Tag: book-review

A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik

15+

When I opened this book I was expecting the normal staples of a boarding school/magic school fantasy, but this book utterly flipped them on there head. Instead of a relatively safe on the surface this was blatantly dangerous, and all throughout there was a layer of threat made even more serious by the fact that everyone in the book was so accepting of it.

The Scholmance is a secondary school at least in its basics. The school is located in a void – which may be one of the most terrifying locations I have read yet – and is isolated from the outside world completely. Inside the school it isn’t safe, with monsters creeping out of pipes and the constant threat of death. However, outside is even worse, and the only way to survive when you graduate is to learn enough from the school – and I mean the school its self as there are no adults or teachers inside the school –.

The world is so complex of its self, and all the characters are opposites. The exploration of the difference in privileges between the enclave kids and the indie kids is intriguing and touches on an aspect that I always love finding in books. The enclave kids have so much more power and community than the indie kids who are basically sitting ducks for the creatures who roam the halls.

Characters – 4/5 stars – the focus isn’t on the characters for the first half of the book, it is on the world and how to survive in an environment that is ever-changing.

World – 100000000/5 stars  – I have gushed about this in my review but I have to say it again the world is amazing.

Romance – 4/5 stars – Soft Romance – the romance isn’t really prevalent in this story, but the little bit there is sets up delightfully for the next book in the series which I cant wait to read!

Plot  – 5/5 stars – it is beautiful in its simplicity, and then the shocking twist at the end. El the main character knows what her goal is and that is survival, even if her plans to survive may be counterintuitive.

Things to be aware of: It deals with constant threat, and is therefore a darker read than my usual picks, but it is worth it for the intriguing world. Its not the biggest book but it is quite description heavy in the beginning, which reflects how El is on her own and only talking to herself.

2

Powerless by Lauren Roberts

14+B

First – the dedication – “for every girl who has ever felt powerless”. That dedication is the first thing you read, and it tells you the one of the most important and nuanced parts of the book, the push and pull between being given power by your birth and gaining power by hard work.

Paedyn has earnt her power, as she is an ‘Ordinary’ without any of the superpowers of the Elites. It means that she will be killed instantly and painfully if she is caught. However, she pretends to be a Psychic and is able to fake it by constant practice and hyperfocus on the tiniest details. Kai on the other hand is almost ridiculously overpowered, but by his own work (and the cruelty of his father) he is deadlier than his birth power would have normally made him.

The juxtaposition of the two fathers in the story shows the power of parents. Pae’s father Adam who taught her how to become powerful even through she was born without the superhuman abilities of her peers and the King, who took his two sons and made them into the perfect molds of what he wished them to become; Kai into a weapon by torture and constant forcing past limits until he kills for the crown, Kitt into the next king.

The romance is out of this world. Kai and Pae have the perfect banter and the iconic lines of the best couples. Usually enemies to lovers isnt my favourite trope, but here it works perfectly. The most delicate thing between them is the power balance, which I am very invested in. Kai Azer is a prince and he can take the ability of any Elite in the vincity, he is essentially a powerhouse assassin, and yet Paedyn holds her own despite being in some of the most deadly trials I have ever read about.

Characters – 5/5 stars

World – 4.5/5 stars  – it isnt an uncommon premise, a split society between people with powers and those without, but it is executed beautifully.

Romance – 100000/5 stars –Suggestive Romance – I love love love Paedyn and Kai

Plot – 4.5/5 stars – it is well done and it supports the characters perfectly. The plot develops in the later half of the book much more than the first, and that means that the characters are already so established that you are really rooting for them.

Things to be aware of: It is quite violent, and there is a lot of on page brutality and medium graphic description, probably a 4/5 which gives it the B. The romance is a 14+ because of the enemies to lovers trope throughout the book. They regularly kiss, and sleep next to each other a few times, but it is non romantic and mostly to offer emotional support around the deaths of other characters.

4

The First Test by Tamora Pierce

12+B

This is an amazing series, with a glorious first book. Keladry is a strong female lead who is standing against a flood of sexism as she trains for her shield as the first openly female knight for centuries. This is a different series to the Alanna the Lioness series that is set in the same world but about two decades previously. It isn’t necessary to read Alanna the Lioness first, but the are a few spoilers, and I read this series first myself. One of the only problems with this first book is that Keladry is the only female character in the first novel. She is surrounded with hostile boys as she trains and certainly in the beginning, she is mostly alone. Nealan of Queenscove becomes her mentor and first friend, and later on several others spend time with her. I love Kennedy’s past as the child of a foreign ambassador and that she had been trained in a different cultures warfare.

I love this series and have reread it more times than i can count. I would recommend this as one of the great fantasy reads! On that note, I am off to go and find my copy…..

Characters – 5/5 stars

World – 5/5 stars – it is beautiful, and the depiction of such a complex and vast world is done without any info-dumps.

Romance – NA

Plot  – 5/5 stars – amazing, and 1000 stars if you read the whole series.

Things to be aware of: there are a few mentions from various male characters that Kennedy might sleep with the boys despite the fact she is only 10. There is some violence. It depends on what you are comfortable with, but I would say that you could read it around eleven if you are comfortable with fantasy violence. I personally read it about then and have reread it several times since and got just as much enjoyment as I did the first time.

1

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

14+

Amazing series that I love and is on my reread list! Red Queen is a dystopian fantasy with a sprinkling of romance. A 14+ as a warning because the are parts that are quite dark. The Red Queen is Mare Barrow, a red girl from the Stilts that is going to be force conscripted into the army if she doesn’t get a job and quick. She gets a job as a servant in the palace and during the Queentrial, falls onto the lightning shield. She survives the electricity which should have killed her on impact as she is a Red. The Silver Elite, who are supposed to be the only people with powers, pretend she is a long lost generals daughter to cover up what they think is an anomaly. She is engaged to the youngest prince, Maven and is introduced to a court of betrayal, politics and an country on the brink of revolution. Mare is a strong character with clear aims. Survival for herself and the protection of her family and Kilorn, her friend and a boy that she might have married, had this not all happened. the secondary characters are well developed, and all have their agendas and aims, as is only right in a political fantasy like that. The world of Norta is vivid and well thought out and i would love to see more series set in this universe. The romance is well done, a little wince worthy in places because of the love triangle aspect, but Mare holds true to her usual characteristics around her love interests, which is nice to read.

Characters – 5 stars – just gorgeous, they all live rentfree in my head.

World – 5 stars – perfect dystopian/fantasy world, I LOVE it.

Romance – 4.5 stars – Sweet Romance – it is worth mentioning there is a slight love triangle between Mare, Cal and Maven which is done incredibly well but it still is morally messy in the first book as Mare is engaged to Maven.

Plot – Can I give it a 1000? The plot is out of this world, it is complex, intriguing and we see every part of society through the eyes of Mare, a girl from the slums.

Things to be aware of: it is very violent as it is set during a civil war and a wider war as well as a revolution. There is extreme racial separation and discrimination between the Reds and the Silvers, which is one of the reasons it is a 14+.

3

Daughter of the Deep by Rick Riordan

13+B

Amazing book. Rick Riordan has written a book solely from the point of view of a female character for the first time and it is amazing. It has loose ties to Two Thousand Leagues under the Sea, but only minor spoilers if you haven’t read it. Ana is an amazing protagonist and the secondary characters are hardly secondary! they feel just as solid and thought out as Ana. I love the premise and the idea that two high schools are fighting a war with better than millitary grade weapons. the plot is great, quick pased and perfect with moments of glorious rest before we launch into the action again. the world is insanely good. Rick Riordan excels at magic realism, and this skirts the edge, while keeping the best parts of sci-fi.

Characters – 5 stars

World – 4 stars

Romance – NA

Plot – 4 stars

Things to be aware of: In the beginning an entire high school is blown up by their rivals, and the whole cliff crumbles. There is betrayal and a huge secret is revealed at the very beginning. There is a constant stream of threat throughout the book which is why i have awarded it that B, but despite this the characters still act normal and manage to make the book – which only lasts about five days – seem like a lifetime of relationships and trust.

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