Review: Gameboard of the Gods

Title: Gameboard of the Gods

Author: Richelle Mead

Series: Age of X #1

Publisher: Penguin

Publication date: 04 Jun 2013

Format: Kindle | Netgalley

Genre: Adult | Dystopian

Goodreads

 

 

In a futuristic world nearly destroyed by religious extremists, Justin March lives in exile after failing in his job as an investigator of religious groups and supernatural claims. But Justin is given a second chance when Mae Koskinen comes to bring him back to the Republic of United North America (RUNA). Raised in an aristocratic caste, Mae is now a member of the military’s most elite and terrifying tier, a soldier with enhanced reflexes and skills. 

When Justin and Mae are assigned to work together to solve a string of ritualistic murders, they soon realise that their discoveries have exposed them to terrible danger. As their investigation races forward, unknown enemies and powers greater than they can imagine are gathering in the shadows, ready to reclaim the world in which humans are merely game pieces on their board. 

My thoughts:

I was dying to get my hands on a book by Richelle Mead so when this book popped up on netgalley I was thrilled. For the first book I've read by Mead, she sure left an impression.

I loved everything about this book. The first thing that stood out to me was that it was slightly complicated. I felt like I was thrown into the deep end until about half way through the book. I was out of the loop a lot of the time but I was desperate to find out what everyone was talking about. The language was sometimes confusing and it took a while to get used to, but it really made me think and it added to the world building a whole lot. I can tell some readers are going to need a bit of patience when this book comes out - it's definitely well worth it when you finally find out what's going on though.

The plot is definitely what got me most of all. It was flawless. Absolutely chocked full of action and suspense, balanced perfectly with a bit of complicated romance and a whole load of secrets to boot! Also, even though this book had a fulfilling ending where everything seemed to be resolved, I still have a lot of questions. A lot. I really need to find out what happens now and the first book hasn't even come out yet as I'm writing this review…#booknerdproblems

I loved all of the characters involved as well. Both Justin and Mae were really well rounded characters that had their strengths and their flaws. Justin made me laugh and he also made me sad at times, he just seemed so desperate in the 'he's doing the best he can' kind of way. He was definitely really endearing sometimes, but he also made me want to facepalm a lot. I always love characters to have their flaws though - makes them more relatable. 

I basically felt the same way about Mae. I loved her backstory and personality too. Her relationships with other characters and the way she interacted encouraged a whole lot of emotions on my part. She's a powerful character that doesn't seem to be afraid of tough situations or making mistakes. I definitely love both Justin and Mae.

Overall I can't fault this one. I'm definitely going to be picking up my own copy when it comes out and I really encourage you to do the same.

My rating: 10/10

Richelle Mead:

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Review: Drowning Instinct by Ilsa J. Bick

Title: Drowning Instinct

Author: Ilsa J. Bick

Publisher: Quercus

Publication date: 28th February 2013

Format: Paperback | 345 pages

Genre: YA | Contemporary

Goodreads

…what if he wants to break them too?

Jenna's parents say they love her.

So why do they ignore her?

Jenna's brother says he loves her.

So why hasn't he visited her in years?

Jenna's teacher says he loves her.

He treats her well, he protects her and he tells her she's beautiful.

Mr. Anderson is the only one she can trust.

So why is Jenna telling her story to a detective?

My thoughts:

If I had to describe this book to anyone in one word it would be intense. 

Honestly, it wasn't what I was expecting at all. It was one of those reads where you cannot stop reading for the life of you. I was desperate to find out what happened to Jenna at the end so from the very beginning I was reading as fast as I possibly could.

The characters are what really stood out for me. Jenna just melted my heart. What she was dealing with while the story was progressing and what she had dealt with in the past that was slowly revealed. I loved how much I was able to really feel for her - I immediately managed to form a strong connection to her as a character because of her depth and how well rounded she was. Ilsa sure did a heck of a job writing the characters that's for sure.

I just have to mention the end before it drives me crazy. I cried. Like…a lot. I just couldn't believe what happened and I felt like my heart had stopped for a second from shock. I don't think I'll be able to stop thinking about it for a while. My God...

I also loved just how real this book was. It was incredibly poignant and it really made me think about life in general. I felt like I was pushed right into the character's minds where every secret was kept behind closed doors but only I had access. It was just between me and the characters. Sometimes, it made me so sad I couldn't bear it. 

Overall, this book has definitely made its way into my top favourites. I don't think I could read it again, knowing what I do, without being in the right mood, but I strongly urge you to pick this one up and read it because it's something else.

My rating: 10/10

Ilsa J. Bick:

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Review: Emilie and the Hollow World by Martha Wells

Title: Emilie and the Hollow World

Author: Martha Wells

Series: Emilie #1

Publisher: Strange Chemistry

Publication date: Apr 2 2013

Format: ebook | Netgalley

Genre: YA | Fantasy | Steampunk

Goodreads

While running away from home for reasons that are eminently defensible, Emilie’s plans to stow away on the steamship Merry Bell and reach her cousin in the big city go awry, landing her on the wrong ship and at the beginning of a fantastic adventure.

Taken under the protection of Lady Marlende, Emilie learns that the crew hopes to use the aether currents and an experimental engine, and with the assistance of Lord Engal, journey to the interior of the planet in search of Marlende’s missing father.

With the ship damaged on arrival, they attempt to traverse the strange lands on their quest. But when evidence points to sabotage and they encounter the treacherous Lord Ivers, along with the strange race of the sea-lands, Emilie has to make some challenging decisions and take daring action if they are ever to reach the surface world again.

My thoughts:

This is going to be one of those reviews that is difficult for me to write and is probably difficult to read. It always happens with the kind of book that I basically have no strong feelings about - while I was reading this, at times, I felt like I was reading it for the sake of reading. There didn't seem to be anything to get me excited or worried about characters.

 

The biggest problem I had was how the book started. Sometimes I love being thrown into the deep end of a story to be left to figure out what happened as the book goes on. There are always clues or little flashbacks to the protagonists past so that I'm given enough backstory to be able to get to know the main character better. That way I form an attachment of some sort - if that character goes through some sort of painful experience then I feel for them, in the same way that I enjoy reading about the character experiencing something pleasant. I didn't get that with Emilie. I didn't feel there was enough of a backstory revealed in order to satisfy me - I didn't really end up caring about what happened to her either way and I hated that.

 

I think that initial problem is what put me off the rest of the book. I ended up having the same problem with the rest of the characters, even though there wasn't any problem with them that I can put my finger on. 

 

One thing I did notice though, was that I loved the descriptive writing. The 'Hollow World' is a world set in the depths of the Earth, it gave the author a chance to use her imagination and I loved how that came across. There were times where I could picture everything described clearly in my mind just because the writing was so easy for me to take in and imagine myself. 

 

Overall this was a 'meh' kind of read for me. It had its moments but for me, if I don't really like the characters, I can't get into the book at all. However, as I always mention, give it a go if it seems like the kind of book you would go for…it's just my opinion. 

 

My rating: 5/10

 

 

Martha Wells:

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Review: Darkness Falls by Cate Tiernan

Title: Darkness Falls

Author: Cate Tiernan

Series: Immortal Beloved #2

Publisher: Hodder and Stoughton

Publication date: 13th Sep 2012

Format: Paperback - 416 pages

Genre: YA | Fantasy

Goodreads

Just a few weeks ago, I'd seen a tiny crack of sunny promise splitting through the dark tarmac of my soul. I'd seen progress - I really had. What had happened? Everything felt ruined now. I'd faced so much - my heritage, my past, my emptiness.

I had faced it all and for what?

Nastasya has lived for more than four-hundred years, but nothing seems to get any easier. Desire, death and heart-breaking truths are revealed in book two of this compulsively addictive trilogy.

When you're born immortal, can you ever outlive your past?

My thoughts:

I can't believe I took this long to get back into this series. I came across the first book, Immortal Beloved, in my cupboard and immediately felt like rereading it. So, that brings me to the second book in the series which I have just read for the first time and absolutely fell in love with it. I fell in love with the characters and the series all over again and managed to read both the first book and second in a day.

I couldn't get enough of this book. In my opinion, the only downside is it wasn't long enough. What drew me in straight away - as well as in the first book - was Nastasya's personality. She's such a well rounded character with flaws up to her eyeballs - even though she's over 400 years old she's still relatable. She still makes mistakes even with all her experiences and she owns up to them. She doubts herself and she finds it hard to trust those around her. In other words, she's not perfect, just like the rest of us. Nastasya has to be one of my all time favourite characters - she may be incredibly stubborn and silly sometimes but boy does she make me laugh. This book definitely has its fair share of one liners from Nasty that will make you chuckle.

The plot of Darkness Falls is basically carrying on from the end of the first book. It's all about Incy with just a hint of something more coming. I enjoyed it immensely - it was different to the first book in that it got really dark at times. Incy got downright creepy towards the end to the point that he made me shudder a little bit. It definitely got you turning the pages.

The rest of the characters were just as amazing. Especially Reyn, which I'm guessing everybody knew I would eventually start gushing about him. Reyn is a GORGEOUS character. He's so complex and mysterious - I really can't wait to get to know him more in the last book. All of the characters in this series have a lot of depth - you don't find out everything about them so it intrigues you and makes you wonder. They all act the way they do for a reason.

Overall this book is definitely one I'm adding to the favourites pile. If you haven't started this series I would strongly recommend you do because you won't regret it.

My rating: 10/10

Cate Tiernan:

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Review: Mila 2.0 by Debra Driza

Title: Mila 2.0

Author: Debra Driza

Series: MILA 2.0 #1

Publisher: HarperCollins

Publication date: 28th March 2013

Format: ebook | Netgalley 

Genre: YA | Science Fiction 

Goodreads

No one suspects what she’s made of…
After the sudden death of her father, Mila’s at a new school, trying to fit in and falling for mysterious sexy Hunter. But her world slams upside down in a heartbeat when a car accident reveals a secret she never knew; a secret about herself.

Mila is devastated to learn that her memories are just chimeras, her dreams untrue. She can’t even rely on her emotions to tell her who she is. So how can she grieve for her father or feel the way she does about Hunter? And why is her mom running scared?

Worse still, who are the creepy stalkers so desperate to get their hands on her…?

My thoughts:

I'm going to start off this review by saying straight off I was disappointed with this book.

Mila 2.0  drew me in straight away with it's summary. I thought it had such potential since I'd never read anything with some kind of robot as its main focus, but to be honest, it was pretty much the same as every other book in terms of what happens. It was way too predictable for me - I was looking forward to something different and something that would take me by surprise. Maybe I just expected too much from it.

 

Don't get me wrong, I didn't outright hate it. It definitely had its merits. I loved how Mila had her problems right from the start before she even found out about her huge secret. It made her relatable right from the start and for Mila's character, that was especially important - she had to come across as human and vulnerable in her own ways. I thought that was achieved quickly enough that I really felt for Mila as the story went on.

 

I don't really know what to think about the characters though. On the one hand I really liked some of the personalities involved but on the other, I felt like they weren't around for very long. The book was divided at some point in the middle so most of the characters in the first half weren't involved in the last. The characters that I really liked disappeared pretty quickly so by the end of the book everything felt a little unresolved. 

 

Overall I think this was just one of those reads that wasn't for me. Judging by other reviews though, a good number of people enjoyed this one so give it a go.

 

My rating: 4/10

 

 

Debra Driza:

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Review: Lords of Prophecy by Michael A. Rothman

 

As part of the book tour, I was sent all three books in the series to review so I thought I'd do something along the lines of 'mini-reviews' for all three.

 

 

 

 

About Heirs of Prophecy:

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The Riverton family had been enjoying a simple summer vacation when, through a fluke of nature, they found themselves in a strange new land. The Riverton brothers quickly realise that in this world, they have gained unusual powers. Powers that their parents fear will attract the attention of Azazel himself - the merciless wizard who brutally controls this world. The two brothers soon learn that an ancient prophecy has finally been initiated by their arrival in Trimoria. As the heirs of this prophecy, they are destined to lead the armies of men, dwarves, elves, and even a misfit ogre against the prophesied demon horde. Only one thing stands in their way. The evil wizard who has learned of their presence, and has sent assassins to wipe them from existence.

My thoughts:

I have to say I found this book incredibly easy to read. It reminded me a lot of the fantasy books I started out with when I had just started high school - definitely brought back a lot of memories.

What was really refreshing was the fact that the whole family is involved. It made the characters so much more loveable because of the way they interacted as a family and helped each other.

It's also the kind of book that delves straight into the deep end. It wasn't too long before the action started to get going and the adventures began. Always a plus with this kind of book. 

One thing I didn't like so much was that the characters seemed to adapt too quickly to their powers and surroundings.

Overall it was definitely a lovely read suited to the whole family.

 

About Tools of Prophecy:

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The Riverton brothers are the tools of a prophecy that has them destined to face off with the demons that nearly destroyed their world over five centuries ago. Despite their youth, a mysterious spirit has engaged them in an epic struggle to gain mastery of their newfound skills, help raise and train two armies, and stay alive long enough for their final showdown with destiny. The only things that stand in their way are the assassins hired to destroy them and the Demon Lord's minion who holds a personal grudge. He plans to witness the young boys' deaths.

My thoughts:

I read this one straight after the first and it definitely ups the pace a little. The characters have grown and with that the story gets a little darker and more action packed.

 

As with any series I was a little apprehensive I wouldn't like the characters as much as I did in the previous book. I have read series where the main characters have had some kind of identity crisis and just become utter brats but thankfully I liked the characters just as much as before. I enjoyed how the characters are slowly developing and getting a little more depth - they became a bit more well rounded individuals I felt.

 

The plot was enjoyable. It was simple but the book was no less intriguing - I was still sucked  right into the story.

 

 

 

About Lords of Prophecy:

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The time of the final battle approaches as the barrier that’s kept the demons at bay for centuries crumbles. The prophecies have promised the emergence of two brothers, lords of the prophecies who are destined to lead Trimoria’s forces against those of the demon lord Sammael. Yet, the challenges that the Riverton brothers face are none that anyone could have anticipated.

Assassins seek the end of the king’s reign, debilitating madness overwhelms many of the wizards, and the sudden appearance of an emissary from a long-lost civilisation brings with it unexpected consequences. The Riverton brothers must overcome the challenges arrayed before them, for the demon lord’s minions are amassing at the border.

The future of Trimoria hangs in the balance.

My thoughts:

 

 Well the story all came together in this book that's for sure. The final battle where everything is decided...

 

I still loved the relationship between characters. They really seemed to shine more than in the previous books because so much more is at stake. They were really endearing so I ended up not getting enough of them.

 

The plot was a little too predictable for me but I still enjoyed it nonetheless. What I like about these books most of all though, is that the plot includes a little of everything. It has the perfect mix of fantasy, action and romance which, personally, kept me from getting bored and kept me turning pages.

 

Overall I think this was my favourite book of the series. I've already persuaded my little sister to start reading them and so far she's enjoying the books too! 

 

 

My rating: 7/10

 

 

 

About Michael Rothman:

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I am an Army brat and the first person in my family to be born in the United States. This heavily influenced my youth by instilling a love of reading and burning curiosity about the world and all of the things within it. As an adult, my love of travel allowed me to explore many unimaginable locations. I participated in many adventures and documented them in what will be a series of books.

 

Some might put these books in the Fantasy genre, and I never had issues with this label. After all, the adventures were, without any doubt in my mind, fantastic. I simply quibble with the label of "Fiction" that some might put on these tales. These tales should be viewed as historical records, more along the lines of a documentary. 
I've learned one thing over the years. Magic is real. Keep exploring, and you too will find your magic.

Series Spotlight: The Gatekeepers #5

Title: Oblivion

Author: Anthony Horowitz

Series: The Gatekeepers #5

Publisher: Walker Books

Publication date: 04 Oct 2012

Format: Hardback - 672 pages

Genre: YA | Fantasy/Horror

Goodreads

Having escaped from Hong Kong, the five gatekeepers - Matt, Pedro, Scott, Jamie and Scarlett - are scattered in a hostile and dangerous world. As they struggle to re-group and plan their next move, the malevolent King of the Old Ones gathers his forces in Oblivion: a desolate landscape where the last survivors of humanity must fight the ultimate battle.

My thoughts:

Wow.

Honestly, I've just put this book down and I'm a little shocked as to how it ended.

I have to say, this was a brilliant book. It was incredibly long winded at times but I expected it from a story like this at some point. Plus with a book of this length, you should probably expect it to be, at least in parts. It was the kind of book where I would have to put it down and distract myself so I can give myself a second to take in everything that's happened. 

There's something to be said about reading the last book in any series. There are so many expectations I had before even turning the first page. Even though I loved the first four books, if I didn't like the last, it would all have seemed like a waste of time. But thankfully that didn't happen. I was really happy with the way this book ended and how it rounded the series off as a whole. I'm a little upset about the ending, but anybody could have seen it coming since there were quite a few clues to prepare you for it. 

Anthony Horowitz definitely knows how to write. I mean the level of suspense in this book was on another level compared to anything I've read before. It really had me turning the pages as fast as I could. I was constantly on the edge of my seat just waiting to find out how this book ends. It didn't help that I had to wait quite a while to get this one as well.

Overall this series is a definitely must read. It's creepy, full of action and packed with amazing characters. Give it a go.

My rating: 10/10

Series rating: 8/10

 

Anthony Horowitz:

 

Goodreads | Website | Twitter

 

 

 

The Gatekeepers:

 

1. Raven's Gate
2. Evil Star
3. Nightrise
4. Necropolis
5. Oblivion