Review: Crimson Bound

Crimson Bound by Rosamund Hodge
Publisher: Balzar + Bray
Release Date: May 5th, 2015
Source: Edelweiss
Date Read: 5/4/15 to 5/8/15
448 pages
Rating: ✰✰✰✰

When Rachelle was fifteen she was good—apprenticed to her aunt and in training to protect her village from dark magic. But she was also reckless— straying from the forest path in search of a way to free her world from the threat of eternal darkness. After an illicit meeting goes dreadfully wrong, Rachelle is forced to make a terrible choice that binds her to the very evil she had hoped to defeat.

Three years later, Rachelle has given her life to serving the realm, fighting deadly creatures in an effort to atone. When the king orders her to guard his son Armand—the man she hates most—Rachelle forces Armand to help her find the legendary sword that might save their world. As the two become unexpected allies, they uncover far-reaching conspiracies, hidden magic, and a love that may be their undoing. In a palace built on unbelievable wealth and dangerous secrets, can Rachelle discover the truth and stop the fall of endless night?

Inspired by the classic fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood, Crimson Bound is an exhilarating tale of darkness, love, and redemption.

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Wow. Wow. I honestly wasn't expecting such an amazing, well-detailed book. Like I felt like I was thrown into a fairy tale, A REAL FAIRY TALE. With action and no overbearing romance. Honestly, I felt that this was a much more mature YA, and that itself was really refreshing. 

Crimson Bound definitely shows signs of being based off of Red Riding Hood, especially the beginning, but other than that, everything else is just so different. When I first started reading, I was thrown into a whole new world and I wasn't expecting it at all. Rachelle, our little Red Riding Hood, makes the wrong choice as a child to approach a forestborn without any protection. And so she gets marked, and if she doesn't kill another human in three days then she will die. 

Rachelle almost reminds me of Celaena from Throne of Glass, but a more hardened version of her. Rachelle tries so hard to keep the daylight from ending, but every attempt she makes at finding the two swords that are used to defeat the Devourer. In the end she's kind of worn out and has lost hope for the world. 

The one thing I love but also hated was how the reader is just thrown into the world with no explanation. In the beginning, I was confused at what exactly a bloodborn was, and a forestborn, what the difference was, why the heck daylight was ending, and who in the heck Zisa and Tyr were from the fable/myth in some of the chapters, and what that had to do with anything. Fortunately, everything was explained over time, and not in a info-dumpy manner. 

Also, that twist at the end, was awesome and so incredibly unpredictable. I'm really impressed with my first book by Rosamund Hodge, and I'm even more excited to read Cruel Beauty now, BECAUSE HER WRITING! It was just gorgeous. I don't think there's any other way to describe it. Plus I'm glad that this was on the more mature end of the spectrum. 

Officially The Start Of Summer!

Guess who has finally finished all her papers for the spring term? THIS GIRL!

And everyone knows what the start of summer means. YES NETFLIX and READING and just playing VIDEO GAMES all day long woo! Except for the fact that I have work. Which basically eats away at most of my time, but at least when the work day ends, I don't have to study!

Even though I don't have anything officially planned for the summer, I have come up with a couple of things I plan to do. For one, I have just about a thousand ARC's to read. And a couple of physical books here and there. So yes, lots and lots of reading. 

But let's put reading aside for a second (*GASP*), and get to my other hobbies.

Video Games: Ah yes. This year, I will be investing my money in a PS4! WHICH I AM VERY EXCITED ABOUT. But before that, there are a couple of games that I must finish or get to for the PS3. Right now, I am currently playing Mass Effect 3, and I'm terrified for all the feels I'll get by the end of it.

But after I play that, I will then be starting the Dragon Age series! This means starting from Origins and then buying the new Dragon Age Ascension for the PS4! I did borrow and play a little bit of Dragon Age in the past, but I don't remember anything, except for the fact that I liked it and also got a little frustrated with it. So we'll see how it goes. 

ME3: Basically where Earth gets destroyed and DEATH EVERYWHERE. DEATH DEATH DEATH

Ok, less about video games and more about TV shows (I mean I kind of love video games more than books, but you did not hear that from me. Nope. Nope)

TV Shows: To be honest, I'm not caught up with anything when it comes to TV series, unless you count Bob's Burgers, because that is a show I can binge watch. Other than that, I could never fully get into a TV show. The only exceptions to this is Sherlock, and anime (no surprise). This summer, the shows I will at least attempt to watch will be The 100 (I'm getting on it Holly, sorry), Veronica Mars (Same to you, Amber), Daredevil (Loved the first episode), and maybe something else. I'm not sure, just because it takes a lot of effort to get my to LOVE a show. I just can't binge watch a show like other people can.

Anime: I don't know what's going on in the anime world, which is sad because I usually keep up with this ALL THE TIME. Due to my super hardcore restriction of not watching any anime during the academic year, I haven't watched anything new. To be honest, I'm sad that the older I get, the less tolerant I seem to be over new shows. But I say this now, and later I just get sucked into the anime world AGAIN, even after months with a break. How does this happen?

Anyways, this summer I will maybe continue watch Kuroko no Basuke, and if that doesn't work out I'll just focus on the new episodes of Akagami no Shirayuki-hime because I HAVE BEEN WAITING ALL MY LIFE FOR THIS. I've also heard Death Parade was pretty good. Oh and I have to watch that second season of DRRR (The world will never know how many R's Durarara really has).

In Real Life: Dude, I plan to stay inside all the time. I have no real life other than work. HA. Ok fine. This weekend I'm going shopping....TO BUY WHITE PAINT in order to paint my new bookshelves! Correction: Old bookshelves. My parents are moving so I swiped them. But they're currently painted blue (silly childhood me) now so I have to repaint them.

I WILL BE GOING TO BEA!!! I am very excited, and also stressed out. Because I don't know what's going on and I need to plan things. Ugh. Planning.

Other than that, I will just be working. FOR MONEY. So that's a plus.

Happy Summer Everyone! Or Winter, if you live on THAT side of the Earth :P

Review: The Girl At Midnight

The Girl At Midnight by Melissa Grey
The Girl At Midnight #1
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Release Date: April 28th, 2015
Source: Netgalley
Date Read: 4/29/15 to 4/30/15
368 pages
Rating: ✰✰✰1/2

Beneath the streets of New York City live the Avicen, an ancient race of people with feathers for hair and magic running through their veins. Age-old enchantments keep them hidden from humans. All but one. Echo is a runaway pickpocket who survives by selling stolen treasures on the black market, and the Avicen are the only family she's ever known.

Echo is clever and daring, and at times she can be brash, but above all else she's fiercely loyal. So when a centuries-old war crests on the borders of her home, she decides it's time to act.

Legend has it that there is a way to end the conflict once and for all: find the Firebird, a mythical entity believed to possess power the likes of which the world has never seen. It will be no easy task, though if life as a thief has taught Echo anything, it's how to hunt down what she wants . . . and how to take it.

But some jobs aren't as straightforward as they seem. And this one might just set the world on fire.

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I requested The Girl At Midnight because it was getting a lot of hype around the blogosphere. And I guess because of said hype, I've kind of become the black sheep here, since I didn't LOVE it as much as everyone else did. Also mostly because I've already read Daughter of Smoke & Bone, and honestly I think this is just a less developed version of it.

I do have to admit that Echo is cool though. She's a runaway thief, but she's been adopted by the Avicen, these magical bird-like creatures with feathers instead of hair. WHICH IS JUST SO COOL. And then of course there must be the other species, and in this case it's the dragons (I honestly don't remember the spelling of the species specifically, but oh well). 

The main, huge problem I had with the book, as I said before, is that it's not original. In fact, it's REALLY, EXACTLY like Daughter of Smoke & Bone. I mean I knew that it would be similar to that series, but I didn't think it would be so, so similar. Here's why I think so:

1. Echo is the odd one out in a community full of Avicen. Reminds you of someone? Yeah, Kaoru.
2. There are two opposite species fighting each other, or at the brink of war. Avicen and Dragon species here, and the Seraphim and the Chimaera in DoSaB. (Please excuse my spelling, I'm tired)
3. The main characters from opposite sides fall in love. Echo and Caius and then Kaoru and Akiva from DoSaB.

Even if I didn't read DoSaB before, I still had some reservations. Honestly, the book had an amazing start, and I was really excited before of it. But then, everything kind of went down from there. Many of the things, including the side characters like Jasper, Ivy, and Dorian, weren't fully developed. And also, (highlight for spoilers) I didn't catch that Dorian liked Caius? And then Caius went off to GIVE HIM TO JASPER? Pretty much? It was weird and I don't know what to think about it. I mean at least there's diversity in this, right? (end spoilers)

Anyways, don't get me wrong, I did like The Girl At Midnight, but it could've been MORE. More original, more developed, just, I NEED MORE. I'm half excited to see what the sequel would be like, but then I kind of don't know whether it will just be more of this, under-developness (I did just make up a word and NO REGRETS). Wait, I think it's underdevelopment. Ah well.

Top Ten Tuesday #53

Hosted by the Broke and the Bookish!

Top Ten Books I Will Probably Never Read

These are the books that I say I will read just to appease you guys, and then I secretly never read them. Ever. I mean, fine, never say never. But honestly the chances of me picking up ANY of these books are slim to none. Muhahaha.

Divergent by Veronica Roth - Seriously, I am fine with not reading this in my life. I know a lot of people love it, and I know I said I would try reading it. But honestly? I have no motivation. 

Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard - I actually have this first book in the series on my kindle, but I don't like drama. And I don't know.

The Maze Runner by James Dashner - NO I DO WANT TO READ THIS. It's just that it's not something I feel like picking up. And the hype over it is NOT HELPING.

Talon by Julie Kagawa - I know I was anticipating this last year, but after all the reviews, this isn't something I even want to pick up. Sadly.

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare - Seriously just stick me with a ton of books that have a lot of hype in the YA world and I still won't read them. Also, I hate the cover.

Paper Towns by John Green - Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

If I Stay by Gayle Forman - Again, lost motivation because of all the hype.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn - This is a book where you either watch the movie first or read the book first, and I watch the movie, and because that ruined it for me, I'm likely to not read the book. Ah well. 

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion - From the days when I first started Goodreads.

In A World Just Right by Jen Brooks - I recently read some reviews, and I wanted to read this before, but now it just seems pretty meh. And I think I would get all ragey on it instead of actually enjoying it.

I think there are more books I wouldn't read now, but I would one day in the future. What books will you never read?

Review: The Sin Eater's Daughter

The Sin Eater's Daughter by Melinda Salisbury
The Sin Eater's Daughter #1
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Release Date: February 24th, 2015
Source: Library
Date Read: 4/27/15 to 4/29/15
320 pages
Rating: ✰✰1/2

I am the perfect weapon.
I kill with a single touch.

Twylla is blessed. The Gods have chosen her to marry a prince, and rule the kingdom. But the favour of the Gods has it's price. A deadly poison infuses her skin. Those who anger the queen must die under Twylla's fatal touch.

Only Lief, an outspoken new guard, can see past Twylla's chilling role to the girls she truly is.

Yet in a court as dangerous and the queen's, some truths should not be told...

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WARNING, WARNING, RAGE REVIEW AHEAD. 

I'm sorry I'm sorry but I am just so very, very mad because I was promised one thing, and this wasn't what I was expecting at all. And this was on my highly anticipated list, and now, now I am just sad. (I'm sorry Shannon please don't mush me)

What did I think this book would feature? A girl that can kill with a single touch.

What did I get? A GIRL THAT IS SO GULLIBLE AND NAIVE AND DOESN'T USE HER POWERS TO, oh I don't know, GET HERSELF OUT OF THE CASTLE. But she doesn't because oh, her little sister and her family wouldn't get any money anymore. BUT THEN WHEN OH SO HOT GUARD COMES ALONG, suddenly it's all like "Yes I'll go with you, yes I will!" And just no. No, no, no, no. AND THE BEST PART. THE BEST PART IS (spoilers, highlight to read) is that she doesn't even have the power to kill. NOPE! It's just a whole load of BULLSHIT RELIGION the Queen made up to keep control of the kingdom! HAHAHAHAH. (end spoilers)

I'm not even mad at the instalove. Just, oh everything else. 

AND THAT ENDING. I don't even understand what happened. It made it seem like this book was a standalone, but then it was confusing enough to have a continuation. Which is why this is a series, apparently. Will I read it? I don't know, I don't know.

I'm just going to sum up here:

1. Slow-paced, nothing happens. Except for one duel. Ha.
2. MC is hypocritical
3. The ending is pretty shocking, but then again the story goes back to square one (almost).

Ok, if you like reading about made up religions, this is the one for you. And I guess if you don't mind slow-paced books in general.

Man I originally rated this as 3 stars, but I just had so many RAGE moments that I'm gonna bring it down to 2.5. PLEASE TAKE MY REVIEW AS A GRAIN OF SALT, HOWEVER. I know this is an either you hate it or love it book, so I don't know, maybe this will be the book for you. It was obviously not for me.

Stacking the Shelves #26

Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews and is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

I literally CAVED. And plus it was my END OF THE YEAR impulse buy. So yes I did but An Ember in the Ashes. NO REGRETS.

And then I also bought Mosquitoland, because WHY NOT, and I've also been anticipating it since 1994. Sadly it is not about mosquitos taking over the world. Or I don't think it is.

Yay for Amazon sales! I got Cruel Beauty, Burying Water, and Damsel Distressed for super duper cheap. I really need to start paying attention to Kindle deals, honestly. Well maybe it's not a good idea but that's ok!

GUYS GUYS GUYS GUYS

CLASSES ARE OVER. I REPEAT, CLASSES ARE OVER. THIS IS NOT A DRILL.

I mean I do still have work, BUT IT'S WARM OUTSIDE. And there's no snow! (If there was I would die) Sadly I still have 2 papers that I need to write. But by the end of next week I will officially be done with academic classes and grades and all that jazz.

I don't really have any motivation to work on my papers, but we'll see. Hahah.

Happy Spring guys! Finally!

ARC Review: Things We Know By Heart

Things We Know By Heart by Jessi Kirby
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: April 21st, 2015
Source: Netgalley
Date Read: 4/22/15 to 4/26/15
304 pages
Rating: ✰✰✰✰

When Quinn Sullivan meets the recipient of her boyfriend’s donated heart, the two form an unexpected connection.

After Quinn loses her boyfriend, Trent, in an accident their junior year, she reaches out to the recipients of his donated organs in hopes of picking up the pieces of her now-unrecognizable life. She hears back from some of them, but the person who received Trent’s heart has remained silent. The essence of a person, she has always believed, is in the heart. If she finds Trent’s, then maybe she can have peace once and for all.

Risking everything in order to finally lay her memories to rest, Quinn goes outside the system to track down nineteen-year-old Colton Thomas—a guy whose life has been forever changed by this priceless gift. But what starts as an accidental run-in quickly develops into more, sparking an undeniable attraction. She doesn't want to give in to it—especially since he has no idea how they're connected—but their time together has made Quinn feel alive again. No matter how hard she’s falling for Colton, each beat of his heart reminds her of all she’s lost…and all that remains at stake.

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Again, I have been blown away by Jessi Kirby. I have read her other novel, Golden, and it just affected me so personally, so of course I just HAD to request Things We Know By Heart. Did it pull on my heartstrings? Yes. Did I relate to it? No but that's understandable. 

Quinn recently lost her boyfriend, Trent, and she's heartbroken about it. But because Trent was an organ donor, Quinn was able to meet and write letters to all the recipients, all except for the recipient of Trent's heart, who remains anonymous. That is, until she finds the anonymous recipient through his sister's blog, which details his hospital trips in each post. 

AND THEN THEY START HANGING OUT. And you can guess what happens next haha. But still, sadness.

Colton has suffered a lot, especially with his heart problems. The new heart he receives from the donor helps a lot, even though everyone around him still worry about him. And of course, Quinn just lost her boyfriend of pretty much forever. So in other words, heartbreak brings people together. But of course neither of them tell the other their secret. 

So, even though the story itself is slightly predictable, the romance itself is sweet and slow. And KAYAKING. ON THE OCEAN. And discovering COOL CAVES. Ok truthfully only one really cool water cave. BUT STILL.

This would be a cool place to go. THIS IS WHAT I IMAGINE.

The only problem I had was that a lot of the story was "tell and not show". Like there was a specific conversation between Quinn and her sister that I wanted, but it was only described rather than drawn out in dialogue. And I really wanted to see her sister's reaction for myself.

I loved Things We Know By Heart, it's a very emotional tearjerker, even though it is slightly predictable.