Book Review: Renegade Magic by Stephanie Burgis

• Renegade Magic by Stephanie Burgis
• #2 in the Unladylike Adventures of Kat Stephenson series
• Release Date: April 3, 2012
• Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
• Pages:336
• Received: ARC from publisher
• Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

This is the second book in a series! 

There are NO spoilers in this review for the first book 

(but if I mention a name, then you kind of know they didn't die in the first book!)

Still worried? Read my Kat, Incorrigible review instead!

Summary

Kat Stephenson is back to cause more chaos! Stepmama drags the family to Bath to find Kat's sister a new suitor. But, unknown to most of its gossipy visitors, Bath is full of wild magic. When Kat uncovers a plot to harness this magic in the Roman Baths, she finds her brother Charles is unwittingly involved. Kat must risk her newfound magical powers as she defies the Order of the Guardians to foil the plot and clear her brother's name. -Goodreads

Review

It is so good to be back with Kat!

Kat is as lovable as ever, but it's clear my little girl is growing up. With responsible big sister Elissa MIA for pretty much all of the story, it's up to Kat to rein in her flaky brother Charles and impulsive sister Angeline. (And much as I love Elissa, it was kind of fun being so unsupervised!)

To say Kat has her work cut out for her is a massive understatement. Plus, Kat also has to contend with her own Guardian problems (and, ugh, Lady Fotherington is SO annoying! But she totally gets hers in the end *cackle*). Kat of course rises to the occasion with pluck and determination.

The deal

After Angeline's fiance's mother arrives on the scene as a new Woman to Loathe and announces that her son will NEVER marry a witch like Angeline (seriously, I mean an actual magical witch), Stepmama whisks Angeline off to Bath to find a replacement man.

Angeline, heartbroken and hellbent on marrying the man she loves, concocts a half-baked plan of ruination that provides fodder for lots of unladylike snickering. I wanted to strangle her because her plan was SO CLEARLY A BAD IDEA. I felt very close to Kat whenever she sighed and moaned about Angeline.

And then there's Charles. Irrepressible gambler, it takes him about two seconds after arriving in Bath to sneak off and get himself into trouble. The imagery created by his oblivious escapades had me laughing out loud at the absurdity of it all. Sadly though, while he's around more often than the first book, I still didn't get to know him nearly as much as I wanted.

The biggest surprises came from Stepmama and Kat's father. While neither play a central part in the story, both pop in and out to provide a ton of laughs and even a few aaaww-inducing moments. In the first book Stepmama filled the role of Woman to Loathe, but I actually loved her in Renegade Magic. I don't know if she's softening, or if Kat's new maturity is presenting Stepmama in a new light, but she was so cool she actually made me fist pump her awesomeness.

I noticed the writing

Just like Kat, Incorrigible, Kat again narrates, though I think her voice is slightly more mature. I'm not complaining either way here, but the first book had more I-want-to-pinch-your-cheeks-you're-so-cute kind of charm. It was the kind of writing where every sentence is carefully constructed for optimal awww-ness.

I love this, but it's also somewhat exhausting after a while. My internal quoter ends up working overtime and I'm so focused on the brilliance of the sentences that I end up getting pulled out of the story. The writing in Renegade Magic is still very clearly Kat's voice, but it's a smidgen less overtly adorable and a little easier to sink into.

Although, that said, there's one line that is one of my favorite sentences I think I've ever read. (When Charles admires his father's stealthy exit).

Bottom line

Throughout the whole book a part of my brain was busy writing up sleepover party invitations for Kat and Theodosia (those two NEED to meet!). I love Kat and hope to read many, many, many more adventures with her.

This is a strong follow up that should please fans of the first book. I very rarely buy a book before reading it and making absolutely sure I want to spend my hard-earned money on it, but Stephanie Burgis has earned herself a spot on my very tiny auto-buy list. I'm already counting down the days for the release of the third book!

Explanation of rating system: Star Rating Key 

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

Add it on Goodreads!
Buy it on Amazon!

Looking for another book like this? 

You might like: 

Click on the covers to go to my reviews.

Vote for this blog for the Independent Book Blogger Awards!
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More books to swap

Same as before (gift card for books). Here are a few more books. I measured the dimensions of my apartment and it seems like I need to cull more books from my stacks. I may even have more to post later.

I'm happy to take more pictures to show condition or if there are any titles you can't read. If you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments or through email (imagesandwords at optonline dot net).

You can click on the pictures to see larger views. I'm sorry if they slow anyone's computer down too much!

•  In the Forests of the Night by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
• Dark Visions: The Power by L. J. Smith
• Vampire Diaries: The Fury by L. J. Smith
• Vampire Diaries: The Struggle by L. J. Smith
• The Long Weekend by Savita Kalhan
• Tombstone Tea by Joanne Dahme
• A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams
• Puttin' on the GRITS by Deborah Ford
• Artemis Fowl: The Eternity Code by Eoin Colfer
• The Supernaturalist by Eoin Colfer
• The Fire Pony by Philbrick
• The Empty Mirror by James Lincoln Collier
• Stowaway by Hesse
• Percy Jackson: The Demigod Files by Rick Riordan (some highlighter marks)
• The Shadow Thieves by Anne Ursu
• Deadly by Julie Chibbaro
• The Sea of Trolls by Farmer
• Once in a Full Moon by Ellen Schreiber
• Afterlife by Claudia Gray

• Delirium by Lauren Oliver
• Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood
• Slayers by C. J. Hill (aka Janette Rallison)
• The City of Ember by DuPrau
• The Prophet of Yonwood by DuPrau
• The People of Sparks by DuPrau
• The Spiderwick Chronicles (1, 1, 2, 5) by DiTerlizzi and Black
• Spells of Enchantment (fantasy/fairy tale short stories)
• Once Upon a Time (fantasy/fairy tale short stories)

If you see any you'd like, please shoot me an email at

imagesandwords at optonline dot net

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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!)

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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Giveaway: Goddess Girls #8 Medusa the Mean! (US/CA)

Enter to win a copy of the latest Goddess Girls book, Medusa the Mean!

Medusa is sick and tired of being the only mortal at Mount Olympus Academy. Not only is she surrounded by beautiful, powerful, immortal classmates, but she also has snakes for hair and a reputation for being mean.

Immortality, she thinks, will solve everything. So when she finds out about a necklace that promises just that, she’s sure it will help her get the two things she covets most: to be as popular as the four Goddess Girls and to have her supercrush, Poseidon, finally notice her.

But when the necklace brings about popularity in the totally wrong way, things go from bad to worse. Can Medusa overcome her “meanie” status and prove that there’s more to her that meets the eye?
-Goodreads

Luckily all books in the Goddess Girls series can be read as standalones, so don't worry if you haven't read books 1-7 yet! 

Info for the giveaway:

• What you can win: A finished paperback copy of Medusa the Mean (Goddess Girls #8) by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams and bookmarks features all 9 covers in the Goddess Girls series!
• As always, you do NOT have to be a follower
• You must have a US/CA mailing address
• You must be 13 years of age or older
• One entry per person
• Your address is not required, but including it will help with sending the book out to you sooner
• I will contact the winner through email and the winner will have 24 hours to reply before a new winner is chosen 
• This giveaway closes on April 14th 

Click here to enter the giveaway!

Stay tuned for my review coming soon! And if you're impatient like I am, Medusa the Mean hits shelves today—No more waiting!

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The False Prince Chapter Preview!

Still sitting on the fence about The False Prince? 

Or maybe you like to tease yourself. 

Either way, you can read the first chapter now!

(Just remember, I called dibs on Sage! Oh fine, I'll share.) 

Click here to read it! 

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Book Review: The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen

The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen
#1 in the Ascendance Trilogy
Release Date: April 1, 2012
Publisher: Scholastic
Pages: 342
Received: ARC from publisher
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars, Special Shelf

Summary

From Goodreads:

In a discontent kingdom, civil war is brewing. To unify the divided people, Conner, a nobleman of the court, devises a cunning plan to find an impersonator of the king’s long-lost son and install him as a puppet prince. Four orphans are recruited to compete for the role, including a defiant boy named Sage. Sage knows that Conner’s motives are more than questionable, yet his life balances on a sword’s point—he must be chosen to play the prince or he will certainly be killed. But Sage’s rivals have their own agendas as well.

As Sage moves from a rundown orphanage to Conner’s sumptuous palace, layer upon layer of treachery and deceit unfold, until finally, a truth is revealed that, in the end, may very well prove more dangerous than all of the lies taken together.

An extraordinary adventure filled with danger and action, lies and deadly truths that will have readers clinging to the edge of their seats.

Review

I call dibs on Sage
(seriously ladies—don't underestimate me 'cause I'm small. I'll fight dirty.)

I knew this was going to be a Special Shelf book as soon as I "heard" Sage's voice narrating. Really, the story could have been downright awful (it isn't) and I still would have Special Shelved The False Prince on the strength of his voice alone.

Sage embodies the personality of my number one most coveted male character type ever (yes, even over alpha men). The swoon is near uncontrollable. Luckily I was saved from being a total creeper lusting after a fifteen year old, because Sage's voice makes it very easy to imagine him as a completely adult 20 something.

Sage is one of those characters who has Sherlock Holmes Superpowers of Observation and Fantasticness. Which is to say, he's always about ten steps ahead of everyone, can deduce master plans from a discarded gum wrapper, and pulls it all off with the type of suave demeanor that never fails to make my knees wobble.

Plus, he's an underdog with attitude and I have a massive weakness for hot underdogs with swaggering attitude. Sage never seems to be able to resist needling those who lord over him, even if it means he'll get a bruise for his quip. He also lies like a pro, so that combined with his stealth and sneakiness make him the type of character that makes a great thief or conman.

Basically, think Han Solo plus Sherlock Holmes' brains plus extra hotness and a smidgen of vulnerability and you've pretty much got Sage.

Slow burn pacing

As much as I love fast-paced books, my favorite kinds of books actually have a slow-burn pace (NOT to be confused with a sloooow pace, which is chock full of a lot of boring filler). In a slow-burn pace, plot details come together like a puzzle, with intrigue building steadily and keeping me on my toes throughout the whole book. Like a slow-burn romance, slow-burn pacing strings me along with delicious little morsels and makes me beg for more and more.

The majority of The False Prince takes place in Conner's castle (the noble with The Plan) as he trains the boys and maliciously toys with their emotions (because, you see, only the guy that's picked to impersonate the prince gets to live).

Backstabbing (literally!) and shaky alliances abound amid secrets, lies, and a truth you may or may not see coming but is so astoundingly great that surprise level doesn't even matter (I did guess the broad strokes early on, but the details were a surprise that darn near broke my heart).

This is the first book in a series and it's very clear by the end of the book that there's a lot more to come in this story. Thankfully there isn't a dangling-by-your-fingertips cliffhanger, but it is very much like the end of The Fellowship of the Ring (the movie) where the first part of the quest is finished, the whole fellowship is broken, Frodo is poised to just walk into Mordor, and Aragorn is as hot as ever.

So, yeah, I'm satisfied with everything I got and I can wait without suffering a heart attack because I know Sage is ok, but BIG STUFF is coming and I cannot wait to be a part of it!

I can't NOT mention the romance

The plot isn't the only thing set on slow burn. Yes, that's right! Slow-burn romance! But really, it's very slow burn because not much happens in this first book outside of lots of scenes with delicious tension. There's even a touch of, well, it's not quite hate-turned-love, but there's a little combativeness there and she isn't exactly falling all over herself to be with him (and, no, she isn't insane or blind, if you can believe it!).

Really though, I'm not complaining at all. I'm firmly on the side that thinks it's much better to have the romance come together later on in the series.

Bottom line

I really...I can't...I just, I'm so unbelievably in love with The False Prince I don't even have the words to describe it. I'm so busy right now with packing and trying to get everything together to move in a few weeks, but I was very irresponsible because I pushed everything aside (including sleep AND food) just so I could devour this book.

And then I went through serious mourning when I finished because of course there aren't any other books in the series yet and all of my other Special Shelf books are packed away. So I went back and reread all of my favorite scenes in The False Prince. And then all the other scenes. And then I read my favorite scenes again. And then I tried to read other books on my TBR but they're just not The False Prince and I think I'm going to cry I'm so desperate for more.

Or, to put it in food terms, if I were given the choice between reading this book or attending an unlimited pastry banquet filled with every delectable treat imaginable, I would choose The False Prince—HANDS DOWN.

I can think of no higher praise than that.

Explanation of rating system: Star Rating Key 

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


Do you know any male characters that sound like Sage? 
If you do, PLEASE share in the comments!

 Add it to 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!)

Looking for another book like this? 

You might like: 

Click on the covers to go to Goodreads.

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March Recap

In case you missed anything, here's a recap of what was posted in March. 

+ A look ahead at what's to come in April.

I have replied to comments on all of these posts. 

Reviews

Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters by Meredith Zeitlin
Allegiance by Cayla Kluver 
Artemis the Loyal (Goddess Girls #7) by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams

 

Bourne (River of Time 3.1) by Lisa T. Bergren

A Breath of Eyre by Eve Marie Mont

DNF Explanation: Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood 

Review Comparison: The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab

Cover Review: Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier 

(Click on the links to go to my reviews)

Other fun stuff

Author Interviews:

• Meredith Zeitlin, author of Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters
• Gina Damico, author of Croak
• Eve Marie Mont, author of A Breath of Eyre (reposted)

Giveaways:

• A copy of A Breath of Eyre by Eve Marie Mont (US, 4/3)

Other:

• Bloggiesta Tips & Tricks

A Look Ahead

April will be another lighter month with mostly reviews, but I'll have a few features, a DNF explanation, an interview or two, and a giveaway.

PLUS, the first week of April is going to be filled with absolute WIN because I have reviews scheduled for two Special Shelf books!

I will also be road tripping again for the last few days in April as I head back to Texas for my permanent move. So I'll be MIA then and for probably a little while after while I get my internet connection set up. But don't worry, I will have posts scheduled in my absence and I'll still be able to read comments.

See you in April!

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