Zenith by Sasha Alsberg and Lindsay Cummings // Book review

Hello, beautiful people!

It's been quite a while since I last posted a review on this blog (*cough* November *cough*), but as I received an e-ARC of Zenith two months ago, I thought it would be the perfect time to share more reviews here. Now, I'll tell you right away: Zenith wasn't the book for me, but I have a feeling I wasn't exactly the audience targeted. I'm going to be quite negative in this review, so be prepared.

Zenith (The Androma Saga #1) by Sasha Alsberg and Lindsay Cummings

Publication date: January 16th 2018 by Harlequin Teen (US) // January 11th 2018 by HQ (UK)

Genres: young adult, science-fiction

Number of pages: 512

Goodreads summary: Most know Androma Racella as the Bloody Baroness, a powerful mercenary whose reign of terror stretches across the Mirabel Galaxy. To those aboard her glass starship, Marauder, however, she's just Andi, their friend and fearless leader.

But when a routine mission goes awry, the Marauder's all-girl crew is tested as they find themselves in a treacherous situation and at the mercy of a sadistic bounty hunter from Andi's past.

Meanwhile, across the galaxy, a ruthless ruler waits in the shadows of the planet Xen Ptera, biding her time to exact revenge for the destruction of her people. The pieces of her deadly plan are about to fall into place, unleashing a plot that will tear Mirabel in two.

Andi and her crew embark on a dangerous, soul-testing journey that could restore order to their shipor just as easily start a war that will devour worlds. As the Marauder hurtles toward the unknown, and Mirabel hangs in the balance, the only certainty is that in a galaxy run on lies and illusion, no one can be trusted.

MY THOUGHTS

I received this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Quotes used in this review might have changed in the final copy.

I requested Zenith through Netgalley out of curiosity. Like many people, I followed Sasha Alsberg's BookTube channel for years and I was curious about her writing, but it didn't influence me in any way. The truth is, I might have loved Zenith, had it come out four or five years ago. I just feel like it wasn't for me, that I read so many YA fantasy and sci-fi novels and it was a little too similar to so many of them. Because of that, this review will be quite negative, unfortunately, for I couldn't help myself, but the thing is : it isn't a bad book. It's just a book I've read a hundred times before and I'm quite over it.

The plot of this novel was very slow to start and for a long time, I was wondering where the authors were going with this. The pacing was a bit off, as the main plot was resolved halfway through the book, so I didn't really understand the point of the rest of the book. It was quite predictable and similar to popular fantasy novels (I mean, retrieving someone who's been kidnapped in a high security prison which wasn't high security AT ALL? Doesn't ring a bell), except that it was set in space. It had some clichés scenes just like... A ball. Wow we've never seen it before, I totally didn't see coming that you were going to make the protagonists dance together. *sigh*

(I have no choice but to only use gifs from Guardians of the Galaxy for this post)

However, towards the end, the plot became a bit exciting and the action picked up, but alas, it abruptly ended, which made me a bit sad, because I would have wanted Zenith to be like that for 500 pages. Besides, the novel often lost itself in subplots that didn't seem necessary, maybe they were there to set the next instalment in the duology up, but it was quite clumsy. Some of the violence also felt like it was there without any purpose and it was forced:

"When we bring the galaxy to its knees," Nor said, a smile slowly appearing on her rouged lips, "I'd like to repaint this room. With the blood of every man, woman and child who has ever lifted a finger against my planet." Darai swept across the tiled floor to stand at her side. "My dear." His voice was slippery, as if drenched in oil. "When we bring the galaxy to its knees, you can paint the entire palace in blood, if you wish it." Nor closed her eyes and smiles.

She could see it, taste it.

And it pleased her."

Yes, okay, but WHY ? They wanted us to see her as a psychopath, 
but I wanted it to be shown to me by her actions, not told.

I don't have a lot of positive things to say about the characters either, because they were either unmemorable or were pissing me off. The main character, Andi, was a rip-off of Celaena Sardothien and Kaz Brekker. She was supposed to have PTSD, but many reviewers pointed out that this attempt at representation wasn't accurate at all and PTSD was only present when it suited the book better. I don't know much about that, but as I've seen this in reviews, I felt like I needed to point it out. 

*Taylor Swift's voice* You were all I wanted, but not like this.

I was very excited because I felt like the book would have a Guardians of the Galaxy vibe to it, as it had a crew and I live for these dynamics. It was good in that sense at first, but Zenith had too many points of view and it was very confusing. I couldn't get a sense of who was who as the characters' voices weren't very distinctive, it was even worse because the book was made of very short chapters (there are 98 chapters when the book counts 512 pages); I was often lost and it prevented me to care about any of the characters. Now, for Dex, Andi's 'love interest', I disliked him so much. I love antiheroes and villains, but I couldn't with him. His story didn't add up, his lines made me roll my eyes because they sometimes were cheesy or forced and didn't make sense with how he was portrayed. I would have loved for the secondary characters to be more fleshed out, but as there were too many of them, it wasn't possible.

Last but not least, I didn't really like the writing style. Zenith was first released as a sixty page novella and you can tell, as there were so many changes towards that point, starting with the writing style. In the beginning, it was quite metaphoric, which didn't work very well because it made the book even more complicated to understand. Afterwards, I'm not sure the writing styles of the two authors mixed very well together and it felt repetitive. Besides, the authors often told us things, instead of showing them to us. I was intrigued by the world it was set in though, and I would have loved to learn more about it.

Overall, I really didn't like Zenith and I know I am very negative in this review, but it just wasn't the book for me (which is why I'm not even harsher in my rating). Had I read it in 2013, I probably would have loved it, but it felt so repetitive as I have read many YA novels. I still think people might love it and it will have success and I do wish for it to work out, but it really wasn't for me.

Thank you for reading,

Lots of love,

Lucie

More Depressed Than Not | More Happy Than Not

More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera

Published: June 2nd 2015 by Soho Teen

Genre: young adult, contemporary, science-fiction

Goodreads summary: In his twisty, gritty, profoundly moving debut—called “mandatory reading” by the New York Times—Adam Silvera brings to life a charged, dangerous near-future summer in the Bronx.

In the months after his father's suicide, it's been tough for 16-year-old Aaron Soto to find happiness again--but he's still gunning for it. With the support of his girlfriend Genevieve and his overworked mom, he's slowly remembering what that might feel like. But grief and the smile-shaped scar on his wrist prevent him from forgetting completely. 

When Genevieve leaves for a couple of weeks, Aaron spends all his time hanging out with this new guy, Thomas. Aaron's crew notices, and they're not exactly thrilled. But Aaron can't deny the happiness Thomas brings or how Thomas makes him feel safe from himself, despite the tensions their friendship is stirring with his girlfriend and friends. Since Aaron can't stay away from Thomas or turn off his newfound feelings for him, he considers turning to the Leteo Institute's revolutionary memory-alteration procedure to straighten himself out, even if it means forgetting who he truly is. 

Why does happiness have to be so hard?

REVIEW

Um, sorry, but it wasn't my cup of tea. I read this book because of all the hype it received for the last year, I was curious to see what that mind-blowing twist was. Moreover, Adam Silvera seems like such an amazing person – with BEA happening last month, I kept seeing him everywhere – so I wanted to love his first book. But to be honest, during the first part of the book – until the said twist – I was bored.

I never managed to connect to any of the characters and it felt monotonous, because it was the same things over and over. I understand that's what our everyday lives are like, but I don't care about playing manhunt... The first time, it had a use for the story, but after that, I was yawning. The secondary characters were one-dimensional and were just there as a tool for the story. I particularly disliked Aaron's 'friends', for obvious reasons and I think his dad's reason to commit suicide was unrealistic. It couldn't be just that, like her mom said, but we never really got an explanation and I would have liked that, as it was a big hole in the story. Moreover, I'm not a fan of too much swearing, it gets annoying when it has the 'f' word three times in one sentence. Duh.

The twist was amazing and I can totally see why so many readers thought it was mind-blowing, because it was. It's what made the book, because it would have been any other generic YA contemporary novel if it hadn't been for that. In my opinion, the book got a lot better after that twist, because it is what made me invested into Aaron's story. I felt so depressed reading this book though, maybe that's why I struggled that much with it, but I didn't shed a tear, which I was pretty disappointed in. The ending was bittersweet for sure, but it felt like life, the book truly succeeded in that.

I loved the messages this book was trying to pass through and how it depicted all the struggles teens had to get through. I loved how it showed most teenagers have no idea what they're doing, because it was how it was for me (and still is for some aspects). It was a true coming-of-age story, that didn’t try to sugar-coat anything and showed how harsh life can be. I'm also happy to see how diverse this book was, without trying to be, it was in the characters and the story, and I want more authors to write like that.

The futuristic twist was also a really interesting idea and I really enjoyed the way the author treated it. It’s true that coping with our memories can be hard sometimes, but they’re part of who we are and we can’t really run away from them. It was such a good moral to this story, in my opinion.

Overall, I have pretty mixed feelings about this book, but I loved the twist, that made the whole novel. If you're looking for a LGBTQIA+ YA novel, you should definitely check this one out, but be warned: you'll be depressed by the end. I will definitely read Adam Silvera's next novel, even if this one wasn't exactly for me.

Have you read this book? What did you think of it? Are you excited for History Is All You Left Me, Adam Silvera's next book?

I've read this a hundred times before... Ugh | Beyond the Red

Beyond the Red by Ava Jae

Published: March 1st 2016 by Sky Pony Press

Genre: young adult, science-fiction

Goodreads summary: A story of betrayal, love, and loss—all on a technologically advanced alien planet where monarchy reigns, but lies rule.

Alien queen Kora has a problem as vast as the endless crimson deserts. She’s the first female ruler of her territory in generations, but her people are rioting and call for her violent younger twin brother to take the throne. Despite assassination attempts, a mounting uprising of nomadic human rebels, and pressure to find a mate to help her rule, she’s determined to protect her people from her brother’s would-be tyrannical rule.

Eros is a rebel soldier hated by aliens and human alike for being a half-blood. But that doesn’t stop him from defending his people—at least until Kora’s soldiers raze his camp and take him captive. He is given an ultimatum: be an enslaved bodyguard to Kora, or be executed for his true identity—a secret kept even from him.

When Kora and Eros are framed for the attempted assassination of her betrothed, they flee. Their only chance of survival is to turn themselves in to the high court, where revealing Eros’s secret could mean a swift public execution. But when they uncover a violent plot to end the human insurgency, they must find a way to work together to prevent genocide.

REVIEW

So, you've read the synopsis of the book just now, I guess. Then, my friends, I'm sorry to tell you that you've been spoiled for the whole plot of the book. 'What the heck??', you will tell me. The main characters are only forced to flee 58% into the book, so I can't understand how an editor could put that in the summary. The same goes for the genocide, a twist at the end of the book. In fact, it's a good thing I didn't pay too much attention to the summary, because I didn't know this would happen.

My problem with this book is that… There was literally nothing new. Everything was pretty generic and had been in hundred books before. In fact, if I hadn't known Beyond the Red was set on another planet, I would have guessed it was another generic fantasy novel. Royals were ruling, there were arranged marriages, a ball, a rebellion, a forbidden romance between the queen and a guard and *gasps* a long-lost royal. Sounds similar?

It's so sad, because the book was off to a good start, with a crazy first chapter where the author wasn't scared of killing her characters. The beginning was good, introduced us to a scary monarchy where the slaves were completely stripped off their identity and looked all the same. But well, after that it got downhill, with a powerless Kora who was supposed to be queen and a plot that dragged… Until 58% in, when there was finally this murder attempt. The ending was okay I guess, it got interesting again but I had stopped caring at that point. Moreover, be warned that even though this book is a standalone, it’s clearly not. Beyond the Red is supposed to be part of a series, but it depends on how it sells I guess…

I’m a bit sceptical about the world-building in this one, because while it was explained humans came to this planet at some point, I never got to know what happened. Moreover, Kora’s city was pretty unhappy about her being on the throne, so here we go for another sexist world and the city needed help, but I never understood why. There was a problem but the author never said what it was so I couldn’t understand. I like that the characters went to several locations though, because we also saw the rebel camp and another city. In fact, I think I was waiting for more sci-fi elements, but it just felt like a fantasy book with royalty, which was pretty weird.

I never managed to connect with the characters, because once again, they felt pretty generic. I was so mad that Kora was so badass but no one cared about her or obey her. I understand everyone was sexist here, but she was still their queen, right? It felt like no one considered her as such, but yet she hadn’t been overthrown, so it didn’t make sense. She was so powerless, except for helping Eros, obviously. *eye roll* Eros was a half-blood, from a human and an alien, so of course he wasn’t accepted by society and blah, blah, blah. Of course he was a warrior and a rebel but still helped Kora. If you can’t say, I’m deeply annoyed. Also, can I laugh at how their positions were similar when Kora was supposed to be queen? At least, this book got a bonus point for the diversity of the characters, as everyone was dark-skinned and there were some gay characters.

Of course, this book had a forbidden romance between Kora and Eros, or it wouldn’t have been completely cliché, right? I truly understood how the author built her romance up, even though I don’t know if I would have been able to fall in love with someone who ordered my family murdered, but that’s what a tragedy is anyway. Because Kora had to marry, a love triangle was blooming, but the author conveniently ended it off (it’s not like the other character had a chance anyway). I’m all sarcastic because this romance was something I read hundred times before, but, something actually bothered me. At some point, Kora is on her own and men are attempting to rape her. She’s rescued by her love interest… And they start making out. I don’t understand how a woman who was almost raped minutes ago could want to be so ardently with a man right after??? I was so pissed after that; you have no idea…

Overall, I strongly disliked this book. I was looking forward to a sci-fi novel when it just felt like other fantasy novels. Everything was cliché, had been used for years in YA books and the plot was basically spoiled by the summary (that’s new!). I advise you to skip this one, it was a complete waste of time, in my opinion, as it had so little redeeming qualities.

Have you read this book? What did you think of it? Do you have YA sci-fi books recommendations (I've read the most popular ones)?

A crazy adventure with interesting characters | Starflight

Starflight (Starflight #1) by Melissa Landers

Published: February 2nd 2016 by Disney Hyperion

Genre: young adult, science-fiction

Goodreads summary: Life in the outer realm is a lawless, dirty, hard existence, and Solara Brooks is hungry for it. Just out of the orphanage, she needs a fresh start in a place where nobody cares about the engine grease beneath her fingernails or the felony tattoos across her knuckles. She's so desperate to reach the realm that she's willing to indenture herself to Doran Spaulding, the rich and popular quarterback who made her life miserable all through high school, in exchange for passage aboard the spaceliner Zenith.

When a twist of fate lands them instead on the Banshee, a vessel of dubious repute, Doran learns he's been framed on Earth for conspiracy. As he pursues a set of mysterious coordinates rumored to hold the key to clearing his name, he and Solara must get past their enmity to work together and evade those out for their arrest. Life on the Banshee may be tumultuous, but as Solara and Doran are forced to question everything they once believed about their world—and each other—the ship becomes home, and the eccentric crew family. But what Solara and Doran discover on the mysterious Planet X has the power to not only alter their lives, but the existence of everyone in the universe...

REVIEW

When I first heard about this book, I wasn't expecting a lot from it. I read Melissa Landers' debut, Alienated, when it came out, and really disliked it, because it was full of clichés and almost only focused on the romance. So if you're like me and disliked Alienated, you should still read Starflight, which I found so hilarious and entertaining. If you're a 'beginner' in sci-fi, you can also start with this one, because it doesn't involve complicated theories.

The beginning of the story was a little predictable, with Solara wanting to go to the outer realm and having no choice but to go with her nemesis, Doran. It was obious they would warm up to each other during the story, but I still really enjoyed reading about it. The plot really surprised me, I didn't really know what to expect, but it's more complex that I thought. It involved pirates, conspiracy and space ships, I don't see how I can ask any more. I really enjoyed the fact that some twists surprised me, because I hadn't thought this or that could be a possibility. This book was more of a fun book to read quickly, with no pressure. When I think about some scenes, I'm still laughing. It was action-packed, but sometimes I felt like I was waiting for something big to happen, so maybe it dragged in some parts - or I would have read faster.

Starflight didn't have a lot of world-building, but it didn't need it anyway. At the beginning of the book, our two main characters are on Earth and then they go in space. It's basically our world if we were able to colonize other planets. Also, you can note that a Planet Disney was mentioned, which made me laugh and eager to get there. Melissa Landers still managed to describe a realistic world I can totally see as an evolution of our world. It was a little like the Starbound trilogy with a powerful company and conspiracies, which I liked. Landers' still created special beings, the Daeva, whose will gave you goosebumps.

I found the characters to be interesting and realistic. Solara was a mechanic, typical in sci-fi, that had to fend for herself all life because she was basically an orphan - I would like to know more about that aspect by the way. She was daring and I really enjoyed that about her, she never gave up or anything. I had a harder time liking Doran, because he was such a jerk in the beginning. He went through a lot of character development and I even liked him at the end of the book. He was more resourceful than everyone was saying, which actually made sense since his father was sending him into missions all the time. The secondary characters -the crew- were all interesting and had their secrets. I loved learning about them, because at first, we knew nothing about them, just like the main characters. 

The dynamics between the characters worked well, thanks to witty dialogue. Of course, there was Solara and Doran's romance, which was a hate-turned-love type of relationship, which I enjoyed, even if I found that Doran was a bit quick in changing his opinion of Solara, even if I get it, he was in a bad situation and had to think through everything. Their dynamics were still well written and at some point I was just waiting for them to finally kiss. I think they reminded me a little of Tarver and Lilac in These Broken Stars. Landers managed to write a realistic relationship for them and I don't think they'll have to deal with drama in the next book, since it'll focus less on them. There were other interesting dynamics among the crew, the best one was of course the family aspect. At the end of the novel, the characters were ready to do anything for each other, which makes me want to read the sequel now. I even liked the idea of Acorn, even if in the beginning I was sceptical. 

I was surprised by one turn of event, I'm wondering if I could have predicted it, but the author still got me. It was more of an open-ending which could almost make me feel like this one is a standalone. I would have liked more closure because there is one plot point. Moreover, I'm not sure I'll have my answer straight away, since the sequel will focus more upon Cassia and Kane, even if we'll still see the main characters. 

Overall, this was an entertaing book which was so much fun to read about. I didn't feel this spark that makes an amazing book, but I still loved it. The characters were interesting, especially since we didn't know everything about them. The romance was cute and enjoyable. I don't know if the second book will be as good as this one, since it seems to involve more drama, but I'll read it nonetheless. If you're looking for a quick book to read that will entertain you should pick this one up, even more if you loved Illuminae or the Starbound trilogy.

 Do you love sci-fi books? Have you read this one? What did you think of it? Did you have a Illuminae/Starbound vibe?

A wild and unique ride in space that took me some time to get used to | Illuminae

Illuminae (The Illuminae Files #1) by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Published: October 20th 2015 by Knopf Books for Young Readers

Genre: Young adult, Science-fiction

Goodreads summary: This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do.

This afternoon, her planet was invaded.

The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to fight their way onto an evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.

But their problems are just getting started. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results; the fleet's AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth, it's clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: the ex-boyfriend she swore she'd never speak to again.

Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, schematics, military files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more—Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping, high-octane trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes.

REVIEW

Illuminae is so hyped up that I was really scared to get into it. I thought I would be the black sheep, you know? So basically, I've postponed reading it for months, but I finally did. And wow, it totally deserved the hype. I really, really, really need the second book now. I've never been as crazy about a sci-fi book that I am right now. I loved it so much!

As you probably now, the format of this book is pretty unique, because it's told through messages, graphics, pictures and camera transcriptions. To be honest, it took me 100 pages or so to get used to it… It basically gave me an headache. I'm sorry, but I'm not used to typos because English isn't my main language, so it took some time to get used to. The camera transcripts were the least fun, and it could be the only times I got "bored". Moreover, this book had so much of swearing. Like, at least every two sentences. But it was blanked and each time, my brain was like "biiiiiiiip". That was fun. But anyway, once I got used to the format, I loved it. I was pretty unique and made the book such a unique experience.

 I loved the characters. We mostly saw them through their messages and I got attached to them real fast, which I wasn't expecting at all. They had to go through so much drama, like EVERYONE DIES, a creepy disease and an insane artificial intelligence. Kady and Ezra were so sassy and brave, even if they were scared. Kady was an amazing hacker and Ezra was conscripted as a pilot, which was so cool. I was basically yelling at them to get back together… Even if they weren't on the same ship. But it's just a detail. AIDAN, the artificial intelligence, was so much fun to read about. We got a lot of scenes from his point of view and wow. Basically, he got crazy and started developing feelings? And killed a lot of people? But it was really interesting to see him develop feelings while his systems were like "ERROR. ERROR.".

            Am I not merciful? (AIDAN)

 It was so action-packed, I never got a chance to breathe or be bored, which was amazing. The Alexander and the Hypathia were running away from a ship, the Lincoln, which wanted to destroy them so it was pretty worrying. There were also the Phobos, a creepy disease where people kind of became zombies. Like when they were running after Kady "Little birdie", it was insanely scary.

There couldn't be a lot of world-building, because it was told through transcripts so I was a little confused at the beginning. But the more you get through the book, the more you learnt about what was going on, but I would have liked more? Even though I understand why not. It makes sense they weren't going to explain when they were trying to survive and the story was just an enormous file.

The ending was crazy because it felt like everyone I mean the people that were still alive was going to die. My heart was pounding so hard, because I was really scared for the characters. Some twists surprised me and left me craving for more. Also, it totally felt like Amie Kaufman was one of the co-author, because some aspects reminded me so much of the Starbound trilogy, which was so great <3

 Overall, this book is a total must-read. If you're not a big fan of sci-fi, I think it would be a great place to start. This book makes me want to read so much more sci-fi set in space. The format was unique and took some time to get used to, but I got really attached to the characters and it made the story so gripping. It took me three days to get through this book, but basically I got used to it on the first day, then devoured it until I felt asleep on the second day, then finished the rest the morning of the third.

Have you read Illuminae? What did you think of it? Do you think there is too much hype around it? Do you have recommendations for similar books? Are you excited for the cover reveal of Gemina tomorrow (Monday)?

An entertaining Snow White retelling with a Sci-Fi twist | Stitching Snow

Stitching Snow by R.C. Lewis

Published: October 14th 2014 by Disney-Hyperion

Genre: YA Sci-Fi Fairy Tale Retelling

Goodreads summary: Princess Snow is missing.

Her home planet is filled with violence and corruption at the hands of King Matthias and his wife as they attempt to punish her captors. The king will stop at nothing to get his beloved daughter back—but that’s assuming she wants to return at all.

Essie has grown used to being cold. Temperatures on the planet Thanda are always sub-zero, and she fills her days with coding and repairs for the seven loyal drones that run the local mines.

When a mysterious young man named Dane crash-lands near her home, Essie agrees to help the pilot repair his ship. But soon she realizes that Dane’s arrival was far from accidental, and she’s pulled into the heart of a war she’s risked everything to avoid. With the galaxy’s future—and her own—in jeopardy, Essie must choose who to trust in a fiery fight for survival.

REVIEW

The question everyone is asking about this book is: Is it similar to the Lunar Chronicles? Honestly, it didn't feel like it, even though a lot of people said it. Sure, you can see little similarities here or there, because they're both Sci-Fi Fairy Tale Retelling. The story is based upon the classic trope : "missing princess comes back to reclaim her throne", but I really enjoyed the way it was done, because Essie didn't exactly come back willingly at first, she grows used to the idea of being Windsong's queen, that's all.

Essie was an amazing main character. The first scene of the book shows her fighting miners in a cage, she was pretty tough. She lives on Thanda, a cold planet where there are mostly miners. The area she lives in is only composed of men, but that doesn't stop her from refusing all of them and being an independent woman. She doesn't have a perfect life, but she manages with her seven drones - which were obviously the dwarves. Dimwit, the silly one, was my favourite, he was so funny. Back to Essie, she was an anti-trope character, from her real name (Snowflake) to the fact that she dyed her hair red (which is the typical heroine hair colour) to hide what her real hair looks like. She had a really interesting development during this book, because she started as a character who just wanted to hide, to a taken one, to a rebel, to a queen.

Essie's life starts to change when Dane crashes in a shuttle near her home. She helps him to fix it, even if I wondered why she really did, since she's the kind of character that doesn't trust a soul (and is right). From that starts a crazy spaceship's ride on three different planets. I enjoyed reading about all of them, but I could have done with a little more detailed, actually. Something I really enjoyed about this world was the Exiled arc of the story, because they more or less had the ability to go into other people's bodies. It was really interesting to read about, but I wished we had seen more of it and it would have been explained. Overall, I don't know why they were different from the others: are they aliens? Or was it just special abilities? I wish I knew.

The romance was enjoyable and wasn't instalove-y at all. Even if this book is a standalone, there really is development in the relationship between Essie and Dane. At first, she doesn't know what to do with his friendship, because she wasn't sure she could trust him. It was pretty obvious he liked her, but she wasn't used to that kind of thing, it was so adorable!

The fairy tale retelling was nicely done, with a queen who works with poisons, an unsure king who was actually the villain, a different kissing scene that what would be expected. Dane even has SEVEN freckles, I found it really funny!

The plot was simple but really enjoyable to read about, I wasn't bored a single moment. It's not perfect since I would have liked a little more motives for the "villains", I couldn't really understand them and they were one dimensional, I'm disappointed in that aspect. It was nice to have a last chapter that could be an epilogue, a "what happens next", even if it was set in the near future for the characters.

This book was an eventful and evenly paced read, I was really happy about it since it's a standalone. It was a very pleasing one and I'm looking forward to read Spinning Starlight, even though it's not set in the same universe.

Overall, this book was a quick read that definitely entertained me even if I wasn't blown away with what happened, since it was a classic plot. I really enjoyed the characters, the romance and the fairy tale retelling aspect of the story, but I could have done with a little more world building - even if I understand it was hard to do since it was only a standalone.

Have you read this book? What did you think of it? Have you picked up the companion, Spinning Starlight, yet?

Ten Thousand Skies Above You & Their Fractured Light | Mini-reviews

Title: Ten Thousand Skies Above You (Firebird #2)
Author: Claudia Gray
Published: November 3rd 2015 by HarperTeen

Goodreads summary: Ever since she used the Firebird, her parents' invention, to cross into alternate dimensions, Marguerite has caught the attention of enemies who will do anything to force her into helping them dominate the multiverse—even hurting the people she loves. She resists until her boyfriend, Paul, is attacked and his consciousness scattered across multiple dimensions.

Marguerite has no choice but to search for each splinter of Paul’s soul. The hunt sends her racing through a war-torn San Francisco, the criminal underworld of New York City, and a glittering Paris where another Marguerite hides a shocking secret. Each world brings Marguerite one step closer to rescuing Paul. But with each trial she faces, she begins to question the destiny she thought they shared.

The second book in the Firebird trilogy, Ten Thousand Skies Above You features Claudia Gray’s lush, romantic language and smart, exciting action, and will have readers clamoring for the next book.

REVIEW

Discovering new dimensions was as interesting as the first time around and the plot was original, because it revealed something else about the Firebirds. The novelty of discovering dimensions has faded a bit though, especially when Marguerite went to dimensions she discovered before. However Marguerite pissed me off because when a Paul from another dimension did something bad, she doubted she could love her Paul. I understand that some Paul's decisions she couldn't agree with in some dimensions, but it didn't mean it was her Paul. She has a lot of trouble keeping up with identities, she already had this problemn because of Lieutenant Paul Markov in the Russia-verse, but it was worse this time around. The different Paul weren't the same and she also acted like that around Theo, because of what happenned in the first book. She doubted of her relationship with Paul because in some universes they weren't in love. Really? Ugh. She was like: um but if I don't love him in this universe, it's because we haven't met yet, right? Well no. She believed in the fate theory a little too much I believe? However I loved that we learn how Triad was created and everything, I didn't expect it at all. And the ending OMG. This story took such a turn, I can't wait for the next one to be released.

Title: Their Fractured Light (Unbound #3)

Author: Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

Published: December 1st 2015 by Disney-Hyperion

Goodreads summary: A year ago, Flynn Cormac and Jubilee Chase made the now infamous Avon Broadcast, calling on the galaxy to witness for their planet, and protect them from destruction. Some say Flynn’s a madman, others whisper about conspiracies. Nobody knows the truth. A year before that, Tarver Merendsen and Lilac LaRoux were rescued from a terrible shipwreck—now, they live a public life in front of the cameras, and a secret life away from the world’s gaze.

Now, in the center of the universe on the planet of Corinth, all four are about to collide with two new players, who will bring the fight against LaRoux Industries to a head. Gideon Marchant is an eighteen-year-old computer hacker—a whiz kid and an urban warrior. He’ll climb, abseil and worm his way past the best security measures to pull off onsite hacks that others don’t dare touch.

Sofia Quinn has a killer smile, and by the time you’re done noticing it, she’s got you offering up your wallet, your car, and anything else she desires. She holds LaRoux Industries responsible for the mysterious death of her father and is out for revenge at any cost.

When a LaRoux Industries security breach interrupts Gideon and Sofia’s separate attempts to infiltrate their headquarters, they’re forced to work together to escape. Each of them has their own reason for wanting to take down LaRoux Industries, and neither trusts the other. But working together might be the best chance they have to expose the secrets LRI is so desperate to hide.

REVIEW

It actually took me a week to finish this, because it was the last week of school *sigh*

I really enjoyed getting introduced to Gideon and Sofia, because they were both grey characters and I love that! They were both plotting to take down LaRoux but had a HARD time trusting each other because obviously they sometimes betrayed the other one. Like at the beginning when they met, it was so funny. Iloooooved their dynamics together and I shipped them so hard! But, I had a hard time reading the first 40% of the novel... I was kinda bored, idk. The other reason I was so confused/bored was that I didn't remember much of the first two books (only the big lines) so I didn't understand anything... I should have read a recap.... But then big step in their relationship/betrayal and I was hooked again!

I'm so happy the whole gang was back, the story was much interesting when they were there I think? Even if I loved Sofia and Gideon but... Sometimes I wondered what the beginning of the story had to do with the bigger picture? But after that it was so great, action-packed, plot twists and revelations and much plotting (which I love).

I really enjoyed the resolution of the story and how we didn't only got Sofia and Gideon's POV. It was weird and very mysterious but I liked it, in the end. I'm pleased with the ending.

Still I had a problem while reading but it's probably just me: at the beginning of each chapter, the name of the character wasn't written, so I was confused all the time, because I didn't always remember where I left off. But when I was looking at the index it had the name of the characters and the chapters numbers, so maybe my ereader just messed up.

Anyway, this trilogy is a total must read! 

Have you read any of these books/series? What did you think of them?

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?