Shadow and Bone

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Today’s post is on ‘Shadow and Bone’ by Leigh Bardugo and it is the first book in a new trilogy. It is 356 pages long and is published by Henry Holt and Company. The cover has beautiful stylized Russian palace on it with smoke and alters in black and white. The prologue and the epilogue are told in third person but the rest of the book is told in first person from Alina’s perspective. The intended reader is Young Adult but adults who like interesting ways to take Russian lore into a fantasy novel will enjoy it. There is nothing in this book to upset any parents. On the inside before the book starts there is a wonderful two page map of the area that the story takes place in; I would love to see it in color but in black and white is nice too. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- Alina Starkov doesn’t expect much from life. Orphaned by the Border Wars, the one thing she could rely on was her best friend and fellow refugee, Mal. And lately not even that seems certain. Drafted into the army of their war-torn homeland, they’re sent on a dangerous mission into the Fold, a swath of unnatural darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh.

When their convoy is attacked, all seems lost until Alina reveals a dormant power that not even she knew existed. Ripped from everything she knows, she is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling. He believes she is the answer the people have been waiting for: the one person with the power to destroy the Fold.

Swept up in a world of luxury and illusion, envied as the Darkling’s favorite, Alina struggles to fit into her new life without Mal by her side. But as the threat to the kingdom mounts, Alina uncovers a secret that sets her on a collision course with the most powerful forces in the kingdom. Now only her past can save her… and only she can save the future.

Review- There are many things about this book that I really like. I like all the Russian lore that the author puts into the story; I can tell all the love and research she put into it. I like the magic in this world. She creates an interesting and fun system. There are four different kinds of magic, not including the Darkling and Alina because they are the only ones with that kind, and they have their own social levels within Grisha society. They are Corporalki (The Order of the Living and the Dead) Heartrenders and Healers; Etherealki (The Order of Summoners) Squallers, Inferni, and Tidemakers; and Materialki (The Order of Fabikators) Durasts and Alkemi. I like the flow of the story until the end which I feel was rushed but I am willing to forgive because it is a first book. I like that the reader does not really understand the Darkling, who may or may not be a villain or just a man with a very faulted vision for the future. I can see where Bardugo wants to write a second novel in this world, following Alina and Mal, but if she cannot the book has a ending that is a good place to leave it. Alina has power and if she can get back to the Fold she can destroy it forever but if not that is okay too; at least from a reader’s perspective. The title is very much what the story is about there are many, many shadows and bone is needed in the end to the villain and free Alina and Mal.

I give this one three and half stars because the ending is very rushed but the Russian lore is just charming. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

Onyx

Today’s post is on ‘Onyx’ by Jennifer L. Armentrout and is the second in her Lux series. It is 366 pages long not including bonus material at the end. It is published by Entangled Publishing, LLC. The cover is violet with the two main characters looking the reader. Daemon’s very green eyes standout and Katy is leaning into him. The intended reader is YA but anyone who likes hot aliens, super powered humans, and conspiracy. There are more very hot make-out scenes so no-one under the age of sixteen should read it. It is still told in first person POV by Katy. The extra chapter at the end is told from Daemon’s like in the first one. There Be Spoilers Ahead.


From the back of the book-

Being connected to Daemon Black sucks…

Thanks to his alien mojo, Daemon’s determined to prove what he feels for me is more than a product of our bizarro connection. So I’ve sworn him off, even though he’s running more hot than cold these days. But we’ve got bigger problems.

Something worse than the Arum has come to town…

The Department of Defense is here. If the ever find out what Daemon can do and there we’re linked, I’m a goner. So is he. And there’s this new boy in school who’s got a secret of his own. He knows what’s happened to me and he can help, but to do so, I have to lie to Daemon and stay away from him. Like that’s possible. Against all common sense, I’m falling for Daemon. Hard.

But the everything changes…

I’ve seen someone who shouldn’t be alive. And I have to tell Daemon, even though I know he’s never going to stop searching until he gets the truth. What happened to his brother? Who betrayed him? And what does the DOD want from them- from me?

No one is who they seem. And not everyone will survive the lies…


Review- This is a strong second book but it does have some problems. It moves a little slow in the beginning but the scenes with Katy and Daemon are still really hot. The new boy is Blake and he is mysterious and knows more than he is telling but there never was any doubt about Katy choosing Daemon. Daemon is a lot less of a jerk in this one which is very nice. It is very nice to watch Katy getting stronger with her new alien powers. There is more side story development with the other Luxen but the last hundred pages just fly by with action, romance, and surprises. I did not see the traitor coming until just before Katy did. The only real fiction in this book is that Katy is a book blogger, not a big name sort of like me but younger, prettier and has a really hot guy in her life, but people comment on her blog. As a book reviewer like Katy and I know that is fantasy; sadly.

I give this one Four stars out of Five. I get nothing for this review and I borrowed this book from my local library but one day I plan to buy the series it is just that good.

Splintered

Today's post is on 'Splintered' by A. G. Howard. It is 377 pages long. It is published by Amulet books which is an imprint of Abrams books. The cover has a pretty blond girl looking at the reader with vines, flowers, and bugs all around her. The intended reader is YA. There is nothing in this book to raise the YA rating; there are some kisses between the main characters but nothing too graphic. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Alyssa Gardner hears the thoughts of plants and animals. She hides her delusions for now, but she knows her fate: she will end up like her mother, in an institution. Madness has run in her family ever since Alice Liddell told Lewis Carroll her strange dreams.
But perhaps she's not mad. And perhaps Carroll's stories aren't as whimsical as they seem.
To break the curse of insanity, Alyssa must go down the rabbit hole and right the wrongs of the real Wonderland, a place full of strange beings with dark agendas, a twisted fun-house reflection of Alice's childish tales. Alyssa beings her real-world crush- the protective Jeb- with her, but once her journey begins, she's torn between his solidity and the enchanting, dangerous magic of Morpheus, her guide to Wonderland. But no one in Wonderland is who they seem to be- not even Alyssa herself...

Review- This is a interesting sequel to Alice in Wonderland. It is and is not a retelling because is does change somethings about the original story but all the changes are believable to the story and as the reader I had no trouble seeing the changes and moving on with the story. I wanted to like book more than I do. It is not bad. The writing is good but not great. The characters are interesting but I do not think that they are unique. The plot could have been more but in the end it is just okay. I think part of the problem is nothing is a surprise to me. Maybe I have just read so much that I can guess what is happening in the background or maybe the author just dropped too many clues but from start to finish I was not surprised by this story. The only real interesting and unexpected thing in the story is the other love interest Morpheus who was the caterpillar. That part of his character was unique but other than that nothing. I do not want to turn anyone off from reading this because I know many fellow readers who would truly enjoy this book but sadly I am not one.

Three stars out of five. I get nothing for my review. I borrowed this ARC from a children's librarian to read and review. This book came out in January.