The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.
But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway: a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them both, this is a game in which only one can be left standing. Despite the high stakes, Celia and Marco soon tumble headfirst into love, setting off a domino effect of dangerous consequences, and leaving the lives of everyone, from the performers to the patrons, hanging in the balance.
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A circus of black and white with the occasional secret touches of red. A fantastical competition between two starry eyed prodigies. Magic disguised as trickery. Piles and piles of amazing characters. And of course a beautiful love story.
Honestly, how could I possibly ask for more out of a book?
I picked up this book for a couple of reasons. Various booktubers were absolutely raving about it, friends were recommending it, and the reviews were spectacular. My local librarian and I also had a very long (and awesome) conversation about our favorite books in which I recommended A Song of Ice and Fire to her and she recommended The Night Circus to me.
Then of course there's the GORGEOUS UK edition that I will absolutely own very soon.
What struck me at first was the uniqueness of this book. Every single facet of this novel is totally and completely unique and unlike anything I've read before. The Night Circus utilizes the occasional use of second person, making it feel as if you are truly involved in the circus itself. Primarily it is written in third person, present tense and switches between the perspectives of multiple characters. Along with that there are two different time lines that eventually catch up to one another and meld beautifully.
With all of that, one might think the book would be confusing and disjointed. However reading it and getting immersed in this book is so smooth and easy it's almost like reading velvet.
The chapters are short with a very cinematic feel to them that it makes things move quickly, even during the slower, world building sections in the beginning. But despite the short chapters, Morgenstern's writing is so beautifully and subtly descriptive, it leaves lingering and breathtaking images in ones mind.
Adding to that, there are so very many realistic and well rounded characters to be found in this book. Even side characters and background characters feel like real people. I was convinced The Night Circus actually happened by the end because the character development felt so incredibly real. Each character seems to have their own distinct personality and what feels like a very in depth back story which is fantastically impressive. Characters I didn't think I liked, became instant favorites within a mere chapter. The characters make me cry, they made me laugh, and they gave me such overwhelming joy.
But all in all, finding the words to correctly and thoroughly describe how this book impacted me is close to impossible. So I'll leave it up to Miss Morgenstern instead: "You may tell a tale that takes up residence in someone's soul, becomes their blood and self and purpose."
Erin Morgenstern managed to do just that with this piece of artwork in the form of a novel. It has taken hold of me and will not let go.
I give this book not only 5/5 stars but also a longstanding recommendation. If you read only one book in your life, make it The Night Circus. It is now one of my absolute favorite standalone novels and I promise that it will change you in all the best ways.
If you're looking for a breathtakingly magical experience, check out The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. And while you're doing that, check out my book, The Reviled, which is on sale right now for 99¢ (shameless self promotion)! It's about superheroes, zombies, and the Grim Reaper.
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So I have a confession to make. And maybe you'll judge me. I don't care.
I... love... fairytale retellings!
The obscene amount of fairytale retelling I've read, not to mention the inappropriate amount of original fairytales I've OBSESSIVELY researched is mildly embarrassing. I have a serious disorder when it comes to the works of the Grimm brothers, Perrault, and Hans Christian Anderson.
A far less embarrassing confession, is the love I hold very close to my heart for all things science fiction. My father raised me on sci-fi movies (as any good father should) and I've never read a science fiction novel I didn't enjoy (yet).
Why this tangent you might ask?
Because of the greatest things that has probably ever happened to me or ANYONE.
The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer. The word "perfection" does not do it justice.
These books are, in a nutshell, sci-fi/fantasy retellings of classic fairytales. Cinder follows a cyborg Cinderella character, Scarlet follows Red Riding Hood falling for her wolf, and Cress follows Rapunzel whose figurative tower is a satellite orbiting Earth. And all of these characters lives intertwine and affect one another as they fight to protect earth from the literal Evil Queen. The last book, Winter (Snow White has gone absolutely bonkers) is set to come out early 2015, but I figured I ought to share my thoughts while they're fresh.
We'll start with the first book, Cinder.
I went into this series incredibly wary. I mean, I love science fiction, but this seemed... so out there. WAY out there. In like, outerspace.
I've never been happier to be wrong.
Cinder, as a character is such a badass. She is far from a damsel in distress. And while she has a love story interwoven into the tail, it's not the only focus. This book has meat. Beautiful, tasty, substantial, AWESOME meat.
If you're uncertain about this book series, I suggest reading the first five chapters on your eReader. It's free and it'll help you realize just how amazing this weird concept can be.
There were times when the book could be slow, but it made up for it with every single one of its action scenes. I particularly enjoyed all the nods the story made to the original fairytale. (SPOILERS: I mean she didn't just lose her slipper. She lost her WHOLE GODDAMN FOOT! HOW HILARIOUS AND AWESOME AND CLEVER IS THAT SHIT?!)
On to book two, Scarlet.
Starting Scarlet I was again, uncertain. I wasn't sure I'd like it as much as Cinder and I feared it would fall victim to "Second Book Syndrome".
How very wrong I was. Scarlet's tale--involving attempting to find her missing grandmother with a mysterious companion by the name of Wolf in tow--intertwines beautifully with Cinder as she continues her attempts to protect all that she holds dear.
I can't go into too much detail because of spoilers, but I will tell you that Scarlet manages to be even better than Cinder.
The characters introduced in this book are probably my favorite of all of them. The story felt so deep and interesting and it kept me guessing till the end.
Last of all we have book three, Cress.
I can honestly say that the only thing I found disappointing in this book was the fact that the title didn't seem to follow to pattern as smoothly as the others do (Cinder for Cinderella, Scarlet for Red Riding Hood, and Winter for Snow White).
But other than that I have nothing bad to say about the latest installment in the series. I enjoyed the setting, the characters (SPOILERS: CRESS AND THORNE, oh my god, otp. OTP FOREVER. They will never stop being my otp. I love you babies.), the love story, the concepts, the gentle nods to the original tale, the additional, interwoven story of Cinder, Kai, Scarlet, and Wolf. Even the cover is probably my favorite of the lot.
I think it's probably safe to say that the Lunar Chronicles is an exciting, unique, intriguing, beautiful series that you will honestly not regret picking up. The writing is beautiful, the characters are well rounded, unique, and intriguing, and the all around worth a little uncertainty when you first pick it up.
All around I give all three of The Lunar Chronicles books 5/5 stars for pulling me out of a reading rut and hitting all the right notes.
Check out Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress by Marissa Meyer for yourself, and add Winter to your 2015 must read list. And while you're doing that, check out my book, The Reviled, which is on sale right now for 99¢ (shameless self promotion)!
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This book is basically Twilight wrapped up in a nice little Edgar Allen Poe package.
Allowing this book to share the same title as one of Poe's short stories seems almost criminal. This book was just not worthy of its source material. It's closer to Twilight than anything Poe would have created.
Masque of the Red Death is not a direct retelling of the short story of the same name by Edgar Allen Poe, but draws inspiration from the work. The story follows Araby Worth, the daughter of a successful and rich scientist. Araby lives in a steampunk-inspired world during a devastating plague that has wiped out most of the world's population, left the air dangerous to breathe, and keeps those still alive living in constant fear. Crippled by her past and seeking to forget, Araby spends most of her time with her vapid best friend at the Debauchery Club, getting drunk and high, in search of "oblivion".
Enter the love triangle. Araby is thrust into the underground world of rebellion in her city when she gets involved with Will and Elliott. She must now choose not only where her allegiance lies but how much and who she's willing to risk for these men.
I found that this book didn't have a lot of meat for such intriguing source material. The world seemed interesting and frightening, but the narration kept it vague and confusing. I didn't feel that the book lived up to it's own potential. The author was too caught up in the close to pointless love triangle reminiscent of Jacob-Bella-Edward.
As with so many YA novels these days, the love triangle is the dominant storyline. Will we ever get a break from this irritating cliche? The love triangle is made further ridiculous and unbelievable by the fact that the main character, Araby, is unbelievably unlikable. It's not that she's not deep or undeveloped. She's just irritating and mildly depressing. She wasn't strong or interesting enough to be the main character, let alone have the story told from her perspective.
Furthermore the author seems to have mistaken dark, Gothic, and painful sadness (some of Poe's trademarks in my opinion) for campy, contrived, and depressing storytelling. It is certainly a fine line, but Miss Griffin fell headlong onto the wrong side. She made a beautiful Poe tale into something juvenile and borderline ridiculous.
As far as the writing goes, I saw potential. The (very) few descriptions the author allowed us in this frustratingly vague novel were hauntingly beautiful. On top of that the scene structures were executed very well. Most of the scenes, if they were boring, at least ending on an action sequence, keeping you at least intrigued to find out what would happen next. However, as a whole, I found the writing to be incredibly rushed and clearly not thought out in the least. I found myself often confused and disconnected from the text.
On a good note, I do have to say that this book ended well. The last part of the book had interesting and exciting action sequences. Is it enough to make me want to read the sequel? We'll see I suppose.
Maybe I'm just sensitive, because Poe is one of my literary idols. Maybe I've finally lost it over all the cliche's in today's YA fiction. Either way I give this book 2/5 stars, for a poor execution to an interesting idea.
Check out Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin for yourself. And while you're doing that, check out my book, The Reviled, which is on sale right now for 99¢ (shameless self promotion)!
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Hate bees? I know I do.
Well you better fucking stop that pretty much immediately. Turns out bees are a bit of an important part of our ecosystem. Who'd've thought?!
What happens when bees stop existing?
Well the apocalypse, no more animals or plants, the return of pirates (on land), zombie-like monsters, almost zero girls, lots of sewer living, and a super intense romance, to paraphrase.
So now that you're up to date, Stung by Bethany Wiggins is about young Fiona, who after recently waking up from a coma, discovers that the world she once knew has given way to a barren wasteland full of monsters and raiders. Her family is gone and she can't remember anything beyond her 13th birthday. She sets out into this new disturbing world in search of familiar faces and answers.
I bought this book around what I'm guessing was it's publication, which was last year. I mostly bought it for the cover (because lets be real here, that cover is GORGEOUS). It's been sitting on my shelf basically ever since.
I picked it up because I wanted a quick read and I've sort of been on an apocalyptic kick lately.
I think the only thing I regret is that I didn't read this book sooner.
The concept behind this story (the very real idea of bees going extinct and the repercussions of that on our world) and all the added subplots were incredibly imaginative and well thought out.
I found myself very drawn into this world, particularly due to Bethany Wiggins descriptive abilities. She has hit that very fine line between being descriptive without being OVER descriptive. The way she writes was beautifully realistic. When I reached a scene in the sewer I honestly believed I was in that nasty ass sewer. I gagged more than once.
The world building and her beautifully unique writing style are what truly sold me on this book. Add on to that the beautiful build up to the final reveal about the main character's past and you have a very beautifully written novel.
Fiona, the main character, however... almost ruined it for me.
I found her so unrealistic. Most of her character development (and there wasn't much honestly) felt accidental. I didn't even like her until the last handful of chapters. I found her annoying, vapid, and (as I said) incredibly unrealistic. She was definitely lacking in character.
Despite that, I did manage to enjoy this book. There were many quotable moments in Wiggins' writing. If you can get past a poorly developed main character and enjoy the beautiful writing style and the incredibly interesting world building you will definitely enjoy this book.
(On a side note, that epilogue was soooo amazingly done. Sweet. Simple. Perfect. It sent a shiver down my spine.)
I give this book 4/5 stars, mostly for my inability to give a shit about Fiona and her plight.
Check out Stung by Bethany Wiggins. The writing is lyrical and the cover is completely beautiful. And while you're doing that, check out my book, The Reviled, which is on sale right now for 99¢ (shameless self promotion)!
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Check out my review of the first book in the Penryn and the End of Days Series here!
It's the age old trope: The second book in a series brings a heart wrenching separation of the the main couple, causing many sad feels and much angst.
It's not a bad trope. I myself have used this trope in my own writing. It's useful and an excellent way to humanize a couple that might seem too good to be true and a means of stirring emotion in your reader.
But can I just say... Rafe was gone for SO LONG!
Like I get that it was necessary. Penryn needed to go out and be her bad ass self on her own for a while. But I missed Rafe. I was on edge the whole time he was gone, thinking, "He's coming back in the next chapter right? RIGHT?!"
I was a mess.
Which, honestly, is kind of awesome. Susan Ee had me feeling Penryn's emotions, she had me on edge and nervous and sad but still determined. Ms. Ee has a true talent for capturing her audience and RUINING them with all the feels.
World After, the sequel to the incredible Angelfall, was everything I hoped it would be. Engrossing, disturbing, heart-pitter-patter inducing. It was an amazing and worthy sequel to a book that I truly hold VERY close to my heart.
Rafe and Penryn's reunion... I teared up. I really did. It was so beautiful and heart breaking. The writing was... gorgeous.
The scenes in Alcatraz... I don't even have words. Some of the most terrifying writing I've ever read. So impressed with this book.
And as always the action scenes are spot on and honestly have me green with envy. I wish I could write action sequences and beautifully and realistically as Susan Ee.
The characters were strong. I loved getting glimpses of Paige's kidnapping. It made me sympathize so much more with an already sympathetic character. The mother was just as terrifying and awesome as in the last book. And Dee-Dum were just as hilarious.
If I have anything to say, it would be that I honestly didn't care for the first little bit of the book. The scenes with the rebellion were often slowly paced and boring. I had a hard time imagining what was being described and an even harder time caring. They just didn't feel as thought out as the rest of the book.
Anyway. Susan Ee, you're a life ruiner. PLEASE give me book three! I NEED TO KNOW!! I love you.
All around I'd have to say I loved it just as much as the first book. 4.5/5 stars.
Check out World After by Susan Ee. It's sooo beautiful. And while you're doing that, check out my book, The Reviled, which is on sale right now for 99¢ (shameless self promotion)!
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So in honor of the movie (which hits theaters March 21! PREPARE FOR THE FEELS!), I thought I'd share my thoughts and a review of a series that I have a massive love/hate relationship with.
The Divergent Trilogy is a dystopian YA novel set in a future Chicago, where the residents have been separated into factions that correspond with jobs, personality types, and skills. There are Abnegation, the Selfless; Candor, the Honest; Amity, the Peaceful; and Dauntless, the Brave. The story follows Tris, a young Abnegation girl who must decide which faction she belongs in. She can continue living a lie and stay with her family, or she can leave.
That's the simplified version anyway. This series honestly has sooo many ins and outs and subplots and facets. It's really very well thought out and intriguing.
The first book, Divergent is probably my favorite of the set, primarily for the action. I whipped through the first one. I went into is uncertain. I have a large distrust for books that are super hyped up and this is a big favorite for many many people. But I was pleasantly surprised by how quickly I read it and enjoyed it.
I admit I found Tris, the main character, somewhat irritating at times. But the side characters definitely made up for her occasionally stupid choices and opinions. And despite the flaws in Tris characters for me, Veronica Roth's writing was so beautiful and interesting that I enjoyed it anyway.
The second book... Ugh. I just... I can't.
I despised it. I considered giving up on the series after finishing Insurgent. I was so frustrated. With the characters, with the plot, with Veronica Roth. I just hated it. Characters seemed to be introduced for the sole purpose of killing them off. It felt like a lot of cheap shots. It was almost like a poorly thrown together jumble of ideas. I found Tris far more irritating. The side characters were no longer worth it to me. Tobias (the main love interest) was kind of a jackass. I was just so FRUSTRATED.
One redeeming quality I have to say though, is the cliffhanger at the end was basically what made me pick up Allegiant. I probably wouldn't have if the cliffhanger hadn't made me curious.
Now for the last book. I know there is a lot of dissension over this book. Without giving too much away, there is a big, EMOTIONAL event at the end of the book that upset MANY people. On top of that many felt the books was a lot slower paced, they were frustrated with the change in the POV, and--from what I can tell--many many people found Allegiant to be their least favorite of the series.
For me, it's a pretty close second favorite. If it had had a little bit more action and better pacing I might have enjoyed it more than Divergent. But other than that I really enjoyed most of Veronica Roth's choices with this story, particularly everything she did with the ending.
I sobbed. I have not cried this hard over a fantasy/science fiction novel since Half Blood Prince. But I had to put Allegiant down more than once. I just couldn't control the feels, there were so many.
Tris was the strongest her character has been in the entire series. She was my absolute favorite throughout it. So much growth and strength and bravery. At the beginning of the series Veronica told us Tris was supposed to be selfless AND brave AND intelligent. But it wasn't until Allegiant that she really SHOWED us.
Everything about this ending was elegant and beautiful and emotional. It is a truly memorable and stirring ending. It makes all the frustration I felt throughout the second book so very worth it.
All around I'd have to give Divergent 4.5/5 stars; Insurgent 3/5 stars; and Allegiant 4/5 stars.
Check out The Divergent Trilogy by Veronica Roth (Divergent, Insurgent, and Allegiant). It'll make you want to throw the book across the room, but it'll be oh so worth it. And while you're searching for books, check out my book, The Reviled, which is on sale right now for 99¢! (Shameless self promotion, I don't even curr, ok?)
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You can buy my book, The Reviled, for your Kindle or Nook now for only $.99!
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