The idea behind this book is all I've ever wanted | Witch Hunter

Witch Hunter (The Witch Hunter #1) by Virginia Boecker

Published:  September 1st 2015 by Hodder & Stoughton (first published June 2nd by Little Brown Books for Young Readers)
Genre: young adult, fantasy, alternate history

Goodreads summary: The magic and suspense of Graceling meet the political intrigue and unrest of Game of Thrones in this riveting fantasy debut.

Your greatest enemy isn't what you fight, but what you fear.

Elizabeth Grey is one of the king's best witch hunters, devoted to rooting out witchcraft and doling out justice. But when she's accused of being a witch herself, Elizabeth is arrested and sentenced to burn at the stake.

Salvation comes from a man she thought was her enemy. Nicholas Perevil, the most powerful and dangerous wizard in the kingdom, offers her a deal: he will save her from execution if she can break the deadly curse that's been laid upon him.

But Nicholas and his followers know nothing of Elizabeth's witch hunting past--if they find out, the stake will be the least of her worries. And as she's thrust into the magical world of witches, ghosts, pirates, and one all-too-handsome healer, Elizabeth is forced to redefine her ideas of right and wrong, of friends and enemies, and of love and hate.

Virginia Boecker weaves a riveting tale of magic, betrayal, and sacrifice in this unforgettable fantasy debut.

REVIEW

To sum it up, I loved it. I read it in two days when I was in a reading slump and then I got a book hangover. I remember reading mixed reviews about this one, so I was hesitant to pick this up but it was SO. GOOD.

WHY I LOVED THIS BOOK TO THE MOON AND BACK AND WANT THE WORLD TO READ IT

* It's alternate history set in a 16th England. Witches are supposed to be bad and everything and are burnt. Because of that, the world is a dark place and no one is safe. There was a plague started by wizards that killed half the country. Because there are wizards, there is an Inquisition (I've always wanted to write that kind of book so I'm happy)! So of course, there is an underground organization of wizards to fight against all the system (and they're called the Reformists so it's a TRUE alternate history).

* The main character, Elizabeth Grey, is a witch hunter (hence the title). As soon as the first chapter, we got to see her fight the wizards. She's strong and has a hard time trusting people. Because of the time period, even if she lived in the palace, she got through big issues and I liked that (well not really) because it was realistic. We didn't actually see what happened but it was there.

* The plot involves a curse that needs to be broken. It is a fast-paced plot, set in the dark for the most part, it was an enjoyable story to read about. The characters go to parties with supernatural beings.

* I was scared there would be a love triangle, because in the beginning of the novel, there was an overprotective best friend. But because of the choices Elizabeth made, the love triangle didn't exist.

* There is an untrustworthy ghost character! He was so funny and had a relationship with a living character. There are also characters like a seer-child. There are also pirates and the characters travel by ship!

* I didn't see the plot twist coming. It's true that some things were weird but… I hadn't realised. That ending was kick-ass, selfless and a little creepy. Can I have the next book, please?

BUT IT STILL HAD SOME ISSUES

* I wanted a little more world-building. Like more on: why witches, more witch hunter-y scenes, etc.

* When I realized what the romance would be, I was a little disappointed because I didn't buy it? She just fell in love with the guy who saved her life, of course… Still, the author wrote swoony-worthy scenes with these two characters so it was okay.

Overall, I love that kind of books, with witches and alternate history and everything. It's been a while since I read one like that so my heart was pleased. I really enjoyed the main character who was tough and had hard choices to make. I didn't really like the romance, but I'm sure it will be better in the next book. Basically you need to read it and love it! 

Have you read this book? What did you think of it? Have you read books like this one (I'd love some recommendations)?

An impressive start to a new fantasy series | Flamecaster

Flamecaster (Shattered Realms #1) by Cinda Williams Chima

Published: April 5th 2016 by HarperCollins

Genre: young adult, fantasy

Goodreads summary: The first in a thrilling new four-book fantasy series from New York Times bestselling author Cinda Williams Chima, set in the same world as her beloved Seven Realms series, a generation later.

Adrian sul’Han, known as Ash, is a trained healer with a powerful gift of magic—and a thirst for revenge. Ash is forced into hiding after a series of murders throws the queendom into chaos. Now Ash is closer than he’s ever been to killing the man responsible, the cruel king of Arden. As a healer, can Ash use his powers not to save a life but to take it? 

Abandoned at birth, Jenna Bandelow was told that the mysterious magemark on the back of her neck would make her a target. But when the King’s Guard launches a relentless search for a girl with a mark like hers, Jenna assumes that it has more to do with her role as a saboteur than any birth-based curse. Though Jenna doesn’t know why she’s being hunted, she knows that she can’t get caught.

Eventually, Ash’s and Jenna’s paths will collide in Arden. Thrown together by chance and joined by their hatred of the king, they will come to rescue each other in ways they cannot yet imagine.

Set in the world of the acclaimed Seven Realms series a generation later, this is a thrilling story of dark magic, chilling threats, and two unforgettable characters walking a knife-sharp line between life and death.

REVIEW

I read the Seven Realms series a year and a half ago and I found it amazing, so I was really excited for this one – I added it on Goodreads November 1st 2014 – which says a lot. When I got it in the mail, I hurried to finish the book I was currently reading, then jumped on it quickly. Long story short: if you’re a fantasy fan, read this one!

I loved getting back into the world, because it felt familiar (the first chapters were set in the Fells) and yet like a new world, because the characters visited new places and it was set more or less twenty years later. The world felt realistic, because when we left the characters in The Crimson Crown, the situation wasn’t entirely stable, and it still wasn’t the case two decades later. It was still a world at war, more than ever, hence the title of the series, Shattered Realms. Cinda Williams Chima didn’t stay long in the places the reader already knew, like the Fells or Oden’s Ford, which was fine by me, because I discovered the kingdom of Arden and heard of the Northern Islands (which was so mysterious and exciting).

In the world-building, some little details bothered me, like the facts the months were the same as ours, when it’s a high fantasy one, and the use of French by the author, with a typo (La Ancienne instead of L’Ancienne) when I don’t even understand how the characters could know French… I guess it was used for a different society, but still.

Plot-wise, the author chose to do temporal ellipses, which I wasn’t a huge fan of. If I found it more realistic, it confused me a lot, because the author just mentioned time had passed in a sentence. Still, it allowed her to write backstory to the characters, which was quite relevant to the rest of the story, but heart-breaking in both cases. This book contained multiple points of view but mostly Adrian’s. While I liked his arc a lot and I know that we will get more of Jenna’s in the next book, I’m wondering why the author chose to call this book ‘Flamecaster’, because it’s relevant to Jenna, not Adrian, but oh well.

The story moved fast enough for my taste, but yes, it was a big book. I was pleasantly surprised when the author included healers, but also pirates and (highlight for the spoiler) dragons. Some of the twists were quite unexpected, which made me love the book even more. I guessed one of the big ones early on though, but I think it’s only the second time I read this twist (and it was in French YA fiction, so…). The ending of the book made me so eager for the next one, even though it didn’t end on a cliff-hanger. I’m looking forward to see what’s going on in the Fells, but also in the Northern Islands (who is this Empress Celestine?).

I found the characters to be one of the best parts of the story, I loved them so much. Like I mentioned, the author started the story when they were twelve or thirteen, to tell traumatizing events that shaped them. Because of that, I felt a deep connection to them very quickly.

Adrian felt like a perfect mix of his parents, I loved it. If he was a mage, he was also a healer, an aspect of his arc I really enjoyed. I was a little confused by how he changed just by meeting Jenna though. I hope I’ll get to see him with his family soon, because I’m excited to see their dynamics. Jenna was such an interesting character, we didn't get a lot of her point of view, but her arc is totally set up for the next book. I had guessed what was going on with her but I don't care, it was still pretty awesome! Jenna was a resourceful girl, but we didn’t get to see it much in the second part of the book because of the situation she was in, but I’m sure we will see that aspect of her more in the sequel.

When I read a character was named Lila I immediately thought of the awesomeness that was Lila Bard in A Darker Shade of Magic and this one was also amazing. And a smuggler. And a person of colour so finally some fantasy authors are trying to include diverse characters in this genre. Finally, Destin and Evan were mysterious and ambivalent, I really want to have more backstory about them (especially after the epilogue).

As you can say, I’m pretty enthusiastic about these characters because I found them fleshed out and relatable. But, I had a problem with… The romance. I’m sorry, but it was just a big case instalove. The main characters met and by the end of the chapter (or the next one), they just wanted to be together and do everything for the other. I’m sorry, but no. I’m so sad about this instalove, you guys, because in Seven Realms, the relationship between the main characters wasn’t instalove-y at all.

Overall, it was a fantastic first book in Cinda Williams Chima’s new series, with amazing characters and an expanded world. Since it’s a spin-off series, I think you can start with this one, but you’ll be spoiled for the ending of Seven Realms and I’m not sure you’ll have enough world-building to start one. The only thing that bothered me was the instalove, but the rest of the books was so great that it makes it a 4.5 stars book.

Did you read the Seven Realms series? Were you a fan of it? Have you read Flamecaster yet? Do you want to?

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?

An amazing world that made me fangirl so hard | Truthwitch

Truthwitch (The Witchlands #1) by Susan Dennard

Published: January 14th 2016 by Tor (first published January 5th 2016)

Format: Paperback

Genre: YA high fantasy

Goodreads summary: On a continent ruled by three empires, some are born with a “witchery”, a magical skill that sets them apart from others.

In the Witchlands, there are almost as many types of magic as there are ways to get in trouble—as two desperate young women know all too well.

Safiya is a Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lie. It’s a powerful magic that many would kill to have on their side, especially amongst the nobility to which Safi was born. So Safi must keep her gift hidden, lest she be used as a pawn in the struggle between empires.

Iseult, a Threadwitch, can see the invisible ties that bind and entangle the lives around her—but she cannot see the bonds that touch her own heart. Her unlikely friendship with Safi has taken her from life as an outcast into one of reckless adventure, where she is a cool, wary balance to Safi’s hotheaded impulsiveness.

Safi and Iseult just want to be free to live their own lives, but war is coming to the Witchlands. With the help of the cunning Prince Merik (a Windwitch and ship’s captain) and the hindrance of a Bloodwitch bent on revenge, the friends must fight emperors, princes, and mercenaries alike, who will stop at nothing to get their hands on a Truthwitch.

REVIEW

*crack knuckles* LET'S DO THIS!

If you didn't know, Truthwitch was one of my most anticipated reads of the year. It got a lot of promotion, especially on Twitter, which built a lot of hype and because of that, I became more hesitant to pick it up. Don't get me wrong, it's great so many people talked about it before it was released, but it got SO CONFUSING. I was tired of hearing about it and then everyone changed their Twitter's pic to the cover. The book wasn't even out yet. I just wanted it to STOP because it could have prevented me from reading it. Sorry to say it, but I'm not kidding. After reading it, I can say it deserved all the hype and promo. But slow it down next year, please.

FIRST PAGES

At the beginning of the story, I'll admit, I was a bit confused on what was going on, because the first chapter throws the reader in intense events straight away. Still, because of that, it gripped my attention from the first page.  From cover to cover, I was really invested in the story, which is why I managed to finish it rather quickly.

PLOT

The plot was rather complex and appeared later on in the story, because at first, the two girls were trying to get away because of the Bloodwitch. But well… Later on, something happened, that was so much bigger and then… The whole world hunt Safi (and Iseult!) down, which made a crazy adventure! The whole book was full of twists and turns, which made it a very entertaining read, I wasn't bored a single moment! Moreover, it contained everything a good high fantasy needs, which means politics, court, ships, magic and adventure.

WORLD

Truthwitch was set in a rich and complex world I have a lot of admiration for. However, it's a good thing that I knew a little about it before I went into it, because I could have been confused otherwise. The magic system was really interesting, based of elements but with more than the four we know. Moreover, there were different type of witchery among the different elements : for example, a Windwitch isn't the same as an Airwitch. This book also involved a lot of different countries, I'm excited to discover new ones in the next book tbh. I really enjoyed reading about Iseult's tribe, even if it wasn't a funny moment in the book, I found it really interesting to read about that, it changed from "regular" Empires. But do you know what was the best about the world?

WARRIOR MONKS

When I read about that, I was fangirling SO. HARD. I love those. Like I want to write about that kind of thing someday, because it is the coolest.

 Oh and also it involved ships, so obviously I'm sold (I feel like I'm always saying the same things, but who cares?)

And have I talked about the Puppeteer yet? Because I was like: OMG necromancy is back, I'm so on board with that!

THE CHARACTERS

Well, tbh I didn't feel a big connection to them, because the points of view were switching quite often. But, I really enjoyed them. There is a large and diverse cast of characters, you'll definitely find a favourite in the lot. I'm not sure which character is my favourite yet, because I need to know more about the characters, especially secondary characters, before I make a decision.

Nevertheless, I wasn't a big fan of Aeduan. He had a really interesting backstory, but I'm not swooning all over him... Yet? I don't know but sometimes, I felt like his chapters didn't add a lot to the story. I'm sure he'll have a bigger part in the next book, but he was just "introduced" in this book, in my opinion. 

THE RELATIONSHIPS

Okay first, the most important relationship in the book is Safi and Iseult's. And this, guys, is AMAZING. Most of the time, the romance is more important than friendship. Here? It wasn't happening like that. Like they said a lot: Threadfamily before the rest. That's all, okay? I'm really happy to read about characters that value friendship a lot, especially when they've known there love interest for two seconds.

But, the romance between Safi and Merik was shippable. At first, I though the way they were attracted to each other straight away was a little weird. However, it IS a slow burn romance, and it is worth it. Those characters have a lot of chemistry with each other, and they care for one another, even if they tried to say the contrary, haha. I can't wait to see them again together but… I'm scared, because remember Eleanor and Daniel? DO YOU?????

THE ENDING

SO MANY THINGS HAPPENED. I managed to keep track of everything that happened, but wow it was fast-paced, full of action and revelations. It didn't really finished on a cliff-hanger, but I'm so excited to get back into this world soon.

Overall, this book wasn't perfect. But it was the best book I've read since the beginning of the year, I was so invested in the story and like you saw in my review… I'm fangirling. A lot. And I wrote the review one week after finishing the book so I should have calmed down. But I haven't.

Other:

• Review of Something Strange and Deadly
• Review of A Darkness Strange and Lovely
• Review of Strange and Ever After

Have you read this book? Did you think there was too much promo/hype? Who was your favourite character?

Never Never | Book review

Title: Never Never

Author: Brianna Shrum

Published: September 22nd 2015 by Spencer Hill Press

Goodreads summary: James Hook is a child who only wants to grow up.

When he meets Peter Pan, a boy who loves to pretend and is intent on never becoming a man, James decides he could try being a child—at least briefly. James joins Peter Pan on a holiday to Neverland, a place of adventure created by children’s dreams, but Neverland is not for the faint of heart. Soon James finds himself longing for home, determined that he is destined to be a man. But Peter refuses to take him back, leaving James trapped in a world just beyond the one he loves. A world where children are to never grow up.

But grow up he does. And thus begins the epic adventure of a Lost Boy and a Pirate.

This story isn’t about Peter Pan; it’s about the boy whose life he stole. It’s about a man in a world that hates men. It’s about the feared Captain James Hook and his passionate quest to kill the Pan, an impossible feat in a magical land where everyone loves Peter Pan. Except one.

REVIEW

At first, I was really intrigued by this book and really wanted to know more of Hook’s backstory, which was a success, but this book didn’t captivate me, I had a hard time finishing it. I felt the story was a bit slow in the beginning, I wasn’t hooked right away, but it was better when we got into Neverland. I liked that every aspect of Neverland was a child’s dream – James Hook’s is the pirates, of course. It was interesting to see how James starts from being a Lost Boy to the captain we all know about, it’s the aspect I enjoyed the more.

                                                                                  

It was great to see a lot of Tiger Lily, I loved her character. The other characters didn’t really matter, in my opinion, I expected so much more from M. Smee. At first, I really enjoyed the romance, it was original, but at some point it was just DRAMA, it was so frustrating… Ugh. It’s sad because I really shipped the characters together. I had a hard time connecting with Hook, unfortunately. However, the scene with Timothy made me so emotional.

Another problem I had with this book is that it started as middle-grade to switch to young adult. The line between this two genres wasn’t drawn very well, it was a little confusing. Moreover, while reading the book, I was wondering how this would end, because honestly, Hook and Pan’s fight can go on forever, it’s Neverland, after all. The ending was five lines long and I didn’t really care…

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