Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Series: The Illuminae Files,#1

Published: 20th October 2015 by Knopf Books for Young Readers

Goodreads Description:

This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do.

This afternoon, her planet was invaded.

The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to fight their way onto an evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.

But their problems are just getting started. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results; the fleet's AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth, it's clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: the ex-boyfriend she swore she'd never speak to again.

Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, schematics, military files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more—Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping, high-octane trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes. 

My thoughts:

Illuminae is freaking amazing! I absolutely loved it! It is a fantastic story told in a unique way that I throughly enjoyed.

The formatting of Illuminae is what really makes the book special. The story is told through IMs, survallience footage, interviews, transcripts of audio recordings, emails and lots more types of multi media. This unique format is hard to get used to in the beginning, the first 50 pages or so were difficult for me to follow the but I pushed through and eventually it started to make sense. Because of the unique formatting we get lots of POVs which is great, even artificial intelligence which is so cool!

I loved the two main characters Kady and Ezra so much. They were great. I had a hard time really connecting to Kady because it's all through dialogue it is hard to really get to know her but with time I really grew to love her. She is one of the coolest characters ever; she is a freaking genius computer hacker! And she is really pro-girlpower which I love and she so so sarcastic and blunt I loved it! Ezra was freaking hilarious; he is so snarky and just anytime he was in a scene it was so much fun. The banter between the two of them was on point. The authors really captured teen voices in their characters. The way they spoke (well typed since it was IMing mostly) was so relatable and realistic. Their relationship was so fun to read and was developed perfectly. 

The plot was a bit slow in the start; there is a goo bit of build up but then it gets crazy. Once it got going to story was so intense, with some surprises here and there, it was so addictive,I couldn't put it down. I was constantly on edge wondering will they make it or won't they make it.

I'm not a huge sci-fi reader so I was apprehensive going in that I wouldn't have a clue what was going on but it was grand. Illuminae is very sci-fi- there is spaceships and computers and artificial intelligence but I didn't have a problem with it at all. 

The ending makes me so excited for the next instalment in the series; I've heard the second book is about different characters so it will be interesting to see how their story connects with Illuminae.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed Illuminae, it was nothing like I've ever read before and I highly recommend it!

My rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Thanks for reading,

A :)

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Trapped In Silver by Emily Sowden

*I received an eARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.*

Series: The Eldryn Chronicles 

Publication:February 7th 2017 by Oftomes Publishing

Goodreads Description:

Courage comes from a shadowed place in our hearts; a blurred line that straddles love and sheer stupidity.

To seventeen-year-old Ava, wild woodcats, hungry stragglers, and simple-minded townsfolk are the evils she’s grown accustomed to. But when Ethan, an unusual man with eyes of smoke and fire opal, enters her world she quickly understands that there are worse things out there than drunken men and carnivorous forest creatures. She’s a specialised liar and a hell of a fighter, but against a group of animalistic men called Berserkers she struggles to survive the encounter as the desperate swing of a dagger is all it takes to change her life for good.

Half-dead and hunted by the Berserker’s leader when he forms a monstrous obsession with her, Ava escapes his pursuit in an unfamiliar land full of impossible creatures, unlikely allies, and the man she doesn’t know whether to kiss or kill. 

But after dreadful news of her missing brother surfaces, Ava becomes more involved in the centuries-long war and begins to unravel the reasons behind her relentless nightmares, discovering truths long-buried in a violent history of love, loss and betrayal. 

My thoughts:

I liked Trapped in Silver but didn't love it. It was just meh for me.

My favourite character was Ava. She's headstrong and makes rash decisions but she's independent and sarcastic too which I liked.

There is a lot of characters in Trapped in Silver. There was so many that at times I was confused who was who, especially the side characters and antagonists. 

There were a good few relationships developed throughout the story. I really liked Ava and Lavander's friendship. They almost have a sister bond which was nice to read. Their relationship was probably my favourite aspect of the book.

I also liked Ava and Ethan's relationship at times too but not as much. Their dialogue was fun here and there when they got going it got very sassy and flirty which was fun to read. There wasn't enough of it though for me to ship it or care that much about them to be honest.

The plot was all over the place. I don't know if I missed stuff or was reading too fast (I skimmed a lot towards the end to tell you the truth) but I had no idea why the characters were going to the places they were/ doing what they were doing. It was pretty slow and when there was action it was over before it even started or didn't happen at all. It wasn't engaging at all and I kept getting bored which led to me skimming chunks of the story.

The writing wasn't anything special. Not that there's anything wrong with it, it was just simple and plain to me. It was easy to understand and I had no problems with it.

Trapped In Silver is told in dual points of view, Ava and Ethan. Personally I don't think it was necessary to have them both narrating. Ethan's chapters were short, he probably had 10 pages total scattered throughout the book, and they didn't add anything to the story really.

I felt like the building was lacking. We are given very little information on where Ava is from. And I felt that the paranormal stuff was just as vague with were the berserkers and demons came from and how their world is connected to ours and how Ava got there.

Overall I felt like Trapped in Silver was a good read but I had a lot of problems with it.

My Rating: 3 stars

Thanks for reading,

A :)

The False Prince by Jennifer A Nielsen

Series: The Ascendence Trilogy, #1

Publication: 1st April 2012 by Scholastic 

Goodreads Description:
The False Prince is the thrilling first book in a brand-new trilogy filled with danger and deceit and hidden identities that will have readers rushing breathlessly to the end.

In a discontent kingdom, civil war is brewing. To unify the divided people, Conner, a nobleman of the court, devises a cunning plan to find an impersonator of the king’s long-lost son and install him as a puppet prince. Four orphans are recruited to compete for the role, including a defiant boy named Sage. Sage knows that Conner’s motives are more than questionable, yet his life balances on a sword’s point—he must be chosen to play the prince or he will certainly be killed. But Sage’s rivals have their own agendas as well.

As Sage moves from a rundown orphanage to Conner’s sumptuous palace, layer upon layer of treachery and deceit unfold, until finally, a truth is revealed that, in the end, may very well prove more dangerous than all of the lies taken together.

An extraordinary adventure filled with danger and action, lies and deadly truths that will have readers clinging to the edge of their seats. 

My Thoughts:
The False Prince is a fun adventure story that I flew through. It was such a quick read and I really enjoyed every minute of it.

Sage is such a fun character to read about. He is so sassy and clever. His voice is so distinct, the author did an excellent job with his narration. I was hooked from the first page.

Over the course of the story Sage builds relationships with the other boys. Some could be considered friendships but others are more like enemies. There was lots of backstabbing, alliances, secrets and lies going on that made relationships more interesting and complex.

The plot was enjoyable for the most part. It was predictable at time but it was fun to read. There was a good few twists and turns and while I predicted what would happen I think a lot of readers will be shocked at some of the plot twists.

The False Prince isn't really Young Adult but isn't really Middle Grade either. It bridges the gap between the two. Sage, the main character, is only 14 making it not YA (YA MCs are usually 16+) but MG MC's are usually younger.

There was no romance in The False Prince which was refreshing to read. The majority of books I read have a romance and it sometimes overshadows the plot which I hate. The girls in the story are very minor characters and the interactions between them and Sage are in no may romantic. A relationship may develop in later books but at the moment in glad there wasn't one included in the first book.

The ending that shocked everyone else didn't surprise me. I predicted what was going to happen pretty early on. Had I not predicted the ending I would have given the book a 5 out of 5.

My Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Thanks for reading,
A :)

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My Favourite Reads of 2016

So 2016 is coming to its end so I decided it was time for another favourites post! Here's a list of the top 10 books I read in 2016. (Not all the books were released in 2016! And the books are in no particular order because I couldn't decide which I liked best!)

1.Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare

2.Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas

3.A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas

4.The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater

5.The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson

6.The Book Thief

7.A Book of Spirits and Thieves (and book 2-The Darkest Magic) by Morgan Rhodes

8.Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

9.Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

10. The Hammer of Thor by Rick Riordan

If you want to read my thoughts on the above books I have reviews on my blog for the majority of them and reviews of the others are coming soon!

Melody's Key by Dallas Coryell

*I was sent an ecopy of Melody's Key by the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.*

Publication:June 24th 2016

Goodreads Description:
“His eyes settled on her…piercing green embers of flame that revealed the ferocity of his pain and passion, yet still shrouded him under veils of ever deepening mystery that made every ounce of her ache to unravel him.” 

Tegan Lockwood’s dreams were dead, sacrificed on the noble altar of duty before they ever had a chance to live. Her entire existence was disappearing into the abyss of apathy as she labored her days away keeping her family’s struggling business alive. There would be no emotion, no color, no beauty in her life. That is, until a mysterious visitor begins to draw her out of the darkness of her past towards something that will challenge the boundaries of her world, and unlock the most deeply held secrets of her heart.

My thoughts:
Melody's Key is a fun, enjoyable, quick read. It is cliche (a lot of the time) but I didn't mind because that was just what I wanted at the time when I was reading. 

The main character Tegan is well developed over the course of the story and she is incredibly likebale from the fist page. I felt myself relating to her in multiple ways. She is very into music and art, and while I don't have a musical bone in my body, I really understood her thought process around creating music and art as I really like drawing. I think people who aren't into music or art can relate to her as well. I felt myself relating to her emotions and how she felt about certain things.

Family plays a big role in Melody's Key which I appreciated. Family is something I find is hardly present in the books I usually read. I really liked reading about Tegan's relationship with her younger sister, Ryleigh. As someone who has two sisters it was great to see a realistic sister relationship in the book.

The romance is the main focus in the story and I knew as soon as they met that Tegan and Mason's relationship was going to be full of cliches; and I was right there was cliches left right and centre! They were cute though and their interactions were funny. Both characters are very witty so it was fun reading any scenes they had together when the banter started to get going.

Other than the cliches everywhere the writing was really good. There are some long winded descriptions but they aren't so long that they take the reader out of the story.

The story is written in Tegan's point of view but there is also letters from the past that are scattered throughout the novel. I really enjoyed reading both I just wish there had been more about the letters.

There was some really good topics hit on in Melody's Key such as LGBT elements but I think the author missed an opportunity to explore them more. I felt like there was so much potential there but it was lost because Tegan and Mason's romance took over the story.

My only complaint is the ending; everything wraps up a little too conveniently (and unrealistic to be honest) for my taste. Some readers won't mind this but it was a bit too much for me.

Overall, I really enjoyed Melody's Key and would recommend it if your looking for something quick and fun to read.

My rating: 4 stars out of 5
Thanks for reading
A:)
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Also big thank you to the author, Dallas Coryell, who sent me an ecopy of the book!

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

Publication:September 27th 2011 by Walker Books

Goodreads Description:
The monster showed up after midnight. As they do.

But it isn’t the monster Conor’s been expecting. He’s been expecting the one from his nightmare, the one he’s had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments, the one with the darkness and the wind and the screaming…

This monster is something different, though. Something ancient, something wild. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor.

It wants the truth.

My thoughts:
Having read some of Patrick Ness's other books I can say that A Monster Calls is his best work. The story is such a beautiful and tragic one that although is only 200 pages long it leaves a big emotional impact.

I really liked Conor. He was difficult for me to connect with in the beginning because he was a very frustrating character but given the difficult situation he is in I could understand why he was acting the way he did. I really grew to like him and his interactions with the other characters. The other characters were not as fleshed out as I wanted them to be but I don't think that took away from the main storyline and given the lenght of the book it is understandable why the side character's backtories aren't explored.

A Monster Calls is classified as a Middle Grade novel but I 100% think that all ages should give it a read it. At times it felt more mature and I think Young Adult/ Adult readers should give it a go.

I loved how Patrick Ness dealt with the important topics that are at the heart of this story- grief, death and illness. He explored these themes in a realistic manner and never romantized them.

The illustrations are to die for. I think that they really add to the atmosphere f the story and would highly recommed you read the edition with the illustrations included as I think it makes the reading experience a bit different from conventional novels.

My only problem with A Monster Calls was that I wanted more at the end. The story ends in a way that leaves some things unresolved.

My rating: 5 stars
Thanks for reading,
A :)

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A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir

*Warning this blog post contains spoilers for the first book in the series, An Ember In The Ashes*

Series:An Ember In The Ashes, #2

Publication: August 30th 2016 by Razorbill

Goodreads Description:
Elias and Laia are running for their lives. After the events of the Fourth Trial, Martial soldiers hunt the two fugitives as they flee the city of Serra and undertake a perilous journey through the heart of the Empire.

Laia is determined to break into Kauf—the Empire’s most secure and dangerous prison—to save her brother, who is the key to the Scholars’ survival. And Elias is determined to help Laia succeed, even if it means giving up his last chance at freedom.

But dark forces, human and otherworldly, work against Laia and Elias. The pair must fight every step of the way to outsmart their enemies: the bloodthirsty Emperor Marcus, the merciless Commandant, the sadistic Warden of Kauf, and, most heartbreaking of all, Helene—Elias’s former friend and the Empire’s newest Blood Shrike.

Bound to Marcus’s will, Helene faces a torturous mission of her own—one that might destroy her: find the traitor Elias Veturius and the Scholar slave who helped him escape…and kill them both.

My thoughts:
I have to say I was a bit disappointed with A Torch Against The Night. Maybe the hype got to me and my expectations were too high but I just didn't enjoy it like I wanted to.

The plot was all over the place. At times it was fast and at others it was painfully slow. I found myself getting bored while reading the slower parts and really had to push myself to keep reading.  Edited weird~ end was very quick. 

There is a lot of steroetypical YA tropes in A Torch Against The Night. It made me cringe because I loved Ember so much because it was so unique. But there were so many tropes going on in book 2 it annoyed me.

Ember had two narrators but Helene was added into the mix in A Torch Against The Night and that is what really kept me reading. Firstly can I say, the POVs are not easily distinguished, none of the narrattors have distinct voices and I kept getting muddled while reading. That being said Helene was my favourite, her internal conflict and decisions she has to make make her narration the most engaging. Laia and Elias on the other hand bored me to be honest.

The world building is a lot better in A Torch Against The Night than in book 1. This one has a bigger fantasy element. The mythology that was brushed over in Ember is explore a lot more.

Overall, I think Ember is definitely the stronger book in the series so far. I haven't decided if I will continue with the series yet.

My rating: 3 stars
Thanks for reading,
A :)
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