The Cruel Prince Book Review

The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air #1) by Holly Black

Published: January 2nd 2018

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Goodreads Summary:

Of course I want to be like them. They’re beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever.

And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.

Jude was seven when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.

To win a place at the Court, she must defy him–and face the consequences.

As Jude becomes more deeply embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, she discovers her own capacity for trickery and bloodshed. But as betrayal threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.

If I cannot be better than them, I will become so much worse.

I almost DNFed this book, and I am so glad that I stuck with it and finished until the end!!!! It took me till about half way through the book to finally start enjoying it. It’s not that the writing is bad, it just took awhile for the plot to get moving but once it did I couldn’t put the book down.

Most of all, I hate you because I think of you. Often. It’s disgusting, and I can’t stop

Like I said, after the slow start the book became a lot more enjoyable. That was when we started to get more court intrigue and spying on our enemies. If there is one thing you should learn about the land of faerie is that no one is who they say they are. We are rooting for one prince to be king for most of the book, only to find out something that they did. Then of course, the prince that we didn’t like turns out to not be so bad.

If you hurt me, I wouldn’t cry. I would hurt you back

Jude has definitely lived a hard life with her twin sister. The only, I guess you would say free and “protected” humans, in the land of Faerie. They have to learn how to protect themselves against glamour and the tricks of the fae, who by the way doesn’t like them. Jude…isn’t one of my favorite characters in the whole book, actually right now I don’t think I have a favorite character. I didn’t like some of the choices that she did, nor did I like the fact that she hates Cardan one minute and then all of a sudden he is isn’t. I won’t go more into that since then it would be spoilers, and I like to do spoiler free reviews.

I have lied and I have betrayed and I have triumphed. If only there was someone to congratulate me

I recently read another book by Black, and I can’t help but wonder how this book would be better if it was a standalone like most of her other books. Now that the second book is out, I can’t wait to read it to see if my opinion of this series changes. I enjoyed it immensely, but like I said earlier it took awhile for me to start enjoying it. I hope the second book has better momentum.

Father, I am what you made me. I’ve become your daughter after all

Goodreads Monday (7/2/2018)

Goodreads Monday is a meme hosted by Lauren @Page Turner,  and the idea is to post a book that’s on your TBR pile and show it off. This is a great way to show off books I have not yet managed to read!

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This week I have chosen:

Title:  My Plain Jane (The Lady Janies #2)

Author: Cynthia Hand (Goodreads Author), Jodi Meadows (Goodreads Author),Brodi Ashton (Goodreads Author)

Published: June 26th 2018 by HarperTeen

Goodreads Summary:

You may think you know the story. After a miserable childhood, penniless orphan Jane Eyre embarks on a new life as a governess at Thornfield Hall. There, she meets one dark, brooding Mr. Rochester. Despite their significant age gap (!) and his uneven temper (!!), they fall in love—and, Reader, she marries him. (!!!)

Or does she?

Prepare for an adventure of Gothic proportions, in which all is not as it seems, a certain gentleman is hiding more than skeletons in his closets, and one orphan Jane Eyre, aspiring author Charlotte Brontë, and supernatural investigator Alexander Blackwood are about to be drawn together on the most epic ghost hunt this side of Wuthering Heights.

I really loved the first book, and can’t wait to get my hands on this book now that it is out. It has been on my TBR shelf ever since I finished the first one and found out a sequel was coming out the following year. I’ve read the first few chapters thanks to Epic Reads First5, and now this book is definitely going on my next Amazon order!

What is on your TBR shelf this week?

Goodreads Monday (6/25/2018)

Goodreads Monday is a meme hosted by Lauren @Page Turner,  and the idea is to post a book that’s on your TBR pile and show it off. This is a great way to show off books I have not yet managed to read!

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This week I have chosen:

Title:  A Crown of Wishes (The Star-Touched Queen #2)

Author: Roshani Chokshi (Goodreads Author)

Published: March 28th 2017 by St. Martin’s Griffin

Goodreads Summary:

From the author of The Star-Touched Queen comes a beautiful lush fantasy, Roshani Chokshi’s A Crown of Wishes.

Gauri, the princess of Bharata, has been taken as a prisoner of war by her kingdom’s enemies. Faced with a future of exile and scorn, Gauri has nothing left to lose. Hope unexpectedly comes in the form of Vikram, the cunning prince of a neighboring land and her sworn enemy kingdom. Unsatisfied with becoming a mere puppet king, Vikram offers Gauri a chance to win back her kingdom in exchange for her battle prowess. Together, they’ll have to set aside their differences and team up to win the Tournament of Wishes – a competition held in a mythical city where the Lord of Wealth promises a wish to the victor.

Reaching the tournament is just the beginning. Once they arrive, danger takes on new shapes: poisonous courtesans and mischievous story birds, a feast of fears and twisted fairy revels.

Every which way they turn new trials will test their wit and strength. But what Gauri and Vikram will soon discover is that there’s nothing more dangerous than what they most desire.

I just finished The Star-Touched Queen last night, and I loved it! One of the best books I’ve read so far in 2018, and as I’ve only read 9 books there hasn’t been much competition. In the first book we got a small glimpse of Gauri and what she is up to, so I am very excited to read a book just on her journey! I do hope that Maya and Amar show up at some point!

What is on your TBR shelf this week?

There’s Someone Inside Your House Review

There’s Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins

Published: September 26th 2017 by Dutton Books for Young Readers

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Goodreads Summary:

Love hurts…

Makani Young thought she’d left her dark past behind her in Hawaii, settling in with her grandmother in landlocked Nebraska. She’s found new friends and has even started to fall for mysterious outsider Ollie Larsson. But her past isn’t far behind.

Then, one by one, the students of Osborne Hugh begin to die in a series of gruesome murders, each with increasingly grotesque flair. As the terror grows closer and her feelings for Ollie intensify, Makani is forced to confront her own dark secrets.

This book has been on my TBR shelf since I found out about it last October. I saw it at Half Priced Books the other day and bought it on a whim and two days later I finished the book. Perkins definitely knows how to write a quick read! I also couldn’t put the book down, because I wanted to find out who the killer was (I loved that it was completely surprising when the reveal finally happened!).

He couldn’t be dead, because he was still so alive in her mind

This book reminded me a lot of The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things by Ann Aguirre, probably because I just read it a few months ago and the two main characters had an incident in their past that they are hiding from their new friends and life. The only difference is in the reveal of said tragedy, and how it affected their current relationships.

I guess you never really know what’s going on inside someone else’s head.

I was a little confused in the beginning, so much so that I had to go back and read the summary. I was wondering why we were spending the first chapter getting to know this girl, but then it is revealed quickly that she is the first victim. I think I definitely enjoyed the murder scenes a lot more, because then it seemed as if the plot would start to move again. Almost like “oh yeah, there is a murder loose. Let’s go back to trying to figure out who it is.” I understand that the author normally writes romances, and this book has plenty of teenage angst all throughout. There is constant back and forth between Makani and Ollie on whether or not they like each other or not or whether their past will keep them from being together. ::insert eye roll here:: I picked this book up for the horror aspect of it! Which the author did not disappoint the further we went on in the book.

They didn’t talk much, but their silence was companionable

Some aspects that I really enjoyed about this book:

(1) The diversity of characters. I liked that even though this was a small town in the middle of nowhere, there was still some diversity. The main character is half black and Hawaiian for starters. There is even a transgender, that isn’t treated like a total pariah.

(2) The murders. Like I mentioned above, they really helped get the plot moving after another victim was found. While they weren’t exactly on the horror scale of Texas Chainsaw Massacre, they still held up pretty well. They were definitely out of the box and very bloody.

His declaration pierced through the muscle of her heart like a skillfully thrown knife.
It was the kind of pain that made her feel alive.

One major flaw that I did not like about this was the motive behind all of these murders. I mean once the killer was finally revealed, it totally makes sense as to why that person would become a serial killer. But, the main reason as to why the killer went on a rampage in the first place? kadsjfalskj <– that’s how I felt about it when I found out.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Yes, there was some flaws but it was a nice quick read. I would categorize this as a mini fluffy romance with a serial killer thrown in for some fun (definitely the best parts of the book). As someone who doesn’t like horror all that much, this wasn’t that bad and I would read more books like it.

Waiting on Wednesday (6/20/2018)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by  Jill from Breaking The Spine that shows the upcoming books that many of us are anticipating! This week, I’m waiting for…

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Title:  The Wicked King (The Folk of the Air #2)

Author: Holly Black (Goodreads Author)

Expected Publication: January 8th 2019

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Goodreads Summary:

The enchanting and bloodthirsty sequel to the New York Times bestselling novel The Cruel Prince.

You must be strong enough to strike and strike and strike again without tiring.

The first lesson is to make yourself strong.

After the jaw-dropping revelation that Oak is the heir to Faerie, Jude must keep her younger brother safe. To do so, she has bound the wicked king, Cardan, to her, and made herself the power behind the throne. Navigating the constantly shifting political alliances of Faerie would be difficult enough if Cardan were easy to control. But he does everything in his power to humiliate and undermine her even as his fascination with her remains undiminished.

When it becomes all too clear that someone close to Jude means to betray her, threatening her own life and the lives of everyone she loves, Jude must uncover the traitor and fight her own complicated feelings for Cardan to maintain control as a mortal in a Faerie world.

I just finished The Cruel Prince last night, and I am so ready for book 2 to come out! How convenient that it comes out on my birthday! Hubby has no excuse to not get me a great birthday gift!

What are you looking forward to this week?

Goodreads Monday (6/18/2018)

Goodreads Monday is a meme hosted by Lauren @Page Turner,  and the idea is to post a book that’s on your TBR pile and show it off. This is a great way to show off books I have not yet managed to read!

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This week I have chosen:

Title:  Windwitch (The Witchlands #2)

Author: Susan Dennard (Goodreads Author)

Published: January 10th 2017 by Tor Teen

Goodreads Summary:

Sometimes our enemies are also our only allies…

After an explosion destroys his ship, the world believes Prince Merik, Windwitch, is dead. Scarred yet alive, Merik is determined to prove his sister’s treachery. Upon reaching the royal capital, crowded with refugees, he haunts the streets, fighting for the weak—which leads to whispers of a disfigured demigod, the Fury, who brings justice to the oppressed.

When the Bloodwitch Aeduan discovers a bounty on Iseult, he makes sure to be the first to find her—yet in a surprise twist, Iseult offers him a deal. She will return money stolen from him, if he locates Safi. Now they must work together to cross the Witchlands, while constantly wondering, who will betray whom first?

After a surprise attack and shipwreck, Safi and the Empress of Marstok barely escape with their lives. Alone in a land of pirates, every moment balances on a knife’s edge—especially when the pirates’ next move could unleash war upon the Witchlands.

I really loved the first one, and unfortunately this one has been sitting on my shelf ever since I got it last year! I also got the prequel earlier this year, and guess where that one is as well. There is supposedly 3 more books in this series before it is finished, and I may just wait until they are all out and binge read them all.

How do you like to read series? Wait for them to all be released or read them one at a time as they are released?

Wintersong Book Review

Wintersong (Wintersong #1) by S. Jae-Jones

Published: February 7th 2017 by Thomas Dunne Books

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Goodreads Summary:

Beware the goblin men and the wares they sell.

All her life, nineteen-year-old Liesl has heard tales of the beautiful, mysterious Goblin King. He is the Lord of Mischief, the Ruler Underground, and the muse around which her music is composed. Yet, as Liesl helps shoulder the burden of running her family’s inn, her dreams of composition and childish fancies about the Goblin King must be set aside in favor of more practical concerns.

But when her sister Käthe is taken by the goblins, Liesl journeys to their realm to rescue her sister and return her to the world above. The Goblin King agrees to let Käthe go—for a price. The life of a maiden must be given to the land, in accordance with the old laws. A life for a life, he says. Without sacrifice, nothing good can grow. Without death, there can be no rebirth. In exchange for her sister’s freedom, Liesl offers her hand in marriage to the Goblin King. He accepts.

Down in the Underground, Liesl discovers that the Goblin King still inspires her—musically, physically, emotionally. Yet even as her talent blossoms, Liesl’s life is slowly fading away, the price she paid for becoming the Goblin King’s bride. As the two of them grow closer, they must learn just what it is they are each willing to sacrifice: her life, her music, or the end of the world.

It took me a very very very long time to finish this book. I started it back in the middle of January and just finished it a few days ago (edited to add that I started this blog post in February, and it is now June…safe to say that it took me a very very very long time to finish this review as well). To say that this story moved slow is an understatement, but I pushed through and I am glad that it’s finally done!

The writing in this story was great, it was probably the only aspect about this book that I enjoyed the most! I thought the book was very well written,  and I think what makes me dislike this book is the main character and the very slow moving plot. Since the plot moved so slowly, the world building was fantastic. I could visualize exactly where Liesel was (it also helps that she is underground in a cave, so not much is really needed for that).

What bothered me the most was Liesl, the main character in this story. She was constantly being described as the not so pretty sister, that was very hard working, and had to be the one who kept everything together or nothing would get done. It annoyed me a little bit when Liesl would use this as a reason to try to get her way. But on the flip side,  I liked that there wasn’t a fairy godmother to give her a makeover to get the guy in the end. Liesl also had a tendency to flip back and forth with her decisions on whether or not she wanted to be with the Goblin King, queen of the underworld, and basically almost everything.

I could go on, but then I think at that point I’ll just be rambling. I’ll end on an aspect that I enjoyed about the book. I liked that this book didn’t have a traditional relationship or one that necessarily ended with everyone having a happily ever after. It’s nice to see that not every YA book has to follow what has become a cliche. I didn’t feel like I could connect with Liesl and the Goblin King as a couple, but I could definitely understand his reluctance on a lot of things.

If you can handle slow moving plots, and indecisive main characters then I would definitely suggest you pick up this book. It’s definitely not for everyone, but if you don’t mind waiting and just totally emersed yourself with Liesl and her story then you will enjoy this book.

 

The “All About Reading” Book Tag

I love doing book tags, and I found this gem on ThriceRead‘s Blog. At this point, I pretty much find all of the fun book tags on their blog. I am so glad that I found them a little over a year ago! They found this on Maria’s blog. You can also watch the video that inspired her over here: Why I Read | All About the Reading Tag by Books by Leynes.

All about the Reading – Tag

1.What do you look for most when you pick up a book? A) A beautiful writing style B) A character driven story C) A plot driven story
I look for first a character driven story, because ultimately they are the reason I am reading the book in the first place.

2.What are your pet peeves in books?

Love triangles that make no sense.

3. If you could print one quote on your wall, which one would it be?

“It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.” J.K. Rowling Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

4. Which genre would you like to explore more?
Fairy tales from other countries.

5. Was there ever a movie adaptation you liked better than the book?
Hmm…I am sure there are some movie adaptations that I have liked better than the book, but I can’t think of any right now. Oh wait…Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. I couldn’t stand the book, but the movie was a tiny bit better.

6. If one of your favorite books would be adapted or get a new adaptation, which book would it be and which role would you like to play?

Definitely either the Grisha trilogy or the Six of Crows duology! In the duology, I would love to play Inej!

7. A hyped book you wouldn’t recommend at all?

The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco. I just could not get into it at all.

8. A book that highly influenced your life and way of thinking?

I’d have to say Harry Potter, because it helped instill a love of reading chapter books.  When the first book came out I was in 4th or 5th grade, and I can’t think of a book that had so much influence in my life before that.

9. Are you a fan of re-reading books, do you do it often?

I don’t mind re-reading books, but I definitely have to be in the mood for it and that doesn’t happen very often unless it is a stand alone book.

10. Which book title could easily be the title of your life?

Right now it will be The Forgetting by Sharon Cameron. lol. I seem to always be forgetting things lately! #mommybrain

11. Which book should be required reading for everyone?

I don’t like required reading. Definitely took the fun out of reading, but if I had to pick a book I would say 13 Reasons Why or another book that opens up the dialogue for suicide prevention or another hard topic that teenagers have to face.

Goodreads Monday (6/11/2018)

Goodreads Monday is a meme hosted by Lauren @Page Turner,  and the idea is to post a book that’s on your TBR pile and show it off. This is a great way to show off books I have not yet managed to read!

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This week I have chosen:

Title:  Witch’s Pyre (Worldwalker #3)

Author:  Josephine Angelini (Goodreads Author)

Published: September 20th 2016 by Feiwel & Friends

Goodreads Summary:

Lily Proctor has come a long way from the weak, sickly girl she used to be. She has gained power as a witch and a leader, found her way home, chosen to face battle again, and (after losing her first love and being betrayed by her new love) she has learned more about loss and grief than she ever wanted to know.

Thrust once again into a society different from anything they have ever seen, Lily and her coven are determined to find answers―to find a new path to victory, a way to defeat the monstrous Woven without resorting to nuclear weapons or becoming a tyrannical mass murderer like her alternate self, Lillian. But sometimes winning requires sacrifices . . . and when the only clear path to victory lies at Lillian’s side, what price will Lily be willing to pay?

Internationally bestselling author Josephine Angelini takes us on another emotionally wrenching thrill ride in the stunning conclusion to her Worldwalker Trilogy.

I got this for Christmas two years ago now…Eventually I should take it off of my TBR shelf and actually read it and finish the trilogy! I really enjoyed the first two books, and I would really like to know how it finishes!

What is on your TBR shelf this week?

 

The Greatest Showman Book Tag

I saw this tag on Thrice Read forever ago, and it has been sitting on my drafts for awhile!! Figured it was finally time to finish it!! I love The Greatest Showman, and the soundtrack is amazing (my hubbie wasn’t quite the fan as I am, but that is beside the point).

The Greatest Show: The Greatest Book You Ever Read.

This is such a hard question! There are just so many great books out there that I have enjoyed!!! So I will just pick a book that I have read recently that I really enjoyed!

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30038855-letters-to-the-lost

A Million Dreams – A Book That Left You Dreaming

I’ve come back to this one a few times now, and I still can’t think of a book that fits this category.  I’ll pick Illuminae because after reading it I wished that I hadn’t so that I could immediately pick up the second book! This book left me wondering about everyone left on the ship and what is going to happen next.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23395680-illuminae

Come Alive – A Book Where A Character Finally Accepts Themselves

I feel like any Sarah Dessen book can actually fit this category. But this one, is one of my favorites. Macy goes from just coasting through life, to finally understanding what it means to live, and then accepts the tragedy that happened in her life to finally start living again.

 

The Other Side: A Character Who Changed Your Opinion About Them

Hmm…there hasn’t been a lot of characters where I changed my opinion about them…but I guess I will go with Louisa Clark from Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. She really annoyed me with how she let her family and other people treat her, and by the end it seemed as if she finally had enough.

Rewrite The Stars: A Bookish OTP That Overcame A Lot To Be Together

This could really be any YA love story, in my opinion. Everyone has to find some great true love and then oh no something isn’t quite right so they have to overcome some obstacle! Soooo let’s go with….

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27883214-caraval?ac=1&from_search=true

From Now On: A Book You’ve Ignored For Too Long & Must Read

This book has been on my TBR pile since I bought it on Black Friday, what two years ago? And guess what, this past Black Friday I bought Renegades and guess where that one is sitting as well.