Siege and Storm (The Grisha #2) by Leigh Bardugo - Paul's Review

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Title: Siege and Storm (The Grisha #2)
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Year Published: 2013

Paul's Pre-Reading
Paul's Review of Shadow and Bone
Ashley's Review of Shadow and Bone

Synopsis: Hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Fold, Alina must try to make a life with Mal in an unfamiliar land, all while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. But she can’t outrun her past or her destiny for long.

The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and a dangerous plan that will test the very boundaries of the natural world. With the help of a notorious privateer, Alina returns to the country she abandoned, determined to fight the forces gathering against Ravka. But as her power grows, Alina slips deeper into the Darkling’s game of forbidden magic, and farther away from Mal. Somehow, she will have to choose between her country, her power, and the love she always thought would guide her–or risk losing everything to the oncoming storm.

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Review: This was a surprisingly slow read for me, but I don't think it was the book's fault. I think I subconsciously didn't want to ever finish it.

Shadow and Bone was one of my favorite books of last year and this sequel meets the high expectations I had. Bardugo created such an extensive, interesting world with a cool system of power and order. Then, she broke it. Those are always the best books, books in which the world is just so epic and its falling apart.

All the characters are back, especially the minor characters. Many of them have changed quite a bit since the last book. The Mal and Alina relationship takes an interesting turn, but its reminiscent of most middle book in a trilogy relationships.

There are also new characters. I really enjoyed the Stormund character. I enjoyed him more than Mal.

I like the way Alina is seen as a Saint figure and the way different groups see her. She has become such a powerful person in this world.

The ending was so good! Everything came together. I am so excited for the next book! 5/5!

--PAUL

Endurance (Razorland #1.5) by Ann Aguirre - Ashley's Review

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Title: Endurance
Author: Ann Aguirre
Year Published: 2012

Synopsis: When rebellion destroys the underground world in which Thimble and Stone have grown up, they take Stone’s son and try to escape the chaos. Along the way, they must evade the Freaks, beings who feed on human flesh. Leaving behind the roles of Builder and Breeder which they were assigned at birth, they wander the underground tunnels, looking for safety yet afraid to go “topside” where legend has it that the light and water will burn their skin from their bones.

Their journey takes them upward to an unimagined world of tinned food, comfortable furniture, and books. Away from their regimented society for the first time, and still facing imminent danger, Thimble and Stone acknowledge the forbidden attraction which both have denied for years.

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Review: I'm such a sucker for short stories about minor characters, and this one was definitely no exception. Like Deuce, I wondered what happened to Thimble and Stone after Deuce and Fade leave the enclave. Did the Freaks attack and take over College? Did Thimble and Stone survive? Did they even know that Deuce lied for Stone? This story answered all my questions and even gave me answers to questions I didn't even know I had! 

I really liked that the chapters went back and forth between Stone and Thimble, and that we get to see the rebellion from both of their perspectives. We also get to see how they finally come to accept and admit their feelings for each other, and the little bit of romance included in this story was actually nice. Both characters have their strengths, and I enjoyed learning about how they were able to play off of each other and survive. 

Hopefully we get to learn more about Stone and Thimble, and Robin too!, because I still want to know what happens to them after the end of this story. I love this world and the characters and the story and everything, and I can't wait to read more. I would give this story a 4/5 and recommend it to anyway who has read any of the Razorland series. 


--Ashley

A Darkness Strange and Lovely (Something Strange and Deadly #2) by Susan Dennard - Ashley's Pre-Reading

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Title: A Darkness Strange and Lovely
Author: Susan Dennard
Year Published: 2013

Synopsis:  Following an all-out battle with the walking Dead, the Spirit Hunters have fled Philadelphia, leaving Eleanor alone to cope with the devastating aftermath. But there’s more trouble ahead—the evil necromancer Marcus has returned, and his diabolical advances have Eleanor escaping to Paris to seek the help of Joseph, Jie, and the infuriatingly handsome Daniel once again. When she arrives, however, she finds a whole new darkness lurking in this City of Light. As harrowing events unfold, Eleanor is forced to make a deadly decision that will mean life or death for everyone.

Why?: I loved everything about Something Strange and Deadly, and I've been anxiously waiting to find out what's next for Eleanor, Daniel, Joseph, and Jie. Plus zombies, steam punk, mystery, adventure, and romance. So, of course I'm going to read this book! 

Expectations: I'm really expect a lot from this book. Something Strange and Deadly was so good, that I'm hoping this one is even better. I'm looking forward to learning more about Marcus and the dead, as well as the Spirit Hunters. I think Eleanor will be stronger and braver in this book than she was at the beginning of the first one.

Judging a book by its cover: I absolutely love this cover. I fell in love with the Something Strange and Deadly cover, and this one is even better than that one. I would totally pick this book up if I saw it on a shelf somewhere... especially because I absolutely love Eleanor's dress. 


--Ashley

Water (Akasha #1) by Terra Harmony - Ashley's Review

*I received this book from Patchwork Press on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

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Title: Water
Author: Terra Harmony
Year Published: 2011

My Pre-Reading

Synopsis: Elemental powers in the palm of her hand...and it won't be enough to save her. 

When Kaitlyn Alder is involuntarily introduced to a life of magic, she becomes part of an organization hell-bent on saving the Earth. Just as her new-found life holds promises of purpose, romance, and friendship, the organization divides and a rogue member holds Kaitlyn hostage. 

Now one of the most terrifying men the human race has to offer stands between her and Earth's survival.

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Review: When I received this book, I completely missed that it was filed under the "New Adult" genre. I've been kind of avoiding all things New Adult, because I wasn't really interested in the whole "romance featuring 18-25 year olds!" thing. I am so glad that I missed that classification on this book though, because Water was so much more than I was expecting and I'm glad I didn't pass it up because it was "New Adult." 

I've never really read an eco-fantasy book, but I think the concept is very interesting and Harmony does an excellent job of making it not seem like some tree-hugging book that's all "Save the environment!" with little to no plot or action. The plot actually moves along pretty quickly once you get past the setup, and I found myself not wanting to put the book down the further in I got. Once Kaitlyn begins to understand her powers a little bit, the pace picks up even further. 

The "rogue member" isn't really a huge secret - I figured out who he was pretty early on. And he is pretty terrifying. I think most of the reason this book isn't classified as YA is because of the things he does to Kaitlyn (including raping her). Although those parts were a little hard to read (and I wouldn't recommend this book to a younger audience because of them), I think that they were very necessary to showing him as the monster he is. I also think that the events made her a stronger heroine - she uses her anger towards him to keep her focused on her escape plan. 

I do think that the romance between Kaitlyn and Micah moves a little too fast to make sense at the beginning, but I was glad when things slowed down. They get to know each other better, and they have their issues, but I liked them much more as a couple at the end of the book than I did at the beginning. I'm still not sure about them, but we'll see how they progress throughout the rest of the series. The romance is kind of important to the plot, but it's more of a side plot, so that was nice. 

Although there is magic involved in this story, I think Harmony did an excellent job of making it sound like something plausible. The places are very real, and the characters are not over-the-top and unbelievable. Kaitlyn, Micah, and Shawn could be people that we all know and love. They just have the ability to manipulate either nature or someone else's powers. It's a really cool concept, and I can't wait to see how it's developed in the rest of the series. 

For the most part, I really enjoyed Water. I would recommend it to someone looking to get their feet wet (haha) in the New Adult genre, or to someone who enjoys fantasy novels. Especially atypical fantasy novels. I would give this book a 4/5, and I can't wait to read the next installment! 


--Ashley

Enclave (Razorland #1) by Ann Aguirre - Ashley's Pre-Reading

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Title: Enclave
Author: Ann Aguirre
Year Published: 2011

Synopsis: In Deuce’s world, people earn the right to a name only if they survive their first fifteen years. By that point, each unnamed ‘brat’ has trained into one of three groups–Breeders, Builders, or Hunters, identifiable by the number of scars they bear on their arms. Deuce has wanted to be a Huntress for as long as she can remember.

As a Huntress, her purpose is clear—to brave the dangerous tunnels outside the enclave and bring back meat to feed the group while evading ferocious monsters known as Freaks. She’s worked toward this goal her whole life, and nothing’s going to stop her, not even a beautiful, brooding Hunter named Fade. When the mysterious boy becomes her partner, Deuce’s troubles are just beginning.

Down below, deviation from the rules is punished swiftly and harshly, and Fade doesn't like following orders. At first Deuce thinks he’s crazy, but as death stalks their sanctuary, and it becomes clear the elders don’t always know best, Deuce wonders if Fade might be telling the truth. Her partner confuses her; she’s never known a boy like him before, as prone to touching her gently as using his knives with feral grace.

As Deuce’s perception shifts, so does the balance in the constant battle for survival. The mindless Freaks, once considered a threat only due to their sheer numbers, show signs of cunning and strategy… but the elders refuse to heed any warnings. Despite imminent disaster, the enclave puts their faith in strictures and sacrifice instead. No matter how she tries, Deuce cannot stem the dark tide that carries her far from the only world she’s ever known.

Why?: I love dystopian novels, and I've been wanting to read this book for a while now. A strong female protagonist, adventure, a little bit of romance, imminent disaster and a futuristic dystopian world set around New York? Count me in! I can't believe I haven't read this yet.

Expectations: I expect an adventure with some romance, mystery, and danger thrown in. I've heard so many good things about this series, so I have pretty high expectations for it.

Judging a book by its cover: This cover kind of looks like something you'd see on a TMNT advertisement, so I'm totally ok with that. It's shiny too, so I'd probably pick it up if I saw it on a shelf somewhere. It doesn't really give too much away about the book either, so I'm intrigued.


--Ashley

The Tailor (Grisha #1.5) by Leigh Bardugo - Ashley's Review

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Title: The Tailor
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Year Published: 2013

Synopsis: New scene from Shadow and Bone told from Genya's point of view.

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Review: This new scene is very short (18 pages), so there's not too much to review for it. I pretty much love anything by Leigh Bardugo, so it's not really a surprise that this story (even though it is pretty short) is great. 

I've been interested in learning more about Genya since we meet her in Shadow and Bone, and I was so excited to learn about this scene. I feel like we don't get a really god explanation of her background or motives in Shadow and Bone, and this story really provides more details about her life that help us better understand who she is and why she does what she does. 

We also get to learn a little bit more about the Darkling (I can't help but love him), and about what happens to Alina's letters to Mal. I think all of the information that we gain in this very brief scene really help to expand some characters we don't know much about, and that in turn helps readers understand the more major players.

I would totally recommend this to anyone who is a fan of the Grisha series. Plus, it's free! So you don't have much to lose at all. It's totally worth it. 4/5 from me, only because I wish it was longer! 

--Ashley

Prey by Michael Crichton - Ashley's Review

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Title: Prey
Author: Michael Crichton
Year Published: 2002

My Pre-Reading

Synopsis: In the Nevada desert, an experiment has gone horribly wrong. A cloud of nanoparticles—micro-robots—has escaped from the laboratory. This cloud is self-sustaining and self-reproducing. It is intelligent and learns from experience. For all practical purposes, it is alive.

It has been programmed as a predator. It is evolving swiftly, becoming more deadly with each passing hour.

Every attempt to destroy it has failed.

And we are the prey.

As fresh as today's headlines, Michael Crichton's most compelling novel yet tells the story of a mechanical plague and the desperate efforts of a handful of scientists to stop it. Drawing on up-to-the-minute scientific fact, Prey takes us into the emerging realms of nanotechnology and artificial distributed intelligence—in a story of breathtaking suspense. Prey is a novel you can't put down.

Because time is running out.

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Review: I've never read a Michael Crichton novel before, and now I'm a little concerned as to what I might be missing out on. This book was absolutely fantastic, and I'm so glad it was recommended to me. I loved how the real science was blended with fiction - it made everything seem so much scarier because it might actually be able to happen. Nanoparticles can be kind of scary anyway, but to have a swarm of them become self-aware is terrifying. After taking a class on nanotechnology, it was also really interesting to see the field in its earlier stages even though it was presented in a work of fiction.

Although the book picked up about 1/4 of the way through, the beginning seemed a little slow. Yes, it was necessary background, but I had a little bit of a hard time getting past all of the family issues and such before coming to the meat of the story. It was interesting and well written, but it just didn't seem like it was important (at first). I do think it made the story more feel real though - all of the characters are flawed in some way or another, and nobody is perfect or makes the best decisions.

I also really enjoyed how subtle details from earlier in the book came into play later on, once we start to learn about the swarms. Not everything is as it seems, and it makes for a more thrilling read. At least in my humble opinion. And then you have the swarms themselves. Those things are freaking scary, and it's amazing to me how Crichton is able to take something that is just a bunch of tiny robots and turn it into a crazy predator that hunts pretty much everything that moves. And then, even when the story starts to get weird, it's still pretty crazy and I could totally see it happening.

I will definitely be checking out more of Crichton's books - I'll probably hunt down Jurassic Park next. This book has some pretty strong language in it, so I wouldn't recommend it to young kids or anyone who is easily offended, but I would definitely recommend this to any fans of fiction backed by real science, suspense, thrillers, and all those sorts of books. I would give this book a 4/5.

--Ashley