Series Review: Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Publisher: Razorbill
Published: 2007-2010
Pages: 2,692
Source: Gifted
Rating: 3 Stars

Synopsis for Vampire Academy, Book 1:
Lissa Dragomir is a Moroi princess: a mortal vampire with a rare gift for harnessing the earth's magic. She must be protected at all times from Strigoi; the fiercest vampires - the ones who never die. The powerful blend of human and vampire blood that flows through Rose Hathaway, Lissa's best friend, makes her a dhampir. Rose is dedicated to a dangerous life of protecting Lissa from the Strigoi, who are hell-bent on making Lissa one of them.
After two years of freedom, Rose and Lissa are caught and dragged back to St. Vladimir's Academy, a school for vampire royalty and their guardians-to-be, hidden in the deep forests of Montana. But inside the iron gates, life is even more fraught with danger... and the Strigoi are always close by.
Rose and Lissa must navigate their dangerous world, confront the temptations of forbidden love, and never once let their guard down, lest the evil undead make Lissa one of them forever...

In short: The Vampire Academy Series by Richelle Mead was an easy and entertaining read, though I would have preferred it to be much higher stakes (no pun intended).

Despite not loving the first Vampire Academy book when I read it two years ago, there was a definite addicting feeling to the story and the promise of more exciting plot-wise action to come, and so I kept reading and have now finished the entire series two years later. I had been hopefully expecting the subsequent books in the series to move away from the largely trivial plot of the first book and delve into a deeper, higher stakes storyline for the rest of the series. And thankfully, it does. Though not to the extent that I had hoped.

I guess what I expect from long over-reaching speculative fiction series like this one, is an epic high stakes plot in which the safety and lives of many are threatened and the hero/heroine has to find a way to vanquish the bad guy despite bad odds. Instead, what I got with the Vampire Academy Series was conflicts that revolve around a very small community of people involving royal vampires and their guardians. The conflicts always seemed so minor to hinge an entire six-book series on and a lot of the time I found myself wondering, "And I should care about this why?"

Thankfully, Richelle Mead did manage to make me care enough about the characters for me to care about where the story was going, at least somewhat. The major conflict of the series revolved around the fate of Rose and Dimitri's relationship and though I much prefer non-romance-centric plots, I did like these characters enough to feel invested in their romance. I do think that perhaps this plot line could have been handled better though, as it was largely played out come the fifth book, Spirit Bound, leaving the final book, Last Sacrifice, rather anti-climactic.

I have no regrets for seeing the series through to the end, however. Overall, despite the often trivial nature of the plot and the poor execution of the storyline, the Vampire Academy Series is a pretty entertaining read. Richelle Mead's writing often comes off as very amateurish and unimpressive to me, and yet at the same time it is this simplistic writing style that makes the series so easily readable. I would have preferred a much higher stakes version of the series, like the other speculative fiction series that I love, but at least it made for an easy and entertaining read.

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Review: Dreamer's Pool by Juliet Marillier

Publisher: Roc Hardcover
Published: November 4, 2014
Pages: 448
Source: For Review From Publisher
Rating: 3 Stars

In exchange for help escaping her long and wrongful imprisonment, embittered magical healer Blackthorn has vowed to set aside her bid for vengeance against the man who destroyed all that she once held dear. Followed by a former prison mate, a silent hulk of a man named Grim, she travels north to Dalriada. There she'll live on the fringe of a mysterious forest, duty bound for seven years to assist anyone who asks for her help.
Oran, crown prince of Dalriada, has waited anxiously for the arrival of his future bride, Lady Flidais. He knows her only from a portrait and sweetly poetic correspondence that have convinced him Flidais is his destined true love. But Oran discovers letters can lie. For although his intended exactly resembles her portrait, her brutality upon arrival proves she is nothing like the sensitive woman of the letters.
With the strategic marriage imminent, Oran sees no way out of his dilemma. Word has spread that Blackthorn possesses a remarkable gift for solving knotty problems, so the prince asks her for help. To save Oran from his treacherous nuptials, Blackthorn and Grim will need all their resources: courage, ingenuity, leaps of deduction, and more than a little magic.

In short: Dreamer's Pool showcases Juliet Marillier's talent for writing and characterization, but failed to truly blow me away.

I'm beginning to wonder whether perhaps Juliet Marillier's novels just aren't for me. I'm well aware of her stellar reputation among fantasy fans, but I've yet to read a novel of hers that has completely blown me away. I can absolutely recognize that she is a talented writer and I'm always impressed with her genuine characterizations. But I find that her plots tend to be a bit on the slow, quiet side. Nothing wrong with quiet plots - especially if the writing is beautiful - but I find it difficult getting truly invested her stories, enough to make me want to come back for the sequel.

Dreamer's Pool started out very strong, I thought. Enigmatic characters with unknown backgrounds, an intense prison break, a strong set-up that promised an intriguing story to come. But after the initial excitement in the beginning, I felt like the pacing took a drastic downturn. The story continues, the plot still unraveling, but progress is very slow and I felt impatient for something MORE to happen. However, like I mentioned, the writing is quite lovely and I grew fond of the characters pretty quickly despite their sometimes prickly natures. I think I just needed more ACTION.

So I'm wondering: if you're reading this and you are a fan of Juliet Marillier's, would you recommend I read more from her? Or do her books tend to fall along the same lines as Dreamer's Pool - beautifully written and excellent characterization, but slower reads? I know Daughter of the Forest is an all-time fave for many fantasy readers - do you think I would enjoy that one even if I wasn't totally into Dreamer's Pool? All feedback is appreciated, thanks!

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Review: Midnight Thief by Livia Blackburne

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Published: July 8, 2014
Pages: 368
Source: For Review from Hachette Book Group Canada
Rating: 3 Stars

Growing up on Forge’s streets has taught Kyra how to stretch a coin. And when that’s not enough, her uncanny ability to scale walls and bypass guards helps her take what she needs.
But when the leader of the Assassins Guild offers Kyra a lucrative job, she hesitates. She knows how to get by on her own, and she’s not sure she wants to play by his rules. But he’s persistent—and darkly attractive—and Kyra can’t quite resist his pull.
Tristam of Brancel is a young Palace knight on a mission. After his best friend is brutally murdered by Demon Riders, a clan of vicious warriors who ride bloodthirsty wildcats, Tristam vows to take them down. But as his investigation deepens, he finds his efforts thwarted by a talented thief, one who sneaks past Palace defenses with uncanny ease.
When a fateful raid throws Kyra and Tristam together, the two enemies realize that their best chance at survival—and vengeance—might be to join forces. And as their loyalties are tested to the breaking point, they learn a startling secret about Kyra’s past that threatens to reshape both their lives.

In short: Midnight Thief by Livia Blackburne is an intriguing plot-driven story, but it was lacking a bit too much in characterization and complexity to make it a stand-out read.

Thieves, assassins, barbarians, and wildcats. Midnight Thief soared to the top of my most-anticipated-reads-of-2014 list as soon as I heard of it. I felt sure that, with so many elements included that I love in the books I read these days, I was bound to like Midnight Thief no matter what. And I did like it. Mostly. I definitely had a positive response to the plot, which I felt moved quickly and kept me intrigued. Language was simple, which, combined with the fast pacing, enabled me to speed through the book quickly. I especially liked the reveal of the "startling secret" that is mentioned in the blurb as it made for a very interesting twist and certainly makes me curious to see where the story will go from there. But I did take issue with a few things.

The blurb for Midnight Thief is perhaps a bit misleading. Here I was, excited to read a high fantasy about a girl who joins the Assassin's Guild and develops into one of those badass female assassins I love so much, but no. Midnight Thief tells the story of a girl, Kyra, who joins the Assassin's Guild and then sorely regrets it when she is asked to actually assassinate someone. Hey, I can definitely appreciate a girl with morals. But what on earth was she thinking was going to happen by joining an Assassin's Guild?? This is a girl who quails just at watching a person getting beat up, so this was not a bright move on her part. I don't mean to be so hard on the girl as she was very sweet, but it was hard not to compare her to Celaena and Ismae and of course she was found wanting BIG TIME.

The writing in Midnight Thief wasn't my favourite. As I mentioned earlier, the language, sentence structure, and description is kept simple, which definitely has the advantage of making for a speedy read. But I am a visual reader. I like DETAILS. Most especially when it comes to characters. As it is, I failed to form an emotional connection with most of the characters in Midnight Thief. Description is kept so minimal that I don't even have a good feel for what most of the characters are supposed to look like. I adore little insertions of descriptive words here and there to help bring characters and story to life, and I was sorry to find that Livia Blackburne's writing was lacking in this area.

I hope I'm not being too hard on Midnight Thief in this review because I did like it overall. It was interesting and quick and it's the kind of book that puts you at ease because it's so effortless and uncomplicated, which can be nice. But I don't think that readers who prefer character-driven stories to plot-driven ones will take to Midnight Thief. Ditto to romance lovers because the romance aspect in Midnight Thief was pretty lacklustre, as well. I'm still very intrigued about the twist introduced in this book though, so I'll be curious to hear what people make of the sequel when it is released.

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Review: The Wizard's Promise by Cassandra Rose Clarke

Publisher: Strange Chemistry
Published: May 6, 2014
Pages: 336
Source: For Review from Strange Chemistry/NetGalley
Rating: 3 Stars

All Hanna Euli wants is to become a proper witch – but unfortunately, she’s stuck as an apprentice to a grumpy fisherman. When their boat gets caught up in a mysterious storm and blown wildly off course, Hanna finds herself further away from home than she’s ever been before.
As she tries to get back, she learns there may be more to her apprentice master than she realized, especially when a mysterious, beautiful, and very non-human boy begins following her through the ocean, claiming that he needs Hanna’s help.

In short: The Wizard's Promise by Cassandra Rose Clarke was not as engaging as its previous companion novels, but was still a good read nonetheless.

I knew I needed to read The Wizard's Promise, the companion book to Cassandra Rose Clarke's Assassin's Curse duology, the moment I heard about it. I simply adored The Assassin's Curse. I found it to be highly entertaining with a compelling plot and completely engaging, vibrant characters. Plus, I love the world building and magic system that Cassandra Rose Clarke has created and was eager to return to it. Unfortunately, I can't say I was as invested in the new protagonist, Hanna, and her story as I was with Ananna and Naji of The Assassin's Curse.

I can't exactly put my finger on it, but The Wizard's Promise seemed to be missing that special something that The Assassin's Curse had, leaving me largely disconnected from the characters and plot. I did like Hanna - she reminded me of Ananna in her determination and bravery - and I pitied her for the truly crappy situation she finds herself in. But I can't say I was much taken with any of the other characters. Romance-fans may be disappointed - and non-romance-fans may be refreshed - to hear that romance is notably lacking in this instalment - though I imagine this situation will change in the sequel.

But I think it was the plot - or should I say lack thereof - in which I was truly disappointed with in The Wizard's Promise. The pacing was very slow and events are repetitive and lacking in much excitement. I really needed to see more momentous developments and less concentration on day-to-day activities to be truly engaged. The lack of engagement in the plot was definitely the biggest letdown for me in The Wizard's Promise because I remember flying through The Assassin's Curse, I was so engrossed. I can only hope that Cassandra Rose Clarke will pick up the action in the sequel.

Overall, The Wizard's Promise was far from a bad read. Like I mentioned earlier, Cassandra Rose Clarke has created a magic system and world that is so intriguing to me; it is deceptively simple, and yet wonderfully enchanting. I enjoyed spending more time in this world and was interested in the unfolding of certain enigmatic elements that were explored. I just wish I could have been as engaged and invested in the story as I was with The Assassin's Curse. Hopefully the sequel, The Nobleman's Revenge, is faster paced and more enthralling!

Previously, my reviews of The Assassin's Curse and The Pirate's Wish.

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Series Review: Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan

Publisher: Disney
Published: 2005-2009
Pages: 1,741
Source: Bought
Rating: 3 Stars

Synopsis for Book 1, The Lightning Thief:
Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school... again. And that's the least of his troubles. Lately, mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy's Greek mythology textbook and into his life. And worse, he's angered a few of them. Zeus' master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect.
Now Percy and his friends have just ten days to find and return Zeus' stolen property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. But to succeed on his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the true thief: he must come to terms with the father who abandoned him; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of betrayal by a friend; and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves.

In short: Percy Jackson and the Olympians is a totally fun and easy to read series, but it felt a bit too young for me personally.

Well, it ain't no Harry Potter. But Percy Jackson and the Olympians was pretty cute anyways. Rick Riordan hit the jackpot when he came up with a series that features young demi-gods who get to train at summer camp and fight all manner of mythological monsters in a creatively engaging plot. The pacing is break-neck - too fast for my taste, personally - but great for readers who become impatient with steady-going plots. Rick Riordan also has a knack for writing humorous scenes and clever dialogue - the humour was probably my favourite part of the series.

My main complaint with Percy Jackson and the Olympians is that it felt really young. That may seem like an unfair criticism as the series is intended for middle grade readers, but to me, the best Middle Grade reads are the ones that transcend all age groups and provide enjoyment and richness to all ages of readers. I would argue that this isn't the case with Percy Jackson and the Olympians - the language is simplistic, the characters lack dimension, and the plot lacks complexity and nuance. These are books I would have loved if I had read them as a ten-year-old; as a twenty-something, I can only say that I liked them.

I'm very glad that I have finally read this series that people have been recommending to me for ages! I did enjoy it, truly, and I recognize its popularity and I do feel it is deserving of it. I just wish this series would have been around when I was much younger, when I would have loved the heck out of it and appreciated it a whole lot more. As it is, I would definitely recommend Percy Jackson and the Olympians to reluctant young readers - it is incredibly fast paced and easy to read and they are sure to have a fun time reading it!

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Review: Death Sworn by Leah Cypress

Publisher: Greenwillow
Published: March 4, 2014
Pages: 352
Source: For Review from HarperCollins/Edelweiss
Rating: 3 Stars

When Ileni lost her magic, she lost everything: her place in society, her purpose in life, and the man she had expected to spend her life with. So when the Elders sent her to be magic tutor to a secret sect of assassins, she went willingly, even though the last two tutors had died under mysterious circumstances.
But beneath the assassins’ caves, Ileni will discover a new place and a new purpose… and a new and dangerous love. She will struggle to keep her lost magic a secret while teaching it to her deadly students, and to find out what happened to the two tutors who preceded her. But what she discovers will change not only her future, but the future of her people, the assassins… and possibly the entire world.

In short: Death Sworn was not especially memorable, but I did appreciate Leah Cypress' ability to create such a darkly atmospheric world.

It's definitely not a good sign that I am sitting down to write a review for Death Sworn a month after I finished reading it and I have already forgotten quite a few of the details. Sure, I probably shouldn't have waited so long to write my review, but to be honest, that isn't normally a problem for me because I actually have a pretty excellent memory normally. I rarely have problems remembering scenes and plot points from books I've read so to say that I have forgotten much of Death Sworn means that it did little to impress me and was not particularly memorable.

That's not to say that I disliked Death Sworn. I don't recall the details of course, but I do recall enjoying it enough. I was intrigued with the darkly atmospheric world that Leah Cypress has created. Immediately we are introduced to an ominous mystery and feeling of unease simmering just below the surface. I love reading about magic and assassins and I think Leah Cypress delivered an original premise combining the two. I was definitely unclear on some of the aspects of the world and certain plot points, but overall I think the dark tones and the rich atmosphere of the world were my favourite parts of Death Sworn.

On the other hand, from what I recall of the characters in Death Sworn, they were pretty inconsistent and largely frustrating. Ditto with the romance. Hey, I like forbidden romance as much as the next girl, but can we please stop with the whiplash-inducing personality changes? Because of this, I felt distant from the characters for most of Death Sworn. I was still occasionally intrigued by the characters and their actions, but they were really lacking the oomph that makes great characters memorable.

Overall, Death Sworn was an unfortunately forgettable book that was lacking specialness. BUT I do think that Leah Cypress has a definite talent for creating enigmatic and shadowy settings and tones that intrigue and tantalize. While my experience with Death Sworn isn't enough to convince me to move forward with this series, it has confirmed my committal to read Leah Cypress' previous book, Mistwood, which many people seem to love.

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Review: Allegiant (Divergent #3) by Veronica Roth

Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: October 22, 2013
Pages: 526
Source: Bought
Rating: 3 Stars

The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.
But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love. 

This review is spoiler-free

In short: Allegiant by Veronica Roth was a letdown, but still a passable finale to a memorable series.

I'm having a hard time putting my thoughts about Allegiant into words, probably because they're all over the place. And I'm not entirely sure how genuine my feelings are as I experienced something of a reading slump while reading Allegiant. It took me three weeks to read it. THREE WEEKS! And this was a book that I had been dying to read for over a year. I am unsure whether I fell into this slump prior to reading Allegiant or whether it was Allegiant that started it off, but either way, I am disappointed that I experienced one during this eagerly anticipated read and I was disappointed with Allegiant on a whole.

Divergent and Insurgent were such exciting and completely enthralling reads for me. I was plunged into this dystopian world with a totally fascinating faction system and it was like I could just never get enough of the story and the characters. Allegiant, on the other hand, was a discordant note; it felt like it didn't belong with the first two books in the series. A good portion of Allegiant was slow and weighed down with exposition. It was only maybe the last 100 pages or so that returned to the level of excitement prominent in Divergent and Insurgent. I was happy to finally get an explanation into the faction system, but I was a bit disappointed with the weakness of said explanation and the pseudoscience that was supposed to support it.

Tris and Four continue to be incredibly flawed characters, but while I used to love that about them in Divergent, it has gotten increasingly frustrating over the course of the series. I used to love their strength and confidence, but at some point I became a bit weary of their condescension and irrationality. I understand why the dual point of view was introduced, but I can't say I was a huge fan of it; Tris and Four have virtually indistinguishable voices. I also wasn't really into their stolen make-out sessions scattered throughout a largely depressing story. Mmm, nothing like sexy times among the death and grief of an entire city. Not.

And then there is the ending that has everyone in an uproar. While I applaud Veronica Roth for the brave ending and while I believe she means it when she says she didn't write it for shock value, I still wasn't a fan. I suppose it could be that I missed the point completely, but I don't feel that that is the case. Rather, I see what Veronica Roth was going for and I recognize that it was meant to be a satisfying and meaningful end to the story, but I feel like she missed the mark. She tried for meaningful, but instead delivered an ending that really didn't need to happen (the plot holes in Allegiant were numerous, by the way). I can accept less than happy endings, but there needs to be a good reason for them.

I realize that I've had a lot of negative things to say about Allegiant and while it's true that I was definitely disappointed, I did like it enough to be glad that I read it. It didn't ruin the entire series for me like it supposedly did for lots of people. I admire Veronica Roth as she is a good writer with good ideas, but I think she maybe took on too much for Allegiant. She had too many things to wrap up and only one book to do so. The end result was only somewhat satisfying because while we got the answers we'd been wanting, some of them seemed too convenient and some of them a bit insubstantial. Overall, Allegiant was a letdown, but still a passable finale to a memorable series.

Previously, my reviews for Divergent and Insurgent.

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Review: The Burning Sky by Sherry Thomas

Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Published: September 17, 2013
Pages: 464
Source: For Review from HarperCollins
Rating: 3 Stars

It all began with a ruined elixir and an accidental bolt of lightning…
Iolanthe Seabourne is the greatest elemental mage of her generation—or so she's being told. The one prophesied for years to be the savior of The Realm. It is her duty and destiny to face and defeat the Bane, the greatest mage tyrant the world has ever known. A suicide task for anyone let alone a sixteen-year-old girl with no training, facing a prophecy that foretells a fiery clash to the death.
Prince Titus of Elberon has sworn to protect Iolanthe at all costs but he's also a powerful mage committed to obliterating the Bane to avenge the death of his family—even if he must sacrifice both Iolanthe and himself to achieve his goal.
But Titus makes the terrifying mistake of falling in love with the girl who should have been only a means to an end. Now, with the servants of the Bane closing in, he must choose between his mission and her life.

In short: Though The Burning Sky by Sherry Thomas seemed to have everything I love in my fantasy books, I needed more originality to make it stand out.

There's a fine line between enjoying a fantasy book that incorporates all the elements that you love in fantasies and being disappointed in a fantasy book because most of the elements are overused and cliched. Could be just a matter of mood. On paper, I should have loved The Burning Sky to pieces and maybe if I had read it at a different time, I would have. But instead of being of being comforted by the familiar tropes I have come to love in my favourite fantasies, I found myself annoyed that The Burning Sky had little to offer that was truly original.

The Burning Sky is your typical orphan prophesied to be really powerful and take on the dark overlord of the world story. Almost every spell, potion, and magical object in The Burning Sky has a corresponding match in the Harry Potter series. It really seemed to borrow heavily from the world J.K. Rowling created and that bothered me. Especially when the world building just FAILED in comparison to that in the Harry Potter series. It wasn't hard to follow or anything, but I didn't leave the reading experience with a complete understanding of it. The plot in The Burning Sky was also significantly less engaging than Harry Potter.

There was still enough interest from The Burning Sky to maintain my attention though. I loved the inclusion of elemental magic and the idea of the magical book, The Crucible (even if it wasn't wholly original either). And I was fond enough of the characters and romance. The narration alternates nicely between Iolanthe's and Titus' point of view and we get good opportunities to get to know both of them and see how their minds work. The romance was of the slow burn, love-hate variety that I like, but at times I wished we could move away from the romance and focus more on the larger plot and enemies at hand.

Overall, The Burning Sky seemed to have everything I love in my fantasy books. But I needed more originality from it to make it stand out. Because as it is, there is no way that it was going to win in a comparison with its book twin, Harry Potter. We already have a story like Harry Potter and it's excellent so we don't need a subpar version that is not as interesting or engaging - sorry if that sounds harsh. There were definitely some redeemable factors about The Burning Sky, but I am going to hold off on reading book two until I see how it fares in reviews.

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Review: Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy #1) by Richelle Mead

Publisher: Razorbill
Published: August 16, 2007
Pages: 332
Source: Bought
Rating: 3 Stars

St. Vladimir’s Academy isn’t just any boarding school—it’s a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They’ve been on the run, but now they’re being dragged back to St. Vladimir’s—the very place where they’re most in danger...
Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy’s ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world’s fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever.

In short: Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead ain't nothing special.

Vampire Academy is the kind of book that, had I read it as a young teen, I would have loved it. Unfortunately, I feel like my tastes have changed greatly and have perhaps matured beyond what Vampire Academy had to offer me. It doesn't help that at this point, the market has become way over-saturated with teen paranormal romance and - even if Vampire Academy was actually at the beginning of that trend - me reading it so late in the game didn't do it any favours, as it came across as incredibly cliched and overdone.

I will say though that I was quite impressed with Richelle Mead's take on vampires and the guardian system, as it was completely new to me. I always say that I am burnt out on vampires and am entirely bored by how repetitive vampire mythology seems to be these days, but Richelle Mead has created an entirely original concept and a very intriguing one, at that. That's not to say that the set-up of the concept was executed well though: the first section of Vampire Academy was info-dump-central and not at all subtle.

Actually, I was all around disappointed with the amateurish writing and execution of the plot. The exposition was clumsy and the plot was largely fruitless. Here we have a really cool concept and the introduction to these intriguing Strigoi beings. And for what? Almost the entirety of the story was spent on high school drama with characters I could not care less about. I can only assume the sequels will introduce story lines that are more directed and less trivial, but Vampire Academy left much to be desired, with only the very ending piquing my interest.

And I'm afraid I wasn't entirely taken with Rose's character. I found her a bit too obnoxious to be likeable. I do at least appreciate that she wasn't your typical clumsy and modest paranormal romance heroine though. And I have a feeling Rose will grow on me more and more as the books progress. And the romance: now THAT is the one thing in which I can totally understand the squeals and swoons of readers. It excites me to think about how that enticing chemistry between Rose and Dimitry is going to play out.

So overall, Vampire Academy ain't nothing special. But I had been warned by several people that that would be the case, so I wasn't disappointed. As I understand it, it is the sequels to Vampire Academy that really shine, so never fear: I will be reading them all! If nothing else, Vampire Academy was a somewhat entertaining read, despite its amateurish writing, poor execution, and trivial plot.


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Review: The Originals by Cat Patrick

Publisher: Hachette
Published: May 7, 2013
Pages: 304
Source: For Review from Hachette Book Group Canada
Rating: 3 Stars

17-year-olds Lizzie, Ella, and Betsey Best grew up as identical triplets... until they discovered a shocking family secret. They're actually closer than sisters, they're clones. Hiding from a government agency that would expose them, the Best family appears to consist of a single mother with one daughter named Elizabeth. Lizzie, Ella, and Betsey take turns going to school, attending social engagements, and a group mindset has always been a de facto part of life...
Then Lizzie meets Sean Kelly, a guy who seems to see into her very soul. As their relationship develops, Lizzie realizes that she's not a carbon copy of her sisters; she's an individual with unique dreams and desires, and digging deeper into her background, Lizzie begins to dismantle the delicate balance of an unusual family that only science could have created.

In short: The Originals by Cat Patrick failed to live up to its potential for me, but at the very least was a nice filler book between heavier reads.

The Originals was not the book I had been expecting to read. Lizzie, Ella, and Betsey are the result of an illegal cloning experiment and thus must pretend to be one person, each girl taking their turn to live a third of the life of Elizabeth Best. If their secret ever got out, their family would be in danger. So you might expect a thriller with lots if secrets and intrigue, right? Well, not so much. Instead we get a contemporary story with lots of high school drama. And that? Is not the book for me.

So putting aside the fact that The Originals wasn't the high-stakes story I was looking for, it was at least an easy read. It was a nice filler story between heavier reads. I'm not usually a fan of these high school drama books because I find them cliched and childish, but at least I was kept somewhat entertained by the teen drama in The Originals. Near the end of the book, the plot line involving the danger of being clones finally comes into play, though it wasn't nearly as thrilling and high impact as I was hoping. The book's climax is only a minor hill before trailing off somewhat unimpressively.

As for the characterization, I was worried that I was going to have a hard time telling the three girls apart, especially because their names - Lizzie, Ella, and Betsey - are all variations of the name Elizabeth. Thankfully, I had no trouble distinguishing them and they all had fairly distinct personalities, if pretty one-dimensional ones. There was a pretty sweet romance here between the novel's protagonist, Lizzie, and a certain Clark Kent lookalike and that was nice.

Overall, The Originals wasn't a bad story, but it wasn't really for me. This was my first Cat Patrick read. I had been wanting to try out one of her books because they all seem to have pretty original premises and that is no exception for The Originals, but I can't help but feel like it failed to reach its potential. Still, I don't regret reading it as it was at the very least a nice filler book between heavier reads.

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Review: Sever (The Chemical Garden #3) by Lauren DeStefano

Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Published: February 12, 2013
Pages: 371
Source: Borrowed
Rating: 3 Stars

With the clock ticking until the virus takes its toll, Rhine is desperate for answers. After enduring Vaughn’s worst, Rhine finds an unlikely ally in his brother, an eccentric inventor named Reed. She takes refuge in his dilapidated house, though the people she left behind refuse to stay in the past. While Gabriel haunts Rhine’s memories, Cecily is determined to be at Rhine’s side, even if Linden’s feelings are still caught between them.
Meanwhile, Rowan’s growing involvement in an underground resistance compels Rhine to reach him before he does something that cannot be undone. But what she discovers along the way has alarming implications for her future—and about the past her parents never had the chance to explain.
In this breathtaking conclusion to Lauren DeStefano’s Chemical Garden trilogy, everything Rhine knows to be true will be irrevocably shattered.

This review is spoiler-free

In short: Fever was disappointing in that it was lacking a bit in plot, character development, and believability, but I still cannot help but be swept away by Lauren DeStefano's beautiful prose.

I loved Wither when I read it in 2011; it was a darkly atmospheric and beautifully described dystopian and I loved the enigma of the mansion. Fever was a rougher read for me as I felt it had lost a lot of the intrigue that had carried Wither. I had my suspicions that I would feel the same way about Sever as I did Fever, but as I am not someone who ditches series lightly, I felt committed to seeing the series through. Unfortunately, my suspicions were confirmed: like Fever, a significant portion of Sever felt disappointingly aimless and pointless and this nothingness in the plot killed any tension. There were a number of twists introduced and I appreciate the effort to add interest, but unfortunately, they all seemed forced and predictable due to heavy foreshadowing.

I am left disappointingly unimpressed by Rhine's character and her romance with Gabriel - they are just SO bland. I was also incredibly frustrated with Rhine's questionable decisions and her inaction for much of Sever. Opportunities came her way to say something, do something, and make a difference, but she seemed to just let them all pass her by. My main interest actually lies with the secondary characters of Sever: the fiery Cecily, the clueless but sweet Linden, and the cunning and villainous Vaughn are all infinitely more intriguing to me than Rhine and Gabriel.

One of my biggest offenses with The Chemical Garden Trilogy lies with the world building and premise of the disease. That is, it makes no sense. I found myself questioning how realistic it was after each new piece of information was revealed. The bio major in me was pretty frustrated at the silly and flat out inaccurate explanations presented about the disease. It was very apparent to me that Lauren DeStefano knows next to nothing about immunology and epidemiology and made no efforts to understand it. This likely won't bother most readers, but as someone with a heavy science background, the lack of scientific accuracy was a major problem for me.

The one real saving grave of Sever - as well as for Fever - is Lauren DeStefano's writing. She has a real talent for sculpturing this dark and dreary atmosphere that makes you feel like you are drowning in the gloominess. And yet, she somehow is able to find beauty within the terribleness and it's so absorbing that it's hard not to to get sucked in and swept away by it. So overall, I was pretty disappointed with the lack of plot, character development, and believability of the premise in Sever, but could at least still appreciate Lauren DeStefano's beautiful prose. Though I was frustrated at the unrealistic science, I do think the ending felt "right" for the story and it was satisfactory overall.

Previously, my reviews of Wither and Fever.

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Review: Requiem (Delirium #3) by Lauren Oliver

Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: March 5, 2013
Pages: 391
Source: Bought
Rating: 3 Stars

They have tried to squeeze us out, to stamp us into the past.
But we are still here.
And there are more of us every day.
Now an active member of the resistance, Lena has been transformed. The nascent rebellion that was under way in Pandemonium has ignited into an all-out revolution in Requiem, and Lena is at the center of the fight.
After rescuing Julian from a death sentence, Lena and her friends fled to the Wilds. But the Wilds are no longer a safe haven—pockets of rebellion have opened throughout the country, and the government cannot deny the existence of Invalids. Regulators now infiltrate the borderlands to stamp out the rebels, and as Lena navigates the increasingly dangerous terrain, her best friend, Hana, lives a safe, loveless life in Portland as the fiancée of the young mayor.
Maybe we are driven crazy by our feelings.
Maybe love is a disease, and we would be better off without it.
But we have chosen a different road.
And in the end, that is the point of escaping the cure: We are free to choose.
We are even free to choose the wrong thing.
Requiem is told from both Lena’s and Hana’s points of view. The two girls live side by side in a world that divides them until, at last, their stories converge.

This review is spoiler-free

In short: I was disappointed with the lack of closure in Requiem by Lauren Oliver, but I did like it overall.

It was with a bit of nervousness that I entered into Requiem, knowing that it had had some mixed reviews and people especially seemed to have a problem with the ending. I absolutely LOVED Delirium when it was released and was completely blown away by Lauren Oliver's gorgeous prose. Its sequel, Pandemonium, was pretty good, though I felt that the story had lost a bit of the magic that had kept me enthused about the characters and the plot in Delirium. For me, Requiem falls a bit below Pandemonium in ratings - not a terrible read and pretty exciting in parts, but in other ways, it was pretty disappointing.

For me, one of the most important factors in evaluating the overall satisfaction of the final book in a series is whether the major questions were answered and whether most loose ends are tied up by the series' close. On this point, Requiem kind of fails for me and I'm sorry to say that I agree with the majority reader opinion in not liking the ending as it stands. Some people may like the open-ended ending, as it allows them to form their own conclusions about the future of the characters and plot, but for me, I needed more resolution, especially for the love triangle. Where was my closure? I feel like we are owed that for sticking with the series to the end. Unnecessary epilogues annoy me, but I feel like this is one case where I really would have liked to have seen one.

And I'm sorry to say I wasn't in love with Lena's character in Requiem. I liked her quite courage and wilfulness in Delirium and I really loved her growth to a strong, mature person in Pandemonium, but I feel like she regressed a bit with two boys in the picture in Requiem. I really hate that she was stringing along one of the boys while actually liking the other one more. Oh, love triangles - why must you make assholes out of people? I didn't have any particular preference for either of the boys going into Requiem, but that doesn't mean that I didn't experience dissatisfaction with the outcome due to Lena's handling of the situation.

I don't mean to be so hard on Requiem because I did like it overall. I liked the action scenes and I liked the inclusion of Lena's ex-bestie Hana's point of view into the story as it provided an opposing viewpoint of the resistance. There were just the few faults outlined above that I found couldn't get past. Still, it is always such a treat for me to get to experience Lauren Oliver's writing. I have yet to be disappointed by it and count myself as a life long fan. Middle Grade, Young Adult, Adult - I will read whatever she has planned and am guaranteed to be blown away by her writing skills.

Previously, my reviews for Delirium and Pandemonium.

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Review: Reached (Matched #3) by Ally Condie

Publisher: Penguin
Published: November 13, 2012
Pages: 512
Source: Bought
Rating: 3 Stars

Cassia faces the ultimate choices in the long-anticipated conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Matched Trilogy.
After leaving Society and desperately searching for the Rising—and each other—Cassia and Ky have found what they were looking for, but at the cost of losing each other yet again: Cassia has been assigned to work for the Rising from within Society, while Ky has been stationed outside its borders. But nothing is as predicted, and all too soon the veil lifts and things shift once again.
In this gripping conclusion to the #1 New York Times bestselling Matched Trilogy, Cassia will reconcile the difficulties of challenging a life too confining, seeking a freedom she never dreamed possible, and honoring a love she cannot live without.

This review is spoiler-free

In short: Reached by Ally Condie is a satisfactory conclusion to a decent series.

I loved Matched when it was released. The world building fascinated me and the writing was exquisite. Its sequel, Crossed, was when I fell out of love with the series. It was at this point that I became a bit frustrated with the lack of any interesting plot, as well as the lack of character development for the main players. Still, the writing was just as beautiful. Unfortunately, Reached is much the same as Crossed in that the plot is boring and even with Xander's point of view added into the mix, I never formed much of a connection with any of the characters. But I still appreciate Ally Condie's poetic writing.

Just like with Matched and Crossed, Reached is a very slowly paced book. The slow pacing worked for me in Matched as I loved the time that was put into the amazing world building, but I began to lose my patience with it in Crossed in which the slow pacing was emphasized by a lack of anything particularly interesting going on in the plot. With Reached, it's much the same as with Crossed except instead of 350 pages, it's 500 pages long and all the more boring for it. There was a lot of medical jargon and info dumps that didn't really help matters. As readers, we expect and hope series finales to out with a bang. Unfortunately, very few scenes of significance and impact actually take place in Reached.

One of the most important things with the last book in a series is that your questions get answered satisfactorily. In this way, Reached was a success, I suppose. Overall, Reached was a passable conclusion to a decent series that I had unfortunately fallen out of love with. I would recommend Reached to those who have read and liked Crossed as it had a similar feel and tone. Though I was disappointed that the series went out with more of a whimper instead of a bang, I am glad that I saw it through at least.

Previously, my reviews of Matched and Crossed.

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Lunar Rainbows
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Review: Dr. Frankenstein's Daughters by Suzanne Weyn

Publisher: Scholastic
Published: January 1, 2013
Pages: 250
Source: For Review from Scholastic Canada
Rating: 3 Stars

A new generation is creating a monster....

Giselle and Ingrid are the twin daughters of Doctor Victor Frankenstein, but they are very different people, and when they inherit his castle in the Orkney Islands, Giselle dreams of holding parties and inviting society -- but Ingrid is fascinated by her father's forbidden experiments.

In short: I had fun with Dr. Frankenstein's Daughters by Suzanne Weyn, but ultimately, I wanted a story with a little more substance.

Set sometime after the events of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Dr. Frankenstein's Daughters tells the story of, well, Dr. Frankenstein's orphaned twin daughters, Giselle and Ingrid. The girls - complete opposites in personality - inherit Castle Frankenstein on a remote island in Scotland. Beautiful and shallow Giselle takes on life as the new Baroness of the castle while intelligent and ambitious Ingrid takes up in her father's footsteps in performing secret experiments. Life is not so great, however, as the girls are soon plagued by the news of mysterious murders in the area. I had fun with Dr. Frankenstein's Daughters for the most part, despite a few quibbles. I particularly loved the historical cameo appearances - the most notable of which was Mary Shelley, naturally. That was pretty clever.

Chapters alternate between Giselle and Ingrid's point of view, told in diary format. The diary-style story device was probably my main criticism of Dr. Frankenstein's Daughters. There were often lengthy scenes of dialogue included in their diary entries and that seemed odd for someone who is supposedly recording their thoughts of events after the fact. The entries just didn't sound like someone writing in their diary. There was really no purpose for this particular story device and the author, Suzanne Weyn, could have easily written the story without it and accomplished the same thing.

I was also a little disappointed because Dr. Frankenstein's Daughters wasn't what I expected it to be, though I realize that's a bit unfair. I had been expecting Frankenstein's Monster to be a major part of the story and make many appearances, but he only does once in a flashback. I was hoping for more of a scary gothic horror vibe, like in the original Frankenstein, but instead the story seemed geared more towards a younger age group, specifically younger girls. Ultimately, I prefer books with a little more substance, but I would recommend Dr. Frankenstein's Daughters to gothic horror fans of a younger age group.

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