Monsters are gonna come and eat you all | This Savage Song

This Savage Song (Monsters of Verity #1) by V.E. Schwab

Published: June 7th 2016 by Titan Books Ltd

Genre: young adult, dystopia, paranormal

Goodreads summary: There’s no such thing as safe in a city at war, a city overrun with monsters. In this dark urban fantasy from author Victoria Schwab, a young woman and a young man must choose whether to become heroes or villains—and friends or enemies—with the future of their home at stake. The first of two books.

Kate Harker and August Flynn are the heirs to a divided city—a city where the violence has begun to breed actual monsters. All Kate wants is to be as ruthless as her father, who lets the monsters roam free and makes the humans pay for his protection. All August wants is to be human, as good-hearted as his own father, to play a bigger role in protecting the innocent—but he’s one of the monsters. One who can steal a soul with a simple strain of music. When the chance arises to keep an eye on Kate, who’s just been kicked out of her sixth boarding school and returned home, August jumps at it. But Kate discovers August’s secret, and after a failed assassination attempt the pair must flee for their lives.

REVIEW

By now, you must know that Victoria Schwab is one of my favourite authors, and she never disappoints. Sure, I don't read all of her books 5 stars, but it's still so pretty damn close every time.

To be honest, I would love to see what is happening in Victoria Schwab's head, because she always crafts such unique and dark worlds I'm deeply in love with (but living there wouldn't be the best idea, right?). This Savage Song was a post-apocalyptic novel where monsters appeared because of all the violence that we, humans, perpetrated. This idea is so interesting considering what happened in the world in the last few years, but also so disturbing. While the idea of this world was creepy, I was engrossed by it, because I love when there are monsters in a world, as it means so many possibilities. There also was a song about it in the book (like Lila had a song in A Gathering of Shadows <3), which I'm totally digging and you should too.

    “Monsters, monsters, big and small,

    They're gonna come and eat you all.

    Corsai, Corsai, tooth and claw,

    Shadow and bone will eat you raw.

    Malchai, Malchai, sharp and sly,

    Smile and bite and drink you dry.

    Sunai, Sunai, eyes like coal,

    Sing you a song and steal your soul.

    Monsters, monsters, big and small,

    They're gonna come and eat you all!” 

Schwab is so talented when it comes to world-building, because you never feel overwhelmed with all this new information to process. Indeed, she gives you hints on what is going in but doesn't deliver the whole information until her reader actually needs it. This book was about the notion of good and evil and how complex it was, especially in such a terrible world. You couldn't exactly tell who was "right" and who was "wrong", because the situation was unique. Her writing is so vivid and she can writes such amazing sentences, I fall in love with it every time. It feels like her characters are coming off the page, which can be a little frightening at times, because Kate Harker would definitely scare me to death.

The book started on a quote of Vicious, Schwab's first adult novel, and I loved that so much. It made me laugh, because you need some nerve to do that, but she can totally get away with it, as it was one of the best books I've ever read. While the prologue totally hooked me (because OMG, Kate), it took me about 100 pages to really get into the story, because there wasn't much happening. The first third of the book built a lot of the initial situation - so the synopsis is actually spoiling something happening almost halfway through - but the book was so worth it after that. It was so action-packed and fast-paced and I couldn't stop reading, because I was rooting for the characters and was scared for them at the same time. I loved the last twists Schwab used, because I hadn't seen that coming at all, and I'm pretty excited for Our Dark Duet, the sequel, because while it didn't end on a cliff-hanger, I'm intrigued by the direction the book will go.

The characters were so complex and I was so in love with them. On one hand, we had Kate, who was so kickass and willing to prove her father that she was worth it, she was a Harker, but realized, during the book, that the notions between good and evil weren't as simple and maybe her father wasn't the good guy. On the other hand, you had August who also wanted to prove himself, but was so insecure and willing to be human. He was so, so cute. Except when he was dangerous? But even then. Also he was playing the violin and lured his preys thanks to it, how cool is that (except for the preys, oops)? He was becoming so strong near the end of this first book and I can't wait to see who he'll become. So basically, it was about these teenagers trying to figure themselves out in a messed-up world and went through so much character development. Moreover, Ilsa, August's sister, was such a scary but precious cinnamon roll.

You might have seen a lot of reviewers mention that, but there is no romance in this book. None. Kate and August are coming together not even because there are friends, but because their situation is calling for it, and then, of course they become friends, because it's a life or death situation. But that was all. I loved their relationship, because they came to be so loyal to each other, no matter how awful the situation was and thinking about it…  It is praiseworthy.

Overall, this book was amazing, but it took me some time to get into it, because I was waiting more from the plot. But once I went through this, I was completely addicted to This Savage Song and didn't want it to end. It had such complex and relatable characters on top of a unique and scary world. I don't read dystopian novels that much these days, but you forget it's one while you're reading it, because it doesn't really use the tropes of the genre. I would 100% recommend this book to everyone, but be warned that it could take you time in the beginning.

Have you read this book yet? What did you think of it? What's your favourite book by Victoria Schwab (it's close between Vicious and A Gathering of Shadows for me)?

"This is the end. Hold your breath and count to ten." | Lady Renegades & The Crown

It’s time to say goodbye to some series I’ve been reading! I feel a lot of series are concluding this year and while I’m always sad to say goodbye, it helps the tbr pile a little, let’s be real. Today, I’m talking about The Crown by Kiera Cass (can I laugh if books are added in the series again? But I hope she won’t do that) and Lady Renegades by Rachel Hawkins.

Lady Renegades (Rebel Belle #3) by Rachel Hawkins

Published: April 5th 2016 by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

Genre: young adult, fantasy

Goodreads summary: Just as Harper Price starts coming to terms with her role as David Stark’s battle-ready Paladin, protector, and girlfriend—her world goes crazy all over again.

Overwhelmed by his Oracle powers, David flees Pine Grove and starts turning teenage girls into Paladins—and these young ladies seem to think that Harper is the enemy David needs protecting from.  Ordinarily, Harper would be able to fight off any Paladin who comes her way, but her powers have been dwindling since David left town…which means her life is on the line yet again.

New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hawkins brings the fun once again in the finale of this pitch-perfect romantic paranormal comedy series.

REVIEW

I read the first two books in the series last year and while I really enjoyed the first one, I found that the second one was pretty much a filler. I liked this one better, but it still wasn’t as good as Rebel Belle. In fact, my main problem was how short it was: it’s not even 300 pages long!

In my opinion, the plot isn’t one you find in finales: it was about finding David for almost the whole book, I would have liked that part to be shorter. I enjoyed that in the beginning, the lives of the characters were back to normal, with summer jobs, but it didn’t last long. Indeed, the action picked up right at the end of the first chapter and it put me right into this world again. But after the characters left, I found the quest to be repetitive, even though there were some action-packed scenes and revelations. Once David was found, there were only 30 pages left or something, which made the ending feel rushed, even if I liked it. Still, Lady Renegades was so much fun to read, because the fantasy aspect wasn’t too heavy and the characters made me laugh.

My favourite part was clearly the characters. In Rebel Belle, when Harper Price was introduced, she felt like a typical Mary Sue, but then she was confronted to tricky situations, because she acquired powers by accident. She went through a lot during this series, but she was still so much to read about. In this instalment, I liked that the author focused on her friendship with Bee. I even came to like Blythe, who was more of an antagonist in the first books, because of the decisions she made, but also her backstory. Basically, she saved the day, in the end, when she didn’t have to. I wished we had seen more of David, he’s so much fun to read about when he’s bickering with Harper. Also, I felt like Ryan was left behind, because he chose not to come, and then we saw him in another scene and that was all.

Overall, this was a good trilogy and I liked it more than Hex Hall, Rachel Hawkins’ first trilogy. The premise was original, but this effect only lasted in the first book. In Lady Renegades, I liked that the characters went through so much development, but I would have liked the plot to be more complex, because it didn’t feel like a finale. In fact, I wanted Miss Mayhen and Lady Renegades to be longer, or maybe it should have been a duology. I think some readers won’t see the final twist coming, which made the series end on a bittersweet note.

The Crown (The Selection #5) by Kiera Cass

Published: May 3rd 2016 by HarperTeen

Genre: young adult, dystopia, romance

Goodreads summary: Kiera Cass’s bestselling Selection series has enchanted readers from the very first page. Now the end of the journey is here, in a wonderfully romantic series finale that will sweep you off your feet.

Twenty years have passed since the events of The One, and America and Maxon’s daughter is the first princess to hold a Selection of her own. Princess Eadlyn didn’t think she would find a real partner among the Selection’s thirty-five suitors, let alone true love. But sometimes the heart has a way of surprising you... and now Eadlyn must make a choice that feels more difficult—and more important—than she ever expected.

The Selection series has sold more than 3 million copies and captured the hearts of fans around the world. This swoon-worthy final installment is the happily ever after they’ve all been waiting for.

REVIEW

In this series, the books were fun and quick to read, this one was no exception. Like so many reviewers, I had mixed feelings about The Heir, mainly because Eadlyn was so self-centred and arrogant. I think I liked this one slightly better, but I found that everything that happened was convenient and a little bit rushed.

Maybe I’m wrong – I read the Heir last year – but I felt like between these two instalments, Eadlyn drastically changed, but I liked her more this way. She went from this spoiled little princess to a caring and open young woman. I can believe that she had potential to become like that, but it felt sudden and that it wasn’t the same character as in the first one. Let’s be real, I was pretty sure about who she would pick and I was totally right, it’s not even funny when it happens… Anyway, I liked the boys that were still in the Elite and they all deserved a chance. There was a plot twist about one of them I didn’t see coming and I was pleased about, though. The romance aspect is something I enjoyed in this one, much more than in the Heir, because Eadlyn was more open to it. However, there is an epilogue and I felt like it was utterly useless. I found that the last chapter was enough to wrap up the romance and that the epilogue was way too cheesy and didn’t have a purpose.

I also felt like everything that happened was pretty convenient, it just happened, poof. In the end, it was just a book to make (pretty much) everything right again for Eadlyn, but it’s not life.  In my opinion, this book should have been longer, since it’s the finale of a five books long series (sort of). It should have been a way to say goodbye to this world, but it just felt similar to the others. It would have been time to expand the world but ha! As if. There are some loose ends I wanted to be deepened – like Eadlyn’s twin said there were complications about something but it was never explained.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this one, it was quick and fun, but it doesn’t stand out among all the books I read. I liked Eadlyn more in The Crown, because she had character development, but it felt way too quick. I would have liked the loose ends to be explored but Kiera Cass stayed in what should be expected.

Have you read any of these series? What do you think of them? Have you read these finales yet?

5 reasons why I didn't like Tell the Wind and Fire

Tell the Wind and Fire by Sarah Rees Brennan

Published: April 5th 2016 by Clarion Books

Genre: young adult, dystopia, fantasy, retelling

Goodreads summary: In a city divided between opulent luxury in the Light and fierce privations in the Dark, a determined young woman survives by guarding her secrets. 

Lucie Manette was born in the Dark half of the city, but careful manipulations won her a home in the Light, celebrity status, and a rich, loving boyfriend. Now she just wants to keep her head down, but her boyfriend has a dark secret of his own—one involving an apparent stranger who is destitute and despised.

Lucie alone knows of the deadly connection the young men share, and even as the knowledge leads her to make a grave mistake, she can trust no one with the truth.

Blood and secrets alike spill out when revolution erupts. With both halves of the city burning, and mercy nowhere to be found, can Lucie save either boy—or herself?

Celebrated author Sarah Rees Brennan tells a magical tale of romance and revolution, love and loss.

REVIEW

After seeing a lot of negative and DNF reviews of Tell the Wind and Fire, I had lowered my expectations but well… There was a reason so many people didn’t like it, and I’m totally joining them. I’m sad that I disliked it so much, because it was inspired by Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities, a classic I love. Moreover, I’m disappointed because for once the main character had the same name as mine, but I didn’t really connect to her. This one really didn’t work for me and I gave it my lowest rating ever, sadly. In this post, I’m talking about why I didn’t like it.

1 – This book was cliché. It was just another dystopia where a girl -special snowflake of course- ignited and became the symbol of the rebellion, when she acted to get her father out of the “bad world” and didn’t want any part of it. Moreover, this world was literally black-and-white, with a Dark City and a Light City, which was way too simplistic. Everywhere, we saw it’s about nuances of grey and there we have the clear separation. Of course, it’s talked about later on, but still.

2 – The world-building was lacking and was delivered as info-dump. Okay, this totally seems like a paradox, but that’s what happened. At some point, the main character said she should explain the world, because it would make more sense and then she does that for a whole chapter. It’s definitely not how you should introduce the world. This info-dump wasn’t even disguised. Moreover, we never get to know how humans discover magic, it just happened. This world appeared magically, almost from nowhere, it’s an evolution of ours but how did we do it?

3 – It had a love triangle with the bad guy trope. At the beginning of the book, Lucie is doing everything to save her boyfriend, Ethan. At the same time, she basically meets his evil twin and a love triangle ensue. That’s… Unoriginal. I don’t understand how readers can fall over Carswyn: of course, he has a tragic backstory to explain all of his bad actions, but it’s not because he’s redeeming himself at the end of the story that I will feel anything for him. He treated Lucie like shit during almost the whole book, clearly enjoying passing for Ethan to kiss her and all. I’m sorry, but no. Moreover, I didn’t feel the chemistry between Ethan and Lucie. So yes, I didn’t fall for the romance at all.

4 – I didn’t care for the characters. From the beginning, they were putting up acts for everyone, to convince their audience they were innocent and kind. Mostly, they felt one-dimensional and unmemorable. Lucie was okay I guess, but she felt like a hundred heroines I’ve read before, a special snowflake that will change the whole world. I liked that she didn’t want the revolution and that she wanted to be safe though, because it felt more realistic: we don’t all want to be heroes. During the whole book, Ethan was threatened because he was accused of treason. But sadly, I didn’t really care about him, because I felt like the only thing I knew about him was that he was beautiful and Lucie loved him. That’s great, but I would like more. I’ve talked about Carswyn already: his pitiful backstory didn’t make me shed a single tear, because I saw how he acted and I didn’t like it.

5 – The ending was EXACTLY the same that in A Tale of Two Cities. While I thought the retelling aspect of this book was alright -even if it didn’t have to try copying famous quotes- I would have liked to be more detached from Dickens’ work, especially the ending. If you’ve read the book, it ended in the same way, except it was Brennan’s way of telling it and there were a few alterations because of the differences between the two worlds.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? Have you read other books by this author? I heard her other books were good, what did you think of them? Do you love A Tale of Two Cities?

Mutant and proud | These Vicious Masks & Glass Sword

I read quite a few books in February which means that... If I did one review per book, my March schedule would be full already! So I choose to pair some of them, you'll have more content this way! ;) I tried to do mini-reviews... But failed, I wrote way much more than I wanted to. The two books I'm talking about today were both released on February 9th and are both fantasy books about human beings with special powers.

These Vicious Masks (These Vicious Masks #1) by Tarun Shanker and Kelly Zekas

Published: February 9th 2016 by Swoon Reads

Genre: young adult, fantasy, historical

Goodreads summary: Jane Austen meets X-­Men in this gripping and adventure-­filled paranormal romance set in Victorian London.

England, 1882. Evelyn is bored with society and its expectations. So when her beloved sister, Rose, mysteriously vanishes, she ignores her parents and travels to London to find her, accompanied by the dashing Mr. Kent. But they’re not the only ones looking for Rose. The reclusive, young gentleman Sebastian Braddock is also searching for her, claiming that both sisters have special healing powers. Evelyn is convinced that Sebastian must be mad, until she discovers that his strange tales of extraordinary people are true—and that her sister is in graver danger than she feared.

REVIEW

I was quite intrigued by the pitch: "Jane Austen meets X-Men" and I thought it totally lived up to that. This novel is set in Victorian England, so of course, it was a total winner for me. I was so excited to get back into this time period, and wasn't disappointed, at all. This book was set in London and we saw society parties just like dark places and streets, which I really enjoyed. I totally felt like the authors had done their research and felt like I was there.

Evelyn was a great main character, she was snarky and independent. I really liked being in her head during this story and she made me laugh quite a few times. I liked the other characters but felt like some of them were a little cliché, like Laura, Mr Kent's young sister, she totally thought she was in the middle of a gothic novel or something. I found Miss Grey to be really interesting and I'm eager to read about her more in the next book. It seems that the book was setting a love triangle, and I really, really, really don't want that *sigh* For now, I like Sebastian more, but we'll see in the next book.

Oh no, a potential love triangle

The plot focused on a mystery, finding Rose, Evelyn's sister. I really enjoyed that, because mysteries were such a trend at that time! This type of plot kept me entertained during the whole book, which wasn't that hard to accomplish, since it was pretty short. Some aspects of the ending surprised me, because I hadn't thought the authors would go there, but it will serve its purpose I guess.

I liked that there was a theory about the abilities the characters possessed. A doctor thought it was a consequence of evolution, which made sense in a society that were influenced by Darwin's works, at that time. It also felt so much more realistic. Nevertheless, it seems like there must be more than that and it will be explored in the next book. At the end of this book, it totally feels like some of the characters will go in search of other people with abilities, which I'm really excited about, it feels like the beginning of the X-Men.

I really enjoyed this book and am excited to read the sequel next year, especially since it seems we'll see Belgium (!!). I felt like the setting of this book was realistic and I really enjoyed the plot, but some of the secondary characters felt a little cliché. It's a quick book to read who'll keep you entertained, which is all you can ask for!

Glass Sword (Red Queen #2) by Victoria Aveyard

Published: February 9th 2016 by HarperTeen

Genre: young adult, dystopia, fantasy

Goodreads summary: The thrilling second book in the #1 New York Times bestselling Red Queen trilogy follows Mare Barrow on her mission to defeat the traitorous Maven.

Mare Barrow’s blood is red—the color of common folk—but her Silver ability, the power to control lightning, has turned her into a weapon that the royal court tries to control. 

The crown calls her an impossibility, a fake, but as she makes her escape from Maven, the prince—the friend—who betrayed her, Mare uncovers something startling: she is not the only one of her kind.

Pursued by Maven, now a vindictive king, Mare sets out to find and recruit other Red-and-Silver fighters to join in the struggle against her oppressors. 

But Mare finds herself on a deadly path, at risk of becoming exactly the kind of monster she is trying to defeat. 

Will she shatter under the weight of the lives that are the cost of rebellion? Or have treachery and betrayal hardened her forever? 

The electrifying next installment in the Red Queen series escalates the struggle between the growing rebel army and the blood-segregated world they’ve always known—and pits Mare against the darkness of her own heart.

REVIEW

I was on the fence about Red Queen and I think that I liked Glass Sword slightly better. I really enjoyed the plot of this book, that we learnt more about the Scarlet Guard, I was interested during the whole book and never got bored. I'll concede that the pacing was uneven and that it was really slow in the beginning, after two fast-paced chapters. Moreover, I really liked to see other newbloods in the story, even though there were so many of them that I'm not sure I'll remember any names… I'm sure I'll need a recap when the next book will be released.

Mare got on my nerves in this book, she was totally unreliable and reminded me a lot of Katniss at some point - I felt like some aspects of the story were similar to the Hunger Games - but maybe I'm just on witch hunt mode for similarities. Anyway, one of the problems that I had with this book is that… I don't care for the characters, they don't move me, I don't really know why. 

I didn't really like the romance either, because I felt like everyone was in love with Mare… And the rest hate her. Not really but at some point, it felt ridiculous. Kilorn was such a Gale from District 4 since he was a fish boy, it made me laugh so hard. He's just in the same situation that Gale was with Katniss, which made me roll my eyes. Of course, there is also Cal, and maybe Maven, who knows what happens in his sick head? Some aspects of Mare and Cal's relationship was actually reminiscent of Katniss and Peeta's in the first half of Catching Fire… So there is also that *sigh*

One of Aveyard's strengths is to write suspenseful endings, which she showed again at the end of Glass Sword. It was full of twists and turns and was sometimes unexpected. This ending made me gasp for more, but why isn't it like that the rest of the time? Some readers might totally give up and never get to the ending, so I don't think it's a wise move to do it this way, but well… It's so frustrating to have an okay book and then a good ending. I'll probably read the next book, or during the time span of the year, I'll lose interest in the series. I don't really know, but there are still two books to be published and I don't know what the author will say during those two books. 

Have you read any of these books or do you plan to do so? Are you a fan of the Red Queen series? Of Victorian England novels?

A satisfaying conclusion with a good romance | The Revolution of Ivy

Title: The Revolution of Ivy (The Book of Ivy #2)

Author: Amy Engel

Published: November 3rd 2015 by Entangled Teen

Goodreads summary: Ivy Westfall is beyond the fence and she is alone. Abandoned by her family and separated from Bishop Lattimer, Ivy must find a way to survive on her own in a land filled with countless dangers, both human and natural. She has traded a more civilized type of cruelty--forces marriages and murder plots--for the bare-knuckled brutality required to survive outside Westfall's borders.

But there is hope beyond the fence, as well. When Bishop reappears in Ivy's life, she must decide if returning to Westfall to take a final stand for what she believes is right is worth losing everything she's fought for.

REVIEW

The ending of The Book of Ivy let me eager for more adventures in this world, and I wanted more than what I got. The Revolution of Ivy starts where the previous book left off, with our main character, Ivy, struggling to survive outside the fence. This is a real trope in dystopia so it wasn’t really original, but I liked the way they handled it, Ivy had to fight for herself as soon as the beginning of the book. Of course, she finds a community, but lie about who she is and why she was put outside.

I was annoyed that she couldn’t tell the truth, at first, because I thought it would blow up into her face, but it didn’t. She was confronted to her past really quickly, but she had been able to make friends in the meantime, so they helped her. Ivy was an indecisive character during the most part of the book, it was realistic, because she had to choose where her loyalties lied, but it was irritating at the same time.

The world introduced was usual in dystopia, very similar to the Delirium trilogy by Lauren Oliver. The struggle about surviving in the wild was handled well, even if I thought they stayed there for a long time, which didn’t allow the book to move a lot. The characters spent a lot of time worrying about winter, the supplies, and it wasn’t really exciting for me. They got back to Westfall a little late, in my opinion, but I liked that they got back for a real reason, though. The new characters introduced were well developed and I got really attached to them.

My favourite part of the book was totally the romance. I didn’t care that much that this story was classical dystopia, because Ivy and Bishop have such an amazing relationship. They had to work a lot on their relationship, because Ivy felt so guilty for what happened, but they were such cuties.

The ending was action-packed and fast-paced and triggered a lot of emotions in me; it totally redeemed the book for being slower paced in the beginning. I wasn’t surprised by the resolution of the book, though. The epilogue was amazing, I really enjoyed it.

Final Thoughts:                                                                 

I really enjoyed this book which was a satisfying conclusion to this duology, but I expected more action and a faster pace. The new characters introduced were great. The romance was actually the best part of the book. Overall, this duology is classical dystopia; fans of that genre should love it.

Have you read this duology? Did you find it was an usual dystopian novel? 

I CRIED A THOUSAND TEARS | Winter

Title: Winter (The Lunar Chronicles #4)
Author: Marissa Meyer
Published: November 10th 2015 by Feiwel and Friends

Goodreads summary: Princess Winter is admired by the Lunar people for her grace and kindness, and despite the scars that mark 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 afterss? Fans will not want to miss this thrilling conclusion to Marissa Meyer's nationally bestselling Lunar Chronicles series.

REVIEW

I read Cress in March 2014 (I preordered, but sometimes Amazon sucks…..) and I have been eagerly anticipating Winter, it was like the book I waited for the most since… Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows? However, I was a little nervous, because I had been eagerly anticipating Queen of Shadows, which kind of disappointed me (even if it was still great), but I was wrong, because Winter was FANTABULOUS, I devoured it in three days (homework? What are you talking about?) and it was one of my favourite books of the year. By the way, I didn’t take any notes while reading it because I was too busy loving it. If you want a review in one gif, here you have it:

This review will be spoilery for the first three books and maybe Fairest, idk, so be considered warned. 

A wicked grin pulled at Winter's lips. She stepped away from Jacin, faced the people, and raised her arms to her sides. "People of Luna," she said, echoing the broadcast and pulling the crowd's attention away from the dome, "please give your full attention now to the true heir to the Lunar throne, Princess Selene, live from your very own sector." Her eyes flashed as she swooped an arm toward Cinder. "Our revolution is about to begin."

This book was huge and it was almost intimidating, SO MUCH happened. Of course, there was preparation for Cinder's revolution and we saw the characters doing just that in the Rampion, but after that, everything happened in a few days. I can't say much about the plot obviously, it was very fast-paced and I wasn't bored a single moment. The repartition between the points of view was well handled, because characters who were less important to some parts of the plot weren't really mentionned and then we got them again, etc. 

At first, I thought we weren't getting much of Snow White's fairy tale retelling, because Meyer had a lot of characters to handle and was busy with them. We still got the "big" parts of the story, I was so scared because I didn't want anything to happen to Winter, my precious baby. This Snow White retelling was SO WELL DONE I was just so surprised!

It was so well adapted to this world and I totally respect the "glass coffin" here, it was clever. About that, I shipped Jacin and Winter so much, it was so cute when he was like "Hey, Trouble", so casual and everything.

"I'm such an idiot. You should hate me." "You may be an idiot, but I assure you, you're quite a lovable one." He shook his head. "You're the only person in the galaxy who would ever call me lovable." "I'm the only person in the galaxy crazy enough to believe it. Now tell me what you've done that is worth hating you for."

Let's continue with the romance then why am I starting with that anyway?. Kai and Cinder were as cute as always, and wait for their last scene together. I was just crying and repeating myself hysterically "The wheel has come for circle." It was so cute and every fangirl heart will be pleased with that. I was pretty indifferent to Wolf and Scarlet's romance, though, but to be honest I was pretty indifferent to them during the whole book. Cress and Thorne were really cute, because their relationship took its time, but it was everything. I'm just so happy about the ships I might cry wait I actually did.

I had forgotten how the characters were sarcastic (Iko = Queen of Sarcasm) and hilarious, but they reminded me of it real fast!

Thorne glanced back at the pantry. "Did you see any rice in there? Maybe we could fill Cinder's head with it." Everyone stared at him. "You know, to... absorb the moisture, or something. Isn't that a thing?" "We're not pouring rice in my head."

Thorne was such a quirky and funny character, he was definitely one of my favourite! I grew so fond of Winter in this book, because she was so much more than "the crazy princess", she was clever and really helpful, even if the other characters couldn't see it at first. We saw a lot of developpment in Cinder's character, because she realized that she would really become Queen Selene and that Lunars would consider it this way, it was really interesting. 

I was eagerly anticipating seeing Luna in all its glory or not and I wasn't disappointed. Meyer depicted a bipolar world where the courtesans live more than wealthy, whereas regular Lunars are forced to work and live in sectors. It really felt like totalitarism, each sector was named because of what the people were doing in it, for example the L standed for Lumber, and then there was the numbers. Lunars only had artifical days and weather which is horrifying, I'm proud to be an Earthen guys!

The ending was so fast paced and I'm really happy that we got several chapters which were kind of an epilogue. Even if it brought me a lot of tears, we saw where each character is headed for the future, and I'm really pleased about that. It also made me hungry because LEMON CAKE. 

Final Thoughts:

This book was a more than satisfying conclusion to the Lunar Chronicles. I'm sad to let this series go and it will remain one of my favourite, it introduced me to sci-fi and made me learn that I loved spaceships. Meyer knows how to play with our little fangirls hearts with swoony-worthy romances, hilarious characters, fast-paced action and dramatic moments. I'm eagerly anticipating her next book, Heartless, because I REALLY REALLY want to know what she can do now she has finished the Lunar Chronicles.

And one last quote before I'm letting Winter go or at least try to:

"When she catches you," the guard snarled, "my queen will eat your heart with salt and pepper." "Well," said Cinder, unconcerned, "my heart is half synthetic, so it'll probably give her indigestion."

What do you think about this series? Are you a fan of sci-fi? Can you recommend me other books in this genre?

Ice like Fire | Book review

Title: Ice like Fire (Snow like Ashes #2)

Author: Sara Raasch

Published: October 13th 2015 by Balzer + Bray

Goodreads summary: It’s been three months since the Winterians were freed and Spring’s king, Angra, disappeared—thanks largely to the help of Cordell.

Meira just wants her people to be safe. When Cordellan debt forces the Winterians to dig their mines for payment, they unearth something powerful and possibly dangerous: Primoria’s lost chasm of magic. Theron sees this find as an opportunity—with this much magic, the world can finally stand against threats like Angra. But Meira fears the danger the chasm poses—the last time the world had access to so much magic, it spawned the Decay. So when the king of Cordell orders the two on a mission across the kingdoms of Primoria to discover the chasm’s secrets, Meira plans to use the trip to garner support to keep the chasm shut and Winter safe—even if it means clashing with Theron. But can she do so without endangering the people she loves?

Mather just wants to be free. The horrors inflicted on the Winterians hang fresh and raw in Januari—leaving Winter vulnerable to Cordell’s growing oppression. When Meira leaves to search for allies, he decides to take Winter’s security into his own hands. Can he rebuild his broken kingdom and protect them from new threats?

As the web of power and deception weaves tighter, Theron fights for magic, Mather fights for freedom—and Meira starts to wonder if she should be fighting not just for Winter, but for the world. 

REVIEW

This book felt like a transition to an epic finale, because it focused more on politics and securing alliances, but also finding how to open the magical chasm. The action picked up in the last third of the book or so, it was addictive and felt like everything happened at once, but it also felt it ended when the book started to be really interesting. Now, don’t get me wrong, I still enjoyed it a great deal.

Ice like Fire starts three months after the end of Snow like Ashes, Winter’s kingdom is under Cordell’s domination, because Noam wants to discover the magical chasm. Of course, Winter’s miners found it, but the characters realize they need keys to open it, and that they are in other kingdoms. It’s the beginning of a diplomatic journey for Meira and Theron. 

The world was largely expanded in this book, because we got to discover three kingdoms, very diverse. For Meira, it was the moment to find new friends but also enemies. At the same time, she struggles with herself to figure out who she is: the queen or the solider? She tries to find the answer while she observes – and judges – how the other kings and queens rule their kingdoms.

However, Theron seems to be more distant, because he has plan of his own. I have the feeling the author wanted us to change our minds for the love triangle, because a lot of fans were Team Theron. Because of this book, I know some of them are now Team Mather. It upsets me when authors are playing with us like that; it feels like I don’t have a choice, because of course I liked Mather better than Theron in this book.

Mather’s point of view was introduced in this book, in the beginning I felt like the author did it just to make us like him better. Of course, when Meira leaves for her diplomatic journey and that Mather has to stay in Winter; you can understand why the author introduced his point of view. He represented the rebellion in the middle of Cordellan domination; I really enjoyed his dynamics with the Children of Thaw. 

Finding the keys seemed pretty easy, as Meira highlighted it, but there are a lot of things she will now have to face, because it was just the beginning. The ending was a twist for a part of it and made me really eager to have the next book in my hands, because so many things to process and so many things I want to know right now. I almost feel like the wait will kill me. The Order of Lustrate seems really interesting; I can’t wait to see the part they will play in all of this.

Have you read this book? What did you think of it?

The Book of Ivy | Book Review

Title: The Book of Ivy (The Book of Ivy #1)

Author: Amy Engel

Published: November 4th 2014 by Entangled: Teen

Goodreads summary: After a brutal nuclear war, the United States was left decimated. A small group of survivors eventually banded together, but only after more conflict over which family would govern the new nation. The Westfalls lost. Fifty years later, peace and control are maintained by marrying the daughters of the losing side to the sons of the winning group in a yearly ritual. 

This year, it is my turn. 

My name is Ivy Westfall, and my mission is simple: to kill the president’s son—my soon-to-be husband—and restore the Westfall family to power. 

But Bishop Lattimer is either a very skilled actor or he’s not the cruel, heartless boy my family warned me to expect. He might even be the one person in this world who truly understands me. But there is no escape from my fate. I am the only one who can restore the Westfall legacy.

Because Bishop must die. And I must be the one to kill him…

REVIEW

I really enjoyed this book. Amy Engel was able to create a strong world, I honestly think we know everything that's important about it, without info dump. Of course, there are a lot of elements that you can find in so many other dystopias, starting with the fact that Westfall is a close city, just like Chicago in Divergent or Portland (I think it was this one?) in Delirium, that going outside isn't possible, except for those who are to be punished.

Storywise, there wasn't a lot going on, but it was expected because of Ivy's mission, it was more about day to day action, but there was a lot of psychological and ideological development. Indeed, that's something I enjoyed a lot: all her life, Ivy's family makes her learn and believe certain things, but when she's married to Bishop, she starts to question everything, that was so interesting. However, I know the next book will be more action-packed, because of the ending.

I really enjoyed the characters and the romance. The romance was slowly built throughout the book, it didn't feel to pushed. The characters made me feel so many things and my heart is aching for them because of what happened. We didn't meet a lot of characters though, it was just their families, a co-worker and some neighbours. I hope new characters will be introduced in the next one.

The Book of Ivy was a great dystopia, even if I found it to be a little predictable, but I might think that because I read so many novels in that genre. It ended abruptly and I'm really looking forward to read the second book, even if I'll be probably really sad because of the romance.