Shadows she shows us once again how conniving, lethal and shifty she can be but there was also a softness and vulnerability about her that was quite endearing and I always enjoy the ‘sweeter’ side of her.

This book was non-stop thrilling action, there were some pretty graphic gory scenes; the plot was fast paced and there were moments of betrayal, secrets, plenty of planning and plotting and a sweet budding romance that balanced it all out perfectly. I loved every moment of it!

Told in numerous POV’s it was great to get insight into all of our old favourites as well as the introduction of a few new characters; Lysandra was an amazing character, courageous and strong and the perfect friend for Aelin; she surprised me on numerous occasions. Nesryn was wonderful and Elide has me curious. But WTF has happened to Chaol! I loved this guy but from the last book to a certain point in this I actually despised him, I was disappointed. Dorian broke my heart and I loved the relationship between Aelin and Aedion. We also see a different side to Rowan and I absolutely loved him! I must admit I was initially against a Rowan/Aelin relationship but it is looking to be pretty perfect.

Speaking of Manon, the witchy chapters have always bored me and I tended to skip them and admittedly up until she met Aelin I wasn’t really interested in what was happening with the witches but after this point I was hooked and I can’t wait to see what Sarah J Maas has in store for us; their purpose made more sense and they are tied to the overall storyline perfectly.

Sarah J Maas is a wonderful story-teller, her writing is absolutely brilliant and the world that she has created is masterful! This series continues to get better and better, there are still two books left in the series and I can’t wait to see what happens.

Overall, Queen of Shadows is an incredible installment in the Throne of Glass series.

Review: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas

A Court of Thorns and Roses

Author: Sarah J Maas

Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses

Pages: 416

Release date: 5^th May 2015

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Amazon

Synopsis (Goodreads):

A thrilling, seductive new series from New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas, blending Beauty and the Beast with faerie lore.

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

Perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore and George R. R. Martin, this first book in a sexy and action-packed new series is impossible to put down!

Review: 5 out of 5 stars

Beauty and the Beast is one of my favourite fairy tales so to learn that the wonderfully talented Sarah J Mass had written a retelling instantly made it one of my most anticipated books of the year and in true SJM fashion, it didn’t fail to disappoint. A Court of Thorns and Roses introduces us to an enthralling world where humans and fae reside. An epic fantasy that had me entertained from the very first page.

Feyre was a wonderful MC, the huntress of her family she is the one forced to look after her father and two sisters, she had strength and determination; the sort of character you’d need on your side. When she is out hunting food, she comes across a wolf and kills it but the repercussion is a beast-like creature arriving on her doorstep to demand retribution for it; her punishment rather than death is to live out her life in the fae world of Pyrithian.

The wolf-like creature is Tamlin, not an animal but a masked, lethal, and immortal faerie who once ruled their world. Tamlin {swoon} was amazing, he’ll totally steal your heart; he could be lethal but he was kind-hearted, especially when it came to Feyre and his people.

We have a wonderful romance, it started off as hostile but ever so slowly turned into sizzling passion; it’s the type of romance I loved – their chemistry was smouldering off the charts when it happened.

The setting is wonderfully detailed and vivid, the descriptive tidbits we are given draws you in, you can envision the fine points in your mind. We also have mystery, I kept trying to guess what was going to happen or what the explanation would be but I was clueless, it was never predictable. I also enjoyed the action scenes; some parts were particularly graphic but written extremely well.

The plot was solid, the pacing perfection and the promise of more to come utterly intriguing! I was riveted by Ms. Maas beautiful writing and can’t wait to read more in this series. The world-building was strong and takes us from the human world to Pyrithian, it was filled with history, legends, magic and mystery. The characterizations were spot on and each play a crucial role in the overall story; the villains and creatures we encounter were evil and flawlessly written and I came to adore Rhysand and his cocky charm.

I couldn’t fault A Court of Thorns and Roses, my only gripe now is the wait for the next book!

About the author: Sarah J. Maas is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Throne of Glass series (Heir of Fire, Book 3, will be out in September 2014). Starting in Spring 2015, her New Adult Fantasy series, A Court of Thorns and Roses, will be published by Bloomsbury as well. 

Sarah lives in Southern California, and over the years, she has developed an unhealthy appreciation for Disney movies and bad pop music. She adores fairy tales and ballet, drinks too much coffee, and watches absolutely rubbish TV shows. When she's not busy writing, she can be found exploring the California coastline with her husband.

Review: The Winners Crime (The Winner's Trilogy #2) by Marie Rutkoski

The Winners Crime

Author: Marie Rutkoski

Series: The Winner’s Trilogy

Pages: 417

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Amazon 

Release date: 3rd March 2015

Synopsis: (Goodreads)

Book two of the dazzling Winner's Trilogy is a fight to the death as Kestrel risks betrayal of country for love.

The engagement of Lady Kestrel to Valoria’s crown prince means one celebration after another. But to Kestrel it means living in a cage of her own making. As the wedding approaches, she aches to tell Arin the truth about her engagement…if she could only trust him. Yet can she even trust herself? For—unknown to Arin—Kestrel is becoming a skilled practitioner of deceit: an anonymous spy passing information to Herran, and close to uncovering a shocking secret.

As Arin enlists dangerous allies in the struggle to keep his country’s freedom, he can’t fight the suspicion that Kestrel knows more than she shows. In the end, it might not be a dagger in the dark that cuts him open, but the truth. And when that happens, Kestrel and Arin learn just how much their crimes will cost them.

Review: 4 ½ out of 5 stars

Contains possible spoilers for the first book

The Winner’s Crime has everything I enjoy in a Fantasy YA novel, betrayals, conspiracies and scheming that kept things highly entertaining; it is a wonderful sequel and begins where The Winner’s Curse ended.

Kestrel is now engaged to Valoria’s crown prince after the deal she made at the end of the first book, I enjoyed her way of thinking and her enthusiasm; she wasn’t without her faults but I really liked her and feel she progressed as a character immensely in this book. I absolutely adore Arin! We see a different side to him in this book now that he is Governor which I enjoyed but at the same time my heart was breaking for him, he was continually fighting for the Herrani people which I admired, aligning himself with dangerous allies to protect his countries freedom.

As with the first book, the romance wasn’t at the forefront of the story which I missed, I liked the forbidden aspect in the first book but there was virtually nothing in this and I honestly kept hoping that Kestrel would have told Arin of her feelings at some stage and what she had done for him instead of allowing him to believe her cold and heartless – within reason of course but I was waiting for the moment. There was certainly a lack of resolution concerning their relationship.

I found the world-building to be lacking in The Winner’s Curse but it was certainly expanded upon in this book and was quite complex; I found myself intrigued by the politics and the differing lands as we learnt more about the Valorian’s, Herrani’s and the people of the East, it has all come together nicely.

I found the plot to be extremely slow moving but it seemed to work, I was very eager to see how all the plotting and scheming would unfold; I was waiting for the moment where the characters would be caught for treason and their betrayals. The build-up was quite exciting and after the ending we are left with the next book has been set-up perfectly.

We are introduced to a number of new characters in this book that I feel will end up playing a pivotal role overall – Prince Verex and Risha, the Eastern princess especially. Jess was a big shock, my heart broke for Kestrel, it would have been nice for her to have a friend close by. The Emperor and Kestrel’s father certainly surprised me; throughout this whole book I never knew who could be trusted, I enjoyed this aspect.

Marie Rutkoski’s writing is wonderfully engaging, I was hooked on every word. We are left with a cliff-hanger so the wait for the next book is going to be excruciating!

Overall, filled with political intrigue, danger, betrayal and drama; The Winner’s Crime is a fantastic sequel.

About the author: Marie Rutkoski is the author of the YA novel The Shadow Society and the children's fantasy series The Kronos Chronicles, including The Cabinet of Wonders, The Celestial Globe and The Jewel of the Kalderash. Her next project is a YA trilogy that begins with The Winner's Curse, which is scheduled to be published in March 2014. 

Marie grew up in Bolingbrook, Illinois (a suburb of Chicago), as the oldest of four children. She holds a BA from the University of Iowa and a PhD from Harvard University. Marie is currently a professor at Brooklyn College, where she teaches Renaissance Drama, children's literature and fiction writing. She lives in New York City with her husband and two sons.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/marier..

Review: The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

The Queen of the Tearling

Author: Erika Johansen

Series: The Queen of the Tearling

Publisher: Bantam Press

Pages: 432

Amazon - TBD

Release Date: 17^th July 2014

Synopsis

Kelsea Glynn is the sole heir to the throne of Tearling but has been raised in secret by foster parents after her mother - Queen Elyssa, as vain as she was stupid - was murdered for ruining her kingdom. For 18 years, the Tearling has been ruled by Kelsea's uncle in the role of Regent however he is but the debauched puppet of the Red Queen, the sorceress-tyrant of neighbouring realm of Mortmesme. On Kelsea's 19th birthday, the tattered remnants of her mother's guard - each pledged to defend the queen to the death - arrive to bring this most un-regal young woman out of hiding...

And so begins her journey back to her kingdom's heart, to claim the throne, earn the loyalty of her people, overturn her mother's legacy and redeem the Tearling from the forces of corruption and dark magic that are threatening to destroy it. But Kelsea's story is not just about her learning the true nature of her inheritance - it's about a heroine who must learn to acknowledge and live with the realities of coming of age in all its insecurities and attractions, alongside the ethical dilemmas of ruling justly and fairly while simply trying to stay alive.

Review: 4 out of 5 stars

The Queen of the Tearling is a book that kept me immersed from the very beginning but fantasy can either be hit or miss for me and despite enjoying it mostly there were aspects which I found repetitive and we are left with a number of unanswered questions but I was also intrigued by the interesting characters and the fascinating world Erika Johansen has created.

Nineteen year-old Kelsea Glynn is the heir to the Tearling throne, she has been raised in the secluded woods by foster parents Carlin and Barty Glynn away from the royal life all those years but now needs to take back control of her kingdom and defeat the Red Queen of Mortmesne. Kelsea was a self-doubting, thoughtful heroine, believing herself plain she was often ridiculed and looked down on; lacking in the necessary experience that came with ruling a kingdom, especially one that is in tatters and is full of corruption it was certainly an interesting journey Kelsea had to undertake to be the person her followers needed her to be.

The richly detailed world-building is an aspect that was done well in present time but I feel the past needed further explanation; the creative storyline was balanced with an exciting mix of politics, social drama and a smidgen of a potential romance that I’d love to see further developed. I liked learning about Kelsea’s mother, Queen Elyssa, the power of her sapphire necklace and the events which happened under her uncle’s reign. A portion of the book was spent with Kelsea travelling to the Keep which did become tiresome with the guards unprofessional antics and for me made the pacing lag but it did give us more insight in to her as a regular insecure girl and then seeing her progress as the book did as a respected future queen. The side characters each played an important role and I’m eager to see a few relationships flourish and progress; Fletch has me intrigued.

I had a few minor gripes - There are many unanswered questions which I’m sure will be answered over the course of the series, I am still a tad clueless about the overall setting and the lack of technology, the time period and what happened with America and Europe? And the crossing is still an aspect I am not completely sure about; it was baffling.

This book certainly didn’t read like a debut novel, rich in detail and highly entertaining with simple, easy to understand language, it all flowed well and is a nice start to the series. Warner Bros have snapped up the film rights before it was published and will reunite the Harry Potter dream team of producer David Heyman and star Emma Watson – very excited about this.

Overall, the story is engaging, the characters are fascinating, and their relationships keep developing in a genuine manner. I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Queen of the Tearling.

 

About the author: Erika Johansen grew up and lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. She went to Swarthmore College, earned an MFA from the Iowa Writers' Workshop, and eventually became an attorney, but she never stopped writing.