Monday, October 31, 2016

All Things Halloween Review - Throne of Glass

Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass, # 1)

By: Sarah J Maas

Published: August 7th 2012 by Bloomsbury USA Children's

404 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Magic

Source: Borrowed from Holly

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin.

Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king's council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she'll serve the kingdom for four years and then be granted her freedom. Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she's bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her ... but it's the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.

Then one of the other contestants turns up dead ... quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.

I remember seeing Throne of Glass all over the blogosphere when it first released, and I was intrigued but something held me back from jumping on it. As a matter fact, I pretty much told myself that I probably wouldn't read it...ever. But then Holly read it and enjoyed it. Since our tastes are usually pretty similar I thought "maybe I need to reconsider this one." Then my friend Lacy read it and also enjoyed it. The subsequent books in the series released and the hype seemed to grow with each release. So I decided to finally give it a go. Especially since now that the 5th book has released, I can marathon read these.

Throne of Glass is exactly the kind of book that I enjoy so I don't know why I ever decided to put it off. I had to read more slowly than I wanted, but that was simply because we had a lot going on in real life during the time that I decided to read it. Regardless, I was pretty invested from the beginning. In some ways, Throne of Glass reminded me of The Winner's Curse series. Probably because we start off with Celaena being in a salt mine prison camp which was essentially the same thing that happened to Kestrel at the end of The Winner's Crime. Both are intelligent and strong female lead characters.

Caleana is pulled from the mines with the opportunity of freedom before her. All she has to do is win a competition to become the king's Champion and then serve 4 years in his service. After that she's free. And Calaena's never really been free. After her parents' deaths when she was young, the King of Assassins took her in and trained her, but even then she wasn't really free. Ultimately she was captured (likely betrayed by someone close to her although we don't know who) and sentenced to Endovier for her crimes.

It was the Crown Prince Dorian who chose Calaena as his competitor for the King's Champion competition. He sponsored her, if you will. And Chaol, the Captain of the King's Guard, is the main one in charge of her training. All of the competitors are trained together by the Weapon's Master, but Calaena gets extra training from Chaol. A series of tests narrow the field of competitors week by week. I do have to say that I was a little disappointed that several of the tests were completely skipped over in terms of narration and description. I felt like this might be a missed opportunity, but as the book was already over 400 pages, I realize that describing each test on top of the other events of the book likely would have been too much.

These three (Calaena, Dorian, and Chaol) form a bit of a love triangle. I chose Chaol to root for from early on. He doesn't trust Calaena, but I felt like his reasons for liking her were more authentic and substantial than Dorian's. Chaol isn't a man of many words, and he doesn't have an easy time expressing his feelings. He seems to be more aware of propriety than either Dorian or Calaena. But his feelings are built steadily over his exposure to training with Calaena and what time they spend together outside of training. Yet he takes a step back when he realizes Dorian's interest in Calaena. Dorian is presented from early on as being a bit of a womanizer. I don't know that he treats women badly so much as he doesn't seem to find one that holds his interests for long. I realize that being Crown Prince means that every woman you meet might potentially be after your position rather than you, but I didn't get the impression that Dorian was worried about that. He was just bored and looking for someone to keep him entertained. That's not to say that he didn't develop true feelings for Calaena, but I didn't feel his connection with her was as durable as Chaol's. This triangle aspect really drove me crazy. I rarely feel this way, but I was SO close to hunting down some spoilers to see what the outcome of this triangle would be. I didn't, but I wanted to.

Throne of Glass also has a bit of the supernatural. There are realms of "in between" and demons and ghosts and magic. Fae are mentioned but don't really play a part. I felt like this part of the story was a bit disjointed. That's probably in large part because Calaena doesn't fully know what's going on, but there was much left unknown. I feel certain what is unknown will be explored in the remaining books of the series.

A couple of small things...I really loved Nehemia. She was essentially Calaena's only girl friend. I can tell that there will be more to come from her and I can't wait. Also, I can't decide if I liked or disliked the small part where Calaena's monthly cycle was discussed. Everyone's experience is different. Some people have extremely light and pain-free cycles, but that's not the case for all of us. Without going into too much detail, I can understand what Calaena experiences and I kind of appreciated this being mentioned as a struggle that she had to overcome. From personal experience, exercise, sparring, running...those are not things you look forward to doing during that time of the month. However, I don't know that including this bit was necessary or overall relevant to the story unless it will continue to come into play in some way in the future books. So I'm kind of torn on how I feel about that.

Favorite quotes:

-He sometimes felt that she looked at him the way a cat regards a mouse. He just wondered how long it would take for her to pounce.

-"You could rattle the stars," she whispered. "You could do anything, if you only dared. And deep down, you know it, too. That's what scares you most."

Throne of Glass hooked me. This was one of the few books I've read where I wanted to look for spoilers because I was feeling so invested in my choice of who to root for that I wanted to know if I should be preparing myself to be disappointed or not. I managed to stop myself from doing so because I truly wanted to experience this story as it was meant to be experienced. It wasn't without faults, especially as I look back on the book and all of the pieces, but the pull I felt to keep reading and how invested I was in the outcome means that it deserves 4 Stars from me. Have you read Throne of Glass? What did you think? Let me know!

This review is part of my All Things Halloween event--a month of paranormal, supernatural, mystery/thriller, etc reviews and books.

Sunday, October 30, 2016

Sunday Post - 219 & Stacking the Shelves - 156

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ The Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~this meme was inspired in part by ~ In My Mailbox~ It's a chance to share News. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.

I keep thinking that things are going to slow down, and we'll be back to a normal week with nothing going on, but that's not been the case. Wednesday was our biggest day this week. That morning I took Little Girl up to Daddy's work so I could get a flu shot and so Daddy could show off his little girl. Then we came home so she could take a nap. Then we went to visit with my sister and 5 week old niece. Wednesday night we went to a local fall festival. That was overwhelming. I can see it being much more fun when Little Girl is old enough to really play the games and such. Thursday my sister-in-law and her mother came over to work on some Bible Art Journaling. Then we went to Olive Garden for lunch. And then Saturday we went to a housewarming party for some friends. Happy Halloween tomorrow!

THIS PAST WEEK:

Monday: All Things Halloween Review of Bad Bloods: November Rain (Bad Bloods, # 1) by Shannon A Thompson (3.5 Stars)
Tuesday: Top Ten Bookish Halloween Costumes & 2016 Series Enders Reading CHallenge - October Wrap Up
Wednesday: Waiting on Swear (My Blood Approves, # 5) by Amanda Hocking

UPCOMING THIS WEEK:

Monday: All Things Halloween Review of Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass, # 1) by Sarah J Maas
Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday
Wednesday: Waiting on Wednesday
Thursday: October EOM Wrap Up

Don’t forget to sign up for the 2016 Series Enders Reading Challenge! You have until December 15, 2016 to sign up. Each month there will be a giveaway for those participating with an end of the year giveaway too! Click on the picture below or the link above to find out more!

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass, # 3)

By: Sarah J Maas

Published: September 2nd 2014 by Bloomsbury USA Childrens

565 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Magic

Source: Borrowed from Holly

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Celaena has survived deadly contests and shattering heartbreak―but at an unspeakable cost. Now, she must travel to a new land to confront her darkest truth . . . a truth about her heritage that could change her life―and her future―forever. Meanwhile, brutal and monstrous forces are gathering on the horizon, intent on enslaving her world. Will Celaena find the strength to not only fight her inner demons, but to take on the evil that is about to be unleashed?

The bestselling series that has captured readers all over the world reaches new heights in this sequel to the New York Times best-selling Crown of Midnight. Packed with heart-pounding action, fierce new characters, and swoon-worthy romance, this third book will enthrall readers from start to finish.

Flight (The Crescent Chronicles, # 1)

By: Alyssa Rose Ivy

Published: August 16th 2012 by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

268 pages

Genre: Young Adult/New Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal

Source: Kindle Freebie

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Sometimes you just have to take flight.

A summer in New Orleans is exactly what Allie needs before starting college. Accepting her dad’s invitation to work at his hotel offers an escape from her ex-boyfriend and the chance to spend the summer with her best friend. Meeting a guy is the last thing on her mind—until she sees Levi.

Unable to resist the infuriating yet alluring Levi, Allie finds herself at the center of a supernatural society and forced to decide between following the path she has always trusted or saving a city that might just save her.

That's it for my shelves and recaps of my past and upcoming week. What did you add to your shelves this week? Any bookish news you want to talk about? Let me know!

Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Waiting on Swear

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Swear (My Blood Approves, # 5)

By: Amanda Hocking

Expected Publication: November 9th 2016

259 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Vampires

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Final book in the My Blood Approves series by bestselling author, Amanda Hocking.

“In the final book of the My Blood Approves series…

Alice has moved on and is settling into a new country with a new career as a vampire hunter. Finally, she’s created a stable, happy life for herself and her family, including her boyfriend Jack. Or at least as stable as her life can be, especially with a dangerous vampire cult resurfacing.

But everything she’s worked for is put in jeopardy when she receives a disturbing message – one that sends her on a quest that delves into a tragic mystery that has haunted Peter for years.”

I never thought I'd see the day when this book would get published. I'm glad that the finale is finally coming, although it has been so long since I read the previous books. Plus I wasn't a fan of the love triangle in this one. I still want to see how it all ends. What are you waiting on this week? Let me know!

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

2016 Series Enders Reading Challenge - October Wrap Up

Time for our tenth Monthly Wrap Up for the 2016 Series Enders Reading Challenge hosted by Sandy @ Somewhere Only We Know and Holly @ Words Fueled by Love!

Since the September Wrap Up, I haven't finished any series ender this month, but Holly was able to finished one: Twisted Palace (The Royals, # 3) by Erin Watt.

Which series enders did you finish? Link the up below. Don't forget to include the title, your name, & your blog name (Ex: Requiem - Sandy @ Somewhere Only We Know) Also, the October giveaway runs from October 25th - November 25th. On November 25th we will use random.org and the linky entries to pull a winner.

Top Ten Bookish Halloween Costumes

Top 10 Tuesday is a post hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and this week's topic is Top Ten Bookish Halloween Costumes.

So I'm not going particularly original here. You could make a costume out of just about any character from any book.

  1. Any character from Harry Potter is an obviously perfect choice for Halloween.
  2. Assassins - the lovely ladies from the His Fair Assassins series by Robin LaFevers or Caleana from the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J Maas
  3. Zombies - The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman, The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan,
  4. Any of the Lunar Chronicles characters - You could go with cyborg Cinder, hybrid Wolf, Android Iko...many choices and options here. Or the original characters of Cinderella, Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, or Snow White that the series is based off of.
  5. Dystopian revolutionaries - Katniss or Tris from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins or Divergent by Veronica Roth
  6. The REAPER OF MARS - Darrow from Red Rising by Pierce Brown. Or a howler like Sevro.
  7. Reign of Terror or Terror Gypsies - from Thunder Road by Katie McGarry
  8. Any character from A Song of Ice and Fire by George R R Martin
  9. Shadowhunters - You've even got multiple time periods to choose from here. The Mortal Instruments, The Infernal Devices, or The Dark Artifices by Cassandra Clare
  10. Fantasy Princesses - Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit, Chronicles of Narnia, The Kiss of Deception

Who are your top bookish characters to dress up as for Halloween? Let me know!

Monday, October 24, 2016

All Things Halloween Review - November Rain

November Rain (Bad Bloods, # 1)

By: Shannon A Thompson

Published: July 18th 2016 by Clean Teen Publishing

230 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, SciFi, Dystopian

Source: Author for review (Thank you!!) (also a freebie on Amazon)

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Seventeen-year-old Serena isn’t human. She is a bad blood, and in the city of Vendona, bad bloods are executed. In the last moments before she faces imminent death, a prison guard aids her escape and sparks a revolt. Back on the streets determined to destroy her kind, Serena is spared by a fellow bad blood named Daniel. His past tragedies are as equally mysterious as her connection to them.

Unbeknownst to the two, this connection is the key to winning the election for bad bloods’ rights to be seen as human again. But Serena is the only one who can secure Vendona’s vote. Now, Daniel must unite with her before all hope is lost and bad bloods are eradicated, even if it means exposing secrets worse than death itself. United or not, a city will fight, rain will fall, and all will be threatened by star-crossed love and political corruption.

I finished November Rain three weeks before typing this review. I usually never wait this long to write a review. I have a self-imposed 48-hour limit under normal circumstances. But I've had the hardest time deciding what to say about November Rain. November Rain and November Snow are essentially "one book broken into two parts due to length" (per Shannon A Thompson). As such, November Rain really did feel incomplete. It started out great. I was pretty hooked into the characters and the story, but the story really doesn't feel like it stands on it's own as an individual book. The conflict for the two books is set up in November Rain, but I didn't feel like November Rain had enough individual conflict to justify the split in the books.

Part of my difficulty deciding what to say is because after I finished it I jumped right into November Snow. Where I read November Rain quickly, I was getting stalled on November Snow. And since the two books are essentially one story that seemed to hinder my ability to process and analyze. However, since these books are being released separately I'm going to do my best to review them separately without being influenced by the other piece of the puzzle.

Serena and Daniel both felt like strong characters with fleshed out backgrounds. Their intentions and motivations felt genuine. They had a spark from their first encounter, but trust and romance were a bit slower to build even though looking back I can't remember how much time actually passes in the first book. Both were likeable, and I think that was in large part due to their deep love for those they consider their family. Serena and Daniel are both willing to put themselves on the line for the kids in their flocks.

That leads me to two different points. The side characters are a bit overwhelming at first. There are twelve members to each flock. And that's not all of the side characters. Twenty-four+ characters...that's a lot of characters to try to keep straight. It was a bit overwhelming.

My second point is the world building. It was clear to me that Shannon A Thompson spent a lot time creating this world, the politics behind it, the characters. But up I'm not sure that enough of the world was conveyed to the reader. Her writing is done so in a way that is an attempt to maintain a bit of suspense and intrigue, but November Rain ends before you got any real answers. I did enjoy the diversity in the Bad Bloods' powers. That part reminded me of X-men if you like that sort of supernatural aspect.

I feel like my review has come off more negative than I really feel. I read November Rain really quickly. I wanted to keep reading. I wanted to come back to it. I wanted to know more about the characters and the world of the Bad Bloods. I enjoyed the characters and wanted to know what was going to happen next when the book came to an end. But I did have a few issues and my biggest problem revolved around the split in the books. November Rain gets 3.5 Stars from me. Have you read November Rain? What did you think? Let me know!

This review is part of my All Things Halloween event--a month of paranormal, supernatural, mystery/thriller, etc reviews and books.

Sunday, October 23, 2016

Sunday Post - 218

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ The Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~this meme was inspired in part by ~ In My Mailbox~ It's a chance to share News. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.

I was quite worn out this week after Baby Girl's birthday party last week so I took things easy for the most part. Thursday was a hectic day as that was Baby Girl's actual birthday. This year has been so full of love and joy. It's been a great and fast year. I think with each new stage I am enjoying her more and more. We also had one of the bathroom companies that we got an estimate from sit down and talk with us more. Then we went that afternoon to have Baby Girl's 1 year pictures made. Friday night Husband and I went on a date. Mexican food and bathroom tile shopping. Tonight TWD comes back on FINALLY! I am dying to know who got Lucille! I've got my predictions, but I need to know NOW! No new books this week.

THIS PAST WEEK:

Monday: All Things Halloween Review - Winter (Lunar Chronicles, # 4) by Marissa Meyer (4 Stars)
Tuesday: Top Ten Character Names for Pets
Wednesday: Waiting on Roar (Stealing Storms, # 1) by Cora Carmack

UPCOMING THIS WEEK:

Monday: All Things Halloween Review of November Rain (Bad Bloods, # 1) by Shannon A Thompson
Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday & 2016 Series Enders Reading Challenge - October Wrap Up
Wednesday: Waiting on Wednesday

Don’t forget to sign up for the 2016 Series Enders Reading Challenge! You have until December 15, 2016 to sign up. Each month there will be a giveaway for those participating with an end of the year giveaway too! Click on the picture below or the link above to find out more!

That's it for my shelves and recaps of my past and upcoming week. What did you add to your shelves this week? Any bookish news you want to talk about? Let me know!

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Waiting on Roar

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Roar (Stealing Storms, # 1)

By: Cora Carmack

Expected Publication: June 13th 2017 by Tor Teen

352 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--In a land ruled and shaped by violent magical storms, power lies with those who control them.

Aurora Pavan comes from one of the oldest Stormling families in existence. Long ago, the ungifted pledged fealty and service to her family in exchange for safe haven, and a kingdom was carved out from the wildlands and sustained by magic capable of repelling the world’s deadliest foes. As the sole heir of Pavan, Aurora’s been groomed to be the perfect queen. She’s intelligent and brave and honorable. But she’s yet to show any trace of the magic she’ll need to protect her people.

To keep her secret and save her crown, Aurora’s mother arranges for her to marry a dark and brooding Stormling prince from another kingdom. At first, the prince seems like the perfect solution to all her problems. He’ll guarantee her spot as the next queen and be the champion her people need to remain safe. But the more secrets Aurora uncovers about him, the more a future with him frightens her. When she dons a disguise and sneaks out of the palace one night to spy on him, she stumbles upon a black market dealing in the very thing she lacks—storm magic. And the people selling it? They’re not Stormlings. They’re storm hunters.

Legend says that her ancestors first gained their magic by facing a storm and stealing part of its essence. And when a handsome young storm hunter reveals he was born without magic, but possesses it now, Aurora realizes there’s a third option for her future besides ruin or marriage.

She might not have magic now, but she can steal it if she’s brave enough.

Challenge a tempest. Survive it. And you become its master.

I'm a Cora Carmack fan. Her books always seem to hook me even if there's something I end up taking issue with. But so far all I've seen her do is Contemporary. I'm excited to see her branch out into Fantasy. What are you waiting on this week? Let me know!

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Top Ten Character Names for a Pet

Top 10 Tuesday is a post hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and this week's topic is Top Ten Character Names for a Pet.

  1. Kestrel from The Winner's Trilogy by Marie Rutkoski
  2. Darrow from Red Rising Trilogy by Pierce Brown
  3. Sevro from Red Rising Trilogy by Pierce Brown
  4. Karou from Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
  5. Dimitri from Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
  6. Oz from Thunder Road from Katie McGarry
  7. Rhaegar from A Song of Ice and Fire by George R R Martin
  8. Blue from The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater
  9. Jasper from Jasper Dent by Barry Lyga
  10. Thorne from The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

I'm very picky about kids' names. While I love books and book characters, I just can't see naming one of my children after a book character. I really want my kids' names to have specific meanings. Nothing's wrong with naming your kids after book characters, but that's just not my jam. However, I think naming pets after book characters is a great idea. And you can bit a bit more fun and funky with pet names as well. What are your top character names? Let me know!

Update: It was brought to my attention by Holly that perhaps I should offer some clarification here. I interpreted the topic of naming a child AFTER a character as just that...naming a child based on a character...not just taking the name of a character and leaving the character behind. In actuality, I first saw the name "Ever" in a book. It wasn't a particularly good book in my opinion and the character was neither particularly spectacular nor particularly bad either. Regardless, I liked the name and kept it in my back pocket. When the time came, "Ever" became the first name of my daughter. But that was because her first name is paired with the middle name "Lael" which means "belonging to God" in Hebrew. Her name together (Ever Lael) means "always belonging to God". So while in some ways I did name my child BECAUSE of a character in a book, I didn't name her AFTER a character in a book because the book was so far removed from me and the reason why I loved the name and chose it for my daughter.