REVIEW: Vessel by Sarah Beth Durst

Liyana has trained her entire life to be the vessel of a goddess. She will dance and summon her tribe's deity, who will inhabit Liyana's body and use magic to bring rain to the desert. But when the dance ends, Liyana is still there. Her tribe is furious — and sure that it is Liyana's fault. Abandoned by her tribe, Liyana expects to die in the desert. Until a boy walks out of the dust in search of her.



Korbyn is a god inside his vessel, and a trickster god at that. He tells Liyana that five other gods are missing, and they set off across the desert in search of the other vessels. The desert tribes cannot survive without the magic of their gods. But the journey is dangerous, even with a god’s help. And not everyone is willing to believe the trickster god’s tale.



The closer she grows to Korbyn, the less Liyana wants to disappear to make way for her goddess. But she has no choice — she must die for her tribe to live. Unless a trickster god can help her to trick fate — or a human girl can muster some magic of her own.

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MY THOUGHTS

I've been reading books lately that I added to my TBR in 2012 and so far I have been unimpressed by these books. I was starting to worry that my taste in books has changed drastically. This book reminded me that there are some books I liked to read then and would still enjoy now. 

Liyanna is meant to be a vessel for a goddess and she has dedicated her whole life in order to be the perfect vessel. The day has come for the goddess to take over her body. Liyanna will die, but the goddess will save her people from the drought with her magic, so Liyanna sees it as a worthy sacrifice. Except, when Liyanna performs the ritual, the goddess does not come. Thinking that Liyanna has been declared unworthy, her people abandon her in the desert and search for another vessel to save them from the drought. Liyanna does not think she will survive alone in the desert, but a young man finds her. The young man is the god Korbyn, walking the desert in his vessel. He tells her that someone has been stealing the souls of the gods and her goddess has not abandoned her. She must help him find the other vessels and find the souls of the gods before it is too late.

The worldbuilding in this book was fantastic. This book has magic and mythology in a fantasy world, but there is such a real quality to this world. The gods and goddesses are as real as the desert sand in this world and I loved how this book showed the characters' mythology as a part of their world and something that could not be separated. I love fantasy books but one of the struggles I have with fantasy books is that sometimes they all feel the same. This book was refreshing because it has a very different setting than the typical YA fantasy novels, a different tone, and the overall premise was unique to this world.

Liyanna struggles a lot throughout this book. She has been raised that she is going to die on this specific day and when she doesn't, she has no clue what to do. Now she also has to deal with conflicting emotions because she wants to live, but if she lives, her people might not get the help they need. The world she lives in gives great power to the gods and goddesses, but what is significant about Liyanna is that she shows that she could be strong as herself. She is extraordinary brave in multiple circumstances and as she meets the other vessels, she continues to realize her own strength and the strength of the other vessels. I loved how this book showed the strength of an ordinary human and how much growth she had as a character.

There is very light romance in this book. Liyanna feels attraction for Korbyn, but it partially because Liyanna is the vessel for Korbyn's lover. This is not a major part of the book and Liyanna feels conflicted about pursuing him. I really did not want them to get together because it was extraordinarily awkward to think about. She does eventually find someone else. It was fairly quick, which threw me for a loop, but I appreciated the fact that this book focused more on the main plot and Liyanna's character rather than a romance. 


IN CONCLUSION

Overall, I really liked this book and was very impressed by the premise and worldbuilding. I had difficulty putting this one down, but as the book got closer to the end some elements felt more sped up than I expected. This is my favorite book I've read from Durst so far, but there are many others (some I already own) that I need to read and I look forward to reading them! (less)

I hereby give this book

4 Stars!

Meaning: I really liked this book!

REVIEW: Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare

The Shadowhunters of Los Angeles star in the first novel in Cassandra Clare’s newest series, The Dark Artifices, a sequel to the internationally bestselling Mortal Instruments series. Lady Midnight is a Shadowhunters novel.

It’s been five years since the events of City of Heavenly Fire that brought the Shadowhunters to the brink of oblivion. Emma Carstairs is no longer a child in mourning, but a young woman bent on discovering what killed her parents and avenging her losses.

Together with her parabatai Julian Blackthorn, Emma must learn to trust her head and her heart as she investigates a demonic plot that stretches across Los Angeles, from the Sunset Strip to the enchanted sea that pounds the beaches of Santa Monica. If only her heart didn’t lead her in treacherous directions…

Making things even more complicated, Julian’s brother Mark—who was captured by the faeries five years ago—has been returned as a bargaining chip. The faeries are desperate to find out who is murdering their kind—and they need the Shadowhunters’ help to do it. But time works differently in faerie, so Mark has barely aged and doesn’t recognize his family. Can he ever truly return to them? Will the faeries really allow it?

Glitz, glamours, and Shadowhunters abound in this heartrending opening to Cassandra Clare’s Dark Artifices series.

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MY THOUGHTS
I've been waiting to read this book for more than 3 years, so of course I was excited to read it when it finally came out. I had extremely high expectations, due to the fact that I adore both the Mortal Instruments and Infernal Devices. This book has gotten so many raving reviews, claiming that this book is better than the other Shadowhunter novels. I do not agree at all. I enjoyed this book, but it's definitely not as good as the other two series.

This book takes place in 2012 Los Angeles, five years after the events in the Mortal Instruments. Strange killing have been happening around the city and Emma Carstairs is convinced that they're related to the deaths of her parents, many years ago.  All the while she's fighting feelings for her parabati, Julian Backthorn. The faeries are looking for a source of the killings as well, and are willing to use Julian's older brother, who was taken by faeries years ago, as a bargaining chip.

I love all of the previous Shadowhunter novels, I really liked coming back to this world. Emma and Julian were introduced to us in City of Heavenly Fire. A lot has changed for them, and the Shadowhunter world since then. The world was familiar, but also very different than what I'm used to, so I had to wrap my head around the new world. One main thing that's different is the fact that the faeries have been outcasted and it's now illegal for Shadowhunters to help them, the faeries also play a much bigger role in this series. I also liked the plot, I thought it was interesting. I did have issues, though, due to the pacing. This book is HUGE, and it takes forever for the plot to get anywhere. It eventually gets very very interesting, but it takes awhile for the book to get there.

I loved the Blackthorns! I loved how different each of the members were, all of their personalities, and just how they were together! Though, I had a harder time loving Julian and Emma. Mostly because they're both so serious, understandable, but still. I'm just so used to the main characters in these books having lots of snark and sarcasm! I miss that!

Now, for a mini rant. There are cameos in this book, but I really really didn't like that. I'm fine if we only get a few brief mentions, to give us an update, but almost all of the characters in Mortal Instruments and a few from Infernal Devices are in this book. When I read City of Heavenly Fire, I was upset that we kept following Emma and Julian because that was not their book. It's the same case here. I love Tessa, Jem, Magnus, Alec, Clary, Jace, Simon, Izzy, and all them folks, but I felt like they were taking over the book. The pacing of this book was slow because of all of these cameos! Also, it made it almost impossible to understand things without reading ALL OF THE BOOKS! Yeah, I mean all of them, even the novellas. I'm currently listening to the Simon novellas and I am so upset by the fact that this book spoiled important parts in the novellas that I haven't gotten to yet!! Okay, so I'm getting a bit ranty. I love these characters, but I really felt it was unnecessary for them to be included in this series so often.

Now, onto romance. The major romance is obviously between Emma and Julian. I like their friendship and I do want them to be together, but it's forbidden! Of course it's forbidden. Forbidden romances always annoy me because there's so much drama involves and, ugh, let's just see how this will work out. And of course since there's so many characters, there are other side romances. I'm starting to ship some of them, but we'll see...


IN CONCLUSION
Overall, I did like this book, despite my very long rant and the cameos. I don't think it's as great as the Mortal Instruments or Infernal Devices. The pacing is too slow, there are too many unnecessary characters, and just not enough snark for me to give it 5 stars. I do think it's a great start to a new series. Emphasis on the new. Sorry, but I really hope that the next book isn't loaded up with cameos, I really just want to enjoy a new series! Still, I loved reading another series in the Shadowhunter world and plan on continuing the series.

I hereby give this book

4 Stars!

Meaning: It was amazing!

REVIEW: The Scorpion Rules by Erin Bow

A world battered by climate shift and war turns to an ancient method of keeping peace: the exchange of hostages. The Children of Peace - sons and daughters of kings and presidents and generals - are raised together in small, isolated schools called Preceptures. There, they learn history and political theory, and are taught to gracefully accept what may well be their fate: to die if their countries declare war.

Greta Gustafsen Stuart, Duchess of Halifax and Crown Princess of the Pan-Polar Confederation, is the pride of the North American Precepture. Learned and disciplined, Greta is proud of her role in keeping the global peace, even though, with her country controlling two-thirds of the world’s most war-worthy resource — water — she has little chance of reaching adulthood alive.

Enter Elián Palnik, the Precepture’s newest hostage and biggest problem. Greta’s world begins to tilt the moment she sees Elián dragged into the school in chains. The Precepture’s insidious surveillance, its small punishments and rewards, can make no dent in Elián, who is not interested in dignity and tradition, and doesn’t even accept the right of the UN to keep hostages.

What will happen to Elián and Greta as their two nations inch closer to war? 

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I received this book via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review

MY THOUGHTS
I really don't what I think about this book. I like it, but I also don't like and I honestly cannot figure out why I like/dislike it at points. This was an interesting read, though, and it is very unique book.

This book takes place hundreds of years in the future. After a huge war and an AI that 'helped' end it (by blowing things up, of course), the Children of the Peace. The Children of the Peace are the children of all the world leaders and they are taken as hostages. They are cared, taught, and live in a decent environment, but once their country goes to war, the child is killed. Greta is one of these children and has been, essentially, raised there. She doesn't expect to live to adulthood. Then, a new boy joins them. The boy is dragged in chains and constantly fights with the superiors (AIs). When Greta and the boy's nations come closer to war, will the two just let their deaths come?

I feel like this book cannot possibly be summed up in a minuscule paragraph, especially without spoilers. This book is very uneventful and I found myself, by the end, questioning how in the world did the story go from that to this? Not that that's a bad thing, I actually found the idea behind this book very interesting. I've seen many dystopian reads involving war, but none really involved a "solution" and certainly none such as this. I was also able to be surprised at every turn because I wasn't quite sure where this book was going next. My only issue would be that sometimes things weren't really explained as well and I did feel like the world-building needed some work. I was especially bothered by instances where Greta would casually mention something as if it were obvious (there are points when she actually uses the word obvious) and I', just staring blankly at the page think "No, it's not obvious. PLEASE EXPLAIN!"

As for character, I honestly didn't really like Greta. She's not a bad person, I don't hate her, but she's just dull. She kind of bored me and I really couldn't connect with her. In fact, many of the characters just felt one dimensional to me. The only one I actually found interesting was Talis, who's the evil AI that basically rules the world. You know, the usual.

Lastly, the romance was incredibly weird and confusing. There was a really weird love triangle in this book. It's a bisexual love triangle, which isn't what bothered me, but what bothered me is that I couldn't even tell if it was a love triangle. Greta kisses both of them, but I never got enough feeling to tell what was going on and even if she loved both of them. Also, when the relationship(s) go on throughout the book I'm still confused and it never really feels developed.

IN CONCLUSION
Overall, I'm very mixed about this book. I love the idea and I think the book is very unique and unusual, but many aspects of the book just didn't feel very well developed. I did enjoy this book and I do think you should pick this up if you're curious, but it's not a favorite of mine. However, if Erin Bow were to write anything book, I will probably give it a try.

I hereby give this book

3.5 Stars

Meaning: I liked it, but it wasn't quite amazing.

REVIEW: Doll Bones by Holly Black

Zach, Poppy and Alice have been friends for ever. They love playing with their action figure toys, imagining a magical world of adventure and heroism. But disaster strikes when, without warning, Zach’s father throws out all his toys, declaring he’s too old for them. Zach is furious, confused and embarrassed, deciding that the only way to cope is to stop playing . . . and stop being friends with Poppy and Alice. But one night the girls pay Zach a visit, and tell him about a series of mysterious occurrences. Poppy swears that she is now being haunted by a china doll – who claims that it is made from the ground-up bones of a murdered girl. They must return the doll to where the girl lived, and bury it. Otherwise the three children will be cursed for eternity . . .

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MY THOUGHTS
I kind of picked this book on a whim. It looked creepy and it's by Holly Black, so I decided to give it a try. I ended up with a very interesting MG book with a creepy plot (for MG) and an adventure.

Zach, Poppy, and Alice like to create stories by playing with their toys. The toys are ruled by a Queen, a creepy antique doll in a glass case. After Zach's are thrown away by his father, Zach tells the girls that he can't play anymore, without saying why. The girls, in an effort to convince him to play again, take the doll out of its case and then they begin to get dreams from a dead girl. According to Poppy, the doll is actually made of bones of a long-dead girl who wants her rest. The children need to bury the doll in her proper resting place, or else they will be cursed.

This book is both cute and creepy. Those two don't seem to go together, but it's how I see this book. The cuteness comes from the MG aspect. Despite the plot, this book has a large childlike factor to it. The friendships, the toys, and the childish sense of adventure are all included. I like MG books, and this is one of the reasons why. The plot, of course, is creepy. I mean, a doll made of "ground-up bones of a murdered girl"? That's pretty creepy. I loved this aspect, though, and I thought it was very interesting. This is going to sound strange, but I do kind of wish it was a bit creepier. I understand why it was downplayed, due to the ages of the characters and intended audience, but I love creepy books.

Zach is kind of the MC of this book. This book is third person, but we see into Zach's head. Zach really felt like a 12 year old (I think he's 12...). He's in that stage where he's growing up, but not really. I found it amusing that a lot of girls in his class seem to have crushes on him and he just doesn't notice and thinks the girls and just acting strange. Pure 12 year old. He's also still playing with toys, which brings me to something that I hated! ZACH'S DAD IS A JERK!! Not really a spoiler, since it's in the synopsis, but Zach's dad throws away Zach's toys because he thinks Zach needs to grow up. There is nothing wrong with playing with toys at Zach's age! Heck! Most kids that age do (At least I did when I was that age. *old woman voice* Nowadays, kids are always playing with those electronics!) So, I was very furious at that part! Also, I really wish Zach didn't lie to his friends about his toys. Instead of telling them what happened, he told them that he didn't want to play anymore, which made his friends think he was a jerk. I understand kind of why he didn't, but it kind of made me sad.


IN CONCLUSION
Overall, I liked this book. It's a great MG read with both cuteness and creepiness. It didn't strike a huge chord in me and it's a lot like other MG books I've read, which is why it didn't get a huge rating, but I really did enjoy reading this and recommend this to other fans of MG!

I hereby give this book

3 Stars

Meaning: I liked it