Procrastinated Reviews No.1

Posted October 21, 2015 by Dani in Dystopian, Fantasy, Magical Realism, Reviews, Young Adult / 3 Comments

Procrastinated Reviews

Back in July, I read a lot of books in a short space of time, and I… well… I guess.. um… I never actually got around to reviewing them. It’s been eating me up inside, so I thought I’d start a little thing (because I just know it’ll happen again). So welcome to the first edition of Dani’s Procrastinated Reviews.

Now, I understand that you might want to discount these reviews because they’re of books I read a while ago, but surely what I think now, after a few months, is a good indicator of how good they are? I’m not caught up in emotions now, you see, so if I say something is good, that’s because it’s made a lasting impression on me. Get my drift?

I’ve included four books below. Feel free to scroll to the one you’re interested.

  1. The Accident Season by Moïra Fowley-Doyle, 4.5*
  2. Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard, 4*
  3. The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski, 3.5*
  4. An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir, 5*

The authors are all at the bottom if you’re interested!


The Accident Season

About The Accident Season

Procrastinated Reviews No.1Brought into the world by: Moïra Fowley-Doyle
Published by Corgi Childrens on August 18th 2015
ISBN: 055257130X
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Magical Realism
Pages: 280
Format: Paperback
Source: Waterstones

Find out more: Goodreads

Buy here: Amazon UK | Amazon US

Star rating:

It's the accident season, the same time every year. Bones break, skin tears, bruises bloom.

The accident season has been part of seventeen-year-old Cara's life for as long as she can remember. Towards the end of October, foreshadowed by the deaths of many relatives before them, Cara's family becomes inexplicably accident-prone. They banish knives to locked drawers, cover sharp table edges with padding, switch off electrical items - but injuries follow wherever they go, and the accident season becomes an ever-growing obsession and fear.

But why are they so cursed? And how can they break free?

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I bought this book while Ely was in town, then read it in the run-up to YALC. It was the first book I’ve read that I know was magical realism, and I adored it! It was eerie and a little weird, and the atmosphere was amazing. Fowley-Doyle did a great job blending the fantasy into the real world, so much so that I’m still not quite sure what was real and what wasn’t.

What really stood out, though, were the characters. I loved the gang so much, especially Sam. They were each so different and interesting.

The ending was nothing like I expected, but it left me so satisfied and squealing just a little. I’m so happy I read this book, and that I got it signed by the –quite frankly, gorgeous– author!

Recommended? Perfect if you like feeling a little dazed (in a good way) while reading. Also if you like tarot and dressing up.

made me feel warm and fuzzy


Red Queen

About Red Queen

Procrastinated Reviews No.1Brought into the world by: Victoria Aveyard
Series: Red Queen Trilogy #1
Published by Orion on February 12th 2015
ISBN: 1409155846
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Dystopian
Pages: 383
Format: Paperback
Source: Giveaway, Publisher, Amazon UK

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Find out more: Goodreads

Buy here: Amazon UK | The Book Depository | Waterstones

Star rating:

A thrilling new fantasy trilogy for fans of DIVERGENT and THE HUNGER GAMES.

This is a world divided by blood – red or silver.

The poverty-stricken Reds are commoners, living in the shadow of the Silvers, elite warriors with god-like powers.

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

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

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Funny story. I first bought this book, then I won a Twitter giveaway hosted by the publisher. The prize? A copy of the book! (And a limo ride to the last day of YALC and other swag. That limo was sweet.)

But what did I think of the book? I thought it was a great dystopian with a sort of X-Men feel to it. It had some big twists, and I remember thinking “You can’t trust anyone in this book!” Some of the characters are pretty twisted, and not always who you think. (If you’ve read this, you know who I’m talking about.) I thought some of the romance a bit undeveloped and rushed, but the way things ended left me wanting more and very intrigued about where the story would go. Definitely reading the second book!

Also, any man who rides a motorcycle has me interested. Just saying…

Recommended? Yes! Especially if you’re a fan of superpowers and dystopian novels.


The Winner’s Curse

About The Winner's Curse

Procrastinated Reviews No.1Brought into the world by: Marie Rutkoski
Series: The Winner's Trilogy #1
Published by Bloomsbury Childrens Books on July 3rd 2014
ISBN: 1408858207
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy
Pages: 359
Format: Paperback
Source: Amazon UK

Find out more: Goodreads

Buy here: Amazon UK | The Book Depository | Waterstones

Star rating:

Winning what you want may cost you everything you love.

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

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

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

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I feel bad saying this, as I know a few other bookish webby friends who loved this book, but I feel a bit meh about it. Parts of it were good, but other parts just didn’t work for me.

What did I like? I liked that Kestrel was intelligent. I liked that she and Arin were both strong and stood for things that were important to them. I loved that she did things she thought were right, even if society frowned upon them. The world was also really interesting, but then it was based on the Roman Empire, and I have a thing for ancient history.

What didn’t I like? The pacing was a bit slow, and the story didn’t make complete sense. Also, I just didn’t feel the romance. It was there, but it didn’t make me feel invested.

While I have the next book and will most likely read it, I’m not chomping at the bit for it. (I’m also amused right now with myself because there are horses in this book. Tehehe.)

Recommended? Hmmm…maybe. I’d read a few more reviews before you grab it.


An Ember in the Ashes

About An Ember in the Ashes

Procrastinated Reviews No.1Brought into the world by: Sabaa Tahir
Series: An Ember in the Ashes #1
Published by Razorbill on April 28th 2015
ISBN: 1595148035
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy
Pages: 450
Format: Hardcover
Source: Amazon UK

Find out more: Goodreads

Buy here: Amazon UK | The Book Depository | Waterstones

Star rating:

Set in a terrifyingly brutal Rome-like world, An Ember in the Ashes is an epic fantasy debut about an orphan fighting for her family and a soldier fighting for his freedom. It’s a story that’s literally burning to be told.

What if you were the spark that could ignite a revolution?

For years Laia has lived in fear. Fear of the Empire, fear of the Martials, fear of truly living at all. Born as a Scholar, she’s never had much of a choice.

For Elias it’s the opposite. He has seen too much on his path to becoming a Mask, one of the Empire’s elite soldiers. With the Masks’ help the Empire has conquered a continent and enslaved thousands, all in the name of power.

When Laia’s brother is taken she must force herself to help the Resistance, the only people who have a chance of saving him. She must spy on the Commandant, ruthless overseer of Blackcliff Academy. Blackcliff is the training ground for Masks and the very place that Elias is planning to escape. If he succeeds, he will be named deserter. If found, the punishment will be death.

But once Laia and Elias meet, they will find that their destinies are intertwined and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.

In the ashes of a broken world one person can make a difference. One voice in the dark can be heard. The price of freedom is always high and this time that price might demand everything, even life itself.

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This book is glorious. The plot was exciting, the characters absorbing and complex, my emotions ran high. Spoiler: PEOPLE DIE.

There were some brutal moments. One chapter had me shouting out NO NO NO and rage-quitting the book for half an hour because it was just so awful and cruel.

I loved how the “bad guy” of the book was a woman, and not in an over-the-top evil stepmother way. I’ve read too many books recently with female baddies that were just too bad, and it came across forced. She was just a nasty piece of work.

Then we have Helene, who had to deal with so much. She was in a tough position, in love with her best friend but also competing against him. I felt so bad for her. There was a point when she pissed me off, but she redeemed herself and more, and I don’t even the position she’s been left in.

The ending wasn’t what I expected. I’ll admit, I was waiting for a more wrapped up, “happier” ending. Instead, plot for this book tied up nicely while setting the reader up for an epic series. You have no idea how excited I am for the next book. Give it to me now, Tahir!!!

Recommended? YES YES YES READ IT. Read it if you like fantasies where people don’t necessarily have special powers, but they must still accomplish the impossible…like overthrowing an empire.

Made me rage


 

Allllll the authors

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3 responses to “Procrastinated Reviews No.1

  1. lol out of all of these the only one I’m dying to read is The Winner’s Curse! I have seen other reviews of the other books that were sort of meh but everyone is like “YAS WINNER’S CURSE YAS” so I have a copy of it. I’ll let you know what I think of it once I finish it (maybe by 2017 I’ll have read it…)

  2. I have read Red Queen and pretty much loved it! And I own a copy of An Ember in the Ashes but STILL haven’t gotten around to reading it (which I have to change soon).
    I was going to post this brilliant comment… but I’m afraid I’m still half asleep (read: brain dead) because it’s waaaay too early and I have my second exam in one hour and 10 minutes *furiously tries to awaken my brain*

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