The Winner's Curse and The Winner's Crime by Marie Rutkoski: Dual Review

 SERIES RATING: 5/5 stars!

 

Author: Marie Rutkoski

Publisher: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux

The Winner's Curse and The Winner's Crime on  Goodreads!

 

SUMMARY of The Winner's Curse (from Goodreads):

 

Winning what you want may cost you everything you love.

As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions. One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction.

Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin. But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined.

Set in a richly imagined new world, The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.

 

REVIEW:

 

When I read THE WINNER'S CURSE a year ago, I wasn't quite sure if I liked it or not. The writing was absolutely gorgeous, but there was something about the book in my mind that was not sitting well for some reason. I thought about it for months afterwards, and it was finally about six months later that I finally came to the conclusion that the book was absolutely AMAZING! There are very few books that I think about for months after I read it, and THE WINNER'S CURSE happened to be one of them.

 

But when THE WINNER"S CRIME came out a month ago, I was very hesitant to buy it. What if I don't like this one? What if I get the same uneasiness that I felt after reading the first one? And what if the uneasiness doesn't go away???

 

So I got the book from the library first, just to be safe, but I shouldn't have worried. It was even better than the first one. The writing style was still absolutely gorgeous, and the way the characters developed was fantastic! I love Kestrel and Arin so much. And I'm normally not a fan of politics in books, but I loved the court politics and the cat-and-mouse game Kestrel played with the Emperor. All I can say now if bring on book three!!

 

Overall, if you have not picked this series up, I highly suggest you do!

 

CONTENT: Kissing, some talk of sex, and sexual tension between characters, but there's no sex actually on the page. Moderate swearing, and a lot of gory violence.

Waiting on Wednesday (18): Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas

"Waiting on Wednesday": is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

 

This week's "waiting on" is....

 

Queen of Shadows

by Sarah J. Maas!

 

Expected publication date: September 1st, 2015

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens

 

SUMMARY (from Goodreads):

 

Sarah J. Maas's New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass series reaches new heights in this sweeping fourth volume.

Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she's at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past . . .

She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die just to see her again. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen's triumphant return.

Celaena’s epic journey has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions across the globe. This fourth volume will hold readers rapt as Celaena’s story builds to a passionate, agonizing crescendo that might just shatter her world.

 

This series is the bomb.com. I cannot wait for this book!!!!

 

What is your waiting on?





The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger: Review

RATING: 4/5 stars!

 

Author: J.D. Salinger

Publisher: Back Bay Books

Publication date: 1951

Find it on Goodreads here!

 

SUMMARY (from Goodreads):

 

Since his debut in 1951 as The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield has been synonymous with "cynical adolescent." Holden narrates the story of a couple of days in his sixteen-year-old life, just after he's been expelled from prep school, in a slang that sounds edgy even today and keeps this novel on banned book lists. It begins,
"If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth. In the first place, that stuff bores me, and in the second place, my parents would have about two hemorrhages apiece if I told anything pretty personal about them."

His constant wry observations about what he encounters, from teachers to phonies (the two of course are not mutually exclusive) capture the essence of the eternal teenage experience of alienation.

REVIEW:

To start off, I was assigned to read this book for school, and I was NOT looking forward to it. I thought it would be boring, and I just didn't really want to read it. But I really needed a good grade in the class, so I started to read it.

And I loved it.

Holden Caulfield's observations of the world are absolutely hilarious. I could relate to a lot of them. And even though I could tell this book was geared more toward boys, I, as a girl, still got a lot out of it.

It also puts perspective on maturity and growing up. Holden doesn't want to grow up, and he avoids it at all costs. But this is ultimately his downfall. I feel like teenagers can relate to him and his feelings of loneliness and never wanting to grow up.

But why the four stars? As funny as Holden was...he got a bit annoying after a while. Towards the end of the book I was ready to slap him upside the head. It got better eventually, but it was still frustrating.

Overall, THE CATCHER IN THE RYE is a fabulous book. I highly recommend it!!!

CONTENT: Quite a bit of swearing and talk of sex and prostitutes. Definitely not for younger readers.

Waiting on Wednesday (17): Six of Crows (The Dregs #1) by Leigh Bardugo

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

 

This week's "waiting on" is...

 

Six of Crows

by Leigh Bardugo!

 

Publication date: October 6th, 2015

Publisher: Henry Holt and Company

 

SUMMARY:

 

Game of Thrones meets Ocean's Eleven in this brand-book in the world of the Grisha by New York Times-bestselling author Leigh Bardugo.

Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can't pull it off alone...

A convict with a thirst for revenge.

A sharpshooter who can't walk away from a wager.

A runaway with a privileged past.

A spy known as the Wraith.

A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums.

A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes.

Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz's crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don't kill each other first. 

 



The Grisha trilogy is one of my favorite trilogies. I can't wait to see what else Leigh Bardugo has in store!

 

What is your "waiting on"?

Shadowcry, Blackwatch, and Winterveil by Jenna Burtenshaw: Wintercraft series review

SERIES RATING: 3/5 stars!!

 

Author: Jenna Burtenshaw

Publisher: Greenwillow books

Shadowcry, Blackwatch, and Winterveil on Goodreads!

 

SUMMARY of SHADOWCRY (from Goodreads):

 

Ten years ago Kate Winters' parents were taken by the High Council's wardens to help with the country's war effort.

Now the wardens are back...and prisoners, including Kate's uncle Artemis, are taken south on the terrifying Night Train. Kate and her friend Edgar are hunted by a far more dangerous enemy. Silas Dane - the High Council's most feared man - recognises Kate as one of the Skilled; a rare group of people able to see through the veil between the living and the dead. His spirit was damaged by the High Council's experiments into the veil, and he's convinced that Kate can undo the damage and allow him to find peace.

The knowledge Kate needs lies within Wintercraft - a book thought to be hidden deep beneath the graveyard city of Fume. But the Night of Souls, when the veil between life and death is at its thinnest, is just days away and the High Council have their own sinister plans for Kate and Wintercraft.

 

REVIEW:

 

I bought these books a while back, purely based on their covers. They were gorgeous, and looked so pretty on my shelf! But, in normal Marie fashion, didn't read them until I've had them for about a year and a half.

 

While I did like them, I was slightly disappointed. The story was so unique; but I felt that all of the characters has little to no depth. I could not connect with any of them. Also, the writing didn't have a flow. It felt very simple, and I wasn't crazy about it most of the time.

 

The world building, though, was on point. I loved it. I was easily drawn into this other world, and I could have easily lived there.

 

Overall, this series was not the most spectacular thing out there, but was still very enjoyable. I recommend giving it a try!

 

CONTENT: Mild violence.

 



Waiting on Wednesday (16): Frozen Tides by Morgan Rhodes

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

 

This week's "waiting on" is...

 

Frozen Tides

by Morgan Rhodes!

 

Expected publication date: December 15th, 2015
Publisher: Razorbill

SUMMARY (from Goodreads):

Rebels, royals, and monsters wage war over the Mytican throne in the shocking fourth book of the Falling Kingdoms series, from New York Times bestselling author Morgan Rhodes.

CLEO: Reeling after a bloody showdown in Limeros ending with Amara’s abduction of the water crystal, and a vacancy in the Mytican throne, Princess Cleo must cast aside her feelings and look toward her kingdom with the eyes of a Queen.

MAGNUS: With the kingdom in chaos, Princess Lucia still missing and quite possibly in danger, and a shocking realization about Cleo, the steely prince is once again torn between love and duty, leaving him wondering whether he’s strong enough to rule his people.

LUCIA: The young sorcercess has had her vengeance after the cruel death of her first and only love. Heartbroken and unable to trust anyone, she allies with the awoken Fire god, who also seeks revenge.

JONAS: After escaping death by the skin of his teeth, the defeated rebel—along with a mysterious stranger–leader reunites with Princess Cleo, only to find himself a mere pawn in a dangerous hunt for the elusive Kindred.

KING GAIUS: Abandoned by Melenia and betrayed by his own children, Gaius flees Mytica and sails to Kraeshia, where he attempts to ally with the famously brutal emperor across the Silver Sea.  

I am so pumped for this book! WHY MUST I HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL DECEMBER?!

 

What is your "waiting on"? 



Invaded (Alienated #2) by Melissa Landers: Review

RATING: 5/5 stars!!

 

Author: Melissa Landers

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Source: Bought

Release date: February 3, 2015

Find it on Goodreads here!

 

SUMMARY (from Goodreads):

 



The romantic sequel to Alienated takes long-distance relationships to a new level as Cara and Aelyx long for each other from opposite ends of the universe...until a threat to both their worlds reunites them.

Cara always knew life on planet L’eihr would be an adjustment. With Aelyx, her L’eihr boyfriend, back on Earth, working to mend the broken alliance between their two planets, Cara is left to fend for herself at a new school, surrounded by hostile alien clones. Even the weird dorm pet hates her.

Things look up when Cara is appointed as human representative to a panel preparing for a human colony on L’eihr. A society melding their two cultures is a place where Cara and Aelyx could one day make a life together. But with L’eihr leaders balking at granting even the most basic freedoms, Cara begins to wonder if she could ever be happy on this planet, even with Aelyx by her side.

Meanwhile, on Earth, Aelyx, finds himself thrown into a full-scale PR campaign to improve human-L’eihr relations. Humans don’t know that their very survival depends on this alliance: only Aelyx’s people have the technology to fix the deadly contamination in the global water supply that human governments are hiding. Yet despite their upper hand, the leaders of his world suddenly seem desperate to get humans on their side, and hardly bat an eye at extremists’ multiple attempts on Aelyx’s life.

The Way clearly needs humans’ help . . . but with what? And what will they ask for in return?  

REVIEW:

It's no secret that I absolutely ADORED Alienated (My review), and Invaded was definitely one of my most anticipated releases of 2015.

While it was really good, I did not think that it was as good as the first one. For a lot of the book, I felt like there was something missing. It may have had to do with Cara and Aelyx being on different planets, because I did not like that at all. Part of what made the first book so good was their interactions and conversations with each other, and I really missed it in this book. But the rest of the book was still absolutely fabulous. David and Syrine were absolutely hilarious, and Cara's wit had me laughing so much.

I also loved getting able to see more of L'eihr. It was cool to see how the cultures are so different, and the different ways the aliens interacted with one another.
Overall, if you are a sci-fi fan, these are definitely the books for you! I highly recommend them!

CONTENT: Lots of talk of sex, but none actually done on page. There is quite a lot of kissing, though. Language and violence are the same as the first book.