Review: Amid Darkness and Stars by Chani Lynn Feener

Amid Darkness and Stars by Chani Lynn Feener

Book One of the Xenith trilogy

Publisher: Swoon Reads

Publication Date: July 18, 2017

Rating: 2 stars

Source: ARC sent by the publisher

Summary (from Goodreads):

Delaney’s entire world is thrown into chaos after she is mistaken for Lissa Olena, an alien princess hiding out on Earth in order to escape an arranged marriage.

Kidnapped by the princess’s head bodyguard, Ruckus, and imprisoned in an alien palace, Delaney is forced to impersonate the princess until Olena can be found. If she fails, it will lead to an alien war and the eventual enslavement of the entire human race.

No pressure or anything.

Factor in Trystan, the princess’s terrifying betrothed who is intent on unraveling all her secrets, and her own growing feelings for Ruckus, and Delaney is in way over her head.

Get lost Amid Stars and Darkness, in this YA sci-fi romance from debut author Chani Lynn Feener.

What I Liked:

Dear Lord, please grant me the patience to deal with the Swoon Reads novels I keep subjecting myself to. Don't get me wrong, there are a few that I've really enjoyed (namely, Cindy Anstey's books). But so many of Swoon Reads' publications have been terrible (for me).

In this story, Delaney is mistaken for an alien princess and she is dragged onto a ship and flown across the galaxy to another planet. On the way, the bodyguard who kidnapped her realizes that she's isn't Lissa Olena. But the damage is done, because Lissa Olena has been expected back at the home planet for quite some time - rumor has it that Olena has been running from her politically arranged betrothal. Delaney will have to play the role of Olena, convincing everyone including her terrifying fiance Trystan that she is a conceited, selfish princess who cares about no one. If she doesn't, she risks the alliance being called off by the Rex (Trystan's father), and war breaking out between the Vakars and the Kints.

Okay. I don't have a ton of things that I actually liked, but there are a few. I didn't really care for any of the characters except Ruckus, who is a sweetheart. He is the commander of security and Olena's personal bodyguard, and he takes his duty very seriously. Everyone hated Olena and couldn't stand to be around her, but he did his job. Ruckus is an smart, loyal, protective alpha male who is also kind and attentive. And he has a charming side. I liked him a lot and was really on board with him being the love interest.

For the most part, I wasn't bored or disinterested in the story. The plot moved at a good pace and I wasn't in danger of setting this book aside. I read this one fairly quickly and was interested in finding out what would happen at the end. So I have to give the author points for that.

What else... I suppose the world-building is well-written. This book is set on a different planet, and there is a love of technological advancement on the Vakar planet. Also, everyone except Delaney is an alien, which is cool. There are a lot of neat scientific inventions and advancements in this book, though I would have loved to see more science behind them.

Aaaand we're moving on to dislikes.

What I Did Not Like:

I'm going to go a little out of order and all over the place with my dislikes. I'll start with the ones that bother me the most.

The romance is a tricky thing and overall I think it bothered me too much for me to love it. The good thing: Ruckus knows that Delaney is not Olena from early on. They fall for each other, and I believe Ruckus's feelings are genuinely for Delaney, because he was never in love or attracted to Olena. I'm all for Ruckus and Delaney and really shipped them. My problem is the fiance, Trystan. It was clear in the beginning that Olena and Trystan hated each other, and Delaney quickly grows to hate Trystan. And she falls in love with Ruckus. BUT. Towards the end, Trystan's feelings change. He takes a bullet for Delaney. He loses some of his cruel attitudes. He definitely feels... something for Delaney. And I definitely could see, in future books in this series, Delaney falling for him and this turning into a stupid, ridiculous love triangle. Never mind that Olena comes back into the picture in this book. Never mind that she and Ruckus take their relationship to high levels. Given some lines at the end of this book, I could definitely see the author having Delaney fall for Trystan, which makes me want to retch. Also, the acknowledgements of the book. "Team Trystan"? Stop. Please stop. He organized an assassination attempt to kill Delaney ("Olena"). He grabbed her and frightened her. None of this is forgivable (nor should it be). 

Oh and I hated the ending. It involves Trystan and it makes my blood boil. The ending would have been perfect, minus a few paragraphs. In some ways, I want to know what happens next because I hate being so angry about the ending. On the other hand, I think it's better for my sanity if I try and forget I ever read this book and avoid talk of the next two books.

I didn't really feel invested in any of the characters, except maybe Ruckus. All of the characters seemed a little one-dimensional? Like cardboard cutouts? I didn't connect with Delaney, though I felt bad for her situation. I feel like she didn't put up enough of a fight to get back home, initially and throughout the story. The war that would break out if it was discovered that Olena had fled? It would be between aliens... and entirely NOT Delaney's fault, or problem. Any logical human being would have found a way to escape. Stolen a ship, bribed someone (since she is now a princess), etc. There are ALWAYS options, and the author took the unrealistic one. If Delaney were half as brazen as she tried to act, she would have been sneaking around, trying to find a way out, in addition to playing princess. That seems logical to me. 

I hated Trystan. Who sets up an assassination attempt on you and then you forgive him? Well, I hope Delaney doesn't forgive him. She doesn't, in this, but since I'm convinced the author wants to make Trystan a legitimate love interest, I'm sure Delaney will forgive him in future books. Ewwwww, love triangles.

Can I go on a mini rant? Why are so many Swoon Reads books full of love triangles? I understand the workings of the Swoon Reads community - it's very different from the contracted work that you see announced on Publishers Weekly - but why is it that so many of the manuscripts spit out love triangles? Especially with so many readers not interested? This book is getting a low rating from me mostly because of the love triangle (though not entirely so). Do better, Swoon Reads!

Would I Recommend It:

I do not recommend this book to anyone, even if you don't mind love triangles. It's not the most impressive space-y science fiction novel in YA lit out there, and it's not an impressive debut. I want to say that I expect better from Swoon Reads but then, I really don't. Skip this book and save yourself the frustration. Especially since this book is part of a trilogy, and we all know how YA authors love to do stupid things with romances in trilogies!

If you want to read a space-y science fiction YA book, try the Starbound trilogy by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner, or the Across the Universe trilogy by Beth Revis, or The Diabolic by S.J. Kincaid, or the Alienated trilogy by Melissa Landers, or the Starflight duology by Melissa Landers. Literally so many better YA science fiction books out there!

Rating:

1.5 stars -> rounded up to 2 stars. Maybe I should round down? I think I'm being generous for no reason. Well, there are a few reasons above. This book wasn't all bad, but I won't be remembering it fondly. Heck, I won't be remembering it at all. Hopefully.

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Review: The Crown's Fate by Evelyn Skye

The Crown's Fate by Evelyn Skye

Book Two of The Crown's Game series

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Publication Date: May 16, 2017

Rating: 1 star

Source: eARC from Edelweiss

Summary (from Goodreads):

Perfect for fans of Shadow and Bone and Red Queen, The Crown’s Fate is the thrilling sequel to the New York Times bestselling The Crown’s Game, an atmospheric historical fantasy set in Imperial Russia.

Russia is on the brink of great change. Pasha’s coronation approaches, and Vika is now the Imperial Enchanter, but the role she once coveted may be more difficult—and dangerous—than she ever expected.

Pasha is grappling with his own problems—his legitimacy is in doubt, the girl he loves loathes him, and he believes his best friend is dead. When a challenger to the throne emerges—and with the magic in Russia growing rapidly—Pasha must do whatever it takes to keep his position and protect his kingdom.

For Nikolai, the ending of the Crown’s Game stung deeply. Although he just managed to escape death, Nikolai remains alone, a shadow hidden in a not-quite-real world of his own creation. But when he’s given a second chance at life—tied to a dark price—Nikolai must decide just how far he’s willing to go to return to the world.

With revolution on the rise, dangerous new magic rearing up, and a tsardom up for the taking, Vika, Nikolai, and Pasha must fight—or face the destruction of not only their world but also themselves. 

What I Liked:

FULL DISCLOSURE: this may end up being a rant, more than anything else. I'm sorry, but I'm not really sorry at all.

ALSO: I will try my best to avoid major spoilers. But I'm pretty pissed off right now, even though it's been over an hour since I read the book (as I'm sitting here, typing this review), and I'm going to just let out all of the frustration and irritation and see how it goes.

This is the sequel to The Crown's Game, a book that I didn't really enjoy but sort of wanted to know more about (i.e. read the sequel). I hated the useless, obnoxious love triangle, I hated Pasha, and I just wasn't feeling the book. I was really hoping this conclusion novel would be better for me. Spoiler alert: it wasn't.

This sequel picks up a little after The Crown's Game concludes. Nikolai is trapped in the in-between, Vika is now bound to obey any order of Pasha's or Yuliana's, since she is now the Imperial Enchanter, Pasha continues to be a whiny, spoiled boy who doesn't deserve to be tsar, and Yuliana continues to slay (and to me, she should be tsarina and Pasha should go eat poo). But Nikolai escapes the in-between, but at a price: a darkness sweeps through him, and he finds that all he wants to do is kill Pasha and become the true and rightful tsar. A revolt was already in motion, but with the turmoil that Nikolai stirs up, a war that will divide Russia is set to explode.

Probably the only two positives of this book are (1) Vika ends up with the "right" guy. Don't even argue with me about this, ____ fangirls/fanboys. We all know who she should (and does) end up with. And (2) I read this book really quickly. I skimmed towards the end, but it's an easy book to read.

What I Did Not Like:

Heeeeeere we go. Maybe I should number them, to make it easier on myself?

(1) The love triangle. The love triangle persists throughout the entire book, and doesn't get resolved until the last few pages. I hate love triangles, and the love triangle in this book is annoying, unnecessary, and irritating. Vika doesn't like Pasha at all, in this book, but she isn't sure she is in love with Nikolai (though she cares about him a lot - so, obviously she does, in my opinion). Pasha is madly in love with Vika (for some reason). Nikolai is madly in love with Vika (again, for some reason), but to him, she always seems to take Pasha's side and have Pasha's best interests at heart and care about Nikolai coming back solely to mend things with Pasha... yeah, I get it. I would be pissed if the girl I loved (and loved me back) kept name-dropping some other guy, or used some other guy as the big reason to come back to the land of the living.

Seriously though, the love triangle is unnecessary, and is especially unnecessary how long it is dragged out. WHY do I need to keep reading about how Pasha is desperate to kiss Vika? Or Vika keeps recalling her and Pasha's almost-kiss, despite her continually saying (in her mind) that she dislikes Pasha? I felt incredibly bad for Nikolai, who got the worst end of the stick in terms of everything! Not only did he give his life to a selfish b***h, but he's stuck in the in-between, he has to rely on his mother for strength, he is basically rejected by Vika and feel betrayed because she only ever mentions Pasha, and he doesn't love Renata (who loves him dearly) so it's not like he can move on with her or something! Gah!

(2) The love triangle resolution. Friends, it is SO bad. The love triangle gets resolved in the last couple of pages and it is so poorly done. _____ and Vika have this moment in which they are like, OMG! We're meant to be! And _____ has this moment, at the same time as their moment, in which he realizes that he never stood a chance. This stunning moment of clarity hits everyone all of a sudden. And suddenly, the love triangle is gone? All the feelings are squared away in neat boxes? The epilogue is even worse, because Vika says something (in her mind) like "my boys" -- ew! I know a menage thing is not going on here, but could you not lump Nikolai and Pasha together? One is your boyfriend, one is your friend... oh and also, it's not explicitly stated that ____ and Vika are courting. So. There is that. 

(3) This love triangle trope in particular. Have I ever mentioned on my blog how much I HATE love triangles involving brothers? Can we not? In what WORLD is it enjoyable for anyone to encounter a situation in which a woman is in love with two brothers? Or she has two brothers fighting over her? Young Adult fiction, of course...

(4) I didn't like Vika. She is incredibly weak in this book. As the Imperial Enchanter, she is magically bound to obey any order given by Pasha and Yuliana. And boy, do they give her some orders. Like, hunt down Nikolai. Arrest Nikolai. Execute Nikolai. Kill his mother. And so on. But to me, Vika didn't really fight this. She didn't put up a fight for her freedom. Yes, she is basically their glorified slave. But she didn't get angry enough. She didn't hate Pasha and Yuliana nearly enough - and they own her! Pasha claims to love her and yet, he has her (magically) chained to him. Okay...? In any case, I don't think Vika displayed any backbone at all. Yes, she couldn't remove the magical bracelet binding her and her power to the tsardom. But she also didn't vocalize any dissent, or yell or scream or get angry. If someone were controlling me, whether I put myself in the position or not (i.e. won the Crown's Game), I would be furious and never stop being furious, not even if the people chaining me were my "friends".

Tell me that isn't f***ed up. Some friendship. Or love (on Pasha's part). Vomit. How is this okay? How is this a healthy relationship? Why does Vika not question this? This is practically an abusive friendship (I want to say "abusive relationship" but Vika and Pasha aren't together in that way, so). 

And for those who are about to scream at me saying, "Alyssa, character development, hellooooo???" Please. Vika is weak and silent about almost everything that should have pissed her off, from start to finish. This is the last book in the series. When will she stand up for herself to Pasha? Oh, um, NEVER. A little deus ex machina fixes the problem of her being magically bound to the tsardom. Because of course.

(5) I hated Pasha. Always have, in book one, and always will, apparently. He has no spine, he whines, he complains, he is spoiled, he is hand-fed, and he is without doubt the worst person in this book. I was CHEERING when Nikolai began his quest to kill Pasha. Pasha only got even more annoying in this book, and his besotted being only made him more unbearable. He never deserved to be tsar. Yuliana, maybe. Or Nikolai.

(6) This book was boooooooring. I started to skim a little, right from the start. The author likes to drone on and on about this and that (maybe like I'm doing now, but hey, I don't get paid to do this, so leave me alone). Her descriptions are not interesting or imaginative and I wasn't really visualizing what she was describing, at most points. The plot of this book is all over the place, never settling on one path, but the sum of the events were so boring. It's almost like the author tried to do too many things at once, went with a hasty climax and an even hastier (and crappy) ending.

(7) Okay, the ending isn't that bad. But it's so disgustingly perfect, and neat, and it works out too cliched and too well. You'd think at least ONE of the main characters would have died, right? Of Nikolai, Vika, Pasha, Yuliana, Renata - one of them should have died. YA authors never have the original gang all survive. And yet... well, you can guess what didn't happen. 

(8) I really did not like how the author twisted and brutalized and ruined Nikolai's character. She made him into a villain, and needlessly so. I mentioned that Nikolai gets the short end of every single stick. Well, he's apparently the guinea pig and punching bag. You NEVER see Vika go through anything tough. Or Pasha. Or Yuliana. And yet, Nikolai has to go through every single terrible thing, and he is dubbed a deadly villain (well, he is trying to kill Pasha, but that isn't technically his fault), and he can never catch a break. The author definitely needed to spread out the suffering, because it was completely one-sided. 

(9) There is no swoon in this book. I hate the love triangle, but I also hate how there really isn't any substantial romance in this book. I know that doesn't makes sense, because I just said that there is a love triangle. But the thing is, Vika doesn't feel strongly enough about Nikolai initially, and she definitely is not interested in Pasha. So the "romance" is just kind of blah. What a waste. There is only one kiss in this book, and it is the world's most boring YA kiss. 

(10) I've heard from a Ukrainian and Russian reader that the author has gotten so, so many cultural aspects of Russia entirely wrong. I don't know anything about Russian culture so I personally can't point out these inaccuracies and misrepresentation, but I believe it. 

(11) Speaking of... the whole "lush Russian fantasy" thing was not working for me, in this book. I get it, the author has a degree in Russian history (or whatever). But I wasn't really into the setting. Maybe because the story was so boring and the writing wasn't that great?

(12) There are some things that just aren't explained at all? For example, apparently ancient creatures and Baba Yaga's house and all sorts of magical things start to awaken, for some unknown reason. But then, this subplot completely disappears! What happened to all of the awakening creatures? Baba Yaga's house? Why even include the creatures awakening if they aren't going to appear in the final showdown or something? There were several random things like this in the book. Like the author wanted to make the book even more ~magical~, but then forgot about those elements. Whoops?

I'm stopping there. I think everyone gets the idea.

Would I Recommend It:

I do not recommend this sequel, especially to those like me who did not really enjoy The Crown's Game. If you hated, disliked, or felt iffy about The Crown's Game, save yourself and do not read this book. It is an utter disappointment and a complete waste of my time. 

OBVIOUSLY you should decide for yourself and all that. If you enjoyed The Crown's Game, then you'll probably be fine. But I do think everyone else should stay far, far away. This conclusion was so underwhelming, and the series is incredibly overhyped and overrated.

Do NOT read this book if you didn't like The Crown's Game. If you want spoilers, email or message me. I'm happy to tell anyone anything they would like, if it'll save them the headache and irritation that I went through, while reading this book.

Rating:

1.5 stars -> rounded down to 1 star. I debated about this rating, because 1 star seems harsh, but I couldn't stand this book. While I was reading, I was disinterested and growing more irritated by the minute - and as I was writing this review, I realized that I was pretty pissed off. So, yeah. This book enraged me, and it wasn't great, and I have listed plenty of reasons why. Sorry! (Not.)

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Review: Rise of Fire by Sophie Jordan

Rise of Fire by Sophie Jordan

Book Two of the Reign of Shadows series

Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: February 7, 2017

Rating: 1 star

Source: eARC from Edelweiss

Summary (from Goodreads):

The richly suspenseful sequel to Sophie Jordan’s romantic fantasy Reign of Shadows.

Luna and Fowler have escaped the kingdom of Relhok, but they haven’t escaped the darkness. When a battle against the dark dwellers mortally injures Fowler, Luna is faced with a choice: put their fate in the hands of mysterious strangers or risk losing Fowler forever.

Desperate to keep the one bright part of her life alive, Luna accepts the help of soldiers from a nearby kingdom. Lagonia’s castle offers reprieve from the dangerous outside world—until the king discovers both Fowler's and Luna’s true ties to Relhok and their influence over the throne.

Now pawns in each kingdom’s political game, Luna and Fowler are more determined than ever to escape and build the life they’ve been dreaming of. But their own pasts have a tight hold on their hearts and their destinies. Luna must embrace the darkness and fire within her before she loses not only Fowler, but the power she was destined to inherit.

What I Liked:

That didn't take long. Rise of Fire is my second read of 2017, and it's a two-star read. My first read, Wayfarer, was great, but this one was incredibly disappointing and irritating. I partially regret reading this duology, even though I loved Reign of Shadows. 

This sequel novel picks up exactly where Reign of Shadows leaves off - with Fowler trapped among dwellers, and Luna dropping after him. Luna finds him and together, they leave the dwellers' nest behind. But Fowler has been infected with dweller toxin, and he sickens quickly. The pair is rescued by solders of Lagonia, who take them to the king of Lagonia. King Tebald is cruel and ruthless and recognizes Luna as her mother's daughter immediately, as well as Fowler as the prince of Relhok. He allows for Fowler to be taken care of by his healers... because Fowler and his daughter Maris have been betrothed since birth. But upon learning that Luna is the true ruler of Relhok, King Tebald decides that two weddings are better than one, and Luna will marry his heir, Prince Chasan. Trapped in Lagonia and with no place to run, Fowler and Luna must trust each other and find a way out.

Redeeming qualities of this book... it ends well. The ending is warm and fuzzy and is a hasty attempt at reclaiming the book's positive attributes (whatever they were). I love a happy ending, regardless of how awful the story was beforehand.

Other redeeming qualities... Fowler is possibly the only person in this book with a functioning brain. It's too bad that he's sick and dying for more than half the book. Even then, he's still the only person that seems to have a good grip on reality. I always liked Fowler, and he is the only character in this entire sequel/conclusion novel that I liked. 

Moving on.

What I Did Not Like:

Ahhhh. Where do I even start? This book was an absolute train wreck (for me). As always, keep in mind that these are my reactions and feelings, and your own reactions and feelings might be quite different. Still, this section is worth the read!

First thing - Luna. I wanted to bang my head against the nearest wall, or throttle her, throughout the entire book. There was not one scene when I felt like I liked her like I did in Reign of Shadows. She's so stubborn and not in a good way; every time she dug her heels in, she got hurt, or Fowler got hurt because of her. She refused to run in certain situations, or hide, or back down, and in all of those cases, her stubbornness was utter stupidity. What kills me about her stubbornness? She refuses to "take orders" from Fowler, because I-am-woman-I-will-not-be-ordered-around. SERIOUSLY?! You'd rather die than take an order to hide? This isn't feminist, this is pure stupidity. Luna never recognized when it was time to be stubborn and when it was time to tuck her tail between her legs and find that shred of self-preservation. You know how some heroes/heroines have a selfless, saving-people quality? I could see Sophie Jordan trying to make Luna a character with that quality... honestly Luna came off as stupid and idiotically stubborn. 

Furthermore, to add to her fake feminism, about three quarters of the way into the story, she suddenly has three men fighting over who is going to marry her. And what does she say? Out loud? NOTHING. Not a word. She lets the king and two princes talk over her (easy, because she doesn't say a word). She lets the king declare her marriage to his son (and then himself, when he changes his mind). She lets Fowler and Chasan literally fight (i.e. punch, kick, fight to the death) over her. There was an actual fistfight duel in this book! And she said nothing! Did nothing to prevent it! And yet she loves Fowler and is always declaring how she's going to do things her way? But she never once resisted any of the marriage declarations that King Tebald made. Not once.

Somebody explain that feminism to me. And don't tell me it was a calculated silence - no, girlfriend was shriveled and shocked and silenced like a lamb. Or... a weak little girl. At 75% into the conclusion of a series, this is not what I wanted to see. Instead of a fully fledged kickbutt heroine that Luna likes to pretend that she is, we have a cowering, weak girl.

And I'm not finished yet! The romance in this book is a load of dung! Luna goes through at least nine changes of feelings towards Fowler in this book. She decides that she no longer has feelings for him when she learns who his father is (um, what?). Then she decides that she really does have feelings for him. But then she hates him again when he mutters a name in his fevered sleep. And then she fights for him, and then hates him again when she learns that he is betrothed (since birth and by royal decree, but that doesn't reach Luna's tiny brain), and it. Keeps. Going. I swear I have whiplash from all of that deciding about her feelings.

What's worse? There is a sort-of love triangle in this book! Don't get me wrong, Luna only has feelings for Fowler (on and off, as I mentioned, but no one else). Fowler, bless him, has feelings for Luna only (and never wavers). But of course enter Princess Maris, Fowler's betrothed, and her handsome but slimy older brother Prince Chasan, who sinks his claws into Luna. There is no romance between Chasan and Luna, or Fowler and Maris. BUT. The inclusion of these two characters (Maris and Chasan) is clearly to throw a wrench in the romance. Honestly this is so unnecessary and annoying.

Perhaps I misspoke - there is romance on Chasan's part. After like, two days? He is in love with Luna. I mean moony and possessive type of love. It's sickening and ridiculous and unnecessary. WHY is Chasan in this story? To torment readers. To add an "interesting" element to the romance? I assure you, there is nothing interesting or fun about this unnecessary "love triangle". Chasan's feelings, coupled with Luna's wishy-washy feelings towards Fowler, were obnoxious. 

So, the romance in this book is off-putting, poorly written, and dissatisfying - to say the least. I have a great deal of respect for Fowler, who is so in love with Luna throughout the entire story, and is a gentleman in every way. Fowler redeems the story a little. Luna deserves exactly zero square inches of his dirty socks, let alone him.

The climax of this book is so jumbled and rushed! This book ends so haphazardly, it's like the author threw it together and put same tape to hold it all together (does that comparison make sense?). There was a certain death and Fowler is casually okay with it? I'm not buying it. The ending was disjointed and it just didn't fit well. Especially with a deus ex machina move that Luna pulls - the author was probably scrambling for a way to save the ending. Deus ex machina, people. Look it up.

I am so irritated! This book was incredibly infuriating, especially after a great start to the series with Reign of Shadows. I haven't read a Sophie Jordan YA series that I actually liked.

Would I Recommend It:

I highly do not recommend this book, or series. Of course, if you've read Reign of Shadows, you should probably decide for yourself and read this book, because there is a good chance that you'll enjoy this book (as always). But if you were on the fence about reading Rise of Fire, or the series in general, don't. Don't do it! Not worth the time/effort/money. Thank goodness it only took me like, two hours to read this book (what was up with that, by the way? This book felt so short).

Rating:

1.5 stars -> rounded down to 1 star. Originally I gave the book 2 stars, but even the redeeming qualities (the few of them) weren't enough to save this one. I'm so frustrated I could scream! And to think, I'm about to read another Jordan book very soon (an adult one though - Fury on Fire. Reviews have been negative so far. Joy!).

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Review: Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake

Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake

Book One of the Three Dark Crowns series

Publisher: HarperTeen

Publication Date: September 20, 2016

Rating: 2 stars

Source: ARC sent by the publisher

Summary (from Goodreads):

Fans of acclaimed author Kendare Blake’s Anna Dressed in Blood will devour her latest novel, a dark and inventive fantasy about three sisters who must fight to the death to become queen. 

In every generation on the island of Fennbirn, a set of triplets is born: three queens, all equal heirs to the crown and each possessor of a coveted magic. Mirabella is a fierce elemental, able to spark hungry flames or vicious storms at the snap of her fingers. Katharine is a poisoner, one who can ingest the deadliest poisons without so much as a stomachache. Arsinoe, a naturalist, is said to have the ability to bloom the reddest rose and control the fiercest of lions.

But becoming the Queen Crowned isn’t solely a matter of royal birth. Each sister has to fight for it. And it’s not just a game of win or lose...it’s life or death. The night the sisters turn sixteen, the battle begins.

The last queen standing gets the crown. 

What I Liked:

HERE THERE BE SPOILERS (in the next section). You are warned.

I was an actual fool to think I would like this book, after reading a spoiler-filled review that talked about a love triangle - in detail. I actually love spoilers and welcome them (in private, of course), so I was grateful to have read that review. But I somehow convinced myself to read this book anyway. In any case, I read that review the day before I decided to pick up this one and read it. I really should have stay away. 

Things I liked about this book - for one, the premise. Triplets raised apart and trained in their respect area of talent to kill each other? Cool. Katherine is a poisoner (a terrible one), Arsinoe is a naturalist (a terrible one), and Mirabella is a beautiful elemental (a really good one). Basically everyone thinks that Mirabella will kill her sisters and win the crown, and with good reason - she is the strongest. But the powerful groups training each girl have as big a role as the girls do, in the process.

I liked Katherine. She seems frail and too sweet at first, but as the book goes on, she gains a lot of confidence. She's still sweet (surprisingly, for a poisoner), but she's more assertive too. I also liked Arsinoe. Her naturalist powers are basically nonexistent, and she pretty much knows that she won't be queen. Yet that doesn't stop her from living life and training. Mirabella... I pretty much disliked her from the start, but the real reason for my hatred of her will come later.

The character I adored the most is not one of the triplets - Julies is Arsinoe's best friend, and the most powerful naturalist (unfortunately for Arsinoe). Arsinoe is never jealous of Jules, which is nice. Jules is kind and selfless, but she has a spine of steel and she is very fiery. I liked Jules a lot, and my heart broke for her throughout the book. She is on the receiving end of The Disgusting Love Triangle to End All Love Triangles, and she deserved so much better.

The book was interesting, engaging, and action-packed (though in a bloodless way). I do see why some reviewers DNF'd before the one-hundred-page mark - it was slow and I didn't feel much toward any of the girls (except Jules) before then. But things picked up. I enjoyed the story (minus what I'm going to complain about next). However, the romance is pretty much the worst and most disgusting part of this book, and killed a lot of my enjoyment. 

What I Did Not Like:

Again. HERE THERE BE SPOILERS. You are warned.

I should clarify - I liked Katherine's romance. She and Pietyr, a nephew of one of the women training her, fall for each other. They are both using each other, and they both know how the other is using him/her. Their romance is untainted, though the ending is... weird. Interesting weird.

Arsinoe has a thing possibly happening with one of the suitors, and I think that's cute. That suitor's father has ulterior motives and such, but the boy seems innocent. So they're cute.

It's Jules and her man Joseph that is the issue. Well, mostly Joseph and Mirabella. Jules and Joseph haven't seen each other in five years, but before, when they were children, they adored each other. Five years later, Joseph returns to the island, and the two are inseparable. They are soooo in love, and it's adorable. Jules isn't ready for sex, but they are pretty intimate.

But then one day, Joseph gets caught in a storm and his boat sinks. At the same time, Mirabella is running away, and happens upon Joseph floating, almost dead. So she drags him into a cave and uses her elemental powers to get a fire going. Not even five seconds later... they're having sex. 

I kid you not. I don't know if it's some sort of spell, or Joseph is just SO taken with her, or he's delusional from nearly dying, but they start kissing (mind you, he's half-dead, yet able to get it on), and then they have sex. They wake up, and Joseph's in his right mind again. He seems to regret things, and thinks of Jules. BUT THEN, GUESS WHAT. They have sex AGAIN! And probably more times than what was directly stated.

To make matters worse, Joseph returns to Jules and he tells her. She, being smart, does not immediately forgive him. But then the Festival comes up, in which the three queens are brought to keep off the Ascension Year, and guess what? Joseph and Mirabella bump into each other... and kiss. Just kiss, but still. Unbeknownst to Jules, of course. Jules had been planning to have her first time with Joseph at this VERY Festival. And when she makes her move, he shuts her down (first smart thing he does), though he does not tell her why.

Aaaaaand finally, the icing on the cake. Joseph decides he is in love with Mirabella. Dude, they've had sex, but they have not had a decent conversation yet. They know nothing about each other except their bodies. Joseph seems to still love Jules but... apparently he is in serious lust with Mirabella, and thinks he loves her. Mirabella, I think she is in lust with Joseph, but she doesn't love him. I swear, Joseph is on magic crack or something.

Here's the thing; initially I was like UGH MIRABELLA YOU HOEBAG. She doesn't know Jules exists to Joseph the first time she and Joseph has sex... but she knows after that. SHE KNOWS, and still has sex with him. Joseph... he knows he has a girlfriend.

So, look. I don't condone cheating. Ever. I would give a book a negative rating for that alone (which is part of my rating here). But what makes matters worse is THE WAY it happens. So Joseph is half-dead but somehow he and Mirabella still get it on like they have the only penis and vagina left in the world? Insta-lust, okay, but insta-love too? It literally makes no sense. They didn't fall in love, so why is the author making Joseph thinks he's in love with Mirabella?

I'm sorry, guys. I hate love triangles. I especially love triangles with cheating. I ESPECIALLY hate love triangles that make no sense. This love triangle is quite possibly one of the most disgusting love triangles I've ever read. Honestly, I don't care if Joseph WAS under some spell. I hope Jules never speaks to him again. He hurts her not once, not twice, but over and over. 

I know we all know this, but sex isn't meaningless. And Joseph... he took something from Jules (i.e. NOT having sex with her). He took away her first time with him, her true love. I don't like that. I don't want Jules and him to get back together. And yet, she is so truly in love with him - he would be the only one she sees. Yet another reason to hate love triangles; Joseph will do all of that and have sex four hundred times with Mirabella, and Jules will be angry but still love him.

Hopefully she doesn't take him back though. Leave him, girl.

Would I Recommend It:

I absolutely 100% do NOT recommend this book. It's an intriguing fantasy story but if you feel even one-tenth of the hatred I have for love triangles, steer clear. Like, don't even binge-read the series next year. Just leave this series and move on with your life. I honestly regret everything.

Rating:

1.5 stars -> rounded up to 2 stars. I'm rounding up because I did like the story, and I adore some of the girls. I actually do want to read book two, but ONLY because this series is a duology (if it were a trilogy, pshhh, bye Felicia). Maybe I'm setting myself up for more torture. But I'm dying to know what will happen to Katherine and Pietyr. And if Jules will kick Joseph the ho's behind. I hope she does, or Arsinoe. (Arsinoe is pissed, guys. Yay for best friend backing!)

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Review: Exiled by Jasinda Wilder

Exiled by Jasinda Wilder

Book Three of the Madame X series

Publisher: Berkley

Publication Date: August 2, 2016

Rating: 1 star

Source: eARC from NetGalley

***Warning: this is an adult book, and for the eyes of mature readers***

Summary (from Goodreads):

My name is Madame X.

My heart is torn in two.

And now I have to choose...

Caleb is everything to her: lover, caretaker, the man who gave her life meaning when she had none. But as she seeks the truth about herself and her past, she discovers that unravelling Caleb’s web of lies might very well be impossible.

Logan is everything she never knew she wanted: freedom, joy, and a passion she couldn’t anticipate. But is Logan’s love enough to save her from herself, from Caleb, and from the tumultuous truth of her past?

Caught between two equally compelling and seductive men, X must make the ultimate choice. But there’s more at stake than just her heart...

What I Liked:

Nothing. Moving on. 

What I Did Not Like:

SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SO MANY SPOILERS.

Seriously, I held nothing back.

Honestly I never should have read this series. I knew there was a love triangle before reading Madame X (book one), but I never would have read the series if I had known how bad it was. I have really enjoyed Wilder's books in the past, and I love Berkley's romance novels, so that I thought this series wouldn't be too bad.

Books one and two were fine, and I liked them... but I really disliked this book, and I'm half-tempted to change my ratings of books one and two. I liked those two on the foundation of certain expectations for the conclusion novel. The conclusion novel (this book) was terrible for me, so those books don't seem as good anymore.

If that makes sense. 

Spoilers ahead, just so you're aware. Throughout this whole series, X (or Isabel, her real name), has been having sex with both Caleb (the man who rescued her years ago when she was in an accident that left her physically harmed and with no memory) and Logan (the man she meets in Madame X and falls in love with). This bothered me but not too much, because her and Caleb having sex seemed mechanical, detached, like a chore. It didn't seem real for either of them... until this book.

Several things here that I'm mad about: 1) that Isabel had sex with Caleb at all IN THIS BOOK. She made a choice, in book two! She chose Logan! But in this book, in the first chapter, she "falls back under Caleb's spell", and they have sex. Wrong. Wrong wrong wrong. Even she knows it's wrong, after the fact. During, she's loving it.

What's worse is that that time is different - Caleb just opened up to her about his past... and then they have sex. Uuuuuuugggghhhhh. Seriously, Isabel?

What's even MORE worse is how understanding Logan is, when Isabel tells him. He makes excuses for her, and tells her that it's okay and it doesn't matter and it's not her fault. Um, what? She wasn't raped. She didn't say no. She didn't push Caleb away. HOW are you making excuses for her?

That leads me to my next problem -- Logan seems way too perfect and understanding. He seems one-dimensional and so, so fake. How are you okay with the woman you love having sex with another man WHILE you're in a relationship with her? Making excuses for her too? He seemed way too okay with all of that.

Which leads me to my NEXT problem -- I don't really understand how Logan loves Isabel that much. I don't understand the basis of this powerful love. It didn't really matter to me in books one and two, because it seemed like their relationship was slowly growing, and Logan wasn't really moving heaven and earth for Isabel (not really). But he almost dies FOR HER, and he's totally okay with her having had sex with another man and then returning to him... 

Look I'm a fan of monogamy, so I'm sorry if my tastes are getting in the way of my judgment of the book itself. If none of these things bother you, then you'll love the book.

Another thing, the big thing, that made me hate this book is that Isabel finds out that she's pregnant in this book. And of course, there is no way to know whose baby it is - it could be either man's. And guess freaking what -- Logan doesn't care if it's Caleb's or Logan's. I... I do not understand adults. If I knew that the baby my girlfriend is having (or had) is another man's, especially a man who took advantage of her, seduced her, practically raped her, I would not be able to look at the kid. No child asks to come in this world, but at the same time, Logan seems way too selfless in being totally okay with taking care of a child that could be that monster's.

Here's the icing on the cake -- Isabel finds out that she is having twins. And yup, you probably can guess what happens next: one of the babies is Logan's (with pale blond hair), and one is Caleb's (with dark hair and brown eyes). SERIOUSLY?! Jasinda Wilder, really?? Do you all know the statistical probability of that happening? It's almost zero. I wanted to burn the book when I read that. I get it, babies are human beings and deserve to be loved, blah blah blah. If I were Logan, I wouldn't be that understanding, and I wouldn't be able to look at the kid with love in my eyes. Maybe I'm selfish? But I wouldn't want to see the kid of that rapist/monster. 

In a way, I understand why Wilder wrote that into the story. She wants Isabel to have something to remember Caleb by, to show how far Isabel has come from meeting Caleb, or something. But statistically speaking, you really can't just drop heteropaternal superfecundation into a book. Especially after magically dropping in twins. That's so similar to deus ex machina and that phenomena is a poorly literary tool.

Caleb turns into a crazy person in this book too - he kidnaps Isabel, almost shoots Logan again, fakes a car bomb. I don't know how Isabel still harbors some kind of positive feeling toward Caleb. Stockholm Syndrome or whatever. HOW was Caleb a love interest? Was anyone ACTUALLY #TeamCaleb? He is abusive, manipulative, disgusting, not to mention a pimp and a whore who sleeps with hundreds of women within a month. *vomits* Why did I read this series. Why.

I hate love triangles, but against my better judgment, I read Madame X. And I thought I liked it. I thought I liked Exposed, it seemed like love-triangle-y things were disappearing (plus the Caleb-Isabel sex decreased significantly and seemed more rape-y. NOT that rape is good, but it showed that Isabel started to see Caleb for who he was and what a monster he was). This book? This book showed that Isabel loved a rapist, a john, a pimp, a monster, for some dumba** reason. And Logan loved her for it. Someone explain to me how his fake a** was okay with everything, like it took him ZERO time to get used to Isabel going back to Caleb and having sex with him (again... and again...), and Isabel giving birth to a Caleb baby and a Logan baby. Yikes.

Finally, this book could have been condensed into, like, 50 pages. Not much happens. The author should have skipped all the fluff and the panic attacks and the coddling and just jumped to the "choose me or me!" scene. She should have skipped the babies, too. Or made them both Logan's. Or made both Caleb's (somehow, I might have preferred that to one and one. Actually, I would have preferred no babies at all). 

In hindsight, I was a dumba** for ever thinking I would like this series. Book one hooked me, book two was good because Isabel seemed to finally hate Caleb, but book three ruined everything (including books one and two). 

Would I Recommend It:

Nope. I recommend absolutely none of these books in this series. I didn't even want to write this review because I was so irritated with this book. If you have no issues with polygamy and heteropaternal superfecundation, go for it. No judgment from me.

Rating:

1 star. This is the third book in a row that has received two stars or less from me... someone please point me in the direction of something good. This book was sickening and just awful. I have a paperback copy of each of the books in this series, so if anyone is interested, please let me know. I want them out of my house!

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Review: The Beauty of Darkness by Mary E. Pearson

The Beauty of Darkness by Mary E. Pearson

Book Three of the Remnant Chronicles

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)

Publication Date: August 2, 2016

Rating: 1 star

Source: eARC from NetGalley

***NO DIRECT SPOILERS, BUT THERE ARE VAGUE NOTES AND SUCH. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK. POTENTIAL INSINUATION-TYPE SPOILERS.***

Summary (from Goodreads):

Lia and Rafe have escaped Venda and the path before them is winding and dangerous - what will happen now? This third and final book in The Remnant Chronicles is not to be missed.

Bestselling author Mary E. Pearson's combination of intrigue, suspense, romance and action make this a riveting page turner for teens.

What I Liked:

I'm writing this review in lists, people. Usually I do this in paragraphs but I am too infuriated and frustrated by this book write now. This section is my "What I Liked" section, otherwise known as the reasons-why-I'm-not-giving-this-book-zero-stars, in this case.

- Technically, the ending IS a HEA. You'll see below my full thoughts on the ending. But technically, technically, we have a HEA. Lia, Rafe, Kaden, Pauline, and other major characters get a happy ending. I liked Rafe's ending, though I wished for more for him.

- The love triangle is gone - ish? It is. But then, the romance is pretty much gone in general, so there's that. More on that below.

What I Did Not Like:

- Lia is a complete and utter b***h in this book. Honestly, I don't know how I liked her in the previous two books. She certainly wasn't this bad in those books, I can tell you that. Lia turns into this raging crazy person. I think Pearson wanted to make Lia seem "bada**" and commanding and alpha female or whatever. It came across as CRAZY. And rude. And hurtful. For about 75% of the book, Lia is HORRIBLE to Rafe. And then in the last 25% of the book, she's horrible to him in a different way, more subtle. She literally does nothing to fight for their relationship.

Let me stay on this topic for a little bit. Lia treats Rafe so badly in the first 75% of the book. It's like she isn't grateful for him saving her life... over... and over... and over. She uses him, and she makes demands and expects him to do all of these things when SHE KNOWS he has duties in this or that. 

Did I mention that she doesn't fight for their relationship? It's like she loves him but doesn't care enough to fight for the relationship, when things get tough. HE fights for them, but not her. You know why, partly? Her "gift" tells her to do this, or do that. The magical book of Venda that she has with her has all of these fancy prophecies, and Lia is trying to follow them down to the T.

Honestly, I have a lot of disdain for prophecies, and protagonists that put so much stock into them. Lia has no regard for her own destiny. For a girl that tried to escape her fate by running away from her wedding, Lia is quick to jump right back into letting someone (i.e. the book of Venda, and her "gift") control her.

- Obviously I hated the romance. The love triangle is gone, thank goodness. But Rafe and Lia still aren't in a good place, and it's mostly Lia's fault. Rafe is under so much pressure and stress, as a new king (yup, he's the king of Dalbreck now), and it's like Lia doesn't care, or doesn't understand, or both. The romance in this book is AWFUL. I do not recommend reading this book if you expect swooooon. Because it never happens. Lia is cruel to Rafe, and Rafe has to do certain things within his duty as king, and honestly he deserves so much better than her. She wants to be Queen of Venda? By all means. But it's too bad that Rafe loves her so blindly.

In that regard, I dislike Rafe. He loves Lia SO blindly. Rafe is my favorite character and I really felt for him in this book - having to step into the role of king so suddenly - but ugh. Love is so blind.

- I didn't like Kaden, but even I thought his end of the romance deal was poor. It's like the author wanted to force a romantic plot for Kaden. It felt fake and totally forced and not genuine. There was potential for a good hate-to-love relationship. But the author doesn't write it well. 

- BORING. This book, especially the first, like, 40%, was SO incredibly boring. WHY is this book nearly 700 pages long?! It could easily be like, 400 pages, and still would need cutting down. So many unnecessary pages in the beginning of the book - especially since BARELY ANYTHING HAPPENS, except Lia whining, complaining, and being a super-b***h.

- I got to a certain point where I literally dreaded continuing. That point occurred well before the 60% mark, but I stopped reading the book at the 60% mark and didn't pick it up for almost a week. I dreaded picking it back up. There were so many things that were happening that were especially awful, ridiculous, and stupid. Look, I try to separate my intense emotions from my objective opinion of the book, but when you're feeling dread at the thought of picking up a book, and your stomach hurts just thinking about it... there is something very wrong with the book.

- This brand of "girl power" was so bad. I already touched on this, but I didn't like what Lia evolved into, in this story. She's such a b***h! Making demands to everyone, like she owns everything. Especially in DALBRECK, to the DALBRECK KING -- no. Let me explain something: you want to write a medieval-type fantasy novel? You can't have a Princess of X trying to command people/soldiers/royalty in the Kingdom of Y. That just doesn't happen. Lia needed to learn her place, but she is so tunnel-visioned by her "gift". Suddenly she's infinitely smarter and better than everyone because she has a "gift"? That's what it seemed like, in this book. 

I think the author was going for bada**ery but it was an epic fail, at least in my opinion. I hated Lia for, let's see, ALL OF THIS BOOK. I was no longer rooting for after, hmm, chapter one. Look, I'm all for feminism, but in no story would I like a heroine like Lia (at least, what she is, in this third book). 

- The ending, in terms of the romance. It is SUPER open-ended. This book is in serious need of an epilogue. It's not open-ended in a triangular way, but it's abrupt and open-ended.

- The ending in general. In terms of kingdoms and wars and whatnot, the ending wraps up. But it's so abrupt. The Great Big Battle occurs after the 90% mark, and it's so abrupt. And cliche/unsurprising... there are no elements of originality in that last battle scene.

- The speech that Lia gave that stopped and saved everything (at the Great Big Battle). You want to know how the fighting stopped? Lia suddenly developed magical oration powers and captured all of the bloodthirsty solders' attention with her speech. "Brothers, sister!" Yeah NO. That would not have worked on me. In the heat of a battle, I would not give one flying f**k who is getting on whatever podium or rock or hill and starts giving some empowering "let's work together" speech. Ummm, no. That b***h would get an arrow straight through her.

- The presence of the supernatural is SO deus ex machina. I feel like the author used the supernatural "gift" that Lia has to explain way too many things. Feelings, visions memories - okay, maybe. But it just did not seem believable. You cannot explain away EVERY single event with the "gift". You can't have the plot moving because Lia heard a whisper that they should do this, or that. Literally every single one of Lia's decisions are made because of her "gift", and she expects everyone to follow her blindly. Look, I'm all for divine/supernatural powers, but you really can't have your main character so dependent on them. Especially those prophecies -- well, you already read my opinion on prophecies.

- The writing was kind of awful. Seriously, what even happened to this book?! The first two books were really intriguing and engrossing and I liked them so much. This book seemed rushed and poorly written, like maybe it was outlined very well but written with difficulty. Or something. I don't know. All I know is that it was a MESS.

Would I Recommend It:

I do not recommend this book. Even if you've read books one and two, just stop there. I know that if I were reading this review, I would be like psssshhhh, is it really that bad, I'm going to read it anyway! (I was a HUGE fan of books one and two, despite the love triangle.) And there will be many people that will read this book anyway. But I'm here to say that I do not recommend that decision. 

Or, try borrowing this from the library. Maybe don't sink $20 on a book that might end up being 700 pages of agony and fury and irritation. Trust me, I do not know what happened to this book, but the author really dropped the ball here.

And if you haven't started the series at all... maybe don't. Skip it. Overall, it's not THAT good, or original. I can list plenty of better YA medieval fantasy stories, just ask! Honestly, after reading this book, I'm questioning why/how I even liked this series in the first place. My memories of books one and two are replaced by all this rage I have for book three!

Rating:

1.5 stars. I really wish I hadn't ever read this series. I rarely say that but yup, I'm saying it. I'm sorry to the author, publisher, publicists, etc. I'm grateful for the review copy, as always, but I did not enjoy this book. But I will always be honest. If there is one thing I've learned, it's to never hide your negative opinion of a book behind your initial/previous excitement for it. I wish all readers who attempt this book the very best. 

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