Review: Rosemarked

Read if you like: stand-out originality, poisons and healers, sweeping political fantasy, and heartfelt romance.

Rosemarked | Livia Blackburne

Series: Rosemarked

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy, High Fantasy
Released: November 7th 2017
Pages: 390
Format: Ebook
Source: Publisher

A healer who cannot be healed . . .

When Zivah falls prey to the deadly rose plague, she knows it’s only a matter of time before she fully succumbs. Now she’s destined to live her last days in isolation, cut off from her people and unable to practice her art—until a threat to her village creates a need that only she can fill.

A soldier shattered by war . . .

Broken by torture at the hands of the Amparan Empire, Dineas thirsts for revenge against his captors. Now escaped and reunited with his tribe, he’ll do anything to free them from Amparan rule—even if it means undertaking a plan that risks not only his life but his very self.

Thrust together on a high-stakes mission to spy on the capital, the two couldn’t be more different: Zivah, deeply committed to her vow of healing, and Dineas, yearning for vengeance. But as they grow closer, they must find common ground to protect those they love. And amidst the constant fear of discovery, the two grapple with a mutual attraction that could break both of their carefully guarded hearts.

This smart, sweeping fantasy with a political edge and a slow-burning romance will capture fans of The Lumatere Chronicles and An Ember in the Ashes. 

This is a slow, incredibly unique fantasy with great worldbuilding. I really enjoyed this book, especially the disease and poisons elements, and the fact that the main characters were a warrior and a healer. I liked their dynamic, too. I thought this was a stand alone, but I'll probably read the next book to see how their relationship develops. This has a lot of great elements too that makes me want to continue: the politics, the war, the different tribes of people, and the memorable characters. I'd definitely recommend it if you want a fantasy that isn't too fast, loud, or violent. This has a good balance of all that, but with slow moments too.

3.5 stars

Spinning Starlight (ARC Review)

Spinning Starlight | R. C. Lewis

Published by: Disney Hyperion, October 6th 2015

Genre: YA, Science Fiction, Retellings, Fairy Tales

Pages: 336

Format: Ebook

Source: Disney Hyperion, via Netgalley

Sixteen-year-old heiress and paparazzi darling Liddi Jantzen hates the spotlight. But as the only daughter in the most powerful tech family in the galaxy, it’s hard to escape it. So when a group of men show up at her house uninvited, she assumes it’s just the usual media-grubs. That is, until shots are fired.

Liddi escapes, only to be pulled into an interplanetary conspiracy more complex than she ever could have imagined. Her older brothers have been caught as well, trapped in the conduits between the planets. And when their captor implants a device in Liddi’s vocal cords to monitor her speech, their lives are in her hands: One word and her brothers are dead.

Desperate to save her family from a desolate future, Liddi travels to another world, where she meets the one person who might have the skills to help her bring her eight brothers home—a handsome dignitary named Tiav. But without her voice, Liddi must use every bit of her strength and wit to convince Tiav that her mission is true. With the tenuous balance of the planets deeply intertwined with her brothers’ survival, just how much is Liddi willing to sacrifice to bring them back?

Haunting and mesmerizing, this retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Wild Swans strings the heart of the classic with a stunning, imaginative world as a star-crossed family fights for survival in this companion to Stitching Snow. 

Ehh, I didn't mind this but I wouldn't rush out to buy it. It's SO SLOW in the beginning, the MC does a whole lot of nothing, and the plot felt pretty flat despite the high, personal stakes - in the beginning. When it gets to around halfway, and the MC leaves behind the bland love interest, she really comes into her own. The story gets exciting, there's actual danger, and it's fairly interesting.

I actually understood the alien transport thing in this book. It was similar to Polaris's alive alien transport thing, but handled in a way that made sense, or connected with me. AKA I wasn't completely lost and weirded out like in Polaris. The aliens in this book are imaginative and different to each other in both appearance and cultures. I liked the sister saving all her brothers story, but I did feel she could have dealt with it better, i.e actually tried to tell someone what was happening. I get it was a bad situation but there were ways. Also to say this was in the same world as Stitching Snow it did NOT feel like it. Worlds felt totally different, and I didn't like this as much.

An alright story overall. I kinda understood the end, kinda didn't, and kinda liked the characters, kinda didn't, but it wasn't the worst book I've read.

Characters ★★★☆☆

Setting/world ★★★☆☆

Writing ★★★☆☆

3 ish stars

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A Thousand Nights (ARC Review)

A Thousand Nights | E. K. Johnston

Published by: Disney Hyperion, October 6th 2015

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Retelling

Pages: 336

Format: Ebook

Source: Disney-Hyperion, via Netgalley

Lo-Melkhiin killed three hundred girls before he came to her village, looking for a wife. When she sees the dust cloud on the horizon, she knows he has arrived. She knows he will want the loveliest girl: her sister. She vows she will not let her be next.

And so she is taken in her sister's place, and she believes death will soon follow. Lo-Melkhiin's court is a dangerous palace filled with pretty things: intricate statues with wretched eyes, exquisite threads to weave the most beautiful garments. She sees everything as if for the last time.But the first sun rises and sets, and she is not dead. Night after night, Lo-Melkhiin comes to her and listens to the stories she tells, and day after day she is awoken by the sunrise. Exploring the palace, she begins to unlock years of fear that have tormented and silenced a kingdom. Lo-Melkhiin was not always a cruel ruler. Something went wrong.

Far away, in their village, her sister is mourning. Through her pain, she calls upon the desert winds, conjuring a subtle unseen magic, and something besides death stirs the air.

Back at the palace, the words she speaks to Lo-Melkhiin every night are given a strange life of their own. Little things, at first: a dress from home, a vision of her sister. With each tale she spins, her power grows. Soon she dreams of bigger, more terrible magic: power enough to save a king, if she can put an end to the rule of a monster.

A Thousand Nights is magical and dark and empowering. From the first page it's rich with cultural details, and it all feels really respectful and authentic, which made me like this book from the start. And it's vivid. It really felt like I was there.

I liked the characters but I didn't love them. The main character is brave in a silent kind of way, which was great to see, and she fights her battles carefully. Lo-Melkiin is obviously a despicable demon, and he doesn't exhibit enough personality to form a connection with, but I really wish we'd seen more of the real Lo-Melkhiin, like maybe an insight into his thoughts throughout all this. I'd imagine he's a poor tortured child and I would love him.

My favourite thing about this book is the magic, which is brought to life by spinning and weaving and embroidering. This felt really, really original, and I couldn't get enough of it. I liked the story and the characters, but I LOVED the magic and the atmosphere of the book.

All in all, a remarkable retelling that I 100% recommend for its attention to detail and magic system.

Characters ★★★☆☆

Setting/world-building ★★★★★

Writing ★★★★☆

This book counts towards my Fairy Tale Challenge!

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Eden's Wish (ARC Review)

Eden's Wish | M. Tara Crowl

Published by: Disney Hyperion, September 1st 2015

Genre: MG, Fantasy, Jinn

Pages: 272

Format: Ebook

Source: Disney Hyperion, via Netgalley

All twelve years of Eden's life have been spent in an antique oil lamp. She lives like a princess inside her tiny, luxurious home, but to Eden,the lamp is nothing but a prison. She hates being a genie. All she wants, more than anything, is freedom.

When Eden finds a gateway to Earth inside the lamp, she takes her chance. In a moment, she's entered the world she loves. And this time, she won't be sent back after three wishes.

Posing as the new kid at a California middle school, Eden revels in all of Earth's pleasures-but quickly learns that this world isn't as perfect as she always thought it was. Eden soon finds herself in the middle of a centuries-old conflict between powerful immortals. A ruthless organization run by a former genie will stop at nothing to acquire the lamp and its power-including hurting Tyler and Sasha, the mortal friends who have given Eden a home. To save her friends-and protect the magic of the lamp-Eden will have to decide once and for all where she belongs. 

My quest for the Jinn book of my heart continues...

I liked Eden's Wish. It wasn't exactly as I hoped it'd be, but it was very cute and I enjoyed it. It seemed to take a while to get going, into the main plot with the Electric and the loyal genies (which actually felt less important to the book than the friendships Eden made, which wasn't great), but I liked Eden enough to continue. This book never had that magical middle grade feel to me, and I wasn't over-fussed on Tyler and Sasha, but there was still a lot about it that I liked - mostly Eden and her wonder at everything on Earth, and how headstrong she was. I never proper loved it but I'd still recommend. If you're looking for a sweet Genie story, definitely read Eden's Wish.

Characters ★★★☆☆

Setting/world-building ★★★☆☆

Writing ★★★☆☆

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Stitching Snow (Review)

Stitching Snow | R. C. Lewis

Published by: Disney Hyperion, October 14th 2014

Genre: YA, Science Fiction, Retelling

Pages: 338

Format: Hardback

Source: Purchased

Princess Snow is missing.

Her home planet is filled with violence and corruption at the hands of King Matthias and his wife as they attempt to punish her captors. The king will stop at nothing to get his beloved daughter back—but that’s assuming she wants to return at all.

Essie has grown used to being cold. Temperatures on the planet Thanda are always sub-zero, and she fills her days with coding and repairs for the seven loyal drones that run the local mines.

When a mysterious young man named Dane crash-lands near her home, Essie agrees to help the pilot repair his ship. But soon she realizes that Dane’s arrival was far from accidental, and she’s pulled into the heart of a war she’s risked everything to avoid. With the galaxy’s future—and her own—in jeopardy, Essie must choose who to trust in a fiery fight for survival. 

This book has triggers for rape and abuse.

I was pretty excited for this book, but for some reason I assumed it was fantasy at first. I probably automatically saw fairy tales and thought fantasy. I'm dumb. This is a true science fiction novel, with robots and spaceships and alien planets. And computer engineering!! It's super fun.

Stitching Snow is drawing a buttload of comparisons to Cinder but I felt a much stronger connection to Cress in Essie, the main character of this novel. I understand Essie and Cinder are both running from their pasts, a crown, and murderous family members but they're nothing alike. However, if you love the ladies of the Lunar Chronicles, you'll love Essie. She's like a blend of all three of them (Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress I mean.)

Now enough talking about another series. Stitching Snow is a funny, fast, yet often dark story. I love how it's humourous in many parts but doesn't hesitate to go into the darkness of humanity. Essie is at once serious and lighthearted, brave and reluctant. She doesn't want to face her past and return home but she's strong and courageous enough to do the right thing. I loved that about her. I loved Dane too, but not as much as I thought I would. I never fell for him, though I am rather fond of him. That's pretty much the only reason this isn't a five star review - I felt for the characters but I didn't fall for them, and my consuming love of a book always hinges on that.

Here's some other things I loved about this book: the unique planets, how effortlessly the settings were built without overwhelming the story, how even minor characters had personality, how high impact the action scenes were.

I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to all fans of spaceships and brave ladies.

Characters ★★★★☆

Setting/world building ★★★★★

Writing ★★★★☆

This book counts towards my Fairy Tale Challenge!

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The Darkest Minds (Review)

The Darkest Minds: The Darkest Minds | Alexandra Bracken

Published by: Disney Hyperion, December 18th 2012

Genre: YA, Dystopia, Post-Apocalyptic

Pages: 488

Format: Paperback

Source: Purchased

When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something alarming enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that gets her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government “rehabilitation camp.” She might have survived the mysterious disease that’s killed most of America’s children, but she and the others have emerged with something far worse: frightening abilities they cannot control.

Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones.

When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. Now she’s on the run, desperate to find the one safe haven left for kids like her—East River. She joins a group of kids who escaped their own camp. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can’t risk getting close. Not after what happened to her parents.

When they arrive at East River, nothing is as it seems, least of all its mysterious leader. But there are other forces at work, people who will stop at nothing to use Ruby in their fight against the government. Ruby will be faced with a terrible choice, one that may mean giving up her only chance at a life worth living.

You know those books that everyone loves and you really want to love too but don't expect to? Yeah, that's me and The Darkest Minds. But wait! *angels appear in the sky and begin their chorus* I FREAKING LOVED IT!!

The Darkest Minds is proper old school dystopia. There are work camps, segregation, prejudices against a minority group by society on the whole, and a faceless organisation as the villain. If you're anything like me, you LOVE dystopias like this. It just feels more genuine, more grounded in real history, and more likely to actually happen. Dystopias like this are harrowing and terrifying and ruthless - and The Darkest Minds is one of the best I've read in years.

The story revolves around Ruby, a girl kept apart from society in a labor camp like all the other kids her age - the ones that survived a deadly disease and were left with abilities like mind control, electrokinesis, telekinesis. When Ruby is broken out of her camp, she ends up joining a trio of kids that are on the run from their own camp and in search of a utopian haven, and a whole heck of dangerous shenanigans ensue.

It's your standard dystopia, but there's so much about it that stands out. The characters are awesome, for one. Ruby is shy and quiet and small, in and of herself. I like her evolution throughout the story, and can't actually wait to see how she'll progress. She's pretty tough, but completely ordinary despite her power. She could easily be your best friend or your neighbour or cousin. She doesn't feel fictional at all. The other characters as much the same, and I loved all of them. Minus Clancy, who I will violently beat to death with a rusted pole :)! Not to mention the relationships are just so heartwarming (thus, with the potential to be heartbreaking) to read and experience. Throw away your emotions, basically.

In short: an outstanding dystopia with hyper-real characters who will tear our your heart.

Characters ★★★★★

Setting/world building ★★★★★

Writing ★★★★☆