Sabriel Review

I am familiar with Charter Magic.
I am familiar with dealing with the Dead.

The Abhorsen puts to rest those who refuse to remain dead.
I am the Abhorsen's daughter.

My father--the Abhorsen--has gone missing.
And I need to find him.

I have the tools of the Abhorsen.
I know the ways of the Abhorsen.

My name is Sabriel.
I am the next Abhorsen.

Hello, friends! Today, I am Sabriel, from Garth Nix's book Sabriel!

Book: Sabriel
Author: Garth Nix
Series: Abhorsen
Book Status: Book one
Setting: The Old Kingdom, Ancelstierre
POV: told mainly by Sabriel, third person
Genre: YA fantasy

Reading: First time
Favorite line: "Does the walker choose the path, or the path the walker?"
Rating: 4 stars




I got to say, this is probably the oldest YA book I've ever read. It was published in 1995! That was ages ago, way before YA became the huge market success it is now!

Onto my talk about Sabriel. She's skilled in Charter magic (magic involving what are called Charter signs, like the one on the cover), but also in banishing the undead. No, I'm not talking about zombies. I'm talking about spirits, so to speak. They're called the Dead here, and the job of the Abhorsen is to lay the Dead to rest. They're sort of necromancers, dealing with the dead, but their job is the opposite of the regular dead-raising necromancers. 

Sabriel ventured from Ancelstierre into the Old Kingdome in search of her father, even though the only time she's been in the Old Kingdom was when she was young (younger than 4). It's a big place, vast, filled with mysteries and whatnot. So the fact that she's doing it for her father makes her both brave and dedicated.

Sabriel is equipped with a sword (yes to awesome sword-wielding women!) and a set of 7 bells, all which have a specific ability/power when rung. You'd think it's not very cool, but given that she deals with the dead, these powers are really neat. I won't spoil it, but just know that if I had a set of these bells, well, there would probably be a string of mischief left in my wake. That being said, that's probably why I'd never get to even touch those bells. But hey, as Sabriel, I can, so no harm no foul, right?

Sabriel is a really strong female, especially given the time period this was written in. She's smart, quick on her feet, understands her duty as Abhorsen, and frankly, is quite amazing at playing the whole solo-mission game.

I'm not really a solo-mission kind of girl...are you guys?

Killer Frost Review: Gwen

I am a gypsy. 
I am Nike's Champion. 

There is a war coming. 
Nike, the goddess of victory, tasked me with ending it. 

I will end it.
Or it will end me. 

My name today is Gwen Frost.

Today, I'm Gwen Frost from Killer Frost, the final book in the Mythos Academy series!

Book: Killer Frost
Author: Jennifer Estep
Series: Mythos Academy
Book Status: Book 6 (final)
Setting: North Carolina (modern day)
POV: first person, told by Gwen
Genre: YA paranormal, mythology

Reading: First time
Favorite line: "You can't stop me. You can't stop me from doing one single thing, especially not this."
Favorite part: That ending. I just...
Rating: 5 Stars

I got to say, when I first picked up this series during the summer, I wasn't too sure what to expect. I mean a gypsy? I wasn't really too big of a fan on the whole gypsy concept, probably because I always thought gypsies weren't exactly the most threatening group of people out there. But Gwen...well, her being a gypsy isn't even half of what she can do, of who she is. She's got brains, a sword, and loyalty quite literally to a fault to her friends and family. I fell in love with her character, and now I'm on the last leg of her journey. 

To begin with, Gwen's probably the most relatable character I've ever read about. She's always been the weird person (being a gpysy and all), the one no one really understands or notices, until she finds out that she is Nike's (who's the Greek goddess of victory) Champion. (Side note: hello, goddess of victory chooses you as her prime representative? There's bound to be something good (like victory) out of this!) Gwen goes from loner to major butt-kicking hero, and along the way she gains a pack of loyal friends. 

What really got me when I read about Gwen was her desire to do the right thing for her friends and family. When people she loves are put in danger, Gwen dives head first into saving them, regardless of how crazy and illogical her plans are. Yes, if she looks at the "bigger picture", there are some cases where people are arguably not worth saving, but Gwen is able to look past (cough, see ignore) that and save them anyways. All without letting the world fall into chaos. 

I really found that the things she does and feels is pretty realistic. Her constant worry over the safety of her friends, her thought process for doing selfless solo actions, the guilt she feels for lying to protect people, the way she rebels against orders that she doesn't agree with, the list goes on. She goes with her heart all the way, and I admire her for that. Yes, she is frequently shot down by adults and their logic, but that doesn't stop her from making her own plans and executing them herself. She gets things done, with or without others to help. Nothing stands in her way; one way or another, she will find a way to get what needs to be done, done.

Gwen's journey really brought out the importance of friends, of not being afraid to lean on others sometimes. Yes, it takes up a lot of pride, but in the war Gwen's fighting, she needs people to support her. It doesn't make her weak; her friends are her power. They are her motivation, her drive to not fail her mission, her motivation to save the world. 

I really love Gwen, and I'm sad to see the end of her journey. It was one I really enjoyed, one that I really connected to on a personal level. The way she thinks, the things she does, they're all the same things I would have done in her shoes. I see myself in her in many aspects, from her attitude to her scheming to her desire to not fail her friends. Her heart is truely in the righty place. 

Give it a read, and let me know what you guys think!

Deception Review: Rachel

I am a guilty.
Alone. Broken.

I'm far from fine.

I was trying to kill the Commander.

He took away everything from me.
I ended up destroying my home, Baalboden.

I called the Cursed One to bring the Commander to justice.

But the Commander got away.

And it destroyed my home instead.

I will find a way to get my revenge.

Even if it kills me.
I will not stop.

The Commander will fall.

And he will fall to the hands of Rachel Adams.

He will fall by my hands.

Hey guys! Today, I happen to be the strong-willed, revenge-driven Rachel, from Deception!

Book: Deception

Author: C. J. Redwine

Series: Defiance

Book Status: Book two

Setting: Baalboden, Wastelands (I don't know what this world is called...someone help me?)

POV: Rachel and Logan, both in first person

Genre: YA fantasy (set in another world)

Reading: First time

Favorite thing about it: hands down the ACTION. Rachel is deadly.

Rating: 5 Stars

You know, as far as revenge goes, Rachel is about as driven as it gets. She wants justice, and she's willing to do anything to get it, at any consequence. Even laying down her life. Which, of course, is an issue because there are people who don't want to see her die (cough, Logan). Her drive and determinism to seek revenge is exactly what makes her so deadly, so lethal. 

Rachel brought me into a world where I became determined to bring the Commander, the man who teared apart my family, to justice. A world where love and loss drives courage and faith, drives vengeance and honor.

The thing about Rachel is that she isn't afraid to get her hands dirty in a fight. Prefers it, in fact. And in the world she lives in, where girls and women are assigned Protectors and are treated as completely helpless, the fact that she can hold up on her own in a fight is amazing. She can easily best any man who would harm her and show him who's boss.

As Rachel, I really got to understand what it means to love someone fiercely, to hold family so close to your heart. She really brought to light the strong love you can have for people and the ends you can go to to avenge them. To love and mourn someone so much that you will do anything it takes to make their deaths not in vain.

But revenge isn't all that Rachel has going on for her. Yes, it's the main driver and motivation for her actions, but she is one of the leaders of the group of survivors after Baalboden was destroyed. She's training others to fight, both girls and boys, all while planning a way to bring the Commander to justice. Plus, she's battling some inner demons, given that the words guilty, alone, and broken keep coming up. She has a lot going on for her, and it really brings to mind both the physical and mental aspects of a strong female.

Rachel is probably one of the bravest females out there. If someone tears apart my family, I would want justice. I want to make him pay for everything he's done to me. And above all, I want to be able to have the courage to seek out revenge and deliver it. It might not be the most logical of decisions, but it is one of most moving, one of the most touching.

How would you guys feel if someone went to such extremes to avenge your death? Grateful? Horrified? Honored?

Ashes Review: Alex

I am a survivor.

An electromagnetic pulse killed billions.
But not me.

I want to know what happened.
I want to understand why I'm alive.

I know there are others who are alive.
But they're not...entirely right.

I want to know who else is still alive, really alive.
But above all, I want to stay alive.

My name today is Alex.

So, today I'm the lucky(?) survivor Alex (who's a girl by the way), who's from Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick! She is one hardcore person, that's all I want to say.

Book: Ashes
Author: Ilsa J. Bick
Series: The Ashes Trilogy
Book Status: First book
Setting: Earth (pre and post apocalypse)
POV: Alex, third person
Genre: YA thriller, post-apocalypse

Reading: First time
Notes: great for Halloween
Rating: 4 stars




Okay, I'm cheating a teeny tiny bit again. Technically speaking, I read this book for the first time a while ago, but this was one of those books I read before this blog started up. So I'm still categorizing this under "first time" reads.

May I be the first to say that this is one creepy book. Like I said, great for Halloween (which was when I read it). I mean, you have Alex on a normal day hiking up through the woods, and suddenly the world gets thrown into mayhem. That said, she was in the woods at the time, so she didn't really know that, you know, the entire world kind of dropped dead too, but hey, she figures it out in the end. Points award there for piecing everything together.

I can't go into too much detail because I might spoil it, but the key words here are post-apoclypse, billions dead, handful alive, and those that are alive may not even be human (it's in the book description! Not a spoiler!). So what's a girl to do in this situation?

Like Alex, I was freaked out, with more questions than answers. I mean, me, a survivor? That's laughable. But Alex brought me on a whirlwind of emotions and tough decisions, of hard shots being called and how to move forward through helplessness. Really, there isn't much you can do in a situation like this. But through Alex, I was able to hold my panic down. She's tough because she has to be, able to think without panic clouding her judgement, because she knows she needs to survive. Yes, she has a moments of doubt and fear (it's not exactly a party when the world is barren and everyone's dead), but she doesn't let that stand in her way.

Alex made me realize how much I'd really have to toughen up if I'm going to survive a worldwide disaster. If that day comes (and I seriously hope it doesn't), well, yeah. I don't think I would survive very long, honestly. I'd like to say that I could, but I know there's just no way.

Do you think you guys would survive?

Untold Review: Kami

I live in Sorry-in-the-Vale
It is full of magic and Lynburns.

There is a war brewing.
I used to be able to help, to partake in it.
But what connected me to it was lost.

I will not be helpless.
I will not sit back and watch it all.

I will fight.
Even if I am not part of that world.
I'll just do it on my own terms.

Today, my name is Kami Glass.

Hi! Today, I happen to be the awesome reporter Kami Glass from Untold, by Sarah Rees Brennan!

Book: Untold
Author: Sarah Rees Brennan
Series: The Lynburn Legacy
Book Status: Second book
Setting: Sorry-in-the-Vale (town in England), present day
POV: told mostly by Kami, third person
Genre: YA paranormal

Reading: First time
Favorite line: "We often have special moments where I come into a room and he leaves."
Rating: 5 stars



Guys, if you haven't read the Lynburn Legacy series yet, do it now. Kami Glass is pure awesome. She's funny, smart, brave, everything. I mean, she says, "Huh. Guys, remember that game we played before, about who could be the fastest to call the police?" (that was in the prequel The Summer Before I met You, by the way). She's calm collected, and has a sense of humor to go with it. First book is Unspoken, so go read it!

Okay, onto my rant about her! Kami is one of those people who, if rendered helpless, will not sit by idling while the world continues to burn around her. Yes, she is just a normal girl facing off a swarm of people all armed with magic (again, I don't count that as a spoiler! It's in the book description!), but does that stop her? No. She's going to rally every resource she has to do her part in the battle.

In a way, Kami's probably someone I aspire to the most. She's just another girl, nothing particular special about her (not anymore). She has every reason to walk away from everything. But she doesn't. She risks her life over and over again for her town, for her friends, for her family. That's called loyalty.

Reading about Kami, I was suddenly thrown into a world of magic and courage to make a difference. And I think that's important, having courage. Having courage, and sticking right to it, all the way. Yes, there's a difference between bravery and stupidity, but let's be honest here: sticking to your guns, no matter how hopeless everything seems, all for the side of good is brave, not stupid. 

The takeaway message I get from here is that if you're going to make a difference, you got to go big. I don't mean big as in simply big actions; I mean you can't hesitate about anything, especially yourself. Things you wouldn't normally do, but things you know you can do, things you believe you can do. If you don't, either someone will get to it first, or it will be an opportunity lost (and in the case of Kami, every opportunity she goes for makes a huge difference).

Channel that inner belief. Channel that inner magic. Channel your inner Kami.

Book Shimmy Awards!

Okay, okay, two posts in one day doesn't make it the end of the world.

Have you heard of Team Epic Reads? They're a sub-part of HarperTeen (they're a publishing company if you don't know), and they're all about YA books. They're awesome people, and they host what's called a Book Shimmy Award at the end of each year. It's kind of like Goodreads, where you can vote for your favorite books of the year. Expect at Epic Reads, which is just YA books, the categories are all YA book based. Which is totally awesome.

So, yesterday was the award ceremony/show, where the winners were announced. And though I'm about a day behind from when the event actually happened, that doesn't mean I can't express my love of it nonetheless.

I just want to extend my congratulations to those that won. Because the books that won? They are awesome books. Those that were nominated, but didn't win? Also awesome books. Basically, every book nominated was awesome, and that's a lot of awesomeness all around.

Congratulations to The One (Kiera Cass), Snow Like Ashes (Sara Raasch), A Thousand Pieces of You (Claudia Gray), Mockingjay (Suzanne Collins), To All The Boys I've Loved Before (Jenny Han), Panic (Lauren Oliver), Isla and the Happily Ever After (Stephanie Perkins), Heir of Fire (Sarah J. Maas), The Young Elites (Marie Lu), Ignite Me (Tahereh Mafi), City of Heavenly Fire (Cassandra Clare), We Were Liars (E. Lockhart), and Four: A Divergent Collection (Veronica Roth)!

Want to know what they all won for? Head over to EpicReads.com to find out (Sorry...I don't have time to put all the categories up at the moment)!

Also, if you haven't read some of these before, do it now!

Cress Review

I am Lunar.
I am a Lunar shell, with no powers or glamor.

I have been trapped in a satellite.
I was put here to become the Lunar Queen's hacker.

I have been tracking the fugitive Cinder for my Queen.
But I have been withholding information about her whereabout to my Queen.

I will not help my Queen.
I want out of this satellite.

Cinder can help me.
I will get out.

Today, I am Crescent Moon.
I am Cress.

Isn't that a cool name? Cress, short for Crescent Moon. So cool. Anyways, today I happen to be Cress, from Cress (haha) by Marissa Meyer!

Book: Cress
Author: Marissa Meyer
Series: The Lunar Chronicles
Book Status: 3rd book
Setting: Earth, Moon, space (sort of)
POV: told mostly by Cress and Cinder, all in third person
Genre: YA sci-fi, fairy tale retelling (it's a lot better than the actual fairy tales)

Reading: First time
Favorite part: Cress and Thorn. Cinder and Kai.
Rating: 5 Stars



Okay, okay, so maybe I lied just a teeny tiny bit. I actually finished this a while ago, but I hadn't started this blog yet, so technically it's a re-read (sort of) but what the heck. Actually, there's a ton of books I'm probably going to blog about that I read all prior to the start of this blog.

So today I'm a hacker by the name of Cress, working reluctantly for an evil queen. I (as in me) am not very tech-savvy, so it's neat to suddenly know what the heck I'm doing and more through Cress. Programming security cameras to conveniently turn off? Or turning them on, to expose something? Yes please.

But living in a satellite for god-knows how long? That's kind of painful. I would get really lonely. Which is why the thought of a rescue is so very attractive. That, plus the fact that working for an evil queen isn't a great way to charm people. Charming bad guys, sure, I guess, but that's not exactly a high priority.

Anyways. Back to being a hacker-for-the-bad-guys-but-actually-on-the-good-guys-side. The only issue is that if I'm stuck in space in a satellite, there really is no chance of getting out myself. I'd be completely dependent on a rescue, which is exactly what happens (that's not a spoiler! It says so in the book description!).

A hacker, huh? I must say, it'd be very advantageous in this technology-oriented world we're in. What do you think?