Illuminae by Amie Kauffman and Jay Kristoff

Rating: Awesome!

Series: The Illuminae Files
Hardcover: 608 pages
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers; 1St Edition edition (October 20, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0553499114
ISBN-13: 978-0553499117
Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 1.9 x 9.5 inches

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 a speck at the edge of the universe. Now with enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to evacuate with a hostile warship in hot pursuit. But their problems are just getting started. A plague has broken out and is mutating with terrifying results; the fleet’s AI may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a web of data to find the truth, it’s clear the only person who can help her is the ex-boyfriend she swore she’d never speak to again. Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, maps, files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more—Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes.

This book has been receiving a lot of buzz on the blogger verse and when "Ticket to Anywhere" raved about it in her review, I knew I had to give it ago. The raving is well deserved, it is a thrill ride of a book that is action packed and I was hooked the minute I started reading. I am afraid this review might just be full of me raving about how much I enjoyed it and less about the actual book.

This has to be one of the best science-fiction books I have read in a long time. Definitely one of my top reads for the year. I was hooked and invested the whole way through.The pace was fast with the characters bouncing from one disaster to another. t was well crafted to reveal just enough information at the right time building the story till you get to the action packed ending.

Format wise the story is told from data sources rather then a straight single or multiple person point of view. So the reader is reading transcripts, reports and chat log records which tells the story. I find this style of story telling hit or miss but his time it was a big hit. It suited the story perfectly. The book pages are also formatted this way as well. This formatting was a problem a few times when reading it as an ebook on a small screen. The font was super small and as it was an image not font I couldn't enlarge it. So there were a couple of pages where i had to guess what was going on. I don't think I missed anything of significance though.

I really liked Kady as a character who was tough and nerdy. Ezra was the loveable jock. The two made an interesting duo who counterbalanced each others weakness and strengths.

There were some difficult scenes to read and there is quite a death toll (as you would expect when a town is attacked, then refugees flee for their lives with the enemy chasing them and a plague out break happens). While the violence isn't super descriptive or unnecessary there were definitely a few scenes in the book that were on the squimish side.

If you like Sci-Fi and Young adult then this book should definitely be on your to read list.

Uprooted by Naomi Novik

Rating: Enjoyable
Publisher: Del Rey (May 19, 2015)
Publication Date: May 19, 2015
Sold by: Random House LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B00KUQIU7O

Summary
“Our Dragon doesn’t eat the girls he takes, no matter what stories they tell outside our valley. We hear them sometimes, from travelers passing through. They talk as though we were doing human sacrifice, and he were a real dragon. Of course that’s not true: he may be a wizard and immortal, but he’s still a man, and our fathers would band together and kill him if he wanted to eat one of us every ten years. He protects us against the Wood, and we’re grateful, but not that grateful.” Agnieszka loves her valley home, her quiet village, the forests and the bright shining river. But the corrupted Wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power, and its shadow lies over her life. Her people rely on the cold, driven wizard known only as the Dragon to keep its powers at bay. But he demands a terrible price for his help: one young woman handed over to serve him for ten years, a fate almost as terrible as falling to the Wood. The next choosing is fast approaching, and Agnieszka is afraid. She knows—everyone knows—that the Dragon will take Kasia: beautiful, graceful, brave Kasia, all the things Agnieszka isn’t, and her dearest friend in the world. And there is no way to save her. But Agnieszka fears the wrong things. For when the Dragon comes, it is not Kasia he will choose."

I have previously been a fan of Novik's "Temeraire" series which is an alternate history set during the 1700s and had dragons. So when I saw Novik had branched out this I was keen to try.

This book is not an alternate history like her Temaraire series. It is straight up fantasy. But while it is a fantasy, there was a strong link to European (I believe Polish) culture and mythology which is evident through out the book. The names of characters, places and the mythological beings all reflection the Polish back ground. Also while there  is technically a dragon, it is just a wizard who has that name.

The main character Agnieszka was an interesting character to see the world from. She was smart and adventurous. I did have problems with her relationship with the Prince and the Dragon. Her relationship with the Dragon seemed kind of "Stockholm Syndrome"-ish. I really couldn't see how in short space of time they spent time together that she could go from hating and distrusting him to liking him. So I have put it down to her being his captive and kind of imprinting on him. The Prince was a jerk and deserved more then a punch to the face. I can understand why Agnieszka and the Dragon didn't take things further but still that whole relationship felt forced and weird. Also don't get me started on creep leacher wizard, but at least he was never anything more then he was.

Novak is able to balance a fast paced story, with development and world building. The world was interesting and I enjoyed the characters. There were some minor plot holes or things that maybe were not explained fully but overall it was a good story that kept moving easily.

I enjoyed the book, it didn't wow me but it was a good break away book and holds promise of being an interesting series (if it turns into series). If you are a fan of Novik then you should enjoy

The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

Series Rating: A fun series that is action packed and sassy

A series that twists the fairy tales we know so well into an amazing sci-fi young adult novel full of action, suspense and interesting characters. Please see most recent review at the bottom of this post.

Rating: An addictive book
Cinder
Age Range: 12 - 18 years
Publisher: Puffin (January 5, 2012)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0141340134
ISBN-13: 978-0141340135
ASIN: B0065GC0PG

Summary:

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . . Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future. This is the tale of Cinderella. Only not like you have heard it before. For starters Cinder is a cyborg and it's the future where there are people living on the moon and hover cars.

I had seen this book around for awhile and to be honest I am generally weary of "buzz" books because more often then not I don't like them. I am happy to say this time I was proved wrong, dead wrong. This book was just a wow book for me, I couldn't put i down, thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish. Easily one of my best reads for 2014 (even though it was released a few years back, never mind).

Meyer's has done a wonderful job retelling the Cinderella story but kept it fresh and interesting. I liked the twist of Cinder being a Cyborg and that the Prince was actually more then a bit of beautiful fluff just hanging around waiting for some twit to leave her shoe on his stair case.

Cinder's step (adoptive guardian) and sister are suitable horrible. But I really cant say any more on the characters with out giving the story away.

Don't assume that because you know the Cinderella story that you know what will happen!

There was action, excitement, romance, and witty banter and one liners. While this book is a "light" book it did deal with some heavy topics like discrimination, plague, and moral dilemmas. I found it interesting that Cinder being cyborg showed way more humanity then some of the humans.

Definitely read this if it is on your to be read pile!
Series Post Updated - 11/1/2015

Rating: A fun read and addictive
Scarlett
Age Range: 14 - 18 years
Publisher: Puffin (January 5, 2012)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1250007216
ISBN-13: 978-1250007216
ASIN: B00ADNPAOK

Summary:

SCARLET BENOIT'S grandmother is missing. The police have closed her case. The only person Scarlet can turn to is Wolf, a street fighter she does not trust, but they are drawn to each other. Meanwhile, in New Beijing, Cinder will become the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive - when she breaks out of prison to stay one step ahead of vicious Queen Levana. As Scarlet and Wolf expose one mystery, they encounter Cinder and a new one unravels. Together they must challenge the evil queen, who will stop at nothing to make Prince Kai her husband, her king, her prisoner . . .

So book one Cinder left me hanging for the next book, I HAD to know what happened next. Book two didn't disappoint.

It introduced three new characters and a new fairy tale. We saw the continuation of Cinder's story and her meeting Captain Thorne; who reminded me of Hans Solo in that he was a lovable rogue with a very lose view on laws, quick wit. We are also introduced to Scarlet and Wolf, who are trying to find Scarlett's kidnapped Grandmother.

This book for me was a little darker then Cinder, in that the author shows and describes a few murders and we meet some pretty nasty characters. The action is pretty good and I would be super surprised if this series hasn't been picked up to be turned into a movie.  But let me be clear it doesn't read like a movie script (and some books do) There is still depth there and character development.

We got to see some of Queen Levana's point of view which to me felt a little odd but I can only assume book three will now show some of her "side of the story". Could it be she isn't quite the evil meglomaniac with super powers she has been made out to be? Would be a smidgeon of a shame as she has made a fantastic super villain so far.

I can't wait to start book three!

Rating: A nice addition to the series
Cress
Publisher: Puffin (February 6, 2014)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00G2SJQAO
ISBN: 0312642970

Summary:
In this third book in the Lunar Chronicles, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, now with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army. Their best hope lies with Cress, a girl imprisoned on a satellite since childhood who's only ever had her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker. Unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice. When a daring rescue of Cress goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing prevent her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only hope the world has.

I can see why some people felt this book was a bit of a let down compared to the first two books. It is slower paced as there is a lot of information being revealed (with out it feeling like to much information in a short period of time) and story arcs being told. There was also some big story developments happening and reveals. Finally it is being told from at least 5 different points of view (I think it may have even been more). To me this slowed the story down a little.

However I still enjoyed this book thoroughly and thought the author did a good job of blending all the points of views, expanding on the story and action. Because there was still action.

Cress is not as sassy as Cinder and Scarlet were, however she will make a good addition to the team going forward through the series.

So I am now hanging out for book 4!

Overall Series thoughts to date
I love the clever blend of fairy tale and sci-fi which to me is so interesting. Also I like that the female characters are really strong role models for young girls (ah cliched I know). But they are. They aren't silly screaming girly heroines who do ridiculously stupid things (like follow a criminal down a dark ally all alone without telling anyone and have no self defence skills or a gun), but they are not ridiculously super powerful beyond their means. They are smart and capable girls who get stuff done. Even the evil Queen who has been shown as a power hungry psycho (well what evil leader trying to take over the world wouldn't be?) has been shown to be very calculating, intelligent and even logical. Even when things went a bit topsy turvey she still managed to manoeuvre a bad situation to her own advantage.

Also I love the cover art for these books. So simple but colourful.

Rating: A good ending to the series
Winter
Age Range: 12 - 18 years

Series: The Lunar Chronicles (Book 4)

Hardcover: 832 pages

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends (November 10, 2015)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0312642989

ISBN-13: 978-0312642983

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

 I felt Fairest was a bit of a wasted novella. I had no idea if I was supposed to feel more sympathetic or hate her after learning more about Levanna's back story. To be honest I just didn't care enough. The book didn't move me either way. Now in Winter, Levanna's got to put on her evil Queen boots and get her paranoid-psycho-nastiness on again. I enjoyed her way more as a character in this book then in previous books. She is a good baddie, I like her better being a baddie.

This book had a lot of different points of views, and I mean a lot. At least 8 that I can think of while writing this. That is a lot. All these points of views grew over the series as each character was added, in the first book we had Kai and Cinder and then in the second we added Scarlet and Wolf and so on. But in the this book they all converge and it can get a bit much. Luckily there isn't a point of view that I think was not necessary. They all added to the story and helped keep track of what was going down (as there was a lot happening).

Without giving much away I thought the final book managed to wrap up all the story arc's satisfactorily and kept true to their original fairy tale. I did really like Winter and hoped her ending would have been different.

Series Overall Recommendation
Read this series if this is your type of thing. It is a fun and interesting series.

Black-Eyed Susan's by Julia Heaberlin

Rating: I really liked it

Hardcover: 368 pages
Publisher: Ballantine Books (August 11, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0804177996
ISBN-13: 978-0804177993

Summary
I am the star of screaming headlines and campfire ghost stories. I am one of the four Black-Eyed Susans. The lucky one. As a sixteen-year-old, Tessa Cartwright was found in a Texas field, barely alive amid a scattering of bones, with only fragments of memory as to how she got there. Ever since, the press has pursued her as the lone surviving “Black-Eyed Susan,” the nickname given to the murder victims because of the yellow carpet of wildflowers that flourished above their shared grave. Tessa’s testimony about those tragic hours put a man on death row. Now, almost two decades later, Tessa is an artist and single mother. In the desolate cold of February, she is shocked to discover a freshly planted patch of black-eyed susans—a summertime bloom—just outside her bedroom window. Terrified at the implications—that she sent the wrong man to prison and the real killer remains at large—Tessa turns to the lawyers working to exonerate the man awaiting execution. But the flowers alone are not proof enough, and the forensic investigation of the still-unidentified bones is progressing too slowly. An innocent life hangs in the balance. The legal team appeals to Tessa to undergo hypnosis to retrieve lost memories—and to share the drawings she produced as part of an experimental therapy shortly after her rescue. What they don’t know is that Tessa and the scared, fragile girl she was have built a fortress of secrets. As the clock ticks toward the execution, Tessa fears for her sanity, but even more for the safety of her teenaged daughter. Is a serial killer still roaming free, taunting Tessa with a trail of clues? She has no choice but to confront old ghosts and lingering nightmares to finally discover what really happened that night. Shocking, intense, and utterly original, Black-Eyed Susans is a dazzling psychological thriller, seamlessly weaving past and present in a searing tale of a young woman whose harrowing memories remain in a field of flowers—as a killer makes a chilling return to his garden.

I am not a huge crime genre fan. I tend to find them a bit to gruesome and graphic for my tastes. Recently "The Eclectic Reader" posted her review on "Black-Eyed Susan's" and I admit to feeling intrigued enough to give it a go.

This story is told from the point of view of Tessa, a survivor of a serial killer attack. The point of view swings from adult Tessa's view and 16 year old Tessa's view. I felt the two points of view were written well and merged seamlessly together. It was not distracting at all and worked together to build the mystery. 

The mystery in this book is revealed slowly and carefully with it being quite hard to guess the end result. I certainly didn't guess the big reveal that's for sure. 

There is very little graphic violence in this book. It focuses on the mystery and the story telling. Tessa does describe her moments laying in a ditch while dying but it never gets too graphic.

I enjoyed Tessa as a character. She has moved on with her life and had a daughter. She struggles to allow her daughter freedom and ensure her safety. I like that Tessa, despite obvious anxieties and fears, still managed to get her life together and function normally. But we see her struggle as she pieces together her past and deal with what happened to her, while being a mother.

I really do recommend you read this book  as it is a clever, well written story with good pacing. I was hooked from the start and thoroughly enjoyed the story. If you would like to read another review check out Eclectic Readers review of Black-Eyed Susans, which is what brought this book to my attention in the first place.

The Night Parade by Kathryn Tanquary

Rating: Delightful

Age Range: 10 - 14 years

Grade Level: 5 - 8
Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky (January 5, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1492623245
ISBN-13: 978-1492623243
Release Date: 1 January 2016

Summary:
"I thought you might sleep through it." The creature smiled. Saki's voice was little more than a whisper. "Sleep through what?" It leaned over. She stared into its will-o'-the-wisp eyes. "The Night Parade, of course." 

The last thing Saki Yamamoto wants to do for her summer vacation is trade in exciting Tokyo for the antiquated rituals and bad cell reception of her grandmother's village. Preparing for the Obon ceremony is boring. Then the local kids take interest in Saki and she sees an opportunity for some fun, even if it means disrespecting her family's ancestral shrine on a malicious dare. But as Saki rings the sacred bell, the darkness shifts. A death curse has been invoked...and Saki has three nights to undo it. With the help of three spirit guides and some unexpected friends, Saki must prove her worth-or say goodbye to the world of the living forever..."

I was initially drawn to this story as it dealt with Japanese culture and mythology, and it was set in Japan. I am very glad I read this book as it was one of the most delightful and enchanting reads I have had in a very long time.  The story reminded me of old fashioned adventure stories where children go to mythical lands and learn valuable lessons.

The book is set in Japan with Japanese mythology as its main focus, however the story is more complex then that and deals with issues such as trying to balance tradition and modern living, teenagers trying to find their way, and family relationships. IT is done subtly and is part of Saki's journey through the spiritual world.

The writing style is very descriptive and elegant which fit the story perfectly. The Spirit world was fantastical, beautiful and dark which the author captured perfectly. I was swept away with the writing, and felt transported to this world, heck I wanted to visit the world (without the dying and scary spirits part).

The knowledge Tanquary has about Japanese mythology is evident. Having previously studied Japanese culture through school (and watching a lot of anime and reading a lot of manga) I easily recognised the mythological beings and religious/traditional concepts the author introduces. So I was pleased to see these mythological beings come alive on the pages and they kept true to the "nature" of these beings in tradition.

I confess to not particularly liking Saki at the start of the book and it was hard to feel a connection with her, Saki is a modern girl who  is self absorbed and rude. However her journey through the spirit world teaches her some valuable lessons about friendship, history, belief, traditions, dealing with bullies and how to treat people. By the end of the story I was much more invested in her as a character. 

The majority of the supporting characters were spirits that provided the had most of the best lines and were the most enjoyable to read. She had three main guides; the fox, the tengu, and the tanuki. Each had its own distinctive personality which mirrored their mythology persona. Tanuki was probably my favourite being cheeky and fun. But I confess to like the Tengu as well, who reminded me of a spirit version go Sheldon from Big Bang Theory. There were other supporting characters such as Saki's brother, parents, Grandmother and the girl from the village Maeda, but these characters didn't seem as developed or have much development other then to help highlight the lessons Saki learned in the spirit world.

Despite the theme of being supernatural in nature and dealing with spirits, it wasn't very scary at all, and I am a big scardey cat so if I wasn't scared, then it wasn't scary. There is no violence in the book and but there is some dramatic scenes.

My final point is on the cover which is beautiful! I would be lying if I didn't say it was a significant reason as to why I chose this book. The version I read was an ebook but I will be getting a hard cover of this book when it released. I am so glad the story inside was just as lovely as the cover.

I would highly recommend this book to children aged 10 and above, and any adult who enjoys the genre. It is a perfect book to begin learning about Japanese mythology and culture. This book left me feeling happy after reading it, and I closed it with a smile on my face. A rare feel good book, that is just enjoyable.

A copy of this book was provided to me by Netgalley for a fair and honest review.

Fairest by Marissa Meyer

Rating: It's OK
Age Range: 12 - 18 years
Series: The Lunar Chronicles
Hardcover: 272 pages
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends (January 27, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1250060559
ISBN-13: 978-1250060556

Summary:

In this stunning bridge book between Cress and Winter in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles, Queen Levana’s story is finally told. Mirror, mirror on the wall, Who is the fairest of them all? Fans of the Lunar Chronicles know Queen Levana as a ruler who uses her “glamour” to gain power. But long before she crossed paths with Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress, Levana lived a very different story – a story that has never been told . . . until now. Marissa Meyer spins yet another unforgettable tale about love and war, deceit and death.

While this story was an interesting view into Queen Levana's life, it really didn't add much to the series as a story. Her early life was a pretty rough life for a princess; full of deceit, manipulation and violence. It goes down hill from there. With every decision she makes she travels further down the wicked Queen path.

She is not a character you feel particularly warm and fuzzy about. While the reader may feel a little sympathy over events that shaped her ultimately the I didn't like her much. From word go while you feel sympathy that the Queen had a pretty abusive and isolated up bringing and that initially she had good intentions trying to rule the nation in her sisters stead, and not be like her sister or family. Ultimately she ended up being the worst as at least her family never pretended to be any thing different.

This is perhaps my least favourite out of the series and probably would have been ok with not having read this story (in hindsight). I mean we already know she is a horrible individual and there was nothing in this book that made you feel sympathetic to her, that she was misunderstood, or that she got there by accident. The book didn't really add anything to the series as a whole other then at the end when we get a peek at Winter and her story (the next book).

I will be interested to see if the events in this book relate to the next book. If it doesn't directly tie in, I would almost say skip this book  as it really didn't add much to the series and the main character is not sympathetic at all.

The Shepherd's Crown by Terry Pratchett

Rating: Loved it
Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Doubleday Childrens (27 Aug. 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0857534815
ISBN-13: 978-0857534811

Summary:

"Deep in the Chalk, something is stirring. ¬The owls and the foxes can sense it, and Tiffany Aching feels it in her boots. An old enemy is gathering strength. This is a time of endings and beginnings, old friends and new, a blurring of edges and a shifting of power. Now Tiffany stands between the light and the dark, the good and the bad. As the fairy horde prepares for invasion, Tiffany must summon all the witches to stand with her. To protect the land. Her land. There will be a reckoning. . ."

A bitter sweet book to read. On the one hand I was super excited as it is the newest Terry Pratchett disc world book, on the other hand it is the last book that will ever be published. It is sad for me that I will not have a Pratchett book to look forward too or purchase ever again, or get a chance to meet him. Pratchett books have been a part of my life for around 20 years.

This book wasn't actually finished when Terry Pratchett died, I am not sure who finished the book off but you could tell the parts Pratchett wrote and the parts another author wrote. Even though I think they did a valiant effort to make the writing styles as seamless as possible. I feel for the writer who was asked to fill in the gaps, it must have been a monumental challenge.

Regardless I still loved this book. We have all the Witches back, the Wee Free Men and an array of old and new characters. I liked the character development of Tiffany as her storyline reflects what most young women (and people) experience when their training is finished and they begin in their chosen careers. Trying to form their own identity and their own establish their own style.

Geoffrey is a great character and I enjoyed his story that deals with sexism and change (he wants to be a witch but only women can be witches). Which mirrors the same themes explored in "Equal Rites" of a woman becoming a wizard. I am sad we won't see Geoffrey again.

There were laughs to be had and I will admit to a few tears, as well as a "no why? why has that happened" yelled at the book. The usual Pratchett wit and insight into human behaviour is present which won't disappoint fans.

I found that this book was a fitting end to the Discworld series and to Terry Pratchetts life with the passing of one of Discworlds most loved characters. I don't want to give away too much but I won't lie that it had me crying as I read the scene. It is a book about change, life and death, and a final farewell from the Pratchett.

Good bye Terry Pratchett and thank you.