Tag: Book Reviews

The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

13+

Okay so I admit I was a little wary going in. Its one of those books that everyone either loves or hates (and they ping pong back from review to review) so I wasnt sure I was going to enjoy it. BUT! I did. Its not my usual genre – its contempory mystery thriller with a subplot of romance that I fear is going to become a love triangle but I’m suspecting it’ll be an excellent one. From the back I thought it would be more of a light easy read – a few puzzles thrown in and a bit like a game of Cluedo with four brothers every review goes on about OR a dark thriller about truely how far the rich would go to keep their wealth and power.

Avery is quite a stereotypical lead and we can understand her character very quickly. Its needed because the rest of the characters have layers upon layers and yet nothing. Her best friend Maxine’s odd swearing got a little on my nerves. Instead of using the actual words she substituted them them frequently. I almost wish that she had just said the words, I found myself having to figure out what her convoluted swearing substitutions actually meant. That said I did like how Avery was called out on her self absorbed behavior – the mc often has the most drama, but that is no reason not to know your best friends boyfriends name.

The four brothers felt a little samey but it was really interesting to see just how far the machinations of their grandfather went. Tobias Hawthorne was truly either a genius or a twisted psychopath and I cant decide if he was both. Greyson, Nash, Jameson and Xander have been pitted against each other constantly as children in these challenges and games. The old man would set up these complex riddles for them to follow, and in the end the boys were encouraged to backstab and betray each other to get to the answer first.

The supporting characters were interesting and I wish that Skye the mother got more page time, it would be interesting to hear her side of the really unjust inheritance system and toxic grandfather whom pitted everyone against each other.

The world is well…this one. Usually in fantasy/dystopian I talk about the world building and lore but because its contempory I’m going to talk about the locations. Hawthorne House is the perfect setting – all those tunnels and passages and just how deep Tobias Hawthornes plan runs inside the bones of the house is incredible. I wish we had got more time at the private school, it felt like Avery barely dipped her toe into that world but the book does take place over less than a week so I’m just hoping for more in the next book.

The plot was interesting. Overall it was complex and many layered but the solution was found very easily. This is because the plot was entirely engineered by Tobias Hawthorne and we as the reader have no clue about his motivations yet. I felt Avery was a little swept away and confused (understandably) by her new world and it is really interesting just how easily she is manipulated. In a lot of books the character either doesnt realise they are being manipulated until they are told, or does a cynics stand against it and likely ends up in some kind of plot point anyway. However Avery was realistically stranded with an unreliable sister (Libby whom I do like but she isnt in the best place to help Avery) in a out of state manor with people who detest her.

Romance is the one thing I am not sure how I feel about. Jameson and Avery appear to be getting into a relationship but then not at the same time (I am so glad the DNA test came back quickly tho) and the other characters romance is all in the past.

Emily is the main subplot point that guides the main plot. Its interesting to wonder if Tobias was intentionally bringing her back up or if it was accidental. Either way, Emily as a character serves as the warning for what Avery could become. She had two of the Hawthorne boys, Jameson and Grayson and in the end she loved both and neither because she wanted the experience of being a millionaire more than the boys. Avery is juxtaposed against Emily with a few key differences.

Plot – 4/5

World – 3/5 – I dont know what it is but I just didnt grasp the world quite as well as usual despite the fact I live on the same planet.

Characters – 4/5

Romance – 3/5 – Sweet Romance – hardly there to be honest but i can feel the love triangle coming on.

Things to be aware of: Death, manipulation, domestic abuse (none on the page but mentioned)

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The Beginning by Jenna Elizabeth Johnson

11+B

This book is the second in the Oescienne series and it just builds on the world and characters that were established in book 1! This one follows Jahrra from about twelve to seventeen and see as she grows and develops in her character with the trials that are put against her.

We get to see the world developed more as Jahrra travels to different places within it and we get to see even more of Denaeh, the Mystic. I love Denaeh, she is a complex character who often goes against what other characters think is right for Jahrra and tries to slowly prepare Jahrra for the reveal of the Prophecy which is looming. She disagrees with Hroombra and Jaxx about keeping Jahrra’s race a secret from her, but it is also interesting that she doesnt outright tell her. I cant say any more because of spoilers but she is such an interesting character!

Jahrra still doesnt know that she’s human, and the Crismon King’s influence is slowly spreading into the sheltered world Jahrra lives in. It is a really interesting portrayal of a fantasy character being raised. It is quite common for them to either have been raised in the capital, fully aware of their power or to have been raised on a farm somewhere in the middle of nowhere. However Jahrra is raised being already trained and turned into the hero that Oescienne needs. Sometimes I am literally begging her to take a step back and think about why she is being prepared for such random things.

One of the facets of Jahrra’s character is her stubbornness and I think this plays into a lot of her interactions with the characters, she stubbornly hates Jaxx (but lets be honest he doesnt help at all there and is very antagonistic), she stubbornly tries to prove over and over that she is as good as Eydeth and Ellysian (the Resnai bullies) by completing challenges that should be impossible. She also is stubbornly trusting despite other people’s warnings. Her friends are wary of Denaeh, but Jahrra trusts her almost blindly despite proof to the contrary. However I do enjoy her stubbornness because it comes from a place of love, not arrogance like a lot of fantasy leads.

World – 4/5 – In the next book we get to see so much more of it and it is sooooo good!

Plot – 4.5 /5 – It starts coming together in this book as we start to go on a more classic heroine’s journey towards her realisation.

Characters – 5/5 – and on a separate note Denaeh may have won a whole extra point for her mysterious and yet in a way oddly trustworthy actions.

Romance – NA

Things to be aware of: The bullying from the last books continues into this book and earns it a B because it steps up a bit. There is death and grief like the last book.

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Confectioner’s Guild by Claire Luana

13+

This book is so beautiful!

I read it a few years ago, and am on my third reread now. Its a fresh take on a fantasy guild, because they use confectionery (cakes and biscuits and all the bakery good things!) instead of being an assassin guild or a elements guild. The world building is incredibly natural and smooth and we are given all the information we need to know just by the character interacting with the everyday things around her. We also get two maps at the beginning (of at least the ebook version), one of the world and one of the city which is always lovely to have. It is not necessarily an unusual world, and but the presence of the cooking guilds is certainly the thing that has bump the world rating up.

The book starts with Wren piping cupcakes and then coming out of the back to hear a stranger questioning the bakery’s owner about the cupcakes. We get our first impression of just how strong the guild’s power over the city is when Master Oldritch admits that cupcakes are their “territory” but that he has a few friends that dont mind him having a play around with the frosting. I enjoy having a heroine whom starts with at least some idea of her power, Wren knows more than just the basics of baking which means she can instantly step believably into more powerful confections.

This is almost a historical murder mystery meets fantasy and the plot does waver a little in the middle I felt as Wren almost loses track of the mystery side of things but I did enjoy the mystery set in a fantasy world.

Characters – 3.5/5 – I enjoyed the characters, honestly the main character Wren isnt my favourite but she didnt annoy me because she does solve the mystery step by step alongside the reader. They all felt realistic to me and my feelings towards them changed over the course of the story. And I LOVE Pike, I feel like he would make an amazing mmc for another novel. Sable also is an intriguing character and I’d love to delve deeper into her backstory.

World – 4/5 – it doesn’t deviate from the classic fantasy world and there are very few locations within the story and they are all in the city Maradis so we don’t get to see much of the world. But if we include the magic-system in the world then it gives it a whole extra point!

Romance – 3.5/5 – Sweet Romance -Its a very mild romance, I’d say only 12+ romance wise and their relationship isnt developed enough for me to fully decide if I like them or not. The secret of the Gift is something that I am going to enjoy watching play out though.

Plot  – 3/5 – I enjoyed it, even on my reread it kept me guessing and I was looking for all the clues but it does dip in the middle as Wren almost forgets the axe hanging over her head because no one around her is really talking about it. It is interesting how all the characters (with the exception of Hale and Sable) basically just move on and ignore it – it shows the power of how they assume that there will be justice fairly given because they are the rich elite and dont consider that Wren wont because she doesnt have those connections.

Things to be aware of: Some sexism and its consequences concerning inheritance which was very interesting to read, mentions of SA but none on the page or to the main character and it isnt a main theme, the mc observes a girl being told by an older female relative to “drop a few pounds” but thinks the girl looks perfect anyway. Torture but none of it on the page. There are several references – both wrongly and rightly – to characters sleeping around. Overall there are several little things to be aware of but I honestly wouldnt say any of them are overdone or misplaced and it doesnt add a B.

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Equality and Power

Something I have really been thinking about lately is that a lot of YA (and adult) books market both romance interests as being equal just because they could kill each other. In a lot of very popular books, ones I have enjoyed myself, the power balance is supposedly equal between the fmc and the mmc because they could kill each other. No matter if this is unrealistic, often one of them has had an incredibly in depth amount of training and the other one is still dabbling their toes in their pool of power. That is one of the basics that I really enjoy in two of my favourite couples, Sam and Celaena from Throne of Glass, and Paedyn and Kai from Powerless (the later is complex tho with a few other factors like that he has a much higher social standing than her and more resources so its not equal, it just a step towards it)

However being able to kill each other and being equals both in the relationship and in power are very different things. If the fmc is young, has only just inherited her kingdom, is struggling with the grief of losing her parents/sibilings/mentor, has a war brewing on her borders, is insecure in her own grasp of her countries economic and millitary powers and does not have the support of the people and nobility then she is NOT equal to a secure king whom has been ruling for several years, is excepted and stable in his rule and knows the ins and outs of his kingdom. Of course, it is a little bit murkier than that in most books, especially as they tend to give the fmc a shedload of unpredictable power that somehow makes her the chosen one and often make the mmc the key to securing her kingdoms survival but the basics remain.

They are not equals if they do not share the same emotional and social support (often main characters can be quite alone in their stories without parents/mentors or even friends they can rely on. this means that they latch onto the love interest as the only person they can trust, but they often cant quite trust them because plot reasons. By social support I mean social standing, the prince/princess falls in love with the commoner story is very very common in its different iterations, but is that a balanced and equal relationship if one has the power to completely destroy the others life/family if they dont do what they want?

They are not equals if she relies on him for something – in the book i am reading now she literally relies on him to prove her innocent otherwise she will hang! This does not make an equal power dynamic and for the rest of the relationship there is always going to be the thing is she only staying with him because of some kind of unspoken expectations?

I am so tired of reading books where the characters are constantly described as being eachothers equals, but in reality one (to be honest usually the mmc but I have read it the other way around and it is equally toxic) is incredibly more powerful than the other one in social standing or money or power or just experience. It is one of the reasons I always steer clear of any books marketed as boss/employee or age gap because that is the most obvious power inequality in the fiction world. Its not just in strict Romance too, in fantasy romance and in paranormal romance and in genres that dont even have romance as a big thing in it! At some point in practically every YA book I have read they end up in an unequal power dymanic.

Lets take a genre – paranormal. I admit I havent read many truly exceptional books in paranormal yet because I have only just started reading it so any recs would be great! But back to the genre. Vampires/werewolves/fae are a complex and interesting (and usually) immortal races but some how they so often end up dating the young school or college aged girl. This is a classic example of how power dynamics can be skewed towards one of the characters almost as a genre defining milestone. But it doesnt have to be why cant vampires date other vampires? or other immortals? why has this power dynamic become such a staple of the genre when it isnt even really want the genre is.

Sometimes I even really like the couple! sometimes i am rooting for them to get together! When the book is so strong in other areas it can be overlooked I do but it is still there.

Secrets – especially identity secrets – also can end up really mismatching the power dynamic of a couple. If the reader knows that one of the characters did something that is completely unforgivable to the morals of their love interest, or that their secret is going to make them view them completely differently then it is really hard not just to hate that trope. Secrets/miscommunication can be so so good if got right, really interesting points in relationships when they open up (and I am talking platonic relationships too) or highlight a stress area that is always going to be between the characters then its perfect! it works so well and gives their relationship weight and complexity. But if it tips over into one character is keeping a secret which gives them huge power over the other then that is really not equality.

The thing about reading a novel book is that no book (at least that I have read) has completely no problems. They all have small things, and I can pass over those, usually little things here and there don’t bother me. But the power inequality between especially romantic interests has been driving me up the wall lately because it is just so rampant. I have to say that is what I enjoy in middle grade and books that arent based on romance and it only comes in much much later.

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Changeling by Molly Harper

13+

I can honestly say this book took me by surprise. From the title Changeling I was expecting quite a rustic fae story that would be closer to a classic fantasy mixed with a fairytale but Changeling combines several genres in an intriguing world that we only just start to explore. The world is a delightfully classic dystopian world mixed with witchy academia and it is set in England!! Most dystopian novels, Hunger Games, Red Queen, Divergent are set in North America but this one is set in North England which is just a little world thing I love!

Sarah is a Snipe – a powerless human whom works as a servant in the house of the Winters, a powerful witch family. In return for her and her entire family’s servitude they are protected from some of their vulnerability of being magic-less in a rigid society where magic determines your social class. The Winters and the rest of their social peers are called Guardians but it is clear to the reader this is rigid oppression despite the fact that this is apparently to protect the Snipes. This is the system we are introduced to at the beginning, which Sarah doesn’t even dream of questioning. It is quite a classic dystopian class system, people divided by powerful and not, but one of the most interesting things is how Sarah being given power is approached.

A lot of books when a girl/boy from the lower classes is suddenly given a noble power they are swept up to the noble class immediately as soon as they and anyone else finds out. However Sarah has actually had her magic muffled and oppressed her whole life hence her sickly weak stature which is one of the first things that gets mentioned. Her physical appearance as she gets healthy is a classic physical example of her power growing but back to the magic oppression! It is really interesting because it is more realistic. Of course someone would have figured it out and the natural reaction to something that would shake the roots of a world that you are already surviving in (and I suspect by Snipe standards their family would argue they were thriving. all of their children were literate and worked a good stable job with a Guardian family and they were able to live off site which is something that is prized) but they are still very oppressed and Sarah’s mother can acknowledge that enough to do something about her daughters power.

While its a complex moral issue from the reader – should you truly oppress a child’s power to the point of them being extremely weak and fragile just so they dont rock the boat? To the Snipes it would be a black and white issue, and the Winters reaction is certainly more balanced that some Guardian’s reactions would have be.

I wont give any more details because then they lean into spoilers! But this mix of classic dystopian and the popular witchy academia with a lean into the classism within classes and the desperation within politics is such a memorable read!

World – 5/5 stars – i have gushed about it the whole of my review

Characters – 3.5/5 – they are quite classic characters and Sarah isnt an unusual Chosen One but i did enjoy them even if some of the female characters leaned a little into archetypes. Also I loved that Sarah struggled so realistically with the new subjects except the one she had come across in her previous life. Harper really managed to show how much information is imparted to children even before they are technically ‘taught’ magic just in the political expectations and world knowledge

Romance – Soft Romance – 4/5 for what is done, it is very mild and not even a proper subplot but there is an interesting representation of a one sided toxic relationship that developed from an innocent crush into something that really derailed that characters life.

Plot – 4/5 – it is quite a simple plot line up until the end, but I enjoyed it and it held up through the reread!

Things to be aware of: there is some bullying but that is very common in academia books. There is some fantasy violence, but in quite small doses and nothing to add that B. I would say that you could read it a little earlier if you wanted it just depends on when you would enjoy it the most. There is some betrayal, and mentions of necromancy but it isnt very violent which is why it hasnt got a B.

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Page by Tamora Pierce (Book 2 of the Protecter Quartet)

13+

I love this book so much, Tamora honestly never disapoints and i have read this book over and over and yet it is always so fresh and distinct. While the first book covers her one year of probation, this book covers her next three years as a page and shows some more of the challenges of being the first known female knight for centuries. While Alanna avoided all of this sexism and glass ceilings and tradition until she was much older, Keladry is dealing with it much younger but with a refreshingly mature outlook. While the sassy – and usually immature – girl is a very common trope, Keladry has a very different attitude which suits her particular challenges and tests as she is becoming more concious of the political situation around her becoming a page.

I adore Owen of Jesslaw, he is such a vibrant character and his ethusiasm is truely catching. The rest of Keladry’s friends play a slightly smaller role in this book, but I still enjoyed all the scenes with them. With the introduction of Gower (Keladry’s servant)’s niece, Lalassa, we get a glimpse into the cruelty of society in a different way to a girl who doesnt have the protection of a noble house.

Characters – 5/5 stars – They honestly feel like real people that I can hate and love and laugh at and with.

World – 4.5/5 stars – Tortall is a 1000000/5 but this book deals with just the palace and two outside locations so we dont get to really see the varied world that Pierce has created. (tiny little spoiler – we do get to see A LOT more in Squire, the next book in the series)

Romance – NA

Plot  – 5/5 stars – LOVE love love – i know the ending but it still shocks me everytime i read it.

Things to be aware of: there are a few off the page mentions that Lalassa was abused when she was a child by her family, and a couple of mentions of how she is vunerable to the men around her, especially the noble ones before she is given the protection of Keladry’s house. There is one on the page scene where she gets attacked by a squire but Keladry hears them and scares him off with the threat of a dual.

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Zahrah the Windseeker by Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu

12+

I have read this book several times over the last few years and every time the vivid world and courage of Zahrah has returned it instantly to my reread pile.

In general, I dont read a lot of sci-fi, but this one stands out from everything I have read both in that genre and in general because of the world of Ginen and the kingdom of Ooni. It is vivid and detailed and in places very similar to earth (and they mention earth as a ‘legend’ which might be one of the best and memorable worldbuilding details I have read yet) but with a sense of otherness that really defines the sci-fi genre. All the technology in Ooni is made using plants which I love! Even the library is made up of a giant plant. Even the computers grow with the child, as they are plants, and their leafboards grow to perfectly fit the child they are growing for. I love all these tiny little details that make the world so vivid.

Zahrah has dada – vines growing in her hair – which sets her apart from her peers at school and causes her to be bullied in the beginning. As the story progresses, we learn there are more to the dada than just vines as Zahrah grows up and matures. It is a classic character arc, but one that is portrayed beautifully and believably and freshly. One of the things that can be difficult with a story that is focused on a physical Quest is that the characters become stagnant or do not have any character development past their acceptance of the quest. However, this book neatly avoids all the pitfalls and allows Zahrah to grow alongside and separately from her quest in the greeny jungle to find an egg to save her friend who is in a coma despite the fact that no nobody goes deep into the forest and there are horrific stories of people who even go on the outskirts.

Characters – 5/5 stars – They are all rounded and realistic and everyone around Zahrah has their own stories that dont rely on hers (especially the frog! I love a good talking animal and the pink frog is the best)

World – 1000/5 stars – I have gushed about it enough, but honestly this world is so refreshing to read as it isnt based on a pseudo-european medieval land but instead Nigerian myths.

Romance – NA

Plot  – 5/5 stars – its perfect. just perfect.

This is honestly one of the books I think everyone should read between the ages of 10 – 13. Go read it!

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Blood Heir by Amelie Wen Zhao

14+

Set against a breathtaking landscape of snow and ice, this fully fledged and developed world that is reminiscent of pre-revolutionary Russia pulls me in and the added variable of magic? I have no words.
The premise of the novel is a princess chased from her palace and furs because she has been wrongfully accused of killing her father and she is searching for the man she witnessed poison him. However, she has her own reasons for revenge against the alchemist. She is an Affinity – basically a person with a specific power, like wind or fire or mind. However, she is the only recorded Blood Affinity, which means she can control blood. Because the Affinities are considered lesser and ‘deimhov’ in the eyes of the empire, her father allowed the alchemist to try and torture her affinity out of her when it violently appeared when she was a child and killed several people. Years later, the legend of the Blood Witch has never been connected with the sickly princess and Ana is able to pretend to be a flesh Affinity, something much less rare but with a similar effect.
I also adore the way that Ana slowly starts to realise that the empire she saw as a child princess was an extremely angelised one covering up the mistreatment of the Affinities as she is exposed to more and more of the harsh realities of her empire. The Affinities are lured into the empire with promises of work, but enslaved when they arrive and forced as children to sign contracts they cannot read. I cant say any more without spoilers, but the world is an stunningly harsh and yet beautiful in places mix of historical and fantasy elements in a Russianestc monarchy.
The side characters are all fully fledged, but even the villians have their reasons for what they do – reasons created by the empire and the system they live in. Ramson Quicktongue is the possible love interest/crime lord she rescues from a prison to help her hunt down the alchemist, and his backstory is shockingly bittersweet and offers a small glimpse into a life that in some ways is close to Anas, and in other ways the complete opposite.

Characters – 4.5/5 stars
World – 10000/5 stars – I’ve gushed about it enough in my review but – I LOVE this world.
Romance – 3/5 stars –Soft Romance– I honestly dont particularly like Ramson as her love interest, but that might change as I read the rest of the trilogy and that’s just a personal dislike even though as a character he is magnificently well rounded.
Plot  – 4/5 stars – we are just really warming up to the overarching plot, but so far I have enjoyed it thoroughly.

Things to be aware of: The Affinities are basically taking the places of the serfs and slaves which is one of the things that has bumped the rating up to a 14+. Child abuse (non sexual) and Torture.

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The Assassin’s Blade by Sarah J Maas

14+

This collection of novellas is where Celaena’s story starts and it is definitely my favourite book in the series.

There are several different novellas within, and they all outline the day to day things Celaena experienced during the last year or so of her life as Ardalans Assassin. We get to really experience the varied and detailed world that Celaena has travelled so widely, and her relationship with Sam as it grows and develops.

Each Novella builds on the one before and sets up the devastating stage for Throne of Glass – the first full length novel in the series. I cant say much more without spoilers, but this is honestly a great read that creates every emotion as we are swept into a fantasy land where even if Celaena is one of the most feared things in it, danger and intrigue is everywhere in a land where the players are constantly changing, and the rules are changed before you know they exist.

Characters – 5/5 stars – I LOVE THEM – also if you like morally grey main characters then well, the two main characters for most of the novellas are assassins so…

World – 5/5 stars – Its perfect, this entire world has been so well thought out and in this novella collection we really get to see just how diverse and complex her world is.

Romance – 1000/5 stars- Suggestive Romance – Sam and Celaena are the ultimate couple I love them so much

Plot  – 5/5 stars – Its complex, and each novella has its own plot as well as an over arching plot of the book and then the huge plot of the entire series. I love series that are multi-faceted and where while everything means something, so much you dont understand or notice until later on.

Things to be aware of: It is quite dark in places, especially at the end, but that is to be expected in a 14+. Personally I read this when I was 13, and adored it so it all depends on what your comfort levels are on violence.

Also on a side note, this book and the rest of the series are all on Borrowbox, so if you are willing to wait a few months then you can read it on there.

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Terrier (Beka Cooper Book 1) by Tamora Pierce

14+B
This book is another hit from Tamora, and I love how different Beka is from Alanna, Kennedy, Daine, and Aly. Unlike those series which are all set within a thirty-year time frame, this series is set hundreds of years before and stars Beka Cooper (yes she is George Cooper’s great great many greats relative) who is working as a Puppy. This is a trainee ‘Dog’ which is essentially Tortalls version of a police. Beka is a tough lead – I might even go as far as to say that she is one of the toughest heroines that i have ever read in the first book.
While this returns to the Tortall I love, Beka’s world is very very different from Alanna’s and Kennedy’s especially. It focuses on the Lower City and the crime within and the morally grey lines between being a ‘Dog’ and a criminal. Beka is older (16) than the other heroines have been in their first books, so she suits this darker representation of Tortall.
Characters – 5/5 stars – They are incredibly lifelike even though I would say that Beka isnt the most morally complex – i LOVE morally complex characters – which leaves room for the supporting cast to show the lack of set morals in the Lower City.
World – 4.5/5 stars – Tortall is amazing, but in this book, we only focus on a very small corner of it unlike some of the other books where we get to see different countries and customs.
Romance – NA – not present but there are sexual undertones to some of it.
Plot  – 1000/5 stars – It is complex it is twisty and it took a second read to see the clues to the criminal.
Things to be aware of: This was a tricky one to put an age rating on – but I had to add the B because it is pretty dark and there are a few sexual innuendos. As always the age ratings are just a guide so you can read it whenever you want as long as you are comfortable with a bit more violence than some of my recommendations.

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