Series Review: The Raven Cycle (#1-3) by Maggie Stiefvater

Publisher: Scholastic
Published: 2012-2014
Pages: 1,246
Source: Gifted
Rating: 5 Stars

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue never sees them--until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks to her.
His name is Gansey, a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.
But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can't entirely explain. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul whose emotions range from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher who notices many things but says very little.
For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She doesn't believe in true love, and never thought this would be a problem. But as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she's not so sure anymore.

In short: The Raven Cycle proves once again that Maggie Stiefvater ranks up there with the most masterful storytellers and visionaries.

Finally. Finally! My reading of The Raven Cycle has been a long time coming. From the moment I learned about The Raven Boys, I knew it was a "me" book that I would love to death. But I also knew that my feelings about books can be heavily influenced by my current mood and because I had been a wee bit stressed the past few years, I put off reading it. Cut to years later, my schooling is done, and I have now finally read the first three books in The Raven Cycle - just in time for the finale, The Raven King! And the series was every bit as special as I was hoping it would be.

Having said that, I'm honestly having a hard time phrasing my thoughts in a way that would truly do the series justice. How would I even describe the premise?? It's hard because a) it's unlike anything I have ever read before and so it's hard to draw comparisons and b) The Raven Cycle is definitely a series best appreciated if you go into it knowing as little as possible. But suffice it to say, the conclusions you should draw from this are that a) The Raven Cycle is a wholly original tale with no comparisons and b) Maggie Stiefvater always keeps it interesting with one intriguing and unexpected twist after another.

I think where the series really shines for me though is in the characters, each more carefully drawn and complexly unraveled than the next. While the plot is wildly imaginative and the prose correspondingly artistic, it is the characters that bridge the gap between magic and reality and elevate the series to a wonderfully memorable saga. The Raven Cycle proves once again that Maggie Stiefvater ranks up there with the most masterful storytellers and visionaries.

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Review: Winter (The Lunar Chronicles #4) by Marissa Meyer

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Published: November 10, 2015
Pages: 824
Source: Gifted
Rating: 4 Stars

Princess Winter is admired by the Lunar people for her grace and kindness, and despite the scars that mar her face, her beauty is said to be even more breathtaking than that of her stepmother, Queen Levana.
Winter despises her stepmother, and knows Levana won’t approve of her feelings for her childhood friend—the handsome palace guard, Jacin. But Winter isn’t as weak as Levana believes her to be and she’s been undermining her stepmother’s wishes for years. Together with the cyborg mechanic, Cinder, and her allies, Winter might even have the power to launch a revolution and win a war that’s been raging for far too long.
Can Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter defeat Levana and find their happily ever afters?

This review is spoiler-free

In short: While I would have liked to have seen more from the titular heroine, Winter satisfied by being everything that a finale should be.

Marissa Meyer, how do you do it? It's not every author that can balance many POVs and maneuver varied storylines, all while without the story seeming convoluted. Of course, this isn't something new in Winter as we've seen Marissa Meyer accomplish this in the previous novels of The Lunar Chronicles. But still: her ability to keep the series consistently strong and fast paced while balancing multi-layered plots just never ceases to amaze and impress me.

I was excited to meet the titular heroine of Winter, especially knowing how strong the characterization was for the three previous heroines (Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress) and how quickly I grew an attachment to each of them. Somewhat disappointedly however, we don't get to see as much of Winter, Queen Levana's stepdaughter, as I was hoping. Whereas the previous three books mainly featured the eponymous Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress, respectively, Winter didn't seem like the primary protagonist of this finale at any point. She sort of seemed to fade into the background as others took to action.

So I would have liked to have spent more time getting to know Winter (and Jacin) than we were granted here. BUT that certainly didn't take away from the fact that this final and largest tome of The Lunar Chronicles was exciting and dramatic and satisfying (basically everything that a finale SHOULD be). It is sad to think that this series is officially over as I have grown so fond of the world and its characters. I am relieved at least that I still have the novella compilation, Stars Above, and the newly announced Lunar Chronicles graphic novels to delve into.

Previously, my reviews of Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Fairest.

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Review: Fairest (The Lunar Chronicles #3.5) by Marissa Meyer

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Published: January 27, 2015
Pages: 220
Source: Gifted
Rating: 3.5 Stars

In this stunning bridge book between Cress and Winter in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles, Queen Levana’s story is finally told.

Mirror, mirror on the wall, Who is the fairest of them all?

Fans of the Lunar Chronicles know Queen Levana as a ruler who uses her “glamour” to gain power. But long before she crossed paths with Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress, Levana lived a very different story – a story that has never been told . . . until now.

Marissa Meyer spins yet another unforgettable tale about love and war, deceit and death. This extraordinary book includes full-color art and an excerpt from Winter, the next book in the Lunar Chronicles series.

In short: Fairest by Marissa Meyer is a fascinating - and tragic - look into Levana's backstory.

The best villains are the complex ones. And thanks to this in-depth view into the backstory, thought processes, and insecurities of Queen Levana, the villain of The Lunar Chronicles, we get to see this villain as much more than just a two-dimensional evil Queen who wants to take over the Earth. Ideally, the author could relay this complexity about the villain directly into the storyline itself, but I'm okay that it took separate book to do it in this case.

It did make for a pretty fascinating read, after all. Fairest tells a pretty tragic story about Levana, everything from her disfigurement and self-esteem issues to an especially bitter tale of unrequited love. It's pretty disquieting to read about such awful turmoil and the heartbreak that Levana faces as part of her origin story and it almost makes you feel sympathetic to her plight. Almost. She's still an altogether terrible person. And a disempathetic-type sociopath.

Fairest is largely about Levana and her backstory, but we also get a look into the foundation of the virus, beasts, shells, etc., that make up the groundwork for the premise and conflict in the series, so that was pretty interesting, albeit perhaps a little lacking in nuance in the way it was communicated. Overall, though I don't think Fairest was mind-blowing in any significant way, I did really like getting some insight into Levana's mind and Luna's motive.

Previously, my reviews of Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress.

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Review: The Grisha Novellas by Leigh Bardugo

Publisher: Macmillan
Published: June 2012-April 2014
Pages: 107
Source: Bought
Rating: 4 Stars

The Witch of Duva:
There was a time when the woods near Duva ate girls...or so the story goes. But it’s just possible that the danger may be a little bit closer to home.

The Too-Clever Fox:
In Ravka, just because you avoid one trap, it doesn't mean you'll escape the next.

Little Knife:
In this third Ravkan folk tale from Leigh Bardugo, a beautiful girl finds that what her father wants for her and what she wants for herself are two different things.

When I reviewed The Assassin's Blade, a series of novellas from the Throne of Glass Series by Sarah J. Maas, I talked about how THIS was how a novella should be done. Because more often than not, novellas just strike me as being so superfluous and inessential to the series at large, and the reason that the Throne of Glass novellas resonated with me was because they are completely relevant and significant to the overall series story.

Well, I may need to eat my own words here because there are other instances in which I feel like novellas are worthwhile besides just being an essential part of the series story. Case in point: these Ravkan folktales that Leigh Bardugo published that have nothing to do with Alina Starkov's story in Shadow and Bone, but are all relevant to the Grishaverse and the Ravkan culture that we got to experience in Shadow and Bone.

The little hints of Ravkan and Grisha culture that we got to see in Shadow and Bone were my favourite parts of Leigh Bardugo's skilled world building. The best high fantasy stories to me are the ones that seem like they really could be legitimate worlds with an added magical flair, and having an author go that extra mile to think of unique folktales for that world is really special.

And as with folktales in our own world, they all come with their own morals, which is always interesting to decipher. So if you are a fan of The Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo and if you enjoyed similar pretend-folktales like The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling, then be sure to check out these Grisha novellas by Leigh Bardugo.

Previously, my reviews of Shadow and Bone, Siege and Storm, and Ruin and Rising.

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Review: Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles #2) by Marissa Meyer

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Published: February 5, 2013
Pages: 454
Source: Bought
Rating: 5 Stars

Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She's trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive.
Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.

In short: Scarlet by Marissa Meyer had everything I loved about Cinder and MORE.

Initially I was worried that Scarlet wasn't going to work for me. Dual perspectives can be a tricky thing to pull off and I doubted that I was going to fully appreciate both POVs equally. I assumed I was going to much prefer the original storyline and that I wouldn't be as interested in the new characters and the new storyline. I assumed that the plot would probably seem disordered because there was too much going on between the two main characters. I was worried that Scarlet was going to end up being a bit of a letdown after the greatness that was Cinder. I WAS A FOOL FOR THINKING THESE THINGS. And may I never doubt Marissa Meyer again.

I should have known better because I already knew from Cinder that Marissa Meyer knew how to craft a compulsively readable novel that was equal parts comforting as a fairy tale retelling and exciting as a creative sci fi. In fact, I ended up liking Scarlet MORE than Cinder because Scarlet gave me everything I loved about Cinder and MORE. I loved having Cinder and Iko back in the spotlight again and I loved loved loved the new It couple, Scarlet and Wolf. They were intriguing and electric both together and as individual characters. And Thorne! Now talk about a welcome addition to the cast. Thorne actually had me thinking, "Kai who?"

So yes, I was a fool for doubting Scarlet would be as good as Cinder because as it turns out, it was BETTER. Scarlet was an absolutely addictive read, thrilling and fast paced and altogether awesome. I am officially a hardcore Marissa Meyer fangirl and good thing, too... because I'll get the chance to meet her when she stops by Toronto on February 24 for her Cress Tour!

Previously, my review of Cinder (Lunar Chronicles #1).

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Review: A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

Publisher: Candlewick Press
Published: September 15, 2011
Pages: 206
Source: For Review from Candlewick Press
Rating: 5 Stars

The monster showed up after midnight. As they do. But it isn't the monster Conor's been expecting. He's been expecting the one from his nightmare, the nightmare he's had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments, the one with the darkness and the wind and the screaming...
This monster, though, is something different. Something ancient, something wild. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor.
It wants the truth.

In short: A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness is simultaneously one of the most devastatingly heartbreaking and rousingly beautiful books I have ever read.

A Monster Calls tells the story of thirteen-year-old Conor who has a recurring nightmare in which a monster comes to visit him at 12:07 every night. The monster tells him three stories and in return, Conor must tell the monster the story of his truth. But A Monster Calls isn't a story about a monster who visits a boy in his dreams. It's a story about dealing with the devastating impacts of cancer. It's a story that cuts you to the core and leaves you breathless and emotionally drained. But it is also painfully beautiful and completely worthwhile.

Patrick Ness relays in a stark and brutal way the emotions and grief that one endures when having to deal with the influence of cancer in a loved one. And who among us hasn't been affected by the destructive effects of cancer at some point in our lives? Siobhan Dowd, the author who conceived the idea behind A Monster Calls, herself had the disease. And, in a most tragic turn of events, Siobhan Dowd succumbed to her illness before she could write this novel. Patrick Ness stepped in to write it and see her masterpiece to publication.

A Monster Calls is simultaneously one of the most devastatingly heartbreaking and rousingly beautiful books I have ever read. I have said it already in my reviews of Patrick Ness' Chaos Walking Trilogy, but Patrick Ness is simply a genius with words. I would read anything he writes and will be guaranteed to love it, purely based off his ability to craft emotional prose, complex characters, and deeply moving themes. You are missing out if you haven't read his books yet!

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Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Published: January 3, 2012
Pages: 387
Source: Bought
Rating: 5 Stars

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .
Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

In short: Cinder by Marissa Meyer was compulsively readable and quite simply, the BEST fairy tale retelling I've ever read.

Cinder was the second most urgently recommended book after Shadow and Bone from the commenters in my Top Ten Books I HAD To Buy... But Are Still Sitting On My Shelf Unread post. And so, considering how well my reading experience went with Shadow and Bone (it was my JAM), I decided to make Cinder my next read when I next found the time between review books.

I knew pretty early on that Cinder was going to be a WIN for me. With a futuristic Asian setting, a plucky cyborg for a heroine, and the intrigue behind the mysterious Lunars, I was hooked from the start. Cinder is compulsively readable, equal parts comforting as a retelling of a well known fairy tale and exciting as an original futuristic world. As a fairy tale retelling, Cinder was definitely predictable, but there was still enough excitement and creativity in the setting and concept to ensure I was never bored despite this. Also, the final reveal was SO obvious, right from the beginning, that I have to imagine that Marissa Meyer meant it to be predictable. And in that sense, I thought the obviousness added to the fairy tale feel as fairy tales are quite predictable themselves.

Cinder is a standout as a protagonist. I felt instant sympathy for her as a cyborg orphan who is essentially a slave to her step-mother. I didn't pity her mind you, because Cinder is above pity. Cinder is one capable cyborg! She was not one to rest on her laurels and be emo about her situation, as terrible as it was. She rebels subtly, in her own way, and I loved her for it. The romance was pretty swoon-worthy, as well. Prince Charming has got NUTHIN on Prince Kai.

Cinder wasn't perfect... Of course - being me - I took issue with the flimsiness of some of the so-called scientific explanations (it was really just magic). But I can't say it matters much when I take into consideration how much I enjoyed myself while reading Cinder. It was SUCH a fun and addictive read. I loved picking out all the nods to Cinderella as well as making note of the interesting spins on the original story. Cinder is most definitely the BEST fairy tale retelling I've ever read. I cannot wait to see what is in store for the characters and the story in Scarlet!

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Review: Splintered by A.G. Howard

Publisher: Amulet Books
Published: January 1, 2013
Pages: 384
Source: For Review from Abrams
Rating: 3 Stars

This stunning debut captures the grotesque madness of a mystical under-land, as well as a girl’s pangs of first love and independence. Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.
When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own.

In short: Splintered by A.G. Howard is an excellent re-imagining of Alice in Wonderland, but the plot needed a bit more structure to maintain my interest.

What a cool concept - a spinoff of Alice in Wonderland in which Alice's great-great-great-granddaughter, Alyssa, must return to Wonderland to get rid of the curse that has been placed on her family. In Splintered, the Wonderland we know from Lewis Carroll's classic is much darker and demented. Debut author A.G. Howard does an excellent job of re-imagining the world and story we know so well into an edgier and scarier version, while still maintaining the scattered and strange tone of the original story.

Interestingly - and unfortunately - the thing that I liked most about Splintered (that is, that it did a remarkable job of capturing the strangeness and randomness of the original story) was also the thing I disliked most about Splintered. I prefer a bit more structure and reason in my plots and Splintered was a bit too much on the zany and random side to maintain my interest. Again, I do believe the zany-ness was absolutely necessary in an Alice in Wonderland spinoff, but I just need a bit more realness to feel invested in a story and that is purely my personal taste.

And I can't say I was a fan of the love triangle either - let's see, a choice between a controlling and demeaning guy or a creepy and manipulative guy? No thanks. And by extension, I was pretty annoyed with our protagonist, Alyssa, who falls easily for both guys despite their unappealing qualities - otherwise I would have really liked her, I think, as she seemed to be an independent-minded and strong-willed soul at the beginning of the novel.

While Splintered wasn't completely the book for me, I would recommend it to fans of Lewis Carroll's original story as it is a truly fascinating and impressive take on Alice in Wonderland. And while I wasn't completely enchanted with all aspects of Splintered, I was at least taken in by A.G. Howard's writing and creepily demented imagination, and I would definitely read another book of hers.

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Muggle Monday (13): Review: The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling

It's time for Muggle Monday, in which I post a quote, a video, or a significant piece of news from the Harry Potter franchise. This is somewhat inspired by the Mundane Monday posts by The Mundie Moms.

But let's be real as to why I made up this meme: I just want the opportunity to post something about Harry Potter.


This week, I'm posting my completely unbiased review of The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling:

Publisher: Children's High Level Group

Published: December 4, 2008

Pages: 180

Source: Bought, Collector's Edition

Rating: 6 STARS

The Tales of Beedle the Bard, a Wizarding classic, first came to Muggle readers’ attention in the book known as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Now, thanks to Hermione Granger’s new translation from the ancient runes, we present this stunning edition with an introduction, notes, and illustrations by J. K. Rowling, and extensive commentary by Albus Dumbledore. Never before have Muggles been privy to these richly imaginative tales: “The Wizard and the Hopping Pot,” “The Fountain of Fair Fortune,” “The Warlock’s Hairy Heart,” “Babbitty Rabbitty and Her Cackling Stump,” and of course, “The Tale of the Three Brothers.” But not only are they the equal of fairy tales we now know and love, reading them gives new insight into the world of Harry Potter.

What an absolutely brilliant showcase of Jo's talent. This woman is a genius. Jo has crafted Wizarding fairy tales that could pass for actual fables, like the ones written by Aesop or the Brothers' Grimm. Not only was she able to create enlightening, witty, and moral tales, she did so based on the titles alone! For those who don't know, when Jo wrote Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, she only wrote "The Tale of the Three Brothers" in full within The Tales of Beedle the Bard. She randomly made up four other strange and silly titles that make up the other tales in the book ("The Wizard and the Hopping Pot," "The Fountain of Fair Fortune," "The Warlock's Hairy Heart," and "Babbitty Rabbitty and Her Cackling Stump").  When she decided to write The Tales of Beedle the Bard, with all royalties going to Children's High Level Group (which has since changed its name to Lumos), she used her insanely brilliant imagination to make up fables for those nonsensical titles.

Not only does The Tales of Beedle the Bard contain these wonderful five Wizarding fairy tales, but Jo also wrote commentary for each story as Dumbledore. Dumbledore's commentary offers amusing anecdotes, intelligent insights, and interesting tidbits of Wizarding history. We also learn that, just like Muggle books that are deemed unsavoury by parents for their children, The Tales of Beedle the Bard has been challenged by many people, for different reasons. Beatrix Bloxam rewrote the stories in her book "Toadstool Tales" as she felt the tales were too mature for children and they needed to be protected. And Lucius Malfoy requested the tales be modified or banned from Hogwarts shelves for their themes of tolerance towards Muggles. Amusing to read, considering how many times the Harry Potter books have been challenged for ridiculous reasons as well.

I bought the special Collector's Edition from Amazon (pictured above) for much more money (but who cares when the proceeds are going to such a great cause). It's pretty dang cool. It looks like an actual Hogwarts textbook! It also includes ten full page illustrations. Did I mention that The Tales of Beedle the Bard is illustrated by Jo herself?! I highly recommend The Tales of Beedle the Bard to any huge Potter fan. It is truly a special gem of a book, absolutely spellbinding in its brilliance.

Review: Beastly by Alex Flinn

Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: October 1, 2007
Type: Audiobook read by Chris Patten
Source: Free from Brilliance Audio
Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars
Description (from Goodreads):
I am a beast.
A beast. Not quite wolf or bear, gorilla or dog but a horrible new creature who walks upright—a creature with fangs and claws and hair springing from every pore. I am a monster.
You think I'm talking fairy tales? No way. The place is New York City. The time is now. It's no deformity, no disease. And I'll stay this way forever—ruined—unless I can break the spell.
Yes, the spell, the one the witch in my English class cast on me. Why did she turn me into a beast who hides by day and prowls by night? I'll tell you. I'll tell you how I used to be Kyle Kingsbury, the guy you wished you were, with money, perfect looks, and the perfect life. And then, I'll tell you how I became perfectly . . . beastly.

In short: Beastly by Alex Flinn was a fun retelling of Beauty and the Beast but I felt I couldn't connect to many of the characters whom at times seemed too cliched.

Beastly by Alex Flinn is a modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast told from the beast's perspective, in this case one Kyle Kingsbury. In the beginning of the book, Kyle is not at all a likeable character, self-centred and egotistical. After his transformation into a beast by a witch whom he played a cruel joke on, more than his physical appearance changes: he matures and becomes a better person. While I enjoyed watching Kyle grow as a character throughout the book, I found that Flinn's characterization of him and other characters were at times cliched and two dimensional. The "Belle" character is played by Lindy, an average and bookish girl at Kyle's school whom he had never paid much attention to before. I've always adored Belle as a character and Lindy had a few moments in the book that endeared her to me but ultimately I never really felt a connection to her. I did however enjoy Will, Kyle's blind tutor, as a character very much.

Beauty and the Beast is probably my favourite fairy tale of all time so it goes without saying that I enjoyed the premise and plot of the book. However, I couldn't help but be hopeful that there would be a divergence from the plot just because the story was so predictable. Thinking about this now I realize that this is unfair of me to want this. After all, this is a retelling of another story, but I was at least pleased that there was a fairly significant plot twist right at the end that I hadn't seen coming. Won't tell you what though, obviously :).

What I enjoyed most about the book was the little intermissions in the plot where the Beast takes part in an online help chat group called "Unexpected Change," along with The Little Mermaid and the frog from The Princess and the Frog. Very amusing.

A note on the audiobook: This was the first audiobook I've ever listened to, believe it or not. I really enjoyed Chris Patten as a narrator. And I especially liked the ability to do other activities (albeit mindless ones) while listening at the same time. It made these mindless tasks more enjoyable and pass by quicker. I'm definitely going to continue listening to audiobooks in the future.

A note on the movie: So I guess there is a movie already made for this book that was supposed to be released last summer but now has been pushed back to March 2011. If you want, check out the trailer here.

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