Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

Title: Ready Player One
Author: Ernest Cline
Genre: Sci-Fi Fantasy
Series: Ready Player One # 1

Paperback, 374 pages
Publication: August 16, 2011 by Broadway Books

Source: Personal library

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In the year 2044, reality is an ugly place. The only time teenage Wade Watts really feels alive is when he's jacked into the virtual utopia known as the OASIS. Wade's devoted his life to studying the puzzles hidden within this world's digital confines, puzzles that are based on their creator's obsession with the pop culture of decades past and that promise massive power and fortune to whoever can unlock them. When Wade stumbles upon the first clue, he finds himself beset by players willing to kill to take this ultimate prize. The race is on, and if Wade's going to survive, he'll have to win—and confront the real world he's always been so desperate to escape. 

Ready Player One movie adaptation comes out today. I’ve been hearing a lot about the book since movie rights and production started but didn’t pick up the book until I saw the trailer. It looked pretty interesting, so I thought why not? Plus since I wanted to see the movie, I knew I had to read the book first. Bibliophile problems, amiright? And boy, am I glad I did! Ready Player One was so much fun, coupled with video games, 80’s and pop culture reference…it’s a nerd’s dream come true!

Cline has written one of the most clever and ambitious novels I’ve read in a long time. The world building was scary plausible and mesmerizing all at the same time. I loved how he incorporated all the movies, games and 80’s reference so perfectly within the story. Talk about major nostalgia. The premise and set up was really cool. I also loved the idea of a scavenger hunt and as everyone got closer to obtaining a key and moving beyond the gate, the race became even more intense. My favorite scene was definitely towards the end when Wade was RPG-ing the Monty Python’s Holy Grail movie, that was hilarious! As for the characters, I thought they were well-written and fully developed. Although there were moments when I just wanted to reach inside the book and scold Wade. I can only take so much inner monologue of self-loathing and self-deprecating before it gets old and annoying. Artemis was supposed to be this smart, kick-ass chick but I don’t know, I never warmed up to her character. I thought she was stuck up and had an air of superiority half the time. Not my favorite traits. H was probably the best character, he was a hoot and a genuine surprise at the end. I wasn’t expecting that reveal!

I can now see why this book received so many great reviews, they’re well deserved. I thoroughly enjoyed Ready Player One and am excited to hear that Cline is writing a sequel. If you’re looking for a great throwback to the 80’s, classic games and nerdy movies…you’ll love this book! I highly recommend it!

Beneath the Haunting Sea by Joanna Ruth Meyer

Title: Beneath the Haunting Sea
Author: Joanna Ruth Meyer
Genre: Fantasy
Series: N/A

Hardcover, 400 pages
Publication: January 9, 2018 by Page Street Kids

Source: I received a review copy from Saichek Publicity in exchange for a honest review.

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Can't you hear it, Talia?

Can't you hear the waves singing?

Sixteen-year-old Talia was born to a life of certainty and luxury, destined to become Empress of half the world. But when an ambitious rival seizes power, she and her mother are banished to a nowhere province on the far edge of the Northern Sea.

It is here, in the drafty halls of the Ruen-Dahr, that Talia discovers family secrets, a melancholy boy with a troubling vision of her future, and a relic that holds the power of an ancient Star. On these shores, the eerie melody of the sea is stronger than ever, revealing long-forgotten tales of the Goddess Rahn. The more dark truths that Talia unravels about the gods' history--and her own--the more the waves call to her, and it may be her destiny to answer.

 Beneath the Haunting Sea was a wonderful surprised. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would and who would’ve known that this was exactly the book I needed to read. Not only was the imagery and writing beautifully detailed and written but it was also the perfect self-discovery, fantasy adventure that we need more of. Many reviewers mentioned that this was very Jane Austen-ist, and I couldn’t agree more. Beneath the Haunting Sea is in the same vein as Lord of the Rings, The Princess Bride, and Stardust…so if you’ve enjoyed any of the aforementioned novels; then you’ll love Beneath the Haunting Sea.

Meyer hits the ground running with her debut young adult novel as readers are introduced to Talia, who was destined to be a future queen one minute and an exiled princess the next. After the coup d'etat, Talia found herself shipped off to Ruen-Dahr and betrothed to a boy she’s never met. It is there that she learns about her true lineage; that has her and her betroth Wen’s lives entangled. I haven’t read many novels involving sirens or sea gods/goddesses, so picking this book up was a breath of fresh air amid all the Urban Fantasy books I’ve been reading. I loved Meyer’s writing, she had me glued to the story from page one. And while I normally hate flashback scenes, Meyer expertly woven them into the story/dialogue that I found myself looking forward to hearing the tales of Rahn and the Billow Maidens.

Talia was a pretty good protagonist, most of the time. She is without a doubt independent and brave considering everything she’s been through and it is a lot. But I couldn’t help find her interaction and infatuation with Caiden vexing. On one hand, yes I know she’s just a teenager and she sees a handsome young man that she’s bound to be swooned by his charm but by when you reached the end of the book, everything was for naught. Meaning, the story line involving Talia and Caiden was pointless and brought nothing to the story except some teenage angst. This would be my only complaint because it took up a fair amount of page time which I thought could’ve been utilized better but It didn’t make me enjoy the book any less. I also really liked Wen, Talia’s betroth, he’s such a caring sweet heart. Although I felt bad for him for the majority of the book, he definitely got the short end of the stick. On a random note, can I just saw how awesome are these characters names? I thought it was perfect for each of the characters…Talia, Wen, Caiden, Blaive…love it!

Beneath the Haunting Sea is what I’d call a hidden gem of 2018. I haven’t heard much press about it until it was put on my radar for review and I glad for it! Beneath the Haunting Sea is a story about fate, love, selflessness and embracing who you are. I highly recommend Beneath the Haunting Sea to all Gothic Victorian, Fantasy, Jane Austen-lovers; this is a debut you don’t want to miss! 

Prodigy by Marie Lu

Title: Prodigy 
Author: Marie Lu
Genre: Sci-Fi Fantasy, Young Adult
Series: Legend # 2

Trade paperback, 371 Pages
Publication: April 8, 2014 by Putnam Juvenile

Source: Personal Library

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Injured and on the run, it has been seven days since June and Day barely escaped Los Angeles and the Republic with their lives. Day is believed dead having lost his own brother to an execution squad who thought they were assassinating him. June is now the Republic's most wanted traitor. Desperate for help, they turn to the Patriots - a vigilante rebel group sworn to bring down the Republic. But can they trust them or have they unwittingly become pawns in the most terrifying of political games?

I can’t believe it’s been five years since I’ve read the first book in the Legend series. The first book, Legend was all about The Republic and in the sequel, readers get to see the opposing side as Day and June seek guidance and help from The Patriots. Both Day and June want revenge for what The Republic did to their families and the only way to stop The Republic is to infiltrate them from the inside. Which is why June and The Patriots concocted a plan to get her capture and pretend that she’s still loyal to get close to the new regent. As the saying goes, keep your friends close but your enemies closer.

I’m sure everyone has heard of the dreaded second book syndrome. It’s real y’all. It sadden me to say this but Prodigy definitely suffers from it. The book’s pacing was extremely slow. In some areas the book felt like it was dragging along with no action in sight. For the majority of the book, we watch as June, Day and The Patriots plan their attack…which consisted more of planning, planning and more planning. And then all that strategic planning went out the door when Day and June decided to go rouge. Even with the surprise turn of events, the climax of the story felt anticlimactic.

Bottom line, I didn’t love it as much as Legend, I think I had too high of expectations for Prodigy that I was left disappointed and underwhelmed. I’m not sure if it would’ve made a difference if I read the book at the time of its release or perhaps I’m losing interesting in the whole YA Dystopian genre; who knows. The ending of Prodigy leaves a lot of questions still, and I’m not sure how things are going to play out after learning of Day’s prognosis. I plan to finish this series and read Champion but it’s certainly not a priority.

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

Title: Children of Blood and Bone
Author: Tomi Adeyemi
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Legacy of Orïsha # 1

Hardcover, 525 Pages
Publication: March 6, 2018 by Henry Holt BFYR

Source: Received audio-book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zelie’s Reaper mother summoned forth souls.

But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were targeted and killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope.

Now, Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good.

Danger lurks in Orïsha, where snow leoponaires prowl and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zélie herself as she struggles to control her powers—and her growing feelings for the enemy.

Children of Blood and Bone is the most anticipated novel of 2018, and the only reason why you wouldn’t of heard about it is if you’ve been living under a rock. This book has been the talk of the blogosphere for months leading up to it’s publication earlier this March, so much so, that movie rights were acquired awhile back and last I heard that it’s actually in development; talk about fast! Children of Blood and Bone takes place in a re-imagined Africa, following three characters: Zélie, a young Divîner, Princess Amari and her brother Inan. The book alternates between their POV/narrative; enabling the readers to glimpse through their eyes and see what they were thinking. I normally prefer books with one POV, however, Adeyemi did a spectacular job in creating such a clear, distinct voice for each of her characters that I found myself enjoying all three narratives; although I found some of the characters vexing at time.

I had the pleasure of reviewing the audio-book version of Children of Blood and Bone, narrated by the talented Bahni Turpin. Turpin brought the characters and the world of Orïsha to life. I loved listening to her voice. Turpin enunciated everything very clearly and put so much emotion into her voice at all the pivotal scenes. I’m not gonna lie, there were many times I ended up tearing up in the middle of the day, while out in public because you can hear the genuine raw pain that Turpin brought forth while narrating Zélie’s chapters. While listening to the audio-book, I can vividly see as Zélie and Amari ran through the bazaar in Lagos, all the Divîners celebrating Sky Mother in their sanctuary and as Amari lead a siege on her father’s compound to rescue Zélie. It was like watching a movie in my mind. Another reason why I’m so glad I had the opportunity to listen to an audio-book version was being able to hear the correct pronunciation of the the words and the characters’ name. I am positive if I read this on my own, I would have pronounced a lot of things incorrectly. Reading a book and listening to an audio-book is a totally different experience, and if you have the chance to listen to Children of Blood and Bone; definitely do it! You’ll be glad for it! I know I was.

There were a ton of great characters in Children of Blood and Bone. Zélie never backed down from a challenge and had a fiery personality to match. But the biggest surprise and breakout star of the book in my opinion was Amari. When we first met Amari she was a timid and quiet princess, all she knew about her kingdom was minimal as she has never left the confines of the castle but with one bold choice, of defiance, her life changed. Gone was the scared princess and as the story progressed a true warrior emerged, a girl fit to be Queen. Amari like any teenager had doubts and insecurities but she pushed them down and stood up for what she believed was right. Amari was without a doubt my favorite character and it was wonderful to see her journey and character growth. Tzain and the a couple of Divîners also made quite an impression as well…like Zule, the thirteen-year-old healer that lead the group of Divîners. I can still see her in my mind, her final scene was truly devastating.

While there was a lot to love about Children of Blood and Bone, it is not without flaws. I did not like the character Inan, he was so hot and cold it drove me nuts. One moment he was all for killing every single Divîner because he truly believed that was the only way to protect Orïsha by riding the world of Magic. Then suddenly he falls for Zélie and wants to create a better Orïsha where regular folks and Divîners lived side by side. Then he gets brainwashed by his father and was back on his path of riding the world of Divîners and Magic. And there’s a secret that Inan carries which readers discovers early on, which makes this all more ridiculous in his hypocrisy! If and when you read this book, you'll know what I mean. I also wasn’t a fan of the magic system. Compared to everything else, I thought the magic system was the weakest, considering it’s a big part of the world building. There are many types of maji (when a Divîner comes into their power as an adult, at the age of thirteen); there’s the reaper like Zélie, who can see, hear and control spirits, burners, winders, connector (control the mind/dreamscape) and so forth. The idea, the magic system is pretty generic and can be seen countless of times in other fantasy series. The only difference is what it’s being called. Although I wished the magic system was better developed and more complex, it didn’t take away from the book. What makes Children of Blood and Bone great was the characters and Adeyemi delivered on that front.

All in all, Children of Blood and Bone was a wonderful debut that deserve all the hyped that it got.It is one of the best debut novel I’ve read in awhile and I can’t wait to read the rest of this series. As I said before, if you’re able to listen to the audio-book version, do so, you won’t regret it. It takes the reading/listening experience to an entire new level.

*A big thank you to Macmillan for providing me with an audio-book of Children of Blood and Bone.

Magic Stars by Ilona Andrews

Title: Magic Stars
Author: Ilona Andrews
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Grey Wolf #1/KD #8.5

Paperback, 64 Pages
Publication: December 8, 2015 by NYLA

Source: Personal library.

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Scarred, solitary Derek Gaunt has separated from his Pack, and is truly a lone wolf. With no family he answers to no one; but is fiercely loyal to a chosen few. So, when several of those close to him are murdered, he’ll stop at nothing to hunt their killer through the magic-drenched streets of Atlanta. Never one to be left on the sidelines, equally determined—some might say stubborn—Julie Lennart-Olsen soon joins in his pursuit; and what began as revenge turns into a race to save the city. Their search pits them against powers they never imagined and magic so old, it predates history. It may cost Derek his life, but there are things for which even he would risk everything.

Novellas aren’t my things. I normally avoid it. Books under a certain length don’t interest me because I don’t think there’s enough pages and/or words to develop a fully fleshed out world or characters. It’s not to say that I don’t read them at all. There are very few authors that I follow and are willing to read anything and everything they write. Ilona Andrews is one of the few. If their names on it, I’ll read it. So, when I heard that Magic Stars, a novella from Derek’s point-of-view was written; I jumped right on it. Derek is one of my favorite characters besides Kate and Ascanio.

I haven't read Magic Shifts yet and this book takes place after book 8. I thought it was just a complete spin-off. If I knew it was continuing from the series, I've would've read it in order. But anyways, what makes this novella great and unlike any other novellas is that we finally get to see inside Derek’s head. He’s such a serious and closed off character, an enigma, that I’ve always wondered what was going on in his head. Well, I finally get that chance with Magic Stars. What started out as a murder investigation turns into something even more sinister involving an ancient stone and mythical creature. Readers get to see a completely different side of Derek and I must say, it’s refreshing and makes me like Derek more.

Julie, Kate and Curran’s adopted daughter is also another main lead in the story. We rarely get to see Julie, so I thought it was cool to see more of her for a change. Julie been spending most of her free time with her grandfather, Roland…learning magic! But not only that, Julie thinks the best way to defeat an enemy is to get to know them; hence her hanging out with Roland. Again, we don’t see much of Julie, but from this novella, I can say without hesitation that she is beginning to sound more and more like Kate. She is literally a miniature version of Kate, not sure if that’s awesome or worrisome!

This is a very short novella, under 70 pages. I was able to finish it in one sitting. I really enjoyed it and thought it was a very well written novella, though I wished it was a bit longer as most novella averaged 150 pages or so. Andrews did a great job of incorporating a solid plot with humor and action and since most readers starting this novella have already read the Kate Daniels series; there were no issues with needing to build a backstory or foundation for the world and its characters. We learned a lot in this short story, which I’m positive will play a bigger role in the final books. I’m excited to see how Andrews plans to finish this amazing series. If you’ve been under a rock and haven’t read the Kate Daniel series, I highly suggest it! Start at the beginning with Magic Bites!

Magic Breaks by Ilona Andrews

Title: Magic Breaks
Author: Ilona Andrews
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Kate Daniels # 7

Mass Market Paperback, 357 Pages
Publication: March 3, 2015 by Ace

Source: I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

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As the mate of the Beast Lord, Curran, former mercenary Kate Daniels has more responsibilities than it seems possible to juggle. Not only is she still struggling to keep her investigative business afloat, but she must now deal with the affairs of the Pack, including preparing her people for attack from Roland, a cruel, ancient being with godlike powers.

As Roland’s long shadow looms ever nearer, Kate is called to attend a gathering of leaders from Atlanta’s supernatural factions. When one of the Masters of the Dead is found murdered by a shapeshifter, Kate is given less than twenty-four hours to hunt down the killer. And this time, if she fails, she’ll find herself embroiled in a war that could destroy everything she holds dear...

Magic Breaks is the seventh book in the Kate Daniel Series and the end of the ARC according to the authors, which I can now see having read it. In this latest installment, Kate is left alone to deal with The pack and The People’s affair while Curran is called away on an assignment. A shifter killed a Master Vampire and Kate is sent to investigate or there would be an all out war between The People and The Pack which would bring in Hugh and Roland; something that Kate desperately wants to avoid.

I must say, looking back on it, this is probably the weakest novel of the series…even compared to the last book which many found to be silly with too much teenage angst going on. It’s still a good book overall but not the usual best I’ve come to expect from Andrews. Let’s start off with what I liked. Kate has always and will be a kick-ass heroine. Let that be known. She can hold her own no matter the circumstance she is thrown into. While it sucked that Curran wasn’t around for the majority of the story, it also spotlighted Kate and everything she’s capable of; and it showed readers, The Pack and everyone else that she can lead without Curran. And I loved that we got to see more of Derek and Ascanio, espeically Ascanio, our handsome, reckless Bouda, whom readers haven’t seen for awhile. I was so happy that he had plenty of page time. Derek and Ascanio together was a riot! I love their chemistry together and thanks to them, there were many laugh-out-loud moments. I think it’s safe to say that everyone has probably read this novel already if they follow the series; that one Ascanio scene had me on the verge of tears! I’ve become so attached to these characters, I can’t imagine ever loosing them. Talk about a close one! And Desandra, whom we met in the previous novel makes herself a regular as she travels with Kate. I must say, Desandra is starting to grow on me. I love her blunt, no-filter attitude; it brings a smile to my face.

Now, the things that I didn’t like. As many readers mention, Magic Breaks definitely felt like a filler novel with a lot of unnecessary scenes that didn’t really help progress the story line. With how everything started, The People accusing a shifter of killing one of their men and unless the culprit is capture, they risk an all out war…the ending turned out to be very anticlimactic. I read it last week and now I can’t really remember how it ended. That says a lot. And from the very start, we are told how scary and ruthless Roland is, a god among men. But I gotta say, he wasn’t what I expected. He seems so calm, logical, reasonable most of the time. This is the Roland’s first appearance and though he doesn’t seem so scary, we’ve yet to see what he’s truly capable of or exactly what his motives are involving Kate. Who knows, I could be totally wrong and he turns out to be the evil god Kate was warned about. Just gotta wait and see how things play out in the last three books!

Overall, another solid addition to the series but not without flaws. Looking forward to see what else is in store for Kate and the gang.