Finnikin of the Rock

Finnikin of the Rock

by: Melina Marchetta

Finnikin of the Rock and his guardian, Sir Topher, have not been home to their beloved Lumatere for ten years. Not since the dark days when the royal family was murdered and the kingdom put under a terrible curse. But then Finnikin is summoned to meet Evanjalin, a young woman with an incredible claim: the heir to the throne of Lumatere, Prince Balthazar, is alive. Evanjalin is determined to return home and she is the only one who can lead them to the heir. As they journey together, Finnikin is affected by her arrogance . . . and her hope. But Evanjalin is not what she seems. And the truth will test not only Finnikin's faith in her . . . but in himself.

WOW. wowwowwowwowwowwow. But really, wow. I don't think I will ever be able to put into words how COMPLETELY FREAKING BRILLIANT this book is. This is fantasy at its finest, my friends. Its absolute, complete, and utter finest. Everything about this book was perfect, down to the tiniest details. The world completely sucks you in and you feel like you are living in it with all of these characters that you now care about so much it hurts.

 

Strong and Compassionate Heroine: CHECK

Evanjalin: YESYESYESYES annnnd YES. I wish all authors could read this book and see that this is the kind of strong females that deserve more stories told about them. She mourned, she felt, she loved deeply. She wasn't a robot or invincible, but she was still strong. Strong in a way that you rarely see in books. Strong in the way that everyone should strive to be. She was passionate and compassionate and strong and brave and scared and a leader and occasionally sarcastic. I loved the hope that she stood for in everything. She inspired her people and nearly everyone who saw her. Even when she was the novice. Even when she wasn't supposed to be anything special or vital, she made herself special and vital by her endless hope. Then you learn that she has felt the anguish of every single person in the ten horrible years that Lumatere is separated and she is still alive. She is still hopeful. She is still strong.

Evanjalin is one of the characters who will stay with you. Who will even inspire you, the reader, to be stronger and more hopeful. Who will inspire you to have the strength to do what needs to be done.

 

Courageous and Kind Hero: CHECK

Finnikin: Oh Finnikin. He reminded me a bit of Eragon from the Inheritance Cycle. Honor bound and respectable but someone you would not want to cross. Finnikin is a whole lot darker than Eragon and easier to anger. I fell in love with Finnikin's character and with his love for Evanjalin. I loved his relationship with his dad and with Froi and the soldiers in the guard and particularly with Sir Topher. That isn't to say that Finnikin wasn't frustrating sometimes, but he always had a great reason. I can't wait to see even more development from him in the next books.

 

Extraordinary Supporting Characters: CHECK

I think the place where this book shone was in its relationships and in the community it built in the people of Lumatere. They all interact with each other and the world in wonderful and unique ways. These are the characters that you hurt with and feel for as horrible thing after horrible thing happens to them and you watch them try to piece together any kind of life in their ravaged land.
Trevanion: Even the characters who easily could have been left as two-dimensional stock characters were completely fleshed out and given complexity to add depth. Trevanion is an example of this. He wasn't the typical guard-type of character. He was strong and risky, but he loved deeply and nearly openly. He was so proud of Finnikin for who he had become and his relationship with Lady Beatriss was truly heart-warming. He did what he had to in battle and didn't regret it, but he knew enough to want to sustain Finnikin's innocence when it came to battle.
Froi: I'm so interested in seeing how his story is the focus of the next book, mostly because Froi is a character that I still haven't quite figured out. I know that he is much more than he appeared to be at first and that he has a good heart somewhere. The world has made him hard, but that doesn't mean he'll stay that way.
Lady Beatriss: Yeah, as if there was any doubt after meeting Evanjalin, Beatriss just affirms that the women in this book run the show. They constantly shock the men with their bravery and risk-taking and wisdom, but it was brilliant to watch. If anyone in this book had strength to rival Evanjalin's it would be Beatriss.
Tresadora: And the most frightening character was definitely Tresadora. Yet I want to see more of her and I want to learn more from her about Seranonna and the other Forest Dwellers. Although I loved the scene where Topher put her in her place about Trevanion's efforts to get Beatriss out of Lumatere.

Brilliant Dialogue: CHECK
I mean, there were just full pages of wonderful dialogue. I've come to the conclusion that Melina Marchetta is a DIALOGUE GENIUS. The way she used it to let the reader in on things without directly telling them. I loved that sometimes it took a few lines to figure out where the conversation was headed and even then there was no way to be sure. Also the times when the conversations were just so breathtakingly beautiful that I had to take a breather and just think about what had just been said and everything that it meant.

Here are examples of my favorite passages:

“This hand says you spend the rest of your life with me," he said, holding out his left hand, "and this one says I spend the rest of my life with you. Choose."
She bit her lip, tears welling in her eyes. She took both of his hands in hers and he shuddered. "I will die protecting you," he says.
There was a look of dismay on her face. "Just like a man of this kingdom, Finnikin. Talking of death, yours or mine, is not a good way to begin a-"
Isaboe gave a small gasp when he leaned forward, his lips an inch away from hers. "I will die for you," he whispered.
She cupped his face in her hands. "But promise me you'll live first. Because nothing we are about to do is going to be easy and I need you by my side.”  


“All right, silent dark bear with angry frown, tell me more about your land.”
He settled back down, picturing it. “I would tend to our land from the moment the sun rose to when it set and then you ...she would tend to me.” He laughed at her expression again. The world of exile camps and the Valley felt very far away, and he wanted to lie there forever.
“Let me tell you about your bride,” she said, propping herself up on her elbows.“Both of you would cultivate the land. You would hold the plow, and she would walk alongside you with the ox, coaxing and singing it forward. A stick in her hand, of course, for she would need to keep both the ox and you in line.”
“What would we...that is, my bride and I, grow?”
“Wheat and barley.”“And marigolds.”
Her nose crinkled questioningly.
“I would pick them when they bloomed,” he said. “And when she called me home for supper, I’d place them in her hair and the contrast would take my breath away.”
“How would she call you? From your cottage? Would she bellow, ‘Finnikin!’?”
“I’d teach her the whistle. One for day and one for night.”
“Ah, the whistle, of course. I’d forgotten the whistle.”  

Fantastic World-Building and Great Plot: CHECK
What a beautiful, terrible, wonderful, and heart-breaking world. From the prologue the wonderful mood and tone of the world pulls you in. You feel the urgency of it all and it sends shivers up your spine. You realize that this bleak world is where these characters have to live and that for a time you are going to be witness to it.
I thought the plot was great because, while you didn't know where exactly you were headed, you always felt that you were headed somewhere important. You felt just as relieved to come home to Lumatere as all the characters were. 

This is the section where I apologize because my words didn't and couldn't give this book the review it deserves. I wish I could do it justice, but just know that this is one of the best books I have ever experienced and very possibly ever will experience. All this to say, whoever and wherever and whatever you are, you need this book in your life.
 
Quotes:

"Because without our language, we have lost ourselves. Who are we without our words?"

"You list the dead. You tell the stories of the past. You write about the catastrophes and the massacres. What about the living, Finnikin? Who honors them?"

"Oh, the way that word is thrown around...Everything is evil that humans can't control or conquer."

"It's against the rules of humanity to believe there is nothing we can do..."

"Then I choose to drown...In hope. Rather than float into nothing."

"There are worse things than a lie and there are better things than the truth."

"He could not believe anyone who heard such stories of wickedness would allow it to happen again."

"It should humble you to have anyone serve you..."

"Be prepared for the worst, my love, for it lives next door to the best."

"But at such times, gentlemen, you grab at any sign of hope. You grab it with both hands and breathe life into it, day after day. You do anything to keep it alive."

"That somehow, even in the worst of times, the tiniest fragments of good survive. It was the grip in which one held those fragments that counted."

Going Vintage

Going Vintage

By: Lindsey Leavitt

Sixteen-year-old Mallory loves her boyfriend, Jeremy. Or at least likes him more than she's ever liked any other boy. She's sure he feels the same way. Until she happens upon his online Authentic Life game and discovers he's cheating on her ...online Mallory's life is falling apart and technology is the cause. And then she finds a list, written by her grandma when she was Mallory's age. All her grandma had to worry about was sewing dresses and planning dinner parties. Things were so much simpler in the 1960s. And there's nothing on the list that Mallory couldn't do herself. Maybe it's time for Mallory to go vintage and find the answers to her modern-day problems.

 

Well, if this wasn't adorable I don't know what is. I normally don't like contemporary romance books, but this was less of a romance and more of a sort of self-discovery book (I mean, don't get me wrong, there was a fair amount of relationship stuff. But in the end it was more about Mallory learning about herself). This is quite a wonderful little contemporary piece with enjoyable and developed characters and a kind of quirky and entertaining plot.

 

I'm just going to list the things I liked for this book because I don't know if I have enough thoughts to write a typical review.

 

Things I Liked:

-Mallory:

She was realistically funny for a teenage girl. And her humor always fit in with the situation she was in. She was quirky and down-to-earth (even when she had her freak-out moments). I think she's the type of person you'd want as a friend in real life because she normally acknowledged her faults and was a generally great friend. I loved her dynamic with Oliver and their banter kept me smiling through the book. I will say that I lovelovelovelove where the book ends. How it wasn't the typical happily-ever-after. Mallory was smart enough to ask for some time to just be single and Oliver was gentlemanly enough to give it to her (not because he had to, but because he truly cared about her). I loved that it wasn't this huge deal in their friendship (or relationship) that they would wait. The knew that they had to for their relationship to start correctly and so they did it. It was wonderful.

-Ginnie:

She was so sweet and funny and I want a little sister just like her. I thought her and Mallory's relationship was very true to what a sister dynamic is and should be (even though I don't have a sister, I am a sister). Even their fights were realistic and not blown out of proportion (like YA books sometimes have a tendency of doing to even the smallest of arguments).

-The real parents with their real relationship:

Breaking another YA habit, the parents weren't just absentee sort of characters. They were genuine parents who made mistakes in parenting, but that also made great choices. I liked their relationship because they did fight and they did make up and that was okay.

-Oliver

Talk about adorable! This boy was just fantastic (and yet not perfect. Which is really important). He made mistakes and was charming and funny and sweet (oh, and peppy). Again, I loved the banter and the jokes Oliver and Mallory had with each other. One of my favorite scenes was easily their car ride together and then when Oliver called about the song. There was just so much to love about him and about them together. And I loved when he called Jeremy out for being a total tool.

-The Internet Fast

I think the idea of cutting out all modern technology to clear your head was really cool. I also loved the (for lack of a better word) moral of the story being that teenage problems have existed for as long as teenagers have and the unspoken idea that that is what can connects us to our parents and our grandparents.
-The Lists
Each chapter started out with a different list from Mallory's life. This was really cool because we learned that Mallory is a "lister" and that let us in on a bit more of her personality. And as an added bonus, the lists were usually really funny and relevant to what was coming up in the chapter.

 

Quotes:

 

"People laugh because they're nervous, or to cover up tension, or to flirt, or because there's some instant applause meter in their head telling them that it's the socially acceptable thing to do. Genuine laughter, I don't even think that happens daily."

 

"The memory stays. The agony fades."

 

"He's jealous of my breeziness; I envy his ambition."

 

"And, right now, that might feels more honest than the sure thing."

 

"Adolescence is the same tragedy being performed again and again. The only things that change are the stage props."



The Fifth Wave

The Fifth Wave

by: Rick Yancey

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one. Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

I have been SO looking forward to this book since the very first reviews started rolling in. It sounded hardcore and action-packed but with a more introspective side to it. Since reading it I've decided that this book is kind of in the same vein as Unwind by Neal Shusterman. Which is totally fine with me because I freaking love that book. The reason I've decided this is because The Fifth Wave is, yes, about aliens and invasions and fighting back, but a majority of the book is also about how humans react to the invasion. It's about what being human means and how things affect us. Oh, and paranoia. There's a lot of paranoia (in the characters and in you, or at least in me).

Kick-Butt and Clever Characters: CHECK
Cass: YES. Cassie for Cassiopeia is so AWESOME! She's tough and determined, but not unbelievably so. That is to say that she still felt like a normal teenager and a normal girl despite the circumstances. I loved reading from her perspective because she had such a way with words and such a cool thought process. Her relationship with her dad and Sams were both really great to read and interesting.
As I heard another reviewer say, everyone has a Ben Parrish (or what a Ben Parrish is to Cassie). They just do. There is that one person that you have things to say to them (often about feelings and stufffff... ;) ) and you don't tell them. I think one of the most bittersweet things in this book was how Cassie had to think about Ben being dead and the fact that she'd never talked to him about anything despite him being a big part of her life (even if it wasn't the other way around). Then when she did have the chance again, she said something. She made a point of saying something because, "Nothing isn't important anymore."
Which brings us to,
Ben Parrish: oh goodness. He might have been my favorite character in the book. I knew going in that a lot of people didn't like or weren't ready for the switch in perspective. And as much as I loved reading Cassie, I couldn't get enough of reading Ben (or Zombie for that matter). I hated Vosch for getting inside his head and making him think he was weak. His willingness to protect and help Nugget was truly heart-warming.
Evan Walker: Okay, so he was kind of creepy for a good portion of the part of the book that he's in. That might just be me and a lot of it probably had to do with the major levels of paranoia going on inside my brain. ("He's gotta be an alien." "HE'S THE SILENCER." "pshhhh. no he's not shut up." "He's just a farm boy." "But SOFT HANDS." "Waitwhat."). But by the time we got to the part right after they passed by Camp Ashpit on their way to Camp Haven, I trusted him. I think I like his dynamic with Cassie, I think. Maybe. I want to see more of their interactions in the next book so I can judge past the paranoia.
Sams: So cute and sad. I think the thing about him that hit me the hardest was when he was on he bus headed away from Cassie, his dad, and Bear. When he described himself as Bearless and that he thought a lot of other people probably felt Bear-less too. So heartbreakingly sweet.
Ringer: The whole time since she showed up I just wanted to know where she came from. I kept thinking, "but can I know more about Ringer." or "...yeah, that's great. But when can I learn more about Ringer." She seems so interesting and messed-up in a good way. She surely has a tragic past (just like everyone else left on the planet).

Plotting and Pacing: CHECK
It was brilliant how all of the characters and the stories ended up in one place at one time at the end of this book. The different pasts all came together into one present and that was really cool to watch happen. I also didn't have a single complaint with the pacing of this book. It started out with so many things happening! There were flashbacks from a written perspective and passages that were actually incredibly beautiful. There were 4 waves described in the first few pages. But it didn't slow down from there. Things kept happening and the loyalties kept changing. There was this underlying sense of paranoia and panic that really upped the tone of the book from creepy to adrenaline-fueled (which worked really well in this story).

I just can't even fully describe how incredible I thought this book was. Its brilliant in the way it pinpointed the essence of what we are and what scares us, what makes us lose hope and what the lack of hope does to us.

Quotes:

"How do you rid the Earth of humans? Rid the humans of their humanity."

"It's hard to plan for what comes next when what comes next is not something you planned for."

"That's what life was. It was the sea we swam in. The constant sound of all the things we built to make life easy and a little less boring. The mechanical song. The electronic symphony."

"Those few seconds when you're awake but empty. You forget where you are. What you are now, what you were before. It's all breath and heartbeat and blood moving. Like being in your mother's womb again. The peace of the void."

"But I think he knew in the end it wouldn't be the lucky ones left standing. It would be the hardcore. The ones who tell Lady Luck to go screw herself. The ones with hearts of stone. The ones who could let a hundred die so one might live. The ones who see the wisdom in torching a village in order to save it."

"Still, you tend to believe what you always believed, think what you always thought, expect what you always expected..."

"Sometimes you say things to your fear - things like, it doesn't matter, the words acting like pats on the head of a hyper dog."

"If I had faced it then, I wouldn't be facing it now, but sooner or later you have to choose between running and facing the thing you thought you could not face."

"It isn't about destroying our capability to fight so much as crushing our will to fight."

"Cruelty isn't a personality trait. Cruelty is a habit."

"A moment comes in war when the last line must be crossed. The line that separates what you hold dear from what total war demands."

"Before I found you, I thought the only way to hold on was to find something to live for. It isn't. To hold on, you have to find something you're willing to die for."

"Some things you can never leave behind. They don't belong to the past. They belong to you."

"I thought I knew what loneliness was before he found me, but I had no clue. You don't know what real loneliness is until you've known the opposite."

The Diviners

The Diviners

by: Libba Bray

Evie O'Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City--and she is pos-i-toot-ly thrilled. New York is the city of speakeasies, shopping, and movie palaces! Soon enough, Evie is running with glamorous Ziegfield girls and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is Evie has to live with her Uncle Will, curator of The Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult--also known as "The Museum of the Creepy Crawlies." When a rash of occult-based murders comes to light, Evie and her uncle are right in the thick of the investigation. And through it all, Evie has a secret: a mysterious power that could help catch the killer--if he doesn't catch her first.

I was a bit intimidated by this book before reading it. I mean, it's fat and supposedly creepy and I reallyreallyreally wanted to like it. It was also the first book I've read of Libba Bray's stuff and I knew that she has a lot of fans. But attempt it I did, and I am SO glad I worked up the courage. This book was fantastic and dark and creepy and fascinating.

Fantastic Characters: CHECK
There are so many intriguing and well-developed characters in this book. The whole cast was just brilliant. I think an important part of a book that switches perspectives (particularly when it switches between as many perspectives as this book) is that each one has to be exciting in its own right. You can't leave the reader wishing that he/she was still reading the other person's perspective. To accomplish this it is necessary that each new perspective and character stay interesting. This book really achieved that. I never found myself wishing to be reading any other part of the book or any other perspective because I was intrigued by what was going on in the here-and-now.

Evie: Yes, sometimes it's hard to appreciate a character who's fatal flaw is so obvious to the world, but I didn't find that the case with Evie. She's often incredibly selfish and a bit silly, but she was other things besides that. She's brave and spunky and clever. She kept me laughing at her quick quips and sarcastic bouts. She's the type of character you'd want to meet in real life because despite her faults and the fact that she'd most likely be annoying and frustrating to meet you still want to be friends with her. She's a character who seems very alive.
Theta: YES. I love Theta so much. She's hilarious and real. She struck me as very genuine in her own strange way. I'm a GIANT FAN of her romantic storyline. I need it to happen. like soon. (and by soon I mean 2014. when the next book comes out). I really want to learn more about her power and what exactly it does. It was just kind of mentioned and then never mentioned again.
Memphis: Poor baby. He's gone through so much crap in his life and I have a feeling it's just going to get worse for him. To me he kind of seems like the Leo Valdez of this series (sorrynotsorry. I'll never not make Percy Jackson references). He's vital and clever and you love him with all you've got, but BOY does he go through a ton of crappy situations.
and speaking of crappy situations,
Jericho: I wasn't sure about him in the beginning. He seemed a bit snobbish and I figured his storyline would be one of the less important ones. I figured he was just going to be a sort of side-kick. BUT NO. I was totally wrong. His was one of the most interesting and probably going to be one of the most important backstories (well, okay, so all of the storylines are going to come together and be very important, but his seems especially weird and special).
Will: Good ole' Unc. I think we're definitely going to be seeing more about his past, too. I mean, he's actually very kind-hearted, even when others don't see it. He took in Jericho. He took in Evie. He even took in Sam (I mean, Sam is a thief who was in the process of trying to rob him and he still said, "well, okay. How about instead I just give you an awesome job.") If Memphis is the Leo then I can only compare Uncle Will to Uncle Iroh (yeah, I'm always going to make Avatar: The Last Airbender references, too. You're welcome.) 
Sam: One of the characters that we know the least about. We know something went down with his mom and whatnot, but that's about it. And we know that he's out for revenge. I'm excited to see where his story goes. He made me laugh as much as Evie did (especially in his conversations with Evie).
Blind Bill: WHAT EVEN? I don't know what is happening here, but I'm scared.

Horrifyingly Creepy Villain: CHECK
Because having a cult-following-long-dead-ghost-serial-killer as a villain wasn't creepy enough, Libba Bray had to add in the creepiest song I've ever heard.

"Naughty John, Naughty John,
does his work with his apron on.
Cuts your throat and takes your bones,
sells 'em off for a coupla stones."

And what was worse is that I listened to the audio-book and they actually sang the song and DANG IT, IT WAS CATCHY. It got stuck in my head and stayed there all day. I caught myself singing it out loud, sometimes in public...it was horrible.

Other than the horrifying song, the book was brilliantly creepy. It had all the suspense and terror that it needed and the plot wielded it well. The creepiness led the story along and kept the pages turning. All of the cult-y things were completely terrible and I found myself shivering at the perversion of it all.

Plot and Foreshadow: CHECK
While reading this book you can tell that this plot and whatever Libba is leading up to is incredibly complex. You can see hints of things here and there and you can tell that there is great importance in some of the things you learn, but it is impossible to know what this is the beginning of and where it's all headed. This book stood on its own quite well, it didn't have a giant cliff-hanger and the villain was mostly wrapped up (although I have a feeling not for good or for long). So I'm so looking forward to the next book to continue in this world that the reader now knows both so much about and so little about.
One small problem I had with this book was that in the beginning it got a little repetitive. Things happened and then stalled and it took some pressing on and nose-to-the-grindstone reading to get by. Then in the end a lot of it felt rushed into the last 50-or-so pages.

Fantastic World-Building: CHECK
The tone of this book definitely fits into the roaring 20's. There are flappers and bobbed hair, scandal and suspicion everywhere. Prohibition is up and running and the secret alcohol is flowing. There was corruption and underhanded dealings. Everything seemed different and yet so familiar. Although I would say that while The Great Gatsby is a story about the rich in the 20's, this book focuses more on the middle class and poor of the 20's. That made it all the more fascinating.

Quotes:
"Some mornings, she’d wake and vow, Today, I will get it right. I won’t be such an awful mess of a girl. I won’t lose my temper or make unkind remarks. I won’t go too far with a joke and feel the room go quiet with disapproval. I’ll be good and kind and sensible and patient. The sort everyone loves. But by evening, her good intentions would have unraveled. She’d say the wrong thing or talk a little too loudly. She’d take a dare she shouldn’t, just to be noticed. Perhaps Mabel was right, and she was selfish. But what was the point of living so quietly you made no noise at all? “Oh, Evie, you’re too much,” people said, and it wasn’t complimentary. Yes, she was too much. She felt like too much inside all the time. So why wasn’t she ever enough?"

"There is no greater power on this earth than story.” Will paced the length of the room. “People think boundaries and borders build nations. Nonsense—words do. Beliefs, declarations, constitutions—words. Stories. Myths. Lies. Promises. History.”

"There is a dualism inherent in democracy. Opposing forces pushing against each other always. Culture clashes, different belief systems all coming together to create this country."

"People tend to think that hate ias the most dangerous emotion, but love is equally dangerous."

Dark Triumph

Dark Triumph

By: Robin LaFevers

Sybella arrives at the convent’s doorstep half mad with grief and despair. Those that serve Death are only too happy to offer her refuge—but at a price. The convent views Sybella, naturally skilled in the arts of both death and seduction, as one of their most dangerous weapons. But those assassin's skills are little comfort when the convent returns her to a life that nearly drove her mad.

 

Much darker. Originally I gave Grave Mercy a five out of five stars on Goodreads, but after reading this I had to move it down to a four, because this, THIS, my friends, is a five star book. It had heart and darkness and twisted men and good men and twisted women and good women. All the characters moved through this story with purpose and motive. It talked of forgiveness and abuse and love and justice. It had action and plot twists and secrets kept hidden too long and secrets kept not long enough. It had drama and humor and messed up love and real love. 

Kick-Butt and Spectacular Heroine: CHECK
Sybella: I think I like her more than Ismae. She has a darker (and indeed more horrible) past and yet she is still compassionate and loyal while being hardened and brave and frightened and haunted and just all at once. She always protected the innocent and I loved that. In Grave Mercy she seemed sort of haughty but in this book I realized that that's just simply not true at all. She's genuine and tough and kind. I loved seeing her struggle with her view of herself through the lense of her family's horrible wrongs. After living for so long surrounded by so much evil she had to begun to suspect that some part of it had rubbed off on her. She did bad things, but she didn't know any better and she did the best she could to survive in her family's house. I didn't just love her character, I respected her. She allowed herself to grow and change and progress. She found ways to forgive others and (with the help of Beast) forgive herself.

Fantastic and Charming Hero: CHECK
Beast: oh goodness... He was FANTASTIC! I cant even put into words how much I love him. His whole perspective on life was so interesting and wonderful. And his sister. And his going back for her. And his lovely soul. And. And. Annnnd. :'( I love his and Sybella's dynamic. They save each other again and again. They protect each other. Sybella's needed a gentle giant and Beast needed someone who appreciated gentle giants. He was funny and charming and totally atypical (in the best possible way). I loved that Robin LaFevers didn't make him some gorgeous "prince charming" and yet it wasn't that big of a deal. Like, him and Sybella openly recognized that he was mostly pretty ugly and yet it didn't impact their relationship at all. Like, they had more important issues than attractiveness (as it should be). 

Excellent Side Characters: CHECK
Ismae and Duval: I really liked seeing them from someone else's point of view. It was also really cool seeing Ismae's change from Sybella's perspective, especially because It was from the perspective of someone who approved of Ismae's change, who was proud of her for it. 
Julian: He was one of the characters that I found scariest in this book. He managed to justify all of the horrible things he did to himself. Characters with twisted senses of morality can be more frightening than ones with no sense of morality, twisted or otherwise. It's an example of how messed humans can get. So while Julian might not have known any better he was still in the wrong. And in the end he realized that and made amends for it. That was the difference between him and D'Albret and Pierre. He tried to do what he thought was right when he figured out what that was. 
D'Albret: If you think that you see the full extent of his complete horribleness in Grave Mercy, as I did, then you would most definitely be wrong. Because OH MY GOODNESS! He's so completely disgusting. The scene where Sybella was describing what D'Albret had actually done had me sobbing. 

Excellent Plot and Progression: CHECK
I was wondering how the progress of the overall story would work with the switching narrators. But I think LaFevers has kept the reader in the exact right place for that part of the story so far. I feel like she's leading us all somewhere very important and when we get there it is going to low all of our freaking minds. Also the switching of narrators has kept the politics fresh because you're set in a new place with new characters and new motives in each book. That definitely works in this series' favor. 

Gorgeous Writing: CHECK
As much as I loved the writing in Grave Mercy, I think LaFevers hit something really special with this book. It moved, it flowed, it hurt, and it impacted. I can say that the tone of the book completely matched the tone of the writing. Robin LaFevers can write LIKE CRAZY. I am completely jealous of her mad skills and whatnot. 

Quotes:

"But I have to say I have just grown adept at snatching providence from the jaws of disaster."

"And do not even bright things cast a shadow?"

"Men of power are unwilling to believe anything ill of their own kind."

"Jewels can be replaced, my cousin, independence, once lost, cannot."

"She accepts not only the power and privilege of ruling, but also the painful responsibility."

"Every death I have witnesses, every horror I have endured has forged me to be who I am. Death's justice. If I had not experienced these things firsthand then the desire to protect the innocent would not burn so brightly within me."

"Hate cannot be fought with hate. Evil cannot be conquered by darkness. Only love has the power to conquer them both."

Grave Mercy.

Grave Mercy

By: Robin LaFevers

Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others. Ismae’s most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make.

Going into this book I could instantly tell I was going to love it. Even by just reading the summary I knew. I mean, assassin nuns of the god of death taking the stage in a historical fiction with barons and duchesses and court politics. What is there not to like about that? Exactly, there is NOTHING not to like about that. So I was not surprised at all that I fell in love with this book.

Clever and Brave Heroine: CHECK
Ismae: I'll be the first to admit that I didn't always like her, but her character arc was absolutely wonderful. She was always a very well-developed character, but by the end of this book she really came into her own. She changed and grew and I loved watching it all happen. She was awesome with weapons, but not overly violent. She knew when to show restraint. I also really appreciated how Robin LaFevers portrayed Ismae's gradual yet realistic transition to loving Duval. She didn't pretend like falling in love was something horrible, just not ideal for their situation. And she didn't see being feminine as a deterrent to being tough or for fighting and outsmarting people or for being an active participant in the matters of court. Despite what everyone else believed about women.

Strong and Smart Hero: CHECK
Duval: another character that I wasn't sure about at the beginning, but I really started liking him as the story progressed. He also came into his own. He was really developed and flawed and wonderful. He was very clever when it came to coming up with plans to protect the duchess and yet I loved that he often needed help from Ismae and he never minded taking advice. He was humble but strong.

Excellent Supporting Characters: CHECK
The Abbess: I thought she was really interesting as far as motive was concerned. I could never quite tell where she was coming from or where she was heading. Maybe because her motive was supposedly so clear and yet she often acted against it (knowingly or unknowingly). I want to know more about her and I think that's going to happen in the companion books. So I'm looking forward to that.
Annith: I loved how Robin LaFevers has set up this world for the companion novels through different characters. She gave us just enough about Annith and Sybella to make you interested in the other books and kept enough secret to really intrigue. We learned more about Annith than about Sybella. The other impressive thing was that the three characters (despite what seem like very similar pasts) are completely different.
Sybella: I wouldn't have minded more about her in this book, but since I've already started Dark Triuh (the companion novel from her perspective) I understand why it was necessary. Some of her secrets needed to stay secrets until it was time to reveal them (also Ismae obviously didn't know much of it).
Chancellor Crunard:I never trusted him, but I didn't really suspect him until 3/4 of the way through. I loved his twisted sense of wrong and right. He really saw himself as the good guy and that's scarier than bad people who do bad things knowingly. 
Madame Dinan:another character introduced that I can tell we're going to learn more about in Dark Triumph. Her relationship with D'Albret is incredibly creepy, but she had a really good motive for betraying the Duchess.
Marshall Rieux:Another traitor (basically everyone is a traitor in this book, but it kept things interesting). And another traitor with a twisted sense of loyalty and morality.
The Duchess (Anne): I love her. So much. She's barely a teenager and in charge of a giant duchy and yet she does as good a job as anyone could be expected to do. She broke down. She got hurt by all the betrayal. But she was always strong. That was the wonderful thing, she was genuine and genuinely like a young girl who has been forced to grow up quickly.
De Lornay and Beast: More excellent characters! I wish we'd seen a bit more of them both (particularly De Lornay), but by the end I was so sad to see them go. 
Madame Hivern: possibly the most complex character in this book (which is saying a lot). Her relationships with her two sons and with the court in general was fascinating. I loved how LaFevers showed the role of women in that time through Madame Hivern and made the reader feel genuinely sorry for how little control she had over her life. She did what she could to protect herself and her family.
D'Albret: (or Creepity-Creep-Creep as he should be known). I know Sybella's story has a lot more to do with hi, (which I'm kind of interesting in a) learning more about him and b) seeing his hopefully inevitable demise) 

Wonderful Plot and Progression: CHECK
Before going in I'd read a lot of reviews that said this book was much slower paced than they thought it'd be. So going in I knew it was going to be more politics and less action. The thing is I love books involving court politics and such. So I really loved that aspect and there was still a fair amount of action to keep the intrigue up. I actually listened to the audiobook version of this so I had a bit of trouble a) keeping track of some of the members of the privy council and b) figuring out to spell the names. But once I started figuring out everyone's role in the book it became much easier. I loved the little twists and turns when loyalties were questioned and when agreements fell through. The changes were small, but when put together they formed this wonderfully intricate story.

Superb World Building: CHECK
I would say that historical fiction is one of the genres that requires the most realistic world-building (right up there with science fiction and dystopian). And this world was so well developed and so interesting. I loved the whole daughters of death aspect of the world and the assassin nunnery was just awesome. I think that while the premise might seem a bit ridiculous to some, it worked in the book and was very well-executed. 

Quotes: 

"It is this kindness of his that unsettles me the most. I can dodge or block a knife. I am impervious to poison and know a dozen ways to escape a chokehold or garrote wire. But kindness? I do not know how to defend against that?"

"He smiles then, and even though it is well past midnight, it's as if the sun has just come out."

"There is no shame in scars, Ismae."

"Perhaps it is because you mistake death for justice and they are not the same thing at all."

"This is what I want to be, an instrument of mercy, not vengeance."

"His divine spark lives within me, a presence that will never leave and and I am but one of many tools he has at his disposal. He's given me life and all i must do to serve him is live, fully and with my whole heart."

"Surely he does not give us hearts so we may spend our lives ignoring them."

"I wish to serve in honor of his mercy rather than his wrath."

"Surely the darkness can give way to light sometimes."

The Maze Runner Trilogy.

The Maze Runner

The Scorch Trials

The Death Cure

by: James Dashner



When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade—a large, open expanse surrounded by stone walls. Just like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night they’ve closed tight. And every thirty days a new boy has been delivered in the lift.

If you're looking for a dystopian that excels in action and mystery with a near no romance and a thrill level that is off the charts, you've come to the right place. The Maze Runner starts out a little rough with the repetitiveness and no questions being answered, but then things pick up and it really never stops after that.

The Scorch Trials was probably my least favorite book of the series, but it was still quite good. The action kicked up a notch and the casualties continued. The twist with the different group was actually really interesting and meeting the Rat Man was...ummmm... well, to be blunt, horrible (in a good way). It was nice finally having a face to put with WICKED organization. And the Cranks were completely, nightmarishly terrifying.

The Death Cure became my favorite book in the series as we were given the conclusion (but, maybe not the answers (to all that happened in this series. I would have preferred a few more answers about everything (and one less death... I'M STILL NOT OVER IT, OKAY?). But this book was heartbreaking and terrifying and bittersweet in all the right places.

My one issue with this series is the characters. They sometimes came off as a bit flat, but I could forget that most of the time because of how much was happening.

Quotes:

“Such a display of death - how could it be considered a victory?”

"That saving you was worth losing what we might've had.”  

“He turned to look just in time to see the rain start falling outside, as if the storm had finally decided to weep with shame for what it had done to them.”

“I watched as that kid died. In his last few seconds there was pure terror in his eyes. You can't do that. You can't do that to a person. I don't care what anybody tells me, I don't care how many people go crazy and die, I don't care if the whole shuck human race ends. Even if that was the only thing that had to happen to find the cure, I'd still be against it.”