Book Review: Ninja Girl Adventures by Melissa Wilson & Phil Elmore

 

Ninja Girl Adventures

by Melissa Wilson & Phil Elmore

Source:
I received an e-version via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Genre:
Young Adult, adventure, ninja, supernatural, fantasy

Overview:
***CONTAINS SPOILERS***

Fourteen year old Moira Mackenzie and her sisters, Mindy (15) and Marci (9), are newly orphaned. Their mother, Kameko, died in a car accident, and now their father, Stephen Mackenzie, has disappeared in a plane accident (presumed dead). The girls are now under the guardianship of their father's best friend Morton Gerardi, aka Uncle Mort. Unbeknownst to anyone, their father willed his corporation, KogaTech Consolidated, to 14 year old Moira, instead of leaving it to the girls' uncle, Jiro Akiyama (Kameko's adopted brother) as was expected.

Through the course of the story, Moira meets her grandmother, Aiko Akiyama, who turns out to be the head of a clan of ninjas! She also learns that Uncle Jiro is also a ninja, head of a branch of Aiko's original clan, and that he is out to get Moira and will stop at nothing to get control of KogaTech Consolidated. Aiko begins training Moira in the art of ninjutsu (and Moira, in turn, begins teaching her sisters), which eventually comes in handy as Moira needs to fight her uncle to save her sisters' lives.

Review:
When I first read the synopsis for this book, I thought it sounded like a really interesting middle grade/young adult read with a new twist: ninjas and sisterly love! This is not a subgenre I generally go for, but I thought it sounded fun. Unfortunately, the story really wasn't that interesting to me; it just fell a bit flat. 

After reading the first two chapters, I was ready to quit. I had already encountered two story continuity issues, which I really don't deal well with, and I was tempted to drop the book completely. However, after seeking advice from friends, and taking a couple days to think about it, I decided to give the book a second chance and at least try to finish within the time frame I had left before the book would expire from my NetGalley library, which I did.

The first continuity issue I encountered was that the main character, Moira, is supposed to be the middle child, but within the first chapter, when describing her relationship with her guardian, Uncle Mort, it says that "he always offered Moira coffee because she was the oldest." It is possible that referring to her as being the oldest is meant to be some kind of inside joke, but it only came across as a confusing error.

The next chapter talks about the older sister, Mindy, and how she has been skipping school and generally getting into trouble with her friend "Aubry," but then on the same page, it suddenly starts referring to the friend as "Amy." It is, of course, possible that there are two different friends, but the text just sounds like there is one friend whose name changed in the middle of the page.

Aside from these errors and some grammatical stuff, the rest of the book seemed technically sound. It is very dialogue heavy, and uses 3rd person omniscient POV. Personally, when I read a book with this POV, I prefer for there to be separate chapters using each character's voice. This book just passes to another person's perspective fluidly. Yet, we only get another person's perspective once in a while. For the most part, the story is just following Moira in third person. In my opinion, I think it might have been better to not include the other perspectives, or to have rewritten them to fit third person limited, OR to have inserted a short chapter here and there, where necessary, to share that person's perspective.

There were also times when a "punchline" of the story was unnecessarily reiterated. The main example being, near the end of the book, when Moira is facing off against Uncle Jiro and he gets away. They follow his blood trail and discover it was an illusion, then go back to where he was injured to see the real trail leading away to the elevators. Moira then goes on the explain exactly that back to Aiko, who obviously knows what has happened because she pointed out the illusion to Moira in the first place.

In conclusion, I did not enjoy reading this book. I found the character names of the sisters too similar and was often getting confused about who was who. If I'm honest, I didn't really like any of the characters all that much. I found Uncle Mort to be an irresponsible guardian. I really couldn't understand why Moira acts like a parent to her siblings when she is the middle child, and only 14? It really bothered me that a 14 year old child would be present at her 15 year old sister's disciplinary meeting at school. Not only that, but this 14 year old is missing school to "take care" of her siblings, when there is a supposedly capable adult guardian around?! And I do get that it's supposed to be a "chosen one" kind of trope, where Moira inherits her father's business because the other girls aren't interested, and then she becomes a ninja because that's also part of the family business/history and makes up the backbone of the story, but... How unlikely is it that a parent would leave his entire fortune and business to the middle child, when that child is only 14 years old? I also think it is unfortunate that the final chapter leaves off with a cliffhanger indicating that there is more to come.

I don't know if there are planned sequels, but this book should really just be a standalone novel.

My Goodreads rating:

I am usually very generous with my ratings, but I really don't feel I can give this one more than 1 star.

Book Review: The Girl with the Whispering Shadow by D.E. Night

 

The Girl with the Whispering Shadow (Crowns of Croswald #2)

by D.E. Night

Source:
After being approached by the publisher (Stories Untold Press) to read & review The Crowns of Croswald via NetGalley, I inquired about also being able to read & review the second book, The Girl with the Whispering Shadow, which they agreed to.

Genre:
Middle Grade, Adventure, Fantasy, Magic

Spoiler Warning:
This review contains spoilers for the first book in the series, The Crowns of Croswald and may contain some spoilers for The Girl with the Whispering Shadow.

Review:

When we left Ivy Lovely at the end of The Crowns of Croswald, she had just defeated the Dark Queen at the Ball, had learned her true identity, was given part of a Kindred Stone, and had discovered that the pirate she kept being drawn to in glanageries was actually her family's scrivenist, Derwin Edgar Night.

In this book, Derwin then sends Ivy off to "The Town" (the enchanted magical city of scrivenists, called Belzebuthe)  to search for the second part of her Kindred Stone and stay hidden from the Dark Queen. It just so happened that the address Derwin sent her to stay at in Belzebuthe belonged to none other than Fyn Greeley and his mother! Ivy spends much of the book running around with Fyn and his friends, getting into trouble and dodging a creepy shadow figure.

We got to see more of how the magic in Croswald works in this book, which I really enjoyed. Ivy spent most of the story either in Belzebuthe or on other adventures, and only a very small part actually at The Halls of Ivy. It was quite fun to get to know some other settings! The whole world of Croswald still gives me major Harry Potter vibes, and I enjoy it quite a bit.

In the first book, I didn't find that there was much character building of the secondary characters, like Fyn and Rebecca, but I found that was improved in this book (however I still don't much care for, or trust, Fyn). I did have a bit of difficulty keeping the members of the Quogo Club straight, but that is likely more a personal thing than the characters themselves.

I don't have much to say on the side of criticism - there were a few grammatical errors here and there, but nothing too serious. This second book also reads like a middle grade novel, which is great. There were moments when Ivy did act a bit more like a 16-17 year old girl than in the first book, but I still feel like she should be around 14, so her age still throws me off and is still a bit of an issue for me.

One of my favourite aspects of The Girl with the Whispering Shadow were the stars in Belzebuthe. I  love that the stars are wishes, and that a person can rent stargusters to putter around among the stars, and that if one were to catch a star, the wish inside would be granted...! Such a romantic and lovely idea! If I lived in Belzebuthe I would most definitely buy wishes/stars on a very regular basis. I also really love that because this magic system uses quills instead of wands, spells are actually written as well as spoken, and so good penmanship is of quite high importance. I have always loved penmanship, and taken pride in having legible handwriting - I think I would get along quite well in the world of Croswald!

 

I continue to recommend this series to others, and am looking forward to reading the next two books at some point!

My Goodreads rating:

 

Book Review: The Crowns of Croswald by D.E. Night

 

The Crowns of Croswald

by D.E. Night

Source:

I was approached by the publisher (Stories Untold Press) on Instagram, and was offered a free e-copy of the book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and following the author on Instagram.

Genre:
Middle Grade, Fantasy, Adventure, Magic

Review:

The Crowns of Croswald is the story of 16 year old Ivy Lovely, a lowly scaldrony maid, who suddenly discovers that she has magical powers, and is swept away to master her skills at the Halls of Ivy, a prestigious school of magic. She soon lands herself in all kinds of trouble as she seeks to find the truth about her past and the Halls of Ivy, and tries to keep out of reach of the Dark Queen.

This basic synopsis may sound very familiar to Harry Potter fans (how could it not?), and I did see many similarities between this book and some other magical series, but I was pleased to note that there were also many differences. Croswald is definitely a unique world all its own. The similarities between series were just enough to make it feel familiar, which is not a bad thing in my opinion.

As soon as I knew that this was a middle grade fantasy involving a magical boarding school, my interest was instantly piqued, and I feel like it mostly lived up to my expectations. The story flowed very well and there was just enough adventure vs world-building, etc. To be honest, I wasn't that drawn into it until about the halfway point, but after that, I was absolutely hooked and could hardly put it down for wanting to know what would happen next!

The Crowns of Croswald is promoted as being middle grade, and it does very much read like a middle grade fantasy adventure book. However, that being said, I was constantly surprised by the fact that Ivy is 16 years old. She doesn't act like a 16 year old (even one who's lived her life more or less sheltered in a dungeon as a maid), and 16 seems a little too old for the middle grade genre. I see that others have categorized it as young adult, which the protagonist's age would support, however the author and publisher classify it as middle grade, so I think that Ivy's age is a bit of an oversight by both the author and the publisher. It would have made more sense, in my opinion, for the main character to be around 12 or 13 years old, based on the genre, target audience, and Ivy's maturity. Perhaps I haven't completely grasped how the world of Croswald works, but it also felt a little unlikely that a magical school with four years of study would only begin teaching magic to students at age 16, unless we are to assume that the Halls of Ivy is meant to be more of a college, which really doesn't fit middle grade. However, the school doesn't feel like a college, so again, perhaps the ages are a bit of an oversight. Then again, we are assuming that all the first year students are the same age as Ivy, but maybe Ivy is older than the rest?

Some of the dialogue felt a bit awkward, in particular between Ivy and her friends. This may be because I didn't find that either Rebecca or Fyn were particularly well-developed characters; I think I would have liked to have just seen more of them and to get to know them better. Middle grade books are typically very friendship heavy, and I kind of missed that here. For example, all we really know about Fyn is a vague physical description, that he is a third year student and "class facilitator," and he always seems to show up when Ivy is getting herself into trouble (which really made me wonder whether he is good or bad?).

I found it interesting that the royals and sqwinches all attend the same school and the same classes together, while there is such apparent disparity between them in society. I really would have liked it if we would have seen more of what "normal" first year sqwinches are/should be capable of, and how they perform magic. I'm also wondering if the concept of time is actually different in Croswald than it is to us? It seemed that the school year passed very quickly, and I wonder if it was just a lack of reference points (other than moons) such as holidays or semesters to help note the passing of time, or if time just moves at a different rate in this world. Lastly, I wonder how or why the slurry actually inhibits magic?

I do feel I should mention some technical points while I'm here. These do not affect my rating, however they may affect others' ratings, and I think they are things to be noted by the publishers. There were a few spelling & grammatical errors in the e-version that I read. There was also one mistake that I found particularly disturbing, which is found on page 400 of the NetGalley e-book, wherein a background character called Coton is described as having "pupils as green as emeralds"  - as a general rule, human pupils are black and the iris has colour. If this character is actually meant to have green pupils, then it should be explained why (for example, what kind of creature she might be if not human).

Some of my favourite aspects of The Crowns of Croswald were Ivy's forever-fitting dress (I would love to have one of those!), the ballroom, the hairies, and the bedroom bars (how awesome would it be to have unlimited access to the perfect beverage - hot or cold - from the comfort of your bedroom!?).

To summarize, there were some aspects of the book that I didn't find relatable or believable or that didn't suit my preferences, but overall I did enjoy it and am looking forward to reading the rest of the series at some point. I also would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who has loved Harry Potter and Nevermoor, anyone who appreciates a good middle grade fantasy, and anyone who loves magic, boarding schools, and "chosen one" or "secret heir" tropes.

My Goodreads rating:
I gave this book 3 1/2 out of 5 stars, but rounded up to 4 on Goodreads.

Book Review: The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp by Rick Yancey

The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp

by Rick Yancey

Source: Unintentionally ordered through Indigo.ca

Genre: Young Adult, Fiction, Fantasy, Adventure

About the book:
This is the first book in a Teen/Young Adult trilogy by author Rick Yancey (of The 5th Wave fame). I have read The 5th Wave, but admittedly have not yet finished that trilogy. I must also admit that I had certain expectations from this book, which were not exactly met.

This book features parts of Arthurian mythology, it's got some pretty intense high-speed chase and fight scenes, a bit of that "chosen one"

Alfred Kropp is a nobody. He's just a normal, albeit large, kid with average grades, with an absentee father, a dead mother, living with his uncle. Soon enough, Alfred's uncle gets them both into quite a bit of trouble, resulting in a theft and several deaths (including that of Alfred's uncle). Alfred spends most of the rest of the book feeling guilty for what happened, trying to fix what he thinks was his fault, and continuing to think that he isn't special (when, of course, he is).

Review:
There is a special place in my heart for medieval stories and the legends surrounding King Arthur and their retellings, so I was pretty into the synopsis of this book. The cover didn't grab me (just being honest), but the fact that it features the Sword Excalibur, and is written by the author of The 5th Wave, that was enough for me.

I mentioned that I unintentionally bought this book online... I try to give my nephews a book & something else for Christmas/birthdays, and my older nephew's birthday is January 1st, so I was on the lookout for two books for a teenage boy who likes sports, videogames, and fast cars. Well, Ready Player One was suggested to me and seemed a no-brainer. Two other series that were recommended to me were this one, Alfred Kropp, and the Alex Rider series. I couldn't decide which to buy, so I had all three books in my cart for the longest time. Then I thought I had decided on Alex Rider, and made my order, but when the box came, there were all three books. Whoops. So then, of course, I had a little dilemma over which books to actually give him (because I really wanted to read Ready Player One myself).... Long story, but I gave him the other two because they seemed like they would be more his style, and I kept this one.

So, all that to say that I did not intentionally buy this book for myself, but I decided to keep it because I'm a good auntie. And I decided to read it right off the bat in January, because, I don't know why... I just wanted to see if it was any good, I guess.

I gave the book 3.5 stars because it was ok, but there was just something about it that I didn't love. I didn't particularly like the dialogue, and Alfred's character... He was self-deprecating, which isn't exactly uncommon in young adult fiction, but he was kind of clueless and simple-minded. I suppose one could see that as being refreshing (as compared to the typical main characters in the young adult genre who are "wise beyond their years"), but it just fell kind of flat for me, especially when he turns out to be a sort of "chosen one." I might, someday, want to know what Alfred gets up to in the next books, but I definitely won't be going out of my way to acquire them.

My Goodreads rating:
I actually gave this book 3.5 stars, but as there are no half-star options on Goodreads, I rounded up.

Book Review: Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller

Daughter of the Pirate King

by Tricia Levenseller

Source: OwlCrate (March 2017 "Sailors, Ships & Seas")

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Adventure, Romance, Pirates, Mermaids

Synopsis:

"There will be plenty of time for me to beat him soundly once I’ve gotten what I came for."

Sent on a mission to retrieve an ancient hidden map—the key to a legendary treasure trove—seventeen-year-old pirate captain Alosa deliberately allows herself to be captured by her enemies, giving her the perfect opportunity to search their ship.

More than a match for the ruthless pirate crew, Alosa has only one thing standing between her and the map: her captor, the unexpectedly clever and unfairly attractive first mate, Riden. But not to worry, for Alosa has a few tricks up her sleeve, and no lone pirate can stop the Daughter of the Pirate King.

Review:

This was such a fun adventure, and I'm really glad I finally got around to reading it! I only wish that I had read it sooner, and that I already had my hands on Book 2! By the way, this review contains spoilers. #fairwarning

The books that come in the OwlCrate box are not typically books that I would pick up on my own. But I was actually anticipating this one for a long time. I'm not exactly crazy about pirates, or mermaids, but generally speaking I do like stories about them. The cover is pretty, and the synopsis intriguing, so I was thrilled to received it in the box.

Alosa is probably my new favourite heroine. She seems a lot like Merida from Disney's Brave - a sassy, strong, independent woman who does her own thing. She's a badass pirate chick like Elizabeth Swann (Pirates of the Caribbean), and also just so happens to be part mermaid! One couldn't ask for a more interesting leading lady!

The story plot revolves around Princess Alosa, pirate in her own right, daughter of the Pirate King and an unknown siren, who is on a mission for her father to find a hidden treasure map on another pirate ship. She lets herself be captured and taken prisoner on said ship. The captain's brother and first mate, Riden, nominates himself as her keeper.

Alosa proceeds to baffle and frustrate her captors as she escapes her cell at night to search the ship. At one point Riden decides that in order to keep a closer eye on her, she'll just have to stay in his own quarters. Alosa determines that she might have some less-than-murderous feelings for the handsome first mate after all...

Overall Alosa's mission does not go as anticipated: she gets captured several times (sometimes on purpose, sometimes not) is forced to use her siren powers, and may or may not have fallen in love.

I cannot wait for the sequel of this book!

My Goodreads Rating:

Book Review: Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie

Peter Pan

by J.M. Barrie

Source: I bought this beautiful Puffin Chalk paperback online

Genre: Adventure, Classic, Fiction, Children's Literature

Synopsis:

One starry night, Peter Pan and Tinker Bell lead the three Darling children over the rooftops of London and away to Neverland - the island where lost boys play, mermaids splash and fairies make mischief. But a villainous-looking gang of pirates lurk in the docks, led by the terrifying Captain James Hook. Magic and excitement are in the air, but if Captain Hook has his way, before long, someone will be walking the plank and swimming with the crocodiles...

Review:

Every so often I go on a binge, buying and reading a bunch of classic books in a short period of time. This time around, it's been Classic Children's Literature. I have been reading quite a bit more middle-grade/kids' books this year, and several have been classics! And Peter Pan is, of course, one of them.

I have to admit that, as I was reading this story, I kept imagining scenes from the various Peter Pan movie adaptations I have grown to love: Disney's 1953 animated film Peter Pan, the 1991 movie Hook starring Robin Williams, and the 2003 live action film Peter Pan. I think the Disney animation is probably the closest to the book (although, it has been a long time since I've seen it...), but there are still some major differences. Of course, we know that most of the original fairytales were pretty violent and gruesome, and Disney has taken all that out to make them all pleasant with happy endings. Peter Pan is no exception: the book had much more violence than I was expecting. It is by no means gruesome, don't get me wrong, but let's just say it was darker than Disney had led me to believe.

I would not say with 100% certainty that, in this case, the book was better... Having seen and fallen in love with so many versions of Peter Pan, the original was somewhat of a disappointment. I think I will need to get my hands on J.M. Barrie's other Peter stories (particularly Peter Pan in Kensington Garden/The Little White Bird and Peter and Wendy) to see if my opinions of the original Peter change at all...

I've always felt a connection to the idea of Peter Pan; of everlasting childhood, never growing up, etc. Turning 30 just this past week has been especially difficult for me for this reason. Thirty sounds like such a grown-up age to me, and I just don't feel like it suits me... But actually, I've changed and grown so much, without even noticing most of the time...

But that's another story! Getting back to Peter... as I said, I've always felt a connection to those adaptations I've come to know and love, and the way that Peter is always portrayed, but the original Peter is not quite as wonderful (in my opinion) as his adaptations. This original Peter is manipulative, forgetful, vengeful, and childish (I mean, of course he is, but how old is he supposed to be? That's never been clear to me). He always has to be in charge, but is irresponsible, and can't tell the difference between fantasy and reality. The Peter Pan of my mind is playful and caring,

I am absolutely not the kind of person who analyzes the books I read, to find underlying themes and meanings. To me, a story is a story. I enjoy it for what it is at face value. Occasionally I come to discover some underlying ideas, but for the most part, books are what-you-see-is-what-you-get. That being said, as much as Peter Pan was a fun little adventure read, there certainly were some underlying tones of grief made obvious even to me. I would not dare to ever go in depth about that, but suffice it to say that, while I was entertained and amused, I was also left feeling sad, both because of events of the story and the tone. Not that the story has a sad ending, per se, but it's not exactly what I would call a happy ending either.

*This paragraph contains a potential spoiler*
I had never truly felt sorry for Wendy until reading this original story. Wendy, to me, was always just lucky to have been able to spend so much time with Peter Pan, and live out almost every little girl's dream of being a mother with actual children to play house with! But in truth, Wendy was spoiled, and she fell in love with the one boy she could never have. The ending, when Peter comes back to see her for the last time, broke my heart. It's a bit like Tuck Everlasting where the boy comes back for the girl, but she moved on without him. You sort of feel happy for her that she had a wonderful and fulfilled life, but you're sorry for him that he missed it and that they didn't spend it together. *sigh*

 

Well... I think that's about all I have to say about Peter Pan. This is a much wordier review than I am used to writing... I hope I haven't sounded like a moron.

I'd love to know your thoughts on the original Peter Pan, and how it compares to the Disney animation in your opinion!

My Goodreads Rating:

Book Review: Wildwood by Colin Meloy

Wildwood

by Colin Meloy

illustrated by Carson Ellis

 

 

Source: Borrowed from the library near my work

 

Genre: Young adult, children, adventure, fantasy

Synopsis:

For fans of The Chronicles of Narnia comes the first book in the Wildwood Chronicles, the New York Times bestselling fantasy adventure series by Colin Meloy, lead singer of the Decemberists, and Carson Ellis, acclaimed illustrator of The Mysterious Benedict Society.

In Wildwood, Prue and her friend Curtis uncover a secret world in the midst of violent upheaval—a world full of warring creatures, peaceable mystics, and powerful figures with the darkest intentions. And what begins as a rescue mission becomes something much greater as the two friends find themselves entwined in a struggle for the very freedom of this wilderness. A wilderness the locals call Wildwood.

Wildwood captivates readers with the wonder and thrill of a secret world within the landscape of a modern city. It feels at once firmly steeped in the classics of children's literature and completely fresh at the same time. The story is told from multiple points of view, and the book features more than eighty illustrations, including six full-color plates, making this an absolutely gorgeous object.

Review:

This book was a bit different. It was compared to The Chronicles of Narnia, which I have not read, but I thought it sounded and looked pretty interesting because of that comparison. It is apparently aimed at a middle-grade age group, but could definitely be read and enjoyed by anyone. In fact, I am not ashamed to admit that there were at least two words in this book that I was not familiar with. If this was going to be read by a middle-grader I think I would recommend a read-along with an adult just for the vocabulary, and also there is a semi-intense fight scene near the end which I considered a smidge violent, keeping the target audience's age group in mind. Parents should be mindful of that and the sensitivities of their child before reading.

 

I did find most of the book slow and a bit (I hesitate to say...) boring... :/ Character development was a bit lacking as well. I liked the characters well enough, but you don't necessarily feel invested in their stories.

 

And I see from Goodreads that I'm not the only one to have that opinion. However, I loved the premise of the story, and the world inside the forest was really interesting, and there were fun parts, so I still rated high. Overall, I enjoyed the story and the adventure, it's just that the delivery left a bit to be desired. Also, it is a massive book for this age group... just saying.

 

I believe there are two other books, and I look forward to borrowing and reading them at some point as well. I'm interested to see what will happen, if we'll see the same characters again, or if new characters will be introduced. I also think this would make a great movie, very similar to Narnia.

 

Carson Ellis, the illustrator, also illustrated The Mysterious Benedict Society, which are some of my favourite middle-grade books! So the illustrations were definitely reminiscent of those books, but even without the illustrations, the book did have a similar feel to the Benedict Society books.

 

 

My Goodreads rating:



Book Review: A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab | Product Review: Green Leaf Baby

Hey guys! This is actually a combined review post, because the only pic I had on hand of A Darker Shade of Magic was with my new book sleeve (haha!). I pre-ordered this sleeve on Etsy from a Canadian seller (gotta support small Canadian businesses!) called Green Leaf Baby, and it arrived a couple weeks ago. It doesn't seem to be a product that she normally sells, but I really like mine, and I would definitely request another one from her in the future.

This one is made with an adorable Harry Potter print. It has these cutesy images of the four house mascots (lion, badger, snake, bird) and little wands doing spells. It's super cute! The lining is made of a soft grey minky material - so soft!

My only "issue," if you can call it that, is that I kind of think that book sleeves should have some sort of closure (zipper, Velcro, a button...) just to make sure the book doesn't slide out, especially with that super soft lining. This sleeve is big enough for all the books I've put in it so far, it's even a bit roomy (hence the need for some sort of closure).

Ok, now, on to the book review! :)

A Darker Shade of Magic

by V.E. Schwab

Source: Bought a paperback copy online

Genre: Fantasy, Magic, Young Adult

Synopsis:

Kell is one of the last Antari—magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel Londons; Red, Grey, White, and, once upon a time, Black.

Kell was raised in Arnes—Red London—and officially serves the Maresh Empire as an ambassador, traveling between the frequent bloody regime changes in White London and the court of George III in the dullest of Londons, the one without any magic left to see.

Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of a world they'll never see. It's a defiant hobby with dangerous consequences, which Kell is now seeing firsthand.

After an exchange goes awry, Kell escapes to Grey London and runs into Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She first robs him, then saves him from a deadly enemy, and finally forces Kell to spirit her to another world for a proper adventure.

Now perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, they'll first need to stay alive.

Review:

I seem to start all my reviews the same way, but how many ways are there of saying, "I really enjoyed the book" or "This was a really good book"...?

I was excited to read this book. I've been hearing (good) things about it for over a year. It was the book featured in OwlCrate's first box (which was several months before I started subscribing). When it was chosen in one of my Facebook groups as the book to read and discuss for June, I was super excited! I kind of missed the discussion that happened, but anyway... I'm so glad I read the book.

I did find the story a tad slow at times, but I was never uninterested in what was happening, or in the characters. I really liked the character development - I loved the protagonists and hated the villains, as one is expected to do. I felt like I was supposed to like Rhy's character, because everyone loves him, but I really didn't. There's just something off about him. When he was flirting with Lila, my skin crawled. Ew. Just, no.

I totally fell in love with Kell, and I feel no need to explain or justify that. I wonder if anyone else would agree with me on this, but I felt a pretty strong Newt Scamander vibe (as portrayed by Eddie Redmayne in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them) from Kell. He just has that same tall, lanky, kind of shy thing going on, the magical aspect, the smuggling, plus his coat... Newt's coat wasn't as magical or as significant to the story as Kell's, but it's iconic of him, and that's what I kept thinking of when I imagined Kell and his coat. In fact, I'm pretty sure Eddie Redmayne would be a good Kell... There is a Darker Shade of Magic movie in the works, by the way, so that's pretty exciting! :D

In my Goodreads review, I mentioned that I wanted to be Lila when I grow up: Lila is one of those characters (spunky, full of life, knows what she wants and how to get it, etc) that is the polar opposite of myself and just makes me wish I could be more confident and adventurous like her. Granted, she didn't have any real attachments to begin with, but when she packed up everything and ran off with Kell to a foreign world - not even knowing if the magic would take her - I just wish I could be so brave.

 

*sigh*

Anyway... I think there might have been something else I wanted to say, but I waited too long between writing sessions, and I forgot. Typical. So, suffice it to say that I really enjoyed this book, I highly recommend it, and I am looking forward to reading the sequels soon! :)

My Goodreads rating:

Book Review: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Six of Crows

by Leigh Bardugo

Source: Purchased a paperback copy

Genre: Young Adult, Adventure, Magic, Fantasy

Synopsis:

Criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker has been offered wealth beyond his wildest dreams. But to claim it, he'll have to pull off a seemingly impossible heist:

Break into the notorious Ice Court 

(a military stronghold that has never been breached)

Retrieve a hostage 

(who could unleash magical havoc on the world)

Survive long enough to collect his reward 

(and spend it)

Kaz needs a crew desperate enough to take on this suicide mission and dangerous enough to get the job done - and he knows exactly who: six of the deadliest outcasts the city has to offer. Together, they just might be unstoppable - if they don't kill each other first.

Review:

Ok, this book... I had heard such good things about, I was just expecting to be in love with it from the start. I wasn't. "It picks up after about 100 pages," they said. "Give it a chance," they said.

Admittedly, things did start to pick up right around 100 pages, and admittedly, it was pretty good in the end. But I was seriously struggling at the beginning. I would say the first three-quarters of the book was super boring and uninteresting to me. In the last quarter was where most of the action happened, where some exciting stuff started happening, and you're left needing to read the sequel, because hello?

After a while, I liked the characters. I identified most with Nina, I think, which is also perhaps why I was more interested in the ending. Inej was also a favourite. I didn't care for the male characters because I found it really difficult to come to terms with the fact that they're all teenagers. These boys - especially Kaz - didn't feel like boys to me, so every time she said one of them was 19 or something, it totally threw me. Nina seemed older than her age as well, but I was able to accept it. Inej and Wylan were the only characters who I felt fit their age.

I enjoyed the Mission Impossible aspect, once it got underway, and I like how they kept facing obstacles, like even though they had this detailed plan, it didn't go down like that.

I wish there had been a bit more explanation about the Grishas and their powers, but I guess there's a whole other series about that, so maybe at some point I will read those.

Like I said, in the end, I liked the story, and I am looking forward to reading the sequel, Crooked Kingdom, when I have the time. I would recommend it, but with the warning that you might not love it for even the first half, but it definitely gets better after that point.

My Goodreads rating:

Book Review: Ever the Hunted by Erin Summerill

Ever the Hunted

by Erin Summerill

Source: I bought a hardcover copy

Genre: Young Adult, fantasy, magic, adventure

Synopsis:

Seventeen year-old Britta Flannery is at ease only in the woods with her dagger and bow. She spends her days tracking criminals alongside her father, the legendary bounty hunter for the King of Malam—that is, until her father is murdered. Now outcast and alone and having no rights to her father’s land or inheritance, she seeks refuge where she feels most safe: the Ever Woods. When Britta is caught poaching by the royal guard, instead of facing the noose she is offered a deal: her freedom in exchange for her father’s killer.

However, it’s not so simple. 

The alleged killer is none other than Cohen McKay, her father’s former apprentice. The only friend she’s ever known. The boy she once loved who broke her heart. She must go on a dangerous quest in a world of warring kingdoms, mad kings, and dark magic to find the real killer. But Britta wields more power than she knows. And soon she will learn what has always made her different will make her a daunting and dangerous force.

Review:

It's been a little while since I read this one, so this is going to be a pretty short review, unfortunately. Unless you prefer short reviews, in which case, this will be right up your alley!

I really enjoyed this book. I've seen a lot of reviewers saying that they didn't like it because it was predictable, they didn't like the writing, the characters weren't well-developed, you name it. All I can say is that I suppose I must be a pretty simple person because I really don't analyse books to that degree. I very clearly either like or dislike a story, and it's usually leaning more on the positive side.

I liked Britta a lot. She seemed like a slightly less intense, but just as fierce, version of Katniss Everdeen (whom I also loved), and in a very different setting with a bit more magic and a lot less love-triangle.

I liked Cohen as well. Even though I wasn't really sure in the beginning whether he was guilty or not, I was immediately on his side. I felt that he was either innocent, or if he was guilty, he had a  very good reason.

I appreciated the magical elements in this book, and I'm really looking forward to the sequel to find out what else Britta can do, and what will happen next!

My Goodreads rating:

Book Review: The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper

Hello again reader(s). It's been a long time coming, but finally, another book review for you (and me)! :) Today I will be reviewing The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick. I bought this book from Indigo-Chapters this past year. I picked it out because it sounded a lot like The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, which I really enjoyed. I kind of get a kick out of stories about older people discovering themselves late in life, taking adventures, having fun. It inspires me and gives me hope for my future. ;)



An eccentric yet absolutely lovable widower embarks on a life-changing journey to undercover the secrets his wife left behind, in this poignant and curiously charming novel.
Sixty-nine-year-old Arthur Pepper lives a simple life. He gets out of bed at precisely 7:30 a.m., just as he did when his wife, Miriam, was alive. He dresses in the same gray slacks and mustard sweater vest, waters his fern, Frederica, and heads out to his garden.

But on the one-year anniversary of Miriam’s death, something changes. Sorting through Miriam’s possessions, Arthur finds an exquisite gold charm bracelet he’s never seen before. What follows is a surprising and unforgettable odyssey that takes Arthur from London to Paris and as far as India in an epic quest to find out the truth about his wife’s secret life before they met—a journey that leads him to find hope, healing and self-discovery in the most unexpected places.

Featuring an unforgettable cast of characters with big hearts and irresistible flaws, The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper is a joyous celebration of life’s infinite possibilities.

The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper is a fun and adventurous read. It's about self discovery and learning to enjoy life. Arthur lives for routine. He has had the same daily routine for years, with only a few slight alterations over the last year since his wife, Miriam, passed away. On the anniversary of her death, he decides to do a little tidying up and get rid of some of Miriam's things which he wasn't ready to part with previously. In rummaging through her closet he discovers a box with a charm bracelet inside. It doesn't look like anything Miriam would have worn, the charms mean nothing to him, and yet who else could it have belonged to? Thus begins Arthur's journey.

One of the charms is an elephant with an emerald on it's back, with an international phone number engraved on the back. Curiosity gets the better of Arthur and he decides to call the number, regardless of what it might cost, to see if he might find some answers to this unfamiliar piece of jewelry. The number belongs to a home in India, and he speaks to a gentleman who did, indeed, know Miriam in the past, before she met and married Arthur. They have a very interesting conversation and the man extends an invitation to Arthur to come visit any time. Arthur, still in shock to have discovered that Miriam had a secret former life, now begins to look into the other charms and what they could mean.

Miriam and her charms lead him on a journey around the world, making new friends, breaking his routines and habits, learning new things, and discovering a whole new world. In the process, he learns things about Miriam he wishes he hadn't known and probably the reason she hid her past from him. He also mends his relationships with his children and neighbours, and becomes a completely different person.

It's a really heart-warming and inspiring story. I hope to lead the kind of life that Miriam led in her youth which will inspire someone else to change their way of life and discover a new world. Not the secrecy and "bad" things, but just the adventures, of course. :)

Book Review: The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

This was a really fun story, I totally enjoyed it. It had a very Lemony Snicket / Roald Dahl feel to it that was really magical and extraordinary and made you feel like anything is possible.

The story is about these 4 special children who take Mr. Benedict's crazy tests and end up joining his secret society to become spies. Their mission: to discover what exactly The Thing To Come is, and bring a stop to it. Reynie, the boy telling the story, is very bright with a knack for problem-solving and leadership. Sticky has an incredible memory. Kate is extremely resourceful and knows distances just by looking at them. Then there's Constance. Nobody really knows what her talent is, other than being obnoxiously negative and ornery. Her stubbornness does end up saving the day, but what makes her truly special doesn't come to light until the very end - surprise!

I can't really describe it much more than this without telling the whole story. The children go undercover to this private academy to solve Mr. Benedict's mystery. They find some other surprises along the way. And they have almost daily contact with Mr. Benedict and his crew across the river by using a flashlight to send Morse code messages. The messages sent back are always coded tho, so they always have to figure out what Mr. Benedict is trying to tell them, and then do it. They almost get caught a few times, but are ultimately successful.

I found it to be a really fun, interesting adventure, and when I got to the end I realized that there are at least 2 other books about these extraordinary children and their adventures. If I ever come across them I would definitely get them! :)

Overall story rating: 9/10
Recommendation: anyone - it's quite big, though