Review: Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa

4.5 stars. Look, I don’t normally do a lot of gushing, so just brace yourself for this review. Because this book was amazing. I knew exactly 62 pages in that I was going to love this story. Shadow of the Fox is one of those rare books where you completely forget that you're reading, because you're so immersed in what's happening.

My History with Julie Kagawa's Books:

I enjoyed the first three books in Julie Kagawa’s Iron Fey series, despite some flat characterization and the romance not going the way I wanted. I'd also read the first two books in Julie's Immortal Rules series, and had the same reaction - enjoyed the books, wasn't really there for the romance. (She wrote a series about dragons too, which I never picked up because I’m not huge on dragons.) Despite having a positive experience with most of her series, none of them hold a candle to this new book. The development of the world, the intricacy of the plot, and most of all, the strength of the characterization, blew my mind. Shadow of the Fox is in a field all on its own.

The Characters:

Yumeko is our tricksy but well-intentending kitsune protagonist, and I absolutely loved her. She always gave people a chance no matter their reputation, and she was reluctant to provoke animosity with anyone. While some may view this as naive, I think it made her brave. To always see or hope for the best in people is an act of courage unto itself.

And then there's Tatsumi. Poor demon-possesed Tatsumi, who stole my heart and made me want to weep. If you’ve read Julie's Iron Fey series, Tatsumi is the character I wished Ash could have been. He’s dark and quiet and broody, and *cough* slightly evil, but he’s his own unique character and I loved getting to see inside his head. He’s one of those protagonists(?) who immediately feels like a real person, like someone you’re meeting and not just reading about.

The side characters were also awesome. I won't name all of them, but halfway through we’re introduced to a character named Okame who made me laugh in almost every scene he was in. The story also introduces many different kinds of villains, who were all great in that I absolutely hated the lot of them. If you like reading about terrible female villains, this book has what you're looking for.

Lastly, the romance was just...perfect. And agonizing. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time, and to say I’m dying for the sequel would be an understatement. Whether or not you’ve read Julie’s books before, let me help sway you now. YOU WANT THIS BOOK.

Goodreads
Release Date: October 2, 2018

Quick Review: The Bird and the Blade by Megan Bannen

Rounding up to 3 stars. Despite being a little torn about this book, I would overall give it a thumbs up. There is a lot about The Bird and the Blade that feels different from your average fantasy novel, and I really enjoyed that. This is a standalone historical-fantasy set in the Mongol Empire. We follow a slave girl named Jinghua who sets off an a journey with Prince Khalaf, a descendent of Genghis Khan, to help save his kingdom.

There is a nice balance of character focus and action, and Bannen's writing has a romantic quality to it that reminded me a bit of Renee Ahdieh's prose. Despite the romance lacking some of the angst that I so dearly love to revel in, I ended up really liking the characters, especially Junghua, Khalaf, and Khalaf's father Timur. Timur especially is like that dry-humored old curmudgeon who slowly starts to grow on you as the plot progresses. There is a riddle aspect to this story that is riveting to watch play out, and I thought the ending was, dare I say it, a truly refreshing one. My only real qualm about this book is that the beginning throws you into a first-hand narrative without a lot of context. Once I figured out that the book jumps back-and-forth in time, and switches perspectives, I finally put together what was going on and was able to fully concentrate on the story.

While I enjoyed reading this, I don't know how long the story will stay with me. Even if it wasn't my favorite fantasy in the world, I am glad I picked it up. Overall, if you enjoy ghosts, slow-burn romance, and unique historical fantasies, then The Bird and the Blade is definitely calling your name.

Goodreads Description 
Release Date: June 5, 2018

Quick Review: Beyond a Darkened Shore by Jessica Leake

3.25 stars. Beyond a Darkened Shore was a slow start for me, but I ended up really enjoying it. I loved how the author blended together Norse and Celtic mythology and used those elements to not only shape the world, but also to define the two main characters, Ciara and Lief. Ciara is a Celtic princess who may or may not possess a little mind-control magic, and Lief is a Northman warrior who invades her kingdom. It was fun to watch the two of them clash and grow together, and I immensely enjoyed the journey they wind up going on, filled with kelpies, fae, and ancient gods.

Some scenes I thought were a little overwritten, and dragged on longer than necessary, but I only found myself skimming a few times. After three or four chapters, I found myself totally engrossed in the story. If you like fantasy, especially Norse and Celtic-inspired fantasy, with a hate-to-love romance, then I do seriously recommend picking up Beyond a Darkened Shore. While perhaps not on the level of Cassandra Clare or Holly Black, it's a worthwhile read.

Goodreads Description

Quick Review: Stay Sweet by Siobhan Vivian

3 stars. I've never read anything by Siobhan Vivian before, but I thought this was really cute. The story really pulled me in, and it was cool how ice cream was almost like its own character in the book. I also enjoyed the flashback diary entries written by the shop's original owner, Molly. Some may see the main character, Amelia, as a "weak" character, but I actually related to her in a lot of ways (not sure what that says about me). She was more job-focused and understanding of others than Cate, her fun-loving best friend, and I identified with her struggle to balance her drive to be a good worker and her desire to have fun with her friends. 

Overall, this was a perfect contemporary to pick up for the summer - especially for us fantasy lovers who occasionally need to dip back into the real world.

Goodreads Description

Quick Review: Seafire by Natalie C. Parker

3.5 stars. As a general rule, I'm not a fan of pirate stories. I've never watched the Pirates of the Caribbean movies (gasp!), and I usually lose interest whenever I see a book pitched as anything "pirate"-esque. It's just not a sub-genre that calls to me. Seafire, however, totally caught me off guard. I started it late at night and found, to my dawning horror, that I could not put it down. Natalie C. Parker's writing is vivid and absolutely captivating, without being flowery. The main character, Caledonia, is flawed, and frustrated me at numerous points, but not in a way that put me off. She was level-headed and her prejudice toward the Bullets was grounded, which only left me more eager to see her perspective grow.

Female friendship and girl power was a crucial element in this book, but it was done in a way I really appreciated. Instead of feeling preachy, or just consisting of "rah-rah" lines with little substance, Seafire actually introduced me to girls who stood by each other and showed strength, instead of just telling me they were strong. I feel like the girl who charges into situations with a tough-girl attitude and no regret is an often mis-construed character trope. Caledonia is certainly tough, but this book doesn't gloss over or idealize the less admirable sides of her personality. I cannot tell you how much I appreciated this, because it made her moments of vulnerability even more powerful.

Plot-wise, I could picture everything that was happening in my mind. The world and the "sailor talk" was well-constructed, and the relationship in this book. I am so here for it. It was subtle and angst-ridden and I'm just 100% on-board. So congratulations to Natalie for writing the pirate book that hooked my attention and finally changed my mind!

Goodreads Description
Release Date: August 28, 2018

Combo Review: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern & Caraval by Stephanie Garber

Magical circuses. On paper, they sound right up my alley - who doesn't like mysterious magicians, mind-twisting games, and beautiful settings? Sadly, me. And here's why:

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

2.25 stars

Look, the writing is gorgeous. But I was just so...bored? The Night Circus is like an exquisitely wrapped present with nothing inside. If you love beautiful imagery and lush descriptions - just for the sake of their beauty and lushness - then you'll probably like this book. The writing is certainly a work of art, but I found the actual story itself to be incredibly lacking. The characters are like people you watch through a window - flat and always kept at a distance. I never truly cared about them. 

It also didn't help that the plot was mind-numbingly slow. While reading, I would pick up this book, only to set it down 20 minutes later after I realized that nothing really was happening. The story was all description. Don't get me wrong - I love slower-paced books. In fact, it's one of my buzzwords that actually gets me interested in a novel. But there's a difference between "slower-paced" and "literally nothing of note is happening". Usually, slow-paced books concentrate on character development. In the case of The Night Circus, slow-paced means: 10 pages of sensory description -> characters go on walk/eat dinner -> 10 more pages of sensory description. Which may be some readers' cup of tea, but it ain't mine.

If this book hadn't been so hyped, I may not feel as let-down as I do. And I certainly recognize that, objectively, The Night Circus is a masterful piece of work. It just wasn't the type of novel that worked for me.

Caraval by Stephanie Garber

2.25 stars

Caraval also suffers from a lack of character depth. Our protagonist, Scarlet, comes off as whiny a lot of the time, not to mention the fact that she develops a serious case of insta-love. She and the love-interest spend way too much time making eyes at one another, and their set-up is so obvious and sickly sweet it almost made me sick. Maybe I've become jaded, and only want angst and tension in my couples, but this book just didn't deliver for me romance-wise. I might've been able to forgive Scarlet's sudden infatuation if it was with an interesting character with a layered personality. Julian, however, has about as many layers as a British pancake. I found the world-building also lacking, with empty filler descriptions that seemed intended to just sound flowery. The only intriguing element of the novel was Caraval's secret master, Legend. Unfortunately, even he could not salvage my enjoyment of the story.

Overall 

For various reasons, neither of these books worked for me. While The Night Circus definitely deserves snaps for its writing and atmosphere, Caraval was a quicker read that didn't get as bogged down in description. Both novels seriously struggled in the character department, and sadly were not for me. However, I'm not writing off magical circuses completely! I'm holding out hope that one day I'll stumble across a circus-fantasy that satisfies my character-driven bookish needs.

Quick Review: Storm-Wake by Lucy Christopher

A tentative 3 stars. Lucy Christopher's Stolen is one of my favorite books of all time. It's incredible. You will not be the same after reading it. (If you don't believe me, it won the Prinz award!) However, her other books have been a bit hit-or-miss for me. None of them have lived up to Stolen. Flyaway was soft and beautiful and sad. The Killing Woods was intriguing and enjoyable enough, but ultimately nothing too special.

Her new book, Storm-Wake, is different from anything she's ever written, at least style-wise. It reflects the otherworldly nature of the novel's island setting. You could trace some similar themes that run throughout both Stolen and Storm-Wake, such as beauty, dreams, and magical places. This book, though, more than any of her others, felt like it fits into the magical realism genre.

Storm-Wake is about a girl named Moss who lives with her Pa on a magical island. They both believe the rest of the world has been swallowed by floods, and it's only when a few boys wash ashore that you start to figure out the truth. I have to say, it took me a little while to get into the unique style of this book, as you're just sort of thrown into Moss's world. But I ended up enjoying the story and the somewhat bizarre relationships Moss forms with the boys and the island. And honestly, I wanted to figure out the truth about the island.

I didn't enjoy Storm-Wake as much as Stolen, but the story was still unique and gripped me throughout. Lucy Christopher's style differs with each book, but her writing is consistently lyrical and immersive. Overall, a lovely dreamlike tale.

Goodreads Description
Release Date: July 31, 2018