Book Thoughts: The Clockwork Scarab

Title: The Clockwork Scarab
Author: Colleen Gleason
Series: Stoker & Holmes #1

First off, a special thank you to LibraryThing and Chronicle Books for providing my copy of this one!

I loved the premise of this novel -- relatives of Sherlock Holmes and Bram Stoker in a steampunk London, solving mysteries and taking out bad guys together. The world it's set in is super cool, and the allusions to the Sherlock Holmes stories and Stoker's Dracula are really fun to spot. And the characters are brilliant: you can see the logical Holmes tradition shining through Mina and the fierce vampire hunter in Evaline, but they also have emotions and insecurities that make them new, unique characters and not just another reiteration of the same detective or vampire hunter. I'm usually wary of split first-person narratives, too, but I thought Mina and Evaline had very distinct voices. The minor characters -- Dylan, Grayling, Pix, the other girls -- were also pretty great, although I'd have liked a lot more about Irene Adler.

The characters and the world were the strong points, and Gleason's way with words is excellent, but I felt that sometimes there were minor plot holes -- granted, the copy I got was an ARC so it's entirely possible those things have been fixed, but there were just tiny things; someone wearing gloves on one page that suddenly wasn't with no mention of having taken them off on the next. The plot on the whole was very well-organized. My only real complaint was that despite how much I loved all of the individual elements of the novel's world, it felt like a little too much: detectives and vampire hunting and time travel and steampunk and alternate histories and Egyptology... all of it was super cool, but together it was a little overwhelming.

All in all, though, it was a fun, quick read that kept me turning pages. Not one I'd be rushing to shove into all of my friends' hands, but I will definitely be looking for the rest of the series. I want more adventures with these characters!

Book Thoughts: Shades of Earth

Title: Shades of Earth
Author: Beth Revis
Series: Across the Universe #3

*Warning: Spoilers for previous books!*

Elder and Amy have left the spaceship behind and made for Centauri-Earth. Surely whatever danger awaits them is worth being able to see the open sky again -- and they'll be able to wake up Amy's parents and the rest of the frozens.

Life on the planet turns out to be more difficult than they expected, though. Orion's warnings about monsters prove more true than they could ever have imagined, and the mysteries surrounding Godspeed's failure to land on time are far from solved.

I loved this trilogy all the way through. The characters especially made me want to keep reading (although sometimes the first-person narrators were a tiny bit hard to distinguish) -- Amy and Elder of course, but the others as well. I enjoyed the pacing, the plot, the twists and turns, all of it. Without saying too much (I don't want to spoil it for anyone!), I also thought the stylistic choices made in the last few chapters were brilliant; I've loved the use of negative space (line breaks) for emotional effect through the whole series and I think it works especially well in the ending. And content-wise... some of it is not how I wanted the series to end, but I think all of it was exactly how the series needed to end.

A brilliant ending to a brilliant series, and a story all its own too. Two thumbs-up for this trilogy! I can't wait for whatever Beth Revis comes out with next!

Book Thoughts: So Silver Bright

Title: So Silver Bright
Author: Lisa Mantchev
Series: Theatre Illuminata #3

Okay okay so. I've been trying to find this book FOREVER. It's been three years since I read the previous one and my local bookstore didn't have it and my local library didn't have it and the library at my college didn't have it, and then I finally got my hands on it --

And you couldn't tell it had been three years since I'd read the last book, the way I devoured it. The story pulls you right back in and reminds you well enough of what's going on that you're totally not lost. (Of course, it helps that this is such an engaging story that I still remembered most of the details even after three years.)

And I just. This was such a wonderful conclusion to a simply beautiful trilogy. Bertie continues to be awesome, because even though she's totally in the middle of a love triangle, she completely resists the damsel-in-distress trope and gets things done her way. Ariel and Nate are both awesome characters, and the FAIRIES don't even get me started because we'll be here all night with my love for them. I love the way word-magic and Shakespeare are incorporated, and the way this draws on the magic of the theater and of storytelling, and yeah pretty much everything about it.

The ending was bittersweet, as the endings to great series always are, but I think it was just what it needed to be. A truly stunning trilogy that I am so glad I finally got to finish. :) Definitely worth your time!

Book Thoughts: Dreamless

Title: Dreamless
Author: Josephine Angelini
Series: Starcrossed #2

*Beware spoilers for book 1!*

Helen's life kind of sucks. She can't be with the boy she loves, because (to their knowledge) they're cousins, and that's gross. Plus, she's spending every night in the Underworld and getting no sleep in her quest to free the Scions from the wrath of the Furies. And Tantalus still has it out for her, in new and interesting ways.

I continue to adore this series. I love love love the characters, the plot, the way familiar mythology is incorporated into a totally new story. The scenes with Morpheus in this one I found a bit odd, but I love love loved the way everything with the Furies and Cassandra went. Also Automedon. I don't want to say too much else because I don't want to spoil it for anyone, but this one was even better than the first book (you can definitely see the author's writing get better from that one to this one, and the writing was not bad in book one) and I can't wait to get my hands on the third one. Finals week, hurry up and go away so I can read GODDESS!

Book Thoughts: Allegiant

Title: Allegiant
Author: Veronica Roth
Series: Divergent #3

This first part of the review is going to be spoiler-free. There will be spoilers later and they will be marked by a warning!

Okay so. I loved the first two books in this trilogy so I was pumped for the third one. Did I love it? Yes. Did I cry? Yes. Did I think it was flawless? No.

I loved the way V.Roth took the story; the world outside of Chicago was fascinating. My only complaint there was that I wish we had gotten more information about some of the genetics stuff, because it didn't necessarily completely make sense to me as it was. Like, I definitely got what it was doing (and I thought it was a very important point and I liked that story choice), I just wish it had been spelled out a little more. But then again, I'm a world-building geek in love with backstory, so of course I wanted more information.

It was also cool getting to see the story from both Tris and Four's perspectives, because they're both characters that I really like and I LOVE the way their relationship is portrayed (real and healthy, with the existence and subsequent talking out of problems; it's one of the best I've seen). My complaint here was that with both sets of chapters narrated in the first person and no significant voice switch between the two, I often had a really hard time telling who was narrating a particular chapter. Their narrative voices were exactly the same, and I tend to have a hard time enjoying books with multiple but indistinguishable first-person narrators.

So yeah, I had some complaints about Allegiant, but on the whole, I thought it was a stunning conclusion to a fantastic trilogy.

And now I am going to talk about the ending. There will be spoilers. DO NOT read past this point if you haven't read ALLEGIANT yet! Seriously, come back and read this AFTER you have read the book.

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Okay, everybody who hasn't read it gone? Let the spoilers commence.

So I was as blown away as everybody else when (seriously! last chance!) Tris died, because it is a seriously bold (and almost never seen) move in YA to kill off the hero, especially when that hero has a love interest. I kind of worried that would happen when perspectives split, because hey, someone else to continue the narrative if Tris is dead and can't narrate. And then I knew it was coming when Tris told Caleb she wasn't going to let him sacrifice himself for the wrong reasons (which isn't a decision I necessarily agree with, but it's one that I love that she made because it's so consistent with her character). But it was still a heartbreaking and kind of shocking scene. I 100% admit to crying.

I know a lot of people are really mad that Tris and Tobias didn't get their happy ending and kind of hate V.Roth for killing off Tris, but I disagree with that mindset. Am I sad that they didn't get their happy ending? Absolutely! Heartbroken! Because they are both characters that I love and I wanted them to be happy! But I think Tris's death was the right narrative course for the story. It was realistic, it was absolutely in character, and... yeah, did I mention it was realistic? And it takes guts to kill off such a popular main character (I mean, excepting George R.R. Martin, obviously), so I applaud Veronica Roth for making that choice. Even though it made me sad. And it was good to see Tobias grieving and eventually moving on, to the extent that moving on is possible. (The way he spread her ashes was another heart-wrenching moment.)

I had some issues with a few things in the book, and there were a few things that didn't quite make sense to me (Tris's memory serum plan, for one), but on the whole, I loved this book and the whole series. Round of applause for Veronica Roth, guys.

Book Thoughts: Asylum

Title: Asylum
Author: Madeleine Roux

Dan Crawford is super excited for his pre-college summer program, but he's a little wary of their dorm: it's a renovated building that used to be Brookline Asylum, home of several criminally insane patients. Dan and his new friends Abby and Jordan go exploring, and discover that the old asylum may not be quite as gone as they might have hoped...

From an escapist, fun-Halloween-read point of view, I enjoyed ASYLUM. It's a creepy story with a lot of twists and turns that you don't necessarily see coming. It was a fun, relatively light read, and one that's creepy in a way that's not going to give you nightmares.

Is it the greatest-ever work of literature? No. Dan and Abby's relationship fell a bit flat, and I was really disappointed in the ending because I felt like we never really got any resolution. Some of the explanation we did get didn't make a whole lot of sense. But on the whole, it was a fun ride. I really just wanted more explanation at the end!

I did enjoy the incorporation of pictures, and props to Roux for a gay character whose story arc is not entirely centered on his homosexuality. He's a person who is gay, not a Gay Person, which is awesome. Not really having a lot of strong feelings either way about this book -- I liked it, but I'm not going to be jumping around trying to shove it into people's hands, either.

Book Thoughts: United We Spy

Title: United We Spy
Author: Ally Carter
Series: Gallagher Girls #6

Hi guys! I'm sorry I've been such a bad blogger lately. Apparently midterms this semester meant "three solid weeks of no free time." But I'm back, and I have a super awesome book to tell you about.

**Warning! Spoilers for Books 1-5! (Not for this one)***

Cammie has a mission. Well, sort of. Well, okay, she's not actually supposed to have a mission at all. But as Catherine closes in on the last few members of the Circle of Cavan, time is running out, and it may be entirely up to Cammie and her friends to save everyone they love -- and, quite possibly, the world.

I've loved this series from the get-go, but by this stunning conclusion, it is not the lighthearted spy-teens romp it was in book one. Issues are way, way more serious now -- and I wouldn't have it any other way. I love love LOVE this final adventure we get to take with Cammie, Liz, Bex, Macey, and Zach, and I thought it was a fantastic conclusion to a fantastic series.

It had honestly been a while since I read the previous book so I was a little hazy on the details, but I didn't need to worry. UNITED WE SPY reminded me of everything important and contained a pretty solid story in and of itself. I for one really loved the chance to see Cammie & Co. entering the real world and dealing with these serious issues, and also still being high school seniors. Yes, they face some seriously grown-up situations, but they're still just eighteen-year-old girls (and boy, in Zach's case), and they hold on to that.

Also, a certain speech near the end of the novel (I will not say more lest I give spoilers, but you'll know it if/when you read it) had me in tears. I am so sad to leave this beautiful sisterhood behind, and I am sure it's a world I will revisit. Can't wait for Ally Carter's next!

Book Thoughts: Once

Title: Once
Author: Anna Carey
Series: Eve #2

Eve is back, but she's lost Caleb: Califia, the safe place they've been looking for, is women-only. But if you think Eve is going to take that for very long, you've got another think coming. She goes looking for Caleb... and finds someone way more surprising. Trapped in the City of Sand, Eve has to find a way to save Caleb, her friends -- and herself.

I didn't love this one the way I loved EVE, but I definitely enjoyed it. It's awesome to see the world continue to develop, and I hope we get to see more details of The New America in book three! I continue to adore Eve and Caleb's romance, and the new characters (namely Charles, Harper, Beatrice, and Clara) are a welcome addition to the story. I think my favorite character is still Arden, though, because she's the one in whom I see the most depth and fight; I wish we'd gotten to spend more time with her in this book. I do love the dynamic Charles adds, though!

I'm honestly feeling pretty meh about this book right now. I enjoyed it, definitely, but it wasn't a standout like EVE was and there's not really anything jumping out at me that I just HAVE to talk about. Hopefully it's just middle book syndrome and RISE will bring the level of awesome back up, because I really do like the story Anna Carey is telling and the characters she's created. Here's to book three!

Book Thoughts: Crown of Midnight

Title: Crown of Midnight
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Series: Throne of Glass #2

Okay. Let's talk about how much I love this book.

First and foremost, I just really love Celaena. I LOVE that we can have a girl who's totally not afraid to kick some but when she needs to (and darn good at it too) but also really loves pretty dresses and her puppy and chocolate cake. I like that she's not perfect -- she's reckless and impulsive, she doesn't always think about consequences, she can't sing. But she tries to do what she thinks is right, and she's just. I love her.

And I l-o-v-e the character development we get with Dorian and Chaol. My shipper heart does not know what to DO with this beautiful book, but quite apart from the romance I just love the two main men. They make mistakes, and they learn from experience, and their individual relationships with Celaena as well as their relationships to each other are just beautiful.

I love the pacing, too. With so much going on it would be SO easy to just rush the details, but it felt like the book was exactly the right length: it accomplished what it needed to and gave every event the attention it deserved without dragging things out. I called the "big reveal" at the end of this one way early on, but I didn't care, because I wanted to see how the characters got there, and there was enough going on that I totally didn't predict that I was still on the edge of my seat.

I cannot WAIT for the next installment of this series. I just need to know how the characters are going to deal with the situation they find themselves in at the end of this book, and I just need to spend more time with them and in this world. I hope we get to find out more about the Fae and the way magic works in this world as the series progresses!

So yes. Definitely a worthy continuation of the Throne of Glass story, possibly even better than the first book (which doesn't happen a lot for me). If you haven't read these yet, get on it! Meanwhile, I shall eagerly await Book 3...

Book Thoughts: Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

Title: Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
Author: April Genevieve Tucholke
Series: Between #1

I really really wanted to love this book (because seriously, it has a freaking gorgeous cover and the description sounds amazing) and at first I was afraid I wasn't going to. It didn't feel particularly well-executed at first. It was really really obvious that River had some kind of paranormal thing going on that was drawing Violet to him, and I thought the whole book was going to be "but WHY do I like him so much?!"

...it wasn't.

I can't tell you where it was that I went from slightly disappointed to absolutely enthralled, but I do know that I actually put off lunch for a solid two and a half hours because I was too busy reading this to go make food.

There is some seriously creepy stuff in this book. In a good way. It felt like a paranormal romance at the beginning, and by the end I was positive I had just finished a horror novel -- to which I needed the sequel, like, immediately.

Definitely put this one on your list of "scary books to read leading up to Halloween." And if you think the first couple of chapters are a little hard to get through... stick with it. It gets so much better. Oh, and my advice? Read it with the lights on.

Book Thoughts: Fangirl

Title: Fangirl
Author: Rainbow Rowell

I don't even know where to start talking about this book. I loved it.

I've never really gotten into fanfiction, reading or writing; it's just not my cup of tea. And I don't know what it's like to have a sister -- except, well, now I do, because of Cath. And I've never had a random roommate, because I lived with a high school friend my freshman year. But I could feel everything in this book.

The descriptions of Cath's anxiety are just so spot-on. (I actually stored pictures of some of the pages on my phone just so I would have the quotes with me.) Her college is so, so different from mine, but Cath's feelings in a new situation are incredibly relatable anyway.

Plus. Okay. Characters. Love them. They're all so multifaceted (except maybe Courtney, but we don't see her much) -- all of them are flawed, but they all have lovable characteristics, too. Even Simon and Baz, who are fictional characters in a fictional story, felt real. I wanna read the Simon Snow series now! It was super cool getting to see snippets of both the actual stories and Cath's fanfic.

I just. I can't put into words how much I loved this book. I was so sad when it ended because I wasn't ready to leave the characters behind, even though the story had concluded. I could ramble about this forever but I don't want to spoil anything, but if you've read it -- contact me on twitter or tumblr or facebook, or email me, because I would LOVE to talk more about it.

Book Thoughts: The Savage Grace

Title: The Savage Grace
Author: Bree Despain
Series: Dark Divine #3

I was so excited to finally get to read this one, because I loved the first two and haven't been able to get my hands on this one until now. I was a little fuzzy on the details going into it, couldn't remember exactly how the last one had ended, but this one reminds you of the details without it reading like a summary, which is nice.

The writing in this fell a little flat -- not because the story was bad, but because it just felt like the book didn't get proofread very thoroughly before it was published. I kept finding little errors ("of" instead of "or," "your" instead of "you're," and "peek" was insistently spelled "peak" through the whole book) that kept pulling me out of the story. Probably wouldn't be a problem for someone who doesn't really care about grammar, but it put me on edge.

That said, I loved the story and the way the trilogy concludes. I mean, heartbreaking, yes -- but what story about demons and werewolves is going to be light and cheery? I thought the action made sense and I really enjoyed the story was resolved, and I'm going to stop talking right there because otherwise spoilers will happen. I'm glad it ended the way it did.

Also, can I just say -- she's a really minor character, but Grace's little sister Charity is pretty awesome.

Grace's struggle with the wolf is incredibly relatable for anyone who's ever been torn between anger and forgiveness, and even though Grace seems to have almost superhuman patience, I liked the hopeful note of the novel.

So, yeah -- I didn't adore this the way I did the first two books, but it's still definitely a series I'd recommend, with a well-handled ending and an awesome take on werewolf mythology.

Book Thoughts: Ash

Title: Ash
Author: Malinda Lo

I really wanted to love this book. I didn't.

I love the idea of this book. I adore fairytale retellings (and, okay, I'm a bit of a sucker for the Cinderella story), and this one put a really cool twist on it -- Ash (the Cinderella character), rather than falling in love with the prince, falls for the king's huntress, aided not by a fairy godmother but by a fairy (think faerie) who's in love with her. It was such a cool story and I absolutely adored Malinda Lo's twist on this classic tale.

What I didn't love was the writing style. It read, to me, like an antiquated fairy tale -- which fits for the kind of story this is, I guess, but it feels very forced and one-dimensional as a narrative style for an entire novel. I had no emotional connection to Ash or her relationships with Sidhean or Kaisa. Ash at one point describes fairy tales as stories with a lesson to be learned; I kind of felt this way about the novel ASH. It's less of a novel that you get emotionally invested in and more one that's like oh, okay, Cinderella but she loves a girl and also love is important. You don't feel the love, you just sort of read about it.

I don't know. I did enjoy ASH because as I said, such a cool twist on the story, but I kind of had to drag myself through the style and I don't feel attached to the characters at all. But as this is Malinda Lo's first novel, I love her blog, and her newer books aren't fairytales, I'll definitely try something else of hers.

Book Thoughts: Everbound

Title: Everbound
Author: Brodi Ashton
Series: Everneath #2

*Warning! Spoilers for Everneath*

I am in love with this series.

In this second installment of the trilogy, Nikki sets out to rescue Jack from the Everneath -- but to do that, she's going to have to trust Cole, something she has sworn not to do. It won't be an easy journey, and it's going to take all Nikki has to get through it, if she can at all.

I just. I know finding your "forever" love in high school is unusual, but I simply adore the relationship between Jack and Nikki. I love the flashbacks where we get to see their life together before the Everneath, and I love how much faith Nikki has in him. I also really love the relationship between Nikki and Cole: it isn't quite love, but it's something real. I like that it's a love triangle without being a love triangle -- Nikki and Jack are in love, plain and simple; Nikki does not love Cole and she knows that, but he complicates things for other reasons.

I love Brodi Ashton's writing style. I adore her conception of the Underworld and the influence of mythology (because hey, I'm a mythology geek, and if you'll play to that, you're already well on your way to winning me over). I loved getting to explore more of the Everneath in this book.

And I love that there is no middle-book syndrome here! EVERBOUND is a complete story in and of itself, certainly reliant on the previous book but definitely NOT mere filler between the beginning and the end of the trilogy.

Oh, and the other thing I loved? The plot twist. I didn't see it coming, but I should have. Can't wait for book three!

Book Thoughts: Loss

Title: Loss
Author: Jackie Morse Kessler
Series: Riders of the Apocalypse #3

Billy Ballard is the local punching bag, the kid everyone picks on, the boy who never fights back. He keeps his head down at school, cares for his Alzheimer's-afflicted grandfather, and generally hates his life. He also has nightmares about the "Ice Cream Man" -- nightmares that are about to become all too real, when Death himself shows up on Billy's doorway and hands him the Bow of Pestilence.

I really enjoyed the story here -- the idea of Pestilence having been so disenchanted with and maddened by his job that he tricks little Billy, who must now at fifteen go get him back. It's a change from the previous two books; although I enjoyed both of them, the story arcs were very similar, and this one takes a slightly different tack.

I also really love the way Kessler puts words together. I love that she's putting out such a vehement anti-bullying message, and I love that she's donating proceeds from this novel to Alzheimer's research. It was a fun story and a good continuation of the series.

But Billy felt kind of flat to me. He's the school punching bag, sure, but there are references to bringing home good grades and slight hints that he's into music that could have helped him be so much more rounded as a character. There are vague indications that he has a personality besides "bullying victim," but that's the only part that's really developed. And while I think the message about standing up to bullies is incredibly important, I think it's also important to acknowledge that there is more to a person than just being bullied.

So I don't know. I definitely liked the book, but there were also things that I thought could have been better. I'm still going to look for book four for sure, but I'm not going to say LOSS is my favorite in the series.

Book Thoughts: Reached

Title: Reached
Author: Ally Condie
Series: Matched #3

*Possible spoilers for books 1 and 2*

I had high hopes for this, having loved the first two Matched books, and I was not disappointed. Reached is told in alternating perspectives between all three of the leads: Cassia, Xander, and Ky. There were times when I got confused as to who was narrating, but I think it was good to see the story from all three perspectives.

And what a story it was. Oh, man. I cried.

The story continues to explore the nature of choice and freedom, hitting the characters with some really tough choices about who to love and who to save and how to use their skills for good. The romance played out beautifully, and so did the other kinds of love: familial, platonic, and a general love for humanity. As Cassia, Ky, and Xander struggle to navigate love, loss, disease, and loyalty, the Society may be changing from its very foundations.

Also, wow I love the way this trilogy deals with a change of leadership in a dystopian society. I don't want to say too much because spoilers, but the interplay between the Rising and the Society is brilliant and makes the dystopian-psychology nut in me freak the heck out.

As I mentioned earlier, some of the narrative-switching got a little difficult to follow, but on the whole I think this was a beautiful conclusion to a beautiful trilogy: the story kept moving and wrapped up well, and I was sad to let the characters go. (Also I cried. That's a thing that happened.)

Having read all three books now, I can safely say that this series is a good one through and through.

Book Thoughts: A Million Suns

Title: A Million Suns
Author: Beth Revis
Series: Across the Universe #2

*Possible spoilers for book 1*

I love mysteries. I really, really do. And I love stories about space travel and I love dystopias and basically wow this series is perfect for me.

Three months ago, the world as Amy knew it changed. Instead of waking up on a new planet with her parents, she's woken up on a seriously troubled spaceship while her parents are still cryogenically frozen. But the apparently evil Orion has left her some clues to a big secret that may turn even this new world on its head. Meanwhile, Elder is trying to be a leader, but what if his people don't want to be led?

I love the characters, I love the story, I adore the mystery and the way information is revealed. Also, yeah, the romance. (Beth Revis, you are an A+ writer.) I love the way this book tackles the very real issues of leadership and control and feelings of helplessness and even things like sexual assault while still managing to be a ridiculously fun outer-space adventure. If you haven't read this series, get to it!

(P.S. Kayleigh as the character always tinkering with mechanical things? I have caught your Firefly reference and I love it.)

Book Thoughts: The Diviners

Title: The Diviners
Author: Libba Bray
Series: Diviners #1
*Imported from tumblr*

Set in the 1920s but with a super-creepy supernatural twist, The Diviners is a captivating murder mystery featuring Evie O’Neill, a flapper-happy teen with a mysterious power. Evie’s been shipped off to New York to live with her Uncle Will, a museum curator, and she’s thrilled - until a rash of terrifying murders gets her attention. When it becomes clear there’s something not quite normal going on and the police aren’t buying it, it’s up to Will, Evie, and Evie’s ragtag band of friends to solve the mystery - and maybe even prevent the apocalypse.

I found Evie kind of irritating at first, because she’s so irresponsible and flighty and just not a great friend. But give the book a chance, because once the story grabs you, it is not letting go. I loved the supernatural twist, I loved Sam ("street criminal" isn’t quite the right word) and Jericho (Uncle Will’s assistant), and once I got used to it, I loved the writing. It did take a while to adjust to some of the ’20s words, but it really added to the story once I did.

My one warning to you: while the descriptions of the murder scenes are handled very well, the actual murders are super creepy, so if your imagination is going to take that and run… well, read this one with the lights on.

I loved it. It works well enough as a standalone, but I can’t wait for the sequel!

Book Thoughts: Shadow and Bone

Title: Shadow and Bone
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Series: Grisha #1

After the first chapter of this one, I was reeling trying to keep track of all of the Russian-influenced words and place names. I’ll give it one more chapter, I told myself, and then I will put it down for the night.

The next time I bothered to check anything, I was several chapters and 53 pages into the book. I just had to know what would happen to Alina, what the Darkling’s secrets were, and whether they really could brave the Shadow Fold.

Leigh Bardugo creates in this series a fascinating world, obviously influenced by Russia but something entirely its own. And the Grisha are just a fantastic new twist on elemental magic. I thought I was going to be super confused trying to keep the details straight, but the writing makes it actually very easy to keep up. The story is unabashedly honest, dark, and twisty — and also beautiful. I put it down only to sleep. After the first chapter, I didn’t think I was going to like it, but keep going, because by the end of the book? I was turning pages hungrily and waiting desperately for the sequel.

Book Thoughts: Everneath

Title: Everneath
Author: Brodi Ashton
Series: Everneath #1
*Imported from tumblr*

I did not think that I was going to enjoy this one, but I could not have been more wrong.

Nikki Beckett, back on earth after a hundred years — or a few months, depending on whose perspective you’re looking at — in the Everneath, has six months to say goodbye to her family before being sucked back to the underworld forever. Whatever emotions she has left will be used to power the immortals who live in the Everneath and feed off of willing mortals. When she left, Nikki didn’t want her life anymore, but now that she’s back and has six months to say goodbye forever, she’ll do anything to stay aboveground — and to win back the love of the boy whose memory saved her in the Everneath.

I don’t feel like I’ve done the book any sort of justice with that summary. Yes, it’s got your obligatory YA-romance-love-triangle - two smokin’ hot guys fighting over the girl. But Everneath is far from the stereotype. In fact, one of my favorite things about the novel was the way Nikki’s relationships with Cole and Jack were developed. And Brodi Ashton’s twist on immortality and the underworld? LOVE. Also, I’m a total mythology geek, so the parallels to Orpheus and Eurydice and also to Hades and Persephone were super cool. My only complaint was that some of the narrative time-jumps were a little weird at first.

It’s definitely a romance novel, but there’s a lot more to it than just that, and I for one can’t wait to get my hands on the sequel.