Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Shadow and Bone

Leigh Bardugo

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)

Release Date: June 5, 2012

Series or Standalone: The Grisha Trilogy #1

ISBN: 9780805094596

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 368

Websites:

Leigh Bardugo – Website

Leigh Bardugo – Blog

Leigh Bardugo – Twitter
Shadow and Bone - Facebook

Rating: 3 stars

I feel like I went into this book with very high expectations that it did not meet. Everywhere I looked prior to publication of this book I saw glowing reviews of this book and was super excited to read it. Shadow and Bone seemed right up my ally, and it was a YA fantasy to boot, so I couldn’t wait to read it. However, I was a bit confused about how I felt after I finished and a bit disappointed.

I liked the first half of the book, but I felt that the second half of the book fell apart for me. The pace seemed to accelerate in the second half and everything Alina knew up to that point seemed to go out the window and we were supposed to side with her. I wish that when Alina changed her mind there was more explanation.

I feel like this book really could have benefitted from a slower pace and more world building. With fantasy, world building is key and I really wished that this book had a bit more of it, especially with it being the first book in a series. I wasn’t too sure about this society and land that Alina was from and would have liked to learn more about Ravka before diving straight into the story.

Alina felt like a very flat character to me as well. I liked her, but I didn’t understand why she made the decisions she did. She was very one-dimensional and lacked a strong personality. I really wish she was a bit more developed because it would strengthen the book as a whole.

The Darkling was definitely my favorite character. He had the most engrossing personality and definitely was one of the main reasons I kept reading the book. He was surrounded by mystery and I really enjoyed trying to figure out what he was all about. Was he good or was he bad? I still think it could be up in the air and really want to see more of him.

I really would have liked to see more character development with Mal as well as with a lot of the other secondary characters. Mal, like Alina, felt flat. I feel we didn’t know enough about him to fully appreciate him as a character or become attached to him. Alina liked him but I couldn’t fully see why.

I finished this book and the first thought I had was “huh.” I will probably be sticking around to see what happens next as I did enjoy the story and want to see what happens next, despite the issues I had with the book. Hopefully in the second book, we will learn more about Ravka, the Grisha and Alina’s world as well as see more character growth. I just wish this had been a strong fantasy. 

Waiting on Wednesday (89) - Falling Kingdoms

Falling Kingdoms

Morgan Rhodes

Publisher: Razorbill

To be released: December 11, 2012

Summary (from Goodreads):

In a land where magic has been forgotten but peace has reigned for centuries, a deadly unrest is simmering. Three kingdoms grapple for power—brutally transforming their subjects’ lives in the process. Amidst betrayals, bargains, and battles, four young people find their fates forever intertwined:

Cleo: A princess raised in luxury must embark on a rough and treacherous journey into enemy territory in search of a magic long thought extinct.

Jonas: Enraged at injustice, a rebel lashes out against the forces of oppression that have kept his country impoverished—and finds himself the leader of a people’s revolution centuries in the making.

Lucia: A girl adopted at birth into a royal family discovers the truth about her past—and the supernatural legacy she is destined to wield.

Magnus: Bred for aggression and trained to conquer, a firstborn son begins to realize that the heart can be more lethal than the sword...
The only outcome that’s certain is that kingdoms will fall. Who will emerge triumphant when all they know has collapsed?

This book sounds awesome. I’m big into fantasy right now and this sounds right up my alley. I cannot wait to read this! Too bad it comes out in December.

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event highlighting exciting upcoming releases. It is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Perception by Kim Harrington

Perception

Kim Harrington

Publisher: Scholastic Point

Release Date: March 1, 2012

Series or Standalone: Clarity #2

ISBN: 9780545230537

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 288

Websites:

Kim Harrington – Website

Kim Harrington – Blog 

Kim Harrington – Twitter

Rating: 4 Stars

Reading Perception reminded me of how much I enjoyed Clarity. It was so great to be thrown back into Clare’s world in Eastport, MA.

Perception picks up after the events of Clarity. Clare and the Fern family are still dealing with the aftermath of what occurred over the summer, which means an increase in popularity for Clare and trouble for her brother Perry. Before long, trouble once again rears its head in Eastport with the disappearance of a local girl followed by Clare getting messages from a secret admirer making Clare want to use her gift to try to solve these mysterious

I really liked that Kim Harrington did not just dismiss the events of the prior book, but continued to build off what happened and continue to affect the characters. Clare wants to use her gift to help find this missing girl but her near brush with death in book one makes her mother prevent her from doing that. But Clare is still curious and manages to still try and help anyways.

I loved the mystery in this book. A simple, yet believable situation had Clare and the reader working to the end to uncover the culprit. I really liked how everything tied together in the end and how all the little mysteries popping up were all connected.

The battle of the boys, Gabriel and Jason, continues in this book more. In Clarity, I wasn’t sure who I liked more out of the two boys, but Perception allowed room for more growth with both these characters and Gabriel came out as my favorite of the two (I mean he plays hockey!). While the romance isn’t the main focus of the book, it was woven in with the main action and did not feel forced. And this was not a love triangle that was annoying either. Clare is genuinely confused about her feelings for these boys and wants both in her life, but not sure whom she would prefer to be more than friends with. In the end, I felt Clare definitely made the right choice with the guy she picked.

Perception allowed a lot of room for Clare to grow as a character. So much has happened to her between these two books and she had to have changed because of the events that occurred. Clare became a stronger person, not afraid to be who she was and let people into her life instead of staying on the fringes. She’s no longer just the freak with special powers, but an actual person and she is able to see how important she is too.

Perception is the perfect quick summer read. Kim Harrington’s style is funny and sarcastic and she knows how to write a great mystery. I really enjoyed this sequel and it reminded me why I loved the first one so much. I’m so glad I finally got around to read this. I can’t wait to see what Kim Harrington writes next!

And side-note: how perfect is this cover? I love it. Makes so much sense with the book too. And this Clare is much more how I pictured her then the one on the original Clarity cover.

A Return to Blogging

If you haven't notice, I've been very inactive for a few months. My last semester of college just didn't allow me any free time for myself so I was unable to blog. Now that it is summer, I plan to come back to blogging. I have really missed reading and blogging while I was busy slaving over school work. 

To spring back into blogging I have re-designed my blog. I designed to change up the colors and everything as my old layout I had had for forever. I really like this new design and I hope you do to. 

Check back soon for more reviews as I am slowly getting back into the groove of everything. I'm excited to be back.

Waiting on Wednesday (88) - Rivals and Retributions

Rivals and Retributions

Shannon Delany

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

To be released: August 7, 2012

Summary (from Goodreads):

Marlaena’s pack puts more pressure on the Rusakova family with the kidnapping of Jessie and the surprise that comes from triggering the wolf side of Pietr once again. Alexi realizes the impact of Pietr’s change sooner than either Jessie or Pietr and rushes to find a permanent cure for the life sentence lycanthropy brings in hopes it will squelch an unexpected side-effect. But Gabriel is still not satisfied with his role in the pack and is determined that getting rid of Pietr permanently in his new and weakened state is the best way he can grab power in the pack. Meanwhile at Junction High, the company’s meddling with the school food may have stopped but it doesn’t mean all of the kids the food triggered are suddenly without powers. With the enrollment of the rest of the pack’s pups, Counselor Harnek, Sophie and Jessie decide to try training the pups alongside the other powerful misfits. But Dmitri’s influence is far-reaching and even pacifist Gareth must make a dark decision or risk the destruction of everything he holds dear

So if you couldn’t tell by how my blog is all WoW, I’m very behind on blogging. My fault, life has gotten in the way. I read Destiny and Deceptions, the fourth book in the 13 to Life series and really need to post my review for it, but in the mean time I thought I’d share the fifth book in the series.

I really love this series, and Shannon Delany is awesome. And with the ending of the 4^th book I really cannot wait for this next book. Seriously, want now!

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event highlighting exciting upcoming releases. It is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Waiting on Wednesday (87) - Sapphire Blue

Sapphire Blue

Kerstin Gier

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)

To be released: October 30, 2012

Summary (from Goodreads):

Gwen’s life has been a rollercoaster since she discovered she was the Ruby, the final member of the secret time-traveling Circle of Twelve. In between searching through history for the other time-travelers and asking for a bit of their blood (gross!), she’s been trying to figure out what all the mysteries and prophecies surrounding the Circle really mean. At least Gwen has plenty of help. Her best friend Lesley follows every lead diligently on the Internet. James the ghost teaches Gwen how to fit in at an eighteenth century party. And Xemerius, the gargoyle demon who has been following Gwen since he caught her kissing Gideon in a church, offers advice on everything. Oh, yes. And of course there is Gideon, the Diamond. One minute he’s very warm indeed; the next he’s freezing cold. Gwen’s not sure what’s going on there, but she’s pretty much destined to find out.

This is one of those times I really wish I could read German so I could know how the next book in this amazing series goes! I loved Ruby Red and have been dying for the sequel. Too bad I have to wait for forever to read it! If only I could read German, the language these stories were originally published in, I’d know how the whole series ended.

Also, not sure how I feel about the cover. I know they redid the cover for Ruby Red since I read it, but this cover….hmmm….not sure if I like it or not. It’s so different from the German cover.

German cover

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event highlighting exciting upcoming releases. It is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Waiting on Wednesday (86) - Hemlock

Hemlock

Kathleen Peacock

Publisher: HarperCollins

To be released: May 8, 2012

Summary (from Goodreads):

Mackenzie and Amy were best friends. Until Amy was brutally murdered.

Since then, Mac’s life has been turned upside down. She is being haunted by Amy in her dreams, and an extremist group called the Trackers has come to Mac’s hometown of Hemlock to hunt down Amy’s killer: A white werewolf.

Lupine syndrome—also known as the werewolf virus—is on the rise across the country. Many of the infected try to hide their symptoms, but bloodlust is not easy to control.

Wanting desperately to put an end to her nightmares, Mac decides to investigate Amy’s murder herself. She discovers secrets lurking in the shadows of Hemlock, secrets about Amy’s boyfriend, Jason, her good pal Kyle, and especially her late best friend. Mac is thrown into a maelstrom of violence and betrayal that puts her life at risk.

Kathleen Peacock’s thrilling novel is the first in the Hemlock trilogy, a spellbinding urban fantasy series filled with provocative questions about prejudice, trust, lies, and love.

I see the words “urban fantasy” in this description and that makes me want to read it. I love the idea of the “werewolf virus” that people are trying to hide. Also, there seems to be a little mystery thrown in there as well. This book just sounds really interesting. And isn’t that cover gorgeous. I really like it for some reason, maybe cause it has a bit of a darker feel to it?

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event highlighting exciting upcoming releases. It is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.