Review: Realm Breaker by Victoria Aveyard

Realm Breaker (Realm Breaker, Book #1)

by Victoria Aveyard

Release Date: May 4th 2021

2021 HarperTeen

Kindle Edition; 576 Pages

ISBN: 978-0062872623

ASIN: B08F7RDFBS

Audiobook: B08RQZV275

Genre: Fiction / YA / Fantasy

Source: Review copy from publisher

3 / 5 Stars

Summary

She is the last of an ancient lineage—and the last hope to save the world from destruction. But she won’t be alone. Even as darkness falls, she is joined by a band of unlikely companions:

A squire, forced to choose between home and honor.
An immortal, avenging a broken promise.
An assassin, exiled and bloodthirsty.
An ancient sorceress, whose riddles hide an eerie foresight.
A forger with a secret past.
A bounty hunter with a score to settle.

Together they stand against a vicious opponent, invincible and determined to burn all kingdoms to ash, and an army unlike anything the realm has ever witnessed.

 

My Thoughts

Realm Breaker is a new young adult fantasy by the author of the Red Queen books, and although I wasn't a huge fan of that series, I thought I'd give this one a try without knowing too much about it.  I really vacillated between liking the book and forcing myself to continue as there were times it was a slog to get through.  

 

First of all, finally a YA fantasy novel with little to no romance.  I am not personally against romance, but the whole love at first sight thing or the love-triangle thing gets me every time.  There were some hints at some possible romance in the future, but it didn't drive the story so I was thankful for that.  

 

I also tend to enjoy the 'chosen one' trope as it doesn't bother me at all, no matter how often it's done.  Corayne is the last of her lineage, that we know of, and is expected to save the world, but her skills are non-existent when it comes to battle and strategy so I found her character to be quite interesting.  I liked that she had no clue what she was doing and needed to rely on others to help her through difficulties, and there was no sudden magical gift that helps her save the world.

 

Which brings me to the characters in the book.  I liked the characters in the book and while some of them did some twisty things, there was not enough of that to really capture my interest.  Sorasa was the most interesting of the bunch, but I still felt like I knew little about her towards the end of the book.  So, character development wasn't in great supply throughout the story as the author spent a lot of time world building.  I have no problem with world building, something I love in fantasy novels, but there is a fine line and I think the author has to be careful so they don't lose the story line.  Unfortunately, the story line fell flat for me throughout the book simply because the author spent too much time trying to explain the background when I think it could have been incorporated through dialogue or in a different manner.  It became a slog to read rather than something fun and exciting.   With the variety of characters the author introduced, there was potential for a lot of excitement and a lot of plot building, but I didn't really feel that or get a sense of the characters. 

The story is written in multiple POV, but that is never a bother for me.  I even prefer it when one of the POV is from the villain's as long as not too much is given away so we never lose that tension or dread. The author uses the POV to try and add mystery to the characters, sometimes by backtracking and giving us backstories, but it doesn't always work, at least for me.  I just felt like the story was disjointed rather than seamless.  There were points where I was riveted, then it would get interrupted by something completely different and I would lose interest.  This story was supposed to be a quest, and although we follow the characters through many different lands and areas, the quest gets eaten up by the descriptions and nothing really exciting happens which is why the book was difficult to get through. Yes, they got in trouble a couple of times, but there was no risk, no heart-pounding risk, where you held your breath and wondered how they would get out of it.  And these are the scenes where character, as well as plot, development occur.  None. Nope. Nada.  Boring.

Verdict

Realm Breaker had a lot of potential, with an interesting variety of characters and strong world-building. I thought the character development was one of the weakest points of this novel, and the author spent so much time on world-building that she sometimes lost track of the story line which made it seem disjointed and frankly, the quest was a bit boring. Would I read the next book in this series? At this point, I am not sure, to be honest.  I think you would have to read this book and judge for yourself.

Review: Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

Sorcery of Thorns
by Margaret Rogerson
Release Date: June 4th 2019
2019 Margaret K. McElderry Books
Kindle Edition; 456 Pages
ISBN: 978-1481497619
ASIN: B07MD6JXT1
Genre: Fiction / Fantasy / YA
Source: Review copy from publisher

4 / 5 Stars

Summary

All sorcerers are evil. Elisabeth has known that as long as she has known anything. Raised as a foundling in one of Austermeer’s Great Libraries, Elisabeth has grown up among the tools of sorcery—magical grimoires that whisper on shelves and rattle beneath iron chains. If provoked, they transform into grotesque monsters of ink and leather. She hopes to become a warden, charged with protecting the kingdom from their power.

Then an act of sabotage releases the library’s most dangerous grimoire. Elisabeth’s desperate intervention implicates her in the crime, and she is torn from her home to face justice in the capital. With no one to turn to but her sworn enemy, the sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn, and his mysterious demonic servant, she finds herself entangled in a centuries-old conspiracy. Not only could the Great Libraries go up in flames, but the world along with them.

As her alliance with Nathaniel grows stronger, Elisabeth starts to question everything she’s been taught—about sorcerers, about the libraries she loves, even about herself. For Elisabeth has a power she has never guessed, and a future she could never have imagined.

My Thoughts
Sorcery of Thorns is one of those books to which I would be immediately drawn: it is about magical books, the setting takes place in buildings that are mysterious and are pretty much libraries, and there is a system of magic that is unique and different.  While I am not a huge fan of YA literature, I truly did enjoy this novel from beginning to end, and was somewhat disappointed to learn this was a standalone as I became quite involved in the lives of the main characters and would love to read more about their adventures.  But it is what it is.

First of all, I thought Elisabeth was a great character and really enjoyed her personality.  She was tough, but not mean, going after what she wanted, but still thought about others and their needs.  She has grown up in a library and has always wanted to be a warden, someone who protects the kingdom from the power of books if they are provoqued into transforming into monsters that could destroy entire towns or villages.  Some of the books are very much alive and could do some very bad things, which is quite an interesting concept in this book.  When an attack one night goes badly, Elisabeth is sent away, under the protection of Nathanial Thorn and his demon Silas, and a host of new adventures happen to this trio who eventually work together to discover what is actually happening at the libraries and what was behind the attack that sent Elisabeth away.  Silas is by far my favourite character in this novel and I love how the author developed his personality as she explained the bond between Nathanial and Silas and how the magic system worked.  Nathanial is part of an old magical family who pass down their demons from one generation to the next which helps keep the bond between the family and the demon intact.  Having a demon loose upon the world would not be a good thing for the people.  And the author gives the reader a good glimpse as to the chaos that could arise if such a thing were to happen.  Anyhow, the characters were complex, interesting, sarcastic, fascinating, and intriguing, and I was invested in all of them but for different reasons. 

The plot was extremely fast which didn't really bother me too much except that you didn't really get to absorb a scene before you were thrust right into the next one.  Right from the beginning Elisabeth is defending her library against an evil book monster and someone who betrays them, and is then sent away to prove her innocence and is thrust right into some major conflicts in the city so the action just keeps right on going.  The author does a great job explaining the magic system as well as the people involved so there is little confusion as to who is who and what is what. I think the only issue I really had was the lack of world-building. I really felt there should have, and could have, been more details given about the world as they were a bit disjointed and murky which is why when the plot slowed down towards the middle, it also seemed a bit disjointed and murky. Luckily, there were only a couple spots where this happened and the plot and flow picked up rather nicely again. I began to root for Nathanial and Elisabeth right away, but not necessarily as a romantic couple, just as friends as she desperately needed someone on her side who believed in her and who believed that something terrible was happening.  I thought all of the twists and turns worked out rather well, and I liked how the author faced the dark pasts of the characters without flinching and allowed them to explore their feelings and what they were dealing with on their own terms, some of which I don't think is quite fully resolved, leading me a very faint hope there may yet be a sequel to this book.

Verdict
Sorcery of Thorns was a well-written book about two people who needed to help each other discover what they could truly be and who they really are.  I enjoyed the twists and turns and thought the action was a lot of fun. The idea of magical books and libraries was interesting and I liked how the author treated the books.  (I was actually getting sentimental over a book sacrificing itself towards the end.) I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves books (!!) and a fun tale involving a boy, a girl, and my favourite demon, Silas.  To the author, please, please, please write a sequel!!

Review: The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman

The Invisible Library (The Invisible Library, Book #1)
by Genevieve Cogman
Release Date: January 15th 2015
2015 Tor
Ebook Edition; 329 Pages
ISBN: 978-1447256236
ASIN: B016JPTLJK
Genre: Fiction / YA / Fantasy
Source: Review copy from publisher

3 / 5 Stars

Summary
Irene is a professional spy for the mysterious Library, which harvests fiction from different realities. And along with her enigmatic assistant Kai, she's posted to an alternative London. Their mission - to retrieve a dangerous book. But when they arrive, it's already been stolen. London's underground factions seem prepared to fight to the very death to find her book.

Adding to the jeopardy, this world is chaos-infested - the laws of nature bent to allow supernatural creatures and unpredictable magic. Irene's new assistant is also hiding secrets of his own.

Soon, she's up to her eyebrows in a heady mix of danger, clues and secret societies. Yet failure is not an option - the nature of reality itself is at stake.

My Thoughts
The Invisible Library is one of those books where I feel the author tried really hard to include some really cool concepts which would have probably worked better if less effort was involved.  By this I mean we've got a library that exists outside of time, time travelling librarians, dragons, magic, mysteries, drama, intrigue, and of course, the rivalry between librarians.  It all sounds pretty cool, and it is, but it almost felt like the author was trying to pack in too much in order to make it interesting, which wasn't really necessary.

First of all, I loved the concept of the Invisible Library, one that exists outside of time, one that works very hard to keep the balance of the other worlds through the preservation of books.  Upon reflection though, the concept itself is a bit flawed as the characters were being sent to different worlds to steal books, even if sometimes they bought them, and return them to the library.  But don't they belong to the original worlds?  These kinds of ideas were swirling through my head as I read and I had to shut them down or I wouldn't have enjoyed the book as much as I did.  

I did like Irene and Kai as main characters and thought they were interesting.  I like the chemistry between them and am curious as to where their relationship might be heading in the future. Both of them had interesting backgrounds and I look forward to learning more about Kai's in future installments.  Irene had an ongoing rivalry with another librarian which wasn't fully explained but it did add some interesting elements to the story even if they were a bit confusing for the reader because they were not fully understood.   I am a little confused as to why such junior librarians would have been sent on a mission like this one, knowing it could be quite dangerous, knowing who the possible enemy could be. It was another of things I just had to let go if I was going to enjoy this story.

I really enjoyed Vale as a character, but his character really pointed out the flaws in the whole dimension and chaos thing as he was the one who asked the important questions about the Invisible Library that Irene couldn't, or wouldn't, answer.  Their interaction really made it clear that Irene's mission was about the book, and not about anything else. Somewhat disappointing in a way.

Verdict
The Invisible Library was an interesting book in that it was packed full of action, and there were definitely moments when I enjoyed the story and the characters very much.  It did however, raise a lot of questions that were not fully explained or led to dialogue that really wasn't necessary and interrupted the flow of the story, and made some of the characters seem bland and robotic and predictable.  If you are looking for a light, interesting read, then I do recommend this one for you.

Review: The Novice by Taran Matharu

The Novice (Summoner, Book #1)
by Taran Matharu
Release Date: May 5th 2015
2015 Feiwel and Friends
Kindle Edition; 398 Pages
ISBN: 978-1250067128
ASIN: B00OFKKDLW
Genre: Fiction / YA / Fantasy

4 / 5 Stars

Summary
When blacksmith apprentice Fletcher discovers that he has the ability to summon demons from another world, he travels to Adept Military Academy. There the gifted are trained in the art of summoning. Fletcher is put through grueling training as a battlemage to fight in the Hominum Empire’s war against orcs. He must tread carefully while training alongside children of powerful nobles. The power hungry, those seeking alliances, and the fear of betrayal surround him. Fletcher finds himself caught in the middle of powerful forces, with only his demon Ignatius for help.

My Thoughts
The Novice is the first book in the Summoner Trilogy and I enjoyed it quite a bit.  While it started off a bit slowly, there was something about Fletcher and his story that really appealed to me, so I didn't mind at all.  Furthermore, the plot was rather simple and straightforward, which I liked, as I never got the feeling the author was trying to fit something in just because he could.  There was a rather nice flow between each series of actions as well as with character interactions.

First of all, Fletcher is one of those characters that we've all seen before in fantasy novels; he's an orphan, left at the door by his unknown-to-him mother who will probably be someone highborn, raised by a kind man, fighting against the bullies (usually those born in the nobility), discovers he's a mage, wrongly accused of a crime, runs away, joins a magic academy, and fights other political machinations that surround him.  Sound like a familiar theme?  Oh, yeah.  The bullying and the racism themes were big themes in this novel, kind of reflecting what is happening in the world around us, so I found it interesting to compare reality versus fantasy.  I also really liked how the story was written; Fletcher was an unassuming hero, kind, generous, but quite loyal, very interested in the world around him, which made it interesting for the reader for as the story line unfolded you learned some of the political and societal happenings due to Fletcher's interest.   I also tend to have a thing for academy books and enjoy them a lot - probably stemming back to my Magician days with Pug and company, although it probably goes even earlier than that.  My favourite character so far is Ignatius, the demon that Fletcher accidentally summoned, and I have wondered exactly how he fits into the story and what kinds of powers he actually has. 

The plot in this one was quite simple, and I enjoyed it just for that reason.  However, there was still a lot of things going on despite this simplicity and I think it could be dismissed rather easily as too simple.  I liked a lot of the training at the academy, but even more, I liked the interaction between the people as they coped with the pressure of training for a competition for which they were already disadvantaged, one against the noble children who have been training for years with their parents.  There was enough action to keep it interesting, even if the beginning was a bit slow, and I definitely have become a huge fan of the dwarves, and would like to learn more about them and their history.  I am also quite curious about Fletcher's dreams and what they mean as I am beginning to sense some evil machinations behind the Orc war.  It has just made me curious as to what is really going on.

Verdict
The Novice turned out to be a great book, and I enjoyed it quite a bit, better than I expected actually.  I tend to be really picky when it comes to fantasy, but this was an entertaining, if not very in-depth, novel that I really needed at this time - something very different from Martin, Goodkind, or Weeks. It's a book meant to be lighthearted, without all that extra stuff that bogs down a book and makes it dreary, and the characters are easygoing and pretty likable.  I truly wasn't expecting the cliffhanger at the hand, although I was expecting it to come back to him at some point in the future, just not the way it happened.  I'm still not sure how I feel about cliffhanger endings though; if the book is really good, you will want to read the next one despite the cliffhanger which can really frustrate readers.  Anyhow, looking forward to reading The Inquisition, which is sitting on my shelf just waiting to be read.   

 

 

Review: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Red Queen (Red Queen, Book #1)
by Victoria Aveyard
Release Date: February 10th 2015
2015 HarperTeen
Ebook Edition; 400 Pages
ISBN: 978-0062310637
ASIN: B00KFG156C
Genre: Fiction / YA / Fantasy
Source: Review copy from publisher

3.5 / 5 Stars

Summary
The poverty stricken Reds are commoners, living under the rule of the Silvers, elite warriors with god-like powers.

To Mare Barrow, a 17-year-old Red girl from The Stilts, it looks like nothing will ever change.

Mare finds herself working in the Silver Palace, at the centre of those she hates the most. She quickly discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy Silver control.

But power is a dangerous game. And in this world divided by blood, who will win?

My Thoughts
Red Queen is the first book in a planned trilogy and basically is the story of two types of people, one with silver blood who control the land and have immense powers, one with red blood who serve the silvers in every way imaginable, and of course, there is the red blood who is discovered to have immense powers and crosses that imaginary boundary that divides the two people.  Personally, I thought the book was well-written and enjoyable, but ultimately very predictable.

First of all, I really liked Mare as a principal character, even if she is a bit selfish and self-centered at times, unwilling to pay attention to what is really happening around her.  For a character who is portrayed as tough and a bit rebellious, I actually found her to be quite naive and a bit silly sometimes, but she reminds me of a typical person who thinks they know everything until they are dumped into a situation and then realize they really didn't know what they were doing. Or how big the world actually is out there.  This didn't bother me a whole lot about her as it gave her character quite a bit of room to grow and develop, and although she's not there yet, I am curious as to how the author will develop this character.  As for the other characters, I don't really feel as if the author has given them much of a chance to grow and develop as of yet so I didn't really empathize too much with them.  Maven was okay, but his character could be so much more than how he was portrayed in here as he is much more intelligent to be playing the games he played in the end; it was too childish and I'd like to see some real adult politics be involved in his games as it would so much more fun to read about. 

That brings me to my next point, the political situation in this novel, which was kind of non-existent. The premise was kind of intriguing and Maven's mother showed some promise at being politically adept, but then it kind of petered out and we were left with more petty political intrigues and under-developed intrigues.  I was left feeling a bit disappointed as there seemed to be a lot of hope that the political situation would be more developed than it was, but it was vague and skipped around quite a bit as if the author was trying to decide what to do.  The world-building was interesting, and definitely had a dystopian feel to it that I liked, with some elements that I hope are further explored in the next novel.

I still have a lot of mixed feelings about the plot though, as it did move along rather slowly, and it was fairly predictable.  While some people might find the plot to be full of twists and turns, I found them quite bland and easy to figure out what was coming.  And Maven - could have spotted that one a mile away.   Like I said, Mare is pretty naive and pretty trusting for a rebellious red.  I am glad however, that the author didn't really develop the romance too much as it didn't really seem to suit the novel; while I am curious to see what happens in that department, it can wait for future books to develop although I know who I am rooting for already and you may be surprised by my choice.

Verdict
Red Queen was a fairly interesting novel when it came to world-building and the premise was certainly intriguing.  I did enjoy it quite a bit, but found it predictable and a bit on the shallow level. I would like to see the political intrigues and the character development taken to deeper levels as there is a lot of potential to really explore those depths without being the same as everyone else.  It could be very intense at times, and there were some gritty sections in here that I enjoyed.  And I really enjoyed the conclusion, a perfect set-up for the next book in this series, Glass Sword, to be released February 2016.

Review: Push by Eve Silver

Push (The Game, Book #2)
by Eve Silver
Release Date: June 10th 2014
2014 Katherine Tegen Books
Ebook Edition; 341 Pages
ISBN: 978-0062192219
ASIN: B00FJ32Y5C
Genre: Fiction / YA / Fantasy
Source: Review copy from publisher

4 / 5 Stars

Summary
It’s either break the rules or die.

Miki Jones lives her life by her own strict set of rules, to keep control, to keep the gray fog of grief at bay. Then she’s pulled into the Game, where she - and her team - will die unless she follows a new set of rules: those set by the mysterious Committee.

But rules don’t mean answers, and without answers, it’s hard to trust. People are dying. The rules are unraveling. And Miki knows she’s being watched, uncertain if it’s the Drau or someone - something - else. Forced to make impossible choices and battling to save those she loves, Miki begins to see the Committee in a glaring new light.

And then the Game crosses a new boundary, pushes harder into Miki’s and her friends’ lives, and there’s nothing in the rules that can save them now.

My Thoughts
Push was a great follow-up to Rush, the first book in the series.  Even though there are a couple of things I am still confused about, things that I am hoping will be clarified in the conclusion, the concept of this series is quite fascinating, and I continue to enjoy reading about the different reasons for why Miki and the others keep getting pulled and are thrust into a war they don't necessarily understand, in a parallel dimension, and why it's suddenly spilled into their world.  

I love Miki as a character; she is tough, disciplined, funny, self-confident, and strong, but at the same time quite vulnerable, especially in the scenes where she has to deal with her dad's drinking.  It is so easy to relate to her, and to the other characters, and they seem so down to earth and real.  While the scenes with the Drau were interesting, I actually enjoyed the times when Miki got to be a teenager and do normal things with her friends and deal with normal issues rather than these huge confusing issues where the rules were always changing.  I have to admit that I tended to race through the chapters dealing with the Drau, as at first they seemed a bit repetitive of the first book, and took my time through the scenes where Miki and her friends were back on Earth dealing with the repercussions of their 'visits'.  

I also have to admit the romance is more up my alley than some of the other books I've read.  I really like Jackson, and although I'm not a big fan of the secret, silent type, it seems to work in this book; Miki is a tough cookie and doesn't put up with Jackson's behaviour so the chemistry and the tension between them just oozes off the pages, with both of them respecting each other for their strength, courage, and determination.  At first I thought we'd be caught up in one of those love triangles, but the author didn't go down that road, and I'm so grateful for that as it would have created unnecessary drama that I think would have ruined the book for me.  

Verdict
Push continues an interesting series, and I'm glad the second book was just as fascinating as the first. The concept is quite unique, with teams of young people being pulled out of one dimension and being sent to another in a war they don't quite understand, being controlled by a group of 'people' whom few have met, with rules that constantly change.  I enjoyed the development of the characters and like how the information is revealed slowly, piece by tantalizing piece, and I am still trying to figure out exactly what is going on.  However, I was satisfied with the ending of the book, even if it was done in such a way that makes you really wonder what is going on; it just makes you want to read the conclusion even more. 

Review: Grey by Chrisi J. Whitney

Grey (The Romany Outcasts Series, Book 1)
by Christi J. Whitney
Release Date: April 30th 2015
2015 Harper Voyager
Ebook Edition; 400 Pages
ISBN: 978-0008113582
ASIN: B00MT9E66E
Genre: Fiction / Young Adult / Fantasy
Source: Review copy from Pump Up Your Book

4.5 / 5 Stars

Summary
Sebastian Grey always thought he was a fairly normal teenager – good friends, decent grades, and a pretty sweet job in his foster brother’s tattoo shop.

But when strangers arrive in town, Sebastian soon realizes that his world is nothing at all what it seemed. Secretive gypsies surround him, shadowy figures stalk him, and the girl he’s been dreaming about turns up at school.

Now Sebastian must protect this girl at all costs, even if it means he will never be normal again.

My Thoughts
Grey is the first book in the Romany Outcasts Series, and I was pleasantly surprised by the atmosphere and setting that was created. So many YA novels focus on love at first sight scenarios, vampires, and other cliched settings, almost to the point where I have been avoiding that aisle in the bookstore, so I was a bit leery about starting this one. However, I rather enjoyed the complexities of these characters, and the very different problems that arose for Sebastian, the main character, as it was just so different from the mainstream situations that abound in the young adult genre.

One of the biggest things I liked in this novel was the fact that I had no idea what was happening to Sebastian until probably halfway through the novel.  As he began changing, and things started happening to him, I was left guessing as to the reason; honestly, I had no idea what the ultimate answer would be and I was quite surprised and rather intrigued.  He was such a sympathetic character and I really had a lot of empathy for him as he struggled to maintain a normal life at school while struggling to deal with physical and emotional changes for which he was not prepared.  I especially liked that his friends stood by him as he was dealing with stuff, and didn't ostracize him or really reprimand him for his behaviour.  As a reader, I am still struggling to understand some of Sebastian's stronger emotions, in particular those for Josephine, but I think it's because so much has not yet been revealed and I don't yet know a lot of what is going on.  Such is the fate of being the first book in a planned trilogy. (And notice that I didn't reveal anything about Sebastian's changes as I don't want to spoil it for you.)

Another thing I really liked was Sebastian's relationship with his brother Hugo (not sure if this is a bit of a pun based on a certain author, but I amused myself thinking that way (and Esmeralda, too).) Sebastian thought he had such a good relationship with Hugo and the other guys at the tattoo shop, but things started changing rather quickly when he started going through his physical changes, and learned his 'brother' was keeping some pretty serious secrets from him.  I really liked the struggle that Hugo went through to protect Sebastian, and also keep his leadership position intact; it must have been quite difficult for him.  There were a lot of conflicts around duty and obligation, but I really liked that the concept of family and trust won out in the end; it certainly gave the novel a deeper layer than I was expecting.

Verdict
Grey was a refreshing fantasy novel that will appeal to anyone looking for slightly different in the young adult genre.  It does have its cliched moments of course, but for the most part I thought the writing was engaging, and I really liked the character development, particularly that of Hugo and Sebastian.  While this book wrapped up quite neatly, there are many secrets that have not yet been revealed and I am quite curious as to what will happen to Sebastian next, when book two, Shadows, is published next year.

Review: Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

Seraphina (Seraphina, Book #1)
by Rachel Hartman
Release Date: July 10th, 2012
2012 Random House Books for Young Readers
Hardcover Edition; 499 Pages
ISBN: 978-0375866579
ASIN: B006XWYASW
Genre: Fiction / Young Adult / Fantasy
Source: Review copy from publisher

4.5 / 5 Stars

Summary
Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty's anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high.

Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered—in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen's Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life.

My Thoughts
Seraphina is one of those books I was reluctant to read the first time round simply because there was so much hype around it and I tended to avoid those books with a lot of hype. So when I was offered a chance to review the sequel, I took it as an opportunity to take a look at it again and I wasn't disappointed at all.  In fact, I enjoyed Seraphina quite a bit; the world-building was very believable and very well-developed, and the descriptions felt like they belonged as part of the story and not thrown in as explanations; no information overload / dumping in this novel and I really appreciate that.  I imagine it would have taken quite a few editions in order to do this and I have to give a lot of credit to the author for really paying attention to the little details that really make this book outstanding.

Seraphina is one of those characters whom it is difficult not to like; she is headstrong, stubborn, creative, determined, loyal, and full of secrets.  While these are strong character traits, they are also easily ones which get her into a lot of trouble as she has difficulty letting go of something once she has her 'hooks' into it, and follows her instincts with a tenacity that can be endearing, but is annoying to those around her, especially since they don't understand the secret she is trying to keep from everyone.  And the person she annoys the most is Prince Lucian Kiggs, the one man who can help her uncover what is happening at the castle. Because her secret is quite deplorable to many of those around her, it also causes trouble in her relationships as she has to lie on occasion, and this causes mistrust on both sides, leaving people unsure whom to trust, wondering from where, and more importantly, from whom, Seraphina gets her information.  I actually thought the delicate balancing of relationships in this novel was quite well done, with none of the dramatics you see in other novels, and I quite liked seeing relationship difficulties without all of that 'angst'; it was just about people learning to trust each other with some rather deep secrets.  I also liked the delicate development of emotions in Orma and am curious as to where that is going to go. He is, without doubt, my favourite character and delivered some beautiful one-liners (I will leave that for you to discover though). On the other side though, I love the cold nature of the dragons, how manipulative and calculating they are, and how completely indifferent they are to human emotions and human activities, playing on the misconception that humans actually have some control over them.  The conflict arises when they turn themselves into human in order to deal with humans and have to handle conflicting human emotions that come with the bodies; easily solved however, simply excise the human emotion from the brain once the task is done, including the memory if necessary.  I love these dragons!!  I have always avoided books where dragons tend to be 'humanized', or become cute and cuddly - none of those types of dragons for me.

I think the only issue I had was with the plot, and this wasn't a huge issue overall, just one I noticed more upon reflection once I finished the novel.  While it certainly was unpredictable at times, and there were definitely some clues that I missed, I did feel that it moved a bit slowly.  It is so easy to get caught up in the intricate detailing of the world-building and into the character-building that it was only upon reflection that I really noticed how few action scenes there really was in this novel.  And by action, I don't mean war scenes or anything like that, but this novel was definitely a build-up to the sequel.   I have a long history with fantasy novels, and I just felt that something was missing when it came to the plot. 

Verdict
Seraphina is definitely for those who enjoy fantasy novels with dragons, for those who love intricate world-building and good development of characters, and who love dragons that are intelligent and manipulative.  What I really liked about this novel is that the characters used their brains whenever they acted, so I guess you could term this an 'intelligent' novel; I don't know how else to put it.  The histrionics and hysterics of some young adult fantasy isn't in this one and for that I am eternally grateful.  While a lot of the novel centered around the treaty that was created forty years ago, there was certainly a lot more going on politically and culturally than just the events of the treaty, and I liked a lot of the underlying themes of family, honour, trust, loyalty, and friendship that could be seen. The novel was very entertaining and I definitely recommend it to those who like dragons and fantasy.  I am looking forward to reviewing Shadow Scale in a couple of weeks.

Review: The Agben School by Jo Sparkes

The Agben School (The Legend of the Gamesmen, Book #2)
by Jo Sparkes
Release Date: June 24, 2014
2014 Oscar press
Softcover Edition; 386 Pages
ISBN: 978-0985331863
ASIN: B00LYO1VFE
Genre: Fiction / Young Adult / Fantasy
Source: Review copy from Pump Up Your Book

3.5 / 5 Stars

Summary

Agben had stood for a thousand years. A mysterious school housing more than students, it was the seat of the powerful Women of Agben, and the center for harnessing the potency of herbs. Few knew all that transpired within the walls.

And now Marra stood at its gate.

Friends and support stripped from her, the fragile life she’d built for herself now lay in tatters. And the source of this evil hunted her like a deer culled from the herd.

The gateway before her was her only hope.

For as the city itself crumbled, all depended not on a prince trying to save his people, nor the valiant men who’d brought them this far.

Everything depended on finding a magic powder in the vaults of Agben itself.

Everything depended on her.

My Thoughts

The Agben School is the second book in the Legend of the Gamesmen series and while I didn't read the first book, I had no problem following along and keeping up with the storyline in this book.  I actually thought the author did quite a good job at describing events in the first novel in such a way as to foster understanding of the characters and events and situations in which the characters now find themselves.  I enjoyed this novel on a surface level, but felt character development was a bit lacking and thought there were too many coincidences in the plot to be always convincing.

First of all, I did enjoy the setting and liked the world that was described in these pages.  I find it interesting that even with minor descriptions I could actually picture a lot of the places that were described in this book when I closed my eyes; it actually reminded me a lot of Gondor in Lord of the Rings with the different tiers overlooking sudden drops and I kind of dropped that city at the edge of an ocean with some alterations and we now have the main city itself.  I wondered what this author could do with if she really described the thoughts, feelings, and surroundings in more depth.  I am one of those people who like descriptions and like to drown in sensations.

I thought Marra was an interesting character and really liked her desire to help her friends and her loyalty.  While appearing meek and mild at first, she is anything but, and she definitely grew on me throughout the book.  I really admired her tenacity to learn and her desire to protect those she loves.  There were a lot of interesting characters in this book, but I thought many of them were overshadowed by the plot, and weren't really allowed to grow and develop in a way that would endear them to readers, at least not to me.  I felt compassion for the gamesmen when they lost against the Skullen team and hoped they would find redemption, but it was definitely passive compassion, not active.  I think Marra was the only one I started to feel empathy towards, but this was probably because her voice was the one I read the most, not necessarily because her character really developed.  I enjoyed the plot and thought it was rather interesting, but there were times when I did wish for less dialogue and more introspection on the character's part.  There were also times when I wished for a deeper explanation of events as well.

Verdict

The Agben School was a nice entry into the Legend of the Gamesmen as it was interesting and charming.   I definitely liked the setting and thought there were some unique elements that made it interesting to read; the Comet game is one of those aspects, although I don't think I have a full grasp as to how that game is played.  I have this vision of the old Aztec games that were played and I can't seem to get that out of my mind when I visualize the game and I'm sure I'm way off.  I did feel the plot overshadowed the characters and would like to see a bit more character development as there were some characters that I really enjoyed and would like to know a bit better, get a good grasp of their character.