Tarnished by Karina Cooper

Name: Tarnished (The St. Croix Chronicles #1) by Karina Cooper.
Pages: 384.
Publication: 26th June 2012/Avon.
Rating: ✮✮✮½✩✩
Pre-Order It: Amazon

"In Victorian London, where science skirts the line between magic and mechanics, one stubborn miss will face shadows from her past, demons from her desires, and choices that will forever shape who she is.

A brand-new, sexy series from Karina Cooper featuring fearless heroine Cherry St. Croix-debutante by day, bounty hunter by night-set in an alternate London where proper Victorian society sits above a seedy steampunk underworld teeming with dubious loyalties, advanced technology, and incredible magic."

Review.

I must say the girl on the cover is really creepy looking and looks much too old represent 20 year old Cherry St. Croix (an awesome name, no?).

Cherry St. Croix is more than meets the eye. If you met her during the day, you would see her as a wealthy red-headed socialite orphan who lives above the drift. However, if you met Cherry St. Croix at night, you would see her as Ms. Black, a collector or also known as a bounty hunter, with blackened hair, and often mistaken for a man. Cherry is too young to receive her deceased parent's inheritance and has no interest in marriage. She spends her allowance which she receives from her elderly guardian on scientific research and opium. To supplement such habits, Cherry collects for Menagerie, a organization with ties to the 'Karakash Veil', a Chinese originated crime circle. What matters to Cherry though is her bounty.

When some of the female workers of the Menagerie turn up dead, Cherry is approached by her friend, Zylphia, who also works for the Menagerie to catch the killer, but what Cherry unearths is something bigger than she could ever imagine.

Tarnished is a novel set in a Steampunk world. Cooper has created a new, unique version on London. High class London society has been altered and sits above the unclean air known as the drift and the lower class civilians, literally. I found this a little tough to imagine so I had a hard time picturing everything that was going on while I was reading.

Cherry is an interesting character. She is independent in a world where women were seen as nothing but property with no interest in marriage, much to her carer's, Fanny, sadness. Cherry is also smart and cool. She has a sharp wit and she can take down the average man easily. 

Someone who also finds Cherry interesting is Lordship Cornelius Kerrigan Compton. He seems to have Cherry in his sights, much to his mothers dismay. As a character, Compton is the average handsome  man with his own secrets. However, what annoyed me was how Cooper wrote him in, to only diminish his presence with no real answer. 

Tarnished also holds some steamy (Yes, pun intended) aspects which gives the book a well needed kick in the romance department. So, be warned, this book is for mature YA readers. It also has a lot of murder as well as action, and some lesser interesting parts that all happen when Cherry is above the drift. 

Final Thought.

Give it a read. The plot has twists and turns and is one of those books where you should expect the unexpected.

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Name: Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass #1) by Sarah J. Maas
Pages: 416.
Publication: 7th August 2012/Bloomsbury USA Children's
Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮
Pre-Order It: Amazon

"After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin.

Her opponents are men—thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the kings council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she’ll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom.

Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she’s bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her...but it’s the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.

Then one of the other contestants turns up dead...quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined."

Review.

The story revolves around eighteen year old Celaena Sardothien who happens to hold the infamous title of Adarlan's most notorious assassin even if she did get caught due to a betrayal. She is serving out her dues in a salt mine to pay for her crimes. After a year a servitude, Celaena is called upon  by Prince Dorian who gives her a proposition: eventual freedom or to continue serving in the salt mines. However this eventual freedom comes with a price, she must fight against 23 other participants in a tournament held in the King's castle. With the skills Celaena has, that should not too hard, except when participants start turning up dead, Celaena discovers that is there more going on in the castle than she expected.

Celaena, for me, is the epitome of awesome. She is deadly. Yet, she eats like a horse even though she knows she probably will not hold it down after her run. She is very passionate and fierce often letting her temper get the better of her in a duel. She has a sharp wit and can tear you down with words as well as with knives. However, this being said, Celaena is also quite feminine and takes her appearance quite seriously. Celaena is relatable, it is seen when parts of her back-story come to light. She is not a cold-blooded killing machine. She cares for others, even people who she should not care for.  What I love about Celaena is how despite being captured for the past year, she still thinks like an assassin. She takes in her surroundings as well as thinking about how she could take out the people around her. I liked reading those scenes. What does that say about me, huh? :P

The other main characters, Prince Dorian and Captain Chaol Westfall were great. The handsome and flirtatious Prince Dorian, is intrigued by Celaena and believes she can win this competition for him. Then there is the ruggedly handsome Chaol, Celaena's training partner. Chaol is weary of Celaena and Dorian's blossoming friendship for he cannot forget that beneath that pretty face is girl who can probably kill you in many different ways all while making them look like an accident. Yet, will his opinion change when he starts to know the feisty assassin better? Other characters such the mysterious and beautiful Princess Nehemia as well as the bitter Katlain whose one mission is to become Prince Dorian's Princess.

Throne of Glass is up there with the quality of writing from Kirsten Cashore's Graceling and R.L. LaFevers's Grave Mercy. It is well paced and will have you tearing through the pages to find out what happens next.

Final Thought.

A must read. Completely enthralling, you will find yourself mesmerized by this story of survival, hope, myth and freedom.

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Name: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo.
Pages: 368.
Publication: 5th June 2012/Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Rating: ✮✮✮✮✩
Pre-Order It: Amazon | The Book Depository (24% currently off) 

"Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near-impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one unlikely refugee. 


Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life– a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling. 

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha…and the secrets of her heart."

Review.

Shadow and Bone is one of my favourite books I have read so far in 2012. I know what you are thinking, wait, we are not even in April yet! I have a feeling though, by the end of 2012, it will still be in my favourite list. It introduces the reader to a new world; that of the Grisha. 

At the beginning, during the first few chapters, I will admit I was a little lost. The language was a bit confusing and I pretty much had no idea what was going on. But once I understand the Shadow Fold, I was immersed in the story.

I really enjoyed Alina, the heroine of the book who does not believe that she could be the key to saving her country. She is just a map-maker and not even a good one according to herself. She is not seen as pretty or anything out of the ordinary but she is a good person and truly cares for the people she loves, which really is only one person, Mal, her best friend since they grew up as orphans together. 

I also really liked all the secondary characters such as Mal and the Darkling as well as Genya, who often helped provide the comic relief.

What has made Shadow and Bone so refreshing to read is how Bardugo handles the love aspect. I cannot say much without giving anything away but it was written really well, which here at Carmy's blog means I did not what to smash my Kindle over my head due to insta-love or really stupid love triangles.

I really have fallen in love with the Grisha world. Ugh, why must the sequel be so far away?

Final Thought.

A definite must read. Shadow and Bone is a remarkable debut novel by Bardugo full of magic, myth, friendship, love and hope.

The Punk Ethic by Timothy Decker

Name: The Punk Ethic by Timothy Decker.
Pages: 188.
Publication: 1st May 2012/Namelos.
Rating: ✮✮✮½✩✩
Pre-Order It: Amazon


"Back to music, what are songs anyway? They’re crappy little stories. And there are two kinds: the whiny confession. Which suck. And the fictional story. Which suck. All this strumming and singing is a waste. I’m tired of wasting time. I don’t want to tell anybody anything about me. That’s stupid. I don’t want to invent some story. I don’t want to be entertaining. That’s stupid.

I have to do something. Wake up, Martin. Go start something. Go!

If you want to rock, you come out swinging. Well, Martin Henry just made a fist.
Challenged by a teacher to actually “do” something, Martin walks a minefield of idiot friends, an unfathomable Dream Girl, high school, and relative pennilessness to prove that he can change the world.
The funny thing about change, it screws up everything. Whatever…"

Review.

The Punk Ethic revolves around a month of rock guitarist Martin Henry's adolescent life. His life involves music, school, cynical statements, Holly and trying to the world one landmine at a time.

When I began reading The Punk Ethic, I will not lie, I was pretty confused. You are thrown right into Martin's life knowing nothing about him. The book is short at less than two hundred pages, I feel that Decker could have used some of those pages to explain, well, Martin. Each chapter is a different day and have a really cool illstration that corresponds with the chapter. I thought it was a very cool and unique touch to the book.

Martin is a very interesting. I really enjoyed reading his point of view. Martin's mind works differently to other of his age. He seems to see the bigger picture. He actually seems like someone I would be friends with in real life; someone completely absorbed by music and also  great with English, which sounds exactly like three of my friends! My favourite parts of the book were reading the excerpts of Martin's English assignments. 

I also really liked Martin's friend, Jeff. Himself and Martin have some great battle of the wits scenes throughout the book. I did not, however, like Holly. I could not see what Martin saw in her and it was not really explained either. I think the only reason he likes her is because she is the only girl to truly hang out with him. That is my opinion anyway, I could be wrong. 

The book practically ends mid-sentence and I was very confused and disappointed that nothing was wrapped up. BUT I found out that there is issue with the ARC's provided from NetGalley so hopefully I will find out what happens soon enough with those missing pages.   

Final Thought.

Give it a read. The Punk Ethic is a smart and witty story which also touches on the more difficult aspects of being a teenager.

Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassin #1) by Robin LaFevers

Name: Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers.

Pages: 509.

Publication: 3rd April  2012/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

Pre-order it: Amazon | The Book Depository

"Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf? 

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. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?" 

Review.

I loved Grave Mercy. It didn't get those five stars for nothing yet I am having a terribly hard time reviewing it. I think I may have reviewers block. Does that exist?


1485, Brittany - Ismae has to face a life married to an abusive man just like her abusive father. However, she is saved and brought to the St. Mortain convent for a life as a handmaiden of Death.


I really liked Ismae. She is tough and strong and independent. She is not to be messed since she carries about five different weapons on her body alone and most of the time, her tongue is sharper than her dagger. Yet, she is also caring and compassionate to people she cares about. With this being said, she is innocent when it comes to love. She has only ever known cruel men and is not willing to put her heart on the line. I think it was nice to have something a little naive about Ismae, it made her more realistic.


Speaking of love, I really enjoyed the relationship aspect of the book. Although it was obvious it would happen, not only to me but to the other characters in the book, it did not make it any less interesting. What I really liked, because I has an issue with this, is the realistic pacing. The book is set over a span of at least a few weeks and the relationship took time.


I am not the religious but if someone told me I was allowed to go to the convent of St. Mortain, I would be there in a heartbeat. Learning how to kill someone over a hundred different ways sounds pretty damn cool. That and the convent has awesome (it is the only to describe them) gadgets. Daggers, killer bracelets and pearls of poison, to name just some, these handmaidens of Death are not playing around.


The book is a little long. There was a few unneeded scenes and it took a little longer to figure out who the bad guy was then I hoped since I had figured it a good while before.


The history intertwined in Grave Mercy regarding Gods of old, Saints and what not was really interesting. There is enough of it so you actually learn something yet it is not loaded with it so you do not feel burdened by the facts.


The book is the first the first of three yet by the end of Grave Mercy, Ismae's story is pretty much wrapped up. The second novel will follow Ismae's fellow assassin Sybella and I am guessing the third will follow Annith.


Final Thought.
A must read for YA and adults. If you like historical or fantasy fiction, Grave Mercy has both. It is full of action, romance and humor which will have you desperate to read on.

A Temptation of Angels by Michelle Zink

Name: A Temptation of Angels by Michelle Zink.

Pages: 448.

Publication: 20th March 2012/Dial Books for Young Readers

Rating: ✮✮½✩✩✩

Pre-Order It: Amazon

"Even angels make mistakes in this page-turning epic romance... 

When her parents are murdered before her eyes, sixteen-year-old Helen Cartwright finds herself launched into an underground London where a mysterious organization called the Dictata controls the balance of good and evil. Helen learns that she is one of three remaining angelic descendants charged with protecting the world's past, present, and future. Unbeknownst to her, she has been trained her whole life to accept this responsibility. Now, as she finds herself torn between the angelic brothers protecting her and the devastatingly handsome childhood friend who wants to destroy her, she must prepare to be brave, to be hunted, and above all to be strong, because temptation will be hard to resist, even for an angel. 

Michelle Zink masterfully weaves historical fantasy with paranormal romance to create a gripping tale of love and betrayal." 

Review.

I must disagree with the blurb. A Temptation of Angels is not a page-turning epic romance.

The concept of the story is interesting and had great potential yet it was ruined by cringe worthy romance and an uninteresting characters. 

Zink's characters lacked the spark of originality that is needed to have a character stand out in YA fiction.

You have Helen, the over-zealous and in my opinion dim, girl who thinks she is indestructible. She is the bold and beautiful girl who boys like yet she does not see why. Although, she has been trained and insists on joining the boys she is dead weight that just needs saving. She is stubborn and not in the respectable way. The only aspect of Helen I liked is her retorts to Darius.

Then you have the boys, grumpy Darius, the golden boy Griffin and of course, the mysterious Raum. Again, the lack any real originality. 

My real problem with the book is the pacing. It was terrible. With the terrible comes the insta-love romance and by speedy romance I mean, they knew each other days and he (I shall not say which one) was confessing his undying love to Helen. Damn boy, I am not sure who is dimmer you or Helen? She just lost her home, her parents, her world has been turned upside down and she is worrying about boys.

With all that negativity right there, Zink got one thing right and that is the writing. A Temptation is well written. It was fluid and elegant and that deserves recognition. 

Final Thought.

I would not bother. A Temptation of Angels is too long due to the bad pacing and has that I'm reading it just to finish it feel. Not a series I will bother finishing.

Dark Frost (Mythos Academy #3) by Jennifer Estep

Name: Dark Frost by Jennifer Estep.

Pages: 336.

Publication: 29th May 2012/Kensington.

Rating:✮✮✮✮✩

Pre-order It: Amazon

"I’ ve seen so many freaky things since I started attending Mythos Academy last fall. I know I’m supposed to be a fearless warrior, but most of the time, I feel like I’m just waiting for the next Bad, Bad Thing to happen. Like someone trying to kill me—again. 

Everyone at Mythos Academy knows me as Gwen Frost, the Gypsy girl who uses her psychometry magic to find lost objects—and who just may be dating Logan Quinn, the hottest guy in school. But I’m also the girl the Reapers of Chaos want dead in the worst way. The Reapers are the baddest of the bad, the people who murdered my mom. So why do they have it in for me? 

It turns out my mom hid a powerful artifact called the Helheim Dagger before she died. Now, the Reapers will do anything to get it back. They think I know where the dagger is hidden, but this is one thing I can’t use my magic to find. All I do know is that the Reapers are coming for me—and I’m in for the fight of my life."

Review. Sorry, it is short because it was hard to write without it being spoilery.

Jennifer Estep likes to do things backwards. Most series’ get worse as they go on but the Mythos Academy series? No, it gets better with each book. 

Dark Frost is jam packed with action from the first chapter, Gwen is on a mission to find the Helheim Dagger before the reapers do, so they cannot release Loki, God of Chaos. For Gwen, she has enough chaos in her life. She seems to be failing as champion, Daphne, her best friend is acting a little off and Logan? Well, she has no idea where she stands with the handsome Spartan. 

What gives Gwen a realistic feeling is the fact that, well, she may be Nike's champion but seems and feels far from it. She's not great at the whole fighting thing that everyone else in Mythos Academy seems to make so easy. Also, she has no idea where to start looking for the Helheim Dagger. Spoiler: 

The one thing that always annoyed me about Gwen which is her fatal flaw, is how nosy she is. She wants to know everything so I am glad people finally brought this up and said something to her about it.  

Dark Frost may be third in the series but Estep has a knack for explaining what has happened in the last few books without boring the reader who already knows what is going on. Dark Frost is perfect for those who love Paranormal Young Adult, but definitely for those who enjoy Greek mythology, like I do.

Final Thought.

Give it a read. Even if you do not want to read the previous two, you should still get a grasp on the story.

Struck by Jennifer Bosworth

Name: Struck by Jennifer Bosworth.

Pages: 373.

Publication: 26th April/8th May 2012/Farrar, Straus and Giroux BYR.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✩Pre-order It: Amazon | Easons

"Mia Price is a lightning addict. She’s survived countless strikes, but her craving to connect to the energy in storms endangers her life and the lives of those around her. 

Los Angeles, where lightning rarely strikes, is one of the few places Mia feels safe from her addiction. But when an earthquake devastates the city, her haven is transformed into a minefield of chaos and danger. The beaches become massive tent cities. Downtown is a crumbling wasteland, where a traveling party moves to a different empty building each night, the revelers drawn to the destruction by a force they cannot deny. Two warring cults rise to power, and both see Mia as the key to their opposing doomsday prophecies. They believe she has a connection to the freak electrical storm that caused the quake, and to the far more devastating storm that is yet to come. 

Mia wants to trust the enigmatic and alluring Jeremy when he promises to protect her, but she fears he isn’t who he claims to be. In the end, the passion and power that brought them together could be their downfall. When the final disaster strikes, Mia must risk unleashing the full horror of her strength to save the people she loves, or lose everything."

Review. The review is short because I do not want to give too much away at this early time. 

Firstly, I want to say that I love the cover of Struck. I think it is ever so beautiful. The lightning on the book is so addictive to look at like it is for Mia to be struck by.

Mia is not an average teenager, the Lichtenberg figures that are all over body will tell you that. Mia, for me, was an impressive character. Although, she may not have any real friends, she should. She is sweet and compassionate and a little bit serious, but not in a bad way. She is also very mature, taking care of her disturbed mother and younger brother. They are put before anything else for Mia and play an interesting role in the novel.

Struck was definitely not what I expected. The blurb talks a lot about the lightning and storm which I believed would be the core of the story but it was not. Oh, it definitely was a main aspect of the story but other aspect is not in the blurb and that is what? Religion. Now, I do not want to scare anyone with using the word religion, I know it can be strenuous reading books based around religion but do not fret, Struck is different. Bosworth's has created an interesting religious sect and a not so religious sect both vying for Mia's attention and are willing to do just about anything to have her. But Mia? She is vying for the gorgeous Jeremy's attention. 

Bosworth's imagery throughout was beautiful and vivid. She has created a post-apocalyptic Los Angeles that is both so interesting and terrifying. Terrifying because it makes me think, will the world turn like that is Global Warming continues?  

Final Thought.

Struck is a completely unique novel that does not really fall under any genre that I advise you read.

Pure by Julianna Baggott

Pure by Julianna Baggott.


Information.
Pages: 448
Publication: February 8th 2012/Grand Central Publishing 
Pre-Order it: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kennys (Free WW shipping)
ARC supplied: Publishers at NetGalley. 


"We know you are here, our brothers and sisters . . . 
Pressia barely remembers the Detonations or much about life during the Before. In her sleeping cabinet behind the rubble of an old barbershop where she lives with her grandfather, she thinks about what is lost-how the world went from amusement parks, movie theaters, birthday parties, fathers and mothers . . . to ash and dust, scars, permanent burns, and fused, damaged bodies. And now, at an age when everyone is required to turn themselves over to the militia to either be trained as a soldier or, if they are too damaged and weak, to be used as live targets, Pressia can no longer pretend to be small. Pressia is on the run.

Burn a Pure and Breathe the Ash . . .
There are those who escaped the apocalypse unmarked. Pures. They are tucked safely inside the Dome that protects their healthy, superior bodies. Yet Partridge, whose father is one of the most influential men in the Dome, feels isolated and lonely. Different. He thinks about loss-maybe just because his family is broken; his father is emotionally distant; his brother killed himself; and his mother never made it inside their shelter. Or maybe it's his claustrophobia: his feeling that this Dome has become a swaddling of intensely rigid order. So when a slipped phrase suggests his mother might still be alive, Partridge risks his life to leave the Dome to find her.

When Pressia meets Partridge, their worlds shatter all over again."

Review.
When I first began reading my ARC of Pure, I will be honest, I wasn't really feeling it. I found it difficult to connect with anything that was going on. I was also a little bit confused because I felt as if I was just thrown into this devastated world in the Prologue but once I was a few chapters in, everything fell into place for me.


Pressia is in her own right the heroine of the book. She has just turned sixteen, something that I failed to remember because she speaks so maturely. She has seen more than enough of sadness for only being sixteen years. That said, Pressia is courageous and she is a fighter. She does not let anyone take advantage of her yet, she is also kind and helpful and willing to give up her life for the ones she loves. She stands up Bradwell, the third main character who begrudgingly helps to Partridge's mother for as he puts it "his own selfish reasons". So, to me, Pressia is a heroine.


Partridge, however, has only seen what happens in the Dome. He has read about the Outside and although he has not lived through what Pressia has, he has had his own battles to fight. With his mother presumably dead, a brother who has committed suicide and an absentee father, Partridge is lonely. I liked Partridge. Even if he was a little naive, he was smart enough to know that he would not survive on the Outside by himself. I enjoyed reading Pressia's and Partridge's interactions, as if they understood each other on another level.


The book is told in an omnipresent manner but from different characters points of view. This is included El Capitan, a soldier whose brother is fused to his back and who seems to be fighting his inner demons. There is also Lydia, a potential ally/love interest who is in the Dome. I liked reading about where Lydia was in the Dome. I thought she was a loyal and brave friend to Partridge. 


Baggott is very good at one thing and that is tying up plots at the end. The book ended neatly, with many of the subplots intertwining with the main plot. If you read the book closely, they are clues to the surprises that emerge throughout the book. This, in my opinion, is a sign of truly good writing, to be able intermingle plots in a way that does not seem out of the blue for the reader.  

Although the concept of Domes in dystopian fiction isn't anything new, it is the world that she creates outside the Dome that is so engrossing. Baggott has created a sinister and cruel place  even border-lining on creepy where everyone carries a scar from the detonations. People are fused with each other as well as solid objects. I think it is the descriptions that Baggott writes about these people is what up the creepy factor of the book. Sometimes I had trouble imagining the creatures which is new for me, so I would love to see Pure turned into a movie or a graphic novel to see how other people imagined the Outside world.


Pure is a book of survival and hope set in a haunting world which will have you captivated page after page.


Rating: 4/5.