A Pair of Spoiler-Free Mini Reviews: Winter by Marissa Meyer, and Sorcerer to the Crown by Zen Cho

I decided to combine these two because they are both pretty popular and much buzzed about, so there will probably be reviews everywhere.

These covers are so beautiful.

First up is Winter, the long-awaited conclusion to Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles. Here's a quick synopsis if you're unfamiliar with the series:

Starting with Cinder, Marissa Meyer has taken familiar fairy tales and re-imagined them in a futuristic society threatened by Lunars: moon-dwellers with powerful perception-altering abilities that can make you see them as angelic beauties, someone else, or overpower your mind entirely.
The Lunars hold a tenuous peace with the peoples of Earth, and the tyrannical Lunar Queen Levana has been pursuing a matrimonial alliance with the young Emperor Kaito (Kai) of the Eastern Commonwealth. The problem is, he's currently held by a band of rebels, led by Cinder, a cyborg who is also the missing Lunar Princess.
The rebels are a motley crew: Iko the droid, Thorne the dashing criminal, Cress the painfully shy computer whiz, and Wolf the former Lunar warrior. Missing from their ranks is Scarlet, a human held captive on Luna, and currently the pet of the Lunar Princess Winter.
In Winter, everything comes to a head as our heroes are scattered, separated, and hunted down by Levana. Cinder must decide if she'll accept her true identity and all it entails, as the rest of her band make their own choices and deal with the consequences in an epic conclusion to the NYT bestselling series.

So now that you have a basic idea of the story, here's what I thought about Winter.

In short, Winter delivered almost everything: great storytelling and neat prose, expert handling of a large cast of characters, lots of action, real heart, and a fitting resolution. I felt like Meyer really worked hard to bring this series to its most logical and satisfying end, and she never sacrificed character for theme or story. As expected, Princess Winter (and to some extent, her guard Jacin) took center stage, but I didn't feel like the other characters got shorted. Though Winter was a whopping 800 pages, it never felt slow or too long, which is impressive.

And yes, I promised no spoilers, so I will give you my 3 favorite things about Winter instead:

1. Kai and Konn Torin. Okay, this may seem underwhelming to you, but scenes with these two were almost my favorite part of the book! Kai went from being a lovable, charming, but rather dippy seeming prince in Cinder, to one of my favorite characters and a truly brave ruler. Alongside his capable but stern adviser Torin, Kai attempts to navigate a hostile world, loads of responsibilities, and his own heart. Their (almost) father-son relationship got a little more center stage (I love Torin's wry humor), as Kai was cut off from the rest of the major characters for quite some time. Marissa Meyer is releasing a follow up short story collection, and one of them features the beginning events of Cinder from Kai's perspective. As you can imagine, I'm pretty excited about this.

2. Authentic Diversity. Our cast is a group of misfits of different races, cultures, and belief systems. Yet we're never hit over the head with it. Every character has a motive and a drive, and even Queen Levana has a chance to show her layers. And then we have Cinder's outcast status, and the discrimination she's faced as a cyborg, as well as Winter's mental imbalances. Even with a story as big as this one, Meyer never forgets the humanity of her characters, and this makes them relatable even when it seems like they shouldn't be.

3. Linh Cinder. I love Cinder. She is probably my favorite take on Cinderella - ever. Cinder is forced to make difficult decisions and step out of obscurity for the sake of others. Her character arc comes to a fitting conclusion, and I am sad to see her go.

Though there was a lot more I liked about the book, I don't want to ruin it for anyone!

Overall: 4.5 stars. Marissa Meyer finishes big with this action packed finale. Winter has something for everyone: a little romance, a lot of adventure, and a colorful cast of characters you'll be sorry to leave.

Another pretty cover :)

Sorcerer to the Crown, the debut novel by British author Zen Cho, is the first book in a planned trilogy about English magicians.

Here's the Goodreads Synopsis:

At his wit’s end, Zacharias Wythe, freed slave, eminently proficient magician, and Sorcerer Royal of the Unnatural Philosophers—one of the most respected organizations throughout all of Britain—ventures to the border of Fairyland to discover why England’s magical stocks are drying up.
But when his adventure brings him in contact with a most unusual comrade, a woman with immense power and an unfathomable gift, he sets on a path which will alter the nature of sorcery in all of Britain—and the world at large…

Do you like Gail Carriger's steampunk novels, anything by Georgette Heyer, or Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell? If so, you might enjoy the whimsical Sorcerer to the Crown. Though it started off a bit slow, once the story got going, it really got going. The worldbuilding was great, and the prose was effervescent and full of witty, quotable lines.

So what were my three favorite things about Sorcerer to the Crown?

1. The aforementioned prose. Like Georgette Heyer and Jane Austen, Cho's prose is overflowing with humor, for example:

 “I should advise you not to stop there, but set fire to his house, too, and sell his children to pirates. That is the only way he will learn”  Excellent advice, no?

Or how about this interesting observation:

"A female may be poor or delicate or a spinster, but it does seem ill-advised of Miss Liddiard to combine all three.”

Sorcerer to the Crown is above-all a charming book, as the quotes probably suggested.

2. Zacharias. A former slave who has become the reluctant leader of England's magicians, he's a studious, proper fellow and I loved him to pieces. I loved how Cho kept revealing his character through little bits - he's the reserved sort, and never one to brag, and you hardly realize the depth of both his courage and his ability until the end!

3. It was fun. In a sea of adult novels that are trying to be realistic, gritty, intellectual, or challenging, Sorcerer to the Crown just seems like a book the author wanted to write. Now I don't mean it's shallow, because it isn't! But, unlike most of the magicians in the book, it isn't pretentious. There are interesting observations on everything from colonial politics to women's positions in society, but they never distract you from the story.

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars. A delightful Regency fantasy with a touch of darkness, and plenty of material for sequels, Sorcerer to the Crown features a unique protagonist and a strong female lead. Zen Cho is an author I'd love to see more of.

So have you read either of these books, or do you plan on reading them? Do you like fairy tale retellings? If so, do you have a favorite? How about magicians and 19th Century England?

ARC Review: Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson

Thanks Rae Carson, Greenwillow Books, and BEA for this signed ARC! The shiny gold signature just made it a little more special :)

First, just take a look at this pretty cover. The writing, the gold dust, the sky . . . so beautiful! Normally I don't like covers with people on the front, but it really works with the whole composition and mood here (and it isn't going to put a strange picture in my head!).

So when I was trying to collect my thoughts and describe this book, the first word that came to mind was "refreshing."

 Walk on Earth a Stranger stands out from a YA crowd of dystopians, contemporary fic, and the ever-popular paranormal. And yet, it will still appeal to readers of all those genres.

Lee (Leah) Westfall is a hard-working young woman with a dangerous secret: she can sense even the tiniest speck of gold nearby. And in gold-rush era America, this is a talent that people would kill for. Still, with supportive, loving parents and a lot of hard work to distract her, Lee manages to lead the fairly normal life of a hard working farm girl. Until terrible tragedy strikes, and Lee is forced to flee her Georgia home for gold-promising California.

Did you ever play the computer game Oregon Trail? If you did, you know the dangers of buffalo stampedes and cholera, and just how important picking proper traveling companions can be. But it isn't just a game: all of those things were real dangers and experiences to people headed west in the 19th Century. Hundreds of people and animals died on the journey, but that didn't stop brave souls from packing up everything they owned and pursuing a dream.

This is the real world backdrop for Walk on Earth a Stranger, and Rae Carson does a fabulous job of bringing this earlier America to life. Naturally, Lee's gold sense adds a supernatural twist, but it's too mild to make the book feel like real fantasy. Instead, it just adds layers of peril and thematic elements to the straight-forward travel/adventure plot. Even if historical fiction (or fantasy) isn't your thing, here are 5 reasons you should check out Walk on Earth a Stranger.

5 Reasons You Should Read Walk on Earth a Stranger

1. Rae Carson knows how to write strong, relatable heroines. Like Elisa in Girl of Fire and Thorns, Lee is neither perfect nor invincible. She is human, albeit a gifted one. Hard work and responsibility have made her tough, but in a period authentic way. In other words, she's a well written character who you will root for and empathize with.

2. The Setting. Look at the Oregon Trail mention above. Carson brings the trek west to life, and her evocative writing will grab you. It's different from any YA I've seen in a while, which made it a refreshing read. Also, there's a lot of discussion starters here, which would make it perfect for a teen book club.

3. The girl disguises as a guy - and it makes sense! Don't let the trope turn you off: Lee's disguise is 100% necessary, and Carson uses the disguise to examine and develop Lee's character. Carson skillfully examines gender roles, identity, and even identity complexes, without ever making her author-voice heard. And at the end of the day, Lee just wants to be herself: she's tired of lying about what she can do and who she is, and this played a big role in the story.

4. No tedious romance or melodrama. I know, I know, I'm always praising this. But seriously - I always have to make note of a book that develops ANY relationships with care and logic. Though there is a very slow burn romance hinted at with Lee's best friend, it makes sense and doesn't descend into silliness or a mess. And as for melodrama, a bunch of terrible things happen, but Lee reacts in a logical, period-accurate way, and she's a survivor. I really loved reading about her, and I can't wait to see where her further travels take her.

5. The writing. This ties into all of the above, but Rae Carson's worldbuilding and descriptions really pull you in. I know some readers found the start a bit slow, but I thought that it drew you in and centered you, only to throw you into a whirlwind with Lee. Everything from the pacing to the details about wagons and scenery immersed you in the story.

So there are 5 reasons you should read it, but this wouldn't be a fair and honest review if I didn't at least touch on the two reasons this book didn't get a five star rating from me.

1. The typecast preacher. We've all seen him: a cross between Mr. Collins (Pride and Prejudice) and St. John (Jane Eyre). And sure, there have been people like him. But I get tired of all Christian/pastor characters being portrayed as (often well-meaning) loony bigots who interpret "trusting God" as a lack of participation in their own life, and confuse witnessing to their fellows with forcing themselves on others. Granted, several of the side characters, in consistency with history, were portrayed as Christians, or at least paid lip-service to the "mind of the times" (which is authentic). But it's more the stereotypical character type that bothered me.

2. The minor character development with the multitude of side characters. Overall, this wasn't much of a quibble, as it's Lee's story. But I felt like her Uncle was a little too mustachio-twirling villain (he had his motives), and Jefferson (Lee's best friend) was mild and loyal, with the interesting twist that he was half-Cherokee, but I would have liked to see more reasons to care about him. Anyhow, there were a bunch of characters that we didn't see much of, so it was sometimes surprising (to me) when they'd pop up in the text (I couldn't remember who they were, etc.). The handy cast list at the beginning did help a bit though.

So, those things aside, I really enjoyed Walk on Earth a Stranger, and I am definitely invested in Lee's story. I'm sure Carson will develop the other important characters more fully in the following books, and I can't wait to see where she takes things.

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars. Walk on Earth a Stranger is a solid start to a series I will continue. With a diverse cast, historically accurate details, and just a touch of the supernatural, it's a fun read for both teens and adults.

Book Review: Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin (and Why You Should Read It)

My avalanche of 1-3 star reads finally stopped this last weekend, when I picked up Ryan Graudin's Wolf by Wolf. Thank you to Little Brown and Co. Books for Young Readers/Hachette Book Group for this ARC! (Wolf by Wolf will be available October 6th, 2015) Note: Cover and quote might not be final.

Love this cover.

“These were the names she whispered in the dark.

These were the pieces she brought back into place.

These were the wolves she rode to war.” 

― Ryan Graudin, Wolf By Wolf

I read The Walled City earlier this year, and really enjoyed it. Wolf by Wolf was better, with a tighter story and more developed main characters.  Like with TWC, Wolf by Wolf takes actual history for its inspiration. But this time, there's a fantasy twist. Here's a rundown for you:

Set in an alternate 1956, Wolf by Wolf imagines a world where the Axis powers reign triumphant, and their victorious alliance is celebrated each year by a cross-country motorcycle race. The 1955 victor was the only girl, Adele Wolfe, and she had a rare opportunity to dance with Hitler himself after winning the race. That up-close look at the elusive Führer is one that resistance groups would gladly die for. But it seems impossible. 

Yael, a young resistance member, just might be able to make the impossible happen. A Jewish girl who survived terrible experiments and escaped from concentration camp, Yael can skin-shift, altering her appearance to resemble any girl she has seen. If she can imitate Adele Wolfe, infiltrate the race, and win, Yael might get close enough for a second Operation Valkyrie. 

Yael has been trained to fight and survive, and she has spent the last year practicing both racing and imitating Adele Wolfe down to the tiniest detail, but there are two major problems: Luka, who has a bitter romantic history with Adele, and much more serious, Adele's twin brother Felix. Yael will have to fool them both, and defeat them along with all of the other competitors, if she wants to complete her mission.

Alternate history, what-ifs, human experiments, motorcycles, infiltration, how could this not sound amazing? But all that aside, this was a strong novel with an epic concept. And here are five reasons you should read it:

1. Yael. I loved Yael so much. A little Winter Soldier and all survivor, she was sympathetic, hardcore, and brave. She (understandably) had a hard time trusting others, but she wasn't afraid to love or feel for the people in her past. She wanted to think well of people, and she put her mission ahead of her own interests.

 Also, I loved her interactions with Adele's brother Felix. Felix was brave, adorable, and loyal and Yael really didn't know how to handle this. Humor, and some surprisingly touching moments, resulted from this. (But she's not Adele, so, ouch!)

2. The story. I really enjoyed the movie Valkyrie, and I find revolution/resistance novels tend to resonate with me. Wolf by Wolf was definitely character centered, with Yael's inner war against the Axis ideals, and what it took from her, taking more of the focus than the overall plot. Also, the fact that Yael was Jewish, while important to the story, wasn't shoved in your face. Likewise with a cast of mainly German and Japanese teens.

3. Alternate history. Though Graudin definitely had to bend and shape history to her story, she did a great job of projecting how the world might have looked if things were different. From the tensions between Germany and Japan, to the disinterest of the US, to the eventual fall of Britain, it felt like she put a lot of time and thought (and research) into this historical fantasy novel.

4. The skin-shifting. I guess this relates to #1. I loved how the story just went with this slightly outrageous premise. I mean, scheming Nazi scientists? But it just worked, and the shifting was worked into the greater themes and character development. Also, Yael's ability reminded me a bit of X-Men's Mystique. Yael had similar identity problems due to always wearing someone else's face. Also like Mystique, she tended to distance herself from her feelings and thoughts because of this.

5. Nothing was neat, tidy, or easy. Everything from the motorcycle race, to the ending, to Yael herself unraveled a bit. There was no quick fix. Especially when it came to playing Adele while dealing with Luka and Felix. Yael was always teetering toward failure, and I really wasn't sure (till the end) how things would pan out. That's a rare occurrence.

Minor Quibbles:

Yes, I loved this book so much, but I did have a few tiny issues. Like with TWC, the characters (other than Yael) were a bit thin for my liking. In particular, I would have liked to read more about the Japanese racers (there was some, but I wanted more).

 Luka was a James Dean meets Thor type, and I wasn't particularly interested in reading about him, but that's purely personal. However, I did like how Yael handled his interactions with "Adele." Talk about an interesting situation there.

Other than that, this was one of my favorite books this year, and I am so thrilled that she is writing a sequel! The fallout from the ending just begs another round, and Yael is a heroine I would gladly read a series about.

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars. An exciting alternate history with a strong heroine, lots of action, and a fascinating premise. Recommended for fans of The Hunger Games, Valkyrie, The Scorpio Races, The Maze Runner, Code Name Verity and X-Men.

Book Review: Thorn by Intisar Khanani

The artist is Jenny from Seedlings Design

I stumbled across Thorn on Goodreads and the gorgeous cover art caught my eye. When I realized that it was a retelling of The Goose Girl and written by indie author* Intisar Khanani, I purchased a copy. 

The cover is even more beautiful up close. However, like the best fairytales, the beauty of Thorn isn't just skin deep.

Princess Alyrra is the ignored and neglected princess of a backwater kingdom. Her only friends are the servants and a playful wind. Still, she is content enough until the powerful neighboring King of Menaiya shows up with a startling proposition: he intends to bring Alyrra home as a bride for his son Kestrin.

Alyrra has no idea why a powerful prince would want someone like her for a bride, but it doesn't matter, as she has no choice. Or so she thinks. When a sudden betrayal turns Alyrra's life inside out, the princess must choose between doing (what seems like) the right thing, or pursuing the life she makes for herself.


Thorn is a beautifully written book, and a thoughtful take on The Goose Girl. I don't want to spoil it for anyone, but if you've read the original fairytale, you should be familiar with the basic plot. There was so much I enjoyed about it, but here's a quick 5 reasons you should buy a copy:

1. Alyrra was very different from your average YA fairytale heroine. Accustomed to both abuse and hard work, she relishes the position of a lowly goose girl. The hard work is fulfilling to her, and she has chosen it for herself, which makes it better than her life as a "useless" princess. Her character arc and development was logical and well done, and I love how her hidden strengths bloomed and truly made an impact on the plot.

2. The "romance," is much more mature and believable than most YA novels. Kestrin and Alyrra's relationship was slow-burning, and fraught with (understandable) conflict and deception. Where it ends, in particular, was realistic and a bit messy, not tied in a perfect bow, and it made a lot of sense.

3. The writing. I cannot say this strongly enough: Intisar Khanani has a gift for language. Her prose is elegant and descriptive without being flowery. It immerses you in her world.

4. The serious plot elements are well-handled and thought out, not just thrown in for pathos or shock value. Some truly terrible things happen to these characters! Khanani touches on topics from physical abuse to murder, The characters have to deal with these things, and they retain both baggage and scars that influence them and those around them.

5. The characters. Even the "villains" were nuanced, with histories and motives that helped you understand them, even if they deserved their fates. Characters grew, changed, and had to deal with real consequences from both action and inaction. Kestrin was an interesting foil for Alyrra, and a complicated character in his own right. However, none of the characters were just throwaway or fillers.

I only had one real complaint: It was too short! I would have loved to read more about this world and its people, and I want to know more about the mentioned Fair Folk. There were so many elements hinted at in the story that, while not bearing on the plot, intrigued me.

In summary: 4.5 out of 5 stars. This was a brilliant Goose Girl retelling from an author to watch. I will definitely be reading her other books.

Have I convinced you yet? Here is a link to her books so you know where to buy them. I ordered mine through the indie bookstore store where I work (and I plan on stocking a copy). Have you discovered any fabulous indie authors that we should check out? Sound off in the comments.

Footnotes:
*Thorn was self-published. I don't just buy any book, self-published or otherwise, but I strongly believe in supporting the brave, independent people who take their own path. On top of that, this book is very good, which makes it even more deserving.

It's Monday!: What Are You Reading? (feature from Book Journey)

Happy Monday!

It is foggy and rainy in Michigan (and a little colder than the past few weeks). But there is no April snow, so it's all good.

Monday's meme is from Sheila over at Book Journey, and here's her write up:

"Welcome to It’s Monday What Are You Reading?  The meme that we use to share what we read this past week and what our plans are for the upcoming week.  It’s a great way to see what others are reading and add to your own To Be Read list. :D  You never know where that next great read may come from!"
(quote from Sheila's meme post here)

So I've started a lot of books in the past few weeks. I'm not sure if all of them will be worth finishing, it's too early to tell.

Most Recent: Uprooted by Naomi Novik

Here's the Goodreads excerpt:“Our Dragon doesn’t eat the girls he takes, no matter what stories they tell outside our valley. We hear them sometimes, from travelers passing through. They talk as though we were doing human sacrifice, and he were a real dragon. Of course that’s not true: he may be a wizard and immortal, but he’s still a man, and our fathers would band together and kill him if he wanted to eat one of us every ten years. He protects us against the Wood, and we’re grateful, but not that grateful.” (Goodreads)

I just started this, so I have no impressions other than about the cover. IT'S GORGEOUS. Also, I'm kind of scared to start it, as the Goodreads reviews compare it to some of my all-time favorite novels. I don't want to get my hopes up, you know? And yet, I can't help being excited . . .

Next up is Ross Poldark (Poldark #1) by Winston Graham

I'd be lying if I pretended I'd heard much about this series before the BBC rebooted it for Masterpiece with Aidan Turner as Ross. In fact, I've been deriving an enormous amount of hilarity from the drippy posts and memes BBC has been posting on Facebook. The blurb on Goodreads didn't really grab me either:

"Ross Poldark returns to Cornwall from war, looking forward to a joyful homecoming with his family and his beloved Elizabeth. But instead he discovers that his father has died, his home is overrun by livestock and drunken servants, and Elizabeth, having believed Ross dead, is now engaged to his cousin. Ross must start over, building a completely new path for his life, one that takes him in exciting and unexpected directions" (Goodreads)

 Sounds boring, honestly. But I was inundated by Poldark, and I finally decided to give it a shot. It's pretty typical historical epic: wronged hero who is noble but makes some bad decisions (obnoxious, bad decisions), brooding (much brooding), a sort-of love triangle (square?), sweeping moors, a privileged upper class, and the downtrodden. In other words, I'm enjoying it so far.

    So, thanks, BBC, even if you insinuate that this is the only reason we should notice Poldark:

Bitter Greens, by Kate Forsyth

I promise I picked this up for more than the cover:

Beautiful

Anyhow, it seems a little romantic for my tastes, but I love fairytales and historical fiction, so I'm giving it a chance. Here's a Goodreads blurb:

 "Award-winning author Kate Forsyth braids together the stories of Margherita, Selena, and Charlotte-Rose, the woman who penned Rapunzel as we now know it, to create what is a sumptuous historical novel, an enchanting fairy tale retelling, and a loving tribute to the imagination of one remarkable woman."

Sounds pretty good, right? We shall see.

So that's it for this week. Did you start (or finish) any interesting books today? I'm still plowing through the wonderful (but long) The Greatest Knight, which is about the fascinating life of William Marshall. It's a little hard to read in the tiny snatches of time I have, so I don't know how long it will take me . . .

Cheers!

#TBT-Book Review: The Blue Sword

So, continuing on with book reviews, I decided to do a review of one of my all-time favorite books, The Blue Sword, by Robin McKinley.

Sometimes I reread a book I read as a kid/teenager and reevaluate it. Sometimes this turns out to be a mistake, but never when I read Robin McKinley.

My first experience with her books was when I was around eleven, and probably too young to really grasp all the nuances and complexities of her writing. I read The Hero and the Crown because the cover had a red-haired girl* wielding a sword, on a horse, facing a dragon. To a Lord of the Rings and Star Wars girl, this was all the incentive I needed to pick it up. I was drawn in by Robin McKinley's lyrical prose and her fascinating fantasy landscape. Naturally, after Hero, I picked up The Blue Sword, which gets me to today's review:

This is the cover of my copy. It is one of the better fantasy covers out there, in my opinion

In The Blue Sword, the recently orphaned Harry Crew arrives in the mysterious desert land of Damar to live on the generosity of her brother's friends. Awkward, too tall, and not really proficient at anything, Harry is restless and drawn to the strangeness of the desert around her. Her people (the Homelanders-very much like the English in Imperial India), have an uneasy hold on the wild territory around them, and an innate suspicion of their close neighbors, the Free Hillfolk (they resemble Bedouins, with magic powers, and they are awesome).
  When the king of the Free Hillfolk, Corlath, comes to ask the Homelanders for help again their mutual enemy, the Northerners, it sets things in motion that neither Homelanders or Hillfolk could imagine.

  Corlath (and some of the Hillfolk) have a sort of innate magic, or kelar, which grows stronger with emotion. As the heroine and protagonist, Harry also has this kelar, and finding out the how and why is part of the plot, so I won't spoil it. Suffice it to say that Corlath's kelar often "demands" he do strange or rash things: in this case, it tells him he needs to take Harry for the Hills. Harry's destiny is tied to both Homelanders and Hillfolk, and ultimately she must reconcile both those sides of herself, and bridge the way for others if they are to defeat the Northern hordes. If she becomes an awesome, legendary-sword wielding hero while still retaining her personality and identity, then you know you are reading a Robin McKinley novel.

What works/what I liked:

1. Harry. I can relate to her, you can relate to her, and she's authentic (minus the kelar, of course). She is a strong female character who is defined by her own personality, and acts like a real person.**
2, Robin McKinley's style and sly humor. Her use of language is lovely and easy to read. She is neither flowery or bare with her description. She never writes down to her readers, and there is no instant gratification. Her books are not typical YA.
3. Hillfolk culture. They are warriors, they use swords, they are proud and honorable, they have a wonderful relationship with their horses and other animals, and I could go on. I only wish there was more.
4. True Hero Fantasy. The Blue Sword is the real deal. Hero fantasy, as a genre, follows a young hero/chosen one from their usually unremarkable start, follows their training for greatness, and then establishes them by testing their skills/powers/heart, etc. Sometimes is is refreshing to read a book that isn't trying to be too clever.
5. Harry and Corlath's relationship. From prisoner/guest and reluctant kidnapper, to rider and king, to *spoiler* couple, they are one of my favorite fictional pairs. They manage to be equals (though Corlath is a king and Harry has the disadvantage), have disagreements, and be friends in a way that sold me. I am not a romance person, and honestly, The Blue Sword  has very little romance, but I found their relationship both compelling and believable.

What didn't work/what I didn't like:

This is harder, like critiquing your friend, but here goes:

1. (See #3 above) I wanted more Hillfolk. More culture, more history, more character development outside of the main ones. I could probably read a whole book about Damar's history and not be bored.
2. (See #4) Like most hero fantasy, Harry gains a lot of her powers/abilities through it being her destiny to have them. I know I said this was one of the best parts above, but it is also one of the things I don't like as much. Harry's time training and developing her powers is not long enough, and I would have liked to see it be harder. (It's not easy, per se, but, well . . .)
3. More Aerin. I know this is why you read Hero, but in my opinion, both books could use more of that legendary figure :) After all, Hero ends with the beginning of her legendary period.
4. More Corlath. Obviously, this is Harry's story, but I love Corlath, and I would have liked to know more about him. We know the essentials (like Harry does), but he is funny and grim, and fascinating, and a great character in his own right.
5. The Northerners. They are bad, mysterious, and witchy, and they want to destroy everything, but we really don't know much more. I know this is explored elsewhere, but I would have liked to know more about them.

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars-It isn't as good as Hero, but it is still one of my favorite books ever!

This was actually kind of hard!

Footnotes:

*I love red hair. Always have. And sometimes cover art is accurate.
**I do not like heroines who become strong by basically acting like a man. I also don't like period piece heroines who internally rant about the unfairness of their period-correct pastimes/clothing/mores in a modern fashion. It isn't realistic, and it isn't fair to the many strong women who have lived and died in the past. That's all.

Thanks for reading, and feel free to add books you reevaluated from childhood in the comments.

Since I Am Not So Great at Blogging, Here's Something I Can Do!

As anyone who stumbles upon this page will see, I am an erratic blogger. However, I do like to write book reviews! Reading is really how I ended up writing anyhow, so I think this time, I'm going to go full circle.

The last book I read was Stitching Snow, by R. C. Lewis:

Take a minute to admire this cover. Pretty cool.

Stitching Snow was (as you might have guessed by the cover) a retelling of Snow White. It also happened to be in space (and no, it is not a rip off of Cinder, but a totally different sci-fi take).

In brief, Essie, a cage fighter on a lonely mining planet of Thanda, gets kidnapped by a *mysterious young good-looking dude named Dane. Essie is a brilliant inventor, and she "stitches" machines together (the coding, programming, and designing is referred to her as stitching), which I thought (as a crafty person) was a cool metaphor. Essie's only companions pre-Dane were seven mining droids with disparate personalities (one of the more original takes on the Seven Dwarves, for sure).

  Anyhow, after Dane figures out that Essie is the lost Princess Snow he's been hunting, he kidnaps her and they hurtle off into space adventures. There is a lot of baggage, an evil queen, and a truly terrifying king (Essie's abusive father, think Deerskin, *shudders*), and some obnoxious techies as well.

What worked/what I liked: 

1. Essie is a strong heroine who overcomes a dreadful past, and not all of her strength is physical/kickbutt. She's a programmer, which is very cool. Unlike many YA heroines of the same type (I'm looking at you Katniss), she ultimately decides to do the right thing for the greater good, and doesn't let her past reduce her to a passive victim.

2. No love triangle 

3. The Seven Dwarves as robots 

4. Every major element of Snow White made it in, in a unique sci-fi way, from the Huntsman, to the apple.

5. The cover. Just look at it for a minute.

What didn't work/What I didn't like:

1. The flimsy worldbuilding. Honestly, the author had the makings of a fascinating new world with all the cultures and trappings of sci-fantasy, aaaand, she just didn't do much with it. I really wanted to know more about Essie's universe.

2. In that same line, I felt like the author only brushed the surface of the characters outside of Essie. The evil queen, Olivia, in particular, felt more like a caricature than a character, and [outside of being vain and evil] I wasn't exactly sure why she did what she did. (You can fill in the blanks and guess, right, but that's no substitute for a well drawn character)

3. Dane was boring. Other than being principled (minus the abduction part) and a devoted son, and in love with Essie, there wasn't much there. This is more minor, as he was the love interest/plot catalyst, not the main character, but I would have liked to see more personality. His motivations and actions were understandable, as were his feelings for Essie, but he just felt flat to me.

4. Essie's computer skills were awesome-but I don't think we saw them enough. I would have liked to know more about her "stitching," and how she learned to do it so well.

5. Honestly, everyone and everything but Essie and her robots seemed half-formed. I think that was, overall, my biggest problem with the book. There were a lot of storylines and complex threads, but few of them were fully explored. It's hard to write more without spoilers, so I'll leave it there.

Overall: 3 out of 5 stars

*Seriously, where do all of these mysterious good-looking dudes with a past come from? I think there is a factory. In space.