Month: May 2017

Marked – House of Night #1 – Review

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MarkedSummary: (from Goodreads) After a Vampire Tracker Marks her with a crescent moon on her forehead, 16-year-old Zoey Redbird enters the House of Night and learns that she is no average fledgling. She has been Marked as special by the vampyre Goddess Nyx and has affinities for all five elements: Air, Fire Water, Earth and Spirit. But she is not the only fledgling at the House of Night with special powers. When she discovers that the leader of the Dark Daughters, the school’s most elite club, is mis-using her Goddess-given gifts, Zoey must look deep within herself for the courage to embrace her destiny – with a little help from her new vampyre friends (or Nerd Herd, as Aphrodite calls them)

Buy now: Amazon

Well, the synopsis kind of gives it all away, so no real need for me to summarize. I was drawn into this book based on the lore surrounding vampires in this story. In this world, vampire are not made by being bitten or sharing blood, they apparently chosen by their goddes, Nyx. i found this to be a refreshing concept as so many vampire novels tend to follow the same sorts of patterns when it come to the lore and mythology of the species. They have their own religion that is very much like the Wiccan religion. They worship a goddess and perform rituals for the full moon, equinox’s and solstices.

Other than the lore religion of the vampire, I wouldn’t say there was much remarkable about this book. It followed some fairly common YA troupes, including Zoey’s extreme specialness and the fact that the most popular boy in school is instantly attracted to her. And naturally the most popular girl in school hates her and sees her as a rival.

The characters weren’t overly remarkable either. You’ve got Zoey, the seemingly ordinary high school girl who suddenly discovers how special she is and that she has a destiny to fulfill; the most popular boy in school, who is, of course, gorgeous and instantly attracted to the new girl; the popular mean girl who needs to be taken down a notch; a male gay character, a cheerful roommate and two girls who are so alike they call each other “twin”.

After a mere few days at the House of Night, Zoey’s powers come to light and she learns part of the reason the goddess chose her (i’m guessing there’s more to it than was revealed in this novel) and the importance of friendship. The friendship bit actually made me roll my eyes at the cheesiness of it.  A little too “gather around the camp fire and sing” for me.

Overall, i enjoyed Marked for a light fluffy read. It wasn’t anything special but it also wasn’t terrible. I will likely read the next volume, mostly because I already own it but I don’t have high expectations.

Eragon – Inheritance #1 – Review

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eragonSynopsis: (from Goodreads) One boy. One dragon. A world of adventure.
When Eragon finds a polished blue stone in the forest, he thinks it is the lucky discovery of a poor farm boy; perhaps it will buy his family meat for the winter. But when the stone brings a dragon hatchling, Eragon realizes he has stumbled upon a legacy nearly as old as the Empire itself.

Overnight his simple life is shattered, and he is thrust into a perilous new world of destiny, magic, and power. With only an ancient sword and the advice of an old storyteller for guidance, Eragon and the fledgling dragon must navigate the dangerous terrain and dark enemies of an Empire ruled by a king whose evil knows no bounds.

Can Eragon take up the mantle of the legendary Dragon Riders? The fate of the Empire may rest in his hands.

Buy Now:Amazon

I’ve thought long and hard about what to say about this book. The problem, you see, is that I saw the movie first, and couldn’t help comparing the book to the movie the entire time I was reading it. Now, I know that no movie based on a book is ever the same as the book but the differences here were quite vast. However, this review is for the book, not the movie. I will try to refrain from comparing the two.

Going into this, I truly expected to like this book, if not love it. After all, I had seen and liked the movie and the movie was based on the book. Logical conclusion: I would like the book. It didn’t quite thrill me as much as I expected it to though. I felt the pacing of the story was too slow. Eragon and Saphira were supposed to be on the run for their lives from the King, but I never felt much of a sense of urgency in their travels. It was often like they were just out traveling, or like Brom was a mentor taking his apprentice for training by wandering the empire and teaching him things as they went along.

That’s not to say that I didn’t like this book. There were things I definitely like. For instance, Saphira is a fun and complex character. Though she is still very young, it’s clear that she must have been at least somewhat aware of her surroundings while still in her egg because she knows things about the past before she hatched and often speaks in a wise-beyond-her-years tone.

The bond between Eragon and Saphira is deep and very touching. It’s clear that they care for each other greatly. As they journey and deal with all the things that come their way, their bond strengthens and they have in each other someone to lean on and grow with.

I can’t adequately describe how I feel about this book. I didn’t dislike it, but I didn’t love it either. I suppose in the end, I would say it was okay. 2.5/5 stars.

Waiting on Wednesday #4 – The Weaver’s Lament – Paperback Edition

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“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

 

Weavers LamentSynopsis: Acclaimed author Elizabeth Haydon returns with a heartbreaking tale of love and valor in The Weaver’s Lament, the ninth and final installment of her USA Today bestselling Symphony of Ages series that began with Rhapsody.

For a thousand years, the lands ruled by the Cymrian Alliance have been at peace. When the brutal death of a dear friend catapults the kingdom to the brink of civil war, Rhapsody finds herself in an impossible situation: forced to choose between her beloved husband, Ashe, and her two oldest friends, Grunthor and Achmed. Choosing her husband will mean the death of thousands of innocents. Siding against him will cost Rhapsody the other half of her soul, both in this life and the next.

In The Weaver’s Lament, the lines between the past and future are irrevocably blurred, and the strength of true love is tested in unthinkable ways. Bestselling author Elizabeth Haydon has delivered a spectacular conclusion to the Symphony of Ages.

 

Although this book has already been published in hardcover. I am eagerly awaiting the Paperback edition on June 27, 2017. This will conclude the Symphony of Ages series.