Book Review: Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers
# 1 in the His Fair Assassin series
Release Date: March 7, 2012
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Pages: 528
Received: ARC from author
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars, Special Shelf

Summary

From Goodreads:

Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf?

Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.

Ismae’s most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?

Review

It's *THAT* book!

I had perfectly moderate hopes for Grave Mercy after having enjoyed Robin LaFever's MG book Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos but not really having any idea what to expect from her foray into YA.

Apparently what I should have expected was the answer to all of my bookish prayers, because that's exactly what I got! It was like Robin LaFevers looked directly into my heart and then wrote out the story of my dreams.

Assassin nuns

I have a fascination with assassins, probably because they both do what I will never experience (um, killing people) and they are experts at stealth and physical prowess (I'm about as stealthy as a puppy, which is, yeah, not very).

Ismae is totally badass when it comes to her assassin skills. She is a master at poisons and pretty handy with physical combat. Need someone killed? Ismae is your girl!

But when Ismae is assigned to play the part of a mistress in order to ferret out deadly court secrets, she's a total fish out of water.

I adored her! She's one of those MCs who is imperfect--she makes mistakes, she isn't always right, she puts her foot in her mouth when talking to the guy she likes, and I love her for her imperfections (probably because I share them). Her first person narration was especially wonderful in showing her embarrassment over her social flubs.

Ismae is also torn between following her heart and following the directives of her convent, and her conflicted feelings here really resonated with me. I felt for her, and even though I've never actually been in the position of to-kill-or-not-to-kill, I could still totally understand her struggle between pleasing others or pleasing herself. I loved seeing her grow into her own woman!

Sa-Woon!

I'm super picky about romance, but Grave Mercy dished up my absolute favorite kind. The guy, Duval, isn't a weenie (auto-points for that!). To prove this, he totally held his own when he and Ismae were attacked (Hot guy with sword alert!!). And this is just one example among many other wonderfully manly actions.

Of course he's physically attractive, but I fell in love with him because he's also smart, strong, unwaveringly loyal, and the type of person who inspires that same loyalty in return.

He didn't exactly like or trust Ismae when they first met (hate turned love--more points!!), but he still treated her with respect because he's classy like that. Their romance evolved slowly across the book and never overwhelmed the plot. But did I get *that* kiss at the end?

OH YEAH, and a lot more than that! My favorite parts were actually the non-kissing parts when Duval visits Ismae's bedroom at night (no, not how you're thinking). Those scenes crackled with romantic tension.

This book is probably more like Poison Study where it is an adult/YA crossover instead of straight YA. Some of the themes and events may be a little mature for younger YA audiences.

Dasdardly plots

The political intrigue is ramped up to 11 and with all the twists and turns, I rarely knew who to trust. So many people had motives, and many of them were engaged in smaller side schemes.

As the story came together I was able to deduce the ultimate bad guy before Ismae, which might have been a little frustrating but really didn't bug me in the face of all the other awesomeness.

I also wasn't overly bothered by discovering the who because the effects of their scheming were still engaging. Poor Anne (the duchess, Duval's half sister and the woman to whom Ismae's convent has sworn their loyalty) is put in truly awful situations and as the book progresses, Anne's position becomes increasingly perilous.

I adored Anne, so I had my book clutched in a white knuckled grip wondering how in the world Ismae and Duval were going to outsmart all of Anne's enemies and worrying that something truly awful was going to happen as the machinations of the court vipers slowly closed in around them.

Historical backdrop

The setting of Grave Mercy is medieval France from the perspective of Brittany (who, at this point has been taken over by France but is still trying to maneuver for independence).

I knew NOTHING about this time period. Literally, embarrassingly, nothing. Prior to reading this book I even thought Brittany was in a completely different part of Europe. See? Embarrassing, but true.

So given that, I have absolutely no clue about the level of historical accuracy or inaccuracy in Grave Mercy. I do now know (thanks to Wikipedia) that Anne was a real person and the broad stroke events surrounding her marriage situation and the plight of Brittany at the time are true. (Although I've since learned a lot more from this slightly spoilery author's note).

But did my lack of knowledge matter? Nope, not at all. Robin LaFevers constructed her story in such a way that I didn't need to have any prior historical understanding. To me, it felt like I was reading a well-developed fantasy world with a detailed cultural backdrop and loads of political intrigue.

Bottom line

The pacing isn't super fast, but it isn't slow either. It's what I'd call "slow-burn pacing." There was always something that held my interest and the secrets behind the political intrigue were unraveled at a pace somewhere between tantalizingly slow and satisfyingly fast.

Though, honestly, these characters could sit around watching grass grow and I would still be interested in reading about them.

Grave Mercy is the first book in the His Fair Assassin trilogy, but it reads like a standalone. The next book will take place in the same setting, but will focus on a different girl and the final book on a third girl.

I can't recommend Grave Mercy highly enough! I am so, so happy there will be more books in this fantastically wonderful new series.

Explanation of rating system: Star Rating Key 

Do you have any questions about Grave Mercy that I haven't addressed? 
Feel free to ask in the comments!

Need more incentive? 
Check out my cover review! 
Check out Robin's interview from the Historical Fantasy Jubilee!

Add it on Goodreads! 
Buy it on Amazon!


(I made sure to post this AFTER the release so you don't have to torture yourselves. No more waiting!)

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Book Review: The Gathering Storm by Robin Bridges

The Gathering Storm by Robin Bridges
Release Date: January 10, 2012
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Pages: 400
Received: ARC from publisher
Rating: 1.5 out of 5 stars

Summary

From Goodreads:

St. Petersburg, Russia, 1888. As she attends a whirl of glittering balls, royal debutante Katerina Alexandrovna, Duchess of Oldenburg, tries to hide a dark secret: she can raise the dead. No one knows. Not her family. Not the girls at her finishing school. Not the tsar or anyone in her aristocratic circle. Katerina considers her talent a curse, not a gift. But when she uses her special skill to protect a member of the Imperial Family, she finds herself caught in a web of intrigue.

An evil presence is growing within Europe's royal bloodlines—and those aligned with the darkness threaten to topple the tsar. Suddenly Katerina's strength as a necromancer attracts attention from unwelcome sources . . . including two young men—George Alexandrovich, the tsar's standoffish middle son, who needs Katerina's help to safeguard Russia, even if he's repelled by her secret, and the dashing Prince Danilo, heir to the throne of Montenegro, to whom Katerina feels inexplicably drawn.
The time has come for Katerina to embrace her power, but which side will she choose—and to whom will she give her heart?

Review

Four things I want out of an historical fantasy, 
and where The Gathering Storm went wrong for me

1. I want to feel like I'm there

I was really looking forward to immersing myself in Tsarist Russia and living and breathing the Russian court and culture, but sadly, this didn't happen. Aside from the traditional Russian naming conventions used*, I would have assumed the setting was England and the characters were all British.

*(Talk about a mouthful! The inclusion of traditional Russian naming conventions is a great way to pad a book with an extra 50 pages!)

2. I want a main character of her time, but interesting

One of the reasons I love historical fantasy is because it allows for more interesting female roles than in straight-up historical fiction. I was totally on board with the idea of Katerina as a necromancer.

But reading about Katerina the duchess who wants to be a doctor? Eeeeh, I'm having a MUCH harder time buying that.

It's not that I'm against women doctors or the idea of a woman bucking society's expectations (Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman fangirl, right here!), but I just couldn't believe that a duchess of that time period would be willing to throw everything away to become a doctor.

And keep in mind, being a doctor wasn't a glamorous job then. Being a doctor was a perfectly acceptable career...for someone in the middle class. That Katerina was so brazenly gung-ho about it didn't ring true to me at all and made her seem spoiled and naive. 

(Plus, I straight up didn't like her)

Katerina seriously irritated me. She constantly contradicted herself by saying one thing and then doing something that completely undermined what she said.

She never really acted like she wanted to be a doctor. Sure she talked about it a lot, but when actually placed in a situation where she could whip out her doctor hat, she seemed uncomfortable and clueless. Her crowning moment was squeamishly tying on a bandage. Forgive me if I'm unimpressed. 

Katerina pulled this "talk the talk, but not walk the walk" when it came to learning about her necromancy powers, too. She said she needed to learn more (and oh boy is THAT an understatement!), but she then spurned almost every opportunity she was presented with.

She pooh-poohed advice given to her to protect herself from magical threats because she refused to believe those threats could possibly exist. You're a necromancer, honey! Why is it such a stretch to believe Bad Magical People exist too? Her actions made zero sense to me, and yet I'm somehow supposed to buy that she's a smart cookie? I'm having trouble making the connection.

Rejecting princess-ness and knocking everyone who enjoyed such things wasn't winning her any points with me either. I like balls and princesses and girly things like that. I'm also uncomfortable with people who elevate themselves by putting down others, and so I couldn't get on board with Katerina's constant scorning and belittling of her peers.

3. I want a smooth integration of magical elements

The magical elements in some historical fantasies are integrated so well that I have to remind myself that the magical parts are not actually based on fact. That wasn't the case here.

I was totally confused about the rules of The Gathering Storm's magical elements. Because the book is narrated by Katerina and she flat out refused to learn anything about the paranormal creatures, the rules surrounding them were extremely vague. The who, what, where, when, why, and how of it all seemed muddy and inconsistent. 

For example, there were vampires, witches, necromancers, and a host of other paranormal creatures, and at some points it seemed like they were all "out" in society. But then other times it seemed like they were a big secret and the vast majority of people had no clue they existed. And if they found out, there would be DIRE consequences. So, um, which is it? I'm very confused. 

4. I want it to be more exciting than my history textbook

I was bogged down by the slow pacing and the endless balls that seemed to serve no purpose to the overall plot (and I usually like balls). My inner child even piped up a few times to whine "Are we there yet??" I suspect The Gathering Storm has come down with a serious case of series stretching.

Writing style. I REALLY noticed.

The Grand Duchess and the Grand Duchess enter a room, and then the Grand Duchess leaves.

When I wasn't tripping over all of the Katerina Alexandrovnas I was thoroughly confused with the over-used vague titles.

If a story has more than one Grand Duchess or Grand Duke etc, then I don't recommend referring to all of them by their title instead of their name. That applies doubly when they're all present at the same time.

This also really didn't help establish the characters as individuals, especially given their personalities were so sparsely developed.

Editing errors

As if I wasn't already confused enough, editing inconsistencies threw me for a loop. At one point Katerina is wearing a ring on a necklace, but a few sentences later the ring has magically appeared on her finger! A character who knows nothing of the paranormal suddenly does! This sort of thing occurred a lot.

Full disclosure though, I did read an ARC, so many of those inconsistencies may have been corrected in the final version.

Will I read the sequel?

No. I am a little curious about the plot because there were some interesting bits there, but I don't think I could put up with Katerina much more. The writing and editing left too much to be desired and I'm not going to muddle through it again.

Do I recommend it?

That depends. Even if the writing improved, I still personally wouldn't like Katerina and the lack of realism. BUT, readers who enjoyed Jennifer Bradbury's Wrapped might not mind this at all. I had similar complaints about Agnes in Wrapped and I know a lot of people loved her and didn't mind the historical stretches.

Explanation of rating system: Star Rating Key 

Do you have any questions about The Gathering Storm that I haven't addressed? 
Feel free to ask in the comments!

Add this book on Goodreads
Buy The Gathering Storm

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Book Review: Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder

Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder
Series: #1 in the Healer series
Release Date: December 20, 2011
Publisher: Mira
Pages: 394
Received: ARC from publisher, via NetGalley
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Summary

From Goodreads:

Laying hands upon the injured and dying, Avry of Kazan assumes their wounds and diseases into herself. But rather than being honored for her skills, she is hunted. Healers like Avry are accused of spreading the plague that has decimated the Territories, leaving the survivors in a state of chaos.

Stressed and tired from hiding, Avry is abducted by a band of rogues who, shockingly, value her gift above the golden bounty offered for her capture. Their leader, an enigmatic captor-protector with powers of his own, is unequivocal in his demands: Avry must heal a plague-stricken prince—leader of a campaign against her people.

As they traverse the daunting Nine Mountains, beset by mercenaries and magical dangers, Avry must decide who is worth healing and what is worth dying for. Because the price of peace may well be her life...

Review

HECK YES

I love books like this. I don't even know where to begin with pointing out the awesome. Think specially made pom-poms and t-shirts just for this book so I can adequately fangirl over it.

I'll be your friend, 
and not just because it would be handy to have you around

Avry is almost perfect for me. Almost. I couldn't help but compare her to Yelena (I know, bad Small), and unfortunately she didn't quite stack up. But that's more an indication of how much I adore Yelena, not how little I like Avry.

Because I like Avry a lot. She's one of those characters who is stubborn to a fault and totally blind to the obvious when it comes to romance, but for some reason I like her anyway. She even did stupid things and I liked her because her intentions were always good, even if her execution was often wanting.

Her healing power is also pretty cool. How neat would it be to have her around? At first I thought it was a pretty straight-forward power, but that was such a silly assumption on my part because Maria V. Snyder is far too amazing to do simple.

My only real complaint about Avry is that her characterization is a touch inconsistent and just a little bit Mary Sue with people fawning over her in ways that made me happy, but were also a little unrealistic.

Ok, fine, I guess I'll swoon for you

And then there's Kerrick. Oh Kerrick, what am I going to do with you? I knew I was in love with Kerrick from page one, but that really had nothing to do with Kerrick. That was all residual love from Valek.

When I started getting to know Kerrick, I was surprised by how much of a jerk he actually was. And it's not like he had an excuse for it either (or, not a good enough excuse for me).

Slowly but surely and just like Avry, I eventually came around to swooning for Kerrick (albeit a little grudgingly). It's hard not to when he's all Strong Stoic Fighter who later admits how devastated he would be if anything happened to the MC. Plus I can't not fall in love with a hate-turned-love romance.

A part of me is still sulking over his jerkiness, but I wanted to swoon over him and if I block out his earlier behavior, then swooning comes pretty easy.

(Still, dude, you just don't tie a girl to a tree and slap her like that!)

Big family alert!

I fell in love with Yelena's band of friends in Poison Study, and the same thing happened in Touch of Power. Maria V. Snyder does an awesome job at writing a group of friends who dote on the main character and make me feel all fuzzy and warm inside. I'm a sucker for the "big family" element and Maria V. Snyder totally satisfied me on this. You'd think I was looking at puppy pictures with the amount of awwws they pulled out of me.

Now, ok, maybe it wasn't totally realistic, and maybe the dialog did cross over into full on cheesy, A LOT. But I'm mostly ok with that because it made me smile.

Don't even think about bedtimes

This book is like potato chips. Or popcorn. Or cookies. What I mean is, you can't stop at just one and even with the best intentions of eating just a few, you'll soon realize you've scarfed down the entire container and you're still looking for more.

Or maybe I just have no self-control when it comes to food.

Whatever. I'm warning you now, Maria V. Snyder is an evil genius when it comes to ending every single chapter on a GIGANTIC cliffhanger. Her chapters aren't super long either, so it's easy to give in to the temptation of, "Oh, just one more" in order to find out what happens next.

This genius tactic, combined with the fast-pace, high action, and ever-growing mysteries made this 400 page tome fly by in the blink of an eye. I balk at 350 page books for being too long, so this is high praise coming from me.

My new favorite genre

I'm a character girl, and so usually it's the characters that will make or break a book for me and command the majority of my attention. And it's true, I loved the characters here. But the world Maria V. Snyder created is, dare I say it, even better.

It's solidly placed in the "generic medieval village," but a few years back a devastating plague swept through the world and killed a significant part of the population. Rulers fell and civilization pretty much disappeared, making Touch of Power a post-apocalyptic fantasy.

Yes, post-apocalyptic fantasy!! How awesome is that?? Hands down, this is my new favorite genre. Can we get more of this, please??

The sheer amazingness of this world building is making me all misty-eyed

The world is set up pretty well in the beginning and I understood the basics of what went down.  But then, the more I read, the more details filtered through. Maria V. Snyder slowly introduced the different factions rising up to take control of the fractured lands, and just like Avry, I was never sure who I should place my loyalties with (if anyone!).

Then, partway through when Avry and I thought we understood everything, a bomb was dropped that totally shook us and had us questioning everything we thought we knew. It was marvelous!

Also, do you see those flowers on the cover? I admit, when I first saw them I thought they were kinda lame and I wondered if they even had anything to do with the plot or if they were just the floral equivalent to a pretty dress cover.

Well, let me assure you that one, they play a HUGE role in the book, and two, they are freaking scary (and, also, not so tiny!). All of the mythology and history tied up with these flowers was so filled with win that I actually got toe-tapping impatient when page time was spent on things like battles and swoony scenes. Totally crazy, right?

Oh, and to make things even better, the whole story is one giant QUEST!

WARNING!
(but don't worry, it has nothing to do with animals getting hurt)

Have tissues on hand. 

Why no Special Shelf?

Three reasons. One, my mixed feelings about Avry and Kerrick.

Two, the language. Avry narrates with a very modern style of speaking that didn't feel natural to me and sometimes pulled me out of the story. I wanted something a little more "fantasy world" and less "modern teen." The other characters didn't seem to speak like this either, so that made it feel even more out of place.

And three, it just didn't stack up to Poison Study. All of the characters were less developed and the writing seemed A LOT rougher (but I read an ARC, so maybe that's why?).

Bottom line

Hooo-leee cow. How long do I have to wait for the sequel now?? No, really, how long?? I don't want to wait another second. Sure the ending is wrapped up nicely (Maria spared me her genius cliffhangers and gave me a neat ending).

But do you know how many questions I still have about the world?! I KNOW there are more secrets to uncover and gosh darnnit I am going to find out what those dead people are hiding from me!

Yes, yes you do hear me petulantly stomping my foot.

I'm hooked. Sure I like Avry and Kerrick and their friends. And sure I want to read more about them doing pretty much anything. But those flowers! That history! The fight for power! The mysteries are killing me and I am desperate for more.

Explanation of rating system: Star Rating Key 



 

Do you have any questions about Touch of Power that I haven't addressed?  Feel free to ask in the comments!







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Book Review: Kiss of Frost by Jennifer Estep

Kiss of Frost by Jennifer Estep
Series: Mythos Academy #2 
Release Date: November 29, 2011
Publisher: Kensington
Pages: 368
Received: ARC from author 
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads Page

There are NO spoilers here, but if you see that a character is mentioned then you kinda know they didn't die in the first book!

Still not sure? Check out my review of Touch of Frost instead!

Summary

From Goodreads:

Logan Quinn was try­ing to kill me. My Spar­tan class­mate relent­lessly pur­sued me, swing­ing his sword at me over and over again, the shin­ing sil­ver blade inch­ing closer to my throat every time. A smile tugged up his lips, and his ice-blue eyes prac­ti­cally glowed with the thrill of battle...

I’m Gwen Frost, a second-year warrior-in-training at Mythos Acad­emy, and I have no idea how I’m going to sur­vive the rest of the semes­ter. One day, I’m get­ting schooled in sword­play by the guy who broke my heart—the drop-dead gor­geous Logan who slays me every time. Then, an invis­i­ble archer in the Library of Antiq­ui­ties decides to use me for tar­get prac­tice. And now, I find out that some­one at the acad­emy is really a Reaper bad guy who wants me dead. I’m afraid if I don’t learn how to live by the sword—with Logan’s help—I just might die by the sword...

Review

I missed you so much!!

Opening Kiss of Frost was like hanging out with an old friend after a too-long separation. I know it hadn't really been all that long in the grand scheme of things (it's only been about five months since I reviewed Touch of Frost), but I missed Gwen and all of her friends so much.

Kiss of Frost picks up shortly after Touch of Frost with Logan giving Gwen fighting lessons. I was REALLY looking forward to getting some charged scenes between the two of them during these lessons, but alas, Logan Quinn rarely does what I want him to do (and I love that about him).

But don't worry, those scenes DO come later.

I think I have a girl crush

Much as I love Logan and learning all about the Reapers and the war between the Greek gods, the real draw for me is Gwen.

Gosh do I love Gwen. I just want to invite her over for endless sleepover parties. She's sarcastic and brittle, but she's rarely annoying about it and when she does cross the line she immediately recognizes it.

But what I really love about Gwen is her combination of vulnerability and courage. She's the type of character that makes me want to reach out to her and say things like "Oh honey!" while wrapping her in a hug and giving her a cookie and some hot cocoa. She's a little sad and a little dorky, but underneath it all she has a backbone of steel and she WILL do what needs to be done.

It's a good thing I love Gwen so much

Because otherwise I probably would have been bored with a good part of the book. There wasn't nearly as much action and mystery as there was in the first book and it was pretty much just my very strong love of the characters that kept me engaged.

A few seeds of mystery are planted early on, but then the kids leave on a school ski trip and not much happens for about 100 pages. Even though the action was low, I still had fun tagging along with Gwen at the ritzy ski resort (they had funnel cake and a carnival!). After about 100 pages, though, the action does pick up a bit and Gwen is back to her sleuthing ways.

And can I just say her psychometry gift? TOTALLY COOL! Gwen learns a bunch of new things she can do with her ability, and it is really one of the more awesome abilities I've read about. I would be touching as many people as I could (and probably get a lot of really weird looks in the process because, yeah, that makes me sound kinda perverted, but it's not and it would be so worth it!)

My whiz kid gift must be precognition

There were a few red herrings that did keep me on my toes and one surprise I didn't expect, but, sadly, I saw the Big Bad coming wwaaaaayy too soon. And the solution. I hate it when that happens. It's like accidentally stumbling on where your parents hid your Christmas presents.

It wasn't until the final 60 pages or so that my precog sputtered and died. This is where the real meat and potatoes of the story came in, and to think I assumed this would be the part of the book where everything would wind down after the big climax!

Oh no, that's not what happened at all! Gwen discovers some pretty interesting things that really start to flesh out her understanding of this whole Reaper/Gods war thing. She also BROUGH IT and laid out a really spectacular fist-pump-inducing line.

Because it just needs to be said

Vic, the talking sword, is still MADE OF WIN. A new fenrir wolf character is also introduced and he's so cool! I'll take one of each, please.

Bottom line

I cannot wait to find out what happens in the third book now! The ending is wonderfully frustrating because it promises some really cool things in book three, but it's a cliffhanger. I am so ready for Gwen to go after the Reapers until she and Vic are "bathed in their blood and hungry for more!" (as Vic would say).

I wish the action had been a little more consistent and I'm super impatient to find out more about the Reapers and the Gods, but I love every single one of these characters so even if they did nothing but eat cookies all day I would be happy to tag along (and not just because the cookies sound fantastic!)

Explanation of rating system: Star Rating Key 

Do you have any questions about Kiss of Frost that I haven't addressed? 
Feel free to ask in the comments!

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Book Review: The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton

The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton
Release Date: September 27, 2011
Publisher: Tor Teen
Pages: 352
Received: Review copy from publisher
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads Page

Summary

From Goodreads:

Debut novelist Kiki Hamilton takes readers from the gritty slums and glittering ballrooms of Victorian London to the beguiling but menacing Otherworld of the Fey in this spellbinding tale of romance, suspense, and danger.

The year is 1871, and Tiki has been making a home for herself and her family of orphans in a deserted hideaway adjoining Charing Cross Station in central London. Their only means of survival is by picking pockets. One December night, Tiki steals a ring, and sets off a chain of events that could lead to all-out war with the Fey. For the ring belongs to Queen Victoria, and it binds the rulers of England and the realm of Faerie to peace. With the ring missing, a rebel group of faeries hopes to break the treaty with dark magic and blood—Tiki’s blood.

Unbeknownst to Tiki, she is being watched—and protected—by Rieker, a fellow thief who suspects she is involved in the disappearance of the ring. Rieker has secrets of his own, and Tiki is not all that she appears to be. Her very existence haunts Prince Leopold, the Queen’s son, who is driven to know more about the mysterious mark that encircles her wrist.

Prince, pauper, and thief—all must work together to secure the treaty…

Review

I don't like faeries

Faeries are one of my DO NOT WANT features, mostly because I think they're jerks and I have a hard time getting on board with their haughty superiority complexes (but also because I find it hard to swoon over a glittery guy described as "delicate").

If you're with me on faeries, then don't worry because The Faerie Ring is not your typical faerie book (fairy? faerie? Can't we get ONE spelling??). They actually don't take up much time in the book at all and when they do, they're definitely Bad News, as they should be.

Plus, they're never the romantic lead, so I didn't have to squirm over that.

I'm a cold-hearted woman

Gritty slums? Um, more like depressing slums. The first, oh, 130 pages or so mostly follow the plight of Tiki and her ragged band of street urchins as she tries to steal food and acquire medicine for them.

There is nothing wrong with this part at all. It's written well and I can see how people would find the kids adorable.

But me? I guess I'm a meanie because I was totally bored. I didn't really care that the kids were starving and one of them was really sick and they were all living in a cold abandoned building. I mean, sure, that's sad, but the kids were so "stock cute orphan" that I just couldn't muster up any feelings for them as individuals.

Plus, dirty, starving, sick kids doesn't make for exciting reading. Every time they sat there looking cold and ill and all "Please sir, may I have some more?" I wanted to snap at them and say, "NO! Now get off your butt and go kill a fairy."

I know, I sound awful.

None for you!

Name your romantic lead after this guy, and I'll pretty much love him forever

Ok, so he's not named exactly after the dashing Number One, but it's close enough for me. That he had a totally swoon-worthy personality didn't hurt matters either.

Rieker has that laid back swagger personality. He's cool, confident, enigmatic, and he has a charming protective streak. His relationship with Tiki develops slowly in the background and is based on mutual admiration earned over time. Points for that!

Outside of the elusive promise of brewing war, Rieker was my main reason for continuing on. My interest level spiked every time he entered a scene.

Bonuses

+ Side character Prince Leo who isn't a romantic interest (despite what the blurb might imply), but I still fell for him anyway. And no, not just because he's a prince (though that didn't hurt his cause). He's a "nice guy," but he's also inquisitive and a pretty sharp cookie. I would love to read more about him.

+ Dressing up for a masked ball. What can I say, I like playing dress up and hobnobbing with royalty.

+ The final third of the book. The pacing picked up and I was curious to find out who would make off with the ring in the end.

Stars off

I was totally confused about Tiki's age for a good part of the book. During the whole beginning part her voice, mannerisms, and actions felt like she was on the younger end of the YA spectrum, maybe even bordering on MG. Her street urchin family felt like her peers.

Then about halfway through she started to feel more like the mother figure to the rag-tag bunch. This made me feel better about the budding romance and Tiki's interactions with Leo, who is clearly not MG-aged.

But, eh, it was kind of a weird adjustment to make. I don't know if I was just reading things wrong in the beginning or if there really is an abrupt "aging," but this took away from my immersion and enjoyment.

I also just wasn't feeling Tiki in general. I didn't dislike her, but I didn't click with her either. This made the romance and all of Tiki's plights feel sort of flat for me because I was never fully invested (as if my Miss Hannigan routine didn't already make that perfectly clear).

The pacing was also a little uneven for me. I found the first 130 pages pretty boring and while the latter half picked up, it never delved as deeply into the impending faerie war as I was hoping it would. Instead the climax focuses on the sick little girl and, I'll admit, I was prepared and happy to sacrifice her for the good of the entire human population.

Bottom line

A nice solid book that ends as a standalone, though I'm pretty sure there are sequels planned. The historical setting was nice, but not overly immersive. I'd call this historical fiction lite.

I liked the third person narrative and while the POV does jump around a little, I thought it was pulled off well. Most of the POV focus is on Tiki, but the glimpses into Rieker and Leo's POV's (which I liked MUCH better than Tiki's) makes me curious to see what Kiki Hamilton would do with a male main character.

I liked it, I'm glad I read it, but I'm disappointed that I didn't connect with Tiki and that the war and intrigue never really developed as much as I hoped it would.

I did like Kiki Hamilton's writing style though and she definitely knows how to write attractive guys, so I'll be keeping an eye out for what she writes next. I'm not sure yet if I'll continue reading about Tiki though.

Explanation of rating system: Star Rating Key 

Do you have any questions about The Faerie Ring that I haven't addressed? 
Feel free to ask in the comments!

Does Ruby agree with me? Disagree? Find out today at Ruby's Reads! Check out our Historical Fantasy Jubilee full schedule of events and giveaways!

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Book Review: Song of the Nile by Stephanie Dray

Song of the Nile by Stephanie Dray
Release Date: October 4, 2011
Publisher: Berkley Trade/Penguin
Pages: 416
Series: Cleopatra's Daughter #2
Received: ARC from author
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars, Special Shelf
Goodreads Page

There are NO major spoilers in this review, but if I mention a character, then you can kind of figure out that they didn't die in the first book.

Really worried? Click here to read my review of the first book, Lily of the Nile instead!

Summary

From Goodreads:

Sorceress. Seductress. Schemer. Cleopatra's daughter is the one woman with the power to destroy an empire...

Having survived her perilous childhood as a royal captive of Rome, Selene pledged her loyalty to Augustus and swore she would become his very own Cleopatra. Now the young queen faces an uncertain destiny in a foreign land.

The magic of Isis flowing through her veins is what makes her indispensable to the emperor. Against a backdrop of imperial politics and religious persecution, Cleopatra's daughter beguiles her way to the very precipice of power. She has never forgotten her birthright, but will the price of her mother's throne be more than she's willing to pay?

Review

Fire up the Delorean

Song of the Nile picks up right where Lily of the Nile left off and I was immediately sucked back into Selene's world. I don't know whether it is Selene's captivating first person narrative or if it is Stephanie Dray's meticulous attention to detail, but rarely have I been so thoroughly absorbed in a book as I was with this series.

I could clearly picture everything Selene saw, taste what she ate, and feel what she felt. I felt like I was growing and changing along with Selene as she developed as a mother and a ruler.

At one point, I was so into what I was reading that I actually angrily cursed a character who was INFURIATING me for the way they were treating Selene. It was totally an involuntary reaction, and I cursed them vehemently...and, erm, out loud (that was an interesting reaction to explain because I was NOT alone when that happened. But luckily I was not at work, either).

I am so proud of you!

Selene's growth was tremendous, and while she matured a lot in Lily of the Nile, she still had a long way to go. Song of the Nile sees her finally breaking the shackles of her past and becoming the mighty woman I knew she could be. I am so proud of her.

But Selene's triumph comes late in the book and the time leading up to that is filled with delicious tension (oh my gosh--white knuckled, PLEASE THAT CAN'T HAPPEN! kind of tension!). The game of political chess Selene engaged in with Octavian in Lily of the Nile continues in Song of the Nile, but the stakes are higher. Selene's position is significantly more powerful than it was, but instead of adding security that only elevated the danger.

Like her mother before her, Selene uses her sexuality as a weapon and a snare. However, Selene is not simply another version of Cleopatra. She is both like and unlike her mother, and this internal struggle over following in her mother's footsteps or finding her own path takes a more prominent role in Song of the Nile. Selene's struggle to find herself and the right path for her--despite the expectations of others, resonated strongly with me.

A note on the historical accuracy

This is historical fiction, but it is not a straight restatement of events. Many of the events did happen, however, after looking into Selene's history a little (and reading the author's note), it seems like documentation of Selene's life is pretty sparse.

The more specific things Selene does in Song of the Nile are not backed up by history (as far as my very limited research shows), but they are not contradicted either. We just don't know. So could Selene have engaged in intense political and personal sparring with Octavian? Possibly.

Even more important (to me) is that Stephanie Dray wove in her fiction with reality in such a way that her fiction enhances and explains the gaps in what we know of the historical facts while staying true to the spirit and personalities of the historical players. Her characterizations of the Roman characters, especially through what would have likely been Selene's perspective, seems spot on to me.

Romance?

Whoa baby! Everything I was hoping would happen did happen. Remember, this is an upper YA/Adult book.

And I'll just leave it at that.

Bottom line

There is another book planned, but Song of the Nile ends perfectly and more isn't necessary to make the story feel complete (but more is totally welcome!)

I really hope Stephanie Dray continues to write historical fiction because she is now solidly on my (very short) list of favorite historical fiction writers. I am left breathless by her powerhouse combination of tangible world building, historical reverence, fluid writing, and incredible character depth. More, please?

Explanation of rating system: Star Rating Key 

Do you have any questions about Song of the Nile that I haven't addressed? 
Feel free to ask in the comments!

Stay tuned tomorrow for a guest post by Stephanie Dray and a chance to win your own copy of Song of the Nile!

Looking for another book like this? 

You might like: 

Click on the covers to go to my reviews.

Ruby has a list for you today about one of her favorite historical fantasy authors, check it out! Check out our Historical Fantasy Jubilee full schedule of events and giveaways!

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Book Review: Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George

Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George
Release Date: October 25, 2011
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Pages: 288
Received: ARC from publisher
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads Page

Summary

From Goodreads:

Tuesdays at Castle Glower are Princess Celie's favorite days. That's because on Tuesdays the castle adds a new room, a turret, or sometimes even an entire wing. No one ever knows what the castle will do next, and no one-other than Celie, that is-takes the time to map out the new additions.

But when King and Queen Glower are ambushed and their fate is unknown, it's up to Celie, with her secret knowledge of the castle's never-ending twists and turns, to protect their home and save their kingdom.

Review

Six reasons I loved Tuesdays at the Castle

1.Family

I thought Tuesdays at the Castle was going to be all about Celie, and while Celie is the main focus (the third person narration has a focus on her), her older brother and sister are just as important.

I loved this! The interaction between the siblings was sweet and fun. I actually loved Celie's brother and sister so much that I would read the story all over again told from each of their perspectives.

2. Pogue 

This is a MG book, so the romance is really, really minimal (like, only implied), but Pogue is where it's at and his devil-may-care, charming and flirty personality makes him a character to watch.

Maybe we could get a book told from Lilah's perspective so I can get more Pogue (Pogue has a little thing going on with Celie's older sister Lilah)? I could go for that!

3. A character who owns a pile of puppies 

Puppies! I'm firmly in the camp that believes puppies make everything better.

4. Celie

She gets a sleepover party invite! Celie is everything I want in a MC--she's inquisitive, determined, and she so gets the value of secret passageways.

And, yeah, maybe after watching the requisite scary movie at our sleepover party we'd both pull out our childhood stuffed animals that we told all our friends we got rid of ages ago but really we didn't. But that's ok because we both understand that sometimes nothing can offer comfort like that old stuffed animal friend.

Basically what I'm saying here is that Celie may be super awesome for standing up against some pretty rotten characters, but she's a real girl with courage AND fears and I could totally relate to her while also admiring her.

Plus, she's a princess, so there's automatic points for that.

5. Castle Glower

If I hadn't already been sold on reading Tuesdays at the Castle because this is a Jessica Day George book and I'll read anything she writes, that castle that magically adds new rooms and features would have cinched the deal.

Half the reason I read so many castle/mansion books is because I get to explore big houses! The idea of a castle that is constantly growing and changing and adding new cool secret passageways (can you tell I have a thing for secret passageways?) and magical objects is just so full of win that I think they need to invent a new level of awesome just for Castle Glower.

The fact that the castle is also effectively a character in its own right who loves the royal family just makes the whole thing explode with awesomeness even more. Do you remmeber Nana from Peter Pan? You know, the dog who watches over the children? Imagine if she was a castle and could create magical objects. Pretty neat, right?

6. Political intrigue

This is a MG book, but I think the political intrigue was still pretty entertaining. I really wished I could reach into the book and start slapping the bad guys. They cook up some nasty schemes, and I liked how new layers were peeled back, slowly exposing their duplicity.

Of course this is a MG book, so none of the bad guys got a (well deserved) actual skewering, but Jessica Day George gave me plenty of opportunities to laugh at their comeuppances.

And, while I knew everything would work out in the end (it's a Jessica Day George book--she never fails to give me the Happily Ever After I want), there were a bunch of times where I was so wrapped up in the characters' plights that I was practically plunged alongside them into the depths of despair wondering how in the world they were going to fix everything.

Stars off?

I'm kind of just a tensy little bit of an impatient reader (which is probably the biggest understatement of the year). So the slower beginning made me a little antsy. It wasn't like nothing was happening, but it felt like there was a lot of waiting around in the beginning.

Pogue also gets sent off on a quest-type mission and I'll admit that I pouted and may have even stomped my foot a little when I realized *I* wasn't tagging along.

Instead I was stuck in the castle (which, yeah, I know as far as consolation prizes go this one wasn't half bad. But, but, I missed out on a QUEST, with Pogue! It kinda felt like getting stuck at the kiddie table when all the grownups are discussing juicy secrets).

Bottom line

I am a fawning, pom-pom waving fangirl for Jessica Day George, and Tuesdays at the Castle just reminded me again why. Somehow she always manages to spin a cotton candy confection of fluffy happy goodness with a captivating plot, endearing characters, and seriously bad villains.

Lucky for me, Tuesdays at the Castle is just the beginning! There will be at least two more books about Celie and her magical castle (and her brother and sister? And Pogue? I hope!)

But, don't let that scare you off because Tuesdays at the Castle can totally be read as a standalone. In fact, if I hadn't read on Jessica Day George's blog that there would be sequels, I never would have thought there was more to come (but I am SO so looking forward to more!)

Explanation of rating system: Star Rating Key 

Do you have any questions about Tuesdays at the Castle that I haven't addressed? 
Feel free to ask in the comments!

Looking for another book like this? 

You might like: 

Click on the covers to go to my reviews/Goodreads.

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Book Review: The False Princess by Eilis O'Neal

The False Princess by Eilis O'Neal
Release Date: January 25, 2011
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Pages: 319
Received: Library
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads Page

Summary

From Goodreads:

Princess and heir to the throne of Thorvaldor, Nalia's led a privileged life at court.  But everything changes when it's revealed, just after her sixteenth birthday, that she is a false princess, a stand-in for the real Nalia, who has been hidden away for her protection.  Cast out with little more than the clothes on her back, the girl now called Sinda must leave behind the city of Vivaskari, her best friend, Keirnan, and the only life she's ever known.

Sinda is sent to live with her only surviving relative, an aunt who is a dyer in a distant village. She is a cold, scornful woman with little patience for her newfound niece, and Sinda proves inept at even the simplest tasks.  But when Sinda discovers that magic runs through her veins - long-suppressed, dangerous magic that she must learn to control - she realizes that she can never learn to be a simple village girl.

Returning to Vivaskari for answers, Sinda finds her purpose as a wizard scribe, rediscovers the boy who saw her all along, and uncovers a secret that could change the course of Thorvaldor's history, forever.

A dazzling first novel, The False Princess is an engrossing fantasy full of mystery, action, and romance.

Review

We're on the road to nowhere

The story starts off quickly enough with Sinda having the news of her non-princess status broken to her in the very first chapter. This is good. 

What wasn't so good was the 100 page digression that happened next. As if that weren't frustrating enough, this is a digression of suck. I don't mean to say that it wasn't well written, because it was (the whole book is), but rather that this period in Sinda's life sucks. 

And you guys know me, right? I like happy sparkly things, not dreary sucky things.

Sinda takes about 100 pages to wallow in the facts that she's useless when it comes to non-royal tasks, she has no friends in the village, and even her aunt doesn't like her all that much. Oh, and she learns she's a pushover who does nothing but meekly sit back and take whatever life throws at her without making a peep. Yay.

Sure, this is an important lesson and is the impetus for the whole rest of the book. But Sinda learning this lesson is the sole point of the 100 page Detour to Sucksville and I can't help but pout over the fact that this section was so long and dreary and all for just that tiny, little lesson. 

The gigantic chapters didn't help make this section go by any faster, either.   

Oh there you are, Good Book!

If you're like me and the word "impatient" is an understatement when describing you, then please try to push through that beginning. Because after all the Blah, Blah, Blah of the first part, there's actually a really awesome story here. 

After Sinda's disastrous time with her aunt, she decides to go back to the village by the castle and see if she can get accepted into the college of wizards. This is when the story gets better. 

I loved every single character introduced from this point on, particularly Sinda's eccentric tutor (a lady wizard! We hardly ever see lady wizards!), Kiernan (love interest, we do meet him earlier), and Orianne (princess that replaces Sinda). 

They each had such sweet personalities, though I wish they were a little deeper than they were. Orianne and the lady wizard were such intriguing characters, yet I feel like I only scratched the surface of getting to know them. 

The romance was also of the type I prefer. No, there wasn't any hate turned love, but it was a slow burn. There's no insta-love, broody stranger, or love triangles in sight! It's just a sweet, slow realization between two people who have been friends all their life. Kiernan's loyalty and devotion to Sinda was the kind of sweetness that makes me want to clasp my hands to my chest, sigh, and let out a big AAAWWW.

The plot made me happy

Usually it's the characters that keep me reading, and while I did like these characters, what really kept me hooked in the story was the mystery. Most of this latter part of the book is spent with Sinda and Kiernan as they search for all of the clues to piece together a plot that is over a decade in the making. 

Eilis O'Neal wove such a fantastic story with all sorts of twists and turns. Do you like courtly intrigue? Vengeance? Prophecies? Dastardly plots? Murder? Oh boy, then are you in for a treat!

What's even better is that I didn't ever feel like I had read this story before. Everything was so fresh and original while still comfortably slipping into the beloved and familiar world of YA fantasy. 

But wait, it gets better: NO CLIFFHANGER! Not only that, but there isn't even a sequel. Just this wonderful standalone story that wraps up perfectly and left me totally satisfied. (But if there was a sequel, I would totally read it.)

What I wish happened

If the 100 page detour in the beginning was completely cut out and those pages were instead used to flesh out the characters just a little more, then I would have Special Shelf-ed this book.

Looking at what the book actually is though, the characters were just a little too undeveloped and, well, you can see how hung up I am over that slow start. I also wasn't 100% in love with Sinda. She was a little too weak and filled with low self-confidence for my tastes, even after she learned her lessons.

This is a debut though, so I have no doubt things will only improve from here for Eilis O'Neal. I will most definitely be keeping an eye out for whatever she publishes next and I really hope it's another fantasy--the genre could use more authors like her. 

Explanation of rating system: Star Rating Key 

Do you have any questions about The False Princess that I haven't addressed? 
Feel free to ask in the comments!

Looking for another book like this? 

You might like: 

Click on the covers to go to my reviews.

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Book Review: Just Your Average Princess by Kristina Springer

Just Your Average Princess by Kristina Springer

Release Date: October 11, 2011

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Pages: 208

Received: ARC from publisher

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Goodreads Page

Summary

From Goodreads:

Jamie Edwards has loved everything about growing up on a pumpkin patch, but ever since her cousin Milan Woods arrived, things have really stunk. Jamie can’t imagine it was easy for Milan to leave her life back in Los Angeles and move to Average, Illinois, population one thousand. But it’s kind of hard to feel sorry for her since (a) Milan’s drop-dead gorgeous; (b) she’s the daughter of two of Hollywood’s hottest film stars; (c) she’s captured the attention of everyone in town, including Danny, Jamie’s crush since forever; and (d) she’s about to steal the title of Pumpkin Princess right out from underneath Jamie!

Review

Swapping charms

I read the first chapter, closed the book, and thought to myself, "Kristina Springer, will you be my BFF?" Or do I mean Jamie? I think I mean both because both Kristina Springer's writing style and the character she has created in Jamie are totally ME.

There are some characters I want to swap BFF charms with because they're so kick butt, or kind, or entertaining, or otherwise awesome. Jamie is that rare character I want to invite over for a sleepover party because she's so the type of friend who will finish my sentences or know exactly what I'm thinking without my having to utter a single word.

When she remarked on how a compliment about her hair from her crush (who she's too shy to actually talk to) would totally warrant a diary entry, I knew Jamie was a kindred spirit.

But what does that mean? Jamie isn't snarky like the characters I usually gravitate toward. She's sweet, kind, and innocent. She's the kind of girl who would give her mom a hug in front of the whole school.

With all that sweetness you might be thinking, "Oh gag me now" and maybe I would have too, but Jamie's first person narration is so open and genuine that I couldn't help but love and relate to her. With the over-abundance of jaded, tough-as-nails girls populating YA books lately, it was also nice to read from the perspective of someone as nice, family-oriented, and "clean" as Jamie.

You know this story...or do you?

Just Your Average Princess is pretty much just your average story. Girl with secret troubles moves from her glamorous city life to a small town. At first she's totally grossed out by the "quaintness" of it all, but she comes around and everything ends with character growth and a group hug.

Except the main character of Just Your Average Princess is not just your average main character. Jamie is not the girl who moves and adjusts and typically stars in this story (that would be her cousin). Jamie is the nice family member who the usual MC clashes with and eventually embraces.

I liked seeing the story from this new perspective. The twist in character focus helped take a been-there-done-that story and turn it into something a little different. The plot is still pretty predictable (I had Mean Cousin's secret pretty much pegged from the start), but I liked Jamie so much that I didn't mind traveling down this well-worn road with her.

Bonus points for

The two best friends who support Jamie and warmed my heart. Yummy sounding candy apples and pumpkin lattes (thank goodness I read this during Dunkin' Donuts' pumpkin season). The cute guy (sweet MG-level swoon). The emphasis on family (THANK YOU FOR MAKING THE PARENTS MATTER!)

Also points for the pumpkin farm Jamie lives on. I know, pumpkin farm?? But I was actually totally into seeing what it was like to live on a farm like Jamie and watch everything that went into that type of business.

Plus, she has a catapult that they use to chuck pumpkins at things. Tell me that's not cool?

Where did the star and a half go?

The too-quick personality change of Mean Cousin. I think I let this slide mostly because I've read so many books from the mean cousin's POV that I felt like her motivations were made more gradual and apparent than they actually were. But really, I wish it had been less of a switch flip and more of a slow turn around.

As much as I love Jamie and as much as I really did enjoy the story, I didn't connect with it in that Special Shelf way. Not much actually happened, there weren't any scenes that made it stand out for me, and I don't see it sticking with me for long. It also wasn't as funny as I was hoping it would be.

Bottom line

Just Your Average Princess was a totally wholesome read that I would give to both my YA and MG library girls. It wasn't fast-paced (or slow), but it was the perfect amount of pages to tell the story. Jamie was someone I immediately liked and I wish there were more characters like her in YA.

I was reminded a lot of Janette Rallison's books, with the similar moral messages, light and clean events, convincing character growth (Jamie's), and sweet romance. This was my first introduction to Kristina Springer, but I'll be sure to check out more of her books in the future.

Explanation of rating system: Star Rating Key 

Do you have any questions about Just Your Average Princess?
Feel free to ask in the comments!

Looking for another book like this? 

You might like: 

Click on the covers to go to my reviews and/or Goodreads.

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