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.

Mortal Danger by Ann Aguirre

Title: Mortal Danger
Author: Ann Aguirre
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
Series: Immortal Game #1

Hardcover, 372 pages

Publication: August 5, 2014 by Feiwel & Friends  

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

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Edie Kramer has a score to settle with the beautiful people at Blackbriar Academy. Their cruelty drove her to the brink of despair, and four months ago, she couldn’t imagine being strong enough to face her senior year. But thanks to a Faustian compact with the enigmatic Kian, she has the power to make the bullies pay. She’s not supposed to think about Kian once the deal is done, but devastating pain burns behind his unearthly beauty, and he’s impossible to forget.

In one short summer, her entire life changes and she sweeps through Blackbriar, prepped to take the beautiful people down from the inside. A whisper here, a look there, and suddenly . . . bad things are happening. It’s a head rush, seeing her tormentors get what they deserve, but things that seem too good to be true usually are, and soon, the pranks and payback turns from delicious to deadly. Edie is alone in a world teeming with secrets and fiends lurking in the shadows. In this murky morass of devil’s bargains, she isn’t sure who—or what—she can trust. Not even her own mind.

Who doesn’t like a good revenge story? While I was initially drawn in by the beautiful simplistic cover and interesting summary…Mortal Dangers’s main plot line turned out to be wholly different than what was stated in the synopsis. However, the misrepresentation of the plot turned out to be a deliciously dark surprise into the sinister world in which our main heroine Edith a.k.a. Edie has found herself in the middle of. 

As the summary stated Edie makes a deal with the devil (so to speak), where he grants her three wishes in exchange for three favors to be used for whichever he pleases at a later date. Unsurprisingly Edie’s first wish is to be beautiful. At the start of the story readers learn of Edie’s years of torment and bullying by The Beautiful People (popular kids, Teflon Crew)…bullying and tormenting for being smart and ugly…Every. Single. Day. And the only way to react revenge upon The Beautiful People is to infiltrate the group from within, which is why she asked for beauty. Many reviewers were put off by Edie’s sudden change/transformation and how once Edie was beatified everything was better for her and she got everything she wanted. I can see that. It’s true. Edie skyrocketed to being the hottest girl in school, flirtatious to the point to getting what she wanted, exuded a confidence that put her tormenters to shame, and gained a hot boyfriend all in the same day…believable? Definitely not but Edie didn’t change personality wise.

Edie might have changed her looks (she wished for an ‘ideal version’ of herself, it’s not as if she looks like a totally different person mind you) but underneath she’s still the same person, in my opinion.  Every time she spoke or did something she was terrified inside. Edie hasn’t forgotten that these are the same people that made her life a living hell but instead of staying silence she stands up for herself. Everything Edie does is a front. From the outside appearance she may seem like a superficial B- but she’s really still the same broken/scared girl. Obviously if Edie showed any vulnerability, the Teflon Crew will swarm her like a shark at the sight of a drop of blood. For the most part I like Edie. Again, in my opinion she stayed true to who she was except now she had beauty and brains. I loved that she still did well in school maintaining her A+ status and that she enjoyed reading and watching horrible Science Fiction movies like Sharknado.

While the summary promised sweet revenge, there wasn’t much of it…at least not intentionally by Edie’s hands. Edie was hell-bent on bringing down the Teflon Crew but in the process of it she got to know her tormentors. What she finds is that behind the beauty and popularity they’re just your average high school students and that she could even relate to a couple of them. One by one the Telfon Crew begins to drop like flies and you’d think Edie would be happy that she’s getting what she always wanted but instead she starts to feel guilty. While I don’t want to spoil the main plot for anyone, there’s a bigger picture in the scheme of things regarding Edie. When Edie made the deal she thought it couldn’t be as bad since she was planning to end her life anyways but really the future and the lives of her family and friends depended on her making the deal. A future that the immortals Gods and Nightmares you dream about will do everything it takes to ensure it happens…and Edie is the key. Edie is The Queen in the ‘game’ of chess that she didn’t know she was playing till it was too late.

The paranormal/magic aspect of the book wasn’t as fleshed out as I liked. The author used a lot of urban legend/myths in regards to the scary monsters that lurked in the shadows, many of which were unknown to me. The only one I knew was Bloody Mary (horrible, I know lol). While I found the overall world building structure lacking and vague the author made up for it in hitting all the points in creeping me out! From the description of Mary in the Mirror, the bag man and two blood splattered children outside her window to Brittany and her deteriorating face was enough to give me goosebumps and the shivers. While I don’t often get scared, I wouldn’t recommend reading this a night like I did. Creeeeppppy. 

Overall I really enjoyed Mortal Danger and I’m looking forward to seeing where Aguirre takes this trilogy. I highly recommend this series to other YA lovers and those who are already familiar with Aguirre work. I’ve read both of Aguirre’s adult series, and I can say this YA series is just as good. There are quite a lot of reviewers on opposite camps regarding this book; they either loved it or hated it. I suggest readers that are interested in trying this book to download the first 5 chapters (FREE) to see if they like it. Although, the plot doesn’t truly get interesting till the halfway point. Mortal Danger isn’t about a girl going from an ugly duckling to a swan overnight and getting what she wants…it’s so much more than that. Mortal Danger not only touches on the enigma of beauty in this day and age but also subject of suicide. Aguirre did an excellent job incorporating this important topic in her story, I thought it was well done and written. (Be sure to check out the Author's Note at the end of the book, in which she talks about how this book hits close to home.)

Review: Fox Forever by Mary E. Pearson

Title: Fox Forever
Author: Mary E. Pearson
Genre: Young-Adult, Sci-fi
Series: The Jenna Fox Chronicles #3

Hardcover, 304 pages

Publication: March 19, 2013 by Henry Holt and Co.

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Source: Publicist

Locke Jenkins has some catching up to do. After spending 260 years as a disembodied mind in a little black box, he has a perfect new body. But before he can move on with his unexpected new life, he’ll have to return the Favor he accepted from the shadowy resistance group known as the Network.

Locke must infiltrate the home of a government official by gaining the trust of his daughter, seventeen-year-old Raine, and he soon finds himself pulled deep into the world of the resistance—and into Raine’s life.

The Jenna Fox Chronicles series concludes with Fox Forever, and my goodness this is by far the best of the series and the best ending to a book I’ve ever read (series/trilogy wise)! In Fox Forever, readers get a more in-depth look at how the resistance works, who’s involved, and learn more about non-pacts (the poor, low income people…who are not even considered citizens). Locke owes the Network a favor, and as promised they’re cashing in on the favor to rescue someone from the Secretary of security. The person being held prisoner is an important player to the resistance and before his capture he stashed away 80 billion duros. The Network is a group of Non-pacts (the resistance) who help the lower class gain equality, and citizenship. There have been rumors of reunification of one country again (there was a war that split the country into two opposing sides), and if Locke is able to rescue said prisoner…the prisoner and his money will end the subclass of people the division created in the first place which are the non-pacts…the resistance will accomplish their goal in gain quality and citizenship. The Plan is for Locke to go undercover as a student at the Virtual Collective (Raine’s school name) and become friends with the secretary’s daughter Raine to gain information on where Secretary Branson is hiding the prisoner.  

Fox Forever is once again told from Locke’s POV, same as the previous book. The story starts rolling from page one when Locke hears of his favor and tries to learn every possible detail to infiltrate Secretary Branson’s home. Locke main objective is befriending his daughter Raine for information, but over a short period he begins to see that she is someone just like him and re-latable in wanting freedom, a life (Raine is always kept under her father’s watchful eyes and abides by his strict rules). As Raine and Locke spends more time together, he begins to fall for her; blurring the lines between what he feels and the mission he’s suppose to complete. Locke has only a few days to complete his favor, but as the deadline looms near he finds out the truth about the prisoner, about Raine and her father and that the real enemy isn’t the Secretary but someone within the resistance. 

The final installment of the series is a nonstop adrenaline rush, with twist and turns around every corner. There are a lot of new characters most of them from the resistance and old characters like Miesha and Jenna who make an appearance toward the last half of the book. I mentioned in my review for The Fox Inheritance that one of my favorite-stand out character was Dot, and while she wasn’t in this book…her memories and her story was told/shared with other bots like herself who dreamed of escaping and becoming something more. There was also other bots that stole the show for me, and it was Hap and the ending with all the Cab-bots…you just have to read the book to know what I mean! The ending was phenomenal; really it is just beyond words. Pearson wrote one of the most emotional conclusions that had me smiling, laughing and crying with joy till I turned that last page.  This series has made a big impression on me, and even though I finished the series I keep thinking about it over and over.  The themes in the series are re-latable, and truly make you think about life, and the choices you make (well, at least it did for me). 

I highly recommend this series/book to everyone, and while it labeled as a young-adult/sci-fi, it isn’t only that but something more. I think people of all ages will love and appreciate this series/book as much as me. Give this series a try, you WON’T regret it! Fox forever/the entire series is a shelf keeper and anything Pearson writes will be on my auto-buy list. :)

For The Jenna Chronicles fans that have been with this series from the beginning, you will not be disappointed …Fox Forever is amazing and Pearson definitely delivered for her fans.  

Blog Tour: Fox Forever by Mary E. Pearson + Giveaway

 

I'm please to welcome Mary to Short & Sweet Reviews, and am happy to be taking part in her wonderful blog tour for the final book in The Jenna Fox Chronicles, Fox Forever. The Jenna Fox Chronicles is a good young adult series that has a little bit of everything for readers of all ages, below you will find summaries for all 3 books and an excerpt from Fox Forever with Mary's thoughts on the passage. 

Also, don't forget to check out the amazing giveaway at the end, where one reader will win the entire Jenna Fox Chronicles!

Everything is different.

Seventeen-year-old Jenna Fox has just awoken from a year-long coma - so she's been told - and she is still recovering from the terrible accident that caused it. But what happened before that? She's been given home movies chronicling her entire life, which spark memories to surface. But are the memories really hers? And why won't anyone in her family talk about the accident? Jenna is becoming more curious. But she is also afraid of what she might find out if she ever gets up the courage to ask her questions.

What happened to Jenna Fox? And who is she really?

Once there were three. Three friends who loved each other—Jenna, Locke, and Kara. And after a terrible accident destroyed their bodies, their three minds were kept alive, spinning in a digital netherworld. Even in that disembodied nightmare, they were still together. At least at first. When Jenna disappeared, Locke and Kara had to go on without her. Decades passed, and then centuries.
Two-hundred-and-sixty years later, they have been released at last. Given new, perfect bodies, Locke and Kara awaken to a world they know nothing about, where everyone they once knew and loved is long dead.
Everyone except Jenna Fox.

Locke Jenkins has some catching up to do. After spending 260 years as a disembodied mind in a little black box, he has a perfect new body. But before he can move on with his unexpected new life, he’ll have to return the Favor he accepted from the shadowy resistance group known as the Network.

Locke must infiltrate the home of a government official by gaining the trust of his daughter, seventeen-year-old Raine, and he soon finds himself pulled deep into the world of the resistance—and into Raine’s life.

Below is a excerpt from FOX FOREVER, and Mary's thoughts:

Mary: Sigh. Oh Van, you picked one of my favorite but saddest parts of the story.  I didn’t use too much of the excerpt so as not to get spoilerish, but Locke has just jumped into a cab driven by a CabBot and he has a promise to fulfill—sharing Dot’s story.

Excerpt from page 65 of Fox Forever, Book III of The Jenna Fox Chronicles:

“Did you ever meet a CabBot named Dot Jefferson, Bob?”

His brows rise and he hesitates. “No,” he finally answers. He knew her. But it could be he’s afraid to admit it— or he’s planning on turning me in for points, but there’s no going back now.

“There’s a story I heard about Dot. You might like to hear it?”

“If it pleases you. But we’re quickly nearing your destination.”

He’s right. Traffic has thinned. Cars headed toward this part of Boston are few. “The story won’t take long,” I tell him and I jump right in. “Dot used to drive for Star Transportation just like you. She was DotBot#88 but said she hated that name so she named herself Dot Jefferson. The way I heard it, one day she got a customer who needed to Escape. She decided to help him even though it meant she might be released or even recycled. You ever hear of Escape, Bob?”

“No, sir.”

Mary: Escape was a big deal for Dot.  She loved life and embraced every aspect of it, but she was condemned to seeing the world from one perspective only—the inside of a cab—because she was only a CabBot, but in The Fox Inheritance, Locke discovered she was far more than that.

Dot is one of my favorite characters of the whole series.  She was one of Locke’s favorites too—which is why he was determined to share her story.

Thanks for having me at your blog, Van!  I hope your readers enjoy Fox Forever and the rest of the books in The Jenna Fox Chronicles!

To see all the stops on the tour--past and upcoming--check out the schedule here at MacTeenBooks: http://www.macteenbooks.com/blog-tour/blog-tour-fox-forever-by-mary-e-pearson/ 

GIVEAWAY 
US/CA ONLY: Will be mailed from publisher. 
 

Macmillan/Mac Kid has generously offered one (1) complete set of THE JENNA FOX CHRONICLES to a Short & Sweet Reviews Reader! To enter please fill out the Rafflecopter below. Good luck you guys! 

 

 

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