Review: Bitter Greens

Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Mordieu! This is one heck of a story!

Imagine my surprise when I got to the Afterward and discovered Charlotte-Rose de Caumont de la Force was a real person, and much of this account is inspired by her real life. I find it so incredibly fascinating, and now I'm dying to know as much about her as possible! What an added bonus to an extraordinary tale! I've also been fascinated by 16th/17th century French history since I fell in love with The Three Musketeers so this just hit me right in my happy place. (That came out weird, but you know what I mean. Right?)

Bitter Greens begins with Charlotte's exile to a convent, and I confess: I thought this was going to be a tale of her hardships within and her attempts to escape, alternating with another woman in a similar position. Took me ages to work out this was a kind of re-telling of Rapunzel. It ended up blowing me away with how involved and convoluted it all was, and I freaking LOVED IT.

So we're really given four different stories: first, Charlotte's present situation, at the convent. Second, her musings on her past, which span a good thirty years or so. This is cut with one of the sisters at the convent telling her the story of Margherita/Petrosinella, set around one hundred years earlier, and the fourth story is the past of the witch who imprisoned Margherita. It jumps about quite a bit, and just as you're starting to get into one story, it changes again. It was slightly frustrating at times but I still really enjoyed it. Gave this long novel a great variety and kept things rather enthralling.

So the story of Margherita/Petrosinella is the Rapunzel retelling, and it's pretty true to the Grimm classic. I liked that it was hard and brutal, and didn't pull any punches. This whole novel is full of absolutely despicable behaviour that had me feeling a full range of emotions from delight, to misery, to shock and disgust. Never a dull moment in this one, folks.

The story of the witch, Selena, humanises it a lot, as she's given her own turbulent past and you begin to feel pity for this woman who treats Margherita so cruelly. I loved that. Villains are always so much more interesting when they're coloured in shades of grey. I enjoyed her story immensely.

Charlotte's past really made my heart ache. She's not a particularly likable protagonist, but her story draws you in and you can't help but feel for her. Her experiences were written boldly and vividly, with some scenes so graphic I felt them myself. I love writing like this that absorbs me so much I begin to feel what I assume the characters must. Charlotte's story is utterly compelling.

There's some serious scandal and so many, very real, characters that help create the scenes. There are situations that, despite being set in 17th Century France, are incredibly relatable to the present day. One of my favourite quotes from the book is this:

'As I knew full well, gossip had a way of taking a glance and turning it into a caress.'

Even today, gossip is a weapon of mass destruction, so this theme really struck a chord with me. The theme of love and belonging was quite powerful, too, and I think, again, it shows that some things are timeless and universal. In the words of one of my favourite bands, Anberlin: don't we all want to be loved?

This was such an epic novel, and there are many parts that will make you feel uncomfortable if you're a little squeamish. Endure it, though, and you'll be rewarded with a layered tale that feels incredibly real. There is plenty of action, with well-rounded characters and fascinating themes. I'm not a big fan of romance, but I was hooked on all of Charlotte's affairs with love, and it caught me by surprise.

Considering I DNF'd the last Kate Forsyth book I attempted to read (Dragonclaw), this was such an unexpected delight. I loved every minute of it. Highly recommend for those interested in historical fiction, fairytales, mythology, romance, witchcraft and multi-layered characters. Also, it's just a really great novel.

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Review: The Thousandth Floor

The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sweet baby cheesuz this was the most addictive trash I've read in a while!

Yes, it's trash. Total soap opera, overly dramatic trash. I don't even care. I loved it.

Are you familiar with Gossip Girl? This is basically GG set in the future and tripping balls. There's actually so many drugs . All weird, new, futuristic drugs, but just as messed up and illegal. Plenty of alcohol, too, but that's to be expected in a book about teenagers, I guess. These rich kids, man.

Also, so much drama.

We get viewpoints from Avery, Leda, Eris, Rylin and Watt, and these are some seriously messed up kids. They have so many issues that all entertwine with everyone else's drama and it's so ridiculously over the top and cliché but damn, I couldn't stop reading.

I had so much trouble with the main plot line, though: perfect Avery who seems to have everything but can't have the one thing she wants more than anything else. Spoiler alert: we find out pretty quickly that the one thing is her adopted brother. Like, I get that they're not related by blood but COME ON. YOU'RE STILL SIBLINGS. I could not ship this. Not even a little. Just way too wtf for me.

The rest of the drama, though, PHWOAAARRRR. Highly addictive. Scandals, affairs, drugs, sex, crime. So deliciously convoluted. There is almost no literary value in this book but it is certainly a guilty little pleasure of sordidness.

I'm not going to go into character thoughts right now but safe to say they are such a beautiful disaster.

Also, considering they're pretty much all students there's actually very little about the time they spend at school - it's all parties and social gatherings.

I shamelessly admit I loved this. I got addicted easily. Is the second one out yet? Because I NEED IT.

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Review: Blue Lily, Lily Blue

Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

THIS IS THE MOST CONFUSING SERIES EVER.

Seriously.

I have such a love/hate relationship with these books. Like, the story is just so all over the place but these characters are everything.

Gansey is the perfect man.

Blue is so fantastically quirky.

Adam is adorably pathetic.

Noah is both creepy and cute and it wigs me out a bit.

Ronan is a total dick I DON'T KNOW WHY EVERYONE LIKES HIM.

And by 'everyone' I also mean me because he is such a freaking jerk but I STILL think he is a great character and yeah okay I still kinda think he's cool WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME.

I don't get it.

So, um, mixed feelings, I guess?

*smiles sheepishly*

WARNING: This review contains unhidden spoilers for the previous two novels in the series.

So. The story. Let's start there.

I'm gonna be honest: it's pretty strange. If you've read my reviews for The Raven Boys and The Dream Thieves you'll know that, most of all, I struggle with the unrealistic blend of fantasy and contemporary. It's very hard for me to suspend belief that all of this is going on and a) very few people know about it and b) no one gives these guys any crap for believing such fantasy. Like, whatever happens, no one is ever surprised. That really frustrates me. There are talking trees, dang it. THAT IS WEIRD.

Also, it jumps around all over the place and is just so messy and hard to follow. Basically, the issues I had with the last two are the same issues I have here. I was debating between 3 or 4 stars for this one because it was as equally frustrating as the last one, but it did kind of have more action so I bumped it up. Don't say I'm not a generous reviewer!

It really bothers me that they're 'so concerned' about finding Maura (ie they mention her missing a bunch but don't exactly go out guns blazing to find her) but they're still not bothered that Neve's been missing since book 1? They just basically have rubbish priorities. There's some cool stuff set in caves, though, which is always fun.

As far as the writing goes, I can't say I really enjoy it. It feels like the author just tries to hard: this is YA, after all, not literary fiction. Some of the similes didn't even make sense to me. It's all very flowery and abstract and completely unnecessary. Also tries too hard to be funny and quirky and I just wasn't feeling it. I'm too cynical for that. Leave the quirkiness to Blue and I'll be happy.

These characters though. Oh my heart.

Gansey is still my #1, so I was actually a bit sad that he wasn't such a major player in this one. This is more Blue's story. I love the Forbidden Flirting between them, so again, disappointed there wasn't more. This whole curse thing is such a drag . I did like that Gansey came out a bit more human in this one. Also still unfailingly polite.

You can keep your bad boys.

Man, honestly, Ronan is such a frustrating character. He's got so much angst and is always dramatic and abrupt and rude and for real, if anyone treated me like that I'd be walking away, but for some reason I don't actually hate him? I guess it's partly the 'bad boy' and partly the 'misunderstood'. Like, you know that deep down he actually cares a lot and is decent but still. I like Blue more because she doesn't put up with his crap.

I still love Blue for her quirkiness and because this is kind of her book I have a deeper appreciation for her. Adam, too, is coming into his own a bit. He's less mopey now as he's getting the hang of talking to his magic forest (I still legit can't believe the plot of this series revolves around trees that speak Latin. ) and he has some good moments.

Then there's the entourage: Blue's family, Mr Grey, Mallory ... and introducing the Big Bad Villain: Greenmantle. Boy, was he a total anti climax.

Most of my thoughts of the series are summed up in the last reviews so basically if you liked the last two there's no reason you shouldn't enjoy this one. If you had issues with the previous two, expect the same issues. Nothing has changed, except the plot has moved closer to resolution. That's pretty much it. But, you know ... Gansey <3

So, yeah. Love/hate.

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Review: The Last Namsara

The Last Namsara by Kristen Ciccarelli
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Heck yes DRAGONS.

What can I say? I have a soft spot for dragons. Also, I'm a big fan of myths and legends so I guess it was inevitable that I'd love this book. I love that it's about storytelling, but it also includes the stories. Such a fantastic inclusion. Really brings the culture to life.

Asha is, straight up, kind of savage. In all senses of the word. She runs around killing dragons (I really cannot condone animal cruelty. Unless of course the animals are mutants wreaking havoc.) and she treats slaves like scum and she actually thinks she's pretty damn special for being an asshole. So it was quite refreshing to see her growth, and for her to still keep a little of that savagery for the duration of the novel. She's a badass female character and I enjoyed that immensely. But there's also people more evil than her so you can kind of appreciate from the get-go that she's not inherently bad, it's just the way she's been raised.

Jarek, on the other hand, is what I like to refer to as a Grade A Douchebag. He's a total dick and the kind of character you love to hate. It was such a weird combo having him aligned with the father Asha loved so much.

Anoter thing I really liked about this book was the family dynamic. I mean, way too often, fantasy protagonists are orphans with no family, but Asha gets a dad, a brother, AND a cousin. Totally spoiled! Her mum did die tragically though, so plenty of character building from that. Her brother Dax is a fascinating character because he's kind of pathetic and small and everyone thinks he's pretty hopeless which is just not common for princes in fantasy. But he's also a total sweetheart so you love him just as much as you would a dashing, courageous prince.

Did I mention dragons yet?!

Dragons are just freaking cool. They have been recreated in so many different ways over time and I'll never get bored of reading about them. And Shadow was like a lil puppy so how can you not fall in love? Also can I just say how much I LOVE the idea that dragons love stories?? I need a dragon bff. Also coz of like the fire and the smiting of enemies etc etc.

Should I mention Torwin?

Look, to be honest, Asha's immediate disapproval of him kinda rubbed off on me at the start. I mean, it was a ship I boarded only slightly before Asha herself. He just seemed a bit too defiant for me. But then a couple of cheeky grins (these damn cheeky fellas, I can't deal) and I kinda started to go with it. He's not such a bad dude, I guess.

I just really loved the way this was written. It was unique, and it had a badass female protagonist and kinda flipped a few stereotypes on their heads which was so refreshing. Plus there's the whole issue of slavery and thanks to first person we actually have to stop and consider why it's not easy just saying 'abolish slavery'. You have to get inside the minds of people who think it's okay and work out why and then kind of re-write those beliefs. I thought that was just a really powerful angle to take and I loved the way it was done.

Why no fifth star?

It didn't grab me and hook me and steal my soul. It came close, but there was just something missing that had me feeling not 100% committed. I think maybe it just didn't have enough action? Not enough scuffles and raging and destruction. Not enough gut-wrenching, or soul-destruction. It didn't brutalise my feelings quite enough to score that elusive fifth star.

Highly recommend, though, particularly if you need a little more GRRRL-power in your fantasy.

Also, DRAGONS.

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Review: Ruin and Rising

Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Well. That's that, then.

I just ... *sigh* This was just not the epic conclusion I was hoping for, okay?

Maybe I would have enjoyed it more if I actually liked Alina. She was just so meh as a character, such a washed out personality and just, the whole Alina-and-Mal thing was such a drainer. I wanted a fantasy, action adventure novel with fun characters and maybe a lil side of love. But this was all tracing fingers and smouldering gazes and 'oh! My heart!' moments that I really didn't care for. Mal was ruined for me in the second book, so I actually didn't want them to be together, so this book trying so hard to match them up was just frustrating. Instead of an epic fantasy conclusion, this is the Alina-and-Mal love story. So yeah, ZERO MARKS for that.

The story itself seems way too drawn out. They travelled to so many different places and I honestly had no clue why or where or what exactly was going on. It just seemed a bit pointless at times. Also, suddenly we have a merry band of BFFs so you gotta figure out who is who and learn to love them because they have 'always been there for Alina' (lies). That being said, I liked the merry band of BFFs (MBOB) because at least some of them had a bit of personality. Zoya brings some much needed sass, but sadly it's not enough.

Nikolai is the saving grace of this entire story. He's actually fun and has some cool moments and he's still got that cheekiness that I love so dearly. I got so mad at Alina for mooning over Mal when Nikolai was available. (view spoiler)[They never even got to have a proper smooch, which I find incredibly devastating. I definitely was hoping Mal would actually die so that Nikolai could comfort Alina and she would realise she actually loved him instead. I wanted them on the throne together. I wanted Alina to embrace her badassness and be okay with leaving whiny Mal behind. Sigh. This book disappointed me on so many levels. (hide spoiler)]

The Darkling is still a great character, but I think he's a bit of a shadow of his former self (excuse the pun) compared to the last two novels. Why is he so obsessed with making Alina love him? She's a total bore. Darkling, you can do better mate. I feel like he could have had a stronger presence in this book, but again, he kinda took a backseat to the Alina-and-Mal love fiesta.

Considering it's only 350 pages, there's a lot crammed into this book. I thought it would be mostly focused on the quest for the bird but it was so busy with everything else that the bird didn't really rate. (view spoiler)[And when it did finally show up, what a freaking anti-climax that was. I was hoping they would realise that all they actually needed was a feather or something (because animal cruelty is so not cool) but, oh, hey! Look! It's just another part of the Alina-and-Mal love show. I was SO CONFUSED about that mess. And so disappointed that the bird barely rated a mention. It dive-bombs them twice and then disappears? WTF. And Mal as the third amplifier? GET STUFFED. Way to rip us off. I mean, clearly Mal was more than he appeared (way too many stupidly obvious hints about that) but to be the amplifier? How very Harry Potter. And then he couldn't even do us the courtesy of staying dead?! I'm so mad at this book. What a rubbish conclusion. (hide spoiler)]

I have a lot of spoilery thoughts and feelings on this one but if I rant too much I'll never stop. Safe to say, this was a pretty disappointing conclusion to the series, and had me scratching my head a little. I'm glad I read Six of Crows first because that duology is absolutely incredible and I would never have believed it if I'd read this series first (I do kinda wanna re-read SoC now just for the gratuitous cameos).

It's on par with the other two books in terms of entertainment, in that it still has a fair amount of action that travels at a decent pace, bu there's nothing particularly thrilling in the conclusion and it doesn't really stand out as anything special. Rather disappointing, really.

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Review: The Rats

The Rats by James Herbert
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Holy heck, this was brutal.

Herbert's writing is brilliant, and the story launches straight into the action, with rats having their fill of human flesh in the first chapter. What follows is basically a near-200-page massacre.

The plot is so incredibly simple: mutant rats are attacking people and devouring them in horrific ways. There's nothing particularly smart about it, but what it lacks in intelligence it makes up for in graphic, gory detail.

I really enjoyed the way Herbert introduces characters, giving you a bit of their backstory so you get attached. He describes a clear picture of human behaviour, and covers all manner of human sins that seem to pale in comparison to the grisly horror of man-eating rats. It's quite interesting to consider how divided we can be as a whole society, considering we are all human, and this book explores that brilliantly by creating the 'us-vs-them' storyline. We see empathy and pity where there is usually none.

The rats themselves are absolutely horrifying, making for a perfect, relentless, collective villain. Particularly in those moments when one or two stop and stare menacingly. *shudders* Rats are, of course, right up there as one of the most repulsive creatures and this book easily draws on that natural revulsion and magnifies it.

The tension rarely eases, and even in the quiet moments you're expecting the worst. I liked that it took the time to create deeper characters, because it was a diversion from the carnage that still kept the interest up. Brilliantly written.

If you're a bit squeamish, this is likely to give you nightmares, but I'd highly recommend to anyone who appreciates simple, gory horror.

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Review: Siege and Storm

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was really hoping to get an extra star out of this but, alas, it was not to be. The first book, Shadow and Bone, was a decent introduction with a little bit of action but where this one should have really taken off it actually slowed down with all the politics and strategies. I enjoyed it, but I'm not gonna lie: I was a bit underwhelmed.

Warning: This review may contain unhidden spoilers for the first book.

So. Man, has Mal turned into a whiny little kid or what?

He was so damn frustrating. He spends most of the book brooding. Spoiler alert: you will probably hate Mal by the end of the book. I know I did. I actually liked the guy in the first book - cocky, sure of himself, fun, cheeky, and totally endearing. And now we have this lil mopey guy who just wants to settle down and have his missus stay at home cooking and cleaning in between popping out 2 kids while he works hard at the factory. (I might be exaggerating that part but basically it's important to know that Mal is basically no fun at all.)

Plus, politics? *yawns* I HATE talk of war strategies and borders and troops and divisions etc just SLAY OR DON'T SLAY. I just didn't feel like there was any huge development in that area and it really didn't hold my attention all that well. I really more adventures and magic.

I'll take more of Nikolai also, please and thank you.

Now there's a fun character. Sorry Mal, but your place on the Alina ship has been taken by this handsome young fellow. He's much more charming and also cheeky and I guess it turns out that I have kind of a weakness for cheeky because it gives me insta-love every time. Nikolai was way more fun than Mal and I wish Alina could see that because she's a bit infected with Mal's mopiness and doesn't seem to have any fun at all. Unless she's with Nikolai. Girl, please. Do us all that favour. He'll treat you like a queen. *wink*

I also really liked the T twins whose names escape me currently but that's a little bit because they're all Russian names and so spelt weird and because I don't have to speak them out loud I don't really bother trying to figure out how you'd pronounce them. But the T twins were cool although very typical in the small-brains+big-brawn formula.

I also really appreciate the creatures in this series because they're colourful and different but they don't get nearly enough time between the pages. Like the big magic water serpent at the start - I wanted Alina to tame him so that she could ride him around and be secret Queen of the Sea or something but no such luck. The animals in this book are not very well respected.

The Darkling is ... dark? He's still got that shadow thing going only now he's an exile with demon bat sidekicks and a bad case of malnutrition. I miss the suave, seductive Darkling. Le sigh.

So there were kind of a few things that bugged me but I did overall enjoy it and it also had some moments that actually got me good! Like, below the belt, straight in the feels. So that kinda kept me on my toes.

I guess if you enjoyed the first book you might as well read this sequel, if only for Nikolai. Then hopefully we get a 4-5 star read out of the next one! *crosses fingers*

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